The perks

You know, this campground in Pearland, (the one we call our home base) really does have a lot of nice amenities ...... heated salt water pool, nice clubhouse with a puzzle room, gym room, lots of nice spaces to sit and rock, or visit, or have ice cream socials, or work on your sewing projects, etc.  They have a full calendar of social activity options .... something every day to go or do in a group.  And I have very quickly become spoiled by it.
Just to think that only two weeks ago I was going on about culture shock, and was wishing I was back there in the mountains of North Carolina.   Well, I haven't changed my preference for the mountains .... I'm just saying that a few more creature comforts are easy to get used to.

As a reminder, here are some pics of the campground when we left (it was closing for the winter).
We have made the decision to go back, probably April 1st, for the summer season again.

And this is one of those cute white squirrels they have in that area.

Vera will be back from her cruise the day after Thanksgiving, and on Dec. 1st we will transfer our  home on wheels down to Galveston for a month.

Later, Marilyn

Friends are family

Ah-h-h ..... this is better ..... surrounded by friends ..... I think we'll survive after all.

Vera leaves on a cruise tomorrow .. gone for two weeks .... whee-e-e-e-e Charlie and I can play!
We told Vera if the bus wasn't here when she returned, we'd leave forwarding instructions in the office.

Later, Marilyn

culture shock

We've been in the mountains of western North Carolina for 6 plus months .... in a semi-rustic campground ...... on a mountain .... by a lakeside .... 10 miles to the nearest small town ....  no sounds at night except coyotes once in a while ... and no freeways for at least 20 miles.

Needless to say, by the time we came around the beltway in rush hour traffic, and settled onto our approximately 25' x 65' concrete pad ..... then listened to the roar of freeway traffic all night .....
we are beyond culture shock.

Seriously, we are depressed, with very long faces, and a few tears.... and ready to turn around and go back - we might if not for the impending winter there.  So I guess we'll wait for spring.  Interesting though, that was the first place we've encountered that felt like home; and that we want to go back to, like, semi-permanently at least.

So, since we were already reeling from being in the middle of a big city anyway, we all three went to the Nutcracker Market yesterday. For other friends from away, this is an enormous annual, pre-Christmas shopping extravaganza in one of the convention halls here. 
So, now that we are "immersed" again in urban life..... we'll start getting together with old friends, and setting doctor and dentist appointments.  We will probably leave around the first of February.
And it will most likely be back to the Asheville area... we've kinda decided maybe Alaska is not in our future, at least to drive.  Its just too far, and too hard, and too expensive.

taken from our front window a few days before we left

 

more later, Marilyn

almost there

Tonight in Shreveport, Louisiana..... 250 or so more miles to Houston.  We are still feeling the sadness of leaving such good friends and 6 months of wonderful memories.
We have all three decided we will definitely return to the Asheville area to spend more time there. After all, there are many more hikes and waterfalls to discover. 
Here are three more:

this is Linville Falls, as you can see a rather popular spot

This is a beautiful hike we took to find Courthouse Falls .... but we got off on the wrong trail and didn't find the falls.

the river was gorgeous though

 

 

And this one we can't remember the name, but it was really beautiful .... couldn't get very close to it.

 

And this is Vera saying "I wonder if that means us ?"



 

 

Later, Marilyn

heading "home"

I hesitated when I entered the title "home" ..... because after almost exactly 3 years of a full time RV lifestyle, ..... home really is where we park the wheels.  However, our roots are in Houston, and we especially feel pulled to our friends there when the holiday season starts approaching.

We left Cascade Lake Campground this morning (sadly). It has been a wonderful home for 6 months, with wonderful friends who have been like a family.  Quite a nice experience.  So, we are heading back to Houston for 3 months for the holidays before we head west next year.


We have visited many waterfalls in North Carolina, with many beautiful (usually short) hikes in the mountains.  One was called Graveyard Fields, on the Blue Ridge Parkway:

from the bottom

from the top

Vera

Charlie

 

 

Tonite we are near Atlanta, tomorrow near Jackson, MS to stop and visit our friend Charlotte.

 

Later, Marilyn