The weather was pretty nice yesterday, for Maine in December, with temps in the 40s and a good deal of sunshine for the few hours that the sun is actually out this time of year. However, the forecast for today is much different with temps in the low single digits expected tonight. Since it looks like we are in for a cold spell over the next several days and since I had the opportunity yesterday - I retrieved the extension ladder and took down the outside Christmas lights. That seemed to put Peggy in the mood so she commenced to putting away all the Christmas "stuff" inside. We actually got most of our de-decorating done yesterday and we ought to be able to finish getting the "stuff" stored away for another year later today. We usually keep all the "stuff" up until after New Years Day - but since we hope to leave sometine in mid-January I guess we both figured we better move up our traditional schedule.
The warm spell we had also brought a good deal of rain the day before yesterday and the rain managed to clear off the last of the snow and ice off the top of the motorhome - just in time to get a small amount more last night. I'm sure we will get a good deal more snow before we hope to leave but at least the roof is relatively clear for now. I haven't gotten real serious about getting the rig ready to roll yet - but I'm getting close. I have managed to complete a few minor items like removing and repainting the floor heating vent louvers and making a couple of magnetic covers for a couple of these same louvers (we have a couple of louvers that we want to block off sometimes) and fixing a leaky fitting on our outside water filter. By the end of next weekend I hope to have the batteries re-installed and then we can start getting serious about loading up to be on the road for awhile.
So what do we call next year? Is it "Two Thousand Ten" or "Twenty Ten?" I think they called 1909 "Nineteen Oh Nine" and most of us called 2009 "Two Thousand Nine" not "Twenty Oh Nine." I notice that most of the TV media is calling it "Twenty Ten" so I guess that will be the "official" and "correct" reference. Regardless - I'm looking forward to 2010, however it's supposed to be pronounced. Looking back is sometimes fun and is always interesting (at least to us folks who appreciate history) - but I'm looking forward to 2010. The cynical Mikee wonders how his kids and grandkids are going to survive in a time when most folks appear satisfied to let others do their thinking for them ... but the hopeful Mikee is looking forward to watching them wake up, realize that over-indulgence is overrated, that debt-financed living is not sustainable or survivable, that there truely is no-free-lunch, and that self-reliance is a necessary virtue. Yup - I'm looking forward to 2010.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Christmas Greetings - Topsham, Maine
We hope everybody had a great Christmas day celebration! We had a fun day yesterday with Stacy, Kaj and Tut - the wonder puppy, over for a great rib roast dinner (Tut didn't get any roast) and then Eric, Jen, and Booda - the pugnacious pug arrived for a visit and gift exchange. We had a good visit and it was fun watching the dogs interact. We took a family dog-walk around the block to help settle the dinner and get a small bit of exercise - it was a bit nippy out there but I'm sure it did us all some good.
So today I guess we start the post Christmas slide into the New Years Day holiday. Gifts to exchange, after-Christmas sales on wrapping paper and Christmas cards, gift cards to spend, and leftovers - more traditions.
And while we're at it - we better get started on preparing to head south in a few weeks. We have a number of things we ought to get done here in preparation and then there are the usual pre-trip chores to take care of on the motorhome. As was the case when we left here last February - we have complicated our task by leaving in the cold/snowy time of year. Even though we have several weeks yet before we are sorta scheduled to leave - I figure I better go visit the rig soon to see if I can remove the ice/snow that has already accumulated on the roof. I know we will probably get more before we leave but I'm thinking if I keep the crusty ice off - it will be easier to get any new snow off later.
That's my plan - can't wait to see what really happens.
So today I guess we start the post Christmas slide into the New Years Day holiday. Gifts to exchange, after-Christmas sales on wrapping paper and Christmas cards, gift cards to spend, and leftovers - more traditions.
And while we're at it - we better get started on preparing to head south in a few weeks. We have a number of things we ought to get done here in preparation and then there are the usual pre-trip chores to take care of on the motorhome. As was the case when we left here last February - we have complicated our task by leaving in the cold/snowy time of year. Even though we have several weeks yet before we are sorta scheduled to leave - I figure I better go visit the rig soon to see if I can remove the ice/snow that has already accumulated on the roof. I know we will probably get more before we leave but I'm thinking if I keep the crusty ice off - it will be easier to get any new snow off later.
That's my plan - can't wait to see what really happens.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
All Is Well In The Geekdom - Topsham, Maine
The desktop computer here at home is pretty old, in real years it's probably 6-7 years old, in computer years it's about 99 years old. One of the CD drives quit working a couple of years ago and sometime last summer it started telling us that "hard drive failure is imminent." I'm not sure what "imminent" is in computer time but I figured its usefull days were numbered - and Peggy has mentioned wanting to get her own laptop ... so since the stores are offering some prety good deals right about now I went ahead and pulled the trigger on Sunday and bought her a new laptop. Now that's where the fun began.
The new PC was loaded with the new Windows 7 operating system which means that pretty much all of the software I have purchased in the past, like Microsoft Office and Outlook - won't work. But that's OK since the versions that I have been using are 2002 versions that aren't supported by Microsoft any longer anyway - so while I was at it - I purchased the new 2007 versions. Of course that meant I had to load the new software onto the new laptop and also onto my existing laptop - and then I had to go on-line and get all the operating system and application software updates. Anyone who has gone through this process knows that it takes about 2 days to get this all done.
Just to make things even more fun - when I bought the new PC it included a coupon for $60 off a new wireless all-in-one printer. Well now - since I have been wanting a wireless printer for the motorhome with a small footprint - and since they just happen to have just the one I wanted on sale for $100 - I figured $40 for the new printer/copier/scanner/fax was a deal I couldn't pass up! So of course that meant another gadget to unpack, configure to work on our wireless network, and load more software on both laptops - and of course - more software updates!!
Well here's the good news - it's all done - it all works - and without a single call to the infamous "help desk" in who-knows-where India or Pakistan or wherever such calls go these days.
So Peggy now has her new laptop to play with, Mikee has a new wireless printer to play with, and all-is-well here in the Geekdom on this day before Christmas Eve.
The new PC was loaded with the new Windows 7 operating system which means that pretty much all of the software I have purchased in the past, like Microsoft Office and Outlook - won't work. But that's OK since the versions that I have been using are 2002 versions that aren't supported by Microsoft any longer anyway - so while I was at it - I purchased the new 2007 versions. Of course that meant I had to load the new software onto the new laptop and also onto my existing laptop - and then I had to go on-line and get all the operating system and application software updates. Anyone who has gone through this process knows that it takes about 2 days to get this all done.
Just to make things even more fun - when I bought the new PC it included a coupon for $60 off a new wireless all-in-one printer. Well now - since I have been wanting a wireless printer for the motorhome with a small footprint - and since they just happen to have just the one I wanted on sale for $100 - I figured $40 for the new printer/copier/scanner/fax was a deal I couldn't pass up! So of course that meant another gadget to unpack, configure to work on our wireless network, and load more software on both laptops - and of course - more software updates!!
Well here's the good news - it's all done - it all works - and without a single call to the infamous "help desk" in who-knows-where India or Pakistan or wherever such calls go these days.
So Peggy now has her new laptop to play with, Mikee has a new wireless printer to play with, and all-is-well here in the Geekdom on this day before Christmas Eve.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Ready for Christmas - Then What?
Only 5 shopping days left till Christmas and I'm done!! Yipee!!
We have had several inches of snow, the outside Christmas lights and the Christmas tree have been up for a week or so, the Christmas cards have been written and mailed, the presents have been purchased, wrapped, and mailed or put beneath the tree, and the house has been decked with boughs of holly (and all the other Christmas stuff that has been accumulated throughout the years). Yup - we are officially full of Christmas spirit here in Maine. Now we can kick back for the remaining days - full of anticipation awaiting the magic day. We plan on having a traditional Evringham Christmas - attending the special Christmas Eve service at church (with Stacy and Kaj) followed by the opening of presents and perhaps a cup of coffee and/or a bit of egg nog, and then a fun Christmas Day including a Prime Rib Roast Dinner. I understand that Kaj and Stay will be joining us for dinner and Eric and Jen will be coming by as well. Should be a fun day!
Then what? Well let's review the options ...
A) Hunker down for the rest of the winter here in Maine - shoveling snow when necessary and doing my best to stay out of trouble the rest of the time.
B) Dig out and load up the motorhome, drive south until I can break out my short pants again, stay out of trouble until the snow melts in Maine, and then drive home.
The way I figure it - I need to try and stay out of trouble either way so I might as well be warm and in short pants doing it!
So here's the plan as of this very instant (subject to change at a moments notice):
1. Enjoy Christmas and New Years in Maine.
2. Put away the Christmas stuff and gather up the motorhome travel stuff.
3. Clean the snow/ice off the motorhome and prepare her for travel.
4. Find a weather window of opportunity sometime in mid January- load the rig - and hit the road for points south.
As far as planned destination(s) I think we'll sorta follow the same basic plan as last year - down to the southeast coast in the Carolinas and Georgia - maybe down into Florida for awhile and then over to the Alabama gulf coast for awhile. From there I think we'll revist our crystal ball and see what we see.
So unless somebody with standing has objections of some considerable merit - that's the plan.
We have had several inches of snow, the outside Christmas lights and the Christmas tree have been up for a week or so, the Christmas cards have been written and mailed, the presents have been purchased, wrapped, and mailed or put beneath the tree, and the house has been decked with boughs of holly (and all the other Christmas stuff that has been accumulated throughout the years). Yup - we are officially full of Christmas spirit here in Maine. Now we can kick back for the remaining days - full of anticipation awaiting the magic day. We plan on having a traditional Evringham Christmas - attending the special Christmas Eve service at church (with Stacy and Kaj) followed by the opening of presents and perhaps a cup of coffee and/or a bit of egg nog, and then a fun Christmas Day including a Prime Rib Roast Dinner. I understand that Kaj and Stay will be joining us for dinner and Eric and Jen will be coming by as well. Should be a fun day!
Then what? Well let's review the options ...
A) Hunker down for the rest of the winter here in Maine - shoveling snow when necessary and doing my best to stay out of trouble the rest of the time.
B) Dig out and load up the motorhome, drive south until I can break out my short pants again, stay out of trouble until the snow melts in Maine, and then drive home.
The way I figure it - I need to try and stay out of trouble either way so I might as well be warm and in short pants doing it!
So here's the plan as of this very instant (subject to change at a moments notice):
1. Enjoy Christmas and New Years in Maine.
2. Put away the Christmas stuff and gather up the motorhome travel stuff.
3. Clean the snow/ice off the motorhome and prepare her for travel.
4. Find a weather window of opportunity sometime in mid January- load the rig - and hit the road for points south.
As far as planned destination(s) I think we'll sorta follow the same basic plan as last year - down to the southeast coast in the Carolinas and Georgia - maybe down into Florida for awhile and then over to the Alabama gulf coast for awhile. From there I think we'll revist our crystal ball and see what we see.
So unless somebody with standing has objections of some considerable merit - that's the plan.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Lumps of Coal for Christmas - Topsham, Maine
Only 10 more shopping days until Christmas and I'm not done yet! We have managed to get all the gifts purchased, wrapped, and mailed that need to go out of state - that's always our first priority. Now we get to focus on the Maine gang. I understand that the retailers normally get 40% of their Christmas revenue in these 10 days so I expect they will be glad to see me. Let me see ... where is that list? Oh here it is ... Peggy has been a good girl so she gets something nice, Stacy has been pretty good but she is now engaged so doesn't that mean that she doesn't get a gift for herself but instead she and Kaj get a combined gift ... like maybe a fruitcake? And then there is Eric and Jenn ... When he was growing up Eric typically deserved a lump of coal but we always got him something nice instead ... he and Brian always hated the clothes and loved the toys ... He has been pretty good this year - and Jenn has too ... so maybe we can get two fruitcakes for the price of one! We already purchased and mailed Brian and Nicky's gifts - they were also on the pretty good side of the list - so I know where to buy the fruitcakes.
I know what you are all thinking - Mikee is a fruitcake!
After they all read this post I suspect a lot of coal will be headed for my stocking.
In the olden days a lump of coal was considered a bad thing - worth very little in the grand scheme of things. But today a lump of coal is worth a lot. I know this because the US Government is planning to prevent you from burning it for heat or electricity and then plans to tax you in many ways for the privilege of keeping it safe. Go ahead - send me the coal - I plan on selling it to the Chinese - they know what to do with it!
I know what you are all thinking - Mikee is a fruitcake!
After they all read this post I suspect a lot of coal will be headed for my stocking.
In the olden days a lump of coal was considered a bad thing - worth very little in the grand scheme of things. But today a lump of coal is worth a lot. I know this because the US Government is planning to prevent you from burning it for heat or electricity and then plans to tax you in many ways for the privilege of keeping it safe. Go ahead - send me the coal - I plan on selling it to the Chinese - they know what to do with it!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Mikee's Maineiac Gumbo - 2009 - Topsham, Maine
Wasn't that picture in my last post special? Beautiful sunny day on the new fallen snow - what a wonderful thing! If you liked that picture I'm sure you will like todays picture:
Another 4-6 inches of lovely snow in December - now what can be better than that?
Since today was such a nice wintry day I figured it was time for another batch of Mikee's Maineiac Gumbo. So after cleaning off the driveway of all the nice new snow - I whipped up some roux, added some veggies, shrimp, and sausage, and cooked the mixture for an hour or so. Peggy cooked up some rice and a few biscuits to go with it while I stirred the pot and poured the wine - what a wonderful way to watch the sun go down on a wintry maine day - gumbo and cabernet! Yum-yum.
I bet you are wondering what could be better than that! How about receiving a letter from the IRS saying that their records indicate that you forgot to address the sale of some stock in 2008 on last year's tax return. Upon my further review - they were right - and I needed to submit an amended tax return to both the feds and the state. The good news - the stocks lost money and I got to claim additional capital losses leading to more money due to me from both the feds and the state.
Good food - good wine - and paying less in taxes - life is pretty good here in Maine - Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!
Another 4-6 inches of lovely snow in December - now what can be better than that?
Since today was such a nice wintry day I figured it was time for another batch of Mikee's Maineiac Gumbo. So after cleaning off the driveway of all the nice new snow - I whipped up some roux, added some veggies, shrimp, and sausage, and cooked the mixture for an hour or so. Peggy cooked up some rice and a few biscuits to go with it while I stirred the pot and poured the wine - what a wonderful way to watch the sun go down on a wintry maine day - gumbo and cabernet! Yum-yum.
I bet you are wondering what could be better than that! How about receiving a letter from the IRS saying that their records indicate that you forgot to address the sale of some stock in 2008 on last year's tax return. Upon my further review - they were right - and I needed to submit an amended tax return to both the feds and the state. The good news - the stocks lost money and I got to claim additional capital losses leading to more money due to me from both the feds and the state.
Good food - good wine - and paying less in taxes - life is pretty good here in Maine - Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
First Snow - Topsham, Maine
So this morning I got to crank-up the ol snowblower and clean off the driveway - it's always nice when it starts on the first pull. Then I got to grab the snow shovel and clean off the back deck and walkways. That part wasn't so nice as I don't start and run as well as the snowblower.
Now that those chores are over it's time to kick back and watch a little NFL ... whadaya mean no? Oh yeah I forgot - Eric is bringing their car over this afternoon for some diagnosis and repair work to clear a "Check Engine" light. Why is it that cars always need attention after it turns cold and wet? I'm sure I don't know but that always seems to come with the first snow too!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Ready For The Snow - Topsham, Maine
It is December in Maine afterall and we all want to get some snow for Christmas. So it's OK to be "ready for snow." A few days ago we finished the winterizing chores and got the motorhome put in its storage spot. I finished the final yard raking and cleanup today and got the Chevelle put in storage ... so bring it on - we're ready!! It can now snow a few inches in the next few weeks - be pretty for Christmas - and then go away. It's really OK - I'll allow it.
But then it must go away!!! That's the tough part. If most of the past few thousand years holds true - the snow we get in Maine in December will still be on the ground in March, packed into an ice sheet with the snows of January and February on top. But I can still have hope can't I?
So now it's time to move on to getting the Christmas decorations up, getting the Christmas shopping done, and enjoying the Christmas season. Yup - I intend to enjoy the season. I refuse to get stressed out by all the media holiday hype. All the hype is happening and I can't stop it - but I can refuse to let it destroy what should be a fun season.
So bring it all on - I'm ready.
But then the snow can melt.
But then it must go away!!! That's the tough part. If most of the past few thousand years holds true - the snow we get in Maine in December will still be on the ground in March, packed into an ice sheet with the snows of January and February on top. But I can still have hope can't I?
So now it's time to move on to getting the Christmas decorations up, getting the Christmas shopping done, and enjoying the Christmas season. Yup - I intend to enjoy the season. I refuse to get stressed out by all the media holiday hype. All the hype is happening and I can't stop it - but I can refuse to let it destroy what should be a fun season.
So bring it all on - I'm ready.
But then the snow can melt.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Good Turkey Day - Topsham, Maine
Mmm Mmm Good. That pretty much describes yesterday's Thanksgiving Day feast put on by Stacy & Kaj. Nicely cooked turkey with all the fixins, good wine, NFL Football, and good conversation - can't get any better than that! We had a great time and it sure was nice not having to get home and go immediately to plan and prepare a holiday dinner - Thanks again Stacy and Kaj - Good Job!
So today was Black Friday. I know that only because the internet, newspaper, and TV media keep reminding me whenever I try to get the latest news. I sure hope those folks who made it out at 5:00 AM or so to get the good deals - got whatever it was they were trying to get. But somehow I think I'll see them all at the store whenever it is that I finally get out to do my shoping.
I spent Black Friday cleaning the motorhome inside and getting it ready to put in storage. I managed to get it washed on the outside on Tuesday - in spite of the rain. We have just a little more cleaning and winterizing work to do and then we can move her to storage for awhile. The sun is actually supposed to come out a bit tomorrow so maybe we can finish most of our remaining tasks tomorrow.
And we better get that done and finish getting some outdoors yardwork chores done in the next few days 'cause I keep hearing the "snow" word creep in once in awhile on the weather reports. And if that's not enough to keep me busy - Peggy is getting in the Christmas mood and wants the outside lights up.
Never a dull moment - even when the Maineiacs aren't in Motion.
So today was Black Friday. I know that only because the internet, newspaper, and TV media keep reminding me whenever I try to get the latest news. I sure hope those folks who made it out at 5:00 AM or so to get the good deals - got whatever it was they were trying to get. But somehow I think I'll see them all at the store whenever it is that I finally get out to do my shoping.
I spent Black Friday cleaning the motorhome inside and getting it ready to put in storage. I managed to get it washed on the outside on Tuesday - in spite of the rain. We have just a little more cleaning and winterizing work to do and then we can move her to storage for awhile. The sun is actually supposed to come out a bit tomorrow so maybe we can finish most of our remaining tasks tomorrow.
And we better get that done and finish getting some outdoors yardwork chores done in the next few days 'cause I keep hearing the "snow" word creep in once in awhile on the weather reports. And if that's not enough to keep me busy - Peggy is getting in the Christmas mood and wants the outside lights up.
Never a dull moment - even when the Maineiacs aren't in Motion.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Maineiac Mikee and his Amazing Motorhome Machine - Topsham, Maine
Peggy and I arrived back in Topsham yesterday around 1 PM after driving north from Sturbridge, MA. We tend to stay at the "Yogi Bear Jellystone Park" Campground when leaving and coming back into Maine in the winter, early spring and late fall since it is about the only place open for a few hundred miles. The price is high and the water is turned off this time of year - but they offer a decent place to park, electricity, cable TV, and a place to dump waste tanks - so it meets our needs.
So we made it! 3,400 miles out to San Leandro and 4,982 miles back for a total of 8,382 miles. A new record for us for one trip. On our first west coast motorhome trip in 2005 we traveled 8,295 miles. Now that we are home I can say it - the Winne ran great the whole trip ... up (and down) the mountains, through the desert, while negotiating traffic in the SF Bay area and around Philly/New York City/Boston ... while driving in dust storms and through the concrete lined gauntlet on I-80 over the Sierras ... the Winne handled it all!
We did have a few minor issues with some of the accessories. The leveling jacks balked when retracting for a couple of days but once a loose ground connection was found and tightened by Mikee Mechanic they worked great the rest of the trip. The on-off switch on the installed hair dryer wouldn't stay on correctly - but a little tinkering by Mikee McGyver had that fixed in no time, and the inverter that powers the TVs when on battery power didn't work correctly until a broken wire was found and fixed by Mr. Fixit. In addition - the fog light that became dislodged on the Vue when we were attacked by the road gator a few states back was able to be put back in place with only a small amount of contortion by Mikee the Magician.
Mikee the Moron did manage to scrunch up the basement access door to the wet bay back in Redding when I retracted the leveling jacks before I removed the generator access panel I had just removed and placed underneath the door -- Oops. I guess I need to find a new door to fix that little boo-boo.
As for some other key trip statistics:
We burned up right around 1150 gallons of gas at an average price of $2.56 per gallon. For comparison - our 2005 coast-to-coast trip average gas price was $2.20 per gallon. The highest gas price (for the motorhome) was $2.899 / gallon in Ft. Stockton, TX and the lowest price was $2.37 / gallon in Clive, IA. The Flying J station in Clive always seems to be our best stop for cheap gas. As another comparison - a gallon of Unleaded Regular Gas was $2.63 in Topsham when we left and was $2.73 upon our return.
Our average fuel mileage was just under 7.2 mpg. For comparison - we averaged a little over 7.2 mpg on our 2005 trip towing a car that weighed about a thousand pounds less than the Vue. I was hoping that the swap to synthetic oils in the engine and transmission would help the mileage a bit - but I think that wind resistance while driving a box has such a large effect that reduced internal engine/transmission friction doesn't make much difference.
We were on-the-road for 63 nights on this trip - a new record for us by 3 nights. We stayed in 27 different RV Parks/Campgrounds and boondocked for 3 nights. For calendar year 2009 we have been on-the-road for 128 nights (in 47 different locations) - another new record for the Maineiacs in Motion!
We drove the Winne for 14,598 miles in 2009 - a new record for us - beating 2007 by 76 miles. The Winne now has 58,510 miles on her in all kinds of weather and on all kinds of roads - she deserves a little rest.
So now I have to get the rig cleaned up, winterized, and take care of a few preventive maintenance items (like changing the oil) before putting Winne back to bed for a nice winter's sleep. Never a dull moment for Motorhome Mikee.
So we made it! 3,400 miles out to San Leandro and 4,982 miles back for a total of 8,382 miles. A new record for us for one trip. On our first west coast motorhome trip in 2005 we traveled 8,295 miles. Now that we are home I can say it - the Winne ran great the whole trip ... up (and down) the mountains, through the desert, while negotiating traffic in the SF Bay area and around Philly/New York City/Boston ... while driving in dust storms and through the concrete lined gauntlet on I-80 over the Sierras ... the Winne handled it all!
We did have a few minor issues with some of the accessories. The leveling jacks balked when retracting for a couple of days but once a loose ground connection was found and tightened by Mikee Mechanic they worked great the rest of the trip. The on-off switch on the installed hair dryer wouldn't stay on correctly - but a little tinkering by Mikee McGyver had that fixed in no time, and the inverter that powers the TVs when on battery power didn't work correctly until a broken wire was found and fixed by Mr. Fixit. In addition - the fog light that became dislodged on the Vue when we were attacked by the road gator a few states back was able to be put back in place with only a small amount of contortion by Mikee the Magician.
Mikee the Moron did manage to scrunch up the basement access door to the wet bay back in Redding when I retracted the leveling jacks before I removed the generator access panel I had just removed and placed underneath the door -- Oops. I guess I need to find a new door to fix that little boo-boo.
As for some other key trip statistics:
We burned up right around 1150 gallons of gas at an average price of $2.56 per gallon. For comparison - our 2005 coast-to-coast trip average gas price was $2.20 per gallon. The highest gas price (for the motorhome) was $2.899 / gallon in Ft. Stockton, TX and the lowest price was $2.37 / gallon in Clive, IA. The Flying J station in Clive always seems to be our best stop for cheap gas. As another comparison - a gallon of Unleaded Regular Gas was $2.63 in Topsham when we left and was $2.73 upon our return.
Our average fuel mileage was just under 7.2 mpg. For comparison - we averaged a little over 7.2 mpg on our 2005 trip towing a car that weighed about a thousand pounds less than the Vue. I was hoping that the swap to synthetic oils in the engine and transmission would help the mileage a bit - but I think that wind resistance while driving a box has such a large effect that reduced internal engine/transmission friction doesn't make much difference.
We were on-the-road for 63 nights on this trip - a new record for us by 3 nights. We stayed in 27 different RV Parks/Campgrounds and boondocked for 3 nights. For calendar year 2009 we have been on-the-road for 128 nights (in 47 different locations) - another new record for the Maineiacs in Motion!
We drove the Winne for 14,598 miles in 2009 - a new record for us - beating 2007 by 76 miles. The Winne now has 58,510 miles on her in all kinds of weather and on all kinds of roads - she deserves a little rest.
So now I have to get the rig cleaned up, winterized, and take care of a few preventive maintenance items (like changing the oil) before putting Winne back to bed for a nice winter's sleep. Never a dull moment for Motorhome Mikee.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Smelling The Barn - Clarksboro, NJ
Time to get caught up.
We did finally get some nicer weather on Friday and we made the short trip from Harrisburg over to New Jersey. After getting set up and getting a load of laundry done we did a bit of visiting with Brian, Nicky, Alyssa, and Emily and found out that both grandkids had their end-of-season Soccer games on Saturday. We have been to several of Alyssa's soccer games over the past few years - but not in late November at 9:00 AM! I can remember those early morning - late fall soccer games when Brian, Eric, and/or Stacy were kids - I remember them - I just forgot how cold they could be! Brrr.
But we survived the early morning start and the cool weather to watch both kids play their games - actually Alyssa's team played two games since they were in the end-of-year playoffs. After spending the morning watching soccer we made it back to the NJ Evringham residence to warm up, take a few short afternoon naps, do a little tinkering around in the garage and then we had an early dinner at Red Lobster - an Evringham New Jersey tradition it appears.
After an early start yesterday you would think that we both would have slept in this morning - but we both were relatively wide awake at 5:00 AM so we got up and got the day started - it's not going real fast - but it's started.
Today we will be back on the road to finish up the last leg of our 2009 Fall Trip To The Bay Adventure. We plan on making it up to Massachusetts today and then will finish up the trip home tomorrow. In some ways it has been a loong 2 months and in other ways - time has flown by. But we can smell the barn now so I think we are both anxious to get home and see what it looks like again. After all - as long as we are going to be up here in this cold country - we might as well be home.
We did finally get some nicer weather on Friday and we made the short trip from Harrisburg over to New Jersey. After getting set up and getting a load of laundry done we did a bit of visiting with Brian, Nicky, Alyssa, and Emily and found out that both grandkids had their end-of-season Soccer games on Saturday. We have been to several of Alyssa's soccer games over the past few years - but not in late November at 9:00 AM! I can remember those early morning - late fall soccer games when Brian, Eric, and/or Stacy were kids - I remember them - I just forgot how cold they could be! Brrr.
But we survived the early morning start and the cool weather to watch both kids play their games - actually Alyssa's team played two games since they were in the end-of-year playoffs. After spending the morning watching soccer we made it back to the NJ Evringham residence to warm up, take a few short afternoon naps, do a little tinkering around in the garage and then we had an early dinner at Red Lobster - an Evringham New Jersey tradition it appears.
After an early start yesterday you would think that we both would have slept in this morning - but we both were relatively wide awake at 5:00 AM so we got up and got the day started - it's not going real fast - but it's started.
Today we will be back on the road to finish up the last leg of our 2009 Fall Trip To The Bay Adventure. We plan on making it up to Massachusetts today and then will finish up the trip home tomorrow. In some ways it has been a loong 2 months and in other ways - time has flown by. But we can smell the barn now so I think we are both anxious to get home and see what it looks like again. After all - as long as we are going to be up here in this cold country - we might as well be home.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Enough Already! - Harrisburg, PA
OK - enough is enough. It has rained on-and-off - and pretty heavy at times - for three days now! We made it to Natural Bridge, VA yesterday for an overnight stay and we made the rainy drive up I-81 today to Harrisburg, PA. It is supposed to clear up a bit tomorrow so we'll cross our fingers and hope for a little sunshine as we make our way east to New Jersey for a short visit with our Granddaughters - and Brian and Nicky too.
If you two haven't figured it out yet - as time goes on you don't really lose importance to your parents - it's that your children gain in stature and pass you up! You might as well get used to it - we did!
Tonite is night 60 on our trip and I'm pretty sure that's a record for one single trip. I think we may break a few other records (for us anyway) before the trip is done - but ya'll will have to wait for the end of trip statistics to get that report.
One thing I am glad to report is that our Verizon Broadband Wireless Internet we set up before this trip has worked great. Using the external antenna hooked to the Verizon Modem installed in our Cradlepoint Router - we have had a consistently good internet connection throughout the trip. We even used the connection while in motion a few times - but Peggy didn't really like trying to use the computer while moving. It's nice to see something working out just as I had hoped!
Next stop - the Garden State.
If you two haven't figured it out yet - as time goes on you don't really lose importance to your parents - it's that your children gain in stature and pass you up! You might as well get used to it - we did!
Tonite is night 60 on our trip and I'm pretty sure that's a record for one single trip. I think we may break a few other records (for us anyway) before the trip is done - but ya'll will have to wait for the end of trip statistics to get that report.
One thing I am glad to report is that our Verizon Broadband Wireless Internet we set up before this trip has worked great. Using the external antenna hooked to the Verizon Modem installed in our Cradlepoint Router - we have had a consistently good internet connection throughout the trip. We even used the connection while in motion a few times - but Peggy didn't really like trying to use the computer while moving. It's nice to see something working out just as I had hoped!
Next stop - the Garden State.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Looking For The Sun - Heiksell, TN
Boy were we spoiled by all the nice weather in California and throughout out trip through the southwest. Although yesterday we had mostly cloudy skies with a few sprinkles and a few glimpses of sunshine - this morning is starting out cloudy and rainy. I suppose this wetness is what makes this country so nice and green and lovely most of the year - but I'm spoiled and want my sunshine and short pants weather back!
We made it to Heiksell, TN, near Knoxville, TN yesterday and we are staying at the Racoon Valley Escapees Park where we stayed for a few days this spring. A nice place in a quiet setting - but this will be a short stop as we will be hitting the road again today to continue our trek back home.
We plan on stopping in NJ to visit Brian, Nicky, Alyssa, and Emily on our way home and we should be there Friday or Saturday. We'll call it an early Thanksgiving visit. We really don't need a big turkey dinner ... but some sunshine would be nice!
We made it to Heiksell, TN, near Knoxville, TN yesterday and we are staying at the Racoon Valley Escapees Park where we stayed for a few days this spring. A nice place in a quiet setting - but this will be a short stop as we will be hitting the road again today to continue our trek back home.
We plan on stopping in NJ to visit Brian, Nicky, Alyssa, and Emily on our way home and we should be there Friday or Saturday. We'll call it an early Thanksgiving visit. We really don't need a big turkey dinner ... but some sunshine would be nice!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Eastern Time (Almost) - Hurricane Mills, TN
There really isn't much new here with us. Another day - another 280 or so miles and we made it to Hurricane Mills, TN - the home of Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch. Too bad they are closed after October 15th ... I coulda become a "dude."
It did end up being a pretty rainy day off and on yesterday and more last night. Hopefully we can travel today with a little more sunshine. I put the short pants away yesterday and I think they may stay in the drawer for awhile. We are getting norther and norther and it is starting to get pretty chilly.
So we will be off again in a few hours - destination somewhere near Knoxville, TN ... and finally in the Eastern Time Zone again!
It did end up being a pretty rainy day off and on yesterday and more last night. Hopefully we can travel today with a little more sunshine. I put the short pants away yesterday and I think they may stay in the drawer for awhile. We are getting norther and norther and it is starting to get pretty chilly.
So we will be off again in a few hours - destination somewhere near Knoxville, TN ... and finally in the Eastern Time Zone again!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Raindrops! - North Little Rock, AR
This morning Mikee and Peggy find themselves in downtown North Little Rock, AR - right on the banks of the Arkansas River. The city of North Little Rock built an RV park here that opened about a year ago that is nothing fancy - but very reasonable in price (especially with our Passport America Club discount).
Yesterday's drive was just like I like 'em - uneventfull. We drove - we took a few stretch breaks - we parked by 3 PM - we grilled a couple of steaks - and Peggy finished her jigsaw puzzle that she started back in California. About the only thing that upset me yesterday was the Patriots losing to the Colts!! I would have said that the Colts beat the Patriots but it just didn't happen that way. Uncharacteristically - the Patriots beat themselves in a game they had well in hand. Grrrr
Today we are off again for points east of Little Rock - the plan is to make it somewhere east of Jackson, TN and probably west of Nashville, TN. We did get some rain here last night - but it looks like the worst of it is over so perhaps we can make the drive with only periodic rain showers.
Look out you right coasters - we're about to cross the Mississippi River on our way back home!
Yesterday's drive was just like I like 'em - uneventfull. We drove - we took a few stretch breaks - we parked by 3 PM - we grilled a couple of steaks - and Peggy finished her jigsaw puzzle that she started back in California. About the only thing that upset me yesterday was the Patriots losing to the Colts!! I would have said that the Colts beat the Patriots but it just didn't happen that way. Uncharacteristically - the Patriots beat themselves in a game they had well in hand. Grrrr
Today we are off again for points east of Little Rock - the plan is to make it somewhere east of Jackson, TN and probably west of Nashville, TN. We did get some rain here last night - but it looks like the worst of it is over so perhaps we can make the drive with only periodic rain showers.
Look out you right coasters - we're about to cross the Mississippi River on our way back home!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Road Gators - Dallas, TX
We said goodbye to San Antonio yesterday and drove north up I-35 to Dallas and then made the turn east on I-30 before settling in for the night. After driving for a couple of days on I-10 from El Paso to San Antonio through West Texas and not seeing many other vehicles for miles, the drive up I-35 was a big change, The 300 mile corridor from San Antonio, through Austin and Waco - to Dallas had a lot of traffic (I think some of it must have been Saturday college football traffic) but we made it safe and almost sound.
If you travel enough on the interstate highways you will eventually run over a road gator. Those tread sections of truck/trailer tires that become strewn along the highway by the 18 Wheelers can be dangerous obstacles if you hit 'em at 60 mph or so! I am usually successful in dodging the gators I come across - but one appeared in front of me yesterday that was unavoidable. Couldn't go around it - so I had to go over it. I ran over it with the left rear duals and it jumped up and smacked the big rubber flap hanging from the rear of the rig before it hit the left front bumper of the Vue. Fortunately it looks to me like the rubber flap took the brunt of most of the impact and the damage to the Vue was only minimal. Except for a bit of rubber smudge on the plastic bumper cover - the only damage to the Vue was that the drivers side fog lamp assembly located in the bumper cover was dislodged. I'll take a closer look at it today when I get the car ready to roll - I may be able to simply snap it back in place. So the lesson here is - Watch out for road gators - they can bite cha!
Today the plan is to continue heading east and a bit north - destination Little Rock, AR where it looks like we might get a little rain tonight. Wow - is that a change - we haven't seen rain in weeks! It figures - I just washed the rig and the car - that never fails to bring rain!
If you travel enough on the interstate highways you will eventually run over a road gator. Those tread sections of truck/trailer tires that become strewn along the highway by the 18 Wheelers can be dangerous obstacles if you hit 'em at 60 mph or so! I am usually successful in dodging the gators I come across - but one appeared in front of me yesterday that was unavoidable. Couldn't go around it - so I had to go over it. I ran over it with the left rear duals and it jumped up and smacked the big rubber flap hanging from the rear of the rig before it hit the left front bumper of the Vue. Fortunately it looks to me like the rubber flap took the brunt of most of the impact and the damage to the Vue was only minimal. Except for a bit of rubber smudge on the plastic bumper cover - the only damage to the Vue was that the drivers side fog lamp assembly located in the bumper cover was dislodged. I'll take a closer look at it today when I get the car ready to roll - I may be able to simply snap it back in place. So the lesson here is - Watch out for road gators - they can bite cha!
Today the plan is to continue heading east and a bit north - destination Little Rock, AR where it looks like we might get a little rain tonight. Wow - is that a change - we haven't seen rain in weeks! It figures - I just washed the rig and the car - that never fails to bring rain!
Friday, November 13, 2009
More Riverwalk - San Antonio, TX
I know - this is my second post today! I figured I would get the post done tonight while I'm watching the basketball game so I have one less thing to do tomorrow morning when we are trying to get on the road.
We ended up at the Riverwalk area again and decided to take the boat ride around the downtown area loop. I must admit - I think creating the Riverwalk area of San Antonio is about the most brilliant economic development investment I think I have ever seen in the downtown area of a large city. All the shops, restaurants, the downtown mall, the convention center, and the many hotels - all connected to this well constructed waterway park full of people having a good time and spending money. The folks who thunk this up back in the 20's - and those who continued to improve it over the years deserve a lot of credit. Definitely a first class set up and a must visit spot if you an make it to San Antonio!
So after we enjoyed our boat ride on the San Antonio River - we decided to walk the 2.5 miles along the Riverwalk. Along the way we stopped at one of the many outdoor restaurants for a drink, some chips and salsa, and a nice serenade from a couple of troubadors while we watched the people, the ducks, and generally enjoyed ourselves.
But alas - all good things must end and we will be leaving tomorrow to continue our trip home. But I think we may just find our way back here in the near future.
See ya'll tomorrow from someplace north and east of San Antonio!
I did manage to get the rig washed this morning - including the roof which was the part I wanted to get done the most. I only scrub down the roof a couple of times a year and I wanted to get it done sometime before we get home - so since they don't mind if you wash your rig here - now seemed like the right time! After finishing that chore I got cleaned up a bit and Peggy and I took off again to see some more sights downtown.
We ended up at the Riverwalk area again and decided to take the boat ride around the downtown area loop. I must admit - I think creating the Riverwalk area of San Antonio is about the most brilliant economic development investment I think I have ever seen in the downtown area of a large city. All the shops, restaurants, the downtown mall, the convention center, and the many hotels - all connected to this well constructed waterway park full of people having a good time and spending money. The folks who thunk this up back in the 20's - and those who continued to improve it over the years deserve a lot of credit. Definitely a first class set up and a must visit spot if you an make it to San Antonio!
So after we enjoyed our boat ride on the San Antonio River - we decided to walk the 2.5 miles along the Riverwalk. Along the way we stopped at one of the many outdoor restaurants for a drink, some chips and salsa, and a nice serenade from a couple of troubadors while we watched the people, the ducks, and generally enjoyed ourselves.
But alas - all good things must end and we will be leaving tomorrow to continue our trip home. But I think we may just find our way back here in the near future.
See ya'll tomorrow from someplace north and east of San Antonio!
Remember The Alamo - San Antonio, TX
Yesterday was tourist day here in San Antonio. Around mid-day we jumped in the Vue and drove into the heart of downtown San Antonio - 1st stop - the Alamo of course.
The Alamo historical landmark takes up about a block in downtown San Antonio and consists of the restored Church building, the restored "Long Barracks," a Museum Gift Shop run by the Daughters of the Texas Republic, and some beautiful courtyards and gardens in between. Peggy and I rented the headset/playback gadget and did the self paced audio tour. Once again - we had a beautiful day with temps in the mid to high 70s and we both enjoyed our leisurely tour around the grounds and learning a good deal about this key battle (some would call it a massacre) and the struggle for Texas independence and eventual statehood.
After our tour of the Alamo we decided we needed some lunch so we walked a block or two over to the Riverwalk area. The San Antonio Riverwalk is a unique and very nice attraction in San Antonio. Somewhere along the line - the developers of San Antonio created a looped canal (The San Antonio River) within the downtown area and lined it walkways on both sides right next to and part of the local hotels, restraunts and botiques. Peggy and I had a very nice (but pricey) lunch at one of the nearby steakhouses and then did a bit of walking and gawking along the walk. After getting our exercise downtown we found our way back to the car - paid our parking fee - and made the trip back here to the motorhome.
We have decided that we are going to stay here in San Antonio one more day before continuing our trip home. I want to do a wash job on the rig today and then we may do some more sightseeing.
Hope everybody has a safe and uneventful Friday the 13th!
The Alamo historical landmark takes up about a block in downtown San Antonio and consists of the restored Church building, the restored "Long Barracks," a Museum Gift Shop run by the Daughters of the Texas Republic, and some beautiful courtyards and gardens in between. Peggy and I rented the headset/playback gadget and did the self paced audio tour. Once again - we had a beautiful day with temps in the mid to high 70s and we both enjoyed our leisurely tour around the grounds and learning a good deal about this key battle (some would call it a massacre) and the struggle for Texas independence and eventual statehood.
After our tour of the Alamo we decided we needed some lunch so we walked a block or two over to the Riverwalk area. The San Antonio Riverwalk is a unique and very nice attraction in San Antonio. Somewhere along the line - the developers of San Antonio created a looped canal (The San Antonio River) within the downtown area and lined it walkways on both sides right next to and part of the local hotels, restraunts and botiques. Peggy and I had a very nice (but pricey) lunch at one of the nearby steakhouses and then did a bit of walking and gawking along the walk. After getting our exercise downtown we found our way back to the car - paid our parking fee - and made the trip back here to the motorhome.
We have decided that we are going to stay here in San Antonio one more day before continuing our trip home. I want to do a wash job on the rig today and then we may do some more sightseeing.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Deep in the Heart of Texas - San Antonio, TX
After having a great breakfast at the Roadrunner Cafe located at the Fort Stockton RV Park - yesterday Peggy and I drove about 300 miles East by Southeast to San Antonio. We had a beautiful day to travel with temps in the mid 70s and a slight breeze - I doubt you could order up a nicer day. The drive from the stark plains of Fort Stockton in West Texas to San Antonio is pretty interesting! The first 150 or so miles is pretty much the same as the previous 250 miles from El Paso - sparsely vegetated and generally unfriendly looking territory. After you pass the Pecos River things start to green up a bit, the vegetation starts to fill in the landscape more and more - and by the time you get to San Antonio you see lots of nice trees amongst the grasslands and it is really quite pretty.
We pulled in to Admiralty RV Resort here on the outskirts of San Antonio around 3 PM yesterday and we were immediately hit by the humidity. It's not uncomfortably humid - you can just feel the difference after spending the last week or so in the really dry southwest corner of the country. I guess the nice trees come with the increase in moisture.
Today we plan on playing tourist a bit and seeing some of the sights of San Antonio. This appears to be a pretty big city so negotiating the roadways and getting where we want to go might be interesting itself!
It is hard to believe that we left Redding to start our trip back home some 2100 miles and 12 days ago! Considering that our trip to Oakland from Maine took 11 days and 3400 miles and considering we still have about 2200 miles to go and plan on being gone about another 11 or so days - I guess we are on a bit more leisurely pace to make it home. This trip will turn out to be one of our longest - time-wise and will be pretty close to our longest miles-driven-wise. Once again, when you add up the joy we have had seeing the great folks we have visited along the way and the beauty of the country we have experienced - you would come up with a big sum that would be difficult to collect and impossible to replace.
We pulled in to Admiralty RV Resort here on the outskirts of San Antonio around 3 PM yesterday and we were immediately hit by the humidity. It's not uncomfortably humid - you can just feel the difference after spending the last week or so in the really dry southwest corner of the country. I guess the nice trees come with the increase in moisture.
Today we plan on playing tourist a bit and seeing some of the sights of San Antonio. This appears to be a pretty big city so negotiating the roadways and getting where we want to go might be interesting itself!
It is hard to believe that we left Redding to start our trip back home some 2100 miles and 12 days ago! Considering that our trip to Oakland from Maine took 11 days and 3400 miles and considering we still have about 2200 miles to go and plan on being gone about another 11 or so days - I guess we are on a bit more leisurely pace to make it home. This trip will turn out to be one of our longest - time-wise and will be pretty close to our longest miles-driven-wise. Once again, when you add up the joy we have had seeing the great folks we have visited along the way and the beauty of the country we have experienced - you would come up with a big sum that would be difficult to collect and impossible to replace.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
West of the Pecos - Fort Stockton, TX
Tonight we find ourselves in Fort Stockton, TX - about half way between El Paso, TX and San Antonio, TX.
We left Benson yesterday and made the drive across the southern Arizona Desert - through a couple hundred miles of the New Mexico desert to Las Cruces, NM and then down just across the border to El Paso, TX. For you geographically challenged readers El Paso is located on the far western (that's left if you are looking at a map) edge of Texas - right across the Rio Grande from Juarez, Mexico. I'm told that El Paso has a population of about 700,000 and that Juarez has another 1.2 Million or so! After arriving in El Paso and setting up the rig we met up with family friends Reed and Sandy at their home and then we all went out for Mexican Food. Now I understand there are several different types of Mexican Food but it doesn't matter much to me ... the only type I'm interested in is the "good" type and this stuff was really good.
After a great visit with Reed and Sandy we hit the road this morning after a trip to Wally World to load up on some provisions for crossing the harsh country west of the Pecos ... and we made it all the way to Fort Stockton - an oasis in West Texas on the way to San Antonio. On the way I couldn't help but think about Mexican General Santa Anna and how tough it must have been to cross this country for hundreds of miles to attack the Alamo. And then I wondered Why!!? --- I suppose it had something to do with the fact that at the time the land belonged to Mexico and they weren't real happy with those upstart Texicans who declared themselves a new republic - independent from Mexico.
Tomorrow we hope to make it to San Antonio where we plan on staying for a day or so to take in some of the sights, including the Alamo. Let's see ... we will drive 500 or so miles over two days and only make it about half way across the state. I guess I won't be able to complain anymore about the "wide" states of Nebraska and Wyoming at about 400 miles.
By the time anybody reads this it will be Veteran's Day. Take some time today to think about the thousands who have died over the past 230 or so years to make sure we have the liberties we enjoy today ... and then think about what you might do to honor their sacrifice and help keep those liberties in place!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Visiting Boot Hill - Benson, Arizona
Well - Peggy decided she wanted to play tourist in Tombstone - so off we went. Fortunately, Tombstone is only about 20 miles from the SKP Park here in Benson so it was a relatively short drive. Peggy and I visited Tombstone while on one of my boondoggles - oops I mean business trips to Tucson several years ago so we kinda knew what to expect. Last time we visited we went ahead and spent the $$ to watch the re-enactment of the shootout at the OK Corral. I'm glad we got that out of the way back when I was working. This time we spent some time in the local Museum located in the old Cochise County Courthouse, wandered around town watching some of the street acts including a couple of shootouts by the re-enactors dressed in period garb, grabbed some lunch in one of the local saloons, and then we toured the infamous Boot Hill.
The folks in Tombstone have done a pretty nice job of preserving the old western flair of the downtown area and playing on the stories of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, and the Clayton Gang. Kinda touristy - but a fun outing.
I guess we are done playing in Arizona so tomorrow we will hook up the team and mosey through New Mexico to the western edge of Texas to visit El Paso before movin' on to San Antonio. I think I should have brought my Stetson - I'm starting to look real out of place.
The folks in Tombstone have done a pretty nice job of preserving the old western flair of the downtown area and playing on the stories of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, and the Clayton Gang. Kinda touristy - but a fun outing.
Dont Forget to Click on These Photos to read the Epitaphs
I guess we are done playing in Arizona so tomorrow we will hook up the team and mosey through New Mexico to the western edge of Texas to visit El Paso before movin' on to San Antonio. I think I should have brought my Stetson - I'm starting to look real out of place.
Playing (Temporary) Snowbird in the SouthWest - Benson, AZ
What can I say? We woke up yesterday and decided to drive right through Tucson, skip dinner at Daisy Mae's, and continue on to the SKP Co-Op park here in Benson, AZ. Like I've said in the past - although we sorta have a plan on these trips - the plans are subject to change at a moments notice!
Benson, AZ is in the southeastern corner of AZ on I-10 - about 85 miles or so from the New Mexico border. Not far from Tombstone, Bisbee, and other (in)famous places from the old west. It is also home of Kartchner Caverns. We will only be here for another day - and although we plan on getting out today and do a little "spooking" around - I doubt we will get in alot of sightseeing.
Actually, we can get in a good deal of sightseeing right here in the Park. The Saguaro SKP Co-Op is a really nice (and big) Park - although we certainly haven't seen many of the SPK Parks - this one is supposed to be one of the nicest. Most of the lots here are very big and most have had additional "Casitas" built on-site. The "Casitas" are used as guest houses, hobby rooms, workshops - you name it. The park is located on a hillside a bit south of town and overlooks the valley with the Dragoon Mountains in the distance. A really beautiful view anytime of day - but especially nice in the evening. You can see where Peggy and I spent a bit of time last evening - seeing the sights. The weather has been really nice with the high yesterday around 80 degrees and the low last night around 50 degrees. That and low humidity too - can't beat it! Peggy isn't ready to put our name on the waiting list to buy a lot - but I suspect we will be back here for an extended stay in the future.
So it looks like we are in for a sorta lazy Sunday. Then tomorrow we will hit the road again and head further east. The present plan (and you know how those can change) is to make it to El Paso, TX where we hope to meet up with the Kimzey's - family friends and fellow RVers who just happen to live there.
We got a call from Stacy yesterday who informs us that she and Kaj picked up all the leaves from our yard yesterday. I gotta tell you - I haven't missed that chore at all and really appreciate Stacy and Kaj's hard work - even if they used my lawnmower for a mulching/vacuum device to do the job - the really good news - I didn't have to do it! It also looks like Stacy and Kaj are in charge of Thanksgiving dinner this year! I can't wait to see/taste how it comes out. What's on the menu guys?
Benson, AZ is in the southeastern corner of AZ on I-10 - about 85 miles or so from the New Mexico border. Not far from Tombstone, Bisbee, and other (in)famous places from the old west. It is also home of Kartchner Caverns. We will only be here for another day - and although we plan on getting out today and do a little "spooking" around - I doubt we will get in alot of sightseeing.
Actually, we can get in a good deal of sightseeing right here in the Park. The Saguaro SKP Co-Op is a really nice (and big) Park - although we certainly haven't seen many of the SPK Parks - this one is supposed to be one of the nicest. Most of the lots here are very big and most have had additional "Casitas" built on-site. The "Casitas" are used as guest houses, hobby rooms, workshops - you name it. The park is located on a hillside a bit south of town and overlooks the valley with the Dragoon Mountains in the distance. A really beautiful view anytime of day - but especially nice in the evening. You can see where Peggy and I spent a bit of time last evening - seeing the sights. The weather has been really nice with the high yesterday around 80 degrees and the low last night around 50 degrees. That and low humidity too - can't beat it! Peggy isn't ready to put our name on the waiting list to buy a lot - but I suspect we will be back here for an extended stay in the future.
So it looks like we are in for a sorta lazy Sunday. Then tomorrow we will hit the road again and head further east. The present plan (and you know how those can change) is to make it to El Paso, TX where we hope to meet up with the Kimzey's - family friends and fellow RVers who just happen to live there.
We got a call from Stacy yesterday who informs us that she and Kaj picked up all the leaves from our yard yesterday. I gotta tell you - I haven't missed that chore at all and really appreciate Stacy and Kaj's hard work - even if they used my lawnmower for a mulching/vacuum device to do the job - the really good news - I didn't have to do it! It also looks like Stacy and Kaj are in charge of Thanksgiving dinner this year! I can't wait to see/taste how it comes out. What's on the menu guys?
Friday, November 6, 2009
RoVers Roost - Casa Grande, AZ
Yesterday we made the trip south on I-17 from Flagstaff to Casa Grande - a little over 200 miles and a drop from about 7300 feet to about 1300 feet. What a difference! When we arrived here yesterday it was 92 degrees - but it is Arizona ya know so it was "a dry 92 degrees."
The park we are staying at is about 9 miles west of Casa Grande and is an Escapees Co-Op Park. For you that aren't aware - Escapees is an organization of RVers, mostly but not solely "fulltimer" RVers. The Escapee's organization has about a dozen or so RV Parks throughout the nation. Some of their parks, like RoVers Roost here in Casa Grande, are "Co-Ops" where individual members purchase and own their lots and other members, like us, can stay and use the lots when the owners are away. The Escapees organization is more than simply a park ownership setup and they provide a great social network for all their members - wherever they happen to be. So after Peggy and I got the rig setup we joined the other members here at the park at the traditional 4:00 PM Social Hour at the park clubhouse where we were greeted and made welcome. A great bunch of folks these Escapees (AKA - SKPs). Check out the Saguaro Cactus on our site!
Today we woke up late and then Peggy decided that we should find the local Cracker Barrel for a late breakfast - so off we went. We both had great breakfasts - I had the low carb Double Meat Breakfast with 3 eggs, bacon, and sausage - and Peggy went for the French Toast with maple syrup. Yup - we really like Cracker Barrel - we need one in Maine!
After breakfast we drove on back to RoVers Roost and attended to a few chores - Peggy did the laundry again and I fixed a few things around the rig. Now the clothes are clean, the hair dryer switch is fixed, the inverter works again, and the frig is defrosted. All is well and we will be ready to roll again tomorrow.
We were going to go from here to another Escapees Co-Op Park in Benson, AZ - and we are - only we've decided to stop for a night in Tucson on the way. Tucson is only about 70 miles from here and we have been there several times in the past while I was attending work related conferences. OK I admit it - I was on company sponsored boondoggles with plently of golf involved - but some business was conducted - seldom at the conference - usually on the golf course or in the bar - but business was conducted nonetheless. But I digress ... the main purposes for the trip to Tucson are 1) to checkout another potential RV Park for a future longer term stay and 2) to go to Daisy Mae's Steakhouse - probably the best open pit mesquite flavored meat you have ever tasted. OK - maybe #2 is the only real reason.
The park we are staying at is about 9 miles west of Casa Grande and is an Escapees Co-Op Park. For you that aren't aware - Escapees is an organization of RVers, mostly but not solely "fulltimer" RVers. The Escapee's organization has about a dozen or so RV Parks throughout the nation. Some of their parks, like RoVers Roost here in Casa Grande, are "Co-Ops" where individual members purchase and own their lots and other members, like us, can stay and use the lots when the owners are away. The Escapees organization is more than simply a park ownership setup and they provide a great social network for all their members - wherever they happen to be. So after Peggy and I got the rig setup we joined the other members here at the park at the traditional 4:00 PM Social Hour at the park clubhouse where we were greeted and made welcome. A great bunch of folks these Escapees (AKA - SKPs). Check out the Saguaro Cactus on our site!
Today we woke up late and then Peggy decided that we should find the local Cracker Barrel for a late breakfast - so off we went. We both had great breakfasts - I had the low carb Double Meat Breakfast with 3 eggs, bacon, and sausage - and Peggy went for the French Toast with maple syrup. Yup - we really like Cracker Barrel - we need one in Maine!
After breakfast we drove on back to RoVers Roost and attended to a few chores - Peggy did the laundry again and I fixed a few things around the rig. Now the clothes are clean, the hair dryer switch is fixed, the inverter works again, and the frig is defrosted. All is well and we will be ready to roll again tomorrow.
We were going to go from here to another Escapees Co-Op Park in Benson, AZ - and we are - only we've decided to stop for a night in Tucson on the way. Tucson is only about 70 miles from here and we have been there several times in the past while I was attending work related conferences. OK I admit it - I was on company sponsored boondoggles with plently of golf involved - but some business was conducted - seldom at the conference - usually on the golf course or in the bar - but business was conducted nonetheless. But I digress ... the main purposes for the trip to Tucson are 1) to checkout another potential RV Park for a future longer term stay and 2) to go to Daisy Mae's Steakhouse - probably the best open pit mesquite flavored meat you have ever tasted. OK - maybe #2 is the only real reason.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Grand Canyon
As planned, today was tourist day. After a leisurely morning we took off around 11:00 AM for our drive to the Grand Canyon. The drive from Williams to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is about 60 miles through the high desert so we arrived around noon to start our walk along the rim trail. Just like last time we came here - when you first walk up to the rim the immensity of the Canyon hits you square in the face and the first word you think of is "awesome." Peggy took about 90 pictures while we there and I will post a few here - but if you haven't been there - ya gotta trust me - you can't take a picture that does justice to the view.
After viewing the Canyon from the Mather Point Area we drove over to the Grand Canyon Village to check out the views from the rim lodge area near Bright Angel Lodge and the begining of the Bright Angel Trail to the bottom of the Canyon. As you can see I was quite tired after finishing my 20 mile hike down to the bottom and back again. Well maybe I walked down the trail about 2 feet and then had my picture taken coming back. Anyway ... we did get to meet a few trusty steeds that make frequent trips down to the bottom and back. If I do ever make that trip - I'll make the trip on top of one of these sure footed fellas.
After viewing the Canyon for a few hours and walking enough to make a few muscles complain - we found the car and made the trip home. All-in-all - a great day viewing a true national treasure.
I thought I would add a picture from yesterday's trip. This one was taken as we drove across the Mojave desert and were attacked by 3 Marine helicopters from the nearby 29 Palms Marine Air Facility flying about 50 feet off the deck. Not a sight you see everyday.
So tomorrow we are off again. We will be leaving this relatively cool 6500 foot elevation and traveling south a couple of hundred miles to the HOT southern climes near Casa Grande. See ya there ...
After viewing the Canyon from the Mather Point Area we drove over to the Grand Canyon Village to check out the views from the rim lodge area near Bright Angel Lodge and the begining of the Bright Angel Trail to the bottom of the Canyon. As you can see I was quite tired after finishing my 20 mile hike down to the bottom and back again. Well maybe I walked down the trail about 2 feet and then had my picture taken coming back. Anyway ... we did get to meet a few trusty steeds that make frequent trips down to the bottom and back. If I do ever make that trip - I'll make the trip on top of one of these sure footed fellas.
After viewing the Canyon for a few hours and walking enough to make a few muscles complain - we found the car and made the trip home. All-in-all - a great day viewing a true national treasure.
I thought I would add a picture from yesterday's trip. This one was taken as we drove across the Mojave desert and were attacked by 3 Marine helicopters from the nearby 29 Palms Marine Air Facility flying about 50 feet off the deck. Not a sight you see everyday.
So tomorrow we are off again. We will be leaving this relatively cool 6500 foot elevation and traveling south a couple of hundred miles to the HOT southern climes near Casa Grande. See ya there ...
Mountain Time - Williams, AZ
Arizona is pretty interesting state. When I awoke this morning and checked the outside temperature here in Williams - it was 27 degrees. Now last night I was watching the Phoenix area news (on the one english speaking channel we can get up here in the mountains) and I saw where they are having record highs at around 92 degrees. That's a pretty big temperature difference considering that Phoenix is only about a hundred miles away! I suppose the 6000 foot elevation here has something to do with it.
We had a long - but interesting driving day yesterday. We left Barstow and traveled east along Route 40 (AKA Route 66) across the Mojave Desert, crossed the Colorado River at the AZ state line at about 850 foot elevation and then spent the next 150 or so miles slowly gaining altitude to our present location amongst the pine trees here near Williams.
Today I think the plan is to relax a little, play tourist a little by visiting the Grand Canyon, and then relaxing some more. I'm sure Peggy has an uphill hike planned somewhere in there ... therefore the need for the additional relaxation time. Since we drove everyday for 11 days on our trip west and we managed to stay pretty busy for the month we were in CA - we plan on taking it a little easier heading home - so we have a little R&R time planned here in AZ during our trip home. Not a lot - just enough to stay sane but still get back to Maine before the heavy snow falls.
We had a long - but interesting driving day yesterday. We left Barstow and traveled east along Route 40 (AKA Route 66) across the Mojave Desert, crossed the Colorado River at the AZ state line at about 850 foot elevation and then spent the next 150 or so miles slowly gaining altitude to our present location amongst the pine trees here near Williams.
Today I think the plan is to relax a little, play tourist a little by visiting the Grand Canyon, and then relaxing some more. I'm sure Peggy has an uphill hike planned somewhere in there ... therefore the need for the additional relaxation time. Since we drove everyday for 11 days on our trip west and we managed to stay pretty busy for the month we were in CA - we plan on taking it a little easier heading home - so we have a little R&R time planned here in AZ during our trip home. Not a lot - just enough to stay sane but still get back to Maine before the heavy snow falls.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Happy Election Day - Barstow, CA
Happy Election Day!
Yesterday we left the Merced, CA area, traveled even further south down California State Highway 99 to Bakersfield (home of the "Bakersfield Sound" of Buck Owens and also Merle Haggard) and then started heading east over the Tehachapi Mountains to the high desert of Southern California - skirting Edwards Air Force Base and such colorful places as Boron, CA before landing here near Barstow, CA.
These folks in California must really be hurting for electricity! When we got to the summit of the Tehachapi Moutains we found what must be the worlds largest windfarm. There must have been a thousand wind generators on the surrounding hills (well - at least a few hundred!). What a way to ugly up the countryside - these folks could use a nice eco-friendly nuclear power plant!
We plan on another relatively long travel day today as we hope to make it to Williams, AZ where we will spend a day or so viewing the Grand Canyon. I checked the weather forecast for Williams and it is supposed to get down to about 30 degrees there tonight! I think this will be a short visit before we head even further south to warm up again.
Peggy just opened the curtains and it looks like a beautiful day here in the desert - I better get moving or we'll not get outer here until noon.
Have a great day and Don't Forget To Vote!
These folks in California must really be hurting for electricity! When we got to the summit of the Tehachapi Moutains we found what must be the worlds largest windfarm. There must have been a thousand wind generators on the surrounding hills (well - at least a few hundred!). What a way to ugly up the countryside - these folks could use a nice eco-friendly nuclear power plant!
We plan on another relatively long travel day today as we hope to make it to Williams, AZ where we will spend a day or so viewing the Grand Canyon. I checked the weather forecast for Williams and it is supposed to get down to about 30 degrees there tonight! I think this will be a short visit before we head even further south to warm up again.
Peggy just opened the curtains and it looks like a beautiful day here in the desert - I better get moving or we'll not get outer here until noon.
Have a great day and Don't Forget To Vote!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Headin Home - Delhi, California
Friday the 30th was Nan's 81st birthday so Jamie, Peggy, and I took her to dinner at Red Lobster in Redding. Now Red Lobster probably isn't Nan's favorite place to go but she said she didn't care ... and I really like their "Ultimate Feast" ... so Red Lobster it was! Although the service was iffy at best - we all enjoyed our meals and successfully overate.
Yesterday (Saturday) we said our tearfull goodbyes to the Jellisons (Decky, Dillion, Derek, and Dustin) and to sister Jamie and Mom. It certainly was not the best circumstances to come visit them all - but we are really glad to see Derek home with his family and getting better every day! So after getting the rig ready to roll and negotiating the curvy road back to Redding - we hit I-5 and headed south to begin our trip back to Maine. It may not seem like it though as we headed south all day through the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys and ended the day here in Delhi, CA just north of Merced. Peggy's sister Carol and family live in Merced and we wanted to visit them before heading east ... so after setting up here in Delhi we drove over to their place for a short visit. Peggy and Carol took Carol's granddaughter Kendra Trick or Treating while Chuck and I handed out the goodies to the princesses and goblins that visited in droves. We did manage to take some pictures but then we also managed to leave the camera at Carol's when we came home last night - so pictures on the blog will have to wait.
We plan on staying here in Delhi today (Sunday) as we need to do some laundry and we hope to visit more today with Carol, Chuck, and Kendra (and retireve the camera) before heading even further south tomorrow.
Happy Standard Time to All - have a great day!
Yesterday (Saturday) we said our tearfull goodbyes to the Jellisons (Decky, Dillion, Derek, and Dustin) and to sister Jamie and Mom. It certainly was not the best circumstances to come visit them all - but we are really glad to see Derek home with his family and getting better every day! So after getting the rig ready to roll and negotiating the curvy road back to Redding - we hit I-5 and headed south to begin our trip back to Maine. It may not seem like it though as we headed south all day through the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys and ended the day here in Delhi, CA just north of Merced. Peggy's sister Carol and family live in Merced and we wanted to visit them before heading east ... so after setting up here in Delhi we drove over to their place for a short visit. Peggy and Carol took Carol's granddaughter Kendra Trick or Treating while Chuck and I handed out the goodies to the princesses and goblins that visited in droves. We did manage to take some pictures but then we also managed to leave the camera at Carol's when we came home last night - so pictures on the blog will have to wait.
We plan on staying here in Delhi today (Sunday) as we need to do some laundry and we hope to visit more today with Carol, Chuck, and Kendra (and retireve the camera) before heading even further south tomorrow.
Happy Standard Time to All - have a great day!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Back Home (Sorta) in Redding
Well here it is ... almost a week since my last entry - I am waay behind! But I have several good excuses - #1 excuse is we have been waay busy.
After returning to San Leandro last Friday we spent the weekend helping Decky and Jamie with Derek as before and then started preparing for their trip back to Redding. Thanks to some really fantastic people in Redding, Decky and family were able to line up some handicap accessible temporary living facilities while their house is being modified. So while all that was being arranged - we started loading "stuff" in the motorhome and car to prepare for the trip home. To make a long story somewhat short -- we loaded enough clothes, gifts, and medical supplies to pretty much fill up the Vue and filled even more space in the motorhome before we all set sail for Redding yesterday. Derek and Decky made the trip (about 200 miles) in a critical care ambulance while Peggy, Jamie, and I drove up in the motorhome pulling the Vue (which was pretending to be a storage trailer). Along the way we met up with my mom (Nan) who had driven to Red Bluff from near Carson City, NV. So all four of us made the final leg of the trip to Redding to find Derek's temporary home ... which was no easy trick. We ended up driving about 8 miles out of town on a curvey road into the foothills with few homes in sight and few places to turn around if we got lost. We did manage to find the place and get all of Derek's stuff unloaded and get the rig setup barely before dark.
It has been a real busy day here today getting Derek transistioned to his new surroundings while getting all the home care stuff set up. One thing I have learned to appreciate in the last month is how much work goes into caring for a patient with all Derek's needs.!!
We are "boondocking" here at our present location. We don't operate too often using only onboard resources (no external water or power hookups) so that makes life a little interesting - especially since we are presently hosting a couple of other guests (Jamie and Nan). So far - so good. I expect we will stay here at least another full day supporting Decky until her home nursing assistance gets setup and working so we will probably not leave until Saturday.
Until then - we'll keep doing what we need to do and hope all of ya'll are doing well.
After returning to San Leandro last Friday we spent the weekend helping Decky and Jamie with Derek as before and then started preparing for their trip back to Redding. Thanks to some really fantastic people in Redding, Decky and family were able to line up some handicap accessible temporary living facilities while their house is being modified. So while all that was being arranged - we started loading "stuff" in the motorhome and car to prepare for the trip home. To make a long story somewhat short -- we loaded enough clothes, gifts, and medical supplies to pretty much fill up the Vue and filled even more space in the motorhome before we all set sail for Redding yesterday. Derek and Decky made the trip (about 200 miles) in a critical care ambulance while Peggy, Jamie, and I drove up in the motorhome pulling the Vue (which was pretending to be a storage trailer). Along the way we met up with my mom (Nan) who had driven to Red Bluff from near Carson City, NV. So all four of us made the final leg of the trip to Redding to find Derek's temporary home ... which was no easy trick. We ended up driving about 8 miles out of town on a curvey road into the foothills with few homes in sight and few places to turn around if we got lost. We did manage to find the place and get all of Derek's stuff unloaded and get the rig setup barely before dark.
It has been a real busy day here today getting Derek transistioned to his new surroundings while getting all the home care stuff set up. One thing I have learned to appreciate in the last month is how much work goes into caring for a patient with all Derek's needs.!!
We are "boondocking" here at our present location. We don't operate too often using only onboard resources (no external water or power hookups) so that makes life a little interesting - especially since we are presently hosting a couple of other guests (Jamie and Nan). So far - so good. I expect we will stay here at least another full day supporting Decky until her home nursing assistance gets setup and working so we will probably not leave until Saturday.
Until then - we'll keep doing what we need to do and hope all of ya'll are doing well.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Searching for Ancestors in Gold Country
Peggy and I left San Leandro yesterday morning, survived the bay area traffic once again, and made a relatively leisurely drive across the Central Valley, through Sacramento, and into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Range to Shingle Springs - just south of Placerville. We are staying at a KOA right off Highway 50 in some really beautiful rolling hills and we decided to just take it easy the rest of the day.
After a pretty good night's sleep (with no trains to wake us up!) we finished our morning routine and set out around 10:00 AM to see what sights we could see.
We started out by taking a nice drive further into the foothills to Coloma - the site of John Marshall's discovery of gold in California in 1848. In the late 1840's a man named John Sutter had convinced the Spanish govenment leaders in California to grant him a large land grant and he built a trading post in what is now Sacramento. He decided he needed some lumber to enhance his trading business so he hired a carpenter named John Marshall to build a water powered sawmill on the South Fork of the American River to saw some of the local timber. After getting the sawmill operational - Marshall and his men were digging a deeper tailrace (to return the water to the river) and lo-and-behold they found some bright shiny stuff in the gravel that turned out to change the course of history for California and several thousand folks throughout the world - Gold.
The site of gold discovery is in a beautiful area that has been made a state park (the governator hasn't closed it yet!) and contains a reproduction of the sawmill built by Marshall as well as a pretty informative museum. After walking down to the river, staking our claim, and trying my "hand" at looking for gold - we drove across the bridge built in 1915 to check out an RV Park on the other side of the river. We may have to try this spot sometime in the future - if we do we will have to bring along a couple of mining pans and test our luck. On the way back we spotted a couple of claim jumpers at our claim site but we decided the claim was probably payed out anyway so we left them alone.
After leaving Coloma we drove northwest through the very small town of Pilot Hill and Cool to the even smaller town of Greenwood. From my previous genealogy research I found that my great-great-grandfather Felici (Felix) Ricci was a true 49er and was one of the early settlers Greenwood and the surrounding area in the early 1850s. Peggy and I found the one-room schoolhouse where my grandmother attended school and also found one of the main streets in town named after my GGGrandfather - Ricci Road. We also managed to find the local "Pioneer Cemetery" where several of my ancestors are laid to rest. We found the Ricci Plot containing the remains of Felici Ricci, his wife Eliza DeLeat, her previous husband Henry DeLeat, and several of their children including Frances DeLeat, Peter Ricci, Paul Ricci, Rinaldo Roy Ricci, and Ethel Rae Ricci. Ah yes - a beautiful day wandering around an old cemetery looking for ancestors.
After leaving Greenwood we traveled through the old mining towns of Georgetown and Garden Valley on our way back to Placerville.
Just south of Placerville, and on our way back to Shingle Springs, we drove through another old mining town called El Dorado - a fitting name don't cha think? El Dorado is also famous for being the site of Poor Red's Bar and Grill. I had never been to Poor Red's but I remember the stories told by my mom and dad, who along with Peggy's mom and dad, made the trip from Sacramento for a night out at Poor Red's. The bar is basically just that - a bar in a small town. It seems that a fellow named Red along with his wife Opal bought this bar in the mid 1940's and it became a favorite spot for a lot of folks in the 1950s and 1960s. It is famous for creating its specialty drink - the golden cadillac. Since it was far past lunch and close enough to dinner we decided to check out the fare at Poor Red's. I had the BBQ ribs and Peggy had a Chef Salad. Neither of us was brave enough to attempt a golden cadillac but I did try a couple of Fat Tire beers on tap. I think the bartender there has been there since the 1950s and has certainly made his share of the house special drink - including several for other patrons while we were there. OK - that's one more off my bucket list - linner at Poor Red's in El Dorado, CA.
After finishing linner at Poor Red's we headed back to the rig for a quiet evening in gold country.
Tomorrow we will be leaving here and heading back to San Leandro/Oakland where we hope to help with the final preps to spring Derek from the hospital and get him on his way back home to Redding.
Stay tuned - more adventures to follow ...
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