Wednesday, 8 July
The drive to Crawford State Park took about an hour and a half along state roads with no shoulders, but Lisa handled it easily. Upon arrival, we found the park sprawling with several campgrounds, though no signs directed us to our site. Since our campground didn’t have water utilities, we needed to find a water access point to fill our fresh water tank before settling in. We circled the main park area, trying to find signs while I got oriented with the park map. Our detour took us to the fish hatchery before we had to turn around.
Eventually, I got us on the right track, and we located a freshwater station to fill up the tank. Our route to the campground took us across the dam and spillway. Unlike other dams with lift gates, this one could not control the lake level. Instead, water would rise until it spilled over the edge.
The campground was just across the dam, nestled on the water with a concrete pad. Unlike most back-in sites, ours was situated at a sharp 90-degree angle, which made backing in a bit tricky, especially as we had to maneuver around a tree. But we managed to get settled.
Once we hooked up the electricity to get the air conditioner and refrigerator going, we took a quick beer break before finishing the setup. Then, we drove around the park and the lake.
Because it was a weekday, the park was mostly empty, but it was clear that weekends would be crowded given the number of sites. We drove around the small lake and noticed many lakefront properties with private homes scattered between the park areas. Overall, it seemed like a very well-maintained park. During our drive, we stopped at a charming butterfly garden filled with flowers, painted rocks with sayings, and wooden butterfly houses. It was a lovely sight. We also spotted a few trailheads that we planned to explore.
We enjoyed another beer when we returned to camp before I decided to swim in the lake. Just a few feet from our campsite was a rocky path leading to the water, so I suited up, grabbed a life preserver, and dove in. The water was warm but refreshing. It wasn’t long before Lisa joined me. We were surrounded by dragonflies, some of which were mating. Three or four pairs would sometimes land on our life preservers simultaneously, despite our attempts to brush them away. We also saw a couple of turtles pop up about 50 feet away. I kept a watchful eye for any snakes, but thankfully, none appeared.
After showers, we broke out the margaritas while I played guitar. We rounded off the evening by watching the weekly video uploads from our favorite YouTube channels before heading to bed.
Thursday, 9 July
I woke up with the sound of raindrops hitting the top of the trailer. I quickly got up to check that we had everything put away outside. It was not raining very hard, but the first thing I noticed was that we left our awning out. One of the disappointments of this trailer has been the wimpy awning brackets that cannot be trusted above five mph winds.
Because there was only a light breeze, I put away some items and then sat outside under the awning to enjoy the light rainfall. It quickly started to look more ominous, so I checked my phone and discovered that a rough storm was only about 20 minutes away. So, I finished putting away a few remaining items just as the storm hit.
Chanute
After a breakfast of yogurt and granola inside the trailer, we packed a lunch and set off for Chanute. Since Lisa’s mom grew up in the area, we visited her old high school in Stark and one of her childhood homes in Chanute.
We stopped to take pictures of the old high school, now a community center and snapped a few shots of the front of the house before heading into downtown Chanute.
Our first stop was Howard’s Toys for Big Boys, a garage converted into an antique car museum. Outside, we admired old gas station signs and a classic Sinclair dinosaur. Inside the bays were restored cars, with someone working on one of them. The front office also housed some classic vehicles. Unfortunately, the museum was closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Next, we drove through the charming downtown, passing rows of quaint homes with inviting front porches. Our next stop was the Osa and Martin Johnson Safari Museum, located in one half of an old train depot connected to the library. The museum told the fascinating story of Osa, a 16-year-old Chanute girl who, in the 1920s, married the older Martin Johnson and traveled to exotic places like Borneo and Africa. The couple filmed and photographed the natives and animals, capturing their adventures in books and movies that became popular in the United States. Osa’s youthful appearance and beauty made her an appealing subject in the films, but she also proved to be a brave and skilled marksman. In every photo, despite the primitive living conditions, she appeared charming and capable.
After leaving the museum, we decided it was time for lunch. We parked at a pavilion about a block from a drug store with a restored soda fountain. Walking to the drug store, we ordered milkshakes and a cherry soda while admiring a small counter display of antique medicine bottles and Coke collectibles. The workers weren’t wearing masks, but we decided to order anyway. We took our drinks back to the pavilion, set up our chairs, and enjoyed a leisurely lunch while soaking in the view of downtown.
Bourbon Lake State Park
After lunch, we headed to Bourbon Lake State Park, where a nice waterfall was supposed to be. The park and the lake were very small and down some gravel roads. It had some picnic tables, a few primitive camping spots, and some vault toilets, but not much else. The falls were supposed to be on the north side, where we found an unmarked dirt road that was almost impassable, with a rather deep ditch at its beginning. We made it across the ditch and found that it led to a cliff that looked like the pictures I had seen. Unfortunately, no water was coming over the falls even though it had rained that morning. The cliff was a nice natural feature, though.
Crawford State Park
We headed back to our trailer afterward. At the beginning of the park was a short trail/loop that looped around a statue and past some various static displays honoring the Civilian Conservation Corps. A restored water tower also served as a small one-room museum with a few other historical artifacts.
When we got back to the trailer, we took a dip in the lake while drinking some beers. We then got out, took showers, and enjoyed some burgers and beans for dinner.
After dinner, Lisa read more while I played with the guitar. Around 8 pm, we went inside to get some shortcakes and fruit. Lisa continued to read while I researched some guitar songs. It wasn’t much later before we headed to bed.
Friday, 10 July
We woke up to a beautiful morning. After our first cup of coffee, we decided to hike one of the nearby trails. The path was lined with spider webs, and Lisa and I took turns leading the way, swiping the webs aside as we went. The trail wasn’t well-marked, and several smaller trails crisscrossed the woods, so we veered off the main path and found ourselves on the road just below the dam. Despite the detour, it was still a pleasant morning hike.
At camp, Lisa cooked up a delicious batch of blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Afterward, we took the kayak out on the lake. The water was calm, and we had easy access to the lake behind our campsite. The lake was small enough that we could paddle around its entire circumference, enjoying the peaceful surroundings and the view of the lakeside homes.
Once back at the campsite, we took showers and explored the area. We drove to Pittsburgh and visited the Crawford County Historical Museum in a large warehouse. The museum featured an impressive collection of historical artifacts from the area, with displays thoughtfully arranged throughout the space. Outside, we found a coal shovel, an old drug store, and a schoolhouse, all adding to the place’s charm. We were impressed by the variety and quality of the exhibits.
Next, we made a quick stop at Walmart to pick up a few items, then headed over to Big Brutus, a massive 13-story coal shovel nearby. Unfortunately, the museum was closed due to COVID-19, but we could still admire the enormous size of the shovel from the parking lot. We’re looking forward to coming back when it reopens.
On our drive back to the campground, I began packing for our move the next day. The forecast predicted rain showers starting around midnight, so I wanted to get as much packed as possible before the weather turned.
For dinner, Lisa made chicken and sweet potatoes. Afterward, we packed more and spent the next hour unwinding, watching YouTube videos on my laptop. Then, we called it a night and headed to bed.
Saturday, 11 July
I woke up expecting rain showers but was greeted by a beautiful, cool, dry morning. Rechecking the weather, I saw that the forecast had changed; rain was now expected in the afternoon, so we had a nice window to enjoy the morning.
We decided to visit the Fish Hatchery, which had another nature trail. However, the fish hatchery was rather disappointing, as most of the fish ponds were off-limits. The accessible ponds didn’t seem to have any fish in them.
Next, we drove down to the nature trail. It was very flat and well-maintained, with numerous sign kiosks but no actual signs. It was supposed to have an old house, which we assumed was a pile of rocks near the entrance.
Back at the campsite, we took showers and finished packing up. We left around 11 am.