A Month on the Move: Conquering an Epic Road Trip - Day 1

    Today Rob and I actually left our home in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, for the big move to California.  Loaded up with two trucks, two trailers, three horses, three dogs, two kids, and about 8,000 lbs of our lives. We left early this morning, having said our tearful goodbyes this week, and I don't think it really hit me until today. We're here, it's happening, we're moving. Again.  You'd think I'd be better at this, but since I allowed myself to hope that our last move was the last move, I've been in a state of denial.  The major help Erin and Vickie in particular provided, was the only reason I made it to this day, and as I'm writing this, I feel like they wished they'd sabotaged me a bit.  I'm only really coping because I know I have to fly back to get our Subaru in September, and will see everyone then.

RF Tack Shop Trailer

Leaving Manteo, crossing the first bridge heading WEST

It was a very long day.  What was supposed to be about 6 hours of driving turned into 9 1/2.  Generally when I travel, I add 20% when hauling horses over what Google says. If today is any indication, our 4500 mile trip is about to get a lot longer.  When Google decided to make a change in the route, I should have pulled over, but no, I followed blindly.  We ended up on over 30 miles of switch backs, up, down, blind corners with no shoulders, out rigs bigger than our lanes.  Rob has hauled a few miles with the trailer we have now, since downsizing from the 45' behemoth I hauled for two years. Even though he was hauling the smaller trailer of the two, his towing skills were put to the test, and I'm sure today has provided him with some major PTSD for mountain hauling.   

After arriving at our camping destination, Anita Alta Horse Camp, in Lenoir, NC, we quickly setup and took the horses down to the creek for some good splashing and long drinks.  Pebbles is still not awesome at drinking on the trailer like Ember and Breeze are, but we managed the long hot day without any dehydrated horses.  

The kids were just as eager to get in the water, and as soon as chores were done, Emma was in the cold creek until I made her get out as a thunderstorm rolled in.  Maggie, Jasmine and Callie were the happiest dogs with the afternoon playtime, and I made peace with the fact that my living quarters would need extra help recovering from the wet dog aroma.  

THE BUGS.  The price you pay for camping in a grassy valley under a mountain, is BUGS.  We would layover a whole day tomorrow, but for the bugs.  Lucky for us the rains came a few hours after we arrived, but even then, they were horrid in the grass, and under the trees.  Since we can't sit in the creek the whole day tomorrow, we have decided to roll on to Tennessee to begin our visit with our friends Christie and Ardicio a day early.  They just bought their dream home on 100 acres, and I've been dying to see them there in person.  Not only am I excited to see the property, but to see first hand the joy I can hear over the phone, on their faces. Plus spending 4th of July with my horses in a secure farm, with people I love, sounds like a good way to spend some of this time we're taking to move.

Privy Moon Acres

Tomorrow, I'm staying on 40, Google 

Hoping tomorrow goes a bit smoother, I'm about to go to bed, after doing a re-securing of some shop items that went flying around the turns today.  Overall, I'm really happy with the shop trailer.  For example, as I write this blog, in the air conditioned peace and quiet, my whole family is in the living quarters of the horse trailer getting ready for bed.  I might want to start hauling both rigs every time we camp, if I can afford the diesel.