Leavin' LA

We’re down to the final full day of our stay here at Bella Terra. After two months, we will be ready to get back on the road. We’re not there just yet. But, tomorrow morning, we will be. That’s the way it works for us. Our hitch rarely, if ever, gets an itch. (Well, there was that stay in Mission, TX a couple of winters back.) Much more frequently, we’re ready to go when it’s time to go. We love that it works out that way.

Our last day here has us reflecting on our visit to Lower Alabama. We came here to explore a part of the country we’ve never seen before, and we truly enjoyed checking it all out. It rained a bit more than we’d hoped, the Gulf Breezes were a tad stiffer than we’d like, and the no-see-ums we so detested in southern Utah live in these parts, too. But, all that said, we’ve experienced some decent winter weather, sunk our toes in some sugar white sand beaches, had some tasty southern comfort food, found nearly 200 geocaches, learned a new obsession, participated in our first-ever Mardi Gras celebrations and have spent time with some mighty friendly folks.

It’s been fun.

The most pleasant surprise of our stay has been this place we’ve called home. Bella Terra is our new favorite park. The sites are level and spacious. The utilities are rock solid. The landscaping is simply gorgeous. We will miss our beautiful view of the setting sun behind the dancing waters of the Bella Terra pond.

Of course, as we’ve said before, it’s the people who make a place. And, that’s certainly true here, too. The Bella Terra staff is the most professional, pleasant and accommodating crew we’ve seen anywhere. They are committed to making sure everyone enjoys their stay. And, we certainly have! We’ve met many of the owners and guests here at Bella Terra. This is one of those places where everyone waves and folks really are friendly. We’ve had the pleasure to get to know quite a few good people here, and we look forward to seeing them again down the road. We know we will be making a return visit here someday.

When we made our plans to come here, we considered this stay a “treat”. We’re discovering that we have a special requirement or two for our winter destination. When the days get short and the weather gets a bit chilly, we like to stay in a place that’s spacious, comfortable and pretty. And, Bella Terra certainly fit the bill. We were more than willing to spend an extra buck or two for a place to escape the winter doldrums. This isn’t the most expensive place we’ve ever stayed, but at first glance it’s definitely above average. Now that we’ve spent two months here, we realize we’ve really spent just a little extra for the pleasure.

How did this pricey place become so affordable? First, we’ve haven’t paid any extra for utilities. Our monthly rent includes $100 in electricity, and we’ve stayed within that allowance. Last winter our electric bill was $120 a month and added to our bill. We haven’t spent a dime on propane this year. Last year, which was an exceptionally chilly winter, we spent about $65 a month on propane. The cable TV here is extensive and fantastic, so we suspended our Direct TV service for the duration, which saved us about $85 a month. If you do the math, this beautiful, spacious spot just 10 minutes from the beach is a bargain! It nets out to be just $100 a month more than the dumpy (but friendly) gravel parking lot we call home when we’re in Kansas City.

The lesson we’ve learned is to consider all the factors when choosing a place to call home for awhile. When we did, we were pleasantly surprised. Looking at it that way, we might just have to stay!

Alas, tomorrow it will be time for us to fire up this big moose and head east from here. We have new places to explore and wonderful people to meet. Along the way, we’ll find more favorite spots to call home. Whether it’s a cozy mom-and-pop place, a woodsy state park, a gravel lot or a fancy resort, there will be lots to like. We can’t wait.

Meanwhile, we’ll enjoy one more day of sweet tea, po‘ boys and good people here in our little slice of Lower Alabama.

We’re gonna miss it.