May 23, 2013 - Puzzle Lamp

We have just been settling into the new setting - new internet - and new TV channels. We both worked Sunday and Monday and then were scheduled for 3 days off before we work again the weekend and the holiday. I almost felt like I was on vacation the past three days! But then I remembered I was still actually working my two jobs - data entry and our sign business! Any way it was much less stress than trying to learn a new computer system and how they do things at this campground and all the little tweaks of how to say the right thing at the...

May 19, 2013 - First Day on the Job

We took 4 days and drove the distance from Texas to Ohio stopping off at our new workamping site in Terre Haute Indiana. The park looked really nice, exactly as it showed in the pictures on the website. We got a free campsite the night we stopped in to take a look around as well as a free breakfast at their restaurant the morning after. Gary was a little down about the circumstances at the park because their pool was still leaf laden and a little stinky from the winter, and things didn't quite seem kosher in his mind. I told him to have an...

May 15, 2013 - 3 more trips - Turkey Run State Park, Terre Haute KOA, & Dunes State Park

We have made it through the 2nd wettest spring in Indiana history! We made week-end trips to Turkey Run State Park and Terre Haute KOA. We purchased a membership in KOA and we will use the Crawfordsville KOA during the few days we actually move out of our apartment. We noticed there were several ladies camping alone or in pairs at the KOA and guessed that they might feel safer in a more organized place. Then we went to Dunes State Park for 3 nights where we camped many, many times years ago with our daughters. It's many improvements make it...

May 15, 2013 - Chicago - Indianapolis

Lundi 13 mai, Chronique musée: "Il ne faisait pas assez frette pour que Germain se tappe la visite du musée. Après une seule salle de l'expo Picasso (c'est vrai qu'il y avait bc de monde) il en a eu assez. On s'est donc donné rv, près de l'entrée et la madame a pu profiter de la visite à son rythme. En plus de l'expo temporaire de Picasso, le musée héberge de belles œuvres de peintres impressionnistes et de peintres américains. Je n'ai pas tout vu car il m'aurait fallu une journée entière au moins." Ouf, déjà 3 jours qu'on se promène à...

May 12, 2013 - Savannah, GA to Evansville, IN

Day 9 part deux: Destination: Evansville, IN We woke up basically just in time to get to the lobby of the hotel for our continental breakfast this morning. We ate, took showers, cleaned up, and filled the buses gas tanks. The weather in North Carolina is rainy again according to weather.com. So, we're unfortunately skipping over the Smokey Mountains and heading straight home. Pickle was sounding terrible a few days ago. So, Nick helped Jake switch out the points on the bus at the campground. Today, we found out that Pickle was perfectly...

May 10, 2013 - Our stay at Dayton KOA

Well.. we got sprung a bit after noon today...everything shipshape and back together. Decided to try a different scene since we're on a mission this trip... so we are spending the night in a KOA in Granger, IN and tomorrow we're taking a day off!!!! This is one of the weekends at KOA where where you get one night free so this is my Mother's Day present from my 3 furkids... plus a beautiful plant ... Italian heather! I'd never seen anything like it before. Looks for all the world like a miniature spruce tree except it's covered with buds and...

May 9, 2013 - Home

We are back to our starting point. The trip took 237 days, through 13 states, set up in 27 campgrounds, and drove 8772 miles. The final Walmart total 35. I originally wrote the blog so that my grand children and the next generations would have information about their grand parents. Instead it became a way to keep in touch with friends and family. I have enjoyed every comment, critique, and laugh. That includes those who know me well and those of you I have never met. I will leave you with a few last observations and travel advice. 1....

May 9, 2013 - Le pays des Amish

La journée qui a commencé sous les nuages mais le soleil est de retour. 25 degré. Sommes rendus à Middleburry, IN., un secteur Amish, d'ailleurs , demain matin nous irons faire un tour dans leur village de Shipshewana. On se rapproche de l'Amérique profonde, le personnel du camping ou nous sommes font partie du NRA et ils nous on expliqué pourquoi c'est si important.....d'avoir un "gun" à la maison. Ils mettent aussi un avis sur leur porte pour signifier aux intrus potentiels qu'ils ne sont pas les bienvenus (comme un avis de système...

May 9, 2013 - Repairs complete - new system in place

Ok – so . . . As I mentioned, the RV tech, Mike Williams, stopped by on Saturday with the parts but was unable to figure out where everything was to go with the retrofit. The plan was to do it Monday with help from Lippert. Sunday was a laid back errand day including laundry. We had an early dinner at Dickie’s BBQ and picked up the ATF we would need for the new pump. On Monday morning we took the rig to Mike. He replaced the pump assembly and worked for about 5 hours, trying to get it to operate. That included calls back and forth to...

May 8, 2013 - Dune Climbing and the Spiveys

Today was another exceptionally beautiful day at the Dunes. Annie and I started it off with some dune climbing as we hiked trail 8 to the beach and then followed the beach to the main beach and the trail back to the campground. Like 9 and 10, trail 8 is picked up at the Nature Center. It involves three dune climbs to Mount Jackson, Mount Holden and Mount Tom. Each ascent provides a view of the lake and the forest, but Mount Tom provides the most panoramic view. When we reached the beach Annie had a brief opportunity to romp and swim before...

May 7, 2013 - Terrific Hike

I have hiked many trails over our years on the road. A hike here at Indiana Dunes ranks as my favorite one. Any hike is dependent on good weather and today’s weather was spectacular. Sunny, clear, calm and temperatures in the mid 60s greeted Annie and I as we set out through the campground to the Nature Center where trails 9 and 10 begin. I have done this hike with four of our dogs over the past forty years. Each of them has enjoyed the walk and Annie was no exception. We started out on trail 9 and followed it along its sunny surface as it...

May 6, 2013 - The Dunes

We were able to make a casual move (left at 1:30) from Martins to the Indiana Dunes. We have arrived and are comfortably set up in site 2. The weather is beautiful and the three of us have already enjoyed a short hike from the campground to the beach and along the shore. Annie was able to briefly run free and had a great time.