October 2019
With Sea Fox sold and Sandy purchased we set our sights on our maiden voyage north to RI and MA. We began on October 12 and made our first stop at Sumter Oaks RV Park in Bushnell, FL. This park also has a weight station where we found the RV was well within the weight limits. They weigh the load on each tire and we found we were about 2000 pounds under the maximum.
We spent two nights at Flamingo Lake RV Resort, which we loved. It’s a full-service resort including a cafe, pool, playground, lake toys for rent, rec room, gym and more. This is an awesome place to stay.
Next was Florence RV Park. A no-frills one-night stay. It’s right off the highway. The park is in disrepair with dirt sites and very uneven ground. It worked for a one-night stay.
Carolina Crossroads in Roanoke Rapids, VA is a lovely resort. Cement pads at each site along with a grassy area and picnic tables. Family friendly with a pool rec room and mini golf.
A plastic tab broke on the toilet on day four. This prevented the ball valve from opening. A search of local RV shops revealed no parts in stock and a least a week to get them. We took the part search on line and quite surprisingly, there was a whole store for these toilets on Amazon. Part ordered and delivered next day. There are not many similarities between this toilet and what was on the boat. The boat uses a vacuum system where the RV just relies on gravity, so there was some study needed to understand the mechanics. Even with the learning curve, the toilet was up and running in a couple hours.
Candy Hill Campground in Winchester, VA has sites situated with stunning mountain views, a great camp store, gym, rec room, and perfectly situated propane station. They also have a few pull-thru sites that can be reserved in advance. Nice spot.
Pine Hill RV Park in Kutztown, PA, also a one-night stay, only 30 amp electricity and no water as we are were in the fall season. The park is pretty and, when in season for this area, I’m sure would be a lovely stay.
GrandView Camp Resort in Moodus CT is well worth a visit. This resort sits on acres of hilly grounds with amazing views. The owners are a lovely couple who were very welcoming. It has all the goodies…pool, playground, clubhouse, store and horseshoes.
Oakleaf Family Campground in Chepachet, RI was a bust. We spent ten days here because we wanted to spend time with family. And, at this time of year campgrounds in RI are limited. This is not a resort, by any means. They have 30 amp electricity only. No sewers at sites and it is in disrepair. They do have a “honey wagon” that comes around once a week for an extra $20 and a dump station if you care to disconnect, drive there and reconnect. I will say the owners are very nice people and tried to be as accommodating as possible.
Since RI requires every campground to be closed and have their water supply drained on October 31 we moved to Circle CG Farm Campground in Bellingham, MA. It was quite obvious people live and work from here year round. Very nice park and pleasant office workers. Again, not much going on due to the time of year. We spent 4 nights here in order to visit and spend time with family and friends.
On November 3rd we started our trek back to Florida. Our first evening was spent in Allentown, PA at Allentown KOA. Gorgeous! Officially, the park was not open due to off- season, but again, it was obvious people were living here with their hoses wrapped to protect from the cold. We were given a site directly in front of a babbling stream. Our chilly walk around over wooden bridges was beautiful. One of the best places we have stayed on this adventure.
The next few nights were stays at the same spots on our way north other than our 3 nights at Fort De Soto State Park, Tierra Verde, FL. It’s a pretty place, but not for me. No sewers at sites. Thankfully we were nearby the bathhouse. We had friends in the area with whom we spent time both on and off the “reservation.”
When we set up at Fort De Soto, the passenger slide would not go out. You can live with that, but it’s not very comfortable. With some studying and muscle power, the slide came out. When we left it was again powered by muscle and secured with a piece of wood wedged in place. We didn’t want it deploying on the highway ramp. It was repaired when we got back home by installing a new motor, fortunately covered by the extended warranty. This is highly recommended. It was $6,000 for 5 years or 60,000 miles, but repairs can be very expensive. I’m glad I purchased the warranty. I also purchased the consequential damage coverage which pays for repairs to items which may have been damaged as a result of another part failing. Without that, the only coverage would be for the first failed part.
November 11…we returned to Paradise Pointe…now officially called The Waves.
