2026-27 Trip to the Southeast, Day 20

 Day 20, Friday, November 6 - Cherry Hill Campground, College Park, MD -  181.3 Miles for the Day, 1,286.9 Miles for the Trip

55°F this morning and for a shortened walk. It hit 73°F during the drive, and was 67°F when I arrived at Cherry Hill. 

A typical interstate drive on I 81 & I 66 with the final 30 miles on I 495 (the outer loop) which was the usual stop & go at all the entrances. I'd do better getting in the left lanes, but with the trailer I worry about getting back to the right lane for my exit. Of course at least once the right lane becomes an exit so I still need to change lanes. I really hate big city traffic. It started a light rain as I arrived at Cherry Hill. Not heavy enough to put off setting up the outside stuff with the trailer.

I arrived at Cherry Hill around 3:00. I'm in site 121, a back in full hookup site next door to one of the bathrooms & the entrance to the tent sites. The site is on fine gravel, has a picnic table & fire pit, and goes for $105.00 per night. I'm here for 3 nights. Like most of the sites in the campground, there is traffic noise from the interstates. 

Site 121

After setting up I checked the internet speeds: AT&T 10.62Mbps down & 8.46Mbps up, Verizon 52.33Mbps down & 0.77Mbps up, and the campground WiFi (Tengo Net) 251.58 down & 158.69Mbps up. The problem with Tengo Net is it comes & goes so I stuck with my unlimited AT&T. 

After setting up I did some reading. Current book is Greg Bear's Eternity, the third book in the Eon series. I'm listening to P. D. James' The Black Tower. I'm inside the trailer since there is still light to medium rain. My definition of medium rain is when you can hear it on the roof.

Since Karin is working until 5:00 & I don't want to drive in the DC traffic after dark, I'll wait to visit until tomorrow.

Dinner was a P. F. Chang's General Chang's Chicken.

Until Tomorrow - 

2026-27 Trip to the Southeast, Day 19

Day 19, Thursday, November 5 - Day 19 -Stoney Creek Resort Campground, Greenville, VA  237.3 Miles for the Day, 1,105.6 Miles for the Trip

Anywhere from a mist to light rain overnight and the same for most of the trip. I arrived at Stony Creek around 2:30 & it was misting. Most of the drive was on I 77 & I 81. I'm in site 76, next to site 74 where I was last year. Site 76 is a bit more level but I still needed 3" side to side and a 2.5" lift on the tongue. At least this time I didn't need to unhook. The site is on a mix of gravel, grass & dirt, with a fire ring & picnic table. A medium walk to the bathroom which has one toilet, urinal, and shower. I didn't use the shower, but checking back to my last visit I rated it an A, although after looking at it today I must have been in a kind mood. 

Site 76

While they call the place a Resort, it is a long way from a place like Cherry Hill. Of course at half the price, some limitations can be expected. While I found the road to the site a bit rough & narrow, a 40' Class A towing a toad pulled in next to me so the roads are not as bad as I suggested. In any case, I remembered that the food was very good at the on site restaurant so I looked forward to a "Cooked by someone else" dinner. Unfortunately, the restaurant does not open until tomorrow. 

After setting up I sat in the trailer and read until dinner.

Dinner was a Marie Callender's Chicken Fried Rice Bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2026-27 Trip to the Southeast, Day 18

Day 18, Wednesday, November 4 - Day 18 - Lake Norman State Park, Statesville, NC, Day 10, 0 Miles for the Day, 868.3 Miles for the Trip

Thanks to all for their concern for my daughter.  She starts chemo next week.

54°F this morning and about the same during my morning walk. Even more of the campground has emptied. While about 1/2 the serviced sites are still filled, there are only a few tent campers and one Airstream in the dry sites. 

After breakfast I finished canceling the campgrounds for the remainder of my trip, and booked the trip home. I'll be leaving here with 3 days left so I can hit Cherry Hill and my daughter's house in Takoma Park on the weekend. Since she is still working, the weekend is the only time I would get to see her. After that a couple of stops on the way to Oswego. I checked the weather in Oswego, and almost wished I was there today. The predicted temperature is 75°F, warmer than it is here. While it will still be above freezing, rain is predicted for my homecoming.

Around lunch time I drove out of the campground to Troutman for gas. $3.39 per gallon. 

Back at the campground I sat outside in 66°F and cloudy weather and read. Since I'm leaving tomorrow I started packing up the stuff that I didn't need for the remainder of my stay at Lake Norman.

I sat outside for a bit but a very light rain, more like a mist started. So light that it was no problem sitting out, but when I noticed that the outline of my chair was showing on the asphalt I decided to move inside. Eventually, the mist on the leaves & branches over the trailer reached the point where drops fell. Around 4:00 it actually started to rain hard enough that you could hear it on the roof. It rained on & off until after dinner.

Dinner was a Delimex Char-Grilled Chicken Fajita Bowl.

Until Tomorrow - 

2026-27 Trip to the Southeast, Day 17

Day 17, Tuesday, November 3 - Day 17 - Lake Norman State Park, Statesville, NC, Day 9, 0 Miles for the Day, 868.3 Miles for the Trip

I hope those in the US voted.  I did before I left for the trip.

50F this morning and 52°F for my morning walk. All the cabins across from me are empty and unreserved. About 1/3rd of the dry sites are occupied and 2 empty sites with hookups.

It warmed up during the day reaching 72°F although most of the day was cloudy. I spent the day reading, both inside & outside. I finished Crota by Owl Goingback and started Shroud For A Nightingale by P. D. James. Quite a contrast.

Around 3:30 I headed for a shower. I again used the disabled shower in the men's bathroom (there is a single room M/F bathroom between the men's & woman's bathrooms but the floor was flooded so I didn't try it.) Too bad, because there was a hint of heat in the room. The men's bathroom was cold as usual. Still, a nice hot shower.

Back at the trailer I read for a bit more then started dinner. Dinner was a Tyson Foods Chicken with Asparagus & Cheese thing and a baked potato.

Until Tomorrow - 

2026-27 Trip to the Southeast, Day 16

Day 16, Monday, November 2 - Day 16 - Lake Norman State Park, Statesville, NC, Day 8, 0 Miles for the Day, 868.3 Miles for the Trip

55°F this morning and for my walk. The park is still half full with only 2 full hookup sites open. Two of the four cabins across from me are empty.

I read inside, finishing No Song For The Dead, and discovered that all of the other books in the series (other than ones I've read) are not available at any of my libraries. I placed a hold on a couple of them, then went to my Kindle library and started someone new. Crota by Owl Goingback.

I'll be cutting the trip to the Southeast short - my daughter has been diagnosed with cancer & I'm not comfortable wandering around trying to find a place for the trailer (and maybe towing in snow) if I need to get to Takoma Park. I spent the afternoon canceling my reservations for the rest of the trip & will head home on the 9th.

Dinner was an Amy's Enchilada Bowl.