2018 - Blog #2 - 'Ole Murphy just keeps hanging around

Our campsite in Twiltley Branch Campground

Onward into Mississippi we headed, definitely knowing we wouldn’t be returning to the campground near Grenada that we stayed in last year and hoping that we would have a better camping experience in this state this time around.   Our first stop was near Collinsville, in Twiltley Branch Campground.   Now THIS place was a wonderful place to update our views of camping in Mississippi!   We loved the woods, looking out across the slough, listening to all of the birds, walking the camping loops, and just enjoying life here.  This will be on our list of campgrounds we would like to stay in again for sure. 

morning view from our campsite on the slough

Our second stop in Mississippi was at Wallace Creek Campground, just outside of Pope.  This campground was a pretty, nice campground, nestled in rolling hills.    It was okay but not a favorite because it was completely full (on the weekend) and there was a continuous procession of golf carts on the loop roads, with even children drivers!   It seemed like 99% of the people weren’t obeying the leash laws for their dogs and the street lights in our camping loop lit up the night like we were staying in a Walmart parking lot.   If we decide to stay here again, it won’t be on a weekend and it will be on one of the other loops that have more spacious sites with more privacy and no streets lights.

our campsite in Wallace Creek Campground

the derelict camper!

Heading into Arkansas was a pleasure as it is such a pretty state, Jean could see her friends Shirley and Jerry again, and while visiting them, Jerome could pick up his drone.     Our first stop in Arkansas was in Heber Springs Campground, just outside of Heber Springs.   Another “our kind of campground”….  woods, beautiful view with sunsets across the water, and quiet. 

Jerome walking Carly along the shoreline

Our campsite at Heber Springs Campground

beautiful sunset at Heber Springs Campground

This campground was only 37 miles from our friend’s home in Conway, but with the mountain roads, it took us an hour to get there.   We had a wonderful visit and we even were able to return again to a great used book store in town  – “Book Traders” – to grab a couple books that Jean needed to continue a series that she is reading.  Oh yes, the last bit of craziness about the drone:   according to the tracking # it had been delivered to Conway the previous Friday and was to be delivered to Shirley’s house on Monday (when we were there).   When we checked Monday morning, it was noted to be out for delivery but Shirley texted us to say that on her screen it said that delivery was to be in Venice, so MORE phone calls ensued to UPS.   One person told Jerome it was being delivered in Venice, Florida,  the next person told him it was being delivered to Grapevine, Texas, and finally, the third person reassured him it was out for delivery in Conway, Arkansas as they were speaking!  Egads…. are we ever glad that Jerome FINALLY got his drone and our drone ordeal is over!!!

Jer keeping an eye on Jerome as he tries out the drone

Our second stop in Arkansas was a disaster.   This is the first (and hopefully last time) that we have ever been kicked out of a campground!  When we pulled into the campground at Lead Hill in Diamond City there were no hosts in the kiosk to check us in and a sign on the window stated that the hosts did not work on Tuesday and Wednesday (the two nights we had planned to stay there).  The campground rules and regulations, which were posted on the adjacent window, gave instructions to choose any campsite without an orange cone in the driveway (indicating that it was already reserved), set up camp, then come back and pay by way of the fee box.

flooded campsites at Lead Hill Campground

Well, we followed the instructions to the tee but found out that there were no registration and fee envelopes to fill out.  We figured that we would pay the hosts when they were back on duty Thursday morning before we left and the fellow local campers reassured us not to worry about it.  Lo and behold, on our last night there, as dusk set in and we were preparing to start dinner, a knock came on our door.  Standing there was a lady with fire in her eyes and spittle at the corners of her mouth demanding that we had to leave.  She said the she was the camp host and that some other people were here with paperwork showing that they had this site reserved.   Although there were several other empty sites she said they were all reserved.   She made it very clear that this was her day off and she had no intention of helping us find another site for the night. 

Jerome trying out his drone when we happily thought this campsite was ours for the night, before the rude campground host interrupted our pleasant evening

Upon telling her that it was late, we were in the middle of nowhere with nowhere to go, and that we had followed the campground rules that were posted she was momentarily speechless and asked where exactly I had read that posting.  She briefly looked like a deer in the headlights and finally acquiesced and let us move to a site that was blocked off with an orange cone "because the electricity doesn't work there".   What a worthless host!  Needless to say, we got up before she was to be on duty and left without paying!   I’m sure she didn’t want to tangle with us again either so it probably didn’t matter, especially because she was going to find out that she had to kick out our neighbor too who was as blind-sided as us.   (The poor guy’s wife was coming the next day with their 4 grandkids, thinking they were camping for the weekend.)   Our unfortunate lesson from this is we’ve decided that we need to make reservations ahead even if it isn’t a weekend this year.   Sadly, it rules out picking out the site that best suits us and just hope for the best.   

 

From here we are heading into Kansas and hopefully “good times!”   Until later,  Jerome & Jean, alias Yankee & Rebel !