2018 Fall Western Trip: Longwood Gardens and HOME

Thursday, 11/1:  371 miles and parked at Philadelphia SE KOA, Ruffs Dale, Pennsylvania

It was a long day with rain most of the day.  We landed to a very wet campground that afternoon and evening.  Sorry, no pictures.  Had a pull thru site, but had to unhook in the rain to level.  Not a bad campground, just the the rain spoiled it.  Had to walk the dogs between downpours.  

Friday, 11/2:  242 miles and parked at Brandywine Creek Campground, Brandywine, PA

We normally park at the West Chester KOA, but they had already closed for the season.  This family run campground turned out to be quiet and very pleasant.  We found out that officially they had closed for the season already, but since the weather was so nice they decided to stay open a few more days.  Its nice that a family operated campground can make those decisions.

Saturday, 11/3:  Longwood Gardens

One of our favorite places to visit is Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.  We have been there in the Spring and the Fall, and our favorite time is the Fall for the spectacular Chrysanthemum Festival.  I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Sunday, 11/4:  67 miles and parked at the Jonestown KOA, Jonestown, PA

It was a short drive today.  This KOA is open year round, and we have stayed here many times.  We opted for a steak dinner and fine red wine to celebrate our last night on the road.

Tomorrow we make the final run home, and then have to wade through two months of mail.  It was worth it!!

Monday, 11/5:  331 miles and HOME!!!!!

It was a routine drive today.  The total miles for the trip were 9,297 and we spent 60 nights on the road.  It was a great adventure.  The two Zoeys are already dreaming of the next one.  Thanks for following along and keeping us company.  Stay tuned for our future travels!!

2018 Fall Western Trip: Arkansas and Blame Kentucky

Sunday, 10/28:  182 miles and parked at Tom Sawyer's RV Park, West Memphis, Arkansas

It was a short 3 hour drive today.  We left Hot Springs about 10:00 and arrived at West Memphis at 1:00.  Tom Sawyer RV Park is located right on the Mississippi River.  There are two sections with one being located away from the river and wooded, while the other is wide open and located right on the river.  We chose the river section with a wide and long pull thru site with a great view of the river.  

Our section was less than half full when we arrived, but it quickly filled up.  I guess that's why the No Vacancy sign was up when we arrived.  It was a beautiful 75 degree.  The sites are very long and level.  We didn't unhook.  We had great views of the Mississippi River, so we sat outside for a drink and watched the barge traffic.  They even had a neat tree house observation platform for barge watching.  Judy and I would definitely stay here again, but reserve enough ahead of time to get an actual riverside site.  

Sunrise over the Mississippi River.

That evening we watched TV and saw the Boston Red Sox defeat the Los Angelas Dodgers to win the World Series.  Tomorrow it's on to the Nashville area for a night.  On the way out of the campground we passed this sign.  I know this park has flooded in the past, but WOW!!

Monday, 10/29:  244 miles and parked at the Nashville East KOA, Lebonan, Tennessee.

We left about 10:00.  Memphis traffic was OK, but the Nashville traffic was nail biting, and it wasn't even rush hour.  The sites are a bit tight in this KOA and we had to unhook to level.  It was a cool, 65, so we didn't sit outside.  After naps and reading we had leftover soup for dinner.

Tomorrow it is on to Lexington, Kentucky for a couple nights.

Tuesday, 10/30:  220 miles and parked at Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, Kentucky

We have camped at Kentucky Horse Park several times in the past.  It is one of our favorite spots.  While water and electric only, the nearby dumping station is huge.  The sites are spacious and it is easy to walk the dogs.  When we arrived it was warm enough to sit outside in the sunshine for a beer. That evening we were surprised to see a part of their Southern Lights Holiday show displayed right in back of our camper.  Here is a 30 second video of the light show.  Very cool.

Wednesday, 10/31:

We visited Claiborne Farms this morning.  This is a thoroughbred horse farm just a short distance from Lexington in Paris, KY.  Claiborne is probably most famous as the home of Triple Crown winner Secretariat.  We had 11:00 AM tickets for the hour long tour.  It was a beautiful sunny morning and the tour guide was amazing.  "Rodeo" as he called himself was actually one of the groomers who handle the 12 stallions standing in stud.  He had all kinds of background stories and knowledge.  He was completely at ease handling these high strung, extremely valuable horses.

Stud Barn housing 12 stallions

Breeding Barn.  Note the padded walls to protect the horses.

Kentucky Derby winner, Orb.

War Front, who's stud fee is $250,000.
Multiply that times the 100 plus mares he breeds each year.

Blame, sticking his tongue out at us.

Grave of Secretariat.

Claiborne cemetery.

We got home just in time for the skies to open up and it poured rain, sometimes heavy, all afternoon and all evening.

Tomorrow we continue east and plan to stay near Pittsburg, PA.

2018 Fall Western Trip: On to Hot Springs, Arkansas

Monday, 10/22: 211 miles and parked at Route 66 RV Resort, just west of Albuquerque, NM

It was a short drive today and we stayed at Route 66 RV Resort, a part of the Route 66 Casino.  This is an absolutely beautiful nearly new (only 2 years old) park with large, well laid out sites.  We would definitely stay here again.  It was less than half full and there was lots of space to walk the dogs.  After a few nights of gourmet dinners we had a cheap dinner tonight of hot dogs and baked beans.

Tuesday, 10/23: 269 miles and parked at Walnut RV Park in Vega, Texas

Got on the road about 11:00 and pulled into Vega, Texas about 4:30.  We went from Mountain Time to Central Time when we crossed the New Mexico - Texas border.  Walnut RV Park is a small, family run park and it was nearly empty.  Right across the street was a small Mexican Restaurant called Roosters that got great reviews on Trip Advisor, so we went there for dinner.  The place was old and quaint with lots of local flavor, and we had a great meal.

Wednesday, 10/24: 192 miles and parked at Elk City KOA in Foss, Oklahoma

It rained all day and was 47 and raining when we pulled into campground about 1:00.  At 1:00 we were the only ones here, but by 7:00 the campground was nearly full.  It rained so much that when went out of the camper to walk the dogs I stepped in an inch of water.   GRRRR.  The rest of the afternoon I tried to get caught up on the travel blog, along with naps and some reading.  We tried making Cornell chicken for dinner in the Instant Pot, and it was a disaster.  The only flavor we could taste was vinegar.  By morning the rain had quit, and ground had dried out.

Thursday, 10/25:  204 miles and parked at Checotah KOA, Checotah, Oklahoma

Friday, 10/26:  218 miles and parked at Hot Springs KOA in Hot Springs, Arkansas

We drove I-40 for 75 miles, and then on two lane Route 71 and 270 the rest of the way.  It was only about a 3 hour drive and we checked in to the KOA about 2:00.

This is a really nice park and is built on a hillside with most of sites terraced.  For some reason we got upgraded to a deluxe patio site, which was absolutely gorgeous.  Even though it was a little chilly with the temperature in low the 60's, we sat outside for a drink on the patio.  For the rest of the day we watched some TV, read, and worked on travel blog posts.

Saturday, 10/27:

Today we visited bathhouse row in the unique Hot Springs National Park.  This is the only National Park located within a city's limits.  There are natural hot springs of 144 degree water that were first used by Native Americans.  The wooden bathhouses built in the late 1800's were replaced by ornate marble structures in the early 1900's.  Each one tried to be more lavish than the other.  As modern medicine replaced the old remedies of soaking in hot water, most of them closed.  There are only 2 still functioning.  Others have new uses, such as a National Park Visitor Center and a brewery.

We did some Walmart grocery shopping in the afternoon.  We sat outside around the fire pit for a gin and tonic, and then watched the World Series game after a simple dinner of hotdogs and baked beans.  After dinner we sat outside around the fire pit.

Tomorrow we move on to West Memphis, Arkansas.