It seemed like forever ago when we started our
adventure in The TeePee! And as of this writing, we have come full-circle (almost) from where we started.
We left Tallahassee and spent time (from overnight to 5 days in the following places):
- Madison, GA
- Pendleton, SC (for the Clemson game)
- Charleston, SC
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Rock Hill, SC
- Winston-Salem, NC (for the Wake Forest game)
- Boone, NC
- Fayetteville, NC (for the Duke game)
- Kingsland, GA
Initially our plan was to return The TeePee to Tallahassee and then drive to Tampa (a total of about nearly 8 hours from our last stop), but Frank had a brilliant idea...drive 4 hours to Tampa, take the TeePee in to have a few things checked/ fixed and then we'd get it before heading back to Tallahassee for the next game.
After nearly a month of 'home' being the 40'x12' TeePee, our humble abode feels like a mansion!!
Here are a few thoughts from our adventure as first time RVers going on a trip covering multiple states, varying temperatures, weather conditions, and terrains:
* Living in a motorhome is a lifestyle that takes a bit of getting used to.
* Because of our need to stay in a campground or county park (which had electric, water and sewer hookups), we were able to explore places and cities we wouldn't normally have if we stayed in a hotel. Overall, the places we stayed were nice and all the people we met were friendly and willing to help if needed.
* The longer people have been RVing, the more stories they have to tell (usually about problems they've had with their motorhome.) And the more willing they are to tell you how to work your RV.
* We've practiced
conserving water (
military showers, soap up/rinse the dishes, etc). While we've had unlimited water coming in, our holding tanks are limited and have to be dumped every few days. It's not like home where the water just goes down the drain into oblivion.
* It's always something! Fortunately, things have been relatively minor, but frustrating. It all started in Charleston. The awning closed automatically (which is fine as there is a built in wind sensor). But when we went to open it in Myrtle Beach, neither would open. It turned out ok because we really didn't need to use it there anyway. When we got to Rock Hill, we contacted a repairman who, after testing various electrical points, and the labeled fuse in one box, jiggled all the fuses in another fuse box, magically got the awnings to open. Then when leaving Rock Hill, all of the gauges on the dashboard went blank. Several phone calls to the manufacturer and replacing an itty bitty fuse, we were back in business and on the road. And the satellite radio is all kafluey - stuck on one channel, no noise, no buttons working.
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Routines. We have our arrival/departure routines down pat! Upon arrival, connect the electric, water, cable, and if necessary, the sewer hose. Deploy the jacks and extend the slides. Get out the things that would slide around while traveling (i.e. coffee maker, computers, etc.). Put out the Seminole decorations. Then, do all that in reverse when it's time to leave.
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Chores. (It's hasn't been all bonbons and Oprah the past month.) Cleaning takes less time since vacuuming is done with a Dustbuster. And occasionally, we have to wash/wipe down the outside of the TeePee. I enjoy doing laundry and have been fortunate enough to have had a washer/dryer where ever I've lived. When we've traveled abroad, I became quite proficient with the local laundry/lavanderia/laverie. So, without laundry facilities in The TeePee, finding a laundromat became a regular event. I pride myself on being efficient and let me tell you, I think I may try to find a laundromat at home! I can get 6+ loads of laundry done, all at the same time, in about an hour and a half!
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Technology. We are outfitted to the hilt with all sorts of gizmos and gadgets for travel. We have old Nuvi, new Nuvi, his/her iPhones, Google maps, etc. And thankfully we have an old-school atlas. New Nuvi crapped out half way into the trip. Old Nuvi worked, but hadn't been updated in a while and she wasn't as fancy as new Nuvi. Smart phones are great, as long as you have reception. And Google maps are great, except when you want a truck route. So, the atlas came to the rescue on several occasions.
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Travel conditions. Speaking of truck routes, the new motto is "
When in doubt, follow the truck route." These routes typically have clearances (trees, power lines, overpasses, and bridges) greater than 14' for big rigs, buses and RVs.
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Fall travel. We had great weather for most of the trip. (There were a few occasions of rain.) But for a few weeks the temps were cooler, skies sunny and very comfortable. I'm glad we made the trip to Boone when we did. The leaves had started to turn and were all variations of red, orange, purple, and yellow. One more thing about traveling the southeast during the fall...county/state fairs are in town. Two weekends in a row, in two different cities, there were fairs. (We've learned fairgrounds usually have full hookups for RVs and in these cases, were closer to the stadiums than the campgrounds we had to reserve.)
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Togetherness. Twenty-six days/624 hours/37,440 minutes is ALOT of time together, in 400 sq ft of space. Yes, I became impatient/bossy/controlling/testy/pushed a few buttons - a real witch! Looking back, I probably should have been a little less efficient with the laundry, and maybe found a few more errands to run. :o) Frank did an awesome job with all the driving, strategy and good ideas. (
Thank you for not kicking me off the bus or leaving me at a campground or reststop.)
Now that we've gotten this "big" trip under our belts, we can start planning for a trip westward. We've spent so much time exploring other countries, and now with the TeePee, we'll be able to see more of the good ol' U.S. of A.!
