Meadows of Dan

We recently spent a week at a new RV resort about an hour and a half from our home. Meadows of Dan is located almost directly south of us, but to get across the rugged mountain areas, we had to drive west, then south, and then back east. A very scenic drive but became a bit narrow and windy toward the end. Although, the resort was well worth it!

The objective of this one-week trip was two-fold. First, we always plan a mid-summer getaway in the RV. Usually, our destinations are just a few hours away. In prior years we have gone to Gatlinburg, TN, and Wytheville, VA. And usually, a couple of week-long stays at our local state park, Claytor Lake. We enjoy exploring rural small towns and great restaurant finds!

The second objective was to perform a good run through of all systems aboard the 40 foot fifth wheel trailer. And also the Ford F-350 truck. Our planned major RV trip Up North is quickly approaching and we needed to make sure that all systems are green for launch.

The Oaks RV Resort

This resort located just a couple of miles from Meadows of Dan is positioned directly on a mountain top with absolutely incredible views at 3,000 feet elevation. The resort is now into its second year of operating and the owners have plans to expand with cabins, an event center, pickleball, and more.

This resort is the best that we have ever stayed at in our pretty extensive RV travels. Everything was pristine and clean. Of course, being brand new certainly helped. On the downside, it is also the most expensive as well. There’s that.

Steaks on the Blackstone!

Just a few of the amenities include hiking trails, a heated swimming pool, Indoor pavilion with large garage doors, a gas fireplace, excellent restrooms and showers, concrete paved RV pads, and asphalt paved roads. They also have a laundry and dog wash facility.

The owners are a couple from Floyd VA and were RV’ers themselves for years and wanted to create a world class RV resort. They understand all the small things that make a park work well. I like to help support privately owned RV parks as opposed the Corp owned. More private owners are selling out to the large Corporations with a result of higher prices and less customer service.

Meadows of Dan VA – the town

As mentioned earlier, we enjoy exploring small towns, visiting their shops and eating establishments and chatting with the people. This little town is about a block long with small craft and gift shops on both sides of the street. With one sit down diner plus another Amish sandwich deli. And a cute little coffee shop. What else does a small town need? We visited all the above and the coffee shop twice!

Other Exploring

Our location was only about 3 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway and the world famous Mabry Mill. So, we visited a couple of times and twice took drives on the Parkway to have lunch at the winery Chateau Morrisette and the small town of Floyd VA. Great lunches at both!

On our last night we drove about 30 minutes to the town of Stuart down the mountain at about 1,000 feet. Stuart was named for JEB Stuart a confederate general. There were a few small shops, but we arrived around 5 and most were closing. The dinner at the Pickle and Ash was very good. This place was recommended by the RV park owner.

Wrap Up

This was a most enjoyable getaway trip and thankfully, everything worked as planned. It is always a bit of work to load up the RV and then unload after returning. We have stocked up a few supplies on board such as kitchen and bathroom stuff that we just leave there. That makes it some easier, but we still need to bring clothing, food items, and all the other stuff that we use at home on a routine basis. Remember, this RV is like a condo on wheels!

Next up will be a major RV trip for us anyway. A 4,000 mile to some unknown to us destinations! Take care and God Bless.

Highlights from the Summer of 24

It is nearly fall as I write this update. The nights are now much cooler, and the daytime temps are not high enough to run the A/C. It is a very comfortable time of year. Pat and I are preparing for a major international trip in a few days and then of course we will leave for Florida after the holidays. So, a very busy fall for us. In this blog update, I wanted to share our rather low-key summer. It was great, but nothing too exciting! So here is a summary:

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Florida Update!

My long overdue blog post has finally been written and posted! In this update, I will try to capture the highlights of the last couple of months. There have been many highs and a few lows over this period as we have enjoyed the many activities and friends at our RV park in New Port Richey (NPR) Florida. I’m sure a few things will be left out as I try to cover this time.

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Cortez Florida Walking Tour

We try to walk at least 3 miles every day and our location here at Cortez is perfect to achieve that goal. It is a mile to walk across the bridge to the Anna Maria beach. Then more miles on the beach or else to the Moose club for eats and drink. The food and drink are the reward for the walk. Anyway, that is my story. On other days, we just cross the street from the RV park and enter the Cortez fishing village. By walking all the streets in the village, it is exactly 3 miles.

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Family Visit on Anna Maria Island

We recently had a visit from both of our sons and our daughter-in-law. A slightly early Christmas gathering on the warm sunny island. Unfortunately, our daughter could not make this trip due to some college coursework she was completing. It was great to have them here for a week to see the island sites, take a few hikes, eat many meals, have a few drinks, and walk the beach admiring the many beautiful sunsets.

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Arrived in Florida

We survived a rushed loading session back in Virginia due to a delay in getting the rig. The low stress five-day loading process turned into a hurried 1.5 day controlled chaos. I only missed packing a couple of things, and I believe Pat got everything needed for the kitchen. Pretty amazing since the weather turned cold at 22 degrees on the morning that we left. That was just a nice reminder of what we will be missing!

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