2020 - TEXAS TO NEW ENGLAND AND BACK

CONNECTICUT TO TEXAS

After a summer in Connecticut, and a brief spin around New England to chase down some fall foliage in early October, the time came around once again for my wheels to start rolling south.

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Sunday, November 8, 2020 – Westbrook, CT, to East Stroudsburg, PA

Five weeks back in Connecticut, initially warm weather, good amount of MTB with Ted, but recently a couple of freezing overnights were giving me the hint that it was time to head south.

Up early to fit in one final mountain bike ride in the Preserve at Old Saybrook with Ted and Lauren.

Coffee and bagel picked up on the way back to the marina, truck gassed up, showered, Airstream hooked up...

...and I pulled out of my summer spot in Pilots Point North Yard at 11:30am.

Took the slightly less direct route onto I-95 so that I could drive over the iconic “Singing Bridge” on Route 1 (so called as the steel deck makes car tires "sing" as they drive over) and through the center of Westbrook - possibly for the last time, as my old office in the marina will soon be closed down along with the current incarnation of the boat business I started a little over twenty years ago in early 2000.

Then it was Interstate most of the way – I-95, I-287, I-80 – but with a rather tedious detour on some minor roads (along with everyone else!) towards the end of the drive on I-80 due to a crash that had closed the road.

A wonderfully warm and sunny day, a last hurrah for the fall foliage which was looking bright in places.

Finally arrived at the overnight campground at 4:00pm – the place that was my last overnight stop on my drive up from Texas 3 months ago, and no more attractive now than then but convenient.

A little work needed straightening up the interior of the Airstream after the drive over the very rough roads of New Jersey before I could crack open my evening beer, after which I caught up with some delayed desk work for most of the evening, with a couple of NFL games playing in the background.

Monday, November 9, 2020 – East Stroudsburg, PA, to Hagerstown, MD

Quiet night in a largely empty campground, the sun taking a while to come up over the hills but then warming the valley in which the campground is situated.

A little messing with my mountain bike in the back of the truck to help with removing the rear wheel as I will have to later in the morning when taking it into a bike shop in Lancaster, PA, to have the rear cassette (cluster of gears) changed for the new one I ordered last week.

Out of the campground at 8:30am and a fairly uneventful drive on a rapidly warming day, the bright fall sunshine managing to get some color popping from those trees whose leaves are still on the branches. Although all have passed their peak of brilliance, the yellow leaves still have some brightness to them.

Arrived at the bike shop in Lancaster at 11:15am and brewed coffee in the Airstream while the rear wheel was being serviced.

Back on the road by midday, taking the slightly slower but more scenic route rather than the Interstate option and resisting the temptation for a side trip to Gettysburg as I wanted to get to the campground in time to get some laundry done.

The last few miles of the day's drive slow but scenic, meandering through farmland alongside Conococheague Creek, a tributary of the Potomac.

Got duly set up in my allocated campsite and got a couple of loads of laundry going while dealing with a few truck and trailer set-up changes.

Tuesday, November 10, 2020 – Hagerstown, MD, to Pocahontas State Park, Chesterfield, VA

Up early, tanks emptied (but freshwater will be filled later, to save traveling weight), pulled out of the campground at 7:45am, a short few miles of back roads onto the interstate to head south to Front Royal and the north entrance onto Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park.

Leaves still on the trees in town and at lower elevations, but fairly quickly becoming mostly bare as the road climbed up into the Blue Ridge mountains – probably some 2-3 weeks after the usual peak color timing here.

Warm, even up at 3,000ft, and little breeze to ruffle the few remaining leaves. Clear blue skies early on but scattered clouds gradually appearing as the Skyline Drive meandered south.

Stopped for coffee at around mile marker 40 (of the 105 miles of the Skyline Drive) and then continued along the drive, pulling over periodically at overlooks for the odd picture, this one of a particularly broad-based tree off to the side of the road just past Big Meadows that I’ve taken photos of previously when it was in leaf.

Pulled over for a quick bite of lunch at the end of Skyline Drive before heading southwest on I-64 towards Richmond, skirting the west side of the city and down to Pocahontas State Park where I’ve stayed two or three times previously, arriving at 4:00pm after brief stops in nearby Chesterfield for gas and groceries.

Hoping for a couple of dry hours early tomorrow to squeeze in an MTB ride here before the forecast rain moves in.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020 – Pocahontas State Park, Chesterfield, VA, to Fort Mill, SC

Rather distressing to be woken in the early hours by the sound of heavy rain on the roof of the Airstream, as the forecast had suggested this wasn’t due before about 9:00am or 10:00am. But it lasted no more than 15 minutes.

Another early start, to try to squeeze in my ride before the forecast rain arrives, pedaling away from the campsite at 6:50am, the trails rather damp in places from the earlier rain.

Plenty of fallen leaf cover, though fortunately the trails themselves kept mostly clear from being ridden.

Fun riding, though a couple of trails a little "bland". Rode my favorite trail twice over, contemplating a third loop, but sprinkles of rain and time wearing on persuaded me against this. Still, 19 miles ridden in a little over 2 hours.

Washed down the bike back at the campsite and got into the Airstream to clean up just as some heavy rain moved in, so my timing proved to be just about right.

Brewed coffee as a priority after showering, eventually pulling out of the campground at 10:45am for the 275-mile drive down to Fort Mill, just south of Charlotte, NC, the drive almost exclusively on interstates and punctuated regularly by heavy rain showers.

Pulled into the campground at 4:20pm, then out to dinner early evening at a local eatery with an old friend from my early days in Connecticut who now lives in Fort Mill – the main reason for my stopover here.

Thursday, November 12, 2020 – Fort Mill, SC, to Travelers Rest, SC

Forecast overnight rain started in the early hours, although the drumming on the roof of the Airstream was mostly drowned out by the noise of the air conditioner running – still fairly warm and humid outside following an all-time record high for the day.

Heavy rain continuing as dull daylight arrived, extremely heavy at times, with multiple alerts of flash flooding on my cell phone.

Made use of the “down time” while the deluge continued to catch up a little on photo processing and a couple of other desk chores, but finally braved the easing rain at 10:30am to step out, unplug and pull out... but only as far as the Publix grocery store next door to the campground to top up on fresh grocery items.

Decided to take the slightly slower non-interstate route south and then west in order to pass by a Starbucks store for morning coffee, to avoid sitting behind truck spray and to move more quickly out of the wet weather training up to the north.

After a brief stop for lunch and then a gas fill-up, arrived at the overnight campground (where I’ve stayed once before) just after 3:00pm, backing into a site beside the stream that runs alongside the campground.

An unusually early end to a day's driving, so I used the remaining afternoon hours for phone calls, a little desk work and a little bike-related tune-up.

Then settled in for a quiet evening – and the Thursday Night Football game, courtesy of campground cable.

Friday, November 13, 2020 – Travelers Rest, SC, to Ladson, SC (just north of Charleston)

Absolutely silent overnight, save for the occasional sound from the babbling brook behind the campsite.

No crazy rush this morning, but out of the campground fairly promptly at 8:30am to drive 45 minutes (up some truly winding mountain roads, with numerous 15mph turns) to Dupont State Forest for mountain biking on one of my favorite trails.

Odd patches of mist on the drive but clear skies and mid 50s temperatures at the trail parking area.

Rode three loops of the trails, ground conditions better than I had expected after heavy recent rains.

Took a shower and made coffee (so convenient having the Airstream right there with me) and then got back on the road – feeling exhausted and exhilarated in equal measure from the ride - for the 4-hour drive down to the campground booked for the night, just north of Charleston.

Not the most attractive of campgrounds, I discovered on arrival, so thoughts of staying an additional night pretty quickly dismissed...

Saturday, November 14, 2020 – Ladson, SC, to Yemassee, SC

Rather disturbed end of the night, with mist condensing on the tree limbs above the Airstream and dripping onto the roof. Not so bad on the roof itself, but the cove on the skylight near the bed acts like a sounding drum and the periodic “twang” rather kept me from sleeping properly.

A little frustrating desk work once up, due to the poor WiFi in the campground, but I did come to a decision about tonight’s overnight location and get it booked.

Out f the campground around 9:45am for the 30-minute drive to Charleston, attempting to park in a wide and quiet street leading to a park only to find the road closed part-way up and both sides already filled with cars. Managed a very tight U-turn to extricate myself and the rig and drove on down the road a few hundred yards to find a roadside spot on which I could tuck in close and with no-one able to park in front of me.

A long walk south into town from this remote spot, however, during which I passed some other parking solutions but too late to change.

First stop at Starbucks downtown, this outlet first found on my sailing trip south in the fall of 1997, where I enjoyed a warming Mocha Valencia Grande. Store crowded with little movement in the line so bailed out and walked back north to the Starbucks in Francis Marion Hotel, which was quiet and prompt in service.

Enjoyed my coffee and scone on a bench in Marion Square, called the UK to speak to my mother, reminding her of our time in Charleston in spring of 1998.

Then meandered back south, snaking through historic downtown and coming across buildings I had not seen before - despite my many visits to Charleston - such as the Karpeles Manuscript Museum on Spring Street, a private collection of over a million manuscripts and documents housed in the former St. James Chapel, a Methodist church built in 1856.

My specific destination though was Tradd Street, where much of the more appealing and historic domestic architecture in Charleston is to be found.

Having walked to the east end of Tradd Street, I wandered up to the Old South Carriage Company base and the covered market and, crucially, the Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream store for a scoop of Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz to sustain me on the long walk back to the Airstream. Almost 9 miles covered in total on the walk.

An hour’s drive out of Charleston on Route US17 got me to the KOA campground outside Yemassee by 4:30pm.

Sunday, November 15, 2020 – Yemassee, SC, to Savannah, GA

Propane (or other triggering gasses) caused the propane alarm to go off twice during the early morning hours, rather disturbing my night’s sleep. Finally rolled out of bed just after 7:00am for my pre-run routine of banana, water and a couple of mouthfuls of Kefir.

Out on my run just after 8:00am, running on very quiet roads leading to the campground, but certainly feeling the 9 miles of walking yesterday in my legs and also the warmth and humidity.

Decided to brew coffee and have a bagel and cream cheese in the Airstream rather than drive on down the road for 30 minutes to find a Dunkin Donuts store. A little desk work completed while enjoying coffee before finally heading out and onto I-95 at about 11:45am, traffic heading south surprisingly heavy.

Pulled off at Route 17 exit to head on down towards Savannah, crossing the very modern high-level bridge over the Savannah River and then winding through the city streets to park in a quiet area close to Forsythe Park.

Had a fortifying mouthful of lunch before setting off for a walk around Savannah, through the park, past the fountain and on down Bull Street, crossing through the several live oak-shaded squares on the way down to the river front, where a rather distressingly high number of people at that tourist spot were choosing not to wear masks.

The Georgia Belle riverboat docked as I was walking up the river but very few guests on board.

Detoured via Ben & Jerry’s on my walk back to the Airstream, figuring I had earned another ice-cream treat after running 4 miles first thing and walking a further 4 miles around Savannah where the street layout is more formal and the architecture is generally more grand than Charleston.

Walked back to Forsythe Park before heading out of town to an overnight stop at a Walmart parking lot in order to be as close as possible to Tybee Island for sunrise photos tomorrow.

Monday, November 16, 2020 – Savannah, GA, to Starke, FL

Reasonably quiet night, though woken around 5:30am by distant beat music from a car parked outside the entrance to Walmart though it was close enough to when I was planning to get up and head out to Tybee Island to not really be the nuisance it could have been.

A high tide flood warning for the low-lying access road to Tybee Island came through on my phone as I was getting ready to head out but won’t be an issue – if at all – until I head back from the island to the mainland.

Got to the pier at Tybee Island in good time (unlike prior visits when I’ve been running late and scrambling) but a line of cloud cover on the horizon threatened to frustrate my sunrise photography.

In the end, the cloud cover did limit photo opportunities a little, but also added some interest to the view when the sun did break through.

With more substantial cloud cover blocking the sun, I started driving back towards the mainland, but pulled over after half a mile or so to walk down onto another part of the beach where a brief break in the cloud cover lit up one of the beach swing benches.

Sunrise photography over, I drove back to the mainland and stopped in a grocery store parking lot to consider the day's plan before continuing on my drive south.

Pulled over after an hour's driving at what is claimed to be “America’s Smallest Church” before continuing to Darien, GA, to buy coffee from a local shop that had produced a tasty cappuccino on a previous visit.

This time it tasked like warm milk, however, so had to be tossed and a cup of strong black coffee brewed in the Airstream.

Drove round to a parking spot by Fort Darien - closed on Mondays, as I discovered on my first time through here, but it was the quiet and shady parking lot I was seeking.

Did a little desk work, route planning and booking of campgrounds and had a bite of lunch before heading on down I-95 and finally diverting onto Route 301 to bypass Jacksonville and take me right to the entrance of my overnight KOA campground in Starke.

Tuesday, November 17, 2020 – Starke, FL, to Lake Griffin State Park, FL

Mid-way through my pre-run routine I received a very early reply to an e-mail of mine from late last night to the business handling my mail forwarding and advising on my intended change from Connecticut to Florida residency.

Decided to delay my run to give them the courtesy of a prompt reply and then received a phone call to cut short the e-mail ping-pong that was developing.

All of which meant I didn’t head out on my run until a little after 8:00am, the morning still cool and the southerly side road opposite the campground proving largely devoid of traffic (not least as it terminated after a convenient 2 miles in a cemetery). The north wind feeling rather brisk on my return 2-mile leg, but something was right about the run (or wrong about my running watch) as my mile times were surprisingly fast at 7:53, 7:54, 8:00, 7:53.

After shaving and showering back at the Airstream, I decided to take advantage of the campground laundry being only 50 yards away, though a 30-minute wait for a dryer took me very close to missing the departure time of noon from the campground.

Drove back into town to a car wash I had noticed on the way through yesterday afternoon and washed both the truck and Airstream, both grimy from the rain-soaked day of driving last Thursday. As so often with car washes, the “spot-free rinse” was a little less than effective, so I pulled over a hundred yards down the road to park in a conveniently shady spot to wipe down both vehicles, after which it was time for lunch and a call to the UK before finally heading out of town.

A 2-hour drive, all on Route 301, brought me to Lake Griffin State Park, though I didn't explore the hiking trails and lake on offer, or go take a look at what is claimed to the second largest live oak in Florida, 400 years old.

Those attractions aside, the campground was typical of an older Florida state park with sandy roads leading to small campsites tucked away among trees and palms.

Wednesday, November 18, 2020 – Lake Griffin State Park, FL, to Largo, FL

Very quiet night tucked away in the state park, and quiet first half of the morning at my traveling desk before brewing coffee and heading out late morning.

Couple of hours drive down to the next campground spot in Largo, north of St Petersburg, where I spent a disproportionate amount of time getting the Airstream leveled – motivated partly by knowing I was going to be there for a few days.

Eventually happy with the set-up, I headed downtown to meet up with ex-wife Kit and take a stroll to the newly opened pier downtown.

Rather blustery in strong NE winds but a good spot for an early dinner (blackened grouper sandwich) at the bar at the end of the pier, with views from the bar's balcony back over downtown St Petersburg as the sun set.

Sunday, November 22, 2020 – Largo, FL, to DeFuniak Springs, FL

Out for an early morning run, rather sweaty and hard work due to humidity.

Usual post run routine, then a couple of phone calls once showered, brief necessary desk work, coffee brewed, tanks emptied and filled, Airstream hooked up and out of the campground at 11:00am, with the welcome surprise of a night’s stay refunded as I checked out at the campground office (leaving a day earlier than planned, having decided at the last minute to head to Texas for Thanksgiving with my friends Les and Melanie).

A long day’s driving on Interstates 275, 75 and then 10, with only a couple of breaks for refreshments.

An extended sunset as I drove west on I-10 into early evening. Pulled off the highway a little ahead of the planned overnight stop as darkness had fallen (despite gaining an hour, and some daylight, from crossing into the Central Time Zone) and I don’t much care for night-time driving these days.

Got permission to stay overnight at the Walmart store in DeFuniak Springs, from where I’ll be able to leave early morning tomorrow with minimum fuss.

A little over 400 miles, 7 hours in the driving seat.

Monday, November 23, 2020 – DeFuniak Springs, FL, to Brookhaven, MS

Reasonable night, considering the Walmart parking lot surroundings...

...but nothing much to keep me from getting on the road so I was out onto the highway – and back onto I-10 – at 7:00am.

Pulled off the highway at a convenient Starbucks for an early coffee once past Mobile, AL, for a gas fill-up a couple of hours later, and for lunch about an hour before arriving at the Mt Zion Bike Trails trailhead where I backed the Airstream into the convenient RV hook-up spot there that I’ve used several times previously.

Out onto the 10-mile mountain biking trail at 2:45pm, the first couple of miles thoroughly enjoyable, the final 8 miles rather less so and quite hard work as the dropper post control cable on my mountain bike decided to break (allows the seat to go up – good for climbing and flat trail sections – and down – very important for downhill sections and any drops or jumps).

So most of the ride undertaken with the seat stuck fully down, which made hill climbing very hard work and flat sections rather slow.

Trails dry and dusty, so after the ride had to wipe the dust off the bike as well as doing the usual chain cleaning and lubrication, before stowing in the back of the truck.

A late afternoon snack to tide me over to the evening, then a shower, and a little catching up of news courtesy of the good over-the-air signal received here.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020 – Brookhaven, MS, to Navasota, TX

Quiet night, with the interior of the Airstream staying surprisingly warm as outside temperatures fell to 40 degrees by morning.

Up and ready to hit the road with little fuss, pulling out at 7:00am.

First stint of driving took me until a little after 10:00am when I pulled over for a Starbucks coffee once through Lafayette, LA, taking the opportunity to fill up with gas at the same time.

The second stint ran through to a late lunch stop around 1:30pm, not being able to find a convenient spot to pull off Route 105.

Then a final stop at the Kroger grocery store in Montgomery to top up on a few fresh items and buy some wine and beer for my contribution to the Thanksgiving meal ahead (to go with the three varieties of cheese I had bought at the Saturday morning market in downtown St Petersburg).

Finally rolled through the gates at Black Jack Springs around 4:45pm, saying a few hellos to the assembled pre-Thanksgiving crowd before parking the Airstream in its accustomed spot under the shed.

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