Great American Road Trip 2017: The Solar Eclipse

in this video I am going to show you the whole entire road trip we made in August of 2017 to find the best spot to see the solar eclipse and we sure did it is long so sit back relax enjoy the ride I'm riding riding riding riding with my RB Mayer wherever I want to be you guys am free in my RV we say our goodbyes as we depart on this epic journey at this point we don't really know exactly where we'll end up all we know is that our first few days will be in Georgia luckily traffic is light on this Sunday morning we are taking the fastest route which is I 95 north and then the Florida's Turnpike after a couple of uneventful hours we stopped at the Fort Drum service Plaza and one of the largest ones to grab a bite to eat inside the RV and also to put gas as you can see it is very crowded in here an average of 10 miles per gallon a range is kind of limited to about 160 miles per Philip we of course get some rain along the way why not a few miles past Orlando we decided to take a break from the Turnpike and go to the highest point in the Florida peninsula not counting the Panhandle it is called Sugarloaf Mountain rising to a whopping three hundred and twelve feet above sea level and here we are the views from the top pretty good pretty cool a little uncommon for Florida you see a little bit of a view there of that lake so I suppose this is the tallest house in the Florida peninsula not the Florida State but the Florida peninsula any place will continue yeah here we are Sugarloaf Mountain even though to call it a mountain is a little bit of a stretch perhaps if we go again through this beautiful yet unusual part of Florida at least unusual to us from the southern portion of the state there's this truck here to the left not letting me change lanes kind of weird and it turns out it is a fan fellow our veer and fellow youtuber Willie Montaigne said well yeah that was quite a coincidence especially because we were talking about him just minutes before [Music] well after a very long day invaded to Georgia okay everybody we are super tired with being driving all day but check that out Georgia on my mind and we made it to Georgia for the fourth time I think since we've had that many to the trailer now let's find someplace to sleep well we were right here at the Walmart in Boston and let me show you what we've done the generator because news nice 87 it sounds a little louder on the camera I think that we're really sounds but there are other two other people do there's a campervan over there generator on there's a Class C motorhome over there we did generate around two so I don't feel so bad I'm not gonna run at too late but I'm gonna run it at least until 10:30 or so good morning from the Valdosta Walmart [Music] we're going to continue is 75 every time I Drive through here I see all these signs advertising the magnolia plantation so I figured this time I would stop by it does kind of look like a plantation doesn't it okay so we woke up at the Walmart and now we are we stopped here 40 miles north at this place called Magnolia plantations the work they were like a hundred signs on the road advertising it and I've seen it every time I come to Georgia so I wanted to check it out so let's check it out it seems to be a gas station when I Fantasia limitation we are this town called El Dorado Omega and there's even a fountain behind us it's pretty cool up beside us I suspected it is just a store or selling Georgia goods like pecans and peanuts and the peach preserves but many unpronounceable ingredients not to mention high fructose corn syrup so I suspect all this stuff is mass-produced we did get some peach infuse to hot sauce hey there's another fake plantation after a little over two hours we are descending upon Macon Georgia our campground is the Alsea shrine RV park $32 per night but if you have a good Sam membership it is only 16 we finally make up our minds let's go to make [Music] and here we are makin the heart of Georgia there are many historic buildings in the city and the first one we're going to visit is the Hay House which is almost like a small palace and completed in 1859 in the Italian Renaissance Revival style on the bottom floor we'll see what used to be the summer dining room and some memorabilia like a travel journal part of an elaborate ventilation system to keep the house somewhat cool in the summer and the pantry elevated from the floor to protect it from critters what a great idea next we go to the front porch they could be paint it to look like aged bronze they aren't tracking how a perfectly balanced on their original football silver-plated painted to this trompe l'oeil is done mr. Johnston by a Swiss artist our new show for this party originally named most of the house is decorated in the style and period of the first family that inhabited the house the hey family apparently they had a thing for pocket doors too and this to the right is a fake door and made only for symmetry purposes so much luxury an art of display like this sculpture called the roof gleaning by American sculpture randall rogers more pocket doors the house was very modern for its time it even had an elevator not to mention hot and cold running water and the pipe intercom system now on the second floor hey check out the hidden secret room which is actually pretty large and that's what it looks like when it's closed to the 3rd floor we are now sweating profusely and they are working on some restoration up here this room up here it is actually decorated as you would have looked in the nineteen fifties [Music] what a great view we get from the top floor this would have been great that they had air conditioning [Music] yeah the majestic hey house let's continue exploring everything sweet drove through makin last year have been fixated on the architecture of this street called a college Street we were driving through and I solve this Antebellum looking Greek Revival structures and I wanted to check it out so bad and so here we are again and I bet sure we'll return later [Music] unfortunately a lot of it is in disrepair by the end of the street we encountered the Rose Hill Cemetery the oldest and largest one in the city [Music] it is one of the most picturesque cemeteries I have ever seen it almost reminds me of Roman ruins or something like that it is actually the final resting place of over a thousand Confederate soldiers as several prominent political figures and of course the Allman Brothers by the way beyond that Ridge that's the Akagi River which we'll see later I even supposed to be driving here let's get out just in case such a historic City in so much disrepair almost every single house for rent for lease or for sale in other words vacant and who would have thunk it there's Cuban food in Megan and there's the Hay House again actually let's go downtown passing by another famous building at the Cannonball house maybe we should have done that Museum instead it is so hot in Macon today [Music] here's another pretty famous landmark the Grand Opera House brought to you by Geico I guess where's my cut this is downtown Macon there's the courthouse we're in a very historic neighborhood doing Meghan and this is a very historic restaurant called the Bears then and there's a drain going through unfortunately at this time it was only open for to go orders and here to the left there's another famous restaurant called H and H we decide to go for the Akumal G brew pub not a very lively place but the local brews are great the Pettine man but the burger is pretty good I gotta say the place is pretty dead there's also this place next door called a barefoot tavern another time perhaps we continue walking around a little bit sweating profusely a lot of businesses not in business and this Balkan is next it kind of remind me of San Francisco sherry streets oddly enough you're supposed to park backwards in this diagonal spaces and of course not everybody follows the rules and that was pretty much downtown in a nutshell we continue our next point of interest is the archaeology National Monument which is a prehistoric American Indian site [Music] there are supposed to be some ancient in Indian mounds here but the bugs are relentless and the heat unbearable so we don't get to see much [Music] there's interstate 16 yeah it is a pretty long bridge [Music] the Ocmulgee River down there the railroad track there here is is the First Baptist Church and here's the st. Joseph Catholic Church which will revisit tomorrow right now we are pretty tired and so we are going back home to the RV park we arrived here and there's a bunch of bugs I'm gonna have to leave soon it was incredibly hot inside that house even that the guide was swear improv sweating profusely I almost I almost told her if you wanted to trick I wanted to cancel the tour it was it was really interesting the house it's it's the mansion as it was furnished throughout the three different families along the course of a hundred years we had a good time here a make on Georgia tomorrow I want to explore a little more in the morning and then we're driving a little over two hours up to the Atlanta area that's Minnie teeny back there good morning once again let's explore making a little more but first let me mail some CDs and stickers to okay this right here is my office on the road and I just got some eclipses stamps which are pretty cool because they change I think with the heat you can see the moon but when it's cold in the air-conditioning they look black well now they look yeah with the heat they change colors so that pretty cool I'm gonna be sending all the cities and and stickers well the state cities know the stickers are going to go with this commemorative stamps from now on here we are by the historic vine Ville neighborhood so let's check out the Allman Brothers Museum over here we're in this residential neighborhood we're gonna check out the house we're the Allman Brothers is believe this is the museum is closed but you just wanna I don't think they like me [Applause] apparently this is it because let the beads are there just give you a peek and say the house and say the museum the Allman Brothers the big house well that's all I can show you folks unfortunately the museum is closed on Mondays Tuesdays today's Tuesday and on Wednesdays so so many pretty houses here in Macon Israel looks very nice but unfortunately a lot of them are in disrepair English I'm gonna go through this side of the road no very nice [Music] so it's very very well maintained that I have no idea what it is probably private there are my friends we continued driving through the pretty historic neighborhoods this right here Bond Street looks really really cool [Music] and to satisfy my fixation once again we're going to cruise a long collar street one more time good thing there is plenty of parking and we park in front of this building called the center for Strings I just love that Greek Revival architecture with the frieze the Corinthian columns right next to it there's this large apartment building a called de masse yeah it is pretty massive let's continue exploring we've been looking for this trail called that the Riverwalk since yesterday actually and I think I found it on the GPS [Music] crossing the Ocmulgee River one more time and here we are well this is Riverside and this is some piece of art here it's called chewy by one Jung Clement very cool let's go see the river we keep wondering what's that tower over there so more exploring is in order and where are all these little bugs river bugs I should really brush up on my entomology there's a resident here of the Ocmulgee River actually let's cross to the other side and we see some other permanent residents this here is called the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail probably pretty cool for jogging but today is actually probably too hot for anything well that was it Riverside in a nutshell so let's go see what that pretty Tower is let's investigate hey there's the Hay House once again so we must be on the right track okay this is a parking lot this back alley looks actually promising and here we are okay this is called in town Megan we just stumbled upon this neighborhood and this is a part of the university very cool and we also get pretty decent views of the city from here that's Hay House right there by the way this is the Coleman Park Hill and that's a very nice private residence I bet you they get a nice view from there For Whom the Bell stall such a beautiful day [Music] Wow is it 11 a.m. already we have to go soon there's a nice view of the Macon skyline from here which will had time to sit down on a bench enjoy the city's skyline from here let's check out this building here the Greek Revival structure is the woodruff house and this is Mercer University's School of Law such a majestic looking building again let's explore a little more a very nice way to study law if you ask me so much history here there's at the cannon ball house in hindsight I think we should have visited this one instead of the hay house but now we don't have the time yeah this one seems to be more established as a museum I guess well maybe we'll find an excuse to return to Macon sometime our next and final point of interest here is the st. Joseph's Catholic Church so let's park there's the First Baptist Church and here's st. Joseph's let's step inside very beautiful inside it actually has sixty stained-glass windows the church has undergone many renovations for example the current altar only dates back to 2006 the Great Dome Rises 125 feet above the floor here's another look at one of the stained-glass windows the original organ the contraption by Pilcher and Sons of Louisville Kentucky was replaced after 80 years back in 1985 but they kept some of the original parts from the 1903 original [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] well there you have it the foundation was laid in 1889 and the building was completed in 1903 now who wants to go to Atlanta we pick up mini tini and if we go towards the Atlanta area [Music] it is a fairly uneventful two-hour drive around the rolling hills of Central Georgia here we are Stone Mountain Park [Music] the campground is another mile and a half or so into the park [Music] very nice cap around [Music] there's our site [Music] well we have arrived and check this out I having I haven't even had time to finish hooking up all the all the hookups because I want to show you guys we are here at Stone Mountain Campground that let me be careful because there's a big you know ravine behind me this is beautiful beautiful we are right by the lake right here at Stone Mountain Park right now we're gonna spend some time with the family hearing in near Atlanta but tomorrow I'm gonna show you the whole part or maybe the surround this I have no idea what we're gonna do check it out the mountain you can see him back there it's pretty cool huh ok one more view from the other side and this is the campground which is to be honest about it is kind of half empty check it out this is our trailer right here and this is gonna be our view tonight they're gonna be sitting here looking at the lake sipping some wine and with the mountain storm and right next to us my brother-in-law Pepe is here to pick us up for lunch with the family [Music] after a late lunch he invites us to go for a hike in one of his favorite parks Bethesda Park you know burn up some of those calories this particular trail is one and a half miles all paved and over all very pleasant seems to be very popular with the locals but we'll still got a long way to go are those pyro webs it is a very pleasant afternoon here in this wooded area [Music] we emerge by this bond with all these ducks now that we've done some exercise let's go have some ice cream this area of of Gwinnett County is known as k-town because of the large Korean community that lives here and we're going to have some Korean style rolled ice cream it is very cool how they make it right there in front of you it is really good ice cream and it was a fun afternoon catching up with the family night falls we go back to Stone Mountain good morning this is the view from our window well now that I'm fully awake good morning it is very nice out here a very peaceful let's take a short path down to the river actually the lake much better view of the mountain from down here the mountain is actually made out of quartz once a night there's an aerial tram that goes all the way to the summit and also a trail but we are going to do neither we went to the top last time we were here I'll put a link to that video I could stay here all day and there's the tram coming down it is a nice sight isn't it let's walk around the campground like we usually do so James II know by the way the campground is huge there is a one of the camp hosts these are look let's unhitch and go for a ride around the park [Music] there is this covered bridge dating back to 1892 which originally spanned the Oconee River in Athens Georgia better means forever immortalized in the wood [Music] there there's the whole explanation feel free to pause the video yeah very pretty I love this whole to covered bridges we decided to walk on this trail here a little bit [Music] we continue towards the query exhibit which I tells the story of an industry that played a significant part in the history of Stone Mountain [Music] and here's the gristmill dating back to 1869 its original site near Ellijay Georgia [Music] after passing by the inn we decided to go explores the the Stone Mountain Village which is just outside the park going through the west entrance [Music] it actually looks like a very nice neighborhood [Music] here we are by Main Street let's find somewhere to eat rather drink actually we're thirsty here it is village corner german restaurants bakery and tavern but they had me at Drupada german bakery and tavern let's take it out I'm in a historic cemetery or something I have the Oktoberfest and this also happens to be the Stone Mountain brewery always looking forward to a good local craft beer we return to the campsite and Pepe is already waiting for us to continue exploring the park together [Music] there we can see some yurts that are actually part of the campground maybe we can go see them later [Music] we pass by the Marriott Hotel just to see it it is pretty much deserted actually I almost forgot to mention but if you ER recognized me as we were walking down the hallway that was so cool we see the carillon actually this is the area where they rented the e-bikes and they do Segway tours and all that next on the list the historic square which is actually a pretty cool collection of old original Georgia buildings that they have moved here which again at the Maddox general store from circa 1830 next we have the Allen house F circa 1845 which was in a 300 acre plantation [Music] here's the dining room and the parlor most of the windows still preserved the original handmade glass here's the master bedroom the children's bedroom and it looks like they weaved their own fabrics pretty cool but pretty well preserved actually there's the storage crib and the well the next house is dr. Chapman's powells cabin from 1826 the Florentin house from 1792 perhaps the oldest one here that's pretty innovative for the time great according to the pamphlets this one is built in the federal style which means brick walls covered in wood siding you know outside [Music] very interesting to see how people lived in a different era next we have a slave cabin from around 1830 and here's another one we also see the barn and then let's see what it looks like inside [Music] and next we have the farmyard a part of which is like a petting zoo they're probably very popular with the little ones and you say back the coach-house and the smoke house there's even a vegetable garden organic I'm sure and this is called the necessary house all these houses had a separate building for cooking to reduce the risk of fire and to remove the smells from the house and here's the piece de resistance at the Davis house from 1856 it is amazing how they were able to move all these large buildings here [Music] here's a picture of mr. Davis the former owner of the house and it looks like he liked music lots of instruments [Music] this is something called the washroom and here's the girls bedroom that's us and this room here this is the dining room the table dating back to the 1700s [Music] we exit lower the back of the house by the way they do rent this backyard for weddings and events like that it is a nice venue for that actually well that was a very nice self-guided tour if I may say so myself I was pleasantly surprised I didn't think I was gonna like it as much as I did and there's Stone Mountain and the schoolhouse last but not least we have the old power Academy schoolhouse yeah the school from the called County circa 1875 how things have changed there's the old piano and the tiny blackboard again that's me we are now at the discovering Stone Mountain Museum from here you can see the best view of the somewhat controversial I guess Confederate Memorial it is the largest bass relief sculpture in the world depicting President Jefferson Davis and Generals robert e lee and Thomas J Stonewall Jackson on horseback there have actually been a proposal to remove the carving from Stone Mountain but it is protected by Georgia state law for now and this building here is the Confederate Hall historical and environmental education center and now here we are by the trailhead you know at the beginning of the trail that goes all the way to the top of the rock shall we do it [Music] okay maybe next time [Music] hey check out the carillon [Music] back in the campground we check out the yurts we wanted to see one of them inside but they all seem to be locked yeah we checked [Music] [Music] it is our last sunset here in Georgia very beautiful tomorrow we continue towards Tennessee and who knows where else you know [Music] [Applause] [Music] those that rain our first big dump or the road trip is coming down good morning from Stone Mountain it's a very wet night and now we're living soon we have enjoyed our stay here in Georgia tremendously and reluctantly live this beautiful campground before we go keep in mind that many of the Stone Mountain attractions only open on weekends so there's a bunch of stuff that we wanted to do like riding the Scenic Railroad or the Duck Tours and there weren't available during our stay we continue bearing Northwest towards the path of totality we circumvent Atlanta here although we still get a little bit of traffic [Music] we're going to stop here at this rest area just nine miles before Calhoun to make a quick lunch you know one of those delicious simple meals you can make on the road that is very easy to prepare and and since we are right now at the rest area it's perfectly easy to throw something together real quick and when you are on the road we're gonna make my version or our version of the Spanish dish called the garbanzo frito which is just fried chickpeas so we have some some canned chickpeas here that we'll put on this container so here we have some cubed ham some serrano ham which is a Spanish version of prosciutto and some chocolate salami salami and spanish chorizo with some cilantro some paprika smoked paprika and some oregano and some cumin very important to kill me if you want to see the whole process you know with details I will put a link to that video you know of my upcoming RV cooking show [Music] that was a feeling meal it's time to hit the road again you saw what that guy did but thing I still have pretty good reflexes on I mean I know some truckers don't really like RVs but that was uncalled for next up the Tennessee Welcome Center [Music] we are approaching Chattanooga although we are not stopping this time we wish [Music] there's Lookout Mountain which we actually had planned to visit the Tennessee River to our right the plan is actually to stay at Marion County Park which we discovered during last year's road trip it is right on the bank of the Tennessee River and a very short distance from interstate 224 by the way i-20 for deeps briefly back into Georgia here and then back into Tennessee [Music] here we are driving around the campground looking for the office pretty nice huh here we are we found it [Music] pierce our waterfront site or so we think check it out that right there that's the Tennessee River we're staying here at Marion County Park and so that somebody just said lower their boat into the river we discovered this place last year while we were staying actually you can't see it but it's right there that peninsula over there that's the the the Welcome Center the Tennessee Welcome Center and we saw the campground from the reserve Union that place looks neat so yeah it is hot and Tennessee as I said the name of this idyllic place is a Marion park Marion County Park right here it's near the border with Georgia in fact our our phones still show eastern time instead of Central Time but it's very nice very neat be honest gonna stay here just one night and then we continue on our journey Northwest I guess let's see if we can go to a winery or to the incline railway we don't know what Ruby Falls it's getting late so we might stay here and relax and enjoy this magnificent yeah apparently I spoke too soon just as we finished getting settled here the camp host came by apologizing because apparently my site had been reserved by someone else our new neighbor seems like a nice guy a very talkative obviously a frequent camper here with the heaviest me almost incomprehensible with Southern drawl maybe it's just me I'm concentrating here and hooking up the trailer and a little upset about our impromptu move I'll be honest about it okay this is actually turning out to be a little more of an ordeal than expected our new site it turns it is very off level and I find out after unhitching saw a hitch again put on the leveling Legos you know under the wheels back and I'm hitch again and then boom me just fell off the leveler I'm glad it didn't roll back all the way to the river actually I need a drink speaking of that I think I mentioned that there is a winery nearby [Music] the winery aptly named the look-out winery is perched on top of this hill yep all the way up here they are supposed to have like really good pizza to that they cook in this 800 degrees wood-fired ovens with imported ingredients and all that at first let's look for the tasting room [Music] here we are so let's engage in this very organized way to get drunk also called a wine tasting after the tasting we decide to have dinner alfresco out here from up here supposedly you can see three states Tennessee where we are at Georgia and Alabama I was looking at the map and yeah probably that second Ridge is in Georgia and Alabama you can probably see far in the distance the owner apparently descendant from a Roman family uses the traditional techniques to make the wine which is actually very nice their Tuscan style Sangiovese is magnificent besides seeing the three states the balcony is also a good spot to enjoy the sunset [Music] and the pizza finally arrives salute Bon Appetit salud again [Music] okay let's enjoy that view one last time [Music] [Music] it looks like they were expecting a lot more people [Music] good morning from Marion County Park in Jasper Tennessee actually let me show you all this from a different perspective [Music] [Music] that light green area down there that long that's part of the Tennessee Welcome Center and standing there is how we discovered this campground [Music] [Music] well as much as we liked this place we have an eclipse to catch and we still at this point haven't totally discarded then abrasca option that would be a long way so west northwest we go but before we go we need to make a dump this looks like the dump station only that it is not ok this is it but we are now facing the wrong way actually getting pretty good at backing this thing up [Music] [Music] landscape becomes increasingly beautiful as we entered the Tennessee Appalachians [Music] the next portion of the road will be the most difficult part of this entire trip so far particularly for old here our tow vehicle this is supposed to be one of the most treacherous stretches of the interstate highway system particularly in bad weather cutting today is sunny we have to climb Mountain mountain as it is known locally here in the Tennessee Appalachians it is a four mile stretch with grades of five and six percent it is technically not a mountain since it is part of the Cumberland Plateau but it sure feels like a mountain to me and to old kiap for sure grinding in low gear all the way to the top although we don't want to lose momentum we have to slow down to about 40 miles per hour to prevent the engine from overheating too much [Music] yay we made it let's take a break do you see that arrow on the floor well I'm glad you did because I sure didn't yeah that just happened we went the wrong way into the wind East drive-thru good thing I'm starting to get really good at backing this thing up perhaps I'm a little more tired than I thought let's break for lunch here at the truck stop [Music] well way down is supposed to be even more dangerous than the way up so well just shift to low gear and try not to gain too much momentum [Music] as we go into the path of totality we start seeing signs about the solar eclipse and there is Nashville man I wish I could stay here for a couple of days we really like this city the last time we were here it was just too short too rushed let's take a break here by the small city of Pleasantville Tennessee check the weather forecast reassess our travel plans it is looking actually more and more like Nebraska will not be the best place to see the solar eclipse the forecast calls for cloudy weather so we decided to stop at Hopkinsville Kentucky instead [Music] we make it to the Kentucky state line and I decided to take a fresh new picture with the state sign [Music] we also decided to stop by the visitors center you know get some info about the area and the upcoming solar eclipse [Music] is that a cool plane or what it must be landing at the army installation nearby Fort Campbell we arrived at the Walmart Supercenter here in Hopkinsville Kentucky with every intention of spending the night it is after all one of those Walmart's marked in yellow in the Allstate app and those were usually okay to park overnight but we called and they said no in fact we called every single Walmart nearby and get the same answer I'm sure that this being a prime location to watch the solar eclipse had to have something to do with it but now what do we do now let's park regroup and think about this it is such a beautiful day isn't it but it's even more beautiful now because we found somewhere to stay it turns out that there's a KOA called Preiser point in this area called the Kentucky lakes that has vacancy we actually had to call and there is a minimum of four nights which is perfect it was 300 bucks exactly the time we need by the way this area encompasses Kentucky Lake Lake Berkeley and an island called to the Land Between the Lakes an area completely unknown to us we had no idea and we are always eager and excited to explore somewhere new and it is such a beautiful drive [Music] watch out for deer though if you're driving around here they can jump in front of your car when you least expect it come on little one you can cross too [Music] they must be expecting a lot of people because they have someone out here to greet us of course we are not on the list since we made the reservation right about an hour ago so he calls the office asking for instructions and directs us to check in at the main office here we have to explain again [Music] we are directed to this new area called the ridge then I suspect they built especially for this event this is actually perfect lots of room open skies and now we have two whole days to peel here we are going to take advantage of our time though and take it slow explore the whole area I think I forgot to turn off the GoPro well first things first we've arrived hungry from the long trip so let's drive down to the marina area where they have a restaurant this is very nice it looks like they have boats for rent this floating building here seems to be the campground store and the restaurant so let's go in and check it out in typical koa fashion very well stocked convenience store and the restaurant has all-you-can-eat catfish but the three-piece platter is plenty for us they have all these paddle boats here free of charge for guests of the campground so maybe we'll happen to one of these before we leave well that's an RV with the view if there was everyone view of the beautiful sunset about to happen this right here is Lake Berkeley which is part of the Cumberland River and the Kentucky lake on the other side of the of the island is a part of the Tennessee River and at one point it was the largest man-made lake in the world [Music] it is boaters paradise around here can't wait to explore the area tomorrow [Music] that were weeds [Music] the floating restaurants good night and the morning I wake up early to fly the drone and show you the immediate area around us the landmass across Lake Barkley is an island called the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area [Music] that's the marina down there we were worried last night and this is the area here where we are still almost empty for some reason [Music] [Music] okay let's explore by land now our first point of interest will be the nearby town of Cadiz they have this farmers market and they have some activities planned for the Eclipse as well like concerts and such the town is also famous for its antique shops let's check out this Cherokee antiques and I wonder what's up with all the pigs around [Music] my grandma used to have one of these [Music] I wonder if this microphone works you know for the podcast [Music] [Music] actually these last few shots have been from another antique shop next door called the Cadiz antique mall situated where the old Cadiz hotel used to be well it still works but also taking time to see the Eclipse from the point of greatest totality if you've seen enough antics will continue cool the church has a Caroline [Music] [Music] it looks like perhaps we are a little bit too late for the farmers market here we are in Cadiz Kentucky and the farmers market just closed they apparently as I was saying the market the farmers market was only seven till noon and it's just noon right now so we couldn't check it out but those antique shops were really nice let's continue exploring yeah well if we hadn't spent that much time in the antique shops we would have been able to see the farmers market you know maybe buy something but this is downtown this is the Justice Center [Music] very nice and this is our car [Music] nice quaint little town caters there are some historic homes here on Main Street the most famous one is this last one called the FIR home historic house and they even offered tours of the house by appointment only this one is nice too [Music] it also looks like they are going to have an antique car show here in this parking lot [Music] don't forget the historic cemetery let's cross the Cumberland River as I said also known as Lake Barkley and on the other side here we have it the Land Between the Lakes [Music] there's an area where supposedly you can see elk and bison but we came through the wrong entrance this is the wildlife viewing area but it is overcrowded and it seems kind of lame so we're gonna continue besides we're getting hungry you know what let's be adventurous let's get on one of these dirt roads see where it leads we're going into the unknown literally off the beaten track and this is probably one of the longer and most isolated ones you know of these dirt roads around here we end up at this campsite right here and by Pisgah Bay I can't believe that travel trailer made it all the way here on that dirt road [Music] and there's a bunch of people here you know some tent camping the campground is called piss gap point and next time I might come with monotony [Music] and that was very cool down there everything was really cool this old cemetery and this one is called the leap cemetery the mythic that I'll show you from up here yeah [Music] actually in the video the road doesn't look nearly as bad but it is bad lots of washboard [Music] yes finally pavement we're going to cross the Berkeley and now here and by now we are really hungry and we've heard of this place called the Paris in Grand rivers it comes highly recommended not only by my crossing one from Louisville who did recommend it but also by many of you who follow me on social media has little Paris it is not just a restaurant it is called Paris 1880s settlement and it is this whole touristic complex where with touristy shops and apparently very popular it looks like they also do weddings and other events here yes this place is very very large it is supposed to be a recreated historical log cabin Dennis [Music] oh it's hot you can talk it today by the way the place it feels a little bit like a tourist trap but it it comes highly recommended so I'm gonna check it out there's a little time today and the lady in the patties the waiting time is like forever but she said that the bills I think mr. bills is the same food and it's only 20 minutes that's where we're gonna eat old-time photos yeah it's definitely a textbook tourist trap I mean they even have panning for gold and I'm starving Chapel yes here's the chapel and here they have a shrine dedicated to the late Bill and Patty the founders of this place back in 1977 it was originally a hamburger and ice cream parlor well I think it is almost time to eat we begin with the soup and what looks like a bread in a flowerpot let me show you and it comes with strawberry butter very strange and their famous pork chops very tasty very juicy although we actually got the smaller one they have one that is twice as thick well that was a filling meal [Music] full belly happy heart let's continue someday we will explore Grand rivers population less than 400 in more detail but some other time let's go see this marina here real quick at the Lighthouse landing hey they have an RV park [Music] this is actually Kentucky Lake created by the Kentucky dam of the Tennessee River this is the other lake [Music] there must be something dead nearby Janka d okay let's continue this right here is called a now overlook and I guess it is a nice place for locals to come relax see the boats sail by this channel connects Lake Barkley with Kentucky Lake which as I said our artificial lakes created on the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers respectively [Music] [Music] we are going to color a day turn to the campground and we will continue exploring tomorrow is it me or this area of Kentucky is just lovely [Music] listen to the cicadas as the Sun Goes Down over Lake Barkley [Music] good morning from the Land Between the Lakes sorry last night I had my camera out and it got all wet beautiful morning let's go try a paddle boat well yeah the boats are dirty and it is all full of dead bugs from last night and spiderwebs and spiders the spiders are very much alive this year is a road that goes kind of sort of on the hills behind the campground we saw it from the campground hey check out there is the campground and there is military [Music] let's check out this eddy Creek Marina & Resort [Music] the thing with all this marinas is that they all look almost the same the same with the lakes they are all very pretty but I mean don't get me wrong but it is all very similar the nudge that is marina there has been a lot of talk about how heavy traffic is going to be because of the upcoming eclipse on Monday here's my traffic report and the traffic report is so far it's not very much traffic at all even though they have these signs that say heavy traffic so far 924 it looks clear and Sunday afternoon parking for the Eclipse we are now by the city of Eddyville and it looks like they are ready for the rest of the eclipse chasers coming here tomorrow next let's go check out the City of Ottawa which together with Eddyville had to be moved in 1960 when they built the dam the Cumberland River creating Lake Barkley let's check out this scenic overlook here the ruins of the original katawa remain underwater although when Lake Barkley reaches winter pool each fall the remains of old Catawba Kentucky emerge by the way this is all part of the new katawa we are now going to worse the katawa harbor marina and this historic house is here to the left probably some of them were moved here from the area now at the bottom of the lake the right here we have the marina and this pretty famous bar and restaurant called Hugh B's but we're not in the mood right now so we'll visit some other time [Music] and this here is part of Vista Ridge Park and they even have a little beach so let's check it out [Music] oh no you have to pay lambie in the historic town of katawa and this is the katawa the tower Recreation Area Lake Barkley and this people are pretty strict about alcohol around here Alice we're gonna continue exploring this area of Western Kentucky we're gonna go to the Kentucky dam soon we continue west on highway 62 towards that Kentucky dam passing by Lake City and I wanted to show you here to the right what on the satellite view looks like a massive mine or a query you know big hole on the earth it's called Vulcan Materials but there's no way I can get a better look it it's all fenced up well here we are to our left the Kentucky dam you know what's kind of freaky it when you see how much higher the water level on the lake is how much water is actually being contained by this concrete structure [Music] now driving on top of the dam let's park and visit the visitors center [Music] so here we are at the Kentucky dam [Applause] this looks like one of the turbines but makes the electricity the turbine a cog in the wheel and maybe they should replace this the dam was built during the late 1930s and early 1940s and apparently the main purpose was to reduce flooding down river you know in the Ohio Mississippi rivers it also produces hydroelectric power of course and the Kentucky Lake the largest artificial lake nowadays in the eastern United States this is the Tennessee River which 22 miles downstream joins the Ohio River by the city of Paducah which we are going to visit next actually and eventually the Ohio River joins the Mississippi in Cairo Illinois okay let's head out to Paducah now our final destination for the day [Music] here we are downtown Paducah let's find the parking and see what this city has to offer [Music] sessions decisions where should I park [Music] the first thing we see are all these murals here in front of the river right by the confluence of the Tennessee and the Ohio rivers that's the Genesee River this is the historic riverfront from the right the Tennessee River on the left the Ohio River and on the other side it's Illinois for parts of Pi oka [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] so the locomotive here I guess it is part of the Paducah Railroad Museum vixx dimension I love this old technology and I guess steam engines were state of the art around the 1850 or so right this murals here by the way are on the flood wall and it began in 1996 by Louisiana artist Robert deferred and the project has been growing ever since and it is nowadays one of the top tourist attractions here in town it's one of this has a story let's walk around downtown a little bit I know there are a couple of museums here in the city and other things to see but we want to get something light to it and if you know me by now good local IPA as I've said I find this small city downtown's very very picturesque first choice is actually the name of the place is shandi's and it is quite nice actually the name derives from their signature drink which is a Shandy which is a beer mixed with a soft drink except that here they put hard liquor into it - this has vodka bourbon scotch shut up Stella and lemon juice pretty potent drink if I may say so myself so we also ordered the cat cakes these are the cupcakes well that drink was called the Royal Shandy [Music] actually I was pleasantly surprised with this downtown that's sculpture for Buffalo right there now we're gonna just get to the car and get back to the campground [Music] [Music] we came to get some pizza and it's almost time for the sunset good morning everybody from Frasor Lake Campground here a pressure point koe as you can see either they failed to sell every single spot or some people haven't shown up yet but it is a beautiful morning here in Western Kentucky and if your weather holds up we're gonna have a beautiful solar eclipse this is our site here I'm gonna set up my cameras and all that right here you guys start seeing what they call first contacts in about a few minutes to see the Eclipse and I'm ready with anything but these are my Eclipse glasses everybody it's hot it has begun I'm doing a time-lapse here I don't know if I if you can see it maybe not yeah you cannot focus there's a little piece of Sun missing let me see I'm gonna put their their the Eclipse glasses on my camera and let's see if I can zoom in and show you guys what it's like down here now it doesn't really want to focus I don't know why it's now approximately twelve or fourteen and let me see if I can show you what the camera is seen here you see I'm getting a little worried about this clouds that might interfere with our viewing experience I put an electric tape on my lens because my camera was going out of focus sorry [Music] that's what it looks like right now amazing for almost we're about halfway there it's 1248 talking about 15 minutes [Music] almost Authority but 15 minutes in totality and everything is live in this viewer dependent color with any clouds over there clouds are like red [Music] there's a sliver of summer and that is fully fully a vanity look scanner if you look closely to the floor we can start to see the shadow bands apparently caused by atmospheric turbulence the same phenomenon that makes the stars twinkle [Music] 20 seconds [Music] guys the camera doesn't do it justice you can see like penumbra all around this is like sunset all around us it's incredible it's over that was amazing can't wait for April 8 2024 we'll have the next one and I do want to return to this area also sometime next time perhaps with a little more planning beforehand more prior research maybe we'll finally see the bison and between the legs [Music] so we came up with this crazy idea to continue west towards Arkansas and eventually Texas you know at a couple more states to our sticker map quick note to the state of Tennessee maybe you should dream that tree [Music] bye-bye VW bus and this to the right is a Goodyear plant the funky looking building is called Discovery Park America it seems to be a pretty cool museum you know encompassing pretty much everything we should visit next time we're riding into the sunset there it is the bridge over the mighty Mississippi for the second time in its existence minutina the trailer will cross west of the Mississippi where TV and radio stations call letters begin with a K yeah fun fact but wait let me go back the second time west of the Mississippi Missouri State line we're at Missouri well we're going into Arkansas well yeah small navigational error as it turns out we are near Caruthersville Missouri and there is a casino nearby called Lady Luck and they have an RV park and well there is a boondocking area that they do have full hookups for $40 and it is like 32 and change with our Good Sam membership the RV park at the lady duck casino which is that it's an old steamboat on the Mississippi River Athena but they have a steak house and is closed today and they also have well who hook up RV park the smoked feel the casino was fine and the other casino when the RV park was nice quiet half of the people have a very left there's like one in four of us here and these guys have that super sear living soon after we're going back to Nashville did I say Nashville well yeah you decided to go back east here's the thing as much as we would like to check Arkansas and Texas off the list it is going to be a lot of driving without seeing much and we have to get back to Florida at some point so yeah we're a little discombobulated a little a DD at this point you know and making it up as we go maybe we will do Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains and maybe we'll skip that all together and do Asheville we'll see [Music] it is one of the most uneventful boring drives in recent memory outside of Florida that is we cross the Tennessee River for the third time in our trip this section of I 40 here between Memphis and Nashville is called the music highway because of the rich musical history of this area okay here's the plan or lack thereof we are going to get off the interstate here and go to this restaurant that for some reason I have it saved on my google map no no don't know why really it is here just southwest of Nashville and it's called Loveless Cafe they're supposed to have a pretty large overflow parking lot I don't think it shows well on the GoPro footage but we're going through some pretty steep hills and winding roads here and here we are let's see how I can park this thing doesn't look very RV friendly does it it is times like this when I wish I had a Class B or a B+ I just hope that there is a place to turn around back there [Music] here we go found it [Music] let's be honest the place feels little tourist strappy with the gift shop and the country market but let's check it out anyways I have no idea how I heard about it are you sitting down the wait time is 90 minutes most people turn away but we're staying famous biscuits yeah soup ll that's the BBQ pulled pork and here's the barbecue chicken about this place a loveless a cafe it's not bad but is it worth the 90 minute wait probably not I mean in the yeah the barbecue pork was fine the barbecue chicken was okay the cat did actually the day the hash brown casserole was fantastic but I wouldn't wait 90 minutes again [Music] okay the road again these around here is a very upscale neighborhood called the Belle Meade and there's a plantation - and check it out there's a post office let me see if I can go around and to mail some stickers and CDs check out all these ritzy mansions here to the right and the golf course to the left [Music] okay let's smell some CDs and stickers always a challenge parking this thing but it's only a couple of minutes maybe here it won't bother anybody okay now that I'm editing the video and looked at the map perhaps we should have kept going through this street we would have ended up at the Music Row a neighborhood of Nashville that I really really want to revisit at some point but first it would have been really nearly impossible to park with a trailer in tow and second with just too eager to continue Nashville will still be there next time we come this way we continue destination Appalachians Asheville eventually once again we make the steep climb to the top of the Cumberland Plateau and our campground the Davy Crockett very nice wooded area just not the easiest of packing sites well it's been a long driving day assume you have no really set plans and we change plans like three times along the way but here we are now at the David Crockett campground we were very close to the Smoky Mountains this is located 2,000 feet above sea level and it's very nice very nice indeed there's a little bit of mosquitoes but we're gonna walk around the campground now I see see our site is huge with a net it's fantastic we're tired is almost 7 p.m. so maybe tomorrow we'll get to enjoy some of the amenities as a hillock dwelling very nice campsite [Music] hey there's an old 1970s GMC motorhome but that was a classic right there there's the restaurant and our source of the all-important Wi-Fi it's in there the pole is quite nice too and even has like this little bar I don't really know when they open though someone mentioned on social media that this used to be a nudist camp in the past and it could be it is secluded enough but I did some research actually and apparently someone purchased the adjoining property on the other side of the lake and opened it as the Cherokee Garden of Eden but the campground the Davy Crockett sued them because it would not be good for a family campground to have visible naked people right next door in the morning I grill some steaks marinated in some leftover honey bourbon we bought in Kentucky and didn't like I spend most of the day editing videos with the view and we walk around the campground a lot of older RVs here ok let's face it it is so very nice very nice campground or family run by the way [Music] let's fly the drone [Music] [Music] actually I am a little disappointed with the view from above the treetops I thought I'd see like more mountains you see we've climbed all these steep hills to get here and now nothing I guess that's why they call it a plateau [Music] this is the hottub building the hot tub in the afternoon we don't feel like cooking so we are going to make some mac and cheese with bacon [Music] Bon Appetit as the day comes to an end we make a raging fire with somewhat limited success I think some of the wood was wet okay how about a quick tour of our look before we go our neighbor with the one a bagel V I left earlier this to the right here are some cabins that they have here there's the lake back there and another cabin [Music] check it out you can barely see it but there's an old classic Winnebago motorhome and a very of level site and our site to the left here it is time to continue our journey next up probably a stripper so we hope at this point icy mountains on the horizon and that always gets me excited [Music] pollution yep that's the Kingston fossil plant coal burning as we crossed Clinch River if you have a good Sam membership pilot gas stations and truck stops are pretty much a no-brainer and you get pretty good discounts on gas and all other products and we've never been to a crystal so let's check it out [Music] we're gonna do this place called crystal never been here it is he did very similar to White Castle in this part we have a view we pass by in Knoxville in an early version of our travel plan we were going to stop here too we start seeing the different shades that give the Smoky Mountains their name [Music] welcome to North Carolina I'm riding riding with my RV wherever I'm you guys haven't bring in my army [Music] riding with my army buyer wherever to be because I'm in my eye [Music] wherever I wanna be me riding with my army my RV wherever I wanted and we have a right [Music] beautiful place miss KOAT we're staying here at the Asheville East ko a very conveniently located since it is on the way first we're gonna pass by the Blue Ridge Parkway visitors center to get some information since we want to do a section of the road later on America's favorite driver the visitor center by the way is actually very nice lots of information about the road the wildlife the history and they have this really high-tech map here in the back in which the screen is like an augmented reality magnifying lens with multi-medium very cool that's where we're going to [Music] astrolutely area the purse spent a lot of money is next we pass play the Biltmore village on the way to downtown let's check it out [Music] nowadays it is an upscale shopping area with the historic theme although the historic aspect is apparently very real this was originally designed as a planned community for workers of the Biltmore Estate [Music] very nice very luxurious apparently it is inspired by a European hunting lodge here's a valet parking area [Music] the Biltmore Estate is that way but we are going tomorrow well enough of the grand bohemian let's continue [Music] [Music] if they had like normal size cookies we would have gotten one for sure but all the pastries are huge and we are saving our appetite for dinner later we really came for the coffee we continue towards downtown [Music] we park here and near the pinball museum and the grove arcade today however we are not going to visit the pinball museum but take over Kaede is supposed to be one of Asheville architectural jewels dating back to the late 1920s it kind of reminds me of the covered passages in Paris [Music] it's in a downward slope going down and you can go to the upper floors hmm an old-fashioned bookstore yep definitely there is a French or at least a very European vibe going on here for sure all these tables here originally we thought would be very convenient to set down your drink or your champagne glass but there are vendors apparently that set up shop here amazing pub cycle but I don't get the point of pedaling well getting drunk I don't know maybe we'll stop at one of these places later but first we want to explore a little more [Music] we are walking towards this building here called the flat iron which is kind of reminiscent of the one in New York [Music] well there you go found a safe space yeah it is a very cool neighborhood lots of cafes all over the place here is the famous iron sculpture in front of the aforementioned Flatiron Building hmmm I hear music yep this guys are pretty good pop have Bey Landers I was reading the lead singer Vaden Landers has studied American folk styles such as old-time country blues Cajun jug yeah these guys are the real deal not your run-of-the-mill street musicians and I was look them up and they are booked solid pretty much every week at different venues in the area yeah I want to go see them the next time I'm around here for sure the banjo could use a little bit of tuning in my opinion but okay oh yeah I love this music I'm fascinated actually we continue walking the Thomas Wolfe auditorium which is home the Asheville Symphony Orchestra the silica of st. Lawrence very famous built in 1905 wasn't that a wonderful musical internat well we're going back to the Grove arcade we saw this place that had $4 happy hour weighing special and this here seems to be some kind of community communal garden pretty cool they're getting close here we are very local atmosphere tell the bartender actually seems to know everybody Thursday for another house wine and there's the silica and here's Kia let's go follow me the Palomita get out of the way the obelisk in the distance is the fans Memorial Hollywood straight to the point is Hollywood Street Oh Haywood turn right under Biltmore Avenue then your destination will be on the right what is this we're going to this other area of downtown by Biltmore Avenue actually also called Broadway in this segment and we are looking for parking [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] and here it is again the fans Memorial which honors Zebulon bear advance since vans owned slaves and he was a Confederate colonel during the Civil War this is one of those Confederate monuments that may not be here much longer it is sort of on that list of offensive monuments to be removed [Music] and here we have more street musicians very musical city from what I can tell so far [Applause] [Applause] [Music] we've also got a juggler this area east of where the memorial is located is called Pak square located at the intersection of ancient trading paths it is supposed to be the symbolic centre of Asheville here's also pack square looking towards the courthouse and the mayor's office Asheville's first skyscraper the Jackson building dating back to 1924 yes great yep definitely a very musical city I could stand here for hours but we're getting really hungry now maybe we should have had that cookie earlier we actually have this tapas place in mind you wanna clear yourself what a lunatic never mind that was a two-hour wait time so next time we're in Nashville well instead of the two-hour wait at karate we are going to go to this other place called the Blackbird we begin with the bottle of wine because that's how we roll no an Italian Barbara de Alba a very nice bread and very small person chicken tenderloin and the cake chocolate cake we definitely should have had that cookie good morning from the Asheville East very peaceful in the morning here with the fog covered Lake today we plan to visit the Biltmore which is pretty much the main tourist attraction here in Asheville it was built by George Vanderbilt with architect Richard Morris hunt and landscape artist Frederick Law Olmsted and it is an eight thousand acre estates very large with the largest privately owned home in the whole United States good morning to you too the ducks they come visit the campers in the morning yeah this one came for leftovers yeah that train woke us up all night around like three times last night yeah I wonder if it is a requirement that they build campgrounds right next to railroads you know what I mean it is a beautiful campground there now we're going to go see the Biltmore well enough ducking around let's go [Music] after getting the tickets we have to drive to a parking lot and from there day's shuttle us the rest of the way to the Biltmore House but you won't be able to use any of those along the right-hand side at the house you'll play the staple area consisting of the staple cafe public restrooms retail shops here at the house you go back to your vehicle it'll be a four mile drive to antler Hill village in the winery did he say winery okay here we are we begin at the Winter Garden next Wow banquet hall seven story high ceilings and the pipe organ and a small table by the fireplace for when it is just the four of them and here's the breakfast room and the Salone which is kind of like a French style sitting area with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains by the way they said no video camera so I'm just using my phone [Music] and here's what they call the music room [Music] Wow a discovered room balcony area is called the loggia very nice [Music] and here's the library there are like 10,000 books in here about half of Vanderbilt collection and here tapestry gallery Flemish tapestries from the 1530s [Music] up the stairs we go and even the stairs impressive in this place [Music] the second floor living room has the peculiarity of having paintings of both the architect and landscape artist I mentioned earlier this is mr. van der Bilt's bedroom here walking closer than all bathtub the oak sitting room apparently where the Vanderbilts had breakfast and the next mrs. van der Bilt's room [Music] the third floor living hall was for the guests of the house since the guest rooms are nearby Hearst bedrooms this is one of the guest bedrooms there are 33 guest rooms and 43 bathroom which is an incredible luxury for 1895 [Music] hmm private tour perhaps [Music] now down to the basement this is called the stone hallway the foundation of the house and that's the bowling alley the indoor heated swimming pool with underwater lighting [Music] there was an elevator for the food of course and a refrigerator back then servants dining room not too shabby and the laundry room last but not least we go to the bachelor swing with the billiard room the smoking room okay let's head outdoors and see the gardens we are not going to see the whole thing because to be honest it is hot and we haven't even had breakfast yet so we'll be brief but first a couple of pictures here in front of the building airing or right it is magnificent [Music] it looks like they are getting ready for a concert [Music] we are going to begin here at the Italian garden [Music] this other area is called the shrub garden [Music] and here's the walled garden [Music] finally the rose-garden [Music] [Applause] [Music] let's enter the conservatory [Music] well it's time to go let's go to the winery [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] a burn the story goes that Cedric was a st. Bernard the first one of many to live in the Biltmore House this waiting is called the ploughman's bored circles scottish eggs scratch that certainly hit the right spot now we're ready for the winery this outside is a sculpture of Cedric and Vanderbilt's daughter Cornelia very pretty this entrance they have some barrels here and this is probably the good stuff although I have a feeling it's all ornamental this is the good stuff hmm Wang library I wonder if that's where Gary got the idea [Music] the sternum outdoor and that's the one that we're gonna fight for this right here is the store there's a little bit of a line but soon enough we are tasting wines and then some bubbly at the wine bar why not a chatting with the couple we just met and more char coterie yeah good times yeah this campsite was very nice until we got neighbors and I don't mean the Ducks that guy fishing was right on top of us until a minute ago until I snapped at him after he got me wet and then they moved but they were practically leaning on our table let's go drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway well it is the weekend so they campground this packed [Music] the French bride of the loop which overlooks oddly enough the French Broad River apparently the river was broad and some Frenchmen named it who would have thunk it huh come on yeah you can do it [Music] here I slowed down to catch the view this is not something I would encourage [Music] yeah apparently I am going to stop at every single overlook we continue [Music] we continued gradually going up in elevation and the views become more striking every single time we keep stopping at all this overlooks one more gorgeous than the next [Music] [Music] we're going to skip this next overlook otherwise we'll never make it make it where I don't know because we don't have any real plans but actually the only plan really is to return once it gets dark [Music] GIP gaining elevation yes the Sun is about to set we're running out of time check it out this side yep this overlook has views on both sides of the road we want to continue a little further and check out the nearby Mount Pisgah campground maybe come with minutina the trailers some other time if this guy can do it so can we [Music] going up into the clouds following the slow-moving trailer hey that could be us struggling with the steep grade here we are Mount Pisgah there's our friend [Music] actually I think we should get back this getting dark [Music] back to the campground hopefully it will be quieter at this time gosh I'm starting to sound like an old man good morning once again from the Asheville East KOA it is time to hit the road [Music] okay this is one of those examples one of those moments of why you should never follow the GPS blindly especially while towing or driving an RV some of these roads we are about to hit can be a little scary and a little narrow and a little steep beautiful drive though hello there Boudreaux [Applause] I really don't think these back roads here are RV friendly this is North Carolina State Route 9 or NC 9 on the map from Black Mountain to chimney rock yeah a very winding road are you all dizzy yet at some point I decide to pull over let people pass I am going painfully slow on this switchbacks to the right I don't know if you can see it but that's the broad river which doesn't look very Brad does it as we arrive here at the community of Batcave this whole town seems to be like the Gateway to the place where we are going Chimney Rock State Park the Broad River still here to our right here also to the right is the Hickory Nut false campground the place where we wanted to stay originally before we decided to make this a day trip here we are pretty narrow entrance for an RV if you ask me but I have been assured that there is RV parking [Music] well I'm glad there's not a whole lot of traffic coming down this early can you imagine doing this with a long class a Motorhome I won't bore you with the rest here we are we are instructed to park at this area called the meadows which is a little further up I wonder where we should park though but there's no one to ask okay let's do this let's park right here because it is always a good idea to have an exit just in case someone decides to block us from here a shuttle takes us all the way up to the trailheads it's a pretty long way up here we are I think the idea is to go all the way up there to that towering thing which that's called the chimney rock there's the broad river looking a little broader actually it is a damn Lake Lure and at first I thought that that was where we parked down there but now it is not I can only imagine how much nicer the view is going to be from the top we begin our trek to the top counter-intuitively by first going down the first part is called the outcroppings trail we encounter a fork on the road should we go to the Vista Rock first or should we do the grotto and subway we decide to go right and the things they have a bench here so you where you can sit down let's take a break and enjoy the scenery and the scenery is quite pleasant to look at what they mean by low clearance this is why they call it the subway yeah I can see why yeah I don't know baby if we're gonna make it yeah fellas okay yeah so that's what they meant by by low clearance that's why it's called the subway okay let's go see the view from the pulpits rock [Music] that down there does the chimney rock village and Lake Lure to the east now their tomatoes will be parked and we still got a bit to climb yes we've made it to the top innovation 20 to 80 actually we might go up to that balcony there's a line to go into the partner very nice let's go down the Sky Lounge is closed due to renovations over here we can see where we were right up there and we go we continue going up I'm gonna we're gonna try to make it all the way up to this balcony is that is called the opera box this is the opera box [Music] [Applause] [Music] it's always easier on the way down you know little rucks there are people actually anything will do we skipped breakfast again [Music] [Music] [Music] yeah we did you can throw your hands yeah a lot of construction going on can you hear it [Music] cliff dwellers like the ancient Pueblo people and this view would go down but there is construction we have to go all the way around nature by the way the food was really good very satisfied there you go little trailer shuttle right now we're going to do Hickory Nut follows trail coming up ahead one point four miles round-trip yeah we can do that by the way this area was one of the filming locations for the 1992 movie The Last of the Mohicans maybe they'll rebuild it [Music] [Music] [Music] I don't hear water yet I hear water somewhere way down [Music] and this there's definitely not OSHA approved in the checkout fantastic view [Music] they look old [Music] well definitely worth the hike a hickory nuts false it's a little bit of a strange height but not bad it's up and down up and down but we made it yeah definitely gonna hold apart so they cut down that key so we can see that I'm just getting guys just kidding because we came from the waterfall and we discover that there's this other trail that goes to the meadows where we're parked so we're gonna try to do that that way we don't have to wait for the shuttle well this is called the Four Seasons trail 0.6 miles and it is classified as trainers but that would be coming up we were taking it mostly downhill so long way down it's a little more roughed and I expect it's not bad yes we'll be coming hikers the average campers adventures will be proud okay right I should look forward instead of downward it's like we went down to the center of the earth down and down yeah I think I might be losing my mind of all the things I'd lost you bigger this is what's left of the phone it's just a trickle of water surveillance camera I bet by the way there is no evidence whatsoever that this is actually runoff from the false or whether that was a surveillance camera totally unsubstantiated almost there the final stretch at the end of the trail I see cars success I see mini teeny you see it no well we feel accomplished and very tired we might not be able to walk tomorrow that's what we did success let's go we're back on the narrow perilous two-lane road the only difference is that now it's early afternoon and there's a lot more oncoming traffic you see pretty dangerous here's the chimney rock village to the left here you will see Lake Lure flowering bridge and this here Lake Lure and there's even a little beach very nice we've got a return here sometime and what's up with all these nicely dressed people [Music] I won't actually put you through the whole uneventful long drive unless you want me to the drive from chimney rock all the way to our campground near Charlotte which is actually in Fort Mill South Carolina and yes there is a Publix it's the little things guys and here we are the Fort Mill KOA the registration oddly enough and the store added this Valero gas station [Music] let's look for our site here the campground amid seems decent enough our site in theory it is a backing site but since there is no one behind us they told me I could just go through pretty cool and pretty level to actually very important the dimension there is a bar right next to the gas station called the John's place make sure let's partake why not nothing like a live rock band and scotch on the rocks or two to brighten your day or your night or just relax after a long day on the next day my wife Amy had to fly it back to Miami by the way at the airport I discovered this park called the CLT airport overlook look it up what a great idea every airport should have something like this every night I love seeing the planes take off wonder where they're headed well at some point during the trip you have to do laundry sometimes several times I also hang out at the pool a little bit yeah the camera fell on its side a real noon fellow blogger and youtuber Brian wood of the RV Illustrated shows up stranger stranger alert well say hey hey alright hey like MTV Cribs huh yeah after chatting a little bit we go for a ride around Charlotte well hello everybody today we're hanging out with Brian Wood they are being illustrated entering North Carolina here to the left there's an amusement park called Carowinds which actually straddles the state line so their slogan is where the Carolinas come together and check out that cell phone tower pretty cool we are approaching the city from the southeast of Providence Road also known as North Carolina 16 seems to be a pretty nice somewhat ritzy neighborhood here Providence becomes Queens Road and here it becomes East Moorhead street we approach the Carolinas Medical Center the approach downtown and since I first saw it yesterday from the airport I thought that building the Duke Energy Center looks like a large bottle opener what do you think will continue the East Morehead Street here said the Bank of America football stadium home to the Carolina Panthers and there's night bottle opener again downtown Charlotte's proper name is actually city center and the locals call it uptown here to the left coming up is the BB&T ballpark home to the Charlotte Knights a triple-a minor league team [Music] the tall building is the Bank of America Corporate Center tallest building in the city and in the state here's the old historic old settlers cemetery as we turn right onto a fifth Street the Performing Arts Center which encompasses a bunch of theaters there's the Spectrum Center home to the NBA Bobcats as we continue exploring downtown here's NASCAR Hall of Fame a location originally contested with Atlanta and Daytona Beach it honors NASCAR skilful drivers and crews and the owners history goes that while Daytona Beach was the place to break speed records stock car racing really began during Prohibition when drivers souped up their cars to run bootleg whiskey from the Appalachians just north of here and the rest is history this sculpture here called the Firebird adorns the entrance of the Museum of Modern Art pretty lively downtown actually [Music] here we are at what is called Independence Square on the corner of Trade and Tryon the intersection is actually the intersection of an a Native American trading path and the great wagon road of yesteryear and it is the heart of Uptown we continue Tryon Street passing by the University of North Carolina and eventually we end up by the Charlet Motor Speedway the home track of NASCAR the national association for stock car auto racing [Music] there's also the zmax drag way for drag racing which is a quarter-mile drag racing strip you know part of the whole Speedway complex as we approach Mooresville we pass by Dale Earnhardt Inc the company founded by Dale Earnhardt I considered one of the best drivers of all time and apparently a legend around here he is buried at a mausoleum in the back of the property and here we are at the picturesque downtown Marcille known as race city USA because it is home to so many NASCAR teams and drivers there's an area here just west of downtown Mooresville where all the engine builders and parts stores you know suspensions pretty much everything related to the car racing industry they're all here [Music] next we're gonna go to this very ritzy residential area called the point which is the peninsula on Lake Norman and it is home to many NASCAR drivers and Charlotte bankers doctors businessmen attorneys you know the rich and the famous home prices you know ranging from a few hundred grand to several million dollars for some of the lakefront properties and you're not gonna believe who has a golf course here [Music] like Norman here is the largest man-made lake in North Carolina created by Cohen's Ford dam by Duke Energy it is fed by the Catawba River [Music] for lunch we go to this place in Mooresville called the Barcelona so this is the Barcelona foothills Jade North Carolina IPA good beer good company and juicy burger in perverse now I just realized I am almost leaving and I never showed you this gateway which is not bad it's a year south of Charleston socially in South Carolina that's the laundry room over there this nice cabins then on the other side about this campsites this was mostly empty and then by the entrance there's a gas station there's a Publix [Music] [Music] darn forget to put my towing mirrors again this giant baseball here to the left is actually a water tower by the way this here is I 77 South next destination South Carolina's capital Columbia but before we do that immunity and Kia are filthy and I've heard that you can sometimes use this truck wash places like a Blue Beacon I guess the entrance is here through the back [Music] [Music] not the best detailing job I've ever seen but little - now let's go downtown [Music] I'm not even gonna attempt to park here I just want to see the Statehouse and whatever else I stumble upon this building here to the left with the golden domes is a Greek Orthodox Church [Music] this one here also to the left Presbyterian Church [Music] [Music] and here we are the South Carolina's state house a finished in 1907 after a long hiatus when construction stopped during the Civil War I need to make a u-turn here at some point let me see if I can turn around here at the new Ebenezer Baptist Church did you hear that yeah I think I bottomed out I better check it out mmm it looks okay but let me try to park and take another look yep it looks like we are going to make it to Charleston after all [Music] this building to the right is the Supreme Court of South Carolina here to the left in front of the Statehouse is the Confederate soldier monument you know that's the one that had the Confederate flag that got removed back in 2015 moving right along let's continue towards Charleston at the rest area i reheat some fried chicken that I bought at the Fort Mill Publix I love Publix Fried Chicken machine has espresso it's pretty good Charleston here I come this is the final stretch I arrived of course rush-hour traffic [Music] I'm staying at James Island County Park by the way James Island is beautiful with all these oak trees [Music] here we are [Music] very nice huh this is where pollen Loreena of the motorhome experiment to youtube channel stayed when they were here and they sounded impressed with the campground [Music] let me show you my loop here [Music] [Applause] [Music] not the easiest task to back in all by myself but Manish this is the James Island County Park I have arrived here very close to Charleston South Carolina not the most leveled of sites but it'll work definitely not very level and I even put all the Levellers I had it looks like it rained last night as you can see all week according to the park hosts check these guys out I feel like I'm in Florida before it gets dark I want to go to see this famous tree nearby called the angel oh here it is through this dirt road and I believe the park is closed but we can see it from the outside right this is the famous angel oak let me show it to you just in case I cannot come tomorrow he's a pretty cool tree right good morning from James Highland County Park before we visit this beautiful city of Charleston let's enjoy a morning stroll around this beautiful park [Applause] [Music] okay let's drive to Charleston [Music] the first thing we're going to do today is visit Fort Sumter and the first ferry departs at 9:00 and I'm running late I think we're going to make it in the nick of time let's park here at the aquarium parking lot I really hope I can make it on time it is almost 9:00 this is Liberty Square this is the national monument inside they have this museum but I have to rush through in order to make it to the ferry that's the hood there's a this sitting area and there is the famous Arthur Ravenel Bridge but as soon as the ferry departs I am going to the upper deck get a better view a concern to protect the sensitive ecosystem of the Charleston Harbor where they can make his fall our guests smoking is prohibited on all fours on dirt or vessels [Music] we finally depart and there's the carnival ecstasy I actually went on a cruise on that ship back in the early nineties when it was brand-new they have this bar here the lower deck but there's no one here there's the old custom house one of the most famous buildings here in Charleston and there's the USS Yorktown the small fort in the middle of the harbor is Castle Pinckney here we see it with Fort Sumter in the background see all those church spires or steeples well Charleston is also called the holy city because of the great number of churches of different denominations in the city [Music] we're almost there [Music] the Palmero the symbol of South Carolina [Music] fly Pelican well here we are Fort Sumter was of great significance during the American Civil War as the first battle was fought right here we get a very detailed explanation of all the events that transpired here we are free to roam around explore every nook and cranny we're gonna raise the flag now there's a Charleston in the distance and the sandbar to the west since we are the first tour of the day we have the honor to witness and some to participate in the raising of the flag ceremony [Applause] this is a good gun [Music] they have all these exhibits outside over the different cannons and the historic context and here's looking towards the sandbar [Music] [Music] there is a small museum inside where they give you a more detailed history and they have all these artifacts [Music] and there is the flag that flew in fort sumter during the bombardment on April 1861 all the flags [Music] [Music] no wonder what's down there the hatch [Music] this was a very nice visit here for test some Turner $21.00 very informative you know the National Park Service everything is new like the speakers on the boat were super clear so we could understand everything it is very well maintained here and there's a lot of history I didn't know actually it's really that the Civil War has started here that not a big of course the wind picks up exactly at the moment where I start recording the video continue exploring Charleston now and let's chow down if you can see it goes up the white angle but yeah that's what going next we head back on the boat in about five minutes actually I think they're they're living without make their living without me various it's gonna make sure everybody gets off the island three miles away [Music] [Music] going back to the mainland [Music] [Music] once again there's the USS yorktown of world war ii glory one of its final missions at the recovery of the Apollo 8 command module on December of 1968 the bridge of course at the Arthur Ravenel opened in 2005 and has a pedestrian and a bike lane will cross it later for sure and here's another close-up of the Yorktown we're not gonna have time to visit it today unfortunately but it's on the list and we are back and we see dolphins with the next victims something to eat yes I am starving I skipped breakfast again Liberty Park it is actually called Liberty Square and it is a nice park here by the aquarium and the ferry terminal actually phones of Liberty Square now let's go find the parking near downtown [Music] finding parking has proved challenging there is this mirror but it's only for half an hour so found parking on the top floor at least we have a view this is the Cumberland garage this is where part 1 dollar for half an hour but it is what it is downtown okay here we are East Bay Street although there later this is one of the main historic streets here there's magnolias at the restaurant where we ate the last time we were here there's also blossom but my plan is to go to the Laguna des taproom and beer sanctuary but I can't find it let me walk around a little bit and see if I can find a place that is not very formal more like a bar since I am by myself here this fountain here is at Waterfront Park from where you can see once again a Castle Pinckney and fort sumter they finally make up my mind and go for this deserted French bistro spectacular turkey club sandwich that I wash down with an ice cold beer much better now apparently shut down but I ate at this place Boulder East Bay well let's explore one of the most picturesque cities in the United States of America apparently there were slave auctions all along this street here's a historic building from the 1700s called the old exchange of Provost dungeon the building has served many functions over the years it was even a jail during the Revolutionary War and here's looking west on Broad Street towards the Sam Michael Church we'll go there later now we are approaching a city block a cold rainbow road and let's hear the explanation from this fine city well there you go now you know where the name Rainbow Road comes from the famous rainbow roll back there what on this street this is very very picturesque [Music] we are by a jurors Wharf at the southern end of Waterfront Park nice area for a picnic here I originally thought that this plaques on all the houses with the year meant that the house dated back to like 1670 but they all have the same year so no it is just a year of the founding of the city and the plaque is just an award given to property owners who have preserved their historic homes here East Bay Street becomes east battery with this promenade and all the antebellum homes some of these homes are bed and breakfasts [Music] some like this one are museums [Music] I've seen that c-17 plane flying around a couple of times today by the way this is the Roper house which you can also tour dating back to 1838 it originally belonged to rubber to rubber a prominent cotton planter we are reaching the end and this part here is called White Point garden here's a statue of General William Moultrie twice governor of South Carolina beautiful Park this is a monument dedicated to the defenders of Fort Moultrie I think I want to break and there goes another military plane nearby here a Joint Base Charleston shares the runways with the Charleston International Airport at the southern tip of Charleston stands this other monument to the Confederate defenders of Charleston installed in 1932 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy here's the famous Bandstand but it's not used for concerts anymore because the neighbors complained about the noise well I've taken my break here at the park now let's continue exploring I'm just going to walk back north here a meeting Street this here is actually a B&B would be pretty cool to stay at an 1892 mansion here this here is the Calhoun mansion the largest single family residence in all of Charleston and they do have tours but not in the touring mode I mean I am tempted to go in it looks like it is beautiful inside but [Music] [Music] not everything is restored here this one here seems to be in a little bit of disrepair First Presbyterian Church looks like they've got a delivery see the cemetery next to the church all the important people are buried here but I know it is probably rude to be peeking into a private residence but the pretty garden caught my attention and this one too [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] here's the recently renamed Judicial Center this our sweetgrass basket weave Galah artisans being sold right here in front of st. Michael's Church a built in the 1760s this one also has a rather large Cemetery inside the property I wonder how all these people would feel if they knew that their final resting place has become a tourist attraction [Music] very thin gravestones borås sweetgrass baskets at this intersection called the four corners of law that's City Hall right there let's continue exploring the Cathedral of st. John the Baptist's in the distance this Prix Park here is Washington Square beautiful oak trees rustling this is Lowell George himself [Music] a furnace trunk and here another search I can see why they call it the holy city this is the circular Congregational Church of course there is a large Cemetery in the back let's go to that one next we have some kind of artillery Museum inside another time perhaps [Music] here we are st. Philip's Church the state's oldest congregation and it is a quite an imposing structure in this one the cemetery is actually across the street it is open to visitors let's step inside they let you see the church in exchange for you know a voluntary donation this is a bad wait an Episcopal Church the current building dating back to 1836 although the spire wasn't finished until 1850 you do have to open this doors in order to sit down for service it is 3 p.m. [Music] this one has the largest graveyard of all the other churches I've seen today and the largest muscle iums to the oak tree there's Calvin the one with the largest house well there you have it lots of important people interred here with important people over here I am hot and thirsty and guess what I found a bar that's not a Bud Light by the way you know I like my IPA hmm it rhymes brother is a huge bother just us no time of the day oh it was a little bit of a pick-me-up and now we continue towards the market just this way I think what can I tell guys I'm exhausted I didn't run this morning at the campground and then we did the Fort Sumner and now it being at this for over three hours so just walking around exploring the city but we have one more thing one more thing to see before we go and that's it's right here check it out the city market I'm gonna go all the way to the end and and walk you through everybody gets freaked out by this little camera I don't know why Bailey's let me show you where we are that's it right there that's the entrance the main entrance to that it's called the city market I think the cruise ship is about to leave but you have the market that's going okay get ready for the next minute and a half I am going to show you the market the whole market all four city blocks this market by the way was established here in the 1790s of course it burned down and had to be rebuilt probably several times [Music] that was a city market in a nutshell I'm gonna start walking back to the car I think we've seen enough for one day but hey there's the old United States custom house building right here by the markets who it is from an other angle there's the question I remember when this [ __ ] was bad in hindsight maybe I should have used one of these bikes instead of walking Carmela's this place is supposed to be really good I didn't catch the music come on the cruise is still here but most importantly we are still here [Music] well saying goodbye to downtown Charleston for now but we're not leaving yet you know I wanted to walk across the Arthur Ravenel Bridge but I'm not going to do that but at least I am going to drive on it here we go fasten your seat belts it opened as I said in 2005 and is the third longest bridge of its kind in the Western Hemisphere and it is wide eight lanes wide [Music] on the other side is Mount Pleasant and I want to see this park that has appeared here maybe see the view this is the Mount Pleasant War Memorial right here in Mount Pleasant Memorial Park but the real reason I came here was to see the bridge from underneath and to walk on the pier [Music] this is very cool this place here a great views and I would love to continue exploring I am tired the day is coming to an end soon [Music] before we call it a night I am going to have dinner with a viewer we are going to meet at this barbecue place called the swag and swine okay here we are at swing and swine we're about to it here's a John lineman a viewer of the channel let me the light is the variable right now so I'll let you know how it is in the morning I depart very tempted to drive straight to Miami in one go google says it's only like eight hours [Music] you see the challenges we sometimes have on the road when we have to put gas [Music] a Love Bug season they just appeared and they're all over the place you know what I'm going to drive all the way back to Miami today how hard could it be I just have to drive through Georgia into Florida through Jacksonville at rush hour way into the dark night if you have enjoyed traveling with us and make sure you are subscribed and check out my other videos also share it with your friends spread the word and leave me a comment now if you really really liked it you have a chance to show your support at patreon.com slash travelin Robert as always thank you so much for watching and see you on the road

Channel: Traveling Robert

Views: 470,545

Rating: 4.8598094 out of 5

Keywords: rv living, living in an rv, RV travel, winnebago, minnie, winnie, micro minnie, 1706FB, home, rv, rving, travel, roadtrip, traveling robert, florida, georgia, tennessee, kentucky, rv life, rv lifestyle, roadtrippers, great american road trip, great american solar eclipse, full time rving, rv travel, microminnie, land between the lakes, charleston sc

Id: IAF_EGaO2y0

Length: 209min 55sec (12595 seconds)

Published: Thu Nov 02 2017