Finally! A perfect camping weekend! This year has been quite a challenge as far as camping is concerned with hot, humid weather and storms being the primary factors in the accompanying misery. This weekend, however, was the exact opposite! With cooler weather and clear skies, it was indeed perfect!
Almost.
It would be the first time visiting Robertsville State Park since my first and only visit in 2016. Upon arrival the first night, while getting setup, there was a lone yellow jacket scoping things out. No big deal. It wasn't harming anything or anyone so we let it live. We got camp setup, started dinner on the stove, and a nice warm fire in the firepit before settling in for the evening. It was absolutely wonderful having clear, dark skies overhead and no brutal heat or humidity to deal with!
The next morning arrived with crisp, cool air. Another very welcome treat on this trip! As soon as the sun began to seep through the trees into the campsite, the lone bee from the night before had returned. This time, with friends... Again, I take no pleasure in the senseless destruction of nature but, with the number of bees flying in, around, and through the campsite all day, it was time to take matters into my own hands. Armed with a fly swatter, it was time to fight! Unfortunately, as soon as you got one, it seemed as if three more would show up to take it's place. This battle was not going well and I feared the war would follow suit. Realizing I did not want to take up bee stings as a hobby, I went for the peace treaty approach. I set some of the sweet smelling food off to the side where they could happily indulge while the main table and seating areas would be, hopefully, left undisturbed. This did provide some relief, however, every so often a bee or two would venture outside the truce zone and would pay a steep price.
The one pest I was unable to contend with, however, was the "campground favorite", a term I use sarcastically. Mr. Happy, as I'll call him, was not a happy camper. Everything that came out of his mouth, always loudly, was less than acceptable. I was hoping that, because of the size of the campground, slimmed down amenities, that we wouldn't run into such campground neighbors. Unfortunately, this was not the case. No matter, we had plenty we could do to avoid the noise!
That afternoon, it was time for the real treat of the weekend. As this is the Bicentennial of the state of Missouri, Robertsville was holding a little event, free for anyone who stopped by, featuring Daddy-O's Cheesestakes food truck, live music, exhibits, crafts, and s'more making! It was a great way to spend the evening!
The final day of the trip brought more of the same. Cool, crisp air, more bees... and of course, more loud, obnoxious, expletive laden remarks from Mr. Happy. Fortunately, Mr. Happy would be early to pack and go so we wouldn't have to endure too much from him. Dodging the bees, we would take our time packing up and heading back as it was just too great of a weekend to run back home! Despite the two minor drawbacks, it was, as stated, the perfect weekend!
Span of 3 days; Approximately 2 hours and 11 minutes of cumulative driving; Approximately 99.9 miles; Approximately 9.202 gallons of gas used; Approximate average MPG 10.85; Approximately $24.84 spent on gas; Average fuel consumption rate of 4.215 gallons per hour.
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