Note:  There are three (3) photos in this post.  Photos by me (Bruce), were taken with a Google Pixel 6 Pro or SONY alpha 6400, unless otherwise indicated.  (Photos by Linda taken with a Google Pixel 6.)

 

THURSDAY 30 November, 2023 — Escaping the weather and making our way home

 

We were keeping a close eye on the weather forecast over the last few days.  Based on what was happening, and forecast to happen, we decided to leave Luxury RV Resort a day early to try to get ahead of a weather system that had the potential to make breaking camp, driving, and setting up camp somewhat unpleasant.  Yesterday, Linda made one-night reservations at Birmingham South KOA (Birmingham, Alabama) and Grand Ole RV Resort (Goodlettsville, Tennessee).  When possible, we like to know we have a place to spend the night before we hookup and pull out.

 

We were successful in avoiding the weather and had an uneventful day leaving Gulf Shores, Alabama except for the “info-navi-tainment” screen/system in the F-150, which had developed an issue wherein it could not remember previous or stored destinations or how to pair with my Pixel 6 Pro smartphone.  I had spent quit a bit of time the last few days fussing around with this, resetting the system and installing updates, all to no avail.  I could still pair my phone, but had to initiate it manually each time.  The GPS/navigation system still worked, but if we turned the engine off for any reason, such as stopping for fuel, we had to re-enter the address of our destination.  Not the end of the world, but the most annoying thing was the radio came on when I turned the ignition on, and I could NOT turn it off or adjust the volume before performing a soft-rebooting of the system.  It was annoying, given the price of the truck, but we have a bumper-to-bumper extended warranty that includes all of the electronic systems onboard, so we knew it would be taken care of once we got home.  Besides, Linda always puts the destination in her phone and tracks our route and progress in parallel with the built-in system.

 

The drive to our first overnight stop was uneventful and we arrived at the Birmingham South KOA near Birmingham, Alabama, well before sunset.  It was a very nice RV park, and setting up camp was routine, even if we were a bit out of practice after sitting in the same spot for a month.  The park was already decorated for the Christmas Holiday season, which gave it a festive look and feel.

We unhooked the truck and drove around the area a bit, mostly to find fuel and food (Panera), but also to just have a look.  In the process we found ourselves driving through some very nice areas with very nice houses.  This wasn’t the first time this had happened to us.  I’m not sure why, but it came as bit of surprise just how much (apparent) wealth there is spread out all over the nation.

 

…