Car Camping for the First Time

In February a friend and I went on a road trip which landed us in West Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

The first two nights on the road we car camped at Walmart and the rest of the trip we stayed with the people we were visiting.

Neither of us had car camped before so we didn’t know what to expect. Staying at Walmart worked out just how I expected! We made sure to park in well lit areas near the semi trucks, but far enough away from the building that we weren’t in the way of customers the following morning.

I can confirm that Grey Lady can easily sleep two people. To make things simple we kept the bed set up at all times, and just moved stuff between the front and back as needed. I had window coverings made out of reflectix and duct tape that worked out really well for the back windows. We used a black blanket to cover the items in the front seats, which also that blocked the front view.

Our first stop was Morgantown, WV because I’m a Fallout Nerd and I was way too excited to visit. I’m not sorry.

The Andy Griffith Show was one of my favorite shows on TV Land as a kid, and I always liked Don Knotts as an actor, so it was pretty cool to learn he was from Morgantown.

I didn’t realize how much they love their cryptids. The town has begun a yearly event called Cryptid Bash and I’m hoping to attend in the near future.

They also have beautiful street art!

While in town we decided to visit Dent’s Run Covered Bridge. We missed a turn and got slightly lost on winding dirt roads for a good hour, but we found it and it was awesome!

When we pulled over to check out the bridge I grabbed this beautiful shot of Grey Lady. She held up so well on those roads, especially for a newbie like me. Thankfully we got back to the main roads before darkness hit, or I don’t know if we would have gotten out.

Next up we visited a friend in Chattanooga, TN. The morning after we got there she took us to a diner called Aretha Frankenstein.

We loved the décor and enjoyed the food. I grabbed chicken and biscuits which was delicious - at least to a Northerner like me. The friend we were visiting with got the pancakes and they were huge! She compared them to cutting the top off a cake before you frost it - it sounds accurate to me.

If you want a good view of the city check out Lookout Mountain. We went up both at night and during the day. There’s “train” called the Incline Railway which take you up and down the Mountain. We didn’t go on it, but to look at it reminded me of a roller coaster.

Our second day involved a trip to Nashville. Did you know they have a replica of the Parthenon ? I didn’t before this trip.

As a person who loves world building, history and architect, being able to stand in a life like “ancient” temple was mind blowing. I’ve walked through replicated rooms at museums before, but nothing to this scale.

 

When we got to the main floor I went from feeling like I was in a dream to hyper focusing on all the details; comparing the size of the people against everything there and making mental notes so I get the scaling right in my stories.

After Nashville we headed into North Carolina and visited with family. If you’re in or near Raleigh, NC I highly recommend the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science. Unfortunately I’ve reached my max on pictures for this post, but know that its an amazing museum and its free!

I also recommend checking out Apex Wings in Apex, NC if you enjoy laidback local food. They have what they call “egg rolls”, but they’re more like crispy wraps. Your choices are “reuben roll” which is a reuben in a crispy wrap, “italian roll” which is like a pizza in a crispy wrap, and “buffalo chicken roll” which is like a chicken finger wrap but crispy. We chose the assorted option so we could try all of them, and I look forward to doing it again!

Don’t think this trip was without its bumps and bruises. It wasn’t. We gained some stories and some lessons, but I’ll save those for another post.

Let me know where you went on your first road trip!

Continuing New Chapters

 As I said in my last post: “a lot has happened” … a third thing is that I bought a van!!

Its a 2014 Chevy Express passenger van, with all wheel drive, a factory back up camera, a tow package, and has only been in NY for a couple years. I’m not planning on towing anything, but the backup camera was on my list, and AWD was a bonus.

The previous owner kept excellent care of it, meticulous maintenance records, and it was stored inside when not being driven. The motor is only a year old, along with many smaller things that were replaced or upgraded to ensure its safety and reliability.

The day it was posted I called the seller and arranged to drive the two hours to see it; my dad wasn’t thrilled, but was blown away after we checked it out. In his defense, the last van I asked him to check out ended up being a death trap. (I made notes and asked better questions this time around.)

 

Thankfully, he’s been keeping it safe since I don’t have room at my place. My house search includes having space for my van.

You’re probably wondering, “why was he selling it?”

Unfortunately the owner had passed away. He had a small taxi business, which often included interstate adventures. This van has seen miles! And its why he kept such good care of it. One of his wishes was that the proceeds be denoted to charity, and that’s what his estate was doing.

When I first talked to the seller he let me know the van had a salvaged title for unknown reason, and gave me the VIN number so I could look it up. We learned that it had been rebuilt a couple years after it was made and sold soon after. In this case living in NY came in handy - its originally from out of state and bought by the NY dealership who sold it to this last owner. Because NY has stricter requirements for dealerships than private owners, the frame would have been examined before the state issued a new title.

The executor and I helped each other navigate through the sale since neither of us had done one as an estate before. (The hold time for the DMV help line is no joke lol) He was so patient and helpful, and I’m thankful to have gone through the process with such a person.

I don’t know if he’ll ever see this, but if he does: Thank you for your kindness. You and your family deserve all the best!

My Farthest Road Trip So Far

Last month I went on my longest road trip! Broken over three days each way, I went down with my dad and then back up with a friend. We spent most of our time in Florida but also made a few tourist stops in Georgia, and visited family along the way.

On the way down my dad and I each chose places we wanted to visit, and my choice was the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. The picture of the giant hill is actually a picture of the Great Temple Mound. The remains of it were found during excavation in the 1930’s and was restored along with other mounds at the park; the floor in the temple is over 1000 years old. It was breath taking, seeing a structure that has so much history and imagining the city that was built around it. It’s a huge park and I’d like to go back for a couple days so I can explore and read everything.

One of the places my dad chose was The Allman Brother’s Museum at the Big House. The stained glass above is the front entryway to the museum; not original to when the band was living in the house but an awesome tribute to their time spent. There was a former roadie who was giving someone a personal tour, and every time we crossed paths I enjoyed listening in on his stories.

While in Sarasota FL I took a day to explore by myself. A family member had told me about the Tamiami Trail, so I grabbed my water and set off. I took a wrong turn and landed in downtown Sarasota, so I pulled over and walked around the city before trying a second time; again I got lost but I found a plaza with two antique stores so I pulled over and checked them out.

The pink flamingos where at a store called Todburn Antiques in Sarasota. I hope to go back again because it had such cool stuff, and the owner and his friend were awesome people. (Shout out to Don & Janet!)

My third attempt got me on the Trail and I got to drive down it in time for a rain storm.

The ride back home was an experience, and I definitely came home more confident about my driving than I was when I left.

The giant sombrero is called Sombrero Tower at a place called South of the Boarder. It’s a tourist trap that we didn’t get to stop at this time, but my friend and I agreed we have to go back. The amount of money they spend on billboards must be crazy, but they catch your attention! After telling family about it I learned the place has been around for decades, and at one point everyone had known someone who’d been there.

Took a mini-road trip to check out a dog show. About six hours total which is the longest I’ve driven in one day, but it was so relaxing. I took all back roads and stopped at 200+ year old restaurant for lunch. All original architecture which was beautiful.