Things are going great, mostly. The not-so-great thing? I am STILL struggling to find my missing writer mojo. You know, that hard to describe thing that makes a person want to write. My writing muscle! I’ve apparently lost the desire to use it. I have also run out of rational explanations and plain old excuses to explain the problem.
Rather than waste any more time trying to understand why, I’m just going to move forward.
I figured I would try and ease my way back into blogging by combining two crafts that I enjoy; writing and photography.
Recently, I’ve come to realize that photography is really just a lazy way of capturing and sharing memories with people. When I look at one of my own nature photos, I “see” more than an image. I can usually remember the feeling of the place, too. And why I took the pic in the first place.
I’ve always just assumed others look at my images and experience the same thing. I figure people see my photos and either can see/understand why I took the shot or can at least appreciate the photo for its quality.
Turns out, I may have been wrong.
Right or wrong, as a form of exercise for that atrophied writing muscle of mine, I’m going to start doing posts about particular pictures. I can only share one image per post and I need to write something about the image. I’m thinking the writing will happen in the morning, so the pic may be from the day before. I may throw in some old pics, too.
The rules are loose and may change. Why create pressure? I want this to be fun for me and, hopefully, something others will enjoy, too.
Wish me luck as I struggle to get back into shape. 🐸
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Harry the Heron
We’ve been at our current location for about three weeks now. We are staying at a campground on the eastern end of Dauphin Island near the mouth of Mobile Bay in Alabama. The campground is adjacent to the beach AND an Audubon Bird Sanctuary. It’s also across the street from the Mobile Bay Ferry landing.
When we first arrived on this small barrier island and I visited the beach, I was delighted to see large bird footprints in the sand. I thought that meant this was a “wild” beach. As it turns out, those tracks were Harry’s. He is, indeed, a heron, but he’s not particularly wild. He is a regular on this beach. So much so, that campers know him by name. I see him on the beach often.
The other day, while walking around with my camera, I was taking pictures of a heron on the beach that I thought was Harry. I even said, “Hi, Harry,” as I snapped some pics.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, I heard some honk-squawking to my left and turned to see the real Harry gesturing wildly at me from the water’s edge.
That other heron was an imposter! Or an interloper. Maybe both.
Harry made some crazy poses for me and then, after I had had time to snag a few pics, took off.
He is a proud, handsome fellow, isn’t he? Not only did I capture a great pic, but a fun story, too.
A few years ago, while on one of my solo motorcycle sojourns, was the first time I visited the town of Big Stone Gap in far southwestern Virginia. My reason for going there was to see their LOVEwork (part of the venerable Virginia tourism marketing campaign,”Virginia is for Lovers“). Sadly, it was damaged in a storm and is no longer on display. I really liked the area, and the town seemed nice, so I knew I’d like to return one day. Back then, I had no idea I’d be returning in a big-ass motor home.
The LOVEwork as seen in 2018.
I did not remember having seen a campground in the town, but campgrounds were not on my radar back then. Heck, I think that was even before we started seriously talking about RVing when Mike retired at the end of 2021. At that time, I had just been laid off, so my future-focus was more near-term. I had to think about finding my next job.
Fast-forward to 2021. We are all living in a much different world. It’s crazy how things can change so dramatically in just three years, isn’t it?
Part of Downtown Big Stone Gap
Near the end of May/early June, as I was trying desperately to find a campground that could accommodate us over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, I learned that Big Stone Gap has a campground in town AND they had an opening for us. Win-win!
I was a bit leery of staying in-town, thinking it might be too loud for us, but was intrigued by the idea of being adjacent to the town’s greenway trail and close enough to walk to restaurants if we chose. Not to mention that the campground — Jessie Lea RV — was the first one of about a hundred I’d looked into that had an opening for us over the holiday, and then some. They had a full hook-up (water, electric, and sewer) spot for us for 11 nights straight!
The campground office, store, laundry, and bathhouse are all housed in this one building.
As it turned out, I needn’t have worried. It was relatively quiet, considering the location. And the campground, although small, was neat and tidy. It was also located in a very pretty spot along one small branch of the Powell River.
Afternoon thunderstorm north of town.
There were several pull-through sites in the middle of the campground that didn’t offer much shade, but were very long and level. The Wifi was fast enough for streaming at times, but struggled during times of peak usage.
Below are some more pics captured in and around the campground.
Mike doing retirement things.
View on the passenger side of our coach.
View in front of the coach.
View looking to about 1-2 o’clock from the front of our coach.
Field adjacent to campground, which could be the tent area.
Looking from campground toward town. The Shawnee Avenue West bridge is in the background.
Image captured under the Shawnee Avenue West bridge.
One owner of the campground is a woodcarver.
Looking back at campground from near the Shawnee Avenue West bridge.
Another view of campground from near the Shawnee Avenue West bridge.
Pedestrian bridge from campground to the Big Stone Gap Greenbelt.
View from under the Shawnee Avenue West bridge, looking toward town.
Big Stone Gap Greenbelt across river from campground.
Closer look at one of the campground’s tree carvings.
Mike and I both enjoyed the campground’s proximity to the Big Stone Gap Greenbelt. It was a great place to ride our bicycles. One complete loop around the greenbelt was about three miles (4.8 km). All in all, it was a great location.
Following are pictures I captured along the greenbelt.
Walking from area near campground toward the main branch of the Powell River.
View from greenbelt on side of river opposite the campground.
View of campground from greenbelt.
Carving along greenbelt near campground.
Mural bridge.
Big Stone Gap Trout Mural
Another capture of the Big Stone Gap Trout Mural.
Big Stone Gap Trout Mural
Union is the name of the high school in town. Apparently the art department was responsible for the murals.
Spawning trout?
View of mural from other side of Main Street.
View of mountains from greenbelt looking across the main branch of the Powell River.
Another view of mountains from greenbelt looking across the main branch of the Powell River.
Finally, here’s a shot of Belle imploring us not to leave her home alone.
Belle says, “Don’t leave me!”
We were actually going to return to Jessie Lea RV in Big Stone Gap for a few weeks in August and September, but plans have changed. Again. This time, it is thanks to the blow-out. In about three weeks, we need to be in Lawrenceville, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta, to have the necessary repairs made. So, next week we will be leaving Blue Ridge, Georgia (our current, stunningly beautiful location) and heading south and east to Statesboro, Georgia for a month. I have yet to make reservations for September 10-30, but we are otherwise fully booked through the end of January. In February, we head west.
I have quite a few other photos and recaps of other locations to share. Catching up for an entire month is hard to do.
About this time yesterday (Wednesday) we were motoring along at the 70 m.p.h. ( 113 km/h) posted speed limit on Interstate 81 northbound. It was a lovely day for a drive. We’d left our previous campsite at Big Stone Gap, Virginia around 9:00 a.m. headed for Pocahontas State Park near Richmond on the eastern side of the state. It should have been about a 6.5-hour drive.
I was enjoying the scenery, doing some shopping on Amazon, texting with friends, and thinking about how much we’d enjoyed our stay in Big Stone Gap. I was even pondering a blog post all about the Big Stone Gap stay, which I’d planned to write last night after we settled in at Pocahontas.
Unfortunately, about three hours into yesterday’s drive, we had a tire blow-out.
There’s not much left of that tire.
If you have never experienced a blow-out, you probably don’t realize how LOUD it can be. A little scary, too. Or a lot scary, depending on who you are. It can also be dangerous. Having any tire fail is bad, but having a front, steering tire blow is the “worst nightmare” scenario.
For us, it was the right-front tire that blew. It’s a steering tire, which is pretty much located directly under the passenger seat where I was sitting. First, there was a very loud bang, followed instantly by the coach jerking to the right. That movement was accompanied by an enormous amount of shaking/vibration and loud thumping sounds as stuff started flying forward inside the coach (we decelerated rapidly) and the shredded tire wreaked havoc on the body of the rig.
Mike heroically managed to get the coach safely over to the shoulder and stopped.
View of hill where blowout occurred.
It was terrifying when it happened. It happened REALLY fast, too. The scariest part was that, since we were approaching a bridge/exit, there was a guard rail angling toward the shoulder and the “escape” space we had was dwindling extremely quickly.
Screen capture of Google Maps satellite view. The blow-out happened when we were at about the upper-left corner of the image.
If you look closely at those screen captures, you can see the guard rail angling closer and closer to the road.
Screen capture of Google Maps satellite view. The red bar shows about where Mike brought the coach to a stop.
This is where Mike brought the coach to a stop.
Below, I have shared text from a forum post Mike wrote describing the experience…
Cruising along I-81N today in the right lane, at the speed limit (70) when I had a blowout on the right steer tire.
Yes, I’ve read posts here [on the forum] …”get rid of the Good Years! They are an accident waiting to happen.” I wish I had listened to that sage advice.
I was able to keep it under control and coast to the very narrow shoulder, but when the tire let loose, it took some of the bodywork with it (the fiberglass fender is shot). When the nose dropped down, the steps grabbed the ground and were bent back so much that they won’t close, and the metal door frame was bent outward when the fender was blown out. There was so much vibration during the blow-out and coming to a stop that three of the headlights were knocked loose (one of them disappeared completely), two of the marker light covers also disappeared, and both of the front “C” accent lights popped partially out. The “wall” between the batteries and the wheel well was obliterated. I’ve not crawled under the coach to see if there was any additional damage.
The good news: The toad (2021 Mini) seems to have escaped unharmed, although the bicycles mounted to the rear of it were shaken loose.
We’re alive – we survived a terrifying incident on a major interstate highway.
Complete Tire in Wytheville, Virginia was stellar in getting on the scene and mounting a temporary tire to get us off the highway and to a nearby campground. They’ve ordered two new Michelin RV tires that will (hopefully) be in tomorrow so that we can continue on our way.
We really were very lucky. Angels were watching over us for sure. Belle was sleeping in her bed between our seats and Mike and I were both belted in. The toaster oven that usually rides on the kitchen counter ended up in front of Belle, resting on the floor against the dashboard. We don’t know how that thing missed hitting Belle, but we do know the toaster oven will be well-secured on future trips.
Belle, oblivious to the danger we had all just barely escaped.
Staying in a disabled vehicle on the shoulder of a busy interstate highway full of big trucks moving at high speed is one of the worst things you can do, so we all (me, Mike, and Belle) left the coach and waited on the grassy area adjacent to the shoulder, about 50 feet (15 m) away from the coach. (Belle was happy. The shoulder had quite a few raspberry and blackberry bushes full of fruit and there was bear poop for her to sniff and [almost!] roll on.)
Mike called Coach-Net and waited on hold, and waited, then waited some more. Meanwhile, I called the State Police, who dispatched a highway safety vehicle and a state trooper, both who arrived pretty quickly and sat behind us, lights flashing, while we waited to talk to Coach-Net. The trooper called a local tire repair company — Complete Truck Service, Inc. — to come and help us.
I was on the phone with Complete Truck Service when Coach-Net finally got on the phone with Mike (“only” 41 minutes of hold time later!). The rep was actually happy to hear that we were working on the problem ourselves and agreed to pick up the tab for the service call and costs associated with travel for the rescue vehicle. We will need to pay for the new tire. As for the rest of the damage, we are hoping insurance covers that. There is an insurance deductible, of course.
Destroyed fender.
Our rescuers, Complete Truck Service, Inc., brought a tire we could use to get off of the interstate and to their shop.
The images that follow, show some of the damage.
Headlights were shaken out of the frame.
Marker lights were shaken loose.
Another missing headlight.
Mike duct-taped the fender back together.
Fender and steps are duct-taped in place.
Closer look at temporary repairs. (Even the metal door frame was bent.)
Fortunately, there was an RV park right around the corner from Complete Truck Service. Oddly, it just happens to be the same RV park where we camped for the first time when bringing the new-to-us coach back from Kentucky.
Our new tires are supposedly being delivered later today. Hopefully, they will be installed first-thing tomorrow (Friday) so we can continue on to Pocahontas State Park.
Coach sitting at tire shop with temporary (donut) tire in place.
The good news is that we missed Tropical Storm Elsa, which, by the looks of the weather radar, appears to be impacting Pocahontas State Park as I type this. That means we are missing out on torrential rain, flash flooding, and potentially damaging winds, which would have been a huge concern if we were parked at a campsite surrounded by trees.
All in all, things could have been much, MUCH worse.
This is more of that stuff we say is “all part of the adventure.” Both of us could, however, use a little less excitement.
Before venturing to Florida this year, I’d never seen or heard the term “Nature Coast.” Not that I remember anyway.
For me, Florida is primarily synonymous with white-sand beaches, warm water, palm trees, and sunshine. Then there are all the amusement parks and other touristy stuff. Plus the Florida keys and the Everglades. I really never know much about the Nature Coast area (basically the coastal counties on the western, Gulf of Mexico side of the state, up near the inside of the elbow. Real technical, right? You can read the Wikipedia definition if you like. If you really want to dig in and learn more, visit this Florida Nature Coast website.
As I was planning our travels for 2021, I had us going to Florida in mid-June to get the residency paperwork started. Every time I mentioned staying longer than few days, Mike said something like, “It’s ungodly hot in FL in the summertime.” He didn’t want to stay any longer than we HAD to. That’s because he’s not a water-lover like me. I don’t love heat either, but I do love a good beach.
For the longest time, we had no reservations anywhere from June 19 through July 7. I really wanted to spend more than the three nights/four days we’d committed to residency stuff, but every time I brought it up, I had to listen to the “it’s too hot” spiel. Finally, he relented and said, okay, with the condition that I found someplace shady for us to camp.
Thank goodness we were at Amy’s house for a week+! Finding a shady spot in Florida relatively last-minute that would satisfy both of us was a bit of a challenge. Even more challenging was finding a spot for the July 4th holiday weekend! But that’s a whole ‘nother story.
Somehow, I managed to come across the Yellow Jacket RV Resort website. It looked shady, was on a river, had a pool, and was close enough to the coast that I could reach salt water if I chose. I booked the reservation and considered that particular to-do, done. It wasn’t until we were almost at the place that I started looking into things to do, noticed the proximity to several springs, and started to get more-excited.
Florida’s springs is another category of stuff I knew little about. Here are some of the things I did not know until recently…
Florida is home to more large (first- and second-magnitude) springs than any other state in the nation.
Why should I really care about that? Because the FL DEP also said…
Springs offer visitors unsurpassed locations to swim, snorkel, scuba dive, and observe wildlife.
All those things are right up my alley! So I had to learn more.
There are state parks in Florida that offer camping AND feature springs, but they are very popular and reservations must be made well in advance. Especially during Winter and early Spring when the manatees are usually present. (Manatees tend to hang out in springs during that time because the water in the springs is a constant 73 degrees F [about 23 C] year-round, which is considered warm in the cooler months.)
The closest state park to us with campsites that can accommodate our large rig and a spring was Manatee Springs State Park. I wasn’t expecting to see manatees in June, but wanted to check it out for potential future stays. When I went, I was prepared to swim. I took my phone, but did not take my camera. And I am STILL kicking myself, especially since my phone only had 26% charge when I arrived!
It was such an amazing, beautiful, and powerful place. I will let these pictures tell the rest of the story.
Entry Sign
This sign screams “Florida.”
Canoe and Kayak Launch
Spoiler alert… photos do not do the place justice. I looked at a lot of images and videos before going, but nothing prepared me for what it felt like being there, aka the vibe of the place.
Many of the following images were captured along the boardwalk that parallels the spring run (area between where spring comes out of the ground and where the run-off from the spring meets the river or other larger body of water).
Boardwalk with several overlooks along the spring run.
A forest of cypress knees.
Spring run and one of the overlooks (right side of frame).
Flooded forest of cypress knees closer to spring run.
Another view of the flooded forest of cypress knees closer to the spring run.
View of spring run from boardwalk overlook (looking back toward spring source).
If you click on the above image for a bigger view and look closely, you might be able to spot a snake or two.
View of spring run from overlook (looking out toward where spring run meets the Suwannee River).
It was so peaceful and beautiful. The water really is crystal clear.
View of spring run from boardwalk. Do you see the alligator? (HINT: look at lower-left quadrant or the frame.)
Closer view of alligator. And check out the size of that cypress tree’s base!
Another view of the spring run from one of the boardwalk overlooks.
Flood-level markers from prior years.
If you want to know m ore about Florida’s springs, here are some links to get you started:
* Nice post on the prettiest springs (Manatee Springs excluded!)
I did capture a few videos while there. If I can figure out how to combine them and share them here, I’ll update this post. It was such a gorgeous spot.
We both liked that part of Florida so much that we will be returning to Yellow Jacket RV Resort for the month of December. We will also be spending the entire month of January at a nearby place called Hart Springs Campground. I don’t know if the manatees come that far north, but I don’t really care. If they do, bonus! If they don’t, road trip! 🙂
I WILL own a kayak, stand-up paddleboard (SUP), hybrid kayak/SUP, or other suitable flotation device before December when we return. Or I will buy one while there. I intend to really explore Florida’s beautiful springs during that time.
Have any of you visited a Florida spring? If so, I’d love to read about your recommendations in the comments.
My hubby, Mike, is the kind of guy that doesn’t like a lot of attention. “Doesn’t like” is putting it mildly. That’s why he retired with seemingly little fanfare. No party. No big family gathering. No big shindig at the office. No real hullabaloo of any sort. But his co-workers apparently were not about to let him slink away without making sure they’d clearly conveyed to Mike how much they liked and appreciated him, both as a person and for his work.
The lingering COVID pandemic limited the options for in-person gatherings. But that’s good. He would have hated any kind of surprise party. Really.
They tried to have a celebration, tossing out various ideas like a virtual happy hour, group lunch, etc., but he wasn’t budging. He didn’t want to be the guy in the spotlight. And this is despite his being the guy who was counting down, literally, for the last five years. He wasn’t at all shy about letting people know he’d be retiring soon, either. I heard him say it often during meetings with co-workers, team calls, one-on-one chats with colleagues, etc. (For a while, he was “updating” one of his youngest co-workers at the start of each week on just how many Mondays Mike had left to work.)
Anyway… when he went into his office to return his equipment and stuff, his plan was to say his goodbyes discretely and skedaddle. I think he was probably terrified that someone was going to surprise him with a party. In the end, they did surprise him, but in a very lovely and inconspicuous way. Many employees in the Engineering Department pitched in and presented him (both of us, really) with a very generous $700 worth of Camping World gift certificates. His division — Southland Mid-Atlantic — gifted us with two super-nice Yeti® folding lawn chairs (we both really, really like those!). Individual co-workers presented him with various, more-personal gifts. Numerous other colleagues communicated their thoughts via phone or e-mail; each of those communications were gifts in their own right, too.
All in all, it was the perfect send-off for Mike. He was so happy with and surprised by the generosity of his co-workers and superiors, who really didn’t owe him anything more than a “see you later dude” and a final paycheck, respectively. Honestly, he was really very touched. So was I.
Mike loved working for that company and with those people. He’d only just joined them late in 2008, and only worked for them just under 13 years, but the experience was life-changing for him. For me and the rest of the family, too, because he was so much happier working at Southland. Seriously, Mike flat-out loved working at Southland.
I was going to send his former boss, Scott, a nice e-mail thank you, but I decided pictures would be better. Saying thanks is one thing, but seeing is even better.
So here’s the collection of images I’ve been working on capturing to not only demonstrate how much Mike and I appreciate the thoughtful and generous gifts, but also to answer what I’m sure folks have been wondering… what is Mike actually doing? Is he enjoying retirement?
The first thing we did during Mike’s retirement, and the first time we used the awesome Yeti chairs, was go see my favorite band, Mipso, in concert (their first LIVE show since the start of the pandemic) just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia.
Me and Mike waiting for the concert to begin.
Just 10 days later, we were loading up the RV as we completed all the final steps required to sell the Warrenton house and hand it over to the new owners.
Our first day living in the RV (Jellystone Park in Luray, Virginia).
Enjoying an afternoon stroll at Jellystone Park.
Did I mention how much we like our Yeti chairs?
Mike at Gifford Pinchot State Park in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.
We enjoyed a few days of much-needed relaxation at Gifford Pinchot State Park (just north of York) before moving to Pinch Pond Campground in Manheim, Pennsylvania. We chose Pinch Pond due to its proximity to my Dad’s house. My Dad passed away, unexpectedly, on April 23, and there were things I needed to do to get his house ready to sell.
Mike at Pinch Pond in Manheim, Pennsylvania.
It’s good we didn’t have time for outdoorsy stuff at Pinch Pond. Brood X of the 17-year cicadas were just emerging during our stay there. We left before their singing started.
Our next stop was North Carolina to visit with the grandchildren. We got to stay with them for over a week while their parents enjoyed a much-needed vacation in Key West, Florida.
L-R, Mike, Joseph, Gaige, Me, and Brianna.
Mike chatting with Gaige.
From there, we headed south to Ebenezer Park, a county-owned campground near Rock Hill, SC, just south of and across the state line from Charlotte, NC.
The adjustable aluminum platform (auxiliary step) is one of the items we purchased with the Camping World gift cards.
We also purchased two of these cool folding ottomans.
Dinnertime selfie at Ebenezer Park.
Waiting for the sunset at Ebenezer Park.
Beautiful sunset at Ebenezer Park.
Same sunset, different capture.
Osprey at Ebenezer Park
Sunset selfie at Ebenezer Park.
I really enjoyed the lake at Ebenezer Park. I am more of a water person than Mike, but he enjoyed the lovely campground in his own way (bicycling, reading, napping, etc.).
From Ebenezer Park, we went south and east, heading to Florida. But first, we stopped just outside of Savannah, Georgia for a couple of days. We stayed at the Savannah South KOA in Richmond Hill, Georgia. That campground has a lovely 37-acre lake where we got to see lots of wildlife.
Little Blue Heron at Savannah South KOA
Alligator at Savannah South KOA in Richmond Hill, GA. It was a pretty small one (maybe 4 feet [about 1.33 m] long). I saw his eyes first (image on left).From there, we continued south to Starke, Florida, which is southeast of Jacksonville. There, we stayed at the Starke-Gainesville KOA while we took care of our Florida State residency paperwork and relaxed a bit. We also had a yummy Mexican dinner with huge margaritas to celebrate becoming Florida residents. (We are not yet residents officially, but the important paperwork was completed to start the process.)
Cheers to becoming Florida residents!
After that, it was on to Yellow Jacket RV Resort (YJRR) near Old Town, Florida. It didn’t make sense to me not to spend some “fun” time in Florida. Mike agreed, but insisted I find a campground with shade. That’s how we ended up at YJRR. Finding shady spots in FL, with little notice, seemed like a pretty tall order, but I did it.
Site #1 at Yellow Jacket RV Resort may have been our most-interesting campsite to date. It was a pull-in site and the front of our coach was only about 25 feet from the river’s edge!
It was a lovely site right on the bank of the Suwannee River. The boat launch was right next to our site, which meant we got to see lots of people coming and going with their boats. It was also convenient for me and Belle to swim in the river. Unfortunately, the water in the river is very dark in color due to the cypress trees alongs its banks. I was too leery of not being able to see approaching alligators, snakes, and snapping turtles to have a relaxing swim, so I used the pool instead. I’m not sure yet if Belle likes swimming or just does it to humor me, so I decided not to risk her life for my amusement.
We got to watch nature there, too. We saw birds, lizards, giant grasshoppers, turtles, snakes, and frogs. We did not see any alligators while at the campground. We did, however, see some pretty big Gulf Sturgeon jumping in the river, which was very cool.
The site gave us a great view of the river. Even from inside of the coach, which was good because it rained a lot while we were there. We also had plenty of nice weather, which is when we really enjoyed being able to just sit outside and watch for fish and other critters.
Our view of the Suwannee River looking off to the right of our site. (That’s Mike’s foot.)
The campground was beautiful, tucked under what seemed like an endless canopy of Live Oak trees draped in Spanish Moss. It was very relaxing.
Mike was reading while I strolled around the campground. Belle keeps a sharp eye out on me.
More relaxation was happening while I was off exploring and taking pics.
See what I mean about Belle watching me?
We purchased that patio rug with the Camping World GCs, too.
Brown Water Snake at YJRR.
We even got to see some lizards wrestling. It was a very NatGeo/Discovery Channel kind of place.
We enjoyed YJRR so much, we decided to return for the entire month of December! We are also going to spend January at another campground about 25 minutes from YJRR, which features one of Florida’s many fresh-water springs. That’s where the Manatees tend to hang out in the winter, because the water in the springs is a constant 73 degrees F (about 23 C) year-round. If you want to learn more about the springs, you’ll have to follow along for future posts.
After a very, very enjoyable eight days at YJRR, we left for the mountains of southwestern Virginia. We drove halfway on Saturday and spent Saturday night in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel in Chattanooga, Tennessee. On Sunday morning, we continued the drive to Big Stone Gap, Virginia.
Our long, skinny site at Jessie Lea RV Park in Big Stone Gap, VA.
The campground is actually within the town of Big Stone Gap, adjacent to the town’s very nice greenbelt biking trail.
Big Stone Gap Greenbelt Trail
The Big Stone Gap Greenbelt is about three miles (4.8 km) long and goes around and through town. About half of the trail runs along one branch of the Powell River or another. Most of the trail is in the shade. There are a few spots that provide handicap-accessible fishing, too.
Mike at Big Stone Gap
Mike preparing the power washer for me to use.
Belle watching as we drive away for dinner.
This screen house, made by Clam, was another Camping World purchase. (We tend to call it the Clam.)
We ended up buying a bunch of cool stuff with the gift certificates: the screen house, a tablecloth, fancy quick-dry towels, camping guide book (state parks), a pie iron and cookbook (for campfire cooking), the adjustable step, and roof vent covers (so we can keep vents open when raining and when driving). And we still have about $100 left!
To the folks at Southland, a great big thanks from both of us. Y’all really went above and beyond to kick-start Mike’s retirement.
He and I both really appreciate everything. If you’d like to follow along and keep tabs on our whereabouts, sign up for e-mail alerts letting you know when new posts are published. Look for the link to the right (if you are viewing this on a computer or other wide screen) or scroll down to see SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW POST ALERTS. Feel free to dig through older posts, and don’t be shy about leaving comments.
We are in Big Stone Gap for seven more nights, then will be off to Pocahontas State Park near Richmond. If you’re in the neighborhood and want to meet up, let us know.
Recently, while we were leaving one campground or another, I had a thought. It hit me as I was standing at the front of the rig, looking toward the rear. My left index finger was holding the RETRACT button that operates the mechanism responsible for bringing the rear slide-out back into the main body of the coach, which is required before you can move the thing.
I’ve never really shared many pics of the inside of the beast. There’s no real reason behind that failure of mine, I just haven’t. But I really should because these things look and feel WAY different with the slide-outs extended. And we have a total of four slide-outs or “slides.”
Speaking of not sharing… how about a floor plan? I can’t remember if I ever shared one of those either. LOL.
Entegra Aspire 2016 Floor Plan(s)
This floor plan does not show the layout of our coach exactly, but it should illustrate the idea I am trying to convey. The sections sticking out of the side actually have to be pushed back into the main body of the RV before you drive off. You can only extend the slides when you are parked in a space wide enough to accommodate them. If, for example, we parked right beside a tree, we would either have to make sure the coach was positioned properly so as to avoid hitting the tree OR not use the slide(s).
The door-side, front slide holds sofa, kitchen cabinets, sink, cooktop, and microwave.
The door-side rear slide holds dresser drawers (for our foldable clothes) and overhead storage cabinets, plus a TV.
The opposite of door-side (ODS) front slide holds the fireplace and TV, dining table and chairs, some cabinets, and the residential-size refrigerator.
The opposite of door-side (ODS) rear slide holds the king-size bed and overhead storage cabinets.
So here’s the photo I captured with the slides all shut.
Inside view from front with slides closed (retracted). (Driving Mode)
And here’s a look at the inside after we reached our next site and opened (extended) all the slides.
Inside view from front with slides open (extended). (Camping Mode)
I also decided to include a couple others, just for fun.
Captured from doorway of rear bathroom, looking toward front (blinds over windshield are in the down position).
Captured from kitchen looking toward front of coach.
When all the slides are out, it looks quite roomy inside, eh?
I didn’t bother straightening up for the pictures, so you’ll see some clutter laying about (we’re working on that), but who cleans before sharing pics with friends?
