Into the Woods!

After taking Manhattan by storm, we continued with the Broadway theme by going Into the Woods – The Woods Campground in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, that is!  The Woods Campground was the seventh gay campground we stayed in since we started full-time RV traveling.  We actually stayed at The Woods Campground on many occasions prior to full-time RV traveling.  Our first stay there was with our very good friends Drew and Michael, who we would be seeing on this visit too.  Drew and Michael sang with Tim in the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus and were some of the first people Tim met and became friends with when he joined the chorus in January 2005.  Drew and Pat also have in common their love for “Drum Corps” (more on drum corps later in this blog post).  Drew and Michael have a semi-perm site at The Woods Campground, meaning they park their RV (an Airstream) for the entire season and travel back and forth from their home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, whenever they want to during the season.

On the way to The Woods Campground, we stopped at a grocery store in Jersey City and picked up some items we had ordered from Amazon at an Amazon Locker location nearby.  We generally try to avoid tolls, but this time our Google Maps app, avoiding tolls, led us to a draw bridge that we were not allowed to cross in the RV.  So, we had to turn around and decided we would pay the toll on I-78 ($21) to avoid having to go far out of the way (we both bitched about the fact that interstates should not be allowed to charge a toll and there should be a decent alternative available without having to pay a toll – does that make us sound like grumpy old men?).  We finally made it The Woods Campground, which has a dirt road prior to the entrance (what is it with gay campgrounds and dirt roads?).  Our RV site was gravel with a picnic table and fire pit (no grill) and was directly in front of Drew and Michael’s RV site, although Drew and Michael would not be arriving until later that weekend.  

The theme for the weekend was – you guessed it – Bear weekend.  It rained after we set up but stopped in time for us to attend the dance party that evening, which had a neon and white theme.  We made friends with Mike and Louie, who were both more than three sheets to the wind, so we enjoyed listening to their hilarious drunk ramblings.   

The following day, our first full day at the campground, Pat got up early to put towels out at the pool for us and Michael (who would be arriving that day) because you have to get up early to claim a pool lounger.  Michael arrived around 11:00 a.m. and Tim helped him get organized because Michael had knee surgery two days prior and was a bit mobility impaired.  We stayed at the pool soaking in the sun most of the early afternoon.  It was very hot that day, which made it hot in the RV and not very comfortable to stay out at the pool for too long.  After we came in from the pool, Pat did some laundry.  In the early evening, Tim grilled some burgers for us and Michael; we also had fries.  

While removing the grill and other grill accessories, we noticed a water leak in that outside bin, which is directly under the bathroom.  We would need to get this fixed and wondered if it was related to the other mystery leaks we had seen on the bathroom floor.  After dinner, Michael took us around the campground in a golf cart he had borrowed, and we visited with some of Michael’s friends.  When the evening festivities started, we were too tired to participate (too much sun, heat, and afternoon drinking – and we are old).  The next day, Michael got up early to put out towels for the three of us, his friends Tony and Scott (who would be visiting that day), and Drew (who had finally arrived that morning but would only be at the campground for a short time because he had to go back to work).  We stayed at the pool most of the afternoon.  In the early evening, Michael grilled chicken for the six of us at his RV site; we also had beans and pasta salad.  We ate in front of Michael and Drew's outdoor fireplace as the evening brought cooler temperatures.

We then said goodbye to Tony and Scott and headed to the evening drag show, which was performed at an outside venue.  There was a 50/50 raffle at the show, and Tim won!  The prize was $300 but Tim donated half of that back to the charity that was the beneficiary of the fundraiser that evening (the Runway of Dreams Foundation, which empowers people with disabilities to have confidence and self-expression through fashion and beauty inclusion).  After the drag show, we went to the evening dance for a bit.

On our third full day at the campground, Michael took us to the grocery store and to buy beer and wine (Drew had left that morning because he had to go back to work).  It was finally a cooler day, which was nice.  That afternoon, Tim went out to the pool for a bit while Pat took a nap.  That evening, Michael grilled pork chops at his RV site and Pat made rice dressing.  We also had leftover beans and pasta salad, and Michael made brownies and lemon bars for dessert.  Michael’s friends Steve and Michael joined us for dinner.  The night had gotten so cool that we had to use the furnace in the RV that evening as we slept.  It was our last night of our first weekend at The Woods Campground (oh yes, we had another weekend there soon afterward, keep reading).

Our next destination was the Depot Travel Park in Cape May, New Jersey.  Cape May, founded in 1848, is a seaside resort town at the tip of southern New Jersey known for its grand Victorian homes.  It’s the antithesis of the “Jersey Shore” you may have seen on that reality show.  We arrived at our campground in the late afternoon.  We filled up our propane tank, then ventured out to our RV site, which was gravel with a picnic table (no grill or fire pit).  The first thing we noticed was that our RV site was very uneven.  It took us a while to find a good leveling spot, but we finally did.  That first night, Tim did some laundry while Pat worked on blog entries.

The next day, we took an Uber into town; it was about a 10-minute wait for the Uber and cost about $15.  We took the "Welcome to Cape May" trolley tour for newcomers, which took us to many of the Victorian homes and the lighthouse for which Cape May is famous.

After the trolley tour, we walked back to the beach front.  Then, we walked back to the main shopping area of Cape May and bought some souvenirs, fudge, and ice cream.  After our visit to the historic city, we walked back to our campground (about a 20-minute walk), stopping at a Farmer's Market along the way to buy some vegetables.

On our last full day in Cape May, Tim made some maintenance appointments; one to get our oil changed and one for our 20,000-mile servicing.  Then, Tim worked on blog entries while Pat made future RV campground reservations.  In the evening, we took an Uber back into town and had dinner at the Blue Pig Tavern, which is located in Congress Hall, a hotel that was built in 1816.  Tim had the whole roasted local fish (striped bass), while Pat had the lump crab cake; we shared deviled eggs and clam chowder as appetizers.  After dinner, we took an Uber back to the campground to rest up for our trip back to Into the Woods – The Sequel.

 

On the way back to The Woods Campground in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, we stopped at a place called Express Auto and Truck Services, in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, to have the oil changed in the RV because we were long overdue.  It was a little tricky to maneuver the RV into the parking lot of the facility, which was full of FedEx trucks (we guess they have a contract with FedEx to repair their vehicles), but we made it far enough for the mechanics to take the RV into the garage for the oil change.  We were there for several hours but were satisfied with the service and the facility.  Once we made it closer to Lehighton, we stopped for groceries at a Shop Rite grocery store in Brodheadsville.  The grocery store also housed an Amazon Locker, where we picked up items we had ordered.  Upon our return to the campground, we had the same site that we had stayed in during the previous weekend.  This time, however, we had issues with our water pressure, which we didn’t have the last time.  We decided then that having someone come out to look at the water pressure issue was our next maintenance job.

We stayed at the campground on our first day back, but the next day Michael and Drew took us to their house in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where we would be staying for the next two nights.  It was our first visit since Michael and Drew had purchased this house, so we had to get a tour upon arrival.  It is a very nice two-story home in a beautiful neighborhood.  Michael and Drew have already done a lot of work on the home and intend to do a lot more (we think they secretly enjoy upgrading their home and yard, since they do a lot of work themselves). 

After the tour of their home, we went to Musikfest in downtown Bethlehem.  It is billed as the largest FREE music festival in the nation, and this year it was celebrating 40 years!  It is 10 days of great, live music on 16 different stages throughout Bethlehem’s historic district and the SteelStacks arts campus.  It also features 49 food and crafts vendors.  Various restaurants in downtown Bethlehem participate by offering discounts on beer if you buy a Musikfest mug (Michael and Drew let us borrow some of theirs).  We enjoyed walking around and drinking beer from our mugs, then we had an early dinner at a restaurant called F and A Grog House; Tim had wings and Pat had a burger.  Michael and Drew’s neighbor, Dave, joined us for dinner.

After dinner, Michael and Drew came with us to the Drum and Bugle Corps competition in nearby Allentown, Pennsylvania, produced by Drum Corps International.  This was really our purpose for being at The Woods Campground for a second weekend, since both Pat and Drew are huge drum and bugle corps fans.  In fact, in the early 1980s, Drew was the drum major for Santa Clara Vanguard, one of the top drum and bugle corps!  A drum and bugle corps is a musical marching unit consisting of brass instruments, percussion instruments, and color guard that perform on-field competitions and those in the corps must be younger than 21.  Competitive drum corps takes part in a summer tour, visiting various cities around the country and participating in competitions. Competitions occur on football fields. Every year, each drum corps prepares a single show, approximately 8–12 minutes in length, and carefully refines this throughout the entire summer tour. This focus on a single show takes advantage of the large amount of time needed to hone and refine a modern drum corps program, with a momentum that continues to build toward the last performance of the season – championships. We had been to the drum and bugle corps competition in Allentown many times since we moved to New York City.  This year was as fun and exciting as always. Before the drum corps competition, we had dinner at Hamilton Family Restaurant (Ham Fam), which is our tradition in Allentown for drum corps.  Tim had the club sandwich and Pat had Fish & Chips.

After the show, we went back to Drew and Michael’s home and sat outside for several hours drinking and talking.  Drew and Michael’s neighbors, Dave and Trish, joined us.  We loved meeting them and talking with them as they are funny, smart, and inquisitive. The next morning, Michael made us breakfast and that afternoon we went back to Musikfest with Drew before another exciting evening of drum corps competition.  The next morning, Michael and Drew drove us back to The Woods Campground to get our RV.  Then, we were off to our next destination.

 

Review of The Woods Campground in Lehighton, Pennsylvania

Located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, The Woods Campground sits on 161 acres with streams, a four-acre lake, and spacious campsites.  There are approximately 72 RV sites available for rent (the remaining RV sites are for seasonal and permanent campers).  The RV sites vary in size and there are a few sites that can accommodate RVs that are 45 feet long; each has a picnic table and fire pit.  Some RV sites have full hookups, and some have only water and electricity.  There are also approximately 11 cabins of varying sizes; some have air conditioning and heat, refrigerators, televisions, and microwaves and some have no amenities.  The campground also has 3 “tiny homes” for rent, that have full kitchens and all of the amenities you would find in an apartment.  Tent camping is also available at approximately 80 sites.  In addition, there are “overflow” areas for RVs and tent campers with no hookups.

Other amenities include a large pool area, café, clubhouse, fitness center, amphitheater (we saw a drag show there), volleyball courts, multiple bathroom/shower facilities, store (with convenience store groceries and other items), and a laundry facility.  In addition, the campground has a theme each weekend and activities related to the theme such as pool competitions, dance parties, and parties hosted by neighborhoods in the RV Park on some weekends.  There is also a bar that serves the pool area next to the café and is open during nightly events. 

We have now stayed at six other gay campgrounds since we started full-time RV traveling, and The Woods Campground is our favorite so far.  Sure, it was our first before we started full-time RV traveling, but we don’t think that has clouded our judgement.  We love it because the pool, café, bar, and clubhouse for dance parties and other activities are fairly easy to get to.  Additionally, the pool is large and there are a lot of lounge chairs, the people are nice and easy to meet, and there are a lot of fun activities.  We will definitely be staying at The Woods Campground many more times in the future!

 

Review of The Depot Travel Park in Cape May, New Jersey

The Depot Travel Park is located just one mile from the beaches on the Jersey shore and the quaint Victorian town of Cape May.  The campground has 240 sites that can be used by RVs or tent campers.  Most sites have full hookups, but some have water and electricity only.  Each site has a picnic table, but no grill or fire pit.  Amenities include a new laundry facility and two playgrounds.  There is also a pavilion with a fireplace.  Campers can rent a golf cart for traveling through the campground and on nearby streets.  Additionally, campers can fill up propane tanks on-site.

What we liked best about The Depot Travel Park was that it was within walking distance of historic Cape May and the beaches.  If we didn’t want to walk, it was easy to get an Uber and it wasn’t too expensive.  We didn’t like that our site was so uneven, but we will overlook that for the convenient location of the campground.  We probably would not return to Cape May again, but if we did, we would consider staying at The Depot Travel Park again.