The Villages (aka Disneyworld for Seniors)

There was really no rush in the AM to get moving since the distance was only 130 miles to The Villages. It was all back roads so this meant a slower pace as well as no shoulders and lots of stop & go. The temps soon warmed up to 80+ and Theresa was doubting her choice of jeans for her attire today.

The arrival at Blue Parrot RV Resort was just before 1pm. The pool was being well utilized and the park was bustling with folks walking, getting their mail and playing shuffle board. A camp host guided the Smitanic to Site 'B' which was a very tight squeeze between a 5th wheel in A &another motor home in C. With everyone's slides out there may have been about 2-3 feet between vehicles. With all the nasty weather north none of the snowbirds are very anxious to get back, they would rather work on their tan (can't blame them for that choice).

After a quick setup of the Water, power, and sewer the slides were deployed and the interior accommodations were adjusted for the extra space and comfort. Kevin called his Mom to declared the arrival and let her know what time to expect her son and daughter-in-law (Zin too).

The RV park is not a favorite but is a very convenient 3 miles from Kevin's mom's house in The Villages. This development is quite large, very well manicured and has lots of activities targeted to the active senior community. There are numerous golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools as well as Theresa & Kevin's new favorite Pickelball spread thru several town squares at the heart of each distinct 'village'. It does resemble the various areas(worlds) of Disneyworld in Orlando :)

This will be the last post for a few weeks as Kevin will be busy with his mom and sister who are in the throws of moving into an Assisted Living Facility. He and his mom also have a b-day on March 15th! The Smitanic is also scheduled for some service on March 10 so that will determine a schedule for the final return to Cary.

Hope you have enjoyed our adventures so far. More posts in a few weeks.

$20 view??

All the Passport America & Good Sams RV parks where full so the search was stretched to facilities further along the route to central FL yet still on the water. Theresa called the Old Pavilion RV park in Keaton Beach, FL that was right on the Gulf coast to check for openings. Indeed they had 2 sites available & all the lady needed was name, phone number and approximate arrival to reserve the site. The facilities included full hookup with 50amp service, on the waterfront all at the Passport price of $20 for the night. In addition, the park's website also boasted 'Unbeatable sunsets (no charge)'. The park was 40 miles south of Tallahassee and was a bit removed from the interstate route to grandmas house but was in the general direction. This new destination meant a long 260 mile day of driving, however the capital city was the only significant milestone on the route. With a threat of fog, the departure was delayed and Kevin donned his Captain's hat to steer the vessel back to the I-10 channel towards Tallahassee.
It was clear sailing for the captain and soon he bid farewell to the trusted I-10 and veered starboard towards the southern port of Perry, Fl (home of Keaton Beach).

The captain questioned his navigator and her charts as the passage narrowed and the speed slowed. After all day at the ships wheel, the doldrums of the back surface roads left Kevin feeling like little progress was being made. Alas a marina was spied, but where was the RV park? Theresa peaked out from the crows nest to discover the park was abeam across the road from the marina with a sign that had been obstructed by a roadside tree. The captain tacked into the drive and inquired from a the harbor master(camp host) which slip would be home for the night. The Smitanic was secured in it's dockage with it's dingy removed.

The air became thick with fog as the afternoon progressed and the water was at high tide allowing the Pelicans, White Ibis, Cormorant and Sand Plovers to adorn every post, pillar and rock exposed above the waterline. There was also a large deck connected to a floating dock that had chairs and tables for the parks residents to undoubtedly enjoy the promised 'Unbeatable sunsets'.

Theresa reported in to the dock master to pay the slip fee and inquire about any local dining establishments for tonight's grub. Only cash or check were accepted, as credit cards were just too much trouble and the closest restaurant had sadly closed and the next option was not open on Mondays. The mate would need to scrounge up some delectable delights in the galley for the crew.

Towards late afternoon the fog lifted leaving behind a pink hew to the sky. Soon after that the sun beamed thru to satisfy the promise of the unbeatable sunset that was enjoyed with a beverage on the deck!

The park was very rustic, far off the beaten path and had minimal amenities but the crews from the other vessels were quite friendly, the price was right and the sunset made this a planned port of call on a return voyage.

Tomorrow the destination of The Villages, FL will end the eastern journey where a few weeks will be consumed with visiting Kevin's Mom and sister as well as getting more repairs performed by the capable staff at Alliance Coach in Wildwood, FL. Theresa called several parks near The Villages and was able to secure at least 1 week at Blue Parrot RV resort. After the stay in FL, the route will turn north up I-95 for the return to home port of Cary, NC.

The Sunshine State?

Theresa began the days drive leaving the bigger cities of Mobile and Pensacola at the end of the day for Kevin :) She sipped on her water slowly as not to have to make a stop before she at least contributed 100 miles to the drive. Relief came at a Pilot Station, where Kevin attempted to fill up with diesel fuel but due to an air lock was only able to get about 7 gallons in the tank. Zin continued her usual pacing the hallway of the RV and would only find comfort in patches of warmth provided by the occasional revelation of the sun thru partially clouding skies. As the Florida border was crossed, the cloud cover solidified and Zin had no more sunshine to bask in, so more pacing ensued. The I-10 views varied on this stretch from the LA bayou crossings to endless swampland then to long elevated water crossing with on ramps that seemed to come right out of the water.

Reservations had been made at St. Rosa Sound RV park in Navarre, FL for 2 nights. This part of FL is called the Emerald Coast (because of the green colored waters) and had businesses, hotels and housing options lining both sides of the main thorough-fare called Gulf Breeze Parkway.

Both the navigator and driver almost missed the turn into the RV park as the sign was quite small compared to the surrounding establishments.

Once checked in the Toad was unhooked so the rig could be backed into the assigned site. The park was right on the sound and had a private beach, but with temps in the low 60's and no breaks in the cloud cover there is little doubt a beach stroll let alone any swimming would be in store.

Tomorrow would be an overdue recovery day! NO driving except to lunch and Camping World and Walmart and maybe get the car washed... Afterall taxes need to be done, as well as vacuuming, showers, cleaning and prep for the finale.

Monday will be the penultimate day of driving if Theresa can locate a park with an open site :) otherwise it will be a Walmart or other parking lot.

Texas does not hold 'em

Despite the endless noise from I-10 that roared all night thru the well insulated walls of the RV, the weary drivers managed to get some sleep to prepare for another long days drive. With the weather being less of a wild card, the the winning hand would put them finally out of Texas and into Louisiana for the 'turn'.

Theresa had the 'dealers button' and would bet on traffic for the first 75 or so miles to finally exit Texas. Kevin took over at the 'draw' and continued over the Mississippi 'River 'and was ready to 'Flop' by the time The Smitanic was 'all in' at Lakeside RV park in LA.

The park dealt a nice mix of 5^th wheels, class A and trailers as you circled the pond at the center of the community.

Zin enjoyed chasing the geese and was warn out from pacing in the RV all day. Weather was examined again to ensure the current hand was still a winner. All was confirmed and odds were favorable for making the Florida panhandle on Saturday.

PS. References to Texas Hold 'em are purposeful! Recall that Theresa and Kevin took some lessons in Hemet and this entry seemed an appropriate use of of their acquired knowledge :)

Dodge 'em

The morning was bright and clear as an early start had Theresa in the driver's seat. She committed to making it thru San Antonio (2.5hrs), then turn the wheel back to Kevin for the remainder of the days trek. The rolling hills gave her a chance to test the engine break as descents were announced by 7% grade signs. Bruce, the DMV driving test guy, would not regret passing Theresa (he only did so after yelling at Kevin to be sure he taught her all the ins and outs of driving an RV:). On the lightly traveled sections of I-10, she would be able to practice changing lanes for incoming cars as well as monitoring her 'cushion' between vehicles. By the time traffic picked up just outside of San Antonio, she was better prepared for the pre-noon increase in traffic as well as any maneuvers that would be needed. Like Kevin, she quickly developed a disappointment(putting it mildly) in the skills and friendliness of Texas drivers. At the turnover stop, Kevin announce he was well rested and would entertain getting beyond Houston today rather than face that mess the following day. That would make the days total 345 miles (the longest day by far & no pictures were taken :).

Theresa was happy to take over as navigator with Kevin at the helm. The outskirts of the husseling city was reached at about 2pm. This at least would be non-rush hour traffic. In Houston as in Los Angeles there is always traffic. In LA drivers are at least a bit more courteous, in this city they are down right rude! Everyone (especially white pick up trucks) exceeded the 75 MPH speed limit, ignored any signal that you were making a lane change and weaved in and out of vehicles like they were playing Grand Theft Auto. After the days drive, Kevin has now re-ranked Houston, #1, as the Worse city to drive in with LA taking #2.

With the change in the days target stop, Theresa found an RV park just East of Houston right off I-10, appropriately named Houston East RV Park. The park was nondescript and very typical of a interstate temp-housing for mobile skilled workers that needed a affordable accommodations while they work on construction or some short term project. Some of the pull thru sites were set aside for overnight stays (like the Smitanic) making for an easy in and out. The park had an open wifi so the web could be surfed, blog updated and pictures uploaded. Dinner was at a local Seafood place across from Walmart, where one could only consume half of what they served you, the rest would be enjoyed at a later date.

The latest weather update was analyzed and once again aligned to the plan for the rest of the journey. Kevin suggested to get a place on the beach for the weekend, while waiting for the next weather pattern to pass. Theresa jumped all over that and booked the next 3 days. Tomorrows target will be Livingston, LA and then Saturday and Sunday will be spent on the beach in Navarre, FL in the Florida panhandle.

At the Junction

Just after first light the departure process was started.  The sky was clear and temps and wind were tolerable. The pit crew, now experts at hooking up the Toad, completed all checks and were ready to get back on the I-10 track. Posted speed signs said 80mph, but Kevin chose a more sane 65mph setting for the cruise control. Theresa did the last 2 posts for the blog and helped with navigation as well as calling the RV park to reserve a spot. There were no stops not even a bio break until the exit for Junction, TX was made! This was mid-way thru TX as well as marked halfway to the central, FL target.

The Junction North Llano River RV park was on the banks of a small river and had nice wide pull thru sites furnished with a nice patio, chairs, picnic table, firepit and a charcoal grill. Since there was no freeze threat for the night and all repositories on the RV were mostly full all systems were hooked up! There was also a good wifi connection as well as laundry facilities, yeah!

Being out a cream for Theresa's morning coffee gave a reason to seek out a nearby grocery or convenience store. The camp host pointed the duo to a few places up the hill past a local BBQ place. Kevin and Theresa were drawn in by the smells of the roasting beast cooking just outside the restaurant. They did not sell cream nor milk but they did sell smoked Brisket by the pound. The carver even sliced off a few samples to confirm the tenderness and flavor of the meat. The purchased 1lb of cow was wrapped up an bagged along with some sauce. Since a steak dinner was already in the plans for tonight this score will be for a future lunch or dinner! The walk up the hill continued to a Stop n Go that at least had some whole milk that would be suitable to lighten up tomorrow's java.

Laundry was completed as well as may pictures uploaded using the camps facilities.

Kevin was again successful at getting the satellite TV working, so the weather update could be analyzed and mapped to the predicted route. Another front was moving in latter the next day, so an early exit was planned with a destination of just East of Houston in hopes the route will go south of any rain or cold temps.

The Pool is open!

The wind was calm in the morning and the sun was bright and shiny exposing the hills surrounding HVR. (see previous post) With the engine heater plugged in all night, Kevin turned the key and whalla it started right up! Since only electric was connected and the toad was left hooked to the Smitanic, it only took a few minutes to bring in the slides , bring up the jacks and prepare for travel mode. It was 7+ miles of gravel after exiting the ranch. Kevin had a sigh of relief as pavement was finally under the wheels and the vibration stopped. It took 25 min to get back onto 1-10 and continue the eastward route.


A fellow RVer in Hemet mentioned Balmorea State park as a place for year around swimming, snorkeling and even Scuba diving! Theresa made note of it as a planned stop on the return trip. It was not far off I-10 (though Kevin was lerry after yesterdays adventure) and was on a 2 lane paved highway. Same day reservations could not be made on-line for the park so Theresa called to check on availability, thinking this may be a fun place to hang for a few days while the weather shapes up. No answer...leave a message. After no call back and the miles ticking off she called the reservation #... All agents are assisting other callers … leave your number for a call back …. 20 min later Theresa gets a call … sorry no same day reservations you have to call the park, but you can make reservations for the following day... you can cancel before 5pm tonight with out a charge. Theresa made reservations for the 2nd day. She again tried the park and finally got a real person! Sure we have open sites, I can take your reservation …. phone goes dead and drops the call. After much discussion about what facilities would be really usable at the park (pool, snorkeling, …) due to temps and weather conditions it was decided to cancel the 2nd day reservation and just drive in and do the one night, then see if it merits another day.

After exiting a fuel stop at a Pilot station 30 miles from the destination, Kevin noticed some strange cloud formations ahead that seemed to blend in with the hills and beauts so that one could not determine what was cloud and what was a hill. Soon the Smitanic entered the cloud formation to discover dense fog that had frozen and coated branches, wires, fences and the tops of all the underbrush. It looked like a scene from Game of Thrones beyond the Wall where the White Walkers dwell. (guess you know what DVDs have been watched :).

Kevin gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter and backed off on the gas to adjust to the diminishing conditions. The visibility became like Scuba diving in a scummy pond Kevin cringed at every bridge noting the 'bridge may icy' signs. Theresa again called the Park to get a report on the conditions there, she was assured that it was just cloudy no fog. OK this should get better sometime soon. Indeed once the exit off I-10 for the park was made, the fog lifted but left behind the white coating on all the trees and shrubbery that lined the road.

Theresa checked in at the park office and got the assigned site. The Toad was unhooked to make entry easier into the pull-thru site. Set up again would only be electric and slides to make for a quick exit as well as avoid any freezing of exposed hoses or pipes. Furnace and heat were set to battle the low 30s temperature.

Other RVs rolled in later, so Theresa and Kevin were relieved they got a spot and were off the roads!

The pool, the key park feature, was on the opposite end of the park and demanded a tour. Little imagination was needed to envision a warm spring or summer day with lots of kids jumping off the sides and diving boards, people snorkeling chasing the fish and Scuba instructors conducting buoyancy checks and fin pivots in this massive spring fed pool.


The pool closed at 6pm so there was not much time (nor desire) to brave the cold entry and exit required to take a dip... maybe next time.

Theresa whipped up an erky-lurky (whatever you find lurking in the frig) meal with some pre-cooked leftovers for dinner. Kevin was again successful with getting the satellite working so the weather could be monitored. Theresa scouted out 7 more days of driving to reach the destination in central FL. Each day was around 250 miles. Kevin compared each days advance with the predicted weather fronts in TX, LA, MS, AL, & FL as well as any approaching front form the west. Originally, the plan was to spend a few days in San Antonio, however that would not work favorably to avoid driving in rain and fog. The route was adjusted and a destination of Junction, TX was planned for the next day and then just west of Houston the following day. San Antonio will just be a drive thru :).