We had a great time visiting with John, Kandy, Ali and Jack over Christmas eve and Christmas day. We missed our traditional events with Ron's family on Christmas eve and Ann & John on Christmas day, however, feel really fortunate to have been able to spend the holidays with family. Especially our first holiday away from home.
Last Saturday we had our first overnight guest. Jack spent the night and part of Sunday with us. We have a sofa sleeper that expands to a RV Queen. , We played games, (I think Jack beat Ron at Backgammon, but I was afraid to ask). Sunday morning we enjoyed a pancake, scrabble egg & bacon breakfast,attended Mass, stopped for a burger & milk shake at Freddy's (much like Steak & Shake) then went to watch Ali play volleyball. It was a practice scrimmage not a game, but we were able to see her play in 5-6 games. She is very, very good at all positions. I love volleyball...it brings back good memories.
Our plans were to leave early this morning, but they were predicting snow & ice in the direction of our destination, so we decided to lay over another day. We also, wanted to have our furnace looked at again....I'm not a hvac expert but I'm still convinced it is not cycling the way it should.
The repairman came out again this morning and of course everything worked just the way it was suppose to for him. He was a little late getting here and the weather here is rainy and dreary, so we decided to stay again tonight and leave tomorrow.
We are trying to get to an event in Quartzsite, Arizona by January 22nd....at this rate we may not make it.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Holiday Lights
Over the weekend we met John, Kandy, Ali and Jack for dinner at Rudy's. We have been wanting to try this infamous barbeque spot. The food is good and the atmosphere casual and fun. You order your meat by the pound and it is served on butcher paper.
After dinner we took a tour of a couple of neighborhoods to view the holiday lights. One subdivision has a contest for the best of many categories including the best decorated mailbox. They go wayout....
We also toured Incarnate Word High School (where Ali attends) and the University for their light show.
There really is a mailbox in there somewhere!
I bet the letter carriers love this.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
After dinner we took a tour of a couple of neighborhoods to view the holiday lights. One subdivision has a contest for the best of many categories including the best decorated mailbox. They go wayout....
We also toured Incarnate Word High School (where Ali attends) and the University for their light show.
There really is a mailbox in there somewhere!
I bet the letter carriers love this.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Sunday, December 20, 2009
GOLF...finally!
Last Friday was a beautiful day....70 degrees and sunny. So we re-arranged our plans and hit the golf course. We played at La Cantera Resort. We teed off at 2:00 pm and was able to get in 17 holes before dark. We were thrilled to finally swing a club.
The course is beautiful with more than enough hazzards. Even at this time of the year when most of the foliage is dormant, I like the rock and cactus.
When you get in the rough....it is really rough
Taken from the elevated tee box. Six Flags amusement park in the background.
Sunset at La Cantera. We had to find the club house in the dark. Why don't they put headlights on these carts?
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
The course is beautiful with more than enough hazzards. Even at this time of the year when most of the foliage is dormant, I like the rock and cactus.
When you get in the rough....it is really rough
Taken from the elevated tee box. Six Flags amusement park in the background.
Sunset at La Cantera. We had to find the club house in the dark. Why don't they put headlights on these carts?
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Saturday, December 19, 2009
VISIT TO LBJ'S RANCH
We've been spending a lot of time Christmas shopping just like the rest of the world. San Antonio is a great place to shop with all of the stores we are familiar with plus many more. The challenge is trying to wrap the gifts on a 3 ft x 2 ft table. We can always use the floor but it's a long way down and the ceramic tile is cold..
Spent a day at the Lyndon B. Johnson National Park and Historic Site. Ron loves history but it was never my favorite subject. I did, however, enjoy this attraction. I never knew how influential LBJ was in so many amendments & laws that are still in place today. And I always like to see how people use to live.
We toured his 2700+ acre ranch, which consists of his grandfathers home, the school he attended at the age of 4 years old, a display of his convertible cars, Texas White House, the family cemetery & the Secret Service office and barracks.
One of many in LBJ's classic car collection. This is his aqua car. He use to take visitors to the Texas White House on a tour of the ranch in this car, then suprise them by driving into the river.
LBJ Family Cemetery. Lyndon's grave is the large marker on the right. The flowers on the left is the grave of Lady Bird Johnson who died in 2007. Of course Ron had to ask when a marker will be placed for her. The ranger thought it would be sometime next year but would not comment on why it has taken so long???
His home is referred to as the Texas White House. He conducted many of his presidencial functions here and is the only remote white house in history.
Texas White House
In a film we viewed prior to our tour, showed LBJ at this same well
It still is a working ranch with the family owning about 2000 acres and the rest was given to the National Park Services by Lyndon & Lady Bird.
We also toured his boyhood home from the age of 5 in Johnson City about 14 miles east of the ranch.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Spent a day at the Lyndon B. Johnson National Park and Historic Site. Ron loves history but it was never my favorite subject. I did, however, enjoy this attraction. I never knew how influential LBJ was in so many amendments & laws that are still in place today. And I always like to see how people use to live.
We toured his 2700+ acre ranch, which consists of his grandfathers home, the school he attended at the age of 4 years old, a display of his convertible cars, Texas White House, the family cemetery & the Secret Service office and barracks.
One of many in LBJ's classic car collection. This is his aqua car. He use to take visitors to the Texas White House on a tour of the ranch in this car, then suprise them by driving into the river.
LBJ Family Cemetery. Lyndon's grave is the large marker on the right. The flowers on the left is the grave of Lady Bird Johnson who died in 2007. Of course Ron had to ask when a marker will be placed for her. The ranger thought it would be sometime next year but would not comment on why it has taken so long???
His home is referred to as the Texas White House. He conducted many of his presidencial functions here and is the only remote white house in history.
Texas White House
In a film we viewed prior to our tour, showed LBJ at this same well
It still is a working ranch with the family owning about 2000 acres and the rest was given to the National Park Services by Lyndon & Lady Bird.
We also toured his boyhood home from the age of 5 in Johnson City about 14 miles east of the ranch.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Thursday, December 17, 2009
One good thing about the rainy, gloomy days is we get some things done around the coach instead of going out. We spent the day doing laundry and cleaning. Although our 440 square foot coach doesn't take very long to clean...it gets messy a lot faster. Our "yard" is mud and no matter how hard we try, we seem to bring alot of the outdoors in.
We did take the afternoon off from our cleaning spree to attend our great nephew - Jack's- Christmas pageant. It was a holiday performance by the 5th-8th graders at his school. It was fun to watch the kids play the drums, guitars, bells & sing. As you can see from the picture below, Jack wasn't too terribly enthused. We did finally get him to smile for a picture with his sister , Ali, and her friend Gaby but only after it was over.
Not a happy camper having to sing Christmas carols.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
We did take the afternoon off from our cleaning spree to attend our great nephew - Jack's- Christmas pageant. It was a holiday performance by the 5th-8th graders at his school. It was fun to watch the kids play the drums, guitars, bells & sing. As you can see from the picture below, Jack wasn't too terribly enthused. We did finally get him to smile for a picture with his sister , Ali, and her friend Gaby but only after it was over.
Not a happy camper having to sing Christmas carols.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Where's the Sun?
Several days this last week were cold, damp and gloomy. Although the temperature is warmer than St. Louis...it is still not the weather we were hoping for.....how much further south do we need to go to find sun?
They keep telling us this is very unusual for Texas and when we tell them we're from Missouri, we get accused of bringing this weather with us.
We haven't routed our next destination yet, but from what I'm reading we may have a problem finding a campground in New Mexico & Arizona. I thought with the economy today that more RVer's would stay home, but seems it has not stopped the snow birds.
We are still waiting for our furnace to be repaired. Actually, the furnace was repaired and re-installed but the repairman could not get it to ignite, so he ordered a new thermostat. That was over a week ago. Ron called to get a status update only to find out that he has the flu. I don't like to hear anyone is ill and we hope he is feeling better soon...for him and for us. We took for granted having a relationship with our house repair/service providers. Ones you knew and could trust. We are flying blind with this furnace guy.
Need to wrap a few more presents & finish up on some Christmas cards.
Hope all is well.
Joan & Ron
They keep telling us this is very unusual for Texas and when we tell them we're from Missouri, we get accused of bringing this weather with us.
We haven't routed our next destination yet, but from what I'm reading we may have a problem finding a campground in New Mexico & Arizona. I thought with the economy today that more RVer's would stay home, but seems it has not stopped the snow birds.
We are still waiting for our furnace to be repaired. Actually, the furnace was repaired and re-installed but the repairman could not get it to ignite, so he ordered a new thermostat. That was over a week ago. Ron called to get a status update only to find out that he has the flu. I don't like to hear anyone is ill and we hope he is feeling better soon...for him and for us. We took for granted having a relationship with our house repair/service providers. Ones you knew and could trust. We are flying blind with this furnace guy.
Need to wrap a few more presents & finish up on some Christmas cards.
Hope all is well.
Joan & Ron
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Spent part of the day Christmas shopping at a few small boutique shops in historic Gruene. Since we were only 10 miles away from the outlet mall in San Marcos we just had to stop there too. What a great outlet mall...probably one of the best we have been to. Supposedly it is the 3rd most visited tourist "attraction" in Texas. It has a lot of upscale outlets. Is that an oxymoron? It has Saks, Nieman Marcus, Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware etc. A shoppers heaven. Since my energy level is still not 100% from my cold we didn't stay long, but it is on our list to return.
Had lunch, returned a few items to Camping World (our new favorite store) and came home to rest.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Had lunch, returned a few items to Camping World (our new favorite store) and came home to rest.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Our Little Christmas Tree.
Yes...we did decorate the motorhome for Christmas. Inside only...no outside lights. We haven't seen any in the campground yet, but are sure someone will drape exterior lights.
Our tree is a little puny but cute. We are carrying on our tradition of purchasing a precious, dated ornament and found a Waterford crystal cross for this year. We did hang it on the tree although the ornament is almost as big as the tree!
We have purchased a dated ornament every year since our first Christmas together and this added number 36 to our collection.
We draped our lace mantel scarf on the credenza in the "dining room", our Merry Christmas banner hangs at the front door with a few other decorations.
We wanted to bring so many decorations with us, but anything breakable is just not practical.
It sure is a lot easier to decorate for the holidays now.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Our little Christmas Tree. Although you can't tell from the picture it has little lights and little ornaments.
Nativity
Handmade wreath given to us years ago by our dear friend Ann Anderson. We display it every year and it's perfect for our new home since it is non-breakable.
Merry Christmas flag that hangs at our front door. Message can also be seen from the outside when the front shades are up.
Our tree is a little puny but cute. We are carrying on our tradition of purchasing a precious, dated ornament and found a Waterford crystal cross for this year. We did hang it on the tree although the ornament is almost as big as the tree!
We have purchased a dated ornament every year since our first Christmas together and this added number 36 to our collection.
We draped our lace mantel scarf on the credenza in the "dining room", our Merry Christmas banner hangs at the front door with a few other decorations.
We wanted to bring so many decorations with us, but anything breakable is just not practical.
It sure is a lot easier to decorate for the holidays now.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Our little Christmas Tree. Although you can't tell from the picture it has little lights and little ornaments.
Nativity
Handmade wreath given to us years ago by our dear friend Ann Anderson. We display it every year and it's perfect for our new home since it is non-breakable.
Merry Christmas flag that hangs at our front door. Message can also be seen from the outside when the front shades are up.
Cowboy Ron
.
Ron has been wanting to purchase a cowboy hat since the day he arrived. I was able to put it off until he found one he really liked in Fredericksburg. I keep telling him you can't turn a Midwestern into a Texan with just a hat....but he says as long as it is a Stetson you can.
What's next cowboy boots?
Actually, I think it looks pretty good on him.
Ron after he "moseyed up to the bar" for his Jailhouse Bock at the Fredericksburg Brewery.
Ron has been wanting to purchase a cowboy hat since the day he arrived. I was able to put it off until he found one he really liked in Fredericksburg. I keep telling him you can't turn a Midwestern into a Texan with just a hat....but he says as long as it is a Stetson you can.
What's next cowboy boots?
Actually, I think it looks pretty good on him.
Ron after he "moseyed up to the bar" for his Jailhouse Bock at the Fredericksburg Brewery.
Under the weather.
I have been fighting a cold the last couple of days. So we haven't done much. Probably from being out in the rain and cold with only a light jacket. It was so hard packing up the house and then deciding what to bring with us. So far we have a short list of items we wish we had, but I'm sure over the next couple of months it will grow. What we don't have to buy now, we will pick up on our next trip to St. Louis.
I started feeling better yesterday and even better today. After Jacks basketball game last night we all went to dinner at Sorrento's. A nice little Italian restaurant. Of course, down here Mexican out numbers all other ethnic restaurants...so it was a good change. We enjoyed our evening...then early to bed..for me at least.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Dinner at Sorrento's
I started feeling better yesterday and even better today. After Jacks basketball game last night we all went to dinner at Sorrento's. A nice little Italian restaurant. Of course, down here Mexican out numbers all other ethnic restaurants...so it was a good change. We enjoyed our evening...then early to bed..for me at least.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Dinner at Sorrento's
Soccer Anyone?
We really wanted to see our great nephew Jack play soccer & basketball and our great niece, Ali play volleyball. Although Ali's season doesn't start until we are gone we are hoping she will have a tournament before we leave.
Jack had a soccer tournament Thanksgiving weekend and we were able to see 2 of his 4games. His team won 2, lost one and tied. Jack is a good player and goalie (like his grandfather!)
We were also able to see one of his basketball games last night. His team won 41 to 15. Although Jack likes soccer better he's also good at basketball and we really enjoy watching him.
I can see why parents like spending countless hours watching their children play sports....it really is fun.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Jack as goalie....isn't he cute?
Jack had a soccer tournament Thanksgiving weekend and we were able to see 2 of his 4games. His team won 2, lost one and tied. Jack is a good player and goalie (like his grandfather!)
We were also able to see one of his basketball games last night. His team won 41 to 15. Although Jack likes soccer better he's also good at basketball and we really enjoy watching him.
I can see why parents like spending countless hours watching their children play sports....it really is fun.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Jack as goalie....isn't he cute?
RECAPPING THE LAST 10 DAYS
Behind again on our blog. We have more time now then we did when we were working, but still seem to never get everything done. I think it is true of alot of people in this day in age. It can't be that I'm still not organized...can it?
We spent Thanksgiving Day with John, Kandy, Ali, Jack, Ann, John and Kandy's mother Gloria. Dinner was perfect, with a huge turkey, 2 dressings all the other trimmings and 4 pies. We ate too much as usual....but I took a walk with John, Kandy & Gloria so I could justify having a piece of pumpkin pie when we returned.
Walked their neighborhood, which is a gated community of beautiful homes with a walking trail through a very nice wooded area. My kind of walking path.
The weather has been cold.....not just cold for Texas but cold. It got down to mid 20's last night.
Timing in life is everything and ours is sometimes not so good. The coach has 2 gas furnaces but one was not heating so we are down to one furnace. The good news is the one that is functioning is in the bedroom so we are able to stay warm at night. But it sure makes for a frosty breakfast in the morning.
Kandy & John were very sweet to invite us to stay with them during the cold spell, but we really didn't want to leave the coach unattended. If it became unbearable we would have said "forget" the coach and we would have been standing at their front door.
A couple in a neighboring site just had a new furnace installed in their 5th wheel and loaned us the space heater they were using. One thing everyone always told us about this lifestyle was that you meet very friendly people...and we have found that to be true.
The next 2 weeks should be better with highs in the 50's & 60's and lows in the low 40's. If the temperature will just stay over 40 we can use our heat pumps. The furnace is in the shop for repair and we should get it back next week.
Because of the weather we have not played one round of golf while in Texas. Hopefully the weather will let us get a round or two in before we leave.
We have done some shopping. We both bought rain jackets with zip out linings....never thought we would have to add these items to our shopping list.
We visited the San Juan Mission which is one of 5 beautiful missions (one of which is the Alamo) that dates back to the 1700's. I made a mistake and let Ron be the photographer. He took over 50 pictures! A few are included here. We thought we could see several of them in one afternoon, boy were we wrong. The San Juan Mission stretches over 5 acres and has a lot to see. We will have to schedule another one on another day.
We visited Fredericksburg, a small German community about 50 miles north of San Antonio. It reminds me of Historic Downtown St. Charles. I look for this type of shopping area every where we stop and was so pleased to find a couple of them within an hour drive. It is decorated for Christmas which makes it even more special.
We spent another day at La Villita - a village near the Riverwalk that has shops featuring many local artisan crafts. We had lunch at a quaint Mexican Restaurant.
We have a list of so many other attractions to see, but are not sure we will get them all in. Daily routines just seem to get in the way....we still have to grocery shop, do laundry (which takes twice as long), pay bills, trips to the dry cleaner etc.
Hope all is well
Joan & Ron
Thanksgiving
(front left to right Jack, Ali, Ann, Joan) (back left to right John, Kandy, Gloria, John & Ron)
Christmas in Fredericksburg
Besides a lot of boutique type shopping in Fredericksburg there are several historic sites like the public library
San Jose Mission
One of many ornate statues at San Juan Mission
Oddly shaped tree at San Juan
We spent Thanksgiving Day with John, Kandy, Ali, Jack, Ann, John and Kandy's mother Gloria. Dinner was perfect, with a huge turkey, 2 dressings all the other trimmings and 4 pies. We ate too much as usual....but I took a walk with John, Kandy & Gloria so I could justify having a piece of pumpkin pie when we returned.
Walked their neighborhood, which is a gated community of beautiful homes with a walking trail through a very nice wooded area. My kind of walking path.
The weather has been cold.....not just cold for Texas but cold. It got down to mid 20's last night.
Timing in life is everything and ours is sometimes not so good. The coach has 2 gas furnaces but one was not heating so we are down to one furnace. The good news is the one that is functioning is in the bedroom so we are able to stay warm at night. But it sure makes for a frosty breakfast in the morning.
Kandy & John were very sweet to invite us to stay with them during the cold spell, but we really didn't want to leave the coach unattended. If it became unbearable we would have said "forget" the coach and we would have been standing at their front door.
A couple in a neighboring site just had a new furnace installed in their 5th wheel and loaned us the space heater they were using. One thing everyone always told us about this lifestyle was that you meet very friendly people...and we have found that to be true.
The next 2 weeks should be better with highs in the 50's & 60's and lows in the low 40's. If the temperature will just stay over 40 we can use our heat pumps. The furnace is in the shop for repair and we should get it back next week.
Because of the weather we have not played one round of golf while in Texas. Hopefully the weather will let us get a round or two in before we leave.
We have done some shopping. We both bought rain jackets with zip out linings....never thought we would have to add these items to our shopping list.
We visited the San Juan Mission which is one of 5 beautiful missions (one of which is the Alamo) that dates back to the 1700's. I made a mistake and let Ron be the photographer. He took over 50 pictures! A few are included here. We thought we could see several of them in one afternoon, boy were we wrong. The San Juan Mission stretches over 5 acres and has a lot to see. We will have to schedule another one on another day.
We visited Fredericksburg, a small German community about 50 miles north of San Antonio. It reminds me of Historic Downtown St. Charles. I look for this type of shopping area every where we stop and was so pleased to find a couple of them within an hour drive. It is decorated for Christmas which makes it even more special.
We spent another day at La Villita - a village near the Riverwalk that has shops featuring many local artisan crafts. We had lunch at a quaint Mexican Restaurant.
We have a list of so many other attractions to see, but are not sure we will get them all in. Daily routines just seem to get in the way....we still have to grocery shop, do laundry (which takes twice as long), pay bills, trips to the dry cleaner etc.
Hope all is well
Joan & Ron
Thanksgiving
(front left to right Jack, Ali, Ann, Joan) (back left to right John, Kandy, Gloria, John & Ron)
Christmas in Fredericksburg
Besides a lot of boutique type shopping in Fredericksburg there are several historic sites like the public library
San Jose Mission
One of many ornate statues at San Juan Mission
Oddly shaped tree at San Juan
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
FAMILY VISIT
November 21, 2009
We were so excited to see my nephew & his family! They came by the camp site in the afternoon to see the coach. And other than the soggy, muddy grounds we had a wonderful visit. We haven't seen John, Kandy, Ali & Jack since last Christmas. Then that evening they were so gracious to invite us to dinner and to see their new home. We had a very nice dinner and a great time catching up on all of their activities. They have a lovely home that they have updated over the last 3 years. It is decorated beautifully and capped off with a private yard complete with pool & waterfall hot tub.....heaven on earth!
As I said before, one of the best parts of our adventure is to visit love ones we just don't get to see often enough.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
We were so excited to see my nephew & his family! They came by the camp site in the afternoon to see the coach. And other than the soggy, muddy grounds we had a wonderful visit. We haven't seen John, Kandy, Ali & Jack since last Christmas. Then that evening they were so gracious to invite us to dinner and to see their new home. We had a very nice dinner and a great time catching up on all of their activities. They have a lovely home that they have updated over the last 3 years. It is decorated beautifully and capped off with a private yard complete with pool & waterfall hot tub.....heaven on earth!
As I said before, one of the best parts of our adventure is to visit love ones we just don't get to see often enough.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
WE MADE IT
November 20th, 2009
Well, we made it to San Antonio...actually on the date & time we had planned. Had a few issues along the way. Besides the rain, which was our first time driving the coach in rain, we had to endure a detour. Our route along I 10 W was completely closed due to an accident. Ron did a great job of detouring around Houston and getting us back on track. The delay cost us maybe 30 minutes at the most....which is one reason I like to plan our arrivals no later than 3 pm. The good news when we got to the campgrounds is that they had our reservation. The not so good news is that the spot they reserved for us would not accommodate our electrical plug...so we had to move the coach again. But we are settled and looking forward to visiting with family, enjoying Thanksgiving, and touring the area.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Well, we made it to San Antonio...actually on the date & time we had planned. Had a few issues along the way. Besides the rain, which was our first time driving the coach in rain, we had to endure a detour. Our route along I 10 W was completely closed due to an accident. Ron did a great job of detouring around Houston and getting us back on track. The delay cost us maybe 30 minutes at the most....which is one reason I like to plan our arrivals no later than 3 pm. The good news when we got to the campgrounds is that they had our reservation. The not so good news is that the spot they reserved for us would not accommodate our electrical plug...so we had to move the coach again. But we are settled and looking forward to visiting with family, enjoying Thanksgiving, and touring the area.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
BEST MADE PLANS....
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Anyone who knows me, (Joan) knows I am the type of person who likes to plan my day (week, month, year and life) and does not cope well with a change. We got up bright and early today, had our route planned (there’s that word again) for the rest of our trip to San Antonio, went to hook up the car (our favorite task) and we had no lights.
The signals and brake lights on the coach were working and the car lights were working but they were not working in conjunction with each other. It’s a law in every state, I think, when you brake on the coach the car lights have to come on.
Also, anyone who knows us, knows we are not mechanically inclined. To make a long story short, after 8 phone calls we got an on-site RV repairman to come out to the campground and repair the cable that connects the 2 vehicles.
We were pleased we found someone & that it was only the cable and not one of the ports, but it delayed us by 4 hours…..so much for our plans. So, instead of making it to Columbus, TX we stopped in Baytown , almost 100 miles short.
We were fortunate to find a very nice campground in Baytown with a vacancy. We are finding as we move closer to Texas, with the influx of “snow birds” that the sites are filling up.
We are still trying to make it to San Antonio by tomorrow, but it has not stopped raining for over 7 hours so we’ll see.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Anyone who knows me, (Joan) knows I am the type of person who likes to plan my day (week, month, year and life) and does not cope well with a change. We got up bright and early today, had our route planned (there’s that word again) for the rest of our trip to San Antonio, went to hook up the car (our favorite task) and we had no lights.
The signals and brake lights on the coach were working and the car lights were working but they were not working in conjunction with each other. It’s a law in every state, I think, when you brake on the coach the car lights have to come on.
Also, anyone who knows us, knows we are not mechanically inclined. To make a long story short, after 8 phone calls we got an on-site RV repairman to come out to the campground and repair the cable that connects the 2 vehicles.
We were pleased we found someone & that it was only the cable and not one of the ports, but it delayed us by 4 hours…..so much for our plans. So, instead of making it to Columbus, TX we stopped in Baytown , almost 100 miles short.
We were fortunate to find a very nice campground in Baytown with a vacancy. We are finding as we move closer to Texas, with the influx of “snow birds” that the sites are filling up.
We are still trying to make it to San Antonio by tomorrow, but it has not stopped raining for over 7 hours so we’ll see.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Saturday, November 21, 2009
A GREAT VISIT!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Not only did we have a chance to visit with Ron’s cousin Steve, but they graciously invited us over to their home Wednesday evening so we could also visit with Connie and Rachel. They have a lovely home with a picturesque setting on a cypress filled lake. The meal, conversation and visit was wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
This was a great way to top off a day of sightseeing in Lake Charles. It’s a nice community with a lot of history. We visited the Central School built in 1912 which today houses the Arts & Humanities Council, the Mardi Gras Museum & the Black Heritage Gallery. There were several artist displays & we were really impressed with the presentation of the Mardi Gras Museum. After lunch at a downtown cafe, we went on a self guided driving tour (we should have done a walking tour) of many historic houses, some dating as far back as the 1800’s.
We also visited the Bilbo Cemetery, the oldest cemetery (c.1830) in Lake Charles with graves of over 200 of the city pioneers including the founder - Jacob Ryan.
I’ve included a few pictures. In the early 1800's it was the site of a former military outpost. I always make fun of my sister & brother-in-law who like to visit cemeteries....but they do add to the understanding of an areas history.
On-ward to San Antonio!
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Just one of many exhibits at the Mardi Gras Musuem
Statue of Jesus Christ at the Bilbo Cemetery. Stands 23 feet over the resting places of early settlers.
Steve, Connie & Rachel Wieschhaus
Sunset at the Wieschhaus homestead.
Not only did we have a chance to visit with Ron’s cousin Steve, but they graciously invited us over to their home Wednesday evening so we could also visit with Connie and Rachel. They have a lovely home with a picturesque setting on a cypress filled lake. The meal, conversation and visit was wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
This was a great way to top off a day of sightseeing in Lake Charles. It’s a nice community with a lot of history. We visited the Central School built in 1912 which today houses the Arts & Humanities Council, the Mardi Gras Museum & the Black Heritage Gallery. There were several artist displays & we were really impressed with the presentation of the Mardi Gras Museum. After lunch at a downtown cafe, we went on a self guided driving tour (we should have done a walking tour) of many historic houses, some dating as far back as the 1800’s.
We also visited the Bilbo Cemetery, the oldest cemetery (c.1830) in Lake Charles with graves of over 200 of the city pioneers including the founder - Jacob Ryan.
I’ve included a few pictures. In the early 1800's it was the site of a former military outpost. I always make fun of my sister & brother-in-law who like to visit cemeteries....but they do add to the understanding of an areas history.
On-ward to San Antonio!
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Just one of many exhibits at the Mardi Gras Musuem
Statue of Jesus Christ at the Bilbo Cemetery. Stands 23 feet over the resting places of early settlers.
Steve, Connie & Rachel Wieschhaus
Sunset at the Wieschhaus homestead.
HEY CUZ
November 17, 2009
Yesterday we spent the evening in Slidell, Louisiana. Slidell is 30 miles north of New Orleans. We are working our way across the south to get to San Antonio by Thanksgiving so were not able to spend any time in this area. Tonight we are in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Ron’s first cousin Steve Wieschhaus lives in Lake Charles and came out to the campground to visit for a few hours. It was great seeing him. That’s one of the best parts of our traveling is to visit relatives and friends across the USA.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Yesterday we spent the evening in Slidell, Louisiana. Slidell is 30 miles north of New Orleans. We are working our way across the south to get to San Antonio by Thanksgiving so were not able to spend any time in this area. Tonight we are in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Ron’s first cousin Steve Wieschhaus lives in Lake Charles and came out to the campground to visit for a few hours. It was great seeing him. That’s one of the best parts of our traveling is to visit relatives and friends across the USA.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
GOODBYE MEMPHIS HELLO RED BAY…..RED WHERE?
We have been bad at updating our blog. We will get better! Now that we have a few extra minutes to catch up, we can’t get internet access. We use a Sprint MiFi device that until now worked really, really well. I’m just hoping it’s the area and not the device.
So, I am writing this on word and will transfer to the blog later.
After we left Memphis we drove to Red Bay, Alabama for some minor repair work on the coach. What they failed to mention when we called to schedule the appointment was that they have 49 sites and 89 coaches checking in. So we had to dry camp for our first 3 days….no electricity, water or sewer. Luckily we had enough fuel to run the generator to get heat at night since it dipped to the high 30’s. We were a little low on water and have now learned to always, always, always keep a full tank…just in case….
This actually was a blessing in disguise. Dry camping is something we want to do in the future and what better place to experiment.
Our repairs didn’t get scheduled until Friday, so we had to find things to entertain us. Not easy in Red Bay…population 3800. Fortunately, there are a few towns within 45-60 minutes with attractions and shopping.
We spent one afternoon shopping then wanted to view the Coon Dog Cemetery. The only cemetery of its type for what else…coon dogs. Must be big in these parts. We drove up and down a dirt road for ½ hour and never did find it. The locals swear it is there. I was driving and from the looks of the area Ron started humming the theme from Deliverance. Freaked me out…..so I was ready to give in and return home.
Also spent one day golfing on the Robert Trent Jones – Schoolmaster course. The temperature was perfect for the golf but the 30 mph winds were brutal. Also, the falling leaves “ate” several of our golf balls.
The Robert Trent Jones Trails through Alabama and consist of 11 trails, 26 golf courses and 468 holes. It was the mastermind in the late 1980’s by Dr. David Bronner who wanted to diversify the state pension fund and strengthen the economics of Alabama. He thought if he built an extensive golf trail…”they will come”. I think it worked.
Spent another afternoon with a very nice couple from Florida who were dry camping next to us…Ken & Carolyn. They were very willing to share their experiences and travels with us. We got some good suggestions for our travels to the southwest. They toured our coach…we toured theirs and we went to lunch. A very enjoyable afternoon.
This is already too long….can’t blame you if you don’t read the whole thing. Will stop for now.
Hope all is well.
Joan & Ron
So, I am writing this on word and will transfer to the blog later.
After we left Memphis we drove to Red Bay, Alabama for some minor repair work on the coach. What they failed to mention when we called to schedule the appointment was that they have 49 sites and 89 coaches checking in. So we had to dry camp for our first 3 days….no electricity, water or sewer. Luckily we had enough fuel to run the generator to get heat at night since it dipped to the high 30’s. We were a little low on water and have now learned to always, always, always keep a full tank…just in case….
This actually was a blessing in disguise. Dry camping is something we want to do in the future and what better place to experiment.
Our repairs didn’t get scheduled until Friday, so we had to find things to entertain us. Not easy in Red Bay…population 3800. Fortunately, there are a few towns within 45-60 minutes with attractions and shopping.
We spent one afternoon shopping then wanted to view the Coon Dog Cemetery. The only cemetery of its type for what else…coon dogs. Must be big in these parts. We drove up and down a dirt road for ½ hour and never did find it. The locals swear it is there. I was driving and from the looks of the area Ron started humming the theme from Deliverance. Freaked me out…..so I was ready to give in and return home.
Also spent one day golfing on the Robert Trent Jones – Schoolmaster course. The temperature was perfect for the golf but the 30 mph winds were brutal. Also, the falling leaves “ate” several of our golf balls.
The Robert Trent Jones Trails through Alabama and consist of 11 trails, 26 golf courses and 468 holes. It was the mastermind in the late 1980’s by Dr. David Bronner who wanted to diversify the state pension fund and strengthen the economics of Alabama. He thought if he built an extensive golf trail…”they will come”. I think it worked.
Spent another afternoon with a very nice couple from Florida who were dry camping next to us…Ken & Carolyn. They were very willing to share their experiences and travels with us. We got some good suggestions for our travels to the southwest. They toured our coach…we toured theirs and we went to lunch. A very enjoyable afternoon.
This is already too long….can’t blame you if you don’t read the whole thing. Will stop for now.
Hope all is well.
Joan & Ron
Saturday, November 7, 2009
ROCK & SOUL & BEALE STREET
Can't visit Memphis without taking in the flair of Beale Street. Ate lunch at Silky O'Sullivans and listened to some saxaphone & trumpet soul music.
Before lunch we toured the Memphis Rock & Soul Museum. The exhibit is a self guided audio tour and takes you through the blues and country roots of rock & roll. It features vintage jukeboxes, costumes & profiles of the artist of the times. There are 140 exhibits. It is sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute and is presented very well. A great place to spend a few hours if you find yourself in Memphis.
We had taken a trip to Memphis several years ago just to see Graceland & play golf, but never did any other tours.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Golf...finally
Thursday we finally got a round of golf in. Ron shot a good round....mine was ugly. Course in Southhaven, Mississippi (North Creek Golf Club) had just aerated their greens so putting was a little rough. That's my excuse!
Course had many moguls and more water and sand in comparison to most St. Louis public courses. But the weather was a perfect 70 degrees and sunny.
Ate lunch at the clubhouse then went grocery shopping to stock our refrigerator. Our refrigerator is a full size residential GE Profile so we have not had to scrimp on groceries. However, cooking is another story. We have no oven....only a Sharp microwave/convection. It works really well, only I have to get use to the temperature and timing of the convection part. We have a cute little 3 burner stove, fueled by propane gas. I never did like cooking on gas, but those who do tell me they would never go back to electric. Ron's Mom has always used and likes gas & so does Ron.....I think he should be the designated cook. We'll see.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Course had many moguls and more water and sand in comparison to most St. Louis public courses. But the weather was a perfect 70 degrees and sunny.
Ate lunch at the clubhouse then went grocery shopping to stock our refrigerator. Our refrigerator is a full size residential GE Profile so we have not had to scrimp on groceries. However, cooking is another story. We have no oven....only a Sharp microwave/convection. It works really well, only I have to get use to the temperature and timing of the convection part. We have a cute little 3 burner stove, fueled by propane gas. I never did like cooking on gas, but those who do tell me they would never go back to electric. Ron's Mom has always used and likes gas & so does Ron.....I think he should be the designated cook. We'll see.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Soggy St. Louis
Boy...did we pick the wrong week to come back to St. Louis. Because of the rain it took us longer to do the things we needed to do. There were so many we wanted to visit with but just ran out of time. We'll catch up on our next visit. We made several trips to our storage unit to stock the motorhome and are happy to have room for the items we really need and wanted, although we had to leave a lot behind. Visited with Ron's family...Roger, Barb and Sandon, Margie & Kevin, Mary and Marti came out to see the motorhome, had dinner with Ann & John, and dear friends Gerry and Ann. We always enjoy our visits with Gerry and Ann...they make us remember we are not in our own little corner and to see the big picture of what is really going on in the world.
We sold the Accord to a dealer in a very smooth deal and somewhat profitable for a 7 year old car. We love those Honda's.
Licensed the coach, did some shopping and puff the time was gone.
Left St. Louis and spent the night at the Lucky Lady Casino in Caruthersville, Missouri. Small but nice casino and very nice campgrounds. We actually walked away with a little more money in our pocket...very little but better than none....a very unusual situation for us. Diesel money.
Hope all is well!!
We sold the Accord to a dealer in a very smooth deal and somewhat profitable for a 7 year old car. We love those Honda's.
Licensed the coach, did some shopping and puff the time was gone.
Left St. Louis and spent the night at the Lucky Lady Casino in Caruthersville, Missouri. Small but nice casino and very nice campgrounds. We actually walked away with a little more money in our pocket...very little but better than none....a very unusual situation for us. Diesel money.
Hope all is well!!
Monday, October 26, 2009
HOME -SWEET-HOME
We arrived at the Six Flags campground yesterday afternoon. There is something to say about being familiar with the area....makes traveling so much easier.
After we checked in and set up had a great visit with my sister and brother-in-law (Ann & John). After showing them the coach and visiting for awhile we went out to dinner at an icon Italian (what else?) restaurant in downtown Eureka.
Food was very good and we had a nice homecoming visit.
This week will be very busy with a list of items we have to attend to while in town. Not to mention we have to unpack the 60+ boxes we have for the motorhome, sort through them (again) and repack the items we will not have room for. What made us think we would have more storage than we really have? If we can fit 1/3 of them in the coach we will be happy.
Hope all is well!
We arrived at the Six Flags campground yesterday afternoon. There is something to say about being familiar with the area....makes traveling so much easier.
After we checked in and set up had a great visit with my sister and brother-in-law (Ann & John). After showing them the coach and visiting for awhile we went out to dinner at an icon Italian (what else?) restaurant in downtown Eureka.
Food was very good and we had a nice homecoming visit.
This week will be very busy with a list of items we have to attend to while in town. Not to mention we have to unpack the 60+ boxes we have for the motorhome, sort through them (again) and repack the items we will not have room for. What made us think we would have more storage than we really have? If we can fit 1/3 of them in the coach we will be happy.
Hope all is well!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
HOME AGAIN..HOME AGAIN..
Well - almost. At least we made it to Missouri. Today is Saturday, Oct 24 and we drove from Dickson Tennesse to Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Clear blew skies...but a little nippy. One of the best things about driving a motorhome is always having the conveniences of home with you. Today we stopped at the Missouri Welcome Center, made lunch and kicked back for 45 minutes. Took a walk around the park and continued our journey.
Arrived at Cape Campground around 4pm, and asked for the simplest pull thru spot available for us newbees.
The office thought they had accommodated us, but it proved not to be so simply. The spot was tight, chat rock and bordered by narrow landscape ties. The Jeep got hung up on the edge of one of the ties which required us to ONCE AGAIN, un-hook the tow cables, lighting cables, break-away cable and braking system, remove the Brake Buddy from the car, put it in gear and move it out of the way.
The position of the car locked the pins on the tow bar in such a way that Joan had to gently reposition the car
to ease the tension on the pins.
After about 20 minutes of this frustration the Jeep was separated from the motorhome. Of course, there are always people milling around their camp sites watching your irritations and stupidity. We WILL get better with the tow bar or rent a car at every location.
Hope all is well!
Ron & Joan
Well - almost. At least we made it to Missouri. Today is Saturday, Oct 24 and we drove from Dickson Tennesse to Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Clear blew skies...but a little nippy. One of the best things about driving a motorhome is always having the conveniences of home with you. Today we stopped at the Missouri Welcome Center, made lunch and kicked back for 45 minutes. Took a walk around the park and continued our journey.
Arrived at Cape Campground around 4pm, and asked for the simplest pull thru spot available for us newbees.
The office thought they had accommodated us, but it proved not to be so simply. The spot was tight, chat rock and bordered by narrow landscape ties. The Jeep got hung up on the edge of one of the ties which required us to ONCE AGAIN, un-hook the tow cables, lighting cables, break-away cable and braking system, remove the Brake Buddy from the car, put it in gear and move it out of the way.
The position of the car locked the pins on the tow bar in such a way that Joan had to gently reposition the car
to ease the tension on the pins.
After about 20 minutes of this frustration the Jeep was separated from the motorhome. Of course, there are always people milling around their camp sites watching your irritations and stupidity. We WILL get better with the tow bar or rent a car at every location.
Hope all is well!
Ron & Joan
MOVING OUR WAY NORTH
MOVING OUR WAY NORTH
Friday, October 23....drove only 175 miles today to Tanbark Campground in Dickson, Tennessee. We stopped at a TA to switch drivers and re-fuel. I thought I was in line behind an 18 wheeler waiting to get diesel. Instead there was no one in the truck and it didn't look like it was going to move real soon. Ron ( the shy one) got out and approached another trucker to find out what was going on. We then found out that we were in a "waiting" area and not the area to get fuel. What do I know!
The number one rule in driving a motorhome with a car in tow is you NEVER back up. Soooo we had to unhook the Jeep, put it back in gear and move it to a parking area. While Ron backed up the motorhome, fueled up, then had to drive it around several trucks to the area where the Jeep was parked. We then re-hooked. Not only do we have to anchor the tow bar, we have to hook up the lighting system, braking system, and all of the break-away cables.
Then we have to set up the Brake Buddy in the Jeep and put it back into tow mode. Not an easy task for sales people like us.
Needles to say were again exhausted and glad our trip was a short one.
Next time I'll let Ron pull the motorhome in when we need to re-fuel. It's still an adventure and exciting.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Friday, October 23....drove only 175 miles today to Tanbark Campground in Dickson, Tennessee. We stopped at a TA to switch drivers and re-fuel. I thought I was in line behind an 18 wheeler waiting to get diesel. Instead there was no one in the truck and it didn't look like it was going to move real soon. Ron ( the shy one) got out and approached another trucker to find out what was going on. We then found out that we were in a "waiting" area and not the area to get fuel. What do I know!
The number one rule in driving a motorhome with a car in tow is you NEVER back up. Soooo we had to unhook the Jeep, put it back in gear and move it to a parking area. While Ron backed up the motorhome, fueled up, then had to drive it around several trucks to the area where the Jeep was parked. We then re-hooked. Not only do we have to anchor the tow bar, we have to hook up the lighting system, braking system, and all of the break-away cables.
Then we have to set up the Brake Buddy in the Jeep and put it back into tow mode. Not an easy task for sales people like us.
Needles to say were again exhausted and glad our trip was a short one.
Next time I'll let Ron pull the motorhome in when we need to re-fuel. It's still an adventure and exciting.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Thursday, October 22
Arrived in Cullman in northern Alabama. Ron went into the office to check in and I thought I lost him he took so long. It seemed that he was away a long time. When he came back he relayed his conversation with the owner about his 100 year old cash register that he took such pride in. You know Ron...always chatting them up.
There were threats of severe thunderstorms that night and the owner invited us to come to his house located at the campground if we felt unsafe. Guess making friends never hurts. The night went along uneventfully and we pulled out with several others the next morning.
Once again the site was very basic....I look forward to the day when we can stay in one place for several days or even weeks and really see the area.
The setting up and breaking down everyday has been exhausting.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Arrived in Cullman in northern Alabama. Ron went into the office to check in and I thought I lost him he took so long. It seemed that he was away a long time. When he came back he relayed his conversation with the owner about his 100 year old cash register that he took such pride in. You know Ron...always chatting them up.
There were threats of severe thunderstorms that night and the owner invited us to come to his house located at the campground if we felt unsafe. Guess making friends never hurts. The night went along uneventfully and we pulled out with several others the next morning.
Once again the site was very basic....I look forward to the day when we can stay in one place for several days or even weeks and really see the area.
The setting up and breaking down everyday has been exhausting.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
ON THE ROAD....
On Wednesday (Oct 21st) we left Ocala for our journey back to St. Louis to see family and load the coach with the 68 boxes in storage. Ha Ha. I actually thought we would be able to fit all of the items we had identified for the motorhome....Ron wasn't too sure. I hate when he is right.....there will never be enough space for everything.
Currently we have gone through exercise of paring it down to ONLY 32 boxes. We'll see.
Spent the night in Dothan, Alabama at the Pecan Pointe RV park. When you tell these people you are new..they are very helpful. A very basic site but fairly crowded due to all of the "snow birds" coming down
for the winter.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
On Wednesday (Oct 21st) we left Ocala for our journey back to St. Louis to see family and load the coach with the 68 boxes in storage. Ha Ha. I actually thought we would be able to fit all of the items we had identified for the motorhome....Ron wasn't too sure. I hate when he is right.....there will never be enough space for everything.
Currently we have gone through exercise of paring it down to ONLY 32 boxes. We'll see.
Spent the night in Dothan, Alabama at the Pecan Pointe RV park. When you tell these people you are new..they are very helpful. A very basic site but fairly crowded due to all of the "snow birds" coming down
for the winter.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
DRIVERS ED HERE WE COME!
We began our day at 9 AM with the instructor from Dick Reed Driving School. We had actually met the owner of the school last year when we attending "Life on Wheels" in Bowling Green Kentucky. We knew at that time that getting driving lessons were going to be one of the first items on our agenda.
Spent the first 3 hours getting an intense and intimidating overview of the coach. Then the later part of the day making nine million turns, radius rights & lefts, straight rights & lefts and then again and again.
The driving was fun and very helpful.....but the overview of the coach was way toooooo much!! And somewhat frightening. The instructor thought we should be able to take the coach apart and put it back together. Any of you who really know us....know we use to hire an electrician to change our light bulbs!
We both woke up about 1:30 am wondering if we knew what we were doing. The guy terrorized us.
The second day was much better. We spent a little more time on turn, a lot more time on 2 lane and highway driving. Plus, quite a bit of time on backing up and parking. Overall very beneficial and confidence building.
Still have a lot to learn but do feel we can move it down the road.
Hope all is well.
Ron & Joan
We began our day at 9 AM with the instructor from Dick Reed Driving School. We had actually met the owner of the school last year when we attending "Life on Wheels" in Bowling Green Kentucky. We knew at that time that getting driving lessons were going to be one of the first items on our agenda.
Spent the first 3 hours getting an intense and intimidating overview of the coach. Then the later part of the day making nine million turns, radius rights & lefts, straight rights & lefts and then again and again.
The driving was fun and very helpful.....but the overview of the coach was way toooooo much!! And somewhat frightening. The instructor thought we should be able to take the coach apart and put it back together. Any of you who really know us....know we use to hire an electrician to change our light bulbs!
We both woke up about 1:30 am wondering if we knew what we were doing. The guy terrorized us.
The second day was much better. We spent a little more time on turn, a lot more time on 2 lane and highway driving. Plus, quite a bit of time on backing up and parking. Overall very beneficial and confidence building.
Still have a lot to learn but do feel we can move it down the road.
Hope all is well.
Ron & Joan
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sunday - October 18
I thought Florida was suppose to be the "Sunshine State" with blue skies and warm, pleasant weather. Boy, was I wrong. Last week it was 95 plus everyday and all of the Floridians were complaining how un-seasonably hot it was. We like hot weather but it was also humid. We did not get one round of golf in...but did get some pool time. As it turned out, we were too busy with the motorhome stuff to play golf anyway.
Then last night I thought I was back in Missouri. The motorhome got really cold and we weren't sure how to use the furnace. We dressed in anything we could find to keep us warm. Our PJ's were sweatshirts & socks and we threw our bath towels over us for for extra coverage.
Today we found a mall and bought a blanket. Of course, we have 3 of them packed away in St. Louis but never once thought to bring them.
One of the things we enjoy when we travel is attending Mass at different Churches. We attended Queen of Peace this morning, It is a huge church that looks like a mission from the outside and beautiful, almost breathtaking stained glass and oil paintings throughout the church.
We stayed after Mass to view the artwork and architecture.
I had never been in so many Catholic Churches that don't have kneelers. Though we enjoyed the sitting option something seemed to be lost in the service. This church also did not offer the "blood of Christ" and were very sensitive to the "hand shake of peace". The Swine Flu is obviously the invention of the devil.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
I thought Florida was suppose to be the "Sunshine State" with blue skies and warm, pleasant weather. Boy, was I wrong. Last week it was 95 plus everyday and all of the Floridians were complaining how un-seasonably hot it was. We like hot weather but it was also humid. We did not get one round of golf in...but did get some pool time. As it turned out, we were too busy with the motorhome stuff to play golf anyway.
Then last night I thought I was back in Missouri. The motorhome got really cold and we weren't sure how to use the furnace. We dressed in anything we could find to keep us warm. Our PJ's were sweatshirts & socks and we threw our bath towels over us for for extra coverage.
Today we found a mall and bought a blanket. Of course, we have 3 of them packed away in St. Louis but never once thought to bring them.
One of the things we enjoy when we travel is attending Mass at different Churches. We attended Queen of Peace this morning, It is a huge church that looks like a mission from the outside and beautiful, almost breathtaking stained glass and oil paintings throughout the church.
We stayed after Mass to view the artwork and architecture.
I had never been in so many Catholic Churches that don't have kneelers. Though we enjoyed the sitting option something seemed to be lost in the service. This church also did not offer the "blood of Christ" and were very sensitive to the "hand shake of peace". The Swine Flu is obviously the invention of the devil.
Hope all is well!
Joan & Ron
Saturday - October 17
Our plans were to leave LazyDays (were we purchased the motorhome) by late morning, for a slow, leisurely first trip to Ocala, Florida. Our destination in Ocala was Ocala Sun RV Resort. Their definition of a "resort" is much different than mine!
The technicians ran into some difficulties while hooking up the Jeep, so instead of late morning we left around 4 pm. It was only a 1.5 hour drive, but since this was our first trip we took it slower so arrived around 6 pm.
Couldn't find the entrance to the campground so we had to go 7 miles our of our way to find someplace to turn around. You just don't turn one of these things around like you do a car.
On our return trip we found the entrance!!! Luckily it is a "pull-through" slot since backing up is still new to us.
We will be in Ocala until Wednesday. The purpose of our visit is to attend the Dick Reed RV driving school. I feel like I'm back in summer school taking drivers ed.
It consist of 2 - 6 hour days shared between the two of us. Ron will be the primary driver, but I guess it's not a bad idea for me to learn too, just in case.....
It should be interesting!
Our plans were to leave LazyDays (were we purchased the motorhome) by late morning, for a slow, leisurely first trip to Ocala, Florida. Our destination in Ocala was Ocala Sun RV Resort. Their definition of a "resort" is much different than mine!
The technicians ran into some difficulties while hooking up the Jeep, so instead of late morning we left around 4 pm. It was only a 1.5 hour drive, but since this was our first trip we took it slower so arrived around 6 pm.
Couldn't find the entrance to the campground so we had to go 7 miles our of our way to find someplace to turn around. You just don't turn one of these things around like you do a car.
On our return trip we found the entrance!!! Luckily it is a "pull-through" slot since backing up is still new to us.
We will be in Ocala until Wednesday. The purpose of our visit is to attend the Dick Reed RV driving school. I feel like I'm back in summer school taking drivers ed.
It consist of 2 - 6 hour days shared between the two of us. Ron will be the primary driver, but I guess it's not a bad idea for me to learn too, just in case.....
It should be interesting!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
A Week In Florida....Finally
The day had finally arrived. We left St. Louis on September 30th for our second trip to LazyDays RV Center in Seffner, Florida. (Our first trip was in May of 2008) Our purpose, as many of you know, was to enter an entirely new chapter in our lives...seeing
America in a new motorhome.
We talked and planned for almost 5 years discussing the sale of our home in St. Louis, the coach we wanted to live in, the price we'd pay, where we'd go to buy it and any other things two people could think of to worry about.
We predetermined our negotiation strategies, checked our assets and on October 3nd we merged all of our years sales experience and put on our best presentation faces ..... and went to battle.
America in a new motorhome.
We talked and planned for almost 5 years discussing the sale of our home in St. Louis, the coach we wanted to live in, the price we'd pay, where we'd go to buy it and any other things two people could think of to worry about.
We predetermined our negotiation strategies, checked our assets and on October 3nd we merged all of our years sales experience and put on our best presentation faces ..... and went to battle.
After 2 hours of perusing the sales lot, choosing and driving the coach that suited all of our needs, we entered into approximately 6 more hours of negotiations. At the end of this time the deal was struck and we bought the coach of our dreams.
It is a 2010 Tiffin Phaeton. Even though we have to consult the manual from how to flush the toilet to cooking in a microwave/convection oven, it has many luxuries we did not have in our house. It is equipped with a central vacuum system & 4 flat screen TV's etc.
We will be making our first journey Saturday to Ocala, Florida....just 90 miles North. We'll let you know how that goes.
Hope all is well with everyone!
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