Being in the military moving is a way of life. We loved Kentucky but after 3 years we knew we were due for a move. Sure enough Meric got orders to report to Fort Gordon in Georgia. Moving is easier because we can just hook our house to our truck and haul it were we need to go but it still takes a little work to get it ready especially after staying in the same place for 3 years. We had to get both trucks in good working order and make sure that both the 5th wheel trailer and our cargo trailer were ready for the long haul to Georgia. I was especially worried about the tires. Trailer tires really need to be well maintained due to the weight they have to hold. Sitting for three years isn't the best thing for tires but we had kept them covered and tried our best to keep them in good shape. Since we bought the 5th wheel brand new we knew exactly how old the tires were and how many miles they had on them. The cargo trailer tires were a little more of a mystery. They didn't look nearly as good as the 5th wheel's tires but they were holding air just fine and we made sure we had a spare tire just in case. With all our projects done we were ready for our trip to Georgia.
Fort Gordon is only 7 1/2 hours away from Fort Knox and in the past Meric and I would easily make that trip in one day. Of course now we have little Mel to think about and we decided to split the drive into 2 days. Our plan was to drive about 4 1/2 hours the first day and stop at a campground over night. The second day would then only be 3 hours and we would be at our new campground.
After a very difficult and tearful goodbye we hit the road. Meric was hauling the 5th wheel and I was pulling the cargo trailer. Meric had 2 dogs with him and I had Mel and the other dog. Our first milestone would be making it through Nashville, TN. I hate hauling a trailer especially through traffic. We left just late enough to hopefully miss all the rush hour traffic. Nashville came and went without a problem and shortly afterward we pulled off to get fuel, let the dogs out and feed ourselves and Mel.
Once that was all done we hit the road again. I was right behind Meric about an hour later when all of a sudden a black panel flew off the side of the 5th wheel. The panel was shortly followed by a tire. That's right a TIRE. I called Meric and told him he just lost a tire and we quickly pulled off at the next exit. Once stopped Meric got out to inspect the damage. He was expecting to find a flat/blown out tire and was surprised to find no tire at all. Changing a flat tire would have been no big deal but when you have all of the lugs broken off it makes things a little more difficult. As we sat in the gas station parking lot trying to figure out our next move we looked over at the building next to us. It was a tire shop. Meric went over to the shop and explained our problem. They said that they couldn't help us there but another shop less than a mile away would be happy to help us. We drove over to that shop and 4 hours and $600 later we were back on the road again.
We finally pulled into the campground just after 9pm. It wasn't the short day or relaxing evening I had planned but we had made it that far and it was so nice to sleep in our own bed. The next morning we headed out again hoping this time to make it through Atlanta, GA and not have any more surprises. Atlanta is a very busy city and I was so glad to get through it. Once outside of Atlanta we stopped again for food and a break.
(A quick note about Mel. She isn't your typical baby that falls asleep easily in cars. She likes looking out the window and doesn't want to miss anything. She doesn't cry or fuss much while driving but I usually can hear her playing and talking. On this long trip she did sleep and play but she also had a few times of not being very happy in the car. The trip would definitely been easier if she had someone who could talk to her or give her a pacifier when she needed it. All in all though she did very well for being stuck in her car seat for so long.)
It was only a couple more hours and we were pulling into our new campground. It is much smaller than the one we came from but it has the same laid back feel. Our back yard is right next to a farm that has cows and donkeys. This campground is less busy and a lot quieter than Glendale but we are slowly getting use to it. Like at Glendale Campground Meric's commute is kind of long and we are looking for other campgrounds that might be closer. Of course we ended up loving Glendale so much we decided that it was worth the drive so you never know...
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