A week on the mountain

April 23 - May 1

Clara has a get together with a group of friends near Boone for a few days, so we've used that excuse to go up early and spend a few days enjoying Spring in the mountains.

On arrival, the leaves are just beginning to bud at this elevation.  And flowers are blooming everywhere.  A nice time to be here.

I never get tired of taking pictures of the sunsets!

And the birds!

I treated myself to a new Eno Swing on a visit to the Mast General Store!

Headed home

Saturday, March 26

We’re heading North.

We stuck pretty close to our 4 hour max driving.  As usual, on the way we started deciding where we would stop.

We ended up at a County owned RV park about 15 miles off the interstate near Brunswick, Ga.  Our experiences in the past have been very good with county parks, and this is no different. 

The park is located on the Altahama River.  As soon as we settled in, I got the kayak and went out on the river for an hour or so, then we both hiked a while, and then I rode the bike for a while.

This is a very well kept County park, with lots of new facilities (bath houses, general store, docks, swings, etc). 

Kayaking in the backwaters of the Altahama River

The park is located where a railroad bridge was once.

It’s really great to stumble on places like this in our travels.  It’s not for every traveler, but this is the kind of place we are really comfortable and enjoy.   It was definitely a place for those that like country music and there weren’t any big motor homes.  But it was filled with families enjoying a nice day on the river.

Sunday, March 27

It’s great to be able to travel and have the time to make quick decisions without having to worry about to many deadlines.

Such was today.  

We got a little late start leaving Altahama.  A bedroom slide wouldn’t come in – until I found the wire under the bed that had somehow become disconnected.  

With the problem corrected, we headed North with the intent on making it about half way home today (Home being Spruce Pine this time).  About an hour on I-95 and we ran into heavy (and I do mean heavy) rain. 

I checked the radar and forecast and it is predicted to be this way through at least midnight.

Clara is driving and we’re down to 35 mph in stop and go traffic (I do mean heavy rain).  After a little of this, I figure it’s not worth driving in this for 4 hours, taking the chances that could be involved.  

So with a little checking, I find a nice RV park a little up the road North of Savannah, make reservations and 30 minutes later we’re checking in and getting settled in for a quiet day listening to the rain, relaxing and catching up (we didn’t have Internet service at Altahama). 

Holding up in a soggy South Carolina

Such are the niceties of retirement travel.

Monday, March 28

A travel day.  I actually believe we broke the rule - 10 to 2 or 200 miles - by a little.  But it's always hard to stop when you're close to home.

We drove to Spruce Pine.  A very comfortable drive arriving around 3 PM.

We're leaving the motor home at the Walmart parking lot tonight and plan to move it tomorrow to a friends industrial plant (Buck Stove) tomorrow where they have plenty of space.

We quickly settled into the big house.  I commented to Clara that is amazing how quickly we're able to transition from traveling in a 40 foot motor home to a 3,000 square foot house so easily.  We certainly don't need all this space - but it's nice to have.  But it's a long way to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Tuesday, March 28 to Wednesday, April 6

The highlight of the week and the reason we drove to Spruce Pine rather than directly to Beaufort is a visit with the kids (all four).  They arrived Thursday and stayed until Sunday.  It's not often we get together in Spruce Pine anymore and every time we do, it is special.

Our favorite place for pictures on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  In the background is The Orchard at Altapass (the red barn) and just above the barn is the ridge on which our Mountain Home is located.

Linville Falls 

Hanging out with Doc Watson in Boone

Anna got some new (to her) boots so she can do some "boot scootin'"

Wednesday, April 6

We have finished our winter trip with the drive back to Beaufort.

Since departure from Beaufort on January 8, we've driven the motor home 2757 miles and stayed in it 81 days (it was 91 days away from home, minus the 10 days we flew back to Beaufort).

It's been a great adventure, and is exactly why we enjoy RVing.

Now we're starting to plan for our summer trip out West.

Disney World for Adults

Tuesday, March 22-Wednesday March 23

We're set up in the RV park for Alliance Coach.  Alliance is a moderate sized RV dealer (it seems primarily Monaco) with a nice service center.

It's located in Wildwood Florida, which we've never heard of.  It's between Ocala and Orlando.

This afternoon we got into the service center and they've determined that both front jacks need to be replaced.  Now to find the replacement jacks!  They get in contact with the manufacturer and they are having the jacks shipped overnight (at my expense), so perhaps we'll be on our way by Thursday or Friday.

Meanwhile, we're learning about the area a little more.  There's a subdivision (not really a subdivision, but a collection of them) close by called The Villages that we're told is one of the largest retirement communities (age restricted to above 55) in the country.

We ride around a little, pick up a picnic lunch at the grocery store and go to a county park for lunch and a bike ride.

Then we start exploring this place called The Villages.

And WOW!  Is it ever a place.  https://www.thevillages.com/

We are told that The Villages is 45 square miles and has over 100,000 residents.  That's incredible. That's 10% of Carteret County's land mass and nearly double the population.

This place is absolutely incredible.  10 golf courses, dozens of recreation centers, swimming pools, lakes, village centers.  The list goes on and on.

We've visited two of the village center (out of three).  That's where the thought that this is "Disney World for Adults" comes from.  These village centers are spread out among the 45 square miles and are really town centers, with restaurants, shops and everything else that a town (without a Walmart) would have.  There is a radio station and television station JUST for the Villages.  And a hospital. And a college.

Golf cars everywhere

Every night (except when the temperature gets below 45 degrees) they have entertainment in each of the three "town centers" and at one, there was a crafts fair going on (on Thursday night) and there were hundreds (maybe thousands) people listening to music, dancing, shopping and eating.

I've never seen a booth at a crafts fair selling pickleball equipment.  Obviously this is popular with the 55+ age group

Obviously, this part of the crafts fair was devoted to Grandma's with granddaughters on their American Girl doll

Haven't seen this one before

And Golf CARS (NOT Golf CARTS)!  There are traffic jams of these little modes of transportation. There are  roads JUST for the golf cars that link everything in the 45 square miles.  These roads parallel the regular roads, with tunnels underneath the roads so the Golf Cars do not intermingle with the cars.  Dozens are lined up in the town centers side by side in the parking spaces.

We've never seen anything like it.

There's an RV resort close by and we just might have to come back sometime.

Friday, March 25

This afternoon we finished all repairs to the motor home, however, it was too late in the day to start home.  As we were getting ready to go out to eat, Ken came over.  After a couple of drinks, we decided to go out to dinner, so we were joined by his wife, Vicky and we went back to the Italian restaurant we had enjoyed a couple days early.

We had great conversation with them and really enjoyed getting to know them.  Hopefully in the future, we will be able to get with them again.

Tony and Jills

Friday, March 18

We arrived at Tony and Jill's home in Port Charlotte this afternoon and set up camp as usual - in their driveway.  Works beautifully.

It's great to see the Pimentels and get caught up on the latest.  They are going to buy the house.  This was Tony's brothers home and they have been coming here for the past 3 or 4 winters.  It's a great location overlooking a golf course in the back yard.  With a few modifications, like adding a pool and knocking out a wall or so, they will have a great winter home (Summer's are in Maine).

Saturday, March 19

Tony and Jill have lined up a great treat for all of us.  We take the Murder Mystery Dinner Train in Fort Myers.  And what a great evening!

Running on a track that was established in the late 1800's, the Seminole Gulf Railway started the Dinner Train in 1991 with daytime excursions.  Soon they started the first Murder Mystery Productions and were instantly successful.  Over the past 25 years the Murder Mystery Dinner Train has hoster  over 1/2 million visitors.  The train seats up to 208 passengers in four air conditioned vintage railcars from the 1930's to the 1950's.  All of the fabulous food (I had the best prime rib I've ever had) is prepared fresh daily on board the train in the "Marco" kitchen and served by some great people.

A truly unique experience.

Sunday, March 20

Today, there was a great arts street festival in Engelwood.  I've now added to our collection of swinging chairs for our yard in Beaufort with the purchase of a new chair and a stand.  We hope the stand will fit in the basement of the motor home so we want have to find a spot with a tree for Clara to set up her swing.

After dinner this evening, we strolled around the lake in their backyard (which is part of the golf course).  It's an absolutely beautiful backyard, with a lake, alligator, and all kinds of birds.

Monday, March 21

We're off to Wildwood Florida (never heard of the place) to get the jacks on the motor home fixed. They've been acting up lately and now's a good time to fix them.