Home Again

We made a leisurly departure from Terrible's Casino Campground and headed South on Interstate 35. But not very far before we stopped at a Country Kitchen so Carole could buy breakfast with her slot machine winnings. We had a great breakfast!

Back on the road, we pulled into our Kansas home in Morning Deer Valley at about 2:00 PM . . . in the rain . . . so we left "The Bus" set in the road out front with the Blazer still attached until the rain let up. We went in the house where Carole immediately began to talk about bringing our furniture back from storage. She said she wouldn't be happy until she had a "Home Again" instead of "The Bus" which she now calls "The Shoebox" (Who ever heard of a 40 foot shoebox?).

When the rain stopped, I unhooked the Blazer and backed "The Bus" into our driveway, where I plugged it into an electric outlet. Then I called the Moving & Storage company to arrange for our furniture and boxes of 'stuff' to be delivered on Monday. Then Carole should be happy!

Oh boy! Now we can vacuum and dust the entire house top to bottom as it has been setting unoccupied all Winter. Then I can play pick-up-sticks in the yard before I mow knee high grass.

It sure is nice to be "Home Again"?

Repairs & Slots

This morning, HWH couldn't get "The Bus" in the shop for repair until about 10:00 AM and worked rebuilding the leaking jack until early afternoon. So we were not able to get back on the road until almost 2:00 PM.

We drove West through Des Moines, Iowa, then turned South on Interstate 35. At about 5: 00, we were approaching Osceola, Iowa, where Terrible's Casino is located. We have stayed there before at the Casino campground, so we decided to stop for the night . . . continuing on toward home would have meant arriving at our house around 9:00 PM . . . much too late to back "The Bus" into the driveway.



We parked in the campground at Terrible's, hooked up to utilities, and hopped the shuttle bus to the casino. We played the "Slots" for a while, the went to the casino restaurant for the prime rib and seafood buffet. I pigged out on prime rib while Carole struggled cracking a bunch of crab legs. Yes, we ate way too much (again), then returned to the slots for a little more action.








We played the slots until a little after 9:00 PM, then grabbed the shuttle back to "The Bus". Checking our results . . . I lost about $25, Carole won $50. So Carole has to buy breakfast!

Tomorrow morning, we'll be on the road headed home to Kansas and will stop somewhere so Carole can buy us a big breakfast.

Our "Repairs" are complete and we have enjoyed a little time with the "Slots" . . . but arriving home tomorrow is much more exciting.

On the Road Again

We got up early (for us) and promptly set about getting things around "The Bus" ready to get "On the Road Again". Since we had not spent any time yesterday preparing for travel, it took longer than usual, and we didn't pull out of the RV Park until noon.

The trip West through South Chicago was uneventful even though we were driving in rain most of the way. By late afternoon, we were still in Illinois so we called ahead to HWH in Moscow, Iowa, which is the manufacturer of the leveling jack system on "The Bus". One of our jacks has been leaking hydraulic fluid, so this looked like an ideal opportunity to get it repaired.

We pulled into the factory campground area of HWH in Moscow at about 4:30 PM, hooked up "the Bus", fixed a cocktail, prepared dinner, watched some local TV, and retired for the night. We should be able to get the jack repaired in the morning and be back "On the Road Again".

A Day of Rest

Our pace while in Elkhart has been too hectic . . . with the emotional drain of the funeral of Carole's cousin, Gabby, and visiting with so many friends and relatives, Carole is exhausted . . . so today Carole wanted to spend "A Day of Rest" . . . just hanging around "The Bus". We just relaxed, did a little reading, and watched a little TV.

Late in the afternoon, however, Carole had a phone call from one of her long time friends, Nancy Goepfrich Westlake, who Carole had not seen for some time, so we put "A Day of Rest"on hold and drove to Larry & Nancy's home.


Carole and Nancy spent several hours talking about old times and getting caught up on all of the activities in each other's lives.

Nancy's husband, Larry, and I had a good time talking guns and shooting while monitoring a Barn Sale, which they had in progress.










In the evening, Larry & Nancy, suggested we go to a nearby Mexican restaurant for something to eat. We all drove to the restaurant, but stopped in the entry for a quick photo op . . . that's Larry & Nancy on the left and Carole & I on the right.

Then it was inside for nachos and salsa while we waited for our order to be served. It was very good Mexican food, more like authentic Mexican and not Tex-Mex cooking.

After dinner, we returned to "The Bus" to turn in for the night . . . finishing "A Day of Rest". We plan to get up earlytomorrow morning to get on the road back to Kansas.

Indiana, Day 3

Today we drove to Warsaw, Indiana, to meet Joe & Marty Chandler from Fort Wayne, Indiana, at The Boathouse Restaurant. The Boathouse Restaurant and shops are located on Winona Lake near Warsaw in a very attractive development.

Joe Chandler was Dean's best friend in high school, Joe & Dean were in the Air Force together, Joe introduced Dean to his wife, Jeri, and was best man at Dean's wedding . . . Dean & Joe have been friends for over 60 years.

Joe's wife, Marty, worked for a home builder in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for many years as a Home Designer and Interior Decorator . . . so she and Carole also have a lot in common.






For lunch Joe ordered nachos and cheese . . . and was completely overwhelmed by the size of the plate and the pile of cheese covered nachos . . . not to mention the number of jalapenos and the bowl of salsa included. Can you imagine a restaurant serving a lunch plate that big? Needless to say, Joe ended lunch with a big carry-out box.















As usual when meeting friends, we all ate too much again. But it was a very nice restaurant in pleasant surroundings. This photo shows Carole & I on the left and Joe & Marty on the right.

After lunch, all of us walked and browsed at some of the unique shops and galleries in the Boathouse complex. It sure was nice to see Joe & Marty again.

Late in the afternoon, we drove back to "The Bus" in Elkhart, where Carole "crashed" . . . she was exhausted . . . maybe we need to slow down the pace.

Indiana, Day 2

Carole worked as a Home Designer and Interior Decorator for Town & Country Builders in Elkhart for over 25 years. Today Town & Country held a retirement party for Harold Miller, who Carole had worked with for nearly 20 years. Current and former employees were invited, so we attended the party, where Carole was able to renew acquaintances with people she had worked with over the years.








Town & Country had set up tables in their warehouse and provided barbecue beef, pork, and chicken with all the trimmings. Many current and former employees as well as several suppliers and sub-contractors came and went all afternoon. Carole was able to see many former associates. Of course, we all had plenty to eat.









In the photo on the left below, Carole is pictured with the retiree, Harold Miller, on the left, Carole in the center, and her long-time associate and friend, Carson Lehman, on the right. In the photo on the right below, Carole is with the Town & Country owners, Vern & Diane Heacock.
















After we left Town & Country, we picked up some fresh flowers and went to the cemetery where we placed them on the grave of Carole's son, Michael. As always, it was an emotional moment.











In the evening, we drove to Das Dutchmen Essenhaus, a large Amish restaurant, store, and conference center in Middlebury, Indiana, where we met Marge Davis, Dean's sister-in-l aw, and her son Mike, who had driven up from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to visit us. It seems like every time we make arrangements to meet someone, they suggest "Let's have lunch", or "We'll meet you for dinner". All we do while seeing friends and relatives is eat.







But we did all enjoy the Amish style home cooking and sat at the table and talked until they were cleaning up the place after the 9:00 PM closing time. I guess time got away from us, but we had a good time reminiscing about the past and exchanging opinions about every subject imaginable, especially the political scene.

Then the drive back to "The Bus" in Elkhart ended another very busy day in Indiana.

A Day in Indiana

We slept in a little this morning, then went to the Golden Egg Pancake House for breakfast, where we both had a Seniors Denver Omelet, which was perfectly prepared.

Then Carole wanted to go shopping . . . which wasn't a surprise. We drove to one of her most favorite stores, the Elder-Beerman Department Store, and parked in her usual place . . . just outside the entrance leading directly into the Women's Petite Department. While Carole got lost in the Women's Department, I wandered into the Men's Department.

Of course, we both came away with some new clothes.




Late in the afternoon, a long-time friend of Carole's, Dianna Jackson, came to the Campground where "The Bus" is parked. We talked for awhile, then all drove to the home of Peggy Hann, another long time friend of Carole's. Peggy lives in Goshen, Indiana.

We opened wine while Peggy put pizza in the oven, then we enjoyed a relaxing dinner while the "girls" did a lot of reminiscing.

In the photo at the right, that's Peggy of the left, Dianna in the center, and, of course, Carole on the right. From the reminiscing I overheard, back in the days when they were all single, they must have been the female equivalent of the three musketeers.

And so ended "A Day in Indiana".

Brrrr . . . . .

We woke up this morning to an outside temperature of 34 degrees. "Brrrr . . . . . "!

It also looks like another dreary, misty day and Northern Indiana is still waiting for Spring. The trees are bare except for very few early bloomers which are in the budding or early leaf stage. I haven't seen many trees here in full bloom, and this is difficult for the two of us who have spent the Winter in the Rio Grande Valley in Southern Texas . . . and have not been in the North during cold weather for a number of years.

However, the weather forecast for next weekend is for temperatures in the high seventies, but I'll believe that when I see it! We sure don't need any more 34 degree mornings.

We attended the Memorial Service for "Gabby" today. It was a sad and happy occasion . . . sad for his passing, happy for having been a part of his life. He will be missed.

It has rained here in Elkhart nearly all day. We are now snuggled in "The Bus" eating a pizza and keeping warm. The temperature this afternoon was only 42 degrees . . . "Brrrr . . . . . ".

Ugly Drive

We wanted to get all the way to Elkhart, Indiana, today, so we were on the road early . . . in spite of the heavy skies, constant rain, sporadic fog, and continuous mist thrown in up in front of us by big trucks. The one fitting comment I can make about today is that it was an "Ugly Drive".

The Redbuds along the highway were in bloom, but in the nasty, foggy weather, it was difficult to enjoy their beauty.

We drove roughly 450 miles today and never turned the windshield wipers off. But at least our new windshields did not leak a single drop . . . and that's the only good thing that can be said about today's drive.

We pulled into the Elkhart Campground at about 7:30 PM, having lost an hour on the clock passing into the Eastern Time Zone. Finally, an end to this "Ugly Drive"!

On the Road Again, Unexpectidly

As we were trying to get some things transferred from "The Bus" to the house, so we could stay awhile, the phone rang . . . it was Betty Lossee, Carole's long-time friend in Elkhart, Indiana. She called to tell us of the death of Carole's cousin, Darrell "Gabby" Waterman. Gabby's Mother raised Carole, so Gabby was more like a brother to her than a cousin.

Gabby has been in poor health for a number of years, so his death was not a surprise . . . but the passing of a loved one is always difficult.

We carried a few things back to "The Bus" from the house, and got "Back on the Road Again, Unexpectedly" headed to Elkhart, Indiana. The drive was uneventful and everything went well, although the sky was overcast most of the way. However, the Redbuds are in full bloom and there are hundreds, no thousands, of them along Interstate 70 crossing Missouri, which made for a colorful drive on an otherwise dreary day.


We have now stopped for the night at an RV Park along Interstate 70 just West of Saint Louis in the small town of Montgomery City, Missouri. It's a nice Park for a sleepover. Lots of gravel parking space . . . plus they have done a nice job of leveling the individual parking spaces even though the Park is rather hilly. Carole prepared a nice dinner tonight, shrimp and spaghetti. Delicious!







Tomorrow morning, we plan to be on the road early so we can make it all the way to Elkhart before dark. It will be a long day on the road . . . about 450 miles . . . much further than we usually travel in a day.

Anniversary

Five years ago today, in a little white clapboard country church in Hillsdale, Kansas, Carole & I were married, in the Presbyterian Church.



How time flies!

To celebrate our fifth anniversary, we went out to dinner with our neighbors and long time friends, Bob & Pat Miller. We went to a restaurant we had not been to before, the Timber Creek Restaurant in Louisburg, Kansas. It was a good dinner, the drinks were OK, and the celebration was timely.

I promised Carole a twenty year honeymoon, so we only have fifteen years left on our honeymoon. Happy Anniversary!

Home Sweet Home

As we were traveling through Northeast Arkansas, we passed through a valley when, all of a sudden, we ran into a cloud of bugs. The bugs began splattering all over our new clean windshield! We drove through that cloud of bugs for only about a minute, maybe a mile or so, and that was the end of it. I didn't realize how many bugs we drove through until we got home and I had an opportunity to look at the front of "The Bus" covered with big black bugs . . . and that's the only place we ran into bugs. Arkansas is sure 'buggy' in spots!





We pulled into our driveway in Morning Deer Valley at about 3:00 PM Thursday. It was a little bit of a shock. After spending the Winter in The Valley in Texas, where everything was green and the flowers were in bloom, then spending a little time in Alabama where 'Spring had Sprung', we were surprised that Spring had not yet arrived in Kansas. The pictures below are of our front yard and back yard . . . the trees don't even have any leaves yet!

















What a shock! We expected Spring to already be here . . . but I guess we will have the opportunity to see Spring arrive with all of the trees in bud and in bloom. Now, that's something to look forward too.

But it is nice to be home . . . "Home Sweet Home".

Five States, One Day

We finally got away from Red Bay, Alabama, this morning . . . although not until about 10:30. The day on the road was uneventful, but it was a pretty drive through "Five States, One Day". We left Alabama, drove through a corner of Mississippi into Tennessee, through Memphis, and across the Northeast corner of Arkansas into Missouri, where we have stopped for the night. Five States and we only traveled a little over 300 miles.

When we left Alabama, the Dogwood trees were beginning to drop their blooms and leaf out. The further North we drove, the more fresh Dogwoods we saw in the countryside and the more Redbuds we saw in bloom. It was indeed a pretty drive.

It's fascinating how much the countryside changes in such a short distance; from the flowered woodlands of Northwest Alabama and Northeast Mississippi, through the metropolitan landscape of Memphis, passing the Mississippi River bottom lands, across the bare flat cotton fields of Northeast Arkansas, and into the Ozark Hills of Missouri . . . an interesting trip.

We have stopped for the night at the Roadrunner RV Park in West Plains, Missouri, right on our route, US 63. We will leave here in the morning and head East through Springfield, Missouri, into Kansas. We should arrive home tomorrow afternoon.

New Couch

While in Red Bay, Alabama, where Allegro Motor Homes are manufactured, we have been referred to several people, all Tiffin Motor Home employees, who deal in Allegro Motor Home parts, repairs, and furniture on the side. It's a big market, which is apparently condoned by Tiffin.

Our living room couch has needed replacing for some time . . . the cushions are like big marshmallows and the fabric is showing wear. We ran across a young man who has 'near new' RV furniture . . . acquired when RV owners buy a new unit but want a different piece of furniture. The 'used' piece ends up in this young man's inventory.


He made us a deal we couldn't refuse on a 'near new' leather couch, which we had him install in "The Bus". So now we have a new couch in our living room.












Carole finds the new couch to be much more comfortable than our old couch. When she sat or laid on the old couch, it was so soft she sank in to the point where she had difficulty getting up out of it. The cushions on this new couch are firmer so it's easier to get out of. Now she'll probably fall asleep in the living room watching TV and I'll have to wake her up to go to bed.








The new couch is the last thing we are having taken care of in Red Bay, so tomorrow morning we plan to unplug everything from here and head for Kansas. We've been on the road a long time . . . it will be good to see our family and friends back in Kansas again.

New Windshield

Finally, on Monday morning there was a knock or our door . . . a Tiffin service employee, David Hester, telling us our name worked it's way to the top of the list and we should take "The Bus" to Bay #46, one of three bays in the Windshield Shop.

We wasted no time disconnecting from utilities and moving "The Bus" to Bay #46. Once there, we were told we could stay in "The Bus" during replacement of the windshields, but Carole elected to go to the grocery store. That didn't take long, so it was back to the campground, where we hung out in the lounge rather than in "The Bus".

















At the end of the work day, the windshields were back in, but they still had gaskets, sealing, and fiberglass work to do. So we moved "The Bus" back out to our assigned campsite for the night and took it back to Bay #46 at 7:00 (ugh) the next morning. They finished installation with all gaskets, sealing, and fiberglass work . . . and it all looks great. Let's hope it doesn't leak either.

While we are here, we also had a rear clearance light replaced and we also had a new wind deflector molding installed on the door.

So . . . now "The Bus" is as good as new (we hope) . . . so we can hit the road again!

Natchez Trace

Before Christ was born, deer and buffalo migrating and looking for food and water made trails in the 'Old Southwest', Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. By 100 BC, these trails became Indian trails for the Natchez, Choctaw, and Chickasaw tribes. Then the Spanish, French, and English used them and eventually early US settlers consolidated these trails into 'The Trace' extending from Natchez, Mississippi, on the Mississippi River, north across the state of Mississippi, crossing Alabama, and into Tennessee ending at Nashville.

In the early 1800's, farmers in the Ohio River Valley loaded their crops onto home made riverboats and floated down the Mississippi to Natchez or New Orleans, where they sold their crops and their boat, then returned home on foot or horseback following "Natchez Trace" from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee.




This trail was made a National Park in 1938 . . . a 444 mile long National Park named 'Natchez Trace Parkway'. Today we went North from Red Bay, Alabama, and connected with the parkway, which we then followed South to Tupelo, Mississippi . . . a distance of about 50 miles.

The Parkway is a non-commercial, two-lane blacktop road winding through the countryside . . . a very peaceful, pretty drive with very little traffic. There are no signs, other than an occasional National Park Service information signs . . . you know, the brown ones.





As you can imagine, there are many historic stops along the 444 miles of Parkway, and we visited several in the 50 or so miles we traveled. At one stop, we saw Indian Burial Mounds, eight of them spread over 90 acres. Around 1-200 AD, a nomadic tribe of Indians returned to this area periodically to bury their dead. You can see three of the mounds in the distance in the photo at the right.







When settlers traveled "Natchez Trace", they had to contend with wild animals, unfriendly Indians, and bandits, as well as the weather and terrain. One traveler wrote about the area shown in the photo at right, called 'Twentymile Bottom', "I have this day rode my horse five miles, bridged one creek, forded several others, besides the swamp we had to wade through. At night we had a shower of rain -- and I took up my usual lodging on the ground in company with several Indians."







The woodlands along "Natchez Trace" is full of Dogwood trees . . . they are in bloom and scattered throughout the area. We stopped at one spot called Dogwood Valley. The trees were beautiful.











Another historic stop was at the location of an Indian village. Their buildings were gone, but the foundations were marked . . . a summer house and a winter house as well as a stockade, which they used to shield themselves from the attacks of other tribes. They apparently learned to build stockades from the white settlers.









After about 50 miles of history, we left "Natchez Trace" at Tupelo, Mississippi, where we stopped to see the birthplace of Elvis, then went to a Chili's restaurant for an exciting 'Easter Dinner'. Then it was back to "The Bus" in Red Bay, Alabama, to await repairs.

The Tiffin Factory

The Tiffin Motor Home factory conducts tours of the plant daily and we have plenty of time available since we are just "Waiting in Line" for motor home repairs, so we toured "The Tiffin Factory" today.

The Tiffin Campground at Tiffin's Repair Facility, where we are staying, is at the edge of town, so we had to drive in to near downtown Red Bay where the factory is located. We parked at the Welcome Center where we met our tour guide, Red Davis, who began by giving us some history of the company and showing a film about the manufacturing process.


















After the introduction, we walked to the main plant, which is a huge building. As there was activity in only part of the space, we were told that last year they were producing 13 units a day, but with the economy being so slow, they are now only producing 3 units a day. That's a big drop in activity and sales, but at least they are still operating, which can't be said for a lot of motor home manufacturers today.


To produce a motor home, they start with the chassis which is purchased from Freightliner or Spartan , or manufactured in Tiffin's Chassis Shop. The tanks, wiring, and plumbing is then added below the floor level.












. . . then the floor is added along with ceramic, vinyl, or carpet floor covering.














. . . then cabinets, fixtures, and appliances are set in place.














. . . then the sides and roof are manufactured.















. . . then the slide outs are constructed with all cabinetry and appliances installed.














. . . then the sides and roof are attached, the slide outs are set in place, and finally the front and rear caps are attached.

After the unit is fully assembled, it is subjected to a heavy water spray to test for leaks, then sent to the paint shop.









Next we were able to look at a unit just returned from the Paint Shop and undergoing final inspections . . . a unit similar to ours, but the new model. We were also able to go through the inside which, of course, had a lot of new innovations "The Bus" doesn't have.


















Carole liked the kitchen better than hers . . . from now on I'll have a tough time keeping her out of the new ones . . . until she sees the $300,000 price tag!

Watching motor homes being assembled which will sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars was a fascinating experience, especially since we live in one . . . although definitely an older model . . . but operating and maintaining one gives me a great appreciation for what goes into manufacturing a motor home and the various technical systems incorporated into these units.

Touring "The Tiffin Factory" was a great experience. If anyone has the opportunity to tour a motor home manufacturing facility, I strongly recommend it.

Swamp John's

Everyone we have met in the Red Bay area has been surprised we have never heard of "Swamp Johns", let alone never eaten there. They raved about "Swamp John's" biscuits & gravy, which is made using Lewey sausage, which is made locally . . . and which everyone also raves about.

We felt we must be missing something great, so this morning we went to "Swamp John's" for breakfast and discovered "Swamp John's" is in an old filling station four miles out of town.





I had to go for the biscuits & gravy plus a patty of Lewey famous sausage. Carole ordered her old standby . . . eggs over easy with grits on the side. My biscuits were crispy, maybe over done, the gravy was bland, and the Lewey sausage was not spicy, just very salty! Carole's eggs were good, but cold . . . she said the grits were OK.



The restaurant was clean, but could sure use some paint, decorating, and refurbishing. They have a mural on the wall that looks like it was painted by third graders . . . maybe it could have been a school project.











One of our neighbors at the campground also awaiting repairs went to "Swamp John's" for dinner tonight because it had been recommended to them. Thursday is fish night at "Swamp John's". Upon returning from dinner, they said the deep fried shrimp was OK, but they didn't think much of the rest of their dinner . . . they were not impressed.

They said the locals probably thought "Swamp John's" was good because they didn't have anything to compare it to.

The bottom line is . . . we have ruled out "Swamp John's" for Easter dinner! Also I'm not planning on bringing any of the Lewey sausage home with me.

Waiting in Line

We arrived in Red Bay, Allabama, on Tuesday and put our name on the list for repairs. At Tiffin Motor Homes, repairs are on a first-come-first-served basis . . . so if you come for repairs, you're "Waiting in Line". There are about 75 hookups in the campground for RV's and all were filled when we arrived. An old airport runway runs through the campground, so the section of the runway extending beyond the campground hookup area is used for 'dry camping' . . . no hookup, you're on your own! We were assigned to the runway.

It's amazing to see so many Allegro RV's in one place . . . all models: Allegro, Allegro Bay, Phaeton, Allegro Bus, and Zephyr . . . with MSRP from $150,000 to $350,000 each . . . some models 8-10 years old, but most are more recent models here for 'in-warranty' repairs. A campground full of Allegro's . . . an awful lot of money invested!

















This is a section of the old runway where the overflow is assigned. The runway center stripe is still visible and the runway number '18' is still painted on the end of the runway. Fortunately, we only had to dry camp on the runway for one night during which we ran our batteries down and had to re-charge them with our generator in the middle of the night.

The next day there was an opening in the hookup campground area, so we were able to move and hookup to all utilities.





Tiffin has 49 bays for repairs and they seem to run RV's in and out of them quickly. Some of the bays are specialized for repairs of a specific type, so some RV's may need repair in more than one bay.

Rigs are always on the move here . . . new units arriving, units moving from dry camping to the campground, units leaving the campground to pull into a repair bay, units returning from a repair bay to await more repair in another bay, and completed units returning to the campground to prepare for leaving.

It's constant movement of RV's . . . like a giant game of Musical Chairs!



Most body and mechanical repairs have a three week waiting list. When your name works it's way to the top, they call you to drive your RV to a specific numbered bay. Lucky for us, the windshield shop is not backlogged as much as other areas, so they tell us we may be called in for repair next Monday or Tuesday. But that still means we'll be here through the weekend.

So much for being home for Easter! We'll just be here in Red Bay "Waiting in Line" for RV repairs at the Tiffin Factory Service Center.

Road to Red Bay

In hopes of being home by Easter, we left Gulf Shores, Alabama, Monday morning and got on the "Road to Red Bay", Alabama, location of Tiffin Motor Homes, where "The Bus" was built. Our windshields are coming out on both sides so we need the windshields replaced or reset. I'm told this is not too unusual in motor homes the size of ours and we decided the people who built "The Bus" were the most qualified to repair it. Besides, they have new windshields in stock.


As we headed North through the Southern Pine forests of Western Alabama, the sun was bright and the temperature was warm. The land was fairly flat as we traveled North on Highway US43 where we passed through mature Southern Pine, logged out areas, newly replanted forests, and young forests. As tall and as straight as these trees grow, they look like a field of electric poles-to-be . . . mile after mile.

We spotted an out-of-the-way RV Park near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and pulled in for the night. It was just an overnight stay as we were back on the "Road to Red Bay" by 9:00 AM.




North of Tuscaloosa, we picked up Alabama Highway 19 and began driving through more hilly country. We also saw fewer Southern Pine forests and more deciduous trees, which are just beginning to leaf out.

The dogwoods were in full bloom . . . a tree obviously native to Northern Alabama as the woods and hillsides were interspersed with hundreds of white dogwoods in full flower. It is a beautiful drive this time of year. Although most of the dogwoods in the countryside are white, we did see a few pink ones in the small towns along the way.


















We also saw a few Magnolia trees in bloom plus a lot of what I believe is Wisteria, small lavender flowers bunched together like grapes growing on vines climbing up trees and hanging from limbs like Spanish Moss as in the photo on the right. Mother Nature sure is beautiful . . . especially in the Spring.

Most of the homes and landscaped areas in this part of the country have bushes, shrubs, hedges, and flower beds in full bloom this time of year, which provides a very wide spectrum of beautiful colors!

We pulled into town mid-day Tuesday and went straight to the Allegro Campground, which is owned and operated by Tiffin Motor Homes, for their customers, Allegro Motor Home owners, most of whom are here for factory repairs to their unit . . . not visiting because Red Bay is a tourist attraction . . . but the "Road to Red Bay" is a pretty drive in the Spring.

Having spent the Winter in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, we are accustomed to seeing flowers in bloom all Winter, but there is something about the freshness of Spring colors that is more eye-catching and appealing than the continuous colors of a Tropical Winter landscape.