First outing of 2014 on the books!!

[mcfarmall]

Made reservations for our first outing in 2014...yeah baby!!! Sleepy Hollow SP, MI. Planning on Ludington, Tawas Point, Muskegon or Hoffmaster and maybe a few weekends in August....kids in band camp put the brakes on weeklong trips in August.

[Clayton4971]

Sounds like some you are getting ready. Already sick of the snow and cold? We have camped the west side of the state but not the east . A friend did the east side this summer and loved it . Memories you make are forever.

[mcfarmall]

There are a couple of SP's in the thumb area that I'd like to audit sometime when I'm in the area. We audited Harrisville SP last summer doing a walk through marking suitable sites. Harrisville is getting a pair of new restroom/shower facilities this winter.

The first day of Winter is like hump day for me...it means the days are steadily getting longer and spring is on the way!!

[billb800si]

Originally Posted by mcfarmall

Made reservations for our first outing in 2014...yeah baby!!! Sleepy Hollow SP, MI. Planning on Ludington, Tawas Point, Muskegon or Hoffmaster and maybe a few weekends in August....kids in band camp put the brakes on weeklong trips in August.

==========================

We just made ours also for Jan- Feb in Ft. Myers, Florida....

[Flyrotor]

Sounds great, I visited Muskegon SP while in college in Mi,

I think I went to PJ as well but cant' remember for sure.

So do your kids participate in the Holland Tulip Time parade in their band?

I had to help with the medical standby for that parade as part of our clinicals in college.

Some day I plan to return to the western shores of Lake Michigan with my trailer for camping, sand dunes, and beaches. It will include a trip Mackinaw City, St Ignace and a ferry ride to Macinac Island.

[CruizinKim]

Originally Posted by mcfarmall

Made reservations for our first outing in 2014...yeah baby!!! .

I'm glad I'm not the only one. Some (non-camping) friends just don't understand when I book camping trips months in advance. I'm a planner and my plans rarely change, so why not try and get a great spot?! We have our first trip planned for a March weekend to a local CG with a bunch of camping buddies. We just booked several nights in Gettysburg in April. Our kids don't want to go so we invited another couple, making it an adults only vacation. They didn't think I was crazy for asking them 5 months in advance! Lol!

[mcfarmall]

You'd better be dialing the 1-800 number or ready to hit the "reserve site" button at 0800 when the frenzy starts 6 months prior to the day you want to arrive or you aren't going camping...period. This statement holds true mostly for the parks along the Great Lakes that have sites right on the Lakes or connecting channels. Others are just very popular and many folks book 15 day stays at them. Booking 6 months out also makes it easier to request vacation time from my employer. On January 2 I can hand them a list of every date in 2014 that I want off and so far have never been turned down for any of them.

Now I'm not saying that I never book time at the last minute either. Last year I got lucky when on a whim we decided to camp over Labor Day and I scored a 3 night stay at Muskegon SP only a few days prior to arriving. Someone likely had to cancel due to a personal emergency and I reaped the benefits.

Yes, my oldest daughter marches with the high school band at Tulip Time and my youngest will join her next year. We really enjoy the marching band events and competitions!

[Derek700]

We also booked a 2014 trip already. Grayland beach SP in Washington in May. That shouldn't be our first trip though.

[mwest75]

Booked our first one for the 4th of July as Inks Lake State Park will fill up fast. Always a good place to be even with the heat. Constant level lake and the TPW folks are great.

[nevercominhome]

Glad I'm not the only one. I booked our "first" 2014 (for April) trip to the OBX about 4 months ago and just called and booked a spot (for June) near Charleston, SC today! :beer: