Alabama - Foley and the two stops to get there

Stone Mountain, GA

On November 15, 2018 we said good-bye to Asheville, yes Nancy shed a few tears. The drive to our first stop on the way to Foley, AL was of course in the rain.
We stayed at the Stone Mountain Park Campground in Stone Mountain, GA. It is just outside of Atlanta. This is a huge park with over 200 sites, a golf course, hiking trails, amusement park, hotels and of course Stone Mountain. What is claimed to be the worlds largest high relief sculpture is on the side of Stone Mountain. It depicts three Confederate figures of the Civil War. President Jefferson Davis, and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J "Stonewall" Jackson. You can take a train ride, a sky lift or hike to the top of the mountain. We stayed only one night so we did not explore any of this, but we do plan on going back for a longer stay.

We stayed in Site 393, a sideways pull through with full hookups, lots of shade trees and pretty private. The view of the lake was a nice surprise, bottom picture below. There were plenty of places for dog walking and even though we only stayed one night we did explore the grounds a bit. We paid $15 with our Passport America discount, but there was also a $20 park entrance fee.













It was rainy and foggy the day we arrived, but we woke to clear skies and sunshine the next morning.
The difference in the view of the mountain was quite drastic.

Hope Hull, AL

Moving fast we headed out on November 16, 2018 to Montgomery South RV Park in Hope Hull, AL. As the name suggests it is south of Montgomery, AL. This is the third time we have stayed here. The first time was June 2016 and the second time was January 2018. Both of those were longer stays. This was a one night stop, we were in Site 28, a gravel pull through with full hookups. We paid $36.00 a night with our Good Sam Discount. The park is well maintained and there is a large field for walking the dog.

Foley, AL

This is our second time staying at Magnolia Springs Hideaway Campground. The first time was in January 2018. We arrived here on November 17, 2018. All of the sites are back ins, they are building additional sites and some of those will be pull throughs.

We were in Site 38 this time and loved it. Cement pad for parking and picnic table. Full hookups and plenty of shade trees. The way the site is positioned we also had some privacy.
We paid $13.30 a night with a combination of the monthly rate and Passport America discounts.
The park is well maintained and very quiet. There is a clubhouse with lots of activities planned just about every day. The bathrooms and laundry are clean. WiFi was good and Verizon signal strong.

She is the worst at playing fetch - which can be a good thing! 

The dog park is good sized and of course Nancy and Mielikki found lots of other places to explore.


There is a large empty field that is perfect for off lead running and there were tons of mushrooms and weeds for Nancy to discover.

Stinkhorn Mushrooms

Of course we had rain! But it does make for some great picture opportunities.











Mielikki had a blast dragging around giant sticks, but getting all the sticky seedpods brushed out afterwards wasn't nearly as much fun.

Foley is a rather large town but it is surrounded by cotton fields. While most had been harvested some were still full of cotton.


Our favorite place to eat was at the Foley Coffee Shop, great breakfasts. Nancy had to chuckle at the ad for David Wilson (the name of her brother who passed away at 15). Her whole family was in the construction business so Masonry seems about right!
We enjoyed a number of dinners with our friends Peggy and Paul. Nancy and Peggy went to high school together in Michigan. It was so much fun spending time with them.

There city park was all decked out for the holidays.

While we are taking it a bit easier and not sightseeing every day we are still out and about and having fun.
Mobile was less than an hour away so we spent a couple of days exploring it.

The Mobile Botanical Gardens was our first stop. The gardens are just outside of downtown and only $5.00 a person to get in.

The entrance to the gardens is through the gift shop, members were busy decorating for Christmas

Plus, they are dog friendly and apparently cat friendly as well, Mielikki was sniffing one of the bushes like crazy and this resident cat jumped out and quickly put Mielikki in her place!

The area consists of 100 acres of seventeen special gardens and 35 acres of it dedicated for a longleaf pine forest. This land was originally all longleaf pine but was logged in the early 1900's. There are trails that take you through all of the gardens, even though it was December there was still plenty to see.

Lots of flowers in bloom, many different types of Azaleas and wildflowers.
One of the foot bridges takes you across a river of ferns. It was absolutely breathtaking.

Another foot bridge takes you across a goldfish pond with a small waterfall, where we found a friendly grasshopper. There were plenty of places to stop and rest and enjoy the stillness.











There is a labyrinth being constructed, and they have a maze made from hedges that we got lost in!
Fall color and spring like plants all in one place.










Of course we checked out the Magnolia Cemetery, it was established in 1836. Many  governors, congressmen and mayors have been buried here. There is a large Jewish section dating back to 1844. Unfortunately most of the headstones are so worn that you can't read them anymore.

As always we found beautiful angels. One headstone with a pointing finger with the saying "Follow Me My Mother". Not sure what that means. The depiction of Jesus resting his hand on a child's head always tugs at our heart strings.

In the Jewish section there were a number of headstones that had a pitcher carved on them.This is a traditional symbol found on a man's grave, signifying a Levite, who was responsible for cleaning the hands of the Temple Priest before he performed his Priestly duties.

The Mobile Museum of Art is right next to the Botanical Gardens. While we did not tour the museum inside we did explore the Art Park that surrounds it. The museum and park are surrounded by a large lake, which served as Mobiles water source until the 1950's which is why nothing was developed around it. It makes the perfect setting for the art park and the city park that is across the walking bridge. It was a very tranquil scene watching the pelicans floating along and diving for food. Almost all of them were diving at the same time, it was like watching synchronized swimming.


There are a number of sculptures along the paths and many trails through the park.

The look of this large iron sculpture changed depending on what side you were standing on.
Not sure if the bike is meant to be an art piece but it is strategically placed at the entrance to the walking bridge.




The "clothes pins" blow in the wind, the horse made us think of a jester and don't know if you can read the bible but it would make a nice place to rest and think about God.


Guessing this pair of shoes are not art but the placement of them in the leaves was very nice!











There is an island in the lake and large metal dinosaurs have been placed among the trees with cutouts of people that look so human you expect them to wave at you. Unfortunately the sun wasn't cooperating with picture taking







We also thought this was a real person painting!

The Mardi Gras Park in downtown Mobile sits on the corner where the very first Mardi Gras Parade was held. On Shrove Tuesday, February 25, 1868, the Order of Myths (OOM) gathered here at 8:00 p.m. to start the parade. There were four wagons, each depicting a scene from Lalla Rookh, a Thomas Moore romance set in Persia. Between each wagon OOM members rode on horseback dressed as Persian warriors

The perimeter of the park is lined with statues of parade kings, queens, musicians and jesters.














A few other Roadside Oddities we found were a Russian Sub outside the Oyster House Restaurant, a Giant Fish and Elvis outside the Bluegill Restaurant all in Mobile and the Metal Fist is outside a VFW Hall in Spanish Fort.











Dauphin Island is south of Mobile and almost exactly due west of our campground as the crow, or seagull flies. We drove through Mobile to get there and then took the ferry across the bay to get back home. What a beautiful litlle island. Of course you have to cross a crazy high bridge to get to it. One of Nancy's favorite things - not!




Our first stop was the beach at the west end of the island. We walked quite a ways on the gulf side and had the whole beach to ourselves, with a windsurfer on the bay side.

Nancy always likes to write Happy Trails in the sand and of course Mielikki loves to help!












Second stop was the Indian Shell Mound Park. The park, also a bird refuge dates from the Mississippian Period (1000-1500). Native Americans visited the shell mounds for centuries. Archaeologists learned that these mounds were occupied according to a seasonal schedule, most often in the late winter and spring.





The mounds, top right picture, are made up of layers of oyster shells, charcoal, fish bones and potsherds. . The moss and vines were pretty amazing and there were some beautiful old trees.

Our favorite stop was the Audubon Bird Sanctuary. It is a beautifully preserved 137-acres of maritime forest, marshes and dunes, including a lake, a swamp and a beach. There are six trails, most around a half mile. They are a mix of wooden boardwalks and sand, plus handicap accessible. You do need to be mindful of alligators, luckily we didn't see any on our hike.

Mielikki really wanted to go in there

We only saw a couple of birds, but we could hear lots of them in the trees. The grass lining the boardwalk was the brightest green we have ever seen.

As we were leaving Nancy spotted this quilted heart hanging in one of the trees. It is part of the I Found A Quilted Heart program. Nancy leaves painted rocks behind so this was super fun to find. What a great idea for those who sew!









We love ferry rides. This one gave us lots of birds, waves and took us closer to oil rigs then we have ever been. Plus, we passed a boat called E.O. Wilson!



















Pensacola, FL was about 40 minutes away and offered shopping that wasn't in Foley. We visited the Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum. The first lighthouse was built here in 1824. It was 40-feet tall and sat on a 40-foot bluff. It  was used until 1858 when the second and current lighthouse was built closer to the water. It stands 150-feet tall with 177-steps to the top. It is still in use today.

The gift shop is located in what was once the Keepers home.

We found a few Roadside Oddities. Two Spaceship Houses, the one on the top right is a rental. The Giant Roller Skate sits outside a now defunct roller rink.
The Indestructible Cross is named this as it has survived numerous hurricanes and tropical storms. It commemorates the first religious service in the Pensacola area. A mass was celebrated here on August 15, 1559. The Feast of the Assumption was held by the Dominican Friar who accompanied Tristan De Luna.

Next up will be Pass Christian, MS. Looking forward to some beautiful sunsets.

Till we meet again...

Happy Trails to you!


Tips and things we have learned along the way. 
~  Keeping track
This campground, like many others only allow so much electrical usage per month and then you pay for whatever you use over that.
In order to keep track of our usage we take a picture of the meter the day we arrive and then another one a month later, which in our case is usually the day we are leaving.
The date of the photos shows on our phones so there is no question as to how much we have used.

North Carolina ~ Asheville and the two stops on the way.

Fletcher, Ohio

Oh how we hate to leave Michigan. Only cried a few tears this time. We did a one night stop in Fletcher, OH. on November 2, 2018. Our stop at Poor Farmers RV Sales and Campground was interesting. There had been rain for days on end and the campground was a little soggy. We had planned to stay in a pull through site so we didn't have to remove the car and dolly for just a one night stop.

All of the pull through sites were under water. So, the owner led us to a back in site that had empty sites next to it so we could drive through one of those and pull into the site from the back. Great idea, until we hit a muddy spot and our tires sunk! Luckily it is a working farm and they have a large tractor that was able to pull us out.
Our site had full hook ups, we only used the electric seeing it was a one night stop. The campground is well maintained, quiet and the staff was very friendly and helpful. We paid $28.00 a night with no discount.

Mt Vernon, Kentucky
On November 3, 2018 we headed farther south, our drive through Cinnci was the same as always - backed up traffic! What isn't the same is Jesus - sure do miss "Touchdown" Jesus!

Taken from across the creek

Our stop at the Creekside RV Park on the grounds of the Renfro Valley Entertainment Center in Mt. Vernon, KY was for two nights. It is a large complex with music entertainment and shops. The campground is well maintained with mostly pull through sites.
We had full hook ups and the site was plenty long enough for our RV and tow dolly. The park offered lots of places for dog walking and picture taking. We paid $31.12 a night with our Passport America discount, they also honor Good Sam.
A bonus of this stop is that our niece Sherrie from Louisville came and spent the night with us. Eric and Lilly both had to work. Whenever Sherrie and Nancy are together you know the Upwords Game is out and ready to play.


Asheville, NC



On November 5, 2018 we headed home! Our drive through the mountains offered some fall color and a little bit of fog.

Unfortunately, this wasn't a very long stay, but anytime in Asheville is good. This trip was planned all around doctor appointments. Les needed to come back for his one year check up with his cardiologist at the VA. Thankfully he got the all clear, hard to believe it's been a year since he had his heart attack and stint put in. Nancy caught up on some of her appointments as well that she couldn't get done during our spring visit. We are all set on health issues and ready to hit the road again. Okay, Nancy would never leave Asheville, but the road is calling.
We stayed at the Lakewood RV Resort in Flat Rock, NC, about 45 minutes south of downtown Asheville. It was still "leaf" season so finding a campground with an opening was tough.
It is a very well maintained park, about half of it is permanent residents, many of them in tiny houses. There is a dog park, clubhouse and lots of planned activities. We were in Site 316, a gravel pull through with full hook-ups. Just long enough for our RV, tow-dolly and parking the car. We paid $44.00 a night with our Good Sam discount.

Once again Nancy dropped the ball on taking pictures!
While we didn't get to see everybody we did see a few friends. Dinner with Sally at Les's favorite Mexican restaurant. Coffee with Donna at Fractals Coffee Shop.
Of course we hung out with Janet, but surprisingly never at a brewery! But we did enjoy some meals and coffee and the only person we got a picture of!

We also toured the Carl Sandburg Home in Flat Rock with her.
The house was built around 1838 by Christopher Memminger, who was Secretary of the Confederate Treasury from 1861-1864. The second owner was textile tycoon Ellison Smyth who named it Connemara to honor his Irish ancestry.

Janet admiring some of
the book collection

The Sandburg's moved here in 1945. Carl was looking for a secluded place to write and wife Lillian and their daughter Helga were looking for a place to raise their goats. They moved here from Michigan with their 3 daughters, two grandchildren, a library of over 14,000 volumes and a herd of goats.

The house is currently being renovated in places so a number of books and other personal items were boxed up. The process for this was quite extensive, with pictures taken of each shelf and extremely detailed notes so that everything will be put back exactly like it was.





The upper left picture is the kitchen where many items were made from goats milk. The volume of magazines from when they lived here was impressive. The wooden desk was made from beams that were in the White House when Lincoln was President. Sandburg wrote a biography of Lincoln and when renovations were made to the White House, the contractor had the desk made for Sandburg. The bay window is in Lillian's bedroom.

Lillian's office - the black file cabinet held
information on all of the goats they raised. 

Lillian was internationally renowned as a goat breeder. Her and Helga raised and breed champion dairy goats. During the years of 1946-1952 their herd numbered over 200 animals.

The left hand picture is the Tenant House built in 1910 for farm assistants. During Sandburg's time is was occasionally used for farm employees or as a painting studio for Helga. Center is the Swedish House. Carl called it the "Swedish House" because of the scalloped accents and used it as an overflow library for magazines and books. Right hand picture is the Wash House/Chicken House. Built in the 1840's, Memminger used it as slave quarters during his summer visits here. In 1924 Smyth installed large tubs and it was used as the Wash House. Lillian used it first for chickens and then for young goats.

Carl Sandburg was born January 6, 1878 in Galesburg, IL. He passed away here in Flat Rock at the age of 89 on July 22, 1967. He spent his lifetime championing social justice through his writings and singing.  His wife Lillian was born in Hancock, MI on May 1, 1883. She passed away on February 18, 1977 at the age of 93 in Asheville, NC where she lived after the property was sold and the house and it's contents were donated to the National Park Service. In 1968 the home became the first National Historic Site honoring a poet.


While the goat farm is not nearly as active as it was in its heyday there are still a number of goats on site and you can go into their pen as they are very gentle.
Nancy and Janet had great fun making friends with them and playing in the barn.

Up next is Foley, Al, where we stayed for a month.

Till we meet again...

Happy Trails to You!

Tips and things we have learned along the way. 
~ Mold
We have talked about mold issues before, it is a common occurrence in RV's. The weather has been damp and rainy since we were in Michigan so we should have been a little more diligent in watching for it. But, of course we weren't so it wasn't really a big surprise to find it in our cupboards and on some of the windows. So, once again we have a really clean RV top to bottom.
Here's what we did:
1 - We removed everything from the cupboards and drawers, and pulled the drawers out.
2 - The insides of the cupboards and the drawers inside and out were cleaned with a mold retardant cleaner. We use Tilex Root Penetrator and Remover. There are other brands. It is strong so make sure the area is well ventilated. We cleaned the walls behind all of the drawers as well.
3.- We left the drawers out to dry completely and then we sealed them inside and out with varnish. This way if we get mold again it will not be able to get into the wood.
4. We placed a small fan in each cupboard to dry it completely and for a couple of days we removed the items from the cupboard so it could continue to air out.
5. It is best to not have the cupboards filled tightly, you want some air to be able to circulate. We store most everything in zippered plastic bags, this not only keeps things from getting moldy it helps with dust too.

The most important thing to remember is to check often. If it has been really damp, we suggest checking at least once a week. Better to catch it right away then to let it get bad. Hopefully we can remember to do this!