Days 8 & 9: Friends in Chapel Hill

Alpine at the Johnson's

I like Chapel Hill, where our friends, Scott and Carol, live.  The area is very pretty and lush.  I noticed how forested it is with varieties of deciduous trees, now beginning to turn into their vibrant fall hues.

a sorority home

Chapel Hill is primarily a university town with a great atmosphere and vibrancy about it.  I love the way the town is absorbed into the university and part of it.  The wide tree- lined avenues with their grand immaculately maintained homes are impressive.

tree lined avenues 

one of the many university medical centers

We also drove to Duke University, an impressive campus emulating European architecture of old stone buildings and Gothic cathedrals, in a sprawling, woodsy setting. 

the approach to the focal point, the cathedral building

Karen, a neighbor, stopped by with her dog, who is surprisingly tolerant towards Carol's frisky puppy.   Karen's husband, Dave, joined us later and we all had dinner together.

Dave on the banjo, with Pete Seeger's autograph in the lower
left-hand corner

The highlight of the evening, totally spontaneous, was our first get-together in our home on wheels.
Alpine is pretty hard to miss when you park it outside someone's home.  So, later that evening, after dinner, we gave curious friends and neighbors a tour and in the process ended up having a concert.
It turns out that Dave, a cardiologist by day, is also a musician.  He brought his banjo and played us a couple of tunes.  
We now feel like Alpine is officially christened after our first "party" on board.  It will remain a special memory of our time with our friends and their neighbors, Dave and Karen.

The next morning, Scott took us and Finn for a walk along Morgan Creek Trail adjoining their neighborhood.  Carol, when she worked at the hospital, used to walk this trail all the way to town.  The paved trail connects several neighborhoods with the downtown area.

We made our way back through one of the neighborhoods.  While Scott and Michael, who were business colleagues, chatted, I enjoyed looking at the style of houses, many of which were decorated for Trick or Treat night today.

 On this sunny, bright morning, several trees were aglow.  

I was amused by a couple of road signs posted in the neighborhood  - Southern courtesy and politeness, it appears, also extends to traffic warnings.

We said our goodbyes and were off on the next leg, to Asheville, North Carolina, for the night.

Another amusing sign caught my eye along this road.  I am familiar with deer crossing warnings but this is a first:

Back on the highway, it was a clear run on I-40 westbound.  The clouds began to gather exchanging blue skies for gray.  The trees along this stretch were wearing their fall garb.

Mountain tops began appearing in the far distance.  The Great Smoky Mountain range was ahead of us and we began a slow gentle climb to higher elevations. 

At one point we drove through a patch of gentle rain.

 We found our spot at the Bear Creek Campground and hunkered down for the night.  We arrived early enough for me to make dinner (turkey barley stew with vegetables), have showers, and catch up with emails.  There was an off-chance for a dusting of snow at higher elevations as a cold front began to move through, but no one seemed to think much about it.  The overnight temperatures were forecast to dip down to around freezing, so Michael decided not to hook up the water.  Alpine's water tanks are huge so even with a quarter tank we had plenty on board.  And between the gas furnace and the heat pumps, we knew we would be cozy.

Day 7: Another Day at Cummins

We have been on the road for a week already.  How time flies when you are having fun and new adventures.  Even the Cummins experience has been an adventure, and a taste of what to expect and anticipate whenever there are real issues with the "boy parts" that need to be repaired while on the road.
Other than the inconvenience of spending two days at Cummins here in Kenly, ours was an easy experience, compared to other stories I have heard from folks who have had to have repairs while on the road.  The most recent story was from the lady working at the check-in office at Cherry Hill RV Park in Maryland.
She and her husband retired from teaching and bought themselves an older model RV.  On one of their very first trips, they broke down and they had to be towed for many miles to the nearest dealer.  This happened on a Friday, and the repair shop was closed over the weekend.  They spent three nights waiting in the the repair shop parking lot, hooked up to an electrical outlet in the shop, which at least provided them with electricity to run the fridge and lights.  Fortunately they had water in their tank.  But other than that, there was no wi-fi or TV, or anything else in that industrial part of town.  On Monday, they found out the engine could not be repaired and the only alternative was to replace it. That took several more days before they were finally off. The replaced engine has been worry free since then, and they have been full-timers now for 15 years!  Yes, they had sold their house, have some things stored with a couple of children, have never regretted their decision and love what they are doing.  But it certainly was a trying introduction to RV-ing for them.

We had a great experience at the Cummins dealer by comparison.  Even though it was a bit tedious having to wait the two days for the service to be completed, we had a place to park overnight with water and electrical hookups, a place to stay during the day in their comfortable lounge, a place to eat lunch at the Denny's located within strolling distance, and great weather. Oh, and did I mention complimentary wi-fi as well. 

Today we also had a companion who joined us in the lounge for a few hours while his truck was being worked on.  He was a most entertaining fellow who had bought a food truck and was about to launch his business.  It reminded me of the movie Chef, and I mentioned this to the guy who agreed that it was exactly what he planned to do.  His specialty is going to be creating pita sandwiches with anything you wish in it.  He was so excited about his new venture and his truck that he almost begged me to take a look at it.  He calls his business SoomSoomPitaPockets.

There was one other companion in our lounge today, an older gentleman who had come to pick up his older RV.  He and his wife were heading to the beach for a week, with the RV fully loaded, when it broke down and he was towed here to the Cummins dealer.  His repairs took a whole week to be completed and he was here to pick the RV back up again.

We have no complaints after only two days!  The technicians at Cummins are skilled, knowledgeable, helpful and courteous. They took time to chat with Michael and go over all his concerns and explain things.  The only slight hiccup that was unforeseen but speedily fixed, was replacing a part on the fuel pump. Our technician, Mike, worked hard all day to get the part replaced and get us on our way by day's end.  
Thank you Cummins for taking care of Alpine and us.

Our next destination was Chapel Hill where we have friends we planned to visit.  We also had a couple of items we still needed to find at Walmart and Camping World, both of which were conveniently located on the way to our friends.  
Walmart came first and by the time we pulled into the parking lot, it was already dark and had begun to rain, and it was also too late for Camping World which was already closed. 
For the last many years that we have been RV-ing, we have known that Walmart encourages RV-ers and truckers to park overnight in their parking lot. Tonight was a good opportunity to have our first Walmart overnight experience!  It was also our first boondocking experience, without any hookups.   And it turned out not to be at all bad.  In fact it worked out to be quite convenient.  We were able to shop without rushing (they are open 24 hours), return to our coach, make dinner, and sleep comfortably.  And it is free.  Well, not quite free if you consider that we dropped several bucks inside Walmart first!  But of course Walmart plans on that, and for us it was just as convenient to be able to shop there.  We were the only RV though there were several truckers parked as well.

Flying J's also welcome RV-ers to overnight in their parking lot.  In fact, after we left the Cummins dealer, we stopped at the Flying J Travel Plaza down the road from Cummins to fill up first.  It was surprising to see the number of RV's parked there until we realized that they were actually all parked there for the night.  Mostly they seemed to be older couples (like us!), several hanging about chatting with one another, others taking pets for a walk.  It seemed to be more like a parking lot party with all the activity going on.  

If for some reason we are unable to find an RV park as we continue our travels westward, Walmart and Flying J are certainly good alternatives to keep in mind.  

Days 5 & 6: Camping at Cummins

Leaving OBX today was with the desire to return one day and stay longer. This is a real gem, like our favorite Pismo Beach.  And the thing about being retired is that you get to do this off-season when it is quiet and the beach feels like it's your very own.
The weather this late in the fall is just about perfect as well.  

But today we need to press on and, following GPS Lady's directions, today's travels take us inland and to the Cummins dealership in Kenly, North Carolina.  Michael wants Alpine's "boy parts" given the once over and a full service, have the oil changed, and parts lubed before we are too much further into our westward trek.  The Cummins dealer in Kenly is a full-service dealer and they conveniently offer water and electric hookups, as well as a lounge for RV-ers while you wait for your vehicle to be serviced.  We have no idea how long all this will take but it needs to be done.  

We retrace our steps back across Pea Island for 24 miles before turning west.  I managed a good shot of this grand home, solitary with nothing around it for miles.

We drive back over the same bridge connecting the islands.

Just before leaving the Outer Banks to cross another bridge to Roanoke Island, I glimpsed these superb mansions, also on stilts, their front doors on the middle floor.

Route 64 takes us across historic Roanoke Island, where in 1585 English settlers tried to establish a colony, then mysteriously vanished without trace.  And it is also here that the first English child, Virginia Dare, was born after their arrival.   I assume that is why this county is called Dare County.

A VW Westfalia passes us, similar to the VW Eurovan pop-top that took us on a 14,000- mile journey to all four corners of the US.  I wondered where this camper van was heading.  
Back then, in 2002, I would look up at the big coaches we passed on the highway, wondering why anyone would choose to travel in something that enormous.  And typically, it would be a gray-haired old couple, dwarfed by the large seats they were sitting in.  I would comment (no surprise there!) that it looked quite silly to see such a little old man driving such a huge motor home.  Twelve years later I finally see the sense of it all!  

Another bridge connects us to the mainland.  The next 28 miles take us through a marshy yet pretty peninsula.  A waterway follows the road almost the entire way. It makes a perfect paddling trail, and is so still that it gleams like a mirror, reflecting the overhanging trees and undergrowth.  
I notice a road sign saying that It is unlawful to feed bears along the highway.  

A couple of churches appear each with its own little graveyard.  That is one thing that is different from the west coast.  There are very quaint churches of different denominations that hug main roads in the east, with adjoining old historic graveyards.





Sometimes, we whiz past small gravestones that appear out of nowhere.  I need to be quick to be able to capture the scene which pops up quite unexpectedly.

We pass this old tumbled down abandoned house. It would be a perfect setting for Halloween.   I wonder what stories it could tell, who built it, lived there and where they are now...

Then we cross the Alligator River.  The drawbridge is open to let several boats through.  This draw span pivots sideways unlike others I have seen that lift up.

There are more warnings about bears and red wolf crossings.  I have never heard of red wolves.  I would like to have seen one or even a bear.  

We continue along this scenic byway, also called the Historic Albemarle Highway.  We are now in farming country, the fields tilled and lying fallow after their harvest.  I wonder what crops are typically grown right here.  
A little further on, I notice a field of what looks like white flowers, then immediately realize that I am looking at cotton!  




Eventually we see a harvester busy at work.  A machine now accomplishes what slave labor once did here in the South.  

And further along I notice orangey-brown leaves clinging to scraggly-looking bushes.  I wonder if these are tobacco plants.  

I have a good chuckle as I notice what is driving in the opposite stream of traffic - farm machinery on an interstate highway!  This most definitely is a farming community.

At the junction of I-95 we veer south and eventually take the off-ramp to Truck Stop Road.  We pass the Flying J Travel Plaza and pull in to the Cummins dealership.
They are still open and Michael hands them his laundry list of items he wishes to have checked.  We back in to the RV hookup spot and settle for the night.  Alpine will be worked on first thing in the morning.
Meanwhile we have all the comforts of home, and complimentary wi-fi, giving me the opportunity to catch up on posts (Camp Hatteras RV Park was great but their wi-fi connection was not). This may not be a perfect RV park but it's free and if we need to have work done, at least it's RV-friendly.

We pass a comfortable night, yet again, on our queen walk-around bed and are up early in the morning to have breakfast and get ourselves ready.  By 8AM, Alpine is driven off to be hoisted up in one of the many bays.  
We spend the rest of the day in the lounge.  
It turned out to be perfect timing for me to watch a Bernina webinar which kept me entertained for an hour.  Bernina does a fine job with their software webinars.  It gives them the opportunity to promote other products but also is a great way to showcase ideas and ways for using the Bernina embroidery digitizing software.  I always learn something new about this complex software.  Now if only I could remember and recall it all when I need it.





Around noon we set out in search of lunch at the Denny's which is conveniently located at the Flying J Travel Plaza just next door to Cummins.  On our way, we pass harvested fields.  The remaining white flecks are a clue that cotton was grown here and further along we notice that it was also stacked into bales.

We walked onto the fields and picked up the cotton to touch and feel it. It feels soft and fluffy and is surprisingly white despite lying on the soil.

 

4PM is quitting time at Cummins.  There still is some diagnostic work that remains to be done. It will need to wait until the morning so we are spending one more night in this no-frills RV-friendly park.  Hopefully there won't be any surprises tomorrow and we will be able to head out down the road to our next destination.  We have good friends in Chapel Hill and plan to visit them next.  But for tonight I plan to do some laundry and need to figure out how to use this compact washer/dryer on board Alpine.

Keeping fingers crossed that all goes well tomorrow....