We made it home in good time.  No problem getting into the driveway.  Hoped out and went to vote.  We will take our time getting everything unpacked and ready for winter.

Another long day of driving.  We are anxious to be home now.  Made it to Natural Bridge, VA KOA. We will do a thorough job of cleaning out our tanks here in the morning.  Once we get home tomorrow Bruce will winterize the coach and we will start dreaming of spring. 😒

We would have had a great start today except our leveling jacks alarm would not shut off.  If kept insisting that the legs were not raised.  We topped off the hydraulic fluid and it stopped for a while. Thought we found the problem.  Not.  Went off again going down the road.  Eventually it did stop but we know it is still a problem.

Boondocked again at a Walmart on the east side of Nashville.  Had a funny happening approaching Memphis.   We were heading east  and Lynda and Gordon were heading south.  We left a little ahead of them but stopped to get gas and hydraulic fluid. Looked out the window and they were beside us.  We were coming to the ramps around Memphis and we went east and they went south both of us blowing our horns and waving.  Hope our paths cross again somewhere out there.

We have spent the day doing an inspection on our own coach and packing up in preparation for leaving tomorrow morning.

We got together with Gordon and Lynda and another couple for Happy Hour and then went to dinner at a local restaurant.  It was a small but very crowded place.  The food was really good.  Had a nice time with new friends.

October 31 - November 4, 2016

This has been a very, very busy week.  Because partners are often involved in the RV Inspections they have included us in the classes.  I have attended each and every class with Bruce.  We have had to learn the inspection process as well as a new software system.  Bruce is required to preform two inspections with a full report to be certified.  Our own rig will be one and he is doing a fifth wheel of another student for his other inspection.

We have enjoyed getting to know the other students in this class. Lynda and Gordon Kent are the owners of the fifth wheel.  We have really enjoyed spending time with them while doing these inspections.  Gordon is inspecting our motorhome.

We decided to stay here tomorrow to get started on the inspection of our coach.

Day two of the conference.  We are learning a lot.  The key note speaker, Joe Boyd, is quite interesting.  He is a minister and an improve comedian. The banquet was nice,

Today we spent day one at the NRVIA Conference.

We attended a nice Bar-B-Que at the Dam Site Recreation Area.

Sunset over the lake.

We have arrived in Heber Springs, AK.  It was a long drive through many small curvy roads.  We are not thrilled with the campground.  It is basically a large gravel parking lot with hookups.  It didn't help that someone else was in our site.  We just had to move down one to an unoccupied site.  This is the location of Bruce's RV Inspection classes next week. We tried to drive around a little before dark because we won't have any other free time. I wish we would have had a little bit of time to explore.  The town looked interesting.

Drove all day.  Made it to a Walmart in Tupelo, MS.  Had a nice Mexican dinner at a restaurant on the edge of the Walmart parking lot.

Our leaving didn't go as smooth as we had hoped.  We got everything done, hooked up the truck and went to check the lights and didn't have any on the passenger side rear. Bruce had to dismantle the rear tail light and work his magic.  Left about a half hour later than planned but we had tail lights.

Drove as far as Warner Robins, GA, just south of Macon.  This was our first Walmart boondocking. Went very well.  Now we know we can do it.

Well, this is another work day.  Tomorrow we leave bright and early on our way to Arkansas.  Today we decided to tackle restringing one of our window blinds.  These things are a bit of a puzzle.  Thank goodness for You Tube.  Found an instructional video and we were able to do it ourselves.  Again we saved some bucks and came away feeling very accomplished.

Doing any preliminary packing up.  Whatever we can do to make leaving smooth.  First thing tomorrow morning, Bruce will return our cable box and modem.  Boo-hoo.  It was great having real Wi-Fi here. Then we have to clean out our tanks and pay our electric and be off.

It will soon be time for us to hit the road for Heber Springs.  We have enjoyed our time here so much. Today we are going shopping for a few items for the coach.  It is just like your sticks and bricks home.  There is always something that needs fixed or some idea you have come up with.  Also we realized that we did not pack any dress clothes for Bruce.  We will be attending a conference Saturday and Sunday in Heber Springs. This calls for more than shorts and a tee shirt. Solution!!!  Bradenton is the headquarters for Goodwill.  I have never seen so many Goodwill stores.  So Bruce is now the proud owner of a very nice sport coat, dress shirt and even a tie. Under $10.00.

While we were out we found the neat little resturant called Full Belly.  We had stuffed burgers to die for.

We have met so many really nice people here,  Some are experienced full-timers, some new full-timers, some part-timers like us. There have actually been a few folks here for the gathering that decided to purchase new RVs.  Because our neighbors moved up they no longer needed their satellite dish and gave it to us.  Hopefully we can put it to good use some day. It has been a real pleasure meeting so many nice folks from all around the country. 

It will be really hard to say goodbye to Horseshoe Cove.  How many campgrounds have their own island?

Another Sunday afternoon of Redskins Football.  We again went to Geckos and again had our own TV on the deck.  Two for one gin and tonics this time.  I had my favorite potato chip dish and Bruce had some enormous sandwich.  We topped it off with one of Albert's friends.  Alligator bites.

 Spent the rest of the day at the pool and doing the laundry.  What a life.

Today we went to Myakka River State Park.  This is a large state park located near Sarasota, FL. Here we went on the Gator Gal boat tour.  We got to see gators swimming and sunning on the beach.   We were able to do a small hike also.  Unfortunately, the canopy walkway was closed for maintenance the day we were there.  We also walked out on the bird watching boardwalk.

When we visited Bradenton last year we went to a liquor store and talked with the cashier there.  He recommended we visit a brewery there called Motorworks.  We did not have a chance to do this last year but it was on our to-do list this year. They have a really large beer garden with live bands, corn hole and bocce ball courts and just a nice party atmosphere.

They are not a restaurant but schedule food trucks there and you order from whichever truck is there at the time. We had wings and beer and then we had a flight.  It was a great afternoon.  Could have stayed well into the night but we wouldn't have made it home.

Today we visited Mixon's Fruit Farm.  This is an old family farm business that offers tours of the groves, a gift shop, juice tasting and a restaurant.  They had the best orange ice cream.  Tasted like a dreamsicle. They also have a Wildlife Refuge area as well. We enjoyed a tram ride through the grove and to the Refuge area.  The gentleman who gave the talk at the refuge was really great and sincerely cared about the animals.   We saw crocodiles, tortoises, an albino python, birds of prey and other animals who were injred or ill. I had an opportunity to hold a live alligator named Albert.  He was surprisingly heavy.  Solid muscle.

This evening we went to an extremely interesting event at a place we visited earlier.  It was called "Spirit Voices from Old Manatee."  After arriving at the historic village we first attended a Victorian era funeral for a young girl.  After the eulogy we follow the family to the old cemetery where at various locations near their own graves we listened in as the spirits welcome her to their world and told her the stories of their life and the history of those buried in this very old cemetery.  The performance was so good you didn't want to miss a second of the stories. What a great way to end our day.

Off to an early start today.  One of the things we wanted to do on this trip was explore the possibility of purchasing a lot for future snowbirding.  We also wanted to replace some insert trim around our entrance door. So we decided to drive to Lazy Days and/or Camping World to do some shopping and then visit a resort in Silver Springs call Wilderness.  Ironic isn't it.  We live in Silver Spring, MD and we have a campground ownership in Wilderness, VA.

Our fist stop was Lazy Days.  We have heard of this place many times.  If you want to buy an RV and they don't have it you probably don't really want one.  They have 1400-1500 models.  We went to the store and they didn't have what we needed but they were having a seminar on micowave convection ovens and induction cooking.  I don't currently have any induction items but hope to eventually.  It was a very interesting class taught by a chef of a local restaurant.  I learn so much that I will have no fear of induction/convection cooking now.

Our next stop was Camping World.  They did have the trim we needed and a few other small items of interest. It is not hard to find something to buy at Camping World.

Then we went on to Wilderness RV Resort.  It was a lovely resort, but a little further North than we wanted and a little more costly than we liked.  This unfortunately was the only place we had an opportunity to visit.  We have a lot or homework and visiting to do before we can think about a purchase.

This was about a two hour drive from Bradenton so it was a late day.

Today is a work day. About a year ago Bruce won a contest run by the RV Geeks.  He won new slide toppers.  As our toppers were still in OK condition, we decided to wait a while to replace them. Well today is the day. We watched the instructional video (several times) on the RV Geeks site and it didn't look to hard.  We can do this.  In a few hours we did indeed have new slide topper installed. Boy did we feel accomplished.  Save a lot of money too.

Today was a tourist day.  We went to St. Petersburg and visited the Sunken Gardens. the Sunken Gardens has been around since 1935. It originally was a small lake which had filled an ancient sinkhole 15 feet below street level.  George Turner, Sr., was a plumber and an avid gardener.  this amazing garden was pathway after pathway of beautiful plants, trees and various types of gardens. There were birds, turtles, koi fish and rock structures.  It was a great place to spend the morning.

After a relaxing morning at the Sunken Gardens, we went to the Salvador Dali Museum.  We joined a tour and our docent was a sight impaired guide.  She really knew her stuff, the tour was absolutely fascinating.  She had a guide dog from the South West Guide Dogs, which was the organization we had just helped to raise money for at the Gathering.  (We volunteered to sell tickets for a 50/50 raffle each day.)  When South West came to the Gathering to do a demonstration one of the things we learned was that if you get behind a client, their dog will stand between you and them to protect them from unexpected interference. During the tour, which was sometimes in tight quarters, I ended up behind her and her dog immediately placed himself between me and her.

We don't do too many art museums but this was a very interesting one.  Dali was certainly an interesting character.  Quite clever at times.

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After leaving the museum, everyone ties their entrance wristband to this tree in a very Dali type way. We added ours. 

Our selection was called break bread with Dali. Manchego almond with pesto, local artisanal baguette, Spanish olives and spiced almonds. It was a very nice experience.

Today was the seminar given by The Geeks on Tour, Jim and Chris Guld.  This was "Smartphone Photography.  As Chris says, "The best camera is the one you have."  Usually that is our Smartphones.  It is amazing how much these phones can do.  We learned and in some cases relearned about focus, lighting, slow motion, panos, and so much more.  If I could only retain a little I would be so happy.  Chris is the reason I am even attempting this blog.  I know as we travel more it will be so hard to remember what we have done and where we did it.  I am hoping this blog will be the key to remembering. Here is a link to their site.  it is so worth visiting. www.Geeksontour.com. Everyone was having a good time learning what all their smartphone could do.

We took  a similar class last year and did a selfie with Chris and Jim.

Tuesday - Sunday morning, October 11-16, 2016

The Living the RV Dream Gathering

The Gathering was just as good as we knew it would be.  We have met so many fine people and we received good advice. Swapped stories both good and not so much.  The speakers have all been great. Of course ,John and Kathy Huggins were wonderful as always.  Jim and Chris Guld, better know as the Geeks on Tour, filled my head with so much information about our phones, google pictures and google maps.  If I can retain and use just a little it will be great.  Eric and Tami Johnson, Techno RV, gave us good information and shared with us how they decided to go on the road.  It is so interesting to learn about them.  Eric also took the time to get me straighten out with the wi-fi router.  I hope I can remember what he showed me.  Al Hasselbart shared his knowledge of RVs as the historian and I really enjoyed his stories from China.  I never connected China with RVing.  This year RVSEF gave a talk on tire safety.  They are also doing rig weighing.  I am glad to report that we were a little under in weight, we were well balanced and he told us we have a lot of tire (meaning they are very good tires).

That made me feel real good. Bruce has done his homework. We had pizza, breakfast, a cookout and a potluck.  John and Kathy did their weekly Podcast, Living the RV Dream, Thursday night.  It was a Q&A type program.  Bruce had the first question.  Who does their intro.  "It's time to sit back, strap in and throw it on Cruise Control."

There was a Chinese Auction for the Southeastern Guide Dogs. They also gave a talk and brought some dogs and an interesting client who told us about his life with a service dog.  Bruce and I volunteered to do a daily 50/50.  Proceeds also went to the Southeastern Guide Dogs, Paws for Patriots Program. There were a lot of very nice door prizes.  Of course I didn't win any, but they were very nice. We were entertained by Hurricane Wilson Friday night.

It was a very full and busy week ending on Sunday morning with a Church Service by Pastor Jim Hollis. I hope John and Kathy do this again.  We would love to come back.

Sunday Afternoon

Well, we tried to find a bar that catered to Redskins fans.  We actually found a Skins fan club not too far from here.  We went to Beef O'Grady's and were welcomed to join but the place was so packed that there was not a seat to be had.  We thanked them and went on our way.  Ended back at Geckos with our own TV and 2 for 1 well drinks.  Turned out just fine.

Getting ready for the Gathering.  Helped put together welcome bags for attendees.  Mike McElhaney, an attendee, has a RAD Power Bike. John Huggins, (he and his wife Kathy are the hosts for the Living the RV Dream Gathering) has been advertising this bike on his Podcast. He was excited about Mike bringing his bike her to the rally.  Mike was kind enough to let folks try it out.  Bruce was one of those who gave it a go.  Now he wants one.  Mike also has a really nice drone with a camera.  I told him he was a bad influence.  Of course, Bruce wants one of those too. Here is a picture of John giving the RAD Power Bike a spin.

We were having trouble getting any Wi-Fi or TV channels.  Someone here told Bruce we could get
regular cable and Wi-Fi for just the month we are here.  It was a little expensive but really worth every dollar.  It is just like at home.  Still couldn't get Redskins game on TV, though.  Listen to it over the computer.  I know I probably could have streamed it somehow but by the time I figured it out the game would have been over.

Went to the pool after the game.  Love that pool

There is a great little cafe within walking distance.  It is called the Quarter Cup Cafe.  They really charge 25 cents for a cup of coffee.  We have had breakfast there several times.  It is really a nice little cafe.

Also, close by is a sports bar called Gecko Pub and Grill.  This is where my favorite Blue Cheese Chips are served.  Had to have some today.

Tonight we had a Happy Hour a the clubhouse.  A lot of people that are attending the Gathering are already here at the park.  If was nice to meet and talk  to so many other RVers. We are looking forward to the Gathering this year.

We have some old friends from Maryland who moved down here some twenty or so years ago. Bob and Cheryl Andrews.  Bruce and Bob have been friends since childhood.  As a couple we spent a lot of time as a foursome.

They live in the Lakeland area of Florida.  We hooked up and met them halfway in Brandon.  Had a very nice dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and spent the evening catching up on old times.  Hope we get a chance to see them again before we leave.  If not then when we come back we will be sure to look them up.

Because of the Hurricane, Matthew, we are not straying far from Horseshoe Cove.  The park has a meeting every Thursday for the residents to discuss any business.  Free coffee and donuts.  We attended today's meeting because they were going to review evacuation.  Even though it appears that we will not be affected by Matthew, we though it would be a good idea to know what to do.  We also are concerned with traffic.  A number of folks here have evacuated from the East so we have no desire to be out there with all the traffic.

Learning from other RVers and advice given on the Podcasts etc, we came here with a full tank of gas, a full tank of propane and we filled the water tank today.  When you have a house that can move it makes sense to be prepared.  Also we are prepared to be weighed next Sunday.  Now we will have a good picture of exactly what we weigh fully loaded.

Part of the reason we came to Florida for almost a month was to get a feel for whether we want to buy an RV lot here.  Having a hurricane threaten does give one pause.  But let's face it, something can go wrong wherever you are.

Cali has been in the litter box every few minutes all night long.  Fortunately there is a vet just minutes from us.  Called them and we took her over first thing this morning.  They will have to keep her for several hours until they can get a sample from her.

Just as we thought Cali has a UTI infection.  She was given a shot (thank goodness we don't have to give her any medicine) and she should be good as new within a few days. That was a well spent $202.00.

Today we explored around Bradenton.  We wanted to find an RV parts store so we could do a few small repairs around the coach. No luck on anything local.  That surprised us considering how many RVs are in the area, but apparently most repairs are done by mobile repair people. We discovered the Manatee County Historical Museum.  This museum has numerous buildings including a general store, family home, barn, church, one-room school, and a courthouse.  Because they are presenting a theatrical production "Spirit Voices from Old Manatee" the family home has been decorated for a victorian era funeral.  A casket in the parlor, mirrors and pictures draped in black, and explanations about the victorian times and customs.