Fort Wilderness - Disney's Friendly RV Resort!

Fort Wilderness – Disney World’s friendly RV Resort!

We are off to “Disney World” for Vacation! Hooray! I hope we won’t have any mistakes in all the pre-planning that we named “Enjoying the Anticipation”! After arriving at Disney’s Fort Wilderness, We pulled into the “Toll Booth” style Entrance and were pleasantly surprised when they had all our reservations, RV site number, and Special requests waiting for us in a Disney Packet. The check in process took less the 5 minutes while they gave us our personalized ID cards, Disney Park Tickets, maps, and Dinner reservation confirmations. Our site was amazingly roomy and had easy access. Each site gives you a feeling of privacy with all the moss draped trees and we even had the native wildlife (Deer and Owls) visit us regularly.

Fort Wilderness has a 3 route internal bus system which picks you up near your campsite and takes you to any of the Fort Wilderness Outposts where there are restaurants, supply stores, pools, and connections to the Boats or Buses to all of the Disney Parks and Downtown Disney. We never had to move our RV during the whole weeks stay!



We travel with our 10 year old Maltese and pre-planned a daily stay for her at “Best Friends” Doggie Daycare. We were able to make these arrangements on their website and with the Fort Wilderness Concierge’s desk to have us picked up each morning, transported to Best Friends (about 2 miles away) and returned to Fort Wilderness to board the Transportation System Buses. Each night, we would return to Fort Wilderness and the Concierge service would take us back to pick up our pet and return us to our campsite! What a great service they provide and a wonderful way for our pet to enjoy her vacation and not be left inside our RV for the Day.

Camping in Fort Wilderness during the Holiday Season is also a special Treat. Many of the RVers decorate their sites for everyone’s enjoyment. Our vacation time came during Halloween week and we were amazed at the creative ideas and lighted inflatables that many campsites displayed.
If you are planning your vacation to Disney World, make sure Fort Wilderness is your RV Resort of Choice!

Franklin - Cherokee Loop into History

There is an adventure back into history as you travel deep into Western North Carolina. We started with a campsite on the Callasaja River with a view of the mountain trout just lazily swimming in the cool water. I sure wish I had packed my Fly Rod! Franklin is the home of the "Gem and Mineral Museum" which houses specimens from all over the world as well as a 2 1/4 pound Ruby found in "these her' mountains". We also found our families' historical Tartan pattern at the "Scottish Tartans Museum" and brought home our Family patterned scarf.

One of best journeys back in time was at the "Whistle Stop Antique Mall" where collectors and kids can find "Gems" and "Toys" from decades ago. We finished off our day in Franklin at the "Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts" with a concert from Lee Greenwood and Louise Mandrel. Just when you think you are out in the back country of western North Carolina, you are amazed at the variety of entertainment available!

Heading North takes you to the little town of Dillsboro. You might think that all the craft shops and restaurants are all there is to see, or the riverfront Dillsboro Inn might just be a great place for an Invigorating swim in the Tuckasegee River, but the Highlight for me was a ride back into history on the "Great Smoky Mountain Railroad" with daily excursion rides along the Tuckasegee River, Nantahala Gorge, and by Fontana Lake.

Arriving in Cherokee, history became alive as we walked through the "Oconaluftee Indian Village" as our guides demonstrated the culture and crafts of their ancestors. Their beautiful handmade crafts are for sale at the "Qualla Arts and Crafts Exchange" allowed you to bring home a peice of American History.

Jumping back into the 21st Century, our next stop was the Huge "Harrahs" Casino and Hotel! I strongly suggest having a meal at the "Paula Dean's Kitchen", or enjoy a Concert at their "Cherokee Events Center", or take a chance in the Casino. You will now find that your trip through history has come full circle. Welcome back to 2011

Head for the Hills!!

Temps in the Charlotte region today should feel like 107 degrees by around 4pm. What is a person to do for relief if you don't want to hide out inside in AC??

Head to the Hills!!

Grab your RV and head up to the Tom Johnson Campground in Marion, NC where the temps are at least 10 degrees cooler than around the city and there are lots of cool water streams to play in and cool off. The campground at Tom Johnson Camping Center offers paved full hook-ups and a stream running along the backside of the campground. Play in the campground at the playground, shoot some hoops on the basketball court, skip rocks in the stream. Close by are hikes up in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Or pick a favorite watering hole for some swimming in the cool waters running down from the tops of the mountains.

Evenings in the mountains are also expected to be 68-72 degrees which is great sleeping weather. Beat the heat today - hook up the RV and head to the hills!!

Call the campground at 800-225-7802!

Final Details on Extreme Makeover

Late yesterday TJC placed it's final RV for the Extreme Makeover:Home Edition Fayetteville. This motorhome was last in as it will be used by the special guest star arriving today to assist with the final build details. Activity was fast and furious yesterday evening working on the final details of the build in preparation for today's unveiling.

Watching the volunteers and workers this past week has been enlightening. It is very impressive to see what can be accomplished when everyone sets aside their differences and agendas and works together towards a common goal. People of very different stations in life worked and sweated in extreme weather conditions, side by side, doing whatever needed to be done to reach the goal of building this new home.

The Jubilee House is a great and deserving resource but it is just a start. There are thousands of homeless veterans in this country. The last best estimate numbered somewhere above 106,000. These were all people who set aside their everyday lives to join the military and serve our country.

As has been widely reported, First Lady Michelle Obama will be making an appearance to lend support to the efforts and also highlighting the Joining Forces initiative. Local VA offices are also a great resource for homeless vets. Many RV owners are former military members and are always ready to lend a hand to fellow vets. Lets all look around us and see if there is anything we can do to help. Its been an honor for Tom Johnson Camping Center to be involved in this effort and see so many individuals give so much of their time to this project.

Swiss Army RV

Tom Johnson Camping Center is back in Fayetteville, NC at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build and progress on the new home is astounding. The site is like watching an anthill of activity with siding going up in one area, decking going down in another, interior painting and finishing and all around the block area areas of volunteers assembling cabinetry and furniture. The designers hustle back and forth from the houses to the design/build areas and then into the TJC RVs to meet with media, sign promotional handouts and take a break now and then to work on other demands.

RVs are like the Swiss Army Knife, it’s a tool that does many jobs. Many people look to RVs as a way to go on family vacations and really that is just scratching the surface. With the abundance of campgrounds most people could break away for weekends all year long in addition to a larger vacation trip. Small breaks like these are great breaks from the stress of everyday life.

Many business owners who travel often will purchase an RV as an alternative to continued motel stays. With the advances in communications you can connect your computer to a wifi card and work from the road. You stay in your own home on the road, eat the foods you like and can even bring family and friends on trips to make it a multipurpose event. Many people also use their RVs to tailgate at sporting events, house guests who come to visit, for use at hospitals during extended medical treatments and more. Personally, we have used our motorhome as a rehab guest house for a relative who had a knee replacement and have piled in a group of friends for a day of winery tours.

RVs offer owners a world of uses when you start thinking about it. Visiting relatives and having your own sanctuary, taking kids to travel sporting events, running to the beach or mountains for a weekend getaway, even camping out in the front yard are just a few ideas.

Write to us from this link and tell us how you use your RV...

Extreme RVing!!

What do you get when you combine thousands of volunteers, a dozen or so RVs and one of the highest rated television shows?  A charitable effort between Tom Johnson Camping Center and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition!!

Beginning today, the Tom Johnson Campfire Club will head out on a different kind of RV trip here in North Carolina.  Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (EM:HE) today will announce and undertake a new build for a deserving family in Fayetteville, NC.  This build is being billed as one of the biggest undertakings to date requiring additional staff and designers which is where TJC and some RVs come into play.

There are probably millions of families across the country today who need a helping hand.  EM:HE has been providing a helping hand to families since 2003 and has been an inspiration to millions of people.  As the team at both TJC locations has worked hard to prepare RVs and make arrangements to help EM:HE I thought about why the show is so popular and why do I myself like it so much.  There have in the past been criticisms of the show but its core theme is what makes this country so great.  Even now, as the country and individuals struggle on a daily basis, where else can you find thousands of volunteers combining efforts with various business entities to volunteer time and resources to help a group of people they do not even know?

I realized that the coming together of complete strangers to help each other or one family is the same spirit you see in RV campgrounds across the country on a daily basis.  There has never been a time when I have been in an RV campground and needed help, that there was not someone there to lend a hand.  On our first ever trip with a fifth wheel at the end of 7 hours of driving we were trying to back this 38 foot Forest River model into an impossibly angled campsite in Disney’s Fort Wilderness with two dogs panting in my ear, my 2 ½ year old wanting out of his car seat and my poor Wife listening to me tell her she was crazy if she thought I could make an RV bend in half.  Out jumped our soon to be neighbor who was an owner of an RV dealership in Canada who provided me with the directional assistance to magically slide the fifth wheel into its site.  When problems developed with various motorhomes over the years there was always a collective pool of RV knowledge shared by owners camping around us to help troubleshoot and fix the problem.  And we too have provided the same kind of assistance.  Sometimes it’s as simple sharing marshmallows with a family who forgot to pack them, that keeps their kids happy and their vacation on track.  RV travel is an adventure combined with something lost in today’s world: community.

So today we head out to Fayetteville, and we send three RVs to GA for another EM:HE shoot because in the tradition of all RV’ers, we lend a hand when we can and we participate in our communities when we can.  And just like when camping at an RV park, it’s this shared, even if temporary, community in which we come together with complete strangers and share each other’s lives for a brief period of time.  Maybe this shared experience combined with a spirit of adventure is one of the reasons people love to travel with an RV.  I know it has enriched my life and taught my children valuable lessons they would not have gotten at home playing videos games.  Tell us your thoughts on this shared community of RVers and stay tuned for TJC posts from the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build.

Camping Made Easy in Pigeon Forge

We recently took a journey to Pigeon Forge which is a short trip making for easy weekend getaways.  Traveling West on I-40 from North Carolina, you enter the State of Tennessee traveling through one of the most scenic gorges on the East Coast.  Exit# 435 eases you onto the Foothills Parkway and a short decent into Cosby, TN.   You will find numerous overlooks with stunning views on both sides of this mountain ridge.

From Cosby, it’s a quick 20 minute ride on Highway 321 to downtown Gatlinburg. At the Intersection of 321 and 441, enjoy Ripley’s Aquarium, shopping in the craft stores, or the Gatlinburg aerial tramway.

Turning North on 441 takes you through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park on the Parkway and into Pigeon Forge.  After crossing the Pigeon River, it is a short distance to Twin Mountain RV Park where you can relax and enjoy sites right on the riverside. We always get our campsite first so we can take advantage of the wonderful “Pigeon Forge Fun Time Trolley” system. You can ride for $.50 and go anywhere from Gatlinburg to Pigeon Forge, to Dollywood. Stops along the routes allow for shopping and dining out without ever having to move your RV or bring a tow vehicle.   

It’s camping made easy!!

Camping along the banks of the Little Pigeon River in Pigeon Forge is perfect for fishing, wading or just relaxing. The beautiful shade trees, grassy surroundings and well-kept grounds at Twin Mountain RV Park add to your enjoyment. You may want to take a stroll up stream and find the perfect fishing hole or just find a spot to sit and watch the water go by. Twin Mountains RV Park has 117 sites with 30 and 50 amp service hookups, cable TV, Wi-Fi, picnic tables, fire pits, swimming pool, laundry facilities, playground for the kids and lots of wildlife too!                   

One of our favorite excursions is to take the Fun Time Trolley to Dollywood and stop off at Patriot’s Park for a family style Dinner at the “Old Mill”.  There you will find classic Southern foods like Fried Chicken, Meat Loaf, Pot Roast, Country Ham and all the Fixin’s Plus homemade Pecan Pie that is out of this world delicious!

It doesn’t get any easier or more relaxed than “Camping by the River” at Twin Mountain RV Park where you can relax and avoid the crowds.  This is a great destination to spend your weekend or a weeks’ vacation and I’ll bet you will never run out of things to do for the whole family in Pigeon Forge, TN.

Look, its a Motorhome Dad!!

As I was driving to the store the other day with Alex his voice suddenly rang out from the back seat, “motorhome, daddy, look a motorhome…”  Two weeks ago in Alex’s world the word motorhome meant a recreational vehicle as in a jungle gym that you could climb around in when you visited Dad at work.  Or in an abstract form as in Dad’s job is to sell motorhomes. That is all completely different and now motorhome means recreational opportunities.

When I asked him if he wanted to go in an RV again he said, “Yeah, let’s go, I love motorhomes. You get to swim and hike and fish and picnic and play and have fires and marshmallows.”  Really, is there anything in the world more important than sharing that feeling with your kids or loved ones?  At 4 Alex is pretty adventurous but you also never know what he will or won’t enjoy.  The beauty about traveling that way is learning all the things that are out there and discovering them together as a family.  I have more memories than I can count of camping with my family growing up.   

Write to us and tell us where you love to go camping and the things you love to do with loved ones while you are camping.  tomjohnsoncampfireclub@tomjohnsoncamping.com 

Campfire Club Day 4 - Waterfalls and Highways

On the last day of our trip we began the morning with a fishing expedition of course, followed by a paddle boat run around the lake.  Rutledge Lake RV Resort is a nice place to stay close to many area attractions.  If you want to be close to downtown Asheville attractions but also into the forests quickly its a well situated campground.  Shopping for necessities is close by and the campground offers lots of activities.

We reluctantly packed the RV and ran the slides in but still had some time for adventure.  We drove down to the Pisgah National Forest again and parked the RV at the Visitor Information Center. We enjoyed a quick lunch in the RV before heading up past Looking Glass Falls to go hike to Moore Cove.  The hike was a little steep at first but certainly not too strenuous.  You are quickly lost in the forest and feel as if you are the only people in the world.  Coming up on the falls you begin to hear the water rushing before you see it and suddenly you come around a bend and its right in front of you.  Its a unique experience being able to walk behind a waterfall and you may even get to fulfill a dream when you stand underneath the water.  It was even more exciting when a thunder storm popped up while we were there and we had to take shelter under the overhang. The rain was coming down so hard that the waterfall tripled its flow and we got to hang out and enjoy it all.

We had to hit the road after this to head back to Charlotte and the ride gave us time to think about the trip and talk about our favorite parts of the weekend.  For Nic it was sliding rock and for Alex it was fishing and eating marshmallows.  For Tina and myself it was having the time to reconnect with each other and the kids as well as sharing our love of camping and the outdoors with the kids.  Had we traveled in the traditional manner staying in hotels it would have included lots of restaurants, expensive hotel rooms and increased stress.  Traveling in an RV allowed us to eat the things we enjoyed without spending lots of money, our entire trips lodging was under $120, and we enjoyed each others time at our pace.  We went to sleep and woke to the sounds of nature instead of ice machines, elevators and other hotel guests.  Traveling in an RV allows you to travel and experience the world in your own world.  I have seen many reports that talk about RV travel strengthening the bonds between family members and it is the shared experiences that happen while traveling this way that grow that bond.  As we arrived back home we all looked at each other and said, "When can we go back out in another RV?"

If you would like to see Tom Johnson Camping Center continue to grow the campfire club including reviewing campgrounds, RVs and maybe even hosting a marshmallow roast at a nearby campground please let us know by emailing us at CampfireClub@TomJohnsonCamping.com.

Campfire Club Day 3

Camping in an RV allows for an easier pace to your vacation.  This morning was a nice easy pace baking cinnamon rolls and brewing coffee which we enjoyed by the lake while doing some early morning fishing. After that the boys played on the playground while we were able to prepare the clothes and picnic stuff for the day ahead.

Morning fishing expedition keeps the kids occupied while the parents can take turns getting ready for the day. 

We left out to enjoy the Pisgah National Forest region and after a pass by Looking Glass Falls we pulled in to Sliding Rock to take our first ever trips down the rock face.  The water was a refreshing 49 degrees which did not slow Nic down but Alex was not too sure about the temps.  However, watching his big brother awoke the competitive spirit and off Alex and I went climbing the rock.  He loved the trip down and was immediately freaked out upon landing in the pool having his breath taken away by the cold water. But we can all now say we have been down Sliding Rock and will be back again later in the summer.

An advantage to RV travel is being able to keep your foods with you and being able to pack and bring picnic lunches is a great savings when feeding a family and also when dealing with some picky eaters. After lunch we decided to explore downtown Hendersonville and found ourselves at Kilwins for some post lunch treats.  Tina has declared the chocolate peanut butter fudge the best and both Nic and Alex think the Superman ice cream was pretty darn good.

 

Wandering back to the campground we happily bypassed restaurant row and the crowds lining up to wait for the opportunity to pay a lot for a mediocre dinner.  We all gathered some sticks and while the boys played on the playground Tina and I built a nice fire and cooked dinner over the open flame while enjoying a cold drink in some camp chairs.  After a brief walk to settle a big dinner it was time to break out the marshmallows. 

All vacations offer the chance to spend time together.  But when you are camping in an RV there is a higher level of interaction and time shared with your family.  You have an easier pace during the days with a lifestyle that lends itself to interaction and exploration and you learn more about your kids.  Their imagination is triggered and they open up to talk about whats on their minds and going on in their worlds.  Interactions like these tend not to happen when you are staying in a hotel and running from restaurant to restaurant.  I know that this trip has been one of the best things my family has done together in years.  We will be sad to return to the world tomorrow but the memories gathered in just three days will be with us forever and make us all closer together. 

RV travel is a lifestyle we hope to share with everyone.  With a little luck and lots of effort the Tom Johnson Campfire Club will grow over the years and friendships and memories will be made together.  Hopefully soon we will be hosting marshmallow roasts for lots of our customers at campgrounds all around the Carolina's!

Camping Club Day 2

Day 2

There is something very comforting about being wrapped up in a comfortable bed while it’s dark outside and hearing the birds start to wake up and announce a new day. Enjoying a cup of fresh made coffee I was treated to another stunning light display as the sun rose over the trees in the campground washing the thin clouds with colors. The neighboring RVs and lawns are damp with dew and it reminds me that when you are camping, even in an RV, you just feel connected to nature. 

Today we will be working to capture the excitement and togetherness of camping in video and pictures to use in our advertising.  Trying to convey that feeling and showing people all that Tom Johnson Camping Center has to offer will be a challenge.  Our neighbors in the campground just picked up their 4^th new fifth wheel from Tom Johnson Camping Center and in talking with them you could see the excitement in their eyes.  It’s like the grown up version of waking up on Christmas morning when you were a child.   This morning they were up early, grabbed some coffee from the on-site restaurant, TJ’s Café, and now they are poking around checking out all the features of their new fifth wheel and getting better acquainted with it on their own pace. 

It was a great day of filming around Tom Johnson Camping Center in Marion.  Spending time around the dealership you are filled with a sense of pride to be a part of this organization.  What has been built over the years and the sense of place connected to this company is something that is great to be part of.  As you walk the grounds and talk to customers you consistently hear the same theme of customers continuing to return because they know they will be well taken care of.

This afternoon Tina and the boys spent a bunch of time playing in the river at the back of the campground which is where I found them after the commercial work.  The boys were wading around, skipping rocks and exploring the banks of the river.  There were tadpoles everywhere in the water and little itty bitty frogs hopping on the rocks on the edge of the river.  It was such a peaceful time and one of those moments when you can feel yourself just finally start to relax from everything going on in the world.   We even found a rock that looked like it had a fossil of some animals vertebrae in it.  This hidden gem of a campground is minutes from so much of Western North Carolina’s major tourist destinations like Asheville, Biltmore House, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Black Mountain to name a few. Tomorrow will be more exploration and if Tina has her way, a trip to a waterfall somewhere. For  now, the boys are finally worn out and snoring in their bunks which allows Tina and I some time to reconnect around “campfire.”

Splashing and skipping stones.

Alex makes friends with a baby frog

Inaugural Tom Johnson Campfire Club Trip

We having often talked about starting a camping club for Tom Johnson Camping Center.  It is in idea to be an informal club of RV owners who like to meet and enjoy the RV lifestyle exploring different campgrounds.  Most of our trips will be used to explore the hundreds of campgrounds that are available to us in the course of a weekend but you never know where your travels will take you and someday we may do some more extensive traveling. 

RV travel enriches lives connecting families and friends to each other and nature.  So this weekend we decided to test the waters with a trip that will take us to the Tom Johnson Campground in Marion, NC and then Rutledge Lake RV Resort by Asheville, NC. 

Day 1

I am not sure who was more excited for the RV to get home, the kids or the parents.  For Nic (7) and Alex (4), it was a new adventure, a vacation to a new place in a traveling home and the first trip for the family in a couple years.  For the Tina and me, it was a return to a favorite lifestyle and an opportunity to expose the kids to something we love.  It was the kind of excitement that made me glad to be at work and not at home with the constant “Is it time to go yet? When is Dad getting home with the RV?” Of course, it then became 2 hours of non-stop excited chatter as we drove to the campground but you can learn a lot about your kids when they are chattering away like that.

Arriving at the Tom Johnson Campground in Marion, NC the sun was starting to hang low over the mountains and the contrast of the manicured lawns around the campsites was like a welcome home picture for Tina and I.  It has been 6 years since we have been out in an RV but arriving in a campground as beautiful as this is like seeing a well wrapped present that you were not expecting. You want to savor the excitement of wondering what’s inside but you also can not wait to tear it open and explore. 

Backing into our site surrounded by trees with a stream in the back we could barely contain ourselves and hooked up the RV as quick as we could.  The trees behind the site were ablaze with fireflies which triggered a firefly catching expedition.  It felt almost like being dropped into a magical place being surrounded by so many glowing objects floating around the air and was a great start to a camping weekend.  While there was still some light left we decided to go for a walk and were treated to a stunning display of the sun setting behind the mountains in a fiery display of orange, pinks and purples.  And while you would think that all that excitement and anticipation during the day would have been enough to tire everyone out, no one wanted to go to sleep on time this evening.  Maybe we all just wanted to continue to share more fun and togetherness; the kind that seems to be unique to the camping lifestyle.

Catching fireflies at the Tom Johnson Campground in Marion, NC