Indian Creek at Mark Twain Lake - September 2016

We camped at the Indian Creek campground at Mark Twain Lake. The camp was filled with boaters out to enjoy one last weekend on the lake. This was a campground which I remember from youth. I remember Monroe too, because I think that is where Dad got a speeding ticket, when Mark and I had the caged squirrel, and were hiding from the officer in the bed of the truck for fear he'd ask us why we had a squirrel...

I remember Mom and Dad driving up to Mark Twain Lake many times. What I don't remember is how out in the middle of nowhere it feels. As one who has given up on paper maps in favor of the ever-present Google Maps, it was quite the shocker when the phone reception gave out. Of course Google Maps left us on the shortest route, which did not include any State Highways like 41, but instead abandoned us at the intersection of two county roads between corn fields. Not very descriptive landmarks, once you are that far north in Missouri. Go north of Hannibal and the difference between Missouri and Iowa is purely political, not geographic.

Thankfully, there were signs pointing to the Indian Creek Marina, and the logo of a spear with feathers was a familiar one. We made it in to camp just fine. But next time, I'm going to bring a Rand McNalley with us, if we can still buy one of those.

The Indian Creek campgrounds are near the Indian Creek Marina. The marina store on the docks was open until 10 pm. The store rented boats and sold ice cream. The diner served breakfast, lunch and dinner, to hungry boaters. The marina store sold bagged ice, but not firewood. The docks looked very similar to how they had 25 years ago. More ski-dos less sailboats, but generally the same. I don't think my boys had ever seen so many bass boats all in one place. My oldest seeing what the "good life" looked like decided he wanted a piece of it. He scanned every FOR SALE sign he could, judging how many yard mowings it would take to save up for a boat...and a truck to pull it...

I did snap into "Army Mode" once. The boys were scootering down the road, and I was following with the dog. A Jeep was coming down the road, and the boys being boys didn't exactly notice. Two did, but not the third. He just kept scooting....slowly...in front of the Jeep. Just about the time I was ready to holler at the boy, the driver made a "REALLY?!" comment snidely to my boy. I guess he was too stupid to notice me walking at his fender. I barked back "REALLY?!" at him, and gave him some neighborly advice about how he should drive, and be on the watch for pedestrians, and about how if he didn't like that, then maybe he was in the wrong place. He just turned real red, and drove on.

It was a good life lesson for the boy. He realized that he'd caused the altercation, and apologized to me for it. I asked him to be more aware of his surroundings in the future. It was also a good life-lesson for the Jeep driver...

The weather was wonderful, 80s in the day and 60s at night. The CFO enjoyed our campsite as it overlooked the lake. She also enjoyed her Merlot.

The boys took charge of the fire, and the oldest made breakfast on his own on Monday morning. I was very pleased to see my boys' skills improving. Making a fire without gas or chemicals is a basic life skill. Making your own breakfast is too. Bribing your parents with breakfast already made is an art.

These times are chances for the boys (and the parents) to unplug from our normally very electronic life. Eegads no wifi, no internet, NO YOUTUBE!! The initial shock can be rough, but in the end, the rewards are great. Conflict can be defined as two brothers in the same room. Conflict resolution is therefore a good camping trip. Additionally, while one brother may hassle another brother, woe to the strange boy who attempts to pick on one of the brothers at the play ground. Where there was just one brother, suddenly there are three!

Dad gets a chance to attempt to back in the trailer to a campsite, and do it successfully. Sometimes he makes it on the first try, like this trip. Sometimes, he doesn't. Sometime towing a trailer is easy. Sometimes you have to travel behind the Sunday driver out on a Monday afternoon. And then sometimes a giant combine comes down the road where there is clearly not room for his header, let alone for him to meet traffic. At these times, you just get to stop and watch the laws of physics dictate what happens next. (Both of those happened on the way home...)

Monday turned hot, but we were packed and gone before the weather got into the 90s.

Campground
Loops
The campground is divided into a East and West campgrounds. The East Campground has two loops for electric, and one rustic tent-only loops. The West Campground has three loops for electric hookups. Some electric sites have water, some have sewer. Some don't. You'll need to pay attention to which site you reserve to make sure you get what you want.

Shower Houses & Latrines
There were three latrines on each loop, one of which was a shower house. These were kept fairly clean. All had running water and flushing toilets. Public water spigots were well placed between campsites.

Playgrounds
There was one playground for the East Campground and one for the West.

Trails
There were several short trails that led from the campground loops to the lake shore. These were short and graveled. Hilly portions were landscaped with railroad tie stairs.

Campsites
Terrain
The main section of the campground is level, and had good asphalt road between the sites.  The area was generally mowed along the road, but the areas between campsites were filled with abundant poison ivy and aromatic sumac crops. The lack of well mowed area between campsites was disappointing and concerning as this limited the children's play area and presented a concern for skin rashes.

The camp is set next to Mark Twain lake. The hikes down to the lake can be steep, but the trails are well marked, and even have landscape timber stairs.

Pad Space
The pads are generally all of a good length, and are pretty level. These I might even describe as deep, since campers can generally fit a combination of trailer, truck, and boat on the same pad.

Amenities
Each campsite came with one aluminium picnic table , one fire pit, and one lantern pole. The electric site all have electric hook-ups at a post at the back of the pad. The sites are all leveled and have been terraced with landscape timbers and gravel to mark out the main picnic area. There is no camp store. The nearest general store is in Monroe, MO. However, a local farmer off HH sells firewood in generous amounts. We paid $10 and got a whole load of wood in the back of the Traverse.

Camp Staff
Check-in Hosts
The check-in hosts were efficient at the gate. We were allowed to check in early without issue. However, small talk was not in the game plan, as the Labor Day weekend caused several campers to stack up in the check-in lane.

Campsite Hosts
Campsite hosts did check on campers by driving by in a pickup truck. They were identified by polo shirts.

Rangers
We had no interaction with any Rangers.

Programs
The camp offered a nature trivia night on Friday night. We missed it.