Mountain Stream Current News

For years the curve at the west end of the park near site 20 has been a source of aggravation because of "Igor", an RV eating rock living there. Part of Igor poked up out of the ground right where the roadway should be, so the road had to narrow there making the curve sharper and cutting down maneuvering room for backing into a couple of sites.

Now Igor was usually pretty docile - he just sat there getting in the way. However, if you weren't paying attention and got too close to him, Igor would take a bite out of your camper just to remind you that he was there.

A few years ago, Igor was defanged somewhat with a jack hammer, but occasionally he still managed to gnaw on someone's camper. So this winter we brought in some heavy equipment and evicted Igor from his long time home. He now lives completely exposed about 15 feet from his previous below ground dwelling.

In the pictures below, you see Igor in his new location as well as the new wider road. There's still more work to be done on the railings and landscaping, but Igor will no longer be snacking on RVs.

This year work weekend was cut short by the weather. Cleanup work started around 9:00 in the morning under gray, cloudy skies. The sun peeked through the clouds a couple of times, just enough to make you think that the rain might hold off. By noon, all of the leaves, sticks and other debris throughout the park had been cleared out, the bath house reopened, and all of the outdoor deck tables and chairs cleaned.

The skies had lightened somewhat when we broke for lunch and it looked like we would be able to get a full day's work in. This was great because the afternoon project was shoveling dirt - a lot of dirt. One part of reworking the sites at the west end of the park was creating a raised terrace on the berm at the rear of the sites. Doing this involved placing lots of railroad cross ties, tons of gravel, and moving of a lot of rocks and dirt. Sites 24 & 25 had been completed and the cross ties were in place on site 26. So only the grunt work of moving the dirt and rocks on site 26 remained.

With six or eight folks shoveling, most of the heavy work remaining on site 26 could be finished up that afternoon. This was great because otherwise it would be just one person shoveling. The six or eight person alternative sounded much, much better. But, alas, it was not to be. It started raining as we were finishing up lunch - and continued all afternoon. So, it's back to one person and one shovel. Ah well, best laid plans and all that.

This project this winter was reworking sites at the west end of the park. Sites 24 - 27 were our focus this time. We raised the road and the front of the sites about a foot to make the sites level. Sites 26 and 27 were combined creating another super site, raised terraces overlooking the stream were added to the rear of the three remaining sites and the sites were angled to make them easier to get into. There is still a good bit of work remaining on site 26, but it's coming along nicely and we're really pleased with how these sites have turned out.

It looks like they are going to be popular with our campers as well. Even though the landscaping hasn't been completed, two families arriving in the past week have asked for site 25. Hopefully this is a sign that other folks are going to like them as well.

Easter was a big hit with the children again this year. They created a lot of colorful eggs (thank goodness for disposable plastic tablecloths).

Last Easter it turned bitterly cold and we had a hard freeze that killed off the new blossoms on nearly everything. Easter came much earlier this year but the weather was much warmer. At least the children didn't have to wear winter coats for the egg hunt.

The kids found all of the hidden prize eggs as well as most of the other eggs. However, there appears to be a dozen or so plastic eggs still out there for the lawn mower to find.

This will be another busy winter. Our big project last winter was upgrading sites 14 - 22 and creating three new super sites. This winter we're working on sites 24 - 27 and creating another super site. Once these are finished we'll be making upgrades to sites 28 - 31. Expectations are to have this completed sometime in the spring.

Thanksgiving day weather was gorgeous again this year. It was sunny with temperatures in the mid-60s. There was lots of good food - more than enough to feed the 65 people who came for the Thanksgiving meal. This was the third year for Thanksgiving dinner at Mountain Stream and each year the number of people attending has increased. Several families have already made their reservations for next year.

Cross Way is a Blue Grass Gospel group from Concord, NC. This was their first time at the campground and they were a big hit with the audience. We hope to have them back again.

The Golden Valley Crusaders is a bluegrass gospel band based out of Golden Valley, NC. They tour all over the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee. Labor Day weekend was their debut at Mountain Stream and they really wowed the crowd! This is a fantastic group - and they will be back next Labor Day weekend!

Our 9th annual Chili Cook-Off winner! There were seven entries - every one had a different taste, but all were really good!

The Songsters come from Gastonia, NC and have been entertaining folks with good old time southern gospel music for many years.

The Blairs are a local couple from Nebo, NC. They've been singing southern gospel for a long time. They first performed at Mountain Stream in May and will be back for the third time in the fall.

Men of Praise is a Southern Gospel group from Hickory, NC. This was their first performance at Mountain Stream and we hope to have them back many times.

Our Stargazer Lily came out again this year and it was just as impressive as it was last year. It gets over five feet tall and produces a number of beautiful blooms.

The new super sites have really proven to be popular. Site 13 was the original super site and was consistently our most popular site. This winter we reworked the sites in the northeast corner of the park and created three additional super sites (14, 19 & 20). The response has been overwhelming. All four of these sites are now our most requested sites. Guess we'll have to think about creating a few more!

There hasn't been much rain so far this year, and the stream is down a little. We're seeing more of the rocks in the stream than usual, but the stream is still flowing nicely and the fish are still biting.

The weather had been unusually warm the first three months of the year. We had spring weather most of the winter. Just about the time folks were ready to put their winter clothes up for the year, everything changed. We had snow flurries the day before Easter and Easter day was really cold - about 40 degrees colder than the week before! Brrrr!! But it wasn't cold enough to keep the children away from the Easter egg hunt. Everyone else may have been cold, but the Easter bunny was warm as toast in his suit!

Looks like the fishing is going to be good at the park this year. Two really nice rainbows were caught on the same day (April 21st). Bud Mader caught one that measured 19 1/2 inches and just a few hours later Bruce Chandley caught one that measured 21 inches!

We had a real nice turnout for Work Weekend this year and a lot was accomplished. In addition to the regular spring cleanup, everyone pitched in and finished up the work on the new sites. Landscape timbers were put down for neat, clean separation between gravel and grassy areas and the decks on the new super sites were rebuilt. And just as he has done for the past several years, Larry Freeman worked his magic on the grill and cooked up a scrumptious lunch for everyone.

Things are moving along on reworking the sites 11 - 22. Phase I is sites 19 - 22. Site 21 has been taken out and work is underway on grading and drainage for the new sites 19, 20 and 22. This area up in the curve is requires the most work. Phase II, sites 14 - 18 should begin mid February. Hopefully, we can start on Phase III, sites 11 - 13, in early March. We'll keep you posted as things progress.

First snow of the year! It was too warm for it to last very long, but it certainly was pretty while it was coming down. But Jasmine didn't think too much of it. In the picture she's thinking that maybe she really didn't need to go out after all - maybe if she waits things will be normal later.

Well, 2006 is just about gone and the nights are beginning to get chilly here in the mountains but it's still really quite nice during the day. It's mid-December and we still have afternoon temperatures in the 50's and 60's. Even though the regular camping season is over remember that we are still open for those who want to do some winter camping. Sites will be available throughout the winter except for when we shut down for the holidays (December 20th through January 2nd). During the winter the bath house is closed, but water, electric and sewer hookups are still available on the sites. So, if your camper is self contained and equipped for cold weather, come on up and enjoy the mountains in the winter.

We'll be working on some improvements through the winter. The biggest improvement project will be reworking sites 11 through 22. Two sites will be eliminated but the remaining sites will be enlarged to handle bigger rigs and some will also be moved (rotated about 30 degrees) to make them easier to get into. Sites 14, 19 & 20 will be enlarged quite a bit and will become double sites like site 13.

Rates will change a little in 2007. Rates for non-stream sites will remain the same, but the stream sites will go up $1.00 and double sites will go up $2.50. The charge for 50amp service will go up 50 cents but the air conditioning charge during the summer months will go down 50 cents. Also, the air conditioning charge will be included in the base site price (as a summer rate) rather than an additional charge, so discounts (Good Sam, AAA, etc.) will apply to the A/C charge as well. This all works out to an overall average rate increase of about 1.2%.

Once again we had great weather for the Mountain Stream Thanksgiving Dinner. It was sunny and 60 degrees. There were 52 people for the afternoon meal and so much food that we did it all again at 6:00pm. Spending Thanksgiving at Mountain Stream is becoming more popular each year.

October is a special (and busy) time at Mountain Stream. We were completely booked every weekend in October (hint: October books up early, so don't wait too long to make your 2007 reservations). The fall colors are really a sight to behold in the mountains. Vibrant reds, fiery oranges and brilliant yellows abound in every direction. The colors this year were more brilliant than they have been in years and the view from the overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway was awesome - so was the traffic.

In the middle of October, we have Christmas in October. This weekend is always a big hit. Some campers decorate their rigs, Tom and JoAnne do a special Christmas show, and Santa and Mrs. Claus are here for the children.

The choir from Pleasant Gardens Baptist Church returned for another "road trip" to Mountain Stream the weekend between Christmas in October and Halloween. This time it was a little chilly compared to what it was when they came in June, but that didn't seem to hurt their performance one bit.

Halloween weekend was a lot of fun for everyone. Several campers decorated their sites and a number of strange creatures were out and about gathering vast amounts of candy! As always, we also had a pumpkin decorating contest but unfortunately the pictures of the winners were lost. Sorry guys.

Once again Barbara Hogge did her rendition of Christina Smith's song "Chocolate" during the Halloween weekend show. Barbara and husband Andy have been coming to Mountain Stream for years going back to the time when Dave & Chrissy Smith owned the park. Barbara does her "Chocolate" performance as a tribute to Chrissy's memory.

September was a busy month. In addition to the 10th annual Mountain Stream Duck Race, we had The Master's Quartet, Rebecca Evans and the 8th annual Mountain Stream Chili Cook-Off.

The Mountain Stream Duck Race is an event looked forward to by many of our campers. This year was the 10th annual race. 62 ducks (and a few other assorted floating creatures) were entered. The course is about 100 yards long starting in the swift water running over and between big rocks behind sites 11 & 12 and ending in the calm, shallow area behind site 2. First there are heat races of six or so ducks and then one final race between the winners of the heat races. The winner received a nice t-shirt embroidered with the image of a racing duck and the words "Winner of the 10th Annual Mountain Stream Duck Race". This year's winner had just recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. Our thanks to him him and all the other service men and women who are going in harm's way to for their country. God Bless you all!

By the way, all of the entry fees collected (a buck a duck to enter) are donated to Missions of Hope, who travel to Nicaragua each Christmas bringing toys and clothing to children who would otherwise have nothing.

We very fortunate to have the Master's Quartet this September. This was their first performance here and they were a big hit with everyone. Hopefully, we'll be able to schedule them again next year.

The winner of this year's Chili Cook-Off was Cheryl Ford. Cheryl is from Dover, Florida and this was her first trip to Mountain Stream. Cheryl is an RN and CEO of a healthcare company. Her husband Jan Craddock is a dentist. Both were in the forefront of the battle for Terri Shaivo's life and are co-authors of the book Fight4Terri.

Rebecca Evans debuted on the 23rd with her first performance at Mountain Stream. Rebecca is from Marion and is blessed with a truly fantastic voice. Her opening number was a performance of "Second Hand Rose" that showed that she is wonderful comedienne as well a great singer. Ray Munn (the bass player with the Tom & Jo Show) and Ova Brown (one half of our great workamper team) accompanied Rebecca on several of her numbers.

We had two guest group performances in July. On the 15th, one of our favorite gospel quartets, the Songsmen, were back to for the third year. Their previous performances were real crowd pleasers and this year was even better. The following week, the Friendship Dulcimer Group came back for a return performance. And, as before, they were a big hit. In addition to a healthy dose of delightful mountain music, we were treated to a lesson in the history of mountain music and the construction of dulcimers.

Spring, summer and fall - nature's colors are all around you at Mountain Stream. This year, the big Stargazer Lily in front of the bath house really took off! It hadn't done much the previous two years, but this year it shot up to over five feet tall and produced many beautiful blooms.

This month we had a real treat; the choir from Pleasant Gardens Baptist Church came to Mountain Stream. They called it their "road trip". They performed a number of contemporary Christian songs along with some selections from their Easter Cantata. This was their first trip "up the mountain", but hopefully not their last. The choir wanted to know when they could come back and the campers wanted to know when they were going to come back - so we're trying to set up a date in October for their return.

Here at Mountain Stream we have a covered dish supper Saturday evenings before the show. There's always plenty to eat and most folks usually eat too much - but that's just part of Saturday nights at Mountain Stream.

This month we had another treat. Tom & JoAnne's granddaughter, Elizabeth, joined them on the stage for their Saturday night Tom & Jo Show. Keep an eye out for this little lady. She's only nine years old, but she's really talented - you'll be hearing more about her!

True Bound Gospel Quartet returned May 20th for another engagement at Mountain Stream. Everyone enjoyed their uplifting music. They first performed here in 2005 and we look forward to having them back again the future.

April is always a special month. Spring is coming, the flowers and trees are blooming and camping season has begun.

Easter is also part of early spring. Adults tend to think of Easter as a time of religious significance, of rebirth, of new beginnings, but children think of Easter as a time of fun - like Easter egg coloring and egg hunts...

Of course, for camping families Easter (or any other time for that matter) means eating. And at Mountain Stream eating means the Saturday night covered dish supper.

As pretty as the cherry blossoms are, it isn't long before they turn into "pink snow".

We had a real good turnout for work weekend this year. It was chilly, but sixteen families came in for a weekend of free camping to help get the park ready to open for the season. Our good friend, neighbor and long time camper Larry Freeman cooked up a fantastic meal for everyone Saturday. From the pictures, it looks like all anyone did was eat, but in reality a tremendous amount of work was done. A great big THANK YOU to everyone who came and got the park into shape for the new season.

Even though it had snowed two days earlier, Thanksgiving day was sunny and 62 degrees. It was a perfect day for a Thanksgiving dinner under the pavilion. We had over 40 people for the Thanksgiving dinner covered dish - and there was enough food for many more. And, as usual, everyone ate way too much! The Andrew Hardy family from Cocoa, Florida were back for another week at Mountain Stream. Andrew deep fried a couple of turkeys for the covered dish dinner. If you've never had fried turkey, you don't know what you're missing. It gives the turkey a very different taste that is REALLY good! The Hardy's have already made their reservations for Thanksgiving 2006, so we can look forward to more fried turkey for next year's Thanksgiving covered dish dinner.

We frequently have clubs or groups come into the park to spend some time together at Mountain Stream. But there was "thunder in the valley" when this group from SuperPerformance came in with their Cobras.

We had lots of entrants for our Halloween pumpkin decorating contest. There were scary pumpkins, Pac-Man pumpkins, funny face pumpkins, illuminated pumpkins, but the winner was a pop-up pumpkin created by the Toney family. The pumpkins get more creative each year - we can hardly wait to see what folks come up with next year!

Click on the icons below for current updates on road conditions and details on any closures and alternative routes: