On the Road

Well, we did get off on the 3^rd of April but not until late in the day. Not a surprise. Loading the coach is always a challenge. Recently we downsized to 24-foot travel van. Theoretically, shrinking the task by about 20 feet should simplify and shorten the process of loading but the theory didn’t hold. NOW, we must be extremely selective in what we choose to take with us, whereas with the former Class A we could carry anything including the kitchen sink. 

Apart from the selection, finding a location to store things is daunting. The manufacturer of our Leisure Unity was creative in little storage nooks scattered about the coach; however, the operative word is “little”. Golf clubs – nope. Anything superfluous – nope. We have become proponents of minimalism, of necessity. The last few items were just scattered around our space with the hopes of finding convenient storage as we travel and adjust to our new surroundings.

Tuesday, having departed the house about 4:30 pm, we only drove about three hours. We camped overnight in a somewhat primitive campground, dirt site but with full hookups, in High Springs, FL. We arose to a misty day and drove most of Wednesday in off and on rain and drizzle. 

Late in the day, having driven through the obvious cold front, we stopped for the night in Robertsdale, AL near Mobile at the Azalea Acres RV Park. It was a great Good Sam park, very neat with concrete pads, good amenities, and very friendly staff. Thursday morning, we discovered the Derailed Diner at the intersection getting back on I-10 West. It is an eclectic truck stop with lots of charm and very mediocre food. It was an interesting way to begin our day.

Thursday, was an adventure day. The allure of the sign on I-10 saying “Take the Scenic Route 90” was more than we could resist. Scenic encompassed 26 miles of beach with a score of casinos, multi colored umbrellas, and a multitude of stoplights. However, the highlight was the Home and Presidential Library of Jefferson Davis, who was president of the Confederate States of America. We enjoyed several hours immersed in history as we toured the grounds, home and Museum & Library. The home was lovingly restored after the ravages of Hurricane Katrina and there is a large modern facility housing the Souvenir Shop, Museum, and Library. 

This building represents a huge investment and I was curious how this much money was raised for such a cause. I’m not sure, but the plaque commemorating construction had the Masonic Square & Compass emblem in it’s center. Apparently, like Washington and many of our founding fathers, Davis was a Mason. In my mind, question answered.

This Friday morning as I write this from Denham Springs, LA we are looking forward to a visit with Anthony Reale and family. He works nights in Baton Rouge but lives in Lafayette, so we will probably meet them for lunch somewhere near either of the two. 

The Baton Rouge KOA is a welcoming park, again with very friendly staff, near shopping and restaurants. Last evening, to stretch our legs, we took a walk to a Bass Pro Shops nearby. It was huge and had a restaurant inside where we ate our supper. Of course, we had fish to eat.

I need to break camp, as checkout time is approaching, and I have chores to accomplish. I’ll keep in touch as the we make our way West. 

Signing off.    

   

The Adventure Begins in Earnest

At this very moment it is still dark and very early in the morning. I cannot sleep. Too much is on my mind as the Great RV Adventure begins in earnest today. Last night I sat in my recliner with my laptop on my lap, trying to complete several tasks and tie up some loose ends. I awakened to discover it was 2:30 a.m. My fatigue was such that I could not manage even that.

The past two weeks have been a jumble of events related to our departure this day April 3rd, 2018. Some are directly related in preparation and some are domestic – projects around the house that have been in various stages of completion. We had a deck built on the back of the house overlooking the lake. It must be stained before the sun dries it to kindling. The shower needs caulking work done. 

The Blinds and Shades people installed a nice Sunsetter awning over the new deck. Of course, it is a power retractable awning and it arrived from the manufacturer with a nonfunctioning motor. New motor ordered and still not replaced. Our pergola, which blew down in Hurricane Irma, was due to be replaced. The replacement is lying in my yard, killing my grass because it has been there for a week. That install was begun but stalled due to the wrong materials being ordered for the project. I called and told the contractor to come haul it away because we ARE leaving and will not wait for its completion.

Yes, I know this all sounds somewhat inconsequential but when you are leaving on your Big Bucket List Trip, the one you have been waiting on all your life, your house must be in order before you leave. We are fortunate in many respects, but one aspect is special, this summer we will leave our house occupied. Good friends are building a new home on the property adjoining ours and they need a place to stay while it is constructed – voila, instant house sitters. At least we don’t have to shut the house down. I did call DirecTV to suspend service for the summer, as our house guests are not interested in that much TV, which was a project of about an hour on the phone. But other than that, the house stays the same.

The last development I’ll mention is one that has required some angst and soul-searching; which concerns Mitzi and Fiona. It has been our plan to travel with the dogs from the very first moment of planning, but some thoughts have disturbed the planning process. I WANT to spend a night or two on the Queen Mary. Yes, you can still sleep aboard that great ocean liner. It is docked in Long Beach, CA and is a hotel. To do this with the dogs is problematic. We would first have to locate a dog boarder nearby, and then determine if said boarder was trustworthy.

 The same problem exists if we are to incorporate an Alaska cruise and land tour when we reach Seattle, WA. Alaska, an adventure in itself, will require at least two to three weeks to accomplish our sightseeing goals for that state. Where do you find a dog boarder in Seattle for that length of time, and what would that cost? 

Well, program change! We are leaving the dogs in Florida. Through our vet we learned of a nice young man who boards a few dogs in his home in a very personal way. They will be pampered. Not only so, our vet (who just happens to be our house guest for the summer) will pick them up from time to time and bring them home to visit. 

This way, finding home still the same, right down to their kennel which they love, and their fenced back yard where they terrorize the chameleons  and geckos to their heart's content, will put their little doggie minds at ease that they are still loved and have not been abandoned. This development is huge as it does simplify many concerns during our trip, but the dogs will be missed. Kathy and I will probably blubber a little today as we leave without them, but we are looking forward to our adventure being dog-less for a short while.

California, here we come

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Angst and the Hurry-ups

It doesn’t seem possible but there is less than a month before we head out on our great bucket-list adventure to California and the Northwest. We have so very much to do before we can depart our Florida abode. Packing our 24’ Travel Van is the least of our worries. Closing up the house for the summer is an arduous venture with a to-do list of a host of items as draining the hot tub and unplugging the electronics. Essential, as well, is battening down to hatches, so to speak, to minimize damage due to any tropical storms or hurricanes which might occur during our absence. This past summer we would have sustained much more damage than we did if it were not for the intervention of dear friends who watch the place for us. When we are absent for lengthy stretches of time, it is essential to have house-sitters that are conscientious and close at hand. We are very lucky in this regard.

This year we are experiencing something that we designed into our home when built, guests. You know the ones to whom I refer. THE ones that want to escape the frigid North for sunny Florida. It’s funny, while this was always our intention, there has never been a great influx of such traffic – much to our chagrin. Wouldn’t you know it; this year we’re covered up, AND we love it, but it is presenting a challenge as we juggle competing priorities. It even might work out that we have some extra hands in loading up. Nice thought!

As yet, we haven’t devoted much time to our itinerary, and absolutely zero time on a schedule or timetable. At this point we should be much farther along on a list of destinations but all we have is a myriad of wishes formed from the substance of our dreams.

At the top of my list are Yosemite and Sequoia. Ansel Adams black & white landscapes haunt my dreams as I lay in my bed at night. El Capitan and the Falls at Yosemite especially are highlighted in these nocturnal visions. The trees of Sequoia are so fanciful as to defy the realms of all that is possible in flora. When a ultrawide lens fails to capture one tree from sod to sky, my reason is stretched beyond anything I have encountered on terra firma.

 San Diego and San Francisco come to mind, as well as my zany idea to venture to Long Beach to spend a night on the Queen Mary. The big ship idea is the product of a documentary I saw on NatGeo and a story elicited from my Stone Mountain Cousin Tug Tuggle about his passage on this elegant ship as it made its last journey from the UK to New York. Tug even thinks he might be able to remember his stateroom number. We think it’s a nostalgic notion to attempt to book the same cabin for a night or two. Of course, many of our ideas will present challenges – especially ones like the Queen Mary because of two things. Locating parking for the motorhome might be a challenge and we must figure out what to do about our two pooches traveling with us.

Also, an item that is a top feature on this adventure is the Pacific Coast Highway. We have seen too many beautiful photos taken on this route – in California, Oregon and Washington. If cameras can itch, mine is already itching at the prospect of capturing spectacular images that will make me look like I might know what I am doing.

The Greatest RV Adventure is Yet to Come

My poor, poor RV Blog has been neglected for so long. It’s time I pick it back up and wipe away the dust. While we are not currently RV’ing, being ensconced in our Florida digs, we have in the last year experienced some major changes that will impact our RV lifestyle in the year, perhaps years, to come.

One. We sold our Rochester, NY home to Danny and Kim, with whom we have been sharing residence each of the past seven summers. It was a pleasant city, and neighborhood, to spend our summer months as we sought to escape the heat in my native Florida. Leaving the Sunshine State in April/May and returning in early November has become habitual, and a habit that I fear will not be easy to break. The fact that we no longer have a summer haven in NY we must do something different. The first, and most logical, idea involves our RV.

Two. Our approach to RV’ing has altered drastically. I have been a Class A guy for quite some time. We began our RV adventure with towables but soon realized that there were shortcomings to this equipment that really put us off. We then acquired our first Class A coach in 2010. It was 37 feet long on a gas chassis. It was very plush and comfortable but somewhat underpowered and subject to being blown around by the wind. Sharing our plan to make a big trip out West with other RV’ers we were counseled to think about a diesel pusher because our intended route involved traveling high altitudes in the Rockies.  I was informed that I might have difficulties with an underpowered gas coach in these environments, so we purchased our first diesel pusher, a 42-foot Winnebago Journey.

The summer of the Journey was eventful. Each time we attempted to join a Caravan trip we never succeeding in getting higher than 4^th on the wait list because of their popularity and limited capacity. Consequently, we decided to do our caravan trip, mimicking the destinations taken by the organized group. We traveled to Moab, UT to begin our Big Sky adventure, exploring the amazing Arches National Park. Thus, began a two and one-half month expedition throughout the West. Our route took in all the Canyonland parks, Las Vegas for three weeks, San Antonio, Roswell, Carlsbad Caverns and so much more. In doing this we learned the advantages of a “Big” rig, and the disadvantages. The advantage – traveling in a luxurious suite with all the comforts of home. The disadvantages – poor fuel economy and the need for very careful planning because of our plus size. We needed to park 80 miles away from the Grand Canyon because all the RV parks we contacted would not accommodate anything over thirty-eight feet in length.

For those looking at engendering a RV lifestyle the ideal Class A coach is a 34 to 38-foot diesel pusher. It will have the cushy ride you want, all the bells and whistles you can dream of, but with better performance and an ease of maneuverability lacking in much larger coach. I’m getting a little far afield so back to the way our RV approach has changed.

We have downsized, and not just a little, but significantly. Our new ride is a Class B+. This new Leisure Unity represents our third attempt at downsizing. Our first was a Thor A.C.E. It was a small (27 ft) Class A which Kathy and I tried to love for a little over a year. Poor quality and 10 months in the shop eventually broke our love affair. The 2^nd was a Thor Synergy built on a Mercedes Sprinter Chassis and was 24&1/2 ft long. It lasted all of 5 days before we returned it. We were told it would tow our Jeep Cherokee – it would not. Several other quality issues sealed the reject deal.

The Leisure Unity is also built on the Mercedes Sprinter Chassis. It has the quality expected of the German manufacturer without this being spoiled by the addition of a shoddily built body. Why downsize, you might ask? Well, there are several reasons. There is less work with the smaller coach. It’s easier to load. It’s easier to maneuver. You can go places that you can’t go with a Class A. On our trial-run trip we were able to use fuel stations we couldn’t with the bigger unit and restaurants other than Cracker Barrel (known for being RV friendly). It doesn’t take three days to load or unload. It’s easy to park and setup and will be the perfect RV for our upcoming Bucket List trip this coming summer.

Yes, this is the spoiler. Our next RV adventure is a big one. Beginning next spring, we will depart Florida on I-10 headed west for California. Our plan is to then head north doing Yosemite, Sequoia, Death Valley, Tahoe, and everything else we can. Oregon, Washington, the Western Provinces, and maybe Alaska are all possible. It will be a long trip and requires some planning (yet to be accomplishes) but we are looking forward to our greatest RV adventure yet.

It’s Always an Adventure

Tuesday, June 3^rd, the RV adventure begins again in earnest. This was the day I had my last chemo treatment which I concluded at noon of the day. We finally got off from the house shortly after one and pointed our coach in a northerly direction. The plan was to drive three to four hours and camp so as to shorten the drive on Wednesday to our first destination at Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, GA. Our stop for the night was Eagle’s Roost RV Resort just south of Valdosta. Our site was an attractive pad under a lush canopy of Oaks, replete with beards of Spanish moss dangling over our heads. Everything went smoothly so our stay was pleasant and uneventful. 

Not arising overly early our day began with breakfast at the Farm Restaurant close by. Up I-75 we went until needing a rest stop. Again, we learned a lesson about the consequences of forgotten items (we always forget something). This time the omission was the harnesses for Mitzi and Fiona. We had leashes but no harness. We found a Petco at one exit to obtain replacements. Mitzi’s fir fine but Fiona’s was a little loose (a potential disaster in the making). Kathy was walking the dogs when Fiona backed out of her harness and proceeded to run down the shoulder of the interstate. She refused to respond to command and then raced around the parking area and the busy off ramp with Kathy in pursuit. I exited the coach as soon as I noticed what was going on and we both chased her to no avail. A truck driver, seeing the drama unfolding, also gave chase. Fortunately he scared Fiona into my arms or the outcome would have most assuredly ruined our summer. It gave us quite a scare; Kathy, not to be indelicate, wet her pants.

The remainder of the day was anticlimactic in comparison. We drove into the mountains to Amicalola Falls and settled into our campsite for the next six days. The campground driveway was somewhat challenging with a 25% grade. The previous day had a unit blow its transmission making the ascent. We had no problem, even towing the Jeep, and we were pleased to have the horsepower to ascend without incident.

While here we will visit my cousin Tug for a few days and explore the area. It will be fun.

Lipstick on a Pig

Our RV experience has been challenging over the past year and for several reasons I will share several of the reasons. Some of you followed our journey out West summer before last so you will know that we had a 42’ diesel pusher. We really liked the “Big Rig” but we experienced some serious drawbacks. One – when in remote areas it was nearly impossible at times to get close to a pump to get fuel; especially with the added length of a tow vehicle. Two – we encountered situations where we could find a site long enough to accommodate our rig. For instance, when visiting the Grand Canyon we camped eighty miles away for lack of a suitable site. This all being said, we sold that coach when we returned to Florida.

That began the process of looking for something that would give us the balance of utility and comfort that we desire. Kathy wanted a Class C because of the sleeper over the cab for grandkids. I refused because I absolutely wanted the conveniences (self-leveling, ride, interior height, Etc.) of a Class A coach. Well, what do you do in such circumstances? You compromise. Our compromise came in the form of a 28’ Thor ACE. The ACE stands for A & C Evolution. The design is to combine features of both A & C coaches in one unit. Very good in theory but poor in execution. Most of the little bells and whistles were useless and many of the features included on our previous Class A coaches were missing. One example; the drivers se3at had no electric adjustment so my feet barely reached the floor. After a day of driving I was exhausted and painfully cramping. The modification for the seat was about $2000. 

This began a succession of modifications to make our “entry level” coach more functional and comfortable. A year later found us with serious issues, both functional and quality in nature. In the year we owned the ACE it spent 80% of that time in the shop. Our very first trip was without any a/c (defective from the factory). Upon leaving last summer for New York with our new coach we were driving from Camping World to Camping World addressing malfunctions and quality issues. This spring upon checking to see if our year old coach was ready for our journey we discovered even more problems and things we concluded we couldn’t live with. Kathy’s comment was; “it’s like putting lipstick on a pig.” My conclusion was, “enough.” Bye-bye ACE. The lessons learned are multiple. We downsized too much. The ACE was 28’ and didn’t have the room for comfort we sought. It was an entry level coach that was missing many conveniences.

The biggest thing I discovered is that my ideal coach is a diesel pusher between 34’ and 38’. We purchased a used Tuscany that falls right in the middle of that range. So far it appears to be the perfect coach for us.

A New Season - 2014

This year, again, we are late leaving Florida. Already it is the nineties and I have had sufficiently enough heat for the season. Normally we would have departed by this time but my chemo treatments for bladder cancer have put us behind schedule.

Secondly, we are still waiting for the completion of warranty repairs on the RV as well as certain modifications to be completed. I learned a lesson on this coach which we purchased in an attempt to downsize. It is a little smaller than we would like and it is an entry level Class A Coach with many comfort and utility items missing. We have been addressing the deficiencies as best we can by upgrades to seats as well as mechanical and electronic improvements. Having purchased this unit a little over a year ago it has spent most of its existence in the shop. It is a Thor A.C.E. which is neat in design but sorely lacking in quality. Eventually we will get all of the bugs worked out but are resolved to never purchase Thor again.

My last treatment is June 3^rd and we hope to leave as soon as possible after this date. Thus far our plans are incomplete but we have penciled in several stops. Initially, we will head for Jasper, GA where it is our intent to visit my cousin, Tug Tuggle, for several days. From there we will proceed to Lyman, SC where son Lee and family reside. They have a concrete pad and electric for the coach so it is always a convenient stop. With this setup it doesn’t feel like we are imposing as we have our own accommodations, and with the dogs along it keeps them out of the house.

Of course, our ultimate destination is our summer home in Penfield, NY. Whether we will go directly after Lyman or meander for a while is yet to be determined. SOP for us is to freeform our trips along the way. Seldom do we have a set agenda – just general destinations that we tick of as we get to them, or not. One option is Branson, MO. Neither of us has been there and it looks interesting, especially since there is a RV Park right in the heart of all the action.  At any rate we will follow our noses with a spirit of adventure and will just see where it takes us.