We're back!

Just like a home...or a car...RV's need "maintenance"...and since it is both, it needs both kinds!  So, off we go, once again, to the Tiffin Service Center in Red Bay AL to where our baby was built, to have all it's little parts fixed!

"We're back", we told Charles, our favorite cabinet guy, and we have "one more idea for you to make for me!"  He just grinned at me.  I told him I saw where, at our friend's RV, their pantry cupboard had been remodeled into a roll-out one.  I need that.  I'm short, and I it's hard for me to see and reach way back into the back and top of those high and narrow shelves.  "no problem" he said.  I just smiled back.  I knew he could do it for me.

We settled in, filled out the list of all the "problems" that needed fixing and waited for the site manager to come over and give us the news on how long it was all going to take.  Early the next morning, here came Norris, who, after chatting with us, said, "well, the slides the problem, it's going to take about two weeks to get into that bay to work on it.  The rest's pretty simple."  "OK, it is what it is.  We will just wait on it then".  So we settled ourselves in.

A few days later we met Kathy and Ron from RVillage, a fun little website for people like us who have RVs and like to chat about where they are and where they are going.  They had put on there that they were headed here and I told them to check in with us when they got here and they did, so we all hooked up and went to dinner together.  Turned out we all had a lot in common.  It's really made our stay enjoyable, having someone to chat with and share stories and even some "solutions"!

This being our third trip to the tiny town of Red Bay, we've pretty much exhausted any "sight-seeing" that there is around the area, so when the weekend was approaching, we thought, why not take advantage of it and go to one of our most favorite lodges and stay overnight?  So, off we went to Scottsboro to spend a few hours at the Unclaimed Baggage store, then onto Pisgah to the beautiful Gorham's Bluff Lodge.

You never know what you will find, if anything, at the Unclaimed Baggage store.  We really don't need anything, let's face it!  I mean, we only have so much space...but it's always fun to stop and shop!  We mainly go to check out the books and movies...maybe a blouse or a pair of shorts, but that's about it, really.  We just don't have the space for much else!  I was determined not to buy (myself) any books until I finished the stack I already have, so I only browsed the section lightly...Jack, on the other hand...well, that's another story.... But, we did good, we only came away with a half a dozen, and that's really good for us!  ;-)  The movie section this time was awful.  Like I said, sometimes you win, sometimes, not.  But I did find the "perfect" blouse!

It had been two years since our last visit to Gorham's Bluff.  In my opinion, it's one of the most beautiful places we've ever been to, or stayed at.  It looks like a Southern Plantation sitting on a hill that looks out over the Tennessee River - not to far from it, and not to close - just right.  Perfectly appointed in all the rooms.  The service is impeccable, the food is superb, the weather (we've been now in spring and summer) has been wonderful.  I wish I could afford to stay on and on (but I can't).  On our first visit we had the opportunity to get to spend time with the chef/owner and really enjoyed talking with him.  He has since moved on and I was a little disappointed to learn he wouldn't be preparing our meals.  However, the new chef, whom I didn't meet, prepared the most outstanding and interesting dinner, so there was nothing to be disappointed there!  Once again, the staff and place shined...it's truly a magical oasis, hidden in the hills of Alabama!

The front of the lodge

The view from our balcony

Enjoying the afternoon on our balcony

Each person gets their own personalized menu - they added an additional filet and a mixed berry dessert as well (with an apology that it wasn't on the menu!)

Back at the Service Center, we ended up being taken care of faster than anticipated and things went quite smoothly!  Slide repaired, we found where the water leak was coming from (the back of the refrigerator!), the roof leak fixed, a new back-up screen and the windshield wiper fixed and even the window shade isn't crooked any longer!  Yea!  Life is good.

Now that Charles has brought my new roll-out pantry back, we are ready to roll on down the road again! (isn't it a beauty?)

...on the road to Tennessee... Marie