Chris's Genealogy Journey: June

Lake Murphy where I camped at Holiday Shores Point and chatted with
owner Edith Giddens on her back porch overlooking the lake

While in the south I have been consistently impressed with the number and quality of campgrounds. Many seem to be brand new or recently refurbished. It has been easy to find sites with electric and water hookups on week days and a little more challenging on weekends. Essentially all of the campsites in the State Parks are good sized, have ample space between sites, are nicely shaded by trees, and have been graded to provide a level spot to park. Each site is typically topped with gravel and has a picnic table, fire pit and a pole to hang a lantern. With a few exceptions I’ve had phone service and been able to connect to wifi with my AT&T personal hotspot.

I’ve found similar conditions in the few National Parks I’ve stayed in and a couple of county facilities. Recently, I’ve selected campgrounds adjacent to lakes. Most of these have been manmade where the state has built a dam for water management and to generate electricity. The campgrounds, fishing and other recreation resources are a bonus. Prices vary from as little as $7 a night to $35.

This wonderfully shaded site is at Rudd Creek Campground
in Boydton, VA

In Rudd Creek Campground in Virginia where I am right now there is a main circulation road. Small groups of sites branch off the main road and are separated from the other groups. My site No. 49 is one of 6 campsites in this cluster, so it is very quiet. Southern campers come well prepared to personalize their site and make themselves feel at home as the accompanied photos illustrate.

Here are a few photos of the various places I’ve camped at in the past few days. And, as an extra bonus here is a link to a website that includes a video with audio of what the Cicadas sound like. This is what has been lulling me to sleep most nights.

I was the sole camper at Holiday Shores Point which is not
a campground, but the owners allowed me to stay there.

An Osprey nest on top of a pole at Lake Murray 50 yards
from where I camped

Close up of the Osprey nest

Lake Murray

Occoneechee Lake State Park in Clarksville, VA is one of the
most beautiful campgrounds I've ever seen. My split-level
site includes a table, fire pit and lantern pole.

A swampy area in an narrow arm of Jordan Lake

Jordan Lake has 1000 campsites distributed around the perimeter
of the lake.

Today I finally saw a Cicada. Click on
the link above to hear what they sound like

The following are a few examples of how campers personalize
their campsites. Here you see pink flamingos and pink balls
that are probably illuminated at night.