Rantoul, IL.
62 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
Jim was outside early yesterday morning and sorting through a couple of my basement compartments. He says that it's amazing how much you accumulate in just a few years.
If he would have asked me, I could have told him that there was a lot of unnecessary stuff down there. ;-)
Well anyway, he spent a good part of the morning sorting, condensing and throwing away the stuff that either was not good any more or not needed. He made quite a bit of progress, but take my word for it, there's still a lot of unnecessary stuff in those other bays.
After lunch, Jim and Linda headed over to the grocery store to pick up a few necessary items. They're trying not to buy too much because it will just add to the amount of stuff that needs to be moved from me to the new MH.
Oh, Linda called their investment counselor and everything is going smooth. He says that there shouldn't be a problem getting everything arranged by the time the dealer gets the Newmar ready.
This morning, I imagine that Jim will do some more sorting, condensing and throwing away of stuff in my basement. He's got a couple totes down there that are going to be really hard to sort through because there's all kinds of stuff in them. I'm sure it will take quite awhile to figure out what to keep and what to pitch.
You know, I've really got mixed feelings about this new MH. In one way, I can't wait to meet it, but I know that when I do meet it, it will be during my very last days with Jim and Linda, so I really don't want to meet it.
Does that make sense?
I'm hoping that I can talk to the new MH and explain Jim and Linda's travel preferences to make the transition easier. Being that it has covered about 58,000 miles, I know that it has quite a bit of experience out on the road, but I don't know if it's at all familiar with the full-timing lifestyle. If it hasn't full-timed before, I'll need to try to give it some tips on what to expect. And even if it has full-timed, everyone does it differently so maybe I can help there.
Oh, another thing. I was wondering if I should try to talk the new motor home into taking over this blog or if I should recommend that it start a whole new blog?
The way I understand it, the name of this blog can be changed and the actual blog would stay the same. That would be simpler than starting a whole new one, but maybe a whole new one would be best.
What do you think? If the new MH does start a new blog, will all my readers be willing to go to the new one? Or, would it be best to just change the name and some of the stuff on this one?
Of course all of this depends on what the new MH wants to do, and if it even wants to do a blog.
Wildlife!!! Wildlife!!! A deer just ran through this campground!!!! You don't see too many of them in this area, but every once in awhile a deer or two will show up. :-)
Did you know that Deer can be found around the world? They are native to all continents except for Australia and Antarctica.
Showing posts with label Campgrounds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Campgrounds. Show all posts
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Prairie Pines Campground
Rantoul, IL.
70 Deg. clear, S. wind @ 7 mph.
Forecast today = Mostly sunny. Scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 90. Breezy. Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.
During our travels Jim and Linda have mentioned to quite a few people that we usually come up here to Illinois during the summer and stay at the Prairie Pines Campground in Rantoul. Some of the folks have asked what it's like and since Jim took some photos of the park yesterday, I thought I'd post a few here.
Back in the 90's, the government closed up the Chanute Air Fore Base here in Rantoul. The city took over most of the property and tried to utilize it as best they could. The Prairie Pines Campground is part of the old base and is located in the area where there were Mobile Homes parked for housing for the military.
Once the base was closed and the Mobile Homes moved out, the city decided that since all the utilities were already here, they'd turn it into a campground. When you head East off of Rt.45 onto Chandler Road, (on the South edge of town), you'll come to the CG and you'll see this sign on your left.
When you turn in at the above sign, this is the view you'll have.
As you head down the CG Road, you'll see Paul and Louise's Mobile Suites 5th wheel on your left.
Just past their trailer you'll see the little office that was built with donations and volunteers. (Jim even helped some). It's not real large, but it works. Before it was built, people who were wanting to rent a camp site were knocking on Paul and Louise's door and tracking dirt into their 5th wheel, so Louise is thrilled to have it. :-)
Across the road from Paul and Louise's 5th wheel and a little closer to the main road is where I've been parked the last few times that we've been here. It's site # 12 and as you can see, I get some nice shade in the morning and early afternoon.
All the sites are pull-through full hook-up with 20, 30 and 50 amp service. There are walkways and cement patios at many of the sites and Paul and Louise will bring you a picnic table, (if you want one and there's not one at your site already when you get there).
Some sites are shaded but if you use a satellite, there are open sites too. It's a quiet campground and is usually only busy on weekends or when there are rally groups here. Of course for special events, (like the farm show), or any major holiday during the summer, it gets really busy, but other than those times, you usually don't need reservations.
Paul and Louise are great folks and will do their best to accommodate your campsite needs. So. . . . . if you're in the area, swing by and enjoy a nice quiet stay. Who knows, Jim and Linda may be here during your visit.
If they are, stop by and say "Hi".
It was very windy here yesterday and we had temperatures in the low 90's. Jim was outside some in the morning, but not in the afternoon, when it got so windy. Today, Linda needs to call the repair place to get someone to come out and look at her oven, Jim wants to start going through some of the basement stuff to see what he can eliminate so it doesn't have to be moved, and they're running out of some grocery stuff so they'll need to go to the grocery store either today or tomorrow.
They don't want to buy more than necessary though, because they'll just have to move it to the new MH.
A Point to Ponder : On a hamburger bun, why is the top part of the bun always bigger than the bottom part?
70 Deg. clear, S. wind @ 7 mph.
Forecast today = Mostly sunny. Scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 90. Breezy. Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.
During our travels Jim and Linda have mentioned to quite a few people that we usually come up here to Illinois during the summer and stay at the Prairie Pines Campground in Rantoul. Some of the folks have asked what it's like and since Jim took some photos of the park yesterday, I thought I'd post a few here.
Back in the 90's, the government closed up the Chanute Air Fore Base here in Rantoul. The city took over most of the property and tried to utilize it as best they could. The Prairie Pines Campground is part of the old base and is located in the area where there were Mobile Homes parked for housing for the military.
Once the base was closed and the Mobile Homes moved out, the city decided that since all the utilities were already here, they'd turn it into a campground. When you head East off of Rt.45 onto Chandler Road, (on the South edge of town), you'll come to the CG and you'll see this sign on your left.
Some sites are shaded but if you use a satellite, there are open sites too. It's a quiet campground and is usually only busy on weekends or when there are rally groups here. Of course for special events, (like the farm show), or any major holiday during the summer, it gets really busy, but other than those times, you usually don't need reservations.
Paul and Louise are great folks and will do their best to accommodate your campsite needs. So. . . . . if you're in the area, swing by and enjoy a nice quiet stay. Who knows, Jim and Linda may be here during your visit.
If they are, stop by and say "Hi".
It was very windy here yesterday and we had temperatures in the low 90's. Jim was outside some in the morning, but not in the afternoon, when it got so windy. Today, Linda needs to call the repair place to get someone to come out and look at her oven, Jim wants to start going through some of the basement stuff to see what he can eliminate so it doesn't have to be moved, and they're running out of some grocery stuff so they'll need to go to the grocery store either today or tomorrow.
They don't want to buy more than necessary though, because they'll just have to move it to the new MH.
A Point to Ponder : On a hamburger bun, why is the top part of the bun always bigger than the bottom part?
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Indiana to Illinois and That Was Exciting!!!
Rantoul, IL.
55 Deg.overcast, N. wind @ 13 mph.
Forecast today = Occasional showers and isolated thunderstorms in the morning...then showers likely and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Cooler. Highs in the lower 60s. Breezy north winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. Chance of precipitation 80 percent.
Wow!!!! That was exciting!!!!!! Yesterday evening in this area there were 65 mph winds, golf ball sized hail reported near by, t-storm warnings and tornado warnings with a possible touch-down less than 15 miles from here!!!!!! Oh, and I forgot, buckets of rain!!!!
And, that's the second round of excitement that I had yesterday. !!!! But, I'll get to that in a minute.
Even though it wasn't raining or storming in Oaktown yesterday morning, the radar was showing heavy weather to the west in Illinois, and to the North of us. So. . . . Jim decided it was a good idea to delay leaving the New Vision RV Park for about a half hour.
It was 10:25 when we pulled out of the park and continued North on US 41. Once up to Terre Haute we turned West on I-70 and crossed into Illinois. A few miles into IL. we turned North on IL Rt 1 and took it all the way up to I-74 near Danville. After turning West on 74 we ran into a very strong t-storm in the Oakwood area.
Now, this is when I had my first round of excitement.
I can't remember traveling in such bad weather. First it got real windy, and then it started raining. The rain became so heavy that I was down below 40 mph and I still couldn't see where we were going!!! :-0 There was no place to pull over and in fact one section of I-74 was under construction and was down to 1 lane!!!
Well, we made it, and just before we got to the Urbana area, the rain let up quite a bit and I could actually see to exit the Interstate and turn North on US 45. The rain quit as we traveled on 45 and soon we were at the Prairie Pines Campground in Rantoul. :-)
It was 1:30 when we pulled up in front of the office so it took us 3 hours and 5 minutes to travel 147 miles. Not too bad considering the weather and the 2 lane roads that we took to get here.
Louise, (the campground host) was waiting for us when we arrived, (Jim had called her a week or so ago to let her know when we would be here), and so was my usual site that I've been in for the last few times that we've been here.
After talking to Louise for a few minutes, Jim came back out and drove me around to the street behind me so that we could pull right into my site. The sites here are pull-thru sites, but to pull through, you have to drive across a large grassy area. Well, with all the rain that they've had in this area, I was a little concerned about how soft the ground was. Jim checked it out though, and was convinced that I could make it. So, , , , , , after Jim telling me that we couldn't stop for any reason once we were on the grass, (because I might get stuck), we headed across the wet grass and without even slowing down, made it into my site, leaving some tracks where I had driven. "Whew"!!!!!!
So, now I'm settled into my site, (#12), and am getting comfortable for our almost 1 month stay here. I really like this park and am glad to be back again. When the weather clears up a little, I'll try to get Jim to take a few photos.
I hope all of you have weathered all the storms that have been going on across the country. It's been a crazy year for weather and I'm sure hoping that things settle down soon.
Did you know that the world's first Skyscraper was built in Chicago, 1885?
55 Deg.overcast, N. wind @ 13 mph.
Forecast today = Occasional showers and isolated thunderstorms in the morning...then showers likely and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Cooler. Highs in the lower 60s. Breezy north winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. Chance of precipitation 80 percent.
Wow!!!! That was exciting!!!!!! Yesterday evening in this area there were 65 mph winds, golf ball sized hail reported near by, t-storm warnings and tornado warnings with a possible touch-down less than 15 miles from here!!!!!! Oh, and I forgot, buckets of rain!!!!
And, that's the second round of excitement that I had yesterday. !!!! But, I'll get to that in a minute.
Even though it wasn't raining or storming in Oaktown yesterday morning, the radar was showing heavy weather to the west in Illinois, and to the North of us. So. . . . Jim decided it was a good idea to delay leaving the New Vision RV Park for about a half hour.
It was 10:25 when we pulled out of the park and continued North on US 41. Once up to Terre Haute we turned West on I-70 and crossed into Illinois. A few miles into IL. we turned North on IL Rt 1 and took it all the way up to I-74 near Danville. After turning West on 74 we ran into a very strong t-storm in the Oakwood area.
Now, this is when I had my first round of excitement.
I can't remember traveling in such bad weather. First it got real windy, and then it started raining. The rain became so heavy that I was down below 40 mph and I still couldn't see where we were going!!! :-0 There was no place to pull over and in fact one section of I-74 was under construction and was down to 1 lane!!!
Well, we made it, and just before we got to the Urbana area, the rain let up quite a bit and I could actually see to exit the Interstate and turn North on US 45. The rain quit as we traveled on 45 and soon we were at the Prairie Pines Campground in Rantoul. :-)
It was 1:30 when we pulled up in front of the office so it took us 3 hours and 5 minutes to travel 147 miles. Not too bad considering the weather and the 2 lane roads that we took to get here.
Louise, (the campground host) was waiting for us when we arrived, (Jim had called her a week or so ago to let her know when we would be here), and so was my usual site that I've been in for the last few times that we've been here.
After talking to Louise for a few minutes, Jim came back out and drove me around to the street behind me so that we could pull right into my site. The sites here are pull-thru sites, but to pull through, you have to drive across a large grassy area. Well, with all the rain that they've had in this area, I was a little concerned about how soft the ground was. Jim checked it out though, and was convinced that I could make it. So, , , , , , after Jim telling me that we couldn't stop for any reason once we were on the grass, (because I might get stuck), we headed across the wet grass and without even slowing down, made it into my site, leaving some tracks where I had driven. "Whew"!!!!!!
So, now I'm settled into my site, (#12), and am getting comfortable for our almost 1 month stay here. I really like this park and am glad to be back again. When the weather clears up a little, I'll try to get Jim to take a few photos.
I hope all of you have weathered all the storms that have been going on across the country. It's been a crazy year for weather and I'm sure hoping that things settle down soon.
Did you know that the world's first Skyscraper was built in Chicago, 1885?
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Kentucky To Indiana Between Storms
Oaktown, IN.
68 Deg. mostly cloudy, SE wind @ 9 mph.
Forecast today = Thunderstorms likely. Some thunderstorms may be severe in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Chance of thunderstorms 70 percent
Jim woke Linda up an hour earlier than was planned yesterday morning because it looked on the radar that by leaving earlier, we could get out of the park and down the road between rain showers that were pretty much covering the Frankfort, KY area.
Just as Jim was unhooking me from the utilities it started sprinkling, but the heavier rain held off until we were heading West on I-64, and even then, the rain wasn't too heavy and we were able to maintain our desired speed of about 60 mph.
It rained off and on as we passed through the Louisville area and finally quit as we were approaching US 41 in the Western part of Indiana. From then on, the trip up US 41 to Oaktown was dry and uneventful.
When we pulled into the New Vision RV Park at 12:50, ( after traveling 215 miles in almost exactly 4 hours), there was no one in the office, so Jim called the number listed on a sign, (using the supplied phone), and talked to the owner. He said that there was only one site available, (#4), and he thought that I could get backed into it without too much trouble.
Well, Jim walked over to site #4 and determined that he could get me in there without any problem, so he unhooked CLT (Cute Little Truck), and backed me right in. Then after dinner when the office was open, Jim walked over there and paid the Passport America Rate of $13.44 for the site. ;-)
Now, the reason that this park is so full is that they are building a new power plant just a short way from here and most of the sites are rented out to some of the workers who are building it. So . . . .. if you decided that you'd like to stop by here and spend the night, be sure to give them a call first to make sure there's a site available.
I know Jim and Linda will next time. ;-)
Tonight, they're forecasting more rain and possible storms, (the ground around here is already so soft that I'm sure I'd get stuck if I got off of the gravel), and then tomorrow, the forecast is for more of the same. :-( But, again it is sounding like there may be a window of good weather during the middle part of the day, so once again, Jim will be watching the radar and try to get me up to Rantoul, IL between storms.
Did you know that the first professional baseball game was played in Fort Wayne, Indiana on May 4, 1871?
68 Deg. mostly cloudy, SE wind @ 9 mph.
Forecast today = Thunderstorms likely. Some thunderstorms may be severe in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Chance of thunderstorms 70 percent
Jim woke Linda up an hour earlier than was planned yesterday morning because it looked on the radar that by leaving earlier, we could get out of the park and down the road between rain showers that were pretty much covering the Frankfort, KY area.
Just as Jim was unhooking me from the utilities it started sprinkling, but the heavier rain held off until we were heading West on I-64, and even then, the rain wasn't too heavy and we were able to maintain our desired speed of about 60 mph.
It rained off and on as we passed through the Louisville area and finally quit as we were approaching US 41 in the Western part of Indiana. From then on, the trip up US 41 to Oaktown was dry and uneventful.
When we pulled into the New Vision RV Park at 12:50, ( after traveling 215 miles in almost exactly 4 hours), there was no one in the office, so Jim called the number listed on a sign, (using the supplied phone), and talked to the owner. He said that there was only one site available, (#4), and he thought that I could get backed into it without too much trouble.
Well, Jim walked over to site #4 and determined that he could get me in there without any problem, so he unhooked CLT (Cute Little Truck), and backed me right in. Then after dinner when the office was open, Jim walked over there and paid the Passport America Rate of $13.44 for the site. ;-)
Now, the reason that this park is so full is that they are building a new power plant just a short way from here and most of the sites are rented out to some of the workers who are building it. So . . . .. if you decided that you'd like to stop by here and spend the night, be sure to give them a call first to make sure there's a site available.
I know Jim and Linda will next time. ;-)
Tonight, they're forecasting more rain and possible storms, (the ground around here is already so soft that I'm sure I'd get stuck if I got off of the gravel), and then tomorrow, the forecast is for more of the same. :-( But, again it is sounding like there may be a window of good weather during the middle part of the day, so once again, Jim will be watching the radar and try to get me up to Rantoul, IL between storms.
Did you know that the first professional baseball game was played in Fort Wayne, Indiana on May 4, 1871?
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Milton, WV to Frankfort, KY and The Elkhorn CG
Frankfort, KY,
65 deg. overcast, SE wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = Showers and thunderstorms likely until midday...then chance of showers and thunderstorms later in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
By about 10:00 the rain had pretty much quit and so Jim and Linda started getting me ready to travel. While Jim was getting ready to hook CLT to the back of me, John and Bridget came over to say good-bye and wish us safe travels.
They really are some nice folks and Jim and Linda are hoping that they'll see them again sometime. :-)
Anyway, by 10:55 we were pulling out of Jim's Campground and heading back to I-64. Taking 64 west brought us into Kentucky. Not far into the state, Jim pulled me into a truck stop and bought me a nice big drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel. :-)
I was getting really thirsty because the last drink I had was way back when we were leaving Jordan Lake in Apex, NC. Jim said that by waiting until we got to Kentucky, (instead of getting fuel in WV), we saved about 10 to 15 cents a gallon. Now, that's a pretty good chunk of change when you're buying about 85 gallons of fuel.
We had a little rain before we got into Kentucky, but after that, the skies cleared and except for some wind it was good traveling all the way to the Elkhorn Campground in Frankfort.
It was 2:20 when we pulled in, so it took us 3 hours and 25 minutes to travel 168 miles and stop to get me my drink.
We have been to this CG a few times in the past. It's not the easiest CG to get to and not the cheapest either. But, because, many years ago, we stopped here because I was having some problems, and the very nice folks in the office helped Jim find a place to get parts for me, we stop back here every time we're passing through the area. :-)
You see, Jim believes in giving our business to the especially nice folks that we meet who go out of their way to help us or do a few extra things to make our travels and stops nicer.
So, if you're passing through the Frankfort KY area and are looking for a nice CG with very friendly folks running it, stop by. They're good folks. :-)
Last night, we had another round of t-storms come through this area. It got pretty windy for awhile and there was a lot of thunder, lightning, rain and some small hail! Right now, the radar looks pretty good, but there are some more storms way down to the SW of here that are headed this way. :-(
Oh, did I mention that Jim has made change # 10 to our trip plan? Yep, he got out that big eraser of his again yesterday and made some more changes. ;-)
Now, because Jim and Linda have decided that the MH that they were going to look at up near Indianapolis is not one that they wanted, and Jim really didn't want to deal with the traffic and construction up there, they've decided that instead of turning North when we get to Louisville, we'll continue West and then head up through the western part of Indiana and the Eastern part of Illinois.
Did you know that bluegrass is not really blue--its green--but in the spring bluegrass produces bluish purple buds that when seen in large fields give a blue cast to the grass? Today Kentucky is known as the Bluegrass State.
65 deg. overcast, SE wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = Showers and thunderstorms likely until midday...then chance of showers and thunderstorms later in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
By about 10:00 the rain had pretty much quit and so Jim and Linda started getting me ready to travel. While Jim was getting ready to hook CLT to the back of me, John and Bridget came over to say good-bye and wish us safe travels.
They really are some nice folks and Jim and Linda are hoping that they'll see them again sometime. :-)
Anyway, by 10:55 we were pulling out of Jim's Campground and heading back to I-64. Taking 64 west brought us into Kentucky. Not far into the state, Jim pulled me into a truck stop and bought me a nice big drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel. :-)
I was getting really thirsty because the last drink I had was way back when we were leaving Jordan Lake in Apex, NC. Jim said that by waiting until we got to Kentucky, (instead of getting fuel in WV), we saved about 10 to 15 cents a gallon. Now, that's a pretty good chunk of change when you're buying about 85 gallons of fuel.
We had a little rain before we got into Kentucky, but after that, the skies cleared and except for some wind it was good traveling all the way to the Elkhorn Campground in Frankfort.
It was 2:20 when we pulled in, so it took us 3 hours and 25 minutes to travel 168 miles and stop to get me my drink.
We have been to this CG a few times in the past. It's not the easiest CG to get to and not the cheapest either. But, because, many years ago, we stopped here because I was having some problems, and the very nice folks in the office helped Jim find a place to get parts for me, we stop back here every time we're passing through the area. :-)
You see, Jim believes in giving our business to the especially nice folks that we meet who go out of their way to help us or do a few extra things to make our travels and stops nicer.
So, if you're passing through the Frankfort KY area and are looking for a nice CG with very friendly folks running it, stop by. They're good folks. :-)
Last night, we had another round of t-storms come through this area. It got pretty windy for awhile and there was a lot of thunder, lightning, rain and some small hail! Right now, the radar looks pretty good, but there are some more storms way down to the SW of here that are headed this way. :-(
Oh, did I mention that Jim has made change # 10 to our trip plan? Yep, he got out that big eraser of his again yesterday and made some more changes. ;-)
Now, because Jim and Linda have decided that the MH that they were going to look at up near Indianapolis is not one that they wanted, and Jim really didn't want to deal with the traffic and construction up there, they've decided that instead of turning North when we get to Louisville, we'll continue West and then head up through the western part of Indiana and the Eastern part of Illinois.
Did you know that bluegrass is not really blue--its green--but in the spring bluegrass produces bluish purple buds that when seen in large fields give a blue cast to the grass? Today Kentucky is known as the Bluegrass State.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Wildlife, Jim At Jim's and A Surprise Visit
Milton, WV
65 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Mostly cloudy with showers with thunderstorms likely this morning...then partly sunny with scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80 percent.
Wildlife!!!! Wildlife!!!!
Wow!!!! Just as it was getting light yesterday morning, some deer came wandering through the park and passed about 15' in front of me!!!! Later, Jim talked to Russ, (the CG Host) and he told Jim that some of them are very tame and will come right up to you.
Being that Jim had planned a short travel day, we didn't leave the Summer Wind RV Park until about 10:20. In a few minutes we were back on I-64, heading west towards Beckley, WV. Near Beckley, we turned North on I-64 / I-77 / WV Toll Road. Now, any of you that have been on this road, know that it's notorious for being a very rough road that will test your RVs springs and shocks.
Well, . . .. . this time was no different. Parts of the road have been repaved, but there are a couple of sections that are so rough that all the items in your refrigerator change from one shelf to the next. ;-)
Well, not really, but it's rough. :-)
Up by Charleston, I-64 separated from I-77 and headed West again. At exit #28 we turned off of the Interstate and after following US 60 for a short way, pulled into Jim's Campground! Yep, Jim just had to stop here after he found it on the Internet. He said "It must be good if it's named Jim's CG!! ;-)
Well, it's OK. The sites are fairly large and level, the back-in sites have 50 amp service and full hook-ups and there are some pull though sites in a different area that have 30 amp service and water. Really, the only bad things about this park are the roads. They are very rough, patched on top of patches and nothing but rough gravel and stone in other places. If you go slow though, it's not too bad and the park is good for an over night stop.
It was 12:45 when we pulled into the park, so it took us 2 hours and 25 minutes to travel 125 miles
Not long after Jim and Linda had me set up, there was a knock on the door and when Jim answered it, found out that John and Bridget Hatch had stopped by to say Hi! :-)
What a small world!!! John and Bridget are fellow RV Dreamers and were up near Richmond while we were there visiting with Mike, Terri, Jim and Dee, but we didn't get to see them at that time. Come to find out, they are here visiting relatives and are staying here in this park. John saw me drive by their site and then after waiting awhile so that Jim and Linda could get me set up, he, Bridget and some of their family stopped by for a visit.
What nice folks. Hopefully we'll cross paths with them again one of these day. :-)
Today we're going to try to get as far as Frankfort, KY, but looking at the radar, there's a big line of t-storms between here and there that are heading this way. On TV, they're saying that they're dissipating, but so far, I haven't seen much dissipating on the radar. :-(
So . . . . . I guess we'll just wait until it's about time to leave here and see what's happening at that time before deciding what to do. We could stay here for another day if we had to.
Did you know that West Virginia has an mean altitude of 1,500 feet, giving it the highest average altitude east of the Mississippi?
65 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Mostly cloudy with showers with thunderstorms likely this morning...then partly sunny with scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80 percent.
Wildlife!!!! Wildlife!!!!
Wow!!!! Just as it was getting light yesterday morning, some deer came wandering through the park and passed about 15' in front of me!!!! Later, Jim talked to Russ, (the CG Host) and he told Jim that some of them are very tame and will come right up to you.
Being that Jim had planned a short travel day, we didn't leave the Summer Wind RV Park until about 10:20. In a few minutes we were back on I-64, heading west towards Beckley, WV. Near Beckley, we turned North on I-64 / I-77 / WV Toll Road. Now, any of you that have been on this road, know that it's notorious for being a very rough road that will test your RVs springs and shocks.
Well, . . .. . this time was no different. Parts of the road have been repaved, but there are a couple of sections that are so rough that all the items in your refrigerator change from one shelf to the next. ;-)
Well, not really, but it's rough. :-)
Up by Charleston, I-64 separated from I-77 and headed West again. At exit #28 we turned off of the Interstate and after following US 60 for a short way, pulled into Jim's Campground! Yep, Jim just had to stop here after he found it on the Internet. He said "It must be good if it's named Jim's CG!! ;-)
Well, it's OK. The sites are fairly large and level, the back-in sites have 50 amp service and full hook-ups and there are some pull though sites in a different area that have 30 amp service and water. Really, the only bad things about this park are the roads. They are very rough, patched on top of patches and nothing but rough gravel and stone in other places. If you go slow though, it's not too bad and the park is good for an over night stop.
It was 12:45 when we pulled into the park, so it took us 2 hours and 25 minutes to travel 125 miles
Not long after Jim and Linda had me set up, there was a knock on the door and when Jim answered it, found out that John and Bridget Hatch had stopped by to say Hi! :-)
What a small world!!! John and Bridget are fellow RV Dreamers and were up near Richmond while we were there visiting with Mike, Terri, Jim and Dee, but we didn't get to see them at that time. Come to find out, they are here visiting relatives and are staying here in this park. John saw me drive by their site and then after waiting awhile so that Jim and Linda could get me set up, he, Bridget and some of their family stopped by for a visit.
What nice folks. Hopefully we'll cross paths with them again one of these day. :-)
Today we're going to try to get as far as Frankfort, KY, but looking at the radar, there's a big line of t-storms between here and there that are heading this way. On TV, they're saying that they're dissipating, but so far, I haven't seen much dissipating on the radar. :-(
So . . . . . I guess we'll just wait until it's about time to leave here and see what's happening at that time before deciding what to do. We could stay here for another day if we had to.
Did you know that West Virginia has an mean altitude of 1,500 feet, giving it the highest average altitude east of the Mississippi?
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Glen Allen, VA to Dawson, WV and The Summer Wind RV Park
Dawson, WV
49 Deg. heavy fog, no wind.
Forecast today = Areas of fog this morning. Sunny. Warmer with highs in the upper 70s. Light and variable winds.
We left the CG in Glen Allen at 9:50 and got back on I-95. Only this time we headed back South for about 5 miles and then turned West in I-295. 295 took us to the West side of Richmond where we picked up I-64 and brought it all the way into West Virginia and to the Summer Wind RV Park, here near Dawson.
We've been to this park before, (I think about a year and a half ago), and for some strange reason, Jim, Linda and I all like it.
Now, I say "for some strange reason", because logically, there's not much reason to like this park. You see, this park is right next to I-64, the sites aren't very level, most of them have very little gravel to park on, none have trees for shade, all but one are 30 amp.
There's no swimming pool, playground, activity center, trails to walk on, or any activities to take part in. The office is in a cement block building that's never open except when the camp host opens it to register people coming into the park, and there's really nothing to do for about 20 miles.
So, why do we like this park? Well, except for a little road noise from the Interstate, it's a nice quiet park and it's very well maintained. You get a 15% discount if you're an Escapee member, Russ Phillips, the campground host, is very friendly and will do anything he can to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Every direction you look, there are beautiful green mountains, and at times the sunsets can be beautiful.
There's almost always a nice breeze blowing, (the campground is at about 2,500 feet above sea level), and when it's clear, the skies are a beautiful bright blue during the day and filled with stars at night.
So . . . .I guess that's why we like this park and will stay here anytime we're in the area.
It was about 2:00 when we pulled into the park, so it took us about 4 hours and 10 minutes to travel 227 miles. A long day for us.
As soon as we pulled into the park, Russ came over and helped guide me into site # C-1, (the only site with 50 amp service), and then opened up the office so that Jim could come in to register me.
Linda and I were pleasantly surprised when Jim returned from the office and told us that he had paid for 2 nights instead of one, as he felt that we all needed a day to just "kick back". :-)
Ahhhh!!! It's so nice when your plans are done in pencil and you have a big eraser. ;-)
Did you know that the New River Gorge Bridge near Fayetteville is the second highest steel arch bridge in the United States? The bridge is also the longest steel arch bridge (1,700 feet) in the world. Every October on Bridge Day, the road is closed and individuals parachute and bungee cord jump 876 feet off the bridge. Its West Virginia's largest single day event and attracts about 100,000 people each year.
49 Deg. heavy fog, no wind.
Forecast today = Areas of fog this morning. Sunny. Warmer with highs in the upper 70s. Light and variable winds.
We left the CG in Glen Allen at 9:50 and got back on I-95. Only this time we headed back South for about 5 miles and then turned West in I-295. 295 took us to the West side of Richmond where we picked up I-64 and brought it all the way into West Virginia and to the Summer Wind RV Park, here near Dawson.
Now, I say "for some strange reason", because logically, there's not much reason to like this park. You see, this park is right next to I-64, the sites aren't very level, most of them have very little gravel to park on, none have trees for shade, all but one are 30 amp.
So, why do we like this park? Well, except for a little road noise from the Interstate, it's a nice quiet park and it's very well maintained. You get a 15% discount if you're an Escapee member, Russ Phillips, the campground host, is very friendly and will do anything he can to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Every direction you look, there are beautiful green mountains, and at times the sunsets can be beautiful.
So . . . .I guess that's why we like this park and will stay here anytime we're in the area.
It was about 2:00 when we pulled into the park, so it took us about 4 hours and 10 minutes to travel 227 miles. A long day for us.
As soon as we pulled into the park, Russ came over and helped guide me into site # C-1, (the only site with 50 amp service), and then opened up the office so that Jim could come in to register me.
Ahhhh!!! It's so nice when your plans are done in pencil and you have a big eraser. ;-)
Did you know that the New River Gorge Bridge near Fayetteville is the second highest steel arch bridge in the United States? The bridge is also the longest steel arch bridge (1,700 feet) in the world. Every October on Bridge Day, the road is closed and individuals parachute and bungee cord jump 876 feet off the bridge. Its West Virginia's largest single day event and attracts about 100,000 people each year.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Virginia Beach to Glen Allen and Lots of Company
Glen Allen, VA.
52 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. West winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Joe came out and visited with Linda for a little while yesterday morning, (while Jim was getting me ready to travel), but all too soon it was time to pull me out of the driveway and get ready to leave. So, Jim backed me up a little to get my front wheels down off of the wooden blocks and then pulled me out onto the street and hooked CLT to the back of me.
After final h and h, (hugs and handshakes), we pulled away from Joe and Nancy's at 9:50 and headed back to I-246. Following 264 West brought us to I-64 where the decision had to made as to which route we would take. Well . . . . Jim turned to the left and we followed it back the way we came and picked up US 58 on the SW side of Chesapeake. Following 58 to the SW brought us to Suffolk where we turned NW on US 460. 460 brought us to Petersburg where we tuned North on I-295. Following 295 brought us up and around Richmond and to I-95 where we again tuned North for about 5 miles and then took local road to the Kosmo Village campground and mobile home park.
It was 12:40 when we pulled up in front of the office, so it took us 2 hours and 50 minutes to travel 135 miles.
This park is nothing special, but it's OK for an overnight stop. There are full hook-ups with 50amp service and the sites are reasonably level. And, it one of the least expensive parks in the area.
As you can see, Jim took a few photos of the CG. It's well maintained and clean.
After getting me set up and getting my over-full black and grey water tanks drained, Jim had a "cold one" and then took a little nap. ;-)
As you probably remember, Mike and Terri Young are staying at a CG near here and plans were made for them to come and see me. Well, Jim and Dee Walter are staying at that park also. (You remember them. Jim and Linda went with Gin and Syl to visit them up at the fairgrounds in Raleigh when we were in Apex). Well anyway, about 6:30 they all came over.
None of them had ever seen the inside of me, so when they got here, (after h and h), they all came in and visited for awhile.
Linda had baked a cake so she served everyone a piece along with some peach tea. Everyone seemed to enjoy the snack while they were talking, laughing and telling "war stories". ;-)
It sure was great having them here and I really enjoyed hearing the RVing stories and conversation that they had.
When it was about time for them to leave, they all went outside and everyone started taking photos. In the photo above, you see Jim and Dee on the left and Mike and Terri on the right.
It sure was good to see them and Jim and Linda will be looking forward to crossing paths with all of them in the future. In fact both couples may be getting up to Illinois this summer and if they can, they're going to stop by the CG in Rantoul for a visit. :-)
It never ceases to amaze me. RVers from all walks of life get to know one another and in just a short time, become very good friends. A few years ago, Jim and Linda didn't know Jim and Dee or Mike and Terri, yet through RVing, they've gotten to know one another and now are looking forward to the next time they meet. And, the common bonds that brings them together? RVing and Full-timing!
Ahhh! What a great lifestyle!!!!! :-)
Did you know that on this day in 1873, San Francisco businessman Levi Strauss and Reno, Nevada, tailor Jacob Davis were given a patent to create work pants reinforced with metal rivets, marking the birth of one of the world's most famous garments: blue jeans?
52 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. West winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Joe came out and visited with Linda for a little while yesterday morning, (while Jim was getting me ready to travel), but all too soon it was time to pull me out of the driveway and get ready to leave. So, Jim backed me up a little to get my front wheels down off of the wooden blocks and then pulled me out onto the street and hooked CLT to the back of me.
After final h and h, (hugs and handshakes), we pulled away from Joe and Nancy's at 9:50 and headed back to I-246. Following 264 West brought us to I-64 where the decision had to made as to which route we would take. Well . . . . Jim turned to the left and we followed it back the way we came and picked up US 58 on the SW side of Chesapeake. Following 58 to the SW brought us to Suffolk where we turned NW on US 460. 460 brought us to Petersburg where we tuned North on I-295. Following 295 brought us up and around Richmond and to I-95 where we again tuned North for about 5 miles and then took local road to the Kosmo Village campground and mobile home park.
It was 12:40 when we pulled up in front of the office, so it took us 2 hours and 50 minutes to travel 135 miles.
This park is nothing special, but it's OK for an overnight stop. There are full hook-ups with 50amp service and the sites are reasonably level. And, it one of the least expensive parks in the area.
As you can see, Jim took a few photos of the CG. It's well maintained and clean.
After getting me set up and getting my over-full black and grey water tanks drained, Jim had a "cold one" and then took a little nap. ;-)
As you probably remember, Mike and Terri Young are staying at a CG near here and plans were made for them to come and see me. Well, Jim and Dee Walter are staying at that park also. (You remember them. Jim and Linda went with Gin and Syl to visit them up at the fairgrounds in Raleigh when we were in Apex). Well anyway, about 6:30 they all came over.
None of them had ever seen the inside of me, so when they got here, (after h and h), they all came in and visited for awhile.
Linda had baked a cake so she served everyone a piece along with some peach tea. Everyone seemed to enjoy the snack while they were talking, laughing and telling "war stories". ;-)
It sure was great having them here and I really enjoyed hearing the RVing stories and conversation that they had.
When it was about time for them to leave, they all went outside and everyone started taking photos. In the photo above, you see Jim and Dee on the left and Mike and Terri on the right.
It sure was good to see them and Jim and Linda will be looking forward to crossing paths with all of them in the future. In fact both couples may be getting up to Illinois this summer and if they can, they're going to stop by the CG in Rantoul for a visit. :-)
It never ceases to amaze me. RVers from all walks of life get to know one another and in just a short time, become very good friends. A few years ago, Jim and Linda didn't know Jim and Dee or Mike and Terri, yet through RVing, they've gotten to know one another and now are looking forward to the next time they meet. And, the common bonds that brings them together? RVing and Full-timing!
Ahhh! What a great lifestyle!!!!! :-)
Did you know that on this day in 1873, San Francisco businessman Levi Strauss and Reno, Nevada, tailor Jacob Davis were given a patent to create work pants reinforced with metal rivets, marking the birth of one of the world's most famous garments: blue jeans?
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Two Phone Calls and Heading for Richmond
Virginia Beach, VA.
55 Deg.clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny, a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent
It's hard to believe that we've been here 11 days already. We usually only stay for 14, but this past 11 days has just flown by.
Jim called a Camp Ground up North of Richmond yesterday and made sure that they would have a site for me. It's only about a 2 or 2 1/2 hour drive up there, (depending on which way we go), and we should be getting there during the early afternoon, so the lady told Jim that a reservation wasn't necessary and we should just come on in.
After he called the CG, he called Mike and Terri Young, (friends that Jim and Linda have seen at the last two RV Rallies), who are staying at another CG up in that area to see if they would have some time to get together today. They didn't answer when Jim called, but called back later in the afternoon and it looks like they'll be coming to see me this evening. :-)
That's great!!! I really like having company!!! :-)
So, the plan is to leave here about 10:00 this morning. There's two different routes that we can take to get up to Richmond and I don't think Jim even knows which way we'll be going yet. I guess I'll just have to wait until we get to I-64 and see which way we turn.
Tuesday evening, Nancy made meatballs and spaghetti for dinner. (Both Jim and Linda said it was really good), and then last night they ordered some Pizza from Papa John's.
Jim and Linda said their good-byes to Nancy, Sami and Amber last night because they may not see them this morning. I think Joe is planning on coming out here to say good-bye before he goes to work.
Like usual, it's been good staying here in Virginia Beach. If everything goes according to plan, Jim and Linda, (and maybe me), will be back here this fall.
Did you know that there are over 198 holes of golf in Virginia Beach?
55 Deg.clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny, a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent
It's hard to believe that we've been here 11 days already. We usually only stay for 14, but this past 11 days has just flown by.
Jim called a Camp Ground up North of Richmond yesterday and made sure that they would have a site for me. It's only about a 2 or 2 1/2 hour drive up there, (depending on which way we go), and we should be getting there during the early afternoon, so the lady told Jim that a reservation wasn't necessary and we should just come on in.
After he called the CG, he called Mike and Terri Young, (friends that Jim and Linda have seen at the last two RV Rallies), who are staying at another CG up in that area to see if they would have some time to get together today. They didn't answer when Jim called, but called back later in the afternoon and it looks like they'll be coming to see me this evening. :-)
That's great!!! I really like having company!!! :-)
So, the plan is to leave here about 10:00 this morning. There's two different routes that we can take to get up to Richmond and I don't think Jim even knows which way we'll be going yet. I guess I'll just have to wait until we get to I-64 and see which way we turn.
Tuesday evening, Nancy made meatballs and spaghetti for dinner. (Both Jim and Linda said it was really good), and then last night they ordered some Pizza from Papa John's.
Jim and Linda said their good-byes to Nancy, Sami and Amber last night because they may not see them this morning. I think Joe is planning on coming out here to say good-bye before he goes to work.
Like usual, it's been good staying here in Virginia Beach. If everything goes according to plan, Jim and Linda, (and maybe me), will be back here this fall.
Did you know that there are over 198 holes of golf in Virginia Beach?
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Happy Mother's Day and Apex, NC To Emporia, VA
Emporia, VA.
55 deg. overcast, no wind.
Forecast today = Cloudy. Showers likely in the morning...then a chance of showers early in the afternoon. A slight chance of showers late. Highs in the lower 70s. Northwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
First of all, I'd like to wish all of the Mothers out there a very happy Mother's Day!!!! :-) I hope all of you have a great day!!
By the time we left my site, went to the dump station, dumped my very full tanks and pulled out of the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, it was about 10:20. Then, about 3/4 mile down the road, Jim pulled me into a gas station and bought me a nice big drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel. :-)
When we pulled out of the station, we got onto US 64 and followed it to Raleigh then then took I-40 / US 64 around the city and then continued East on 64 over to US 301.
We were going to take I-95 North up into Virginia, but when we went over I-95, we could see that it was backed up for miles, so we continued E. on 64 to US 301 and took it North almost all the way to Virginia.
We could have taken 301 all the way up, but Jim knew that there were truck restrictions up in Emporia on 301, so just before we got to the state line we jogged back over to I-95 and brought it up here to the Jellystone Park, which is just North of Emporia.
We've been to this park many times before. It's nice, but kind of pricey. But, it seems that all the parks along here are in the same price range, so what you gonna do?
It was 1:20 when we pulled in, so it took us 3 hours to get my drink and drive the 143 miles up here.
Today, we'll have a fairly short drive to Virginia Beach, (about 100 miles). It's raining right now as I type this, so I hope we don't have nasty weather all the way over there. :-(
Did you know that in the vast majority of the world's languages, the word for "mother" begins with the letter M?
55 deg. overcast, no wind.
Forecast today = Cloudy. Showers likely in the morning...then a chance of showers early in the afternoon. A slight chance of showers late. Highs in the lower 70s. Northwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
First of all, I'd like to wish all of the Mothers out there a very happy Mother's Day!!!! :-) I hope all of you have a great day!!
By the time we left my site, went to the dump station, dumped my very full tanks and pulled out of the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, it was about 10:20. Then, about 3/4 mile down the road, Jim pulled me into a gas station and bought me a nice big drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel. :-)
When we pulled out of the station, we got onto US 64 and followed it to Raleigh then then took I-40 / US 64 around the city and then continued East on 64 over to US 301.
We were going to take I-95 North up into Virginia, but when we went over I-95, we could see that it was backed up for miles, so we continued E. on 64 to US 301 and took it North almost all the way to Virginia.
We could have taken 301 all the way up, but Jim knew that there were truck restrictions up in Emporia on 301, so just before we got to the state line we jogged back over to I-95 and brought it up here to the Jellystone Park, which is just North of Emporia.
We've been to this park many times before. It's nice, but kind of pricey. But, it seems that all the parks along here are in the same price range, so what you gonna do?
It was 1:20 when we pulled in, so it took us 3 hours to get my drink and drive the 143 miles up here.
Today, we'll have a fairly short drive to Virginia Beach, (about 100 miles). It's raining right now as I type this, so I hope we don't have nasty weather all the way over there. :-(
Did you know that in the vast majority of the world's languages, the word for "mother" begins with the letter M?
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Good Timing, Gin And Syl and Jim And Dee
Apex, NC
47 Deg. clear, light southerly winds
Forecast today = Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
You couldn't have asked for better timing. Gin and Syl were expected out here at Jordan lake about 11:00 and about 9:00 the rain stopped and by 10:30 the sun was peaking out from behind the clouds. So, by the time they got here, the sun was shining the skies were clearing and it was warming up nicely. :-)
After talking for 1/2 hour or so, Jim fired up the grill and cooked hamburgers for everyone while Linda put together a bacon and green bean dish, got out chips and condiments for the burgers and the brownies that she had made the day before. Gin and Syl brought some potato salad and a broccoli salad and so by the time they had everything set out on my kitchen counter, they had all the fixin's' for a great meal. :-)
After talking for awhile longer and before they all headed up to the Fairgrounds to see Jim and Dee, Jim took this photo of Syl and Gin. As you can see the weather had cleared up nicely and it turned out to be a great day.
I think it was about 1:45 when they left here and headed up to the Raleigh State Fairgrounds. CLT said that it took about 45 minutes to get up there and find the new CG. He also said that it's a lot nicer than the old CG where we had stayed at 3 or 4 years ago, and was away from the busy road and all the traffic.
Jim took this photo of Dee and Jim standing outside of their very nice Cameo 5th wheel.
After talking for a couple of hours, it was time for Jim and Linda to head over to Mike's for dinner. So, after h and h they headed back to Apex for a very nice meal and more visiting with Mike and his family.
Jim and Linda said that it sure was good to see Gin and Syl and Jim and Dee again. All are good people and Jim and Linda are hoping to meet up with them again.
So . . . . . . Another great day with great friends. Having and making new friends all over the country is one of the benefits that Jim and Linda never thought about as they were getting ready to go full-timing almost 10 years ago. :-)
A Point to Ponder : If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t more people happy?
47 Deg. clear, light southerly winds
Forecast today = Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
You couldn't have asked for better timing. Gin and Syl were expected out here at Jordan lake about 11:00 and about 9:00 the rain stopped and by 10:30 the sun was peaking out from behind the clouds. So, by the time they got here, the sun was shining the skies were clearing and it was warming up nicely. :-)
After talking for 1/2 hour or so, Jim fired up the grill and cooked hamburgers for everyone while Linda put together a bacon and green bean dish, got out chips and condiments for the burgers and the brownies that she had made the day before. Gin and Syl brought some potato salad and a broccoli salad and so by the time they had everything set out on my kitchen counter, they had all the fixin's' for a great meal. :-)
After talking for awhile longer and before they all headed up to the Fairgrounds to see Jim and Dee, Jim took this photo of Syl and Gin. As you can see the weather had cleared up nicely and it turned out to be a great day.
After talking for a couple of hours, it was time for Jim and Linda to head over to Mike's for dinner. So, after h and h they headed back to Apex for a very nice meal and more visiting with Mike and his family.
Jim and Linda said that it sure was good to see Gin and Syl and Jim and Dee again. All are good people and Jim and Linda are hoping to meet up with them again.
So . . . . . . Another great day with great friends. Having and making new friends all over the country is one of the benefits that Jim and Linda never thought about as they were getting ready to go full-timing almost 10 years ago. :-)
A Point to Ponder : If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t more people happy?
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Prescriptions, Back To Mike's and CG Closing Hours
Apex, NC
62 deg. scattered clouds, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.
Nothing much to report for yesterday. Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to the Walgreen's store yesterday morning to get Linda's prescriptions filled. Everything went pretty well and they only had to wait about 1/2 hour for the pharmacist to fill them. But, (and there's often a "but" it seems), the pharmacy didn't have enough of one of the pills in stock, so they told Linda that they would have them in the afternoon and she could pick them up later in the day.
So, they came back here, took naps, fooled around with the computers, and watched a little TV before going over to Mike and Gina's for dinner.
Oh and Linda cooked some carrots, to take over to Mikes to go along with the chicken that they had.
Now, I'm going to kind of "switch gears" here, so hang with me.
As you may be aware, they lock the gates here at Jordan Lake every night and then open them again in the morning. You can get out if it's an emergency by going to the campground host or dialing 911, but you can't get in once the gates are locked for the night.
Well, in the winter months, (Nov - Feb), they close the gates at 6:00 PM!!!! Yep you read that right.
In the spring and fall, (Sep, Oct, Mar and Apr), they close the gates at 8:00 PM (better but still not good if you want to do something outside of the park in the evenings).
Then, during the summer, (May -Aug), they close the gates at 9:00. (still better but can still cause problems with evening plans).
Now this is one of the only places that I know of where they lock the gates and you absolutely can't get back in. Most places will give you a key or a combination so you can come and go as you please. :-(
This is why Jim and Linda have been looking at different Campgrounds in the area. It doesn't really pose a problem if we're here in the summer or even during the spring and fall months, but like last year, we were here into November, and there was just no way it would work since Mike doesn't even get home from work until about 5:00, and then Jim and Linda would have to drive back here to the CG and be back by 6:00.
So, anyway, being that it is now May, the gates are open until 9:00 and that allowed Linda and Jim to head over to the Walgreen's store after they left Mike and Gina's last night to pick up the last of her prescriptions.
See, I got back to the original subject! :-)
After they got her meds, they came back here, watched a little TV and then went to bed after the news.
Mike and Gina are busy this evening so Jim and Linda won't be seeing them today. Tomorrow, Gin and Syl are coming over here to see me, and then, Jim and Linda may follow them up to the Fairgrounds in Raleigh to see another couple, (Jim and Dee) who are camping up there. Jim is going to call Jim and Dee today and see if it will work out.
Did you know that today is "National Two Different Colored Shoes Day"?
62 deg. scattered clouds, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.
Nothing much to report for yesterday. Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to the Walgreen's store yesterday morning to get Linda's prescriptions filled. Everything went pretty well and they only had to wait about 1/2 hour for the pharmacist to fill them. But, (and there's often a "but" it seems), the pharmacy didn't have enough of one of the pills in stock, so they told Linda that they would have them in the afternoon and she could pick them up later in the day.
So, they came back here, took naps, fooled around with the computers, and watched a little TV before going over to Mike and Gina's for dinner.
Oh and Linda cooked some carrots, to take over to Mikes to go along with the chicken that they had.
Now, I'm going to kind of "switch gears" here, so hang with me.
As you may be aware, they lock the gates here at Jordan Lake every night and then open them again in the morning. You can get out if it's an emergency by going to the campground host or dialing 911, but you can't get in once the gates are locked for the night.
Well, in the winter months, (Nov - Feb), they close the gates at 6:00 PM!!!! Yep you read that right.
In the spring and fall, (Sep, Oct, Mar and Apr), they close the gates at 8:00 PM (better but still not good if you want to do something outside of the park in the evenings).
Then, during the summer, (May -Aug), they close the gates at 9:00. (still better but can still cause problems with evening plans).
Now this is one of the only places that I know of where they lock the gates and you absolutely can't get back in. Most places will give you a key or a combination so you can come and go as you please. :-(
This is why Jim and Linda have been looking at different Campgrounds in the area. It doesn't really pose a problem if we're here in the summer or even during the spring and fall months, but like last year, we were here into November, and there was just no way it would work since Mike doesn't even get home from work until about 5:00, and then Jim and Linda would have to drive back here to the CG and be back by 6:00.
So, anyway, being that it is now May, the gates are open until 9:00 and that allowed Linda and Jim to head over to the Walgreen's store after they left Mike and Gina's last night to pick up the last of her prescriptions.
See, I got back to the original subject! :-)
After they got her meds, they came back here, watched a little TV and then went to bed after the news.
Mike and Gina are busy this evening so Jim and Linda won't be seeing them today. Tomorrow, Gin and Syl are coming over here to see me, and then, Jim and Linda may follow them up to the Fairgrounds in Raleigh to see another couple, (Jim and Dee) who are camping up there. Jim is going to call Jim and Dee today and see if it will work out.
Did you know that today is "National Two Different Colored Shoes Day"?
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Grocery Shopping, Company Coming and An Invitation
Apex, NC
55 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
It was another beautiful day yesterday, but Jim and Linda really didn't take advantage of it. Instead, they took CLT and headed to the Lowes Foods Grocery store to buy some groceries that they were needing. Then, after getting them all put away in my cabinets and refrigerator, they both took naps. ;-)
Yeah, there were other times during the day when Jim and Linda could have been outside, but Jim said that he just didn't feel real well, and Linda's back was bothering her some, so they didn't do much else.
Later this afternoon, Mike and his family are coming out here for awhile. Jim's going to cook some burgers on his grill and he also bought some firewood on the way back from grocery shopping, so that if anyone wants to, they can cook hot dogs, brats or marshmallows over a fire.
Oh, Jim got an e-mail and I got a comment from Jim and Dee Walter, who are camping up at the fairgrounds in Raleigh. They're wanting to know if Jim and Linda could come up there for a visit or get together somehow. Well, today when Mike comes, we'll find out what their schedule is and then maybe they can make plans to get together one day this week. Dee suggested maybe coming up there with Gin and Syl after they come here for lunch on Wednesday, and that may work.
Well, I guess that's about it for today. Jim and Linda will be busy getting me presentable for Mike and Gina's visit today, Linda wants to get some food ready ahead of time, and Jim will be put the tablecloth on the picnic table and getting the outside stuff ready.
I'm sure glad they're forecasting nice weather for today. It'll be lots of fun seeing Mike, Gina, Brenna, Savanna and Dillon again. :-)
Did you know that May is "National Barbecue Month"?
Happy May Day!!!! ;-)
55 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
It was another beautiful day yesterday, but Jim and Linda really didn't take advantage of it. Instead, they took CLT and headed to the Lowes Foods Grocery store to buy some groceries that they were needing. Then, after getting them all put away in my cabinets and refrigerator, they both took naps. ;-)
Yeah, there were other times during the day when Jim and Linda could have been outside, but Jim said that he just didn't feel real well, and Linda's back was bothering her some, so they didn't do much else.
Later this afternoon, Mike and his family are coming out here for awhile. Jim's going to cook some burgers on his grill and he also bought some firewood on the way back from grocery shopping, so that if anyone wants to, they can cook hot dogs, brats or marshmallows over a fire.
Oh, Jim got an e-mail and I got a comment from Jim and Dee Walter, who are camping up at the fairgrounds in Raleigh. They're wanting to know if Jim and Linda could come up there for a visit or get together somehow. Well, today when Mike comes, we'll find out what their schedule is and then maybe they can make plans to get together one day this week. Dee suggested maybe coming up there with Gin and Syl after they come here for lunch on Wednesday, and that may work.
Well, I guess that's about it for today. Jim and Linda will be busy getting me presentable for Mike and Gina's visit today, Linda wants to get some food ready ahead of time, and Jim will be put the tablecloth on the picnic table and getting the outside stuff ready.
I'm sure glad they're forecasting nice weather for today. It'll be lots of fun seeing Mike, Gina, Brenna, Savanna and Dillon again. :-)
Did you know that May is "National Barbecue Month"?
Happy May Day!!!! ;-)
Friday, April 29, 2011
More Storms, My Site and Another Nice Visit
Apex, NC.
53 Deg.partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = Mostly sunny. Isolated sprinkles this afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
We had some wind here for awhile, but all the storms either went just to the North or the South of Apex. Jim did spend quite a bit of time watching their paths on radar though because small cells kept popping up all over the place.
Many folks in the SE were not so lucky though and our hearts and prayers go out to all who were hit by the many, many tornadoes and storms.
During one of the breaks in the weather, Jim went out and took a few photos of me in my site. As you can see, I'm well off the road and my site is surrounded by trees. This is actually the type of site I like the best. :-)
This is the view looking down the road from my site.
Because of the weather, Jim and Linda didn't go anywhere during the day yesterday. Jim went outside a few times, (between showers), but it was so hot and muggy that he didn't stay out long.
Then about 4:30 he and Linda headed over to Mike's and had another very nice dinner with him and his family. The skies had cleared by that time and the sun was shinning so CLT had a nice little trip over there. After another nice visit, Jim and Linda came back here and watched TV until bedtime.
Oh, I want to thank Gale and Rick, (one of my followers of this blog), who made a comment yesterday telling us about some more RV parks over in the Moncure area. Jim knew about one of the parks but didn't realize that there were 2 more over there. He says he'll check them out if he and Linda get the chance.
So . . . . it looks like the nasty weather is behind us for awhile. The weather gal on TV is saying that it should be nice all the way through the weekend and she's not forecasting any rain until next Tuesday. :-)
Good! Everything around here needs a little chance to dry out.
Did you know that today is "National Hairball Awareness Day"?
53 Deg.partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = Mostly sunny. Isolated sprinkles this afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
We had some wind here for awhile, but all the storms either went just to the North or the South of Apex. Jim did spend quite a bit of time watching their paths on radar though because small cells kept popping up all over the place.
Many folks in the SE were not so lucky though and our hearts and prayers go out to all who were hit by the many, many tornadoes and storms.
During one of the breaks in the weather, Jim went out and took a few photos of me in my site. As you can see, I'm well off the road and my site is surrounded by trees. This is actually the type of site I like the best. :-)
Then about 4:30 he and Linda headed over to Mike's and had another very nice dinner with him and his family. The skies had cleared by that time and the sun was shinning so CLT had a nice little trip over there. After another nice visit, Jim and Linda came back here and watched TV until bedtime.
Oh, I want to thank Gale and Rick, (one of my followers of this blog), who made a comment yesterday telling us about some more RV parks over in the Moncure area. Jim knew about one of the parks but didn't realize that there were 2 more over there. He says he'll check them out if he and Linda get the chance.
So . . . . it looks like the nasty weather is behind us for awhile. The weather gal on TV is saying that it should be nice all the way through the weekend and she's not forecasting any rain until next Tuesday. :-)
Good! Everything around here needs a little chance to dry out.
Did you know that today is "National Hairball Awareness Day"?
Thursday, April 28, 2011
A New CG In This Area and Photos
Apex, NC
76 Deg. cloudy no wind.
Forecast today = Showers...thunderstorms. Some thunderstorms may be severe with damaging winds and tornadoes this morning. Some thunderstorms may produce gusty winds this afternoon. Breezy with highs around 80. Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Chance of rain near 100 %
Yesterday was another day with off and on rain showers. Everything is really wet and muddy around here and I think that they've probably had enough rain for awhile in this area.
Right after lunch, Jim and Linda took off in CLT and headed about 13 miles South of here to check out a CG that Jim had just learned about. It's called Dickens RV Park and it could be a good place to stay in this area, especially since at certain times of the year, they close the gates here at Jordan Lake as early as 6:00 PM.
Both Jim and Linda said that it looked like it would be OK, but definitely not a park they would want to stay for an extended time in. The plus is that it's a Passport America Park and we'd be able to stay for 1/2 price, which is currently $16 or $18.
Well, as promised, here's a couple more photos of Mike and Gina's new house. This first one is of the view you get just as you come in the front door.
This is of the Kitchen viewed from in front of the windows you see in the above photo.
The counter tops in the above photo look kind of yellow, but that is only because of the lights. It's actually a natural granite color.
Well, I'm going to cut this short. We've got storms coming up from the SW and it's starting to rain and thunder now. The gal on the TV is not forecasting any thing real serious for this area, but these are the same storms that tore up a whole bunch of stuff in Alabama yesterday. Hopefully it won't be too bad here.
Did you know that the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill is the oldest State University in the United States?
76 Deg. cloudy no wind.
Forecast today = Showers...thunderstorms. Some thunderstorms may be severe with damaging winds and tornadoes this morning. Some thunderstorms may produce gusty winds this afternoon. Breezy with highs around 80. Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Chance of rain near 100 %
Yesterday was another day with off and on rain showers. Everything is really wet and muddy around here and I think that they've probably had enough rain for awhile in this area.
Right after lunch, Jim and Linda took off in CLT and headed about 13 miles South of here to check out a CG that Jim had just learned about. It's called Dickens RV Park and it could be a good place to stay in this area, especially since at certain times of the year, they close the gates here at Jordan Lake as early as 6:00 PM.
Both Jim and Linda said that it looked like it would be OK, but definitely not a park they would want to stay for an extended time in. The plus is that it's a Passport America Park and we'd be able to stay for 1/2 price, which is currently $16 or $18.
Well, as promised, here's a couple more photos of Mike and Gina's new house. This first one is of the view you get just as you come in the front door.
This is of the Kitchen viewed from in front of the windows you see in the above photo.
Well, I'm going to cut this short. We've got storms coming up from the SW and it's starting to rain and thunder now. The gal on the TV is not forecasting any thing real serious for this area, but these are the same storms that tore up a whole bunch of stuff in Alabama yesterday. Hopefully it won't be too bad here.
Did you know that the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill is the oldest State University in the United States?
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Mount Airy To Apex and Mike And Gina's New House
Apex, NC
68 deg. overcast, light Southerly breeze.
Forecast today = Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Breezy with highs in the mid 80s. South winds 10 to 15 mph..increasing to around 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph this afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.
It was 10:00 by the time we pulled out of the Mayberry Campground in Mt. Airy yesterday morning and continued S. on US 52 towards Winston-Salem. When we got down to I-40 we turned East and took it over to Greensboro where we tuned SE on US 421 and followed it down to Siler City. There, we turned East on US 64 and followed it here to Apex and the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area,.and to the Crosswinds Camping Area.
By the time Jim got me registered and we drove back into the CG area, it was about 12:20 and we had traveled 125 miles.
I'm now settled into Site B-12, which is the same site I've been in the last 3 or 4 times we've been here. It's a nice back-in site with lots of trees on each side and to the rear of me. The weather wasn't too good yesterday, (light rain off and on), so Jim didn't take any photos of my site, but I'm sure he will real soon.
So. . . . this will be my site for the next 10 days. Jim and Linda will be heading over to Mike and Gina's most every evening. This weekend, I'm hoping that Mike, Gina and the kids can come out here to see me, but we'll have to see what's on their busy schedule.
About 4:30, Jim and Linda took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed over to Mike and Gina's new house. They had just a little bit of trouble finding it, :-0 (it's in a new subdivision that's not on any GPS units yet), but after making just one wrong turn in the subdivision, they pulled into the driveway. :-)
And, what a driveway it is, and what a house!!!! As you can see by the photo below, it's really nice and both Mike and Gina should be very proud of it.
That's Mike, Gina and Dillon standing in front of the house with Linda looking on. (You can click on the photo to enlarge it)
Jim took some photos inside of the house too, and I'll be posting some of them in the next few days.
Mike gave Jim and Linda a tour of the inside of the house and then after a very nice dinner, they all sat and talked for awhile. But, all too soon, it was time to head back out here to the CG.
So. . . . another great day. We had fairly good weather driving over here, the traffic wasn't too bad, and Jim and Linda got to see Mike and his family and their new house. :-)
Did you know that in North Carolina it's illegal to use and elephant to plow cotton fields?
68 deg. overcast, light Southerly breeze.
Forecast today = Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Breezy with highs in the mid 80s. South winds 10 to 15 mph..increasing to around 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph this afternoon. Chance of rain 20 percent.
It was 10:00 by the time we pulled out of the Mayberry Campground in Mt. Airy yesterday morning and continued S. on US 52 towards Winston-Salem. When we got down to I-40 we turned East and took it over to Greensboro where we tuned SE on US 421 and followed it down to Siler City. There, we turned East on US 64 and followed it here to Apex and the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area,.and to the Crosswinds Camping Area.
By the time Jim got me registered and we drove back into the CG area, it was about 12:20 and we had traveled 125 miles.
I'm now settled into Site B-12, which is the same site I've been in the last 3 or 4 times we've been here. It's a nice back-in site with lots of trees on each side and to the rear of me. The weather wasn't too good yesterday, (light rain off and on), so Jim didn't take any photos of my site, but I'm sure he will real soon.
So. . . . this will be my site for the next 10 days. Jim and Linda will be heading over to Mike and Gina's most every evening. This weekend, I'm hoping that Mike, Gina and the kids can come out here to see me, but we'll have to see what's on their busy schedule.
About 4:30, Jim and Linda took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed over to Mike and Gina's new house. They had just a little bit of trouble finding it, :-0 (it's in a new subdivision that's not on any GPS units yet), but after making just one wrong turn in the subdivision, they pulled into the driveway. :-)
And, what a driveway it is, and what a house!!!! As you can see by the photo below, it's really nice and both Mike and Gina should be very proud of it.
Jim took some photos inside of the house too, and I'll be posting some of them in the next few days.
Mike gave Jim and Linda a tour of the inside of the house and then after a very nice dinner, they all sat and talked for awhile. But, all too soon, it was time to head back out here to the CG.
So. . . . another great day. We had fairly good weather driving over here, the traffic wasn't too bad, and Jim and Linda got to see Mike and his family and their new house. :-)
Did you know that in North Carolina it's illegal to use and elephant to plow cotton fields?
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tennessee To North Carolina and They're Serious
Mount Airy, NC
65 deg, overcast, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s. South winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
We got an early start yesterday and left the CG in Bluff City about 9:00. Once back on I-81, we followed it NE up into Virginia and to Wytheville where we turned South on I-77. 77 then brought us up over the mountains and down into North Carolina where we turned off on I-74 / US 52 and brought it down here to Mount Airy, NC.
It was about 11:45 when we pulled into the Mayberry Campground, so it took us about 2 hours and 45 minutes to travel 141 miles. Not too bad considering that we were in the mountains much of the time and we made a "pit stop" at a rest area along the way.
Speaking of mountains. The roads going over these mountains were not real steep, but it gave my engine a good test. Well, I'm happy to report that I made it over those mountains without skipping a beat!!! :-)
Yep, my misfire condition seems to be repaired. :-)
After we got settled into the CG, Jim relaxed a little and then he and Linda took CLT and headed farther down US 52. At first, CLT didn't want to tell me where they had gone, but he finally admitted that he had taken them to an RV dealer down in Rural Hall, NC where Jim and Linda were going to look at Motor Homes!! :-( The only thing was, the dealership was closed!!
Now, I don't know why it was closed. Maybe they took and extra day for the Easter Holiday, but I think I may have lucked out cause CLT said that they had some nice looking RVs on their lot.
So. . . . It looks like Jim and Linda are really serious about getting a different RV to full time in. I was afraid of that, but they need to do whatever is right for them, so that they can continue their travels without worrying about break-downs and not being able to find someone to repair me or get replacement parts.
Today, we'll be heading to Apex, NC to see Mike and his family. They've moved into a new house since we were here last fall and I know Jim and Linda are wanting to see it.
A Point to Ponder : If a 911 operator has a heart attack, whom does he/she call?
65 deg, overcast, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s. South winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
We got an early start yesterday and left the CG in Bluff City about 9:00. Once back on I-81, we followed it NE up into Virginia and to Wytheville where we turned South on I-77. 77 then brought us up over the mountains and down into North Carolina where we turned off on I-74 / US 52 and brought it down here to Mount Airy, NC.
It was about 11:45 when we pulled into the Mayberry Campground, so it took us about 2 hours and 45 minutes to travel 141 miles. Not too bad considering that we were in the mountains much of the time and we made a "pit stop" at a rest area along the way.
Speaking of mountains. The roads going over these mountains were not real steep, but it gave my engine a good test. Well, I'm happy to report that I made it over those mountains without skipping a beat!!! :-)
Yep, my misfire condition seems to be repaired. :-)
After we got settled into the CG, Jim relaxed a little and then he and Linda took CLT and headed farther down US 52. At first, CLT didn't want to tell me where they had gone, but he finally admitted that he had taken them to an RV dealer down in Rural Hall, NC where Jim and Linda were going to look at Motor Homes!! :-( The only thing was, the dealership was closed!!
Now, I don't know why it was closed. Maybe they took and extra day for the Easter Holiday, but I think I may have lucked out cause CLT said that they had some nice looking RVs on their lot.
So. . . . It looks like Jim and Linda are really serious about getting a different RV to full time in. I was afraid of that, but they need to do whatever is right for them, so that they can continue their travels without worrying about break-downs and not being able to find someone to repair me or get replacement parts.
Today, we'll be heading to Apex, NC to see Mike and his family. They've moved into a new house since we were here last fall and I know Jim and Linda are wanting to see it.
A Point to Ponder : If a 911 operator has a heart attack, whom does he/she call?
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Lakeview RV Pk. Photos, A Small World and A Call To The Mechanic
Bluff, City, TN.
54 Deg. clear, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. becoming mostly cloudy with a 70% chance of t-storms. SW wind @ 5 to 15 mph with higher gusts during storms.
Yesterday was a beautiful day, so Jim got out his camera and took some photos here in the park. I thought I'd share them with you. :-)
When you come down US 11 this is the sign you see for the Lakeview RV Park
Once you turn it and travel about a block, you come to the office where they have the usual supplies and camping gadgets that most offices have. The lady in the office was very nice and told Jim that if he needed anything, he should let them know.
As you can see by the above photo the park is terraced and in fact, there are about 4 or 5 levels in the park.
This is me backed into my site which is just a little way from the lake.
You can see a narrow part of the lake behind CLT and me in the above photo.
This is the view from the rear of me looking off to the left while facing the lake.
And this is the view directly behind me.
This is a pretty nice park with fairly large sites, full hook-up, 30/50 amp service, cable TV and excellent wi-fi. The people seem friendly and at about $20.00 per night (Passport America), for a "premium" site on the lake it's not too expensive either.
I'm sure we'd stay here again if we come back to this area.
Yesterday morning Jim was catching up on the Blogs he reads and when he checked out long time friends, Darrell and Judy's Blog, Wandering America, he realized that they were in this park too!!! Well, Jim has Darrell's phone number and he was just about to dial their number when the phone rang and it was Darrell. After a little conversation Jim headed up to their site, (right behind the office), and talked to them for just a little while. They had just pulled in for the night and were leaving yesterday morning to continue their trip up to New England.
It had been a couple of years since Jim and Linda had seen them, but as happens so many times with full-timers that follow each others blogs, it was like they had just seen each other a few days ago.
What a small world! :-)
When Jim got back from visiting with them, he called the mechanic that Jenny had told him about to see if he could come here to the park to check out my problem. Well, the mechanic was off yesterday, but the man that Jim talked to said that he would have him call Jim this morning;
Later in the morning, Denny, one of the "Illinois Bunch" called from Illinois and talked to Jim about my problem. He had an idea about what might be wrong and after checking something out, Jim said that he may have come up with the cause of my engine misfire when climbing hills.
Jim still needs the mechanic to come and check it out though.
About noon, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed to a Food City grocery store to restock the groceries that had been used in the last week and a half or so. When they got back and got everything put away, they both took little naps.
For dinner, Jim cooked a steak out on the grill and Linda cooked Kohlrabi, sliced tomatoes with provolone cheese, and dinner rolls inside. It sure did smell good!! ;-)
Did you know that on this day in 1999, two teenage gunmen kill 13 people in a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, south of Denver?
Safe Travels, Darrell and Judy. :-)
54 Deg. clear, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. becoming mostly cloudy with a 70% chance of t-storms. SW wind @ 5 to 15 mph with higher gusts during storms.
Yesterday was a beautiful day, so Jim got out his camera and took some photos here in the park. I thought I'd share them with you. :-)
Once you turn it and travel about a block, you come to the office where they have the usual supplies and camping gadgets that most offices have. The lady in the office was very nice and told Jim that if he needed anything, he should let them know.
This is a pretty nice park with fairly large sites, full hook-up, 30/50 amp service, cable TV and excellent wi-fi. The people seem friendly and at about $20.00 per night (Passport America), for a "premium" site on the lake it's not too expensive either.
I'm sure we'd stay here again if we come back to this area.
Yesterday morning Jim was catching up on the Blogs he reads and when he checked out long time friends, Darrell and Judy's Blog, Wandering America, he realized that they were in this park too!!! Well, Jim has Darrell's phone number and he was just about to dial their number when the phone rang and it was Darrell. After a little conversation Jim headed up to their site, (right behind the office), and talked to them for just a little while. They had just pulled in for the night and were leaving yesterday morning to continue their trip up to New England.
It had been a couple of years since Jim and Linda had seen them, but as happens so many times with full-timers that follow each others blogs, it was like they had just seen each other a few days ago.
What a small world! :-)
When Jim got back from visiting with them, he called the mechanic that Jenny had told him about to see if he could come here to the park to check out my problem. Well, the mechanic was off yesterday, but the man that Jim talked to said that he would have him call Jim this morning;
Later in the morning, Denny, one of the "Illinois Bunch" called from Illinois and talked to Jim about my problem. He had an idea about what might be wrong and after checking something out, Jim said that he may have come up with the cause of my engine misfire when climbing hills.
Jim still needs the mechanic to come and check it out though.
About noon, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed to a Food City grocery store to restock the groceries that had been used in the last week and a half or so. When they got back and got everything put away, they both took little naps.
For dinner, Jim cooked a steak out on the grill and Linda cooked Kohlrabi, sliced tomatoes with provolone cheese, and dinner rolls inside. It sure did smell good!! ;-)
Did you know that on this day in 1999, two teenage gunmen kill 13 people in a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, south of Denver?
Safe Travels, Darrell and Judy. :-)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sevierville To Bluff City and I'm Not Feeling Very Well
Bluff City, TN.
50 deg. partly cloudy, NE wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 85 deg. mostly sunny, breezy with SW winds @ 15 to 20 mph.
After some more h and h (hugs and handshakes), we left the CG in Sevierville about 10:10 yesterday morning and headed back up Rt 66 to I-40. Once on 40 we headed East until we came to I-81 and then headed NE on it until we got up to Bristol. There we turned SE on Rt 394 and then SW a few miles on US 11 until we came to the Lakeview RV Park.
It was 12:10 when we pulled up to the office, so it took us 2 hours to travel 102 miles.
Now, about me not feeling very well. You see, even before we got to the Rally I was starting to have problems. Nothing major, just a some hesitation once in awhile while I was climbing a hill. While we were at the rally, Jim crawled under me and drained some fuel out of my primary fuel filter to see if there was any water in the fuel, but there wasn't. He didn't want to fool with it at the rally and being that it didn't seem too severe, figured that he could address the problem here at Bluff City, where he knew we'd be staying for a week.
Well, when we left Sevierville, my engine was running quite well, and it seemed like the problem might even be gone. But. . . . as we traveled down the Interstate, it came back and the farther we went the worse it got. I still ran fine when just driving down the road, but as many of you know there are a lot of hills on those sections if Interstate and my condition seemed to get worse every hill that I had to climb.
By the time we got to the turn-off at Bristol, I was real glad to be getting off of the Interstate. :-{
Now, there were 2 reasons for picking this CG. First of all it's fairly near where Jenny J, (who was at the rally and is a good friend of Jim and Linda's), lives, and it's a Passport America park where we can stay for a week and wait for the Easter holiday to pass.
At the Rally, Jim had told Jenny and Don that he thought I might have a problem and asked Jenny and Don to check to see if there was someone in this area who could look at me once we got here. Well, Jenny called yesterday and said that she had found someone who was recommended to her and gave Jim his phone number.
So, this morning, Jim will call the mechanic and see if he will come here to the park to check me out and try to figure out what's wrong. Hopefully it will be something minor like a blocked fuel filter or something. I suppose it's possible that one of my drinks of that good old #2 diesel fuel was contaminated. :-(
Did you know that Bluff City experienced several name changes before incorporating on July 1, 1887 under its current name? The town was originally known as Choate’s Ford, and later took the name Middletown.
50 deg. partly cloudy, NE wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 85 deg. mostly sunny, breezy with SW winds @ 15 to 20 mph.
After some more h and h (hugs and handshakes), we left the CG in Sevierville about 10:10 yesterday morning and headed back up Rt 66 to I-40. Once on 40 we headed East until we came to I-81 and then headed NE on it until we got up to Bristol. There we turned SE on Rt 394 and then SW a few miles on US 11 until we came to the Lakeview RV Park.
It was 12:10 when we pulled up to the office, so it took us 2 hours to travel 102 miles.
Now, about me not feeling very well. You see, even before we got to the Rally I was starting to have problems. Nothing major, just a some hesitation once in awhile while I was climbing a hill. While we were at the rally, Jim crawled under me and drained some fuel out of my primary fuel filter to see if there was any water in the fuel, but there wasn't. He didn't want to fool with it at the rally and being that it didn't seem too severe, figured that he could address the problem here at Bluff City, where he knew we'd be staying for a week.
Well, when we left Sevierville, my engine was running quite well, and it seemed like the problem might even be gone. But. . . . as we traveled down the Interstate, it came back and the farther we went the worse it got. I still ran fine when just driving down the road, but as many of you know there are a lot of hills on those sections if Interstate and my condition seemed to get worse every hill that I had to climb.
By the time we got to the turn-off at Bristol, I was real glad to be getting off of the Interstate. :-{
Now, there were 2 reasons for picking this CG. First of all it's fairly near where Jenny J, (who was at the rally and is a good friend of Jim and Linda's), lives, and it's a Passport America park where we can stay for a week and wait for the Easter holiday to pass.
At the Rally, Jim had told Jenny and Don that he thought I might have a problem and asked Jenny and Don to check to see if there was someone in this area who could look at me once we got here. Well, Jenny called yesterday and said that she had found someone who was recommended to her and gave Jim his phone number.
So, this morning, Jim will call the mechanic and see if he will come here to the park to check me out and try to figure out what's wrong. Hopefully it will be something minor like a blocked fuel filter or something. I suppose it's possible that one of my drinks of that good old #2 diesel fuel was contaminated. :-(
Did you know that Bluff City experienced several name changes before incorporating on July 1, 1887 under its current name? The town was originally known as Choate’s Ford, and later took the name Middletown.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Roebuck, SC to Sevierville, TN, A Little Glitch, H & L and Weather
Sevierville, TN.
58 Deg. fog, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 86 deg. partly cloudy, SW winds @ 5 to 15 mph.
We left the Pine Ridge CG in Roebuck, SC about 8:55 and headed to the Kangaroo Truck Stop out by the Interstate. After pulling in and getting me a nice big drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel, (at $3.75 per gallon), we continued North on I-26. 26 took us up into North Carolina and to Asheville, where we tuned West on I-40. 40 then took us North, up over the mountains, and into Tennessee. In TN 40 turned back West and took us to Rt. 66 where we tuned South. 66 then brought us down here to Sevierville and the River Plantation RV Park , the site of the RV Dreams Rally.
Oh, by the way, Rt. 66 from I-40 to Sevierville is under construction almost all of the way. My suggestion for anyone else who is coming to the Rally that way is to get into the left lane as soon as you get off of I-40 and just stay there the whole way to the CG. (The left lane was definitely moving faster than the right lane when we came down through there.)
It was 12:50 when we pulled into the CG, so it took us 3 hours and 15 minutes to travel the 172 miles.
The River Plantation seems to be a good place for a Rally. It's not a park that Jim and Linda would choose but it's nice and the people in the office are very friendly.
There was one little glitch though when Jim went to check in. It seems that someone gave site #231 to someone else and the gal in the office wanted Jim to take a site way down at the other end of the row. Well, Jim said that he didn't want a site down there because he wanted to be close to Howard and Linda's site, (They're the ones who are putting on this rally), because it would be easier for Linda to get there if we were right across the street from their site. And, that was the reason he specifically requested that site way back in the fall when he made the reservations. :-(
I think the gal in the office could tell that Jim was not a "happy camper", so she changed some things around and gave me site #230 instead, which is still very close to Howard and Linda's. ;-)
Sometimes you just have to stick to your guns. ;-)
Once I was settled into my site, Jim walked across the street and after h & h, (hugs and handshakes), talked to Howard and Linda for awhile. He didn't stay long though because there were lots of other folks stopping by to talk to them too. Then, about 5:00 Howard came over here and he, Jim and Linda sat inside of me and chatted for a little awhile. :-)
It sure was good to see Howard again and spend a little one on one time with him. I'm hoping maybe Linda will be able to stop by sometime too.
The weather was good all the way here, but soon after we arrived, the wind really picked up. In fact many people who had their awnings out or one of those gazebos out ended up packing them up as they were really whipping in the wind. By late afternoon, the skies to the North started getting really dark and they issued tornado watches and t-storm warnings for this area. We didn't have any nasty weather here, (just a little rain), but over East of Knoxville, they had some baseball and tennis ball sized hail that did a lot of damage!!!!
Brrrrr!!!! Just the thought of hail that size hitting me makes me shiver!!! :-0
So. . . . . The Rally starts Tuesday and runs through next Sunday. We'll be staying here until Monday the 18th.
I wonder when Thor will be getting here?
Did you know that in Tennessee, it is legal to gather and consume roadkill?
58 Deg. fog, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 86 deg. partly cloudy, SW winds @ 5 to 15 mph.
We left the Pine Ridge CG in Roebuck, SC about 8:55 and headed to the Kangaroo Truck Stop out by the Interstate. After pulling in and getting me a nice big drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel, (at $3.75 per gallon), we continued North on I-26. 26 took us up into North Carolina and to Asheville, where we tuned West on I-40. 40 then took us North, up over the mountains, and into Tennessee. In TN 40 turned back West and took us to Rt. 66 where we tuned South. 66 then brought us down here to Sevierville and the River Plantation RV Park , the site of the RV Dreams Rally.
Oh, by the way, Rt. 66 from I-40 to Sevierville is under construction almost all of the way. My suggestion for anyone else who is coming to the Rally that way is to get into the left lane as soon as you get off of I-40 and just stay there the whole way to the CG. (The left lane was definitely moving faster than the right lane when we came down through there.)
It was 12:50 when we pulled into the CG, so it took us 3 hours and 15 minutes to travel the 172 miles.
The River Plantation seems to be a good place for a Rally. It's not a park that Jim and Linda would choose but it's nice and the people in the office are very friendly.
There was one little glitch though when Jim went to check in. It seems that someone gave site #231 to someone else and the gal in the office wanted Jim to take a site way down at the other end of the row. Well, Jim said that he didn't want a site down there because he wanted to be close to Howard and Linda's site, (They're the ones who are putting on this rally), because it would be easier for Linda to get there if we were right across the street from their site. And, that was the reason he specifically requested that site way back in the fall when he made the reservations. :-(
I think the gal in the office could tell that Jim was not a "happy camper", so she changed some things around and gave me site #230 instead, which is still very close to Howard and Linda's. ;-)
Sometimes you just have to stick to your guns. ;-)
Once I was settled into my site, Jim walked across the street and after h & h, (hugs and handshakes), talked to Howard and Linda for awhile. He didn't stay long though because there were lots of other folks stopping by to talk to them too. Then, about 5:00 Howard came over here and he, Jim and Linda sat inside of me and chatted for a little awhile. :-)
It sure was good to see Howard again and spend a little one on one time with him. I'm hoping maybe Linda will be able to stop by sometime too.
The weather was good all the way here, but soon after we arrived, the wind really picked up. In fact many people who had their awnings out or one of those gazebos out ended up packing them up as they were really whipping in the wind. By late afternoon, the skies to the North started getting really dark and they issued tornado watches and t-storm warnings for this area. We didn't have any nasty weather here, (just a little rain), but over East of Knoxville, they had some baseball and tennis ball sized hail that did a lot of damage!!!!
Brrrrr!!!! Just the thought of hail that size hitting me makes me shiver!!! :-0
So. . . . . The Rally starts Tuesday and runs through next Sunday. We'll be staying here until Monday the 18th.
I wonder when Thor will be getting here?
Did you know that in Tennessee, it is legal to gather and consume roadkill?
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