It's November. The tents and sleeping bags are all packed away. Camping season is done, right? Wrong! With a holiday on the calendar and a free day off work following that, it was the perfect opportunity to squeeze in one more trip! November weather, like any weather, can be pretty tricky to predict, especially months in advance. But none of that would matter because we would set our sights on an indoor camping trip to the Betty Lea Lodge at Echo Bluff State Park ! This would

Not nearly a week into October and the time has once again come for the annual Montauk State Park trout fishing trip! Last year ended a multi-year trout drought so this year I would be looking to continue the streak and bring home more fish for the freezer!

Finally! A perfect camping weekend! This year has been quite a challenge as far as camping is concerned with hot, humid weather and...

Finally, a camping trip that doesn't include a heat advisory! How exactly this happens in the middle of August is beyond me but it did and it was perfect! The trip this time would be to Mark Twain State Park featuring a large body of water to sit in if the temperatures had been worse. On top of the reasonable temperature, no rain again! This was really turning out to be an ideal weekend on all counts!

It's July and summer has officially set in. How do I know? I glisten in the sun for nothing more than sitting still. Despite this time of year not being my favorite camping weather, it's time for camping at Cuivre River State Park ! Featuring a lake and newly renovated beach, reopened in May 2021, we would be making use of the water and beach opportunities to beat the heat! At least, given recent weather trends, it wasn't expected to storm or rain on this trip meaning post tr

More that half the year has gone by and I am just now getting the first camping trip in. Got a lot of ground to cover and not much time left do it! Unfortunately, this trip would occur in some of the worst humidity possible with a frequent chance of storms each day. Although I made my site reservation nearly 1 month in advanced, I was really liking the pick of Dr Edmund Babler Memorial State Park in case things went seriously awry with the weather. Being rather close by, if

This trip would be a special one for a lot of reasons. First, it would be the first time staying at Table Rock Lake State Park , a park I have visited in the past though, in my memory, have never stayed the night. Second, and perhaps the biggest reason for this trip being special, it would be an anniversary celebration! Of course, in the midst of a pandemic, you must take time out to celebrate the major life accomplishments! Lastly, this trip would not be the standard run-of

October is here once again! And that can only mean one thing... The annual Montauk State Park trout fishing trip is here once again! The question to be asked is... will this be the year the trout drought ends?

Finally, after taking a roughly 3 month break from camping, due to the peak heat of summer, it was time to get back at it!

Pandemic campout #2!

Let's see how camping in 2020 is going to work out...

More often than not, it's down to December...

At long last, it was once again time for the annual trout fishing trip to Montauk State Park !

The next trip with my trailer, and the second trip to be centered around a holiday this year, the trip to Sam A. Baker State Park ! This trip was a memorable one...

Just when it seemed like the rain had stopped...

Holiday weekend campout? I'm in!

The eighth trip of the year would take me back to my favorite area of the whole state of Missouri at the best time to visit! For me, that would be the Arcadia Valley during fall! The colors and landscape combine in a way not found in many other places around me.

The seventh trip of the year would, again, take me to Wallace State Park which is one I had visited before on the MO Centennial Passport Challenge. Like the Long Branch trip, I had never camped at Wallace before and it turned out to be quite a great place! Nearing the peak of fall colors season, Wallace turned out to be the perfect place I had never camped at before! Trees were thick in the campground bathing you in fall colors everywhere you looked. Beautiful!

The time had come once again for the annual Montauk State Park trout fishing trip! The hope this year, over last year, would be to avoid the crowds of the Rose Holland Derby and actually catch some fish! Although we were able to avoid Rose Holland weekend, we were unable to guarantee good weather. It was cold and it was wet. Unfortunately neither of those makes for great fishing nor a great campout.

The fifth, but not final, trip of the year would close out my 18th MO State Camper Award! This trip was to a new location as far as camping goes. It was the perfect pick! Long Branch State Park was one I had visited before on the MO Centennial Passport Challenge within the last two years.