Leaving Michigan & Road Trip To Raccoon Valley RV Park In Tennessee

                       Wednesday 9/25/2013

After spending a month and a half in Michigan, it was time to hit the road and head south. We really would have liked to stay another 2 weeks or so, but we wanted to spend a month in Tennessee, before we needed to arrive in Gulf Shores, AL the first of November. The leaves were just starting to change color, so we were leaving too soon for the fall beauty show in Michigan.

We took Hwy. 115 from Bear Lake, MI., going southeast and found some road construction along the way. When we came to Hwy. 127, we turned south and went through Lansing. At the south side of Lansing we turn east again on Hwy. 96 and found a Wal-Mart in Fowlerville, MI. for the night. Our drive for the day was 200 miles/4 hours including 30 minutes lunch stop.

We met Brenda and Marc in April in 2009, when we went to New Orleans. If you would like to read the blog, when we met them you can go to http://diane-j-m.blogspot.com/2009/06/new-orleans.html. Marc and Brenda follow our blog, and mentioned that if we got close to their home in Whitmore Lake, MI., they would come see us. It just so happened that we were going by their place, so we made arrangements to get together. They drove from their home and pick us up at Wal-Mart and we went out for dinner. It was so nice to see them both, and it seemed like just yesterday that we met. Marc just retired recently, but Brenda still has a couple more years to work. They are doing weekend and vacation trips in their motor home until Brenda retires. One of the reasons the RV life is so much fun, is because RVing people are so friendly, and you never know when you will run into them again.

The next morning before we left, I did our usual checks around the outside of our motor home. I found this little guy/gal moving in on us. I told him/her, he/she needed to stay here because the climate in the south might not be conducive to it's nature. Joe knock it off before we left. Anyone know what kind of spider this is?

We arrived in Ohio, the "So Much To Discover" state.  Ohio is a state we have stayed in before, but only at Wal-Mart. Does that count as a state we have been in? We count states that we stop for the night, even if it is a Wal-Mart. We stopped in Troy, Ohio at another Wal-Mart, off I-75 just north of Dayton. The drive was 215 miles and 3 1/2 hours including a 30 minutes lunch break.

Traffic was pretty thick during most of our drive through Ohio. Here we past a semi turned over on it's side in the ditch off the interstate, which caused the north bound traffic  nearly to a stand still. We were glad we were going south.

This road construction on I-75 was very nerve wracking for Joe and myself, being we are so wide.

Here we were going through Cincinnati. I think it was shortly after Cincinnati when we had a yo-yo pull in front of us, and then he stop quickly because he thought the semi he was going to pass was pulling into our lane also. Naturally, Joe had to slam on his breaks, and we got slowed down in time, only because Joe keeps a 2 x our length, between the car in front of us and us.

Crossing the Ohio River. On the other side we enter into

Kentucky, the "Unbridled Spirit" state.

I think somewhere after Lexington, we started to see mountains in the distance.We stopped at Berea, Kentucky, south of Lexington, at our last Wal-Mart. Our drive was 192 miles and 3 hours with a 30 minutes lunch break.

The next morning, as we approached Tennessee, we started to get some mountains.

And yes we are way to early for the fall colors here!

We cross into Tennessee the "Volunteer State".

We climbed to a height of 2,178 feet..

I believe this drive is through the Cumberland Mountains.

What goes up, must go down. Glad we have a Jake Break! I always say to Joe as we head down the mountain, " Do you have the Jake Break on"? And he always says, "Yes I do". I just like to make sure, since I don't have any breaks on my side of the bus.

Enjoy the ride!

Down, down down.

At the bottom of the mountain, our GPS tells us to get off at Exit 122.

It took us about 3 miles east of I-75, and than told us to turn south for about 6 miles. Joe started to complain, when we turned south on Hwy 411, saying the campground said it was located just a mile or so off I-75. After 6 miles on Hwy 411, it turned us west on Hwy. 170 back west for 3 miles and crossed over I-75. A mile past I-75 we came to our park. Our Rand McNalley GPS SUC_S. ( I don't like to cuss, so I left out a letter. I am sure you can figure it out). We would never buy another one. Our Garmin was much better!

Our drive was around 124 miles ( plus the extra 12 miles our GPS took us on) and 1 hour and 50 minutes including our 30 minute lunch stop. This RV park is about 15 miles north of Knoxville, TN., and is a Escapee RV Club Campground. We stayed at Raccoon Valley RV Park for 8 days at $24 a day with full hook ups. We don't have a membership with the Escapees, so we felt the nightly fee was a good price for a non member.

This park is nothing special, except that it is just off I-75.(If you take the right exit -Exit 117)

All in roads and lot sites are gravel. The pool was closed for the season and is real small. The park served it's purpose- location. We left this park today and arrived in a campground in a small town 40 miles south of Knoxville, TN.