Phoenix & Back – 2023 – Days 1 & 2
February 17, 2023
We left our house around 7:45 AM, on February 16th, 2023. Destination, Phoenix AZ.
Temperature was below freezing the night before so I didn’t fill the water tanks until that morning. The goal was to make it to Bear DE, we had reservations at Lums Pond State Park.
We had hoped to get there around 4pm, especially to visit with my brother who could come down from Philadelphia for dinner. Of course I had neglected to tell him this. LOL. He wasn’t able to make it and it was a good thing he didn’t. We had bad traffic in spots and didn’t get there until dark, about a quarter after 5pm. And started doing things like parking and leveling and de-winterizing the trailer. We had stopped to buy some frozen dinners but they would have taken forever to microwave so we just had pasta and sauce. I had probably finished de-winterizing around 7pm and we were beat. It is easy to do but it was the first time I had done it!
We definitely wanted an easier second day. Right now we knew that 400+ miles / day wasn’t a long term solution. So we picked an easier destination for the second day.
Day 1: 429 miles.
February 17, 2023
The goal for today was an easy 239 miles to Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield VA. It was a pull through site with power and electric.
We wanted easy, right? Nope.
We left around 10:15AM. I like 90 minute shifts, Susan would prefer 2 hour shifts, so we compromise on 90. The beginning of the trip was nice through rural DE and MD, I think.
Then we hit the Washington DC beltway and things went south, well sideways, we wanted to drive south but things went south. Traffic was heavy, it was rainy or damp, trucks were everywhere on both sides. We didn’t have any rest areas or anything. At 12:40 pm, tired and hangry, I grabbed a random exit and found a church, a so called church, the Central Baptist Church of Camp Springs. It was a mega church, huge, and there were no parking signs, no trespassing signs, and we felt a very un Christian vibe.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
Mathew 25:35
That’s probably the only time in my life I’ll quote the Bible. So we went down the street to the Evangel Assembly of God, parked and had lunch. We had someone drive out and they didn’t bother us. Unlike the folks up the street with the signs. It is amazing what a break does for you. But when you want a 90 minute drive and get 150 minute drive, you need a sandwich.
Did it get easier for Susan. No. She had the joy of doing about an hour of stop and go driving including a hair raising semi-trailer sandwich!
But we had learned from my earlier church mistake, when she couldn’t take it anymore I got an my phone and found a place to switch drivers, so we didn’t have to grab a random exit and hope for the kindness of strangers.
We made it to Pocahontas State park before dark, and were able to grab a “Point 5” selfie.
Day: 239 miles.
Total: 668
Miles/Day: 334
(Don’t worry, it gets better, I’m typing this on Day 3 after a great day!)