 The recurring theme of this year's vacation was bad weather. We moved our scheduled departure date ahead one day to avoid an approaching winter storm, the temperature on this morning was six below. Even with running the furnace to preheat the motorhome, it wasn't until several hours into the day that the ambient temperature warmed sufficiently that the heater could keep up with the cold air infiltrating the RV and we weren't riding in an oversized icebox. As in previous trips we drove thru the higher elevations of West Virginia to Wytheville, Virginia. |
|
| KOA WythevilleWytheville, Virginia. |
 |
|
| We awoke the next morning to find four inches of wet snow, with an additional four inches forecasted, from a second winter storm moving up the Atlantic coast. We quickly packed and headed for the interstate, traffic was moving surprisingly well. Traffic volume was low due to the local closings and the driving lane was clear and moving at 50 to 55 mph. Everyone was content with the speeds except the semi's, they insisted on using the slush covered passing lane and threw a blinding wall of slush on everyone they passed. We were able to drive out of the snow and sleet after several hours. |
|
 KOA Richmond HillRichmond Hill, Georgia. Our fourth visit and we are still impressed with this KOA. |
|
|
 Bryn Mawr Ocean ResortSt. Augustine, Florida. We filled the extra day in the trip with a return visit to this resort hoping to enjoy the beach and sunshine. There was a strong offshore wind, with gusts to 30 mph, blowing sand from the dunes that spoiled our arrival. The next morning the temperature was 38 with a stiff breeze from the north; our total beach time was a disappointing two hours. |
|
|
 Sherwood Forest RV ResortKissimmee, Florida. We stayed here this year because our first choice Tropical Palms Fun Resort did not have any available sites at the time of our reservation. Sherwood Forest was recently taken over by the company that also runs Tropical Palms and is treated as an overflow campground for Tropical Palms; it is located within two miles. The sites are grass, the perimeter sites are shady back-ins between park models and the remaining sites are open pull-thrus. During our stay, most of the guests were retired snow birds on extended stays, families with children were rare. The resort had planed daily activities for the snow birds, a free miniature golf course, a complex of shuffleboard courts and the pool and spa. Several Great Blue Herons wander the campground and provided several close up encounters during our walks. The faciities are in need of an upgrade and the new management was starting this process. |
|
|
| While most days were sunny, the temperatures were only in the low to mid 60's with a stiff breeze. The evening temperatures fell to the low 40's and we had to use the furnace every night, completely the opposite of our previous experiences. |
|
| Orlando Science CenterThe perfect place to spend a cold rainy day. We were very impressed with the IMAX film on the Nile, be sure to allow ample time as several different films are shown each day. |
|
 Kissimmee Bluegrass Festival We returned for the Friday show this year and enjoyed the lineup of local and national groups. This festival is very well organized and presented; the delay of one group due to a breakdown went completely unnoticed. |
|
 EPCOTWe continue to discover interesting attractions that we missed on our first visit. We especially enjoyed dreaming in the home theater display and the kid's interaction with Crush the animated sea turtle in the Living Seas Pavilion. The afternoon was spent exploring the world displays that we missed last time, highlighted by China and the USA. |
|
 Cypress GardensWinter Haven, Florida. The Park has been completely remodeled and reopened under new management. The Water Show and gardens are still a prominent feature; additional shows, including a concert series, and amusement rides have been added. On this day the crowd was mostly seniors and waiting lines for the rides were very short, a welcomed change from Orlando. |
|
  This trip also included return visits to the Arabian Nights, still the best entertainment value in Orlando, and Old Town. |
|
| The Barnyard RV ParkColumbia, South Carolina. This is our fourth visit to this very comfortable and affordable park. |
|
|
| Mount Morris Travel Trailer CampMount Morris, Pennsylvania. On this visit we were given a slight discount due to the limited off season utilities. |
|
|
