Travel Day to Anniston, AL and Five Years on the Road

Five years ago today we pulled out of the self-storage facility in Cedar Park, TX (adjoining Austin) to a nearby RV park.  We commuted back to work as managers of that self-storage facility for a couple of weeks before hitting the road.  I mark June 24 as our launch date, because we began living in our rig on this day in 2010.

Five years.  Wowsers!  What adventures we have had and what memories we have made!

Once again, we awoke with no alarms and rolled out of Benchmark Coach and RV Park in Meridian/Marion, MS about 10:45 this morning.  Having done most of the ready work yesterday and last evening, it was a pretty easy getaway. 

Our first stop was a rest area on I-20 East about 50 miles down the road into Alabama, only to find that the facilities were closed.  No problem-o!  We have our own facilities, and I took advantage of those.  We boogied eastward on I-20 about another 40-odd miles for Dave to check out the rest area facilities, and I took the opportunity to give Maggie a walk.

Our Maggs is so ready to get in the truck once it’s running for leaving that she can’t be bothered to go potty.  She is focused and excited, and makes a beeline (with leash and me attached) to the truck.  Figured she could use a rest area break herself at this point in today’s journey.

We took the I-459 loop and skirted around Birmingham.  Definitely the thing to do, I think.  I-20 was of a decent quality – not brilliant but not deplorable – and we did encounter a few spots of road works which slowed us down a bit. 

Our last stop was about 25 miles out of Anniston at a – you guessed it – Pilot to fuel up.  We could have made the entire trip on a full tank with fuel to spare, but I just like to be topped off after the gauge reaches a certain point.  Dave got coffee and I had a wee break.  From there, we scooted on into the Camping World/Good Sam RV Park here.  It’s right next door to a Camping World and easy to find from the interstate.  We were here in March, coming from the east.  The couple managing the park at that time has moved on, but she and I keep in touch.  I’m tickled with that, as Linda and I seemed to hit it off from the get.

Site 18 – Our home for the next three nights.  Storm clouds brewing!

Maggie and I were out taking a walk not far away when all of a sudden . . . W I N D ! ! !  At that point, our awning was deployed.  She and I hightailed it back, as the awning was starting to bounce and flap.  Thankfully, Dave was already bringing it in.  (It’s an electric awning, opening and closing via a switch just inside the RV).   I tell ya, that wind came out of nowhere. 

View from the other side of our rig.  We are on the end of the row, with a grassy area on this side.

After the sweltering heat of the past few days, the breeze and abrupt drop in temperatures in front of this storm were absolutely delicious.  Dave and I stood outside for a bit just loving it and watching the awesome skies.

I see the folks across the road have returned.  They left a while ago, with the awning on their Class A still deployed.  Thankfully, it looks like there was no damage and they have taken it in now.

Don’t deploy your awning and leave it unattended, peeps.  The results can be . . . ugly.

Trust me on that one, okay? 

There is another entire section of the park in the distance.  Perhaps for long-term folks?

It’s dark out now and we have had very little rain.  What we are having, however, is a spectacular light show.  We’re just back inside after watching it outdoors for a bit.  We are seeing horizontal forked lightning with no associated thunder.  This is something new to me and it’s totally awesome.

I just did a Google search for this type of lightning and found out it is known as “anvil crawlers.” 

Cool.

Yes, actually, it almost is outside right now.

Cool, that is.

This evening I’m grateful for a safe and uneventful trip today, for five memorable years in this lifestyle, for good friends I speak with on the phone, for our home on wheels and the dependable steed of a truck that pulls that home and for the man in my life, my husband, who shares this adventure with me.

Thanks for stopping by!