TABASCO Plant Tour

(Betty’s RV Park, Abbeville, LA) Hi 77° F, Low 61° F

We went to the McIlhenny Tabasco factory on Avery Island, LA today.  They produce the many different Tabasco sauces that seem to be available everywhere. 

 

 

 

We took a tour of the factory and it was very interesting.

 

 

 

We also did some shopping at their Tabasco Country Store.

TABASCO® brand Original Red Sauce was created in the mid to late 1860s by Edmund McIlhenny and the company is family-owned. 

The peppers they grow and use are capsicum peppers.

They still grow the peppers on Avery Island but most of them are grown in South America because the growing season there is year-around.  They also want diversity in growing locations in case of disease, weather, or other problems hinder the growing and harvesting process. 

 

One of the fermenting barrels

The harvested peppers are mashed with Avery Island salt.  The mash is then put into used (but cleaned) whiskey, white oak barrels.  Then the tops of the barrels are covered with more Avery Island salt. 

 

A barrel with the salt "cake" on top

 

The salt hardens into “cake” to prevent anything from getting inside the barrels.  The salt “cake” consistency was amazingly hard.

The mash ferments and ages for three years.  Then it is mixed with high quality distilled vinegar and stirred for 28 straight days.  Then it is strained and put into bottles for shipping.  After that it is labeled in 22 different languages and distributed to over 165 countries.

The production line

If we remember correctly, the tour leader said the factory we were touring bottles approximately 700,000 bottles per day.  That's a lot of sauce!!

In the Country Store I sampled some jalepeno ice cream.  It was much better than it sounds.

Schucks Seafood Restaurant

After we left the island we went to Shuck’s Seafood Restaurant in Abbeville, LA.  Lisa ordered Shrimp Patties and I had Seafood Pasta.  Lisa said her food was just "OK" but I really liked mine.



Inside Shucks

 

 

 

 

 

After that we stopped at Walmart to pick up a few things.  One thing that blows our mind is that the Walmart in Abbeville sells beer, wine, and liquor.  Once again, we are seeing things we’ve never seen before.  Cool!

Today I was wearing a University Kentucky basketball t-shirt and hat.  Several times today people asked me about the Wildcats and the NCAA tournament.  People at the Tabasco factory tour, Walmart and the campground.  It was really interesting because folks from Louisiana and a guy from Texas all said they were rooting for Kentucky to win it all.  Nice folks!

Went we got back to the campground we put things away and Lisa gave me a haircut.  It’s been a pretty laid back evening.

Tomorrow the Distant Network Services (DNS) from DirecTV should be connected so we can pick up the local network channels on satellite.  We’ll see if it happens.  If not, they told me to call them and let them know, so I’ll check first thing in the morning.

Well, that's all we have for today.  I’ll write again soon.

Thanks for following along.

NCAA Games

Sunday March 30^th

(Betty’s RV Park, Abbeville, LA) Hi 73° F, Low 50° F

Sorry, no pictures today and a short post. 

We went out to a local grocery to pick up a few groceries for the week. Then it was back to the RV, put things away, and get ready for the game.

The NCAA tournament started at 1:05 pm the first game.  University of Kentucky Wildcats (UK) are playing the University of Michigan Wolverines at 4:20 pm to determine which team moves on to the Final Four in Arlington (Dallas) Texas.

In the first game Connecticut beat Michigan State to meet Florida in the Final Four.  In the second game UK started off slow and trailed at halftime.  During the second half the lead was back and forth.  The game was tied with 10 seconds left.  Kentucky then hit a 3-point shot with just over two seconds left to ultimately seal the win and advance to the next round.

WOW!!!

We can hardly believe that UK is going to the Final Four!!!!

Go Cats!!!!!!

That's all we have to say.

Heading to Cajun Country

(Betty’s RV Park, Abbeville, LA) Hi 74, Lo 49

Boomtown USA Campground is right next to Interstate 10 and the traffic noise was high most of the night.  It was hard to get used to the noise and it woke us up several times.

Last night we decided to pick up the ottoman today.  After we got up it didn’t take long to get ready to leave.  We drove I-10 West to Cracker Barrel restaurant for breakfast at about 8 miles to Beaumont. 



This is where we had to park.

When we arrived at Cracker Barrel all of the RV/Bus parking spaces were taken by regular cars and trucks.   

We asked a Cracker Barrel employee if it was OK where we parked and she said “no problem”.

As always for us it was great food, especially while traveling.  Quite a few times in the past when we’ve went on road trips or vacations we would leave very early, for example at 2 am, we would drive for about four hours and plan on stopping at Cracker Barrel for a good breakfast at 6 am.  After four hours of driving it would be time for a break anyway.  Then we’d be ready to drive several more hours to hopefully our destination or the night.  Good times!

We left Cracker Barrel and went to pick up the ottoman.  No problems there.  We threw it inside the door of the RV and headed down the road.

It took about three hours to travel from Vidor, TX to Betty’s RV Park in Abbeville, LA.  It’s a small, homey place and is highly recommended by several full-time Rv’ers in their blogs and journals.  It is a 17-site RV Park and has a great covered patio for happy hours and get-togethers.

We arrived at about 4 pm and were invited to happy hour at 4:30.  We got everything set up then headed to the happy hour. 

The happy hour was a good time as we met several people and had good conversations.  I’ll try to get more pictures tomorrow.  We left a little early because we wanted to watch the NCAA tournament tonight.

I also wanted to get this blog written and posted so the posting date matched correctly.

See you all tomorrow.

Livingston, TX to Vidor, TX

Rainbow’s End at Escapees RV Club Park (Livingston, TX)

March 28^th

Wow, what a day!

The plan today (Friday) was to get the RV inspection about 1 pm.  Then we were going to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) at 2:55 pm for the Truck/RV driving test.

This morning, at about 11 am, we were planning a trip to Lowes to get a few things.  While we were driving there the “check engine” light came on. 

For a little back story, the "check engine" light had come on when we were leaving Alabama a couple weeks ago.  When we were at the Ford dealership last week, we asked them about it. We made an appointment for the next day to have them check it out. The next day as we were getting ready to leave for the appointment the “check engine” light didn’t come on when we started the truck.  We called the Ford dealership and they said that if it comes on again we need should call right away, bring the truck in and they would connect and read the problem.  It was bothering us since we weren’t sure what had caused it to come on in the first place.

It didn’t come on again until this morning (Friday) so we called them.  They said bring it in and they’ll check it out.  OK, cancel the trip to Lowes.  However, this introduced a possible dilemma.  If they found the problem, depending on what was wrong and depending on if they could repair it today, I may have to reschedule the driving test.  Yikes! We were pretty sure that the next appointment would be at the end of next week at the earliest.  We may have to stay another week or even later, in Livingston.

So when we arrived at the Ford dealership they connected the truck to the computer and said the EGT probe was causing a problem and it would take about 1 ½ hours to make the repairs.  This was at 12:45.  1 ½ hours would place us leaving the dealership at 2:15 pm.  We were very concerned that we wouldn’t have enough time to go back to the campground and get the RV hooked up and make it to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) office by 3 pm.  We were going to have to play it by ear concerning cancelling the driving test, etc.

45 minutes later, at 1:30, they said they were all done and we were ready to go.  Great! But it was still going to be close.  We headed back to the campground and hustled around getting ready and hooking up and pulling out.  We weren’t going to be able to get the RV inspected in time so we took our chances on that.

We went on to the DPS office and had to wait a while for the test.  Luckily, the driving instructor didn’t check for the RV inspection.  Everything went fine during the test – well, everything except for the lady that ran across the street in front of us, and the guy who ignored the right-of-way and pulled out in front us.  But it all turned out OK and I didn’t have any deductions.

By 4 o’clock we were finished and heading out.  We decided to go ahead and get the RV inspected.  I imagine if we had gotten pulled over by the cops that would be the first thing for which they would ask.  We knew of the place where we could get the inspection so we went.  They check that all lights are working properly and that we have an approved fire extinguisher on the RV.  That was quick and easy.

At 4:20 pm or so, we pulled out of Livingston heading to Vidor, TX.  We’ll stop for the night, pick up the storage bench (ottoman) and head out on Saturday to Betty’s RV Park in Abbeville, LA.  Time for some real Cajun seafood!

We arrived at Boomtown USA Campground in Vidor right at 6 pm.  We reserved a site for $16.50 for one night with the Passport America discount.  Passport America is a great deal.  For a yearly membership fee of $44 we get 50% off the regular price at 1900+ affiliated campgrounds.  It has already paid for itself several times since we left at the beginning of this month.  If you decide to join, please give them our membership number 638782 as a referral.

When we got to our site we decided to not unhook the truck from the RV.  We hooked up water and electric, extended the slides, and put up the on-air antenna to try and watch the NCAA tournament UK vs. Louisville.  We were able to pick up the local channels well. 

Louisville started the game strong, getting ahead of Kentucky by 13 or more points at times in the first half.  At halftime Kentucky had cut it to a three point lead by Louisville.  In the second half, Louisville maintained the lead until Kentucky finally was able to tie it with about three minutes to go in the game.  Kentucky went ahead and held on for a five point win.  Wow! It was a great game for UK.  Next they will play University of Michigan for the opportunity to move on to the Final Four.  Go Cats!!

I’ll write again soon and let you all know what’s going on.

Thanks for following along!

Our Last Day at Livingston, TX

March 27^th

Rainbow’s End at Escapees RV Club Park (Livingston, TX)

It rained all day today, so didn’t get out hardly at all.  I did walk over to pick up any mail that may have arrived.  We use Escapees mail service and since the mail room is just about one minute away from our site we usually check each day.

We also did some research on water filter systems.  In the past we’ve used the in-line multi-use filters that need to be changed every 2-3 months with constant use.  We’d like to put together a system of canisters with replaceable cartridges.  We are researching a good brand to use that would serve the purpose and be the most cost effective.  We haven’t decided on a system but we’re close.  A good website for RV systems is The RV Water Filter Store.  They have good educational information as well as systems and parts for sale.

Tomorrow I have a driving test with the RV scheduled at 3 pm.  We’re also planning to have the RV inspected before that time.  I’m not sure if the driving inspector will check the RV inspection but we don’t want to take any chances.

We also made a reservation for 10 days at Betty’s RV Campground in Abbeville, Louisiana.  After the driving test (providing I pass) we’ll drive down to Vidor, Texas which is just east of Beaumont, TX.  We’ll pick up the storage bench, or ottoman, in Vidor and then spend the night in Walmart or Cracker Barrel parking lot.

We’ve also been reading a lot of books in the past two weeks.  The Club House has a library that has hundreds of volumes and a good selection of both paperbacks and hardbacks.

Well, that’s about it for today.  I’ll write again tomorrow with the results of the driving test and where we end up.

A couple of weeks in Texas

March 13^th – 26^th

Rainbow’s End at Escapees RV Club Park (Livingston, TX)

We checked into the Escapees Rainbow’s End RV Park in Livingston, TX on Thursday, March 13^th.  We plan to stay a week or two, depending on how long it takes to complete the process of establishing residency in Texas.

Since we sold our house in Kentucky we technically didn’t have a permanent residence.  A physical residential address is required in Kentucky for things like driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations.  Kentucky also doesn’t accept PO boxes, UPS addresses, mail-forwarding addresses, etc. as proof of a physical address.

We were aware of this when we sold our house and planned on traveling full-time after retirement.  With that in mind, we looked into states that both accepted mail-forwarding addresses as legal addresses and were advantageous to us as far as personal property taxes.  Many full-time Rv’ers establish residency in South Dakota, Florida, or Texas for these reasons.  We chose Texas.

We had already registered our Ford F-450 and the Heartland Landmark Grand Canyon RV (the Land Yacht) and needed to get driver’s licenses while we were in Livingston, TX.  We also needed to get a Texas Department of Transportation inspection performed on the truck.

Friday, March 14^th

Today we just chilled out.  We had started watching the South Eastern Conference (SEC) Men’s Basketball tournament when it started.  Unfortunately we lost our local broadcast TV stations on our Direct TV system when we moved out of the local broadcast beam.  I was aware of this but didn’t know in advance the size of the local beam.  As it turns out, we moved out of the beam after we left Bowling Green, KY.

I had a Direct TV application printed out for “Distant Network Services” (DNS) that would allow us, for $12 per month, to receive the East or West coast local channel feeds.  We mailed the application to Direct TV today.

Many of the tournament games were either on TBS, TruTV, or TNT.  These channels are included in our Direct TV package so we are able to watch most games.

Saturday, March 15^th

Today we didn’t do much other than watch men’s college basketball conference games.   The SEC semi-final games were on CBS so we went to the Club House to watch

Rainbow's End Club House

the games.  Here at the RV Park the Escapees have several different buildings used for various functions.  In the Club House there is a large activity room with restrooms and a fully functional kitchen; a media room; and video and book libraries.  We took advantage of the big flat screen TV in the activity room to watch the Florida/Tennessee and Kentucky/Georgia games.  Florida and Kentucky won each of their games and will meet in the SEC finals tomorrow (Sunday).

Sunday, March 16^th

Today was the SEC Men’s basketball championship between Florida and Kentucky.  It was a great game other than Kentucky lost by one point.  It was on ESPN so we were able to watch in the RV on Direct TV satellite.

Later we watched the NCAA Men’s Tournament Selection Show.  Three Southeastern Conference teams are going to the “Big Dance”. Kentucky, Florida and Tennessee will be playing later this week starting on Wednesday.  Defending national champion Louisville also made the tournament.

Monday, March 17^th

Tomorrow Lisa and I are going to apply for Texas driver’s licenses so today I studied the Texas Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Handbook to prepare for the written exam.  I had downloaded it from the Texas DOT website several months ago.  Because the gross combined vehicle weight rating (GCVWR) of the truck and RV is over 26,000 pounds, drivers are required to obtain a Class A non-commercial driver’s license.

The test will include much of the information required for the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) without the air brake information.

We also went to a Ford dealership to have the truck inspected.  They found that the exhaust pipes were loose and said that it had to be repaired.  I looked and it seemed that a bracket had either broken or a bolt had fallen out.

We went to a local muffler shop and they confirmed that a bolt had fallen out.  They replaced it and we went back to the Ford dealership. The truck passed inspection and they installed the sticker on the windshield.

Later on we went to eat at Shrimp Boat Manny’s.  It was a seafood place with pretty good food.  They didn’t serve beer or alcohol but customers could bring their own into the restaurant.  That was a first for us but we expect to discover many things different from what we’re accustomed.

Tuesday, March 18^th

Today we went to the Polk County Department of Public Safety to obtain Texas driver’s licenses.  Lisa completed the application process and will receive her driver’s license in the mail in 4-6 weeks.  I took the 20 question written test and passed.  The earliest we were able to schedule the driving test is for next Friday at 3 pm. The test requires that the RV be connected so we will have to pack up like we’re moving to a new campground.

So now we are planning on leaving Livingston, TX next Friday (March 28^th) after the driving test (assuming I pass the test) and head south from here.  We are tentatively planning on taking I-10 East near the southern coast.  The meal at Shrimp Boat Manny’s yesterday only wetted my appetite for seafood.

Wednesday, March 19^th

Quite a while ago we had gotten rid of the couch and recliners that came with our fifth wheel.  We never did like either one of them very much.  Originally we had anticipated needing to order an RV because we didn’t think we’d find one on a lot that we’d like and with all our requirements.  We were planning to order it without furniture so we could choose and buy the furniture ourselves. 

Our house sold before we officially had it on the market so we didn’t have time to order a fifth wheel RV.  When we went to the RV show in Louisville, KY in August 2012 we found our dream RV that had furniture included. To read more in detail about how we came to live full-time in an RV visit our website at http://www.landyachttravels.com/how-did-we-get-here-1/.

We had bought two nice recliners when we got rid of the furniture but hadn’t replaced the couch.  We have been talking about buying an ottoman to increase the seating and also gain some storage space.

We went to Walmart today and purchased groceries and looked at an ottoman but it wasn’t what we were looking for, but that motivated us to start seriously thinking about buying one soon.

While we were at Walmart we bought a few things that we’ll need when we start working in Yellowstone National Park this summer.  We’ll be working at the Canyon Village general store from June 5^th to September 29^th.

We ordered an ottoman this evening.  We couldn’t get a guarantee that it would arrive before March 28^th so we are having it shipped to Vidor, TX.  That’s along the route we’ll be taking next week when we leave Livingston and we’ll pick it up on our way through.  We expect the ottoman to be there when we drive through.

Thursday, March 20^th to Wednesday, March 26^th

Rainbow’s End at Escapees RV Club Park (Livingston, TX)

We haven’t been doing a whole lot – at least not a lot to write about.  We’ve been watching many of the different games of the NCAA tournament.  At least we watch the ones that aren’t on local networks.
On Thursday, March 20^th, we emptied out the large outside storage compartment, reorganized and repacked everything.  Then we did some reorganization inside the RV.  We’re trying to make it easier to pack and unpack when traveling.

We also grilled some burgers and brats. It was nice to be able to grill out.

Friday, March 21^st, we went to the Club House and watched the movie Frozen Ground with Nicholas Cage, John Cusack, and Vanessa Hudgens. I liked the movie and would recommend it.   Lisa didn’t like it as much as I did.  The folks that run the campground show a movie two or three times a week.  They pop popcorn and provide other snacks. 

After the movie everyone left.  Lisa and I stayed and watched the University of Kentucky Wildcats against Kansas State Wildcats in the NCAA tournament at the main room of the Club House on the same TV as the movie was shown.  The UK Wildcats won and advance to the next round.

Sunday, March 22^nd, we went back to the Club House and watched University of Kentucky vs. Wichita State in the NCAA tournament.  It was a very close game with several ties and lead changes but Kentucky pulled out a two point win.  Kentucky is seeded eighth and Wichita State was one of the four number one seeds.  Go Cats!

Kentucky will play the University of Louisville in the “Sweet Sixteen” next Friday.  That should be a good game.  They are big in-state rivals as it is, but meeting in the NCAA tournament takes it to another level.  Louisville won the NCAA tournament last year (2013) and UK won it all the year before (2012).

Each day we try to work on optimizing the storage space in the RV.  We’re making good progress.  It’s a challenge!

When we were driving here from West Monroe, LA a trim piece on a shelf in the bedroom closet came loose and nearly fell completely off.  It looks like the piece is warped and probably had pressure on it when it was installed during original construction.  We more than likely hit a bump somewhere and it popped loose.  Anyway, on Monday, March 24^th, we reattached it with some screws so it’s more secure.

Also, on Monday we cooked corned beef and cabbage with onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and carrots in a slow cooker.  It was really good and we have enough leftovers for at least a couple of additional meals.

We went to Walmart on Wednesday, March 26^th, and bought a few grocery items in anticipation of leaving on Friday, March 28^th.  We’re finding that things like sliced cheese and crackers or chicken salad and crackers are very handy on traveling days for a quick on-the-road lunch or snack.  We also make our own trail mix and are planning on incorporating that into our travel menu. 

We have an expandable six-pack cooler that’s just right the right size for bringing along a few bottles of water and a plastic container with cold food in it.  We love it when we have something that’s useful and the perfect size!

We received an email yesterday notifying us that the “Convertible Bench” that we ordered has arrived in Vidor, TX and will be available for pickup until April 8^th.  We’ll be driving through there this Friday, March 28^th, in the evening.  We’ll pick it up then stop somewhere for the night.

I’ll post again tomorrow.

A Couple of Nights in West Monroe, LA

Pavilion RV Park (West Monroe, LA)

We stopped in West Monroe, LA from March 11^th to 13^th and stayed at Pavilion RV Park. It normally costs $40 per night, but with our Passport America discount we paid $20 per night.  The RV Park was just off of I-20 and in sort of an industrial area.  It was a pretty decent campground and had good full hookups (FHU).

West Monroe, LA is the home of the famous Robertson family of the Duck Dynasty reality show.  We didn’t get to see them as we were only there for one day.  We did fill up the truck with diesel at $3.73 per gallon at Circle K.

Apparently one of the nearby industries had an outside speaker connected to the telephone system.  Several times during the evening, after they closed, the phone would ring for quite awhile.  This went on intermittently for about an hour or two.  Boy, we wished someone would answer that d*!n phone!

We’ll leave here on the 13^th and travel to Livingston, TX and stay at Rainbow’s End in the Escapees RV Club Park.  We have a few things we need to complete to finish establishing residency in Texas.

A Couple of Nights in Alabama

March 10 - 11, 2014
Cherokee Campground (Helena, AL)

We stayed at Cherokee Campground for two nights.  There were lots of trees in and around the campground but I was able to find enough clearance to get the satellite tripod aimed and working well.  Cherokee Campground had military discounts for $13 per night so it was a good deal for a couple of nights.  That's the main reason we decided to stay here.  Gotta keep an eye on that budget!

The campground wasn't much to write home about but it was OK for a couple of nights.  During our full day there we went and put some diesel fuel in the truck for the next leg of our trip.  We also picked up a few groceries at Winn Dixie and treated ourselves to Taco Bell for lunch.  Every once in awhile I need my Doritos Locos Tacos fix!

We'll pull out of here tomorrow, March 12 and head to West Monroe, LA.

I'll write again soon.

Our first days on Our Great Adventure

March 6 to March 9, 2014
Diamond Lakes Resort, (Owensboro, KY) to Beech Bend RV Park (Bowling Green, KY) to Cherokee Campground (Helena, LA)

First off, I have to apologize for not posting anything to the blog sooner than now.  We have AT&T MiFi for internet access and at times the cell phone signal has been pretty sketchy.  Between that and my inherent laziness I feel I have lapsed.  Although in my defense Lisa and I have recently retired and we've been completing final errands, appointments, etc.  I will try to get caught up soon.

Before we retired on February 28th we talked and planned on pulling out of Diamond Lakes as soon as we could - preferably the same day that we retired.

Unfortunately, weather and final doctor's appointments conspired to keep us around for a few more days.  Compared to recent years the weather has been severe around Owensboro all winter.  It has been cold with several instances of ice and snow.  A winter storm had moved through a few days before the 28th with ice and snow.  The  low temperatures at night have been in the low teens for the past few days.

Our last doctor's appointment was on Tuesday, March 4th.  Since I had retired from Owensboro Municipal Utilities our health insurance was changing to active to retired health insurance and we needed to make sure the doctor's office folks were able to change the insurance information, etc.

On Thursday morning, March 6th we started the last packing up to leave.  The plan was to leave by noon but the temperature the night before had been below freezing.  In early winter 2013 we had installed heat trace and insulated the water line and we needed to remove all that before we could disconnect in preparation for leaving.

I went up on the roof of the RV to see if there was any leftover snow, branches, etc, that needed to be
swept off before we brought in the three slides.  On each of the slides there was a little snow and a lot of ice, up to an inch thick, on each of them.  I used a broom to bust up and sweep off the ice/snow and that took nearly an hour.

While I was on the roof Lisa was getting things inside the RV ready to go.  We then started removing insulation and heat trace from the water line.  There was still snow on the ground and it was cold so the water line was stiff and hard to drain and roll up.

Finally, we had everything packed away and we hooked up the truck and started out at about 2 pm.  It felt kind of surreal since we had been at Diamond Lakes for 18+ months since we sold our house.  To read more on how we got to this point visit our web site.

We had decided to drive to Bowling Green, KY and spend three nights at Beech Bend RV Park.  It was an easy 85 mile drive on the Natcher Parkway that took about an hour and a half.  Our son Nathan is a civil engineer who lives in Bowling Green.  He was expecting us so when he got off work he and his girlfriend Sammy came by to spend a little time with us and we went out to eat at a Mexican restaraunt.

The next two days were very relaxing but we managed to get a few projects done.  We replaced several light bulbs which is a bigger chore than you would think. Throughout the RV there are several different bulbs and we had to remove each one to determine a replacement size and type.  I also changed our satellite dish from a lightweight tripod to a heavy duty tripod from TV 4 RV.  The original tripod had blown over during a storm one night and it bent a part and broke another one.  After that it was loose and hard to use. It was especially hard to get exact adjustments and align it with the five birds (satellites).  The new one is a modified engineer's tripod and much easier to set up; I highly recommend it for a portable situation.

While we were in Bowling Green we went out to eat at Red Lobster (seafood) on Friday night with Nathan and Sammy. On Saturday we grilled pork ribs with Nathan as Sammy had to work.  She's an RN (Registered Nurse) at a local hospital and works every weekend since she's new at her position. 

It was great to be able to grill outside.  The temperature was long-sleeve t-shirt weather and sunny.  We watched college basketball on our outside TV and put the awning out.  Using the awning(s) makes it seem like a porch on our RV and we really like the two that we have.

On Sunday morning, March 9th we got up early and started getting ready to check out of the campground by noon.  We had everything ready except actually hitching up and we went to Nathan's house for breakfast.  He lives about 10 minutes drive from Beech Bend and was cooking bacon, eggs, biscuits, gravy, and homemade sausage.  It was all delicious and just what we needed for a day of driving.

We pulled out of Beech Bend RV Park at 12:15 PM.  The plan was to drive 278 miles on I-65 S to Cherokee Campground in Helena, AL just south of Birmingham.  The drive was good except that just across the Alabama border from Tennessee there was a wreck that slowed us up for about 30 minutes.  Also, I-65 S through Birmingham and just South of there was like a washboard - very rough!

We pulled into Cherokee Camground at around 5:15 pm and got set up to stay for a couple of nights.  I'll write in another post and continue with our travels.

Thanks for following along and I will get better about posting regurlarly and hope the content gets better and more interesting as well.