Category Archives: Scooter

RV Museum

I ran a few errands on the scooter yesterday. Getting from the east side of Amarillo to the west side on a scooter requires planning. I don’t like to ride the scooter on the interstate. Here in Amarillo, I-40 has one-way service roads on either side of the interstate. On the north side of I-40 it runs west and on the south side it travels east. There’s a snag though. I-40 passes over a large rail yard just before you reach downtown. The service roads don’t go through the rail yard.

Going westbound, you have go north to SE 10th Avenue before you can get past the railroad tracks. On the south side of I-40, you have to loop south to SE 27th Avenue to get across the tracks. I learned the way quickly and it’s a minor hassle (map).

In the afternoon, I scootered Donna to her hair appointment at The Plant Studio. The stylist there, Johnny, was recommended by a stylist in Tempe, Arizona, who attended one of his classes. She told Donna, “If you’re ever in Amarillo, stop and see this guy.” While she was having her hair done, I rode over to Jack Sisemore’s Traveland to check out the RV museum.

Traveland is an RV dealership with a very friendly atmosphere. Jack Sisemore has a great story leading to his successful business. He started by borrowing $2,400 from his grandmother to open a gas station – I think it was in 1962. He added a second station soon after. He bought a motorhome for family camping trips and rented it out at his gas station to offset the cost. Within a year, he had six rental units.

In 1974, he opened his RV dealership on a small lot. He expanded that to over six acres of land. Later, Jack and his son, Trent Sisemore, were founding partners in Keystone Travel Trailers. They sold 1,000 Keystone Travel Trailers the first year. Production ramped up to as much as 1,000 units built per month!

The receptionist at the dealership walked me out back to a warehouse where the museum is. Entry is free and it’s open to the public Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm. In addition to the RV collection, Jack collects motorcycles. He had old cars, boats and motorcycles along with memorabilia from earlier times. I was free to walk among the displays and enter the old RVs. Here are some photos I shot.

1941 Westcraft

1941 Westcraft interior

This 1941 Westcraft was owned by a defense worker. He lived in it in a special workers’ camp that provided restrooms and showers. After the war, he relocated to Arizona. This is a very rare trolley roof model.

Wally Byam’s Airstream

Wally Byam was the founder of Airstream travel trailers.

Max Factor’s 1976 FMC

This 1976 FMC was owned by cosmetics mogul, Max Factor. FMC coaches were 29 feet long and were built from 1973 to 1976. The were pricey, selling for $27,000 to $54,000. At that time, you could buy a house for the same cost. Only around 1,000 were built.

1948 Flxible Bus used in the movie RV

Interior of the Gornike’s Flxible

This 1948 Flxible was used in the movie RV starring the late Robin Williams. Jeff Daniels played the part of Travis Gornike who traveled with his family in this bus.

Teardrop trailer pulled by a 1948 Ford

1963 Chris Craft speed boat

In addition to the RVs, cars and boats, there were many interesting motorcycles – mostly hanging from the ceiling.

1967 Bultaco Matador in the bed of a 1967 Chevy El Camino

1973 Triumph Bonneville

He had many Harleys on display. The one that caught my eye was this 1977 XR750 flat track racer. The number plate was signed by nine-time National Champion, Scott Parker. Flat track bikes are raced on dirt oval tracks. They don’t have brakes and are pitched sideways to power through the turns.

1977 Harley-Davidson XR750

The other bikes that caught my eye were the Bultaco machines he displayed. Bultacos were built in Barcelona, Spain from 1958 to 1983. They sold first-rate racing machinery to the public and dominated Trials competition with Sammy Miller riding in the 1960s and 70s. Their motocross bikes were capable of competing with factory teams in that period as well. The Bultaco Astro was a formidable flat track machine. Their enduro bikes competed and won in the International Six-Day Trial competition. They also built road racing machines that won world championships. The name Bultaco comes from the founder – “Paco” Bulto. He took the first four letters of his surname and the last three of his nickname.

1968 Bultaco Pursang

There were many smaller displays of period artifacts such as these motor oil containers. Prior to World War II, oil was dispensed from glass containers with long metal spouts attached.

Old motor oil containers

Do you remember these?

I spent about 40 minutes in the museum before I went back to pick up Donna.

One of the errands I ran earlier in the day was to exchange my sewer hose at Walmart. I’m happy to report the replacement Rhinoflex hose doesn’t leak.

This morning, it’s uncharacteristically foggy out. I plan to load the trailer today – I hope I can find a self-serve car wash to clean the scooter first. This evening, Donna and I will take a free limo ride from the park to a local favorite – Big Texan Steak Ranch.

Tomorrow we’ll leave here and head to New Mexico. We’ll probably head to Santa Fe, but our plans are flexible.

Gray Water Drip

Amarillo Ranch RV Park was nearly filled to capacity over the Labor Day weekend (map). Lots of grills were cooking on Sunday although most people stayed indoors to beat the heat. We didn’t grill on Sunday – Donna made shrimp fra diavolo on the induction cooktop instead. Served over whole wheat angel hair pasta mixed with zucchini noodles, it was outstanding.

Shrimp fra diavolo over angel hair pasta

On Monday morning, we saw rig after rig pull out of the park as people headed home and back to their workaday lives. We started the day with a treat. Donna cooked up a frittata – which is an Italian egg dish similar to a quiche without the crust. Donna filled it with bacon, potato, mushrooms and green onions and topped it with extra-sharp cheddar cheese and fresh basil. Yummy start to the day.

Frittata for breakfast with fresh cantaloupe

A while back, I noticed our sewer hose had damage. It looked like it had been stepped on or maybe hit with a mower. The three-inch hose is reinforced with a steel wire coil inside the polyolefin hose. The steel wire was kinked near the end. I use Camco Rhinoflex sewer hoses because of the heavy-duty construction. Anyway, when I dumped the gray water, the hose had sprung a leak near the end where it had been kinked.

On Monday afternoon, we rode the scooter to Walmart. Donna bought groceries and I bought a new Rhinoflex sewer hose. We had a full load on the scooter coming back home. I took the old hose to the trash dumpster and set up the new one. I opened the gray water valve and saw water dripping from the fitting on the RV end of the hose. I closed the valve and disconnected the hose. I loosened the locking ring on the bayonet fitting that attaches the hose to the RV drain. I made sure the bayonet fitting was fully seated in the hose end, then tightened the locking ring. I opened the gray water valve again and saw water dripping from the fitting. I looked closely and saw the problem. The fitting is made from two pieces of plastic swaged together to allow the fitting to swivel. This one was defective and leaking where the two pieces are joined together. I’ll have to return it and try another. I’m not having much luck with sewer hoses.

Later, I fired up the Traeger while Donna marinated chicken thighs in sriracha sauce and lime juice. We had plenty of open space around our rig as the park had really emptied out. I cooked the bone-in thighs skin side down for 45 minutes on the Traeger wood pellet fired grill/smoker. When I took them off the grill, Donna basted the chicken with equal parts honey and sriracha and let them rest for a few minutes. This was a new recipe and it was very tasty – you have to like spicy for this one though. Donna served it with a side of colorful cauliflower rice, another new recipe.

Honey-sriracha chicken thighs

Speaking of eating, Ozark the cat has an incredible appetite. We put nearly a quarter cup of dry food in her dish in the morning. We refill it in the afternoon. By bedtime, she’s crying for more food. Donna is concerned about her getting fat. I think she’s still a growing and developing kitty – she’s about nine months old now.

Does she look fat?

We had a few raindrops overnight – hopefully it knocked some of the pollen out of the air. The ragweed pollen count has been very high and I’m feeling it.

Today I’ll return the sewer hose and run a few errands. This afternoon, I’ll take Donna to her hair appointment and have a look at the RV museum at Jack Sisemore’s Traveland.

Just Another Day

I mentioned the wind in my last post. There was a comment questioning the decision to relocate on a windy day. I’d like to clarify the situation.

We were heading west and there was wind out of the south at about 20mph. This isn’t extreme, but it’s noticeable for sure. When the wind is moving perpendicular to the direction of travel, the driver of a high-profile vehicle needs to continually adjust and compensate for the force of the wind. This can make driving mentally and physically taxing. That was my point. Twenty miles per hour wind didn’t keep truckers off the road and we saw other motorhomes traveling as well.

At this time of year, high wind seems to be typical for the area – we’ve had 15-20mph wind every day since we arrived in Amarillo. Along the north side of I-40, east of Amarillo, we saw wind turbine generators. These are usually placed where there is sufficient wind on a regular basis to power the turbine.

Google file photo of wind turbine generators

On Friday, I did some maintenance on the coach. I sealed the seams in the living room slide-out. I sealed the driver’s side bedroom slide a while back. I still have one more slide to seal to complete the job. Over time, the caulking can crack – this can allow moisture to intrude behind the fiberglass. It’s an item that needs to be checked occasionally – just like caulking windows in a sticks-and-bricks home.

Donna prepared a whole chicken by lightly coating it with olive oil, then spiced it with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. I cooked it on the Traeger wood pellet fired grill. A five-pound chicken usually takes around 70-75 minutes to cook. I was inside the coach when I saw a neighbor standing in front of the grill. I got up to see what he was doing, but he walked away and went inside his travel trailer before I got out the door. I’m not sure, but I think he may have opened the grill to see what was happening inside. I went out and saw the temperature had dropped about 50 degrees, so I’m fairly certain the door was opened.

The dry climate here allowed the chicken to cook a little faster than I expected. It came out fine, but I’ll have to adjust my cooking times for dryer climates. Donna made vanilla-maple-bourbon acorn squash mash to go with the chicken along with asparagus. She picked up the squash while out walking in Gettysburg one morning after spotting a pile of squashes with a “Free” sign out at the end of someone’s driveway. (She also grabbed a pumpkin and still deciding on its fate.)

Roasted chicken with maple-bourbon sweet potato mash

Roasted chicken with vanilla-maple-bourbon acorn squash mash

On Saturday, we rode the scooter to the Golden Spread Farmers’ Market at Sunset Center. Most of the produce there is grown on family farms within 70 miles of Amarillo. It was smaller than we expected, but that may be due to the time of year. We kicked around and bought sweet corn, fresh basil and miniature yellow squash.

Amarillo farmers’ market

Lots of fresh melons

We rode through the historic Route 66 section of downtown. This area is about a mile long and has many antique shops. It was quiet on a Saturday morning and we didn’t stop to shop.

Last night, I grilled bacon-wrapped petite filet mignon on the Traeger along with fresh corn on the cob. Donna served it with baked potatoes. What a yummy meal for the Labor Day weekend.

Speaking of Labor Day, tomorrow is the holiday. Labor Day is a working man’s holiday, first celebrated in New York on September 5th, 1882. The following year, it was again celebrated on September 5th. In 1884, it was decided the set the Labor Day holiday on the first Monday in September and that tradition has held for 131 years.

Other than watching the Formula 1 race and making a run to the store, I have no plans for today or tomorrow. I hope your Labor Day weekend is a good one. Since I’m no longer a member of the workforce, Labor Day is just another day for me.

Nashville Talent

On Monday morning, Donna went for a power walk from our site at Nashville Jellystone Park (map). While she was out walking toward the Two Rivers Campground and the Nashville KOA, she saw the downtown shuttle pass by and came up with a plan for the day.

She thought we should roast a whole chicken for a late lunch – kind of a dinner for lunch plate. Then we could take the shuttle to downtown Nashville and see the sights. Sounded like a good idea to me, so I unloaded the Traeger wood pellet fired grill and found a problem. We had traversed some rough roads, especially on I-40 through Knoxville. The Traeger had obviously been bounced around and one of the door hinges came off. The screws had vibrated out and the door was askew, the other hinge was loose. Luckily no real damage was done. I found the screw and nut and reassembled the door.

Donna prepared the chicken by rubbing it with olive oil, salt, pepper and granulated garlic that she bought at Brooks BBQ in Oneonta, New York. She went to the pool for a quick dip while I fired up the Traeger and roasted the chicken. It comes out so moist and tender on this grill – it makes the best chicken you’ll ever have.

Roasted whole chicken hot off the Traeger

Earlier I had scootered over to the Opryland Resort and Convention Center. I wanted to get a look at the bus/RV lot that Donna found mentioned in the Escapee’s Day’s End Directory. The directory said that free overnight parking could be found there. I rode all the way through the lots at the Opry Mills Mall and back through the resort. I saw dedicated bus/RV parking near the Mills, but it was clearly marked “no overnight parking.” In fact, every lot I looked at was posted. On the way back to the campground, I saw another lot at a strip mall that had two RVs and a couple of tractor trailer rigs in it. It looked like it would be fine for dry camping – a big lot and no signs prohibiting overnight parking. The downside was the slope of the pavement and the lot was empty during the day, but there were several bars, restaurants and the Willie Nelson museum in the area. I didn’t know what it would be like at night.

We had reserved two nights at the Jellystone Park for half price on our Passport America discount rate – two nights for $75. A third night would cost another $75. I’m trying to average my costs down by finding free or low-cost sites as we move west. Our trip through the northeast was expensive – we’ve been spending like we’re on vacation. But we wanted to stay one more night in Nashville if we could.

Anyway, the shuttle picked us up at 3pm. There were two other couples already on board from the other RV parks. We made one more stop at a nearby hotel where three women boarded. The drive to downtown took about twenty minutes and the driver talked non-stop, giving advice on what to see and where to eat. The shuttle costs $10 per person for a round trip. The return trip is actually free – they pick up on the bottom of the hour (4:30, 5:30, 6:30, etc.) at the Country Music Hall of Fame. They don’t issue tickets – they work on the assumption that you must have already paid the $10 if you are boarding to go back to the Music Valley area.

Donna and I wanted to check out the music scene on Broadway. There are a few street musicians and many clubs and bars with live entertainment. Most of the places on Broadway don’t have a cover charge. The musicians play for a small fee paid by the bar and tips. They are hoping to get “discovered” by a Nashville recording studio.

Our first glimpse of Broadway was at the corner of 4th and Broadway at the Honky Tonk Central (map).

Honky Tonk Central

We walked east on Broadway and made our first stop at the Broadway Brewhouse for a cold one. I had a Tennesee-brewed IPA that was pretty good and Donna sampled and then went ahead and ordered a Tennesee-brewed stout that was really good. After leaving there, we continued east on the south side of the street and crossed over to the north side at 2nd Avenue. We saw a man with a trumpet, microphone and small amplifier on the corner. He had backing tracks playing through the amp from his smartphone and was singing “What a Wonderful World.” This guy had Louis Armstrong down. It was uncanny – Donna thought he was lip syncing at first. We hung around for a few songs and dropped some money in his trumpet case. He chatted with us before we moved on. He was a super-nice guy and very talented.

This guy could impersonate Satchmo

We walked back west on Broadway, stopping in a few shops to look at western hats and cowboy boots. We stuck our heads in a few bars to see who was playing but we wanted to get a look at everything before we sat down somewhere.

A friend of Donna’s suggested we stop at an off-the-wall place in Printer’s Alley owned by her friend. It’s an English-style pub called Fleet Street Pub. We found it a few blocks north of Broadway. Printer’s Alley is a little off-beat for Nashville, but it has history and charm. We stopped at Fleet Street but the friend of Donna’s friend wasn’t there. Donna chatted briefly with her husband.

Printer’s Alley

We found a blues club in Printer’s Alley and went inside. A very talented guy was on stage playing Mississippi Delta blues – more specifically he was playing songs by the blues great Leadbelly. He took a short break and came over to where we were sitting. His name is Fritz and he was really friendly. While we chatted with him, a woman who was sitting next to us went up on stage and played the keyboards and sang. It was so cool – these talented musicians are all over the place. After a couple of songs, Fritz joined her and they did some songs together. Fritz was playing a cheap knock-off Chinese guitar, but in his hands it sounded great. Then he picked up a saxophone and wailed on a song accompanying the woman at the keyboard (we didn’t get her name).

Fritz making music

We wandered back to Broadway and started our pub crawl. We would stop in a place that had live entertainment. If the band caught our fancy, we would order a drink and hang around for a few songs. Other times we listened for a few minutes and moved on. In one place there was a duo that shined. One of the guys guitar playing style reminded me of Stephen Stills. Donna put in a request for Homegrown by Zac Brown. They didn’t really know the song, but they looked it up on an iPad and immediately played and sang a very good rendition. I was blown away.

We finally came back to the Honky Tonk Central for our last stop of the night. It’s a three-story building with a bar and stage on each floor. We stayed on the first floor where one of the hottest bands I’ve heard in a while was playing. The guitar player was amazing and the sound he was getting from his Dr. Z amp was unbelievable. I haven’t heard tone like that since the Joe Bonamassa concert we went to a few years ago.

Hot band at our last stop

By then I’d downed enough beer and it was time to find the shuttle home.

On Tuesday morning, I got busy re-organizing the trailer – again. I’ve had the Traeger grill in the very back of the trailer, behind the scooter. Donna thought it might be getting a rougher ride back there than it would in the front. I bought into her logic – I could see how the trailer might whip up and down behind the axle over bumpy sections. I took everything out of the right front, next to my tool chest by the side door. I rearranged that stuff and then lifted the Traeger into that area and strapped it in place. We’ll see if it rides better there.

I took my time – check out time was noon and we were only going a few miles. We had everything packed and I fired up the engine at 11:50am. We drove to the lot I had found the day before. There was a bus conversion RV and tractor- trailer rig as well as another semi-trailer parked in the empty lot. We claimed a space between the tractor-trailer and the semi-trailer.

Donna and I walked to the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. On our way, we saw the lot that was mentioned in the Day’s End Directory. It was marked RV/Bus and Trailer Parking. I had missed this lot on my reconnaissance run earlier. I had passed by it on the west side where there’s a private lot being used by Bridgestone Tire and Rubber Company for high-performance driving classes. I thought the whole area was for Bridgestone.

We walked into the RV/Bus lot and didn’t find any signs prohibiting overnight parking. These signs are posted in all of the other lots on the huge Opryland complex. This lot was level and looked to be very quiet. After some debate and walking back and forth across the lot, we decided to go back to the coach and move it across the street to Opryland. While the lot we were in looked to be a sure thing, I was a little apprehensive about how things might go in the night. It wasn’t level and all the bars in the area could mean lots of noise and the possibility of people getting out of hand in the night.

The RV/Bus lot only had a handful of cars in it and one big truck in our section. The next section over has had a number of tour buses coming and going. It’s very quiet and level.

The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center houses the largest atrium I’ve ever been in. It has waterfalls and a stream running through it. It’s filled with tropical plants – so many were in bloom that I had an allergy attack. A big New York Life Executive Council meeting was happening there. We wandered around. Donna wanted to take the boat ride in the stream that’s inside the hotel complex, but when she saw it cost $9.50/person, it didn’t seem worth it. I couldn’t capture the grand scale of this place, but here are a few pictures.

Fountains in the atrium

Stream inside the hotel

Boat rides through the atrium

Donna in front of a waterfall in the atrium

We went to John A’s for dinner, it was only average food at best. Then we stopped at Nashville Palace to take in some live music. Once again many people that appeared to be regular customers got up on stage to join in for a number or two. Lots of talent here. Our overnight spot turned out to be quiet with no troubles.

Today we plan a short trip down the Natchez Trace Trail to the Merriwether Lewis National Monument. We found free dry camping is available there and we hope to take advantage of it before we head west to Memphis.

Gettysburg

I unloaded the scooter after posting to the blog yesterday. Donna went out for a walk while I was at it. When Donna returned, we rode the scooter from Artillery Ridge Camping Resort to Historic Gettysburg.

On the way to town, we rode through the Gettysburg National Military Park, then we stopped at the battlefield on the east side of Baltimore Pike. The battlefield is a park with monuments, statues and restored cannons from the Civil War. Most of the area is preserved with fence lines and fields much as they were in 1863.

Major General Oliver O. Howard Memorial

Major General Winfield Scott Hancock

Donna overlooking part of the battlefield

We left the scooter in the free parking lot at the Gettysburg Tour Center. You can buy a ticket and take bus tours of the various battlefields and monuments there. Donna and I aren’t into organized group tours. We may miss some of the sights, but we prefer to move at our own pace and decide where to spend our time.

We walked past the Jennie Wade House. Jennie Wade was the only direct civilian casualty of the Battle of Gettysburg when a stray bullet struck her while she was in the kitchen making biscuits for soldiers. She was 20 years old.

We continued walking and went to see the Gettysburg Diorama. It’s in an old building on Steinwehr Avenue. It was hot and humid out, but we enjoyed walking through the quaint old village. Although the area is geared toward tourists, it still has the small village feel.

We had free tickets for the diorama courtesy of the campground. The owners of Artillery Ridge Camping Resort also happen to own the Gettysburg Diorama and a few other attractions in town. The Gettysburg Diorama is the largest military diorama in the country. We arrived just in time for the 11am show. I took a few pictures before the show began.

The diorama recreates the town and surrounding 6,000 acres as it appeared during the battle in July 1863. It contains over 20,000 hand-painted soldiers, horses, cannons and buildings. For the show, we sat in a small three-row bleacher along with a few other people. The show has light and sound effects and video displays as a narrator takes you through the events of July 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 1863 which comprised the Battle of Gettysburg. The narrative was comprehensive, describing the ebb and flow of the fight. There were more than 46,000 casualties including nearly 8,000 killed in the three-day battle.

After the 20-minute show, we walked back up the street to the Dobbin House for lunch. This is the oldest standing structure in Gettysburg. It was built by Reverend Alexander Dobbin in 1776. Today it houses a tavern serving lunch in the spring cellar and a dinner restaurant upstairs. We had lunch in the tavern. Donna had a French onion soup and spinach salad with hot bacon dressing. I had a reuben sandwich washed down with IPA from Troegs Brewery in nearby Hershey, Pennsylvania. The IPA was excellent – citrusy and spicy.

Dobbin House

One of many historical markers on the street

We walked around a little more, then made our way back to the scooter. On the way home, I first stopped at a pizza restaurant to buy Yuengling beer. Yuengling traditional lager is a low alcohol (4.4% ABV) beer brewed in the pre-prohibition style. Yuengling is America’s oldest brewery. Here in Pennsylvania, they have weird alcohol laws. You can buy beer at a distributor, but you must buy a case at a time. Anything less than a case can only be bought at a restaurant that has a beer license. Grocery stores only have watered down 3.2% ABV beer.

We made another stop past the campground at a vegetable and fruit stand and bought fresh corn on the cob that they said was just picked two hours earlier. We also bought some really juicy plums and peaches.

When we came back to our site, Donna headed for the pool. She didn’t make it far before she heard thunder and returned to the coach as it started raining.

Roomy uphill site 422

We hung out inside and read. For dinner, I dodged a couple of showers and grilled sausage and corn on the cob. Donna served it with sauteed asparagus, peppers and onions with grated parmesan cheese.

Sausage, corn and asparagus plate

I need to get busy and load the scooter. Today we’ll move about 80 miles to Cherry Hill Park in College Park, Maryland – just north of Washington D.C. I’m hoping my youngest daughter, Shauna, can join us for dinner tonight. Tomorrow we’ll take the train into DC and have a look around. We’ve been to all of the big monuments before, so we may take in the Newseum this time.

Lunch on the Lake

I didn’t post Saturday morning as I had much to do. So, I’m writing this post Saturday evening and will share it Sunday morning.

On Friday, Donna’s sister Pam and her husband Gene came down from Lake Placid. Shortly after they arrived, we went to the farmers’ market at Bolton Landing. Pam and Gene rode with Donna’s other sister Linda and her husband Tom. Donna and I scootered over to Bolton Landing. It was about a 10-mile ride over the hill to Diamond Point, then up along Lake George to Bolton (map).

The farmers’ market was fairly sizable and had a number of interesting vendors. One of the booths had the largest assortment of mushrooms I’ve ever seen. They also had “Shroom Shakers” which are small spice shakers with powdered mushrooms. Donna bought the pioppino mushroom shaker. I’m not sure what she plans to do with it.

Some of the mushroom selection

It was nearly 1pm by the time we got there. I didn’t have the best night’s sleep and was out of bed before 6am. I was hungry when we started shopping around at the market and feeling the lack of quality sleep. After 40 minutes of browsing, I was ready to move on and find lunch. It was like herding cats to get everyone interested in lunch and figuring out where we were going.

We went about a mile away to a restaurant called Algonquin (map). Donna and I arrived first and snagged a table on the lower deck which is barely above the Lake George water level. We enjoyed a good meal and lots of conversation. Although it was a warm and sunny day, sitting outside on the water was pleasant.

Linda. Tommy, Gene, Pam and Donna on the Algonquin deck

After lunch, Donna and I scootered over to the Price Chopper market in Warrensburg before we headed back to the campground. I broke down and bought Dogfish IPA made in Delaware. I just can’t appreciate the New York IPAs. I relaxed for a while. The Prednisone I’m taking to counteract an allergic reaction is playing havoc with my stomach. That’s why I didn’t sleep well the night before.

We gathered at Tom and Linda’s place for happy hour. We swapped a few jokes and stories before Tom grilled burgers for dinner. We sat outside until about 10pm before we called it a day.

During the night, Donna had to call security at 2:30am. There was a group of people whooping it up outdoors somewhere in the vicinity of our site. Sometimes, in places like this, you get city people out for the weekend. They rent a cabin on the property – they’re not RVers and have no clue of RV park etiquette. Even after a visit from the campground security, they partied on until 4am. Shame on the campground management.

On Saturday morning, I wanted to prepare for our move day on Sunday. The weather forecast was calling for thundershowers after midday. So I wanted to have things packed away while everything was dry. The temperature rose quickly and it was very humid out. Donna went for a hike up Hackensack Mountain and hiked the trail in the opposite direction from the first time she hiked there about a week ago.

While Donna was out hiking, I deflated our Sea Eagle kayak and packed it away. I took some time to reorganize some of the items in our cargo trailer. It was worth the time and effort – I’m pleased with the results. I ended up working for a few hours and took the windshield covers down and packed away our chairs and the outdoor carpet. When Donna returned, she helped with the awning. I had her working the switch to pull the awning in a short distance at a time. Then I would use my push broom to sweep the tree debris from the awning so it wouldn’t get rolled up in the fabric. This was a slow process and I’m feeling it in my arms and shoulders.

All those passes back and forth along the 19′ foot awning with a heavy broom was a workout. I’ve been working on my upper body strength over the past couple of months and I’m up to doing 45 push-ups daily. After the broom workout, I didn’t need the push-ups.

By 2:30pm, I had everything loaded in the trailer, including the scooter and Traeger wood pellet fired grill. The rain held off and I thought maybe we would stay dry all day. Donna went to the store in Linda’s car and picked up some snacks and beer. We sat outside for happy hour at our table with Linda and Tommy. We could hear thunder around us and the weather radar app showed thundershowers to the north, east and south of us but it was clear over us and to the west.

The happy hour was cut down to a happy half-hour when the thundershowers found us. Large rain drops suddenly pelted down and chased Linda and Tommy home while we dashed indoors.

Last night our party neighbors were at it again. After midnight I went over to the cabin site behind us. A large group of college age kids rented the cabin and had tents set up in the sites behind it. They were playing beer pong on the picnic table and shouting at each other and cheering. I told them it was after quiet time – quiet time is 10pm to 8am. They pretty much ignored me. I called the park security and met the security guy. I told him about the partying until 4am the night before. He went over and talked to the group. Whatever he said got their attention and it was quiet after that.

Today I only have a few things to do before we hit the road. We’ll head toward Cabela’s in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. I want to purchase a few things there and it will likely be a good dry camping place for the night. From there we plan to go to an RV park near Baltimore that offers shuttle service to the train into Washington, DC.

A Day in Warrensburg New York

I’m running a little behind this morning. My laptop puzzles me at times. I upload photos from my phone to my laptop where I crop and resize them for use in my posts. The upload process is inconsistent. Sometimes after I connect my phone to the USB port, after a minute or so, my laptop recognizes the device and I can upload. Other times, a window opens and it says “scanning your device for files” and I can’t upload until it completes the scan which can take 15 minutes. I don’t understand why it does this.

Yesterday I had another twist with my laptop. I was on the web using Google Chrome when things quit working. I was given the option of optimizing Google Chrome for Windows 8. I clicked on it. Chrome works now, but it’s very annoying. I have a black bar above the tabs and if my cursor touches this bar, it expands and I don’t see the tabs anymore. Also my toolbar on the bottom of the page went away.

While I’m on this rant, I’ll add another annoying thing. I set my preferences on Facebook to show “Most Recent” because I want to see what my friends are posting. At random intervals, Facebook decides I should really be seeing “Top Stories” and it changes my settings for me. Really? Facebook knows better than me what I want to see? Why even give me the ability to choose my preferences if they’re going to change them for me? End of rant.

Yesterday morning, I scootered Donna over to Warrensburg to the Hackensack Mountain trailhead. There are a few trails there with varying degrees of difficulty. Donna went up a fairly challenging trail to the summit that included a section with ropes for pulling yourself up. After hiking the mountain trail, she walked back to the campground. She put in about five miles of hiking. Here are a few photos she shot on her hike.

Hackensack Mountain trailhead

View at the summit

Steeper than it looks – ropes for handholds

In the afternoon, we rode the scooter to the Warrensburg Farmers’ Market west of Main Street on the south side of the Schroon River on NY418. This was a relatively small market but they had some good local produce and other things like locally made cheese and honey.

Farmers’ market

Music at the market

I bought a bag of bee pollen. Some people consider bee pollen to be a super food with high nutritional value. I’ve read that it can be beneficial for people with hay fever allergies. Other people say it causes allergic reactions. I’m trying it out – we’ll see if it helps me or causes me problems. I sprinkled half a spoonful on my cereal this morning.

Yesterday’s weather was near perfect – mid-70s with partly cloudy skies. Today we should see 80 degrees with partly cloudy skies. We’re planning to take the kayak out on the Schroon River.

Lake George Village

It was mostly cloudy and very warm yesterday – the temperature didn’t hit the expected 90 degrees, but it was close. Donna got her power walk in early. In the afternoon, she and I rode the scooter to Lake George Village.

The village of about 3,500 people is located on the southwestern tip of Lake George. Lake George is a long, narrow lake. It’s 32 miles long (oriented north-south) and only two miles wide at its widest point. In 1646, a French priest, Isaac Jogues, named the lake “Lac du Saint Sacrement” (Lake of the Blessed Sacrament). In 1755, General William Johnson renamed it Lake George in honor of King George.

Today the village is fueled by tourism. There are many resorts along the lake and shops and restaurants. I was surprised by the number of people out on the streets on a cloudy Monday afternoon. Most of the lakefront property is private and the only public access on the south end seems to be the public beach and waterfront park in the village.

Parking in the village isn’t free unless you are a patron of one of the restaurants. The restaurant lots have attendants to ensure that only restaurant customers park there. Everywhere else, including parking on the street, has a fee. For a short stay, metered parking can be had for 25 cents per 15 minutes. All-day parking lots run up to $10.

People on Beach Street in the village

Beach Road runs along the waterfront through Lake George Battlefield Park. On the west end of Beach Road, a number of shops and eateries are located across the street from the lake.

View to the northeast from Beach Street

The Lake George Steamboat Company is located on Beach Street. They operate sightseeing cruises on the lake with old-fashioned paddle wheel boats.

Docks along Beach Street – paddle wheel steamer in the background

We barely had a chance to look around when raindrops started falling. I looked at the weather radar app on my smartphone and it looked ominous. A large cell was west of us and it looked like we could have a wet ride home if we didn’t hustle out of there.

We donned our helmets and rode back up US9 five miles to Schroon River Road and back to the Lake George Escape Campground. Wouldn’t you know it, the skies cleared as we rode home. The storm cell had moved quickly to the east of us with only a few raindrops hitting the ground. I’m about as good as any weather guesser – I guessed wrong.

Later we joined Linda and Tommy for dinner. Linda made pulled pork in her crock pot. Donna added black beans and brown rice and I grilled zucchini with lemon salt. A delicious meal. The pulled pork had the right amount of spice and was so tender. Donna served some coconut mango ice cream for dessert that she whipped up in her Vitamix.

Pulled pork, black beans and rice with grilled zucchini

Today we should have another cloudy day with the temperature a little cooler. There’s a chance of a thunder shower in the afternoon. We’ll see what the day brings.

Itchy Situation

For some reason, mosquitoes love me. I always seem to attract more mosquitoes and mosquito bites than others around me. When we were in Texas, I started getting mosquito bites. Mosquitoes aren’t much of an issue in southern California or Arizona where we spend a lot of time.

When we were at Tom Sawyer RV Park in Memphis, a couple of mosquito bites I got on my left foot back in Rockport, Texas were getting irritated by the straps on my flip flops. In Missouri, I got a couple more bites on my right foot. These were also irritated by the straps on my flip flops. I started putting antibiotic ointment and band-aids over the bites to keep the straps from rubbing and further irritating them.

By the time we got to Michigan, the irritation was spreading on the tops of both feet. I had rough red skin where the straps of my flip-flops ran behind my toes. When we left Michigan and were driving across Ohio, I told Donna my shirt felt funny. I thought it might have had something to do with some new mosquito bites on my shoulders and arms.

The next day, driving through the Finger Lakes Region, I told Donna I thought there was some kind of contamination in my shirt. I wasn’t just feeling mosquito bites – I had splotchy red areas on my neck, shoulders, back and chest, and underarms.

I have severe pollen allergies. Most of the time, I react to pollen with the usual sneezing, runny nose and itchy, watering eyes. Sometimes, when the pollen count is really high or I’m doing yard work, my skin will react with small red itchy bumps.

That’s what this felt like, except the areas of bumps were joining and becoming large skin irritations. Donna told me that the dryers at Addison Oaks in Michigan had a lot of plant matter in the filter screens. She thought someone had dried a blanket or sleeping bag that had been used outdoors. My shirts might have become contaminated in the dryer.

I started taking Benadryl tablets and rubbing Benadryl cream on the affected areas. It seemed like things were improving every morning, but by the end of the day, I would be worse off. Sunday night was the last straw. I had a burning, itching sensation in my arms and shoulders all night long.

On Monday morning, I rode the scooter to the nearest medical facility, Cobleskill Regional Hospital. I brought a book along thinking I would be in for a long wait. I was pleasantly surprised by their efficiency and was soon examined by a doctor. Doctor Trimble diagnosed two separate conditions – contact dermatitis on my upper body and a wound infection on my feet. He prescribed Prednisone for the allergic reaction (dermatitis) and Keflex for the infection. He told me that it isn’t contagious and to avoid scratching or rubbing any of the affected areas. I’ve been hanging out in the coach with my shirt off.

Donna’s mother, Lorraine, came by yesterday afternoon. She took Donna and Ozark the cat to the vet. Ozark had an exam and this morning, will get her vaccinations and get spayed. Donna stayed the night at her parents’ house and will catch up on our laundry. Since we’ve been in parks without sewer hook-ups lately, she hasn’t used our washer/dryer.

This morning, just one day after starting my course of medications, I would say my condition has improved by 50%. I think in another day or two, I should be fine. Of course I’ll follow the prescription of five days on the Predisone and 10 days on the Keflex even if I clear up sooner.

I plan to lie low again and read a book today. Donna and Ozark should be home in the late afternoon.

Potluck With Friends

Although a few dark clouds passed overhead yesterday, no rain fell and the weather radar app didn’t show any precipitation in the area. So around 11am, I rode the scooter to Papa Joe’s Gourmet Market and bought three racks of baby back ribs and some “Rub with Love” dry pork rub.

I removed the thin membrane from the bone side of the ribs and applied about one and a half tablespoons of dry rub to each side of the racks. I piled them together, re-wrapped them in butcher paper and put them in the refrigerator around noon.

Our friends Bill and Cindy Davey arrived just as I was firing up the Traeger wood pellet smoker/grill a little before 2pm. It was hot and very humid outside – upper 80s. We sat and visited for a while, then Bill unloaded their hybrid electric bicycles. These bikes have electric motors and 48-volt lithium-ion batteries. I took a spin on Cindy’s 1,000-watt bike. You can let the motor do all the work by twisting the right hand grip or you can pedal with motor assist. I pedaled away, then increased the power assist on the controller and did a quick, effortless lap around the campsite area. Bill’s bike has even more power with a 1,500-watt motor.

Around 4pm, our friends Keith and Julie Burk showed up with their daughter Alayna. Keith and I worked together from 2009 until I retired and had a lot of fun times together.

More old friends arrived and we tried to find shade for all the chairs. Everyone sat and talked for a while, then at 5pm I took the ribs off the grill. While I was cutting the ribs, the rest of the feast – pasta, salads and fruit bowls – were spread on the picnic table. The potluck was on.

Visiting in the shade

My friends and former colleagues Allen Hutchinson and Justin Rose showed up in time for the food. Justin and his wife Jen just got back from a week-long trip to Chicago with their two young sons in tow. I think we had about 15 people around the table by then.

Justin, Keith and Ironman Allen

The food was fabulous, the baby back ribs were a hit and once again, the Traeger made it easy. The beer flowed along with conversation. It was fun catching up with the guys and hearing stories about life back at the office. I haven’t thought much about work since I retired two years ago. Back then, I said the only thing I would miss is some of the people – and that’s held true.

I broke out the bottle of Dragons Milk Bourbon Barrel Stout from New Holland Brewing. The bourbon was obvious and maybe a little bit too forward in the 9% ABV beer.

Dragon’s Milk Bourbon Barrel Stout

The VW crew

The time passed much too quickly. As the evening drew on, people began packing up to head home. It was well past 9pm when Donna I cleaned up the picnic table and came inside.

Once again, Ozark provided amusement before we went to bed. She was intent on stalking and catching a fly that found its way into the coach.

Ozark waiting to ambush a fly

Today we should have good weather – not quite as hot as yesterday. I’ll pack the trailer, remove the tire covers and windshield cover and check tire pressures in preparation for travel tomorrow. I want to head out early as we have to hit the dump station on the way out. Our first stop will be in Troy where we’ll return Bill’s vehicle. I don’t know where we’ll end up tomorrow night – we’ll see what comes up down the road. I won’t post tomorrow.

Flying The Koop

…from real estate to wheel estate and back again

Category Archives: Scooter

RV Museum

Gray Water Drip

Just Another Day

Nashville Talent

Gettysburg

Lunch on the Lake

A Day in Warrensburg New York

Lake George Village

Itchy Situation

Potluck With Friends

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