Here we are at Zooland

Sunday August 26, 2012
Zooland Family Campground
Asheboro, North Carolina

 

67 last night felt wonderfully chilly.

Such nice sleeping weather here at Jolly Acres.  What a difference 8 or 10 degrees at night makes. 

We debate about whether to go out for breakfast this morning but David decides Monday morning would be better than Sunday morning so we pack up and head out.

 

Back on I-95 the road pavement North is much better than the interstate pavement between Savannah and Charleston.

David drives and I call to check in on my father and my daughter as we travel up I-95 88 miles to our exit heading west toward the foot hills.  At that point we were on state routes for about  65 miles.  Very little traffic, only a few towns.  The roads are two lane but it’s fine.

At first it’s flat cotton country, old barns and buildings along the roadside.

 

 

As we start to climb into the foothills toward Cheraw, the trees line the road. 

 

 

I wonder if this two lane road will have a Welcome Sign but as we pass into North Carolina, there it is.  David says folks have to know whose jurisdiction is whose and the sign does that.  But I wonder how every single road that crosses a state line could have one.  Still, this is our 3rd state sign in as many days.  A really unusual feat for us.

 

Oppps, both mapquest and google maps got this one wrong.

We should have picked up Route 220, a 4 lane highway just before, not AFTER, Rockingham but our directions don’t show that and we see it JUST as we pass it.  This is a rare situation where neither of the mapping programs was right.  We don’t dare trust the unreliable Garmina (our garmin gps) she’s only right about 30% of the time and up until now the others have been pretty much spot on.

 

Oh well now we’re stuck and have to go into the down town area and around some blocks to get back onto the correct road.  David does a super job of taking Winnona with the dolly and Ruby in tow down some streets that probably have never seen such a vehicle before and luckily on a Sunday just after church, have no cars parked on them.   I’m thinking how glad I am that I’m  not driving for this part.  No pictures, I am too frantically looking at the map to figure out how to get back to where we want to be.

 

SUCCESS, everything turns out fine, of course.

SUCCESS and with the white knuckle error behind us, we are soon on I-74 which looks like a brand new interstate.  I had no idea any state had the money to build new Interstates at this point.  But what a dream road.  New pavement, new “welcome center”, almost no trucks. 

We drive 205 miles today and pull into Zooland Family Campground about 3:30, our usual time for stopping.   The office is only open Sunday through Thursday from 9-3:00 but the woman is just leaving and tells us to pull into site 33 and pay her on the way out in the morning. 

 

Winnona has a nice long pull through.  Perfect for an overnight.  No need to unhook!

The site is grass, no concrete pad.  But the ground is firm and there is some gravel.  This particular site requires more leveling than we’ve had to do in a long time.  But it’s manageable.   Not sure why the  sewer connection is at the extreme rear of the site.  But if we didn’t want to keep the dolly and Ruby on the back OR we had about 10 more feet of sewer hose we’d have been fine.  But we’ll  work it out when we leave the morning.  We paid $15.75 for this 30 amp full hook up site using Passport America.

The park is under new management since last September and the lady in the office said they had totally redone both the bath houses, removed 280 stumps from the sites and put in a completely new septic treatment plant.  Apparently Zooland had a single house septic field which North Carolina thankfully would no longer allow for the 135 site park.

 

What is it with these private campground speed limit signs? 

Is this a trend?  At Quail run it was 9 1/2 mph and here it is

 

David takes a nap after we get set up and I start on this blog.  We watch the weather predictions that the Hurricane is now headed for poor New Orleans,  have some dinner and take a walk around the park.  We have NO idea how much we are going to see.

 

David really likes the park’s trees and kitschy old metal signs on all the buildings.

 

 

 

 

We check out the “lodge” and find  TWO pianos, a giant checker board on a table, books selves, magazine shelves. Facing the fireplace are a comfy sofa, and chairs. Nice place for a rainy day.

 

 

 

Outside a large deck is attached to the lodge and a BBQ grille stands at the ready.  I’ll bet this is a hopin’ place on week-ends and during the summer. 

 

As we walk around, I see why they call it “Zooland”. 

The park is close to the North Carolina Zoo for a day visit so it appears they have taken advantage of the idea.  Zoo animals as garden art in front of the store/registration office. 

 

And as the tiny miniature golf course theme.  Too funny!

 

 

 

 

 

This place has LOTS of places to PLAY.

Next door to the miniature golf course,  we walk by a big pile of sand with buckets and shovels in front of a really BIG blow up jumping pad for kids (hope it’s not a law suit waiting to happen).  We see a father and son on bikes and after we are walking away they get on the pad and jump.  The poor little boy is thrown WAY up in the air.  His father is too heavy.

 

Next door to the office we find a Game Room with pool table, old fashioned table hockey, pinball and other sorts of video games including a Star Wars game.  With the Lodge and the Game Room there is plenty indoors to keep folks entertained if it rains.

 

 

 

 

 

There’s also a playground, a basketball court, a swimming pool and what I assume is a fishing lake. 

 

 

Catch and release – meaning tear up their mouths throw them back and do it again???

 

In addition to the fishing pond there are other nice natural areas.

On the lower side of the park we find  two woodland trails and a lovely little river.  This really is a “family” campground.  I am imagining some party here over Labor Day.  But I won’t be here, party girl that I am of course.

 

 

 

 

Just missed my kind of bingo last night, DARN!  The price is right!

 

 

Zooland is a really interesting Passport America park with any sort of hook ups you want.  And about anything you might like to do.  There is even a covered bridge just down the road.  It’s located about 36 miles south of Greensboro so if you should ever be over in this neck of the woods and want to stay here I doubt you’d have to leave the park to keep busy.  Looks like everybody can be be a kid and have fun. 

We’ve had a great time checking out this park.  It’s definitely a rustic family kind of place for kids of all ages.  We return to Winnona and with the wonderful cool temperature I know it’s gonna be another good sleeping night.

 

Speaking of when we were kids, are you old enough to remember “lick em’ N’ stick em’”???

 

 

 

THE END!