Tuesday's Travel Take

“Not all those who wander are lost.”  J.R.R. Tolkien

Tuesday's Travel Take

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers.  The mind can never break off from the journey.”   Pat Conroy

Tuesday's Travel Take

“I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”  Mark Twain

How true this really is!  Especially when you travel with them in an RV that's only 240 sq ft!

Tuesday's Travel Take

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.”  Tam Cahill

I have some great friends and am visiting with several of them along this trip.  It's nice to connect with people especially those who are your FRIENDS for LIFE!

Tuesday's Travel Take

“The journey not the arrival matters.”  T.S. Eliot

Tuesday's Travel Take

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.”  James Michener

Tuesday's Travel Take

“A good traveler has not fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” Lao Tzu

Tuesday's Travel Take

“There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.”  Charles Dudly Warner

Tuesday's Travel Take

 “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”  Lao Tzu

Tuesday's Travel Take

“Two road diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by.”  Robert Frost

Tuesday's Travel Take

 “Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tuesday's Travel Take

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.”  Bill Bryson

Tuesday's Travel Take

“Tourist don't know where they've been, travelers don't know where they're going.”  Paul Theroux

Tuesday's Travel Take

 “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”  Jawaharial Hehru

Tuesday's Travel Take

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”  Martin Buber

Tuesday's Travel Take

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”  Miriam Beard

Tuesday's Travel Take - Mark Twain

 “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore. Dream. Discover.”  Mark Twain

This is WHY we have chosen a life of Full Time RVing…enjoying LIFE today!!!

Tuesday's Travel Take - Freya Stark

“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.”  Freya Stark 

So let the journey begin

Today starts the beginning of our 2014 RV Journey!  Yes, we have begun the traveling adventure of a lifetime and it all began from Mile Marker ZERO!

Well, we didn't start our trip in the RV at Mile Marker Zero, but we did spend the night there!  

You see…when driving a Land Yacht (read this as RV), we find that our mileage has averaged around 7.5 MPG (yes…you read that right with our gasser RV).  So, when we decided to make this trip, we figured that we could make "day trips" after parking the RV and this is EXACTLY what we did to begin our trip at Mile Marker Zero in Key West.

So like I said, our trip has begun or it began a few weeks back when we traveled to Key West to start at Mile Maker Zero.  Out plan is to make our way along the East Coast and end up at the final mile marker in Maine in Fort Kent!  

According to some Internet info, US1 has been around since 1926.  The northernmost spot on US1 is the Claire-Ft Kent Bridge in Ft Kent Maine.  There is a marker in Ft Kent which identifies that it's 2,446 miles from Key West to Ft Kent…so "Lucy, we have some traveling to do!"

The first stop is a NAS Mayport, Florida just north of Jacksonville and on the Atlantic Ocean.  It's a nice place…with all of the amenities including CATV!  What an upgrade from our wintering location at Patrick AFB where you didn't have wifi and the operation was lacking!  

At first glance, Mayport could be a future location to spend the winter…hmmmm, do we want to come back to Florida?

So we hope to have safe travels over the next few months as we make our way to Oh My God, Omaha to see our daughter!  But we have a lot to see in this great country between now and then.

Tuesday's Travel Take

“When you get out of the glass bottle of our ego and when we escape like squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the forest again, we shall shiver with cold and fright.  But things will happen to us so that we don't know ourselves.  Cool, unlying life will rush in.”  D.H. Lawrence     

Tuesday's Travel Take

“A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.”  Moslih Eddin Saadi 

As one of my bosses told me when I was working too much, "Stop and take some time to look at the mountains!"  

Thanks Colonel Hilbun, I have looked at many a mountain (and desert and flower and ocean) since your recommended it.

Tuesday's Travel Take

“One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”  Henry Miller 

Tuesday's Travel Take

“Traveling is brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends.  You are constantly off balance.  Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.”  Cesare Pavese 

Travel is brutality…it's hard on our systems…not sleeping in ones own bed, makes you restless and uncomfortable.  

However, when you travel in your RV, you take your bed and everything else (including the kitchen sink) along for the trip.  Therefore, you are RESTED!!!!

Tuesday's Travel Take

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go.  I travel for travel's sake.  The great affair is to move.”  Robert Louis Stevenson 

I LOVE to travel…just to GO (and go and go and go)!

Sunrise Morning

Early in the morning...

Here's the view from our RV front window for one of those beautiful sunrises.  I love this view!

Let me "Light" the way

What do you need to "light your way" in life?  Does it take a BIG and BRIGHT light?  For some of us…YES!

Some would say that the captains of the sea had the best method for lighting their way…the lighthouses that spatter the coastline of the United States.

We all need a method of keeping ourselves on track and helping to show us the path to take…sometimes the path less traveled.  The lighthouses are usually located along this path less traveled or at least you have to travel a road less traveled to get to them.

On a recent trip to Key West, we had the awesome experience of seeing several lighthouses along the drive home: Key West, American Shoal (off Sugarloaf Key), Jupiter Inlet, Alligator Reef (off the coast of Islamorada) and Hillsboro Inlet (near Pompano).  While I wish we could have seen all of the lighthouses along this route, but the one in Miami (Biscayne Key) had too much road traffic for us to make the trip out!  Being in Miami on a Friday afternoon…craziness for sure.

While we only took pictures of a few of these lighthouses (some were too far off shore to get a photo of and the parking for Hillsboro Inlet was awful--small parking lot with 4 hours limits and no empty slots in sight).  However, we did drive by close enough to see…but again NO photo :(

Two of the most beautiful lighthouses were the Jupiter Inlet and Key West.  While we didn't take the "tours" of the lighthouses, we do enjoy the view!  The tours all seem to be about the same…climb some winding stairs, look out at the great view and then come down (kind of reminds me of the Leaning Tower of Pisa tour).

However, these lighthouses were (are) an important part of the American landscape.  

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse

Key West Lighthouse (taken with Instagram…which allows for the editing)

Hopefully, we'll see (and take pictures of) more East Coast lighthouses on our travels this year!

Tuesday's Travel Take

“ All travel has its advantages.  If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own.  And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.”  Samuel Johnson

I traveled with Dave Powell, an Australian friend,  back in the day and he educated me many times over on the way AMERICANS think.  We, Americans, think we got the best…but let me tell you this, you will a lot worse and a lot better when you travel the globe.

Christtmas Tree RV

RVs...we've see them all.  During our trip to the Tampa RV show, we saw all of the NEW fangled RVs and all they have to offer.  

So what happened to the OLD RV lifestyle or how RVing began.  In fact, RVing started when some ingenious people decided to BUILD their RVs to make their camping experience more enjoyable.  Some were trailers (like the teardrops) while others were conversion vans or busses.  

In today's RV world, I was told there are basically 5 types personalities in the camping world.  Below is how it was explained to me (and I tend to agree)

- Class A - Upper class level of people (white collar) who tend to keep to themselves and stay inside their RV more than they come outside (since they have all of the amenities of HOME)

- Class C - Middle class people who want more amenities, but still want to be "camping".  These folks are friendly and you see them outside their RV (probably because of the smaller space inside).  But they are always helpful to other campers.

- 5ers - The uppercrust of pull behinds.  These folks are VERY friendly since most of them have moved up from a travel trailer.  

- Travel Trailers - Some of the best campers out there and they are the MOST friendliest campers.  They spend a lot of time outside their campers around fire pits enjoying the outdoors.

- Tent Campers - These are the TRUE RUSTIC campers.  Living in a tent and enjoying it.  Even if it rains, they seem to be having fun :)

Below is a photo of one of our neighbors!  They have taken a pickup truck bed camper and put wheels on it.  It seems to work well for him.  He is also adding A/C (one is in a box next to the camper).   Gotta love this rig...homemade and beautiful!

Orange you having FUN!

When you travel the scenic byways of the United States, you find yourself coming across many "interesting" items.  I guess this is what makes America...just that AMERICA!

While today, you don't find many builders or company's using unique architecture to draw attention to their offerings.  In fact, many communities would frown (or have passed laws to forbid such buildings) upon having buildings that are UNIQUE.  However, once upon a time…unique was GOOD!

For Florida, you'd think an Orange would surely come into play when you want to make a statement.   And sure enough...

Along US192 in Kissimmee Florida, you'll find the following Eye Full selling oranges and orange memorabilia.   If you are "seeing America", you have to stop and see places like this.  While it IS a tourist trap...it's worth a stop and a photo.

Tuesday's Travel Take

“Your true traveler finds boredom rather agreeable than painful.  It is the symbol of his liberty-his excessive freedom.  He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost pleasure.”  Aldous Huxley 

#travel

#freedom

Re-Org Basement

Are you organized...I mean really organized?  It helps in life and the daily activities to be organized, but I'm not sure being OVER organized is the way to go.

As most RVers know, you only have so much space (read this as weight) in the RV and that space is very precious.  In fact, you have to find a way to get everything you want into the motorhome and still make it accessible.  Accessible means...you can get to it withOUT having to take everything else out to get to it.  

Some people use plastic totes or other similar items to pack items into and to keep them organized.  However, not all of the the spaces are perfect dimensions to fit the plastic tubes without waisting space.  

When we started this RV adventure over a year ago, we spent 3 months packing, unpacking and repacking the RV so that we would only be carrying the clothes and toys we wanted (or NEEDED).  We packed away many of our off season clothes in the basement so that if we ran into weather...we'd be able to go below and get them out.

Additionally, we had to find a place for the outdoor cooking items (grill and stove).  These are a little odd in shape so they only fit in a few places.  The grill fits in the basement by the door and in the slide on the of the RV...much too far away since we try to cookout often.  So after several back and forth movements, we decided on the living side of the RV...ready to pull out and use when needed.

However, after spending the last few months in Florida, I took another look at our basement area.  The real drive was because I want to install a TV in the basement for our outdoor viewing pleasure.  Therefore, I had to pull everything out to see how I could make it work.  There are several TV mounts available to make this happen, but some of them are EXPENSIVE...and on a fixed income, you need to consider all options.   Since we are in the beginning stages of putting a TV in the basement, I find myself pondering the BEST solution.

For now, we'll just move a few things around until I can figure out a way to install the TV so that it takes up the least amount of space.

Roof Work

I once again find myself climbing up the lofty ladder at the rear of the RV.  I've made these steps MANY times over the past year.  Sometimes the trip is just to wash the roof or check on some various parts making sure everything is in order.

However, this trip to the roof was to do a little preventative maintenance.  You see, the roof is a VERY important part of the RV.  AND the owner needs to ensure it keeps working correctly OR I could find myself with some expensive water damage.  

This is a followup work to some previous work I did on the roof about 9 months ago.  In fact, I'm not too happy I have to REDO my work, but again...keeping the water out of the RV is a TOP priority for me and it should be for any owner.

Today's RV Mx is to reseal where the roof meets the sidewalls of the RV.  When I did this work last year, I was in LA and Bayou Outdoor (Jeff in the Parts Store) was very helpful in determining the RIGHT caulk to use.  While MOST RV centers use the standard DiCor Lap Sealant, Jeff recommended Silaprene.  

So...being a new RV owner, I went with his vast years of experience and bought a few tubes of the caulk.  NOTE:  Please look over the product to ensure you get the SAME caulk as the one you have.  I picked up a few tubes of CLEAR caulk this time and only found out when I was beginning the job.  The last tubes I had purchased were of the WHITE variety...clear and white are NOT the same :)

First, you have to CLEAN the area that the caulk is going to be used on.  Some call for Denatured Alcohol, but you can only purchase this in larger than needed quantities from the Big Box Stores, so I chose to use  Isopropyl alcohol.    I had this "on hand" and figured that if it's good enough to clean the skin when you get a shot, then it should be good enough for the RV skin.  It worked fine and really cleaned up the area to be caulked to get a good contact.  

However, since I didn't have enough clear caulk to do the entire roof seams, I did one side of the RV and will have to wait until I get some more Silaprene.

However, I only had 2 tubes to do both sides of the RV so I began looking around and couldn't find a local distributor in Central Florida.  I've been in contact with the Silaprene District Rep, but it's been a week since I've last heard from him via email (we have been playing a dance of short quick emails about what my needs are).  I think that since I only need a few tubes (6 - 2 clear and 4 white...to have on had after the job is complete).  I'll wait a little while longer before I give Jeff at Bayou Outdoor a call and see if he can send me a few tubes.

Tuesday's Travel Take

  “No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.”  Lin Yutang

#travel

#home

#pillow 

Twisted Treat

When we chose to live the dream over the road (RV Full Timing), we knew that we'd have to cinch the belt a little.  Since our income has decreased "SIGNIFICANTLY" since retirement began, we know that "treats" are a little farther between times.  It's not that we can't have treats, but we are trying to ensure the our $$$$ goes the farthest.

When I see that NEW commercial on the TV of late, it asks "how much money do you need during retirement?"  and then they have people pull a yellow ribbon out...which correlates to the number of years that amount of money equates to.   Some had only planned until 75 while others have planned to over 100 years old! 

So...as we continue this adventure in the RV, we know that every penny counts and if you know where your pennies are, you know where your dollars are.  Check out our budget (Bettina has went to the extreme to ensure our money outlasts our travels!!! and here is her (our) budget).

Here's a twisted treat we had at...Auntie Anne's...

New TV

I just hate it when I'm trying to watch TV and the TV STOPS working!   So when the TV in the bedroom started to "go blank" at various times, I was not a Happy Camper!

I did a little research on what TV I should get as a replacement.  At first I was looking for the biggest TV I could find, but since we are planning on BookDocking a little over the next year, I wanted to ensure I didn't get a HDTV that would pull a large load.  So....the 32" HDTV was out!  I settled on a 24" Insigna that WILL take a 12VDC input.  This way I don't have to use the inverter to power the TV and can get a 12 volts directly from the batteries.  

Hooking up the NEW TV up front!

Relocating the Front TV to the Bedroom

Here's Bettina helping me install the TV...she did the HEAVY lifting. 

Tuesday's Travel Take

“A journey is like marriage.  The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.”  John Steinbeck

#travel

#marriage

Call Me a LIFER

Well, I can finally say I'm a LIFER! When I said this to Bettina, she said...”that doesn't sound right! It sounds like you are an Inmate with a lifetime sentence!” So I guess I really need to rethink how I identify myself!


What I mean by this is...we made the big step (not really that big) to become a Life Time Member of the Good Sam's Club! It really wasn't that big of a deal, since being a Veteran (yes, this is one of those cool benefits no one ever tells you about), we were able to become life members for a very reasonable price ($150!). And after having a membership with the Good Sam Club as an active duty military member (which is FREE), I couldn't pass up the Lifetime Membership!

BTW: I do have a LIFE sentence too...I get spend a LIFETIME with the woman I love :)

Keep Me Cool

Since we moved into our new HOME (2002 Itasca Sunova) last winter, we really didn't think about the window coverings, but when the temperatures started to rise we realized that we needed to do something to help keep out the HEAT!


Since we'd done our own window tinting job of our sticks&bricks home in Omaha back in the day, I figured we could tackle this one as well.


So....off to the Big Box store we headed to find a solution we could live with. Gila offered several solutions with DIY Window Tints and after looking at them all, we chose the Privacy Control Window Film which was the static vs the sticky kind. It goes on the same way, but is a lot easier to handle as you are applying it to the windows.


While we chose the BLACK OUT type to help make it harder for the neighbors (fellow RVers) from seeing into our coach at night when the lights are on, you have various options including: Frosted, Control Black, Privacy Mirror, Rice Paper, Crackled Glass and Mosaic.


We didn't really care about the energy savings (since we are normally plugged into a RV park power), but we were HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY with the reduced HEAT entering the coach...just check out the numbers:


- Annual cooling savings: $ 241
- Annual kilowatt-hour savings: 2,415 (this is BIG since we are planning on going Boondocking a little more this year)
- Annual cooling energy savings: 40.4% (and you know RVs aren't known for their insulation...so this helps in cooling the rig down on those HOT summer days)
- Ultraviolet (UV) ray reduction: 99.9%

• Annual carbon emissions reduction of: 3,718 lb CO₂

  (equivalent to removing 22 60-watt light bulbs)
  

Check out the options for keeping cool with the various products from Gila Films.

Tuesday's Travel Take

“People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.”  Dagobert D. Runes

#travel

Off Time…what to do?

What does one do in their “off time” when they are camping (RVing)? Do you just sit around and watch TV or do you find something “more productive”! 

Now, I have been known to be one of those people who LIKE to watch a little (okay...a LOT) of TV! In fact, I think I was one of those first and undiagnosed “latch key kids” who their parents let the TV do the babysitting when growing up! Even to this day, I still turn on the TV, even if I'm not watching it. I think it's the sound...or I just need to have MANY things going on at one time.


Also, I'm NOT one of those people who LIKE to read! I'm not sure, but I think the first book I ever read (cover to cover) was when I was 20 years old! (say it isn't so that our public school system is teaching kids) However, nowadays, I do enjoy a good read, but it has to be something that really catches my attention (I am a little ADD!)


But here I am!!!! READING!!!!!

It's nice that every campground we have stayed in has some sort of book swap program! We've picked up quite a few books and we take them along with us to the beach!



So...let's read on!!!!

Thursday's Town – Merritt Island Florida

This week we are STILL in Central Florida so I picked on of the town's close by to our location...Merritt Island. The town is named after the King of Spain...yes, royalty, because it was part of a land grant given by him.

Located between the coast and mainland, Merritt Island is a peninsula island that stretches from Kennedy Space Center to the north and Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway to the south with the Indian River Lagoon on the west and the Banana River Lagoon on the east.

The island is home of the Tropical Trail and has some of the most beautiful houses along the intracoastal waterways with some awesome views. Heading south from the Pineda Causeway, you'll drive by some exquisite homes only separated from the water by a small two land road (with many speed bumps to slow down the traffic).

The road is well worth the drive which ends up at the south onto the Banana River Drive where you can watch Manatee and Dolphins.

BTW: For those runners out there, it's a great LONG run making the loop from Patrick AFB across the Causeway south on South Tropical Trail and back up South Patrick Drive. It's well shaded so it's good for all times of the day!

Tuesday's Travel Take

“He who does not travel does not know the value of men.”  Morrish Proverb 

#travel

#Valueofmen

#proverb

Under the cover of Darkness with a Blue Tote DIY (Not Recommended)

Have you ever thought that the cost of the "blue totes" is just TOO expensive?  We have and are insistent on NOT buying one!  I can't see paying in excess of $100 (almost $200) for a plastic bucket on wheels!  Who ever thought up these Blue Totes, I thought, must be crazy!  However, after the other night's escapade, in a attempt to dump our Black Tank, I think whoever invented the Blue Tote is a GENUIS!!!

Since I'm a cheapskate, I decided that I could "remake" the Blue Tote for a lot LESS money...thereby keeping that cash in my bank account.  I figured I could "recreate" the Blue Tote in a simple and easy way with parts from a Big Box store.  

Since we noticed that we are NEAR the FULL mark on our Black Tank, I did some basic figuring and "believed" (this is a KEY word here), BELIEVED that I could make a cheap copycat Black/Grey Tote! 

The idea I had was to take a cheap ($2.78 at Lowes) 5 gallon bucket with a lid ($1.28) and use these as my Blue Tote!   I thought that if I could release a FEW gallons into the buckets I could make a few trips to the Dump Station and with two 5 gallon buckets that would be approximate 4 trips (40 gallon black tank)!  Since a gallon of water weighs about 8 lbs, that equates to about 80 lbs per trip and I didn't need to "carry" those all the way to the dump station since I had made a two wheel cart for my SUP (Standup Paddleboard) to take it to the water vs carry it.  

I put the 2 5 gallon buckets on the 2 wheel cart and strapped them on with a bungy cord...seemed secure enough for me, so now it was time to dump the waste into the buckets.

Now, I know what you are thinking because Bettina was thinking it too...this is just CRAZINESS!  But I HAD to give this a GO or I would be thinking about it for days or weeks!  Success (or failure) was only a little ways away...so here's go!

I had Bettina come out to hold the 2 wheel cart upright as I emptied the Black Water Tank (slowly I might add).  However, I wasn't expecting the OVERPOWERING smell that hit my nose as I opened the tank!!!!  WHEW....that was some potent black water (and all we do is #1 in our Black Tank...so I can't imagine what the odor would have been with some #2 business included too)!  

After I filled the two buckets, I added a little "upchuck" of my own since I could not hold back the natural reflex to the awful smell!  Then it was off to the dump station under the cover of darkness (you see I didn't need any of those OLD MEN watching me and critiquing me as I did my business--pun intended--with the black tank).  

The trip to the dump station was non-eventful, but as I "unloaded" the buckets, one of them spilled and went EVERYWHERE!  With 3 Old Guys watching me from the bathhouse, I knew I was in for some scrutiny...but I just went about my business--pun intended--and washed it all down the drain, washed out the buckets and then headed back to the RV!  Since it didn't work as "planned", I wasn't going to make a trip #2!

On the way back to the RV with empty buckets, my 2 wheel cart began to fall apart!  I didn't engineer this cart to carry 80 lbs, so the volme of waste had taken it's toll on my cart!.  I finally DRAGGED the cart and buckets back to the RV to clean up and dispose of the unwanted/unneeded items!

I cleaned out the 5 gallon buckets, but if they still have a little smell I'll let them set overnight with some soapy water and bleach to see if I can get the smell out.  If not, I will be taking them to the dumpster...for $2.78, I think I can afford the loss!

SOOOOOO...Mister Blue Tote Inventor!!!  You are one smart cookie and I'm glad you invented these items.  While I still don't like the high cost, I think the design is one awesome engineering accomplishments.

BTW: I won't be buying a Blue Tote and I WON'T be trying my own invention either!  From now on, I'll be pulling in the slide and driving the RV to the Dump Station to let out the tanks!  It's much more sanitary and CLEAN!  Less Mess is BEST!

BTW2:  we didn't take any pictures since this was a covert operation under the cover of darkness...just in case I had a MAJOR accident with the Black Water on the way to the dump station.  I didn't need any incriminating evidence lingering around if I had created a toxic mess!

Happy Valentine's Day to myBettina!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day to myBettina!!!!

I just wanted to take a moment to say this to my BELOVED wife of 27 years! She is my Valentine and I'm so glad she is willing to take on the various (hairbrained) adventures we have...like Living the Dream Over the Road (Full Time RVing)!

Thank you for LOVING me!

Thursday's Town -- Cocoa Florida

Today, we find ourselves "still" spending some time along the Space Coast...one town that is quaint and worth a little of your time is...Cocoa, Florida in particular Cocoa Villiage!

You have to check out one particular shoppe which is owned by a family friend's mother.  It's a little eclectic shoppe that is a gem of a find for those wishes to take home a little bit of Florida.

In addition to the various shopping venues, Cocoa Village is a charming little area that is transformed throughout the year.

- During the Winter Holiday season, they erect a tent to cover an outdoor ice rink!  Yes, an outdoor ice rink in Florida...so it isn't so!  The only thing I can recommend is if you decide to go ice skating, realize that the ice is "wet" and bring along some additional clothing to change into after the session.

- In November, the Space Coast Marathon begins and ends in Cocoa Village.  It's a great little out and back course that is really fun.  In 2007, I used this race as a training run in preparation for the Disney Marathon.  Be advised, the weather can still be quite "steamy" in November and the humidity will take it's toll on the body.  When I ran this race, it was warm (a little too warm) for 26.2 miles.  Also, it wasn't a great training run since the Disney Marathon the January 2008 turned out to be VERY COLD (one of the coldest in history).  But the race is a LOT of fun and I ran it with a Great Friend (RocketBoy)!!

- Finally, the park in downtown Cocoa Village bumps up against the Banana River and has a great little trail (road) adjacent to the river.  It's a great place to take a wonderful bike ride or a good run!  With the shaded road along the water, it's also very beautiful...and you'll be joined by many other locals who use the road endlessly during the weekends.  

Tuesday's Travel Take

“ Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalks again; we had longer ways to go.  But no matter, the road of life.”  Jack Kerouac 

#travel

Dump Station 101

Well, this is a stinky subject to be talking about, but some things just need to be said!  In fact, several things need to be said about this subject!

Let me remind everyone of the sanitary conditions (or should I say unsanitary conditions) which are around ALL Dump Stations?  Remember, it's your health…and no need in getting sick while you are on the road RVing.  So take a few precautions when using the Dump Station!  Here are a few tips from your Uncle Lar regarding the use of a Dump Station…

Rule #1 - DO NOT use the water hose to fill your fresh water tanks!  I've seen it too often that people are using the hose to fill their tanks when they OR the people right before them used the same hose to flush out their black water tanks and/or sewer hoses!   And believe me, I've seen them touch!   That's cross contamination between the black water and fresh water.  How gross is this…it's like putting your mouth on my sewer line and taking a drink…YUCK!

Rule #2 - Use a sewer hose EVERY TIME you dump!  This is especially important when you are dumping from the RV…don't just pull up over the "hole" and let out your tanks (black and grey) because the $#!+ goes EVERYWHERE when you do this and it stinks!  Take a few moments to hook up the hoses and keep the area clean for everyone involved…the smell does travel and linger even after you have "done your business" and left!  Also, if you use a blue tote (RV waste tank tote), put a hose on the tote to drain it as well!   It only takes a few extra minutes...

Rule #3 - Don't run your grey (or black) tanks out on the ground when you don't have sewer hookups!  Remember, someone WILL be using that campsite at a later date and they do NOT what to step in the $#!+ you have let behind on the ground!

Rule #4 - ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS, clean up after you have dumped your stuff!  Use the water hose to wash the area down and a scrub brush if it's available.  Leaving that stuff baking in the sun for ANY time, makes it smell really ripe!

Remember, we are all sharing the dump station and RV parks!  Please take your time to be courteous to the next person.  If you don't want to come up to a dirty, disgusting Dump Station, then please don't leave it that way!

Thursday's Town - Satellite Beach Florida

Today, I post from Satellite Beach Florida!   

It's a great little town that that is situated along the Atlantic Coast between, South Patrick Shores to the north and west and Indian Harbour Beach to the south!  It has one of the local High Schools for the area which caters to kids along the islands.

But watch out for the POPO (Police in their black Dodge Chargers)!  They are very good at hiding while running speed traps along A1A!  In fact, almost every time we go south, we see one of these "town's finest" running radar or they have someone stopped for speeding.  So…take it slow and easy while driving through Satellite Beach Florida or you might get to visit with the Boys in Blue!

Tuesday's Travel Take

 “All the pathos and irony of leaving one's youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.” Paul Fussell 

#travel

#success

Yummmmm...RV eats

When you think about camping eats, many people think 'camp fire foods' and hamburgers and hotdogs! However, when you LIVE in an RV, it just like eating at home! While we do eat those dishes, we have regular dinners on most days.

One of the driving factors on making our budget work is the plan to have 'normal' meals and not eating out (that much). With this, Bettina does a great job of planning out our meals to ensure our dollars are extended as far as they can go! However, this does NOT mean we skimp on our food choices. In fact, we eat really good and with all of the amenities inside the RV, she can (and has) cooked just about everything!

Now it must be known, I like food!!! So, it is important we have a good selection.

Tonight's dinner was...biscuits&gravy (a family fav)!

Tuesday's Travel Take

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.”  Samuel Jackson 

#travel

#think

Let the preparations begin -- boondocking shower head

This coming spring we are headed for our first (of many) long term trips which will include several days of boondocking (no hookups or better known as dry camping). So we are making preparations to help make this type of camping a little easier on us.

Today was the first project to help with our boondocking experiences -- the installation of a new Oxygenics shower head.

You may ask yourself how will a new shower head help with boondocking and that would be a good question.

You see, the old shower head was a very inefficient type which would use more water during our dry camping. And water is a vitally important commodity when you aren't hooked up to utilities! So we need to save as much water as we can thru...conservation, conservation, conservation!

The Oxygenics shower head has a "...patented Oxygenics Engine that supercharges any water pressure, turning weak little flows into satisfying showers..."

One of the best parts of this whole idea of boondocking is that Bettina gets to experience the life of a combat soldier by experiencing "combat showers"!

Since taking to the RV living, she has gotten to see just a glimpse of my deployment life.

The first time was when she had to trek 1/4 mile in the cold, misting rain to go to the bathhouse (better known as a Cadillac when deployed). Then there was the cooking on the outdoor stove (better known as a field kitchen)! Now she'll get to have a combat shower!!!!

Welcome to my world and I'm so glad you get to experience life the way our Soldier, Airmen and Marines serve every day on Afghanistan.

For those who don't know what a combat shower is, let me explain. The steps are:
1) turn the water ON to get wet
2) turn the water OFF
3) lather up and wash the body&hair
4) turn the water ON and rinse, quickly
5) turn the water OFF...you're DONE!
Note: This whole process should take no more than 5 minutes and use about a gallon of water.

To help save water, go check out an Oxygenics shower head at:
Oxygenics.com Facebook.com/Oxygenics or twitter.com/Oxygenics

RVing Ettiquette - Lessons Learned the 1st Year

When we first joined the RV lifestyle, we did A LOT of research (but could have done even more). One thing we were concerned about was how to be good campers, neighbors and guests while on the road. While I know we're not perfect, we try to be very considerate of our fellow campers. In fact, if I forget or don't measure up, my wife is happy to remind me to be considerate.

After our 1st year in the RV, we have revised the original list we found to be very helpful and created one of our own!

1. Stay out of other people's camping sites. Too many campers "cut thru" other camp sites which is very inconsiderate. So, if there isn't a designated trail or sidewalk, find another route! Keep to the authorized trails and roadways since I'm sure you don't want us walking through your camp.

2. Not everyone loves your pet(s)! Some of us don't like them and others are very allergic to pets. Keep this in mind when you take them on a walk...not everyone wants to pet your dog. If they aren't allowed in the campground buildings, then keep them away from the entrances as well. Also, when you do take them out "to do their business" take them some place where others don't walk! Having your dog $#!+ outside our RV, even when you do clean it up, isn't something I like stepping in or around when walking around my campsite.

3. Be friendly and say HI to those you don't know. Dealing with cliques is really unappealing to new RVers. We have seen camper get togethers with some long timers but never really been asked to join in. While we know many of these campers have been snowbirding here for many years, it would be nice to be included. Just remember, you were a new RVer once...so show some friendliness!

4. Don't wash/dry your animal items (bedding, clothes, etc.) in the normal laundry machines. Just think about the people who follow you. That pet hair goes EVERYWHERE and gets on EVERYTHING! We don't have a pet and don't want to take your pet hair back to out home! If the park doesn't offer a special laundry machine for pets, then take it to a local laundry mat...be considerate of those non-pet owners!

5. Cleanup after yourself. If your campsite looks like your RV just exploded, then Clean It Up! Campers don't like staying next to other campers who have their crap everywhere. So take some time and tidy up! This is our home (for now).

6. Noise travels throughout the campground so keep it quiet, even when it's not quiet hours! We can't tell you the number of times someone SLAMMED their RV door and woke us up! If you have to slam your door to get it to close, take it to the RV store for some adjustments! At 0600 when you take "Fido" for a walk, close the door "softly", some of us are still sleeping. Also, keep the dog from barking in the wee hours of the morning or late at night. If that means putting a muzzle on them, then so be it! We are living in close quarters, so spend a little extra effort trying to be little more quiet. Your neighbors WILL appreciate the effort.

7. Give some distance if you smoke. I'm not a smoker and never have been, so I may be a little sensitive! If you smoke, please don't do it around the campground facilities. Whether you know it or not smoke carries a long way. Also, smoking in the the bathhouse (or even as you are going in/out) is very offensive! I got it, you have an addiction you haven't taken control of, but keep it out if our breathing air space! We want to enjoy a long retirement life...healthy!

8. Think about where you build a fire pit! While it may be away from your RV, putting it right next to ours is not a good decision! At one park, the camper next to us put his fire put about 2 feet from our RV and parked Toad. Really!!!! Give some space when setting up your camp and don't infringe on your fellow campers! While my RV is not one of those $500k coaches, it is mine and paid for. We'd like to use this RV for many years to come...so don't burn it down (or scorch the paint/gel coat).

9. Park your Toad so it doesn't impede traffic. You would think that people who drive 40+ feet RVs could park a car...not so much. When it comes to parking their Toad...they are all over the place from half way in the road to parking in the grass to angled in every other sort of way! Remember, you spent something like a half hour parking that rig...so take a few minutes (or even a few seconds) when you park that car!

10. Slow DOWN when driving through the campground! It seems like many RVers are in such a hurry as they come and go from the park. I thought this lifestyle was supposed to more relaxed? Remember that there are many people walking around the park who don't want to get run over as you drive at breakneck speeds. Also, if you are staying in an unpaved park, driving fast kicks up a lot of dirt and dust...something we always battle in the RV! So be considerate when driving through the park and slow down!

Fabulous Friday Foto -- G-town

We all like a little pleasure every once in a while and why not experience it at Galveston Island Pleasure Pier or the Seawall?

When we used to make the trip to Galveston Island when we lived in Northwest Louisiana, many people couldn't understand why we would go there!!

If you are looking for the beach lifestyle at a low cost, Galveston Island could be your best choice. While many in Texas head much further south to South Padre Island, it's too far away (and a long drive across King Ranch Texas) to make it on a short weekend.

Galveston Island had a lot to offer -- the beach going, ship watching, dolphin watching, and people watching.

The beaches along the Seawall are...nice.  From one end to the other, there are many places to park and layout to enjoy some rays.

If you like ships, check out the point (located at the Far East end of Seawall Blvd).  There's a little "park" with a historical marker...but it is a little trashy.  Nice place to watch the ships come and go from Galveston Bay but not a place to just hang out.

If you are looking for a free, yes I said FREE, dolphins watching tour, head to the Ferry Rd (again it's at the east end of Seawall Blvd) and PARK you car.  You can ride the ferry over to Ft Bolivar and back for FREE!  Get up top to see all of the dolphins you care to watch.  Great free fun!

Finally, people watching in Gtown is Fun :). Take in the Seawall at night to get a eye full of the tourist.  I'd even recommend renting a 4 person pedal car...this way you can peddle the entire Seawall in a short timeframe without being worn out (since you have 4 people peddling).

Gtown is worth the short drive from East and Central Texas as well as Louisiana.   Check it out!

Shine on me

This weekend at the RV SuperShow, we stopped at a lot of booths selling their wares!  While I was a little disappointed on the booths (do these people/companies not think about their presentation skills beforehand?).  

While they all had their niche, they didn't seem to have the "issues all RVers face" at the forefront of their minds.  As I read the RV Forums, there are several standing themes that RVers have concerns with.  For example, wifi in the RV Parks, more than 4 seminars, backup cameras, or catering to those looking to buy a new RV!

It would have been nice for one of those cell phone companies to offer "unlimited data plans" for RVers at a reasonable price!  

How about a wireless backup camera system that's range is Longer than 15 feet!  My RV is 31 feet and I'm on the small size nowadays!

Also, you might want to train your RV sells staff!  We watched a "punk" show a couple a few Itasca RVs.  He was condescending and RUDE!  Also, as they walked into the RVs, his comments were inappropriate.  Do you think I (or ALL of the other potential customers watching this) would even consider buying from this company?  I think NOT!  Remember, when you're spending $100k, you can be "particular" in what you want.

We did find a good product for making the RV shine!  The booth even gave me a sample to try it out and while it didn't remove the discoloration on the RV, it DID make the gel-coat shine!  I think I'll be ordering some product.

Check out First Finish Product at:
http://finishfirstpolish.com/