Easin' Along

The combination of a love of travel and sharing the adventures on Easin’ Along has taken Helen (adorable wife) and me on four extended road trips since we retired in August 2015. Most recently we took readers along with us in our rented RV trip to the California coast.  That trip and the resulting enthusiasm we felt for the RV lifestyle prompted us to invest in a travel trailer we named Bertha.  Easin’ Along readers met Bertha a few weeks ago and last week I took everyone along on my first camping trip after Bertha and I spent a few days in the Cherokee National Forest.

The second trip with Bertha was even more enjoyable.  Since I had been the most eager proponent of acquiring an RV, I really wanted Helen to have a great experience on her first camping trip. When asked where she would like to go, I could have predicted the answer before she told me.  We both love the area around Bryson City and Cherokee, NC which is about two hours away from Knoxville, and sits on the eastern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. (See earlier post)

Because we wanted full water and electrical hookups to test out Bertha’s systems, we made a reservation at an RV campground instead of in the National Park. We couldn’t have made a better choice by reserving a creekside spot at Cherokee Campground (link here).  This tranquil setting is within walking distance of downtown as well as the Cherokee Casino and my adorable wife LOVES casinos.

We hooked Bertha to Sophie (truck) and took off on a route that would take us through Maggie Valley, NC then up and over the mountains, reaching an altitude of about 4,000 feet before descending down the mountain and into Cherokee, NC and RV site #12 at Cherokee Campground. We were warmly greeted by Lee Ann Craig, one of the owners of the campground who signed us in and gave us an orientation of the facilities.

When we backed Bertha into our assigned campsite, we were delighted to find that we would be situated alongside Soco Creek and that we would have no campers on either side during our stay. As soon as Bertha was connected, we unloaded the lawn chairs, broke out the wine and cheese, and propped our feet on the low stone retaining wall beside the creek to watch some nearby fly fishermen catch a limit of rainbow trout. This was about as much activity as we needed or wanted and both agreed that so far, this RV life was looking pretty good.

The next morning we were up early and showered in the clean campground showers then drove to Bryson City, about 10 miles away, for breakfast at our favorite place, the Everett Street Diner. This cozy little Diner features the best homemade biscuits and gravy anywhere and always has a number of police and fireman seated at the tables filling up before their shift begins.  This morning there were several tables of young people chatting excitedly about the hike they were about to take in the National Park. They were all wearing the same color T-shirt representing their church youth group.

After a breakfast of eggs, biscuits, gravy, bacon and some excellent coffee, we knew we had to walk everything off and made our way to the Deep Creek area of the park to hike to Tom’s Branch waterfall and to see if the rhododendron was still in bloom. We were not disappointed. Although it was a bit late for wildflowers, a few were still visible, but the Rhodys were out in full force.  We captured a picture of a Japanese lady who was posing on a rock with a beautiful specimen in the background beyond Deep Creek.

It was a great day for hiking and browsing the quaint shops in the small mountain town that is Bryson City.  At the end of the day, we found some silverware for Bertha’s kitchen in an antique store which Helen purchased after some give and take with the shopkeeper. We knew that Bertha would approve.

That evening it was time for some fun and games at the Casino. I have shared with Easin’ Along readers that although we enjoy casino fun, we’re not high rollers.  We are not even low rollers…we’re slow rollers. We’ll play penny slots for a few hours just for the fun, and, if we win, we’re ecstatic.  We never expect to win, but we are always hopeful. On this evening, I was not having a very good run and, in an hour or so, was within $20 of reaching the modest limit I had set for myself on this visit.  I was being careful; after all, I had just purchased a travel trailer…

While walking through the casino to see if I could find Helen and peel her away from the activity she loves, I spotted a row “Wheel of Fortune” machines with one seat available. Thinking “what the heck” I sat down hopeful it might be possible to enjoy a turn in my fortune for this evening. This was a 25 cent machine, and the max bet was $1.25 per pull on the handle. I inserted my last $20 dollar bill. The first pull was not successful, nor was the second. I was already getting discouraged, but pulled hard for the third time anyway and watched as the wheels began spinning. They stopped on three Wheel of Fortune symbols. From somewhere inside the machine, voices chanted “Wheel of For-chun”! Those were the same familiar voices from the long-running TV show and indicated that I had earned the opportunity to spin the wheel.  I pressed the Wheel button. The Wheel began spinning.  Every person at the row of machines paused to see where the Wheel would stop.  It stopped on 2000, the largest number on the Wheel, which, in quarters, was $500. Several around me began to clap as I let out a resounding “Yesss”! Immediately I cashed in for the $500, plus the $16.25 left over from my last $20 dollar bill. Oh yes, I did ask someone to take my picture with the cash voucher to prove that it actually happened.

Helen and I left the casino delighted to be able to tell Bertha that, with her bonus check, we had enough to buy gasoline for the trip home.

RV life on the retired road has started on a positive note. We hope to see everyone out there as we continue…Easin’ Along.

A few weeks ago I introduced Easin’ Along readers to Bertha, the travel trailer we decided to bring home after having had so much fun during the cross-country adventure we called Sherman’s March to the Sea. In that post, we detailed some of the steps Helen (adorable wife) and I went through in selecting the type, size, storage site, and decorations for our new toy.  We’ve accomplished a lot since Bertha came home, and we’re still very much involved in the decorating and outfitting process, but Bertha was born to have fun and we couldn’t wait to get her on the road. This week I’ll share with you a few details about her first trip.

Within a couple of days of Bertha joining the family, I hitched her up and took off for the Cherokee National Forest for the annual gathering of the Appalachian Anglers Society, an event we call Camp II. I wrote at length about this event last year (link here) and I hope you’ll revisit the trip. In that post, I wrote that although I have attended Camp II for almost forty years, it had been several years since I had camped overnight. This was mainly due to my having sold or given away most of my camping gear when we downsized.  Bertha changed all of that and I was chomping at the bit to spend three nights in the woods having fun with old friends.

The entrance to the Cherokee National Forest is within an hour’s drive south of our home in Knoxville. I was eager to see how well my truck (named Sophie) handled the hills, but everything went well and I was so grateful because the drive is incredibly beautiful and I wanted to enjoy it without distraction. I was not disappointed.  When I arrived at Bald River Falls I stopped to take it in.  The recent heavy rains had filled the Tellico River Valley and the volume of water flowing over the falls was heavier than I had seen it in years.  A short video of the falls is posted on the Easin’ Along YouTube page (link here).

I didn’t linger long however because I was in a hurry to arrive at the campground.  Years of experience with this group had taught me that the serious campers arrive early and take up a lot of space. I wanted Bertha to have a level spot with room for Sophie. Luck was with me—there was only one camper on site when I arrived and we had our pick of campsites. I pulled in with all of the skill of a long haul truck driver, unhitched Bertha, grabbed a lawn chair and waited for the arrival of my fellow campers.  Let the fun begin!

It wasn’t long before others began to show up and set up. Our location was in the McNabb Campground along the North River.  It is one of the few campsites in the National Forest that can be reserved for an entire group. When I began attending this event (on my 30^th birthday) we had as many as 100 campers over a weekend.  Through the next couple of decades, the number has dwindled to as low as 30, but recently attendance has grown some as new members have joined and sons of members began to attend.  This year I counted nearly forty in attendance.

Our primary purpose for the event is to fish for trout in the many streams throughout the area, but we’re also there to catch up with each other after a year of doing what we do. I fly fish, but it is the fellowship that brings me back every year. These are great guys who share a love of the outdoors and each of us knows how fortunate we are to have such a beautiful playground in our backyard. In our younger days, things could get a bit rowdy as we all tended to let our hair down a little, but now most of us are short-haired types and have mellowed a bit over the years.

We’re also there for the food. Camp II always brings out some of the most accomplished outdoor cooks I have ever been around. This year was no exception. On the first night, we had an outstanding fish and shrimp boil that I honestly couldn’t get enough of. I filled my bowl several times.  On our second night, we were treated to smoked prime rib, grilled lobster tails, baked potatoes, and grilled fresh asparagus. The word incredible doesn’t do justice to this meal.

As much as I was there for the fun and the food, I was also there to give Bertha a good test of her ability to provide shelter for an extended period. She was tested early because it rained almost the whole weekend. Not only did it rain, there was an unusually strong storm that came through the mountains and we had winds that approached 80 miles an hour.  Trees were losing limbs everywhere. Bertha rocked a little, and certainly got her feet wet, but otherwise proved to be able to withstand most anything.

The first night was cold and damp but I sat on Bertha’s couch and read a book in full light and warm as toast.  Occasionally I would spot a few who were standing beside a soggy campfire every time the rain slacked off. (Note: A reader has chastised me severely for not inviting everyone in. Bertha has  an occupancy limit but I did extend a few invitations…none were accepted, however). I slept very well as the rain fell gently on the roof.

From our beginning, Easin’ Along was created to promote and participate in an active lifestyle during our retirement and continue to do so for as long as we are able. Now that Bertha has passed her first exam, it looks as though we will have no trouble doing just that for a while longer at least, and we can continue happily Easin’ Along down the retired road. We look forward to that with great vigor.

Next week, Helen and I take Bertha to Cherokee, North Carolina for Bertha’s second trip. Please come back…’cuz Bertha gets a bonus!