April 2020 – Bailey

Sunday, Camp Explore Day

This is the cutest park we’ve been in. Narrow, winding roads, very hilly, trees galore. Chillier than we’d like.

Us, cuties!

Too cold and pools are not open but hopefully soon.

Fire in the fire pit later!! If the wind cooperates.

Today’s destination Fancy Gap, VA. It is a short, easy drive so decide to leave about 11, km 64,565. Bye bye, Fort Mills. The day started off sunny and warm, by the time we pull out it is starting to sprinkle.

Only a few miles to North Carolina

There are more cars on the road then we expected

Welcome to Virginia

Rain continues. Good thing Allan applied the Rain.X, it makes the rain just rolls off the windshield.

It only gets better, NOT… Fog is rolling in.

Almost miss the exit

The road into Fancy Gap KOA

Made it!

Our spot is a little uneven, a few attempts at leveling does it. So far, we’re liking it here. Not many others here and Allan has a fire pit, unlike the last place – just make your fire anywhere.

IndyCar iRacing and snack time,any guesses what’s on top of the popcorn?

Hum, forecast not that favourable but we’ll have fun

Friday, April 24

I’m doomed to not sleep in! Yesterday garbage bin pick up, today my iPad alarm went off at 435a. I have never used the alarm on my iPad.

Today’s exciting day! Aldi food delivery! We have been adding items to the order since we started it last week. We leave here tomorrow and will be quarantined in the next camp for 14 days. Suits us fine but don’t want to run out of stuff. There are a few items Aldi doesn’t carry so I’ll go, with my new mask, to Publix.

I’m back in record time. It is only a 2 minute (This is a stock photo, Allan didn’t take a photo when he met me today) we bring the buggy to Bailey then return it.

Meet Diego our excellent Aldi shopper.

Our no contact drop off, he puts it on the picnic table. We retrieve when he’s gone.

We put stuff away, divided up the meat in meal size portions. That took over an hour, we deserve it beer/wine time!

It rained most of the day yesterday streaking our windshield so Allan buffed that up.

Now walk time

We missed out on breakfast so decide to have dinner early. I have a hankering for Chinese style beef. My chef springs into action

I stubbed my toe, been icing it but still ouchy. Suspect wine will cure. Need a walk/hobble to get 1201 steps for my 10k today.

This is a new sign, were they getting complaints? They made considerable progress since we arrived on the 18th

A few others arrived, still pretty empty.They do not appear to take social distancing very seriously. When we arrived we called ahead to ask for “no contact” check in. It sounded like we were the first to ask. We now think they think we are “virused” because they haven’t put anyone next to us. Yahoo for us!!!

Our last fire here

Off to Fancy Gap in the morning.

Wednesday, April 22

Every day we have a job to do. Today! Get the bugs off the front of Bailey and the windshield.

Our Amazon Prime order for masks that was supposed to arrive Sunday arrived today. This is what 2 for $53.59 masks look like. Allan thought I was crazy for paying so much, I did too but if it happens to save us or keeps us from eating we may be good.

Out we go move the picnic table and begin. Some of those bugs just don’t want to go but it looks much better than when we started.

Now Windex the windshield and apply the rain.x. Hopefully with this application and the new wipers, we’ll we able to see next rainstorm.

Thursdays & Mondays are garbage pick up days. Why am I sharing this information? They come between 530 & 540AM.

This is how close the bin is to us

Guess what time I’ll wake up?

Saturday, April 18th Decision Day

We are scheduled to leave here on the 25th, where to go? These are such nerve racking times. We go for a walk to figure things out.

The park isn’t big, we decide to walk the subdivision they are building. There are not many construction peeps working today.Do a 180 this is the RV park.

Are they taking the virus seriously? No photo but I know you’ll believe me-nothing to wash up after using the port-a-potty. But there is this, hand sanitizer on each side of the pole no where near the potty.

Productive walk, decision made, we will leave on Saturday. States we go through North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania & New York. Many of the camps we select, are Covid-19 closed or restricted.

With camp information overload – we decide to stay here a week longer. We do not want to be back in Ontario until our park opens. We can stay but only until May 01 as they are fully booked. Good for them for filling all these empty spots.

Back to the planning board, we revamp the direction instead of heading north we’ll head a bit west. Allan likes this new plan as one of the campgrounds he wanted to go back to is Camp Turkeyville. It is on this route. We find a resort in Fancy Gap, Virginia. But, OK, we’ll stay the required 14 days. Doesn’t matter where we stay as all our time is spent around Bailey or avoiding people when we go for walks. Saturday a new adventure begins.

TP management! This implemented..

Happy to report, one of these rolls lasts 7-8 days in the powder room.

Yes, I was impressed.

Today’s excitement just doesn’t stop!

Amazon delivers our new crib board. Such a tiny one, we didn’t realize it was half a game so you go around twice.

Think we were still on the TP high, (so many days from one roll) and not thinking

Guess who’s silver and won our first game??

End the day with a fire, second only to a hot tub. Wonder when hot tubing will resume?

My next Amazon purchase

Stay safe!

Friday, April 17, 2020

Have to share our exciting day!

Bailey’s new wipers arrived yesterday, thank you Wipers123, making today, Installation Day!

The tools! The man!

Here we go

Allan comes in, seemingly only a few minutes after I took the last photo. “What do you need” I ask. “All done” is the reply.

Well that was

Just hope the next rain we’ll be able to see out the windshield.

April 14 & 15, 2020

This is by far, our least favourite KOA, but we’ll get used to it. The good thing is there is, within a 2 minute walk, Gold Hill Discount Spirits and Publix Neither one of us has been in a grocery or “spirit” store for about 5 weeks, we now have the need.

We decide to divide and conquer; Allan will do the spirit store. He doesn’t want to wear a bandanna but as it’s good enough for Matthew McConaughey it’s a must for Allan. Good thing we have coffee filters. He’s so cute!

Mission Accomplished!

Tomorrow I get to go to Publix; we’ll be out of eggs again. I say out loud if I sniffle tomorrow it’s likely because I have a slight sniffle today. It’s colder than we are accustomed to.

There are sites with fire rings, not ours. We ask the dude if he could get us one. No need, you just have a fire on the gravel. We have some wood left over for when were stayed at the HitchinPost. Let’s see how this goes.

Mr Squirrel stopped by!

04/15: Eggs all gone. My turn to suit up

This is outside Publix; sign says seating area is closed. They “close” it using string.

The shopping was a better experience than anticipated. It wasn’t too peopley. Most had masks, only one other had a fancy bandanna mask like mine! People respected the social distancing. Floors were marked where to stand and a plexi shield was at checkout. I wondered what they looked like, now I know.

I got the eggs, some veggies, meat but NO masks, hand sanitizer, wipes. Didn’t check the TP supply as we’re good for now. I’ve checked Amazon several times for masks but none, before leaving for the store I looked again and they have 2 masks for 49.95. Allan thinks I’m nuts but I want us to have masks especially for our drive home trip.

I had on jeans, turtleneck, jacket – walking back was pretty warm. I put the stuff away, then we head out for a walk. Allan wearing shorts. I swapped out my turtleneck for a T-shirt. Fortunately, it’s a small park because we were freezing

We hightailed it back and had a snack

We are here until the 25th; we haven’t figured out our next destination yet, stay tuned. I don’t think anything worthwhile chatting about will happen till.

We’ll work, do the occasional trip to the food & spirit store, have multiple fires, play crib, check social media, our stocks (likely make more bad decisions, grrrr), check in with family/friends and EAT & DRINK.

Until then be safe, be positive and

Easter Monday, the 13th

Up early 530 perhaps in anticipation of today’s travel day to Charlotte, SC. We want to get close enough to the border that we could cross in one day. From Charlotte it would be an 11h drive. Way longer than we’d like but doable.

We are missing Pinellas Park’s weather. Richmond Hill, where we are, is a suburb of Savannah, it’s also of Toronto – not where we are.

Thunder and lightning storm going on, haven’t heard either in eons.

This is getting serious, not only pouring Rain so much we can’t hear the radio but our cells go off with the deafening Amber Alert. This one is really a tornado warning.

The rain has subsided, we leave the park at 10a km 64,158. This is the road out

We cross into South Carolina. A new state for us, Allan gets to update our US travel map.New signage every few miles 🙁This guy should have stayed home he rolled the car.

The tornado caused many downed trees. Glad we didn’t come through any earlier.

Ours. or rather my, dreaded must stop for diesel fuel. Seems truckers are immune, bless their hearts. I value each and everyone of them but I have yet to see one wearing a mask or gloves. We are only down 1/4 tank but with these times better to fill. Love, Love’s app – it allows Allan to select the location, the pump and activate it all from the comfort of his seat,

Out Allan goes humouring me by wearing his gloves and a bag over them

We called the KOA and asked if they have a no contact check in. No, regular check in – are you f?<&#ing kidding me?? Guess they see the errors of their ways cause they call back and offer a no contact check in. Call when we arrive and they will guide us to our site #72 Hello!! Are you there??

We figured out they though we were “virus’ed” when we asked for a no contact check in. This is where they put us and told us they were upgrading our site from a back in to a pull through. Looks nice until you see the other angleWorst site we got in all our travels so far!!

Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think??? Our last grocery order we asked for romaine lettuce, shopper communicated they were out should he sub iceberg. Yes. When it arrived it was cabbage not iceberg. Tonight, we are out of all sub’ed lettuce. He also sub’ed roma tomatoes for the vine ones I wanted. The cabbage salad tasted really good.

Anxiety, there is a grocery store a minutes walk away Publix Fort Mills, need groceries but can I do it??? I don’t want Allan to go, he can drive a sick me home – I can’t him. Stay tuned 🙂

I should dress like this, no-one will come close, but still WISH we would have masks

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Answer to riddle: Corn on the cob, because you throw away the husk, cook and eat the kernels, and throw away the cob.

Today is explore day. This is our view from our dining room.

There is a pond with swans. They seem so regal, we come across this one on land This is their pond Turns out theirs and the alligators Allan is happy about that, he really wants to see a gator! With these numbers you’d think we would.

The park warns not to feed the swans, the park feeds them, or gators who must fend for themselves. This fellow managed to for quite awhile.

I don’t know much about swans, OK perhaps all I know is they are white and fly.

They must be friendly, here they come to see us.

Being ever cautious or you know, a chicken, I say let’s go. Turns out they aren’t that friendly.

The poster posted by the pond,

We find a trail, just get started when it begins to rain. It’s crib time.

Bailey social distancing…

We’re playing crib, Allan is scanning the pond out the window. “There’s a gater!!” I see what Allan is referring to, it’s a rock – I say. It’s gone! I’m now a believer!!

The Savannah Easter Sunday cribbage champion!! We each win one, 3rd game was a slaughter!! Guess who’s not smiling!

Rain on and off all day, we did get a few more walks in.

Tom, my brother in law, introduced us to (spoiler alert, don’t click if you are still watching) Tiger King, the docuSeries about Joe Exotic. Finished binge watching it tonight.

Tomorrow Charlotte, SC.

Saturday, April 11, 2020 Travel Day!

Let’s start the day with a brain teaser: First, I threw away the outside and cooked the inside. Then I ate the outside and threw away the inside. What did I eat? Answer next post

We’re up early, 530. Not unusual for me but it is for Allan. Guess we’re anxious/excited to hit the road. We have coffee, shower then decide to go for a walk because we don’t want to fire up Bailey till 8 to not disturb the neighbours too early. We pull out at 835a; 63,626 km.

Goodbye Robert’s

With a little luck we’ll be back next year!

Not knowing what to expect makes me anxious. We called the KOA to determine their new check in process. We stay in Bailey, they come to us hopefully wearing masks and gloves. Bonus, they have eggs they will drop at our site and charge the credit card on file. Suspect it will be a fortune.

On the road I don’t know what is sadder, the lack of traffic, most places closed or the groups of people not social distancing. Every Dollar General we pass has tons of cars. We see several groups of people fishing.

I’m so nervous about our fuel stops. I’m trying to keep a sunny disposition, but some times, with no notice, my eyes leak.

Back over the really long bridge

You wouldn’t catch me out there! Tampa in the background. Been trying to take a photo of the Florida citrus sign since we first entered the state. This is the best I managed to get.