RV Kitchen: New Stuff and Creative Problem Solving!

New Stuff for Our RV Kitchen 

After two months (and some change), we're beginning to whittle down the list of Annoying Things we need to fix. Like the freezer. The Norcold freezer is plenty big enough for two people, but it only has one shelf. 

Our first step to making the space more efficient was placing a 13 x 8 plastic container on the bottom, which is where we pack most of our meat (we repackage bigger containers into smaller baggies, since there is just two of us). We still wound with lots of frozen food bags precariously stacked on the top shelf - an impending avalanche for the poor doomed soul who opened the freezer door next.

We went looking for a solution and found these Sterlite snap top containers. What makes these containers super awesome is you can stack freezer bags in the container until it's overflowing, then use the snap top to press everything down tight. We are able to squeeze in a few more bags of veggies using two of these containers, and the space between is just big enough for a bag of hash browns and an emergency pound of coffee. A couple of tension rods hold everything snug when we are traveling (and are handy storage for rubber bands for baggies).

Oh and if you are trying to figure out how to get an ice tray in an itty bitty freezer? Ikea has the answer and they are super cheap!  We got our ice trays at an Ikea store, but you can also get these through resellers on the internet. The trays are soft rubber, which can be crammed into any sliver of space you have left over.

So yes, Virginia, you can squeeze two boxes of burgers, a ton of veggies, lots of leftovers, AND a few pounds of meat into an RV fridge. Woot!

Our other 'problem' is finding ways to not use our propane. We have a small solar system, and we've also been at several parks where electricity is free, so it seems kind of silly to use propane which we have to pay for.

While walking around Jeffersonville this week, we stopped at a thrift store and found a brand new toaster oven! Yes, it's one of Black Decker's cheaper models, but it's the perfect size and the corn bread we had tonight tasted just as good as if it had been cooked in something fancier. The oven is even rated for only slightly more wattage than the inverter, so we may be able to use it on low settings while on solar. Fortunately, our little RV kitchen has 4 electrical outlets and just enough counter space to make it possible to use multiple appliances.

Well, actually, the butcher block stove cover is an Ikea hack! We bought an Lamplig cuttindg board and added self-adhesive cork shelf liner to one side. (we found that the local hardware store had cork liner cheaper than anybody else, but it was tucked away in their closet area). Not only does this give us more counter space, but it also stops the stove from rattling. We used the rest of the cork liner on our kitchen drawers, which means that stuff doesn't rattle either.

Here's a picture of tonight's dinner; western casserole in the crockpot and cornbread in the toaster oven. You can see a couple of other things that we find super handy for a small RV kitchen. We have a collapsible collander for the sink, and a folding Grilla pan we got during an Ikea sale last year. The pan is fairly light metal, so it doesn't heat up quite as quickly as we would like, but the handle folds over for storage which is absolutely brilliant. 

And yes, a couple of people have suggested we switch to an Insta-pot, but our latest crockpot cost us a $7.50 at a thrift store. Including tax. Considering we love a crockpot to death every ten years or so, we may be better off sticking to an appliance that costs less than $10!

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Staying at Kentucky Artisan Center (Free!)

Our First Boondock!

The Kentucky Artisan Center is both a state visitor center and a market for local artisans and crafts, and is open from 9am to 6pm. There is also a small cafe.

 Price: Free! There are thirteen spots for RVs to park. Overnight parking is allowed, but we needed to register at the front counter.

Dog Friendly: This is an  area marked off for dogs, but it does not have a fence and it is the middle of the parking lot. There is also a lot of green space, including several large mowed areas, as well as a small walking trail, laid out in a loop.

The loop is maintained by volunteers and the path is well kept, but it does pass over several dry creeks, so may not be accessible when it's wet.

 Cell Service/Wifi: Cell Service was poor, with two bars, but this might have been weather related. The center does not have wifi.

Amenities: The center has a cafe, which is laid out cafeteria-style, and bathrooms. The center is open from 9am to 6pm, but the cafe closes at 4pm.

  The cafe's prices were very reasonable . We had heard the catfish and the derby pie was very good, and we can confirm both are excellent. As you can see, we never got a picture of the derby pie - we were too busy demolishing it!

 Getting There: The center is just off northbound I-75 and just south of Lexington. It is not only easy to get to, but it's well laid out so that buses and RVs can maneuver, park, and leave with ease.

Local Stuff: Berea is known for its college, which focuses on artisans and local crafts. There is even a hike and bike trail that can be taken into Berea from the visitor center.

Safety: There was a surprising amount of activity at this center after hours. People parking but leaving the motor running, people just cruising through the parking lot, and several people who seemed to have selected the parking lot to meet other people. While we didn't see anything nefarious, we found the constant flow of traffic through the parking lot at all hours more than a little bit odd. When we registered our vehicle, we had  also been told that the police did drive through patrols at night, but we never saw any marked or unmarked police cars.

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The Good News Is We Got Safely Through Kentucky

The bad news is we have no idea what the state looks like, thanks to torrential rains 

We begin packing  for the trip on Wednesday. We check and double-check that we have everything stowed, and then check one more time, making sure we haven't left anything this time (like um, the dog leash we left back in Texas). 

We also buy some screw-type quick links for the trailer.  During our last road trip, one of the hooks for the motorcycle tie down straps came loose. Instead of relying on hooks again, we connect everything with these links, which screw shut.

For this trip, we decide to tie the front end down as low as we can, which should keep the front wheel straight and cut down on the amount of bouncing.

 We then make sure the back end is also connected by quick links, and just as secure.

Take a good look, cuz tying the motorcycle down securely? Is about the only thing that goes as intended on this trip! 

We wake up Thursday morning to scattered showers. We were hoping for an early start, but find ourselves watching the radar instead. Finally, there is a break in the rain and we hit the road. The Otterbee zips north on I-75, heading to the Kentucky border.

The rain may have stopped for the moment, but we are now driving through strong winds, the remnants of Hurricane Harvey. As we cross the state border,  the skies turn ominously dark. The highway is now weaving through low mountains, and the wind keeps getting stronger.

Just past Williamsburg, the heavens open up and the deluge begins. I-75 turns westward, across the Daniel Boone National Park and yes, more mountains. We creep along in the rain, smack in the middle of a long line of semis going barely 40 miles an hour.

We Are Heading to Our First Boondock!

Fortunately, we are only driving 120 miles the first day. We reach the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea at noon, just as the rain lets up. While the Biker walks our husky, I try to force blood back into knuckles that are still white from fighting the wind.  (We'll post a review of the Artisan Center in the next day or two)

Of course, this means we're also hitting the cafe in the middle of the lunch rush, so it takes forever to get food and something to drink. We finally sit down - and start laughing. The sound system has been playing local artists and the current selection is a band doing a cover of "Rain, Rain, Rain". 

Rain, Rain, Rain

We get a few hours break from the rain, but Harvey blows back in with a vengeance as the sun sets.  This is our first time staying anywhere without hook ups and we spend the night listening to a tropical depression beating on our 18 year old roof.  We do find one tiny leak, but there isn't much we can do to recaulk the seam until we get to Louisville. 

 And More Rain!

Fortified with a hot breakfast and lots of coffee, we leave Berea at 10am. Our faithful Otterbee takes us north past Lexington, where we pick up I-64 west. The wind has settled down some, but the rain continues to get worse. We finally give up and pull into a rest area just before Frankfort.

 It's 11:00am on a Friday, but the rest stop is packed. We nab one of the last open spots, while our Husky begins yipping for a walk, which he only does when Things Are Urgent. Our rain ponchos are nearly useless against the monsoon outside, so now we have sodden, wet clothes hanging everywhere. 

We Decide to Push Through

One of the best things about having an RV is we always have a fridge and a bed. We take a short nap, eat lunch, and watch the radar.  Eventually, we decided to take a chance and try to push through. We point the Otterbee west and take off down I-64 towards Louisville.  Since the park is on the other side of the Ohio river, we can only get there by going through a mix master - which seems like a Very Bad Idea right about now. 

Instead of taking I-64 all the way through, we grab the 285 loop, then cut over to 841 to cross the bridge. Louisville has turned all its bridges, except one, into tolls. Since we don't have a tag, we will get mailed a bill for $7. We would have still had to paid $7 if we had taken the mixmaster to the other bridge, so we  figure we're actually came out ahead.

 We Make It Safely To Indiana!

The rain lets up just enough for us to see the sign at the state border. We take the right exit through a clover leaf (definitely proof that highway engineers hate motorhomes), then immediately take the wrong exit. We slowly and carefully thread our way back to Stansifer Avenue.  With a great sigh of relief, we pull into North Louisville Campground - only to be told that the motorcycle trailer has to be parked in the grassy field on other side of the road.

There is absolutely no way we can unload a motorcycle in that field, so we grimly unload the motorcycle as the rain continues to beat down. We've just unloaded the bike when another lady comes out and tells us that no, our site is long enough, and we don't need to unhook the trailer.  

With a great deal of self control, we pay for the first two days (Amazon is picking up the rest of the month) without saying anything. Not one of the three staff working apologizes for the mistake, or for making us unload a motorcycle when it's 55 degrees and pouring rain. We'll review this park later, but you can already guess the level of customer service provided here :(

On a happier note, the dryers at this park are only 75 cents and between the dryers and our handy boot dryer, we finally get everything dry and packed back away. We also check the leak and its also dry, which tells us that we just need a little more caulking on the seam - or maybe we just need to avoid tropical storms!

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Staying at Raccoon Valley RV

Staying at Raccoon Valley RV

We stayed for two months at Raccoon Valley RV Park, an Escapees park just 15 minutes from Knoxville in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. We understand this park used to be an old KOA, but Escapees filled in the pool and expanded the club house. Like many older parks, the sites are tight, especially since there are many permanent residents with extra cars and trucks.

 Price: We paid for two months, which with the Escapees discount, was $325 a month. There is a hotel tax, so the final cost was about $12/day. Our site was a pull through; with sewer, water, and 30/50 amp service.  During the hottest days in July, the park's electrical system was clearly struggling to keep up with summer loads.

Dog Friendly: This is a great park for dogs. There is a large dog yard, as well as 3 short walking trails behind the park. 

Caution! This park is in East Tennessee, which does have a very serious tick problem in the summer.

Motorcycle Friendly: The RV park is hard-packed gravel, so the surface is adequate but bikers need to be careful. There are often pockets of loose gravel, since park staff regularly fill ruts and pot holes. When we stayed, there were often kids with bicycles riding through the park at all hours.

Cell Service/Wifi: Verizon was 2-3 bars, without a booster. The park does not have free wifi, but there is internet available at the clubhouse.

Amenities: Each campsite has a picnic table. There are two bathhouses, with bathrooms and showers, and a small laundry room. There is also a club house; with a social hour at 4pm each day, an awesome old-fashion band jam on Thursday, and ice cream on Sunday ($1 a scoop). While we were there, several musicians also got together on Monday night to practice and teach guitar. The facilities are very clean and the staff often organizes other events, like potlucks. Of course, the best thing about this park is getting to hang out with other Escapees!

Getting There: This park is easy access from I-75, on Raccoon Valley Road. Make sure to  approach this park from the I- 75 exit, because there is an RV-unfriendly bridge on the other side of Raccoon Valley Road!

Local Stuff: There are tons of things to do in the area. The park is only 10 minutes from Clinton and 15 minutes from Knoxville and Oakridge. The park is also only about an hour from Pigeon Forge and Gaitlinburg. If you love nature, don't forget to check out the local parks, too!

Click for a list of free stuff we found in the area

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Wait - Indiana?

We're Workamping Where?

August has turned into a flurry of emails while we try to find out where we will be in September.  Finally, Amazon tells us that we need to be in Sheperdsville, Kentucky on September 5th - but doesn't give us a list of campgrounds. After another politely worded email (sigh), we finally get a list of campgrounds.

 More Waiting

We call one of the parks, put our name on the list and then - wait. The next afternoon, we get a callback. They have room, so we make a reservation for September. In Indiana, across the river from Louisville. We're new to this RV thing, but we're pretty darn sure we are not supposed to be heading north in September.

Oh Well, We've Had A Wonderful Two Months

Yes, Raccoon Valley RV Park is an older park and the spaces are pretty tight, but it makes up for that in one thing - Escapees! We've had a blast meeting people and hanging out. We even all watched the eclipse together, but we, um, forgot to take photos. Ooops.

 Now We Gotta Pack!

 We're going to take a tiny break from blogging until we get to our next campsite. We've got to load a motorcycle, pack an RV, and then head up to Louisville. It's only a 4 hour trip, but we're going to break the trip into two days. Fred and Darla have told us of a great place to asphalt camp near Lexington and we hear there's a cafe nearby that's known for it's catfish and pie. We think it's our job as bloggers to check this rumor out.

Please Continue to Pray for Louisiana and Texas

 The friends we've talked to are all safe so far, but Hurricane Harvey is far from being through with dumping rain and possible tornadoes on the gulf coast. 

Click for of Ways to Help

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Visiting Clinton - Part II

So, So Many Antiques 

After Harry's wonderful tour of the cabin, we hopped back on our Shadow and zipped over to Clinton. We decided to start by grabbing something light to eat at Hoskin's Drug Store. We're glad we only got a snack, because the food was very bland and all three waitresses were grouchy, snapping at both customers and each other. We've heard this is a great place to get a hamburger, so maybe the waitstaff and the cook was having an off day???

We'd heard Clinton has everything you could want if you love antiques, and we weren't disappointed. 

There are around two dozen antiques stores, arranged in a 'L' shape along Market Street and Main Street. 

There were also a couple of shops selling local crafts.

Most of the shops were enormous, with two or even three floors full of treasures.

This is cool but it's probably not going to fit on the motorcycle - or in the RV, huh?

Anybody still listening to tapes and eight tracks? If so, there is a shop in Clinton that you're going to love 😀

 Apparently there are people who collect X-Rays. You've got to wonder how their spouses explain their 'hobby' to neighbors.

 After a long day, looking and shopping (we found a couple of Christmas gifts that we could just squeeze onto the motorcycle) it was time for food! We went to the River Grill, which we highly recommend. The restaurant is under new ownership, and the owners are wonderful, friendly people who clearly care about both their diners and their staff.

The Biker tried the pulled pork sandwich, while I tried the blackened grouper. Both were excellent and so was the baked beans, while the mashed potatoes and the hush puppies were OK. To be fair, though, if you prefer traditional hush puppies, these were very good. We're just used to the Texas way of making hush puppies, which means a dash of sugar and some green onions. 

We made sure to bring a hush puppy home to Crockett and as you can see, he thought we were being way too picky and the hush puppies were very tasty!

Know Before You Go: 

There is free parking at Church Street, 137-199 E Church St (It's a large triangle-shaped parking lot between East Church Street, Commerce Street, and N. Charles G Seviers Road). Be prepared to walk. 

All the stores we entered had entrances level with the sidewalk, but you will need to take stairs to get to the other floor.

There are two antique fairs a year in Clinton, one in May (next one is May 5th, 2018) and the other one in October (the next one is Oct 14, 2017)

A list of shops and various local events is available here.

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Visiting Clinton - Part I (Free!)

David Hall Cabin 

After two months of full-timing, we have discovered the downside to RV living - rain! For the past couple of weeks, it has rained on and off, and of course, we only have a motorcycle for our 'get-around'vehicle.  We did manage to get to the grocery store without getting soaked, but got caught in a downpour on the way back.

Finally, the forecast said it would be sunny so we took a trip to Clinton, stopping first at the David Hall Cabin. (Notice how we have managed to resist making any puns on this blog about having cabin fever. Log that as a first!).

David and Samuel Hall were twins that fought at King's Mountain in the Revolutionary War.  David Hall later built a log cabin in 1799 along the Old Emory Road. Back then, there were two main wagon trails to Nashville, the Walton Road and Old Emory Road (sometimes called Avery Trace).

Old Emory Road was originally part of the Native American Tollunteeskee trail, and was one the the earliest wagon trails that ran through the Tennessee River Valley. 

The cabin was connected by a dogtrot to a two-story cabin, which served as both an inn and a tavern. Passengers from the stagecoach to Nashville would stop here for the night. 

In 1868, Walter Thomason was born in the cabin. When he was a kid, he would take care of the horses for the stagecoaches.

Walter married Nannie Williams in 1902. He worked for the railroad, so Nannie raised 11 children in the cabin, mostly on her own. You can see Nannie and her family, above.

Libby, one of Walter's great-granddaughters, bought her grandparent's house in the '90s. While removing clapboards, they realized that the house was actually a log cabin. Further research revealed that it was the oldest house in the county.

You can hear Libby talking about her family's cabin and it's history here.  Libby and her husband Harry have been working to preserve the cabin and it's contents. They have also saved several other local cabins, by dis-assembling them and moving them to the property.

This is a cabin they rescued from Campbellsville. If you look to the right, you can just see three trees in the background, where the springs are. The family had to haul water from the springs to the cabin.

 We arrived just before 10am, and Harry offered to give us a personal tour of all of the cabins. This cabin was originally at Oakridge. When Oakridge was selected by General Grove to be part of the atomic bomb project in WW II, it was moved to Lenoir City. 

Eventually, it had to be moved again, so Harry and his son dismantled it and moved it again - piece by piece.

All the cabins are decorated with family heirlooms and donated pieces, mixed with antiques. The table in the middle was Walter and Nannie's and probably dates to the 1920s.

 Looking across the dogtrot porch toward the old tavern. The family still has many of the old receipts for the tavern, including how much guests were charged for whiskey and brandy!

The top floor of the inn. Guests slept two to three to a bed, so it was probably a little warmer than it looks 😉

 Know before you go:  Address 830 Old Edgemoor Ln, Clinton TN

 Phone: 865-945-3807 

The cabin is still owned by Libby and Harry, so parking is limited to their drive, or you can park down the road at the Valley View United Methodist church, and walk to cabin.

The family generally has two open house events a year, one in June  and another one in September, which  this year will be on Sept 9 and Sept 10th. We didn't have time to check it out,but the historic Arnold-Hall Cemetery is just around the corner from the cabin.

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