First of all, a huge thank-you to Jody and Leesa, who allowed us to park Pearl in their driveway in nearby Hamilton for three nights so we could do some maintenance and load her up!
Pre-Trip Prep
Going on a long camping trip sounds like fun (and it is!), but here’s a sampling of tasks we needed to do before we could leave. In fairness, I should mention that most of them were performed by Dave, aka handyman extraordinaire:
Have the truck serviced (discovered the oil pressure sensor was leaking—good catch!).
Install the two 12-volt batteries that had been on a trickle charger in our garage.
Replace the batteries on all the trailer tire sensors (we have a little gadget that tells us the air pressure and temperature for each tire).
Install sensors on the propane tanks so we'll know when we’re running low.
Replace the emergency disconnect cable.
Fix the latch for the main awning that had broken off last year.
Wash all the windows.
Test the new generator.
Fret over the fridge, which turned out to have a disconnected wire after being serviced at the end of last season.
This was in addition to the usual: packing clothes, shoes, toiletries, medications, books, computers, food, and miscellaneous items. The camper was already stocked with linens, dishes, cleaning supplies, and campsite gear from last year’s trip, so that part was easy. Right before we left, we tidied the house as best we could for Barbara, who is housesitting for us (thanks, Barbara!).
Staging Days 1 & 2 (April 27 & 28)
Walnut Hills Campground & RV Park, Staunton, VA ($43 per night with Good Sam discount). At the end of their Guidelines for Happy Camping, which govern firewood (like most campgrounds, you can’t bring in wood from elsewhere), trash, vehicles, visitors, and the like, there’s this: “Zombies, werewolves and trolls are strictly barred from the premises. Please notify management if you believe this rule has been violated.”
We wanted to see our daughter Jenni before we left, so our first stop was Charlottesville. We weren’t able to get on the road until noon because Dave had to dash off to Ashburn first thing for a new iPhone battery. Between the iPhone and the aforementioned fridge issues, we were a little frazzled and had trouble hitching up the trailer. WHY wouldn't the ball connect with the hitch? Oh . . . it helps to release the stabilizer jacks. First lesson: take your time, run your checklist.
After a very late lunch with Jenni, we decided to camp at Walnut Hills, where we had stayed last fall with our friends Hal & Val. They put us in the exact same spot (site 22)! As we were setting up we had a fun chat with our neighbors Mary and Elizabeth, who live nearby but like to camp here for the season in their Class A motorhome. Dave pointed out that they were in Hal & Val’s spot, but they seemed strangely unrepentant. They also asked when we were leaving, but I'm sure they meant it in the nicest possible way.
We were so exhausted that night that we put just enough things away so we could make up the bed and climb in. Since we aren’t on a super tight timetable, we decided to take another day here to organize everything before we really got on the road. That’s the nice thing about not planning all your campgrounds ahead of time, which is a lesson we learned after last year’s trip.
After a morning spent organizing and stuffing things into every nook and cranny (we definitely have more stuff this year), we decided to reward ourselves with a trip into town. Staunton is one of our favorite little haunts, primarily because of the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriar’s Playhouse, and the great shops and restaurants. We got coffee and then wandered all around town, finding ourselves on the beautiful grounds of Trinity Church (pictured) and later in a new(-ish) bookstore, Staunton Books. Miraculously, I did not buy anything! I want to pace myself, as I’m sure there are a few more bookstores in my future.
That’s it for the boring stuff. Tomorrow we officially begin the great adventure!