Getting Settled!

We're certainly enjoying the perfect weather here in Casa Grande...low 90s in the daytime and mid-60's at night (good sleeping with the windows open!)  The various chores on our list are slowly getting checked off, but there are still lots of things to do before we're truly ready to "play" for the winter.  We stopped by to see some tennis buddies today and they tell us we're expected at the courts at 7am daily, so perhaps we'll get in some tennis early in the day and work on some chores a bit later.  We did go to Phoenix today for Tom's routine check-up at the neurologist and all was well...so good, in fact, that he doesn't need to return for 6 months.  While in the city, we also stopped at "Golfsmith," allowing Tom some time to try out various new golf drivers.  He found one that looks promising, but we're going to do a little more shopping before he makes his decision.   Do you think he needs a new one????

We also checked in at the front office here at Palm Creek, paid our annual rent, had our new photo-IDs made and picked up our accumulated mail.  So I guess we're "legal" for the time-being.

Home, Sweet Home!

Today’s first chore was to make phone calls about replacing our now shattered heat pump cover.  The people in the office at the RV park gave us a name to call and it was the same one we had found on the internet.  The man who answered the call said his shop is closed on Saturday but he’d be willing to help if he could.  He did not have the part we needed in stock, but said he didn’t feel there would be any problem with us driving 200 miles to Tucson unless it was raining.  So, we were on the road in short order.   We arrived at the Camping World in Tucson around noon Arizona time.  Our friends Art and June Nelson were waiting for us as we had plans to visit over lunch.  Art had also made some phone calls to Camping World and the Lazy Days RV Dealership and had information for us.  Camping World had a cover in stock and Tom and Art took it up on the roof to make certain that it would fit our model.  It did!  They tightened the screws and we were protected once again.  Tom will need to remove the cover again to clean the heat pump area and to install the insulation and perhaps paint the cover.  There were no cracks visible on the second heat pump and Camping World only had one cover anyway, so the second one was not replaced.  We had a great visit with Art and June over lunch in the restaurant on the Lazy Days property behind Camping World and hope to see them again soon.              From Tucson we continued on I-10 to Eloy, Arizona where we visited the Flying J and topped off our fuel and propane tanks – ready for the winter stay.  We arrived at Palm Creek around 4:30 and got all parked in our usual site with the help of our neighbor and Chief Ranger, Bob.  Once we were hooked up we enjoyed a visit with our neighbors Harry and Marilou and their son Mike.  It’s good to be “home.”

Back on the road

Cummins South Plains in Odessa, Texas went right to work on our RV first thing this morning.  They discovered that in order to install our new part they would have to remove the muffler from the coach.  After the new part and the muffler were installed, they took the coach for a test drive and declared it repaired.  Around 10:30 they presented us with the bill for the part and about 5 hours of labor plus taxes and fees….close to $900.    We paid the bill and hooked up the Escape and got organized for travel.  We hit the road around 11:30 and drove back to Pecos where we topped off the fuel at Flying J and continued west.  By making minimal stops to change off drivers, we made good time and arrived at the Dreamcatcher RV Park in Deming, NM around 5:30 local time.  (We’d changed time zones near Van Horn, TX)  From Las Cruces, NM to Deming we were driving in very strong winds and we kept an eye on the large awning which we had secured with extra straps.  As we pulled into Dreamcatcher we heard a loud banging and thumping and thought the awning had indeed come loose.  But, no, the large plastic cover on the rear heat pump had come off, crashed around on the roof and part of it onto the ground, in lots of pieces.  Nine years in the sun obviously is not good for plastic!  We picked up the pieces and got registered and parked before Tom climbed to the roof to get the rest of the pieces.  The wine came out shortly thereafter!!!  Tomorrow will be another day…and we had already planned to stop at Camping World in Tucson to meet friends for lunch

Definitely, NOT our best.day.ever!

We had arrived at the TraPark RV Park in Pecos, Texas Wednesday afternoon around 4:00.  We settled into a site and had a relaxing evening.  It had been a pleasant day’s drive from Abilene and we had two more ahead of us to get to Palm Creek in Casa Grande, AZ.  Thursday morning we went through our usual departure routine and were ready to head to our next stop in Deming, NM.  When we turned on the engine a loud, constant alarm sounded and the “check engine” light came on in the dashboard display.  We made several phone calls to Spartan Chassis and Cummins Engine service centers.  They had several suggestions, which we followed, to check the coolant and the engine oil levels.  The coolant was at the proper level, but the oil was a little low.  So, we unhooked the car and made a trip to Walmart to purchase oil which was then added to the engine.  After the 15 minute run-time we still had the alarm and the lovely light on the dash.  At that point Cummins said we should not drive the coach. 

Calling “road service” was our next step and it was an hour and a half before they returned our call to say they had found us a tow truck that would be arriving momentarily.  Sure enough, in about 15 minutes a truck arrived.  The drivers took one look at our rig and said they could not tow us!  They would damage the generator and exhaust if they did.  Luckily, they had a flat-bed truck available and made a trip to their garage to trade trucks.  Another plus was that they were from Pecos, not a far away place!  So, they directed Tom to drive the Dutch Star up onto the trailer which they could tilt by moving the wheels forward…pretty neat!  Then we were off on a 75 mile drive to the Cummins service facility in Odessa, TX.  As we followed the truck in our car, we cringed every time we came to an overpass on the freeway.  Our rig is 12’3” high and it was sitting on a flat bed that looked to us to be 3 or 4 ft. off the ground.  Tom had discussed the height with the driver before we departed Pecos.  The only really “close call” came somewhere along the I-20 route when the driver pulled the truck over to the edge of the road and inched his way under an overpass marked 15’4”…while we held our breath!

When we reached Odessa and the Cummins facility, their driveway had a low hanging utility cable.  Fortunately, the driver noticed it as he was making the left-hand turn into the drive.  He held up traffic on the busy street while he back up and drove in sideways.  Whew!  They got the Dutch Star unloaded and pulled up to a service bay about 4:30.  It was after 6:30 when the service manager was able to tell us they had followed their trouble-shooting procedure and had come up with a defective electrical diode.  They couldn’t find a part number on the diode or their computer program, so had to search through parts books to come up with a number which they used to search their inventory.  Hooray!  They have the part in stock.  It will be installed first thing Friday morning.   Meanwhile, we’re spending the night in front of the service bays with an electrical hookup.  Hopefully we’ll be on our way again late Friday morning.

Considering we are not too far from last year’s vehicle fiasco, maybe next year we should go from Abilene to Casa Grande by way of Denver!

A step back in time!

Not quite 45 years ago we drove our '67 Mustang (with all our earthly possessions packed in the back seat and trunk) from Ohio to Arizona to make our first home in Arizona.  I don't remember how long it took us, but we made it a leisurely drive as it was our honeymoon.  We drove the famous Route 66 much of the way as that was before the days of coast-to-coast Interstate Highways!  Ever since that trip we have often repeated the story of our one-night stop in Lebanon, Missouri and our stay at the Munger Moss Motel.  We've driven through, and even stopped in Lebanon numerous times in our RV travels (there's a Russell Stover Candy Outlet, Cheese Outlet and Antique Store that is a favorite stop) but today as we approached on I-44 heading west from St. Louis we noticed a big billboard for the Munger Moss Motel.  Could the place still be in business?  We got off at the appropriate exit and sure enough, there it was!  We parked in the lot across the street at a bowling alley and went over to the motel and met the owner, Ramona Lehman.  She's been there since 1971 and has preserved the motel pretty much as it was then. (Although they now have Free WiFi...didn't have that 45 years ago!) The motel is frequently a stop for travelers reminiscing the "good old days of Route 66."  We had our own little bit of nostalgia...we had stayed at the motel, eaten at the adjacent (now gone) restaurant and bowled a couple games at the bowling alley across the street...all for the grand sum of $10 for the evening.  Mrs. Lehman was glad to see us and hear our story.  She even gave us a couple of small souvenirs.  She is active in a group to preserve the old Route 66 and posts stories on her Facebook page for The Munger Moss Motel.  There is even a web page www.mungermoss.com that tells the history of the place.  It was a fun stop!

Once more...with feeling!

We drove through St. Louis again today...that Arch is looking really familiar...I didn't even take a photo! Our GPS took us on a really different route and we didn't realize it till it was too late to change lanes.  That caused a few stressful minutes, but we recovered and found our way along a pleasant route through the city that we hadn't seen in all our times going through St. Louis.  We're at a Walmart where we stayed last year and tonight there was no problem getting permission to stay.   The weather has been great and is getting warmer each day...in fact it may be a little warm tonight without the A/C...our last night without electricity if all goes as planned.  We'll be moving on again tomorrow.

Spartan territory

Friday morning, August 31, Reid picked us up at the motel we had stayed at and we returned to his WV house to finish packing and loading.  For a guy who lived in a tent all that time, where did all this stuff come from?  It was decided that we did not need to stick around for Reid's closing, so we took off in the truck heading to Ohio and Michigan.  We reached the Toledo area around 8pm and rather than continuing on to East Lansing and a MSU Football Friday night game, we decided to "crash" in our own bed in the RV parked in storage in Swanton.  Ah, that felt good!   Saturday morning came quickly, but we were up and on the road.  Reid had called around 10pm Friday night to say he was in Columbus and heading north, so he was waiting for us when we arrived in East Lansing.  By 2:30 the truck was empty - much of it piled next to the backyard shed where Reid organized and stored his collection of outdoor gear and kayaks.

What do you think?  Will it all fit in with the lawn equipment already there?

I'm not so sure, but let's get started.

 Inside the house, Tom began assembling bookshelves while Mary tackled laundry and Reid tried to find places for his stuff and whipped up a quite delicious dinner.  We all slept pretty good Saturday night.   Sunday morning we headed out for breakfast and then to the local Farmer's Market where Reid stocked up for the week ahead. More laundry and bookcases and some new chairs occupied the crew in the afternoon.  Then Tom and I met up with some RVing friends who happened to be in the area...a great visit over dinner at the Texas Roadhouse.  Labor Day will find us heading south for a bit.

Wild and Wonderful West Virginia

We made it to Reid's house in West Virginia about 5:30 on Thursday.  We'd left the Evansville, IN area about 8:00 and made our way across the rest of Indiana and Kentucky.  Just as we were reaching the West Virginia border, Reid called from Columbus and was on his way south.  He arrived at the house about an hour and a half behind us.  We'd had a chance to unwind and relax a bit by then.  We got almost all of Reid's things loaded into the truck but decided we'll need to do some repacking in the morning to get the last things in and everything stable for the ride to Michigan.  Friday's agenda includes errands and closing on the WV house, but we're hoping it also includes the start of the drive north.

More Miles!

Didn't we just pass this a couple weeks ago?

We left Salina, Kansas around 7:15 this morning with Mary at the wheel.  That way, as we approached Topeka and Kansas City it would be Tom's turn to drive through the city traffic. After Kansas we drove across the state of Missouri...more and more miles!  We switched drivers again after lunch and again in late afternoon so that Tom got the honors of once again driving through St. Louis at rush hour.  It's only been a few weeks since we did that in the RV.  Our stop for the night is on I-64 just north of Evansville, Indiana and still in Central Time, so we'll loose another hour tomorrow.  We're looking forward to being at Reid's house in Fayetteville, WV by late afternoon.

Miles and Miles and Miles

It was pretty cool when we got up this morning in Leadville, CO...somewhere around 48*.  We were on the road around 8:00 and headed through the historic town center and on route 91 up to I-70.  What a beautiful drive!  It was a little hazy, so my photos taken from a moving truck aren't the best, and don't show the streams and lakes along the side of the road either.  Passing Lake Dillon in Frisco, where Reid used to live and work, we noticed that the water level was extremely low...sad!

 Once we got to the Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70 it was "all downhill."  We were out of the Rockies and east of Denver in about an hour.  Then it was just miles and miles of I-70 stretching out in front of us.  We stopped for the night around 8pm in Salina, Kansas.   The goal for tomorrow is somewhere in south central Illinois.

Kansas is the "sunflower state", right?

It's a little bit smaller than the RV!

Reid's friend Kristin was kind enough to pick us up at the Fairfield Inn this morning and taxi us to the Home Depot/Penske Truck Rental facility in Salt Lake City.  It took a while to get all the paper work taken care of before we drove from there over to the home of Reid's former boss, Brandon, to pick up some of Reid's belongings.  In short order we had things loaded and we were on the road heading south to I-70 and then east.  We made a stop at a Walmart to stock up on road-trip necessities - food and water - and then several more during the day for fuel and stretch breaks.  Around 8:00pm, just as it was getting dark, we arrived at the home of Reid's good friend Ken in Leadville, Colorado.  Ken was another helpful soul and the pile of Reid's "stuff" that Ken had been storing was quickly loaded into the back of the truck.  The last 100 or so miles of the trip will likely the most scenic of our trip.  This section of Colorado is gorgeous!  We settled for the night at the Super-8 Motel in Leadville and will be on our way again in the morning.  The ride in the Penske truck has been very comfortable.  It's almost new with only about 4000 miles on it when we picked it up, but we miss the ammenities of the RV!

Step one of our journey has been accomplished!   Our driver, Dick Lehto, picked us up at Big Sandy Campground a little before 7am and drove us to the Detroit airport.  Thanks, Dick...we appreciate the early morning ride!  In spite of having one-way tickets, we had no trouble getting through security.  Our plane actually departed a few minutes early and we had a relatively short ride to Baltimore on a very crowded plane.  With only 35 minutes between arrival and our next departure in Baltimore we really hustled through the terminal from the A wing to the B wing...whew!  But, it seems that we had no crew for the connecting flight.  It was another hour before a crew was assembled and we departed for Salt Lake City.  That flight was not full, but we were lucky enough to have to sit in a full row for the almost 5 hour flight.  The Fairfield Inn shuttle picked us up at the terminal curb and we are now comfortably settled in a nice room.  Arrangements have been made for us to get to the truck rental in the morning and we'll begin the next part of our journey.

Tomorrow's the day.....the start of our Great Circle Adventure.  We'll be flying from Detroit, Michigan to Salt Lake City, Utah via the Baltimore, MD airport. After an overnight stay, we'll rent a truck, pick up some of our son Reid's belongings and drive on to Leadville, CO.  There are more of Reid's belongings waiting for us there.  After those things are loaded in the truck we'll head east, taking several days to reach Fayetteville, WV.  Reid is planning to meet us there and help us load even more of his things into the truck, emptying out the house he had purchased a year ago near the New River Gorge.  With the loading chores completed, our plan is to drive to East Lansing, MI where Reid has a new job and a new home.  We'll get to unload all the collected items and do a few things to help him get settled in the new place.  We're hoping to get all that accomplished in a week.

We'll be in touch!