Little Beaver, Cold Nights, and a Change of Plans

The Weebles are preparing to hit the road again! In fact, by the time you’re reading this, the WeebleMobile should be rolling down the highway toward Little Beaver State Park in West Virginia. At least, that’s the plan. And as longtime readers know, plans and Weebleland don’t always get along.

This trip will be a little different from our usual adventures. Normally, we leave on Thursday and return on Monday. This time, we’re switching things around and heading out Friday morning, returning Tuesday.

Why the change? Well, believe it or not, bowling is partly responsible!

This year, our bowling league moved its starting time from 9:45 to 10:30. You wouldn’t think 45 minutes would make much difference, but it does when you’re trying to get a motorhome on the road. By the time I finish bowling and get home, we wouldn’t be leaving until around 2:30 Thursday afternoon.

That means dealing with afternoon traffic and arriving at the campground around dusk, assuming everything goes smoothly.

And when has everything ever gone smoothly in Weebleland?

I’m not particularly fond of setting up camp in the dark. I’ve done it before, and I’d rather not make a habit of it. So we’re trying something new.

The downside? We return Tuesday, and I have to work Wednesday. I usually like having a day to decompress after a camping trip. Apparently, somebody forgot to consult the Captain before making the work schedule!

So this trip is going to be an experiment all the way around.

Fall Colors and Freezing Paws

Mrs. Weeble is hoping we’ll catch some of the leaves changing colors. I’ve been watching the weather forecasts, and so far, things look promising.

Friday might start with a few rain showers, but the rest of the weekend looks pretty good.

There’s just one little problem.

Saturday night’s temperature is supposed to drop to 31 degrees!

That’s right, folks. We’re going from fall camping to flirting with winter in a matter of hours.

Fortunately, temperatures are supposed to improve as the week progresses.

I checked the WeebleMobile’s propane tank, and we’re sitting at about one-third full. That means a Thursday trip to Tractor Supply to fill the tank and pick up some firewood.

The last thing we need is to run out of propane in the middle of a freezing night. I can already imagine Mrs. Weeble waking me up at 2 a.m. to inform me that the furnace has stopped working.

And trust me, that’s a conversation I’d rather avoid!

Speaking of staying warm, Mrs. Weeble has been worrying about the pups.

Pennie already has a jacket from last year when she accompanied Bill and me on our October camping adventure. She’s an experienced cold-weather camper now, or at least she has the wardrobe for it.

But Sophie and Buster? Not so much.

So, being the responsible dog parents we are, I ordered coats for both of them. They’re supposed to arrive Thursday.

Amazon, please don’t let us down. We’ve got three dogs who expect first-class accommodations!

I suspect the pups will be warmer than the Captain.

What’s Cooking in Weebleland?

Naturally, no Weeble camping trip would be complete without discussing food.

I’ve been working on the menu, and this time I’ve decided to make pulled pork.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking.

Is the Captain really going to smoke an entire pork shoulder at the campground?

Well, as entertaining as that might be, the answer is no.

Instead, I’m smoking a 6½-pound pork shoulder at home Wednesday night. Once it’s finished, I’ll pull the meat and vacuum-pack it for the trip.

We’ll also have our traditional hot dogs and beans. I still need to figure out a couple of other dinners. I’m thinking maybe a nice stew cooked over the campfire.

Breakfast will be our usual eggs, bacon, and, of course, SAUSAGE!

And we can’t forget pancakes!

Nobody is going hungry on this trip. At least, not if the Captain has anything to say about it.

Meanwhile, Back at the Smoker…

As I’m writing this Wednesday evening, the pork shoulder is already on the Traeger.

I’ve got the temperature set at 200 degrees, and I’m expecting it to take around six hours to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Once it gets there, I’ll transfer it to a foil-covered pan with some apple juice, increase the grill temperature, and let it continue cooking.

That should take another four or five hours, give or take.

I’m looking for an internal temperature somewhere around 200 degrees, but the number isn’t the most important thing.

What I’m really looking for is something called probe tender.

For those unfamiliar with smoking meat, that means when you insert the temperature probe, it slides into the meat with almost no resistance, much like pushing it into soft butter.

Once we reach that magical point, the pork shoulder gets wrapped up and placed in a cooler to rest for a couple of hours.

Then comes the fun part: pulling it apart for sandwiches!

After that, I’ll vacuum-pack the meat, and it’ll be ready for our camping adventure.

Of course, all this assumes the Captain doesn’t fall asleep before the pork shoulder finishes cooking.

It’s going to be a long night!

The Final Countdown

Thursday, after bowling, I’ll make the store run for propane, firewood, and whatever else we’ve forgotten.

Then it’s time to load the WeebleMobile.

Once everything is packed, we’ll go through our usual double-checks to make sure we haven’t left anything important behind.

You know, little things like food, clothes, dog supplies, or Mrs. Weeble.

Although I’m fairly certain she’d let me know if I tried to leave without her!

Friday morning, with a little luck, we’ll pull out of the driveway around 10 o’clock.

Of course, luck doesn’t visit Weebleland very often, but a Captain can dream.

We’re looking forward to a few days of relaxing, enjoying the fall scenery, sitting around the campfire, and spending time with our three four-legged traveling companions.

And who knows? Maybe this will be one of those rare trips where everything goes exactly according to plan.

Yeah, I know. I had trouble keeping a straight face while writing that, too.

Until Next Week…

We’ll let you know how our experiment with the new travel schedule works out, whether the pups approve of their winter wardrobes, and if the Captain manages to keep everybody warm and well-fed.

And, naturally, we’ll report on whatever unexpected adventures Weebleland decides to throw our way.

Have you ever had to set up camp after dark? Or do you prefer arriving early enough to get settled before sunset? We’d love to hear your camping stories in the comments!

Until next time, safe travels, happy camping, and remember…

It’s always an adventure in Weebleland!

Captain Weeble