2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 14

 Sunday, October 29, 2023 - Green Acres RV Park, Savannah, TN, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 1,224.5 Miles for the trip

When walking to the Mexican restaurant for dinner last night I passed the fanciest smoker I've seen. Made from a propane tank.

A Fancy Smoker

Back to today, not all that much going on. I did my morning walk, made breakfast, then sat outside. While last night was even warmer than the last couple of nights, it didn't warm up as much during the day. I still needed to run the AC to cool down the trailer below 85°F due to the sun, but the actual shade temperature only hit 79°F. I checked the fresh water tank and it is still at where I left it - 1/3 full, so I hope the back flow through the water pump was a one time thing.

I made my Sunday phone calls to the Guidos, and both my kids (although at 50 & 53, only I get to call them kids). All is well with all of them. Eventually, I decided to hit the shower, and I do mean shower. 50 some odd sites, and one shower. Since they are full hookup sites, and most of the trailers are large enough to have dry baths, they probably don't need more than one, but I was a bit surprised. It is another A+ shower. A standard household shower with curtain, a bench ad 7 hooks in the large drying area, and shelves in the shower for your stuff. Nice adjustable height showerhead and plenty of hot water.

After that I sat around a bit more, then, to make the morning go a bit easier, disconnected the sewer hose. 

Dinner was a Benihana Hibachi Chicken Rice dinner.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 13

Saturday, October 28, 2023 - Green Acres RV Park, Savannah, TN, 164.4 Miles, 1,224.5 Miles for the trip

Another "just the sheet, no blanket " night - a low of 64°F, although I didn't run the AC after using it to cool off the trailer; just opened the windows and ran the Maxxfan.

I did my usual 1 mile walk before breakfast. There was a wedding yesterday evening & it looks like many of the participants stayed in the cabins next to the trailer section - lost of cars as I walked by. Since I had a low mileage drive today, I hung around the campground until 11:00. I discovered that the check valve in my pump seems to be leaking. I started the trip with a 1/3 full fresh water tank and this morning it was full. Since I didn't put any water into it, the only source would be back pressure through the water pump. It has a check valve that is suppose to prevent fresh water going through it to the fresh water tank, but they do fail. Hopefully, it was a one time thing & I'll be OK tonight. I did drain the tank back down to 1/3rd since I don't like to travel with a full tank unless I'm close to a dry camping site.

I made a stop at the Lawrenceburg, TN Walmart for supplies, and arrived at Green Acres around 2:30. Very nice staff (the owners) that went over all the information about the park & area. I'm in site 26, a full hookup, very long pull through site on gravel. No grill or fire pit, but a nice picnic table. Almost level - 1" side to side & I raised the tongue 1". Didn't have to unhook & probably won't unless I decide to go somewhere. $46.47 per night for 2 nights. By the way, another place where I'm the smallest trailer in the park!

Site 26

I checked the campground WiFi & is is very fast at 133.1Mbps down & 21.5Mbps up. I might not even try the cell modems.

After setting up I sat outside for a bit running the AC to cool down the trailer. It was at 93°F inside with an outside temperature of 85°F. 

Dinner was at the Viva la Casita Mexican restaurant which is located at the campground entrance. Had a pair of shrimp tacos. Fast & good!

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 12

 Friday, October 27, 2023 - Rural Hill Farm, Mount Juliet, TN, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 1,060.1 Miles for the trip

A warm night - never went below 65°F. Heavy clouds today with a high of 79°F. A very light sprinkle for about 10 minutes around 2:30. I spent most of the day sitting outside reading. Talked with one of my neighbors, and headed for the shower around 1:00. I have to give the showers an A+. The entire bathroom is the drying area, a pair of hooks for your stuff, a bathmat, and shower curtain with a low pressure, low volume showerhead; nothing outside the shower gets wet. While there is no shelf or hooks inside the shower, you don't need them. On the wall is a dispenser for shampoo, conditioner & body wash. About the only thing missing is a bench in the drying area.

A couple more things about the campground. While there is almost no road traffic noise, it is located near the end of a runway. Last evening airplanes went overhead at about 1000' landing, and this morning they were taking off at about the same altitude. Not all that loud, but you certainly know you are near civilization. The other interesting point is mostly with sites 8 & 9. They are under a black walnut tree which is near (but not at) the end of the season. My trailer is far enough back in the site so that most of the dropping nuts miss, but they sure are loud on the truck and the rare hit on the trailer. No visible dents, but I'm not sure of the wisdom of putting an RV site under black walnut trees since they would be hitting the roof & solar panels of a longer trailer!

The Black Walnuts

The Black Walnut Tree

After my shower it was back outside until dinner time which was a cheese brat, Bush beans & applesauce.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 11

 Thursday, October 26, 2023 - Rural Hill Farm, Mount Juliet, TN, 214.3 Miles, 1,060.1 Miles for the trip

I left Panther Creek State Park around 10:00 and arrived at Rural Hill Farm around 2:00 (although actually a 5 hour trip since I crossed into Central Time ). Lots of traffic on I40, including stop & go sections.

A bit interesting finding the place. The directions help. but the signage is tough. The lettering is a bit too fancy, making it hard to read, and is says nothing about a campground - just that it is an Event Center. The campground is about a mile into the Event Center on a washboard gravel road. My reservation said I was in site 5, but when I went to my account I discovered that I was in site 8 (no mailed notice). Since there was someone already in site 5, I set up in site 8, a full hookup site on gravel that needed 1" side to side & 3 1/2" tongue up to level the trailer, picnic table, and a fire pit filled with trash. I didn't need to unhook, so as long I I don't need to go anywhere, I'm set. Not cheap, and probably not worth it unless you want real seclusion (except for your neighbors) at $69.81 per night for two nights (with a Good Sam discount of $7.00 per night).

Site 8

Cell service is weak, but shows at least one bar on both Verizon & AT&T. I did a speed check on both - Verizon at 1Mbps down & .7Mbps up, and AT&T 2.3Mbps down & .7Mbps up, both with the pair of MiMo rooftop antennas. Since I have not been using AT&T so far on the trip, I stuck with them for my data connection.

Very warm. 83°F outside & 80°F in the trailer when I arrived. I don't know if it will cool off overnight - my weather app shows it going down to 64°F overnight.

After setting up I checked the bathrooms - 2 unisex rooms with showers for 17 sites. It looks like the laundry is free - 2 washers & dryers.

Dinner was left over Knoor Alfredo with shrimp.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 10

 Wednesday, October 25, 2023 - Panther Creek State Park, Morristown, TN , Day 2, 0 Miles, 845.8 Miles for the trip

My site (10) is definitely on the shady side of the campground. Keeps the trailer cool at 68°F even on a sunny 68°F day. The best the solar panels could do was 120 watts (320 watts worth flat on the roof). Still, since the batteries are at 95% and I don't plan on dry camping any time soon, who cares? (I have the converter set at the lead acid setting which spends most of its time at 13.6V, and let the solar controller provide the 14.4V every once in awhile to balance the individual cells in the lithium batteries).

By the way, while there are WiFi antennas all around the campground, the system doesn't seem to be working. I remember talking with a Tennessee state park ranger a few years ago about WiFi in the parks & he said they put systems in all the parks, but never connected them to anything. Don't know if that is why there is no park WiFi here, but there isn't. I couldn't make an AT&T WiFi connection, even with the outside antennas, and only one bar of AT&T cell service. Verizon showed 7.67Mbps down & .6Mbps up. The slow upload speed might be why I couldn't load photos to my Blogger page.

I did two loops around the campground for my morning walk, then had breakfast. I spent the rest of the day sitting around, inside until it warmed into the 60's, then outside hopping back & forth between the sun & shade.

Dinner was a Knoor Alfredo side with a bunch of shrimp thrown in.

Until Tomorrow -