camping

Scenic Park Campground | South Sioux City, NE

Networking Wiz / Amy Dritley, , , , , Leave a comment

Well friends, we are back! The old camper (that’s not funny) is trashed and paid off and now I have the exact same thing and doing it all over again. Hope to have this one a little longer…that’s funny!

As most of you know, I got my new Camper in Harrisburg, SD which is just south of Sioux Falls so I decided to stop for a week on the way back home in Sioux City and get settled in. Settling in is going well. I had a ton of crap! Things I saved from the old RV and things I bought for this new one. Too much stuff. But its all out of my truck and now in the camper. Just a little more work to do.

OH, and I now have a Forest River Wildwood Heritage Glen. Its also a 2024 and the exact same thing except it has washer/dryer hook ups in the bedroom closet. For now, I will use that space for storage. I did look at other models but I just love this one because of

  1. Its classy. Has nice counter tops, walls, the wood is nice.
  2. I need a closet in the bedroom for fulltime living (eventually)
  3. The bed has a electric versa-tilt that allows me to move it up and gives me more room around the bedroom
  4. The hidden pantry
  5. And I can remove the table and chairs and put a desk in here (which will happen soon)

So, that leaves me with this 2024 which I found on Facebook of all places. New, at a dealership.

Anyway, today I am writing about the Scenic Park Campground I am staying at this week. There’s a few things I don’t love:

  1. Its right off the highway, so lots of noise
  2. Trees, but little ones (which when its windy actually I am okay with)
  3. They are doing some construction here so there’s lots of trucks going in and out and they are super loud, I assume that won’t last forever, but not really what I wanted
  4. There’s a lot of full timers out here. I think. Which is fine, just different.
  5. The gal at the office really didn’t care about anything I had to say, barely looked at me

But, for what I need, just a place to park, its not bad. Most of the spots are gravel and concrete. Mine is a pull through full hook up with all gravel. The hook ups were easy to use. The spot is very level. They do have the pirate bugs here, but I think that’s about everywhere right now.

There’s someone here sawing away on some project, again I think a fulltimer. The guests are pretty quiet and nice. And I have Verizon Home Internet and not had a problem at all. I would give this park a 7 out of 10. Oh, and the bathrooms are clean, showers look a little worn.

Next time I write I will be in Texas for 3 weeks! Can’t wait to update you then. Happy Camping.

Scenic Park Campground | South Sioux City, NE

Well, that was fun while it lasted.

Networking Wiz / Amy Dritley, , , , Leave a comment

The date was August 9th, 2025. It was 4:15am. I was startled awake by my phone alarm going off. Although it wasn’t my phone alarm, it was the emergency alert that a Thunderstorm was coming. I didn’t think much of it and fell back asleep. 5:30am the alarm jolted me awake again. This time it said 80mph winds. I was terrified.

My good friend was staying in her camper with her family across the way and I immediately texted her: “Are you guys going anywhere” and she replied with “I don’t think so.” So there I sat, in my bed, dog with me, thinking I would be okay. Then a thought crossed my mind that if a tree hit me, right here, that I would be screwed. So I grabbed my dog and to the living room we went.

I could feel the camper being shaken in the wind. I was at the end of the line of campers, against some large trees (foreshadowing) and figured they would protect me from the wind. Wrong. I could feel the camper swaying and I contemplated going to the tornado shelter. I could hear what I thought was hail hitting the roof, which I later found it was tree branched tearing holes in my roof. Then…5:56am and Boom! A tree hit my camper tossing its branch inside my camper. It pushed my fridge and microwave and pantry all forward and scared the living daylight out of me.

I screamed. I could not believe it. So I grabbed my dog, put his leash on and headed out. We stood for a minute between the bathroom and front door and I thought maybe I would be okay there but a huge gust came and rattle me to my core. I was out of there. We sat in my truck for like half a second as I knew I could not chance a tree hitting me there. So I backed away and sat for a moment, what do I do. My only thought was to get to the tornado shelter. There were trees down and huge branches all over the streets and in my way. But I didn’t care. I drove the wrong way down the road and finally got to the shelter. We stayed there until probably 6:45.

The lightening was so constant. The thundering was so loud. It was a strong, scary storm. Then, it calmed down and we made our way to my friend’s camper to sit and think for a minute. I dropped my dog with her and made my way back to my camper… oh my gosh.

Food was everywhere. Pieces of wood, everywhere. Large branches were inside my camper. I could see outside from inside. It was horrifying. I was shaken to my core. But I was okay. Unfortunately I could hear sirens and soon found out a couple was stuck in a truck with a tree on top of them and the woman died. I was okay. I was okay.

I soon contacted my amazing brother in law who came with chainsaw in hand to rescue me. We sawed up the tree and moved it out of the way. He climbed up and sawed the branch out of the side of my camper and I was free and ready to get the heck out of there. The large tree had fallen on my water and power access to so those cords and hoses were a loss. But we pushed the slide in and I was able to drive off.

I do have Progressive Insurance and GAP insurance so today, 8/19/2025, I am dealing with a totaled camper. Its so sad because I had only had the camper for 5 weeks and taken it on 2 trips. I will say the insurance people have been amazing to work with. I am very thankful for that. So now starts my search for a new camper. I did find almost the exact same thing in South Dakota and I’m heading there Friday to take a look.

All in all; I am okay. It could have been way worse. I will find another camper. My journey is just delayed for now. Stay tuned.

Well, that was fun while it lasted.

Two Rivers State Recreation Area | Waterloo, Nebraska

Networking Wiz / Amy Dritley, , , , Leave a comment

Well Two Rivers gets Two Thumbs Up! This is week 2 of camping. Yeah me! I am in Waterloo which is maybe 15 minutes from my house but feels like worlds away. There’s lots of trees and water and it’s so quiet. It’s also very flat which I appreciated walking my dog this morning.

Growing up I came here swimming. There’s cabooses you can rent to stay in (instead of cabins) and then tent camping and RV sites. I am in a line of full hook-ups and there’s maybe 10 spots. The other sites have just electric or water etc. I’m on the end which is also ADA compliant so it’s a large spot which was great pulling in.

There’s a trout lake. There’s swimming lakes. Rivers. At most camp sites there’s picnic tables and fire pits. It’s very clean. Now the downside is there’s more mosquitos than last week at Prairie Rose. I have a few bites already and the bathrooms have bugs. Also the showers are coin operated. However my friend said he put in $1 and it lasted like 6 minutes so that’s not bad.

I did figure out how to get my hot water heater going and took a shower in my camper and it was nice. Just to have my own space to dry off and have all my own things was good. I do have a new bug zapper now so the flys are not as bad in my camper. My list of things I need is slowing down…which my credit card appreciates. I have some fun thoughts of buying fake plants to hang but I want ones that look real so may make a trip to a home goods store in the near future.

I will give Two Rivers an 8 out of 10. I am really enjoying it and OH! I slept last night!!! Yeah! Like a really good sleep.

Two Rivers State Recreation Area | Waterloo, Nebraska

I bought a what?

Networking Wiz / Amy Dritley, , , , Leave a comment

“Holy Shit”. That’s what I thought as I climbed into my truck at the dealership. A 34.7 foot camper attached behind. I could not believe these guys where hooking me up, doing a quick walk around and letting me drive off. What in the world was I thinking? Had I ever camped in a camper before…Nope. Had I ever driven anything this large before…Nope. Did I have a clue as to what I was doing…Nope! Nope! Nope!

But, here it goes. In January I was let go of my job. Honestly I was going to leave them soon anyway, they just beat me to the punch. It hurt but it was for the best. I was bored and some people were a pain in my ass. In February I started my company back up full time, Designs By Red. With a little hope and prayer I was going to bring in full time income some how and some way with this gig. In May, my son graduated high school and I sold my house. I moved in with my mom and he moved in with his dad. Big changes for the both of us.

In June I bought a 34.7 foot, Salem Hemisphere. I looked at quite a bit of campers, “just for fun”. That never works for me. I needed one that I could take something out and put my desk in eventually. If I was going to live in this beast full time I needed my desk with me. That is a must. So of course I looked and looked and the only one I found that worked was the most expensive and largest one. What was I thinking. But I hooked up to it in Lincoln and drove it to Elkhorn and away I went.

And just a few days ago, on Monday July 28th, I said good bye at the airport as my son was leaving for the Marines. THE MARINES! I’m terrified. I’m excited. I sure hope he knows what he is getting himself info.

That brings us to today, day 2 of my first camping trip. Ever. Ever guys. I am in Prairie Rose State Park in Harlan, Iowa. (about an hour and half from my house) I am all on my own and I have decided that for the sanity of it all, I am going to start blogging about my experience because why not. Maybe this will help someone else. Maybe it will just help me. Here it goes.

I bought a what?