Back in the RV Again! YAY

First I would like to tell you about our day trip to the Wolfgang Candy Company in York, PA.  We drove there on Thursday morning.  They have a room where a nice lady makes chocolate candy, and we got to help.


 Here is the finished project!
We bought several kinds of candy while we were there.  Like we need that.  LOL
Then we drove back to the motel and found out we would be able to pick up the RV and leave Pennsylvania on Friday.  When we took the RV in to be worked on, we had to unload ALL the food in the refrigerator, since the RV would not be plugged in (and it would not have been safe for the men working on it to leave the fridge running on propane).  We took all the food from our refrigerator and freezer to the motel and had to store all of it in the small fridge there, and the small one we take with us.  That was the first challenge.  Then we bought some food and the chocolate candies that had to be kept cold so as not to melt.  So Friday morning we got up and tried to figure out how to load everything AND the dogs AND us into the car to drive back to the repair shop to get our home ready for travel again. 

I would also like to mention here that the dogs HATED being in the motel!  They did not eat well, and slept poorly while we were there.  When we got back to the RV, we took them inside and they promptly ran around inside to make sure everything was OK.  We cleaned out the fridge and loaded the food in, and all the other stuff back into the RV so we could get on the road.  We left there about noon time.  I would like to give Noaker Auto Body Shop a shout out here as a really good place that does good work in a timely manner.  We are VERY pleased with the work they did. 

Anyway, we set out for our destination at the Elks in Rockville, MD.   It was about a 150 mile trip, and when we were about 55 miles from our destination, the GPS quit!  The problem turned out to be the DC cord.  It lit up when I plugged it in, but it was not delivering any "juice" to the GPS.  It kept showing low battery.  I had no idea where we had to go, and it kept shutting off!  I would turn it on, and quickly write down the directions until it shut off again......wait a few minutes and do the same again, until I had all the directions to get here.  I told Jim we would NOT be leaving here until we had a working GPS to guide us.  We got set up and went into the Elks lodge to meet the locals.  When we told these nice people (remember BPOE also means "Best People on Earth), they made us a Google map showing how to get to the nearest Best Buy store, where we were able to replace the power cord and now our GPS is back in working order.  YAY!!!!  The funny part was, it took SEVEN store employees almost 10 minutes to find the cord we needed...........and we had brought the defective one with us to show them what it looked like.  LOL

We were going to see about visiting our nation's capitol today, but last night on the news they were reporting a very dangerous sounding situation.  They said violent crime is up 40% and that the chief of police in DC had called for EVERY officer to be on duty ALL weekend long......so we decided we didn't really want to find out how bad things are there right now.  Instead, we had a very nice lunch in the lodge with the very friendly members, who all greeted us and chatted with us.  It has been a wonderful experience, as it always is when we visit an Elks lodge any place we travel. 

Getting back to the dogs.......they are definitely happy to be back in the wheel estate.  Yesterday, when we set out their food, they devoured it right away, and then went back on our bed to take a nap.  This morning they both slept in until 8 am!!!!  It's always good to be back home in your own bed.

One last picture of Jim with his dark chocolate bunny from the candy store.

It's not every day you find an Easter Bunny made of dark chocolate!

 

Enjoy each day, and have a great life.  Keep the rubber side down.  I know beyond any shred of doubt that we are very Blessed.  God has given us good health, and a good life.  When we hit the road cone that did the damage to the RV, we could have been injured, but we weren't.  We have been in some situations that could have been dangerous to us, but God kept us safe.  He watches over us when we travel, and we thank Him every day for all the many blessings He has given us.  It's a beautiful world, and that is not by chance. 





Our Last Few Days in Pennsylvania

Last Sunday we took a day trip to Delaware because we realized our travel schedule was not going to allow us time to stay there.  I'm glad we did as we really enjoyed the little trip.  First we visited the one room school at the Iron Hill Museum.  Sadly, it was not open, but we got pictures anyway.  The next three pictures were taken at the battle of Cooch's Bridge, which was the only Revolutionary War battle in the state of Delaware.

 



 

When we left there, we went west into Maryland, over this bridge, to see the Concord Lighthouse, and the light keepers cottage.

It was a very nice day outing, but we were pretty tired by the time we got back to Hershey, PA. 

 Monday we packed up and moved into the Red Roof Inn in Harrisburg and took the RV to the shop that would be doing the repairs that are needed before we can travel any farther.  Yesterday, we drove to Hanover, PA to visit the UTZ Fine Foods factory and walked the tour.  After the tour, we drove three blocks to the Outlet store where we bought some potato chips, cinnamon pretzels, and a variety of flavored popcorn.  Tomorrow, we plan to travel one more place....the Wolfgang Candy Factory in York, PA.  The good news at this point is......our insurance approved the repairs fully, so we only have to cover the $250.00 deductible, and they will cover the rest.  The insurance will also cover up to $500.00 for the room we are staying in.  Jim talked to the guy in charge of the work today, and he thinks he will have it completed by Friday, so we will hopefully be back on the road by either Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.  YAY!!!!!  It looks like we will spend one night at the Washington, DC/Rockville, MD Elks lodge, and maybe I'll get to see our nation's capital before we move on to the Elks lodge in Fredericksburg, VA.  That's not definite, but hopefully we have a starting plan.  Yipee.  Have a great day and a great life.  Don't waste a single day of it.

 

21 Rules for a Good Old Age

This was forwarded to me by our dear friend Dee Deiderich, in Hemet, CA.  It did not identify who wrote these rules, so I can't give credit where it is due.  However, they seem so good, that I want to share them with the people I care about.   I especially like the very last line, after rule number 21!  Please read, and enjoy.  I will blog about some new adventures tomorrow, or Thursday.  Take care.

21 Rules For a Good Old Age

Some of us have reached our golden years, and some of us have not. But these suggestions should be read by everyone. They have been collected from many a senior, each with his or her own piece of advice. Some you know, some may surprise you, and some will remind you of what's important. So read well, share with your loved ones, and have a great day and a great life!

1. It's time to use the money you saved up. Use it and enjoy it. Don't just keep it for those who may have no notion of the sacrifices you made to get it. Remember there is nothing more dangerous than a son or daughter-in-law with big ideas for your hard earned capital. Warning: This is also a bad time for an investment, even if it seems wonderful or fool-proof. They only bring problems and worries and this is a time for you to enjoy some peace and quiet.

2. Stop worrying about the financial situation of your children and grandchildren, and don't feel bad spending your money on yourself. You've taken care of them for many years, and you've taught them what you could. You gave them an education, food, shelter and support. The responsibility is now theirs to earn their own money.

3. Keep a healthy life, without great physical effort. Do moderate exercise (like walking every day), eat well and get your sleep. It's easy to become sick, and it gets harder to remain healthy. That is why you need to keep yourself in good shape and be aware of your medical and physical needs. Keep in touch with your doctor, get tested even when you're feeling well. Stay informed.

4. Always buy the best, most beautiful items for your significant other. The key goal is to enjoy your money with your partner. One day one of you will miss the other, and the money will not provide any comfort then, enjoy it together.

5. Don't stress over the little things. You've already overcome so much in your life. You have good memories and bad ones, but the important thing is the present. Don't let the past drag you down and don't let the future frighten you. Feel good in the now. Small issues will soon be forgotten.

6. Regardless of age, always keep love alive. Love your partner, love life, love your family, love your neighbor and remember: "A man is not old as long as he has intelligence and affection."

7. Be proud, both inside and out. Don't stop going to your hair salon or barber, do your nails, go to the dermatologist and the dentist, keep your perfumes and creams well stocked. When you are well-maintained on the outside, it seeps in, making you feel proud and strong.

8. Don't lose sight of fashion trends for your age, but keep your own sense of style. There's nothing worse than an older person trying to wear the current fashion among youngsters. You've developed your own sense of what looks good on you - keep it and be proud of it. It's part of who you are.

9. ALWAYS stay up-to-date. Read newspapers, watch the news. Go online and read what people are saying. Make sure you have an active email account and try to use some of those social networks. You'll be surprised which old friends you'll meet. Keeping in touch with what is going on and with the people you know is important at any age.

10. Respect the younger generation and their opinions. They may not have the same ideals as you, but they are the future, and will take the world in their direction. Give advice, not criticism, and try to remind them of yesterday's wisdom that still applies today.

11. Never use the phrase: "In my time". Your time is now. As long as you're alive, you are part of this time. You may have been younger, but you are still you know, having fun and enjoying life.

12. Some people embrace their golden years, while others become bitter and surly. Life is too short to waste your days on the latter. Spend your time with positive, cheerful people, it'll rub off on you and your days will seem that much better. Spending your time with bitter people will make you older and harder to be around.

13. Do not surrender to the temptation of living with your children or grandchildren (if you have a financial choice, that is). Sure, being surrounded by family sounds great, but we all need our privacy. They need theirs and you need yours. If you've lost your partner (our deepest condolences), then find a person to move in with you and help out. Even then, do so only if you feel you really need the help or do not want to live alone.

14. Don't abandon your hobbies. If you don't have any, make new ones. You can travel, hike, cook, read, dance. You can adopt a cat or a dog, grow a garden, play cards, checkers, chess, dominoes, golf. You can paint, volunteer at an NGO or just collect certain items. Find something you like and spend some real time having fun with it.

15. Even if you don't feel like it, try to accept invitations. Baptisms, graduations, birthdays, weddings, conferences. Try to go. Get out of the house, meet people you haven't seen in a while, experience something new (or something old). But don't get upset when you're not invited. Some events are limited by resources, and not everyone can be hosted. The important thing is to leave the house from time to time. Go to museums, go walk through a field. Get out there.

16. Be a conversationalist. Talk less and listen more. Some people go on and on about the past, not caring if their listeners are really interested. That's a great way of reducing their desire to speak with you. Listen first and answer questions, but don't go off into long stories unless asked to. Speak in courteous tones and try not to complain or criticize too much unless you really need to. Try to accept situations as they are. Everyone is going through the same things, and people have a low tolerance for hearing complaints. Always find some good things to say as well.

17. Pain and discomfort go hand in hand with getting older. Try not to dwell on them but accept them as a part of the cycle of life we're all going through. Try to minimize them in your mind. They are not who you are, they are something that life added to you. If they become your entire focus, you lose sight of the person you used to be.

18. If you've been offended by someone - forgive them. If you've offended someone - apologize. Don't drag around resentment with you. It only serves to make you sad and bitter. It doesn't matter who was right. Someone once said: "Holding a grudge is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die." Don't take that poison. Forgive, forget and move on with your life.

19. If you have a strong belief, savor it. But don't waste your time trying to convince others. They will make their own choices no matter what you tell them, and it will only bring you frustration. Live your faith and set an example. Live true to your beliefs and let that memory sway them.

20. Laugh. Laugh A LOT. Laugh at everything. Remember, you are one of the lucky ones. You managed to have a life, a long one. Many never get to this age, never get to experience a full life. But you did. So what's not to laugh about? Find the humor in your situation.


21. Take no notice of what others say about you and even less notice of what they might be thinking. They'll do it anyway, and you should have pride in yourself and what you've achieved. Let them talk and don't worry. They have no idea about your history, your memories and the life you've lived so far. There's still much to be written, so get busy writing and don't waste time thinking about what others might think. Now is the time to be at rest, at peace and as happy as you can be!


AND REMEMBER: "Life is too short to drink bad wine."

Still at Thousand Trails in Hershey, PA

As I reported last time, Jim Landvater replaced the shrouds on our A/C units on Wednesday.  On Thursday we had an incredible thunder storm.  We were so glad we had the work done before all that rain, no leaking occurred. 
YAY!

Here's Millie after I took her out that day in the rain.  She won't even lift her head up.  LOL

Our insurance adjuster went on vacation  on Wednesday.....luckily I contacted her on Tuesday.  We told her that an auto body shop in Duncannon, PA can do the repairs on the RV, starting next Tuesday.  We had Jim Lanvater take the pictures of the damage on the RV, and send them to the shop.  They have prepared an estimate and sent it to the insurance people for review.  We ARE taking it in for the work on Tuesday.  The estimate was much less than what Camping World had estimated, because they wanted to take the whole side off the motorhome, behind the passenger door.  This guy says that is totally unnecessary. 
We will have to be out of our house for 3 to 5 work days, and the insurance should cover the cost of that too.  Here's where the difficulty came in.  We could find any number of motels we could stay at from Tuesday through Thursday.....but there is a HUGE car show nearby in Carlisle and almost all of the motels and hotels in the area are sold out for the whole weekend.  We drove over to the place that is doing the repairs today, to see where it is and ask if they knew any place we could stay at that week.  At first they didn't think they could help, so we left to come back home.  Before we got back home, a lady in the office, named Jessica, called me.  She had found and reserved us a room at the Red Roof Inn in Harrisburg.  YAY!!!  I called the Inn and used my credit card to hold the room.  And they agreed not to charge anything until we check out.  Since we don't know how many days we'll be there, I was glad we won't have to commit to a certain number of days up front.  Now we just have to figure out what we will need to take with us to the Inn, and what we can leave in the RV.  We figure we can do some sight seeing while we are waiting for the work to be done.  I'll post picture next week.  This will alter our travel plans for going to Chesapeake Bay and beyond, but our home will be fixed and that's what matters most.  Always counting our blessings.  take care and keep the rubber side down as you travel this great land.  Enjoy America!!!!!  Bye for tonight.

 

Just a Short Note Tonight

Today we had Jim Landvater of Sycamore Hill RV, formerly Jim's Mobile RV Repair here.  He has replaced the circuit board in our air conditioning unit, and restored the COOL to our wheel estate!  On Wednesday he will be back to replace the shrouds on both the front and the back A/C units, which were old and cracked badly over time, and will give routine, but sadly long overdue service to our generator.  I want to tell any of you travelers, that if you ever find yourself in the area of Hershey, PA and need work done, he is a good person to call.  He is very capable, and efficient, and we believe he charges a fair and reasonable rate for his work.  I believe it is important to give credit to those who do their jobs well and provide good, reliable service. 
He also took pictures of the damages for the insurance claim for an auto body shop that we HOPE will be able to do the repairs we need.  The shop is over in Duncannon, and if the insurance gives the go-ahead, he will start the job a week from tomorrow, August 25th, when we are ready to leave this park.  Will write more when we find out if that is going to happen.  He doesn't think it will take the five days that Camping World had said, but I guess it will take a few days.  Bye for tonight................YAY and Yipee, it's nice and cool in here again. 

At Thousand Trails Hershey Preserve

Hi Everyone, 
We arrived here on Tuesday, and found a wonderful site.  We have one of the sites that offer 50 amp power at no extra cost.  YAY!  We got settled in and walked the dogs.  They like the soft grass around the sites.  This park is very pretty, and has much to offer, a swimming pool, spa, mini golf, tennis/pickle ball court, family center AND an adult center, hiking trails, and more.



Here is our site.The laundry room is within walking distance, so that's handy. 

I sent an email, as I said I would, to the insurance adjuster, and her reply was most disappointing.  At this point they said the pictures we took and sent to her did not support the amount of damage and cost of same, that Camping World had stated, over $5000.00, and their offer for the repairs was only $975.00.  I wrote back and said we should not be penalized for my pictures and asked for an appraiser to come out and see for himself.  She said they don't do that.  However, if we got an updated estimate, with better pictures from the shop that would actually be doing the work, they would consider offering us more to cover the work to be done.  Long story short, we have found a shop in Duncannon, that has done business with our insurance company, and they would have the time to do the work when we are ready to leave here.  He said he can complete an estimate early this next week, and hopefully, it will be approved by the insurance company and we can get the work done before the end of this month.  YAY!  Please pray that this works out, as we want to head home, but cannot do so with the RV being held together with duct tape and a bungee cord!!!!!  As many of you know, Jim doesn't do "waiting" very well. He is impatient and wants the work done now, and fully covered by the insurance. Hopefully I won't have to sedate him to get though this......just kidding. I guess it's time to get Jim playing Mexican Train again. LOL.

 

If all goes as we hope it will, we would like to spend a few days at the Thousand Trails Preserve on Chesapeake Bay, then west to the one near Lynchburg, VA.  Then we would travel south and west to head back to Southern California.  We are reluctant to get back there too soon though, since wild fires are burning much of the landscape out there. 

 

This past Wednesday we had a guy here to look at our front A/C, which hums but does not cool at all.  He has ordered us a new circuit board, and new shroud for the unit, and will do that and service our generator on Monday.  YAY!  Then we will be cool in the living area as well as in the bedroom, where our second A/C unit is working well and doing its best to keep the RV liveable. 

 

We saw this at a store downtown in Campbelltown.

This church is the one we attended when we were here 5 years ago, and will be attending while we are here this time.

 

Yesterday we had an appointment and took both dogs to a local vet for the immunizations that they needed to keep them well.  Some people brought in a whole litter of young golden retriever pups, and Millie wanted to make their acquaintence.  I try to keep her away from other dogs at the vet because you never know if they are there for a well dog appointment or because they are sick.  She has had more than enough health concerns for this year, and I just can't risk her getting sick again.  On the recomendation of the vet, we got both dogs immunized against Lyme disease and canine influenza, since we never know what they could be exposed to when we travel.  After getting the shots, he informed us they would need a second shot of each in 3 weeks to be fully protected.  We don't even know for sure where we will be in 3 weeks, but will try to comply. 

 

I forgot to add, yesterday before taking the dogs to the vet, I took Willie out on leash to go "potty".  While I was talking to Jim, Willie spotted a small Jack Russell terrier that was off leash, and took off after it.  I was not expecting that, but held on tight to his leash.  He ran, and I lost my footing and went down face first on the ground............still holding onto his leash!  Jim came rushing to my aid, as did two other men from the area.  I asked Jim to get Willie safely inside first, then the three guys helped me up.  Boy was I sore.  I have scrapes on both knees, and both elbows and a pretty sore chest from the impact on the ground.  Thank God I was able to stay on my feet until we got off the gravel.....the grass was a slightly better landing surface.  Always be thankful to our awesome God.   He IS watching over us. That fall could have been much worse than it was.

 

Well, I think that's all for today.  Keep the rubber side down, stay well and safe, and enjoy America. 

August 10, 2015, in New Jersey

We had a grand time in Fairfield, CT.  It is a lovely old town, with beautiful old houses.  When we first got to town and left the freeway (I-95) we spotted this house.

This is the Jason Sturges Cottage.  It was built in 1810, and has some interesting history.

This house was also in Fairfield, and we thought it was really impressive.  The members at the lodge were incredibly friendly, making it a very nice visit.  After leaving there on Sunday, we went to the Elks lodge in Beacon, NY for one night.  Their lodge was a very impressive brick building.





On Saturday they had hosted a "biker" group event as a fund raiser for the Wounded Warrior Project.  They had over 300 motorcycle riders there and raised a great deal of money for the charity.  Sunday the bikers were back to do clean-up.  The lodge was huge, and had a very large lawn, and covered picnic pavilion.  It looked like a great place to have a summer party. Today we left Beacon, NY Elks lodge, and drove south and west to get to the Elks lodge in Pittstown, NJ.  It is a very small lodge.  We got here about 12:30 pm, and it took us almost TWO hours to get the RV positioned level enough to put the levelers down!   

Finally we got the RV all set up, and later some people arrived to open the lodge for the afternoon.  We went inside and ended up having a hot New York style pretzel and a drink.  Nice day!

 This lodge also has a lot of property with a huge pond and a resident snapping turtle.  We didn't see the turtle ourselves, but I'll take their word for it.  LOL. 
When we don't have a campground reservation, we have chosen to stay at Elks lodges, instead of staying at Wal-Mart stores.  We generally feel safer at the lodges, and we have gotten to meet many nice people.  BPOE, which is the abbreviation for the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, also means "Best People On Earth".  If you are an Elk member, you are welcome to visit any lodge anywhere.  Also, if they have RV sites, or enough space to park an RV, they have been very happy to welcome us to stay for one night or more.  Many lodges didn't have RV hook ups, but they were eager to run an electric line out to us, and provide us with fresh water to fill our tank.  It has been amazing the way we have been greeted and treated by all these wonderful people.  If you are not an Elk member, I encourage you to think about becoming one.  It is a great organization, that does a lot of charitable things for their communities.
Tomorrow we will be going on to the Thousand Trails Hershey Preserve in Lebanon, Pa for a two week stay. We have not yet made any reservations or plans after that, as we are hoping to hear from the insurance adjuster and make arrangements for the repairs to be done to the RV.  I'm going to email her again tomorrow after we get to Hershey Park.  I don't want to be TOO annoying, but I do want to be a bit if a squeeky wheel.  I don't want her to forget about our claim. 
I think that's all for today, so again, be safe, stay well, and enjoy this great land of ours.  keep the rubber side down folks.  Happy travels to all.

  

Mystic, CT part II

Before I write about our adventures here in Mystic, I would like to make a follow up note regarding a place we had lunch at, that I wrote about August 1st.  It was called Hidden Springs Maple.  The food was marginal at best, but we were having a good time, so I let that pass.  I used a credit card to pay for our meal and the maple candies we bought, and received a printed paper receipt.  A few days later, I got an email "receipt" that asked if I was satisfied with my visit there.  I had NOT given them my email address, so I don't understand how they got it.  I wrote back and asked, but to this date, I have not gotten an answer.  I don't know how you would feel about that, but I feel violated, and I think they owed me an answer.  Since I did not get one, after several requests, I told them I would report this on my blog, and now I have.  I would not go there again, and suggest others not either.  Nuff said!
Today we loaded the dogs, and water bottles in the car and set out on a quest to follow the "Mystic Pizza Trail".  We visited and photographed all the places that were listed for being in my favorite movie.  I won't take the time to post all the pictures, but it was fun.  Later we stopped for ice cream sundaes at Twisters.

The view of the Mystic River from their patio was really great.  We went back down town in Mystic to visit the Mystic River Popcorn Factory.  It has an open park with a view of the drawbridge.  While we were there, we got to see the bridge lifted for boats to go through.

This is how the bridge looks when it's in the "down" position, for land traffic.  The picture below shows the huge concrete blocks that serve

as counter weights when the 70 horsepower motor lifts the bridge.  In the past, the bridge was actually raised by teams of horses!



As you can see, the bridge goes up gradually, and then the boats start going through.  First were the small power boats, then the tall masted sailing boats, then finally a little inflatable brought up the rear!  It was so impressive really.  We decided it would be fun to take the Mystic Express 40 minute boat ride on the river, if they would allow us to take the dogs on the boat with us.  He said yes, and the adventure began.  The dogs weren't sure they wanted to board, but once they got on, all was well.  Willie really enjoyed the wind and the smooth ride.  Millie wanted to see everything.  Here are a few pictures of what we saw, by no means will this be everything, but it was a great ride.

 We were told this boat, named Sanctuary, belongs to Tiger Woods.  He arrived a couple days ago. 

 

This lighthouse is a 1/3 scale replica of the oldest New England lighthouse, which I think he said is still operating in Maine.

We saw this horse and carriage from the boat.  I don't know the story here, but wanted to get the picture anyway.



These boats are filled with young people learning to sail.  They come and live on one very large, old boat for several days while they learn to handle a sailboat.



 The second picture is a boat like we were riding on, and the third picture is of an eagle nest with "mom and dad" in it.  Last, but not least, is a picture of our fearless Captain, without whom the Minnow would be lost!  It was a great day, but now we are happy to be home, and will pack up tomorrow to travel to our next stop, at the Elks lodge in Fairfield, CT.  It's only 72 miles, according to my GPS, but with the RV in uncertain shape, and the stress that causes for us, we are keeping our travel days short.  Take care, stay well, and please everyone, don't forget to pray for Alice every day.  Stay well and safe.  If you are in a fire danger area, please stay alert and safe, and enjoy America.







Mystic, Connecticut...............we made it!!!!!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have wanted to come to Mystic Seaport since I first saw the movie Mystic Pizza.  After hitting the road cone, and the subsequent worries about the cost of the damage it did, I had somewhat given up on the hope of getting here........but we got here yesterday.  YAY.  We are staying for three days, maybe four, here at Seaport RV Resort in Old Mystic.  More pictures of this place tomorrow.

  It is a very pricey park, but it is beautiful.  We desperately needed to do laundry, so today we got that out of the way.  Yesterday afternoon, after getting all set up here, we left the dogs, in air conditioned comfort, and went to Mystic Pizza II.  It is actually in Stonington, but it IS where the movie was made.

  It was so fantastic to actually be there, and after all the stress of the past week, I broke down in tears of joy after we were seated.  The waitress rushed over to ask what was wrong.  I told her nothing was wrong, but that we had come all the way from southern California and this was a dream come true for me to be here, and she got teary-eyed too.  We ordered our pizza and I took lots of pictures, even took pictures of part of the menu!  LOL.

It was the BEST PIZZA we have ever had......it topped Chicago pizza AND even New York pizza!  WOW.
Before we left, Jim bought me a Mystic Pizza tee shirt.  Our waitress took our picture too.

 

And last but not least, Jim took a picture of me with our waitress, Laura, and the hostess, sorry I didn't get her name.  Sadly, after enjoying a local brew, it looks like Jim couldn't hold the camera steady!  LOL  The tallest girl is the hostess.  Laura is on the left.  There was a lot of hugs and well wishes for our travels from Laura and well wishes from other customers too.  It was an amazing afternoon for me, and I am so grateful to Jim for making my dream come true.  Tomorrow, we are going to take the dogs with us and visit beautiful Mystic Seaport Village and do the touristy stuff.  I will post more stories and pictures tomorrow.  Stay well and happy.  Take care of the people you love, and enjoy America.  It's still the greatest land of all!  Keep the rubber side down as you travel.

From New Hampshire, to Maine, to Massachusetts

Here are a few pictures we took at the campground in Epsom, NH.

The last picture is of the river.  It really was pretty there.

After two days in New Hampshire, we had an appointment at Camping World to have the RV looked at for repairs, or at least an estimate on the damage to the RV caused when we hit a road work cone on the way to New Hampshire, and made worse by the bumps in the road along the way.  We had thought it was just a relatively minor repair needed, but we were very wrong.  It will require removing the door and the step and the blown in insulation, and a whole lot of rebuilding before they can put it back together.  Their estimate was for over 40 hours of labor, at $129/hour.  OMG!!!!!  We called the insurance company to start filing a claim.  I was totally in shock!  The first guy I spoke to said to continue our travels so we went on to the Elks lodge in Saco, Maine.  Later, the adjuster called me back.  She was very nice and talked me through everything.  We took the pictures she requested and scanned the Camping World estimate into my computer, and emailed them to her.  Now we have to wait to hear back from her.  I had hoped we would be able to go see Jeff and Patty's son Matt who lives near Portland, Maine, but in the three days we were there, we just didn't get the time to go.  We are trying to save money because we expect that the insurance will leave not only the deductible but also some depreciation costs for us to cover.  Toll roads and turnpikes are quite expensive when you have an RV AND a tow car.  One day alone cost us $19.00 in tolls. 



This is the beautiful Elks lodge we stayed at in Saco, ME.

Most of you know I can't eat seafood, but I had to take a picture of this place in Maine.

This was almost across the street from the Lodge.  I love lighthouses, but this was as close as we've gotten so far.



Yesterday we left Maine and drove down to Lowell, Massachusetts.  Again we are at an Elks lodge.  It is also a very nice place.

We crossed this bridge coming into a small section of New Hampshire before getting to Massachusetts.

This is the Elks lodge we are at now.  Today we took a drive to see some of the area. 

 

 

The first three pictures are from when we drove around this area, and were taken in the town of Chlemsford, MA.  The last pix is of the Rourke Bridge we crossed coming back to the Elks lodge.  We got a brief bit of rain, but it stopped before we got back to the RV.  Here's something we think is kind of odd.  Across the street from the lodge is the Lowell Fire Department and Emergency center.  Since we've been here, there has been one to three ambulances parked here, almost all the time, with people sitting in them.  We don't know why they are here instead of across the street.  They aren't bothering us, but it just seems a little bit odd. 

When we got back from our little outing today, it had stopped raining and was hot and sunny....and Jim decided to put out the awning, so we could enjoy it. Before I could finish typing this, we had a for real thunderstorm come up. Jim ran outside to lower the awning, and hopefully it will let up, and the awning will dry out before we leave here tomorrow.

We will be heading south again into Rhode Island for one night at the Elks Lodge in Smithfield, before going to Mystic Seaport, in Connecticut.  Ever since I first saw the movie "Mystic Pizza" many years ago, I have wanted to visit this beautiful area.  I am really looking forward to our stay there.  That's all for now, so I'll close for today, and wish you all good times and hope you will take time to appreciate this beautiful country of ours.