Wow, two posts in less than nine hours! I don't know what's gotten into me...
Actually, I forgot to mention that Dorcas has a new bike. Well, technically, it's not a bike it's a trike. We observed while traveling in Florida that recumbent bikes and recumbent trikes are very popular. That's probably due to the flat terrain, abundant paved trails, and all the geezers riding them. Dorcas' friend Audrey recently bought a Catrike. Catrikes are manufactured in Winter Garden, FL where we spend a great deal of time. We both demoed several of the trikes while we were there this past winter. The trikes are very comfortable and Audrey assured Dorcas she did not have a sore bottom, back, hands or neck from long rides. Dorcas has never really been comfortable on an upright bike and decided she really, really, NEEDED a trike. So, she ordered a Catrike Villager before we left for Arkansas and picked it up Saturday. It wasn't cheap, but now I don't have to worry about her falling over on her head. In preparation for the C & O trip, we spent this week getting it set up with luggage rack, panniers, flag, computer, flashers, bells and whistles. The real trick is hauling it. It will fit inside the Element but there's room for nothing else. For this trip we are hauling it on the roof rack and that seems to be working well (as we currently rip through Roanoke, VA on I81 at 65 mph). The real challenge will be on future adventures when we want to haul my conventional bike, a canoe and the trike on top of the Element. I expect we will look like the Clampetts moving out of Arkansas to Beverly Hills. If anybody has ideas for hauling, I'm open to suggestions.
In the meantime, I have made changes to the way I haul camping gear on my own bike. Previously, I used front and rear panniers. For this trip I purchased a B.O.B trailer. The B.O.B is advantageous because it takes weight off the bike and lowers the center of gravity. Also, it is easier to pack gear into one big vessel than into four little vessels. The luggage rack I use with panniers is a specialized rack purchased to accommodate the rear disc brake. The problem is, the hitch for the B.O.B. would not fit with the special luggage rack. My options were to remove either the luggage rack, the B.O.B. or the rear brake. After serious consideration, I decided to remove the rear brake. However, Dorcas convinced me that would be unwise. After further consideration, Dorcas agreed to carry my larger pannier set so, I jettisoned the rear rack and am carrying all my eggs in the B.O.B. basket. We'll see how that all works out.. Pictures at 11.
This is our first long trip without Matilda, so Dorcas is a little mopey. We left Matilda with friends, and she will probably have more fun than we will. She is staying with her two best puppy friends and her veterinarian on a nine acre fenced playground. Puppy heaven.
OK, this really is my last post for a while. Talk to you in June.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
They're Baaaaaack!!!
Faithful readers (if I have any left) will realize I have been grossly delinquent updating this journal. For this I apologize and promise to try to 
do better in the future. When I started this journal almost two years ago, it was very easy to write since everything we did and everyplace we went was new and exciting. Now, after traveling about 8 months per year for the last two years, it is not as new and exciting as it once was. Don't misunderstand, it's still wonderful to go to fabulous places and do fun things, but it has become more of a way of life and less something new and different. Consequently, it is harder to write about our adventures with the same fresh outlook. However, I have received feedback from at least one reader (who is still of the working class and very envious of our travels) that even a mundane report is appreciated, and it is missed when I don't write. So, I will strive 
to write more often, and to make these reports as interesting and entertaining as I can. Please post comments; it is motivating to know that you are out there.
For the Reader's Digest condensed version of our Spring Loop: We arrived home on Monday May 11 at 1:00. We had a doctor's appointment at 1:30. As you can see we are always reluctant to come home and usually wait until the last minute. After leaving northern Arkansas and the Buffalo River area we spent two nights at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas. After that we spent two nights on the Natchez Trace Parkway and explored Vicksburg National Military Park. From there we continued south to Gulf Shores AL to attend a Country Coach rally. Finally, we spent a
week at Grayton Beach State Park on the Florida panhandle with friends from home. While there we enjoyed the beach and paddled several very nice creeks. We were away from home about a month and had a very nice trip.
Tomorrow we leave for another adventure. We are bike-camping on the C&O Canal National Historical Park. We will put in at Cumberland MD and pedal 185 miles along the Potomac River to Washington DC. Then we will u-turn and return to Cumberland. We will be carrying all our camping gear and much of our food and will be staying in campsites along the trail. We expect to be out 12 days. I will not carry a PC, so it will be a while before I can write (what else is new???). I do promise to write when we return.
Bon voyage.
do better in the future. When I started this journal almost two years ago, it was very easy to write since everything we did and everyplace we went was new and exciting. Now, after traveling about 8 months per year for the last two years, it is not as new and exciting as it once was. Don't misunderstand, it's still wonderful to go to fabulous places and do fun things, but it has become more of a way of life and less something new and different. Consequently, it is harder to write about our adventures with the same fresh outlook. However, I have received feedback from at least one reader (who is still of the working class and very envious of our travels) that even a mundane report is appreciated, and it is missed when I don't write. So, I will strive 
to write more often, and to make these reports as interesting and entertaining as I can. Please post comments; it is motivating to know that you are out there.For the Reader's Digest condensed version of our Spring Loop: We arrived home on Monday May 11 at 1:00. We had a doctor's appointment at 1:30. As you can see we are always reluctant to come home and usually wait until the last minute. After leaving northern Arkansas and the Buffalo River area we spent two nights at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas. After that we spent two nights on the Natchez Trace Parkway and explored Vicksburg National Military Park. From there we continued south to Gulf Shores AL to attend a Country Coach rally. Finally, we spent a
week at Grayton Beach State Park on the Florida panhandle with friends from home. While there we enjoyed the beach and paddled several very nice creeks. We were away from home about a month and had a very nice trip.Tomorrow we leave for another adventure. We are bike-camping on the C&O Canal National Historical Park. We will put in at Cumberland MD and pedal 185 miles along the Potomac River to Washington DC. Then we will u-turn and return to Cumberland. We will be carrying all our camping gear and much of our food and will be staying in campsites along the trail. We expect to be out 12 days. I will not carry a PC, so it will be a while before I can write (what else is new???). I do promise to write when we return.
Bon voyage.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Buffalo River Trip Wrap-up
We completed our canoe 
camping trip on the Buffalo River this afternoon. We actually took off the river one day ahead of schedule. Unlike last year, when we took off two days ahead of schedule and 33 miles before our intended take-out due to dangerously high and rising river levels, this year we completed our 126 mile trip. Good flow and ideal water levels allowed us to complete our trip from Ponca to Buffalo City in 9 days rather than the 10 days we had originally allowed. We typically paddled 15+ miles a day breaking camp about 10:00 and stopping about 3:00 on a beautiful gravel bar across from a towering bluff. The trip was largely uneventful; just a great float trip! The first third of the trip showed falling water levels and cooler than normal weather. During the middle part of the trip we got some rain and the river rose a bit. Near the end of
the trip it turned warmer and the river levels dropped back to more normal levels.
We saw a wide assortment of wildlife. We saw the usual river-side birds as well as bald eagles and ospreys. We saw snakes and otters. The fishing was a little slow, but we managed to take a few smallmouth bass each day. In the small-world department, we ran into a fellow on the river from Mississippi near where my mother lived and we had many common acquaintances. He knew my mother's husband and his family very well.
After taking off at Riley's Landing in Buffalo City on the White River, Wayne, Lynda and Harry departed for NC. Dorcas and I retrieved the motor home, which was parked at Wild Bill's house, and moved a few miles down the hill to the federal campground at Buffalo Point.
There we dried out all our gear and packed away the camping gear we would not use on the remainder of our trip. Tomorrow we will move south about 140 miles to Hot Springs National Park.
camping trip on the Buffalo River this afternoon. We actually took off the river one day ahead of schedule. Unlike last year, when we took off two days ahead of schedule and 33 miles before our intended take-out due to dangerously high and rising river levels, this year we completed our 126 mile trip. Good flow and ideal water levels allowed us to complete our trip from Ponca to Buffalo City in 9 days rather than the 10 days we had originally allowed. We typically paddled 15+ miles a day breaking camp about 10:00 and stopping about 3:00 on a beautiful gravel bar across from a towering bluff. The trip was largely uneventful; just a great float trip! The first third of the trip showed falling water levels and cooler than normal weather. During the middle part of the trip we got some rain and the river rose a bit. Near the end of
the trip it turned warmer and the river levels dropped back to more normal levels.We saw a wide assortment of wildlife. We saw the usual river-side birds as well as bald eagles and ospreys. We saw snakes and otters. The fishing was a little slow, but we managed to take a few smallmouth bass each day. In the small-world department, we ran into a fellow on the river from Mississippi near where my mother lived and we had many common acquaintances. He knew my mother's husband and his family very well.
After taking off at Riley's Landing in Buffalo City on the White River, Wayne, Lynda and Harry departed for NC. Dorcas and I retrieved the motor home, which was parked at Wild Bill's house, and moved a few miles down the hill to the federal campground at Buffalo Point.
There we dried out all our gear and packed away the camping gear we would not use on the remainder of our trip. Tomorrow we will move south about 140 miles to Hot Springs National Park.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Buffalo National River
We left The Dell in Sevierville early this morning and drove 720 miles to Clinton Arkansas, where we are spending the night in the Wal-Mart parking lot. In the morning we will drive north another 45 miles to Wild Bill's Outfitters 
on the Buffalo National River and meet our friends from NC. From there, Wild Bill will take us to Ponca, where we will put in for a 10-day, 135 mile float down the Buffalo River. We talked to Wild Bill's today about the river levels. The center part of the river is near flood stage and rising. Tomorrow this section of the river may be closed to boating. Luckily the level at Ponca is just right and dropping slightly, so we should be well behind the flow surge. Hopefully the river won't get much more rain in the next 10 days.
We'll be offline during our canoe trip so check back after the 23rd.
on the Buffalo National River and meet our friends from NC. From there, Wild Bill will take us to Ponca, where we will put in for a 10-day, 135 mile float down the Buffalo River. We talked to Wild Bill's today about the river levels. The center part of the river is near flood stage and rising. Tomorrow this section of the river may be closed to boating. Luckily the level at Ponca is just right and dropping slightly, so we should be well behind the flow surge. Hopefully the river won't get much more rain in the next 10 days.We'll be offline during our canoe trip so check back after the 23rd.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter in the Smokys
There is one nice thing 
about going to motor home shows. There are tons of resort representatives giving away coupons for free camping, usually to try to entice you to buy one of their overpriced deeded RV lots. What else would bring us to the Gatlinburg area on a holiday weekend? While at the shows in Florida, we met folks from Hidden Mountain Resort in Sevierville TN. They had just opened a new deeded RV community, The Dell, and offered us two free nights camping if we came by. It was basically on our way to the Buffalo River in Arkansas, so we thought we would check it out. It turns out to be pretty nice, although very pricey: the 18 lots run from $165K-$195K. Maybe next year.
We arrived on Saturday and did practically nothing all day, except that we did drive over to the Coleman Factory Outlet and the Great Smoky Mountain Knife Works, the "Worlds Largest Knife Store". On Easter Sunday morning we drove into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We drove through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg (although we could have taken the by-pass around Gatlinburg) and traffic was amazingly light. I guess all the tourists were attending Easter church services. This area is very fascinating in a bizarre way. It is so gaudy and tacky
that it is kinda neat. A nice place to pass through, but I wouldn't want to stop here. As soon as you enter the national park, it is like suddenly passing through a portal into a wholly different world: green, quiet and serene. It is ironic that this chaotic tourist mecca was created for people who come to visit the GSMNP, a totally opposite experience.
Shortly after entering the park on the Newfound Gap Road, traffic came to a halt and cars were parked in the road and on the shoulders. There we saw two black bears, a mother and cub off in the woods. After clearing the "bear jam" we drove up to Newfound Gap and to Clingman's Dome. On Clingman's Dome there were remnants of the snow that fell earlier in the week, and Matilda had her first experience playing in the snow. The views from Clingman's dome were clearer
than I can recall ever seeing them before. Visibility was probably close to 100 miles. After leaving Clingman's Dome we retraced our path back down the mountain and turned towards Cade's Cove. But the day was getting late and rather than going out to Cade's Cove, we left the park at Townsend and returned to Pigeon Forge via US 321. It was a pretty nice windshield tour of America's most visited national park.
about going to motor home shows. There are tons of resort representatives giving away coupons for free camping, usually to try to entice you to buy one of their overpriced deeded RV lots. What else would bring us to the Gatlinburg area on a holiday weekend? While at the shows in Florida, we met folks from Hidden Mountain Resort in Sevierville TN. They had just opened a new deeded RV community, The Dell, and offered us two free nights camping if we came by. It was basically on our way to the Buffalo River in Arkansas, so we thought we would check it out. It turns out to be pretty nice, although very pricey: the 18 lots run from $165K-$195K. Maybe next year.
We arrived on Saturday and did practically nothing all day, except that we did drive over to the Coleman Factory Outlet and the Great Smoky Mountain Knife Works, the "Worlds Largest Knife Store". On Easter Sunday morning we drove into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We drove through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg (although we could have taken the by-pass around Gatlinburg) and traffic was amazingly light. I guess all the tourists were attending Easter church services. This area is very fascinating in a bizarre way. It is so gaudy and tacky
that it is kinda neat. A nice place to pass through, but I wouldn't want to stop here. As soon as you enter the national park, it is like suddenly passing through a portal into a wholly different world: green, quiet and serene. It is ironic that this chaotic tourist mecca was created for people who come to visit the GSMNP, a totally opposite experience.Shortly after entering the park on the Newfound Gap Road, traffic came to a halt and cars were parked in the road and on the shoulders. There we saw two black bears, a mother and cub off in the woods. After clearing the "bear jam" we drove up to Newfound Gap and to Clingman's Dome. On Clingman's Dome there were remnants of the snow that fell earlier in the week, and Matilda had her first experience playing in the snow. The views from Clingman's dome were clearer
than I can recall ever seeing them before. Visibility was probably close to 100 miles. After leaving Clingman's Dome we retraced our path back down the mountain and turned towards Cade's Cove. But the day was getting late and rather than going out to Cade's Cove, we left the park at Townsend and returned to Pigeon Forge via US 321. It was a pretty nice windshield tour of America's most visited national park.
Friday, April 10, 2009
On The Road Again
We left home this morning for another excellent adventure. We are spending tonight at Mom's house and then will be working our way west across Tennessee and Arkansas. On Tuesday we will put in on the Buffalo National River in the Arkansas Ozarks for a ten-day float trip. After that we will work our way south towards Gulf Shores Alabama for a Country Coach rally, with stops at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas and Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi. Finally we will meet friends at Gryaton Beach State Park near Destin FL for a week of paddling. We will return home in about a month, just in time for a 10-day bike trip on the C&O Canal in Maryland. Life is good.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Florida Wrap-up
Another winter in Florida finished. We left home on Christmas day and returned today, just in time for four doctor's appointments scheduled the remainder of the week. It was a great trip, as usual. It was colder than during past winter trips to Florida, but it was cold everywhere else too. Better to be cool in Florida than frigid at home. We met many old friends and made several new friends.
The numbers:
Duration: 91 days
Distance: 2011 miles
Temperatures: Low 28 degrees, high 88 degrees
Number of days at Busch Gardens: four (and we have a rain check for another visit next year!)
Number of free beers at Busch Gardens: Who knows?
Number of motor home rallies and shows attended: Four
Number of days paddling: Seventeen
Cheapest Price paid for diesel: $1.769, Wal-Mart, Tifton GA, 3/15/09
Now time for a ton of home chores!
The numbers:
Duration: 91 days
Distance: 2011 miles
Temperatures: Low 28 degrees, high 88 degrees
Number of days at Busch Gardens: four (and we have a rain check for another visit next year!)
Number of free beers at Busch Gardens: Who knows?
Number of motor home rallies and shows attended: Four
Number of days paddling: Seventeen
Cheapest Price paid for diesel: $1.769, Wal-Mart, Tifton GA, 3/15/09
Now time for a ton of home chores!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Almost Home!!!
We arrived at Mom's house yesterday afternoon. Today she has had me busy doing chores such as changing furnace filters and smoke alarm batteries. One of her filters is an unusual size: 10"x10". No one in Morganton has them in stock. Lowe's can order them, but you have to buy a case lot of 12, and it will take two weeks to get them. Being a practical kinda guy, I bought a 10"x20" and cut it in half. 
Two for the price of one! That seemed to work OK for now. I suggested she talk to some of her neighbors. Maybe they have some, or could go in with her on a case load.
We had hoped to visit with our friends Bob and Donna while we were here, but we learned yesterday that Bob had a heart attack on Saturday. They took him to the heart center in Charlotte on Sunday for tests and treatment, and now they have determined he will need to have bypass surgery. Our prayers go out to Bob and his family.
We will be home tomorrow. We have doctor's appointments in the afternoon and volleyball in the evening (I miss my volleyball!). I think we are ready to be home!
Two for the price of one! That seemed to work OK for now. I suggested she talk to some of her neighbors. Maybe they have some, or could go in with her on a case load.We had hoped to visit with our friends Bob and Donna while we were here, but we learned yesterday that Bob had a heart attack on Saturday. They took him to the heart center in Charlotte on Sunday for tests and treatment, and now they have determined he will need to have bypass surgery. Our prayers go out to Bob and his family.
We will be home tomorrow. We have doctor's appointments in the afternoon and volleyball in the evening (I miss my volleyball!). I think we are ready to be home!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Spending $$$ at the Rally
We had a good time in Perry at the FMCA rally. It stopped raining sometime in the wee hours of Tuesday morning and the sun was out for the remainder of the event. By the time we pulled out this morning the lots were dry and hard. With the sun out I could monitor the function of our new solar array. During this late winter season the sun just won't get directly overhead, but I was still seeing up to 24 amps DC, very close to the maximum output for the panels. I'm pleased.
We each attended 4-5 seminars each day on a variety of technical and educational topics. I also spent a great deal of time talking to component vendors, such as our refrigerator manufacturer, asking detailed technical questions. I scored a few free replacement parts and service. FanTastic Vent gave me a replacement switch for one of our roof-top fans. Roadmaster cleaned and lubed our tow bar and replaced a major component that was showing abnormal wear. We also spent a lot of time in the vendors booths. We bought a high quality12v portable fan, FanTastic Vent's Endless Breeze. It will be very useful for when we aren't on shore power and don't want to run the inverter. It is also very compact and easy to store. We also purchased a DeLorme PN-40 hand-held GPS. I had been wanting a good hand-held GPS for some time, but couldn't decide what to buy. I was leaning towards the DeLorme product because they have great technical support, lots of cheap or free downloadable maps, and our PC software and GPS are by DeLorme. DeLorme had a booth at the show and was offering the PN-40 for $100 off list. There was a lead technical guy at the booth, and I spent several hours talking with him. He spent time with me outdoors with my new handheld unit showing me some tricks.
We also made one major coach improvement purchase. As you know, our coach i
s relatively short and lacks some indoor storage features often found on larger coaches. For example, many larger coaches have a credenza on the wall behind the dinette and some sort of computer desk. We have neither. We spend a lot of time on the computer and must work with the PCs in our laps. When we need to print a document, we take the printer out of the wardrobe and set it up on the dinette table. We also have portable file boxes for our papers that we keep on the floor of the wardrobe. Not very convenient. At a rally in January we talked to Davis Cabinets a company in Oregon, specializing in cabinets for the RV industry. With the sour economy, many owners have decided to keep their coaches instead of trading up and are putting their $$$ into modifications and improvements. Just like us. 
For example, many coach owners are upgrading their TV cabinetry to fit new digital HD TVs. Davis Cabinets was taking orders for new cabinet projects at the Supershow in Tampa in January. They would take measurements in FL, fabricate the cabinets at their shop in Oregon, and deliver and install the cabinets at the rally in Perry GA. We decided to buy a combination dinette credenza/computer work station. On one side it would have a cabinet door and pullouts for a laptop, supplies and a printer. On the other side it would have office drawers and a lateral file drawer. In the center under the table, it would have two cabinet doors and adjustable shelves. 14" deep and almost 7' long. Davis said they could match our knobs, pulls, wood finish and Corian top. Perfect! Almost ..... After placing the order and talking with Shaun Davis a number of times
over the last two months, we found he was having trouble identifying the pattern for our solid surface top. He checked sample chips from Corian, Avonite, Wilsonart, and several other manufacturers, but nothing matched. He shipped us chips, and we went to home improvement centers ourselves, but could find no exact match. He installed the cabinet on Monday, but we are currently without a top. Shaun took a sink cover representing our pattern back to Oregon with him. He is confident he can identify the pattern and ship the top to us in NC shortly. We're keeping our fingers crossed.
We moved about 200 miles north this afternoon to Fair Play, SC. We are parked at Thousand Trails Carolina Landing, on the shore of Lake Hartwell, just over the GA line.
This is not the nicest of the TT parks, but is is OK for a short stop-over. Many of the sites are on hills, so level site are at premium and some are eroded. We did find a nice level site with good grass. The water level on Lake Hartwell is way down, so the dock is high and dry. We will stay here two or three nights, then drive to Morganton and spend a day or two with my mother. It's a good thing we are almost home in NC. The quart bottle of Texas Pete I packed is almost empty!
We each attended 4-5 seminars each day on a variety of technical and educational topics. I also spent a great deal of time talking to component vendors, such as our refrigerator manufacturer, asking detailed technical questions. I scored a few free replacement parts and service. FanTastic Vent gave me a replacement switch for one of our roof-top fans. Roadmaster cleaned and lubed our tow bar and replaced a major component that was showing abnormal wear. We also spent a lot of time in the vendors booths. We bought a high quality12v portable fan, FanTastic Vent's Endless Breeze. It will be very useful for when we aren't on shore power and don't want to run the inverter. It is also very compact and easy to store. We also purchased a DeLorme PN-40 hand-held GPS. I had been wanting a good hand-held GPS for some time, but couldn't decide what to buy. I was leaning towards the DeLorme product because they have great technical support, lots of cheap or free downloadable maps, and our PC software and GPS are by DeLorme. DeLorme had a booth at the show and was offering the PN-40 for $100 off list. There was a lead technical guy at the booth, and I spent several hours talking with him. He spent time with me outdoors with my new handheld unit showing me some tricks.
We also made one major coach improvement purchase. As you know, our coach i
s relatively short and lacks some indoor storage features often found on larger coaches. For example, many larger coaches have a credenza on the wall behind the dinette and some sort of computer desk. We have neither. We spend a lot of time on the computer and must work with the PCs in our laps. When we need to print a document, we take the printer out of the wardrobe and set it up on the dinette table. We also have portable file boxes for our papers that we keep on the floor of the wardrobe. Not very convenient. At a rally in January we talked to Davis Cabinets a company in Oregon, specializing in cabinets for the RV industry. With the sour economy, many owners have decided to keep their coaches instead of trading up and are putting their $$$ into modifications and improvements. Just like us. 
For example, many coach owners are upgrading their TV cabinetry to fit new digital HD TVs. Davis Cabinets was taking orders for new cabinet projects at the Supershow in Tampa in January. They would take measurements in FL, fabricate the cabinets at their shop in Oregon, and deliver and install the cabinets at the rally in Perry GA. We decided to buy a combination dinette credenza/computer work station. On one side it would have a cabinet door and pullouts for a laptop, supplies and a printer. On the other side it would have office drawers and a lateral file drawer. In the center under the table, it would have two cabinet doors and adjustable shelves. 14" deep and almost 7' long. Davis said they could match our knobs, pulls, wood finish and Corian top. Perfect! Almost ..... After placing the order and talking with Shaun Davis a number of times
over the last two months, we found he was having trouble identifying the pattern for our solid surface top. He checked sample chips from Corian, Avonite, Wilsonart, and several other manufacturers, but nothing matched. He shipped us chips, and we went to home improvement centers ourselves, but could find no exact match. He installed the cabinet on Monday, but we are currently without a top. Shaun took a sink cover representing our pattern back to Oregon with him. He is confident he can identify the pattern and ship the top to us in NC shortly. We're keeping our fingers crossed.We moved about 200 miles north this afternoon to Fair Play, SC. We are parked at Thousand Trails Carolina Landing, on the shore of Lake Hartwell, just over the GA line.
This is not the nicest of the TT parks, but is is OK for a short stop-over. Many of the sites are on hills, so level site are at premium and some are eroded. We did find a nice level site with good grass. The water level on Lake Hartwell is way down, so the dock is high and dry. We will stay here two or three nights, then drive to Morganton and spend a day or two with my mother. It's a good thing we are almost home in NC. The quart bottle of Texas Pete I packed is almost empty!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
FMCA in Perry
This morning we moved about 190 miles north to the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter at Perry GA. For the next 5 days we will attend FMCA's 81st International Convention. We are dry camping here until Friday, meaning we are camping without the benefit of external electricity, water and sewer. This was to be the first real test of our new 400 watt solar array. Unfortunately, it is overcast and raining hard now and the forecast for tonight and tomorrow is for more rain. So much for any solar gain. The forecast for Wednesday through Friday is much better, so we'll see how it works then. In the meantime we will have to continue to run our generator. Dang. While, here we will attend a ton of seminars, buy a few parts and accessories from the thousands of vendors, and maybe window-shop for few new motor homes. We have one significant purchase in the wings that we are pretty excited about. I'll talk more about that and post some photos when it's completed.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Land of the Trembling Earth
We previously belonged to a great canoe club in Florida, the Central Florida Paddlemasters. I won't go into the gory 
details, but, unfortunately, that club folded about two years ago. That was a bad thing, because we really liked many of the club members and paddled with them many times, including two "Week of Rivers" events where we paddled a different river or creek every day for a week. In order to fill that void, we joined the Florida Sport Paddling Club about a year and a half ago. Several former CFP members belong to the FSPC and had recommended it. Until now, we had never hooked up on a trip with the FSPC.
However, on March 11-15 we attended the FSPC Okefenokee Swamp Spring Fling at Stephen C. Foster State Park near Fargo, GA. We have camped at Stephen C. Foster
State Park before, but I had forgotten how nice it was. We checked into the park on Wednesday afternoon and picked a nice grassy pull-through site. All sites have 50A electric, water and cable. If we held our mouth right we could receive the park's free wi-fi. It's a good thing too, because our Verizon air card was nearly useless that far out in the boonies. On Wednesday evening we shared a pot luck dinner with the club attendees and tried in vain to learn their names. There were about 25 folks attending the event, but by the end of the weekend we did learn most of their names.
On Thursday we paddled from the park marina northeast up Billy's Lake and then up Millie's Lake. We lunched at the Millie's Lake day-use shelter then paddled another hour towards Big Water Lake. It has been many years since we visited the Okefenokee, and I had forgotten how pretty it is. Billy's Lake is relatively wide and open. When we turned off towards Millie's Lake the channel was narrow and winding, with a distinct current. Pets are not allowed in the refuge, so this was the first time we have paddled and left Matilda behind. Just as well, since we saw many alligators.
On Friday we set out to the west and paddled to the Suwanee River "sill". The sill is an earthen dike with flood gates built in the mid 1950s to maintain a constant water level in the swamp, primarily to prevent fires. As with many of man's attempts to control nature, this was a failed experiment. The floodgates were opened and abandoned
several years ago and the water in the swamp was allowed to seek its own level. We paddled through the rusted flood gates and down the Suwanee River another 2-3 miles to Lem Griffis' Landing, where we had left our cars. Dorcas and I counted alligators today, the first time we have ever attempted to make an exact count. 21 alligators today. Or 20 3/4 if you discount for "Stumpy".
On Saturday we paddled on the Suwanee River about 14 miles from Lem Griffis' Landing to Fargo. The river was low but the current was surprisingly fast. There were numerous sandbars and amazing bald cypress and tupelos. While we could have taken Matilda on this section, we chose
to leave her at home. Surprisingly, we spotted not a single alligator on this run. On Saturday evening we had a Robert Service poetry reading contest. I was not previously familiar with Robert Service, although I soon realized I had heard some of his work. Robert Service is perhaps most famous for poems of men in the Yukon gold rush. We were entertained with poems and skits, with costumes and props. Great fun!
details, but, unfortunately, that club folded about two years ago. That was a bad thing, because we really liked many of the club members and paddled with them many times, including two "Week of Rivers" events where we paddled a different river or creek every day for a week. In order to fill that void, we joined the Florida Sport Paddling Club about a year and a half ago. Several former CFP members belong to the FSPC and had recommended it. Until now, we had never hooked up on a trip with the FSPC.However, on March 11-15 we attended the FSPC Okefenokee Swamp Spring Fling at Stephen C. Foster State Park near Fargo, GA. We have camped at Stephen C. Foster
State Park before, but I had forgotten how nice it was. We checked into the park on Wednesday afternoon and picked a nice grassy pull-through site. All sites have 50A electric, water and cable. If we held our mouth right we could receive the park's free wi-fi. It's a good thing too, because our Verizon air card was nearly useless that far out in the boonies. On Wednesday evening we shared a pot luck dinner with the club attendees and tried in vain to learn their names. There were about 25 folks attending the event, but by the end of the weekend we did learn most of their names.
On Thursday we paddled from the park marina northeast up Billy's Lake and then up Millie's Lake. We lunched at the Millie's Lake day-use shelter then paddled another hour towards Big Water Lake. It has been many years since we visited the Okefenokee, and I had forgotten how pretty it is. Billy's Lake is relatively wide and open. When we turned off towards Millie's Lake the channel was narrow and winding, with a distinct current. Pets are not allowed in the refuge, so this was the first time we have paddled and left Matilda behind. Just as well, since we saw many alligators.
On Friday we set out to the west and paddled to the Suwanee River "sill". The sill is an earthen dike with flood gates built in the mid 1950s to maintain a constant water level in the swamp, primarily to prevent fires. As with many of man's attempts to control nature, this was a failed experiment. The floodgates were opened and abandoned
several years ago and the water in the swamp was allowed to seek its own level. We paddled through the rusted flood gates and down the Suwanee River another 2-3 miles to Lem Griffis' Landing, where we had left our cars. Dorcas and I counted alligators today, the first time we have ever attempted to make an exact count. 21 alligators today. Or 20 3/4 if you discount for "Stumpy".On Saturday we paddled on the Suwanee River about 14 miles from Lem Griffis' Landing to Fargo. The river was low but the current was surprisingly fast. There were numerous sandbars and amazing bald cypress and tupelos. While we could have taken Matilda on this section, we chose
to leave her at home. Surprisingly, we spotted not a single alligator on this run. On Saturday evening we had a Robert Service poetry reading contest. I was not previously familiar with Robert Service, although I soon realized I had heard some of his work. Robert Service is perhaps most famous for poems of men in the Yukon gold rush. We were entertained with poems and skits, with costumes and props. Great fun!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Power On !!!
I have always been intrigued by the idea of solar panels on the motor home. Our Safari TREK had a 75 watt photovoltaic panel, however, 75 watts is pretty minimal. It will maintain the battery during periods of bright sun and moderate electrical usage, but could not effectively bring the batteries up from a discharged state. Our coach has a number of "phantom" loads, that essentially cannot be turned off without cutting off power to the whole coach. Such loads include LED lights on all light switches, the CO detector, the LP detector, the security alarm system, etc. Additionally, there are other invisible, but somewhat discretionary loads that drag the batteries down, such as the always-on circuits in the TV, VCR, DVD and microwave, the inverter and the 12V electronics in the refrigerator. If left unattended with everything possible turned off, the batteries would be discharged in a matter of a few days. Not good if we need to be away from the coach for any period of time when it can't be plugged in.
So, I have been drooling over solar power for some time, but have been dragging my feet because I wasn't sure how much to add, didn't know how to do it or who to have do it and was afraid of the cost. While at a rally a month or so ago I learned of a guy near Lake City FL who has done solar installations on many of the TREKS. He was said to be very knowledgeable and competent, but a bit of an oddball. He lives on a 500 acre property that is totally off the grid: no electricity, no water, no sewer. There are 9 miles of marked trails, the gator pond and the turtle field. He installs and services a number of electrical devices in RVs and operates a campground
where other like-minded sorts come and hang out. I gave him a call and made an appointment, and that is how we came to meet John Palmer and Palmer Energy Systems.
Sizing a solar system is an interesting exercise. You can add up all your power loads for a particular style of camping, and size your array to meet that demand. But in the end you just throw all that information out the window. Basically you install as much solar as you can afford and that you can fit on the roof of the coach. A good rule of thumb is to install as many watts of solar capacity as you have amp-hour capacity in your battery bank. We have room for four 100-watt panels and still be able to walk and access all the vents and appliances on the roof. 400 watts also worked out pretty well with our two 8D AGM batteries, rated at about 500 amp-hours. So it was decided to install four 100-watt panels and a 500 watt charge controller. John Palmer is a man who speaks his mind
and works at his own pace. He said to allow three days to do the job. We started on Monday morning, took frequent breaks and stopped before 4:00 each day. We had no serious difficulties and finished on Tuesday afternoon. Palmer wanted us to stay at least until noon on Wednesday so we could observe the output during high sun. That was fine since we had allowed for three days anyway. Ideally, with bright sun directly overhead, we should be seeing about 24 amps from the array. At noon, the sun was still far from directly overhead due to the position of the sun in the winter, but we were still getting almost 21 amps. Good enough. The system seemed to be working. This system will not eliminate our need to use the generator, but it should cut down on generator hours. More importantly, it will allow us to park the coach for extended periods and leave the refrigerator and other systems operating without worrying about draining the batteries.
So, I have been drooling over solar power for some time, but have been dragging my feet because I wasn't sure how much to add, didn't know how to do it or who to have do it and was afraid of the cost. While at a rally a month or so ago I learned of a guy near Lake City FL who has done solar installations on many of the TREKS. He was said to be very knowledgeable and competent, but a bit of an oddball. He lives on a 500 acre property that is totally off the grid: no electricity, no water, no sewer. There are 9 miles of marked trails, the gator pond and the turtle field. He installs and services a number of electrical devices in RVs and operates a campground
where other like-minded sorts come and hang out. I gave him a call and made an appointment, and that is how we came to meet John Palmer and Palmer Energy Systems.Sizing a solar system is an interesting exercise. You can add up all your power loads for a particular style of camping, and size your array to meet that demand. But in the end you just throw all that information out the window. Basically you install as much solar as you can afford and that you can fit on the roof of the coach. A good rule of thumb is to install as many watts of solar capacity as you have amp-hour capacity in your battery bank. We have room for four 100-watt panels and still be able to walk and access all the vents and appliances on the roof. 400 watts also worked out pretty well with our two 8D AGM batteries, rated at about 500 amp-hours. So it was decided to install four 100-watt panels and a 500 watt charge controller. John Palmer is a man who speaks his mind
and works at his own pace. He said to allow three days to do the job. We started on Monday morning, took frequent breaks and stopped before 4:00 each day. We had no serious difficulties and finished on Tuesday afternoon. Palmer wanted us to stay at least until noon on Wednesday so we could observe the output during high sun. That was fine since we had allowed for three days anyway. Ideally, with bright sun directly overhead, we should be seeing about 24 amps from the array. At noon, the sun was still far from directly overhead due to the position of the sun in the winter, but we were still getting almost 21 amps. Good enough. The system seemed to be working. This system will not eliminate our need to use the generator, but it should cut down on generator hours. More importantly, it will allow us to park the coach for extended periods and leave the refrigerator and other systems operating without worrying about draining the batteries.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Paddle: Econlockhatchee River
Several 
weeks ago we ran into another couple here at TTO, and we spent time talking with them about the places we had each paddled and the places we wanted to paddle. They strongly suggested we paddle the Econlockhatchee River northeast of Orlando. We took a look at the guide book and decided it
might be a pretty good paddle. It was not too far away, and we could do it with a bike shuttle. As soon as we arrived at the put-in, I realized we had paddled the "Econ" before, probably during our first Benner trip to Florida during Christmas 2004. We dropped our gear at the put-in on CR 419 near Oviedo FL. I drove the car to the take-out at the bridge on Snow Hill Road and rode the bike about 6 miles back 
to the put-in. This run is about 10 miles long and passes through the Little Big Econ State Forest. It was a very pleasant day, and a very nice paddle through a remote section of state forest. The river is mainly twisty and shallow, with stained water and white sand bottom. This would be an excellent camping river; there are a number of excellent campsites on state lands. We saw three very large alligators, 12 feet long or better. We also snuck up on an armadillo rooting near the bank.
weeks ago we ran into another couple here at TTO, and we spent time talking with them about the places we had each paddled and the places we wanted to paddle. They strongly suggested we paddle the Econlockhatchee River northeast of Orlando. We took a look at the guide book and decided it
might be a pretty good paddle. It was not too far away, and we could do it with a bike shuttle. As soon as we arrived at the put-in, I realized we had paddled the "Econ" before, probably during our first Benner trip to Florida during Christmas 2004. We dropped our gear at the put-in on CR 419 near Oviedo FL. I drove the car to the take-out at the bridge on Snow Hill Road and rode the bike about 6 miles back 
to the put-in. This run is about 10 miles long and passes through the Little Big Econ State Forest. It was a very pleasant day, and a very nice paddle through a remote section of state forest. The river is mainly twisty and shallow, with stained water and white sand bottom. This would be an excellent camping river; there are a number of excellent campsites on state lands. We saw three very large alligators, 12 feet long or better. We also snuck up on an armadillo rooting near the bank.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Life on the Road: It's Always Something ....
We are still camped at Thousand Trails Orlando. As usual, we are down in the woods in D loop and will be here for a total of 14 days. On Friday March 6 we will start slowly working our way northward. I continue 
to play pickleball every day. Dorcas and Matilda play with neighboring puppies. Matilda's new best friend is Tipper, a border collie/poodle mix, from Iredell County, NC, of all places. Unfortunately Tipper will be leaving on Sunday, and Matilda must find another friend. It is amazing how valuable a good puppy playmate can be. It is good for everyone, dogs and owners alike, when compatible dogs can run free on the trails, until they drop from exhaustion.
Now for the bad news: A motor home is a collection of complicated systems, all exposed to vibration, dust, wind, hot, cold and plain wear and tear. When everything is working correctly (and this is a rare occasion), it is best to kick back, relax and savor the moment, because something is bound to break soon. I keep thermometers in the refrigerator and the freezer. Shortly after we arrived at TTO, about a week ago, I noticed that the temperature in the freezer was gradually rising. It normally reads less than 10F. Now it was approaching 25F and the ice cream was melting! Egads! Something must be done. Today it quit cooling completely, and I shut her down. We packed it with ice, and now it is functioning as a very expensive ice box.
Our fridge has operated erratically for as long as we have owned the unit, most days working fine, but some days failing to achieve the temperatures it should. Hence, the reason I use thermometers to monitor fridge function
. Most RV refrigerators use a cooling technology very different than residential refrigerators. Instead of an electric compressor and freon, an RV fridge uses an ammonia absorption process, where ammonia and hydrogen are boiled and subsequently condensed and evaporated, removing heat from the refrigerator box. This system is well suited to an RV because there are no moving parts, and it uses very little electricity when operating on LP.
The "cooling unit" is the enclosed system comprising the heaters (LP and/or electric), boiler, condenser, evaporator and is bonded to the rear of the refrigerator box. If the cooling unit is doing its thing, the fridge will be cold. No problem. One sign that the cooling unit is not working properly is when the large horizontal pipes on the lower part of the unit are not hot. On mine they were cold. Dang. Another obvious sign is either the smell of ammonia or a bright yellow/green powder on or under the unit, which indicate a loss of coolant. There was a small pile of the telltale yellow powder on the floor underneath the boiler. Dang again. Once coolant has leaked, the unit
it cannot be repaired. My cooling unit was shot. After fretting and fuming for a good while, I evaluated my options. I called Dometic, the manufacturer of the unit, to see if they could provide some relief. Faithful readers may remember that I had tried to accomplish recall service on this unit in January back at Lazydays. There is a recall campaign on certain Dometic refrigerators where the cooling unit will develop a leak near the boiler, discharging ammonia and hydrogen gas into the area of the LP burner, creating a blowtorch in the refrigerator cabinet. Not good. Dometic used a thin-wall tubing in the boiler area and after repeated cycling of the heaters, the tubing will fatigue and rupture. Apparently hundreds of thousands of units are affected; it's not a matter of if they will fail, but when they will fail. A number of RVs and adjacent structures have burned to the ground because of this defect. Dometic's recall is essentially a band aid approach to the problem. They are not replacing or repairing the dangerous cooling units, but are simply installing a metal shield to prevent the escaping flammable gas from contacting the LP burner and installing a sensor that will shut down the burner when a leak occurs. I was fairly certain that my unit was subject to the recall, and Lazydays confirmed that fact when I made my service appointment back in November. They re-confirmed that I was subject to the recall when they looked at the unit in mid-January. However, when I arrived for service in late January, they said they had learned from Dometic that I was not subject to the recall. What's up with all that? Based on what I had read on the RV forums, I wasn't convinced, but I also did not argue. I would check it out later.
When I called Dometic this week they confirmed that my unit was subject to the recall. However, since the coolant had leaked out, they told me that I must first repair (replace) the cooling unit before they would authorize the recall service. Of course, replacing the cooling unit would negate the need for the recall. Catch 22. Since the refrigerator was outside its original three-year warranty period they would not repair/replace the cooling unit at their expense, even though the recall was designed to mitigate the consequences of the inevitable failure of the cooling unit. A responsible company would repair the root problem of such a safety defect, even after the warranty period ended. Apparently Dometic is not a responsible company. OK, so I'm on my own.
I called Camping Connection, a local RV repair facility a mile or two down the road. I learned that a rebuilt cooling unit was about $1650 including parts, labor, shipping and tax. A new cooling unit (vs. rebuilt) was about $100 more. To have a comparable new refrigerator installed was about $2300. The labor to replace a cooling unit was 5 hours at $95/hr. To replace the whole fridge the labor was only 1.5 hours. The new fridge came with a full three-year warranty, while the cooling unit had a limited 90 day/one year warranty. Decisions decisions. Additional research revealed that I could buy a rebuilt cooling unit from a mail order outfit for about $400 or a new unit, built using a better design, for $650. Both units used thicker tubing than the OEM unit and had a full 3-year/5-year replacement warranty. Camping Connection wanted over $1000 for their cooling units, and they had shorter warranty periods. Ultimately I decided to order the new aftermarket cooling unit for $650 and install it myself. I found some pretty good written instructions describing the installation procedure. It's pretty complex, but it's not rocket science. Removing the fridge from the cabinet and removing the old cooling unit from the box is basically grunt work. The most critical step is attaching and bonding the new cooling unit to the cooling fins in the box. If that's not done right it flat won't make cold. After reading the instructions a half dozen times, I decided I could do it. If I get hung up, I can call a repair service to help me finish the job. Even if I end up needing professional assistance, I will still have saved almost $500 for the part and several hundred dollars for labor. Besides, it builds confidence and is more satisfying when I can accomplish such a task myself. The new cooling unit is scheduled to arrive here at TTO on Wednesday. I will post an update describing how it all worked out. Wish me luck. I might need it.
to play pickleball every day. Dorcas and Matilda play with neighboring puppies. Matilda's new best friend is Tipper, a border collie/poodle mix, from Iredell County, NC, of all places. Unfortunately Tipper will be leaving on Sunday, and Matilda must find another friend. It is amazing how valuable a good puppy playmate can be. It is good for everyone, dogs and owners alike, when compatible dogs can run free on the trails, until they drop from exhaustion.Now for the bad news: A motor home is a collection of complicated systems, all exposed to vibration, dust, wind, hot, cold and plain wear and tear. When everything is working correctly (and this is a rare occasion), it is best to kick back, relax and savor the moment, because something is bound to break soon. I keep thermometers in the refrigerator and the freezer. Shortly after we arrived at TTO, about a week ago, I noticed that the temperature in the freezer was gradually rising. It normally reads less than 10F. Now it was approaching 25F and the ice cream was melting! Egads! Something must be done. Today it quit cooling completely, and I shut her down. We packed it with ice, and now it is functioning as a very expensive ice box.
Our fridge has operated erratically for as long as we have owned the unit, most days working fine, but some days failing to achieve the temperatures it should. Hence, the reason I use thermometers to monitor fridge function
. Most RV refrigerators use a cooling technology very different than residential refrigerators. Instead of an electric compressor and freon, an RV fridge uses an ammonia absorption process, where ammonia and hydrogen are boiled and subsequently condensed and evaporated, removing heat from the refrigerator box. This system is well suited to an RV because there are no moving parts, and it uses very little electricity when operating on LP.The "cooling unit" is the enclosed system comprising the heaters (LP and/or electric), boiler, condenser, evaporator and is bonded to the rear of the refrigerator box. If the cooling unit is doing its thing, the fridge will be cold. No problem. One sign that the cooling unit is not working properly is when the large horizontal pipes on the lower part of the unit are not hot. On mine they were cold. Dang. Another obvious sign is either the smell of ammonia or a bright yellow/green powder on or under the unit, which indicate a loss of coolant. There was a small pile of the telltale yellow powder on the floor underneath the boiler. Dang again. Once coolant has leaked, the unit
it cannot be repaired. My cooling unit was shot. After fretting and fuming for a good while, I evaluated my options. I called Dometic, the manufacturer of the unit, to see if they could provide some relief. Faithful readers may remember that I had tried to accomplish recall service on this unit in January back at Lazydays. There is a recall campaign on certain Dometic refrigerators where the cooling unit will develop a leak near the boiler, discharging ammonia and hydrogen gas into the area of the LP burner, creating a blowtorch in the refrigerator cabinet. Not good. Dometic used a thin-wall tubing in the boiler area and after repeated cycling of the heaters, the tubing will fatigue and rupture. Apparently hundreds of thousands of units are affected; it's not a matter of if they will fail, but when they will fail. A number of RVs and adjacent structures have burned to the ground because of this defect. Dometic's recall is essentially a band aid approach to the problem. They are not replacing or repairing the dangerous cooling units, but are simply installing a metal shield to prevent the escaping flammable gas from contacting the LP burner and installing a sensor that will shut down the burner when a leak occurs. I was fairly certain that my unit was subject to the recall, and Lazydays confirmed that fact when I made my service appointment back in November. They re-confirmed that I was subject to the recall when they looked at the unit in mid-January. However, when I arrived for service in late January, they said they had learned from Dometic that I was not subject to the recall. What's up with all that? Based on what I had read on the RV forums, I wasn't convinced, but I also did not argue. I would check it out later.When I called Dometic this week they confirmed that my unit was subject to the recall. However, since the coolant had leaked out, they told me that I must first repair (replace) the cooling unit before they would authorize the recall service. Of course, replacing the cooling unit would negate the need for the recall. Catch 22. Since the refrigerator was outside its original three-year warranty period they would not repair/replace the cooling unit at their expense, even though the recall was designed to mitigate the consequences of the inevitable failure of the cooling unit. A responsible company would repair the root problem of such a safety defect, even after the warranty period ended. Apparently Dometic is not a responsible company. OK, so I'm on my own.
I called Camping Connection, a local RV repair facility a mile or two down the road. I learned that a rebuilt cooling unit was about $1650 including parts, labor, shipping and tax. A new cooling unit (vs. rebuilt) was about $100 more. To have a comparable new refrigerator installed was about $2300. The labor to replace a cooling unit was 5 hours at $95/hr. To replace the whole fridge the labor was only 1.5 hours. The new fridge came with a full three-year warranty, while the cooling unit had a limited 90 day/one year warranty. Decisions decisions. Additional research revealed that I could buy a rebuilt cooling unit from a mail order outfit for about $400 or a new unit, built using a better design, for $650. Both units used thicker tubing than the OEM unit and had a full 3-year/5-year replacement warranty. Camping Connection wanted over $1000 for their cooling units, and they had shorter warranty periods. Ultimately I decided to order the new aftermarket cooling unit for $650 and install it myself. I found some pretty good written instructions describing the installation procedure. It's pretty complex, but it's not rocket science. Removing the fridge from the cabinet and removing the old cooling unit from the box is basically grunt work. The most critical step is attaching and bonding the new cooling unit to the cooling fins in the box. If that's not done right it flat won't make cold. After reading the instructions a half dozen times, I decided I could do it. If I get hung up, I can call a repair service to help me finish the job. Even if I end up needing professional assistance, I will still have saved almost $500 for the part and several hundred dollars for labor. Besides, it builds confidence and is more satisfying when I can accomplish such a task myself. The new cooling unit is scheduled to arrive here at TTO on Wednesday. I will post an update describing how it all worked out. Wish me luck. I might need it.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Paddle: Reedy Creek NOT!!!
We hadn't paddled in a while, and I was getting jittery from withdrawal. So, I perused our Florida paddling guide, looking specifically for venues that were close to our camp and didn't require a car shuttle. One jumped out and grabbed me: Reedy Creek. Reedy Creek flows out of Walt Disney World and is only about 10 miles from our camp. I think its headwaters are on the slopes of Space Mountain. It sounded interesting, but the guidebook warned that there could be some logs and snags in low water. And we certainly are experiencing low water in central Florida. But we can handle logs and snags, right? Right! So off we went.
Our plan was to put in at the bridge where Reedy Creek crossed US 17/92. We would paddle north and upstream as far as we could, then return back to the put-in. No shuttle required.
Sweet!
If we were lucky we would get as far as I-4. If we were really lucky we would make it all the way to Tom Sawyer Island in Frontierland, in the heart of the Magic Kingdom.
Alas, it was not to be. Things started off fairly ominously. The Great State of Florida has built a new bridge across US 17/92, and there was no easy access to the creek from that bridge. The old bridge was still standing about 100' north of the new bridge, but access to the old bridge was about as bad as access to the river from the new bridge. The approach roads for the old bridge were gated and posted 1/4 mile back from the bridge in both directions. Finally we found a wide place to park up on the new portion of the highway and dragged our gear over the guard rail, dodging speeding cars and trucks, and made it to the old bridge. There was a good access to the creek at the eastern end of the old bridge, and we could see signs that other boaters had put in here. That was encouraging. That's when we first really looked at the creek. The anticipated logs and stumps were not to be seen. They were probably under the thick mass of weeds that choked the creek in both directions as far as we could see. Dang. Well, we had already unloaded the gear and hauled it 200 yards to the water and hadn't been run over by a bus, so we might as well give it a shot while our luck was holding. After all, we had paddled in weeds before. We put in and began to paddle/pole ourselves upstream. We might as well have been paddling in wet sand. We couldn't go anywhere. After about 20 minutes we had made perhaps about 100 yards, and there was no relief in sight. We decided we better turn back before the trail we had cut through the floating jungle closed back in on us. We finally made it back to the bridge and saw that the weeds were not quite as thick southbound, at least as far as we could see. So we continued downstream a short distance before we realized that route was futile as well.
Oh well, there's always tomorrow. Besides, the trip wasn't a total loss: I found 5 pretty nice bobbers for Wayne.
Our plan was to put in at the bridge where Reedy Creek crossed US 17/92. We would paddle north and upstream as far as we could, then return back to the put-in. No shuttle required.
Sweet!
If we were lucky we would get as far as I-4. If we were really lucky we would make it all the way to Tom Sawyer Island in Frontierland, in the heart of the Magic Kingdom.Alas, it was not to be. Things started off fairly ominously. The Great State of Florida has built a new bridge across US 17/92, and there was no easy access to the creek from that bridge. The old bridge was still standing about 100' north of the new bridge, but access to the old bridge was about as bad as access to the river from the new bridge. The approach roads for the old bridge were gated and posted 1/4 mile back from the bridge in both directions. Finally we found a wide place to park up on the new portion of the highway and dragged our gear over the guard rail, dodging speeding cars and trucks, and made it to the old bridge. There was a good access to the creek at the eastern end of the old bridge, and we could see signs that other boaters had put in here. That was encouraging. That's when we first really looked at the creek. The anticipated logs and stumps were not to be seen. They were probably under the thick mass of weeds that choked the creek in both directions as far as we could see. Dang. Well, we had already unloaded the gear and hauled it 200 yards to the water and hadn't been run over by a bus, so we might as well give it a shot while our luck was holding. After all, we had paddled in weeds before. We put in and began to paddle/pole ourselves upstream. We might as well have been paddling in wet sand. We couldn't go anywhere. After about 20 minutes we had made perhaps about 100 yards, and there was no relief in sight. We decided we better turn back before the trail we had cut through the floating jungle closed back in on us. We finally made it back to the bridge and saw that the weeds were not quite as thick southbound, at least as far as we could see. So we continued downstream a short distance before we realized that route was futile as well.
Oh well, there's always tomorrow. Besides, the trip wasn't a total loss: I found 5 pretty nice bobbers for Wayne.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Photo of the Week
This photo is for our friends back home in NC. 
Coincidentally, our three favorite paddling couples own very small hard-side campers all made by A-Liner. None, however, are as small as this number, the A-Lite, parked near us at Lake Griffin State Park. When any one asks how many people our coach sleeps our standard answer is always "two", notwithstanding the number of beds we have. This baby sleeps four, but everyone has to be shorter than 5' 6" and must sleep standing up.
Coincidentally, our three favorite paddling couples own very small hard-side campers all made by A-Liner. None, however, are as small as this number, the A-Lite, parked near us at Lake Griffin State Park. When any one asks how many people our coach sleeps our standard answer is always "two", notwithstanding the number of beds we have. This baby sleeps four, but everyone has to be shorter than 5' 6" and must sleep standing up.
Quote(s) of the Week
Answer: Dogs and grandchildren!
Question: What is the favorite food of alligators?
While paddling on the Dora Canal on Wednesday, we met about a half a dozen tour boats taking tourists on site-seeing excursions in the canal. I think every tour guide operator enrolled in the same tour guide correspondence school. Every single one asked that question as we paddled by. Most were said loudly enough that we could hear; actually I think everyone in Tavares could hear them over their obnoxious PA system. The comment actually seemed to be directed more at us than at their clients. One said alligators would launch their whole bodies out of the water and onto a boat for a dog. With their jaws agape, I think the tourists really expected that to happen as they watched. The truth is alligators rarely feed at all in the winter, because they can't digest the food, and it will rot in their stomachs. Jerks.
Question: What is the favorite food of alligators?
While paddling on the Dora Canal on Wednesday, we met about a half a dozen tour boats taking tourists on site-seeing excursions in the canal. I think every tour guide operator enrolled in the same tour guide correspondence school. Every single one asked that question as we paddled by. Most were said loudly enough that we could hear; actually I think everyone in Tavares could hear them over their obnoxious PA system. The comment actually seemed to be directed more at us than at their clients. One said alligators would launch their whole bodies out of the water and onto a boat for a dog. With their jaws agape, I think the tourists really expected that to happen as they watched. The truth is alligators rarely feed at all in the winter, because they can't digest the food, and it will rot in their stomachs. Jerks.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Flashback Friday
Yesterday 
was a dreary, rainy day and I spent much of the day updating this journal and deleting old messages from my e-mail. While deleting messages I found this photo taken by my friend Andy during our backpacking trip on the Continental Divide Trail in Colorado. The trip was in August 2006, less than a week after I retired.
was a dreary, rainy day and I spent much of the day updating this journal and deleting old messages from my e-mail. While deleting messages I found this photo taken by my friend Andy during our backpacking trip on the Continental Divide Trail in Colorado. The trip was in August 2006, less than a week after I retired.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Paddle: Dora Canal
We met 
some new paddling friends, John and Susan, just before we left TTO a week or so ago. Our respective schedules didn't mesh, so we weren't able to paddle with them at that time, but they did offer us a 
few suggestions for paddling venues. They were off to paddle the Dora Canal, which they had never paddled, but they had been told it was very nice. The Mt. Dora Chamber of Commerce says the Dora Canal is "the most beautiful mile of water in Florida". Well, I don't know about that, but we did enjoy it. Historic Dora Canal connects Lake Dora to the 
south and Lake Eustis to the north. It is only about a mile long, but there are several other side channels to explore. We put in at Summerall Park near the south end of the canal. The canal is encased in a tunnel of bald cypress, live oak and spanish moss. Once you get past
the few houses at the Dora Lake end, it is very scenic. Portions of the movie "The African Queen" were filmed here. All the usual birds were abundant and are used to seeing folks on the water and are not very bashful. We also saw a few pretty fair sized gators. The only really negative aspect of the trip was the motor boaters and tour boat operators on the water. A few, particularly the tour operators, were rude and obnoxious. The canal is also a connector for a number of interconnected lakes in the area and sees a fair 
number of sport fishing boats. I wouldn't want to be there on the weekend.
The Dora Canal cannot be characterized as a major paddling destination, but we were camped only about 10 miles away. It was certainly worth the drive and a nice way to spend an afternoon.
some new paddling friends, John and Susan, just before we left TTO a week or so ago. Our respective schedules didn't mesh, so we weren't able to paddle with them at that time, but they did offer us a 
few suggestions for paddling venues. They were off to paddle the Dora Canal, which they had never paddled, but they had been told it was very nice. The Mt. Dora Chamber of Commerce says the Dora Canal is "the most beautiful mile of water in Florida". Well, I don't know about that, but we did enjoy it. Historic Dora Canal connects Lake Dora to the 
south and Lake Eustis to the north. It is only about a mile long, but there are several other side channels to explore. We put in at Summerall Park near the south end of the canal. The canal is encased in a tunnel of bald cypress, live oak and spanish moss. Once you get past
the few houses at the Dora Lake end, it is very scenic. Portions of the movie "The African Queen" were filmed here. All the usual birds were abundant and are used to seeing folks on the water and are not very bashful. We also saw a few pretty fair sized gators. The only really negative aspect of the trip was the motor boaters and tour boat operators on the water. A few, particularly the tour operators, were rude and obnoxious. The canal is also a connector for a number of interconnected lakes in the area and sees a fair 
number of sport fishing boats. I wouldn't want to be there on the weekend.The Dora Canal cannot be characterized as a major paddling destination, but we were camped only about 10 miles away. It was certainly worth the drive and a nice way to spend an afternoon.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Paddle: Dead River/Lake Griffin - Gators Galore!
We have paddled
a number of streams this year in Florida, but have seen very few alligators, many fewer than in years past. But that changed today, in a big way. Today we paddled on the Dead River, a waterway connecting Lake Griffin State Park with Lake Griffin. We put in at the state park access and paddled out into the river. We explored every cove and about every inch of the shoreline on our 3/4 mile way to Lake Griffin. 
And boy did we see the gators! We saw papa gators, mama gators and baby gators. We saw swimming gators and sunning gators.It was warm and sunny, and I think the gators enjoyed being out in the nice weather as much as we did. Oh yeah, we also saw some birds.
a number of streams this year in Florida, but have seen very few alligators, many fewer than in years past. But that changed today, in a big way. Today we paddled on the Dead River, a waterway connecting Lake Griffin State Park with Lake Griffin. We put in at the state park access and paddled out into the river. We explored every cove and about every inch of the shoreline on our 3/4 mile way to Lake Griffin. 
And boy did we see the gators! We saw papa gators, mama gators and baby gators. We saw swimming gators and sunning gators.It was warm and sunny, and I think the gators enjoyed being out in the nice weather as much as we did. Oh yeah, we also saw some birds.
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