July 28, 2008 (Tue) Englewood, FL (19) - Everything was done that could be done until Goodwill Industries picked up the remaining furniture so we'd hoped to get off today. But the truck didn't come until after lunch. We called yesterday to confirm the pick up and to get an estimated time. "No, it depends on how the driver organizes his route for the day". So we spent the morning waiting. Reading and crossword puzzles were our entertainment and they got stale after 4 hours. We couldn't go anywhere for fear the truck would come while we were gone so we just sat around and waited. At noon, Mark took his bicycle up to Burger King and brought back a couple of high carb lunches. Then we waited some more.
When the furniture was finally gone it was too late to do the rest of the chores needed to close up the condo and drive any distance worth the effort so we decided to wait till tomorrow and went over to see Bom. On the way back we dropped off some small things at the Goodwill drop-off facility and some books (donations) at the library. Then it was indoor camp out time with necessities brought in from Q - stools, TV, etc. We'd thought about moving into Q for the night but it was way too hot for that - better roughing it than suffering in luxury.
July 29, 2009 (Wed) Englewood FL, to Savannah, GA (397/1656 miles) - Since our bed (an old studio couch) went out with the trash on Friday we've been sleeping on a 3 in. "memory foam" mattress topper the floor. Surprisingly it's not been as uncomfortable as it may sound. Even so there's not much temptation to linger there once awake. Like most other mornings we were up before dawn and after a quick breakfast we began the task of last minute packing, loading, cleaning and shutting down the utility systems. Finally at 8:55 we took our last look around the now all-but-empty (we left a couch, an end table and a lamp as sales props) condo that has been the home and retreat for Bom and her daughters over the last 25 years and started north (85° sunny with big fluffy clouds)
Before actually hitting the highway we made stops at Goodwill to drop off a few more items, a Publix supermarket for supplies and for another quick visit and goodbye to Bom. A stop at the Flying J off I-75 in Dade City at 11:40 got us a full tank of gas ($2.41) and holding tank relief. Another stop in a rest area at 12:15 took care of lunch and we were off again. The temperature outside got up over 95° and the skies to the Northwest steadily darkened to almost black before the skies opened up with heavy rain dropping it down to 74°. The temperature fluctuated up and down with the intermittent rain all afternoon as we made our way north up US301, I-95 and US17 into the outskirts of Savannah, GA.
We learned from the radio that December 21, 2012 is the date for the end of the world according to Mayan legend. We decided that it might be a good idea to start putting our affairs together as soon as we get home.
Q053359 Camp Walmart Savannah, GA
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July 30, 2009 (Thu) Savannah, GA to Mars Hill, NC (334/1990 miles) - Q was the only motor home in the parking lot last night. There was a truck tractor (without trailer) over a way but we had the place to ourselves. Not that it made for a peaceful night though. First there were the lights, always intrusive though tolerable, then there was the maintenance crew who chatted loudly (read yelled) amongst themselves as they power washed the sidewalk in front of the store. They seemed not to care that people were trying to sleep out in the parking lot!!
We were up at 6:00. After breakfast, shopping and filling up with gas (US Murphy $2.25) we got off at about 7:50. It was a beautiful day to travel - clear sunny 77° and hardly any traffic. The wild flowers and shrubs painted the medians in pinks, whites, purple and rose. At one point there was a large Christmas tree shaped spruce decorated with long chains and garlands - festive though out of season. There were several small stands along US25 selling peanuts, shelled, unshelled and boiled, leading us to believe that the low green crops we were seeing on both sides of the road were peanuts. Statesboro, GA, home of Georgia Southern University, is a pretty little town. The small well maintained homes along the route were of two or three basic designs obviously all built at the same time by the same builder. The university itself dominated the downtown area and its presence there seemed to be the reason for the lack of deterioration so often seen in town of this size.
We bought lunch at a very busy Wendy's (town name lost from memory) and sat in Q to eat it and watch the rain. We encountered more heavy rain near Greenville, SC as our assent into the Blue Ridge Mountains began to become more apparent. We crossed over into North Carolina around 3:00pm, battled more heavy rain through Asheville and arrived at Bob an Pat's at 4:00. We'll be here until Sunday morning.
Q053693 Bob and Pat's driveway.
QC94-03 Starting North
QC94-02 A Working Stop
July 27, 2009 (Mon) Englewood, FL - In our previous post we should have parenthetically noted that Bom is Joy's mother. When Joy and her sisters were young they gave their mother this endearing name to go along with the whimsical names they'd given each other - Dur (Joy), Diu (Gail) and Reh (Frannie). They still use these names among themselves. I might add that Bom is 97 and has been living alone in her condo here in Florida for many years. But the time has come when assistance is needed, if only for her daughters' peace of mind. A fall while shopping in June, though without serious injury, generated a lot of concern .
The job of sorting through everyday necessities, to say nothing of a long lifetime of accumulated treasures, has been difficult on many levels. That and watching a fiercely independent woman adjust to a new and different environment has made our stay here fall somewhat short of restful. Fortunately there has been plenty of time for all to work through the adjustment. Joy and Frannie spent their mornings going through the condo item by item deciding what should be done with each. Things so essential for everyday living - furniture, dishes, kitchen utensils, cleaning supplies, linens, books etc. - are no longer needed, or wanted, for drastically scaled back living but have become so much of who Bom is and has been that decisions are hard to make. They, and Gail when she came last week, spent hours going through treasured keepsakes sorting and reminiscing about their childhood. Most important though is that Bom is beginning to think of her new digs as home. She has even proudly taken casual visitors on tours of the facility.
Spring in the Northeast was cold and wet. The three or four warm sunny days were wonderful but only added to the frustration of missing "real" Spring weather. Well we could use some of that chill now, if only for a refreshing break now and then. It has been hot - hot and humid, the whole time we've been here. Going outside has been repressive and not very conducive to exercising much. We did get a heavy rain, with thunder and lighting, last Monday morning and that was relief. Although it cooled things down for a few days, this is Florida in the summer.
The thunder storms that scrubbed several attempts to launch the space shuttle stayed north of us. The skies here stayed mostly clear giving us hope that, this time, we might see it - if we remembered to look. But alas, it was not to be. On the evening of the launch the skies were overcast. We looked but saw nothing.
Temperature inside Q, parked unoccupied in the bank parking lot, has exceeded 110° in the afternoons. Running the air conditioner a while each afternoon seemed a good idea and we did that a few days. But with the blessings of the assistant manager here, we have brought Q into the condo complex to park it in the shade. Most residents have gone north for the summer and the rest don't seem to care. This has helped and since it's right outside the door, we can pack things we are taking as we go along.
We are planning to finish up and start our drive north on Wednesday (July 29) - or Tuesday if we finish up sooner. The Goodwill Industries truck is scheduled to pick up the last of the furniture tomorrow. If it comes early and we can get the last minute cleaning done in time, we'll make a short hop up to a Flying J in Dade City, FL for the night. Otherwise we'll go all the way to Savannah, GA on Wednesday. Our aim is to get home Sunday afternoon.
Q052945 Sun Trust Bank and Quail's Run Condo parking lots (parked)
QC94-01 South in the Summer?
July 8, 2009 (Wed) Home to Franklin, VA (407/407 miles) - A sunny clear 66° at 8:34am as we backed out of our driveway. Our goal was to get to the Franklin Walmart late in the afternoon so our early start would let us take our time. We took US18 South to avoid the increased tolls on the Garden State Parkway - more than doubled for motor homes (and trucks) - to I-195 West and I-295 South. After crossing the Delaware River we headed for US13 and south to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel.. We had wanted to avoid the congestion around Baltimore and Washington, DC but the heavier than expected traffic down the Delmarva Peninsula made for a lot of aggravating stop and go driving. We dreaded having to go through Norfolk, VA but it wasn't nearly as bad as we'd expected. We pulled into the Walmart lot at about 6:30 - exhausted.
There are few feelings comparable to those caused by the nearby heavy squeal of a tires on pavement in a panic stop. We'd just stopped at a red light when it became frighteningly clear that we were about to be hit very hard. Mark looked in his mirrors, saw the old pickup that had been following for a while safely stopped behind and an 18 wheeler still moving, but slowly, further back. The side mirror showed nothing moving. Joy had been looking up at the traffic light when the squeal caused her to drop her eyes to two vehicles tightly connected side by side sliding toward us across the intersection, car parts flying everywhere. Her "Oh my God!" caused Mark to look forward in time to see one of the cars spin to a stop and the other flash across in front of us. A third vehicle came to a stop on the lawn across the way. There didn't seem to be any injuries except for possible shock in one of the drivers and we really hadn't seen what actually happened so we went on when the light turned green. One of the three cars, at least, would not be leaving the scene on its own power. The rear was badly damaged. We speculate that one of the cars wanted to run the red light but the two in front of him had decided to stop.
We've stopped at this Walmart a couple of times. Both times we've parked where traffic to and from the Walmart turned out to be heavier than we'd expected. This time we thought we'd try another area. Mistake! It was next to a road where four out of five of the vehicles passing were pickups with loud mufflers. When a large group of teenagers in cars began to gather near us, we moved back to to our old spot. The teen party, loud music and all, went well into the night. Police in Franklin, if not Walmart, would be wise to put a stop to that kind of thing!
Q052093 Camp Walmart Franklin, VA.
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July 9, 2009 (Thu) Franklin, VA to Savannah, GA (452/859 miles) - Up, breakfast and off at 5:55 (69° hazy). We got gas ($2.49) across from Walmart headed for I-95 on US58 west. There's a Walmart in Emporia, VA with a Five Guys sharing the parking lot (a possible future stop). Another possible future stop is the Walmart at VA exit173 where there is a Starbuck's that may have free WiFi.
6:58 - Crossed into North Carolina.
7:07 - Sign on towed vehicle in rest stop "I go where I'm toad"
8:45 - Stopped at Carolina Pottery (not yet open) for an exercise break. Walked the whole shopping mall and back.
10:55 - Passed South of the Boarder tourist extravaganza into South Carolina.
11:45 - Stopped for gas ($2.29) and lunch at Florence, SC exit
3:36 - Crossed into Georgia (81° cloudy and humid) encountering showers off and on
At 4:01 we pulled into Savannah, GA Walmart lot and saw that we were already there! A Chinook Destiny exactly like Q was parked in the area where motor homes normally spend the night. We could tell it wasn't us though because it had a bright yellow and black "Smart" car in tow. The MacCartys live in "The Villages" (near Ocala, FL) and were on their way to New Jersey to visit their son. It turned out to that we and they were the only two overnighters in the parking lot - unusual in itself.
At about 8:00 we decided to look at air and memory foam mattresses. We also looked for a ladder ball game. We weren't intending to buy anything, just get an idea of prices. We did find some real bargains in T-shirts of various shapes, gender and uses. 8:00 turned out to be a bad time to shop at Walmart - many customers, few checkout lines. We were well ready for bed when we finally got back "home".
Q052545 Camp Walmart Savannah, GA
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July 10, 2009 (Fri) Savannah, GA to Englewood, FL (400/1259 miles) - A cloudy (with some fog) 72° as we pulled onto US17 south back to I-95. The price of gas ($2.24) at US Murphy was the best we'd seen the whole trip so far so we topped off the tank before leaving Walmart.
Crossed into Florida at 8.25 (72° low fog) and left I-95 for US-A1A at exit 373. Stopped to get some peaches at a roadside stand on US301 south of Waldo, FL. Somewhat further south we saw a big foot school bus (a school bus with huge tires) - apparently a gimmick to attract potential tire customers. It looked drivable so we wondered if it also went to big foot events.
In Brandon we stopped at Costco - a traffic nightmare at 92° - to look at their price for a memory foam mattress topper. The price was good so we got one, as well as some other things (and lunched on samples). The mattress topper we'll use here (and in Q) to improve sleeping comfort (especially if we end up having to sleep on the floor!). Surprisingly, the price of gas is about the same here in Florida as it was in New Jersey. Usually it's 20¢ to 40¢ more here. We filled up at $2.49 in Ruskin, FL, the same as we paid before leaving New Jersey when we started out.
We stopped in to see Bom in her new digs, an "Adult Family Care Home" (assisted living), and found her cheerful and adjusting, if not yet completely happy with her need to move. We will be here at her condo for a couple of weeks while we get it ready to sell.
Q052945 Sun Trust parking lot (parked)
QC93-01 A Finger Lakes Fourth
July 2, 2009 (Thu) Home to Prattsburg, NY (351/351 miles) - At 8:15 (71° cloudy) we started north. There is no way to avoid the unjust tolls for motor homes on the Garden State Parkway without a lot of hardcore city traffic around New York City. So we "bit the bullet" and obediently paid the periodic $2.00 tax until we could exit onto SR17 south of Suffern, NY. At 10:30 we stopped at the Monroe Walmart to pick up some Diet Rite tangerine soda for Joy (seemingly only available at Walmart) but they didn't have any! Oh well, there are other Walmarts. Although a little early, we decided to go on and get spicy chicken wraps from the nearby Wendy's.
There's a Walmart in Elmira, NY, we've been there, but we couldn't find it this time. We found ourselves on the street leading directly into downtown Elmira. In stead of turning back, we decided to go on in and then out to Lovell Avenue where we'd lived for a couple of years. It's still there. In fact, it has been extended and more duplex apartments (probably condos now) have been added.
We pulled into the Lavery camp at about 5:00. Since there has been a lot of rain there this Spring as there has been at home the ground was soggy. Dorcas met us at our campsite, about half way up their long driveway, in her car. Mike had donned Bean boots (galoshes) and was wadding across the field.
July 3, 2009 (Fri) Prattsburg, NY (2) - We retired, last night to the sounds of frogs. Our "camp site" overlooks a pond (man made but left to go natural) filled with cattails and water lilies. This morning, as we ate breakfast, we watched and listened to Red Wing Blackbirds stake out their territories. Gold Finches by the dozens flew here and there adding flashes of yellow to the predominantly green landscape. A beautiful place to camp.
Today was the day of the "party". Mike and Dorcas' family and many of their friends came by for the festivities. All had great fun.
July 4, 2009 (Sat) Prattsburg, NY (3) - Ladder Ball was the activity of the day. This is a game using two 3 rung "ladders" about 3 feet wide and 4 feet tall spaced 15 to 20 feet apart. The idea is to toss a bolo - a couple of golf balls sized balls connected by a cord - from one ladder to the other with the goal of hanging them on one of the rungs. A double eliminate tournament was organized with teams determined by drawing (all ages mixed) playing on 3 separate "courts". A fun way to spend the afternoon.
We said our good-byes tonight before our soggy walk home. We want to get an early start tomorrow. It means missing the traditionally delicious camp breakfast tomorrow but we want to get past New York City before the bulk of the July 4th homebound traffic hit the roads.
Q051349 Mike and Dorcas' camp (x3)
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July 5, 2008 (Sun) Prattsburg, NY to Home (337/688 miles) - We got off at about 6:40 (47° blue skies and ground fog) after our usual breakfast of Quaker granola. It stayed quit foggy as we drove south on SR53, especially in the relatively low elevations. The drive was otherwise uneventful until we reached the 358.5 mile marker on SR17. We knew it was caused by construction because we'd seen it when we passed though on our way north on Thursday. We decided to let Hildene find a detour around the congestion. She did a good job, we thought. It wasn't her fault that there was festival going on in the town of Goshen, NY. That slowed us down. Even so we probably made better time than if we'd stayed on SR17.
We stopped for lunch in Chester, NY just before getting back on SR17 at 1:20. The rest of the drive home was the normal, maybe a bit less than normal, city bound heavy traffic. The Garden State Parkway also seemed lighter the usual. But the crazies were still out. There are always a few who aren't happy unless they are going 20 mph faster than the flow of traffic. We got home about 3:30.
Q051686 Home
