Wednesday, Aug. 5

Wednesday, Aug. 5

HA!  Fooled you all!  I actually got up at 7:45 am today.  They had a nice breakfast set up of fresh fruit salad, muffins, pastries, little boxes of cereal, orange juice, and of course, coffee.  From 9:00 to about 11:30 there was a "women's only" seminar on the Roadtrek, inside and outside.  I learned a few new things but it was geared to the newer treks and most of it was irrelevant for me.  When it was over and everyone else headed out for their day's activities, I set up my awning and sat in my lounge chair under it, with Maggie and Juliet playing (actually, sleeping) nearby, and waited for the mobile RV repair guy to come and fix my sewer system which has been leaking.  He came around 1:45 and after putting the Roadtrek up on jacks,  he crawled under and determined that indeed the gate valve to my black water tank was leaking.  Two hours later, he had replaced the valve (showing me the tear in the gasket of the valve), flushed the tank out, and was on his way.  I was $329 poorer but glad to be able to use my toilet again.  I hope that is the only RT problem I have this trip.

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One of the RT Solos has a sister who is into carding and spinning wool to make yarn and she had made arrangements with an Amish woman to bring some raw wool over to the campground.  She bought three large balls of the wool (which had been cleaned and carded and dyed already) which some of us are holding in the picture of the Solos taken today. 

Tonight we had dinner at an Amish family's house (the Weavers).  It was only a few miles from the campground; I drove and Ginger Aitkin rode with me (picture is of me and Ginger).  The dinner was delicious with everything homemade:  salad, bread with butter, strawberry jam, or Amish peanut butter, mashed potatoes, noodles with beef to put on top (beef stroganoff?),

fried chicken, green beans, raspberry lemonade or mint iced tea, and three types of pie for dessert (chocolate cream, lemon merangue, and apple pie).  Afterwards we talked with the owners and their kids (who served, along with some neighbor girls) and looked at a buggy the father had just refurbished.  

On the way back to the campground I was able to get a nice picture of an Amish father walking along the road, pulling his youngest child in a wagon.  Notice that the kids are barefoot which we see quite often.  We had another campfire tonight and this time I was able to coax Maggie into joining Juliet and me.

Tuesday, Aug. 4

Tuesday, Aug. 4

I did a little better getting up today.  I set my alarm for 11:00 and was actually out of bed by noon!  After breakfast I did a semi-clean up inside the RT and drove over to the dump to empty my holding tanks.  The contents of the "black" tank (at least those that hadn't leaked out at the site) were all in the sewer hose and came out when I undid the clamp holding the hose in place.  I'm glad I was at the dump site rather than in the campsite!  I am pretty sure that my problem is that the gate valve which is supposed to keep the sewage in the holding tank until you are ready to dump isn't working.  I was getting suspicious that the smell I kept smelling around the RT when I was in one spot for more than one night, might be sewage leaking out; that coupled with the liquid dripping out underneath that I kept telling myself was condensation from the air conditioner (I could tell myself that until I realized that I didn't have the air conditioner ON!).  So, mega-apologies to Joel and Carolyn --- I suggest you hose down your driveway if you haven't already.  I feel a little like Juliet who goes around leaving her scent everywhere.  After several tries, I found a mobile RV repair place in Cleveland who is going to come out tomorrow and hopefully can fix it.  I will have to use the public restrooms until then; fortunately they are very nice here and I am parked right across from them.

The Rally started with a pot-luck dinner at 5:30 this evening.  I made up some chicken chow mein, rice, and noodles and took it over.  There are about 40 Roadtreks and I guess about 75 people; 5 of us are Solos (although one solo brought her mother).  There was much good food to be eaten and for entertainment a man brought the calliope he had built plus a number of old (like 1800-old) music boxes he had restored.  He told us about them and played many (very loud) songs on the calliope.  An Amish woman, who does all the gardening and landscaping at the Resort, also spoke and answered any questions we had about Amish life.  The photo shows the 5 of us Solos at the end of one table.  Later I took Juliet and we sat around the campfire until 10:00.  Maggie has been acting somewhat strangely and doesn't want to come out of the Roadtrek unless I force her to.  She seems to "feel" okay; just prefers to stay inside.  I wonder if she is afraid I will drive off and leave her behind?  Never, Maggie, never!

Anyone want to lay odds on the chances of my actually getting up at 8:00 am tomorrow?

Monday, Aug. 3

Monday, Aug. 3

I think I may have set a new record for sleeping today.  I got up at 2:00 (p.m.), had lunch, and then curled up in a ray of sunshine coming through the window, and took a nap!  Got up again around 5:00 and decided I really should take the girls out for some exercise (me too!).  We walked around the grounds of this really lovely RV park, discovered a little log cabin building that turned out to be a dog wash, enjoyed the large green lawns and beautiful flower beds, and after I returned them to the camper, I went and got an ice cream cone at the snack bar.  I did a load of laundry at their little laundry room (facetious---see picture!), borrowed a converter box from the office (which for some reason you need to watch their cable TV), and went back and watched the news on TV for the first time in several weeks.  There are about 15 Roadtreks here now, in preparation for the rally which starts tomorrow.

Sunday, Aug. 2

Sunday, Aug. 2

I decided I might as well tour Loudenville which was only a mile or two away.  I went and parked by the public library, hoping that the WiFi they supposedly had there would work on Sundays when the library was closed.  It didn't.  I explored the 2-block long town.  About 50% of the businesses were "out of business" and of the others, most were closed on Sunday.  An ad posted in the window of a real estate office suggests that houses are a good buy here, however.  I found one hardware store, one curio shop and one furniture store open. Amish oak furniture is one of the biggest industries around here (cheese being the other).  I was able to get a sample of this Amish oak for less than $5 in a pair of wall-hung candle holders---didn't really need them; they were the only things in the store for less than $100 and I thought would make a good souvenir.  Someone suggested trying the Macdonald's at the end of the town for WiFi and/or cell service.  I did, but couldn't get cell service there either and their WiFi was "broken."  I went on to the next town, and the next, looking for cell service to no avail.  I'd decided that the Amish really don't want contact with the rest of the world.  I gave up and decided to go to the Evergreen RV Park in Mt. Eaton which is where the Roadtrek Rally is supposed to be starting on Tuesday.  Good move---not only do they have cell phone service AND WiFi, but also cable TV (although it turns out that you need a converter box to see anything on an analog TV which is what I have in the Roadtrek.  Someone told me they will lend you one for free in the office; will check that out tomorrow).  There are 2 couples here already for the rally.  One of them was towing a little "Smart car."  It seemed to be just the right size to tow behind a Roadtrek.  It's a very nice campground and I finally feel connected with the world again.  I'll probably go sight-seeing tomorrow; it should be better on a Monday than it was today!

Saturday, Aug. 1

Saturday, Aug. 1

I had a 2-hour drive today to "Wally World," an RPI campground in Loudonville, Ohio, which I was SURE would have internet connections.  (I had heard of this place before so I figured it must be a large, modern campground.  I think, in retrospect, that I was thinking of the "Wally World" in the movie "Vacation" which was probably NOT the same place).  Nuvi took me on an interesting route through the Amish countryside (including some unpaved roads), and I encountered my first buggy as I came over a hill and nearly slammed into it.  You will all be happy to know that I am no longer driving 80 mph in this part of the US.  Buggy drivers seem very friendly and wave to me as my 8-horse power vehicle SLOWLY passes their 2-horse power vehicle.

"Wally World" was a disappointment in that not only did it not have WiFi, I couldn't even get any cell service to call home.  Apparently it was named for the road it was on.  (Wally Scenic By-way).   It was, however, along the Mohican River and I could sit there and watch canoes and kayaks go by all evening.  

Friday, July 31

Friday, July 31 (Happy Birthday, Eric!)

Fortunately, there were not as many mosquitoes & gnats around this morning so I took the girls for a walk along the lake shore.  Met a woman full-timing in a Leisure Time RV about the same size as mine; we talked a while.  There was a whole flock of geese walking around the campground; I'd forgotten how common they are in the East.  I finally left there around 3 or 4:00 (There was another time change; now I'm on Eastern time), drove across Indiana, and just over the border into Ohio, I found the RPI campground I was looking for (Beaver Valley Resort).  I again had cell phone service but it wasn't strong enough to get 3G service for internet connection.  Thus, I did not post this on the day it was written.

July 27 - July 30

Monday,  July 27

 

I left Nikki’s house about 2:00 pm and headed for Alton, Illinois, (near St. Louis, 

MO) where my nephew Joel, his wife, Carolyn, and their 9-year-old son, Ben, live.  Oh, and their playful puppy, Harriet.  Got there about 7:00 pm (didn’t even get lost J!) and we went out for a Mexican dinner.  When we got back, we gave the dogs some time to get acquainted.  Juliet was pretty good but Maggie seemed to prefer to hide behind the couch in the living room or just stay in the Roadtrek.  We went out in their back yard to look at fireflies (I like fireflies --- reminds me of my early childhood in New Jersey.)  Later, Ben showed me a very good magic trick he had learned and I shared some pictures of my grandsons.

Tuesday, July 28

 

Slept late (what else is new?) and when I got up at 1:00, Carolyn had already taken Ben to his tennis lesson and run some errands.  Carolyn graciously took me out for a couple of errands (post office, grocery store) after lunch and let me do a load of laundry (Ah, clean clothes again…!).  After a rousing game of Clue Jr., I lay down on their comfy couch and before I knew it, I was asleep and napped until Joel got home from work.  Carolyn made us a nice baked chicken dinner, we watched some videos, and then I spent 3 hours trying to post an itinerary map on this blog (see last post).  I wish I didn’t have “technical problems” every time I try to do something on the computer!

 

 

Wednesday, July 29

 

I got up a little earlier today, and after “brunch,” I got out my metal detector (first time on the trip) and Ben and I set out to find the buried pirate treasure in his yard ---or anything else metal.  We got lots of “signals” but no matter how deep we dug (4-6 inches), we never found anything.  We tried the back yard, the front yard, and then walked with Carolyn to the local park where I was SURE we would at least find some coins on the playground.  Nothing.  Not one stinking penny.  It was very hot (well, I thought it was hot; they didn’t) and digging in grass & dirt is much harder than the beach sand I am used to.  By the time we got back to the house, I was ready for (and took) a nice cool shower.  We had a busy evening ahead of us. 

 

When Joel got home, we went out to a neat little Italian restaurant for dinner.  Carolyn had to leave early to go to a meeting.  After we finished eating, Joel, Ben, and I went to “Lucy Haskell’s birthday party” at the local park.  There is a very detailed “playhouse”  (Queen Anne style) at the park that was built by a local philanthropist and financier for his 5-year-old granddaughter, Lucy, in 1885.  The playhouse was a gift for her 5^th birthday.  To celebrate the occasion, her mother threw a “lawn party” where all the children had a delightful time romping, playing, riding a pony, and playing in the beautiful playhouse.  Unfortunately, Lucy died from diptheria at age 9 (1890).  Her mother died in 1932, leaving her house, the playhouse, and 6.4 acres of land to the city of Alton for a park as a memorial to Lucy Haskell.  And every year since then, on Lucy’s birthday, (7/29), the city of Alton has a “birthday party” at the park in honor of Lucy, with free pony rides, cake & ice cream, and period games such as jump rope, marbles, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, hoop-toss, etc.  We could only stay about 45 minutes, but we had fun.  Here is a picture of Lucy’s playhouse: and one of Joel & Ben in front of it:

 

Next on the evening’s agenda was a rehearsal of the play “Annie” at the local musical theater; Ben and Joel both have small parts in the play.  This was a rehearsal for the song “NYC” and it was quite amusing to watch the choreographer try to work out the steps and movements of the 20-30 children and adults in this scene.  I videotaped a lot of it and later that night made a DVD of the rehearsal for Carolyn, Joel, and Ben.  The rehearsal went from 7:30 until almost 10:00 so we were all quite tired by the time we got back to their house. 

Thursday, July 30, 2009

 

I was planning on leaving Alton this afternoon, but it seems I can be just as late leaving a place as I am arriving at one!  After sleeping late (as usual), I cleaned up the Roadtrek in preparation for my departure.  Ben helped me fill the water tank.  I asked him if he wanted to try metal detecting one more time; this time I suggested he try along the boardwalk grass area.  He had much better luck today and managed to find all 37 cents that I think I must have accidentally dropped in the grass when I was walking the dogs J.  We watched the DVD I had made of the rehearsal and then Carolyn took me for a brief tour of Alton.  I really enjoyed it.  It is a very old town with several interesting historical landmarks (like the site of the last Abraham Lincoln – Stephen Douglas Debate) and is known also for being an important site in the Underground Railroad during the Civil War days.  It is located where the Missouri and Illinois Rivers join with the Mississippi River and I got to visit the National Great Rivers Confluence Museum for 15 minutes.  The Melvin Price Locks & Dam (on the Mississippi) are also located in Alton.  I couldn’t get over the fact that just walking down Joel & Carolyn’s street a little ways, you can see the Mighty Mississippi!  I enjoyed seeing the old brick streets and sidewalks and the varying styles of architecture (lots of Victorian and Queen Anne).  We also toured St. Mary’s Catholic Church where Carolyn teaches and Ben attends school and stopped in to see Carolyn’s dad who lives a few blocks from their house.  By the time Joel got home from work (5:30), I was just finishing getting my cords stored, leveling blocks put away, and the dogs taken for their final walk and good-bye to Harriet.  And I was able to get a nice family shot of the Simanskys in front of their house in the daylight which I should have done when I first arrived rather than the last thing before I left!

I didn’t mind the evening drive (3 hours) to Clinton, Indiana (very near Terra Haute) but it would have been much easier to find the Thousand Trails campground I was heading for if it hadn’t been pitch black out when I got here.  It took over a half-hour of trying different dirt & gravel roads until I finally found the one that led to the campsites.  Several nice gentlemen helped me find an empty site and back into it.  It was 10:00 pm by then.  Actually, I think it might have been 11:00 pm because I believe I just crossed into the Eastern time zone when I got into Indiana.  I’m not sure why I didn’t realize that a place called “Horseshoe Lake” Campground would be along the shores of a lake which seems to mean LOTS of mosquitoes and gnats.  I was planning on staying here 2 nights but the bugs and the fact that there is no cell phone service here has made me reconsider this.  I’ll probably go somewhere else tomorrow.