In Florida, Not Home Yet

 

Yes, we are in Florida...but we have another 285 miles to go to get home.  Sitting in the Stay N Go RV Park in Marianna...a Passport America Park, but PA prices are not good for pull-through sites.  With the car acting up, I needed a pull-through, so we paid the $45 price for a pull-through.  Good thing is that there is a restaurant right next door, so we had a good dinner to-go, which we ate in the motorhome....just a short walk which I made without any problems.

Once we left the park in Tupelo around 7:15, it did not take long to get into Alabama.  Of the 371 miles we drove today, 310 of them were in Alabama, about half on Interstate, and half on US Highways.  The thing about the US Highways is that it includes stop lights, entrances and exits to stores and gas stations, etc.  Overall, we actually like this new to us route to Arkansas compared to the I-10 to Mobile, US Highways from Mobile to Jackson Mississippi, then I-20 into Louisiana, then another US Highway up to Pine Bluff.  The biggest factor is that this route has MUCH BETTER roadway conditions than our normal route.  Distance is about the same, the new route is faster, but it can have issues with getting through Memphis.

The other thing about this route is that it is prettier...lot less cotton and bean fields, more trees and green grass.  Will we use this route again?  I am sure we will.  In times of severe weather threats, which we get in Spring when we travel, having two options will be better in our effort to keep away from the hail and tornadic conditions.  Sure glad we finally went this way.

When we arrived at the RV Park around 3:30, we did not need to check in, and just drove right up to our assigned site since I called and reserved it yesterday evening.  It is a typical park with concrete slabs, grass on each side, and not much room between you and your neighbor.  If you want to use Passport America, you have to use a back-in site, which has no concrete.

Although the skies looked a bit threatening at times, we did not have rain from when we parked until late into the night...we hope all night.  All three of us are tired of traveling right now, and look forward to getting home again.  Lots to do once we get there, and we sure hope to get the car fixed.

Back in Florida, Home Tomorrow

 

 

By the time I finished my doctor appointment on Thursday, and we got back and dumped the tanks, hooked up the car and left Maumelle Park, it was around 1:30.  Doctor wanted a full blood workup again, to compare with my 2011 levels, and the blood test area was swamped…it took nearly 45 minutes to do this time.   As figured we made it to Vicksburg just after night fall.  Left Vicksburg a little after 7:00 this morning, and made it to a nice Florida rest area 30 miles west of Tallahassee by 5 pm (6 pm Eastern time…the time change is right near here.)  That’s 660 miles in just under 30 hours…which is a lot now days.  (In my younger days, I (with another driver) would knock out a trip from Kansas City area to Sacramento area in 30 hours...that’s over 1,700 miles)  Should be home by 1:00 (ET) and have made arrangements for storage at our usual place…which, by-the-way, is nearly full -- after the fire two years ago, that is a good sign.

Note:  Stayed at the Mississippi Welcome Center in Vicksburg. Sign says no overnight parking, but we have stayed here before, there is security, and a rest area is for needed rest, and we sure needed to rest.  Tonight we are at a rest area in Florida which, like all Florida rest areas, has night security.  This is near mile marker 162, accommodates both east and west bound, but it is large, multi-level...have stayed here in just a car when traveling back and forth between Arkansas and Florida during our first year of marriage when Marcia need to be in Florida.