Smitanic 2 - Nomadness

The first of 3 Texas destinations was Houston West RV Park, a long 332 mi drive for the day. Traffic was heavy with several slowdowns (some as long as 3-5 miles) due to accidents and construction areas which made the miles drag out and frustrated the Bus driver, Kevin, as he could not maintain his ideal speed nor cushion between vehicles. The obstacle avoidance sensors at speeds above 30 mph would sound a long high pitch as other vehicles squeezed in front of the Smitanic invading the established safety gap. On the drivers console a red light would show a bright red image of a vehicle until the proper gap, one vehicle (Smitanic size) was obtained. This gauge also displayed the gap distance in vehicle lengths which helped Kevin assess the ideal spacing. The back ups continued, as Theresa monitored any upcoming yellow or red zones on Google maps. Five miles before the exit for the campground there was another stoppage. Theresa found a alternative path on a Highway that para...

The planned port of call for the day was Alliance Hill RV park in panhandle of FL. This would be 264 miles away. On previous crossings, other parks used in the Tallahassee area were hard to navigate or had very tight wooded spaces. So this new park seemed like the right option for the first day's travel as it advertised ‘big rig’ accommodations more suiting to the new longer Smitanic. The drive started with a bit of light drizzle in the AM but that soon gave way to sunny skies. Traffic was light for this Black Friday. The time zone change in western FL gave the crew an extra hour making for an early 2 pm arrival. Theresa called to confirm there was availability at the camp grounds. The gentleman responded with a “sure do” and additionally told her “call me when you exit I10 and I will have my white pick up at the entrance and be sure to look for the White House with the red roof” (later this was discovered to be a Masonic lodge ). Theresa called as instructed and indeed ...