2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 62

Day 62, Thursday, December 20, 2024, The Trolley Stop RV Park, Enigma, GA , Day 5 - 0 Miles, 2,696.6 Miles for the Trip

Quite a bit cooler last night, down into the 40's. After my morning exercises I changed the sheets & made the bed,  It was 47°F when I went for my morning walk. Didn't seem to bother the chickens, they were running around everywhere.

After breakfast I made a blueberry pie. One of the messier ones; the fresh blueberries didn't melt down as much as frozen ones, so it was a bit overfilled. It should taste the same.

After the pie came out of the oven I headed to Mama Nell's Kitchen for lunch. A pair of good fish tacos, and not so good French fries. $12.00 plus tax & tip.

Back at the trailer I packed up my dirty clothes and headed to the laundry. 2 Speed Queen stacked washer/dryers, Wash at $3.75 & dry for $2.00. I divided the clothes and sheets into both washers, put a pile of quarters into the first and started the wash. Try as I might, I couldn't get the second machine to accept any quarters. There was a sign on the machines for a pay app, and since I didn't want to wait until the first load ended to start a second or unload the machine, I added the app to my phone, Apple paid $25.00 (the minimum) into my account, and used the app to start the second machine. It worked on the washer as well as both dryers. Of course I now have $13.00 in an app that I may never find other machines that use it, but at least I got the laundry done.

Back at the trailer I put the laundry away & read for a bit. My current book is Robert McCammon's The Hunter From the Woods, a collection of short stories and novellas that, unlike Craig Johnson's fast reads, will take a couple of days to finish.

Dinner was a salad.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 61

Day 61, Thursday, December 19, 2024, The Trolley Stop RV Park, Enigma, GA , Day 4 - 0 Miles, 2,696.6 Miles for the Trip

Cooler for the morning walk at 57°F. The chickens, at least some of them are out running around the park. 

After my walk & breakfast I decided it was time for the annual frustration of trying to find out how much I'll be paying for the Empire Plan retiree health plan next year. After much searching, all I could find was a notice that the 2025 cost will be mailed to you and will be available on line. Of course no link or location for where it will be on line, and it isn't where it was last year. The New York State CSEA (the organization that handles retiree information) has a very disorganized set of web pages. 

Around noon I headed to Walmart for the makings of a blueberry pie. There is a pot luck on Saturday, so I'll do my usual.

Around 3:15 it was up to 67°F, so I headed for the showers. One in each bathroom; I used the bathroom on the right (it had doors on the toilets & shower; te one on the left doesn't). A large drying room with a shelf, bench & 5 hooks. The shower had a shelf, soap dish and 3 hooks. The shower head was an 8" overhead rain type. Plenty of adjustable hot water. While there is no shower curtain, the water stays in the shower due to the slope of the floor & drain location. Overall it it the best shower of the trip; a solid A. Some might complain about the aesthetics - painted cement block, but I base my ratings on practicality.

After that is was sitting outside reading. Current book is Craig Johnson's The Longmire Defense, #19 in the Walt Longmire series. As far as I know, there is one more, #20 left that I haven't read or listened to. My current audio book is Jeff VanderMeer's Borne.

I asked one of the staff where I could buy a half dozen eggs, and 10 minutes later she delivered them to my trailer. No charge.

I had a large salad for lunch, so dinner was a mishmash of stuff - a couple of pastries, a banana & grapes.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 60

Day 60, Wednesday, December 18, 2024, The Trolley Stop RV Park, Enigma, GA , Day 3 - 0 Miles, 2,696.6 Miles for the Trip

A warm (62°F) foggy morning when I went for my walk around the campground. Met the owner making his rounds, and a few residents. Not much going on. Today is my granddaughter Asher's birthday. I plan to give her a call after school. While rain was predicted for today, only condensed fog on the tree limbs made drops. Still, the skies never cleared until after lunch. Once the dripping from the trees stopped I moved outdoors to read. Current book is Craig Johnson's An Obvious Fact, # 12 in the Walt Longmire series. Very well written mysteries built around a Wyoming sheriff. The audio books are also excellent, wonderfully read by George Guidall. I believe there was a TV series based on the books, although I've never seen an episode.

While there are no train noises, there is a busy highway (US 82) on one side of the RV park and a less busy but active Brookfield Nashville road on the other. The traffic on both die down late at night, but both busy during the day. 

Around 1:00 I headed to Mama Nell's Kitchen less than a mile from the RV park for lunch. While they will make you a burger or what ever, no menu and most get the daily special. Today fried pork loin, mac & cheese, green beans and a cornbread pancake. With a glass of sweet tea, $12.42. Plentiful and good, but definitely home cooking style.

The sun peaked out amongst the clouds after I got back to the RV park. I sat out and ducked behind the trailer for shade when the sun got too hot. It hit 74°F at the peak.

Around 5:00 I did a video call (for some reason neither of my phones calls them Facetime calls since the last system updates) with Karin, Asher & Noah to watch Asher open her presents. 

Since I had dinner for lunch, just cheese & crackers tonight.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 59

Day 59, Tuesday, December 17, 2024, The Trolley Stop RV Park, Enigma, GA , Day 2 - 0 Miles, 2,696.6 Miles for the Trip

A light fog & 57°F for my morning walk. One loop around the campground is about a half mile. I may be the only short term resident of the campground, although there is a Harvest Host's section at the far end. 

After breakfast I read. Little warming up - still foggy and 61°F at 11:30. 

One thing I miss in commercial RV parks is they usually don't have picnic tables. I do have my roll up table for the grill or stove, but it is a pain to set up, and there really isn't much room on the site to set it up. I may stick with microwaved or cook inside food.

Around 2:30 the sun came out and it quickly warmed up to 68°F. I sat outside reading. I wandered over to the chicken coop to take a photo or two. Lots of chickens, ducks and geese. While it didn't hit the predicted 74°F, it made it to 72°F. 

The Chicken Coop

A Chicken

Ducks & Geese

Dinner was an Evol Portabella & Goat Cheese Ravioli Bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 58

Day 58, Monday, December 16, 2024, The Trolley Stop RV Park, Enigma, GA - 164.6 Miles, 2,696.6 Miles for the Trip

My morning walk was in a light fog & 57°F. All the sites except the group site are full, although a Class B van pulled out of site 1 just before I left site 2. Most of the drive was on I 10 or I 74. I was traveling west on I 10 and saw 2 Escape 19's go by a couple of miles apart heading east about 30 miles east of Lake City. I stopped at a Pilot & filled up for $2.75 a gallon with my $.10 discount.

I arrived at the Trolley Stop around 1:00 & the owners guided me to my site. I'm in site AB13 for 7 nights, a full hookup site for $35.71 per night (with the various taxes it works out to $42.36 per night). Like most commercial RV parks, very tight to your neighbor. We even share the same sewer connection, using a bayonet connection to a splitter. The problem is I don't have a bayonet connector on the output of my sewer hose. I temporarily replaced the splitter with my hose, dumped, and reassembled it all. Looks like many of the folks living here are full time - lots of large propane tanks and permanent looking steps, etc.

Site AB13

I did a speed test for both AT&T & Verizon: AT&T 27.89Mbps down & 3.35Mbps up, Verizon 109.53Mbps down & 30.02Mbps up. While Verizon is faster, unless AT&T slows down I'll use it before eating in to my limited unlimited Verizon usage.

I fired up the AC since it was 77°F outside. The compressor is making a bit of extra noise - I won't be able to check it out until got home & a taller ladder.

I went for a walk around the park. Found the laundry & a pair of bathrooms without labels. I saw one of the owners at the chicken coop & she said they are neutral gender bathrooms. There are locks on the entry doors, but that would shut down 1 shower, 1c sink, & 3 toilets. 

After my walk around I sat outside and read for the rest of the afternoon. Current book is The Black Book, #5 in the Inspector Rebus series by Ian Rankin. On the drive today & during my walks I'm listening to Mark Dawson's audio book A Place to Bury Strangers.

Dinner was a Boston Market Sweet & Sour Chicken bowl.

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 57

Day 57, Sunday 15, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL, Day 8 - 0 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

The boy scouts left this morning around 7:00AM, just in time - a couple of bursts of rain started at 8:00. I did my morning walk at 9:00 in a heavy mist. The Class C RV in site 4 also pulled out this morning so we are only 3/4 full.

Not much warming up today. Mt weather app says it is going to hit 74°F today, but as of 11:45 at 60°F it isn't any warmer than it was at 8:00AM. I spent the morning in the trailer reading forums & started putting together my 2025 banking spreadsheets. The Class B van left around 12:30.

I talked with son Kyle and the the Guidos, all is well with all, but they are in the 20's, so I need to stop complaining about the cold. Actually, it isn't all that cold.  While it never made it up to 75°F, it was 65°F at 1:00, and a high for the day of 68°F. Cloudy, but some sections of blue skies. I sat outside and read for a bit.

I decided that a late lunch would be dinner, so I grilled a Butterball turkey burger & warmed up some Bush beans.

A couple of RVs pulled in, a Class C to site 1, and a off road pop up that went past at least site 4. So, a full house. Anyone planning to stay here should be sure to make advanced reservations; there has only been one or two nights with an open site.

Around 5:00 I had a plate of cheese & crackers & grapes.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 56

Day 56, Saturday 14, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL, Day 7 - 0 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

A warm night at 55°F at 7:00AM. We had a full house last night, including a Boy Scout troop in site 7, the group site. 7 tents, a cargo trailer and 4-5 cars. They were quiet enough that I didn't notice them. During my morning walk the Class A in site 1 pulled out so we are down to 6 sites.

I'm not sure I'll ever place a pick up order with Best Buy, at least away from home. This morning the notice on their website was "Your order is delayed. We will let you know when it is available." There is a cancel button on the page, but it is grayed out. First, I called. After a bunch of voice commands I was put in line for a real person. after a 30 minute wait, a young lady (sounding like she was in India) took my information then hung up on me. 

They have a messaging method of connecting so I tried that next. After a bunch of canned answers that didn't answer what I needed to do (cancel the order) I reached a message that I could wait for a real person. 1 1/2 hours later they got back to me. We went back & forth with him posting canned messages before I managed to convince him that I would not be able to pick up the item on December 17th because I'd be 200 miles away from Jacksonville. He could not cancel the order and instructed me to either pick it up and return it? or go to the store to cancel the order. So, I drove 32 miles to the Best Buy, waited in line for 10 minutes, gave the person behind the counter the information, and guess what? He couldn't cancel the order. 

So, what is suppose to happen is when I get the emailed notice that my case is ready for pick up I should be able to cancel the order. So 64 miles of heavy traffic driving for nothing. At least there was a Publix a couple blocks away that had everything on my shopping list.

Back at the trailer I sat out in the 70°F cloudy afternoon and read.

Dinner was an Amy's Asian Dumpling Bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 55

Day 55, Friday, December 13, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL, Day 6 - 0 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

Another boring, do little day. During my morning walk I discovered we are still down one site - one trailer left and a motorhome moved in. 

The case for my Starlink Mini was suppose to arrive at Best Buy in Jacksonville today. As of 4:45, no notice that it has arrived. If it doesn't show up by tomorrow I'll have to find a way to cancel it since I'm heading out and will be 150 miles away. There are no Best Buys near my next two stops, so I can't ask to have it transferred.

I started the process of getting a Broward County Library card. I've had one for a couple of years, but they sent me a notice that to continue I'd have to pay $35.00 per year. At first I didn't want to do it, but the Libby app still shows their books & audio books, and an amazing number of authors I like are only available from them. I guess it is only fair that I pay something since I'm not a Broward County or Florida taxpayer. So, they are suppose to contact me in the next 10 days to take my money & reactivate the account.

My current book is The Punishment She Deserves by Elizabeth George. #20 in the Lynley series, and the last until September when #21 is published.

A bit warmer today at 62°F. Light rain is predicted this evening, 72°F tomorrow & 74°F Sunday.

Dinner was a Benihana Hibachi Chicken & Rice bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 54

Day 54, Thursday, December 12, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL, Day 5 - 0 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

I'm convinced that I managed to bring some of northern NY down to the south. 37°F last night, and at 11:00AM, even with sunny skies it is only 47°F. The local folks I talked with said this is the coldest early winter they can remember. The high for the day was 56°F.

Anyhow, I did my morning walk wearing my quilted jacket & knit hat. We are down 1 RV - the 5th wheel in site 1 left this morning. The tenters have been replaced with a Class C RV, and the pop up with a Class B RV. Only one empty site in the campground. 

Another day spent reading. Current audio book is Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz.

Dinner was an Amy's Roasted Poblano Enchilada.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 53

 Day 53, Wednesday, December 11, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL, Day 4 - 0 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

While there was no 5:00AM train this morning, one tooted at 6:00, as well as another one last night at 12:00. Again, not loud enough to discourage staying at Cary unless you are really bothered by trains.

Since it was raining this morning, I skipped my walk and slept in. After breakfast I read my usual forums, journals, and my Kindle, then changed the sheets on the bed. After that I headed to the closest Walgreens to pick up a couple of prescriptions. All were ready and the correct amounts. I finished listening to Eruption by Michael Crichton & James Patterson.  A terrible book.  Far too many unbelievable or impossible situations, hyped "dangerous" situations, etc.  I believe the Patterson finished to book from Crichton's notes; the book is not typical of either author.

The next stop was a laundromat. As usual, my Garmin had no idea of where actual laundromats were located. The first might have worked, but it was an empty building in which the owner was waiting for machines. Said he would be ready in 2 weeks. Usually the Garmin sends me to dry cleaners or long gone laundromats; this was a first - sending me to a future laundromat. The next one was a house. Finally used my phone to find one & put the address in the Garmin. Lots of machines and not too many people. Chatted with a guy from NY that is now living here.

Back at the trailer is is cooling off fast from the morning high of 68°F. Down to 58°F at 5:00, and the expected overnight low is 35°F. I sure brought the cool weather to Florida!

Dinner was a Healthy Choice Lemon Parmesan Chicken dinner.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 52

Day 52, Tuesday, December 10, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

No 5:00AM trains this morning, or I slept through them. A warm night at 58°F and 68°F by 11:30AM. After my morning walk I ate breakfast, read some forums, paid some bills, then sat outside reading. No sun, but warm enough.

After lunch, more outside reading. Another RV pulled in - I believe the campground, with the exception of the group site, is full.

Around 3:00 I headed for a shower. I started with the small shower - there are two of them, one handicapped. I was never able to get any hot water, so I checked the larger handicapped shower and no problem. A large room with sink, toilet & shower. Two double hooks & a bench. A low 1/2" lip between the shower & the rest of the room (necessary for wheelchair access) but too low to prevent some of the shower water ending up on the drying area floor. The floor size is large enough that that is not a problem. Plenty of hot water from a 3" medium volume shower head. No shelf or soap dish in the shower. Overall, a B-.

Back at the trailer I did more sitting out reading. It hit 75°F during the afternoon, down to 71°F at 5:00. The prediction is for rain overnight as well as during the day tomorrow, so I stowed my chair in the truck & the small mat in the front storage box.

Dinner was a P. F. Chang's Orange Chicken bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 51

Day 51, Monday, December 9, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

While the trains stopped running around 9:00, they started up again at 5:00AM. Loud enough to notice, but probably wouldn't wake up a sound sleeper.

I walked the campground loop, then had breakfast. Ordered some prescriptions at a Jacksonville Walgreens. Since it is almost impossible to talk to a nurse or anyone at my cardiologist's office, I hope I left enough information for the prescription to end up at the right place. 

I spent the rest of the morning reading forums & journals on the laptop or my current book outside on the Kindle. I finished Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George, and started another in the Lynley series, A Banquet of Consequences. I believe I only have two more of the series left until the 22nd due in September, 2025.

After lunch I did pretty much the same. Fewer trains today, one every three hours or so. When I walked the campground loop I discovered that there are only 6 serviced campsites, and one group site. Another trailer pulled in this afternoon, so there are 4 trailers and one tenter besides the host in a motorhome in the campground.

Dinner was a cheese brat & fruit salad.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 50

Day 50, Sunday, December 8, 2024, Cary State Forest, Bryceville, FL - 87 Miles, 2,532 Miles for the Trip

I stayed in bed until after the Sunday puzzle on Weekend Edition, then did a shortened walk around the campground loop. Lots of folks are leaving this morning. I headed out around 10:30. Most of the drive on US 17 & US 301. There are only 8 sites (other than 2 host sites) and a dump station in the campground. The largest sites I've camped in, and your neighbors are far enough away that you can't see or hear them.

I'm in site 2, a water & electric site on a concrete pad that needed 1" side to side and 2 1/2" drop on the tongue. The site has a large concrete pad, a fire pit, grill & picnic table. 8 nights at $15.29 per night. The bathrooms are .2 miles from the campsite.

Site 2

A View of the Whole Site

The check in time is 3:00, and I got here around 12:00. No problem getting to the site - no gate or check in. Someone must have been in my site since a smoldering fire was still going in the grill. The campground host stopped by and was upset that the previous campers left a fire going.

Warm at 68°F. I walked the .64 mile campground loop, then sat out enjoying the nice weather. While sitting, discovered that there are trains with horns going by close enough to bother those that are bothered by them. Not loud enough to annoy me. About one per hour. 

I checked both AT&T & Verizon - AT&T at 48.54Mbps down & 14.71Mbps up, and Verizon was 194.5Mbps down & 29.07Mbps up. It is open enough that I suspect the Starlink Mini would have good speeds, but since AT&T is unlimited, I went with them.

Dinner was a Barbar Chicken Kiev & creamed spinach.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 49

Day 49, Saturday, December 7, 2024, Rodman Campground, Palatka, FL, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 2,445 Miles for the Trip

The freeze never happened. It did go down to 37°F overnight but was up to 50°F by 11:00. 

I took my camera on my morning walk and found some birds in the water weeds next to the picnic area. All ids are from my iBird Photo Sleuth app.

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Egret

Little Blue Heron

Around 11:00 I headed to Walgreens to pick up a prescription. As usual, they only partially filled it. A 90 day prescription should be 3 2.5Ml bottles, but they only gave me 2. I asked for the third, but they didn't have it in stock - I could get it on Monday. Of course I won't be here. I'll be able to get a refill at 60 days rather than 90, but that means I pay the copay more often. I wish I could believe that this is a mistake, but my home Walgreens does the same thing, and only has 2 bottles even though they have to order them each time I get refills.

Still cool at 60°F at 3:00, too cool to comfortably sit outside. I played with my Starlink Mini inside. It works sitting on the top shelf of the cabinet over the driver's side drawer stack (an unlisted option when I bought my 2017 trailer). It works, although not as fast as when outside, and gets uncomfortable warm if stuffed in with other stuff. OK on the bare shelf with the snow melt turned off.

Dinner was an Amy's Enchilada bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 48

Day 48, Friday, December 6, 2024, Rodman Campground, Palatka, FL, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 2,445 Miles for the Trip

Another warm night. The low was 57°F around 6:00AM, although it isn't getting any warmer. In fact, at 11:00 it is down to 55°F. Depending on what app (or the radio) I listen to, it will be below freezing overnight. 

During my morning walk I listened to John Sanford's Toxic Prey and after breakfast read some on line forums, and my current book on the Kindle - Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George. 

I made an on line reservation for a haircut at SuperCuts for 3:20 this afternoon, hoping that will give the shower enough time to warm up. There was a Publix next door so I picked up some milk yogurt and other essentials, then drove back to the campground 11 miles away in heavy traffic.

Back at the campground on the way to the shower I chatted for a bit with the Casita owner. They are from the Catskills in NY. 

There are 2 showers in the men's bathroom, but one is out-of-order. Very large shower with plenty of hot water from a low volume 2" shower head. A soap dish but no shelf in the shower (or drying area). There is a 4" lip between the shower & drying area as well as a shower curtain so very little water gets on the drying area floor. A bench and 1 double hook in the drying area. Overall a solid B; it would be better if the room was a bit warmer. There are what looks like might be 2 heat lamps overhead in the drying area, but the lamps are standard PAR 38's, and the switch on the wall doesn't do anything.

Dinner was a Chef Bombay Chicken Tikka Masala bowl. I can't tell the difference between this an my usual Saffron Road Chicken Tikka Masala. Both make my moustache sweat!

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 47

Day 47, Thursday, December 5, 2024, Rodman Campground, Palatka, FL - 194.5 Miles, 2,445 Miles for the Trip

A warm night, at least compared to the last few. Down to 45°F. I did a short walk since it was moving day. Met a woman & her golden retriever during my walk. She is in a Tab that is the only other trailer in the park that is smaller than mine. 

After breakfast I unplugged the power & headed out around 9:30. Most of the drive was on I 75 and FL 20. Most of FL 20 was 4 lane. I arrived at the campground a little after 2:00. 

I'm in site #11, a back in grass & sand site with water & electric, a picnic table & fire ring. Lots of room, particularly behind the trailer. $39.06 per night for 3 nights. They only offer a 1/2 price senior site charge for Florida residents. There is a Scamp a few sites down from me & the bathrooms are down beyond site #1. While the campground is 12 miles from just about anything, it is almost full. There is a boat ramp at the far end.

Me in Site 11

The Scamp Down the Road (Actually a Casita)
I received a comment on the Blogger post of this page letting me know that the trailer above is a Casita, not a Scamp. I should know the difference, but goofed. Thanks for the correction.

AT&T shows 14.4Mbps down & .3Mbps up, Verizon shows 47.2Mbps down & 4.7Mbps up. I set the Starlink Mini on the picnic table that has a bit of pine tree shade & it shows 13.5Mbps down, 14.5Mbps up. While Verizon is the fastest, I've already used 6GB of data since December 2nd, so I'll let it rest & see if the Starlink Mini does the job. 

It was 75°F when I arrived, so I spent the afternoon sitting outside reading. Once the sun ducked behind the trees it cooled quickly. First I added a long sleeved shirt, then, eventually moved inside for my afternoon exercises & dinner.

Dinner was a Marie Callender's Sesame Chicken Bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 46

Day 46, Wednesday, December 4, 2024, Reed Bingham State Park, Adel, GA, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 2,250.5 Miles for the Trip

It got cold enough that the water hose froze. At 4:00AM I tried to flush the toilet & no water. Turned on the water pump & it worked fine from the fresh water tank. Around 10:00AM it was warm enough for the hose to thaw. It warmed up to 64°F during the day.

The plan was to get a haircut but the barber shops that I found using my laptop & phone were either closed or required appointments a day or two out. So, I'll look for a barber shop at Rodman State Park in Florida.

So, I spent most of the day inside reading. I did chat with a neighbor in an Airstream during my morning walk. They are on their way back from the summer in Michigan to their home in Florida. Current book is Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton.

Around 4:00 I did a last dump of the tanks, and unhooked both the fresh water & sewer connection. It is suppose to be a bit warmer tomorrow morning at 40°F, but light rain. Since the site is level, I hooked up the truck to save doing it in the cold rain.

Dinner was a chicken pot pie.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 45

Day 45, Tuesday, December 3, 2024, Reed Bingham State Park, Adel, GA, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 2,250.5 Miles for the Trip 

I walked around both loops (.74 miles) then had breakfast. After breakfast I went through the internet speeds for both AT&T & Verizon for the rest for my stops. There are a few places that I'm staying for longer than 3 days that show slow or no internet. So, using that as an excuse, I called Best Buy in Valdosta, about a half hour drive from the campground. They did have a Starlink Mini in stock, so I ordered it. It sure is not going to save me any money with what I'm already paying to AT&T & Verizon since the phones are the highest cost.  I love their ads that show $45.00 per month, then in the small print "when you order 4 lines". The unlimited AT&T cell modem only cost $23.00 per month, and the Verizon 50GB per month modem cost is $17.  All I can really say is it is a way to be fairly sure I'll have a connection to the internet where ever I go. I'll admit it is also a toy.

Back at the campground I set it up & went through the registration process. A bit confusing, but I eventually got through it and paid for my first month's 50GB. I will need to come up with a way to DC power it. Some have had success running it on 12V, however the 120V power block puts out 30V, and from the on line suggestions from various users, going to a doubler to 3 amp, 24V is more reliable. I'll also need to get a storage case for it & the cable.

So, hopefully no more "posting in a couple of days".

It is up to 54°F at 3:00. Bright sun and little breeze so I sat outside for a bit. I only lasted half an hour; 54°F is just too cold.

A great looking tree with Spanish Moss a couple of sites away:

Neat Tree

I'm currently reading John Steinbeck's Tortilla Flats. I think I read it many years ago, but long enough that it feels new.

Dinner was a grilled peanut butter & cheese sandwich & a salad. If you try a grilled peanut butter & cheese sandwich, go easy on the peanut butter or it will be a mess. Tastes great!

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 44

Day 44, Monday, December 2, 2024, Reed Bingham State Park, Adel, GA - 191.1 Miles, 2,250.5 Miles for the Trip 

I did a short walk around the campground, ate my "moving day" breakfast (yogurt & cottage cheese) unplugged the power to the trailer and headed out around 9:30. Most of the drive was on US & state 4 lane roads with a few sections of 2 lane with plenty of passing sections. Two stops along the way - a lightly stocked Walmart for a birthday card for Asher. Almost no Christmas cards; I'll have to check a bit further down the road. I also stopped at a Home Depot to see if they had a Starlink Mini in stock. Nope, on line only.

At registration they factored in my senior discount and refunded my credit card $20.92. I'm in site 37, which is in the 2nd loop. There is a Scamp 16 in the first loop, but not someone I know. Site 37 is a long full hook up site on gravel with a tent pad, picnic table, fire pit and double hanger. I'm not sure what is the official use of the pipe hanger thing with hooks; I've seen them used for lanterns, garbage, bird feeders, etc. Most of the area state parks have them. Anyhow, three nights at $39.56 per night. Level enough that I would not have needed to unhook, but because I'm here for 3 days I did anyway.

The Scamp 16

Me in Site 37

After setting up I walked around both loops. I checked the bathrooms - no or little heat in the each of the main bathrooms in both loops, but some warmth in the large handicapped rooms (2 in each bathroom with shower, toilet & sink). I decided to use the closest handicapped room for a shower. Plenty of hot water with a 2" diameter, low volume shower head (and a handheld shower I didn't use). One small hook and a fold down bench in the very large room with a sink with lots of room on both sides. While the water does run under the shower curtain, the room is large enough that there is plenty of floor area that stays dry. Overall, a B+. It would get an A if it was warmer. The shower head in the main bathroom was a large diameter standard one, but the room was just too cold to use.

AT&T would not give me a connection to the internet although is showed 2 bars & my phone works fine. Verizon shows 105.1Mbps down & 15.6Mbps up so I went with it. There is a Georgia NPR station on the FM radio.

While I have been complaining about the cold, I called my son in Oswego, and it was down to 23°F overnight and only in the 30's during the day. At least they didn't get any of the lake effect snow that hit the Buffalo area. Here it was 33°F at 7:00AM, and 56°F at 5:30. They are calling for a bit cooler tomorrow, then warming up over the rest of the week.

Dinner was a turkey on rye sandwich & succotash made by combining a small can of creamed corn & a small can of baby Lima beans. Tasted like the real thing, but next time I'll only add 1/2 a can of Lima beans to the mix.

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 43

Day 43, Sunday, December 1, 2024, F. D. Roosevelt State Park, Pine Mountain, GA - 94.8 Miles, 2,059.4 Miles for the Trip

Not as cold last night. The low was 36°F. I packed up the trailer an headed out around 10:00. No interstates - most of the drive was on US431 in Alabama, then to Lagrange, GA and south to Pine Mountain & the park. There was the change to Eastern Standard Time as I crossed into Georgia. 

F. D. Roosevelt State Park is a large park with a restaurant, hundreds of campsites, lakes, etc. I'm in site 223, a water & electric site on gravel with a tent pad, picnic table & fire pit. With senior discount, $36.10 per night. I'm only here for one night and the site is level enough that I don't need to unhook. !/4" side to side & 1 1/2" up on the tongue. 

Site 223

I checked both AT&T & Verizon & AT&T looked good at 20.96Mbps down & 9.93Mbps up, so I went with it. First was going through 300 e-mails. I also posted a Happy Thanksgiving comment on one of my Blogger pages a little late because of not having internet over the last 6 days. I did some bills, and other on line stuff that I've been unable to do.

It made it up to 56°F by 4:00 with lots of sun. I didn't get outside to enjoy it; too much catching up on the laptop. 

I was hoping for a shower, however while there is one in the men's bathroom, and it looks to be a C or so, the bathroom is unheated and much colder than the outside air temperature. So, We will see what the next stop looks like.

Dinner was a Lean Cuisine Chicken Fajita Quesadilla.

Until Tomorrow? 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 42

Day 42, Saturday, November 30, 2024, Cheaha State Park, Delta, AL, Day 6 - 0 Miles,1,964.6 Miles for the Trip

Another cold night. It didn't hit the predicted 27°F, but close at 28°F. Around 10:00 it finally warmed up to the point where the outside temperature was higher than that inside the refrigerator.

Lots of folks outside walking this morning. Late yesterday more tenters & RVs showed up - the campground is about 1/2 full. I checked my phone as I walked by the top of the ridge (where I get 1-2 bars of reception). 249 emails, none of which I can read.

I changed the sheets and after breakfast & coffee, headed to the laundry. The map shows two of them, the nearest at the motel. The laundry near the motel is a small room just large enough for one washer & 1 dryer. Maybe a 2' square space to stand in in front of them - no table or chair. I opted to head for the 2nd laundry, which is in the Cheaha Lake area. 3 washers & 3 dryers, $2.50 to wash ($3.00 if your want heavy duty) and $2.00 for the dryers. There is a decent sized folding table and one folding chair. It does have heat, in fact, too much.

Back at the campground, after putting away the laundry I ran the electric trimmer over my beard. I used the truck mirror to keep the leavings out of the trailer. A bit chilly at 43°F at 2:00 standing outside in a "T" shirt, but probably near the warm temperature for the day. At least this time I remembered to fold the mirror back to its driving position after I was done. I usually use the passenger side mirror, forget to fold it back, then don't discover it being out of position until on the road.

By the way, I had at least 1 bar of AT&T cell signal over most of the park, including at the laundromat. I'm in a hole here at site 17, and no signal. It doesn't matter all that much since even with 1-2 bars, texting or phone calls is all I can do. No data or downloadable email. I do know that I'm up to 266 unread emails...

Diner was, guess what? Turkey. About 1/2 the Thanksgiving turkey breast is gone. I doubt I'll eat it all before getting too tired of it.

I'll post this & the last 3 journals when I get a good cell signal & a place to stop.

Until The Next Internet Connection - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 41

 Day 41, Friday, November 29, 2024, Cheaha State Park, Delta, AL, Day 5 - 0 Miles,1,964.6 Miles for the Trip

The electric heater got a workout last night. Down to 33°F by morning. It was still cycling off & on, but set at 66°F it was on more than off. 

A little condensation problem along the sides of the bed, even with the Maxx fan on low. If I could learn how to not breath that would solve the problem. Of course if I made the bed up in the opposite direction that would put my head (and breath) out in the main area of the trailer rather than contained by 3 walls, but the lights, shelf, and cell phone cradle are all positioned for sleeping with ones head at the front of the trailer. 

A cool but sunny morning with a few small clouds. Again, a couple of RVs left while at least two arrived as well as a tenter. Still about 1/4 full. There are a couple of other tent campers still here. I remember tent camping in near freezing weather and don't miss those days at all.

After my morning walk wearing a knit hat & parka and listening to Michael Connelly's Resurrection Walk I ate breakfast, listened to Symphony Hall on XM Radio, drank coffee and read. Current book is Academ's Fury by Jim Butcher. It is slowly warming up - currently 36F at 10:30AM. I miss the desert where is still might go down to the low 30's overnight, but the bright sun & dry air warmed up things quickly.

After lunch I put away the water hose. While it did get up to 42°F, I suspect it will get much cooler overnight. I usually roll up the hose during the day before I leave rather than on the cold morning of departure; a day early won't hurt - plenty of water in the fresh water tank and I don't have a pile of dishes to wash.

I took a bag of garbage up to the dumpsters (the problem with using grocery bags for garbage is they are small so you need to make many trips, but I have a plastic stand that holds them and they are small enough to keep in the trailer aisle). At the dumpsters I discovered I had 2 bars of AT&T, so I tried a call to the Guidos. Got through & talked for a bit. While that was going on my phone let me know that I had 200 emails. It wouldn't let me read any of them, but did show the headers for each.

Back at the trailer I'm warming up my fingers; still a high today of 42°F. Putting away the water hose was a good idea. While connected at the dumpsters my weather app downloaded the week's temperatures for both Cheaha State Park & FD Roosevelt State Park (my next stop). Tomorrow morning is is suppose to be 27°F here with a high of 50°F, 30°F Sunday morning. Not all that much warmer at FDR. While Sunday's high is a balmy 55°F, I'm looking at 31°F Monday morning with a high of 50°F. It will be warming up slightly as I move from park to park over the next week.

Until The Next Internet Connection - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 40

Day 40, Thursday, November 28, 2024, Cheaha State Park, Delta, AL, Day 4 - 0 Miles,1,964.6 Miles for the Trip

Happy Thanksgiving!

Strange weather. It got warmer throughout the night, with lots of wind and even some heavy rain. It was up to 59°F by early morning, after which it started cooling down. It is 50°F at 10:00AM. 

More folks left late yesterday & this morning. I'd guess that the campground is at 1/4 capacity. A light fog during my morning walk.

I opened the turkey breast package around 12:30 & discovered that there was a gravy package inside. Guess I won't need to try the jar gravy. The breast went in the oven at 325°F and should be done around 2:00. Outside is is still getting colder; 47°F at 1:00.

A little later than predicted, but dinner was at 2:00. I don't usually photograph my food, but since this is an RV substitute for my usual 20 pound Plainville turkey & about 8 sides, I decided to keep a record of why it is better to do Thanksgiving in a real kitchen. For one thing, cooking a real turkey produces dark meat, by far my favorite. Have you ever tried to find turkey thighs in a grocery store? I don't know why they are not available since turkeys have more thighs than breasts. I do sometimes find turkey legs, but the produce stringy meat, and while good for gnawing, they don't slice well for sandwiches. Turkey thighs are best.

Thanksgiving Dinner

The other reason for preferring Thanksgiving (or Christmas, Easter, etc) dinner at home or at least in a real kitchen is when I do that I almost always invite a bunch of friends, students, even relatives to dinner since a turkey goes a long way, and after watching me slave at the stove, at least a couple of them insist on doing the dishes after dinner. Of course I'll spend the next couple of weeks trying to find where things were put, but I do avoid the chore.

Here, I did my typical RV after real cooking dish wash up. I spend a lot of time dry camping where saving water both from the fresh tank and into the gray tank is important. The substitute is lots of paper towels. Everything gets wiped completely clean, then washed. Saves lots of water. Since I'm in the habit of doing that, I even do it in campgrounds with hookups. So, an extra trip to the dumpsters to get rid of a garbage bag full of paper towels, but the dishes are done. During the trip to the dumpster I managed to send a couple of text messages that appeared to get through. I also got a couple that had been looking for me. Sure wish I could do them from the trailer - it is cold standing at the dumpsters. If I stay here again I will try for a site along the rim rather down in the hole I'm currently camped in.

The evening meal (I can't call it dinner after the afternoon feast) was a turkey sandwich. I'll be having lots of them since even the smallest turkey breast I found was 6 pounds.

It might be a cold night. At 3:30 it is already down to 43°F.

Until The Next Internet Connection - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 39

Day 39, Wednesday, November 27, 2024, Cheaha State Park, Delta, AL, Day 3 - 0 Miles,1,964.6 Miles for the Trip

Cooler than last night at 44°F. It was a clear night so I went out to check out the stars. Lots of trees, but the real problem was far too many lights at the various sites. I might have done better waiting until midnight, but didn't. 

Around 8:00AM I heard dumpsters being dumped. Don't know why it was wasn't at the usual 6:00AM, but during my morning walk I found them (they are not on the campground map) and saw a house boat camper:

The House Boat Camper

The campground has thinned out a bit; now about half full. I discovered that at the dumpsters I can get text messages. Didn't try to send any & no emails downloaded. I also didn't try any web pages. I'll wait on those until this afternoon when I head to town.

I'm at Walmart uploading the last two day's pages. I also managed to cancel the Hungry Mother reservations.I know I should get rid of some or even most of the junk email I get, but it is usually so easy to dump it when I do my daily morning reading that I don't bother. Times like this is when it gets me. 

I also managed to cancel the Hungry Mother reservations, pay for my next 6 months of XM Radio for both the truck & trailer, and download an audio book - Michael Connelly's Resurrection Walk. I did find stuffing (the last box of plain stove top stuffing) and, unfortunately, jar turkey gravy (I prefer the power that you mis with water - actually, I prefer to make it from scratch but with just a turkey breast, that isn't going to happen). So, I should be set for tomorrow. 

I did an on line search for StarLink Minis, but no one near by had one in stock. The earliest I could get one was December 3rd, by which time I'll be long gone. I also know that the day I buy one I'll never be without a cell modem connection.

On the way back I stopped at one of the overlooks (there are 2 - this photo is the 1st one heading towards the park). I made a panorama:

I do have a larger version (3.1Mb)

After processing the panorama, I read until dinner time.

Since I had a large lunch, dinner was just some chocolate milk, crackers & an ice cream cone for dessert. Doesn't that sound like a healthy dinner?

Until The Next Internet Connection - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 38

Day 38, Tuesday, November 26, 2024, Cheaha State Park, Delta, AL, Day 2 - 0 Miles,1,964.6 Miles for the Trip

Well, it didn't freeze overnight; down to 54°F. It is very foggy, thick enough that I can't see the bathroom building only 50' away. I thought about skipping my morning walk, but my rules are to only skip it if it is raining. So, off I went. By the time I hit a quarter of a mile my glasses were fogged up & my photo vest was soaking wet. While it wasn't raining, it sure was wet. I didn't see any other fools out walking, although one of the folks in a Glamping tent was outside cooking breakfast. I did see a Bowlus, a lightweight aluminum trailer that looks like it is attached backwards to the tow vehicle. The door is in the tow vehicle end rather than on the side, and while it looks a bit like an Airstream, it cost 4 times as much (starts at $173,000.00). Sure hope it isn't like this when I leave on Sunday. Driving in fog this dense would be slow going. 

When I got back to the trailer I broke another one of my rules - cooking bacon in the trailer. I decided not to set up the outdoor stove in the fog, and for some reason, wanted bacon & eggs for breakfast, so I fired up the stove hood & cooked inside. At least I didn't set off the smoke alarm even though I burned the toast.

Three days without an internet connection was OK, but I'm not looking forward to 5 more. When I connected yesterday at Camping World, I saw an announcement from Walter (the one who runs the Hungry Mother Rally) that reservations were open for the 2025 rally, and were going fast. Since I made them last time for both the Guidos & myself, I got on the Virginia reservation system and discovered that there was only one pair of sites left that were next to each other. The sites we had this October were already gone. So, I made reservations for us. Then, scrolling through my 185 emails, near the bottom I found one forwarded from Anne that was a reservation for next year for the same site I had this year. I called, and sure enough, they made reservations. I tried to cancel mine, but was told I have to wait 48 hours because the reservation is "in process". 

So, another trip into internet land will be necessary. I forgot stuffing for my turkey dinner on Thursday, so I will probably go in on Wednesday to cancel the reservations & to a grocery store for stuffing.

Another observation - last summer I replaced my 4 trailer drawers with tongue & groove frames and designed what in my mind was an innovative drawer lock. In the past I have had drawers come out on rough or curvy roads. In one case I found the drawer in pieces on the floor & the silverware scattered around the trailer. With the new drawers I used soft closure slides to replace the cheap ones Escape was using in 2017 (I believe that are using a better drawer system now, although there have been lots of complaints on the forum about the screws holding the slide to the frame backing out & jamming the drawer). In any case, if you want to see the drawer lock & new slides, check out my 21 Trailer Modifications page. 

What I have discovered is that with the new soft close drawer slides I don't need the locks. I have left them in the unlocked position for this entire trip & never found an open drawer. I've certainly hit some curvy roads. Still useful if you have the older slides, but I don't need them. I took a photo of the handle package for those interested. For those that want to replace the slides, they are 16" soft close slides from Lowes. You need to scroll down on the trailer modification page to see these changes. Right now it is at the bottom of the page, but depending on how many new modifications I make, you may need to search for it.

Since I didn't take a site photo yesterday, I took one around 11:00 today. The fog has cleared quite a bit, but hasn't gone away:

A Foggy Site 17 Photo

It is getting cooler as the day goes on. It was 54°F this morning; now at 11:12 it is down to 49°F. I don't think waiting for it to warm up before heading to the showers is going to work.

There are 4 showers, individual rooms at the end of the building. One is handicapped. They are barely heated by a mini split AC (although it might be barely working because of the 49°F outside temperature). Still, much warmer than the outside temperature. A single unit temperature control / low volume/fine spray showerhead. There is a small wall between the shower and the drying area which has a fold down seat/bench & 2 hooks. Because the showerhead aims at the wall between the shower & drying area, and because the wall is narrow, the entire drying area floor gets wet. The water only gets to lukewarm turned all the way up. Overall, a C-. By the way, the campground included a note that the area is currently under drought conditions, dry enough that the springs that usually supply the campground water have dried up enough that they are trucking in water.

Around 1:30 the sun came out, burned off the rest of the fog, and jumped the temperature to 50°F. There are folks wandering around in shorts, but I'm glad to be wearing my flannel lined cargo pants. The camping area is about 3/4 full.

Because of a larger than usual breakfast & lunch, all I had for dinner was a bowl of cereal & a banana.

Until The Next Internet Connection - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 37

Day 37, Monday, November 25, 2024, Cheaha State Park, Delta, AL - 144.4 Miles,1,964.6 Miles for the Trip

A warm night - it didn't go below 50°F overnight & was 54°F for my morning walk. After breakfast I packed up the trailer and headed out of the park around 9:30. Lots of twisty 2 lane roads at both the start & end of the trip. Cheaha State Park is the highest point in Alabama and I gained almost 2000' by the time I hit my site.

I'm in site 17, a full hookup site that just fits the truck & trailer. The site is on fine gravel with a picnic table & fire pit. Close to the bathrooms. A little tough to get into because of both an up slope & narrow entrance going in. I'm here through Thanksgiving - 6 nights. $37.47 per night with all fees.

I checked both Verizon & AT&T, and bad news - while I get a bar or two on each, no data. AT&T shows no data connection, while Verizon shows data, but doesn't connect to anything. It might get better late at night, but it didn't. The reviews at RV Life showed AT&T connectivity but both my AT&T & Verizon iPhones shows is SOS, which means it found a signal, but it wasn't AT&T or Verizon. 

After setting up I decided to head to Walmart & Camping World. 25 miles away and almost an hour drive. Camping World didn't have bags for RV mats and suggested Amazon. Right now I'm sitting in their parking lot posting (using AT&T) the last three journal entries as well as this one as of 4:00.

So, again journal entries may come as a group when I make the 25 mile drive to the Internet. 

I bought gas at the Murphy's at Walmart for $2.63 a gallon, then headed back to the campground. By the time I got there it was 5:20 so I unpacked 10 bags of groceries and made dinner.

Included with the campground map and campground rules is a note that it will freeze tonight (at 6:30 it was still 61°F outside) so we are required to disconnect our water connection so the frost proof faucet can drain. While it is true that it won't drain unless air can get into the open end of the faucet, I doubt we will have a hard freeze tonight. I cracked my connection enough so the standing pipe drained anyway. I'll just tighten it when I go for my walk.

Dinner was a Lean Cuisine Sweet & Sour Chicken meal.

Until The Next Internet Connection - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 36

Day 36, Sunday, November 24, 2024, Burchfield Branch COE Park, Adger, AL, Day 3 - 0 Miles,1,820.2 Miles for the Trip

I was relaxing and reading last night around 10:00 when the sound of engines and more slowly increased on the river. I looked out and all I could see was a row of yellow lights & a bunch of white spotlights. Eventually, I guessed it was a string of barges & a tug. Surprised that they are running in the dark, but I suspect they know the route. And yes, what I thought was a lake is a river - the Black Warrior River. There is a sign stating that there is a Dam 17 miles down river. It looks like there are locks and the river can be navigated all the way through Tuscaloosa to Moundville (that has a campground I've stayed at on other trips & nice museum) Maybe not all the way - the map doesn't show a lock around the Holt Dam just north of Tuscaloosa. I took a photo of the map:

Not as cold last night, down to 41°F by morning. I still wore my quilted jacket for my morning walk, but didn't need the gloves. I took my camera and found the Great Blue Heron by the swimming area. I also found the showers listed in the campground description - outdoor cold water showers. Not sure I'm ready to use them. It reminds me of the showers listed in the description of the Imperial Dam LTVA in California. Yes, there are showers at the bathroom. No hot water and they are on the outside of the building. I have seen folks using them, but they were wearing bathing suits.

On the way back to the trailer a tug pushing a string of coal barges went by.

While the night wasn't as cold, it was still too cool to comfortably sit outside, at least in the morning. Still only 52°F at 11:00. I finished Whiteout by Ken Follett, and started the 6th Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy 2020, edited by Diana Gabaldon. 

Around 1:00 it was warm enough to enjoy sitting outside. It even reached the point where I looked for partial shade. 69°F at 4:00. The heron stopped by for a visit.

Dinner was Barber Foods Chicken Cordon Bleu & asparagus.

Until Monday - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 35

Day 35, Saturday, November 23, 2024, Burchfield Branch COE Park, Adger, AL, Day 2 - 0 Miles,1,820.2 Miles for the Trip

A cool night, down to 34°F. The electric heater kept the trailer at 64°F without needing to add the propane furnace. Since the furnace produces almost twice the BTUs of the electric heater, it is set to come on a couple of degrees below the electric heater & only comes on as needed. 

My very close next door neighbors headed out at 6:30AM. They used an impact driver to run up their stabilizers. While I also use one, I have it set on drill which eliminates the hammer noise. Not so the neighbors (and many others at other campgrounds). I have to admit that leaving the impact driver on an impact setting saves twisted wrists, but it sure does make a lot more noise!

I took my camera on my morning walk and found both a tree full of vultures, and the Great Blue Heron. The turtles are slowly climbing back on their log.

The Vultures

The Great Blue Heron

Flying Away With Breakfast

Breakfast

During breakfast the heron moved to the weeds behind my site. Fun to watch it hunt. While eating breakfast, the heron got breakfast as well.

I have to admit I miss my usual morning reading emails and visiting forums, but with no internet I'm reading my Kindle. Current book is Whiteout by Ken Follett. I am able to listen to Weekend Edition on the Alabama Public Radio station.

I took another walk along the row of campsites a little after lunch. 55°F, comfortable without a coat if you are in the sun. I was looking for a dumpster. If there is one, it must be well outside the campground.

I made a temporary repair on my kitchen window. It has been repaired two previous times, the first to epoxy the aluminum track used to open the window to the glass after the 3M tape Hehr used to attach it failed. After that, the rollers that ride in the aluminum track died & I purchased a new window crank assembly with rollers. On this trip that failed. The permanent solution is to get a replacement window which I'll do when I get back to Oswego. I'm a bit nervous about ordering a replacement since Hehr was bought out by Lippert about the same time that my trailer was built. I'll ask Escape if they can give me the specs for the window, but when I tried that to be sure I was ordering the correct window crank, they couldn't tell me if the part number I had was correct.

For now, I drilled a couple of holes in the aluminum track and used a couple of plastic zip ties to hold the track (and window) closed. I will no longer be able to open the window (which was my favorite for ventilation) but at least it will stay closed rather than flopping open in the breeze or while I'm driving down the road.

By 3:00 it had warmed up to 62°F so I sat outside in the sun reading until dinner. 

Dinner was Marie Callender's Orange Chicken Bowl. Good, but too much orange sauce.

Until Monday - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 34

Day 34, Friday, November 22, 2024, Burchfield Branch COE Park, Adger, AL - 222 Miles,1,820.2 Miles for the Trip

A cold 44°F packing up the trailer; I even wore gloves. I was out of the park by 9:30. A mix of 2 lane state & US roads with 50 miles or so of interstates. On one section of US 331, a newish pickup truck decided to drive at 45MPH in the 55MPH sections (where everyone else wanted to do 60MPH). A full logging truck was between me and the pickup. None of the sections marked for passing were long enough for the logging truck to get by the pickup, and every time we came to a double lane passing area the pickup would stay in the left lane & speed up to 60MPH. After many miles and a long line of cars & trucks behind us, the pickup pulled into a gas station. The logger gave him a long horn blast so I did too. Other than that it was 60MPH on most of the roads and 65MPH on the interstates. The last 30 miles were on twisty roads with 45MPH or less speed limits. Passed lots of coal mines towards the end.

I stopped at a Loves for gas & using my phone number saved $.10 per gallon. Unfortunately, they have their pumps set up so that the first on is diesel or 94 octane; the selectable octane choices are at the pump ahead of the first. Unfortunately, someone was at the next pump so unless I wanted to wait until they got out of the station, I was stuck at the high priced pump. So, I paid $3.45 per gallon rather than $2.75. Maybe I'll get better mileage?

I arrived around 2:30. There are 8 sites, I'm in site 8, the one in the row. Water & Electric on a fairly level concrete slab (1/2" side to side & raise the tongue by 3" - still connected to the truck) with a picnic table, fire ring & charcoal grill (with a small table next to it) three steps down from the slab. There is a bathroom at the 1st site; no showers. Because I don't have internet, One of the problems with not having an internet connection is I can't check my emailed receipt since Chrome & the SUNY email saves emails at Google, not on my computer (like Safari did). So, I can't say what the site cost until Monday.

Site 8

I went for a short walk to check out the bathrooms, and all along the row of campsites there are logs in the water with turtles sunning themselves. I also saw a Great Blue Heron, but didn't get a photo.

The Turtles

Well, as expected, no internet or data available on either AT&T or Verizon. I did see 1 bar on the Verizon Jetpack with the outside antennas plugged in, however no data available. There are 2 NPR stations including a strong Alabama Public Radio station. I don't know yet if it is a mix of news & music or just news.

Unless the wind dies down, it is still pretty chilly to sit outside at 58°F, so I am reading in the trailer.

Dinner was a Beautiful Citrus Chicken with Broccoli & Carrots.

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 33

Day 33, Thursday, November 21, 2024, Frank Jackson State Park, Opp, AL, Day 4 - 0 Miles, 1,589.2 Miles for the Trip

A little early evening excitement last night - I was sitting inside reading when I heard a loud explosion. Didn't quite shake the trailer, but it was loud enough that I checked everything I thought "might" have caused it in/on my trailer. I discovered that it was the spare tire blowing up on the trailer next to me (he said it sure shook his trailer). I've read on a couple of forums of tires sitting still and blowing up, but last night was my first "first hand" experience.

The predicted low temperatures were a day off. 41°F last night, 47°F for my morning walk. Still too windy to sit outside (25MPH gusts) even though there is plenty of sun. Only 56°F at 12:00. More reading inside. The current book is Dead Man's Hand, a collection of short stories by well known authors built around poker, and put together by Otto Penzler.

Around 3:00 I decided it wasn't going to get any warmer at 61°F, so I headed out to do a final drain of the gray & black tanks, disconnect, rinse & store the sewer hose. Since the morning temperature is predicted to be 39°F, I disconnected the water as well. I'd rather run the pump & fresh water tank for the rest of the day & night rather than fight rolling up a stiff water hose in the morning. All I'll need to do is hook up the truck, pull the chocks & disconnect the power cord. Unlike the last move, I want to get an early (for me) start since my Garmin tells me it is a 222 mile trip.

By the way, you won't hear from me for the next three days. I'm heading to Burchfield Branch Park near Brookwood, AL, and according to all the reviews I've read, there is no cell coverage or WiFi in the campground or nearby area. So, it will be one of the times I wish I had Starlink. I keep thinking about getting a Mini, but have rarely needed it, and while I could give up some parts of my cell phone plans and use WiFi Calling on the phones, it would not save me much on the cell plans if I want to keep some data service on cell modems. Anyway, I'll be back to listening to XM Radio, and out of touch over the weekend. 

Dinner was an Amy's Enchilada meal.

Until Monday - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 32

Day 32, Wednesday, November 20, 2024, Frank Jackson State Park, Opp, AL, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 1,589.2 Miles for the Trip

The rain never started up again, and it didn't cool off. My weather app predicted 47°F overnight; it never went below 68°F and with the Maxx fan running on automatic, the inside of the trailer never got below 70F. While there are a couple of choices for 12V roof mounted fans for trailers, I prefer the Maxx fan. It can be ordered with a cover that allows it to be open & run while it is raining, provides 10 speeds, and for me, the most useful feature, a thermostat that can be used to vary the speed of the fan. As the trailer heats up, it runs faster, and as it cools, it slows down or shuts off. Handy when away from the trailer and dry camping since uses less power as it slows down.

In any case, clear skies this morning with a bit of wind. I walked the campground loop - .78 of a mile, and after breakfast decided to do laundry. 2 washers & 2 dryers, all working for a change. $1.50 to wash & $1.00 to dry. One run on high got everything dry.

After making the bed & putting the wash away, I headed for the showers. In the men's room three showers, one of which is handicapped. I used a standard shower. 1 small double hook in the drying area plus a bench. A 4" lip between the drying area & the shower, but because the shower curtain was 6" above the lip, the entire drying area floor got wet. No soap dish or shelf in the shower. A fine spray low volume showerhead and temperature control all in one. I took 4 minutes for the water to get warm (never hot enough to turn it down). It was clean. Overall, a C-.

After my shower I tried sitting outside, managed for a half hour, but even setting up my chair beside the truck, the wind was too much. I gave up & headed inside.

I decided on an late lunch / early dinner - a cheese brat & chips. 

Until Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 31

Day 31, Tuesday, November 19, 2024, Frank Jackson State Park, Opp, AL, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 1,589.2 Miles for the Trip

The morning started as predicted - light rain around 5:00AM that never stopped all day. Heavier at times. I sent the morning inside the trailer - didn't get my walk since I don't do one when it is raining. I did some reading, and spent some time on the internet reading journals & forums. I did an update to the 2025 Rally Map, a Google map that shows the locations & dates for fiberglass trailer rallies. I took over the map from a woman who got tired of dealing with the hassles. It is a handy way to see if a rally is happening along your travel path.

The rain is keeping it cooler than yesterday; 67°F at noon. Still raining. The predictions are for it to go on all day and part of the night, but clearing tomorrow. I'm still sitting inside the trailer reading. The storm shown on the radar map is moving northeast, ie the path puts in line with my location.

The Radar Map

The View From My Back Window

The rain stopped for a bit between 4:00 and 5:00, although it is predicted to start again around 6:00. In any case, it is too dark to sit outside, so this has been one of the first days I spent in its entirety inside.

Dinner was a Lean Cuisine Chicken Enchilada Suiza.

More Tomorrow - 

2024-25 Trip to the Southeast, Day 30

Day 30, Monday, November 18, 2024, Frank Jackson State Park, Opp, AL - 78.7 Miles, 1,589.2 Miles for the Trip

I took my time packing up & getting out of the park since the drive to Frank Jackson State Park was the shortest of the trip so far. A short section of I 10, then secondary 2 lane roads for most of the rest of the trip. A few towns along the way. I waited until I hit Alabama to get gas since it was cheaper than Florida prices. I should have waited until I hit Opp and saved another $.15 per gallon, but I filled up in Samson at $2.89 a gallon.

I'm in site 10 which is on the lake on a raised platform. Fine gravel, fairly level (1" left to right & level front to back) with a picnic table & fire pit. Some sites have steps down to the lake; mine just has a steep bank. Full hookups for $43.80 per night including a 15% senior discount & $5.25 reservation fee. The various lodging taxes pretty much counter the senior discount - City Lodging Tax 1.00% $1.48, County Lodging Tax 7% $10.24, Resort Fee 4.25% $6.20, State Lodging Tax 4% $5.84. 

Site 10

After setting up I sat outside and read. 75°F outside and cloudy; it was 78°F in the trailer so I fired up the AC. 

Around 3:00 I decided I wanted asparagus for dinner so I headed to the local IGA about 4 miles away. It was larger than most of the ones I've shopped at, so I picked up a couple of other things. Back at the trailer I finished reading Alan Dean Foster's Jed the Dead, and downloaded another of his books - Slipt. On the drive to the park I finished Edna Buchanan's Love Kills, and am attempting to download another audio book - Harlan Coben's Tell No One. I don't know why, but when I'm using AT&T, no matter how fast it is audio books take forever to download. I can switch to a slower Verizon connection & the books download much faster. In any case, after an hour Tell No One is half here.

For those interested, AT&T shows 24.8Mbps down & 11Mbps up, while Verizon is 8.8Mbps down & 4.9Mbps up.

Dinner was a Bubbaburger and asparagus.

More Tomorrow -