The purpose of a dash cam (dashboard camera) is to record video and sound while you are driving your vehicle and in some cases while it is parked.  It is mounted on the dashboard/windshield of your vehicle and in the rear window if you have a dual camera unit. All of them will record on a loop, recording over the oldest footage when the storage card is full, so you don’t have to worry about running out of memory space. These simple cameras that can be installed in your vehicle in a few minutes have become increasingly popular over the past few years. They are an important safety device that can provide video evidence in the event of an incident.

Dash cameras are motion sensitive so if you are driving and there is an impact or you are parked, and something bumps or shakes your vehicle, the camera will capture several seconds of video before and after impact. This video footage can be invaluable when trying to prove fault in an accident. I have successfully used video footage twice to prove my lack of fault in two accidents where the other, at fault, driver claimed I was at fault. If your parked vehicle is damaged or vandalized the camera may show who the culprit was.  Road rage incidents, unfortunately, are becoming more frequent and dash cam video can prove to be invaluable.

Another great usage of a dash cam is to help prevent vehicle insurance fraud. Simply put, some drivers purposely cause car accidents just to put the blame on an innocent driver in order to extort money from them or their insurance company. By installing a dash cam in your vehicle and recording all events, you have evidence to prevent scammers from succeeding.

A dashboard camera is also a great device that will help you turn your road trip into a great memory. I’ve had a dash cam in the windshield of my motorhome for years and have recorded some beautiful video footage of our travels. Many dash cams have built in Wi-Fi so you can easily connect your smartphone to the camera and download video from its memory card.

You have a wide array of dash cameras to choose from with low-end units costing sixty dollars or less and high-end, state of the art cameras that come with color display, time and date stamp, front and rear cameras, Wi-Fi and GPS. With so many choices available be sure to research your purchase and buy a camera that fits your budget and needs.  Also be sure it records clear video in both day and night conditions. 

Dashboard cameras are a great investment that provide you with peace of mind while driving. 

Recently our son was talking about using some of his excess vacation days to take a trip out west.  We shared some ideas and offered to let him join us in our RV for the trip.  We proceeded to plan a five week, 4600 mile loop around the country.  It was a jam packed five weeks of beautiful views and visits to Monuments and National Parks.  We did a lot of driving, made many stops, ate some great food and had a fantastic time.  

Our trip began in Nashville where our son flew in to meet us.  After touring Nashville we made stops in Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio.  We visited numerous sites and National Parks including the National Corvette Museum, Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Yellowstone NP, Craters of the Moon National Monument, Glacier NP, Devils Tower Monument, Badlands NP, Mt. Rushmore Monument, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, Little Bighorn Battlefield, Falls Park in Sioux Falls and the RV/MH Hall of Fame and Museum in Elkhart.

Our countries National Parks and Monuments are really beautiful and should be on everyone’s bucket list.  We did experience some crazy weather along the route with Utah at 105 degrees and Yellowstone at 30 degrees with snow and hail.  After dropping our son off at the Cleveland Airport we stopped in PA then headed toward upstate NY to put our RV in storage.  It was wonderful spending time with our son and we all thoroughly enjoyed the trip.  We plan to spend a little time in NY to relax before picking up the RV and heading back to Florida for the chilly months.

The time has come for us to leave the Florida Keys and get back on the road.  It’s been a beautiful, warm winter in the Keys.  We spent most of our time just relaxing with our friends after a busy summer on the road. We can’t thank our friends enough for their generous hospitality.  They are moving to their new home in Saint Cloud, Florida in July so  that will be our snowbird location next winter.

This is the start of our 4^th year on the road.  First, we are headed to Mississippi to have some repair work done on our new 5^th wheel. We have a pretty extensive list of items so we may be there a while.  On June 1^st we’ll be starting a 4600 mile loop around the country.  Our son has decided to join us on the trip.  He asked if he could join us on the road and we gladly said yes.  He has a lot of vacation time available from his job as a Mechanic Engineer so he asked and got permission to take five weeks off.  This will be an exciting trip for him. He rarely gets time to travel and he hasn’t seen much of the country.  We are really looking forward to spending time with him.  It’s a jam packed five weeks with a ton of driving, many stops to make and lots of beautiful country to see. 

We’re not sure where we are heading after that trip.  We may stop home for a bit since we haven’t been there since the holidays.  Then it’s back on the road again.

After surviving a cold start to the winter, we’ve settled into our winter location in the Florida Keys.  We had a great holiday season with friends and family up north but we were glad to get on a plane and get to the warmer weather.  We only spent a week in Islamorada after picking up our new RV in November.  We parked the trailer and new pickup at our friend’s house and hopped on a plane north to get home for Thanksgiving.  We flew back to the Keys mid-January and will be here until late April.  Since we only had the new RV for few days before heading north we never got a chance to really inspect it closely.  Unfortunately as we stated in our previous post we’ve uncovered issues and some ae serious.  We’ve made a list, taken pictures and contacted the manufacturer who has promised to take care of everything to make us happy.  Let’s hope that’s true.  We have an appointment at their factory service center at the end of April. 

The weather has been really nice in Islamorada and that’s why we snowbird here.  This year we decided to forgo a campground and park at our friend’s house.  They have a large yard and they installed full hookups for us so life is good.  I’ve spent much of my time just relaxing.  Dee on the other hand has spent much of her time gardening and planting flowers in the yard.  She loves to garden and it keeps here busy.  Our friends are having a new house built up in St Cloud, FL. so next year we’ll be snow birding there.  It is a beautiful area. 

Once our repairs are finished we’ll get back on the road traveling and enjoying our new RV.  Our tentative plan when leaving Mississippi is to head northwest exploring  Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and into Colorado.  After that???

After much thought and many discussions Dee and I have come to a huge decision.  We’ve decide to sell our Motorhome.  We loved our motorhome.  It was our home and it served us exceptionally well for three and a half years.  During that time we traveled thirty thousand miles.  We visited forty three States and the eastern Provinces of Canada. Sadly we made our final trip during the past two weeks.

But wait.  There’s good news!  Our meandering lifestyle is not over.  We’re just changing our ride and home.  We’re excited to say that we have traded in the Bus and ordered a new Vanleigh Beacon 39FBB 5^th wheel RV to replace our MH.  It is a beautiful unit with all the features of a MH.  We’ve also ordered a new Ram 3500 Pickup to pull the new RV.

There were many factors that effected our decision.  Traveling in the Motorhome was great but there are significant expenses.  Besides the cost of the MH itself you have fuel, maintenance, insurance and unexpected repairs.  Motorhomes are complex pieces of machinery which bounce down all types of roads.  They are exposed to all types of weather and sit in the blazing sun for months on end.  We snowbird in our MH in Florida for 6 months every winter.  Our Coach sits in one spot during that time with only an occasional startup to maintain air pressure and lube the engine.  That is not ideal for the motorhome drivetrain.  The new RV, which is significantly less complex will be much easier to maintain.  Fuel, insurance, maintenance and repairs will be less expensive.  The new trailer, with no drivetrain, is designed to sit for any length of time without negative effects.  Instead of the MH towing our car, our pickup will tow the RV.  There are many nice features in the new RV including higher ceilings, larger windows and more seating for guests.  

We will surely miss our Bus but we are excited and can’t wait for our new RV and Pickup to be built.  Expected delivery is some time in November.

As we said before, “How long will we continue this lifestyle?  Only time will tell.”

It seems like just yesterday Dee and I were talking about the possibility of retirement.  The big question was “What will we do after we retire?”  Our decision, as you all know, was to purchase a motorhome and travel the country.  So three years ago we retired and immediately began our journey wandering around the country. 

As I think back on the past three years the first word that comes to mind is WOW!!!  Our experiences have been wonderful.  We’ve traveled almost thirty thousand miles and visited over forty States as well as the eastern Provinces of Canada.  We’ve explored areas of the U.S. which were breathtakingly beautiful.  We’ve been to National Parks, State Parks, monuments, big cities, little cities, tourist towns, rural towns and vast remote areas.   We’ve met many friendly people and enjoyed all sorts of food.  We’ve seen sights and had adventures that we would’ve never had if we didn’t go on the road.  Yet amazingly, we’ve only experienced a small part of what our great country has to offer.  There are many more areas to explore and countless sights to see.  We often speak with people who’ve been enjoying the full time RV lifestyle for many years and they still love it.   

Life on the road has been good and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.  We are on the road traveling except for the winter months.  We rent a campsite in the Florida Keys to keep warm and hang out with our good friends who live there.  But the good times and fun come at a price.   Expenses on the road can add up quickly.  Vehicle maintenance, fuel, food and campsites are just a few of the expenses. We’ve experienced a few mechanical issues with our car and MH and a few minor health issues but fortunately there are Clinics, Urgent Care Centers and MH repair centers in most areas.  The biggest downside to being on the road is being away from your family.  Dee and I miss our family and friends tremendously.  We speak to our three children often but it is not the same as being with them and enjoying their company.  Dee misses her Sister and her garden which she loves to play in.  At times I miss the little comforts of home like high speed internet which is always an issue on the road.  We fly home for the Christmas holidays but the time home passes quickly.  We spend much of our time home catching up on home maintenance and annual medical and dental checkups.  This December we also both have Jury Duty.

Some people wonder how we can live in a forty foot motorhome.  Our ride has all the comforts of home and we have no issues making it our home away from home.  We like that we sleep in our own bed and have our own bathroom to use.  We can cook meals when we want and relax on days we don’t feel like exploring.   There are no airports, hotels or car rentals to deal with.   Traveling in a motorhome full time may not be for everyone but so far we’ve had a great time.

How long will we continue this lifestyle?  Only time will tell.

Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful and catastrophic hurricane.  It was the strongest hurricane observed in the Atlantic since Wilma in 2005 in terms of maximum sustained winds.  It made Florida landfall in Cudjoe Key as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds at 130 mph.  It then made a second landfall on Marco Island, Florida as a Category 3.  We were heading south on our annual snowbird trip to the Keys when Irma hit. 

We have close friends who live in Islamorada which is only about 45 miles northeast of where the hurricane made landfall.  The seriousness of the impending storm caused our friends to evacuate and head north to the Orlando area.  They rode out the storm in a motel with their animals and all were safe.  We spoke to them often and kept up with the news.  We wanted to immediately accelerate our drive south to help them rebuild but visitors were not allowed in the Keys.  We finally got the OK to enter the Keys and on October 1^st  we arrived at our campground. 

Overseas Highway is the main road running through the Keys.  As we drove south there was devastation everywhere.  The road and surrounding areas were lined with debris.  Trees, wires, boats, jet ski’s, broken docks, appliances, mattresses, sheds and building debris was everywhere.  Everything you can imagine was strewn about.  Many buildings along the ocean side of the road were destroyed or severely damaged.  Trailer parks located along the ocean where totally destroyed with some trailers collapsed or rolled over on their sides.  Thousands of trees were down or broken off. There were sunken boats everywhere. Many of the big resorts which line the shores of the Keys were severely damaged.  The further south we traveled the worse the destruction got. About a week after our arrival in Islamorada we took a ride further south and the closer we got to the point of landfall the more unimaginable the destruction was.

Our friends were fairly lucky. Their home, which is directly across from their business and on the ocean side of the highway, was undamaged.  Unfortunately their commercial property had extensive damage with many trees down and three buildings damaged.  As the trees fell the roots ripped up concrete walks and patios and damaged the walls of their buildings.  Three of the trees fell directly on their buildings and destroyed the roofs. We’re glad to be available to work with them as they continue to rebuild.

It will take years for the Keys to recover.  Most of the economy in the Keys is from tourism, especially during the winter months when people head south for the warmer weather.  With many of the damaged resorts, hotels, restaurants and shops still closed, there are no tourists coming to the Keys.  This has forced many small businesses to close.  The Keys are beautiful and hopefully, as recovery continues, everything will be better than ever.

After spending an enjoyable summer in the northeast U.S. and the Canadian Maritimes we started our annual trip south to the Florida Keys.  We made plans to meet friends in Hershey, PA for the annual RV show held there every September.  For those who don’t know about the show it is a huge, week-long event held at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA.  The show features the newest RV’s and includes everything from mini towables to the largest Diesel Coach’s to Park Model homes.   There are hundreds of models on display from many different manufacturers.  There are also many accessory vendors, campground reps. etc. located inside the Giant Center.  If you are thinking of purchasing an RV or just want to see what’s available this is one of the big shows you should not miss.

We meet up with our friends and spent two long days looking at the latest and greatest models.  Our friends who recently retired were looking for either a 5^th wheel or motorhome to travel the country.  Their initial thoughts were to get a small 5^th wheel or motorhome in the thirty two to thirty six foot range.  After looking at those sized models they began to look at larger, higher end models.  Needless to say by the time we left the show they were convinced they wanted a 45 foot Tiffin Bus or Entegra Anthem Coach.  We have an Allegro Bus so we are partial to Tiffin.  They test drove both the Tiffin and Entegra and liked them both.  They were very close to making a deal but decided to wait a bit and do some additional research.

While we were at the show Hurricane Irma struck the Florida Keys and the south eastern U.S.  We had planned a slow trip south with an arrival in the Keys in October.  With so much damage to the Keys we weren’t sure we would be spending our winter there.  We continued our trip south and kept in contact with our friends who live in Islamorada.  They had extensive damage to their property and we wanted to go and help them rebuild.  Unfortunately only residents were being allowed into the Keys.  We made stops in Virginia, North and South Carolina, Savannah Georgia, St. Augustine, Titusville and Fort Lauderdale Florida.  We finally got news from our campground in Islamorada that they were reopening and we could proceed into the Keys.  We arrived on October 1^st and were deeply saddened by the massive destruction caused by Irma.

Part two of our Canadian Adventure begins with our departure from Prince Edward Island.  We left PEI by way of the Confederation Bridge.  The bridge connects PEI to New Brunswick.  Tolls for the eight mile long bridge are quite expensive with automobiles costing $46.50 and our motorhome costing $62.50 with car in tow.  Fortunately they only charge when leaving PEI. 

Once off the bridge we traveled west along the Trans-Canadian Highway into the city of Fredericton.  Fredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick.  The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River. We stayed at a nice campground on the river called Hartt Island RV Resort.  Upon leaving Fredericton we headed north into Grand Falls, NB.  Grand Falls gets its name from the 75 foot high Saint John River waterfall and gorge located in the middle of town.  We visited the falls and gorge during our stay.  If you’re brave enough you can zip line across the gorge.  It was a nice half day outing but it wasn’t overly impressive.   We left Grand Falls and traveled northeast to Rivière-du-Loup.  This little city is located in the Canadian Province of Quebec, on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River .  The city was named after a nearby river, whose name means Wolf’s River in French. We took a nice long drive along the river and enjoyed the scenery and views across the river.  From Rivière-du-Loup we traveled west to Quebec City.  We stayed in a large KOA campground where everyone spoke French.  While setting up our site a fellow camper came running over.  She was also from the US and noticed our NY plates.  She was so glad to have English speaking neighbors.  She chatted with us and explained that she hadn’t talked to anyone since she arrived at the French campground.  It was a bit of a challenge to communicate while in Quebec City.  Most residents expect you to communicate in French.  We found it interesting that the further north we traveled in Canada the more French became the primary language. Throughout southern New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI, English was the primary language. Everyone spoke perfect English and all road signs were in both English and French. As we traveled north from Grand Falls into Quebec Province everything, including road signs, were only in French.  We learned Quebec is the only province to have a predominantly French-speaking population, with French as the sole provincial official language. 

Montreal was supposed to be our last stop in Canada but due to a minor health issue we had to make Quebec City our last stop.  We left Quebec City and made our way to the US border crossing leading in to New York.  The crossing was uneventful and just as easy as our crossing into Canada.  We were asked a few questions and sent on our way in less than two minutes. 

We’re glad we decided to go to Canada.  We made many stops, ate tons of good food and did a lot of sightseeing.

After completing our travels in Maine we set off to visit our neighbors to the north in the Canadian Maritimes.  The Maritimes is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.  It is located northeast of New England and southeast of Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula.

We began our adventure by entering Canada at the International Avenue border crossing in Calais Maine.  Crossing the border couldn’t have been easier.  There were only a few cars in front of us at the boarder and they move quickly.  We were asked a few brief questions by the Canada Border Services Officer and were on our way in less then a minute.

Our first stop was St Andrews, New Brunswick.  This is a little town located on Passamaquoddy Bay.  We were only able to spend one day there because the area was busy with a road race.  We spent the day walking the little town, eating homemade ice cream and driving around the area.  Our next stop was in St John.  We stayed in a small campground located in Rockwood Park.  The campground was really just an open area with full hookups but it was clean, quiet and it served its purpose.  Rockwood Park is a nice park with walking trails, a lake and a cute little restaurant called Lily’s. We ate dinner at Lily’s one night and the food was very good.  We also sat on their patio at the lake and enjoyed a quiet breakfast.

Next it was on to the remote area of Hopewell Cape where the Bay of Fundy turns north into the Chocolate River. This is where Hopewell Rocks, also called the Flowerpots Rocks, is located.  The rock formations rising from the sea floor were caused by tidal erosion and stand 40–70 feet tall.  The formations are covered by high tide water twice a day but at low tide you can descend about 120 steps to the sea floor and view the formations from ground level.  You can also walk out on the exposed sea floor and explore the sea bed.  Although the tides vary from day to day, the high tide can be as high as 52 feet giving Hopewell Rocks one of the highest average tides in the world.

We made the long drive into Nova Scotia and stopped in Halifax next.  We stayed at the Shubie Park Campground.  It is actually located in Dartmouth on the opposite side of the bay from Halifax.  It was a nice park in a residential area.  We spent a few days exploring the area including the beautiful Halifax Public Gardens and the Citadel National Historic Site. The Halifax Waterfront is a nice area with shops and restaurants but it is very crowded and parking is difficult.  We enjoyed dinner and breakfast at local restaurants.

Prince Edward Island was our next stop.  PEI is a lovely island with rolling green hills and beautiful country side landscapes.  We stayed at the Marco Polo Land Campgrounds and Inn in Cavendish.  This is a very large campground with over 580 sites.  Cavendish is a tourist town with lots of activities for families.  We enjoyed some long rides and beautiful views while driving the country roads of PEI.  We traveled along the shore on the Rue du Gulf Shore Parkway and stopped a few times to take in the scenery.  One day we drove into the historic town of Charlottetown. We walked the streets while enjoying local music playing around us.  We visited the exquisite St. Dunstan’s Basilica Cathedral and enjoyed the sights while sitting in beautiful Victoria Park.

We had a good time roaming the Canadian Maritimes.  Stay tuned for part two of “Our Canadian Adventure”, coming soon.

When we started thinking about our travel plans for the summer of 2017 we immediately thought of New England. We never really explored the northeast. We decided it was the perfect time to meander around New England and the eastern provinces of Canada.

We started our trip northeast after picking up our Coach from its annual maintenance appointment in Connecticut. We made a two day stop in Salisbury, MA followed by a three day stop in Saco, ME. which is just south of Portland. Our three children drove up and met us at the Saco campground. The next morning we set off for the Bar Harbor Woodlands KOA in Bar Harbor, ME. This is a nice wooded campground on Mount Desert Island which is home to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. With an area of 108 square miles, Mount Desert Island is the 6th largest island in the contiguous United States. It is the second-largest island on the Eastern seaboard, behind Long Island. We quickly set up camp and headed out for a 27 mile drive on Park Loop Rd. This is a beautiful ride which loops through Acadia National Park.  After the drive we set off on a mission to find a local Lobster Pound to feast on some fresh lobster. You can’t travel to Bar Harbor and not eat lobster!  We also found a local ice cream shop and enjoyed some dessert. The next morning Dee and and our children went to Acadia to hike some trails. The trails were above my level so I stayed back and relaxed. They came back hungry so we searched and found a great local barbecue place called Mainly Meat . We ordered a platter which came with huge portions of pulled pork, barbecued chicken, hot sausage and ribs. It also came with beans, potato salad and slaw and it was delicious.

Our plan for the next day was to get up at 2:00 AM and head to Cadillac Mountain. Our son planned to do a 2.5 mile early morning hike up to the summit. He loves hiking and this would be a nice challenge for him. He spoke to the park rangers and they gave him the OK.  We planned to meet him at the summit to enjoy a beautiful sunrise together.  Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate. We woke up and it was extremely foggy with on and off light rain. We decided to go back to sleep and drive to the summit later in the morning. Visibility was zero as we drove up the mountain.  We stopped at the summit visitor’s center then took a short quarter mile walk to the summit marker. The weather cleared a little and everyone went for a three mile walk around Jordan Pond. We ate lunch at the historic Jordan Pond House which is famous for its tea and popovers with jam. Yummy! We then headed into the town of Bar Harbor for some sightseeing and dinner.

Our son finally got to hike up the mountain on our final day of the stay. The weather was still foggy but it improved enough for him to walk the trail. We dropped him off at the base and two hours later he appeared at the summit. We were glad he made the climb. We drove back to the campground and they packed up and headed off on their eight hour drive home. We all had a great time and it was wonderful having our children with us. Dee and I broke camp the following morning to continue our journey through New England and Canada.

We are back on the road continuing our journey after spending a beautiful winter in the Florida Keys .  Upon leaving our friends behind in Islamorada Florida we headed up to Okeechobee for the spring Tiffin Allegro Club rally.  We had a good time and enjoyed the seminars.  It was fun looking at all the new Tiffin motorhomes on display.  It takes a lot of self-control to just look and not sign  and drive away with a brand new ride.

We are now in St Augustine which is a beautiful old city with great history.  It is much cooler up here in northern Florida and it’s going to get even cooler as we head further north through  Georgia, S. Carolina and up into Tennessee.  After spending Easter in Pigeon Forge, TN we’ll start our slow journey north toward Connecticut.  We will leave our home-on-wheels there for some annual routine service and take advantage of the down time to scoot home and visit family and friends for a week or two.

Once our Coach maintenance is finished we plan to spend the summer exploring the northeast.  There are many sights to see in the Northeast.  We are really looking forward to spending some time exploring, especially in Maine.  We hope to spend some time visiting Canada if time allows before we, once again, head south for next winter.

We had a great summer meandering around our great country and now we are back home for the holidays.  We did a lot of great traveling this year.  We left the Florida Keys in April and traveled up the west coast of Florida stopping in the Tampa area to get the annual maintenance work done on our motorhome.  We were originally told it would be a one day process but after discussions about a finicky awning and the need to address a recall on our electric steps the servicing took three days.  Luckily the service center allows RV’rs to sleep in there unit if it needs to stay overnight.  So we spent two nights sleeping in our coach while it was parked in the service bay.  We finally got back on the road and slowly headed north then west.  Our first big stop was Panama City Beach Florida which is a beautiful place.  Then it was west for a few days in New Orleans.  Our plan was to then head west into Texas but due to severe weather in Texas we turned north up towards Missouri.  We needed to make a quick trip home to take care of some business so we decided to stop in Missouri.  After an internet search we found a great indoor storage facility with a 30 amp connection near Springfield MO.  We just plug the coach in, locked the door and left for home.

After returning from home we got back on the road.  We traveled to many states including Missouri, Nebraska, South and North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.  We visited many beautiful National Parks and stopped at many other points of interest.

Our travels were not without a few mechanical issues.  We had a rooftop air conditioner fan blade fail.  Tiffin quickly shipped us a new blade and I made the repair. A loose wire caused our slide control panel to malfunction.  Re-crimping a connector quickly solved that problem.  On our way from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas our motorhome overheated.  We contacted Cummins who was booked solid. They referred us to Freightliner who agreed to get us in on our last scheduled day in Vegas.  They diagnosed the issue as a stuck thermostat and after a day to complete the warrantied repairs we were back on the road.  We stopped overnight in Arizona on our way to New Mexico.  On our trip from Arizona to Albuquerque we overheated again.  We again visited a Cummins dealer who tested everything but could not find anything wrong.  Frustration began to increase as we hit the road again.  After an uneventful trip to Roswell we headed to Texas and overheated again.  We also got a check engine light this time.  I decided to call Tiffin to see if they had any answers and to my surprise they did.  After asking for my VIN number they indicated that I had a defective fan clutch.   I was more than a bit annoyed that Tiffin new about the bad batch of fan clutches but didn’t notify their affected customers.  After overnighting a new clutch and an eight hour installation by Cummins in San Antonio we were on our way and trouble free.  Apparently the two speed electric clutch would intermittently fail when the engine ran hotter than normal due to very hot weather. 

So after seven enjoyable but tiring months on the road and the resolution of a frustrating mechanical issue we decided to call it a season.  We left Texas and worked our way back to Florida.  We spent almost a month relaxing in the Keys before leaving our MH there and driving home. Mid-January we will drive back to the Keys and enjoy a few more months of warm weather before getting back out on the road.  Where are we going next?  Stay tuned!

Two of our three children recently came to visit us while we were out west.  They flew into Las Vegas and drove into Utah to stay with us for almost a week.  We spent the time visiting Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon.  All three locations are amazingly beautiful and really should be on everyone’s bucket list.  We had a great time telling them stories of our travels and an even better time seeing the sights together.  They were eager to bring us up to date on their lives and the things that we’ve missed while on the road.  We really enjoyed their visit and were sorry to see them go.  Unfortunately our third child had other obligations and couldn’t make the trip. 

Our three children are single and living in, and taking care of, our home while we are on the road.   We really miss our kids.  We are a very close family and being away from them and the rest of our family and friends has been difficult at times.  Going on the road was something we talked about for a long time before we retired.  We love traveling and seeing the country and while I am glad we made that decision it has not always been easy.  There have been times when I wondered “what were we thinking.”  Retirement is supposed to be a time to relax and enjoy life, family and friends.  The truth is life on the road is not always easy or relaxing and being homesick can often be overwhelming. 

Living in a small home that doubles as your transportation is challenging.  We’ve driven thousands of miles bouncing our home down all types of roads. This has taken a toll on the motorhome and us.  We’ve had a few mechanical issues and sometimes they test your patience and maximize your stress level.  It’s during those times that I ask “Is it all worth it?”  But then I think of all the friendly people we’ve met and all the stories we’ve shared.  I remember all the great places we’ve visited and all the beautiful country we’ve seen.  It really has been an amazing adventure.  And I am truly blessed to be experiencing it with my best friend, my wife. 

We are now slowly heading east back to Florida.  We will spend a month there before driving home to be with our family and friends for the holidays.  We’ll then head back to our motorhome in the Florida Keys and spend the rest of the winter relaxing.  Then it’s time to get back on the road and continue our amazing adventure.

Arches National Park is a beautiful 76,679 acres park located on the Colorado River 4 miles north of Moab, Utah. It has many unique natural sandstone formations including balanced rocks, spires, fins and over 2,000 arches.  It was first designated a National Monument in April 1929 and redesignated a National Park in 1971.  Over 700,000 people visit Arches each year.

We spent most of our day at Arches driving and stopping along the scenic byway which traverses the park.  There are many pull-offs and trails of varying length and difficulty throughout the park.  Some of the arches are visible from the road or pull-offs and some require walking a trail.  The views in the park are stunning.  There are thousands of sandstone formations of all different shapes and sizes.  The salmon and buff colored sandstone is layered like a cake.  Massive multicolored fins of rock rise from the ground.   Some of those fins eroded over time and became arches.  Arches of varying sizes and age are located all throughout the park.  Over Forty two of these delicate arches have collapsed since the late 1970’s.  The early stages of new arch formations are also visible. Who knows how long it will take for those tiny young holes to develop and grow into full sized arches.  As you continue through the park you can see sandstone rocks appearing to defy gravity by precariously balancing atop spires and fins. Every turn of the road brings another beautiful formation into view. It truly is an amazing place that should be on everyones bucket list.

Visiting our nation’s parks was one of the reasons we began our journey around the United States.  So far their beauty has been breathtaking.  Arches National Park is certainly at or near the top of our list of the most beautiful parks in America.  Next week we visit Zion National Park in southern Utah and we can’t wait to see what that brings!

Check out more pictures of Arches NP on our Travel Gallery page.

We recently spent some time on the west coast of Oregon. We stayed at a very nice Motorcoach Resort in Newport, OR.  Our site was about 200 feet from the Pacific Ocean. The views were beautiful and the sunset was spectacular.  We spent one of the days traveling up and down the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway.  We had a great day driving the road and taking in all the views.

We spent some time in Newport Harbor and had a nice quiet dinner at a new restaurant on the Newport Dock.  Outside the restaurant, below the dock, Sea Lions rest on concrete platforms placed in the water.  They relax in the sun and bark loudly every time another Sea Lion wants to join them on the platform.  We also had a nice breakfast at a small Café near Nye Beach.

What we did not know before arriving at the coast was how different the weather is.  The average daytime temperature in July and August is 64 degrees.  Strong winds blow many days and sometimes the fog rolls in off the water blanketing the entire area in a cloud of white.  We had been traveling through areas where the temps were in the 90’s so we were shocked by the cooler temps. During one of our days there the wind was howling and the fog was banked to the ground.  We were trying to sit outside on our swing and enjoy the views but we were bundled in sweatshirts and a blanket trying to keep warm. It was a losing battle so we retreated to our coach and turned on the heat.

All in all we had a good time on the Coast.  We have now retreated inland to the warmer weather.  Today it was a blazing hot 95 degrees and I wish we were back on the cool coast!!!

Glacier National Park is located in Montana. The park is part of the Rocky Mountain range and encompasses over 1 million acres. It is one of America’s most beautiful parks.  Going-to-the-Sun Road, which traverses the park, is a beautifully picturesque 50 mile long mountain road that can be accessed from either the east or west entrance. The winding road slowly rises to Logan Pass, which at 6,646 feet, is the highest point on the road.  There are many overlooks and many trailheads accessible from the road.  Every turn in the road presents another beautiful view of the mountains, valleys, waterfalls and lakes. Due to narrow sections and hairpin turns the highest portions of the roadway are limited to vehicles no longer than 21 feet and no wider than 8 feet.  .

In the 19th century an estimated 150 glaciers existed in the park. By 2010 only 25 active glaciers remained and it is estimated that all the glaciers may disappear by 2030. There are two hundred waterfalls and 700 crystal clear lakes scattered throughout the park. Lake McDonald is the largest and deepest lake at 464 feet.

Many animals inhabit the park. Grizzly and black bears, mountain goats, moose, bighorn sheep, elk, white-tailed deer, bobcat, cougar, coyote, mule deer and skunk are common. Glacier National Park has an average of 14 forest fires annually but in 2003 the landscape changed when 136,000 acres, (13 percent of the park), burned due to a multiyear drought.  Opportunities for hikers are plentiful.  The park has over 700 miles of trails ranging from flat easy walks to challenging technical hikes. There are three visitors’ centers, one at each entrance and one at Logan’s Pass.  The park offers a free shuttle service for tourists who want to sit back and enjoy a ride through the park.  We spent much of the day driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road.  We stopped at many of the overlooks and enjoyed the spectacular views from each.  It is amazing to see how much snow still remains in the mountains in late July.  We visited the west Visitors Center and made sure we got our National Parks Passbook stamped.  We thoroughly enjoyed Glacier National Park.  It is truly a remarkable place to visit.

While in North Dakota we spent a day at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  The 70,000 acre park is located in the western region of the Badlands of North Dakota.  It is made up of three sections: the North Unit, the South Unit, and the Elkhorn Ranch Unit.

The park is named after President Theodore Roosevelt who first came to the North Dakota badlands to hunt bison. He spent many years enjoying this area.  President Truman established the Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park in 1947, the only National Memorial Park ever established. In 1978 the park was renamed the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

It is a beautiful park with sweeping vistas and miles of dome-shaped hills with layers of multicolored horizontal striped rocks and sediment.  The park has foot and horse trails, wildlife viewing, back country hiking and camping areas. The park is home to a wide variety of wildlife including bison, coyotes, cougars, feral horses, badgers, elk, bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer and mule deer, prairie dogs, and many species of birds including golden eagles, sharp-tailed grouse, and wild turkeys.

While traveling the scenic drives in the park you can stop at the pull-offs and enjoy short trails which lead to beautiful overlooks of the park.  We saw a few horses, many prairie dogs in their little “towns” and a large herd of Bison who were relaxing in a field.  The Bison decided to move to a stream for a cool drink and crossed the road right in front of us.  It was a great photo op!

You drive through the town of Medora to access the south entrance of the park.  It is a touristy little western town with wooden sidewalks, old fashioned ice cream parlors, museums and an amphitheater that puts on productions of the “Medora Musical”.  We had a great time and enjoyed the beautiful park and its wildlife.

We are back on the road again.  After spending a few weeks back east we drove back to Missouri.  We made the trip in two days which was pretty quick.  After the long drive we stopped and enjoyed two days with family who live about 50 miles west of St Louis.  Dee’s sister came along for the ride and stayed with family for a few additional days before flying back east.  After leaving family behind we drove another three hour’s to pick up our motor coach which was in storage in Nixa, MO.  Nixa is just south of Springfield.  It was good to get back in our coach again.  We left Nixa and traveled a short thirty five miles south to the city of Branson MO.

Branson is a busy tourist town located in the Ozarks in southwest Missouri.  It is a popular destination for vacationers and draws visitors from all regions of the country. The growing collection of entertainment theaters and other attractions has increased Branson’s popularity as a tourist destination.

Besides the many entertainment theaters for which Branson is famous, there are many other local attractions including a Hollywood Wax Museum, Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede, Silver Dollar City, White Water, Ride the Ducks,  Ziplines, Cave Tours, National Tiger Sanctuary, Go-Karts, Mini Golf, Horseback Rides, Butterfly Palace, and the Rainforest Adventure. There is also a Ripley’s Believe It or Not and a Titanic Museum which is housed in a half-scale replica of the famous ship and iceberg.

We stayed at the Musicland Kampground which is in the heart of the city.  It is a nice, quiet, hilly campground with clean sites and good utilities. The roads and sites are a little small for “Big Rigs” but we had no problems. The staff was extremely friendly.  You can buy discounted tickets to all the shows in Branson at the campground office.  The staff was very helpful explaining the various shows and offered recommendations.  We saw a few shows including “Hits of the 60’s” which brought back many memories. We ate some good food and had a good time.

After leaving Louisiana we intended to head west and spend some time in Texas before turning north and traveling up through Oklahoma and Kansas and into South Dakota.  Unfortunately “Mother Nature” was not cooperating.  Texas was getting hit daily with major storms, torrential rains and flooding.  Roads were closed and it was just a mess.  Dee missed our children and we had some business to take care of back home so we decided to make an unscheduled, unannounced quick trip home. I was five days before Mother’s Day and I thought it would be great to get Dee home for it so I was in a rush.

We wanted to put our motor coach in storage and fly home.  I wanted an indoor facility so our coach would be out of the weather.  I was also hoping for a place where we could plug the coach in. This would keep the coach powered up so we would not have to shut everything down.  Since we intended to go north into the Dakotas after our return I started looked for a facility between Louisiana and South Dakota. I found just what we were looking for in Nixa Missouri. It was and indoor storage bay, big enough for our coach, with a 30 amp power receptacle.  I immediately called and booked it. We have family in Missouri and we thought we could visit them on the way back so we decided to drive home rather than fly.

We quickly left New Orleans and headed north to Missouri. We made an overnight stop just south of Memphis then another stop in the Ozarks of Missouri.  Then it was on to the storage facility where we backed the coach in; plugged it in; locked the bay door and jumped in the car and headed east.  We drove all day and didn’t stop until we reached the Indiana/Ohio border at 9:30 PM.  We got a room and were up and on the road again by 6:30 AM.  We made it home by 5:30 PM, the night before Mother’s Day!  We didn’t tell anyone we were coming home so our children were very surprised to see us.  We spent a few weeks home and Dee got to spend Mother’s Day with her family.

We recently spent some time in New Orleans.  It is an interesting city.  While the French Quarter is bustling with crowds and tourists the rest of the city seems fairly quiet.

Vieux Carre, better known as the French Quarter or simply “The Quarter” was established by the French in 1718.  It is a national historic landmark.  There is much to experience in the Quarter especially if you like to indulge in drinks of the fermented type.  The area has many restaurants, clubs and bars with local soulful jazz bands playing day and night.  Bourbon Street, which is the most famous block, has a lot of activity.  The architecture of the Quarter is mostly made up of small old Spanish style building with many built before the turn of the century.  A famous landmark of the area is Jackson Square. Originally known as the Place d’Armes, the square was renamed to honor Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans.

While the French Quarter is a hotbed of tourist activity, the rest of New Orleans is made up of some beautiful areas and some not so beautiful areas.  The Garden District, a popular destination for visitors, stands out as one of the most attractive neighborhoods .  Some of the other areas seem to be somewhat depressed and still affected by Hurricane Katrina.  It was sad to see many homeless people living in small tents under the highways which cross the city.

We stayed in the French Quarter RV Resort which is located only a few blocks from the French Quarter. It is a small, clean, metro park with a convenient location.  Unfortunately, the lack of WiFi, the road noise of Interstate 10 which is directly adjacent to the park and the constant blare of sirens passing back and forth from the local hospital made the park and its location less than desirable.

It was our intent to head west into Texas but the endless storms and torrential rains have forced us to change our plans.  We are heading north on our way up to Missouri then further north into the Dakota’s.

We had the pleasure of staying at a great RV resort this week.  Emerald Coast RV Beach Resort is a premier RV destination located in Panama City Beach, FL.  It is a beautiful gated park with both RV sites and park model homes.  It is a luxurious resort located on 25 beautiful acres.  There are two lakes surrounded by pull in sites and the park models.  They have all the amenities you would expect and more  including both salt and fresh water pools.  Premium sites are very spacious and include tropical landscaping with palm trees; brick paver roads, pads and patios; gas grill, outdoor seating and table with umbrella on sites.  The resort has a 10/10/10 Trailer Life and Good Sam rating and they deserve it.  Everyone was extremely friendly and we had a great time.

The best part of our stay was that we were only a mile from one of the most beautiful beaches in the United States!  Panama City Beach is a beautiful city located on the Gulf of Mexico coast. It is a very popular vacation destination with hotels, resorts, attractions and shopping along the beach.  The spotlessly clean beaches are dazzling with sugar-white sand and emerald green crystal clear water.  Anyone who loves the beach would love this beautiful location.

Well it’s time to raise the jacks, fire up the motorhome and head out of the sunny Florida Keys.  We have been here for three months but time has passed quickly.  The beautiful, warm “winter” weather has been great.  I can truthfully say we do not miss the cold harsh New York winters.

Both Dee and I have been busy.  Dee has been doing a lot of glass painting for our friends who own a wedding floral business.  I have been working with my friend who has been doing construction on one of the buildings he owns.  It almost seemed like I was no longer retired!

Even though we had a great time, we are ready to return to the nomadic lifestyle.  We will miss our friends and the Keys but we are looking forward to meandering around the mid and western states for the next 6 or 7 months.  Traveling around the country in a motorhome is a great lifestyle. There is just so much to see and do.

Once we leave the Keys we will be stopping for a few days near Tampa to get our annual motorhome maintenance work done.  Then we will head west.  As of right now we plan to return to the Keys next winter after spending the holidays up north.  In fact, we have already reserved the same spot at our present campground for next winter.

It’s been almost two months since we flew back to Florida to enjoy the warm sunny Key Largo winter and all I can say is we love it here.   It was great enjoying the holiday’s back home with family and friends.  Christmas just wouldn’t be the same in 80 degree weather.  We had a great time, eating way too much and socializing for hours at a time.   As time went on I began to look forward to returning to our RV lifestyle.  It was great spending time with our 3 children whom we miss when on the road but I missed the relaxed, low key life we had become accustomed to.    We hopped on a plane and flew back to Florida in mid-January.   We picked up our motorhome which we stored at a friend’s property in the Keys and moved to our current location which is a small RV resort in Key Largo Florida.

Not long after we settled in, two of our children flew down and stayed a week with us.  We really enjoyed their visit and they enjoyed the nice weather of the Florida Keys.  Unfortunately, they had to return home a day early to beat the January blizzard.  They spent days shoveling snow while thinking of the warm sunny weather they had just left.   A few weeks later my sister-in-law spent a week with us. She also enjoyed the beautiful warmer sunny weather although it was a very windy week.  Since then we have been busy.  Our friends have a business in Islamorada and we have been helping them out with various tasks.

We have about six more weeks before we hit the road and continue exploring our great country.  While we love it down here we are looking forward to moving on.  We hope to visit Louisiana and Texas before slowly head north until we reach South Dakota.  We will spend some time in the Dakotas before heading west into Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park.  We are not sure where we will head after that but we do know we will be back home for Thanksgiving and Christmas and then “snowbird” back to the Florida Keys next January to ride out the winter.

Tomorrow we are flying back to sunny Florida to enjoy the rest of the winter in warmer weather.  As we get older we are less tolerant of the cold weather.  We were very lucky this season with abnormally high temps and no snow.  This past week it started to get cold and snow is just around the corner so it’s time to fly south.

We have been up north since mid-November.  Dee and I thoroughly enjoyed being home.  We spent a lot of time catching up and telling stories of our travels.  We also enjoyed hearing about their work and play while we are away.  We really miss our children when we are away so it will take some time for us to adjust to being away again.  During our stay at home we also spent time socializing with family and friends and seized the opportunity to catch up with Doctor and Dentist visits.

Although we had a great time being home for the holidays, we miss our motorhome and nomadic lifestyle.  We are looking forward to warmer weather and the resumption of our traveling.  Our current plan is to stay in the Florida Keys through March.  We have good friends there and enjoy staying there. We then plan to break camp, get back on the road and head north then west along the Florida panhandle.  We hope to visit Louisiana then slowly head north until we reach South Dakota.  We will spend some time there before heading west into Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park.  After that “only time will tell”

After traveling around Florida for seven weeks including three warm and sunny weeks in beautiful Key Largo Florida, we flew back home for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.  It was quite a shock arriving home which was a cold 43 degrees after leaving Miami airport which was a balmy 85 degrees.  We had a great time in Florida stopping at a total of six different RV parks but I have to say it is nice to return home to family and friends after being on the road for months.

We started our most recent Florida travels in St Augustine which is a beautiful city.  We stayed at North Beach Camp Resort which is located on Vilano Island and sandwiched between the Tolomato River and the Atlantic.  It is a fairly nice campground with the exception of WiFi which is basically non-existent.  We really enjoyed relaxing watching the Atlantic surf.  We left North Beach and traveled west to Williston and stayed at a really nice RV park called Williston Crossings RV Resort.  It is a large park with concrete paved sites for all sized RV’s.  It is located in a fairly rural area but just 30 minutes south of Gainesville.  The staff and campers were extremely friendly.  It was not very busy as we were there during the off season but we were told it will be full once the snowbirds arrive.  Next we were off for a week at Tropical Palms Carefree RV Resort in Orlando.  This is also a large park with both RV sites and cabin rentals.  The sites are OK in size.  The interior roads are a little tight bit manageable. It is a perfect home base for sightseeing.  From Orlando we headed west to Lazydays RV Resort which is just east of Tampa.  This large, open campground is located next door to the Lazydays RV Sales and Service Center.  The sites are just big enough for a 45 ft. motorhome.  This is a no-frills campground with no activities other than a screened in pool.  There is a small restaurant located at the park and there is a Cracker Barrel right next door.  A shuttle runs continually from the campground to the sales and service center.  Lazydays offers seminars including an RV driver’s education course which my wife took advantage of.  It is free if you stay at the campground.  I spent the morning walking around the hundreds of new and used RV’s at the sales facility.  From Lazydays we headed south to Crystal Lake RV Resort in Naples.  This is a premier, gated resort which was named one of the top 30 RV Resorts in North America.  Virtually all the sites are owned with some rented by the owners.  The sites are beautifully landscaped with stone or stamped concreted patios.  The sites surround a 60 acre lake.  Our site was a large pull in site which gave us a great view of the lake out our windshield.  We enjoyed hard wired internet at our site which was really fast.  There are two clubhouses, two pools and many other activities.  The best part was that the site was very inexpensive to rent.

Our final stop was at Point of View RV Resort in Key Largo.  This is a nice, although very expensive, park located on the Florida Bay.  Sites are a nice size but the entire park is white gravel which makes for a lot of dust.  The WiFi has a good signal but is unbearably slow.  The view of the bay and the sunset is stunning.  The Florida Keys are a great place to just hang out and relax.  We have good friends in the Keys so we enjoy our extended stays.  In fact, our very gracious friends let us park our motorhome and toad with them while we visit home for the holidays.

So far our retirement has been great.  We have thoroughly enjoyed living in our coach and touring the eastern part of our country.  After our two month stay home and some additional time in the Keys we plan to saddle up and head west.

We recently spent a great week in Sevierville TN. attending the Tiffin Allegro Club rally.  Upon leaving the rally we moved on to Asheville NC. where we intended to do some sightseeing and driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Unfortunately four days of constant rain caused us to cancel most of our plans. We moved to Columbia SC. for a brief stay and then it was on to Myrtle Beach.  We intended to spend six days relaxing on the beach, enjoying the sun.  Upon arrival we began to hear varying reports on the path of Hurricane Joaquin and also of the possibility of torrential rains coming to South Carolina.  After listening to worsening weather reports and realizing that we would be in the path of terrible rains and flooding we decided to cancel our stay after just one night and “get out of Dodge”.  The campground was very understanding and offered a full refund of our unused days.  Our next stop was supposed to be Savannah GA. We called and tried to move up our reservation but the campground was full.  That along with worsening weather reports for that area made us change our plans again.

We decided to move further south into Florida.  We had previously stayed at a nice campground in St. Augustine FL.  We called North Beach RV Resort and they had a spot for us.  We broke camp and moved south and it’s a good thing we did.  As everyone knows S. Carolina was hit with days of record breaking rains and catastrophic flooding.  Fortunately our decision to move south was correct.  We had fairly nice weather during our unexpected six night stay in the beautiful city of St. Augustine.

Being on the road full-time requires flexibility and patience.  Your best laid plans can and will go astray. Your willingness to accept the challenge and make the best of a bad situation is key to living on the road and enjoying life.

Today we took a trip to visit the campus of Notre Dame University.  It is a beautiful campus spread out over 1,250 acres.  It was originally established as an all-male institution in 1842.  The university enrolled women undergraduates in 1972. It currently has an enrolment of almost 12,000 students.

The Basilica is a Roman Catholic Church on the campus of the University and serves as the mother church of the Congregation of Holy Cross in the United States.  It is a beautiful church of Gothic Revival architecture that was opened in 1888.  The basilica bell tower is 218 feet high, making it the tallest University chapel in America.  It was breathtaking entering such a magnificent ornate structure.  The stained glass windows are stunning. Mass was very moving.  The choir, made up of all female students, was wonderful.

Basilica

Basilica

We recently had the opportunity to visit the The Recreation Vehicle and Manufactured Housing Hall of Fame located in Elkhart, Indiana.  The RV/MH Hall of Fame displays many different pop-ups, trailers, motorhomes, photos, and memorabilia dating as far back as 1913.  It’s very interesting see the technological progression from the primitive 1913 Earl Trailer and Model T Ford to the 1958 Airstream ‘der Kleiner Prinz”, a 10 foot fully equipped prototype Airstream, to the 1985 prototype of the iconic 1986-87 Bounder.

It was interesting to see the primitive units and how small and sparse they were.  Most had no bathroom facilities at all.    There are many units on display and all in amazing condition.  Be sure to make it a stop if you are in the Elkhart area.

We spent a few days exploring both the US and Canadian side of Niagara Falls and all I can say is WOW!!!

Niagara Falls is actually made up of three distinct falls, the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and the Horseshoe Falls which is in the US and Canada.  The power of the 750,000 gallons of water per second falling from the three falls is absolutely breathtaking.  You can actually feel the ground shaking from the power of the water.

We visited both the US and Canadian side of the falls.  The US side is a more natural setting with a park on Goat Island.  This is where you can visit “Cave of the Winds” which is an elevator which takes you down to the bottom of the American side of the falls where you can walk on a wooden walkway right up to the falls.  The New York State Observation Tower in Prospect Point Park offers visitors a unique perspective for viewing the falls.

The Canadian side is more commercialized for tourists and has a better view of the Horseshoe Falls.  You can descend into tunnels which take you behind the Horseshoe Falls.  The Skylon Tower on the Canadian side rises over 700 feet above the base of the falls and gives you a great view of the falls and Niagara gorge.  Both sides have boats, Maid of the Mist on the US side and Hornblower on the Canadian side, which take you right up to the bottom of Horseshoe Falls.

If you haven’t been to Niagara Falls you must add it to your bucket list.  The Falls are a true wonder of nature.

Cave of the Winds Video 

After picking up our motorhome, which was in for routine service at our dealer, we are continuing our journey throughout upstate New York.  We’ve visited many towns and interesting places including the Vanderbilt Mansion, the FASNY Museum of Firefighting, Woodstock, Rhinebeck, the Thousand Islands region of NY, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.  We are now at Niagara Falls and will be visiting both the US and Canadian sides.  After this stop we are leaving NY and will be moving on to Ohio and then Indiana.

New York State is beautiful with miles of rolling hills, corn and dairy farms and a surprising number of  wineries.

After a long five week stop home for a family emergency we are glad to say we are back on the road.  We rushed home from Missouri at the end of May for a family emergency then had to continue our stay home due to Dee falling and fracturing her arm.

We got back on the road early this morning to begin meandering around upstate New York.  We will spend a week camping then drop off the motorhome in Amsterdam, NY for its annual maintenance.  While the RV is in the shop we will travel back home to have Dee’s cast removed.  After the cast removal we will head back upstate to pick up our coach and continue to travel around upstate New York until mid August.  We plan to attend a friends annual pig roast then slowly work our way west to Niagara Falls then along the Great Lakes.  Eventually, we will head in a southerly direction to attend the Tiffin Motorhomes Allegro Club rally in Sevierville TN.  It is great to be back on the road again.

After an enjoyable week in Orlando we packed up and headed 300 miles south to the Florida Keys.  We stayed at the Point of View Key Largo RV Resort in Key Largo.  It is a beautiful campground located on the Florida Bay.  The campground is only about two years old and is a popular spot even though it is a little expensive.  We had a site just off the beach and enjoyed a magnificent sunset every evening.  Much time was spent just sitting on the beach, relaxing and enjoying the sun and water.

We had a wonderful time exploring the sites, culture and food of the Keys.  We enjoyed many different types of food including delicious seafood at Lazy Day’s Restaurant in Islamorada and Mexican food from a food truck in Key Largo.  We spent a day at John Pennenkamp Coral Reef State Park which is a beautiful park in Key Largo.  We also took a trip up to mainland Florida to visit the Everglades National Park which is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States.  At the park we took a wonderful boat tour of the Everglades Whitewater Bay backcountry north of Florida Bay.

This is not our first time in the Keys and I must say it gets better each time we visit.  We spent three weeks in Key Largo and would have loved to stay longer.  Before we left we booked a site for another three month stay in January.

The Tiffin Allegro Club is the official owners club of Tiffin Motorhomes.  Every owner of a new Tiffin coach gets free membership in the club.  After the first free year there is a minimal membership fee.  The club holds several rallies during the year in different locations around the country.

This rally was held at the Orlando Fairgrounds.  There were over 290 motorhomes at the Orlando rally but the organizers and volunteers quickly got each coach to their parking spot.  There were some initial security concerns the first night but they were quickly addressed.

After traveling for a week, it was nice to settle in for four days of socializing, entertainment and an overall good time.  This was our first rally so we were eager to participate.  The first thing we noticed was that everyone was extremely sociable.  Conversations were friendly and enjoyable.  We met many people at the rally including some nice people who were also from our area.  We sat with different people every night for breakfast and dinner and thoroughly enjoyed their stories, suggestions and advice.  We are scheduled to attend another Allegro Club rally this September in Sevierville, TN and we can’t wait!

Six months before our journey began my son and I traveled to Red Bay Alabama to watch the building of our new motorhome.  It was an amazing experience.  Tiffin is the only manufacturer that allows you to stand on the factory floor with your RV as it is assembled.  Its unbelievable how fast the coach comes together.

After much preparation including; taking delivery of our motorhome; retiring from our jobs; getting our motorhome ready; packing our belongings; and saying good-bye to family and friends, it was finally time to begin the second chapter of our lives.

We left home on Sunday, March 15, 2015.  It was a cold day with over 2 feet of snow lingering on the lawn.  We intended to leave early, around 5:00 AM, but by the time we said good-bye to our family and got on the road it was almost 7:00 AM.  We wanted to get a good jump on leaving the cold weather behind so we planned our first overnight stop in Ashland, VA.  The trip was uneventful with the exception of some strong winds blowing the coach around and a minor malfunction of one of our slide-outs.  We stayed one night at Americamps RV Resort.  The next morning we moved further south towards our first real destination, the Allegro Club Rally in Orlando, FL.

We made five stops on the trip to Orlando staying in Ashland VA one night; Four Oaks, NC one night; Myrtle Beach, SC two nights; Charleston, SC two nights and St. Augustine, FL two nights.

It was a beautiful first trip concluding with our arrival in Orlando on Monday, March 23.  We were in Orlando to attend the Tiffin Allegro Club Rally.  This was our first rally and we didn’t know what to expect.  We met many new people, made some new friends and had a great time.  From Orlando we headed further south to the Keys.

During the trip south we especially liked Charleston and St. Augustine.  They are both beautiful cities.

Welcome to our new blog site.  We created this site for those who would like to follow us as we wander around the USA enjoying retirement.

Please be patient as we are new to the blog environment.  We welcome your comment and suggestions and hope you enjoy our posts and pictures.

Please visit our site again.

Dee & Al