DeSoto State Park, AL weekend

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

We stayed 2 nights this weekend at DSP.  I arrived with 2 of the 3 kids on Friday about 330. The site we had was not a great one since it was sloped, but I did reserve it the day before. Some planning would have helped. I didn't drag out every camping toy (just chairs, grill, ENO hammock and chairs) so set up was fairly quick.

The wife and oldest daughter arrived about 6pm. I grilled up some of Wal-Mart's finest burgers that evening. The kids and I went looping on foot, then we all just chilled the rest of the evening. 

On Saturday we drove to Mentone and did a little shopping. I bought some fresh squash and cherry tomatoes from the farmer's market. Also picked up some Patagonia and The North Face t shirts that were on sale at the outfitter.  We also picked up some ice cream cones for the kids. Mentone is a cool little spot to visit. Back at camp we had lunch, then the kids hit the pool. I did about 4 miles of hiking while they were swimming. DSP has some great trails and waterfalls. That evening I grilled up some chicken, grilled squash, roasted potatoes,  and sauteed tomatoes. It was tasty. We ended the evening watching movies under the awning.

Sunday morning was a little lazy until we started loading up for the 40 minute drive home. We rolled out about 1030. 

It was a good weekend before school starts. Morning temps were in the mid to low 70's with highs in the 80's. The added elevation helps a lot with the heat. 

The campground there is really nice. Most of the sites have a ton of space between them and good shade. There's 94 sites. In most campgrounds this size there would be 200 sites. The only negatives, imo, are some sites are sloped a little too much and the roads are hilly for biking, especially for small kids. 

Thus was my first pull with the 450. I pulled the mountain pass at 55 mph in 4th with a lot of throttle to spare. This thing laughs at 17k lbs. 

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I really enjoyed the grand gatherings we did at Desoto.  Even if one of them was cold and rainy.  We liked Mentone too.  Ate at a really good place... think it was called Wildflower.

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

37 minutes ago, DaveInTN said:

I really enjoyed the grand gatherings we did at Desoto.  Even if one of them was cold and rainy.  We liked Mentone too.  Ate at a really good place... think it was called Wildflower.

Oh yeah, we like the wildflower cafe. We didn't eat there this time, but it is very good.