The Byrd Family Camping Site
About Me


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This is the page where I'll describe myself in more detail.

I might talk about how old I am, what I look like, and what I do for a living. (I'll try to be truthful!) Yeh Right!!!

I am including some information about my personal history:
My dad was career military US Army and the only recreation we ever had as I was growing up, was going to the base recreation area, which was usually a Campground somewhere near the bases. We always tented or I remember having a pop-up several different times and we had a slide-in camper for a 66 Datsun pick-up truck once....
So, at the age of 43 I looked at our lives as a family and asked my wife if she would like to start camping (I remember the good times with dad & mom), we still have dad & mom's tent with all the stuff. She said she wasn't too sure about camping in a tent. My son and I have camped in the back yard several times and we have camped with the boys & guys from church several times. But the wife said NO!! not in a tent!!!
So to make a real long story short, we bought a Viking 2460 pop-up Labor Day weekend(2000) and have logged the following trips since.

2000= 3 trips, 7 nights, 1000 miles towed

  1. October: Boone, NC Flintlock CG , 2 nights, 250 miles
  2. November: Rockingham Race Track, 2 nights, 250 miles
  3. November: Ocean Lakes CG Myrtle Beach, SC, 3 nights, 500 miles


2001= 10 trips, 22 nights, 2540 miles towed

  1. February: Rockingham Race Track, 2 nights, 250 miles
  2. March: Jordan Lake CG, 2 nights, 90 miles
  3. April: Myrtle Beach Travel Park CG, 3 nights, 500 miles
  4. May: WINSTON Charlotte,NC Lowes Motor Speedway, 2 nights, 185 miles
  5. June: Jordan Lake CG, 2 nights, 90 miles
  6. August: Jordan Lake CG, 2 nights, 90 miles
  7. September: Havelock/Morehead City, NC Family Reunion Farm, 3 nights, 400 miles
  8. September: Lowes MotorSpeedway, 2 nights, 185 miles
  9. October: Flintlock CG Boone,NC, 2 nights, 250 miles
  10. November: MyrtleBeach Travel Park, 2 nights, 500 miles


2002= 10 trips, 28 nights, 2510 miles.

  1. February: Rockingham Race Track, 2 nights, 250 miles
  2. March: Jordan Lake CG, 2 nights, 90 miles
  3. April: Myrtle Beach Travel Park, 2 nights, 500 miles
  4. June: Jordan Lake CG, 3 nights, 90 miles
  5. July 4th: Jordan Lake CG, 4 nights, 90 miles
  6. July(App): Flintlock CG Boone,NC, 2 nights, 250 miles
  7. July: Townsend TN 2002 POPUP Times Rally, 7 nights, 650 miles
  8. September: Jordan Lake CG, 2 nights, 90 miles
  9. October: Flintlock CG Bone, NC, 2 nights, 250 miles
  10. November: Rockingham RaceTrack, 2 nights, 250 miles

2003= 11 Trips, 31 nights, 3125 miles

  1. April 17-20 Myrtle Beach Travel Park (Spring Break) 3 nights, 500 miles
  2. May 16-18 The WINSTON, Lowe's Motor Speedway 2 nights, 185 miles
  3. May 31-June 7 Myrtle Beach Travel Park(Family Vacation) 7 nights, 500 miles
  4. June 20-21 Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, Apex, NC(guys weekend)2 nights 90 miles
  5. July 3-6 KOA, Shallotte, NC (July 4th Long weekend), 3 nights, 400 miles
  6. July 25-27 Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, Apex, NC 2 nights, 90 miles
  7. August 29-September 1 KOA, Shallotte, NC (Labor Day long weekend) 3 nights, 400 miles
  8. September 27, 2003 Bought the Fleetwood Mallard 26H Travel Trailer from Hawley's Camping Center in Raleigh, NC
  9. October 9-12 UAW 500 Lowe's Motor Speedway(guys only) 3 nights, 185 miles
  10. October 17-19 RJ's Ranch CG (Halloween I ) Hillsville, VA 2 nights, 275 miles
  11. November 19-23 Ocean Lakes CG (Thanksgiving) South Myrtle Beach, SC 4 nights, 500 miles.

2004 = 8 Trips, 27 nights, 2765 miles

  1. February 20-22 The Rock-NC MotorSpeedway, Rockingham, NC "The Last Race" 2 nights,250 miles
  2. April 21-25 Ocean Lakes CG Myrtle Beach, SC (Easter Break) 4 nights, 500 miles
  3. May 28-31 Jordan Lake State Recreation Area (Memorial Day) , 3 nights, 90 miles
  4. June 19-26 Twin Mountain RV Resort (Family Vacation), Pigeon Forge, TN 7 nights, 650 miles "Family Vacation"
  5. July 23-25 Zooland Camp Ground Asheboro, NC, 2 nights, 100 miles
  6. September 3-6 Labor Day KOA Shallotte, NC, 3 nights, 400 miles
  7. October 15-17 RJ's Ranch, Hillsville, VA 2 nights, 275 miles (Halloween I weekend)
  8. November 24-28 Ocean Lakes CG (Thanksgiving) South Myrtle Beach, SC 4 nights, 500 miles

2005= 11 Trips and  38 nights, 3476 miles

  • January 15th Traded 2001 Mallard 26H in on a 2005 Cougar 301BHS( Hawley's Camping Center, Garner, NC)
  • February 25-27 Dan Nichols County Park (guy only trip), Salisbury, NC 2 nights, 156 miles
  • March 30- April 3, Ocean Lakes CG, Myrtle Beach, SC 4 nights, 500 miles
  • May 27-30 Paradise Lakes Family Campground, Appomattix, VA 3 nights, 300 miles
  • June 14-19, US Open, Bondocking 5 nights, 114 miles
  • June 29-July2, Ocean Lakes CG, summer vacation 6 nights,500 miles
  • July 8-10, Kerr Lake CG, 2 nights 225 miles?
  • July 28-31. James Island County Park, Charleston, SC Carolina Campers trip, 3 Nights, 660 miles
  • August 11-14 Kerr Lake State Recreation Area, Satterwhite Point, NC 3 nights, 190 miles
  • September 2-5 Labor Day, KOA Wilmington, NC 3 nights, 400 miles
  • October 27-30, RJ's Ranch Halloween, 3 Nights, 275 miles
  • November 23-27, Ocean Lakes CG (Thanksgiving) 6 nights, 500 miles. At the end of this trip on my home from the beach, I was rear-ended and my camper has severe damage to the left back side and under carriage. The back side from the middle out has been crushed under the camper and the frame and slide out bike/storage rack is under the "I" beam on the left side. The left side valance is crushed also.  Waiting as of 11-30-05 for an insurance adjuster to view and give me a report. Then I will take it back to dealer for a estimate of repairs and see where we go from there. This is the first accident towing or other wise in all these years and miles. Several close calls but this was the one that got me.


total= 53 trips, 153 nights, 15416 miles towed and driven as of November 30 2005.
*Mileage is approximate*
Going to Shallotte, NC, Myrtle Beach and Charleston, SC, Havelock/Morehead City, NC, Townsend & Pigeon Forge, TN for the longest trips. Closest is 45 miles one way(Jordan Lake).

So now, I am making the memories that my parents did for me with my 3 children, my wife and she is enjoying it more and more each time we go. So much so that we have bought a 2005 Keystone Cougar 301BHS Travel Trailer at the end of January 2005.

Thanks DAD & MOM

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Mark Martin drives the #6 car.
He is the families favorite driver.
GO Mark Martin #6.



Favorites

Here's a list of some of my favorite movies:
Anything with Tom Hanks and Mel Gibson in it.
I really liked
The Last Samurai,
The Green Mile,
The Patriot,
Saving Private Ryan,
Castaway.
As far as it goes, it will be hard to find a movie better than "BlackHawk Down". This movie left me speechless as I left the theater.
Funny Movies,
I would have to say Road Trip, everytime I watch this movie I crack up laughing.
I like Meg Ryan in most her movies.

Here's a list of some of my favorite music:

Beach Music, 70's and 80's, Classic Rock, Some of the new stuff is OK. Lately I been listening to COUNTRY WTQR-104.1
I enjoy listening to KLOVE Christian Music.