Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The last of Alabama
Apr 24 … Tue - Woke up to rain, however the afternoon was sunny and warm. Mike spent most of the afternoon rearranging and cleaning the storage bins of the motorhome. Tomorrow we head out for the Nashville area. Our destination is "Old Hickory Lake - Cages Bend Campground".
Apr 23 … Mon - We got up very early (0515) to first say goodbye to Brandon. He goes to his office at 0545 in order to catch up on things before his p.t. at 0700. Katherine later woke the boys so we could say goodbye to them before hitting the road. We got away around 0630. The weather was warm and dry so the drive went well.
Around 2:00 p.m. we were in Atlanta and went to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Museum and Library. Here we learned about the office of the President of the United States and about the life and public service of Jimmy Carter, the nations 39th President who served from 1977 to 1981. His presidency focused on human rights, peace in the Middle East, a new partnership with Panama, and strengthening ties to China. President Carter preserved the nations resources, confronted the nuclear threat, and returned imprisoned Americans in Iran to their family and country.
When we got back to the park around 6:30p.m., we moved the motorhome from the storage facility to a site. We’ll be here until Wednesday when we venture into the state of Tennessee.
Apr 23 … Mon - We got up very early (0515) to first say goodbye to Brandon. He goes to his office at 0545 in order to catch up on things before his p.t. at 0700. Katherine later woke the boys so we could say goodbye to them before hitting the road. We got away around 0630. The weather was warm and dry so the drive went well.
Around 2:00 p.m. we were in Atlanta and went to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Museum and Library. Here we learned about the office of the President of the United States and about the life and public service of Jimmy Carter, the nations 39th President who served from 1977 to 1981. His presidency focused on human rights, peace in the Middle East, a new partnership with Panama, and strengthening ties to China. President Carter preserved the nations resources, confronted the nuclear threat, and returned imprisoned Americans in Iran to their family and country.
When we got back to the park around 6:30p.m., we moved the motorhome from the storage facility to a site. We’ll be here until Wednesday when we venture into the state of Tennessee.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Alabama and North Carolina Road Trip!
Apr 22 … Sun - In the morning we went to Nicholas’s school where the guys all hit golf balls, the only down side --- they had to go retrieve the balls when they were done. In the afternoon we went back to Mountasia and played another 18 holes of mini-golf…this course was a bit tougher than yesterday. We will leave early tomorrow morning for our trip back to the motorhome.
Apr 21 … Sat - More fun with the boys at the neighborhood rec center playing air hockey, foosball, basketball, & the playground. In the afternoon we all played a round of miniature golf and then walked around the mall. Brandon prepared a great steak dinner while Dixie and the kids played more games!
Apr 20 … Fri - We spent time with Brandon & Kat while the kids were at school. Nicholas had a fever when we picked him up from school so he stayed home with Dixie & Kat while Bailey, Brandon & Mike went to Tae-Kwon-Do. Dixie & Nicholas played several board games while they were gone!
Apr 19 … Thu - At 6am we were moving the motorhome to the storage area of the park as they wouldn’t let us leave it on the site and be gone for 5 days. We were on the road at 612a but it took 3 hrs just to get to Atlanta (which was 135 miles away) -- had to go through lots of small towns & back roads to get to a freeway & then traffic was bad in the Atlanta area. Also had to make a quick stop at a “Trader Joes” (our favorite store) . Then we were on the road again with quick stops for gas and lunch at a rest area. Arrived at Brandon’s in Fayettville, NC at 6p. All in all it wasn’t a bad drive!
Apr 18 … Wed - Laundry day & packing. Cloudy in the am but the sun broke out in the afternoon. Katherine, (daughter-in-law) had gallbladder surgery today…all went well. She was having the same symptoms Dixie’s had last year at this time. I would say it’s a Teague thing but their “Teague’s” by marriage!
Apr 17 … Tue - Another beautiful day! We’re getting things together to prepare for our drive to Ft. Bragg on Thursday. Made it to the gym and the pool and enjoyed the lakeview in the sun.
Apr 16 … Mon - Today is sunny and warmer … about 68 degrees forecast for the day. We drove a short distance to the Lake Guntersville State park and hiked one the several trails available. The trail we took was “moderate” in difficulty however there were parts of it that could be considered “moderately difficult” due to the steep incline. We estimated a walk of between 2.5 and 3 miles over an hour and a half. We took a lunch with us and ate it looking at some unusual rock formations in the deep woods. We did this after having gone to the gym this morning for a workout on the weights and treadmill. After dinner, we utilized the park hot tub for some needed relaxation of tired muscles.
Apr 21 … Sat - More fun with the boys at the neighborhood rec center playing air hockey, foosball, basketball, & the playground. In the afternoon we all played a round of miniature golf and then walked around the mall. Brandon prepared a great steak dinner while Dixie and the kids played more games!
Apr 20 … Fri - We spent time with Brandon & Kat while the kids were at school. Nicholas had a fever when we picked him up from school so he stayed home with Dixie & Kat while Bailey, Brandon & Mike went to Tae-Kwon-Do. Dixie & Nicholas played several board games while they were gone!
Apr 19 … Thu - At 6am we were moving the motorhome to the storage area of the park as they wouldn’t let us leave it on the site and be gone for 5 days. We were on the road at 612a but it took 3 hrs just to get to Atlanta (which was 135 miles away) -- had to go through lots of small towns & back roads to get to a freeway & then traffic was bad in the Atlanta area. Also had to make a quick stop at a “Trader Joes” (our favorite store) . Then we were on the road again with quick stops for gas and lunch at a rest area. Arrived at Brandon’s in Fayettville, NC at 6p. All in all it wasn’t a bad drive!
Apr 18 … Wed - Laundry day & packing. Cloudy in the am but the sun broke out in the afternoon. Katherine, (daughter-in-law) had gallbladder surgery today…all went well. She was having the same symptoms Dixie’s had last year at this time. I would say it’s a Teague thing but their “Teague’s” by marriage!
Apr 17 … Tue - Another beautiful day! We’re getting things together to prepare for our drive to Ft. Bragg on Thursday. Made it to the gym and the pool and enjoyed the lakeview in the sun.
Apr 16 … Mon - Today is sunny and warmer … about 68 degrees forecast for the day. We drove a short distance to the Lake Guntersville State park and hiked one the several trails available. The trail we took was “moderate” in difficulty however there were parts of it that could be considered “moderately difficult” due to the steep incline. We estimated a walk of between 2.5 and 3 miles over an hour and a half. We took a lunch with us and ate it looking at some unusual rock formations in the deep woods. We did this after having gone to the gym this morning for a workout on the weights and treadmill. After dinner, we utilized the park hot tub for some needed relaxation of tired muscles.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Guntersville Lake - Northeastern AL
Apr 15...Sun - Attended church at the chapel in the park. This is the first park we have been in that has a regular church building. We enjoyed the singing and the message. It was cold and windy all day so we pretty much stayed inside. We did venture out to the café in the park for their red beans and rice & bread pudding special…it was delicious. The wifi has been down since yesterday afternoon so no ‘surfing’ today!
Apr 14 … Sat - Another rainy, cool day. Dixie worked on one of the grandkids scrapbooks and Mike surfed the internet! There was a talent show in the clubhouse this evening that we attended. The talent, both the kids and the adults was very good.
Apr 13 … Fri - Went to the pool & fitness center this morning. Later we drove about 30 miles to Ft. Payne, AL and visited the Alabama museum (country music group). What a treat this was! The music group Alabama has 42 #1 singles, over 75 million records sold and 2005 inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The museum is stocked with personal treasures from over 30 years of performances and travel. We also drove into the DeSoto State Park located atop Lookout Mountain. We visited the beautiful DeSota Falls where water from the Little River cascades 104 feet. It’s called one of Alabama’s most pristine scenic spots.
Apr 12 … Thurs - Sunny but extremely windy today. High temp is supposed to be around 70 but it doesn’t feel like it. This morning we took advantage of the fitness facility; it has to be one of the best we’ve seen while on the road with a good treadmill and universal unit, all in working order and in excellent shape. This is rare because most parks have nothing or if they do, it’s hand-me-down worn-out stuff. Tomorrow we plan to take advantage of the heated indoor pool and possibly the hot tub.
Apr 11 … Wed - Woke to a cloudy day with thunderstorms forecasted for later in the morning. We only had .5 miles down the road to drive to the Mountain Lakes Resort but with the rain coming we left around 0900. We were able to get a front row site with a water view of Guntersville Lake at this park as well. This is a very nice ROD park with lots of amenities and a very large clubhouse and restaurant. Two weeks here! Yea! Today was an inside day though as the rain came in buckets. No strong winds or hail, thank God.
Apr 10 … Tue - We took a drive into Scottsboro, AL and visited the Unclaimed Baggage Center. This is an outlet store where airline luggage and lost items are sent to when they cannot be reunited to their rightful owners. The items are cleaned and resold at bargain prices. Dixie bought a couple of clothing items but I (as usual) didn’t find anything I couldn’t live without. Actually, we were a little disappointed in the selection and prices.
Apr 9 … Mon - Today our house is parked at the Little Mountain Marina Resort. We’re on a huge lake somewhere near Langston, AL. Since there’s not too many campers in the park, we got a site on the water. We’re not as close as the last park but still only about 50 feet from the water. This is a very nice park … maybe one of the best we’ve seen. All the buildings are well kept and furnished very well. There looks to be a lot of goings on during the peak seasons. This afternoon we walked the maybe half mile to the Mountain Lakes Resort where we’ll be moving to on Wednesday.
Apr 8 - Sun - Happy Easter! We celebrated the day with TV church (Hour of Power & Joel Osteen) as we are traveling today. Langston, AL here we come. The calendar says it Springtime but it’s sunny and 30 degrees this morning. We had a good time at an Outback Steakhouse in Birmingham yesterday for our anniversary dinner.
Apr 14 … Sat - Another rainy, cool day. Dixie worked on one of the grandkids scrapbooks and Mike surfed the internet! There was a talent show in the clubhouse this evening that we attended. The talent, both the kids and the adults was very good.
Apr 13 … Fri - Went to the pool & fitness center this morning. Later we drove about 30 miles to Ft. Payne, AL and visited the Alabama museum (country music group). What a treat this was! The music group Alabama has 42 #1 singles, over 75 million records sold and 2005 inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The museum is stocked with personal treasures from over 30 years of performances and travel. We also drove into the DeSoto State Park located atop Lookout Mountain. We visited the beautiful DeSota Falls where water from the Little River cascades 104 feet. It’s called one of Alabama’s most pristine scenic spots.
Apr 12 … Thurs - Sunny but extremely windy today. High temp is supposed to be around 70 but it doesn’t feel like it. This morning we took advantage of the fitness facility; it has to be one of the best we’ve seen while on the road with a good treadmill and universal unit, all in working order and in excellent shape. This is rare because most parks have nothing or if they do, it’s hand-me-down worn-out stuff. Tomorrow we plan to take advantage of the heated indoor pool and possibly the hot tub.
Apr 11 … Wed - Woke to a cloudy day with thunderstorms forecasted for later in the morning. We only had .5 miles down the road to drive to the Mountain Lakes Resort but with the rain coming we left around 0900. We were able to get a front row site with a water view of Guntersville Lake at this park as well. This is a very nice ROD park with lots of amenities and a very large clubhouse and restaurant. Two weeks here! Yea! Today was an inside day though as the rain came in buckets. No strong winds or hail, thank God.
Apr 10 … Tue - We took a drive into Scottsboro, AL and visited the Unclaimed Baggage Center. This is an outlet store where airline luggage and lost items are sent to when they cannot be reunited to their rightful owners. The items are cleaned and resold at bargain prices. Dixie bought a couple of clothing items but I (as usual) didn’t find anything I couldn’t live without. Actually, we were a little disappointed in the selection and prices.
Apr 9 … Mon - Today our house is parked at the Little Mountain Marina Resort. We’re on a huge lake somewhere near Langston, AL. Since there’s not too many campers in the park, we got a site on the water. We’re not as close as the last park but still only about 50 feet from the water. This is a very nice park … maybe one of the best we’ve seen. All the buildings are well kept and furnished very well. There looks to be a lot of goings on during the peak seasons. This afternoon we walked the maybe half mile to the Mountain Lakes Resort where we’ll be moving to on Wednesday.
Apr 8 - Sun - Happy Easter! We celebrated the day with TV church (Hour of Power & Joel Osteen) as we are traveling today. Langston, AL here we come. The calendar says it Springtime but it’s sunny and 30 degrees this morning. We had a good time at an Outback Steakhouse in Birmingham yesterday for our anniversary dinner.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Birmingham area - Burchfield Branch Campground
Apr 7 - Sat - Today is Dixie and Mike’s 17th wedding anniversary! The weather is sunny and 34degrees. Our plan is to drive into Birmingham for a movie and dinner. Our early television this morning consisted of Hanna Montana and Zack and Cody on ABC Kids. Funny stuff … and clean (the only TV channel we get). We are currently at the Library in downtown Birmingham with WIFI so we will go ahead and update the blog today. Just put on a couple more pictures from Montgomery that I wasn’t able to the other day. We decided to leave this area a bit early so tomorrow we will head to our next stop - Langston, AL…which is in northeast part of the state - near Scottsboro.
Apr 6 - Fri - The temperature this morning was around 40 degrees with lots of sun. Tomorrow will be below freezing. We took a long walk through the park and then built a fire and enjoyed the view!
Apr 5 - Thurs - We drove about 25 miles to the small town of Hueytown where we made some phone calls and visited their library. We used their computers where we got the e-mail caught up and I paid a bill. We made a quick trip to a grocery store and drove back to the park. Later, we thoroughly explored the park with a long walk.
Apr 4 - Wed - The drive to the Army Corp of Engineer Birchfield Branch RV park went well. While the roads to the park were paved, they were very narrow, hilly and with many turns and curves. The park is along the beautiful Holt Lake that is connected to the Bankhead lake via a lock and dam. The rv sites are parallel to the lake and very close (approx 20 ft) to the water. Each site is paved and has a nice wood deck. Across the lake we see tree covered mountains. (hills) Without a doubt the view is spectacular. If only the weather was warmer. Today was not bad but the weekend will have nighttime freezing temps. And did I mention connectivity? We have no cell, computer or satellite service. We get one Birmingham station on our crank-up antenna. Oh well, the view is worth it … for a few days.
Apr 6 - Fri - The temperature this morning was around 40 degrees with lots of sun. Tomorrow will be below freezing. We took a long walk through the park and then built a fire and enjoyed the view!
Apr 5 - Thurs - We drove about 25 miles to the small town of Hueytown where we made some phone calls and visited their library. We used their computers where we got the e-mail caught up and I paid a bill. We made a quick trip to a grocery store and drove back to the park. Later, we thoroughly explored the park with a long walk.
Apr 4 - Wed - The drive to the Army Corp of Engineer Birchfield Branch RV park went well. While the roads to the park were paved, they were very narrow, hilly and with many turns and curves. The park is along the beautiful Holt Lake that is connected to the Bankhead lake via a lock and dam. The rv sites are parallel to the lake and very close (approx 20 ft) to the water. Each site is paved and has a nice wood deck. Across the lake we see tree covered mountains. (hills) Without a doubt the view is spectacular. If only the weather was warmer. Today was not bad but the weekend will have nighttime freezing temps. And did I mention connectivity? We have no cell, computer or satellite service. We get one Birmingham station on our crank-up antenna. Oh well, the view is worth it … for a few days.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Montgomery, AL - Gunter Hill Campground
Apr 3 - Tue - We rode the bikes around the park as well as trail through the woods. Since the laundry prices were good, we decided to get some done. The afternoon was spent cleaning the mh and getting it ready for travel tomorrow. The tree pollen is everywhere; I guess it’s to be expected since we’re camped in the woods. Tomorrow we move up the road to the Birmingham area and another Army CORPS park.
Apr 2 … Mon - Today, we decided to visit and go on the visitor tour of the Hyundai Motors plant in Montgomery. (As we turned onto to, what else, Hyundai Avenue, I saw a sign that said the road was formally Teague Road. The sign said that it was a Teague family that had long ago donated the land for the road.) We saw a brief video about the company that was established in 1967 in Korea that employees more than 3,000 people at this plant alone (the only US plant). We were then driven through all parts of the plant with the exception of the paint division. This is an ultra modern plant that took three years to build. The robotics automation of this plant is truly amazing. The first auto, a SanteFe SUV, came off the assembly line in April of 2006. Any employee that had anything to do with its production was given the opportunity to sign the auto. It’s now on display in the visitor center lobby.
Apr 1 … Sun - This morning we rode the bikes around the park. The afternoon was rainy so we spent it inside. We talked to the Teague grandkids and then watched the old John Wayne movie McClintock.
Mar 31 … Sat - Had breakfast outside with a beautiful, peaceful view of the Alabama river. After that, we walked around the park for almost an hour. Since there’s no computer connection at the park, we drove in closer to town in order to connect. It worked.
Mar 30 … Fri - Today we drove into Montgomery and did some sightseeing of the city. We got on a trolley bus that took us around the city where we saw the Hank Williams museum, the church where a young Martin Luther King preached. We visited the very interesting First White House of the Confederate States of America which was the home of President and Mrs. Jefferson Davis. We also saw the Rosa Parks museum and library and the Civil Rights Memorial. Since Montgomery is the capital of Alabama, we took a self-guided tour of the capitol building. It was interesting to be reminded of some of the past Governors which included George Wallace and his wife Luleen. She served before he did in 1967 and ‘68. We had lunch at a little downtown café named Mama’s Sack Lunch. We saw many locals coming and going so we figured the food and service would be good. We were not disappointed.
Mar 29 … Thurs - We are at the Gunter Hill Campground about 12 miles from Montgomery. Are site looks out to the Alabama river but no internet service! The park is across from the Montgomery Motor Speedway and a grassy field with thousands of Hyundai cars/SUV’s stored. The Hyundai factory is nearby. The day was spent exploring the park, riding our bikes and walking. Later, we talked about some of the areas we’ll be traveling to this summer and looked for some parks that we can reserve now.
Apr 2 … Mon - Today, we decided to visit and go on the visitor tour of the Hyundai Motors plant in Montgomery. (As we turned onto to, what else, Hyundai Avenue, I saw a sign that said the road was formally Teague Road. The sign said that it was a Teague family that had long ago donated the land for the road.) We saw a brief video about the company that was established in 1967 in Korea that employees more than 3,000 people at this plant alone (the only US plant). We were then driven through all parts of the plant with the exception of the paint division. This is an ultra modern plant that took three years to build. The robotics automation of this plant is truly amazing. The first auto, a SanteFe SUV, came off the assembly line in April of 2006. Any employee that had anything to do with its production was given the opportunity to sign the auto. It’s now on display in the visitor center lobby.
Apr 1 … Sun - This morning we rode the bikes around the park. The afternoon was rainy so we spent it inside. We talked to the Teague grandkids and then watched the old John Wayne movie McClintock.
Mar 31 … Sat - Had breakfast outside with a beautiful, peaceful view of the Alabama river. After that, we walked around the park for almost an hour. Since there’s no computer connection at the park, we drove in closer to town in order to connect. It worked.
Mar 30 … Fri - Today we drove into Montgomery and did some sightseeing of the city. We got on a trolley bus that took us around the city where we saw the Hank Williams museum, the church where a young Martin Luther King preached. We visited the very interesting First White House of the Confederate States of America which was the home of President and Mrs. Jefferson Davis. We also saw the Rosa Parks museum and library and the Civil Rights Memorial. Since Montgomery is the capital of Alabama, we took a self-guided tour of the capitol building. It was interesting to be reminded of some of the past Governors which included George Wallace and his wife Luleen. She served before he did in 1967 and ‘68. We had lunch at a little downtown café named Mama’s Sack Lunch. We saw many locals coming and going so we figured the food and service would be good. We were not disappointed.
Mar 29 … Thurs - We are at the Gunter Hill Campground about 12 miles from Montgomery. Are site looks out to the Alabama river but no internet service! The park is across from the Montgomery Motor Speedway and a grassy field with thousands of Hyundai cars/SUV’s stored. The Hyundai factory is nearby. The day was spent exploring the park, riding our bikes and walking. Later, we talked about some of the areas we’ll be traveling to this summer and looked for some parks that we can reserve now.
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