Travels with CC and Dixie: Journey South

With the exception of a few high wind pockets, our day on the road to South Carolina was a good one. The mountain silhouettes, rocky cliff faces and deep canyons of South Virginia and Virginia satisfy the traveler’s soul. The isolated weather-worn homes and abandoned businesses, fuel the imagination. As we drive through the mountain tunnels, we always contemplate their conception and construction, a marvel. Now and then we passed a blaze of colour, either fungus on the rocks or lingering fall leaves.

We arrived in Gaffney, South Carolina at the Freightliner Service Centre late afternoon. Customers park and hook up to power in their parking lot. After Dixie had a long walk and we settled in, we drove to a nearby restaurant that we knew in the area and enjoyed a good dinner with no prep and no cleanup. An early turn in followed as we knew the alarm would be buzzing soon for CC to go in for her oil change and engine checkup. For anyone who may be new to the blog, CC Rider is what we called out Motor home when we first bought her four years ago and yes the CC represents Chris and Caron. We just call her CC now. We spent the day hiking in the Cowpens National Park, (site of a famous battle during the American Revolution), checking out a few local shops and reading in the Freightliner waiting room. The coach was problem free and road ready by the end of the day. We stayed overnight in order to push off fresh in the morning.

Rain poured down all night and fog hid the town of Gaffney as we headed out in the morning. Gradually the sun burned through and our day was a mixture of sun and cloud and a few sprinkles of rain. The landscape was mainly scruffy pine, quiet marshes and stark waterways. The heavy rains had swollen the rivers and they were brick red with mud. Lack of stimulating scenery had us focusing on the interesting cargo that passed us along the highway and the always strong patriotism shown by Americans in many different ways. The day grew dark and rainy as we pulled in for the night at Country Oaks Campground at the foot of Georgia. The heat and humidity were a surprise and we turned on the air conditioning to survive it.

Greeted by a fresh, sunny morning, we were on the road and heading into Florida only ten minutes from the camp. Palm trees and Spanish Moss confirmed our location. Small towns held relics of orange juice huts, pecan and tourist shops, formerly thriving businesses over forty years ago. Clock towers, noble town halls and church steeples of old, mark streets whose prosperity was shaken by the super highways. Out on those highways are the quintessential rows of billboards promising fun, food and shopping galore. Some things about Florida never change! Near Ocala, many gigantic horse farms conjured images of Australia’s beautiful stud farms.

We arrived at Sumpter Oaks RV Park near Bushnell early afternoon and set up at a site where we will stay for a month. In a late season hot spell, the temperatures here are in the eighties but hopefully will cool down next week.