In With the New, or is it?

 Well, you probably had an idea we were going to do it, and we did:

A 2020 Winnebago Voyage 3235RL. We did an exhaustive search for a replacement for the Forest River. We began the search the Monday after returning from the scuttled first attempt to the road trip. The search took us to Camping World, RV One Superstore, and Optimum RV in Ocala. 

  Inventory was very limited due to production pauses caused by the pandemic and an increased demand by consumers. We had to create a priority list of our needs and wishes, i.e. roomy bathroom and living area; space for the cat's litter box; power jacks; outdoor kitchen; booth style dinette,  and so on. We soon realized that some of our check boxes were not going to get checked. Eventually the Winnebago won out over the Forest River Flagstaff and a Forest River Vibe. 

As you can see the Flagstaff had a great outdoor space and two entry doors but the bathroom was tight and kitchen tighter. 

  So after first visiting Camping World we eventually circled back to take another look at three trailers there finally choosing the Winnebago because of the great space inside and the quality construction. We did our walkthrough on Monday and took it home.

But wait, there was a shopping cart with our name on it to load up.

Which is exactly what we did!

  After four days of loading and preparation we were ready to to resume our trip. Now I had already cancelled all of our previous reservations and it was not easy stringing together campsites using my normal strategy of using my Thousand Trails membership to work my way north. I needed two days of dedicated computer time to put it all together. Our first stop would be Bulow Plantation RV Resort at Flagler Beach. No longer would I drive five or more hours if I could help it; there is too much traffic and a five hour trip can easily become an all day affair causing late arrivals at the campground.

We finally get to relax and raise a toast to the new trailer.

Of course as we all know everything does not come off without a hitch. My first issue was discovered immediately as I set up. As I pressed the buttons to deploy the electric stabilizer jacks I noticed the right rear one was not deploying. I had to crank it manually. No big deal right?

  As with anything new or different there is an acclimation period along with a learning curve. Our new refrigerator is more advanced than the old one with a digital temperature read out on the outside. I noticed the temp rising and after 24 hours it was up to 51 degrees. Not a good sign. Luckily we had purchased the platinum extended service plan and that included 24/7 phone support from a technician specializing in any system related to the trailer. After our call the tech determined the heating elements were bad and we would have to run solely off the propane. Hopefully this would work until we figured out what to do. 

  Next issue: this photo is the under side of the second slide out which holds the refrigerator and stove.

As one can easily see, the floor has gotten wet and the wood has expanded thus causing the protective material to get ripped away when the slide is extended. 

THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING, CAN IT?

  This is eerily familiar to the problem in the old trailer. At this point we are in South Carolina and I know there are several Camping Worlds on our route going north. The hard part will be getting an appointment. I am totally dejected by this latest discovery. As I call two different Camping Worlds I realize we will have to live with this for weeks. No one can get us in. 

  I then get an idea. We were planning on staying at Doreen's mothers anyway so I can drop the trailer off at the nearest Camping World to get the work done and when it is ready for pickup we can resume the road trip. The earliest appointment I could obtain was for August 20. Leave Lancaster, drop off the trailer, and head for Jessup. 

  In the mean time we will try to relax and have some fun. We leave Bulow Plantation for Lenoir, North Carolina, Green Mountain Park in the western area of the state.

A very nice campground nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. 

 Lenoir is a small city with a no too vibrant downtown.

Of course there is the obligatory Confederate monument on display. 

We wanted to have a cold drink and a bite to eat but all the establishments in the area were not open until 4 PM so we walked around and checked out the antique store.

Finally, 4PM, off to the Side Street Pour House and Grill.

  Next stop was Pipestem Resort State Park in West Virginia.

  Pipestem, an abundant local plant also known as a meadowsweet plant, was used by Native Americans and early pioneers to make the shafts for their pipes. An array of activities are available in the park including two golf courses, a zipline course, archery, riding stables, hiking paths, restaurants, a lodge and cabins and great views of the Bluestone River Gorge.

The above photo was taken on our way to an urgent care center in the closest town, Hinton. Doreen was having an ear ache with dizziness. The doctor prescribed some antibiotics and we were on our way.

  Four days later and back on the road. Next stop was Creekside Campground in Edinburg, Virginia.

  Creekside was just a last stop before Pennsylvania and we didn't have any plans for any activities. Which happened to work out because Doreen was having some gastro-intestinal problems and had to go to the ER. We drove to the nearest hospital in Woodstock, VA.

   Nothing like a seven hour emergency room visit. Blood work and a CAT scan showed a bad case of diverticulitis. They pumped her full of two different intravenous antibiotics and wrote her two prescriptions. If you are keeping track, this visit makes it 4 states in which we have been to emergency rooms or urgent cares over the course of our travels; Wisconsin, California, West Virginia, and now Virginia.

  

 

  

  

Out With The Old/ In With The New? Pt.1

   As the scourge of the Corona virus has lessened and sixty percent of America is vaccinated, the time has come for another summer road trip. Like trips of previous years the planning commenced in the spring with campground reservations and route plotting. Everything was falling into place and a departure date of July 5 was decided upon. I picked up the Forest River from the storage yard and started prepping her for the voyage.

Of course cleaning the unit and loading it are the most time consuming tasks. As you can see by the photo below it gets quite moldy.

We took a break from the trailer on the 4'th long enough to enjoy a little holiday party at the pool.

That's yours truly in the middle on the maracas. 

Cheers to "Proud To Be An American"

  After four days of preparation we were on our way north on July 5 as planned. Being that the holiday was Sunday I knew traffic would be heavy on Monday and sure enough we didn't arrive at our first stop until nearly 7:30 that evening. A 375 mile trip took seven and-half hours. The stop was just a one nighter, easy off-easy on at exit 33 of I-95. The same stretch of road where I got a blown tire the last time we were here.  Luckily we made it without incident and we would be on our way by 11 the next morning so no need to set up camp. Just a quick microwave meal and a few brews and that's it. 

  Our next stop was Lake Gaston in Littleton, NC. A drive of 346 miles that should have us arriving by 4 or 5 PM depending on how many pitstops I would have to make. Alas the notoriously bad section of I-95 would strike again:

A mere 60 miles from my last blowout! About 2 hours and $325 later we were on our way. I paid out of pocket because I had three insurance claims that were finally off my record. 

  We soldiered on and got to the campsite fairly late just before nightfall and once again had no time to really relax or set up. We would set up the next day. We arose Wednesday morning and started our routine: Doreen setting up the bathroom and me the rest. First thing to do is to unfold and raise the dining room table. On the left in this photo.

 

  As I raised the table I noticed an area of the carpet near the wall was white. At first I thought a can of soda had exploded as they were stored under the seat. I raised the seat and removed all the contents only to see more areas of white and an area of black. It was MOLD. The carpet was wet the width of the seat to the vinyl floor. After vigorous cleaning and scrubbing I could still smell a musty odor. I had to remove the carpet under the seat. to see how bad the situation was. If the floor under the carpet was okay I could just replace the carpeting. I cut away with a utility knife and did not like what I saw. Mold had permeated the wood.

  I had wondered why I was suffering from a headache for two days. Now I knew why. There was no way to know how far the mold had grown without removing more of the carpet and vinyl. The area of floor to the front and left of this photo was already soft from the water heater leak and eventual catastrophic collapse a few years ago. But this seemed to caused by an external water source since there was no water in the water heater compartment. 

  Doreen saw this and emphatically stated she was not going to sleep in this thing and that she want to leave immediately for home. I had to reason with her that we were 710 miles from home and we couldn't leave at noon and drive straight through. I said let's discuss our options. We had a wedding to attend in PA and we were closer to there than home. Could we get in somewhere to get repairs? Not likely since most places are three weeks out for an appointment. What would we do in that span? 

  Eventually we decided to spend one more night in the trailer and drive back to Florida Thursday morning stopping overnight twice at hotels. Now I have to find places that have handicap accessible rooms; are pet friendly (don't forget the cat!) and have RV parking.

  After some research I found two hotels along the way that met our needs and made reservations. We would be home by Saturday July 10. We needed to get out for awhile so we went out for drinks and a bite to eat at The Pointe at Lake Gaston.

I had the lobster tacos. Very good.

Boaters can dock and come in to dine.

The biggest forklift I have ever seen.

  I drank copious amounts of the local IPA and we had plenty of discussion about our future plans. I think at that moment we decided we were done RV'ing; it was too much to take on; the flat tires seemingly every trip; the constant maintenance issues; the long drives; myself having to perform almost every task associated with RV'ing. We would return home and figure out what to do with the trailer.

  If the mold were the only issue we might have decided that was repairable and continue traveling. However we were not sure how water was infiltrating the coach. Was it internal? Not sure, I couldn't detect anything leaking inside. Was it coming in through the slideout? Possibly because we drove through Elsa and the same section of carpet was wet again.  

  Additional issues were the second slideout which always needed a helping push when being pulled in and the front cap where the stone guard curls under the bottom and attaches to a wood cross beam. I had an issue with this while on our trip to the Grand Canyon you may recall.

These screws that I put in back then have all separated from the rotted piece of wood that held them in place. I think it would be a major repair to replace the wood. 

  After all these considerations we probably better off getting rid of the Forest River. She is a well decorated veteran of the road that served us well through 44 states over 8 years and at least 10,000 miles.

We got back to Cypress Lakes Saturday afternoon and proceeded to unload everything I had just loaded a week prior. What a nuisance! Not being 100% sure what the coming days would hold our house became a loading zone with items piled up in the living room, kitchen, lanai, and shed. 

So it is time say farewell to the Forest River Surveyor Sport SP-285. 

But when one door closes another one opens.

Stay Tuned!

A Lost Summer & Pandemic Pause

  Thanks to the corona virus pandemic, a summer road trip did not happen to be in 2020. I had already started to write this post a year ago but the desire wasn't there to finish it, so I will catch everyone up since the pandemic seems to coming to a conclusion in 2021.

 First we moved to a different house in February of last year. We have a nice golf course view with abundant wildlife and no neighbors behind us. 

My view of the #8 hole of the North Course:

The view from the tee box: A narrow opening to the fairway of the 285 yard par 4.

 I love the huge driveway and carport:

  There is enough space to park my trailer entirely in the driveway to prepare for trips.

  Here in Florida we got in some fun times before lockdown and even after. We were still playing golf, albeit each golfer must ride alone; no gatherings of more than 10; and of course social distancing. Our restaurant and bar had been closed except for takeout service so we all gathered under one of the large shade trees near the 18'th hole and clubhouse to divvy up our winnings (or losses in my case!). Bring your own cooler of beverages or go to the takeout window to get a pitcher of beer.

  

  Before lockdown:

Cypress Classic in March (member-guest tournament):

Bloody Mary Open on New Years Day:

 British-American Ryder Cup in October:

After lockdown:

Empty shelves at the grocery store: (except for $5/doz organic eggs)

I don't know if the gators know about social distancing:

Social distance golf cart style:

  A friend  suggested I blog about the simpler times of not long ago and it got me thinking about many good times.

A recent camping trip not too long ago with new friends: 

 A good bye party some years ago with old friends for a departing co-worker :

 At a wedding of a co-worker:

The championship bowling team:

Our annual New Year's Eve Party:

Our annual golf outing from work:

2013 U.S. Open at Merion:

The throngs following Tiger- for a practice round!:

And those dearest and oldest of friends:

Family:

As I look at some of these photos I realized we have lost many friends and family to the corona virus but that we also loose loved ones anyway.

Grandmothers:                                                         

Parents:                                                                

Aunts&Uncles:

And of course our friends:

IN MEMORIUM:

T.C >2019

Maggie>2017

Steve>2018

They were some very close friends that are no longer in my life. I also lost my cousin Bill who lived in Cleveland and Doreen's cousin's husband Tom who we always enjoyed visiting with when they came to Florida every winter.

  Now let's move on with happier thoughts and lgihter moments. As I stated earlier I started writing this post a year ago and put it on pause because there was really nothing to blog about. But we did make one camping trip locally to Crystal River on the Gulf coast.

This was in June of last year and it felt good to get away for a few days.

With the exception of this one trip and playing golf there was not a whole lot going on in 2020 so I took a part time job working here in Cypress Lakes.

Two nights a week to stay occupied and make some beer money.

Finally things are returning to normal thanks to the vaccine. 

                             

The bar and restaurant are open again:

Family from PA on vacation in Orlando:

 Lastly I am pleased to say that we will be hitting the road this year starting July 5 for a trip to Pennsylvania. We will likely spend a week at the Jersey shore and a week near Pittsburgh with extended stops upstate and thereabouts. So stay tuned and lets all have a great summer in 2021.