Our Wildest Halloween Ride through the Wilderness!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Thank you, Kim, for reading along!

[stefa70 205]

Thanks, Stef! Didn't know you're an early bird too.

Yep, I open the gym at 4:00 am.

Enjoying the report.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Dad is in the hospital again. I got a call at 4am that he had fallen last night and Mom called an ambulance.

Turns out his blood pressure was too low (causing him to be dizzy), so they took him off one of them. Thankfully nothing was broken, but he did bleed a lot from cuts on his arm. Another problem (probably result of his prostate cancer) will cause him to go home with a catheter until he can get in to see the urologist.

Will try to post again soon, but hopefully all of you are out enjoying turkey with your families and not reading here!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Update: catheter inserted, discharge paperwork completed by doctor, just waiting for nurse to come in and say go home.

[dvccamper 32]

I'm sorry to hear what your Dad (and of course, all of you) are going through. Hope he is feeling better soon!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Thanks!

We got Dad situated back at home late yesterday. Hoping the catheter situation is easy to handle and that he gets to see his urologist ASAP.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Okay, so let's finish up our last full day at the fort:

Tuesday, November 6, 2012 -- The Dreaded Last Park Day -- Part 11

After cleaning up Dolly and having dinner, we headed back to the MK. I wanted to take some nighttime shots in the new Fantasyland area.

We had a nice sunset:

I was so disappointed when we got to new Fantasyland! I didn't take my tripod, and the area was so dark that it was impossible to get good shots without it:

So we just wandered through the area awhile, visited the Haunted Mansion, then went back to the castle area.

Tonight was the first lighting of the Dreamlights. I claim bragging rights on being the first to post these photos!

Looking back down Main Street:

We stopped at the ice cream shop for one last treat. I had the sugar-free raspberry sorbet again. It is soooooooo good!

We walked back down Main Street and said our goodbyes to the MK:

David had wanted to beat the after-the-fireworks rush out of the park. I was hoping to make it back to the beach in time to see the finale. But the fireworks were really short that night and ended when we had just passed the Contemporary.

Goodbye, Magic Kingdom. Hope to see you again soon!

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Great last day!!!!

[Big Kahuna aka John 71]

Great TR ! The photos of the castle were incredible. Nice job !

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Great last day!!!!

Yes, we did have a great day. And a very busy day. Had we stayed, the next day would have been a fort day. I could barely walk the next morning!

Great TR ! The photos of the castle were incredible. Nice job !

Thank you!

[devores 382]

This is from the 6th? And before fireworks but after the castle lighting? The family in front of you in this picture is having their photo taken by a DPI photographer. That photographer was me. I remember being in this location during the first castle lighting. You can see the light from my tripod light and just see my arm over the shoulder of the guy.

[kampfirekim 260]

Way to go Gwen! Bragging rights on the first posting of the Christmas Castle this year AND captured a fiend/CM at work! :bravo: Job well done!

This was a great TR... enjoyed it beginning to end!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

This is from the 6th? And before fireworks but after the castle lighting? The family in front of you in this picture is having their photo taken by a DPI photographer. That photographer was me. I remember being in this location during the first castle lighting. You can see the light from my tripod light and just see my arm over the shoulder of the guy.

Yes and yes. So sorry I didn't see you! No one has posted a pic of you at work yet!

Way to go Gwen! Bragging rights on the first posting of the Christmas Castle this year AND captured a fiend/CM at work! :bravo: Job well done!

This was a great TR... enjoyed it beginning to end!

Thanks, Kim, but I can't take any credit for capturing the fiend CM.

TR isn't over yet!

[stefa70 205]

Enjoyed your last park day.

Beautiful sunrise shots!

Happy to hear your Dad is back at home.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Thanks, Stef!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Wednesday, November 7, 2012 -- Do We Really HAVE to Leave?

We woke up to another cold morning. Finished cleaning Dolly and getting her ready to roll.

One last breakfast in Trail's End (the place was nearly deserted that morning)!

My food:

Goodbye, Trail's End!

Goodbye, marina!

Goodbye, beach!

Isn't DeeDee's "hairnet" tacky? We have a Sunbrella enclosure which is not removable, and so to keep it from tearing up during transit we wrap it in a tarp. One of these days I'd like to have a custom-made zippered cover for it.

About this time Pirate Jeff came by to wish us safe travel. Very nice of him!

Sadly we pulled off our site:

Very soon another family's adventures would begin. I hoped they were a Fiend because this was a great site.

I followed David to the overflow lot, where we would load DeeDee.

So sad, my bus ticket has expired!

This was in the overflow lot. It even has an outside shower!

I'm always amazed at how creative RV'ers are.

So here's DeeDee all loaded up.

I commented that that's the dirtiest she has ever been, and for once David was the optimist. He said, "but look how much fun we had getting her dirty!"

Kassie was ready to ride:

Mickey seemed happy to be going home. And Minnie, well, she's just happy to be wherever Mickey is. Pluto was undecided, and Eeyore was miserable like me:

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Mmmmmmm, Barbecue Eggs Benedict!!!! Yumm!!!

That trailer you saw in overflow is Donnie's!!!!

Awesome report!! Can't wait till we can be there together again!!!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Mmmmmmm, Barbecue Eggs Benedict!!!! Yumm!!!

That trailer you saw in overflow is Donnie's!!!!

Awesome report!! Can't wait till we can be there together again!!!

I had no idea it was Donnie's!

We so want to be back at the fort RIGHT NOW! We could live there fulltime and not look back!

[Brent... Just Brent 83]

Great report, Gwen! I really enjoyed all the photos. Sounds like you both had a great trip and that you have the same "departure depression" as I do.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Great TR Gwen. Love the pictures. I hope Donnie puts up a shower curtain before he uses it.

[beccaewert 10]

Donnie's outdoor rig is awesome!!!!

[Southern Blessings 4]

I loved all your pics! Hope your dad is still improving!

[stefa70 205]

Geez Gwen, your ending made ME sad! Now it' time to start planning another trip so that you have something to look forward to.

Until then, we'll all take pics to get you through. :)

I :rofl2: at DeeDee's "hairnet"

Thanks for sharing your vacation!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Great report, Gwen! I really enjoyed all the photos. Sounds like you both had a great trip and that you have the same "departure depression" as I do.

Thank you. Departure depression is still here. Can't shake it.

Great TR Gwen. Love the pictures. I hope Donnie puts up a shower curtain before he uses it.

:rofl2:

Donnie's outdoor rig is awesome!!!!

I thought so too!

I loved all your pics! Hope your dad is still improving!

Thanks! Yes, Dad is still improving.

Geez Gwen, your ending made ME sad! Now it' time to start planning another trip so that you have something to look forward to.

Until then, we'll all take pics to get you through. :)

I :rofl2: at DeeDee's "hairnet"

Thanks for sharing your vacation!

DeeDee's hairnet is a real pain.

Yes, every one please post of lots of pics!

If finances allow we'd like to go back in late January ... but that's iffy! But this TR isn't over. We aren't home yet!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Wednesday, November 7, 2012 -- Do We Really HAVE to Leave?

We pulled out of the overflow lot a little after 10.

Traffic through Orlando was light, but those drivers are CRAZY!

We pulled onto I-95.

This is the longest, most boring interstate. No matter where you are, it all looks the same. See?

Crossing the St. John's River wasn't nearly as exciting this time.

We made it into Georgia around 1:30.

After a brief stop at the Welcome Center to take Kassie for a walk, we got back on the road and a little while later made it to the South Carolina state line.

See, I-95 is still boring:

We stopped at the Cracker Barrel in Walterboro, SC a little after 4. This was our front yard:

We turned in for the night after an early dinner.

Thursday, November 8, 2012 -- Going Home

I slept late that morning. David woke me up at 5:30 because he was ready to leave. It was still dark out:

You can tell we've arrived onto I-26. Finally there are some hills.

We stopped for breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Orangeburg, SC.

Bigger hills -- we're getting closer to home:

We made it onto I-77 toward Charlotte:

Kassie was really zonked out. She had a full tummy and an empty bladder, so she was good to go.

At about 9:30 on I-77 this Yellow truck nearly ran us off the road:

We were in the left-hand lane ready to pass him when he suddenly moved into the left lane, missing us by maybe ten feet! David had to slam on the brakes. A car hauler was on our bumper. It's a wonder we weren't sandwiched!

We stopped at FJ in Rock Hill, SC, to refuel:

And shortly after crossed the NC line.

If you are traveling through Charlotte, NC, please, please, PLEASE take the 485 inner loop toward Huntersville:

Instead of bumper-to-bumper, and usually stopped, traffic, you will see this:

It adds a few miles to the trip, but it can cut an hour or more off your time!