December 30, 2010, (Wed) - Well it looks like we are going to be able to get on the road for Florida tomorrow as planned. A major snow storm, a blizzard actually, dumped 21" (officially) of snow on us Sunday night. With the generous help of our next door neighbor, we spent the last three days clearing our 100 foot driveway so that we can get Q out - this in addition to the usual packing and loading needed for 3 months away from home. Although the official snowfall stat for our area was 21", most of what we shoveled was much more - even as much as 4 feet in places. Even now we may to do more shoveling in the morning on order to make the swing onto Mechanic street!
One way or another we will get out of here! As in the past, we have no set agenda but will keep you posted of our whereabouts via newsletter - and probably Facebook postings as well. While we are on the road we can be reached, as always, by cell phone and email.
QC11-00 Almost snowbound
QC03-12 And home.
October 8, 2010 (Fri) Indianapolis, IN (2) - Joy and Frannie went shopping at the nearby quilt shop this morning, then we spent the rest of the day relaxing. Late in the afternoon Lee and Frannie's son, Janusz came by (Tami is away) with their two children and we all went out for Mexican food. When we got back we helped Shealee celebrate her 8th birthday.
Q070175 Lee and Frannie's driveway (x2)
October 9, 2010 (Sat) Indianapolis, IN to Wheeling, WV (321/ 8653 miles) 47/80° - True to what appears to be a tradition in this part of the Indianapolis suburbs, the price of gas jumped 20¢ a gallon while we are in town - every station, every brand! We got off at about 9:00 (clear 50°) and got gas on the way to I-465. Thanks Lee and Frannie for a great visit.
There was nothing spectacular about driving I-70. It was pretty much putting the miles behind us. We crossed the border into Ohio at about 10:30 and into West Virginia about 3:15. Our destination was the Cabela's store in Wheeling, WV where we've spent the night one other time. We bought a stuffed bear rug (we'd given them to our grandchildren for Christmas a couple of years ago and Joy wanted one for herself) and a couple of miscellaneous things - enough to earn a 30% discount - and got dinner in their "grill".
The Walmart across the road, where we stayed another time, now has low clearance barriers that kept us from even going into their parking lot. We think they are to keep big trucks out but they are also keeping RVs out - not good in our opinion. We, and probably many other RVers, had some shopping to do but had to go somewhere else.
Q070491 Camp Cabela's Wheeling, WV
October 10, 2010 (Sun) Wheeling, WV to Home (439/8974 miles) 57/80° - When we asked in Cabela's about spending the night we were told that the lights in the parking lot would be turned out during the night. They suggested that we park up near the road near the street lights if we'd feel more comfortable. We chose not to. The lights went out at 6:00am as we were preparing to leave. Strange!
We took off for I-70 before dawn thinking that breakfast in a rest area down the road would have more atmosphere than the Cabela's parking lot. It did, but not much. Oh well.
The hills in western Pennsylvania were ablaze in fall colors. Although far from the spectacular canyons along the western reaches of I-70, the landscapes were beautiful. And a wonderful welcome back to the east for us.
We stopped in Reading. PA to see grand daughter Jackie who is a freshman Albright College there. We had lunch in Applebee's and a wonderful visit. When we got home, her parents had us over for a late dinner. Thanks Jeff and Barbara, it was good not to have to worry about that after a long day.
Q070937 Home
QC03-11 The prairies and beyond
October 4, 2010 (Mon) Franktown, CO to Salina, KS 53/75° - We said good-buy to Jeremiah and Kim at about 8:20 and made our way to SR86 which would take us north to I-70. Thanks guys for the use of your driveway, the ride to Evergreen, the air, the bulbs and especially the good times hanging out and visiting.
We stopped at the Safeway in Elizabeth for gas and groceries. The gas price at $2.52 per gal was by far the best we'd seen in the area. Most stations were advertising $2.69. And speaking of bargains, when we stopped again in Ellis, KS we got unleaded Plus for $2.60, 10¢ cheaper than their regular grade. We saw other people confused with this pricing too.
The long flat prairies west of the Rockies in Colorado and across Kansas were pretty much the same as when we came out a month ago. There was more harvesting going on, more activity in the fields but that's it. The scenery was far less spectacular than that west of the Rockies but interesting and fun none the less.
We pulled into the Salina, KS Walmart about 6:00 and made our way to where other RVs were parked for the night and settled in.
Q069441 Camp Walmart Salina, KS
October 5, 2010 (Tue) Salina, KS to Sedalia, MO (295/8214 miles) 52/76° - Our first stop this morning was the Flying J for water. The rest stop where we dumped yesterday didn't have drinkable water. While the water at Flying J was accessible the sewer was padlocked - meaning either they are getting strict about charging to dump or there were sewer problems, probably the former.
We felt the need to get away from the interstate so we took exit 313 off I-70 and headed south on SR177 into the "Flint Hills". It looked pretty much like the Kansas we been seeing but there wasn't the traffic. The occasional small town slowed us down but otherwise we were able make the same time as if we had on the interstate. In Burlingame, one of those small towns, albeit a little larger, the main street was wide enough to have diagonal parking down the center of the street as well as at each curb. Even then then was enough room for two lanes each way, though it wasn't marked that way. Now that's a wide main street!
There were signs at many points along the way mentioning the Santa Fe Trail. We must have been following it but we could find no positive indication that we were - no historical markers, etc.
At one point in the middle of the prairie we saw a train caboose and three old passenger cars in the yard of a house up on wheels ready to be moved . We thought, now there's a garden railroad! - and a wife not too happy with her husband's hobby.
Q069736 Camp Walmart Sedalia, MO
October 5, 2010 (Wed) Sedalia, MO to Union, MO (137/8351 miles) 47/68° - We weren't completely comfortable at Sedalia Walmart. We can't figure out why. It was relatively quiet and there were a couple of other motor homes spending the night some distance away. There were no strange people hanging out or wandering around - well there was a fellow panhandling up on the highway for a while but he seemed harmless. Anyway we were up at 6:30 (47°) and off by 8:00 headed east on US50.
We found Joy's high school friend Jim and Lois' house in Union, MO with no trouble - not nearly as difficult as trying to catch up on 50 years of experiences in a short few hours. After lunch Jim and Lois took us on a tour of Union and nearby Washington. We also took a short hike on the Katy Trail - a multipurpose trail constructed on an old railroad bed. After a delicious salmon dinner we mutually shared photo slide shows for our separate Alaska trips (ours by motor home in 2005 and theirs by small cruse ship this year).
Q069873 Jim and Lois' driveway
October 6, 2010 (Thu) Union, MO to Indianapolis, IN (302/8653 miles) 57/78° - After a wonderful breakfast and, of course, more discussion of family and old times we were again eastbound on US50. Thanks Jim and Lois for a great time. It was so good to meet you/see you again. We will be back.
Jim had suggested that we get gas in Missouri as the prices were higher in Illinois but we waited too long! As soon as we got on I-44 headed for I-70 the prices jumped 10¢. So we hunted up a Costco in St Louis that had gas. It was 7 miles off Hildene's proposed route but well worth the detour. The cost was 28¢ less than we were seeing on the highway - plus we got an additional 2% discount by using our Costco card. Joy resisted the temptation to go inside to shop.
I-70 was completely closed through Indianapolis so they could plant flowers and shrubbery. (Is that a good reason to close a busy interstate or not?) Fortunately Hildene directed us off onto I-465 just before the closure. We got to Lee and Frannie's at about 4:51.
We plan to be home Sunday night but the way this trip has gone, we are ready for anything.
Q070175 Lee and Frannie's driveway
QC03-10 And the push for home
September 29, 2010 (Wed) Bryce Canyon NP to Arches NP (297/7099 miles) 41/93° - This morning we watched the sun come up over Bryce Canyon at Sunset Point. It was chilly but very special! There were more clouds in the sky than there have been all week making for a beautiful sunrise - more than just the red sun peeking over the rim of the canyon. Then we had breakfast in the parking lot and headed for the dump station to take care of Q's sanitary needs. Too late! There were four RVs in line ahead of us! We decided to take care of that duty when we got to Arches. The only problem with that we discovered, there is no dump station in Arches!
The campground at Arches National Park campground is at the far end of the park (18 miles out). Non-camping visitors drive out to a view point just beyond the campground (Devil's Garden) then have to turn around and go home. We are here for two nights!
The ranger talk in the amphitheater was about some of the poisonous creatures here in this national park - Rattle Snake, Black Widow spider, and Scorpion. It was a very interesting talk, mostly because it was aimed at the third or forth grade class on a field trip in the park. The ranger had a good time with the kids and in the end both they and we understood the poisonous creatures much better.
We had our own personal slide show when we got back to our motor home, reviewing all the pictures we've taken the last couple of days.
September 30, 2010 (Thu) Arches National Park (2) - Today we explored the park. We started in Devil's Garden just north of the campground and worked our way down the 18 miles or so to the entrance, stopping at almost every turn-out (and even places we weren't supposed to stop) to take pictures. It was amazing how many times the photo op turn-out was 1/2 mile or more past the best vantage point! There are many walks/hikes in the park ranging from .3 miles to over 7 miles long round trip. We avoided the long ones, but did take advantage of most of the short ones. The longest we took was to where we could see the "Delicate Arch", one of the signature arches of the park. It was less than a mile round trip but moderately strenuous because of the climbing.
Since the park had no RV sanitary facilities, we decided to go into Moab - 3 miles from the park entrance - and pay a commercial campground $5 to use theirs - the cost of not waiting in line at Bryce Canyon! Since we were so close to town we went on into Moab to get lunch for us and gas for Q. We ate at a little place called "The Love Muffin Cafe" (who could pass up the opportunity to eat there?) and had one of their specialties called the "Spring Love BLT" (I think). In addition to the usual ingredients it had avocado and onion and was served on a marvelous home made bun. Joy thinks we might stop there on the way out tomorrow and pick one up for our lunch on the road.
Just as it as getting dark - we hadn't drawn the shades yet - there was a knock on our window. A white haired gentleman was there and introduced himself as our neighbor and said that he was from Germany. He asked if we had a bottle of wine he could buy. Evidently he hadn't been able to buy wine before coming the 18 miles into the campground. Joy said no, she was sorry. He asked if we had a beer he could buy. "As a matter of fact we do but I won't sell it to you, I'll give it to you." After some discussion he accepted the gift. As he walked by the window, he tapped on it and said to Joy, in his thick German accent, "In the cathedral of my heart, I will light a candle for you every day." Wow!
Q068572 Devil's Garden CG, Arches National Park (UT). #27/37 dry $10.00 A (x2)
October 1, 2010 (Fri) Arches NP to Franktown, CO (409/7508 miles) - Some clouds in the sky made for a beautiful sunrise - captured on film... er, in bits. The campground is located amongst the rocks, very large ones, behind "Skyline Arch". Before we took off we hiked up the dunes to it - not a long hike but strenuous because there was a steep climb in parts and no trail to follow - and took pictures. Finally we were ready to go.
We didn't get our Love Muffin sandwiches because our route didn't go through Moab as we thought. SR128 follows the Colorado River north through beautiful deep canyons that hint at the spectacle of the Grand Canyon to the south. There are BLM campgrounds all along the river where rafting/kayaking enthusiasts hang out between adventures. We followed the river (more or less) across Utah and well into Colorado, leaving it just before the hard assent into the Rockies. The mountains were mottled with the yellow of Aspens in full autumn color.
Environment shock! From the relative calm and serenity of a beautiful national park to the madness of heavy city (Denver) traffic - in the dark no less - in one day. We arrived at nephew Jeremiah and Kim's about 8:00 completely dragged out.
October 2, 2010 (Sat) Franktown, CO (2) 47/67° - Woke this morning to find we had another flat tire, the second on this trip! It also was inside rear but on the other side. We couldn't help but wonder how long it had been flat. It was OK when we got gas in Grand Junction but that was before the steep winding mountain roads! It turns out that it probably was flat for quite a while. The tire was ruined. We will limp home now with no spare!
After getting the tire fixed, the day was mostly sitting around chatting, reading and relaxing.
October 3, 2010 (Sun) Franktown, CO (3) 47/74° - Our excursion today took us to Evergreen, CO, a small mountain town/tourist attraction west of Denver, with Jeremiah and Kim. It is one of the few places in the Denver area with a Gluten Free Pizza restaurant. The pizza was delicious and the atmosphere was interesting. The landscape around the town was beautiful especially with many houses clinging precariously to the cliffs. Other than than that it was another day of relaxation.
Q079030 Jeremiah and Kim's driveway (x3)
QC03-09 Bryce Canyon & Zion
September 25, 2010 (Sat) Bryce Canyon NP (3) 37/71° - Maintenance day. We expected crowds today, it being Saturday, so we decided to do some of the things day tourists probably wouldn't - like do laundry and dump and clean holding tanks. We were right. No lines at either venue. That taken care of, we spent most of the rest of the day sitting around enjoying the warmth (in the sun and relative to night time temps). In the evening we walked over to Sunset Point for an evening view of the canyon. Beautiful! The crowds were thinning so the views were mostly unobstructed. As it began to get dark we saw people way down in the canyon on trails and wondered about their ability to find their war to the top again after it go dark.
September 26, 2010 (Sun) Bryce Canyon NP (4) 41/65° - We had planned to take the Navajo Loop trail down into the canyon from Sunset Point this morning but decided against it. Mark was feeling a slight shortness of breath from the altitude and worried a bit about the steep climb out. Instead, we drove out to a couple of view points we skipped the other day. Getting to some of the platforms there involved uphill climbs. They were negotiated with no more than the expected and normal panting.
After a restful afternoon we both felt ready to tackle something more challenging. The Navajo Loop is only 1.3 miles long. Almost straight down then back up, true, but if we take it slowly we should be alright. It was the most spectacular hike! Photo opportunities at every turn. But strenuous. By the time we were back at the top - we can't believe the decent into the canyon was only 550 feet! - we were so dragged out that the 1/2 mile walk back to the campground seemed an impossibility. Fixing and eating dinner were almost as challenging. We were in bed very early!
September 27, 2010 (Mon) Bryce Canyon NP (5) 37/65° - We were going to drive over to Zion National Park for the day - campground is long since full - but we decided that a day of rest is in order. Mark seems fully back to normal (maybe) after yesterday's hike but Joy thinks the exertion may have reinvigorated her cold.
Well, best laid plans etc. After sitting around a while we decided a walk over to the General Store (a camp store and requisite gift shop) would do us good. And to make it more interesting than following the road we decided to take the "Rim Trail" from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point - a beautiful walk with many more photo ops. By the time we got to the store - we got lost between the trail and the store - we didn't feel like walking all the way back. So we took the park shuttle bus. Even so our pedometers registered 3.6 miles - not much when we are used to walking 6 miles a day but at 8000 feet and after yesterdays grueling hike, we were beat when we got back.
September 28, 2010 (Tue) Bryce Canyon to Zion to Bryce Canyon. (200/6802 miles) - In Bryce we are at the top of the canyon looking down (unless we hike down into the canyon) at Zion National Park we were at the bottom of the canyon looking up (unless we chose to hike up which we didn't!) Although only a hundred miles or so apart there is no comparison of the two landscapes. Both are beautiful, even spectacular in their own way.
After showers and breakfast we hit the road southwest. Most of the trip was the usual Utah scenery, flat with mountains in the distance, but as we approached Zion National Park the scenery became more and more unbelievable. As we descended into the canyon the rocks towered higher and higher above us - and closer and closer to the road. The road in was under construction but that helped in a way - we couldn't drive faster than we could see the scenery. Not that we could drive all that fast on those extremely winding roads anyway. If we were asked to rank this road with the road over White Pass into Skagway, Alaska, we'd be hard pressed to decide which is the most beautiful. The ride today really was beyond belief.
Normally we would have had to have an escort lead us through the 1.1 mile long tunnel into the canyon (we are 6" too wide to go it alone) while on-coming traffic waited. But the construction required one-way traffic through that area anyway so traffic was stopped one-way for everyone - and we didn't have to pay the $15 escort fee. Even though there was no on-coming traffic, it was hard to "take our half out of the middle." We bumped the side at one point. There was no damage, or even evidence that we had hit that we could find but the humiliation persists!
Once in the park proper, we parked at the Visitor's Center and took the Zion Shuttle, stopping to hike short distances on the trails and to take pictures along the way. There is far more than can be seen or experienced in a few hours. We had no illusion that this would be our "been there, done that" for Zion. We will be back and next time we'll camp in the park like we did here.
It's off to Arches National Park tomorrow.
Q068035 Sunset Campground, Bryce Canyon National Park #239 dry $7.50 A (x6)
QC03-08 Eastbound The Beginning.
September 21, 2010 (Tue) Dalles, OR to Mountain Home, ID (361/5949 miles) 60/84° - We were up at 6:00 and ate breakfast but we waited around until the sun was up enough to light the bluff to our West. The rock and earth formations were worth waiting for a good picture. Once under way we proceeded east on the Lewis and Clark Trail (I-84) through the Columbia River Gorge. Beautiful! The windmills must be producing plenty of power, there are enough of them. The trains along both sides of the gorge are long and plentiful. Much commerce being moved!
Once out of the gorge, we stopped at a "Space Age" truck stop to readjust our itinerary - we wanted to go further south than we were going. While Mark fired up the computer, a horse trailer pulled up next to us. It was loaded with black and white cows! One of them stared at Joy, and she at it, eyeball to eyeball for longer than she would have wished. (Do you wish for that kind of thing?)
Our drive alternated between mountains and plains, all very scenic though in different ways. At 12:31 we passed over the 45th parallel - the half way point between Equator and North Pole. There was no dotted line that we could see. We are now on Mountain Time which through us off schedule a bit - it's later than our bodies tell us it is.
The young lady in the Walmart Customer Service department said that we were only allowed to stay 3 nights in their parking lot. That seemed fine with us. Nothing to see from here anyway.
Q067422 Camp Walmart Mountain Home, ID
September 22, 2010 (Wed) Mountain Home, ID to Great Basin NP, NV (412/6361 miles) 50/70° - Well here we are perched 8000 feet up on the side of a mountain in a stand of trees (Aspen) rare in these parts. Q is tired, as we all are, and his butt is covered with a thick layer of road dust from the three mile washboard dusty gravel road to the campground.
Today started out normally, if waking up in Walmart parking lot can be considered normal. It was very quiet there and dimly lit, good for sleeping. Up before dawn and back onto I-84 at 7:30. At 9:00 we turned onto US93 south and headed for Nevada. US50 in Nevada has been named "The Loneliest Road" but US93 must be a close second - mile upon mile of nothing, no trees, no hills, no wildlife or livestock, no buildings and no traffic. If we passed more than one car every five miles, we were in a traffic jam. There was only sage brush, sand, puffy clouds in a blue sky, and the highway lined with miles and miles of clumps of yellow flowers called rabbitbrush. Luckily we stopped for gas in Wells because as we left town and got back on US93 there was a sign saying "No gas for the next 78 miles"! Then there was another 50 some miles to the next station - a lot like Alaska but less scenic.
The fellow at the Lehman Falls Visitors Center (in the Great Basin National Park) said "You're 24 feet long. No problem, You can get into any site in any of the campgrounds." Mark asked again are there any sites available?" "No problem. You can get into any of the sites." That non-answer should have sent up a flag for us but it didn't. He was wrong on both counts. Lower Lehman Creek was full - mostly class A motor homes and fifth wheels (how they fit into those small spaces is a mystery). Upper Lehman Creek campground, with access roads that would have been a challenge to 4 wheel drive ATVs, had two "available" sites, neither anywhere near flat. One had a hump so big Q would have bottomed out - if he could have gotten into the site at all. The other had possibilities even though it was about as big as Q's footprint (i.e. 24'x8') We tried but our rear step hit the severe steep slope into it. The next campground up the road is Wheeler peak - only vehicles of 24' and less are allowed up there - but it was 12 miles further on and at over 10,000 altitude! Our information was that the water had been shut off because it tends to freeze up there this time of year. We resisted the temptation to go there.
Baker Creek campground is at the end of another spur, a three mile long gravel road. We took the first empty site we came to even though it was far from ideal. Q is low in his dusty rump and lists to starboard a bit but we're calling it home for tonight. Sleeping with our heads low will be an adventure.
From the Great Basin brochure:
Q067834 Baker Creek CG, Great Basin National Park. #6 dry $6 C
September 23, 2010 (Thu) Great Basin NP to Bryce Canyon NP (UT) (201/6562 miles) 48/75° - We experienced the Great Basin described above in living detail both yesterday and today. After coming down off the mountain we stopped in Baker for gas at the only act in town. At $3.25 a gallon, we limited Q's intake to 10 gallons. We probably could have made the next 75 miles of nothing but didn't want to take the chance. Then it was across a wide flat plain, over a mountain pass, across a wide flat plain, over a mountain, etc. at least four times. The road was dead straight most of the time. As we came over the pass we could see it all the way to the top of the next pass, maybe 20 miles away. What a fantastic drive!
The campgrounds in Bryce Canyon National Park are first-come-first-served, meaning no reservations are accepted. We got here at about 2:00 and found one campground full and the other almost full. We should have started out earlier! Even so we have a good site and will stay for a few days.
September 24, 2010 (Fri) Bryce Canyon NP (2) 30/69° - It got cold last night! 31°. By the time we had eaten our breakfast and were ready to explore the canyon it had dropped to 30°. Then as we drove out to Rainbow Point, the end of the 18 mile rim road and 1000 ft+ higher, it had dropped even further to 27°. But the temperature was soon forgotten as we walked out onto the viewing platform. What a spectacular view. It was beyond awesome! Think Grand Canyon without the steroids but with spires and rock formations more imaginary than can be imagined. After 4 hours we had hundreds of pictures and very weary legs from hiking the trails. (the 9000 foot altitude thin air was slow to feed aging muscles use to sea level exercise.)
Q068035 Sunset Campground, Bryce Canyon National Park #239 dry $7.50 A
QC03-07 And now to rest
September 13, 2010 (Mon) Yakima, WA to Edmonds, WA (214/5323) 54/77° - Gas is not cheap in Washington. We saw only prices over $3.00 as we drove to the campground last night. Some as high as $3.11/gal. We found the prices better in the city- $2.99 was common. When we saw a station advertising $2.91, we pulled in behind a van pulling a travel trailer. Big mistake! After waiting several minutes, Mark noticed the the van was not only not getting gas but was actually too far from the pump the get it if he wanted to. There seemed to be no one in the driver's seat and kids were running back and forth to the convenience store - and to the pickup truck at the other island not getting gas either. This went on for maybe another five minutes - it seemed like an hour - before there was any sign of drivers for either vehicle. We were completely blocked in, including cars behind us, so we couldn't leave. When we finally did get to the pump (maybe 15 minutes later) it was cash only, not even an option to pay more to use a credit card! We don't carry enough cash to fill the tank of a motor home. We went to another station.
The drive over Steven's Pass through the Cascade Mountains on US 2 was as beautiful as we remembered it from 5 years ago. The road has improved, widened to 3 or 4 lanes in many places, so we didn't feel guilty about our slow pace. We stopped at several scenic view points and took some good pictures. We hope!
We got to Phil and Gail's house high above Puget Sound at about 1:30. They and their daughter Alison greeted us and helped us make ourselves at home. It will be good to stay put for a while.
September 14, 2010 (Tue) Edmonds, WA (2) - A day of shopping trips now and then for Joy and generally a day of relaxation for both of us. And, of course, lots of visiting.
September 15, 2010 (Wed) Edmonds, WA (3) - Phil took us into Seattle (Fremont actually) this morning. This is an artist's village with many very interesting shops. Among the many attractions is the Fremont Troll who lives under the Aurora bridge. The was commissioned by the Fremont Arts Council and built by several artists several years ago. It was meant to keep the area under the bridge from becoming an urban ghetto and tire dump. We had lunch in a very good Thai restaurant in the village. On the way home we stopped by the Chittenden Locks which provides a link for boats between the saltwater of the Puget Sound and the fresh water of the ship canal connecting to Lake Union and Lake Washington. We are always fascinated with watching the boats go through locks.
September 19, 2010 (Sun) Edmonds, WA (7) The last few days have been full of all those things that make family visits so much fun - fun to experience, not so much fun to read about. Thursday, Joy, Gail and Alison went into Seattle, to the famous Pike Market to be exact, while Mark stayed home to fight a coming on cold. The girls ate at a French restaurant and pronounced it very good. Today Mark, Joy, Gail and Phil went into downtown Edmonds to the their "Summer Market", a weekly farm market extravaganza. (Maybe not really an extravaganza but big and interesting anyway). Other than that we all pretty much hung out nursing various stages of our colds.
One highlight, among many, was our spectacular view of Puget Sound from our bedroom window. What a treat that was!
Q066796 Phil and Gail's driveway (parked) (x7)
September 20, 2010 (Mon) Edmonds, WA to Dalles, OR (265/5588 miles) - A tearful good-bye and heartfelt thanks to Phil, Gail and Alison for sharing so much with us. We will be back and we won't wait 5 years next time. It was drizzly and overcast as we packed Q in preparation for the long trip home. The drizzle, just enough to allow the 18 wheelers to keep our windshield constantly covered, continued down 1-5 and East on I-90 until we started into the Cascade Mountains then it began to rain as if it meant it. The sightseeing was replaced with tension filled driving. It didn't let up until just before we reached Yakima - where it seldom rains. We stopped there, got gas and picked up supplies before going on. The winds picked up considerably as we headed for the Columbia River Gorge, blowing us around as much or more than it did when we crossed Kansas a couple of weeks ago. And it's blowing still.
This campground is run by the US Corp of Engineers, as are many on waterways with dams and locks. It's a first come, first served campground so we had hoped that getting here relatively early (4:00) in the middle of the week would mean we'd get a campsite and maybe even a good selection. Didn't happen! There are a lot of fishermen here expecting a run of salmon. So we are in the overflow area (read parking lot). But except for what looks like permanent tent village at the other end of the parking lot, the scenery is wonderful. There are high bluffs all around us topped with scores of wind turbines. While we can't see the Columbia River from here, there is an inlet a few hundred feet away. It's quiet now and we expect it will be overnight as well.
Q067061 LaPage Park (COE), Dalles, OR dry $6.00 B
QC03-06 Pacific NW here we come
September 9, 2010 (Thur) Franktown, CO to Meeker, CO (266/4061 miles) 53/76° - It was clear and we could see the Rockies this morning. What a beautiful place to have a house! Thank you Jer and Kim for sharing your view with us - and, of course, your facilities and most of all, yourselves. We had a great time.
Our first stop was the King Sooper (a supermarket) for gas where a very friendly local swiped his membership card in our pump giving us a 3¢/gal discount on our gas. Then we headed for Meeker, CO following Lee and Frannie. We, Mark and Joy, missed the turn to the interstate around Denver and found ourselves in the heavy commuter traffic. Actually it wasn't bad by New York City standards and we didn't lose much time at all. When we met Lee and Frannie at the the Grizzly Creek Rest Area in Glenwood Canyon, it turned out that they hadn't gotten there much before we had. In spite of the detour it was a spectacular drive through the Rockies - especially through the canyon. The canyon is hard to describe and impossible to photograph, the walls are so close and so high, But what a ride!
After eating lunch we took off separately and met again at the Walmart in Rifle, Co. Lee had some things to pick up for their weeks in the wild and we can always find something we need there. As we were about to leave a big two trailer FedEx semi-truck came into the parking lot. It was fascinating watching him make the very tight turn into the lot. We didn't think he was going to make it, but he did and we pulled Q into a tight turn toward the exit road where the FedEx truck was then making a turn into the parking lot proper. We heard a loud bang and looked over to see that a large nearly round boulder (decoration on the corners of the grass islands at the end of each parking row) under the near side of the second trailer. It was big enough (larger in diameter than the truck's wheels) that it held the rear wheels up off the ground. Instead of stopping, the truck kept going causing the wheels roll up the boulder, almost tipping the trailer over! If they had topped the rock it would have gone over for sure but the wheels slipped off and the trailer slammed back town onto the rock. This happened several times and each time we thought the trailer was going to go over. It didn't and the driver finally became aware of what was happening and stopped. In addition to pulling the boulder off the island, his tight turn had knocked over a sign that read "No Trucks".
The campground in Meeker is really a parking lot with a few electrical outlets, some of which worked - ours didn't - for overnight RVs. The $15 a night fee provides some loose change income to the Meeker Chamber of Commerce. We walked the very interesting little town and had dinner in the Meeker Hotel, frequented in the past by the likes of Theodore Roosevelt, Gary Cooper and Billy The Kid.
Q065534 Meeker, CO Municipal Park dry $15
September 10, 2110 (Fri) Meeker, CO to Riverdale, UT (328/4389 miles) 50/69° - It got a little chilly during the night. Since we were going to take showers, we turned the furnace on for a few minutes to warm things up before getting up at 6:30. Lee and Frannie's dog, Red Bone, has been favoring his right front paw for several days. They decided to have it looked at this morning so we said our good-byes and they went off in search of a Vet. After tending to Q's sanitary needs and fumbling around for a the best route west we finally settled on SR 64 and got under way.
The mountains were behind us, but the scenery was no less beautiful. What we were watching pass by cannot be easily described. It was the type of scenery that looks spectacular in real life but falls horribly flat and uninteresting in pictures - unless take by professionals. And to make matters more frustrating, the most photogenic scenes came along when there was no way we could pull over to take the pictures. Even so we got a few for our memory book.
We crossed the state line into Utah at 11:39am and almost immediately the landscape looked more "Utah". It took on the red cast and butte dominated skyline seen so ofter in advertisements for Utah. It was all very beautiful. It is amazing to us Easterners how there can be so much undeveloped land. We would travel for miles and not see a single man-made object except for the road and an occasional passing car or truck.
At one scenic pull-off we met a young couple who was bicycling across the country. Not being journalists, we neglected to ask many important questions. We did learn that they had started in New York city and that he had grown up in a small town near Syracuse, NY (he knows where Fayetteville is), but questions like when did they start out and what is their destination city were left unanswered.
Q065862 Camp Walmart, Riverdale, UT (north of Salt Lake City)
September 11, 2110 (Sat) Riverdale, UT to Meridian, ID (360/4749 miles) - The Riverdale Walmart is one of the nicest places to park that we've encountered. It's quiet - meaning no fast, muffler challenged cars or motorcycles roaring past, no trucks with engines running, no trains blowing whistles, no street sweepers cleaning the parking lot at ungodly hours. We thought we might have a problem with aircraft noise from the nearby Air Force base but only one plane attempted to land on top of us. And the view beyond the stores around us was of mountains - when it was light enough to see them.
After a good night's sleep for both of us, we were up at 6:15 and on the road by 7:25 (45° clear). As we left the City we saw a road sign for the Golden Spike National Historic Site with no indication as to where it was. Several miles up I-84 later we came across the exit. It turned out to be 40 miles out of our way but the detour was well worth the time and gas. Today being Saturday, we saw the full reenactment of the ceremony surrounding the driving of the golden spike to signify the completion of the country's first transcontinental railroad. The narrator and volunteer "actors", one from the audience, were in period costume and worked their way through their scripts with very few stumbles. The replicas of Central Pacific's Jupiter and Union Pacific's No. 119 locomotives were decked out in authentic, bright colors. Beautiful! They puffed across the desert and met in front of us where the ceremony took place.
Although it started out cold this morning, 41° when we got up, the day warmed up considerably. It was 66° as we ate our lunch in the Golden Spike NM parking lot (Q had been sweltering in the Utah sun) and well into the 70s by the time we pulled into the Walmart parking lot in Meridian (near Boise), ID. The manager there said, when we asked him about spending the night, we could stay up to 3 nights. We said we only needed to stay 1.
Q066222 Walmart Meridian, ID
September 12, 2110 (Sun) Meridian, ID to Yakima, WA (360/5109 miles) 51/87° - As we lay in bed waking up, this morning, we were prepared to rate this Walmart one of the better ones. In addition to the very friendly management, there were relatively few loud muffler incidents and none after 10:00 or so. The parking lot was big and quite empty where RVs were allowed to park. 15 minutes later we were scrambling to leave as fast as we could. As we were in the process of converting bed room to living room a big white pickup truck pulled into the space next to us - strange in itself since there was a whole parking lot to choose from - so close that it was a wonder its extended rear view hadn't scraped along Q's side. Looking out the driver's window, Mark could see that if it were to move another 6 inches forward, its rear view mirror would seriously damage Q's rear view mirror. It was too close by 3 inches! Mark also saw that the driver was staying in his seat. The fellow, quite heavy in the stomach, didn't seem interested in us - we didn't feel particularly threatened (a bit nervous maybe) but we did wonder if he might be taking exception to the Obama sticker on Q's rump. Since he was just sitting there - drunk? high? tired? oblivious? distracted? - there was no way of knowing when he would pull out, taking our mirror with him. We decided to abandon our morning routine and head for a rest area. We stopped at McDonald's for some coffee on the way out of Meridian but the rest area wasn't very far - just across the state line into Oregon. There we finished our bed-to-living conversion, got dressed and fixed and ate our breakfast before moving on.
I-84 is under construction in several very long stretches and we passed two accidents - one where the vehicle was so badly damaged that it was hard to say whether it was a car or a pickup - it apparently rolled several times. There was also a serious backup in one construction area. Chatter on the CD indicated that some yo yo had a flat tire on his trailer - utility as it turned out - and had stopped in the middle of the barricaded, single lane road to change it - rather than going on to where he could pull off the road.
The scenery through Oregon was mostly rolling knobby brown hills - for miles. No trees. just dried out grass with some sage brush mixed in here and there. It often looked very alien, like a Martian landscape, and like in Idaho, there was constant long vistas with high mountains in the far distance.
We've stayed in Sportsmen State Park every time we've been in this area. It's a nice little park, and very popular with the local community on weekends.This time we won't be visiting the Chinook factory though. Trail Wagons is out of business - some five years now.
Q066582 Sportsman State Park, Yakima, WA #44 dry $21.00 B
QC03-05 Westward Ho
September 5, 2010 (Sun) Springfield, MO to Independence, MO (182/3257 miles) 64/86° - The phrase "rolling hills" is never so apparent as when driving north through Missouri. Picture an arrow-straight 4 lane highway centered in a very wide swath cut through green forest, undulating up and down as it recedes into the distance. That is Missouri to us. US13 was our path this morning. We expected a somewhat winding 2 lane road out of the Ozark Mountains. So did Hildene. Every few miles she'd instruct us to navigate back onto the road. A look at her screen map showed that she thought we were driving across open fields/farm land. No wonder she was so insistent! Apparently the highway we were on was build since her maps were created. In fact some signs along the road indicated that the road had been open only since summer.
The drive was easy and spectacularly beautiful all the way to Kansas City. Then the nightmare began. The interchanges, exits and lane changes on the interstates, the only way to get to where we needed to go, were bad enough but we also had to negotiate some city streets. Still not too bad. But we could not see the RV park from the address Hildene led us to, correct as it turned out. It looked like a city park rather than an RV park. We ended up in the congested streets of Independence where there was some sort of festival going on. Most of the streets were blocked. After calling the campground we knew where we needed to go but there was literally no way to get there, directly at least. We had to get out of the festival area and make a wide circle and come in from another angle. Even then the only way to break out of an endless loop that we found ourselves in was to go around a road block. Luckily no one saw us or cared if they had. We pulled into the campground at about 12:30 and took the showers we had put off this morning.
Ed and Kathy, on their way home from Alaska, arrived at about 2:00. We spent the afternoon talking travel experiences and then went to the Hi-Vee supermarket for dinner. Big mistake! Wegmans or Whole Foods they are not!!
Q064730 Campus RV Park, Independence, MO. #3 w/e/s $28.28 C
September 6, 2010 (Mon) Independence, MO to Goodland, KS (366/3623 miles) 69/84° - Campus RV Park was thickly populated (maybe 12' between rigs) and noisy (mainline trains went through very nearby every 15 minutes or so all night long, driven by engineers with sadistic bents (they would lay on the horn as they entered town and not let up until they were out, some five minutes later - it seemed like an hour), a next door neighbor's dog whining and barking to be let in 10 feet outside our bedroom window for about 20 minutes (11:30pm) and a diesel pickup, it turned out, left with its engine idling right in front of Q (12:30pm) But the company was superb! Thanks, Ed and Kathy, for meeting us and for the chance to share stories. We'll do it again sometime - in a different town.
We got off at about 7:30am, said good-bye to Ed and Kathy and drove west on Truman Rd (Independence, MO in the hometown of Harry Truman) to I-70. From there is was I-70 all the way across Kansas. There is not much to be said about the scenery. Kansas is pretty much flat and unremarkable. Some say that this stretch of the road as boring and they are relieved when it is behind them. To us it is beautiful and not at all boring. Even in the mid-western prairies there is an endless variety of landscape and things to see and talk about. We love it. The only distraction was the buffeting we got from heavy cross winds - 20 to 30 mph according to some radio meteorologists. We were both exhausted when we pulled into the Goodland, KS Walmart for the night.
Some interesting things along the way:
We'd seen signs every few miles for maybe 50 miles for an adult (sex) superstore. It turned out to be right off the interstate. On the ramp leading back onto the highway there was a large billboard that said, in part, "The eyes of the Lord are on you."
We saw huge wind mills across several ridge lines - hundreds of them. And later on we saw one of the blades for a similar windmill on a transport truck. It's unbelievable how big they are.
There were signs advertising, among other things - i.e. tourist trap goodies - the worlds largest prairie dog. We wanted to stop to take pictures to email to Jeff and Jennifer but would have had to pay to get in to see it!
Q065096 Camp Walmart Goodland, KS
September 7, 2010 (Tue) Goodland, KS to Franktown, CO (170/3793 miles) 51/77° - Since we'd gone to bed so early last night - as soon as it got dark - we were awake and ready to get up early this morning, 4:45! We were on the road at 5:15 (51° still dark but sky looked clear , no wind), got gas and proceeded west on I-70. At the first rest area we stopped and ate our breakfast watching the dawn. There was a beautiful sunrise in the rear view mirrors as we pulled onto I-70 again.
The scenery is all very "western" now with panoramic vistas of signature rolling knobby hills. Except for these very low variations the whole area seems almost flat, but in fact, we had been slowly going up for the last several days. Topping one particularly big hill our altimeter showed 6285 feet. That's over a mile above sea level!
We eagerly watched and waited for our first view of the Rockies but our vigil went unrewarded for quite some time because of haze on the horizon. We passed a building calling itself "Peak View Motel" and assumed that Pike's Peak must be visible from there so we made a concerted effort to see it and we did - very vaguely. The Rockies are still there.
We got to Jeremiah and Kim's at about 9:30 am. Frannie and Red Bone, their dog, were there to greet us. Jer and Lee were off shopping and Kim was working (via computer). We all got together after a while and had a great time visiting and renewing family relationships. For dinner we went to a Thai/Vietnamese restaurant in a near by town. Excellent!
September 8, 2010 (Wed) Franktown, CO (2) 61/76° - A day to hang out and visit. We continue westward tomorrow.
Q065266 Jer & Kim's yard
QC03-04 Out of the south
September 1, 2010 (Wed) Englewood, FL to Cordele, GA (393/2290 miles) - We broke camp and Joy went in and said good-bye to her mother - tough! Stops at Publix in Englewood for supplies, the Walmart in Venice for gas and a Subway for coffee took about an hour. We were finally on the road at 9:36. Why Walmart gas? By using a Walmart gift card that we buy (or recharge) with an American Express card, we can save the equivalent of about 8¢ a gallon on already very inexpensive gas.
Flying J truck stops have prided themselves and have a reputation for being RV friendly. They are beginning to lose that with us. They now charge $10 to dump RV holding tanks. It used to be free. It's half price for RV Club members (there is also a 1¢ discount on gas). On the way south we got our 50% but there was no fresh water available at that station. We had to stop at another for that. Did we steal it if we didn't pay another $5 fee? If so, so be it! Today we were told our club card was no longer active. What? We were told we should have gotten a new one in the mail. We didn't. So it cost us $10 to dump and then we had to wait in the gas pump line, even though we didn't need gas, to get our fresh water. From now on we patronize Flying J only in desperation.
Crossed into Georgia at 3:44 and made our way here to the Cordele Walmart. It's hot here too!
Q063763 Camp Walmart Cordele, GA
September 2, 2010 (Thu) Cordele, GA to Clear Creek Rec Area, William B. Bankhead Nation Forest (299/2589 miles) - Our friend Ed would appreciate the fact that the Cordele Walmart is about 500 feet from a railroad (CSX?) main line. Every 5 to 15 minutes a 50 plus car train rumbles past - in each direction! - blowing its whistle for the nearby crossing. Unnerving to say the least! We get relief only when we turn the generator and A/C on to reduce the 92° heat. Luckily they stopped running at about 10:00. Mark and Joy disagree about whether this was one of the noisiest or quietest Walmarts we've stayed at. Neither slept well but Mark evidently slept through the noise and Joy through the quiet.
Needless to say, we were up early (5:45), ate breakfast and were ready to hit the road just before 7:00 (72° clear sky but hazy) We stopped for coffee at a very busy McDonald's not at all set up for motor homes, even those as small as Q. Almost all of our driving today was on US280 to avoid the rush and angst of the interstates. Most of it was a real pleasure, very little traffic and the beautiful rural Georgia and Alabama landscapes to watch out the window. Peanut and cotton fields predominated the more rural areas with an occasional pecan grove filling in. The villages understandably slowed us down but most of them were only minor annoyances. Americus, GA was an exception. It is a small city and US280 went through the downtown section. Birmingham, AL was a nightmare!! 'nuf said. We are glad for the peace and quiet of a National Forest campsite where we will stay an extra day to recover.
September 3 2010 (Fri) Clear Creek Rec Area (2) - This campground is a lot like the Strom Thurman Dam campground we were at the end of our winter trip in 2008. The configuration of the lake shore and the look of the "beach" are almost identical. But it's all hill here. It's a steep hill all the way from the gate to the campground and lake (maybe a mile). We'd thought we might take our bicycles out to explore but had second thoughts. This kind of terrain is good for going down but impossible for going up with our out of condition legs. Instead we explored on foot. We probably did less than two miles in all but by the time we were back home our legs were rubber. It's been cooler today than it has been but still too hot for that kind of exercise. In general, it's been quiet here and a good place to unwind after a couple of weeks of stress. We were almost alone most of the day but the Labor Day weekend crowd filled the empty campsites by late afternoon.
Helping to contribute to our ability to "get away from it all" is our almost total lack of contact with the outside world - no TV, no phone reception, no internet and only a handful of radio stations, most with unexceptionable program content. This isolation has been both a blessing and a frustration.
Q064062 Clear Creek Rec Area, William B. Bankhead NF #70 w/e #12.05 A (x2)
September 4, 2010 (Sat) Clear Creek Rec Area to Springfield, MO (486/3075 miles) - We woke up this morning and discovered that we'd crossed into a different time zone sometime on Thursday. So our bodies were telling us we were getting off at 8:36 but it was really 7:36 (58° clear sky, crescent moon) - that after eating breakfast, breaking camp and tending to Q's sanitary needs. Our route out of the national forest and back onto US78 was through some very rural areas of Alabama. Although Hildene didn't direct us onto any dirt roads, there were plenty to be seen. The rest of the drive was pretty much straight forward up US78 and US63 from Alabama through Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and into Missouri. The highway and landscape were beautiful most of the way. US78 is about to become I-22 - it's hard to determine why it's not already unless it's the traffic lights now and then in or near the "cities" - and US63 was divided 4 lanes most of the way.
Off in the distance we could see what was either a bird or an airplane (we were pretty sure it wasn't Superman) doing some kind of acrobatics. As we got closer, we could see that it was a bright yellow crop duster. We saw several of these. It made us wonder how much of that poison was making it to our bloodstreams.
Walmarts are usually very accommodating to us weary travelers. Unless local officials enact ordinances forbidding it, they allow overnight RV parking. Here they even provide hookups. Actually we disagree on what they are for but there is a water spigot and 3 120v receptacles in the grass island beside where we are parked.
Q064548 Camp Walmart Springfield, MO
QC03-03 Hot Florida
August 27, 2010 (Fri) Englewood, FL (3) high 90s - Yesterday we parked Q in the hospital employee's parking lot during the day while we were in and out of the hospital. Today, in search of more shade, we chose to park in a Publix (supermarket) parking lot across the street from the hospital. Mark stayed in the the motor home when Joy went to visit her mother. When she got there she learned that the hospital was in lock down. There were several police cars around and the lot where we'd parked yesterday was cordoned off with police tape. Apparently someone found a box with wires hanging out of it that could not be explained.
Bom came home this afternoon. Although she is in no pain most of the time (a mystery but also a blessing) she's uncomfortable when she has to move or be moved. Fortunately that doesn't happen very often. We are camped out nearby behind the assisted living home so that Joy can visit her a couple of times a day.
August 28, 2010 (Sat) Englewood, FL (4) 91/98° - The last day of our cell phone rationing! All the calls to Bom's health care insurer and "Human Resources" used up 298 of our 300 allotted minutes. We thought about selling the last 2 minutes on eBay but never got around to it.
Joy and Gail spent nearly 3 hours with the Visiting Nurse nurse this morning giving her Bom's health history and current situation, including general condition, abilities and limitations (broken ankle not withstanding). They spent a couple of hours with Bom in the afternoon and evening but she is mostly sleeping now recovering from the operation and medications. We dined (for the second time) at Mango Bistro, one of the two good places to eat in Englewood.
August 29, 2010 (Sun) Englewood, FL (5) 81/95° - The rain last night cooled things off some but it was still very humid and uncomfortable this morning. Without Gail's car - she's flying back to Seattle today - we decided to get some long overdue exercise. We walked to the Publix to get a New York Times and some milk. It was about 3 miles round trip.
We had a quick downpour this afternoon. It was just long enough to soak Mark as he closed up a chair he'd put out and wet down the areas around and under the windows and vents before they could be closed. Then it stopped. Some threats later but nothing developed.
August 30, 2010 (Mon) Englewood, FL (6) 76/94° - Although it didn't rain during the night, it cooled off enough that we needed cover in the form of a sheet before morning. More importantly, it's dryer. That makes a whole lot of difference in comfort.
The physical therapist came to work with Bom this afternoon. After taking some time to get some history - Bom is going to be very well documented when this has run its course - she put her through as series of simple exercises. Kelli (the therapist) was quit impressed with Bom's strength and condition. And Joy is very happy with the therapist. She's a lovely person, gentle and personable. Bom was tired when she'd finished though and fell asleep soon after the session was finished.
August 31, 2010 (Tue) Englewood, FL (7) 76/97° - It was quite comfortable sleeping again last night - after it cooled off. This morning we went out and did some errands - including laundry. We will be leaving tomorrow and don't want to take the time then when we can get them done today.
Q063281 Jeanne Walton's yard, Englewood, FL (x7)
QC03-02 Go West or South?
August 23, 2010 (Mon) Fayetteville, NY to Carlisle, PA (469/772 miles) - The rain stopped sometime during the night, although there were some splattering on the roof early this morning - probably from the trees. The sky has been overcast all day. Dave went to work and Shane off to "camp". Jennifer had some work to do so we expected a relatively quiet day. Didn't happen!
We got a call from Bom's doctor mid afternoon. In spite of his beliefs and what he had told us, she will need surgery on her ankle after all. The X-rays revealed that there were some bone fragments that need to be removed and a stabilizing pin inserted. Joy spent some time on the phone with Jeanne (owns assisted living place) and Bom's doctors. We also learned that there is a problem with Bom's secondary health insurance, but by the time we found out it was too late to begin to work on it. Even though Bom has friends and excellent care, we thought she needed family with her for an operation and hospital stay so we loaded up Q - what little there was to load - and started for Florida.
Carlisle, PA is a lot further from Syracuse than we thought. There was a lot of construction areas on I-81 slowing traffic and the concentration of trucks was unnerving to say the least. On two occasions Hildene told us that we were passing wind farms but we didn't see them - too dark. We pulled into the Carlisle Flying J at about 11:15 (way past our bed time) and fell into bed.
Q0626145 Flying J truck stop, Carlisle, PA
August 24, 2010 (Tue) Carlisle, PA to Walterboro, SC (657/1429 miles) - It was fairly quiet during the night - for a truck stop. But then, maybe not. We were exhausted and slept soundly all night. We ate breakfast and got off at about 7:45 (cloudy 63°) and crossed the Potomac River into West Virginia just before 9:00. Phone calls to the insurance company had to be made so we stopped at a rest area. After a 20 to 30 minute phone call during which Mark navigated a long complicated automated menu that insisted on repeating itself and would not tolerate interruptions until he was finally able to reach a human being. He had to again answer identification questions and give out all kinds of authenticating information plus give, in great detail, the reason he was calling. Only then was he told no information would be given to him. None. Nada. Not why she had been turned down in the pre-approval process. Not even if she was a member of their plan, active or inactive. He did learn that there had been no requests for benefits - which indirectly answered a couple of questions. After hearing many, many "I'm sorry sir, I can't give you that information.", or "She has to be on the line for me to answer that, sir, I'm sorry", he was grudging told that the hospital or doctor's office could get the information. OK, That's a start. Joy called the surgeon's office. They said they would get on it and if there were any problems, they'd call.
The Orangeburg, SC Walmart seemed like a good place to stop. It wasn't. When we asked at Customer Service if it would be OK to spend the night, they didn't know. "Check with management, that woman in the Yellow jacket over there." The woman in the yellow jacket looked at us as if she didn't know what we were talking about. She said she'd check with the store manager. She went off and never came back. We left in search of an other Walmart. The atmosphere in the parking lot seemed uncomfortable anyway. And there were no other motor homes parked there for the night. The Walmart at Walterboro, NC is much more what we are use to. There are a couple of other motor homes nearby and several 18 wheelers. We didn't even go in to ask for permission. 13 hours and 657 miles on the road. We were in bed by 9:30 (80°)
Q062802 Camp Walmart, Walterboro, SC
August 25, 2010 (Wed) Walterboro, SC to Englewood, FL (379/1803 miles) - We started the day with a flat tire. Actually we started with showers but when we got back from our courtesy shopping in the Walmart we discovered Q had a flat tire. OK, instead of breakfast in a nice scenic rest area down the road we'd eat while we waited for the road service truck. So we started a rushed no-atmosphere breakfast. The truck came half way through breakfast, 15 minutes after we'd called roadside assistance! The fellow changed the tire for us and we followed him to his home base so he could fix it. It was a bad valve stem (which he fixed for free). Although we got up at 5:00 hoping to see Bom in the hospital at a reasonable hour, we finally got off at 8:37 (74°)
Since we hadn't heard from the doctor's office we assumed the insurance issue was resolved. It wasn't. Thus began a marathon of 5 calls (at least) to the insurance company, with the requisite 15 minutes of menu navigation, personal identification and problem explanation each time, where Mark was reminded yet again (and again) of his inadequacy. "Sorry, sir, we can't give you that information." at least 15 times. "But I need to know why Mrs Annich was refused coverage." or "How can we get the resolved?" "You'll have to get her on the line for us to give you that information." "She's 98 years old and in the hospital for surgery." "I'm sorry sir, I can only give that information to her" "But. . . ." "I'm sorry, sir." "Stop saying you're and work with me. What can I do to get this resolved?" "I'm sorry, sir, I can't help you. It's the law." And so it went. She finally gave up the phone number of "Human Resources" which turned out to be a euphemism for the company handling Bom's (actually her husband's) pension benefits. The number given turned out to be wrong resulting in another call to the insurance company (yup, 15 minutes of garbage before getting to ask for the number again.
The problem is finally being worked out, with no thanks to the insurance company. The system is broken!!!
We got to the Venice hospital about 7:30, saw Bom - she's in good spirits and no pain from her broken ankle - and came on down to Englewood. Another long day!
August 26, 2010 (Thu) Englewood, FL (2) - It rained off and on during the night, sometimes quite heavily. Mark got up when it started and closed the windows. But he neglected to close the bathroom vent. So, a wet bathroom this morning. The soggy rug will take a long time to dry (and smell sweet again) in this humid and rainy weather, expected to last through the weekend.
Bom's operation was a success. She may be able to go home tomorrow or the next day and should be able to walk OK again, a concern up to now, after several weeks of healing. We will stay on a few more days to be sure she is well situated for her convalescence and to follow up on the insurance issues.
Q063281 Jeanne Walton's yard, Englewood, FL
QC03-01 A plan in jeopardy
August 20, 2010 (Fri) Home to Fayetteville, NY (303/303 miles) - We had done most of our packing and loading last night so the last minute chores, this morning, were relatively easy and quick. We got off at exactly 9:00am (clear sunny 79°) and headed for the bagel shop downtown. As much as we wanted to get a couple of bagels each for ourselves - comfort food or the long drive ahead - we resisted. (Joy gets the credit.) Our mission there was to get a couple of bagelboards (bagel boards?) for Dave and Jennifer. They love them and can't get them in the Syracuse area.
About half way up the the Garden State Parkway we passed some kind of official motorcade - several police motorcycles and a couple of state police cars leading a long black limousine with more police cars and motorcycles following. The parkway entrance ramps were blocked by the police and the entourage was going a sedate 50 MPH or so. Southbound traffic was bumper to bumper for miles! We were lucky to be going North!
After a stop in Ho-Ho-Kus to drop off some books for a friend of Joy's we continued on up US17. The trip was uneventful until we got a call from Joy's sister Frannie - their mother had fallen and was with the doctor. Further details had to wait, both because Joy was driving and couldn't take the call and because there weren't many more details to be communicated at that point. Nevertheless we stopped at the next rest area, an hour later, and Joy called her sister back. Bom apparently fractured her leg in a couple of places - probably not serious for a younger person but for one who is 98, maybe. Our trip west maybe in jeopardy. We wait.
August 21, 2010 (Sat) Fayetteville, NY (2) - After several phone calls,we know little more about Bom's fracture except that she experienced a misstep while getting out of the swimming pool. Nor do we know how her quality of life will be affected - whether she will be able to stay in her current assisted living facility or will need a place with more intense care. She sees an orthopedic doctor on Monday. Maybe more answers then. Meanwhile our travel plans are on hold. We'll be staying here in Syracuse an extra day or two then decide whether to head west or south.
August 22, 2010 (Sun) Fayetteville, NY (3) - Woke up to the sound of rain on the roof and proceeded to get wet every time we ventured into the void between motor home and house all day long. We celebrated our anniversary by taking Dave, Jen and Shane out to a place called Zebbs. It's a small chain in western New York State that specializes in hamburgers (and beer) very similar to the Hamms chain in the south. Dave and Shane got hamburgers, Joy got a salad, Mark and Jennifer, Reubens. The atmosphere was noisy but the food was good. And, of course, the company was superb. Even so, lesson learned; stick with the house specialty.
Bowling late in the afternoon. Joy won. Mark scored slightly more than Shane, age 7, who could barely heft the ball. He, Shane, would run as best he could up to the foul line and drop the ball. Then we'd all watch as it slowly rolled down the ally toward the pins. It was amazing how well his technique worked.
It's still raining! Syracuse is looking at more than doubling the record for this date. It's up over 4 inches so far.
Q061873 Dave and Jennifer's Yard
QC02-01 Fayetteville Sojourn
June 8, 2010 (Thu) Home to Fayetteville, NY (300/300 miles) - We got an earlier start at 8:25 than we had thought we would (62°). It was cloudy as we started out but the sun came out after a while though it didn't last long. The drive itself was relatively uneventful. We got gas in Paramus before crossing into expensive NY. Construction along US17 made us think that we may want to fine another way when we come back. The southbound traffic wasn't too bad but Sunday afternoon is always bad through there, construction will make it worse.
At one point we came upon what appeared to be road maintenance, tree trimming maybe, that was obstructing the right hand lane. It turned out to be equipment to clear an overturned 18 wheeler. The truck had been righted and was in tow but it looked to have been an interesting event.
A billboard along US17 was advertising a restaurant - "Eat here or we will both starve"
We got to Jennifer and Dave's at about 3:15. Jennifer was off to pick Shane up at nursery school so we backed into their yard and made ourselves at home. Dinner was at Red Robin - Shane's favorite restaurant.
June 9, 2010 (Fri) Fayetteville, NY (2) - Shane climbed aboard his school bus at about 8:20 and Dave was off to work about that same time so we had Jennifer to ourselves this morning. Dave came home just before noon and we all went to a very good Indian buffet restaurant for lunch. Shane came home from school at about 3:30 and we got to spend some quality time with him. He's getting an interest in playing games so that's what we did - Crazy eights, mouse trap, and some others.
June 10, 2010 (Sat) Fayetteville, NY (3) - Shane had a soccer game in his schedule this morning but the weather wasn't good - off and on rain. Apparently it takes more than a little rain to cancel a game but the Fleming/Bohanan contingent decided to stay home anyway. It turned out to be a day of "hanging out". Hot dogs for lunch, pizza for dinner and birthday cake with ice cream in the evening did a job on our calorie control efforts. It was a good day.
Q061211 Jennifer and Dave's yard (x3)
June 11, 2010 (Sun) Fayetteville, NY to Home (301/601 miles) - We didn't have enough gas in the tank to make it all the way back to NJ. We decided that getting half a tank of expensive gas in Fayetteville was better than to waiting and getting a full tank later. The price wasn't bad for that area but we did take note of a couple of stations just off the interstate with lower prices - next time.
It rained off and on most of the way down through NY state. But until we got to the road construction in the liberty, NY area our biggest problem was passing two skunks dead on the side of the road. Although we didn't hit them the smell lingered for miles.
The traffic all the way down US17 was light so when we saw it backed up at the construction, we knew we were in trouble. We asked Hildene to chart a detour for us. It turned out to be the same route through Goshen that we took the last time we were up this way but this time there was no festival activity to slow us down. We don't know what the construction delays would have cost us but the detour only added 20 minutes to our trip. Surprisingly it only added 1 mile to the distance.
We got gas as soon as we got into NJ, jumped on the Garden State Parkway and got home about 2:45. Over all it was a good trip but we're glad to be home again.
Q061512 Home
QC01-16 The Final Leg
March 27, 2010 (Sat) Mars Hill, NC (3) 32/61° - A cold start but it warmed up nicely. Well, relatively nicely. 61° isn't warm but it felt warm after the cold earlier. Bob and Pat took us out to Big Pines, the real mountains area of North Carolina. At least that's what it seemed to us. This whole area has winding hilly roads but as we turned off onto increasingly narrow roads the hills became steeper and the curves sharper until even the Blazer we were riding in struggled to continue on. While there are some nice homes scattered here and there most are what you might expect in the these mountains. The number of falling down homes, barns and assorted out buildings was astounding. We had to wonder about the people who built and owned them when they were new. Were they excited about their new homes and their life ahead? Or were they relieved to finally have a water proof shelter. Were they happy, sad, tired? Life couldn't have been easy for them in any case. We also had to wonder about the people who build and live there now - many, if not most, of them for the isolation rather than economy.
March 28, 2010 (Palm Sunday) Mars Hill, NC (4) 49/54° - Today was the day the Bishop came to visit Bob and Pat's church. There were, as usual with such visits, festive activities before and after the service. Though we didn't get involved in many of them, we enjoyed seeing the people at the main morning worship service. We've gotten to know many of them quite well. This afternoon Mark and Bob went with Robertjohn to Steve's home for a 2 hour country jam session -2 guitars, a banjo, a fiddle, and a bass. Great fun!
March 29, 2010 (Mon) Mars Hill, NC (5) 44/62° - Joy and Pat went to Walmart this morning essentially to pick up some Hot and Spicy Kraft mayonnaise - we haven't been able to find it in any of the dozens of food stores we've been in this winter - but picked up some other things as well. Later we helped Pat replenish their ready stock of wood - they heat their home almost exclusively with their fire place. John and Marti came over for dinner and Dominoes in the evening. Otherwise it was a day to hang out.
Q060210 Bob & Pat's driveway
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March 30, 2010 (Tue) Mars Hill, NC to Winchester, VA (395/4425 miles) 42/61° - We got off at about 8:45 (42°) and headed north into the mountains bound for home again. The weather was damp and dreary, as it was the last time we were on this road, but the mountains were beautiful, reaching for the low hanging clouds. At 9:04 we topped the gap (elev. 3760 ft) and descended into Tennessee. This part of eastern Tennessee is known for its barn quilts - we picked up a brochure locating many of them, which we will have to find someday - but we only saw two visible from the highway.
I-81 is always heavy with trucks, mostly 18 wheelers, and today was no exception. In addition to the constant flow past us, we passed several "Trucks Only" rest areas full to overflowing with them. Truck parking in one far too small rest area in Virginia was so full that we took a chance and went into the lot posted for cars only. We usually don't have a problem parking with the cars, Q is only slightly longer that a big car or pickup, but the spaces in this rest area were so small that we hung a long way into the drive lane. We decided to go on. The next area was much less crowded. In the rest area area just south of Radford, VA, where we decided to stop for lunch, trucks spilled out onto the approach roads so, again, we joined the cars. but the car spaces here were long enough for us to fit. Although they weren't supposed to be there, we watched several long units, pickups with trailers, motor homes towing, etc., come into the car area and park along the side of the drive lane. We were lucky one of them was not behind us when we were ready to back out to leave.
Spring is definitely coming to Virginia. Yellow forsythia brightened an otherwise rather dull landscape all along the way and as we drove north, azaleas, red bud and flowering fruit trees joined the display. Many of the trees were beginning to show a frosting of pale green buds. And the day ended with a gorgeous red sunset, beautiful even though it was over a Walmart parking lot full of overnighting RVs.
Q060605 Camp Walmart Winchester, VA
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March 31, 2010 (Wed) Winchester, VA to Home (295/4720 miles) 45/61° - Up at 6:30 and off at 7:15 (45°) There was a beautiful sunrise to go with the sunset last night - and a full moon setting. After our traditional last-day-on-the-road breakfast at McDonald's we got back on I-81 and headed for home.
8:07 crossed the state line into West Virginia (45°)
8:37 crossed the Potomac River into Maryland (51°)
8:50 crossed into Pennsylvania (49°)
For the last couple of days we've been seeing sand colored Hummvees and similar vehicles on flat bed trucks passing southbound and northbound there have been many oversize loads most of which looked like beams and preformed concrete roadway for bridges. No relationship that we know of but interesting.
10:00 stopped at Carlisle, PA to dump our holding tanks and fill up with gas. (55°)
We'd forgotten about how crazy some of the drivers are in the greater New York metropolitan area (eastern PA, northern NJ, etc.). The closer we got to New York the crazier the driving was - usually peppy little (pseudo-sports) cars zipping in and out of traffic to gain a car-length or two.
3:17 home (58°)
Q060900 Home
QC01-15 Goodbye Florida
March 21, 2010 (Sun) Juniper Springs CG (4) 53/64° - Rain! A hard steady rain almost all day. Luckily our site has good drainage, there are hardly any puddles. We got quite a bit of reading done but that's about the extent of our activity for the day. Late in the afternoon, when the rain let up for a while, we took a walk around the campground but it started again just before we got back. This has not been one of the most exciting of days!
And the icing on the cake was no TV for the evening. Digital TV being the great technological advance that it is, we can get only one TV channel here. In years past, with analog, we have been able to get the three major networks plus PBS and others. Apparently the rain disrupted that one weak signal just enough to keep it from getting through at all.
March 22, 2010 (Mon) Juniper Springs CG (5) 48/62° - Today started out cool and though it warmed a bit the wind came up making it feel colder. Clouds over the sun kept any inactive outside activities at a minimum. There aren't many folks here now - actually there haven't been since Sunday afternoon - so it's relatively quiet. There is the sound of a generator off in the distance now and then, otherwise all we hear are the sounds of nature (and an occasional loud muffler on the highway). Our only neighbor isn't home and hasn't been the whole time we've been here. The rules say that a campsite cannot be left unattended for more than 24 hours. I wonder if the lady, another camper, who stops by once a day and walks around the trailer is considered to be "attending"?
A census taker was around this afternoon. When we told her that we would be home in a week or so and would take care of things there, she said, "OK". Apparently they were making sure that the people who live in campgrounds get counted.
March 23, 2010 (Tue) Juniper Springs CG (6) 53/67° - Kind of a lazy day today except that we did hike the loop on the Florida Trail in the afternoon.
Q057638 Juniper Springs CG, Ocala National Forest. #13 dry $9.50 A (x6)
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March 24, 2010 (Wed) Juniper Springs CG to Savannah, GA (225/3684 miles) 47/64° - Got off at about 8:30, took care of the holding tanks and headed for US19 north (clear but ground fog). For some reason we began to think about the first times we traveled this road many years ago. It was our preferred route between Penney Farms where Mark's mother lived and Englewood where Joy's mother lived. Today the drive was much more beautiful, though. It's late March, not mid February, so spring is in the air. Many of the trees are beginning to break out in pale green and the flowering fruit trees and yellow creeper are in full bloom.
After a week in the "wild", laundry needed doing, so we stopped in Green Cove Springs to take care of that. While stopped, we ate lunch and did some grocery shopping.
There were already motor homes and fifth wheels parked for the night in the Savannah Walmart at 4:30 when we pulled in. Folks headed north, we assume. One of the overnighters, a refurbished school bus, was one of the more interesting units we've seen. It had been painted blue with squares of various colors painted along the sides. There was something written in each square but we weren't close enough to know what. We were able make out the names of 1970s rock groups, The Grateful Dead, etc and what was apparently web sites aimed at their still active fans. Very "Hippy!"
Q059864 Camp Walmart, Savannah, GA
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March 25, 2010 (Thu) Savannah, Ga to Mars Hill, NC (346/4030 miles) 52/74° - It was a quiet night, if a little bright from the parking lot lighting. We woke early, fixed and ate our breakfast, and were on the road again before 8:00. The first rest area in South Carolina was loaded. We probably should have gone into the car parking area, it seemed less crowded, but we chose the truck/RV area - where, we discovered too late, there was only one open space. There was no way to get back to that space nor to get into the car area, so we got back on I-95. The next rest area was much more civilized.
From I-95 we turned onto I-26 west. A few miles later, we began seeing electronic signs telling us that I-77 to Columbia was closed. Closed! Must be something serious. We weren't going that way but those who had planned to were causing a big traffic jam in their confusion and indecision. We think maybe it was a serious traffic accident because police cars blocked the ramp. After lunch in a rest area east of Spartenburg we passed another sign announcing the closure of I-385 to Greenville, SC - apparently to replace a bridge. Again not on our route but the traffic became heavier. It moved along OK. No sooner had we cleared this congestion when we were told that I-40 was closed - due to a rock slide a couple of weeks ago - completely blocking the highway. I-40 wasn't part of our route either but its closure along with commuter traffic out of Asheville and road construction on I-26 were apparently causing big problems. Fortunately Bob called us with an alternate route soon enough to keep us out of that mess. We have seldom, if ever, come across an interstate highway officially closed to all traffic. In a matter of a few miles we encountered 3 different closures!
We got to Bob and Pat's about 3:30 and settled into our new home - in their driveway.
March 26, 2010 (Fri) Mars Hill, GA (2) 55/61° - Mark went with Bob to the weekly men's breakfast at a nearby roadside cafe. Joy, Pat and Kaye had left to explore a yarn shop by the time they got home. In the late afternoon we all went over to Robertjohn and Claire's house for dinner. While there Mark (guitar), Bob (Banjo) and Robertjohn (fiddle) made some music together. Joy, Kaye and Pat sat with their knitting as they chatted with Claire. We all had a mountain good time.
Q060210 Bob & Pat's driveway
QC01-14 Back into the forest
March 16, 2010 (Tue) Lakeland, FL to Titusville, FL (94/3362 miles) 55/66°- It was a hazy 57° when we pulled out of Ed and Kathy's yard. They had already left for their job at Disney giving us the responsibility of locking the gate on the way out, which we handled admirably. We programmed Hildene to guide us to The Great Outdoors resort via Costco in Orlando (Joy wanted to return the shorts she'd bought in Brandon) and headed east on I-4.
The US192 exit off I-4 seemed a little premature but we took it anyway thinking that Hildene had a better way, then proceeded to turn the wrong way off the exit ramp. As we waited in the left turn lane to make a U turn, a kid (maybe early 20s) in a small car moved past us and ran into the back of a motorcycle waiting at the light. He had slammed on his brakes but hit the bike hard enough to knock the passenger up into the air and flip her around to land on her butt in the road. The bike went over spilling the driver also into the road. From our vantage point they both seemed stunned but not seriously hurt. The two people in the car ahead of us jumped out - he with a phone to his ear (911?) - and ran over to them. Almost before they reached the victims we heard a siren and saw the flashing lights of an ambulance come out of the line of traffic facing us. They must have been right there!
When it was clear there was nothing for any of us in the left turn lane to do, we moved ahead to the light, a little past the accident, and waited through 3 change cycles! For some reason, and there was none that we could think of, all the lights were cycling except for the left turn signal. We finally decided it wasn't going to change and pulled (illegally) back into the through lane to make our U turn at the next light. In addition to being a bit shaky, we were very aware of motorcycles for the rest of the trip. It's amazing the crazy risks some of them take!
US50 out of Orlando toward Kennedy Space Center is under construction - seems like it was last year too - and very slow moving until well out of the Orlando suburbs. Aggravating! We got to TGO about 2:30 and found Mike and Dorcas' site. Dorcas guided us to the site that would be our home for the next two nights.
March 17, 2010 (Wed) The Great Outdoors (2) 55/66° - The Brazilian Pepper is an unwanted invasive plant (as big as trees sometimes) that is taking over the flora in many parts of Florida. The Great Outdoors is aggressively fighting this invasion. For several years small teams of volunteers have regularly ventured into the underbrush to chop down the plants and kill the roots. Mike and Dorcas are part of this effort. This morning they took us out into one area to show us what they have been doing. It's amazing how much space these plants consume and how clear the area is when they are gone. It was also interesting to see how fast the native Florida greenery is beginning to fill the void. Later we went over to the new nature center where there are exhibits of wildlife and natural artifacts from the area. We finished our tour in the Jukebox Cafe and had Rubens for lunch.
This afternoon we relaxed at home while Mike and Dorcas attended an association meeting and migrated to their fifth wheel when they got back. We were promised rain but it only sprinkled now and then. The sun, when it was out, was warm even though the thermometer read only 66°.
Q059541 448 Oak Cove, The Great Outdoors RV and Gulf Resort.
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March 18, 2010 (Thu) Titusville, FL to Juniper Springs CG (97/3459 miles) 55/64° - We had a cup of coffee with Dorcas and Mike, when he returned from his walk, said good bye to them and pulled out of The Great Outdoors at 10:15 (57° cloudy). Thanks guys, for everything. It was good to see you. Mike, Dorcas and friends were talking about delicious red shrimp they've been having and suggested we pick some up to try, so we took a short detour to the Wild Ocean Seafood Market in Titusville to get some. Lunch at Chilli's and a stop at Publix for a few items to stock our larder were the high points of our drive here to Juniper Springs campground.
The gate keeper said, when we stopped to register, that there were only three sites left. That was surprising. It turned out not to be true. There were many available sites. We have no idea why she told us that, it would have been better, and less effort, to just tell us to go find an empty site like most gatekeepers do? After choosing a site, we were unable to ask why we had been so limited, the gal in the office was doing the paper work while talking on the phone.
As we cruised the campground we saw that Paul and Jayne (from NJ), whom we'd met in Monument Lake CG in January, were here. Joy ran into them later and they invited us to their campfire at 7:00. Mike and Dorcas will be interested to know that the other couple there, Michael and Linda, were from Canandaigua, NY. We had great fun sharing travel and camping experiences. The fun was cut short though because it started to rain just as we put the last piece of wood on the fire.
March 19, 2010 (Fri) Juniper Springs CG (2) 47/71° - Yesterday the weather forecast for New York City was for a high of 70° We never heard what it actually turned out to be but it only got up to 64° here. This morning when we turned the TV on to the "Early Show", some of the the tourists outside the studio (in New York) were in short sleeved shirts. Our thermometer was reading 47°. What's wrong with this picture?
There's an interesting couple in a site up the way. We met them yesterday because we heard that they were having trouble with the refrigerator in their class A motor home - it wouldn't work on propane. Since we've been there, done that a couple of times, Mark thought he might be able to help. It turned out that it was a different brand so he wasn't much help. When he got there the man (name now in the wind) was walking around the campsite with a full overnight back pack and equipment, including a rolled up sleeping pad, on his back. In spite of his outfit, he didn't seem to be anxious to leave on any extended hike. Just the opposite, he seemed to want to talk. Later on, he (in full gear) and his wife walked by on the road. But they weren't gone long - maybe an hour at most. This morning they walked by again, both fully equipped this time and again it wasn't long before we saw them back at their campsite. A half hour or so later we saw their motor home pull out and leave. When they came back, we learned that the the problem with the refrigerator was that they were out of propane. Duh! They had said that their son and twin 9 year olds were coming to spend the weekend with them. When we saw two young boys wearing big back packs, just like grandpa, we knew they had arrived.
Many of the campsites filled up late this afternoon and evening. Several of them with young families. The kids around us, most ranging in age from 1 to 7 or so, are so cute. They all seem so excited about the adventure ahead.
March 20, 2010 (Sat) Juniper Springs CG (3) 44/73° - Two of the young couples each with 2 or 3 young children and apparently camping together, left late this afternoon. The reservation tag on their site posts indicate that they had planned to be here two more days. We wonder what happened. We heard a child crying early this morning and off and on during the day. This is not an unusual sound when small children are camping but maybe the problem was serious enough to cut the weekend short. One of the tents was brand new - the box was set out as trash. Was this a maiden voyage for one of the families? Will they ever go camping again?
It has been a beautiful day. The sun was out from behind fluffy white clouds about half the time. And it was warm enough to make it seem as if we are really in Florida after all.
Juniper Springs CG, Ocala National Forest. #13 dry $9.50 A
QC01-12 A slow warm up
March 4, 2010 (Thu) Alexander Springs CG 39/56° (7) - The fellow across the way, from Quebec, seems not to mind the cold. When we go outside we are bundled up in jeans, turtle neck shirts and sweatshirts. He either doesn't have a shirt or chooses not to wear one. We haven't seen him in a shirt since he got here 5 days ago. He does have long pants though. They were hanging out on his clothes line one day. Yesterday he spread a towel out in front of his car and spent the afternoon sunbathing. The sun was warm but the breeze was enough for us to opt out of removing even our sweatshirts. Correction: we took them off while we were hiking the Florida Trail this afternoon.
When we turned the news on after supper we learned that the rocket launch scheduled for today had been postponed until 6:48. Florida is so nonchalant about the space program that a rocket launch is not news until it has happened, is delayed, scrubbed, or has failed. They have no regard for those of us who would like to see one sometime. Well, we saw that one! We bundled up and hiked up the hill (as high as a hill gets in Florida) to the main road (and East a bit to get a better view) and waited. Finally, through the trees, we saw what looked like a slow moving roman candle. It cleared the trees and moved out and to the East, apparently out over the Atlantic. It's mission was to place a weather satellite in orbit, not the shuttle, but it was exciting anyway.
March 5, 2010 (Fri) Alexander Springs CG 34/64° (8) - Another bad mark for Sears! Last summer, maybe earlier, we began to suspect that one or both of our batteries needed replacing. So while we were home, we took them out and to Sears for testing - they are Sears Diehard batteries. Both tested good according to the fellow who apparently had more important things to do. Mark suspected that one of them wasn't completely "good" but didn't question the verdict because the tester was already walking away. The cold weather and heavy usage gave some justification for the problems we were having so we put off getting them retested. When we discovered that they were losing voltage even overnight with negligible usage and that we had to run the engine to close up the bed in the morning, we decided it was time. The Walmart in DeLand pronounce one battery almost dead and apparently getting life support from the other one. So now we have a new battery and what a difference! We went the whole evening without having to recharge them . And the voltage drop was only slight with normal use of lights and TV and running the furnace for a little while. Life is good!
March 6, 2010 (Sat) Alexander Springs CG 33/66° (9) - Update on our Canadian neighbor across the way: When he came back in the late afternoon yesterday - he was gone when we got back from DeLand - he was wearing a shirt with his shorts and flip-flops. To protect a sunburn? Had he been on a date? This morning, with the temperature up to 35° by then, he was again puttering around his campsite shirtless. Hardy people, those Canadians. Well maybe. He drives to the restroom 300 feet down the road. Actually it's less than that on a path through the woods.
Joy bought a jig saw puzzle while at the Walmart. It was a challenge to find a surface in our small motor home to work on it but we did and Joy spend the day with it. But even with Mark's sporadic help it wasn't finished before bedtime. Challenge #2: where to put it for the night. There is just space enough on top of the water tank under the bed for the board we are using. Life is good!
March 7, 2010 (Sun) Alexander Springs CG 33/67° (10) - There is a sign on the gatehouse stating that a campsite must be occupied the first night. One of the written regulations additionally states that a campsite can not go unoccupied for more the 24 hours. These are standard rules for most public campgrounds. When we returned from DeLand on Friday we noticed a tent had been erected on a site two down from us. There has been no sign of any one around it for nearly two days now. Rules are made to be broken. There are two young couples with kayaks on their cars next door. This morning the two fellows went over and carried the "unoccupied" tent over onto their site. Could that have been because of a conversation with the campground host yesterday? An hour later they began packing everything up, including the orphan tent, and left.
March 8, 2010 (Mon) Alexander Springs CG 42/70° (11) - The weekend is over and every one has gone. Almost everyone.When we walked around the campground this morning we found that there was no one in any of the 14 sites in Loop A, we are the only ones in our 16 site Loop B, there is a cluster of 4 or 5 at the beginning of loop C and a hand full in loop D. From where we sit we can see the motor home and a trailer through the trees over on loop C but that's it. This afternoon a young couple pulled into the site across from us and set up a small tent. It reminded us of the time we were sitting on the isle of an empty movie theater and two people came in and squeezed past us to sit in our row. The young campers were cute and fun to watch. They were obviously inexperienced with camping and reminded us of our first stumbling experiences.
There is a bike trail through the forest near the Florida trail. When we hiked it the other day we saw workers in the distance which let us to believe that they were preparing a controlled burn. And on our way back to the campground we'd seen smoke back that way. Today we saw that the burn had come right up to the trail, which had been cleared to make a fire brake. We were surprised that we had been allowed on the trail the other day.
March 9, 2010 (Tue) Alexander Springs CG 47/68° (12) - It was nice to be able to walk over to the facilities for our showers this morning without feeling like we were flirting with pneumonia. It's been kind of a do-nothing day. The forecasters predicted a chance of rain so we decided we'd just hang around. As it turned out there was no rain - a couple of sprinkles but that was it. In fact there has been sun off and on. More campers came in this afternoon, one right next door to us! As far as we know, there is only one other unit on B loop. We've come to the conclusion, and we've experienced it before, that the gate keepers, for whatever reason, assign campsites like parking attendants fill parking lots. Start at one end and put them in one after the other. The new folks next door are a family, mother, father, two boys (4 & 5) and an other male (brother? grandfather?). The kids are fun to watch, helping set up camp.
Q057046 Alexander Springs CG, Ocala National Forest. #45/31 dry $9.50 B- (x12)
