August 14, 2014

Travel day from Chattanooga to Lebanon, TN

While Monte hitched up

and checked tire pressure, I called my first and second choice campgrounds in Hermitage.  Both are Army Corps of Engineer parks located on Percy Priest Lake.  There were no sites available at my first choice so I was relieved when I called my second choice, Poole Knobs and was told there were several sites available for the four nights we requested.

It was a pleasant 135 mile drive to the campground. 

 

When we arrived, the camp host gave us a list of available sites.  Monte got in the Jeep with me so we could check out the sites. 

 

We encountered a cute little fawn.

The road leading around the campground is very narrow and the sites, though long, are really not geared toward big rigs.  We found one site we thought we might be able to squeeze into and returned to the station to register, paying for 4 nights.  With Monte’s pass the rate was only $10/night.

As Monte attempted to back into the site we had selected, a line of cars and trucks began forming.  He went back and forth several times before I convinced him we should go somewhere else.  (I did not take any pictures because I was trying to direct Monte into the site and was getting very stressed)

When we returned to the ranger station we were informed that because we paid by credit card we would have to call Reserve America for a refund.  GREAT!

Monte checked his GPS for area campgrounds.  He called Cedars of Lebanon State Park and was told there were plenty of sites available for the four nights we requested. 

The nightly rate is $20 and they offer a 25% discount to all seniors 62 years old and older. 

When we arrived we were given a list of available sites.  We took a drive to check them out and selected site 39, a long pull through. 

 
After we were all settled in, I called Reserve America to request a refund.  After waiting on hold for 30 minutes, I explained the situation and was then transferred to someone else so I could explain the situation all over again.  Bottom line-it is going to take approximately 30 days for the refund to show up on my statement.  Lesson learned-(1) pay for site in cash-by doing so I could have gotten a refund immediately, (2) only pay for one night and if satisfied with site return to station and pay for additional nights.