On the Road with Rosie

   We left you in Nashville where we intended on staying two days but stayed longer because I needed a couple days in the local hospital then a few days rest. The folks at Cedar Creek Campground helped Celine move Rosie to an available site while we sorted out how to move forward and on Monday we headed to Pep Boys for new tires (that was a mistake) and then we headed to Knoxville. Thirty minutes after we arrived I was off to their hospital leaving Celine stuck in a Cracker Barrel parking lot. After they scoped me and decided they couldn't figure out what the problem was they came up with all sorts of new ideas, such as swallowing a camera, which I thought might be a fun idea, but we really wanted any future work to be down up here.    Sandy's organization skills kicked in and she and Celine hired Rosie towed to a real campground (Cracker Barrel was wonderful, but...) where we recouped again and decided we needed to get home without anymore side trips to unknown hos...

We finished up on the Trace this week with this photo of Celine on the actual footpath used by centuries of travelers. Our journey didn't take as long. The last view we can offer you is this stately double arched bridge which crosses a valley, not a river. We loved our exploration of the Natchez Trace, the lack of commercialism, the slow tempo, the history, the scenic vistas.  The Trace ends in Nashville, TN which quickly restored any lost commercialism (or peace or tranquility). We arrived as hundreds of thousands of folks came for a regional music festival, a Jimmy Buffett concert and the NFL draft.  We found our camp outside of town and settled down near the water. Once we learned about Corp of Engineer camps and their half price senior discount we're hooked. We have been happy at all of them. We did take an in-town tour of Centennial Park where this replica of the Parthenon and Athena are located. Inside was also an art museum which as unexpected. ...

Tupelo, MS is really a lovely city in the northeast area. Elvis was born here. There are many churches in the South, but none more energized than the group preparing this cross for Easter. Isn't this pretty? Here are a couple of pix of the Elvis Presley birthplace, and the car used when the family packed up and moved to Memphis. We liked the porch swing and noted that the Presley house was bigger than ours. The car is a 39 Plymouth. Apparently the Presley family came upon hard times and had to skedaddle out of town after nightfall. The City of Tupelo takes their native son seriously and has erected guitars along the streets, named streets, and even moved Elvis' childhood church to the homestead area. In the picture below we are poised at the zero mile marker of the Natchez Trace. We began this 444 mile trek on Tuesday and reached Tupelo on Thursday. Tomorrow we'll drive back to the Trace and continue where we left off. The Trace, upgraded over the years, has...

   Vicksburg, MS was a very historical visit including the battlefield which was incredibly hilly. This place must have been tiring to move in and around. Also in the park is a restoration of a sunken ironclad, including the personal items of the 150+ sailors aboard when it was sunk by a mine. A very informative display. As we were leaving the park, both our phones got tornado warnings. Oh Boy. After learning that our campground  had a restroom that would provide some shelter we took off. During the tense 30 minute drive the view in the rear view mirror got darker and darker,and filled with intense lightening. We got to shelter and waited until the advisory expired. All was well for us, however, the place we left wasn't quite as lucky. The grocery store we shopped, lost part of a roof.   Today we are settled in the Natchez area which is as far South and West as we intent to travel. We drove into historic Natchez this afternoon and parked high on the cliff overlookin...

Mississippi    We're camping in MS, a town called Flora. North of the capitol, Jackson. Flora has a petrified forest!  Who knew?  We finished up Alabama this morning while the  TennTom  Waterway was climbing to flood stage. This was the longest stay of the trip and a beauty at twice the price. The locals we met were very gracious, offered many good ideas for food and campgrounds along our route, and made us feel welcome during our stay.      The countryside is quite nice with woods of pine and hardwood, pastures with cattle, and in one place, catfish ponds! These waist deep ponds are a form of farming here. Catfish are a dietary staple for many. The steer in the picture below was lying in a wooded area near the road. We found him during an unplanned road detour.      Our plan for now through the weekend is to visit the  Vicksburg  area and look at the battlefield and some museum exhibits. We've been to both Gettysburg and Antietam and they ...

Quality of Life Something about waterfront. This is taken along the Tenn-Tom Waterway where we are settled in we have full-service hook-ups here for an amazing $12.00 per night. Unbelievable, but true. The area has a good collection of wildlife including this Great Heron. There was a large collection of young deer by the side of the road and down over the riverbank we saw a Cottonmouth snake. Cardinals and Carolina Wrens keep us entertained each day. The campsites are very spacious and fairly empty this time of year. Here's a picture  of Rosie. The last two pictures depict the area's main event, namely, barges which are pushed up and down the waterway by pull boats which actually push the barges. Turns out a pull boat can move 8 barges which carry as much tonnage as 400 +/- 18 wheelers. That amazed me.  There are locks to pass through as the waterway has a collective height distance of 361 feet, beginning to end. Here are the pix; Don...

We arrived here Tuesday evening and the camp host, Chuck Norris, explained he didn't do that hand stuff but he did have a 9mm. He then looked at his reservation board and offered us an available site by the river which we quickly accepted. This is a COE (Corp of Engineers) site and the price for holders of a Senior Citizens pass get water and electric for $9.00 a night. Unlike an RV resort, these sites are spacious. Here's the view from our site after the fire (see below); Wednesday we took a short tour looking for supplies and sampled some of the small local stores which had plenty of Bud-lite and chew but not Almond Milk. I've had an unannounced fear of the Southern states all my life which was fostered mostly by my imagination, but also by knowing of the prejudices of the good ole boys depicted in so many movies. So far we're just treating each other like people and it is working very well. Thursday we went to Montgomery to view two museums created by...

Six days in Panama City and it's time to go. This community has many ways to relieve you of your money; you could rent a jet ski or a pontoon boat, you could go to shell island or scuba diving or deep sea fishing. You can eat at any number of places beginning with Capt. or Sea or Ocean. You can rent fancy golf carts or miniature motorcycles or pedal bikes. You could go to parkland or nature walks or amusement rides. Plenty of sportswear. Never did see a library. Julie's in her second "home" since the hurricane and will be moving again this week. Rents are ridiculously expensive so she will have an RV set up in the driveway of her home! Good solution as she can keep tabs on repairs, be with her neighbors and paddle board from her back yard. She is working per diem and enjoying her co-workers. The pix below represent the view from our site. Tomorrow we're off to Montgomery for a few nights. No plans after that.

   We left Savannah and drove a long day into Tallahassee where we checked into a Cracker Barrel Hilton and met with a long time friend from Atlanta with whom we had dinner. Next morning we drove "off highway" to Panama City to be with Julie for a bit. Fifty or sixty miles inland we began to see what Hurricane Michael had accomplished. Buildings large and small, old and new, short and tall got pounded. Metal roofing scattered all over. Miles of snapped off trees like a pile of pickup sticks. For mile after mile. A photo album wouldn't be enough to show you.    We headed directly to St Andrews SP, but we were too late to capture a spot. Most of their sites are still blocked by fallen trees so that, plus people needing shelter after the October hurricane and it's spring break left a paucity of campsites. We were given a handout with other possibilities,  but there was no space anywhere, except, again, the Cracker Barrel Hilton. We had been advised by a caring st...

Apparently we missed the second biggest St. Patty's Day party after NYC. It was held in Savannah. This park, just outside the city limits, is really nice. The sites are mostly pull-through, level, and spacious. These are two views of our site; Today we drove over to Savannah and took the trolley tour. I like this city with its unique history. James Oglethorpe chartered it and prohibited Catholics, slaves, and lawyers. 😉 None of those prohibitions lasted very long, but it was a noble attempt. The architecture includes Victorian, Colonial and Federal and the city has many parks sprinkled about. All pictures below were taken from a moving trolley but you can enjoy the buildings, the wrought iron, and the flora. We found it all wonderful. Savannah pix

https://photos.app.goo.gl/rRMNxgrUcB4J6gwp8

Out the front door Dateline 3/16: Bishopville, SC Here in SC spring is beginning, but certainly not  finished. We're at Lee State Park. The community has a Main Street, but sadly many of the storefronts are empty. Bishopville has a nice barbecue joint, a laundromat and the Cotton Museum. Perhaps we'll visit and learn about cotton.    Our journey was off interstate yesterday and we passed lots of farmed land, some of which appeared to be cotton. We also drove through Society Hill, a town in disrepair, owing to the recent closure of a huge textile finishing mill. Back in the 70s it employed 1400 people. Those people and their kids aren't work at the mill anymore. Even one of the schools was shut down.    The campground has about 25 sites for regular folks and 25 sites for equestrians. There are trails restricted for riders. Never seen that before. Lots of younguns enjoying themselves. So are we.

   A gentle breeze flows through the campsite as I count our blessings. Had we traveled our original route we would be in the path of a huge weather system that was strong enough to derail a train! We are happy to be here, not there.    Tomorrow we'll pull up stakes and journey into SC for the weekend. This time we are avoiding Interstate highways and slowing down some more. I am not used to this travel style. We move along as we see fit, without a plan that needs to be adhered to. It's awesome really.    The weather will take a dip next week so we're glad to be south bound again. Below freezing temps raise hell with Rosie's plumbing, so we watch that. Beats the snot out of keeping the wood stove fired up.  BBFN,  Jim & Celine

Rolling View SP, Falls Lake NC. We are actually camping - finally. Temps climbed into the 70s today, a definite treat. After a trip diversion that took us to some really nice family time in Raleigh we got back on the road. Even though we didn't go far it was time to move along. Rolling View is a nice park and in 1757 exactly nothing happened here. The sites are cared for and open year round and I suspect quite busy come summer. We have a pull through site which makes things easy and we have water and electric. Today, for the first time, we loaded up the water system, hot and cold. Tomorrow Celine has an appointment in Durham for a troublesome tooth which will then guide our direction for the next segment our journey. It may not be the original plan, but it is an adventure! Enjoying and appreciating your comments.

   Our visit to NC has been terrific.😍 We laughed, shared meals and relaxed. We're almost caught up and will soon be back on the road, this time heading south for awhile before turning west. I'm hoping we are finished with below freezing temps so we can begin using Rosie with hot and cold water.    Down at the coast we saw alligators, herons, Ibis, black colored squirrels, and here lots of cardinals and a thrasher. Almost got out on the golf course but soggy fairways canceled that idea. While walking in a local park I found a fossil, then one more. That was a first.    Will be off in a few days and will report our whereabouts as we don't know, yet, where that might be. Be well and healthy!

Rosie and the Colorado got baths today. Parked under a pear tree in bloom it shows the contrast between here and home as far as environment goes. One more down the road and the last of the repairs will be completed. A relief. We will be leaving Rosie here for a few days as we take a two hour ride to the beach. A couple days there should be restorative and then we'll return. Some time after next Friday we'll saddle up and trek on. What a fun way to travel. No worries 😊 Oh my, I just discovered all your comments! Thank you.

Surprise! Yesterday, we woke up behind Cracker Barrel in West Virginia and made an unplanned diversion from our unplanned route. Instead of our southwesterly direction we went southeast to Raleigh, NC, our longest day on the road. We wanted warmer and by golly we got it. Daffodils are in bloom here and that is one of the treats we were looking for.    We have family here and that makes a difference as we address the need to solve some of the challenges the road and the cold have provided. Rosie's headed to a shop that can fix a valve that cracked in a water line. I'm looking for a place that will provide a battery box strap and an extension mirror strap. I also want a back up set of camper keys. Celine has a tooth that needs review and that will be addressed this afternoon. In the meantime we get to visit!    We spent a good deal of time traveling through WV, the mountain state. Yes it is. We climbed and descended all day! Who knew? All the hillsides were ha...

Still Movin' In Barboursville, WV. Temp is 38 heading down into the 20s.  The last two nights were a challenge at a county campground that was wet from rain and snow melt. No cell connection made posting impossible and we have a growing list of little repairs that require attention.    The first is the latching mechanism on the exit window that was designed to hold the awning style window open. It is , quite  simply, gone. Duct tape is the new latch. Next up is a small plumbing leak (Actually there are no small leaks are there?) in a gate valve near the water heater. Low temps are to blame for this one. A strap on the extension mirror failed from rubber fatigue and a buckle on the battery box strap has also failed. Minor in isolation, irritants as a group, they need fixing so Rosie can smile again.    Last night the campground lost electricity in a wind storm so there was no hot water for showers, nor lighting in the restrooms. That sponsore...

Friday 2/22: Still at Fort Frederick. This fort was built in the 1700s to protect the western border as the native Americans were not happy to see their land invaded. It was built of stone (see below) which was unusual and may be the reason it was never attacked. The fort was used during the Civil War also. Now the state owns it and it is shared with agricultural uses. There are several places with bee hives, and small environments for Monarch butterflies. I saw my first sycamore tree and look what else I saw This was a pleasant surprise. We're moving further south today as some lousy weather is approaching and maybe south will look better. Thanks for tuning in!

Landed in Maryland beside the Potomac River within spitting disdance of West Virginia. at Fort Frederick SP. They got 8" of snow last night so all the sites were not available but they put us in the parking lot! We're here alone listening to the trains pass by. This morning I filled the water tank only to discover it really wasn't full. Did some research and have a view leads on where I can try that again.    During our research I saw the town of Falling Water and that reminded me of Frank Lloyd Wright. We got all excited when we learned it was West of us and it was a short day drive from where we are. 🙄 Doesn't open until March 9th. Boogers!    So now well journey into VA to buy replacement propane hoses to replace the ones I bought this morning which had the wrong size fitting, and to find a replacement for the window latch which turned up missing somehow. Presently duct tape is holding the window closed.    This is a fun way to travel because we can ...