Wednesday, September 24: Day 1
One of our dreams when we retired from teaching was to tour the New England states to see the changing colors during fall. For a variety of reasons, we never got around to checking off that item on our "bucket list," but today we began a grand adventure in Big V (with the car tied on behind) to do just that.
We were up early this morning to load the last few bits into the car, close down the house, and drive to the Mineola Civic Center to fire up Big V and head out of town. The journey of any number of miles begins with an odometer check to get a starting point...this time we recorded it in a photo.
Since the first leg of the journey was a short trip to Yantis to participate in the annual See You At The Pole event at Yantis High School, I led the way in Big V and Barbara followed in the car, taking a picture as I pulled away.
When we got to Yantis, I parked Big V in the church parking lot and we drove the car to the school to observe all the activities and support the kids. We were very proud of the leadership displayed by several of the YFBC youth in organizing and directing the event this year. About 80 students and teachers gathered to pray for God's presence in the school and in students' lives.
When SYATP activities were completed and the kids and teachers headed into the schools, we said our goodbyes to the other adults and drove back over to the church parking lot to hook the car to Big V, visit with Jeremy Durig for a few minutes, and then take off for parts known and unknown.
We drove to Winnsboro and then up to Mount Vernon, where we hung a left on I-30 and headed east on a highway that we've traveled many times.
One of the things we discovered this morning was that our bedroom door would no longer open. We had that problem earlier in the summer when we were camped near Fort Worth with Alexander, Abby, and Jimmy, but thought it had been fixed. It became quickly obvious that the only "fix" now would be to replace the door knob, so we stopped at a Walmart near New Boston, Texas, to find a new door knob. I tried to replace the old one, but the new one just wouldn't quite fit, so while Barbara returned it to the store (we were smart enough to try the change before leaving the parking lot...a lesson learned from previous experiences), I cleaned up my mess and came up with a way to prop the door open while we drove.
When Barbara got back, we decided to go ahead and have lunch before trekking down the highway.
We finally left the Great State around 12:45 and entered Arkansas. We had decided earlier that since we'd made this trip so many times, we would take only enough photos along this stretch of highway to prove we were here.
We crossed Arkansas with only a minimal stop for fuel and food and crossed the Mississippi River into Memphis, Tennessee, just in time to face not only the regular 5:00 pm traffic, but an enhanced rush-hour traffic jam caused by too many cars and not enough highway lines in a major construction zone.
When we laid out this trip, we didn't set on being an any specific place at the end of the day, except for today. We knew that if we wanted to be in certain areas at certain times later, we'd need to start from Jackson, Tennessee, tomorrow morning. It took some pushing and stretched our endurance to the limit (especially after we stopped at a Pilot station between Memphis and Jackson and had to disconnect the car in order to get to the pump), but we made it to the Jackson RV Park just after darkness fell. We got parked, settled in, and enjoyed a good night's sleep after a hectic afternoon that saw Barbara driving the car behind me for the last 40 miles, rather than hooking up and towing after filling Big V with gas.
Thursday, September 25: Day 2
We had set the alarm for 5:30 so we could get a good start on the day. We both woke up just a few minutes before the alarm went off, got up and did our morning ablutions, checked Facebook and our email, had a light breakfast, hooked the car back to Big V, and headed off toward Nashville facing bright sunshine and a beautiful new morning.
Miss Thing-a-ma-jig, our guardian angel, seemed to be enjoying the trip this morning.
We made it to Nashville without incident, broke away from I-40 onto I-65 north, and began breaking new ground for ourselves as we headed toward Kentucky, which we entered around 11:00 am.
As we got close to Bowling Green, we noticed a sign for Camping World, a major retail outlet that specializes in RV-related products. We had been concerned that our tow bar for the car might be exceeding the recommended height differential between the motor home and the car, so we stopped to see if they had a drop-down connector that would solve the problem.
I would say that we've never been really satisfied with service at Camping World centers, but we had outstanding service today. Not only did they have the drop-down hitch we needed, the girl handed it over and said to go install it before we paid for it, just to make sure it was what we wanted. So we went outside, disconnected the tow bar, installed the new hitch, and reconnected the tow bar. It was exactly what we needed for a smoother and safer towing experience. We went back inside and paid out and then left regretting only that they didn't have the door knob we needed for the bedroom.
By this point, we decided we'd better look for RV parks up the road to spend the night. Barbara consulted our trusty guidebook and found a park just across the Kentucky Border in Indiana that looked promising. Since it was rated among the top 300 RV parks in the country, we felt like we could give it a try and maybe even stay a second night if it met our needs.
Meanwhile, as we continued our drive north, we began seeing signs that we were in bourbon country...Bourbon, Alley, to be exact. Since we were well ahead of schedule for the day, we pulled off at Clermont to drive to the Jim Beam distillery to see what that was all about.
The Beam property is nestled in some beautiful wooded hills. We declined to take the official tour and just walked around the property, which is how we got a first-hand lesson in barrel making, a very interesting process from the selection of the trees, the planing of the wood, and the construction of the barrels.
Time was passing, so we made our way back to I-65 and up to Louisville to hook up to I-265 around the city until we connected with I-71 North toward Cincinnati. After about 62 miles of I-71, we turned off toward Florence, Indiana, just a few miles to the west. We passed the Kentucky Speedway...
Crossed the Ohio River into Indiana, and made our way to the Follow-the-River RV Resort where we set up for a couple of nights.
We went out for a nice dinner and even got a start on some Christmas shopping this evening...all-in-all, not a bad day's work.
Friday, September 26: Day 3
We didn't see the dawn this morning because the entire area was shrouded in a heavy fog, which just begged for some before and after photos.
Life on the road also includes chores that one does at home, such as taking care of the laundry. Since we are limited on the number and types of clothes we can carry in Big V, laundry days come closer together. Our chores this morning included both the laundry, and Barbara keeping track of our finances via the internet...and thus keeping us on the road without having to stop and beg on street corners or go job-hunting so we can get back home!
A gentleman we met last night told us that if we had limited time in the area, we needed to go a few miles south on the Indiana side of the river to the little town of Vevay (pronounced Vee-vee).
After completing our chores for the morning, we decided to do some sightseeing and found that Vevay was just as quaint and charming as we were told. Vevay is a small town that reflects its 19th century heritage and shows a bit of 20th century advancement. It seems that many residents don't even have locks on their doors, and several told us that it is not at all unusual for folks to park their cars and leave them unlocked with valuables in plain sight. "We're just a small town and everyone knows everyone else," was a statement we heard several times.
While the landing on the Ohio River was a particularly nice setting for photos, we enjoyed exploring the courthouse, the basement of which served as a safe place along the Underground Railroad during Civil War days. Escaped slaves traversed between the river and the courthouse via a system of tunnels.
Other buildings in town, including an old jail, have been preserved and many are still in use today. The Baptist church was built in the 1800's at the phenomenal cost of $2,000! Before we left town, we stopped at an old hardware store and bought a door knob for Big V's bedroom. The lady said we could bring it back if it didn't work, but we told her we were traveling and would either make it work or put it with our collection of things that don't work anymore.
We stopped at another landing on the way back to the RV park to buy some more Christmas gifts and ended up visiting with a mother and daughter who were sharing time together. We took their picture for them and they kindly took a couple of shots of us with a barge in the background.
We knew we wanted to get an early start tomorrow morning, so we went ahead and hooked the car to Big V when we got back to the park.
While Barbara fixed supper, I installed the new door knob, using an old steak knife and a little ingenuity to file out the hole so the mechanism would fit.
Tonight we enjoyed a quiet evening along the Ohio River and reflected on how truly blessed we are!
Saturday, September 27: Day 4
The fog machine didn't appear this morning, although there were a few clouds that we figured would be welcome along the way.
We got a photo of Big V, got her ready to roll, and then headed out of the park...and immediately stopped to get this photo of a church complex beside the RV park...a beautiful morning sight.
We crossed the Ohio River back into Kentucky...
and in a few minutes were back on I-71 North moving toward I-275 around Cincinnati, where we crossed the Ohio River once again and entered, you guessed it, Ohio.
During all this, Miss Thing-a-ma-jig was keeping a watchful eye on the car through the rear video monitor (yes, she does have eyes in the back of her head).
We made the grand loop around the city until we hit I-71 again and moved on toward Columbus. Ohio State had a home game today, so the road was full of cars and people sporting every kind of Buckeye gear.
Once we got to Columbus, we were back in previously traveled territory. Many years ago we went to Boston towing a pop-up camper via this northern route, but so much had changed that it might as well be all new scenery for us.
We had one major stop for fuel, windshield cleaning, and lunch at a Flying J truck stop (our place of choice, especially when traveling in Big V), and took advantage of a beautiful afternoon to stop at a rest area to take some photos.
By late in the afternoon we were passing around Cleveland and heading east toward Erie, Pennsylvania, and the Presque Isle Passage RV Park, where we had reservations for a couple of nights.
After getting Big V parked and set up, we drove into Erie to look for the nearest Walmart, check out the dining possibilities, and get our bearings for the area. Then, it was back to Presque Isle to find a church for tomorrow morning before returning to Big V for a good night's sleep.
Sunday, September 28: Day 5
Barbara woke up this morning feeling a little "iffy," but we decided we attend the morning service at the Weis Library United Methodist Church just a few miles out on the peninsula. We were greeted by friendly people and enjoyed the great music, but just before the sermon, Barbara had a little fainting spell after we sat down. When she realized what had happened, we got up and left, missing out on what was sure to be a great sermon.
We went back to Big V, got Barbara comfortable, and I drove back to Walmart to get some meds and some things she could eat and drink.
After a few hours of sleeping and taking it easy, Barbara thought she was feeling well enough to get out for a ride, so we drove out on the peninsula to see what that was all about. And what it was about was some amazing and very beautiful countryside, including bays, forests, Lake Erie, and some beautiful beaches...all on a warm sunny afternoon that was perfect for a Sunday drive.
Presque Isle Bay...
The Perry Memorial (we need to check genealogy records to see if there is a Perry connection)...
A schooner entering the bay after sailing on Lake Erie...
A cluster of Can-Ams on a Sunday afternoon outing...Taz would certainly complement this group...
Beautiful scenery along the road around the peninsula...
Time for a photo...thank goodness for time delay...
And some photo phun on the shore of Lake Erie...
And last, but certainly not least, some of the flora of the beach...
And then all that was left was to return to Big V to start making arrangements for another travel day tomorrow.
"A fallen leaf is just summer's wave goodbye." - On a marquee on Presque Isle Peninsula, Pennsylvania
From Big V on the Presque Isle Peninsula of Pennsylvania,
Jim/Dad/Gramps and Barbara/Mom/Grams/Gramsy
When Barbara got back, we decided to go ahead and have lunch before trekking down the highway.
We finally left the Great State around 12:45 and entered Arkansas. We had decided earlier that since we'd made this trip so many times, we would take only enough photos along this stretch of highway to prove we were here.
We crossed Arkansas with only a minimal stop for fuel and food and crossed the Mississippi River into Memphis, Tennessee, just in time to face not only the regular 5:00 pm traffic, but an enhanced rush-hour traffic jam caused by too many cars and not enough highway lines in a major construction zone.
When we laid out this trip, we didn't set on being an any specific place at the end of the day, except for today. We knew that if we wanted to be in certain areas at certain times later, we'd need to start from Jackson, Tennessee, tomorrow morning. It took some pushing and stretched our endurance to the limit (especially after we stopped at a Pilot station between Memphis and Jackson and had to disconnect the car in order to get to the pump), but we made it to the Jackson RV Park just after darkness fell. We got parked, settled in, and enjoyed a good night's sleep after a hectic afternoon that saw Barbara driving the car behind me for the last 40 miles, rather than hooking up and towing after filling Big V with gas.
++++++++
Thursday, September 25: Day 2
We had set the alarm for 5:30 so we could get a good start on the day. We both woke up just a few minutes before the alarm went off, got up and did our morning ablutions, checked Facebook and our email, had a light breakfast, hooked the car back to Big V, and headed off toward Nashville facing bright sunshine and a beautiful new morning.
Miss Thing-a-ma-jig, our guardian angel, seemed to be enjoying the trip this morning.
We made it to Nashville without incident, broke away from I-40 onto I-65 north, and began breaking new ground for ourselves as we headed toward Kentucky, which we entered around 11:00 am.
As we got close to Bowling Green, we noticed a sign for Camping World, a major retail outlet that specializes in RV-related products. We had been concerned that our tow bar for the car might be exceeding the recommended height differential between the motor home and the car, so we stopped to see if they had a drop-down connector that would solve the problem.
I would say that we've never been really satisfied with service at Camping World centers, but we had outstanding service today. Not only did they have the drop-down hitch we needed, the girl handed it over and said to go install it before we paid for it, just to make sure it was what we wanted. So we went outside, disconnected the tow bar, installed the new hitch, and reconnected the tow bar. It was exactly what we needed for a smoother and safer towing experience. We went back inside and paid out and then left regretting only that they didn't have the door knob we needed for the bedroom.
By this point, we decided we'd better look for RV parks up the road to spend the night. Barbara consulted our trusty guidebook and found a park just across the Kentucky Border in Indiana that looked promising. Since it was rated among the top 300 RV parks in the country, we felt like we could give it a try and maybe even stay a second night if it met our needs.
Meanwhile, as we continued our drive north, we began seeing signs that we were in bourbon country...Bourbon, Alley, to be exact. Since we were well ahead of schedule for the day, we pulled off at Clermont to drive to the Jim Beam distillery to see what that was all about.
The Beam property is nestled in some beautiful wooded hills. We declined to take the official tour and just walked around the property, which is how we got a first-hand lesson in barrel making, a very interesting process from the selection of the trees, the planing of the wood, and the construction of the barrels.
Time was passing, so we made our way back to I-65 and up to Louisville to hook up to I-265 around the city until we connected with I-71 North toward Cincinnati. After about 62 miles of I-71, we turned off toward Florence, Indiana, just a few miles to the west. We passed the Kentucky Speedway...
Crossed the Ohio River into Indiana, and made our way to the Follow-the-River RV Resort where we set up for a couple of nights.
We went out for a nice dinner and even got a start on some Christmas shopping this evening...all-in-all, not a bad day's work.
++++++++
Friday, September 26: Day 3
We didn't see the dawn this morning because the entire area was shrouded in a heavy fog, which just begged for some before and after photos.
Life on the road also includes chores that one does at home, such as taking care of the laundry. Since we are limited on the number and types of clothes we can carry in Big V, laundry days come closer together. Our chores this morning included both the laundry, and Barbara keeping track of our finances via the internet...and thus keeping us on the road without having to stop and beg on street corners or go job-hunting so we can get back home!
A gentleman we met last night told us that if we had limited time in the area, we needed to go a few miles south on the Indiana side of the river to the little town of Vevay (pronounced Vee-vee).
After completing our chores for the morning, we decided to do some sightseeing and found that Vevay was just as quaint and charming as we were told. Vevay is a small town that reflects its 19th century heritage and shows a bit of 20th century advancement. It seems that many residents don't even have locks on their doors, and several told us that it is not at all unusual for folks to park their cars and leave them unlocked with valuables in plain sight. "We're just a small town and everyone knows everyone else," was a statement we heard several times.
While the landing on the Ohio River was a particularly nice setting for photos, we enjoyed exploring the courthouse, the basement of which served as a safe place along the Underground Railroad during Civil War days. Escaped slaves traversed between the river and the courthouse via a system of tunnels.
Other buildings in town, including an old jail, have been preserved and many are still in use today. The Baptist church was built in the 1800's at the phenomenal cost of $2,000! Before we left town, we stopped at an old hardware store and bought a door knob for Big V's bedroom. The lady said we could bring it back if it didn't work, but we told her we were traveling and would either make it work or put it with our collection of things that don't work anymore.
We stopped at another landing on the way back to the RV park to buy some more Christmas gifts and ended up visiting with a mother and daughter who were sharing time together. We took their picture for them and they kindly took a couple of shots of us with a barge in the background.
We knew we wanted to get an early start tomorrow morning, so we went ahead and hooked the car to Big V when we got back to the park.
While Barbara fixed supper, I installed the new door knob, using an old steak knife and a little ingenuity to file out the hole so the mechanism would fit.
Tonight we enjoyed a quiet evening along the Ohio River and reflected on how truly blessed we are!
++++++++
Saturday, September 27: Day 4
The fog machine didn't appear this morning, although there were a few clouds that we figured would be welcome along the way.
We got a photo of Big V, got her ready to roll, and then headed out of the park...and immediately stopped to get this photo of a church complex beside the RV park...a beautiful morning sight.
We crossed the Ohio River back into Kentucky...
and in a few minutes were back on I-71 North moving toward I-275 around Cincinnati, where we crossed the Ohio River once again and entered, you guessed it, Ohio.
During all this, Miss Thing-a-ma-jig was keeping a watchful eye on the car through the rear video monitor (yes, she does have eyes in the back of her head).
We made the grand loop around the city until we hit I-71 again and moved on toward Columbus. Ohio State had a home game today, so the road was full of cars and people sporting every kind of Buckeye gear.
Once we got to Columbus, we were back in previously traveled territory. Many years ago we went to Boston towing a pop-up camper via this northern route, but so much had changed that it might as well be all new scenery for us.
We had one major stop for fuel, windshield cleaning, and lunch at a Flying J truck stop (our place of choice, especially when traveling in Big V), and took advantage of a beautiful afternoon to stop at a rest area to take some photos.
By late in the afternoon we were passing around Cleveland and heading east toward Erie, Pennsylvania, and the Presque Isle Passage RV Park, where we had reservations for a couple of nights.
After getting Big V parked and set up, we drove into Erie to look for the nearest Walmart, check out the dining possibilities, and get our bearings for the area. Then, it was back to Presque Isle to find a church for tomorrow morning before returning to Big V for a good night's sleep.
++++++++
Sunday, September 28: Day 5
Barbara woke up this morning feeling a little "iffy," but we decided we attend the morning service at the Weis Library United Methodist Church just a few miles out on the peninsula. We were greeted by friendly people and enjoyed the great music, but just before the sermon, Barbara had a little fainting spell after we sat down. When she realized what had happened, we got up and left, missing out on what was sure to be a great sermon.
We went back to Big V, got Barbara comfortable, and I drove back to Walmart to get some meds and some things she could eat and drink.
After a few hours of sleeping and taking it easy, Barbara thought she was feeling well enough to get out for a ride, so we drove out on the peninsula to see what that was all about. And what it was about was some amazing and very beautiful countryside, including bays, forests, Lake Erie, and some beautiful beaches...all on a warm sunny afternoon that was perfect for a Sunday drive.
Presque Isle Bay...
The Perry Memorial (we need to check genealogy records to see if there is a Perry connection)...
A schooner entering the bay after sailing on Lake Erie...
A cluster of Can-Ams on a Sunday afternoon outing...Taz would certainly complement this group...
Beautiful scenery along the road around the peninsula...
Time for a photo...thank goodness for time delay...
And some photo phun on the shore of Lake Erie...
And last, but certainly not least, some of the flora of the beach...
And then all that was left was to return to Big V to start making arrangements for another travel day tomorrow.
++++++++
"A fallen leaf is just summer's wave goodbye." - On a marquee on Presque Isle Peninsula, Pennsylvania
From Big V on the Presque Isle Peninsula of Pennsylvania,
Jim/Dad/Gramps and Barbara/Mom/Grams/Gramsy
