We had decided early on that when we left Tuesday, it would not be a 'early time period' along with the departure. I got up at 7:30, with Marcia pretty much right behind me. She showered while I got the coffee ready and started getting a few more items ready for travel, such as my computer stuff. By 8:30 I was in the shower, we then had breakfast, and by 9:45 I was off with a load of more stuff to put away in the motorhome, and then hook up the car and travel the 1/2 mile back to the condo. I arrived around 10:30, loaded up the final, small load of things, turned off breakers to the stove/oven, the dishwasher and the hot water heater, pulled the plug on the washer and dryer, turned off the water main, covered the toilets with plastic wrap (keeps it cleaner and the water does not evaporate), locked up and we hit the road shortly after 11. Six hours later we were in Midway Florida (after a few brief stops) and filled up with gas ($1.95 gal), and a hour after that stop we were in Cottondale, home of the Hitchinpost Corral and Campground RV Park.
U.S. Highway 19 from Holiday up to I-10 just east of Tallahassee for the most part looks just like this picture...after you get through the communities of New Port Richey, Port Richey, Hudson, Weeki Wachee, Homosassa Springs, and Crystal River. In between a few of these latter towns, there are some rural stretches of the highway too. After Crystal River, and for the next 150 miles it is pretty much like this except for the five or six little cities you pass thorugh. Two lanes north, two lanes south, 65 mph with slowdowns for the small cities and a few crossover highways.
Five miles north of the last city, Perry, is the one and only Rest Area along the route until you get to I-10. We normally stop here to walk the dogs, but on this trip there is only one dog, Bubba. I always think that when we stop here, and we rarely pass by it without stopping, that he, and Skruffy when she was alive, knew that they had been here before.
It is always nice to stop at the first RV Park or State Park and even a rest area (if it is a quiet one) when you start out your trip. We had never been to Hitchinpost Corral and Campground RV Park before this. Nice grass, nice trees, but out-of-sight in the picture is I-10 to the back of the car by 100 yards or so. The guy who checked us in and showed us the sight said that the free WiFi is strong enough to stream Netflix or other services...but our unlimited Verizon Aircard is doing just fine.
Tomorrow is a planned 490 mile day...but we will see how it goes. Most of our travel days are around 350 this trip, and we might cut tomorrow down a bit and add the miles to our Thursday travel.
Today mom, who is 90 years old, is taking a bit of a respite from the Assisted Living Facility which she lives at. Due to COVID-19, this facility, like most throughout the nation, serves all meals in the apartments instead of the common dinning area. No visitors are allowed to enter, and if you decide to leave, even for a doctor's appointment, you have to quarantine for 14 days upon your return. After two plus months of this, mom just needed a break...and Sandy and Arny came to the rescue offering mom a place to stay for a few weeks. With us camping in their backyard once we get there, that will be nice for all of us. Mom will probably go back to the Assisted Living Facility in a few weeks, she will be tested, and then quarantined...but most likely she will come back to Sandy and Arny's before her quarantine is finished. Last week I talked to the Placer County Health Department and told them how depressed not only mom was, but others living there. We understand completely that they are trying to keep them all safe, but, I pointed out, they might die of loneliness before they die of COVID-19. This solution with her visiting Sandy and Arny's now and then is the best solution under the situation at hand. We all just need to be diligent to keep away from the virus, because if it gets into a Senior Facility like where she lives, it can take out a bunch of older folks...and no one wants to see that happen.
As we age we are considering shorter travel days. It helps to feel more relaxed at the end of each day.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy meeting up with your Mom.
It's about time.
Once, when I 20 years old, I drove from Kansas City area to Sacramento in 34 hours. I stopped to rest in the middle of Nevada, or I would have made it in under 30 hours. Can't even come close to that any more, but I can do 500-600 in a day, depending upon the type of road it is.
DeleteYup I follow the same closing up routine, except I have to worry about the darn sprinklers. Same thing going on at the assisted living homes here. Most don't understand why their family doesn't come to visit any more. It's good your Mom can go to Arnies.
ReplyDeleteWhen my sister told me she was going to invite mom, I thought, and still think, that it is a great idea. None of us (sisters, Arny, Marcia and I) are not sickly, and I think we can safely do this. "IF" she gets it, and "IF" it ends her life, at least she will die happy. But we are not going to be careless about this.
DeleteI feel sad for the situation your mother is facing. Loneliness is a real issue with those in nursing/assisted living facilities. Delighted that family is taking her out for a while. Will be good for all of you.
ReplyDeleteI know there are those in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities who don't get visitors very often. But mom, and dad when he was still living, got visits all the time. My sisters see her every week, sometimes twice per week. When Marcia and I are there I try and see them at least every-other day, but many times each day. I feel for those who get no visits...what a lonely life that is. For now, in this COVID abnormal environment, all of them are lonely.
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