On The Road Again - Westward Ho!

"Goin' place that I've never been,

Seein' things that I may never see again,

I can't wait to be on the road again. (Willie Nelson)

We are now back on the road again and heading to Wyoming for the spring, summer, and fall.  Over 1900 miles are ahead of us and we have to travel quicker than usual in order to arrive in time.  

Our resident volunteer friends at Ding Darling held a nice going away dinner for us at Grandma Dot's.  We will miss them very much and plan on keeping in touch.

We use Microsoft's Streets and Trips to help plan our route.  It's SO helpful.  In the route planner you can enter where you want to start and end.  Then you add start and stop time for each day, how often you want to stop for a rest/meals, mileage per gallon and it then shows you on your route where an estimated stopping point is for each day, mileage, and total cost for fuel for the trip.  I use these breaking points to help find nearby places to camp.  

Here is an outline of our trip and stops.  

What I really like is the ability to import pin sets for all types of options.  For instance, you can drop in a pin set which shows you where the nearby Passport America discount campgrounds are located.  Or, I can drop in Elks Lodges which offer camp sites at their lodge.  Some of the other options are Military Campgrounds, Walmarts, Escapee Parks, Casino's with RV parks. Flying J's, and all kinds of restaurants. The software comes with many campgrounds and National Parks already built in but the additional pin sets are easy to add on and so helpful.  

Here is an example of Passport America campgrounds near one of our stopping points.  You just pick one of the locations and  the software puts your route together.  It has helped us find so many great campgrounds.  I have found campground guidebooks to not be very helpful because they are organized by a city.  It's very hard to know the exact city where you want to stop and many great campgrounds might be nearby with a different city address.

I use Streets and Trips for planning only.  You can also buy it with GPS navigation, but I find the navigation with my Smartphone and paper maps are a better option.  

I keep a map of our route each year with all the campgrounds.  It's a great reference for finding a campground you really liked in the past.  There is a bit of learning curve involved with this program and I found Geeks on Tour tutorials to be very helpful.  Geeks on Tour offer quick 5-7 minute how to videos which walk you through how to use this program and add additional pin sets.  If you don't know about Geeks on Tour, be sure to click this link.  I have learned so much from them and it keeps me up to date on blogging, Picasa, cell phones, and technology of all kinds.  

Another great tool I use for planning and finding campgrounds is Allstays.  It's an app on my IPad and its has filters which help you find your favorite type of campground. We tend to like state parks, county parks, and Corp of Engineer Parks. How about you?  

Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway

We're the best of friends,

Insisting that the world keep turning our way.

Our first stop after leaving Sanibel was to have some RV repair done.  Our lock to our door was not working properly and was getting harder and harder to open.  John had looked at the mechanism and decided it was above his pay grade.  A mobile RV repair person recommended Alliance RV repair in Wildwood Florida.  They have a free campground in the back if you are having repairs completed.  They quickly diagnosed the problem and replaced the lock and cable.  We were very impressed with them and would stop there again if needed.  

This facility is outside a very famous retirement community called the Villages.  We drove through parts of it while we were waiting on our repairs.There is housing of all types and price range and it even has it's own zip code.  Golf carts were zipping around everywhere. and some of these were pretty amazing.  There were some beautiful golf courses and homes.  

Alliance RV Repair

Our next stop was in Ocala at the Cummins South facility.  We stop here every year to have routine maintenance for our diesel engine.  They also have a free campground in the back.  We met Leonard and Sondra who are considering the full timing lifestyle.  They had lots of questions and the time flew by quickly as we waited for our service to be completed. We wish them success in selling their home this year and getting on the road soon.  

Getting ready to leave Ocala

Georgia was our next stop.  Spring was in full tilt and the flowering dogwoods were lovely.  We stayed at a military campground called Navy Lake Site in Allatoona.  It was NOT big rig friendly.   I had read the reviews and website and John had talked to the staff.  No one mentioned how difficult it would be to stay here in a big rig.  The roads were very steep, windy, and there were lots of over hanging limbs.  John is a great driver but he found it very stressful.  The site we were assigned was basically along a steep hill and impossible to level. We did not extend our slides.  We arrived after the office was closed, however, there did not appear to be an alternate site which would have worked  It was a very pretty campground but not for rigs our size.  At least we were only there for one night.  Our usual length of stay is at least a week.  

Our site at Navy Lake

The next two nights were spent at Passport America campgrounds.  Do you use them?  We have found them to be great when you need a quick over night stay.  The price is reasonable (usually around $15-20/night) and the campgrounds are usually a nice place to stay.  

Little Grassy Lake Campground was located near Carbondale Illinois in the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge.  It was very nice and the campground host was so friendly after a long day of driving through four states.  We would have liked to have stayed longer due to great kayaking opportunities.  

Little Grassy Lake

Missouri was our next state and we stayed at Lake Paradise Resort in Lone Jack. It is a large campground with five lakes and the largest pool in Missouri.  It was pretty much empty this time of year but it looked very nice and well kept.  Our pull through site along one of the lakes was very pleasant.

We are making good time and on average have been driving about 400 miles a day.  We try to always be in a campground by 4pm.  Driving into a unknown campground at night is not a good idea.

So check back soon as we continue to travel  down the highway.  Thanks for stopping by.

and our way is on the road again!"

Celebrating Our Second Anniversary As Full Timers

 

Port Charlotte, FL (78 degrees, sunny with clear skies)

Today we celebrate our second anniversary as full timers. It's humbling to look back over the past two years and review some of the amazing things we have seen and done. We are very blessed and continue to enjoy this lifestyle. Although this may not be for everyone, it is perfect for us. 

 

We started our second year in White Sands National Monument in Alamogordo, New Mexico and are currently in Port Charlotte, Florida.  Here is a map of our different stops along the way.   

This year we have

• Traveled 7076 miles in the motorhome
• Explored many more miles in the jeep
• Spent at least one night in 15 States
• Managed a sport memorabilia kiosk in Port Charlotte, Florida
• Worked for a KOA in Watkins Glen, New York
• Volunteered at White Sands National Monument
• Participated in one NOMADS project in Tucson Arizona
• Attended two rally’s (FMCA Indio, CA & Gypsy Journal Rally Yuma, AZ)
• Marveled at many beautiful waterfalls, sunsets, sunrises, and star filled skies
• Paddled several rivers and lakes in our kayak
  
• Took the motorcoach and jeep on a ferry ride
  
• Made many new friends
  
• Treasured several visits from family and friends
  
• Plus so much more.  Here are a few of the highlights

White Sands National Monument was a magical place.  We even had the whole place to ourselves with several volunteers when the main road closed due to a snow storm. 

 

The deserts in Arizona and California were so beautiful and we were awed by the spectacular sunsets. 

 

 

 

We had a lot of fun locating creasted cactus, a unusual and rare phenomenon which some cactus form.

One morning we woke up to a sudden snowfall in Sedona Arizona.  The 17 inch snowfall dusted the spectacular red rocks and for a few hours before it melted we experienced a very rare event. One photographer next to me said “it’s moments like this when you really know there is a God”. 

 

 

Before

After



We spent five months workamping at Watkins Glen KOA in New York.  The Finger Lakes are very pretty and the extended stay allowed us a chance to really experience New York.  We saw lots of waterfalls

The very small….

To the humongous Niagara Falls

Touring some wineries in the Finger Lakes was very interesting.  I learned a lot about wine from the wine tastings over the summer and have a new appreciation. 







A visit to NYC was a highlight and we especially enjoyed being able to see John’s sister, Martha, perform a lovely concert. 

 

We enjoyed moose hunting and celebrating Martha’s birthday in Vermont.  The cousins were all together and it was so much fun.  

 

 

 

On our way to Florida we even took the motorcoach and our jeep on two ferry rides to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  

 

 

 

A new roof was put on our motorhome in Indiana and we added a comfy new sofa bed.  Plus in Delaware the motorhome got six new shoes (tires). My brother helped us also improve our sound system for the TV and we installed a new radio.  The IPOD capability sure has been fun to use as we travel down the road. 

 

 

We are now in Florida and and will soon be starting a  fun filled trip with our friends JC and Bev for three months all around Florida. Life is good.   We remain very grateful that we can travel and enjoy this lifestyle.  It’s been another great trip around the sun. 

 

There Is No Place Like Home

Indianapolis, IN (68 degrees, clear skies)

With a few click of her heals, Dorothy was transported back to Kansas.  It took Big Bear (our motorhome) a little longer to accomplish but we have arrived back in Indianapolis, our  home town, safe and sound.  There really is no place like home. 

We will be here for three weeks visiting friends and family.  In addition, we also will be seeing all our doctors for annual check ups. 

Some renovations have been planned for our motorhome.  We have an appointment next week at Master Tech RV in Elkart Indiana.  Our fiberglass roof needs to be replaced due to some leaking.  We also are planning on having a ceiling fan installed in the bedroom and a new sofa. Master Tech replaced our carpeting with a type of tile two years ago.  They are specialists in renovations and we have been very pleased with their workmanship and service in the past. 

 

Our route from Sante Fe to Indianapolis included a stop in Amarillo Texas.  We stayed at a Passport America campground called AOK.  Amarillo is not very scenic and this campground was a basic, no frills sort of place.  The rate was $11 for full hooks and was reasonable for a quick over night stay.  This part of Texas is very bleak and flat.  I thought at times we were in the middle of the Grapes of Wrath movie.

 

  

AOK Campground (Passport America)

The next morning we left early and had only traveled a few miles when our tire monitoring system alarmed.  John pulled over and found out that our right front tire on the jeep was shredded.  We had no indication that anything was wrong.  None of the passing traffic had noticed it either due to the tire being on the inside.  Our tire monitoring system was our only indication.  It could have easily caught on fire or bent the rim in no time.  We have monitors on all our tires including a toad. We'd highly recommend some type of system for all RVers.  There are many types on the market.  They are a bit of a hassle to set up and maintain but we would not travel without them.   

 

John was able to quickly change the tire and we were on our way.  A State Trooper stopped and he also was impressed with the monitoring system.  He said that he's seen some terrible damage to motorhomes due to the driver not being aware of a flat tire. 

Our stop for the night was Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. It is a popular famcamp and many of the sites look over a fishing pond. It was $19 a night for a full hook up site. The laundry on site was spotless and only 50 cents a load for the washer or dryer. It is very well maintained, but not very peaceful. One morning we woke up to three riding lawnmowers and four other folks weed eating this small campground. It was nuts! 

Speaking of grass...Jimmy was so happy to see the green stuff again.  He rolled and rolled in the grass.  The desert was rough on him with all the sticky "goat heads" and cactus.  He is a happy dude!



Tinker AFB Famcamp (fishing pond)



Tinker AFB (our site)

Our next stop was at another Passport America campground called Laura Inglis Wilder RV Park in Mansfield Missouri.  We stayed for three nights ($36 total, 30 amp) and they honored the rate for the entire stay.  The park is not very well maintained and the grass was high.  It is currently for sale and would need a lot of work to get it back in shape. 

We stayed here so that we could visit John's Air Force buddy.  They were stationed in Alabama when they were 18 years old and have remained friends.  Tim's wife had recently died and we wanted to spend some time with him and his daughter. It was a nice visit and we enjoyed being out at their home in the country.  Sara and I had fun shopping at a local mall.  She loves escalators!

Tim and Sara

Laura Inglis Wilder Campground

Our last stop before arriving in Indianapolis was in St. Louis Missouri.  We stayed at Elks Lodge in O'Fallon.  They have two sites with electric only and it was near our friends Chet and Chris.  They ask for a donation to the lodge instead of a nightly rate.   Chris and I worked together at St. Vincent Carmel Hospital.  They have lived in St. Louis for several years now and love the city.  We decided to visit the St. Louis Zoo for the day.  What a great zoo and the admission was free.  It was fun to wander around and see all the animals.  Spring had sprung and all the blooming flowers and trees were so beautiful. 

 

 

We saw the new baby elephant name Kenzi that weighted 300 pounds at birth. She is a cutie.  

New baby elephant-Kenzi

There is an Insectarium exhibit full of bugs.  We especially liked the butterfly wing. 

 

 

Baby giraffe

There is lots to see at this zoo.  Be sure to have good walking shoes.  The weather was perfect.  Afterwards to went the Jewel Box, a beautiful green house in Forest Park.  Unfortunately we were not able to go in due to a wedding.  Oh, well, I guess we'll just have to come back for another visit. 

Jewel Box

Chris and Chet

We are now in Indianapolis staying the KOA in Greenfield (suburb of Indy).  This is where we first workamped two years ago.  As we drove up we were so happy to find Gay and Danny had arrived. They are working here again this year and have been our workamping mentors. We also met Wayne, a new workamper this season.  He has been doing a great job getting the place ready.  The owner greeted us warmly and we all got together for dinner and campfire the next night.  It sure is great to be home. 

Our