"L&C’s Journey of Discovery” follows the travels of Leo and Charlotte from Clermont, FL as we explore the wonders and beauty of North America in our RV. We travel the country in a 2020 Jayco Greyhawk 30Z we call "Lewis", and our Toyota Corolla tow, "Clark" (following the Lewis and Clark "Corps of Discovery" theme), producing videos we hope will help other RVers discover great places to camp and the interesting nearby locations to visit on their travels.
We did an entire video showing EVERY campsite in the campground. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-b81iZ6FdPHM.htmlsi=k4w54y9xkGm1Em_W But thanks for the encouraging comment.
Hi Cathleen. The entire cost is hard to estimate because it was done in 2020 and we no longer have the paperwork. We had other work done at the time, so we'd have to break out the cost of installation. However, the cost of EACH battery itself (Battleborn batteries) was about $950 at the time. I suspect with competition in that space since then, you could find a Lithium battery for FAR less now. The installation was tricky because we relocated the battery (and added one) from underneath the steps on the right side to another compartment on the driver's side and had the whole thing rewired. Not cheap. We also tied in solar panels and an inverter, so you can see how that would have added up pretty quickly. We added a Fantastic Fan and a wifi extender, and maybe a few other smaller items as well. I think all in, the work and all the parts and equipment came to somewhere around $8,000. We thought it was worth it at the time and even in hindsight, I don't regret spending that for those upgrades. I will say that having Lithium rather than AGM was GREAT for us. Such a massive improvement in technology. And if you keep (and use) your rig a lot in a year, making that investment is well worth it! --Leo (L&C's Journey of Discovery)
That has to be the best campground tour that I've watched! Such a great view of each of the campsites rather than typical "drive thru" view from a truck. This really shows you the depth of the sites, views of the water, levelness, etc. Keep up the great work!!
Michelle, you kicked off a major debate this morning about whether they did or didn’t have a bath house. Honestly, neither of us can recall ever using one while there, and if there had been one, we definitely would have used it. So no, I don’t believe they do. But it might be worth a phone call to them to confirm. Also, it was three years ago and they may have added one since. Hope this helps. -Leo
This was absolutely awesome! So fun watching this. And such a blessing! I was going nuts trying to find out what site to pick. The website wasn't any help, and I even called the Customer Service line on hold for 20 minutes until the woman got on the line and was no help what so ever. This video was so ON TIME! Thank you so much. I am staying here for a concert at the Ampitheatre coming up in Oct. So excited. Thanks again. <3
Nicely done with the tour! BTW, you have sites 31 and 32 backwards. All of the odd numbered sites are on one side and the even numbered sites are on the other. 🙂
We are camped at Myrtle Beach SP right now. Sure wish we could have been able to reserve a spot at Huntington instead. Looks so much nicer. We will check it out ourselves this week while in the area.
Karen, they’re both great campgrounds. The advantage of MB State Park is the proximity to all the MB has to offer. You can walk north and be in the center of the action of Myrtle. Huntington is definitely more for campers who enjoy nature. It’s the idyllic beach campground in the middle of a true estuary seascape. You can go spend a day at Huntington just to check it out while you’re camping at MBSP. But realistically, you can go wrong in either place. The Grand Strand is great! Thanks for checking in! -Leo
@@lcsjourneyofdiscovery9049 Both parks are so much nicer than the RV "resorts". We are those more nature loving folks so HB is more our speed. MB is fine especially if you have kids to entertain.
Hello! Given how long ago this was, I'm sure whatever app she used has long since been updated (also, she doesn't recall what it was). However, there are new apps that come out every year, so if you're looking for one that accurately displays information about any given plant, I would encourage you to search on the iOS or Android stores. When I last looked, there were MANY options there. Hope this helps!
Glad it helped, Alex. We benefitted from others creating similar videos for campgrounds we were interested in so we wanted to pay it forward. We plan to do it again this summer in Custer State Park in South Dakota. You’re going to love Duckett Mill. And if you get really lucky, try to snag one of the big three at Sawnee on the other side of the lake. -Leo
Thanks! I agree with your points. BTW: ventilation with those frame-less windows seriously SUCK -- so the ceiling fan is a good idea. edit: YES on the vent-fan. I use one now with full slider windows and it makes all the difference. p.s. looking to upgrade from my current rig, and came across your channel. Thanks again.
Thought your video was great! I was just there a couple weeks ago. Here is link to video I made of park ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tMzeC6A_GRg.html
Hi Cajin. As far as we can remember, there's not a direct trail from the campground. You basically have to walk on the access road to the main road that goes to the beach. It's probably about a half mile to three-quarter mile walk, depending on how deep into the campground your site is located. Most people make the drive, likely because for most of the year it's very hot and there is virtually no shade along the walk. Others ride a bike or use the occasional golf cart. That isn't to say there ISN'T a trail, but for the week we were there we never bumped into it. Nevertheless, it's a BEAUTIFUL campground and park and worth the effort you have to make to get to the beach. Hope this helps! --Leo and Charlotte
Thank you for sharing WP and Ortona. I am trying to decide between the two parks for a short fishing weekend for my son. Do you know if the fishing is better at one or the other?
Erin, they’re both outstanding but WP Franklin was our favorite and really is beautiful. The fishing is great near the dam, and best of all, WP has a corresponding park on the south side of the river that would be great to visit. Also, you’re much closer to civilization in Ft. Myers 15 minutes away. Ortona is great as a campground, but there’s an isolation out there that doesn’t exist at WP. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the info about the park. Family is planning a stay there. We picked this park because the other COE parks you mentioned lock their gates at 10:30pm. That doesn't allow for much evening activities like a ball game or movie and such.
It really depends on who you hire to do the work. The batteries at the time we bought them were $950 each. However, we had other modifications done at the time, so it’s hard to break out the cost. Also, we had the batteries moved from under the entry steps to a compartment on the driver’s side, which involved rewiring and retrofitting. If I had to guess, if you were able to just drop in the batteries in an existing location and you upgraded some wiring, you’d probably be looking at +$500 for labor. But again, it depends on who you hire. Hope this helps!
We just test drove one of these - and it’s now at the top of our list! We’ve had a fireplace in our 35ft Keystone Outback travel trailer, and we use the fireplace for heat ALL THE TIME, so it was very exciting to see one in the Jayco, along with the recliners across from the TV. *WEIRD QUESTION: where do you guys put your kitchen trash? Realized it doesn’t have a cabinet under the sink for one. What’s y’all’s solution?🤷🏻♀️
Hi Ashley! Not a weird question at all. We didn't have a lot of options for the trash, which is probably true of everyone in RVs, so we ended up sliding it between the driver and passenger seat while we were parked. When on the road, we slide it back somewhat so it's not in the way while driving. Not very elegant, but it works for us. Basically, trash containers are like hampers; it's always an adventure trying to figure out where to hide them. Thanks for your comment!
Looks great guy! We’re staying at Collier Seminole State Park, next month. First time camping at a state park. We’re excited. We’ll be uploading a video when we go. Keep those adventures coming. We’re subscribing. Smooth roads and fast Wi-Fi 😂😂
Thank you guys! Awesome video, we just made reservations at Collier Seminole State Park, towards the end of May! First time camping at a State Park. If you guys have any other suggestions, please let these newbies know, we need the assistance!! 😂😂 Subscribing 👍🏼
Excellent video! Thanks for making it. I love the GSMNP and have never been through Cades Cove, but now I feel like I have experienced it. Hope to see more videos from you guys.
I just reserved site 39 for later this year. This video was SUPER helpful! I was mainly looking for shade, and a view of the water from the campsite. Site 39 looks perfect for me and my tiny camper. I do hope it's not too far from the bathroom, since my camper doesn't have one. It would be nice if the campground had a standard campground map, instead of one that looks like a Google map.
Thanks for the detailed drive through. I would like to start off by saying I have never camped here and sadly I will never camp here based on my experience with the person at the gate. I have family in the area and was wanting to take a 10 minute drive through the facility to see spots that might work for my RV and make sure it was going to work. I was told that they don't let anyone drive through even for 15 mins on Fri-Sun. Of course being from another state I was not able to just drive down through the weekdays. This is totally asinine as I have camped in many COE campgrounds and I have never been told I couldn't just drive through real quick to make some notes on what sites might work and to make sure its ok to navigate with my specific rig size. I can see I am not the only person who has had an issue with the front gate attendant! I will take my money elsewhere.
Hi Brian, I feel your pain. I really do. But let me offer a different way for you to view this. First, let me echo the sentiment you expressed with a little story. The first time we camped at Sawnee, the attendant at the gate inadvertently checked us out immediately after checking us in. That caused a HUGE problem when it became apparent what they did two days later, and we had to scramble for the last 4 days we were there just to remain in the park. Fortunately, one of the other rangers/attendants managed to squeeze us into a site they weren’t supposed to use (according to the Corps of Engineers) to bridge us to an emergency reservation site we made when we discovered the problem. So our first exposure to Sawnee was a disaster, which is why I can easily feel your pain. HOWEVER . . . let me give you reasons why I don’t think you should give up. 1. There is no one attendant there. There are usually two couples who volunteer to man the gates during the season. They have to work under strict rules set by the Corps of Engineers. That being said, we’ve been there twice and in both instances, we had good experiences with them, the disaster above notwithstanding. Because they’re closely monitored by the COE, they may have been forced into not letting you in, but even then, there’s no excuse for being unkind or rude on their part. Frankly, as a camper, if I had been the attendant there, I would have made an exception and let you in to drive around, rules aside. But not everyone is a maverick like me. 🙂 2. Please don’t let a nasty attendant or ridiculous rules stop you from enjoying a really outstanding campground. The sites we pointed out as “Top 10” are TRULY great. If you can set aside your anger and disappointment with Sawnee specifically or the COE generally, I PROMISE you’d have an amazing time. And it’s not just the campground or the lake, either. That entire area of Cumming, GA, is terrific in terms of its infrastructure. You probably already know this if you have family in the area. 3. The history of gate attendants in COE parks is peppered with negative experiences. Many of them are cranky, frustrated, and frankly overworked campers themselves, who probably in a different life would be dictators running their own nasty empire. As a result, they take it out on us. We experienced this at Duckett Mill up the road from Sawnee, and another COE park in Alabama. It’s kind of the luck of the draw. That being said, once you get through the gate and you set up shop for the duration of your trip, you really don’t have to deal with them much. At that point, it’s ALL about the beauty of your site and the amazingness of the campground. Try not to let the bad apple spoil the bunch. I hope this helps. My recommendation would be to do everything in your power to book one of the Top 10 sites we mentioned in the walkthrough, and then hold your nose through the check-in. More than likely you’ll get someone who isn’t the same person you dealt with last time. And even if it is, suck it up so you can experience the amazingness of Sawnee. We’ve been there twice and it’s still one of our top 3 campgrounds ever. Hopefully this helps. Good luck! God bless! -Leo and Charlotte