Search This Blog


Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Moochdocking

We spent a quiet night at the Cracker Barrel parking lot.  It was really quiet, almost so quiet that it seemed creepy, like we were the last people on Earth after some great catastrophe.  I got up several times during the night checking for zombies.  Fortunately, none came to bother us.

IMG_4410

Actually, I got up to check the weather, some heavy thunderstorms rolled through the area.  You can’t be too careful in Tornado Alley this time of year.  No tornadoes bothered us, either.  That’s a good thing because Oz is not on our Bucket List.

We had a nice breakfast at Cracker Barrel, the least we could do for having a nice place to stay for the night. One thing we enjoy about Cracker Barrels, besides the food, are the things they have around for decorations.  One item here might just be the ticket for RVers needing to have laundry facilities in their rig when they’re boondocking.  Who knows, it might be the next great thing…   

IMG_4411

We needed to top off the Journey’s fuel tank, as well as dump the holding tanks.  Searching on line (love our Millenicom MiFi) we located a Petro Travel Plaza that had a dump station.

IMG_4414

They also had a lane for RVs needing diesel with car sized fuel nozzles.  No wrestling those heavy truck nozzles.

IMG_4412

Not only were we able to dump the tanks for free ($8 if you don’t purchase fuel), but the cashier gave me the cash price using my debit card instead of a credit card price, saving me 7 cents per gallon.  Better than a Flying J.  We’ll definitely use this place again, it was in Napoleon, Ohio, in case you’re traveling this way.

We traveled 213 miles today to get to our destination.  A few items slowed us down.  A long, long train,

IMG_4417

and this poor trucker carrying an extremely long bridge part.  He couldn’t make the swing off the highway, and he backed and pulled forward for about ten minutes trying to make the turn.  We felt bad for the trucker, knowing how difficult jockeying a large vehicle around can be.

IMG_4416

We arrived at Marti’s sister’s where we have a nice Moochdocking spot right in front of her house, the last house on a dead end.  We’ll probably be here until Thursday when we head back to South Carolina.

IMG_4418

This made the trip worthwhile, Marti and her sister Anne:

IMG_4420

Tomorrow I’m taking the Element to the nearby Honda dealer.  I hope I can nurse it there, it bucks and almost stalls when I step on the gas.  This is one of those times that pesky “Check Engine” light really indicates a real problem.

Thanks for visiting and feel free to leave a comment.

license_20110706205528_24375[1]

16 comments:

  1. Paul glad you guys made it safely. We're sitting in the rain again tonight at the TT near Clinton, IN.
    We have the Lifetime GS membership and can get an 8 cent diesel off the best cash price at the Pilot/FJ chain.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That pesky little engine light came on the same day our son decided to buy our Jeep too. We're still dealing with it. Now if we'd sold it on Craigslist to someone else, it wouldn't be our problem ..... but to our son? Well, that's another story and more $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love those 200 mile travel days juts a nice leisurely drive. Enjoy your time there.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Aaah ... those check engine lights! We got one again; this time Cummins had to provide the fix ... but all's good. I feel for that poor trucker, but at least he can back up and forth as many times as he needs to. Towing four-down, we'd have been in real trouble if the turn didn't work out on the first try.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice moochdocking site! Have fun with your sis! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yea...it is all about FAMILY:o))

    Hope the Element gets all better and it doesn't cost too much!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. As for the Element, my bet is on the spark plugs and their cables. Our Miata behaved like that once so we replaced those parts. Ran perfectly then.
    We've never used a Petro before. May have to give them a try. I find that the diesel prices are often better at "Mom and Pop" kind of truck stops than FJ or TA.
    Syl

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nice amenities at that Cracker Barrel. They seem to have a few things figured out. It's almost....refreshing.
    We had a wringer washer "back on the farm" but geez, it was modern compared to the one in that picture. Wow.

    ReplyDelete
  9. enjoy the family visit! looks like a great place to 'moochdock'!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Now if they had a nice big isle for gas RVs, I might try them. But I bet they don't. :(

    ReplyDelete
  11. Nice moochdocking site - better than a lot of RV Parks.

    Your Element does sound like it's a little sick alright - hope it turns out to be a cheap, quick fix.

    Rick’s Bits ‘n Bytes, Pics and News

    ReplyDelete
  12. A nice big aisle for gas RVs with that GREAT discount is what we need too. But with our present solar horror show it may be a long time before move anywhere. :-( Glad the zombies didn't get you!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm glad you survived the perceived Zombie Apocalypse. Nice "moochdocking" site - enjoy your visit with family...

    ReplyDelete
  14. Free nights are the best! Seeing sister is even better than best. Engine lights are the pits.

    ReplyDelete