04/09 to 04/12 - Back Home & CPP

 

Trip Back to CPP

April 9 to April 12, 2024

April 9 - Tuesday

Today's drive started off with drizzly, overcast skies in Paducah and didn't change much over the next three hours. Stopped once for fuel at $3.859 in Princeton, Kentucky. Crossing into another time zone, I'm back on Eastern Daylight time and lost an hour. In Shepherdsville, KY, the skies were still overcast for my overnight stay.

The Louisville South KOA campground is 20 miles south of Louisville. Once off I-65 and SR-44 you enter the campground on Tangier Road. A long but pleasant drive in. Either side of the long road was lined with white fences leading to the campground and office. Immediate reaction was positive: clean, well maintained, expansive, and after checking in felt it organized and well run. Click on the link above for photos of the campground.

An aerial view 

My site 265

With a threatening forecast of rain in the early hours tomorrow, I decided not to extend the awning.

A lot of amenities for families and dog lovers (as expected, lots of dog walkers). The campground was quite full.

My next door neighbor seems to have outdone me with stickers and decals.

April 10 - Wednesday

Today's drive was worse than yesterday in terms of weather. Drizzly overcast skies continued while driving through Cincinnati and Columbus. I-71 through these cities required extra concentration and attention to the road; at times white knuckled while mingling with 70 m.p.h. truck traffic. There was no room for errors.  Two stops: diesel at $3.949 in Lebanon, OH and lunch in Jeffersonville at a Pizza Hut. That was my treat for the day. How I miss them in New York.

The Mt. Gilead KOA to date has got to be the most impressive one I've encountered. Through the link in red above, take the time to scroll through the photo gallery to get an idea of the extensive offerings; truly a family friendly campground. It has everything. Of course, spending an overnight in the dreary, foggy, drizzly weather didn't allow me any of the amenities.

The young lady in the office (that had an extensive store with bar and restaurant; see photos in the gallery on the website), upgraded my site to one that had patio furniture, a gaming table, a firepit and a grill, none of which I'd use.

I took a 360º video to show the spacious sites and surrounding view.

April 11 - Thursday

Thursday was a long day of driving. I left Mt. Gilead, OH, at 8:45a.m. and pulled into the Bellefonte/State College KOA at 4:30 pm. Two stops added to the time, of course: lunch and another fuel stop, my third in as many days; an expensive one at that. Diesel in PA was $4.749/gal. The poor truckers; their usual "truck stops" including Love's and Pilot/Flying J were never under $4.30. I find them the most expensive on the road. On the stretch of I-80 driving through western Pennsylvania's wilderness and farmland, I had no choice but to get off and fuel up when the opportunity presented itself.

The weather improved a bit. I actually saw the sun, the first time since viewing the eclipse three days ago. Alas, but for a half hour. and the clearing was in the distance. At least it wasn't raining. It happened around mile marker 111 in Pennsylvania, the highest point of Interstate 80 east of the Mississippi, 2,250 feet above sea level. 

Some of the highlights for me included seeing yellow forsythia, the purple of what I think was the Oklahoma redbud tree, the pure white of flowering pear, the yellows of daffodils and the emerging brown buds on some trees. But throughout the nights the drizzly on-and-of pitter patter of rain on my roof was one I will never tire of.

Road construction and single lane traffic slowed things down but this is the down hill descent from the highest point.

The aerial view of the campground with...

...my campsite, #75 indicated by the arrow at the very far edge of the campground; a pull through with just water and 30-amp service.

Not as picturesque as other campgrounds I've stayed at and certainly dreary. I've stopped here at least 3 or 4 times over the years because of its proximity to my final destination, home. Old and rustic but for an overnight, it fits the bill.

Tomorrow, my last day of travel, I'll drive 233 miles in about 4+ hours to meet fellow Hudson Islanders, Tony & Doreen at the I-84 diner for lunch before heading to my final destination, Croton Point's RV Park. 

April 12 - Friday

Hard to believe that its been 163 days or 44.66% of a year that I've been away from New York.

Well, this ends my 2024 Winter Adventure. I'll be in CPP till the end of April. Winnie goes into storage until June 1st when I begin my Summer Adventure. It will be special this year. I have yet to visit/sleep in nine states: Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. The itinerary and plans are already set in stone. I will do it in fifty-nine days. 32 campgrounds are already booked and paid for and I will travel 7,473 miles averaging 234 miles per day. I hope you'll join me; that's a lot of bloggin'.

Till then, take care. Stay well and stay safe.

It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realize what’s changed is you. – F. Scott Fitzgerald