Day 1 -- Early start a half day early

We managed, in spite of the thunderstorm at home this morning, to finish up loading the trailer, connecting to the Jeep and finishing our preps by around 1:30 PM this afternoon.  We even had time to quickly shower off the humidity/heat caused perspiration from all the effort.

Vicki, Jimmy, Jack and Max came over and we had the good-bye hugs and loving.  We're sure going to miss them!!  Vicki even offered to make her fantastic gumbo today if we waited until tomorrow morning to leave. What a sweetheart!!!  I was tempted--I love, love, love her Gumbo!!

Saying good-bye

We pulled out from home around 2:00 PM, drove across Florida on route 20 to Gainesville where we got on I-75 north to I-10 west.  Filled up with gas a couple of times and we stopped for the night at exit 174, Beaver Lake RV Campground, a Passport America  place (so we got it for half off, for a total of $20.25 for the night with 30 Amp electricity so we could run the A/C.  We stopped at 7:30 PM after right around 275 miles, so we averaged right at 50 mph overall.  

I pull the trailer around 60 mph, give or take a few either way, since the tires on the trailer  are speed rated at 65 mph.  The computer on the GC was indicating we were getting around 9 miles per gallon.  Ugh!!! (normal, though) The Jeep (Hemi engine) did a good job pulling the trailer.  The Jeep and the trailer weigh pretty close to the same when the trailer is loaded, but the Jeep seems to handle it well.  Outside temperatures were mostly hitting 92-94 degrees as we drove west.

Our campsite at Beaver Lake RV Campground. (Haven't seen any lake though. LOL)

This is really not a campground one would want to spend a lot of time at and I think most of the people here are just spending the night and hitting the road again tomorrow.  Jeri talked to one of the ladies camped next door--they are on their way home after a trip out to California.

For tonight I did not disconnect the trailer from the Jeep, but I did put the jack down to take some weight off the Jeep's springs and I ran the stabilizer jacks down so we don't have a lot of wobble as we move around inside the trailer.  I use an 18v cordless drill to raise and lower the stabilizers--makes it fast and easy.

Jeri just fixed us a dinner of chicken and baked beans.  Went with my Captain Fisher cocktail (Captain Morgan, Cointreau and Coke) quite nicely!! :-)

Watching some football on the TV at the moment.  Tomorrow we'll cruise to Biloxi.  We should get there fairly early, so Jeri can get some gambling in at the casinos.  LOL

All-in-all, today's drive went very well.  Even our Sugar Belle (our guard dog ;-) did well.  Whined a bit now and then as usual, but mostly slept in her bed on the back seat.

Okay, time to wrap this up since it's now 9:10 PM.  Need to walk Sugar once more before we hit the hay.

Stay tuned!