Back from seeing Dead and Company and time to catch everyone up on our goings on. Here are some highlights and misadventures.
On Tour with Dead & Company (Kind of)
As mentioned in a very earlier post, one of our goals with our RV was to travel to see concerts and music festivals. If you don’t recall, let’s get you up to speed.
In December 2016 Dead & Company announced a summer tour. As longtime Deadheads, we decided that our holiday gifts this year would be tickets to see several shows. We got tickets to six shows. The RV would be our home on the road and we would tow our 2001 Honda CR-V. That was the plan anyway.
Towing the Honda CR-V
In order to make the plan work, we had to setup the Honda with a base plate, get a towbar, supplemental braking system, and towing lights. After much research, we selected the Blue-Ox equipment. All of the equipment was ordered, base plate installed (that is a story all by itself) and we were ready to hit the road.
NOT SO FAST THERE SON!!!
The one thing that I forgot to check was the towbar fitting into the hitch on the back of the Allegro. As (our) luck would have it, it did not fit due to a large amount of rust in the receiver of the hitch. Therefore, we had to resort to plan B. Plan B was to leave the RV at our site in the Poconos and drive the Honda to the first threes shows in Burgettstown, PA, and Boston, MA. On our way home from Boston we picked up the RV and took it to our regular mechanic in Philly to get the hitch fixed in time to take the RV towing the Honda to Bristow, VA. Thankfully, it was done in time.
Back to the plan
Left Thursday morning with the Honda in tow for the show that night in Bristow, VA at Jiffy Lube Live. Life was great again!!! This until we got into the Washington, D.C. area. Let me just say, traffic is a nightmare. Don’t know how people do it to commute on a daily basis. The worst part is trying to change lanes in a 31′ RV with a car being towed behind. Most people just would not give us a break. Next time we travel this part of the country will find a different route or plan on going through in the middle of the night.
We spent Thursday night at the Prince William Forest RV Campground in Dumfries, Virginia. We choose this campground because it was only about 30 minutes away for Jiffy Lube Live and a very easy drive. For the little time we spent there, it seems like a very nice place. Very quiet. Not a lot of kids evident. You are right on the edge of the forest and close to hiking trails. The staff was very friendly, courteous and helpful. Will have to return when we can spend a little time – of course avoiding the D.C. traffic nightmare.
Back to the Poconos
Friday was our travel day. We drove the RV towing the Honda through some of the worst traffic I have been in ever. In trying to get around Washington D.C. we could not make one of the left lane exits and was forced into downtown D.C. traffic. All in all, it was not as bad as it could have been. Finally, made it back to I-95 North. Our next traffic nightmare was a couple of miles South the Baltimore Harbor tunnels. Traffic was moving at a snail’s pace. We finally got through the tunnel and traffic moved at a “normal” pace again.
Hit the Delaware state line and decided it was time to stretch our legs and grab a quick bite to eat. Once we got going again it was not long until traffic returned to a snail’s pace. Later on, we learned that there is construction on I-295 that backed up onto I-95. After the split between I-295 and I-95 traffic moved smoothly again.
After more than 12 hours (including stops for gas and food) we finally made it back to our seasonal spot. Had a little difficulty getting into our site there were several cars parked around it. This prevented me from having the room swing the rig around and back into our site. Once the cars finally moved I was able to back the rig in “like a boss” as one of the tent campers near us said.
Back on tour
Once we got everything setup we crashed. Spent Saturday morning just chilling. Early in the afternoon, we drove the Honda into Queens, NY to see the show at Citi Field. After the show, we headed back to Home d’Pug RV in the Poconos.
Sunday afternoon we left the Poconos for our final stop on the Dead & Company 2017 Summer tour in Camden, NJ. After the show, we headed “Back home, sit down and patch (our) bones, and get back truckin’ on.”
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