Travel from Rutledge, Georgia to Columbia, South Carolina

We drove our coach 187 miles, about three hours of driving, from Rutledge, Georgia to Columbia, South Carolina. The first of a series of new states for us.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route map

An interactive map:

I was a bit concerned about leaving our site, as it was kinda steep:

Leaving site

Leaving site

But we managed without too much difficulty:

Leaving site

We left the park via Knox Chapel Road, to avoid a bad railroad crossing in downtown Rutledge:

Knox Chapel Road

We still had to go over an unlevel railroad crossing, but this was the best of the three options:

Railroad crossing

Nice new road surface:

Nice new road surface

Joining I-20 East, with an Eisenhower Interstate System sign:

Eisenhower Interstate System

Roadworks:

Roadworks

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

A Southern swooper; we’ve noticed that Southern drivers tend to swoop in front of us, way too close for safety. Give some space before moving over, people!

Southern swooper

We parked at a Love’s truck stop and went to the adjacent Waffle House for lunch:

Waffle House

Truck parking

Coach parked with trucks

Waffle House

Waffle House

Waffle House

Paladin waiting on the dash for us to return:

Paladin on the dash

Entering South Carolina:

Entering South Carolina

Paladin asleep:

Paladin asleep

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Fun with zoom

Exit to route 1:

Exit to route 1

Sesquicentennial State Park:

Sesquicentennial State Park

Entrance station:

Entrance station

Splash pad:

Splash pad

Campground entrance:

Campground entrance

Our site:

Our site

Paladin on the dash while getting leveled in the site:

Paladin

Travel from Red Bay, Alabama to Rutledge, Georgia

We drove our coach 332 miles, about six hours of driving, from Red Bay, Alabama to Rutledge, Georgia.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route map

An interactive map:

Water streaming off our slide topper as we brought in the slide, from recent rain:

Water streaming off slide topper

Toading up:

Toading up

We left Red Bay via downtown:

Red Bay

Red Bay

SR-19:

SR-19

On to I-22 East:

I-22 East

A bathroom break at a truck stop:

Bathroom break

Our coach in travel mode:

Coach in travel mode

Paladin in his nest on the stacked dining chairs:

Paladin in his nest

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

I-65 South:

I-65 South

Birmingham:

Birmingham

I-20 East:

I-20 East

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

I-20 East:

I-20 East

A large load:

Large load

Fuel and lunch stop:

Fuel and lunch stop

91.717 gallons:

91.717 gallons

Heading to the parking area, with Paladin on the passenger chair:

Heading to parking area

Parked:

Parked

We had Popeyes for lunch:

Popeyes for lunch

Popeyes for lunch

A branch on the roof; we found it on the truck when we arrived:

Branch on roof

Talladega Superspeedway; apparently there was a NASCAR race on:

Talladega Superspeedway

Talladega Superspeedway

Eisenhower Interstate System sign:

Eisenhower Interstate System

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Welcome to Georgia:

Welcome to Georgia

Eisenhower Interstate System

Entering Eastern Time Zone, where we’ll be until July:

Entering Eastern Time Zone

Another bathroom break at the Georgia Welcome Center truck parking:

Rest stop

Atlanta:

Atlanta

Atlanta

Fun with zoom

Fun with zoom

SR-11:

SR-11

I chose this route to go over this railroad crossing, as the one in downtown Rutledge has a very high crown:

Railroad crossing

Horse properties:

Horse properties

Hard Labor Creek State Park:

Hard Labor Creek State Park

RV check-in area:

RV check-in area

RV check-in area

Trading Post:

Trading Post

Trading Post

The camp host happened to be in the trading post when we checked in, so she offered to guide us to our site; that’s the driveway on the right:

Guided to our site

Paladin surveying our steep driveway:

Paladin surveying our driveway

Yeah, doesn’t look very level:

Our site

Travel from Scott, Arkansas to Red Bay, Alabama

We drove our coach 278 miles, about five hours of driving, from Scott, Arkansas to Red Bay, Alabama.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route

An interactive map:

The tow bar was at a strange angle, due to toading up on a curve, but that’s fine (just need to pull forward slowly until it locks in place):

Tow bar

Don’t need the dump station on the way out this time:

Don't need the dump station this time

I-440 East:

I-440 East

I-40 East:

I-40 East

Paladin in his safe spot next to the passenger chair… and saying get that phone out of my face:

Paladin

Wide load:

Wide load

Paladin asleep:

Paladin

A lunch stop at a large Petro truck stop:

Lunch stop

We were going go in to an IHOP, but decided we didn’t have time for that, with a long drive still ahead, so just ate in our coach:

Lunch stop

I-55 Alt South:

I-55 Alt South

Crossing the Mississippi River:

Mississippi River

Tennessee welcomes you, unless you drive a truck:

Tennessee welcomes you, unless you drive a truck

Tennessee welcomes you

Bass Pro Shops pyramid:

Bass Pro Shops pyramid

Only in Tennessee briefly in Memphis, then on to Mississippi:

Welcome to Mississippi

“Orange You Going to Slow Down in Work Zones?”

Orange You Going to Slow Down in Work Zones?

I-269 North:

I-269 North

I-22 East:

I-22 East

Paladin asleep again:

Paladin

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Paladin one more time:

Paladin

Rest break at a truck stop we often visit on the way to/from Red Bay:

Rest break

Fun with zoom again:

Fun with zoom

Fun with zoom

Our fourth state of the drive, Alabama:

Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama

Our destination, Red Bay Acres:

Red Bay Acres

Our site next to a sibling coach (a 2018 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40AP; one year newer, and a different floorplan):

Our site next to a sibling coach

Travel from Paris, Texas to Scott, Arkansas

We drove our coach 243 miles, about four hours of driving, from Paris, Texas to Scott, Arkansas.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Map

An interactive map:

Depressions in the grass from our neighbor’s jacks and tires, due to rain making the ground a little soft:

Depressions from our neighbor's jacks and tires

Our coach:

Our coach

I put a couple of tiles below the AquaHot exhaust, but the surrounding grass still got a little singed:

Singed grass from AquaHot exhaust

Our jack pads got embedded in the soft ground; not too difficult to pull out. The larger pads help spread the load, though, and better than having the jacks get stuck in the ground:

Jack pads embedded in ground

Leaving the full hookup area:

Leaving full hookup area

Solar section:

Solar section

Onto I-30 East:

I-30 East

A fuel stop:

Fuel stop

As usual, we paid less than this, due to our fuel discount card:

Fuel stop

Back on I-30 East:

Back on I-30 East

The Texas overpasses had the Lone Star and state outline:

Texas overpass

Texarkana water tower:

Texarkana water tower

Welcome to Arkansas:

Welcome to Arkansas

The Arkansas overpasses had a less distinctive state outline (reminded me of a Solo cup):

Arkansas overpass

A lunch stop at Southfork Restaurant in Gurdon, Arkansas:

Lunch stop

Truck parking:

Truck parking

Paladin on the passenger chair:

Paladin on passenger chair

Our coach parked with trucks:

Coach parked with trucks

Into the restaurant:

Restaurant

Menu

Menu (they also have burgers and such, but we were in the mood for breakfast):

Menu

Super slow service, but over an hour later we got our breakfast for lunch:

Breakfast for lunch

We’d ordered biscuits with our breakfast, but they only had one, so provided extra potatoes and lots of toast instead:

Toast and biscuit

Back to our coach:

Back to our coach

Back on I-30 East:

Back on I-30 East

Arkadelphia water tower:

Arkadelphia water tower

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Oversize load:

Oversize load

Rough road:

Rough road

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Narrow road due to roadworks:

Narrow due to roadworks

Slow truck:

Slow truck

Overpass:

Overpass

Arkansas River:

Arkansas River

Exit to Scott:

Exit to Scott

An unmarked turn to the park:

Unmarked turn to park

Residential road:

Residential road

Entering Willow Beach Park:

Willow Beach Park

Park entrance station:

Park entrance station

Campsites:

Campsites

Our site (the back-in with the shelter):

Our site

Our site

Our coach after untoading:

Our coach

Our site; a bit of a slope on the driveway, but a flat concrete pad:

Our site

Our site

Travel from Texarkana to Paris, Texas

We drove our coach 93 miles, about two hours of driving, from Texarkana, Texas to Paris, Texas.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading west:

Map

An interactive map:

Frontage road to I-30 West:

Frontage road to I-30 West

I-30 West:

I-30 West

Exit 199:

Exit 199

Water tower:

Water tower

Building transport:

Building transport

US Highway 82:

US Highway 82

US Highway 82

US Highway 82

US Highway 82

Water tower

We stopped at a picnic area for lunch:

Picnic area

Picnic area

Ducks

Water tower

Stillhouse Road exit:

Stillhouse Road exit

Narrow road

Arriving at the Paris fairgrounds for an Escapees/Xscapers gathering for the total solar eclipse:

Escapees gathering at fairgrounds

Heading to our spot:

Heading to our spot