Sunday, June 30, 2013

Introducing our Mountain Retreat

 

Wesley Chapel, Florida (hot, rainy and humid)

 

While up in the north Georgia mountains, we looked at some RV lots that were for sale.

The lot we were staying on was at Paradise Valley Rv Resort in Cleveland, Georgia and it was for sale.

It was a very nice lot.  It had a gravel driveway and then a paved pad for the motor home.  There was a raised deck that was as long as our motor home.  On top of the deck was a nice screen room. It was very nice sitting outside at night inside the screened room.

There was also a little utility shed.

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The park was beautiful with a mix of RV’s and cabins.  Many were beautifully landscaped and it made for some interesting walks.

Rv lots in Paradise Valley, Cleveland Georgia

Rv lots in Paradise Valley, Cleveland Georgia

Of course, the nicer the sites, the more expensive they were, and most of the nicest ones were not for sale anyway!

The down side of this lot was that it wasn’t the easiest to get in or out of, in a 41 foot rig. A two or three foot shorter rig would have made a huge difference. There was no good place inside the campground to unhook the toad, which we didn’t realize when we pulled in. 

The deck made it difficult to back out because you had to clear the deck before you could make any turns. By the time we cleared the deck, we were right against some tree branches, so we had to go forward and back a few times to get at the right angle. We had trimmed the branches, but it turned out a lot more trimming was needed.   Another down side was our satellite dish went right into some big trees, so we had to set up a portable dish and run wires in through the windows.   Also, we got a slow and sporadic Verizon signal.

All of these issues could have been worked out, but not having decent internet was really a biggie for both of us.

 

There was a big range in prices for RV lots.  The most expensive one we looked at was $199,000.   Of course it included a very nice, large and newish 5th wheel, the truck to tow it, a beautiful cabin and storage shed, and another RV  lot next door for your friends. It had was on the highest point in the campground with a wonderful view of Yonah mountain.  If we would have had a spare $199k, we would have snapped it right up!

Another one we looked at was beautifully landscaped with a tall row of Rhododendrons and a covered deck, giving you a lot of privacy.  It also had two of the most gorgeous Japanese maple trees. These pictures do not do this site justice.

River Vista, Dillard, GA

Japanese maple

It was a great site, but also out of our budget.

We saw a few that were the last to sell in an rv park that had recently changed hands.  I think they were going for about $6000.  Of course they were small, unlevel lots with nothing but grass and dirt.  A good price, but you’d end up spending a fair amount of money in improvements.

One of the first lots we looked at, ended up being the one we kept going back to, and that’s the one we decided to buy.

I know some of you are wondering why we decided to buy an Rv lot.  Yes, we still plan on traveling as much as we can.

Yes, we intend to go west someday.

However, we feel tied to Florida right now because of my Mom.  I hate to be too far away if something should happen to her.   We have learned that our traveling style is to find a place we like, and really get to know the area, so we’ll spend a few months in the fall in north Georgia.

 

So, on to the lot we purchased.

It’s in Blairsville, Georgia, at the Rivers Edge RV Park.  All the lots are individually owned.  Some lots are on a trout stream and some on a pond. Ours is on neither.

It’s easy to get the motor home in and out, there is a place to unhook the toad, and both the satellite and Verizon get good signals. The HOA and property taxes are inexpensive.

That’s a 45 foot motor home parked there now, so I think ours will fit.   :)

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It has a cute little “coach house” or “cabin.”

Rivers Edge Rv Park

The cabin is completely finished inside and  complete with washer, dryer, sofa, refrigerator, and heat and a/c.

Rivers Edge Rv Park

Rivers Edge Rv Park

There is a nice sized deck which has a huge umbrella and nice table and chairs, which are all staying with the property.

Rivers Edge Rv Park

Rivers Edge Rv Park, deck

This currently empty spot will be a good spot for a hot tub, don’t you think?   A fence or shrubbery will block the view of the neighbor. 

Rivers Edge Rv Park, the hot tub goes here.

There is an open air clubhouse, but no pool or other amenities, which keep the maintenance fees down.

IMG_9022 

We really like the Blairsville area and we are near Brasstown Bald, which is the highest mountain in Georgia.  We’re just a short distance from North Carolina as well.

Brasstown Bald

We will  be able to rent the site out when we’re not there.  We still want to do some traveling, but for now, we don’t feel comfortable going too far away from Mom, so this will be a nice little place to go where we won’t need a reservation.

We can’t wait to get back. 

Friday, June 28, 2013

In Need of an Ark?

 

Wesley Chapel, Florida (hot, humid and rainy)

 

I don’t really have much to blog about since we’re only taking care of business while we’re back in this area, but I’m so happy to have Live Writer back, I just feel the need to post something!  :)

We have been watching the weather and hoping there will not be anything tropical forming (as in hurricane) until we can get out of town.

Next week they are predicting tons of rain for several days because of a cold front stalling right over Florida. Our favorite weatherman has mentioned getting an ark.  Rain isn’t going to be convenient for us next week, but I guess as long as we don’t get anything severe, I can live with it.   

 

We noticed a leak coming from our Splendide washing machine before we left Tampa.  It wasn’t critical to get it fixed while we were gone and we didn’t take the time to look at it, we we just used the Laundromat.  Al thought it might be the water pump. I was hoping for a loose hose.

The other night, we finally removed the wood panel in the closet and the back panel on the machine.  It wasn’t readily apparent where the leak was coming from, and getting back in there was next to impossible.  We thought it might be a loose water connection and Al tightened the connections as best as he could without removing the machine.  The one leading to the drain hose had a loose clamp, but the hose appeared to be snugged in just fine.   Our local mobile rv repair guy was in the neighborhood yesterday, so we stopped him and asked him about it.  He said since the leak was coming from the right rear corner, it was possibly a water pump.  We went ahead and scheduled him to do the repair, but unfortunately he’s booked up this week, and on vacation next week.  It looks like we’ll be going to the laundry mat for a while longer.   I sure miss my machine!  

We are meeting today with the man that wants to buy Al’s business.  I hope we can get things moving along, so that we can get out of town and back up to the mountains.

Speaking of mountains.  Does anyone have any suggestions for an overnight campground south of Atlanta near I-75?   We would prefer avoiding going through Atlanta, but it appears that’s not an option, so we’re wanting to stay just south of it and possibly traveling through Atlanta on a Sunday.  We’ve heard awful stories about the Atlanta traffic.

 

Here are a few other pictures from the mountains.  Now that I have LW back, and can quickly post pics!

These were all taken from Paradise Valley Campground.

clematis

hydrangea

Rv lots in Paradise Valley, Cleveland Georgia

Rv lots in Paradise Valley, Cleveland Georgia