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!