I don’t want to admit that this camping season is beginning to wind down – but that is the distinct feeling that I got in the course of this weekend’s outing to Big Bone Lick State Park in Northern Kentucky. It was perfect fall camping weather with 60ish daytime temps, which would have been perfect without the brisk, 30-mph winds! A nighttime dip-down to the high 30’s emphasized that summer weather has indeed departed. This camping trip started out as a small gathering, and then grew into a casual rally that was initiated by RPODders and extended to friends . . . and friends of their friends! That meant that the welcome mat was open for three T@Bs, an Airstream, a hybrid and a Surveyor -- as well as the RPOD gang! You would look long and far to find a more agreeable group of camping buds! Here's the whole story: The name Big Bone Lick comes from the fossils of mammoth, sloth and bison that have been found there, drawn by a salt lick that the animals relied on for their diet. The park features several nature trails that include a boardwalk around a marsh bog diorama with informative signs. Another trail winds through several habitats, including grassland, wetland and savanna and is well marked with interpretive signs. The weekend of our visit featured visiting archeologists and paleontologists who gave lectures and narrated tours on the trails. There were also reenactment displays giving historical demonstrations. This viewing area looks down on the salt-encrusted stream – the big attraction! The salt shows up as large white areas on top of the water, and the sulfur odor draws in your attention. In 1755, Mary Ingles was twenty-three, married, and pregnant, when Shawnee Indians invaded her peaceful Virginia settlement, killed the men and women, then took her captive. For months, she lived with the Indians until she escaped while the tribe was encamped and gathering salt at the salt-lick! She walked home -- a journey of a thousand miles! Her story is commemorated at the park visitor's center, and in a best-selling book;it is a must-read for people enjoying historical fiction. That's a quick re-cap of where we camped. Now here are some of the people we camped with and scenes around the campground!
My parting shot is of Johanna's tink'r pod decorated with the shadows of the tree leaves reflected from the light of the campfire, and the glow of her flamingo lights!
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October 2021
We don’t go camping any more . . . we go ‘streamin’ ! The “SIlvermine and His” is our 2018 25' Airstream Serenity with Salsa interior and front twin beds., and ‘streamin’ is the name we use to describe our adventures. Stream along as we document everything from weekend trips to longer summer excursions and full-blown vacations. You know what they say: if you’re not in an Airstream – you’re just camping!
Tom & Ella Brown |