crazy4disney

My son and I had just the best time at Double Lake this weekend... I've missed that place!

We were in site 15 (standard, non-electric), right near one of the bath houses. All the lakefront sites were full, unfortunately, but the lake was right there across the road anyway. And since the sites directly across from us were open (apparently un-reservable, since they don't even show up on the facility map on the website) we were able to just trek right through them to get to the lake.

I love Double Lake for several reasons: the sites are far enough apart that you don't feel like you're right next to anyone, everything is so well-maintained with nice, flat gravel tent pads and super-clean bathrooms, and it's just so amazingly quiet and peaceful there. Lying in the tent just staring at the trees overhead and listening to the wind in the branches was pure bliss. Even my typical-12-year-old-boy son commented, "It's kinda nice to not hear a t.v. in the background!"

And everyone is so nice there! On Saturday morning we were sitting at the picnic table enjoying a post-breakfast game of Farkle, and the caretaker lady pulled up to the bath house in her golf cart to make sure everything was shipshape. She came over to our site to say hi and pet our dog, and brought my son a goodie bag of candies and a Koolaid Jammer. It was just so nice, and the kind of touch that we have always seemed to have had at Double Lake.

I have to admit -- we were COLD Friday night!! But that was partially my fault, as I had somehow forgotten one of the sleeping bags. We needed a new one anyway, so a quick trip to the Walmart in Cleveland solved that and we were much warmer Saturday night. The only other problem we had was that our wood was wet, and we never could really get a fire going. The tinder and kindling would burn just fine, but the logs would just smolder. So now we have an extra bundle in the garage, so it will hopefully be dry and ready to burn by next time.

We just had a great time, and we're already ready to go back. But the next long weekend isn't until Memorial Day... and I'm afraid I'd have a heat stroke. (I really, really hate the heat.) The only reason I'm thinking about a long weekend is because it was so hard getting there this past Friday. I even left work a little early, but by the time we stopped and got the couple of groceries we needed, got gas, and got up to Coldspring, it was already dark. Setting up camp at that point was very difficult. I'm really torn about the Memorial Day thing -- the lakefront site we really wanted is somehow still available that weekend, but I'm really worried about the heat. I'd be just miserable if it was 95 degrees all weekend.

Oh well, I'll make up my mind one way or another. It may not be until fall that we get to go back, but we're looking forward to it whenever it is!

-gina-

dmodechicky

It is so nice to get the kids out in nature & away from the tv! I just love the memories that the kids will have of being close to nature.

I haven't been to that park yet. I always wind up at the state parks, but I need to venture to different types of parks. Thanks for sharing your experience.

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Heather, wife to Eric, mommy to Ethan (3/03) and Conner (8/05)
Camp with 2006 2406 Starcraft pop up

happybooker1

PRECISELY the reason I bought my pop up!! Now with AC I can vacation in any weather. Good thing -- as I can only get off during the summer as I'm in education..... I don't 'do' heat & humidity well either--LOL!

crazy4disney

I would love a pop-up, but it's not exactly in my budget. Plus, my cute little fuel-efficient car would probably have trouble pulling even a rolling suitcase behind it. LOL

srds

Great report,sounds like fun.You can try the ac in the tent ,alot of people camp that way.My daughter loves her ac -with clothes rack-double high air mattress-and mini fridge-tent,(more like a condo).I have'nt been to Double Lake, but DW and the kids have and they also love it.A trick my friend showed me about starting wet wood to a blaze was using one of those fire logs,and now they have the little fire starters.Glad your trip went good and thanks for sharing.

srds
Have Fun

ploddinTod

Late May shouldn't be that bad, temp-wise. You have to remember that where you live is flat, open coastal prairie. But under the big pines of Double Lake it has to be at least 5 degrees cooler, maybe 10 and it's lower humidity up there too.
Maybe invest in a battery powered fan to keep the air moving around the campsite. And plan to spend some time in the water during the heat of the day. Jusy my 2 cents.

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PloddinTod

crazy4disney

That's very true -- it was definitely cooler this past weekend under the trees and with the breeze off the lake than it was when we got back home. The fan is a good idea, too.



I guess this is a stupid question... but how do you have A/C in a tent?


-gina-

srds

My brother gave my DD a product called the tent boot ,it lets you glue in a spot for a/c unit that stands on a metal stand.Its weather proof and cools her cabin tent very well.Alot of people do it the easy way ,at the doorways on milk crates-cinder blocks-even saw one on a huge pot at Garner whatever works to keep you comfortable.Be sure you make sure a/c unit drains away from tent.Brother got the boot at Advantge Connection tent ac boot ,I think is was about $100.00 srds Have Fun

CateyBeth

Ditto the kudos for Double Lake. I was there this past Sunday (Mother's Day) with my friends and their young daughter. The day camping area was full, but most of the overnight tent campers had vacated so we paid the extra money and claimed an overnight site (#7) right on the lake for the day. Had a wonderful time, took a kayak and canoe around the lake for an hour and then cranked up a fire for steaks and corn. The lady in the golf cart is Terry - extremely generous, supplied us with a bit of firewood to supplement our charcoal, and she kept the boat rental open later than she'd planned because we were having so much fun. Craig, the ranger in the white truck, stopped by to say hello. He has also been wonderfully kind to us on previous trips, when one of our vehicles had a dead battery that couldn't be jump-started.

We're thinking of taking advantage of the relatively cool weather and heading back up for the full weekend this week...

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"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts." -Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad

MonkeyMamma

Hey I was at Double Lakes this weekend too! We got there early to get a good spot. We had been trying to go camping for a month and things kept coming up and getting in the way. So I was bound and determined to not only go but to get my favorite campsite #18 and we got it!! You can't reserve 18 or 20.

We set up camp and played a few games of washers and then went for a swim. It was early Friday afternoon so there was hardly anyone there swimming. It was so nice and relaxing. We certainly weren't cold Friday night. We were actually kind of warm and even slept on top of the bags. Saturday morning these loud people woke us up about 6am. The ladies in their group were actually yelling. Yelling and shouting at 6am. I was ticked off but kept my cool because it was my Mother's Day weekend and I just wanted to have a good time. I just thought it was very rude to be so insanely loud so early.

Saturday was wonderful. We hiked and swam and played games all day. We heard on the radio that we may get a storm so we put our rainfly on before going to bed. It rained very little but just enough to bring in the cool weather. I woke up to the most glorious weather Sunday. My husband and two girls got up and made me my traditional mother's day breakfast. How wonderful to have a good meal in gorgeous weather in the middle of the national forest! After breakfast we packed up the car and took our dog for one last walk around the lake.

This is by far one of my most favorite campground. The people that run it and work there are so friendly. We've been coming here once every couple of months for the last two years and we love it.

MonkeyMamma

Oh I also wanted to address the air conditioning in a tent issue.

We took a small window unit out of the back room of our rental property. A friend that works in a metal shop made us a small stand just big enough to fit in the back door of our tent. We attached velcro to the top of the stand so the unti won't slide off. We place the stand half in and half out the tent's back door, place the ac unit on top and zip the tent around it. You have to make sure you lean the unit back a bit so the condensation doesn't run off inside.

We camped this way several times in the middle of the summer. Once at Lake Catherine in Arkansas in the middle of June and once last summer at the Guadalupe River. In Arkansas we actually had people coming by and taking photos of our tent all tricked out!

srds

Wow ,great reports I guess I need to go and check it out.everyone at church loves it ,and so far I haven't heard anything bad.They plan on going up soon so I guess i'm in.

Welcome to Wild Texas CateyBeth and MonkeyMamma ,hope to hear more from yall.

You right MM we have had tons of people lookin and taking pics of DD's tent,She loves it.When she first got her tent,my brother wanted her to enjoy it .He had bought the ac boot for his sons tent,and liked it so well he got her one also.We have seen ac's in tents on bricks-milk crates -ice chest-etc.If you want to stay cool theres a way.

Well glad you both posted, and again Welcome.


srds
Have Fun

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To Camp or Not to Camp -Lets go Camping- Have Fun