If you have read my columns here in the News Journal in recent years, chances are you have seen me write about my camping experiences on at least a couple of occasions. I love to set my tent up in the woods for a weekend, and listen to the local classic rock radio station as I chill out by the campfire and just enjoy being in nature. It’s one of life’s simple pleasures that I find myself needing to do at least once every few months so that I can recharge my batteries.
The last several camping trips that I have taken have been down at the Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time there, and I definitely plan on returning in the future, but I have also been wanting to try other campgrounds in the area. I got my chance to do just that this past weekend when I went down to Cumberland Falls State Resort Park for their Camper Appreciation Weekend.
I jumped at the opportunity to make my reservation several weeks back when I first learned about the event. In order to encourage campers to come down and enjoy the park, a special buy one night, get one night free promotion was advertised. You can’t beat that…
Not only that, but on night two park employees would be cooking hot dogs for everyone at dinner time – free of charge.
When I made it to the campground Friday afternoon a heavy rain system was just beginning to move through the area. Every time that it looked like we would get a break I would start to work on setting up camp, only to get soaked by rain showers that would once again begin falling. This went on for about a half-an-hour or so, but I eventually got everything set up. After changing into some dry clothes, I could finally start relaxing.
I actually enjoy a good rain shower or thunderstorm during a camping trip, but I prefer it at night, when I’m in the tent. I find the ambience to be extremely relaxing, and it puts me right to sleep. In fact, I will sometimes look up “thunderstorm in a tent” ambience videos on YouTube and listen to them using ear buds when I am laying in bed at home. It may seem like the opposite of relaxing to some, but I love it.
After sitting by the fire for a while, I made my way into the tent Friday evening as some more rain started to fall. It wasn’t nearly as much as earlier in the day, but it provided a nice sound for me to fall asleep to. This paired with pretty much ideal temperatures outside made for a restful night’s sleep.
I brought my daughter down to the campsite on Saturday. She always likes to visit the site when I go camping, but hasn’t yet worked up the courage to stay overnight. She is actually turning seven this week (Happy birthday, Olivia!).
Day two of my Cumberland Falls camping adventure featured lots of sun. Olivia and I tossed a baseball back-and-forth for a little bit, then we made our way down to DuPont Lodge to check out some of the activities that were going on at this year’s American Indian Heritage Weekend. We walked in right as a large group of people were finishing up with a make-your-own dreamcatcher workshop. After taking a few minutes to look at a few of the vendor tables that were set up nearby, we heard some beautiful flute music and then it was back to the campground.
Olivia played a little longer before heading home, and I stayed for one more night that included chatting with a couple of campground employees – Tommy and Jasmine – as they grilled hot dogs for everyone at the Ridgeline Campground area. The weather could not have been any better, but unfortunately, the high pollen levels had my head aching by this point. Because of this, I turned in early and made my way back home just as the sun was beginning to come up Sunday morning.
All-in-all, it really was a fantastic weekend for a camping trip. I am really glad that I was finally able to stay down at the Falls, as it is something that I have been considering doing for quite a while now. I liked my campsite very much, but there are a couple of others in the campground that I would like to try out that I think I might like even better.
Later this year, Cumberland Falls will be hosting several special events specifically for campers. Those events include a movie night during Memorial Day weekend where an outdoor screening of Open Season will begin at 8:30 p.m., a guided hike from the campground to the Falls to celebrate National Trails Day on June 7, and dino/reptile weekend activities in early-August.
Special events are slated to continue throughout the summer and into the fall season, so I encourage everyone to check out the Cumberland Falls Resort Park Facebook page for additional details and future announcements. I hope to be back down there myself for more camping adventures in the coming months!
