Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Hard to believe we've been here a month.  Expect the next two months will go by quickly, too.  We're fine and enjoying our time here.  State park is somewhat full with families this week.  We're told to expect over 200 rigs to check in on January 1st.  That's a pretty big count for a 500 site park.  Monday will be busy for the park!

In the meantime, we're hoping everyone out there is having a great Christmas and New Year's.  We know the weather isn't cooperating with a lot of folks plans, though.  Just be careful. 

Thanks for dropping in and checking on us. Until next year, David

Mid-month Update

New lodge going up at Gulf State Park, AL

Rosemary Dunes Trail

Happy B-Day Beth!

We've been gettin' out and about.  Folks-on-Spokes, Gulf Shores people have arrived, and they've gotten several bicycle rides in.  We've gone out to eat a few times and watched one movie (Wonder).  I've managed to catch a cold and starting to get over it.  We've had a few days below freezing (we only had a couple last season).  We've developed a couple of electrical issues on the way down from Indiana that need to be found and repaired

Middle Lake looking toward the park's Nature Center

before we leave or before the trailer goes dead on us like it did last January.  Normal stuff for a 7 year old trailer, I guess.  We're taking time to go through the trailer and throw out stuff (actually give away or donate) that we're not using.  Trying not to haul stuff we don't need in the trailer.

Canal between Lake Shelby and Middle Lake

Pictures are from around the park and mostly from the two new loop trails.  Otherwise, we're fine.  Christmas gettin' close.  Hope everyone has a safe and happy one!  I'll check back in another couple of weeks.  Thanks for dropping by! David

Gulf State Park, AL

Given the discussions we hear basically every minute from the media, I thought Scott Adams pretty much "Nailed it".

We've made it to Gulf State Park and settled in.  Park's campground isn't full though people are coming and going each day.  The two new path bridges - one going south of Middle Lake and one going south of Lake Shelby - have opened up new paths to bike and walk.  I think I put about 10 miles on the bicycle just riding the two new loops that were created.  The pedestrian bridge to the pier is completed though there's a ton of construction being done at the new lodge & convention center.  The pedestrian bridge to the beach pavilion is still under construction.  They're also constructing new sidewalks in Gulf Shores along Hwy 182.  So it appears as though you're constantly driving around construction to go anywhere.

Construction along Hwy 182 in Orange Beach is completed, and we can now clearly see what they were trying to accomplish.  It appears as though they were trying to minimize the number of people turning left from the middle lane in the most congested business areas.  The sarcastic among us would note that it also appears that in order to ensure people weren't doing u-turns at major intersections, they designed it so everyone has to do a u-turn.  Actually, there's a case to be made that's probably a safer way to move left-turning traffic.  I guess you'd have to be here during the busy season to see if it improved anything.

Anyway, we're here and doing well.  We'll post again in a couple of weeks with new pictures.  Thanks for dropping in and checking on us!  David

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from Donna and I!  We wish you the best Thanksgiving ever.  May your Thanksgiving be enjoyable and your travels, if any, safe.  Until next week, David

Cave City, KY

We're outside Mammoth Cave Nat'l Park for the weekend with plans to visit Bill & Debra before moving further south.  Since last week we've traveled to Lagrange, IN picking up the trailer and bicycles on Monday. 

We performed a quick PDI while at Cross RV.  Of note: Cross RV does a great job providing moral support during these things.  It's almost as if the trailer has to wake up.  The residential refrigerator gave us a fit.  Seems there's one sensor in the freezer that just doesn't want to work after a power outage.  As is typical with today's modern owners manual, the troubleshooting lacks a lot to be desired.  Paul does a quick search on you-tube to find out what to do.   A inquisitive, non-engineer had figured it out.  You have to keep performing a reset until the fridge wakes up.  Interestingly, there's no mention of a reset function in the owners manual.  We struggled with the satellite TV some, too, but we've had to work with it a lot in the past, so we knew what to do there.  In all, we got out of Cross RV by about 1 PM on Monday and began moving.

Since Monday we've made stops in Angola, IN (finish de-winterizing & restock); Edon, OH (new trailer tires); and Anderson, IN before arriving in Cave City, KY today.  We've never traveled in this part of the country in cold weather, so this is a new experience for us.  We're calling ahead to each planned stop to find out what utilities are available and plan accordingly.  Reservations aren't required as most people wouldn't think of taking their RV out in this kind of weather.  But since snowbirds are heading south, some RV parks do stay open.  Of those that are open, some are without water (bring your own).  Electric and sewer dumps are usually in service.

As for the trailer, it's repaired and seems to tow just fine.  Flex is gone.  We didn't gain any more clearance at the truck's tailgate.  Visually, it looks like it did at MOR/ryde back in the spring, so I guess we're level.  Ride's about the same, though I think the chucking is more muted.  Highways haven't improved, though! 

Anyway, that's it for this week.  Back on the road Sunday if all goes well.  Plans are to follow I-65 south until we turn off for Gulf Shores, AL (though we do plan to spend Thanksgiving week in Pelham, AL.)  Thanks for thinking of us and dropping in to check on us.  Until next week, David

Passapatanzy, VA

Scott Adams, October 4, 2013.

Actually, we're in Stafford County, Virginia imposing on Beth & Frank.  Mail address is Fredericksburg, VA.  "Smart" phone says Passapatanzy, VA.  Take your pick.  Your choice of which industry Scott Adams was ridiculing in the above Dilbert cartoon, too.  I can think of several.

We're here finishing up our last doc appointment and get one more visit in before we head back to Indiana to retrieve our trailer.   We're doing this exactly when we didn't want to:  freezing rain and snow flurries are predicted for northern Indiana until we get out of there.  We knew we'd be risking it, but extending our world-wind tour by a week pretty much ensured the freezing temps.  Consequently, we'll be de-winterizing the trailer in freezing temps.

There's also one last maintenance item as we plan to put new tires on the trailer as we head out.
This is a risky move as we have no assurance that Lippert Components, Inc (LCI) fixed the trailer's frame, correctly.  LCI has given us no indication of a warranty for its labor or materials.  Given LCI has never honored a warranted item for us in the past, that's probably just as well.  The people that oversaw the work are pretty good, so we're relying on them.  We know the trailer was towed about a 100 miles since the frame repair.  The driver didn't mention anything unusual, so we've got our fingers crossed.

Future planned stops are Cave City, KY and Pelham, AL before arriving in Gulf Shores, AL after Thanksgiving.  New this year, we've got two separate reservations for the same RV site in Gulf State Park.  Up until December 1st, we've got a daily reservation.  Starting December 1st, it's a monthly rate.  If we get lucky, maybe the Alabama state park bureaucracy won't make us move the trailer when we "check out" and "check-in" on December 1st.

So that's it for us.  Thanks, again, for dropping by and checking on us.  We appreciate it!  David

Stone Mountain, GA

After a nice visit with my Dad and everyone, we've moved on to Stone Mountain to visit Donna's brother and sister-in-law, Doug & Louise.  Everyone seems to be doing well here.  Unusual for us to be here without our trailer.  We're staying at the convention center for this visit.  Probably should have checked into renting one of the park's trailers, but too late now.  Consider that the next time this situation happens.

We're having nice weather for this visit.  Started out cool, but got warm and muggy a little bit today.  Plans are to move on to High Point, NC for the weekend before returning to Virginia for the rest of our doc appointments.  As always, that's the plan.

One update:  we won't be having our trailer painted this year.  Repairs to the frame just took too long and the painters couldn't fit the trailer in anytime soon.  We'll go retrieve it after our doc appointments and head south.  Again, that's just a plan. 

That's it for this week.  Thanks for dropping by and checking in on us.  Until next week.  David

Hoover, AL

Shades Creek Greenway

We're here celebrating my Dad's 90th birthday.  We got in late Monday evening and planned to stay the week before moving over near Stone Mountain, GA.  Had a good, long trip down.  We think Dad's had a great birthday.  My step sister gave a great birthday dinner for him.  He got some nice gifts, too.  He appreciates all the "Happy Birthdays" we past along, as well.

When not visiting we've been walking some of the bicycle/walking trails in the area.  We've walked the Hillsboro Heritage trail twice (near Helena) and the Shades Creek Greenway once (Near Samford University).  Both are nice - just not that long in length.

So that's it for this week.  Thanks for dropping by.  Later, David

F'burg VA Week 2

VCR entrance at Essex St

Just checking in.  We're fine.  Trailer's assembled and at Bremen, IN for painting.  Once we know when it's actually in preparation for paint, we can make some plans...that we'll have to probably change, too.

Pictures here are of the Virginia Central Railway (VCR) trail.  We've seen parts of it from the US 1 By-Pass in previous visits and had read comments about it on Facebook.  This week we decided to try to find it.  We started from the Old Mill Park and walked through town to the Battlefield Visitor Center.  From there we just started going down streets until we found it.  Turns out it runs southwest from Essex St along Lafayette Blvd in Fredericksburg, across the Blue and Gray Parkway, past Alum Springs Park, across the US 1 By-Pass, and past the Fredericksburg Christian School before ending.  It's slightly longer than 2.6 miles and follows the old railroad bed that runs from Fredericksburg toward Culpeper, VA.

So that was our great adventure this week.  Otherwise, Donna keeps visiting, still has doc appointments to keep, and we're hanging out waiting for our trailer to be finished.  Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us.    David

Fredericksburg, VA

We've decided to maintain as much of our plans as we can while our trailer is being repaired.  The picture to the right and the next one down show the extent of the cracks.  The bottom is of the replacement cross member that was completed Wednesday.  Apparently, Lippert did much more than just come out and look.  The front & bottom caps need to be reattached and may be done by tomorrow.  We're thinking it may go to paint early next week...or it may not.  Your guess as good as anyone else's.

In the mean time we're here visiting and getting some doc appointments out of the way.  We've canceled all reservations except our Dec 1st reservation at Gulf State Park.  Probably be late, but too early to give up on arriving on Dec 1st.  We're carrying our crock pot and both summer & winter wardrobes with us (two large totes from Wally World) and all my automotive cleaning gear.  Nothing starts a conversation like me washing & waxing our truck in a hotel parking lot without using a water hose.  Donna's crock pot recipes also gets us some nice notes from housekeeping on just how wonderful whatever-Donna's-making smells, too.

We're missing our trailer, but we know it needs to be repaired correctly.  We're thankful that a Lippert tech finally agreed with us that the trailer flexed too much and started to investigate.  I've always joked on the Suites Owners forum that we didn't need to worry

about the height of our trailer as it'd just see the low clearance and just bend down on it's own to get below the obstruction.  May have been more truth to that than I care to admit!  And then there's that one fleeting idea that keeps popping up:  will the trailer still be traveling level after the repair?  My guess is that we'll be a little nose high with more clearance over the tailgate of the truck.  But I've guessed wrong on that before, too.  We'll see.  Oh, and is this going to change our hitch and axle weights?  Inquisitive minds want to know!

One thing we've noticed: this adventure has given us a chance to use the truck as a car and take full advantage of all the bells and whistles currently available as automotive manufacturers begin to introduce electronics for autonomous driving.  Many of you are already use to having these new gadgets in your vehicles, but it's new to us.  You'd think we'd be using all this stuff while towing, but some of the electronics aren't available with the trailer attached (for example, blind spot warnings are automatically turn off when our trailer is attached).  And you're not suppose to use adaptive cruise control when you have a trailer attached.  (You set it for "normal" or what I call "traditional" cruise control.)  Also, the settings for the exhaust brake are different when traveling light vs. carrying a load in the pickup bed or towing a trailer.  We find there's less stress when you're not towing, too.  People do some real stupid things around people towing trailers.  OK, make that people do some real stupid things - period - but the consequences are significantly less without an additional 39 ft and 18,500 lbs behind you.  Let's just say Donna really, really likes her truck. 

So, we're in Fredericksburg for the time being.  We think we're fine.  Appreciate you stopping by and checking up on us.  It's all part of the adventure!  David

Stuck in Indiana

Modern Amish house

Sometimes you live the dream; sometimes you live the nightmare.  My best guess is that we're currently in the best outcome of what could have been a real nightmare.   Since 2011 I have complained on various forums and to DRV directly that our trailer flexes much, much more than it should.  Some six years later we find out why. 

Original plans were to be in Virginia at this time with our trailer setting back in Bremen, IN being repainted.  Reality is that we're stuck in Indiana with a trailer that's unsafe to move due to two major cracks in the front frame cross member that holds the hitch pin in place.  An issue with the frame welds was found while the hydraulic leak was being repaired.  When people went in to fix the welds, they found the cracked frame.  (Hydraulic leak fixed, by-the-way.)  As of now there's no plan in place on when or where it will be repaired (temporary fixes would be made to make it somewhat safe for travel if it were decided to move it for repairs). 

So we're stuck until Lippert decides what's the best way to proceed.  The trailer could be repaired tomorrow (um...sure), or next week.  Your guess is probably as good as anyone else's.  In the meantime, we're traveling from hotel to hotel - as rooms become available - waiting to be told what will be done & when.  Otherwise, we're fine, and the trailer's in a safe spot at Cross RV in Lagrange, IN under a very watchful eye.

So that's our week.  How's yours?  David

Shipshewana, IN

We back on our semi-annual visit to the Shipshewana area to have our trailer serviced.  Once again we're staying near Shipshewana as we shuttle the trailer from one service center to another as we move from one appointment to the next.  Unique this time is that we had planned to leave the trailer here for some painting.  Since it's planned to be here after the first of October, we've winterized it - just to be safe - and moved into a hotel.  We've only been out of the trailer for a few days, and we miss our trailer already!

After almost 7 years of bouncing down US highways, our trailer now needs more extensive repairs than we'd need on a normal servicing appointment.  Unfortunately, we've talked to other people here having their trailer serviced, and one couple had been living in a hotel for two and a half months getting a new trailer repaired.  It seems whether new or old, they all need to be repaired before you can use them.  I've joked with people over the years that an RV is a product that when new, you need to fix it before you can use it.  I've recently started joking with Donna that the RV Industry sells a dream and delivers a nightmare.  For some, it's apparently more factual than my joking would suggest.  At 7 years of age and around 75,000 miles on our trailer, we think ours earned it!  Our mantra this time has been fix it.  No band aids; no quick fixes until we can return.  Take your time, do it right the first time, and fix it correctly.

If all goes well, we'll drop the trailer off on its last appointment Monday and head down to Virginia on Tuesday.  Be there about three weeks.   As always, that's the plan!  Thanks for dropping by, David

Folks-on-Spokes Rally, Granite City, IL (St Louis, MO)

Nickel Trail

This week we've visited Granite City, IL (across the Mississippi from St Louis, MO) with the Folks-on-Spokes (Gulf Shores) rally.  Some 20+ couples are here.  Pictures here are from the various bicycle rides that the group has ridden plus a visit to the St Louis Zoo and a tour of Anheuser Busch.  It's been some warm rides this past week, but fun non-the-less.  Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Today is our last day with the rally though the rally continues through the weekend.  We head out tomorrow for Lagrange, IN to have the trailer

Chain-of-Rocks Bridge, Old Route 66

 serviced.  Plan to be in that area about a week before heading down to Fredericksburg, VA for about a three-week stay.

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy the pictures!  David

St Louis Zoo

St Louis Zoo

Anheuser Busch Clock Tower

The Arch @ St Louis, MO

Lincoln's New Salem

Cooper Shop - only original building in New Salem

We rode some of the local bicycle trails near Springfield, but did some sightseeing, too.  We'd visited Springfield in 2005, so we wanted to visit places we didn't see at that time.  One of the places we got to on this stop was Lincoln's New Salem.

Lincoln's New Salem State Park is a reconstruction of the New Salem where Lincoln lived from just after leaving his parents until he became

involved in politics.  All buildings are built on the original foundations.  Only one building is original.  There's also a museum that covers the period and explains the town.  A picnic/playground and campground exists in the state park.  Well worth taking a day to see.  The park is free and donations are taken.

In other news, we moved a little further south today down to Granite City, IL for the Folks-on-Spokes (Gulf Shores) bicycle rally.  Looking forward to see everyone.  We'll be here about a week before returning to Indiana to have the trailer serviced.

Most of the family and friends who live in Florida survived Hurricane Irma. All

but one family have returned. Damage is being assessed.  Hopefully, it's not too long before things can return to normal for them.

So things seem to be going well.  Thanks for stopping in and checking in on us!  Until next week, David

Land of Lincoln (Springfield, IL)

Lincoln Home

Abe's gift to Mary

Actually, we're a little further south at Chatham, IL - just off Historic Route 66 (1940-1977).   We haven't passed this way since we returned from Colorado Springs, CO back in 2005.  At that time, the Lincoln Museum had just completed a large renovation, and I wanted to see that.

This time we're here making our way

Parlor

to Granite City, IL for a Folks-on-Spokes - Gulf Shores rally later in the month.  

We got here, yesterday, and only got out to get our mail & and an early dinner.  Today we rode into town to find a visitor center for Springfield.  Our GPS says we've gone by one, but we can't find it.  We ended up driving by the Lincoln Home Historical Site and decided to stop there.  Took the tour - about an hour - and walked some of the downtown area.

Pictures here are of that tour and walking some of the area of the four-block, historical site.  If you decide to visit, the tour is free.  You just have to pay for parking.  Parking is half price with a Natl Park's Pass.

We've also walked some of the Lincoln Memorial Gardens.  It a nice walk - we visited it back in 2005.  You're walking in woods where the trees and other plants are what would have been here when the Lincolns lived in Springfield.  It's a reclaimed farmland that was set aside as a "garden" when Lake Springfield was formed.  It's not an arboretum.  You're walking in woods.  If you've got the time, it's worth the short drive for a visit.

There's still more to see here plus a couple of of bicycle trails to check out.  Gotta stay in shape for that FOS rally!  Hope your Labor Day weekend was great.  If you're in the IRMA path, stay safe!  Thanks for dropping by & checking up on us.  Later, David

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!  Nope, we're not back at Custer, SD (as the picture would suggest).  We have moved a little south back to Deforest, WI for the holiday weekend. Northeast WI campgrounds full for this weekend, so we needed to move.  We've had a laid back weekend.  No bicycle riding, but some walking.  Been people watching over the weekend.  Surprising number of people traveling as rigs were coming and going each day.  As we're experienced in previous long, holiday weekends, I expect this place to be almost empty by this afternoon - just as it was when we arrived.

If all goes well, we'll begin traveling south tomorrow to meet up with the Folks-On-Spokes (Gulf Shores) for the bicycle rally near St Louis, MO.  Hope your Labor Day was enjoyable.  Thanks for dropping by!  Later, David

Two Rivers, WI

Fishing Museum, Two Rivers, WI

 After a nice weekend and another bicycle ride around Fitchburg, WI, we traveled Monday to Two Rivers, WI.
This is the first time for us to visit this part of Wisconsin and to be on the western shoreline of Lake Michigan.  As we'd been told, not as sandy as it is in Michigan.  Still pretty, though.

We got off to a fast start on Tuesday by walking to the post office in town.  Just by chance we walked by the Washington House which was a hotel, bar, dinning, and entertainment center built in the middle 1800s to serve visitors traveling Lake Michigan and the fishing industry.  Now the place is a visitor's center, museum, and ice cream parlor.  And as you can tell, they claim that this town is home of the original ice cream sundae.  You'll have to make your own determination if that's true or not.  And there are two rivers here - East Twin River and West Twin River.

Two Rivers Beach area

On Wednesday we drove a couple of hours north past Sturgeon Bay to Peninsula State Park.  Excellent place to visit!  Well worth your time to go out of your way to see.  It has several campgrounds, many trails and a good unpaved bicycle trail.  It consists of bluffs that overlook Green Bay.  If you're in a good spot, you can see Michigan UP in the distance. Otherwise, you see

Two Rivers, WI

the islands in Green Bay.  Not sure what they're called.  One map lists them as Green Bay Islands.  Another map listed them as Strawberry Islands.  A couple have structures built on them.  One of the most popular of the islands is Horseshoe Island as it has a beautiful bay that protects boats from the prevailing winds.

We went to the park to hike the Eagle

Eagle Lighthouse, Peninsula State Park, WI

Terrace Trail, but found it too steep and narrow for our taste.  We decided to walk the Sunset Trail.  That's the bicycle trail through the park.  It took us by the Eagle Lighthouse, several areas along the lake shore, north woodlands that give you that Christmas smell, the nature center, and Nicolet Bay & Beach.

Today, we drove to Green Bay and rode our bicycles along the East River Trail.  We went to lunch a Kroll's West just across the street from Lambeau Field.  After lunch we walked the Fox River Trail.  The Fox River is the longest of the bicycle trails in the Green Bay area and is a nice path, but we didn't find that trail to be very scenic as the riverbanks of the Fox River are generally industrial areas.  Looks like a good ride, though.

Nicolet Harbor and Horseshoe Island

That's been our week.  The campground we're in is located on an unpaved bicycle trail that travels north to a local national forest area and beaches.  Go south and it links up to a paved trail that travels down to Manitowoc, WI.  That's our planned trip for tomorrow.

Sunset Trail

We're here through the weekend.  Plans are to return to DeForest Monday and stay through Labor Day.  We head south to Illinois after that for a planned Folks-on-Spokes Gulf Shores rally near St Louis, MO.  As always, that's the plan!

So that wraps up this week.  Thanks for stopping by and checking up on us.  Hope you had a good view of the eclipse.  (We had clouds and got cool.)

Sunset Trail

Until next week, David


P.S.  Lots of pictures this week.  Hope you enjoy them!

View from Sunset Trail

Green Bay Islands