Finally Getting Out Of Here!

[silverloaf]

We are less than a week away from relocating to Georgia. The "for sale" sign is finally on the front lawn of our home in Michigan.

It will be the 1st time we have done a long-distance trek in our restored Avion. Aside from short trips to/from the storage facility, the trailer has yet to see open road.

We've spent the last 2 months sleeping in the trailer while parked in our driveway. We gave our bed away so this became a matter of necessity. I must say sleeping in the trailer has been a pleasant escape from the accelerated pace of getting the house ready for sale.

I suppose we will be sitting around a campfire reminiscing about what has occurred since we purchased the trailer in 2017 and then decided to move. At our ages, it's about time we start focusing on memories and not to-do lists.

I'm sure many of you can relate.

[Razorback]

Sounds like the start of a great adventure, Bob!

I can relate to the feeling of being in the Avion. Sometimes I’ll go out to our back yard and just sit in it,usually thinking about our next outing, thinking of previous ones, and wishing we we “out” at that moment!

Have you determined a route to Georgia?

[silverloaf]

Paul,

We pick up I-75 outside of Detroit and head south. More recently, we've been getting off at Cleveland, TN, and heading south-southeast along the fringe of the Chattahoochee National Forest. Our daughter is in Cumming. We save roughly an hour by not going further south on I-75.

This should be a good 1st test for our F-150 rolling through some mountainous terrain, including switchbacks. The truck has enormous towing capability, but the driver....not so much!

[Salty]

I am so happy for you, getting out in the trailer you have restored . Fair winds and following seas on your trip!

[KYAvion]

Sounds like a fun adventure! Something I’ve come to realize is that when towing I prefer printed directions over relying on my phone to spit out directions. By having a printout I can do a better job being a couple steps ahead. Just my personal preference, but I thought it might be worth sharing as you head out for your first trip.

[Razorback]

Paul,

We pick up I-75 outside of Detroit and head south. More recently, we've been getting off at Cleveland, TN, and heading south-southeast along the fringe of the Chattahoochee National Forest. Our daughter is in Cumming. We save roughly an hour by not going further south on I-75.

This should be a good 1st test for our F-150 rolling through some mountainous terrain, including switchbacks. The truck has enormous towing capability, but the driver....not so much!

Awwww, I was hoping you’d be coming through our area of NW Arkansas, but that’s way out of your way.
I think we have been to Cumming, GA while I was in an IBM class in Atlanta.... wife’s friend who worked for Delta..

[silverloaf]

Paul,

If you get an email from the Fayetteville area, you'll know we are really lost!

Maybe we can meet up some day in Branson. I did a Google map assessment. It takes roughly 11 hours to drive from Cumming to Branson. But it takes nearly 18 hours to fly there from Atlanta!

We'll take the 7 hour difference and have a really nice snooze in the trailer.

[Razorback]

Paul,

If you get an email from the Fayetteville area, you'll know we are really lost!

Maybe we can meet up some day in Branson. I did a Google map assessment. It takes roughly 11 hours to drive from Cumming to Branson. But it takes nearly 18 hours to fly there from Atlanta!

We'll take the 7 hour difference and have a really nice snooze in the trailer.

Branson would be awesome! During a "normal" year, we make it there 4 or 5 times and stay at the Silver Dollar City Campground (used to be called the Wilderness Campground), but this has not been a normal year due to family illnesses, hospital visits, etc. We were there in April and have one more trip scheduled in early December, weather-permitting to enjoy the Christmas shows and lights at SDC.

I'm like you (and am working on my wife)..... I would much rather go anywhere if it would involve the Avion! Getting there is half of the fun!

[pbsled]

Sounds like a great move and trip ahead. Keep us posted! You will be down in my neck of the woods so to speak and I will be taking a number of trips hopefully around the Southeast starting with our shakedown trip to a beach campground in SC. The last time I had our Avion out it was up in MI and I took 75 most of the way home.

[silverloaf]

We are roughly 24 hours away from hitting the road to Georgia with our Avion. At least, that's the plan. We survived 2 open houses last week by our realtor. Since we have been sleeping in our trailer in the driveway (the house is virtually empty), moving the Avion and enclosed utility trailer in and out of the driveway has been memorable.

We have encountered so many delays over the past 18 months. The worst was the 8 months of construction this year replacing the water main and street. Today, they are back to put a last -minute protective coating on top of the new pavement. This project just won't end. It's created a logistics nightmare with plumes of dirty air.

The last item on my list today is setting up the weight distribution hitch for truck and trailer. I have not used it before now because we've never taken a long-distance road trip. While I'm confident the set-up will go well, it's just another anxious moment to work through.

Since we are faith-based, a lot of prayer will occur as we bring this chapter of our lives in Michigan to a close. No regrets, however.