On the Road Again, Destination...Home

After much thought about what we should do and how we should take care of repairing the motor home's electronics and replacing the 13' awning, we decided that the most prudent thing to do was to return home. We could have continued on our trip and lived without some of the electronic displays that monitor certain aspects of the motor home...we would just have to monitor things ourselves. But, to continue on our trip without the large awning would have been very difficult, especially as we headed into the heat of the southwest. When we are set up at a campsite, the awning helps shade the side of the motor home that houses the refrigerator. Motor homes are not well insulated vehicles and heat or cold penetrate easily into the living area. If we couldn't shade the outside area by the refrigerator, it would barely be able to function adequately. Lack of an awning also means the air conditioning would have to work overtime to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the motor home. We thought about ordering a new awning and having it delivered to a destination on our route, but then we ran the risk that it wouldn't be there in time or something else could go wrong and cause us to be "stuck" somewhere for who knows how long. By coming home, we could wait as long as necessary for all of the parts that need to be replaced.

We left Port Charlotte, FL and took several days to trek home. At a campground called Dixie Caverns just outside of Roanoke, VA, we toured the caverns on the grounds of the campground. Although not as spectacular as Carlsbad Caverns in NM or even Luray Caverns nearby, Dixie Caverns was interesting. The caverns were accidentally discovered in the 1920s by a couple of young boys who were chasing after their dog. The dog fell down a hole and landed on a ledge. The boys rescued the dog and told the owner of the property about a cave. He explored the caverns for about three years before opening it to the public. Initially, people had to lower themselves into the caverns using a rope. Over time, another entrance was built and paths, stairs and lighting were added to improve access. I am always amazed at these underground wonders of the earth. Stalactites and stalagmites formed over thousands of years from water and minerals. The shapes and sizes were just incredible. There were quite a few rooms in the caverns. One room had a stalactite shaped like a huge bell. It was referred to as the wedding bell and there have been a number of small wedding ceremonies performed over the years in that one room. Our tour lasted about an hour and then we got back on the road.

After a few more days of one night stays at campgrounds, we arrived home. We were away exactly one month. In spite of our encounters with nightmare weather and the damage to the motor home, we had many good times while we were away, but at this point, we are just happy to be back home.