Christmas Break

We left Ft Myers Wednesday for two weeks to fly back to Michigan for the Christmas Holidays. We hope to see as many friends and family as we can then back to the warmer climates. We have bought ourselves a present for Christmas that should be fun. Will tell you all about our new 19' Mako Center Console fishing machine (boat) when its delivered on the 30th.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all

Hank & Marge

Coach Improvements

While at the Monaco plant we met a variety of folks that spend substantially more time in their coaches than we do and while sitting around waiting for the service work to be done lots good things are discussed. One was tire wear which we were particularly interested in because of the blowout we had had earlier this year. We met a former Goodyear employee who told us a lot about the development of the new G670 tire they make for coaches that we had purchased after our problems. It was quite reassuring! One thing we were told was that when parked for any length of time we should indeed protect the tires from UV rays as much as possible. This past week we took that advice and also decided to get the screen shade for the front windshield which also provides some degree of privacy. Our friends the Armstrong's highly recommended them and now that we have them they have proven to be quite nice and with the tire protectors we are just more comfortable than ever.

Installation was a snap...we called RV Sunshade (Gordon Brown 877-422-5679) who came out the next day and set up his van with sewing machine and other equipment and proceeded to measure our coach and make on the spot the protective screening on site.Cutting and sewing

Finished Product in place.

We were very pleased with the end result and Gordon Brown is quite the gentleman. If your interested check out his web site. www.rvsunshadeco.com

Exploring area

We had decided that once landed in Ft Myers we would take a good look around at all the available campgrounds in this area with the idea in mind that maybe one of these winters would be spent here in this area rather than the Keys. First thing we noticed was this campground right on Ft Myers Beach that had beach access and interesting neighbors.....
Marge vetoed that idea right away and frankly it was very congested as well as in the same price category as the Keys. We also spent some time on Pine Island where our friends from Missouri have spent time but the best of the campgrounds there is now permanently closed and the rest are just OK. We finally decided that (for the money) we are in the best of the campgrounds for water access and people here have been very friendly. There are also some very nice high end places and the best of those is the River Bend Motorcoach Resort and it has water access, but again for the money, it is on the same level as the Keys ....I'll take the Keys. I don't mean to harp on the cost but due to the tremendous demand for land in the Keys things have gone from what was $17.00/nite to $110.00/nite for a campsite. Long term rentals reduce the cost but even that has become quite high in cost. I guess I really can't complain too much....we are warm and enjoying the sunshine when others are braving the cold of the North.

Disneyworld with Mickey and the Gang

Friday, November 24th

We arrived today for a four day three night visit to Fort Wilderness at Disneyworld in Orlando Florida. After leaving Beverly Hills, Florida we traveled to Wekiva Falls and the campground from Hell!! After registering at a place called Wekiva Springs RV Park for what we thought would be a couple of days stay we found a campground that has just deteriorated to a pig sty. Really!! So bad that we asked for our money back which they gave without to much commotion and we left for the Orlando area. We were fortunate enough to find a nice quiet campground in the middle of an old orange grove....Hence the name Orange Grove Campground which we would highly recommend. Clean, quiet and reputable! We spent a few days there with the only visitors being a few Sandhill Cranes begging for food.Monday November 27th - Happy Birthday Ben!

Today, we arrived bright and early at Disneyworld......Marge is excited!!!! Did I say Marge was excited!!! I swear she was as bad if not worse than the kids we saw running around trying to do everything at once. I earned points this trip!

We checked in at Fort Wilderness which is the campground owned and operated by Disney that has somewhere between 1200 and 1500 campsites. It has been voted the best campground in the United States by a number of different camping groups and I do have to agree. Campfires with marshmellow roasts, sing-alongs around a campfire and Disney figures wandering through the campground waving at all the kids.

Our first adventure was the shopping district at mainstreet Disney where we saw all kinds of Christmas stuff and some really neat things like the Lego dragon.

I at first thought it was just another character they had built, but it was built of all Lego parts. Marge found a few items for the coming Holidays and we went back to the campground to be rested for tomorrow....her words. Little did I know!

Tuesday - November 28th

We had a grand time (tiring) spending the day seeing the different countries and their displays with the General Motors Test Track ride and even the Living Earth with its unique displays of what the future could bring relative to farming crops to fish on display. We did take a break mid day and then back to the park for more. We even stayed late to see their "Illuminations" show which has to be the absolute best fireworks show I have ever seen!! Bar none! It really was a fun day and its so neat to see the little ones going home at night asleep on their parents shoulders. We do miss the grandkids.

Wednesday - November 29th

We set off for the Animal Kingdom with the idea of seeing as much as we could then heading back to the Magic Kingdom for a parade. The display of the animals was as fantastic as anything we have ever seen for captive animals. We were fortunate enough to have participated in photo safari to Kenya Africa some years ago and this display is as close to that experience we have seen. We were particularly taken with the Gorilla display, there was even one young female that like to play with earth worms and would put them on her head. If you look close you can see one on her head in the picture below.
I was also able to ride a train well actually two...the one in the African exhibit which was really diesel powered and only made to look real....but the second was a real steam engine that circles the Magic Kingdom.


Marge and I also met Buzz Lightyear and rode on his ride and adventure shooting at Zork! It was really quite fun and I know my grandkids would be envious to have been able to help Buzz fight the evil Zork like Marge and I did....I am a first level space cadet now and Marge is still a scout in training.

Friday - December 1

We are now settled in Fort Myers Florida at the Upriver Campground RV Resort on the Coloosahatchee River and will be here till we fly home for the Christmas Holidays. Check our location above.

Added note: Sorry about the Font changes and size changes...Blogger the host is undergoing some changes and this is the beta that does not have all the kinks worked out yet.

Thanksgiving 2006

We arrived at Beverly Hills, Florida to meet up with old Friends Mike and Ornetta Mehl who have been fulltiming it in first a 5th Wheel and now a 36' Motorhome. They had invited us to join them for Thanksgiving with us having the impression that it would just be the four of us. To our chagrin, when we arrived to meet up them it turn out that we as well as the Maybrant family and a few others (14) were all invited to Betty's Maybrant's house. Betty is one fantastic hostess and we were welcomed like family. Marge, Ornetta and Betty spent a good part of Wednesday afternoon preparing pies and all kinds of wonderful food items for the next days feast. The picture below is of Marge, Betty and Ornetta during a pause in the cooking.
We had a grand time on Thursday and ate very well. Betty as I said was a wonderful hostess and we were welcomed by everyone. It was a very nice day. We had our picture taken with the Mehls and our hostess Betty after dinner - see below.
Marge and I both would like to wish everyone a warm Thanksgiving greeting.

Alabama to Beverly Hills, Florida

We have been moving...after leaving our friends Marvin and JoAnn in Alabama and their wonderful hospitality....although not before they gave us a quick visit to Gulf Shores and and their neat cottage on Mobile Bay - see below.



The beaches are pretty phenomenal with beautiful white sand everywhere. The area where our friends are is generally all beach houses and as we traveled east, the developments became more numerous even with the offshore oil and gas rigs.

We then proceeded along the coast and on to what we hoped would be warmer climates with our first stop at Henderson Beach State Park near Destin, Florida. Again a fantastic state park nestled in the dunes along the Gulf of Mexico. Lots of beach and trails to explore but at 31 Degrees outside we decided to stay warm inside. The following morning we left again heading east hoping to find some warmth. We traveled the coast going through some beautiful old cities...Apalachicola, Mexico Beach, Port Saint Joe, and Carabelle. All are being developed to some degree, but they are a far cry from Panama City or Fort Walton Beach at this point. We stopped for lunch at a roadside park near Carabelle where they trained for the landing at Normandy during World War II. The beach is beautiful as is the whole area.




We received an invite from old friends for Thanksgiving...were off to Beverly Hills, Florida for a Thanksgiving Dinner with them.

Brrrrr - Winter in Alabama

Were in the Florida Panhandle due to a change in weather and plans...last night it went down to 34 degrees tonights supposed to be a little cooler in Destin Florida where we are for the moment. Will be heading further South tomorrow.

Biloxi - Pass Christian

Friday was our last work day and today we decided to explore a little over towards Pass Christian. In all the driving around we have done where there is the obvious destruction one thing we have both noted is the fact that the beautiful old live oak trees have survived when man made structures of some consequence have not. Another thing we noticed is that while Biloxi had major loss back one or two blocks at Pass Christian it was more like five or six blocks back from the beach and there were substantially less trees that had survived. We leave tomorrow without a specific destination but will keep you posted. I have also posted a few more pictures mostly of the area between Pass Christian and Biloxi.

Biloxi II

Thought I would post some pictures just to give you and idea of the devastation that everyone talks about, although you really have to see it to understand the completeness of the damage to the area. Bear in mind, these pictures were taken yesterday 15 months after Katrina.





One thing I wanted to show but wasn't able to, was the neighborhoods. Many have been totally destroyed, but now with the time that has passed, the green has come back in between the paved streets and there is the occassional FEMA trailer seemingly sitting in the middle of nowhere, but there is no neighborhood now! I could not find a picture to take that would show that.

Biloxi, Mississippi - WOW!

We arrived in Biloxi to spend some time with an organization known as "Hands On" for which our niece Sara Hamilton works as a coordinator helping to organize and direct a steady stream of volunteers. There are quite a few volunteers helping out this city after the destruction from Hurricane Katrina, and its needed judging from initial appearances. We arrived Sunday afternoon to find that at least two of the major routes into town were still out (bridges blown away) and the devastation along the shoreline unbelievable. I will post some more pictures as we see more this week, but below are the first pictures we took on the way in. It surprised me that after 14 or 15 months that the devastation was so totally apparent.

One of the many piers that are now longer usable

View from foundations of resturant no longer around

Signs still standing of long gone businesses

One of the areas that Hands On is working

Organizations such as HANDS ON are trying to make a difference like renovating parks, feeding homeless, mold removal, new construction and, even taking care of the animals at the Humane Society. They do anything and everything and work out of a rented church building that now houses up to 300 volunteers. It appears that 90% of the volunteers are between 18 and 25 with a few of us old folks thrown in. Were going to be here through the week to help as we can and frankly feel good about it. Our first job was to work a soup kitchen for the day on Monday...it was fun and rewarding at the same time. More to come.

Mammoth Cave National Park

Main Cave Entrance

After leaving the factory and repairs behind we finally got on the road Thursday morning. When we stopped later in the day we suddenly realized that our time was our own and that we just happened to be near Mammoth Cave National Park. Not having to be anywhere clinched our decision to become adventurous and check out the national park with our "Golden Age Passports" which offer most things free or half price at all the National Parks. I know Emily (our daughter in law) will be disappointed that she was not with us as this sort of thing is right up her alley. I do have to say I was a bit apprehensive and claustrophobic when we first entered the cave. The larger chambers were ok but some of the cracks we had to squeeze through surprised me.







Thought I would attach a couple of pictures from inside the cave which even with a new camera do not do justice to the beauty of all the natural formations we saw. The chambers sometimes were huge with the ranger that was giving us the tour describing what we saw and explaining about the underground waterways that had carved out some 367 miles of cave found so far. They estimate that that is only about half of what they believe to be in the area.

One of two other kind of unique things we saw was the last cable/paddlewheel ferry still in use across the Green River in the national park. See below
On the way in to where the visitors center was I noticed a small strange little engine and railcar that was used in the early years to transport people to the cave opening and the nearby hotels. The trip was only 9 miles but beautiful country side and as I said somewhat special and unique.


Saturday we left for Biloxi with an overnight at a small park near Montgomery Alabama... Northern Alabama is absolutely beautiful with the trees just finishing up their color show.

Coach is done!!!!

Well after three days at the plant having things repaired we feel like we are in a new coach....well almost! Many things repaired and we are pleased with the way we were treated and taken care of. It was kind of nice to be treated like a valuable customer!
While there we met a couple that was written up in the Wall Street Journal a while back about their commitment to establishing a "Lemon Law" relative to the sale of new motorhomes. They have had a terrible time and after hearing the true scoop on things I do not envy the problems they have had with what is now a beautiful coach and almost what it is supposed to be. Below is their coach in the "campground" waiting for service and a good picture of them doing what they do while the work is going on. They have been there since the 2nd of October!!!!


The smiles on their face are nice to see as they have had real problems resolving all that has gone wrong with their new coach (over six figures of repairs and adjustments and 14 months of agony trying to resolve all the issues relative to their home...yes they are full timers and live in this coach full time. What I was most pleased with about their story was that they believe as I do that that this facility is the best and does fix problems to their customers satisfaction. Below are two views of the repair facility in Elkhart where the people know what they are doing.
Thats our coach below in the middle.

Anyway, we are in Cave City, Kentucky heading ? We thought we would have a little respite.....

Just a side note to my good friends Art, Bud & Dave...were only a very short distance from the Corvette Museum at Bowling Green! Maybe tomorrow.

It is great to be on the road again...we will be keeping you up to speed more regularly now.

On the Road!

We leave this morning for Elkhart Indiana to get the last of the repairs done at the factory and then on to ? The plan is to head warm and were thinking Natchez Trace for the moment but will decide in a day or two. Pictures and regular blog reports to come.

Packing the coach

Seems like forever but the coach is pretty much been fixed and were packing to leave early for the warmth of the South. Lots of plans but nothing for sure except a quick stop at the manufacturing plant to finish up a few things and then were off to North Carolina (Durham) for our first stop. Blog will be up to speed as we go and not so dormant like we have been.

Repairs

Ever since we had the blowout we have had a variety of small things that all seem to be related to the blowout damage done under the coach. We decided that the smartest thing to do was to go to the factory for advice and arrange to have those problems and some others repaired. The Monaco plant is in Elkhart, Indiana and they are very receptive to helping your resolve problems with their units. They provide a campsite (40 or spaces)with electrical and water hookups. There is a dumpstation also provided if you stay takes too long. Bottom line is they really treat you well. Tomorrow we have an appointment to have the coach looked over by a tech and we are to give him list of what we need or want done. From there we will decide how much we want to do and how much it will cost. Will keep you posted.
I just added pictures of the "campground" that Monaco provides which has everything you need...even a free laundromat.

Our campsite

A couple of more serious repairs

New units ready to be built