Yearly Check-Up

Monday, September 26, 2016
We were up quite early this morning so as to be ready for a technician to come and take our motor home into the garage at 7:45.  In actuality it ended up being 8:15 but we had no idea we'd be waiting like that.  Ah well, it gave us time to chat with another couple also waiting outside their motor home for the same reason.  They, too, are headed for Florida but further down as they will be working at a national fish and wildlife park near Naples.

While waiting, a tiny kitty with a collar kept rubbing up against us and meowing obviously wanting a little love.  We'd notice it last night and several people remarked on how loving it was.  I'm guessing someone has lost their kitten and what a shame as it is very very loving.  If we wanted a cat, I'd take this one in a minute.  But we've agreed not to have another animal for a variety of reasons including the fact we like to be free to travel about and go on cruises.  If we had a pet we'd need to arrange for care whenever we're gone.

Did you know that today is the Autumnal Equinox and that both the  sunrise and sunset are at 7:24 - am and pm that is?  We are sure noticing that it is fall as we have less and less daylight.  Gone are the long summer days.  We especially notice it when we are traveling long distances as we must be up and on our way by 7:30 or 8:00 if we are to have the time to make the distance and get parked again before it gets dark.  Tomorrow is another close to 400 mile day - a good 8 hours of driving along with at least an hour or two of stops to stretch the legs and enjoy some lunch.

While the Freightliner technician was working on our motor home, we decided to check out some things in the area starting with the Visitor Center in town where we could get information on things to do as well as see their exhibit about the history of Gaffney and also enjoy the posters and maps describing the Revolutionary War Overmountain Victory Trail.  South Carolina is one of four states that the trail runs through that ultimately ended up in Virginia with the surrender of Cornwallis.  The turning point took place at two battles in the area when the British were badly defeated ruining their chances of bringing the South under the control of England and thus splitting the states.

We chose to visit the Cowpens National Battlefield which is just a few miles out of Gaffney.  We arrived at the Visitor Center

just as the movie was starting so slipped in to see it immediately upon arriving.  Through a "grandpa" sharing the story of the battle with his "grandson," (that he had fought in) we learned a bit about how this militia came together and how the battle was fought and won against a far superior trained army.  Basically they drew in the British using a line of sharp shooters but hiding the rest of the fighters in a swale so they couldn't be seen.  The result was pulling them forward till they were cut off and surrounded.  Only 20 patriots were killed while several hundred British fell.

After the film we went into another room that used a couple of maps and lasers to fully describe and visually layout the positions of the men and what happened.  It was all quite an eye opener since neither of us had ever read anything about what some southern mountain men had accomplished really bringing the war to an end.

After our visit, we drove the circular rode around the battlefield area and made several stops to see the field itself

and visualize it better.  And also stopped at an early 1800s cabin owned by Robert Scruggs

and built just a short distance from the actual battlefield.  It was representative of rural middleclass farmers resided in at that time.

 And this particular one, because it was so close to the battlefield became a spot that historians would visit to ask Scruggs exactly where the battlefield was.  As a result it really became the unofficial first Visitor Center since he and then members of his family lived in it till the 1970's when the National Park Service purchased it.

We then returned to Gaffney for a late lunch at the Olive Garden before returning to the Freightliner office and waiting room where we spent some time on our computer taking advantage of their WiFi service.  Once they were done working on the motor home, they returned it to our parking spot and we hooked back up to the electricity so we could stay again tonight and then go out on the road in the morning.