Success Lake.

Our van has been out of commission for several months getting an improved new engine and transmission including other upgrades and replacements so when we finally got it back up and running we had to take it out on a journey. Even though it still required some "fine tuning", the new engine was running fairly strong and was shifting like a dream. Our original plan was to travel 200 miles per day and take 5 days to get to Portland Oregon. After two days of driving we realized that with no air conditioning combined with 100 degree heat, a toddler and a 2 month old, we wouldn't be carrying on to Portland. Here is a picture of or first fuel stop with my hot wife (literally and figuratively).

Google estimates about 3 hours to drive to Lake Success which turned out to be closer to 6 hours when you include our leisurely driving pace and stops for fuel and food. For this trip we used the Park Advisor app (highly recommended and free!) to discover this campground that is owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. We were pleasantly surprised with the proximity and views of the lake, clean bathrooms/showers, large sites with shaded picnic tables, and it was only $20 per night.

We left home at 10am but due to the above mentioned delays, we didn't arrive till 4pm which left us with little time to enjoy this campground. Here is a shot of the beautiful sunset, Brooke's chalk art, and the lake as we left.

Overall it was a success at Lake Success and we would like to visit again when we can stay for a longer period.