Flowery Branch with the Brasils

We spent 9 days with Jody, Renato, Maria, Brianna and Dustin......and Xena, Gabby, Bertha and Charlotte.  Maria, Renato's daughter from Brazil, has now joined the family and we were impressed on how well the three kids all get along.  They tuckered us out.  We enjoyed our time with them and got to see all the work Renato has been doing on their home.  We stayed at Old Federal COE so they also came to visit us on their pontoon and Gretchen, their 71 VW bug. 

The campsite was nice as the kids could play on the beach in front of us. 

We went out twice to eat, the first time was a very good Cuban place and Friday night at Vinnie's for pizza.

The kids were in school so picked Dustin up a couple times and Maria at the bus stop.  Renato spent his days working on finishing the basement bathroom for the girls who now live down there.  We did notice it was much quieter with all three playing downstairs.......and the dogs outside.  With a 71 bug it loves to be worked and tinkered on.  Jody drives it to work sometimes and the kids like to ride in it.  They are planning on trailering it to Biloxi in a couple weeks for Crusin the Coast.

All is well in the Brasil family.  While we were here we visited a few places in the NE Georgia mountains for summer homes.  The one we liked was Paradise Valley in Cleveland where you have to purchase a site and there are always several for sale.  Before we move forward we will rent a site for a few summer months. 
Judy and I were going to Florida for 3 weeks to visit Bev, Clayton & Pat and Tom & Heather. We were also going to investigate several locations to settle down during the winter.  We really like Gulf Shores but Florida has way more 55+ communities.  We are somewhat up in the air about what to do and have to do our homework first.  Well, we were going to Florida.  A few days before we left the kids Judy's bad knee decided to change our plans.  She called her ortho surgeon in Foley, AL and made an appointment for October 2 to schedule a knee replacement.  She had one day of water aerobics and that did the knee in, she's frustrated as the knee is really crimping her active life.

I have to say that Patches really enjoyed being outside and watching the Lake Lanier.

Clayton, GA Cross Creek CG

We made the long 44 mile tow into Georgia to Cross Creek Campground for a four night stay.

We want to accomplish two things while here, kill time until our site in Old Federal COE park in Flowery Branch is open and also check the area out for a summer home.  Perhaps a summer site in the northeast GA mountains would be comfortable.  We wanted to go to Cleveland, GA and see Paradise Valley but were told they were without power and had lots of trees to clean up after Irma so we'll try next week.  We did spend time at River Vista in Dillard and liked the area and park but the sites are small, short and crowded.  We are rethinking purchasing a manufactured home or park model in FL as a winter home due to being chased out last year by Andrew and all the damage last week by Irma.  Two years in a row hurricanes are screwing up our research plans, perhaps there's a message here?  Decisions, decisions, decisions. 
If you think all the campgrounds we stay in are good looking like above......here's the view when I turn around and take a picture.

Meeting Randy & Lisa & GSMR ride

We spent a week in Whittier NC after towing from KY clipping through western TN and VA into NC.  We are at a nice CG backed up to the Tuckasegee River.

While we were here we met Randy & Lisa who were on their Harleys for a 2 week ride.  They were in a motel 10 minutes from us so we had supper and a real good visit with them and returned to see them off the next morning.  Randy made 2 or 3 customer visits and they stopped to spend a few days with Jody & Renato twice.  I hope we can do this more often. 

We also spent 4 or 5 hours on the Great Smoky Mountain RR.  There was a narrator, musicians and a story teller onboard.  I LIKE steam locomotives!

 

We also checked out the model RR layout in the adjacent museum and gift store.

Guess what goes right by the campground road across from us?

 

Pikeville, KY

We made a longer tow to Pikeville, 203 miles on US23, a very nice 4 lane divided highway.  We'll continue on US23 which we have taken twice in the past going to Flowery Branch to visit Jody & family.  We'll spend 2 nights here as we aren't in a hurry to go south and are keeping an eye in hurricane Irma.

 

The city of Pikeville is long and narrow stretching along the  Levisa Fork River.  You can see on the left of the picture some of "the cut" as it's called that took 18 years to construct rerouting the river to eliminate flooding and make a better route for the railroad and a couple major roads.

The Pikeville City Campground is in a large city park and we are adjacent to the lighted soccer field allowing Judy to relax on the sofa and watch the girls then the boys high school games.

It made us think of Devyn so Judy sent her a couple pictures and said this is the way we want to watch her games from now on.

Circleville, OH

After visiting our RV friends we made a short tow to Ohio Christian RV Park in Circleville, OH to hole up over the Labor Day holiday.  Nothing special here just a place to hide for the holiday.  We did spend 2+ hours on the Hocking Scenic Railway enjoying the train ride.  Like the heater in the corner?

 

 

Downtown Circleville had this nifty mural that at first glance caused us both to look closer.  We had full hookups so Judy did a few loads of laundry, full hook ups (read sewer) is nice!

Time to head south, again!

We pulled out of Michigan 8/27, before Labor Day this year because Devyn is in college and Randy & Lisa left on their Harleys. They are on a two week trip to Georgia to see Jody & Renato and then 2 or 3 work stops in North Carolina; and there will be some fun roads to ride.  The first day was 540 miles so they met the 500+ mile day goal.  We were bored at Juniper Hills so decided to head south and stop in Bowling Green, OH (less than 100 miles) to visit RV friends.  We had supper Sunday evening with Ron & Roberta, Bert had a knee replaced less than 2 weeks ago and is doing very well.  Judy got to quiz her because we expect that she will have 1 or 2 replaced next year.
Today we took them to Defiance for lunch with Harold & Karen.  Ron & Roberta want to head to FL early October, the same time Harold & Karen head to CA.  We are headed for some train rides, a visit with Jody, Renato, and the grandkids, some time in FL checking out possible homesteads, and then another Gulf Shores winter.

Here's our site at Fire Lake CG in Bowling Green.

Devyn's a Comet at Olivet!

Devyn moved into her dorm room at Olivet the 16th as the soccer players had to report a week before classes start so they can organize and start practice.  She has practice weekdays for 2 hours each at 6am and again in the evening.  Busy girl.  Judy and I drove up on the 26th to watch her first college game, it was a scrimmage against Cornerstone University, another Christian school in Grand Rapids.  She played the first 35 and last 10 minutes, there are 26 girls on the team.

Devyn sounds and looks very happy here.

 

I forgot the camera and had to use the cell phone which doesn't take focused telephoto pictures......or I just don't know how to do it right!

 

The Olivet Comets won 3 to 1.