Heading South, Winter of 2023-24!

Before we left Willow Beach, AZ in January 2023, we had made reservations for another six weeks there beginning on February 1, 2024. But we decided to cancel. Why? Because of our delayed November departure due to the boat haul, and because it is such a long drive to get there. So instead we decided to stay in the southeast this winter. Guess the idea of heading to the southeast instead of the southwest had been simmering in our minds for awhile because many months before in January of 2023, we had made a reservation at Fort Wilderness at Walt Disney World!

So once the boat was hauled on November 15th and it was shrink wrapped by a local guy that afternoon, we shifted our focus on accomplishing last minute tasks for our departure two days later.

On departure day we had a little bit of a late start (around 11-ish) because of a few errands we needed to do before we left, but that’s okay we weren’t in a rush. Good thing, because our pretty uneventful drive changed when we pulled into a rest stop for what we thought would be a quick break. But there was a line of cars and trucks in front of us and nothing was moving. Huh? What’s going on? Never expected to experience a traffic jam in a rest area!

It turned out that there was a disabled tractor trailer truck with a load of Christmas trees blocking the roadway. No one could get by, turning what we thought would be a two minute stop into a 15 minute stop while we sat and waited for a tow truck to move the Christmas tree truck out of the way.

Back on the interstate, barely 20 minutes later near Stormville, NY on I-84, traffic slowed to a standstill again. Now what? Aha, there’s the culprit in the breakdown lane, not sure what was going on but there was a firetruck blocking the 1st lane.

Is our whole drive going to be one traffic snarl after another? Thankfully no! Our GPS had estimated our arrival time at our first overnight destination, Tri-State RV Park in Matamoras, PA at 2:40 p.m. We arrived there around 3:45 p.m. The campground is located on the Delaware River where PA, NJ and NY meet, thus the reason for the name Tri-State. Nothing fancy, kinda dumpy actually and overpriced. But it was a park we had stayed at before in April of 2023 and was a convenient stop with full hookups. Quiet night!

Our next destination was a Harvest Host, the Wayside Inn in Middletown, VA, the oldest continuously running Inn in the United States. Someone else who had stayed there left a review warning RV’ers with big rigs about a tight turn into the parking lot if arriving from the north. On each side of the entrances were rock columns, fine for a car but not so much for an RV. On seeing them, Rob didn’t feel comfortable making the turn so he went past both entrances figuring he could turn around and make the approach at a different angle. Sounded good in theory! Only problem was that he made a left hand turn into a small parking lot where a post office was located. You couldn’t tell from looking at the lot, but unfortunately the entry was a bit steep which caused the front cap and the rear mudflap to bottom out. Oh, oh, that’s not good!

Once we made it into the Inn’s parking lot, after parking, Rob inspected the damage. One of the eye bolts holding the mud flap in place had sheared off so part of it was dragging on the ground. The mud flap was bent and had a little road rash. Also, in the process, the mudflap crushed the exhaust pipe.

Oh, joy! A trip to a local hardware store (Lowe’s was the nearest) in search of new eye bolts so he could reattach the mud flap was now on the horizon. Also of major concern was the crushed tail pipe, any back pressure would not be good for the engine. Certainly not what we had planned!

Since it was almost dark when we returned, we went to Larrick’s Tavern, the restaurant in the Inn, for Happy Hour where we both had the Tomato Gazpacho Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and a martini.

The Happy Hour price was $10 but we were charged the regular $12 price instead. Service was a little slow but the food was tasty. After dinner we walked around the tavern, admiring the decor.

According to their website, “the oldest part, the “Old Kitchen”, was built as a waystation and stagecoach stop in 1740’s along with the original well (viewable in the Tavern) that watered the small hamlet of Middletown.” The well was 45′ feet deep from the top of the well’s stone rim to the bottom of the well.

A sign on the sidewalk outside of the Inn states “Engagement of Middletown: Here Stonewall Jackson, on May24, 1862 attacked Banks retreating from Strasburg and forced him to divide his army.”

Before our departure the next morning, Rob was able to rig the mud flap again so it wouldn’t be dragging and was able to un-crimp the exhaust pipe. Not perfect but at least it wouldn’t be a problem driving. Eventually a new mudflap and exhaust pipe would need to be ordered and installed.

Our next stop was Fort Chiswell RV Park in Max Meadows, VA, another revisit and a popular overnight stop for many. A nice setting, but an older park with fairly close together sites. The staff is experienced and usually provide a site that is plenty long for the coach plus toad, and this time was no exception, so we didn’t need to unhitch.

Surrounded by farmland with grazing sheep and cattle dotting the landscape, it is a very soothing pastoral scene.

Big Rig Friendly RV Park in Columbia, SC was our next stop. It opened in 2022 with Phase 2 currently open but still under construction. Maybe in the future, it will be a lovely park but we weren’t impressed on this visit. And charging $69 (less Good Sam discount) for a site in the middle of a construction zone, in our mind, it definitely wasn’t worth it. Glad we had only booked one night!

A rainy drive began the next morning! Back in 2015 we had stayed at the Coastal Georgia RV Resort so our next stop was a repeat performance. The rate of $60 (less Good Sam discount) was less than the previous night and so much nicer. Lots of amenities with level, mostly pull thru, well spaced sites with privacy provided by shrubs between sites. There’s even a small pond for fishing and paddle boats!