Visiting Charleston Naval Base and Over Coming One of My Full Time Fears

Today we traveled into Charleston to visit the  Navy Weapon Storage Base.  Starting tomorrow it t will be our home for a few nights.  The office that sells discount tour tickets  for military personnel was not going to be open after today due to the holidays.  So we decided to go today  and take advantage of some discounts.  At the same time we wanted to check out the campground.

It was about an hour drive and the weather is improving more and more.  We actually opened up the sun roof in the Jeep and did not have to wear our jackets, long underwear (too much info) and gloves.  Maybe we have finally out run the bad weather. 

We arrived at the office and got all the information about the tours.  As we were sitting at a table sorting everything out a nice lady from the area offered us some great tips.  How nice of her.  With a plan in place we left to check out the campground.  There are 46 full hook up sites with concrete pads (pictures to follow in a later post).  The sites are close together and there are not any trees or much of an "it" factor. However, for $15/night  it is a great bargain and we won't be staying there very much.

Afterwords we went to the grocery store on base.  It was large and recently renovated.  Nearby  there is  an Air Force base with a campground..  They do not allow reservation in advance so while we were in the area we drove over to see it too.  Part of our plan this  winter is to check out  as many bases and areas as possible to help with planning next winter.  We already know that next year we would love to spend more time in this area.  

The Air Force Base was beautiful and very large.  However, the campground was very disappointing.  It did look like they may be adding on to it but there was not any one to ask questions due to the holidays.  Staying at the Navy base turned out to be a good decision. 

We then went back to our little piece of heaven.  John had an opportunity to talk to the camp hosts. at the National Forest  They have been volunteers here for a month and have enjoyed their time.  These positions are on a volunteer basis with two days off per week.  With only 14 sites to watch over they have found the  camphost position to be fairly easy.  One of their duties include cleaning the bathrooms.  Not all workampers will take positions when that is a requirement.  For us, being able to stay at this location would be worth the additional bathroom duties.

As we arrived home I had an opportunity to talk to our neighbor..   Bliss asked to see our motorcoach and wanted to ask a few questions about full timing.  Bliss and Eddie stopped by after dinner and we had a nice visit.  They have a Newmar Mountainaire and like their motorcoach very much.  Bliss's sister Cheryl also came over and she has a class C motorcoach.  We were impressed to find out that she is a solo traveler.  

We answered lots of their questions and also told them about FMCA (Family Motorcoach Association).  Their rally next year will be in Perry Georgia in March. We attended their rally last year and really enjoyed it. The seminars are so helpful and it's a great location.  Our paths may cross again soon if they decide to join.  Bliss even brought us a house warming present-a back scratcher.  Folks in the South are so friendly. They also gave us some great tips for a seafood restaurant. 

Eddie,Bliss, Cheryl, and Back Scratcher

One of my biggest concerns about the full time lifestyle is a common one for women.  How to take care of our hair while on the road.   On some of the forums it can receive numerous posts.   I really was not ready to go gray but knew that  finding a salon every 6 weeks would be difficult and  with our reduced budget an expense that could not be continued. My gray was becoming more evident so at the base today I bought my first box of Nice and Easy.  It really lived up to it's name and for $5.00 it looks great.  Whew!  Now that's one less worry.  Hopefully it won't turn green in a few days!  I'll keep you posted. 

A Little Bit of Heaven

(McCllelenville South Carolina) We crossed the state line into South Carolina today and will be visiting the Buck Hall Recreation Area (Francis Marion National Forest) for a few days.  It is located approximately 30 minutes from Charleston and we have nick named it “a little bit of heaven”.  What constitutes a perfect campsite can certainly vary from full timer to full timer or camper to camper.. For us this place is “it”.

What is “it” for you?  For us we like a more natural setting, access to hiking and bike trails, and kayaking is certainly a plus.  This campground has all these features.  Unfortunately it probably will be too cold to kayak . There is a refuge nearby that is very popular and the boat launch is on site.  

After staying in an Elks parking lot for several days and three weeks at a fairground arriving at this place was so delightful.  I found this campground  on a great site –  http://www.campingwithaview.com/ Check it out! 



Buck Hall Recreation Area



Most of the sites look over the Intra Coastal Waterway and are situated on the site of an old plantation.  It is very peaceful and we were pleasantly surprised to find 50 amp service, water, and a paved pad. The website had not been updated with these additions.  There are 14 sites and for the most part reservations are necessary.  Cost is $20 per night and includes your admission to the National Forest. 

I found some interesting history from the website.  See below-

The Francis Marion is a forest literally steeped in history. Indeed, the wet boots of Revolutionary War soldiers under the command of Francis Marion himself splashed through the swamps of the present-day national forest, protected only by the certainty of their enemy’s fear of alligators and snakes. Marion, dubbed “Swamp Fox” by the British troops whose supply lines he disrupted with surprise attacks from the swamps, adapted the fighting techniques of the Cherokee Indians to thwart the British in coastal South Carolina.

Prehistoric Indians occupied the area long before Marion and the British would tangle in its swamps. A 4,000-year-old shell ring near the salt marsh remains as a monument to their culture. It is the northernmost of a number of coastal shell middens along the Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coasts.

We arrived too late today for any picture taking.  I’ll post some tomorrow.  There are two floating docks where we were able to see the last of a very pretty sunset over the marsh.  What a perfect ending to our day.

Christmas in Wilmington North Carolina

We spent a  wonderful Christmas in Wilmington North Carolina.  Rob's (Jen's boyfriend) Mom and Step Father (Linda and Mark) live here and they welcomed us into their home for all the holiday festivities.  

Christmas eve was spent with Rob's sister Jill and husband Landon. They had a nice holiday party. It was fun to watch the children decorate ginger bread cookies. Jill had made cute aprons for  the little girls.  They were all dressed in pretty white dresses with bows in their hair  (a Christmas tradition in the south).

Christmas day we went over to Linda and Mark's home where we enjoyed a delicious breakfast and opened presents afterwards. 



Mark, Linda, Rob, Jen, John, and Carol



Our campsite during this time was at the local Elks club. Many of the clubs offer camping in the back of their facilities for their members.  For only $15 per night we had 30 amp service and water.  It was conveniently located only a few blocks from Linda and Marks home. 

The next day Jen and Rob went with us to Fort Fisher Aquarium. We traveled past Carolina Beach and had a picture taken on the beach. It was snowing, cold, and windy. The weather has not exactly cooperated. Did you hear about the blizzard along the east coast? Raleigh had over 7 inches of snow(last time that happened was in the 1800's)  Under the circumstance we are fortunate to be here.  The snow in Raleigh may have really delayed our departure.  Whew!

The aquarium was very interesting and it was fascinating watching the large tank filled with over 32 species of fish.  Here a couple short video's that I took with my Droid of some of the fish. 

Stingray

Amazing Jelly Fish



Sea Horse




Diver in the large tank answering questions by under water micro phone



Beware!  I never knew eels could be this long

We finished our visit by going to the river front today. These pictures were taken along the Cape Fear River. There are a variety of interesting shops and restaurants in this area. John toured the USS North Carolina today. It is permanently docked in this area and was in service during WWII.



USS North Carolina

John and Jimmy enjoying the river front



Interesting Bed and Breakfast

Tomorrow we are heading south to Charleston South Carolina.  The weather man is promising warmer weather!

Repairs and Maintenance - A Tale of Trial and Tribulation

One thing you learn very quickly as an RV owner is that "stuff happens"  Suddenly our electric water heater quit working.  Luckily it still works by using the propane so we are not without hot water.  The weather was a little warmer yesterday and easier to work outside.  We will soon be on the road again so John decided to tackle this project. 

Day One - Process of elimination

John first watched a video (water heater maintenance) that we purchased at the Escapee rally.  One of the presenters was the RV Professor and he sold a variety of "how to" video's.   They are very well done and demonstrate how to do a lot of maintenance yourself.  Having work done at a dealership is very expensive and that's if you are lucky enough to get an appointment.  After a phone call to Suburban (the water heater manufacturer) John thought it was most likely the heating element.  They recommended a local dealer for the parts.  

We also wanted to replace the anode rod due to the recommendation that this be changed every six months as a full timer.  We had the rod but not the tool to take the heating element out.  Two trips later he was ready to start the project.

In the meantime, I decided to cook some Snickerdoodle cookies as a surprise for him (they are his favorites) and to also work on dinner.  Have you ever cooked without water?   There were dishes stacked almost up to the ceiling. 

Have you ever baked cookies in a convection oven?  It will only hold one cookie sheet and baked six cookies at a time  It was a labor of love and lesson in patience.  :) However, they turned out really well and the  RV smelled like cinnamon.

John  quickly installed the rod and heating element just as it was getting dark.  He came inside and turned on the water heater and it unfortunately it still did not work.  Good Grief!



Good news - we now have a spare heating element!  That is always a handy thing to have on hand. He also was able to flush out the water tank.  The campground in Indy had very rusty water and flushing the tank will hopefully extend its life. 

Day Two - Plan B

There were more phone calls  and with the help of a very friendly & knowledgeable RV tech, John now believes it is the thermostat.  The cover was almost impossible to remove.  Upon inspection it looks like this is the problem. After many more phone calls he was able to locate the part.  Remember-its almost Christmas and a lot of places are closed. 

Part was obtained, quickly installed and ...drum roll please.....it works!  Good job John!  He is gaining more confidence and patience each day.  Have another Snickerdoodle honey!

Visit to William Umstead State Park and Full Timers Theme Song

(Raleigh, North Carolina) Today was a great day for hike. The weather until recently has not cooperated with our plan to get more exercise. Tucked between Raleigh, Cary, Durham is a lovely State Park.  William Umstead State Park is over 5,579-acres and offers great hiking, canoeing, horseback riding, and fishing.  There are two entrances and today we explored the Crabtree Creek area.  It was named after a former governor due to his conservation efforts. 

The grounds were a little muddy so we decided to take an easy trail that 1.25 miles in length.  Jimmy led the way.  The trail was well marked and ran along a nice babbling creek.. 

Can you see our who we found along the trail?  There were two of them watching us as we hiked along the trail.

Afterwards we came home to watch the Colts win against the Jaguars.  It was a great game.  They have to win two more in order to go to playoffs as a wild card.  Unfortunately one of our favorite players, Austin Collie, suffered another concussion.  He had just returned to play after a very similar injury. 

My brother sent me a great song written by Joe Bonamassa that would be a great theme song for a full timer.  Here are the words and a You Tube Video of his performance-

Don't Live Anywhere

Got no ceiling but the sky,

Like the world babe, just rolling by.

I don’t live anywhere, I live everywhere,

This road is my home.

There’s nine-to-fives, pretty yards,

That was never babe, in the cards.

I don’t live anywhere, I live everywhere,

This road is my home.

The clamours and glamours of the city, I don’t need ‘em.

As long as I live, let me hold on to my freedom!

It’s crossed my mind now and then,

A little too late babe, go back and start again.

I don’t live anywhere, I live everywhere,

This road is my home!

The clamours and glamours of the city, I don’t need ‘em.

As long as I live, let me hold on to my freedom!

It’s crossed my mind, now and then,

A little too late baby, go back and start again.

I don’t live anywhere, I live everywhere,

This road is my home - this road is my home

Road Trip to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base

(Goldsboro North Carolina )Today we took a road trip to visit
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.  

It was an easy 90 minute trip to Goldsboro.  John was stationed here as a reservist for 12 years before we were married.  His responsibilities at the time were with construction equipment operation.  He was looking forward to the  opportunity to show Jen and me all around and to check out the campground (FAM camp).  

F-15 Eagle

It was thrill to watch several F-15 Eagles take off and land.

FAM campground

The campground was shady and had about 10 concrete slab back-in full hook up sites.  They were all very level and in a quiet area away from the runways.  The rate is $15/night and cannot be reserved in advance.  At the time there were four rigs staying at the campground.  There was also a bathroom and shower facility.

It was well maintained and we would certainly stay here.  The base offered a nice workout facility, golf coarse, and movie theater.  The was also a BX (like a small Walmart) and commissary (grocery store).  We did our grocery shopping and found everything that we needed.  You need to be retired military or active duty to stay at the military campgrounds (or the guest of someone staying there)

John said there had been many changes made to the base.  He enjoyed his duty while he was stationed here and seemed happy to see it again. 

Baby It's Cold Outside

Raleigh received about an inch of snow last night and then lots of rain and ice.  This is not the type of weather we were expecting on our full time journey.  In fact, we hoped to avoid snow this winter. altogether  However, it looks like many areas of the U.S. (even Florida) are experiencing some unexpected weather.  

We had planned to take a road trip today but decided to postpone it.  Another great benefit of retirement-you can be a lot more flexible.  The project for today has now become sending out our Christmas cards.  I'll give you a sneak peak of our picture below.  We had fun posing for it yesterday when the weather was a lot warmer. 

We spent yesterday morning taking the RV to a local propane dealer for a fill up before more bad weather arrived.  That is an event since the motorcoach has to be driven to the dealer for a fill up.  The huge tank is inside one of the storage areas underneath.  Our little trailer, in the past  was much easier  You only had to take the  small tank.  Our neighbor at the campground spends a lot of time in cold weather and has purchased a large tank that he takes back and forth.  However, our goal is not to be in cold weather very much. 

In the afternoon we shopped and shopped at the mall and I think most of our presents are purchased  Now all we have to do is wrap them and send them on their way.  That is a great feeling. 

We hope you are enjoying the holidays and staying warm.

This greeting card personalized with Smilebox

We Are Enjoying Retirement

(Raleigh, North Carolina) We are certainly enjoying being retired and visiting with Jen.  Everything is so much more enjoyable when you have time! Some of the advantages of retirement and living in a motorcoach include-  Christmas shopping is now fun and enjoyable.  Cooking dinner is no longer a hassle nor is grocery shopping.  Decorating a motorcoach for Christmas is easy and cleaning one is a snap. Having more time and a smaller "home"  is wonderful.  What a great blessing.

We are camping at the North Carolina Fairgrounds in Raleigh  There are four campgrounds at the fairgrounds and we are staying at the newest.  They offer a full hook up site with WYFI for $25/night.  Our site is very level and very convenient to all the shopping and downtown.  There is not much of an "it" factor but it's so great when Jen can just stop over for lunch while she is working.  There  is not an office and all registration is handled by the security guards.  They have been very helpful and can be called at anytime if there is a concern.  Here are a few pictures of the sites. 

There are three of us (rigs) camping here for the holidays.  We are all visiting family in the area.  Below is our neighbor Larry and his toad.  Check it out (it's a 1956 Cadillac).  He tows it in a trailer behind his motorcoach. 


Larry and John & 1956 Cadillac



We have been to a few holiday events in the area.  We went to at the Raleigh Little Theatre and saw a very funny Cinderella play.  The wicked step sisters were actually men and very, very funny.  There was a lot of audience participation and the many of the girls in the audience were dressed as princesses.  It was lots of fun.  It was amazing to see how they transformed the pumpkin into the coach.

We also attended a walking tour of the historic Oakwood area and toured thirteen homes.  This is a money raiser for Oakwood, a nineteenth century neighborhood and historic district located near downtown Raleigh.  It is a beautiful neighborhood with hundreds of home is a wide variety of architectural styles.  We were able to go inside the homes and there were guides inside to tell you about the special features  They were all decorated for the holidays. Here are a few of the homes.  These pictures were taken by my Droid phone and are not quite as clear but certainly not bad for a cell phone. 

This is the Tucker House built in 1914.  It was actually moved slowly down the road to this area in 1975 and is now a  community center. There was a brass band playing Christmas carols at the entrance. 

This is the back of the Bryan house, built in 1893.  This pool was recently added and the house had been converted from a duplex to a single family home (it's original intent).  It was lovely and had an outdoor sleeping porch off of the master bedroom

This home was not on tour.  Isn't it spectacular.  There was also a trolley you could ride to see most of the neighborhood.  We met many people who have been going on this tour for over 20 years  Sort of a family tradition. 

We've been busy Christmas shopping and spending as much time with Jen as possible.  We decorated the front window of the coach and a small Christmas tree.  I'll finish the entry today with these pictures.  Happy Holidays! 

Our first destination-Raleigh North Carolina

(Raleigh, N.C.) We have arrived at our first destination as full timers in Raleigh, North Carolina to visit our daughter Jen for about a month.  It was a scary six hours as we maneuvered through the mountains in the snow. John did really well.  I was very nervous!  It was worth all the hassle, however, after we saw Jen.  We were just in time to celebrate her birthday.  

Our campground for the next week or two will be at the North Carolina Fairgrounds.  I'll post some pictures of our site tomorrow.  There are four campgrounds around the fairgrounds.  There is not a front office, and all registration is handled by the security guards.  Rates are $25 per night for a full hook up site which is a little  high but the location is great and very near Jen's apartment.  We were told upon arrival about the new sites recently completed that were very nice and not near the freeway. 

The next day we celebrated Jen's birthday.  She had to work, but afterwards we cooked her favorite meal:  roast beef, mashed potatoes, carrots with mint and honey, and Yorkshire pudding.  Here is the picture of the Yorkshire Pudding.  It's really not a pudding, but sort of a bread.  I learned how to make it from my father who was British.  He would have been proud of how well it turned out  It is served with gravy and was a staple during World War II for stretching a meal during tough times.  

Jen's favorite birthday cake is actually cobbler.  This recipe is from a cookbook written by David Letterman's Mom.  It's a birthday tradition.

A birthday would not be complete without candles.  

Rob and Jen

We met her boyfriend, Rob, for the first time.  He is lots of fun and very friendly.  They met at the country club (Carolina) where Jen was first employed in the area. 

Today we left the campground and started to explore the area.  Jen had heard about a hot dog restaurant called the The Roast Grill  recently featured on the Food Channel.  It has been in business for 70 years and serves only hot dogs.  There are a few rules...hot dogs are only served with mustard, onions, cole slaw, and/or chili.  Nothing else!  You can request how "burnt" you want your hot dog to come off the grill.  Don't ask for french fries or potato chips either. It was located near the downtown and it was packed.  It's not the best hot dog we have ever ate but certainly the most interesting.  There are pictures on the wall of one man who ate 24 at one time. I'm sure Tums were probably the dessert.

The Chef-grill is to his right

Hot dog prices

The Roast Grill

Afterwords we went downtown to the Visitor Center to find out more about the area.  We were especially interested in finding out about holiday shows and historic walks and neighborhoods.  The lady at the desk was very helpful and gave us lots of tips on what to see and do.  She also gave us an excellent map and guide. 

We had a nice dinner back at the motorcoach and called it a day. It has been really wonderful being all together and our motorcoach is working out so well as our new home. 

"On the Road" Living Our Dream

(Berea, KY / Knoxville, TN) We said good bye to the owners for the Indy KOA, Dave and Lori.  We had a nice dinner the night before at our favorite Mexican restaurant El Nopal.  We have enjoyed so much working at this KOA.  It was our first workamping experience and we really had a great time and learned so much.. 





Dave and Lori

Dave up on the roof of the KOA office installing the new WYFI

Dave and Jonathon getting ready to ride the golf cart around the campground.

After much ado, last minute errands and good byes, we left Indianapolis and started our full time dream on December 3rd. We left just in time before a winter storm was supposed to hit the area. We are heading to Raleigh North Carolina to spend the holidays with our daughter, Jen.

Our first night was spend at a Passport America campground in Berea Kentucky.  We arrived much later than we would have liked.  We really do not like negotiating an unfamiliar campground in the dark, but it could not be avoided.  The campground is called Walnut Meadow RV Park and is right off I-75.  It was only $12 for the night and the owner was very friendly and escorted us right to our pull through site.  The next morning we woke up to SNOW!  I guess we did not get out of dodge quick enough.  Good Grief!



Our site at Walnut Meadow RV Park



We waited around until about 12 noon and slowly left to see if we could go a little further.  We were very nervous about driving on the snow covered roads, but once we were on the interstate the roads were pretty good.  However, after about 3 hours John said he'd like to call it a day and settle into the next campground during day light.  One of the campers in Berea told us about a Passport campground called Volunteer Park, near Knoxville Tennessee.  It was very nice, convenient, and reasonable ($19 per night). We would go back again.  The sites are a little close together but for a one or two night stay it's perfect and well run by the friendly owner who looks a lot like Santa Claus. 



Volunteer Park Knoxville Tennessee (site near ours)





Campground office




We did a little grocery shopping and went to see the latest Harry Potter movie.  It was 2 1/2 hours long but it did not seem to be that long.  We thought it was well done and it was the first of a two part conclusion. After that we called it a night.  Roads looks like they may be clear tomorrow.  We hope to arrive in Raleigh tomorrow to see Jen. We can't wait to see her.