RV there yet Hank? RVing with Jim ("Hank") & Marge

Super Moon

2011-05-08T17:32:00.001-05:00

This spring the moon presented itself in a much larger sense as it was closer to the earth and won’t be this close again for 18 years.

These were taken at dusk as the moon rose from Veterans Park on the western end of the 7 mile bridge in the Florida Keys. No wind and a beautiful warm evening March 19th 2011.

Ortona Locks Wildlife, Florida

2011-04-13T16:23:00.001-05:00

White Egrets, freshwater otters, and even an endangered Florida Panther …..all within 70 yards of our campsite. Fall of 2010

Fort McAllister – Savannah, Georgia 2011

2011-04-04T17:44:00.001-05:00

As I haven’t posted in a long time and we are moving down the road again, I thought I would post a few pictures that I find interesting. These were taken from our campsite at Fort McAllister State Park

Fallen tree, root system and sunset at edge of salt marsh

April 4, 2011

Yellowstone

2009-09-03T22:41:00.001-05:00

Sadly, we left old friends, but not without having had a great time rehashing old stories and times. The trip to Boise and McCall was our start on our dream journey to see as many of the National Parks as we can. Our first park on that journey is Yellowstone National Park.

One thing I have always wanted to do was to fly fish in one of the western rivers that one reads about in all the fishing magazines. Yep…..That’s me in the Yellowstone river tossing a fly out there for all those hungry cutthroat trout that weren’t very appreciative of my technique!!! I have now waded for trout in the famous Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park.

We had arranged to meet friends Matt and Alice from Sunshine Key in Florida who had decided to join us on our quest of the National Parks. That’s us at the Continental Divide in Yellowstone Park.

The Park is beyond what we expected with its natural beauty and the animals. We no sooner arrived through the West Gate when we spotted an eagle and herd of Elk.

The biggest animals we saw regularly were the Buffalo…TATONKA!!

The beauty of land is unbelievable and we took picture after picture from the northern end of the park with higher elevations and some of the upper stretches of the yellowstone…

….and through the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone….

…..to where it empties into Yellowstone lake

Of course we took in the mudpots, Old Faithful,hot springs, etc

I only posted a few pictures but you can see a few more on Marge's blog www.morephotosfrommarge.blogspot.com

McCall, Idaho

2009-09-01T23:03:00.001-05:00

Everyone finally arrived in Boise and it was good to see everyone. Its been 49 years and really longer that we have know each other and we are having a great time

When arrived in McCall we located ourselves at Ponderosa State Park where we are to stay for the next 4 days. The campsite is close to where our friends are staying and the park is one of the nicest we have seen in a long time. Essentially it consists of a pull through to the side of the main road that allows complete privacy on the door side of the coach and with an area for firebox picnic table and room for a screen room. We had visitors too!

And our friends too !

We had a cookout at the motorhome one evening and enjoyed Payette Lake with a pontoon boat trip that ended with a snack and swim on the North Shore. The trip on the boat was a wonderful way to see the lake

The water was great !

Only one of us overdid!

While we didn’t imbibe too many liquids, we did enjoy the evening meals. We did end our last evening with an excellent meal at the “Shore Lodge” on Lake Payette.

What a great week!

Boise, Idaho

2009-08-14T22:02:00.001-05:00

We were the first of a group of old (and I do mean old!!) classmates from high school (class of 1960) that decided some months ago to meet in Boise then go on to McCall Idaho for golf, whitewater rafting, boating, fishing, hiking and food. Bob and Pam have a place there and we were first to arrive. We proceeded to a campsite nearby on the Boise River and its river walk. The rest of our group is arriving over the next day or two from all over the country.

The picture above is from downtown Boise just under one major bridges viewed from the riverwalk. Boise is a beautiful! Downtown is active and there are people walking about everywhere. The riverwalk I keep mentioning is for hiking walking fishing running and biking. Five of us rode bikes some 14 miles exploring it and city that runs through it. Once everyone arrives we head north to McCall.

Fort Bridger, Wyoming

2009-08-12T10:21:00.001-05:00

When traveling we try to go for a few days then stop and spend two nights in one spot to take a break from the driving. One such stop was Fort Bridger, Wyoming, a major point along the Oregon Trail that many settlers took on their move West. Below is a replica of the stockade fort as it originally stood.

The stockade fort was only 100 feet by 100 feet and had a similar protected area for stock off to the side. Inside was Jim Bridger’s quarters and the trading post area along with a blacksmiths spot for repair of wagons and other services to the travelers

In later years the fort became a military post that was upgraded substantially with masonry buildings and nice residences.

Today, Fort Bridger was a nice respite on our trip West and the town while still a farming community is still a nice stop along the I-80 corridor West.

Cheyenne, Wyoming

2009-08-06T20:15:00.001-05:00

Our next stop on the way West was Cheyenne, Wyoming. We have tried very hard not to drive ourselves till we drop and have made an effort to only go 200 to 300 miles a day, stop early and smell the roses or even do a little exploring. Cheyenne just happens to be home to the Union Pacific Railroad and they have a museum downtown in this fantastic old stone Railroad station. See below.

The interior besides being used in some areas for the museum has been restored to its original splendor with the Union Pacific’s growth west inlaid in the floor.

Behind the station is their workshops and yards that are huge….although they were much bigger during the heyday of steam. There are still roundhouses and remnants of older buildings and equipment.

Today, no less that 74 trains pass through these yards every 24 hours

In going through the museum we came across this photo of a “railroad windmill” such as we had seen in Nebraska

Last but not least we saw one of the original “Big Boy’s” the largest steam locomotive ever built. It weighs 1,250,000 pounds. They used to haul the heavy loads over the western mountains before the influx of diesel locomotives.

Windmill State Recreation Area Nebraska

2009-08-04T22:20:00.001-05:00

The Gordon wedding went off without a hitch and everyone had a good time. We enjoyed seeing old friends.

After the wedding we went back to our motorhome anxious to leave on our trip West.

Our first stop after a reasonable days drive was located at MM285 along I-80 in Nebraska. The park itself used to have quite a number of old historical Windmills but now unfortunately the remnants of a few and one 10 ft diameter that is still operating. Below are a few pictures of the windmillsThe operating 10’ windmill

Vane from the 20’ “railroad” windmill that is the largest made

The 20’ windmill on the ground being prepared to be restored

Part of the tower that was 51’ high

We stayed just the one night but there were few other campers and the stay was fun with bike riding and exploring.

First stop on western trip, Joliet,Illinois

2009-07-30T22:01:00.001-05:00

We left this morning for what will be a two month trip to the western states, and a visit with our daughter and family in California. Our first stop was Joliet, Illinois where our former neighbors son and one of our sons best friends is to be married tomorrow night.

It was good to be back in the motorhome and have everything working without problem. The only problem was locating a campground near Chicago and the wedding, however we found an older one near Joliet, which is not too far from Tinley Park (where the wedding is). After setting up, we decided to see downtown Joliet and in particular the Des Planes river which flows thru the downtown area. Apparently, this city was a major rail hub and with its current proximity to Chicago and its transit system trains are moving constantly through the city. Next time here it would be worthwhile to prowl all the rail lines to see all the equipment. The pictures below are of the river running through town with some of its picturesque bridges.

After walking around town we found a great restaurant and had a quiet dinner outside until the rains came. Neat town!

Busy spring

2009-06-06T10:30:00.001-05:00

Busy is not the word….shoulder surgery and recovery….lousy weather (we wonder why we came home so early)….good times with grandchildren and soon to come a week up north on a lake with the whole family. No traveling to speak of which is as good an excuse as any, beyond the trip north with family we are leaving the end of July for a trip West for two months. Will keep this blog up then.

February Fun

2009-03-01T22:04:00.003-05:00

Well once again a month has gone by and it has been busy with family visiting, fishing, eating out, eating in and mostly just partying with friends we have met over the years that spend their winter here at Sunshine Key.

Our son Ben and his family Emily, Jack and Molly visited us for Presidents day week and we had a great time visiting beaches, visiting the Turtle Hospital in Marathon and of course spending some time fishing

Two of my favorite fishing buddies who caught quite a number of fish!

Grandma at a music concert here in the campground.

One of the many dinner dances that have been entertaining with even some good food being served.

A superbowl dinner get together in the park at one of our neighbors and of course we all participated in the preparation.

We have had company and we do get together with everyone most days but its not all party and the weather while advertised as fantastic does get windy enough to prevent us from fishing some of the time. We even had a few days of fog which is a first for us and it was thick? Below is picture I thought was kind of neat showing the fog.

One of the old bridges in Florida Keys

One other thing of interest is that we have noticed this year an active presence of the Border patrol…..considerably more that in years past.

At Last ……Sunshine Key

2009-02-01T21:57:00.001-05:00

We arrived four weeks ago and were welcomed by old friends and acquaintances who also spend time each year in the warm Florida Keys. Its quite a place!

We’re back in our same spot again, and we have been busy!!

Had super ribs with good Friends on the first Friday night there.

Watched our friends from Wisconsin launch their brand new boat

Saw our old boat looking as good as new!

Launched our boat and did some fishing without much success getting skunked and then at another time only getting enough for just one great dinner of fresh snapper. Weather has not really cooperated.

Volunteered at the ice cream social and also again at the “Havana nights” dinner with authentic Cuban food that was unbelievably good!

Marge found time to decorate our campsite!

Worked on repairing some things on the motorhome.

Some of us passed the bad weather time playing holey ball. Notice the sweatshirts and long sleeve shirts. Temps were as low as in the high 40’s at night.

Had another dinner out with friends. Actually it seems we seldom eat at home and are doing a lot of Hors D’oeuvres and potluck with the neighbors.

Visited Key West and explored this beautiful city again. Found this special sign that’s kind of unique.

Will post more about Key West soon….it’s one of our favorite places.

Old friends arrived for a weeks visit….Steve and Mary Hefernen….newly retired and enjoying life.

Food prep for Superbowl party with everyone in the neighborhood. It does seem that all we do is eat, but such good food.

Just before the game our friends the Thompsons arrived ….with the new retiree Sue…..the one with the smile.

Once again its been too long for this post and once again I will try and post more often.

Busnuts Annual Convention

2008-12-31T23:05:00.001-05:00

This last week in December 2008 we attended Bussin’ 2009 in Arcadia, Florida and enjoyed seeing some of the conversions that had been accomplished on a variety of older coaches. We had heard about from two sources …..the first from my friend Art whose son Chris and his wife have become “Busnuts” as indicated by their personalized license below….and secondly from a camper across the way from us who had an old bus called “Bubba’s old Hound” (a former greyhound bus that had been converted.

Actually, they are in business providing a source for buses and bus parts for older GMC coaches to all those that spend time restoring them. You can check their website if interested at www.gmbusguy.com

Below are a few pictures of the gathering and one particular bus that was over 50 years old that is now like new. It was a 1955 scenic cruiser that has been totally rebuilt….nice!

There were even some more modern bus conversions….some that were converted to haul entertainers around that were unique a series of bunks instead of the usual kitchen and living area arrangements.

Last but not least on display was an old Cushman scooter from the early 50’s that brought back memories.

Riverbend Railroad

2008-12-25T13:35:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite topics has always been anything to do with railroads and now it seems if you stay at Riverbend RV park you can continue your model railroading while spending the winter months where its warm. My friend Art is staying at this particular resort and he invited me over to see the “railroad operation”

There are about 6 or 10 club members that own lots there in the Riverbend RV Resort and each year they have added to, built and landscaped the layout in an area near their clubhouse that is quite sizeable. They have laid their track on a base of block and brick and then laid the ballast of seashells loose along the track. Electricity is supplied by battery power and the whole thing is radio controlled so that more than one unit can run at the same time. I believe the scale is referred to as “G” scale and is available through most hobby shops that handle model railroad stuff.

They apparently work on this regularly and spend time building new projects like a return loop on the layout. Also being worked on is a wood trestle that will actually cross a pond area in the middle of the layout. Buildings and other additions are being built although it will probably never be “done”

Up River RV Resort

2008-12-08T20:25:00.006-05:00

We left the Franklin Locks Campground early last week and have settled in here at Upriver RV Resort on the Coloosahatchie River just downstream from the locks and closer to Fort Meyers. We plan on being here for awhile and hope to spend some time exploring the area

We originally had planned on staying on a canal in one area of the campground that has a dock on the backside of the lot right on the canal that we could use for the boat. After looking the lot over we decided that it might be more prudent to take a larger lot and keep the boat on the trailer right at our campsite rather than try to jam everything into what we thought was an undersized lot with neighbors really close!
The canal would have been convenient but we both were more comfortable on a large lot with room and more in the RV section. Most of the lots on the canal were filled with permanent residents, but we also thought it would be more fun closer to the clubhouse.

Our lot (above) in the middle of everything and room to work on the boat, truck, or coach.One unique and interesting coach in the park is an old GM 4104 from the 1950's. The guy that owns it is here primarily so that he can attend a special meeting at the end of the month for converters of older coaches. Always was a dream for me to do what he did.....I even had all the manuals from General Motors. We hope to go up to Arcadia to see some of these coaches just after Christmas.

Last year we had planned on staying through the Holidays, but my good father in law left us at the age of 92 and we went home. This year we are decorating the coach somewhat and plan on having a fun time here. Check out our huge Christmas tree and decorations.

We hope to pick our boat back up tomorrow after discovering a electrical short in the bilge pump that could have been a major problem. We tend to pay attention to these types of things after having had a fire in the Endeavor motorhome two years ago. Will keep you posted.

Florida's Corps of Engineer Campgrounds

2008-11-26T19:55:00.001-05:00

There are only three COE campgrounds in Florida and we have now stayed each at least once. They are wonderful places, each on the water with lots to see. The intra coastal waterway in Florida as mentioned in past posts is busy with both commercial and lots of pleasure boats
There are lots of advantages to staying in these campgrounds that I have also mentioned before but just to remind anyone 62 years old or older you can use the Golden Age Pass when staying there to get the campsite at half price. Mind that you are only allowed to stay 14 days at a time and its important to get your reservations as soon as they open up (6 months previous to the start date). They are also some of the most well kept campgrounds you will see.One thing I haven't mentioned is that two of these not only have campsites, but docking facilities for the pleasure boats that travel the waterway.We are staying now at the Franklin Locks ....the picture below shows the view from our campsite there at dusk.
We move on Sunday to stay a private campground just down the river.

Saint Lucie Locks and Campground

2008-11-19T20:18:00.008-05:00

A few years back, we were introduced to the COE parks here in Florida along the Caloosahatchee River that runs from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Okeechobee and then on to the Atlantic Coast via the St Lucie Canal. There are at least 4 locks along the way to control the water levels, all under the control of the Army Corps of Engineers. Along with controlling the "intra" coastal waterway, the Corps has three wonderful campgrounds. We have now stayed at all three and they are the best!

The first two pictures below are from the locks and campground on the Saint Lucie Canal....the first looking towards the locks and east from our campsite. This spot is one of only 9 at the campground, but as you can see it provides everything you might need.

This West view from the campsite shows the canal with a sample of some of the beautiful pleasure boats that travel from coast to coast.The locks themselves are really quite interesting and our stay at this campground gave us some great views of the different pleasure boats while they traversed through the locks.

The seal on the lock gates are not exactly water tight, but that doesn't seem to present any problems. At all of the locks along the way they pay special attention to any passing Manatee's that pass through. There is even a volunteer that tries to keep track to protect the animals from boat traffic and injury from the locks.....Hmmm! Seems like a good job! Pay is a free camping site for the time period you volunteer.
Right now with the water level being high there is about a 13 foot drop in each cycle of the lock. It does take a considerable amount of time, but it seens to go quickly and it's fun to watch.The locks are not only for the many pleasure boats, but occasionally there are commercial pushboats and tugs with their working barges, like this one pictured below.
This one first pushed the barge through the locks on one trip, then left a smaller push boat with the first unit, and went back for a second barge, reconnected and then moved on towards the coast.The locks draw a lot of visitors and besides the obvious amenities like the campground and locks they have a park for children and nature trails to see.

Oh! did I mention how nice the weather is down here......

Last Night Time Shuttle Launch

2008-11-15T17:43:00.003-05:00

This picture really says it all! We were fortunate enough to see the last shuttle launch at night and it was fantastic As you may or may not know, it went off flawlessly at 8:00 PM this past Friday evening.

If you look close you see everything...the launch...a beautiful full moon....and everyone on the beach trying to take a picture of an unbelievably awesome event. The picture below is with telephoto and brings the event somewhat closer, but we were quite some distance which was made really apparent as the sound was substantially delayed from the actual view we were seeing. When we did hear the sound it was loud!

We hadn't planned on being in the area as we had made our campground reservations some time ago. When we learned of the opportunity, we tried to make sure to see it. Our friends the Armstrong's called and we made arrangements to meet them for dinner at "Paul's Smokehouse". Its a great restaurant almost directly across from the launch site. The food was good and they allowed us to just sit and wait prior to the launch in a most comfortable atmosphere, with lots of food and drink. After sitting some time with all our treats and dinner, we went outside to the watch along with what appeared to be thousands of others who all were on the road home afterward.

Our selves with good friends the Armstrong's ..... a special night!

Sweet Potato Jam 2008

2008-11-12T09:10:00.005-05:00

While planning our trip South this year I got kind of a wild hair and started checking to see what opportunities there might be to see some entertainment this year while in Florida. At any rate, I came across what was described as a blues, rock, rock-a-billie.......concert called the "Sweet Potato Jam 2008, with Delbert McClinton as the headliner followed by Teresa James, Big Joe and the Boys, and the Super Grit Cowboy Band. A Mr. Kendall Hill and entrepreneur was having a Birthday Party to which he invites a few people (500-600)to see his favorite entertainers. After being interviewed for 45 minutes (quite literally) with questions like ..."When you drink beer, are you a lover or a fighter?" we were invited to come to the concert. Mr. Hill owns this huge complex to store his crops and for some number of years has had this event as his "birthday party" in his potato storage area.

The warehouse itself is surprisingly clean and big

We were staying in Kinston at the Nature Park shown in the previous post and not being too sure what we gotten ourselves into we went out to explore where we were going to be for the concert.

The electrical and lighting was being done when we check the area out

You'll notice there was no specific seating and we had been told to bring chairs and treats, no glass, and an Hors d'oeuvre to pass and of course BYOB. The tables were bins used to store the potato's until shipment.

We had fun meeting new people and were surprised to some extent the age group of the crowd...I would guess the average age was 55 or more which was interesting because this party had no end time and we were told that it goes well past 2:00AM (doors opened at 6:00 PM)
There were of course the characters that always show at events and this guy below was really that. He dozed off about 11:30 and I hope he made it home in one piece. He really was a good and funny guy.
We did meet other couples that sort of took us under wing and taught us the proper use of the term barbecue in North Carolina
The couple below were from Virginia and the first in line to get in....we were second... and had a nice conversation while waiting to get in. They invited us to join them at their "table" which was very much appreciated.
The music was fantastic! People were at the stage front most of the night with people dancing everywhere. The entertainers mixed with the crowd and it was just a down home party.

If opportunity presents itself, we hope to be invited back next year!

Kinston, North Carolina

2008-11-06T14:24:00.009-05:00

After changing a flat tire and the late start, we did not get as far as we had hoped on day, but we are now in Kinston, North Carolina where we plan to stay thru the weekend. Today we spent exploring the area, fixing the tire and looking over the campground were staying at since we arrived after dark. We are staying at the Neuseway Nature Park located right on the Neuse River in the middle of Kinston which surprisingly larger that we thought. There are only 14 campsites and all are full hookup. We are right on the bank of the river......This place is really quite nice! Next to us on the river and available for rental was a tipi on a platform which was really sizable although I'm not sure how you would transport the poles when going camping.Among other things there was the nature center with lots of stuffed and live animals on display for school groups even a climbing wall outside the center.Oh! did I mention they had a small train with a real caboose for a ticket office.We also looked around the city of Kinston to see what was interesting besides being an old southern town with lots of classic houses. One thing we we spotted was this replica of and ironclad ship that was built during the civil war in secret on the Neuse river that was later scuttled to prevent the yankees from capturing her. Of interest they dismantled an old locomotive steam for power. Now its on display right downtown Kinston.

Were off to the coast tomorrow hopefully we will see some of the wild horses.

Finally! On the road again!

2008-11-05T19:51:00.002-05:00

Election day we finally put together all our doctors appointments behind us (seems to be more of them the older we get) tried to say our goodby's to friends and neighbors and left for the the warmer climates....although it has been warmer at home than some of the places we planned to stop. 10 miles down the road from home a driver pulled up next to me to tell me about the left rear of our pickup either flat or soon to be flat. I was able to pull over....in the middle of the I96 - I275 interchange and change the tire. Great Start!

The illustrations below show man hard at work! Note the traffic!

After the tire change we made reasonable time, but did not get as far as we had hoped but did stay at Rippling Waters Campground located in Romance, West Virginia which was quiet and nice. Its good to be in the coach again!

Headed for Kinston, North Carolina for a unique birthday party....hope to see Cape Hatteras while there. Will post again soon.

Halloween Camp 2008

2008-10-13T20:49:00.004-05:00

Apologies for not posting as often as I would like but.....life seems to be busy!!

Its Halloween time soon and last year we found sort of by mistake the Halloween program that is put on by a nearby state park each year that is quite fun. The campground has developed a program that fills the campground and invites local municipalities to partake in a one day and night party mostly for the kids but lots of adults partake too. The first picture below is my son and his family getting ready and cutting out the pumpkin faces.

I have attached a few pictures below of the campground (Algonac State Park, Michigan) and some of the decorations.

Lots of decorations and fun
We thought the display below was particularl good as we try to spend as much time in "Margaritaville" as we can.

Even the animals have chance to dress up

Goodies are passed out to all the goblins and there is a vote on the best decorated campsite and it is absolutely a great time .....especially with our grandkids!!

Cedarville

2008-07-17T18:28:00.000-05:00

Cedarville, Michigan is located on the eastern tip of the upper peninsula along the shores of Lake Huron and in the middle of the Les Cheneaux Islands. Its a beautiful area that was especially popular with summer vacationers and perch fisherman. Today's claim to fame is the nearby annual wooden boat festival that draws old "woodies" from all over for their show. For quite a number of years our friends the Thompsons have talked us into visiting and we have enjoyed it immensely. Both pictures below were taken out the front window of the motorhome so you can see how picturesque it is.

One of the things the area is noted for are all the old "crib" docks.....it almost reminds you of the shoreline in the Northeast United States ...as well as a number of "boathouses" that are way beyond your average cottage. The campground is really very nice with a number of sites that you can just look out the front window and watch the water. It's being condominiumized right now and the pricing is relatively reasonable compared to what we have seen elswhere. Marge however has this thing about the UP (unacceptable except to visit occasionally), so as much as we (I) like it we will visit.

Munising, Michigan

2008-07-15T20:47:00.000-05:00

Munising is located along the shore of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with Grand Island just off shore and Pictured Rocks National Park just to the East of the city. It is a nice little village in a protected bay with landscapes and seascapes that are fantastic. The only limiting factor it has is its distance from major metropolitan areas.....that and the really cold water of Lake Superior.The photo below is from a small launch site for boats just West of Munising and a good example of the shore line of the picturesque Lake SuperiorThe primary reason for visiting the Munising area was our former neighbors and friends the Gordons who retired to the "woods" and built a log cabin in what most would consider the boonies. Actually, it is a bit out of town but adjacent to one of the beautiful waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula on the Laughing Whitefish River. The series of pictures below show the falls that are really quite unique. The water drops 80 or 100 feet or so and at the time we were there the flow was minimal. Spring time it really roars.

Next stop is Cedarville, Michigan near the Les Cheneaux Islands.

Elkhart to Elk Rapids

2008-07-10T17:06:00.000-05:00

We spent a total of three nights at the plant facility and came away feeling like we had a new coach with lots of little things fixed and ready to enjoy. Below is a picture of the coach just before being turned back over to us. Even looks new!
We had planned to work our way up the West side of Michigan but somehow moved along a little faster and longer than we planned. It really felt good to be back in the coach and on the move.

We arrived in Elk Rapids in the early afternoon and decided to stay in the area a few days as it is one of our favorite places. As a kid I spent a few weeks each summer on Birch Lake....mostly swimming and fishing with summer friends and family....the best of times! We stayed at a campground called Honcho Rest on Bass Lake which I would highly recommend quiet and reasonable and right on the lake. We spent the next few days visiting familiar places and seeing places and friends in the area. Our next stop will be Munising, Michigan on Lake Superior.

On the move again

2008-07-07T18:19:00.003-05:00

We arrived this afternoon in Elkhart, Indiana at the Monaco factory to have some work done on the coach. Namely replacement of the slideout awnings which have deteriorated to the point that they were starting to fall apart. I have attached a few pictures to show you our problem, as well as the factory "campground" for those having work done on their coaches.

The procedure for having your coach woked on is to be rousted out at 6:00AM so they can move the coach into the work area. The owners are then direct to the waiting lounge which is nice but some people are here for some time......the record being 79 days I was told. Tomorrow we get started on the awnings and few other minor things. We hope to find a chair for our new desk that will work as we want it. We will keep you posted.

New Desk is in!

2008-06-18T18:53:00.004-05:00

Here's our new desk in place and ready to go!

Basic features include :

Large sliding drawer on left for printer which has wiring run within the desk for power and hookup to the computer.
Wide stow all 3-1/2" deep drawer above printer.
Center pencil drawer.
Center cabinet with adjustable shelf in foot area for storage of paper, notebooks, various manuals. There is also a false floor for electrical and heat vent. The cabinet doors are perforated to allow for venting and excess heat.
Two large file cabinets for our records are located on the right to keep everything in order.
Large desk top with access hole for wiring.

As mentioned previously, we were very unhappy with the so called J-Lounge that is standard equipment on the coach...it was uncomfortable to sit on and not long enough to sleep on unless you were a small child. We had seen elsewhere on the web, desks that have been retrofitted into coaches but nothing specifically fit our requirements. So we started working with a cabinet shop to develop what we wanted for ourselves. Joe Salet of Greenfield Cabinetry, Inc in Warren Michigan (586-759-3300) and his staff put together exactly what we were looking for. We would now have a workspace that did not have to be moved everytime we ate dinner and allowed us the use of the J-Lounge space for something we would appreciate.
Notice that the counter top matches perfectly the other tops throughout the coach and provides not only a large working surface but could be used for setting out food when entertaining.

The filing drawers are oversized with intent so that I can keep pricebooks and catalogs withing reach.
The slide out drawer for the printer easily accommodates most HP printers.
The lower drawer on the right had to be modified somewhat to allow for the heat vent that was fed through to the center of the desk.
We are very pleased and if anyone out there is interested in doing the same sort of thing, I would highly recommend Greenfield Cabinetry. They were great to work with and we thought their pricing appropriate for task.

Updates

2008-05-14T07:56:00.003-05:00

Been kind of sedentary for awhile but have a few projects going. One particular thing of interest is that the campground (River View RV and Resort) we stayed at in Vidalia, Louisiana across the river from Natchez did indeed flood with spring rains and thaws shortly after we left. You may recall we weren't really concerned while we were there but our friends, Ken and Vera, stayed there a week or so ago and half the campground was underwater! (See April 5th post)

We have also been planning and have now arranged to have a desk installed rather than have the "J Lounge" in our "living room" of the motorhome. Not sure what others think about the J Lounge, but to me its sort of useless piece of furniture. Its uncomfortable to sit and while its supposed to fold out to be used as a bed, you would have to be 3 or 4 feet tall to be comfortable. Although, it was great when the grandchildren stayed with us. At any rate we are having a desk built that will hide printers and files away and give some semblance of order in the coach. I have attached a picture below of the J Lounge that is to be replaced and will post pictures of the desk once it's installed.

Another thing that I have done over the years is to tie the flys for flyfishing that I never seem to find time for anymore. The plan is however to go north in the near future to one of our favorite spots and do a little trout fishing. In check my stocks of flys however, it is time to tie some more. Marge has allowed me to take over the dining room table for awhile to allow me room to work. Molly, my grandaughter thinks all the feathers and furs "icky" and wanted nothing to do with it.Below is just one of the nymph flys tied over the last week. I have enjoyed this hobby for quite some time and its always rewarding when you catch something on a lure that you have made.

Tow Boats on the Mississippi River

2008-04-18T12:12:00.006-05:00

We were really surprised at how many towboats or pushboats were operating on the river considering that the water was continuing to rise. Years ago we were fortunate enough to take a Rhine River cruise from Amsterdam to Basil Switzerland and there were hundreds of smaller "freighters" actually family liveaboard type barges. These on Mississippi and other major rivers here in the states push as many as 20 barges at one time.

In Vicksburg down on the river there is a display being put together showing these pushboats up close. It appears they draw very little draft and seeing the props you can see how they are able to power the barges around even in shallow water. I don't know how big the engines are but to drive the as many barges as they do they would have to quite powerfull
In viewing this ship its really much bigger than they appear on the water and from the looks of the cabin structure they must have a fair size crew. Passengers maybe?
Another thing I found kind of interesting was how little freeboard (distance from water to deck) there was. If you were ever to go where there was any major wake from another boat it could be quite interesting.!
This boat has obviously been fixed up as it looked like it really should not have been on display but being used on the river. Maybe this is an outdated model of a type not being used anymore. Anyway, this is all on the waterfront in Vicksburg, Mississippi any worth seeing.

Rocky Springs on the Natchez Trace

2008-04-12T13:46:00.007-05:00

This year we decided to take the Natchez Trace home rather than one of the interstates and we had heard good things about the "Trace". It is a highway that was started in the 1930's that follows what was originally and old Indian and hunters trail from Natchez to Nashville and later a pathway that flatboatmen would follow home after drifting down the rivers to Natchez to sell their goods and even their boat for lumber before walking back on the Trace to home. Along the way there were various inns that they stayed at and Rocky Springs was the location of one of those stops along the way. The Trace today has three campgrounds along the way, one being at Rocky Springs. These campgrounds are free and really quite nice and with a short hike not too far from the Rocky Springs settlement or what is left of it today.... a brick church (still in use today) and abandoned house sites with a few old safes that must have been to heavy to haul away.

The picture above is one of the three safes we saw just left lying and now small monuments to times past. It sort of surprised us that this sort of thing has survived with little left of any buildings that may have been in the area. There were some cisterns from previous buildings but nothing else.
The church which has been well kept is still standing and having been in the brick business at one time it was fascinating to see how well some of the old hand made brick have survived after 250 years plus.
This detail at the grave yard I thought was really neat. It was part of a larger gate that has fallen in the typical disarray but unique to the rest of the stones and memorials in the cemetery behind the church.

The trees in the area were really kind of neat and almost something out of a Stephen King novel with all the creepy moss hanging from the limbs.
We both thought the picture above was strange too with the roots of tree reminding us of a spider. We thought the whole cemetery would be a good set for some ghoulish movie.
Between the moss and the trees and of course being in a cemetery we thought the place as unique particularly coupled with the history.

We stayed over night at the campground located there and moved on the next day. The highway is great in that they have a 50 MPH limit and there is little traffic for 450 miles. It is certainly a far cry from the interstates and a pleasure to drive. We probably averaged 45 miles an hour or less and saw beautiful country all along. There is (probably every 10 miles) a marked historical item with parking to stop and see from civil war sites to Indian burial grounds. A great trip if you not in a hurry! And Mississippi is a beautiful in the spring time!

Side visit to Vicksburg, Misssissippi

2008-04-09T19:59:00.006-05:00

In the continuing saga of trying to post pictures I thought I would try to show you some pictures taken in Vicksburg of TRAINS!!!!

The city of Vicksburg is on quite a bluff with a lower level and maybe a former ferry site at the base near the water ...... lots to see.

Old Train yards

An old turntable without any roundhouse but neat and old

There was a new shed where the old roundhouse may have been

It still seems to be used though difficult to figure how or to do what?

Natchez, Mississippi

2008-04-05T20:38:00.003-05:00

Wow.....where to begin....This beautiful, quaint little town of about 16,000 people on a ridge above the Mississippi River is a wonder. First, its the oldest established community on the Mississippi River. Formerly one of the richest communities in the US thanks to the cotton grown in this area and now a great place to visit and probably live any time of the year. Lots of good resturants, great architecture and plantation homes that are unbelievable.

Marge and I arrived Friday morning and set up camp in Vidalia, Louisana accross the river from Natchez. Natchez is built on a high ridge above the water and its apparent that Vidalia has had and is susceptable to flooding. In fact the river is cresting a record highs right now and our campground is between the river and the levy with the water still rising. According to the news, its a few feet off a record but if there is any more rain it could be very interesting!!! A note of interest is that the river barge traffic has been slowed and halted in some areas as the current is exceptionaly fast and movement of the large barge "trains" causes some stress to the low lying areas and levy's.

Between us we have taken almost 200 pictures of this area and I will try to post some of the more interesting below

Lousy picture but shows flooding on Vidalia, Lousiana side of river.

Under the bridges between Natchez and Vidalia

Casino flooding at the riverfront in Natchez

150 year old plus home (?) office (?)

Covered walks in dowtown Natchez

Rosalie Mansion at the edge of the ridge above the river.

Typical downtown street

Pictures posted but not without problems will try to do more in the next few days . We leave Natchez in the morning heading north along the Natchez Trace

2008-03-31T16:19:00.000-05:00

Marge is getting quit artistic with her photography as shown below. Sunshine Key has a mile marker post with distances from various cities around the country although I think some of the distances were put up there to make you feel closer than you are. But it is kind of neat and with the huge Flag that is flown here the picture turned out kind of nice.

In case you haven't noticed the pictures are posting now. I have to think it was the connection we had in the Keys as once we moved (today) things seem to be working fine.

We left the keys today with a tinge at regret as it seems clear we may not be back next year. Policies and cost increases have certainly gotten out of hand and while we may visit for a short time, we have decided to go elsewhere next year. At this point in time we are still planning on Florida but have made reservations near Fort Myers at Up River RV Resort which we have stayed at before. We even left our coach there a year ago Christmas when we flew home. The resort has access to the Caloosahatchee River with a boat ramp and the Gulf is just a short distance (16 miles) for Salt Water Fishing. We're already looking forward to it although we will miss the keys.

Tonight we are at the Ortona Locks on the Caloosahatchee River just outside of LaBelle Florida. We have a place in Labelle that we store the boat for the season and we will prep it and wrap it tomorrow then drop it off. We really like this campgroun...its a Corps of Engineer campground right on the river as you can see from our past posts....small spacious and really quiet. Lots of wildlife...manatees, otters all kinds of birds including the bald eagle in a tree accross the way.

I close out this post with a few classic pictures of sunsets etc. We will try and make up for our lack of post and pictures on our trip home now that that the system seems to be working.

2008-03-30T08:45:00.000-05:00

We've been here now almost three months and neither of us knows where the time goes. Obviously the blog has been sort of forgotten at times as it has been a bit of pain to try to get anything to post properly. Google documents works very well for posting but unless the connection is good it never posts completely. Editing after the fact is so frustrating that I have given up to some extent so I apologize for the lack of posts this year while in the keys.

Lots of things have happened this year..
....Ben, our son came for as short visit
....Marge's cousin, Sandy was in Key West and visited with us briefly
....our friends the Ritchies have come down and stayed for the month of March although David has discovered he really does not care for fishing all that much. He does like eating those fish that we have caught though. Deanna on her first trip enjoyed herself thoroughly was the best student in learning to fish in salt water. She caught some nice fish too! Mark her son and his friend Jesse came down and also enjoyed a day fishing and they checked out Key West on St Patricks Day
....Dave Jag and his family were down and his son and his wife also were quite the fisherman catching enough for dinner and I think enjoying being on the water too!

....The Thompsons were here for their longest time ever
....A really strange happening was the Eagle Ray that jumped into a passing boat and unfortunately killed a woman from the blow. We have seen rays jumping often but never close to a boat. We even saw a 6ft shark come out of the water, which we had never seen before.
....we continue to eat and imbibe and enjoy with the many folks we have met over the years here at Sunshine key. Fishing and boating has been great and lots of fun.

All of us have had difficulty with the changing rules and costs and along with that the management of Sunshine Keys attitude. Basically, the costs being less than half in most other places has had a great deal to do with our decision not to return next year for the usual 3 months we spend here. We aren't sure, but we may still come down for a short time but management seems to have done its best to drive its loyal customer base away We have made reservations near Fort Myers for next year and a lot of the group is going elsewhere for some of the same reasons we are.

We plan on leaving tomorrow and will drop off the boat for storage... then we hope to head West to Natchez, Ms. From there we hope to work our way north along the Natchez Trace and get home mid April.

I tried one more time to post a few pictures but signal strength or ? has once again prevented the posting of pictures. Once we move it may be different.

Posting using Google's Documents

2008-03-15T13:56:00.001-05:00

Well, by changing internet access and trying something new that really seems easy to use, things are beginning to work. Google documents will allow me to post text and pictures by just typing and placing the pictures, which makes it very much easier than previously. Anyway here goes with pictures again. Will try just one the first time.

Bat Tower at Sugarloaf Key

Pictures Finally!

2008-03-15T07:53:00.003-05:00

Tried once again using Picasso and it seems to have worked this time. Rather than try to insert pictures into the old post, I have inserted the three concerning the bat house on Sugarloaf Key below. The first is of the tower by itself

The louvered access for the bats.

A view from the bottom looking up at all the "cubicles"?

Hopefully this will all post properly.

Picture Problems

2008-03-11T12:36:00.003-05:00

Still having problems posting pictures. Have tried a couple of different methods but nothing has worked to this point. Internet connection has been one source of the problem sometimes but we're stuck with this connection until we move.

Bat House

2008-03-10T20:06:00.007-05:00

Many years ago, when development started in the lower keys the mosquito population was a terrible problem and someone got the idea that maybe they could be controlled with bats imported from central Florida. (A single bat can eat as many as 1000 mosquito's a day.) At any rate, in 1929 a gentleman by the name of Perky decided to build this tower to entice bats to survive and multiply and resolve at least some of the problems with the mosquito population.
Perky Bat Tower

This tower is about 40 or 50 feet tall and quite intricate with roosts for the bats behind louvers that allow them to come and go with the roosts inside protected by the shake shingles on the exterior of the tower.
Entrance Louvers

This last view is from the bottom of the tower which shows the strange spacing of the interior boards that allows roosting areas through out the structure. The problem was that either the bats all died or moved on to better climates and the structure is still obviously standing to this day. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hows that for an interesting tidbit about the Florida Keys?

Special Weekend

2008-02-19T16:54:00.006-05:00

Valentines day our son Ben joined us for a long weekend in what we think is a bit of paradise. The first picture below is a view from the bridge looking to the beach our little island where we have spent the last seven weeks or so. The picture was taken the day that he came down so you can see we had beautiful weather and althought windy but ok seas.We did do a little exploring to see some of the sights with Ben. Its been some time since he was down here and last time it was more of a diving adventure and not too much fishing. Of course we have the boat now and that allows to do a lot more exploring and fishing. Below we visited whats called the "Blue Hole" which is a carved out piece of Big Pine Key that is part of the National Key Deer Refuge. We did see an alligator and a very colorful Iguana but no deer. Usually the deer come out of the bushes to be fed (definitely a no no) but not this day
Thought I would post a few traditional family pictures....father and son....mother and son....and last but not least the airport picture when he left.

We had an excellent time with him here and we were pleased to introduce him to our friends that we have made over the years down here in the Keys. We did keep him quite busy though ....out in the sun all day fishing then partying with appetizers (even got him to try fresh oysters) and of course a good helping of beer. He was in bed before us one of the nights! He, of course, got totally sunburned, but we did have fun catching quite a variety of fish... even a small 3' shark.

We are, needless to say are very proud of him.

Thursday Nights at Sunshine Key

2008-02-10T16:10:00.000-05:00

Over the years of coming to this campground there have been a lot of people that have shared their individual talents to entertain everyone. The last few years Jack and Kathy with their friend Jim (occasionaly even their grown children) have put on mini concerts on thursday nights. Each week at 7:00 pm everyone gathers in front of their motorhome which they have set up as sort of a stage from which they sing and play music for a few hours. As you can see below it draws quite a crowd.

Jack and Kathy

The Crowd (as many as 100)

View from behind Jim, Kathy and Jack as they entertain

All ages come out to enjoy!

"Doin some fishin"

2008-01-31T20:23:00.000-05:00

While Marge and I have been doing some regular fishing and of course bragging about how wonderful the fishing was, my good friend Dave Harris from home decided to take me up on an offer to see for himself. Dave has a place in the "Villages" where he plays a lot of golf!! Dave and his family live and breathe golfing. His three sons are all good with very low handicaps and Mike his middle son plays on the Canadian Tour. They all play as much as they can and enjoy the game very much. Below is a picture of us having lunch with Dave at the Cafe by the pool here at Sunshine Key.
We had been waiting for a couple of good days without too much wind and reasonably calm seas to go fishing. Dave drove down and last week we went out bright and early in calm seas no wind and lots of fog and heavy mist. Actually it was reasonably warm and the fog and mist really didn't cause too much of a problem. We even caught a fair number of fish! That evening Dave and I went out to eat and he left the next day. A good time!

Our son Ben is coming down for a long weekend in two weeks to do some of the same and get a little sunshine to boot! Will keep you posted.

Internet service

2008-01-22T19:52:00.000-05:00

For some reason the last two months have not been the most satisfying relative to dealing with the internet and all the various connections to it. We have "suffered" through old fashion land lines to private service and even tried Comcast again which was the final straw! WE MISS OUR DATASTORM!!!! As you may recall, that was the one item that was not covered under the insurance...... we needed a rider to cover that type of item. I finally broke down and signed up for the private service that Sunshine Key offers. For the time being we will have better connections and hopefully, I will keep up a little better now.

We have been here now a little over two weeks and have been busy since we got here seeing old friends and settling in. All of us have had some real problems with management this past fall as they seemed to change the rules and particularly the costs with regard to having a boat down here. Bottom line is that the cost of having a boat went sky high by virtue of the fact that we can no longer keep the boat on site for free, but are now required to keep it either in the dry racks they were to have built or in a marina slip. All this at an increase of about $500.00 a month or more minimum. Needless to say there were a lot of upset people. The racks, however (seen below) still are not finished and management had to back pedal. Next year will be interesting as we are aware of many who are not returning or at least for not for the length of time we usually do. all a due to these new costs. Unfortunately, the Florida Keys as beautiful as they are and the cost of being here ... has started to force people to look elsewhere. Times change! An interesting side note is that there are many vacancies where there never were in previous years. Perhaps due to the cost of fuel but the change in policies at this campground have certainly had some effect.

New animal alert.....Iguana's. They have invaded this small Key. Not easily seen but fascinating to watch. The ones we have seen seem young or smaller than we have seen in other areas of the keys but they are neat!
Look close .....he's there in the tree by our motorhome.

We have been doing a little fishing with great success and eating our catch regularly.....There is nothing like fishing during the day and then having fresh fish for dinner in the evening. Our friend Dave Harris is down to fish for a day or two ....will let you know how that turns out.

Back in Florida Keys

2008-01-08T08:50:00.000-05:00

The funeral for big Al went well with respects being paid by old friends and relatives. As I had said previously he was very well thought of and a fine man.

We were able to fly back to our coach which we had left at Collier Seminole State Park in the overflow area. The park people were absolutely fantastic about taking care of us and allowing us to leave the coach there and they even kept an eye on it for us. They even helped us pack everything in so we could leave it and catch a plane home. Nice People!!!! Thank you again Joe and Karen.

We arrived back to find everything in order and packed up and headed out for our favorite Florida Keys spot. Some changes at the resort but we are settled in and we will try tokeep you up to speed on everything we do and see.

A special Man

2007-12-31T14:07:00.000-05:00

Marge's dad has finally given up the fight and passed this last Friday. He was born 92 years ago and was known all his life for being a kind and generous gentleman who was well thought of by all.

We will miss him!

Albert H. Kress

Merry Christmas from Collier Seminole State Park

2007-12-24T19:06:00.000-05:00

We have been at Collier Seminole State Park in Florida now about a week after leaving the Corps of Engineers Park on the Caloosahatchee River. We have been here a week and have used the boat to do some exploring and have driven around the area checking out possible camping sites in the future and of course all the local sites. Collier Seminole Park is located about 16 miles East and South of Naples along the Tamiami Trail otherwise known as US 41. We have always driven past this park on the way to the Keys and wondered about it. The land itself was owned by a man named Collier who had a great deal to do with development in South East Florida and the construction of the link between Ft Myers and Miami. Mind you he was trying to develop the land as a Southern Paradise to live in. A great deal of the park is mangrove with tidal salt flats mostly populated by a variety of bird life with a river that starts at the campground and drains out to the Gulf of Mexico. Parts of this river appropriately named the Blackwater River have been dredged but it still very shallow for any motorized boat

This first picture is of our campsite which has full hookups…not a common thing in this park! When we checked out the park a week or so ago we realized that they had assigned us a tent site which we could not fit on and they were kind enough to assign us one of the campground host sites for the two weeks we are here.

These two pictures are of the boat basin and of the riverhead leading toward the Gulf. This is right at the campground where you can launch boats and from where all travel on the river emanates. They have a variety of programs to some areas of the back country with canoes and kayaks ..day and night… to see what these mangrove swamps are like. The most important thing for us was the tidal changes as we had to be very aware of when low tide was when using the boat.

Our first trip down the river was like being on the African Queen with the sides narrowing in on us then expanding out with islands everywhere with lots of open very shallow water. Our GPS was the only thing that kept us abreast of where we were at all times. Actually, before you are allowed to leave the basin you must file a travel plan with the rangers making them aware where you expect to travel and when you will be back. You have to check in and out as a safety precaution.

One of the attractions here at the campground is one of the original “Bay City Walking Dredge’s”. It’s really quite unique….tracked dredges could not navigate the swamps of the everglades so they devised a method having the dredge walk forward about 10’ at time. This was all powered by a single all fuel diesel two cylinder engine that was quite interest to see also.

Ok, time for the wildlife report……We saw a lot of the usual birds which I have shown above….the Great Blue Heron, a unknown hawk, a pileated woodpecker and even a Burmese Python!!!!! Apparently lots of people have turned their pet snakes loose in the everglades and this is one big snake….Marge almost stepped right on it as we were hiking on a remote trail through the swamp. It was somewhere around 10’ long or more with a girth of about 15” to 20”. Scary!!

On another note Big Al (92 year old father in law) is having a hard time. He will be going into Hospice after the 1st of the year as things are failing. He is a good man who has survived a lot. Please keep him in your thoughts this Holiday Season.

Lastly, we have been busy and unfortunately our connections with the internet have been limited. After next weekend we should have broadband again and I will try and keep up a little better. Most of all may you all have the best of the Holidays!

Video Experiment

2007-12-09T17:12:00.000-05:00

Something new Blogger offers is the chance to add video to the blog. This is the first experiment with doing that and its obvious we need to work on it but this is our first try. The wind caused some problems and we need to learn to time our speech or description better, but I think its kind of neat that a little hand held camera can do this.

We are still at the locks here at Ortona and the weather has been beautiful. We have not used the boat as the snook fishing season is closed now and Lake Okeechobee is so low you cannot see the water from the rim. The rim canal has water as does the center of the lake (1' deep) with the navigable portions at 4'. We decided it wasn't worthwhile this year and will try next year assuming the rainy season fills it up somewhat.

We leave this beautiful spot on Saturday for Collier Seminole State Park right in the western part of the everglades. Will update after we are there.

Ortona Locks and Corps of Engineer Campground

2007-12-05T12:10:00.000-05:00

Once again we found a campground that is absolutely fantastic!! We have stayed in a couple of Corps of Engineer parks and they are always really something! Clean, well located and always on water. This particular campground is again located on the Caloosahatchee River, but further East from the Ft Myers area. Located in an area of beef ranches where we are occasionally serenaded by the cattle in some of the adjacent fields. There is quite a variety of wild life which I try to take pictures whenever we can. Below is hawk that must have staked out his territory just across the street from our campsite. Not sure what kind but large and fun to watch every morning.
Turtles seem to be everywhere and some are quite sizable for fresh water turtles. This one was probably 15" across and just one of many that seem to be congregating around the locks and in the still backwaters nearby. I know the fisherman get upset with them because they tend to go after the live bait being used.

There is an otter family that has chosen to make the locks their home and each morning you can see them nonchalantly moving about, aware of the people around, but not too worried about anything. These are relatively large animals and amazing to watch. I have only seen them in the wild once before while traversing Highway 41 in the Everglades.
I took this picture because it shows our friendly Alligator at the bottom of the picture resting and soaking up the sun directly across from our campsite. That's our motorhome with the flag flying in the near distance
Not really sure what was going on in this photo. The picture was taken at dusk when the bugs, which are an issue here, come out. There were a lot of swallows or purple martins flying about over the water obviously feeding on insects. I assume that there must have been a hatch of insects of some kind coming off the water, and at a tremendous rate, as the birds were swarming above and in the water causing it to appear to be almost boiling. The picture was taken at a distance but you can see the swarm of birds.
This last picture is our friend the alligator that has staked the area near us as his own. When not sunning himself on the rocks out front, he snuggles down into the water hyacinth waiting for a meal to come along.
Ortona is really quite a distance from any major civilization and that has to be the reason there is so much wildlife. Others in the campground have seen a Bobcat with two cubs, Sand Hill Cranes and the campground host even has a snake living in a palm tree next to their camper....Marge is not too please to hear that though. We are here until the 15th, Then on to Collier Seminole State Park which is just south of Naples.

Experiment

2007-12-04T18:25:00.000-05:00

This is an experimental post to see if I can get things to work.....by the way those are two eagles that kept an eye on us at the W.P. Franklin Locks during the two weeks were there.

Continuing problems with posting pictures

2007-12-04T18:14:00.000-05:00

I have lost some of the pictures on previous posts and tried a number of things to resolve the issue with the latest being an upgrade to the template. Hopefully, this will work for new posts. Will add a post on our newest location soon.

W.P. Franklin Locks and COE Campground

2007-12-01T14:27:00.000-05:00

This year we planned ahead a little and made reservations at a few of the hard to get into Corps of Engineers parks and a Florida State Park thats also hard to get into. Our first stop was at the W.P.Franklin Corps of Engineer Locks on the Caloosahatchee River near Fort Myers. There are only 30 or sites as well as some docks for those traveling along the waterways, but all are situated right on the rivers edge as you can see our site below. Yes....that is the Goldbrick flag (new having been replaced after the fire) flying again.

The COE parks are really nice with all the amenities and well taken care of. They also accept the Golden Age Pass offered to anyone 62 or over that gives you a 50% discount on the camping fee. This particular park is really an island with a causeway out to the 30 sites. Paved roads, gravel campsite areas...better than most high scale Motorhome Resorts.

Below is the view from our campsite looking out at the pier with the locks beyond. The pier is used for fishing by a lot of people. The water on the Gulf side is brackash and has tidal fluctuations, while the upstream side is freshwater. Fishing is good with some catching large mullet with snook, jacks, tilapia and sand bream all available. The water activity with fish jumping or being chased by larger fish with egrets and eagles everywhere... this is truly a wonderfull and peacefull campground.

We have had wonderful weather with just one day with a short rain shower. Wed did have some fog that was really kind of erie but neat. Below was a picture I took that morning of the pier which usually has a few fishermen trying to catch a snook.

There are some of us however that have actually caught a snook! Problem was it was undersize. The DNR down here is trying to preserve the snook fishery by limiting the size of keepable fish to betwee 28" and 33" and also limiting the season. The fish below which was released was 24" long. It was the first I have ever caught and having been treated to some fresh snook last year, I am anxious to catch more.

Our campsite at night. The campground provides a protected table and sitting having a beer with the wind calming down at night is about as good as it gets.

We had Thanksgiving all by ourselves, although I did try to make reservations in Labelle at a nice resturant only to be told they were closed. The manager that answered the phone at that resturant however did invite us to her house for Thanksgiving when we said we were from out o town. We thanked her but choose to go buy a small chicken and we fixed it for our supper in the motorhome. Thats' Marge below about to enjoy the dinner

We did take the boat out and did some exploring and a little fishing. We did not see any fish or catch anything at all but did see lots of unusual sites including the Camel grazing at the river side. This guy had to be at least 8' tall and he was just plan big. Needless to say we were quite surprised to see him

This is a picture of our campsite up close. As you can see the view is spectacular.

As I mentioned earlier we tried to plan things for staying at some of the unique areas here in florida and we are moving today to another Corps of Engineer park up stream at another lock on this waterway called the Ortona South Campground and Locks. We stayed briefly here last year but plan to stay the next two weeks there.

St Augustine Florida

2007-11-23T17:40:00.000-05:00

For years Marge and I have thought that we want to travel down the road looking at new and interesting things without driving 600 miles plus everyday. We have always had to be somewhere at a certain time and hurried to get there. This last year we have had more freedom to drive, in this case just 80- 100 miles down the road to see some of the sights and have the time to explore new things. The city of St Augustine was one of those new stops.

Below is a picture of the old city gates located just outside the fort at St Augustine. This was the entrance to the settlement with the fort sitting on the water protecting the surrounding area. We did not get a chance to visit the Ponce De Leon fountain of youth which was nearby but did wander the fort which is really well preserved for being some 400 years old. The other nice thing was that our "Golden Age Pass" got us in for free.

The corners on the fort had sentry towers that are typical of all the Spanish Forts of the day although it would seem limited as to their use. Inside not much room and beyond being a lookout not much to them at all

There was a moat below all the walls of the fort although it is not flooded now. As you can see ...there isn't much room in the sentry towers

The town outside the fort had limited fortifications that were essentially like stockades but limited as compared to the fort. The city was surrounded by this wall at the time.

Marge trying to find her way out of fort

This picture is of the old town shopping area which in now turist heaven. Note how narrow the streets are and although this is not really T-Shirt heaven there are crowds of people with a lot of shops to accomodate them.

This is Magnolia street just outside the Fountain of Youth and neat with the overhanging trees.

Ah! Finally....Brick! and Paving Brick to boot! Most of the back streets have to some degree real brick pavers and it was fun to see the different manufacturers now long gone.

Hopefully, this post will survive being uploaded and published. I still am having problems with blogger and particularly working with pictures. I have found some ways around and hopefully they will work

Picture Problems

2007-11-16T15:22:00.000-05:00

We are in Sarasota for two days and I will try again with the pictures being posted. Not sure what the problem is but Blogger is having quite a problem with everyone from what I can tell.

Fort Federick.....Brunswick, Georgia

2007-11-14T21:55:00.000-05:00

We have been sort of lollygagging down the East Coast seeing some things that I have seen before in my travels and finding new places to explore and share with Marge. One area is the Brunswick Georgia area with Jekyll and Sea Island. This beautiful coastal area with the wide open expanses of marsh and tidal flats is really something to see. Between the flats and on higher ground the huge Live Oak trees (some of which are hundreds of years old) it is the picture of the South.

One we stopped at on St Simons is Fort Federicka which was a community that was established in the early 1700's. The first picture below is of the grounds outside the fort with the probably 300 year old Oaks

The picture below is of the smallish fort itself looking out over the tidal flats and river.

Can you imagine a ship coming around the bend in the river in your sights?

And again the beautiful old Live Oak trees.

On to St Augustine to see the earliest settlement in the United States.

Huntington State Park, South Carolina

2007-11-11T21:17:00.000-05:00

We left Florence, SC for Myrtle Beach ........Marge had never been in the area, but I had spent some time hunting in nearby Georgetown. I also had stopped a number of times on the way South when I was able to leave the cold climates of a Michigan January. I had always been intrigued with area and wanted to show her the beaches and especially a restaurant that makes the absolute best hush puppies. We found the restaurant ("Drunken Jacks" -Murrells Inlet, SC) and she agreed! We were told the secret was the honey butter they are served with.

We stayed at Huntington Beach State Park on the "Grand Strand" which offers a phenomenal beach to walk that goes for miles and is absolutely beautiful. The park is nice and has roomy sites some even with full hookups. The area is great for birdwatching and there is lots of other wildlife....we saw a mink running on one of the wooden boardwalks. Lots of people were fishing from shore but with the temperature being a little cool mostly walkers and "birders" were present.

I had posted some pictures to show the beach but between blogger and my somehow disposing of the originals they gone, except for those below.

The park itself is from the estates of Anna Hyatt and Archer Huntington, sculptors and philanthropists who left what was their winter home "Atalaya" and surrounding properties to the state for everyone to enjoy. The house is really unique and struck my interest right away as it is almost completely a brick structure.....all the floors and walls. Some of it had been whitewashed and there is a stucco like application to the exterior. Below are a series of pictures taken that I thought you might enjoy.

It is a truly a unique structure with its interior courtyards and interesting architecture ...worth seeing!!!

TAKING THE BACK ROAD

2007-11-09T14:42:00.000-05:00

After leaving Lexington Kentucky, we decide to follow old highway 25E which we had taken 40 some years ago on our way south. The area in Tennessee particularly was beautiful as we remembered it with lots of hills and rocky faces along side the road. There were a few nice overlooks that we recalled as really something. The picture below is where on of those overlooks was taken of the coach. We are quite pleased with this new coach....it has lots of liveable space and is a pleasure to drive even when pulling the pickup behind.

This picture and the one below were taken at the overlook at a place called Bean Station where Daniel Boone followed Cherokee Indians trails to the Cumberland Gap. Davy Crockett also followed these same trails. Bean Station today is still a relatively unpopulated area but certainly has some beautiful vistas.

This picture made us think of the water shortages in Georgia. This reservoir was down what appeared to be almost 20 feet. We crossed the bridge seen above in the distance after traveling down the mountainside some 4 or 5 miles.

One obstacle we ran into on the back roads was a great deal of construction. We ran across one problem where a roller literally rolled down the hillside holding up traffic for about an hour while they moved it out of the way using backhoes and a payloader.

Exciting for the driver but we understood he jumped clear.

We are in Florence, South Carolina for two days to visit with friends and then we head down the East coast again on a back road....Highway 17 when possible with some stops in Charleston and Savannah.

2007-11-08T22:42:00.000-05:00

Found a way to post pictures thats new to me and its taking some time to figure out. Below are a few of the pictures taken at Kentucky Horse Park that are the first for me posting with this system. Next post will try to be more organized.

Finally...On the road again!!!

2007-11-06T18:37:00.000-05:00

We left today as the snow storms were predicted to arrive shortly!!!! We have really decided that being a snowbird is the life! We have always enjoyed the snow and even towed snowmobiles behind the motorhome for weekends away in the snow country, but sunshine is a wonderful thing ....it just makes you feel good and with reasonable warmth can't be beaten.

Tonight we are at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington Kentucky. This is a beautiful place with the horses in wood fenced pastures and beautiful farms all around. This time of year they are preparing for the coming holidays with a light show with Christmas lights and figures everywhere. Unfortunately, it is not ready yet.. I tried to find pictures from a previous visit and I thought I had posted some on this blog, but apparently not. Maybe next time. Tried to post new pictures but the connection did not want to work for pictures for some reason. Will add them later.

Tomorrow we're off towards Columbia, South Carolina and hopefully a little warmer weather. Tonight is supposed to be in the low 30's or high 20's but we are warm and comfortable. Our "new" coach is really working out well.

Harsens Island - St Clair River

2007-09-24T13:48:00.000-05:00

As you may have guessed it's been difficult to keep up with everything and it seems prudent that if this blog is to continue, it needs to keep current so.......

Our plans for this fall are starting to fall into place although where we will be for Christmas is still uncertain. We do plan on being in the middle of the Colosahatchee River at the Franklin Lock Corps of Engineers park to celebrate Thanksgiving. Actually, we are most anxious to get on the road and use this new coach and both of us are excited about going down the road.
This past weekend we got a little taste as we attended our annual get together with old High School friends on Harsens Island located in the middle of the St Clair River. Art and his wife Jane are fellow motorhomers and they have a place on the island that is about as restful as they come. We also tend to eat exceptionally well when the group gets together and we all come home thinking we shouldn't eat again. Getting to their place is kind of interesting as it seems from our perspective to be a pretty small ferry to get on the island. They treat us with care when loading and unloading and it is really an unusual feeling sitting in the coach while it moves with the wave action.

As you can see there is not a alot of room for a larger coach!

Arts place is located right on the water at the North Cut and while his boat (a classic 26" Chris Craft from 1939) was being repaired this year one of his friends stopped by with a 1936 Gar Wood triple cockpit runabout. It looked like it just came off the showroom floor and boy was it a beautiful boat."The Boat"

Captain and 1st Mate

Speeding by an ocean going freighter on the St Clair River

Thats Marge and I in the back on the North Cut

We do eat well and do have a good time......Thanks Art and Jane!

All but one couple will be heading out for warmer climates soon as we will be. Out plan is to visit friends on the way down and take the Natchez Trace....Will keep you posted.

Update

2007-08-18T16:55:00.000-05:00

This will be a long post as we have been really really busy! My computer still has not been fixed until now and a lot has been going on....

CHESAPEAKE BAY AND COASTAL VIRGINIA

We left Royal Oak on Monday and stayed that night on the Upper Potomac near Hagerstown, Md at a nice KOA. Longer drive than expected but comfortable in the new coach. The campground is located right near a old mill that was quite picturesque.It was nice and relaxed and somewhat suprised that this close to Washington DC and Baltimore that someone hadn't developed the area. Tuesday we moved on down to Norfolk and Virginia beach area before crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel system to Virginia's Eastern Shore.

Marge on a stump

We both were blown away at the beauty of the bay and shoreline and were surprised to see that some of it looked not unlike Eastern Lake Michigan and its shoreline with dunes and sand beaches everywhere.

Entrance to one of the two tunnels that allow ships to cross unhindered by bridge height.

Typical bridge span with boats all along fishing

The tip of the eastern shore of Virginia

KIPTOPEKE STATE PARK

This state park located at the southern tip of the Virginian eastern shore and its a great place. Rates are reasonable, campsites are full hookup (unusual for a state park) there is a nice beach and boat launch as well as fishing pier to catch fish or crab. I have attached some of the pictures below.
Old Ferro Cement Liberty ships from WW II being used as a breakwaterPart of the Beach
The fishing area of the Pier - even a disposal for the fish carcasses from fish cleaning station.

The campground is located behind some dunes and as I said has full hookups. Its pretty much open but there is actually room between sites and the Virginian hospitality was wonderful. We stayed for 5 days and met our friends from florida and we slipped right into the eating routine immediately. Tried a variety of new things including fresh clams and blue crab. Our friend Matt supplied fresh Oysters from his "Oyster farm" and Jim who lives nearby brought his traps in and supplied the crabs and picked up the fresh clams. Needless to say the rest of the group provided more traditional things but what a meal!The "group" doing what they do best .....a cup in hand and talking!

DAY TRIP TO CAPE CHARLES

While in the area one of the more picturesque communities is cape charles where the railroad ferry crosses the Chesapeake Bay. Neat spot!

Even a private business car from the 30's

Downtown Cape Charles

Pier off the downtown of Cape Charles
A real Chesapeake Bay boat

I am very taken with area and the degree that it is still such a rural area. It's a wonderful area although the signs of development are starting to pop up. Try to visit the area soon.

Computer Problems

2007-07-22T08:47:00.000-05:00

Our computer crashed and we are without its use until we get back. Note our location in the See where we are now link to the right. Will post once we get back our computer.

Maiden Voyage

2007-07-02T17:05:00.000-05:00

We were introduced to the Manistee River 40 years ago by a friend that took me fishing for the day to his "secret spot" on that river and it has become a part of our life to go there at least once a year if not more. I'm not sure how anyone can look at this first picture below and not think it as one of the more beautiful settings in Michigan. The Manistee has changed a little in those 40 years with some growth and population along its banks, but there are still spots that are just something to behold as evidenced in the picture below.
Our new coach is everything we thought it would be.....and roomier than we thought. It is truly an apartment on wheels in which we can be comfortable anywhere we go. We did find a few things that need some work which is to be expected when buying a used unit but nothing excessive or a problem. One particular thing we noticed is that it is a much "tighter" coach than our previous Endeavor and there is much less road noise which is a nice plus for driving down the road. We are still fumbling around adjusting to new locations for light switches and which drawer has what in it, but spending time in it will cure that quickly.
The shot above here is of our private little camp space that our good friends have made for us and which we enjoy thoroughly. There is electricity and water for when we need it and its just behind their place right on the Manistee river. We generally canoe and fish in this area and enjoy the quiet of the river with a campfire at night and we generally eat well and more than we should. Below is another view of the sight and notice that we are not really close to anyone with lots of woods and a hunting preserve on the opposite side of the river.
Another beautiful view of this natural area that's relatively untouched.
We are leaving soon on a new trip which will really test us as we head to Cape Charles, Virgina to meet our friends that we met in the Florida Keys to have a get together were we again will probably eat too much....should be a great time!!

Trip Home

2007-06-24T16:57:00.000-05:00

Well, we've been slow to post, but since we picked up the coach it has been busy! The trip home was three days as I was unsure about going back through Canada with just a bill of sale and someone else' license plates. We purchased the coach in Maine, the title was held by the State of Florida and the bureaucracy 's involved were more than I thought the customs would be able to sort out......soooo..... we took the long way home. Trip was uneventful except for the fact that the backup camera did not work (we knew that when we purchased it) and the braking system for our toad was a bit of a problem in that the it drained the battery on the toad. This of course presented a problem when we finally pulled into a camp for the night and attempted to disconnect. My good wife and I had a "discussion" about the best way to approach this problem when along came "Mike" who was walking the dog before going home to his wife. Mike who must have had a discussion with his wife about having forgotten their anniversary helped start our toad and life was good. Thanks Mike!

Had somewhat the same problem with a dead battery the next night and realized that the brake system needed looking at and was put on the list for repair when reaching home. The list is growing substantially and with all that we need to do relative to restocking the coach with all that we carry... the next few weeks will be busy. We will post pictures of the "new baby" as soon as we can.

Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park

2007-06-13T20:54:00.001-05:00

We took a little time off to visit Acadia National Park and the town of Bar Harbor Maine and were overwhelmed with the natural beauty. The vistas along the coastal areas we everything we had read and heard about but until you actually see the area you just can't imagine how beautiful it really is and we saw it on a really bad day with rain no sun. Check out some of the pic's below:

Oh Yes! Marge finally saw her moose.
I need to learn how to post a slide show to some of the pictures we haven't posted and we will try that soon. Bar Harbor is a nice quaint resort town and it was fun to visit some 0f the shops there but scenery is something everyone should see.

The Trip East to pick up the New Baby

2007-06-02T20:07:00.000-05:00

We left Wednesday morning for Maine to pick up the new coach. The pickup was packed to the hilt with goodies that we have been accumulating for the new coach and of course we had just a little excitement on our part. We are soooo.... looking forward to enjoying an RVagain....we really miss the traveling and we have all those reservations in place for this fall!

We decided to go through Canada not only to cut off some distance but to see something new. Ontario was great with good roads and with a Tim Horton's every so often to stop and snack. Our trip a year or so ago around Lake Huron was a pleasure with the roads good and we enjoyed going 90 Km/hr and less with time to see the surroundings.....this was more of the same.

The first interesting place we came across was Presque Ile Provincial Park on Lake Ontario which I had seen on the maps and thought it would be a good stopping place for a future trip to the North East. The park far exceeded my expectations with nice beaches and campsites right on the water....we will come back and stop there. Just down the road I just happened to spy a old Grand Trunk Steam Locomotive so I had to stop and hence the picture.
Just East of the Provincial park lies the "Thousand Islands" and the St Lawrence Seaway with ships moving up and down the river amongst these beautiful and quaint houses built on the smallest of islands..all with scenery that never ends.

We stopped the first night in Cornwall, Ontario and then pushed on to Quebec where the roads were in the same category as those in Michigan and I have to add the City of Montreal as one to avoid driving through with a motorhome particularly with the degree of congestion we ran into. The rains of course didn't help.

Crossing into the United States was kind of neat. We had thought we might have trouble as we had brought a lot of the replacement items for the new coach with us although we had receipts with us. The stop at the border was unique...a very nice guard that worked out of a small former gas station asked us all the pertinent questions and checked our passports but we had no troubles. It was a far cry from hundreds of cars an hour to what appeared to be a few every hour....most pleasant! And on top of that around the corner was the "piney woods of Maine" with lakes and views that were fantastic.

The rivers and lakes of Maine reminded us very much of northern Michigan but this was new and unfamiliar and really beautiful. We were even reminded to watch out for the Moose as they are quite active this time year. We even saw some fresh tracks where a group had crossed the road just before us. Maine is also another place we will return to and explore further.

We are in Bangor now and will have the coach soon.

New Coach

2007-05-28T08:42:00.000-05:00

We leave Wednesday to pick up our new coach on Friday.....We are excited! This memorial day weekend we have been shopping with the settlement we received. We are replacing things like the crock pot, toasters, bedding, towels, etc. etc. etc. Boy, is it easy to spend money....almost scary! While its always easy to spend money we usually haven't bought so many goodies all at once and while the settlement was fair I can foresee that the depreciation factor will show with the purchase of so many things. Not everything will be replaced immediately.

We will load the pickup with all these goodies and our plan is to go through Canada which is the more direct route to Bangor and a little shorter. The route will take us along the northern shore of Lake Ontario and even the St Lawrence Seaway. We will try and post some pictures of the trip along the way.

We are going to do more shopping in Bangor to stock the coach with food and other little items that will probably be determined once we settle in. While familiarizing ourselves with the coach we also plan on visiting Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor which is only 35 miles from where we pick up the coach. Everything we have read and heard from friends who have been there have told us not to pass up the opportunity while there.

As I said, we are anxious to be on the road again and of course we are looking forward to some normalcy to life once again without fires and the related issues with it. I haven't had anything really to photograph of late to post to this blog but below is a picture of a small souvenir....a melted piece of the radiator from out old coach that I thought unique. Thought maybe I would drill a hole in and attach it to some keys or a bracelet.
After Acadia we will come home to fully pack the coach and organize everything more completely.

New Coach

2007-05-20T16:01:00.000-05:00

Well......we found our new coach!! This last week after perusing countless advertisements on the Internet, visiting dealers, and trying to find what is available out there.....we found our next coach in Maine of all places! Here it is.....Its a 2004 Diplomat made by Monaco with the all the bells and whistles including a transferable warranty period for three more years. We close on it the 1st of June. It has everything we had previously plus lots more and we think at the right price. The interior is maple instead of oak which makes the interior much lighter. It has two couches that face each other in living area, pretty much the same kitchen and is decorated a with a little more resemblance to a home to my way of thinking. Our plan is to pick it up in Bangor, Maine....outfit it with some of our things we plan on bringing from home, and then shopping for whatever else we need when we get there.
We also plan on visiting Bar Harbor for a few days and then heading back to Michigan to outfit it further. Needless to say, our settlements have come in and while we probably lost some money relative to the depreciated values, we are pleased that we came out as well as we did. We are especially happy to be able to continue traveling as we have in a motorhome seeing this wonderful United States.

Marge and I both read quite a bit and while in Bangor we had to go by Steven Kings home which was fun. Didn't really see much except a very nice house and a unique iron fence with gargoyles and dragons. The picture below is Marge in front of his house. Being a celebrity you may notice that the gates were locked although with the subject matter he writes about, we decided he probably wasn't bothered all that much by people. He is very popular with the local townsfolk and has done a lot for the community. They all seemed to know where he lived and had a story about him.
We can hardly wait for next week....we can plan again, make reservations and think about all the places we want to go.....again!!!

Insurance

2007-05-11T18:48:00.000-05:00

Noticed on www.hitchitch.com that our blog was still on the "new list" because of the fire incident we had a few weeks ago. The webmaster mentioned that there was curiosity about how the insurance was handled. At this point, we are very pleased with what the adjusters have done with us and we were in my opinion very lucky to have changed insurance companies from GMAC to Progressive Insurance. Frankly, I was less than pleased with them a few years ago due to the increased insurance costs and had switched from them to the Good Sam insurance program. After 40%, 30% and 25% increases from the 1st year with Good Sam without explanation or claims or driving record changes, we had had it with GMAC. In shopping around, the most promising choice was Progressive and they were quite competitive. They also suggested that since the coach was 5 years old that we have it appraised and then insure it for that amount which we did. That particular advice has worked very well for us as the coach was a total loss there was no bickering about value. Actually, the fire was on the 19th and we had a check in hand on 7th of May for the coach only. It would have been sooner but a confirmation from the investigators that arson was not involved had to acquired. A pleasant surprise was that the company will pay or reimburse for the sales tax (in Michigan 6%) of the agreed amount towards the purchase of a new motorhome. I don't usually recommend insurance company's, but I do have to say that Mr. Jeff Jardine at Mason McBride (www.masonmcbride.com) led me through the process this past January and was most helpful. Obviously, he was looking out for me.

Contents are a little bit different, but the same in some ways. First with us it is covered by our home owners insurance ...not the motorhome insurance. In our case Allstate Insurance. We claim those items lost at our cost when purchased. That cost is depreciated to get an actual cash value. That plus the sales tax payed at purchase is reimbursed to us. Beyond that our policy allows for reimbursement cost coverage. To qualify, I must first repair, rebuild, or replace the damaged property item and present receipts for same with in 180 days. This covers the difference between actual cash value and replacement cost. They are giving me actual cash value and if I replace the item or items, they will pay the difference.

Insurance is certainly strange and we were lucky...mostly that "things" were involved not people. We had just come back from a 5 month trip and were not in the motorhome at the time. These past few weeks have gone by so quickly and we have been fortunate enough that they have gone well for us. If you have a motorhome or coach and are not sure about your insurance it might be a good thing to check you policies. Oh and another simple little thing... take your camera video, digital, whatever and record your property ......and store it somewhere with children or safe deposit boxes away from your coach.

Once again thankyour for all the interest and concern...were looking for a coach now and hope to be back on the road soon.

Motorhome quest

2007-05-09T17:44:00.000-05:00

After a lot of thought ....well maybe not that much thought....we have decided to replace the old motorhome with something new (or used) and we have been looking to see what is out there. Motorhoming has been such a part of our lives since 1974 that we decided we can't give it up yet. We both think that if we can, we want to get another Monaco product. We had such good luck with everything on our old coach that its hard not to replace it with something similar. It was the first of any of the coaches (7) we have owned that actually got 10 mpg (not always, but for one 2500 mile stretch). Our average since we have owned it was 9.1. Mind you. we have slowed down considerably to achieve that goal, but these days its nice to know it can be achieved. We also had very few problems from day one, which we think is indicative of the manufacturing at Wakarusa, Indiana where both the Diplomat and Endeavor among others are made side by side. Yes, we did have a fire, but from everything we have determined it was a bit of a fluke with something simply shorting out that shouldn't have. I do think that the Roadmaster Chassis is one of the best.
We have spent a little time traveling to see whats available and this next week we plan to go east to check out something that looks very promising near Boston. Last week we were at the plant in Indiana. Strange not to be moving around like this without a motorhome. We have even found a new ...never titled ....2004 unit on the west coast that looks good. I know ....no pictures....but we will post some soon.....maybe a new coach!
We will post in a week or so to let you know whats up.

Goodby old coach

2007-05-02T08:18:00.000-05:00

Where to begin....

This past week or so we have had insurance investigators on all sides here trying to figure out the cause of the fire. I think we have had no less than 10 representatives of insurance companies as well as experts , engineers and specialists that do this for a living .....looking and digging through the mess from the fire. The smell just does not go away and we have had to keep an old pair of clothes and shoes for when we are anywhere near the coach or the area around it.

At this point, it appears that somewhere in the coach some heavy wiring shorted out and eventually heated to the point of combustion or at least provided the heat for something nearby to combust. The experts poked around and picked up pieces of wiring and anything else that might point to a more distinct cause and of course took all kinds of pictures to document everything. They all were interesting to watch with everyone dictating into portable recorders marking things etc.
How they determine anything from a mess like above is beyond me but they seemed to conclude that it was indeed a short in something in the coach that led to the fire. After they left we were finally given the ok to get what we could out of the coach, but other than the outside compartments down low most everything was destroyed. We were able to get silverware and some of the pots and pans cleaned up and they will be used again, but all the books, maps campground guides and other treasures were gone or destroyed.
.The wrecker arrived and spent quite a bit of time preparing it for its last trip. It was slowly pulled out of the parking area with a great deal of squealing and noise. Like it didn't want to go.
They wrapped it pretty good with tarps to prevent debris from flying off while being towed
Backing down the street on its last trip.

Not sure what happens next, but we are starting to look for a replacement and everyone should know that we have no qualms about looking at another Monaco product. We both think they make an excellent product and would buy one again. This fire from all the discussion appears to be a bit of a fluke....the investigators said that most fires in motorhomes have been caused by refrigerators or kitchen fires.

We have had lots of emails from friends and even complete strangers from all over which we certainly appreciate. We thank you for your concern, but things will get back to normal soon!!

More on the Fire

2007-04-20T21:34:00.000-05:00

Lots has happened ....we have been overwhelmed with insurance people and investigators trying to find out what caused the fire which at this point seems to be the electrical system in the coach somewhere. They have decided to bring in some sort of electrical specialist to make that determination. One interesting note is that the fire burns up and therefore all the goods in lower basement storage areas seem to be in good order. Most everything from the rear wheels forward down low seems to have been spared except for smoke damage. This includes the still full LP storage tank and fuel tank.

More pictures

I have more pictures and will try to get them up soon. Apparently the coach will remain in place until cause is determined and there are areas where we cannot remove or recover things yet. We have been given the go ahead to empty two of our basement cabinets and will do that tomorrow. Will try to post more info the first of the week.

FIRE!!

2007-04-19T07:41:00.000-05:00

Last night after we had been in bed for an hour or two , I woke to the smell of smoke looked out the window and saw our motorhome in flames.

We really don't know which end is up yet and I assume insurance adjusters will bring us up to speed once they see it. We don't know what started it but it looks to be a total loss as is the building behind it. Will keep you posted

A Special Birthday

2007-04-17T18:11:00.000-05:00

We were there when she was born but we missed her 1st Birthday last year so we hustled home to make sure we were there for Molly's 2nd Birthday. Isn't she cute!!! And the presents....it was better than Christmas...well almost! And brother Jack behaved himself and helped open the presents. Mom of course oversaw things.
One of the neat things she got was a box with hats....wigs ...boa's...shoes - all dress up stuff which I think might have been her favorite of the presents.
The Octopus from Florida was high on the list too! Dad was helping out now with "Grammy Blue Car" in the background. Marge is "Grammy Gray Car" and I am Grandpa Brown Truck". The kids picked up on the cars we all drove as a means to keep track of us all....I just wish I was called Grandpa Black Porsche!!
While we got back home in time for Molly's Birthday we also got home for freezing temperatures and a smattering of that white stuff we swore off two years ago. It's the first time I have winterized the coach in two years. This week is looking more like spring and with that in mind we are making repairs and cleaning the coach anticipating the warm months coming up here in Michigan and of course planning a few trips.

Ortona Locks on the Caloosahatchee

2007-04-02T19:48:00.000-05:00

Sunday Morning .... and Big Al's 92nd Birthday---Happy Birthday!!!....we departed our beloved Keys to start north. Me pulling the new boat behind the motorhome and Marge following in the pickup. It's sort of a pain but we did not want to store the boat in the Keys with the threat of Hurricane season coming. We had decided on leaving it inland somewhere near Lake Okeechobee away from storms and at a substantially reduced insurance rate because of location. We had made reservations at a Corps of Engineers Park on the Caloosahatchee River called the Ortona South Campground at the Ortona Locks that had looked kind of neat and boy is it! Absolutely beautiful campground right on the river with water and electric...no sewer, but there is dump a station. I posted a couple of pictures taken from our site.

This is our site which is typical of all 51 sites on the River..... although some tables were set up to share with an adjacent site, which is perfect when traveling with others.

We had lots of boats go by during the day from large paddlewheeler excursion boats to some really unique other boats that I haven't seen before.

The view from our site West that gives you a pretty good idea of the area

And of course the locks themselves.

This was the sunset this evening it was pretty as you can see it certainly compares with those at Key West
We have stored the boat so we will be on the road home tomorrow morning.

Moving the Toys

2007-03-25T09:11:00.000-05:00

One of the problems for full timers and others that have hobbies and interests that require things like fourwheelers and boats, is the transporting of them when you move. The RV industry in recent times have come out with built in garages and have coined the word "toyhauler" into the description for the units they produce that have storage for these toys. For the last twenty years we have been hauling a inflatable 12' boat and motor and stored them on board the motorhome without problem. Times have now changed as we have purchased the new 19' Mako fishing boat a Travel with boat and truck and motorhome now presents unique problems. Do you take two vehicles and drive both down the road? Here at Sunshine Key some have found solutions by special trailers......

The first two pictures are of a system from Heimgartner Trailer Systems (www.trailersystems.com) and is intended for aluminum light weight boats in conjunction with a special lightweight trailer. The second, manufactured by Built Rite Trailers is substantial to say the least, and frankly approaches the weight limit for towing (10,000#). This second unit would work very well for our situation and will be something to consider in the future.

A Day at Key West

2007-03-17T08:32:00.000-05:00

Each year we go to Key West a number of times to see the sights and watch everyone having a good time. One of the stops my friends Ross, Art and I like to make is the marina at stock island where there is always someone working on a project boat. The boat below is an old Alco from the 1930's or so being redone. We thought that it was originally a launch used to transport people to and from larger boats and we were told the guy that was working on it planned to do somewhat the same as a commercial venture after restoration was complete. There wasn't much else to look at which pleased the ladies so we went on into Key West. After shopping and wandering around for a few hours we always meet up at Sloppy Joe's where we were fortunate enough to see Pete and Wayne's show. Risque!!!! but great fun.
We took over a table by the open window/door and while waiting for everyone to show we met a nice couple, John and Sonja on vacation from the cold north. They joined us and we helped them prepare for Sonja's planned mechanical bull riding event later in the evening. Unfortunately, we missed that, but we did enjoy meeting them and wished them well

The reason we missed the bull riding was the wonderful dinner at Pepe's which we would recommend to all if your ever in Key West. The meal was great and atmosphere unique as only a restaurant in Key West can be. The structure and signage certainly wasn't new but don't let that scare your away from and excellent meal.

Snowbird Plantings

2007-03-10T13:56:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure exactly the reason...... whether it's an opportunity to have a touch of home or what, but most snowbirds seem to plant either some vegetables or flowering plants. We have done that in the past with Hibiscus plants outside our door every year. They really are nice with new flowers most mornings. This year I decided to try something with zucchini plants which has worked out well with a limited crop coming in now. I'm not sure whether there is too much sun or what but I have been disappointed with the crop to this date. We have watered regularly but they are not the large size I expected.

Our neighbors tomatoes
Peppers

Herbs

Hibiscus

Zucchini

Of course, it would be much simpler to just go to the outdoor market or flea market for vegetables and probably pay a normal price for these items but instead we buy potting soil, pots fertilizer, seeds........ which probably works out 20 or 30 times a price for what we do get...but it is fun!

Manatees Redux

2007-03-05T08:54:00.000-05:00

We have had warmer temperatures this last week and yesterday after returning to the marina from a less than successful fishing trip we were surprised to see our manatee buddy from the other day back with 5 or six of his friends. Our buddy was easily recognized by the scars on his body and cut tail, but his friends did not seemed to be as marked up as he was which is probably a good sign.

Once again the inappropriate watering of the animals below

These guys would vie for getting the stream of water directed their way as best they could even rolling over like a dog would to get attention. There were a total of six animals that I saw and a variety of sizes although no young ones.

Our neighbor is a skindiver and has enjoyed going to an area called "the horseshoe" which is an area nearby that was dredged out for fill and has become a good place to fish from shore and dive. On his last dive he was fortunate enough to swim with a manatee and its youngster for some time without alarming them.....even allowing him to "pet" the young one. Unfortunately, his wife wasn't able to get a picture.

These guys just kind of jostled for position to get at the water stream

Needless to say these animals brought quite a crowd to the marina and docks. Do you suppose the manatees are watching them as much as we watch the manatees?

Seadoo commercial

2007-02-25T20:37:00.000-05:00

This week we had a little excitement when cast and crew for a new Seadoo commercial was to be filmed in waters between Sunshine Key and Bahia Honda State Park. The crew arrived bright and early with a motor home full of coffee and treats, cameras were being prepared and a few young ladies (models) wandering around while all the fishermen waiting for the bait truck watched.

Below were two boats rigged for filming that were unique. The first one below was a specially built catamaran that had detachable wing walkways for directors and tech's with a gimbal mount for the special cameras they were using.
I found it interesting that they used a Seadoo for one of the cameras. Note..... it has a special gyroscopic attachment to keep the camera steady.
And of course there were the models although they kept a low profile when on shore.

At Bahia Honda State Park, they had more crew as well as a helicopter for shooting scenes although we were not able to get close for pictures. All in all it was fascinating to see all that goes into what I assume will be a 60 second blip on TV someday.

Manatee

2007-02-19T12:50:00.000-05:00

From time to time a manatee wanders into the harbor and marina area at Sunshine Key and there is usually a lot of people that come down and look at them. They are beautiful gentle creatures in their own way and big! We have been told they weigh as much as 1,000#.
Were not sure what exactly would draw them into the marina but they do love fresh water and will drink from a hose as this one above is doing. It is however illegal to feed them or water them.

These kids were just in awe as we all were and were thrilled to be able to "pet" it.You can see where this one has been hit or scraped on the head from I assume a boat that hit itThis picture shows its tail that has been sliced off presumably from a speeding boat.

During the winter each year there are "Manatee areas" that are protected that are essentially a no wake area for boats. Hopefully, that will prevent things like this tail slice from happening.
After spending the afternoon in the harbor the Manatee left and hasn't been back. Hard to figure where it would go although the waters around here are nice and warm which it probably likes.

Fish Stories

2007-02-10T21:35:00.000-05:00

Weather has finally turned and the wind has died down sufficiently to be able to go fishing. One of our favorite spots is to fish the bridge piers. Most all of them hold sizeable fish although we did have a surprise when reeling in a mutton snapper....... a huge Bull Shark came up and tried to take the fish I had caught. I jerked the line so hard I pulled the fish right out of the sharks mouth and it ended on top of the bimini top. Exciting and scary!!!!
On another day, we took Matt and Alice out with us with Marge and Alice catching all the fish! They started with two nice (although not legal) Grouper.....I did catch a puffer fish!Our friend Jim was out with two friends from home and came back with a huge Bull Shark that they caught. It weighed over two hundred pounds and it took them 1-1/2 hours to land it with 50# line.
Incidentally that fish was just a little bigger than the shark that followed my catch up to the transom of our boat.

Stone Crab Traps

2007-02-05T10:06:00.000-05:00

Last year our friends Marvin and Joann introduced everyone to the catching of Stone Crabs and the placing of traps for that purpose. Once you have your fishing license in Florida you are legally allowed to put five (per license)traps out for the recreational catching of stone crab. Your marker has to be marked with a R and you need to mark it distinctively so as to harvest only your own traps.. One of the fisheries here offers a complete kit set of traps with ropes , buoys , and everything else you would need for $80.00 ....you just have to put everything together yourself. One complete crab trap ready to go.

The complete set put together and ready to go.

At any rate, once you put the traps together with a cement bottom for weight you then place them with bait out and about in about 5 to 8 feet of water. The bait used can be anything from chicken pcs to hogs feet....yes hogs feet! Actually you can buy hogs feet cheap for this purpose at the fishery supply house. Once the traps are baited and set you wait about a week and hopefully you catch some crabs. Marvin and Joann this year have just collected their first round of crabs claws to the tune of about 5 Lbs worth which more than pays for traps at todays prices. Market price for Crab in the market is $18 to $22 a pound.

We haven't tried it yet (Marge is not too fond of crab) but some of the group is just about to put their traps out. I will keep you posted on the results.

Sunshine Key Area

2007-01-29T21:43:00.000-05:00

Thought I would show you around a little. Sunshine Key is actually Ohio Key and is located at the eastern end of the "7 Mile Bridge"which incidentally is a great place to fish. The bridge itself is reasonably new having replaced the old bridge in the late 70's. The older parts of the bridge that are still intact offer places to fish from or walk . The water is relatively shallow and there is usually lots to see including dolphin, rays, fish and after a heavy wind Portugese Man of war jelly fish.The beach off the western edge of the key although not many swim there.The picture below was taken on the old bridge facing the campground. Note the walkers and the always present pelican waiting for someone to catch a fish for him. Note the rail for the bridge is made from old railroad rail from the original bridge which was built for Flagler's railroad to Key West.
The campground takes up half of the Key with the other half being a wildlife sanctuary. There is a large marina with a boat launch, bait & fishing shop, dive shop and fuel station. Below is the water entrance to the marina.
One of the groups that we have seen on a regular basis is the Wandering Wheels bicycle tour group that stops regularly on their ride from Key Largo to Key West. The group is very mixed relative to age and they only go shorter distances stopping here among other places to eat and sleep. They have support vehicles that follow and go ahead for setup.

Although the bicycling is kind of neat, we enjoy our many activities including another dinner and fun at the club house. Here we are with Matt and Alice enjoying.

Sunshine Key

2007-01-17T22:00:00.000-05:00

We arrived here at Sunshine Key a little over week ago and it seems like were home. Seeing old friends we have met over the years and catching up on all the gossip has been fun. Time is flying and I haven't been able to keep up with this blog but I thought by posting a bunch of pictures you might get some idea of whats been happening.

At the helm of our new boat

Out in the Atlantic for the first time.

The drawbridge at Boot Key (Marathon)

The old bridge and channel from the Gulf to the Atlantic

Our old boat....now belonging to Alice (above) and Matt from Long Island

Matt & Alice...Grumpy (Marvin) and Joann at the dinner dance.

Three wise (?) men
Dancing the night away

Marge and I with our clothes line project.

Oops! Not my fault the truck was parked at Home Depot and someone was late for work....Really!!

More soon!

Christmas and the New Year

2007-01-02T21:09:00.000-05:00

Where to start.....

We flew home for the Holidays and stayed 15 days and nights catching up on everything from Doctors and Dentists to seeing old friends and trying to do far too much. Something different will be planned for next year although I am not sure what yet. It sure was busy!Molly, our granddaughter doing her imitation of the "Grinch"

The kids of course make Christmas something to behold, I even got to play trains with them.

Thats "spiderman Jack" helping Grandpa with the trains

Another special event over the Holidays was our neighbors and old friends celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary with a dinner and many special friends

Art and Jean Laurie

Its always good to spend time with friends but we were anxious to get back to warm climates and pick up that new boat we ordered. Our flight back Friday was delayed but Saturday morning bright and early we were there to pickup our new boat....three hours later our friends the Armstrongs joined us on our maiden voyage.

The "Captain and his Mate"

Next stop is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park for a few days of familiarizing our selves with the boat with a little exploring on the side, then on to Sunshine Key and familiar waters.

Christmas Break

2006-12-14T21:46:00.000-05:00

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

2006-12-09T09:32:00.000-05:00

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

2006-12-06T14:27:00.000-05:00

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

2006-12-01T18:16:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-25T20:03:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-23T20:46:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-20T18:22:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-18T18:50:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-16T21:30:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-11-14T18:17:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-13T14:49:00.000-05:00

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!!!!

2006-11-09T19:54:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-11-06T08:49:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-03T20:48:00.000-05:00

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

2006-10-04T19:48:00.000-05:00

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