On April 15 we got up to hit the road, heading toward Alabama. The second COVID shot I received the day before had me feeling really achy & a bit nauseous. Happy Birthday to me! No matter, we had things to do, places to go & things to see so I pulled up my big girl panties & got on with it. Perry was a saint in getting any lifting & heavy stuff done but I’m still the organizer & had to stay focused on the details & making sure everything was secure. We managed to pull out by 10am which was right on schedule. We stopped at the front office at Fort Yargo to connect the car to the back of the RV & put Waldo in the driver’s seat. Then it was “on the road again …”
We had purchased a Garmon GPS – specifically for RVs – but we hadn’t spent the time to figure out all the nuances so we reverted to using my cell phone GPS as usual. Somehow, I had managed to kill the sound so, once we got on a long straight-away, I had to change my phone back to factory settings to get the sound back on. So frustrating!
We went through many small towns which is always a joy & we saw some beautiful open farm land & fluffy clouds as the day progressed. It was nice to pass over into Alabama – our first state away from Georgia on our quest to see the USA!
By the way, Spice was beginning to settle into the drive. Sugar – not so much. Here’s a picture of her sitting on her sister as she huffs & puffs & attempts to climb up into my lap for the 100th time.
Our destination was Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Perry is a retired Naval Officer & we are fortunate to have the opportunity to use the MANY Military FamCamps across this country. Maxwell-Gunter was the first one we camped at.
When planning our trips I use the subscription app “RV Trip Wizard” which shows all the campgrounds in a given travel range. I can click the tabs to see the details of each as well as the reviews by past campers. The reviews on this particular campground indicated the normal campground gate was closed due to road repair so we entered at the main gate instead. And the drive to the campground was a long haul all the way around the VERY large base. As we rounded the airfield, the following sign gave us pause …
The campground itself was clean & nicely laid out. Two volunteer hosts assisted us in finding our site & offering help if needed. Both women were retired Air Force. One had just retired after 20 years. The other retired a “few” years back – she was a spry 72 year old & loved volunteering. She had just finished mowing half the campground with a push mower. You go, girl!
We got set up quickly & I went to bed. I was worn out from the shot & the travel. Perry drove into Montgomery to get burgers for us. Navigating alone, usually my job, made it a challenge. He was gone for 3 hours before he made his way back to the campground.
The following day, I was nearly at 100% & so very happy to have the shots behind me. It felt as if we had been given a ticket on the life boat!
We ventured into downtown Montgomery for lunch & found a familiar franchise – Mellow Mushroom Pizza. Each store is unique but with the cool “Hippie” vibe it was originally fashioned after. The food was familiar & good – & we got to see all sorts of cool stuff. Here’s a couple pictures of decor at this location …
We drove up to Wetumpka, AL to see the little city featured on upcoming episodes of Home Town, an Erin & Ben Napier show on HGTV. It was getting late in the day so we didn’t stay long. A return visit to experience it more was planned.
A fun tradition one will experience while at a military installation is the 5:00pm playing of The Star Spangled Banner on speakers throughout the base. If outside during this event, you stand still, at attention or with your hand over your heart. It’s a beautiful site! When we lived on Adak Island in Alaska (NAS Adak back in the 1980s) we’d also be treated to the VERY loud Tsunami alarm being tested at noon daily. There’s an active volcano just a few miles off the shore of the island & that alarm was VERY important.
The Air Force base we were camped at was very clean & well kept. Perry went to the exchange one day to have a car tire patched (slow leak as detected by our newly activated Tire Minder system). They were BUSY so he had to hang around for a couple hours. We try to pick up lapel pins from various places but they didn’t have one so he just got a post card for Lily. During our travels we sent her cards frequently to keep in touch. (This BLOG is essentially for Lily – she will have a diary of her grandparent’s adventures when we are all lived out one day. Because of that, I throw family history & memories in randomly. Just an FYI.)
Here’s a picture Perry took of a helicopter parked in front of one of the base offices – just thought it was cool.
The next day we returned to Wetumpka to walk around the city. A visit with a local artist who had a tiny studio was fun. He was so excited to share info about the city Erin & Ben had put their stamp of creativeness on & how it has brought new business to the area. I was remiss in taking many pictures. Here’s a picture of a sculpture I loved …
Another day, we drove over to Selma, AL for a look at the city where, arguably, the Civil Rights movement started. The beautiful old buildings & wide streets were almost a ghost town in feel. It was sad to see the city neglected / abandoned given its significance in the change that started there so many years ago. The Selma Welcome Center & gift store were open & we were able to see the very nice displays & read so much about the historic events. There were a few street performers out, singing & dancing & playing some fabulous soulful music. And there were people gathered near the base of the Edmond Pettus Bridge listening intently to a lecturer. We then drove across that famous bridge & headed back to Montgomery, the same path the hundreds of people walked over a four day period as they demonstrated for their right to vote. Signs along the highway indicated were the group camped during the nights as they covered the 60+ miles. It was a very moving drive for us – I can only imagine how the actual demonstaters felt at the time. I’m so thankful for the change their efforts brought about & that ALL Americans have the right to vote because of the civil rights leader’s determination & sacrific. If ever you get a chance to visit Selma, take it! And make the drive into Montgomery – seeing the recorded history brings it to life & touches your soul.
Dreams during the night were about the people who live their passion & change the world.
The following morning we got rolling to our next stop in Mobile, Alabama. I had reserved a site at Blakely State Park. As I explained earlier, I was “learning” how to use the RV Trip Wizard program. I apparently had not mastered the nuances of the program & will be more diligent as time progresses. (The reviews are imperative to read, FYI.) I will say, the park was very pretty & the security to get into the gate was the best. Now for the lessons …
The website said this was a “not site-specific” campground, which means it’s first come, first serve at whatever site you choose. However, the gate attendant “assigned” us to site 28. It was a long pull through site (most sites in the park were long & pull through) but there was no way, given the tilt of the site, that our 38 ft motorhome would get anywhere near level. We would have had to put about 10 boards under the back tires to achieve anything close to being level. For those not familiar to camping, let me just tell you, being level is NECESSARY for both moving around in the RV without feeling like you have been drinking the hard stuff & for the fridge to operate correctly. That site wasn’t going to cut it for us. Back to the office we went to get another site. The campground was nearly empty so there were LOTS of sites open. The keeper of the gate then told us to move to site 6. I did mention the website said this was not a site specific park & she confirmed that but said she could only switch things around so much. (???) A look at site 6 did not pan out well either. The drain for sewer was so far away from were the RV would be parked we’d have to go get two or three more sewer hoses to stretch the length. We then drove into the many additional sites that were open & determined site 1 was the best for us. We went back to the office & told the woman that’s where she could find us. Later, we discovered she had friends she was going to give site 1 to but they didn’t show up until we were set up. Not a good start to the stay.
Our next discovery at the park was that they did not have even one bathhouse. In the campground, they had a glorified outhouse – a sort of toilet over an open hole in a room just slightly bigger than a regular outhouse. No sink or shower. About a half mile away was another restroom building that did have regular toilets & sinks but no shower facilities. This was a full hook-up site so we were okay using our own facilities but we do prefer a full bathhouse for showers & “other” needs. Lastly, the roads (ALL of them) in this park were deeply rutted & washed away & the gravel at the various campsites was nearly gone. A disappointing campground that was more expensive than most others we have used in the past. A check on other state parks nearby & throughout the state showed they were in MUCH better shape.
Our site was roomy & private & we did have some cute visitors almost daily.
We had a pretty disconcerting experience the first evening in Mobile. We were tired from the drive & the nearly endless hopping from one campsite to another as explained above. So we opted to go out to dinner instead of figuring out what to make at camp. Mobile is a good size city near by with lots of shopping centers (even a mall) & many restaurants. We choose Cracker Barrel because Robby & family gave us gift cards for my birthday. Good meal but Perry forgot to use the gift card so we will use them – maybe – next time we go to one. As we left the building, we noticed a car backed into the space next to us. The parking lot was sparsely occupied & we were not particularly close to the door so that was weird. As we approached our car, we saw there were at least 2 people in the dark car. Perry always opens my door which was on the side away from the “mystery” car. But the door lock didn’t click as usual – odd. I got in & Perry went around to his side & that door did the same. As soon as he got in, I hit the lock button. But our interior light did not go out, as if a door was ajar. Perry quickly backed out of the space & went around to the other side of the building. We got out & checked the doors – the back driver’s side door was slightly cracked open. He securely shut it & we got back in the car. The “mystery” car came quickly around the building at that moment & sped off. Now, what the heck was that all about? Were we being set up for a car jacking? We have out of state plates but it’s not a particularly high end car. We watched for cars following us all the way back to the park – none detected. Hummmm.
On day two we stopped at a really cool seafood restaurant on our way to see the USS Alabama & Museum. As we parked, our friend Pam Fox called to chat so we stayed in the car for a bit. So glad we did as we had front row seats to the most hilarious couple & their shenanigans! The man parked the car right in the middle of the parking lot, not even remotely getting into a marked spot. They got out & slowly ambled toward the restaurant door. But they returned a few minutes later. The woman was in need of assistance on her side of the truck but the man took no notice & just got in the driver’s seat. She managed to swing herself up in the truck just before he started rolling. I could see her leg still dangling out the open door on the passenger side! He did proceed slowly but – dang! And off they went. People watching is always entertaining.
The food at the restaurant was great & the restaurant was so wonderfully quirky in it’s decor! AND they had a HUGE resident gator that sunned herself on the shore nearby. The server said they had a big storm last fall & this gator was found swimming in the front parking lot the following day. She has since made her home on the other side of the building where guests get to watch & take pictures of her.
We continued on to our site seeing adventure … the Battleship! Here are a few pictures from our visit. The ship‘s bell, the ship itself, a statue of a serviceman taking his oath as he entered the service to defend his country & it’s values, even when that meant fighting for freedom in & for other countries. I took a picture of Perry standing in front of a plane like one his dad worked on during his time in the Navy. Another picture is of “The Black Bird” which was a spy plane that took pictures over Russia. I took pictures of a couple old – & well preserved – military cars on display. And then there’s a picture of a great display about how women were also part of the military during the time of Vietnam. As a former service member myself, I feel recognizing & remembering their role is so important.
The museum was well done & the displays were spot on. I was particularly moved by the “sock tree”. At nearly the end of the Vietnam War, the American prisoners were given socks by their captors. The servicemen created a tree on the wall, similar to this one, to mark the upcoming holiday. The guards saw it but didn’t make a fuss to remove it so the Americans fashioned “ornaments” out of scrap paper to adorn the tree. Simple things sustained these men who survived their captivity – soon to be set free & returned to their home country. Can you even imagine their plight? The “tree” moved me to tears.
Another day we drove over to Pensacola, Florida to visit the Naval Air Station & Museum. It was spectacular! The Navy Blue Angels train at this facility & perform frequently in the skies. We didn’t get to see them this go around but have seen them at past events in various other locations. Below are many pictures I took during our visit.
This was a guy laying on the floor taking a picture of the Blue Angel’s planes above – he’s serious about his photography. If I had gotten down on the floor I would have had an advance plan on how to get up!
Perry went into a tiny little post office on the way back to Mobile to get stamps for the post cards we were sending to Lily. The stamps were 38 cents each & he got a card of 10. The single clerk there used a calculator to determine the total would be $3.80. Sometimes that multiplication skill can be challenging, you know. Perry gave her a $5 bill. She looked at him & then the calculator & then him & then the calculator. She couldn’t figure out how to subtract the $3.80 from the $5 to make change without cancelling the $3.80 that showed on the calculator at that moment. Perry just smiled & told her the change would be $1.20. She gave him the change & his stamps & a sweet smile. Life is hard sometimes.
The following evening, we drove over to Foley, Alabama to visit with one of my friends from High School back in Bradenton, Florida. Cindy Lahah is now Cindy Mason, married to Matt, a super fella I was anxious to meet! We talked for a good while at their house, then went to a great little seafood place for dinner (can’t remember the name of it though). It was busy so we knew it was going to be good – & it was! I so wish we had gone over to see Cindy & Matt earlier in the day so we could have spent more time with them! And we forgot to take pictures! Sheesh!
On our last day in camp we made good use of the time by doing a bit of RV maintenance & organizing. Perry replaced the anode rod in the hot water heater (should be done at least yearly but it appears from the deterioration, it has NEVER been replaced since it was originally put there in 2016. He also mounted hooks over the door to hang the beautiful maple rolling pin our friends Michelle & Joe Walker crafted. It will be used as a rolling pin but can be used as a Billy Stick if an intruder should ever try to enter. Lastly, I cleaned up the “control center” at the front of the RV – the loose cords & random mess was making me crazy.
Also, Perry cooked up a huge amount of bacon on the Blackstone grill which we froze for future breakfasts & such.
It was a busy but productive day in camp.
Time to move on to Mississippi!
Not all who wander are lost! #whereswaldocamping