December, 2001

Saturday, December 1 found us pulling into the Thousand Trails Preserve, Forest Lake, in Mocksville, North Carolina.  We had driven Thursday and Friday through dreary, misty weather in West Virginia and Virginia, hoping to stay at a Thousand Trails Preserve in Virginia.  However, it was closed for the season and we just moved on.  Friday night was foggy and rainy, so we stopped in a rest area on I-77 and moved on in the morning to Forest Lake.  This preserve is really a great one and we're sure that it is crowded in the summer.  There are many things to do for all ages including two pools, miniature golf, and separate clubhouses and game rooms for adults and kids.   On Saturday afternoon we went into town to watch the Christmas parade.  It lasted two hours and had over 100 units...we think every fire truck in a 25 mile radius participated!  At the end, they lit all the Christmas lights in the town square.   That evening we attended the campground Christmas Party.  Elvis was scheduled to appear, but had called in sick.  A hastily recruited band arrived to take his place and did a great job of getting everyone involved in good times and dancing.  All of this, plus lunch at noon, had been free...the joys of a membership campground.  On Sunday we took several walks through the wooded preserve and chatted with several "fulltimers" who were staying for a while and gave us info on where to get our leveling jacks repaired.

Early Monday morning we hooked up and headed into the Charlotte area.  Just as our new friends predicted, we hit stop and go traffic on the freeway.  Luckily, we didn't have much further to go when we did.  We were at Tom Johnson Camping Center on the north edge of Charlotte (Concord) when they opened.  As they had promised over the phone on Saturday, they took a look right away at our non-extending jack and after some serious troubleshooting decided that we needed a new solenoid.  Of course, they didn't have one in stock....nor did Fleetwood...so the part had to be ordered from Wisconsin and hopefully would be at Tom Johnson by Friday the 7th.  So.............we have been staying at the adjoining campground, Fleetwood Racing RV Resort, all of which is adjacent to the Lowe's Motor Speedway of Nascar fame.   On Tuesday we took a tour of the Speedway (which seats 220,000 race fans) and rode on the track (in a van, not the RV!).  It is quite a place. (But with thousands of camping and parking spaces, we don't think we'd want to be here on a race day!) We also went to the Concord Mills Mall whose anchor store is a big Bass Pro Shop/Outdoor World.  But to us "browsers" it doesn't compare to Cabella's near home!  On Wednesday we visited the museum at the Cannon Village..a restored area surrounding the Fieldcrest towel and linen factory.  There are a lot of linen and furniture outlets here - but we don't have room for a lot of those bargains in the RV.  That evening we attended the Christmas Tree Lighting at the Lowe's Speedway.  They had live Christmas music and refreshments and some of the drivers and local team mascots were there for entertainment...outdoors in a pleasant 65* after sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

        First turn on the track at the speedway                                                   In the winner's circle                      

By a strange coincidence we recognized another Rv/tow car rig here in the campground that we had seen in Homer and Soldotna, Alaska.  We spent some time visiting with Ed and Randi and comparing stories of travel and fishing in the Last Frontier.  Luckily, the weather here has been fantastic, the campground has full hookups at a very reasonable price and we've found things to do each day.  Hopefully by the weekend, we'll be heading on south.

Surprise!  Surprise!  Our part from Wisconsin arrived in Charlotte on Thursday afternoon.  So, bright and early Friday morning Tom had the Bounder parked at one of the service bays, and Mary headed to the laundromat.  By the time Mary returned with clean clothes, the leveling jack had been repaired and Tom had everything all ready to travel.  We hooked up the car and headed south once again.  We arrived in the Savannah area in the late afternoon and checked in at the Whispering Pines RV Resort.  On Saturday we took a driving tour of the old historic Savannah....a city of well maintained old buildings centered around 21 beautiful squares..a wide variety of interesting architecture and landscaping.  We also drove out to Tybee Island and toured an old military fortress and climbed to the top of the still working lighthouse.

On Sunday, December 9 we moved on to Jacksonville, FL.  On the recommendation of an internet friend from the RV Club, we stopped at the Flamingo Lake RV Resort.  It is another great park with full hookups including cable TV.  We've been living a life of luxury this trip!  Many of the RV's are all decorated and lighted up for Christmas.  Festive, but still strange when the temperature is in the high 70's.
Tybee Island Lighthouse, Savannah, GA
In Jacksonville we encountered more rainy weather, so it was difficult to enjoy the outdoors. So, we chose an indoor activity and toured the Anheiser-Busch Brewery.  It was quite interesting and we enjoyed their "hospitality room" before heading on to do some shopping.  For dinner on Monday we had a fun visit with Harold and Tish Ponsell who are "soon-to-be-fulltimers".  We shared tips and experiences over a tasty BBQ meal.
click on the "forward" and "back" buttons above to see more of our December adventures
click on the "forward" and "back" buttons above to see more of our December adventures
On Tuesday morning, Dec. 11 the weather was brighter and we started driving down Route A1A from Jacksonville towards St.Augustine and Daytona Beach.  We had intended to visit our old home, Palm Coast, but passed on by when we realized they charged a hefty toll per axle over the new bridge to get there.  The big rig and tow car probably would have been a problem in a residential area, anyway.  We did, though, enjoy the drive along the ocean and stopped to walk on the beach near Flagler Beach where we spent a lot of time with the kids back in 1978.  It didn't take but a few minutes to realize why I liked the beach so much when we lived there.  From the Daytona area we turned west and went to the Orlando area where we checked in to the Thousand Trails Preserve just west of the Disney Resorts.

December, 2001 page 2

click on the "forward" and "back" buttons above to see more of our December adventures
Once again, we found the Thousand Trails Preserve to be a really nice place to "camp."  This one is geared to attract "snowbirds" and is quite large.  One area has quite a few trees.  Another, where people pay extra to stay by the year, was extremely well landscaped by the lease holders.  All the spaces were wide and angled so we didn't feel like we were on top of one another.  The clubhouse had a ballroom as well as game lounges and a restaurant and there are two pools.  They even had four modem hookups!  We took advantage of allowances to wash the RV and the car (after 4pm or before 10am) and the nice laundry to do the clothes, too.  We even got the bikes off the back of the RV and rode all around the preserve.     And would you believe....we met once again with the people we'd seen in Alaska and again in Charlotte.                  
Of course, we had to go to Disney World!  We had two days each left on "Park-Hopper" passes purchased 10 years ago, so we got our money's worth.  (We paid only $147 for the pass that now costs $247 but they are good forever!)  On our first day we went to the M-G-M Studios first thing in the morning, then moved over to Epcot at 5:00 when MGM closed.  The second day we opened up "Animal Kingdom" at 9am, then moved to Epcot again at noon.  True to articles in the paper and on TV, there were few tourists there compared to normal.  We did not stand in any lines.  We walked right in to rides and attractions and got to pick our seats.  There were no lines for food, including the fancy restaurants.  Tom and I were even chosen to participate in the "Pearl Harbor" production. (A wet proposition!)  We passed up going to the "Magic Kingdom" and maybe someday we'll return there with the granddaughters!  We thoroughly enjoyed the exhibits and attractions, many of them changed from our previous visits.  The entire Disney property is decorated beautifully for Christmas.  The only strange thing about it was that it was 85* and we were wearing shorts!  Both nights we attended the "Christmas Candlelight Procession."  A guest narrator (actress Alfre Woodard on our nights) read the Christmas Story while a 500 voice choir (each holding a candle) and 50 member orchestra provided the musical accompaniment.  It was quite a sight as they darkened the park and the choirs walked into the outdoor amphitheater singing.  Obviously we enjoyed it so much - we went back a second time.  The grand finale at Epcot each night is the fireworks/laser show set to music....another emotional performance.  We returned to the RV around 11 both nights and had no trouble falling asleep!
Saturday, Dec. 15 found us in Sebastian, FL on the Atlantic Coast.  We drove the car there to visit Toledo friends, Kathie and Dan Stout (and Buster the dog) who had retired in the Spring of 2000 and built a gorgeous home in Sebastian.  They showed us around their town and we walked on the beach and through an art fair in the town park.  Kathie fixed us two delicious meals as well and we had a great visit into the late evening.
On Sunday we did some cleaning and organizing and got ready to move on.  Early Monday morning, Dec. 17 we were on the road once again, making a stop at Camping World in Tampa and then on to Bradenton.  We parked in an RV park near Tom's parents mobile home, which is still for sale, and spent several days tending to details dealing with his parents.          In Bradenton we also had some tire work done as we had noticed a vibration while driving.  So far, it seems to have done the trick!        On Wednesday, Dec. 19 we headed back to Lazy Days RV near Tampa and took advantage of their hospitality and looked at new coaches (Tom picked out a American Eagle Triple Slide for his dream sequences) while we waited for our electrical monitoring system to be replaced under warranty.  From there it was north for the holidays.
Along A1A near Flagler Beach, FL
Mickey giving us a hug at the MGM Studios
Kathie and Dan

We arrived at the Escapee's RV Park at Raccoon Valley, Tennessee on December 22.  We had arranged to leave the Bounder here for the holidays and we got it all set up in a regular campsite where we left it plugged in to electricity and with the furnace running.  On Christmas Eve day we drove the car to Marysville, OH and spent five nights with our daughter Ann and her family.  We had a great Christmas and a wonderful visit with our three granddaughters who seem to be growing every minute.  Grandpa quickly became a favorite playmate for the girls and for Jack, the puppy.                  On the 29th we headed to Toledo to visit friends and family.  We have spent 30 of the last 33 New Year's Eves with Kathy and Dennie Dew and can't break a precious tradition with good friends!

2001 has been a busy year  - full of exciting adventures, as well as some anxious moments, frustrations and despair.  We have been blessed to be able to travel and meet so many wonderful people and see some fantastic sights.  We appreciate that we have the freedom to continue our adventures in this great country of ours and expect to do so in 2002.