Whenever preparing for an RV journey, there are always a surprisingly large number of small tasks that need to be completed before we are ready to go. This year because we were trying to complete work on the shed,.there were a number of shed tasks:

• Assemble the portable closet for the shed and fill with clothes to leave behind.
• Clear the shed A/C filter (filthy with construction dust) and set A/C for remote control.
• Get pavers for back of shed (to prevent a nasty, muddy splash problem in a heavy rain).
• Decide which stuff that was in the shed should be moved to the RV and vice versa,
• Store yard stuff (solar lights, hose, rain buckets) in the shed.
• Build a shelf for the WiFi router in the shed.
• Complete the final electrical, plumbing and construction inspections.

There was a lot of the usual vehicle preparation work too. This year it was complicated by our initial decision to sell the Toyota, later reversed when the offers were appallingly low:

• Clean out the car and get it washed.
• Print new insurance cards for both the car and the truck.
• Clean out the back seat of the truck and prepare it for Rusty.
• Pack the bed of the truck (but no golf clubs this time).
• Test and adjust tire pressures on the truck and the RV.
• Test the truck/RV umbilical connection.
• Test the slides.
• Update the GPS map,
• Update the “low clearances” map.

Finally the general “get up and go” tasks:

• Update the Escapees mail forwarding instructions.
• Leave mail forwarding instructions with the resort office, for those few pieces of mail that arrive directly.
• Tether the fiberglass steps to the shed (required by the resort).
• Gas up both the car and the truck.
• Leave car keys with the resort office (in case the car needs to be started or moved while we are away).

I spent some time finding and reserving a storage space for the car after we decided that (1) we wouldn’t sell it and (2) we wouldn’t transport it north. That was before I realized that the resort rules would let me keep it on our site. That was great news as it saves about $100/month and eliminates the job of getting it to a storage location.

All tasks except for the “get up and go” tasks have been completed.

But hope springs eternal. Jett has been medically cleared to travel to MA and we plan on spending the summer at Lamb City Campground, as we did in 2018. In the very same site. We are looking forward to returning. It might be weird with the COVID-19 pandemic still raging – our get-togethers with family may involve masks and talking from a distance. But we will make do, somehow.

So I have to figure out a way to get there. This is my plan for the trip (1873 miles, 9 hops, 19 nights), starting from our home in Fort Myers:

• Hop 1 to Citra FL. 236 miles, 1 night. This is just an overnight stop. If I have time I might check out the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville.
• Hop 2 to Hardeeville SC. 238 miles, 2 nights. The attraction here is Hilton Head Island. I have been curious about Hilton Head for years and this is a chance to see the place.
• Hop 3 to Fayetteville NC. 238 miles, 1 night. Another overnight stop. Nothing to see here.
• Hop 4 to Chesapeake VA. 227 miles, 3 nights. This is one of the featured stops on this trip. It is both a genealogical destination – I hope to see some of the places where my Virginia immigrant ancestors lived – and a historical destination (Yorktown and Colonial Williamsburg). It is likely that some of the places I want to see will be closed, but I will still get a flavor of the area.
• Hop 5 to Dumfries VA. 177 miles, 5 nights. This is the requisite stop to see Jett’s children and grandchild in Virginia. It will be a challenge to see them all without hugging.
• Hop 6 to Bedford PA. 166 miles, 3 nights. The two attractions for this stop are the Flight 93 Memorial and the site of the Johnstown Flood. I haven’t booked this stop yet because it is likely that one or both attractions will be closed. I may choose another destination if that is the case.
• Hop 7 to Watkins Glen NY. 237 miles, 2 nights. This was the destination when we had the near-disaster in the fall of 2018. This is to show Fate that we cannot be stopped. The main attraction is the Finger Lakes.
• Hop 8 to Lake George NY. 220 miles and 2 nights. I hope to see Fort Ticonderoga, but, again, it may or may not be open. If closed I will explore the Lake George area.
• Hop 9 to Phillipston MA. 136 miles. This gets us to our summer home. The trip itself will be interesting as it is almost all on local roads through fairly mountainous terrain.

If you look carefully you will notice than the longest hop is 238 miles, which means that we should not need to make any refueling stops while hauling the RV. That is always a good thing.

The 19-day duration is no accident. Because Jett is on immunotherapy infusions every 3 weeks, we have to make the journey within a 20-day window. She will have an infusion the morning of our departure and another at UMASS immediately after we arrive. We cannot be delayed on this trip. If there is a major problem we will have to figure out a way to get Jett north quickly.

I have done everything I can to make sure the truck is ready for the job. I replaced the right front wheel bearing (it was making some noise which indicated wear) and had the dealer inspect the brakes, fluids and hoses. I will wash it to make it nice and shiny and improve its confidence. I think it can, I think it can.

But I will be nervous until we get at least two hops into the trip. Wish us luck.