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| Each comments entry box in the guest book is limited to approx. 250 characters including spaces. For longer messages please e-mail us at morton@rmortonc.com |
Our Motto: Home is, where our RV is.
Travel Journal August 2010
| Areas of operation: Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. |
| Travel Journal August 2010 Begins in Marietta, GA and ends in Bossier City near Shreveport, LA. |
Our RV stood in a shady wooded area beside a pond in Marietta, GA (near Atlanta). We left it there on August 4th
while we drove to Ft Wayne, IN (see family pictures in the photo album).
After our return from Germany, we did a major sorting of items and determined that we needed to put several
things in storage, so we left the RV at the campground and drove the truck, making it to Ft Wayne in one day. The
trip also gave us the opportunity to celebrate Katja’s twelfth birthday with her. Renée and Katja made a day trip
to the local shopping center where Katja was allowed to fulfill a few birthday wishes, and then we all celebrated
with Katja at her choice of a restaurant (Golden Corral).
On the return trip to Georgia on August 9th we made a stopover at Mammoth Cave National Park
in Kentucky between Louisville and Bowling Green. After visiting the cave, we took a walk to the nearby Green
River. We encountered several deer grazing along the riverside that did not appear to care about our presence.
On the way back, Chuck stumbled as he stepped over a fallen tree, and acquired a bloody knee.
Shortly before midnight we arrived back at the campground in Marietta, dead tired, and immediately went to bed.
On August 10th we celebrated Chuck’s 67th birthday at the local Red Lobster, but the rest of our time in and
around Atlanta was filled with everyday tasks, except for our search for new bicycles. We took our old bikes to
Ft Wayne since we had chosen and ordered new bicycles but upon our return we received the news that they could
not fulfill our order. We had special ordered two bicycles with coaster brakes and multiple (8) gears. They do
exist but must be special ordered. The gears were not the problem. It was finding the right frames and in the
right color. Equipped with the knowledge concerning what is possible, we found a dealer in Dallas who will be able
to fulfill our order by the time we arrive there in mid September. Since we couldn’t go on daily bike rides we
began power walks in the evening for 40-60 minute. In the Georgia humidity, it really produces a sweat!
On August 18th we left the shady spot in Marietta and drove to Montgomery, AL, where we stayed until August
21st. Except for the inner city where there is a lot of ongoing construction, Montgomery appears quite rundown.
However, there are many things to see such as the Capitol, the governor’s mansion and the Rosa Parks
museum (http://montgomery.troy.edu/rosaparks/museum). We also drove through the Capitol Heights region
where the majority of the older homes are Craftsman, bought from 1908 and subsequent Sears catalogs.
As we drove further west on US 82 and Alabama 14 shortly before Autaugaville, we came close to having an
accident when a car in front of us came to a sudden stop and wanted to turn left off the highway. Chuck locked the
brakes but we are not sure if we would have stopped in time. Suddenly the driver of the car took off again, drove
up the road, turned off to the right then turned around to turn left back to where he had been. Apparently he had
seen that he was about to cause an accident with his sudden stop and then took off again to avoid a potential
accident. He could be called a true defensive driver.
We drove on to Selma which is also now the site of hundreds of RVs for sale by FEMA for $3995 each. They were
used after Hurricane Katrina to house the people left homeless.
We arrived in Marion, near Meridian, MS in the late afternoon and stayed at the Benchmark Coach and RV Park
until August 24th. In Meridian’s Highland Park is an old Dentzel Carousel, built in 1896. This carousel and the
carousel house is on the National Register of Historic Places. Another worthwhile sight is the
Merrehope House, a masterpiece of Victorian architecture. . About 12 miles south of Meridian is the
Causeyville General Store dating from 1895 and still operating but also filled with various antiques .
The store and the antiques suffered a lot of damage during Hurricane Katrina, which still can be seen.
As we left Meridian on the following day, we were subjected to an unbelievably bad road. I-20 through Mississippi
and Louisiana is perhaps the worst maintained Interstate in the United States. In Vicksburg we crossed the
mighty Mississippi and entered Louisiana. Our hopes for better roads were shattered when we
discovered they were just as bad, if not worse.
A few miles before we were to arrive at the campground in Monroe, LA, we blew the left front tire on the RV.
This was on I-20 in Monroe during rush hour traffic. With no place to pull completely off the highway, we pulled
over with about a third of the RV still in the travel lane. We contacted the local police who arrived and then called
for a second police car to be dispatched to redirect the traffic out of the lane several hundred feet further back,
so Chuck could back up enough to drive off the interstate via the exit he had just passed. It was quite a maneuver
but a lot better than trying to change a tire in the middle of the interstate! We pulled down the exit and into a
parking lot and changed the tire which was completely demolished. The remnants of the tire also caused damage to
the nearby sewer lines and wiring, as well as the fender well. It also tore the wiring to the outside temperature
sensor, which was registering 106.5° so you can imagine how hot it was outside!
But this wasn’t the end of it. The following morning as we pulled into the lot in front of the tire dealer, Chuck got
out to go inside and noticed that the tire on the same axle but on the other side had just gone flat. Apparently,
when we pulled off the side of the interstate we punctured that tire with some of the debris that was on the side
of the road. Fortunately, it lasted until we arrived in front of the tire dealer.
After having two new tires installed we drove to Bossier City, near Shreveport, LA. Instead of driving on the
interstate, we took US-80 which runs parallel. It wasn’t any better. We don’t mean to imply that all roads in
Louisiana are this bad. We have been in other parts of the state and have not experienced such poorly maintained
roads.
In Bossier City we found a very nice camping spot at the Barksdale Air Force Base and began to make the
necessary repairs.
To be continued…..
while we drove to Ft Wayne, IN (see family pictures in the photo album).
After our return from Germany, we did a major sorting of items and determined that we needed to put several
things in storage, so we left the RV at the campground and drove the truck, making it to Ft Wayne in one day. The
trip also gave us the opportunity to celebrate Katja’s twelfth birthday with her. Renée and Katja made a day trip
to the local shopping center where Katja was allowed to fulfill a few birthday wishes, and then we all celebrated
with Katja at her choice of a restaurant (Golden Corral).
On the return trip to Georgia on August 9th we made a stopover at Mammoth Cave National Park
in Kentucky between Louisville and Bowling Green. After visiting the cave, we took a walk to the nearby Green
River. We encountered several deer grazing along the riverside that did not appear to care about our presence.
On the way back, Chuck stumbled as he stepped over a fallen tree, and acquired a bloody knee.
Shortly before midnight we arrived back at the campground in Marietta, dead tired, and immediately went to bed.
On August 10th we celebrated Chuck’s 67th birthday at the local Red Lobster, but the rest of our time in and
around Atlanta was filled with everyday tasks, except for our search for new bicycles. We took our old bikes to
Ft Wayne since we had chosen and ordered new bicycles but upon our return we received the news that they could
not fulfill our order. We had special ordered two bicycles with coaster brakes and multiple (8) gears. They do
exist but must be special ordered. The gears were not the problem. It was finding the right frames and in the
right color. Equipped with the knowledge concerning what is possible, we found a dealer in Dallas who will be able
to fulfill our order by the time we arrive there in mid September. Since we couldn’t go on daily bike rides we
began power walks in the evening for 40-60 minute. In the Georgia humidity, it really produces a sweat!
On August 18th we left the shady spot in Marietta and drove to Montgomery, AL, where we stayed until August
21st. Except for the inner city where there is a lot of ongoing construction, Montgomery appears quite rundown.
However, there are many things to see such as the Capitol, the governor’s mansion and the Rosa Parks
museum (http://montgomery.troy.edu/rosaparks/museum). We also drove through the Capitol Heights region
where the majority of the older homes are Craftsman, bought from 1908 and subsequent Sears catalogs.
As we drove further west on US 82 and Alabama 14 shortly before Autaugaville, we came close to having an
accident when a car in front of us came to a sudden stop and wanted to turn left off the highway. Chuck locked the
brakes but we are not sure if we would have stopped in time. Suddenly the driver of the car took off again, drove
up the road, turned off to the right then turned around to turn left back to where he had been. Apparently he had
seen that he was about to cause an accident with his sudden stop and then took off again to avoid a potential
accident. He could be called a true defensive driver.
We drove on to Selma which is also now the site of hundreds of RVs for sale by FEMA for $3995 each. They were
used after Hurricane Katrina to house the people left homeless.
We arrived in Marion, near Meridian, MS in the late afternoon and stayed at the Benchmark Coach and RV Park
until August 24th. In Meridian’s Highland Park is an old Dentzel Carousel, built in 1896. This carousel and the
carousel house is on the National Register of Historic Places. Another worthwhile sight is the
Merrehope House, a masterpiece of Victorian architecture. . About 12 miles south of Meridian is the
Causeyville General Store dating from 1895 and still operating but also filled with various antiques .
The store and the antiques suffered a lot of damage during Hurricane Katrina, which still can be seen.
As we left Meridian on the following day, we were subjected to an unbelievably bad road. I-20 through Mississippi
and Louisiana is perhaps the worst maintained Interstate in the United States. In Vicksburg we crossed the
mighty Mississippi and entered Louisiana. Our hopes for better roads were shattered when we
discovered they were just as bad, if not worse.
A few miles before we were to arrive at the campground in Monroe, LA, we blew the left front tire on the RV.
This was on I-20 in Monroe during rush hour traffic. With no place to pull completely off the highway, we pulled
over with about a third of the RV still in the travel lane. We contacted the local police who arrived and then called
for a second police car to be dispatched to redirect the traffic out of the lane several hundred feet further back,
so Chuck could back up enough to drive off the interstate via the exit he had just passed. It was quite a maneuver
but a lot better than trying to change a tire in the middle of the interstate! We pulled down the exit and into a
parking lot and changed the tire which was completely demolished. The remnants of the tire also caused damage to
the nearby sewer lines and wiring, as well as the fender well. It also tore the wiring to the outside temperature
sensor, which was registering 106.5° so you can imagine how hot it was outside!
But this wasn’t the end of it. The following morning as we pulled into the lot in front of the tire dealer, Chuck got
out to go inside and noticed that the tire on the same axle but on the other side had just gone flat. Apparently,
when we pulled off the side of the interstate we punctured that tire with some of the debris that was on the side
of the road. Fortunately, it lasted until we arrived in front of the tire dealer.
After having two new tires installed we drove to Bossier City, near Shreveport, LA. Instead of driving on the
interstate, we took US-80 which runs parallel. It wasn’t any better. We don’t mean to imply that all roads in
Louisiana are this bad. We have been in other parts of the state and have not experienced such poorly maintained
roads.
In Bossier City we found a very nice camping spot at the Barksdale Air Force Base and began to make the
necessary repairs.
To be continued…..
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