Shake Down Cruise

Okay, so we did the "shake down cruise" over the weekend, and spent Saturday night at Meadowbrook Camping Area in Phippsburg, ME, just minutes from Bath. We traveled with Jim and Mary Hill, and their 4 kids. The ride north was uneventful; at least we all got to ride in our traveling home before embarking on the great adventure. The campground was nice - it took a little bit of time to get all set up, seeing how it was the first time that we had to do all the connections. I think the awning was the biggest struggle, but eventually, it was open, and supported. We arrived at the campground around 1pm, following a visit to Popham Beach and Fort Popham. By 4pm, we had the campfire going, and were roasting hot dogs, and mussels that we picked at the beach. The kids went for a swim, and explored the beaver dam at the campground. Bill explored, and found some family members who were seasonal renters at the campground - Bill will find people he knows everywhere we go! Overall the day was extremely relaxing, and a lot of fun - by 7 some of the younger Hills were off to bed, and the rest of us didn't last too much longer - by 9:00, I think it was lights out in both campers. The first overnight in the camper was also uneventful, except for the fact that the whole camper rocks when anyone rolls over - it was like being in a houseboat, on the ocean! Sunday morning, we were all up bright and early, and by 8:30, we had broken camp, and were learning to do our first "dumping" at the dump station. I didn't exit the camper for this experience, but Bill said it went well, and was all smiles when he got back in the drivers seat. We headed south, and arrived back home mid day on Sunday. The "shake down cruise" was a success - we are now ready to start getting ready for our big trip - only 10 days from now.