On a gorgeous, clear, warm morning in July, I look out over the Tennessee River from the Mississippi side and have to wonder: If you catch a fish from a boat on the Mississippi side of the river and you pull it across to the Tennessee side of the river – which state fishing license is required? I struggle with these thoughts for a bit before pushing it off for another day to decide.
And so goes another day out on the road!
Iuka, Mississippi has a fabulous state park that we call home for a day. Then we spend 15 minutes getting ready, (stow chairs and bamboo mat, roll up the awning and bring in the slides, lock the cabinets, put in our custom plexiglass panels in the fridge and pantry, and secure all loose items, back up the truck to the fifth wheel and lock it in, and finally disconnect and stow the power and water) to meander country back roads for an hour or three to the next park, winery, farm or wherever it is we might be going.
Between the ski slopes of Red River, New Mexico and Hobe Sound, Florida where we helped a friend remodel a 58’ Hatteras motor yacht we enjoyed a trip back through New Mexico (cool dinosaur tracks), Oklahoma (5 hours stuck in the mud), wineries in Oklahoma and Nashville with former world class musician owners, and parks flooded by spring rains where we the only campers. Awesome.
Passed through Asheville, NC to spend some time with the in-law, and Beaufort SC with the Cuz, over to Valdosta, Ga to see the boys and then on through Florida to walk the warm sunny beaches less than a month after being on the slopes teaching Texas kids how to ski! Amazing.
We both enjoyed the work on the boat. We have some previous experience on boats (ha!) so felt comfortable tearing out and modernizing a whole galley (kitchen) including floors, counters and appliances; as well as all new varnish, floors throughout and Shelly’s magical canvas work. Plus we got to walk the beaches as often as we liked.
South Florida in April has very strong thunderstorms and we came back to the RV one afternoon to find a 70 mile squall had come through, tore the anchors for the 21 foot awning out of the ground, ripped the supports out of the RV exterior wall, and thrown the 21 foot x 3 inch aluminum boom and awning up on the roof. All is well, as we were able to find replacement parts for repairs and sew a custom marine canvas awning in a very nice forest green to replace the old awning. This took much less work, effort and emotional toll than the 70 mile squall in Crisfield MD July 4th weekend 2016 where we almost lost our sailing home Yume!
From the east coast of Florida over to just north of Tarpon Springs on the west coast to have some window work done and visit the old sponge fishing port was a great start to the current travels. Straight up I75 for an interstate run that we rarely make to Valdosta to help Ryan pack for his impending move back to the same area of Atlanta where he was raised on a horse farm!
The following afternoon caught us in that horrible Atlanta traffic starting as far south of Macon and not ending until we were able to get out of Atlanta 4 days later 60 miles NW out of Stone Mountain. Yuk.
It was however, nice to see old friends and family. The Williams were very kind to let us camp out in their rain forest 😉 with Kyle going the extra mile to ride on top of the RV to clear low branches down the driveway!
Momma got to help her youngest move into his first home, meet his new roommates and spend a little more time with her boys. (Not enough but is it ever enough?) A short but nice visit with family over in Stone Mountain while we camped for two days at Stone Mountain Park. (An interesting side note is that the park is privately owned so no matter what you read on social media or the news – the carving will always be there! And if you haven’t seen that ¼ mile high carving in the side of a mountain you are definitely missing out!)
Our last commitment this trip was three more days over Shelly’s birthday with her Mom in Marion, NC, then it was the beginning of this current meandering through the Great Smoky Mountains of NC especially Cherokee. We toured the Cherokee museum, attended the long running outdoor play “Unto These Hills” (the story of the Trail of Tears which has been playing since the 1950’s – go see it!) then the Cherokee living village the next morning. I had not known how strong the Nation still was and we were both intrigued by their clan system and way of life.
It started raining in Cherokee, and kept raining for the next three or four days. In the magnificent forests of the Smoky Mountains the rain and the thunder are majestic. When the thunder starts, it rolls though the mountain for the longest time. The scary part is huge old trees falling due to saturated soil and erosion. In one camp on the Ocoee River, we pulled into a site surrounded by the debris of a very old, very large tree that had just missed the previous occupant! That stuff can keep me awake at night!
A day spent at Chickamauga National Park in Chattanooga, TN was incredibly interesting – and sobering. knowledge about war and suffering I am not sure I needed – but we all do. If you do not what these names mean – look it up and educate yourself! Lessons forgot will be learned again.
Travelling no more 120 miles a day, usually less, we meander from Tennessee, back into Huntsville, Al, up through Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and to the northeast corner of Oklahoma. Way back in December, our idea was to travel from Florida to Maine though the Mid – Atlantic States, then across the northern states and into Montana to look for a ski resort for next winter’s activities.
Our favorite parks are run by the Corps of Engineers and are usually on a dam, river or lake. They are well kept, on beautiful properties and only $11 a night with a senior pass! This trip that included staying on the Tennessee, Ocoee, White, Norfolk Rivers. All beautiful places. Every now and then we stumble onto some awesome state parks like Sharon Johnson in Huntsville and Village Creek on Crowley’s Ridge in Arkansas. And no – we have never stayed at a Walmart parking lot!
Somehow we stumbled onto a request for a couple in an RV to stay on a hill under the trees on Grand Lake in Grove, OK and make sure the 100 or so sailboats in their sailing club do not sink at the docks while the owners work during the week. Sounded like a good gig to us and I guess we were supposed to be there as it all worked out. Sure is funny how we seem to be around boats even while in our RV!
On the last day of this trip we wake up to an achingly beautiful sunrise filtering through the cold mist floating off the Missouri White River below the Beaver Dam in the Corps of Engineers campground. There are just a few others here midweek and we are the first and only ones up. There is a magnificent Great Blue Heron watching me toss a lure into the river hoping not one huge rainbow trout decides to like it.
Time to stop for a month or two and get some projects done that have been put off for way too long, fill up the cruising kitty, and enjoy summer at the lake. Somebody has to do it right?
Happy Birthday to Goose who turns 7!
So we continue to roam around the country and be absolutely amazed at the places and people we find. And we feel so very grateful!
Getting used to being on the road again. We have had two ‘targets’ which drive our schedule. The first was a music gig at Pecan Creek Winery in Muskogee OK which meant we had to schedule our days to be there on time. Then the next was to be at the Asheville, NC VA hospital for my annual checkup. We will be there on Wednesday for that easily.
It has been an enjoyable two weeks since pulling out of Red River, albeit not without some challenges to work through.
Shelly helping out!
The weather turned cold, drizzly and dreary while we tried to troubleshoot some issues. New trailer brakes are shorting somewhere and 4 hours in a shop proved it might be hard to find. I did discover a trapped wire from my install – but that didn’t solve it! Finally after just cutting out all the connectors in the wiring to the brakes, checking for proper resistance, and reinstalling the connectors – the issue went away! Another one of those “take it apart and put it back together and hope it works out” success stories!
The crock pot jumped out of the cabinet over the fridge onto the floor, and wedged the cabinet face in the slide out which then ripped it in two as we were putting out the slide. All fixed but out of wood glue now!
Just normal stuff working out the bugs as we start moving again after 4 months sitting out the winter in Red River.
The main slideout is not coming in. I have to get under there every morning with a big pipe wrench and help it get started. Just glad we can get it in until we get somewhere I have the time and weather to figure out what is wrong. And we have two dump valves that need replacing. Definitely need those fixed before we have a really big mess on our hands!
Our normal day is to be on the road by 9 or so, and drive somewhere around 120-150 miles so we can be in just around lunchtime. That gives us time to explore in the afternoon and is an easy drive. We stay in wineries, state and national parks and anywhere that looks interesting! If we have to, we will stay in an RV park but normally they are crowded, expensive and noisy being close to the road.
It’s truly amazing what you discover in some of these places!
First night was in Clayton Lake State Park where we found thousands of dinosaur tracks. How cool is that! Apparently there used to be an inland sea cutting the US in half north to south and Clayton was a tropical swamp on the western edge where these herds of dinosaurs roamed in the mud. The mud got covered and the tracks were frozen in time until an overflow from a man made lake revealed them. Amazing!
North of Amarillo TX we stayed at Meredith National Park on a Meredith Lake with only one other RV. It was a beautiful morning with a short but welcome relief from the cold, wet weather.
On the following day we found ourselves back in Bixby, OK visiting the Swegers where we had backed the truck into the tree last July. This time, unbeknownst to us, it had been raining for the last week and as I pulled into the drive the trailer wheels dropped of into the mud and sank like a stone. It took Ronny, his three boys and a lot of crawling around in the mud with jacks and stuff 4 hours to get out of that mess! We ended up on Ronny’s drive with a high pressure sprayer removing mud from everything late in the day. Great to see our friends from The Foundation for Exceptional Warriors. They have a wonderful nonprofit serving veterans.
Had fun playing some music Pecan Creek Winery in Muskogee, OK, enjoyed the wine and the great people! if you get there ask Bob to tell you how he went from being a founding member of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils band to winery owner and Episcopalian priest!
Into Arkansas and struggling to find open parks as most have late April as opening day. The Corps of Engineers had Robinson’s Point open but most of the lake sites were under water!
Goose actually caught a fish today. He loves fishing! Notice the power pole in the water?
Crowley’s Ridge State Park had two other vehicles in the whole park while we were there. We sat out a tornado warning in the truck for a bit! This place has a great story. It is a north-south area of rolling hills from one to 12 miles wide that stretch approximately 200 miles in Missouri and Arkansas. The ridge, rising 450–550 feet in elevation out of the surrounding flatlands was formed by debris and river rock from the Mississippi River on one side and the Ohio River on the other. We are talking massive rivers! Cool stuff.
This morning we sit in front of Tennessee Valley Winery in Knoxville, TN heading over to Marion NC today for a week. Stop by here and ask John to tell you about his base playing in a South African band and try some of his awesome dry Riesling wine! We love hearing (and telling) stories!
Well it’s finally time to leave. We have been in Red River, New Mexico since November 1, and the ski season ended on Sunday. It has been a fun time! I taught a lot of kids from Texas and Oklahoma how to ski (or ski better!) and Shelly sold a ton of ski tickets and rental packages!
To say we’re excited would be an understatement. The weather agreed today as it rained for a while even while it was snowing at the top where I was teaching ski lessons.
Our tentative plans are to be in Asheville, NC April 11, stopping at as many vineyards between here and there as possible. I actually have a music gig in Muskogee, OK next week! From Asheville we will spend a weekend at McKinney Lake Allatoona State Park ( probably 4/13-4/15?) and visit, then to Valdosta to see the boys. They were here over Christmas. (BTW – if you are interested in meeting up in Atlanta or anywhere else let us know!)
From there we are entertaining two options (so far). One is to rebuild a 57 ft Hatteras motor yacht and spend next winter in the Bahamas. To be able to do that we might need some ‘charters’ to help us finance the trip. Anyone interested in joining us at a very affordable rate? 😉
Another option is to camp north through the middle Atlantic seaboard up to Maine for the summer, then across the northern United States and explore Wyoming and Idaho for ski resorts similar to where we spent the last four months.
Whatever. We are just ready to be moving again! We have greatly enjoyed this winter. Fortunately for us it was very mild with a 50 year record for low snowfall. Since the ski resort brings in a snowmaking crew from New Zealand, we had plenty of snow on which to ski and play. Red River is a very beautiful area and small enough to feel at home.
Directly across the street from the RV park where we stayed is the only cemetery in town. The cemetery has been here since the founding and is unique in all the places we visited. This was our favorite place for walking Goose every day and we got to know it well. We have seen all kinds of wildlife tracks in the snow including mountain lions, mule deer, turkeys, coyotes, and much more. This we will miss.
If you ever come to Red River in a RV you have to stay with Tim and Liz is in their RV park. These guys have been awesome to spend the winter with and we will miss them as well.
But now it is time to remove the mud hut and get on down the road!
After spending 1 1/2 months in South Fork, Colorado so we could explore the southern Colorado area (see the video here – it was awesome!), we pulled out Oct 15th, 2017 headed for Red River NM – the long way around through 4 states!
Be sure and watch the video for images of the trip at the end of the post.
From South Fork, the only way west is SW over Wolf Creek Pass and down through Pagossa Springs and on to Durango. From Durango, the road we chose heads SW toward the Grand Canyon but passes through some amazing rugged, remote, scenic parts of the West that we frankly were not expecting!
We stopped overnight in Cortez, and were up and out early the next day heading for Lake Powell. I took Shelly there in our old Scout II in 1982 when we just started living together so we were excited about coming back.
We stopped in Bluff Utah for the night and ended up staying three days. Bluff was used as a base camp for exploring and almost getting into BIG trouble. (See the video!) All is well, with important lessons learned and extreme adventures. The town itself has some amazing history.
We could have spent weeks here seeing Canyon of the Gods, Monument Valley, Hovenweep, and much more but it was time to head to Lake Powell, the Colorado River and Page, Arizona.
The same wind you will see blowing the words from our video on Horseshoe Bend blew 45 – 60 MPH that night at our camp on the beach. With the sand blowing in curtains sideways we were very happy not to worry about an anchor that night!
On to Lee’s Ferry – another awesome part of our history is found at Lonely Dell founded by Mormons in 1880’s to get people across the Colorado River and its canyons from Utah into Arizona. When the ferry sank or was otherwise not operating, it added over 500 miles to go around! Another worthwhile story about it here.
Then we drove to Flagstaff for the night. We wanted to visit Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments but it just didn’t work out. Another time for sure.
Back on an interstate (I40) (for the first time in 3 months!) in Flagstaff and a short day on nice fast, smooth highway to a very remote RV park outside Petrified Forest National Monument so we could spend the rest of the day exploring. See the video for more! (This place blew my mind!)
On to Albuquerque to see our friend Steve, do some maintenance on the RV, and work the Sandia Mountain Ski Patrol ski swap. It was fun – and we found some great buys on winter ski clothes as well!
It was very exciting to head north to Santa Fe, then stop at a winery (Black Mesa Winery) where we had stayed in the summer for a nice tasting and bottle for dinner!
Up through Taos and the 45 minutes up through the mountains to our winter quarters for skiing! Red River, NM is a very small (pop 500) ski resort in northen New Mexico and we are very happy to be here.
With the river literally out the door and the ski slope easily seen from the same place, we feel blessed as usual. Our RV park hosts are Tim and Liz and we could not have found better people to spend the winter.
It is 11 degrees outside this morning and they are making snow like crazy for the opening in four days. Let’s go skiing!
Google Maps is really good at providing visuals of your travels.
On a gorgeous, clear, warm morning in July, I look out over the Tennessee River from the Mississippi side and have to wonder: If you catch a fish from a boat on the Mississippi side of the river and you pull it across to the Tennessee side of the river – which state fishing license is required? I struggle with these thoughts for a bit before pushing it off for another day to decide.
Between the ski slopes of Red River, New Mexico and Hobe Sound, Florida where we helped a friend remodel a 58’ Hatteras motor yacht we enjoyed a trip back through New Mexico (cool dinosaur tracks), Oklahoma (5 hours stuck in the mud), wineries in Oklahoma and Nashville with former world class musician owners, and parks flooded by spring rains where we the only campers. Awesome.
South Florida in April has very strong thunderstorms and we came back to the RV one afternoon to find a 70 mile squall had come through, tore the anchors for the 21 foot awning out of the ground, ripped the supports out of the RV exterior wall, and thrown the 21 foot x 3 inch aluminum boom and awning up on the roof. All is well, as we were able to find replacement parts for repairs and sew a custom marine canvas awning in a very nice forest green to replace the old awning. This took much less work, effort and emotional toll than the 70 mile squall in Crisfield MD July 4th weekend 2016 where we almost lost our sailing home Yume!
Momma got to help her youngest move into his first home, meet his new roommates and spend a little more time with her boys. (Not enough but is it ever enough?) A short but nice visit with family over in Stone Mountain while we camped for two days at Stone Mountain Park. (An interesting side note is that the park is privately owned so no matter what you read on social media or the news – the carving will always be there! And if you haven’t seen that ¼ mile high carving in the side of a mountain you are definitely missing out!)
A day spent at Chickamauga National Park in Chattanooga, TN was incredibly interesting – and sobering. knowledge about war and suffering I am not sure I needed – but we all do. If you do not what these names mean – look it up and educate yourself! Lessons forgot will be learned again.
Somehow we stumbled onto a request for a couple in an RV to stay on a hill under the trees on Grand Lake in Grove, OK and make sure the 100 or so sailboats in their sailing club do not sink at the docks while the owners work during the week. Sounded like a good gig to us and I guess we were supposed to be there as it all worked out. Sure is funny how we seem to be around boats even while in our RV!
Happy Birthday to Goose who turns 7!
It is 11 degrees outside this morning and they are making snow like crazy for the opening in four days. Let’s go skiing!