On to Unadilla

We left Lawrenceville, GA, this morning and headed around Atlanta and then south on I-75. Our destination was a park called Southern Trails in Unadilla, GA. (We had never heard of it before either.) The appeal of this park wasn’t its ambiance—it’s located right next to I-75, so there’s lots of traffic noise from the trucks whizzing by.

What we wanted was a base from which to visit Andersonville National Historic Site and the boyhood home of Jimmy Carter in Plains, GA. We had our choice of sites, with all the 50 amp sites located along the front rows next to the interstate. Reluctantly we decided that with the Georgia heat and humidity, we’d be most comfortable with the option to run both air conditioners. We chose site #63 because it has a view of the southern sky for our DirecTV dish and because we could position our door facing north.

One of our neighbors had color coordinated toys:

After we got settled, we drove to the nearby heavily advertised “Clothing Carnival.” We were drawn by the promise of discounted Columbia and North Face clothing. Both of us found Columbia shirts, and it turned out that Tuesday is senior discount day, so we got an additional 10% off. What a deal.

We walked around the park after dinner and checked out the miniature golf course, laid out like a historic small town. There’s a non-denominational chapel which is the best maintained building in the complex. Much of the resort appears to need a serious investment in repair and maintenance.

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We collected some brochures from the office and went online to plan our travels tomorrow.


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Not our best day ever

This has been a very difficult travel day. We said goodbye to Julie and the kids and headed over to MTR to pick up the trailer. It's been a great visit and it was nice to see everyone smiling and waving goodbye.

When we got to MTR the first thing that went wrong was that we realized we still had it in Julie's garage door remote. Well I unpacked and repacked can went back to Angeles to drop off the remote.

We finally pulled out of the MTR parking lot and started on our way. About 2 miles after we left our ABS system started to alarm. We turned around and went back to MTR, where an employee nicely crawled under the trailer and adjusted the ailing sensor. We started out again and this time no alarms. However when we arrived at the campground we plan to stay at we found that the drive in was to difficult for our trailer.

We had to back out onto the road and find another spot. First we stopped at the mall of Georgia in order to regroup. We looked for alternatives and called a couple of Walmarts. One said that yes they did allow overnight RV parking so we went there. However when we arrived an assistant manager told us that no overnight parking was allowed. By now it was rather late so we had supper at the Subway in the store.

We called another couple of Walmarts and found one in Lawrenceville that said that they would allow us to stay. By the time we got here it was quite late but we did find a good spot to park. Our big windows look out on the trees.

We still have to find a place to stay near Andersonville prison, but for tonight we have a place to sleep.
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They're Home!!!

We were expecting Ed and Julie and the kids to arrive somewhere around 11:00 a.m. from Tuscaloosa, but it was actually 12:30 p.m. before they pulled into the driveway. Bijou and Charlie and we ran out to welcome them home.

I made Betty Macdonald Casserole for dinner. It's a version of King Ranch Casserole that our friend Betty taught us years ago, when we lived in Nacogdoches. It was one of the kids' favorites.

Ed had to turn around and drive back to Atlanta airport, so he was home for less than three hours before he had another hour's drive in Atlanta traffic. He later texted Julie that he had just barely made it in time for his flight.

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Quiet Day

We did laundry today and straightened up a bit. We were expecting to see Ed and Julie and the kids returning from Texas tonight. Ed called around 5:00 p.m. to say that the kids couldn't stand one more minute in the car--and they couldn't stand one more minute in the car with the kids.

They decided to spend the night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and finish their trip in the morning. Tuscaloosa is in the Central time zone, so they'll lose an hour. We'll probably see them around 11:00 a.m. Ed will have a busy day, since he's flying out tomorrow afternoon on another business trip. We will be glad to see all of them tomorrow morning. Bijou and Charlie will be very glad to see their family again, too.
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Biking the Greenway

We stopped by MTR Fleet Services, where our brakes are being repaired, on the way to the Big Creek Greenway. The brakes have been repaired, but we needed to plug into the rig to see if the ABS sensors were okay.

We don't have much experience with the DirecLink controller, so it took us a while to turn the ABS system back on. We didn't get any error reports, but until we're on the road, it's hard to tell if everything is okay.

We took the china and German wine glasses over that have been in storage at Ed's since we hit the road. After lots of rearranging, I think I have the dishes safely stashed under the bed and in the closet. I hope they make it to Mission in one piece. We took some frozen sockeye salmon and broccoli from Costco and stashed them in the freezer.

We're leaving the rig at MTR until we pull out of town on Monday. The owner came out and offered to move a truck so that we could park the rig inside their fence.

Then we headed south to the Bethelview Road entrance at the north end of the Greenway. We walked the first part of the trail on Wednesday. Today we biked the 6.8 miles to the current south end of the trail and back. The southern end is quite abrupt. Up a gravel path is a parking area with a porta-potty.

The trail winds its way along Big Creek and through protected wetlands. There are plans to extend the trail at both ends, so we may have a longer ride in future years, but 13.6 miles was plenty in the heat and humidity of a Georgia July day.

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Poole's Mill

We drove back to MTR today to pick up our bikes for a bike ride tomorrow. We had a bit of a problem loading the bike rack on the truck. It's been so long that we'd forgotten how to do it, but we finally figured it out. We headed over to Poole's Mill Park. We'd found a reference to it when we were looking for things to do in and around Cumming. The park features a historic covered bridge and some easy trails.

The stream, which ran the grist mill after which the park is named, is called "Settendown" or "Settingdown" or "Settledown" depending on which sign or webpage you want to believe.

After we had explored for a bit, Ken's phone rang. It was Pops at MTR calling to ask us to bring a key to the compartment where the brake actuator is installed, so we drove back over to MTR. That gave us a chance to pick up the bike helmets and packs we had forgotten.

Back at Ed and Julie's we took Charlie for a walk (Bijou doesn't do well on walks in the heat--come to think of it, neither do I!).

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Big Creek Greenway

We moved the rig from the fairgrounds to MTR Fleet Services this morning. The parts are expected today, and we wanted the rig to be conveniently located for repairs. We enjoyed meeting Pops, with whom Ken has been talking for the last couple of weeks.

Next we headed south to the Bethelview Road entrance to the Big Creek Greenway. We wanted to check it out with a view to doing a bike ride later, but for now we walked the first part of the trail. Before we started, we had a picnic lunch at this convenient covered picnic table--thanks to an Eagle Scout project.

picnic

The trail is partly concrete and partly boardwalk. The boardwalk areas are quite extensive. They protect the wetlands that extend along Big Creek.

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Amicalola Falls

Our adventure today was a trip to Amicalola State Park. It's thirty miles north of Cumming, so an easy drive of under an hour. The two major draws to this park are the falls and the approach trail to the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.

We stopped at the Visitor Center when we arrived. It's small, but it has a few interesting exhibits about the history of the Appalachian Trail and a snake display. A very helpful woman gave us a trail map and made suggestions for a good round trip to view the falls. Outside we met a young woman who had just arrived after hiking a long section of the AT solo. She is working on hiking the entire trail, a section each year, which is a plan many hikers adopt, although a few attempt the difficult through hike in a single hiking season (only an average of 17% of the 2,000 or so who try each year succeed).  This young woman impressed us because of her pluck. We admired her trim backpack, and she told us she had "whipped it up on my home sewing machine" (because she is a small woman and couldn't find a small enough commercial pack). It certainly looked like a professional job. Her pack weighed 28 lbs. She said the most important piece of equipment was her bear cannister--which serves not only to hold her food in an odor tight container safe from bears, but also as a seat and as a tom-tom for a little campfire music.

We started on the Creek Trail and immediately found ourselves in another world, cool and damp and filled with bird song and the splashing dance of the creek below. At the Reflection Pond, we crossed the creek and joined the Appalachian Approach Trail to hike up past some smaller falls to the base of Amicalola Falls.

The actual approach to the base of the falls is the first set of steps to climb. The steps are sturdy, metal, and in good repair, so they're easy to climb--if you're fit. We found excuses to stop along the way to admire the view (and catch our breath).

The next staircase, the West Ridge Staircase, is 425 more steps. The payback for all this climbing is spectacular views of the falls with lots of "wows!" At the top is an overlook and then a short trail to the Lodge. We had our lunch at one of the picnic tables overlooking the lodge and then used the restrooms and explored the lodge and veranda before starting back down.

Instead of climbing back down the metal stairs, we followed our friendly helper's advice and returned to the Visitor Center via the East Ridge Trail. The first section was a bit difficult footing, since it was basically a rock strewn dry creek bed, but we finally came to smoother trail.

We'd been warned that a small male black bear had been seen on that trail recently, but that he would definitely skedaddle if we kept up a conversation so he'd know we were coming. Don't know if the conversation helped, but we didn't see any bears.

At the rear of the Visitor Center we saw a backyard wildlife refuge display. Actually we heard it first: the deep croaking of bullfrogs announced its presence.

We are always glad to hear or see frogs, since amphibians are endangered worldwide.
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Brief Scare

We had a bit of a scare today. Ken called Express Scripts to give them a temporary address to send a prescription to. He was very surprised (actually alarmed) to hear that we did not have any coverage. After a bit of research and some phone calls, we learned that Northrop Grumman had transferred the prescription coverage for all its employees and retirees to Caremark. Whew! It's actually going to work much better for us. We won't be tied to mail order to get the discounted 90 day prescriptions. That's been a problem for us, because we have to figure out where we'll be when the package arrives, and it has to be a place where we can arrange to receive packages. With Caremark, we'll be able to get 90-day discounted prescriptions at any CVS Pharmacy.

Pops at MTR talked to Ken Ullmer today. The brake parts are on the way and should arrive Wednesday.

We are planning a trip to Amicalola Falls tomorrow. We looked over their website and planned a route to drive. We had hoped to go with Ed and Julie and Cate and Sam, but the weather didn't cooperate, so maybe next time.

We read a rather unsettling account on the New Horizons Owners Group forum today. A young couple we met at the rally, John and Susan Vowell, reported that as they were driving along, someone alerted them that they had a fire in their taillight. They were able to pull over and put it out, but wondered how far the fire would have gotten if it had occurred on a less traveled road. It turned out to be due to a short caused by rough edges of the fiberglass where the wires emerged. That's scary, since it points to sloppy construction.

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Bon Voyage to Texas!

We got up very early this morning so that we could see Edward and Julie and Cate and Sam and Jesse off as they left for Texas. Everyone was tucked tightly into the Sequoia with lots of snacks and DVDs to keep them busy. I kissed and hugged Cate goodbye and did the same for Sam. I had already hugged Jesse, but he must have forgotten because his plaintive voice could be heard saying "Don't forget me!"

The crew took off at 6:30 and arrived in Texas safe and sound some 12 hours later. Meanwhile, Ken and I tumbled back into bed for a few more hours of rest.

Our project for the day was moving our rig from Bald Ridge Creek Campground to the fairgrounds. Our 14 day limit at Lake Sidney Lanier was up, and we were unable to extend our stay. We moved across town to the fairgrounds uneventfully. Our rig is the only one in the campground, since there are no events going on right now.

We took Bijou and Charlie on our walk this morning. It's threatened to rain the whole time, but we never saw more than a drizzle.

This evening Bijou was unwilling to move when we tried to get her to go into her kennel so that we could go out for a walk. I had to hook her up to her leash to get her to move.

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Party at the Butlers' House

When I got up this morning, Sam and Jesse were watching TV in the playroom. Jesse came downstairs with me. He was excited to tell me that we were going to Ms. Liz's party tonight.

Ed and Jesse took us to Costco, where we managed to spend another small fortune on great bargains, including food and vitamins and a set of Mikasa Regent Bead 18/10 stainless flatware and a neat plastic bucket play set for Jesse.

Julie went out to do a couple of massages this afternoon. She is working with a woman who does something called IET, "Integrated Energy Therapy." She got an IET treatment for herself too.

Ed made his specialty peach cobbler with ice cream and whipped cream to take to the party. We walked over to the Butlers' house. We were welcomed by Bob and Liz and introduced to friends and family (and dogs). Bob showed us around. He has two large saltwater aquariums. They're quite spectacular, but can be difficult to keep in balance.

Everyone had fun, including the crowds of kids and babies. We're not used to being around so many young families.

Happy Jesse!

Great fun on high swings (Bob designed and installed them).

Sam and Cate check out the array of food.

Liz, Bob, Liz's mom
 
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Liz and Roger Visit

This morning we went for a walk around the neighborhood and took Bijou and Charlie. We have not had very good weather for walking around here. It was raining--again

This afternoon, Ed and Julie and the kids went to see Despicable Me 2. We had watched Despicable Me on DVD here yesterday and didn't see any need to see the sequel, so we went shopping and checking out places to keep our trailer after Sunday instead. We were headed for Twin Lakes, but as we were driving south on US 19, we saw a sign for the fairgrounds.

We called the fairgrounds and then stopped by and now we have a spot to take our trailer to Sunday afternoon through Thursday. We're hoping that by then we'll have an appointment to have the brakes fixed. .

This evening Liz and her boyfriend Roger came to visit. I've known Liz since she was born but we hadn't seen each other in twenty years. (She is my ex-husband John's sister Fran's daughter, so she was my niece.)Liz and Roger now live in Hendersonville, NC, which is near Asheville, about a three hour drive from here. They have a camper and are staying at Stone Mountain. Last night they watched the fireworks and laser show on the mountain. They said a woman nearby was asking if that was a rock up there, and yup, it's a mountain.

Liz and Roger came over for dinner, but we had finished eating by the time they got here because they got stuck in traffic.

Ed had gotten frozen pizza for dinner including DiGiorno rising crust pepperoni. The crust was pretty thick and soft, but the flavor was good. It was nice catching up with Liz. She works in customer service at a bank in Asheville. Roger is a plumber, and Ed and Julie took advantage of his expertise. Julie took Roger down to the basement to ask about some mystery pipes, and Edward asked about how to improve the water flow in the house.

Liz and Roger invited Ed and Julie and the kids to stay with them when they come to visit the Biltmore Estates, which they are hoping to do. Liz said the gardens are beautiful anytime, but they are especially spectacular when the roses are in bloom.

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Independence Day

Today is Independence Day 4 July. We celebrated this evening by setting off some fireworks in the cul-de-sac. The festivities were somewhat dampened by the rain, but the kids enjoyed them anyhow. The Butlers, Liz and Bob and their two children, came down to join in the fun.

This afternoon we watched a DVD of a movie called Despicable Me. It's an animated feature with a villain named Gru who has an army of henchmen called minions. Gru's nefarious plots are undermined in the sweetest ways by three little orphan girls.

Afterward we went out to Bald Ridge Creek Campground to get a few things and to talk with the host couple. They indicated that they didn't think there would be a problem with our staying in our spot a few extra days, but they said they would need to talk to their boss.

While we were out at the campground, Ed and Julie put together a really good supper. Ed fixed some delicious salmon and rice and mixed veggies and a nice salad, and Julie fixed some interesting zucchini strand pasta with raw cashew Alfredo sauce. Cate stuck with her vegan diet for the week and ate a vegan corndog.

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Fun With Flying!

Today was the day that we were supposed to pick up Ken at the airport. I got what seemed to be hundreds of calls from American Airlines changing updating and canceling his flights. Every few minutes the AA computer called and spoke to me in its sweet, patient, friendly tones. My responses weren't always so patient.

When Ed and I finally headed out on our way to the airport, we stopped at a fireworks tent to buy some special fireworks for fourth of July. It turns out that in Georgia they can only sell sparkler or fountain type fireworks and not the type that explode or fly up into the air. People go out of state to get the kind of fireworks that they like, and we were assured by Bob Butler that we would hear plenty in the neighborhood. Ed picked up a large supply of sparklers and fountains.

Ken was originally due to arrive just after 5 PM, but it was actually much later when we finally saw him at the airport. Ed and I were waiting for him to appear at one area, but evidently he zipped past us. Actually it turns out that American has a separate place for arrivals and baggage claims, so we were just at the wrong place. It was really wonderful to see Ken again after his visit with his sister.

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Quality Time

I finally talked Ed and Julie into going out on a date this evening, so I got to spend the evening with the kids and dogs. After dinner we went for a walk. Cate rode her bike. Sam rode his scooter, and I walked with the two dogs and Jesse. We looked for his stroller, but then Cate remembered that it had been loaned out. It was quite hot still, so we didn't go far before turning around. Jesse was looking for shade to walk in and telling me he was sweaty.

When we got home, we played some games. Jesse wanted to play Candyland, which he won. Cate picked UNO, which she won. Sam picked Sorry, which might have made him especially sorry. The first pass through the deck, he didn't get a pawn out on the board until the very end. Jesse ended up winning that game too. Twice he had a pawn out on the start space and drew a 4, which allows that pawn to back up and be ready to enter the home stretch.

Ken and Romaine went to visit Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids today.

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Library!

Today Julie and I went for a walk before dinner down to the pond. Afterward we fixed some tofu and broccoli stir fry with rice and salad. Julie fixed chopped Thai salad For tomorrow.

After supper we played Ticket to Ride USA 1910 with Cate and Sam and Edward and me. Edward won, of course, but Cate was quite ambitious and completed as many trips as Edward did. They both completed nine trips, so they both got the Globe Trotter bonus of 15 points

This morning our big outing was to the library. All of the kids found lots of books to check out. Jesse very much prefers outer space books. Sam likes dinosaurs and got four books about dinosaurs, but he also got two books about other animals. Cate got lots of mystery books.

When we came out of the library we saw a very large turtle walking up the drive. Other people were gathered to look at it too. It was a soft shelled turtle, which I do not recall ever seeing one of before.

Ken was visiting with Romaine in Michigan.

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