This morning, Pennie and I set out on a mission: find a level campsite. The spot we had wasn’t the worst (trust me, we’ve camped on worse), but I was tired of waking up cold because my blanket kept sliding down to the foot of the bed. Gravity was winning every night, and I’d had enough.

We found several promising, unreserved sites — or so we thought. At the ranger station, I learned those sites might already be reserved, but no one had time to check. Instead, we were told to try the first-come, first-served loop. After walking over a mile on “recon duty,” I was ready to declare defeat. Back at the RV, Bill was finally awake, so off we went again.

This time, we struck gold. I pulled out my trusty iPhone with its level app (because who needs a carpenter’s level when you’ve got Apple?) and — miracle of miracles — the site was flat. We hustled back to the ranger station to claim it. That’s when the day’s plot twist arrived.

“That’ll be $15 for tonight,” the ranger said.
“Wait a minute,” I replied. “We already paid for tonight.”

Turns out I’d only booked two nights instead of three. Oops. Lesson learned: never trust my memory when campgrounds are involved.

Meanwhile, the refrigerator is still auditioning as a sauna. I tried troubleshooting (with help from ChatGPT, naturally), confirmed the propane flame was lit, and hoped for the best. No luck. Cruise America customer service walked me through the same steps I’d already done, then offered a $75 cooler credit and $20 a day for ice. Too bad we’d already packed a cooler. At 6 p.m., the fridge was still holding steady at 77°, so it’s been officially promoted to “oven.” I’ll report it when we return the RV — though I’m not holding my breath for that refund.

This afternoon, we cruised down the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping at overlooks and snapping photos. A ranger at the visitor center warned Bill that nasty weather was rolling in around the 60-mile mark, so we turned back north toward Loft Mountain before the storm caught up.

Tomorrow looks like a washout — 70% chance of rain all day — so we’ve decided to cut the trip a day short and head home. Even with the weather and the “spa fridge,” it’s been a great time. Tonight will be one last campfire, one last round of tall tales and politics with Bill, and one last toast to another successful (and slightly soggy) Camp Run-a-Muck adventure.

Enjoy the pictures from today — especially the one of Pennie. When we started this trip, we never thought she’d get this comfortable riding in the RV, but miracles do happen. 🐾

By Captain Weeble — chronicling the adventures, misadventures, and everything in between.

Day Five — Adventures in Propane and Precipitation

As loyal followers of our Reunion Camping Trip saga know, we’ve relocated Camp Run-a-Muck to Loft Mountain Campground in Shenandoah National Park. This morning began with what I’ll generously call a “refreshing” surprise — the propane ran out sometime during the night. We woke up to find that the refrigerator had reinvented itself as a deluxe warm-food spa. 🥵🥶

Rather than live out of a soggy cooler, we packed up and headed down the mountain on a mission: propane and leveling blocks. (Because sleeping downhill every night is starting to feel like Olympic luge training.) After some spirited internet wrestling, we struck gold in Staunton — an RV dealer with both propane and leveling blocks. Mission accomplished!

Of course, being the seasoned professionals we are, we took our time on the way down, stopping at every overlook like card-carrying members of the Skyline Drive Appreciation Society. You’ll see some of those scenic shots here. 📸

Back at camp, just as dinner prep began, Mother Nature decided to audition for Thunderstorm Idol. The canopy switched to its exclusive “drip mode,” and we retreated to the RV — partly for safety, mostly for dryness.

But then — the skies cleared, and a rainbow stretched across the valley like nature’s apology. 🌈 Spirits lifted instantly, and we’re holding onto hope that the weather gods might finally be in a better mood.

Saturday’s forecast is threatening more rain, so we’re debating whether to brave the Blue Ridge Parkway or call it a wrap early. Decision day is Saturday morning.

That’s the latest from Camp Run-a-Muck, where the coffee is strong, the floors are slightly slanted, and the stories just keep getting better. 🚐⛺⚡

By Captain Weeble — chronicling the adventures, misadventures, and everything in between.

Day Three — The Great Reunion Rolls On

The great reunion camping trip continues! We’ve packed up Camp Run-a-Muck and moved a bit farther south to Loft Mountain Campground in Shenandoah National Park. The weather hasn’t exactly been postcard-perfect — think more “moody mountain mist” than “sunny brochure photo” — but Bill and I are making the best of it.

Here are a couple of pictures from the last few days. My favorite is of Pennie, who I caught trying to hitchhike home. Apparently, she’s not quite sold on this whole “outdoors is fun” concept. I told her there’s no Uber for dogs in the national park, but she’s still keeping an eye out for a passing Jeep just in case.

By Captain Weeble — chronicling the adventures, misadventures, and everything in between.

Day One — Launching Camp Run-a-Muck

Day one of our grand camping adventure began with three brave souls crammed into a Cruise America RV: Bill, Pennie, and yours truly. Bill and I were raring to go. Pennie… well, she had the look of someone who’d just realized this wasn’t a quick ride to the park.

Now, before we go further, a quick side note about our furry companion. Pennie has epilepsy, which means she needs her medication every day. Usually, that’s easy — I tuck the pills into her food, she eats, and we’re good. But sometimes, Pennie gets suspicious and surgically extracts the pill pockets like a bomb expert. When that happens, it’s Plan B: manual delivery straight down the hatch. I can handle it, but my wife, Mrs. Weeble, wants no part of it — which is how Pennie ended up joining the boys’ road trip.

Since I wasn’t sure how calm she’d be during a long RV drive, I called my vet for advice. She suggested a little melatonin to take the edge off. Best advice ever. For the first hour, Pennie rode in Bill’s lap looking mildly betrayed. By hour three, she was snoozing soundly on her dog bed between the seats, completely relaxed — probably dreaming of steak dinners and quiet houses.

We eventually rolled into Shenandoah National Park and took our time meandering up Skyline Drive, stopping at just about every overlook. The views were amazing, and we only mildly annoyed the cars behind us — a win in my book. By the time we reached Big Meadows, the air was crisp, the scenery beautiful, and the RV smelled faintly of dog treats and adventure.

We set up camp, declared it officially Camp Run-a-Muck, and toasted to the start of our trip — two men, one well-medicated dog, and a motorhome full of optimism, snacks, and questionable decision-making.

By Captain Weeble — chronicling the adventures, misadventures, and everything in between.

Two Old Friends, One RV, and Fifty Years of Memories

Before I dive into this new adventure on Captain Weeble’s Travels, I want to share a little backstory about how this trip came to be.

My partners-in-crime for this journey are my longtime friend Bill and my Dog Pennie. We first met when I was a junior in high school—he was dating a friend of the girl I was seeing at the time. We got to talking about baseball, and before long, he invited me to join his Sunday ball games. That was the start of a friendship that’s lasted more than fifty years. Over time, Bill became the brother I never had.

Back in our twenties, we spent many weekends tent camping at Big Meadows Campground in Shenandoah National Park. We shared countless campfires, told tall tales, and—if I’m being honest—drank a lot of beer.

These days, things are a little different. Bill now lives down in Houston, Texas. We still talk every week and make a point to meet up every year. The last few times, our adventures took us to Ocean City, Maryland. But in August 2024, I had gastric sleeve surgery, which put a pause on our travels for a while

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That surgery came with a few lifestyle changes—no more carbonated drinks and definitely smaller meals. So when we started talking about this year’s trip, I knew our old “beer and barbecue” routine wouldn’t quite fit. Truth be told, neither of us can drink like we did in our twenties anyway; we’ve both become almost teetotalers.

That’s when the idea hit me: why not rent an RV, head back to Big Meadows, and relive our camping days—minus the beer and air mattresses? Bill was instantly on board and said, “Set it up.”

So I did.

And that’s where this story begins.

By Captain Weeble — chronicling the adventures, misadventures, and everything in between.