New and Old Friends in AZ…

While we have been enjoying ourselves during our winter stay in Arizona we have also been making lots of new friends as well. One of the big draws to staying at Cal-Am parks in the greater Phoenix area is while staying at one of them you are allowed to use the facilities and participate in activities at any of the other Cal-Am parks.

Sharon and I love that there is live music nearly everyday of the week. Each of the Cal-Am parks schedules bands to play usually outside on their beautiful patios by the pools. Times will vary at each of the park and while there is a lot of overlap in the bands that play there are enough unique bands to offer some new sounds.

The best part is we have been here long enough to figure out who the good bands are so we frequently attend the music at another park. As a result we have made a different set of  friends at each park. Some have even asked us to let them know via messenger which band we plan to listen to and we would often have large gatherings of friends from various Cal-Am parks.

Sharon met most of our new friends first as she loves to dance and me, well, not so much. After dancing several dances with Sharon, they would often ask us to join their table… instant friends! With the season nearing the end, many of our new friends have headed back their homes as most are snowbirds.

However an unexpected surprise happened when friends we met on the road in Louisiana told us they would be in our park for a few weeks. We first met Tommy and Becky, fellow Texans, at Betty’s RV Park in Louisiana and have kept in touch over the years. It has been a blast showing them around and enjoying the bands with them!.

Yet, another surprise was when RV friends we met in North Carolina while visiting our daughter also informed us they would be staying in our park while we are here. Jean and Gene are now also joining us for happy hour at the music events,

So while many of our new friends have left the void has been filled with people we friended in other states. We have certainly lived a blessed life to be able to meet so many people over the years whom we can reconnect with at various times of the year. With a few weeks before we leave Mesa AZ we have plenty of time for more fun with our friends…

Our Planned Route South to Florida for the Winter…

As our month long stay in the Shenandoah Valley is coming to an end it prompted us  to look for a planned path out of this part of the state. We have really enjoyed visiting with our friends Jerry and Kathleen but it is time to say goodbye. We considered going up into Pennsylvania and over toward New York City but after considerable thought we decided to go ahead and start a slow trek south to Florida. So from here we will simply retrace our path back to the Rockingham County Fairgrounds in Harrisonburg, Virginia to hide out for the Labor Day weekend.

Next we will head east to visit the town of Richmond, VA where we plan see an old friend we have not seen in years. We have never visited there and are looking forward to checking out the city. Next up will be our last stop in Virginia as we will stay for a while near Newport News, VA.

After Virginia we will spend some time near our daughter in North Carolina where we will stay in Moncure, NC for a while and then a bit further away at Heritage Campground in Carthage, NC. We have stayed there before and use this stop as a means of visiting Southern Pines and Pinehurst NC, two places we really enjoyed in the past.

Next we plan to head west across the state of North Carolina with stops in Asheboro, NC, Hickory, NC and finally in Asheville, NC where we plan to stay and enjoy the NC mountains and breweries located near Ashville. From NC we will start a more southerly route as we will stop in Fair Play, SC for a few days before moving on into Georgia to explore the huge city of Atlanta as well as Stone Mountain, GA. We have always avoided Atlanta and felt it was past time for us to give it a fair visit…

From Georgia we will stay at Hardeeville, SC to once again explore one of our favorite southern cities of Savannah, Georgia. We both really like this part of Georgia. One more stop will be made in Georgia to check in with the kiwis that own the Walkabout Camp & RV Park in Woodbine, GA. The couple who run this park and their kids will be a treat to visit with before we finally enter Florida.

In Florida we will find plenty of beach time, coastal fishing and visiting a few friends along the way. We have planned stops near Jacksonville, FL, St Augustine, Florida, Port Orange, Florida, Vero Beach, FL, Pompano Beach, FL and Fort Pierce, FL. If we are lucky enough to score some sites in the Keys during the last week of November we may visit there otherwise we will scoot across Florida to our wintering spot in Bonita Springs. We will be staying December and January at Imperial Bonita Estates (IBE) in Bonita Springs Florida where we are especially looking forward to reconnecting with the many IBE friends we have made there as well as some time with friends who are coming per our recommendation.

Well that is our proposed route but of course we have made no reservations other than at IBE for the winter but at least now we have a plan. If you happen to be in or near any of those areas give us a shout!

Crooked Letter Brewing Company and Gulfport MS… Next up is Mardi Gras!!!

We left Henderson State Park and drove a bit further than we originally had planned as we were trying to escape some of the overnight freezing temperatures forecasted for the eastern coaster areas. As a result we drove through the Florida Panhandle and then through the tunnel in Mobile, Alabama and after nearly 180 miles we pulled into a Passport America called Campgrounds of the South near Gulfport Mississippi. The RV  park is a no frills park but perfectly okay for our short stay in this area. Also, at twenty bucks per night it is budget friendly as we are still trying to save some money after spending so much on our tires for the RV this month.

With all the cold or rainy weather we have had here in Mississippi we haven’t spent anytime along the beautiful coastal area of Gulfport or Biloxi but we did spend some time in a casino and also found a crafted beer brewery as well. So all was not lost…

However when reading and researching Mississippi breweries we were confused about our inability to find Happy Hours or tasting rooms.  According to a fellow we met the craft brewing is in its infancy in Mississippi thanks to the grassroots lobbying efforts of his non-profit group called Raise Your Pints. We learned that home brewing has only just recently been legalized and there are still strict rules associated with new breweries only able to offer tastings through tours or along with food at restaurants.  Lobbying efforts are ongoing to expand and loosen these regulations… Good luck Mississipians!!!
The Brewery we found in Ocean Springs,Crooked Letter Brewing Company, charged $5 for tours that included six samples for each paying adult  These tours.are held on Tuesdays and Saturdays. When purchasing our tour tickets the fellow mentioned that we could buy glasses with their logos on them for an additional $5 to be used for samples instead of the plastic cups… the very small plastic cups. Since we needed some new beer glasses anyway and the logo was nice we shelled out an additional $5 for two glasses. 

We bellied up to the bar for some samples. Our first pour was their Crooked Heffy and after they poured about 1/2 pint into our glasses for the sample we knew buying the glasses turned out to be a really good idea.  The tour was casual and informative and afterward we were allowed to return for our remaining samples. We enjoyed all our samples but really liked two of them. Sharon loved their Mystery Romp Porter and the one I liked, an IPA, was one of the three beers they are making for the sole distribution by the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi. That’s right the Beau Rivage serves three of their beers made especially for them… pretty cool.

After the tour we moseyed over to a place to grab a bite at the Government Street Grocery not far from the brewery . This bar/restaurant was recommended to us by the brew master at the Crooked Letter Brewery. We shared a real tasty fried gulf shrimp po’ boy and some equally tasty hand cut fries.  A great ending  to a very fun evening for us both…

We liked the beer so much we made a visit to the Beau Rivage Casino on another day for some complimentary drinks and some gaming. I also failed to mention that the Brew Master at the Crooked Letter Brewery will also be at Mardi Gras (our next stop) and invited us to a private party while we are there. We will certainly take advantage of this if we happen to find the party.. Tomorrow we are excitedly headed to the fun-filled festivities in New Orleans for Mardi Gras…

Settling in at our site in Bonita Springs FL…

We have been back in Bonita Springs for nearly 10 days now and the time has been going by rather quickly. Sharon expressed her feelings about returning in the last blog and most of which I tend to agree with. However, I am not as convinced as she that this may be our part of our eventual exit plan from full timing. I will admit there are a lot of very positive attributes most of which is the wintertime weather. While much of the country has been in the deep freeze here in the southern reaches of Florida the temperatures have been consistently in the eighties with the seven day forecast showing much of the same. The picture of the USA map was sent to me from a friend in Texas and looking at where we wintered a month last year it shows 43  degrees in the Rio Grand Valley for that day.

We are starting to relax and enjoy our park as we have begun to meet new friends. As a result we have spent more time in the park that I would have thought but it has been productive. We even have had time to wash and wax both the Motorhome and the CRV. Abbey looks quite well all shined up and is now ready for next years travels. We are once again planning to travel west next year and have even firmed up plans by reserving one of our favorite parks along the way, Betty;s RV Park. We should roll in there on March 6th for a two week stay or maybe longer if we get caught up in Betty's web.

One of the things we like most about staying at a place for at least a month is it allows us to order things on-line that we need. We are actually staying here at Imperial Bonita Estates for two months, the longest we will have stayed anywhere so far. This allows us time to get a years supply of some medicine as well as time for me to order some new glasses as I am very hard on glasses. Also, since we are staying longer I have ordered an awning screen online as well…Sharon is also making a list of things to order so It sure is nice to have our mailbox key for a while…

More Critters at Bentsen Rio Grande State Park

We realize that the beach is too far to visit so we continue to visit the natural areas nearby and take refuge with the critters that reside down here longer than the Winter Texans. Nearly every time I ride my bicycle into the state park next door the beautiful Blue Spiny Lizards (Sceloporus cyanogenys) love to sun along the front entry. Some of the ones we have seen are up to a foot in length.Up close their beautiful blue color is visible just under their belly. We are finding there are other interesting critters here in the RGV!

But it really is the place to come for the birds and as a result I have a few more photos of a Golden Fronted Woodpecker which by the way can actually be found all through the north into the brush lands of Oklahoma. Also a fun little bird to watch at the suet feeders are the Black Crested Titmice. These excitable little birds will flit into the feeders grabbing a bit of suet or peanut butter from the holes in the log feeders and retreat just as quickly.

However, I still just love watching the Green Jays and hope that I never tire of doing so since we will be here a month. There is one feeding station in the state park with a watering hole and the Green Jays often enjoy bathing there.

Before the cold weather that just hit the area (temperatures here overnight plummeted into the upper 40’s F and will only rise into the 60’s F) we decided it best to spend some time rearranging the outside bins and and cleaning them out. We were able to identify a few things we have been looking for and we also were able to pull a few things out that will be delivered to our son and his family for safekeeping since we aren’t using the items. This once a year (for us) task is now complete so we will just hunker down and pout about not being able to wear shorts and flip flops for the next few days…

Back to the punch list what is left?

A while back we made a punch list and now that there is less than a month before we take off it is time for to revisit it to see how we are doing and tweak it where necessary.  Below is our current punch list for now:

1. continue to opt out of paper mailers and bills where possible
2. stop all magazine subscriptions
3. switch to Verizon from our current AT&T provider will do after we leave
4. determine which TV network to use (DISH vs Direct TV) will do after we leave
5. determine which internet solution works best for us will do after we leave
6. sign up for select RV clubs signed up for Escapees and passport America
7. determine a mail forwarding solution (Escapees most likely)
8. sell the house (set a closing date) – select a realtor
9. buy an RV (determine where it will be if we close earlier than our departure date)
10. sell all the stuff a future home buyer doesn't want Very few pieces left
11. sell all the remaining stuff that won't fit into our RV Garage Sale for next weekend
12. solve the insurance issue for our home on wheels (American National most likely)   Overland Insurance was selected.
13. buy a tow vehicle
14. sell both our current vehicles – truck sold - sell the car
15. insure the new toad
16. find a towing solution for the toad  get baseplate on toad
17. learn to drive the RV
18. take a shakedown trip not going to happen
19. finish any mods or repairs necessary before we leave Appt with shop on Wednesday
20. determine which maps/books we need for traveling
21. plan our first route Started…
22. retire from our jobs :) :) :)
23. transfer our current retirement account to a vanguard account will do after we leave
24. say our goodbyes

Additions to our punch list:

1. Go to last doctor visit
2. Go to last dental visit
3. Go to last optical visit  Get new glasses
4. get a bike rack for the bicycles
5. fix the shifters on the brides bike Ordered the shifters today

Day before we leave punch list:

1. Cancel auto insurance on car that sold
2. Cancel parking for work
3. turn in work keys
4. find the 10 inch draw bar for a 2 inch hitch to attach bike rack
5. return bike rack part I thought I needed :)
6. forward work email to new address
7. turn in change of address to post office
8. sign and fax our motorhome insurance form
9. cancel our internet/tv service and return cable box and remote
10. make last minute deposits of checks from sold items
11. pack all the remaining items into the motorhome
12. final cleanup of the house
13. leave garage door openers in house
14. pack up the toad
15. on last night in house do last load of laundry
16. finish plotting route
17. morning of departure is appointment with mechanic to wire brake lights for toad

Still a lot remaining and we only have 24 days to get it done.  Looks like we won’t sell our house before we leave so we will turn it over to a realtor and let them sell it for us.  Also, we are thinking about having an auctioneer sell all of our remaining stuff in a living estate sale so we are starting to contact some…

We were hoping to be playing with the motorhome but with all this subfreezing weather and 1-3 inches of snow forecast tonight all I have had time to do is come up to speed with winterizing a motorhome…

Winterizing an RV–a checklist…

Recently I thought what would we need to do to make sure we didn’t have problems in our future RV when a cold spell comes upon us and we wake up to freezing temperatures.  I came across a loads and loads of suggestions and tips on making sure the RV is ready for the winter.  So I created this list below which is a list of items that I will want to get into the habit of monitoring and checking each and every winter.

• The RV exterior doesn’t necessarily need winterizing however, keeping it cleaned and waxed will protect the paint and the seals as well as prevent the seams from getting degraded over time.
• The roof should be at least inspected 3-4 times per year for any areas where the sealant has deteriorated. Since water is the #1 enemy to RV's make sure to check around all vents, A/C' s, antennas and any other place where a  seal was necessary to prevent water infiltration.
• Slide seals should be treated with a UV protection lubricant such as Dicor at least twice a year. This will keep the seals from drying out and cracking and prevent drafts in the wintertime.
• The A/C unit should be checked at least twice a year as well. Four times a year inspect the filters (if it has them) and replace as needed. If we are sitting in winter for a long time we might want to cover our A/C unit to prevents UV damage to the cover.  This also keeps debris out of the unit and weathering of the seals around it.
• House Batteries should be checked frequently to make sure the water level in the cells is good. This will prolong the life of our batteries and insures that a good charge is present when we need the cold cranking amps!
• Water Heater Tanks have an Anode Rod that by design will break down and disintegrate over time. So many people out there suggest we inspect the Anode Rod twice a year and replace it when needed. This not only extends the life of the tank but will ensure that we are getting timely hot water. Also, it is wise to flush the hot water tank once or twice a year and to clean out the gas piping on the hot water heater as well.
• Water fittings is another area of concern.  Check all the water fittings as they tend to  loosen over time. Tightening these and monitoring for leaks will help prevent a disaster. Also,if installed, change the water filters if we have not done so recently.
• The refrigerator and its exterior compartments need to be periodically checked and kept clean and free of debris for safe and efficient operation, as well as to prevent fires.
• Winter is a good time to check our generator’s log book and see how many hours it's been since we last performed an oil and filter change. Also a good time to check for loose bolts and nuts to be sure they are tight.
• Tires, tires, tires!... They need to be checked at least monthly for proper tire pressure. Tread can look brand new but the tires may not be trustworthy so use tire covers to help prevent damage from the ultraviolet rays. Good time to check the lug nuts for proper torque.
• Other items to check are lubricating all the miscellaneous items that require it, such as awning rollers and stabilizers as well as squirting graphite into our locks to ensure good working order. If we have a washer/dryer winter is a good time to clean the lint out of the dryer vent. Changing smoke detector and carbon monoxide batteries is good to do as is to check our fire extinguisher gauges.

Now I don’t even own a motorhome yet so I am sure this list is not exhaustive – however, this will provide me a starting point from which to work with when I do own one… and it may serve as a reminder to those of you who do own one that now is the time to start thinking about the upcoming colder weather…