Back to camping...finally

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OK, so it has been a while since I posted. I know it’s been long since even my father asked if I was still writing. Wish I could have posted more but circumstances have been unfortunate.

I post 95%!o(MISSING)f the blogs based on RV trips we take. Summer has come (and gone) and I didn’t post. Why!? Simple…no trips. UGH. The last trip we took was to Ohio in May for my parents’ 70^th anniversary. It was great and great to see family. However, on the way there, we had a driver pass us and hit a piece of tire in the road which flew under our RV and went “thunk”. We stopped in Berea, KY to spend the night and I checked underneath the engine. Seems oil of some sort was leaking. I checked oil and transmission fluid the rest of the trip and when we got home, had my mechanic, Buddy, check it out. Yep, the leak was from the radiator where the transmission fluid is cooled. It was going to need a new radiator.



We took the car to Buddy in mid-June and filed an insurance claim. After waiting for an adjuster to come and file a report, Buddy started looking for a radiator. Not easy as he had to remove the old one to get the correct number; seems Fleetwood had three different ones that year. Buddy searched long and hard and finally ended up ordering a new one from the factory. We finally got the RV back on September 1. We spend several days cleaning inside and out and then left home on Sep 11 to drive to the Corps of Engineer (COE) site we like in southern Georgia.



It is only 3 hours away and we noticed an appreciable difference in the performance of the RV. It was quieter, seemed to handle hills more efficiently, and shifted smoother. Buddy had done a great job.



At the COE site in West Point, GA, we selected a campsite overlooking the lake and settled in. There were still a number of folks camping and the lake was warm. BUT…the lake level was way down. I seems that Georgia, Alabama, and Florida all share the water and disagree about use, so the lake was quite low, about 3 feet below normal.



First night in we had a storm blow in and it poured rain and the wind really blew. That was when we discovered we had parked under a large oak tree with very large, heavy acorns. It was like hail pounding on the roof. Eventually the storm passed and the rest of the week was beautiful, warm and sunny.



We took a side trip one day to drive to Newnan to see a high school friend of Trish’s. Donna has a beautiful home in a lovely development and shares it with her sister. Trish and Donna exchanged stories and caught up on families and friends. We all went out to lunch at a new spot in town and had a tour of the community and saw wonderful old homes in a quaint smaller town. Finally, we came back to Donna’s and then left to head back to the campground. We look forward to seeing Donna again or having her visit us in Alabama.



Later in the week we walked to the lake and went in to go swimming. The water was, indeed, warm and comfortable. However, because it was so shallow with the drawdown, the bottom was mucky and we stuck in the mud, losing a beach shoe and having to reach in to pull it up. We tried several spots and finally gave up in frustration. One of the main reasons we had come here was to swim and that was not going to be possible. So we spent the rest of the week relaxing, listening to music and reading. It was a good trip, just not what we had expected.



After five days, we packed up and headed home. This was our shakedown trip prior to a visit to VA and OH to see family. We learned we needed to fix a few items and we could clean out some things we seldom or never used. We had a month to prep for the next trip and were glad to finally have the coach back. Just wish we could have used it during the exceptionally hot summer to escape to mountains or lakes to relax.

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Photos

Under the oak tree
It's a beautiful sight/site sitting under the tree (shade) with the lake in the distance out the front picture window of the RV. But those were noisy acorns that fell!

Trish and Donna (Davis) in Newnan, GA
Trish was happy to visit Donna in GA. Donna had stopped by to see us in AL in March and we were glad to find her home so we could visit. The two ladies went to high school together in Wheeling, WV.

Facing the lake
Although the site is designed to back in, we like to pull in forward in some places so we can have a wonderful view out the front window. It was warm enough to leave the door open and have the awning provide shade.

View of LOW lake
Water should be much higher. It was a shame because this should have been a great spot to go swimming.

Summer hay being harvested
Shortly after we got back, they started harvesting the 2nd cutting of hay in our fields. Note the one cherry tree in our back yard has lost most of the leaves. This is because of the extreme drought we are under. Fear we will not have good fall colors this year.

Comments

[Angela]

On the Road Again...
Hi john, glad you are back on the road again. I missed seeing your travel blog. Take care.