Day Five of our Spring Break trip to NC

Friday, March 21, 2008

Well, we have had a good time and learned lots of lessons but today we must return home.

We are up early since we need to return the camper to Priceville by 3:00pm.

We left Murphy, NC; I made a second pot of coffee on the road - I just love that! We stopped at the Ocoee Center. Once again the boys played on the rocks. They weren't so lucky this time. Parker got his feet wet while hanging from a bridge.

And again we ate on the road. We made sandwiches at a rest area stop. While Ray drove I began to bag everything in plastic garbage bags. Time was short and I knew we were going to unload quickly.

We got in about 1:45. We quickly threw (literally) everything out of the camper and into the house (ugh). Ray and Parker left with the "The Bilt-Less House" to return it to Priceville by 3:00. Preston and I went the opposite direction to get Jingle. At Kirsten's Jingle could see us from her pen and she was beside herself - yelping and jumping to get to us - it took Kristen a few minutes (she was feeding the alpaca) to get over to us - and poor Jingle was just looking at us. So sad. Jingle certainly doesn't look any worse for the wear, just happy to be back with us. Her blankie is going to be the first thing into the wash. Kristen said she took it with her where ever she went - awww - just like me and my Braves blanket.

After we picked Jingle up we drove all the way down to Priceville from way out in Toney to pick up Ray and Parker. Since we were at an RV dealer, we decided to comparison "shop" through all of the RVs there. Bless her heart, we took turns holding Jingle at the RV place. 3 would go into one for a look while 1 held her. Every time Parker would leave her and go in one she would start yelping for him. She did not want him out of her sight. (he just ate that up - of course, being the cool 13 yo he wouldn't admit it).

We finally left there around 4:30 and headed to Atlanta Bread Company for some much needed non-RV coffee. Jingle loved it !!! This was really her first time out in a big public area. She was well behaved and got to speak to lots of people. She has such a precious face and who can turn down a golden retriever anyway?

Since I know there are mountains for clothes waiting for me at home, we ran by Sam's to buy detergent. The last stop is at Conoco to fill up the van and get pizza for dinner.

Finally we all get back home and start to unpack all the bags from the trip - Ugh - Ugh - Ugh. After about an hour we decided to eat dinner. Then back to sorting clothes and doing laundry.

Jingle is so happy to be home and with us.

Lessons learned today:

-We can survive 5 days in an RV

-It is good to be able to go potty without swaying

Day Four of our Spring Break trip to NC

Thursday, March 20, 2008

After showers and a breakfast of eggs and bacon we unhooked and started to head back toward home. Today's destination was Murphy, NC, about a 3 hour drive. Along the way we stopped beside the Nantahala to make lunch. Even though it was very chilly the boys ate outside the camper and watched the kayaks and rafters. These people must be crazy - I was in my winter coat and they were rafting. We walked down the river some. The boys had fun playing on rocks. Preston was sitting on the one pictured here for a while. Suddenly Ray said, "Preston, do you notice the water is getting higher?" By the time he started to climb off he was barely able to jump off without getting his feet wet. They must have opened the flue up river. Sadly, when we stopped I put my beloved thermometer on the kitchen window to see just how cold it was. Somehow it didn't adhere well and fell off and broke. What a waste of $0.80.

Here's today's BIG lesson... be sure the door is shut securely before driving off. After lunch I was the one to close the side door. I shut it and locked it. Ray took off. Preston quickly started hollering about the door being open. Sure enough, our side door was swinging open. Parker jumped up to shut it. And then I was yelling at him to sit back down. Ray pulled off and we re-shut the door. Obviously I had not pulled it all the way closed before locking it.

We arrived at the Peace Valley Campground mid-afternoon. This was by far our favorite campground. It had really nice sites, a stream, and lots of amenities, including a game room, horseshoes, and a pet area. Each site has a porch, fire ring, picnic table, and a lighted power/water pedestal. The boys immediately discovered an old tree that bent way out over the rushing stream. They both walked out on the tree and posed for pictures.

After set up, I made coffee while Ray and the boys went to find something to do. There was a nice center area where they tossed a baseball. They played a little tether ball and tossed a Frisbee some.

Dinner was spaghetti. I've now learned to start early to boil water and also to use the microwave to speed the process. We are getting smarter. We griddle-cooked the rest of the Texas toast. And were ready to eat in less than 45 mins.

It was cold tonight, maybe around 30, but we had a campfire and made s'mores again. We probably sat out for about an hour and a half. We were really cold when we came in.

Each night the boys have enjoyed reading a ghost stories book out loud to each other. They take turns reading the stories.

I'll do a quick run-down of what our camper is like.

In the far back is the master bedroom.

Forward of that is a folded fabric door

Moving forward from there, on the left is the shower, on the right is the toilet and sink room.

There is a sliding wooden door that can close this area off from the main area.

Coming forward into the dining area, the refrigerator, stove, microwave, and sink are on the left. The dinette table is on the right.

In front of the table is a sofa.

Opposite the sofa is the side door and a rotating chair.

Above the front seats is the loft where the TV is located.

Lessons learned today:

-Push on the door to make sure it is secure, even if you just locked it

Day Three of our Spring Break trip to NC

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

We awoke to a rainy, drizzly day. Ray made pancakes while I showered. The circuit blew again. "Been there, done that" we learned that lesson yesterday.

Then we were off to Biltmore House. Unfortunately Betsy had some unusual ideas about how to get to the Biltmore house. We traveled neighborhoods? and side roads? But she got us there.

At Biltmore we spent several hours walking through the rooms. This was a good test for me. We wanted to see how I would do with my chronic fatigue on a walking tour type thing. I was pleased that I actually did fairly well. The 4th floor has been opened since either Ray or I had been there. The boys were amazed by the size of this house. They thought our next home should have a swimming pool and bowling alley in it also. We made a stop by the gift shop, the confectionery, and bought the posed picture of us taken in the lobby.

After seeing that a turkey sandwich was $11.50 we all decided to go back to our RV (from henceforth to be known as "The Bilt-Less House") and make lunch there. Then we drove around to the farm area to buy the boys ice cream. We wandered the petting area for a while in the heavy drizzle. A table-top goat greeted us while he attempted to eat a sign. Bert and Ernie, older draft horses, enjoyed our affections. There was the usual assortment of chickens, sheep, donkeys, etc. We then decided we had had enough of the drizzle and we would skip the garden tour.

I decided I had "roughed" it long enough and a Starbucks Carmel Macchiato was needed. "Betsy" directed us into a downtown area. It was a tight squeeze in an RV. We found the Starbucks and decided it would be easier to park across the street at the gas station and let me walk across to SBs. Ray gassed up ($100 this time) while I made a mad dash. Time for another lesson?? Yep. This lesson has to do with pulling out and swinging wide. RVs just don't swing wide very well. Neither Parker nor I was spotting Ray when he pulled forward. As I mentioned we were in a crowded area. Ray was going to pull out to the right which required a wide swing. Oops as he pulled around he clipped the bumper of the RV on a concert pylon at the gas station.

We stopped by Ingles and picked up a rotisserie chicken for dinner. We are getting wiser! We heated leftover mac n cheese, made chicken sandwiches, microwaved some veggies and had fruit for dinner. A big improvement last night's fiasco.

It really rained most of the day today. There was a short break for about an hour or so when the boys took a walk but other than that is has been a yucky, messy day. But it is good experience. When we get out in the Washington area we are likely to encounter lots of wet weather.

The boys have their own version of "roughing it" as well. Both boys forgot their GameBoys and Parker forgot his Ipod. These are staple things in their worlds. Somehow they are managing to exist with the Wii and DVDs of the Andy Griffith Show but it has been tough.

Neither Ray nor I slept well again. It is interesting that when we are at home we aren't as aware of the weather. Boy, we were really aware of the weather this night. We had strong winds and rain as a cold front moved in. Finally at 3:42am since both of us were still awake we decided to remake the bed. We striped the bed, put our top blanket on the mattress to act as a mattress pad cover then remade the bed. MUCH better!! This was actually somewhat comfortable. We both finally managed to get a few hours of sleep. Temps dropped about 20 degrees or more over night. I told Ray I think I felt each degree as it dropped.

Tomorrow we turn back toward home.

Lessons learned today:

-Spotters are a good thing when driving an RV

-The Vanderbilts had/have WAY more money than we do

-The Biltmore House is a really, really big house

Day Two of our Spring Break trip to NC

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Today's subtitle should be:
"Who knew we could learn so much in one short day"


Ray fixed a yummy camp breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast with coffee. I showered - TINY shower!!! The boys packed up their bedding. We washed the dishes and were ready to head to Asheville.


Um, remember I said this was a lesson learning adventure. It's time for a BIG lesson. Ray unhooked and we all buckled up and Ray headed out. Preston starts saying there is water sloshing out. I assumed there had just been a little water left in the shower after I was done. Ray stops so I can go look. NO the bottom of the shower is completely full with water - about 4 inches deep. Grey water to be exact. Remember we chose not to get a full hook up last night.? We have overflowed the grey water tank. Ugh! Ray starts to drive around this bumpy campsite to find the sewer dump site. With every bump and stop more water is sloshing out. Parker and I hold his towel around the bottom of the shower to try to prevent more water from coming out. We manage to dump and clean up a little. We are ready to strike out again.



Today we drive on to North Carolina. The temps are cooler and spring is slower in coming up here. It's a shorter drive - only about 3 hours. We arrived at Bear Creek Campground mid-afternoon. Our plan has been for Ray's folks to drive up to meet us in Asheville on Wednesday night. They'll camp next to us and eat dinner with us then leave Thursday morning. We are more careful in selecting a site today. And we make sure they'll hold the slot next to us for the Sr Rowley's.


After selecting the sites we head to K-Mart for a few things. (1) Coax - these places all have cable but you need coax to hook to it (2) Rubber gloves - these disposable gloves are handy when dealing with the sewer line or just cleaning the bathroom (3) Thermometer - I love knowing what the temp is so I found an $0.80 thermometer to put on the kitchen window, it adds a homey feel. While there Ray gets a message from his folks saying they are too busy and won't be able to make it.


Back to the RV. Ray backs in tonight! Parker and I are the designated spotters. We learn that our sewer line is very short. We have to swap sites to find one that is in the right location for us. We also learn that campgrounds differ widely in price. Our site last night cost $25, at this campground it costs $92 for 2 nights.


Speaking of costs. We filled up today on the way in. It cost us $99.50 at the pump ($3.29/gallon). Ouch!


I love being able to make coffee where ever. Yesterday I made it while we were on our way to Knoxville - how cool is that? While drinking our afternoon coffee today we learn our next lesson. A Travel Supreme pulls in right next to us. Follow that link! We learn we are chump change in the RV world. Oh my stars! Our RV is 31 ft. Theirs was 45 ft. It is a house on wheels.


After coffee I took a walk down to check out the bathhouse area. More lessons - it cost $1.75 to wash a load of clothes and $1.75 to dry a load of clothes. Being the math major that I am I quickly figure that it will cost us $3.50 per load of clothes. Another ouch!


For dinner tonight we were planning to grill out hamburgers but the weather is rainy and this campground does not allow grilling. No problem. We've brought the griddle so we'll grill the hamburgers inside. They are large, frozen 1/4 pound burgers. Ray gets those cooked and then I start to boil the water for the macaroni and cheese. I bought a large family box so I put the water in the 5 quart pan. 45 minutes later!!!! the water starts to boil. By now our burgers are cold. While we are cooking we sent Parker to the shower. We microwave the burgers and then our power goes out. Now what? We looked out the windows and other people have power. The huge Travel Supreme has power. Why don't we? We realize that we have tripped a circuit. You can't microwave and have the water heater on at the same time. After this eventful meal preparation we add a salad and some fruit. So for our simple meal of burgers and mac n cheese - it takes us 1:45 to cook it. Then we realize the burgers really weren't cooked through very well. Tensions are mounting since we are all hungry and the day hasn't quite gone the way we thought. We microwave the burgers some. Dessert is microwaved s'mores. Lesson learned - it takes a LONG time to boil water in the camper.


The boys play Wii then we head to bed. Parker sleeps in the loft tonight and Preston on the table. Ray and I sleep poorly due to the springs.


We are still having fun. As we reflect back on this less than perfect day we are more glad than ever that we took this "learning trip" before hitting the road for a full month. We are thankful for each lesson we learn.

Lessons learned today:

-With a family of 4 ALWAYS ask for a full hook up site
-Take Coax for cable hook up
-Get a sewer extender
-Campsites vary widely in costs
-It costs a lot to fill up an RV
-It is very expensive to wash clothes on the road
-It takes a LONG time to boil water in the camper
-It doesn't take much to trip the circuit in a camper. Either microwave or shower - not both
-Don't cook burgers inside the camper, if you can't grill 'em, skip 'em

Day One of our Spring Break trip to North Carolina

Monday, March 17, 2008

We have decided to take an RV trip this spring break in preparation for our longer summer trip out west. Ray wants to practice driving the RV on mountainous roads and I want to learn about RV camping. This trip is primarily about learning lessons. We have chosen to head up to Asheville, NC to see the Biltmore House.

Today we are up early. We are renting our RV from Hood RV in the Decatur/Priceville area. All of us go to pick it up. "Sam", the store's brown lab greets us with a packet of crackers in his mouth. Apparently he takes breaks with the guys and it's his break time. After signing paper work Ray and the boys take the RV and I follow behind in the van. I stop by Publix for a few things we have forgotten and Ray and the boys head home to start loading up.





By 11:00 we are ready to head out. We are going to drop Jingle on the way out at Kirsten's. Jingle loves the RV and settles right in for her trip. Much to her dismay her trip is much shorter than ours. We are boarding her at Kirsten's, Jingle's trainer. This is a trial run for Jingle as well. We have never boarded our dogs so this will be a first for all of us. Jingle will stay with Kirsten for 4 weeks of training this summer while we are gone. This will help to get her used to the place. But she sure is sad to see us leave and we are really sad to leave.





Our destination today is just outside of Knoxville. "Betsy", our Garmin, takes us up and over Monteagle Mountain so Ray gets to try out that mountain driving right away. It's lunch time and we are all hungry. So let's fix lunch! The adventure begins. It is a little challenging making sandwiches without my "sea legs". But somehow with some bumping around I manage. But not without a few laughs. Soon the boys and I have to try out the potty! Whee!






We head through Chattanooga. And arrive at Southlake RV Park near Knoxville around 5:00. We get a partial site since we are only staying one night. We have water, cable, electricity but no sewer. OK it is isn't lovely. Really not lovely. We gaze out our dining room window upon a junk pile of wood. And we are a little tilted. There is a lake so we walk over there and discover this would be a much better place to camp. Ray runs back to the office but they are closed by now. Oh well.



After skipping rocks - it's dinner time. Parker is anxious to play his new Wii game. So the boys play while Ray and I cook dinner. Tonight we are having something easy, Stouffer's lasagna, which can be microwaved. The oven confuses me a little. It is a convection-1/2 time oven-microwave all in one. I've never used a convection oven nor do I have much experience with cooking on a gas oven. We'll stick with simple microwaving for today. I brought some Texas Toast so we use the griddle to heat that, cook corn on the stove, and make a salad - not bad for a first night.



After dinner it is time for our campfire - a MUST. Ray gets the fire going - he does love his tee pee fires!! I find the makings for s'mores! Too much fun!


OK bed time. Preston loves his little loft sleep area. He is happy in his cozy spot. Tonight Parker is sleeping on the "table". Ray and are in the back - OK uncomfortable doesn't begin to desrcibe our bed. It is firm but the springs stick out all over. Argh! We get some sleep but not a lot. I miss my Sleep Number bed :-(


Lessons learned:

Ask for a site near the water or in the back