Although I looked forward to being on the road again, a part of me was reluctant to leave the cozy, secure campground to face the unknown again. Yet, it is the unknown that beckons.
How to decide which route to take? As someone told me a long time ago, " follow your heart". For me that means being spontaneous. I can still follow signposts but then decide to "Take the road less traveled" ( a great book by
M. Scott Peck.)
| seen in a Californian desert, created by female pilots many years ago for direction to an airport |
Sydney has a population of about 32,000 yet has a lot to offer. There are several places I could park including Walmarts, the Casino downtown, and by the Visitor's Centre at the waterfront. It was fun to have a chance to experience life in the city for a while and I used my time to prepare my RV and myself for the journey south. The weather stayed above freezing but still cold and damp. My heater worked very well, although used quite a bit of propane since I had to keep it going much of the time. I decided to "semi winterize" my RV by pouring antifreeze down the drain and into the tanks. There was still some water in the system but it would help. It meant I had no running water and carried jugs of water.
I was finally ready to leave Sydney on Nov 17th, driving about 1.5 hrs southwest to Port Hawkesbury to get my RV serviced and checked.
From there west via Antagonish, New Glasgow, and my old hometown Pictou. I met friends along the way, having missed seeing each other more frequently.
I then drove to Halifax for another visit with wonderful friends and a niece there, and to stock up on the best walnuts and feta cheese I have ever tasted. "Macedonian feta" is sold at a mideastern store I love to visit.
I was then eager to head south and continued to Moncton, New Brunswick where another niece lives. I was fortunate that one of my sisters needed a ride and it was a fabulous opportunity to catch up. My family is very spread out and the times we see each other are precious.
From Moncton, I drove to Saint John then across the US border at St Stephen. After a few questions, 2 guards came onboard to check things. I had previously cooked my vegetables to prevent having to throw them out. I told them I didn't have any fresh veg but forgot about my carrots which are allowed. They were not pleased but allowed me to cross to the US!
The "Airline route" was familiar , having driven that route many times. It still seemed to take forever to get to Bangor, Maine but the sunny day helped.
Until then I had no snow but it continued to be around freezing at night and the skies became overcast and it as drizzly at times. I was grateful to have my propane heater.
When it is overcast, it takes longer for my solar panels to charge the batteries. Driving long distances helps charge them too.
The experience reminded me of winter camping which I had done a couple of times in the past. I remember a weekend survival course in northern Ontario, walking to the campsite with snowshoes. No tents, but we did have a campfire. Some people built a leanto with branches or made a small igloo. Two of us dug a trench in the snow, put down a few layers of spruce branches, and crawled into our arctic sleeping bags. It took a while to warm up in the -26C temperature. ( Yes, minus!).
The RV is luxurious compared to that but can still get cold quickly because of very little insulation. I had bought a thick sleeping bag to hang between the cab and living area, a blanket over the door, wore long underwear and sweaters, and put a hot water bottle to rest my feet on while sitting at the dinette.
From Bangor, I travelled west and south, often checking the weather. I managed to stay on clear roads and no snow until I got to central New Hampshire and the mountains, including Mt Washington ( seen only from a distance). I had chosen to go west on #2 which had little traffic and pleasant scenery, avoiding #95 which would have been faster but has many tolls and heavy traffic.
From some green fields with my first sight of snow to a winter wonderland when passing through the mountains, the temperature and scenery kept changing but the roads remained clear.
From #2 west, I turned to #91 south to Massachusetts. Along the way, I stayed at Walmart parking lots. The weather turned nasty when I was in Lebanon, New H waking up to heavy, freezing rain. I waited for it to get warmer before leaving and got a few supplies. I was concerned about my tires which were quite worn and a staff member at Walmart told me of a good tire place nearby. I was impressed by the service there and got 6 new good quality tires ( my credit card almost had a meltdown!) .I felt much better diving after that but it meant leaving late.
#91 is an interstate with heavy traffic and it rained a lot. There was no place to stop for quite some time and it got dark, making it difficult to see. I finally arrived in western Massachusetts, passing by the city of Northampton and used my GPS to find a Walmart to park for the night. Soon, I hoped to get to warmer weather and more sun.
On I drove, into Connecticut and then stopped in Middleton, New York. The next day ( cold, overcast, and raining) took me past a short part of Pennsylvania and to Hagerstown, Maryland.
Even though I drove about 5 hrs/day, it seemed to take forever to get south!
I continued to Winchester, Virginia where I visited a long-term friend. Luckily, the weather cleared the next day and she took me out for brunch. The fall colours were still brilliant in places and it was warmer, up to high 40's F. I no longer had to worry about my pipes freezing.
Route 81 S , " The Blue Ridge Parkway" was a wonderful drive with the mountains and colours.
The next few days were very wet with rain all day, sometimes a heavy downpour. My RV got a very good wash! I drove south to Knoxville, Tennessee. I had planned to continue west to Nashville but was getting tired of the cold, wet weather and eager to get south, so I headed southwest to Tuscaloosa, Alabama where I stayed at a Flying J truck stop. These truck stops have many services: a store for supplies, laundry, TV lounge, internet, showers, restaurant, dump station, and parking. There are usually dozens of trucks and a few RVs parked overnight. The services are expensive but useful when travelling like this.
On I drove through Mississippi having to be very careful due to heavy rain.
I finally arrived at Nanchez, in the southwest part of the state and on the border of Louisiana, where I am presently parked at their Walmart. The rain continues on and off but it is warmer. Tomorrow I will continue SW into Louisiana and #10 which goes all the way to California.
 |
| fall colours in the rain along the way |
"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly"
--- AnonymousOn a senior man's T-shirt was written this:
" I am not 90 years old....
I am sweet 16 with 74 years of experience".
. --- from The Coffee News
"Never confuse education with intelligence"
--- unknown
"Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life."
--- J.K. Rowling
Did you know....
Los Angeles's full name is "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula" and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size, "L.A."
Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.
---- both above bits of info are from "Look what's cooking" newsletter
Enjoy the winter, whatever you are doing!
Maria
whyknotrvmaria@gmail.com
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