Pigeon Ford July 7, 2019

Yesterday was a pretty uneventful day.  It was the first day of the return trip.  Got things packed up and left, but Google Maps was taking me in a way I didn't want to go, so it took a little to get back on MY route. Google doesn't seem to understand that I am driving a motorhome and prefer 4 lanes to 2 lanes....I think they need another option.  I did get through/around Nashville without any problems and got to my next campground.  It is really a nice one, with paved pads, and water view again.....I love water.


The only problem is that I did not have any phone service and they did not have WIFI.  So I ended up borrowing a phone from Candy, the hostess for the campground.  I called David and asked him to contact Cari because the kids tend to worry about this old man.  Fixed hamburgers & corn-on-the-cob for supper and went to bed.  At least I got a lot of sleep.  Didn't have phone service until I got back to the interstate.

I had planned on stopping at another campground on the way home but left so early that I would have arrived at the campground around 10:00 am and it was only 2 1/2 hours to home so just decided to come on home and got there at 12:30 pm.  Hannons had stay at a motel ahead of me, but I left so early I was already passed them when they got started.  We then passed each other as I stopped for gas and they went to rest area, and then I stopped at a rest area.  They were just putting their camper in the driveway when I got there.

Overall, this was such a wonderful trip as I saw some things and experience so some things that I would never have been able to do sitting at home. The scooter made it back but with more dings.  Still missed Judi but not sure how she would have responded to some of the challenges of the journey.  Can't thank Cari, Tom, and Conner for inviting me to join them and showing me what a great place that is go visit.  I even got a Trump 2020 hat....

Pigeon Ford, July 6, 2019

Yesterday was a day of just hanging out.  I pretty much stayed around the camper but took three trips with my scooter.....no incidents.  One of the trips I took was up to Dollywood but didn't actually get up to the gate......didn't feel I wanted to get into a situation with just going to look.  Pigeon Ford does have some wide side walks....even if they need some repair.

The Hannons took a trip back to Gatlinburg and ran into heavy traffic...took them 20 minutes to go 8 miles.  I just stayed and took my scooter rides.    After they got back we went for supper at Dickies BBQ....they do have the best pulled pork ever.....Then we stopped for some ice cream.  After that we pretty much just sat around.   They did go into the river again....I never did.   Sounds like a boring day but I really enjoyed it.  Picture is from one of my rides.


I keep talking about my scooter so thought I would include a picture of it.    Of course mine actually has a little damage on the back due to my wheelies. 

Pigeon Ford July 5, 2019

Had a great 4th of July Celebration yesterday.  The Hannons took me for a drive into the mountains to a place called Cades Cove.  This is actually a geological formation and it looks like a huge meadow surrounded by mountains.  There is suppose to be a lot of wild game life there but all we saw were some wild turkeys.  The whole trip was really great.

We really had a great time with the picnic and all.  It is surprising sometimes how I can get worn out just sitting in a car.  The road was only about 20 miles but all curves and traffic heavy. Tom did a great job with it all.  In the church that we visited there was a piano and Conner played it.  Pretty good for someone who has never had a piano lesson. 

The fireworks were not too bad and only lasted for a fairly short time as I waited until they were over before going to bed.  I just didn't feel like going to watch them with the 3 million other people (slight exaggeration) 

Pigeon Ford - July 4, 2019

Yesterday turned out to be another wonderful and interesting day.  It is really nice to be in one place for awhile.  Cari fix scrambled eggs and bacon which tasted great......nothing like it in the great outdoors....even if you are in a town.

They then took me to Gatlinburg and we went to the Ripley's Aquarium which was really fantastic. These are some of the pictures I took and you can tell it is really a fabulous place.

They really did a great job with all of it....and very educational as well.  Then we continued to walk around the town and it was really neat too.  It is styled after old European style and Judi would have really loved it too.....missed her....but at least didn't have to wait for her to shop all the many shops that she would have loved.  I did manage to buy a few things myself.  I guess what was so marvelous for me was that I was able to walk it fairly well....no real pain. 

We drove back to the campground and the Hannons wanted to go to the Go-cart track....Conner wanted to ride, so both Conner and Tom rode.  I decided to take a little tour around the town.  Rode the main strip through town and they have a very large sidewalk which made it easy for me and met them there.

   Met up with the Hannons at the grocery store and decided to continue on my tour.  Saw a lot of stuff and went down some side streets.  Came to another corner where the handicap curb access was raised up a couple of inches off the road.  I knew it was going to cause me a problem, but I rode on and ended up once again on my back with my legs straight up in the air......only this time I didn't fall over one way or the other...my head was protected by the headrest.  Made an OK sign since there was a line of traffic next to me.  Still people came over since they could see that an old man had gotten himself in a situation.  My problem was that I was having a hard time getting my seat belt off so I could roll over and get up.  Finally got it off and asked a caring guy who came to help to hold the bike so it wouldn't fall on me when I rolled over.  He did and someone else helped me up and got the bike up.  I just had a few scraps from getting up....not the incident.  They got me on my was again and I thanked them again as I passed them since they were still waiting in traffic.  God is still so, so, so very good.  Made it back to the campground and saw there was a little more damage to the scooter....oh well...

The Hannons were in the river a lot as it is still quire warm  This is a picture of Conner floating down the river.

Tom cooked hamburgs...delicious...for supper.  Came back to the camper and pretty well collapsed, after such a wonderful day, for the rest of the evening and just watched a movie.  Modern electronics is wonderful.

Happy 4th of July.....thank you patriots.......BTW....bought a Trump hat yesterday.....had a feeling I was in Trump land.

Pigeon Ford Journey - July 3, 2019

Beautiful morning so fixed breakfast, showered and went out for a walk.  Sure is nice not to be in a hurry which helps me enjoy God's creation.  This campground has a beach w/swimming that is really nice...they even furnish life vests for free..to use & return. The camping spots are far apart and really nice.  The ones on the lake even allow boaters to bring their boats right up to the camping spot.  That would have really been nice when I had my canoe.

The trip was really good.  Hannons caught up and passed me while I was getting gas.   They stayed in at a Holliday Inn at Ft Campbell last night.  We ended up meeting at a rest stop and had a snack lunch before continuing on together.  I followed them and I was really shocked when we got to Pigeon Ford.  They have a 6 lane road which goes through the middle of town with a wide section in the middle between the different directions.  This is really the ultimate tourist trap.  They like it to Branson and it is, except for the 6 lane road.  We got to the campground which is in Pigeon Ford and right behind all the tourist things....in fact there is a motel right on the other side of the small river that runs along side the campground.  It is really not all that bad and Conner loves to float down the river.  My camping spot is about 7 down from them and the spots are really close together.

I off-loaded by scooter and Conner's bike.....didn't have any more problems.   Turned out that the scooter did not work.  I checked things over and took some things apart to check the wiring.  Put it all back together and ....it worked.....don't know why.....God is so, so, so good!

We went to eat at a BBQ place and the pulled pork was so good it just melted in your mouth.  Came back, had a beer, and went to bed...which felt so good.

PF Journey...July 2, 2019

Yesterday was another interesting day.  I had gotten up, taking my time, and after breakfast I went out to see what I could do with the scooter and bike on the rack.  I took off the netting and the cover and found that I was right in that I had not re-secured the scooter and securing Conner's bike.  So I redid the whole thing and now I have so many redundant tie downs it's going to take a while to get it off the rack when I get to Pigeon Ford.

Today was a longer day.. Everything went pretty well until I stopped at a rest area for a late lunch.  First of all, the microwave didn't work for my hot dog, so I had to heat it over the stove.  I guess I am really getting spoiled.  I guess that showed up even more when I started the generator so I could run the AC since the temps were in the 90s.   After finishing lunch I checked Google maps to see how long it would take to get to the campground.....1 hour and 4 minutes.......so I left and as I traveled it went to 1 hr + 8 min, then 10 min......12 min.....15 min... 20 min.....25.....28 min (all while I was traveling which should have decreased the time).  I was coming up on Nashville at 3 pm so I figured it was rush hour starting.  I remembered hitting Nashville coming back from Universal and hit morning rush hour.  So I thought to myself that I would just grin and bear it.  Then Google said there was an alternate route that would save me 27 minutes.  So I accepted the alternate route and right away the time to the campground went to 50 minutes.....yippeeeeeeee.   I took the alternate and it turned out to be a 2 lane highway so it wasn't too bad and it really allowed me to enjoy the area a lot more.  I did get there about on time and was thrilled........love that Google maps.

The campground is again really nice....love those COE (Corps of Engineers) campgrounds.  The pictures are from my camping spot.  Again near a lake.
  
Again, full hook ups and very level.  Lots of trees so it was really cooler and they have a swimming beach as well...I didn't go.

Pigeon Ford (PF) with Hannons - July 1, 2019

Yesterday I started on my trip to PF with the Hannons.
Of course I did not even get out of St Charles when I had my first challenge....probably of many to come.  Driving a larger vehicle has it's own challenges and takes some time to get use to it, so I wasn't going too fast, about 55 mph in a 60 zone....of course everyone was passing going more like 70.  All of a sudden something felt different.  There as also a strange noise....like something rubbing.  I got off at the next exit and ended up in Cracker Barrel parking lot.  It turned out that my scooter on the rear had come off of the ramp.  All the things I had to tie it down kept it from falling off onto the road.  I pushed it back on but had a hard time keeping it there.  I got out another tie down and used it to crank it on and it held.  I was then able to reattach the tie down that for some reason had come loose.  Of course the temperature was 91 so I was working toward some heat stoke.
I think what happened is that I had added Conner's bike to the rack and it took some 'adjusting' to get it on.  I feel I was so focused on securing Conner's bike that I forgot to re-secure the scooter.  I had put the cover on and then the netting which I think was what really ended up holding the scooter onto the rack.  I then added another tie down strap and that held.  I checked it again when I got to a rest stop in Illinois...praying all the way.  It was still holding well.....God is good.  I think in all of this I learned some more lessons.
I reached the campground (North Sandusky Campground) and it is just beautiful.  The spot 43 is really a great spot with a great view of Rend Lake and full hookups.  There is intermittent internet through the phone...........The scooter was still secured.
          

Taking 2 days to travel 400 miles was really a great decision.  Even with the challenge yesterday I still got to the campground in at a reasonable time.  This morning I am just taking my time with bacon, eggs, and toast for breakfast, and writing in this blog.  I don't even plan on leaving until about noon so it is a very relaxing journey.