Our campout was a great end to a great summer!

September 19 -  We had a club breakfast this morning.  As usual, too much food but the leftovers will be for Sunday breakfast.  Afterwards Bill and I started getting things packed up for unloading of the RV at home.  Dinner was EARLY, 4:00.  We relaxed and read as it was rainy out today and got showered and met the group for dinner.

Our friends Linda and Fred from Brooksville finally arrived just in time to play Nickel BINGO.  We didn’t win but Linda loved the game.  She wants to show it to her ladies group.

September 20 – Another group breakfast.  I put my caramel rolls together last night not knowing how it would do in the Convection oven.  I tried using the recommendation in the book and it didn’t seem to be hot enough to make the caramel so I changed it to the recipe temp and just picked a time to bake.  I had to add more baking time but they turned out good.  I also donated the scrapple I brought back from PA for Tom to fry.  It was very good and I enjoyed it for sure.

We sat out on the front porch with Linda and Fred for a long time and several other members stopped to chat and meet them.  We hope they will join our club so we can see each other a lot more often.  As it started drizzling again we all headed back to our RV’s.  We invited them over at 4 for drinks before our group pot luck at 5.  I put together my Asian salad for dinner and when Fred and Linda arrived just she and I had drinks.  Dinner was good, pulled pork and lots and lots of side dishes to top it off.  Everyone was stuffed!

We all met back later for a final game night.  Some of the BINGO players opted for cards tonight but we still had a table of 10.  Linda won 3 games in a row!  Lucky duck!  We said our good byes to them tonight as they planned to get an early start home to host a big last minute family picnic tomorrow.

September 21 – We were up extra early to get the RV totally ready and the car hooked up so once breakfast good-byes were over we could get on the road.  Bill did not want to be late leaving and deal with lovebugs.  We managed to leave about 9:15 and got home at 10:30.  It was a long day unloading and sorting mail and putting things away.  It’s always a sad day.  We love seeing our family and being “home” but it means the end of another adventure and the wait to get on the road again!

PS – The washer at home was broken when we got home and on the drive from home to storage the odometer no longer worked!  It just never ends!

We made it back to Florida!

September 18 - We left before 9 and pulled into Paradise Oaks Rv Park in Bushnell at noon.  I thought we’d be one of the early arrivals but most of the group left home early to beat the lovebugs.  Our front was covered pretty much so as soon as we got parked Bill went to work on bug removal while I cleaned inside.  The floors have been a mess for 4 days and I cleaned them and put our rug back out with our little coffee table.  Several of the club members didn’t get to see it in May so want to make it look its best!

I had to make something for Happy Hour at 4 and we didn’t have much on hand but cheese and apples.  I thought about a fruit and cheese platter but decided to make a big Waldorf Salad and that was big hit.  Not a bite left and several asked if I made it and told me how good it was.  I make it a lot for Bill and I.  My mom used to make it and I’ve always loved it.  Brings back some of those warm and fuzzy moments.  She’d peel all but 1 apple to give it color.  I like to use a granny smith and a red delicious or gala but I always leave the peels on and instead of raisins I use craisins.  Yum!  There wasn’t a fancy a spread for Happy Hour as usual but no one starved.

Nothing happening until 7 so Bill visited with the guys and I went to the grocery.  I made a list of the meals I needed to plan for this weekend and a few things I wanted to have once we get home.  Winn Dixie is in the next plaza down so I did my shopping there.

We went for Nickel BINGO at 7 and it was so much fun.  There were 15 of us playing and we only got in 3 games.  Of course Bill and I didn’t win but it’s still fun.  I made blueberry muffins with some of our CT berries for breakfast tomorrow and then caught up on the blog.

Driving through Georgia

September 17 – We’re over halfway home!  Good thing we got that AC working as we certainly needed it last night.  Welcome back to the Sunny South!

JP and Bill

Bill’s friend, JP lives near Cordele, GA and the plan was to call him a few minutes before reaching the exit for his town.  As the time approached we decided it would work out to be our lunch stop so we found there was a Pilot Truck stop at the exit.  We filled up the RV and then parked out back where lucky for us they had a row of pull thru spots.  Sometimes there are only back in spaces and we can’t do that with the car in tow.  I started getting our lunch out and Bill called JP and he was there in less than 5 minutes.  The school where he teaches is literally just up the road.  He visited with us as we ate and then since we didn’t have far to go to our stop for the night, he took Bill to see his school and the athletic facilities and then to his house for a tour.  JP taught with Bill at West Orange and Ocoee HS before moving his family back to his home town in GA last year.  They both enjoyed their visit although it was short.

Our view of the duck pond

We had less than 100 miles to Hahira, GA where we were staying at another ½ price campground.  We pulled in behind another RV and the place was looking a little full.  We had called in earlier and were on the list.  What a nice little 
campground.  We were in the first space facing a little pond that you can catch and release fish and there were ducks and geese.  The spaces were gravel and close to level with full hookups.  I’ll write a good review on that one!

I George’d burgers and made some Waldorf salad with my Ohio apples and we had the leftover sweet potatoes.  It was very hot out and we are just not acclimated to it.  Give us a couple of days!

Tomorrow we will be back in Florida.  Wow, can hardly believe the summer is over.  We will be meeting up with our camping club in Bushnell tomorrow for a fun weekend to finish off our summer.

Headed to Georgia

September 16 – The rains stopped before we got up this morning.  I made scrambled eggs with almond cheese this morning for a double dose of protein!  When Bill went out to unhook the utilities and run the car the prerequisite 5 minutes before towing, it was dead.  He/we forgot to turn the key off once we parked last night.  He asked the neighbor he was chatting with last night if he could drive his car over and jump it.  Instead he brought some little charger machine and it worked great.  Now Bill says we need to get one.

I drove the first shift.  My eyebrow still hurts and I hit my hit on the window edge and now the top of my head hurts too. I think I need a protective helmet.

It was quite foggy this morning through the mountains of Kentucky.  We drove a long way before stopping for a short break.  We arrived at the Camping World in Chattanooga around 2.  That is the biggest Camping World we have seen.  We were told it’s over 70 acres and has a campground and 2 service buildings in addition to the store and the units for sale.  I went into the first service building and told them I had called yesterday about my thermostat.  They called for a guy to come out for me.  He was really nice and asked me what was going on.  I gave him the instructions I was told by the manufacturer and he couldn’t get the module out easily either.  He asked for a Phillips screwdriver and removed the control panel below the thermostat and had easy access to the module.  I had considered that but was chicken to bugger up anything further.  He told me if it happened again to just remove that panel.  He did the steps and, Voila, we had the AC back.  The best part was they didn’t charge us.  It only took about 15 minutes of the guy’s time.  We were happy!

We moved out of the service area to the parking and had lunch before getting back on the road to Adairsville, GA.  We got in around 4:30 and it was a little on the creepy side.  There were only 2 pull through spaces that they used for overnighters and we had called ahead to have him save us one.  A guy got there before us and took one without checking in so I think he would have been told to leave if there wasn’t still the one place.  Some of the “creepy” places are through a half price camping membership we have and we don’t really mind for just overnight stays.  The price is cheap and it was full hook up and wifi.  $17.75.  The creepy part is that most of the sites are full time living quarters which they tend to allow to get junky.  The guy was really nice and Bill said the showers were immaculate.

We had leftover meats with sweet potatoes and steamed squash.  I don’t mind cooking when we get in early enough to do it.  The washer is still not working.  Drat!

On the road south

September 15 – What a nasty morning!  Rainy again!  I thought I’d have a black eye but only a swollen eyebrow and it was really sore.

Bill wasn’t too excited about driving but he took the first shift.  It was the worst!  There was no much construction on I-75 the whole way.  They added more burn and where we had to drive in the right lane was on all the patching so it was hard to keep straight and it was bumpy all the way.  Plus there was the rain.  Eventually when we stopped for fuel Bill asked if I’d drive, so I did.  I finished us up for the day in Mount Vernon, KY at Renfro Valley Campground.  We got in abut 4:30 after all the road work and rain and it was nice out.  It was just on the cusp of being hot but once we opened the windows it was nice.  Knowing we were heading into AC country I hauled out our RV manuals to find how to clear the Er code on the AC control.  Of course it didn’t even mention trouble shooting so I called the manufacturer and asked for customer service.  A very nice guy told me to take the control cover off and find the wires leading to a 9-pin module.  Unplug it for 5 minutes, plug it back in and wait 5 minutes before trying the control.  No problem!  The cover came right off and I found the wires but the module seemed to be stuck.  I got out the step stool and a flashlight and could clearly see it and the wires had a little give to them but I was leery of pulling too hard and ripping out the wires.  So I looked online and found a Camping World just off I-75 in Chattanooga and called and asked if we could stop by on our way tomorrow and see if they could get the module out.  They said sure, but I figured it wouldn’t be quite so easy once we arrived.

After setting up we took our books outside to the picnic table with some gluten free pretzels and wine for me and Snapple for Bill and relaxed until dinner time.  Actually I had put a tomato sauce on to simmer for a quick version of chicken Parmesan later.  The area we are in only had 6-8 RV’s and Bill was over chatting with our neighbor who is a full timer.  The sites are all pull thru and very long so that was good.

We had our chicken and some baked acorn squash and settled in to read.  By bedtime it was raining lightly but through the night it got harder and louder on the roof.

Last day in Ohio

September 14 -  After breakfast Bill put the DEF fluid in that he got at Camping World the other day and he put the Cleveland Indians license plate on the front of the RV that he got last night.  Then he showered and left to check a couple of other stores for his shirt on the way to meet some former football players he coached at Lake HS in the early 70’s. 

I checked the washer again and could not believe the thing was working today.  I stripped the bed and made a load of wash.  The problem is we have no where to put but so much dirty laundry in here.  My little hamper is just that, little.  I normally sort a load into the washer as it gets dirty.   I spent most of my day on the computer catching up the blog, email and trying to get stuff in line to file a claim for our motel stays and meals during the RV breakdown.  No one is open until tomorrow and I have questions to ask of course.  I did more ant spraying and bleach spraying.  I looked again to see if I can tell where the funny smell is with no luck.  I did find some things fell out of the drawers in the kitchen and had to take them out to reach the stuff. 

Bill got home around 4:45 and we were to meet other friends of his, Jane and Clyde at their house at 6:15 to go to dinner.  Bill wanted me to see their house that they have been working on for 35 or more years.  It’s in a very nice gated community and they have done a lot of landscaping and make over of the inside.  It was very nicely done but most was not my taste.  It didn’t make me feel at home at all it was more formal.  They took us to an area on the Maumee River across from downtown Toledo where there were 4 restaurants together on the water.  People can drive their boat up and dock and have dinner and exit via water.  We chose the Mexican one.  The service was excellent and the food was good.   After dinner they drove us around so Bill could see the changes in downtown Toledo.  Many of the old buildings have been neglected as in many places.  They do have a beautiful art museum and several impressive works of art scattered. 

Bill especially enjoyed his visit with them as they were friends of Jim McKenzie who Bill was friends with in Florida for years.  Clyde and Jane lived in Florida a short time and they shared stories of their friend Jim who died 2 summers ago.  It was good for them to relive those times. 

We didn’t get home until after 10 so we read for a while and tidied things up to leave tomorrow and head south.  Bill went to bed first and my feet got cold and I was being considerate and not turning the light on to find my house socks and hit my head right above my left eye on the night stand.  It hurt so bad!  I ended up waking him, oops!  

Reunion Day!

Mama and baby on the bank of the Maumee River

September 13 – It was nice not to have to get up early and face driving in rain.  It is quite a bit colder here than we expected, not really shorts weather for sure.  We left for Johnston’s Farm right after breakfast to get apples.  It was less than 10 minutes away and we got a bushel and a peck of 3 kinds of apples to eat and make apple butter with.  I also got 2 nice pumpkins for pumpkin butter.  Bill got a bag of fresh made maple donuts and pears and I picked up an acorn squash for on the way home to FL.

I checked the washer again and it was not working so Bill was to meet a friend at his condo in Bowling Green to visit so we loaded the laundry in the car and he dropped me at the Laundromat while he went to visit.  I did 4 loads.  None of the washers are large capacity like mine at home.  These are not much larger than the RV.  I called Karen and we had a nice chat.  It’s always good to hear a familiar voice.  I finished the book I was reading and realized the one I bought to start I had already read.  I played some solitaire on my phone. 

Some of the boats at the reunion location

Bill was hungry when he picked me up so he went to Arby’s and then we headed home.  I had a quick snack as I wasn’t in an Arby’s mood.  I had to shower and dress and he put the damp clothes in the dryer and re-folded his stuff.  We were to meet his friend Mike at 3:45 to follow him to the boating club location.  We were right on time and it was literally just across the street from the meeting place but down a REALLY steep hill.  It’s right on the Maumee River and there were quite a few boats docked. 

 I would say we were some of the early

John Flory and Mike Hertfeld 

arrivals and they gradually all arrived.  I think there were about 60 people.  The reunion was a Birthday Reunion.  Most of the class would turn 70 this year.   They had some money left from their 50^th reunion so they used it for the meats, bottled water and paper goods and the locals brought side dishes and desserts.  It was a really nice spread of bbq and picnic foods.  Had I known we were to bring a beverage if we wanted other than water or tea I would have brought some wine but Bill wasn’t too full of details about the whole event.  There was a big tray of 70 mini cupcakes, each with a candle in it and at the appropriate time they were all lit and

Bill's closest high school friends

we sung “happy birthday to us”.  It was in/on a covered deck and there were plastic covers on the outside to keep any wind out but it still got a bit on the chilly side.  Not at all what I was expecting.  Everyone was really nice and I did know one couple, John and Sue Flory.  We went to their son’s wedding in Naples in November and it was the first time Bill had seen John in close to 40 years.  I talked to several of Bill’s friends, one is moving back to FL in a year.   They lived in Orlando for 35 years and he and Bill never hooked up.  People finally started leaving at around 7 and we left about 8:30-8:45.  My feet were freezing.

Bill wanted to stop at Wal-mart and Meijers to see if he could find Maumee HS t-shirts and maybe a Cleveland Indians t-shirt.  We did find some things for Christmas gifts and Bill got some Michigan State slippers for in the RV.  He put them on as soon as we got in and said they were much warmer than his house socks.  This ceramic tile gets cold.  We didn’t get home until about 10.

We were a little cranked from being out and about so we sat and read for a while to wind down.

If it weren’t for bad luck we’d have no luck at all!

September 12 – If it weren’t for bad luck we’d have no luck at all!  That’s our official RV slogan!

The hitch riding the pavement

We were up and ready to roll for the 3 hours to Whitehouse, OH, just 15 minutes from Maumee.  We agreed I would drive ahead and pick a level place somewhere to hook up the car to the RV.  So I pulled out first and went to the bottom of the lane to stop and make sure Bill cleared the tree and firepit OK.  As I stopped the car I heard the most awful scraping sound.  I left the car running and the door open and went waving my arms and saying “Stop, Stop, Stop”.  And he did.  I could see the tow hitch pretty much on the pavement and when I walked around I could see there was no way we could go forward without damaging it.  There was the lane in front of our site, a strip of grass and another lane and more RV’s.  Bill swung wide to miss the tree and firepit and decided to cut over to the second lane to drive out.  The problem was the drop-off from our lane was too deep and we were in a real pickle!  We got out our 4 little boards for putting under our level legs and tried repeatedly to back but the driver rear wheel was not even on the

The scrape and mud flap

ground and would not grip.  After several tries we drove to the office and told the guy in charge what was going on.  He drove out and they decided we needed shovels and more boards.  He got boards and shovels and he and Bill dug out under the tire and put more boards in and that still didn’t work.  Then he went and got 2 of his yard workers who were sitting around BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING and brought them over.  They tried more digging and some gravel but no luck.  Then they decided to try using forklift equipment.  While they went to get it Bill and our neighbor put some boards under the back level legs and I was to raise just the rear.  We’ve never done that, actually, we’ve only used the legs a very few times.  Well, it worked!  Hallelujah! It raised enough to get the forks under the rear without touching the hitch.  He eased it forward and raised it a tiny bit and I took the legs up.  Then I had the pleasure of doing the driving VERY slowly straight forward.  I crept along and stopped quickly each time they said and we managed to clear the pavement and do no harm to the hitch.  The mud flat what a whole other story, but in the scope of what could have been damaged that was no big deal.  It was off on one side and the guys took it the rest of the way off and we were finally on our way at 10:30.

No way could Bill drive today.  He was very upset with himself and the situation and of course it was rainy again and more construction but we made it to Whitehouse without getting lost and into our flat gravel parking space at Twin Acres after 2.  Whew!

Fallen Timbers Monument

Once we parked and hooked up the electric and water we headed out.  We’d already lost a day and Bill had a list of places he wanted to go and see the changes in 40 years.  We stopped at Fallen Timbers NHS to view the monument of General Anthony Wayne with an Indian guide and a Settler.  It commemorates the Indians wars and Battle of 1812.  It’s an unattended small park and we were the only ones there.

We went to Maumee where Bill lived with his mother

Bill's first house

when he was in high school and where she lived until she moved to Arizona many years later.  His house no longer has a front yard, as they 4-laned the road in front by taking the yards of all the houses on that side.  We drove around to the street behind which would be the only way people could get to those houses and took a couple of photos.  He pointed out the homes of all of his good friends that we will see tomorrow at the reunion. He took me to see the house he bought with his first wife.  It still has the siding he had put on I think 4 years ago.  The only fading was where they took off the shutters.  Then I received the grand tour of Maumee!

Bill went to dinner with 4 of his friends and I stayed home and blogged and starting catching up on bill paying and tons of neglected paperwork.  I thought he’d be home around 10 but it was 11.  He said they could have stayed longer they were having such a good time together.  One of the guys who can’t make the reunion came tonight so Bill was happy to see that guy.

Rainy drive to Ohio

September 11 – What a nasty morning and it didn’t get much better.  About the time we had breakfast and Bill was ready to go unhook the utilities it started raining harder.  We waited for a while and eventually it slowed enough to go out.  The inside was ready so I took the trash in the car to go by the dumpster while Bill drove out of the campground to the flat ground out by the road.  It was still drizzling but we got the car hooked up and ready to go.

I could tell Bill was not interested in driving in the rain so I offered to drive.  It was only supposed to be a little over 4 hours to drive.  Well, it rained on and off the whole way and on top of that there was more road construction!  I guess the best time to drive up north is Saturday and Sunday when those guys have off.  We didn’t arrive until after 2.  We stayed at Woods Tall Timbers in New Philadelphia, OH.  It was quite a nice resort with seasonal campers and a few spaces for short timers.  There was a nice swimming lake, putt-putt golf, huge play ground and the most beautifully landscaped campground.  Most of the sites were terraced into the hill side.  The lanes are all pretty narrow to get around in.  We had unhooked in town after getting lost using Suri.  We pulled into the high school and unhitched and tried again from there.  This time we were sent a different way and it was much better.  I pulled on in and parked and Bill stopped at the stop sign by the building.  Once we checked in they had someone take us to the site with a golf cart.  Bill wasn’t paying attention and turned too sharp and scraped the driver side of the RV on the stop sign in a couple of places.  Upon inspection it wasn’t deep and he thinks it will buff out.  The spot they gave us was one terrace up.  I didn’t understand why they didn’t give us the larger space at ground level that was wider.  The guy told Bill when we got ready to leave he could pull out on the grass if he needed to. 

 I called Aunt Janet to let her know we finally made it and to see what time she wanted us to come for dinner.  We were eating at 5 but she said come any time so we could visit. We got set up and again I tried the washer but still no go!  We rested a while and got showered and left at 4.  We enjoyed a nice visit with them catching up on various family members.  Dinner was excellent.  She served bbq ribs that the meat fell off the bones, with slaw, choice of baked white or sweet potato, red peppers and cheese.  Yummy!  After dinner we sat on the enclosed front porch and visited more and let our food settle.  She served dessert choices of peach custard pie or banana cream pie.  Again, delicious!  I do come from a good cook heritage!  Later my cousin Larry stopped by on his dinner break and we sat at the table to let him have some pie and caught up more for an hour.  At 8 when he left we followed.

We had planned to stay 2 nights here so I could see more of my cousins but with the RV in the shop we had to cut one night here and one in Maumee.

We needed a few things so stopped at Wal-mart first and then headed back to the campground.  Bill didn’t bother with the cable so we read a while.

Camping on the river

September 10 – We thought we’d be on the road by 8 but it never works out!  It was 8:30 but then we got blocked in at the exit by the propane delivery truck.  It was a pretty boring day, just driving and stopping for breaks and lunch and fuel.  We drove the rest of MA and into NY.  Our route took us through Albany and past the cut off to Cooperstown.  Wish we had time for another visit there!  We drove through Corning and I really wanted to stop.  I wanted to visit there last summer but it was too far from the campground we were working at.  That’s where Corning glassware is made and I think a factory tour would be really interesting.  We stopped for the night in Olean, NY, which is only about 90 minutes to the funny corner of PA and then into OH. 

It has been beautiful hilly, tree capped landscapes along the highway.  However, the highways all appeared to be under construction and we spent a lot of time in singles lanes.  We took turns driving.  Bill would still prefer I do all the driving as he admits he gets nervous BUT a deal is a deal and he said if we got a Class A he’d drive.  I don’t mind driving but I need a pedal extender on the gas. No matter how I adjust the seat and steering column I have to use my toes to push the gas.

Right in front of our site

Our campground is small but nice with big tall trees and no limbs to avoid.  Our site is right on the river but as our luck would have it we didn’t get to enjoy it.  We hooked to 50 amp service and the washing machine still will not come on.  I checked Google and there was one Laundromat in town and it closed at 8.  I had planned to make venison burgers for dinner but we hurried and loaded the car with over a

The "Window Sitter"

week’s laundry and drove into town.  When we finally found it we learned it was open until 9 so we had plenty of time.  I did 3 loads and Bill just went across the street to Wendy’s and got us some salads for dinner.  Those washers did more of a rinse than a wash.  I’ve never seen a washer do a hot or warm load in 21 minutes!  But we have clean underwear for a few more days and no bags of dirty clothes sitting around.

It had started raining before we went to reload the car.  After putting everything away we shared the last of the shoo-fly pie for dessert.  Time to read for a bit and try to get an earlier start tomorrow so we arrive in Dover around noon.

WE GOT OUR RV BACK!

September 9 – After a quick breakfast in the motel we headed back on the road to NH.  We

Grey Towers

hit upon a National Historic Site that we didn’t know was on our way, so of course we had to stop and visit.  It was the Grey Towers.  It was back in off the road and up a hill.  Signage wasn’t the best and we came to a parking lot on the back side of the house.  I thought we might be too early to visit and Bill stayed in the car with Molly while I got out to at least get some photos.  As I walked around the place I found the Entrance but it had a sign posted if this door was locked to ring the buzzer on the

Another view

other side of the house for assistance.  I photoed as I walked around and found the door and it said not to use this entrance.  Geez!  I went the next one and buzzed and the lady there said maybe someone would be in at 11.  It’s a joint office for the National Park Service and the US Department of Agriculture.  I did manage to get a brochure to read about it.  It’s a beautiful home and grounds.  When it was built in 1886 by James Pinchot there were no trees around.  He encouraged his 3 children to be concerned citizens for the welfare of their country and its people.  One of his sons, Gilford became head of the Division of Forestry in 1898 and a close friend to Teddy Roosevelt who named him Chief Forester of the newly created US Forest Service.  Later he conflicted with Taft who was not a conservationist and was fired and became governor of Pennsylvania.  The property was donated to the USDA in 1963 by the grandson of James Pinchot with 102 acres.

We arrived at the freightliner place at 3, later than we had hope, but it just took a signature and there was no deductible so we were happy about that!  We drove to a vacant store parking lot and unloaded the car into the RV and while I put most of it away Bill went to the grocery store to get our 2 bags of frozen items and a rotisserie chicken for dinner.  We didn’t get on the road until 4:30 and still needed to fill up the tank before really leaving.

We drove a couple of hours or so and stopped in Sturbridge, MA at a Yogi Bear Campground.  Everything up this way is for seasonal campers to leave their RV’s all summer and come out on the weekends.  They are mostly on rivers and in woods and on lakes way off the main roads.  This was 12 miles off but the closest I could find.  It was OK but not terribly level.

Once we got settled we had our chicken and some raw vegetables and called it a day!

Great day in PA

September 8 – We started our day with breakfast at McDonalds since there was no “Complimentary” breakfast with the room.  After filling up the car we got on the road to Pennsylvania.  I called in to the freightliner place and spoke to the woman in the service dept.  I asked if they waited until Tuesday to check the RV would they have the parts in stock to fix it.  I explained that we were going to be in PA and didn’t want to rush back on Tuesday and then have to wait another day for parts to come in.  She said they would run a scan of the computer and call us back later.

First stop was Sharp Shopper in Ephrata.  Last summer we shopped a lot at Sharp Shopper.  They are a small chain of stores owned by Mennonites or Amish.  Most of the groceries are sold from the cartons and they have a great bulk food section.  The best part is they have great prices on Amish/Ohio/PA Dutch made cheeses and meats.  You can buy a whole round of cheese for way less than deli prices.  I was bummed that this store didn’t have much of what I was looking for but I knew there was another one down the road closer to Lancaster.

Rip Van Winkle Bridge

Knowing I was going to buy a lot of cooler items we stopped at Wal-mart for another cooler.  Both of the cheap Styrofoam ones were leaking and cracking.  I found these huge insulated bags that hold 50 12 ounce cans and bought 2.  They will be great to leave in the RV as they go pretty flat.  I went ahead and bought a bag of ice so we unpacked the faulty coolers and packed one of the new bags.  As we pulled out on the road we both heard something hit one of the side windows.  Bill pulled of the road and we both looked at the same time and it was his man purse!  He had laid it on the rooftop while we were loading and unloading and forgot it and the strap got shut in the door.  Very lucky for him.  I jumped out and rescued the bag.  He then said to look in the back for his hats!  He had left 2 on the roof.  We could not see them in the rear view mirrors so he turned around and we drove back and spotted them further back on the road behind where we had stopped.  Of course it was my job to jump out and get the dumb hats off the road.  Both had been run over!  Now he wants me to wash them.  Geez!  It’s not like he doesn’t have 100 hats!

We found the Sharp Shopper in Leola and since it was lunchtime and there was a decent looking place next door so we had lunch before shopping.  It was a good spot!  I managed to secure my Lebanon bologna, trail bologna, baby swiss cheese and some smoked Gouda but they don’t have rounds of Colby, just Colby/Monterey jack mixed, so I got a round of that.   The coolers were full!

One of the enjoyable things for me in visiting this area is just seeing the Amish people in their horse drawn buggys and driving by their farms and seeing them cut tobacco and corn by hand and stacking it on horse drawn wagons.  We even got to see a group of Amish children walking home from school barefoot.  Being Monday every clothesline was filled with the wash.  It sure is a simpler life than we live but a hard one too I think.  I was not interested in visiting “tourist” places, just driving the back roads and seeing the people and little stands at their homes selling fresh vegetables on the honor system.

Is it a pear?

I’ve wanted a wood bin for my trash can for a long time so I can get

Or is it an apple?

it out from under the sink and put it at the end of the counter.  It has to be oak.  I looked online and the nice ones are made by the Amish so this was my chance.  I Googled area Amish furniture stores.  The first one was run by non-Amish and only had one bin and it was $325 and very plain.  I told him I’d think about it!  I didn’t think for long.  We headed to the next place on my list, Peaceful Valley Furniture.  It even sounded like a great place to look!  When we pulled into the lot I knew it was the place.  There was so much stuff outside that I liked before even getting in the door.  Then the first employee I saw was an elderly Amish man and I asked about the bin and he took me in another room and they had 6-7 varying styles and sizes and then those came in different oak stains.  I was very excited and knew I was not leaving without one.  I went to get Bill to help me decide.  The largest was $199, so I knew this was a better deal for me.  I chose one with a flat top and a small drawer and the front tips forward with the bin inside.  They give you the plastic bin too.  We looked at bedroom furniture and found a set we both really liked.  They deliver to Florida so we are seriously thinking about a set.  We’ve used Bill’s old set for 26 years and I would really love oak.  Anyone who’s been in my house knows I LOVE oak.

The trick was getting it into the car filled with coolers.  Plus with the bikes on the back we couldn’t load from the rear.  Fun!  I stuffed all our dirty clothes in the bin and some other items and rearranged and we got it all in.  Bill never thought I’d do it but my sister and I can really pack a lot into a small space.  I think all my years of travelling and over buying and trying to get it all home has taught me a lot about packing!

I had 3 goals for PA and all 3 were completed, so we called freightliner again to see what was happening with the RV.  The service manager told Bill they found 2 problems and were fixed but they had not taken it out for a test drive yet and he’d call when they had.  That was at 3.  We saw it as a good sign so started driving towards NH.  We stopped at a roadside stand and got Amish made cookies and a Shoo Fly pie.  Bill had never had it.  We tested the cookies and some were good but the chocolate chip ones were too cakey. 

Freightliner finally called at 6 and said the RV was done and ready.  We told him we’d be there sometime tomorrow.  We drove to East Stroudsburg, PA and this time I checked the room at the Super 8 before committing.  The room was fine and Molly loved the window!  We opened it a little for her and she just sat there sniffing the fresh air while we went out to dinner.  We ate at the Landmark Diner and it was the best meal we had on this mini trip.  I had crab cakes with fresh sautéed veggies and a salad with homemade vinaigrette and it came with homemade rice pudding for dessert.  Bill had chicken parmesan and a salad with homemade blue cheese dressing but his meal did not include dessert.  Too bad!  He did have some peach crisp when we got home.

We filled the car again so we were ready to go tomorrow!

Busy day in Hyde Park, NY

September 7 – I failed to mention that when you first opened the door to our room at Super 8 the smell of urine hit you.  Once you got in you didn’t smell it, but it didn’t sit well with me.  When I went to the front desk last night for extra towels I made sure I told the clerk because they required a deposit for Molly.  He asked if we wanted to move but it’s such a hassle and Bill wanted to be on the bottom floor because of how much stuff we have to bring in.  So, this morning when I went up to pick up our receipt I asked if they had comment cards.  The clerk said they use comments on Trip Advisor and did I have a problem.  I told her about the smell and that I didn’t know how someone could clean that room every day and not notice it and she gave me a receipt for crediting back the $95 to my CC for the room.  In the long run I expected something from the manager but that was a total surprise and I didn’t refuse!

Factory turned House

It was only about 40 minutes to Hyde Park where we spent the majority of the day.  First was the Eleanor Roosevelt NHS.  After going on the tour of the houses on the property I want to read more about her.  It was fascinating to say the least.  When she married FDR they lived in his mother’s home which he later inherited.  Eleanor did not buck her mother-in-law and was not happy there.  After she discovered FDR having an affair with HER secretary she offered him a divorce but he asked her not to but gave her and 2 of her friends, who were a gay couple, land in Hyde

Eleanor's chair

Park to built a get away cottage. They each paid 1/3 of $12,000 to build the stone cottage on the Val-Kill river.  She spent a lot of time there where she grew as a person and became involved in political affairs.  She upheld all of her duties as First Lady but she also travelled for her own causes and she and her 2 friends built a factory on the property for out of work farmers to learn various craftsmen trades and make furniture, pewter and weaving rather than have them move to NY City.  They ran the business for 10 years but it never was

The Stone Cottage

profitable.  Once it closed Eleanor turned it into housing and once FDR died she moved into it permanently.  FDR had made plans for his home to automatically be given to the National Park Service knowing she would not want to live there.  Her whole life is very interesting and fascinating and she is the only First Lady to have a National Park.

FDR Home

As we were leaving we found out that it is against the law in NY to leave a pet in an unattended car so when we drove over to the other side of Hyde Park to the FDR NHS and his Presidential Library we decided not to leave Molly alone.  Bill was more interested in FDR than I was so I let him go there while Molly and I ate lunch in the car and I read and played solitaire.  Bill said he needed another hour once he got back but we still had one more stop to make.

Vanderbilt Mansion

Just 2 miles down the road was the Vanderbilt Mansion.  It sits high on the bank along the Hudson River and the view is fantastic.  This time Bill stayed with Molly and ate his lunch while I went in.  He knows I enjoy architecture and he doesn’t so it worked out.  I was able to show his Park Pass and ID and they let me in for free and I got right on a tour.  The house was built by Frederick Vanderbilt, one of the

Sitting area

grandson’s of Cornelius Vanderbilt who made the fortune that he left to his sons, who left it to their children.  Frederick was given only $10,000,000 as he was the youngest and at the time of his death he had $70,000,000 plus this home.  His siblings all ran out of money because they didn’t really work and they spent the money like it was a never ending fountain.  Frederick, the first to graduate from college, which was Yale, served on the boards of 22 railroads and was director of the New York Central that his grandfather built, for 61 years.  He wife, Louise was 12 years his senior and they had no children.  Although his siblings were having to sell off their estate (one built the

Ladies parlor

Biltmore in NC and ran out of money before his could finish and his wife sold off parcels to pay the taxes), he didn’t leave a penny to any Vanderbilts, but to his wife’s nieces and nephews and 37 of his employees and $10,000,000 to charity. The niece who got the mansion didn’t want it and due to the depression she could not sell it so neighbor FDR convinced her to sell it to the National Park Service for $1 and a huge tax deduction.  Then during WWII, when FDR came to Hyde Park security was at a high and he housed the Secret Service on the 2 floors of the mansion that had been living quarters for the male and female servants and employees.  It was another very interesting story!

With our stops for the day all done we drove to Wilkes-Barre, PA and got a newly renovated room at the Red Roof Inn for the night.  It was VERY nice and for only $67.00.  We unloaded and went to a recommended family run Italian place for dinner.  It was very good.  Bill was not feeling good and had a stuffy nose so he went to bed early while I typed and posted.

Moving on to New York

Bennington War Monument

September 6 - We were up earlier today.  We had breakfast from the coolers and left at 9.  It takes a while to load everything back in the car and get ice from the machine and put it in the coolers.  Today we

Cool Moose 

headed west for NY.  On the way we stopped in Bennington,VT to see the monument there for the Battle of Bennington during the Revolutionary War.  It was quite impressive and you could go up but we were on a tight time frame and it was starting to drizzle so I just took photos.  They also had a cool painted moose that was titled the Covered Bridge Moose since that is what was painted all over it.

Our first stop in NY was on our way to Saratoga National Park to wash the car.  It was covered with dust and dirt from yesterday’s adventure and it was driving Bill crazy.  We couldn’t go through a car wash since we had the bikes on the back so he found one where you do it your self.  A big im-provement for sure.

Which side will he choose?

Saratoga was nice.  They had a very well done movie about the 2 battles fought there during the Revolutionary War.  It explained why it was the turning point for the Americans.  It was there that Benedict Arnold was a hero for our side before turning traitor later.  Scum bag!  After the movie we drove the battle fields.  We decided to eat lunch from the coolers in the parking lot of the Visitor Center before heading out on the car tour.

Martin Van Buren House

Not too far south near Albany was the Martin Van Buren NHS.  We timed it perfectly and got on the next tour of the house.  It was quite impressive with several of the newest inventions of the time.  They had running water on one floor by using a pump inside the house to pump water up to a 100 gallon tank that could be used to flush the only toilet as well as fill the only built in bath tub and the various sinks in the kitchens and laundry rooms.    It’s too bad his son was a gambler and lost the home to debtors.  It later became an orphanage and an old folks home.  They were able to recover about half of the furnishings but the most impressive was the beautiful wall paper in the main dining room was original with the exception of the ends of the room.  Bill was sad to learn that he was the founder of the Democratic Party.  Look where that’s gotten us!

Thomas Cole House

The Outhouse

We knew we would be close but we hurried to the Thomas Cole NHS.  We didn’t arrive in time for the tour but I did get into the visitor center for my stamp and got to take photos of the house.  He was a leading landscape painter by 1843.  This is where landscape painting began.  The house was nice but I was more impressed with the 3 seater fancy outhouse in the yard.

The next challenge was to find lodging for the night.  We wanted to start tomorrow in Hyde Park but the only pet place was $155.  Not!  We found a Super 8 one town away for $99.00.  I just can’t believe the prices on the cut rate motels.  Once we got moved in we had a snack and chilled for a while.  Bill wanted to eat out but I wanted to use up more of the food in the coolers and since we had a microwave this was a good time to do it.  When we got ready I cooked corn on the cob, squash and heated up venison burgers and Italian sausage.  Later for dessert we heated up peach crisp.  We have emptied one cooler of 3 so far!

After watching “Hell on Wheels” and typing it was time to call it a day!

A better day but not so great!

September 5 – I woke the first time at 6 and the second time at 7:45.  Not off to a very good start.  It took a long time to pack the rest of the fridge, pitch what we couldn’t take, pack the car, drain the tanks and get going.  Of course we had breakfast first!  We dropped the RV off and stopped at the store for another cooler and ice and finally got on the highway at 10:30.

Definitely too much gluten!

The first place on our agenda was The King Arthur Company complex in Norwich, VT.  I get their catalog and read that they had a new place with the store, the baking school and their Café all together.  It was great!  I would love to go to some baking classes there.  We visited the store and I bought a few things and checked some baking products to see if they match items I already have.  We were going to eat in their café where all the bread and pastries are baked there and you can watch the bakers work.  Bill got a slice of pizza and we each got a dessert but I said I needed to eat from the coolers so the food doesn’t go bad.  He had some vegetables and we both had fruit from the cooler.

I wanted to visit some cheese farms and we marked 3 places northwest of Norwich and

View of the White Mountains

headed out.  Well, they are located way off the beaten paths for sure.  We were on gravel, dirt roads and lanes and the car was filthy!  The first we went to on the Vermont Cheese Trail had no signs and no one answered the door and it didn’t look like they had a store, so we left.  The next one, Neighborly Farms of Vermont was open and the girl working was also the cheeseroom manager and showed us around and answered lots of questions.  They are organic and make cheese once a week and raise the cows and milk them there.  They sell 1/3 of their milk to Horizons Organic Milk that I’ve seen in stores.  I bought one package of sharp cheddar.

The next farm, Fat Toad, is a goat milk farm but they don’t do cheese they do caramel from goat milk.  They have 6-7 flavors you can try.  I got a Brewed Coffee caramel for me and Maple Caramel for Bill.  I don’t know for sure how we will use it but it won’t be hard to get rid of!  That coffee caramel is delicious!  There were 2 others in south Vermont that I hoped we would get to before the day ended but we didn’t make it.

On the Marsh Billings Farm

We headed south to visit the Marsh Billings Rockefeller NHP and located it on my phone and we lost service and never saw a sign and drove all through the woods and finally came out on a road and drove into the town to find out where we were.  We had driven about 30 minutes out of the way so we asked for road directions in case we lost service again.  So in another 30 minutes we finally got there.  They closed at 5 and we just made it in time to get my passport stamp and a couple of photos and got to ask some questions.

Bill driving through 

As we were heading to the interstate we drove through a small town, Taftsville, and there was a covered bridge on the left.  Of course we had to drive through it and get photos.  Then on the other side of the bridge Bill saw a sign for another cheese place.  Why can’t they post on their signs how far they are?  That just burns me.  We drove way back in again on small little roads and we found it, but it closed about 15 minutes before we arrived and of course no one came out to see if they could help us. 

The Vermont Country Store

Luckily for me, The Vermont Country Store was open until 7 so we jumped on the interstate and headed south to Rockingham.  I used to get their catalog but after a while if you didn’t order they stopped sending them.  That store is awesome.  They have so many things from my childhood from candy to games to lotions and just odd things that we used to use all the time that you can’t buy at a regular store.  They have the old ice bags that flatten out, liniment, toothpastes, cotton nightgowns.  The list goes on and on.  Bill enjoyed all the samples of food items they have out to try.  There was fudge, cheeses, meats, crackers, jams, syrup and more.  We had about 45 minutes in the store and we left with a small bag of goodies.  They were giving out 1# bags of dried cantaloupe and asked if we wanted one.  She said they over bought and didn’t want to let them go bad.  So we got one!

We decided to spend the night in Brattleboro, VT and it was only 30 minutes further south.  The only place we found to take Molly was a Motel 6 and with a 10% discount it was $75.  I could not believe it.  We haven’t done a lot of moteling since we got the RV but I didn’t think Motel 6 would have gotten so expensive!  Oh well, what can you do?  Once we checked in and left Molly we had dinner at Ramunto’s.  It was Italian but one part was more like a pizza place with sports on many TV’s.  We each got a small salad and split a calzone.  It was good but not enough ricotta to suit us.  It was the perfect portion though.  No leftovers, since we have any more space to put any.

Molly didn’t seem to notice we were gone.  She really likes hotel rooms.  I tried to do some catch up on the computer and Bill went to bed early.  It wasn’t the best day but a big improvement over yesterday.