Today is a new day and a much shorter drive. We have a spot to go to and I am hoping for the best. I have heard that state park campgrounds are pretty darn nice. Ponderosa State Park is located on a 1,000-acre peninsula of Payette Lake in the town of McCall, ID. McCall has grown in popularity and has become quite the tourist destination. As we drove through town, it was bustling with people at all the local businesses and restaurants.
The only site left in the campground is a double site, which is fine by us. It was quite spacious and had a good amount of room between the other sites. The entire campground is located in a dense wooded area, so we were thankful for the electrical hook-up since we were not going to get any solar here. It also came with water, but no sewer. However, there is a dump station on your way out. Very convenient.
The lake was within walking distance of our site. We took Jack on a nice walk in the evening with barely anyone on the trail. After a trip to Albertsons in town the next day, we decided to take a nice leisurely bike ride around the park. It started out that way, but then Gannon see’s a trail called the Huckleberry Loop. Let’s do that one! I gave mountain biking a good shot a while back and decided that it was not my thing. All the past trauma came flooding back as I was once again on a technical mountain biking trail. Not dressed accordingly or ready for this in the slightest; of course, I fall on a hill and go sliding backwards trying to stop myself. For the rest of the hilly section, I walk my bike. We finally end up on a paved road and I am once again, in my element. It ended up being around a 4-mile ride. That helps me feel not as guilty having my glass of wine at the end of the day.
Now, time to admit something that is going to seem sacrilegious to all camping loving people. We don’t like campfires. Gasp! I know, I know. What is wrong with us? We only really like them when we are backpacking. They serve a purpose. They keep you warm, keep the bugs away, and cover up your stink with campfire smell. But with all the fire bans, we have gotten used to not having them anymore. And now living full-time in a RV, they are just not our cup of tea. This is our life, we are not out camping for the weekend. My clothes that I cannot wash all that often now smell like smoke, which makes the inside of the RV smell like smoke. Smoke from nearby fires comes into the windows when I am trying to sleep. Let’s be honest for a minute. I think people like their own campfire, but really, no one likes to be next to someone else’s campfire. Feeling the peer pressure to have one, we bought a bundle of wood and had one. I can now check that off the list for being a good camper. But now I’m stuck with smokey clothes until the next laundromat. Ha-ha!
I would say that this state park was a great experience. People were not packed in on top of each other. Lot’s of activities to do and a very reasonable price. I would definitely stay in another state campground again and highly recommend Ponderosa State Park!
Hiking Holly 