Lebanon, TN

Today we left Sevierville, ok now it's been a couple of days. Right now I'm sitting in beautiful Centennial Park in downtown Nashville watching the ducks & pretty fountains @ the lake. It has been a time the past couple of days. First, I don't think I will ever tire of driving through east TN down I-40. Driving through the Great Smokie Mountains. The view is just indescibable. As you crest one mountain top and see the valleys & mountains ahead of you. This time of year it is a patchwork quilt of every shade of green imaginable. I have always said that you can see the hand of God @ work in these magnificent vistas. All you have to do is open your eyes and appreciate the splendor of nature laid out before you. I can't imagine any part of the country more beautiful than this but, I am anxious to see all the rest of the sights to see what can challenge this thought. Stopped to get gas just as we reached our destination in Lebanon and managed to cut the corner too tight and tear a small gash in the side of the trailer by hitting one of the guard posts the put up just for such an occasion. No major damage done except to my ego. On to Shady Acres where we have been looking forward to staying for at least two years. No monthly sites left ... bummer. Not too many sites to choose from at all. Well we got in the site and upon examination of the damage to the trailer I noticed that there was also some minor damage to the wheel & tire on the other side. I have no idea how this occurred and doesn't seem to be too bad. All part of the new experience I guess. After some deliberation & phone calls we decided that since we have so much stuff to do in Dickson and weren't able to get the monthly rate in Lebanon it would be better to get a site in Dickson. We managed to get a spot @ Dickson RV Park for the monthly rate and of course it is 56 miles closer to where we need to be a lot of the time. Well, what an ordeal this has turned out to be. First of all the people there bare very friendly & helpful, possibly too helpful. We did all the paperwork and one of the guys that works there, Brian, showed us our site and he and the manager guided us into it. They then jumped in to help get it set up and leveled. Well by the time that it was level two wheels on one side were off the ground. For some reason Brian raised the tongue jack @ that time the whole trailer swung off the leveling jacks and fell. When this happened the front right jack was damaged and is now unusable. Now to top that off the 7 pin connector cable which runs the lights & brakes on the trailer fell on the ground and the tongue jack must have landed on in and severed it. Just another of life's experiences. Anyway, they finally got it leveled and it is now up on blocks and stable ... level not so much but, hopefully enough to live with for a month.

Still trying to figure out this whole blog thing and when I do I will get the pictures where I want them on the blog

See you down the road,
Don & Karen

Sevierville, TN

  Today we're in Sevierville, TN.  River Plantation RV Park.  this is a really nice Good Sam's park.  It is very large and has a lot of full timers.  I have been getting out and walking everyday trying to get some exercise.  I figure it's going to either ease the aches and pains or put me in a ride-on scooter.  I'm going back to the doctor next week to get another steroid shot.  Hopefully that will hold me for another 4 months or so.  I didn't realize how long or steep the road was up to the front to get a picture of the entry to the park.  Halfway up it seemed longer and steeper than it did at the bottom.  The boys have been swimming quite a bit, as much as they can, and have made some friends here in the park.  Can you spend too much time at the pool?  They have a very nice pool area here including pools, one of which had an inclined slope to get in the pool and a water fountain at one end and a hot tub.
  We haven't been able to get out and do as much as we would like due to financial constraints at the time but hopefully we'll at least get in some miniature golf or something. This is the perfect weekend for the synchronous firefly.  This is an occurrence that only happens here in the Smoky Mountains from what I understand.  Haven't been able to get to see them mainly because of the weather but am hoping that it will clear up by this evening and will take a trip to the National Park.  You can check this out for yourself at r http://www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/fireflies.htm.
  Rain last night.  It was quite nice actually to sit there under the trailer awning and watch and listen to the rhythm of the falling rain(hmm good song title in there).  This morning it was raining again.  This time it was really coming down.  The wind was blowing so hard that I was beginning to worry about the awning.  It calmed down enough to get back outside again and visit with my early morning friend that comes by every morning.  This robin red breast is there every day digging up worms.



  Had to refill the LP gas for the first time today.  It wasn't that bad $25 for the 30lb tank.  I thought that was a reasonable price for that.  We'll see how long that lasts.  We will be here for several more days before getting back on the road and heading to Lebanon, TN which we will call home for the next month or so.

See you down the road
Don & Karen

Racoon Mountain

Great day here in Chattanooga.  Whole family went to the TN Aquarium today.  Quite a place.  All the usual specimens you would expect to see alligators, turtles, sharks .. etc but, the way it is laid out is very nice.  Two separate buildings rivers & oceans.  They also had water flowing through a man-made creek which ran through the property.  On such a hot day as this the younger kids loved it and the old ones cooled their tired feet in it.  The kids loved petting the sting rays and the sturgeon.  The stugeon came with a warning to use 2 fingers only and not to try and grab the fish.  They apparently don't like this and have very sharp teeth. 

  Arriving back @ camp on such a hot day everyone was pretty well spent Tristen(4) was already napping in the backseat of the minivan.   Bobby & Karen headed off to the pool and Dalton & I followed after a while.  After about an hour we all headed back to camp to get dinner going. Powerful storms all night really lighting up the night. Wow, it's tomorrow already. Heading out this morning for Sevierville TN. See you down the road, Don & Karen

Last day @ "home base"

  Sunday, Karen's off @ the laundromat getting the laundry done.  This is a somewhat new experience which, she says on Facebook, has some advantages.  She can get it all done @ once and not have it be an all day chore.  Just one of those changes we'll have to get used to. 
  The garage sale is over which went well.  Can't say it was a great success but we did ok.  Hard to have a gsrage sale on the weekend that set or equalled the record high temps for the day, every day.  Karen was worn out after two days and left it for Lescelle & Sami (duaghter-in-law & granddaughter) to finish up on Friday.   All that is left is to take the leftovers to Goodwill.
  For those interested in visiting this area Montgomery Bell State Park is a nice place to stay.  Campground is wooded or open, there are ball fields and playgrounds and is well looked after by park rangers and the camp hosts and there are adequate & clean restrooms & showers.  For those non-campers there is a wonderful inn to stay at.  The park has a swimming beach, boat rentals, including canoes & paddle boats and of course, fishing.  We have enjoyed staying here for several years.  Bobby is a little upset because they won't let him ride his "pocket rocket".  It is a small electric motorcycle but they feel it is too small and people in vehicles won't be abe to see him.
  Tomorrow, off to Chattanooga!

See you down the road,
Don & Karen

Today's the day!

  It has really happened!  Today we had the hitch & brakes installed and are back @ Montgomery Bell St Pk until Monday.  It was a little nerve wracking driving 30. Miles bwith just a regular hitch and no trialer brakes but, we made it there fine. It took almost 3 hours to have it done.  We had no choice, but to wait there since they needed both the trailer & the car. 
  Well, with our first pull under our belts we are ready for Chattanooga and Mont Eagle Mountain(they have runaway truck ramps on that decline). 

See you down the road,
Don & Karen

Less than a week to go

   It is less than a week now until we are finally ready to get on the road.  Next Wed we have the hitch and brakes put on and then a couple of days @ Montgomery Bell St. Pk. and the off to Chattanooga. 
   Things are progressing well, the house is empty, the new tenants will be moving things in tomorrow, garage sale stuff is being sorted and I can't count the number of trips to the dump.  Still things to do yet but mostly just finding places for everything now.
   Karen's son Chris arrived last night, or should I say early this morning with granson Bobby in tow.  Chris will be with us for three days but Bobby will travel with us almost all summer. 

See you down the road,
Don & Karen

Finally

iGoogle:
  Well, it has finally happened.  We have sold the motor home and rented the house all in the same day.  After putting some oil in the engine and some transmission fluid it started right up and ran well.  The man that bought it didn't seem to care if anything else worked in it.  He drove it off and hopefully made it back to Murfreesboro, about a 60 mile trip, safely.
  The family that came today to see the house fell in love with it and are ready to move in.  Their five children have fallen in love with the property, and all the reptiles that seem to live here.  We feel that they are a good match for the house and the neighborhood.  The husband has already made contact with the neighbor across the street since they are both into motorcycles and four wheelers.  I hope that they find as much happiness in this home as I have.
  Needless to say Karen and I are both excited about this turn of events.  The things that we needed to accomplish have finally come to pass.  We have been waiting for over a year for this to happen.  It's been such a good day we even bought a Powerball ticket.
  Our next goal is to have the equalizer hitch and electric brake assembly installed on the Denali.  This is on the calendar for May 23rd but we may just push that up a bit so we can get away for another weekend before traveling to Chattanooga with Donnie, Leschelle and family.  We have been living in the trailer for three weeks now but have yet to actually tow it anywhere.  We will need to have the trailer towed to Camping World in Nashville to have the hitch and brakes installed and just haven't been able to do that yet, until now.

Our new home.

  Our biggest obstacle now is getting rid of all the things that we have accumulated over the years dividing them up amongst family and having a huge garage sale in two weeks and finding where we want to put everything in the new RV.  It seems that we will have enough room ... hopefully.  

  We are looking forward to beginning this journey and taking you along with us.  We would love to hear from everyone and answer any questions, or listen to any suggestions, that you might have.  As we travel from area to area, if there is something you think we just have to see please let us know.

Until later

Love to all, 

Don & Karen

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