It Must Be Warm Somewhere, January, 2020.

We waited for our new countertop. While we were waiting Susan squeezed in one last Doc appointment. And we watched the weather.

A big snowstorm was predicted for the area around home on Friday the 17th. Predictions were for 8-12″. We got about 6″ in Hastings but there were lots of areas that got more especially south. And the wind came up to create Blizzard Warnings. So we waited for the snowplows to get out and the wind to calm down. And then it snowed some more and the temperatures started going south. Everyone knows what that means but in makes no sense. They were going down.

Heat was on in the coach, refrigerator was on. Everything was loaded and ready to go except for the last of what was in the refrigerator and us.

If we take two longer days (9 hrs including fuel, bathroom and lunch stops) we can get to just south of Kansas City for a Camp Walmart overnight the first day and to Maumelle Corp of Engineers Park just west of Little Rock on the second day where it always seems to be above freezing.

We saw weather south from KC getting worse, in Hastings, getting colder. We weighed options and chose a day to leave. Finished the last minute loading the night before. Turned the heat in the coach up to 70° and turned on the engine pre-heat. This lets the AquaHot heating system pump hot coolant through the engine. This is the same loop that lets the engine heat the AH while we drive for heat and hot water.

In the morning we made coffee, had a quick breakfast, started the coach (engine temp was 99° when it started, outside it was 2°), disconnected the umbilical cord and were ready to go. I moved the coach out onto the driveway and moved the Jeep behind to make the towing connections. Susan did the pre-tow checklist in the Jeep, we tested the lighting connections, right turn, left turn, brakes and tail lights. All good.

Just a couple last minute things inside, last power off, a walk around, lock the doors, lock the barn and a picture.

We stopped at the first rest stop about an hour away and double checked lights, towing connections and did a quick walk around to see if anything was amiss. All OK. Another eight hours through Des Moines and KC to a Walmart we have stayed at before in Raymore, MO. Easy to get in and out of. A mostly cloudy uneventful driving day. We went into Walmart and got a couple gallon jugs of water, had some supper and didn’t stay up very late.

The next morning we woke up to 34°, a bit of wet snow in the parking lot, fog and a misting rain. South was looking a bit warmer but rain all day. Off we went. And it rained all day, never hard, just all the way. A couple times it was on the edge of sleet. There was some icing on the mirrors. This was another nine hour day. The drive through the Ozark Mountains is usually quite nice but today wet roads, truck traffic and the gloom made it a bit more stressful. Finally down I40 towards Little Rock in Arkansas, west on I430 across the Arkansas River and north along the river to Maumelle COE Park on the Arkansas River. It is a place we like to stop, quiet, restful, so far always above freezing.

We found a really nice site, #16. It was on high, dry ground. It was still raining but not hard, I drained all of the winterizing potable RV antifreeze from the outside drain lines and hooked up the water line. With outside water Susan flushed all the lines inside until they all ran clear. Then I drained some more from the outside drains to be sure. Then we added about 20 gallons of water to the fresh tank with a couple teaspoons of bleach. And I put the hose away because it was supposed to get close to freezing that night.

It did and it rained almost all day the next day. We went for a walk about noon in a break in the rain, later in the afternoon it appeared to stop raining and we went for another walk.

There was another Foretravel closer to the river.

It was Dave and Nancy Abel from Florida. They were here for a while to visit kids who live nearby. I knew Dave from the Owner Forum. First chance to meet face to face.

We spotted another FT at the other end of the park but it was no one we knew. I left a card on their door but never heard back. They were gone the next day when we walked back that way. It is a big park, one lap around the park was close to 5000 steps.

We stayed three nights, time to walk, relax, catch up on blogs and think about what was next.

More Later, Much Love,

Roger and Susan