Thu – Apr 26/12

Woke up to rain on the RV roof and it was heavy.

On the weather channel the bottom of the screen was scrolling a Thunderstorm Weather Warning! Quarter size hail and 60 mph winds going through the area.  We decided to wait for a few hours as it was moving fast and to the east.

We left around 10 am when the rain lightened significantly. A few miles later and we were on I-81 heading north. The driving wasn't too bad. I settled in at 55 mph while it was raining. We did pass a transport being pulled out of the median on the other side which had the traffic backed up for miles.

A few slow downs for patches of heavy rain and construction and we soon arrived at the Flying J at Max Meadows, VA. This flying J did not have a dedicated RV lane like most. It indicated for RV to “Please use the outside lane”. I declined and took the inside lane. My gas filler is on the driver’s side of the back end or the motorhome and the gas pump hoses would not have reached. There was truck parking for the transports in the diesel side but not RV parking like most Flying J’s so we passed on Denny’s for lunch. This stop is right at the I-81 exit so it was a quick off and back on.

I programmed the GPS for the closest Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Christiansburg, VA. Most Cracker Barrel Restaurants have RV parking spots in the back. They are suitable for a pickup with a boat or short trailer; but not for a Motorhome with a Toad (car-in-tow) totaling nearly 60’ in length. 

I usually find an empty row and take up 8-10 regular spots. If none is available, at least I know the parking lot is set up so I can get back out. Unlike RV’s with trailers a motorhome with a toad cannot be backed up. It must be unhooked. This is not as easy as it sounds as turning takes a lot of room. It is best to try a situation where to avoid you cannot turn around in the first place.

We noticed the Motorhome that came in to the RV park and set up across from us last night was already at the Cracker Barrel – what are the odds of that? We saw the motorhome leaving as we ate.

Charlotte enjoys Thursday at Cracker Barrel – the lunch special is Turkey Breast w/Dressing and Cranberry Sauce. We both ordered the special. Good thing it was only lunch size as it was a large portion. After lunch Charlotte went through the store which always has a neat array of various items. She found a sign for the RV that she liked: “Wherever You Go…There You Are!” (How True!)

There was another slow down several miles down I-81. Traffic was down to a single lane. Two fire trucks were at the scene. Wow! It involved a Fedex Tandem (Double) Trailer and ….the same RV from the RV Park and Cracker Barrel….even more of a coincidence? Thankfully, it did not appear to involve injuries.

A few more construction sections slowed us down. The RV park in Gettysburg, PA closes the office at 7 pm. We made it with just 5 minutes to spare. Whew! We will be here until Sunday morning.

As mentioned (often) before - RVers are a great bunch. While hooking up a neighbour saw I was looking for the cable TV connection. I was looking for a green post on which the lady at the office told me I would find the connection. I assumed it was a wooden post. He pointed me to a green cylindrical metal structure and informed me the connection was at the very bottom. 

After all was set up and the car was disconnected we decided to just take it easy instead of going out for supper in Gettysburg. The leftover pizza from the previous night (RV Park Delivery) was even better tonight. 

It didn't take us long to fall asleep.