October 2018 – Circling back and heading SOUTH…
Our last stop in New Hampshire, before crossing the border into Massachusetts and Southern New England, was at the Apple Store in Nashua, NH. Because Joanne was in need of a technology upgrade of her iPad it made sense to do it here because of the obvious sales tax savings. We have been upgrading her every 4 years and we were right on schedule. Since returning her laptop to the school with retirement, she decided to go with the new 12.9″ iPad Pro with the keyboard which would do double duty as a tablet and pseudo laptop. These visits to Apple are never short and after spending several hours transferring and backing up data we found ourselves looking for a quick over night just over the MA border. Fortunately we found a Cabelas in Hudson, MA which was perfect for the evening. We have found Cabelas are very RV friendly and usually very easy to find parking for a night while on the road.
Since we were just spending these few days traveling before landing in our home-town of Clinton, CT this first week of October, we thought about trying some more free camping at a casino the following day. Fortunately Mohegan Sun Casino was on our way to Clinton (just off I-395) and perfect for a one night stop over the next evening.
Mohegan Sun Casino – Uncasville, CT campsite
Mohegan Sun Casino – Uncasville, CT campsite
We have never stayed at a Casino before though have read that many other Full-time RVers use them regularly. We found it very accommodating, safe, and convenient. We called a phone number while driving into the parking lot and they instructed us to turn on our lights and an attendant would be there shortly. The parking lot was very large, with beautiful views of the adjacent Thames River. After setting up we then took the free shuttle (which picked us up right at our camper) and took us to the Casino. We aren’t big gamblers though the people watching was top notch. The shuttle is free and was very convenient and runs 24/7. Unfortunately it was mid-week so no shows available except the people watching. We got a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cone which was a perfect way to top off our first casino boon-docking experience.
Waking the next morning we had only a 45 minute drive to Clinton, CT and Riverdale Family Campground for the week. The campground had been caught in a very severe rain storm/ flooding a few weeks earlier which was nearly catosrophic to the area. We saw the remnants of the flooding which was unbelievable and heard many stories . We are so glad we were’t here when the rains had happened as RV’s that were parked on the site we had been on in the Spring had been completely flooded and insurance write-offs. We felt terrible for those campers and grateful we dodged that event…
Our week in Clinton, CT found us catching up on some final logistics in the area (including closing out our temporary storage facility), catching up with friends, some doctors appointments, and just some simple relaxing in our old stomping grounds of the last 30 years.
Departing CT on October 10th we started our trek South… We had committed to arriving in Florida at Oscar Scherer State Park (Osprey, FL) on October 24th so we could help them at their annual Halloween Festival and then continuing as camp-hosts in November/December. This location would put us only 30 minutes from Joanne’s sister and a couple of hours from her parents for Thanksgiving and XMAS in the nice Florida weather.
Our first night driving South found us camping at a Cracker Barrel just over the West Virginia line off I-81 in Martinsburgh, WV. In our first 60 days on the road we have now spent a night in 3 out of the top 4 easy free camping spots including : 1) Cabela’s 2) an “Indian Casino “(Mohegan Sun Uncasville, CT), & 3) a “Cracker Barrel”. Each of these free camping venues have all proven, safe, convenient, and strategically located on our route. I guess the only one we haven’t stayed at yet is a Walmart (the most popular ) so we’ll have to give it a try in our future. Note: Joanne downloaded the Cracker Barrel app to her IPAd, which allows her to find locations which have RV parking. She would highly recommend the app. Also note: each time we have stayed at a location we have gone in and introduced ourselves and asked for permission to park overnight. Joanne says between the breakfasts and the clothes I keep buying at Cabela’s we may not be really saving much, though they sure are convenient…
Watching the weather we knew we might be in for a tough couple of days with Hurricane Michael heading north from the gulf. We thought we should slow down a little to try to escape the fury of the storm and hoped it would pass if we spent the day visiting Luray Caverns just West of Luray, VA. We love caves and have visited them from New Mexico – Kentucky. We always thought Luray was more of a tourist trap, so had never taken the time to stop. Hurricane Michael gave us the excuse we needed, so we decided to make it a stop. Some days on the Full-time RV adventure you find treasures or nuggets you just can’t believe. Luray Caverns was just one of those nuggets we never expected. Now Carlsbad Caverns, NM is spectacular, Mammoth Caves of Kentucky is humongous; though in pure Aw/Wow factor – Luray can’t be matched. The formations, cave lighting, unbelievable views, and overall impression were worth every penney of the $28.00 entrance fee. No wonder it has been recognized as a “World Heritage Site”.
Your entrance fee also allows you to visit “The Car & Carriage Museum, Luray Valley Museum, and Toy Town Junction.” on the property.
Luray Caverns – Luray. VA
Our stop proved to be a good decision though getting back on the road in the early afternoon and continuing our trek south didn’t. I tried to get Joanne to let me stop at “Cooter’s Museum of Luray, VA” though she was not having it. Those of you that grew up in the 70’s and early 80’s will definitely remember those good old boys of the “Dukes of Hazard” fame. They even had a General Lee parked out front. Guess that stop will have to wait for a future visit…
Rather then missing Hurricane Michael we actually ended up driving straight through it the rest of the day. Our ride over the Blue Ridge Mountains west towards southern Virginia, on the way to North Carolina found us in torrential down pours, flood warnings , and constant Tornado emergency alerts. Joanne was stressed all day while I just pushed on like always…
Fortunately we found another “Cracker Barrel ” this night in Troutville, VA. While the rains continued and the tornado warnings were non-stop we thought it was to best to just hunker down for the night here. With the storm and wind just pounding the area we were in the midst of many large garbage cans flying past us and dumpsters rolling around the parking lot. We were very lucky not to be hit by any of this sanitation debris. Waking in the morning to a clear sunrise we found this location was adjacent to a lake and is convenient to many retail stores.
Our goal, for this stage of our trip, was to arrive in Raleigh, NC by Friday 10/12/18. This part of this post is tough for Joanne and I to write. We had spent about a week in July with Joanne’s brother while camping in Assategue. Steve has always made an effort to camp with family at these bi-annual reunions. Several weeks, after this time together, during an annual blood test for a scheduled physical, it was discovered Steve was being faced with a very unfortunate diagnoses. Fortunately Steve is strong, positive, and has terrific family support. Our visit was to see Steve at the hospital, spend time with his wife and son, and have Joanne swabbed for a Bone Marrow Match. Our time in Raleigh, despite the reason, was fun and allowed us to spend quality time with our North Carolina family. During this time, Steve looked terrific, and it was difficult for us to even imagine he was sick. While the reason for our visit has been very emotional for all of us in the family, it is Steve’s strength, positive outlook and determination that has made all of us feel very positive regarding his long term prognoses. In addition he couldn’t be in better hands with the Doctors and Staff at UNC Medical Center!! While no siblings were a match, a great match has been found on the national registry and Steve, after several more weeks of treatment, will begin his transplant on 12/19/18. That is what he has called day zero of his new life…Our prayers and thoughts will be with Steve and the family during the entire process and we all know he will beat this!!!
Olson’s & Nunan’s get together at UNC Medical Center
As a footnote, I played Steve’s son Trey Ping-Pong each night while in Raleigh and it only took me 3 days to tire him enough to finally beat him. I told him that it isn’t over till I win a match which proved to be true. Unfortunately, I should have stopped after that win as he shellacked me in the next and final match…
Leaving Raleigh, our next stop was Murrels Inlet, South Carolina. The best man in our wedding (Pete) and his family now live there and we have wanted to visit him for years. Joanne spent considerable time to find a campground in the Myrtle Beach/Murrels Inlet area and after much deliberation booked us at Huntington Beach State Park, in Murrels Inlet, SC.
Huntington Beach State Park -Murrells Inlet, SC
Biking on the beach -Huntington Beach State Park
Huntington Beach State Park -Murrells Inlet, SC
Huntington Beach State Park -Murrells Inlet, SC (Our campsite)
Although pretty pricey for a State Park ($55.00/night ouch…), our site in Huntington Beach State Park was terrific with water/electric and a terrific grassy space. We spent considerable time bike riding, bird watching, alligator gazing, and just enjoying the nature and convenience of the area. Our hope, while in this area, was to visit Pete, his wife Sandy, and his brother David. We had a terrific evening, at their home, and was also surprised by another childhood friend Libby. The stories flowed and we laughed late into the night. The following evening we visited a best friend of Joanne’s from her first 10 years of teaching in upstate NY and enjoyed a wonderful evening with Rita and her husband John.
Our last day at the campsite we were surprised by a visit from Beth and Matt, and their daughter Madeline who are special friends of my sister Pat and my home town of Beacon, NY. So glad they stopped by.
As we departed South Carolina we continued our travel South. We spent a long day driving and stayed in another Cracker Barrel just out side of Jacksonville, FL. We are finally in Florida and Cracker Barrel definitely seems to be our new best friend…
Joanne helping with some of the driving this day -(Yes she does drive the RV -just prefers to let me)
Joanne helping with some of the driving this day -(Yes she does drive the RV -just prefers to let me)
Departing after breakfast we headed towards Williston, FL the home of Devil’s Den about midday. We have watched several youtube videos about Devil’s Den and felt we just had to stop on our way South. The campground was easy to check into though the crowd for snorkeling was just too big for a visit on Saturday. We spent the afternoon at the pool though got attacked by a “red ant ” pile that just ruined the late day. Our plan was to get up early the next morning (Sunday) and go snorkeling in the cave before any crowds arrived.
Devil’s Den
Our campsite at Devil’s Den
We were at the entrance by 8:00 am and got our gear and proceeded to the entrance. It was early and very cool this morning, though as we entered and began to descend the steps, the warm air immediately hit us. It was a little scary proceeding into the den where we were literally all by ourself. After we got our gear organized we began to relax, and then enjoyed nearly 1.5 hours in the den by ourselves. We were told this is very unusual since it can get so busy here with scuba divers. Our time here was incredible and very special. Devil’s Den is definitely out of the way and can get busy with all the scuba divers though we are so glad we got a chance to experience it. The campsite was reasonable and the experience was very memorable…
Our departure from Devil’s Den was the last stop before arriving for a couple days visiting Joanne’s parents in Leesburg , FL. Joanne’s parent are the one’s that had significant influence on Joanne becoming a camper as they have been avid campers for nearly 50 years. In fact their influence has impacted every part of our young adult lives, our kids and ultimately our decision to go full-time. I personally couldn’t be more thankful for their allowing me to marry their daughter and then ultimately influencing me to become a camper. They recently sold their Motorhome, though when you visit their home you can see in pictures and memories how the RV Lifestyle impact their lives and legacy…
While in Leesburgh, FL I took the time to have the RV and Mini washed & waxed at BP Auto Wash. They did a terrific job and I highly recommend their service. The visit was only a few days though it was great catching up with the Olson’s and sharing some of our Fall stories.
Next stop found us a Bradenton, FL for the afternoon where I had some service done on the RV at The MotorCoach Store while Joanne visited with her sister Deb & husband Tony. Deb and Tony have been very generous to us and helped us immensely during our transition to changing our residence, domicile, and voter registration to Florida after selling our CT home…
With service completed, and after lunch at the Esteve’s, we headed on to Oscar Scherer State Park in Osprey, FL arriving just before sunset on October 23rd. Our volunteer work would begin tomorrow in helping with their Annual Halloween Festival. We are so excited to arrive here, slow down for a few months, and spend some quality time with family as we begin camp-hosting for the Florida State Park system and continue on this “Revolutionary Journey”….
Welcome To Oscar Scherer State Park – Osprey, FL
We didn’t waste anytime finding our Florida groove with MomMom, PopPop, and the Esteves…
