Our Journey to Become Winter Texans

  After a 4 day trip from Tennessee, we have arrived south of Austin, Texas. The trip over was largely unimpressive with stops in Little Rock, Arkansas; Hot Springs, Arkansas; and Tyler, Texas. The one exceptional stay was our first stop in Natchez State Park, located in Wildersville, Tennessee. We had a beautiful site on the banks of Pin Oak Lake with a fantastic view of the Milky Way at night.  It was a short, but sweet stay. The morning of our departure rewarded us with a gorgeous sunrise and mist over the lake-so breathtaking!

Views from my roving yoga studio at Pin Oak Campground

  The most disappointing leg of our trip was Little Rock, Arkansas.  I have never thought much of Arkansas, but my new friends from Monroe, Louisiana assure me that it is a great destination. I took a few photos of the RV park downtown, it reminded me of a prison compound. The dismal neighborhood surrounding the park didn't add to its appeal. We decided against crossing the convenient pedestrian bridge to see Clinton's Presidential library and the downtown area.

Nice view of the city 

Pedestrian bridge to downtown

Riverfront spots at the park

  Okay, so these snapshots don't represent what I was describing, but believe me, you don't want to go there in the summer.  It was still quite hot in mid October and the park is nothing but a big dirt parking lot for camping rigs.  They locked us up behind a gate after 6pm and warned us if we forgot the code to get back in, we were just SOL.

  Hotsprings, Arkansas was equally as disappointing probably because I chose another awful RV park.  The people were very nice and the bathhouse was probably the nicest one we have seen since our tour began, but the sad looking gravel sites sitting closely next to each other just didn't do it for us. The tiny park had nice amenities but zero charm.
  Because we got in so late from Little Rock, there was not enough time to enjoy any of the spas.  We will have to save that for next time.  We did however, have time to eat.  The highlight of our stay was a Vietnamese restaurant that had excellent Pho!  I never would have thought that good Asian food was available in Arkansas.
  Our first glimpse of Texas was interesting. The area around Tyler, Texas doesn't look or feel like what I thought Texas should be.  There were small rolling hills and lots of oak trees. It reminded me a lot of Georgia or Alabama, except for the increasing numbers of ranches we passed.  There were cows, cows, and more cows.
 

Tennessee Cumberland Plateau Campground

  Tennessee has not disappointed us at all, but then again I have always wanted to live near the mountains.  Our current location is at an Airstream park near Crossville, a town located equidistant to Chattanooga and Knoxville.  It is a sizable neighborhood, with almost 135 sites situated on over 350 acres on the Cumberland Plateau.  There are numerous, short trails on the property, a seven acre manmade lake that is in need of repair because it has "sprung a leak," a community garden, a clubhouse with commercial kitchen, a library, a media room, and modern bathrooms with showers.

Snapshots of the shrinking lake

  Most of the sites have ports that cover the Airstream and a covered porch area that usually doubles the living area of the RV.  Randy and I first thought it odd that these huge structures were built to cover the Airstreams, but then we were told that the area gets frequent hail and ice storms. Many sites are landscaped and some even have charming spaces tucked behind the trailer that are "secret" gardens. The "campground" is laid out very much like a subdivision of patio homes, except that it is heavily wooded with many mature trees.  Overall, it is a very lovely setting that I could imagine us staying at often during the spring through late autumn.
  The town of Crossville, itself has an interesting history. During the Great Depression, the federal government created a project to provide farms for hundreds of impoverished families called Cumberland Homesteads. The homes that were built for the farms have a distinct architecture incorporating local stone that is quarried in the area.  Many of the homes still stand today and continue to add to the beauty and charm of the area.
  My Airstream neighbors here are extremely friendly and have taken me under their wing when Randy leaves for his assignments.  I was invited out to a normally "resident only" day trip because I was here alone and for some reason, there is an interest in keeping us happy here.  We ventured out to the Lodge Cast-iron Factory store and then had a pleasant, but not especially tasty lunch at a restaurant, The Cookie Jar Cafe.  There are hundreds of vintage cookie jars on ledges above the dining area and on shelves throughout the room.  It is a very popular dining destination that serves country style home cooking. They also sell cakes, pies, cookies and cupcakes.  You get the feeling that things prepared there are from scratch, but my taste buds told me that that was not the case :-( .

  Cumberland Mountain State Park is within a 15 minute drive. It has some great camping sites; numerous day hikes; a lake for fishing, canoeing and paddle boarding; and a restaurant overlooks the scenic lake serving decent buffet-style meals.

Byrd Lake at Cumberland Mountain State Park

This bridge was the largest project the CCC built during the Great Depression

A glimpse of the backside of the bridge during a hike at Cumberland Mountain State Park

The outdoor seating area of the restaurant overlooks Byrd Lake

  

We have joined a local mycology club to learn about foraging for edible mushrooms. The focus of the club forays emphasizes the science of mushrooms, but there is plenty of education about what is safe to eat.  There are several fellow Airstreamers that also have our passion for gathering edibles and last week we were given a sample of Chicken of the Woods. It is a shelf mushroom, more scientifically named laetiporus sulphureous. It is supposed to resemble chicken in taste, but to me really just has the texture of chicken and the ability to take on flavors of other foods it is cooked with- much like chicken.  The large plate of mushrooms I was given was a little more mature than I would have personally harvested, but I was able to salvage the outer edges that were still tender.  I sautéed them in olive oil and then briefly cooked them in chicken stock before adding them to a homemade chicken pot pie. The results were really delicious! 

A mushroom found on one of our club forays

The pics don't show it very well, but this mushroom has a baby blue cap and violet blue gills. Believe it or not, it is
completely edible!

Chicken of the Woods

Kentucky Horse Park

  Randy has completed his first two week assignment in Gallipolis, Ohio. We made an appointment in Jackson Center, Ohio to take care of some warranty issues with the Airstream and to repair some miscellaneous damage we have incurred on our journey so far.  The good news....
1. There were some very minor warranty repairs that took less than a day.
2. We got to stay for no charge at the Terraport since we were having repairs done.
3. The Airstream factory tour alone was worth the trip.
  The bad news....
1. Damage to the body that occurred when Ranman customized the TZD with Andy's barn will cost $6000 to repair (Yikes!)
2. Replacing the damaged awning arm that I caused when attempting to lower it (as Randy was coaching me over the telephone) and the damaged stabilizer jack (caused by Randy scraping the bottom of the trailer in a ditch) was a mere $875.
  Randy has decided that he is not going to get the body repaired since it is hardly noticeable to anyone that looks at the trailer and the impact did not affect the integrity of the body.  LOL, if anyone out there wants to contribute to our repair fund, we will gladly accept donations!
  Our midway stop on the way to Tennessee Cumberland Plateau Campground was just outside of Lexington, KY.  It is a short 3 hour drive from Gallipolis and I was just anticipating a short overnight stay since neither of us are big on horses.  The Kentucky Horse Park was a very pleasant surprise!  It is owned and run by the state and is an amazing concept. There is an indoor arena for various events...the Bluegrass Classic dog show was going on and the park was full of hundreds of dogs, a Rolex sponsored outdoor arena, polo fields, horse stables, a race track, a horse museum, a saddlery museum, restaurants, a dressage complex, and last but not least....a  beautiful campground.
  The campground has primitive and modern sites, but no sewer hook ups. There are tennis, volleyball  and basketball courts, playgrounds, a swimming pool, also modern bathhouses and laundry facilities. My favorite amenity was the 9 mile bike trail that starts at the park and takes you close to downtown Lexington.  Randy and I haven't been riding much and the hilly terrain and the nearly 20 miles round trip really kicked my butt!  I really need to start riding more...
  We really fell in love with this park and ended up staying here 3 nights. Because of the dog show, the campground was full of participants.  We had to move every day in order to remain there but it was well worth it.  With almost 4 months under our belt, backing the TZD into the campsite is not so stressful anymore.  I am really proud of how far we have come!

Factory in Jackson Center, Ohio

Vintage Airstreams in front of factory

Terraport where we stayed for "free"

Cool Lounge where we hung out while they worked on the TZD

Gallipolis, Ohio Region

A large meadow in our RV park

 Well, the TZD tour has been idling here in Racine, Ohio for a week now. This is the longest time we have stayed at one location since embarking on our awesome journey. It has been really nice not having to pick up and go as frequently as we have during the last month or so.

  Our campground is at a privately owned park that occupies 90 acres.  It is a very bucolic setting with nicely manicured expanses of meadows, a swimming area, and three stocked fishing ponds. The infrastructure is a little worn and tired looking but has some real potential.
  One thing I have observed and find amusing is the nightly parade of golf carts that occurs in a private campground.  People will pile up with their dogs and/or children to drive around, waving at everyone they encounter.  Randy and I have always enjoyed a long stroll in the evening when the weather permits and we wonder what our neighbors think about us walking.
  Ranman is about an hour away from his account in Gallipolis, which is the maximum amount of time he is allowed to respond to an emergency here.  That may seem too far, but the Perfusionist in charge of the department also lives an hour away.  Most of the cases here are scheduled, so I assume that the liberal response time is a reflection of that.  This would certainly never fly in Pensacola!
  The hospital is an institution of about 150 beds that serves the surrounding areas. The population of Gallipolis itself is around 3500 people, so you can imagine that it is not a very busy heart program.   A contract perfusionist is required here because no one can be bribed with enough money to stay here permanently.
  This rural area doesn't have much going for it in terms of quality of life for a city dweller, but it is very beautiful. Rolling hills, farmland, and green pastures are everywhere you turn. The Ohio river flows through the landscape and everything looks very lush. The saving grace of being here is the college town of Athens, home of Ohio University. I just learned today that there are a number of famous names that have graduated from OU, Matt Lauer being the one most people recognize.

The list of offerings at a great local pub, Jackie O's

My first sourdough loaf baked in the TZD

Penn Wood Airstream Park

  After a complicated stay in Eastern Pennsylvania, we quickly moved on to Penn Wood Airstream Park. It is my favorite Airstream village so far and I think Ranman would agree.  Penn Wood's location is in a beautiful wooded glen in Limestone, PA. A small creek runs nearby and a roughly maintained trail follows it for a short distance to an artesian well.
  The largest city nearby is Clarion, a small college town that doesn't have much else going on.  R and I walked around downtown today to run errands and it took about an hour to see that the shops and businesses didn't have a lot to offer. No matter, a decent grocery and a laundromat is the minimum requirement for our TZD tours. Our recreation is usually hiking, biking or paddle boarding so a nearby state park often provides an area to do those types of activities. 
  Yesterday, we did a couple of hikes at Cook Forest State Park. Cook Forest is known for its very old trees and the forest cathedral is spectacular. Several trees in the forest are 300-400 years old.  When we first arrived, we watched a local fellow catching brook trout with minnows and now I have an itching to go fishing!  Since we are not local residents, the fishing licenses for us in public water are pretty expensive.  I think we will just hold out for a stocked private pond :-).
  The first day at this campground did not start off well. After driving all day to get here from waaaay on the other side of Pennsylvannia, the task of finding a suitable campsite and parking the TZD still had to be completed.
  Our usual parking routine involves the use of walkie talkies and a lot of hand gesturing.  The sites that were available to us as visitors were not that desirable and are pretty closely spaced.  After a few minutes of discussion about where to place the trailer in relation to the hook ups, we started to park.  After a few backup attempts by Randy, we finally had the trailer going in a direction that looked right. Just about the time, we thought everything was in place, a neighbor across the street comes out of his trailer and starts telling Randy that he is not parked correctly.  Well, being the hothead that I am sometimes about being "bossed around," I was not a happy camper! Where was he when we needed some input about how we were expected to park? Then, after Randy parked the way the first guy told him to, another one comes around and says that the first guy didn't know what he was talking about and suggested another position.  Aargh!
  Other than that, the "village" was looking promising because of its beautiful location in a secluded glen.  A creek runs through the property and there are numerous sites in the trees that had great views of the pond.  The park has a nice meeting hall with a full commercial kitchen, library, laundry facilities, modern bathrooms with showers, a playground, and an outdoor patio with plenty of seating.
  The second night there, Ranman and I were invited to happy hour and we got to meet some of our other neighbors. It turned out that everyone was very friendly.  One of the couples was especially interesting because they were retired teachers that were accomplished musicians. The wife was an Opera singer and an artist.  Her husband was quite chatty and made us feel very welcome.  There were a few people that enjoyed cooking and I was given a sourdough starter after I mentioned that mine died last year.  Poor Lyle, may he rest in peace.

Supervising Norm and Rusty while they plant some spruces behind the visitor  sites.

This was my first cake made on the road and with a few modifications, (mainly using less sugar in the frosting), I highly recommend it.


Sourdough Carrot Cake (King Arthur Flour Recipe)

1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1 cup sourdough starter, right from the fridge, unfed
3 eggs
1 cup (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Cream Cheese Frosting

Combine oil and sugar, and stir in sourdough starter. Mix in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Fold in pineapple, carrots, walnuts, coconut and vanilla. 

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring just to combine. 

Spoon batter into greased and floured 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes, or until cake tests done. Remove cake from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. 
Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 to 1/2 cup (1/2 to 1 stick) butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups (1 pound) confectioners' sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup minced candied ginger, or 1 teaspoon ground ginger (optional) 
milk

Combine butter, cream cheese and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy. Add sugar gradually, beating well. Stir in nuts and/or ginger (if desired). Add milk, a little at a time, until frosting is a spreadable consistency. 

Eastern Pennsylvannia

  Randy and I were sorry to see Bennington, Vermont in our rear view mirror. Despite having to be there for financial business, we really enjoyed our stay. Because Randy has his first assignment in Ohio in less than a week, we left Vermont to travel eastward. 
  Our first stop from Vermont was in Eastern Pennsylvania. We arrived on a weekend and it was a very full state park that I had reserved online before arriving. Somehow (probably operator error), I managed to reserve a site that didn't allow pets. The person checking us in went above and beyond her duties to help us find a spot at The Promised Land State Park about 30 minutes down the road.  It was a very large park with 3 different campgrounds, but to make a long story short, we could not find a site large enough for the Tin Zen Den that allowed pets AND had electricity to run the air conditioning for the bull dog.  We finally found a site that was in the primitive camping area with tent campers and the TZD seemed to attract a lot of attention there. I heard a parent explaining to his little boy that some people like to camp in RVs instead of tents.  I wanted to tell the little boy and his dad that the Airstream is our full time home and that we choose to live in it instead of a conventional house.  I hope that we didn't come off as being too soft to tent camp, but I am afraid  that's exactly what it looked like....city folk unable to really "rough it".  It was an adequate site but we moved on to Penn Wood the next day.
  Overall, these two state parks had campsites that were very close together with little or no privacy. It was like staying in a parking lot surrounded by woods.  Pennsylvania has won awards recently for its outstanding camping areas but we were not impressed this time.  On a positive note, the bathrooms and showers were very modern and clean.  These eastern state parks were in contrast to Little Buffalo State Park which we had stayed at on our journey toward Maine.  Oh well, not all parks within a state should be expected to be equal in caliber.

Green Mountain, Vermont

  The Moose Pond State Park did not live up to our expectations so the Tin Zen Den was readied for an early departure after only one night of camping. I was unable to reserve a state park campsite near Bennington, Vermont where we had some real estate business to take care of. However, we happened upon a gem of a privately owned campground called Greenwood Lodge and Campsites. 
  It is owned by a couple in their 80's who operate it with the assistance of their son.  The grounds are sprawling with a mix of some in the open near the lodge, as well as some very woodsy secluded spots that offer as much privacy as desired. The lodge serves as an office for registration and as  a hostel for through hikers of the Appalachian Trail.  It is complete with modern bathrooms, a common lounging area, a game room, and a full kitchen for those staying in the lodge. There are three ponds on the property and canoe rentals are included with your stay.  
  Randy and I happily selected a site in a wooded area next to a cottage on the grounds. The cottage separates us from campers in a fifth wheel on its other side and we have not seen or heard them during our entire stay.  The site has a huge open grassy "yard" behind us that is completely encircled by woods. We have enjoyed the full moon and a campfire every evening. Ahhh, Vermont in the summer is heavenly!
  We hiked a trail that starts behind the property. It was about an hour of going straight up a mountain to a cell tower. Apparently, the cellular network that maintains the trail did not see the need for switchbacks since they use a vehicle to get to the tower.  We also discovered some old chair lifts for a long defunct downhill ski resort.  The area that we stumbled upon is now a cross country ski area in the winter. Signs of moose were also spotted, but I am still longing to see a live one in the New England states.