Our winter trip South stated out with us leaving Maryland the first of Oct. and heading to Front Royal Va. where we spent a couple of days at Front Royal campground before heading to Big Meadows campground in Skyline Drive Va. for two weeks with our good friends and fellow camp host Vince and Nancy. We meet these guys while we where camping at Janes Island State Park in MD. and became good friends. A lot of time was spent setting around the camp fires and talking about where we where going next and what or where we were going to eat. We also where lucky enough to see a mother and her three cubs feeding in the wood near one the lookouts.
After two great weeks of fun and sightseeing it was time to leave and said our good byes to Vince and Nancy and start on leg two of our Trip.
Stop number 3 on our way to Texas was Sevierville TN. where we would be spending a few days shopping and sightseeing. I picked up a few jars on Moonshine that I planned on sharing with our friends in Maryland we return to Janes Island State Park.
The next stop (4) was in Birmingham AL. where we stayed for one night at Tannehill Iron Works Historical State Park before moving on. Tannehill is a nice and clean little State Park. We did not have time to see a lot of it but did like what we did see.
Stop number 5 was in New Orleans for a few days. We hit Bourbon St. on day 2 two. All I can say if you have never been there put it on your bucket list. This is also where we had break down #1 a bolt in the shift linkage came out causing it not the go in Park. Had it fixed and we where back on the way. Then as we where pulling out of New Orleans to our next stop we had break down #2 lost all the brakes on the 5th wheel. After 3 hours in the shop we where back on the road and on our way.
Stop number 6 was just outside of Huston Texas where we stopped at Walmart for the night after a long day and was too tired to move on. After a good nights sleep it was time to fuel up and move on. Diesel fuel seemed to be getting cheaper making us happy.
Stop number 7 was Leisure RV Resort and Campground in Fentress TX. where we had planned on staying for two months as Camp Host. On day two of our stay we where evacuated from the camp ground because the management said that the San Marcos river at ran through the camp ground was at flood stage and we had about 3 hours to get packed up. Happy to say we made it out in time. This is what it looked like after we when back to see the damage.
After seeing all the damage in the campground after the water level had dropped back to normal we decided we did not what to pull our 5th wheel back in and hook up to electric boxes that just hours before where under water. If was at this point that we decided to start toward Corpus Christi for a week or two and spend a little time with family.
Stop number 8 Lake Corpus Christi State Park. We pulled in thinking we where going to stay about 2 week two weeks and then moving on to Arizona for the rest of the winter before going back to Maryland for the summer. As we where checking in we learned that they where in need of a Camp Host due to the fact that hosts that where due in had broke their and could not come. So we decided to stay as Hosts for the next two months before heading to Arizona. This is where we had break down # 3 truck was dead and would not start ( two dead batteries ) in the truck. Then about two weeks before we where due to leave we received a call from Ocala National Forest. They where in need of a Camp Host, so again we had a change in plans and at the end of our stay in Texas we would be headed to FL.
Stop number 9 Cracker Barrel in Lafayette Louisiana after a long day on the road and in need on a good meal and some sleep. After a good night of rest we where back on the road.
Stop number 10 Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville Louisiana where we stayed two days before hitting the run again.
Stop number 11 Falling Waters State Park Chipley FL. This park has a water falls the drops into a large sink hole. Did not think we would see a water falls in FL. Like most of the stops we made it was raining when we setup at our campsite. We did manage to get a nice cement site with lots of space.
We enjoyed our stay and got some much need rest before moving on.
Stop # 12 Ocala National Forest our finial stop before going back to Maryland for the summer. Ocala National Forest is a large park ( 630 sq miles ) in central FL with several campgrounds within the park. There are miles of ATV and UTV trails for everyone to enjoy. Most of the campgrounds are very primitive with most having no hookups at all so if you are planning on camping there bring water and empty holding tanks. We had a nice cement pad site with sewer hookup.
The Forest service supplied a 3000 watt Honda generator with gas and a 100 gallon water tank. We are at Lake Delancy West campground in the Northern part of the forest. This is one of the more popular campground due to the fact that you could unload and drive your ATV and UTV to and from your campsite. We enjoyed our time at the park even though camping with no hookups can be work at time. The weather in in FL. the last few weeks we where there was not as warm as we would have liked causing us to have to run the propane furnace more than we would have liked causing us to have the refilled every 4 or 5 days.
We did not get to update the web page because we had no internet or cell signal in the forest.
One of the roads coming into our site was 3 1/2 miles long dirt road. This is one of miles of road running through the forest.
The road in could get a little messy after it rained but for the most part the Forest Service did a good job keeping it graded.
We decided to cut our stay in FL. short by about 3 week to start back to Maryland where we will be spending the summer at Janes Island State and Assateague Island National Seashore. We departed FL. on the 8th of February for Maryland. On the way back we noticed that the battery light came on in the truck. Looks like it is not charging. After a long day of driving we decided to pull into a Walmart for a few hours sleep. The next morning the truck started up fine but after a few miles the battery light was back on again. It was at it point that we decided to drive straight through to Maryland.
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