What a beautiful place. Great paddle, and hike. Nice to have the crockpot /instapot. Maggie still enjoying her adventures, especially the bear. Be safe. 🙂👍
We loved this! Maggie the Bear Spotter!!!! I'm surprised you didn't see any eagles up there. Thanks for bringing us along...so beautiful! Much love from SC, Jane❤🙏🐾
We did learn that we need to listen to Maggie when she acts differently. She is the smartest one in the family. Wish we had seen an eagle…. Thanks so much for watching.
Maggie is such a trooper! She wanted to keep going to the dam :o) That inflatable kayak looks like it was a great investment too. Thank you for another great video!
Another fun and delicious adventure. Love that quick shot of Owen with his arms spread wide on the water. The smile said it all… You have indeed mastered putting these videos together. Thanks for sharing the adventures and joy.
Thanks for being with us on journeys. Sometimes the episodes come together, faster and better than others. But we sure do have a lot of practice now don't we?
Beautiful I have lived close and fished and camped it for years I'm 71. You are below Watauga Dam and the lake you are on is Wilbur Lake. I have photos in July at 4:00 pm and there is a fog about 8 feet high and 3 or 4 hundred feet long. Boats disappeared when going thru it and perssons on the bank disappeared for minutes at a time as it floated away. The water is cold because it is coming from the bottom of rthe dam. Below Wilbur Dam is some of the finest trout fishing found anywhere.
Wow! Thank you so much for all the awesome information. We learned so much from locals and we always try to ask so we appreciate you taking the time to let us know that fog we saw in the morning and the evening was just totally awesome even though it wasn't as thick as the one you saw.
Always enjoy your adventures!! Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful!! Maguey did great spotting that bear . Beautiful night in the sky ! What a life what adventure!! As always enjoy your channel and BS & BK & BC !!!!
@@VANTREKKINGlifestyle love your channel and you always keep me interesting to me. Years not enough for me to stop me from watching this channel !! Really enjoy it , thank you 🙏!!
The paddle shots were so good. Especially the water dripping off the paddle in slow motion. He might be an editing genius. So good! We are off the Arkansas August 1for granddaughter wedding! ❤️❤️❤️
Just beautiful. I’ve collected so many tips and ideas from you two over the last 4 years. I’ve now added Watauga Dam Campground to my list. And Insta Pot.
I'm from the area. There's a neat waterfall you can see if you know exactly where to look on that river/lake. Also, you can walk down next to the big lake where the overlook is and take a shortcut to walk over the dam. Done it many times! Enjoyed your video!!
Beautiful trip by the river bonus of the bar since it was on the opposite side of the river yeah love to hike too little Shih Tzu, Maddie, and Pixie love to hike once I had to carry Pixie back at the bridal Falls It was too much for her Brevard, North Carolina great video guys❤ love Maggie❤❤
We've had to carry Maggie before two and that's why we bought the backpack. And we just need to convince ourselves to take the backpack with us even when we think it's a short hike.
That is such a beautiful campground next to the river. For sure I'd be on the water too, and more than likely, a fishing pole in my hands. Might be a good idea to carry a backpack on your hikes with water and Maggie's carrier, just in case because you never know when you might need it. Hope you're all doing well. Safe travels & hugs for the Magpie!
We totally agree about the backpacking water. When we left for the highway honestly thought we were going for about 3/10 of a mile which for us we don't really need water. But I guess we learned the hard way to always bring water and Maggie's backpack.
Hey sweet friend. We do our best to make the most of every adventure and every day. Glad you think we succeed at that. Have you been back to Huntington Beach lately?
Wow! That mist on the water as night fell! I just discovered your channel with the episode 3 years ago when you were in the Revel exploring dirt roads on the border between VA and WV. I see you’ve upgraded to a bigger RV! Now I have to go watch the videos in between 🤗
We've camped there before and had a great time. Couldn't keep the dogs out of the river 😂. When we lived in Carter County, we would put our kayaks in at the steel bridge near the bottom of the dam. What a beautiful paddle.
Looking forward to going to this campground. Thank you for the video and your last one of Grayson Highlands. These are 2 on our list. Oh and we use the instant pot. Took it out west in April which was anywhere from 20 to 6 degrees. Hot food was a treat.
Watauga river and lake are in my neck of the woods and I have fished at the campground many times. I did not know about the trail you went- I will have to check it out.
I can’t imagine how traumatic at time that must’ve been. I’ve seen stories that just make you sad with people having to leave their homes for years and years and years.
I was up in Canada last week, before the fires hit, and we took the shuttle to Moraine Lake. Getting onto the shuttle on the way back the driver asked us if we were bringing bear spray with us. I told her “oh no, we put it on before we left the motel.” She just looked at me until I grinned and told her I was kidding. She told me later “you made my day.”
Great video! Nice paddle boarding and seeing a bear. Bears are cute. The pot roast looked good. We had pot roast too but put it in a crock pot. We have an instant pot but not sure how to use it for that. We lost the instructions when we had to leave our house a few years ago. It’s nice to have one of those. Maggie looked cool and relaxing while you were having lunch. How were the trails there? Hope you have a great week and see you soon!
Just a hint on the Instant Pot...next time you might want to pressure it for a few minutes, maybe 3, before you leave and then let it "slow cook" while you're out. That way it is hot all the way through before the slow cooking starts. Will probably take at least an hour off your slow cooking time and the meat may get more "fall apart" tender.
Thank you so much for the awesome suggestion. Will write it down because I know we'll forget before we use that thing again. But we really do enjoy using the instantpot not as good as it as we would hope to be.
Do you think Maggie saw the bear or smelled the bear? The campground looked great and I think Fall would be spectacular. Always enjoy it when you take us camping. Happy tails and safe travels.
Glad you loved it. It actually happened in the morning and the evening. As the water was cooler and the temperature started to drop we got that natural fog on the water. It was beautiful to see.
The bike rack is a Thule EasyFold XT 2 Hitch Bike Rack - E-Bike Compatible and it does fold back so we can get into the back storage compartment. We do have it in our Amazon store if you would like to see all the specs, here’s our link if you are interested www.amazon.com/shop/VanTrekkingLifestyle.
@@VANTREKKINGlifestyle sold up in Florida it was way to big and if we came back it was always in the hot summer so needed a cooler spot we can also rent out when we're not around,thinking of a name like "Roamers Retreat" even has an Rv hook up
Nice video today !! We were out campground scouting one day and drove thru there but haven't stayed there yet. Loved you got to see mr. bear. Last month I got our girl a water cup off of Amazon to take along while we're taking our short hikes. This heat & humidity has been horrible. Happy camping 🏕
We have a water cup for Maggie a water bowl for Maggie and a backpack for Maggie and we usually travel with him. Our problem is convincing ourselves that it's worth caring that because we think it's just gonna be a short hike. We need to learn that we need to take it every time she goes.
@@VANTREKKINGlifestyle sometimes Ziva will just take a few laps and then I'm carrying the bottle almost full back with me, I guess it makes me feel better knowing I offered, lol !!
What a beautiful place. Great paddle, and hike. Nice to have the crockpot /instapot. Maggie still enjoying her adventures, especially the bear. Be safe. 🙂👍
Loved the “misty river” scene.
We loved this! Maggie the Bear Spotter!!!! I'm surprised you didn't see any eagles up there. Thanks for bringing us along...so beautiful! Much love from SC, Jane❤🙏🐾
We did learn that we need to listen to Maggie when she acts differently. She is the smartest one in the family. Wish we had seen an eagle…. Thanks so much for watching.
Maggie is such a trooper! She wanted to keep going to the dam :o) That inflatable kayak looks like it was a great investment too. Thank you for another great video!
Maggie always wants to keep going the coming back is the problem. Thanks so much for watching.
Beautiful campground, thanks for sharing these great spots with us.
You are so welcome and thank you for watching.
Another fun and delicious adventure. Love that quick shot of Owen with his arms spread wide on the water. The smile said it all… You have indeed mastered putting these videos together. Thanks for sharing the adventures and joy.
Thanks for being with us on journeys. Sometimes the episodes come together, faster and better than others. But we sure do have a lot of practice now don't we?
Hello, I live in Alberta Canada, I really enjoy your videos. Thank you for sharing your adventures, I find them relaxing after a long days work.
Thank you for your kind words, we appreciate you watching and commenting.
Great video, as always. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for watching!
Beautiful I have lived close and fished and camped it for years I'm 71. You are below Watauga Dam and the lake you are on is Wilbur Lake. I have photos in July at 4:00 pm and there is a fog about 8 feet high and 3 or 4 hundred feet long. Boats disappeared when going thru it and perssons on the bank disappeared for minutes at a time as it floated away. The water is cold because it is coming from the bottom of rthe dam. Below Wilbur Dam is some of the finest trout fishing found anywhere.
Wow! Thank you so much for all the awesome information. We learned so much from locals and we always try to ask so we appreciate you taking the time to let us know that fog we saw in the morning and the evening was just totally awesome even though it wasn't as thick as the one you saw.
Beautiful spot! And the bear and ducks! So relaxing😌! Oh, and the dinner, 😋 yum. Glad you turned back, especially without water. 😊
Do you think we'd learn to take water. But I guess we never learn.
WOW great park!
Thanks for another great episode! I'm really enjoying learning about more places to visit that aren't too far from me!
Love it!❤
Loved this video..great music and relaxing to watch
That looked like a really nice campground......waterfront & nice Trails. I liked the Jim's InstaPot Inspiration meal.....Happy Trails 🐕
It was greet being that close to the water. Thanks for watching.
Always enjoy your adventures!! Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful!! Maguey did great spotting that bear . Beautiful night in the sky ! What a life what adventure!! As always enjoy your channel and BS & BK & BC !!!!
Thanks Larry. How many years have you been part of our traveling family? ❤️👍
@@VANTREKKINGlifestyle love your channel and you always keep me interesting to me. Years not enough for me to stop me from watching this channel !! Really enjoy it , thank you 🙏!!
Great looking spot! May have to make some reservations for next year! Thanks for sharing!
The paddle shots were so good. Especially the water dripping off the paddle in slow motion. He might be an editing genius. So good! We are off the Arkansas August 1for granddaughter wedding! ❤️❤️❤️
Have a wonderful trip to Arkansas. Safe travels.
Just beautiful. I’ve collected so many tips and ideas from you two over the last 4 years. I’ve now added Watauga Dam Campground to my list. And Insta Pot.
That is awesome! You should have been with us for a long time and we really appreciate it.
Loved how you did the ending very nice. 😊
Hey, thanks for noticing.
I'm from the area. There's a neat waterfall you can see if you know exactly where to look on that river/lake. Also, you can walk down next to the big lake where the overlook is and take a shortcut to walk over the dam. Done it many times! Enjoyed your video!!
Wish we had known all that. We will look for both next because I’m sure we will be back.
Beautiful trip by the river bonus of the bar since it was on the opposite side of the river yeah love to hike too little Shih Tzu, Maddie, and Pixie love to hike once I had to carry Pixie back at the bridal Falls It was too much for her Brevard, North Carolina great video guys❤ love Maggie❤❤
We've had to carry Maggie before two and that's why we bought the backpack. And we just need to convince ourselves to take the backpack with us even when we think it's a short hike.
That is such a beautiful campground next to the river. For sure I'd be on the water too, and more than likely, a fishing pole in my hands. Might be a good idea to carry a backpack on your hikes with water and Maggie's carrier, just in case because you never know when you might need it. Hope you're all doing well. Safe travels & hugs for the Magpie!
We totally agree about the backpacking water. When we left for the highway honestly thought we were going for about 3/10 of a mile which for us we don't really need water. But I guess we learned the hard way to always bring water and Maggie's backpack.
You guys always seem to have the best adventures. Have fun and be safe.
Hey sweet friend. We do our best to make the most of every adventure and every day. Glad you think we succeed at that. Have you been back to Huntington Beach lately?
Heading back September 23 for a week. 😊
So beautiful!!!!❤
Thank you! Cheers!
Your camera work is beautiful!😊
Thank you!
Wow! That mist on the water as night fell! I just discovered your channel with the episode 3 years ago when you were in the Revel exploring dirt roads on the border between VA and WV. I see you’ve upgraded to a bigger RV! Now I have to go watch the videos in between 🤗
Yes, a lot has happened since our Revel’s days. We do need to go back to WV backroads in the Ekko.
I was relieved that Mr. Bear didnt come help himself to your delicious roast!
We were too. We learned from the part manager that that Bear sometimes does come across the river. I'm glad he stayed on that side this time.
We've camped there before and had a great time. Couldn't keep the dogs out of the river 😂. When we lived in Carter County, we would put our kayaks in at the steel bridge near the bottom of the dam. What a beautiful paddle.
It was a beautiful paddle for sure, we need to do more exploring in that area.
Welcome to NE TN! We live just north in Blountville Tn.
What a truly beautiful place you live in.
Shhhh don’t tell anyone about our little slice of heaven
Looking forward to going to this campground. Thank you for the video and your last one of Grayson Highlands. These are 2 on our list. Oh and we use the instant pot. Took it out west in April which was anywhere from 20 to 6 degrees. Hot food was a treat.
Glad that you love them. We think you'll love both of these places.
Watauga river and lake are in my neck of the woods and I have fished at the campground many times. I did not know about the trail you went- I will have to check it out.
Your neck of the woods is a beautiful place. Hope you caught a lot of fish there.
My grandmother lived in Old Butler. That is the town TVA flooded in order to build the dam.
I can’t imagine how traumatic at time that must’ve been. I’ve seen stories that just make you sad with people having to leave their homes for years and years and years.
I was up in Canada last week, before the fires hit, and we took the shuttle to Moraine Lake. Getting onto the shuttle on the way back the driver asked us if we were bringing bear spray with us. I told her “oh no, we put it on before we left the motel.” She just looked at me until I grinned and told her I was kidding. She told me later “you made my day.”
That sounds like something Owen would say. Thanks for sharing… made us smile!
Great video! Nice paddle boarding and seeing a bear. Bears are cute. The pot roast looked good. We had pot roast too but put it in a crock pot. We have an instant pot but not sure how to use it for that. We lost the instructions when we had to leave our house a few years ago. It’s nice to have one of those. Maggie looked cool and relaxing while you were having lunch. How were the trails there? Hope you have a great week and see you soon!
The trails we went on were good, I think the hike would have been better if we had a pay off… like walking over the dam.
@@VANTREKKINGlifestyle
Sorry you didn’t get to walk over the dam but hopefully you’ll be able to go back.
That bear was sniffing the slow cooker 😅
just found you glad i did
We're glad you did too. The more the merrier. Stay connected to us thru comments and if you're on Facebook you can find us there too.
Just a hint on the Instant Pot...next time you might want to pressure it for a few minutes, maybe 3, before you leave and then let it "slow cook" while you're out. That way it is hot all the way through before the slow cooking starts. Will probably take at least an hour off your slow cooking time and the meat may get more "fall apart" tender.
Thank you so much for the awesome suggestion. Will write it down because I know we'll forget before we use that thing again. But we really do enjoy using the instantpot not as good as it as we would hope to be.
Do you think Maggie saw the bear or smelled the bear? The campground looked great and I think Fall would be spectacular. Always enjoy it when you take us camping. Happy tails and safe travels.
Maybe a little of both. It was hard to see. It was well hidden.
That looks like a great Campground. Love the smoke on the water. Was that early morning or early evening? Whichever it always puts me in a good mood.
Glad you loved it. It actually happened in the morning and the evening. As the water was cooler and the temperature started to drop we got that natural fog on the water. It was beautiful to see.
As always a great video. Thank you for sharing. I am curious about your bike rack. Does it fold back to allow easy back door access?
The bike rack is a Thule EasyFold XT 2 Hitch Bike Rack - E-Bike Compatible and it does fold back so we can get into the back storage compartment. We do have it in our Amazon store if you would like to see all the specs, here’s our link if you are interested www.amazon.com/shop/VanTrekkingLifestyle.
@@VANTREKKINGlifestyle thank you
Huy guys. What happened to to other kayaks you had. The were orak or something like that.
The other kayaks were Oru’s, we still have them. We are putting out a video tomorrow that explains why we changed.
Always have a small pack with water,snacks, first aid kit and some sort of flashlight, minimum, even on shorter hikes. You just never know.
That is a smart idea that we need incorporate
Good girl Maggie
It almost looks fake because it's so damn nice.
So funny just up that mountain you see from the lake is where we purchased a cabin for our new base camp.
Wow! Such a small world isn't it? What a location for a base camp for you guys. Way to go! We assume it's a summertime escape the heat place?
@@VANTREKKINGlifestyle sold up in Florida it was way to big and if we came back it was always in the hot summer so needed a cooler spot we can also rent out when we're not around,thinking of a name like "Roamers Retreat" even has an Rv hook up
Nice video today !! We were out campground scouting one day and drove thru there but haven't stayed there yet. Loved you got to see mr. bear. Last month I got our girl a water cup off of Amazon to take along while we're taking our short hikes. This heat & humidity has been horrible. Happy camping 🏕
We have a water cup for Maggie a water bowl for Maggie and a backpack for Maggie and we usually travel with him. Our problem is convincing ourselves that it's worth caring that because we think it's just gonna be a short hike. We need to learn that we need to take it every time she goes.
@@VANTREKKINGlifestyle sometimes Ziva will just take a few laps and then I'm carrying the bottle almost full back with me, I guess it makes me feel better knowing I offered, lol !!
Fabulous photography!
Thank you!
Nice video...