Our Wander Years

Stone Mountain Park

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Sparky

The carved face of Stone Mountain

3-D theater

Stone Mountain Park claims to be “Georgia’s most popular attraction.” I can understand the appeal. There is something for everybody, though it seems to be more adult-oriented than, say, Disney World. The things that would appeal to kids are:

the adventure course
the 3-D theater
the train ride
a petting zoo

It has, for adults, two golf courses, hiking trails and a museum. The cable ride to the top of the mountain and the historic square appeal to all ages.

Train station

Adventure course

In the center of the park, carved into the rock face, is the largest bas-relief in the world – a depiction of the three great heroes of the Confederacy, Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson Davis. It is not a great piece of art, nor is it as epic as Mount Rushmore. But it is worth seeing. Viewing it is one of the things you can do for free once you pay your $20 to get your car into the park.

Desolate museum hallway

When I viewed the mountain the park was preparing for “Snow Mountain“, a snow festival that runs from mid-November to mid-February. The festival centers around a huge snowtube slide that runs from the museum to the base of the rock. My first thought was that using this key space for that kind of entertainment was nearly sacrilegious, like setting up a bowling alley in The Louvre. But after mulling it a bit, I think I understand. The rock art, while interesting, really only grabs one’s interest for about a minute. A 400-foot snowtube course, on the other hand, can amuse a family for hours. Definitely something that would add to the appeal of the park as a destination.

The park is open year-round, but I got the impression that this time of year is its off season. When we arrived at the campground it was probably no more than 25% full. The Native American Pow-Wow was attracting some visitors (see my previous post), but the rest of the attractions were desolate. How many people do you see at the train station or the theater in my photos above? None. And the adventure course was closed, as were all of the refreshment stations. I walked through the museum hallway to the gift shop (also empty) and saw no one except for a very bored guard who was struggling to stay awake. Almost spooky.

So Disney World it’s not.

Maybe that is a good thing.

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Stone Mountain: Native American Pow-Wow

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Sparky

Vendor area

Native dance

Quite by accident we arrived at the Stone Mountain Park just in time for the start of the annual 4-day Native American Festival and Pow-Wow. It was an unexpected opportunity to meet some real Native Americans and to buy some authentic Indian gifts for the grandchildren. We also had, for lunch, Indian tacos (made with frybread) and watched some tribal dancing. A good time, even though the weather was less than ideal – we got home just before the skies opened up.

The Pow-Wow was held in Stone Mountain’s “Historic Square” area, which is a small collection of authentic historic buildings from the south, including slave quarters. It is a very small version of Sturbridge Village or Greenfield Village, but interesting. I found the ancient barn and the slave quarters the most interesting.

We were warned that there would be a LOT of schoolchildren there on Thursday and that was accurate. But they were well-behaved and didn’t ruin the day.

Ancient barn

Jett at the slave quarters

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TS4 Hop 4: Trenton GA to Stone Mountain GA

Posted on November 1, 2018 by Sparky

TS4-2 Hop 4

150 miles via I-59, I-24, I-75, I-285 (around Atlanta), US 78, GA 10 and local roads. Cumulative tow miles: 421. Truck miles: 242. Cumulative truck miles: 784. The extra truck miles were primarily due to my visit to the Chickamauga battlefield and Lookout Mountain (see my previous post).

This was a fairly easy hop, mostly on interstate roads, in clear weather. However, the GPS made it more interesting by failing to function, putting the navigation burden on Jett who guided me using the printed map and, as we neared the destination, the GPS on her phone. I guess the GPS failure was our “ding” on this hop, but a minor one. Jett actually relished her role as navigator. I doubt if she would have had as much fun if the route had been more difficult.

Traffic was heavy and there were several points at which I had to brake hard. I am happy to report that the brake controller is working fine and the RV brakes assisted very well.

I knew that our destination – the campground at Stone Mountain – was within the park boundaries. However, I was surprised to discover that it costs $20 to even get into the park. Hope it is worth it. The toll booth was interesting in that it was very tight – I squeezed through with maybe 6 inches to spare.

Our home in the Chattanooga area was the Lookout Mountain / Chattanooga West KOA Holiday, a very nice park on the side of a mountain southwest of Chattanooga. I really liked this campground. It was very scenic, with large shaded sites, beautifully maintained facilities (including a very nice dog park) and friendly, efficient staff. I think it may be the nicest KOA we have ever visited. And they were all decked out for Halloween, although I did not see any children in the campground while we were there. Still, it added to the festive, fun atmosphere. Recommended.

Black cat at the office

Bounce pad (flat)

Dog park

Our site

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Chickamauga Battlefield and Lookout Mountain

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Sparky

Chickamauga fields

Monday was beautiful, though a bit coolish, in Chattanooga. I was feeling a bit sniffly, but decided to ignore my stuffy nose and take advantage of the clear skies to get some photos at Chickamauga National Military Park and Lookout Mountain, sites of two very significant Civil War battles. Significant for the outcome of the war and very significant to the 10,000 men who died there.

The Chickamauga battlefield is huge – larger than Gettysburg – and the battle of Chickamauga is second only to Gettysburg in the number of casualties (about 35,000). But the battlefield is not nearly as dramatic as Gettysburg, consisting mostly of woods and fields on relatively flat terrain. No Little Round Top, no Devil’s Den, no Missionary Ridge. But it is scenic in its own way and was definitely worth a visit.

Visitor’s Center

I started at the Visitor’s Center and viewed a 26-minute film that put the battle into context for me. It came just a few months after Gettysburg and was the Confederacy’s last best chance to regain control of the war. The Battle of Chickamauga was, technically, a Confederate victory, but not a conclusive one. Both sides were battered and the Union forces were able to withdraw to Chattanooga. The Confederates laid siege to Chattanooga but were unable to roust the Union army who retained control of this vital railroad crossroads. Ultimately, Ulysses S. Grant took control of the Union army there and was able to break the siege with battles on Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. That opened the way for Sherman’s march to the sea which broke the back of the Confederacy.

Marker at The Gap

As at Gettysburg, the battlefield is sprinkled with monuments to individual brigades that were significant in the battle. There are also many permanent markers that describe the action that took place at that point. It is hard now – particularly on a bright, calm, sunny day – to imagine the carnage that took place on that battlefield over 150 years ago.

View from Point Park

The Battle on Lookout Mountain became known as “The Battle Above the Clouds” because it occurred high up on Lookout Mountain, perhaps some 400 to 500 feet above Chattanooga. The promontory overlooking Chattanooga is now Point Park and is popular more for the vistas than the history. It is easy to see how an army that controlled this mountain could control Chattanooga.

It was a good day of tourism, but I didn’t see Chattanooga itself. I will have to leave that for another trip.

Artillery in Point Park

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TS4-2 Hop 3: Walland TN to Trenton GA

Posted on October 30, 2018 by Sparky

TS4-2 Hop 3

134 miles via US 321, US 11, I-75, I-24, I-59 and local roads with a rest stop at the halfway point. Cumulative tow miles: 271. Truck miles: 189. Cumulative truck miles: 542. The extra truck miles were incurred primarily in our trip out to Tellico Village to visit with friends Roy and Patricia.

Whispering River

This hop had a little glitch at the start – I discovered, when trying to pull the awning in after disconnecting the power (and therefore running off of battery) that the RV’s entire 12V system was inoperative. Fortunately I knew exactly where to look – the breaker reset in the front basement – so that was easily solved.

The rest of the trip was relatively smooth and pleasant. I-75 through Tennessee is a beautiful road, a joy to travel. But I-24 and I-59 were pretty rough, so things got jumbled a bit.

We stopped for a break at the halfway point, primarily so we could shut off the blower. Remember, I now have to open the hood and remove a breaker to shut it down. It was pretty warm by that point – about 72 – so no heat was needed.

The cozy sitting area in the office

Our two nights – reduced from the original planned 3 nights due to the truck’s turbo problem – in Walland were at the Whispering River RV Resort. This is a park with very nice facilities – one of the most attractive offices that I have ever seen and a very nice bathhouse/laundry room. It also had a very good cable TV system. What it didn’t have was Verizon connectivity – it was as bad as Chenango Shores. We couldn’t reliably make phone calls and had very spotty internet service. The campground has WiFi, but it was heavily used and very slow.

Snoring Bear Diner

It was also very cold – in the low 50’s for highs – both days, but I can’t fault the campground for the lousy weather.

Walland itself is a hole in the wall. It is very rural. We had to go over 7 miles into Maryville to get fuel. But Walland does have the Snoring Bear Diner, a cute little place serving very tasty pancakes and eggs. The service was outstanding and we both enjoyed our meals very much. It was definitely the best of Walland. If you are ever in Walland TN (and why would you be?), stop by the Snoring Bear.

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Another day, another truck failure

Posted on October 28, 2018 by Sparky

This is getting ridiculous, in a sad, annoying way. It seems like every day there is a new problem with the truck. Because there is. Yesterday, as we were delivering donated food and towels to the local pet shelter on a cold, drizzly day, I shut off the truck… and the blower continued to run. It just wouldn’t shut off. Started the truck again, turned it off, blower still on. Started the truck, manipulated the controls for the heat, shut off the heat, blower continued to run. Tried pulling fuses, blower continued to run.

We finally had to find a tire/auto service place where a guy was available to look at the problem. He showed me the OTHER fuse box, under the hood. He found the fuse that controlled the blower and pulled it. That stopped the blower.

So we have to limp our way to Florida with the blower either on (fuse in) or off (fuse out), with no control over the heat level.

Sheesh. What a weird problem!

I should mention that the heat system was already a little screwy. Starting sometime this summer – probably around the time the main computer was replaced – the heat controls worked on one side only (we have left/right heat level controls); the left side always blew cold air.

Something else to be looked at when we get to Florida.

If we get to Florida. With a problem on every hop we have 5 more problems to look forward to.

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TS4-2 Hop 2: Sevierville TN to Walland TN

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Sparky

TS4-2 Hop 2

27 miles via TN 338, US 411/441 and local streets. Cumulative tow miles: 137. Truck miles: 85. Cumulative truck miles: 313. The additional truck miles were due to the 50-mile round trip to Tennessee Fleet Service to fix the engine “whoosh” and the trip out for dinner and fuel.

This was the most stressful 27-mile hop ever, due to the narrowness of the local roads we traveled and the GPS’s strident insistence that we should NOT BE ON THESE ROADS. It’s preferred route was 14 miles longer. That baffled me. True, the 10 miles on those local roads were stressful, but there were no low bridges, no weight resrictions and no truck prohibitions. In fact we had to share he road with some 18-wheelers and big RV rigs traveling the opposite direction. Two of the RVs actually stopped to let us by (but not the 18-wheelers) which was unnecessary, but I understand their caution. Not only were the roads narrow with no shoulder, but in many place the road dropped precipitously into deep ditches. With visions of our Binghamton disaster fresh in my mind, my grip on the wheel was pretty white-knuckle.

But it was just 27 miles, so it was over quickly.

Our emergency overnight stay was at the Riverside RV Park and Resort which I selected entirely because it was right there where we broke down. I think it actually selected us. But however the decision was made, it was a good one. The staff was very accommodating an it is a beautiful park with mostly pull-through sites but also some very attractive cabins. It was a snap getting in and out. It is situated along a very scenic river with the cabins in many cases overhanging the water. I can understand why someone would make this a destination for a vacation.

It rained all night which made the morning teardown messy, but I still liked the place.

Out site at Riverside

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TS4-2 Hop 1: Swannanoa NC to Sevierville TN

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Sparky

TS4-2 Hop 1

110 miles via US 70, I-40 and TN 338. Cumulative tow miles: 110. Truck miles: 228. Cumulative truck miles: 228. The extra truck miles were largely due to the trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway as described in the preceding post.

More truck problems. The “whooshing” sound that appeared on the long uphill slog into Asheville was still with us as we left the campground yesterday morning. I was only about 90% convinced that there was no serious problem after three mechanics looked at it the day before and declared it “good to go.” But the truck ran fine on the trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway and seemed to be fine for about the first 50 miles of this hop. But as we were climbing a hill on I-40 I noticed some black exhaust when the engine was running at about 2,000 rpms. Strangely, I did not see any black exhaust when running on the flat or on steeper hills when the engine revved near 3,000 rpms. The black exhaust worried me, but the engine still seemed to be running well, if noisily. I was a bit concerned that we were burning oil, so I stopped in a rest area to check. Nope – oil level was fine.

Then the dreaded “check engine” light appeared. But no dashboard message and no discernable loss of power. At that point we were on a long downhill stretch, coming out of the mountains, so the engine was not being taxed. We got to our turnoff on TN 338 and my intention was to drive the final 30 miles to our destination, then find a mechanic to look at the problem on Friday. But going uphill on 338 I realized that the engine was no longer running fine. I could barely maintain a 30 mph speed going up a not-very-steep hill. It was apparent that if we encountered any uphill stretch in those 30 miles – which was pretty likely – we might very well be stranded on the side of the road.

The section of TN 338 just south of I-40 is bounded by small shopping centers and other commercial properties. I started scanning for a large parking lot where I could stop and start making calls as it was apparent that we were not going to get to Walland TN that night. Then I spotted a sign for Riverside RV Resort, made the turn at the sign, pulled over into a small truck stop area, called the campground and booked a night, drove the final quarter-mile to the campground, got set up and started dialing for a mechanic. I was somewhat desperate to find one quickly because the campground had no site for us beyond Thursday night.

The first three calls – to two GMC dealerships and one diesel repair specialist – elicited nothing better than a promise to look at the truck on Monday. I needed IMMEDIATE service, so I kept dialing, with not a lot of hope. But I was desperate so I tried Tennessee Fleet Service in Knoxville, an establishment which clearly catered to big rigs, not puny little trucks like my GMC 3500. But they told me if I could get to their shop – 20 miles away – they would look at it. I hung up, grabbed my keys, kissed Jett and took off to Knoxville.

The truck ran a lot better when not towing 15,000 pounds.

Tennessee Fleet Service

When I got to Tennessee Fleet Service I was underwhelmed by the building. And I had trouble finding anyone to talk to. One guy was under a truck with only his legs showing and the other was bent over a box truck engine, operating a sander while wearing earphones. The “office” – a tiny cubicle in the corner – was unoccupied. I finally got the attention of the guy with the sander. He asked me what I wanted – with a tone that really meant “what the hell do YOU want” – which I initially misunderstood due to his Tennessee accent. When I finally communicated my problem, he stopped sanding and walked out to take a look. He started the engine, revved it, heard the “whoosh” and opened the hood. He spent about 10 minutes over and under the engine, feeling hoses. Soon the guy who was under the truck appeared and started kibitzing. At first the talk was rather ominous, heading it the direction of “the turbo needs to be replaced.” When I asked how difficult that would be the second mechanic laughed and said the last one he did took him 9 hours.

I wasn’t laughing. I had visions of being stuck in Sevierville for a week and started considering options for where I could put the RV while we were stuck.

Then the conversation turned 180 degrees and went down the path of “the air filter is clogged.” But that turned out to be untrue, just that the guy who replaced the filter neglected to reset the “dirtiness” gauge.

The problem – hose removed

After a few more moments the first mechanic – his name tag said “Moose” – felt a hole in a flexible hose in the turbo air pipes. He removed the hose and showed me a large fissure – about 2 inches – in the hose. He was pretty certain that the hose was the source of the “whoosh.” He took off in his truck to find a replacement. I was left to consider how long this problem had existed.

I think it existed at the time of the Binghamton disaster. When we first had the coolant leak I incorrectly thought that it was this section of hose that was leaking, because I saw it “spitting” coolant. Of course there was no coolant in the hose, so I now believe what I observed was coolant being sprayed onto the hose and the hose, though its split, was expelling air through the coolant, making it “spit.” So add yet another problem to the list of issues that the truck had at the time of the disaster.

We have certainly had more than our share of problems on this trip south. And it is wearing on us. Jett: “I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.” I can’t disagree. It has been brutal, reminiscent of our first month on the road back in 2012 – our “ding-a-day” trip.

Ironically, that trip resulted in us being stuck in Knoxville. History repeats, I guess.

But that trip turned around after Knoxville and I have to hope that this one does, too.

Anyway, when Moose returned with the replacement hose – a used part that cost $13 instead of $68 for a new one – he immediately started installing it. After the hose was securely clamped in place he started the engine and revved it. No “whoosh!”

The engine was fixed, the “check engine” light reset and I was back at the campground within 3 hours of arrival. Total cost: $140, including a $25 tip. Just amazing. Better than any “best case” scenario I could have envisioned when we limped into the campground.

Moose installing the hose

Tennessee Fleet Service saved the day. Moose is my hero. I have to view this whole experience positively because (1) we didn’t have to call for emergency assistance, (2) we were able to get to a good campground to deal with the problem and (3) the problem was fixed quickly and inexpensively.

Now I have to wonder why three mechanics on Wednesday were unable to find a gash in a turbo hose, Maybe it took a dedicated diesel guy like Moose to figure it out.

Today’s new Hop 2 will be 27 miles to Walland TN, our original Hop 1 destination. This will be one of our shortest hops ever. But, to make it interesting, it will be done in a driving rain.

Asheville East KOA

Our 2 nights in the Asheville area (actually in Swannanoa, about 10 miles east of Asheville) were at the Asheville East KOA Holiday. This is a nice park which, like so many KOAs, has very tight sites. I had to tuck the nose of the truck under the RV’s front overhang to get it off the road. But we were close to the dog park and within an easy drive of restaurants, food stores and auto services. It had train noise, but none in the middle of the night. It suited out needs but was not luxurious. Looking now at the website I see that it claims to have TWO lakes. I didn’t explore, admittedly, but I saw no lake. Maybe the campground is nicer than I perceived.

El Paso Resaurant

While in Swannanoa I bought some groceries at an Ingles supermarket. I bought a couple of items on sale and asked to use a “courtesy card” as, being a short-term visitor, there was no point in getting a customer loyalty card. The checker said she couldn’t let me use one but I was free to ask another customer to use theirs. I wasn’t about to do that and was pretty shocked, really, that no courtesy card was available. That was a first in our six years of travel. So I complained to the manager. She was sympathetic but said she would be fired if she let me use one – it was a very strict corporate rule.

My advice to full-timers: avoid Ingles. They are not full-timer friendly.

After our tough day on the road, followed by our miraculous timely truck repair, we felt we deserved a dinner out. Jett picked the El Paso Mexican restaurant just a few miles away. It turned out to be quite good. And the margarita was much needed. High marks to El Paso. And it was a relief to have a good meal after the disappointing/awful one at The Coach House in Black Mountain NC. This place gets high marks from many diners, but both my swordfish and pecan pie were about the worst I have ever had and Jett’s steak, while tasty, was overdone. Low marks to The Coach House.

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Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Sparky

Fall color

Yesterday was a beautiful, cloudless, warm day in Asheville NC. I took a few hours to drive a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway and take a few photos. There was some fall color, though very muted by Vermont standards. But it was a nice day for a drive and an opportunity to regain some confidence in the truck. It is going to be tested today on the trek to TN.

I drove up from Bent Creek, to Mount Pigsah, with a brief stop at the Pigsah Inn to marvel at the view, then down via NC 215. A nice drive – and the truck performed well – with some beautiful vistas. The big surprises, for me, were the number of tunnels (about 10), the presence of a hotel at the top of the mountain and, directly across the road from the hotel, a campground with RV sites. A motorhome was checking in. I have to admire the courage (foolishness?) of someone who would drive an RV up those steep, winding roads.

Valley vista

A tiny bit of color

Pigsah Inn

View from the Pigsah Inn

Rock cut

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TS4-1 Hop 7: Keeling VA to Swannanoa NC

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Sparky

TS4-1 Hop 7

218 miles via US 29, I-40 and US 70. Cumulative tow miles: 1055. Truck miles: 230. Cumulative truck miles: 1905. The extra truck miles were due to one trip to refuel and get take-out dinner.

This was an uneventful trip. Almost. The first 200 miles were level, smooth and relaxing. The last 18 miles, though, included a long uphill climb that taxed the engine and a stretch on US 70 through downtown Black Mountain that was a little too tight for comfort. We made it, but not without some new concerns about the health of the truck.

The problem was the sudden “whooshing” sound that the engine started emitting about a mile before the crest on the long uphill. It was loud. It sounded serious. I considered pulling to the side but the gauges were reading normal and there was no discernable change in the truck’s performance. The moment I let up on the accelerator the whooshing stopped. Then it returned when I accelerated again.

Last night I researched the behavior and learned that it was almost certainly due to the engine’s turbo boost capability. I also found that some regarded the whooshing as a normal sound for the Duramax 6.6 engine. Well, I have had the truck for over 6 years and have driven it over 80,000 miles and I have never heard that sound before, so I have a hard time accepting it as “normal.”

I took the truck to a local auto repair place today. A mechanic took the turbo hoses off, inspected them and other turbo components and found no problem. Another mechanic took the truck for a test ride and declared it to be running just fine. A third mechanic took a look as well. They all agreed that there was nothing to be done and assured me that I could haul the RV over the Blue Ridge Mountains tomorrow.

I will hold you to that, guys.

Total repair cost: $43.

Our site at Paradise Lake

Our overnight stay was at the Paradise Lake and Campground in Keeling VA. Our site was spacious and, while far from level, wasn’t so uneven that the RV couldn’t level itself. The campground had no cable service but was close enough to Lynchburg that we could pull in a handful of channels with a signal sufficiently strong that the stations were watchable. It wasn’t much but after all the nights with no television at all it was a joy.

In the morning I took Rusty for a walk down by the lake and discovered just enough fall color to make for some good photos.

Paradise Lake

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