tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9094695270586121912012-01-29T03:42:34.670-05:00John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.comBlogger224125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-77852101768228947992011-12-23T00:52:00.002-05:002011-12-23T01:04:24.714-05:002011-12-23T01:04:24.714-05:00

I know there are those of you out there having difficulties.  Our friends Bob and Linda are still playing the  "Norcold not Cold" game, and poor Nick can't find seat straps for his kayak, and even Howard can't find anything to write about.  But all of these pale in comparison to our difficulties. Just over a year ago we discovered what may be the best way to make coffee.  It's called an

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-36931570669069413932011-12-15T15:49:00.000-05:002011-12-16T00:15:55.242-05:002011-12-16T00:15:55.242-05:00

Every year thousands of Elephant Seals arrive at the Piedras Blancas beach in San Simeon to give birth and breed. The males begin arriving in late November and the females in December, with the first birth usually  happening somewhere between the 15th and the 20th. We have visited the Elephant seals on previous visits to the Central Coast but never in December and we were curious to see if any

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-55380303845282881432011-12-12T23:51:00.002-05:002011-12-13T00:24:06.646-05:002011-12-13T00:24:06.646-05:00

Elks Lodge rv park Atascadero, CA 12/6 - 12/17,  2011 Posted by Judy While John takes a blogging break, I thought I would jump in and let everyone know where we are and what we have been doing. A week ago we made the short drive from Salinas to just south of Paso Robles. Without question, this is one of our favorite areas to visit and explore. The area surrounded by rolling hills (or

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-76326980561573324002011-12-02T23:41:00.001-05:002011-12-03T02:10:08.359-05:002011-12-03T02:10:08.359-05:00

According to my wife, a few family members and the large audience of faithful readers.... (at least 3) have inquired about our whereabouts and well being.  So here is the bullet point version of what we have been up to for the last month. 1.  Had car repaired.  It was more expensive than I thought.  Two thousand dollars.  I have to say that Allied Insurance and the body shop were great to work

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-59313247674503850782011-10-23T21:01:00.000-04:002011-10-23T21:01:34.199-04:002011-10-23T21:01:34.199-04:00

Well it finally happened to us.  The kind of thing you hear about on the news and that only happens to someone else. We are currently staying in Silverton, Oregon and since the weather cleared this afternoon we decided to go find Silver Falls State Park.  We arrived too late to really take advantage of the trails but made plans to come back this week. On our way back to Silverton we were on a

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-54074814035832285962011-10-19T20:17:00.000-04:002011-10-19T20:17:07.410-04:002011-10-19T20:17:07.410-04:00

We are currently hanging out in the Pacific Northwest and yes there really are towns in northwest Oregon by those names. We were in Portland for three weeks before moving a little south.  We have 2 married daughters and 2 grand kids there and there was lots of visiting and eating out and even a sleepover with the grand kids on the RV. Strange how we can go a couple of weeks without eating

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-62616486936856028372011-09-29T00:41:00.000-04:002011-10-19T18:40:55.245-04:002011-10-19T18:40:55.245-04:00

I received several comments asking where our header picture was taken.  The picture is of Hidden Ridge RV Resort about 25 miles south of Grand Rapids Michigan.  This is where we spent 3 months this summer while working at our business in Grand Rapids.  While it was a bit of a drive to work every day, it sure made a nice place to come home to in the evening. When we left Michigan in August, our

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-17373496152750928202011-09-24T13:53:00.000-04:002011-09-24T13:53:05.009-04:002011-09-24T13:53:05.009-04:00

Well we have completed our journey west. I find it very difficult to go from a full-time job back to travel mode and it takes me several weeks to adjust.  I think it is going to take some time to get back in the blogging mode as well.  I'll try to catch everyone up on our journey west as time goes on, but for now will simply say that we are in Portland visiting family for a few weeks. Until

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-91997586012869822122011-07-19T17:30:00.000-04:002011-07-19T17:30:27.862-04:002011-07-19T17:30:27.862-04:00

Do you remember one of the first papers you had to write when returning to school in the fall?  It usually was titled something like my Blog title today. I realize it's been several months since my last posting. So I guess it's time to catch up. We arrived back in Michigan the end of April. We returned so that our friends Stan and Kathleen, who manage our business on a daily basis, could

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-91574827585888486482011-05-30T19:02:00.000-04:002011-05-30T19:02:42.977-04:002011-05-30T19:02:42.977-04:00

Just a farm kid from northern Michigan.  Like thousands of others he answered the call.   He survived, and became a railroad man and later a preacher.....but most of all, he was my Dad.

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-16146312916400601382011-04-11T19:52:00.001-04:002011-04-11T19:55:01.408-04:002011-04-11T19:55:01.408-04:00

Got your attention!  Anyway I could tell you all about the problems we are having with our home.  Our Norcold is once again not cold, and our 12 volt electronics are once again acting up.  It remains to be seen if one problem is causing the other, or just coincidence. But instead I want to tell you about the wonderful time we had in Asheville, N.C. We arrived last Wednesday, and just left this

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-18203578253723869162011-04-01T15:33:00.000-04:002011-04-01T15:33:32.340-04:002011-04-01T15:33:32.340-04:00

We pulled into the Winfield COE Campground on the J. Strom Thurmond Reservoir late this morning and it is definitely a winner.  We have had a week of gloomy weather, less than desirable campgrounds, and of course our saga with the Norcold refrigerator. We made a reservation at this campground several weeks ago and even though it wasn't our first choice of campgrounds here, it turns out to be

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-67290511693071450042011-03-29T14:36:00.000-04:002011-03-29T14:36:52.532-04:002011-03-29T14:36:52.532-04:00

Monday morning found us at Travel Country RV in Lake Park, Georgia for a 9am appointment. They quickly confirmed our suspicions that our new safety module was defective.  It was just a month ago that it was put on at Camping Connection in Kissimmee.  Travel Country was happy to order a new one but said that it would take 5 to 10 days to get it.  I even offered to pay for overnight shipping,

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-35913135314524413572011-03-25T14:00:00.000-04:002011-03-25T14:00:40.932-04:002011-03-25T14:00:40.932-04:00

About a month ago we had a second recall done on our Norcold Refrigerator. Mind you, our fridge is twelve years old and we have never had a problem with it. It just works. Well I can't say that any longer. I mentioned at the time we had the recall done that I was unhappy with the way Norcold has addressed this problem. Their fix is to stop their product from potentially burning your coach

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-57130905376609481772011-03-22T16:19:00.001-04:002011-03-22T16:22:39.874-04:002011-03-22T16:22:39.874-04:00

Caution!! Personal opinions ahead. I came across this blog Man vs Debt and his entry yesterday got me thinking. It seems that some in the full-timing community think that unless you go to their rallies or seminars, buy their books or donate to their web site then you really aren't qualified to become a full-timer. Guess what? It really isn't that difficult. Here's 4 easy steps to becoming a

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-83532467799208666052011-03-14T18:59:00.000-04:002011-03-14T18:59:13.977-04:002011-03-14T18:59:13.977-04:00

On Saturday we decided to do a little exploring.  If you head west on 98 you have a beautiful drive along the coast.  You will pass through Eastpoint, across a long causeway, and come to the town of Apalachicola.  The intracoastal waterway heads inland here and the town is home to oyster boats and shrimp boats and produces almost 90 percent of Florida's oyster harvest. This is another scruffy

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-4631551586708147632011-03-13T17:11:00.000-04:002011-03-13T17:11:27.807-04:002011-03-13T17:11:27.807-04:00

On Thursday it was time to move on.  We had thunderstorms and a power outage the night before and since we were in no hurry to get on the road, it was after noon before we finally pulled out of O'Leno State Park.  We were headed to an area called the "Forgotten Coast".  After my last post you might think that I forgot where we were headed, but it really is called that. This corner of the

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-81143112058467125202011-03-08T21:48:00.000-05:002011-03-08T21:48:46.863-05:002011-03-08T21:48:46.863-05:00

OK, I know I'm getting older, but hey I'm still 56 and not an AARP member. This morning I had a appointment to get the oil changed on our toad, the Explorer at the local Ford dealer.  I really hate doing it while we are traveling because I don't trust most of the quick change places and it's not always convenient to find a dealer.  On Saturday I even broke down and tried to go to a Walmart oil

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-74119167479883125642011-03-01T18:53:00.001-05:002011-03-08T20:06:42.673-05:002011-03-08T20:06:42.673-05:00

WOW, where did the month go?  We started the month in the Keys, went to Disney World,  and suddenly the month is over.  I remember when we attended a Life On Wheels conference in the spring of 2008 in Tucson.  In fact it may have been one of the last conferences they had.  I remember vividly a talk given by the LOW founder Gaylord Maxwell.  He held up a tape measure and measured out 90 inches.  

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-34996110573933129872011-02-28T20:20:00.000-05:002011-02-28T20:20:04.419-05:002011-02-28T20:20:04.419-05:00

We are currently staying at the Hillsborough River State Park just northeast of Tampa.  This is our 3rd Florida State Park on this trip and each one has been distinct.  This is the largest park we have been in and has lots of trails and even canoe rental.  You definitely get the feeling that it is a popular spot for the locals since it has a large swimming pool and numerous picnic areas. We

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-27206568930480150912011-02-26T15:47:00.004-05:002011-02-27T18:48:45.230-05:002011-02-27T18:48:45.230-05:00

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Alafia State Park but on Friday we needed to return to Camping Connection in Kissimmee to have our second Norcold recall taken care of.  I have to say I am really disappointed with Norcold.  This isn't really a recall repair.  It"s simply adding a thermal fuse to hopefully shut off the system if a poorly designed weld fails. Apparently Norcold doesn't care if the

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-68943667984062894172011-02-22T15:41:00.002-05:002011-02-22T15:43:08.151-05:002011-02-22T15:43:08.151-05:00

East of Tampa you will find the town of Plant City.  The area surrounding Plant City is filled with farms growing produce.  This time of year it is Strawberries.  If you find yourself in this area anytime between January and March you need to stop in at Parkesdale.  If you don't know where it is, just ask anyone you see over the age of 50, they will know. We were first introduced to

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-1923162389982055482011-02-21T20:20:00.000-05:002011-02-21T20:20:32.491-05:002011-02-21T20:20:32.491-05:00

On Sunday we headed west to Alafia River State Park southeast of Tampa. We were once again reminded why we like state parks.  We have a quiet pull thru site with water and electric for only 22.00 a day. Built on the remains of an old Phosphate Mine, this park offers abundant biking and hiking trails but most of all it is quiet.  Far from the interstate, and hustle and bustle of Orlando. Today

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-85115881987315093702011-02-17T18:52:00.000-05:002011-02-17T18:52:55.412-05:002011-02-17T18:52:55.412-05:00

I know, this is another warning.  But if you don't like family pics and Disney you may just want to check back later.  After we left the Keys we stopped for 2 nights in Clewiston on the shores of Lake Okeechobee.  We found a nice RV park with Passport America rates.  The next morning we drove over to West Palm Beach to visit a photographic gallery that puts on photo workshops, and also to stock

John and Judyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127663104259680812noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-909469527058612191.post-12911228536927544692011-02-05T21:45:00.000-05:002011-02-05T21:45:02.993-05:002011-02-05T21:45:02.993-05:00

Well our time in the keys is coming to an end.  As usual we didn't do everything we intended, but that's ok.  We'll be back.  We have so enjoyed our little hideaway.  Sadly I must tell you they don't offer a Passport America discount. We enjoyed having our breakfast out on the dock and Mollie even enjoyed her view out the front.  They even had a wonderful dog park just across

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