OK, We're Done

In our ever expanding search for things to do around Gaffney, and in an effort to stay cool in the mid 90's temperatures that we've been enjoying, we have managed to visit a couple of neat places.

On Thursday, we arranged a tour of the Freightliner assembly plant, just a few miles from the service facility where we're "camped". As usual, photography is strictly prohibited inside the factory, but is still a fascinating place to visit. Freightliner was founded in 1940, purchased by Mercedes-Benz in 1981 and continues to be part of Daimler AG, an international company. The Gaffney plant is 289,000 sq ft, employs more than 600 people, and produces an average of 50,000 chassis a year. Three "lines" operate here; the walk-in van line (UPS trucks), school bus line, and the RV and commercial bus line. At the head of the three lines engines and transmissions are married, and, with a cart full of specific engine parts (belts, hoses, etc), is sent down the line, arriving at just the critical moment in each line when it is needed. All the parts and pieces are continually monitored via RFID to insure a correct chassis as ordered by the customer. For example, the frame rails for all UPS trucks are made of galvanized steel as compared to primer/paint on others, and they arrive at the Walk-in line at precisely the correct moment.

We were particularly interested in the rv line, of course, and it was amazing to see how the chassis are flipped, turned, and rotated as the front and rear axle assemblies are installed. Sent on down the line to the engine installation area, four techs slip the engine/transmission into place and bolt it up in 20 minutes as the assembly line continues to slowly move. At the end, just as the chassis go out the door, they are given a wheel alignment procedure, ensuring a complete, correct, and drivable chassis.

Our tour guide, Dan, was a wealth of information, having worked on the production line for years. Donna and I were a two person group, so he was able to spend about 2 hours with us as we walked through the plant. At the conclusion of the tour, we were presented with a silver commemorative key ring. A nice touch! Thanks, Freightliner!

We had a late lunch at the Trackside Diner, a small sandwich shop quite literally along the railroad tracks in downtown Gaffney.

The diner has been in this same location for years, and provides lunches to many of the people working in the area. I must say....I ordered a corned beef sandwich (not cardiac friendly), with spicy mustard. What I got was....sliced corned beef.....brown mustard.....on white sliced bread. That's it. No other condiments. Be careful what you order!

On Friday, we were able to take advantage of a cancellation and tour the BMW assembly plant in Greer, SC. Greer is a small town a few miles south of Spartanburg, and the plant address is Spartanburg. The facility is huge! Again, photos inside are verboten, but we snapped a pic of the entrance to the Performance Building, with appropriately equipped vehicles parked outside.

 Adjacent to the Performance Center, a track has been constructed for both testing purposes and for use as a driving school. Citizens can sign up (and presumably pay for) a driving session using a BMW provided vehicle. There is a circular "skid ring" where water is sprayed on the track so that the driver can learn to handle the car in adverse conditions.

Our tour began at the northeast entrance to the main assembly plant.

Again, as with most vehicle manufacturing or assembly plants, the building is huge. At 1.2 million sq ft under one roof, this plant ranks among the largest. Once checked in, and cell phone shut down was verified, we boarded a tram made from the lower bodies of X3 BMW's, complete with center consoles and oem seats! We were driven through the plant, stopping at various places for our tour guide to fill us in on what was happening. X3's and X5's are built here, both for domestic and export. Each vehicle body arrives from the paint shop with an RFID box attached to the hood containing all the particulars for that vehicle. Each vehicle is built to specific order, either by an individual or by a dealer, and must be built to that exact order. No random drawing here!

Each body is flipped, turned, and pushed as it goes down the line, with doors, windows, engines and sunroofs being installed. Much of the work is automated. For example, sunroofs are installed by a robot that laser-measures the opening just prior to installation, and then installs the sunroof, going through the open windshield with only millimeters to spare, and attaching it securely in less than a minute!

Remember that RFID box attached to the hood? After a test drive, multiple inspections under high intensity light, and a final pat, the "Baby is Spanked". That means that the RFID is removed from the small hole in the hood, the BMW emblem is placed, and the crew member "spanks" the emblem into place with a rubber mallet! It's now officially a BMW.

Nice tour, but very tightly controlled with very little room for questions, and no time to dawdle at any one area. Still in all, very nice cars, in a spacious assembly plant.

As I write this on Saturday morning, the weather is threatening rain. We plan to go to the Outlet Mall down the street for a couple of hours. This evening, a final blast to the Peach Festival will occur at the  local lake with a Mud Bog competition. If it doesn't rain, we'll go, but.....you see how it goes!

Other "campers" are leaving the Service area this morning, and we'll join them tomorrow for a short jaunt to Asheville, NC.

TTYL

Outta School!

Last Sunday, the 10th, we drove a few miles north of Gaffney to the site of the Battle of Cowpens. This Revolutionary War battle turned the tide for the American forces and proved decisive in the defeat of the British. Fought January 17, 1781, the Continental Army was led by Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, and the British forces were led by Colonel Banastre Tarleton. The forces were almost evenly matched, the Continentals having 970 men and the British 1,070 men. However, the British had two light cannon and the benefit of years of training.

In a lightly wooded area, General Morgan was able to choose his ground wisely, and was able to accomplish a military tactic only used one other time in history: the Double Envelopment. The only other documented Double Envelopment occurred on Aug 2, 216, at the Battle of Cannae in southern Italy, when Hannibal's army defeated a much larger army of the Roman Republic. A double envelopment is a military maneuver in which both flanks of an enemy force are attacked simultaneously, while the center force slowly retreats, drawing the enemy into a pincers situation. Sun Tzu, in The Art of War, advised against the tactic, feeling that the enemy force would retreat before the move could be completed, and this has been the case for hundreds of years. At the Battle of Cowpens, Tarleton was so completely confident of his superiority that he was unable to comprehend that these ragtag Continentals could present much resistance, and so he fell for the tactic "hook, line and sinker". Tarleton eventually escaped with 50 of his men, leaving the rest to be captured! This battle destroyed British confidence and eventually led to their defeat.

A painting in the Visitors Center by a survivor depicts the battle, with cavalry coming in from the left flank to attack a demoralized British force.

The captured cannon are on display in the Visitors Center.

Complete with arrows stamped on the top to help soldiers figure out which direction to point them (no....not really!).

Monday, Nessie was scheduled for her 36 month, 45k mile chassis service. We also had signed up for Camp Freightliner to learn about the chassis. During a short break, I took a quick pic of Nessie and some friends being worked on in a 6-bay air-conditioned shop.

The backlot at Freightliner is pretty much a gravel parking lot, but they are kind enough to provide 50 amp electricity and a water/dump station. As I write this, every spot is filled and there are several rigs parked along the edge of the road. Busy place!

Our two day class went well, with much information being presented. There were 14 people in the class, and, as expected, we got lost in the woods of personal situations from time to time, but Mike, the instructor, was very gracious in answering all questions and guiding the conversation back to reality. Most of the information revolved around a thorough reading of the factory manual via Power Point presentations. Some of us had taken the time to read our manuals, but it was obvious that many had not, and we got some very humorous questions! We did get a great photo binder showing the specific locations (in our coach) of vital components and maintenance items. All in all, very worthwhile, but with some "sleepy" sections!

We were offered a discount on filters, fan belts and the like, so most purchased spare parts, as we did. Pat, the service manager was extremely gracious and helpful with us. She absolutely knows Freightliner products backwards and forwards, and was able to guide us through the service procedures. When I forgot to tell her about an item that needed attention, she was able to "sneak" us in the next day, and she provided additional discounts where she could. Wonderful lady! I should also compliment Mike, the instructor and 20-plus year Freightliner employee. He was never asked a question that he couldn't answer, and spoke for 8 hours a day for 2 days without notes. He's a wealth of information and "tips" for any Freightliner chassis owner! Kudos, Mike!

Two catered lunches and a catered dinner completed the class, and we met several new friends. Recommend the class if you have a Freightliner product!

We made use of the dump/water fill facilities today, so we're good for a couple of more days, and the  wifi is extraordinarily fast, so life is good! All we need to do now is find something to do until our next rv park has a site for us.

Gaffney and the Peachoid

Known as the "Peach Capitol of South Carolina", Gaffney is the county seat of Cherokee county, and is located just south of the North Carolina border. In 1797, Michel Gaffney emigrated from Ireland and eventually moved to the Carolina Upcountry and established a store at what would be known as Gaffney's Crossroads. By 1897, Gaffney City was a major player in the textile industry, the backbone of the economy up until the 1980's.

We are very happy to have moved from "The Midlands" to "The Highlands"! There wasn't much difference in temperature between "The Low Country" and the Midlands, but we've dropped 10 degrees by moving into the hills! We're set up, albeit temporarily, in the parking lot of the Freightliner Custom Chassis manufacturing and service facility. An appointment is waiting for us on Monday for extensive service on the motorhome chassis, a couple of warranty items, and a complete check of all systems having to do with the chassis and the safe operation of the motorhome. While Nessie is in the shop, Donna and I will be attending a two day class entitled "Camp Freightliner", where we expect to learn about the chassis and how to maintain it. The coach should only be in the shop for one day, so Sasha will have to stay in the folding crate in the building lobby. Not happy, but do-able.

We only had to drive 121 miles today, so after we set up we had time to take a cruise around town. A required stop at Starbucks for iced coffee and a chat with a family passing through on their way to New Jersey, and all of a sudden we found ourselves at the most famous landmark in town.

May I present The Peachoid:

One of the most iconic water towers in the east, it is a fitting tribute to the town!

As we drove around town, we noticed two things about Gaffney: Nicely kept older homes, and a tremendous amount of greenery.

These vines seem to grow everywhere, and seem to engulf anything that's standing still. Trees, bushes, fences, poles, and even old abandoned buildings are slowly being covered up. Quite a difference in vegetation from the dry, dusty midland area around Columbia that we left this morning! This area is much more wooded, and cooler, and higher in elevation at 780 feet. We're worried about nose bleeds from the extreme elevation change!

Looks to be a pretty area, and one that we will hope to explore as we can. We'll let you know what we find!

South Carolina State Museum

Continuing our search for cool places to go and interesting things to see in Columbia, we decided to visit the South Carolina State Museum.

The museum is housed in the former Columbia Mills building, a major manufacturer of cotton duck cloth when it opened in 1894. The mill was the first totally electric textile mill in the world, and was the first major industrial installation of General Electric motors. For the most part, the original flooring has been preserved or reused, and still contains thousands of textile brads and rings that guided the thread through the machines and became embedded in the wood floor as they were discarded.

Adjacent to the SCSM is the Relic Room, a small but historically complete museum depicting the events leading up to, through, and after the Civil War. We continue to learn more and more about that time, and of the horrors Southern states endured. I understand that men, women, and families of both North and South were tragically affected by the conflict, but the South was burned, pillaged, and raped in some perverse belief that the Might of God must smite those who have the audacity to follow their beliefs. Who knows what the world would look like now if the South had been successful with their own revolution? Ok, enough.

A visitor follows a timeline through the Relic Room, and I won't bore you with the details, but there were a considerable number of interesting items on display, beginning in Revolutionary War days. I didn't know that South Carolina played a huge role during the war for independence.

Partisan Militia bands let by Francis Marion, "The Swamp Fox", Thomas Sumter, "The Gamecock", and Andrew Pickins, "The Fighting Elder", harassed the British supply lines and attacked patrols and camps. General Cornwallis' failure to subdue North and South Carolina gave General Washington time to strengthen his forces and unite American and French forces to trap Cornwallis at Yorktown, VA, and ensure victory.

The human side of the Civil War is clearly shown, as this picture of four brothers shows.

Interesting: the envelope was the letter.

Prices were different back then!

This intricately carved razor was seized by a Union gunboat from a blockage runner bound for Charleston.

General Sherman's intent for the South is clearly stated in his letters.

The Fourth Floor of the State Museum houses the Observatory (viewing at specified times), a collection of telescopes from hundreds of years ago, and exhibits detailing life on a plantation and in a mill town (which Columbia was for years).

The Third Floor exhibits include Transportation, Communications, and Science and Technology.

On Christmas Day, 1830, the Best Friend of Charleston chugged into history.

The first train to operate in South Carolina, the Best Friend "flew on the wings of the wind at the varied speed of fifteen to twenty five miles an hour, annihilating time and space....leaving all the world behind...like a live rocket scattering sparks and flames on either side", according to the Charleston Courier!

Of course, no museum would be complete without dinosaurs and Mastodons and prehistoric Armadillos!

After whiling away the afternoon, we stopped at Moriarty's Irish Pub in the Congaree Vista district for the best Reuben sandwich and best Irish stew we've ever had, bar none. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was the time of day, but the meal was wonderful! Try it when you're here!

Of course, we couldn't let such a good "Linner" (late lunch or early dinner, your choice) end so soon, so we had to have a bit of ice cream at one of Columbia's most famous soft serve emporiums, Zesto on 12th St.

It's been an interesting and informative day, with good food and pleasant surroundings (and cool!). One more day to go, and then it's off on our next adventure!

Columbia, South Carolina

July 4th, is Sasha's birthday, so we celebrated by requesting that our entire country celebrate with fireworks, brats, and beer! As for our four-legged family member, she enjoyed a much deserved small scoop of Vanilla ice cream!

'Twas a hoot watching her eat the ice cream! She had never experienced anything that cold and didn't know what to do with it. She tried licking with the back of her tongue....not good.  She finally figured it out and then got a brain freeze and wouldn't have anything to do with it! After much laughter and perseverance, she celebrated her birthday in grand style!

Tuesday morning we hitched up our drawers and hit the road for Columbia, SC, about 70 miles from Augusta. Not far, I grant you, but a little farther down the 2016 road, and a place we wanted to visit.

After settling into the Barnyard RV Park, an adequate park with a minimum of amenities and lots of long term guests (but there's a flea market right next door!), we ran down US 1 straight into downtown Columbia. A short drive got us to the largest fire hydrant in the country. Really.

Columbia is the Capitol City of South Carolina, and of course, is the center of political activity for the state. Among the various government buildings downtown is the South Carolina State House, and since we have a casual and ill-defined desire to visit State Capitols, we had to go. Taking our friend US 1 east until it turned into Gervais St got us to the Capitol between Assembly St and Sumter St.

Starting at the bottom, of course, we got a close look at the brick arches that support the center, domed section of the building.

From the main lobby, ornate stairs lead to the left and right up to the legislative level where the Senate and the House Chambers are.

The Senate Chamber is on the north side of the building. The elegant desk in the center of the chamber was hand carved in 1915 of British Honduran mahogany. Each time the Senate is called into session, The Sword of State is placed in brackets on the front of the desk. The original sword, dated 1704, was stolen in 1941. Lord Halifax, a former British ambassador to the United States, presented the current sword to the state in 1951.

Across the building, the House Chamber occupies a grand room. The large desk in the center is of British Mahogany and dates from 1937. The House likewise has a symbol of authority. The sergeant at arms places The Mace on the front of the desk to symbolize that the House is in session. The mace was made in London, England, in 1756 and is the oldest original mace used in this country. Hidden during the American Revolution, it disappeared for over 40 years, but was rediscovered in a Philadelphia bank vault! BTW, a mace is a weapon with a heavy head, used as a blunt force weapon back in the day. Ceremonial today, maces are heavily decorated and about 3 feet long.

A very narrow stair leads to the House or Senate observation areas.

The Capitol Dome is made of two parts, an interior and an exterior dome. The interior dome is purely for aesthetics, while the exterior dome is made of steel and wood and is finished with copper.

The Joint Legislative Conference Room was formerly used as a library. It is the only room in the building that has remained original. The twin spiral staircases, railing and pillars are made of wrought iron, and the ceiling is pressed metal.

We walked the grounds even though the temp was hovering at 99, stepping rather smartly from shade to shade!. We did stop to see where a cannonball struck the building during Sherman's march through the south.

This magnificent southern magnolia is named the Robert E. Lee Tree, and was planted by the Wade Hampton Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. I know I'm short, but this tree gave me a complex!

Down the street and around the corner is an area called Five Points, a shopping and restaurant area near the University of South Carolina. Named for the intersection of Harden, Santee, and Devine Streets, it was originally home to South Carolinas first supermarket (A&P). We walked for a bit (oh, yeah, still hot...). We stopped at the Salty Nut for a burger, then back to the car on a dead run...

Back in the Historic District, we happened upon the Chesnut Cottage. That's the correct spelling, incidentally. This was the wartime home of General and Mrs. James Chestnut. On October 5, 1864, President Jefferson Davis addressed the citizens of Columbia from the front porch.

Directly across the street is a spectacular house. Now an office building, it is extremely well kept, and has a number of unusual features. Check out the chimneys!

A late afternoon t-storm dropped the temp 12 degrees immediately, and it's now a pleasant evening. Prediction is for more 100+ degree weather tomorrow, however. The wifi and ATT cell service here at the park are marginal at best, so bear with me as we progress through the next few days!

Things To Do (or not) in Augusta

So, let's get the trivialities out of the way.....it's hot in Augusta! The "feels like" heat index has been over 100 for more than 10 days, and today, the Fourth of July, is no exception. Today at 5 pm, is is 97 degrees and feels like 107. The forecast is for 98 tomorrow and 100 or over everyday until mid-July. Whew! Tomorrow we're moving north to Columbia, SC, where the temps are expected to be 2 degrees cooler. We can't wait! We're spending a great deal of time in air conditioned cars/stores/motorhomes these days.

Sunday, the 3rd, got us out of bed a little early with discomfort in my chest. Having gone on for some time we decided to have the situation checked out and went the the ER Room at University Hospital in Augusta. This is a huge medical complex, with buildings specializing in cardiovascular to childrens issues. The area is so focused on health that it has signs directing a driver to the Medical District. Seemed like just the ticket.

This health issue is exactly the same as I experienced in Daytona Beach, Florida, where a visit pronounced me to be in good shape and provided a handful of pain pills. Efficient, but not thorough. This visit was almost too thorough! About 7 hours in the ER this time got us a diagnosis of Bronchitis with a handful of antibiotics, and a clean bill of cardiac health. It was a long process, but seemingly all the bases were covered, from blood work to pacemaker review to breathing. We're happy the diagnosis didn't result in a hospital stay and are hopeful for a full recovery.

We needed to get Rx's filled and take a last look around town, so we drove downtown. One of our things to do in Augusta was to visit the Augusta National Golf Course where the Masters Tournament is played each April when the Azaleas are in full bloom! The flowers must be a spectacular sight as they encircle the entire facility, because we were only able to find one small gated opening in the Azalea hedgerow (20' high if it was an inch!) that had a card reader and a very small sign that said "Members Only". There must have been other entrances that we missed. Our trek netted only a photo of a construction area (yes, they were working on the holiday!) and a peep at the edge of one of the greens!

We thought for awhile about coming back next year so we could get a good view of the course, but after checking out prices for the few available remaining tickets for the 2017 Masters (Four days....$11,000, but that's for two people!). Not counting parking, food.....you get it. Television is a lot cheaper.

Returning to the Historic Downtown district, we spied the famous Haunted Pillar.

The last surviving column from an 1830 Farmer's Market that was destroyed by a Tornado in 1878, the pillar stands at the corner of 5th and Broad, coincidently in front of a now defunct bar. Legend has it that a preacher denied the opportunity to preach there in the early years threatened that a great wind would destroy the place except for one pillar, and whoever tried to move the pillar would be struck dead. Hmmm. Augustans wisely decided not to rebuild the Market, and to leave the pillar where it stands today!

A quick stop at the market for some birthday ice cream for Sasha (she's two today! Light a sparkler in her honor, will you?), and a leisurely trip back to the motorhome convinced us that we shouldn't venture out for the local fireworks shows this evening. We will be able to see some, and hear a lot in this area, so we'll grill a couple steaks, fix some mushrooms and fresh corn on the cob, watch the Boston Pops on tv and.....go to bed!

Not Much Happening in Augusta

Heritage RV Park is filling up for the holiday weekend. The weather has been so hot (typically mid-nineties, feels like 107), that we have not been out a great deal. Yesterday, Friday, we drove north to Lexington to have new tires put on Gus, simply because it was something that needed to be done and was air conditioned! A nice lunch at Hudsons Smokehouse put us in a fine frame of mind for the trip home, along with a glass of Sweet Tea! It wasn't until after 7 pm that the temp dropped enough to take Sasha out for a walk. Welcome to the South!

Today, Saturday, we were pleased to meet with our friends Jim and Linda and two of their friends for lunch. They are preparing for a mission trip to West Virginia with their church, and needed to go shopping in the "big city". John and Peggy are great people, and we enjoyed talking with them. We reminisced about watermelon lunches in Savannah, and talked about Jim's new truck. Great folks!

D and I did a bit of shopping while we were out, Bath and Body Works and Walmart. The heat has seemingly got us down, so we elected to retreat to the comfort of the motorhome and rest for the afternoon. Maybe tomorrow we'll get something productive done!