We were slowly but surely adjusting to life out on the road now that it had been a few weeks. Each leg of our journey sharpened our travel skills and we gradually grew more efficient with every tear-down and set-up. However, one area outside of our control (for the time being) was scheduling. When we were first planning the trip and booking our accommodations, we had this crazy notion that we would be able to travel on weekdays during Sam’s hour-long lunch break. Let’s just say this didn’t really turn out to be a feasible plan. Despite adding to the generally high stress levels on travel days, these weekday trips had the added detriment of causing us to rush – something any seasoned RVer will tell you is the last thing you want to do when moving large, heavy equipment around at high speeds.
This trip to Ogden was one such example of these messy weekday trips. The normal problems associated with weekday moving were amplified thanks to a late check-in time at our new destination, the Willard Bay South Marina Campground. From our experience, standard RV park check-in is 1:00 pm, however Willard Bay wasn’t allowing check-in until 3:00. Upon discovering this revelation, we were forced to divert to a local Walmart and post up in the rear of the parking lot so that Sam could get some work done while we impatiently waited for 3:00 to roll around.
Once we were finally granted entry, we claimed our campsite and quickly set up shop so that Sam could finish out the workday. Sadly, we found Willard Bay to be another underwhelming Utah state park as it was essentially a parking lot with hookups next to a marina. However, there were some positives, including some lovely views of the lake and nearby mountains.
Another positive of Willard Bay was the general hospitality of the other campers. Shortly after arriving, we were greeted by Lele, the 300+ pound Polynesian patriarch presiding over the neighboring family reunion who graciously provided us with a couple of Bud Lights as a welcoming gift. We decided that this was his way of apologizing in advance for the noise that was to come. Although the music, laughter, and games started early each morning and continued well into each night, Lele’s charm had won us over and we couldn’t get too upset. I guess it just goes to show what a couple brewskis will get ya in terms of goodwill!
However, the highlight of our Willard Bay trip was getting to formally meet Jon and Rochelle, the previous owners of our beautiful camper who kindly agreed to drive out from their home in Salt Lake City to meet us for dinner. Because they now preside in SLC, we were unable to meet face-to-face when purchasing the trailer in June. It was nice to finally put a face to the names we had heard so much about (the transaction was done via Jon’s parents who live in the Denver area). In addition to the socialization, which is always welcome out on the road (especially in 2020), it was also great to pick their brains and soak up some of the knowledge that Jon and Rochelle had accumulated throughout their travels.
Our quick stay in Ogden was over before we knew it. After one last jaunt around the campground, it was time for us to bid adieu to the Salt Lake City metro and venture back out into the boonies.