“Q”, a desert lake, & another problem

 

We land at Hidden Beaches in Blythe, CA to deal with the house issues.  (See former post.)  It is on the Colorado River and sounds like a beautiful park.  But not so with the full hookups.  We are stuck in a slum, looking at a storage shed and our neighbor’s refrigerator.  To be fair, the water sites are immaculate…we did not inquire on their cost. This is a PA park which is $16 with the discount.

Colorado River

We arrive at Dome Rock on Monday, 5 days before the huge fiberglass rally that happens the first weekend in February.  Parking in the back close to John and BJ, we think we have a good spot.   The next day Jerry and Wanda appear and then Glenda and Jeff .  It is bloggers row!

I take few photos…can’t seem to get excited about taking pictures of trailers that look identical.  The time is spent visiting and eating. 

John, BJ and Turk.

The weather is turning hot!  It gets up to 89 inside our trailer and more Casitas keep arriving.  We are beginning to feel like a sandwich.

On Saturday morning, no longer having fun, we head east to Scottsdale for another short visit with family.

Trying something new, we make reservations at Westworld of Scottsdale.  It is just for one night and much easier to park than the daughter’s back yard.

Our site is in a parking lot facing the polo field.

This large tent is the home of the famous Barrett-Jackson collector car auction.  West World is huge!  We walk 3 miles trying to see everything.

I know there are some cooler temperatures somewhere.  We head up into the Tonto National Forest to a campground on Lake Roosevelt. 

Beauty is found everywhere.

And it is cooler!  A lovely breeze caresses us as we walk in the morning sun. 

I am walking frequently, on a mission to lose some weight after seeing some disturbing photos of myself.  Manage to complete 6 miles (according to the phone) the first full day.

Life is good…much like life right before we had the home crisis 7 days ago.  And, again, another issue…much like the first one!  This time a clog in the plumbing has resulted in an overflow and a very bad smell! 

Thanks to a good friend who met the septic company and then met the plumbers, the crisis is resolved.  Not sure at this writing if we must head back home early to take care of the aftermath.  Don’t want to leave…each day here in the winter feels like a golden gift!

Will know something in a few days.

Land Between the Lakes Rally (TN)

 

One week ago we are in the middle of the LBL rally.  We are first timers to this gathering but it does not feel new as many long time friends are already there.

The Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area was created by the federal government in the 60’s.  It’s the area between the Tennessee  and Cumberland Rivers before the rivers flow into the Ohio.  There are 170,000 acres, 300 miles of shoreline and 500 miles of trails between the rivers.  This link gives a 15 minute video of the area.

Piney Campground, located near Dover, TN is a 5 plus hour drive for us, mostly on I-24 W.  Our only problem is Nashville traffic which is worse since our last trek through town. 

It’s a huge campground!  We back in and see no water hookup…after another tour of the loop, we settle in with a full tank.

Soon after arriving I discover my Nikon camera is not functioning!! The Sigma lens is not telescoping.  Resorting to the Canon point and shoot, I find it’s not cooperating… telling me to charge an already full battery.  Frustrated, I do the best I can with photos.

View from our friends’ campsite.

This rally has a variety of trailers attending…one even pulled by a model T!  The group has many activities to attend including a raffle and Dutch oven demonstration.

Notice the jackets!  We went from running the A/C to running the heater in just 24 hours!

Took a drive up the Trace to see the buffalo.  This herd is on the main road close to the Homeplace, a 1850’s farm.

It’s raining off and on during our visit to the old farm.  Enjoyed seeing the old buildings.

Loved seeing this old farm.  It’s the only attraction we managed to squeeze in….lots to do in the campground!

Next week we will be journeying to the Cherokee, NC rally.  This is our fifth year to attend and my first year as a rally host. 

Will see how it goes….this may be my first and last encounter with rally leadership!!!  Meanwhile I must go find a new camera lens!

Mt Pisgah on the Blue Ridge Parkway

view from the campground

After spending eight glorious days and nights at this idyllic mountain retreat, we returned home jumping back into home updating projects.  The bath is mostly done and it’s time to take a break before returning to kitchen painting.

Waking at 4 AM this morning with blogging on my brain, it is time to take another look at our favorite summer get away.

Introduced to this magical place over 20 years ago, we were drawn here initially for biking and hiking opportunities.  The campground has 5 loops, two RV and three tent, with around 140 sites.  There are no hookups for electric, water or sewer and we never need a reservation….due to the lack of facilities! 

The Mt Pisgah campground is the highest, coolest and most secluded on the 489 mile Blue Ridge Parkway.  At 4, 980 feet, it  provides us with cool breezes and temps that welcome a fire at night.  Mt Pisgah, photo above, is at 5,721 feet with the television tower being the highest east of the Mississippi River.  There are showers in the campground now….years ago we bathed under a sun shower hung in a rhododendron thicket.  The fee is $16 per night, $8 with a senior pass.  The time policy allows camping for 30 consecutive nights, a recent change from a 2 week limit.

The campground is at mile 408 on the parkway, about 15 miles south of Asheville, NC and 61 miles from Cherokee, NC.  It is 5 1/2 hours drive from our home in Chattanooga, 200 miles.  We never hurry as it’s beautiful …traveling through two river gorges and 40 miles on the parkway.

Within walking/hiking distance of the campground, a restaurant, inn and camp store can be accessed.  These photos were taken in early evening from the deck behind the restaurant.

Always love seeing the beautiful flowers found growing along the parkway.  The elevation makes for a much later season.  We find columbine, a very early blooming wildflower, on a hiking trail.  Rhododendron is blooming throughout our campsite.

This wildflower, fly poison, is found along the campground road.

Calla lilies are in the restaurant’s garden.

From the eastern overlooks, Looking Glass Rock, (near Brevard, NC) can be viewed.  There’s a steep hiking trail that climbs to its base.

Sylvester seems to enjoy the trip…or maybe he just likes getting away from his two older sisters!  Lots of entertainment can be found just outside the window.

Sylvester lets us know when it’s bedtime by crawling on top of David’s book, persistently returning every time he’s removed.

A few fiberglass trailers breeze through the campground, most staying only a night.  We are fortunate to make friends with Holly, new Casita owner, and Carrie, proud owner of a pre-owned Scamp.  Will be seeing them again at future rallies!

Too busy talking to get any pictures of their rigs but the campground does have an abundance of small trailers.

This is a cool but pricey little all-aluminum trailer… Camplite.

A 1960 Shasta…no peak inside …still remodeling.

Beautiful homemade teardrop type.

The Retro Lite’s owners are on a multi-month trip….fun people who travel constantly.

The last few days on the parkway are spent hiking…. driving to the Shining Rock area and taking the Ivestor Gap trail.

It is mostly flat, an old roadbed, but the large rocks in the trail prove challenging.  Will take the Art Loeb trail next time!

Looking For Balance, Love in the Rally

 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Apologies for waiting so long to post…..there’s no good excuse, except the continuing emotional rollercoaster of downsizing.

Not wanting to reenter the world of depression, we start working on the basement soon after returning from the Townsend rally.

There’s another room to the right where most of my energy is being spent.  It’s almost empty of my possessions….can’t say the same for the hubby!  Thus the roller coaster.  On this particular morning, don’t know if we will be able to sell the house.  Is it worth going through all the conflict?  When trying to push (him), our relationship suffers.  Life is too short!

I’m trying to remember how to live, happily, in a house, in a town, in the same place.  Trying to reconnect with people I enjoy and it’s challenging after being away so long!  Taking more effort than available.  Looking for balance between the travel world full of bloggers and fiberglass rallies  and the home world with family and old friends.  Must also find a way to balance the downsizing work with exercise and socializing.  This hermit stuff is not working for me!

Subject change…….

Townsend 2014

It’s a rainy Tuesday when we arrive at the Townsend/ Great Smokies KOA.  We enter a pull though and don’t unhitch.  Our 4 night stay on the river starts tomorrow. 

Pleasantly surprised that many good friends are already here.  Find a whole row of old friends with new trailers, some moving to Escapes, some to more traditional S. O. B.’s, (some other brand).  One of our favorite couples arrived 4 nights ago! We walk, frequently stopping to chat and catch up with our buddies.

And the rally begins……non-stop visiting and eating for 4 days!  

We are getting braver with the Dutch oven, preparing a breakfast casserole for the morning pot luck.  Black Forest dump cake is a success the following night.  (Notice, below, the bottom spoon scrapings.)

Our site on the river

The Little River

Difficult to describe a rally….it’s all about the energy of the people….their love for each other and their trailers.  Going to parade just a few of our friends…..

This is our third rally in six months and I find myself enjoying the events more and more.  Each one better than the last.  This time I feel so much love in my heart….are the people here more loving?  Or have I changed and can accept the love that was already there?  Whatever!  Loving the feeling of being loved!

There are 64, maybe more, trailers here.  Many friends are not in the pictures as it is Saturday before I remember the blog and the need for documentation.

A few trailers:

Kentucky Burro

Most of the campers, as usual, are Casitas….from the old to the new.

The high spot of the rally is always the Saturday night pot luck.  Hungry folk wait patiently for their turn.

One of the reasons the pot luck is so appealing…..this is made in a Dutch oven!

The music begins after dinner.

And it is over!  Time for goodbyes and plans to meet again!

We decide to spend another night in the Smokies as a few friends are heading to Elkmont campground.

Another night of tale swapping fun.

Finding wildflowers along the river at Elkmont.

Celandine poppy

Showy orchid

Large white trillium

The weather forecast is ominous with several days of storms, possibly tornados, coming.  We are anxious to get home but a trip to Cherokee, NC is necessary. The Tacoma pulls the Chatta-Egg up and over Newfound Gap, elevation 5,046, without a problem.

Happy Holiday RV Park has had a few changes with a new pizza and breakfast addition.  We check out the covered pavilion and central fire pit.  Discuss some details with the manager and everything is good.  The 2014 Cherokee rally is just 5 months away!

 

Flame azalea in Cherokee