RALEIGH, NC: Home for 13 Nights

During the last 4 days, we had a wonderful time at the Raleigh Oaks RV Resort in Four Oaks with our Good Sam chapter.  We shared dinners, laughter and tales of our travels, as well as meeting some new members.

We're now back at the NC State Fairgrounds in Raleigh in the campground behind the Hunt Horse Complex.  We'll be here until at least August 5, taking care of some doctors' appointments  and helping with the Raleigh Hamfest on April 4.   Our long stay will give us opportunities to visit with our son, Mike, as well as seeing many of the friends we met during our 14 years in the area.

RALEIGH OAKS RV RESORT, FOUR OAKS, NC: Departure Notes

The Raleigh Oaks RV Resort in Four Oaks, NC is a large campground with mostly level  gravel sites.  The new owners have made lots of improvement, including landscaping, attractive cabins, two pools, comfortable club room with full kitchen facilities( $25 charge), and two very clean bathhouses and laundry rooms.  Free waffles with  coffee and juice are available most days.  There are lots of restaurants close by  as well a large outlet center and a JR's store.  Hookups are good and there is free cable TV and fast WiFi.  The park offers a Good Sam discount. Cell phone reception is good.

FOUR OAKS, NC: Catching Up With RV Friends

Yesterday (Thursday), we drove about an hour from Raleigh to the Raleigh Oaks RV Resort in Four Oaks, NC.  We are attending the Sams-O-Wake Good Sam Chapter's monthly campout.  This group was a big help to us when we began our RV adventures in 2008, and we are still members of the group even though we can't be with them very often.  As usual, activities include lots of conversation, some games, time to explore the surrounding area and lots of food.  The Bentonville Battlefield 150th Re-enactment    will take place about 12 miles from here this weekend and is expected to draw about 50,000 visitors to the area, so some of the group will be going to that event.

RALEIGH, NC: Back in Familiar Territory

Today we drove from Concord, NC to the Raleigh State Fairgrounds camping area on a hill behind the Hunt Horse Complex.  This campground was built in 2010 and provides full hookups on gravel sites with free Wi-Fi. We've stayed here several times in the past.   It's nice to come back to the area where we had a home for 14 years and have the opportunity to visit again with our son, Mike, as well as many friends.  We'll be in this location until Thursday, March 19 when we'll join our local Good Sam Chapter for a weekend camping outing in nearby Four Oaks and then return to Raleigh on March 23.

CONCORD, NC: Departure Notes

The Cabarrus Area and Event center in Concord, NC has RV hookups in a lighted parking lot at the rear of the property as well as spots in a side lot that is used for large events.  The rear sites are on a paved parking lot, with full hookups available as needed.  Reservations are required through the Arena's office.  There is no bathhouse or free Wi-Fi available, but Verizon signals are good outside of the building.  Leveling blocks are needed.  After-hours security is provided by local law enforcement.

CONCORD, NC: Hamfest Time

The drive from Gaffney, SC to Concord, NC took about 90 minutes with only one slow down.  We checked in at the Cabarrus Arena and Event Center about 12:15 P.M. and got Little House settled into a spot just behind the Event Center. The Charlotte Hamfest will be held in the Event Center on Friday afternoon and Saturday.  Chuck and Alan from Raleigh will be here and it will be nice to spend some time with them.  We'll be here until Sunday.

GAFFNEY, SC: Many Miles and a Long Day!

This morning, we left Hoover RV Park in Hoover AL about 10:45 A.M. Central time, and arrived at the Walmart in Gaffney, SC about 6:45 P.M. Eastern time.  The trip was marred by two long stop & go delays in Atlanta, a detour to avoid blocked lanes on I-85 north of Atlanta,  more stop & go to get back on I-85 and two more delays in the Greenville/Spartanburg area during rush hour. There were frequent rain showers throughout the day.  Upon arrival, we checked with the Walmart staff to make sure it was okay to park in the lot overnight, purchased a deli roasted chicken for supper and settled in to Little House for the night.  As is our habit for Walmart stays, we're on the perimeter of the parking lot with only the bedroom slide out, so conditions inside Little House give a special meaning to "together time".   :)

Tomorrow, we'll finish our journey to Concord, NC where we'll be attending the Charlotte Hamfest this coming weekend.  Since we put so many miles behind us today, we only have about 90 minutes of travel to get through tomorrow.

HOOVER, AL: Great Visit!

Our week in central Alabama flew by.  We enjoyed visits with Kathy and her family, Debbie and Robert, and many friends, inlcuding Joe & Carolyn who we first met back in 2011 when we were all considering becoming full-time RVers.  We attended the Birmingham hamfest on Saturday.  We shared many good meals with family and friends.  The weather went from wintry to late springlike and then became rainy - typical Alabama early March weather.  Thanks to everyone who helped make our stay so enjoyable.

HOOVER, AL: Departure Notes

Our stay at the Hoover RV Park was like so many before it - good full hook-ups, strong free Wi-Fi (although it did drop out from time to time), and a quiet environment.  The campground is blacktop and has islands with trees every so often.  If you pay for 5 nights, you get two free.  No reservations needed although I always call and make sure there isn't a special event going on. There are about 120 sites, all pull-through.  The ground is very slightly sloped and is on a hilltop so no worry of flooding.  Payment can be made by check or cash into the payment box on site, or you can pay with a credit card ($4 charge) by calling the Hoover Park office. There is no bathhouse or attendant, but the police and park employees visit often.  Most of the campground is very well lit at night - the perimeter tends to be darker.  The park no longer has cable TV available, but there are many stations available with an over-the-air antenna, and satellite systems should work well.  The are can be very windy, and very hot in the summer.  There aren't too many good camping options in the Birmingham area.  Hoover Metropolitan Stadium is just a short walk away.

HOOVER, AL: Time for Family and Hamfest Fun

Today we made the 6 hour trip from Sneads, FL to the Hoover RV Park, which included a fuel stop at the Flying J's in Dothan, AL and lunch inside at Denny's.  After we parked, rain started falling just as Hank finished most of the outside setup, and  now we're ready for whatever icy weather Mother Nature has in store for this area over the next couple of days.  The Birminghamfest is this weekend, and and that gives us an added reason to visit this area where we have family and friends.  We'll be here for the next week.

We've stayed at the Hoover RV Park , south of Birmingham,  many times.  It's basically a large paved well-lit parking lot with full-hookups, and good free WiFi,  and is located on top of the hill next to the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium (Hoover Met).

THREE RIVERS STATE PARK, SNEADS, FL. : Departure Notes

Our stay at the Three Rivers State Park campground was very enjoyable.  The 30 sites are in a wooded area on the southwest shore of Lake Seminole.  Most are back-in sites with a couple of pull-throughs lakeside.  Site 27 was our home for 4 nights and Little House was parked so we could look at the lake and the RV's in front of us rather than the woods and the dump station behind us.

Our preference for a future stay would be site 11, 14, 15, 18,  or 20 as we would be closer to the lake.  Site 9 & 10 are lakeside pull-throughs which would give you a lake view on the passenger side.  Water and electric hook-ups are provided along with a picnic table and large fire-pit, and there is a nice dump station. The campground office and a bathhouse is also in the campground.  As senior Florida residents, our nightly rate was only $8 - 50% off regular price.  The nearby small town of Sneads has a nice Piggly Wiggly grocery store, a couple of restuarants and 3 gas stations.  Verizon reception was acceptable most of the time for the use of our JetPack, and we could receive a few over-the air TV channels.

SNEADS, FL: Three Rivers State Park

Yesterday ( Saturday ), we drove from Old Town, FL north on US 19, I-10 around Tallahassee, then west on US 90 to Sneads, FL where we followed back roads to Three Rivers State Park.  The weather was very cool  with light rain, but the rain stopped before we arrived at the park. The campground has only 30 sites and we were lucky enough to reserve one on Thursday. Because we're Florida senior citizens, our rate is only $8 per night with water and electric.  The campground is on the shores of Seminole Lake. With the breeze off the lake, today is quite nippy with temperatures in the 40's. Hank pulled into our site instead of backing in so we could have a view of the lake and the campground out our front window instead of looking at the dumpster area and the woods.  Our tv receiption is iffy at times, but our Verizon signal is good enough for using the MiFi.

We have nothing special scheduled during our stay except for the usual grocery run and exploring the area.  On Wednesday, our plan is to go to central AL.  Weather issues in that part of the country mid-week may delay that.  Time will tell.