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Date:         Tue, 18 Feb 97 13:58:05 EST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Sean Bartnik <sbart7kb@www.mwc.edu>
Subject:      Camping! RSVP Please!

Hey all, OK, the camping site for the east coast camping trip during the weekend of March 7 has been chosen.

Since there were absolutely NO responses to my request for votes, I picked for you. If you didn't vote, you don't have a right to complain, so I guess I won't be hearing many complaints :-) .

I have picked one of Tom Forhan's ideas, Kiptopeke. Located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Kiptopeke opens for business on March 1st and we're coming in in the "off-season" so it's a bit cheaper. There are sites with and without electric and water hookups available. With hookups is $17.22, without hookups is $13.40, both plus VA 4.5% sales tax. Group sites are apparently not available but perhaps we'll be able to save some bucks by doubling up the vans in the sites. We got lucky that way with the Seneca Rocks camping trip. Kiptopeke is a Virginia state park on the Chesapeake Bay. Chris Chubb wrote me with lots of nice things to say about Kiptopeke and the Eastern Shore:

--BEGIN MESSAGE FROM CHRIS CHUBB----

First, let me say that I really envy you guys. I have spent most of my life in the area that you guys are speaking of visiting, and my father lives about 5 miles from Kiptopeke. I may come down to see home that weekend, and stop by Kiptopeke if you go there.

Kiptopeke used to be the ferry landing from the Eastern Shore (ES) to Norfolk. Now the pier offers some great fishing, but not much is out there in March. Set in pine forests, you better like nature, because there isnt much else out there. Neat places to see in the area are the parks nearby, and the towns of Cheriton and Eastville. Eastville is the home of the oldest continuous courthouse in the country, and is one of those 'forgotten towns' of the ES. I cant say much about the camping fascilities at Kiptopeke, but the park is rough, as it is only a couple of months old. I have been fishing there, so that is what I know.

>There is Assateague Island on Maryland's Eastern Shore, but there are no >electric hookups. I kinda want a campground w/ electric hookups just in >case it's cold.

There are tons of private campgrounds around Assateague, but most are of the KOA type. Not the best, but they will all have electric. The parks and recreation areas around Assateague are great, and you could spend days just driving the dirt roads near the park and checking out secluded areas and marshes. Not muc fun to go swimming in March, and you will have the town to yourself. Check out Wallops Island, the NASA museum nearby, to check out the most active rocket site in the US. Usually a launch 3-4 times a week, and if you ask for Jim Mulhoney at the museum, you can go see one, if theyare doing one that day.

One word: In March on the ES, you better bring all your fun with you. The towns roll up the sidewalks when School starts, and is dead all winter. Whatever you do, and wherever you go, get a good map at a Maryland or VA pitstop and get off Route 13, and try out some of the back roads. All are as fast as 13, and 13 is full of nothing but New Yorkers going to Norfolk and truckers hauling produce.

I am going to talk to the wifelet, mabye we will see you there. Bus wont be up to the trip by then, May 1 is my deadline, but if I come down and stay at my Dads, you are all welcome to come over and hang out if you go to Kiptopeke. - Chris Chubb (cchubb@codegurus.com)- Alexandria, VA, USA

Things to see:

Off route 50: See the town of Wye River, south of route 50, and you will see the smallest national park, the Wye River oak. An oak tree that is one of the oldest trees around, and just a cool place to grab a picnic dinner or lunch.

Off of route 13, I already mentioned Cheriton and Eastville, but there are plenty of other places to be. If it is still daylight, then you should just get off the main road and just try a few back roads, mostly to the east of route 13, and there are always some cool small towns.

I will have to ask my Dad where the junk yards are that have Busses in them, though many wont even be open on Saturday, if you can believe that!

The ES is, in my opinion, the most unspoiled piece of water bound property on the east coast. Isolated by the Chesapeke, and mostly still rural and agrarian, time has passed most of it by. Firmly rooted in the 50s, people are generally friendly, and the pace is very slow.

Have fun!

- Chris Chubb (cchubb@codegurus.com)- Northern Virginia, USA

----END MESSAGE FROM CHRIS CHUBB----

As you can see, Chris also mentions some private campgrounds around Assateague that would also have electric. The feeling I'm getting, tho, is that we want to avoid private campgrounds. Not that they're terribly bad, but they're not as good as state parks.

There is a web site with more information on Kiptopeke, http://www.state.va.us:80/~dcr/parks/kiptopek.htm

In addition, more general information (rates, etc.) can be found at http://www.state.va.us:80/~dcr/parks/parkindx.htm

The site says that the park is 3 miles from the northern terminus of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on Route 13. Turn west onto Route 704 and the park entrance is within a half mile. I will have to dig out a map for more specific directions (like from I-95 or something).

I picked this park partly because of location. I had interest from both the northern contingent and the North Carolina contingent. I hope this is central enough that we can get a few of both.

If you are intending/expecting to attend this campout, PLEASE RSVP TO ME. Even if you think I know you're already going, RSVP ANYWAY! I want to get a more or less definite headcount.

As usual, please send any comments to me.

Thanks, Sean

-- ***************************************************************** Sean Bartnik "Life is tough, sbart7kb@www.mwc.edu but it's tougher if you're stupid." '81 Vanagon Westy --John Wayne

Fahrvergnugen really means "push harder."

http://www.mwc.edu/~sbart7kb/myvan.htm *****************************************************************


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