Camping in Port St. Joe | Part 1

As I mentioned yesterday, Pat and I spent the weekend camping. We and some friends pulled our pop-up campers to St. Joseph Peninsula State Park in Port St. Joe Florida. The park is located at the end of Cape Sand Blas and has the Gulf of Mexico on one side of it and St. Joseph Bay on the other side.

I could easily get quite picture heavy with this post, but I will try to restrain myself.

The gulf side was beautiful as expected with white sand and foamy surf

I loved that there was so many sea oats on the dunes.

Within the park is Eagle Harbor, part of the Bay. The water there is crystal clear and the sea grass is a perfect scallops habitat. We snorkeled for scallops (mostly I looked at the sea life) and played there most of an afternoon, despite the storm clouds in the distance.

This is the sea grass that the scallops hide and live in. Gliding over it in a kayak is creepy and cool at the same time.

The camping was great too. We stayed in the Shady Pines camp area and there were definitely lots of shady pines.

We even got to see the beautiful full moon while out in the 'wilderness'.

Since we opted for a 'tent' site, it was a bit of a tight squeeze. However, we really didn't mind at all.

I'll share more of our vacation, some of the less primitive aspects, in another post. But, I really had to share how beautiful that whole area is in case you're looking for something a little off the beaten path.

Pop-Up Camper Supplies | Ideas and Suggestions

In the hope of having more adventures, Pat and I recently purchased a Jayco pop-up camper. We wanted something lightweight but that could also sleep several people. And, I insisted on air conditioning. (We do live in South Alabama.) After much searching of camper lots, sides of the road, and Craigslist; we found this baby that we're calling Serenity.

From the outside, resting and popped up.

The inside includes both a king and a queen bed, dining area, 'couch', and small kitchen space.

We've got a trip planned to take her out and are semi-scurrying to get ready. I like to be prepared. In fact, we're still considering pulling her somewhere close for a night or two for a trial-run before the actual trip. In the meantime, we've been making a list of what we think we need.

Camper Supplies

(in no particular order)

• fresh water hose
• water pressure regulator
• water filter
• water drain hose
• bal leveler
• 30 amp extension cord
• grill
• grill utensils
• microwave
• shower flip flops
• dishes
• silverware
• cooking utensils 
• can opener
• pots/pans
• cups (glasses, coffee cups)
• coffee maker
• storage containers
• bedding (pillows, sheets, etc)
• fans
• small tv (with dvd/blu-ray)
• headlamps
• flashlights
• shower tent
• portable toilet
• personal toilet

 

It's a really long list (likely to get longer), and we've been gathering items willy-nilly from the internet and thrift stores (hence my urged thrifting excursion this week.) These supplies have just been piling up on the dining room table.

Yes, that is a 'personal toilet' on my dining room table. It continues to gross me out, but I know it's brand new and clean. I love that there is a 'lady' attachment for it.

 

I'm pretty excited about getting to decorate the camper. Though my desire to redecorate the big ole RV trailer never did come to fruition, I'm hoping we can actually get our butts in gear to update this one some. I want it to have a mis-matched, cozy, homey feel. I kept that in mind as I did the thrift shopping.

I scored some coffee cups, mixing bowls, small plastic plates and bowls, spatula, and set of three pots with lids (not pictured) for some serious steals.

As well, I picked up plates and silverware - making sure it didn't match for more of that lived-in look.

In addition to the list and supplies above, we'll take the condo box with us when we go camping. And, I've got to find some way to store all these supplies in such a small space. There's so much to think about, I know we're probably overlooking some essential items that we'll need more than a "small tv" and "microwave" as listed. So, if you are an experienced camper (or just someone with advice), please leave your suggestions and recommendations of what else we may need and how to store it in Serenity. I definitely don't want to get too far from home and need some crucial supply. Just thinking about it stresses me out and camping is supposed to be relaxing.