Back in the "Road Mode"
When we are motoring down the highways and byways we have a three distinct modes of existence; park mode, road mode and tourist mode. After Boston we adapted our road mode and looked for places that were less expensive and that could contribute to our well being.
Again, at about 200 miles from Boston was the Army Military Academy at West Point New York. Near West Point is a Camping World and as the first since entering Canada we needed some RV supplies we just hadn't been able to get.
After stocking up we rolled onto the West Point military reservation. The property here is huge and offers a tremendous history of our military leadership for this country. Unfortunately I had no idea how big the place was and where the Fam Camp might be. Well, we were in the Round Pond campground several miles from the main part of the historic post. Had we been closer to the main campus we might have ventured over to take in the history but here's what we had.
The Round Pond camping area offers seven temporary parking spaces for your $20; no sewer, no Wi-Fi, no cell reception, and no TV reception sat or off air. Really pretty spot on the top of a mountain but in a deep hole; quiet, dark and extremely remote.
We had a great night, hit the dump station on exit, and then the exit road. "I'm sure the sign said this was the way out but do they realize that I'm piloting 20 tons and 60 feet of powered machinery up that golf cart trail?" Yup and hope no one is coming down.
After escaping the north woods we had some major decisions to make. With Baltimore and Washington DC looming on the horizon do we stop between the two at the 200+ mile mark when we are already tired, or press on through DC as it was Sunday, to avoid the really bad traffic we had endured there many times before?
Press on the military mind said, and after 333 miles and $100 in tolls we landed at the Aquia Pines RV campground just south of the DC area ... whew, long day for the old guys. It was a decent gravel spot in a very hilly and treed park with the weather still about 60 and rainy; not a great place but a welcome wide place on the road, eh.
At this point we were still hoping to continue our trek southward on I-95 to the Hilton Head area and see friends from Barrie there but the weather made us think twice. Those folks had just arrived in Hilton Head, GA, after a pretty rough trip through the intense rainfall event and flooding which closed parts of I-95 and with a quick email to us we moved our trip to the west.
We then took a right turn out of Richmond after getting lost a bit there thanks to the GPS (pilot error) and headed down I-85 toward Atlanta. With a comfortable 250 mile day we arrived at the Greensboro RV park. Obviously a former KOA it was OK with a fairly level lot but too many trees to get the sat reception and again an OK spot to rest on the highway ... about it. The weather the next day was finally to break from the 50-60ish gray stuff to sunny so we were hoping.
