Saturday, 1 July, Lake Gaston, NC

White Rabbits – already, seems just like the other day it was 1 June!   After pancakes for brekkie we wander up to the Trading Post to see if there have been any cancellations which would allow us to stay here another night.  The owner said to come back in an hour and not to pack up camp just yet, even though 12 is checkout time, so it is looking hopeful.  We do want to stay tonight to participate in the 4^th of July festivities and Sandra and Lynwood have invited us out on their boat to watch the fireworks!

Meantime they hold the golf cart decorating competition and after judging they all file past our campsite, glad we got to see them - some had made a supreme effort!.

Decorated Golf Carts filing past

Sorry the photos aren't very good, camera was on wrong setting

We go back to the office at noon but unfortunately they can wangle no camp site  for us : (  But we are given permission to dry camp up in the overflow area, just ‘cos we are Kiwis and we promise not to tell anyone.  So we get up there around 2pm, do a dump, chuck out the garbage we have been hoarding and set up amongst the boat trailers and visitors cars.  Lots to see, people come and go in their golf carts and we can see the entrance to the camp, the Ranger Stations so see who’s coming and going.

Dry Camping in the overflow area

We have booked into a campground just over the state line in Virginia for the next four days, really need to do some laundry, we've used all our towels, what with all our swimming etc.and it will be nice to have some free WIFI and for Kim to have more than 4 channels of TV.  We can’t stay at any Thousand Trails camp grounds until 7 days has passed as we have stayed here for more than four.  But there are three TT camps in pretty close proximity in West Virginia so we might try them all out