Getting Our Toes Wet......

Okay,

Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Jim and Sue Lambly from Northern California and have been patiently (right) waiting for the birth of our new baby teardrop. Due date: early October?

Can't wait to drive back to Wisconsin and pick it up. This ought to be an adventure as we have never been to that part of the country....pray the weather holds.

Jim and Sue

 

Jim and Sue,

Welcome to the forum. You will get loads of really valuable information from all of the members of this community. Congrats on the impending birth of your new "baby" you have made a very wise decision. Very seldom in life does one get the chance to get the absolute best, you probably don't live in a $10 million dollar mansion, nor do you drive a $250,000 automobile, but you are going to own a CI Teardrop and that ranks right up there. If you like meeting people you will love your teardrop. We were at a small campground above Santa Fe New Mexico this past weekend and before we opened up our first bottle of wine, we had met everyone in the campground, everyone, including some of the big rig owners felt that this was the wave of the future insofar as camping was concerned, and they could not believe the quality that went into the package.

Going up to the mothership in Wisconsin is the right thing to do. We went in early May this year skirting all of the spring tornados and we would do it again in a heartbeat, it is well worth the effort. You actually get to meet the fantastic team who put it all together, and it is very impressive to say the least. Again, congratulations and welcome.

 

Jim and Sue you made a very wise choice and you will be the talk of the town everywhere you go. Steve

 

Jim and Sue,

The days can be warm and nights cool. October is a great month.
Can also rain and snow.

Jean

 

Hopefully this year Ma Nature will hold off the tough stuff and give you smooth roads. We headed out last October and were met with one of the biggest storms in 65 years. Luckily we had a tailwind going in, making our gas milage great (made up for trying to leave with a head wind!). I had fears I would be whisked off to OZ a couple of nights and decided to hunker down in a hotel. It was a fun trip nonetheless! A little hurricane wind couldn't keep me from my Camp-Inn!

One piece of advice...if the folks a Camp-inn can apply a little woody wax for you (you will have to ask them...not sure if they do it) or you are able to do at least one coat before you leave, it will save you some heart-ache. Especially if you do run into some weather, and salted roads (had that pleasure also!). Hilditch has put the warning out there, and I wish it was something I was smart enough to do (just didnt know better).

Welcome to the forum!

 

Welcome! Your life is about to change for the better! Can you tell us what you're getting - a 550 or 560?

 

Getting Our Toes Wet......And the Water is Warm

Thanks for the kind welcome and advice from all.

We have a 550 classic on order. This is going to be one big change for us. We are usually found under any large tree hunkered down in our old tent. It was just fine for years....until we got older and things started to creak, squeak and ache. When your morning groans frighten the bears, brother it's time to get off the ground and put that tent away.

Jim says the teardrop was a logical choice.

"It's a bed on wheels!", he laughs.

Personally, I think he has just come to dread all the work involved in setting up and tearing down the tent. With the teardrop we can just toss in a few things and go. Score.

Sue and Jim

 

Jim and Sue, Welcome and regarding WI and MN in October - it can be the best time of the year. You just need a cozy sweatshirt and maybe a lightweight hat. The colors are beautiful and the air is often cool and fresh with just a touch of breeze put a rustle in the leaves. And on the other hand it could be snow, rain etc. but with our 550 classic we camped in Necedah last Oct. with a light covering of snow and a campground of fallen leaves and no other campers. For me it was great - born and raised in the north. Since you have been tent campers you probably have sleeping bags - throw them in and you will be set to survive even our worst Oct.

 

Welcome.
Steve and Ellen

 

Thanks again, all.

Hey! Have a question for all you long time tear droppers....

On our return trip home from the "Mother Ship", we are wondering what would be some of your recommendations for good camp sites. We're first heading up to Manistique in the upper Michigan peninsula (the UP as one of our friends calls it)and then west bound through Wisconsin, Minnesota, S. Dakota, Wyoming, Montana....oh, heck, I90 all the way to Yellow Stone. We know the territory from there on back, but would like a few hints on places to camp....or avoid.

We have noticed a lot of camp grounds close in mid to late October (little wonder) and don't want to find ourselves hauled up along the highway at the local truck stop (it wouldn't be the first time).

We await your sage advice.

Jim and Sue

 

Congratulations on the tear. You're coming to Wisconsin during one of the most beautiful times of the year. It is breathtaking. Welcome to the fold.

 

Jim & Sue,
Might want to ck. out the campgrounds forum here, plus scan around - that's half the fun! Wish I could help you out, but I'm a newbie too! Got ours in March and have been out twice in it. Will be heading out tomorrow for a long haul, soon as I get my van fixed - not lights to the trailer when we tried to pull out today and it's NOT the trailer - neighbor cked it out with his truck and it lit up like a Christmas tree - my connections on the van are messed up! Congratulations again!

 

Welcome,
are you wanting to see anything in the twin cities? There is a small campground in Lebanon Hill a Dakota County Park that is 1 mile from the zoo entrance. It is 10 miles from the megamall. It is in a nice park with good walking trails etc. Anything you would want to see in the twin cities would not be far away. Its small so reservations are important.

 

Thanks Bill and Linda. We have given the campgrounds forum a wee keek and it looks very promising. Hope you get the van's wiring up and running quick and easy (and inexpensively).

Thanks Pat. Lebanon Hill sounds interesting. I don't know if Jim was planning on the Twin Cities area, but hey-we'll be in the neighborhood so why not?

Happy trails to you,

Sue

 

Jim and Sue,
here is the link:
http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/LeisureRecreation/CountyParks/Locations/LebanonHills/Campground.htm

 

Pat, thanks for the link. The more info we get the better.

Bear, wow. Lots of good stuff. We like the sound of Tahquamenon Falls. Jim thinks we'll take the 123 loop and enjoy. We do prefer the more out of the way places. Thanks

And again, thanks to all.

Sue and Jim

 

nd but has limited sites during the winter months. As for camping in Yellowstone I would avoid camping within that parks boundaries and settle along the river to the north entrance. There are plenty of spots along the river for recreational camping that time of year and it doesn’t cost you anything. I’d recommend camping on the Montana side of the state line and then just driving into the park each day you wish to visit, which is what I have done. For me it didn’t lessen the experience and it was easier on the wallet.


Mr Bear,
When you camped outside of the park, was it a desited camping area or just a place you pulled over? When you drove into the park to see things, did you take your TD with you or did you leave it on the site you had found? When Rick retires I want to take at least a year and see this country (the natural things). In order to do this we will need to find the free or inexpensive places to stay.
Sarah