~Saturday, June 5, 2021~
Day 356 (Travel Day)
I woke up to see a tranquil, misty haze over the lake with fish jumping all over the place. Do they feed better when it’s foggy?
It didn’t take long for the mist to disappear and the sun to make its appearance. Sad that this view of ours was short-lived, but thankful we had it in the first place. But maybe, just maybe there’s a slim chance that someone cancelled overnight? Ah, that would be no. They were completely booked with the exception of one site, not on the lake. Probably better to move on anyway. Our next campground is also on the water so it’s likely to be just as nice, though you wouldn’t find nicer staff. These people were AWESOME!!! With check-out here not until 1:00 p.m., it gave Sadie some extra swim time and us a more leisurely pace to pack up. We will definitely be back, Loyston Point Campground.
The 2-hour drive to Hixson, TN (to be closer to Chattanooga) went pretty smooth until our GPS told us we had arrived at our campground, Chester Frost Park, with the campground nowhere in sight. And it appears we’re in boony land. Thankfully, we had cell reception. So I tried to call to see if we missed a turn or something, but no answer. So then we tried resetting the GPS again to see if we were anywhere near Chickamauga Lake. We just hadn’t driven far enough. We had another 7 miles to go. With all the switchbacks and modestly steep grades, it seemed there’d be a better way to get in. Well, we found out later that there is but for some reason, Google Maps took us, and appears to take most people the crazier route. Now we know. This campground is HUGE, with over 300 sites. The campground is separated by Dallas Bay, with a short causeway, connecting the two. I think our site was the only one unoccupied. I’m sure people were thinking with such a primo site, what a waste that no one was there last night. We later found out, our neighbors took advantage of using it as their kayak launch/fishing spot. I don’t blame them.
Wow, what a beauty of a day, and what another outstanding view. In fact, our next campground is just right across the lake, though we found out it doesn’t have the beauty that this one does. So let’s take it all in while we can, shall we? It did not take long to meet our Tennessee neighbors. One across the street and one right next door. One was whipping up homemade vanilla ice cream, the old-fashioned way my grandmother used to make it (hopefully we’ll get a sample later), and the other neighbor walked from across the street and introduced himself, worried that us Californians would have no clue as to what we’re doing. Man, Matthew is such a nice guy. We must have gotten 20 tips from him of what to do in Chattanooga, especially ones that involved eating. And if that wasn’t enough, during cocktail hour, he brought over a southern cheese dip/cracker/pickle plate to us. Delicious! His son had just received a new kayak from them, “an elementary school graduation gift” and was launching from our site, so we had the pleasure of seeing them often into the early evening. We phoned about getting some firewood delivered but since we were out of cash, we’d have to wait until tomorrow. That is, until we saw them delivering wood to the other sites, and we’re talkin’ large, dry pieces…..GREAT firewood and only $12.00 for a wheelbarrow full. Jeff went up to him to see if we could schedule a delivery for tomorrow when we’d have cash, but he said, “just take it tonight and pay me tomorrow”. Wow, who knew you could get camping provisions on credit? Things just kept getting better and better. And they did when Matthew offered us a ride on his boat tomorrow before leaving (he works on Monday). Wow, what an offer and one we can’t refuse. Jeff and I have not experienced such a high level of friendliness quite like Tennesseeans.
As we were enjoying a peaceful evening after
dinner, we hadn’t sat down for more than 10 minutes when out of the blue, a wicked wind picked up. We could see the dark clouds coming, but seriously, the wind just came out of nowhere. So, we hurriedly picked up everything that was outside, both awnings came in and we hunkered down. Jeff said everyone was making a mad scramble to better anchor their easy-ups (those are the ones you have to worry about) and bring in their awnings. The light rain and wind lasted maybe 30 minutes, then it was gone. When we looked at the weather, it appeared there was just a small front going right over us but that we are in for 2 days of lightning. Ummm…..maybe that boat ride wont’ be happening after all.