We have arrived at our destination…

Posted on May 23, 2016 by liv2rv

…for the summer in the Grand Tetons. After several months of relaxing, it is time to get back to work! We are both ready to go for the summer. Before I get into our summer jobs, I will do a little catching up, since it has been 2 months since I last posted. Now that we are back to work, I promise to update the blog more.

We left Florida at the end of March, when it had started to get hot and humid, and made a bee-line to Elkhart, Indiana to have some routine maintenance work done on the fifth wheel. Tiara RV was able to squeeze us in, and we would recommend them for service on fifth wheels and travel trailers if you are ever in the area.

Our next stop was “Camp Meyer” (Dan’s sister and brother-in-laws house). It’s Makena’s favorite “campground” and once again she was very excited when we let her out of the truck. We parked there for about 5 weeks, while visiting friends/family and taking care of routine medical/dental visits and truck maintenance. As usual, there is never enough time to visit with everyone, and we hope to see those we missed this fall.

Several trips were made to Oconto Falls, to visit Dan’s parents. His dad has made remarkable progress in his recovery from guillain-barré syndrome. Dan was able to take him out golfing, and Makena convinced the ‘grandparents’ that she needed to walk and play multiple times every day. Grandparents are such easy targets! We also played many games of ‘hand and foot’, and provided some iPad ‘tech support’.

Dan’s parents

We had a few nice visits down in the Milwaukee area with friends and family, in between our appointments. Our good friends Dave and Angie had us over for an excellent BBQ, and Mike and Karlyn took us out for a fun night on the town. We also had a delicious Cinco de Mayo dinner with college friends Robin and Mary (forgot to bring the camera).

My brother Brian, and sister-in-law Annette had us over for a visit, and we were able to take advantage of some nice weather to get in a short hike in the Kettle Moraine Forest, along with a climb to the top of the fire tower.

Brian, Dan and Annette

We stayed at my sister Margie and brother-in-law Greg’s house for a few days, and had a nice time catching up with them, as they are temporary ’empty nesters’ with my nieces both away at college. Dan and Greg snuck out for a local beer tasting, and seemed to have a good time!

Cheers from Greg!

I was also able to get together for my annual “patio beer” with a former co-worker, Amy.

Patio Beers! It’s always nice to catch up with family and friends, but we had only a limited amount of time, before beginning our journey west. First stop: Des Moines, Iowa. We were able to attend the Drake University College of Pharmacy Hooding Ceremony. After 6 years, Jasmine received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree, along with about 105 other students in the program. During the ceremony, her father Gary (Dan’s brother) leaned over towards me and said “We now have a Dr. J in the family!” I think he’s been waiting 6 years to say that!! I’m not sure what he was happier about: the fact Jasmine is now a doctor, or the fact that he no longer has anymore college tuition to pay for, as all three daughters are finished with school!

Congrats Dr. J

No More Tuition!

While we were in Des Moines, we were able to meet up with fellow RV’er Linda Clayton for dinner. She will be workcamping for the summer at a campground in northern Wisconsin. It was nice to catch up with a fellow Amazonian! I don’t take selfies, so the picture is not very good! When Linda and I were both Picking together at Amazon, people insisted we were sisters.We left Iowa and continued West through Nebraska and up into Wyoming towards Grand Teton National Park. We will be spending the summer at Luton’s Teton Cabins in Moran, WY. I will do a separate post in a week or two on our specific jobs and perks. If you want to see what the cabins look like, or follow along on a live web cam of the Grand Tetons, you can click on the link above.

We found this job courtesy of our friends Karen and Al, whom we will be working with this summer. We have not been doing too much exploring yet, as I have been battling a bad cold, and the weather has been a bit chilly (27 degrees this morning!). Today it alternated between sunshine and snow flurries which is typical Spring weather for Wyoming!

Our drive into the Tetons was interesting. Nothing like a snowstorm in late May!

I did manage to plant some basil, cilantro and a container tomato plant. They were outside for 2 days, and have been sitting inside the RV the past couple of days. It should warm up next week, so hopefully they will start perking up a bit with some sunshine.

My summer garden

The big pot was a gift from our former neighbors, The Kierzek’s. They have four wonderful kids, and they used their thumb and finger prints to create designs on the pot. Thanks again Adam, Faith, Josh and Ben!! (and Kyle and Jolie too!) Hopefully with all the love that went into the pot, it will help produce some good tomatoes this summer!

Stay tuned, more frequent blog posts to follow! And as always, thank you for following along on our adventures!

Quote for the Day: “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis

I’m a senior now!

Posted on March 20, 2016 by liv2rv

Hello Everyone! Your favorite dog blogger is back!

Keeping my peeps informed!

Today is my 9^th Birthday! I am officially a “senior” now!!

First off, I want to say how happy I am that my grandpa Stu continues to get better and stronger every day! We share the same date of birth, 70 years apart, so we have a special bond. Happy 79^th Birthday Grampa Stu! I said lots of prayers that he would get better, because I really enjoy going for walks with him. He is a fast walker, and I have a need for speed!

Keeping my peeps informed!

The last two years, we have been able to get together for our birthday, and have treats and presents. This year they were unable to make it down to Florida, so cake will have to wait!

2 years ago

However I did get some treats and presents. My mom went all out and put everything in a brown paper bag….but it is what’s inside that matters to me! I love opening gifts. Once again, I received a multi-squeaker toy…my favorite! I promptly ripped out 4 squeakers, and then took a nap! (after all, I am a senior now…wonder if I will be getting fed earlier ….?!)

the toy destroyer!

Yay! 16 squeakers!

a senior nap

My parents have not been up to much, which works for me. That means I don’t have to spend long days all by myself. My mom gets up early to exercise, so I get up as well, and fling toys by her feet. She has to stop and throw the balls out of the way, so I get about 30 minutes of exercise as well! Keeps us both in shape! My parents have also been taking me on daily walks, but this RV Park is small, so I get bored going in circles. Plus, this year there are a lot of other dogs here, which I don’t like.

getting my exercise

It has rained a lot this year in Florida, which has caused a lot of mounds of fire ants around the park. They keep biting me, and I keep ending up getting baths, because of all the itching it has caused. Now my parents have put the ‘cone of shame’ on me, to try and keep me from scratching. I hate it, but they promised not to put it on outside, so the other dogs won’t make fun of me!

Cone of Shame!

When it is sunny, I take advantage of the warmth on my belly. And I get some Vitamin D! That’s good for dogs too, right?!

I guess we will be leaving Florida in about a week, and heading back to Wisconsin to visit Grandma and Grandpa. I will miss the warmer weather, but I am ready to continue on in our adventures, and add some more states to my chart of the states I have pooped and peed in!

what happened to TN?

Take care everyone, and Happy Spring!

Quote for the day: “Dogs have boundless enthusiasm, but no sense of shame. I should have a dog as a life coach.” – Moby

Just getting caught up

Posted on February 21, 2016 by liv2rv

Wow, I didn’t realize it has been over a month since I last posted. We have been in a ‘holding status’ down here in Florida. About 6 weeks ago, Dan’s father stated his legs felt weak, and his mom took him to the local hospital, which then told him to go to the hospital in Green Bay, Wisconsin. As the day progressed, his weakness continued to worsen, and spread to his arms as well. By the end of the day, he was essentially paralyzed, as he had no movement in his extremities.

He was admitted to the hospital, and several tests were run. After a few days, he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and auto-immune disorder. The doctors suspect this may have been a reaction to the flu vaccination that he received. After 5 days of intravenous administration of high-dose immunoglobulin therapy, his nerves began to regenerate, which was a very painful experience for him. He was transferred to the inpatient rehabilitation center at the hospital, and received 3 hours of daily physical and occupational therapy, and has slowly regained the use of his extremities. Between the excellent therapists, and the fact that his dad is very competitive, he has made a remarkable recovery. After 30 days of inpatient rehabilitation, he had progressed from no movement, to a wheelchair and finally to a walker.

He was discharged home, and continues making remarkable progress with outpatient therapy. Currently he is using a cane, but has been walking small distances with no assistance. The prognosis is for a full recovery! Dan was able to fly back to Wisconsin and visit his dad in the hospital, and get some chores done around the house for his mom. We had discussed winterizing the 5th wheel and returning back to Wisconsin, but they kept telling us to wait. The reason we stay in Scottsmoor, Florida is to be close to the condo that they rent out in New Smyrna Beach. They continued to be optimistic that they would return to Florida, and felt if we came back to Wisconsin, they would not get down to Florida. Time will tell if they will be able to make it down for a visit. We will be here through March 27th. One thing that helped out in his fathers recovery, is the fact he is very active, walking two miles every day prior to this illness. The doctors stated his good health contributed to his quick recovery. Taking care of our bodies now, can pay big dividends later.

Lots of visitors

Mom, nephew Kyle, Dad and Dan

ODDS AND ENDS

We did manage a few visits to Walt Disney World, before our Florida resident pass that we bought last year expired. In addition to the usual cast of characters roaming around, they are now heavily promoting Star Wars, with storm troopers roaming around the grounds.

In addition to meeting up with our friends Karen and Al at Disney, we were able to have a nice lunch with friends Forrest and Mary in Orlando, Dick and Cheryl in Cocoa and watched the Super Bowl with Tom and Ellen. It’s always nice to be able to catch up with friends that you have not seen in months. Unfortunately, I did not take any photos:(

Our neighbors in this RV park found a NuWave Pro Induction Oven at a rummage sale, and let me borrow it for a few days. I know a few RV’ers who have these, and love them. I was impressed by the “as seen on TV” oven, and may consider purchasing one. It did a great job with cookies. It uses less electricity than the convection oven, and cooked them in about half the time.

DSC03572 (1)

DSC03574 (1)

The weather this year in Florida has been a bit cool, and the three month extended forecast is continued below average temperatures. The Midwest forecast is for above average temperatures, so we may leave Florida and venture north after March 27th. We will play things by ear, but we would like to get back to Wisconsin and spend some time with Dan’s parents, before our summer workcamping job.

Quote for the Day: “Looking after my health today gives me a better hope for tomorrow.” – Anne Wilson Schaef

Reflections of two years on the road

Posted on July 27, 2015 by liv2rv

2 years ago I left my steady, stable job as a CT Technologist at a hospital and Dan left his 27 year teaching career for a complete unknown. Reflecting back, we continue to have no regrets about making the change. As much as we have experienced in the past 2 years, it seems as if we have only scratched the surface on what our great country has to offer.

Mt Rushmore from Hwy 244

Sometimes I feel we are traveling at a snail’s pace, especially when I read others blogs and they seem to be all over the country. But then I remind myself that we, hopefully, have so much time ahead of us to continue going at our own pace. Eventually we will “get there”. It truly is the journey, and not the destination, that is important.

The past two summers, working in gift stores in major tourist areas, I have encountered many people who learn of our lifestyle, and then say “but you are so young”. Sometimes I wonder if we should have kept on working, and saving more money, but that thought quickly passes! After 2 years on the road, we are able to do just fine with our work camping jobs. It certainly helps not having to pay a mortgage, gas, electric, water, sewer and property taxes. And we make sure to find jobs where we are paid for all hours worked, as well as having our site paid for.

I really enjoy living in a small space. I still have too many clothes and other things, so another trip to Goodwill is in order. If it has not been used in 2 years, it is time to let someone else have it collect dust in their house!

Our current location, West Yellowstone, has dozens of hotels/motels/cabins. Watching people load and unload their luggage makes me appreciate the fact we have everything we need with us at all times when we travel in our 5^th wheel.

THINGS THAT I MISS

A “real” oven. After our first year, I have stopped using our propane oven. Even though it is very small in size, it takes about 30 minutes to heat up, and significantly longer to cook anything. A small batch of cookies takes about 30 minutes. It just became too frustrating to use. In the past year, I have been using our convection/microwave oven, with slightly better results. An electric home oven has 220 volt power, versus 110 volt power in a recreational vehicle. As such, it still takes longer to cook, but I can do a batch of cookies in about 20 minutes, with better results. And things brown better than in a propane oven. Some people use a stand-alone toaster oven for their baking, and have better results. If we ever purchase another RV, it would not have a propane oven.
DVR. We do not have satellite, and we certainly do not miss the big bill! We rely on over-the-air television, which can be hit or miss. We have discovered a lot of excellent shows on the PBS channels, which usually come in when nothing else does. But I do miss the ability to record television shows when we are working. We have thought about going “old school” and getting a VCR! (that’s a video cassette recorder for you young folks!)
Washer/dryer. We opted not to spend an additional $1100 for a stackable unit when we purchased our 5^th wheel. Although we do not mind going to laundromats, we have several t-shirts that are now “tye-died” as a result of using public washers!
Unlimited and fast internet connections
Family and friends events. We have missed some big events due to having to work in the summer. But there were also times with our regular jobs that we could not make it to certain things. We do try to get back to Wisconsin to visit with family and friends, so this does help.

REGRETS?

Zip, zero, nada!!!!

BEST PART OF OUR JOURNEY?

The people that we have met along the road, have been the number one benefit of this lifestyle. As an introverted person, this has truly been a blessing for me. It is very easy to live in a house and not get to know your neighbors. It is almost impossible to walk around a campground and not strike up conversations with others. Work camping is also a wonderful way to meet others, share experiences, and make life-long friends.

Cedar Key 1/14

lunch with friends

Tom, Jack, Ruth Ann, me, Dan and Ellen

We have had some wonderful experiences.

snorkeling with manatees

Crazy Horse Memorial

Disney after Dark

And driven through some beautiful parts of the country!

no problem!

Encountering wildlife.

Big Daddy

And trying new experiences

a small waterfall behind us

Looking back through our photos over the past two years make us realize how much we have experienced. And we have only scratched the surface! Some of you have followed along on our journey from the beginning, and we thank you for that! Others have joined along the way. We are humbled that people follow along with us.

Quote for the day: “The less routine the more life.” – Amos Bronson Alcott

Whitewater Rafting and Big Sky Country

Posted on July 1, 2015 by liv2rv

We decided to take advantage of a few freebies with our coupon book before they expired, and headed up to Big Sky, Montana (about 40 miles north) for a full day of playing tourist. Our pass for Montana Whitewater offered two options: a zipline tour, or whitewater rafting. When I first mentioned to Dan that I would like to try Whitewater Rafting, he was very surprised, as I do not swim. However, I knew I would feel a lot safer in a boat, with multiple people, a helmet and life jacket than zipping over trees held on by nothing more than small cable. The company offers several different tours , and we opted for the less challenging 1/2 day on the Gallatin River with Class 2-3 rapids.

If you want to go whitewater rafter, the earlier in the season, the better the water will be, in terms of water level and speed of the water. After mid-June, you will not really encounter much “rapids”, and the company will offer river tubing tours. So the earlier you can go, the more challenging it will be. Of course, the earlier you go, the colder the water temperature is! In our case, it was a brisk 40 degrees, so every splash was a bit refreshing!

There were three rafts in our group. The guides give a lot of safety instructions, and you practice your strokes as a group. Then each raft is on its own with a guide, going down the river, for the next 90 minutes or so.

the calm before the rocks

We bounced off a few rocks, and our guide Nicole, informed us she is an ‘equal opportunity splasher’, and she would turn the boat in different directions so we all got wet. Fortunately, this tour company provided free wetsuits and neoprene boots, which helped, but it was still chilly.

There were areas of calm water, followed by rocky, fast-moving water, which made for a fun morning. Enjoy our little sequence where we all got wet!

Our group

The Gallatin River runs along Highway 191, and the scenery is very beautiful.

a small waterfall behind us

watch out for the rocks!

We had a great time with Montana Whitewater, and would definitely recommend this company. The cost for a 1/2 day tour is $55.00 per person, and does include wetsuits. There are other tour companies, but they charge you extra for the suits. If you go early in the year, you definitely want to have them. We had free passes, but this was definitely something we would pay for with this company.

We stopped along the river for a quick picnic lunch, then headed into the city of Big Sky. On our drive in, we saw a sign for Lone Peak Brewery, so we decided to stop in and sample some of their local brews. Our 5 sampler came on a mini ski!

snow ski sampler!

Of the beers that we sampled, we liked two, Hippy Highway Oatmeal Stout, and a bourbon beer that was finished off for several weeks in a used bourbon barrel. Unfortunately, they do not can or bottle either of these two flavors. So if you want to try them, you will have to come to the brewery!

We continued on to the Big Sky Resort, for our complimentary scenic ski lift ride ($16/adults) from Mountain Village (7500 feet) to Swift Peak (8800 feet). There is an additional tram that will take you to the top of Lone Peak (11,000 feet), but we did not have time for that tour. The lift was very quiet, and took about 15 minutes to get to the top. I found that staring at my feet helped with the heights!

don’t look down!

Lone Peak 11000 feet

In the summer, the trails open up for hiking and cycling, and they have special lifts to take the bikes to the top.

bicycle chair lift

Even though we did not go to the top, it was still a beautiful view of the mountains.

Lone Peak double diamond trails

You can see the city of Big Sky down below.

Big Sky country

A view of the resort area coming down on the chair lift.

closer look at the resort area

For those that love skiing, there are many trails for all abilities.

After our quick tour, we headed over to 320 Guest Ranch for our complimentary Pig Roast which they have on Mondays in the summer. For $15, you get a pulled pork sandwich, coleslaw, potato salad, beans and a cookie. While the ranch itself is very nice, we were happy that we did not have to pay for the meal. This went into our “glad it was free” category.

We enjoyed our time Big Sky. It is a wonderful, and growing city.

Quote for the day: “When you put your hand in a flowing stream, you touch the last that has gone before and the first of what is still to come.” – Leonardo DaVinci

Back to Work – our summer home

Posted on May 20, 2015 by liv2rv

After our unexpected delay in Rapid City, SD to repair Dan’s truck (under warranty yay!), we spent the next two days travelling to our summer job in West Yellowstone, MT. It was a beautiful drive, and we knew our destination was ahead when we hit this sign.

Welcome to Yellowstone

We were pleasantly surprised by the town of West Yellowstone, population 1300, located at the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park. For such a small town, it has a lot to see and do in the area, besides the big park. We feel this will be a good summer for exploring.

There are a few RV parks in town, but they charge very high daily fees. As such, work campers are usually tucked away in spots throughout the town that locals rent out to businesses. If you drive around and look in the alleys, you will see RV’s tucked all over town. We are on the edge of town, in a quiet area, with one other RV. It is not a glamorous spot, but it has 50 amp full hook-ups, and will be free, to us, for the entire summer.

our ‘spot’

Across the street from our spot, is US Forest Service land, which has some nice trails and a place to let Makena play off leash.

place for Makena

And beyond the forest, lies a beautiful view!

view for the summer!

The day after we arrived, we started our summer jobs. We will be working at Homeroom at Madison Crossings, a cabin decor gift shop. There is one other work camper couple, Tom and Ellen, that recommended the job to us.

Tom and Ellen

The building was the old school in town. Originally built in 1918, it was a 3 room school, and expanded over the years. In 1954, a gymnasium was added on, and that is the location of the gift shop. It remained in use until 1992, when a new school was built. In 1993, an elevator and 2^nd floor was added to the gym. The floor, wood beams, and two of the lights are original to the building.

Madison Crossings

Homeroom at Madison Crossings

view from 2nd floor

Down the hall is the old gym (a “half court gym”) and the stage. Today it is used for banquets.

half gym & stage

For those curious about work camping and what it pays, we will be making $9.00/hour, with a 50 cent an hour completion bonus for every hour we work. In addition, we will receive free access to the fitness center in the building, ($40/month value), and our site is free, including electric. We will also receive a discount on any purchases we make in the store as well as the restaurant that is in the building.

We already had visitors! George and Laurie (Owens on the Road) stopped by for a visit on the way to their summer job in Montana. It was great getting caught up with some fellow Amazon workers. We will be working Wednesday through Saturday, eventually working 10 hour days once the tourist season gets in full motion.

George and Laurie

The store sells many items, including a variety of signs. I took a photo of one of the cute signs, and that will be the Quote for the day:

Quote for the day

I need to lose 1/2 pound!

Posted on May 11, 2015 by liv2rv

Hello everyone! While my parents are busy waiting for their truck to get fixed, I thought I would update the blog. For those new to the blog, I like to give a perspective on full-timing from the dog’s point of view!

Keeping my peeps informed!

While I was sad when we left Florida, I was eager for new sights, smells and places to pee. I especially enjoyed our trip to North Carolina, because I had a big house to explore and play in. Austin and Cole were eager to play with me, and throw my football. Kids have so much more energy than adults do, so I get to play a lot longer with them. They even wore me out! Superhero’s can do that!

Cole & Austin

Cole even wrote about me in his school journal. Perhaps his mom and dad can think about getting a dog?? Thank you Jodie and Chris for letting me come and play!

Cole’s journal

Eventually we made our way back to “Camp Meyer”, which is my dad’s sisters house in Wisconsin. I really enjoy my off-leash time at Doug and Linda’s house, especially when the popcorn fairy magically leaves a few pieces of popcorn on the floor. While I was hanging with my gnomies this year, a strange thing happened. This little baby popped into the picture, and I was no longer the center of attention:(

Hanging with my gnomies

Baby Ellie seemed to upstage me, but I am hopeful she will get bigger and I can teach her how to throw the football to me! Congrats to Kyle and Lauren and their first child!

I need attention!

My parents took me down to the Milwaukee area to hang with my cousins, and get my doctor’s appointment. The doctor was not happy that I have gained 1/2 pound since my last visit. This may not sound like a big gain, but he is being pro-active, and I appreciated that! He didn’t comment on how much weight my parents have gained since Amazon, but the two are related! They promised the doctor they would get back into the habit of daily walks for me. The doctor also wanted to have my teeth cleaned, but my parents are hesitant to do this, as they would have to put me under. They have heard about other dogs that did not make it through a routine cleaning, so they are afraid to do it.

On the positive side, after my visit, my parents stopped at the pet store and bought me some new footballs, and a box of dental chews!!! WooHoo!! Treats and toys! Thanks you doctor!! I am really liking these, and my parents hope they work! They also bought a toothbrush and toothpaste….we’ll see how that goes! I did get to spend a few days with my grandparents, and they took me for daily walks and lots of playtime!

yummy!

If you ask any full-time RVer, they will say it can be easy to lose track of what day it is. I have no idea about the days of the week, but I do know about the seasons. It should be warm, warm, cool and a little cooler. But I was all mixed up yesterday when I woke up to this nonsense! Who put all this snow in my play area at the campground? Yuck!

What???

But at least my parents are still getting me out to play, so I can lose my 1/2 pound! I think we will be ‘hitching up’ soon, and getting out of this crazy weather to head west for the summer. I am looking forward to more areas to play, and I hear there is a lot of wildlife to see (from the comfort of my parents truck)!

Take care everyone!

Quote for the day: “Dogs love company. They place it first in their short list of needs.” – J.R. Ackerly

Oldies but Goodies

Posted on May 4, 2015 by liv2rv

While staying at Ver-El RV park in Concord, NC we were parked across the street from Charlotte Motor Speedway, we noticed a lot of classic cars heading into the parking lot. Twice a year the racetrack hosts the Charlotte AutoFair, where owners can put their cars up for sale or trade. There are also vendors selling parts for every type of vehicle, and displays of some unique vehicles.

We enjoy looking at old cars, so we walked over to check it out. We were also able to wander around and check out the speedway. Here is a view from the infield of the bleachers. The cars were displayed around the 1.5 mile race track.

Charlotte Motor Speedway

With well over a thousand cars on display, it was hard to pick what photos to display. This blog is a bit photo heavy, but if you enjoy cars, we hope you enjoy this post!

This fabulous corvette was listed at $55,000 and did have a “sold” sign on it.

Sold!

This car is owned by NASCAR driver Kyle Busch.

1956 Chevy Bel Air

Before the mini van, families traveled in style!

classic station wagon

classic wagon

And remember the days when everyone had their own ash tray, even in the third row bench seat of the wagons?!

ashtrays for everyone!

The show had some very old and beautifully restored vehicles…

1931 Ford Model A

as well as this truck, which could easily tow just about any 5th wheel!

pimped up truck!

There were some muscle cars on display.

1967 Chevy Chevelle SS Convertible

classic muscle car

And some unique vehicles we have never seen before.

1945 COE

1948 GM Cabover racecar Hauler

1935 Ford 4 door Slantback

Engines were much simpler in the older cars.

Not much under the hood

One of my favorites was this 1964 Impala SS that came with “factory power steering”. This car is “my age” and was all decked out in purple, my favorite color.

1964 Impala SS

This 1956 Chevrolet Del Ray was getting a lot of inquiries, as it had been fully restored and was immaculate inside and out.

1956 Chevy Del Ray

super clean engine

inside look

I’m not really sure if these guys were planning on taking a spin around the track on their scooters!

going for a spin?!

They will have another auto fair in September, so if you are in the area, you may want to check it out.

Quote for the day: “Never lend your car to anyone to whom you have given birth.” – Erma Bombeck

Visiting friends in North Carolina

Posted on May 1, 2015 by liv2rv

(We are currently in Wisconsin, and realized that we did not publish our posts from North Carolina….sorry for the delay)

After our brief visit in South Carolina (a state we will definitely explore in more detail someday), we had a relatively easy drive up to Concord, North Carolina to visit with my friend Jodie and her family. Jodie and I worked together as CT Technologists back in Wisconsin. Jodie’s husband Chris has a “work from home” job. Since they could live anywhere, they wisely decided to move from the snow and cold of Wisconsin, to a very moderate climate in North Carolina to raise their two young boys.

We found a convenient “campground” at Ver-El Mobile Village in Concord. It is right across the street from Charlotte Motor Speedway, has full hookups and was only $25.00 per night. There are no other amenities, it is basically a large grass field, but it was close to Jodie’s home in Huntersville. After arriving, we met up with Jodie and her two boys, Cole and Austin, at the massive Concord Mills Mall. They came over to see our house, and meet Makena, and we had a nice time catching up. It always amazes me that no matter how long you have been apart from someone, it just seems like yesterday when you do get together!

Cole, Austin and Jodi

We talked about the big influence that NASCAR has in this area, and Jodie mentioned that Hendricks Motorsports was located about one mile from where we were staying, and Joe Gibbs Racing was very close to their house in Huntersville. We decided to add those items to our itinerary.

The next day we drove out to Jodie’s home, and were impressed by the many miles of paved bicycle paths all over the area. Jodie stated you can pretty much go anywhere on your bicycle. Makena came with us, and she and the boys had a great time playing football in their backyard. Cole decided to challenge Makena!

Just throw it!

Austin enjoyed bringing dishes of water for Makena to drink out of!

thanks for the water

Eventually the boys wore her out, and she needed a rest!

all pooped out

The adults also had fun too!

Patio beers!

Since we are in NASCAR country, we decided to visit the Hendricks Motorsports complex and toured the free museum, as well as the areas in the garage that are open to the public. The museum was very interesting, and had multiple cars on display.

Hendrick classic cars

There was a large display of colorful cars for Jeff Gordon, who is retiring this year from racing.

Jeff Gordon’s collection

Below are the actual winning race cars from the Daytona 500. On the left is Dale Earnhardt Jr’s car from 2014 and Jimmy Johnson’s car from 2013. Both cars remain covered with confetti from the winners circle.

Daytona 500 winners

This is Ken Schrader’s Budweiser car from the 1995 Talladega (AL) race. Despite the severity of the crash, he was not injured and walked away from the car. This is probably what my car would look like if I was driving 200 MPH!

ouch!

They even have an outdoor exercise facility for the pit crew members, and we happened to be around when one of the teams was working out.

Pit Crew workout

You can view inside the garage to watch the employees work on the cars. (Only the #24 and #5 car facility was open on this day. The #88 and #48 facility was closed for a private event).

working on the 24 car

Inside the garage

Since the Joe Gibbs Racing complex was near their house, we stopped in to check that out as well. The facility is in a newer office park, and really blends in with the surroundings. We were quite surprised by that, and it would be very easy to miss the facility. You can also see into the immaculate garage area, at the cars in various states of repair.

Joe Gibbs garage

Crispy M and M’s car

We met up with Jodie and Chris in town for a nice dinner on our last night.

Jodie, Chris, Dan and I

This is a growing area, with much to see and do. Dan and I discussed looking into a work camping job in NC for the future. North Carolina is a one day’s drive to many states. With a moderate climate and low cost of living (compared to Wisconsin), we can see why they chose this area. Thanks again Jodie and Chris! We will be back!

Quote for the day: “It’s all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends and family.” – Philip Green

Two days, two different experiences in Charleston, South Carolina

Posted on April 7, 2015 by liv2rv

We left Florida Monday morning and ventured up I-95 to Charleston, SC. Our trip was uneventful, other than seeing three different men peeing on the side of the road while going through Georgia. Perhaps the state should put up a rest area on that short 105 mile stretch through that state!! And if you have a four-door vehicle, open both doors and stand in the middle….just a thought!

After getting set up in our campground, we were excited to visit historic downtown Charleston. Unfortunately, we arrived the day after Easter, when many families were on Spring Break. It was a traffic nightmare! After driving around for over an hour, finding parking lot after parking lot, full, we just gave up. And then spent another hour in bumper to bumper traffic to go 15 miles to back to our campground. We were both very frazzled and disappointed!

After taking the dog for a long walk to calm our nerves, we turned on the news, and the lead story was coverage of a meeting going on in Charleston to try to improve visitors experiences to the city! We both laughed at the irony. They are trying to figure out what to do about the traffic jams and the lack of parking. Hopefully they will come up with a solution.

Today we got up early to beat the traffic and head over to Mount Pleasant, SC to see Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum. Unlike yesterday, today we had an awesome experience! If you are in the area, we would strongly recommend spending time visiting this place. Patriots Point is home of the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10), Destroyer Laffey (DD-724), Submarine Clamagore (SS-343), Medal of Honor Museum and The Vietnam Experience Exhibit. Admission is $20, and you can easily spend all day touring everything. We spent about 5 hours, and could easily have taken more time to read all the exhibit signs.

Here is a view of all three in the water.

Patriots Point

The USS Yorktown Aircraft Carrier was commissioned on April 15, 1943 and fought in many historic battles in World War II. She was converted to an antisubmarine carrier in the 1950’s and served in that capacity in the Vietnam War. In addition, the carrier recovered the Apollo 8 astronauts and their capsule after they returned to Earth. The carrier is very impressive in size at 888 feet in length.

USS Yorktown CV-10

Dan on flight deck

Bridge of carrier

view of flight deck from bridge

some big guns

more views of flight deck

The self-guided tour allows access to many areas of the carrier, giving you a good idea of what life was like on board. During WWII, 3,088 enlisted men along with 380 officers served on duty. They had 90 planes on board between the flight deck and the hangar, which is just below the deck.

long hallways

The tour provided access to all levels on the carrier. There is an extensive medical and dental area.

open wide!

operating room

Pilots Ready Room

The enlisted crew did not have much privacy, as they had a bunk and a small locker.

Crew’s Berthing

The carrier had their own bakery, and they had several recipes on display, including this one to make 10,000 chocolate chip cookies!

a bakers delight

The Destroyer Laffey seemed rather tiny next to the Yorktown Carrier, although it is still 376 feet long. The Laffey was involved in the D-Day landing of Allied troops in Normandy. Just four months later it was out fighting in the Pacific. On April 16, 1945, the Laffey was bombed by the Japanese and several kamikaze planes. 32 men were killed and the ship sustained heavy damage. Yet the crew of 336 continued fighting and shot down their attackers. The destroyer earned the nickname “The Ship that Would Not Die.” This is a view of the Laffey from the deck of the carrier.

Destroyer Laffey DD-724

The front gun mount on the Laffey was the area struck by the bombs. It was rebuilt and now they show a short, but sobering film about the attack and the men who were working inside the mount. As with the Yorktown, you can view many levels and rooms.

Laffey DD-724

The Laffey contained this very interesting US Navy QH-50D Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter (DASH) from 1966. Many people commented on this “old school” style drone. Drones have certainly come a long way in design and technology!

1966 style drone

The submarine Clamagore was commissioned in 1945, near the end of WWII. This diesel-powered sub remained in service until 1975.

Submarine Clamagore SS-343

The sub in not for someone afraid of confined spaces! There are a lot of small spaces to navigate through.

small openings

Torpedo room and bunks for the men assigned to this detail.

Torpedo and bunks underneath

Patriots Point also has an area on land entitled The Vietnam Experience, to show what life was like during the Tet Offensive on a US Navy Advanced Tactical Support Base and a US Marine Corps Artillery Firebase. It was a very moving exhibit.

Vietnam Experience

inside of helicopter

This was truly a wonderful display of military history. We want to thank everyone who has served our country in the military including some of our family and friends.

Quote of the day: “When I lost my rifle, the Army charged me 85 dollars. That is why in the Navy the Captain goes down with the ship.” – Dick Gregory

Liv2RV

Living and working around the country in a RV

Category Archives: Full time RVing

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Two days, two different experiences in Charleston, South Carolina