We were up by 7 AM yesterday, getting ready to hit the road. I had the water and sewer disconnected and Terry had the inside of the motorhome pretty much ready to roll when Travis and Geli got there about 8:30 to see us off. Goodbyes are always the hardest part of the RV lifestyle but the good news is that the road will always bring us back again. We had a wonderful time visiting my son and his pretty wife, and before they know it we will be back in town.
We left Sunset RV Park in Tuscaloosa at 9:30 and took Interstate 20/59 to Birmingham, where we got on Interstate 65 and headed north. Somewhere between Birmingham and Huntsville, all traffic came to a complete stop and we sat still for a while, moving forward a foot or two at a time in a long line of cars and semi trucks as far as the eye could see in either direction.
We eventually made our way forward to a bridge, where they were replacing part of the concrete guardrail.
As soon as we were past that, traffic started moving quickly again. And no, I didn’t snivel going over the bridge. I was just grateful to be on the go.
Eventually we crossed into Tennessee and stopped for fuel at a Pilot truck stop, and before we knew it we were coming into Nashville.
Traffic was very heavy but we managed to stay in one lane all the way through with no problems. But as we were leaving the metropolitan area, everything came to a halt once again and we sat for a while. We never did figure out what that was all about, because when we got moving there was no evidence of an accident or construction or anything that would cause everybody to slow down at that one point.
Once we were clear of Nashville it was an easy run into Kentucky, and we arrived at Diamond Caverns RV Park a couple of minutes after 4 PM. We are here under our Thousand Trails Elite membership and there’s no charge for our 50 amp full hookup site. The campground takes its name from the nearby Diamond Caverns, which have been thrilling visitors for about 150 years. It’s right next to Mammoth Cave National Park, which we have toured in the past.
As in many membership campgrounds, the sites are a bit tight, but that’s okay, we’re just here for one night.
At least we have a fairly level site and we’re not like this fellow. You should never have your tires hanging up in the air like that. Put blocks under them for safety.
We covered 325 miles and were more than ready to call it a night. We were both tired, and didn’t even bother putting up our rooftop satellite TV dish. Terry made us a quick dinner, I wrote the blog, and we surfed the internet for a while before calling it an evening.
Today is going to be even longer, about 375 miles to Elkhart Campground. We plan to get an early start so we can get there before too late in the evening. Yes, I know, that’s a lot of miles. And yes, I know we could stop someplace along the way. But we are in what we call “get there” mode, and rather than drive a couple of hundred miles and sit for the rest of the day, we’d rather get to our destination, get settled in, and then have plenty of time to relax and do nothing for the next few weeks.
Authors appreciate every review one of our books gets, and they play an important role in book marketing. But when a top selling author whose work I respect so much like Billy Kring, who writes the excellent Hunter Kincaid series, leaves a review like he did for my new book Return to Dog’s Run, it is a humbling experience. Here is the review Billy left on Amazon:
“When I read Dog’s Run, I thought it was the best thing Nick Russell had written. Now, with Return to Dog’s Run, the first in the series will have to take a step back. The author’s ability to put the reader into characters so the reader feels and experiences events is done with first rate writing. The reader is pulled into the story from the start. Descriptions of Vietnam make you smell and feel the country. Most notable – and the heart of the story is showing how we often do not live up to our own images of who we should be and what the repercussions are in one’s life – as could only be told by an outstanding writer. What a great read!”
Be sure to sign up for our latest Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Death On The Pedernales, book five in my pal George Wier’s popular Bill Travis mystery series. To enter, all you have to do is click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening.
Thought For The Day – Be an encourager. The world has plenty of critics already.
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Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
You deserve every accolade everyone gives to you and your writing, Nick. You are a terrific author and an exceptional wordsmith. As I read your books I feel like I am walking right next to each character as they speak. Keep writing…..
The photograph with the RV wheels off the ground looks like it’s got a good bend in it
He’s probably trying to get all the water out of the black tag