Arrow Rock & Boonville Missouri: A SAD Camping Experience

When:  Friday, May 31, 2019 to Sunday, June 2, 2019 (two nights)
Where:  Arrow Rock State Park (mid-Missouri)
Cost:  $28/night for electric only

Having successfully stayed at a comfy RV resort (Cottonwoods RV Park) located a few miles from our home, we were now ready to try something more akin to actual “camping” with our travel trailer, Sally.   We opted for the Arrow Rock state park near the historic village of the same name.  The park was booked except for “electric only” sites (no water or sewer connections).  That meant that we would have to fill up our fresh water tank when we got to the campground.  That also meant we would have to “dump” at the campground on our way out.   Real camping!

Arrow Rock is located on the Missouri River just north of I-70.  The trip would be just a forty-mile drive from our home in Columbia, Missouri.  Our plan was to stay relatively close to home in case something went wrong.   

And it did.

The drive was capital S - Sucky.  

We drove on I-70, which was the first time pulling the travel trailer on the interstate.   It was a Friday afternoon, and traffic seemed more congested than usual.   Moreover, our $500+ Andersen “no sway” weight distribution hitch system did not seem to be working.   Nearly every time a semi-truck passed us or we exceeded 55 mph, we fish-tailed.   I was white-knuckling and exclaiming “oh my God!” (plus expletives) nearly the entire time.    Kasie kept her composure for the most part, but rightfully yelled back “yes!” ever time I asked “did you feel that?”   This did not bode well for future trips.

Site 28 was Awful to level.

Likewise, our first experience leveling Sally at the campground was capital A – Awful. 

We picked Site 28 near the end of a loop, thinking that would be sort of like a “pull-though” site because of the turn.   The site looked deceptively level, and we neglected to notice several tire ruts.  After about an hour of trying to level the trailer, we decided to move just a few sites over to Site 31, a traditional back-in site.   Kasie drove the truck like a pro, and we were able to turn and back the camper in and level it in just 15 minutes or so.   The entire process was exhausting though. 

We were capital D – Disappointed. 

Once we got settled, we were excited to explore the historic village of Arrow Rock, which was within walking distance.  We were looking forward to grabbing a bite and some beer at the J Huston Tavern, which was built in 1834.  We were capital D – Disappointed.  Little did we know that the tavern was closed after suffering $80K in damage from fire just a week before. There was another restaurant nearby, but there was a paper posted stating that the cook had broken his hand (or something to that effect) so it was closed as well.  The nearby Boardwalk Canteen seemed promising, but this deceptive name was only a vending machine space. Alas! 

Overall, it was a capital S.A.D. day. 

We went back to the trailer for the night and wallowed in our sadness.  That same night, we also ordered a new Husky 32217 Center Line Hitch on Amazon. 

The next day was better.  We drove to the Booneville Katy Trail entrance and biked about 12 miles south to Pilot Grove, where we had a Busch Light and Sam Adam’s (their idea of “craft beer”) at Deon's Bar and Grill.   We were the only people in the bar, other than the bartender’s son.  We chit-chatted and drank our beer.   I love small towns and bars like Deon’s. 

After quenching our thirst, we rode back to Boonville, and stopped by the ever-popular Maggie's Bar and Grill.   There was not an empty seat inside, so we first sat in the tin-roofed, beer-signed patio area in back.  When a spot at the bar opened up, we went back inside to cool off.   The service was slow, but the bar food was amazing!  You won’t go wrong with the fried pickles and patty melt at Maggie’s.

Deon’s in Pilot Grove (just off the Katy Trail)

After biking and eating, we traveled back to Arrow Rock, walked through town again, and then just hung around the campground.   The college softball world series was on TV so we set up the TV outdoors.  

The Next Day: Issues with our RV Hitch (more SADness)

When it was time to leave the next day, we ran into another problem. The trailer had been backed in so that the truck at about a 30-45 degree angle with the trailer when we unhitched it.   We learned that with the Andersen hitch system, the trailer could not be properly reconnected unless the vehicle was at the same angle.  It therefore took us about 30+ minutes to maneuver around, get the hitch in place, and actually get out of the site.  Overall, I think we spent nearly 2 hours packing up and leaving the site.  

By the time this trip was over, we were wondering if we had made the right decision to get an RV.   We would be getting a new hitch to try out in a few days. Rather than give up on RV-ing, we were also already thinking perhaps we needed a different kind of RV.   The sway was a big problem. We wanted an easier set-up/take-down. We had another trip to St. Louis planned in just a week, but the search for our next RV was already on.

Our campsite at Arrow Rock State Park.

We were already thinking we might need a different RV…..