Sandy Ridge Country Club And Roadtrek Rally

One of the amenities that was included in our near Fort Bragg campsite was the sights and sounds of Army helicopters flying overhead.  When we first arrived, there was one every 10-15 minutes.  As the evening progressed, it became more and more frequent, and seemed to get lower and lower.  Being right under their flight path (and less than a mile from the airfield) meant Sprinty was getting buffeted by the rotor wash.  The last of the helicopters went over to land after 10pm, but one or more were spinning their rotors until after 1am.  Ah, the sounds of freedom.

While we have spent most of this year dry camping (for convenience of saving the 120 to 150 seconds it takes to plug in/unplug), we elected to plug in last night.  Temperatures were to dip to the low 40s, and since electric was included, we figured we would use their electric for heat vice our propane.

Another chilly morning.  Our Alde heat system worked very well - we used the nighttime temperature setback, and had it resume normal temperatures at 5:30am.  Using electric, the heating system is whisper quiet.  The gurgling in the expansion tank that we had before the service in Kitchener is gone.  And we think (after a period of one night), the extra insulation is helping.  As low temperatures in the 40s are forecast for most nights on this trip, we will have a better basis to compare soon.

After breakfast, we headed for King's Grant Golf & Country Club about 15 minutes away in Fayetteville, NC.  Their website indicated lots of available tee times.  As we arrived, we saw greens without the flags, and they did not look to be in good shape.  At the Pro Shop, they advised the back nine holes were closed, and one of the holes on the front nine was closed.  And it was cart path only.  We decided to pass - playing an 8 hole course was not appealing - and create a Plan B.

Between Fayetteville and Four Oaks, NC (our destination for the day), we found Sandy Ridge Golf Course.  As it was $20 with a cart, we knew not to have high expectations.  The reviews indicated it had slow greens.  As it was one of several choices, we called to make sure we could get on.  It was fairly busy.  So we got in line.  Even though most of the groups in front of us were four-somes, it moved well with only minor waiting.  

Darrell opened with a birdie on the first hole, and finished the front nine three over par.  A few mistakes on the back nine, but he managed to earn the privilege of buying Frappecinos today.  Wah hoo!

After finishing golf in just over 3 hours (which is pretty fast when following four-somes, which is usually 4 hour under the best of circumstances), we headed north on I-95 to Smithfield, NC (famous for Smithfield ham, and the Ava Gardner Museum) for our traditional Starbucks, driving right past the exit for Raleigh Oaks RV Resort, our ultimate destination.

After Starbucks, we made our way south the 6 miles or so and arrived at Raleigh Oaks RV Resort about 3pm, pulling in 4th in a line of Roadtreks checking into the campground.  Sprinty is hanging out with 22 cousins for the next few days.  This is Sprinty’s fourth Roadtrek Rally this year.  Unlike the last one in Joliet, IL, which was a rally/caravan filled with historical places to visit, this rally is very laid back.  Our welcome packet included information of things to do nearby, but the days are ours to organize.  

After Sprinty was settled in a nice, level pull-through site, we started catching up with other people we had met at previous rallys.

After Sprinty was settled in a nice, level pull-through site, we started catching up with other people we had met at previous rallys.

The social gathering for the group as at 5pm, followed by a pot luck dinner (with enough food for a group three times as large).  After dinner, the rally hosts, Dick and Beth, hosted anyone willing to brave the cool evening at a campfire at their site - over half of the group were willing to participate, even if no one broke out the marshmallows.