Vicky was going to be in Nashville TN for most of the week at the CMT (Country Music Television) awards and then was going to be attending concerts all week from the various Country stars. This has become an annual event for her, her sister Donna, Donna's daughter Rachel, and Vicky childhood friend Sharon. So while the girls went to drool over the country stars I decided that I would take the RV to somewhere equally "redneck" and go down to Bass Resort. Bass Resort sits between the Huzzah and the Courtois Rivers, two of the excellent canoeing, rafting, tubing rivers in Missouri. I know of the resort as it sits at the 11 mile marker of the Ozark Trail and I have hiked through it and even stealth camped in the resort once on an Ozark Trail hike.
This time however I would be mixing with the "locals" and on a popular weekend as well.
Bass Resort is a huge facility and can have many thousands of people spread over hundreds of acres and 4 distinct camping area. The registration is also the general store and the restaurant where you can get BBQ on Friday and Saturday night as well as Breakfast in the mornings.
Crossing over the Courtois (pronounced Code-a-way) river on the small concrete spillway
Looking back on the spillway. you need to have your truck and RV straight when you cross this.
My campground I picked the furthest campsite in the park and in one of the family friendly zones. (Quiet time from 11 pm to 6 am)
Set up and ready to party- alone! LOL
A common practice is to take a camping chair and just go sit in the river. you can sit with just your feet in the water or you can wade out and a position the chair so you are sitting waist deep in the water. Of course it helps if alcohol is involved in this practice as well.
I didn't have that much alcohol so I just went and sat in the river for awhile. Eventually the afternoon thunderstorms showed up and I went back to the RV to put my feet up and watch a movie. We need a bigger TV.
Once the storms passed over the temperature dropped and the sky was blue
After I made hot dogs on the grille and had a hard cider or two I went for an evening walk. I walked all the other campgrounds. the other sites are the "Loud Section" quiet time is not until 2;30 am. The twenty somethings party here until the wee hours of the morning having drunk all day on the river and then drinking all night to get back in the river in the morning. SAFETY FIRST!
It turned into a very pleasant evening
The next morning dawned sunny and hot. I didn't move my truck at all for the weekend. If I needed anything I walked the mile each way to the main building. The main building had wi-fi and with no cell service here it was the only way to check in with the kids and Vicky in Nashville- besides they also had ice cream.
I found a path so I didn't have to walk on the road and could walk in the woods going to and from the main lodge and my campsite
By after noon it clouded up again for just an hour more of heavy rain
Tonight I had brought Filet Mignon. I had thought that one or maybe both my children might drive down to have dinner, play in the water, or maybe even spend the night, but no one showed up. I cooked both up anyway thinking I would have steak and eggs for breakfast Sunday morning.
Tonight selections a very good white wine from Missouri's
Adam Puchta winery. A Vignoles. The great thing about drinking an entire bottle of wine by yourself is that it makes you focus. I temporarily forget about any issues at work or old friends lost, and just concentrate on the moment I am in- until the next morning when the headache reminds me why I don't drink a whole bottle by myself! LOL
The perfect steak, with some cheesy pasta salad and a garden salad. yummy....
After dinner, finishing up the last of the wine, there was lots of cloud watching and sitting out as the light fading into evening and then night. Finally the mosquitos chased me inside.
The next morning I woke to heaving rain. I slept later and when I looked outside everyone was hurrying to breakdown and get packed up. I knew if they just waited for a short time the rain would stop. I made breakfast and lounged around watching a movie and ready a book. After about an hour the rain stopped and the sun came out, so I started to pack everything up.
The heady rain was to be expected since I did hand wash the truck and the RV yesterday afternoon.
On of the best features of this new RV is that the awning will detect when it has too much weight on it (collecting water) and will automatically tilt down to let the water run off. Very clever!
All packed up and ready to go. I like to keep the RV like my backpack, just the essentials, not too much extra weight, this makes it quick and easy to set up and break down.
Next time I will sign up for spending the day doing on of the various float trips on the river. you can do a 6 mile, 13 mile or 20 mile float trip. Don't tell Vicky but they have a country music festival down here later this summer.
