Holiday Travel of Chattanooga 2/25 --> 3/01/2016

Holiday Travel of Chattanooga, TN

Welcome to Tennessee. The campsite is actually two blocks into Georgia but they maintain a Chattanooga address. It's actually in Rossville, Georgia.  No matter.  The tornado warnings are gone and the entire trip was sunny.  The 3 hour 30 minutes drive was something to write home about. To appreciate that statement and the following paragraph you have to a) love to drive, no matter where or how long it takes; and, b) you have to appreciate Mother Nature as well as this beautiful country we live in outside of our own comfortable surroundings. Let me know if that's you.  I stopped once in Steele, AL, for a fill up (at $1.819) but otherwise, I drove straight through averaging 65-70 mph. There was no traffic to speak of and the scenery, although the same all the way, was just magnificent to look at. Nothing but pine trees as far as the eye could see in any direction. With each Interstate I traveled (I-65, I-459, I-59, and I-24), the road was straight as a ruler and as you looked into the distance, this neat, manicured, well maintained ribbon of asphalt, was neatly laid out on the once forest floor before you. To keep myself occupied, I'd pick some structure (there were very few of them) like an overpass way ahead of me and I'd guess the mileage to it. Although one mile is deceiving, I'm getting pretty good at guessing. Unlike the pine forests of Florida along I-65, these Interstates had expansive medians and to either side there were wide swaths of grass.  I-65's two-lanes in Florida (from Eastpoint, FL to Prattville, AL) had pine trees coming up to about 50 feet of the road. Any side roads you passed were logging roads. A glance down any one of these dirt roads gave you a straight view for miles into the dense forest where logging operations were taking place. Today, I did not see a mall or a housing development. I drove through many towns but after blinking once or twice they were gone.

Not bad for 96, eh?

I'll be here for five days and once again this year (like last year), I'm gambling the weather will gradually be warm enough for my arrival home on March 11th so I won't have to go through the "winterizing" process again. Chances are I will, just to be safe rather than sorry. Final determination will be made at my last stop campsite in Jonestown, PA. Cracked or broken plastic pipes in an RV can only conjure up nightmares of expensive proportions. For those who say, "you shoulda stayed south longer," or "why are you coming home with the nasty weather we're having here," I'll remind you that on March 13th, my mom will celebrate 97 years and fortunately still sharp as a tack. Can't miss that now, can I? 

A beautiful sight. At least 10
of them feeding near my RV.

My last stop in Prattville, AL at the Kountry Air RV Park would be described as a rustic mom and pop operation and was showing its age. It was nestled into a hillside but the sites were level. It was a quiet, relaxing stay with the torrential rain beating down on my fiberglass roof. It help put the reminder that a tornado watch was issued for Autauga County out of my head. That's the county in which I was situated.  I was very fortunate. All I experienced all night was the heavy rain, some rumbling of thunder, and some wind which continued into the next morning. I was as snug as a bug in a rug. As you may have experienced, it's the best time to get a blanket over you with a good book and read till you doze.

Are you a member of the
"Cloud Appreciation Society"?

Early morning clouds as 
I left Eastcoast RV Resort

Again, because the time of year I won't be afforded any "meet 'n greets", I'll just share photos with captions.






"Tonight, probably for the first time in your life, you will sleep on a Civil War battlefield.  Over 100 years ago, men fought and died on the very soil where this Holiday Trav-L-Park is located.  During your stay, we will offer you a brief trip through the pages of history which were written here.
In the Southwest corner of the park stands a monument to the 84th Indiana Volunteer Regiment.  The monument was placed here after the Civil War by some of the men of that regiment who became famous for their fighting in the Chattanooga area.
Our north-south streets are name for Civil War officers. The Streets at the north end are named for Union commanders; the streets at the south end are named for Confederate generals. Most of these officers participated in the combat around Chattanooga.  The other streets are name for Civil War battles."
~~ from the brochure provided by the campground. My site is #90 on Robert E. Lee Road. 

  

Again, from the brochure provided by the campground, something for the history buffs who may read my blog:

CHATTANOOGA HISTORY

• Chattanooga's name comes from a Creek Indian word meaning "Rock coming to a point."
• Chattanooga was founded by Chief John Ross, at what is now Ross's Landing, in the early 1800's
• Chattanooga is the home of the first Coca-Cola Bottling plant in the world.
• Chattanooga is the home of several Civil War battle sites which are located throughout the area.
• Chattanooga was first explored by DeSoto in 1540.

Facing Northwest

Facing West

Facing North

Campground this time of the year is sparsely populated; most RV are clustered toward the northern part of the park.

Two of the 5 cabins on the property
are behind me to the south. 

There are 160+ RV sites, 16 tent sites, and 5 cabin sites. Individual sites are well laid out and spacious.

Services to the RV (water, electrical, and
sewer) are perfectly situated to make setting
up and breaking down easy.

A little help needed to make
everything perfectly level.

Cooler is open because I haven't purchased
ice and the outside temp is cold enough to do
the job. No, I'm not cheap, just lazy.

Got word from Boca Raton that my cousin's granddaughter, Shannon, who developed Type 1 diabetes at 16, will be in a JDRF Walkathon on April 2nd. If you're so inclined and wish to support the cause to eradicate T1D and would like donate to "Team Shannon" here's the link: For Team Shannon.  

Well, that's it from the southern border of Tennessee....or is it northern border of Georgia? Next stop will be Blountville, TN, 200 miles northeast and just south of the Virginia border. Upcoming weather is now beginning to enter into my planning. Till next time, take care.

Kountry Air RV Park 2/22 --> 2/25/2016

Kountry Air RV Park

Another 5-hour trip. Leaving early (8:00am) enabled me to stop at the local IGA for a few things, fill up with propane ($2.95/gal) across the street at the ACE Hardware store and before arriving at my destination in Prattville, Alabama, was able to stop at a Publix and a CVS to print 5 more photos for my Wall of Fame.  Be sure to check the updates by clicking the tab at the top of the page. It's so nice to glance at the wall each day and, for those of you who are on it, know that you give me a smile, a warm memory of your visit, and you're kept close in thought.

This campground (click on the title/link above) is in stark contrast to the wide, relaxing view of St. George sound..or any body of water. This wooded, out of the way campground is rustic and situated on a hill.  The individual sites are flat, however; no problem setting up.  The owners, Gigi and Don are as friendly and accommodating as you would expect from anyone here in the south. I've always enjoyed and looked forward to meeting and dealing with southern folk. I've shortened my stay here by a night, however, because my next stop at Possum Creek in Soddy Daisy, TN has not responded or returned my calls for confirmation. As I feared back in September when I finalized my itinerary, there would be some campgrounds that are closed for the winter season. Well, apparently, this was one of them. Instead, I'll be traveling to the Holiday Travel Park of Chattanooga which is located two blocks into Georgia. I'll be there 5 days.

There won't be too many pictures taken here, if any, because there's nothing striking that will capture my photographic eye or satisfy yours. When I arrived it was raining and it only got worse through the night time hours. Don told me it'll be like this for the next three days which conveniently coincides with the length of my stay. So it'll be indoors for me. That's the bad news.  The good news is I drove into a new time zone and gained an hour.  I'm on Central Standard time. I found it interesting that my on board Rand McNally GPS alerted me to that fact as I drove and crossed that imaginary boundary.  It also alerts me when I cross a state line. Another fascinating aspect of both my GPSs, it will tell me about 'reduce speed' zones almost at the time I pass the posted sign alerting me to that fact.  How do it know? It's almost as if there's some gizmo in the sign that sends the signal up to the satellites.

So, that's it from Prattville, AL. Back home you are enjoying rain, sleet, and up to 2 inches of snow as well as coastal flood warnings. Not to worry, I'll be there in 17 days, 3 hours and 2 minutes. Next stop, Chattanooga, TN :-(

Coastline RV Resort 2/17-->2/22/2016

COASTLINE RV RESORT

Well, I must say the five hour trip was well worth it. I was impressed with this campground from the moment I turned into its entrance right off of highway 98.

Interlocking pavers in two colors
are found throughout the campground.

Looking east on Hwy 98

Looking west on Hwy 98

As you can see, the highway is not busy at all.  Much to my surprise, most of my 5 hour trip
from Ocala along routes 27 and 98 took me through pine forests, wildlife management areas, state (Tate's Hell), national (Apalachicola) forests, and logging areas.  Logging trucks were quite common carrying timber throughout the day.

 

The campground is small ( 30 sites) with future development toward the rear of their property. My site was in the 2nd Tier, #10.  

The sites are clean, have a meticulous design and layout, and its location and view of St. George Sound assures me a very relaxing 5 days and my last look at water. 

Who could ask for a better site.
The folks on site #5 left one day
after I arrived.

In the distance, the long stretch of land is St. George Island, which is accessible by a 4 mile long Bryant Patton Bridge or St. George's Island Bridge.  It's a barrier island 28 miles long and 1 mile wide at its widest point. The Gulf of Mexico lies beyond.

Pam  & Ken

My first night here the temperatures, as usual for Florida it seems, went down to 40° but this morning with not a cloud in the sky it is rapidly running up and probably will be in the high 60's with a slight breeze off the sound. It is a beautiful day.  My neighbors, Ken and Pam from Dayton, Ohio, tell me that earlier this week (while I was experiencing a heavy rain in Fort Wilderness), they had a very strong dangerous storm with high, gusty winds that lasted over an hour and included tornado warnings. Fortunately, she says, the winds came directly off the sound at them and not from the side so they did not experience the classic rock 'n' roll common to RVs. They are leaving tomorrow.  It was interesting last night when I first waved hello and started a conversation, she knew I was from New York. I asked why thinking it was my sweatshirt that indicated I was a little chilly and she said no, "it was your accent."  I have to tell you how surprised and fascinated I was at that statement. We never give any thought to how we sound to others when we speak but apparently we New Yawwkas do have a distinctive sound and I had to tell her that I was not the Long Island New Yawwka but rather from upper Westchester---like that would make a difference. As you can see they'll soon be on my Wall of Fame.  P.S. if you haven't checked recently, the tab above (VISITORS) has 8 additions since I began my Winter Adventure in January; take a look.

As I write this blog, I am sitting poolside getting as much sun as I can knowing that however little I get will be a lot more then my poor friends and family in the frigid north will get. I am doing a load of laundry for a mere $1.50 per load today, the same that I pay at home. While at Disney's Ft. Wilderness, Cheri told me that it cost her $3.00 per load; she had two loads to wash and dry: $12.00. That's just one item on my list about what irritates me about a "Disney Adventure." The amount of money that people must pay to enter and enjoy the experience with their family is astronomical. What a hardship it must be on a family with children that must save up for goodness know how long just to enjoy this one experience. Granted they will enjoy it forever however, with Disney pulling in close to $96 million per day, it bothers me that families pay what they do. Yes, I know, if you want it, you will pay for it. And isn't that true with anything?

I set the alarm to catch the sunrise at 7:15 AM. As usual it was magnificent and something I always try to witness whenever I'm near a body of water, if the location allows. Sunset on the other hand will be difficult because of the trees to my west. I will devote the rest of this blog to the many photos that I have taken on a morning walk.  I hope you will enjoy them.

Even the roadways appear to have the crushed
stone fit so as to have a paved look about it.

Across the not so busy highway, there is a
"private" pier for the campers staying at the
Coastline RV Campground

Low tide exposed a very rocky coastline
and hundreds of mollusks attached to
the rocks.

The low tide rocky shoreline

A clear view of the shallow water's bottom

Low tide exposed many sandbars as well.

Looking back from the pier toward the campground

While I was enjoying the early morning warmth
of a new sunrise, a gentleman and his pet took a
seat opposite and....

...began what he said was their daily grooming routine. The pooch totally enjoyed being pampered as dad used his brush to remove loose hair.  Good doggie!

Winnie, the showoff, once again received
many compliments.

A very neat looking site, no? Complete with
picnic table and grill.

My corner site was a good one
as other campers walked by with
either dogs or to deposit trash in
the white bin seen in the background. 

As you know, e-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y has at least
one dog. These two stared at one another for
awhile as owners chatted. With dog meeting
dog, neither one seemed to care enough
even for a sniff.

The porch in front of the
Welcome/Registration Center.

Bathrooms/showers including an ADA room
(American with Disabilities Act)

Club house from doorway

Club house from other end

One by one they shall be visited.

 Next blog will be from Kountry Air RV Park in Prattville, Alabama. Till then, take care and stay warm.