Elite Resort at Citrus Valley, FL

Lazy Days gives a thirty-day warranty on their used coaches. Since we will be out of town a good part of those thirty days we thought it prudent to get the coach out of storage and spend a few nights in it. The state park we had hoped to do this in a week ago is full, so we elected to try a nearby upscale resort with owner-owned sites. There were good reviews on-line for Elite Resort at Citrus Valley. It is only a few miles from home so we thought to give it a try. Being close it would allow Barbara to continue seeing her mom daily.

We found the park to be immaculate, with nice facilities, and very friendly people.

All the sites have paver pads, which look nice, but unless you purchase a lot and develop it further the pad really is only big enough to park your coach and another vehicle.

There is no patio, table, or fire ring. I had hoped to have a little room to bring things out of the bays and start reorganizing to make better use of the space and sort out the things that could be left off since there is less storage in this coach. Unless I spread everything out on the sand and grass I was not going to be able to. As is happens it has been rainy and wet the whole time we have been here and that has kept us indoors. So, the lower storage bays will have to wait for another time.

For those that have purchased lots here it is a very nice park. To be useable, the normal sized lots need to be completely paved to allow you sufficient space for outside living; otherwise your sitting area is in front of your coach with the toad. There are very nice larger lots, mostly on corners, but those are owner occupied.

There has been a recent jump in lot prices since demand evidently has risen with the returning economy. For the prices I have heard I would not purchase the remaining lots for the reasons listed. There are some nice looking homes with RV ports adjacent to the park. I would consider one of those over the spaces in the park, but that’s me. Everyone has unique wants, needs, and desires. I am sure the remaining lots will sell because the amenities are very nice, and so are the staff and neighbors.

As for the shakedown, we have a list of things that should be addressed. Chief among them is this:

While drying the stall after my morning shower I heard splashing and a high rate of water flow. I opened the shower door to see the coach being flooded by a broken line under the bathroom sink. Barbara ran out (she who was actually wearing clothes) and saved the day by turning off the water at the outdoor faucet. We then began mopping up. Luckily we stopped it quickly and I do not think any damage was done. Barbara was able to get down in the reduced space under the sink to see that a crimped on water line had come loose from the hot water manifold. It is hard to get to, so we will have Lazy Days fix it, and check all the others as well. We were lucky enough to get an appointment for January 26^th, so stay tuned.

By the way, this is New Years Eve, and I am missing some good football. We have not installed a satellite receiver yet, so no ESPN. We get plenty of over the air channels, though.

To get cable at this park we need to place a cable box at each TV, and since these are flush mounted TVs that are pre-wired I am not going to that trouble. However, I am certainly going to get home tomorrow for the big games.

Out with the Old. In with the New(ish).

We have been at Lazy Days RV Center here in Seffner, FL since Wednesday when we traded our Winnebago Journey for a pre-owned Tiffin Phaeton. The Phaeton was traded in for a 2015 Tiffin and our sales person, Dana Philp, contacted us and told us it was coming in. We gave her a deposit to hold it until we could come down and see it. That was last month. She knew this was one of two coach models we were interested in. (The other was a Newmar)

We wanted a newer coach that was a little shorter than the Journey to make it easier to get into state and national parks, and at 36’ this one fit the bill. It also had the other key elements we were after: tile floors, leather-like upholstery, and a residential refrigerator.

So, we came down Wednesday and checked it out. No major issues, so we made the deal. As is usually the case there were some things that needed to be fixed and we had three accessories we wanted to have added. Lazy Days is very good about fixing any malfunctioning items before you leave and it has taken a few days to get them all sorted out.

We noted that there was an outlet that was not working. While troubleshooting the technician found this as the problem! The original owners were lucky they did not lose the coach to fire!

Moving in.

Just waiting for final fixes. They are closed on Sundays.

Peeking in at night. Sorry for the mess, its moving day.

We were supposed to spend this weekend at Lake Louisa State Park to run systems through their paces, but alas, we are still here. That is not too bad, though. The coach came with a two-year membership to Lazy Days Crown Club. We are in a nice shaded campsite and they are providing breakfast, lunch and a happy hour each day. Not bad at all.

Fort Wilderness

Despite breaking my foot two days before their arrival, we managed to get my son's family set up in our motor home in the 500 loop of Fort Wilderness, Disney World's fabulous campground.

I wish I had a good story to go with the broken foot, but I don't. I was walking up to the pool supply place and "POP". I have to keep all weight off of the right foot and I am wearing a boot cast at all times other than when sleeping. That placed the entire burden of getting ready, loading the motor home, driving it to the campground and setting up, on my hero of a wife Barbara. This was on top of her caring for her elderly mother and coordinating the fostering of dogs for Golden Retreiver Rescue of Mid-Florida. Busy lady.

This was her first time backing into a snug campsite and she did a magnificent job. She got it in on the first try!

Chris, Lisa and Jack (4 years) got two full days in the Magic Kingdom. With the end of daylight savings time the days are quite short right now. It was dark by the time they made their way back to the camp each evening. Still, we managed to grill two nice dinners and share each other's company. Bright and early Sunday morning we had to break camp and get Lisa to the airport. Lisa works for an airline and the family was traveling space available. Orlando is famous for full flights, and Sunday was no exception. They elected to split up with Lisa leaving first to get home to their other son, Ben (8 months) and relieve her mom who had come to babysit. Chris and Jack extended the adventure by renting a car and driving to Jacksonville to stand by for their trip home. It all ended well.

Lots of smiles!

For those of you that have not spent any time at Fort Wilderness I must recommend that you find an opportunity to do so, even if it is just for a few days. As you would expect the park is immaculate and the staff is friendly. There are plenty of activities for kids and miles of bike trails through the forested campground. The facility is very large, but the campsites are nicely spread out in the trees in several loops of about fifty sites each. You do not get the impression of being in as large a facility as it is. Don't have an RV or tent? No problem, they have many cabins as well.

KJ4FWN on the air!

Since we are not travelling much these days I have been participating in the local Amateur Radio Emergency Service supporting Orange County, FL. I have put together a portable radio station to be used in emergency activations, but also with an eye towards bringing it on the RV when we travel. Using this setup in the house with a limited antenna in the attic I have reached other amateur radio operators continents away. The furthest south was in Ecuador. The furthest east has been Ukraine. The way the antenna is oriented I have not contacted, or heard for that matter, anyone further west than Louisiana. My furthest north contact so far is Wisconsin, and that was on reduced transmitter power while on battery. I fully expect to make Canadian contacts from home when I have full power available.

Barbara and Nia followed me to Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake here in Orlando for an afternoon test run at setting up the station in the field and operating only on the battery I have built into the box. It was a wonderful afternoon, but a bit hot for spending too much time at the park. For the first time, Barbara got more mosquito bites than I did!

 

Thankfully there was plenty of shade.

For those interested, I am using a Yaesu FT-857D radio, LDG FT-100 antenna tuner, and Buddipole portable antenna. In this case, power is from the on board nine amp hour battery. The box contains a 30 Amp switched power supply for when 110v AC power is available. Automatic transfer from the 110v mains power to battery power is provided by a PWRGate PG40S, which also charges the battery when 110v power is available. This set up acts as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) similar to what many use with their computers.

Buddipole Vertical Antenna set for 20 meter band.

Monticello, FL

Not much to report today as we continue the drive towards home. It was a fine drive. The new tires are continuing to provide a smoother ride, although who knows; it might be just a mental justification for the expense of the tires.

We have stopped in Monticello, FL at a KOA campground. It is probably the most expensive overnight of the trip and one of the worst campgrounds. Transients are placed in the mud bog behind the rest of the campground. The mosquitoes seem happy to have me back, though.

Nia has resigned herself to a life on the road. She sleeps the entire trip and is ready for dinner on arrival. Being a city girl, she is not too happy with mud, or dust, or gravel. Here at least she has some grass, and that makes her potty breaks easier. Tomorrow she will need to readjust to her home and yard.

Barbara and I are enjoying hummus and pita bread with wine this evening. (Under the watchful gaze of Nia who thinks that if we eat, she should eat, even if she just had dinner) Just because we are in a bog does not mean we have to give up the civilized life! We are trying to eat as much of the leftovers as possible because we will be home this time tomorrow, and the less we have to schlep home from the RV the better. Those who know me will understand that this places me in pig heaven. (Emphasis on heaven, not pig) Leftovers and lots of them.

Back in Gulfport, MS

Our reunion with Jim and Phyllis Kaiserski here in Gulfport, MS was great. We crossed paths here. Jim and Phyllis were westbound in their Tartan sailboat and we were eastbound in our motor home.  The campground and marina are only four miles apart. It was perfect timing and a perfect location.

Dinner last night was at the Half Shell Oyster House. This turned out to be a very good choice. Dinner was great! Remember this one and drop in if you are in Gulfport.

Jim and Phyllis at Half Shell Oyster House

Gulfport was badly damaged in hurricane Katrina. New Orleans gets all the press, but the Mississippi gulf coast was just as ravaged. As a result, the shoreline, marina and buildings near the coast are all new. There is a great beach within walking distance of downtown, and you would be hard pressed to find a better marina.

We met Jim and Phyllis onboard their boat Sisu for coffee and muffins this morning, got to talk more sailing talk, and then wished them well as they sailed off on their return to Niceville, FL.

Bon Voyage Sisu and her crew.

One more stop and we will be home.

Iowa, LA

We had two Toyo M154 tires mounted yesterday afternoon and were on our way first thing this morning. We enjoyed our stay in Kerrville. The Texas Hill Country is a very nice area, and we will return. The new tires are pretty good. They even seem to offer a little softer ride at higher inflation pressures.

Ever wonder what the dog does on long drives?

At five this afternoon we rolled into Cypress Bend RV Park in Iowa, LA. It is a strange place. The campground itself is actually pretty nice. It is just a bit difficult to get into, or find, for that matter. You have to look closely. It is hidden behind a Shell station and a McDonalds. It is immediately adjacent to the off ramp from I-10.

Tight squeeze between Shell station, McDonalds and the offramp.

Not much to report today since it was all spent on the road, and nothing bad happened. Tomorrow we will return to Gulfport, MS and hopefully meet up with friends Jim and Phyllis Kaiserski as they cruise back to Niceville, FL on their sailboat. It will be nice to see them again.

Kerrville, TX (Finally)

Uh oh?

 What was going to be a long day on the road turned out to be a REAL long day on the road. We got off to an easy early start and everything was going very smoothly. We even got right in to the truck stop for fuel without a wait. The trouble came midway between Ozona, TX and Sonora, TX. Go ahead, look it up on the map. There is nothing there except cell service, thank God.

Barbara was driving when the front left tire blew. We have heard horror stories of the problems that can happen when this occurs, and we thought ahead and installed a steering stabilizer (Safe-T-Plus) right after buying the coach to help in this situation. Barbara handled it with a professional calm, kept the bus pointed straight ahead, slowed gently and pulled to the shoulder. Fantastic job, Barbara!

Yeah, there was a little body damage, too.

We called our roadside service contractor who, in turn, arranged for someone to bring a tire and get it mounted. While waiting for the guy to show up I kept thinking that the price quoted for the tire was way too low, and about the time I called back to confirm that they knew to bring the correct tire the truck shows up. I was expecting one of those big semi truck wreckers, but got a pickup. Sure enough he had the correct size tire, but it was a used tire. A WELL used tire. I did not like the looks of the thing and we discussed and cussed a bit. It obviously had been sitting outside and had water stains inside. The sun is low on the horizon and this is Saturday night of Easter weekend. The nearest tire would be at least two hours away. Towing the coach would have the potential of more damage and would be hours waiting alongside the interstate waiting for the truck, let alone the actual tow. Where would he take us?

Well we decided to take the used tire and limp to Kerrville, TX one hundred and thirty miles further down the road. It was our intended stop and we had a tire dealer recommended there that would help us Monday morning. We carefully drove at a lower speed while monitoring the pressure on the suspect tire. I found that the motor home is pretty good at night. We avoid night driving like the plague. At eleven PM we arrived at the Kerrville campground where we had reserved space. We found it to be a very nice, clean, large campground that earns the name “resort”. Not all do.

We got in our space and set up as quietly as we could, then broke out the wine and had chicken tacos for a late supper. It looks like we will be here at least one extra night, but it looks as though it will be a very pleasant place to while away the time.

Las Cruces, NM

We finally hit the road. We were delayed for two days due to jeep repairs, but did leave Tucson this morning. We were sad to leave since we really liked Tucson, but we need to get home to Barbara’s mom. The maintenance delay cost us a second visit to see the grandkids in Dallas, though.

Our intent was to drive to El Paso, TX and stay at the military campground at Fort Bliss. While driving east this morning I called and found that they only had one space left for tonight. They do not take reservations or I would have made one days ago. It was highly unlikely that the one open space would still be available by the time we would arrive, so we opted out and called the Hacienda RV Resort in Las Cruces, NM. They had room so we booked a spot. It turned out to be a top notch RV park. Very nice. We may regret this tomorrow, because stopping short of El Paso today just adds time to an already long drive tomorrow. I suppose we could have found something on the east side of El Paso, but we did not want the hassle of El Paso rush hour at the end of a long day of driving. Tomorrow is Saturday and a morning pass through town should be uneventful.

Las Cruces has some interesting history. The original settlement of La Mesilla was once the largest community between San Antonio and San Diego. It was a stage stop for the Butterfield Stage Lines that ran the Overland Trail. We showed you a portion of that road when we were in Fort Davis. Yep, the same long road. Billy the Kid was tried for murder here.

The Gadsden Purchase was completed here.

The Basilica

The plaza is the typical meeting place adjacent to the Basilica.

We were only a mile from the old town of Mesilla so we decided to walk there. We did a little shopping (we, in this case, should be interpreted as Barbara) and stopped in to an old Mexican restaurant. Great setting, OK margarita, not so great food. 

All the locals were excited that it started to rain. Drought, you know, but they had driven there. We walked home in it. Thankfully, it was not too bad.

We will try for an early departure, but you know how that goes with us. First there is the coffee, then the paper, then…

Tucson, AZ - Day Ten

OK, we have the jeep fixed. Well, at least the work is completed and the new axle is installed. It will be a few miles down the road that we will determine if it is “fixed” or not. Sure hope so.

Old Right Rear Axle Shaft. Seal kept leaking, so we are trying new shaft.

We are set to leave in the morning. Our next planned stop is going to be Fort Bliss and the military campground there. Fort Bliss is in El Paso, TX. From there we will continue east on I-10 and hope to find a campground along the interstate as the day draws to an end. The campgrounds are not numerous in the middle of Texas, but I am sure we will find something.

Tucson Day Nine, Yes, Nine.

We are really liking Tucson and the surrounding area in general, and the Davis Monthan AFB campground specifically. The people have been great and it is a nicely landscaped and clean facility.

We were to have left this morning for Dallas to spend the weekend with Chris, Lisa and the two boys. Unfortunately, we have a little problem with the jeep and are waiting for a part that will not arrive until tomorrow.

Having an unexpected free day I washed the jeep and then we visited Trail Dust Town. The key attraction at this old movie set western town is the Pinnacle Peak restaurant. You may know the one in Phoenix: cowboy steakhouse where they will cut your tie off if you were to wear one in. Actually, the thing I remember most of the restaurant is how they treat customers ordering their steaks well done. When the other people at the table receive their meals a waiter brings a covered dish for the target patron. When everyone else has been served, the server raises the cover to reveal an old boot! OK, eventually the guy gets his dinner, but they have some fun with him first.

We were not there for dining, however. We were just curious and thought that Barbara might find a dream catcher for her mom. No luck on that front, but we did find The Horse Soldier Museum. We seem to run into these little treasures as we travel around. This museum has not been open a year and a half yet, so it may not be on many people’s radar, but it is a terrific museum of Cavalry history. There is a nice collection of uniforms, saddles, weapons and horse care equipment. You would think this would be on a military installation with active cav units, but this is a private collection. If you are in Tucson this is well worth your time to visit.

Vet's Medical Kit. Originally only three vets for the entire Army.

Early Cavalry weapons. Pre-Civil War.

Later weapons. Last Cavalry charge was 1942 in Philippines.

Sorry for the reflections.

Tucson, AZ - Day Eight (Tax Day)

Today was a fantastic off-roading day for us. We met with three other jeeps from the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) Four Wheelers Club. This is a group of motorhome owners that enjoy getting off-road and into the backcountry. These folks live here in Tucson and we were invited to join them on what they referred to as a “moderate” ride. Well, it sure stretched our experience level. It was great training to be out with a group that was willing to share their experience as well as their knowledge of the back roads north of Tucson.

We struck out west out of the small community of Mammoth, AZ. After airing down our tires we crossed under an abandoned railroad trestle and headed into the outback in an area called Tar Wash.

It was beautiful country. We climbed up out of the wash and ran the ridges where we got some great views of the area. Some of the trail was amazingly rocky and, if alone, Barbara and I would have not considered it passable. Through the guidance of the others we found that the jeep can do amazing things. It is a good thing we armored up the belly and had stout slide rails on the sides. All the armor was used on this trip.

We were not able to save the track on the GPS due to God knows what. The thing is finicky. It is a shame, because you would have enjoyed seeing the aerial views of this journey. For a short time the track on FindMeSpot will show, but after seven days it will expire. The GoPro camera was not working either, but Barbara did get some video on her phone.

Tucson Day Seven

Monday was an easy day. We took a drive up over the Catalina Mountains. We were treated to great views of Tucson from as high as 8,000’. The highway ended at Summerhaven and we took Control Road, a primitive dirt road kept as an escape road in case of fire, down the backside of the mountains to Oracle, AZ. Along the way we stopped for a picnic in the forest of Douglas Fir trees. It was quiet. The scent of evergreens and the sound of the breeze through the trees was very calming. 

Tucson Day Five

Saturday was the day Huguette was to depart for Santa Barbara and her new assisted living apartment. The original plan was for her to depart around ten in the morning, but the air ambulance firm called and said they had an emergency flight to conduct first. The departure was moved to late afternoon.

That gave us a chance to attend the Davis Monthan AFB open house and air show. We walked the ramp for a few hours looking at the static display aircraft and watched the aerial displays. We could not wait for the scheduled performance by the Thunderbirds, the Air Force aerobatic team, and took the bus back to the campground. As it turned out the Thunderbirds did not perform due to high winds. We had seen them practice the day before, so that was OK, but they are sure something to watch.

We drove over to the nearby commercial airport, and waited for the ambulance to arrive with Huguette. Since this is a charter flight, and not subject to stringent security measures, we were able to walk out on the ramp and check out the aircraft. We chatted with the flight crew taking her to Santa Barbara and found them to be great guys. The aircraft to be used was a Lear 35 that, while a bit smaller, was much quicker than the turboprop aircraft that brought her to Tucson. Once Huguette arrived at the airport things went very quickly. People were moving around so fast that I was not able to get very good pictures. Seems as soon as I pressed the shutter someone moved into the shot. Sorry for the bad photos.

Huguette was in Santa Barbara about an hour and a half after leaving Tucson and was soon getting settled in to her new apartment. We hear she is very happy there and already getting acquainted with her new neighbors.

Huguette is a nervous flyer under the best of circumstances.

In she goes!

Tight squeeze. Four crew, one passenger and baggage.

Door closed. Time for the checklist.