Cody’s blog

Charlottesville KOA Holiday
3825 Red Hill RD
Charlottesville, VA 22903

434-296-9881

August 14, 2021

The drive to Charlottesville was fine for the most part, with a few little episodes of excitement, including a cloudburst around 20 miles out, and some winding little country roads, with one left turn across a 4-lane road that was several feet higher on the oncoming side, and a tiny little left turn lane that had just enough room for my truck and trailer. I found out only after I’d arrived at the campground that the directions given by the KOA warned not to follow GPS directions, but to come around from the other direction to avoid just what I’d encountered. Oh well, I arrived safely anyway.

The campground was down among the trees, with a lot of odd-sized sites at assorted angles. My site was curved across the corner where the loop closed. It was easy enough to get into, but getting my trailer straight on the pad was impossible. After a few attempts to pull through until it was straight, and then back in, I decided that as long as the trailer was on the gravel and the hookups were in reach, and the truck was off the road, it was good enough. Thankfully, it was perfectly level.

This KOA was was more isolated than others I stayed at, thickly wooded and away from traffic. It had a nice, homey, country feel.

The weather was cloudy and humid, not quite as hot as it had been, so I opened the door to let the fresh air in instead of using the air conditioner. The cats found the outdoor sights and smells very interesting.

Our next adventure of the evening was a huge thunderstorm at around 8 o’clock. There was pouring rain, lots of lightning and loud crashes of thunder. Most of the lightning seemed to be four to six miles away. I could hear people shouting down at the end of the loop (probably trying to get their furniture and equipment inside before it washed away). I turned everything off and huddled in bed with Mister. I’m not normally afraid of thunderstorms, but then, I’m not normally waiting them out in a little tin can!

After the storm, there was a lot of commotion down at the end of the row. Bits of music and I thought I heard “Happy birthday!” Maybe my neighbors had been attempting to have a birthday party when the storm hit. It was still before 10 PM, so I waited and hoped they’d honor quiet time. Meanwhile, I closed my rear window, put my sleep headband on to listen to sleep stories. I think they did stop the noise at 10 PM but I was already asleep by then!

In the morning, as I was getting ready to head out, my campsite was visited by half a dozen or so chickens pecking and scratching in the grass. When I went outside to dump my tanks, two little boys from the campsite across from me came onto my site following the chickens. I didn’t mind them being there, but the younger boy picked up some leaves and pebbles and threw it at the chickens, so I told him, don’t be throwing things at the chickens! He protested that he wasn’t trying to hit them, just make them move. I said, well, don’t. They took off, and a little later, I heard their dad tell them not to go on other people’s campsites — it’s like going into someone’s house. I suspect they went to complain about me yelling at them, but instead of support they got scolded.

All in all, it was a fun campground, and I was glad after all that I’d ended up going to Charlottesville, even though it was out of my way.