We visited Dollywood, Dolly Parton’s theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Theme park map; click or tap to view on their site:
An interactive map:
food
A sampling of interesting restaurants.
Camp Margaritaville RV Resort and Lodge
We stayed at Camp Margaritaville RV Resort and Lodge in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. (Campground Reviews listing.)
One day we’ll learn that staying at resorts is a waste of money for us, but it was not this day.
Dates:
- Check in: 2024-06-30
- Check out: 2024-07-07
- 7 nights
Weather:
- Partly cloudy, some rain
- High temps 83-91°F, lows 64-73°F
- Negligible wind, gusts to 12 MPH
Noise:
- No road noise
- No train horn noise
- Some neighbor noise (mostly kids)
- Nightly fireworks at nearby Dollywood
Site:
- #84, back-in, concrete
- Needed to disconnect toad, parked behind coach
- Somewhat unlevel site (surprisingly for concrete; high on front and passenger side; used hydraulic leveling
- Concrete driveway about 50 feet long by 18 feet wide
- 25 feet to neighbors on both sides
- Picnic table
- Fire pit
- A couple young trees
- Clean site
Utilities:
- 50 amp power, conveniently located
- 50 PSI water, conveniently located
- Good sewer connection, conveniently located (1 10-foot pipe needed)
Internet (in usage priority order):
- T-Mobile: 25-55 Mbps down, 4 Mbps up, 65 ms ping
- AT&T: 90 Mbps down, 9 Mbps up, 90 ms ping
- Verizon: 15-24 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up, 90 ms ping
- Starlink: not used
- Campground Wi-Fi: not used
Amenities:
- Garbage pickup from site
- Pools
- Restaurant (in theory with to-site delivery, but that didn’t work when we tried it)
Our review on Campground Reviews:
Nice resort near Great Smoky Mountain NP
We’re not “resort” people, but this one was nice. It was the nicest-looking resort close to the entrance to Great Smoky Mountain National Park and far enough off the main road, so it was reasonably quiet. The sites are all concrete pads, so you’d expect them to be level, which ours was not. Weird, but not a problem. We were down in “the valley,” which is the farthest you can get to the resort amenities, but that probably contributed to it being quieter. Our site was spotless, and all the utilities worked well. I loved being able to go up to the restaurant for coconut shrimp and a margarita (super spendy, but a bonus nonetheless). We camped at Camp Margaritaville RV Resort and Lodge in a Motorhome.
Campground map:
An interactive map:
Our site:
Griddle:
Utilities:
Our site and others:
Bathhouse:
Lodge:
Restaurant dinner menu:
Fancy fried green tomatoes:
Burger and coconut shrimp, plus margaritas:
Lodge:
Foyer:
Breakfast buffet:
Pool area:
A nice resort, and we do appreciate an on-site restaurant, but we’re not really into other resort facilities. We probably won’t stay here again.
Travel from College Park, Maryland to Beaver, West Virginia
We drove our coach 314 miles, about five hours of driving, from College Park, Maryland to Beaver, West Virginia. The beginning of our westward migration, heading towards our home base in Washington state.
Here’s a map showing our route, heading west:
An interactive map:
Toading up:
I-495:
Welcome to Virginia:
Paladin in his high place:
I-64:
I-66:
Fuel stop:
Tiffin Phaeton motorhome:
Apples on water tower:
We were going to park and have lunch at the fuel stop, but there wasn’t any parking that would work for us, so we continued on. There wasn’t any room at the next rest area either:
So I made lunch on the road:
A later rest area:
I-64:
Welcome to West Virginia:
Of course, we had to play John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” while entering the state:
Rest area:
I-64 hill:
7% grade:
Sandstone Mountain elevation 2,765 feet:
Little Beaver State Park:
Narrow sloping curve:
Narrow entrance:
Lake:
Very narrow road to campground:
Campground office:
Guided to our site:
Baseball: Washington Nationals vs Miami Marlins
The second baseball game we attended while in the DC area was the Miami Marlins playing at the Washington Nationals stadium, Nationals Park:
We got there shortly before the gates opened:
Baseball art:
Team store:
More art:
Cutwater Spirits:
We got some tasty beverages in interesting containers:
Fritos tacos:
Mascots:
View of the ballpark from our seats:
Mascot:
WSH:
Cheerleaders:
Selfie:
See You Tater:
Tater tots with mac & cheese and pulled pork:
Mascots:
Cart:
Dippin’ Dots for dessert:
Nats win:
Baseball: Baltimore Orioles vs Atlanta Braves
While staying in the DC area, we attended a couple of baseball games. The first was the Atlanta Braves playing at the Baltimore Orioles stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The entrance to Oriole Park:
Team store:
Food vendors:
We like to try regional specialties when exploring ballparks; we started with the crab mac hot dog:
“The ballpark that forever changed baseball”:
The view from our seats:
Lineups:
Lots of navy folks for Fleet Week:
Selfie:
Former Mariner Jarred Kelenic:
Crab shuffle game:
Time to try more food:
Chicken bacon ranch fries:
And crab chips:
Hot dog race:
Home run markers on the ground:
I looked for Mariners ones, including Ken Griffey, Jr on April 24, 1994:
Sam Haggerty on April 13, 2021:
Cal Raleigh on June 25, 2023:
Mascot:
Dippin’ Dots for dessert:
Final scores:
Oriole Park at Camden Yards:
Cherry Hill Park
We stayed at Cherry Hill Park in College Park, Maryland. (Campground Reviews listing.)
A very nice resort, convenient to the DC area.
Dates:
- Check in: 2024-06-09
- Check out: 2024-06-23
- 14 nights
Weather:
- Partly cloudy
- High temps 76-96°F, lows 57-69°F
- Little wind, gusts to 18 MPH
Noise:
- Some freeway noise
- No train horn noise
- Negligible neighbor noise during the week; lots of noise during the weekends
Site:
- #39, back-in, gravel
- Needed to disconnect toad, parked in front of coach
- A little unlevel site; high on driver side; used hydraulic leveling
- Gravel driveway about 45 feet long by 14 feet wide
- About 12 feet to neighbors on both sides
- Picnic table
- Fire pit
- Tall trees behind site
- Clean site
Utilities:
- 50 amp power, fairly conveniently located
- 50 PSI water, fairly conveniently located
- Good sewer connection, very conveniently located (less than a 10-foot pipe needed)
Internet (in usage priority order):
- T-Mobile: 25-45 Mbps down, 15 Mbps up, 43 ms ping
- AT&T: 500 Mbps down, 60 Mbps up, 80 ms ping
- Campground Wi-Fi: 20 Mpbs down, 20 Mbps up, 8 ms ping
- Verizon: 15 Mbps down, 7 Mbps up, 35 ms ping
- Starlink: not used
Amenities:
- Garbage bins
- Pools
- Onsite cafe and food delivery to site
- Package delivery to office
- Bus to DC mall
- Tour buses
Our review on Campground Reviews:
Location, location, location!
If you want to visit the DC area with your motorhome, trailer, fifth-wheel, tent, or what-have-you, this is THE place to do it. It’s convenient to the Beltway and close to a Metro stop for all your sightseeing needs. They also offer tours from the campground, which is just the cherry on top. The campground is top-notch and well-kept, with all the amenities you could want (including food delivery right to your site), which is a plus on a travel day. We were in site 39, in the far corner of the park, backing onto trees. The site was a little unlevel side-to-side, but nothing our levelers couldn’t cope with. It was also plenty long enough for our 40′ motorhome with space to park our tow vehicle in front. There was some freeway noise, but it was mostly a distant hum. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. We have already booked our next stay when we swing through the area next year. We camped at Cherry Hill Park – Washington, D.C. In a Motorhome.
A handy campground map for getting to our site:
And on the other site, a map of campground features:
Tours:
Cafe, bus, etc:
Wristbands:
An interactive map:
Our site:
Utilities:
Backed into the foliage:
Our site at night; we don’t usually turn on our undercarriage accent lights and door light, but I did on this occasion, as Jenn was arriving back after spending a few days with her girlfriends:
We appreciated an onsite cafe with food delivery to the site on arrival day (and probably would have partaken on other evenings if we weren’t busy with exploring etc):
Park history:
Camp store:
We appreciated and took much advantage of package delivery to the office:
Bus depot, where tour buses and commuter buses depart:
Pond:
Playground:
Event pavilion:
Ballroom:
Cafe, pools, clubhouse:
Another playground:
Mini golf:
Splash pad:
Game court:
Pond:
Tent area, each with hammocks and gazebos:
Yurt:
Cabins:
Other RV sites:
Pull-through sites:
A large gathering next to us for a couple of days:
Prevost departing:
Gazebo and trash (the squirrels enjoyed investigating the trash):
This place is so huge, they have a shuttle that roams around:
The evening tractor pull rides were popular:
A very nice place. We have already booked another stay here for next year.
Colonial Williamsburg
We visited Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, which could be described as Disneyland for history buffs.
An interactive map:
Another interactive map on their website.
Historic Triangle:
Williamsburg sign:
Visitor center:
Relief map:
Model:
Path by a stream under a bridge:
Governer’s Palace:
Kitchen:
Horse and cart:
Lunch at The King’s Arms:
Capitol guided tour:
Raleigh Bakery:
Shops:
Sheep:
Cows:
Pond and a pointy building:
Bridge back to the visitor center:
An interesting experience.
Cape Charles / Chesapeake Bay KOA Resort
We stayed at Cape Charles / Chesapeake Bay KOA Resort in Cape Charles, Virginia. (Campground Reviews listing.)
A decent RV park with a private beach and restaurant. This was a last-minute change to avoid traveling on the Memorial Day weekend; amazingly, we were able to get a reservation just a few days before the holiday, despite it being packed with holiday campers.
Dates:
- Check in: 2024-05-24
- Check out: 2024-05-28
- 4 nights
Weather:
- Partly cloudy on first days; thunderstorms and rain on last day
- High temps 69-73°F, lows 65-69°F
- Little wind, gusts to 24 MPH
Noise:
- No road noise
- No train horn noise
- Lots of neighbor noise during Memorial Day weekend; quiet after everyone left
Site:
- #513, back-in, grass
- Needed to disconnect toad, parked beside coach
- Mostly level site, slightly high in the back; used hydraulic leveling
- Grass site about 45 feet long by 30 feet wide
- Picnic table
- Fire pit
- A few trees
- Clean site
Utilities:
- 50 amp power, conveniently located
- 60 PSI water, conveniently located
- Good sewer connection, conveniently located (1 10-foot pipe needed)
Internet (in usage priority order):
- T-Mobile: 20 Mbps down, 5 Mbps up, 50 ms ping
- AT&T: 250-285 Mbps down, 40 Mbps up, 50 ms ping
- Verizon: 15-25 Mbps down, 10 Mbps up, 70 ms ping
- Starlink: not used
- Campground Wi-Fi: not used
Amenities:
- Garbage dumpsters by exit
- Pools
- Onsite restaurant
- Beach
Our review on Campground Reviews:
Like being in the Keys on the Chesapeake
This was a last-minute change for Memorial Day weekend. We were surprised there was availability the week before the holiday, and there were even a few empty sites all weekend. The campsites themselves were pretty basic (bare grass with a fire ring and picnic table), but the amenities were top-notch. We had dinner a couple of times at the beachside restaurant and enjoyed it both times. With a rum drink in hand and a salt breeze off the water, it was very relaxing after a long day of driving and the stress of getting over/through the bridge tunnel. Being a holiday weekend, it was pretty rambunctious in the campground, but it really cleared out on Monday, and it was pretty much just us and the long-term residents. We camped at Cape Charles / Chesapeake Bay KOA Resort in a Motorhome.
Campground map:
An interactive map:
Our site:
The sites were fairly tight back-to-back:
A large gathering on our driver side:
Other sites:
Tight roads, with everyone parked on the edge of the road:
Pool area:
We appreciate it when there’s an onsite restaurant, especially on travel days, so we don’t have to cook. This park has the Sunset Beach Bar & Grille:
Private beach:
A nice KOA. We’d be happy to stay here again, but probably won’t, since access via tunnels under the bay is a bit harrowing in our big rig.
Travel from Chocowinity, North Carolina to Cape Charles, Virginia
We drove our coach 156 miles, about two hours of driving, from Chocowinity, North Carolina to Cape Charles, Virginia. Another new state.
This was a late change in our plans. We were originally going to head more directly north, but we realized that we’d be traveling over the Memorial Day weekend, which is one of the busiest camper weekends. And checking in to a first-come-first-served Thousand Trails park during that weekend, so would probably struggle to find a good site. So we decided to add a stop elsewhere between the two, to avoid both issues. In retrospect, we chose poorly (okay, I chose poorly), since we didn’t realize that the route would involve some narrow tunnels.
Here’s a map showing our route, heading northeast:
An interactive map:
Washington, North Carolina:
13 / 17 North:
Not a lot of stopping opportunities on this route. I found a nice big parking lot that worked well, also a convenient walk to a McDonald’s for lunch:
Paladin sat in his nest on the dash as we headed out again, until we got back on the highway:
Roanoke River:
Chowan River:
Future I-87:
Paladin asleep:
Perquimans River:
Exit to Chesapeake:
Future I-87 again:
A break at the Dismal Swamp Canal Visitor Center rest area:
Snuggling with Paladin:
Paladin on the dash:
As we left this rest area, we had a strange wobble — it felt like the wheels of the coach were loose or something, but on looking at the 360 camera footage from the truck later, it looks like the front truck tires possibly weren’t pointing in the right direction as we made a turn out of the rest area, and they hopped a few times. We pulled over, then resumed while keeping any eye on things; it was fine after that. Rather disconcerting, but no harm done as far as we can tell.
That issue did occur again on a subsequent trip. But we have since replaced our truck tires, as the front ones were getting a bit bald on the outer edges, so hopefully it won’t occur again.
“Welcome to Virginia”:
Exit:
Bainbridge?! To us, Bainbridge is an island in the Puget Sound, across from Seattle:
Southern Branch Elizabeth River:
Exit:
We hadn’t seen a “Signal Red Ahead” warning before:
I wonder what was on “Pleasure House Road”?
Toll plaza:
A bridge-tunnel across the mouth of Chesapeake Bay; part bridges, part two tunnels under the water:
13’ 6” height restriction. Our coach is 12’ 7”. 11 inches of clearance is totally fine, not at all concerning!
They’re working on adding a second tunnel for opposing traffic, but for now both ways goes through the same tunnel:
A couple of snapshots from the 360 camera on the truck; look at all those inches of clearance (remember too that our AC units stick up a little higher than the roof rail):
An animated GIF:
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A ship going over the second tunnel:
Our destination:
Guided to our site:
We originally were going to go back through those tunnels, and a third tunnel and roadworks north of Virginia Beach, but decided to change our plans again to avoid those; more on that next week.
And check out the video today; it includes views from the truck, and lots of interesting bits including an instant replay of the truck wobble thing, and the truck and coach views of going through the two tunnels, and more.
Washington, North Carolina
While staying across the river in Chocowinity, North Carolina, we visited the larger city of Washington a couple of times. According to that Wikipedia article, it is commonly known as “Original Washington”; it was established in 1776, and is the first city named after President George Washington. (Washington, DC was founded in 1791.)
An interactive map:
View from bridge:
“Washington Square Mall” — a small strip mall here, not at all like the big Washington Square Mall in Portland, Oregon:
We had dinner at Boss Hog’s Chicken & BBQ:
Waterfront:
Main Street:
Crab sculptures:
We went to the Blu Farm to Table restaurant for my birthday, dining on their rooftop patio:
Unfortunately, we didn’t particularly enjoy the food. Oh well.
Waterfront:
A fairly cute little town.