If you do that, you may pass out!!!
Well, after getting started at 8:00 am this morning from our Walmart parking lot adventure, we headed toward our stay at the Cherrystone RV Park. The drive was again fairly easy but felt longer for some reason. The excitement came when we got to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge – Tunnel (the CBBT)!
This bridge was built in the early 1960s and links mainland Virginia with the Eastern Shore. It measures around 17 miles from shore to shore and includes 2-mile-long tunnels. The tunnels allow lanes for ships to come into and out of the Chesapeake Bay. After paying the toll – $24 for our truck and fifth wheel (cha-ching!), we started across the bridge. It was amazing! The bridge was not as high as I thought it would be. We could see a ship coming into the bay and about 7 ships lined up to go out of the bay – it was like airplanes lined up at an airport! As we got to the first tunnel, I wanted to hold my breath as we drove down and down….thank goodness it was well lighted and only a mile, then back up over the water. It was definitely an experience and I can’t wait to see what’s different on the way back to mainland Virginia!
Water is necessary for life!!!
We found Cherrystone Park with no problem and parked out front to check in. The check in process was quick and easy as I had made reservations several weeks ago. Our first little issue came as the lady checking us in said, “You can fill up your tank with the blue hose out front.” The hubs and I both said, “Ok, thanks”, then immediately, “Wait, what?” She went on to explain that this time of year the water is turned off and we would need to fill our fresh water tank to use during our stay. Problem number 1 – we have never used our fresh water tank before. Problem number 2 – since we had never used our fresh water tank, it had never been sanitized. Our manual says to be sure to sanitize BEFORE using the fresh water tank. For a germiphobe like me, I would insist on it even if the manual didn’t state it clearly!!
So, we pulled out the manual and began sanitizing our tank with Clorox and water. Of course, this solution is supposed to be left in the tank for at least 3 hours and you are to drive your rig around to swish it around nooks and crannies before dumping the solution and filling the tank with fresh water. That didn’t happen – it was already 3:00 pm when we started the process. The temperature outside was 40 degrees and windy and pumping the solution into the tank was SLOW going. We filled the tank with the solution, drained the solution through the faucets, when the tank was empty, started filling up with fresh water. Again, we were calm and worked together because this is all about doing new things and having adventures!
I think the 3 AM Walmart parking lot had more people!!!
After about and hour and half later, we pulled around to our site. We were told that we could park anywhere on the row across from the water, so we pulled into one near the end. The only other rig in that row was a Minnie Winnie way on the other end. Actually, the only other rigs were 3 other fifth wheels several rows back. We’re pretty sure, this is all that is in the park!
Problem number 3 – we pulled in, thought we were level, hooked up the sewer, opened the slides and hooked up the electricity. The first thing I went to do was turn on our electric fireplace (remember the 40 degree weather that we have already been out in for the last 2 hours?). Nothing – no power light came on, no temperature light came on…I looked at the microwave – nothing – no lights. Heavy, heavy sigh. The thought of closing everything up and hooking back up to the truck made my head begin to slowly spin…I called the office – closed.
&#%$@^&#^%#*$%^!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My head began to spin faster and flames began shooting out of my ears!! We began closing up and I got in the truck to hook our Reflection back up. Quietly and under my breath words were spewing out of my mouth…I felt like my whole head was now on fire and was just a tad angry. We are travelers and don’t live in Virginia so I felt that when I registered at Cherrystone for a premium (water view) full hookup site which was to include electricity, sewer and water there should have been a sentence in BOLD BLACK UPPERCASE letters saying, “NO WATER HOOKUPS DURING THE MONTHS OF ________”. It would have been nice to know that the toll across the bridge was $14 for cars and $24 for rigs and had to be cash or EZPass. These are just things a traveler wouldn’t know or know to ask about (my opinion but basically this whole blog is my opinion, so….). Anyway, after driving around the road once, I pulled into the site next to the one we just tried and tested the power. It worked!
And now, to sleep, to dream!
We set up, went into Cape Charles to Tim’s Place for a hearty, hot meal – YUM, came home, took showers with our recently filled up, precious water and went to bed. Thank goodness, the day was over!