Virginia Beach in April

For the second consecutive year, the old Dominion Cardinals began the camping season with a weekend outing to Virginia Beach, VA. Holiday Trav-L-Park offers excellent facilities and a comfortable campground. We could not have had better weather. We had 15 of 23 rigs in our membership attend. It was a good time and much fun.

Our weekend began Thursday, April 23. We wanted to beat Friday traffic and extend our time camping, if we were to drive 150+ miles to get there. It was a good decision. Traffic was no problem until we were within the Norfolk city limits. The trip through the tunnel was tense, as always. Mem called to advise us to take Exit 21 rather than Exit 22. Birds Neck Road is still under construction, as it was last year. Avoiding that road was another good decision.

We were not the only early arrivals, and by 5:00 PM we had a lively group for happy hour. When the sun went down, the temperature followed. Jackets and sweaters were retrieved and the party continued. The remaining rigs arrived during the day and evening on Friday. Several found traffic slow and arduous, but no major problems were reported.

Bike riding was popular during the camp out, both motor-powered and pedal-powered. It was an easy bike ride to the beach, and the motorcyclists took an extended ride on Saturday to North Carolina. If one was not riding somewhere, walking and sitting were also enjoyable pastimes. The first camp out is a great time to catch up on what has been happening since we last saw each other. Everyone appeared to enjoy themselves whether exercising or visiting.

By Saturday, we decided to stay over until Monday. Traffic on Friday can be bad, but Sunday traffic is much worse, especially on I-95 north. Besides, it is nice to watch others packing up and leaving on Sunday while knowing you have one more day. Thursday through Monday seems to be the best schedule for ODC weekends.

We are very appreciative and grateful for the help we received from Bill, Chuck and Larry on Sunday. They spent time and energy hooking up analog-to-digital converter boxes to our two coach TVs. This no small task; we could not have done it without their help. Now we have great digital reception with the bat-wing antenna.

Five rigs stayed until Monday. We had a community meal Sunday evening, and on Monday we formed a convoy for the trip north. We left the campground around 10:00 AM and encountered a major traffic accident within a few miles, Fortunately, our "lead dog", Chuck, was quick to take us on a detour around the accident. The convoy disbanded in the vicinity of Exit 104 on I-95. Several of us stopped for fuel, others kept going.

Our last stop was at Logan's in Fredericksburg for a steak. Parking is easy, and the food is usually good; it was again. We still had to unload the coach and park it in storage. We were done by 5:30 PM, and we enjoyed the evening in our easy chairs. It is good to be home again...for a few weeks.

Back In Virginia

Until last Wednesday, we had never heard of Pooler, GA. We learned about it from our Wal-Mart directory as we neared the end of our first travel day from Florida to Virginia. Savannah, GA is roughly halfway between Crystal Lake and Fawn Lake, and we have stopped there in years past. Pooler is south of Savannah approximately 473 miles from Crystal Lake and 542 miles from Fawn Lake. Ideally, we preferred to stop after 350-400 miles, but could not find a suitable location. Pooler was a great choice.

We saw the Sam's store before we saw the Wal-Mart; stores were on opposite sides of the raod. The sun had set, and we wanted to be parked before dark. Far to our right, as we entered the Sam's parking area, we spotted other motor homes already parked. We found a vacant area on the lot's outer edge next to a pond, and we could not believe our good fortune. It was level, quiet, and offered a beautiful view over the pond. Of the four RVs that stayed the night there, we had the best location.

Thursday was another perfect weather day for travel. We knew we had a dilemma: with 500 miles plus yet to travel, how would we break the trip into two more days? We could have stopped again, but we knew early on that we would press on for home. We parked at Fawn Lake as darkness descended. It was a long day, and we were exhausted.

Two observations from Thursday's travel seem noteworthy: I-95 through South Carolina rivals I-10 through Louisiana for roughness, and the DOT in North Carolina should re-think closing one lane of traffic for re-paving when it results in 7 - 10 mile traffic back ups. We shook and rattled as we rolled through South Carolina. We took an extra 90 minutes to travel through two separate "roadwork" back ups in North Carolina. We were not as unhappy as many truck drivers who vented their frustrations on the CB radio. Which poison do you prefer: rough roads or re-paved roads with traffic back ups?

Friday was a day to unpack and re-settle. Fatigue was upon us, and we tried to pace ourselves. By Friday evening the coach was back in its storage site. and we rested. Yard work would have to wait until Saturday.

We leave for Virginia Beach next Thursday for an ODC camping weekend. More about that later.

Leaning Forward

Our children and grandchildren all returned safely to Virginia after their brief visits to "Paradise". We thoroughly enjoyed having them here. We hope they will come again next year.

We have a plan to leave Crystal Lake April 15 to travel to Virginia. We had a similar plan to leave April 8; we changed that plan. The trip home will likely take three days. The Hodges left here Monday and arrived home in Fawn Lake Tuesday afternoon. We see this as cruel and unnecessary punishment.

We will celebrate Easter Sunday at church and will have a late afternoon dinner with the Lohmans. They are leaving April 25 for Denver and then to Whidbey Island, WA until fall.

Motor homes are leaving Crystal Lake everyday. Our perfect weather is not holding people back from the cold and rainy weather in the north. Everyday here is one less day there. The Bodens left today for Michigan; it snowed there Sunday. Have you noticed that once you seriously consider going home, a momentum and anticipation develop, and you feel like you are ready to "be there". We talk of staying longer, but need to move on to new challenges (yard work) and opportunities (upcoming trips).

We'll resume the blog after we get to Virginia.

Changing Plans

Blogging requires a certain amount of discipline to write when there is little available time and when Internet access may not be available for days or weeks ahead. That is the situation we experienced in March. We had settled into a leisurely lifestyle at Crystal Lake in mid January and planned to attend the FMCA Convention in Perry, GA leaving Florida March 11 to meet friends for a pre-rally at Cordele, GA.

Plans changed abruptly. Janice’s brother had bypass heart surgery March 9. We headed for Alabama March 8 and arrived just before the surgery ended. His recovery was excellent. We remained in Alabama until Saturday March 14 and drove to Perry that day in the rain.

Saturday and Sunday were very wet. Showers gave way to clearing on Monday and Tuesday was dry and beautiful as was the remainder of the week. The rally was fun. We attended several seminars, shopped many of the vendors, and had a good time. We were not looking for a new motor home so we did not spend energy looking at the offerings. Sales were made, but we do not know how many. We did not have Internet access in the parking area, so no blogging.

This was our first rally using “Handicapped Parking”. FMCA understands that issue and responded tremendously. A fleet of volunteer driven golf carts cruised the fairgrounds looking for handicapped folks needing a ride. The service was efficient and most welcome. We could not have enjoyed the rally without them.

We left Perry on Friday March 20 to return to Crystal Lake. Our daughter and two grandchildren arrived March 22. This was a first: five people staying in the motor home. The first night was challenging as we figured out sleeping arrangements and bedtimes. After that, we set up a routine. We used the motor home for sleeping and stayed outside most of the days. They left on Friday evening and our other daughter arrived on Saturday for the following week. We have been active.

We’ll resume the blog when we head north to Virginia.