tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329771082024-02-07T00:18:46.028-05:00Travels with TravisTom and Leah Van de Busschehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317033625217360199noreply@blogger.comBlogger810125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-40995747288050991662020-05-07T10:55:00.000-04:002020-05-07T10:55:09.022-04:00End of Another Era May 7, 2020Coming home from our trip in December 2018 we had pretty well had our minds made up that our motorhome days were over. As the year year 2019 progressed we definitely knew it was time to call it quits. Tom encountered some serious respiratory/ cardiac problems which result in 3 hospitalizations in 2019, one was a 3 week duration. The end of April 2020 we finally said a Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-3005217694221929982019-01-03T16:08:00.000-05:002019-01-03T16:08:07.993-05:00Could This Be Our Last Motorhome Trip? December 17-31, 2018Monday, December 17th, we left home in the motorhome heading north to be with family over the Christmas holidays. We had gotten a late start as Tom was having some health issues and needed to see a doctor before leaving by but by 12:40 pm we were at last on the road. 193 miles to Brunswick, Georgia we stopped at Golden Isles RV Park for the night.
Tuesday, December 18th, we were Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-11134075223402189252018-10-08T12:56:00.000-04:002019-03-19T20:03:57.641-04:00Motorhome Tail Pipe Repair - October 4, 2018
When we returned to The villages from our September road trip, we made an appointment at Jiffy Exhaust Systems in Wildwood, Florida to repair the tailpipe that Tom found while we were in Williams, Az. We had stopped at a Cummins repair shop in Arizona, but they could not fix it. We decided that the temporary patching job that Tom did was good enough to get use Tom and Leah Van de Busschehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317033625217360199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-31147645417201685272018-09-28T17:20:00.000-04:002018-09-28T18:12:58.466-04:00Pensacola and Tallahassee, Florida September 25-28, 2018Tuesday, 25th, we left Westwego, La. about 8:30 am and traveled east on I-10 to Pensacola, Florida, 214 miles. Pensacola RV Park was our campground. Getting in a little past noon we set up and then went out looking for a place to eat. The Shrimp Basket, a casual seafood restaurant, proved to be a perfect place as they had all you can eat steamed shrimp as their special on this Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-37650202584123420572018-09-24T21:20:00.001-04:002018-09-28T18:01:40.666-04:00Beaumont, Texas and New Orleans September 22-24, 2018Saturday, 22nd, we left Fort Worth, Texas at 8:35 am traveling on I 20 through Fort Worth/ Dallas and then we cut south to I 10 taking us through Houston. We traveled in rain most of the way. Traffic moved well. We were sure glad that it was Saturday without heavy work traffic. We spent our third night in Texas in Beaumont, 361 miles, at the Gulf Coast RV Resort, Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-8181862089797038392018-09-21T22:07:00.000-04:002018-09-21T22:55:17.786-04:00Fort Worth, Texas September 20 & 21, 2018Thursday, 9/20/ we left Midland, Texas traveling on I 20 east about 8:40 am to Fort Worth, Texas, 295 miles. This route through Texas is to my way of thinking is through the prettier part of this state as it is in the hill country. We were taken back at the fuel prices in Midland, the heart of the oil business. Diesel was $3.79/ gallon and as we got further away from that area Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-30775239692147905872018-09-19T23:20:00.000-04:002018-09-21T18:21:17.434-04:00Oil Country September 19, 2018Today we left Las Cruces, New Mexico at 8:20 am(MT) continuing a south east direction. Rather than driving on I-10 through El Paso, Texas we took a route around the city that many other RVers use. Tom had the directions written out and I read each step as we skirted around the city. We finally reconnected with I-10, continuing on that route until we picked up I-20. Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-33502391300933914522018-09-19T22:50:00.001-04:002018-09-20T21:53:14.213-04:00Tucson, Arizona and Las Cruces, New Mexico September 17 & 18, 2018Monday, September 17, we left Camp Verde at 8:22 am heading south on I 17 to Phoenix. Tom had made an appointment at a Cummins Coach Care to have our exhaust problem looked at. They were not certain they would be able to do the job. We were to be there at 11am. We arrived about 10 am and had to wait until their break period was over at 10:20. Looking over the problemLeahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-17465961610025726982018-09-16T20:39:00.001-04:002018-09-16T23:39:07.564-04:00Camp Verde and Sedona September 15 & 16, 2018
Saturday morning, September 15, we had a delayed start. Tom drove to a hardware store to get some necessary supplies to patch the exhaust pipe until we are able to get it repaired and then he set to work patching the pipe. (Tom posting; I was so busy making the temporary exhaust pipe repair that I did not take any pictures during the patching repairs. I used two layers of Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-35938297096227357892018-09-16T20:35:00.001-04:002018-09-16T23:26:16.997-04:00Williams, Arizona and Grand Canyon September 13 & 14, 2018
Thursday, September 13, we left Sun Valley at 9am continuing on I40 west. Tom had seen that Flagstaff had a Sam’s Club and thought he would get fuel there. We had the directions in the GPS but when we arrived the GPS did not alert us as to what side Sam’s Club was so, of course, we were on the wrong side and there was lots of traffic. So we had to find a place to turn around.&Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-54414586246726845082018-09-14T01:07:00.001-04:002018-09-14T01:07:56.563-04:00Petrified Forest National Park- September 11 & 12, 2018Tuesday, September 11, a day of remembrance of the horrific terrorist attack 17 years ago on our wonderful country, had us on the move.  Leaving Albuquerque at 8:43 am we continued westward on I 40 for 215 miles to a spot on the map called Sun Valley, Arizona, just east of Holbrook.  The views along the way were often of red stone cliffs and off in the distance mile long trains.  Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-64294658173696977732018-09-10T20:02:00.000-04:002018-09-10T21:29:16.999-04:00Albuquerque, New Mexico- September 10, 2918Monday (9/10) we were on the road by 8:35 am, Central Time, continuing west on I 40. Before leaving Amarillo we made a fuel stop at Sam's Club where diesel was about $.50 per gallon cheaper than other stations in the area ($2.759/gallon). Traveling westward from Amarillo the large windmills were off in the distance and then buttes and mesas appeared.
The Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-54578589479585167152018-09-09T18:35:00.001-04:002018-09-09T23:21:03.017-04:00Amarillo, Texas September 8 & 9, 2018Saturday morning (8th) we departed Oklahoma City a little before 8:30 am and continued our travels westward for 284 miles to Amarillo, Texas. We arrived at the Oasis RV Resort about 1:15 pm.
Traveling on I 40 from the east of Amarillo to the western area where the campground was located was slow moving as there was major construction being done on I 40. We got set up in ourLeahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-84007556252493713532018-09-07T19:29:00.001-04:002018-09-08T22:43:32.121-04:00Oklahoma City September 7, 2018Today, Friday, September 7, we drove into Oklahoma City with our first stop at the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum. We were both filled with emotion as we walked through the rooms that told the story and the horror that the people of Oklahoma City faced that day in 1995. And then there are stories of the rescue and recovery efforts that occurred with help from outside Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-55045289358099590292018-09-06T20:12:00.001-04:002018-09-06T21:05:19.681-04:00Nashville and Onward September 4-6, 2018September 4th, Tuesday, we drove into the city of Nashville. Our first stop was at the Parthenon which is an exact replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece that was erected for an 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition representing Nashville as the “Athens of the South”. Art is displayed on the lower level.
Within the main hall a 14 foot 10 inch Athena holding Nike, Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-2520035485943032552018-09-06T20:10:00.003-04:002018-09-06T20:59:56.316-04:00Forsyth, Georgia and Stone Mountain September 1-3, 2018Saturday, September 1, we drove several miles outside of the Forsyth to Jarrell Plantation Historical Site.
This middle class plantation was in the Jarrell family for more than 140 years. It was a typical southern plantation covering about 600 acres growing cotton and dealing in slaves. On this day that we visited exhibits of making biscuits and corn breadLeahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-26297403394559181522018-09-01T15:43:00.001-04:002018-09-06T20:00:19.149-04:00The Start of a Fall Excursion August 28-31,2018Tuesday, August 28th, we left home a little before 8am to go to the storage lot to pick up the motorhome to go out on a fall excursion. But before traveling from Florida, we had to head further south to Fort Myers, a distance of 220 miles. Our motorhome had the factory installed Diamond Shield which had started to show a brown mold developing, a common occurrence.
Ugly Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-1873105989290990062018-07-05T17:52:00.000-04:002018-07-06T20:36:22.627-04:00Independence Day and Home, July 4 & 5, 2018Wednesday, July 4th, Independence Day, for the four of us started with breakfast and then swimming at the campground pool. The campground had a complimentary lunch of barbecue pork chops, mac and cheese, Cole slaw, baked beans, and fruit from 12 noon until 2 pm. We got there about 1 pm to find out there was only 2 pork chops left and 2 hamburgers so that is what we had along with the sides.Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-32485460277765868712018-07-05T17:28:00.001-04:002018-07-06T20:32:28.108-04:00Heading South to Tampa, Florida, June 25- July 3, 2018Monday, June 25th, Tom and I left Gettysburg a little before 9am and began our travels south. About 11:30am we were in the Stafford, Virginia area where we met up with Todd and Beth to pick up our 2 youngest grandkids, Parker and Gabi, to take along to Florida. Traveling a little further down I 95 we made our stop for the night in Emporia, Virginia at exit 17 to stay at Jellystone Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-69659636448604835612018-06-24T16:54:00.000-04:002018-07-06T20:43:31.688-04:00Alumni Banquet, Church and Lunch with Friends June 23 & 24, 2018Saturday, June 23, was a rainy, damp day. We made a run to a grocery store in preparation for our trip heading south on Monday. In the evening, we went to Pleasant Valley Fire Hall for my high school alumni banquet. Taneytown High School's last class graduating class was 50 years ago in 1968. Our classes were nothing in comparison to the classes today. Forty two Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-51488406510218975642018-06-22T19:56:00.001-04:002018-06-23T09:43:19.581-04:00Reunion, Graduation and Gettysburg June 15-22, 2018 Friday to FridayAt 9:30 am on Friday, June 15th, we left Jellystone Park and traveled 133 miles to Todd and Beth's home in Stafford, Virginia. We are able to park the motorhome in their driveway. We spent the afternoon and evening visiting with everyone. Beth's mother and aunt was visiting from New York, all in preparation for the next days graduation activities. Parker and Gabi,our Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-76937306159455843292018-06-14T21:15:00.000-04:002018-06-22T20:58:49.532-04:00Northern Travels for Celebrations and Reunions June 12 -14, 2018June is the month for high school graduations and, this year, we have 2 grandkids in Virginia graduating. We planned to get away on Monday, June 11th, but unfortunately Tom had been sick all weekend with an upper respiratory infection and on Monday was seen at an Urgent Care facility. After getting started on medication he was ready to start traveling Tuesday, June 12. We Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13791911072767157647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-29826721558535797152018-05-19T15:32:00.000-04:002018-05-19T15:32:10.358-04:00Back to Rome and the Long Trip Home - May 7, 2018
Monday, we were up early for breakfast as
we had to be ready at 8 a.m. to leave the ship.
Our waiting area was the evening dining room and we were called shortly
after 8 to go off to the tent to claim our luggage. We then processed to the waiting buses for
our transport to the airport, a little more than an hour away. The check in was uneventful and we were on
the plane Tom and Leah Van de Busschehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317033625217360199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-1287183535792517272018-05-19T10:17:00.003-04:002018-05-20T15:23:56.235-04:00Naples, Italy - May 6, 2018
May 6, Sunday, our last day on the cruise and we
were docked in Naples, Italy.
Eight of our group assembled on the dock at 8:30
a.m. and the caught a ferry to the isle of Capri.
After a 40 minute ferry ride we found taxis
that toured us around the island, 20 Euros/person.
Faraglioni Cliff Isle of Capri
Randa can I Buy this Car?
BruceTom and Leah Van de Busschehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317033625217360199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32977108.post-505494933685388652018-05-19T09:56:00.003-04:002018-05-20T17:45:26.385-04:00Day at Sea - May 5, 2018May 5, Saturday, our
second and last day that was spent at sea.
A leisurely day that started with breakfast whenever but we were eating
about the usual time between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.
I still am dealing with this cold so after breakfast we returned to the
cabin to read and relax. Tom has started
coughing a little more and others in our group are also dealing with the same
Tom and Leah Van de Busschehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317033625217360199noreply@blogger.com