Dillard, GA.....We're Back !

Watch out you people in Dillard, the Boldt’s have arrived!!!

We got to Dillard on Thursday, April 25 at 2:30 pm.  We had to start up the golf cart which had not been used since last November 6 and move it so that we could put the fifth wheel in the site. The golf cart started up perfectly after Jeff attached all of the cables to the batteries. We charged it up and it is perfect again. It took us one hour and 10 minutes to get the fifth wheel into our site. Go forward, go back, repeat 25 or more times until it was “perfectly” lined up with the electrical box area and not crooked.

 

I am no use to Jeff and he let me know that while we were talking on the walkie talkies and then the batteries died in them midway into our parking. He finally got it “just right.” Anyway, we then unhooked, leveled and were ready to enjoy the lifestyle of Dillard until after Halloween is over. We tried to do as much as possible on Friday in getting things organized, but even though the weather cooperated, we had to socialize too much and didn’t get much done. We managed to eat at one of our favorite restaurants on Friday called Mishima Express located in Clayton, GA. We then went to WalMart for some much needed items before heading back to the rig and doing some more organizing and settling in.

Kozmo is very happy to be back here. She loved running down by the stream and seeing her puppy friends.

 River Vista inherited a wooden 2-seater swing from one of the owners in Falls View and repainted it and placed it down by the stream. That is going to become one of my new favorite sitting areas. It is so pretty now down there. The swing faces the lower section of the campground and just 15 feet down the bank behind, is Mud Creek. The sound of the running water enhances the ambience.

 

 

 Jeff and I went to see the managers, Karen and Butch, in the office and spoke to Megan, an office worker. It was great seeing them and complementing them on the work that has been done while we were gone. It looks green in lots of places and with the rain starting on Saturday and going through the next four days or so, will make it look even prettier. Once the potential near freezing temperatures pass later next week, it’ll be time to plant the colorful annuals. Yes, the weather folks on tv from Atlanta say frost and near freezing temps are possible in the Georgia mountains late next week---that would be May. Crazy I know, but that is better than 90+ degree temps any day in my book.

We attended the HOA meeting on Saturday at 10am in the Mountain Village Center here at River Vista and saw some neighbors we hadn’t seen since November. It was nice seeing all of them again. Afterwards, we went to another one of our favorite restaurants called Annette’s Café, located in Dillard, all of 5 minutes from here. One of the waiters, Kenneth, is a great guy whom we missed a lot while we were gone. We exchanged emails a couple of times this past winter,  so it was so nice to see him in person again. . We both got fantastic lunches along with a great conversation with Kenneth. About 24 of the Falls View residents went to The Cupboard for lunch, but we had planned on eating at Annettes  since we missed it on Friday. Too bad the weather was not cooperating today. It has been raining off and on since 10pm last night. We are supposed to have 100% chance of rain and thunderstorms tomorrow. I guess you can say it will be a wash out with temperatures in the fifties during the day. 

Before we arrived in Dillard we were at Longs, SC, for the week. We described it in our last entry. Two of the days were fantastic weather wise, but the rest of the time we were fighting the strong winds and rains. We will definitely go back there someday and maybe get one of the sites with a hot tub.

 

After we left Willow Tree on Wednesday, April 24, we headed for Roebuck, SC, and stayed at a place called Pine Ridge Campground.  It is located in a residential area and the drive into it was scary. The roads were not in great shape and very steep and narrow. We really enjoyed talking to the new owners who are really going to make this place shine someday. They have plant baskets at each site, very clean roads, bathrooms and laundry areas. The bathroom was remodeled in 2012 and it was a joy to take a shower in there. I thought I was in a $200,000  house  because the shower was 5 x 5 feet and very nice! As a matter of fact the bathrooms don’t even look like they are ever used.  I usually don’t use the facilities but since we didn’t hook up to the sewer I thought I would see how Good Sam rated them a 10 Star.  I definitely could see why! Leaving the campground on Thursday morning was a scary thing because we had to go up the steep road to get out. I didn’t think we would make it, but we did. All I kept thinking was the fifth wheel will come lose and that will be that, but it didn’t happen.

How many of you use your GPS? We use the one in the truck and now Jeff has me use the recently purchased IPAD map app also while we are travelling.  It told us two different directions to go and we went the wrong way by getting off I-85 and travelling in downtown Greenville by taking I-385!!! Usually, the 3 digit interstate numbers are bypass routes. Well, NOT in Greenville, SC. It took us right downtown to 2 lane streets. At least now we can say we saw Greenville, or I should say, Jeff saw downtown Greenville while I was trying to find out where we were on the IPAD map app to tell him where to go. That was the second time in two days the GPS was wrong and the IPAD was correct. The other time there was a detour sign for trucks and we followed it but then there were no more detour signs telling us how to get back to route 76. We managed to go a half hour out of our way and traveled three times over the Pee Dee River. Go figure. We got some strange looks by locals as our one ton Dodge pick-up towed our 40 foot fifth wheel  on the two lane backcountry roads. Again, I had no idea where we were to begin with and Jeff was now asking me how to go. I must be directionally challenged. Give me the steering wheel and tell me where to go next time. I wanted to tell Jeff where to go several times but it wasn’t driving directions I assure you.   J

Enough for now.  Let us hear from you on your travels.

‘Til next time….