JOHN H. KERR RESERVOIR (VA)



THURSDAY - After rushing around all morning we made it off the site with plenty of time to spare (30-minutes).

I'm sure if we hadn't, it wouldn't have been the end of the world, afterall, until noon when I canceled our additional days the site was still ours. No one else could have booked it!


Less than 100-miles later, most of it on Interstate-85, we were pulling into the North Bend Campground on the John. H. Kerr Reservoir.

In the 1950s the Army Corp of Engineers installed a dam across the Roanoke River to create hydroelectic power and to aid in flood control of the region. The reservoir is 50,000 acres and straddles the Virginia/North Caroline state border.

We are camped on the Virginia side at one of four ACOE campgrounds and the only one partially open after November 1st each year.

We have no neighbors on one side and we're the closest site to the showers.

Judging by the number of leaves on the ground, the fall colors will soon be over.



FRIDAY - With no sightseeing destinations planned for this stop and nothing much else we need like groceries, we're looking forward to five days of R & R.

With that said, the only thing we'll have to share is photos from Tricia's morning walks. Here are two from this morning's walk.

Early morning scene over the John. H. Kerr Reservoir.

That Airstream has a beautiful site out there all by themselves on the end of that peninsula.
Too bad that entire area will be closed for the season as of 2:00PM tommorow.



SUNDAY - Now that the other 175 campsites in this park have been closed for the season, Tricia has an unlimited nearby area where she can "walk and talk" in the morning without disturbing anyone's sleep.

Here are a few more morning photos taken between 7:00AM and 7:30AM. Her "Golden Hour" photos of ½-hour before and after sunrise are over, thanks to leaving Daylight Savings Time behind and returning to Daylight Standard Time.

Sunrise now comes well before she's out walking and I don't think she'll wake up an hour earlier just to catch sunrise.

With that said, these "slightly after" Golden Hour photos are still pretty remarkable.

I told you that other Airstream would be gone by now.



MONDAY - Today begins our last full day in Virginia.

It's hard to believe we've spent over 2-months (64 days) in this state in the last 6½-years. Most of that time was in our first year on the road, visiting locations like Shenadoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Even with 64-days here, it still comes in 9th place on our Most Visited States list, well behind the states of Texas, Florida and Massachusetts where we frequently go to visit family and friends.


We are going to have to "pick up the pace" if we intend to keep our Thanksgiving Dinner plans with friends in South Florida.

There's still nearly 1200-miles between us and South Florida with lots to see and do, plus as you already know, I don't like towing THE POD more than 100-150 miles in any single day.

Add on the fact that as you can tell, we haven't moved ROVER in several days now.



TUESDAY - Today Tricia's alarm went off at 6:40AM so she could get ready to begin her walk by 7:00AM.

I got out of bed with her, which isn't usually the case, I almost always wait until she's clear of the bathroom area before I rise out of bed.

When I was standing next to her I nonchalantly asked her if she knew what today was? She quickly and confidently answered, "It's moving day!" I said, "Yes it is, annnnnd?" She thought a few seconds and confidently answered again, "It's election day!" I once again answered, "Yes it is, annnnnd?" She thought for a few minutes this time, looked over my shoulder at the bedside clock with the date and time display on it and then it dawned on her, with a big smile on her face she replied,

"It's our Anniversary!" YES it is and it's Lucky #13!


After Tricia began her walk I sat down at the dinette and logged onto the Weather.com website to see if there were going to be any issues with traveling today.

There was one warning that we were under a "Dense Fog Advisory" until 10:00AM this morning. That's OK, because we're not moving until almost noon.

Judging by the photos Tricia took this morning I'd have to say for once the forecast was right on the money!

The title of this photo should be "The Road To Nowhere".

That lone tree on the far right gets the "Will To Survive Award" from both of us.

Take a look at the root system of this tree.

Now that's Mother Nature hard at work.


Another story Tricia wanted me to share with you all is the "Mischievous Squirrel" we have roaming around our campsite.

For the last five days I've been watching it run up and down the tree that stands just 18-inches away from the rear corner of THE POD.

Then yesterday the squirrel learned a new trick! By launching itself off the tree and landing on our awning it acts like a trampoline and propels it up onto the roof of THE POD. Tricia even caught it observing us through the skylight. I just hope it's not "squirreling away" acorns under our solar panels, because it's going to be a sad day for the squirrel when we pull away from the campsite after our lunch and taking it's lunch with us.



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