It has been a wonderful first stop at Raccoon Caverns Campground in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We had a level spot and easy set up.
Unfortunately the caverns on the property were closed the days we were here as they prepared for their Christmas tours but we were able to see Ruby Falls caverns and it was beautiful.
The campground itself didn't boast of much but it had everything we were looking for in this stay - namely my brother and his family in the RV spot next to ours.
They drove up from Baton Rouge, LA to spend Thanksgiving week with us here. It was an honor. They are incredible people raising incredible kids. We loved having this time with them.
We also met a new RV friend, Ms. Anita. The kids had been playing in the empty spot next to ours for a few days when Ms. Anita arrived. It had been a hard travel day for her, especially doing it all solo. At one point she was working on leveling her class C when the parking brake failed to set and the vehicle jumped off the blocks and started rolling. Ms. Anita ran after it, grabbed the handle of the driver's door and vaulted herself in to the driver's seat and set the brake. It was impressive.
It had grown late and it was cold so we offered for her to share our fajita dinner with us. She took us up on the offer, even with the chaos of eight kids in a camper and we found out that she grew up in a traveling circus as a bareback rider, along with her parents! What! She even had a picture from 1955 of herself as a ten-year-old on her parents shoulders while they are riding horses. Her ability to jump into that moving vehicle suddenly made more sense. She met her husband while in the circus and they lived a fascinating life of traveling every summer in their RV, either with the circus or on their own to the national parks. I love collecting stories and Ms. Anita was a wonderful one you learn more about.
We also visited Chickamauga Historic Military Park. The kids were excited to do their junior ranger program and we had hyped it up for the cousins so they came as well. It was a beautiful park but I probably should've done a bit of research.. The Battle for Chattanooga at Chickamauga is known as "The Bloodiest Day" of the Civil War. And from what we learned the name is an apt description. This historic military park had a much heavier feel than others we've been too. Over 4,000 men were killed on the beautiful grounds we were walking on. It was sobering. A beautiful aspect of the park was in its creation. It is the oldest historic military park in the nation. Less than 30 years after the battle veterans from both sides met again at that terrible place and reconciled. They also retraced their steps, helping historians accurately place markers for specific battle moments.
It was a beautiful park and well-memoralized but also a lesson for me to do a bit of research before taking eight kids ages 9 and under. Also, the junior ranger booklet was the hardest we have done yet. I was struggling with some of the pages!
We had a picnic lunch outdoors, parents discussing the weight of the event and the kids reenacting it.... and then parents discussing the weight of that.
We had a beautiful Wednesday in the mountains, playing in leaves, kids playing on the playground, moments of walking and sitting together.
And then it was Thanksgiving. The weather was beautiful (we praised God for holding off the rain!). The guys got the outdoor TV on the Torres rig working and were able to watch some football.
We pushed together two picnic tables and between Natalie and I in our RV kitchens we were able to produce quite the feast. She outdid herself with creamed corn, stuffing, green bean casserole, and apple pie. I handled the ham, cinnamon rolls (thanks Marmee for making them!), and salad. It was a really special time together. I can't think of a better way to have kicked off this crazy adventure than spending the first stop with this family.
Next stop: an overnight stay at an alpaca farm in west Tennessee!
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