Spring 2023: Gouverneur to Monterey, Tennessee

                                         

Wednesday, 3/22: 337 miles, parked at the Jonestown KOA  in Jonestown, PA

The drive to Jonestown was, fortunately, uneventful.  Parker the puppy slept and entertained himself in the travel crate for the 6 hour drive without a peep.   Maybe puppy training while RV'ing won't be so bad after all.  We arrived at the KOA just about 3:30 to a mild 60 degrees, a pleasant change from home. 

Jonestown KOA, site 46

Parker's very first night camping, 10 weeks old.

We will have to develop a new routine.  Always before we set up first and then walked the dogs.  Puppy training is going to involve dog walking first.   The sleeping ritual will be just like we do at home.   Parker will sleep in a crate that we brought along, while Zoey the Malamute will sleep on the bed with us.  Believe it or not, Parker slept through the entire night.  Whew, one night down, 55 more to go on this trip.  😀

Thursday, 3/23: 142 miles, parked at the Candy Hill Campground, Winchester, VA

We  left the Jonestown KOA  at 11:15 to light rain.  Nothing like packing up camp in the rain.  Fun, fun.  The drive is a short 2 hours today, so we purposely got a later start.  Well, that idea backfired.    As soon as were on I-81, we ran into a 30 minute long, bumper to bumper traffic jam.   Then suddenly, the traffic mysteriously thinned out and travel was smooth.   We arrived at Candy Hill about 2:30.

Interstate 81 the entire way.

Site E-4

The "Monster" acting all innocent at Candy Hill.  😀

We had a beautiful afternoon with temps in the mid 70's, but very windy out.  We have stayed here once before.  It is very convenient off I-81.  The campground is immaculate.  The only real downside to some, not us, is the road noise from US 37.  We turn out the traffic sounds and are very comfortable here.  We must plan on a longer stop sometime.  There is much to see and experience in Winchester, and we need to spend a couple days doing just that in the future.

Friday, 3/24: 242 miles, parked at the KOA in Wytheville, Virginia

UGH, we had to break camp in the rain again this morning.  We  left Candy Hill about 10:00.  The drive was Interstate 81 with heavy traffic,  but there were no slowdowns or stoppages today.   We pulled into Wytheville KOA almost exactly 2:00.  It was a nice warm 75 degree afternoon to set up in.

Wytheville KOA, site L-3

Judy and I like this park.  It has a nice choice of site types, many of which are newly constructed.  There is lots of room to walk the dogs, both on and off leash.  There are even a couple of "glamping covered wagons" to stay in.  And a unique feature I have not seen before, 6 campsites with designated EV charging stations.  We checked in to a nearly empty park, but by nightfall, is was quite full.  Then it hit me, it's Friday and the beginning of a weekend.  We ended the day with a beautiful evening sky with the moon and Jupiter setting over the camper.

The inside of the camper, however, was a different story.  This is what camping with a 10 week old puppy looks like by the end of the day.  Contrasting views of a demon's play and an angel's smile.  😀

Saturday, 3/25  278 miles, parked at Spacious Skies-Bella Ridge, Monterey, TN

I-81 to where it ends in Knoxville, then I-40

We left Wytheville at 10:30 on the dot.  The drive today was a bit over 5 hours today, but because entering the  CDT Zone, it was only 4 hours on the clock.  Traffic was heavy, especially around Knoxville, but it flowed smoothly.  For the third consecutive morning on this trip, we had to break camp in the rain.  Ugh!! But the good news was that the sun was shinning when we arrived at Bella-Ridge.

Site B-4

Bella-Ridge is a new campground for us, and what a nice find.    The sites are large and immaculate.  This is not a resort type of park.  It's much more like a State Park.  There are lots of hiking and off road UTV trails.  The campground is gated, and you ring a video doorbell and are buzzed it.  The gates are a must to prevent unauthorized UTV riders because of all the trail.  

Sunday, 3/26:

Today was a nice and relaxing day, just what we needed.  The weather turned out warn and sunny.  The downside was that puppy Parker required daylong babysitting since he did` spend 4 to 6 hours in the truck sleeping.  And boy, did he ever catch up on his play time with us.  How is it that he has more energy than us?  We did sneak away for a half hour to do some quick shopping.  Monterey is about the size of our home town, Gouverneur.  Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of eastern Tennessee, and located atop of Bella Ridge, the campground offer stunning views.  The trees, while barren now, must be an amazing sight in the summer and fall.

Tomorrow, we are back on the road to Arkansas and Texas.