On The Road Again!

Hello from Rawlins, Wyoming!

It has been a few weeks since our last post.  Life got in the way, and we had to put our trip on pause, but we are excited to be back on the road!  During the pause, we kept the Airstream at the Top of Georgia - one of our favorite places - and were able to spend a little extra time there.  

We departed north Georgia on Saturday morning - Flag Day!  We made it to Paducah, Kentucky and stayed in a Cracker Barrel parking lot.  On Sunday we drove to Kansas City and stayed in a Bass Pro Shops parking lot.  Both nights worked out well - convenient, and the price is right!  On night #3, we stayed at a Harvest Host property - the Crazy Y Farm - in Gothenburg, Nebraska - and it was really cool!  The owners were gracious and friendly, and it was so peaceful and beautiful.  We even had some weather come in - fortunately, it stayed north of us but made for a beautiful and dramatic sky!

This morning, we left Gothenburg and are now in Rawlins, Wyoming.  For the past 3 days, we've done about 400 miles each day.  As you can imagine, we have made frequent stops at the Love's Travel Stop to fuel up!  We are big fans of Love's - their staff is friendly, and restrooms are clean! 

The landscape along the way has been so beautiful.  Some people may find it boring, but I find it so refreshing to see so much wide-open space and travel through the heartland of the country.

Paul got a go-pro recently and did a few time-lapse videos our trek today.  This link is of our leaving Gothenburg and this one is going on I-80 through western Nebraska.  Below are a few pics of the scenery along the way.

Tomorrow, we head to Victor, Idaho where we will stay for 4 nights.  Victor is very close to Jackson, Wyoming and the Grand Teton National Park and we are looking forward to exploring the area.  On Sunday, we will head to Bend, Oregon, stopping at a few Harvest Hosts along the way, and will be staying at a beautiful state park and spending time with friends in the area.  We'll be there through the 4th and then head to the Oregon Coast - we promise to keep you updated and will be posting again soon.

Thanks so much for your support and love - Jen & Paul 

Fun in North Georgia

Hello family and friends!

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in North Georgia with the South Florida Airstream Club.  At the last post, we were heading to a pasta dinner to include Paul's famous Bolognese, which was very well received!

On Monday, we went mini-golfing and enjoyed lunch with the group in downtown Helen - very fun and our foursome was with our new friends Karen and Gary Sands.  Karen and Gary are "full timers" which means they live on their Airstream full time and based in Pompano Beach, FL - we look forward to seeing them again soon!  A few pics, to include an "action shot" of Paul!

Throughout the week, we also spent many nights by the campfire which was very close to where we were parked.

The next day we hiked up to Anna Ruby falls - it's a short .4-mile hike, but essentially all up-hill (then all down-hill on the way back).  We went there last summer, and it was fun to return with the group.  After the group hike, we stayed in the state park and took another hike around the lake.  

On Wednesday, we enjoyed a group breakfast and some informative chats about Airstream tips and then headed north to Hiawassee for lunch with our friends Missy and Bill and a beautiful stroll through Hamilton Botanical Gardens where the rhododendrons were in full glorious bloom!  Missy and Bill live in this area but used to live in Ft. Lauderdale - super fun to hang out with!

On Thursday, we headed north to Blue Ridge - about an hour away from the campground - and went on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway with the group.  We were in an "open" car which meant the sides were open to really enjoy the scenery.  Although the weather was a bit dreary, the views were really interesting, and we had a lovely time.  After the hour ride, you spend 2 hours in the quaint sister towns of McCaysville, GA and Copperhill, TN, nestled deep in the mountains on each state's line.  We had lunch with 4 other couples and then got back on the train to enjoy the hour trek back to Blue Ridge.

On Friday after doing some laundry and getting some stuff done around the rig, we joined some of the group for a wine tasting at a local winery, Creekstone Vineyards.  There were about 20 of us and it was educational and a lot of fun!

It was a fantastic week in north Georgia - we really do love this area.  I'll end this post with some drone shots of the campground - our rig is circled in red in a few of the photos.  The shots really capture the breathtaking setting of this gorgeous spot.

Thanks again for following along - we'll be in touch!  Cheers and love, Jen & Paul

Greetings from the Top of Georgia! A Recap of our first 5 days!

Hello family and friends - 

Our last morning in Naples as I was sitting on the lanai enjoying my coffee and newsletters, this was the daily quote:

How timely!  😃💗

I type this from the Top of Georgia Airstream Park - we are so happy to be back here (as mentioned before, we were here last 4th of July).  This time, we are with the South Florida Airstream Club - there are about 40 of us here (20 Airstreams) and we have met so many fun people.  This event is called a Rally and we'll be here for the week with some planned activities and time to explore this amazing area.  

Let me back up . . .  We left Naples this past Wednesday.  We brought the Airstream to our house for the 2 days prior as it made it so much easier to get everything loaded on and packed - clothes, toiletries, food, etc.  And it gave Paul a chance to give her a bath!

 

Our first stop on Wednesday night was the Sarasota Fairgrounds - we joined 3 other Airstream rigs from the South Florida Airstream club there as we started the 3-day caravan to the Top of Georgia - each night boondocking.  Boondocking essentially means camping in an area without any hookups (power, water, or sewer) and thanks to all the upgrades Paul orchestrated, we were well prepared for the 3-day journey without any resources other than what was on our rig (full water tank, and batteries/solar power).  We made fast friends with the 3 other couples and thankfully the weather was glorious, and we could sleep with the windows open.  We have a generator with us in case we need to turn on an air conditioner, but we never needed it!  One of our new friends had a drone, so you'll see in the second photo (I put an arrow towards our rig) you can really see our solar panels and we have our awning out.  

We left the Sarasota Fairgrounds and continued heading north to Haystack Farms in McAlpin, Florida.  We caravaned with the other Airstreamers and it was quite a sight to see on the highway! 

We arrived to Haystack Farm after about 4 hours and the 2.5-mile final approach was a bit dusty . . . this is our rig, and the photo was taken by the person behind us.   Talk about hitting the dusty trail!  

The slog through the dust was totally worth it . . .  Haystack Farms is a stunning hay and sod farm with beautiful fields in a very remote location in old north Florida - peaceful and serene.  7 more Airstreams joined us on this evening for a total of 11.  Haystack Farms is a Harvest Host.  As mentioned in a previous post, Harvest Hosts is a network of farms, wineries, breweries and distilleries, community hosts and more that invite RVers to stay overnight, giving Members safe, convenient and unique places to stay during their travels.  We became members ($150/year) and we are excited to continue to explore these unique and wonderful places!  A few more drone shots and I indicated where our rig is - in the first photo, Paul is at the grill! 

Enjoy these other photos - including sunset, sunrise, and a beautiful morning walk through the sod fields and hay barns.  We just loved Haystack Farms!

On Friday morning, our caravan continued to Lane's Southern Orchards in Fort Valley, Georgia - this would be our first state crossing and as we left the rural northern Florida and continued north, it was a great ride.

Lane's Southern Orchards is another Harvest Host and they are known for their pecans.  All of our rigs were lined up along a beautiful pecan grove.  More drone shots - our rig is the last one in - 2 over from the pecan grove.

We so enjoyed Lane's as well - it wasn't in as peaceful a setting, but it was awesome - and they have a fabulous store / restaurant so of course we indulged in peach cobbler and grabbed some pecans for the road.  We also played a few lawn games with everyone and lots of fun and shenanigans ensued.  It was another fun night, and we continued to be so thankful to be part of the caravan / rally meeting so many interesting and fun people.  A beautiful sunrise and a porch sit and we were then on to the Top of Georgia.

We left Lane's and headed to "the Top" - another glorious weather day.  We caravaned with 2 other couples and took a pit stop at a grocery store en route.  

We love being back here and it's really nice to now be in one place for a week.  We could unhook the truck and settle in, which has been great and gives Paul a break from driving.  Today we took a walk and hung out around the rig and chit chatted with a bunch of wonderful people.  Tonight, we're doing a pasta dinner with everyone, and Paul is making his infamous Bolognese sauce - YUM!

Well, that's it for now!  Thank you for all of your love and support as we embark on this incredibly rewarding adventure!  We'll be posting again soon! 

Cheers & Love, Jen & Paul