Cindi has asked me to write about the exciting events in Charlottesville, Virginia (USC Football). But to do that I get to also write about the preceding days. After 3 days in Charleston, West Virginia we finally got out of there on Thursday night. Actually I have to write about 2 funny (not so funny then) things that happened while in Charleston. First, as Cindi mentioned she flew off to the west coast for a few days to do a Get Motivated Show. While returning I spoke with her during her layover in Chicago. While we were talking she discovered, about an hour before her next flight, that her work had actually booked her on a flight to Charleston, South Carolina (the bigger Charleston) NOT Charleston, West Virginia!!! She was able to switch it but it was a bit nerve racking for a time there. Fortunately Cindi was able to find an email where she requested the correct Charleston in WV so it wasn't her error. Even though this Charleston is the capitol city of West Virgina it is relatively small (less than 60,000 population).
The second "not so funny at the time story" was with our motorhome. After a full day in the shop I got a call that said, "Sorry we weren't able to get to you today." Suck! At the end of the second day I got a call that said, "We know what's wrong but we have to order the part... it can be here tomorrow." Double Suck! At then end of the third day they said, "It's done." When we got there they explained to us that there was a "little problem." In order to fix the air conditioning they had to go through the bedroom floor in our back sliding door closet. Well 2 of Cindi's blouses were sucked into the engine compartment and, for a lack of better word, got shredded. No one was very happy at this point! Well, after much discussion they reduced the bill by $250 but still no one was very happy at this point as well. We got a bit lucky or maybe we should simply thank God, that the Regional Customer Service Manager happened to be visiting this Freightliner shop and overheard our situation. He helped us get an additional check for $120. Actually the check went to "Cindi Hulsebus" and she has informed
me it is earmarked for 2 new blouses! What could have been a $500 bill turned out costing us about $50 and our air conditioner and leveling jacks are now working correctly again. So finally we were off. Not so fast though. I've been driving this monster motor home for 4 months now and I know exactly what it should sound like. Something was definitely wrong so I U-turned it. No one was very happy again! (Do you know how many times I've had to hook-up and un-hook our Saturn Vue pull car? Let's just say I'm getting a lot of practice!) Apparently Cindi's blouses and the mangled metal coat hangers had damaged the fan blades. These were quickly fixed and we were off again after another round of "were sorry."
OK... off over the Appalachian Mountains. Since we're behind schedule we decided to take a short cut... actually we knew what we were getting ourselves into. Up and down, s-curve roads but this is beautiful country. We had hoped to make it to the New River Gorge Bridge before it got dark and just about made it. Our pictures weren't that great so you get the picture of a picture of the bridge. We then settled down at the Babcock State Park for the night.
In the morning after some running and rip-sticking with Sterling, our earliest riser, I finally pulled out the BB gun. We all took turns shooting empty water bottles although my hunter/fisherman Peyton was looking for squirrels. Tanner, the one bugging me the most to go shooting, is quite the marksman.
Off again down the eastern Allegheny Mountains. Not the best roads for a 40' diesel pusher with a tow car. We drove through Lexington, Virginia on our way to the Blue Ridge Parkway. This road that stretches from the Great Smokey Mountains in North Carolina 469 miles to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia is termed, America's Favorite Drive. The Parkway was the nation's first and ultimately longest, rural parkway in the USA. The speed limit is only 45 mph and is very relaxing with little traffic and has beautiful views. Best of all it lead us almost all the way to Charlottesville for USC's first game of the season.
