Day 7 2/14/21- Arrived in Lake City, Florida and settled in Casey Jones RV Park. For $27 a night and full hook ups, it can’t be beat for a quick stop right off the interstate!
After settling into the RV Park, I was off to Winn Dixie market to get a few essentials. It was nice to have a leisure evening after driving in the rain all day. Beef Wellington was on the menu for our Valentines celebration and we added a moonshine tasting with the beverages we picked up in Tennessee. We talked to all the kids to send our love and a little backgammon to end the evening. I have actually won a game or two!
Hope you are having a magnificent day! Tomorrow….Naples here we come!
Apple Pie moonshine and Roses ❤️
Total travel miles up to Casey Jones RV park in Lake City, FL… 1193
Day 6 2/13/21- As we leave Little Arrow Outdoor Resort, just outside the west entrance of the Great Smoky National Park, it is raining as we continue our journey southward. Definitely click on the campground name to go to the link for this resort, it’s worth a look if you are thinking about traveling to the Great Smokies…or if you’d like to!
We changed our plans due to the weather and headed through Georgia. Part way into our day’s ride, Paul said “it’s not raining, my belly is full, the interstate is not crowded and I have my best friend next to me that’s all we need”! Need I say more?
The rain stayed away and the skies are overcast but it was a relatively easy travel day till we got to Atlanta. Driving around any major city is not easy but driving a 9 ton vehicle towing a car is a bit more difficult. We both were thankful it was Saturday (most days feel like Saturday but this day it really was… for real life!)
We landed in Griffin Georgia at LolliPop Acres farm, a Harvest Host that was able to accommodate us for our last minute plans. This couple and their 2 children moved here 1.5 years ago and are making a go of it in Georgia. It is quiet and the family is very endearing. Harley met Kasey the pony, two other horses, chickens and ducks and the pet pig, Buddy. So much to sniff and so little time!
The skies were overcast and it didn’t get out of the 40s today (quite balmy for the northern folks getting snow and ice storms). We had quite the leisurely morning and decided to don the rain jackets and take a hike around the campground. They have several hiking trails from “easy” to “strenuous” way up on the hill behind the campgrounds. We chose the nature trail which was a little strenuous to get there but once on the trail, it was moderately easy 😉
a little hairy lichen
These rhododendron will be gorgeous in the spring!
Walking along the stream that ran far below us in the valley, we came across some areas where the water was flowing over the rock bed. A very peaceful walk, we were the only ones on the trail.
Swedish Torch
Listening to the river flow and fire crackle
We hung out at the campsite and tried out a “Swedish Torch”… worked quite well and made for the base of a great campfire. Happy Campers!
Tomorrow we will be headed to Georgia for the night, then onto northern Florida.
Oh what to do on a rainy day… don your rain jacket and head to Gatlinburg for some Whiskey and moonshine tasting at Ole Smokey Moonshine and Distillery, of course!
After a leisurely morning at the Little Arrow Outdoor Resort (which is wonderful and highly recommended) we moseyed around the campground and explored the Camp View Lodge for rent as well as other dwellings here… pretty amazing and definitely want to come back. We then headed to Gatlinburg for a little civilization and Moonshine. It was nice to see everyone masked up and being conscientious about distancing and establishments doing COVID cleaning after the tastings.
We spent the afternoon walking through the town and even though it is geared to tourists, it didn’t seem crazy like Pigeon Forge, mentioned in a previous post. It was a nice leisurely afternoon.
The Beatles had nothing to sing about until they have been on route 129 along the south western border of the Great Smoky mountains! (More about that.. keep reading!)
Little River runs behind our campsite
Site A21
Cades Cove
Oconaluftee Village
It is a beautiful sunny day in the lower 60s and a day we decided to do a driving tour of Cades Cove in the Great Smoky National Park. Since we took Harley with us, we were unable to do much hiking since dogs are not permitted in 99 % of the park. We toured Cades Cove then drove to Newfound Gap Road which goes from the west side of the park to the east side. Half way through Newfound Road we cross into North Carolina and cross over the Appalachian Trail. There’s snow up in these mountains! We stopped at the Oconaluftee Visitor center where they had an old Cherokee village to walk through (dog friendly).
We decided to travel along the east border of the park going south to see the mountains. We stumbled across Fontana Dam, marina and resort village. After the village came the winding, winding, winding road that goes around the southern western border of the park. It is here where we found “The Tail of the Dragon”, a road known to motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts for its curves… 318 curves in 11 miles! (We only found this information out AFTER stumbling across the highway.
Tail of the Dragon In Deals Gap, TN
oh so many more!
Designated US route 129 is bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cherokee National Forest with no intersecting roads or driveways to hamper your travel. After about 45 minutes of this, Harley lost her cookies! She just couldn’t take it anymore, fortunately we were near the end of the journey.
We ended the day on the Foothills Parkway where Paul was talking to a motorcyclist and got the lowdown on the Tail of the Dragon. All in all, a lovely day in the Great Smoky Mountains.
As we start our planning for Dimmlers RV Adventures of 2021, we are still in Covidland but we feel more comfortable traveling in the RV, our own space that we can control. We begin our trip prep for February 8-28, as a foot of snow falls on our neighborhood. Picking up the RV from storage is challenging…especially since Quakertown got almost 2 feet of snow. Thankfully Paul thought ahead and we moved the RV from the back of the lot to the driveway so it would be easier to get out at some point. Don’t get me wrong, we love snow and were looking forward to having a big storm this winter. It is so pretty.
We got the RV home 4 days before leaving and started loading up, cleaning and making sure there were enough supplies, gas and propane for the first leg of the trip. Putting the plants in one spot to be watered, and lining up the liquids for storage in the RV, waiting until the morning we left due to the projected 15 degree night Sunday….AND THEN IT SNOWED 7 MORE INCHES the day before we left.
We left anyway, on time and ready for an adventure.
One Alpaca, Two Alpaca, Three Alpaca, Four. Baby Alpacas, Mamas and so much more (Day 1)
** reminder that the underlined words lead you to a website about that destination for more information**
Going from icy roads and 18 inches of snow and ELEVEN DEGREES to slightly warmer temperatures was our goal for the day. Our first night of this trip was spent at Ridge Valley Alpacas in Fairfield, Virginia which was one of the Harvest Hosts that we connected with. Harvest Hosts is an organization where you can stay with a local businesses for one night free along the way. It’s a great way to camp if you are just passing through. We get a feel for the local culture and have met some wonderful folks. After going up some very steep gravel roads, we were thankful Janis, the owner of Ridge Valley Alpacas, had recommended that we unhitch our tow car when we got off the interstate. We were greeted by Janis who guided us into our parking space by the barn where the adult alpacas stay.
Across the way there is a smaller barn where the mamas and babies are residing. Janis gave us the grand tour and showed us her shop where she spins the fiber from the alpacas and uses it to make yarn, socks, clothing and toy animals. She also gets some alpaca merchandise directly from Peru. Janis let us settle in and came back an hour later so I could feed Rosebud, the 6 month old alpaca that lost her mother when she was 2 months old. They bottle feed Rosebud throughout the day and let me have a hand at it! Too Cool!
We stayed outside for a bit to watch the sunset behind the mountains.
After dinner we took a quick jaunt outside and caught an amazing view of the sky… sooooo many stars! It was a real treat.
Warmer Weather, Here We Come! Day 2
Our travels today were pretty uneventful. Most of the day was spent on Interstate 81 bordered by the Blue Ridge Mountains on the left and Appalachian Mountains on the right. It occurred to us about half way to Tennessee that there was no snow on the fields, just some snow spotting the mountain ranges. Warmer Weather, ahhh ( the high today was 59 degrees, down right balmy!)
Once off the interstate, we drove through some major tourist areas, so much to do! Sevierville and Pigeon Forge are the places to be if you like that kind of stuff. You could be there a month and still not have completed all the shows, rides and “must see” shops. Here are some pictures from Pigeon Forge… not sure what was going on there!
Once off the main drag in Pigeon Forge, we started a VERY winding road through the mountains. Paul was doing an amazing job of staying on the road and taking the turns like a professional. I was holding on…
We arrived at Little Arrow Camping Resort, hooked up and made ourselves at home for 4 nights. NO driving tomorrow 🙂
We explored the campground after some drinks and relaxation. This resort has quite the variety of places to stay with Tiny homes, Vacation homes, Premier cabins, RV sites (of course), luxury tent areas (with wood deck floors and 2 bedrooms), glamping lodges, and cozy cabins, many with porches and all with fire rings and outdoor seating. Nice dog park and kids area too! We found this cool wood carving next to one of the cabins during our after dark excursion.
There is some major construction going on here to get ready for the spring and summer seasons. Apparently the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited park in the country.
Social Distance Camping at its best!! (9/17/20-9/20/20)
Even though COVID-19 put a kink in everyone’s travel plans (as well as daily lives), we were able to squeeze in a few short RV trips this summer. September 17-20, we went back to Highland Campground in the Poconos and had the exact same site as when we were there with Kim, Danni, Doug and Grace in August. We were joined by 2 other RVs and 4 dogs! The weather was wonderful and the company superb! It was good to expand our COVID bubble to include the Wetherbees and McGraths.
The first full day, Rob started a fire in the morning and we pretty much didn’t move from that spot all day. We chatted, played games and… of course had an adult beverage or 2, or 3…
The second full day, we felt we needed to leave the campground and did some hiking in Lackawanna State Park, which was beautiful. Walking with our pup was challenging, to say the least but totally worth the effort. The lake was blue and the sky was spotted with white puffy clouds, a gorgeous day! It was cool enough to need a jacket for most of the walk, my kind of weather.
On the way back to the campground we stumbled across McGraths Pub in Dalton, PA. We just had to stop and have some apps and a beverage before heading to the campground for dinner. Of course we were outdoor dining and the pups hung with us as we dined.
Saturday evening was our last themed dinner, Japanese style camping (if that’s a thing). Pot stickers; stir fry with sticky rice and Saki with Japanese sponge cake for dessert. Oh, this is truly GLAMPING in style. The evening was concluded with some serenading by Paul and Rob. Music, Friends (or Family), Camping and a Fire… it doesn’t get much better than this!
Going North for some Stellar Leaf Peeping! (10/15/20-10/22/20)
We had so much fun with the Wetherbees and McGraths, we decided to do it again… in the Finger Lakes, in October. We usually gather for the Beer Festival in Watkins Glen but couldn’t see ourselves doing that in a crowded venue. We found a great campground on the north end of Seneca Lake called Waterloo Harbor Campground (in Waterloo, NY). It is right by Seneca River and a well maintained campground… one of the few open so late in the season around there.
We were camped on the outside edge of the campgrounds next to the tenting area but it was too cold to tent camp so we had the open field to let the dogs run around. Great sites!
The first day we went into Geneva, NY and visited Belhurst Castle and Winery overlooking Seneca Lake. The original castle now houses a restaurant, which was closed, but the winery was open J We walked around the grounds for a bit, admiring the view and the Castle until it was our turn to do some tasting. They did a great job making us feel comfortable with their COVID safety measures and enjoyed the wines. They also have a brewery and made cider, which I had to take home for later tasting 😉
On the way back to the campground we stopped in Geneva and had lunch at Beef and Brew for some famous “Beef on Weck” which is a delicious roasted beef sandwich on a Kummelweck Roll. WOW, you have to try one! It was amazing… it helps that we were very hungry too! They had tons of beers on tap and we had the whole restaurant to ourselves.
The second full day there, we were walking Harley by the river and got surprised by a kayak race. It was pretty cool to see the multiperson kayaks gliding along the river, headed toward Seneca Lake. After the race started and the kayaks were out of sight, it was time to gear up for the day’s activities. We visited friends of the McGraths that have a vacation home along the lake. We spend a bit of time on the shore looking for Lucky Stones (a stone that has a hole worn through them by the movement of the water). It was mesmerizing and relaxing.
We then headed out to do some beer and wine tasting so we could land at Two Goats Brewery for some food. We also tried Brothers Winery and Brewery… War Horse Brewery was delightful and did a great job at social distancing the customers.
Sunday came and we had to part with our friends (they had to work and we did not!). We took our time and stopped at Curtiss Museum on the way to Wellsboro, PA. The ride was lovely and the fall colors were everywhere. I have to say, I am not a big museum person, but it was really interesting to see how Curtiss changed the transportation industry. Paul enjoyed it thoroughly!
Our next stop was Canyon Country Campground which was very close to the Grand Canyon of PA and Leonard Harrison State Park. Karl, a friend that grew up in Wellsboro, offered to take us on a 4-wheeling tour of the area Monday morning, before the rains came. He took us to Tiadaghton which was a town along the Pine Creek Gorge. Tiadaghton was developed when there was a need for oversight along the railroad which followed the gorge. It was great to hear some of the history of the area and how Karl grew up in the wilds of Wellsboro.
It rained most of Monday and Tuesday. We played games and did a puzzle in a few hours and did a little walk with Harley at Leonard Harrison State Park. We could see the fall colors and Pine Creek while we were sandwiched between the cloud layers. One minute we could see and literally, the next we could not. It gave us some perspective of the beauty in the area.
Our last day, Wednesday, it didn’t rain and we were able to do some of the Rail Trail along Pine Creek. It was peaceful, not crowded and such a joy to bicycle ride in the cooler weather with all the fall colors around us. We actually rode to Tiadaghton, where Karl took us on Monday, and even though the grade of the trail was minimal, we could really feel the difference going uphill, back to the starting point.
This ended the 2020 season of RVing and even though we didn’t get to do our 3 month adventure in the spring, we were able to get out, controlling our environment, and get away and grab some change of scenery and some peace.
Home for less than 48 hours after the grandkids and a major cleaning of the RV, We headed for Highlands Campground in Dalton PA. We ascended on this lovely spacious wooded campground with Kim, Danni, Doug and Grace.
The group did a whole lot of relaxing, catching up, playing games and managed to throw in a kayak trip down the Susquehanna River. Of course this was Harley‘s first trip but also Kim and Danni’s.
Virtual Folk Fest?!?
Well, it is our 44th Folk Fest and we were not about to let COVID take our summer tradition. We Festified the grounds at Rock Hill Road and whooped it up Philadelphia Folk Fest style. Live steaming folk music with an outdoor screen and Bose sound system was the best way to enjoy the 59th annual Folk Fest. We enjoyed the fact that we didn’t have to camp in the sweltering sun and we were able to have a roaring bonfire each night. We were able to introduce the grand kiddos to the Folk Fest life and decorated the yard with parisoles hanging from the trees, hammock groves, and kids crafts including tye dying, puppet making and Gods eyes. Here are some pictures from our 3 days at the Rock Hill Folk Festival.
Kids crafts and some for the adults too!
Outdoor viewing of the concerts and archive videos we enjoyed
Parisoles were a big hit 😉
Things were a bit different with indoor limbo on a rainy day and chilling in the RV with the pups…and a hot tub party!
A magnificent celebration of Family and Philly Folk Fest
We started a midweek trip with Owain, Addie and Emma. Emma‘s first overnight trip in the RV with Grammy and Poppy. We headed out to Timberland lake campground in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Excitement all around us!
Only an hour from home, but on this little back road leading to the campground we spotted ostrich and then giraffes, antelope and bison! Apparently we were close to Great Adventure Safari Park. When they told mom that they saw giraffe while camping, it was a little hard for her to believe it!
Lots of fun walking in the rain, watching the geese on the pond, fishing and swimming. Great fun!
And no camping trip is complete without a fire and s’mores!
We did, however have a little mishap, collapse of the awning during a sudden downpour at 6:45 am! 😩
Mr. Fixit to the rescue so we could roll it up and head home.
For the last 4 months we have hunkered down and gotten a lot of projects done at home. We added a new member to the family as well, Harley joined us on 5/30/20 at 6 weeks old. Well, apparently the virus isn’t going anywhere So we are headed north for Harley’s maiden voyage in the RV exactly 4 months after eastern PA shut down (7/13/20-7/16/20).
A very relaxed traveler!
Needless to say, she adjusted well and we could not have asked for a more pleasant trip. The temperatures were mild, low humidity and cool evenings making for great sleeping weather. Lots of walks, camping on the peninsula at Pickering Point was ideal! At last, we got the heck out of dodge!
Peace ❤️
We were able to ride bikes one morning while Harley napped after 3 morning walks.
