Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

The Required Pilgrimage, MORE rain and moving on

Friday April 18 – Monday April 21, 2014
Walkabout Camp & RV Park
Woodbine, Georgia

 

 

 

FRIDAY

 

 

David is up and rearing to go. He loves Steffens and can’t wait to get there.  I post about breakfast at Steffens every time we stop here at Walkabout. It’s become a ritual.

The parking lot is packed when we arrive.  I’m surprised there isn’t a line for a table.  And then I see what’s going on.  The “boys” and the ‘girls’ are meeting for breakfast and they have all driven in separate cars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The waitresses in Steffens are the happiest I’ve ever encountered.  Every time we come in they greet everyone with a big smile.  Hi, how are ya, just take a seat and we’ll be right with you.

And they are right with us.  Coffee on the spot.  For those who drink the evil brew that is.

 

 

 

David glances up from the menu.  One table of “the boys” is in the background.

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Here are “the girls” and the other table of “boys”.  The boys definitely out number the girls.

 

 

We place our regular vegan breakfast order – 2 eggs, hash browns, Wainright sausage and biscuits.   For the short while we wait for it to be served, I take some pictures of the atmosphere at Steffens.  

 

They are the Camden County Chili Cook Off winners.

 

 

I just love the curtains in the restaurant.  Don’t they look like 1948 vintage.  Although I can’t imagine these are still here from the restaurant’s opening day that year.

 

 

Today’s specials are written on both sides of the blackboard hanging from the ceiling.  Somebody has decent handwriting on a blackboard.  I was a high school English teacher in one of my incarnations years ago and my blackboards never looked this good.

 

 

The weekly specials are on this card displayed on every table.  The daily specials are in addition to the normal weekly one.  Comfort food all around.

 

 

 

The food comes and the food goes.  Here’s the happy patron.

 

Steffens has been making quite a few happy patrons since 1948 when they had a pitched roof and gas pumps.

 

Steffens is our big deal for the day.

Rain is predicted for and thus we are  wearing raincoats as a precaution.  Lucky thing since it starts coming down just as we pull in behind Winnona and get out of the car.  

It rains   A...L...L    D...A…Y    L...O...N...G.

 

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The lake starts forming outside our door. Well today is clearly a soup day.  Cold, dreary and rainy.

 

I always feel like I should clean up the place on a rainy day.  You know dust, vacuum, do the sinks.  But it’s so dreary that I can’t bring myself to do it so I read instead. 

And of course if you’ve read the previous two huge posts on Cumberland Island, first thank you very much, you deserve an award especially if you left a comment, and secondly you know how much of my time I spent doing those. 

Actually rainy days are bad for blogs since I have too much time to write them.

 Or they could turn out to be good for blogs since I have nothing much to say!

 

 

IMG_2051After being in Charlottesville and visiting Carrie we are going to Pennsylvania to do the first step in getting ourselves much more prepared for serious boondocking.  Today we continued corresponding with Greg Young about solar install for Winnona.  He and David discussed wire size, batteries and solar panels. 

We have a Kozy World propane heater that we want to get a quick connect for and we discussed the install details and possibilities for that.

 

 

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Yesterday David discovered that the in dash radio was not working on shore power.  NOT GOOD since it is our weather radio.  It works off the battery so it’s not a desperate situation but David checked all the related fuses and breakers for that.  No luck so far.

 

 

 

 

 

SATURDAY

 

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Another rainy day.   Cold and damp.   It seems to follow us everywhere.  The funk is beginning.   No pictures. 

Hot Shower time.  Nice and warm.  Doesn’t last long.  I stay inside all day.

In between rain showers David puts air in Ruby’s right front tire which seems to have a slow leak.  These are relatively new tires so we’re suspicious that it is the stupid alloy wheel. 

He also checks all the unrelated fuses under the dash for the radio problem and finds that the very last one checked is the bad one.  OF COURSE.   But RADIO FIXED!   Best thing that happened all day.   Always carry spares of every single fuse used in your RV is our advice.

When you have a couple of days worth of time on your hands you may end up doing things you would never do any other way.  Today David completes a new maintenance schedule for Ruby including all service required with recommended intervals, date last performed, date/mileage next due. 

 

rainy eagle

Compiling this is no small task but it is made possible by the detailed records we keep of pretty much everything.  Remember he was a statistician and I’m the Queen of Frugal.  Want to know what we paid for a movie in 1987 and what the title was.  I can find it for you. HA!

And also tell you where we spent every single penny that went out of our wallets for the month of March 2014 or any month you like since 1969.  And that was before I even knew David.  He’s adopted my record keeping frugal ways.   Can’t even list all the ways these detailed records have been useful to us.  This is just the latest one. After filing the income taxes that is.

I spend way too much time of this dreary day working on Part II of the Cumberland Island blog.  Perhaps you’ve seen the result.  Hope you had as much time to read it.  I sometimes say that it takes me longer to write the blog than it did to do the activity.

I also work on the list of things to order on line since we will have a guaranteed address for two weeks. 

Sounds like we’ve had a great two days doesn’t it?   But it sure beats working for a living!

 

raining cats and dogs

 

 

 

Sunday

 

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Today it only drizzles a little as we move 188 miles up Interstate 95 to St. George, South Carolina where we camp overnight at Jolly Acres Camp & Storage a Passport America Campground.  No rain after about 1:00.  I’m thrilled!  except that 188 miles feels like a PDD day to me even if it isn’t.  

And tomorrow will be even worse as it’s over 200 miles to Zooland (sounds like where we belong doesn’t it) in North Carolina and another 200 Tuesday before we finally land in our old home town, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Wish me luck getting through 3 days in row of SO MUCH driving. YUCK!!

 

 

Monday

 

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Well today was over 200 miles but sadly doesn’t qualify for even bronze level PDD.   The good news is it didn’t rain a drop!

We drove 216.6 miles and arrived by at Zooland Family Campground by 1:00.  

I’ve found, the secret for me is GET ON THE ROAD EARLY.   We pulled out of Jolly Acres at 8:20am and that really did make it seem easier.  Not sure why arriving at 3 or 3:30 feels longer but it does.

Added to the already long trip was the fact that the bridge is out on Pisgah Covered Bridge Road where the campground is located only 3 miles off of I-73. With the bridge out you have to take an 8 mile detour both ways.  Now if there was any other place to stay on this route back to the farm, I would have done it.  In fact, I did stay at the other campground in Asheboro once and that was a total disaster.  As far as I can tell there isn’t even a decent campground in Greensboro, N.C. about 30 minutes north of here.

So here we are for the night with another 222 mile drive tomorrow.  

You can bet I’ll be up early to get started on it and get it over with.  I wish it were a little easier to  “Carry me back to ol’ Virginnie.

With this post I am totally caught up to date!  YES!!  Doubt it will last long though.  Smile

23 comments:

  1. Sherry you are so funny! I hope to keep the blog up to date with our travels for the next month, but don't know if it will happen :-). I give so much credit to those folks who write every day and stay current. It is not easy. I had some issues preventing me from reading your Cumberland Island posts but I will as soon as I get out of Florida!

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  2. I concur, "rise and shine" and let's rock and roll! Lv to have a plate of their chix and rice!

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  3. sorry for the rain and cold :(
    will you be here long? coming by the market?
    Maggie

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  4. Yep...getting on the road early does make the trips seem shorter!! That soup sure looks good:o)) Can't wait to see Winnoa's boondocking transformation!!! Safe Travels.......

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  5. Ha Ha Ha! You stay up to date? I don't think so. :)

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  6. 200 miles a day is a relaxing way to travel. Stay safe out there on the road.

    Soup is a wonderful thing on a rainy day, Kathy is a soup queen and makes a lot to share.

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  7. I have a long drive coming up, about 1500 miles to Cody. I will probably drive around 300 miles per day, but it takes me all day to do that, I will make several stops along the way each day and hope to stop for more than one night at some of the locations.

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  8. We thought about you today as we drove up 95 past the Walkabout exit. I even got my phone out to find out if you had moved yet from there. Thought maybe we'd see you on 95 somewhere :-) Glad we've missed the rains, though there are flood warnings for high river levels here in GA. Wouldn't want to try and evacuate Jekyll Island!

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  9. I laughed when you said it takes longer to write about it than it does to actually do it! I know that one for sure! All that rain would make me dreary as well. I'm grateful that we have had a good April, but it means that our drought isn't getting any better out here. I read the Cumberland Island posts...on the ipad....in bed.... and in case you didn't notice....I couldn't manage a comment. Dang ipad just won't let me type very well in bed. I guess in all fairness, I need to read blogs on the computer, but April chores keep me too busy. anyway...just wanted to say Hi and let you know I for one know just how much effort you put into these detailed interesting stories of your travels. Thank you for all that work and care.

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  10. I find that driving back roads doesn’t feel like the grind of interstates. Sure they get me some place quicker, but it “feels” longer and is more tiring to me. Nothing to see on interstates. Rich used to like to get an early start—we usually pulled out by 8 am. And only waited that long because he didn’t want to disturb other campers starting engines, etc. I’d rather not set a time—just play it by ear. I’m all set for boon docking if I ever get out again!

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  11. I think you have discovered a new source of income while on the road. You are a "Rainmaker". People in Texas and California will pay big bucks for you to come and bring them some much needed rain.

    You might need to pull a couple of Gold Level PDD driving days to get there, though! :cD

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  12. I'm sorry you've had so many rainy days. They make me depressed too, if there is more than one in a row. Thankfully, we've had a dry winter here.

    I enjoyed the Cumberland Island photos and hope to visit there some day. Walkabout looks a bit muddy, but I guess you were able to get Winona out with no issues.

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  13. I waived as you drove by. Yes, it was a dreary, rainy weekend here in the Lowcountry. I cleaned out my closet and took a huge load to Goodwill. Getting ready for our life on the road, one day at a time.

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  14. Sorry you're having some rainy days, though they are useful to get things done. We have a 200 mile day to NE OH then 3 days later we are doing a couple of long days, NE OH to VT with just one overnight. That will give us a few days to get things done before Dave gets back to work on 5/2.

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  15. We like leaving early and arriving early too!

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  16. Love the cartoons :) Purrfect for so much rain :) You definitely give a lot of love to the blog rain or shine! Looks like you got a lot done and certainly covered a lot of miles. That soup looks amazing! :)

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  17. YEA! SEE YOU SOON! I am still in Md. but will be in Va. on Wed. night. Work Thursday and Friday.
    XXXOOO

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  18. I see a huge pattern developing here....David and his breakfasts.....he always looks to downright happy when he is near food. I wish I could eat like him and stay as thin as he appears.

    Sorry about the rain! It's great that you are working on the solar. You will be so happy with it when you boondock.

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  19. Sometimes rain days are so nice just to rest and not feel guilty. But we have had a few too many along the east coast this spring. Definitely not a water shortage here.

    Safe travels to VA!!

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  20. What a hoot about the record keeping. You see, I can make fun because we are two peas in a pod. Several years ago, I went "high-tech" (LOL!) and started recorded all expenditures on Quicken which makes it easier to pull whatever useless info I might want. But every dime spent gets recorded. Oh and I'm still using Quicken 2004 because I'm too cheap to pay for an upgrade!

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  21. Blackboard writing is difficult. Looks like down home cooking but what's 'Blackened Shepshead' if I dare ask. Absolutely love the cats waiting for Noah.
    I'm thinking you're home by now.

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  22. I remember reading about this super friendly cafe in your previous posts. Glad it still continues to delight you. I would like to try their prize winning chili, but your soup looks mighty tasty too!

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  23. Gotta have one more of Steffen's fine breakfasts while I still can. Don't know when I'll be this way again. Hope they have BIG parking spot for Winnona ...

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