The Road to Key West Took an Unexpected Turn

After spending Thanksgiving in Key West last year, I couldn’t wait to head back again. There was something special about returning to a place where I had already made memories — another Thanksgiving with family, another road trip, another chance to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

This year, I planned to make the trip in the RV.

Bandit and I pulled out of the driveway on November 19th with one goal in mind:

Head south to my parents’ house in Flagler Beach, then continue on to Key West for Thanksgiving.

Like I always do before a trip, before leaving, I snapped a picture of the odometer.

65,009 miles.

A new adventure was officially underway.

A Sweet First Stop

One of my favorite parts of RV travel is finding places I probably never would have visited otherwise.

Our first overnight stop was a Harvest Hosts location at Chocolatta in Calvert City, Kentucky.

Chocolate. Wine. Coffee. Tea. Craft beer.

Not a bad place to spend the night.

The next morning, we hit the road again, expecting another easy day of driving.

Instead…

Well… That Wasn’t the Plan

To avoid the worst of the Chattanooga traffic, I’d taken a back road that skirted around the city. Somewhere along that quieter stretch, the RV decided it had other ideas.

One minute I was driving through the mountains.

The next, I was pulled over on the side of the highway waiting for roadside assistance.

By the time the tow truck arrived, it was dark.

The RV that was supposed to carry me all the way to Florida was sitting on the side of the road, waiting for a tow.

Not what I planned.

Still part of the adventure.

Thankfully, Good Sam Roadside Assistance came through.

Since everything was closed for the weekend, they arranged to have the RV towed to Hawkins Pointe RV Park. I was able to stay in it there until Monday morning, when it could be taken to the dealership.

Not exactly how I expected to spend the weekend…

…but at least I had a safe place to park.

Making the Most of an Unexpected Weekend

Sitting around worrying wasn’t going to fix the RV.

So I decided to make the best of the situation.

With the Jeep still behind the RV, I suddenly had the perfect excuse to spend a couple of days exploring Chattanooga.

One of my favorite stops was Grandview Trail at Lookout Mountain Conservancy. The fall colors were incredible.

I made my way to The Cut, where climbers were working their way up massive boulders, and wandered through beautiful forests, crossed bridges, found old stone structures — including a small spiral stone path tucked into the hillside — and enjoyed views overlooking Chattanooga that I never would have seen if everything had gone according to plan.

It’s funny how quickly a frustrating detour can become part of the adventure.

If the RV hadn’t broken down, I never would have found myself hiking through Chattanooga in peak fall color.

Continuing South

This morning, the RV was loaded up again — this time headed to the dealership.

This definitely wasn’t how I pictured this trip continuing. The original plan was to spend the entire journey traveling in the RV.

Instead, I packed what I needed into the Jeep, loaded up Bandit, and we continued heading south.

The destination hadn’t changed. My parents’ house in Flagler Beach was still waiting.

By this evening, I was sitting around the dinner table enjoying one of my mom’s home-cooked meals.

After the last few days, it was exactly what I needed.

Tomorrow we pack up the Jeep…

and then it’s on to Thanksgiving in Key West.