2024 Estelline Trip

[JEBar]

earlier today we crossed back into NC .... we are now settled in at the East Asheville KOA .... about 20 miles after doing our truck's odometer turned over 200,000 miles .... if all goes as planned, after a relatively short 242 miles / 3 hr 54 min​​ drive we should get back home .... before we head east in the morning we have to drive over to the Asheville Farmer's Market where we will pick up a couple of bushels white half runner green beans to can .... between medical appointments and canning beans I doubt we will get much else done for the rest of our first week back home .... late yesterday evening our daughter ended up in the emergency room after badly turning an ankle ..... after we get home tomorrow we have to pick him up at school and he'll be spending a knight or two with us while she recovers ....

[markiver54]

earlier today we crossed back into NC .... we are now settled in at the East Asheville KOA .... about 20 miles after doing our truck's odometer turned over 200,000 miles .... if all goes as planned, after a relatively short 242 miles / 3 hr 54 min​​ drive we should get back home .... before we head east in the morning we have to drive over to the Asheville Farmer's Market where we will pick up a couple of bushels white half runner green beans to can .... between medical appointments and canning beans I doubt we will get much else done for the rest of our first week back home .... late yesterday evening our daughter ended up in the emergency room after badly turning an ankle ..... after we get home tomorrow we have to pick him up at school and he'll be spending a knight or two with us while she recovers ....

Sorry about your daughter's un-fortunate injury. Welcome back to NC. Home sweet home not far away.

[JEBar]

looks like we are coming back to a week of highs in the mid 90's with high humidity .... that will be a major change for us after only having 4 or so days in that got into the 80's while we were in Estelline ..

[dave77]

earlier today we crossed back into NC .... we are now settled in at the East Asheville KOA .... about 20 miles after doing our truck's odometer turned over 200,000 miles .... if all goes as planned, after a relatively short 242 miles / 3 hr 54 min​​ drive we should get back home .... before we head east in the morning we have to drive over to the Asheville Farmer's Market where we will pick up a couple of bushels white half runner green beans to can .... between medical appointments and canning beans I doubt we will get much else done for the rest of our first week back home .... late yesterday evening our daughter ended up in the emergency room after badly turning an ankle ..... after we get home tomorrow we have to pick him up at school and he'll be spending a knight or two with us while she recovers ....

Hopefully she didn't injure her ankle too badly. Many years ago I twisted mine and probably should have gone to the emergency room but it happened getting out of my truck at work at 5am. Hurt like heck but I got back in my truck and sat for around 10 minutes and the cold seemed to help. I was there early to plow and shovel snow, luckily mostly plowing with my tractor, just a little shoveling. After school started I was able to get it taped up but it bothered me for a long time, it was very easy to re-injure it if I wasn't careful. Always kept some stretchy tape in my truck and car so I could tape it up when needed.

[JEBar]

understood .... something major going on at her work today so she's there on crutches and wearing a boot .... won't know much more till we get back home .... we awoke to a cool 58 degrees this morning in Asheville, NC .... already 63 back home feeling like 70 .... they say the high today at home will be in the low 90's .... today's 250 mile drive should take about 4 hours .... being in no hurry we will probably stop at a rest area about half way .... no planned fuel stop .... historically, fully unpacking will take a couple of days

[JEBar]

well, we are home .... its going to take a while to get used to our area's August heat and humidity .... did have a few hiccups along the way .... fortunately, none proved to be serious .... will go into more detail later .... when we got home we found our backdoor knob had a broken interior part so we've had to remove it .... plan to get a replacement tomorrow and have it rekeyed .... our 8 year old grandson is spending the night with us which we are enjoying .... I'm introducing him to watching Caitlin Clark play basketball

[markiver54]

well, we are home .... its going to take a while to get used to our area's August heat and humidity .... did have a few hiccups along the way .... fortunately, none proved to be serious .... will go into more detail later .... when we got home we found our backdoor knob had a broken interior part so we've had to remove it .... plan to get a replacement tomorrow and have it rekeyed .... our 8 year old grandson is spending the night with us which we are enjoying .... I'm introducing him to watching Caitlin Clark play basketball

Welcome home Jim.
Hope your broken doorknob was a simple failure and not an attempted breech.

[JEBar]

no sign of any attempt to get it .... did find a tiny piece inside the part that sticks into the door frame .... its the original that has been in use since the place was built back in the mid 70's

[Hatchdog]

Glad you made it home safely. Sorry about that humidity.

[JEBar]

Post Trip Comments :

our recent 90 day round trip from our home in central NC to Estelline in east central SD and miles covered while out there totaled 4,624 miles

we burned 540.4 gallons of diesel fuel

average cost per gallon $3.039

total cost for fuel $1,642.17

8.6 average mpg

the best mpg 11.5 over 685 non-towing miles

the lowest mpg 8.5 over 550 towing miles

biggest mechanical issue was having to replace one of the campers wheel brake assemblies

biggest elective camper maintenance item, having both roof 15K AC units thoroughly cleaned

for us it proved to be a very good trip that, if all goes as we hope, we are looking forward to repeating next summer