October RV Trip With Friends

Our friends Brian and Susan from South Dakota were going to be in a wedding in Arkansas in October and then had planned to continue on to Mammoth Cave and the Smoky Mountains afterward. They were kind enough to ask us if we might like to join them for the two week adventure. They were pulling their teardrop trailer and we would bring our RV as well. 

We were thrilled with the idea to join them, but I was apprehensive as we had never camped in our RV for an extended time without electricity. Both the campsites in Mammoth Cave and Smokies are "primitive campgrounds" without electricity, water and sewer at the RV sites. This posed no problem for Brian and Susan as their camper is equipped with solar and lithium batteries. We just have your normal campground type RV, so I would need to figure out the best way to be able to stay in a site near them. 

This is really not an uncommon situation, many RV campers spend a lot of time in sites without electricity. They either have solar installed or use a generator. I liked the idea of solar as it is quiet and I couldn't imagine having the noise of a typical generator next to our RV, as well as thinking about what an entire campground of generators would sound like compared to the peace and quiet we value when we go camping. 

I also had another consideration, summer temperatures. It has been a brutally hot summer in Missouri this year. There has been little to no rain and high temperatures. In fact there had not been a soaking rain at our house for almost three months. If this heat persisted into the first couple of weeks of October then we would want to be able to use our air conditioner. This would benefit both us and Brian and Susan as we could all get out of the heat in our RV. 

Solar was already a more expensive and labor intensive proposition but if you ask it to run HVAC, it becomes insanely expensive, if it is even possible in the space we have, so I decided to get a generator. 

Finding a generator big enough to power our needs but quiet enough that I would not feel like we were camped in a construction zone or one that would cause our campsite neighbors to hate us was the goal.

I researched the quietest units available, which generally fell to the Honda's but I discovered in the size we needed, the noise level of even the Honda's was not far off some of the other brands available and I found one at Harbor Freight called the Predator. 3500 watts and the same decibel rating as the Honda, and the best part it was only $799! Seemed like a perfect solution to be able to see if this was going to work.

After a few test nights in our local campground, everything seemed to work fine. The logistics of carrying it and positioning it are a bit unwieldy as it weighs about 90 pounds with 5 gallons of gas in it, so lifting it off the back of the truck alone is not fun, but if I had too I could run it from the bed of the truck as my power cord is long enough in most instances. 

We planned to take two days to reach our first destination of Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. I have mentioned previously that we like to RV under the 330 rule (drive no more than 330 miles or arrive by 3:30pm) This has worked out well for us to enjoy both the travel and even the travel day once we arrive. 

Our first day was home to John J Audubon State Park near Henderson Ky. It was 255 miles

We arrived on time with no problem, but this would be the start of the only day it would rain the entire trip. In fact, the next two weeks would be the most superb weather we have ever had on vacation.  But it did rain, really from the time we finished setting up the RV till almost the time we would arrive in Mammoth Cave tomorrow. 

This was a nice campground, but we didn't get a chance explore any of the features. The Park has an Audubon Museum as well as extensive wetlands and trails, but we remained hold up in the RV this evening watching it rain. Hoping at this time that this was not the kind of weather we were going to have.

The next day, we didn't leave particularly early as it was a very short drive of just 140 miles to Mammoth Cave. It did rain most of the drive, but it was uneventful. 

Almost as soon as we got to the Campground the rain had stopped. The campground at Mammoth Cave are spread out nicely in the woods, just a short distance from the main Visitors Center and the Cave entrance area. 

Vicky and I have been here before in 2017 on our RV trip to Florida, but we stayed outside the park at a full service campground and drove the short distance in every day.

I should also mention that this is during the current Government Shutdown, so we were not really sure if the park or any of the amenities would be open. Only a week ago we were discussing with Brian and Susan, if we should even go on the trip. As it turns out most of the Parks, especially the ones in the Eastern part of the US were still open with very little interruption. 

Once we set up, we took the time to stretch or legs and walk around the campground and to the Visitors center. 

Rental Cabins

amphitheater

Boardwalk and hiking trails 

Brian and Susan arrived and we all got settled in and had lots of time to catch up on everything that has been happening since we last saw each other. 

The following day we all walked over to the Visitors Center and discovered that while the gift shop and restaurant was still open the cave tours had been cancelled. This was a major blow, especially to Susan, who is a huge cave fan. We had three tours booked in the four days we would be here and all of them were multi-hour, containing hundreds if not thousands of steps. Vicky and I did a cave tour while we were previously here, but it was only the main gallery and boardwalk, nothing as extensive as what we had planned, so this was a real disappointment. We hoped if there was a quick resolution to the shut down we might be here to at least get one of them in. 😞

You were permitted to walk down to the main entrance of the cave.

The light quickly fades away !

It turned out you could only walk about 100 yards until you reached what looked like doors to a nuclear silo! Really the only disappointing part of entire stay (the reason Brian and Susan picked coming to Mammoth Cave, obviously) 

None the less, we made the best of our days here as they were spectacular weather, so saw as much of the park through the trails as we could 

We walked down to the Green River and a lovely spring area. 

A plaque in the area told that river boats used to come up and down the river for evening and dinner cruises. Amazing as you couldn't get a boat up the river now! 

What we did do the most was eat and relax, with great friends. I can attest that this was a wonderful place to spend a few days 

A little detour, due to a navigational error on my part, but I never claimed to be able to read a map! 

The only cave we could get close too 😂

Did I mention we ate a lot !

Good bye Mammoth Cave, 4 days of just the most relaxing time and headed for Smoky Mountain National Park

The drive from Mammoth Cave to GSMNP takes about 230 miles and took us about 5 hours. It is an excellent drive when you don't have to be on Hwy 40, which we had to endure for a few hours with stop and go traffic. Brian and Susan were much smarter and planned their trip using only backroads. I think we should have just followed them. 

However we arrived just about the same time. We stopped into the Ranger office in the Cades Cove Campground, to check in, just to discover that our reservations did not start till the next day! Oh, not good as the campground was completely full. Brian and Susan were finding this out as well as they had gone directly to their spot and found someone else occupying it! 😕

After they couldn't set up, they came back around to the Ranger station and found us contemplating our next move. Where to stay in a full park in the height of Leaf Season in the Smokies.

I made a call to the KOA (I am a member) in Townsend, we had passed on the way in, and did some sweet talking to get 2 spots for just tonight. I almost fell over when given the price, but things happen on vacation, more of a shame we missed another night of great camping in Mammoth Cave National Park.

We did have a wonderful evening in Townsend, went to a great Bar/Brewery - Peaceful Side Social Club. They had great food and beer. Topped it off with ice cream from the shop next door. 

Finally set up in our spot in Cades Cover Campground

Of course one of the first things we did was take the Cades Cove wildlife loop. We were amazed it was open in the "shut down" but it appeared that everything was open here. 

Of course it take us a few hours to get around the loop, after all, this is leaf season, but the Smokies had not turned very colorful yet, with only a handful of trees being "on time"

It had been about 10 years since I was last here, and had forgotten just how beautiful it is here (and how crowded) 

After an excellent dinner back at the campground we called it a night, they next morning dawned again with beautiful weather and a nice view over the campground store. This is the only time, it wasn't full of cars and tourists

Hwy 441 through the park had just opened after being closed for months due to a landslide so we could get to Clingman's Dome (now renamed Kuwohi) so we headed that way

The drive up gave some fantastic views.

That silly walk up from the parking lot was also steeper than I remembered! 😀

I think this is the first time in the 6 or 7 times I have stood up here that I have ever seen past the edge of the lookout. Today the views in all directions were just spectacular.

Having been on the AT though the Smokies many times, I know the trail ran just next to the observation area, so I could resist ducking into the woods and walking a few hundred yards on the AT again. 

Against what should have been my better judgment, we went down to Gatlinburg. What a nightmare of people and traffic. I could not believe how much more commercialism has been added to the town since I was last here. They have put buildings in the spaces between buildings to where main street looks like a continuous commercial shops for miles. 

We managed to find a parking spot in a lot that was $20, last time I was here it was free! We walked the strip and went to the brewery for a beer and lunch. 

Glad to be out of Gatlinburg, we drove around the park through Pigeon Forge and Townsend back to Cades Cove for a more relaxing evening

Susan had been looking forward to seeing a few waterfalls in the Park, but Laurel Falls parking area was closed for repair. So we decided to go to Abrams Falls. It was in the back of the Wild Life loop, so off we went, with more traffic than on our first day, but a beautiful morning, for a walk. 

No bears on this trip, but we did see Turkey

and a wild pig

We arrived at the half way point on the loop and the parking area for Abrams Falls early enough it was surprisingly uncrowded. 

The walk to the falls has just a couple of uphill sections, that are not too strenuous, and the trail was dry so no issues at all. 

The falls were lovely in the morning light 

There were a good number of people already at the falls,  but everyone queued up for photos politely and it really a nice time. 

Bridge across Abrams creek

Susan did manage to take a tumble on our return trip, but only her finger and some pride was damaged

Back to the campground for dinner, beers and great night around the fire (most every night was spent around the campfire)

The last lovely sunset in the Smokies

Leaving the Smokies we had decided to split the drive home into 2 days. We stopped in a favorite spot, the KOA in Paducah KY. We had not realized that Brian and Susan were going to stop about 45 miles further along just into Illinois at Fort Massac State Park. We had thought about joining them, but we craved some electricity and it would make it easier to clean out the RV tanks for storage before we returned. We did however talk them into coming and staying a night with us back in Hermann. This was going to be great to spend one more day with them before they started on their long drive back to South Dakota- 

We took advantage of a close by Cracker Barrel for a good meal after setting up our RV in the Paducah KOA. 

The Paducah KOA does have a nice view.

Our final route back home

Arriving back in Hermann just before Susan and Brian, who again took a very creative route from Massac State Park via Cape Girardeau MO to Hermann, we took them down the hill to downtown and showed them all the sites. Tin Mill Brewery, Turbulence Brewery, Wings A Blazin, Lionheart Distillery and finally Concert Hall for dinner. 

It was a fantastic way to end out trip with such great friends. 

It was roughly 1250 over 12 days and the most spectacular weather we have ever had on a vacation

Where to next guys?