Heading to the Shop

  Lazy, rainy morning Tuesday Nov.6 with no hurry to drive two hours south to the Freightliner Service Centre in Gaffney, South Carolina. Settled into the parking lot rv site and set out for a long hike. The  Cowpens Battle Field of the War of Independence 1776 were marked with placards illustrating the various stages of the battle where American troops fought and soundly defeated the British.

  Although the breeze was cool, the sun provided enough warmth to keep us comfortable and add a glow to the oak leaves fluttering down and heaped on the ground. A variety of  Red, White and Willow Oak, create the woods there and beneath all of them are plentiful stores of acorns, some as large as walnuts and others tiny like currants.
  I found some sweet honeysuckle still in bloom and chose a couple of strands to pop into a vase. We also snapped a couple of fresh rosemary sprigs from the herb garden outside the historic Robert Scruggs homestead, built at the edge of the battlefield in the 1850's.
A stretch of cotton fields ran behind the trailhead parking lot. We both selected a couple of souvenir pods. We stocked up the fridge with groceries and watched a "choppy" weak-signalled election coverage; just like the results, WEAK!

Wednesday November 7. Obama stays for another term and Americans measure their lives in Blue and Red.
We spent most of the day in the Freightliner waiting room, chatting with other RVers and reflecting over our computers. During a tour of the Freightliner factory, we inspected the assembly lines where chassis for trucks such as UPS, RV's and School buses are constructed. The coolest device was a strap system that hoists up the chassis and flip them upright so that the engines can be dropped in, wheels attached and wiring hooked up. The ingenious system allows for the underside of the chassis to be worked on from above, a more efficient and comfortable arrangement for the workers. Before dinner time, CC was returned to us with a belly full of fresh oil, new filters galore, and a full system checkup. At no costs to us, we camped again in the Freightliner lot.

Early Thursday morning, Chris was off to his chassis workshop called "Camp Freightliner". Dixie and I headed back to the Cowpen Battle Field for another great hike. Describing the smell of Autumn leaves is similar to writing a wine review: The first crunch of fallen leaves releases an earthy, often smokey aroma. Gently turning over the leaves provides a balanced bouquet of big oaks and maples with a rough, puckery tannin feel. Further bruising of the foliage will release a sharp acidity, an underlying Cinnamon spice and a finish of Bittersweet and Purple Clover.

I had a creative afternoon making cards. Chris enjoyed his class and gleaned lots of information from the instructor and a library of reference material for the future. Freightliner hosted a BBQ dinner where the manager and customer service rep exchanged information and comments with our fellow RVers.

Monday Monday

Continued south through rolling hills where Kudzu vines grew over the trees and bushes transforming them into giraffes, elephants and sci-fi creatures. It looked like Edward Scissor hands had been busy. Many of you have likely seen this invasive species, especially if you've travelled south from Canada to the Carolina's, Georgia or Florida. We settled into a riverside campground near Asheville,early afternoon and Dixie and I hiked along the jogging path which was busy with runners, bikes and in-line skaters. Even Dixie looked surprised to see a gal wobbling along on a unicycle. Dixie had a short river swim as the French Broad River current was strong and she was not in the mood to fight it. The paths were covered in huge maple leaves the size of dinner plates. Folks sure must know that Autumn is here when those bad boys begin dropping on their heads! Notice the penny in the photo to indicate the scale.

We drove into downtownAsheville where the historic Art Deco district has been restored. The architectural details, lamps and street sculptures were great. Early Girl southern food restaurant served up a hearty "dunch". My fried green tomatoes and goat cheese took the comfort food prize . The ric rac on the curtains was perfect for the retro restaurant interior.

Wandered the town window shopping and checking out the many small art galleries. We've seen many flatiron buildings on our travels but never one with an actual sculpture of an iron out front!

The sounds of bluegrass music drew us to an old Woolworth's Building. Inside, was a working soda fountain which provided a nostalgic blast from our teenage years. I had to challenge it's authenticity because there was no Honeydew machine! As well, there were a number of art displays of local potters, painters and photographers.

The cold winds blow as we head further south...........stay tuned.

They're Off!

Under grey skies and light snow, we left Orangeville on November 3; very content to be on the road again! Dixie was spooked to enter the RV with the engine running. I guess it will take a few days to settle her in. Our drive was uneventful as we had hoped.

The sky remained overcast for 80% of the time with strong winds, rain and temperatures just above freezing. Chris shed a few tears as his labours of cleaning and waxing the motor home were covered with a nasty film of mud and road grime.

It was the type of Saturday I remember from my university days when assignments could be completed by early afternoon or postponed until Sunday. The mix of cool winds leaking through my bulky fall sweater and slate skies showing slim promise of sun, lead me straight to the pub. At that stage of my life there was something comforting about bench seats, dark wood veneer, beer-scented indoor outdoor carpet and the glow of plastic coals in a fake fireplace. It was always a cinch to find classmates to share a bowl of peanuts and invent shell throwing contests. Someone would order fries which arrived under a lump of gravy which closely resembled a blob of silkscreen ink that most of us art students still had jammed under our fingernails. After all, it was the 70's and brown was considered an "IN" colour!

We stopped to fill up with diesel and grab some lunch. Along the highway, we noticed a few spots where snow lay in the shade of cliffs and thick woods. More prevalent, were the dead deer along the roadside. We spotted one almost every twenty minutes. I tried telepathically, to warn the live deer as they munched leaves near the highway's edge. I'm afraid their soft dewy eyes showed little concern. We plodded on as darkness fell and parked at a Walmart in Morgantown, West Virginia. We heated up some gruel and toasted with some Vanilla Porter, to our first 400 miles.

Sunday's sun was welcome as were temperatures in the high 40's Fahrenheit as we set out on day two. The scenery was more spectacular as we drove through mountain tunnels, deep beside lake and river valleys and high into the Appalachians.

Roadside snow piles increased in height as we travelled south until everything was buried under a foot of snow or more. Luckily the highways were dry and the views were lovely as the sun cast blue highlights across the snow. At the scenic Gauley Bridge, Dixie was able to paw and snuffle some of her favourite snow.

Remember those cream cakes that were pictured on the side of chocolate wafer cookie boxes that promised an easy dessert constructed with layers of cookies and whipped cream? The above mountain side reminded me of them.

Super storm Sandy's wrath was evident everywhere. She had usurped Mother Nature's methodical shaking down of fall leaves and raped all the trees of their foliage. Sadly, Sandy had wrestled numerous tree tops and won, leaving fresh blond
wood jagged and splintered. They looked down in forlorn at their former splendour, crumpled on the ground. The shattered limbs resembled a self administered haircut of a three year old child in possession of sewing sheers.

Views south of the storm region into Virginia, were in contrast, pastoral, the rolling hills dotted with black Angus cows, postcard towns nestled in the valleys and distant mountains soft in their layers of blue. We camped in a beautiful state park in Tennessee where autumn was still in progress and mustard coloured leaves added a lively crunch to our hikes and rained down slowly from above.

They're at the Post

We are looking at similar weather to that of our spring arrival: cold, windy, rainy and muddy.
The final spit polish and packing will be completed today and tomorrow we'll be on track
to warmer weather. We've closed up the gardens and stored the renovation tools for the spring.

                                                                 

We conclude a busy summer of working on our rental home and visiting friends and family
with destinations like the Florida Keys, Arizona and Southern California fueling our anticipation.
Be sure to tune in every two weeks or so to keep in touch with Caron, Chris and Dixie on the road
in CC Rider!

Yikes...Eight Month Journey Almost Done......

Leaving Red Bay we cut east into Mississippi to pick up a southern leg of the famous Natchez Trace, a turn of the century route between Nashville and Louisiana now a smallish paved highway. We followed it north a hundred miles or so and cut east on 72. It was a gorgeous day, with a picnic in the mountains where blue and turquoise butterflies erratically fluttered along the hiking trail. Camped in the Tim's Ford State Park TN, for a few days where cardinals, mockingbirds and robins were plentiful. Hiked under some unique White Oak and Yellow Tulip Poplar trees whose fallen blossoms decorated the trails. Great wide river with cool. fossil-filled rocky beaches. Dixie enjoyed daily swims while I did some rock hunting. Where do you see cactus and iris side by side?

Toe-tapped through an evening of "Pickin n Grinnin" a fantastic bluegrass and country show at the park recreation centre. There were 26 local musicians singing and pickin' their guitars, dulcimers, mandolins, banjos and ripping out tunes on harmonica and fiddles! Fabulous and free!

April 15, we headed for Lynchburg TN for a tour of the Jack Daniels Distillery. We drove along winding roads past "hillbilly-homes" and gorgeous barns with shaggy chickens, goats and horses in the yard. Took Dixie for a stroll through the historic town of Lynchburg. The town is filled with restaurants and gift shops arranged around the old town hall. The Harley Davidson Shop seems to be a magnet for bikers on Sundays and the square was lined with an array of shiny "hogs".

Packed Dixie into the car with her water, bone and windows open and went off for our tour of the Jack Daniels Distillery. Saw the charcoal production yard, produced for filtering; the hot and musky yeast tanks where the barley, rice and corn start their transformation (with crazy humongous computer-control room) the filtration tanks room; the barrel warehouse for the important aging and the bottling area where one barrel is bottled at a time for quality control! JD actually starts out as a bourbon but the charcoal filtering changes it to a Tennessee sippin' whiskey. Back in the tasting room we enjoyed a small glass of lemonade...rats!!!!!
Lynchburg is in a dry county!

 A couple of days later, we had a wonderful camping and touring experience at Great Smoky Mountains NP. Even though the weather was overcast, foggy and often drizzling, we had a superb self guided tour of Cades Cove. It boasts a great collection of a preserved turn of the century community at the base of a mountain. Buildings such as the mill, pioneer cabins, white clapboard homes and Methodist and Baptist Churches with picturesque old cemeteries lined with  flowering dogwood. Around the buildings and barns were great pieces of farm machinery and incredible rail fences. Many deer and wild turkeys wandered through the grassy fields in the park. We enjoyed a porch- performance by a friendly musician playing the country dulcimer and banjo while his daughter tapped her boots and played tambourine.

 It's an idyllic place and easy to see why folks would settle there.

By April 18, we were heading into Virginia, enjoying the expansive views of farm country across the hills. Spring was not as far along and many trees were just beginning to leaf out. We ventured along "Skyline Drive" where we stopped at many of the overlooks of spectacular mountains in spring bloom and fresh leaf.  Set up camp in the beautiful woods of "Big Meadows Campground" Spent a couple of great days there enjoying hikes along the Appalachian Trail, some campfires and foggy walks in the woods!

Next stop Washington DC. On the way we stopped in the rain at Virginia's Manassas National Battlefield Park, also know as Bull Run, where we toured their museum and were informed by a park ranger about the details of the important first battle of the American Civil War. What staggering statistics of lives lost!

Leaving nature, we drove up to Virginia where we immersed ourselves in the Washington DC sites for a few days. Staying at Cherry Hill Park, we were close to the city where we spent our first rainy day exploring two of the incredible Smithsonian's. We were able to tackle the Air and Space and the Natural History extravaganzas, ultra awe-inspiring!

 We spent most of the following day at the incredible Arlington Cemetery. Among the remarkable number of standard white gravestones were some amazing tributes to military,civilian and political heroes. Dixie came with us and behaved with the respect we'd hoped for.

We also toured the important DC hot spots: The Washington Monument, Lincoln's Statue, The White House and The Mall (which was chewed up with construction) World War II Memorials and The Vietnam War Memorial. These sights were all very overwhelming and evocative.

Driving into Pennsylvania, we entered the agricultural rolling hills and pastures of scenic farmland and quaint practices of the Amish people. We passed a few carriages along the highway, a barn raising, a few ploughs being towed by teams of mules or horses and gardens being planted beside lines of clothes, by women decked out in long dresses and bonnets. I have a curious interest and respect for the Amish and Mennonite folks. We camped in the Cabella's parking lot aside a few other motor homes for two nights. We had a great view of the hills and handy access to all our camper needs and wants.

Heading north again, we drove into New York where we stayed at a couple of State Parks.We sat on a bright grassy hill in the setting sun, overlooking a sparkling pond and listening to spring peepers and birds bedding down for the night. Reflecting on our eight month journey,we cannot begin to to take it all in. We look forward to seeing our family and friends and begin planning for our next adventure.

We return to Canada today, April 30, 2012.  We'll camp for short time here at Albion Hills Recreation Area.