Stone Mountain State Park NC May 23-30, 2021

 Day 23 Thursday May 20, 2021 We are back to our normal routine today so not much to report. We didn't have many campers to come in today but tomorrow will be a different story. We got to set outside today and relax and read for a few hours, since we didn't have much to do and the weather was really nice.

Day 24 Friday May 21, 2021 As expected we have been busy today getting sites ready for the 58 reservations that are due in today. But we still had about half of the day to sit outside and enjoy the weather and read. We don't have any vacancies tonight, all 88 sites are reserved.

Day 25 Saturday May 22, 2021 We have a few leaving today but others coming in to take their place so we are full again tonight. The weather was really nice again today but it is getting rather dry.

Rant on: Most people do a good job of not leaving trash on their sites but we do find exceptions to that. We wonder how these people would feel if they were to come to a site to set up to camp and find trash scattered about on the site and in the fire pits. I wonder if their home/yard is like that. And another thing we find amazing is the damage to some of the picnic tables on the sites. The parks provide a nice large picnic table made from weather proof recycled plastic. There are several tables that have burned places in them where someone has set a very hot pot on the table and melted the shape of the bottom of the pot into the table. Now who doesn't know you shouldn't set a really hot pot on plastic. Rant off.

Day 26 Sunday May 23, 2021 As usual on Sunday we were busy today, with lots of campers leaving and several coming in. We tried to clean all the reserved sites as soon as they became vacant and got all of them cleaned but a couple. We normally have two or three hours in the afternoon where we can sit outside and read/relax and watch the campers come and go. The Host campsite is really shady and usually we have a slight breeze blowing through the trees so it makes for a comfortable campsite. The site is in the woods right across from the Contact Station where the campers checkin and the the street to the campground. We can see the activity of the campers coming and going but they can barely see our site through the trees.

About 9PM we had a knock on the door of the motorhome and there were two ladies outside kind of stressed looking. Their basset hound had been bit by a copperhead snake while they were out walking and they wanted to know if we knew any Veterinarians nearby that might be open. I did a Google search and found one about 10 miles away but of course he was closed on Sunday night. We called Jackie that works in the Contact Station at home since she lives in the area and she said the nearest 24 hour vet she knew about was in Winston-Salem about an hour away but she suggested giving the dog Benadryl. The lady said they had some so they left. 

That was the first time in the six years that we have worked at Hosts that we have had a knock on our door after the park closes. 

Day 27 Monday May 24, 2021 We don't have much turnover today so we will have a fairly easy day. When we were putting out the reservation signs we found the copperhead snake. Someone had smashed him to death with a big rock. 

One of the maintenance men (Mark) came and got the golf cart. The new top had come in. He returned about 30 minutes later with the golf cart with the new top. So now the golf cart is almost back to the way it was prior to the fire. I told Mark they had do a good job of restoring it. 

Without the golf cart or something very similar our job would be much more difficult to the point we might not even be Volunteer Host. We carry a big metal trash can for firepit ashes, two metal peck buckets, a dust pan, two yard rakes, one broom, a five gallon plastic bucket for trash, two grabbers for picking up trash, about 60 reservation signs, our gloves, our water mugs, magic markers, site cards, a park radio so we can call the Rangers or the Maintenance men and a clipboard to hold the reservation reports. The golf cart is nimble so we can get in and out of the sites easily.

Later the lady with the dog that got bite saw us out working and stopped to thank us for helping last night, not that we did much, but it was nice of her to say that. She said they were from the Winston-Salem area so they took the dog there to the 24hr vet and they gave him a shot to counter act the venom. We saw the basset hound later in the day outside and she was doing much better. 

There has been 4-5 campers that has made a point of thanking us for what we do in the campground. That is more than has done that in the prior 5 years we have worked here. 

Tom (our friend that was here last week) said his wife asked him how much Campground Host get paid. When he told me that I told him we get to keep all the money we find on the campsites. So far this year we have made 35 cent.

We are seeing more Pop-Up campers and other style of off the ground Tents this year. And several older travel trailers that probably have been brought back to service to get out and enjoy the outside after being couped up since COVID hit.

Day 28 Tuesday May 25, 2021 We went to Dirty Joe's Coffee Shop in Elkin this morning for a Latte and sweet roll. Afterwards we drove around the countryside through Boonesville and then returned to the Walmart in Elkin for a few groceries. The rest of the day was reading and relaxing at the campground. We finally got some light rain showers, just enough to wet the dust down.

Day 29 Wednesday May 26, 2021 We decided to try The Pine Restaurant in Sparta for breakfast. We ate lunch there many years ago when it was named Browns and owned by different owners. I must have thought I was hungry because I ordered two biscuits with sausage gravy, one scrambled egg and country ham. The portions were generous so I shared one of my biscuits and gravy with Lena. The food was good but the coffee was really weak. I like just a little kick in my coffee and this tasted more like hot water with a hint of coffee.

Day 30 Thursday May 27, 2021 We received a call from Lena's sister about 7:30AM that their mother has passed away earlier this morning. This was not unexpected due to her recent health issues. We quickly put out the reservation signs for today's incoming campers and then prepared to return home. We had told Ranger Hicks on Monday that we may have to leave before our planned June 1st departure. We departed about 11AM and arrived home at 5PM. 

Stone Mountain State Park May 8 - 22, 2021

Day 11 Saturday May 8, 2021 It is still windy today but a little warmer. We only have 12 leaving and 12 reservations today so we will not be so busy today but tomorrow will be a different story. There is always lots of people leaving on Sunday so we will have lots of sites to clean.

As expected we had a fairly easy day today.

Day 12 Sunday May 9, 2021 As expected we were very busy today. Lots of people leaving and new campers coming in to take their place. We cleaned 42 campsites today and got all but one or two of the reserved sites cleaned before the new campers arrived. 

We still don't understand why some people put metal drink cans, aluminum foil, plastic bottles, etc. in fire pits. The metal does not melt and the plastic usually makes a mess. But I think the worst thing I have seen is 7 bags of dog poop left in the fire pit. Now I don't think these people would want to come to a campsite and have that mess in their fire pit so why would they leave it for someone else. 

We saw something we have never seen before today. One couple that arrived today put up little red flags all around their campsite. These are the flags that are on a wire that you stick in the ground to mark a boundary or a spot, etc. We knew they had two of the large full size poodles so we stopped to ask them about the little flags. The man said they were his Service Dogs and they were trained to stay within the flagged area without a lease. The dogs names were Liberty and Freedom. He gave them a couple of commands to show how well they were trained but they didn't do the commands as he instructed. I guess they were not accustomed to us.

Day 13 Monday May 10, 2021 Same routine today. We had less that 20 new campers today so not so much work and the weather was really nice, so we enjoyed the day. We have only seen one couple from outside the USA so far this year. We normally see 3-4 couples from foreign countries during our month here. I guess the travel restrictions with COVID is the reason.

Day 14 Tuesday May 11, 2021 Normally we see several deer around the campground but we had not seen any until this morning we saw 4 cross the street in front of our site, then we saw some more on near the highway on our way  to North Wilkesboro to a new to us Coffee Shop name Talia Espresso. It is a really nice facility, lots of comfortable seating, some outside tables in the recessed front entrance,  good coffee and free WIFI. Is in the downtown part of town right across the street from a pizza restaurant we have ate at a couple of times a few years ago. The building was a department store in its former life.

After getting our coffee fix we drove back to the park and stopped at Widow's Creek Falls for some photos and then stopped at the Lower Parking Lot and did a 30 minute hike up to the historic Hutchinson Homestead. We had not been to the homestead in the last four years. The park preserved several old farm buildings and the Hutchinson cabin to create the homestead. It is in a beautiful setting at the base of  the Stone Mountain Summit. The 60 degree temperature was just right for a short hike. So we got our 2 miles of walking in today.

Day 15 Wednesday May 12, 2021 It was windy and rainy during the night and was still drizzling rain as we drove to Sparta for breakfast at the Circle L Cafe. We have ate there several times. It is where the locals come for breakfast. The first time we ate there I ordered two blueberry pancakes not knowing how big they were going to be. When the waitress brought them out a couple of the local men that was sitting next to us laughed at me. They were bigger than the plate they were in. I later learned they will make them as big as you want, so now I just order one that is plate size and an order of bacon. It was really good and loaded with blueberries. 

After we ate we drove on into town and stopped at two gas stations to get some gas. The first had bags over the pump handle and the second had bags over the pumps stating Out of Service but a paper sign on the pump to come inside to pay. So I walked by a man pumping his gas to go inside to pay. The clerk told me they were out of fuel. When I got back to the car a lady pulled up to the opposite side of the pump where I was parked. I told her they “claimed” they were out of fuel. She looked at me kind of strange, took the pump nozzle and placed it in her fuel opening in her car and started pumping gas. I guess they don't sell to out of town customers. Oh Well.

We stopped at Backwood Beans for a Latte. I asked for an extra shot of espresso in mine. Most coffee shops make them a little weak for me. Well when I got mine I think a spoon would have stood up in it without any problem. We stayed a short while and left to head back to the park. This is not our favorite place to get Lattes but in the past we have come here to use their WiFi. They don't have very good seating, poor lighting and the floor always looks like it has not been swept recently.

We stopped at Food Lion in Sparta for a couple of items. While we were there it started snowing, YES snowing. The temperature had dropped to 40 degrees. The snowing didn't last long but was fairly heavy small flakes for several minutes. It has snowed one day every year that we have worked here but we were surprised to see any in May.

I stopped at two more gas stations on the way back and the second one had fuel but had a $10 limit on purchases. At least people can't fill up several gas jugs like we have seen on the Internet since this gas shortage situation has started. This station is where I normally get fuel when we go to Sparta so I will be stopping here in the future and not at the one in town that would not let me buy any fuel.

Day 16 Thursday May 13, 2021 While we were putting out the reservation signs a camper told us he heard some scratching sounds coming from inside one of the dumpsters. After we finished with the signs we checked the dumpster and there was a raccoon inside. Don't know how he managed to raise the heavy lid enough to get in but he did. I called one of the rangers and him and a couple of the maintenance crew came. They put an old dead tree limb inside the dumpster so the raccoon could climb out. It didn't take him long to make his escape.

Day 17 Friday May 14, 2021 We had another busy day, which is normal for a Friday. There were lots of campers coming in and lots leaving. We cleaned 48 sites today, which might be a record for us. It began to rain lightly after lunch and the sun didn't come back out until about 6PM when I was making my last past through the campground.

Day 18 Saturday May 15, 2021 The campground was almost full last night and we only have 18 reservations for tonight and about that many leaving so we should have a fairly light day today which will give us a chance to rest up for tomorrow since Sunday is our busiest day.

Day 19 Sunday May 16, 2021 We did our normal routine, putting out the reservation signs, then ate breakfast and began cleaning sites as soon as the campers departed that were leaving today. Some friends (Tom and Gloria) that we met on our 2019 Canadian Maritimes trip are coming in today for a three day stay in the Campground. We are scheduled to go on a Caravan trip to Alaska together in July. We are planning to travel together part of the way to Idaho to meet with the Caravan group and need to meet to discuss our plans. We finished cleaning all the sites we needed to clean today, ate lunch and went to their motorhome to visit for awhile. We shared some travel experiences and had a good visit before we returned to our motorhome.

Day 20 Monday May 17, 2021 We had a fairly easy day today since we cleaned so many sites yesterday and not many people are leaving today. After lunch Tom and Gloria came to our motorhome for a visit and late in the day we put out the reservation signs for Tuesday since we are off tomorrow.

Day 21 Tuesday May 18, 2021 Today we thought we would try to eat ourselves across two states. So we picked up Tom and Gloria and we went to the Circle L Cafe near Sparta for breakfast and then drove down the Blue Ridge Parkway to Galax VA. to our favorite Coffee Shop, Briarpatch Market Place and Cafe for a Latte and Cinnamon Bun. Then it was on to Millers Country Store to pick up some of their homemade bread and a few other items. From there we drove to Fries to show them the Fries New River RV Park that we like so much, followed by a ride around the little old Mill town. It was time to head back to the campground via Independence Va. Since it was 1PM and we hadn't eat anything in about two hours we stopped at the Mexican Restaurant in Independence for a small lunch. When we got back to the park we drove on down to Widow's Creek Falls since Tom and Gloria hadn't had a chance to ride through the park. 

We had a very good day, good food, good visit with friends and beautiful weather.

Day 22 Wednesday May 19, 2021 After breakfast we drove across the Virginia line to visit Joe & Joyce. We met them on a Carnival Cruise a few years ago. They were seated at the same table we were. We have visited them each year we have been here since that time. After talking for awhile we drove to local cafe for a good lunch. Later we departed their house and drove to New River State Park to check out the campground for a possible future visit. They only have twenty sites for RVs and only about three that we liked. We stopped and introduced ourselves to the Campground Host. We found out after talking to her they have a lot less duties than we do at Stone Mountain and only have 20 RV sites and a few tent/group sites. She encouraged us to apply there to be Campground Hosts. We might in the future but probably not for now, even though it is a really pretty area and there would not be much work involved.

We got back to the campground about 5PM. The weather the last couple of days has been really nice.

Day 23 Thursday May 20, 2021 We are back to our normal routine today so not much to report. We didn't have many campers to come in today but tomorrow will be a different story. We got to set outside today and relax and read for a few hours, since we didn't have much to do and the weather was really nice.

Day 24 Friday May 21, 2021 As expected we have been busy today getting sites ready for the 58 reservations that are due in today. But we still had about half of the day to sit outside and enjoy the weather and read. We don't have any vacancies tonight, all 88 sites are reserved.

Day 25 Saturday May 22, 2021 We have a few leaving today but others coming in to take their place so we are full again tonight. 

Most people do a good job of not leaving trash on their sites but we do find exceptions to that. We wonder how these people would feel if they were to come to a site to set up to camp and find trash scattered about on the site and in the fire pits. I guess they have never heard the 'ole camper' saying "leave your campsite cleaner than you found it". We wonder if their home/yard is like that. And another thing we find amazing is the damage to some of the picnic tables on the sites. The parks provide a nice large picnic table made from weather proof recycled plastic. We have several tables that have burned places in them where someone has set a very hot pot on the table and melted the shape of the bottom of the pot into the table. Now who doesn't know you shouldn't set a really hot pot on plastic.

Stone Mountain State Park April 28 - May 7, 2021

 Day 1 Wednesday April 28, 2021 It is time to go to Stone Mountain State Park NC and work a month as Volunteer Campground Hosts. We normally work the month of April but we decided to try May this year, since May will be a little warmer and another month gave us time to finalize some other issues at home.

We are members of Harvest Hosts which gives us the opportunity to stay at variety of places like Winery, Farms, Golf Courses, Museums, etc. The only cost is the annual membership fee and if we purchase anything at the Host site like wine, cheese, etc. We are not obligated to but encouraged to support the Host's business. They don't have campsites just places to park, usually in their parking lot. We have been a member for almost a year and have not had a chance to use the membership so we decided to leave one day earlier than our requested arrival at the State Park and stay one night at Grove Winery in Gibsonville NC, about 20 miles from Greensboro. We arrived about 12:30PM and parked in the parking lot out of the way of any customers. This is not a very big winery but they have a nice yard, pond, large patio and a stage for outdoor events. We went into the winery after we had lunch and did a wine tasting of 6 wines and we bought two bottles of the two we liked the best. They gave us a piece of Blackberry cake which was very tasty. Later we set out on their patio and had a little supper and did some reading.

Day 2 Thursday April 29, 2021 I woke up this morning with a mouse walking across the top of my head. I guess he got in after we got to the Winery. We will have to set out a trap tonight. They can find the tiniest hole to get inside when they smell food. We packed up and was on our way about 8:30AM. We stopped at the Farmers Market in Greensboro to see what vegetables were available. We got some tomatoes, zucchini and honey. We arrived at the Park about 11:15AM and setup for our 5 week stay.

Our Host Site

View from my lounge chair

We relaxed after lunch because we will start our duties tomorrow. We normally have a golf cart assigned to us but we found out that one of the hosts last Fall put hot coals from a fire pit she had cleaned out in a trash can in the back of the golf cart and it caught the rubber bed of the golf cart on fire. It ruined the bed, back tires, seat, tool rack that I had built to hold the rakes, broom, etc. and the top. Luckily there was a local fire department Chief riding by and stopped to help. It could have been really bad because she had parked the golf cart about 6 feet from her motorhome and the gas was low in the golf cart fuel tank. Also the lady has a mentally handicapped child that rides with her around the campground that has to be strapped in but she had gotten her out when they got back to the host site before the fire started or it could have been really bad.

We set out a couple of traps baited with roasted peanuts before bedtime for the mouse. While I was reading I saw him come out from under the couch and run to another place. So I moved the trap to the opening where he went. In about 15 minutes he came out and ate the peanut and ran back in the opening without tripping the trap all while I was watching him. So I reset the trap and re positioned it. In a few minutes he came out to get the peanut and he tripped the trap. So I got the beady eyed rodent.

Day 3 Friday April 30, 2021 We got started on our duties just after 8AM. We got the John Deere Gator out of the wood shed and began putting out reservation signs for the campers coming in today. Before we finished Ranger Hicks came to meet up with us and welcome us back to our 6^th year here as Hosts. We discussed our duties to make sure we knew of any changes. She showed us a photo of the golf cart after the fire. It looked like a total lost to us but she said the park maintenance staff had been working on it but was still waiting on a new top. They had made a temporary top. We told her as long as it ran okay we weren't concerned with the makeshift top because the golf cart worked so much better in the campground than did the gator. When we finished the first phase of our morning duties we went back to our motorhome to get some breakfast. In a few minute Ranger Hicks and another ranger brought us the golf cart. The maintenance staff had done a good job of saving the golf cart. It definitely showed signs of the fire but it still runs good. They put on new tires, seat and a new metal bed and the temporary top. I gave it a good bath and washed the windshield and loaded our tools on it and after breakfast we took the gator back to the wood shed.

Weekends have always been busy here but since the park/campground has opened back up after COVID it is even busier. A lot of first time campers plus all the experienced ones. We will have a full campground tonight and probably tomorrow night. We have 88 sites here to take care of and it keep us busy especially on weekends.

Day 4 Saturday May 1, 2021 We put out reservation signs before breakfast again and then had breakfast, rested a little and then went back and began cleaning sites as the campers departed. We get as many sites cleaned when the campers leave as we can before the arriving campers get here. On weekends we don't always reach that goal but we got all but 3 or 4 today.

After lunch we rested for a couple of hours, I cleaned the bugs off the windshield of the motorhome and we did some reading and enjoying the beautiful weather. It got down to about 40 degrees last night so we started out this morning with three layers of clothes on our upper bodies but by mid morning were down to one. Nothing unusual happen today so we had a good day. The trees have almost all budded out with new leaves. This is our first year working in May so we normally are leaving just after the leaves had budded. Some of the campers we talk to thank us for being here so that makes us feel good that the hosts are appreciated. Us and as far as we know the other hosts try to keep the campground clean as possible and everything working properly.

Day 5 Sunday May 2, 2021 Again we started out with three layers of clothes this morning but within an hour we were shedding layers as the sun came up over the mountain. We will be very busy today as is normal for a Sunday. Lots of people leaving and many coming in. It is sort of like shift change at a factory. We got all the reservation signs out had breakfast and began cleaning site as soon as the campers left so the sites would be clean when the next camper arrived.

The weather has been really nice today so it was “a good day in the neighborhood”. We were able to clean 32 sites today. We got all the sites cleaned except one that was reserved before the next camper arrived. But when I say “cleaned” usually it is just picking up any little bits of trash that has fallen to the ground, raking the tent pad for the site (the driveway/camper parking area in loops B and C are paved) and cleaning out the fire pit if it needs it.

We had planned to do more walking when we got here to get back in shape since we have not done as much as we used to before COVID. But we do so much walking when doing our duties we have not gone out “to Walk”. The last two days we have walked over 2 miles just doing our duties plus all the raking so we are getting some good exercise.

Day 6 Monday May 3, 2021 As predicted it began raining this morning about 3 AM. We only have 16 reservations today so we were able to get the reservation signs out in between rain showers. We cleaned almost all the sites yesterday that are reserved today so we will spend most of the day inside where it is dry and get some paperwork caught up and reading done.

The clouds finally cleared about 4PM and the sun peaked out a little so we got the reservations list for Tuesday and put them out even though we are off tomorrow and Wednesday. We have several sites open tonight and some that are reserved but not occupied probably due to the rain.

Day 7 Tuesday May 4, 2021 We are off today so we slept to 8AM and then drove about 25 miles to the nearest Cracker Barrel for breakfast. This is our 6^th year working here and we had never been to the local Cracker Barrel. After a good breakfast we went to the Shiloh General Store in Hamptonville. This is an Amish business with lots of good food. They have a bakery/deli onsite and sell lots of local made food item. We normally come here every year when we are at the Park. We got our purchases including a couple of Woopie Pies, then stopped about a mile away at an Amish dairy and got some of their milk and ice cream. There is also a Amish hydroponics tomato business just down the same road that we buy tomatoes from but we didn't need any today.

On the way back to Elkin we stopped to check out a new campground that just opened in June of 2020. It is a nice facility names Riverwalk RV Campground. It sits on the banks of the Yadkin River.

Then it was on to Walmart for a few groceries and then a stop at Dirty Joe's Coffee Shop for a Latte and a sweet before returning to the Park. It started drizzling rain just as we got to our campsite.

Day 8 Wednesday May 5, 2021 This is our second day off so we drove to Galax, VA to our favorite coffee shop. We have been to this coffee shop many times when we are in the area. Last Summer when we came to Fries, VA, just a few miles from Galax, we had to sit outside but now the shop is open for inside dining. They have remodeled the shop and adjoining Antique business. We learned last Summer when we came that both had been bought out by a husband and wife team. They live upstairs and operate both businesses. They have done a really good job of remodeling and have added several more tables for inside dining, a few couches and arm chairs and added more sandwich items on the menu. We really like their cinnamon buns.

After filling up on coffee and cinnamon buns we drove past the Walmart to a Mennonite Bakery that Ranger Hicks had told us about. They have more baked goods than Shiloh General Store we visited yesterday also a Deli and dinning area. We got a few items, then stopped at Walmart to get a few things we forgot yesterday. Then we drove through Fries and on to Independence VA to eat lunch at a Mexican Restaurant we have ate at several times. After all it is Cinco de Mayo. Then we took a leisurely drive back to the campground and relaxed the remainder of the day.

Day 9 Thursday May 6, 2021 Well it is back to our normal routine today, putting out reservation signs, cleaning campsites, etc. We don't have as many campers today as during the weekend but it will pickup tomorrow. We did a few maintenance items around the motorhome and did some reading/relaxing because we will be busy for the next three days.

Looking across part of B Loop

View from site 90 in Loop C

Day 10 Friday May 7, 2021 It was much cooler and windy this morning, down to low 40's last night so we put our hooded sweatshirts on before going out at 8:30AM to put out reservation signs. We have 66 sites reserved for tonight plus what is already here so we will have a full campground if everyone comes that has reservations. We have 88 sites here.

We returned to the motorhome and ate breakfast and rested until 11AM to give some of the campers leaving time to vacate their sites so we could clean them before the new campers come in. We got all of them cleaned and ready by 1PM except two and those campers had not departed yet. The checkout is 3PM but most will leave before then.

The wind blew really bad all afternoon so we didn't go back out like we normally do around 6PM to check around the campground.