Great Summer Adventure 2018 Installment Two - Hells Canyon, Painted Hills & Crater Lake

Before we left Idaho, we took a trip to McCall, Idaho. Different people had told us that we should not miss Hells Canyon. While McCall is a beautiful town, Hells Canyon provided spectacular scenery. A boat trip down the Snake River provided thrills as we went through class 5 rapids (scale of 1-6, 6 being the highest).

Hells Canyon Recreation Area covers an area with the Snake River being the border between Idaho and Oregon. This canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon!

A view of the canyon

Another view

On our way to Bend, we drove through the Painted Hills Area in Oregon. This was worth a short side trip to see these hills.  Traveling in the RV, we're always concerned about getting into situations where we can't turn around. Luckily at the end of this road, there was a small park/interpretive center that had a road for us to circle around without any problems.

Painted Hills 

While in Bend,  we took a short day trip to the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. 

Mount Bachelor (left) and the Three Sisters Mountains on the right

Paulina Falls (lowest point of the Newberry Caldera)

The highlight of our time in Bend was our trip to Crater  Lake.  We had researched ahead of time and learned that part of the rim road was still closed due to snow. We had cloudy/misty weather most of the way there, but didn't think we'd run into snow as we ascended the mountain. (We had thought ahead and brought winter coats and hats with us.)

Yes, it was cold enough for winter jackets and hats! (Barely 40 degrees)

Our first view of Crater Lake

Someone offered to take this pic of us

(lake in background still overcast)

It cleared up after lunch, we finally have good views!

Wizard island is in the forefront

A different angle, yes, the water is really this blue!

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the U.S. It is fed entirely by rain and snow. No rivers or streams flow into it. It is considered to be the cleanest large body of water in the world. The lake rests inside a caldera that was formed about 7700 years ago when a 12,00 foot volcano collapsed following a major eruption. Later eruptions formed Wizard Island.

Once again, pictures don't quite totally capture the beauty of this lake. But we are left with our memories of this beautiful place.  We're now camped in McMinnville, OR for a month. We have a lot of exploring we want to do while here!

Great Summer Adventure 2018 - Installment One

Tomorrow it will be two weeks since we left Red Bay. We've made it as far as Idaho and have seen a lot on this trip already!

It's obvious we're not in the south anymore. Familiar sightings of Menard's, Kohl's, Lutheran churches, black dirt (instead of red), Pizza Ranch, and lilacs in bloom tell us we're back in the midwest. After sitting in one place for so long, we've forgotten how bad roads can be (Memphis, and 1-29 through Omaha), how much dust gets raised, and how something always comes up. So far we've had to check out the check engine warning light on the car (it's fine), and we now have a cracked windshield on the RV. 😒 That will have to wait until we are in one place for a while before we can get it replaced.

Then there's the first time stuff- we called 911 to report a truck driver who was all over the highway with his driving. As we passed him, Andy sounded the air horn and the guy didn't even flinch. We're assuming he was either drunk or on drugs - never did find out. You always have to be on alert! And the absurd - we call this the redneck sun roof- it's black plastic with a white plastic center.

Our route took us through Kansas City on our way to Pender, NE for Blue Ox service (our hitch supplier). While in KC we were able to visit with Dawn K., a friend from Luverne, MN. Dawn treated us with tickets to the Trevor Noah show. Thanks again, Dawn!

Outdoor Venue where Trevor Noah performed 

After Pender, we headed to North Platte, NE. The attraction there was the Golden Spike Tower, a railroad hub for Union Pacific. Bailey Yard is 2,850 acres, 8 miles long, has 2 hump yards, and a diesel shop to repair train engines. Their slogan is "With two hump yards, it's always hump  day at the world's largest rail yard". This yard operates 24/7. A hump yard is where the cars are pushed to the top of the hill (hump), where they are sorted and then go downhill to the train they need to be on. 

Me at the tower with the trains in the background 

More trains, diesel service center is at the left of the picture

It was hard to get a picture that showed the actual size of Bailey Yard and a closeup of how many railroad cars that are there. As we were leaving the area in the RV, the road we were on got us close enough to get a good look of one of the humps and the cars getting sorted and loaded. 

Our next stop was Fort Collins, CO. After calling several campgrounds and finding out parts of Rocky Mountain National Park were still closed, we choose a campground in Fort Collins and decided to do sightseeing by car. Hwy 34 was closed to Estes Park so we took an alternate route and drove as far as we could in the park before we had to turn around. 

Mountain brook where we stopped to take a hike-yes, there is still snow

(This is actually a recording. This is the first time I've tried including a recording in the blog. Feedback would be appreciated.) 

Lookout where several people had stopped 

Love the snow capped mountains!

One of our challenges is choosing routes. We tend to favor more scenic drives (as opposed to freeway driving).  So, when leaving CO we decided to take the northern route using State Hwy 14 and US 40. (This was after vetting it to make sure the roads were safe to drive a 40 ft. RV on, and determining that the tunnel height was high enough for us to go through.) Andy did a great job doing all of the curves and switchbacks. At one point we were high enough that rain drops were snow flakes. This is the first we've done "mountain" driving and we've been pleased at how the RV has handled the inclines and heights. 

After CO, we headed west towards ID along I-80 in Wyoming. At the last minute, we decided to take a detour to see a dam in the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. As I already said in a Facebook post, sometimes the best route is the unplanned route! While the dam was interesting, we didn't realize that as we drove through the gorge we would come upon some of the most beautiful views we've ever seen. 

Start of the gorge, you can see the lake in the background

Sun came out at the right time to highlight the rocks and the lake

Picture taken from Sheep Creek Overlook

This picture doesn't do the scene justice. We both agreed it is one of the most breathtaking views we've ever seen! 

Right now we are in Caldwell, ID for a week before we head to OR.  Yesterday we took a day trip to the Snake River Birds of Prey Natural Area. This was a lot of driving through prairie before coming to the river and another natural gorge.

While not as stunning as the previous one, it still was beautiful. We're constantly amazed at how diverse and interesting this country is. 

So far we have added 4 new states to our list- Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. We've got a lot more to cover. Next up is Bend, OR., stay tuned!

Red Bay & Dismals Canyon

Ahhh, Red Bay. Home of the Tiffin factory and the Tiffin Service Center. It's easy to have a love/hate relationship with this city and place.

We've (sadly) been here enough times that we know all the places to eat (and have tried probably all of them), know all the sights to see (you can only go to the Coon Dog Cemetery once), know where to go for a haircut, know how far it is to the nearest Walmart, and know where the shelters are if there is a tornado warning. Once a newbie, we now find us "explaining the ropes" to other newcomers.

All that said, the folks here are friendly, you can meet as many other Tiffin owners here as you will ever find, and the techs that work on our RV's are competent and will make sure you are satisfied with their work. It's fun to compare notes, and get tips and tricks from other owners. It's also interesting to see how others have "personalized" their RV's.

Bay 2 is where we had general repair work done

Tiffin Owners out for pizza and fun 

Spring has sprung!

Although it is spring here, temps haven't been that warm. However, we have managed to hit the pollen season twice, first in Florida, and now here. When your car is covered totally with yellow pollen, you know you're in trouble.

We had looked at going to Dismals Canyon (www.dismalscanyon.com) before, but the time and the weather didn't seem to cooperate. This year, we made it there on a beautiful, warm spring day. Dismals Canyon is an 85 acre natural conservatory that is privately owned and operated. It was designated a "National Natural Landmark" in 1975. National natural landmarks are administered by the National Park Service.

Through the heart of the canyon flows the stream "Dismals Branch" which enter with a roar at Rainbow Falls. A 1.5 mile hike follows the stream through boulders, trees and mossy ferns.

Rainbow Falls

Huge Boulders

Needless to say, this area wasn't explored!

These purple flowers were near the entrance of the park

Now that our list is mostly done, we're getting antsy to to get on the road again. We're looking forward to our trip to the west coast this summer. I'll be posting more updates once we are on our way.

Saint Augustine, FL

I don't know where the time goes. I have been meaning to post about St. Augustine for a while now. Well, better late than never!

Last fall, we spent 2 months in the Saint Augustine area. If you're in Florida, it is definitely worth the trip to come and explore.  One of the first things we did was take a trolley ride to get an idea of the city and decide which places we wanted to go back to. Since it is such an historic city, there is a lot to see and do.

Saint Augustine was founded in 1565, which makes it the oldest continually occupied European settlement in North America. It was originally occupied by the Spanish. St. Augustine's settlers were in constant fear of attacks from pirates, diminishing supplies and increasing hostility from native Indians. 

After the wooden fort and village were burned to the ground in 1586, the queen of Spain ordered the construction of a new fort, this time made of stone. Castillo de San Marcos was begun in 1672 and took 23 years to build.

 View from the street

Upper Deck of fort 

The fort was built of coquina, a locally quarried soft shellrock. Coquina was easily shaped by the artisans and did not crumble under cannon fire. On our tour we witnessed an actual cannon firing. 

Across the street from the fort is the Pirate Museum. It depicts the life of pirates. It has the world's only authentic pirate treasure chest, its oldest wanted poster, and one of the three original Jolly Roger flags in existence. 

 Swords

Actual Pirates Chest with secret compartment

One fascinating place is the former Hotel Ponce de Leon, built by Henry Flagler in 1888.  It was used as a luxury resort for northener's in the winter time. The building was one of the first to use poured concrete and was wired for electricity from the beginning, thanks to Flagler's friend Thomas Edison. The dining room features stained glass windows from Tiffany's. No longer a hotel, it is now the home of Flager College, a 4 year liberal arts college. 

 Student Dining Room at Flagler College

Beautiful Tiffany Stained Glass Windows in the Dining Room

Florida is home to nearly 2 million alligators, so a trip to the Alligator Farm and Zoological Park  intrigued us. Viewed from a safe distance, it is home to many alligators and crocodiles. It is also a refuge for some albino alligators. (They obviously are in danger in the wild due to lack of protection from the sun and their white color not blending in with the environment.) We took a walk to view the 3:00 p.m. feeding of the alligators.They feed them a commercial mixture of gator chow. Sure enough, the migration towards the platform where the park attendant stands starts about 10 minutes before 3:00. Alligators wake up from sunning themselves and swimming to head to get some food. We have never seen so many alligators in one place!!!

Alligators lining up for afternoon feeding

 Giant Tortoise at the Alligator Farm

Since we were in St. Augustine in December, we were there for the annual "Nights of Lights", which has been named one of the top ten Christmas light displays in the U.S.  However, the night we went not all places were lit up (we're not sure why). So we were a bit disappointed. The most stunning display was in the trees of the downtown park. 

 Downtown Park all Lit up

Here is a picture from St. Augustine's street decorations during the holiday season. They are truly the spirit of Florida!

There was a lot more that we could have taken in but we thought we made a good dent in the offerings. There are a lot of seafood restaurants, and charming shops in the downtown area on Saint George Street. All in all, we enjoyed our time in Saint Augustine!

We headed north for Christmas to be with family. We were reminded why we've decided to stay in Florida for the winter!

Memphis, Sun Records & the Eclipse!

After being in Red Bay since the middle of August, we were finally ready to leave for Memphis to take delivery of our new motor home. While in Red Bay, Andy kept a close watch on the production process. That included being on the line every day. He learned lots about how the RV was put together and asked lots of questions, and yes, we were  able to have things corrected if they were wrong. It took a lot of his time but it was very valuable. (The technical things don't thrill me so I leave them to him.) We also wanted to insure that the extra things we had added (like wiring) were done correctly.

Jean with the chassis behind me. This is where it all starts!

I'm including pics of the build so you can get the idea of the work it takes to build an RV. 

The floor and part of the sidewall. 

Just some of the many miles of wires in the RV. 

Front passenger side slide with cabinets and couch before it gets installed. 

This is what it looks like in the paint booth. 

Finished product!!

Since our new motor home was ready, we left the campground in Red Bay and headed to Memphis. However, it would take the dealer about a week to fit it into their schedule to get it ready for us.That left us with some extra time to sight see. 

We'd been in Memphis before and had done the Graceland tour. This time we headed to Beale Street for a repeat visit. We also decided to take a tour of Memphis which included admission to the Rock 'N' Soul Museum. Beale Street is famous for the blues (such as BB King) and barbecue. We also sought out Sun Records. We had watched the show "Sun Records" on the CMT channel and became interested in it because it was the start of careers for not only Elvis, but also Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. The studio is preserved as it was and the spot where Elvis stood and recorded is marked with an X. Supposedly Bob Dylan came into the studio and went over and kissed the X and then left. The studio is still used as a recording studio today. It also has a replica of the radio station (WHBQ) that first played Elvis' songs.

Sun Records Studio

WHBQ radio station replica in the Sun Records Studio

BB Kings Restaurant (band playing while we had lunch) on Beale Street

Corvette Show on Beale Street 

Finally the day was here for us to get our new coach. Moving from one to the other wasn't too bad, but took up an entire day. The move also gave us a chance to take a second look at things and decide whether we really needed some things if we hadn't used them in a year (since we started full timing).  We purged and ended up donating some things. Moving offers a great opportunity to do those things!

Our chassis entered the plant on August 21st, the day of the total solar eclipse. Andy suggested that she be named "Eclipse". I agreed. Since FL only requires one license plate, Andy took on the task of finding an "eclipse" plate. I think he found a great one-it looks like it was made to be there!

Eclipse with her Eclipse license plate

We've had a few minor adjustments to the RV. Overall, we like our new floor plan and layout. Our new favorite feature is our theater seats which recline. :) We've gained some space in certain areas, and lost some space in others, so we're still tweaking our storage space and finding the right places for everything. 

This year has had a lot of transition in it and we're glad to be at the tail end of all of the changes we've made. Now we can just enjoy! We're headed to St. Augustine, FL in mid October and look forward to sightseeing in the oldest city of the United States.

Yes, we're still here, an anniversary, and more!

Sorry for the absence, but we've had a lot going on. (Not necessarily travel, either!) 

We made it through our first year of being full time RV'ers! (And we're still married!) It's been a interesting and fun year. I think we've learned a lot, and learned more about getting along with each other in a small place. Here's to more adventures!

Since we decided we like spending the winter in a warm climate, we have changed our domicile to FL. (Note to others: don't change your address twice in 6 months.) We made this decision right before we were to leave FL. This extended our stay in FL as we waited for titles to be transferred on our RV and car. (We couldn't do our driver's licenses until the RV title transfer was done.)

After that, we headed to AL and the Tiffin Service Center again. We've spent a total of 15 weeks there out of the 18 months we've owned our Tiffin. Because of all of the problems we've had with this current Phaeton, and after a lot of discussions with Tiffin, we are moving into a 2018 Tiffin Phaeton IH, similar to our current Phaeton but with some nice features we don't have now. That necessitated picking out colors and options. We hope to take delivery of the new Phaeton by the end of the summer. 

While in Alabama, we headed back to Florence hoping to take in the Muscle Schoals Sound Studio (MSSS). We had previously toured the FAME studio and MSSS was under renovation when we did that. This time the studio was open for tours. 

Sound Boards at MSSS

Record Covers 

Outside of the Studio

Notice the sound absorbers on the wall-they are actually Styrofoam packaging materials

The history is rich here, as it is with the FAME studios. Many famous artists, including Cher and Mick Jagger, have recorded there. The renovations preserve the studio as authentically as possible when the Swampers had it set up int he early 70's.  The Swampers are the musicians (who are also known as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section) who played on classic cuts by artists such as Aretha Frankilin, Paul Simon, Cher, and many others. 

I left Andy in AL to head to MN so I could attend some "grandma" days at school for Olin and for Hope & Chloe. While in MN, our Equinox started acting up again. Long story short, the second transmission in that car had failed, in less than 6 months! So after a long time waiting to see if GM would buy back our Equinox, we decided to look for something else. We truly believe that the Equinox should not be on the list of towable cars for RV'ers. We're now the owners of a Ford C-Max Energi, an electric hybrid car. 

So that's a new state and address, a new motorhome order, and a new car! And all the accompanying paperwork and other things associated with all of that. With all that's been going on, we haven't been traveling as much, and we've been places we've been before, so there hasn't been as much to write about. We did go to Grand Marais, MN for the 4th of July with family and are now on the east coast seeing family in MD. 

After this we will head to AL and wait for the new coach, then to FL.