Originally we had planned to take I-26 north out of Asheville up to I-81 and over to I-77, but the weather forecast for the I-81 corridor was ominously cold and rainy, so instead we took I-40 east of out Asheville, and what a fortuitous choice it was, and will continue to be based on weather forecasts.....looks like we're missing the worst of the cold and rain. The sky was crystal clear deep blue, and the temperatures, although cool, warmed up quickly.
We lazed around Wilson RV Park slowly putting away what little we had out, and finally pulled out near Noon time. We decided to drive down to the CITGO gas station, where we had turned around the other day, to put the car in the trailer, and also fuel up the car. We had to use the station to turn around anyway, because the on ramp for the I-240 (took us to I-40) is a hair pin turn coming out of the park, and there is no way we could make that turn. It all worked out smoothly, and we were on eastbound I-40 quickly.
The pavement was smooth, and the cruise control did its job, even with numerous ups and downs....we are in mountain country after all. Ever since I started using the Howe's diesel conditioner I have noticed more power, and still much cooler operating temperatures, especially in the mountain driving we have been doing since we entered North Carolina.
Our tentative destination for the day was Statesville, NC.....right at the intersection of the I-40 and I-77, and just about 105 miles.....our kind of driving day. There were two rest areas spaced perfectly along the drive, and we took advantage of both of them. At the second we took a walk, and had lunch consisting of left over Jambalaya and some fruit.
As you know we strive for uneventful, and that is exactly what we got Tuesday. Uneventful meaning no accidents, no malfunctioning equipment, no blowouts, etc. We just floated down the Interstate listening to 60's music enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery, and life in general.
We chose Stateseville for several reasons.....one, it would only get into the high 30's Tuesday night; two, there was a Lowe's, Cracker Barrel, & Walmart all in close proximity, perfect for dry camping, and just of the Interstate; three, driving distance from Asheville. Our first choice was Walmart so we could do some minor shopping (butter, eggs, etc), but the parking lot was very congested, and the entrance was not user friendly, so we continued up the street to Lowe's, which just happened to be next to a grocery store. We found a good spot to park, and went shopping. We still weren't positive we would stay at Lowe's, but when I was able to easily connect to their free WiFi that settled the deal!
TLE prepared a very good chicken salad for dinner, after which we both read until about 10 pm when it was time to watch the season finale for "Justified". Just like all the previous episodes over the past few years we were surprised at every turn by the plot and resolution.
We hit the sack around midnight......when we dry camp I set the middle heater, which heats the bathroom, and water bay, at about 55....that keeps the interior from getting too cold, and it worked perfectly last night. When I got up this morning we were only down to 85% on the house batteries, even with 2 hours of TV watching.....as I write the solar panels are already doing their job replacing the energy we used overnight.
Our goal for the day is Wytheville, VA....another 100 miles, or so. The forecast there is clear skies, but down into the high 20's tonight....we may find a place to plug in tonight.
Thanks for stopping by!
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