Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Horse Parking at Walmart

Today was travel day. We were up by 8:30 and on the road by 11:00. Our destination Howe, Indiana. We arrived around 3:00 p.m. and got settled in. We are staying at Grand View Bend RV Resort, a Coast to Coast park. We have 50 AMP! Yeah!!! My kind of park. LOL
Around 5:00 p.m. we drove into Sturgis, Michigan, which is just a few miles up the road, to make a Wal-mart run. We pulled into the Wal-mart parking lot and John asked, “What’s for dinner?” He said he was too hungry to go back and cook something so he started searching on the Garmin to see what was in the area. While he was searching I noticed a horse and buggy tied to a hitching post of sorts in the parking lot. We had seen one or two Amish families traveling on the road in these type of buggies so I assumed this was one of theirs. This is the first time I have ever seen a place provided for them to park so I had to get a picture of it. There were actually two sets of hitching posts in this Wal-mart parking lot.
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The first GPS selected restaurant was a slab, apparently burned down some time ago. The second was a vacant lot so we ended up eating at a local Chinese restaurant before completing the Wal-mart run. As we left the non-GPS selected Chinese restaurant we saw the second restaurant, 3 blocks from the GPS site.
After returning to the campground John and I decided to sit outside in the nice 70 degree weather. He played his dulcimer while I read. Within a few minutes two couples (Bob and Doreen and Ginger and Roger) came over and inquired about the dulcimer. We added more chairs and pretty soon we were talking about being retired and sharing camping and fulltime RVing stories.
Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

John up at 6:00 A.M…..Huh????

John up at 6:00 a.m. today. What’s up with that? He said he was wide awake so he got up and stayed up. Not me I slept until 8:30. His back is better today. He is moving much faster. Yeah!!!

We chilled out most of the day reading blogs, watching movies and walking around the park.

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This is right across the street from our site.

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Scenery surrounding the camping area.

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Our site #7.

This is a nice park but I like the sites to be farther apart and I like 50 AMP. This one has 30 AMP. I know….I am spoiled. This park is ok for a short stay but that is just my opinion.

Tonight we drove into town and had dinner at a place called Sunrise Family Restaurant which serves everything from American, Mexican, Italian and Greek food. John ordered a Greek pork chop dish with salad, saffron rice and potatoes. I had the Manhattan open faced roasted turkey sandwich with potatoes and gravy. The kitchen staff lost our order so we had to wait an extra long time to eat. We the food finally arrived it was delicious. On our way back to the campground John took a detour on some back roads with very narrow bridges. At one point I didn’t think the truck would fit on one of the bridges We had to fold the mirrors in. Never a dull moment.

Tomorrow will be a travel day. We will be heading for Howe, Indiana.

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Moving Day, on to Indiana

Up at 7:30 so I could get to the chiropractor one last time before we head out later this morning. My back is getting back to normal but will still take time to get to 100%. After my chiro visit we stopped at a local restaurant for breakfast. We drove back to the trailer and started our pack up. We were on the road by 10 heading to North Vernon, IN. We arrived after an uneventful 3 hour drive of 153 miles. After a miss guided GPS trip in town we finally found the park. Muscatatuck Park is a nice state park with 30amp FHU, located SE of Indianapolis. After setup it was time for a nap. Got into the RV Dreams chat room for a short time. Found out we will just miss Dee and Jim by a week. We will catch up with them sometime I am sure. I don't remember crossing a time zone but we are back on Eastern Time.

Stay Safe

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Burgers and Desserts

John still moving slow with his back. He is some better but not 100%. The plans for today are to get together with Betty, Joe, Ellen and Braxton and the grandbabies, Caleb and Olivia for a cookout. Betty and Joe grilled burgers and everyone contributed a dessert. Betty baked a chocolate chip cake. Ellen baked an orange juice cake. Theresa made a frozen Oreo dessert and I baked a key lime cake. Needless to say, we all enjoyed the burgers and desserts.

After dinner we all gathered around the table for…..you guessed….. 10 PENNY. Just can’t get enough. I think Braxton was the winner this time.

Tomorrow we will be heading off to North Vernon, Indiana. We have enjoyed our time with our friends here very much.

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Dinner at Ellen & Braxton’s

John is still having some problems with his back. He is having to baby it and take it slow. We stayed at the camper until after lunch.

Ellen and Braxton (Joe and Betty’s daughter and son-in-law) invited us over for BBQ ribs tonight. We had BBQ ribs, hash brown casserole, baked beans, broccoli and cheese and some chocolate cookies. Everything was delicious. Thanks Ellen and Braxton for inviting us we really enjoyed it.

After dinner you know we had to play some 10 Penny. Ellen and Braxton had never played so they had fun learning this crazy game. John beat Ellen by five points. Ellen wants a rematch. LOL

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Friday, June 25, 2010

John to chiropractor again.

John is down with his back today.  He could hardly get up and down and was in significant pain.  He went back to the chiropractor again for another adjustment.  After returning to the camper he took the anti-inflammatory medicine and a pain pill and slept the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon. 

Betty and Joe came over around 1:30 and John was still resting his back. John stayed in today to make sure his back was on the mend.  Betty, Joe and I drove over to Cave City and walked around the Wigwam Village Inn which is a teepee village.  Talk about unique.  I have never seen anything like this before so I just had to take a few pictures to share.

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After leaving Cave City we drove over to Glendale, KY to the Whistle Stop Restaurant.  This little restaurant is family owned and has been in business for over 30 years.  Betty and Joe chose the country fried steak entrees and I had the chicken tender entree.  Each entree comes with two sides of your choice.  I ordered John a country fried steak entree to go. The Whistle Stop Restaurant is among a unique shopping area containing antique stores and other quaint gift shops. 

Betty, Joe and I arrived back at the camper and found John up and moving around.  Yeah!!  He appeared to be a little better.  He enjoyed his country fried steak dinner very much.  After he finished eating we all settled in for some 10 Penny.  Betty and Joe beat us on both rounds. 

Remember to laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Chiropractor for John….Spa Day for Fred

John got up this morning with a catch in his back. It started bothering him yesterday after we toured the cave. He had to bend and stoop a lot during the tour so that may have aggravated it. A hurting back is no fun.

Later in the morning we drove to Glascow and dropped Fred off at the groomers then it was time to find some lunch. As we drove through Glascow John spotted a restaurant called Big Moose’s BBQ. Anyone who knows John knows he loves him some BBQ….so I guess you know where we ate. LOL John had baby back ribs, slaw and beans and I had the grilled chicken sandwich. The food was very good. After lunch we still had some time to kill before picking up Fred so it was off to Wal-Mart for some soap making supplies. Yes, that’s right soap making supplies. John has started making his own laundry detergent. From Wal-mart we drove around taking in the scenery until John passed a chiropractor’s office. Since his back was bothering him and he hasn’t had an adjustment since we left MS, he stopped in to see if they would work him in. He was in and out in 20 minutes which gave us just enough time to pick up Fred.

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Fred with his red, white and blue bandana he got from his spa day at the groomers.

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John lying on the floor with a cold pack under his back after his chiropractor visit.

Tonight we drove over to Betty and Joes for some more 10 Penny. When we got there John had a hard time getting out of the truck and up the stairs as his back was really hurting. He took some Advil as soon as he could. Betty had steaks, potatoes, steamed vegetables and crescent rolls for dinner. Thanks Betty for a wonderful meal. Now it was 10 Penny time. We played two rounds and I was on a winning streak. Quite rare but believe it or not it happened. LOL

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Get well soon Joe.

Slept in until 8:30 this morning.  We received a text from Betty saying that Joe had gotten sick during the night with a stomach virus.  Hope you get to feeling better real soon Joe.  I know you want to smoke us on 10 Penny. LOL

After lunch John and I toured the Mammoth Cave in the Mammoth Cave National park.  The tour was ranger guided and lasted for two hours.  It was a nice 55 degrees.  Below are some pictures from our tour. 

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This is the ceiling right at the beginning of the tour.

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Old mining cart and other mining tools. 

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John standing next to a rock that was taller than him.

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Layers of rock ledges along the wall.

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Large boulder looking rocks.

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Wall with cracks.

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Overhanging rocks on the wall.

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More overhanging rocks on the wall.

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This was almost at the end of the tour. Water had dripped down on me from the ceiling.  It was cold.

Spent the rest of the evening at the camper chilling out.   We spoke with Speedy and Sherri via Skype.  It was good to see them while talking online.  Wow….what you can do with modern technology.

Remember to laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Happy Birthday Braxton

Today is Betty and Joe’s son-in-law, Braxton’s birthday. He is 28 years young today. Happy Birthday Braxton.

We chilled out at the campground today. This afternoon while John was taking a nap, Fred and I went walking around the park to take few pictures.

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This is the scenery right behind our camper. Love these trees.

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This appears to be a volleyball area.

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The Clubhouse.

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The putt-putt golf course.

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The road heading toward our campsite.

Tonight we drove over to Betty and Joe’s to join them for dinner and birthday cake for Braxton. Betty cooked a fine dinner again tonight. She had meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots and hot rolls. Everything was delicious. Thank you Betty and Joe for another fine meal. After dinner everyone enjoyed the ice cream birthday cake.

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The ice cream birthday cake. Yummy.

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Betty and Joe’s grandson, Caleb. He was ready for cake.

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Braxton and daughter Olivia.

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Inquiring Minds Want To Know How To Play

10 Penny

We've had some emails about 10 penny. Hopefully this will make sense, if not shoot me an email.

It is played with 3 decks of cards including the jokers and 10 pennies (or whatever you would like to use) for each player to buy cards. Shuffle all the cards and deal out 10 cards face down to each player. Turn the top card on the deck face up.

The first player is after the dealer (clockwise). The first player has the option of buying the face up card using a penny and gets the face up card and 3 face down cards. Be warned that once your pennies are gone you can no longer buy cards, each round gets harder. If the first person does not want the card it goes to the next person (continuing clockwise) until it gets back to the dealer. If nobody purchases the card then the first person will draw 2 cards. If someone buys the card other then the first person, this is called buying out of turn and they get the face up card along with the next 2 down cards (cannot lay anything down until their turn) then the first person starts by drawing 2 cards. From this point, only the card that was discarded can be purchased.

Each round is played out until someone gets rid of all the cards in their hand. After satisfying the round hand, cards are then removed from your hand by laying down sets of 3 or by playing on other players cards that are down on the table. Cards that are laid down on the table from your hand are turned face up so each player will be able to play on them once they have satisfied the round hand.

Card Points

3-9=5 points

10, Jacks, Queens and Kings=10 points

2 and Aces=20 points

Jokers=50 points

Round Hands
R1 Two sets of 3 cards with jokers being wild
R2 One set of 4 cards with jokers being wild
R3 Two sets of 4 cards with jokers and 2’s being wild
R4 One set of 5 cards with jokers and 2’s being wild
R5 Two sets of 5 cards with jokers, 2’s, and aces being wild
R6 One set of 6 cards with jokers, 2’s, and aces being wild
R7 One set of 7 cards with jokers, 2’s, and aces being wild

Once you have drawn and have your round hand you can lay them down along with sets of 3 or hold them, just remember if someone goes out before it gets back to you it will cost you points. You can only lay down cards when it is your turn. Highest score looses after R7. Redistribute 10 pennies to play again.

NOTE: FYI, Pennies are not won in this game.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Dinner & 10 Penny with Friends

Today was a travel day. We were packed up and headed out of the park by 10:00. Our destination today will be Park City, KY.

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Here is John with is driving face on.

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Fred settled down for a long nap in his bed on the back seat.

We arrived in Park City and were setup by 3:15. It was not a bad ride. After settling in I called our friend Betty to let her and Joe know we had made it to Kentucky earlier than expected. We drove over to visit with them and Betty served the most delicious chicken enchiladas and rice. Thanks Betty for a tasty dinner. Of course we brought along the 10 Penny game. John won tonight. We will definitely have to have a rematch. LOL

Below John is petting Red, Betty and Joe’s dog. We call him Square Head Red. He is a sweet dog.

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Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Happy Father’s Day

Today is the day we honor all the dads out there.  Happy Father’s day to all the dads that are with us and to those who have passed on. 

We met John’s niece Renee’ at her church for morning services today.  After the service Renee’ invited us to join her and some friends for lunch at Johnny’s New York Style Pizza.  Everyone ordered a pizza entree except John, he ordered something called the Bronx Buster which consisted of the pizza toppings baked together with no crust.  He said it was good.

In the afternoon we went to Camping World to get a step add-on or something that I can use as an extra step.  There are campsites where the bottom step comes up to my thigh so I have to climb.  Not a good thing.  We found something like a step platform.  We will see how it works.

We also made another trip to REI to pick up a couple of tubular bars to add to the bike rack to make it more secure.  Below is a picture of the new bike rack John installed. 

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Tonight we went back over to Renee’s to watch a movie and play 10 Penny.  I think John won all rounds.  I was doing great then my luck changed.  So sad. LOL

We would like to thank Renee’ for being our tour guide while we visited here.  She took us to interesting places and filled us in on the local history.

Tomorrow we will be traveling to Kentucky.

Remember to laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

The Vineyard Cafe

Today is Renee’s grandson Jeremiah’s 2nd birthday. Happy Birthday Jeremiah.

Slept in until around 8:30. I started cooking French toast but got frustrated because I was tearing up the bread so John took over. His turned out great.

After breakfast we headed off to find a new bicycle rack to replace the one damaged the other day. We looked in Dick’s Sporting Goods and The Sports Authority but they did not carry what we needed however, the salesclerk did suggest REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) We had never heard of this place before. The salespeople were very helpful and willingly went the extra mile to make sure you found what you were looking for. John decided on the Yakima Double Down Hitch Mount Bicycle Carrier. This one has a lifetime warranty on it and is of much better quality than the one previously purchased at Wal-Mart.

Now it was time to go and have some fun. We picked up John’s niece Renee’ and headed for Marietta, GA to walk the square and have lunch. When we arrived in Marietta there was some sort of local festival being held on the square with food, craft vendors and live bands. By this time we were hungry so we began looking at the variety of restaurants on the square and found one called The Vineyard Cafe. This unique cafe is located on the top floor of the Vineyard gift shop. We all ordered sandwiches. John had the Smokin’ Hot Reuben (Smoked Beef Brisket and Swiss served “Reuben” style, topped with Cole Slaw and served on toasted Marble Rye). Renee’ had the Italian sandwich combo with sweet potato salad. I have never had potato salad made with sweet potatoes but it was very good. I had the Classic Harvest Sandwich (Smoked Turkey Breast, Bacon, Cheddar, Mixed Greens with Honey Dijon Spread on Bakery Raisin Walnut Bread). This is the most delicious sandwich I have ever tasted. The Raisin Walnut bread was to die for. The cafe also serves peach and cranberry apple ice tea. It was quite a nice change from ordinary tea. Renee’ took a picture of John and I at the table.

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Needless to say, we went on a much needed walk through the square and surrounding areas. Another interesting place that caught our eye was Johnnie McCracken’s Celtic Pub. The pub is actually the oldest standing fire station in Cobb County. Check out the website it is really cool.

We ended the day with a game of 10 Penny. Renee’ beat John and I last night and tonight. Is it beginner’s luck? LOL We had a great time.

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Friday, June 18, 2010

West Cobb Diner

John up early this morning and off to Ackworth Integrity Automotive to get a rear brake job done on the truck. This company offers 25% off to new customers so that came in handy.

Later in the morning we drove over to Renee’s (John’s niece) house to visit with her and to make lunch plans. We like to try out the small diners or the Mom and Pop places that the locals go to so she suggested a place called West Cobb Diner. This place has everything from salads to dinner entrees. Renee’ and I had salads while John opted for the country fried steak, collard greens and bleu cheese cole slaw. Everything was delicious. After lunch we returned to Renee’s and were chatting and somehow the conversation drifted to small house hold repairs and such. John asked her how often she changed the air filters and she told him they had not been changed in two years. John said, “That’s not good.” He went upstairs to check it out and found that the filter had been sucked up into the unit. She now has a clean air filter with a spare. John also checked on other things for her.

For dinner John grilled burgers at Renee’s. They were so good. Afterwards we sat down and played two rounds of 10 Penny. This was Renee’s first time to play and she liked the game.

Below is the recipe for Key Lime Poke Cake requested by one of our friends Connie.

Key Lime Pie Poke Cake

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hour 55 min
Makes: 15 servings

Cake

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix

1 1/4 cups water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 eggs

Key Lime Filling

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup Key lime juice or regular lime juice

1 teaspoon grated lime peel

4 drops yellow food color

1 drop green food color

Frosting

1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped vanilla frosting

2 teaspoons grated lime peel

Garnish, If Desired

Fresh strawberries

Key lime slices

Lemon leaves

1. Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal or glass pan (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.

2. In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.

3. Bake 26 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. With handle of wooden spoon (1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter), poke holes almost to bottom of cake every 1/2 inch, wiping spoon handle occasionally to reduce sticking.

4. In medium bowl, stir together filling ingredients (mixture will thicken). Pour over cake; spread evenly over surface, working back and forth to fill holes. (Some filling should remain on top of cake.) Refrigerate 1 hour.

5. Spread frosting over cake; sprinkle with lime peel. Garnish with strawberries, lime slices and lemon leaves. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Off to Georgia

Today we packed up and headed for Acworth, GA , which is NW of Atlanta. Unfortunately, we ended up in several traffic jams. There were two or three wrecks and road construction. One guy was so impatient he flew around us and merged right into the path of an 18 wheeler, who was merging into the same lane at the same time. Lucky for him the driver of the 18 wheeler was looking. If that wasn’t enough the same guy almost hit another large truck in front of that one. These people drive CRAZY! Needless to say we were glad to get off of the interstate and get to the campground.

We arrived at McKinney Campground, a COE park. I love these parks. The sites are always fairly large with a deck or patio, a grill and a picnic table on them. Below are a few pictures John and I took while walking with Fred.

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Our site from across the road.

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This is the view from the corner of our deck.

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This is the view from the center of our deck.

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Cool boat with the American Flag painted on it.

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The view from the other side our deck.

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Right before sunset. Taken off our deck.

After we got all setup we went into town for groceries. John planned to grill a sirloin steak outside but the rain moved in so he had to cook it inside. It was still quite tasty. We also had steamed carrots, broccoli and yellow rice. After dinner I decided to try out a new cake recipe. Key Lime Poke Cake. It is called poke cake because you poke holes in it and pour a lime juice and condensed milk mixture into it. It was pretty good.

Tomorrow we will drive into Kennesaw and visit with John’s niece Renee’.

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Happy Birthday Dad and MB

Today is my dad, Bob Hill’s, birthday and also John’s niece Mary (MB) Reel’s birthday. Happy Birthday Daddy and MB. Hope you both have great birthdays today.

Up early today as I have a doctor appointment in Greenville. A few years ago I was diagnosed with an enchondroma (bone lesion) of the humerus and was sent to an Orthopedic Oncologist in Jackson MS to check it out. The doctor checked it for two years every six months then I was released for a year then two years. Before John and I left on the road I received a letter from my doctor informing me that he was moving to Greenville, SC. When I called the Orthopedic office in MS I was told they had not replaced him and the closest doctor of his kind would be in Arkansas. Luckily, since we are traveling fulltime now I was able to have my records forwarded to my doctor who is now in Greenville, SC and get an appointment for my two year recheck. This is an advantage of RVing I had not thought about. Anyway……my recheck went well and he has released me for two more years. I was very relieved.

During the afternoon John was on the phone and online doing some research on the truck’s navigation/radio problem. It seems there are others who have experienced the same problem and that once the screen goes black the system is pretty much trash. The options are to replace the unit or pay a bunch of bucks too repair it. Those options don’t sound good to me. Below is a picture of John after trying to get an intelligent person on the phone to answer questions. Note: He does not look happy.

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The park is still having voltage problems and most of the people that were parked in our the area of the park have left. There are two others down the hill from us and two at the top of the hill. Below are a few pictures John took of the park as it appeared today. In the late afternoon and just before dark the area started to fill up again.

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View out the back window

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We will be leaving tomorrow and headed for Acworth, GA just NW of Atlanta to a COE park.

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

New GPS System

This morning we drove into Greenville to find the doctor’s office for my appointment tomorrow. Then it was on to Best Buy for a new Garmin nuvi 255wt GPS system and another fan. While in Best Buy John found a digital camera that I can operate. I have always wanted one that is simple to use but takes good pictures. This one is a Nikon Coolpix S6000. Wasn't that sweet of him? His camera is a Pentax and much too complicated for me. By the time we finished with all the running around it was lunch time…..so back to the RV went.

Later in the afternoon John drove me over to a local hair salon for a much needed haircut. I was beginning to look like a shaggy dog so it was time. LOL

Tonight I cooked shrimp primavera with vegetables and we just chilled out watching movies and surfing the internet. A storm system moved through so there was not much else to to.

Coolpix pics, more to come.




















Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Black Screen on the Navigation System

Today was moving day.  We pulled out of Hardeeville, SC at 10:30 this morning for our four hour drive to Greenville, SC.  The drive was uneventful except for the malfunction of the navigation system in the truck.  We stopped for lunch at a roadside rest stop for maybe 20 minutes and when we got back in the truck the screen on the navigation system was black.  This is a big OH NO moment.   John was not a happy camper.  A new GPS system will probably be in the very near future.  We made it to our destination around 3:00 and got set up.  The only problem with this park is the low voltage which all RVer’s know means running only one air conditioner which equals a too warm RV.  We have one small fan but we will be getting another one.

A little while later we drove into town in search of Wal-mart and Best Buy.  During our search we decided we were hungry so we went restaurant hunting first.  Food always trumps supplies. LOL   John spotted a pizza place called Classic Pizza so ……salad and pizza it was.   Ok, now that the food thing was taken care of it was back to the Wal-mart and Best Buy search.  When we got back in truck at the pizza place the screen on the navigation system was working. Yeah!!!!  So we scratched Best Buy off the list and continued the Wal-mart search.  Six miles up the road was Wal-mart.  The fan search ended with us not finding what we wanted so back to the truck we went.  Guess what….the screen on navigation system is black again.  OH NO.  Well tomorrow is a new day.  We will search again tomorrow.

Remember to laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Happy Birthday John

Today is John’s birthday.  He is 48 years young today.  Happy Birthday to my sweet and wonderful husband. 

After breakfast we headed off to St. Simon’s Island to tour the lighthouse and get my lighthouse passport book stamped.  This area is unique with quaint shops and restaurants.  When we left the lighthouse we walked past a park where a blues/jazz festival was being held.  There was music, food, craft vendors and lots of people.  The smell of food reminded us that it was lunchtime so we walked down the street looking for some place interesting to eat.  John noticed a place called Iguanas Seafood Restaurant which is famous for their shrimp.  The special for the day was shrimp with, slaw, hushpuppies and a side item for $9.95.  Not too bad for seafood.   John ordered the fried shrimp, hushpuppies, slaw and a side salad.  I ordered my shrimp blackened with slaw, hushpuppies and a side of green beans.  The food and service were great.  Since it was John’s birthday we splurged for dessert.  The two desserts they have are key lime pie and peanut butter cup pie.  We ordered one of each.  Both were delicious.

Tonight we ate leftovers and watched The Next Food Network Star competition.   Tomorrow we will be packing up and moving to Greenville, South Carolina.

Remember to laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Pineapple Cake

Up around 9:15 this morning…….even Fred.  It seems like the later we stay up watching movies the later we sleep the next morning. LOL

After lunch it was time to make a Wal-Mart run which is about 10 miles from the campground right outside a place called Bluffton, SC. I find it funny no matter what Wal-Mart store or what state you are in there is always a problem with the checkout.  What is up with that?   There are never enough registers open and then when there are the people aren’t at their registers.  Then you get the cashier that has one speed……extra extra slow with three inch fingernails.  Today the cashier made a mistake on giving change. Apparently they can’t open the cash drawer once it is closed, unless they are ringing up something.  Since the cashier had  already closed the drawer, the manager had to be called.  When she arrived she said, “Oh, I got to get the key”.  A few minutes later she arrives with the key and then……progress!!! Yeah.   Ok.  I will get off of my soap box now.  John laughs at me when I get all steamed up over stuff like that. 

John washed the truck and cleaned the coils on both air conditioners on the RV this afternoon.  

Tomorrow is John’s birthday.  He will be the big 48. He wanted an ice cream cake but that will not fit in our freezer.  I made him a pineapple cake tonight and, of course,  we have already had a piece.

Remember to laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Tybee Island Lighthouse

Slept in today….until 9:00 ….even Fred. I think that is the latest that dog has ever slept. We have not had biscuits for breakfast in a while so I made some. That is not what we should be eating but sometimes you just want something besides cereal or oatmeal.

After lunch we drove over to Tybee Island and toured the lighthouse and museums surrounding it. On the drive back to Savannah we stopped on a pullout and took a picture of the Cockspur Island Lighthouse which was surrounded by water. We then drove to Fort Pulaski to get my lighthouse book stamped for Cockspur Island lighthouse. The funny thing was we only had $3.00 in cash between both of us. It cost $3.00 a person to go beyond the gate. Since all I wanted was to get my lighthouse book stamped John said he would wait at the gate and I could go and get it stamped. It took all of five minutes if that long….good thing because it sure was hot outside. I got the book stamped and picked John up at the gate and headed for the campground. The ride home was interesting because I was driving. John usually does all the driving when we travel and of course we don’t agree on …..let’s just call it driving strategy. LOL Yeah…even though I had to drive through the City of Savannah during the late afternoon traffic, we made it home in one piece. LOL

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Touring Savannah

Fred decided to get up at 6:30 this morning so I fed him then we went for an early walk.  John did not rise until around 9:00. 

Before lunch we drove into Savannah to see what we could get into.  We decided to take one of the trolley tours and site see through the city.  Savannah is a beautiful city with loads of history.  They also have an over abundance of restaurants.  Close to the end of the tour John and I got off on River Street to find a place to eat lunch.  There are so many places to choose from.  While walking down River Street we saw a place called Dockside Seafood Restaurant that looked interesting so we decided to stop there.  We had the lunch buffet which was loaded with fried chicken, fried shrimp, pot roast, mashed potatoes, rice, squash casserole, collard greens, green beans, macaroni and cheese, creamed corn and last but not least……peach cobbler.  Funny how it always comes back to food. LOL

After arriving back at the camper I decided I would cook spaghetti and meat sauce with meatballs and a meatloaf so I could freeze it for when I don’t feel like cooking.  That does happen from time to time. LOL

Remember to laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Sea Trawler











We got up around 8:30 this morning and finished laundry and other household cleaning. After lunch we drove over to Hunting Island Lighthouse in Saint Helena Island. It was open to the public so we walked to the top and enjoyed the scenery. By the time we completed this lighthouse tour it was mid afternoon which allowed us enough time to drive to Hilton Head Island to see Harbor Town Lighthouse. We were not able to tour this one but John did get a picture. Now it was time to head back to the campground.

John and I had notice a restaurant called the Sea Trawler in Bluffton, South Carolina on our way back to the campground and since we were both hungry……well…….you know where we went. LOL This was the best “restaurant” meal we have had on the road so far. John ordered wild salmon in a citrus ginger sauce with rice and vegetables and I chose the stuffed flounder with lump crab meat topped with a Dijon sauce with mashed potatoes and vegetables. When the server brought our drinks he also brought a bucket of hushpuppies to snack on. These were so tasty we brought the leftovers home. While we were waiting on dinner John enjoyed a cup of Low-Country chowder which contained shrimp, clams, bacon and corn in a creamy sauce. I tasted a spoonful of this and it was delicious. The service and food were both excellent. If you are ever in this area and feel like splurging on a tasty dinner try this place.

Tomorrow we plan to ride a trolley through Savannah…then…who knows. I sure we will find something to get into.

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Ridgeland Fire Department




































Slept in until 8:30 including Fred. He usually wakes up around 6 to eat but failed to wake up early this morning thank goodness. After Oatmeal, I called All American Direct to get set up with ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX on our satellite. Luckily this park has a free long distance and fax service. They called this afternoon and had us reset our Dish receiver so we are set up.
Around noon we headed out to Ridgeland Fire Department and talked with the guys there and checked out their trucks. I will be retiring from Ridgeland FD July 1st, Ridgeland, MS that is, we visited Ridgeland, S.C. today. After spending an hour or so there we received the lunch recommendation of Jasper's Porch, a buffet. Good food and we left FULL. Found a Walmart not to far then back home we went. Unloaded grub and headed to the visitor center in Savannah for info on things to do. Charles gave us alot of info when we were in Jacksonville visiting them. Some of our readers know Charles (Roz) on the RV Dreams forums. Sadly we received an email from him saying their dog Rex passed away yesterday, he was 14. Please remember Charles and Ethel in your prayers as it is tough losing a pet.

Stay Safe