N.E. Cape Fear River

Sunday December the 2nd we departed for a few days at our property beside the North East Cape Fear River. After setting everything up we built a campfire and set by it to read. We really enjoy this place because it is so quite and relaxing. We did a little maintenance around the property and took walks and did a lot of reading and relaxing by the campfire. I cooked a rack of ribs in my Dutch Oven for lunch Monday. Tuesday we drove to Wallace to have lunch and buy some wallpaper border to replace the border in the MH restroom. Lena does not like the border that is in there now.

Wednesday we drove to Wilmington to do some shopping and get a repair part for one of my woodworking tools. We had lunch at the Olive Garden Restaurant. After our normal walk and breakfast Thursday we packed up and headed home. I stopped and filled the MH fuel tank so it will be full for the winter season. Friday I winterized and washed the MH as this was our last trip until March 2013.

Morehead City N.C. and Cedar Point N.C.

On Thursday October the 4th we took the MH to Morehead City to take part in the North Carolina Seafood Festival as a craft vendor. We had gotten permission to park the MH on a used car lot for the weekend close enough that we could walk from there to the festival. We didn’t have any hookups but we can go for days without hookups as long as the generator works. We stayed there until 6PM Sunday when we departed Morehead City and drove to the National Park Campground at Cedar Point and setup the MH just before a storm blew through. We only got rain which was much better than what was predicted. Monday morning the 8th we left the MH and drove the truck home and stayed at home until Wednesday the 10th when we drove our “toad” back to the campground.

The CG host met us as we pulled into the campground and fussed at us about the rule of not parking the MH and then leaving it. I told her I did not know of that rule and she said it was on the bulletin board. I checked the online reservation web site and my reservation receipt and neither one had anything about this rule. Later I looked at the bulletin board near the entrance and finally found it printed in small faded out font - probably size 9. Oh well!

We like this campground because it has a really nice walking trail over and around the marsh area and the road in the campground is paved which makes it a nice place to ride our bicycles. Late Friday afternoon our son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons arrived with their travel trailer and setup on the site next to us. We had supper ready when they arrived.  I had cooked two racks of ribs in my Dutch Oven.

On Saturday Lena and I drove to Leland so I could attend my monthly woodturning club meeting. Lena went shopping while I attended the meeting. After we returned to the campground Lena, grandsons and daughter-in-law took a walk on the nature trail and then we all went to the T&W Oyster Bar for a seafood supper.

After our Sunday morning breakfast we all attended church at the Hadnot Creek Primitive Baptist Church. It is a pre Civil  War church and church services are held there twice each year. After service the church “had dinner on the grounds”. As many churches did years ago they still have fence wire stretched out where the food is spread out. It was a great meal. Our son and his family had to return home late Sunday afternoon. But Lena and I stayed until Monday morning before we packed up and headed home.

North East Cape Fear River

We departed Tuesday 9/23/12 for a few days at our property on the N.E. Cape Fear River. We had plans to do some work on the property and trim the low hanging tree limbs hanging over the road coming into the property. We had gone there the previous Saturday with the tractor and box blade to work on the dirt road from the paved highway down to the river which is about .7 of a mile. It needed to be graded to fill in some holes. After we got the MH set up we went to a local quarry where they mine gravel to order some for part of the road.

After lunch I used the chain saw to cut up an oak tree than had blown down during some recent high winds.Then I split the wood and we stacked it to use for campfire wood once it dries. On Wednesday I used the pole saw to trim all the low hanging tree limbs over the road. Thursday the gravel was delivered and spread over the road. In the afternoon we usually had a nice campfire as we sat beside the river and enjoyed the beauty of the river and the quite. We even grilled hot dogs over the fire one night. Friday we touched up the levelness of the gravel a little and then relaxed until it was time to pack-up and head for home Friday afternoon. Although we worked most of the time we enjoyed 4 days.

NC-VA Mountains

Note: Up to this point, this Blog has been written by We-2-B's (the Motor Home). As of this entry Dolan will take on the writing duties.

August 14, 2012 we began a 28 night trip to the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina and Virginia. Our first stop was 5 nights at Tom Johnson's RV Park in Marion NC where we were attending the annual Blue Grass and Gospel Festival that ran from Thursday to Saturday. We arrived on Tuesday and got set up and relaxed the remainder of the day. Wednesday we drove the "Toad" over to Old Fort to visit their train museum and the Mountain Gateway Museum. Both are very interesting and if you are in the area check them out. We also checked out a nearby campground but it was not something we were interested in. Friday we drove into Marion to check out the old part of town where we found a good coffee shop upstairs in an old building. We really enjoyed the Festival. This was the second year we have attended the festival.

Sunday the 19th we departed Marion and drove to Davidson River Campground in the Pisgah National Forest outside of Brevard NC where we will stay 6 nights. This is one of our favorite CGs. We got lucky and got an electrical site when we checked in. There is only one site with electricity that can be reserved. We  spent the 6 days traveling around the area, checking out some campgrounds and riding our new fold up bicycles and taking walks around the campground. I cooked some great ribs in my Dutch Oven. I think I am getting better with my oven. Tuesday evening one of the campers rode by on his bicycle and invited us to his campsite where he was going to sing and play the guitar and banjo. Wednesday evening while we were sitting by the campfire an older lady that was camped near us stopped to ask about the weather forecast. As soon as she began taking I knew she was from Germany. She was very interesting to talk to. She has had a very interesting life. She is 86 years old and was traveling alone and camping at different campgrounds along the Blue Ridge Parkway until October. She was traveling in an older model Ford Pickup and using a truck camper that was over 25 years old. She and her husband (before he died) had traveled to Alaska twice with the truck and camper. You just never know who you will meet while camping.

On Saturday the 25th we departed for Julian Price CG at milepost 297 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our site was A30 (a pull through) and it was one of the few in the entire CG that we could have got the motor home into and get it leveled. The pull throughs in the CG are really just wide places in the street. I parked as close to the curb as possible and when the driver side slide was out it completely filled the space allotted for the campsite.The CG has lots of sites but it needs LOTS of work. It doesn't look like any maintenance has been done in many years. It is a beautiful area and Price Lake is really nice. There are lots of walking trails in the area. Sunday we visited the Moses Cone home and then drove into Boone and did some shopping at the Mast General Store and then I cooked chicken in my Dutch Oven. It is amazing how tender it was.

Monday was my birthday so Lena cooked me blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Later in the day we walked  the 2.7 mile trail around Price Lake. Tuesday we drove to Blowing Rock for dinner at Glidewells on main street. We got some really good food unlike some of the reviews I have seen on the internet. Wednesday we drove back down the parkway a couple of miles and exited to a local road where we had seen an old country store earlier in the week that offered free WiFi. It was managed by a nice lady that told us of some of their plans for the place. The building was over 100 years old. They have a very nice stock of items and free WiFi.

Friday the 31st we departed for Bandits Roost CG at W Kerr Scott Lake near Wilksboro NC. Our site was A18. It took us awhile to get our Tailgater Satellite setup due to the trees around our site. The site was on the lake and spacious. The picnic table and firepit was on a lower level down several steps. Saturday we drove to Glendale Springs to check out Racoon Hollow CG. We didn't like it but did enjoy the local crafts store nearby on the Parkway. We also visited the The Holy Trinity Episcopal Church to look at the Frescos by Ben Long. We also found a nice cafe nearby - The Blue Ridge Bakery Cafe.

Monday we checked out the other two campgrounds on the lake. We liked Warrior Creek but most of the sites at Fort Hamby CG were two small for our motor home.Tuesday was Lena's birthday so we drove into North Wilkesboro. We visited a used book store and bought some books to read and then we found an old hardware store. The owner told me  it had been in business since 1947 and was founded by a local moonshiner. We checked out some other business and then went to The Branciforte’s Brick Oven Italian Restaurant for a pizza and dessert. The pizza was the best we have had since we lived in Germany and had brick oven pizza in Italy. The Tiramisu was also very good.

Thursday the 6th of September we departed for Wildwood CG near Lynchburg VA. Wildwood is a nice campground and is just over a mile off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 62. We had site "A" - a nice level pull through. We visited the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford VA on Friday. The visitors center and memorial were impressive. Friday evening we went to a party for a friend and his finance that was getting married the next day. The road was very curvy and hilly but a beautiful drive. We returned Saturday afternoon to attend the wedding. It was held in the yard and the rain held out until about 15 minutes after the vows were said. But the rain didn't last but about 30 minutes and they had two large tents for the reception.

Monday we rode down the parkway and did some hiking along a stream. Tuesday the 11th we departed for home. We had a very good time and had no major problems and drove 1049 miles with the motor home and stayed 28 nights and spent $539.84 on campsites. We rode our new fold up bicycles over 30 miles.

North East Cape Fear River

On Saturday June 16th. my owners took me down to their property on the North East Cape Fear River. They have a nice 1.26 acre lot on the river bank set up for camping. Their son and his family was already there with their Travel Trailer. They enjoy camping with them as they like to see their two grandsons taking in all the nature around them and watching them fish off the boat dock. Everyone got busy and cooked up a great meal and my driver cooked an Apple Cobbler in his new Dutch Oven. Their daughter-in-law's family came so there was 10 for supper.

They often see lots of wildlife - deer, turkey, squirrels, owls, rabbits, turtles and snakes.

After three great days we packed up and drove back home.

Cedar Point National Forest CG

On Thursday June 7th. my owners packed me up and drove to Cedar Point National Forest CG at Cedar Point NC. We stayed at this CG last Fall and really enjoyed it. It has 40 sites, all with electric hook-up. Water is scattered around and they have a dump station and a really nice bathhouse. The road and all sites are paved and the sites are large. Most are shady and can handled most any size TT or RV. There are two nice hiking trails right on the sound/marsh nearby. They also have a boat ramp near the walking trails. It is a great place to kayak in the calm sound waters. We relaxed and just enjoyed the nice weather and seafood at T & W Oyster Bar that is about 3 miles away. We were in site 10. It is totally shaded, probably the most shady site of all the sites. See Campground photos for a couple of photos of the CG.

There is a pre civil War church about 3 miles from the CG that my owners attend on occassion. It is the Hadnot Creek Primitive Baptist Church and it was established in 1790 and rebuilt in 1815. Church services are held there 2 times a year, 1st Sunday in June and 2nd Sunday in October with dinner on the grounds at the October meeting.

My owners had a very relaxing 6 days with some good eating and relaxing, reading, nice walks and riding their new fold-up bicycles.

Tiffin RV Rally - Brunswick GA

Tiffin RV Rally - Brunswick Ga

My owners took me to a Tiffin RV Rally in Brunswick Ga at the Coastal Georgia RV Park. We departed Monday April 9, 2012 and stayed overnight at Carrollwoods Campground a few miles from Tabor City NC. They had heard about this CG and decided to check it out on the way. It was nice and had full hookups and WiFi but not a destination CG for them. There is a small winery there named Grapefull Sisters owned by the same family.

We arrived at the rally site on Tuesday. There were 73 of my Tiffins kin there by Wednesday. Everyone enjoyed the great food and fellowship. Friday they visited other coaches to look at all the mods the owners had done and on Saturday they let people come by and take a look at me. Saturday Weigh-To-Go came and weighed me to see if I needed to go on a diet but I was in good shape, just a little heavy in the passenger side rear but that is very common. The RV park is really nice with a small lake behind it with lots of pull through sites. All sites are full hookup. My owners thought my site was a little narrow compared to most of the other sites. And the WiFi was a hit and miss service.

They fired me up Sunday morning and took me down to Skidaway Island State Park near Savannah Ga. The dumb GPS didn't tell then to turn down the correct road near the park and they ended up headed into a gated community. Needless to say there was no way to turn around with my Toad hooked up so they had to unhook it and get out of there because I was blocking the exit to the community. We got to our site in the park and setup. It is a beautiful park, full of large trees with moss hanging everywhere. The sites are large and most for MHs where drive throughs. 50 AMP service, water and cable TV. On Monday they let me rest while they took the toad and drove into Savannah to eat at Paula Deans restaurant The Lady and Sons.Tuesday was a day of rest for all. This is a recommended CG.

Wednesday we departed for the Freightliner Factory Service Center in Gaffney SC. My chassis was built just down the road. While I was getting my 2 year annual service and checkup my owners attended the Camp Freightliner 2 day school. I got refreshed with new fluids and filters and an end to end checkup and they got educated on how I function.I think they must like me, since they are taking such good care of me.

Saturday we departed for Dhreher Island State Park about 25 miles from Columbia SC. This CG is surrounded by beautiful Lake Murray.The CG was setup mostly for tents and travel trailers since the sites are not level and somewhat tight to get a MH into. They don't recommend this CG for MHs especially sites 1-30.Sites 74 and 94 would be okay for a MH but most others would call for some creative leveling techniques. Monday they drove to the Camping World store in Columbia to get me a new Rand McNally 7710 GPS. Maybe now I won't get directed into a situation where I can't turn around without unhooking the toad. On Wednesday 4/25/2012 we headed for home and arrived safe and sound at 2:15PM. We were gone 16 nights and drove 1177 miles without any problems.

We-2B's

Hello, this is a nice photo of me.

I am a 2006 Tiffin Phaeton 40' TSH with 3 slide outs. I sit on a Freightliner Chassis and have a 350HP C-7 cat engine and a 6 speed Allison Electric transmission. I drive and ride really good. My prior owners had done several upgrades to my interior and had all new batteries and tires installed just a few months before I was sold to my current owners. She is thrilled with the large kitchen space, double door refrigerator, microwave/convection oven, central vacuum system and washer/dryer combo. He likes the second vanity, computer desk, two recliners, drive/ride, air brakes, ice machine, basement storage and the air horns. And they both like the Sleep Number king size bed.

They purchased me on 9/30/2011 which just happened to be their 43rd wedding anniversary. After taking ownership they headed home but had to stay overnight enroute due to the distance from home. They decided to overnight in a Walmart parking lot rather than finding a campground just for a few hours sleep. They thought it kind of funny staying in a parking lot on their wedding anniversary but they were both happy so what else matters. They arrived home 10/1/2011 and managed to take six trips (15 nights) with me before having to winterize me in mid December.