I’m typing this up as we’re making our final “sprint” down to South Florida. Originally we were planning on boondocking at a gas station by the Georgia/Florida border but at this point we’re pushing on. Going straight to Sunny Isles would put us there about 3am and we’re not sure how wise that long of a drive would be. We’ll see…
Notchy Creek was our last stop in Tennessee, and our last real stop before hitting South Florida, which is our turn around point, although we will be staying in Florida for a spell (more southern vernacular!) to be with my parents. It’s been way too long and the kids can’t wait to see their grandparents.
Compared to the Poole Knob campground Notchy Creek was a bit more developed. We definitely had more neighbors, most of whom kept trailers in the campground for 8 months out of the year, one of whom brought us some firewood right after we pulled in. Judging by the sheer amount of Trump flags on display, the politics of the campground seemed to be fairly obvious, just another reminder that we were far from the Bay Area. Although I found it interesting that while flags were proudly on display, conversations never turned to politics. On other non-political notes, the campground had a sandy beach great for swimming and boat docks that were nice for fishing from. The weather started to get a bit chilly during our stay, but at least the kids got some swimming time in on that first day when it was a bit warmer.
The boys continued to have a great time with their cousins Jake and Ellie. Ellie made sure Josh’s nails were freshly painted at least twice a day and both boys acted as reading buddies for the younger kids, which was nice to see. Lana and I also had a great time hanging out with Toma and Dima, and cooking some excellent meals together. Liver and onions anyone?
Like normal, Josh and Liam had school every week day, which was a bit challenging at Notchy Creek due to the spotty internet, but in the end it was good enough to get the job done. One nice thing about being three hours ahead is that school started at 11:30 am local time, which gave the boys a few hours each morning to play around, fish, or do whatever else they wanted.
Lana still worked a bit this week, but I managed to take the week off with the exception of one important meeting and a few emails. It was a nice break for me. I was able to impart a bit more of my questionable fishing skills to the boys, and hone a few new outdoor skills of my own.
Overall we had a great time in Tennessee, and I’m hoping this won’t be our last visit to the state.
In terms of our “sprint”, unfortunately we didn’t have much time to see anything in Georgia (we drove through the state in less than a day) but we did get to stop for some great BBQ at Fox Brothers BBQ in Atlanta (thanks for the tip Faylene!). This time the whole family got to enjoy the BBQ meal. For those keeping score at home, I think this one was better than Martin’s in Nashville. The boys did make sure to tell me that they still preferred my brisket though, which of course warmed my heart. While I’d definitely put my brisket up against anyone else’s, I’ll leave cooking up chicken fried ribs to the pros. Who knew such a thing exists?
Awesome. A truly epic trip, in a time when “epic” is a very over used word. My mouth is watering at the catfish. The liver less so. Can’t wait to get the debrief when you return!
The catfish was good. The liver was very good. But the heart may have been the best ;).
Are the Keysers still on the road? or did they disappear in Tennessee?
I still need to write the update post, but we have made it to our turn around point in South Florida. Eventually we will start dodging hurricanes and head back home.