Buckle Up, Buttercup
May 22, 2019. One year exactly, since we departed on our last big adventure, which took us 5300 miles around America’s Great Loop, on our Happy Destiny Boat.
Today, we will Trudge the ROAD of Happy Destiny, in our new to us Motorhome. Destination- Columbus, Mississippi.
I’ve told the story about our travels through Columbus, Mississippi back in November , on our Great Loop Adventure. There, we found a “tribe” of folks at the local AA Clubhouse. (See the November 4th blog, (“There’s no place like Home”). Jim and I attended many meetings during our 2 week stay, and were cordially invited to return over this Memorial Day Weekend to their annual Convention. The name of this years conference is Trudging the Road of Happy Destiny. How could we say no! Along those same lines, I encountered a gentleman who I’ve only texted with, and Facebooked with. He has a beautiful home on the Tombigbee Waterway. He offered to have us over for a cup of coffee at his dock when we were going to cruise by his home. We didn’t stop, but he did stand outside and we waved at each other and he took a few photos of us passing by on the boat! I cherish these pictures, and have since become good friends with him. When I told him we were going to return for this conference, he offered us a place to stay. Great guy! Since we are now Motorhome owners, we chose to stay in the RV. Randy offered us the use of his truck so we can get around the week of the conference. Who does this?
Anyway, this is why we are on this adventure. To return to a place, that we fell in love with, and be with some amazing people we have met along our journeys.
Our first day we drove to Lake Park, Georgia. We drove the Interstate for awhile and then drove the back roads of Florida for about 3 1/2 hours. We both enjoyed the small towns. The old cemeteries, churches and of course, Dollar General Stores! We are self contained here in our motorhome. We never have to stop unless we want too. I fixed us lunch at 70 miles an hour! I must admit, though, going to the bathroom at 70 mph is totally weird! It’s super strange, standing at the kitchen sink, looking out the huge window, while a big rig passes you on the starboard side! You are eye level with the driver! I waved a few times. It’s pretty creepy!
Making reservations for an RV Park is a lot like securing a slip in a marina. You figure out where you want to go, how many hours you want to drive, and google rv resorts in that area. You read the reviews, and hopefully, you pick the right one. If you don’t pick the right one, you accept that it’s all part of the adventure!
I picked the right one for this overnight stop. Eagles Roost RV Park in Lake Park, Georgia. We arrived safely, got our coach plugged in and went for a swim. It was hotter than all get out, and the pool was a great treat for us! We enjoyed some grilled hot links with Mac and cheese. Another swim in the evening and lights out, early. We are such “geezers”😂
Next day, took us to Austell, Georgia. Again, we drove the back roads instead of the highways. It takes a bit longer, but well worth the extra miles. It’s more peaceful, and there is so much more to gawk at. We stopped at a roadside fruit and nut joint and bought fresh Georgia 🍑, roasted peanuts, a yummy fruitcake and some goo-goos, which are chocolate covered pecan awesomeness!
We had a few RV learning experiences today. I was driving and wanted to turn Left, but I was in the go straight lane. There was no one behind me, so I was waiting for all the cars to make their left. I thought the last car had turned, but there was one last car right at the drivers door. I failed to look in the small mirror. Luckily, I caught it in time and didn’t wipe him out! Our next debacle, a bridge. A 10 foot bridge we rolled up on! Jim was driving, and being the great captain that he is, spotted it just in the nick of time. He stopped just short of the bridge. We had cars all around us, and he needed to back out and go around the bridge. Maneuvering a 31 foot truck is no joke! A nice man held traffic for us, Jim backed her up, and off we drove. Lessons learned!
Our destination was Sweetwater RV Reserve. I told you that you never know exactly what you are going to get yourself into when it comes to RV parks. It’s not unlike marina hopping. This place was a dive! It was crowded with liveaboards and run down coaches. It was buggy and there was no shade! We got plugged in, got the air going, and just went with it. It was just for a night. We found a meeting at a local church and walked there for a good meeting. No one offered us a ride home, and we didn’t ask, so we hiked back to the park in the dark of night.
May 22, is taking us to Mississippi! We crossed the whole State of Alabama. We never stopped. We were anxious to get to Randy’s house to pick up his truck, and then get to the State Park. We were on a time crunch, because Jim had a board meeting to attend at 1:00 on Skype. We crossed into Mississippi, grabbed the truck and made it to the park with 4 minutes to spare. While Jim attended to his meeting, I set up camp. It was fun. I put our pretty table cloth on the picnic table, and hung our red fish windsock.
Lake Lowndes State Park, Mississippi (notice our little people on the License Plate frame with their leprechaun hats) 🍀
This is to be our home for the next 6 days, and it is beautiful. It is Memorial Day weekend and the park ranger told me by Friday, the park would be sold out. 50 sites full. But for a few days at least, we are pretty much the only ones here. Our site is right on the lake, and it is very comfortable. We have a busy few days ahead of us.
First night here, we returned to Glen’s BBQ and Produce. We found this place, if you recall, when we were on our Loop. Best ribs either of us had ever had. It was fun to return here for dinner. Miss Kimberly, who I’m sure is Glen’s most favorite hostess, was in her usual place behind the counter. She welcomed us back with open arms. She is just a sweetheart, and it was great to reunite with her. The ribs were as amazing as we remembered. Some fried green tomatoes and tater tots, added to the sheer joy in this dining experience! Glen’s will remain our top restaurant choice when in Columbus, Mississippi.
Glen’s produce, bbq, and fish joint
Thursday, May 23. We lollygagged around the campsite today. Rode our bikes, and relaxed. On this night we are going to attend a “kick-off” BBQ and meeting at the Triangle Unity Club. We were both looking forward to finally getting this weekend of fellowship underway. This is why we are here! The 21st annual Unity Covention.
We arrived to the TUC at 6:00 pm. We were greeted warmly by all the folks who remembered us from our previous visit while on our Loop. It was so lovely and I for one, was overwhelmed with gratitude. To be so warmly greeted by folks who were so happy we returned, like we said we would, made my heart smile. We enjoyed a home cooked bbq dinner and listened to Miss Layne’ share her experience, strength and hope. It was a great event and the perfect start to the weekend!
Friday, May 24. Today is opening day of the conference. Our morning started out with a bike ride and then to our great pleasure, we finally got to meet Randy! My heart just about exploded! This guy, a man I’ve never met in person, a man who followed our entire Great Loop Adventure on Facebook and our blog, who took pictures of us as we passed his house on the Tombigbee Waterway, who offered us a place to stay and a truck to use, was finally in our presence! The hug was huge and the gratitude intense. We shared some iced tea with him and Jim and I both enjoyed his company. He left with the promise of seeing him again soon at the convention site. YAY!
We arrived at the Trotter Convention Center right around 3:00 pm. There were a few people milling around and we got registered and received our name tags.
The dinner and meeting was not to start until 6:00, so I offered to help out in the kitchen. I made several fruit platters and enjoyed the kitchen staff, who are all members of the recovering community here in Columbus. These guys are doing all the cooking for the 5 meals, that will be served, to over 300 people this weekend! It was fabulous to be of service.
Dinner was served at 6:00. A spaghetti dinner was served, and it was delicious. The speaker tonight was Candace Moore from Los Angeles, California. I had heard her speak before in L.A. on a few occasions. Her story is intense and her message of recovery, inspiring. I heard her say “ how free do you want to be”, and that resonated in me. I’m so blessed and I know in order to keep what I have, I must continue, every day, to keep my side of the street clean, be of service, and trust God. I love my freedom!
We returned to the RV, but not before a trip to the Dollar General to buy some Borax. There are ants at our campsite, and I had heard that they will invade your motorhome at any point of entry they can find. Borax, sprinkled around the tires, the levelers, and the ground in general, will keep them at bay. They don’t like to cross the white lines! I don’t know if this works, but I’m giving it the old college try! Plus, who doesn’t love a trip through a Dollar General!
We skipped the early morning breakfast and Alanon speaker the following morning. We had some guests coming at noon. Erik and Renee, are loopers, who do their adventures in 5 week increments. Eric reached out to me last year after seeing our blog. He knew we must be in recovery, because of the name of our boat, the Happy Destiny. They have two boats. The “Easy Does It”, is their smaller River boat, and their ”Aquaholic”, is their Loop boat. Eric and Renee are from Ohio. I have been conversing with them for a year now, and had never met them, like Randy, until today. It just so happens that they are continuing their 5 week Loop segment this week from where their boat is in Demopolis, Alabama.. Demopolis, is the next major port down the Tombigbee Waterway. When Erik got wind that we were going to be in Columbus for the conference, the timing coincided with their plans to get to their boat.
Jim and I have both said many times, that our adventures would not be complete without the people we meet along the way. We got to finally meet Erik and Renee, and it was a great joy! I grilled some hotdogs and we shared some awesome memories with them. Jim and I are super happy for them as they venture down the Waterway and get it “salt water” wet, for the very first time. I know we will see them again, when they will pass right by our home port in Osprey as they make their way across the Gulf.
Erik, and his better half, Renee
They had been on the road for 12 hours, so they departed and went to their hotel to catch a nap, before we would all meet up for dinner and a meeting at the conference. Randy is joining us as well. What a great experience!
Back in the day, I was a bus driver and a cook at a Catholic Boys School in La Verne, California. I made lunch every day for 50 educators. I know what it’s like to prepare and serve a meal for so many people. There are 300 people at this conference. Tonight’s meal was Porkloin, salad bar, cheesy potatoes, fresh fruit, and some of the best “greens” I’ve ever eaten. The meal was prepared and served for all of these people, and it was fresh as fresh could be. There was more than plenty, and I was super impressed!
We dined with Erik, Renee, and Randy, and were treated to a great Speaker, Earl Hightower, also from Los Angeles, who both Jim and I have heard speak before. In fact, Earl, was instrumental in Jim’s employment with Social Model Recovery Systems, many years ago. It was a great meeting, with awesome company!
Road of Happy Destiny
Sunday, May 26. Up early and off to the Convention Center for 8:00 am, biscuits and gravy and the closing meeting of this fab weekend. We shared the meal with Erik and Renee, who were very anxious to get on their way to Demopolis. We bid them farewell with the promise of them stopping in Osprey in a few weeks.
I’d be remiss if I did not tell you about John Stacey, and his bride, Brenda. We met John back in November of 2018 when we splashed down in Columbus. He is a kind and most gentle soul, who grabbed both Jim and my hearts, the moment he introduced himself to us at The TUC. We went to 9 meetings at the TUC while we were visiting Columbus, and John was at every single one of those meetings. Jim formed a lovely bond with John. Jim is a big man, and John, about half Jim’s size. When Jim would hug John, my heart would just melt. Always reminded me of what a “Bear Hug” actually should look like! John is the man, who, when we finally were to depart Columbus, handed us a flyer with this event emblazoned on it. All we saw was the words Road of Happy Destiny written on it. John invited us to return over the Memorial Day Weekend, which was 6 months from that time. And there it was. An adventure to look forward to for both Jim and I.
We had not met John’s wife, Brenda while in Columbus during that period of time. As the time drew near to send in our registration payment, I reached out to her letting her know we would definitely be coming and we formed a Messenger relationship. I was so excited to meet her, and when I finally did, the word “Service” in recovery took on a whole new meaning for me. I watched her over the weekend and saw what a great role model she is! She never sat down and she ran around making sure everything was going off without a hitch. I noticed the women who call her their friend, their sponsor, their mentor, their mama, surround her with love and pride. She is a strong woman in recovery, and being of service, I know, is the creed she lives by. She and John worked very hard to make sure everyone was happy and enjoying the experience.
John, Miss Brenda and the two of us❤️
Jim and John Stacey
Monday, the 27th, we took our bikes over to the Riverwalk Trail, which is a picturesque 4 mile biking and walking trail which winds it’s way along the Tombigbee River. It was stunning and a great ride on our motor bikes. Have I told you lately how much I love my bike! We wore our Marriage Savers😂 so we could communicate without having to be right next to each other. It was very fun!
We ended our day at a 5:30 Happy Hour AA meeting at the Triangle Unity Club and bid our farewells to the tribe we have became a part of, in Mississippi. These folks will forever hold a special place in our hearts and we made a promise to return next year, if the Lord is willing and the creek don’t rise.
Bright and early, Tuesday morning, we departed Lake Lowndes State Park, returned Randy’s Truck and hit the road for our return trip home. Destination- Ozark, Alabama. Today we will drive through Selma, Alabama.
Selma, Alabama, captured the attention of the entire nation and became the center of a decisive shift in the American conscience. The nexus of the voting rights campaign of the 1960s, Selma was the starting point for three marches in support of African-Americans’ right to vote. These marches were crucial to the eventual passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The act prohibited racial discrimination in voting, protecting the right to vote for racial minorities in the U.S. and especially in the American South.
Google photo circa 1965
Our trip over the Edmund Pettus Bridge 2019
The Edmund Pettus Bridge was the site of the conflict of Bloody Sunday on March 7, 1965, when armed police attacked and brutally beat Civil Rights Movement demonstrators with horses, billy clubs, and tear gas as they were attempting to march to the state capital, Montgomery.
I really enjoy getting to go to places where there is some history. I enjoy reading about what actually happened and why. I’ve never really been a history buff. Really didn’t care much, but I’ve changed. Traveling trough these places and seeing the points of interests, makes me excited. I feel smarter and more knowledgeable. 😊
We arrived at The Ft. Rucker/Ozark KOA campground around 4:00pm. It was a sweltering 95 degrees. We got plugged in and enjoyed their swimming pool. This was a nice stop for the night.
On the road again, Wednesday morning for our trip to Ginnie Springs, in High Springs, Florida. I was anxious to get to this place. A few weeks ago, Jim picked up a Uber rider who told Jim that he was headed to this place for a camping weekend. Jim googled it and sent me the link to this amazing campground with gorgeous blue, crystal clear springs, and a river with a current you can inner tube down. I was in! I called the place I had already booked us into, and after finding out that the two days we needed were available at Ginnie Springs, I cancelled the other place.
On our way, we stopped in a small town called Ashford, Alabama. Jim loves to find out of the way, small town restaurants to patronize. This one fit the bill perfectly.
Ginnie Springs is a privately owned park in Gilchrist County about 6.5 miles northwest of High Springs, Florida, USA. It is a located on the south side of the Santa Fe River, to which it is connected. The water is clear and cold and there are accessible caverns with a sand and limestone bottom.
There are many RV sites with water and power. This park is huge! People camp in tents everywhere. You can rent tubes and flow with the current down the river, which we did! It was fabulous! There are 7 bright blue Springs and caverns.
The Springs really are these colors. They are crystal clear!
Life is good, and we are blessed!
So, to wrap this all up, we Trudged the Road with Happy Destiny and had a trip beyond our wildest dreams, again. We both enjoyed our adventures, the places we traveled, and all the people we met along the way. When we were on our Great Loop Adventure, I used to think, as we were cruising down the waters, “I wonder what is on the other side of those trees, those hills, those mountains”.
Well, I found out. What’s on the other side is more beauty, more green, and more small towns, with more of the same kind of people we met on the waterways. There are roads. Some paved, some not. Some smooth, and some very bumpy. There are bridges and road signs, just like there are channel markers to help you find your way. There are birds, and there are the same clouds I used to marvel at. There are different smells, just like we smelled when we were cruising. There are rv parks, which are just like marinas. There is the other side of the refineries. There are the highways, the bi-ways, and the interstates that connect one state to another. There are the small towns, forgotten, just like we saw on our water journey. There are back roads, with not another soul on them. These are the kind I like.
Being in our motorhome is just about the same as being on our boat. It’s our “other” home. It’s safe and it’s strong, and it carried us safely on our journey. We travelled 1450 miles, and have arrived back to the Happy Destiny on the water. It was a great ride!
Thanks for peeking in.
Hope y’all are happy and doing well. Enjoy your summer!
❤️
