Friday, September 24, 2010

A week to go...

    I am here in Georgia at my second campground after spending a few days in my friend's driveway. I am not thrilled with summer still hanging around and the need to run my a/c but I have been able to sleep at night with just the vent/fan and that's better than a/c.
             I went to Callaway Gardens and after some walking, I watched the Birds of prey 'show' which was two birds showing their free flights and the 'keeper' explaining all about them. The owl was swooping very low and I had to duck a few times to avoid getting hit.
The flowers in the Horticultural Center were really pretty and this photo is just outside the building!
   The butterfly exhibit was showing only Blue Morphs and they are difficult to photograph with the blue wings in open position. I got more photos of various butterflies when I was on Mackinaw Island in the butterfly exhibit there (photo above shows the blue ones on the window).
     Tomorrow I will go to Alabama and then head back east to Brunswick, GA. On Thursday, next week, I will be going to Ft. Clinch (Fernandina Beach, FL) for a rally with the Roadtrek chapter and that will be my last campground before going home. It will be fun to spend my birthday with my Roadtrek friends.
 

Thursday, September 16, 2010

The time is going.......

  I can't believe that my journey is only a couple of weeks from home. I have been 'wandering' around in North Carolina and am now in South Carolina where I will be until Sunday when I will visit with my friends in Kennesaw, GA. While in N.C., I spent a night at my friend's house  in Hickory and it is always good to visit friends. I discovered that my surge protector works correctly since I tripped the breaker in the house when I tried to turn on my a/c. After re-setting the breaker, I tried all my appliances while on generator and everything was just fine. It was cool enough at night to use their electric to run the refrigerator although I did have my propane turned 'on' for 'just in case'.
   I have discovered the reason for my 'sweating' freezer too and it is now 'fixed' because I had a container that was preventing the door from really being closed properly and now that I have changed that situation, my freezer no longer 'sweats' and all is good. 
    The things I have learned on this trip will serve me well for my future travels. I have more 'stuff' than I could ever need and when I get home cleaning out (house and Roadtrek) stuff is at the top of my priorities.
  

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Kentucky, Tennessee

I am at my last campground in Tennessee. I am almost out of wine so I need a Walmart that sells wine and in Tennessee that isn't happening (I have a brand I like that only Walmart sells) so tomorrow I will head to North Carolina and have already put a Walmart Supercenter in the GPS!
   I have done some time in Kentucky and then Tennessee. The entrance into Mammoth Cave is only the start of a long, dry cave but fascinating. It was a lot of 'hiking' in the cave and then 'up' to get out of it.

I spent that night in a nice little place where I met a couple who live in Brisbane, Australia. They bought a used class C and are driving it to California where it will take a boat ride home to Australia.

Then I spent a couple of nights in a Corps. of Engineers campground that was on Lake Barkley, in Kentucky. It is a beautiful park.
     After that I headed to the Nashville area and stayed in a campground where they have country music on Thursday nights (the night I arrived) and dinner is available for purchase too. 
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                                                      I did tours the next two days (one in downtown Nashville and then the next day (all day) to the Jack Daniels and G. Dickel distilleries
 Notice that Jack was quite still during this photo op.
      After four nights there, I moved on to a place near Knoxville and then headed here to Bluff City, TN. As mentioned, I will head to North Carolina tomorrow - still not sure where from there.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

September...already!

I can't believe it is already September! In the last week I have done more 'eastward' travel and arrived in Kentucky after some Wisconsin and Indiana. 
 This is Taliesin, the house built and lived in by Frank Lloyd Wright in Wisconsin. The interior designs and landscapes from this house are wonderful and a studio and school for selected  students of architecture exists to keep his ideas going.
   From this place, I drove many back roads and saw lots of corn being grown. I also found some Amish folks riding in their wagons including one who was in front of me and took a while before realizing that if he stopped, I could pass. I was in no hurry so I didn't mind the time frame at all.

I went on from there into Indiana and then Kentucky where I got to see the Mammoth Cave for a couple of 'hiking' hours. It is really quite interesting as a dry cave which goes on and on and on for many miles. The stories told by the Ranger were quite good about who started exploring this place.
    I spent that night in a small campground and met a lovely couple who live in Australia. They bought a used Class C and are driving it to California to be shipped home!
    I am spending a couple of 'relax' days in a Corps of Engineers campground that is lovely on Lake Barkley. There are only about 6 rigs in this whole place but a couple who just arrived told me it will be full for this weekend. I'll be heading to Nashville tomorrow.