Raleigh, NC to Sevierville, TN

Notice the TINY sign indicating the campground!

Our home while in North Carolina

Once the horse show ended, we just abut had the whole place to ourselves.

After 12 fun days with family, our stay in North Carolina drew to a close on a cloudy and misty day. We packed up and headed for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located between North Carolina and Tennessee. We are at River Plantation in Sevierville, which is pronounced "Suh veer vul" by the locals and it is located just far enough away from the "heavy-duty" neon commercialism centered closer to the National Park entrance.  This place was "G's" choice and although situated in the middle of  a lush green valley, it is still surrounded by more commercialism than we are accustomed.

We hit a bit of rain along the long and mountainous drive, but were treated to some beautiful countryside. From what we have seen thus far, Tennessee seems to be a very pretty state with many RVers with plenty to see and do.

First on our list of things to do will be a couple of trips to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Besides adding a sticker to our RV map, we can also add a sticker to our Park Passport book. I love two-for-ones. 

Our first full day here was spent finding hiking boots for me and a couple of other items that were on sale at REI. Rain permitting, we should be ready to hit some of the less strenuous trails soon. I only hope my body is as ready and my endurance as strong as I (opportunistically) feel I am.  I really want to attempt the longer hikes that afford the best views of various waterfalls and valleys. Besides, we need to get into "hiking shape" for Yellowstone. My new boots should help protect the ankle I fractured just a year ago. Even with that amount of time, it is not as strong and sturdy as I would like it to be, so a mid-high boot and a walking stick will accompany me going forward.

Those items are now added to my long list of regular and "diabetic" hiking supplies. We are at two full back-packs containing various items such as maps, camera, binoculars, rain jackets, extra socks, hats, wallets, band aides, whistle, National Park Passport Book, compass, water bottles, blood glucose testing machine, instant glucose, a glucagon pen and energy bars. "My bags are packed...I'm ready to go."

Besides walking trails, there are numerous drives that will take us to the furthermost portions of the park. Photos will be provided in the next blog entry. One surprising fact about this National Park is that it is the one with the most pollution. On an average day, one is no longer able to view the top peaks of these majestic formations.

Another thing I'd love to try is white water rafting, but the weather and time may not permit. We shall see, tomorrow..

Deep thought for the day:  "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow. You're only a day away."   ~  Music and lyrics by, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin

Raleigh, NC

Once the huge horse show ended, the remaining time spent at the Raleigh State Fairgrounds was quiet and peaceful. The weather was quite cooperative, as were the mosquitoes, who failed to make an appearance throughout our entire stay. By Sunday evening, the park thinned out to about ten RV's around us, which provided the opportunity to meet some of the other campers. 

Stock photo of the Outlaw.

There was one particular RV that caught our attention, first for the make and model, of which I had never seen in person, the Thor Outlaw Toy Hauler, and second, for the two cats who lazed around outside it without restraint. Seeing cats exhibiting this type of behavior was something I've never previously witnessed. They needed no leashes to keep them close to home, out of trouble or out of harm's way. 

It was interesting and fun to watch them roll in the gravel, laze in the sun and run for cover whenever a vehicle drove anywhere remotely near them. The cats, named Callie and Mango were accompanied by their owner, Denny, who was a nice fellow-full-timer who, along with his wife, work out of their RV. They also make use of a blog to document and share all of their experiences. It was nice chatting with another full-timer who has dealt with "cat" issues and who was willing to chat about travel and life on the road.

The main focus and reason for our stop in North Carolina was to visit my son, daughter-in-law and their three remarkable kids. It had been almost nine months since our last visit and the passing of time was quite evidently displayed through their growth and maturity. We spent as much time together as possible, considering their work/school schedules, and absorbed as much of them as was possible. Besides a wonderful Mother's Day, we fit in several other meals together, pedicures, lunch and shopping (for some), a nice lunch with my son, a school carnival, dinner and a movie with the kids, shopping, barbecuing, scary movie night, board games, and more. It was a whir wind 12 days.

Lucy was quite accommodating this visit by allowing herself to be petted by all three kids on two different occasions. She surprised me all the time.

Buddy and "escape artist," Tucker....check out all the locks.

A few photos below show the 4-legged grand dogs, the results of the school's annual fundraising carnival, swimming, campground time, fun days and love. 

Hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Clockwise from left, Cooper (wearing the hat I knit him), Savannah and Summer.

Fun times at Moo Moo's and Pop Pop's pool and watching scary shows!!!

Girls' day out.

Hunter Elementary Gifted and Talented Magnet School where all three attend.

And the winner of the 5th Graders' Fundraising Basket was......a very happy girl!

Dining at the campground.

Poor Coop, smiling, even with a fractured foot.....

It was chilly when the sun was going down, a good reason to cuddle.

Haircut gone bad......poor "G," but I love it!

Deep thought for the day:  Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping, into the future.

Click HERE to listen to The Steve Miller Band's song, Fly Like an Eagle.

Mother's Day 2016

The "Eagle," aka Allie, landed safe and sound at Raleigh State Fairgrounds on Friday afternoon. The place was packed with trailers and RVs for a huge horse show that was taking place on the grounds. The campground for the fairgrounds is located behind the horse stables, so it was an ideal spot for all the empty trailers, contestants and fans to camp out for the week-long event. Despite the crowd, it was quiet, albeit a bit smelly in some locations - like the three big roll-off containers full of horse poop (future manure). I assume backhoes must have been responsible for the pick-up and deposits of the unpleasantries to the dumpsters.

Looking out one window at the horse trailers lined up across from us.

Looking outside the right side.

Three dumpsters in a row (hard to see last one) filled to the top!

On Saturday, "G" and I took the kids to see Disney's newest animated feature, "Jungle Book," in 3D. It was an awesome movie that grownups couldn't help but be fascinated and amazed by the advanced animation necessary to bring all the animals of the jungle to life. The movie was followed by dinner at Applebee's, then back home for showers and a few games of chess. These kids amaze me.

Somewhere over the rainbow...

Me and the NC girls.

Papa G and Cooper, the Mozzarella Stick King

Nina, presenting mommy with her breakfast in bed. 

Mother's Day began with a Face Time with the three grand kids in Colorado, where I was so impressed with their gift for mommy - a breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, strawberries and coffee, prepared by Nina and served to mom in bed by all three smiling faces. That had to be one of the best gifts my daughter-in-law has ever received. Kitchen was even cleaned up as part of the present, and I saw the final results and can attest to a bright and sparkling kitchen.

Love....captured in a photo.

L to R: Me, Joan, GiGi and Moo Moo (Ronnie)

The afternoon was spent with the other half of my special loves. We enjoyed a relaxing day at Ronnie's and Frank's (aka Moo Moo's and Pop Pop's) house in the company of GiGi (the kids maternal Great Grandmother). There were dogs galore, good conversation and fabulous food. The kids spent most of the day in the pool and our seats on the enclosed back patio afforded us a front row seat to their antics and awesome swimming capabilities. 

I enjoyed a nice conversation with Gigi about the assisted living facility she lives in. God Bless her, at almost 90, she was telling be about all the "old people" who live there. I got a kick out of her referring to people her age and younger, as old. I feel the same way a lot of times, finding it hard to believe someone is my age when I assumed they were older. I have to believe it's either my mirror or my mind that is fooling me. Since GiGi looks amazing, I have to think it just might be our minds. 

A big thank-you to Ronnie and Frank for always opening your home and hearts to G and I. How fortunate for us to like and enjoy each other's company so much. 

The only photo I was able to get of me with my pride and joy - my son, my friend.

Savannah!

Cooper and Summer

The Three Musketeers - their energy astounds me.

As the day drew to a close, I began to feel ill and discovered that my insulin pump and Continuous Glucose Monitor were not working properly. Alarms that should have alerted me to extremely high glucose levels failed to do so. Once back in Allie and feeling worse, it was decided (and insisted by "G") that a trip to Duke-Raleigh Hospital's ER was in order. So, another holiday was spent in a hospital getting myself back to feeling better and regulated. Darn those electronics!!!! Can't live with them and can't survive without them.....

Today finds me exhausted, but better. Poor "G" needs to catch upon his sleep too, so I'm sure there will be an afternoon "cat" nap on tap for us both. Life is good when you can take an afternoon nap. 

Deep thought for the day:  "Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow, why, oh why can't I."  ~ Arlen and Harburg 

The serenity of a bird's life: Soaring high, swooping low, constant fluid motion, beauty and song. Similar to my life, I guess. with the highs and lows. Gotta love it, no matter what challenges you face - face them head on and then soar. ~ vc

Countdown to Phase I

It's Monday morning and the countdown to Phase I of our journey has whittled down to TWO days. We've been busy preparing to leave our winter home after having settling in quite comfortably here for over six months. Each day brings us closer to completing the chores necessary to resume life on the road.

A lot of those six months have been taken up with dentist and doctor visits, with today being my last visit to the chiropractor.  Unfortunately, no matter where you go, your health goes with you, because, although you can run, you sure can't hide.

The weather has been teasing us with temps in the 90's, making it difficult to leave this tropical paradise (or do much strenuous work until after 5 pm).  The bright side of leaving will be in the fact that we can open the windows again.  The air conditioning drowns out all the beautiful sounds of the outdoors and I miss the song of the mockingbirds most.

As much as I enjoy my strolls to the pool for a swim to cool off, I am looking forward to getting back on the road and our first extended stop in Raleigh where we will see eldest son and family. I'm already filling the calendar with dinners, ice cream stops, babysitting, a movie, a school fair and an afternoon at the nail salon.  Life is good - especially for grandparents!

Allie is washed, Sir Duke is sparkling clean, the storage areas are all packed, the shed is organized and we are stocked with meals to last until Friday. Ready, set, drive.

Last thing to do is disconnect and reconnect with the open road! Tic tock, tic tock, Raleigh, here we come!!!!


Deep thought for the day:  "Traveling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." ~ Ibn Battuta  (Born in 1304, Ibn was a Medieval Berber Muslim who traveled all his life and recorded his experiences. He is recognized as one of the greatest travelers of all time and the first to write a travel journal. The original Fodor's????)

Busy bees, nasty mosquitos and time flying by...

We're noticing more often of how quickly time is passing us by, and never more so than at the beginning of a new month. We find ourselves looking at each other and saying, "Where did last month go?" Well, most of it has been spent just living every day, normal, retired life. Days tend to begin later and nights never end early.

A necessity we've accomplished has been to establish ourselves with Florida doctors, which can be time consuming and sometimes just a shot in the dark. We have been fortunate to locate a family practice doc, a podiatrist, a chiropractor, dermatologist and a fabulous dentist. We've gotten off to a great start thanks to friends' recommendations and Internet searches. Most importantly, and just by chance, I found nice hair and nail salons. I discovered it is harder to let a different hairstylist cut my hair than have a strange phlebotomist draw my blood. Go figure. 

"G" has been a busy bee "buzzing" around our lot non-stop. He's built a loft in the shed, began insulating the walls, hung blinds on the windows for privacy and installed air vents to help with heat build-up. He also installed fence posts at the front sides of the property that have solar panel lights on top. He even added our lot number to one, making us more easily found by the UPS driver! A few of our neighbors have joined in on this new look and our whole corner is sporting matching posts, lights and numbering.

We've made several trips to the four Disney World Parks, which are a fun way to get a lot of exercise incorporated into our day. Attending with friends or even just by ourselves is always an adventure and a treat.

Zika Mosquito

No type of "camping experience" exists that doesn't include mosquitoes, but plastered on the news of late, and subject of conversations by the pool, have focused on the newest health scare that has hit Florida and now spreading throughout the US - the Zika Virus. This virus originated in Brazil and is contracted by being bitten by an infected mosquito. I am diligent about keeping my spray can of Cutter handy at all times.

Spoiled Rotten Cat

Not to leave Lucy out of the equation, she's been living the "Life of Riley" within the walls of Allie. She has her routines, and lest we forget one, she repeatedly reminds us of what it is she wants; be it a snack, a brushing, nap time in the closet, or to move something off the dash so she can jump up. She doesn't need words, her little mewls and actions speak volumes! Here she is basking in the sun as she lounges in her scratch pad saying, "What?"





Deep thought for the day:  Don't miss the starting gun...ready, set, LIVE... ~ vc

Credit for the deep thought inspiration goes to Pink Floyd...Click HERE to listen to the masterpiece, Time.

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain. 

You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today, 

and then one day you find ten years have got behind you. 

No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

God willing, our plans for the upcoming year...

I've always felt as if I were just a pawn - sitting on a huge chess board and the two players are me and God. Even though I try to beat Him at His own game, in the end, I will only advance to the squares He chooses. I am planning to advance a few squares this summer, and as long as I don't get checked, I should find myself visiting grandchildren in North Carolina, family in Oregon, grandchildren in Colorado and several other interesting sights by the fall.

In 1972, when I was 16, I flew to Oregon and visited my maternal grandmother and maternal uncle and his family. I had only met each once prior, so it was actually the visit where I came to know them a little better. My mom had passed away 6 years earlier, so I think I was looking for some missing pieces to the puzzle of my life.

After all these years I still have vivid memories of the beautiful land, the wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean, huge Redwood trees, tubing on river rapids, sailing on a shrimp boat, camping in a pop-up and discovering a whole different type of living. 

The day we purchased our first RV I knew I'd be heading back out to see the family that remains and share the unparalleled beauty of the Pacific northwest with "G." I was fortunate to book campgrounds quite close to all the family we will be visiting along the way. My uncle and his wife live in Coos Bay, and my aunt and her husband live in Reedsport, both of which are on the coast. I have a cousin who was two or three when I last saw him, and he is now a grown man with a family of his own. I am looking forward to meeting them all.

In order to keep things straight in my head, I've broken the trip into three "phases." In Phase I, which has been revised, we will head up to North Carolina to visit my son and his family, with one stop-over along the way. Then, due to curiosity, adventurism and reckless abandon (and the difficulty getting into Croton Point Park), we decided to take a side trip to Nashville, TN for some sightseeing and then down to Sherman, MS for some shopping. The remainder of the journey will find us with one night stands along the way until we reach our beloved Croton Point Park. I can't believe I feel that connected to the park I couldn't wait to leave last year.

Round about way to NY

Phase II, consists of stops along the coast of Lake Michigan, Yellowstone, Cave of the Winds, The Badlands, Idaho Falls, The Tetons, Crater Lake, and the Oregon coast to visit family.

Phase II

Finally, Phase III, will find us visiting Klamath Falls, The Redwoods in California and then a 10 day stopover to see the other three grandchildren in Colorado.

Phase III

The entire trip will span about five months and Allie will add approximately 9,000 miles to her odometer. If my hours, days and weeks of planning go off without a hitch, we will be adding a few more stickers to our map, many more blog entries, and a tremendous amount of exciting memories. Let the game begin...Chess, anyone?

Deep thought for the day:  The proverb written by my favorite Chinese philosopher is quite appropriate for this blog entry.  "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  ~  From the quote 千里之行，始於足下, by Laozi  (c 604 bc - c 531 bc) in the Tao Te Ching, chapter 64. 

NOTE:  To view the complete list of dates and campgrounds, click on the tab marked "2016 Journey."

Ch, ch, changes...

David Bowie

Two weeks ago, one of my favorite rock and roll icons of all time, David Bowie, passed away after a secret battle with cancer. Since the announcement, his songs have been sifting in and out of my head. "Changes," is but one of them, that speaks of life and time and the fact that neither stand still or stay the same. Therefore, this blog will be dedicated to Bowie, a brilliant poet who was silenced way too soon, and the changes we have made to site 233. 

In the beginning....there was a Sold sign.

Left side - before

Right side - before

Work just beginning...

The first change we made to our lot was to add additional pavers that expanded the lot to almost double in width, thus giving us extra room to spread out and provide an area for our future shed.

As soon as we arrived at 233 last October, the frenzy began with the arrival of our shed, irrigation installation around the perimeter for the newly planted shrubs and trees, decorative stone delivered, the acquisition of a "lightening-proof" surge protector for the coach and shed, the final pavers laid and concrete curbing along the right side to keep the stone in place.

 

 Shed delivery. It was interesting and scary at the same time.

I don't think we will EVER be completely finished, but for this year, it's as good as it's going to get. It will be forever ch, ch, changing.

Below are the most recent photos of our little piece of heaven.

Next blog entry will be a draft of our proposed upcoming trips.

Right side - after

Left side - after

The foreman...checking out all the action.

Head on view after

Home, sweet, Florida home.

Deep thought for the day:  Time may change me, but I can't trace time.      ~ David Bowie (January 8, 1947 - January 10, 2016)