Friday August 24th 2018

Today began far too early. One of my neighbors decided that 6AM was the time to leave. They started making enough noise to wake me up some time before that. Once they had departed the neighbor on the other side started to get ready to leave. They left around 7AM. By that time I was up and working on breakfast at least an hour before I’d planned.

With all the extra prep time I was on the road shortly after 9AM about an hour earlier than planned. I ended up taking about an hour break for lunch in a rest area along the way. Traffic was a little thinner than yesterday making the driving easier. The road crossing South Carolina can be quite boring. To break up the monotony I started watching for and reading the advertising signs for South of the Boarder. This is a shop and amusement area just south of the North Carolina South Carolina boarder. It has been there for many years. I think the only time I’ve stopped there was during my first trip to Florida with my parents in the sixties. It was much smaller then, but it still had signs along the road through all of North Carolina heading south and all of South Carolina heading north. The signs used to be very uniform in color with puns and witty sayings. Today many of the signs are more informative and harder to spot. They aren’t all black, red and yellow. Some of the signs I saw today had a standard white background.

Old style South of the Boarder sign as seen through my dirty windshield.

The style South of the Border Sign.

I arrived at the Fayetteville RV Resort north of the city in Wade North Carolina a little after 2PM. This is my third stay here this summer. The campground is full tonight. I was lucky to get a reservation during this special weekend. They are having a “Back to School” weekend featuring amusements and games for the kids. This afternoon the kids were playing on a giant inflatable water slide.

Site 13 at the Fayetteville RV Park. The inside of the RV got very warm this afternoon. The air conditioners were fighting the direct sun without any shade.

I’m moving on in the morning. Tomorrow night and Sunday night I’ll be back at another familiar campground just north of Richmond.

Flag and flower bed behind my RV.

Thursday August 23rd 2018

It was very humid this morning. Even with the temperature in the seventies, the perspiration was running as I got ready to start my journey back north. The day turned out to be a routine travel day without any drama, so this blog entry is not particularly exciting.

Site 26 at the Point South KOA.

I was on the road shortly after ten. This mornings I drove around Jacksonville to the east. The traffic was heavy but not bad. There were a couple of slow downs into the forties at major intersections, but the traffic never stopped. The east side beltway crosses the St. Johns river in the harbor area. From high up on the bridge I could see cargo ships at the piers and this morning a cruise ship was also in port. Of the three ways to get by Jacksonville this is the most interesting.

Traffic continued to be heavy out of Florida, through Georgia and into South Carolina. I expect it to be bad around the cities, but between the cities it was just as heavy. When the Interstate got down to two lanes in each direction in South Carolina there were two solid lanes of traffic going north. Passing slower traffic took a long time to find an opening. Lucky for me, but not the people behind me, I was usually among the slower traffic. I had the cruise control set at sixty five on these flat roads. Only a few cars and trucks were traveling slower than my speed. The speed limit was seventy.

After one stop for gas, I arrived at the Point South KOA in Yemassee SC around two. I was one of the first of tonight’s crop of residents to arrive. By the dinner hour most of the sites were full. I’ve stayed at this KOA many times. They have made some improvements since my last visit. The cable TV has been expanded and I think the WiFi is better. Unfortunately they have also increased their prices. I don’t think I will stop here on my return south in November. There are other options to the south of here in the Savannah area, but the options to the north aren’t as good.

Tomorrow I have another drive of just over two hundred miles. I’m heading back to the Fayetteville RV Park for the third time this summer.

Flowering bush of the day.

Wednesday August 22nd 2018

The weather pattern of the last few days continued with only a minor variation. The day started humid in the low seventies and got up to the low nineties, but the afternoon thunderstorms came earlier than the previous days. The sky started to darken around one in the afternoon. Shortly after two it was pouring and by the dinner hour the storms were over.

St. Johns river before the afternoon storms.

Today I finished up the things I needed to do in Northeast Florida. I picked up my mail from the mail service and stocked up on groceries for my trip north. The grocery shopping was at a Walmart I hadn’t been in before. It was a nice store, but I felt the prices were a few cents higher than other Walmarts. Moving around all the time makes it hard to know the why and when prices of price changes. I also stopped at Publix for meat and produce shopping. The good thing about Publix is they don’t use a reward card system. The bad thing is that you need to be very careful buying non sale grocery items. There favorite sale technique is a two for one sale, but the single unit price is usually much higher than at other stores. For example, Klondike ice cream bars are $2.88 at Walmart. The same item is $4.68 at Publix. When it’s on sale two for one it’s a good price. The rest of the time nobody should buy it.

The other accomplishment for the day was making reservations for my trip north. I’ll be staying at a couple of the same places I’ve already stayed at this summer. I’ve set the travel up with three days of travel with a little over 200 miles each followed by at two night stay. The last two travel days will be longer and more complicated. Either I’m not thinking out of the box built of many years travel through the area, or there are fewer good options. It is probably a little of both. Getting around Washington and finding a place to stay north of Harrisburg Pennsylvania on Interstate 81 continue to be problematic. I’ll drive straight through from the Harrisburg PA area to northern New York.

After the rain this evening I got some of the outside moving preparation tasks completed. A four night stay is right in the sweet spot of difficult lengths of stay. It is just long enough that extra things come out of their storage places to be used, but not so long that they have time to get put away. I end up having more to do getting ready than a single night stay or a stay of a week or more. Luckily, I don’t need to be on the road early.

Blossom of the Day.

Tuesday August 21st 2018

Today began in the low seventies and very calm. It was ideal flying weather at the RC runway behind the campground. The radio controlled planes were flying from shortly after seven until the wind picked up in the mid morning. From the perspective of a sleepy brain drawn into the day before it should be, it sounds like a weed eater garden edger moving very fast back and forth outside your window. Knowing that the RC field was there allowed my brain to become rational after only a minute or two. Watching the planes was interesting as long as you have a wide field of view. They move so fast that you need to a lot of area to watch them move across the sky. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t get a picture of one.

A few clouds moved in early.

The clouds multiplied as the day went on.

Eventually the storm clouds started to build.

The clouds were interesting to watch today. They increased gradually as the day progressed. Around the dinner hour thunderstorms started impacting the area. For the most part this specific area didn’t get hit too hard, but less than a mile in most directions were getting hit with heavy rain. There were flash flood warnings out for the roads in down town St. Augustine. Like previous days the storms came and the temperature came down. It went from near ninety before the rain to the low seventies after the storm.

I’ve spent enough time in this area that I know my way around. I know where to find things and how to get there the most direct traffic free way. Taking advantage of that knowledge I ran a few errands today. In the process I also got close enough to the Atlantic Ocean to verify it was still there. Somehow it’s good to know somethings don’t change.

Back at my RV home this afternoon I grilled a couple of pork chops for dinner. I bought them yesterday on the way back from registering my vehicle. Tomorrow I need to do a major grocery shopping trip. I need to stock up so I don’t have to stop for groceries on my trip north which begins Thursday morning.

Monday August 20th 2018

Shortly after I published my blog entry last night strong thunderstorms arrived in the area. It was very loud and bright for an hour or so, but it had a positive impact. The temperature dropped enough that the air conditioner didn’t need to cycle all night. This morning the sun brought the temperature back up and the air conditioner was back to full time duty. Once again the temperature peaked in the low nineties. The storms seem to have missed this area tonight.

Turkeys come for a visit in the campground.

Early this afternoon I completed the mission that lead me on a six hundred mile detour. I drove to the county tax collectors office and registered my motor home. It took all of five minutes. I registered at the reception area and got my call number. Before I even got seated in the waiting area my number was called. I didn’t have any problem completing the registration. The only suggestion the clerk had for why I couldn’t complete the task online was that there are two different Web sites. One is run by the state and the other by the county. I should have used the county site. Maybe, but …

I’m going to spend the next couple of days enjoying the area, before I retrace my path six hundred miles north. Then I will continue another six hundred plus miles into upstate New York. The good news is the campgrounds in Pennsylvania that were closed by flooding are reopening. This little detour is just part of the journey that is the Rambling Road trip. In a weird way I’ve enjoyed the travel with a mission. When I get back to Florida in November the temperature will be a little more conducive to tourist type things.

The entertainment at the campground this afternoon was a parade of turkeys. Early in the day I saw a large rafter of turkeys in the field behind the RV park. Later in the day four turkeys were wandering between the sites no obvious concern for the people and barking dogs around them. They looked like young males, but that’s just a guess.

Sunday August 19th 2018

With only a little over one hundred and fifty miles to travel, I took a leasurely aproach to getting ready this morning. I pulled out of the campground fifteen minutes before check out time at 10:45. After a slow stop at the gas station near the on ramp to the interstate I was heading south a little after eleven.

Site 49 at the Stage Coach RV Park in St. Augustine Florida.

The trip across Georgia was uneventful with a medium amount of southbound traffic. The northbound side appeared a little heavier. I made the ritual stop at the Florid Welcome Center to get my swallow of fresh squeezed orange juice. It seems like the cup gets smaller every year. There were plenty of people taking advantage of the free sample and the stacks of tourist brochures. Overall I spent more than half an hour at the Welcome Center to delay may arrival in St. Augustine until after the 2PM check in time.

Since it was a Sunday I decided to drive through Jacksonville on Interstate 95. Normally I’d take the Interstate 295 beltway around the city to avoid the downtown area of Florida’s biggest city. I think additional lanes have been added to I-95 since I the last time I drove through the city. The last few times I’ve driven south I’ve taken the beltway on the east side. It’s a little shorter than the beltway to the west which used to be the only way around the city.

I arrived at the Stage Coach RV Park on the outskirts of St. Augustine just after 2PM. It was pure luck that I timed it so well. Getting setup was another sweating competition. The humidity won again. I was soaked by the time I finished setting up. I’ve been to this park several times since I hit the road. It is probably the nearest RV park to the mail service I use in Green Cove Springs. I’ll be here until Thursday.

Blossom of the day.

Saturday August 18th 2018

After two days of driving today was a day of rest. At least it was a day without driving. The weather was a little better than yesterday. The temperature still reached the low nineties, but the humidity seemed a little lower. So far no thunderstorms have arrived, but the forecast still calls for them overnight.

There are at least three pairs of swans in this picture.

My great accomplishment for the day was the laundry. The facility here was OK and cost at $1.25 a load was good compared to some of the prices I’ve paid. It’s a good thing I got the laundry done. When I made reservations for my next stop in St. Augustine, I was warned the laundry and rest rooms are closed for reconstruction.

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For today’s recreation I sat beside the pond and took pictures of all the wildlife. The species present range from alligators to mute swans. The gators were only visible swimming on the far side of the pond, but the warning signs were all around the water. On my side of the pond the turtles were the only animal poking it’s head out of the water.

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Lunch time.

You go that way and I’ll go this way.

The birds were the big attraction in the pond. There are several pairs of mute swans in the pond. I understand these birds are usually populated in an area by man and are considered by many to be an invasive species. All of the birds in this pond could easily be the offspring of a single pair brought in to control the Canadian Geese population. I don’t really know how they got here or how much damage they might be doing to the environment, I just think they are pretty birds. I took far too many pictures of the swans and I’m including a lot in this blog post.

The Swans were leaving this guy alone.

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An interesting pair of ducks. So far I haven’t figured out what variety.

Tomorrow I’m back to driving. I have a little over one hundred and fifty miles to St. Augustine. Most of it is easy driving. The only difficulty is deciding if I go through Jacksonville, around it to the west or around to the east. Since it will be a Sunday, I’ll probably go through the city.

Blossom of the day.

Friday August 17th 2018

I traveled a little over two hundred and eighty miles today over about four and a half hours. The gas tank was just about full at the start of the day so I didn’t have a fuel stop. I made one brief comfort stop that included a walk around to check the RV and towed car, but it was mostly a driving day. On travel days I have a couple of bottles of water and some crackers on the console to keep me hydrated and satisfy the munchies. I went through them all today.

Site 42 at the Savannah South KOA.

Interstate 95 through the Carolinas is straight and flat. Around the major cities it might be three lanes, but it is mostly two lanes in each direction. The traffic today was heavy with enough trucks to complicate the drive. About the only vehicles I need to pass are the slower trucks. The faster ones are passing me all the time. The road to bridge transitions in the southern part of South Carolina haven’t improved. When I was on the road two years ago I was launched into the air at a few of the transitions. Today was a repeat performance. The inside of the RV had several things on the floor when I arrived at my destination that didn’t start the trip on the floor.

The other annoyance on today’s journey was the sun. There weren’t any clouds in the sky during the majority of my trip. My preferred travel condition is a cloudy day, so I don’t need to wear sun glasses. The sun glasses are great for looking out the windshield without glare, but checking the inside controls with the sun glasses on is difficult. The rear view camera and the GPS/Radio are very hard to see quickly with the change from the bright outside to the dimmer inside. I use sun glasses over my prescription glasses so I can easily push them off to see the monitors when necessary. The dashboard can also be a problem, but it usually has enough outside reflected light to make seeing it easier. Today, for some reason, it was particularly annoying.

I’m at the Savannah South KOA in Richmond Hill Georgia until Sunday. Getting setup was uncomfortable. The sun was shinning brightly, the humidity was near a hundred present and the temperature was in the mid 90s. My clothes and hair were plastered to my body with sweat by the time I was finished. About an hour after I got setup a thunderstorm passed through the area that cooled things off some, but the humidity remains. It is supposed to be hot and humid around her this time of year, but according to the TV weather talkers this is extra humid. Thank technology for air conditioning.

There is a pair of swans living in the pond beside the campground. This is a maximum zoom poor lighting picture.

Thursday August 16th 2018

Today was a travel day. It was also a return to humid weather. The temperature started in the seventies and peaked in the low nineties. These are not comfortable conditions for the outside work associated with breaking camp and setting up at the other end. I did a lot of sweating and water drinking.

Site 37 at the Fayetteville RV Resort.

Tonight I’m in Wade North Carolina just north of Fayetteville. For those keeping track of my travels you’ll realize this is in the wrong direction. I’ve been heading steadily north over the last few weeks. I still plan on spending the fall in the Northeast. I’m just taking a week and a half detour before I start my northern reservations.

This wasn’t part of the plan until yesterday. I was having two little problems that came together and made the decision easy. The first little problem was finding a place to stay this weekend. Between the rain based problems in Maryland and Pennsylvania and the tourist draw of the Shenandoah, the best place I found wanted over $80 a night. I would have paid it if not for the other issue.

I need to renew the registrations on my vehicles this month. There are two options for renewing from out of state; by mail and by Internet. I assumed I’d use the internet, so I didn’t send in the paper work in July. When I tried to use the internet, I could only renew one of the vehicles. I haven’t gotten an answer, that makes any sense, on why this is the case. My options are to keep trying to get someone to fix the self service web site, doing it by mail and missing the deadline or going to the Tax Collectors office in Florida in person.

I’ve decided to go to Florida. My next reservation in northern New York starts on the twenty eight of August, so I have plenty of time. If I had real plans between now and then, I’d probably take a chance on the mail. With the available time, going to Florida is the low risk approach. If there is a real issue, I can address it directly.

I traveled about 275 miles south today. Tomorrow I’ll travel another 280 miles to the Savannah GA area for the weekend. Sunday I’ll move down to Northern Florida. I’ll probably stay in St. Augustine, but I haven’t made that reservation yet. On Monday I’ll get the registration renewal completed. I’ll probably head north on Thursday.

Wednesday August 15th 2018

Yesterday’s slow start resulted in a late night. The late night caused another slow start this morning. It is a vicious cycle that I’ll have to break with the alarm clock tomorrow morning. I need to get moving in the morning. It’s a travel day.

It was a sunny day with occasional cloud cover. Finding the sky through the trees can be a challenge.

After breakfast a little TV and some computer time, I left the campground to explore the area. This is a very rural area of central Virginia. The terrain is hilly with lots of trees. An occasional area of cleared forest is used for pasture land and farming. I’m about ten miles south of the City of Charlottesville home to the University of Virginia.

Charlottesville has been here since the 1760s. It is located on a line from Williamsburg through Richmond on to the Shenandoah valley on the other side of the blue ridge mountains. I’m not sure the specific reason for this location, but it attracted several early United States of America presidents. Thomas Jefferson established Monticello just outside the city in the early 1770s. Highland, president James Monroe’s home is not far away from Jefferson’s. President Madison’s home, Montpelier, is on the north side of town.

When I left the RV I had an intention of visiting Jefferson’s home at Monticello. I’ve visited it before and enjoyed the experience. I drove up into the hills along the twisty narrow road thinking about the people of colonial times navigating up the hill on horseback or carriage. The parking lot for Monticello is not at the house. You still need to catch a shuttle up to the top of the hill after buying your ticket. The parking lot was very full. There were easily over a hundred cars. I was almost out of the one way lot before I started seeing empty spaces. It was enough to tip my vacillation about visiting over the negative edge. I still remember my first visit well. Why confuse those memories with a hurried visit with hundreds of other people.

I returned to the campground to find it much busier than last night. There seem to be more people here than on Monday night. I inquired this morning about extending my stay here. I would have had to move to a different site so I chose to move on tomorrow as planned.

A little flying color lands on the gravel of my campsite.