Bear Belly Adventures

6/19/25

43°44’56.26839″N, 073°47’30.42246″W

I woke up around 0500 and it wasn’t raining so Nana and I went for a walk down to the end of their road and back.  We got back and had some coffee with Aunt Barb while talking about things like odd smells that elicit good memories.  For me it was cow manure and chlorine and hers was the canvas used on older military vehicles.  It was 0900, we said our goodbyes and hit the road.  We have about 8.5 hours of driving to make it to Eagle Point New York State Campground.

Today’s trip felt so much longer.  The lack of restful sleep was hitting me hard.  We stopped several times just to rest my eyes for a few minutes.  About 5 hours in I got a second wind and felt pretty good.  There was very little interstate driving. The roads were hilly and curvy. They required heavy concentration. I was unfamiliar with them, which made it more challenging.  The trip took longer than expected.

We checked in at the campground around 1900.  The person at the gate saw my service dog on board stickers and asked if the dog was with me.  I told him yes.  Apparently State Parks in New York require proof of rabies vaccination.  Being that Nana is a service dog and not a pet I did not check the box indicating I am traveling with a pet.  Had I done so, I would have seen the alert informing me of the rabies vaccine.  Being a service dog she is always up to date on her vaccines. Because I am now living full-time out of my rig I have all her vet records with me so it was not an issue.

Like every state park campground I have ever been to, the sites are right on top of each other.  I am on site 44 and it’s not a great spot but it was available for the days I needed.  It’s not on the lake, it’s not in the woods but it is very near the highway and the park entrance.  I just LOVE the sound of traffic!  All sarcasm aside, It serves the purpose.  On the positive side, after looking at the website all the sites around me are marked as not available.  Not reserved just not available so I am hoping this means I won’t have any neighbors!

I could back in and get the trailer leveled and the awning out before it started to rain.  I wasn’t sure what weather to expect so I set out all the guy lines and got a little wet doing so but it was hot enough that it felt good.  The rain lasted for a couple of hours on and off.

I was able to restructure some of the chaos in the trailer so we had a place to lay.  We both hopped in and, I can’t speak for Nana, but I had an excellent nights sleep with my CPAP.

+6/20/25

43°44’56.26839″N, 073°47’30.42246″W

Everything was dry so it didn’t seem to have rained overnight.  We got up and took a walk so Nana could take care of her morning business.  We checked out the comfort stations.  I have to say they are nice.  Individual private bathrooms and showers with modern plumbing and amenities.  My only gripe is that there are no paper towels.  It’s not like someone forgot to restock, there is just no dispenser in the bathrooms.  I have been to several campgrounds that are like this.  It’s probably a cost cutting agenda that saves money on both the product and people to empty the trash cans. 

I spent the morning moving things around. I put items where they should be. They were not just thrown in like they were when I left.

Around 0950 we left for Hornbeck boats.  The boat traveled great and was in the same condition as it was when I put it up.  After taking the boat down, I was asked to take it up under their awning. We could look at it together and get a quote for repair.  

I thought they would use the original mold to place the boat back into to reform its original shape and for patching the tear. The gentleman I was talking with said that would make it a much easier job. However, the boats needing repair are used they run a higher risk of scratching the mold. They can’t have that happen because every new boat would then show the flaw. They do have boat sections that can be placed inside the hull of the damaged boat to ensure the correct shape while patching and reforming. Although the hull will look repaired he assured me that the integrity of the boat would be just as strong as when it was new.

They are going to replace the wood gunwales, rebuild the front air pocket and patch the tear.  Depending on what they end up having to do to complete the repair he quoted me around $400.  It sure beats buying a whole new boat.

It’s been another great fucking day!  Walking, working with Nana, who is very out of practice being a service dog in nature, and just plain ole relaxing.  Tomorrow we will see what’s available in the area as far as hikes or things to see.