2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 16

 Tuesday, October 31, 2023 - Legion State Park, Louisville, MS, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 1,403.6 Miles for the trip

Happy Halloween! I don't suspect we will get many trick-or-treaters since there is only one other camper in the campground and he is a single older gentleman.

I sure hope this is not going to be a cold winter. While it didn't go below freezing last night, it did get down to 40°F and is predicted to hit 31°F tonight. Not much warming up - at 11:00 is is still only 45°F. 

During my morning walk I met and chatted with my neighbor. He has thought about going to Tucson, Arizona for the winter, but was thinking he waited too long - he is almost 70. When I told him I was heading that way & I'm 79, he decided he'd think about it. 

After breakfast I read some forums & facebook. The internet connection on Verizon is slow, but usable. A pair of riding mowers went through the park this morning blowing the leaves off as many sites as they could get to. They skipped those that had campers on them. About the only trees that still have leaves are the evergreens so maybe they will still be clean when the hoards arrive tomorrow. I haven't been posting my current books, so I'll start now. I just finished Thomas Perry's The Informant, and started Ellis Peter's Flight of a Witch. I also listen to an audio book while walking & driving - just finished Paladin"s Strength by T. Kingfisher, and started Son of Stone by Stuart Woods.

We are having a heat wave - it hit 51°F at 2:00. I walked down the road to the "cabins". In NY, a campground cabin is typically a 1 room building that, if you are lucky, has a bathroom. In the south I've noticed that they are usually much larger, bigger than some homes. Here is what they call a cabin here at Legion State Park:

A Cabin

I hope to take the Natchez Trace Parkway tomorrow. From what I remember from my last trip, sections were closed, including much of it between here & Natchez, but hopefully that was temporary, and I'll be able to take it. Less traffic and a pretty drive.

Verizon got worse as the day went on. I'm currently connected to the internet through my AT&T iPhone - too lazy to switch cell modems.

While, at 31°F for just an hour or so wouldn't freeze my water hose, I decided to disconnect late in the afternoon while it was relatively warm at 54°F to save rolling up a stiff hose. I can use the fresh water tank & pump to flush the toilet or any other water needs. 

I did head for the showers around 4:00. I probably could have got away for the next day or two without one (well, since I'm the only one in the trailer definitely could), but my notes from stays at Natchez State Park were not clear on how well heated the bathroom & shower water were, so I used this one. A standard sized shower in a heated bathroom with a huge drying area shared with the other shower. A bench & 1 hook. Plenty of hot water with a standard mixing valve & standard low volume showerhead. Overall, at least a B.

Dinner was grilled Mahi-Mahi & green beans, with Jello for dessert.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 15

 Monday, October 30, 2023 - Legion State Park, Louisville, MS - 179.1 Miles, 1,403.6 Miles for the trip

The warm weather is definitely over. I woke up at 3:00AM to an outside temperature of 50°F and an inside temperature of 58°F. Crawled out of bed & plugged in the Pelonis Disk Furnace (my electric heater) into the thermostat controlled outlet and climbed back into bed. By 5:00AM is was a comfortable 65°F. It kept getting colder as the morning went on - by 10:00 it was down to 45°F. Oh, and by the way, it was also raining. There is nothing quite as much fun as getting the trailer ready to leave in a cold rain (well, probably during a snowstorm, but I'm not going to try that)!

No interstates today - most of the drive was on 4 lane 65MPH state & US roads. US 45A reminds me of some of the roads out west. You can drive for 25 - 30 miles without twitching the steering wheel (although there are more hills). While the $3.15 per gallon gas prices looked good in Tennessee, I'm glad I waited until I hit Mississippi. The first $2.99 per gallon price of the trip.

I arrived at Legion State Park a little after 2:00. I'm in site 1, a pull through that is level side to side, but nose down by 5 1/2". I raised the nose to level, and managed to do it without unhooking. The site is full hookup, although the sewer connection is higher than my discharge connection, so pretty much unusable. With reservation fee, taxes, etc it works out to $44.94 per night for 2 nights. I checked my weather app and it says that it is only going down to 39°F tonight, so I hooked up the water. I might need to unhook it early - the prediction for tomorrow night is 30°F. Rolling up a frozen hose is no fun. It was bad enough this morning with a 45°F hose. 

There are 15 sites in the park, most back in, and some water & electric only. I thought I have been here before, but after seeing the park, know this is the first time. There are only 2 other folks in the park, although a bunch of reservations for later in the week. Now we are 4 - a class C pulled in during dinner.

Site 1

After setting up I retreated into the trailer. The rain has stopped, but is is 48°F outside so sitting out doesn't appeal. Without sunshine, and everything still damp from the rain, it feels colder than it is. 

I did check out the bathrooms - 2 shower stalls (one handicapped) with a common dressing area. A bench, but no hooks. Not sure I'll shower, but at least it is heated.

I found an NPR over the air station that appears to be news rather than music, MPB or Mississippi Public Broadcasting. Only problem is it is the first day of their Fall fund raiser. 

I ran a speed test for both Verizon & AT&T. Both are quite variable, but the results: AT&T 7.8Mbps down & .1Mbps up. Verizon 10.9Mbps down & 1.9Mbps up. No park WiFi. 

While I was sorely tempted to throw something in the microwave, I haven't grilled anything since Hungry Mother. So I set up the grill on the picnic table & cooked a turkey burger. I did use the microwave to warm up the left over Bush beans from the other day and made a small salad.

Until Tomorrow -

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 -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 9

 Tuesday, October 24, 2023 - Panther Creek State Park, Morristown, TN - 130.7 Miles, 845.8 Miles for the trip

Another cool night, but I did get out for a bit to watch for some of the Orion meteors. Way too much light - the moon was at 48%, most of the trailers had lights as well as the restrooms and other parts of the park, but I did see one.

A fairly quick trip down I81 to Panther Creek. I'm in site 10 for two nights. A paved site with water & electric that required unhooking to level - side to side 3 1/2", and drop the tongue 1 1/2". With reservation fee & sales tax, $40.91 per night. ($35.00 is the posted price)

I don't know what is going on with blogger, but starting today I can't add photos from my Mac.  If you want to see images you will need to go to my webpage.

The photos seem to be working now (Thursday, 10/26)

Site 10

Fall Color Looking Up the Campground From My Site

When checking the propane yesterday I discovered that one of the tank hoses was cracked. After setting up I went to Tractor Supply to buy a new hose, drove back to the campground (only 4.5 miles away) exchanged hoses, and then discovered that I finally ran out of propane. I know, why didn't I check when I pulled the cover to check the hose. Well, I did & the switchover indicator was still green. It didn't switch to red until after I replaced the hose. So, back to Tractor Supply for 4.3 gallons of propane. Since the tank holds 4.7 gallons, it wasn't completely empty, but switching hoses must have set it off.

A beautiful, warm day at 68°F and lots of fall color in the park. Even at 5:00 it is still 66°F. Predictions are for 40°F overnight so I'll still be running the heater, but is was nice to sit outside in a "T" shirt. 

Since I'm trying to make room in the freezer, even though it is certainly nice enough to cook outside, I made a microwave meal - Innovasian Orange Chicken.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 8

 Monday, October 23, 2023 - Burson Campground, Hungry Mother State Park, VA , Day 5 - 0 Miles, 715.1 Miles for the trip

A cool night. The campground host went around yesterday evening suggesting that we unhook our water hoses since he had a predicted overnight temperature of 31°F. I did unhook mine, but it only went down to 37°F. 

I stripped the bed, and after my morning walk started 2 loads of laundry. I was using flannel sheets that are heavy enough that they make up a full washer load. My laundry bag wasn't full, but since I was doing the sheets, I figured to get rid of the rest of a week's worth of dirty clothes. Then it was time to make the bed. The double bed in the Escape 21 is comfortable, plenty large enough for one (or two - my wife & I slept in a double bed for 32 years), but making it with walls on three sides is "interesting". In any case, I now have fresh cotton sheets on the bed.

Lots of sun - while there was fog this morning, by 11:00 the sun was warming things up. Of course, that is relative - it is still only 46°F outside, but that feels much warmer than it was at 8:30. During the morning walk I took a photo of the dam that makes the lake here at the park. Nice color on the hills that looks better in person than in the photo.

The Dam

Almost everyone has left or is leaving today. A couple of "stickies" left in the campground. One of the park employees is "mowing" the leaves off the empty sites. A bit of a lost cause - they are still falling off the trees like snow. They do take good care of the sites after someone leaves - remove the leaves, rake the gravel, shut off the breakers, etc. Again, for those interested, I have a separate page of photos of the Hungry Mother Fiberglass Rally.

It warmed up very nicely during the afternoon - 63°F, but cooled quickly after the sun went down. At 6:30 it is down to 55°F. I packed up as much of the trailer as possible to make it easier in the morning. I don't have all that far to go so no rush, but it is more pleasant packing when everything is dry & warm rather than wet & cold.

We went to Mi Puerto again for dinner. Better luck for Anne - she wanted completely unspiced shrimp Chimichangas, and the last time, while the sauce was fine, the shrimp were a bit hot for her sore mouth. This time, after careful detailing what she wanted, the meal was great. I had fish tacos. I'm used to them coming with guacamole & sour cream, which these didn't, but they were good.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 7

 Sunday, October 22 2023 - Burson Campground, Hungry Mother State Park, VA , Day 4 - 0 Miles, 715.1 Miles for the trip

While lots of folks packed up and left this morning, there are quite a few still here. We are leaving on Tuesday. Not sure why - we usually leave on Monday, and I hope to schedule next year's rally for Wednesday through Monday, October 23 - 27th. We are in full hookup sites, however I'd like to move one row towards town - there is little sun beneath the trees still covered with leaves, and the next row of sites have sun most of the day (at least when the clouds are gone). No sewer connection, but there is a dump station in the park & both of us can go 5 days without dumping. 

Anne & Guido went for another trip on the "Back of the Dragon" which I passed up. Instead, I headed to Bristol, TN and the nearest Best Buy for a 2TB SS portable drive. Seems I left my previous Time Machine back up drive home. It was almost full & time for a new one, and even though the Best Buy is on the way to my next stop, I wasn't sure how easy it would be to get to with the trailer. Turns out I'm glad I took the truck alone. 

On the way back to Hungry Mother there was an accident on I81 that added 20 minutes to the trip back. While many have left, there are a few still hanging out:

Some of us are Still Here!

Dinner was a pork loin, applesauce & tortellini salad.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 6

 Saturday, October 21, 2023 - Burson Campground, Hungry Mother State Park, VA , Day 3 - 0 Miles, 715.1 Miles for the trip

While is is a cool morning at 49°F just before noon, there are blue skies and no rain. After my morning walk around the campground, I made breakfast, then did another loop around the campground with the camera. A few photos, but until it warms up many folks are still inside. For those interested in electric tow vehicles, there is a Trillium here that is being towed by a Tesla.

A Tesla Pulling a Trillium

The Morning Gathering

After lunch, and warmer weather at 54°F, I made another round. Saturday afternoon is typically the time for trailer tours and many were visiting to see the differences, additions, modifications, etc.

Trailer Tours

I took a few more photos walking around the campground, and around 4:45 headed to Walt's site for the pot luck. As usual, plenty of food, all of it wonderful. Even had at least three kinds of chili, key lime pie, and. of course, my blueberry pies.

Enjoying the Pot Luck Dinner

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 5

 Friday, October 20, 2023 - Burson Campground, Hungry Mother State Park, VA , Day 2 - 0 Miles, 715.1 Miles for the trip

Lots of light rain. Started around 4:00AM, and has been off & on all morning. After breakfast I started making blueberry pies for the pot luck tomorrow. Since the campground is full of fiberglass, as well as a number at the Creekside campground in another part of the park, I decided to make 3 pies. Discovered that one of the batches of blueberries was questionable, so now there are only 2 pies.

Somewhere around noon the rain stopped. Still cool at 52°F, and no sun, but better than falling rain. The light rain is dumping lots of leaves everywhere. In some places it looks like yellow snow! My outdoor rug was clear of leaves last night:

This Morning's Leaves

Well, so much for stopped rain. It started again at 1:00, and like the morning, off & on. 

I called Kyle & the hot water is fixed - they replaced the zone valve on the water heater circuit. I think I'll stick with Ellsworth, and hope they can deal with the Mini Split AC if it tanks. I prefer local, and even though Issac is a much larger company, if they won't come when you need them, it is time to switch.

While I prefer listening to classical music, and often listen to the internet connection to KBACH (which is actually KBAQ) in Phoenix (I'm a sustaining member), there is no AT&T service here at Hungry Mother. Verizon varies from excellent to no connection, and I have a data limit of 75GB per month, so I tried over the air FM. One NPR news station which is good, but if you want music, the choices are country or WOLD, "music you used to listen to". Better than country, and internet radio that keeps dropping out.

The sun came out at 2:30, although it is still only 53°F outside. My weather app tells me that rain & a thunderstorm will start in 22 minutes. Since the last pie is out of the oven I'll make a quick round just to see if anyone is out.

I did make a walk around the campground. A group formed that kept getting larger, at least until the thunder started & the sun went away.

First Pass

Second Pass

Around 3:45 I headed for the showers. Individual rooms with a large dressing area. Unfortunately, there is no lip between the shower & the dressing area floor, and although the showerhead is at right angles to the dressing area, the floor still gets wet - no shower curtain. There is a small electric heater on the wall of the dressing area, but pretty anemic. The good - plenty of hot water, a place for your stuff in the shower as well as 2 hooks & a bench in the drying area. Lots of hot water & a standard showerhead. Overall a B.

We decided the weather would keep us from an outside meal, so the Guidos are having leftovers & I'm microwaving dinner - a Benihana Hibachi Chicken Rice dinner.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 4

 Thursday, October 189 2023 - Burson Campground, Hungry Mother State Park, VA - 238.6 Miles, 715.1 Miles for the trip

We left Creekside a little after 10:00, expecting to get to Hungry Mother around 2:00. Everything was going well until Matilda, my GPS announced there would be a 1 hour delay on I81. Then it expanded to a 2 hour delay, then announced that I81 was closed (at least southbound). We didn't take Matilda's recommendation, which was scoot over to I64, then back to I81, hopefully past the closure, but instead, took US 11, which parallels I81 and watched the delay times. The GPS kept wanting us to get back on I81 with anywhere from a 2 hour to 3 hour delay, but eventually we went south enough that the delay disappeared. All in all, it added an hour to the trip, with us arriving a little after 3:00. 

Both our sites are full hookup on fine gravel for $47.00 per night. 

Me in Site 34

The Guidos (And Larry) in Site 33

After setting up I wandered around taking the first round of photos. I'll post them on a rally page. Around 5:30 we headed to Aguirre Inc #3 Mi Puerto, a Mexican restaurant in Marion. The food was OK, although even an order of shrimp that was suppose to not be spicy was too much for Anne's sore mouth. I had chicken enchiladas that were OK, but I would have been better off only ordering one. Far too much rice & beans...

We did a bit of shopping, then headed back to the campground. A meet & greet was happening, so I wandered over to take a photo & talk. Around 7:00 I headed back to the trailer for my eye drops & to put this page together.

The Meet & Greet

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 3

 Wednesday, October 18, 2023 - Creekside Campground, Edinburg, VA - 184.4 Miles, 476.5 Miles for the trip

We hit the road at 11:00, and like yesterday, most of the trip was on I81. There was heavy traffic in parts, with slowing almost to a stop near a previous accident at mile 300. A partly cloudy day with no rain. 

We made a long stop at a rest area 40 miles from Creekside Campground. I got a call from my son that the hot water stopped working. Called Issac, the company that put in my Mini Split AC and did a service inspection & tune up on the boiler 2 months ago, and they have so few technicians in Syracuse that they are not doing service calls unless you have a contract with them. Since that runs about $600.00 per year, I didn't (and, now wish I had) In any case, called Elllsworth Heating & Air Conditioning, a local heating contractor, and they will schedule a visit as soon as possible. 

So, we arrived at Creekside a bit later than expected, around 3:30. I'm in site 30, and the Guidos are in site 29. Both are grass sites with water & electric along the creek. They are back in sites that small trailers can almost pull through. I ended up backing in and finding a section level enough that the tongue is 3/4" high but no need to unhook. Sites are $36.86 per night. We set up my folding aluminum table to cook on since the campground has had too many of their plastic tabletops melted by folk's grills, and doesn't allow them on the tables. My Weber Q doesn't get the table even warm, but their campground, their rules!

Me in Site 30

The Guidos in Site 29

We sat around in the sun for a bit, then grilled dinner which was cheese brats, standard Johnsonville for me & Bosco's Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese for Guido, and Bush Bourbon & Brown Sugar beans. Anne has a sore mouth and had eggs.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 2

 Tuesday, October 17, 2023 - Twin Grove RV Resort, Pine Grove, PA - 158.8 Miles, 292.1Miles for the trip

The last night for awhile sleeping in a house (at least one that isn't on wheels). I didn't include a site photo since it was raining & I've posted many of my trailer parked at the Guido's house on past trips. If you really want to see one, here is a link to last year's stop. 

Since we didn't have all that far to go, we got late start, most of the drive on I 81, and arrived at Twin Grove RV Resort around 2:30. The sites are back in on gravel, almost level side to side but I did have to unhook to get the tongue low enough to level front to back. Full hookups for $52.00 plus a $10.00 reservation fee for a total of $62.00 per night.

Me in Site 10

The Guidos in Site 8

Dinner was at the Diner - a classic diner located at the I 81 exit at Suedburg Road. I had fish & chips.

Until Tomorrow -

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 1

 Monday, October 16, 2023 - Binghamton, NY - 133.3 Miles, 133.3 Miles for the trip

The truck is packed and I'm ready to start the first link of the trip - as usual, the Guido's house in Binghamton, NY. Starting mileage on the truck is 65,923.6, 45,476.65 on the trailer. I keep a spreadsheet of trip mileage, fuel & campground costs (I don't include food since I'd be buying that at home) and if I manage to remember to update it I'll have some statistics to post at the end of the trip.

I made a stop at the nearest CAT scale to weigh the truck & trailer. Doing a first weigh with both the truck & trailer gives me the truck front & drive axles & the combined trailer axle weight. A second weighing of the truck alone gives me both axle weights without the trailer. A bit of math with the totals provides trailer & tongue weight:

Truck Front Axle 3100, Truck Drive Axle 3400, Trailer Axles 4480, Total 10980. 2nd Weighing (Truck alone) Front Axle 3320, Drive Axle 2680 Total 6000.

Subtract the truck alone weight from the combined weight & you get the trailer weight. 10980 - 6000 = 4980. For tongue weight, subtract the trailer axle weight from the trailer weight. 4980 - 4480 = 500. 

I arrived in Binghamton around 3:45 and found an email from Hungry Mother State Park welcoming me on the 23. Only problem is we are arriving on the 19th. After many busy signals, got through to the park and they don't know why I got the email, but we do have reservations starting on the 19th, leaving on the 24th.

Dinner was a Chicken Spedie Salad.

2023 - 24 Trip to the Southwest, Day 0

 Oswego, NY - 0 Miles, 0 Miles for the trip

October 10, 2023

It's a week before I leave for my winter trip to the southwest. I sure hope for a better journey than last year which only got as far as the rally at Hungry Mother State Park in Marion, VA. 

I have survived my annual checkups with various doctors and am ready to go. While we had wonderful weather (dry & in the mid 80's) last week, this weekend has been cold & wet. I have printed out my 4 page check list for packing the trailer, but haven't started yet.

October 13, 2023

I'm about 80% packed (well, the trailer, not me). Most of what is left to do is stuff I still I use every day so I can't pack it until I leave on Monday. I spent most of the day clearing out the raised bed garden, cutting back the butterfly bush & other clean up chores necessary before winter. A little early, but I don't plan to be here much longer. I also made a cake for my son's birthday. We are a week early, but again, I'll be gone by the time it rolls around.

Until Tomorrow -