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| Trip Report (technically boring) [message #204064] |
Mon, 08 April 2013 14:57  |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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Executive Summary:
A Wonderful Week at the convention
24 days in the coach, 17 nights on the road, 5 as guests, 0 paid campgrounds
3841 miles, 433 gallons of fuel (8.9MPG), 1 quart of oil
Repair to alternator (known issue finally identified) and the cruise chain.
Cost of repairs underway - 20$us
One each fantastic time......
We went to Dothan by way of the Nathcez Trace, NOLA and Pensacola. Stopped in Nashville long enough to get a picture in front of Antique Archeology's new second location.
The Trace was interesting, but not as scenic as the Blue Ridge. Vicksburg was something else (and if you have a Geezer Pass - FREE). If you do get there take the time to get through the USS Cairo (armored gun boat sunk in the Yazoo) display. Highly Recommended
From there on to Baton Rouge to get a picture in front of the Red Jacket store front. We did better than expected, we have Stephanie and Chris talking to Cadeau. That was when the alternator that I have been trying to diagnose for the last five thousand miles finally actually failed. That happened in about front of a Delco warehouse. They couldn't help, but pointed me to the place that could. We got there, I talked to the guy and he said he had everything it might need, but not the time to get it out. I took it out and carried it in and we chatted while he removed and tested the now (finally) failed regulator. He also didn't like the front bearing and turned the slip rings. That cost me twenty dollars. He was about to quit by then, but didn't leave until he saw it running and the output reading on my meter.
On to New Orleans and the Sculpture Park. An interesting stop. Mary wanted to see the French Quarter, so she drove the coach down Canal St. and across St. Charles Ave. She though it would be nice to stop for lunch, but there was no place to park the coach, so, we broke for the interstate to get out of town.
We stopped for a very pleasant late lunch at a place right on the Gulf. We got to the military park in Mobile too late. But the next day at the museum in Pensacola was good. Not as big as the USAF in Dayton, but a good stop none the less. Then on to Dothan.
A great week at Dothan. If you haven't been to an International, you should get to one. Next is in Branson, MO.
Then on to KenH's aunt's farm. On the way we experienced our second of the two casualties of the excursion. The cruise quit. The ball chain broke at the servo. I patched it with a piece of wire and it has held. Could only be there a day and that was unfortunate. We had to get along. We stopped at Warren Robins AFB Museum. It had some interesting things, but I would not advise going very far off your intended track to get there. Particularly if one has been to Dayton and Pensacola. Then into Savannah. Mary drove the entire historic district.
From there to Charleston. This is where my nephew's gallery show was on it's last day. It was good and we got to spend some time with him and one of two daughters. We also got to see the Hunley. This is also a recommended stop (not cheap), but this is worth adjusting your route to get to it. A pleasant day and then on into Columbia to get hooked up with my brother (also a sailor of course, but also an Airstream owner) and the other nephew for a good family Easter Dinner.
Then it was time to boogie for the coast again. The Cape Fear Museum is a good stop if it is close to the planned track. We overnighted at a Walmart in Morehead City only because we didn't know that we could have done so at the Cedar Island Ferry dock. The local campgrounds there come with much deserved poor reviews. (I didn't stay there, but when they look bad from the road...) The Ferry to Ocracoke was 30$ (15$ for 20ft, all or part) for the coach, not bad for a 2-1/2 hour boat ride. Then drove to the next ferry to get to Hatteras and the things there. The things there are the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum (a good stop), the Hatteras Light in the new location (Photo Op) and the Wright Brothers Museum and Memorial. A worthwhile stop (if you have not been to Dayton and the Henry Ford) that tells only part of their story. You have to read books to find out about the politics they fought and the actual breakthroughs that they made while academicians were arguing theory.
From there back inland to the Mariner's Museum in Newport News. If you don't already know a lot about the Monitor, there is a lot to find out there and a lot else also. The Monitor is not the only display by a long shot. Admission is not expensive, but is is a value.
This lead us to a long side trip to visit one of Mary's family discovery only five or six years ago by Facebook. A nice time in the quiet and the dogs played well.
Our plan was to stop the next night in Cass WV. The Cass Mountain Scenic Railroad is the repository of geared locomotives. Approaching from the south west was not a good plan. If I had examined things more closely and maybe worked Google Earth a little harder I might have figured out that this was a not a good idea. The track I had planed was described by Mary as a poorly paved goat path. We got into Cass later than planned (both worn to a frazzal) and were glad to find a huge open flat parking lot. I knew we would not have access to anything I wanted to see as the time was then too late. I would hold up right there, but the plan was snuffed by a ranger that came and said we could not. He suggested that we go up the road to a state camp ground where we could get a flat place for 20$ a night and power would be extra (no water). We went the way he said and never saw a sign. (His directions were not very explicit.) So, we turned around at an intersection (a three piece back and fill, but zero traffic) and went back towards town. We had been told we could not "camp" at anyplace we could see from the parking lot, so we went back the way we had come into town to a building supply that had a lot of space outside the fence to hold up there.
The next morning we went back to the parking lot and I wanted to find out where the engine's were stored. This took only a short investigation and we were welcomed into the engine shop. What a job those people have and are doing. Kind of like trying to keep a forty year old motor home reliable. Amazing stuff, almost like ship work. There are a few parts that a single man can lift and everything is greased.
We had a little more goat trail to get out of there, but I plotted a route that was up a valley to an interstate. So out of West Virginia, through Pennsylvania and into Ohio to spend some time with long time friends that were fortunate enough to get out of Michigan.
We are home and doing the required cleaning.
Matt
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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