Happy Holidays!

Summer 2025 Vacation: Delta UT & Great Basin National Park!

We're about half-way done with our Summer 2025 vacation memories. We left AZ early July 8th headed for the great state of UT and Great Basin National Park. 

If you've never driven through the beautiful cavernous highways of AZ take a look at this video.

We settled in at our campsite at Antelope Valley RV Park in Delta, UT. (A little confusing because in a few days we're going to visit Antelope Island which is outside of Salt Lake City). 

Anyway...

Delta UT is about 99 miles south of Great Basin National Park but it's a close as we could get. Since we arrived in Delta around 2 pm, we rested for the evening and set out early the next morning. My honey pulls the camper so today I'm driving so he can relax and enjoy the scenery. We saw a few antelope on the way there but not much else.

There are some hiking trails in the park but our time was limited so we opted to take the road to the highest summit reachable by vehicle. I've uploaded a couple of videos for you to enjoy Here and Here.

If you've never driven in the mountains, let me tell you it's a harrowing experience! I drove some while on our 2017 West Coast vacation and the years in between did me no favors in developing nerves of steel 😬😂still... Great Basin is beautiful to visit and well worth the long road there and back from Antelope Valley RV park.

This lovely campground had new showers and though a bit tight, they were nice and clean and the restroom stalls had two of my favorite things: seat covers and paper towels which had me singing a happy tune. 

We enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Rancher Cafe and the next morning headed out to Salt Lake City for the next leg of our trip.

Hope you enjoy reminiscing with me. I'm taking a break during the holidays but hope you'll check back in the new year as I continue to share my 2025 vacation memories with you!

Until then, take care, God bless and remember to travel light ~ leaving expectations and emotional baggage behind!

PamT

2025 Summer Vacation: Phoenix & Willow Beach AZ

Hello and Welcome back to Bathroom Blues where I am reminiscing and reliving my 2025 Summer vacation with you. 

We left Tuscon, AZ on July 4th headed to Phoenix, not to sight-see (too hot for that!) but to visit family, friends and loved ones. My brother moved there in 2024 and although I haven't shared the trip, I flew in to see him in October last year. This time though, we parked the camper at Desert Shadows RV Resort which was closest to my brother's home and work. The spots were nice and large with concrete to set up and sit outside if you dared to in triple-digit heat! This wasn't our hottest day but I took the picture because of the angel numbers 111 😇

There was a spacious dog park not too far from our site which made it nice to walk my pup early in the morning or late evenings when the temperatures
weren't so high. Though he was perfectly happy to take advantage of the cooler temps inside. Just look at this spoiled boy...

The restrooms were up at the main office and too far of a walk so we took advantage of the full service hookups and used our own. Didn't have to worry about the hot water heater not working correctly. The water from the ground and hose were hot enough for a nice shower.

After a lovely weekend catching up with people I rarely get to see, we headed out on Monday to Willow Beach - passing through Suprise, AZ 😄

Willow Beach Campground and RV Park is nestled in the hillside, but down in a box canyon, above the shore of the Colorado River between Lake Mead and Lake Mohave and part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Beautiful but hot, hot, hot!

The restrooms are nice and roomy and have AC to help ward off the heat. These contained two of my favorite items: toilet seat covers and paper towels had me singing a happy tune! The showers, however, did not have AC so we opted to use our own instead of sweating in the sweltering climate.

If you ever get a chance to visit the beautiful Grand Canyon state of Arizona, do so! But try to plan your visit in the cooler months of the year. 

That's all for this leg of our journey! I hope you're enjoying the trip as much as I did and am and that you'll come back every couple of weeks and travel along with me.

Until next time, happy camping.

PamT

2025 Summer Vacation: Tuscon AZ & Saguaro National Park

 After 2 lovely days in Las Cruces, we headed out to Tuscon for 1 day to visit Saguaro National Park. We passed this guy on the side of the highway... 

Which made us laugh because, along with my theme song, "On the Road Again," the Roadrunner symbolizes my/our love of travel.

Up until this day (July 3rd) we'd been lucky to miss severe weather and thunderstorms that kept us inside. But this afternoon, we caught a little rain. Lucklily, it was light and cleared up enough for us to get inside the visitor center at Saguaro (pronounced suh waa row) National Park where we toured the exhibits therein and it cleard up nicely by the time we were ready to drive through the park.

Although there are hiking trails for those rugged outdoorsmen and women, we chose to drive through the park for 2 reasons. One, we only had the afternoon to visit as we were heading to Phoenix the next morning. Two, I'm not going to go traipsing through any area that's known rattlesnake country!

Anyway, we saw plenty of these big, sometimes exotically shaped cactus plants. Just look how tall!

These cacti can grow up to 60 feet tall and, when fully hydrated, weigh 5000 pounds.

Some folks may not appreciate the uniqueness of the Saguaro cactus, but I find the beauty of nature never ceases to amaze me.

We stayed at Rincon Country West RV Resort, a retirement community that I'm sure, had we more time, would have been a lot of fun with all of the activities, swimming pool, hot tub and other ammenities geared to keep residents healthy and engaged. And as you'd expect, the restrooms in such a beautiful place were the kind that keep me singing a happy tune. Spacious and clean.

Hope you enjoyed this peek into Tuscon, AZ and Saguaro National Park and that you'll check back in a couple of weeks as we continue our vacation in Phoenix!

Until then, take care, God bless and safe travels.

PamT

2025 Summer Vacation: Las Cruces New Mexico

 Hello Again, Fellow Traveler!

In my last post, I mentioned we left Tuesday, July 1st heading to Las Cruces, New Mexico. If you've never been to NM, put it on your bucket list. The mountainous terrain set against a powder-blue sky is just lovely - clouds or not. We timed our departure as often as possible to drive 3-4 hours (5 max!) and arrive at the campground or RV park around 1 pm. 

Today we checked in to Hacienda RV Resort and let me tell you what a beautiful resort it is! All of the RV spots are paved and though they had no picnic tables, they were large enough to set up your own if you dared the heat LOL! Hacienda was pet friendly, with a fenced in dog park and a dog washing station. There was no swimming pool but a hot tub - which made no sense to me because, I mean, you are in the desert and it is hot, hot, hot. 

Regardless, the restrooms and showers were roomy with attached dressing areas and blow driers in each. Check out their gallery and you'll see why this lovely place had me siging a happy tune the entire time we were there.

We had dinner at a beautiful Mexican restaurant (what else? LOL!). I think it was El Sombrero but not positive, but the decor was simply astonishing.

The next morning we set out to our destination: White Sands National Park.

Imagine driving along a desert road and seeing sand as white as snow!

Still blows my mind thinking about it. Mississippi and Florida are the only places I've seen sand this pristine.

Neither of us felt like trekking up the dunes much less sliding down on cardboard or on a sled. Besides, I had my dog with me and he would have had to stay in the truck and it's just plain too hot for that.

We did take the 8 mile drive that leads from the visitor center to the heart of the gypsum dunefield. The first five miles of this drive is on paved roads. You traverse the remaining 3 on hard-packed sand. Stay on the road though, because vehicles can get bogged down in loose sand.

While there, we took a side trip to see the Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument.

These steep, rocky spires jut into the sky 9000 feet above the Chihuahuan Desert floor. Depending on what angle you're viewing, they do look like organ pipes. 

After a pretty full day of traveling, we managed to sneak a sit in the hottub, and you know what? It really wasn't all that bad!

The dry, desert air made it fairly comfortable once the sun went down enough for us to find a spot of shade. Especially nice when you're sipping a homemade Sangria Margarita 😅

After our showers in the luxurious bathrooms, we settled in for the evening, watched a little TV then went to bed ready to wake up the next morning to a new adventure.

I hope you'll check back in a couple of weeks and come along with us for the ride to Phoenix, Arizona with a stop off in Tuscon.

Until then, take care and be safe out there on the open road.

PamT

2025 Summer Vacation: Balmorhea State Park

We left San Angelo on Monday, June 30th headed for Balmorhea State Park in  Toyahvale, TX. This beautiful park is built around a natural spring-fed pool with water temperatures between 72 - 76 degrees year around.

We happened to catch the first bit of rain in our vacation at this time and it was a mite cool to swim.

For me anyway!

Not only deterred by the weather, the fact that swimming in this lovely, clear water involves close encounters of the marine kind was enough to keep me out of the water. Yeah, look closely at this collage, that's catfish and a soft-shell turtle!

Floating along with those would be uncomfortable enough but what really landlocked me was the fact that, although we didn't see any, there were signs indicating that water snakes might be found in there as well.

No Thank You!

The campsites were lovely too, with pretty little haciendas over the picnic tables. There were lots of grassy areas to walk the dog too and the people were very friendly and hospitable. All in all, we had a lovely stay at Balmorhea State Park.  We left Tuesday morning, heading to Las Cruces New Mexico and White Sands National Park. On the way, we stopped at a rest area about 30 miles east of Toyahvale which was very nice and clean, which as you know always has me singing a happy tune. 

Next time I'll share our visit to White Sands National Park. I hope you'll come along for the ride.

Until then, take care, God Bless and Happy Glamping.

PamT

2025 Summer Vacation: Bandera, TX

 

Oh my goodness, it's been a month since I posted last! I mentioned in the final installment of my 2024 vacation, that I would be alternating weekly between this and my spiritual blog and yet, I dropped the ball again in sharing my 2025 summer trip.

SO much happened in September, mainly me getting some kind of sinus crud on the 8th and then the tragedies of that week threw me for a loop. I wrote all about it HERE. 

Anyway, I'm back and still planning to post here bi-weekly. 

We left SFA State Park Monday morning and continued to Bandera, arriving at Bandera Pioneer RV River Resort where we would stay the next 4 days. 

This RV resort is really nice! The bathroom is spacious and decorated in western motiff benefiting Bandera's claim as the "Cowboy Capital of the World" and clean, clean, clean. Which, as you know, keeps me singing a happy tune.

It had been a while since I walked in the City Park and I was so excited the art carvings in some of the dead trees. IMHO it is so beautiful to do this and repurpose that tree instead of cut it down! This is only 1 photo but there were several with various designs. 

While in Bandera, we visited St. Stanislaus Catholic Church and the Adoration Chapel there. Other than one of the most beautiful churches you'll ever walk into, one of the most amazing things is that the Adoration Chapel is always open for prayer - if you know the security code to get in. The monstrance which houses the Body of Christ is not like any I've seen elsewhere. My cousin and I took pictures and, if you look closely, you'll see different colors along the metal casing surrounding the Eucharist. Nice, right? What was so strange was his pictures and mine showed different colors! A lady there said that the parishioners have come to believe the Presence of Christ causes the colors to change. I don't know but it's a fascinating phenomenon.

We stopped in at Arkey Blue's Silver Dollar Saloon for a drink then perused the Frontier Times Museum and drove out to Polly's Chapel and ate at OST on more than one occassion. Of course, we had to have dinner on Wednesday @ 11th Street Cowboy Bar where they furnished the sides, we cooked our own steaks and danced to live country music!

One day we rode over to Fredericksburg, ate German cousine, and laughed ourselves silly reading the quotes on dish towels, caps, yardsigns and napkins in the many, many shops along Main Street. 

If you know me at all, you'll know that I. Am. NOT. A. Shopper! I've been to Fredericksburg a couple of times so it wasn't new to me, but I enjoyed watching our traveling companions having so much fun weaving in, out and through the stores.

On the way home we had to stopp off in Luckenbach. Waylon, Willie, nor the boys were there, but a jam session was going on. Of course we had to drink a beer and listen for a while LOL! 

The souvenir shop in this tiny town is expansive and the ladies room - which had swinging doors on the stalls, a clean shelf for you to lay your hat or cellphone on in each one (be careful though, no lids on the toilets!) and this beautiful, old, mirror.

On Friday the 27th we left Bandera, heading to San Angelo for the annual Southern Drag Boat Association (SDBA) events held at Lake Nasworthy. We stayed at Concho Pear RV Estates and, yeah, don't believe the pictures you see on their website! The pool was filled in. NO bathrooms or showers. Dog rules were ridiculous. We'll probably never go to San Angelo like this again, but if I do, I can promise I will not stay at this place. 

We did enjoy stopping in at San Angelo's visitor center and thankfully they had a Best Buy because my computer screen crashed and I had to get a whole new setup. 

That wrapped up our first week of 2025 Summer vacation. Next we'll be heading to Balmorhea State Park and on to Las Cruces, NM so check back often and come along for the ride.

Until next time, take care, God Bless and Safe Travels!

PamT

2025 Vacation: First Stop: Stephen F Austin State Park

We started our journey to Yellowstone and back on June 22nd with the first week scheduled in Bandera, TX ~ my soul's happy place. 

Normally we would have made the drive from LC in a day but we had another couple traveling with us and they didn't want to be on the road more than 3 or 4 hours. So we made reservations at Stephen F Austin State Park in San Felipe, TX.

Since my son coaches at, and my grandaughter attends, Stephen F Austin State Universiy in Nacogdoches, TX this beautiful campground held special meaning to me. However, an entrance sign that read: There are venemous snakes in this park, put me on alert from the very beginning. 

Thankfully, we had no run-ins with anything that slithered. 

These sites are strategically designed with wooded areas between each for a bit of privacy and wildlife is everywhere. Which is always a plus in my book. Our camper sat beneath a huge shade trees which made it nice in the ninety-plus-degree-heat. There is a basketball court by the restrooms, which are old but spacious and cleaned regularly. Still, had I used them, I would bring my own disinfectant spray or wipes and wear flipflops to shower.

Since we only stayed one night, there wasn't ample time to tour the area or hike the trails, but this is one campground I would definitely recommend if you're heading west through Texas to anywhere and need a place to chill for a couple of days.

Next up will be our week in Bandera, so stay tuned!

PamT

The Last Leg of my Summer 2024: Gateway Arch; St. Louis, MO

We left Wisconsin Dells headed for St. Louis MO. The trip was too long for a single days drive so we stopped off at Kamp Komfort in Carlock, IL. This lovely RV Park and Campground had a beautiful bathroom that checked all of the boxes for me. Kinda small but clean. 

The only wierd thing about this campground is that the washers and dryers were in the ladies bathroom!

Guess they never thought gentlemen would be doing laundry LOL!

Anyway, this is a great place to stay if you're in the area.

The campground we stayed at in East St. Louis for our visit to the Gateway Arch National Park (which isn't a park at all) was at a Casino and not even worth mentioning since we couldn't find the restrooms much less know how to get into them. SMH

In all the National Parks my honey and I have been too, this was one of the most disappointing. Getting
to the Arch is trickier than getting a camel through the eye of a needle. You meet yourself coming back on the narrow, construction-ridden streets. Parking is difficult and not always within comfortable walking distance, so we settled for pictures from the road and one that evening from the campground across the river, and checked that one off his list of places to see. 

The next day we were homeward bound back to Louisiana.

We spent the night in Memphis, Arkansas at another unremarkable campground and arrived in West Monroe, LA the following day. While there, we visited the famous Warehouse No. 1 Restaurant for some good ole' Louisiana home cooking and rested up for the remaining drive home. Psst...their restroom is gorgeous!

This wraps up my Summer 2024 vacation.

Next we’ll travel from Louisiana to Yellowstone and back with a lot of stops in between on my Summer 2025 vacation. But before we embark on that trip, you'll notice it's been a minute since I posted. Due to so much going on in my life right now (football season for grandson, working on a new book, life coaching, etc.), I will be alternating posts (hopefully) weekly between this and my spiritual blog. 

THANK YOU for understanding!

Until next time take care, God bless and remember... We live in a big, beautiful country. Get out there and see it. Who knows? You might just find your slice of heaven on the open road.

PamT

Back From Summer 2025 Vacation and Ready to Share...

I am back from, and ready to share, my 2025 vacation,but before I do, I must finish up with 2024 LOL!

We left Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and headed to Wisconsin Dells, WI where we stayed at the KOA campground.

This place is beautiful and extremely clean which always has be doing a happy dance.

We began our visit with a Duck Boat tour on an amphibious craft which runs on land and in the water! 

Talk about an adventure. While traveling on land through the various wooded areas, we saw deer and turkeys as well as some of the gorgeous sandstone formations along the river.

Here's a quick video of us going from land to water...

After this tour, we hurried over to where our next boat was for a water only excursion of the Upper and Lower Dells and what an amazing time that was.

We made 2 stops... Witch's Gulch, a walk through "Spooky Lane," a passage carved out of wind and water where we saw Witch's Bathtub at the bottom of Witch's Falls, and Witch's window. 

From there we went to Stand Rock, where a dog makes a leap from one towering pillar of sandstone to another. 

We finished up our day with a trip to Moosejaw Pizza and Brewing Company. 

Don't you just love their delivery vehicles!?!

All-in-all, our trip to Wisconsin Dells is one for the memory books for sure.

Hope you enjoyed reminiscing with me. I'll be back next week to finish off my 2024 Summer vacation then on the road in 2025.

Until then, take care and safe travels.

PamT

2024 Summer Vacation: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

 

We left Mackinack, MI heading to the upper peninsula and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. 

We hiked to Munising Falls and gazed upon the raw beauty of the iconic scenery cradles the south shore of Lake Superior.

 If you read my 2017 WC Vacation posts, you know I visited Isle Royale National Park which is in Lake Superior, so visiting this picturesque landscape was nostalgic to say the least.

After having seen the Ireland shoreline from the water and realizing the view is much mor spectacular from on top, we opted out of a boat tour.

Here's a couple more pics to show you how beautiful this area is...

At first glance, the bathroom at the campground seemed nice enough but a closer look revealed mold and mildew so disgusting I'm not even going to mention the name. Needless to say I definitely wore my shower flipflops and carried disinfectant wipes in this one!

Anyway, we stayed about a day and a half there then headed to Wisconsin Dells. I'll share more about that nextime here on Bathroom Blues travel blog but what I found fun, were the many Big Foot statues along the way and passing through Christmas Michigan.

    

Hope you enjoyed my little trek down memory lane and that you'll check back next time for more 2024 summer vacation memories.

Until then, take care, have fun and be safe in your travels!

PamT

Summer 2024 Vacation ~ Mackinac Island State Park

Since Mackinac Island State Park is...well...an Island, the first order of business was to hitch a ride on a ferry across Lake Huron. We boarded a Shepler's ferry boat with about a hundred (or more) other people and set out across this gorgeous span of crystal blue water.

In my last post, I showed you pictures and a video of the 5 mile bridge that crosses the Straits of Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) so we won't talk about that again today.

But let me tell you the one thing that I love, love, loved the most about traversing this island was doing so in a horse-drawn wagon!

If you know anything about me at all, you know how much I adore horses and these are some beauties.

Matter of fact, the only way you can explore Mackinac Island is by horse, on foot, or by bicycle as they have been auto-free for over 100 years.

There is so much to see in this nearly 4 acre park which is open year-round despite limited access in the Winter. 

Can't imagine why, LOL! I can promise you this much though, you won't find me there in the winter.

Anyhoo, other attractions are The Grand Hotel where the movie Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour was filmed. If you've never seen this movie (available in DVD or on Blu-ray) or read the book, you are sorely missing out on a great adventure and a beautiful story of love that trancends time. I loved the movie when it came out and watched it again after we returned home.

While on our wagon ride, we visited Arch Rock, a famous rock formation that is fifty feet wide and towers above the water.

We also visited Ft. Mackinack and many of the other Historic places and Museums. Since we weren't driving anywhere, even to and from the campground, and it was hot, hot, hot, we did a little bar hopping at the Pink Pony Bar & Grill and Great Turtle Brewery & Distillery.

Of course we picked up souviners at one of the many (many!) shops along the waterfront. 

All-in-all, our time on the island was one for the books.

Hope you enjoyed reminiscing with me and that you'll check back next week to see where else we traveled on our 2024 Summer Vacation.

Until then, happy trails.

PamT

Summer 2024 Vacation Continues in St. Ignace, Mackinac/Mackinaw, Michigan!

It's been a busy couple of weeks on the road for our Summer 2024 trip. So far we've been to AL, Lake City, FL, Santee, SC, WVA, Ohio, and Indiana.

June 17th we left Indiana and headed into Michigan.

On the way we stopped at a rest area and upon arrival stayed at a KOA campground. Neither of those bathrooms were anything to sing about so we won't even discuss them. 

What we will talk about is the beautiful city of St. Ignace - pronounced Ignus....yeah the forgave my southern accent and ingnorance of proper pronunciation LOL!

One of the main attractions of this area is the 5-mile bridge crossing the Straits of Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw).

Here is a video from the ferry ride the next day on our way to Mackinac Island...

For more on this iconic structure and some really great pics, visit the Mackinac Bridge Authority Website.

Next time I'll take you along with me on the ferry and around Mackinac Island State Park so check back often!

Until then, safe travels.

PamT

Indiana Dunes National Park ~ 2024 Summer Trip

Kissing the coastline of Lake Michigan, this 15,000 acre National Park has over 50 miles of trails for avid hikers and lush scenery along the drive throughout the Dunes.

Although my traveling partner and I love to hike, and we did do some walking, due to our timeline for visiting all the places we wanted to go, we didn't partake in any of the 19 hikes covering 66 miles of wetlands, woodlands, praries and dunes.

Filled with history and culture, the visitors center is a maze of amazing art exhibits, activities and information about the Indiana Dunes National and State parks.

The restrooms were meticulously clean - which always makes me do a happy dance and the pituresque beauty of the area and the dunes is something to behold.

There are many signs along the way informing you of the various wildlife that might be out and about and warning you not to feed them, but one made me think of home. 

Being from Louisiana where turtles are always crossing the road, especially during egg-laying season, this one made me smile so I just had to take a pic!

Here are a couple more photos for you to enjoy....

Gorgeous Lake Michigan

 

This colorful Bison statue stands guard over the Visitor Center's walkway and provides a wonderful photo op.

Hope you enjoyed this short trip down memory lane with me at the Indiana Dunes National Park and that you'll check back often for updates and adventures with me.

Until next time, happy trails...

PamT

Back on the Road with My Summer 2024 Summer Vacation Trip...

They say time flies when you're having fun. I can attest to that! Too much time has flown by since I shared more of my 2024 vacation with you and it's almost time for my 2025 trip!

The first quarter of the year is alway busy for a tax preparer. Add to that releasing a new book and launching a writing course, well, hopefully you understand why I disappeared for a while.

After visiting the Football and Rock -n- Roll Halls of Fame, we left our campground headed for the Indiana Dunes National Park.

If you've pulled an RV you know how important it is to find truck stops and/or rest areas with adequate space to park. 

The one we found in between Mogadore, OH and Porter, IN was one of the most beautiful and comfortable travel plaza I've ever seen.

Applegreen Travel Plaza's are spread out from Ireland and the UK to the US! Not only do they have beautiful and well maintained restrooms, they have an actual food court and convenience store. Check out this video...

The reason I've never seen these beautiful facilities, is because they are scattered throughout the upper NE US. Although we have traveled in some of those areas, I guess we passed them by unaware as to how nice they really are.

But now we know.

And So Do YOU!

If you're ever traveling and come across a full Applegreen Travel Plaza, stop and enjoy the variety of dining opportunities and lovely restrooms.

I'll share the Indiana Dunes National Park visit with you in my next post.

Until then, safe travels!

PamT

Continuing Summer 2024 Vacation in Cleveland, OH & the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

 

One of my favorite songs of all time is Old Time Rock -n Roll by Bob Seger, so imagine the joy and awe of visiting a place that celebrates Rock n Roll music throughout the decades.

There is SO much here, taking a lot of pictures is virtually impossible! 

This seven-level building is filled wall-to-wall with the lifetime achievements of so many artists we love and appreciate... Elvis, Michael Jackson, The Beatles.... you name 'em and they are probably there.

Of course in a center this large and popular, the bathrooms are cleaned and maintained regularly - which always makes me one happy visitor.

The gift shop itself is huge and filled with so many souviners you could spend hours and lot's of money there LOL!

One thing that really impressed me was the courtesy of gift-shop employees. Despite long lines and some disgruntled guests, they were cordial and personable. Seriously, you really can't be TOO disgruntled in a place like this! Alas, some folks get that way regardless of the magical experience they've just had.

Anyway, our cashier was one of the best and had painted her eyes to look like butterflies!

Needless to say, our visit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was worth the hour-long trip there and back from where we were camped as well as the large lines and walk from the parking area to the building.

If you are a Rock & Roll fan, or even just a fan of good music, plan to visit this luxurious place boasting of the best of the best in music history.

Hope you enjoyed my little trip down memory lane today and that you'll check back weekly to travel along with me.

Until next time, take care.

PamT

Day 8 of Summer 2024 Trip ~ Canton, Ohio & the Pro Football Hall of Fame!

In case you didn't know, I'm a football fan LOL! 

My mother, a HUGE sports fan, always dreamed of going to the Football Hall of Fame, so imagine my joy of being able to do this for her!

Yep, I firmly believe she was with me in spirit the entire time we strolled through this amazing maze of football legends and all-time greats! Call me crazy but, I even wore her necklace so that I could feel her presence.

We browsed through aisles and corridors of the museum in awe of the many great players and teams represented here. My favorites of course were the GOAT Drew Brees and the awesome Taysom Hill of the New Orleans Saints.

Several other Saints players are in the Hall of Fame like Archie Manning and Jim Thorpe, but those were before my time as a Saints fan.

If you look closely at the picture, you'll see an overpass boasting of the Pro Football Hall of Fame which I found to be a beautiful tribute to this great sport.

There is a lot more to see in Canton, OH but for us, the Pro Football Hall of Fame was the main reason for visiting this city.

Oh and the bathrooms here? Definitely singing a happy tune!

Hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane and that you'll check back weekly for another adventure.

Until next time, safe travels!

PamT

Countryside Campground in Mogadore, OH

 

Day 7 in our 2024 Summer trip was spent traveling. In last week's post, I shared with you a lovely rest area along the way from WVA to Ohio. 

We arrived at our destination, Countryside Campground in Mogadore, OH in the afternoon and set up on a beautiful site. 

The camp hosts were lovely and the camp store had a nice variety of things one might need during their stay.

Still only a week or so into our trip, we really didn't need anything. 

We didn't do a lot of sight-seeing in Mogadore  and we chose this campground because it is located just east of Akron which is pretty much in the middle between Cleveland and Canton, which were the real reason we stayed in Ohio and our destinations for the next couple of days.

Oh and the bath houses at Countryside?

Nice and Clean. Had me singing a happy tune.

One thing we did do while in Mogadore, was take a drive through Cuyahoga Valley National Park which is turning 50 this year!

Next week I'll share our visit to the Football Hall and Rock 'n Roll Halls of Fame.

Until then, take care and travel safe.

PamT

Day 7 of Summer 2024 Vacation

 

In one of my earlier posts, I promised I would share information on more than RV parks and campgrounds.

Today let's take a trip through the fairy gardens at the Rest Area at Mile Marker 167 - Mineral Wells, WVA.

One advantage of pulling a camper while traveling is that you always have a bathroom with you. A disadvantage is that you don't always have a large enough shoulder in order to get far enough off the highway to use it.

Therefore, you're always looking out for a nice rest area or truck stop.

On our way to Ohio, we pulled in to this rest area, glad to find a nice brick building and neat sidewalks. Everything was well kept and clean. The ladies' room was tile and marble, (or granite), and stocked with toilet seat covers (always a PLUS!).

The facilities were clean which always makes me sing a happy tune but the lovely grounds had me dancing along to that tune.

Walking amongst the flowers and fanciful gnome and other fairy creatures made for a truly restful experience even though we only stayed long enough to take care of our business then get back on the road.

If you're ever in the area, and have time to truly stop and rest, this is a wonderful place to do so.

Hope you enjoyed this little pitt stop and that you'll check back weekly for more travel experiences on Bathroom Blues travel blog!

Until next time... Travel safe.

PamT

Summer 2024 Trip Day 6: New River Gorge National Park

 

Welcome back to Bathroom Blues travel blog!

Today I'm sharing more of our visit to New River Gorge National Park and some of the things we saw while there.

Let me begin by saying this park is absolutely beautiful and those bathrooms had me singing a happy tune. 

There's a lot we didn't do or see due to time restraints, but for those who love to hike, bike, camp or have an adventure white water rafting, New River Gorge National Park is for you!

Although there is no way to walk across as it's a highway with no pedestrian walkway, we explored the area around the New River Gorge bridge and got lot's of pics. This is my best one.

We took a few short hiking trails around Sandstone/Brooks falls, but there are many areas and falls we did not see. Check them out HERE.

That's one thing I'm not crazy about on a long trip is only 2 or 3 days in each spot are never enough!

Alas, this time in West Virginia was lovely. Hopefully I'll go back one day and explore a lot more.

Hope you enjoyed today's trip down memory lane with me and that you'll check back weekly as I reminisce on my Summer 2024 vacation.

Until next time, remember... Spending time in nature is good for the soul, so get out there and find you some!

PamT

Day 5 of 2024 Summer Trip - Thurmond WVA

Good Morning and Welcome to another day down memory lane as I recount my 2024 Summer trip.

We spent 3 days in West Virginia and days 2 & 3 were all about checking out New River Gorge National Park.

First stop was the historic town of Thurmond.

At one time, Thurmond was a bustling boomtown with lots of businesses and a thriving coal mine community for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway.

People flocked to Thurmond via 15 passenger trains per day, some for job opportunities. Others as tourists. Either way, the hotels overflowed and businesses thrived.

However, the Great Depression, two major fires and diesel locomotives as well as people's love for travel via the automobile in lieu of trains, shut it down.

The Thurmond depot, restored in 1995 as a visitor center by the National Parks Service, restoration of some of Thurmond's buildings is an ongoing process. The town is still incorporated and hosts an annual reunion for former residents.

Today, Thurmond is on the National Register of Historic Places and sits in the heart of New River Gorge National Park.

If you're into hiking, there are 6 trails around Thurmond that offer beautiful views of nature and wildlife surrounding this historic town.

Hope you enjoyed this peak into Thurmond and if you're ever in the area, you'll stop by and enjoy the scenery and history of this once booming city in the heart of West Virginia.

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time, keep traveling.

PamT

Day 4 of 2024 Summer Trip - West Virginia

 

After a beautiful wedding and lot's of family time, we left Santee, SC early Monday morning, June 10th for our vacation. 

First stop on our trip was Surveyor, WV in Raleigh County, where we stayed at Lake Stephens Campground. This lovely place has been built on 2300 acres around an old hunter's campsite that was established in the late 1700's.

This gorgeous park with bathrooms that had me singing a happy tune AND doing the happy dancing that goes along with it, surrounds a stunning mountain lake. 

You gotta take it slow going on these "country roads." As my honey puts it, there's no drag racing in West Virginia because there's not a straight quarter mile road anywhere in the state. LOL!

Not sure if that's entirely accurate, but just look at this scenery....

These pictures were taken from the truck while driving to our destination.

We were blessed with perfect traveling weather and had no trouble setting up and enjoying a lovely dinner cooked outside while listening to music (John Denver anyone?) and soaking in the breathtaking views of the campground.

One of the things I found most enchanting about Lake Stephens was the "Almost Heaven" swing which looks out over this body of water, unspoiled despite the fishing, boating and swimming that takes place on it. 

You're supposed to set up your phone or camera on the wooden cutout of West Virginia and take a picture of yourself on the swing with the lake in the background.

Alas, I do believe I've mentioned that I am not a photographer and I had no clue on how to set the timer on my phone at the time! 

Not sure if I could do that even now LOL!

Anyway, our stay in WVA was memorable in every way.

These swings are located throughout West Virginia. Find out where HERE.

My next post will outline what we did and where we visited,so check back often.

Until next time, happy trails.

PamT

Days 2&3 of Summer 2024 Trip

 

Good Morning and Welcome to 2025!

I pray your holidays were blessed and happy, your travels safe and comfortable and the bathrooms clean and sanitized!

Today I'll continue reminiscing my Summer 2024 trip with Days 2 and 3. I'm combining them because I didn't get pictures of the RV park in Lake City, FL where we stayed on day 2 so I can't report whether the bathroom gave me the blues or not LOL!

What I CAN tell you is we stopped in Santee, SC for my honey's grandson's wedding and stayed at the state park, our usual campground when going to visit his family there.

The bathrooms in this beautiful park on Lake Marion are always clean, clean, clean which keeps me singing a happy tune and enjoying our trip there every time.

Santee, SC is about an hour NW of Charleston and a half-hour or so from Orangeburg and the beautiful Edisto Memorial Gardens, so it's a great place to stay if you've a desire to see some South Carolina beauty.

And, for you golfers out there, Santee has three courses!

Guess that's all for now. Next time we'll continue our 2024 Summer trip in West Virginia.

I hope you'll join me.

Until then, safe travels!

PamT