Nite Nite Y'all.......

Happy Friday all.  It's Pod here with a wrap-up blog not only for our HBSP trip we just finished up today, but also for our camping year.  

We got home from the coast about 1:30 this afternoon.  At this point, I've been winterized and mostly unloaded, Levi has been unloaded and fueled, the laundry is about half done, and Rob went to pick up lunch for everyone when we got home.

Now I'm tucked safely way for the long, dreary, cold months of January, February, and early March. 

 It's been a great camping year, in fact, we've camped about 42 nights in all.  We've camped in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, and Michigan.  

Back to our most recent trip.  Rob told me this was a fun trip with Mark and Sue of furpod fame.  On this trip, they left furpod at home and brought along their brand new Lance travel trailer.  

Now the Lance has a name too, furpod^2 (For you non-math types, read that to be furpod squared, although, Rob did point out to be absolutely correct is should be (furpod)^2.  It was at this point that Mark wondered off to check on a broken stick or something.)  

At any rate, our week revolved around cooking on Mark's new pellet smoker, eating the food cooked on Mark's new pellet smoker, looking after Trisha and her foot, and making sure Sue took her meds each hour on the hour as her phone dinged to remind her.  A couple trips to Camping World, the grocery store and even down to Georgetown, SC to view the historic area rounded out our week.

Here are a few more pictures from the week for you to see....

  
Rob really likes this picture.  He told me it looked like we camped almost the entire year.   HAHA.

Rob told me the brisket Mark cooked on his new pellet smoker was out of this world delicious.  

Rob told me this was a breakfast creation that along with cheesy grits and Orange Iced Rolls, made a wonderful breakfast.  

Micah and Jackson keeping guard over Trisha to make sure she didn't get into any trouble.  

Rob's seafood dish on our one seafood meal of the entire week.

And finally, me all decked out in purple, followed by a picture of Levi and myself at one of our favorite rest stops on the way home today.

So, this is pod, wishing everyone good nite for the next 10 or so weeks.  I know I'm slated to get a new battery, and I don't know what else Rob may have in mind for me. But before I go, I want to thank everyone who has followed along with us on our travels this past year, and I want to also wish everyone a very Happy New Year with lots and lots of camping!!  So as always........

Until next time, stay safe out there.......-Pod 

It's the Camping Life for Us.....

Happy Tuesday afternoon all.  Today's blog post will be on the short side.  We've been busy since the last blog post.  Let's see if we can sum it all up for you.

We've been cooking (Mark, Susie, Rob), walking dogs (M, S, R), napping (Susie & Trisha), sitting around the camp, shopping at Sam's Club (all of us) , dropping by Camping World (twice at this point), Kroger (M, R), doing some real work (S, R), going to the urgent care for a bad cold like illness (S (with M along just for fun)), serious online camper shopping (T) and having a crown pop loose (R).  

Still the consensus is that we're having way too much fun.  Mark is cooking a pork tenderloin on is new Green Mountain Grill/Smoker.  Rob has one ordered that will be here next week, Trisha is hobbling along just fine in her walking boot, Sue is slowly getting better, the Sun is shining and it's a pleasant 70 or so degrees.  

To top it all off, as Mark and Rob were driving back across the causeway to the campground this afternoon they spotted a bald eagle eating his lunch.  

Of course, Rob's Nikon was in Levi, so he just used his iPhone.  

Thanks for stopping by today, be sure to drop back by again soon, and as always......

Until next time, stay safe out there.....-R,T, &J.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas......

Just a quick blog post to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.  We're camping at one of our favorite campgrounds, Huntington Beach State Park in Murrell's Inlet, SC.

We arrived shortly after noon yesterday, and a couple hours later, Rob had camp all set up while Trisha sat in a chair in the shade watching.  Our friends Mark and Susie arrived about 3 that afternoon with their brand new Lance 2295 travel trailer, (yet to be named.)

It was homemade chili for dinner, The Polar Express and presents on the big screen in the Lance once it got dark.  

Today dawned bright and just a little chilly.  The day was wonderfully warm, and we spent Christmas day just hanging around the campground.  Mark fixed whop cinnamon rolls on his brand new Green Mountain Grill pellet smoker, while Rob put a ham in the crock pot for Christmas dinner.  

Later in the day, Mark fired up his smoker again for a turkey breast as a part of Christmas dinner.  Add rolls, 7-layer salad, corn, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, cheesecake, bourbon pecan (pronounced pe-CAN) pie and our Christmas dinner will be a feast.

Here are a few pictures of our trip so far.  Tomorrow promises to be fun, a trip to Sam's Club, possible lunch at Mellow Mushroom, and we (Rob and Jackson) may even find time for a quick walk along the beach.  

And one final picture from our trip so far.....

Have a great Christmas Day.  Thanks for checking by today, and as always.....

Until next time, stay safe out there.....-(R,T,&J)

Another Shiny Day on the Parkway.......

Happy Saturday afternoon all!!  It's Pod and I'm back with a quick blog post to go along with this quick weekend trip.  We're all back at Raccoon Holler Campground for a last mountain fix until spring.  

We're camped beside The Kirks: Beth, Jon, Jordan, and Katie and their pod.  Jon cooked a hearty and yummy "mountain man" breakfast for us all this morning, then everyone was off exploring.  

My gang went to Mountain Outfitters where Rob scored some neat stickers and a t-shirt.  Then it was to Lowe's to get bird seed for Rob's mom.  We're not sure what the Kirks were up to, but I know we'll hear all about it when they get back home.   

It's been a cold and blustery weekend, but that good too.  I'm keeping my people all snug and warm, so all is good!!

Some of the pictures from the day are scenes from today's short drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Rob said there's a secret meaning in the title of today's post, but I have no clue what it may be.  Anyways, I hope you enjoy the pictures......

Thanks for checking buy today.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Until next time, stay safe out there.....-Pod (for R,T,&J)

Our Newest Team Member.....

Happy Tuesday evening all.  It's Pod blogging this evening and I have some great news for you.  We've got a new member for Team R&T.  Our newest member goes by the name of "Yammie." Yammie is a Yamaha EF2400iSHC Inverter Generator.  

Yammie was brought onto our team for several reasons.  One being to open up the world of off-grid camping in the upper mountains during the summer.  Another was simply as back up power source for either the house or me during a winter storm or extended power outage.  Rob already has a large back-up generator which works great, but he says it's big, heavy, noisy, and thirsty too!

Rob has been researching camping generators for well over a year.  He told me he's looked at all different brands, sizes, price points, and reviews.  In the end, his choice came down to reputation, power output, fuel consumption, future needs, and the ability to find the best price with a 24 months same as cash financing rate.  

Today, Mr. Fedex delivered Yammie not only to the front door, but he sat Yammie inside the front door for Rob's mom.  Rob loaded Yammie onto Levi and drove Yammie around to the back for unpacking and testing.

Yammie came with proper documentation, which Rob read, and a few tools, and even a 12volt DC charging cable.

Before long, Yammie was unpacked, filled with the correct oil, and was ready for the first crank.  

Rob said Yammie even comes with a removable fuel filter to help keep any trash out of the fuel tank.  

The moment of truth was at hand.  Rob flipped the "on" switch, pulled out the choke lever, and pulled the starter rope.  I'm happy to report that Yammie cranked and ran on the very first pull out of the box!!

After letting Yammie run a good ten minutes to warm up and settle into a good run state, Rob connected his small ceramic heater.

Which of course was no problem at all for Yammie to handle.  Rob had even downloaded a decibel meter app on his phone and took a few readings from about four feet away.  Now he admits these are most likely not all that accurate, but they can give some idea of Yammie's noise output.

First is a reading of just the normal ambient noise of the area.....

Next is Yammie at idle, with no load.....

Finally is Yammie with the ceramic heater running on high (Rob estimates this to be 50-60% load).....

It's been fun welcoming our newest team member, and while Yammie won't go on every trip with us, I'm sure Yammie will be making a few very special camping trips with us in the future.

As always, thanks for checking by today.

Until next time, stay safe out there.....-Pod and Yammie!!

A Ride Along a Back Country Lane......

Happy Labor Day Monday everyone.  We back home, with most everything unloaded, put away, laundry being washed, grocery's bought, lunch fixed, and most all of the needful chores done.  Levi still needs a bath, the yard could stand to be mowed, but both of them may have to wait just a bit.  

We hope everyone has had a great Labor Day Weekend, no matter if you got no days, one, two, or three days, or heck even if you're retired.  

To wrap up our trip to the mountains this past weekend, we want to share with you some of our Sunday.  While the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most beautiful drives on the east coast, if not the whole of the USA, most people hop on the BRP at a major highway crossing, drive a few miles, hop off at another major highway crossing and continue along their way.  While the BRP isn't for making good time, it is all about slowing down and seeing the scenery.  

Most travelers of the BRP don't realize it, but there is a whole network of gravel one and two lane roads along the BRP.  Having travelled every foot of the BRP, we enjoy spending time on these back country lanes.  The views are amazing, the traffic non-existent, and the pace is as slow as you want to go.  

Thanks for riding along the backroads with us again today.  We're both busy getting ready for week two of school, so we'll be closing for now.  

Until next time, stay safe out there.....-R,T,&J.