Starting A Southeast Loop

Tennessee Welcome Center

We're off on a month-long adventure to see new, to us, areas of the southeast. The plan is to go west to Nashville, travel the Natchez-Trace Parkway National Park, follow the gulf coast down to Largo to visit parents, continue south to Sarasota for a Pleasure-Way rally and then wander back north to NC.

Everything was packed and checked yesterday to be ready for the trip. svIntuition visited Mercedes-Benz in Durham earlier in the week to diagnose a check engine light. She has a new EGR Cooler Solenoid Valve replaced under warranty.

Heading west in the morning all was well. We're listening to the excellent audio book "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" read by the author,  Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield.  Indian summer is here with 84 degree temps and we noticed the cab getting warm after lunch. Seems like the cabin fan isn't blowing any air from the dashboard. Stopped and checked the fuse map (there are lots of different places for fuses in this van) and fuse #12 checked was still good. Rather than turning around and heading home, Beth called Mercedes-Benz of Knoxville and they will see us tomorrow morning.

Raccoon Valley, Heiskell, TN

We found a campsite at Raccoon Valley, an Escapee's park, in Heiskell, TN. We joined Escapees two years ago, but this is the first time we've stayed in one of their parks. It is okay and reasonably priced at $17.50, but there isn't much privacy and there is noise from the main road. Folks are friendly and there is a Bluegrass Jam Session scheduled in the clubhouse tomorrow night if we are still here.

We're hopeful that we can get the cabin fan fixed in the morning.