Saving money on repairs occasionally creeps into every rv'ers mind and a few days ago it found its way to me. It wasn't going to be a big thing ... like overhauling the transmission (doesn't need it anyway) or repainting the coach (needs it but can't afford it) but something more modest ... something that's simple that I can use my vast knowledge of repairing things.
You see my windshield wiper blades needed replacing and the wiper arms needed painting so ... how hard can that be? I asked. Take them off, scrub them up with a little sandpaper, get a can of spray paint and presto'-chango'. Good as new.
So I dug out the tool box and started the project. First order of business was to take off the wiper blades. Pretty simple stuff until I found that mine were bolted to the arm with a very small shoulder bolt. I found the right tools and, with the confidence of Donald Trump at a cocktail party, quickly and surely managed to twist the rusty bolt in half thus ruining it. Oh well ... at least I got it off. After my first little mishap, the removal went smoothly but after looking at the arms, I thought why not take them to a powder coater to make them really look good. I tried out powder coating while in Florida to refurbish my metal heating vents in the coach and they turned out better than new. In a nut shell, powder coating is applying a powdered paint (sort of like talcum powder) to the electrically charge metal part. The charge attracts the paint and it clings to the metal. The part is then baked in an oven whereas the paint is melted onto the metal thus leaving a smooth, even coat.
So the next day I found a nearby company that did powder coating and stopped by for an estimate. 'Sorry', the lady at the counter said. The estimator was out of the office but if I would leave my name and phone number he would call me later. Day turned to night and no phone call so I thought I'd pay them another visit the following morning. After a short meeting with the estimator, he said they could do the job later in the week for $25. A little high I thought, but I said okay. He said he'd be happy to do the job but the wiper arms needed to be sandblasted first and they didn't do that type of work but said to try a couple of other local companies who could. Fifteen minutes later I was at the door of the first prospect. A greying elderly woman looked over her glasses and after I said what I wanted, she said in a slightly irritated voice, "What?" "What made you think we did that kind of work?" I explained that she was recommended by the other company but she replied, "we're a lawn maintenance company and we have a sand blaster ... but that's just for cleaning our lawn mowers!"... So we parted company and I was off to what I'd hoped, was a real sandblasting outfit.
After another ten-minute drive, I arrived at the second shop and found a worker standing in the drive. I could see by the equipment around the place that they did do sandblasting so I was getting excited that I might finally get this part of the job done. I explained what I needed and he went on to tell me of the intricacies of what I was asking him to do. I've done a little sandblasting years ago and do know that this was about a ten-minute job at best. Apparently he was used to doing bulldozers and tanks, as this was apparently high precision for him. He led me into the office and shuffled some papers around then said that he wasn't authorized to give out estimates but his boss would call me later; however, he did think that it would be about $25 to do the sandblasting. Again an outrageous estimate, but just an estimate from a worker-be so I thought I'd leave him the parts and wait to hear from the boss. True to form the boss didn't call that day so I went back the following morning and finally found him. I questioned him about the wiper arms and he gave the feeling that he didn't know what I was talking about, but after wandering around a bit, he found them in a pile of other parts awaiting blasting. No paperwork but I said those belonged to me. He looked them over and said he maybe could get to them in a day or so and that would be about $15 each or about $30. OMG are these guys nuts I thought? $55 bucks total to sand and paint a pair of wiper arms!
I wasn't a math major in college but I immediately figured about $6 dollars for a can of spray paint, a little emery paper and a little elbow grease and this crazy idea of sandblasting and powder coating would soon be a distant memory. The sandblaster boss guy apparently read my mind and silently handed over my parts. I said "thanks" and told him I'd figured out something else.
So having derailed my train of great ideas, I now had to buckle down and ... do it myself. Off to the big box store to buy my supplies I went. Flat black paint, a little sandpaper and I almost forgot, that broken bolt need to be replaced. Of course the big box store didn't have the proper bolt so I went to the local hardware store that didn't have the bolt either. Since we were going back to our home across the state, I waited until we got home and found a place that had the bolt I thought I needed. Then, back across the state I went a few days later with my new treasure.
It was a beautiful bright day and a great day to finish up this project, I thought. I got all the parts and pieces together and after sanding and painting the wiper arms it was time to get started with the assembly. Murphy's Law has always been my closest partner and today was no exception. To start with, the special shoulder bolts that I ran all over hell's half acre to find were an 1/8" of an inch too short. This discovery set off a chain of events that included sawing, hammering, pounding, three more trips out for more parts and the help of one other guy. Remember this all started when I decided to changes wiper blades. The last time I had the ones on my TrailBlazer changed the guy swapped them out for free. That's right ... free labor!
Okay ... what did I learn for this DIY debacle? Don't try it if you have any doubts! If your wife can do it ... let her. If not ... hire it out. I'm retiring my tools and the notion that I can fix things. It doesn't pay. A simple change of wiper blades took better than a week to accomplish, probably enough fuel for my truck to drive to Chicago and back, a level of frustration a guy my age shouldn't experience, and finally, I surely can find better things to occupy my time.
Now that the wipers are fixed, I can hardly wait for the next rain. So if you happen to be in our park and it's raining, you should look me up. I'll be the only guy in the park sitting there with the wipers running and a grin on my face.
Still livin' the dream and spending more time on Angie's List.
Phil
Friday, May 25, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Getting comfortable ... finally
The rains have ended and we're once again enjoying the sunny skies of South Western Michigan. Cool nights turn to warming days, most of the early spring flowers have already bloomed and we're now enjoying fresh asparagus and patiently awaiting the first crop of strawberries in about three weeks. The days of cleaning up a soggy basement are past and it's time to once again get started goofing off.
As it turns out, our summer camp will be missing some of the regulars, some having been here for many years. We'll surely miss them all and hope some day to share a campfire somewhere along the trail.
Lots of neat stuff on the agenda for the coming months. If sports car road racing is in your blood, we have Gingerman Raceway (www.gingermanraceway.com) nearby. From Porches to Ferrari's to Corvettes to Vipers, all the hot rides will be racing around the 2+ mile course throughout the summer. Talk about a photo op! If you're in the mood and have your own hot ride, sign up for the driving school and learn how to really drive that go-fast car without getting a ticket or wrapping it around a telephone pole.
Fishing ... did I mention fishing? Charter a boat for salmon or perch fishing right here in town. Half or full day, or just sit on one of the piers, whatever you choose you'll get exposed to some of the finest fishing grounds in the Great Lakes. I went down to one of the local fishing tackle shops today and ended up buying the first fishing license I've had in about fours years. What a great surprise as well. I'd forgotten that once you're age 65 the price to fish drops down to about $11. What a bargain.
And finally ... we've noticed a new restaurant not far from camp. It's a steakhouse so we'll be making a stop over there before too long and let you know how it was. After checking out the town, most of our old eating haunts are still in business ... so this is a good thing. But this evening I fired up the old grill and slow cooked some well seasoned center cut pork chops. With a plate of fresh cut veggies, this little combination was scrumptious. I'll give it 4 stars.
So we're getting settled. We still have flowers to plant, and the coach to clean-up but settled in for the summer. Life is good.
Still livin' the dream.
Phil
ps ... we went shopping for a new car the other day. Disappointing outcome. Car I'd pined for was uncomfortable to drive and costs far more than it was worth. Ended up getting my old TrailBlazer detailed and buffed up and hoping it will make another 140k miles.
As it turns out, our summer camp will be missing some of the regulars, some having been here for many years. We'll surely miss them all and hope some day to share a campfire somewhere along the trail.
Lots of neat stuff on the agenda for the coming months. If sports car road racing is in your blood, we have Gingerman Raceway (www.gingermanraceway.com) nearby. From Porches to Ferrari's to Corvettes to Vipers, all the hot rides will be racing around the 2+ mile course throughout the summer. Talk about a photo op! If you're in the mood and have your own hot ride, sign up for the driving school and learn how to really drive that go-fast car without getting a ticket or wrapping it around a telephone pole.
Fishing ... did I mention fishing? Charter a boat for salmon or perch fishing right here in town. Half or full day, or just sit on one of the piers, whatever you choose you'll get exposed to some of the finest fishing grounds in the Great Lakes. I went down to one of the local fishing tackle shops today and ended up buying the first fishing license I've had in about fours years. What a great surprise as well. I'd forgotten that once you're age 65 the price to fish drops down to about $11. What a bargain.
And finally ... we've noticed a new restaurant not far from camp. It's a steakhouse so we'll be making a stop over there before too long and let you know how it was. After checking out the town, most of our old eating haunts are still in business ... so this is a good thing. But this evening I fired up the old grill and slow cooked some well seasoned center cut pork chops. With a plate of fresh cut veggies, this little combination was scrumptious. I'll give it 4 stars.
So we're getting settled. We still have flowers to plant, and the coach to clean-up but settled in for the summer. Life is good.
Still livin' the dream.
Phil
ps ... we went shopping for a new car the other day. Disappointing outcome. Car I'd pined for was uncomfortable to drive and costs far more than it was worth. Ended up getting my old TrailBlazer detailed and buffed up and hoping it will make another 140k miles.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Another day
Another day ... another restaurant.
Not that the last few days haven't been interesting enough, but yesterday we had the opportunity to try a new eatery. The occasion was to celebrate a number of family birthdays and since we'd eaten at every other restaurant in Battle Creek (many times), we decided to try a relatively new one called the Addington Hills Cafe (addingtonhillscafe.com). Since we grew up in Battle Creek (you know the home of Kellogg's, Post and Chex breakfast cereals) we remembered this building as Greensmith's Florist shop. Actually it was once owned by the parents of a set of twins I went to high school with, but now has been transformed into a trendy, upscale dining establishment worthy of some attention. The florist and gift shop continues in operation on the upper level while the dining occurs below at street level.
Located on a well traveled street near the hospitals and art center, it offers both inside and outside dining (weather permitting). Depending on your seating choice, it can be subdued and romantic or bright and cheery. Battle Creek has not supported this type of dining in years past so I am hopeful that the tide has turned and the Addington Hill Cafe will spawn others. The restaurant has a Mediterranean appearance and chef Salvador will have enough surprises on the menu to keep you coming back.
The seven of us were seated and greeted with a well set table with linen napkins, nice silverware, and stemware. Our waitress was pleasant and patient as this group had more questions about the menu than the finale on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'.
Steak is the speciality of the house, though the menu had pasta, fish, and chicken entrees as well. Since today is May 5th, the Mexican celebration of heritage and pride, the special on today's menu was a grilled Cinco De Mayo rib eye steak with a tex-mex rub of spices, fresh asparagus, and a special southwest potato consisting of a blend of mashed potatoes and a mild Spanish sausage. Between the seven of us we had the special, a fillet Mignon, and chicken Marsala. The presentation was excellent and the portions were large. Though the order took a little longer than we anticipated, we were well taken care of with drinks and breads with flavored butter while waiting. The food arrived hot and was very tasty. Evidence of enjoyment was seven clean plates at the finish.
They serve breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday and dinner only Thursday through Saturday. So if you're planning on dinner here, you'd better call ahead for a table. As the word continues to spread about the 'Addington', tables may be hard to get. The next time we're in Battle Creek I'm going to try their breakfast fare so I'll let you know how that goes.
Still livin' the dream.
Phil
ps ... if any of you readers know of interesting restuarants in Southwest Michigan let me know. We love checking them out. It's what rv'ers do best.
addingtonhillscafe.com
Not that the last few days haven't been interesting enough, but yesterday we had the opportunity to try a new eatery. The occasion was to celebrate a number of family birthdays and since we'd eaten at every other restaurant in Battle Creek (many times), we decided to try a relatively new one called the Addington Hills Cafe (addingtonhillscafe.com). Since we grew up in Battle Creek (you know the home of Kellogg's, Post and Chex breakfast cereals) we remembered this building as Greensmith's Florist shop. Actually it was once owned by the parents of a set of twins I went to high school with, but now has been transformed into a trendy, upscale dining establishment worthy of some attention. The florist and gift shop continues in operation on the upper level while the dining occurs below at street level.
Located on a well traveled street near the hospitals and art center, it offers both inside and outside dining (weather permitting). Depending on your seating choice, it can be subdued and romantic or bright and cheery. Battle Creek has not supported this type of dining in years past so I am hopeful that the tide has turned and the Addington Hill Cafe will spawn others. The restaurant has a Mediterranean appearance and chef Salvador will have enough surprises on the menu to keep you coming back.
The seven of us were seated and greeted with a well set table with linen napkins, nice silverware, and stemware. Our waitress was pleasant and patient as this group had more questions about the menu than the finale on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'.
Steak is the speciality of the house, though the menu had pasta, fish, and chicken entrees as well. Since today is May 5th, the Mexican celebration of heritage and pride, the special on today's menu was a grilled Cinco De Mayo rib eye steak with a tex-mex rub of spices, fresh asparagus, and a special southwest potato consisting of a blend of mashed potatoes and a mild Spanish sausage. Between the seven of us we had the special, a fillet Mignon, and chicken Marsala. The presentation was excellent and the portions were large. Though the order took a little longer than we anticipated, we were well taken care of with drinks and breads with flavored butter while waiting. The food arrived hot and was very tasty. Evidence of enjoyment was seven clean plates at the finish.
They serve breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday and dinner only Thursday through Saturday. So if you're planning on dinner here, you'd better call ahead for a table. As the word continues to spread about the 'Addington', tables may be hard to get. The next time we're in Battle Creek I'm going to try their breakfast fare so I'll let you know how that goes.
Still livin' the dream.
Phil
ps ... if any of you readers know of interesting restuarants in Southwest Michigan let me know. We love checking them out. It's what rv'ers do best.
addingtonhillscafe.com
Mamma said there would be days like this ...
With some anticipation I'd planned on making May 4th a special day. I wanted to make my bride's birthday a little special ... something I'd not excelled at in the past. I had a nice gift in mind and maybe a romantic dinner later in the day. But ....
The phone first rang at 4:03am. The phone never rings that early with good news I later thought. It actually rang 3 more times before I was able to figure out what that noise was. The air conditioning was running and the slightly muffled sound apparently didn't make much of an impression on my subconscious. Sharon caught on to what the noise was and finally got my attention. I ambled to the other end of the coach and grabbed my cell phone. Yup ... 4 messages had been missed. I hit the playback button and listened to the lady at the other end of the message. Cobwebs were still swinging inside my head so I played another message and it was the same lady.
At that point the light bulb went off in my head and I realized it was my automated alarm system calling me to tell me I had a problem. I listened one more time and finally realized that I probably had a problem back home. Back home meant a three hour drive to the other side of the state to see what was going on. The alarm code indicated that I had a flooding problem. Oh crap!
We are beginning to wonder if the house is trying to tell us something. Maybe like.. 'don't leave me for the winter or I'll allow bad things to happen'. We've had broken water lines and a destructive clan of raccoons in earlier years so we were hoping maybe we'd been dealt enough grief, but apparently not.
I called my son who lives nearby but, as luck would have it, he had disconnected his answering service earlier that evening because of a number of crank calls so I couldn't reach him. So I next called my daughter who lives some 15 miles away for help. She was a little groggy when she answered but quickly agreed to go over to the house to see what was up. We packed a few articles of clothing then headed east from South Haven. Three hours of wondering what lay ahead.
My daughter finally reached the house in about an hour and gave us a status report over the phone. The news was not so good. The little town we live in had about 5.5 inches of rain over the course of about 6 hours. And the little town we live in had an electrical power outage shortly after the deluge started. This was not adding up well for us. She said the entire basement was flooded a little bit. Not feet of water but enough to completely saturate all the new carpeting and pad plus soak into all the bottom edges of the paneling. She assessed the situation and determined that her immediate job was to save as much of our collection of old family photographs as she could, as any of the furniture was too heavy for her to move. The power eventually returned sometime in the middle of the night but by then the water had fully saturated the ground surrounding our house and the brand-new heavy duty sump just couldn't pump it out of the sump pit as fast as it was pouring in.
'Some of the worst flooding in our area in decades' the news reporter was saying on the radio. As we got closer to home we discovered that both major interstates were closed due to flooding so we had to take a back-road approach to get the the house. We hoped we could find a way. As it turned out, our route passed right past our insurance man's office so I gave him a preemptive call and he said stop in. It didn't take too long to get the bad news. Even though the electrical failure caused the pump not to run, thus causing the flooding, this was still considered a storm sewer back up issue and we did not have coverage. I never had purchased this rider over the past 35 years because we never had an issue like this but this was just one of those special weather events that caught us, and many others off guard. I left his office in despair and headed home to see the damage. Once inside we immediately discovered that my daughter had gathered and spread out out all the wet photographs to help them dry out. It's interesting that we seem to have a greater appreciation of those mementos of our past than what was damaged in the basement. I hope anyone reading this takes note and finds a way to protect their precious memories. Sealed plastic boxes work best. Plastic bags will all leak (as we found out) over time so get them off the floor into protective boxes.
As I went downstairs it was certainly bad but not catastrophic. The emergency cleanup squad came over later in the day and removed all the wet carpet and pad and brought in air handling fans to dry the place out. There were about 8 of the fans and giant dehumidifiers running when the workers left and they said they'd return in about four days to see how things were progressing. I can only imagine what the electrical bill will be for this month.
So another little one of life's speed bumps on this day. Certainly not as bad as some families had to endure around the area but bad enough. Nothing we can't overcome but it's just damn bad it had to happen on my bride's birthday. She was a real trooper about it all but she deserves better a better birthday. I've got my work cut out for me.
Regardless ... we're still livin' the dream. But just a little soggy at the moment.
Phil
The phone first rang at 4:03am. The phone never rings that early with good news I later thought. It actually rang 3 more times before I was able to figure out what that noise was. The air conditioning was running and the slightly muffled sound apparently didn't make much of an impression on my subconscious. Sharon caught on to what the noise was and finally got my attention. I ambled to the other end of the coach and grabbed my cell phone. Yup ... 4 messages had been missed. I hit the playback button and listened to the lady at the other end of the message. Cobwebs were still swinging inside my head so I played another message and it was the same lady.
At that point the light bulb went off in my head and I realized it was my automated alarm system calling me to tell me I had a problem. I listened one more time and finally realized that I probably had a problem back home. Back home meant a three hour drive to the other side of the state to see what was going on. The alarm code indicated that I had a flooding problem. Oh crap!
We are beginning to wonder if the house is trying to tell us something. Maybe like.. 'don't leave me for the winter or I'll allow bad things to happen'. We've had broken water lines and a destructive clan of raccoons in earlier years so we were hoping maybe we'd been dealt enough grief, but apparently not.
I called my son who lives nearby but, as luck would have it, he had disconnected his answering service earlier that evening because of a number of crank calls so I couldn't reach him. So I next called my daughter who lives some 15 miles away for help. She was a little groggy when she answered but quickly agreed to go over to the house to see what was up. We packed a few articles of clothing then headed east from South Haven. Three hours of wondering what lay ahead.
My daughter finally reached the house in about an hour and gave us a status report over the phone. The news was not so good. The little town we live in had about 5.5 inches of rain over the course of about 6 hours. And the little town we live in had an electrical power outage shortly after the deluge started. This was not adding up well for us. She said the entire basement was flooded a little bit. Not feet of water but enough to completely saturate all the new carpeting and pad plus soak into all the bottom edges of the paneling. She assessed the situation and determined that her immediate job was to save as much of our collection of old family photographs as she could, as any of the furniture was too heavy for her to move. The power eventually returned sometime in the middle of the night but by then the water had fully saturated the ground surrounding our house and the brand-new heavy duty sump just couldn't pump it out of the sump pit as fast as it was pouring in.
'Some of the worst flooding in our area in decades' the news reporter was saying on the radio. As we got closer to home we discovered that both major interstates were closed due to flooding so we had to take a back-road approach to get the the house. We hoped we could find a way. As it turned out, our route passed right past our insurance man's office so I gave him a preemptive call and he said stop in. It didn't take too long to get the bad news. Even though the electrical failure caused the pump not to run, thus causing the flooding, this was still considered a storm sewer back up issue and we did not have coverage. I never had purchased this rider over the past 35 years because we never had an issue like this but this was just one of those special weather events that caught us, and many others off guard. I left his office in despair and headed home to see the damage. Once inside we immediately discovered that my daughter had gathered and spread out out all the wet photographs to help them dry out. It's interesting that we seem to have a greater appreciation of those mementos of our past than what was damaged in the basement. I hope anyone reading this takes note and finds a way to protect their precious memories. Sealed plastic boxes work best. Plastic bags will all leak (as we found out) over time so get them off the floor into protective boxes.
As I went downstairs it was certainly bad but not catastrophic. The emergency cleanup squad came over later in the day and removed all the wet carpet and pad and brought in air handling fans to dry the place out. There were about 8 of the fans and giant dehumidifiers running when the workers left and they said they'd return in about four days to see how things were progressing. I can only imagine what the electrical bill will be for this month.
So another little one of life's speed bumps on this day. Certainly not as bad as some families had to endure around the area but bad enough. Nothing we can't overcome but it's just damn bad it had to happen on my bride's birthday. She was a real trooper about it all but she deserves better a better birthday. I've got my work cut out for me.
Regardless ... we're still livin' the dream. But just a little soggy at the moment.
Phil
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Summer nest
After a five hour drive yesterday from Anderson Indiana, we arrived at our summer hangout in South Haven Michigan. Cousins RV Park (http://www.cousinssouthhaven.com) has been our camp for some 5 years or so and we find it a comfortable place to rest up for next winter's adventures. I think we were the third couple (of the 'regulars') to arrive and we were all within just a few hours of each other. So lots to do to get set up here. Cleaning the coach is high on the list. We ran into a storm of fish flies/May Flies/Hexagenia Limbata or some might just call them ... bugs, in Tennessee. It was as if someone was roadside with a shovel full of pea gravel and threw it against the windshield. Wham! It was over in an instant. The windshield almost went black from the impact then the 'bug juice' spread across the whole front of the coach. So by now it is well dried on thanks to the 60 mph trip home, so I'll get to spend a few hours getting the mess cleaned up.
It has been a great winter for us. Great weather (for a change), interesting places to visit, and most of all seeing family and meeting old friends and gaining new friends. It's a pretty simple formula for us and with a little luck, we'll continue looking over the crest of the next hill.
Now livin' the dream on Michigan's sunset coast.
Phil
ps ... a special shout-out to Tom and Lisa. I think I now have some new readers from Maine. I may be paying that area a visit later this summer so I'll need lots of tips on great restaurants to try out.
pss ... another special shout-out to our friends Tracy and Judi. What a team!
It has been a great winter for us. Great weather (for a change), interesting places to visit, and most of all seeing family and meeting old friends and gaining new friends. It's a pretty simple formula for us and with a little luck, we'll continue looking over the crest of the next hill.
Now livin' the dream on Michigan's sunset coast.
Phil
ps ... a special shout-out to Tom and Lisa. I think I now have some new readers from Maine. I may be paying that area a visit later this summer so I'll need lots of tips on great restaurants to try out.
pss ... another special shout-out to our friends Tracy and Judi. What a team!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Travel Day II
Made it to Anderson Indiana today. Took a route I had never driven before adding to my lingering anxiousness from our mountain decent. I wonder if they have shrinks that specialize with RV'ers? Sign me up.
The last 50 miles of our today was on a two lane road. Thinking that I'd by-pass lots of traffic and construction on the Indianapolis beltway, I headed north from I74 on Indiana 9 to Anderson. BTW ... the northbound by-pass around Cincinnati to the west was a dream. No more going through the downtown guts of that city for me. I've been punished there several times in the past but no more. It may be longer but it's so much quicker. I'll continue ... The surface winds were picking up due to an approaching storm and the trucking world decided to take the same bypass on the southbound side of I 9. The results was hang on to the wheel Philip! Strong gusts from all angles slammed us around as oncoming trucks and heavy winds across our bow made for an interesting ride. The roads were Michigan-like (pot-holes and lumpy) with little or no shoulder to run off on. Thankfully, we finally arrived in camp around 4:00pm.
Timberline Valley RV Resort (www.timberlinecampground.com) is located maybe a half hour east of Indianapolis and makes it a convenient place to stay if you're visiting the city. Well kept with spacious lots and very quiet. We were escorted to our site, which in my opinion, is something I wish all parks would do. Nothing like a pair of experienced eyes I say to help you get parked correctly on the first try. Priced at around $30/night, We thought it was a fair price. Their WIFI was slow but workable but there was not cable service. Are we getting spoiled or what?
We got a call from Sharon's sister and she and her husband John wanted to drive down from Indianapolis and join us for diner and a trip to the local casino. Thankfully, the food was good as the gambling was not. But we really do appreciate the time they took to drive down and see us. It's always good seeing them and getting 'caught up'. It was a nice casino combined with a horse racing track. It reminded us of the one in Sarnia, Ontario Canada. Multiple vices served at the same place. What a deal!
So another day closer to our South Haven camp. If the weather behaves we'll be there in a day or two.
If the weather turns too cold, we'll retrace our steps until it does. Life is too short to have to put up with crummy weather. That's our story and we're sticking to it!
Still livin' the dream here in Timberline Valley, Anderson Indiana.
The last 50 miles of our today was on a two lane road. Thinking that I'd by-pass lots of traffic and construction on the Indianapolis beltway, I headed north from I74 on Indiana 9 to Anderson. BTW ... the northbound by-pass around Cincinnati to the west was a dream. No more going through the downtown guts of that city for me. I've been punished there several times in the past but no more. It may be longer but it's so much quicker. I'll continue ... The surface winds were picking up due to an approaching storm and the trucking world decided to take the same bypass on the southbound side of I 9. The results was hang on to the wheel Philip! Strong gusts from all angles slammed us around as oncoming trucks and heavy winds across our bow made for an interesting ride. The roads were Michigan-like (pot-holes and lumpy) with little or no shoulder to run off on. Thankfully, we finally arrived in camp around 4:00pm.
Timberline Valley RV Resort (www.timberlinecampground.com) is located maybe a half hour east of Indianapolis and makes it a convenient place to stay if you're visiting the city. Well kept with spacious lots and very quiet. We were escorted to our site, which in my opinion, is something I wish all parks would do. Nothing like a pair of experienced eyes I say to help you get parked correctly on the first try. Priced at around $30/night, We thought it was a fair price. Their WIFI was slow but workable but there was not cable service. Are we getting spoiled or what?
We got a call from Sharon's sister and she and her husband John wanted to drive down from Indianapolis and join us for diner and a trip to the local casino. Thankfully, the food was good as the gambling was not. But we really do appreciate the time they took to drive down and see us. It's always good seeing them and getting 'caught up'. It was a nice casino combined with a horse racing track. It reminded us of the one in Sarnia, Ontario Canada. Multiple vices served at the same place. What a deal!
So another day closer to our South Haven camp. If the weather behaves we'll be there in a day or two.
If the weather turns too cold, we'll retrace our steps until it does. Life is too short to have to put up with crummy weather. That's our story and we're sticking to it!
Still livin' the dream here in Timberline Valley, Anderson Indiana.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Travel day
Today we survived the final leg of our trip over the western side of the Appalachian mountains ... and I'm relieved. Too many orange barrels and too many trucks trying to push me down the hills. Okay I could have driven faster but I guess I'm just not good enough or confident enough, or ... wait a minute! Maybe I am okay. Maybe it's okay to be safe and prudent. To heck with them. We're at our next stop and we're safe. If I delayed them a little ... get over it. (I think I'm beginning to sound like a grumpy old man)
Anyway it's not been an overly great day. Another tense day behind the wheel but finally we're in camp and all is well. Except for the place we're staying (which will go un-named). We were here several years ago and it was marginal. Now, marginal would be a good grade for them. Most buildings on the property are past the need to be demolished. The pool is empty and a huge eyesore. The roads all are in need for repair. The only redeeming value is the price and its proximately to the route we are taking, So one night will be enough and we'll be off on our northern trek. I guess we've really been spoiled by the nice places we've camped in all winter.
We filled up the tank this morning at $4.01/gal and the mountains took their toll on fuel mileage. Normally we're getting better than 9 mpg but now we're getting 7 mpg.
Aside from the little speed-bumps today, we're still livin' the dream.
Phil
Anyway it's not been an overly great day. Another tense day behind the wheel but finally we're in camp and all is well. Except for the place we're staying (which will go un-named). We were here several years ago and it was marginal. Now, marginal would be a good grade for them. Most buildings on the property are past the need to be demolished. The pool is empty and a huge eyesore. The roads all are in need for repair. The only redeeming value is the price and its proximately to the route we are taking, So one night will be enough and we'll be off on our northern trek. I guess we've really been spoiled by the nice places we've camped in all winter.
We filled up the tank this morning at $4.01/gal and the mountains took their toll on fuel mileage. Normally we're getting better than 9 mpg but now we're getting 7 mpg.
Aside from the little speed-bumps today, we're still livin' the dream.
Phil
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Surprises at every turn
There's vacationing, there's traveling, and finally there is roaming.
Years ago when we had the time and money we vacationed. You know how it goes ... you get a week or two off, pack the bags, the kids, and the car and then off in a rush. Two long days of driving, staving off those 'are we there yet' zingers from the back seat, eating at the 'golden arches', staying at those motels whose rooms are not too well lit for a reason, then finally arriving only to find the few days you planned to relax have evaporated and you get to pack the bags, pack the kids................. and so on .
Next came traveling. Those wonderful days when just the two of you could pack the bags and pack the car then head off in a rush. Two long days of driving, stopping at every rest stop because 'somebody has got to go', then finally arriving only to find the few days you planned to relax have evaporated and you get to pack the bags, pack the car.................. and so on.
Finally we have roaming. We roam now. No bags to pack, no agenda, we have our own bathroom and kitchen, and we're sleeping on our own sheets each night. We still stop occasionally for the same reasons but we seldom have to worry about getting anyplace because we do indeed like to 'stop and smell' the roses along the way.
For instance .... here's what smelling the roses is all about.
We got word of a hot dog restaurant in Hendersonville that was pretty good. Let me tell you folks we know our hot dogs, especially since we hail from the birthplace of Angelo's and Leo's Coney Island restaurants back home. Pretty famous dog shops by most standards. So with that background, it was going to be a very tall order to find some place to match our back home haunts.
We get into the old TrailBlazer and drive a few miles and the GPS indicates that it's nearby but all we saw was a mostly vacant strip mall with a small, but bright and perky little establishment at the very end. I think we're almost there.
As luck would have it they were closing within 15 minutes but we ventured in anyway. Handwritten menus on two big blackboards on the wall, floors and walls as clean as a hospital, and after a long day, two people behind the counter that had the enthusiasm and friendliness of someone who had just won the lottery. Smiling and helpful caught me off guard. Most times folks at closing time, and after a long day don't usually exhibit those traits. I could see by their menu a great many other items were available but we were sticking to our guns and ordered chili dogs and fries. As we're standing at the counter waiting for our order we begin chatting with the folks behind the counter and discover this is really more than a hot dog stand and the owner has been in food service for around thirty years. This is no rookie.
In about ten minutes I declared we have discovered Nirvana. The Great American Dog in Hendersonville NC. Owner Tom and sidekick Lisa have created a little culinary gem. As good a chili dog as I have ever had, hand-cut fries cooked the way I wanted them (dark and crispy), but listen to this ... shrimp, scallops, cod, clams and a host of other goodies. Now you say... so what! Anybody can offer seafood. But here's where Tom steps in. You see Tom and Lisa are from Maine and Tom had a big seafood restaurant there for many years. So when he decided to move south, he brought his old habits with him. Fresh seafood, not frozen would be the order of business to accompany his new hot dog business. Seems like a strange mix but once the hotdogs get you in the door, the thought of fresh seafood make your eating decisions very tough.
So here's the couple that pour their hearts and souls into the business. Customer is king here. It may not be the fanciest place in town, and it may not be gourmet but it's everything else you may want in a restaurant. Great food, clean as a pin (even the restrooms) and folks behind the counter that are happy to see you.
Just to make sure our first visit was no fluke, we stopped in there today for an early dinner. We'd been thinking about that fresh shrimp all day so we took an unusual step and visited a restaurant twice in the same town on the same trip. We walked through the door and we were treated like an ultra rich uncle they hadn't seen in years. We felt at home because they made us feel at home. We both ordered the shrimp and it was as good as any gulf shrimp we've had in Alabama. Very fresh, very large, all with a light batter. Too bad all of you are not here with us as I would have bought your dinner too. Whoops ... too late now.
So this is what roaming is all about to us. Stopping to find out the good and interesting in a community.
After we left the restaurant we stopped several blocks down and pulled alongside an old beat up pickup truck. A leathery old man looking 80, but probably mid 60's, was standing at the open tailgate selling fresh strawberries. It appears that strawberries are usually sold in one gallon buckets around here and he had only two buckets left. They were heaped high like my grandfather Tony used to sell his raspberries at his roadside stand. You couldn't have balanced another berry on that pile. These strawberries were some of the largest and sweetest berries I have tasted in some time. Far better than this winters Plant City Florida crop, I handed over the money and rushed home to sample some more.
Almost wish we were staying a little longer but we're pressing on to Berea Kentucky tomorrow. It's pretty close to the famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail so maybe we'll discovery some new things to sample.
Still livin' the dream
Phil
Years ago when we had the time and money we vacationed. You know how it goes ... you get a week or two off, pack the bags, the kids, and the car and then off in a rush. Two long days of driving, staving off those 'are we there yet' zingers from the back seat, eating at the 'golden arches', staying at those motels whose rooms are not too well lit for a reason, then finally arriving only to find the few days you planned to relax have evaporated and you get to pack the bags, pack the kids................. and so on .
Next came traveling. Those wonderful days when just the two of you could pack the bags and pack the car then head off in a rush. Two long days of driving, stopping at every rest stop because 'somebody has got to go', then finally arriving only to find the few days you planned to relax have evaporated and you get to pack the bags, pack the car.................. and so on.
Finally we have roaming. We roam now. No bags to pack, no agenda, we have our own bathroom and kitchen, and we're sleeping on our own sheets each night. We still stop occasionally for the same reasons but we seldom have to worry about getting anyplace because we do indeed like to 'stop and smell' the roses along the way.
For instance .... here's what smelling the roses is all about.
We got word of a hot dog restaurant in Hendersonville that was pretty good. Let me tell you folks we know our hot dogs, especially since we hail from the birthplace of Angelo's and Leo's Coney Island restaurants back home. Pretty famous dog shops by most standards. So with that background, it was going to be a very tall order to find some place to match our back home haunts.
We get into the old TrailBlazer and drive a few miles and the GPS indicates that it's nearby but all we saw was a mostly vacant strip mall with a small, but bright and perky little establishment at the very end. I think we're almost there.
As luck would have it they were closing within 15 minutes but we ventured in anyway. Handwritten menus on two big blackboards on the wall, floors and walls as clean as a hospital, and after a long day, two people behind the counter that had the enthusiasm and friendliness of someone who had just won the lottery. Smiling and helpful caught me off guard. Most times folks at closing time, and after a long day don't usually exhibit those traits. I could see by their menu a great many other items were available but we were sticking to our guns and ordered chili dogs and fries. As we're standing at the counter waiting for our order we begin chatting with the folks behind the counter and discover this is really more than a hot dog stand and the owner has been in food service for around thirty years. This is no rookie.
In about ten minutes I declared we have discovered Nirvana. The Great American Dog in Hendersonville NC. Owner Tom and sidekick Lisa have created a little culinary gem. As good a chili dog as I have ever had, hand-cut fries cooked the way I wanted them (dark and crispy), but listen to this ... shrimp, scallops, cod, clams and a host of other goodies. Now you say... so what! Anybody can offer seafood. But here's where Tom steps in. You see Tom and Lisa are from Maine and Tom had a big seafood restaurant there for many years. So when he decided to move south, he brought his old habits with him. Fresh seafood, not frozen would be the order of business to accompany his new hot dog business. Seems like a strange mix but once the hotdogs get you in the door, the thought of fresh seafood make your eating decisions very tough.
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| Ya' gotta get here |
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| Lisa and Owner Tom at The Great American Dog 808 Greenville Highway Hendersonville, NC |
So this is what roaming is all about to us. Stopping to find out the good and interesting in a community.
After we left the restaurant we stopped several blocks down and pulled alongside an old beat up pickup truck. A leathery old man looking 80, but probably mid 60's, was standing at the open tailgate selling fresh strawberries. It appears that strawberries are usually sold in one gallon buckets around here and he had only two buckets left. They were heaped high like my grandfather Tony used to sell his raspberries at his roadside stand. You couldn't have balanced another berry on that pile. These strawberries were some of the largest and sweetest berries I have tasted in some time. Far better than this winters Plant City Florida crop, I handed over the money and rushed home to sample some more.
Almost wish we were staying a little longer but we're pressing on to Berea Kentucky tomorrow. It's pretty close to the famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail so maybe we'll discovery some new things to sample.
Still livin' the dream
Phil
Little Changes
As you probably have noticed, I've continued to fool around with the blog layout. In my haste, I forgot that maybe some of you do not have either the latest browser software on your computer and subsequently some of the changes I made will make my blog unreadable. Though that may be a blessing in disguise to some, I've decided to return the the usual format, with only a few alterations. If you have any issues or would just like to make a comment, please do so in the 'comment section'
Still livin' the dream in North Carolina where the weather is just plain fantastic.
Phil
Still livin' the dream in North Carolina where the weather is just plain fantastic.
Phil
Friday, April 27, 2012
Things to do on a rainy day
I think I may have stumbled upon a sure-fire way to tell ... before you go into a restaurant, how good the food will be. No, really! It's a matter of simple observation probably overlooked by millions of eater-outers'. I'm not expecting the Noble prize for great thinking but here's my perfect example.
See this? Do you see the condition of this entrance door? It's almost worn out. This wasn't caused from somebodies old dog scratching to get in but money packing patrons itching to place an order. I've visited a BBQ place or two around the country and I can assure you my science is good. Head out to Lockhart Texas to Black's and you'll see what I mean.
The reason this old door is worn out is that inside is BBQ. Good BBQ. Ribs, pork, and chicken carry the load here. Nothing fancy for sure but just good food. What you may not know about Carolina BBQ is there are two distinct styles available. A vinegar-mustard base coating/sauce and a tomato based coating/sauce concoction. We must have been luckily today as they offered both in this joint. So we tried each, in a special combo plate of pulled pork, ribs, and chicken.
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Look at that menu and all the goodness |
Moving on ... we were searching around rain-soaked Hendersonville NC for a nice lunch so we headed downtown. Lots to choose from here but Sharon noticed a little Thai place that had a chicken-cashew special on a sign outside, so we went in. A place called 'Limeleaf Thai Fusion' does not exactly drag you off the street, but once inside it was pretty fancy.
Nice cloth tablecloths and settings, low indirect lighting, and a pleasant wait staff. The special came with soup, and an egg roll, for $5.95 per plate, this was an absolute bargain. I'm not a big fan of the sweet and sour sauce that was on the dish but Sharon loves it and I loved the price so it was a win-win.
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| Romantic LimeLeaf Fusion |
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| Marmaduke? |
Anyway, we made it to the bottom of Hickory Nut Gorge, Bat Cave and the non-stop tourist trap was waiting for us. Apparently, not known to us 'flatlanders', people actually vacation in these parts so there are plenty of places to stay, eat, and buy stuff for several miles along the valley. Bat Cave is named for Bat Cave Mountain and I guess there is even a big cave somewhere around there with a bunch of those hairy little carnivores flying around at night. Sharon wasn't too interested in finding the cave so we moved on. However, down the road was this beautiful old home, now antique shop that was worth a picture. A lot of the businesses were still closed as the tourist season doesn't start for a few more weeks.
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| Fancy storage place for old stuff |
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| Hickory Nut Falls ... a 404 ft drop. |
We stopped into the visitors center at Lake Lure to find out what was the big deal about this area. This in one hot destination in season. So within a few weeks it will be wall to wall mountain vacationers with traffic jams and folks fighting for a parking place. At the Visitor Center's suggestion we drove about halfway around Lake Lure and discovered many resorts and beautiful mountain perched homes. No doubt the views are spectacular.
We even found a luxury class 'A' RV park near the lake. Apple Valley Farm RV Resort (www.applevalleyfarm.com) has about 60 sites that were very well landscaped and maintained. I questioned if anybody in their right mind would take the route we took to get here, but later discovered on our return trip a far more benign road, far more suitable for big rigs. It looks like it would be a very quiet and relaxing spot to camp that is just close enough to the activities around Hickory Nut Gorge. However it is not inexpensive. Somewhere around $60/night I think.
All this sightseeing really takes its toll so we really needed to seek out some nourishment. We headed back to the Hendersonville area. We'd gotten a tip from somebody the good Mexican food could be had at Pappa's and Beer. OMG ... if you like Mex food, and we really do ... find this place if you're in the area. I've been in many of this style restaurant but this is hands down, one of the tops. Great service,
great chips and salsa, and excellent margaritas. We ordered chicken fajitas for two and ended up with enough food to take home for two more full meals. And the bill was less than $25 bucks.
When we first arrived in the Flat Rock / Hendersonville area we only planned on staying about two days. Those two passed and we decided on two more, then another two beyond that. So I guess I'm trying to say there is a lot to see and do in the area. Our next stop, Nashville will be coming up soon. Maybe Sunday.
So another day, another adventure and we're still livin' the dream.
Phil
ps ... to continue with another fish story ... while eating dinner the other night at Piggy's and Harry's ( a combination BBQ shack and ice cream parlor), we sat next to the local police captain who is an avid trout fisherman. Fishing the Oconaluftee river near the Cherokee Casino, he took a 9 lb rainbow on a night crawler. Using ultralight spinning gear and a 2 lb line, it apparently was a helluva battle.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Oh Edith ... where art thou?
I thought I may had a glimpse of her. A fleeting moment, out the corner of my eye, as I entered her bedroom. The bristled hair on my arms alerted me to something odd before I entered, but I quickly brushed off the notion for fear of ridicule. But there I was ... standing next to her bed, looking around at the lace and opulence. It was so quite. Only the gusting wind sneaking through a slight crack in one of the tall windows gently moved the sheer drapes. My eyes darted around the empty room as my now peaked senses sought out another sign. Was it her? Or was it my imagination? I guess I'll never know ... but seeing her was not in the cards today. You see this was the bedroom of Edith Vanderbilt. Wife of George and we're on the 2nd floor of the Biltmore House in Asheville North Carolina. One of the most grandiose family homes in America. The mansion was completed in 1895 by then bachelor, George Vanderbilt with the help of an army of craftsmen from all over the world. The Vanderbilt clan weren't strangers to big homes. Between all the named relations over the years, the family constructed over 26 residences around the country.
George and Edith had separate sleeping quarters that were separated by a common 'sitting' room ... apparently designed for conjugal breakfasts. The grandeur that old money could buy is beyond understanding. The finest of everything is the standard. Ornate woodwork, handcrafted wall coverings, hand-carved furniture, and granite and marble imported from all corners of the world. I did notice one little obscure detail that our guide had an answer for; though probably more politically correct than accurate.
You see old George's bedroom doors were quite different from Ediths. Whereas Edith's door had only one lock (but very substantial), George's doors not only had an identical lock but another massive brass lock with three deadbolts. And since this lock was not keyed, the only way it could be locked or opened is from the inside. Now I ask you ... What was old George trying to keep out?
Okay ... I need to stop. I'm getting way ahead of myself. Let's continue with the tour.
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| A modest little sun room just off the main entrance |
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| Grand staircase and chandler. Four floors. 18 foot ceilings. Whew! ... what a hike |
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| Two-lane bowling alley |
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| Basement swimming pool |
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| Part of the 'workout' room for men. |
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| Sleeping quarters for a female servant. The women sleep in the main house and the men sleep on the 2nd floor of the stables. In the peak years as many as 35 workers help take care of the the house and family. |
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| One corner of a massive kitchen |
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| Where the 'help' did the ironing. The sinks on the left are copper. |
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| Laundry room. Note cast iron round washing machine at the right. I wonder if it has a 'gentle cycle"? |
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| Gentlemen's hide-a-way |
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| Souvenirs galore at the gift shop... or is it 'shoppe' |
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| Baubles and Bangles |
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| Toys for the kiddies |
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| Christmas gifts year around |
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| This is no Victory garden |
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| One of 6 greenhouses |
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| Is that Tarzan behind that palm leaf? |
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| Orchids in all flavors |
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| Obscure little waterfall, maybe two foot tall, makes this a very special place. |
There were other little shops and a couple of restaurants and a nice gazebo in the center courtyard. As luck would have it, even though it was a chilly, windy, 45 degree day, a piano player was working his magic on the keyboard in the gazebo. Life is good.
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| Free samples with the price of admission |
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| More winery attractions |
A short trip up the hill behind the winery is the Biltmore Inn. I'm guessing if you stay there you'll enjoy beautiful views of the countryside and a fair amount of pampering.
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| The Biltmore Inn. Staring at about $269/night. Staying on the estate has it privileges. |
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| Entrance and Exit to the Estate. No the building is not falling over it's just that my camera was pointing up and the perspective is changed and I should have fixed it in Photoshop but didn't so it's getting late and ............. It's the same gate that George and Edith came through years ago and followed the winding three mile trip to the mansion. |
So there you have it. A day-trip to remember. I might have gotten a carried away with this entry but it really is quite a place. (www.biltmore.com)
Still livin' the dream ... this time with the rich and famous.
Phil
ps ... just in case you didn't notice ... I changed the layout of the blog a bit. I'll continue to fool with it as we go along so let me know what you think. You can still reach me on the link to my email.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Over hill ... over dale, as we hit the dusty trail
I switched on my trusty (?) GPS unit, plugged in the destination and off we went. I26 west to I40 then about 25 miles on NC19 arriving in about 90 minutes at the Cherokee Casino and Hotel complex in western North Carolina. Sharon was exhibiting severe wagering withdrawal, and since it's been almost 6 weeks since she'd danced with the one-armed bandits, I agreed to take her to therapy.
The first two legs of the trip went just fine with beautiful views of the mountains and nice 4-lane highways ... but then we reached NC19. Only two lanes but what the heck, it was a nice day for a drive so let's get at it. As we proceeded, we passed a number of quaint little back country stores; many with Indian names. I was tempted to stop at several of them, especially when we were passing through a little village called Maggies Valley. Never know what little treasure one might find. I could sure tell we were in a valley as we had been slowly descending for several miles. As we were leaving the little town I saw a very unusual collection of old foreign luxury cars. Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Mercedes, and several other brands all completely rusted and packed very close together along the fence next to the road. What a photo opportunity I thought and even though Sharon urged me to turn around and get the shots, I said we'd do it on the return trip. So on we went.
Just past the outskirts of town was a yellow triangle road sign ahead. It read "Caution 7% grade next 6 miles". I just felt a little ill. But thinking that 6 miles wasn't so bad, I pressed on. As the nose of our Trailblazer edged over the next crest in the road, it seemed the ground had almost fallen away. This was Mother Natures answer to roller coasters I'm sure and I don't much like those either.
7% may not seem like a lot to you but sitting there in my 2 1/2 ton truck I could only imagine things like brake failure, tire blowouts, running off the 'no guardrail' road and plunging down some ravine not to be found for months ... yes, I'm becoming a little nervous. All these thoughts raced through my mind ... but what can I do? There was no place to turn around or pull off! And as we started to go down the hill gravity began to work its magic and to help things out ... the road began to snake back and forth in ever tightening turns. I'm guessing the scenery is nice to look at but I'm so fixed on keeping the damn truck in my own lane my eyes balls were frozen straight ahead.
Down we went and faster we went. I hit the brakes frequently to keep the speed down then finally down-shifted the transmission to as low as 2nd gear to keep under control. Now keep in mind there were cars and motorcycles coming up the hill at the same time. Probably all locals because as they approached they were using a good part of my lane too in their race up the hill. I'm sure they could see the death grip I had on the steering wheel and the stressed looks on our faces but pressed on upwards with wild abandon. But down, down we went. The engine racing in 2nd gear and the slight odor of scorched brakes was in the air.
And something else was wrong. This road isn't 6 miles long I'm thinking ... it must be at least 100 miles long. Time was standing still for ... me but down we went. I took but a brief second to glance in my rear view mirror and with even more horror I discovered there were four cars behind within a few feet of my rear bumper and each other. Have they all lost their brakes and do they need me to somehow stop this runaway caravan of rolling metal I feared? Another glance back dashed that thought ... I could tell it in eyes of the guy behind me ... he wanted to pass! Darting back and forth looking for just the right moment. I didn't look back anymore.
By this time that extra lemonade I had earlier was becoming an unwanted burden but I've got to tough this ride out I thought ... it can't be too much farther. As it turned out it wasn't ... We'd reached a little valley and the town of Cherokee was in sight. Whew! Our hearts were finally beginning to slow down a bit when we pulled into the parking lot. Sharon recovered quickly and was eager to hit the slots so off she went. I walked around the place for awhile to calm down a bit and try to understand my new shortcoming of driving down steep hills. Must be from driving most of my adult life in the flatlands, as they say around these parts, or my age. I also figured I had no desire to practice the uphill accent on our way home.
I looked at a map a little closer when we got ready to leave and discovered a far more sane way to return to Hendersonville. This route was a little longer with four lane roads and a lot less changes in elevation and direction. Another lesson learned was to pay attention on how you set your route up in the GPS unit. The differences between 'shortest' and 'quickest' can be quite dramatic.
So another adventure is in the book. The casino wasn't too good to us. Lost a little money and had a crummy lunch. We thought the $25 buffet was a little steep so we settled on the very marginal food court.
Both the hotel and casino were very nice and set in a great location and we may return someday if in the area.
That kind of driving just plain wore me out. I still have to get the coach over the mountains to Nashville in a couple of days, but at least it's on turnpike. No rushing on my part ... guaranteed.
Finally got the embedded fingerprints off my steering wheel and we're still livin' the dream (but did miss that picture).
Phil
The first two legs of the trip went just fine with beautiful views of the mountains and nice 4-lane highways ... but then we reached NC19. Only two lanes but what the heck, it was a nice day for a drive so let's get at it. As we proceeded, we passed a number of quaint little back country stores; many with Indian names. I was tempted to stop at several of them, especially when we were passing through a little village called Maggies Valley. Never know what little treasure one might find. I could sure tell we were in a valley as we had been slowly descending for several miles. As we were leaving the little town I saw a very unusual collection of old foreign luxury cars. Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Mercedes, and several other brands all completely rusted and packed very close together along the fence next to the road. What a photo opportunity I thought and even though Sharon urged me to turn around and get the shots, I said we'd do it on the return trip. So on we went.
Just past the outskirts of town was a yellow triangle road sign ahead. It read "Caution 7% grade next 6 miles". I just felt a little ill. But thinking that 6 miles wasn't so bad, I pressed on. As the nose of our Trailblazer edged over the next crest in the road, it seemed the ground had almost fallen away. This was Mother Natures answer to roller coasters I'm sure and I don't much like those either.
7% may not seem like a lot to you but sitting there in my 2 1/2 ton truck I could only imagine things like brake failure, tire blowouts, running off the 'no guardrail' road and plunging down some ravine not to be found for months ... yes, I'm becoming a little nervous. All these thoughts raced through my mind ... but what can I do? There was no place to turn around or pull off! And as we started to go down the hill gravity began to work its magic and to help things out ... the road began to snake back and forth in ever tightening turns. I'm guessing the scenery is nice to look at but I'm so fixed on keeping the damn truck in my own lane my eyes balls were frozen straight ahead.
Down we went and faster we went. I hit the brakes frequently to keep the speed down then finally down-shifted the transmission to as low as 2nd gear to keep under control. Now keep in mind there were cars and motorcycles coming up the hill at the same time. Probably all locals because as they approached they were using a good part of my lane too in their race up the hill. I'm sure they could see the death grip I had on the steering wheel and the stressed looks on our faces but pressed on upwards with wild abandon. But down, down we went. The engine racing in 2nd gear and the slight odor of scorched brakes was in the air.
And something else was wrong. This road isn't 6 miles long I'm thinking ... it must be at least 100 miles long. Time was standing still for ... me but down we went. I took but a brief second to glance in my rear view mirror and with even more horror I discovered there were four cars behind within a few feet of my rear bumper and each other. Have they all lost their brakes and do they need me to somehow stop this runaway caravan of rolling metal I feared? Another glance back dashed that thought ... I could tell it in eyes of the guy behind me ... he wanted to pass! Darting back and forth looking for just the right moment. I didn't look back anymore.
By this time that extra lemonade I had earlier was becoming an unwanted burden but I've got to tough this ride out I thought ... it can't be too much farther. As it turned out it wasn't ... We'd reached a little valley and the town of Cherokee was in sight. Whew! Our hearts were finally beginning to slow down a bit when we pulled into the parking lot. Sharon recovered quickly and was eager to hit the slots so off she went. I walked around the place for awhile to calm down a bit and try to understand my new shortcoming of driving down steep hills. Must be from driving most of my adult life in the flatlands, as they say around these parts, or my age. I also figured I had no desire to practice the uphill accent on our way home.
I looked at a map a little closer when we got ready to leave and discovered a far more sane way to return to Hendersonville. This route was a little longer with four lane roads and a lot less changes in elevation and direction. Another lesson learned was to pay attention on how you set your route up in the GPS unit. The differences between 'shortest' and 'quickest' can be quite dramatic.
So another adventure is in the book. The casino wasn't too good to us. Lost a little money and had a crummy lunch. We thought the $25 buffet was a little steep so we settled on the very marginal food court.
Both the hotel and casino were very nice and set in a great location and we may return someday if in the area.
That kind of driving just plain wore me out. I still have to get the coach over the mountains to Nashville in a couple of days, but at least it's on turnpike. No rushing on my part ... guaranteed.
Finally got the embedded fingerprints off my steering wheel and we're still livin' the dream (but did miss that picture).
Phil
Thursday, April 19, 2012
A neat place to visit
Our first excursion into the Flat Rock / Hendersonville area was to the famous Mast General Store. Not knowing really what to expect, we plugged the address into the Garmin GPS and headed out. We soon discovered that highway repair money is plentiful in this area as it seems that every road has scores of those wonderful orange barrels and lots of big earth moving equipment.
The general merchandise store is located right downtown ... which is experiencing a major transformation as well. We soon found the the store and from the outside it was as quaint as I saw on their website. However before getting inside ... trying to find a place to park was another matter. About four trips around the block before we found one. Hopefully the city fathers have additional parking in the renovation plan. Another little quirk about Hendersonville was traffic lights that always turned red when I approached them. Go figure ... but maybe just my imagination
Once inside the store it was a step back in time. Tightly packed shelves with tasteful goodies of all description. From barrels full of candy to fine wool garments to cast iron skillets ... something for everyone. I guess after being in business for more than 100 years they probably know what customers are apt to buy.
After working up a sweat shopping it was time for lunch. We asked around and decided on 'Mike's on Main' (www.mikesonmain.com). The old drugstore converted to a breakfast/lunch diner was like I remembered drugstores as a kid. Ornate stamped tin ceilings, miniature white tile flooring, cast iron pedestal bar stools stationed along a 30ft ice-cream bar. With an old Wurlitzer juke box in the back corner pumping out tunes of the 50's and 60's and hundreds of old apothecary bottles lining the walls, it didn't take much to drift into a little nostalgia trip.
Anyway the food was good and we enjoyed the stop.
One of the things that did strike me about the downtown area was that not many of the shops were empty. Many little boutiques and cafes lined each side of the street. I guess that translates into a pretty robust economy; something we're not used to back in Michigan.
Our next stop was to the home of the late poet Carl Sandburg. Located a few miles south of the city, we wound our way around a mountain or two before arriving. We found a place to park and soon noticed the sign that said the place was about to close in a half hour. Disappointed we left and hoped to reschedule.
So it was a nice ride out but not much to show for it. But wait! Something nice did happen. After rounding the bend on one of those winding roads we stumbled across this little gem of a water fall. Though man-made, it was still a pretty scene ... what do you think?
And one of the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen on a tree. They almost look like a 'bleeding heart' plant we have in our yard in Michigan but these are tall trees.
So there was our first day nosing around this part of North Carolina. We've got a few days to go so stay tuned for more.
Still livin' the dream ... this time in the mountains.
Phil
ps ... We took another one of Henry and Geannie's suggestions and visited the Curb Market
(www.curbmarket.com). An eclectic gathering of artisans who cook, bake, weave, whittle and make a whole bunch of other neat home-made things. And especially the carmel layer cake. We had some tonight and OMG it was fantastic.
The general merchandise store is located right downtown ... which is experiencing a major transformation as well. We soon found the the store and from the outside it was as quaint as I saw on their website. However before getting inside ... trying to find a place to park was another matter. About four trips around the block before we found one. Hopefully the city fathers have additional parking in the renovation plan. Another little quirk about Hendersonville was traffic lights that always turned red when I approached them. Go figure ... but maybe just my imagination
 |
| Here's a store I bet Red and Jan would like |
 |
| And there is more next door and upstairs |
Here are some of the goodies you can smack your lips on.
 |
| Chow Chow ????? |
 |
| Grab a handful |
Anyway the food was good and we enjoyed the stop.
 |
| Tempting ...eh? |
 |
| Gimme' two aspirin with my BLT |
 |
| Tin top |
 |
| Where's the soda jerk? |
Our next stop was to the home of the late poet Carl Sandburg. Located a few miles south of the city, we wound our way around a mountain or two before arriving. We found a place to park and soon noticed the sign that said the place was about to close in a half hour. Disappointed we left and hoped to reschedule.
So it was a nice ride out but not much to show for it. But wait! Something nice did happen. After rounding the bend on one of those winding roads we stumbled across this little gem of a water fall. Though man-made, it was still a pretty scene ... what do you think?
And one of the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen on a tree. They almost look like a 'bleeding heart' plant we have in our yard in Michigan but these are tall trees.
 |
| What is it? |
Still livin' the dream ... this time in the mountains.
Phil
ps ... We took another one of Henry and Geannie's suggestions and visited the Curb Market
(www.curbmarket.com). An eclectic gathering of artisans who cook, bake, weave, whittle and make a whole bunch of other neat home-made things. And especially the carmel layer cake. We had some tonight and OMG it was fantastic.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
On the road again
Wanderlust has again infected Sharon and I as we vacated the semi-tropical Hilton Head Island area. 24 fun-filled days (I'm beginning to sound like a commercial) punctuated with friends and family and as many restaurants as time and finances would allow (the fresh sea food was outstanding). So ... some 300 miles later we are now settled in Flat Rock, North Carolina; at the Lakewood RV Resort.(www.lakewoodrvresort.com). The cozy little park, recommended by our friends Henry and Geannie, is nestled in a little valley here in the Blue Ridge Mountains about 30 miles southeast of Asheville. Like Little Red Riding Hood said 'it's not too big and it's not too small ... it's just right'.
Getting here did require a little mountain climbing and I did find out that my 11 litre, 400hp turbo diesel behemoth, that normally that can clammer up most hills, struggled after leaving a rest stop at the bottom of the hill. The climb to the top bogged down to 35mph (tops) in 3rd gear at 2000rpm. I managed to pass one semi at that speed but it was a struggle. It dawned on me why the truckers literally fly down the hills in order to gain momentum to make it up the next hill. Anyway we made it to the park, got hooked up and enjoyed a nice lunch here in the coach. It's so quite and I'm almost dozing off as I write this at 5:00 in the afternoon.
The weather is a little overcast, an occasional drizzle, and the temperature is about 20 degrees cooler than Hilton Head ... but that's just fine with us. Tomorrow we'll tour the nearby Flat Rock area and possibly the home of the late author and Pulitzer prize winning poet, Carl Sandburg. Since we're going to be here for about a week, we'll keep all of you up-to-date on our discoveries as the days go by.
Still livin' the dream and hoping' to see the ghost of old Carl hanging around the Mast General Store (www.mastgeneralstore.com).
Phil
Getting here did require a little mountain climbing and I did find out that my 11 litre, 400hp turbo diesel behemoth, that normally that can clammer up most hills, struggled after leaving a rest stop at the bottom of the hill. The climb to the top bogged down to 35mph (tops) in 3rd gear at 2000rpm. I managed to pass one semi at that speed but it was a struggle. It dawned on me why the truckers literally fly down the hills in order to gain momentum to make it up the next hill. Anyway we made it to the park, got hooked up and enjoyed a nice lunch here in the coach. It's so quite and I'm almost dozing off as I write this at 5:00 in the afternoon.
The weather is a little overcast, an occasional drizzle, and the temperature is about 20 degrees cooler than Hilton Head ... but that's just fine with us. Tomorrow we'll tour the nearby Flat Rock area and possibly the home of the late author and Pulitzer prize winning poet, Carl Sandburg. Since we're going to be here for about a week, we'll keep all of you up-to-date on our discoveries as the days go by.
Still livin' the dream and hoping' to see the ghost of old Carl hanging around the Mast General Store (www.mastgeneralstore.com).
Phil
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