FIRST LEG - 'Day 5' - Norfolk and the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel and Bridge
A very slow start today - the trip and traveling every day is catching up with me ... I'm kind of a traveling woos! (how do you spell that?:))!)
Headed to the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel and Bridge - first off - quite the engineering award ... have never seen anything like it ... Here is a video, so you can take the trip with us ... I have to say ... if I had not been video-ing, I would've had to look :)!!!
Headed to the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel and Bridge - first off - quite the engineering award ... have never seen anything like it ... Here is a video, so you can take the trip with us ... I have to say ... if I had not been video-ing, I would've had to look :)!!!
We have enjoyed this little out-of-the-way Campground - Davis Lake RV Campground ..... evening walks around the lake were much enjoyed after a day in the truck!
Leaving the Peanut Capital --- (yep, Planters Peanuts - right here in Suffolk, VA) .... I think we have done all we want to do in this area ... so leaving tomorrow for Historic Triangle in Williamsburg.
See you on 'SECOND LEG' -- Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown.
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FIRST LEG - 'Day 4' -- Yes, our vacation is FINALLY beginning!!!!!
Thank you Becky Watson - fellow drummer, music therapist, and rhythm maven!!!! Thank you for structuring our day .... breakfast at Tommy's in Hampton was great ... then our Shout Out Video to Christine Stevens with UpBeat Drum Circles - certainly got my day going. I needed that!
From there, we felt we had direction -- and headed to Virginia Beach - only to find out that the heat was not our friend. A quick cafe lunch and a small purchase :) by Me ... carried us to the Edgar Cayce Visitor Center and me relishing the serenity of that space.
Allowing the day to come to its natural end, we headed home (1 hour) ... for hot dogs and fireside ... or fan-side, laundry day and preparing for Norfolk tomorrow before we head to the Historic Triangle of Williamsburg. We are getting in our groove, and HITCH continues to remind us that he needs a lot of TLC by Franky Baby ... the man of the hour/day/week/month/year!
Hard to do a selfie and a kiss-ie! )
Hard to do a selfie and a kiss-ie! )
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FIRST LEG - 'Day 2 & 3' - Camping at Davis Lakes RV Park in Suffolk, VA
FIRST LEG - 'Day 2 & 3' - Camping at Davis Lakes RV Park in Suffolk, VA
Yesterday afternoon and evening was spent recovering from the 10+ hours in the truck at our first destination by the Beaches of Virginia. We had no more parked HITCH, then the skies opened up and rained all night long with serious lightening, thunder, and buckets of rain. Glad to be tucked away, safe and sound.
Our Campground seems really nice from our vantage point -- today we will begin venturing out.
First on our TO-DO list: Find Tire Store and Replace the Blow Out Tire ... WE NEED A SPARE !
My capable hubby, Franky Baby ... took care of the spare ... we are back in action. Headed out to check out Suffolk VA - nothing there .... a comedy of errors. Will wait til tomorrow to begin AGAIN!
Our Campground seems really nice from our vantage point -- today we will begin venturing out.
First on our TO-DO list: Find Tire Store and Replace the Blow Out Tire ... WE NEED A SPARE !
My capable hubby, Franky Baby ... took care of the spare ... we are back in action. Headed out to check out Suffolk VA - nothing there .... a comedy of errors. Will wait til tomorrow to begin AGAIN!
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FIRST LEG - 'Day 1'
Frank's retired ... I cleared my calendar .... the kids and grand kids all have lives of their own .... the road ahead is clear ... and Away We Go!
We are HitchedUp to our 'main boy' - HITCH, our 34' Forest River 5th wheel and heading North in July to the beaches and mountains of Virginia and Shenandoah Valley. This is our longest trip so far. We've been piddling on little excursions, getting the feel for the road; and, now we feel ready to take the plunge or shall I say ... 'Trek.'
Even the first day, blighted with issues such as: Hitch's battery got low overnight before leaving, so all the food began defrosting and getting hot, tire bubbles and set up issues ... we still managed to stay calm and accepting, believing .. 'This Too Shall Pass.' And, it did.
We are HitchedUp to our 'main boy' - HITCH, our 34' Forest River 5th wheel and heading North in July to the beaches and mountains of Virginia and Shenandoah Valley. This is our longest trip so far. We've been piddling on little excursions, getting the feel for the road; and, now we feel ready to take the plunge or shall I say ... 'Trek.'
Even the first day, blighted with issues such as: Hitch's battery got low overnight before leaving, so all the food began defrosting and getting hot, tire bubbles and set up issues ... we still managed to stay calm and accepting, believing .. 'This Too Shall Pass.' And, it did.
Only 3 hours out of Jacksonville, an Angel in Disguise, followed us off of the SC Welcome Center's Exit to tell us that he saw a bubble in our back tire and wanted to be sure we knew. WHAT?????? No, please, no. But, yes, it was true. Fortunately, or so we thought, we had been the wiser and purchased COACHnet for just these type of emergencies. A quick call to them hastened an immediate dispatch within the hour -- NOT.....! An hour later, they called to say it would be another 1:45 min. -- WHAT???? What to do ... temperature was rising -- 94 degrees. Should Frank take it on himself and change the tire ... Should Frank dig through the truck to find all he needs to change it when he is paying for this service???? No, decision was NO. 1:45 minutes later we received a call that they were almost there - 10 minutes. Woo hoo, excitement. NOT! In 20 minutes we received a call it would be another 1:45 minutes .... WHAT????? OMG! Now what .... Ok. No choice. Once off the phone, Frank is adamant to say the least ... he decides to see what he can do .... We receive a call that the provider is not going to be able to make it AT ALL .... WHATTTTTTTTT???? Forget it, cancel it ... Franky is almost done with changing it himself. Despite the extreme heat ... near exhaustion ... he got it done ... and we were on the road within 45 minutes. This is all after waiting 4 hours for COACHnet ... :( .... I would not want to be on the other end of the phone when he calls them on Monday. Ouch.
Within two hours, we were at our FIRST STOP - FLORENCE RV PARK, in Florence. SC. Ah!!!! Finally.
After a little mishap with the master bedroom slide, we finally settled in for the night. Grabbed a quick dinner - listened to the FIREWORKS from a distance. But, we made it -- DAY 1.
RAMBLIN' RECOMMENDATIONS FROM DAY 1: (only 7 :)!!!!)
1: Always, and I mean always, take a cooler with ice & cool paks in it — just in case the refrigerator breaks down.
2: Always have an easy meal to heat up or eat when you get to your destinations… chances are you WILL NOT feel like cooking or going anywhere … spaghetti & meatballs, pizza, wings, etc.
3: Check tires - rub your hands around them - feel them, look close — for separating rubber, nails, tread, etc.
4: Don't count on Road Side Service! They leave people stranded.
5: The RV's battery cannot sustain a refrigerator and other devices for more than a day -- yes, you turn the refrigerator on the day before you leave for a trip -- but don't try 2 days. The battery, with all the other hard-wired accessories cannot sustain.
6: The under bed storage DOES NOT hold heavy objects. It will be break in transit and negatively affect the slide extension when opened. NOT GOOD!!!! Always STOP right away, when you hear a crunch.!!!!
7: The storage under the seats in the dining room chairs ... does not hold heavy objects such as manuals, etc. Constant pounding and highway roads are very hard on stored items.
1: Always, and I mean always, take a cooler with ice & cool paks in it — just in case the refrigerator breaks down.
2: Always have an easy meal to heat up or eat when you get to your destinations… chances are you WILL NOT feel like cooking or going anywhere … spaghetti & meatballs, pizza, wings, etc.
3: Check tires - rub your hands around them - feel them, look close — for separating rubber, nails, tread, etc.
4: Don't count on Road Side Service! They leave people stranded.
5: The RV's battery cannot sustain a refrigerator and other devices for more than a day -- yes, you turn the refrigerator on the day before you leave for a trip -- but don't try 2 days. The battery, with all the other hard-wired accessories cannot sustain.
6: The under bed storage DOES NOT hold heavy objects. It will be break in transit and negatively affect the slide extension when opened. NOT GOOD!!!! Always STOP right away, when you hear a crunch.!!!!
7: The storage under the seats in the dining room chairs ... does not hold heavy objects such as manuals, etc. Constant pounding and highway roads are very hard on stored items.
See you tomorrow! We are tired.