Wednesday, 22 May 2013
* I-40 Rest Area * North Carolina / Tennessee State Line * TO * Lothlorien Nature Sanctuary Needmore, Indiana * USA *
Late last night the adventurers decided to hit the road to get a head start after a short sleep. Cian, the young prince of Endurance was now officially 2 1/4 months old and this would be his first big quest. They drove north on Interstate 26 to 40, crossing through North Carolina, past Ashville, and over to the North Carolina and Tennessee border. Finding a modern rest area, they slept for 5 hours before awaking to start a new trek across Tennessee beginning at 7:15 am. A good splash of water on the face, feeding the baby, changing nappies, and off they went. They pit stopped in Knoxville at the Sam’s Club to get sundries, supplies, and gear. The explorers grabbed some of the free snacks they were offered such as blueberry muffins and fruit calling that their first simple breakfast. Sam’s club didn’t have everything they needed, so they went next door to Walmart to grab staples, tarps, and other camping gear they wear lacking. The delvers Gassed up the RV Vardo and discovered the journeys with it would be costly as it was only getting 12-14 miles per gallon. Around 9:30 they got hungry again for second breakfast and dined on a chicken spinach tortilla, grapefruit juice, and water. Speeding through Tennessee and on into Kentucky from overcast misty weather into very hot temperatures, they stopped at the Kentucky Artisan Center around noon. The Welcome center had a Folk Arts and Crafts center where they rested for more nappie changes and breastfeeding. The facility was very modern and had an assortment of arts and crafts for sale and display. There was a restaurant, but they weren’t yet famished enough for lunch so headed onwards. They discovered online that they received an amazon order so had to print out the postage/receipt and hand it off to the post woman that was exiting the center just in the nick of time. Sir Thomas Leaf was relieved as they were soon to be lodging in the middle of nowhere for several days.
Onwards across Kentucky, with a Chai Crème Frappuccino® break in London at the local Starbucks, the explorers was gifted a free drink as their Gold card awarded them one. These days, the adventurers are trying to avoid fast food and Starbucks being the only drive-thru they intend on using. Snacking on strawberries, lemonade, cream cheese mini croissants, chips, and water during their travel was their method of avoiding fast food stops. They grabbed gas in Lexington Kentucky and made their way to the Indiana border by 5 pm, crossing down Highway 65 North. Across Indiana they had to stop for more gas, cash, and ice just as they were making their way to Needmore. An hour shy before darkness, they arrived at the Lothlorien Nature Sanctuary, was welcomed by a sarong wearing bear of a man who greeted the weary travelers and welcomed them home. They got out of the RV vardo, completed registration, got the map, joined membership, and had to wait a bit while two of the coordinators discussed on whether or not they could get the RV vardo down into the vending area. They decided the trio with the vardo could and a tight fit it would be, as they backed the vardo up in the vending corridor down a weaving one-way two track where it nestled next to one of the self-composting toilets on a slant. Sir Thomas Leaf realized he would not be able to level the beast making the night sleeps awkward at best. Several spaces down Sir Thomas Leaf found a spot to set up their EZ-Up and began erecting their shoppe. There was a nice fire circle behind their merchant tent they were excited to use. They quickly made friends with their neighbors and campers nearby.
Article by Leaf McGowan, Thomas Baurley, Technogypsie Productions: http://www.technogypsie.net © 2013 All Rights Reserved. If you enjoy this article, please consider treating the author to a drink or meal, and/or donating to ensure that this article stays preserved on the internet. You can do this by going to our Donation Page or sending the treat to the author at [email protected].
