Welcome to our first long Airstream journey. Last Fall, we worked the bugs out with a long weekend in Key West, then we spent Thanksgiving week in Nashville and Christmas in St. Petersburg, Florida. For our son’s wedding in Vero Beach, we brought the Airstream and spent a few days at Vero Beach Camp before heading over to Orlando and camping at Disney’s Fort Wilderness, one of the best campgrounds we’ve visited so far.
Camping near friends
Our Airstream is our second home, and that’s what makes it so good for us and those we visit. We come with our own kitchen and bath and we don’t leave a mess of dirty towels and sheets behind. As a result, no one needs to adjust their schedule if we’re early birds and they are not.
Travel Day One
We drove 12 hours on day one; that’s a lot. From Islamorada to Savannah is a straight shot up 95 and the roads are pretty good until you hit South Carolina. Route 95 is an Interstate, but when you cross from Georgia to South Carolina, the road is rough and bumpy and it’s been that way for all the years we’ve been driving up and down.
Bill drives and I research places to stop or spend the night. I found the perfect place just off 95, near where we would turn to head inland – Colleton State Park. I’m marking this one with a red star; good size RV sites, easy to back in, with full hookups including sewer, for only $40 a night!
We arrived around 7 pm and were dining on pasta with roasted tomatoes by 8; now that’s efficient. I had roasted a large batch of San Marzano tomatoes and frozen them in smaller containers so we would have a quick meal or two on hand.
Bryson City, NC
Our first stop was Bryson City, NC, where we visited friends that we met playing pickleball in Key Largo. One of my first blog posts talked about how Pickleball saves Retirement; it did help us meet people with similar interests and we have made many new friends. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located in Bryson City; the entrance is right next door to the mountain neighborhood where our friends live with this view from their porch. I’m sitting on this porch right now writing this blog and looking out at this view!
Horse Country
Our friends built a home here partly because they have two horses. There is plenty of room for their two horses, motorcycles, trailers and other toys. While here, we parked our Airstream near the horse barns where we are hooked up to electricity and water. The views are fantastic.
Who doesn’t love a train?
On day three, we went into Bryson City and spotted a train about to board. We scored seats on the 4 ½ hours Nantahala Gorge Excursion that skirted the Great Smoky National Park, traveled past Fontana Lake, and along the raging rapids on the Nantahala River. We went first class and enjoyed lunch as our attendant regaled us with stories and jokes in the “All-Adult First Class” section of the train. He shared the history of Fontana Lake, and how it became home to so many houseboats, motor boats, pontoons and jet skis. The history and the views made for an enjoyable day.
Asheville, NC
We’ve been to Asheville before and I was excited to go back for a day in the River Arts District. Add it to your list if you haven’t been, and remember Asheville is in the mountains – wear good walking shoes. We spent the day visiting the artists’ studios; I love talking to the artists and artisans and learning their stories. The town has some of the best galleries and restaurants. We finished our day at Curate, one of the most popular and best restaurants in town, and dined on tapas. The Pan con Tomate, Jamon Iberico, and Shrimp sauteed with sliced garlic were as good as we remembered from our visit several years ago.
Historic Tapoco Lodge
Another beautiful drive through the mountains, past rapids and lakes, and the Fontana Dam took us to the Historic Tapoco Lodge on the banks of the Cheoah River for lunch. What a view! And the lunch was excellent. As we were eating and enjoying the view, the clouds burst and it started to rain. The staff jumped into action and helped everyone move to tables under cover. We hardly got damp and happily finished our lunch.
Sounds like so much fun looking forward to seeing you guys soon!
I’m happy for you – you’re making the AirStream work for its upkeep. Some day I hope you devote an article to what it’s like to live in the AirStream itself. Glad you made it to Asheville. Friends of many many years relocated there from Albany, perhaps 5 years ago, and they love it.
This is retirement at its best. Thank you for sharing, Kathy. Looking forward to the next chapter!