Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Just an update on the TearDown / Tear Jerkers campout Sep 7-9th at Nike's Lake in 'B' Loop.

So far we have

Ray on site 31
Alan on Site 30
Steve and Phyllis on site 32
Rick and Diane on site 34
Dave and Kate on site 35

Still several sites available.

Visit http://www.reserveamerica.com/campgroun ... parkId=699 to book your site.

Be sure to let us know your site.

Cheers

Hi Dave,

If you read your e-mail you know who this is,{ssshhhh}! Anyway I don't think we will make the fall gathering. Have fun,post pictures.

Amish Classic

Hi 'Amish',

Sorry you two can't make it. Hopefully at FCP next year!

Take care.

Hey... I'm thinking of going. I'm trying to figure out whether I can make it work, whether I'd be welcome,and whether we'd fit in...

I only read about the dates last night, and I'm wondering if I can pull it together on short notice. I've been trying to figure out the reserve america site, and I think I've got that part licked. We have other plans that Friday, but heck, I'll cancel them if I have to. The kids will have started School, but we once made a day trip to Old Forge back before we were married, so we should be able to get there before dark if we leave right after school -- har har har...

We've got three small kids and a barely converted Pace cargo trailer (see my threads in the Cargo Conversion section.) I can't figure out where the playground is in relation to loop B. Oh well, I'll keep trying to figure this out.

So, in addition to inviting any kind of general comments on my previous post in this thread, I have the following questions:

Is there a previous announceent/description of this event which I have overlooked.

Is Rick on site 34 the same Rick Sheerin from Syracuse who responded to my private message a few weeks ago about gatherings in New York?

Is there some kind of "program" for this event (even informal or unofficial) or does everybody just sort of show up and do their own thing, perhaps saying hello as they do it.

I've got a canoe, but I've never hauled it this far. I've also never been camping in September. Do you think a canoe would get used a lot? Is anybody familiar enough with the campground to know whether you'd want to carry a canoe from the campsite to the lake?

I don't see a lot of kids in the pictures. Would the kids be welcome? Does anybody know how far the playground is from the campsites? I couldn't find that information.

I brought a guitar on our last campout and didn't use it. See website in my sig. (BTW, we may be closing that website soon.) If I brought musical instruments, would anybody ask us to play?

I think that covers it. Last night, my wife said about this trip "let's do it" -- so I think we'll be booking the site soon. I figure at the very worst, we could just pretend we weren't there for the rally and then just do our own thing. I've been very impressed by the reviews I've found of this campground.

The event was posted on the NYS Chapter of TearJerkers site.
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/New ... arjerkers/

That's the same Rick.

We usually do not have a program. We have ideas, and everyone does what their interests are. As a group, we are having the pot luck breakfast, and a group campfire.

Everyone is free to do as much or as little they like or are comfortable with. I hope you'll be able to attend. Its always a great time, with great people and Nick's Lake is a great ADK campground.

I am bringing my Kayak. We can figure out how to get them to the water. They can fit on my Subaru.

Some gatherings do have kids.

I hope to meet you & your family at the gathering.
Ray

Thanks Ray. We just (before reading your message here) reserved site 29 for that weekend... so I guess we're going.

Great to see you're coming Thomas!

The weekend is informal, like the TearUp. Most campers end up visiting each other all weekend, and going into Old Forge to see whats about in all the interesting shops is always fun. Unfortunately Water Safari is closed as of Sep 3rd. That would have been great since you have your kids with you.

We're going to finish up the weekend with a night (or two) over at Fish Creek on our way home.

Cheers

campadk wrote:Great to see you're coming Thomas!

Thanks, me too.

I'm usually very outgoing about this sort of thing, but I'm finding myself rather aprehensive this time 'round. Driving with a trailer is still fairly new to me and not quite second nature. I'd really hate to wipe out or blow my transmission (not to mention wasting gas), so I'd like to plan on taking it slow -- but I see I haven't left myself a lot of travel time.

Does anybody know how long it takes to get from Exit 31 (Utica / NYS Thruway) to the campgrounds? I was planning on it taking 90 minutes, but ASK.COM suggests that it's more like two hours. The Thruway drive time is easy to calculate. If it really is two hours from the Thruway to the campgrounds, we'll have an hour for my wife to pick the kids up from school, pick me up from work, and then get out of the county (and onto the Thruway) if we want to be there by 8 pm. That's doable, but only just. Any information on travel times would help put my mind at ease.

We like to hike - our two-year-old did the whole Gorge Trail at Watkins' Glenn. I'm not usually one for visiting shops... but you never know. We've already had our water park day for the summer, so I won't cry over Water Safari being closed. We like haning out at the playground. I also like to cook out, and I love meeting new people.

Adding to my anxiety is the fact that I did a hack-job on certain aspects of my trailer so far and I'm trying to figure out if I can get that fixed...along with the screen the kids busted ... and the holes in the tent floor .. all in a weeks time. Oh well, good thing we've got a three day weekend coming up.

I haven't made up my mind about bringing the canoe. We'll leave the bigger musical instruments at home, but I'll bring some small ones just in case.

When we are going to the southern Adirondacks (e.g., Nick's Lake) from Ohio, we usually get off the Thruway before Utica at Verona - Rt 365. Rt. 365 bypasses Rome and connects to Rt 28. This is the hypotenuse of a triangle and saves some time/tolls compared to going all the way to Utica.

Can't remember the exact timing, but it is something like 1 1/2 - 2 hrs to Old Forge/Inlet area. We usually stop for gas & groceries along the way - thus part of my time uncertainty.

Alternatively, we we go to the northern ADK, we take the Interstate north from Syracuse to Watertown, then over to Tupper Lake, etc.

Looking forward to meeting you & family at the Teardown. The Adirondacks are the favorite camping/paddling area for us flatlanders from Ohio.

Hello Thomas; Utica to Old Forge about 45 miles.Old Forge to Nick's lake 3 miles tops. Wife and I aren't sure we will make it ; trying to get the time off. It doesn't look good. It's only 35 minutes from home for us.We went last year and had a very good time.

Thomas- Just as a point of reference, it takes 1 1/2 hours give or take a few minutes to get to Old Forge from Syracuse. I've driven that route hundreds of times. Just be sure to follow the signs carefully to 12N after you get off the thruway. Total drive time for you should be no more than 2 1/2 hours

Hey Folks,
I don't have a Tear yet but I plan to bring the Family to Tear-Down and do some more planning/inspection.

I just registered at the camp site in Loop C because I was told that the bathroom in Loop B isn't functional. They have porta-potties in use.
"She who must be obeyed" isn't happy with the PP thing, so it's Loop C for us.

I look forward to seeing everyone and gathering lots of info.

Did not know the bathroom was under construction! Just got off the phone with the Ranger at Nicks Lake and apparently the bathroom in B loop has been under construction for a couple of years!! some sort of engineering issues has halted construction. ( it would be nice if they informed us of these things when making reservations!!! )
What does everyone want to do? Tough it out with the porta-potties or switch to another loop? Sites 10-20 in A loop Look to be our best bet for getting sites together.

I suppose it depends on what is meant by port-a-potties. I've seen
some nice, multi-stall trailers which, if cleaned regularly, are very nice. I've also seen some phone-booths which are rather unpleasant.

I'm also concerned about the logistics of getting everybody to change their reservations at last minute.

I'll be watching this thread for news and/or other replies.