Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby monik7 » Mon Jul 21, 2014 3:03 pm

Birdie wrote:I have a car and am also in the hinterland. By the way, I really want to be close to the water for water play time. I don't have a problem with letting some of you all using the car. I really, really expect to just paddle down there :lol: .

I could go by kayak too Birdie except I have 2 pups and won't want to leave them in the RV a lot.
Sandi
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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby BirdbyBird » Mon Jul 21, 2014 6:56 pm

Don't worry, Sandi, I have a life vest they can borrow :)
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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby cnq50b » Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:24 pm

Hi all,
I'm back from the weekend at OUR campground.
I did a rough measurement of how far it is from site #10 - #46 (where I was this weekend). It is approx .7 of a mile. Sadie & I made it a point to walk there & back several times. While it is a pleasant walk, it will be tough to carry things back & forth frequently so the use of a car or truck will be handy. And if people with the higher numbered sites have extra chairs maybe those at the other end won't need to cart theirs back & forth.

However, I found out a couple of other things also.
1) if a walk-up (like 41 or 41A) is available when you arrive, you can ask to switch to it.
2) if the group sites aren't booked, you can also ask to switch to one of them. Group sites #1 & 2 are across the road from each other & both are close to us. What I neglected to ask was if we could use the shelter area in one - if it isn't booked. Group site #2 has some shaded sites & is the closest. This would be the prefered site to get.
3) I had an AT&T hotspot (from work) with me - it had 4G coverage with 4 bars! Nice. My T-mobile phone only had 2 bars & 2G. Enough for calls & some Internet but a little painful.

Since we've got folks coming & going on different dates, I don't know if we want to try to reserve one of the group sites or not - but you can let me know how much togetherness you really want. The best scenario might be to take our chance & then those who want to use a group site can switch when they get there. This is such a varied & independent group of ladies, I don't want to ask anyone to give up their water-front site for the convenience of being closer to the group. I would be happy to coordinate renting the group site - for the most common dates - if we have enough folks that want to go that route though.

Council Grove is a small town - with some historical sightseeing if you're interested. There is a nicely stocked Apple Market (grocery store) - just look for the Tin Man at it's driveway. :D Prices were reasonable. There are a couple of fast food places - DQ, subway, etc. There is also the Hayes House Restuarant which we may have to visit. Here's a link to the town's website - http://councilgrove.com/ if you want to know more.

As I walked thru the campground I looked at each of your sites - imaging you there :D ... not a bad one in the bunch. All but 2 (#27 & 28) are water fronts (but then you already knew that).

Here are a few pics of the sites:
Site #46: Anita's site for the GTG, my site last weekend:
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Site #19: Sandi's site
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Birdie, I think this one was yours... I was trying to capture the view of the lake. The sites with the lower numbers sit on the larger part of the lake, the sites with the higher numbers are closer to a cove.
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What I like about this place is each site is pretty private. They've done a really nice job of spacing the sites apart & positioning them so each camper can enjoy the lake & socialize as much or little as they want.

Can't wait to see everyone!
Please let me know if you have any questions or want me to check out anything else.
Excited, excited, excited... :D :D :D :D
Catherine & Sadie
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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby monik7 » Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:50 pm

Catherine, thank you so much for taking the time to go and let us know the setup. Looks like it was a good weekend to be there. I hope you had some time to relax and enjoy the lake and CG. It really looks nice. I can't wait to take off and head east to Kansas. See you all there!
Sandi
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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby monik7 » Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:54 pm

BirdbyBird wrote:Don't worry, Sandi, I have a life vest they can borrow :)

They've never been in the kayak before and for sure two won't fit. Darn! Maybe I can take one at a time and see whether they like it.
Sandi
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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby Liz » Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:57 pm

Wow, beautiful sites. So sorry to miss this gtg.
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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby cnq50b » Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:45 pm

Sandi,
It was a joy to go out there this weekend. As I got closer, I felt like I was going home & tears came to my eyes - like I was returning to my long-lost home. (Mom & Daddy did have a cabin out there for a few years - so in a way, I was returning to their sanctuary)
Of course, having 'San Diego' weather in KS in July added to the beauty of it all. I went to a nearby lake with my sister's family about a month ago but it didn't hold a candle to Council Grove.
I may not be taking any long trips this year so Council Grove will become my home away from home. I do need to learn how to leave something at my site so people know it's taken - while the reservation is posted on the little post, I need to get something to 'claim my spot' - especially if I use a 'walk-up' site. I want to wander around the area, go into town, walk the 2-block downtown area & just get better at this whole RV thing. ;)

Liz, come anytime, I'll be happy to meet you out there.

I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.
Catherine & Sadie
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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby Birdie » Mon Jul 21, 2014 11:56 pm

Sandi, maybe you could loan me a dog for my kayoe. We will figure something out. There is always Herbie, the HHR and he likes to travel!

Catherine, the COE parks are the best places. Nearly always on the water. Nearly always lots of space between sites. Nearly always makes you want to poke down your awning and stay awhile! Thanks for the site previews. I may be getting there earlier than planned. Will have to see how the playing works out.
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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby chalet05 » Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:53 am

Catherine, thank you for the photo of my site! Definitely room for someone to park there as well if they are driving a car back and forth from the further campsites.

I officially headed to Kansas yesterday - only 4,000 plus miles to go!! :)
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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby Colliemom » Thu Jul 24, 2014 5:01 pm

Katherine, thanks for taking those pictures. Since I'm next to Birdie on 16, I can kind of see what my site looks like. Didn't realize that the sites are kind of up a little ramp. Will be a new experience backing a trailer up there for me.

I have made a change in my reservations. Will now be arriving on Thursday, Sept. 18th and leaving on Monday, Sept. 22, so looks like there will be a bunch of us arriving at the same time. Those of you who are going to be traveling from IL and points east, do you know what routes you might be taking. I want to avoid the larger cities and wouldn't even mind avoiding the freeways too if there is such a thing. Thought that maybe I would go around by way of U.P. and then down through WI and IA for a change of scenery, but have decided that maybe just going down through lower MI into IN and across is just as good. Will dig out the maps and see which way I want to go.
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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby cnq50b » Thu Jul 24, 2014 5:58 pm

Sue, I think the shadows might make you think there is a ramp, but I don't believe any of the sites have one. I'll take a pic of your site next time I'm out there & will look for that particular issue.
So excited that folks are actually planning their routes!
Catherine & Sadie
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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby Colliemom » Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:24 am

Just wondered Cathrine. The pictures posted on the reservation system by the COE looks like there is a ramp up to all the sites, but like you said, could be shadows or what not although those pictures were taken in bright sunlight. Hard to tell. Minor issue anyway.
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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby Birdie » Sun Jul 27, 2014 10:34 am

The COE would probably not go to the expense of ramping parking areas. You are usually lucky if they are level and these look pretty level. At some parks the site may be up a slight rise or hill and that will look like a ramp, but it is just the drive way up to the parking area. I love the way these sites look, nice and wide to accommodate slides and extra visiting vehicles, nice and long. Just a great COE campground! Still a month and a half til time!

Not that many COE parks in some parts of the country.
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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby BurninDaylight » Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:05 pm

I couldn't tell from the pictures, but are there fire rings? We had a dead tree cut down last weekend and I had the guy turn one large log into a Sweedish Fire Torch. Thought that would be fun to bring along if we can lift it into the back of the truck.
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Re: Midwest - Flint Hills (KS) GTG - September 19-22

Postby gingerK » Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:16 pm

Sue, we will be arriving on Friday, Sept. 19 so I don't think it would do you much good as you would be ahead of us, getting there on Thursday. I think Claudia (Wings) wants to drive with us but we haven't worked out the details yet. It might be possible that she would like to get there earlier and could drive with you? You would have to contact her and see. Not sure if anyone else is coming with us thru IL.
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