Well, that old adage might keep the doctor away from humans but CC refuses to consume anything but diesel and DEF fluid. She might be our home but she’s still a vehicle and one that travels some rough roads so annual checkups are an important part of our motorhome’s preventative medicine. And so we drove from West Virginia to Gaffney, South Carolina to the Freightliner Service Centre. We “camped” in the parking lot and CC had her oil changed and a full inspection. She also stepped onto the RV fashion runway wearing new aluminum wheels!
Over our three days there, we hiked in the beautiful Cowpens National Battlefield and Park. Last year, we visited in December so that most of the foliage was gone but this November, the fields were splashed with bright red Sumac and many trees wore flaxen leaves. We also toured the Visitor Centre this year to view displays of uniforms, weapons and an amazing oil painting of the battle. A video portrays the battle as told through the voice of a young boy’s grandfather who narrates his difficult and proud memories. We carried the images of muskets, bayonets and cannon clashing out to the actual fields where we could visualize the actual battle with the shouts from British Colonel Tarleton and victor, American General Daniel Morgan. The 17th of January in 1781 was a much colder, icy day, remarkable! For the curious, the ‘Cowpens’ were a series of grassy fields where local farmers grazed their cattle, thus the battle name.
We drove west out of Gaffney, heading for Red Bay Alabama, home of the Tiffin factory and service centre where CC was conceived. Tiffin Motorhome owners realize that a pilgrimage there is necessary every year. The weather was ideal for touring with blue, windless skies and sun that nudged the temperatures up into the mid 70’s. We passed through some lovely countryside and a few busy cities, the largest being Atlanta Georgia. Traversing cities,we always hold our breath that it is not rush hour, there are no major accidents or construction and that the GPS provides adequate warning for lane changes. All good!
Can’t tour the south without peaches, peanuts and pecans.
many“dead” tires along the highways ‘ trinity’ of power towers ‘chimney clouds’
We spent the night at an adequate Passport America park called “Talladega Creekside Resort” in northern Alabama. Dixie had a quick dip in the river as we held our breath that there were no huge, hungry, catfish lurking about. The park is a popular spot for motorsport enthusiasts who attend events at the Talladega Motor Speedway nearby. With a small bumpy field for motorhomes, a creek, a handful of aging cabins and a horseshoe pit, it appears that the title “Resort” has been freely applied here!
Our drive to Red Bay was short and uneventful. We arrived around 2:00 pm and were grateful to find an actual campsite on the lot with power, water and sewer hookups. On our third visit here, we are used to being surrounded by rows of huge Tiffin coaches. Our number is added to the roster and the waiting game begins. Luckily, the impressive Tishomingo Park is a quick drive away. With lake, streams, river, incredible rock outcroppings, woods filled with Live Oak, Maple and Cypress plus trails galore, we wile away the hours exploring. The late fall colours remind me of an Indian Sari with yellow, burgundy and bits of gold. The predominant colour is yellow and the sun defines every variation of mustard: honey, dijon, baseball park-cadmium and even pale wasabi-green. Now and then we would spot a tree whose leaves looked tinged with raspberry juice. As if we were watching a stage play, 5-8 leaves would softly whirl or backflip down to the forest floor as if they’d been released every six minutes,on cue, from someone up on the catwalk. Back at the Motorhome, I have been sorting recipes and typing and scanning them into my computer. I must have food on the brain, thus the culinary imagery! We find many chores and activities to do in and around the coach while we wait for service so it’s easy to pass the time.
Today is Veterans Day in the US and Remembrance Day in Canada. We proudly wore our poppies and stood to attention at 11:00 am on this November 11 in honour of war Veterans past and present and in memory of people everywhere who have been touched by war. LEST WE FORGET
“Poppy” By Bones Nelson
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