We've used Verizon as our internet provider the past 4-5 years and for the most part have been pleased with it. There have been places where we didn't have internet access, however they were out in the boondocks for the most part. Mind you we don't have blazing speed unless it's 4G, but we can live with a slower internet.
The cabin is on the side of a mountain and is surrounded by 70-90ft trees which interfere with getting a signal. Our telephone signal is also lousy for both our Verizon and ATT phones. Verizon is a little better, but certainly not great. Uploading and downloading photos take a long time so there won't be many photos in the blog for a while unless we can use Cassie & Jack's internet service.
To make matters worse we don't have TV service up here. The trees block satellite signals and it is difficult if not impossible to set up a dish to receive any service. A lady a couple cabins down the road just had Dish installed so I will once again try to see if they can provide service. We have tried in the past, but the satellites are at a bad angle for us.
We don't have any plans for travel for the next two months and will slowly finish up some minor repairs and painting. There isn't any hurry to finish up the work so we will take our time.
I mentioned earlier that my Dr appointment didn't go as well as expected and I'm taking medicine to treat a problem. Hopefully it will take care of the problem and we can get back on the road in late September. It seems that my driving 6K miles in a couple months with long stretches of driving took it's toll.
If we do anything interesting or exciting I will blog about it. In the meantime it is off to the local library to pick up some movies, documentaries and such. We also enjoy audio books so it won't be that boring up here. Now if we could just get the rain to stop for a while and dry this place up.
That was our last few days, how were yours?
Sabillasville, Maryland farm
Clark Travels
Our Geocaches ---
http://www.travbuddy.com/maps/6730401
I have been getting more and more spam from bloggers since I let anyone respond to the blog. One way to stop the spam is to cut off anonymous comments. It is very easy and painless to get a Gmail email account and use it to post on blogs. You don't have to actually use the account, but it gives you a portal into my blog.
NOTE: Double click photos to enlarge them and links will also be shown in red.
http://www.travbuddy.com/maps/6730401
I have been getting more and more spam from bloggers since I let anyone respond to the blog. One way to stop the spam is to cut off anonymous comments. It is very easy and painless to get a Gmail email account and use it to post on blogs. You don't have to actually use the account, but it gives you a portal into my blog.
NOTE: Double click photos to enlarge them and links will also be shown in red.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Finishing Touches on Cabin
July 18-23, 2016
Gerry, Grant and I went to my doctor appointment in Olney, MD today which was an 85 mile drive one way. It was supposed to be a routine yearly appointment but it turned out to be something entirely different. More about that in a future blog.
We took advantage of being down in the Washington, DC suburbs to pick up some wine and beer. The prices there are much lower than up here around the cabin. We had lunch at a Greek restaurant we liked when we lived in the area. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to our memory of the food or service. Then it was back to the cabin in a rainstorm.
Barbara arrived from Concord, NC on Monday night after working in the morning. She said it wasn't a bad drive and traffic moved along well. That isn't always the case on I-81.
We started working on painting more of the cabin the next morning with help from Grant, Barbara, Cassie, Belle, and her boyfriend Bryce. I put Belle in charge of painting the skirting around the cabin since she was the only one who could squat like that and paint at the same time.
Cassie, Barbara and Gerry were touching up the side of the cabin and I managed to get a nice photo of them all in a line. We used a roller to apply the paint and the bottom of some boards were missed in places.
Once again the three musketeers were working together and expressed the view of me taking their photo. I think I interrupted them chatting about something I shouldn't be hearing.
Cleaning the roller & paint brushes isn't that much fun, but Barbara and Cassie did a great job. They used cold water so that made it that much harder but the paint residue didn't go into the septic tank since they washed them outside.
Cassie and Jack painted the small porch and that was when we noticed the paint looked different. Well, it was different. We bought what we thought was Cabin Plank which was a dark chocolate color and this paint had a purplish tint to it. Oh Oh!!
They had almost finished painting the porch when it became obvious it was the wrong paint. Cassie and Jack took the paint back to Lowe's and they checked what we had ordered against what was in the paint can. Their Bad. It was the wrong mixture and they quickly mixed another gallon correctly at no charge.
The girls had enough of cleaning brushes and tricked Gerry into cleaning them. She said the water was so cold her hands almost froze. That is what happens when you bring up well water from almost 200 ft down.
Grant just turned 15 and is about 6' 1" now and feeling his oats. Cassie asked him to do something and he challenged her to arm wrestle him. I won't say who won the match but one person thought the other cheated.
Grant and Barbara were asking all week when we were going to the Ott House Bar & Restaurant for dinner. Jack chimed in also so we finally made it there Friday night for dinner. As usual we all had a great time and enjoyed the food, drink and atmosphere at the Ott House in Emmitsburg, MD.
Saturday was Barbara's departure day to return back home. Since she had her truck, she carried a few items back with her; three old sleds, a bike, and a 1946 General Electric refrigerator that still works great. Henry always looks forward to seeing what treasures Barbara manages to get from us and I want him to be happy. Enjoy the great stuff Henry.
Actually, the bike, refrigerator and one sled was for Larry Jr and Grant. We managed to load the fridge with help from Jack and then packed everything in closely.
Grant was going to stay with us until we went down for Hannah's bridal shower, but it didn't work out that way and he left with Barbara through no fault of his.
We were sad to see them leave but we needed the rest and they needed to be back home. Thanks a million guys, you were a big help.
That was our week, how was yours?
Gerry, Grant and I went to my doctor appointment in Olney, MD today which was an 85 mile drive one way. It was supposed to be a routine yearly appointment but it turned out to be something entirely different. More about that in a future blog.
We took advantage of being down in the Washington, DC suburbs to pick up some wine and beer. The prices there are much lower than up here around the cabin. We had lunch at a Greek restaurant we liked when we lived in the area. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to our memory of the food or service. Then it was back to the cabin in a rainstorm.
Barbara arrived from Concord, NC on Monday night after working in the morning. She said it wasn't a bad drive and traffic moved along well. That isn't always the case on I-81.
We started working on painting more of the cabin the next morning with help from Grant, Barbara, Cassie, Belle, and her boyfriend Bryce. I put Belle in charge of painting the skirting around the cabin since she was the only one who could squat like that and paint at the same time.
 |
| Belle |
 |
| Cassie, Barbara & Gerry |
Once again the three musketeers were working together and expressed the view of me taking their photo. I think I interrupted them chatting about something I shouldn't be hearing.
 |
| What can I say, I still love them. |
Cleaning the roller & paint brushes isn't that much fun, but Barbara and Cassie did a great job. They used cold water so that made it that much harder but the paint residue didn't go into the septic tank since they washed them outside.
 |
| Sisters Barbara & Cassie |
 |
| Cassie & Jack |
They had almost finished painting the porch when it became obvious it was the wrong paint. Cassie and Jack took the paint back to Lowe's and they checked what we had ordered against what was in the paint can. Their Bad. It was the wrong mixture and they quickly mixed another gallon correctly at no charge.
 |
| Cassie & Jack |
The girls had enough of cleaning brushes and tricked Gerry into cleaning them. She said the water was so cold her hands almost froze. That is what happens when you bring up well water from almost 200 ft down.
 |
| Gerry cleaning brushes and paint bucket |
Grant just turned 15 and is about 6' 1" now and feeling his oats. Cassie asked him to do something and he challenged her to arm wrestle him. I won't say who won the match but one person thought the other cheated.
 |
| Cassie & Grant |
Grant and Barbara were asking all week when we were going to the Ott House Bar & Restaurant for dinner. Jack chimed in also so we finally made it there Friday night for dinner. As usual we all had a great time and enjoyed the food, drink and atmosphere at the Ott House in Emmitsburg, MD.
Saturday was Barbara's departure day to return back home. Since she had her truck, she carried a few items back with her; three old sleds, a bike, and a 1946 General Electric refrigerator that still works great. Henry always looks forward to seeing what treasures Barbara manages to get from us and I want him to be happy. Enjoy the great stuff Henry.
Actually, the bike, refrigerator and one sled was for Larry Jr and Grant. We managed to load the fridge with help from Jack and then packed everything in closely.
 |
| Ready to Roll |
We were sad to see them leave but we needed the rest and they needed to be back home. Thanks a million guys, you were a big help.
That was our week, how was yours?
Monday, July 25, 2016
War Correspondents Memorial Arch - Burkittsville, MD
July 17, 2016
Larry, Jr. had just about finished painting the cabin, getting all the hard to reach places, saving us from climbing the ladder, when it was time for him to leave for home. Grandson Grant stayed behind to help out a while longer and to visit with us. Gerry had a hair cut appointment in historic Boonsboro, MD so Grant and I took her there and then continued on to the Washington Monument State Park nearby.
Located atop South Mountain, Washington Monument State
Park is named for the first completed monument dedicated to the memory
of George Washington. The Washington Monument is a rugged stone tower
that was initially erected by the citizens of Boonsboro in 1827.
According a period newspaper account, on July 4, 1827 at 7 a.m., most of Boonsboro’s 500 inhabitants assembled at the public square. Behind the Stars and Stripes and stepping spiritedly to the music of a fife and drum corps, they marched two miles up the mountain to the monument site. The citizens worked until noon and then held a dedication ceremony and lunch. They resumed work and by 4 p.m. the monument stood fifteen feet high on a 54-foot circular base. The day ended with the reading of the Declaration of Independence and a three round salute fired by three Revolutionary War veterans. The workers returned that September to finish. Upon its completion, the monument stood 30 feet high.
The monument often fell into disrepair, and was rebuilt at least twice during its history - mostly recently by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936. The monument is currently maintained by the Maryland Park Service.
While we were there a Park Ranger dressed in a Union Army uniform asked if we wanted to hear his talk about the clothes, rifle and other equipment soldiers of that time period used. Grant is a military history buff and readily agreed to hear what he had to say. The Ranger really knew his stuff and gave us an interesting 20 minute presentation.
We picked up a geocache located near the building in the background of the above photo and then went to pick up Gerry after her appointment. We were hungry so we stopped at a local restaurant for lunch and planned the rest of the day.
The War Correspondents Memorial Arch was nearby so we headed to Gathland State Park to check it out.
The National War Correspondents Memorial, part of Gathland State Park, is a memorial dedicated to journalists who died in war. It is located in Maryland, at Crampton's Gap at South Mountain. Civil War correspondent George Alfred Townsend, or "Gath", built the arch in 1896, and it was dedicated October 16, 1896.
It is claimed that the arch is the only monument in the world dedicated to journalists killed in combat. However, a tree in Arlington National Cemetery was also dedicated as a war correspondents' memorial in 1986.
Although Townsend retained ownership of the property until his death in 1914, maintenance of the monument itself was entrusted to the National Park Service- then the War Department - in 1904.[8]
The monument's plaques lists 157 names which are sometimes assumed to be all war correspondents. In the late 1990s, local historian Timothy J. Reese analyzed the list and asserted that only 135 can claim to be war correspondents or artists, and 33 of those are not identifiable in the historical record. Furthermore, many names are misstated and several important names are missing.
George Townsend owned the land near the Arch and was instrumental in having it built. The area was also the scene of the Battle of South Mountain during the American Civil War. There are a number of beautiful stone buildings in the park with most of them restored.
The old barn below hasn't been restored and doesn't look like restoration is in it's future. There is a nice pavilion on the left of the field in front of the barn and an ample area for children to play.
The park is well maintained with and the Appalachian Trail runs through it. We saw a number of hikers resting by the water fountains and taking advantage of the restrooms.
It was getting late by this time and we started back to the cabin. Since our favorite soft ice cream place was on the way back, we stopped by for black raspberry cones, their flavor of the week. We can't avoid stopping there whenever we are in the area.
That was our day, how was yours.
NOTE: There is a lot of information online about the Arch and Townsend and it is interesting reading but too much for me to put on the blog.
Larry, Jr. had just about finished painting the cabin, getting all the hard to reach places, saving us from climbing the ladder, when it was time for him to leave for home. Grandson Grant stayed behind to help out a while longer and to visit with us. Gerry had a hair cut appointment in historic Boonsboro, MD so Grant and I took her there and then continued on to the Washington Monument State Park nearby.
Washington Monument State Park
Features
HistoryAccording a period newspaper account, on July 4, 1827 at 7 a.m., most of Boonsboro’s 500 inhabitants assembled at the public square. Behind the Stars and Stripes and stepping spiritedly to the music of a fife and drum corps, they marched two miles up the mountain to the monument site. The citizens worked until noon and then held a dedication ceremony and lunch. They resumed work and by 4 p.m. the monument stood fifteen feet high on a 54-foot circular base. The day ended with the reading of the Declaration of Independence and a three round salute fired by three Revolutionary War veterans. The workers returned that September to finish. Upon its completion, the monument stood 30 feet high.
The monument often fell into disrepair, and was rebuilt at least twice during its history - mostly recently by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936. The monument is currently maintained by the Maryland Park Service.
While we were there a Park Ranger dressed in a Union Army uniform asked if we wanted to hear his talk about the clothes, rifle and other equipment soldiers of that time period used. Grant is a military history buff and readily agreed to hear what he had to say. The Ranger really knew his stuff and gave us an interesting 20 minute presentation.
We picked up a geocache located near the building in the background of the above photo and then went to pick up Gerry after her appointment. We were hungry so we stopped at a local restaurant for lunch and planned the rest of the day.
The War Correspondents Memorial Arch was nearby so we headed to Gathland State Park to check it out.
The National War Correspondents Memorial, part of Gathland State Park, is a memorial dedicated to journalists who died in war. It is located in Maryland, at Crampton's Gap at South Mountain. Civil War correspondent George Alfred Townsend, or "Gath", built the arch in 1896, and it was dedicated October 16, 1896.
It is claimed that the arch is the only monument in the world dedicated to journalists killed in combat. However, a tree in Arlington National Cemetery was also dedicated as a war correspondents' memorial in 1986.
Although Townsend retained ownership of the property until his death in 1914, maintenance of the monument itself was entrusted to the National Park Service- then the War Department - in 1904.[8]
The monument's plaques lists 157 names which are sometimes assumed to be all war correspondents. In the late 1990s, local historian Timothy J. Reese analyzed the list and asserted that only 135 can claim to be war correspondents or artists, and 33 of those are not identifiable in the historical record. Furthermore, many names are misstated and several important names are missing.
 |
| Gerry and Grant at the Arch |
George Townsend owned the land near the Arch and was instrumental in having it built. The area was also the scene of the Battle of South Mountain during the American Civil War. There are a number of beautiful stone buildings in the park with most of them restored.
The old barn below hasn't been restored and doesn't look like restoration is in it's future. There is a nice pavilion on the left of the field in front of the barn and an ample area for children to play.
The park is well maintained with and the Appalachian Trail runs through it. We saw a number of hikers resting by the water fountains and taking advantage of the restrooms.
It was getting late by this time and we started back to the cabin. Since our favorite soft ice cream place was on the way back, we stopped by for black raspberry cones, their flavor of the week. We can't avoid stopping there whenever we are in the area.
That was our day, how was yours.
NOTE: There is a lot of information online about the Arch and Townsend and it is interesting reading but too much for me to put on the blog.
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Meanwhile, Back At The Cabin
July 13-16
We were so busy during this time period that I didn't have the energy to write a blog or publish any pictures. This is a catch up on that time period.
Grant was put in charge of burning all the loose wood, boxes, etc that were around the cabin and handled the job very well. He sawed up a couple old bookcases, some rotten wood and kept the fire going all day long. It was a hot job, but he enjoyed doing it.
Gerry and Larry Jr. were painting a couple repair jobs and getting the first coat of paint on the boards. The picture isn't that sharp since it was late in the day.
The windows still need painting, but the boards have been painted and the new brown color looks great. The cabin had been painted with redwood stain since 1979 numerous times, but it always faded fast. We switched over to paint for this time and it went on with one coat which is great for us. The skirting on the lower part still needed painting in this photo.
The two Larrys were working together on a repair of the skirting behind the cabin. The old wood had a hole in it where an animal used to crawl under the cabin. It must have been one surprised skunk or whatever when we boarded up it's entrance.
Cassie & Belle came over to help and took a break at the end of the day on the screened in porch. Larry Jr. helped me (he did most of the work) on redoing the screening on the porch a couple years ago.
We are very pleased that our family chipped in to help paint the cabin. Last year I tried to get a painter to come up here and paint the cabin but he didn't want to make the trip. We are out in the woods as you can tell from some photos. It is very difficult to get any tradesmen interested because of the location.
I was also working but couldn't take photos of me so you will have to take my word for it. Of course I was a little slower than the younger folks.
We were so busy during this time period that I didn't have the energy to write a blog or publish any pictures. This is a catch up on that time period.
Grant was put in charge of burning all the loose wood, boxes, etc that were around the cabin and handled the job very well. He sawed up a couple old bookcases, some rotten wood and kept the fire going all day long. It was a hot job, but he enjoyed doing it.
Gerry and Larry Jr. were painting a couple repair jobs and getting the first coat of paint on the boards. The picture isn't that sharp since it was late in the day.
The windows still need painting, but the boards have been painted and the new brown color looks great. The cabin had been painted with redwood stain since 1979 numerous times, but it always faded fast. We switched over to paint for this time and it went on with one coat which is great for us. The skirting on the lower part still needed painting in this photo.
The two Larrys were working together on a repair of the skirting behind the cabin. The old wood had a hole in it where an animal used to crawl under the cabin. It must have been one surprised skunk or whatever when we boarded up it's entrance.
Cassie & Belle came over to help and took a break at the end of the day on the screened in porch. Larry Jr. helped me (he did most of the work) on redoing the screening on the porch a couple years ago.
We are very pleased that our family chipped in to help paint the cabin. Last year I tried to get a painter to come up here and paint the cabin but he didn't want to make the trip. We are out in the woods as you can tell from some photos. It is very difficult to get any tradesmen interested because of the location.
I was also working but couldn't take photos of me so you will have to take my word for it. Of course I was a little slower than the younger folks.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Cabin Maintenance & Repairs
I'm sure you have heard the question "if a tree falls in the woods and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Well, if a cabin isn't used in 10 months does it still need maintenance? Trust me, it does and big time.
A tree branch fell on our electric line coming into the cabin a couple months ago and ripped the wiring from the cabin. Our neighbor Bob noticed it and called the power company to reconnect the line to the cabin. It used to be they were responsible for the connection to the power meter but that seems to have changed the last couple years. The repair man made a temporary fix of one screw holding the line to the cabin and that was it.
SIL Jack is great with handling electric work and came up to fix the wiring properly. He fastened the wire back in place using better screws and did a great job. Thanks a million Jack, it was a big help.
Gerry has been wanting to paint the cabin for the past 4-5 years and something always comes up to stop us from doing so. Our dau Barbara & son Larry Jr. sort of volunteered to come to the cabin for 3-4 days of work to help with the painting. Larry Jr came first and we (mostly Jr.) caulked around the windows, fixed some loose boards, removed rotted boards, etc. That part took a lot longer that I expected and he was leaving in a couple days so it was imperative that we start painting the cabin so he could paint the high points. My knees don't do very well climbing and standing on ladders.
It took 3-4 four trips to Home Depot and Lowes to gather all the paint, brushes, deck wash soap, lumber, etc needed to finish the job. It cost more for the other materials than it did for the paint.
We had three long days working painting and repairing and it wore Gerry and me to a frazzle. We both decided we weren't interested in painting houses for a living. Larry Jr left on Thursday and grandson Grant stayed behind. We will take Grant home in early August when we go down there for a wedding shower.
I will include some pictures of the finished product later after Barbara comes up and helps finish the job. Still a lot of trim painting left along with a ceiling to be put on the screened in porch. She will drive up in her Chevy Avalanche and we can use it to haul the panelings needed for the porch job.
Then we have to start on clearing some dead trees near the cabin along with removing the mountain Laurel near the cabin. I want to clear back 25ft or so from the cabin in case of a fire up here. The storage shed also needs painting and sprucing up.
Now you know why we love to be on the road and not have to spend so much time working on the cabin. Our rounds of routine doctors appointments started on Monday and that will fill up a lot of time. Hitch itch is starting to set in already.
That was our last couple weeks, how were yours?
A tree branch fell on our electric line coming into the cabin a couple months ago and ripped the wiring from the cabin. Our neighbor Bob noticed it and called the power company to reconnect the line to the cabin. It used to be they were responsible for the connection to the power meter but that seems to have changed the last couple years. The repair man made a temporary fix of one screw holding the line to the cabin and that was it.
SIL Jack is great with handling electric work and came up to fix the wiring properly. He fastened the wire back in place using better screws and did a great job. Thanks a million Jack, it was a big help.
Gerry has been wanting to paint the cabin for the past 4-5 years and something always comes up to stop us from doing so. Our dau Barbara & son Larry Jr. sort of volunteered to come to the cabin for 3-4 days of work to help with the painting. Larry Jr came first and we (mostly Jr.) caulked around the windows, fixed some loose boards, removed rotted boards, etc. That part took a lot longer that I expected and he was leaving in a couple days so it was imperative that we start painting the cabin so he could paint the high points. My knees don't do very well climbing and standing on ladders.
It took 3-4 four trips to Home Depot and Lowes to gather all the paint, brushes, deck wash soap, lumber, etc needed to finish the job. It cost more for the other materials than it did for the paint.
We had three long days working painting and repairing and it wore Gerry and me to a frazzle. We both decided we weren't interested in painting houses for a living. Larry Jr left on Thursday and grandson Grant stayed behind. We will take Grant home in early August when we go down there for a wedding shower.
I will include some pictures of the finished product later after Barbara comes up and helps finish the job. Still a lot of trim painting left along with a ceiling to be put on the screened in porch. She will drive up in her Chevy Avalanche and we can use it to haul the panelings needed for the porch job.
Then we have to start on clearing some dead trees near the cabin along with removing the mountain Laurel near the cabin. I want to clear back 25ft or so from the cabin in case of a fire up here. The storage shed also needs painting and sprucing up.
Now you know why we love to be on the road and not have to spend so much time working on the cabin. Our rounds of routine doctors appointments started on Monday and that will fill up a lot of time. Hitch itch is starting to set in already.
That was our last couple weeks, how were yours?
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
On To Crossville, TN
June 28, 2016
We were up early for our drive to Crossville, TN and a stopover at one of our favorite campgrounds. We stopped to fill up the motor home at a Pilot station and as usual the pump stopped at $150.00. Since it was almost full, I didn't go through the routine of inserting the credit card and fuel card once again.
It wasn't long before we crossed the border into Tennessee for the 1st time in 5-6 years. We used to always travel thru the state on our way west, but lately have been stopping in Charlotte, NC on the way out. We took the bypass around the north and east part of Nashville and moved along at a good clip without any delays. They sure do have short merge ramps on that highway though and it was a little hairy merging into traffic.
We used to always stop in Crossville, TN on our trips through Tennessee and this time was no exception. We discovered the Spring Lake CG a number of years ago and managed to reserve three nights there.
Our site was right on a curve on the lake and we had a great view from our patio. The swing was used every day and we really unwound from the past 3-4 weeks. The site also had a table and chairs, a grill and a fire ring.
The lake is stocked with fish and it's free to fish there but it's a catch and release lake. We saw a number of fish rising to the water along the shore and in the middle.
There was a family of ducks along the shore and we saw them every day while we were there. One duckling was larger than the other two and looked a little out of place. They weren't afraid of us and continued on with their business.
Each evening a fish swam a few feet from the shore and seemed to be eating something in the grass. It was about 2 1/2 ft long and moved in a swishing motion. We couldn't get a picture of the whole fish and I'm not sure what kind it was. It did look like a small shark fin cruising for a meal. There is sort of an outline of it visible in this photo.
We stopped at a local restaurant and they brought out complimentary hush puppies, cole slaw and a pot of beans. They were about a meal in themselves. It was our first chance to have a Yuengling draft since last November and it tasted great. The hush puppies were good and when asked if we'd like more, we accepted. We ate so much, we hardly had room for our main meal.
We took the opportunity to go geocaching and found a couple of them to add to the list. Tennessee is the 38th state where we have found a geocache and we hope to find one in each state eventually.
July 1, 2016
Happy Birthday, Jack!!
We pullet out of the Silver Lake RV Resort reluctantly and headed to Buena Vista, VA for a night stay at the Glen Maury River campground run by the city. It was nice enough except that it was on grass and I wouldn't like to stay there if there is rain in the forecast. The extraction fee to get us unstuck is about $500 and not covered by our emergency road service.
We stopped at a Mexican restaurant reputed to be the best one in the county. I'm not sure how many there were in the county, but if this was the best then I feel sorry for them. It was good enough, but nothing special.
We left early the next morning and made our way to the cabin to park for the next three months. We left October 21, 2015 and traveled 6,225 miles at a cost of $1,820 for fuel in 253 days.
It was a great trip and we still love being out on the road seeing new sights and enjoying the great Southwest. We don't have any firm plans for this upcoming winter, but it looks like Florida or back to the Southwest. That's it for this trip.
We were up early for our drive to Crossville, TN and a stopover at one of our favorite campgrounds. We stopped to fill up the motor home at a Pilot station and as usual the pump stopped at $150.00. Since it was almost full, I didn't go through the routine of inserting the credit card and fuel card once again.
It wasn't long before we crossed the border into Tennessee for the 1st time in 5-6 years. We used to always travel thru the state on our way west, but lately have been stopping in Charlotte, NC on the way out. We took the bypass around the north and east part of Nashville and moved along at a good clip without any delays. They sure do have short merge ramps on that highway though and it was a little hairy merging into traffic.
We used to always stop in Crossville, TN on our trips through Tennessee and this time was no exception. We discovered the Spring Lake CG a number of years ago and managed to reserve three nights there.
Our site was right on a curve on the lake and we had a great view from our patio. The swing was used every day and we really unwound from the past 3-4 weeks. The site also had a table and chairs, a grill and a fire ring.
The lake is stocked with fish and it's free to fish there but it's a catch and release lake. We saw a number of fish rising to the water along the shore and in the middle.
There was a family of ducks along the shore and we saw them every day while we were there. One duckling was larger than the other two and looked a little out of place. They weren't afraid of us and continued on with their business.
Each evening a fish swam a few feet from the shore and seemed to be eating something in the grass. It was about 2 1/2 ft long and moved in a swishing motion. We couldn't get a picture of the whole fish and I'm not sure what kind it was. It did look like a small shark fin cruising for a meal. There is sort of an outline of it visible in this photo.
We stopped at a local restaurant and they brought out complimentary hush puppies, cole slaw and a pot of beans. They were about a meal in themselves. It was our first chance to have a Yuengling draft since last November and it tasted great. The hush puppies were good and when asked if we'd like more, we accepted. We ate so much, we hardly had room for our main meal.
We took the opportunity to go geocaching and found a couple of them to add to the list. Tennessee is the 38th state where we have found a geocache and we hope to find one in each state eventually.
July 1, 2016
Happy Birthday, Jack!!
We pullet out of the Silver Lake RV Resort reluctantly and headed to Buena Vista, VA for a night stay at the Glen Maury River campground run by the city. It was nice enough except that it was on grass and I wouldn't like to stay there if there is rain in the forecast. The extraction fee to get us unstuck is about $500 and not covered by our emergency road service.
We stopped at a Mexican restaurant reputed to be the best one in the county. I'm not sure how many there were in the county, but if this was the best then I feel sorry for them. It was good enough, but nothing special.
We left early the next morning and made our way to the cabin to park for the next three months. We left October 21, 2015 and traveled 6,225 miles at a cost of $1,820 for fuel in 253 days.
It was a great trip and we still love being out on the road seeing new sights and enjoying the great Southwest. We don't have any firm plans for this upcoming winter, but it looks like Florida or back to the Southwest. That's it for this trip.
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