The cats weren’t very enthusiastic about the catio view this week for some reason. Maybe it was the large leaves landing on top of the catio or the loud race cars?

The march south continues as we head to an Army Corps of Engineers (not a military base) campground near Montgomery, AL called Gunter Hill Campground. Leslie, my daughter, recommended using Feliway spray in Cleo’s carrier to hopefully keep her calm during travel. If it doesn’t work for her, I might have to spray it in my own hair to calm myself. FYI, the campsite setup process is pretty much the exact opposite of the lengthy teardown process I described in a previous post, with the addition of slightly haggard humans after sharing the road with the rest of the human race…so I won’t bore you with those details.

Gunter Hill Campground is gorgeous! At first glance, it’s a wooded campground with wide, paved roads, modern facilities, a dock and a boat ramp. There are two loops: The Antioch Loop is very woodsy and has many spots peacefully situated along the water. This loop is water and electric only and has a bath house and dump station. The access road is a bit rutted in spots. For the most part these sites look fairly level and appear to be gravel. 

We are staying on site 4 in the Catoma Loop which is a FHU loop (full hook-up, meaning water, electric and sewer at your site) with each site having a level concrete pad. Trees, trees and more trees all aiming their falling leaves right for the top of our slide. You know how mosquitoes tend to navigate to one person more than others in a group? That would be me.

Based on our exploring, the very best site at Gunter Hill Campground is site 27. It has a VERY long concrete pad that extends into the woods and backs to the water. There is a path down to the water where there is even a bit of a beach where you could launch a kayak!

After we dragged our laundry to the nearest town laundromat, we discovered that this amazing campground has a laundry facility. Speaking of laundry, did you know that many laundromats are compatible with an app called PayRange? So you don’t even use money! You just scan the QR code on the machine and a magic fairy starts the machine! (Well, bluetooth.)  It’s almost too much for me to wrap my head around! We still carry around a giant baggie of quarters just in case. Also, laundry detergent sheets. Game changers. Look it up!

The Montgomery Speedway is about one mile from our campsite. They are doing some kind of qualifying races this week for the big Fall Brawl 100 on Saturday. We can hear the cars so well that we can tell when they downshift to go around each corner and then open up on the straightaways. 

Since this is a Corps of Engineers campground that is run by the government, we are concerned on this last day of September that we may have to move tomorrow. The people who work here have no information or guidance to provide, and this campground is full of campers! We might just pack up and get to our next destination 5 days early. In the grand scheme and compared to what many parts of society stand to lose in a shutdown, we are very fortunate to have such a small worry about it.

We wandered a bit in downtown Montgomery and saw the capital building and the waterfront. So much of what is highlighted in the city are disturbing civil rights topics. I find myself feeling awkward, because reading info or taking photos almost borders on a form of tourist entertainment. But on the other hand those reminders and education are necessary to hopefully keep society at a certain level of civility. Maybe? One day?

On the way back to the campground we visited Maxwell Air Force Base (military or DoD card required for access). The only planes we saw were impressive static displays. A lot of classroom training happens at Maxwell in large buildings including officer training. There is also Federal Prison Camp Montgomery on the base. This is a minimum security prison that has housed the likes of Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Jared Kushner’s dad, Charles. 

We decided to check out the FamCamp even though we weren’t staying there. It is located on the far side of the flight line. Some of the sites had there own covered picnic tables and they all appeared to be FHU. The area closest to the office (closed on a Saturday, BTW) felt like more longterm campers. The rest of it was a crowded campground with no privacy. Near the office is a pond and a laundry. There was really nothing about it that would draw me to stay there other than the usual military base perks of safety, commissary, BX, gas stations, gym access, etc. Most FamCamps are in the $20-$50/night range. Depending on what part of the country you are in (touristy areas), FamCamps can be an economical option. Most also offer monthly rates which are substantially discounted and a great option for anyone needing a longterm solution. Our goal is to pay no more than $20/night.

Well, the Fall Brawl 100 did NOT disappoint! We made a campfire and could barely hear each other speak. We have no idea who won or anything about anything. Just the sound. It was actually kind of interesting, but we were glad it was for just the two nights. Every other night was nice and quiet. Turn up  your volume and enjoy the sounds of nature in this video!

With the news that the government shutdown was temporarily averted and we didn’t have to move early, we decided to do some trailer maintenance. Greg took apart the toolbox tray on the back of the camper and adjusted it, because it was crooked. He also applied rubber conditioner to all the rubber around the windows and slide. If those areas get brittle, water can infiltrate those areas. That would be awful! We also cleaned the outside of the trailer. We have a waterless kit with a long pole, microfiber and a product called Wash Wax All. Campgrounds typically have a rule that you cannot wash cars or RV’s at your campsite with their water. It makes a mess and uses a lot of water. It is also inconvenient to find a wash bay large enough for the camper. This kit makes our camper look brand new! It takes about an hour to clean the whole camper. Our camper is pretty small at 26 feet. I can’t imagine how much work goes into maintaining some of the massive campers we see.

After a few chores, Greg put his hunting and gathering skills to the test by collecting fallen, dead wood for  a fire. He did great! The caveman still lives within. While we don’t have a fire every night, we do enjoy the ambiance. Our fireside chats can be quite entertaining. For example, I learned that Greg (as someone who never had his own babies to change, so I’ll cut him some slack) actually thought the numbers on diaper packages represent the number of pounds the diaper can hold (minus the child)! I must be easily entertained, because that cracked me up.

We love this campground so much that we adjusted our travel plans a bit to stay here for a few more days. We did have to move two spots down from our original spot since someone had ours reserved already. But our new spot is very nice and has better water views. 

When we move such a short distance (maybe 300 feet and driving VERY slowly) we don’t even put everything away in the camper. Nor do we attach the sway bars to the hitch and trailer. It probably looks funny to people watching, because we leave the catio intact and just balance it on the back of the truck. We also pile up the chocks, hoses, etc., on the back toolbox. Speaking of this, we used this technique at a previous campground and had to move about half a mile. It was too far and we lost a leveling rocker along the way. It was sad. Lesson learned! For this move I carried the two cats in their carriers and walked behind the truck and camper to make sure nothing fell off the parade train.

I’ve been using a fairly new website called AdventureGenie to route plan and find points of interest along the way. I’ll share more about that in the future as it is is a very useful tool that utilizes AI (in a good way). Today AdventureGenie directed us to the City of Prattville Wilderness Park and Bamboo Forest. It was amazing and free! Apparently, it was used as an Air Force survival training area at one point (Maxwell AFB is nearby). There is no way to adequately describe how mystical this place feels. Photos won’t do it justice, but I’ve included a couple. It is about 26 acres, has several types of bamboo and a pond.

We took a run this morning.  Our version of a run is using an app that tells us when to run and walk. So right now it’s more of a HIIT workout, but that’s fine. Really, anything is better than nothing! We also drag out our mats and do app-guided workouts for specific muscle groups. Today I was greeted by dusty raccoon footprints on my mat. So cute!

For some reason Cleo does not like to go out on the catio as much as she used to. We are wondering if it is just this campsite or if the novelty has worn off. She used to spend hours snoozing in the catio. Now she hangs out for a bit and goes back in. I keep wondering if she had an animal harass her or if she is afraid of the leaves that have been dropping. No idea…

Being so close to Selma, we felt compelled to visit the site of Bloody Sunday at the Pettus Bridge. The feeling of injustice and tragedy is still palpable even after 58 years. It seems odd that this bridge is the usual way to get in and out of Selma used by people just like any other road. 

Selma struck us as being a close knit community while having an undertone of sadness. They even suffered a tornado eight months ago that destroyed part of the city. There appears to be a lot of poverty in the area, and the once thriving Craig Air Force Base (closed in 1977) is now a small airport. What was base housing is now beyond dilapidated. It looks like a mix of ruins with collapsed roofs, squatters and some run down homes with electricity. It reminded me of a town abandoned in a hurry, but I don’t think that’s the case at all.

Tomorrow is a travel day. Check back for new views from the catio!