Back in NC & Home!

The Seamist Campgrounds was on the intercostal waterway near a jetty that opened to the vast Atlantic. The pull thru sites had a view of the water just over the 3 rows of more permanent trailers and 5th wheels. Kevin's inner Pisces was longing for an unobstructed view as well as the sounds of waves crashing into the shore.

The location was just a short drive up and around the Shallotte River to visit to Oyster Harbor. This is a place where the Smits purchased a .5 acre lot back in 1998, thinking it would ultimately be a place to build that was close to water. The concept seemed to make sense back then, and the gated community is very well kept, has all the right amenities ( dock, pool, pickleball courts, gym, meeting rooms, etc) However it is very under populated. Only a few very nice houses dot each road. Not sure this is the place to build, but they do offer a place to store the RV for free! So the plan was to utilize this storage (included in the homeowners dues paid each year) for the few months until the next adventure. 

It was reassuring that after 4 years since the last visit here the key card to the main gate still worked as well as the key to RV storage. However, the keys to the pickleball courts nor dock area no longer worked. After a quick walk around the wooded lot, Kevin and Theresa could still envision a nice single level 3000 square ft 3-4 BR house with a nice big back deck with a Jacuzzi for Kevin and a fire pit for Theresa. Ahhhhh. The beach dreamers then drove to dinner at The Mermaid Bar and Grill (pretty much the only place open on Holden Beach) for some local seafood.

The next day a drive to the local HOA management company resulted in new keys for Pickleball court and dock gate as well as an assigned a spot in the RV storage area. 

Jack (keeper of the Tasman home front) was at he real residence, just down the road in Wilmington but after all day driving around in the toad Kevin was just not able to muster any more gas for another trip out. Time to relax and strategies for the next Smitanic trek(s). Tomorrow will be the finale of the trip. As the Smitanic navigates the last 200 miles and off loads it's provisions and is made ready for off site storage for a few months.

The Grand Finale

Theresa had sent a warning email the prior week to the Tasman Ct neighbors informing them of the impending Smitanic arrival that would consume a large portion of the Cul de Sac. The arrival was mid afternoon on a Thursday and all was quiet. Theresa guided Kevin into a spot that would allow the slides to open as well as not block any driveways or delivery vehicles. Ahhhh home at last! Zin was released from the confines of travel and ran around the yard and house at full speed, stopping only to reacquaint her nose with the familiar smells. 

The yard looked terribly neglected as well as the front water feature had a thick layer of slime. The house was unlock and all systems were brought back to life as needed. Water was turned on and thermostat adjust. Everything inside was in great shape thanks to Jack and Terry! The only evidence of any occupants were the 5 Bags of reserve mail items from 9 months that were neatly assembled in bags in the dinning room.

The unloading of the RV began, followed by a good cleaning inside and out of every nook and cranny of the beast! 3-4 loads of laundry were done as Kevin and Theresa collapsed on the sofa and attempted to reinstate internet and TWC TV. The service had been turned on 'seasonal' to minimize cost while no one was there. Theresa had called the week before and scheduled the service to be reinstated for the arrival date, but it was very obvious that had not been done. Several calls to TWC and all systems (minus the family room TV) were back online. 

A few essential groceries were procured to get thru the next AM and then Theresa headed for a long hot shower! Nice to be home!

On Saturday the Neighbors gathered at the Katie and Larry Wu's house to welcome the two travelers back and share stories of the trip as well as what was going on in the home front. Everyone agreed it was time to reinstate the Sunday cul de sac gatherings as the weather getting nicer, so the parting may continue! What a great neighborhood!

The next morning, Easter Sunday, the Toad was connected for the final time and the Oyster Harbor destination was entered into the GPS. Rain was on and off during the drive putting a new coat of road grime on the freshly washed RV exterior. The drops did slow down as the RV was parked in the assigned spot in the storage area. Wheels, AC, and mirrors were covered as well as aluminum foil put on the interior of all exposed windows to deter sun damage. 

Kevin made one last walk around to ensure his RV baby was safely tucked in for the 5 month stay in this new exposed home.

The trip home was full of planning ideas for the remainder of the year as well as the more immediate tasks on the home front.

The trip was beyond awesome and yes Kevin and Theresa are ready to hit the road again! Hope you have enjoyed the blog posts and pictures of the Smitanic adventures. As a conclusion here are just a few fun facts about the trip.

Trip Facts:

Mileage RV 9305

Mileage Toad 5000 (additional)

diesel gal 1348 yes that is a whopping 7MPG

# of campgrounds(stops) 52

# of posts 67 (have you read them all?)

Countless friends, family, and new folks along the way!

What we used most that we never thought we would? Printer

What we did not use at all and we thought we would? Bikes, work cloths

What should we have brought more of? Wine

Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort

The Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort was recommended by someone who was getting repairs done at Alliance.

This resort was quite different from others in that it only allowed class A or C motorhomes, so no park models, no trailers and no 5th wheels. Each site is owed by different folks and had different landscaping, chairs and full hook up. 

The recreation area with pool, jaccuzzi, laundry, exercise room, meeting room and yeah pickleball courts (well tennis courts that had portable pickleball nets)! Everyone was very friendly and would strike up a conversation just in passing. 

Theresa called and signed up for an afternoon pickleball meet and greet combined with a BYOB happy hour. Laundry was completed in between walking tours of the resort and lunch. There were a enough players at the meet and greet to get in a few games round robin style. Kevin and Theresa were a little rusty but held there own. Debbie and Don quickly took the newbies under there wings and showed them around, as well as providing intel on ownership in the resort. Confirming once again that RV folks are the nicest breed! 

Since this location is about halfway from Home to The Villages, this will defiantly be a destination for the November trip to Fl. 

Theresa will now include Motorcoach resort in her search terms for future trip plans!

Florida Visit

To jumpstart the items on the Smitanic repair list a Thursday PM check-in at Alliance with a Friday AM meeting with the service manager was scheduled.

The list included some minor repair and maintenance plus some estimates for future possible upgrades. See the line of folks waiting for service by watching the video. 

The early arrival also left time over the weekend to explore a nearby park with a walking trail, hunt down a public Pickleball court, and even layout a make shift Pickleball court in an unused loading dock area next to the repair facility.

Early in the week, a trip into Tampa allowed for a nice lunchtime visit with Theresa's cousin Lynn as well as more RV envy at Lazy Daze RV sales center.

While repairs were being done Kevin and Theresa would make the daily trek into The Villages to visit with Kevin's mom, Glorianna, and sister, Torreen.

The repairs went quicker than normal 1 week vs the normal 3 weeks. So for the second week of the stay the Smitanic would move to the Grand Oaks RV resort, touted as "pastoral equestrian-themed retreat".

The Resort was situated in the rolling hillside with large sites with cement pads for RVs and paddocks for visiting horses. It really had the feel of a Kentucky horse farm. (See flyover )


It did indeed match and exceed it's description!

It's main attraction was a Carriage museum as well as a Bistro with live entertainment.   Horse drawn carriages would circle the grounds in parade style including this interesting breed pictured called a Gypsy Vanner.

Early morning strolls allowed Zin to meet several friendly horses nose to nose.


Kevin and Theresa were able to enjoy the Bistro on Saturday night for a wonderful meal and awesome entertainment by Joe Hand. This will definitely be the first choice for the next stay in this area hopefully in November.

The Ladies

Glo and Torr have now been in the Harbor Chase Assisted living facility for 1 year.

They introduced Kevin and Theresa to some of the residents. One man, Al is 95 and plays piano as his his wife of 60 years visits daily and sings with him as he plays. And then there was Betty and Sunshine her dog, who hang out in the bar area for Happy Hour.

Introductions to the Staff were also made. They seemed to know the preferences of each resident and were very hardworking and patient with the very high maintenance and demanding clientele.

The facility allowed dogs and pets and even had a place to walk them in the back! So Zin visited on a few days and all the residents seemed to want to give her some lovin'. She seemed to know that the folks just wanted to pet her and not jump or play. She did very well around everyone.

Theresa helped Torreen go thru boxes of artwork and supplies to consolidate into what would fit into the very small space in the closet. After a few trips to Goodwill, success was proclaimed!

Kevin helped his mom organizing what seemed to be an unending amount of paperwork as well as eliminating a few unneeded items.

During the visit Kevin and his mom both celebrated their mutual March 15th birthday with a dinner out and a surprise celebration back at the Facility.

Glorianna, as expected, is the socialite and pretty-much knows everyone! She has even accepted the position as president of the residents association! Torreen motors around on her scooter to all the facility activities like Bingo, Wii Bowling and weekly entertainment.

The facility seems very comfortable and accommodating for Glo and Torreen and they seem to be enjoying the people, food and activities.

Much was accomplished in the 2 week visit but it was time to turn north for the finale of this 9 month journey.

Ho Hum

The final stop on Florida's Gulf coast was at Ho Hum RV park near Carabelle,Fl.

The motto of the park sums the location up well, “it's just another Ho Hum day in Paradise”. The park was small and had a fishing pier as well as access to a narrow shoreline where dogs were allowed to be off leash! Zin loved that!

There were a few waterfront full hook up sites that were unfortunately not available for the Smitanic stay. However the assigned pull thru site still had nice views of the water and sunsets.

Theresa did a few loads of laundry while Kevin continued work on taxes, just another Ho Hum day!

A longer term park resident stopped by while Kevin was doing his drone flyover. Peter introduced himself and began to discuss his hobby of sailing. Kevin and Theresa love sailing and were quite impressed with the 2 sailing vessels Peter was working on at his winter Ho Hum stay. One boat was a vintage wooden haul and mast which he took out for a brief afternoon cruise. Another boat was a 2-mask dual-bow Proa (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proa). Theresa and Kevin had never heard of this type of sail boat which also had an outrigger attached. It was currently in pieces as Peter was in the process of restoring it to a seaworthy status.

Only one night was planned at Ho Hum. Theresa and Kevin were relaxing watching some news when all of the sudden everything electric went dead! Kevin jumped up went outside to investigate. He first checked the breakers on the RV's inverter, he then checked the surge protector. The surge protector was indicating that one of the two lines on the 50 amp service was dead. Kevin elected to quickly solve the issue buy plugging the RV into the 30 amp service. No power. Kevin then began to look for a staff member to report the issue. It was 10 pm and the office was closed, a service shed was open with lights on but no one was inside. Kevin then stopped to visit with all others who were out and about at that time of day.

“Do you have power?” he asked. “Yup”. Kevin noticed that everyone around the Smitanic appeared to have power, he also noticed that none of them used surge protectors and had their shore power plugged directly into the power outlets. “Where are the circuit breakers” he inquired. The commotion generated others to try and help. One of those that arrived was the park maintenance person. He immediately went to the circuit breakers to see if the site's breaker had tripped. Nope. He immediately grabbed his tools and headed to the Smitanic's site. Once at the site he tore into the 50 amp receptacle to replace the fitting. Once replaced Kevin plugged the surge protector in and the lights and TV came on. The repair was completed. Kevin then entered the RV just as he head a click and all power was lost. He bolted from the RV to race after the maintenance person and explained what had happened.

Upon return to the scene the new outlet was tested for proper power levels. There was still no power on one of the two lines that supplied 50 amp service. Kevin then explained he had attempted to use the 30 amp service to solve the issue and found no power at the 30 amp service. The 30 amp was then tested and sure enough no Power. The maintenance person then tested 30 amp and 50 amp on another site. Same issues. The folks plugged into that service did not have a surge protector and did not know they were getting low voltage and limited service. The maintenance person then tested breakers to see that the power to the panel was missing one full line of power. They then walked around the park to eyeball the power lines from the transformer the the power panel to see at least one if not more broken power lines. Not sure how long the park was running on limited services. To solve the issue for the Smitanic it was decided to switch the lines at the power panel from the 50 amp the the 30 amp breaker. This would properly power the 30 amp service and by pass the 50 amp.

Once this was completed the Smitanic was connected, with surge protector, into the now active 30 amp service. Success. Since it was now after 11:30 pm 30 amp would be enough to run the evenings power needs. Ho Hum.

The next day would be the drive to the Smitanic repair destination about 30 miles from Kevin's mom and sister!

A Walk on the Beach

The Redneck Riviera tour continued with just a short drive to Camp Gulf (Camping on the Gulf) RV resort in Miramar Beach, FL. 

This was a return stay for the Smitanic to this park. The main attraction of the park is the ability to park big rigs on the Beach (for a premium price of course). 

Theresa had made reservations for one of the 2nd tier pull thru sites with full hook up that had a very short stroll to the white sugar-like endless beach. 

All systems were connected, chairs set out, and grill assembled for the five night stay. 

The first few days were a bit cold and windy, but the beach still beaconed the two travelers for a walk one direction and then the other. 

A lunch spot (Surf Hut) just a 1 mile walk to the west provided an enjoyable view and ambiance to just relax and peer on the hypnotic Gulf waters stretching to the horizon. Another lunch spot 1 mile to the East, the Beach House, had similar experience with matching ridiculous beach prices.

Any adventures via car required an exit on the very busy HWY 98 without a stoplight to assist in creating a break in the traffic pattern. The team elected to limit the number of times they needed to tackle the exit challenge. A pact was made to combine any required grocery trip with site seeing via car. 

Updates for the Blog, as well at Mr. Opinion podcast, and Taxes consumed all of the newly restored Verizon mifi data allotment. With mifi data depleted the team elected to head back to the beach.

The beaches were just incredible with a unique quality of sunrise as well as sunset views. The Smitanic was docked at this location in February-early March. The spring break was not yet in full force resulting in limited numbers of families and college kids. The park staff members were however busy preparing for the upcoming mass migration. 

As usual conversations with other RVers lead to many shared stories. One gentleman and his wife came by walking their three dogs and stopped to visit. He was a Nuclear Physicist who worked for President Reagan on the Star Wars project and she was a breast cancer survivor who had been a singer in a Rock and Roll band during the early to mid 1970's.

Once again RV People are very eclectic group you just never know who you will meet!

This destination will remain on the list for future adventures and perhaps an even longer stay to allow for more beach walks and sunsets.

Storm Dodgers

The latest weather report led to a debate whether to jump over the next stop at Frog City or spend the night and get an early start. Theresa made a call to the next campground to see if they had any availability for one day earlier... No there were no sites available. That settled that. Frog City would be the next stop on the adventure. The Frog City RV park had a pool and jacuzzi... however the crew did not utilize this feature. The Park also had a fairly good wifi as well as cable TV. This allowed for more blogging, weather channel updates, as well as a viewing of the evening's debates. Continuing to watch the weather, it became imperative that the Smitanic needed to set sail of this park as early as possible in the AM to hopefully get a jump on the approaching storm.

The Smitanic Captain and Navigator leaped out of bed early to shove off before the toll of 8 bells. The weather radar map indicated that the worse part of the storm would hit in the destination point of Bay St Louis after high noon. The drive was 3 hours down I10 with a diversion to I12 north of Lake Pontchartrain. A very brief fueling stop added little to the target time as a bit of light rain triggered the front wipers to be put into action. At 11am the Smitanic pulled into the Bay Hide Away RV Park & Campground where the park attendant was hailed to make way for the arrival. The assigned pull thru site had a gravel surface . The team guided the large vessel into the narrow slip. Theresa provided signals to the Captain to steer the 18 ton vessel slightly forward. Kevin took his foot off the break to let the Smitanic slowly walk its way forward. No movement....that was odd. Kevin checked the transmission to ensure it was in drive. The instrument panel confirmed Drive and 1st gear. No movement, Not Normal. Kevin coaxed the vessel to proceed forward by adding pressure to the gas pedal. No reaction, then slowly the Smitanic slugged its way forward. Kevin had seen this before when the air brakes had not fully disengaged. He applied more pressure to the gas and the Smitanic still responded sluggishly. “CRAP now what?”, thought Captain Kevin. He decided to put the vessel in reverse in an effort to break the perceived lock on the tires by the air breaks. Still the Smitanic did not respond as expected. Theresa was watching with confusion as to why the Captain was not following her explicit directions on how to dock the Vessel. Kevin then put the gears into drive and stomped on the gas. “Damn the Torpedoes full speed ahead”. The Smitanic was slow to respond than lurched forward as if freed from a tracker beam that clearly had it in its grip. The team then slowly nudged the vessel into an ideal placement in the slip. The engines were shut down, boards placed under the jacks, in anticipation of heavy rains, and jacks lowered. As the team performed a walk around of the vessel it was discovered that the pad the vessel was on had a very wet/soft spot just behind the rear wheels. The Smitanic had dug deep ruts into the pad This is what had been dragging the vessels momentum during the previous slow maneuvers. The Smitanic lives up to it's name :) With the mystery solved the slides extended, water connected, and shore power secured. 

Theresa then took Zin out for her last outing as rain started. As the evening unfolded the crew was entertained by the political debates as lightening illuminating the sky to the south west followed by a accompanying rumble of thunder. The storm was nearing. 

The team switched to the local weather station just as it announced tornado warnings and spotting of funnel clouds that had crossed I12. The Smitanic had just sailed past that location less than an hour ago, Yikes, that was the right call to leave the mornings port early, and to be docked prior to the current weather situation! 

One cell of the storm was on a path to possibly hit the park so Kevin opted to turn off the main power supply and wait until the major threat was past. Thank goodness it was a quick moving storm. The power was turned back on and the news video showed tornados crossing I12 with semi trucks and cars scattering everywhere. Kevin and Theresa were relieved to be in a safe harbor. The next morning would allow the team to explore the new port of call.

The Port of Bay St Louis, MS was technically the start of the 'Redneck Riviera' so Kevin and Theresa were anxious to see what the coastline had to offer. Just a few miles drive from the RV park was the main waterfront community of Bay St. Louis. There were no high rise condos nor resort hotels, just a local marina, a college and several churches. Kevin parked near a pier with a restaurant. Theresa asked a local who was walking his dog,”where is a good place for b-fast?” He replied, suggesting a few places around the next block. 

Some other locals, who overheard the question, also offered that the restaurant across the street, The Blind Tiger, also was serving b-fast. The original gentleman agreed that The Blind Tiger had good food and did not know it was now serving b-fast. Kevin and Theresa, wanting the local color, headed across the street to investigate. It was true, there was breakfast and it was free??? what?? yes the restaurant serves free b-fast on Wednesdays. Well that was luck! Kevin and Theresa dished up some sausage, eggs and grits as well as some freshly brewed Community Coffee (Theresa's favorite). Kevin suggested to the manager that they ought to serve bloody Mary's along with b-fast... the manager replied that he did not know how to make a Bloody Mary, however he knew someone that may be able to handle that request. About 5 min later a 'Bloody Buddy' appeared for Kevin's delight! The manager and Kevin exchanged cards and Kevin promised to highlight this experience in the blog (done). What a great local color experience! 

Oh but it was not over! After a Walmart and resupply of adult beverage run, Kevin and Theresa headed back the park. The parks planned activity for the evening was a potato potluck. The park provided the baked potatoes and everyone brought something to go with that. With everyone swapping storm stories, Kevin and Theresa were encouraged to attend the potato bake. 

One gentleman, AKA the park troublemaker, felt like he meant his twin when Kevin began his usual banter. The majority of seasonal residents hailed from Wisconsin or Michigan where no one takes them selves to seriously. The dinner was lively and welcoming. What a great group of folks! This area demands more exploring on a return visit.

Last stand in Texas

Sunday morning driving thru Houston was busy but uneventful. The target for the day was on the east side of this metropolis. The strategy would make for an easy exit the following day. The San Jacinto Riverfront RV park was about 2 miles off I-10 that promised a water fix for Kevin, the Pisces. The first 2-3 rows of RVs were the only spots with any water view and were designated 'premium' sites, as a bonus many of these sites had their own stand-alone jacuzzi! That's a new one! The Smitanic glided into the check-in location, Theresa worked with the staff to check in the new arrivals, Kevin detached the Toad. Once the the Smitanic was secured in its non-premium spot close to the exit, Theresa ventured out to scope out the laundry facility, only to discover that Sunday must be laundry day for everyone! She then elected to venture with Zin around the circumference of the park. In doing so she conclude that most of the 5th wheel and travel trailers were occupied with transient workers. She also noticed an unusually large number of kids riding bikes, playing on playground, and fishing off the pier. A very different life style, but you do what you got to do as a mobile employee. The park offers a great deal for those families staying any length of time. Theresa recalled that her mom survived in a 25ft by 8ft travel trailer with 4 kids (including Theresa as an infant) during one of her dad's many military deployments. “Bet the parks were not nearly as nice back then!” she thought.

Kevin was able to get the Drone out and capture some brief footage that went undetected by most of the park's preoccupied residents.

With everyone busy doing their thing, Theresa seized a couple open washers and loaded them up with the soiled Austin attire. In between trips to progress the laundry to a clean, dry, and folded status, she and Kevin started the arduous Tax preparation task (yuck)! Taxes seemed to consume the remainder of the day. The next day's plan was to finally exit Texas and enter LA.

Austin City Tour

The all too familiar I-10 stretch across Texas covers 880 miles from West to East (or East to West). To add a bit of interest to the trek back this year, Kevin wanted to spend a few days in/near Austin, TX in hopes of checking out the renowned live music scene. The first TX stop was Van Horn RV Park on the eastern edge of TX just as the Central time zone was entered. During the drive, Theresa made more calls to firm up site reservations in the Gulf Coast as well as Central Florida Parks. She was surprised how booked all the resorts were. “Guess schools are taking breaks earlier than usual”. She mapped the stays to the calendar then called Alliance Service to schedule the yearly RV repairs in Wildwood, FL (just 20 miles from Kevin's mom).

The Van Horn park was a converted KOA that had an associated cafe and pleasantly, a decent wifi ! An early rise the next morning allowed for a quick bite at the cafe. Other travelers were commenting how on the prior day's journey east bound they noticed an unusual amount of HWY patrol and other law enforcement vehicles heading West towards El Paso. Theresa and Kevin had also noticed this. The consensus conclusion was it was all related to the Pope's visit to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Glad too be past any traffic issues from that event, the Smitanic continued east with the next destination, Caverns of Sonora, “Deep in the heart of TX”. The destination was about 6 miles off I10 on a narrow 2 lane road that was home to open range and oil pumps. The RV park was adjacent to the Cavern gift shop which also served as the check in desk. Theresa was surprised at the door by a rogue peacock that was lounging in front of the door. She excused herself (Theresa that is) and entered the door to pay for a pull thru site for 1 night, and inquired about the Cavern tour. The soft spoken, less than enthusiastic 60+ gentleman warned that the Caverns are very hot, extremely muggy and the tour is 1.5 hours of this environment. Everyone could enjoy the natural steam room for the non-discounted price of $20 per person. The RV 'sites' were newly renovated and barely had enough room to park and put out slides. The toad was left parked in the gift shop lot as there was no room for it anywhere near the RV. Kevin did not see the value proposition of the Cavern tour in the heat and humidity after his long days drive. He opted instead to trouble shoot the Satellite TV. The Satellite had plagued him since arriving in Hemet, CA. This was the only hope of any connections with 'civilization' since there was no cel service, no cable TV nor antenna channels, and no internet, just stars and a family of deer that visited a corn feeder.

Kevin Reviewed the PDF documents of how to set up the Satellite based on the Service provider. The Smitanic is serviced by Direct TV. The instructions did not provide any indication that different Satellite configurations might be required based on Lat/Longitude location. Kevin tried the current configuration. 20 min later he concluded this was no longer the proper configuration. He then scrolled thru the multiple satellite design/configurations noticing that there were 3 variations of the preferred configuration for Direct TV. Thinking about the hemisphere the Smitanic was currently docked at, he chose a configuration that would look more directly over head. 20 minutes later the Satellite dish and Direct TV had confirmation that the angle of attack on the satellite was within the signal limits. Lesson learned as the Smitanic reaches the SW edge of the USA the Satellite configuration must be modified to look more directly over head. Houston we have Contact!

There was a quick escape in the morning as there was no desire to delay and the travelers (Kevin) were anxious to see what the next destination of Austin had to offer!

Arriving in Austin area after the noon hour proved to be beneficial as traffic was good resulting in no delays. After 250 miles the 2nd Bastrop exit off I10 East of Austin was made. The KOA was a small 'park' (aka Resort but the pool was closed for the season.... if pool is closed is it still a Resort?). The Smitanic was forced into a sharp turn with a steep decline at the entrance. Kevin skillfully maneuvered the RV, with tow, down to the gate, Theresa exited the vessel and went inside to check in. The lady behind the desk asked how many people, Theresa replied 2. Then she pointed to the 4 bikes in tow. Theresa explained 2 mountain and 2 touring bikes and there were more bikes left in the garage at home. The lady understood , as she was a cyclist also, and was competing in a race on Sat in the Senior Olympics! Then she lamented “When a cyclist is asked how many bikes do you need, the reply is 'One more'! “ She must know Kevin!

After a quick set up, the mission turned to planning activities for the next 3 days. Hungry from the long drive Kevin had a yearning for Steak. A local steakhouse, Piney Creek Chop House , seemed to fit the bill. The thought was that, while there more intel could be compiled from the locals. 

Once seated the waiter, Michael, quickly bantered with Kevin as orders were taken. The Manager, Rhonda, also stopped by to insure the quality of the experience and took the opportunity to participate in the banter as well. The Smits asked Michael if he knew of the best places in Austin for Local Music. He mentioned that he is a Musician. He was excited to supply his knowledge of several club options that were known for the quality of live entertainment. The food was top notch. The Steak was cooked to perfection along with green beans and asparagus. The venu had a relaxing ambiance, that was complimented with the demeanor of the staff and Manager. The extra entertainment was a local Bat that had entered the establishment and darted about until coaxed back out into the wild. SO Cool. When Theresa and Kevin were challenged with picking a Desert they challenged the Manager to make a recommendation. Rhonda provided a great story of one of the local regulars that had sampled all choices, That person had suggested that the best choice would be a MASH UP of two of the offerings. Rhonda went on to describe the result as a combination of Their Bread Pudding combined with Banana's Foster. The Smits suggested that sounded fantastic and requires a proper Name on the Menu. “Bring us the “Rhonda Special”, the “Michael Angelo”, the “Fostered Monkey”, the “Help Me Ronda”, the “Burning Man”....... 

The Desert MUST be Properly Recognized for its Pure Pleasure and Calorie Count.

If anyone finds themselves near Austin Texas. This team Highly recommends the Piney Creek Chop Shop in Batsrop Texas.

The next morning provided new adventures. Theresa had scoped out a bike ride in a nearby State park that was an out and back 30 miles from one park to a neighboring park. The route was described as a strenuous interval training by the camp host cyclist. Kevin and Theresa committed to attempting the road trail on their Mountain Bikes. The objective was to ride into the park, experience the hills, views, and to be back to the RV by noon. The route did not disappoint. The team rolled out to the RV park into a local neighborhood followed by a crossing of the Colorado river on a walking/Biking Bridge. The team then road past the Piney Creek Chop House only to be challenged with the first of what would be many challenging hills. At the top of the first hill was the entrance to the Bastrop State Park. 

The team rolled into the park with a stop at the administration building to pay the park entrance fee. The fee allowed the team to traverse the park and enter the next park at the end of the road all for the same fee. The likelihood of making it the second park was slim to none. The roads in the park were smooth allowing for easy biking. After 3 miles the team was attacked by the first of many challenges. The first challenge was a steep curvy down hill (this will be uglier on the way back). The team passed campsites that deserve consideration for Smitanic dockage next time in the area. What goes Down MUST go UP. Kevin was in his middle chain rings on both the front and rear clusters as the road began to gently rise. Theresa was right with him as he began to respond to the increased impact of gravity. Push and Pull, keep the rpms high, look ahead for the optimal time to shift before rpms are destroyed. SHIFT rear cluster...RPMs still high, pull on handle bars, sit back in the saddle, Lower heals, Push down and pull up on the cleats, monitor rpms and Heart Rate. SHIFT rear chain ring. SHIFT front chain Ring. SHIT.....CRY..... Heart Rate Unknown. Crest the Hill. Sit up, Spin, Smile, Pretend it was easy. At the top of the small rise just conquerred was an outlook. Kevin leaned left to enter the parking area for the overlook, coasted to a stop, attempted to gracefully dismount the bike. Thank goodness no one saw the results of his exhausted dismount. Theresa entered the area within seconds of Kevin's clumsy dismount. Theresa was all smiles and was heard saying “ That was not so bad”. Kevin considered the comment to realize that Theresa had spent the last 4 – 5 months doing Tony Horton's Beach Body's “Piyo Pilates and Yoga”. 

From this location the team was able to observe the complete devastation of the Parks fire charred timbers. It was sad that a massive blaze in 2011 wiped out pretty much the entire park's flora. After reflection, and Kevin's time to bring heart rate back to within the MAX Zone the team headed out further into the park. They were meet with more undulating hills. They recalled the Senior Olympic cyclist's warning that it only gets harder the further into the park one travels. At the 9 mile mark, and at the top of an elevation that clearly transitions into a long steep down grade, the riders elected to turn back so there was time to prepare for the evening in town. That is the best excuse they had for not giving up the high ground and to justify whipping out. In addition they had planned to attend an RV show in Austin prior to exploring the night life of Austin.

The team returned to the RV by enjoying in down hills and paying the price for having giving up the high ground on the way out. At the RV, Zin was walked for one of her daily duties. The Duo readied themselves for a trip into Austin. 

The trip into Austin was planned to avoid peak traffic time with the highlight of the RV show, followed by the night life of Austin. 

The RV show had many dealers and manufactures. Kevin and Theresa met a Tiffin Regional Manager and discussed the best place with inventory of 2016 45' Allegro Buses as well as obtaining direct phone numbers for Tiffin recall information. Another discovery was that Tiffin now makes 5th wheel RVs with the same quality of their motor homes! The model is named Vanleigh after one Son of Bob Tiffin, Van and his son Leigh. This would be a nice alternative for a more stationary (like 4-5 months) lifestyle. Kevin still has RV envy for a Bigger Allegro Bus. Yes his is compensating for more personal issues he has.

Reservations had been made at The Brass House for the Happy Hour show with dinner. The Jazz Trio had a smooth vocalist, schooled Jazz guitar player, and supportive upright base player. 

After red pepper soup, beet salad, a glass of wine (or more) the team headed out by foot to explore additional music of Austin. As the team strolled down the famed E 6th street live music was exploding from the open air clubs with barkers making invitations to all who pass to come in and enjoy a beverage. 

An Irish bar had a lively group that brought back memories of tours with The Mighty Regis! (Irish punk rock band that Kiehl was in for 4+ years) The team entered and a pint of Guinness was ordered to be shared. The band lead shared rude toasts at each interlude. Once the Guinness was empty the team headed back out on to the street to explore more culture. 

The next venue was “Friends” where the team was treated to a Rock Blues band. It was still early by the music scene standards as Kevin and Theresa strolled back to the car and headed back to the park. Back at the car Kevin approached a band that was unloading their gear. “Guys were are you playing? What is your style? When do you go on?” “Man were are Reggae.  We are playing just over there, We are headliners We go on at 11 pm.” “RATS.... Our dog is waiting for us to get back, we can't stay that long”........ actually Kevin is SPENT. Zin was waiting for her last walk for the evening before she settled in for the night.

On Saturday, Theresa had used a Groupon for the first time to acquire a 2 for one Austin SegCity segway tour in the afternoon. This mode of seeing a city not only covers a large territory in a short time, but also provides for a guided (historical) tour, and is so much fun to do! After a very brief refresher lesson from the guide,on how to control the Segway, the group of about 10 lined up single file and slowly rolled down the sidewalks of downtown Austin. Segway skills (stoping, starting, racing, navigating inclines, and panic stops) were enhanced as the group navigated through crowds, across intersections, past famous hotels and monuments. 

The guide paused to give and accounting of a historical event or some local fable. The group rounded the grounds surrounding the capital building and parked at an entrance to allow for a brief tour inside to view the state senate and house. After passing the security check, Kevin and Theresa marveled at the towering rotunda and selected to go right and up the three flights of marble steps to the Senate. 

They quietly entered the balcony door and listened as a vote was taken... the Nays have it. They then made a quick exit and rounded the rotunda to the other side of the capital to observe the house. There was another vote being taken, this time the Yeahs ruled. Wow real work being done :) Once everyone returned back to the segways, the tour continued to the front of the capital. Here the group parted a large protest line complete with signs and banners, that was marching to the capital steps. 

Rolling on the group navigated thru the downtown streets where other Segway tours were lined up like lemmings following their guide. The final POI of the tour was across a river to a park on the other side with lots of open paved walkways and obstacles to test advanced segway skills. Back over a sister bridge the guide led the now confident riders at a much swifter pace back to the start of the tour. The tour was two hours long but Kevin and Theresa could have gone on for more if allowed :) They will continue to seek out segway tours anytime they are in a city that offers it.

Next on the foot tour it was time to stop at a wine bar (Max's) that was spied earlier to have a snack and continue Kevin's search for live Blues. It was around 6 and way too early for any of the clubs to be hopping. With that understanding the early bird Seniors, walked up and down nightclub streets hoping to be drawn in by the sounds of live entertainment. They did find a dive bar that had something to eat but sadly no live music. Disappointed Kevin left with the Blues. Next time later nights will be planned.

The 30 mile trip back the the RV had a construction back up for 3 miles by the airport that added 1 hour to the drive, so Zin had to wait a bit longer for her evening walk.

Next day would start a series of 3 one night stops concluding at the Mississippi side of the 'redneck riviera'.

Return to the Scene of the Crime

It was a long 287 mile days drive thru Tucson, into the cactus and high dessert of New Mexico. The weather was clear and temps in the low 80s... perfect. The destination park was a familiar stop, Theresa recalled the nearby St Claire Winery that was visited in a past trip. There are a few incriminating pics of Kevin that were posted from that prior visit. Wonder if they remember him? The reservations for the park were made for 2 nights to allow time for mail from home to be received. Upon check in, Theresa asked if any mail had come in? The lady at the desk checked in the mail room and returned with the anticipated package... Yeah! And thank you Tasman Terry! 

After a quick RV set up, Theresa scoped out a hike for the following day in a nearby State Park. She also started working on the rest of the route to Florida calling parks along the route. She quickly discovered that parks near Austin as well as the Gulf coast were filling up! These were the places where more days were desired. This created a bit of urgency to get confirmed reservations for those locations. After several calls to 'Good Sams approved sites' resulted in 'no availability' she resorted to searching the KOA sites and found one east of Austin, a key stop for the team, that did have a pull thru site available. KOAs are usually pretty predictable and in OK condition, so that should work!

The next day it was off to hike in Rockhound State Park followed by an obligatory tasting at the Winery. The State Park was small and had 2+ shorter trails that circumvented a surrounding hill that boasted views of the Deming valley below as well as the snow dusted peaks of the Florida Mountains. The trails exited into a campground with 20 or so sites some with full hook up! It would definitely be a great alternative to the in town park that was currently home base. Kevin spent time watching one of the State Park Campers flying a remote controlled Glider from a location on BLM (Bureau of Land management) land. The glider had a wing span of over 7 ft and it floated effortlessly only to return to the cactus-dotted tundra for a quick battery change to regenerate the servos. 

The trio (Kevin, Theresa, Zin) returned to the car for the trip back to the Little Vineyard RV Park. The St Claire Winery just happened to be on the way back, was open, and serving sample tastings. The staff was not the same as 3 years ago, Kevin was relieved and did not reenact his previous exploits. Purchases were made, loaded into the RV, and sealed for safe keeping!

Supplies for the westward trip were acquired at the nearby Walmart, dinner was then prepared and consumed as the sun set. The next day would require an early start for the 220 miles and another time change as the route enters TX.

The Big League

Palm Creek Resort had a grand entrance with palm trees lining the main drive with a lush green golf course on both sides of the street. This much green had not been seen since leaving NC! The check in process reminded Theresa of past IBM Awards conferences in renowned hotels as she was handed a bag of park info and had her picture taken for a badge that was to be warn all the time. As the Donald would say “This place is HUGE!” it had 2K sites as well as the massive recreation complex and, as a bonus for Kevin, there was even a RC airfield!

Out of the 2,000 sites, a site across from one of the many dog parks was selected for the 3 night stay. A park staff guy in a golf cart escorted the Smitanic to the site and assisted the navigation into the large gravel site to avoid a large palm tree as well as the sites cement patio. “Make sure as you leave to avoid the many small knee walls, drift left before you turn right”. “We have had to rebuild several knee walls already” the camp guide instructed and lamented. Once properly positioned into the spot, thanks to Theresa's perfect signals, and Kevin's trust and adherence to those signals. The team was next observed with greetings from other residents, setting up the Smitanic for a several days in the safe harbor. After getting all systems connected it was time to explore the facilities and get the lay of the land. Golf carts and bikes seemed to be the preferred mode of transit around the complex. Jaws dropped as both Kevin and Theresa spied the site of 32 pickleball courts. Kevin and Theresa meandered with a confused look, wondering how all the courts play times were managed? They were pointed to a lady who was introduced as the Pickleball Ambassador. She reviewed very briefly how to sign up for the various levels-of-play, (levels are identified 1 – 5), Men's, Women's as well as Mixed. The now hooked Pickleballers quickly signed up for 4 times over the next 3 days and were anxious to see how they would fair in this pickleball mecca community.

Kevin checked out the RC airfield to find out all he needed was a signed waiver available from the RC Ambassedor in the park. Before returning to the RV, a stop to get said waiver and obtain a silver star for his badge was obtained, but only after Kevin drooled at the collection of RC planes (some For Sale, yippeee!)

That evening was the first level 2.5 mixed round-robin play. Each player was assigned a number by a coach, then paired with another player in 6 matches. Each game was scored as usual to 11 but no reporting of the outcome was tracked as this was just an opportunity to play like-skilled players. Comments from the coaches indicated to Kevin and Theresa that they were easily level 3.0 players (whawoo!) 3 out of 5 ain't bad.

With that bit of confidence the next morning they showed up for the men's 3.0 at 10am and women' 3.0 at noon. A similar organization resulted 6-8 more games at this new elevated level. Both finished in the middle of the pack winning a few while loosing others by a slim margin. 3.5 might be the proper evaluation.

Kevin was able to get a few successful RC flights in on the airfield.

Late in the afternoon, an unusual knock at the door revealed one of the nearby neighbors, Doug Hillstrom and his wife Randi, with and invitation to a happy hour gathering at another RV. Theresa readily excepted! (She is the Party Animal). The folks here were really friendly, just not very organized on the pickleball courts :(. In fairness they are volunteers and have to accommodate several hundred players as well as the occasional transients such as Kevin and Theresa.

Kevin had RV envy as the hosts for the evening, Max & Pat (Sherman their dog), had a newer model 45' Allegro Bus... fresh off the road from Alaska ! Conversation was lively as travel escapades were exchanged as well as present strategies earnestly discussed. A great evening with some great folks! 

The final day's play was a very popular 3.0 mixed play. Kevin and Theresa arrived 30 min early to sign in and warm up. At the sign in, each was given an alternate number as all the primary player spots were full and only a limited alternates would be able to play. Once the bell rang, indicating the start of the rounds, Kevin went to the sign in and turned in his number while Theresa went to get a much needed drink of water. Kevin yelled for Theresa to hurry to get back to the table as the scheduler was taking numbers as they were handed to him (rather than in numerical order as expected). Theresa fought the crowd and inched her way into the schedule desk to present her number. Unfortunately her number was not included in time... Kevin, visibly (and verbally) upset at the process, then took his name off the list as well. He and Theresa then meandered to other courts and managed to get their butts kicked in several games with more advanced players 4's and 5's. 

New Friends from Hemet, Marilyn(&Ron), and her friend, were spied on the courts and graced the two now defeated players in a friendly game or two. Afterwards, Marilyn and Theresa lined up some dinner plans at the Smitanic. Kevin shared his frustration with the way the mixed play was handled earlier. Marilyn did admit that it took her about a week to figure out all the ins and outs of this massive facility! Because of it's size there are just more rules and more/or less organization to accommodate the masses.

Dinner expanded as Theresa extended an invite to the new neighbors, Doug and Randi and Johnny and his wife who were just returning from the Valentines dance. A few rounds of Taboo (girls against guys) were played outdoors until the temps dropped driving the crowd to the warmth of the inside of the Smitanic. Once inside the Smitanic several frenzied games of Pass the Pig were played. Marilyn, being very competitive and having lost all games, made note that the side of the box for Pass the Pigs stated “for ages 3 and up”. Not sure what her point was?  All had great fun. 

It must have been near 'quiet time' (10 pm) when the seniors bid adue and retreated to their respective sites. What a great night and great people!

The next day the Smitanic would depart to the next port in Deming, NM.