Finally Back On the Road

June 10 – June 16, 2022                                          Most Recent Posts:                   
Riverbend RV Resort                          Happy 6th Celia & Trying to Leave Town
Lake Toxaway, North Carolina              Spring is Finally Bustin’ Out All Over

Back on Thursday June 9, these were my views.  This was Nine  days after I first tried to set out for the North Carolina Mountains and 9 months after I was sidelined by vandalism shortly after returning from a wonderful summer in Vermont. 

On May 31st I was towed here.  Six days later, parts  finally came in and everything is good to go but then as I try to leave my brakes fail so I’m back to the service area parking view.  At least I have electric in the heat that is June 2022. 

Bet you wish you could camp here.

3rd time is the charm and on June 10, my 44th wedding anniversary, I am actually able to leave   

I make it about half way and spend the night in Wytheville Virginia but not until after I make a stupid mistake. 

I have a patriot brake controller which I like.  I remember to charge it up before leaving but I do not remember to disconnect it from the car’s battery for the two 1 hour rest stops I make along the way to delay my arrival in the Walmart parking lot in Wytheville.  I can’t make it all the way to my North Carolina destination in one day but I don’t want to get to Walmart in mid afternoon.  

When I arrive, the brake controller tells me it isn’t working.  Long story short I have drained the car’s battery to dead, dead, dead.  Luckily this Walmart has an auto shop and they kindly squeeze me in before closing and install a new car battery.    This forgetfulness on my part is no doubt a result of not being on the road for 8 months.  Hopefully neither of these will happen again.  A $130 mistake.   No camp Walmart pictures.

On Saturday I move on in to North Carolina and stop at the visitor center where they have beautiful Rhododendron in bloom and great mountain views.  I’m counting on it being cooler here than in most of the rest of the country including where I just came from.

Mighty fine view from their Welcome Center even if it does overlook the interstate

The aptly named smoky mountains.

After a harrowing drive on STEEP and NARROW mountain roads where it’s either ride your brakes or drive in 3rd and sometimes 2nd gear, I arrive at Riverbend RV Park in Lake Toxaway NC where I’ll be until July 29th.

After driving nearly straight down their narrow gravel driveway with a right hand hook, I pull up to the cute office where Larry checked me in and did a superb job of guiding me into Site #1.                   I AM EXHAUSTED.

The site is right on the little  stream which is very nice.

Even though my  site has no privacy it is conveniently located right across from the Office, the restrooms and the laundry 

View out the front window of the office and restrooms, on the right is the gathering pavilion.

I took this picture of the pavilion after it emptied out.  It was full when I arrived.
It has a full kitchen, a giant grille, plenty of chairs for circling round, a fire place and picnic tables.   Lots of community activities happen here, like daily happy hour and a Wednesday after golf grille.

After my 240 mile drive and white knuckling the last hour of it, I was EXHAUSTED  with a capital E, starving and too tired to cook. 

Lucky for me – LUCK!! They were having a “horse auction” for the Belmont stakes.  It was also a potluck,  I didn’t have anything prepared but they were gracious and I was starving so it was great.  I felt much better after I ate.

I had no idea what a horse auction was but apparently they do this for every race in the triple crown.  Someone writes out the big board with the horses, jockeys, trainers, odds and owners on it and the owner of the RV Park, John, auctions the horses off.  If you “win” the horse, of course you don’t get to keep it but you get a piece of the pot if it wins, places or shows.  Bidding went up to $60 for one horse.  Not sure how much was in the pot but those who won got their money back I think.   Me – I don’t have gambling funds.

SOLD!

Rosemary and I didn’t meet until the next day though we’d talked on the phone multiple times as I delayed my original June 1st arrival date over and over.  She is one busy woman running the office, the social events and who knows what else.

My first full day at the campground I familiarized myself with it and the walking trails.  I’m not sure how many miles I could get in by walking around the campground itself and then up the mountain trail and along the short stream trail.   But to even approach 10K steps, I’d have to do it at least twice.  Maybe 3 times.

There are 24 sites as well as several sites for folks who leave there rigs here all year though they may not live in them over the winter.  I really like that it is such a small campground.  No pool or pickleball but that’s fine with me.  I hope to get to know some of the people who are here for extended stays like I am.

I walk through the campground and start up the hill where there is a small pond with a dock for fishing or sitting.   There is another pavilion up here as well.

I continue on up and can look down on the pond, dock and pavilion.

The resort has a number of interesting metal sculptures on the grounds.  The first one I come to is behind the pond.  A runner with a butterfly on her leg.

On up the hill on the road I pass by two metal backpacker sculptures.

At the top of the road, there is a mowed area surrounded by trees with a picnic table if you want lunch after the climb.   The only views are coming back down the road but they are lovely today.

Taking another road I pass by a fenced pasture with 3 metal horse sculptures and a very small pond.   Two grazing sculptures.

One running sculpture in the middle of the field.

Fewer feed and vet bills – believe me, I know from experience.

My last trail goes through the woods and along the stream further down from my rig.  It’s a beautiful area that I look forward to returning to frequently.

On the trail I find one lone jack in the pulpit.  Isn’t he wonderful looking?  Can you see the “jack” in the right hand picture?

I’ll close with the information board on the front of the office.  There are a lot of get togethers here.  Even one not mentioned on this board which is occurring on June 22nd – a Louisiana gumbo dinner put on by two campers from Louisiana.  They should know how to do it right.  If I keep eating like this I have no chance of fitting into my hiking clothes.

As you all know I am a waterfall lover and spent last summer seeing many many in Vermont and a summer before that hiking to every waterfall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  One reason I chose this park is that there are SO many waterfalls nearby.   I’ll share my hikes to a couple of them with you in the next post.