Rain and wind persisted throughout the night. We were lashed by driving sideways rain and the wind was howling with wind speeds at 25mph.
When Tim looked at the weather forecast for the Outer Banks, it showed rain and high winds until Friday. UGHHH…what a nasty forecast! We had planned to hang out in Hatteras for several days and then we wanted to take the ferry to Ocracoke. Now what? We were disappointed but it was not worth staying at the beach if we were not going to be able to enjoy it.
We decided to drive inland and head south on 95. While Tim drove, I was looking at forecasts for Edisto and Hunting Island. I was also searching for campsites. I finally found a site at Skidaway State Park beginning on Monday.
As we approached Fayetteville, the rain stopped and we had a few glimpses of sunlight. By the time we arrived in Lumberton, it was warmer and we had actual sunshine.
We parked for an overnight at the Lumberton Walmart and we are looking forward to being near Savannah!
I took another walk around the Cherrystone Campground before we continued our journey.
We began the day with a trip to the Cape Charles Farmers Market. We found a nice fresh loaf of sourdough bread.
We continued down Highway 13 and filled the RV with diesel fuel…only 3.99 a gallon!!! Tim drove through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
We stopped in Virginia Beach to go to the Office Max. I really hate doing stupid things. The first day in Cape Charles, I intended to work on the blog. I searched everywhere for the power cord for my laptop. There are not that many places it could have been. We live in a really small space and it is important to put things away; where they belong. I just could not find the charger. I thought I remembered using it in Kyle and Allison’s house. Apparently it had been laying in their living room for days. Life on the road has a few disadvantages. There was no place for me to receive mail. I did finally google how to charge a laptop without a power cord. I was able to use our power bank. It was however painfully slow. This was not a sustainable solution. I chose to get a USB C charger. I took it out into the RV in the parking lot and plugged it into the laptop…BINGO! Now I have a way to charge!!! Sometimes it is the little things!
We drove another hour or so into North Carolina and to Morris Farms. We always stop here. Today we got some cider and a few stocking stuffers.
While we were driving, I worked online to get a Off-road Vehicle Permit and a Beach Fire Permit. We stopped at Bodie Island Visitor Center and got our maps and paper copies.
We arrived at Oregon Inlet at around three in the afternoon just as the first raindrops fell.
We rested while it rained. At 4pm we let air out of the Jeep tires and took a ride on the beach.
Nice hot tomato soup with salad and crusty sourdough bread was a perfect end to a good day.
1044 November 10, 2023 Kiptopeke and Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge
I took a morning walk in the campground. It was 57 degrees but the sky was leaden and there was a bit of wind that made it kind of nippy! I did 2.25 miles.
We packed the cooler and drove the Jeep to Kiptopeke State Park. We walked the pier and then walked 2 miles along the bay.
Before we left Atlanta, Austin gave each Tim and I a lovey. We were to take them with us and sleep with them and then we were instructed to bring them back in December when he will give us each new lovies to take. We thought it might be fun for the lovies to go adventuring with us. We sent this picture to Austin today.
We took the Jeep to the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge. We had our breakfast and then got on our bikes.
We had a nice headwind and it was chilly. We really missed the sunshine today! I did 3 miles before turning back. Tim continued another two miles to the end of the paved bike trail. We both had a nice gentle push from behind and the tailwind really helped on the way back!
We enjoyed some quiet time this afternoon.
We headed back to Cape Charles to The Shanty for dinner. Friday is date night!
It was time to move on. The days have been warm enough but we had quite a few chilly nights in Maryland. It was a reminder that winter is on the way!
We traveled through Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It was a beautiful ride. The leaves here are a little past peak but still lovely. We have always loved driving here. We used to say that we could feel our blood pressure drop as soon as we passed over the Bay Bridge. Many of our earliest adventures were here. We vacationed with my family for many years in Ocean City. Beginning on my thirtieth birthday, we started visiting various towns and inns and bed and breakfast establishments all along the shore.
Our destination today was Cape Charles, Virginia. Cherrystone Campground was the very first place we ever camped in a rented RV. We had always said that someday we wanted to buy an RV and travel the country. That year, about 20 years ago, Tim surprised me with the gift of a week in a Class C Camper. It was here at Cherrystone that we fell in love with the RV lifestyle. We were immediately hooked.
It is the off-season and so there were just a few other rigs in the campground. We had a site overlooking the bay. We walked the piers and the park, enjoying the sunny evening. We are glad to be back!
We had to drive to Snellville to get our RV out of storage and then we were traveling north. We went as far as Henderson, North Carolina. We stopped at Skipper’s BBQ for pulled pork and hushpuppies and green beans and lima beans and collard greens. Tim and his family are from Henderson. He grew up eating BBQ from Skipper Forsyth’s. It smelled delicious and Tim was starving. When I came out with the bag, he had set the table and poured the wine. We ate right there in the parking lot. We drove a couple of miles and stayed overnight at the Cracker Barrel.
On Tuesday, we arrived in Reisterstown. We stayed in the RV at Kyle and Allison’s house. Every night, I had dinner ready when they got home from work. Tim and I took care of the yardwork. Kyle and Tim stripped the dining room carpet and then spent days prying the linoleum from the kitchen floor. We got it all prepped and Kyle was able to finish laying the hardwood. I did some painting too. Another thing that we always have to do when we go home is take care of our healthcare. We had some appointments and we got caught up on all the recommended vaccines for “seniors.” We tried to do as much as we could but we also had lots of fun visiting. I got to spend lots of time with my mom. I had lunch with she and my sister. I saw several friends for lunch dates and we saw many of our couple friends as well. It was nice to go home and see everyone!
We also took a short three-day road trip to Mansfield, Ohio to visit with family. The first evening, we had dinner with my Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Ken. The next morning, we drove around the town visiting various spots that I knew from my childhood. We saw my grandparents’ houses, my grandfather’s workplace, the church where I was baptized, and the Mansfield town square. That afternoon, we went to visit Aunt Kathy and Uncle Don. My uncle is undergoing chemotherapy. He has the most amazing attitude. I sincerely believe that attitude has a lot to do with healing and wellbeing. He is a man of faith who prefers to lead by action and example. He is an inspiration. We were grateful to be able to spend this time with loved ones that we rarely see.
The most exciting news is that Kyle and Allison are expecting a baby boy in March. This is bound to change the way we travel! Right now, it means that we will not be going west this winter but instead, we plan to stay on the east coast this fall and then after Christmas, we will go to Florida for a while. We want to be in Maryland in March to help!
1040 September 13- October 9, 2023 Atlanta Staycation
After months of travel and weeks of frustration, and then driving lots of miles in a very short number of days from Edmonton to Atlanta, it was nice to be at home with David and his family. The day that we arrived, the kids got home from school and saw our Jeep parked along the curb. They charged into the house full of excitement. We welcomed all the love and hugs!
On Friday evening, the kids begged us to sleep out in the roof top tent. We set up in the driveway. We packed the sleeping bags and pillows and blankets and lovies and snacks and books and we had a wonderful evening. Grandma and PopPop and Oliver and Austin all cuddled together in our nest. On Saturday, we baked gingerbread cookies and then I had a sleepover with the boys in Oliver’s room. Austin sleeps in the trundle bed every non-school night. I slept with Oliver in his big bed. We read lots of chapters of Captain Underpants. Sunday was swimming lessons. It was great to see how much the boys had gained in their swimming skills since our last visit in the spring. The afternoon was spent doing all sorts of painting and art projects.
The boys were off for fall break the following week. On Monday, David and Dre, the boys, and us drove into the city to the Atlanta Aquarium. The highlight of the day was the dolphin show.
On Tuesday, Dre had to go back to work. David joined us and we took the boys to the zoo. I fed the giraffe hoping that the boys would do it too…but not this time!
Wednesday, we had tickets to the Braves game. We all made it all to the end of the game. It was a disappointing loss.
Thursday, Tim and I took the boys for an overnight camping trip in the Jeep and tent. We went to Stone Mountain and the boys practiced casting with their new fishing rods. We got a couple of nibbles but no fish. We had fun at the playground. We cooked quesadillas on the grill and roasted marshmallows and enjoyed the campfire. It was a great first real camping trip!
Saturday, we hiked in the woods where the kids splashed in the creek.
By Monday, we were all happy and tired and the kids went back to school.
We spent the next two weeks helping with carpool and swimming and doing some household chores and yardwork. In the evenings we played games and read books. Austin really likes to cook and he helped to make spaghetti and meatballs. He also liked to help cut strawberries and stuff for salads. Oliver doesn’t really like to eat and other than making cookies, he didn’t join in on our meal prep. We had more sleepovers and went to the playground. The boys are 5 and 7 and so much fun!
We were all very sad when it was time to leave but we are all already counting the days until December!
Laps around the Cracker Barrel and all the surrounding hotels and restaurants. It is so much better to start the day with a walk before sitting for so many hours!
Today Tim drove the last piece of Illinois and then crossed into the most western portion of Kentucky. We traveled into Tennessee and past Chattanooga. We were going to continue on 75 South into Georgia but there was a terrible accident that had the road closed for hours. Thoughts and prayers to those involved. Instead of sitting in traffic, we elected to camp just at the Tennessee/Georgia line.
The afternoon and evening were spent packing and getting the RV prepared for storage.
Tomorrow we will have about a 2 hour ride to Snellville. Once the RV is stored, we will drive to David and Dre’s. We cannot wait to see everyone. The children are off from school for fall break all next week and so beginning on Friday evening we will play, play, play!!! I will post in 3 or 4 weeks when we leave Atlanta!!
I cannot express how grateful I am to Tim. He has driven 2,600 miles in the past week so that we could be here in time for the family staycation! There are no words…
It was pouring this morning and barely daylight when I woke up. Tim had already had two cups of coffee, exercised, and was ready to roll.
I was disappointed that it was raining. Tim found a trailhead to the Ice Age Trail. This is a 1,000-mile hiking trail that traverses Wisconsin. It follows the path of ancient glaciers. I had been looking forward to walking a portion of it.
The rain stopped as we made our way. There were lots of trucks and lots of traffic all day long. After we crossed into Illinois, there was a lot of road construction.
We stopped at a rest stop for breakfast. Our steps had been misbehaving for several days. Tim had looked at them and sprayed them with lubricant when he couldn’t see anything else wrong. Today, they quit. Tim had me look for a place where we could do laundry. We stopped in the cute little town of Mansfield. I went for a walk on Oliver Street while the clothes were washing. Tim pulled a step motor out of his toolbox and fixed the steps!
We took a couple of breaks in the afternoon and Tim drove another 400 miles today. While he was driving, I was perched in my Queen’s chair taking care of business. I found a place in Atlanta where we will store the RV. I took care of our Jeep registration renewal. I looked for a place to stay tonight. It seems like more cities now have ordinances disallowing overnight camping so Walmart was out. We did find a Cracker Barrel in Marion, Illinois where we could stay. We had dinner in the restaurant. Afterward, we sat in the rockers out front, enjoying the warm air. I challenged Tim to a game of checkers and he beat me handily!
Two more days! We expect to arrive in Atlanta on Wednesday!
Two other RVs joined us in the backlot and we had a quiet night…no trains!
This morning there was a small bunny munching grass by the parking lot.
I took a walk to the Community Center.
This weekend was the Chalk Fest. Artists were busy making repairs to their creations. The rain damaged many of the drawings.
Tim told me that the Mississippi River was just blocks away. I started walking to try and find it!
The headwaters to the great Mississippi begin in a glacial lake, Lake Itasca, about 150 miles north of Monticello in north central Minnesota. It starts as a trickle and then further south it is joined by the Saint Croix River where it widens and flows more rapidly.
The Bridge Park was beautifully landscaped. There was a riot of brightly colored annuals and perennials. The flowers are a little past their prime this late in September. I can imagine how lovely it was several weeks ago. Someone puts a lot of love and hard work into caring for this space.
This VW bug is decorated with thousands of plastic bottle tops of all colors and sizes.
I found my way through the city and back to the RV and then we began another long day of traveling.
These flowers were blooming at a rest stop. They also grew in the median of the highway and along the shoulder in a long golden stream.
Lots of onions!
We took 94E and the beltway around Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
Soon after, we crossed into Wisconsin. The landscape was still mostly farmland but it was greener and hillier and there were more trees.
There were also lots of billboards advertising cheese and fudge.
We were now east of the Mississippi River. We haven’t driven across the country since January.
We stopped in midafternoon so that Tim could rest while I got some groceries and supplies. We got another 60 gallons of diesel fuel.
Tim drove for another long while and we started to think about where we might stop for the night. We found a Walmart along the interstate. It is a good thing that we looked when we did because there isn’t much for a long way after this little town.
Tim rode his bike and I did some cleaning.
We have less than 1,000 miles to go to get to Atlanta!
