Dr. Edmund Babler SP and adding to the list

Our site (#2)

Two blogs in a week, I almost don’t recognize myself. One reason is I wanted to write about this park, Dr. Edmund Babler Memorial SP, before I forget. I want it to share with you but also so I don’t forget it for next time. There are definite pros and cons to this park.

Pros:

• Location, location, location.  It is just east of St. Louis which is a fun city to visit, and it is about 20 miles to the trail head at Page Bridge on the Katy Trail. There is another trail head which may be even closer but the website said it is not well marked besides I have heard good things about St. Charles.
• We have friends and family in the area. One of the fellas who lived with us when he played junior hockey in Cedar Rapids lives nearby as do his parents. It has been way too long since we have seen Sean and I think it may actually work out this time. John’s brother Mark lives across the river in Illinois and we hope to see him too.
• This is a beautiful wooded oasis near St. Louis, you would never know the city was so close. Nice hiking trails and a paved bike trail in the park.
• The sites are paved and level.

Cons:

Virgina Day Memorial Trail

• The road in is very narrow, however once you get to the park the road widens considerably.
• The sites are electric only and mainly 30 amp with a few 50 amp.
• Water is scattered around the park and in the dump station but water pressure is low and it took a long time to fill the tank.
• The reservation booth and dump station are in an odd place. You actually turn into the dump station at the booth which is a ways into the campground and if you aren’t paying attention and miss the turn then you are blocking the only road around and out from the dump station which is what happened to us. A Motorcoach blocked our way to our site and took almost a half hour to move. the hosts showed him he was blocking the site but he didn’t seem to care even waited until he unhooked his toad to back up and go in the right way. Took him 15 min. to unhook. So by the time we got out of the dump station with a full tank of water and passed the guy blocking the way it was over an hour since we entered the campground.
• Our site is angled such that we are pointed leaving the park and the only way to get to the dump station again is to leave up and down a couple very steep hills and turn around down near the visitors center and come back those same hills and enter the park again. Crazy set up. We have already decided we will use the blue boy to dump the tanks so we can just leave without going thru the dump station again.

Now all that said we would still probably come back here again because the pros out way the cons (family and friends always weigh in a little heavier) but I would try to plan ahead and carefully pick a spot. We walk the campground today and found some spots that would be more ideal. They are close enough to a water spigot we could fill at our site and fresh water is always what limits our stays. Our rig does not have an easy to add fresh water unlike many. It is definitely a flaw in the design that year and something they changed after that year.

A little Fall around the edges

So here is what we found: Sites 1, 7, 9, 15 and 16 and maybe 25 are the best. Sites 49 & 46 are great sites but the turn around at the end is very tight and would not work for most big rigs. Also if you are near 40 feet on most of the sites your truck would not fit at the site. I think 30 to about 36 will fit but beyond that I’m not sure. 

Today we walked part of the Virginia Day Memorial Trail, part of the bike trail and the campground. Its an absolutely perfect day. The high 60s, no wind and clear blue skies. Exactly the kind of day that reminds us why we love this lifestyle. I sit here in a beautifully wooded spot typing away at the computer.

John on the paved bike trail

Speaking of the Full Time RV Lifestyle Several others posted in the comments of my last blog so I would like to add their thoughts to the list:

• “I would add FREEDOM to your list. I love the freedom this life has given us. Also, the chance to travel and see much more of the beauty this country has to offer” from Evelyn
• “FREEDOM, nature, travel, meeting wonderful people, sunrises, sunsets, waterfalls, birds, wildlife, 80 degree February days, bike rides through charming towns, kayaking, hiking a forest trail, finding a hidden treasure ,fishing, lobstering, National parks, The KEYS, no alarm clocks, two-hour coffee time, falling asleep beside a campfire, sharing stories with the neighbors, To re-define what it means to live the American Dream. Did I mention FREEDOM and no more grass mowing and snow shoveling.” -Jeff and Dawn
• “If you don't like your neighbors you can just move. And, you can wake up every morning to different scenery out your front window if you so choose to move each day.” - Ruth

If more comments come along I will make sure to pass them along. I am going to sign off for now. Who knows maybe I will make it a 3 blog week, but no promises. I do have a few more things I want to put out there so maybe I will get on a roll. Until then,

Happy trails........................