Slide Floor Completed But.... Friday, July 20, 2012

After eating breakfast Tom walked up to the Service Center to check if we would be getting in today to have the slide floor  replaced.  We could see  there was a motorhome in that bay having their floor replaced.  We were to be next and would get in today.  We knew that by getting in we would be finished today and would be able to start for home and Tom would make his Monday doctor's appointment.  Tom was stranded in the Service Center when the skies opened up and rain poured for about 30 minutes.  We got busy emptying out the drawers and cupboards in the slide.  At 10:30am the call came for us to move in Bay 1, the slide floor replacement bay, and in 15 minutes we were in place. 

A crew of 4 men immediately started working.  The molding trim was removed.  A couch and the refrigerator was moved out of the slide into the interior of the motorhome.

The electric connects had to be disconnected.

 A lift was attached around the slide, the slide unbolted from the mechanisms that move the slide in and out and then the slide is hoisted out.

 After the slide was removed the motorhome with a huge hole in the side is moved to the next bay.

The slide is then laid down on padded work horses and the old floor removed.

 A new floor with the rollers attached is then attached to the slide.

 And the the steps are reversed putting the slide back in.

 These 4 men doing the work really have a pattern and work so well as a team that it was an enjoyable afternoon.  There are 4 slides on our motorhome.  Three of the 4 slide floors are made by Tiffin, the 4th slide floor is not and that is the problem floor.  The replacement floor is made by Tiffin.  I questioned one of the men as to why this floor was outsourced and he said "that's just the way it was done".

  During the process it was noticed that something was not quite right with the slide mechanism and it was found that the gears that run the side arms in and out had teeth missing and bent, so a new gear box was installed.

 It was noticed that something was dripping in the rear of the motorhome and we were told that it was transmission fluid coming from a seal.  At this point we knew that we would  not be leaving Red Bay today.  Tom called the doctor's office to reschedule his appointment and started making calls to see where we could get service for this leak next week.  Tom had also been in contact with the supervisor in the mechanical area of the Service Center about what was thought to be the problem.  The supervisor, Greg Dees, checked out the area on the floor where the motorhome had been for the leaking fluid and said that was not transmission fluid but coolant leaking.  That was a relief.  This problem could be dealt with here on Monday.  The transmission fluid leaking would have needed to be handled by an authorized Allison  facility since it is an Allison transmission still under warranty and the local diesel service center here in Red Bay does not meet that requirement .

Since we were staying longer to have this coolant leak checked out Tom asked that the propane tank sensor problem also be put back on the docket to be looked into.  We are scheduled on Monday morning to pull over to the parking lot outside the mechanical bay area where the propane will be burned off and the problem fixed.  The motorhome will at some point be pulled into the mechanical bay to have a clamp tightened that is believed to be the cause of the leaking coolant.

And we will be spending another weekend in exciting Red Bay, Alabama.  This is fast becoming an unfavorable spot for us.

The Waiting Game Begins- Thursday, July 19,2012

At 7am we were in Bay 42 getting the air filter and canister replaced,  This was completed by a little past 9am.  We returned to our campsite, hoping that we would get called to the bay to have our slide floor replaced but that did not happen.  Tom did talk with the scheduling person, Billy, and was told that we would probably go in tomorrow (Friday) morning.  So we spent the remainder of the day keeping cool, as it was another 90plus temperature day, and reading.  It is very frustrating being here noy knowing just when we will get finished and be able to move on.  Tom has a doctor's appointment on Monday that we made feeling certain we would be able to be home by that time but then we didn't know about this slide floor.  If we are able to finish by Friday evening we could get home in time for his appointment.  At the close of the service center on Thursday evening we had not received word telling us to move into the slide floor bay.

Motorhome Work Continues- July 18, 2012

Today, Wednesday, we received a call about 10am telling us to go to the work bay (#39) to have the jacks checked. The automatic hydraulic jacks has been real sluggish retracting often needing Tom to get out a 2x4 board and assist. The left front jack was the worst. The motorhome was put on a lift, the jacks were checked and then the problem left front jack was replaced.

 We then returned back to our campsite knowing we would going into the mechanical bay next whenever that was. We knew that we would not be pulled in there until after the lunch break (11:20-12noon) so we went to the local Mexican restaurant for our lunch. About 12:30pm we got a call telling us to come to Bay 42, the mechanical bay. In our travels on this trip we had a dash light to come on briefly indicating something awry again with DEF sensor and on consultation it was felt something may have been incorrectly connected that caused a problem with hot weather. We were advised to have that looked into when we came here for warranty work. So that was checked out and adjustment was made.

The air filter and canister was damaged when Tom backed into the pole in January so they needed to replaced but the end of the workday came and we were told to be in the bay at 7am tomorrow morning to have that done.

This evening the skies became dark as big black clouds moved over.  Sounds of thunder rumbled around and then the rain started.  Rain is predicted to continue all night and there could be up to 3 inches.  Thankfully we are not having any strong winds.  And the grounds around here were beginning to get dried out from the last rain.  This area does need rain as the grass and fields were looking brown when we first got to this area.

Last 2 Days in Bay 47

Yesterday, Monday, we were back into Bay 47 at 7am with Jonathan, the tech. Our steps would not retract when we left on Friday. Another tech had stopped by to talk to Tom at the close of the work and when we started up to back out the steps were not working. Jonathan had left for the day so we just had to carefully drive to our site and wait for this morning. The sensor that causes the steps to operate had been moved with the inside step repair so it was just a matter of readjusting that sensor's location. The front slide on the passenger side was in need of being adjusted as a roller was out of place. And then Tom has been bothered with a noise in the front as he drives so we took a ride with Jonathan. He tightened up some screws in the dash hoping that was the problem at the end of the work day. Tom and I as we left the bay for the evening took the motorhome for a drive and the noise was still there. When we returned to our campsite and extended the slides out, the front slide on the passenger side that had been adjusted on this day had a piece of molding to pop off.

This morning again at 7am we were back in Bay 47 with Jonathan and the first order of business was the molding that came off yesterday. So with the help of a woodwork/cabinet tech it was reattached. The front end noise was then attended to beginning with another road test. During the ride Jonathan asked if we had any tape which he used to cover up some weep hole vents on the window which solved the problem. Back in the shop Jonathan removed the tape and inserted material to take care of the problem. We were finished in Bay 47 but we have some specialized bays we need to go to when we are scheduled.

Since we were back in our campsite about 11am we knew we would not be pulled into another bay before lunchtime. So we went out for out lunch at the Piggly Wiggly grocery store. In the rear of the store there is a small cafeteria line with a room for dining. Tom had pork chops, greens and baked sweet potato and I had an Italian seasoned chicken breast with the same sides as Tom- each dinner was $4.69 (total bill was $14.41 with drinks) and the food was pretty good. Returning back to the campground we were in a waiting period so we just chilled out. About 2pm the glass man came by and asked if we could move over to his bay to have our windshield resealed.

We were in this bay until 3:15pm and returned to our campsite with the windshield repair done. Now we wait to hear from the mechanical tech, the techs that will be dealing with a floor problem on a side and a tech to deal with the propane tank sensor that is not measuring. It doesn't look like we will be moving as early if at all tomorrow.

A Day in Tupelo- Sunday- July 15, 2012

We decided to go to Tupelo today. There really is not too much in Tupelo, except for the Elvis birthplace that we visited in January, that is unlike any other town. We went to a shopping mall about 11am and only a few stores were open at that time- Barnes and Noble and Belk's. Gradually more stores opened and I believe by 12:30pm almost all were finally opened. We did a little shopping but more browsing about the stores. We made stops at Walmart and Sam's Club to replenish some food items and to get some greeting cards. We have learned that several members of the Traveling Americans are having health issues and wanted to send cards to them. We looked for a Mexican restaurant on the GPS. The first one on the GPS was not where it was to be or is no longer in business. So we moved on to the next one in a little town from Tupelo, Los Compadres Restaurant, and had a very nice meal. There were large clouds in the sky much of the day but storms did not brew up like yesterday.

Let me talk about some folks that we have met here in the Tiffin campground. We saw a South Dakota licensed motorhome with a name sign in the front window and the hometown was Westminster, Maryland. A few evenings later the occupants were sitting outside and we stopped to talk with them. They are Steve and Kate Spence and are now living the fulltime lifestyle after selling their home in Westminster.
Another interesting meeting was again on a walk about the campground. A woman and her granddaughter were pushing a stroller around with a little dog in the stroller. The woman said that the dog really enjoyed riding but was not allowed to walk as "other dogs walk around here and poop" and she didn't want her dog to "pick up parasites". We later noticed that there is a second dog and that the dogs are put outside in an enclosed pen with a rug covering the ground.
Such is life on the road- you find out what a small world we live in and what seems to our way of thinking to be strange behavior.

Unexciting Day in Red Bay, Alabama-July 14, 2012

Today, Saturday, the Tiffin service center is closed so we were not bound by any schedules. So we have just took a walk this morning and then read. There is a new restaurant in Red Bay- 4th Street Grille and Steakhouse- that we tried this afternoon. Another restaurant was located at the same place this winter that we did not care for. This Grille and Steakhouse seems to be quite an improvement. We had thought about doing a couple of things that were some distance away but the early morning sunny skies were turning into skies with heavy dark clouds. So we just stayed at the campground and sure enough about 5pm the thunderstorms began. We did have a visitor this afternoon, Chris Wright (the young man that did the body work on the motorhome). He had told us when we left his place on Wednesday that he would stop around in a day or 2 to be sure his work looked alright with the rainy weather we were having while he was doing the work and since then. All is well and we are very pleased with the work.

Bay 47 Work Continues- Friday, July 13, 2012

After some rain last night there seems to be a clearing today with the sun shining once again. As we brought in the slide on the driver's side this morning in preparation for going into bay 47, the gasket that was needing to be replaced really became unfixed. So we told Jonathan, the tech, and he said he would replace it today instead of waiting until the slider floor was repaired.

Like yesterday Jonathan had to wait for supplies to be brought to him before getting started. He finished working on the steps after there was not any evidence of water in that area. A new tread was put on the bottom step. We had some molding that was loose and on inspection it was never attached properly so that was done. I made a comment about the workmanship from the factory to the techs and they responded that the factory deals in quantity and this area deals in quality. The factory puts out 13 motorhomes a day. I also reminded them that we didn't buy these RVs to spend time here but to travel. I must say that the Jonathan has been very thorough with his workmanship.

This afternoon the gasket on the slideout was replaced and then at 3:30pm we returned to the campground until Monday morning.

Tiffin Work Begins- July 12, 2012- Thursday

As scheduled we pulled into Bay 47 before 7am this morning so that the warranty work on our motorhome could begin.  Our tech, Jonathan, looked over the punch list that we had assembled, ordered parts, waited for parts to be delivered and then began working.  With the rain continuing the areas being addressed first are water related.  The outside yellow lights above the windshield needed to be replaced as they had water in them and we were getting some drops of water inside on the dash.

The factory uses a sealant around these lights that dries out, the motion of the motorhome traveling causes the sealant to fail and then the leaks begin.  In the repair facility that we are in a different sealant is used that handles the motorhome movement and supposedly will not fail as the other sealant.   (One has to wonder why not use this on the initial construction in order to prevent needing to do this repair later on?)
A doorway leak in the stairwell  has caused discoloration of the carpet on the sides of the stairwell, in fact, we have had mushrooms growing out of this carpeted area.  The carpet has been torn away from the walls and the wood is being replaced from the step and on the sidewalls.

New carpet on the stairwell walls was installed also.
The gasket around the slide on the driver’s side  was inspected and is need of being replaced and the floor needs to be replaced due to water damage. 

 The slide will need to be taken out in order to do that repair.  These repairs will be done later as we will need to go to another bay for this work.
At 3:30pm we left the bay for today and will be returning tomorrow.

Red Bay Monsoon- July 11, 2012- Wednesday

It rained all night and continued this morning.  We had an appointment this morning at 9am at Bay Diesel to have the motorhome serviced.  This appointment Tom had set up after getting the Tiffin appointment set up before leaving home.  So again we pulled in the slides and were on our way.  Tom was there a little before 9 and they immediately directed him into a service bay to begin their work.  About 10:15am the work was completed at Bay Diesel.  So we were now returning to Chris Wright so he could buff his repair work.
Chris finished up his work a little past 1pm and we again returned back to Tiffin campground.

We did go out for some lunch.  We had been told about a couple of restaurants in a neighboring town but as luck would be both places were closed so we ended up at a Sonic’s for hot dogs.  In the early evening we got a call informing us that in the morning-6:45am- we were to go to bay 47 for our appointment.  The rain has continued off and on all day.  At one point the skies became real dark and threatening but only rain resulted, thankfully.

Red Bay, Alabama- July 10, 2012- Tuesday

Sunday we got an early start and left Biloxi a little before 8am.  We knew we would be traveling 370 plus miles to Red Bay, Alabama and the Tiffin motorhome factory.  Our travels were mostly on 2 lane state routes in scenic wooded areas with a few small towns.  We arrived at our destination about 3pm after a brief stop in Tuscaloosa for lunch at a Wendy’s.   The Tiffin Campground looked pretty well filled when we arrived but there was still room for a few more.  We checked in and got an assigned site where we set up.  An appointment had been scheduled some time ago for Thursday the 12th.  We had a yellow engine light to come on when we were on our way to Biloxi and after Tom had consulted with someone (Nathan) at Tiffin he was told that when we got to the factory to call Nathan and he would get to the problem.

On Monday morning Tom called Nathan and he was now told that when we are pulled into the bay for our scheduled appointment that the problem would be addressed at that time.  Then Tom checked to see if by any chance we would be pulled into the service area before our scheduled appointment and was told we would not be going in on Monday for sure.  So then Tom called Chris Wright, a young man that does body work on motorhomes, that Tom had contacted before we left home.  In January when were here Tom backed into a pole at a propane dealer and we had some damage that needed to be fixed. 

We had attempted to get this repaired at home but the weather became a factor and we didn’t get that done.  Chris came to the campground, estimated the cost, and then had us follow him to his residence a few miles from the Tiffin campground to start the work.  We were able to stay in the motorhome as he worked.  We did leave about noon to get lunch at a local restaurant and make a stop at the grocery store.   About 6pm we finally were able to return to the campground but Chris was not finished so we would be returning.
Today, Tuesday, we did return to Chris’ about noontime as he had a doctor’s appointment in the morning.  Again after getting the motorhome in position for him to work on it we left to go for lunch.  Chris worked all afternoon with applying fiberglass,sanding and then spray painting.

Towards evening the skies really darkened and then the rain began.  And the watching paint dry began.  Finally at 8pm we were free to return to the Tiffin Campground for the night.

Last Day in Biloxi- Saturday, July 7, 2012

Today was our last day in Biloxi as we will be going to Red Bay, Alabama tomorrow. After breakfast we again went down to the beach for the morning. The day started out to be very cloudy but it wasn't until we decided to leave the beach thyat we felt a couple of sprinkles of rain. Being a Saturday the beach had a few more people on it but still not crowded.

Returning to the motorhome and getting showered we took off for lunch. We returned to McElroy's on the Bayou but we had an unattentive waitress that did not make our experience this trip as pleasurable as the first time we ate here. The food was good inspite of the waitress. After lunch we went on a scavenger hunt, of sorts. When we had stopped at the Visitor's Center crossing from Alabama into Mississippi as we came to Biloxi we were given a post card that we were to get 6 footprint stamps at various locations along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. There were 3 distinct areas and we had to get 2 stamps from each area. The first area we went was Ocean Springs, east of Biloxi. Ocean Springs has a lot of art stores and museums and it was from 2 museums that were on the list that we got those 2 stamps. The next area was the Biloxi area. We had gone to the Visitor's Centere there several days ago and had gotten a stamp from there so we only needed to get another which we did at another art museum. The last area was 30 plus miles to the west in the Kiln area. This time we stopped at a county park, McLeod Park, and then at the Lazy Magnolia brewery. We had filled up our card so now all we need to do is send it in and wait to see if it gets drwan for a new Jeep Wrangler- not holding our breath for that! It turned out to be fun and interesting but we probably should have done this earlier in our visit here. When talking with the folks in these establisnments we learned new things about the areas but we'll have to keep those things in mind if we visit here another time.

Our stay here in Biloxi has been enjoyable. For an area along the Gulf it has never felt over run with traffic. The campground that we are in, Cajun RV Park, has never been entirely filled and I believe that to be the case with other campgrounds. The beach areas have never been crowded- of course, there are 26 miles of beach here so people are able to spread out.

Enjoying the Biloxi Area

The past few days we have just been spending leisure days in the Biloxi area. Wednesday, July 4th, Independence Day, we spent in the campground except for lunch at the "Hog Heaven" restaurant, a barbeque and blues spot. In the evening we went to the front of the campground to watch the fireworks. And fireworks there were--everywhere along the beach fireworks were going off. There was a designated area for the city of Biloxi to be setting off fireworks but indiviuals who apparently had money to burn were also setting off the fireworks. The popping and banging started before dark and continued until at least midnight.

Thursday we checked out a souvenir store and found the usual stuff- nothing to get excited about. We stopped into the Hard Rock and Margaritaville Casinos just briefly without doing any gambling. And then went to Wal-Mart for a few groceries. In the evening we took a nice walk along the beach and saw all the trash left from the 4th's fireworks. I guess one day there will be a ban on fireworks here and these folks that trashed up the beach will wonder why.

Today, Friday, we spent the morning on the beach. The water temperature is really warm and we were able to walk quite a ways from the shore before the water reached our bathing suits. The gulf waters were very calm when we first were on the beach but then the wind kicked up and the wave action became a little stronger but nothing like the ocean waves. The water continues to be a little murky. After a couple hours on the beach we returned to the motorhome and showered. We then went to a seafood restaurant, McElroy's, located along the beach. We had eaten last week at McElroy's on the Bayou- these restaurants are owned by the same people, the menu and food much the same at both places but we liked the Bayou location better. The views out across the bayou just seems more interesting than out across the gulf.

The weather continues to be hot as it is across the country. Temperatures are in the mid to upper 90's each day. Had some threats of rain and a few showers at night a couple of times.

Exploring the Coast Along Mobile Bay

Yesterday, July 2, 2012, we hopped into the Jeep and drove east to the Mobile, Alabama area. We stopped at a Visitor Center and got some information about this area. Bellingrath Gardens and House was our first stop as we traveled down the western shore of Mobile Bay. Walter, a Coca-Cola bottler, and Bessie Bellingrath were the owners and establishers of this beautiful piece of property. It is located along the Fowl River, a brackish water tributary of Mobile Bay. The Bellingrath's did not have any children so prior to Mr. Bellingrath's death in 1955 a foundation was set up to oversee the gardens and house as a permanent memorial to his wife who had died in 1943. Walking about the gardens is a self guided tour but the house is a scheduled guided tour. The gardens are planted 4 times throughout the year. The gardens as we saw them had plantings of coleus, impatients, hydranges and other bright summer flowers.

The rose garden was in full bloom.

Huge Live Oak trees and Magnolia trees are growing throughout the property as well as flowering Crepe Myrtles.

The 15 room house that was completed in 1935 still houses Mrs. Bellingrath's collections of furniture, silver, porcelain and crystal.

Picture taking is not allowed in the house. Some additions to the property since the death of the owners are the Asian-American Garden and the Exxon Mobil Bayou Boardwalk. Despite the very hot, upper 90's, temperature and high humidity it was worth the several hours that we spent on this beautiful property. We decided at this point to eat a late lunch/early dinner and return to Biloxi. We ate at a restaurant, Pelican Reef- Tom had a grouper dinner and I had a filet of Trigger fish stuffed with crab stuffing with a shrimp sauce over it. Both of us enjoyed this food. Today, the 3rd of July, we started out at the farmers market in Biloxi. Lots of produce but expensive. Watermelons were $5-$6 and bananas $.60/pound. (Walmart has watermelons for $3.45 and bananas for $.55/pound). I did buy some fresh figs something I have never eaten. After the market we then took off for the eastern shore area of Mobile. This area was much heavier with traffic than the traffic on the western shore since this is the route most use to get down to the beaches of the Gulf Shores. There are many towns along the way. We stopped in Fairhope, a town known for its art and antique shops. We continued southward with stop and go traffic through the town of Foley and onto the Gulf Shores where we turned toward the east across a narrow strip of land that separates Mobile Bay from the Gulf. A ferry had to be taken to Dauphin Island and then we could travel up the western shore to Biloxi.

We ate a early dinner on Dauphin Island at Barnacle Bill's. Their special which we both had was "Royal Reds", a large, red shrimp that are in the deeper parts of the bay only at certain times during the season. The shrimp are boiled and served with drawn butter, boiled potatoes, corn on the cob and cole slaw.

These shrimp had a sweet taste very similar to lobster. Returning to the motorhome we had a thunderstorm followed by popping of firecrackers.

Biloxi, Ms.- July 1, 2012

It's a lazy, hot Sunday morning in Biloxi. The campground has thinned out somewhat but I guess many will stay the week since the 4th is on Wednesday. We are planning to be here until next Saturday. We have spent the past 2 days looking around Biloxi. Tom spent a week down here after Hurricane Katrina with a group from our church rehabbing homes. We drove by the house that Tom had been working on. It was, and we can only guess speculate still is, owned by a Vietnamese family. Many home sites are still vacant except for the concrete slabs that the homes were built on. And there continues to be construction going on. We stopped by a pier where local shrimp boaters were selling shrimp off the boats.

We may return later in the week to get some shrimp to take home. We went to the Katrina Memorial, a structure that is the height of the storm surge from that storm.

There is a listing of those Gulf Coast individuals that died in the storm engraved on the wall. Crepe Myrtles are in bloom everywhere along this coastline. We saw a poultry and seafood market and stopped to check it out. Lots of seafood- shrimp, all kinds of fresh fish, scallops and assorted crabs- and the only poultry was frozen. We bought some shrimp and scallops and then made seafood pasta back at the motorhome. Yummy!!

The beaches are of white sand. We learned that the beaches are not natural but were constructed to make this area desirable for tourism. Walking along the beach the water continues to look dirty we can only guess that is the effect of Hurricane Debby churning up the Gulf waters. We'll see if in a few days the water becomes clearer.

Moving South to Biloxi, Mississippi

On Wednesday, June 27th, we left Cave City continuing down I-65 into Alabama. Most of this highway traverses through rolling wooded hills. We did travel through Nashville, Huntsville and Birmingham on I-65 with little problem. We stopped for the night at a campground south of Birmingham, Birmingham South Campground. A nice campground but a little pricey- it was $44.12 for one night ( the previous campground in Cave City, Ky. cost us $32.00 for 2 nights with a Passport America discount and both had full hook-ups with 50 amps electric). We had a pull through site that we did not have to unhook the Jeep for the night so we decided after seeing an ad in the campground information paper of a Johnny Ray's barbecue joint that would deliver to order dinner from there. Well- Tom called and asked for delivery, they had to check if there was someone there to make the delivery, then he tried to order catfish dinner for me and was told "we don't have catfish" which was on their website menu. At this point Tom told them to forget it and I cooked dinner. We had planned to go to the Mobile, Alabama area to hang out for about a week but it seemed that was not to be. Hurricane Debby was spinning around Florida and we were hesitant to make any reservations for fear that if Debby continued west the Gulf coast could be in jeopardy. So when we tried to find a campground inb Mobile after the threat of Debby had passed there was no room. We then started going into Mississippi Gulf coast area and we found sites in Biloxi, Ms. Thursday morning, the 28th, we continued further south on I-65 to Montgomery and the southwest to Mobile. I-65 ends in the Mobile, Al. area and at that point we connected with I-10 west into Mississippi and the Biloxi area. We had reserved a site at the Cajun RV Park that is located across the Gulf Highway from the beach area. It is an older park but well maintained and does have some trees around- but like a lot of campgrounds there is an active train track close by and Kessler Air Force Base has planes flying overhead. Oh, well,these things never seem to bother us too much. In the evening we drove around looking for a seafood restaurant for dinner and found McElroy's on the Bayou. We had really nice dinners of broiled shrimp and scallops while looking out across the bayou- good food and a nice location.

Bowling Green, Ky. and More Caves- June 26, 2012

Today we drove south about 30 miles in the Jeep to Bowling Green.  The Corvette plant is located here and we were going to tour that facility.  We had taken the tour several years ago but as with everything things change.  There are now just certain times in the day that the tours are scheduled- we were about an hour and half too early for the next scheduled tour.  And there is now a $7.00 per person charge- I guess this is helping GM in their financial recovery effort. So we opted to do something else.

We drove around the city of Bowling Green and when we saw a Sam's Club we stopped to pick up a few items and then a stop at Walgreen's.  We decided to go to the Lost River Cave but thought we had better get lunch before doing so.  Not surprising we found a Mexican restaurant and had our lunch and then to the Lost River Cave.  The Lost River Cave is a privately owned cave unlike the Mammoth Cave run by the National Park services.  The tour is more expensive, less informative and shorter than the tour at Mammoth.  But it was a different experience as we were on boats that went a short distance into the cave.  This cave is also a wet cave that has the beginnings of stalactites.  Jesse James and his gang used the cave as a hide out.  Outside of the cave there are several blue holes, pools of water that is blue due to the the rock sediment.  A trail to a Butterfly Garden took us to an enclosed flower garden with hundreds butterflies flitting around on the pretty flowers.

The weather today was just perfect, bright blue skies, low humidity and temperatures in the low 80's.  Tomorrow it is forecasted to change to higher humidity and temperatures reaching into the 100's by week's end. After returning to the campground we walked about the grounds in the evening.  This is a nice campground that honors Passport America membership which is half the usual price and we would certainly return if in the area.  The owners are very friendly and helpful.  Tomorrow we will be moving on, not sure where but a little further south toward Mobile, Alabama.

"The Rally" to Cave City

"The Rally" kept us busy from Thursday(6/21) evening until Sunday(6/24) evening. Thursday evening we were entertained by the Gatlin Brothers. Friday evening Burt Bacharach entertained us with his beautiful music as he played the piano along with other musicians while 2 young ladies and a young man sang many of the songs. The entertainment Saturday evening was Cheryl Crowe and her very loud ensemble. And the last evening a professional Elvis impersonator entertained along with several rally attendees that also did an Elvis impersonation- the professional was the best but a couple of the amateurs didn't sound bad. During the day we were attending seminars pertaining to RV's and history of the area and, of course, checking out the vendors' wares. It was a nice rally and the Louisville Exposition Center made it pleasurable as everything was indoors in air conditioning. It was hot everyday with outside temperatures in the 90's. We had electric that allowed us to run one air conditioner, not the best but better than only being allowed to run the generator from 7am to 11pm. Sunday afternoon we took a break from the rally and went out on the Ohio River on the Belle of Louisville, a steam powered paddle boat. We had made reservations earlier in the week along with a group of Maryland Good Sammers and our friend from Tennessee, Lois Howard. The 2 hour excursion on the river included a buffet lunch which included fried chicken, roast beef and ham along with salads and other side dishes and pie for dessert. This morning, Monday, we left the rally grounds at 7:30am. The electric was being turned off at 7am so we decided to leave early and get to a campground about 85 miles south and then eat our breakfast. We had made reservations at a campground in Cave City, Ky, Singing Hills Campground. When we arrived, about 9am (actually it was 8am as we had entered Central Time Zone), our site was still occupied so we were directed to park next to an old barn and I then fixed breakfast. Shortly after eating breakfast and washing dishes, our site emptied out and we got settled. It was time to get some laundry done. Between loads of laundry we both fell asleep- rallying can be a little exhausting. By noon time we were ready to get out and see the area. We went to Mammouth Cave National Park and took the Historic Ranger Led Tour. This 2-hour tour of 2 miles included 440 stairs. Unlike most other caves Mammouth is a dry cave and does not have pretty formations but it is huge with 392 miles of passageways, the longest known cave in the world. We are now back in the motorhome recouperating from our Mammouth Cave workout.

“The Rally” at Louisville- June 20, 2012

We got an early start this morning and pulled out of our camping site at 7:45am.  We had to stop at the dump before leaving the campground since we did not have sewer hook-up and we needed empty black and gray tanks before going into the rally.  We then stopped for fuel, had a tight squeeze getting out of the gas station necessitating us to disconnect the Jeep and then reconnecting once out of the station.  These things occasional happen- thankfully we have not had many of these occurrences.  We only had a 61 mile trip and we were on the Louisville Exposition Center grounds before 10 am and parked about 20 minutes later.  We were parked in the electric section but our energy management system would not allow the electric to come into the coach due to too high voltage.  So an electrician was summoned, responded to correct the problem with the area generator and we then were able to receive the electric.  We had to catch a tram to go to the area for registration.  After registering we saw some folks from Maryland- Esthermay Brooks and Woody Woodruff with his dog, Penny- Woody is a Traveling American member also.

Returning back to the motorhome and feeling hungry we jumped into the Jeep and went in search of a barbeque restaurant.  We found a place called Mark’s Feed Store and had a nice lunch.  The waitress suggested fried pickles, an appetizer, so we gave them a try.  Not bad but don’t know that I would get them very often.  I had a cup of burgoo, a local stew full of meat and vegetables, and a pork sandwich.  Tom had a pork dinner- lots of pork, cole slaw and fries.  We both had more than we could eat so brought part of a pork sandwich and pork back to the motorhome to have later.

As we were returning to the motorhome from lunch, we saw Woody and his wife, Linda, out walking dogs so we stopped by and visited with them.  Their dog, Penny, is a sweet dog that I have spoiled a little with treats so she knows me and I just happened to have treats available to give her some.  They were also dog sitting another dog.   Later in the afternoon we got a call from Lois Howard saying she had gotten onto the grounds and would stop by after she had gotten registered.  We had visited Lois in Tennessee  earlier this year and had talked about coming to this rally.  She did stop by and visited for a short while and then had to get back to her 2 little dogs.  Tomorrow the rally will officially begin and we will be busy going to seminars, going through displays and checking out the vendors wares.

Back on the Road- Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Monday, June 18th, we left home once again with the destination on Wednesday of Louisville, Kentucky for The Rally, a Good Sam rally.  The morning was cool and drizzling rain as we left Taneytown.  Our route of travel took us out through western Maryland and then south through West Virginia on I-79 to I-64.  The coolness continued most of the day in fact we even had some heat on in the motorhome as we traveled.  Showers of rain, at times with thunder and lightning, followed us most of the day until late afternoon.  Once we were in sunshine the temperature went up considerably and we eventually had air conditioning on.  Our travels went through mountainous terrain and sparsely populated areas.  We like to keep our travels to about 300 miles a day but sometimes the availability of campgrounds dictate.  Our stop for the night was at Jim’s Camping in Milton, W. Va. . about 18 miles from Kentucky and more than 360 miles from home.  Jim’s Camping was a small campground but had full hook-ups including 50 amp electric for $25.00.   After setting up we went out to eat at Shonet’s Café, a local eatery.  We ate from the soup and salad bar which had good homemade soups and good salads.

This morning, Tuesday, we continued westward on I-64.  The weather was sunny and very warm, temperature reached close to 90 degrees.  We are scheduled to go into the rally on Wednesday morning so Tom had made reservations at a campground, Elkhorn Campground, in Frankfort, Ky.  We had less than 170 miles to travel today and then about 80 on Wednesday to Louisville.  We arrived in the campground about noon today so we had the afternoon to explore the area.  We ate lunch at the La Fiesta Grande restaurant- Mexican, of course-  first.  Daniel Boone’s grave is in the Frankfort cemetery, at least, the Kentuckians believe his body was relocated here from a cemetery in Missouri.  The Missourians say that the body of Boone’s slave was sent instead and Boone remains in Missouri.  Anyway, we went to the cemetery and saw the grave stone for Daniel and his wife, Rebecca.

 

From the cemetery we could see the capitol building across the Kentucky river so we drove over to that area.  There were beautiful flower gardens on the grounds and a large floral clock.

 

 

  Our last stop this afternoon was at Buffalo Trace Bourbon Distillery, a distillery on the Bourbon Trail across Kentucky and into Tennessee.

 

We went on a tour led by “Freddie”, a gentleman that grew up at the distillery.  The name Buffalo Trace comes from a time when buffalo lived in this part of the country and the site of the distillery, located along the Kentucky River, was the path that the buffalo traveled to cross the river as they moved west.   The warehouse has 10 stories that store the barrels of bourbon for aging and the quality of the bourbon differs from the various levels, the best quality bourbon is on the lowest story, the more inferior quality on the upper stories.  The temperature variance from top to bottom affects the quality.

 

The grounds around the distillery are well groomed and there are numerous flower planters and gardens.

The tour ended with a sampling of  the bourbon.  It was a very interesting tour with a wonderful guide.

Our Busy Schedule Continues

Picking up from the last entry the part that was needed to repair the DEF sensor arrived at the Harrisburg, Pa Cummins repair facility and thanks to a cancellation the repair was made on Wednesday, May 30th. Thursday morning we loaded up the Jeep and went to Harrisburg to get the motorhome and then headed down the road to "Take It Easy Campground" in Callaway, Maryland- southern Maryland. This was a Traveling Americans weekend campout and we had decided that instead of going home for one night we would just go down a day early. Friday Tom and I drove to Point Lookout State Park. The lighthouse is being renovated by a group of private citizens and on this particular day had opened the house for self guided tours. Point Lookout was used during the civil war as a Confederate prison. Prisons were walked from Gettysburg, Pa. down to this prison, a trek of more than 200 miles. Over 3000 prisoners died here. Outside of the state park there is a POW cemetery- the federal government maintains this cemetery but refuses to allow the confederate flag to be flown there so directly behind off government land a confederate flag is flown. Adjacent to the cemetery a memorial to the confederate states was erected flying the various flags of the confederate states. Saturday after breakfast with the group we again struck out. We were drove through the town of Solomons, a beautiful small town on the Chesapeake Bay. We saw the Calvert Marine Museum and decided to take that in. This Cavert County museum was very interesting with stories and displays about life on the water- fishing, crabbing and oystering- as well as the history of slave marketing and tobacco growing in this area. We spent a couple of hours here. The admission allowed us to leave for lunch and then return to finish going through the exhibits. We enjoyed a nice outside lunch at the Captain's Table, a short distance from the museum and located by the water. Saturday evening at the campground the club gathered together for dinner and a campfire afterward. Sunday morning we had a potluck breakfast and then Tom and I quickly left for home. Once we were at home we got the yard mowed and then we went to Virginia to spend the week- Monday to Monday- with our grandchildren while Todd and Beth went to Mexico. Anthony, 12 years old, was with us from Monday until Friday morning, then he went with his grandparents for the weekend until Sunday evening when he returned back to us. Maddy, also 12 years old, was with us from Friday evening until Sunday mornig. Parker, 2 years and 10 months old, and Gabi, 7 months old, were with us the entire time. We spent a part of most every day at a county park where Parker was able to play on playground equipment and Gabi was pushed around in a stroller on nice pathways. Needless to say when Todd and Beth arrived home on Monday night Tom and I were ready to come home. In addition to the kids, there are also dogs, cats, ferrets, frogs and fish to tend to so we were kept quite busy. We are now home and this week is the Firemen's Carnival in town. Tom being a fireman helps out with this fund raiser. Years past I have also helped out but there seems good help this year that I have been staying home preparing for our next trip.

It Has Been Quite Awhile

It seems that we are always busy whether we are traveling or at home. Being at home means that we are going out with our Traveling American Camping Group for weekends just not going out for weeks at a time. The first weekend of each month from April through November a campout is scheduled and when we are home we generally go with the group. The first weekend in May the group camped in Delaware at G & R Campground. We have camped at this campground several times before and enjoy going back to the area. Norm, the owner and manager of the campground, always extends his hospitality to us and accomodates our needs. Tom and I along with Larry and Joanne hosted the Western Theme weekend. For dinner on Saturday evening we had made chili (I made a regular chili and Joanne made a white chili)and the others filled in with salads, rolls and desserts- and some of us donned cowboy hats, boots and clothing for the evening. We had been able to eat breakfast on Saturday outside but then the weather turned chilly and Norm opened up a clubhouse for our use the remainder of the weekend. After that weekend we spent time with doctor/dentist appointments. I believe we are finally caught up for a little while at least. The weekend of Memorial Day we attended the Maryland Good Sam Samboree in Frederick, Md. along with 5 other couples from the Traveling Americans. On Thursday when we started out we realized that there was a problem with the motorhome when a light on the dashboard displayed a yellow warning. Tom called Tiffin and was told that a fuse had blown. So a trip to auto supply store and a new fuse was installed- the first fuse installed blew immediately and the second fuse blew when we got within the city of Frederick. We did get onto the Fairgrounds okay but another call to Tiffin was made and it was deduced that the sensor for the DEF (Diesal Exhaust Fluid)needed to be replaced. Initially, we were told that a tech from a Cummins repair facility would come to us as it felt the problem was too critical for us to travel to a repair facility but later that was changed that we would be able to travel to Harrisburg, Pa. on Monday after the Samboree. So Monday we left Frederick and drove about 80 miles to Harrisburg without any further problems. Since it was a holiday the facility was closed but Tom had been told that we could hook-up to electric which we did. We spent the night there comfortably since we had 50-amp electric to combat the90 plus degrees of outside heat. Tiffin was sending a part to this facility. So Tuesday morning (today) Tom talked to the service manager and found out that the part had not arrived yet but about 10 or 11 am it could arrive. About 10:30 the service manager informed us that it did not arrive so we emptied the refrigerator and gathered up our meds and other necessities along with laundry and loaded these things in the Jeep and headed home. Hopefully, the part will arrive tomorrow as we have plans to camp with the Traveling Americans this coming weekend. The Samboree was a nice time of being with our club members along with other clubs from Maryland and other states. This Samboree seems to getting smaller every year, unfortunately. It is a problem that is occurring in many of these camping groups. Some of the men, Tom included, went golfing on Friday. We went out for dinner each evening with a group of folks and then attended the evening entertainment. During the day there are a few seminars and activities or just time to sit around socializing. It was a very warm weekend and on Sunday evening a storm with gusty winds blew through.