Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Tampa

Gin had selected St. Augustine as a must see place in Florida.  We decided to travel from Jacksonville to there by car because getting reservations near St. Augustine proved to be impossible due to the Daytona racing calendar.

We were talking about something, got distracted and missed the exit.  We ended up traveling an extra fifteen to twenty miles because of that.  The navigation feature on her phone was turned off, but it may not have been speaking anything anyhow.  For some reason, when we decide to go a different way and ignore "her," the navigation stops speaking to us.  Who says machines are not alive.

We paid (probably too much) for the guided tour by trolley.  The tour guides had a clever and amusing repertoire of history and interesting tidbits during the tour.  You could get off the trolley and catch another one every fifteen minutes.

Lunch was the Columbia Restaurant, a Spanish oriented place.  The decor was wonderful as seen below.  Our food was not as good as it sounded from the description on the menu, but it was good in general.  This was a restaurant where ambiance made up for better than average food.

The trolley tour guide pointed out numerous features of St. Augustine and a lot of the history.  It was interesting for the most part.  For example, there is a long, low lying depression on one side of the city that was the location of the moat.  Another interesting story was about the white washing of the fort during a battle to fool the British.  St. Augustine history in as few words as possible - Spanish, British, Spanish, Indians, British, Flagler, railroad - but you get the picture.  We visited the Basilica  in addition to the required totally touristy shopping locations.  We enjoyed the day, but it was still cool and a hot coffee hit the spot in the afternoon.  All of the walking took its toll on me for some reason, but more on this later.

The third day in Jacksonville was a day to relax and rest.  We did take a drive to see what the city looked like and explore in general.  Everything in Florida, so far, has a nice, new appearance.

On Tuesday, we drove to Tampa to our week's reservation at a rv park there.  We wanted to be near Dunedin, on the coast as Gin had read about things to do there.  We arrived and immediately found a situation that left something to be desired.  The entry sign clearly said that rvs should go to the right around a very tight circle to end up in front of the office for registration.  Gin and I both recognized that it was going to be a very difficult turn with our car in tow.  By stopping ahead and with the forewarning, a wide turn was initiated that looked like it was going to take out the right side of the driveway's vegetation  signs, three palm trees, a dumpster, three old ladies with poodles, and assorted landscaping.  We avoided scraping the landscaping, just barely, and stopped as directed in front of the office with the toad in a precarious position that might cause it to run over a good sized rock that could damage the car.  Well, that could wait until after registration.  To jump ahead a little, the next day we saw a longer rv with a toad trying to do the same thing, but the length made it impossible.  An irate lady was demanding that park personnel help her husband, probably in his mid to upper seventies, unhook the dolly holding the car, move it to a location past the circle, then hook it up again.  She was dead on with her anger.  For a park of this quality, this was a very strange situation that defies belief in that it was not addressed.

We registered and went out to survey the potential for disaster.  I decided that almost taking the office wall down with the front, right of the rv would work..... and heavens to Mercatroids, it did with three frog hairs to spare.  I found a flat spot to unhook the toad before getting to the assigned site and another miracle occurred with a smooth unhooking.  Onto the site....  All the sites were back-in, which meant turning a 32 foot vehicle into a narrow spot that was bordered by a large tree and a large landscaping tie on the other side.  Gin gave me directions from outside and behind the rv while I was backing, but the real progress was made when a gentleman showed her that the post designating the site could be simply lifted up and out of its hole.  This logistical task took only a minute or two, but several nearby senior citizens were seen rolling on the ground, not dying, but shaking with laughter - not really, but it makes for a good story.

We got settled in.  It was warm and for the first time, it felt like Florida.  As we ascertained from visiting other nearby rv parks, this was far and away the best rv park that we could have been in.  We were really lucky.  Gin's extensive research and planning played a role in the choice, but we were lucky that that they even had a vacancy.  Every once in a while...

The park had a dog run that was very well taken care of - an oddity for the ones we have visited.  It also had a warm water bath for the dog, which he appreciated.  The main activity seemed for everyone to have a dog and walk it, so Gin was right at home.  People were friendly, even though we were in the vast minority of short term rvers.  In particular, our next door neighbor from Branson, Missouri filled us in on everything we needed to know.  We went for a relatively long walk with the dog.  Once again with the extensive walking, there was some discomfort on my part.

Our neighbor, when asked, said that the next day park activity, a barbecue  was well attended.  As one our goals for the trip was to eat a grilled hamburger, that is, one cooked over charcoal briquets or a wood fire, this seemed like a good idea.  We went and the hamburger was delicious.  It was the first real hamburger, not the 93% fat free ones cooked over a gas grill, that we had had in over a year.  We sat down in one of the limited remaining spots with a couple from Illinois.  We had a conversation about the park, rvs, and so on.  It was a nice time.  It was warm and it was nice.  Ahh, Florida...

The next day, we went to a state park on the gulf coast.  We shelled mainly.  Got a bunch of shells for the grandkids.  It was nice and warm, but a breeze was just right.  Other than the sun block I had to apply, it was a good time.  There were some shell veterans there, one who said she had been doing it for fifteen years and that she did crafts all the time.  Later we went to public beach in the state park and ate lunch.  The fish sandwiches were relatively good, but loaded with whatever they deep fried them in. It was very pleasant and we took our good old time for lunch.

We decided that with the time we had that going into Dunedin, was a thing to do, even though that was planned for the next day.  The shops looked unique and I was surprised that Gin did not want to spend hours in them.  She did go into one and I headed for the bakery near by after sitting in the car for a while.  Long story short, we got some of the best carrot cake that I have ever had.  Back to the park and a very light dinner as is our custom when having bought lunch.  Bought lunches usually are more than we can eat and require very little for the remainder of the day.

The next day, we went back to Dunedin, primarily for the advertised farmer's market.  Gin got some strawberryies, which she said were wonderful.  She did some shopping, not much.

We then drove down to Clearwater and had lunch.  Driving into Clearwater was spectacular with its views over the water and with the unusually designed bridge. The Clearwater area has a spectacular beach, with hordes of people to populate them and the environs.  Traffic, traffic, traffic...  The lunch was good and it was enjoyable to eat outside.  We have yet to encounter many, if any, bugs around eating areas or otherwise - certainly not like we are used to in Maryland.

We decided to proceed on down to St. Petersburg on alternate route 19.  Bad choice as it was stop and go like rush hour for miles and miles.  We finally got to the city after going across country and hitting the interstate.  I had heard about the terrible traffic in Florida during snowbird season and have confirmed it!

Without a planned designation in St. Petes, we latched onto an advertised area that was labeled Bay Walk.  It looked like it had been a design for an upscale shopping area near the bay, but probably had succumbed to the 2008 crash and never recovered - a real bust.  Back to the park....

Florida Bound - Cold, Cold, Cold

We are off to Florida, a day later than expected, but off.  It was supposed to rain the anticipated day of leaving, so we decided that driving in good weather for the days following was more important than driving on Saturday of Presidents' Day Weekend.  Little did we know...

The first day was uneventful, although slow.  Going out and around Baltimore was more time consuming than going through tunnels and not going through D.C. as we usually do in a car had the same result.  It was worth the extra time in light of driving through a narrow Baltimore tunnel that is frequently 2-way traffic with stoppages.  I've been stopped on the bottom of the old Harbor Tunnel with a drip, drip, drip on the windshield - waiting for the Chesapeake Bay to collapse in on me - no fun!  D. C. has one murderous stretch of hectic, narrow driving lanes that makes me a little nervous even in a car, so no rv there.

The campground in Roanoke Rapids, NC, was nice the first night, but cold enough to (you fill in the blank).  Plus, the beds were cold and had a lack of latent heat.  I slept in sweat pants, two layers on top, and a hooded sweat shirt with the hood up and was still cold part of the night.  Heat loss in an rv is incredible.  I wondered whether we would run out of lp gas for heating or not.

The second day was equally uneventful driving wise.  The campground was in a stand of pines in good ole boy South Carolina - yehaw!  People were nice there as they usually are in the South - at least, in my experiences.  Cold?  You bet, even though the outside temperature was in the fifties and forties.  Same pajamas as before, but no hood over my head.  By the way, Gin was cold the first night, which had happened only in a different timeline in another universe for her.  The second night, she was hot - back to normal.

Back to the little and knowing...  From the very first mile on I95 the next day, I knew that the dreaded wind was going to be a problem.  No, it was more than a problem.  As stated before, butterflies have been know to rock the rv when sitting still.  The wind was ferocious, meaner than an alligator when the pond goes dry, and more persistent than a broke bill collector.  Driving the rv was like a ride in an arcade with the side to side gusts coming from all directions, or so it seemed.  At times, with my hands at say six o'clock, the wheel would have to be rapidly (Roger has been known to be quick at the dessert table - frequent too) adjusted to the eight or four o'clock position and then back.  It was nasty and really hard work for over four hours.  The smartest thing we did was take a break every hour to my nerves and gear up for the next round.

We arrived at the rv park in Jacksonville somewhat frazzled, but intact with only a few incidents that would have saved me some previous dental costs by grinding teeth down to the crown level in nanoseconds.  Flamingo Lake rv Park was huge but relatively spread out around the lake.  It was nice, but still cold - sweat pants, etc.  Our poor dog, who had had a major haircut before leaving, shook at times and required a sweater too.  I spoke with some people the next day there and those not hibernating were friendly.  We did see some rv igloos heading south.  Those dogs, those amazing dogs, were faster than my rv at times.

Our rv radio has lousy reception and rarely can get only one station and most of the time none.  Spoke with a guy in Camping World our first day in Jacksonville and he astutely pointed out that it was a reception problem.  I had figured that out as the prime suspect, but was narrowly thinking about the problem as being behind the radio and was focusing on how to take the face off and getting it out of the dash.  In my conversation with the Camping World guy, he made me think about the antenna on the roof - duh.  Got back to rv and looked for the antenna, it was broken off.  I hadn't noticed that before.  This was a conversation starter for people in the park and of course, we discussed all other kinds of things too. More about the antenna later.

So, into Jacksonville on Saturday, errands and general survey of Jacksonville on Sunday, and off to St. Augustine the next day.  I can't wait for the Fountain of Youth....

A New Year - 2013

A new year - a cold January - a cold beginning to February that even a Super Bowl win will not warm up - a need for warmth, warmth - a desire to go where no man has gone before... Well, at least to Florida, with apologies to Trekkies out there (among the legions of those who do not read my blog too).

We have had very tentative plans to go south this winter and the time has come to fish or cut bait.  For a number of reasons, we have put off making the decision until now - and it looks like a go.  Got things to do with taking care of business - taxes, paper stoppage, cable, etc. - before heading out.  Oh, and to get the rv ready, a small and important detail.

The rv should have the oil changed and the air conditioning fluids checked.  Have to find a place to do that.  Our rv resource works on the rv parts of the unit only.  The motor and chassis stuff needs to be done elsewhere.

The rv needs to be dewinterized also.  I'll have to read up on that on the internet.  As usual, there will be a lot of articles, blogs, and tips on how to do that.  Even though most are good, there is always that nagging doubt about whether it can be done right or not.  The pesky heater bypass valve is already calling my name and saying, "I'm one of the seventeen valves near the hot water heater and you have forgotten which one I am."  Never mind that turning the wrong one will unleash nuclear tipped missiles from North Korea or reveal the true cause of "global warming" - no pressure here.

In going to the rv to assess what we need to do for the trip, Gin alertly noticed parts of a yellow light cover in front of the rv.  Turns out that the main tactic for holding the parts of the rv together, spit and bubble gum, failed and caused a lens cover to pop off in some high wind and break when hitting the ground.  Of course, finding a one-of-a-kind lens cover specific only to this manufacturer in stock anywhere is nearly impossible, so a call to the manufacturer of the rv, to a recommended dealer, and the dealer back to the manufacturer was in order.  With expedited shipping, it may delay our trip by a day.  Weather may do the same thing, so ..... oh, well.

Then there was the $125 oil change.... but they don't work on air conditioning.

Gin is already planning the stops and has put every rv campground into a itinerary on the AAA website, the best we have found in planning for mice and men.  Three days of driving look to be in store, with a full six hours of playing chicken with the speedsters from New York and Quebec on I95 each day.  We hope to avoid any freezing weather because we will have dewinterized.  I just hope that the rv knows that it has been done.  Water damage to an rv is like a tusami to an earthquake or some such analogy that is unlikely to ever appear on the SAT.

We are watching the weather.  We will try to avoid the rain down the east coast, but it is a balancing act between delay by the rain and traveling on the first day of the long weekend.  Patience patience, weather reports that are conflicting - changing by the minute, more patience, nature is a mother...

A major obstacle or variable in the planning is the Daytona race week.  Apparently, nearly a million race fans descend upon and around the environs of the Daytona Raceway that they affectionately call Race Week, which last eight days.  They must use the metric system or something.  Car race fans, bikers, and the such are in abundance and apparently rvers love it too.  Not my cup of tea. After all, we are mice and men according to the above.

On a sad note, one of our dogs is gone.  Age caught up with her, as it will with all of us eventually.  Although we have only one dog now, the title will remain the same as she will always be with us in our hearts and adventures. 

Final RV Thoughts for the Year

It is now November and the RV is safely nestled in for the winter.  We will go down about once a month to start it and move it a foot or so, but it is largely done and over until we think about a possible southern trip in February or March.  The truth is that it is never over (for instance, why is that yellow light on the dashboard showing up and should it be taken seriously when the manual - what a laugh it is - says to ignore it until you shouldn't) with this hulk of machinery, but it is a lull of sorts.

Some final thoughts, at least regarding the RV

1. The final analysis of success depends on where the base line is.  If the base line is our expectations after we bought the rv, but before we actually started using the rv, then it has been a positive and worthwhile experience.  We began with reasonable hopes for fun and adventure with higher levels of anxiety than we should have.  We traveled more than we ever would have, got to see some nice country, and were able to manage small crises in the beginning.  The last trip to New England was really good with only a few rv glitches and we have learned to not be overly anxious or fatalistic about things that happen.  The seemingly major crises, which were really only inexperience, have largely been ameliorated and previous problems have been worked out to become routinized without anguish.  I would give it a grade of B from this baseline.
2. If the baseline is the romantic dreams of traveling often, far, and with great adventure - those when deciding to actually pursue the purchase of an rv - it did not meet my expectations when speaking for myself (Roger).  In particular, learning to comfortably drive without the anxiety of hauling eighteen thousand pounds, top heavy pounds buffeted by the flapping of butterfly wings, down the road safely was a real learning experience.  There are also a lot of routine procedures of setting up at campgrounds, maintenance, care/feeding of the rv, and planning headaches that are not dreamlike, unless you count the ones that cause you to sit bolt upright in the middle of the night.  This probably has more to do with me than  most people.  Gin works really hard in taking care of the rv and the dogs, more than I ever could or would want to do.  From this baseline, it gets a C- .
3. If the baseline is considered to be after the first harrowing experiences with the rv - a real down period, it has gone well.  We are reasonably comfortable with dealing with most of what caused sleeplessness at first.  These issues largely were related to many of the things above, but they have been mostly resolved.  Grade A

Overall, it has been fun, but anxiety producing at times.  Making decisions and agonizing over small problems have detracted from the overall experience, but we are satisfied.  As reported early on, we don't have to put the dogs in the kennel, we get to sleep in our own beds, use our own bathroom/shower, and have flexibility to do the things we want.  It is not a money saver in the short or long run.  We understood that to begin with.  It is a terrible investment from a strict accounting perspective, but we knew that too.  

We will begin thinking about the southern trip, if any, after a few weeks.  Right now, we are rv'ed out and will enjoy the respite with Thanksgiving three weeks away...

Braking, Winter, and Hurricane Sandy

The Stay-in-Play, the toad supplementary braking system was high on my priority list.  It was a major investment and important to any long trip or mountainous driving to be done.  I really put in some time trying to figure out what was wrong with the system and learning how it operated.  If nothing else, I wanted to be somewhat knowledgeable about it when calling.  That was a major question, do I call the installer or the manufacturer.

I called the company finally.  Without a doubt, it may have been the best overall experience with a company over a defective product that I have ever had.  To avoid me having to go 2 hours for a fix at the installer's dealership, they sent me a new unit that I thought could be replaced by me  without much anguish.  Long story short, I did replace the unit and it is now working - miracle of miracles.

After talking to an rv repair place to a man who I had made a connection with at an rv show, a time has been set up for winterization of the rv.  Never mind that the appointment is set up on the back edge of Hurricane Sandy...

We put a $100 worth of gas in the rv 2 days ago (brought it up from a quarter of a tank to about three quarters of a tank) with the intention of using it and the generator if Sandy lasts more than three or four days.  We will see...

It is now after Hurricane Sandy.  We had very little damage to the house, none to the rv, and did not lose electricity.  In this area, we were very lucky when considering the tv coverage of the folks in NJ and NY.  I can't imagine...

We delayed the winterization of the rv for a day, but took it in yesterday.  The owner, a man who we had bought a car from long ago in a Buick dealership, was wonderful.  He answered a thousand (well, maybe 999) questions we had, did the work with his rv tech, and charged us less than what we had anticipated.  It was a very positive experience with his service work.  I have to tell you that that only happens occasionally.  Most of the time we are the hydrant and the service people are the dog.

The rv is now put to bed until sometime in the winter.  It is a big relief.

I will try to wrap up some final thoughts for the year in the next episode...

Homeward Bound

On the way home from Quechee Gorge, we discussed about seeing the other areas and sights that Gin had marked on her primary planning tool, a road map.  It didn't take long to figure out that we were pretty much seeing the same thing, but in different locales.  It made the decision to head for home a fairly easy one.  I had been using the phrase, "the end of the internet," and that was the case with New England - for the moment.  At that time and at the time of this writing, about 2 weeks later, we were and are happy with our trip.  The fall foliage was terrific in Maine and the general sightseeing was interesting and fun.  However, there was a point of diminishing returns...

We decided to make the trip home in three days, two medium drives and one very short one.  It was mostly interstate.  If I haven't mentioned it recently, my driving is much more comfortable than at the start.  Though, the longer drives still gave me anticipation of fatigue.

The first day began poorly.  The supplementary braking system that was installed on the toad would not function.  That was not a major problem because of spending little time on the way home in severe mountains, but to have a big purchase for a current and future need was a bummer of sorts.  The second downer was a road map being incorrect.  No, it was not our incorrect reading of the map.  The map was wrong, dead wrong.  It took us about thirteen miles in the wrong direction, which is not disastrous  but inconvenient and a negative addition to an already long drive.  The good result was that it forced us back onto the interstate, which was easier and probably faster driving.  Before getting to the interstate, we pulled over for lunch in a semi-scenic spot.  The rv is really nice in this aspect as it allows me to eat lunch standing up - a pleasant feeling after sitting in one position for a while.  I have often wondered why fast food restaurants along traveling venues don't offer standing up tables for people to stretch their legs after sitting and driving for long periods of time.

Gin had been really good at locating campgrounds that were possible stopping for overnight points.  One was almost perfect except that it did not have 50 amp service and we were not able to locate our converter for the 30 amp plug.  The owner of the campground offered to loan us a converter if we stayed there.  This was a smart business move in his part as we ended up there for the night.  In fact, he stayed a few minutes late to make sure we got there and settled in.  Before we got to the campground, the scenery in upstate New Your was really good.  It was a somewhat cloudy day,  but we think that the fall foliage there was at its peak.

That night, I studied the map and talked with Gin about trying to make it home the next day instead of the medium and short drives over two days.  We decided to give it a go.

I drove faster than previously over the two day trip.  Our speed was between 60 and 65.  On the first day, Columbus Day, the traffic was heavy, but moving well for the most part.  We had a 30 minute backup going through Lake George, NY, a resort area.  The second day was much lighter traffic and we have to remember that in the future - long drives during the week and not on holidays.

We made it home by four or so the second day.  It turned out to be a good decision.  I was tired, though prepared to wrestle with the unhooking of the toad in the storage lot for the rv, but lo and behold, it was not bound up as it usually is.  It literally came apart with a gentle tug or two.  A good ending to a long day...

The next day we unloaded and cleaned the rv in front of our home.  It was a lengthy and tiring job.  Washing the rv is a major undertaking when especially trying to get the stains off from water dripping down the sides, etc.  It took me a couple of days to recoup.  Another thing to remember, Gin and I both agree that that job should be done over two days.

Next decisions - how to deal with the bum supplementary braking system and getting winterization for the rv.

Warren, Woodstock, and Quechee Gorge

We are off to see Warren, Vermont.  Mostly, we wanted to see the general store there.  I know, one more general store.  We followed the map to go by the shortest route.  The way following the red lines on the map was much longer and presumably, would take significantly longer.

We started out over roads that we had traveled before.  Then, we turned onto one of the black line roads.  Up hill is an understatement.  It felt like one of those roller coaster rides where you are practically on your back.  Not really, but some embellishment here makes for a better story.  Soon, we left the paved road.  There is photo evidence of this non-embellishment segment of the story.

Driving on the unpaved road was a real hoot (we are in the toad, not the rv.)  It reminded me of bygone days in West Virginia - except these road were relatively smooth and not like what they called the hard road back home, that is, a dry creek bed.  It seemed like we were going up forever, but the fun part of going down was soon to come.

It was mostly paved road as shown.  There was a good bit of traffic going over the mountain for a Sunday morning.

We took a wrong turn, of course, but as frequently happens, it was an interesting one.  We stopped at a small, roadside community that basically had one store.  They sold unique things as we had seen in many other places in Vermont.  The one I was most interested in - not to purchase, but to marvel at how it was done - was a ceramic birdhouse.  My interest attracted the proprietor of the store who happened to be the creator of the artistic birdhouse in question.  She explained a lot about it and probably more than I wanted to know.

Off we went in the correct direction for the Warren General Store.  Got there and found a place to park right in front of the store.  Park is a general term here with the front of the car nearly touching the porch of the store and the bumper nearly on the road.  There was a crowd there and it did not look like there were many places to park.  It was an authentic general store that was old, really old.  The floor creaked, was worn and nowhere was there a level square foot in the whole store.  Once again, there were many unusual things for sale.  Women on the second floor were paying big bucks for clothing that was nice and probably homemade for the most part.  Gin may correct this when she reads this, but that was my impression.

I think I learned something else here.  My enthusiasm for general stores was waning...

On our way to Woodstock, there was a scenic place to view.  An enterprising, older gentlemen who certainly had a business that Obama's government made possible, was selling maple products.  You could taste the various types and grades of maple syrup and there were maple candies to sample too.  We bought some syrup and asked for a recommendation for lunch.  He said there was three places up the road apiece that he could recommend.  Two were normal and looking right squarely at Gin, said that the third one had "natural/healthy foods.  He spit on the ground after saying that.  Not really, but I was getting kind of bored with this and wanted to express my opinion of health foods.  At any rate, he said that at one of the places they should be told that Uncle Bill of Mom and Pops Maple Products had sent us.

We ate at one of the places and had a fairly good lunch.  The interesting part of the lunch was the original soda fountain in the restaurant.  There was a mix of tourists and locals, but mostly, it was tourists.  Judge for yourself.

Woodstock had been recommended by the campground office person.  We got there and traffic was bumper to bumper.  Found a parking place and walked back into town via the town square.  There was the ubiquitous fund raising campaign in a small area for a local soccer team.  We had been on a pie kick and decided to split a piece of apple crumb pie.  It was so good, we got another piece.  Yum!

The stores in Woodstock were actually more commercial and much more numerous than in Stowe.  However, they had many items that were unusual.  As an aside, when does the unusual become usual?  Gin bought a bottle of chocolate red wine - go figure, and a toy for a future gift for Tommy.  It was a future gift because it was so - here we go again - unusual and we determined through a scientific process, that it was something so good and unique that it would never be found again anywhere.  Or, maybe it was the sugar from the maple samples or apple pie that affected us...

Next was the Quechee Gorge.  It was a gorge.  It was a gorge.  Although I was impressed, it was a gorge. 

 We were beginning to come to an understanding that we had reached the end of internet as a commercial once portrayed.  Everything was beginning to look the same, even the unusual stuff.  In the touristy shopping area associated with the gorge, there was a sampling area of different Cabot cheeses.  Some people were treating it more like dinner.  We did end up buying some cheddar seasoning to put on popcorn.  Got it home and it was not the same.  Concluded that they must have put a lot more on the sampling popcorn then we could manage at home.

It was a long day and we headed back to the campground.