I selected Warrior Creek, which is a newer site than Bandit's Roost, just to try it out. Turns out the campgrounds are very similar, with Warrior Creek having a larger RV site ratio. I picked an RV spot on the west side, just off the Yadkin, in the upper headwaters of the lake. It was feasible to float from Ferguson or Marley's Ford to this location, but we chose not to do that float.
We arrived Friday afternoon, checked out the river, checked into the site, and setup camp ...
We hit swim beach with the boys and made a delicious grilled chicken dinner at the campsite, then settled in for s'mores, a few rounds of mad libs, and ghost stories. Before it was all said and done, my 5 yr old conjured a story that included: zombies, ghosts, vampires, bats, pineapple seeds, and horseflies. It was a hoot.
Saturday we floated from the Kerr Scott dam down to Smoot park in N. Wilkesboro. The flow was up a little and the water was swift. There are many down trees on the bank of this section, which would be nice in low flow conditions, but at higher flows they all pose hazards. I managed to catch 2 small spots and 2 smallies on spinnerbaits and bettlespins.
With the swift and stained water, the float was more canoe trip than fishing trip. My son finally gave up on asking to go swimming and conked out right in his canoe seat. He slept the rest of the way to Smoot.
Hot dogs for dinner Saturday night, cooked on the open fire ... yum!
Our campsite was next to an oxbow lake just off the river and had a nice grassy bank for fishing. Saturday night, my son landed a few bluegill, I got one bullhead cat, and my brother picked up a very nice crappie right at dusk while demonstrating the torpedo action to his son on his son's rod.
Sunday morning we paddled Keowee park area on the lake and caught a few small gills. Afterwards, we packed it up and headed out. My son and I swung by Brushy Mountain Smokehouse and Creamery for a delicious buffet lunch and free father's day ice cream before hitting the road back to Raleigh.
This was a great weekend with my brother and our sons. One I bet they'll remember, and one I'd like to make an annual trip.
2 comments:
That looked like a fun trip. I'm taking my kids camping for the first time next month at Stone Mtn. Mad Libs brings back some memories. Haven't heard that mentioned in years.
Kevin,
Thanks for reading and thanks for your comment. Camping with young children is challenging, but totally worth it. I practiced a few times in the back yard (as did my brother) with my son and he does fine sleeping in the tent. Keeping him out of the poison ivy and water is the real challenge. My wife picked up a few mad libs for him a few years ago and they're a big hit in our house. It has also really helped him with vocabulary and word types. Of course, he makes them as silly as possible for laughs. As I've stated many times, I'd love to get on the water with you one day. Just like I did with my old friend Jason on my next post.
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