History of our 2003 Keystone Everest 363K – Part 2

[CWtheMan]

100 – Myrtle Beach, SC

When we parked our double-wide we worked out a deal with the manager to have it set-back far enough on the lot so we could park the Everest for loading and unloading. I added a 30 AMP power outlet. The management would allow us 5 days for loading and unloading. With the 30 AMPs we could run the Everest’s A/C.





We did a lot of upgrades to our Everest while it was in limbo. We added custom made venetian blinds for all windows. Surprisingly the added weight was not much more than the older window coverings. We replaced both – heavy – analog TVs with new flat screens. We replaced the heavy analog desktop computer with laptops, one for each of us. We got new cell phones and added a Wi-Fi booster. Took out the heavy old couch/bed and replaced it with a dual reclining, up against the wall recliner. Took out the heavy reclining chairs and added a single glider chair and foot stool. And we finally got a portable ice maker. I added some supports in the house battery compartment to store trolling motor battery. It was previously carried in the truck. About the only thing the Everest needed was new brake shoes. I also had a spare set of heavy-duty shackles made and installed them. I had broken a pair trying to park the trailer in a tight spot at the storage facility. They allowed me to park in a larger more level site wile replacing the shackles and I ended up staying there. It was quite level, only needing minimum blocking to keep it level and I had room to move it forward and back every 3 months. (I like to rotate the wheels 180 ever 3 months while in storage even though the tires would be change before making a trip).




When we did start using the trailer again the first few trips were all within SC. The first one was to Myrtle Beach SP. It has a wonderful beach area with clean restrooms. A huge fishing pier with a trinket store, fish bait and sandwich shop. The park store has a wide variety of daily needs.

Our parking site was quite secluded but large enough for our 38-foot trailer and TV guest parking.

[CWtheMan]

100-1 – Moncks, Corner, SC

On our next trip we traveled to Moncks Corner, SC. I had an aunt and uncle and five first cousins living in or near Moncks, Corner. Like my family in NC, they were transplants from Maine. My uncle had worked at the Naval Shipyard at Portsmouth, NH. In the mid 1960s he was transferred to the Charleston Shipyard and still lives there today.

We ventured south to the USN Military Recreational Facility, Short Stay, near Moncks Corner, SC. We had never stayed there before and were excited with the vastness of the facility and the features provided. Being right on the banks of Lake Moultrie it provides everything from tent camping to condos on the waterfront. There is a large marina section where pontoon boats can be rented for a half or full day. The whole facility is gated. The RV parking area has waterfront sites. The camp store is well stocked and has a large verity of fishing gear and lots of dry and live baits.

The facility is now a military recreation facility managed by the USAF. Here is a current listing of authorized users: Active Duty, National Guard, Reservists, and Retired Military, 0-100% DAV, Purple Heart Recipients, Former POW, Veteran Caregivers, DOD Civilians and Sponsored Guests.

We stayed 5 days, visited with family and enjoyed the wonderful sunny and warm weather we had while there.




Our site was a haphazard corner site up under some tall trees. Finding a signal for the dish was time consuming but I found it. We were a short walk from all the facilities near the park office/store including the beach and marina.





On the way home we stopped for two nights at the Barnyard, RV Park at Lexington, SC so we could browse their flea market.



http://www.barnyardrvpark.com/content/HOME.aspx

[CWtheMan]

100-2 Charleston, SC

The year is 2008 and we are traveling again. The Everest is 6 years old and holding up very well. We pushed it hard in 2008. After this trip to Charleston, we would once again go west for the winter. We would be traveling again with our longtime friends, Don & Betty.

On this trip to Charleston, SC we had a long time close and dear friend from Jacksonville, FL traveling with us. She had driven up from Jacksonville and would follow us to Goose Creek and then drive back to Jacksonville. Her husband had been severely wounded in Vietnam and had been paralyzed from the waist down with severe internal injuries that would later cause his death.

Don & Betty were on their way to NY where they were going to explore the Adirondack Mountain areas of the state. That’s their Montana rig next to the bathroom/laundry facilities.

The reason for our trip was to tour the old Charleston downtown areas and take a harbor tour. We had made reservations at the Navy’s Foster Creek RV Park, which is actually in Goose Creek, SC. The park is off base and not gated but on Navy property. It had once been a mobile home park, so the sites are large for RVs. The park is basically managed by a camp host.

Here is the current listing of authorized users at Foster Creek RV Park:

Active Duty, National Guard, Reservists, Retired Military, 0-100% DAV, Purple Heart Recipients, Former POW, Veteran Caregivers, DOD Civilians. They don’t list guests, but they are almost always allowed when accompanied by an authorized user.

We took a buggy tour of the old section and a tour boat ride around the harbor area. We also drove over to the USS Yorktown CVS-10 - a military museum – for the tour. We also visited my aunt and her family at Moncks Corner.

[CWtheMan]

100-3 – Tunica, MS

After more than a year and a half we were on the road again. This time, heading west with our traveling companions for the winter months. We were running a little late at the end of the summer months. Betty’s sister – Peoria, IL - had some health issues and they were leaving late. We scheduled to meet at Tunica, MS. Linda and I would have two long, for us, traveling days, both 300 miles, but all on interstates.

Our first stop was at Countryside RV Resort near Lebanon, TN. We parked in a hilly section near a nice fishing pond that caused me to stay two days. They had done a good job leveling the sites and placing the utility connections. We didn’t have to unhook, and we were just a short walk from the camp store where I could get live bait.



It was very unusual for us to leave early but we did because the next leg was also 300 Miles. We had a 10-day reservation at the Hollywood resort casino RV Park at Tunica, MS where we would meet-up with Don & Betty. The sites at the Hollywood are small and tight compared to other casino RV Parks in the area but for a long stay everything was very convenient. There was a rear entrance to the casino for the RV Park patrons. We could ride a golf cart to the casino golf course. There are three casinos in the complex in a horseshoe arrangement all within easy walking distances. The park office had a tour guide and provided van tours to local attractions with pick-up and return to the park office. We took the all-day tour to Memphis. We were driven all around looking at famous Memphis sites. The tour included a lunch stop at a famous Beale Street Café.

[CWtheMan]

100-4 Bossier City, LA

From Tunica, MS we drove down the scenic highway US-61 to Vicksburg, MS where we linked-up with I-20. We took I-20 all the way to I-10 in TX.

It was just a tad over 300 miles to Barksdale AFB at Bossier City, LA. We had a one-week rest stop reservation at the Barksdale FAMCAMP on the AFB. The FAMCAMP is located about 3 miles from the base operations areas and out of the flight path. To park with our friends, we took two pull-thru sites just in front of the camp office. Right after I got our rig set-up, I got up on top to do an inspection and took some pictures of the FAMCAMP and their office/store/recreational building. Rain was coming and it would pelt us for 6 of our 7 days there. We were lucky enough to get set-up before it arrived.

We did most of our shopping on base. We even ate at the mess hall with the troops one evening. We left base to visit points of interest in the area, mainly the casinos. We did drive-by trips to the aircraft displays but it was just too rainy and muddy to get out and walk around. The large storm front was heading east and right at the end of our stay it stopped raining.

[CWtheMan]

100-5 Arlington, TX

From my mother’s side of the family I had a total of 18 1st cousins, I’m the oldest. Two families’s moved south, mine to Fayetteville, NC and my aunt Flora’s to Moncks Corner, SC. With few exceptions all the rest settled in ME & NH.

My cousin Mike (3rd born) got a scholarship to the University of Texas. He majored in electronics and computers, got a job with Microsoft right out of college, married his college sweetheart and spent the rest of his life at their home in Arlington, TX. Mike died at age 62 from sudden death. On this trip west for the winter I decided to take the time to spend a few days with him and his family. It was the last time I ever saw him alive.

The drive to Arlington from Bossier City was 225 miles. Treetops RV Village (Resort) is in downtown Arlington, TX and within two miles of hundreds of shops and restaurants. The parking sites are old and under large trees. The trees are kept well trimmed. We got a couple of FHU sites with 50 AMPS and CATV. We just stayed three nights, long enough to have dinner out with my cousin and his wife and do a little shopping. Like I said earlier, it was late fall and we had reservations we could not risk losing at Yuma, AZ for three months.

I was familiar with the Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth cities as I had been to the LTV aircraft factory just west of Dallas twice. Once as a student and second as a aviation maintenance manuals (A7E aircraft) analyst.

[CWtheMan]

100-6 Crossing TX on I-20 & I-10

After leaving Arlington, TX we had no scheduled stops. We had been across these highways before and had already explored what might be there. The extra day was because I had to change all tires. We had started the trip on new tires but had mistreated them to the point they were all in some stage of tread separations. The tires were rated at 3420# at 80 PSI and were well maintained. However, we were traveling the interstates at 70 MPH+, well over the tires 65 MPH speed restriction. I found a tire shop in Odessa that would come out and get the wheel/tires, take them to the shop for mounting new tires and bring them back and put them on the trailer. The new tires were the same designated size but with a higher 3520# load capacity. It was a little expensive but, in the end, well worth it. When they came to change the tires, we pulled the slides in and had lunch with our friends and then played some cards.





Our next stop (285 mi) was for two nights at the Fort Bliss RV Park at El Paso, TX. We stayed the extra day to do some shopping and visit an Army Museum near the PX.



The next stop was at Tucson, AZ (315 mi) where we got really lucky and got overflow sites –W/E only – at the Davis Monahan AFB, that houses a huge aircraft graveyard. We parked, drove around and took some pictures, visited the PX and left the next morning. From Tucson it was 235 miles to our site at Yuma, AZ. That trip was on I-10 & I-8.





Coming next, Yuma adventures.

[CWtheMan]

100-7a Yuma, AZ

During our traveling years we spent 2 winters at Yuma, AZ. It’s location and nearby attractions offers a wide selection of things to do and places to visit. The local Yuma population will increase by at least 25,000 visitors during the peak season.

Both times in Yuma we stayed at the AZ Sands, a seniors (55+) RV Park. It’s not glamorous but it’s very reasonably priced and has location. I can’t find it on the net. It may be for sale, sold or had a name change. But the location is not what this post is about. The places of interest for visitors are the main attraction.




Golf: The downtown golf course; Desert Hills championship course was once a stop on the PGA senior’s tour. During the peak season the golf prices do not change, they are the same for weekday golfers as for weekend golfers.



The main Yuma flea market is paved with covered shopping areas. It’s very large and offers places to eat and areas with live entertainment on the weekends.



An hour trip up US-95 you’ll find Quartzsite where there is always something going on. You’ll see thousands of dry campers when nearing the town.



Just across the CA border on I-8 is the Imperial Sand Dunes recreational area. It’s also a dry camping area and is very popular with all sorts of off-road vehicle riders.



When it rains in the surrounding desert areas, flowers bloom everywhere. These pictures were taken while traveling I-8 to/from the Sand Dunes in CA.

[CWtheMan]

107-7b – Another glimpse what Yuma has to offer

The Saguaros Cactus is native to Arizona. They can live to more than 150 years. They may grow to 40 feet tall and won’t grow their first side arm until age 75. So, we knew this one was much older than us.



There is a US Marine Corps Air Station near the Yuma airport. It has full services including a Navy Exchange, commissary and medical facility where we could get our prescription medications free.



All the way west, situated on the Colorado River, is the Yuma Prison. It was probably made more famous by the 1957 movie; 3:10 to Yuma which was remade in 2007. Our pictures show how small the Colorado is just before entering Mexico.





About 20 miles NW from Yuma is Lake Martinez. They have an old, smallish, stern wheeler tour boat there that provides rides on the Colorado River. You can get sandwiches and soft drinks for lunch on the ride. It goes all the way to the Parker Dam and back. The CA land along the river is mostly federal lands where dry camping is allowed. The long grass growing from the river bottom provides nourishment for the many fresh water fish living there and is a popular fishing area for stripers and largemouth bass.





Most of the larger RV Parks at Yuma provide tickets and van/bus tours to places as far away as San Diego. We took a couple of overnighters to Laughlin, NV which included a free night’s stay at the Riverside Hotel & Casino. Our bus tour had bingo games while traveling.



With Yuma being so close to the Mexican border a lot of RVers will travel to San Luis. There is a large parking area on the US side where you can park and walk over and do some shopping. When we were there, it was a popular thing to do. We never did it. We drove down one time but decided not to cross because the reentry line was more than a 3-4 hour wait. Besides that, we were never comfortable when traveling in Mexico. (We lived in San Diego for 3 years, those trips to Tijuana were enough for us. I did like the bus to the dog track but that’s another story.)

I hope these side stories are not boring because on our next stop they are spectacular.

[CWtheMan]

100-8 Camp Verde, AZ

We had about three weeks left on out Yuma stay when we decided to leave early. The howling winds out of Mexico were blowing every day. We couldn’t open windows and had to be quick coming and going through the trailer door. Everyone said it would only last a week to 10 days. By the end of the third week, we had enough and started looking for some place to stay without the winds. We searched our RV Park catalogs until we found the Rancho Verde RV Park at Camp Verde, AZ. They offered a military discount for a one month stay and we took it. The park is well off the highway – about 2 miles.
The park has two levels. The lower one is on the banks of the Verde River and has mostly back-in sites. The upper level has larger pull-thru sites with clear skies for receiving our dish signals, and we got to park side by side with our traveling companions and right across a park street from the park office. The owners/managers lived on site and the park office and laundry room was always open.

Camp Verde is about 3000’ above sea level and surrounded by mountains. We took the very scenic AZ-85 highway up to I-10. It’s a 2 & 4 lane, well maintained highway. However, there are some steep grades to climb so a good brake check is recommended before going that way. Our trip on that highway was on a very clear day and there had been some rain a few days before we got there, and flowers were blooming everywhere.

We did some very interesting side trips from the RV Park, and I’ll provide short stories about them later. Our central location made most side trips equal in traveling distances. Camp Verde had the best shopping for needed goods. Other smaller towns in the area had all purpose stores. Their prices were a little high, but they could be very convenient.

[CWtheMan]

100-8a Verde Canyon train ride.

One of our side trips from Rancho Verde was to take the Verde Canyon train ride. From the RV Park it was about a 30 minute – scenic – ride to the train ticket office and railway station at Clarkdale. We got 1st class tickets and had open viewing cars on both ends on our 1st class car. The train is very long and that allows pictures to be taken when the train is in various turns.

The train follows the Verde Canyon to the far end and back. There are bald eagles and numerous wild animals along the way. There is a tunnel but my picture of it is not clear. At the far end of the ride there was a springtime wild horse roundup taking place and we passed some of the pen areas. We like train rides and boating tours and do them when in an area that provides them.

It was a clear day for our trip. We ate brunch at the train station and later in the afternoon we ate dinner at a country restaurant on the road back to the RV Park. The train served various drinks such as beer and iced tea. Most of the younger passengers were drinking wine but there was stronger stuff available like Rum & Burbon.

[CWtheMan]

100-8b - Sedona Art Mall & Chapel of the Holy Cross visits.

From our Camp Verde RV Park we traveled to Sedona a couple of times just to look around.

These pictures were taken at a large Art Mall and the Chapel of the Holy Cross. We are not catholic or promoting Catholicism. The Chapel is a unique design with a beautiful backdrop.









Linda and I come from family trees with long life Geans. In the picture above we were still pretty trim at 69 & 66 years old. In October of this year, we had been married 63 years. We are now both in our 80s, I'm 83 & Linda is 80. We bowl in senior leagues twice a week and travel around mostly in SC, NC & GA.

[CWtheMan]

100-8c Sedona, AZ

On another trip to Sedona, we just drove around in the rural sections of the town and took pictures. Here are some of those pictures.

[CWtheMan]

100-8d Kokopelli country



We loved AZ and all its wonders. As you can see, we were really taken away with the beauty of the Sedona area. With its, red everything, we still found a grassy golf course in its natural setting. Today I can’t find it on the WWW, and it may have been closed, probably for its location and area expansion.



We went out and took a tour of the Montezuma Castle at Camp Verde, AZ.





One more than one occasion we drove out to the Cliff Castle Casino for meals and gaming.

[CWtheMan]

100-9 Williams, AZ

After our visit to the Sedona, AZ was coming to a close we were looking forward to our next stop at Williams, AZ and the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park.

The trip from Camp Verde, AZ to Williams was just a little over 100 miles. We used the interstates, I-17 & I-40. The views with snow on the mountain tops were beautiful on our cloudless travel day.

We had made reservations for 4 days/nights. From there our traveling companions would head west to CA and we went east to SC.

It had been more than 40 years since Linda and I had viewed the beauty of the canyon. Time had really changed the ways to travel to the rim. We got there this time on the Grand Canyon Railway. Its lower station was right in the RV Park and we got golf cart rides from our RV sites to and from the station.

　
For us it’s a great way to see the canyon sights and leave the transportation - driving - to others. We took the train to the rim and rode the free vans/busses to all the popular attractions. We had upgraded our train tickets to first class, so our table held all four of us.

Don’t forget to go to downtown Williams. The original US-66 is their main street with shopping galore. There is also a nice IGA grocery store for your snacking needs, among other things.

Parking was close in the RV Park but doable. It’s all FHU but we had to use our dish for TV. The park office has a pet motel for your furry friends to vacation from you while you’re visiting the rim.

I think we spent just as much time up on the canyon rims as we did exploring the shops and restaurants in Williams.

[CWtheMan]

100-10 Grants, NM

After our short stay at Williams, AZ we said goodbye to our travel companions and headed east on I-40. There's not much to see on AZ & NM I-40. We took it all the way to Ashville, NC.



We didn’t have any long stops planned for our trip home. Our first stop was at Dancing Eagle RV Park at Casa Blanca, NM just short of Grants, NM. It was one of our stops without previous knowledge of the RV Park as it was not advertised on the WWW or in any of our travel catalogs. We had traveled about 280 miles when we saw a billboard for the park.

Couldn't beat the price, 10 bucks for an FHU.

We got a casino players card – free – and a $10 fuel coupon for their travel center making the stay completely free as long as you don’t play the slots and lose. We actually got 2 $10 fuel coupons as we both got player cards.

Paved walking, well-lit sidewalk (100 yards) to the casino. Fuel stop as you leave the RV Park. Good food and friendly atmosphere in the casino. Large game room for your underage passengers.

The RV Park and its office was inside an 8’ block wall, making it very secure. The reservation police made periodic visits to the park area.

It’s one of those nice finds often found when traveling without reservations.

[CWtheMan]

100-11: Amarillo, TX – Oklahoma City, OK

After leaving Grants, NM we were catching-up with a huge Midwestern storm front that was threatening the Mississippi delta country in the Memphis area. We kept driving all the way to Amarillo, TX (360 miles) until we caught-up with the storm. We decided to hunker down in Amarillo, TX. After browsing all of our campground references for that area we decided on the Fort Amarillo RV Park & Resort. The sites there were all level pull thru and plenty long enough. We had a FHU including CATV. The Park is located on a frontage road with very easy access to and from I-40. A super Wal-Mart is less than five miles away. We stayed there 5 days.

The parking sites in the section of the park where we were assigned all had privacy fences. Very narrow but still had everything needed. The unique thing is all connections are located in each fenced-in parking area. In other words, only your rig’s sewer connections can be seen while inside your fenced-in area. The pictures below will depict it better than I described it.

If you ever stay there, allow some time to browse the Lizzie Mae Mercantile. Trinkets galore!

I almost forgot to get pictures of our site as it rained almost all the time we were there. I was already hooking up the trailer when I took the pictures. A lot of other rigs had already left earlier, especially those heading north on US-385 or US-287.





After leaving Amarillo we drove to Oklahoma City and spent a night at Firelake Casino. The driving distance was 260 miles. They had about a dozen free back-in sites in their parking lot. The sites provide W/E 30 AMPS and were located on a freshwater stream. It was just a short walking distance to the casino back door. We each got a player's card that gave each of us a free $10 coupon. We used it at their fueling station near the RV parking sites on departure.

[CWtheMan]

100-12: Hazen, AR – Lebanon, TN

During this part of our journey, we were mostly interested in traveling. We didn’t stop long anywhere to look around. We had things we wanted to do in SC and wanted some warm weather left when we got there. However, I did wet a line at a few or the stops where there was good fishing in the park or near-by.

We had zero reservations between Oklahoma City, OK and Taylors, SC.

I forgot to mention earlier that we lost a tire on the way to Oklahoma, City. My truck warned us right away that we had a problem. The RPMs dropped and the trans went into tow/haul mode. By the time I got stopped the tire had been destroyed. Something must have hit the metal valve stem and knocked it off. I put on the spare and at Oklahoma City got a same size and load range replacement. It was something I had never used before (Goodride). I used it to replace the spare I had put on because it was the oldest tire we had. At two rest stops on the way to AR the temp of the Goodride was 10 degrees warmer than the other three. At the overnighter at Hazen, AR I put the old spare back on. Its temp matched the other three. I had no trust in the Goodride and got two replacements at our next stop.

The pictures below show the water level as we approached the Mississippi at Memphis, TN.

By the time we got to the Mississippi River it had crested well below flood levels and I-40 was wide open all the way past Memphis.





We will extend our daily travel mileage when on interstate highways. Our next stop was at a truck stop/RV Park at Hazen, AR (travel distance 375 miles). There was a sign that said to find a parking site in the RV Park and then go to the truck stop office/store and pay for it. All were FHU.

The stop/RV Park is called T-Ricks. There’s nothing there and it’s mainly an overnighter. When we got there it was empty, by dusk it was nearly full.



It was 330 miles to our next and final stop a Countryside RV Resort, Lebanon, TN. Over the years we stopped at Countryside about 4 times. It is about 300 miles from there to our home at Taylors, SC.

We got a FHU pull-thru and stayed 3 nights. It gave us a chance to make our trailer and TV shipshape for the home arrival. Plus, there are some nice fishing ponds there at Countryside and their store is well stocked.



This will be the final installment for this journey. The next journey will be to upstate NY, across to NH & ME and then into the south on the return.

We never planned on a retirement home in SC. However, life’s journey will often step in and change your roads to the end. Anyhow, the SC foothills area is a comfortable four-season place to live year-round and we’ve been here 16 years.