pickle-ball tournament Day

Today SNF had a pickle-ball tournament There were about 30 teams in the under 4.0 level and about 9 teams in the 4.0+ level. Ok I didn't get the winners so I can't post that and most of you would not know who they are anyway.

I did take some time out to go to the wood shop and remove the dulcimer kit I am building from the clamps from last nights glue-up. I also went  back to the wood shop after lunch to use the oscillating vertical sander to do the rough sanding. Now it is the finish sanding and finish application.

Out of the Bubble - Disk Golf

On January 20 we went with friends to the Tocobaga Disc Golf Course in Pinellas County. Our friend Jeannie wrote a very nice blog post with several pictures. Since she did such a good job I will just provide a link to her blog post here. Enjoy.

Royal Clipper day 4 St. Vincent

Only here for the morning. Suzette and I decided to remain on ship and just relax. We are in a small commercial port and didn't want to deal with the hassle there.

Royal Clipper day 3 Tobago Cays

Today is the beach BBQ. We snookered, a ate and went for a ride on a booze cruise cat. Motor sailed the whole damn way. Crap.

Royal Clipper day 1

We are on the Royal Clipper a 5 masted square rigged ship with capacity for 228 passengers. This ship has 5050 square meters of sail area.

Under sail on our way to the Grenadines. It is good to meet our sailing companions from 4 years ago. Today will be an afternoon at the beach.

We were making 6.6 knots at last check.

Life Boat drill. Mass organized confusion.
Crew introductions, program information and safety information. Lunch then time for the beach and water toys. Picked up our snorkel gear to use for the week.

We will be anchored in Union Island, Grenadines.

As you may have guessed, I am updating throughout the day because I don't have much in the way of internet service.

After a scrumptious seafood lunch buffet e changed to our suits and took the launch to the beach. We snookered for a while and I took a turn on a paddle board.
We spent some time visiting before returning to the ship.

After more visiting and a shower it was time for a beer and sail off the anchor at 1700. Then to the tropical bar for a snack and music.

Captains welcome back party at 1900 followed by dinner and entertainment. We were told that 53 folks at the party are repeat customers. There are 163 guests on board.

Royal Clipper day 2 Granada

Another beautiful morning at sea.our expected arrival at St. Georges is 1130 so we will enjoy the morning sail on deck.

Coffee and continental breakfast and lounge on deck until breakfast. Yes we eat.

Watched some of the crew haul a motor from below decks, way down, and lower the replacement. Quite an operation.

We are watching foods climb to the lowest crows best on the main mast. We are under jib and staysail and two squares off the fore mast. Moving along nicely.

As we wetter approaching port the captain have a talk about air foil and lift and how it applies to sails and specifically to a square rigger. The importance of the jibs in control of the ship. Also you may set the fore and aft yards at different angles to balance the boat.

After lunch it was off to town. We didn't stay long. Local taxi drivers hassled us to much.

Back to the ship for a swim off of the swim platform.

lastpass

So many accounts, so many passwords: So a password manager seemed like a good idea. After reading several articles I choose LastPass. Good reviews and easy to use. See here and here for more information.

MagneShade

Just installed a Magne Shade to the front window. It is held on with magnets and you don't need a ladder to put it up or take it down.

Our Christmas Letter

Just thought I would post this as a way to give the reader an idea of where we have been and what we did.

 

Greetings from Sun-N-Fun Resort in Sarasota FL our winter home until Mid April 2015

We spent the winter playing Pickleball and Disk Golf with some time in the stained glass studio and not enough time kayaking. We left Florida in mid April and made our way to Goshen IN with stops along the way to get the coach serviced, some kayaking in St. Andrews FL and the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green KY.

Once we arrived at the Elkhart 4H fairgrounds in Goshen and were set up we decided to investigate the layout of the rally we were attending. The vendors were setting up and there was a coach we went to look at. That little visit put a wrench in our plan to attend seminars to learn about our motorhome. We decided to purchase a 2013 Holiday Rambler tag axle coach. Most of the rally was spent doing paperwork and moving into our new digs. We did attend a few seminars that were specific to the new coach and missed many we had planned to attend.

Early on in the purchase decision we decided to “move” to South Dakota since the sales tax would be 3%. So we made plans to travel to SD after the rally. Along the way to SD we did attend a Good Sam Rally in Marshall MI and visited with some of our FL friends that live there. Then it was on to Clear Lake Iowa to see the Surf Ballroom and visit the site of the crash site that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Richie Vallens, and JP Richardson in 1959. After that stop it was on to Rapid City SD and our new “home” at Americas Mailbox. While in Rapid City we took time to see the sites, Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park and many other places of interest. We took a side trip to Gillette WY to have an issue with the new coach taken care of. On our return from there we visited Devils Tower and the Geographic Center of the US in Belle Fouche SD. We also went to Spearfish and Sturgis. Once our business in Rapid City was complete we went to the Badlands. Of course there was the trip to Wall Drug, Minute Man Missile launch control, Sod house and just enjoying the Badlands.

Next was our visit to the UP, Upper Peninsula, with stops at the Corn Palace and the Spam Museum before we reached Duluth. We stayed several days in that area and visited several lighthouses and Maritime museums. Next stop was in the Marquette MI area where we met up with friends who winter in FL with us. We had a great time visiting with them an visiting more museums as well as a boat tour of Pictured Rocks National Park. Since this was the 4^th of July weekend we saw fireworks on the Marquette waterfront. The interesting thing is that Marquette is on the western edge of the eastern timezone and the fireworks did not start until 10:45. While in the area we visited the Youpers Tourist Trap in Ishpeming MI. much more fun than Wall Drug. After leaving Marquette we made a stop in Paradise MI and visited Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Crip Point Lighthouse and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum where we saw the bell of the Edmond Fitzgerald. Then it was off to the Soo where we watch several freighters lock through and enjoyed several meal of Lake Superior White Fish. We also attended a Pow Wow and took a trip to Mackinaw island. Our next stop was near Alpina MI where we toured several more Lighthouses took a tour of shipwrecks on a glass bottom boat in Thunder Bay.

Off to Traverse City to visit friends and play a little pickleball. We spent several days visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. More lighthouses, museums, fresh cherries, new friends, good food, good beer. We moved on to visit more friends in Lowell MI before heading to Decatur IN for warranty service. On the way we visited the Auburn Cord Duesenberg museum and National Auto and Truck Museum.

After the completion of the work we went to Celina OH where we met up with friends we had not seen in two years. We spent time visiting the Bicycle museum, Airstrteam Factory and the Kitchen Aid Experience and Factory tour. Our next stop was Cambridge OH to visit the Cambridge Glass Museum. We also discovered the Hopalong Cassidy Museum. What a place. The next day we went to the National Road Zane Grey Museum where we had a guided tour. Very well done. On our way back to the campground we stopped at John Glenn's boyhood home where we were given a tour by his “mother”. When you are on the National Road make it a stop.

Then we were off to Douthat State Park in Virginia and visited several sites in the area including Humpback Bridge and the C&O Railway Heritage Museum before going to a Holiday Rambler Rally in Lewisburg WVA before we returned to Virginia to Camp host at Lake Anna State Park for the month of October. We then spent 10 days at Rock Crusher Canyon RV Resort where we kayaked with friends and saw several Manatees.

Douthat State Park

We have spent the last week here in the Whispering Pines campground loop. This was a private park at one time but you would not know it. It has been completely redone. Nice large sites and a very nice comfort station.

We have seen some of the sights in this area. The C&O Heritage Center which is very well done. Oh the age of steam. They have a miniature train that takes kids of all ages for a ride as well as a nice model train display in the museum. There are many things to see on the grounds.

One of the main attractions in this area is the Humpback bridge

Why can't things just work?

This whole episode started August 17.
We were to have and easy ride from Auburn IN to Dedatur IN to the ARG service facility. As we took I470 to bypass Ft Wayne we were signaled that there was a problem. Pulled off to the shoulder and  saw that there was coolant all over the Jeep and the rear of the coach. Called Good Sam Roadside assistance. And wait and wait and wait. I put out safety triangles but the traffic just didn't move over. The buffeting was terrible.  Finally we were towed to Selking International in FT Wayne. Late evening so we went down the road to a dinner and then off to WalMart to get a few things.

Up at about 0530 so I could be at the service window when it opened at 0600. About 10:00 a tech came out and started work. He determined that the hose clamp at the radiator header tank had come loose. He replaced the hose, tightened clamp, refilled fluid and pressure tested the system. Declared all was well. We went to Decatur and got checked in.

Decatur service picks up the coach at 0600  and returns it by 1430 at the earliest. So went our week and most of the next.

Next was a short trip to Mercer County Fairgrounds. After our week+ there we headed for Cambridge OH. We got as far as Zanesville OH and the low coolant light came on again. We were at an exit so we were able to get to Lucas Truck Sales and Service another International dealer. Again the hose was off. I told them that this was the second time and I thought something more was wrong. They checked everything re-clamped the hose, refilled coolant, pressure tested and we were on our way.

We made it about 15 miles and low coolant. Again we were on the interstate, I70 this time. We couldn't get a tow and opted for a roadside mobile service. I told that tech our tale and he said they used in incorrect clamp. It was to large and would not tighten properly. He installed a spring hose clamp and after the usual refill of fluid and letting it run we were of for the last 10 or so miles to the campground where we arrived at 2300, 11:00PM.

After our tour of Cambridge, which you may have read about a few posts back, we were heading to Winchester VA and Candy Hill camp ground. We never made it.

Along I470 around Wheeling VA off the hose came again. I decided to try Coach Net since it is included with this purchase of the coach. I explained the problem and that this was the 4th time. There offer was to have us towed to Pittsburgh PA. We didn't like that option so we called Good Sam adn they said they would send a mobile service, but if it happened again they would not honer a request for the same service. A different mobile service, Fleet Service, arrived and replaced the hose with another more robust one. We were on our way again.

We expected to make the campground at about 2000, 8PM, We didn't. Just getting off VA37 in Winchester the low coolant light again. We made it to a WalMart parking lot and shut it down for the night.

The next morning I again called Coach Net and told them I was at a new location and gave them the address. They called back and told me a tow company was being dispached from Pittsburgh PA. In shock I said NO I am no where near there. I left them to figure it out. We called Highway Motors an International shop and explained the situation. We agreed that they would send a tech out to reattach the hose and refill coolant so we could drive the 6 miles to there shop.

Just after noon we pulled into a service bay and they started working to find the root cause. At last someone with a brain. There feeling is that the connecting pipe that goes from the engine to near the radiator is not adaquatly supported. They could find now way to add any support. So we agreed that they would install a longer hose with a different type of silicone lining and double clamp each side. The longer hose prevents movement of the pipe and seems to be holding.

Tomorrow we deive the 50 or so miles to the West Virginia State Fairgrounds for the Holiday Rambler International Rally. I have been in contact with Monaco/HR and have arranged for one of their tech that will be at the rally to inspect and make changes they deem necessary.

I must say a few good words about the warranty service I have recieved. I had 3 prior problems and they were all covered by warranty. I had to pay the service providers and submit the invoices and proof of payment and received redimbursement. The 2 roadside service companies charged me for labor and parts, about $800, and I have submitted those invoices and discussed the issue with Customer Relations manager. ARG has done a good job.

Cambridge OH - 2

Two big adventures today, National Museum of Cambridge Glass. We had a very nice docent give us a tour, basically a private tour. The tour took about 2 hours and we did some rubbings of the patterns that were used to do the glass etching. This is another must visit museum Click here for more information on Cambridge Glass.

Lunch was at Francis Family Restaurant. Good food and plenty of it. We enjoyed our lunch we decided we would return for supper unless we found something better. We didn't.

Just across the street was a bakery. How can one pass up the smell of fresh baked goods. We had a difficult time selecting a few items.

Off to the National Road and Zane Grey  Museum. We also had a private guided tour which was very good. Suzette posted some pictures on Facebook and I may get them loaded into our online album.

We asked what else we should see and  headed off to visit John Glenn's boyhood home. After a brief discussion with the receptionist we were taken up stairs to be greeted by John Glenn's "mother" and stepped back to 1944. Great house and tour. 

Cambridge OH -1

We went to a carwash to clean the Jeep. It was covered in red/pink antifreeze. More on that in a future post. After the Jeep was clean we went to Mosser Glass. We had a nice but to short tour of their factory and did purchase a few items. How much does one need in an RV?

The tour was short because you just couldn't get to everything. They are moving HOT glass doing their jobs and you just can't get in their way.

Some where along the way we saw a sign for Hopalong Cassidy Museum. It didn't look like much from the outside but it was open and we had time. Wow what a place. It is housed in an old hospital and filled with antiques and Hoppy memorabilia. A fascinating place. When you are in the area you really need to give this place some time.

We decided to take a ride on the National Road, US40, stopping at two S bridges and returning via I70 to the campground.

We decided to have dinner at Grand Chinese Buffet. It wasn't, We took a walk in WalMart before returning to the coach.

Ketchup

Well not that kind. I need to get this blog in better shape. So I'll put several days in this post.

09/05 Another down day, well we stayed in the park and did laundry and I put together a shelf for shoes in the closet. We did go the local IGA for a few things for supper. Using the wire shelves I removed from the closet I tackled arranging the under sink area to hold our pots and pans etc. I also removed the waste basket holder that is under the cook top so we could better utilize that space. I will do more work on that area when we get to SNF.

09/06 Paul and Sharron joined us for a trip to Sidney for their apple fest. Good food, music, car show, and tractor pull. Awesome pullers, yung'ns on a peddle tractor with a pulling sled. The kids, and us older kids, had a good time.

09/07 Cooked pancakes and bacon for breakfast then off to WalMart to stock up on a few items. I cleaned more of the coach. Paul and Sharron joined us and we visited before going to Bob Evans for BOGO supper. We played rummicube when we returned.

09/08 Today was to be an easy travel day to Cambridge OH. It wasn't. Ill make a separate post on our travel troubles so stay tuned. We pulled in the campground about 11PM. Life on the road.

 

RVillage - Just spreading the word

I joined a new website called RVillage, and I thought you'd be interested too! RVillage is a social networking site built by RVers for RVers. It allows you to find interesting people to meet right in your RV Park and the surrounding area, find all your friends on a map, plan or attend events - and it's free to sign up!

You can plan routes, find RVers, parks and vendors along the way, and share your stories and photos, all in one place. There's even a "Groups" section that includes hundreds of organizations and special interests- whether its crafting or kayaking, Coachmans or Casitas, there's a group for it. Each group has it's own map of members, so you can see where everyone is located around the country. It's really easy to find people with similar interests, and you can meet them "online" or "in person."

If you've ever wanted to connect with neighbors in RV parks as you travel, or you're looking for a few folks to have a BBQ with, or maybe you want to know if another kayaker is staying at an RV park down the road- Here's your answer. It sure beats leaving connections up to chance while walking the dog, or the random stranger coming up asking “what type of engine is in that thing?” while you're busy dumping the tanks!

RVillage has been really well received in the RV industry world. Escapees and Workamper News have both wholeheartedly endorsed the site along with many prominent bloggers. It's already gained over 10,000 members in just 5 months.

I know there's a million websites, networks and clubs out there, but I've never seen anything like RVillage. I hope you decide to join me at rvillage.com! 

We are hrcamper on the village.

Tour Du Jour

We went to Greenville OH and visited the Kitchenaid Experience. This is a really neat store with a museum of products in the lower level. Great place to shop and it is the only official Kitchenaid store in the world. We found that the factory tour was at 12:30 so our next task was food. There are lots of neat places on Broadway but we choose the Double M around the corner on 5th. We would consider this a go to place when you are in Greenville. 

 Next it was off to the KitchenAid factory tour. This was a great tour and we had an excellent tour host. Well worth the hour or so. There was a lot of robotics as well as hand work. It makes you appreciate KitchenAid even more.
 
Then it was off to Bear's Mill for a self guided tour. It was not in operation today and the tour was very interesting. This is a turbine driven mill. Check it out.
 
And since this is Annie Oakley territory we had to visit Garst Museum to see here area as well as Lowel Thomas and a lot of memorabilia.

Miami and Erie Canal

Today we went looking for a "doings" in Piqua Ohio that we had a flyer for. There were to be some festivities about the Miami-Erie Canal We didn't find any event between Piqua and St Mary's OH. We did manage to find a few sites and all in all had an enjoyable day with friends.
Once we returned home, well our rig is our home, Suzette looked up the event on the net and found that it was held in 2012. So much for the flyers you pick up at welcome centers and Chambers of Commerce.

Kind of a down day

We had a lazy morning but finally got around to doing a few things. Suzette did laundry while I did a few minor tasks and dumped the tanks. We then started planing for our next journey. From here we go to Spring Valley Campground in Cambridge OH. While there we will make day trips to the National Road and Zane Grey museum,Cambridge Glass Museum, Toy and Train Museum in Wheeling WV.

From Spring Valley we make a drive to Shenandoah Valley Campground in Mt Jackson VA This will only be an overnight stop. We then continue to Douthat State Park  in Virginia for our free week of camping we earned by camp hosting in 2013. Then it is off the the HRRVC International Rally in Lewisburg WV.

Why are we in Celina Ohio?

We didn't have any plans following our time at Decatur getting warranty work done. I must say that all in all Allied Recreation Group has treated us well. They have honored all issues we have had under warranty even though they did not build this coach. Yes we have had some inconvenience but it has worked out.

While we were headed to  Decatur Paul and Sharron  were headed to Elkhart to get their windshield replaced. They passed thru Decatur on their way to Elkhart and we discussed plans to get together. On their way back from Elkhart they stopped by again and said they were going to Mercer County Fairgrounds and would stay in the area for several days. We had a down day waiting for parts so we went to meet them and do a little kayaking on Grand Lake. While at the Fairgrounds we made arrangements to stay there when we were finished in Decatur.

So here we are in Celina OH seeing the various sites in this area. It is rich with history and we have been planning many day trips.

Ready to leave Decatur

Finally we are ready to leave the wonderful overnight parking for the ARG service center. Most of the items have been completed. Why leave with some items not completed you ask. Well this is a regular Cluster F... Their ability to order a correct part for a Monaco/HR is a joke. On my list I told them that the Suction hose for the sanicon has a pin hole. I showed them the white rigging tape I used to stem the flow. So they ordered the discharge hose. They ordered the incorrect low coolant sensor. I'm not sure what the work ethic is.

They say "Its always been done this way in the RV industry"

Very disappointing.