Sunday, March 20, 2011

Home At Last....for now

After 5 days and roughly 1400 miles Horizon Seeker is parked once again at the top of my driveway in Nashville.  And in a way, I'm kind of glad to be home.  In a small way.

After cleaning out Seeker, throwing the first load of clothes in the washer, and finding some steel wool to clean the melted plastic tablecloth remains from one of the roasting forks (thanks Aiden), I can sit down and rest.  Or should I say decompress? 

I called this whirlwind trip my Learning Curve and that it was.  I learned about a lot of things I knew just a little about, many things I knew nothing about, and some things I had no idea I would learn.  So here's the breakdown for anyone who cares to know (and for me to see it written down).

Total miles traveled since picking up Horizon Seeker: 1625 (that includes the drive from Ringgold, Ga and the side trip to Mousetail Landing with the grandkids)

States camped in: 5 - TN, GA, AL, MS, LA

Good Sam parks stayed in: 2 - Heritage Acres in Tuscumbia, AL and River View in Vidalia, LA

Bad Sam parks avoided: 1 - Springridge RV Park in Clinton, Mississippi

State Parks stayed in: 6 - Old Stone Fort in Manchester, TN; Mousetail Landing in Linden, TN; Tombigbee in Tupelo, MS; Grand Gulf in Port Gibson, MS; Lake Lurleen in Tuscaloosa, AL; Monte Sano in Huntsville, AL.

Weird (who me?) side trips: 6 -Coon Dog Cemetery, birthplace of Elvis Presley (OK maybe not the home, but some of the stuff in the gift shop was really out there), Church of the Golden Hand, Mammy's Cupboard, Jerry Lee Lewis Museum and Drive Thru Liquor Store, graves of the last king and queen of the gypsies.

Most miles driven in one day: 326

Least miles driven in one day: 86

Lessons Learned (well some of them at least):

Dumping is not as hard as I thought it would be, but still requires concentration.
A checklist for before departure and for setting up is a great idea.
It's REALLY important to be sure that all loose things are secured before taking off.
Watching for low hanging branches while driving down small city streets is more important than oohing and aahing at the architecture.
Remembering all the steps, and the correct order, for putting out and putting away the awning is going to take a lot more practice.
Laughter is an important ingredient when 2 close friends live together in one camper for a week.

So I'm home and heading back to school in the morning, but already thinking about another trip.  In the meantime I have already started a shopping list for gadgets and needs I want to get for Seeker.  There are a lot of things to get done now that spring is here.  But I'm sure I'll find time for a side trip soon!

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