Monday, February 9, we packed it in and pulled out about 8:30 AM. Getting out of Houston is never any fun, but I was surprised at how little traffic we encountered. We took TX-146 north to Dayton, then US-90 east to Raywood. There we turned north on TX-770 to Batson, and took TX-105 to Silsbee. Finally US-96 north took us to Kirbyville and the last leg of the trip northeast up to South Toledo Bend State Park. We arrived at the campground about 12:15 PM, only to be told that we couldn’t check in until 2 PM. Personally, I think that is ridiculous. I understand if the previous occupant is still there, but that wasn’t the case. Some people say that is to conserve electricity, but that’s a flimsy excuse. Plenty of people are up and leaving at 7 AM to make up the minimal amount they would spend on someone checking in a couple of hours early. Later we did notice the campground host checking campsites, so maybe it is to give him a chance to do that. Couldn’t they just say, “sure you can come on in, but we haven’t checked to see if your site is cleaned up.” Makes a lot more sense. We drove down to the boat ramp area, which was large enough for us to park, and waited. MW decided to take a walk, while I closed my eyes in Priscilla for a bit to get rid of a mild headache. Alas, the latter was not to be. I opened the door and was greeted by a CRAZY MESS! It looked like a food bomb went off!! Before heading out this morning, my routine was changed up a bit by waiting for MW to dump the tanks, then adding enzymes and a bunch of water to clean them out with the sloshing while we ride along. Apparently, I’m not back into the swing enough to do that in the middle of my normal breakdown. I failed to put the two latches on the refrigerator! The door was wide open, and the floor looked like the aftermath of the Animal House food fight!! Thankfully I have plastic bins holding most of the glass stuff, which miraculously did not slide off of the shelves. Unfortunately, a Fresca can was punctured and spewed everywhere, leftovers were mixed in, and a good bit of that mess went up under the slide. Ugh! There was also a Coke Zero bottle wedged up under there. That slide apparently bounces a LOT while rolling down the road! On the plus side, nothing had sugar in it, so it wasn’t sticky. Gotta look at the good, right?! I managed to get most of it cleaned up and improvised a tool to swab the floor under the slide before putting it out. No residual damage…bonus!! Of course, MW didn’t show back up from his walk until I was mostly done. Now that’s timing! It took me a while to get everything back in order, and by the time we were finally set up at the site Iater, I was pooped.

After all of the visiting and going, the rest of this stop was pretty lazy. I had a pajama day on Tuesday while we enjoyed the peace and quiet at the campground and even worked in a nap! Wednesday we headed into Leesville, Louisiana, to find a post office and have lunch at BubbaQue’s Real Pit Grillin’…excellent! Aside from some writing and getting started on some income tax returns, my sideline during tax season, that was about it.

South Toledo Bend State Park wasn’t bad. Located on the Toledo Bend Reservoir near Anacoco, Louisiana, it is less than 30 minutes from Leesville, which is a decent-sized town. Amenities include a visitor center, playground, pavilions, nature and OHV trails, beach, picnic areas, fishing pier, dual boat launches, fishing bridge, and disc golf. Lodging options include cabins and the campground. The latter has more than 50 sites, most with 20/30/50-amp electric and water, and some that are primitive. Sites have picnic tables and fire rings, and many are long enough for the largest rigs. On the plus side, this is a beautiful park and the facilities were very nice. There would be lots to do for families. The only real negative was that the sites, while paved, were not terribly level. I had to use our 3-1/2″ board to get it close enough side-to-side to use the auto-level. In our site the deck was also slightly lower, which made us have to build up support for the steps, which wouldn’t reach the ground. Despite that, and the late check-in policy that bugs me, we would stay at this park again. For this visit in February 2026, we paid $17 per night for 3 nights, which included a senior discount of almost 50%!

Thursday we retraced our steps over to Leesville, then took LA-28 up to Pineville. There MW got another Whataburger fix for lunch, and we picked up a few groceries. From there it was stale road…LA-28 up to US-84 into Mississippi through Natchez and over to Bude. There US-84 became fresh road for us to Brookhaven where we turned north on US-51 up to Wesson and ended the drive at Lake Lincoln State Park. So when you drive into this campground, there is a giant sign with huge red letters that says NO LOUD MUSIC! Unfortunately, the two trailers camping together down the hill from us a pretty good ways away either couldn’t read or didn’t care. They were also oblivious about their constantly barking dogs, dogs running loose, and kids playing loudly all over the campground late into the night. In the evening as we were watching TV, we both smelled smoke and thought someone had a big fire going. It was pretty strong, but it’s a campground, so we didn’t explore.

Friday morning as I headed out to do laundry, I saw the actual source of the smoke…a woods fire. (Maybe we should confirm if we smell a lot of smoke!) I stopped to ask one of the Park workers about it, and she said they were burning a stump. It apparently got a little out of control, burning a decent-sized area in the pine straw. She said that, while they were trying to get the fire under control, kids were hanging around the edges feeding more pine straw into the flames and kept coming back despite being told to stay away. The park manager was going to have a talk with the parents later about that and the loud music. (There was a little less chaos later that night, so I assume she had the conversation.) I continued over to Brookhaven, and boy was there an interesting crowd at the Speedy Wash! There were a couple of guys talking hunting, some crusty old men staying to themselves, and some older ladies who seemed a little above it all. The most interesting, though, was the young woman with a thin shirt, no bra, and leggings that proudly pranced in sporting an ANKLE MONITOR! Before I was done it cleared out a bit and one of the older ladies started talking to me. She brought up that girl, noting that being arrested would have been mortifying for our generation and that little bit of hardware would have been hidden. She said that girl was “wearing it like a badge of honor!” She wasn’t wrong on either count. She also talked about how the media says that we should hate each other because of our respective races, but she thought that was baloney! She is my people…outspoken and full of sass! Before heading back to Priscilla, I popped in at Cracker Barrel (not what it used to be) for a bite to eat and to get some writing and tax work done. Yep…things are ramping up!

Saturday we made a Costco run up to Jackson, Mississippi, which gave us the opportunity to have Indian food at Punjabi Dhaba Indian Cuisine. Yum! MW went for the buffet, which was awesome, while I ordered Butter Chicken so I would have leftovers to take with me. After the shopping was over, we parked at the Mississippi State Capitol to get some pics and walk around a little bit.

Sunday morning we attended services at Heuck’s Retreat Baptist Church in Brookhaven, Mississippi, where we heard a terrific sermon from Pastor Jonathan Guerry entitled Jesus Wins! We have been to a lot of friendly churches and one or two that we know would be “ours” if we lived locally. This one ranks right at the top of both of those lists! We thoroughly enjoyed it. Afterwards we went just around the corner to Georgia Blue, which is a small chain that is absolutely terrific! MW had Seafood Linguini, while I went for the Shrimp and Grits, both of which were great. The most interesting thing, though, was the Turnip Green Bites appetizer, which was turnip greens with cheese and bacon, rolled and deep fried. YUM!

Lake Lincoln State Park is a fairly nice park spread out in a forest of pine, dogwood, and hardwoods. Located in southern Mississippi just a few miles off of I-55, it is an easy drive to Beauregard, Wesson, and Brookhaven, which have all of the conveniences. Amenities include picnic pavilions/areas (some with grills), a nature trail, a playground and volleyball court, an 18-hole disc golf course, a swimming beach, two fishing piers, a boat launch, two heated and cooled bathhouses, a laundry facility, and a dump station. Visitors can fish, boat, swim, and ski on the 550-acre, spring fed Lake Lincoln. One unique and cool thing was non-denominational worship services that are offered Sundays during the summer season at the Magnolia Brush Arbor. Lodging options include a vacation cabin, three vacation cottages, and the campground. The latter has 71 RV sites with concrete pads, picnic tables, grills, water, and electricity. Most of those offer sewer connections as well, and twenty-two are along the lake. All are available for reservation, and they have some monthly camping options, too. Fourteen primitive sites are located separately and are first-come, first-served. The bathhouse near us was older, but well-kept, and in general, the park was very well maintained. Despite yet another “NO EARLY CHECK-IN” policy, we would stay at this park again. For this visit in February 2026, we paid just under $47 per night for a full-hookup, 50-amp, lakeside site.

Monday, February 16, we hit the road about 8:30 AM taking I-55 up to Jackson, then I-20 east for a few miles to MS-25 north. In Starkville, Mississippi, we had lunch at Panda Express, then took US-82 east through Columbus, turning south for the last leg to Lake Lowndes State Park. It was a nice sunny day for a drive, although the temps were a little warm.

Tuesday we stayed in. I attempted to do some tax returns, but the internet was miserably slow. MW took a long walk in the morning, and I took a much shorter one in the afternoon. That was about it.

Wednesday MW was able to get a little coffeeing done outside, which he loves. Later we rode over to Columbus, Mississippi, to have a bit of lunch at Mugshots Grill & Bar (pretty good) and run a few errands. Then, we checked out the Columbus Convention & Visitor Bureau. Housed in a beautiful old Victorian-era style house that turned out to be the first home of Thomas Lanier Williams, III. Originally next door to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church across the street (moved in 1995), it housed his grandfather, Reverend Walter Dakin, who was the rector. Did you recognize Tom’s name? He’s responsible for “Stella, Stella” and the larger than life “Big Daddy” on stage and screen. Because of his thick accent and Southern heritage, a college roommate dubbed him “Tennessee”, and despite never having lived in that state, Thomas was forever after Tennessee Williams. Considered one of the top playwrights of his time, he received the Pulitzer Prize for both “Streetcar Named Desire” (Can you hear Brando now?!?) and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, but gave us so much more including “The Glass Menagerie” and “The Rose Tattoo”. When his plays were riding high, so was Williams, but when things were low, he often drank and did drugs to excess, exacerbating his sometimes catatonic episodes of depression. In his later life, one of his great fears was that he would become insane, like his sister Rose, who was schizophrenic. Tennessee spent a good bit of time in hospitals and mental health facilities, being treated in the method of the time…amphetamines to bring him out of depression followed by Seconal to make him sleep. How sad! In February 1983, Tennessee Williams was found dead in his hotel in New York of what would later be determined a secobarbital overdose. In his 1972 will, Williams left instructions for his burial…at sea. He wanted to be “sewn up in a canvas sack and dropped overboard” as near to the location of the death of poet Hart Crane as possible. Odd, for sure, but it was his wish. His brother Dakin Williams, however, was having none of that and placed him in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, where his mother is also buried. A sad end to an amazing writer who could bring emotional and mental issues to life on the stage like few others. We enjoyed the house tour. They have period furniture and signage that walks you through Tennessee’s life.

Columbus is also home to quite a few early- to mid-1800s homes, so we drove around a bit to take a gander. Before heading back to Priscilla, we also checked out Friendship Cemetery. Founded in 1849, this burial ground was home to our nation’s first Decoration Day. Mary Ann Williams, who was part of the Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus, came up with the idea of decorating the graves of Civil War veterans with flowers on each year on April 26, the official ending date of the Civil War. The first celebration was held 1866, and the idea slowly spread to other states, in some cases was used only to celebrate Union soldiers. After the world wars, it was accepted as a remembrance of ALL soldiers, and a little over 100 years after the first celebration, Congress moved the official observance date to the last Monday in May (which affords a 3-day weekend) and standardized the name to Memorial Day. There are three national holidays in the United States that honor our military, and some people think they are duplicates. However, they are very specific: Armed Forces Day, in mid-May, is specifically for those currently serving; Memorial Day, the end of May, is for those who lost their lives in the service of their country; and Veterans Day, on November 11, is a for all who have served.

Lake Lowndes State Park sits on a 150-acre lake not too far from Columbus, Mississippi, and has a lot going on. Facilities include pavilions, picnic areas, equestrian/mountain bike/hiking/nature trails, playgrounds, sports fields, tennis courts, an 18-hole disc golf course, gymnasium, basketball court, game room, and amphitheater. Visitors can also enjoy fishing, skiing, and other water sports, with several piers and a boat launch available. Lodging options include 6 vacation cabins, a tent campground with 8 sites, and a developed campground. The latter has 50 developed sites which feature 50/30/20 electric, water and sewer. The bathhouse/laundry was being rebuilt during our stay, so brand new facilities should be in place soon. We enjoyed this campground, which is situated in the trees on the lake. For this visit in February 2026, we paid just over $100 for 3 nights.

Well, Thursday turned out to be a doozie. It started off fine with a departure about 8 AM for the long drive across Alabama. We headed north through New Hope to MS-50, which became AL-96 across the state line. Continuing generally northwest, we passed through Fayette and Berry, took AL-18 to Parrish, then hit AL-69 north all the way to Cullman. By then it was time for lunch, and MW had been craving pizza, so Grumpy’s Italian Grill was just the ticket. As we headed in, MW noticed that our left front trailer tire was balding badly on the outside. He had checked tire pressures that morning and could not have missed that, so we pondered while we ate. The pizza was very good, and I was thankful, because the day went south when we got back to Priscilla. The plan was to change the tire, but we needed to move the rig off of the street. Thankfully, Desperation Church and its huge parking lot were right there. After asking permission, we limped the hundred yards or so to the safer area. Then things got worse. MW was preparing to change the tire when he noticed that the wheels on the driver’s side were further apart than they should be. Conversely, the other side’s were closer together. Then he saw that the passenger side equalizer was twisted up at an odd angle. Folks, that’s an axle/suspension issue! WHAT??!! A little crawling around under the trailer revealed the real problem…the rear leaf spring hanger on that side was broken clean off!!!

Our first call was to our favorite shop guy, Tyler, at Campers Unlimited in Oxford, Alabama. We bought Priscilla there and trust them to take care of her. I really had no idea that a mobile mechanic could fix something like this on the side of the road, but that is what he recommended. We contacted CoachNet, our roadside assistance service, who, after 40 minutes or so, found us a wonderful young man named Caleb Waldner of CW Mobile Welding (256-841-9031). He showed up about 20 minutes later, then after assessing the situation, left to get the necessary part…a $6 hanger. That took him about an hour and a couple of stops, but when all was said and done, his total time from receiving the CoachNet call to finishing the job was about 3 hours. We were very happy, and CoachNet picked up the tab for the first hour. Then MW got the tires back on and we stowed all our tools and blocks from jacking Priscilla up and prepping for Caleb while he was part shopping. We were finally back on the road about 5 PM.

Our original plan was to spend a couple of nights up at Desoto State Park in Fort Payne, Alabama, and have lunch on Friday with my parents. However, we were concerned about what may have precipitated the hanger break, so we called Tyler again about getting Pricilla in there for a good once over. (There were also a couple of other issues they could knock out for us.) He fit her in for a Monday drop-off, so we cancelled Desoto and headed over to Noccalula Falls Park and Campground in Gadsden, Alabama. That would put us within 35 minutes or so of the RV place for Monday, and still have us close enough to meet my parents for lunch. We made it to the park and got set up before dark, which was awesome.

I am an eternal optimist and, while not always successful, try very hard to practice patience and take things in stride. In this case, I was quickly thinking of the blessings: 1) The hanger broke somewhere on the road earlier in the day. As a result, the rear axle was not parallel. Very bad things could have happened if the wheels touched or the axle cocked too far out. We made it safely to our lunch stop. 2) This happened in a town that was large enough to have the part and a mobile welder. So often we are in the middle of nowhere on two-lane roads with no easy place to stop and hours from help. 3) The huge church parking lot was right across the street, which got us off of the busy road. Several folks from the church even came out and checked on us and offered us drinks and access to outside power and water if we needed it. 4) Caleb answered the call. He said that he doesn’t answer the phone when he is in the middle of a job, and rarely answers anything from an 800 number. In this case, he was just finishing the previous job and didn’t even know why he picked up the phone. 5) The weather for the past several weeks has been either very cold or very hot. This day was absolutely beautiful, breezy, and in the low-70s. We set our chairs up in the shade and enjoyed it. 6) We are at the end of this trip and headed back to Tennessee, so we have plenty of time to get this worked out. 7) My Mom and Dad2 live about 1-1/2 hours from the RV dealership, so we can go hang out with them while Tyler gets us fixed up. With all this going for us, what in the world could we be upset about.

LESSON LEARNED: Caleb noted that one part of the hanger had been broken off long enough for rust to form there. While MW is very good about checking tires and doing the preventive maintenance, seeing that break would require him to actually crawl up under the trailer. In the future, he’ll add that to his preventive schedule.

Friday I took my time getting my act together, then we rode over to Centre, Alabama, to meet Mom and Dad2 at The Fishin’ Hole Restaurant for lunch. As always, good to see them, and the food was pretty good, too. Then we made it back over to Gadsden and got my watch battery replaced in town. Then it was time to put our feet up for the afternoon.

Saturday morning we walked to Jack’s near the park entrance for a breakfast biscuit. Later I got my act together and headed out to Chick-fil-A where I parked myself for several hours catching up on tax work and moving the blog writing along. (I always buy something when I take up space in a restaurant, and never take up a table if there are folks waiting.) Back at Priscilla we relaxed for a little bit, then headed out to dinner at Jack’s…no kidding. When we were there at breakfast MW noticed a sign for something that looked like a McRib, so you know he had to give that a try! Before heading back to Priscilla, we took a walk around Noccalula Falls Park. The actual falls are on Black Creek very near the park entrance. Legend has it that a powerful Indian Chief once had a daughter who was beautiful in form and character, Noccalula. When she became a young woman, she fell in love with a young brave from her tribe. Her father, however, chose for her mate the power chief of a neighboring tribe who brought many gifts in exchange for the lovely maiden. He banished Noccalula’s love from the tribe and prepared his daughter for the marriage and feast. On the day of the event, the lovely maiden was dressed in festive robes and prepared for the ceremony. Before the appointed time, however, she slipped away and went to the great falls. Heartbroken to be sold by her father as if she were livestock, she leapt to her death. At the news her father, filled with grief and remorse, called the place of her death Noccalula Falls.

We had the added blessing of being there during the Spring Lantern Festival. That was really cool! The entire park is filled with lanterns, which are sculptures made of wire and fabric and lit from the inside. There are a huge variety of sizes and shapes, and the colors are amazing! While there you can walk the various paths to see all of the lanterns and check out the vendor tent. We also rode the train that circles through the park and checked out the animal barn, both of which are regular features. I would definitely recommend this festival. It was a perfect night for taking it all in and knocked out quite a few steps, too! Here are a few of my favorites:

Sunday we awoke to much cooler temps and wind. Glad that held off until after our walk in the park! We headed over to Higher Ground Baptist Church, where Brother Richard Bruce talked about David, one of God’s favored. Despite that status, he displeased God. We all fall short, and when it happens, we need to run, not walk, to the cross and leave that burden there! Don’t tarry too long!! Afterwards we headed back to downtown Gadsden to The Rail Public House. We had to walk a little ways from where we parked, and I’m telling you, the wind just about blew us away! I was very glad to get indoors. The food was pretty darned delicious, though. Afterwards we headed back to Priscilla to relax.

Noccalula Falls Park and Campground is very nice. The main attraction in this 500-acre park is the 90′ natural waterfall, but there is a lot more to do. Some of the park is accessible for free, but there is an admission section that includes the pioneer village, animal habitat, botanical garden, train ride, and access to hike under the falls. Other activities include fly fishing in Black Creek, mini golf (fee), rock climbing, hiking, and biking. A variety of pavilions, a meeting room, and a wedding chapel are all available for rent. Lodging options include two cabins and the campground. The latter is gated and for RVs only – no tents. There are a variety of paved, level, full-hookup sites, some pull-through and others back-in. To be right in Gadsden, it wasn’t particularly noisy, even with the festival going on next door. The sites are well-spaced for a private park and pretty large. Each includes a firepit/grill and picnic table. Amenities include a dog park, laundry facilities, bathhouse, community fire pit, playground, pavilion, swimming pool, and free wifi. We enjoyed this park and would definitely stay again. For this visit in February 2026 we paid just under $96 per night for 4 nights…a bit pricey, but it is a resort-type park.

Monday we packed it in and headed down to Scenic Drive RV Park & Campground in Anniston, Alabama, so we could drop Priscilla off first thing on Tuesday morning. This park was definitely not scenic and or well maintained. There was a bathhouse that was clean, and a dog park. Their website mentions a laundry, pavilion, general store, and dump station, be we didn’t see those. With the exception of a few sites for overnighters, the entire park seemed to be long-term folks. Sites were full-hookup and pull-through, but mostly dirt. Due to its proximity to the interstate, we would suggest this only for a necessary stop. For this overnight in February 2026 we paid almost $55.

Tuesday, April 24, we were up early to load all of the fridge and freezer stuff into styrofoam coolers for the transport to Mom’s garage appliances. Then we dropped our house off at Campers Unlimited around 9 AM and drove over to my parents’ house in Rome, Georgia.

We spent the next week visiting (including Aunt Pat), doing a little photo scanning and identification, shopping, and eating. MW and I took a long walk on the trails along the river into Rome one day, and of course, he hit Dogwood Books for a bit of perusal. I also managed to get some tax work done. We also attended New Armuchee Baptist Church on Sunday. What a great place!

A ROME STORY: Vonalbade (Von) Gammon from Rome, Georgia, played football at the University of Georgia beginning his freshman year in 1896. Coached by the legendary Glenn “Pop” Warner, Gammon quarterbacked their undefeated team when it went up against Auburn and coach John Heisman, another powerhouse of the game. The kid was good! That all came to an end on October 30, 1897, in a game against the University of Virginia. In a horrific tackle, Von was knocked unconscious and later died at Grady Hospital. He is buried in the historic Myrtle Hill Cemetery in Rome, but that isn’t the end of his story. Georgia lawmakers used the incident to ban football! Now if you are from Georgia, you know the entire state (well, except for me) are rabid Bulldog fans. Rosalind Burns Gammon, Von’s mother, was not in favor. She wrote a letter to Representative James D. Nevin, which was then given to Governor William Y. Atkinson. Her ask: “Grant me the right to request that my boy’s death should not be used to defeat the game that was the most cherished object of his life.” The Governor subsequently vetoed the bill. Had it not been for Mrs. Gammon’s strength, there would be a lot less red and fewer bulldogs in Georgia today! The Bowie Gammon home still sits on East Third Avenue in Rome.

We touched base with Tyler on Tuesday afternoon. Everything was done except for the tires, and we could pick Priscilla up on Wednesday afternoon. Yay!! We arrived at the dealership about 2 PM to an immediate apology… the shop guy got sidetracked and the tires hadn’t been picked up yet. (They take the wheels to the shop a few minutes away to replace the tires. One of their jacks was down, so they had to do it two-by-two.) A few minutes later the shop guy walked through and still hadn’t left with the first two. Tyler pushed him into gear and said he would call us in an hour with an update. Okay, no worries. We ran an errand, then went to Chick-fil-A where I did a little work. Our evening plan was to meet Mom and Larry for ice cream, then pick up our fridge and freezer stuff at their house, say our goodbyes, and head to the campground. At this point, our new plan was to just make it to the campground near their house before dark. Tyler called right on time and said two were on and the other two were on their way, so to come back in 30 minutes. When we arrived, they were just towing her around to the hook-up area, so things were looking good. While MW was paying, I walked out to where they were sitting her down for us to hookup. The tires looked a bit under inflated to me, but the guy towing her said they were good. The trailer battery needs to be replaced (we’ve already got that being delivered in Sneedville), so hooking her up took a little finagling with me plugging her in early and MW kicking up the RPMs on Big Jake. The tech came out to make sure everything was okay, and I asked about the tire inflation. He said the tire shop should have inflated them to spec. MW got out our gauge to be sure. All four were 10 pounds under. The tech was surprised and said he was going to have to start checking them when he brings them back. MW usually orders our tires from Tire Rack online and has them delivered to an installer near wherever we are. He ALWAYS checks the pressure before he leaves, because several times they have been under inflated, both for the trailer and truck. After a few more minutes for the guys to put in a little more air, we were FINALLY on our way back to Georgia. It was going to be close on beating the darkness, though.

We pulled in at Rocky Mountain Public Fishing Area (PFA) just before sundown. (We’ve stayed here many times before, so check the campgrounds post for the review.) MW opted for a different site than we usually pick, because it is just for one night and it looked like an easier back-in. Appearances can be deceiving, though. The sites aren’t terribly wide and are bordered on either side with railroad ties. The angle of approach makes it a little tricky to straighten her out to miss the ties. After a couple of tries, he drove around for a fresh approach, then got her in. We started our set-up routine, and I noticed that my phone app was not talking to Compass Connect. I assumed it was the battery issue, so used the keypad in the pass-through. I also noted that our fold-out steps would be beyond the railroad ties (even if we were totally up against the other side), and the drop-off there was about 10 inches. No way they were going to touch the ground. I ended up using fewer of the stackable blocks we normally put under the landing gear in order to have some height buildup for the steps, then extended the legs as far as they would go. That worked, but made the distance from the bottom step to the ground a good 18 inches or so. My ottoman log came in handy there, acting as a bottom step. (For many years I had sciatica flare-ups on road trips. MW cut me a 6″ x 6″ x 14″ board that stays in my floorboard in Big Jake. Just putting my feet up on that has solved the pain issue.) It is amazing how many times that extra chunk of wood has come in handy, too! Finally Priscilla was all set up on the outside, and we could get in the door. Oh, and while I was futzing with the steps, I realized that I backed MW up too far for the passenger slide to come out. UGH!! We both quickly decided that it was just for one night, and we could live with just the other two out. By now it was dark, but no worries because there are lights inside, right? NOPE! Although the EMS showed electricity coming into the trailer, the control panel had nothing. We accessed the 12-volt fuse panel and all looked fine. Same with the 120v circuit breaker panel. What the heck???!! MW said he was going to check in the front compartment, and about that time both of us thought of the battery disconnect. That was the issue. We quickly finished setting up and collapsed on the couch, exhausted. A little after 8 PM, I asked MW if it was too early to go to bed. He laughed. By about 9 PM, I was out cold!

Thursday morning we were up early. We went over to Mom and Dad2‘s to visit for a few minutes, pick up our fridge and freezer stuff, and say goodbye. Then, after getting everything stowed and tucked in at the campground, we hit the road for Tennessee at 9:45 AM. Except for a stop for pizza at Gabriel’s in Cleveland, TN, a detour around an accident on I-75, and the regular fuel stop at Pilot south of Knoxville, it was a normal driving day on an oft-driven route. We were very happy to be back at the barn!! We started this trip freezing our buns off, and the return was ridiculously warm. Crazy!

I think that’s a good stopping place. Next up…A Train Ride, My Old Kentucky Home, and Boogers. See you on the path!

Talisa

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