Now It's All About the Weather

Day One - Friday.  I got a nice early start for my relatively short trip from Bluffton, SC to Lumberton, NC. Realizing I'd arrive about 12:30 pm, I cursed myself (you can do that when you drive alone) for not planning to drive longer and going farther. For my intellectual/grammar conscious readers I checked to see that the "quick and dirty tip is to use "farther" for physical distance and "further" for metaphorical, or figurative, distance. It's easy to remember because "farther" has the word "far" in it, and "far" obviously relates to physical distance." There, you'll sleep better tonight. Anyway, there's nothing in Lumberton for me. I had stopped here on the way down two weeks ago but I could've gotten another three hours of driving. But before I set off, I received an alert from my weather app on the iPhone stating that "heavy rains will begin in 15 minutes." Good, says I, because I packed up everything the night before, kept the awning withdrawn, chairs were in so all I had to do was unplug and go. So now I'm driving north on I-95 averaging 60-65 mph, the rain is heavy and constant. An occasional clap of thunder kept me focused. The semis drove like roads were dry and I decided I made the right decision (back in September) to limit my driving to three hours. So, for an hour and a half it was rain, rain and more rain.

When I passed through Florence, SC, the roads were dry, my fuel tank was full and there was a smile on my face. I would use my time to finish a blog, start a new one and prepare Plan B and/or Plan C with phone calls.  

The first part, Plan B, was to find another place to park and unpack Winnie. I can't use the lower lot at my complex because that's where, after plowing, the residents park while the upper lot is cleared. Parking at my usual storage area in Cross River, NY, involves a 40-mile round trip and I don't know what the snow plowing situation is there. So a call to CPP (Croton Point RV Park) assured me a site for the week. 

Now come the updates from the weather sources. My travels the next two days will be mostly rain but..."A swath of 6-12 inches of snow with locally higher amounts is forecast to extend from the northern Ohio Valley to a large part of Pennsylvania, central and northeastern New York state and northern and western New England with this fast-moving storm. An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 16 inches is expected and most likely to occur over the mountains. However, the fast, forward speed of the storm should cap the snowfall to near a foot in most areas in the heavy snow swath."

Weather forecasts these days are enough to scare the bejesus out of you. But I'm not one to mess with Mother Nature no matter how fickle she's been these past few months, Plan C is now in place. Although I'm betting only about 3-5" back home, I called the remaining stops (3) on my itinerary and gave a heads up that I may need to stay an extra day or two OR I'll be a day or two late arriving. I knew it wouldn't be a problem for any of them because we're not in season and the Snow Birds have yet to head north. So? Bring it on. I'm loaded with food, wine/beer, fresh water always available, propane tank full should temps fall below 38°, showers, laundry and, God forbid, TV are available.

Day Two - Saturday, was another four+ hour trip from Lumberton, NC to Williamsburg, VA. I anticipated rainy, foggy travel but instead saw mostly cloudy weather with sunshine through clouds now and then with temps holding at 46°. The Williamsburg KOA is huge. I'm tucked far away from the entrance along with two others. They upgraded me to a full hookup site.

Site E78 is way out there toward top left; far from the office. Just three of us.

When I booked last year I knew that on the way home, I'd need only electricity for an overnight. I dumped and filled with fresh water so now I'm all set. Good thing too. I took a double take at my itinerary indicating a SIX hour trip from here to the Delaware Water Gap/Pocono Mountain KOA.  With word coming from back home that they're now talking 6-10" by Monday, Plan B and C are modified because there's no way I want to drive six hours in whatever's gonna happen. So I booked another KOA between the two...to break it up into two, three+ hour trips. The next stop will be where I stayed on the way down, the Washington/Capitol KOA in Millersville, MD. Mother Nature will tell me how long I'll spend at each stop. I think I'll start as early as I can to "beat" whatever's coming.

Day Three & Four - Sunday & Monday. 

Did it again. Started nice and early to "beat" whatever and I find myself at the Capitol KOA in Millersville, MD at noon.  Noon!! Nothing doing here when I arrived. Checked my weather apps and snow is supposed to start in East Stroudsburg, PA at 3:00 pm. Had I kept on driving I would have made it my then and been able to hunker down for however long this "storm" lasts. Instead, I'll stay another night and drive straight through to CPP, 4½ hours from here. I was within the 'no-refund' cancellation time for the KOA in East Stroudsburg but they'll give me a "rain check" for use within a year. Don't see it happening but ya neva know.

That's it for now. Next blog will be from Croton Point's RV park with the saga of my trip for Millersville, MD to Croton-on-Hudson, NY, 242 miles and 4 hours away (normally). Till next time, stay safe, stay well and know that spring is just seventeen days away.