Full Timing in uncertain times

As we write this update, we are camped north of Atlanta thru the end of March. This was a planned stop but nothing else has gone according to plan. The good news is that we, and all our family, are doing well. Dan’s 88 year old mother is fine, our kids and grand kids are healthy (and growing in the case of the babies!). Things have really changed since the last update so follow along as we update you on our trip out of Florida and into the unknown.

On March 11th, we turned Lola north. We’d had a great winter in the Sunshine State but it was time to start moving north and follow the cooler weather. Our next stop was a campground outside of St. Augustine. This was intended as only a short layover. At the time, news of the Coronavirus was spreading but nothing really had changed. Shopping was normal, everything was open and life seemed to be going on as normal.

In St. Augustine we took a day to do a hop on-hop off tour to see the highlights of the town. The place was packed and the only real sign of any concerns was the fact that the local college was closed (Flagler). We were packed on the tram and at the fort we saw many school groups visiting (a ranger indicated that by 2 PM they had had over 40 groups visit already!). We had a great late afternoon meal on the water and even got some shopping done at local grocery and liquor stores.

Below are some scenes from our short stay including our campground, view of Flagler College, former Hotel Alcazar, Jill at the entrance to Castillo de San Marcos, and a view from the same.

After this quick stop, it was up the coast to Hilton Head Island and our favorite campground, Hilton Head Motorcoach Resort. This is the first place we ever stayed when we rented our first RV and was the first long trip we took with Lola. We love the wooded, large, well furnished sites as well as the fact that you can bike to so many great places on the island. We had a huge site in the back of the resort and if it wasn’t for the price, we probably never would have left!

Things started getting more real with regards to the virus as we attempted to do some shopping and fill our fridge and pantry. We visited the local grocery store and started to see the impacts of hoarding and panic buying. Toilet paper was nowhere to be found as expected but some things were just down right odd.

Everything was still open at this point and we enjoyed several days of catching up with friends. We visited Pool Bar Jim’s with Rich and Michelle Vano, fellow RVer’s and friends we met at Hilton Head a few years ago. We drove over to Beaufort to see that cute little town and spend time with Jenn and Randy Stanley. Dan worked with Jenn for many years at IHG and it was great to catch up on old times and news. And finally, we had a great lunch with Garry Anderson, someone Jill had known from Lithonia way back when Garry was the president of the local bank where her mother, Iris, worked.

And then the world changed. The governor of South Carolina closed all restaurants, bars, beaches, etc. and put the state on notice to lock down and shelter in place. Living in an RV, we are naturally separated from people and are pretty self-sufficient. Our biggest challenge is maintaining supplies (food, toilet paper, etc.) since we do not have large storage spaces. We supplied up as best we could the rest of the week, spent a quiet 2nd half of the week in Hilton Head, mostly inside the campground, and then headed north to Atlanta as planned on March 20th

By this point, plans had unravelled completely. Our original expectation was to spend a little more than a week in Atlanta, catching up with friends and family, getting some doctor visits done, and getting ready for our trip north to Maryland and Pennsylvania with Dan’s mother along for the ride. When we left Florida, we were still thinking this plan could work, just have to adjust where we visited, etc. By the time we arrived in Atlanta, all those plans were cancelled and we were pretty much sheltered in place north of Atlanta at our usual campground on Lake Allatoona. No visits with friends, all doctor appointments cancelled and even cancelled our hair appointments. Needless to say, we are seeing more hair and more gray than we have ever seen before!

We’ve switched to mostly order ahead and pick up for most supplies to limit risking exposure. We have managed a few visits with the grand babies, including our first opportunity to baby sit!!!

We also managed to visit Dan’s mom, Jean, although it was done with great care given her age and risks to the virus. We ran several supply trips to her home where she would take everything from our trunk into her home and then clean off completely before putting away. We talked at a picnic table in her apartment complex, being sure to keep our 6 foot distance. Not optimal but the best way to visit and still keep her safe.

There is lots of news about campgrounds closing but so far those have tended to be government run campgrounds (federal, state, local, Corp of Engineers, etc.). Private campgrounds are attempting to stay open unless local governments require them to close. Many of these are family owned business and they are doing everything possible to keep things safe during these times (closing many of their facilities such as playgrounds, pools, etc.) but staying open for folks like us who have to park somewhere.

Our plan now is to move out of Atlanta on April 1st (no joke) and head to the northeast corner of Georgia to the town of Dillard. There is a nice campground there and we will stay there for a month. Some counties are now limiting entrance of folks from out of town and/or asking them to shelter in place for 14 days after arrival. This should not be a big problem for us as we will be supplied up pretty well and not planning to visit anyone.

The month of May we will move slightly north into North Carolina outside the town of Franklin. This area has specifically forbidden short term transient stays but as we are staying for a month, we should be OK (of course, rules could change).

For both April and May, this will keep us within a short driving distance to Atlanta to help with resupplying Dan’s mom and also for a visit from time to time with our grand babies.

And here we thought we had seen the worst when Jill broke her leg in 2019!!! 2020 is looking even stranger!

Stay safe

Dan & Jill