Long-term stays have become a bit routine, but right now that works for us. We have three great campgrounds (Clearwater RV Travel Resort in Clearwater FL (near my parents), Spring Branch RV Park in Spring Branch TX, and Hickory Hollow Campground near Somerset PA (near our daughter and granddaughters, and not too far from our son) that don’t mind Bill doing installs. We’ve been staying at two, the ones in FL and PA, and nearby the one in TX at The Center for Mental Wellness, where we get to hang out with Cori & Greg.

When first arriving in PA, we stopped and stayed about a week at the Ephrata Elks to visit our son. Having been in the area many times, including living only 30 minutes away for 12 years, visiting was most of the agenda, along with some shopping, lunch with friends, and a haircut for me.

They have made a lot of improvements to the camping area at this lodge since we first stayed there back in 2016, including leveling the sites, adding gravel, and taking down a few trees that were dead and/or in the way of easy parking. Last year they added a fire ring, and this year they’ve added a picnic table at each site. The lodge is smoke-free and they have an outdoor eating area. Last year (might be two years ago now) they hired a new chef and the food has improved a lot. The bartenders are always welcoming. Have I told you lately we love being Elks?

Hickory Hollow was built from the ground up by its owners, Doug & Lori Huston and Mark Huston. Before the property became a campground back in 2005, it was a farm owned by Doug and Mark’s family. When they designed and built the campground, they put a lot of thought and care into it and it shows. Unlike some parks we’ve stayed in, the amenities they have here work – ALL THE TIME, and the whole place always looks beautiful. I’ve often said, if this place was near the ocean, I’d never leave. Bill and I are happy to have such a great place to have clients come to.

I almost forgot to mention that we switched sites this year. Our previous two seasons here we were on site 64. Bill had bought and we put up a 7×7 shed – the plastic kind that snaps together. He had built a deck to put it on. It was used to store solar supplies and other stuff. At the end of last year when we were getting ready to leave, the people on site 53 were selling a larger 10×12 wooden shed. Turns out he was also not renewing the site, so when we decided to purchase the shed, we asked if we could just move sites so we wouldn’t have to find a way to move the larger shed. Lori agreed, so we are now on site 53. It is a nicer site, with a larger flatter yard. A lady in the campground heard we were selling our old shed and bought it from us. Mark moved it to her site for her. It was amazing that it all fell into place the way it did, especially since we leave earlier than the campground closes for the season.

Not sure if I’ve mentioned it in a previous post, but our living room air conditioner quit working. Yes, this is the one that was replaced back in the summer of 2017. Thankfully, Bill had Derek to help him with it this time. You can read about the first replacement HERE. Needless to say, it was very disappointing having to buy another one, especially considering the price of the exact same unit has gone up about $300!

Bill helped Derek put together Freya’s birthday present play set that finally arrived, having been on order for a couple of months. It was an all-afternoon project, but worth every minute to see the joy on Freya’s face when she climbed up on it for the first time. I’m sure she and Arwen will get many many hours of enjoyment from playing on it.

Spending time with our girls (and Derek, of course) is the top priority while we are in this area. Bill and I babysit the girls sometimes, allowing their parents some child-free time together. We still have daily life, of course, including shopping, installs, RV projects (the NEVER ENDING list!), among other things (like this blog) that come along.

Before too long, it was time for us to lift our jacks and head out for our July break. We stayed a few days in Ephrata on our way to NJ. Stay tuned to read about our first vacation with the Stoltz’s!

***featured pic is of a mural on a building in the middle of Somerset***

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