September 2, 2016
Franklin D Roosevelt Memorial, Washington DC
Roosevelt Summer Home
Once back in the U.S., we decided to visit New Brunswick’s Campobello Island, the home of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park. The unique 2,800 acre park is administered by both the Canadian and U.S. governments. As part of the tour, we visited Franklin and Eleanor’s 34 room summer abode. Francie was especially interested in the “Tea with Eleanor,” a newly instituted program where the participants drank tea, ate homemade cookies and heard stories of Eleanor. Seldom does a program of this nature exceed beyond expectations, but this one certainly did. The hour plus flew by as the two host took turns dazzling us with their stories and knowledge of Eleanor. It was one of the highlights of our trip.
Tea with Eleanor!
Franklin D Roosevelt Memorial, Washington DC
Not all of motorhome traveling is sunshine and cocktails. The day after our Campobello experience, we started heading south. We made it about 40 miles when we pulled off the side of the road because the RV seemed to struggle getting up the hills. Just as we pulled over on a narrow shoulder, the coolant light came on and the stop engine light also. Of course it was a two lane, hilly road and it was raining; it was the RV equivalent of, “It was a dark and stormy night!” Long story short, we were towed back where we had just come from, Calias, Maine. We were concerned and thought we should be towed to a Freightliner or Cummins dealer in Bangor, Maine. We ended up at O’Brien’s Auto Repair; Cindy and her husband have owned it for years. Now she runs it and her husband teaches auto mechanics at the local college. She was fantastic. She provided a place for us to park and ran electric and water out to us from the garage. The two mechanics were certified, meticulous and incredibly experienced. I won’t bother you with the whole saga, but when the parts came on Friday, Cindy cleared the schedule so both Rusty and Fred could work on it. By closing time, we had returned from a test run and Saturday morning we were back on the road.
Saturday night we stayed in a Costco parking lot outside of Boston. Francie’s excitement about boon docking in a Costco parking lot faded as we maneuvered the RV (while towing the car) through the crowded parking lot. Saturday afternoon shoppers stared at us wide-eyed as we delicately threaded through cars, families with small children, and shopping carts. . It was our most expensive stay yet after all of the Costco bargains we piled into the RV!
Driving through New York
September 11, 2016
September 11, 2016
Sunday we were near Philadelphia, PA. There were two National Park sites in the area. On our first day, we went to Hopewell Furnace. If you have never heard of it, you aren’t the only one. The origional Hopewell Furnace was built in 1771. Prior to the Revolutionary War, American furnaces, forges and mills were turning out one-seventh of the world’s iron goods. Once again thumbs up for the National Park Service. They received the property in 1938 then researched and restored the property to its beginnings. The furnace is still operational, and they give demonstrations during the peak season. Mike was totally fascinated with the entire place.
Sunday we were near Philadelphia, PA. There were two National Park sites in the area. On our first day, we went to Hopewell Furnace. If you have never heard of it, you aren’t the only one. The origional Hopewell Furnace was built in 1771. Prior to the Revolutionary War, American furnaces, forges and mills were turning out one-seventh of the world’s iron goods. Once again thumbs up for the National Park Service. They received the property in 1938 then researched and restored the property to its beginnings. The furnace is still operational, and they give demonstrations during the peak season. Mike was totally fascinated with the entire place.
Since we were in the area we had to make a stop at Valley Forge National Park. We watched the movie, toured the grounds, and furthered our knowledge of the Revolutionary War. The Visitors’ Center welcomes guests with the General’s actual stuffed horse, Blueskin, and a life-size George Washington in the saddle.
Since we were in the area we had to make a stop at Valley Forge National Park. We watched the movie, toured the grounds, and furthered our knowledge of the Revolutionary War. The Visitors’ Center welcomes guests with the General’s actual stuffed horse, Blueskin, and a life-size George Washington in the saddle.
We stopped in Hershey, PA to visit Francie’s cousin John and his wife Gerri. They were the perfect tour guides and took us to Mt. Gretna, PA. Mt. Gretna was a Methodist religious camp, which has evolved into a charming village. It continues as a summer retreat, with narrow streets, both large and cozy porches and a vibrant art and theater community. For more information: http://www.emisnavely.com/node/113268.
Our second day John and Gerri took us to Yuengling and Sons. It was founded in 1829 making it the oldest operating brewery in the United States. The tour took us into the original brewery built in the side of a mountain. The caves were used to naturally cool the beer until ready for consumption. The caves were bricked in during Prohibition by the FBI. The tour was fascinating and the beer delicious. Our next stop was Jim Thorpe, originally known as Mauch Chunk. Jim Thorpe was the first Native American to win a gold medal in Olympics. He was also well known as a collegiate and profession football player. To learn more about why Mauch Chunk decided to change its name check out the following link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thorpe,_Pennsylvania.
Our second day John and Gerri took us to Yuengling and Sons. It was founded in 1829 making it the oldest operating brewery in the United States. The tour took us into the original brewery built in the side of a mountain. The caves were used to naturally cool the beer until ready for consumption. The caves were bricked in during Prohibition by the FBI. The tour was fascinating and the beer delicious. Our next stop was Jim Thorpe, originally known as Mauch Chunk. Jim Thorpe was the first Native American to win a gold medal in Olympics. He was also well known as a collegiate and profession football player. To learn more about why Mauch Chunk decided to change its name check out the following link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thorpe,_Pennsylvania.
October 7, 2016
After visiting with family and friends in Columbus, Ohio, Lansing, Michigan, Valparaiso, Indiana, Brookfield, Illinois, and Nashville, Tennessee, we made a beeline to Red Bay, Alabama. Red Bay is the home of Tiffin, the manufacturer of our motorhome. The plan was to have the mechanics check over the RV and fix a few minor problems. We and 92 fellow Tiffin owners are waiting to be taken into the service bays. The camping area is a large gravel parking lot with electric, water and sewer hook –up which separate each motorhome. We are close together and there are no amenities, but it is certainly better than the boat yards we have lived in. At least we don’t have to climb a 20 foot ladder to get into our home. We have air conditioning, refrigeration and water. This is so easy. We may be here for a couple of weeks.
After visiting with family and friends in Columbus, Ohio, Lansing, Michigan, Valparaiso, Indiana, Brookfield, Illinois, and Nashville, Tennessee, we made a beeline to Red Bay, Alabama. Red Bay is the home of Tiffin, the manufacturer of our motorhome. The plan was to have the mechanics check over the RV and fix a few minor problems. We and 92 fellow Tiffin owners are waiting to be taken into the service bays. The camping area is a large gravel parking lot with electric, water and sewer hook –up which separate each motorhome. We are close together and there are no amenities, but it is certainly better than the boat yards we have lived in. At least we don’t have to climb a 20 foot ladder to get into our home. We have air conditioning, refrigeration and water. This is so easy. We may be here for a couple of weeks.
After having been at Tiffin for a week and been in two different repair bays we are being scheduled for two more. We have been so impressed with the efficiency of the service department and the friendliness of all of the employees. As part of our Tiffin education, we went on a tour of the manufacturing plant. The guides took us through the wood shop were they cut all of the wood for the cabinets and trim. It is hard to imagine another factory tour where the visitors can stop and talk to the people doing the work! Later we walked through the area where the RVs were assembled and were able to go into several new models while they waited for final inspection.
One of the first Tiffin Allegro models!
Our time in Red Bay has been well spent. During our first weekend, we went to Tuscumbia, Alabama to Ivy Green, the birth place of Helen Keller. The house and museum are filled with many of the Keller’s furnishing and with Miss Keller’s mementos, books and gifts she collected from all over the world. The famous well where Helen first discovered language is in its original location.
Cottage where Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan stayed.
The joy of traveling is discovering something unexpected. On our way to Tuscumbia, we saw a sign for Muscle Shoals. At the time we thought it was just a small town with a weird name. Later someone told us about Fame Recording Studio and the Muscle Shoal Sound Studio. We watched the PBS documentary Muscle Shoals; we found it on Netflix. What a discovery! Musicians such as Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, the Rolling Stones and many others were drawn to this small town for what became known as the Muscle Shoals sound. In addition to the studios we visited The Alabama Music Hall of Fame which is also in Tuscumbia. Lots of musicians claim a historical part in Alabama’s music scene.
After 19 days, the waiting, the work is done. A leak in the roof caused the bathroom outside wall to be replaced. As part of a recall, we were given “cap rails,” which will prevent the problem in the future. Looking back on the experience, it was well worth our time. We learned so much about our home and how to care and repair it. It sure beats being in a boat yard for repairs, and the repairs cost less than a “boat unit”! BOAT - Bring Out Another Thousand.
Our first stop after leaving Tiffin was to drive to an Army Corp of Engineer park in Fulton, Mississippi. It is part of the Fulton Lock on the Tombigbee River. As we have mentioned before, when we tell people that we lived on a sailboat, we are frequently asked, “Do you miss the water?” Seeing the lock that we traveled through a little over 9 years ago certainly brought back a yearning to be on the water. From the dock at the park, we could also see Midway Marina where we had docked for the night.
We fondly reminisced about the trip to Chicago from Sarasota, Florida. In reality, it was the shakedown cruise from HELL, yet we can see it in a positive light now! The following link will take you to that journal. Please forgive the spelling, grammar and syntax errors. It was written while we were underway in the middle of a hot Mississippi August. http://www.anamcarasail.com/summer-2007-to-chicago.html
To continue with our boat reminiscing theme, we spent 14 days in Flagler Beach, Florida at Gamble Rogers Memorial State Park. One side of the park is on the Atlantic and the other is on the Intracoastal Waterway, our campsite bordered the ICW and we were able to see many “masts” travelling south and also complain about the “go fasts” that created a wake on shore as they sped by.
We fondly reminisced about the trip to Chicago from Sarasota, Florida. In reality, it was the shakedown cruise from HELL, yet we can see it in a positive light now! The following link will take you to that journal. Please forgive the spelling, grammar and syntax errors. It was written while we were underway in the middle of a hot Mississippi August. http://www.anamcarasail.com/summer-2007-to-chicago.html
To continue with our boat reminiscing theme, we spent 14 days in Flagler Beach, Florida at Gamble Rogers Memorial State Park. One side of the park is on the Atlantic and the other is on the Intracoastal Waterway, our campsite bordered the ICW and we were able to see many “masts” travelling south and also complain about the “go fasts” that created a wake on shore as they sped by.
Washed up debris after Hurricane Matthew on Flagler Beach.