A day in Birmingham, AL

Burchfield Branch Park (COE), Birmingham/Tuscaloosa, AL

No travel today. The day was dedicated to getting the truck fixed. We started by trying unsuccessfully to find a Dodge dealer in Tuscaloosa. The dealer there is still busy trying to catch up from the recent tornado and was not inclined to take in a road emergency. So we turned and headed for Birmingham.

I can't say enough good things about the GPS function on our Android smart phone. As we headed east toward Birmingham, I selected the Map function and typed in "Dodge Dealer". All the Dodge dealers in the Birmingham area popped up on the map. I picked the one closest to us (Bessemer, AL) and clicked on phone.

I explained that I was passing through and the nature of the problem as I perceived it. The service advisor told me to come in and he would make room for us. I ended the call. The phone switched back to the map function, I clicked on the navigate button, and immediately had the directions to the Dodge dealership.

The service department took us right in and after about a half hour gave us the diagnosis. Our brakes are fine but there is a pin hole in the transmission oil cooler hose that sprayed oil onto the the right front brake drum. Also, there is a manufacturer recall on my truck for some part that needs to be replaced. He has neither of the parts, will have to order them, and cannot let us drive the truck in its current condition. He hooked us up with Enterprise Car Rental, we got a car and headed back to the campground.

We stopped at the campground gate, explained our problem, and told them that we could not leave tomorrow as planned. A little while later, the camp manager came to our site to tell us that all campsites are reserved for the upcoming weekend -- Labor Day and opening football game of the 'bama season. We have to find someway to vacate the campsite.

Shortly thereafter, a man knocked on our door and offered to tow us to Birmingham tomorrow morning. Of course we accepted.

One last thought. It was as hot as Hates today. The high temperature was over 100 degrees.

The trip was uneventful until....

Burchfield Branch Park (COE), Birmingham/Tuscaloosa, AL


Today we travelled from Barren River Lakes, KY to Burchfield Park, AL. Burchfield Park is a Corps of Engineers campground between Birminghan and Tuscalossa. Our mileage for today was 310 making our two day total 685. We left at 7:20 AM and the trip took 7 hours and 20 minutes.

The last few miles were winding down through hills on a narrow road to the river bed, so we were braking pretty hard. By the time we reached the gate to the campground, we were at water level and smoke was pouring out from my right front wheel well. I figured we had overheated the brakes but I was curious as to why it was only one wheel showing the problem.

The smoke dissipated, we checked in, and found our way to our campsite. This was an adventure in itself. Very narrow road, river on the right, ditch then cliff wall on the left. The campsites are not what I expected and different than anything I have ever seen.

Getting into these campsites is like threading a needle. I had to angle the trailer to the right which meant the rear wheels of the truck had to go to the left and the ditch was deep enough to instantly bottom out the truck. After several harrowing tries I gave up and we moved on to another campsite. I subsequently learned that many vehicles in the past had to be lifted out of that ditch. As you can see from the pictures, there is no space to spare in these campsites. Whew!! If you come to this campground, don't go for the campsites by the river.

After settling in and getting a chance to look around, we discovered most campsites had big displays of University of Alabama football party gear. Not only are we coming up on the Labor Day weekend, it is also the weekend of the first 'bama football game (against Kent State) and this is definitely 'bama territory.

The river here is the Tom Bigbee waterway. It basically parallels the Missippi River from Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico and is a major commercial water route. Tug boats and barges pass frequently and recalled to my mind the traffic I've often seen on the Ohio River.

One night on a commercial waterway with truck problems pretty well washed out any potential for fishing.

Bowling Green, KY

Narrows Campground, Barren River Lake (COE), Bowling Green KY


Today was a stand down day. We slept late and spent the day doing not much of anything. In the morning we walked to the marina and visited with the storekeeper. In the afternoon, we drove to Scottsville for lunch. Checked out an antique mall, an Amish bulk food store, an Amish variety store, and a fabric store. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset in a cloudless blue sky with a nice breeze sitting at our campsite. Life was good today.
PS We tore up ALL of our lists.

We're on Our Way

The Narrows Campground, Barren River Lake (COE), Bowling Green, KY


Today the trip began. We got underway about 10AM. A late start because we had to finish up some things we didn't get done yesterday. I had planned for Saturday to be an easy work day with not too much to do. But it turned out to be a day of fulfilling social obligations instead. So the few remaining chores spilled into this morning.
I can't begin to describe how good it felt to be pulling out of the driveway. The trip was uneventful. We traveled 308 miles to The Narrows campground at Barren River Lake near Bowling Green Kentucky. Got here about 2PM CDT, so the trip was five hours. We used I-71 to Louisville, KY then I-65 south from there. This is our first trip with the fifth wheel fully loaded. It handled fine and we got 10.5 mpg, which pleasantly surprised me.
So what did I learn today? Mainly that Love's Rewards card is worthless to RVers unless you are driving a diesel. It won't even register at a gas pump. However some Love's facilities do have RV gas lanes. As of now there is no indication of such on their website. I learned by calling. I think I'll email them and let them know that Flying J is whipping their butt.
Some words about this campground. This is my third experience at Army Corps of Engineer campgrounds (sometimes abbreviated ACE, sometimes COE -- that had me confused for a bit while I was trying to find campgrounds). I am not specifically seeking COE campgrounds. They just seem to be the ones that are convenient to the routes I am travelling. All three of my experiences have been impressive. Well maintained grounds and spotless restrooms make the camping experience extremely pleasant.
Looking at a Kentucky map, you will see Barren River Lake east of Bowling Green and west of Glasgow, KY and close to the KY/TN border. It is readily accessible from I-65. There are three campgrounds and a Kentucky State Park within the 20,000 acres. The Narrows and Bailey's Point are developed campgrounds. Tailwater is primitive. The state park offers a full range of accomodations.
Maybe I'm a latecomer to the party and am talking about stuff that everyone already knows or maybe like me you never gave it any thought. The mission of COE is flood control, so most of their facilities involve a dam on a watershed. That produces lake fishing above the dam, tailwater fishing below the dam, river fishing in the tributaries, and miles of water for boating and water skiing. Throw in some absolutely supurbe campgrounds and some marinas and they become perfect places for a fishing vacation.
Here are some websites for more information and reservations:
www.lrl.usace.army.mil/brl
www.corpslakes.us
www.reserveusa.com
www.recreation.gov
After arriving and setting up, we realized for the first time how busy we have been for the past weeks. We showered, ate leftover chinese for supper and crashed.