We finally left home after months of planning our 3 month roadtrip/camping adventure across the United States. Our original travel date was Dec 30 but we had to push it back a few days to finish up all the last minute details. (we could not possibly head out without our portable toilet!) It was tough getting everything into the Jeep Liberty! Wait,we are not going to Florida just yet! We have to make a stop at Harbor Freight to get a cigarette lighter extension for charging all our electronics. Only the one in the back seat of the jeep is working. All right now to Florida. Spoke too soon. We are stopping in South Carolina to buy a Trasharoo to hang off the spare tire.  We need the extra storage space because the inside of the truck is so packed we can not see out of the rear windows.. The only store selling it in South Carolina will be closed until Monday so we will be spending two nights here.

We reached our first camping ground in Sumter Natural Forest around 10:30 pm. We stayed at the Brick road campground.  It was too late to set up the tent so we slept in the Jeep for the first time. As with everything, it did not work out quite the way we expected. We soon realized just how uncomfortable it is. The cushioning is too thin and you feel the plywood.  Francis felt like he had a dislocated hip from laying on it so long and later discovered he was laying directly on one of the hinges to lift the sleeping platform to access the freezer. Ouch! Despite all the small problems we are excited and very grateful that we have the opportunity to take this trip together.