The Libators go Corner to Corner: Going Down South

From Tennessee, we turned directly south and drove through Georgia. I've never seen any part of Georgia except the airport, which I am way too familiar with. My first impression is favorable, the roads are nice and the people are nicer. We stop for lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Clayto, and stay the night at a Harvest Host in Fort Valley. No fuss, no issues.

We crossed into Florida and continued south to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, where we stayed for one night. I could have stayed longer. This was a fantastic overnight. Lots of hiking trails, wildlife watching, great bathrooms and showers, super quiet, private, and dark. We kept moving south, though, and made it to Parrish, Florida, where we've been staying in my Aunt and Uncle's driveway. I've enjoyed visiting with them and seeing the local tourist sites.

Georgia fields.

Lane Southern Orchards Market.

Pecans for sale.

Cotton ready for harvest.

Frog on a frond.

Paynes Prairie Preserve.

Tree canopy above camp.

Me and my Aunt.

Family dinner.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Tampa Bay, FL.

The Dome at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, FL.

Russ walking on St. Pete's Pier.

Pelican in flight.

The marina.

Sunset from the Sunshine Skyway.

MOTE Science Education Aquarium.

The Manatee. I think this one is called Jimmy Buffett.

The Libators go Corner to Corner: Playing Across the Middle.

We left Kansas City early to get to our next Harvest Host early enough to enjoy it. We stayed at the American Tractor Museum in Perryville, Missouri. Our next one night stay was at the Clarksville RV Resort in, you guessed it, Clarksville, Tennessee. Then we got a break from fast travel again in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. This route through Tennessee was specifically so I could buy a mountain (or country) dulcimer at Smoky Mountain Dulcimer. I have a hammed dulcimer (a 12/11 size) at home, but it doesn't travel well, so I figured I would try an instrument of a different color, er... size. It's played completely differently, but I still liked the sound and the feel of it, so its mine now. The second day in the Pigeon Forge area was devoted to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which we hit at an excellent time for leaf peeping. Fall color extraordinaire.

Illuminating drive.

A Fantastic Museum.

Our quiet spot at the American Tractor Museum.

They have an amazing collection.

I think this was the Mississippi, or maybe the Missouri?

A very brief trip through a small corner of Kentucky.

The Ohio River.

Sweet Tennessee.

Downtown Nashville. This is as close as we got to the big city.

 

Views from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Alum Caves Bluff.

A kind fellow hiker took this picture for us.

Fall color from Inspiration Point.

My new beauty.

At the Old Mill Restaurant.

The Libators go Corner to Corner: Fast Track to Kansas City and More Friends.

The main goal of this trip is to spend time in Florida, on Key West. So instead of our more typical slower pace, we are moving fast through the center of the country with two brief pauses until we reach the other corner. The first fast leg ends with a two-night stay in Kansas City so we can briefly visit with friends from Russ' time in graduate school. This stop and a visit to a luthier in Tennessee constitute the breaks from travel mode. We left Prosser and moved west and south until we reached I-80 north of Salt Lake City, and then moved mostly straight west to KC. We stopped for only one night at each camp site, either a Harvest Host, a state park, BLM dispersed camping or a RV park. I like to stay in a park every 4-6 days to get full hook ups and reload the trailer consumables.

Roll on, Columbia, roll on.

Little Creek Campground (Harvest Host), Caldwell, ID.

Cedar really liked this spot surrounded by cornfields and an irrigation ditch.

The Snake River by the Boathouse in Burley, ID (Harvest Host).

Great views backed up to the Snake River.

Sunset over the Snake.

White Mountain Road Dispersed Camping over Green River, Wyoming.

This spot is a favorite. Unbeatable views.

We were all alone on the ridge.

A fun way to mark our passage at Cheyenne RV Resort.

We had full hook ups here and took advantage.

Sandy Channel State Resource Area, Elm Creek, Nebraska.

Sandy Channel was a state park. Again we were the only ones there.

Cedar liked the view (especially the bunnies).

Dinner with friends in Kansas City (Overland Park).

Views of downtown Kansas City.

The Libators go Corner to Corner: Starting out with wine and friends.

The plan is to take our trailer from Tacoma to Key West, Florida, with a slow return along parts of the gulf coast and Thanksgiving in New Mexico with Russ' family. We had seven days to get packed and go after we returned from Port Townsend. Some of the necessary things were started or even finished before we left for Port Townsend, but most of the work happened after we returned. 

Before: mail forwarding set up, order medications so we don't need fuss with them on the road, some purchases (a new lens, new shoes), some food processing like drying the apples from our tree, R-Pod and truck maintenance and cleaning. 

After: Clean inside of the R-Pod and truck, laundry, clean and prepare the house to be empty, arrange for house sitters, visit with as many of our friends and family as we can fit in one week, cancel Pilates classes that I will miss, schedule Spanish lessons less frequently for on the road, final harvest of the garden and clear it for winter, process garden bounty for later use, pack food for the trip, pack the cat supplies, pack clothing and entertainment (electronics, books, knitting, cameras).

Home in the rear view mirror (not really, this is the Yakima River Canyon).

The last harvest. I made fried green tomatoes for our final dinner at home.

The food packing list and the start of something delicious.

I use these collapsible crates to load everything, and then for laundry on the road.

The first Corner: Tacoma.

Not much water in the reservoir at this time of year.