Thanks to my sister, Melanie I have a Snowman kit.  All you need is snow!  Snowed last night about 2 inches.  Just beautiful.  The tree limbs all had a coating of snow making them look magical. Roaul and I had 2 batches of snowcream.  Best if using sweet condensed milk as the sugar is already dissolved!  It was great but it sure makes me cold to eat it.  The valentine our snowman is wearing was Roaul’s homemade valentine for me last year. On the back, he drew a buttocks and it says from your sweet cheeks!  Too funny.  Of course last year Roaul was wearing it instead of the snowman.  It was supposed to get up to 46 degrees today. So it was a beautiful snow without all the drama!

RIGHT OUTSIDE OUR DOOR, THERE ARE TWO GROUPS OF BIRDWATCHERS.   BOTH GROUPS ARE FROM WINSTON-SALEM. IT SEEMS A RARE (FOR THIS AREA) LAP LAND HORNED SPARROW HAS BEEN SPOTTED IN THE FIELD. THERE ARE THREE FLYING WITH THE OTHER SPARROWS AND FORAGING IN THE FIELD FOR SEEDS.

Happy New Year’s Eve!

I want to thank each and everyone of our guests for making this past year a huge success!  We made quite a few improvements in 2009. The addition of septic lines made many of our sites full-hook ups. Our new lighted sign at the entrance is attractive and is complete with a flower bed. Roaul just finished installing a new wireless internet connection which has made it easier for everyone. He also enlarged our 2nd entrance making it wider for all our big motor homes.  Of course, Roaul keeps everything clean, mowed, fire ant free and keeps working to keep the sites level. We have loved meeting our guests and helping make your stay here as welcoming as possible. We appreciate your business and look forward to another great year. Roaul and I wish you all a blessed 2010!

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED OUR HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES YESTERDAY.  WE HOPE EVERYONE ENJOYED THEMSELVES. WE HAD HOT DOGS COOKED OVER THE BONFIRE, SLOPPY JOES, A HUGE ASSORTMENT OF CHIPS AND APPETIZERS AND A FUN DESERT TABLE. I HAD PREPARED WITCHES HATS, BROOMSTICKS, HAYSTACKS AND MONSTER HEAD PRETEZEL STICKS. ROAUL’S MOM BROUGHT A DELICOUS CHOCOLATE DISH . THE ONLY CLEVATE: RAIN. SOME OF US HIGH TAILED IT TO THE GARAGE AND MOST OUR GUESTS TOOK THE HIGH ROAD BACK TO THEIR CAMPERS. ROAUL’S FAMILY ( COUSINS, MOM. AND AUNT) LEFT TO THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOMES. SOME OF OUR FRIENDS STUCK IT OUT AND WE HOBNOBBED IN THE GARAGE AND WAITED FOR THE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME TO COME TO AN END. ROAUL AND I REALLY ENJOYED GETTING A MOMENT TO ENJOY EVERYONE”S COMPANY. WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT SO MANY GOT TO ATTEND. THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE FOR ALL THE DISHES YOU BROUGHT BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR BRINGING YOURSELVES OVER TO MAKE IT A REAL CELEBRATION.  (NEXT YEAR WE PLAN TO HAVE NAME TAGS TO FACILITATE COMRADORSHIP.)

Beautiful here this time of year! Trees are starting to resemble “Fruity Pebbles” cereal! Most trees are still engulfed in their autumn splendor. From the photos in the previous post, you can enjoy the view from the back of our house looking over our fire pit and beyond.

We are also excited to have extended the width of the second driveway of Yates Family Camping.  This will enable the longer motor homes, RVs and campers to access Hudspeth Road more easily. You can see Jake on the “pony” that he put a quarter into to ride it at the grocery store! It really does look like a toy! Or at least he makes it look like one. Thanks Jake for your expertise in helping with the project. Also a big thank you to Zocam Plumbing for loaning us the “pony”. For those of you who wanted to see the hippie van, see the photos just posted under October 23,2009. The van is in the background along with its personal security guard - Nikki. Jake’s personal watchdog is in the foreground.

Rain is to end soon and warm and clear weather the rest of the day. Tomorrow is forecasted to be cooler but still beautiful. We have a lot of reservations coming in soon and we know they are going to love it here. Looking forward to seeing our campers soon and until then… we wish you safe and happy travels!

KEEPIN' IT WARM

All week long, we held onto the promise of nice weather.  It turned out to be a pie crust promise - easily made and easily broken.  The rain really didn’t interfere with too many activities but of course it made things wet.  Luckily, it dried quickly - mainly because of the chilly wind. The overcast skies along with the cool breeze were the most challenging to deal with. I really wanted to get outside and mingle with everyone and that breeze just made me want to stay inside. So - what to do? A bon-fire in our community fire pit was the answer. Roaul didn’t believe it when he came back with some kindling to start the fire and he saw that I had a 2 ft. flame going. Okay that fire was like a magnet for everybody - it knocked the chill right off. Of course I needed to stay there and attend the fire - so that was my post for the day - except for the few minutes that I had to walk the dog. Everyone had a ball.  We were having such a good time that some of our friends decided to stay at the fire and forgo the race. We did catch the low down on the radio - and some of our friends watched some of the race on their TV while preparing a fabulous dinner. (We had sat out at the fire so long that we had missed supper!) They brought the food over and we enjoyed it at the campfire. We kept the fire going so the other campers could enjoy it upon returning from the race.

It was a lot of fun talking with everyone. We have without a doubt the best group of people here at Yates Family Camping. About 75% of our campers this year were return guests. The first timers were great too! Roaul does a fantastic job meeting everyone’s needs and trying to weed out anyone not suitable for our Family Camping atmosphere. We had a big group of students from upstate New York. They were in mechanics school and this was a field trip for them. None of them caused any trouble. Roaul made sure that they all understood that this is not “Boys Gone Wild!” Someone commented that at other campgrounds, you pay your money and never see the campground host(s) again. That is not how we operate here. Roaul and I are very hands-on and visible. We make every attempt to keep a watchful eye over our property and to ensure everyone is in a safe environment. We are so very fortunate that the campers that come here are wonderful and we are proud to call our campers “friends”!

Roaul, our friend, Mike and I spent the weekend at the zMAX Dragway for the NHRA races this past weekend.  We all had a great time.  We were excited and RACE READY after a year of anticipation. It doesn’t matter if you are a child, a teenager or an adult, it is an exhilarating spectacle.
There aren’t any numbers on the cars. You have to identify them by the custom paint jobs and the sponsors, unless you can hear the announcer and maybe catch it on the big screen.  Anyone can see the lineup outside the stands. So one can plan accordingly to catch which races and what cars are coming up for their chance.  It is fast and furious. Did I say fast and furious? You definitely need at the very least, ear plugs. It is fast action. Better keep you eyes on the “tree” to watch the lights because as soon as it turns green, your ears need be covered and your eyes ready to follow the 2 streaks rocketing down the track. When the cars past the finish line, the time and speed are immediately posted on a large marquee. You need to check it because a lot of times, that is the only way to know who won the heat. It is amazing how much ground those cars can cover in just the last portion of the track. Quite often a dragster would be ahead at the midpoint only to be passed and left behind in just the last seconds. I kept trying to figure out just what was the optimum strategy. At take off, the front ends of the funny cars would lift up off the ground. I couldn’t decide if it was better to stay airborne like that for longer or for a shorter time or what! When it was overcast or at night, you could see the flames pouring out from the sides of the dragsters and funny cars. We sat about at the mid-point of the stands.  Last year, we sat at the starting line. It was a different perspective.  I liked our seats this year better, however, a group of women to our right jumped to their feet every race. This obscured our view and made it close to impossible for Mike to get a good photo. Roaul missed the smell of the fuel that blasts up at take off. 
We had the tickets that included meals and driver autograph sessions (Best Buy Fan Lounge).  The meals weren’t quite as good as last year, but they were still good. They also didn’t have flowers on the tables like they had last year.  With the food-ticket, you were given a paltry goodie bag. It had a Koozie, a plastic bottle, a program and car air freshener.
Sunday, we left early to go to the pits. I really enjoyed taking in all the sights.  I had some pictures made and saw a lot of action going on in the pits. I met Kris Krome who incidentally was staying in our campground. He was there showcasing 2 motorcycles he had built. One was for Tony Schumacher and the other had won acclaims at Sturgis this year. www.kriskrome.com We saw the new Ford Mustang for 2010. The red color was striking.  We went on up to our seats but then realized our camera was left behind. I ran all the way back and the girl kept it for me at the simulator cars. I ran back and we got close to our seats when the skydiver was just landing on the track with an American flag attached to his foot. The starting ceremonies were abbreviated due to the threat of rain. It never rained – thank goodness. (It did rain Saturday night after we left. Cleverly, the producers decided to have the minor races run last so as to get the big guns in before the rain. As it turned out, the minor races took place early Sunday morning. Good call.) Karen Stoffer, THE MOTORCYCLE DRAG STAR had a great weekend. We got to meet her last year. I had on my Tony Schumacher Army shirt but it did not help him to win like it did last year. The historic 4 lane race happened later in the afternoon. It was the first time that 4 cars raced professionally in about 30 years. I know we have some photos of this awesome moment.
I must say that John Force is a HAM and a TALKER. I started comparing him to a MUFFETT character after his constant jaw flapping. He is a winner and a showman.  As far as I know the “grudge match” didn’t take place. I didn’t know how they were going to be able to schedule it in since the motors have to be basically rebuilt and ready to race again in 70 minutes but it was presented like everything between them was hunky-dory. So I guess Marcus Smith gets to keep the cash purse. (Marcus if you like, I can take that off your hands!)  Oh, speaking of Marcus Smith, Roaul got a chance to talk to him near the elevators before the races.  He told Roaul it was good to meet a “happy neighbor”!
Okay, that was a 3 day bonanza in a nutshell. The weather was great. The fans were great – at least all the ones that sat around us were. They helped fill in the gaps with lots of inside information for us “newbies”. I could hear the cars from my house. They sound like I imagine dinosaurs would sound. At Yates Family Camping, it is not loud but loud enough for us to hear that we need to get up there because we were missing the action. Roaul is hooked! Mike is hooked. I am a fan too. However, I would like to be more informed and keep up with the action. I do wish that the standings would be posted like they do on the Olympics.  I need a crutch like that for when I watch it, every race stands on its on.  I can’t hear the announcers enough to keep up. Some of our “NASCAR FANS” that camp with us are now getting hooked on the Drags too. It was great to see everyone here this weekend and listen to their comments. We enjoyed hanging out with everyone too, as the races are over fairly early every evening.  The best thing is now we don’t have to wait another year as Bruton Smith has the next race scheduled for the end of March. I hope it will be just as big and I know it will be dramatic. It is a beautiful time of year here and we hope you will come and see the action for yourselves!
      Note: The traffic patterns were changed daily so it was hard to plan ahead when leaving the facility. The best advice I can give is to park near and exit as close to the road you want to leave on.

I signed up with Twitter the other day and already have a Facebook account.  I also have to keep tabs on YATES FAMILY CAMPING and my favorite vacation spot blog.  Therefore I have a lot of responsibilities! I already have NASCAR and NHRA Twitter following me  and also Widespread Panic.  (That show will be at the Verizon Amphitheater soon.) We all are looking forward to the NHRA drags this weekend in Concord, NC.  We have many motor homes and RVs taking advantage of our premium location next to Lowe’s Motor Speedway. It promises to be a stellar drag race event. We hope you won’t miss it!

Saturday we made it to the YIASOU GREEK FESTIVAL along with what felt like everyone else in Charlotte. We had some good food and enjoyed listening to the festive music. We rode our motorcycles and took a route through uptown Charlotte. It was a beautiful day but a little on the hot side. It was just too pretty to be inside. I guess if I want to go back next year, I better plan on utilizing the drive-thru pick up. Roaul said he would not return to the event.  I think if we’d had gone extra early, that maybe we could have missed a lot of the over crowded conditions. They have added amusement park rides since the last time we visited.  It was very well organized, Thank goodness - it had to be to accommodate the droves of people in attendance. The grounds also looked clean.  The festival also offered a market place and tours of their church.  I have seen the church before and it is really beautiful.

After we returned home, I went bird watching.  I asked Roaul to blow up the life raft for me and I took it to a nearby pond.  There I was floating around with my binoculars checking out the wildlife. I did see a Blue Heron and a few other birds.  I still need some practice with quickly spotting those silent birds before they fly off!  I am so happy that we had some time to get in some outside time as I spent all morning working on our website. What a gorgeous day!

Upcoming Events
August 22, 2009

Wow - its a little slow this weekend wih school starting next week.  The Jonas Brothers  and Alan Jackson were in town last night but after that - there are not any big events scheduled. Of course there is still lots to do. Just check out the attractions tab on our home page.  September promises to be jam packed with fun and exciting events in our area. Below is a sampling!

You can check the calendar of events for more details.  The CAROLINA PANTHERS are in town playing Philadelphia for the season opener. The YIASOU GREEK FESTIVAL is truly a feast - Be sure to get there really early or check out the website for information on how to pick up to-go orders. The FOOD LION AUTO FAIR is right at our front door at Lowes Motor Speedway.  It is a huge display of all things “auto”.  The CABARRUS COUNTY FAIR is a straight shot north of here on Highway 49. It is an old fashioned fair with lots of entertainment scheduled nightly.  Check out some of the fried food offerrings! Not too many though as you will probably want to ride some of the amusement rides.  It normally has a neat array of farm animals. My suggestion is if you would like to see the animals is to go early in the week as with this hot weather, it can get a little too fragrant! We are personally looking forward to the drag races at the Belagio of drag strips - the zMax for the NHRA NATIONALS  It is a LOT of fun.  It is just around the corner from Yates Family Camping. It is LOUD - so bring earplugs or headphones. It is a four day event with the night races to be the coolest and most spectacular.  And this will be a historic event as FOUR cars will race at the same time on Friday night! You can see motorcycle drags, funny car drags and top fuel drags.  It is a super nice facility and reasonably priced.  Young people like it too. Then there is FESTIVAL IN THE PARK at Freedom Park in Charlotte.  It is another one of those “get there early” deals. It has been going on since 1969 and is a lot of fun also. It features art displays and a lot of hand made items for sale.  A side walk encircles the lake. (Dogs are not allowed at the festival.) There are also music performances and shows. A good selection of food vendors are located at the main entrance and a few more are located at the opposite end of the lake. The Carolina Raptor Center is usually there with a few live specimens. There is a lot to see. I have been to the UNCC INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL years ago and remember it as outstanding.  It is spread out over the UNCC campus and features art and culture from many nations.

September is a great month here. Its still really warm but it usually feels great after a long hot summer.  Get out and enjoy!

(The ALLMAN BROTHERS and WIDESPREAD PANIC will be at the Verizon Amphlitheatre for a two day event in October.)