The Q Chronicles #81-16

March 19, 2008 (Wed)
Englewood, FL to Ocean Pond CG, Osceola NF (269/3098 miles)

The last 5 days have been no more, nor less, eventful than the last 10. We all did about the same things. But time moves on and home is calling. So after packing Q with all the stuff we'd taken into Bom's condo over the last two weeks (actually 15 days), changing the dressing protecting Bom's minor facial surgery (Joy), and saying a tearful good buy, we struck out for I-75 and points north (sunny 80° at 9:45). At about 11:30 and north of the intersection with I-4 we saw a sign for a Steak-n-Shake restaurant. We had $4 worth of coupons from the fiasco the other day so we stopped there for lunch. Our next stop was Books-a-Million (a large chain bookseller similar to Barns and Noble). Mark wanted to look at guitar instruction books but didn't get one.

After getting off the interstate we began to see Dogwood in bloom along the road and the slower pace of the traffic was certainly welcome. Ocean Pond campground is in the Osceola National Forest in northern Florida. We'd been here for one night back in 2001 and thought we'd check it out again. The seems to have made some changes since 2001. Site #13 where we were then is now in the high rent district - water and electric hookups for $18 as opposed to dry for $8 back then. We chose a water hookup only site for $12 ($6 for us old folks) because the premium sites were all occupied and the "primitive" sites were too primitive (although acceptable in a pinch).

We have a very nice site almost right on the lake - we can see it out our dining room window through Spanish moss draped trees . It's one of the larger sites so we have plenty of room around us and no real close neighbors. And we have our own private path to the beach - although others will probably use it too. It's very windy this evening, coming right off the lake and blowing the wrong way for our roof ventilators - we're having to keep them closed. The campground host promises that it will die down over night and be beautiful tomorrow.

Just before going to bed last night Mark checked the utilities monitor panel - he'd meant to do that before we started this morning - and found the propane level at 0! OK what do we do? Well, the refrigerator was still on so it wasn't really completely gone. We can wait until morning to make a decision.

March 20, 2008 (Thu) Ocean Pond CG, Osceola NF (2) - The flame under the coffee went out just it began to perk and the refrigerator quit soon after. Our decision had been made for us. We left a chair and our "campsite occupied" sign at the end of our parking pad and headed for the closest populated area, Lake City 20 miles away. The fellow at the first propane seller we found struggled and struggled with trying to attach the filler hose to Q's tank. After swearing more than once and declaring that this to be the least favorite tank he'd ever tried to fill, he gave up. The next guy had only the normal struggles and succeeded - at the cost of over $64 ($4.25 a gallon), Ug!

It was chilly enough for sweatshirts when we got up and was slow warming up. Finally by noon it was warm enough to sit out in shirt sleeves but only in the sun. There was a breeze just cold enough keep us active otherwise. An old fellow stopped by on his tricycle to talk as Mark was playing his guitar. And talk he did! Among many other things we learned that he started learning to play a guitar (country style) about a year ago, he has it with him but hasn't played it for a month, there are a couple of fellas near his campsite who play but don't have their guitars with them, It's good practice to play with other people etc. etc. His wife came by on her tricycle after a while and sat silently behind him. When they finally went on their way, Mark retreated indoors so as not to be out when they came back.

March 21, 2008 (Thu) Ocean Pond CG, Osceola NF (3) - It was chilly (50°) again this morning. In fact it was much colder than yesterday morning. We even turned the furnace on for a little while to warm things up before we got up. It has served to remind us that we will need to get our cold weather clothes down out of the pod before we start out tomorrow. We have decided to head for home a week early. A problem that prompted Joy to see a doctor last week, persists. She thinks it best, since we are so close to going home anyway, to see her own doctor and be stationary for any follow up that might be necessary. We will miss seeing nephews Luke and Jake as we pass through North Carolina but now that the decision has been made, we want to get on home and try to get an appointment for Monday.

The start of a long holiday weekend began to become evident in the activity here in the campground. There have been an increasing number of RVs cruising back and forth looking for "the perfect site" - which are becoming fewer. Kids on bicycles, on scooters, and on foot parade by in larger numbers also. And the noise level is increasing. Even so this is a very nice campground and we will definitely come back and stay longer.

Q043015 Ocean Pond CG, Osceola NF #20 w $6.00 B (x3)
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March 22, 2008 (Sat)
Lake City, FL to Manning, SC (308/3406 miles)

There is a very distinctive tree on the beach near our campsite. Both of us thought it looked familiar so we looked at the pictures we'd taken back in 2001 and there it was! By studying the pictures we determined that we had actually been in the site next door back then. What was #13 then is #22 now. Interesting.

The campground has shower facilities but they were a hike away and not in the best condition so we decided to use Q's on-board shower instead. After showers, breakfast and dumping we got on the road at 9:25am (58°) and headed west on US-90 and I-10. Hildene was directing us to I-95 North but we turned onto US-301 before we got there - much to her dismay. She then set out to annoy us with constant attempts us to get us back onto I-10. When we did finally get to I-95 and turned north she happily announced would now continue for the next 549 miles before needing to turn again.

We crossed into Georgia at about 10:50 and ten minutes later stopped for gas. Florida gas prices had been running $3.23 to $3.37. We paid $3.18. Not as much better as we had expected but we'll take anything we can get. Had we waited we could have paid $3.13 but who knew? Most of I-95 through Georgia is under construction to add a third lane each way but traffic moved along quite well - maybe because it was Saturday morning. After a stop in a Camping World in Pooler, GA and another at a rest stop up the road for lunch we rolled on up to Manning, SC where we found a Walmart willing to let us hang out in their parking lot for the night. We thanked them by picking up some supplies.

Q043370 Camp Walmart, Manning, GA B
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March 23, 2008 (Sun)
Manning, GA to the Delmarva Peninsula (387/3793 miles)

Easter Sunday. This is only the second time in recent years that we haven't gone to church. Strangely, we feel very little guilt. We were up and off by 7:30 (52° clear), got gas ($3.07) at Walmart's USA Murphy, and got back on I-95. At 10:20 we crossed the border into North Carolina. Although we didn't need it, we went on and got gas at the Kenly, NC Flying J ($3.18) thinking that Virginia prices are alway higher. The weren't this time! Almost as soon as we crossed into VA at about 2:00 (59°) we began to see prices at $3.13 and lower. In Norfolk we saw several stations advertising $3.09.

Those who don't know about it may be interested know that the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel across Chesapeake Bay (dah) is a 17 mile long water level bridge interrupted by two tunnels, a high arch and a small natural island. It is considered one of the modern engineering wonders of the world and a spectacular drive. While crossing we saw several oil tankers out in the bay - waiting for the price of crude to go up - and other smaller boats. There were a couple of small groups of brown pelicans (we didn't know they came this far north) and Joy saw two dolphins swimming in unison toward us. (Mark missed seeing those because he was too busy trying to stay on the road and trying to avoid hitting oncoming traffic.

We usually avoid staying overnight in rest areas. They are notoriously dangerous and it's usually illegal. But this one at the southern tip if the Delmarva Peninsula is set up for overnight parking - specifically for long-haul truckers. There are signs limiting parking to 48 hours - which, I guess means it's OK to park overnight - and there is a police cruiser constantly parked either at the restrooms or at the toll booths just outside the rest area boundary. Every once in a while a police car cruises through the lot, maybe on its way to or from the police barracks across the highway. We're giving it a try.

Q043757 Delmarva Peninsula rest area.
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March 24, 2008 (Mon)
Delmarva peninsula to Home (321/4114 miles)

Well, that wasn't one of our quieter nights! Trucks came and went all night. Unlike most truck stops, there was no way to know where the trucks were most likely to park so that we could be somewhere else. And, as is often the case, they sat idling for hours as their drivers slept. There was one parked a few spaces from us in the early morning hours that was so loud that it sounded like a big street sweeper right outside our window waiting for us to get out of its way. Conclusion? It's OK in an emergency but not a good destination stop.

Needless to say, we were up early. At 6:30 (42° wispy clouds) we got under way and went in search of a McDonald's for our traditional last-morning-on-the-road breakfast. US-13 up through Virginia, Maryland and Delaware (Delmarva) took us through mostly open farmlands and small communities. It was a very pleasant change from the super rush of I-95 and we avoided the madness of commuter traffic around Washington, DC and Baltimore. We crossed the Delaware Memorial Bridge into New Jersey at about 12:00 noon and stopped at the first rest area on I-295 to dump and flush our tanks and to eat some lunch. The thermometer had made it all the way up to 54°. The rest of the way home was in frantic interstate highway traffic but it was nice to see that spring is on the way in these parts. Many of the trees are aglow with buds and below them daffodils and forsythia were in bloom. We pulled into our driveway at about 3:00 - home at last.

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