Using The Smoked Pork And Chicken – Quesadillas And Breakfast Burritos

The grandkids had requested BBQ during their visit so I fired up the smoker and cooked a pork butt, two racks of spare ribs, chicken thighs, and wings.  We ate the ribs and wings for supper then I used the pulled pork and chicken thighs for Hispanic dishes.

First RV Trip of 2023 – Campground Review And Trip Home

Our rally was held at Bluewater RV Resort And Marina which sits on the Richland Creek embayment of Chickamauga Lake and a couple miles east of Dayton, TN.

It bills itself as a resort but I would call it a high end RV Park which is the middle of my three classifications – campground, RV park, RV resort.  This is a resort site in FL.

A Tea Room Lunch & Campground Review For Day 3 Of Our Last 2022 RV Club Rally

Friday was a light day with lunch at the Genesis House Of Tea followed by card making for the ladies, and nothing planned for the guys.  Since we were still operating without our Aqua Hot (hot water provider) and Teddy was obviously not feeling well, we decided to just head home on Friday afternoon rather than wait until Saturday morning more on the next post).

The girls headed out to Genesis House Of Tea about 11:30 and according to my girls, it was a nice experience, even though they are not into tea rooms.  Per their site “The Historic Dent House, circa 1854, is the last standing antebellum home in Chattanooga. The 165-year-old grand home is the perfect place to experience a full four-course afternoon tea service for lunch, or relax before a fire enjoying a candle-lit dinner.”

Our Last 2022 RV Club Rally – Day 1½ - Miller industries & Porvino's

With only the Christmas Party remaining, this was the final rally for our Tennessee Travelers RV club and we were looking forward to making the trip to the Chattanooga, TN area to spend time with our friends.  We got the coach all packed and ready and got on the road at 2pm for the under two-hour ride to the Holiday Travel Park ofChattanooga which is actually located in Rossville, GA, about a quarter mile below the TN/GA state line.

Sweetwater RV Rally, Wrap-Up, Campground Review, & Scrapple

Our four-day, five-night rally began on Sunday night and officially ended when people departed on Friday morning and I believe I can say we took in about all of the available sites to see in the Sweetwater area.  Our attendance for this rally varied between 15 and 19 attendees which I thought was good for a rally so close to home.

The Sweetwater KOA was a very pleasant surprise both from a facilities standpoint and how we were treated as the management bent over backwards to make us feel welcome and attend to our needs.  The park has 66 sites with a full range of lengths and several holiday sites – they were well spaced so as not to feel crowded.  They also had seven cabins which one of our couples used and liked.  Our site.

Pineola, NC Rally – Trip Day 7 – Campground And Trip Home

Our original plan was to return home on Saturday but since the weather for Friday was mostly rain and then all rain predicted on Saturday, we decided to go on home on Friday so we left during a lull in the showers and in time to beat the Friday afternoon traffic near home.

Finally, An RV Trip – The Drive & Campground

Covid-19 had significantly waned, the hip replacement surgery is behind me, the coach is hopefully readied, and Cindy is in place to house-sit so we headed out for our first RV trip in 53 weeks.  Our friends and neighbors, Steve and Pat, have put together a great sounding Tennessee Travelers Club Rally to the western North Carolina high country.

Florida Trip – Days 16-18 - The Campground & Trip Home

It was our last day and with nothing scheduled, so my girls and a few others went into old downtown Pensacola to look around and do some shopping while I puttered around and readied the coach for the next days drive.  Since it was supposed to rain overnight and in the morning, we did as much as we could the day before, including attaching the car.

You may remember that I classify the places we stay as campgrounds, RV Parks, and RV resorts and I would call this a low end RV park as the roads and sites were all gravel but they did have paver brick patios at each site.  Check in was friendly and efficient and we were guided to our site even though it was raining.

Finally On The Road Again – Pine Mountain, Ga

After an 18 months hiatus for Covid-19, we are finally all vaccinated and back on the road in the RV.  We had the chassis serviced, replaced the six rear tires, cleaned the coach inside and out, packed it, and we were ready to hit the road around 10am.

We were barely out of the driveway when we realized we had no 120v power and as I was trying to figure out what could be wrong, Bev asked “isn’t there something you do up there (control panel) and I realized we had forgot to turn on the inverter, which fixed the problem.  Hard to believe how much we have forgotten over the 18 months.

We were headed for the Florida Gulf Coast but our first stop was Pine Mountain, GA for a visit to Callaway Gardens (CG).  We had been to the area twice before and again stayed at the Pine Mountain RV Resort the last time.

Tennessee Travelers October Rally – Crossville, TN - Days 1 & 2

We are on the road again but this time only driving 65 miles to the Spring Lake RV Resort near Crossville, TN for the club’s final 2019 rally and our annual business meeting.

We had 11 coaches in attendance (two visitors) but would have had a couple more had the folks who live next door in Fairfield Glade brought their coaches.  This is our group and we are the second site which has a concrete parking pad with gravel at each end – it was reasonably level.

The campground has an out-front part where we were and a rear lake part (below) with 20+ sites in each place.

Louie and Bill insisting I get their picture - turned out well.

We got to the campground around 1:30pm on Monday and spent the afternoon catching up with the others before heading to the Beef & Barrel Restaurant for a group supper.  I was too busy eating & visiting to take any shots - our food was decent but nothing special even though the place was packed and folks were waiting to get in.

On Tuesday, our main event was a trip to the Cumberland County Playhouse (a first for me) to see Baskerville, a Sherlock Holmes Mystery (comedy) which took place in the smaller of the two theaters – with very uncomfortable chairs.  I could only make it through the first half before my hip said enough of being in that one cramped position,  so I went to the car.  I thought the play was okay but not great although I was impressed with the number of characters that several of the actors played and how quickly they could change clothes – five actors playing 45 characters.  I assume this is the kind of place where actors start out to hone their skills.

From there we went to Cumberland Mountain State Park for a buffet dinner where I ate mostly salad. 

This is their signature bridge/dam and the restaurant where we were the first ones in line.

In case you were wondering, we are in Cumberland County on the Cumberland Plateau of the Cumberland Mountains.  

That evening, we sat around the faux campfire and visited - always a favorite part of mine and the propane fire rings make it so easy and smoke free.

So ends the first two fun days with this group – I always enjoy being with them.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

10/14-10/15/19 event dates

RV Trip To Georgetown, KY, TTer’s Rally Days 4&5 Then Home

On Thursday with the 96F temps, we elected to pass on a trip to the Kentucky Horse Park and opted to drive the 20 miles down to Lexington and try a restaurant that had been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and the Rachael Ray Show.  The Parkette Drive-In opened in 1951 and the sign was erected in 1957. 

RV Trip To Georgetown, KY, TTer’s Rally Day 1

We are back on the road to attend a rally with our Tennessee Travelers RV group and the destination for this trip is Georgetown, KY which is about 15 miles north of Lexington.  Planned events for the rally include a tour of the nearby Toyota assembly plant, and visits to The Ark Encounter, the Kentucky Horse Park, and the Buffalo Trace Distillery as well as meals at several restaurants. 

We rolled into Whispering Hills RV Park a few miles north of downtown Georgetown about 3:15pm and got set up in the 90+F temps.  

Walland Rally – Preparation Days & Campground

Once again, we are camping with our Tennessee Travelers Chapter of the FMCA and this time Bev and I are the rally hosts.  Since we went as far as Savannah, GA for the previous rally, we opted to stay closer to home for this one and go to Walland, TN, which was where we first participated with this group.  We returned to the same campground except it now has new ownership and a new name – Whispering River Resort. 

Three Stop RV Rally – Days 16-18 – Grove Park Inn, Moose Café & Trip Home

We had visited the Grove Park Inn during a rally a couple of years ago but this time we decided to eat at the Sunset Terrace Restaurant looking out over the mountains.  I could almost see the wealthy southern ladies and gents in their fine clothing in this same setting 100 years ago sipping their beverages and discussing the topics of the day.

Three Stop RV Rally – Days 13-15 – Oak Plantation And Moving To Asheville, NC, Trolley

Before I discuss our move, a few comments about Oak Plantation Campground on John’s Island, SC (Charleston).  I believe this is just a campground and not up to an RV Park or Resort, but it is a nice campground and we would stay there again.  I base my ratings on their sites being just gravel or grass and gravel although their roads were paved.  We didn’t use any of fixed facilities, but the WiFi was very good, the water pressure was a little low, and everything else was normal.  Check in was friendly and efficient. Depending upon traffic and how many red lights you hit, it’s 15-30 minutes into downtown.  A big negative was the traffic that backs up in front of the entrance due to the nearby traffic light and heavy traffic.  Since it is for sale for $31 million, there seem to be no improvements being made.  

Three Stop RV Rally – Days 9 -11 – Onward to Charleston, Gilligan's, Angel Oak, Old Friend

We closed up shop and got on the road about 10:15 for 105 mile run from Savannah up to the Charleston area but first some thoughts on Savannah's Creek Fire Motor Ranch.  They refer to themselves as a resort but they have a way to go to get there but I believe they will.  The place has only been open for about 18 months and they mostly concrete pads with all good utilities except for a terrible WiFi.  Check in was friendly and efficient and they provided a nice packet of information.  The pool area was nice but the hot tub was nearly unusable due to the chlorine amount in the water.  They don’t offer cable TV but some sites have a Direct TV dish that requires using a box provided by them – not an issue since we have our own dish.  It’s about a 25 minute drive into downtown via I-95 and I-16 but there are many stores and restaurants near the resort - if ever again in the area I would stay there.

On The Road For A Three Stop RV Club Rally – Days 1-2

After just a five week down period, during which we had to get a seal replaced on the coach engine, we are back on the road and headed for our first of three stops in Savannah, GA – followed by Charleston, SC and Asheville, NC.  Pat, Cindy, Bev, three dogs, and I departed about 11:30 am for the 260 mile drive to the Forsythe, GA. KOA – the 450 mile trip all the way to Savannah is more than I want to drive in one day. 

About two hours into the trip the low engine coolant alarm came on so I stopped at a truck stop and made sure everything was full but it shortly came on again when I got up to 63 mph followed by the stop engine light.  So I pulled over to the side of the road, stopped the engine for a few minutes then started it back up and ran the remainder of the days trip at 58 mph without incident – but not sure why the speed made a difference but very happy that it did.  I spoke with my diesel mechanic at home and he suggested it was likely a failing sensor since the engine temperature was running fine.

Southwestern RV Trip – Days 63-64, The Final Two Days

We got back on I-40 in North Little Rock Tuesday morning and the road thru the rest of Ark was pretty good but we noticed lots of flood waters on both sides of the road and when we got to the Mississippi River, it was way out of its banks.  By the time we got into Tennessee the winds had picked up and I fought the gusty conditions the rest of the way to Parker's Crossroads.  Usually I’ve reported how the road got better when we got into TN but not so today as it was just okay most of the day and bad for the first 35 miles thru and east of Memphis.

Southwestern RV Trip – Days 60-62, Still Heading Home

After a day to rest, we got back on the road on Sunday (an hour late as we were unaware of the DST change - ain't retirement great?) and drove thru Oklahoma City to Seminole, OK to stay at the Bar H Bar Travel Center which contained a fuel stop, a convenience store, a restaurant, and a campground.  Overhead from the web.

Southwestern RV Trip – Days 55-56 -esort, AZ, and Crusty's

On Tuesday, we made the three hour round trip to the Phoenix Airport to drop off Cindy for her fight home then we began making preparations to leave on Thursday so not much else planned for these final two days at Camp Verde.  

This seems like a good time to comment on two things beginning with the campground.  The Distant Drums RV Resort is owned and operated by the Yavapai–Apache Nation and I consider it to actually be a resort with 158 spacious sites – we were in #89. The roads are all paved and the sites contain a concrete RV parking pad and a concrete car parking/patio area.  The in-between areas are covered in small red rock which are raked each time someone moves out.  The utilities and cable TV all worked well and the WiFi was better than most.  Amenities included an 86F pool, a 104F hot tub, basic store, workout room, dog park, showers, laundry, and free shuttle to the casino.