Campground cooking, camper storage and our third trip out

I had some hospital appointments in Portland at the end of June. Since it was just before the 4th of July, I was afraid we would end up parked at Cabela's. I was so happy to see that they still had three nights open at Wild Duck, in Scarborough, Maine. That is where we stayed at the beginning of June, and we really liked the peacefulness there, so we reserved a campsite for all three nights. The last time, we were in #27, and it was a really nice site, but this time, we had #28, and it was even larger better! We were also right across from some friends we had made there on our previous trip.

We had our friends over for shish kabob on the first night. I had originally planned on three different kinds of shish kabobs. One with lemon and shrimp, another with shrimp, kielbasa, veggies and cajun marinade, and a third with veggies and lemon. As I was par boiling the potatoes, I decided that it would be more fun to have a shish kabob buffet, and let everyone customize their own. I put the shrimp into one bowl, chunked up the kielbasa into another one, and cut up potatoes, summer squash, zucchini, mushrooms and vidalia onions, and put all of these into their own bowls. Then I made up the marinades in separate bowls. The shish kabobs were great, and we had so much fun talking and cooking! You can't see the grill in this photo, because it was behind the picnic table.

The next day was the day of my appointments, and it was rainy, so we decided to go to a local fishing co-op, and have dinner there after we got back from Portland.

On the third day, we were planning on sauteeing up the leftovers from the first night. I was going to grill some chicken to go with it, but our friends came over and said they had lots of leftovers too, so we did a leftover buffet with them instead. I had put all the leftover veggies and things into a bowl along with the marinades, after we ate on the first night, so I fried up some bacon and added all the leftovers to that and sauteed them up in my outside kitchen. (There are two skillets, because one of them doesn't eat meat). Then we brought them over to our friend's camper, and stuck them on the warming shelf inside their smoker/grill while their leftovers were cooking. There was a nice smokey taste to everything, and we had another great meal!

The worst part about camping, is having to leave. I have always been envious whenever we stopped anywhere and saw a camper on the back of a vehicle, so when we stopped for gas on our way home, I had to get out and take a picture of my Sonic behind my Sierra! Yeah, those are dents on the side of my Sierra. We went for years without ever getting a scratch on our vehicles, but Portland Maine parking lots, including the one at the hospital are like meat grinders. Someone is always running into your vehicle while it's parked, and not leaving a note. I think next time, my husband will listen to me about taking Uber. This happened to us twice.

We were storing our camper at the dealership, two hours away. I hated not being able to go in and do things in there when we were at home, and it was a pain to have to drive al the way to Glenburn, Maine, and make an appointment to pick her up every time we wanted to use her. We finally found a spot in Stonington, right across the street from were my mother and I have our gift shops. I sure wish we had hookups, because it would be a beautiful camping spot! I love being able to go into it whenever I want.

On the various camper groups I belong to, people who don't have covers for their slides are always asking if it's worth it. I would definitely say it is. When you are packing up in the rain, you don't have to get up there with a ladder and sweep it off. All I have to do is to stand on the tailgate of the truck, and look to make sure there isn't anything big or sharp up there. Just open your slide when you get home to dry the cover off. It's also great when the trees above you are "raining" down seed pods and things. Remember, anything on top of your slide is going to fall down into your camper on the way home, if you don't have a cover. The angle of this photo makes the cover look a little weird, but it doesn't look that way in person.

This is the view out the door where we are storing our camper.

This is the view out the kitchen window. You can see part of the old clam factory where we have our shops, as well as some of the beach and cove.

Wild Duck Campground, Scarborough, Maine

For our second outing, we decided to go to Scarborough, Maine. I had never been to Old Orchard Beach before, and I knew I would prefer going before the crowds got there. Because of my cancer, I have a feeding tube, as well as a trach, so I can't go swimming. Rather than choose a resort type place, where I wouldn't be able to use the amenities I would be paying for, we decided to go to Wild Duck. This is an adult, quiet campground, and the perfect place to relax after busy days in Old Orchard and Portland. It is right out in the Scarborough (salt) Marsh, and was really peaceful and nice. The owners were great, and so were the seasonals and regulars there. We decided on a back in site so we would be against the marsh, even though my husband had never backed in before. The regulars there were very helpful directing him!

Old Orchard was really fun in early June before the crowds got there. I was surprised to see how many trains go right through the town every day.

We walked on the pier, which has been there since 1898, then sat on the beach for hours. Another couple came over and sat with us, and we had a great time talking to them and watching the young people playing games and even swimming in the icy water!

All over town there are outside cafes and takeout places. We almost lost our lunch at this one. This seagull was relentless. He kept charging across the table at us trying to steal our lunch. It was really funny!

The next day we went in to Commercial Street in Portland. A dear friend of ours, Cap'n Bill Linnell built this little replica of a tugboat, and sells lobster rolls down there. It was really fun having lobster, and since it was way early in the season, it wasn't too busy. I also went into a lot of the shops down there, and got a wonderful mandolin at a cooking store. I've wanted one of those for a long time, and it made slicing up the vegetables for the foil packets I made that night so much easier!

A few of the days we were there, we just chilled at the campsite, and visited with friends we made there. We also went up the road to a wonderful ice cream takeout place less than a mile from the campground, and drove down to a few of the nearby beaches and fishing wharves, as well as a trip to Cabela's. On another day, we went to one of the towns, my ancestors settled in the 1700's, Buxton, Maine. I have always wanted to go there, and it was very close to the campground. I know that some of the first ancestors to settle there were buried on family property, and their graves are unmarked, but I did see some of the newer, (1740's and later), graves in this churchyard in Bar mills. It was so nice to finally get to see it for myself!

We were only planning on being there for 3 nights, but it was so nice that we stayed for 6 nights instead. This is one of the evenings in front of the campfire.

Our first camping trip!

Since this blog is really supposed to be about camping, I will resume posts of our trip south later on.

We picked up our camper and took our first trip on Tuesday, May 1. We decided to go to Christies Campground. It was only 22 miles from where the camper was, and we wouldn't need to go through congested areas, or onto the interstate to get there. They technically don't open until May 15th, but when I called, they said to come on down anywyay! They didn't have the showers or bathrooms open yet, but that didn't matter since we have all those things in our camper anyway. We loved the campground, and it is right on Sebasticook Lake, in Newport, Maine. It's a small, family owned campground, and is very friendly and laid back. Just the way we like it!

In this photo, they are showing my husband how to hook up the Blue Ox WDH and sway control.

The other side of the Sonic and Sierra. It towed very well!

This is when we first unhooked the camper. My husband is checking out the outdoor kitchen.

This is a view with things partially set up inside. It's looking a lot more homey now! I used command hooks to hang the small cutting board on the side of the entertainment cabinet. It is within easy reach, and if the command hook lets go, it won't fall into the stove! The pot holders are on another command hook on the outside of the cupboard in front of the sink, and add a spot of color there. You can see one scenic calendar hanging on command hooks over one side of the slide. I have another one on the other side. I'll probably replace one of them with photos of us with the kids and grandkids later on, but for now, these add pretty pictures!

This is taken looking toward the bathroom. You can see where I am hanging a flashight, umbrella and a narrow basket. It worked great, because it was easy to reach from the doorway. The clock is hanging above the entertainment cabinet, and I hung a dish wiping cloth on a command hook there as well, because I still haven't bought an over the door towel rack for it.

This is our couch with a pretty throw my sister-in-law bought for me over the back. It matches my rug! The three drawer Sterlite cabinet things work really well on either side of the couch. They make great storage areas, plus they work well as end tables. I'm really glad I bought them. They also come in a wicker look, rather than white and clear, but when I bought the first one to try it, our Walmart was out of the "wicker" ones.

This is my first photo of our Murphy bed, all made up and ready for the night. You don't have to make and unmake the bed morning and night, but it works better if I put the pillows into the wardrobes when I fold it up. I'm really glad our camper came with the Murphy option! A lot of people put foam mattress toppers on their Murphy beds, but we were perfectly comfortable in ours without one.

This shows what I did under the kitchen sink. It is command hooks, with Dollar Tree baskets. They work great for storing sponges and things. I'm using hospital pans for dish pans, because that sink is really tiny. The hospital pans just fit. I can see why so many people have changed to a single bowl stainless steel sink, because as much as I love my camper, the sink is ridiculous!!!

Inside the end cabinet next to the door, is where I have hung the dustpan and little broom, plus the fly swatter.It's a great place for them, and they are easy to grab from outside. You can see the cover that goes over the sink in that cabinet as well. The Sonic 220 VRB actually has a decent amount of counter space for such a small camper, and I found it much easier to just leave the sink open, rather than having to move the cover every time I use a faucet.

The second day was really warm there, and we got a chance to have a campfire, and use the grill. There was a lot of really gusty strong wind, so we didn't leave the awning up.

All in all, it was a great trip. The camper towed well, the weather wasn't too cold the first day, and it was quite warm the second day. The third day, even though it rained, we were cozy and comfortable in the camper. We learned how to use a lot of the features, and I got to make it more homey.

For dinners, I had made a big baked spaghetti thing at home the night before we left, because I wasn't sure what time we would get to the campground, and how long it would take us to set it up. This way, all I had to do was heat it up in the microwave. For the second night, we made foil packets over the grill. We used chicken, onions, potatoes and carrots. My husband wanted his marinated in Italian dressing, and I marinated mine in BBQ sauce. They were yummy! The third night was a bonus. We hadn't planned on staying for three nights, but we weren't ready to come home yet. Fortunately, we had lots of leftovers!

Camper Orientation Today

Today we went for our orientation. We loaded up the truck with all the things we have bought for the camper so far, plus our clothes and things for our trip to Savannah and St. Augustine.

My husband has never towed anything, and we are supposed to get another storm this weekend, so he is really nervous about taking the camper on such a long journey. At the last minute, we decided not to take the camper, but to make it a road trip by truck instead. I have cancer, and have an appointment at the hospital on April 5. We don't know what we will find out, and we keep putting off our trip for various reasons. (Last year, I spent all summer and fall in the hospital). It just seemed like if we don't do it now, camper or not, we may not get the chance. Plus, in April, we will owe the IRS lots of money because I didn't qualify for Obama Care, and I decided to see the doctor instead of sending money we didn't have to rich insurance companies. (Last year, I missed four months of drs appointments because of not being able to afford Obama Care, and I might have been better off if I had seen the doctors instead of sending the money to the IRS). We still can keep making hospital payments and camper payments, but we really shouldn't be spending money on taking a trip. Anyway, This may be our last trip together, and IRS or not, and camper or not, we are going to do this. We just hope we will be able to use the camper together at some point this summer.

Anyway, this photo is our camper together with our Sierra. It's the first time they have met each other! You can see the Furrion Observation Camera installed up there next to the lights!

Here are the Sonic and the Sierra from the other side. Today I found out the dealership has upgraded us to a Blue Ox WDH for no extra money!

After the orientation, we put all our new things into the camper. I didn't get everything organized the way I wanted to, because it was pretty cold in there, but at least I got to spend time in the camper, and I loved it. I hated leaving her!

This is the first time I got to take a picture of our outdoor kitchen. It's small by most standards, but it actually was much larger than I remembered it as being!

Made an appointment to pick our camper up!

A few minutes ago, I called the dealership to check on the things we ordered, and to ask a few questions I had. The last things we needed to order from the dealership were the vent covers, so we can open the vents when it rains. The observation camera and weight distribution hitch/sway bars are in. The awning for over the slide hadn't come in, but should be there at the beginning of the week. They already have the vent covers in stock, so I don't have to worry about those not getting there. The few other things we need we will get at Wally World for less money when we go in on Sunday.

After checking on the stuff we ordered, I talked to our sales person, and set up an appointment to pick up the camper at 10:00 am on Friday, March 9. One week from today!!! Keeping my fingers crossed that the awning gets here!

Took more pictures in the camper today!

Today we went and got more things we needed for the camper. I had originally planned on bringing most of the things I had bought, and putting them inside. Unfortunately, there is a lot more snow in Bangor, (where the camper is), than there is here on the island, so I only put the things I bought at the dealership today inside.

I had also planned on measuring the cupboards and closets, so I would have a better idea of what to buy for organizing. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring the pen to the camper with me so I couldn't write down measurements. To get from the truck to the camper, you had to wade through a maze of RVs being stored, and I was knee deep in snow, with no boots. Our snow on the island is gone, because we had a couple of days of rain, but apparently, Bangor got more snow instead.

Anyway, I was amazed at how big the cupboards were. I remembered them as being much smaller!

The other thing was, of course we couldn't open the slide. You actually can get to the bathroom and kitchen with the slide closed, but it isn't exactly roomy! The guy from the dealership took the table off the dinette for me, so I would have more room to get around in there.

This is my photograph of the linen closet and clothes closet in the bathroom. I'll update my post about the bathroom with my new pictures.

This is my photograph of the insides of the closets. I love them! It's one of the biggest reasons I decided on this camper.

This is my photo of the sink. Between the storage under the sink, the little box thing on the counter, and the medicine cabinet, there is really quite a lot of storage for a camper of this size!

This is my photo of the shower closed. A dry bath was on my list of things a camper had to have in order for me to buy it! If these photos look a little weird and distorted, it's because even though there is a lot of room for a camper of this size, it's still pretty small, so it's not easy to take pictures of some parts of it.

This is my photo of the inside of the shower. Not too bad for a small camper!

This is my photo of one of the closets on either side of the bed. Nothing surprising here. I do want to add shelves inside of it though. You can't tell from this picture, but I also see that there is enough of a ledge in front of the door so we can set coffee cups there when we are reading in bed at night, as long as we don't open the closet doors!

I didn't see this when we looked at our camper, because it isn't an obvious door. I noticed it in a picture on the internet. The end of the kitchen cupboards near the outside door opens, and there are two narrow shelves with an outlet and two USB ports inside. What a wonderful place to store and charge our phones safely! Since this is not an obvious cupboard, it will also be a wonderful place to hang things like the truck keys, inside, and put our wallets when we are on a beach or at a pool.

This is the bottom cupboard next to the outside door. To the right of that, is that nice big area, protected by the ledge of the countertop. Here, I'm going to put some command hooks, and hang at least one of those narrow baskets, so we can keep a few things, like sunglasses, within easy reach of the outdoors. I may hang two there, depending on how much room I have. I also want to hang a collapsible umbrella and a flashlight or two there.

The cupboard over the sink is kind of a disappointment to me. It is pretty wide, and quite deep, but there is only one shelf in it. Once we start using the camper, I will decide whether to have my husband build a second shelf, or whether I want to buy one of those wire shelf things at Walmart.

This is the microwave/convection oven. I hope I like it. I will probably be cooking outdoors more than inside, anyway

This is the pantry. It's pretty typical, but I like how deep it is. I'll have baskets in there to make it easier to use. There is shallower storage in the entertainment center, right in front of it, but you can't see that when the slide isn't out.

Here is the refrigerator/freezer. It's pretty big for a camper of this size!

This is a shot of the counter top, with the sink and stove. I like that they both have covers on them.

The last photo is a bad one of the front of the cabinets. I don't know what that is in the upper left, it's not supposed to be there. :-D Anyway, you can sort of see the lower cupboards and drawers in this photo.

I'll update my earlier posts of the interior with these photos, that way all the photos can be together.

The Outside kitchen, and the outside in general

This is something I didn't even think I needed, but now I'm really glad I have it! There will probably be a lot of times when we are staying in a place that doesn't allow fires. This will make it so I can cook outdoors. It will also be great for when we want to cook bacon and other really messy things!

It has a nicely sized refrigerator, a two burner cooktop with wind deflecters, a sink, and a small shelf. Usually, smaller campers don't have amenities like this. I think I will love it!

This shows the front and entry door of the camper. It's got a nice big awning, and you can see the pass through storage at the front. It's kind of difficult to see where the outside kitchen is in this photo, but it's at the rear. Another thing that makes us happy is the dual axles. We are planning on monitoring our tires carefully, but having dual axles will be a little bit of added security. I also understand that they don't sway as much as single axles. We are going to have a weight distribution hitch and sway bars as well.

This camper also has a one piece fiberglass roof. Hopefully it won't be as prone to leaks as other kinds of roofs are!

This is the other side. We need to get an awning cover thing for over the slide as soon as possible. That will help to keep things from falling on top of it while it's out.

This is the first photo I have gotten with the Sonic and the Sierra together. If you click on the picture, you can see the Furrion Observation Camera up near the lights.

Another shot of the Sonic and the Sierra together!

The Kitchen

This is my photo of our camper. It shows everything together, including the slide dinette and the whole kitchen. There is a two burner stove with a glass top, and a cover over the sink. The sink is really small. It's a double sink, and only has drains like a bathroom sink, with rubber plugs. I bought a tiny sink drain strainer thingy at the dollar store, so I won't be losing much food and stuff down the drain, but not sure if I will be able to use the rubber plug at the same time as the drain when I wash dishes, so we'll have to do a really good job scraping them!

I do think I will buy a dish pan, that way I will be able to leave the strainer in the drain all the time.

This is my photo of the camper looking in the other direction. I added one from the Venture website below so you can see the refrigerator better.

This is the photo from the Venture website. It shows the refrigerator much better. It's a pretty good size for this sized camper, and has a separate freezer! We didn't get a TV in ours, but this photo shows the storage in the entertainment center. We will probably put a clock up there where the TV goes. On the very left, I have seen some photos of the end of the cabinet opening, with charging ports inside, and a place to lay your cellphone. I didn't notice this in ours, but I sure hope it's there, because it looks really handy!

I wanted to post this photo from the Venture website because it shows the pantry behind the entertainment center. The pantry has huge shelves in it, and will be great with baskets and things inside for storage!

Today I got into the camper again, and found out I do have this cupboard with two shelves, an outlet, and two USB ports. What a wonderful addition to the camper. It will be great for storing and charging our phones, as well as for hanging the truck keys, in here, and putting our wallets in here when we are at the pool, beach, or showering at the camp ground showers. It's not an obvious cupboard, it just looks like the end of the cabinet, which is why I didn't realize it was there until after I saw a photo of it on the internet!

This is the bottom cupboard next to the outside door. To the right of that, is that nice big area, protected by the ledge of the countertop. Here, I'm going to put some command hooks, and hang at least one of those narrow baskets, so we can keep a few things, like sunglasses, within easy reach of the outdoors. I may hang two there, depending on how much room I have. I also want to hang a collapsible umbrella and a flashlight or two there.

The cupboard over the sink is kind of a disappointment to me. It is pretty wide, and quite deep, but there is only one shelf in it. Once we start using the camper, I will decide whether to have my husband build a second shelf, or whether I want to buy one of those wire shelf things at Walmart.

This is the microwave/convection oven. I hope I like it. I will probably be cooking outdoors more than inside, anyway

This is the pantry. It's pretty typical, but I like how deep it is. I'll have baskets in there to make it easier to use.

Here is the refrigerator/freezer. It's pretty big for a camper of this size!

This is a shot of the counter top, with the sink and stove. I like that they both have covers on them.

The last photo is a bad one of the front of the cabinets. I don't know what that is in the upper left, it's not supposed to be there. :-O Anyway, you can sort of see the lower cupboards and drawers in this photo.