another front yard
[Ken 11/25/2016] I don't know how Forest Glen Camp did it, but they have managed to build a beautiful camp right in the middle of Sam Houston National Forest. We are about 10 miles east, then 7 miles south of Huntsville, TX. Forest Glen is actually two camps in one, and we will be working on building two new cabins for them while we are here.
This will be our longest SOWER assignment so far -- we are not expected to leave here (except for Christmas Break) until the first of February 2017. But we have a beautiful and peaceful site in the middle of an aromatic pine forest. We have Internet, there are hiking/running trails right out our back door, and the satellite TV has managed somehow to pull in a signal through all of the trees, so we are in great shape. This will also be our first time to be Team Leaders for a 2-month project. Wish us luck!
This will be our longest SOWER assignment so far -- we are not expected to leave here (except for Christmas Break) until the first of February 2017. But we have a beautiful and peaceful site in the middle of an aromatic pine forest. We have Internet, there are hiking/running trails right out our back door, and the satellite TV has managed somehow to pull in a signal through all of the trees, so we are in great shape. This will also be our first time to be Team Leaders for a 2-month project. Wish us luck!
the travel bug
strikes again
[Ken 11/21/2016] There is no denying that our family has been hit hard by the Travel Bug. In our first year living in the motorhome, most all of my family has stopped by for a visit. It started with Chris and Crystal at Bear Creek Campground, and tonight we had dinner with Geoff and Sue in Livingston, TX. This is actually the third time that we have crossed paths with Geoff while on-the-road! We sure do appreciate all of the family visitors - eleven visitors in all (and some more than once)! It does tend to make America feel smaller, however.
Safe travels, Geoff and Sue! Thanks for dinner!
Safe travels, Geoff and Sue! Thanks for dinner!
 | another front |
| [Ken 11/20/2016] We left the cold behind us, for sure! We are back in sunny and warm (74 degrees!) Texas, ya'all! The campground might look familiar -- this is our third time to stay here. We are at Escapees RV Park just south of Livingston, TX, for a few (4) days. This time we are here to renew our license plates (this is our county of registration), make a couple of small repairs, and to get a few insurance matters taken care of. Then we'll be heading about 30 miles west on Thursday (Thanksgiving) morning to check in at our next SOWER project. It sure feels good to be back in Texas! |  This is the 'center of the universe' for the United States' RV industry; Escapees is the most powerful RV lobby in the country. We are glad to have a relationship with them so that they can continue to facilitate legislation that keeps an eye open for us "Full-Timers!" |
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Ken 11/19/2016] After wrapping things up at the Billy Graham Training Center, we made a mad-dash from North Carolina to Texas in order to be settled there by Thanksgiving, renew our license plates in Livingston, and still make it to our next project near Huntsville, TX, on time. A break in the Long drive was called for, so we pulled into this favorite Civil War town for a quick hike.
This Civil War military park commemorates the Battle of Vicksburg, the Union siege of one of those "must have" Confederate strongholds of the CSA. Ulysses S.Grant conferred with President Lincoln and agreed that these highlands were strategic and had to be taken by the Union. A win of the town of Vicksburg and the surrounding areas would result in shutting down all Confederate traffic on the Mississippi River, as well as taking control of the major north/south railway artery. The steadfast Confederate army held on for nearly two months, but in the end were defeated by a valorous Union. As we hiked around the hilly battlefield we noted that the Texas' troops were assigned the responsibility of defending the railroad line. What a cool charge that must have been!
I've always liked this battlefield (I can't remember how many times that I've been there). The rolling hills, curious-shaped redoubts, and defensive stockades all come together to make this one of the more exciting Civil War campaign sites, in my opinion. As you would expect, the monuments and cannon are positioned on the high ground -- as a child I remember running up-and-down the hills to see these. On this visit, I did the same, of course.
Today, there are hundreds of cannon, monuments and tour signs to guide you and help to bring this history to life. As a bonus, dredged from the muddy bottom of the Mississippi River, the ironclad gunboat USS Cairo, the first US ship to be sunk by a torpedo in wartime, is also on display at the park.
This Civil War military park commemorates the Battle of Vicksburg, the Union siege of one of those "must have" Confederate strongholds of the CSA. Ulysses S.Grant conferred with President Lincoln and agreed that these highlands were strategic and had to be taken by the Union. A win of the town of Vicksburg and the surrounding areas would result in shutting down all Confederate traffic on the Mississippi River, as well as taking control of the major north/south railway artery. The steadfast Confederate army held on for nearly two months, but in the end were defeated by a valorous Union. As we hiked around the hilly battlefield we noted that the Texas' troops were assigned the responsibility of defending the railroad line. What a cool charge that must have been!
I've always liked this battlefield (I can't remember how many times that I've been there). The rolling hills, curious-shaped redoubts, and defensive stockades all come together to make this one of the more exciting Civil War campaign sites, in my opinion. As you would expect, the monuments and cannon are positioned on the high ground -- as a child I remember running up-and-down the hills to see these. On this visit, I did the same, of course.
Today, there are hundreds of cannon, monuments and tour signs to guide you and help to bring this history to life. As a bonus, dredged from the muddy bottom of the Mississippi River, the ironclad gunboat USS Cairo, the first US ship to be sunk by a torpedo in wartime, is also on display at the park.
ugh!
 We are greatly disappointed in our new Jeep Cherokee. It was advertised as a four-wheels-down, towable vehicle making it ideal for towing behind a motorhome. But even after having the Jeep Dealer install a power steering modification [under warranty] we continue to have problems with its tow-ability. We are thankful to U-Haul for stepping up with this temporary work-around . |
[Ken 11/11/2016] We have been so busy at The Cove that our time in North Carolina has been flying by; we are already in our last weekend to be in the state. Zowie! Deb and I needed to get away so we took to the roads to see more of this wonderful region. If you jump on the Blue Ridge Parkway and drive south (last month we blogged about our drive northward) you end up on the doorstep of the most visited unit of the United States National Park System, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Established in 1934, GSMNP is one of the earliest national parks. The tunnels, bridges, and overlooks each represent long-standing, original CCC stonework projects from the 1930's and 1940's. The park is now expanded to almost 800,000 acres, making it the largest contiguous public lands area in the eastern Untied States. There are three(+) Visitors Centers (museums) and several clusters of restored 19th century farm buildings and grist mills. We visited them all. But of greatest interest to us were the endless blue-mountain horizons swelling with their photogenic and iconic "smoke-like vapor."
Established in 1934, GSMNP is one of the earliest national parks. The tunnels, bridges, and overlooks each represent long-standing, original CCC stonework projects from the 1930's and 1940's. The park is now expanded to almost 800,000 acres, making it the largest contiguous public lands area in the eastern Untied States. There are three(+) Visitors Centers (museums) and several clusters of restored 19th century farm buildings and grist mills. We visited them all. But of greatest interest to us were the endless blue-mountain horizons swelling with their photogenic and iconic "smoke-like vapor."
CLICK ON INDIVIDUAL IMAGES TO ENLARGE
Like the Blue Ridge Parkway, commercial traffic is restricted from the roads in GSMNP. The drive is very scenic with lots of viewpoints along the tour route. The Great Smoky Mountains are a part of the Blue Ridge range of the southern Appalachians. The park straddles the border between the states of Tennessee and North Carolina. On the ridgeline road to the Clingman's Dome trailhead, there were several places where I would be driving in North Carolina, but Deb would be riding along next to me in Tennessee.
The promising and fertile valleys and mountains of the Smokys were a highly sought-after part of the new frontier -- simultaneously settled by trappers, miners, farmers, railroad workers, and lumber companies. Today there are only reminders of these once bustling communities. In my book, in 2016, there are only two reasons to visit the Park, however ... to revel in the splendid mountain scenery, and to hike the mountain trails. You could tell by our extended huffing-and-puffing that we greatly enjoyed both.
The promising and fertile valleys and mountains of the Smokys were a highly sought-after part of the new frontier -- simultaneously settled by trappers, miners, farmers, railroad workers, and lumber companies. Today there are only reminders of these once bustling communities. In my book, in 2016, there are only two reasons to visit the Park, however ... to revel in the splendid mountain scenery, and to hike the mountain trails. You could tell by our extended huffing-and-puffing that we greatly enjoyed both.
 | Two famous trails cross in the Park, the Appalachian Trail and the Mountain-to-Sea Trail. |
[Deb 11/10/2016] When we pull into a new community, locating the nearest grocery store(s) is one of the first things on the agenda. We usually get to stay put for three or four weeks, so a trip to the local grocery during our stay is inevitable. In our travels we have seen a lot of different kinds of stores. We found the selection at Aldi's to be too limited. The prices at Publix to be too expensive. The produce selection at IGA too small. Some stores are bigger, cleaner, smell better, etc., and some are, and/or do not. But the one thing that is common to all of them is that they have some kind of customer card. Here are my guidelines on the "Customer Saving Card."
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[Ken 11/01/2016] Our extended tour of the Appalachian Mountain region wraps up this month with a brief visit to North Carolina. We are staying a short three weeks in the [very nice] RV Park at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. We are on the east side of Asheville, NC, just a few miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our site is bordered by large Chestnut trees that mock our presence by dropping tennis-ball-sized seed pods on the roof of our motorhome each night!
We are fortunate to be able to continue our time enjoying the magnificent Fall so typical of this part of the United States. We are simply not used to seeing mountains with such a variety of color on them. While the Asheville area rests at just over 2000 feet in elevation, views surrounding the town include color-filled mountains that rise to more than 6000 feet. The city reminds me of Fort Collins, CO, by its smaller size (population approx. 85,000, and growing), culture, mountain views, and because of its youthful population and active lifestyle. The cool air at night actually feels like Colorado!
The week before Thanksgiving we will be heading back to Texas to hide from the cold that is promised by the upcoming winter months. It does not seem like a year has passed since we started this Adventure in Faith, but I checked the calendar, and November does mark our 12th month on-the-road. Remarkable.
