Lorton, VA

We are currently 5 days into our 7 days at Pohick Bay Regional Park in Lorton, VA. We are spending a week here not because we love Lorton or northern Virginia (though we are growing more fond), but because the park is less than 30 minutes from the house shared by Jett’s twin sons. It is also very close to Jett’s 3 grandchildren. So this is a family week. I won’t bore you with the details, but will say that it has been a lot of fun so far.

It is also a week for getting things right with the rig.  I got two new tires for the truck yesterday, plus one to replace the shredded RV tire.  $550 and a bargain at that as one of her son’s friends works at a tire place and gave us his employee discount.  So we now have an upgraded set of tires to continue on our way.  The big surprise was the discovery, as he was moving tires around on the truck, that one of the inside dually tires was essentially flat; he said it registered about 3 psi (instead of the normal 60) on the tire gauge.  He removed the nail that shouldn’t have been there, patched it up and remounted it.

Note to self: make sure to test the pressure on ALL the tires, if possible. I could not test the pressure on those inside tires before I left as the stems were not accessible.  He installed some extenders and made sure that they were accessible, so I shouldn’t have that problem again.

Got an oil change, too.

We also removed the 2-seat convertible sofa from the RV last night and gave it to Jett’s sons for use in their screened-in porch.  We never liked it anyway.  We will replace it tomorrow with two new Amish oak swivel gliders that we saw in PA and absolutely loved.  But to get them I need to make a run back up to Intercourse, PA, tomorrow.  Three hours each way.  So that is what my Saturday will be: a 6-hour round trip in the truck.  Sunday will be a day of rest and teary goodbyes.

The Pohick Bay campground was chosen strictly because it was the closest campground to Alexandria.  I really didn’t have high hopes; as long as it was safe it would be fine.  But it has turned out to be much more than that.  In many ways it has been the best stop yet.  It is certainly the best yet in terms of natural beauty.  The campsites are large, well-provisioned and thoroughly shaded.  Squirrels and birds everywhere.  And hardly any neighbors.  We feel like we own the place.

The dogs love the squirrels and the nature walk down to the bay.  They didn’t see the raccoon in the dumpster, but they would have liked him, too, if they had seen him.

We had a thunderstorm last night which the dogs did NOT like.  But I did.  Hearing the wind in the trees and the pelting rain on the roof (along with an occasional falling acorn serving as timpani) while cocooned in dense darkness was a primal experience.

Next up: Luray, VA, and Skyline Drive. Then on to Tennessee and additional RV repairs.