Thursday, May 17, 2012

Alabama to Mississippi

     Still a day late but not a dollar short - I've hit my stride.  I'm on my way and feeling good!
     Yesterday was a good day.  Rode all the way through Alabama on Rt. 84 which is known as the El Camino Corridor.  It was an uneventful day once I got on my way.
     Left the campground about 9:30 and Gertie got me to a Wal-Mart in Dorthan, AL to get an oil change which I was about due for but was really in need of new windshield wipers and a good windshield cleaning so that took about an hour out of my day but was a good way to start out with a new slate - in a couple of ways.
     Another bit of Gertie news:  she likes street names, AL likes route numbers.  Fun.
     So driving across the whole width of southern AL, here are my reflections:

  • buy stock in Dollar General - they're everywhere and being built where they aren't
  • the soil is just as red as in GA - maybe redder
  • there's a Malone, AL - just saying
  • DUH - I'm driving a Chevy so I can sing Dinah Shore's (who's old enough to remember her?) song - "See the USA, in your Chevrolet. . .).  Who knows all the words to her little diddy?
  • Robert Trent Jones has a golf trail in S. AL - who cares?
  • They're logging the heck out of SW AL - if I passed one truck hauling trees, I passed at least 50 - at least they were going east.  And then I found where they were logging and not reforresting!
  • black-eyed susans proliferated the roadside
  • Rt. 84 was like ribbon candy stretched out a little
  • If I passed 1 church, I passed over 100 - some so small, many out in the middle of nowhere, all cute and well taken care of. 
     The first state park I went to for the night - 6 miles off 84 on a crumbling road - not a soul in site so decided that might not be safe so crossed into Mississippi, near Waynesboro and found Maynor Creek Water Park which is really a reservoir with beaches, fishing and camping.  Gorgeous, private and cheap but lousy bathrooms & shower but that's ok - Rhoda provides.
                        

                                                          DATA:
mileage:  300.1                                                   campground:  $20 ($2 upgrade for waterfront)
gas:  $71 @ ($3.40/gal)
oil chg & wipers:  $73  
                                                           new feature:

2 comments:

  1. I like the map feature! Glad you got the oil changed and new wipers. Worth the hour and the $73.

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  2. Not so fun about Gertie and route names/numbers. I'd assume that's a common problem with any GPS because so many roads have multiple names. Ugh. Love the bullet points of useless but fun facts and I also love the map addition! Gives me more of a visual. And thanks for not staying in the deserted campground. Smart move.

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