Ummm, a swampy, kinda creepy, kinda odd, sort of place. I don't want to say it's backwoods but I swear I could hear a banjo warming up. You could practically feel eyes watching us from behind closed blinds!
Sunday, 31 December 2017
Sweet Home Alabama...Or is it?
Late last night we rolled into this Alabama campground...
Ummm, a swampy, kinda creepy, kinda odd, sort of place. I don't want to say it's backwoods but I swear I could hear a banjo warming up. You could practically feel eyes watching us from behind closed blinds!
Ummm, a swampy, kinda creepy, kinda odd, sort of place. I don't want to say it's backwoods but I swear I could hear a banjo warming up. You could practically feel eyes watching us from behind closed blinds!
Saturday, 30 December 2017
Gulf Coast, Here We Come!
It's moving day. Time to head for warmer climates! We're done with Nashville for this trip. Next up, Alabama for a couple days then it's Florida for the month of January.
Friday, 29 December 2017
Laundry Day and a New Phone!
Not much happening today. We are changing locations tomorrow so we decided to take care of some housekeeping chores and do laundry today. Also, I decided we need a US cellphone. There’s been times I’ve wanted to make calls down here but it’s too expensive to use my Bell phone. I had inquired on US plans before we left home but my Samsung smartphone isn’t compatible. I’ve been hearing about a carrier called MetroPCS and their prepaid, unlimited phone deals. So I took a drive over to their nearby store. Yup, I scored a great deal! I did go with a prepaid bundle – a Samsung J3 (I do like Samsung) smartphone. For $50 I get 30 days of unlimited talk, text and data. No term. No commitment. No contract. AND that includes the phone. I can deactivate and reactivate whenever I want! Can’t beat that with a stick!
Thursday, 28 December 2017
Spending Time With Jack!
Had fun today! Drove to Lynchburg, TN, went on a guided tour of the Jack Daniel's Distillery then walked around historic Lynchburg. Very cool!
Our tour guide was Chad, informative, charming and funny!
The story of the Jack Daniels Distillery is fascinating...
Jack's mother passed away when he was two and a couple years later, his father remarried. Little Jack didn't take it lightly, now with 12 brothers and sisters, he was a neglected child. So he ran away, all the way to a neighbour's farm. Eventually he was taken in by one of the communities leaders, the local preacher Dan Coll. He owned a still and was in need of an apprentice. Not only did Jack find a home, but also a trade. Jack grew up working for Coll and learned all there was to know about the art of distilling whiskey.
In 1863 Coll sold the still to Jack who was a mere 13 years old. In 1866 Jack registered his distillery making it the oldest in the U.S. Sometime later, looking for a reliable source of good water, Jack decided on the Cave Springs area. The Cave spring's water was cool, clear, and free of iron. Jack wanted fresh water with a minimum of undesirable impurities that could ruin whiskey. He found it and relocated his distillery. To this day, Cave Spring still supplies water to the distillery.
Jack passed away at the age of 61 from complications of gangrene. Jack had no wife or children, leaving the distillery to be handed down to his nephew, Lem. Lem continued to operate the distillery in much the same way as Jack did.
Our tour guide was Chad, informative, charming and funny!
The story of the Jack Daniels Distillery is fascinating...
Jack's mother passed away when he was two and a couple years later, his father remarried. Little Jack didn't take it lightly, now with 12 brothers and sisters, he was a neglected child. So he ran away, all the way to a neighbour's farm. Eventually he was taken in by one of the communities leaders, the local preacher Dan Coll. He owned a still and was in need of an apprentice. Not only did Jack find a home, but also a trade. Jack grew up working for Coll and learned all there was to know about the art of distilling whiskey.
In 1863 Coll sold the still to Jack who was a mere 13 years old. In 1866 Jack registered his distillery making it the oldest in the U.S. Sometime later, looking for a reliable source of good water, Jack decided on the Cave Springs area. The Cave spring's water was cool, clear, and free of iron. Jack wanted fresh water with a minimum of undesirable impurities that could ruin whiskey. He found it and relocated his distillery. To this day, Cave Spring still supplies water to the distillery.
Jack passed away at the age of 61 from complications of gangrene. Jack had no wife or children, leaving the distillery to be handed down to his nephew, Lem. Lem continued to operate the distillery in much the same way as Jack did.
Wednesday, 27 December 2017
Exploring Nashville
Headed into Nashville today and explored downtown...walked Broadway where you have bars and honky tonks as far as the eye can see!
Found the Ryman auditorium, Wildhorse Saloon, BB King's jazz club and other well-known landmarks.
Stopped into Hattie B's to get some of their famous Nashville Hot Chicken for supper! It was delicious and I might add, aptly named...it was hot, and I had only ordered the medium heat!
Found the Ryman auditorium, Wildhorse Saloon, BB King's jazz club and other well-known landmarks.
Stopped into Hattie B's to get some of their famous Nashville Hot Chicken for supper! It was delicious and I might add, aptly named...it was hot, and I had only ordered the medium heat!
Tuesday, 26 December 2017
Christmas Lights Galore!
We spotted a large Christmas light display over at the Gaylord Entertainment complex, so we jumped in the truck and drove over. Ended up spending a couple hours wandering around the grounds of Nashville's magnificent Opryland Hotel. Amazing light display.
We tried to get some pics but the best we could do was capture just a small fraction of the millions of lights that are on display!
We tried to get some pics but the best we could do was capture just a small fraction of the millions of lights that are on display!
Monday, 25 December 2017
Sunday, 24 December 2017
Music City USA
For the next week we are staying at the Two Rivers Campground here in Nashville. A clean tidy campground. I like it here!
What a lovely morning! I haven't gone for a run in a few days so I need some exercise! I decided on a simple out and back run on the road out front. Despite there being several businesses along this road, it's a nice quiet street, perfect for running. Finished with a distance of 7km.
What a lovely morning! I haven't gone for a run in a few days so I need some exercise! I decided on a simple out and back run on the road out front. Despite there being several businesses along this road, it's a nice quiet street, perfect for running. Finished with a distance of 7km.
Saturday, 23 December 2017
Leaving Kentucky
And here's the very reason we keep coming back to Kentucky, time after time: I absolutely love these white fences! Any of you that have visited Kentucky know what I mean...just about every pasture and field here is surrounded by these iconic fences.
Even when I'm back home, if I spot a white fence around a field, I'm instantly transported to Kentucky! To me, these fences (and Kentucky) are such a stereotypical image of a rural, farmland, landscape.
Okay, we're done with Kentucky for this trip...today is moving day and we're heading for Music City, USA!
Even when I'm back home, if I spot a white fence around a field, I'm instantly transported to Kentucky! To me, these fences (and Kentucky) are such a stereotypical image of a rural, farmland, landscape.
Okay, we're done with Kentucky for this trip...today is moving day and we're heading for Music City, USA!
Friday, 22 December 2017
The Bluegrass State
Well, look at what we found behind our campsite here in Louisville, KY!
Only in the south would you find a fishpond stocked with catfish! Hmmm we do like catfish and I did bring my fishing rod! They wouldn't miss one or two...would they?
So for the last couple of days we've been exploring Louisville, KY, including a drive by of Churchill Downs.. Personally, I think a trip to Louisville isn't complete until we've seen Churchill Downs up close! Home of the Kentucky Derby or as the saying goes 'the greatest two minutes in sports!'
Only in the south would you find a fishpond stocked with catfish! Hmmm we do like catfish and I did bring my fishing rod! They wouldn't miss one or two...would they?
So for the last couple of days we've been exploring Louisville, KY, including a drive by of Churchill Downs.. Personally, I think a trip to Louisville isn't complete until we've seen Churchill Downs up close! Home of the Kentucky Derby or as the saying goes 'the greatest two minutes in sports!'
Thursday, 21 December 2017
The Hills Are Alive With...The Stench of Brakes!
Long trip across West Virginia today. WV is a VERY mountainous state! Long uphill climbs and very long downhill descents. Had a little issue early on in our trip. At one point, going down a big hill, Sheila and I looked at each other, "do you smell that", we said almost in unison. We could smell burning brakes (never a good sign)...we hoped it was from one of the passing trucks, but we knew better and pulled over right away. Made some adjustments to the trailer brakes, basically maxed out the brake adjuster for the 5th wheel. Let things cool off a bit and then carried on with no issues.
WV has a raw beauty…beautiful mountains and valleys, with little communities at the base of the mountains. You can see that WV is struggling and that the coal mining industry is an important part of their survival. The communities surrounding the coal mines were the largest we saw and there was lots of activity...we saw rail car after rail car loaded with coal traveling on the rails.
Arrived at the Louisville South KOA tonight. It was dark when we arrived, so couldn’t get a very good look at the campground, but I’m sure it’s nice.
WV has a raw beauty…beautiful mountains and valleys, with little communities at the base of the mountains. You can see that WV is struggling and that the coal mining industry is an important part of their survival. The communities surrounding the coal mines were the largest we saw and there was lots of activity...we saw rail car after rail car loaded with coal traveling on the rails.
Arrived at the Louisville South KOA tonight. It was dark when we arrived, so couldn’t get a very good look at the campground, but I’m sure it’s nice.
Wednesday, 20 December 2017
Change in Plans. We're now Kentucky Bound!
Back on the road today. Changed our itinerary a bit and added a detour through Kentucky. We love Kentucky and visit whenever we can! We’ve been to Lexington before, so this time we’re travelling a bit further west to explore Louisville. It’s a long drive from Winchester, so we’re breaking it up over two days. Tonight’s luxury campsite was generously donated by Walmart of Lewisburg, WV
Parked in the Auto Service section of the Walmart, nice and quiet and we feel perfectly safe. Supper was next door at Shoney’s…of course, it’s all about the buffet! I've been looking forward to this, I love Shoney's! And they offered a steak for $3 if you get the buffet…$3 for a steak? Yes please!
Even though it was a cheap steak, it was pretty good!
Parked in the Auto Service section of the Walmart, nice and quiet and we feel perfectly safe. Supper was next door at Shoney’s…of course, it’s all about the buffet! I've been looking forward to this, I love Shoney's! And they offered a steak for $3 if you get the buffet…$3 for a steak? Yes please!
Even though it was a cheap steak, it was pretty good!
Tuesday, 19 December 2017
We Found Summer...sort of!
Another beautiful day dawning here in Winchester, Virginia! Time to go for a run!
Today's forecast...sunny and 16C I never thought I'd be running outside in shorts and a t-shirt a week before Christmas!
Today's forecast...sunny and 16C I never thought I'd be running outside in shorts and a t-shirt a week before Christmas!
Monday, 18 December 2017
Finally, Some Balmy Weather!
Another long-ish day on the road. We traveled through Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and finished our day in West Virginia. We're finally getting somewhere! We found Summer...well, almost...maybe more like Spring!
We’re in Winchester, VA and we’ve settled at the Candy Hill Campground for a couple days and this place seems very nice! Nice paved sites, lots of room to walk the dogs plus they have an off leash park. The only downside is it’s near the highway, so you get the traffic noise, but if you had a fan going, you wouldn’t notice.
It's sunny and 11C here today! It was great to go for a run in shorts and a T-shirt!
We’re in Winchester, VA and we’ve settled at the Candy Hill Campground for a couple days and this place seems very nice! Nice paved sites, lots of room to walk the dogs plus they have an off leash park. The only downside is it’s near the highway, so you get the traffic noise, but if you had a fan going, you wouldn’t notice.
It's sunny and 11C here today! It was great to go for a run in shorts and a T-shirt!
Sunday, 17 December 2017
That Was a Chilly One!
After crossing into Pennsylvania last night, we decided it was time to stop for the night. We had reached Milford, PA and despite hoping to go further, we decided to pull off the road. So after traveling for two days it was still winter!
We dealt with another chilly day, and more iffy looking streets and highways. We debated getting another hotel room versus boondocking somewhere. We frequently boondock at Walmarts and Cracker Barrel restaurants during long days on the road, but never in weather this cold. Our rig has a propane furnace that works great, but it puts a strain on the battery when it has to run frequently. We also had LOTS of blankets and heavy clothes, just in case they were needed
So we opted to go with free camping at the Milford Walmart...surrounded by the white stuff! It was SO COLD….lots of fleece and dogs were required to stay warm for the night!
Relatively mild today, and we stuck with our typical routine when staying at a Walmart...we went shopping!
After picking up some odds and ends, we had a quick breakfast next door at the MacDonald's and we were back on the road.
We dealt with another chilly day, and more iffy looking streets and highways. We debated getting another hotel room versus boondocking somewhere. We frequently boondock at Walmarts and Cracker Barrel restaurants during long days on the road, but never in weather this cold. Our rig has a propane furnace that works great, but it puts a strain on the battery when it has to run frequently. We also had LOTS of blankets and heavy clothes, just in case they were needed
So we opted to go with free camping at the Milford Walmart...surrounded by the white stuff! It was SO COLD….lots of fleece and dogs were required to stay warm for the night!
Relatively mild today, and we stuck with our typical routine when staying at a Walmart...we went shopping!
After picking up some odds and ends, we had a quick breakfast next door at the MacDonald's and we were back on the road.
Saturday, 16 December 2017
The Weather Outside is Frightful!
We got as far as Portland, ME last night and decided that was far enough given the conditions. We found a Howard Johnson's that allowed dogs so we bunked down for the night! It was a stressful day on the road. Every inch of the road looked slippery! It was -10C so maybe my imagination was getting away from me, but I was quite nervous hauling our 5th wheel trailer on roads that were, potentially, icy!
We woke up this morning to see a light covering of snow on the ground, so I'm not sure what that might mean for travel conditions today. Hitting the road now, so let's hope for the best!
We woke up this morning to see a light covering of snow on the ground, so I'm not sure what that might mean for travel conditions today. Hitting the road now, so let's hope for the best!
Friday, 15 December 2017
Day 1 - The Adventure Begins
Seems like a good time for a camping trip 😄
Ever since we retired last year, we've discussed heading south for winter. So we're trying it on a trial basis. But because there are so many other snowbirds migrating to the southern US during the cold months, reservations are necessary, especially if you're planning long term stays. So we have reservations lined up at RV parks across the south east US - Florida, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina.
Here is our anticipated route...
If all goes well, I see us doing this every winter!
We had originally planned to leave on Boxing Day, but with the weather forecast looking pretty bleak, we decided that leaving early might be wise, so we're leaving now! We'll just wing it for campsites until we get to Nashville, where we have a site reserved for a week.
...and on that note we're off!
Ever since we retired last year, we've discussed heading south for winter. So we're trying it on a trial basis. But because there are so many other snowbirds migrating to the southern US during the cold months, reservations are necessary, especially if you're planning long term stays. So we have reservations lined up at RV parks across the south east US - Florida, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina.
Here is our anticipated route...
If all goes well, I see us doing this every winter!
We had originally planned to leave on Boxing Day, but with the weather forecast looking pretty bleak, we decided that leaving early might be wise, so we're leaving now! We'll just wing it for campsites until we get to Nashville, where we have a site reserved for a week.
...and on that note we're off!
Monday, 2 October 2017
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