The Maiden Voyage with our Entegra Launch

First night in Maeve Anne

For Maeve Anne’s maiden voyage (which we have dubbed “Maeveanne voyage”) we drove about an hour from home to a campground where we have stayed a couple of times. This is a campground that you have to call the day of to see if there are open sites, then you can reserve a site. Not only did we reserve a spot, but there were several that were open. This is definitely a hidden gem…right on Watts Bar Lake with every site having a view of the lake.

Robert had no trouble backing her into the spot. Once there, I put some groceries away and Robert got out our chairs. Then we started figuring things out. We got out the covers for the windshield and the cab windows. That’s where we encountered a problem. The shades are supposed to have magnets in them, and I think they do but they are so weak that they won’t hold up the shades. Fortunately, we didn’t have anyone right beside us so it wasn’t a huge concern this trip. Buying magnetic shades quickly went to the top of the list of things we need to purchase...or heavier magnets and some glue.

I managed to get the side cover up but it didn't last long!

Now for the bed. I’m 5’9” and Robert is 6’3” so we aren’t small people. We weren’t completely sure how comfortable we would both be since the bed is a little on the small side. Size-wise, it turned out to be fine. As with most RV mattresses, the comfort level left something to be desired. We watched videos of people recommending different toppers or mattresses. I ordered the one recommended by a guy who is about our age and at the time of this writing, it's on the bed, all made up, ready to go.

Pre-topper

We used the portable induction cooktop for the first time to make breakfast. It worked great but getting the sticker off it was fairly time-consuming. It’s going to take some time to get used to the controls and how the heat works, but it’ll come. I like that it is stored under the pantry instead of taking up a whole drawer. It has its only little place so it will be protected.

First meal! Another thing on the list...outdoor rugs!

Coffee...a must-have

We hooked up the water without incident. Robert checked everything inside to make sure there were no leaks and that everything was working as it should. No problems there. When I washed the dishes I put a collapsible bin in the sink, filled up one with soapy water and one with just water for rinsing, and washed outside. Thankfully, we have a lot of camping supplies from our years of camping so the only things we’ll need to buy are things specifically for the van (like the window coverings). 

Now...why "Maeve Anne"? As mentioned in the previous post, our Ireland trip inspired this purchase. While we were in Killarney, we walked into a crowded pub and asked a young couple if we could join them because there were absolutely NO seats available. They said yes and we ended up talking and laughing with them for a few hours. (Okay, truth be told, since we were in a pub, of course, drinks were involved!) Her name is Maeve...she was absolutely beautiful and extremely nice. And to top it off, she is a special education teacher of high school students with autism. That's why we named her "Maeve". Robert said that since she's southern (the van, not the Irish lady) she needs a second name, and "Anne" just popped out. I didn't think about how it sounded when both names are put together but we think it works.

We can't wait to see where Maeve Anne takes us!