Author: Easin' Along

When we left East Tennessee, the temperature was dropping into the teens and snow was on the way.  That was not our problem because we were heading to Florida to escape that…or so we thought. Mother Nature had other plans for our latest adventure.

We planned to spend our first night at the Maxwell Air Force Base FamCamp in Montgomery, Alabama and then travel to Panama City, Florida on day two.  The only weather prediction that we could find for Montgomery was for cold temperatures and maybe some snow flurries. We had winterized Gracey, our new trailer before we departed from home and leave it that way until we made it to Florida. This meant that we could not hook up to the water supply at the campground but we knew we could survive for one night on bottled water and the bath and shower facilities at Maxwell.

We arrived in the early afternoon, hooked up to the power, prepared a light dinner, and settled in to watch a little television.  All was going well until we turned to the local news. Suddenly all the newscasters were in a twitter about an impending snow storm and very cold temperatures.

“What? That’s what we were escaping! SNOW!!”

The prediction was for up to three inches and a low of 15 degrees.  As of nine o’clock, nothing had happened, so Helen (adorable wife) and I went to bed.

The next morning had proven the forecasters correct.  There were three inches on the ground and bitter cold in the air.  We weren’t going anywhere on this day. Thankfully, we had plenty of propane in the tanks for heat, food in the fridge and pantry, and hot showers next door. After making sure we could extend our stay at Maxwell, and that we could keep our reservation at St. Andrews State Park in Panama City, we settled in for another day in Alabama.

I was planning to make this post about our arrival on the gulf coast but that will have to come later. Nevertheless, I wanted to share this experience with Easin’ Along readers so, after it warmed up to a balmy 20 degrees, I left the comfortable confines of Gracey with camera in hand. What I won’t do for you…

There were plenty of photo opportunities, but the most interesting was a picture I took of a fellow walking toward me in flip-flops and shorts. This had to be a case of cabin fever in the extreme.  I looked around to see if the guys in white coats had come to take him away, but he had disappeared into a luxurious fifth-wheel trailer.

This post will be short. It is the morning of our second day and we will be attempting to hit the road soon.  Hopefully, the conditions are better to the south, and we will soon be in sunny Florida.  Please come back and catch up with us then. For now, we’re Easin’ Along.

 

Last week we went to the mountains to do battle with cabin fever and celebrate adorable wife’s birthday. That trip provided a nice break, but the fever remained strong and our weather remained cold.  We needed another treatment for this condition and, fortunately, one arrived when we noticed an ad for a three-day RV show in a neighboring town.

“Let’s go on Friday,” said Helen “Then you can buy me dinner!” I suppose that we’re still celebrating her birthday, but nonetheless, I was all in.

Readers of Easin’ Along know that we entered the RV scene earlier this year when we rented a motorhome and took it across the country to California on a fun-filled three-week adventure. That trip led to the purchase of Bertha, a small travel trailer which gave us a great orientation on RV travel. Five months later, Bertha was replaced by Betty to have a bit more room and a few more features. We were now fully engaged in RV living, and loving it.

We hoped that an RV show would give us a few ideas on equipping and decorating Betty before our snowbird trip to Florida that was growing closer. Besides, Helen and I are truly smitten by the RV bug and just enjoy looking at them as well as meeting others who love this laid-back lifestyle as much as we do. Friday couldn’t get here fast enough.

When we entered the parking lot, it became evident that we weren’t the only ones overcome by the cabin fever bug. The parking lot was full of cars.  With temperatures in the 20’s, we raced across the parking lot to get inside the convention center. At the front of the center were approximately 15 booths that displayed everything from cookware to campgrounds.  I’m not certain what some of the displays (like replacement windows or hot tubs) had to do with RVs, but I suppose that large crowds are just another opportunity to sell stuff. After looking at a gutter system (don’t know why), I went inside to see some RVs.

The crowd was large and potential RVers were lined up to look inside every size and shape of RV imaginable. We joined a line after my eyes were drawn to a display of Airstream trailers, something I’ve always admired for their sleek design.  All five Airstreams on display were beautifully furnished and had the latest features. I was in love, but as I went to seek out a salesman, Helen grabbed me and brought me back to reality. My Airstream dream was put on hold.

Motorhomes and fifth-wheel trailers on display tended to range in size from large to colossal with prices to match. One very impressive motorhome attracted my attention for its unique colors and large outdoor kitchen. I had to take a tour and pictures.  It was luxurious. Once outside the coach, I was curious about the list price, so I approached a salesman. I gasped when he quoted me $349,000, but did a double-take when he told me that the equally large one next to it was $529,000 and it had a “sold” sign on the door. I went to the back of that one to see if there was a swimming pool or a guest cottage.

Time passed rather quickly, and we were really enjoying ourselves, but the hour was late, and I still had dinner to buy for the birthday girl, so we made our way up the last row of travel trailers and went inside one marked as a “Show Special”. Helen immediately fell in love with the floorplan, especially the kitchen.

 

 

“Uh-oh, I had better come up with dinner plans in a hurry,” I thought to myself.

“Uh, dear,” I said softly, “we had better get moving, it’s time for the show to close and (under my breath) this is getting dangerous.”

“But look at this kitchen…it’s perfect for us!”

Double uh-oh!

Reluctantly, I agreed to ask a salesperson for the “Show Special” price, confident that it was somewhere out of reason and far more than a birthday dinner was going to cost me if I could pry her loose from where Helen was now firmly seated, mentally furnishing a new kitchen. I found Kelly from Tennessee RV, the wonderful salesperson who helped us when Bertha was traded for Betty and asked him for the price on the trailer.

“What’s it going to hurt just to ask?”

Is there such a thing as triple uh-oh?

In all honesty, this trailer was very nice.  It had more room, and a great floorplan.  Betty was only four months old, so the trade-in difference was not very much for this “Show Special. Nevertheless, the hour was late, I was hungry, my head was spinning, and my cabin fever was now in a full sweat. After an hour or so of heavy negotiation and stiff resistance from me, Kelly presented us with the final offer. I gave a short stare toward Kelly, then looked over to Helen, still seated at the dining room table.

“What do you want to do?” I asked her.

“Well,” she said, “it is my birthday…”

 

Next week we begin our month-long snowbird trip to the warmer climes.  Please join us as we load up “Gracey” and go Easin’ Along.

It’s cold in the East Tennessee hills…real cold, and Helen (adorable wife) and I were suffering from cabin fever.  The holidays were over, the grandkids were back at home, we had watched all the football we could stand, we certainly didn’t need anything else to eat, and our snowbird trip to Florida was two weeks off.  It was time to get out and get moving.

I didn’t need much prodding because it was the day before Helen’s birthday. I’ve endured more guilt over this occasion than most husbands.  Her birthday comes soon after Christmas when I’m overcome with shopping fatigue and finding something unique and original can be a real challenge. She really is a good sport about it, however, and this year I was determined to come up with something I knew she would enjoy.

“Let’s go to the mountains!” I said.

Her reply? “Give me five minutes to pack!” That’s the beauty of retirement. We can be spontaneous–about a few things.

I’ve shared with Easin’ Along readers our love for the mountains around Cherokee and Bryson City, North Carolina.  There is plenty to do, both indoors and out.  The Great Smoky Mountains National Park borders both towns, and mountain scenery is incredible even in cold weather.  For indoor fun, there is the Casino at Harrah’s Resort, and Helen LOVES casinos. So, after a quick call for a reservation and getting a complimentary room (I love it when that happens) we were off.

We arrived around 4:30 in the afternoon with the temperatures hovering in the low 20’s and trending down. After checking into our Luxury King Suite and freshening up a bit, we made our way to Ruth’s Chris in the casino for a light dinner before a little low-roller action in the gaming room.  After a couple of hours and with my luck being only a bit better than that of the birthday girl, we called it a night.

The next morning was even colder than the day before, but the sky was Carolina blue. The weather reports told us that there were snow and ice in the higher elevations. We tried to extend our stay for another day, but there was a slot tournament at the casino and no rooms available. We would have to take our chances and make it over the mountain to home. The thermometer read 16 degrees.

First, however, we were going to Bryson City for breakfast at the Everett Street Diner where the coffee is hot, the biscuits are big, and the grits are the creamiest ever made. We checked out.  You can tell from this picture that Helen was having a large amount of fun and was looking forward to some French Toast. Breakfast was as good as always and the Diner staff always makes us feel welcome.

Our original plan was to drive back to Knoxville through the Great Smokies, but the highway over the mountain was closed due to ice and snow and we would have to return via the interstate.  Therefore, we chose to get our National Park fix by another means and drive the short distance to Deep Creek Campground near the entrance of the National Park to walk off a few calories, and take some pictures. Good move.

 

We were met with some incredible scenery.  Deep Creek was stunningly picturesque with ice on its edges and the water crystal clear. The mountains were framed by blue sky, and the trees were bare but beautiful nonetheless.  The campground is closed for the winter, and we were the only ones around…except for one Park Ranger clearing away leaves.

Our walk was much shorter than intended.  Temperatures in the teens have a way of changing plans. Even though I would have loved to stay out on this gorgeous morning, I made a quick retreat to the warmth of our car after only a few steps down the trail.  I shall return soon, I promise.

Despite the cold, it was a wonderful way to spend a birthday. Feeling invigorated and cabin fever on the wane, it was time to be Easin’ Along.