Taking Stock - Sunday, July 28, 2019

Well, well, look who's here? Bob is going to help me do a recap of what we've done in the past 4-1/2 months. We figure we're a little over half-way into our trip (139 days). Our best estimate is that we've driven over 14,000 miles in 20 states.

Let's take stock of where we've been and what we've been doing. From January 1 to June 29, 2019, I have walked 706.5 miles, well on my way to my walking goal of 1,000 miles this year. [Hint: We've been so busy, I haven't written a blog in over two months!]

Before we get started on all the details, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER, JANYCE. She went to a birthday breakfast with Mom, my brother Frank, and my sis-in-law Gina at La Provence restaurant in Lake Grove, Oregon, this morning. 

One of my favorite things: I absolutely love springtime. The way we planned our trip, we had spring all the way from Tennessee to the Finger Lakes Region of New York. For those first three months, each location we visited had dogwoods, azaleas, rhododendrons, roses, hydrangeas, lilies, snowball bushes, and many other flowers in bloom. It has been lovely. 

Conventions (so far):

1. Escapees Escapade RV rally, March 17-21, Pima County Fairgrounds, Tucson, Arizona.
2. American Volkssport Association (AVA: America's Walking Club):
• Pre-Convention Walks:
• Portsmouth, New Hampshire, June 9
• Danvers, Massachusetts, June 10
• Springfield, Massachusetts, June 11
• Convention Walks:
• Albany, New York 5k fun walk with an ice cream social, June 11
• Cohoes/Waterford, New York, June 12
• Saratoga National Historical Park and Schuylerville, New York, June 13
• Downtown Albany, New York, June 14
• Post-Convention Walks:
• Cooperstown, New York, 6k, June 15
• Niagara Night Walk, New York, 5k, June 15
• Buffalo, New York, War of 1812 6k walk, June 16
3. (Upcoming) U.S. FreedomWalk Festival, Arlington, Virginia, Oct. 19-21

State Capitals (so far - in the order we walked them):

1. Phoenix, Arizona, March 23
2. Nashville, Tennessee, April 9
3. Atlanta, Georgia, April 19
4. Columbia, South Carolina, April 23
5. Raleigh, North Carolina, April 26
6. Richmond, Virginia, April 29
7. Trenton, New Jersey, May 6
8. Annapolis, Maryland, May 10
9. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, May 13
10. Providence, Rhode Island, June 3
11. Hartford, Connecticut, June 4
12. Boston, Massachusetts, June 7
13. Concord, New Hampshire, June 8
14. Albany, New York, June 14

Friends and family (in the order we visited):

1. Rick and Jan Roemmick, Vail, Arizona
2. Skip and Sally Mendenhall, Carefree, Arizona
3. Charis and Mike Gulino, Scottsdale
4. Louise Alton (visited us from Las Vegas)
5. Laura Alton (visited us from Las Vegas)
6. Charlie and Debbie Smith, Sun City, Arizona
7. Sue Haynes (childhood friend and next-door neighbor for years), now in Rossville, Georgia
8. Anna Cade (blogger friend), Raleigh, North Carolina
9. Dave and Faye Malouf, Lums Pond, traveling in their 5th wheel and we found each other in the same campground at the same time.
10. John Baumann, Bob's cousin, Newport News, Virginia
11. Nicki and Paul Tiffany (long-time online friend), Delmarva Peninsula, Cape Charles, Virginia (their winter home)
12. Cynthia Myers, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware (friend of a friend, now our friend, too.)
13. Susan and Darren Medlin (from San Antonio) at Volksmarch Convention
14. Mark Johnson (from San Antonio) at Volksmarch Convention
15. Pat Roberts (formerly from San Antonio) at Volksmarch Convention
16. Mike and Kathy Schwencke  (from San Antonio) at Volksmarch Convention
17. Ellen Ott (from San Antonio) at Volksmarch Convention
18. Susan and John Ives (from San Antonio) at Volksmarch Convention
19. Andy Thomas (from San Antonio) at Volksmarch Convention
20. Joanne and Carlin Forinash (from San Antonio) at Volksmarch Convention
21. Derrill Rothermich (from El Paso) at Volksmarch Convention
22. Audrey Vertucci (from San Antonio) at Volksmarch Convention
23. Randy and Marge (from Texas) at Volksmarch Convention
24. Susan and Joe Noonan (from San Antonio) at Volksmarch Convention
25. Susan Fine (from Texas) at Volksmarch Convention
26. Sammy Hunnicut and his wife (soon to be in San Antonio) at Volksmarch Convention
27. Nicki and Paul Tiffany, Lyndonville, New York (their summer home)

Volksmarches completed (AVA: America's Walking Club):

1. March 14: Tucson, AZ - Saguaro East National Park, 10k
2. March 15: Tucson - Sabino Canyon, 12k
3. March 15: Tucson - Downtown/University, 11k
4. March 23: Phoenix, AZ - Capital, 6k
5. April 9: Nashville, TN - Capital, 12k
6. April 10: Nashville - Music Row & Universities, 11k
7. April 11: Nashville - Historic East Nashville, 5k
8. April 16: Chattanooga, TN, 10k
9. April 19: Atlanta, GA - Capital, 10k
10. April 23: Columbia, SC - Capital, 10k
11. April 23: Columbia - River Walk, 10k
12. April 24: Charleston, SC - Historic, 10k
13. April 26: Raleigh, NC - Capital (Downtown Wolfpack), 10k
14. April 26: Raleigh, NC - North Carolina Museum of Art, 10k
15. April 27: Durham, NC - Duke Univ., 10k
16. April 29: Richmond, VA - Capital, 10k
17. May 1: Newport News, VA - Noland Trail, 10k
18. May 2: Williamsburg, VA - Colonial Williamsburg, 10k
19. May 3: Jamestown, VA - Jamestowne National Park, 5k
20. May 6: Trenton, NJ - Princeton Historic/Capital, 10k 
21. May 8: Dover, DE - Capital - YMCA, 10k
22. May 9: Rehoboth Beach, DE - Town and boardwalk, 10k
23. May 15: Harrisburg, PA - Capital, 10k
24. May 15: Hershey, PA - Town, 10K
25. May 18: New York City - Lower Manhattan, 12k
26. May 20: New York City - Central Park, 11k
27. May 21: New York City - Midtown, 12k
28. May 22: New  York City - Highline, Little Italy, Chinatown, Greenwich Village, 13k
29. May 25: Highland, NY - Walkway Over the Hudson, 8k
30. May 29: Kent, CT - Appalachian Trail, Housatonic River, 10k
31. May 30: West Point, NY - US Military Academy at West Point, 10k
32. May 30: Fort Montgomery, NY - Appalachian Trail, 5k
33. May 31: Newport, RI - Scenic Cliff Walks, 10k
34. June 1: Mystic, CT - Mystic, 10k
35. June 3: Providence, RI - Capital walk, 10k
36. June 4: Hartford, CT - Capital - River walk, 10k
37. June 5: Fall River, MA - Battleship Cove Walk, 6k
38. June 7: Boston, MA - Capital - Freedom Trail, 11k
39. June 8: Concord, NH - Capital, 10k
40. June 9: Portsmouth, NH - 10k
41. June 9: Salem, MA - 5k
42. June 10: Danvers, MA - Danvers Historical Walk, 6k
43. June 11: Albany, NY - Evening fun walk at convention, 5k
44. June 12: Cohoes/Waterford, NY - 11k
45. June 13: Saratoga National Historical Park & Schuylerville, NY, 10k
46. June 14: Albany, NY - Downtown capital, 6k
47. June 15: Cooperstown, NY - 5k
48. June 15: Niagara Falls, NY - Evening walk, 5k
49. June 16: Buffalo, NY, 6k
50. June 19: Lockport, NY - Erie Canal, 10k
51. June 21: Youngstown, NY - War of 1812, 11k
52. June 21: Williamsville (Amherst), NY, 10k
53. June 22: Buffalo, NY - Pan-Am Buffalo, 10k
54. June 23: Rochester, NY - Downtown, 5k
55. June 24: Rochester, NY - Ontario Beach, 10k
56. June 27: Rochester, NY - Highland Park, 5k
57. July 2: Watkins Glen, NY, 10k 
58. July 4: Ithaca, NY - Cornell Univ., 10k
59. July 19: Saratoga Springs, NY - Spa Park, 10k
60. July 21: Chimney Point, VT - Champlain Bridge VT/NY, 10k 
61. July 24: Sacket's Harbor, NY - War of 1812, 10k
62. July 24: Watertown, NY, 10k
63. July 28: Cape Vincent, NY - Lighthouse Walk, 10k

What's Out There Weekend, Nashville Tours:

1. Belmont Mansion
2. Music Row
3. The Hermitage
4. Clover Bottom Mansion
5. Tennessee State University
6. Cheekwood Estate & Gardens

Colleges and Universities (in the order we visited them):

1. University of Arizona, Tucson
2. Belmont University, Nashville
3. Vanderbilt University, Nashville
4. Tennessee State University, Nashville
5. Georgia Tech, Atlanta
6. Georgia State University, Atlanta
7. University of South Carolina
8. Charleston College, South Carolina
9. North Carolina State, Raleigh, North Carolina
10. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
11. William & Mary University, Williamsburg, Virginia
12. Princeton University, New Jersey
13. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland
14. New York University, Manhattan, New York
15. West Point Military Academy, New York
16. Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island
17. Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
18. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut
19. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Museums:

1. Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ.
2. State Capital Museum, Phoenix, AZ.
3. Graceland, Memphis, TN.
4. Pink Palace, Memphis, TN.
5. Lorraine Motel, Memphis, TN.
6. Cotton Museum, Memphis, TN.
7. Rock 'n' Soul Museum, Memphis, TN.
8. Stax Soul Museum, Memphis, TN.
9. Sun Studio, Memphis, TN.
10. Casey Jones Village Museum, TN.
11. Cheekwood Estate, Nashville, TN. (Susan only)
12. The Mariner's Museum, Newport News, VA.
13. Eastern Shore of Virginia Barrier Islands Center, Machipongo, VA.
14. Historic Tredegar Iron Works, Richmond, VA.
15. Civil War Museum, Richmond, VA (Bob only for the grand opening.)
16. Historic State House, Dover, DE.
17. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY (Susan only).
18. West Point Museum, Highland, NY. 
19. Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, CT.
20. Herreshoff Marine Museum, Bristol, RI.
21. Naval Academy Museum, Annapolis, MD.
22. State House Museum, Annapolis, MD.
23. Teddy Roosevelt Inaugural Site Museum, Buffalo, NY.
24. The Locks District Museum, Lockport, NY.
25. Erie Canal Discovery Center, Lockport, NY.
26. Harrisburg Train Station, Harrisburg, PA.
27. George Eastman Museum, Rochester, NY.
28. Genesee Country Village & Museum, Mumford, NY.
29. Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, Hammondsport, NY.
30. Seneca Falls Visitor Center and Museum of Waterways and Industry, Seneca Falls, NY.
31. Women's Rights National Historical Park Museum, Seneca Falls, NY.
32. Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY.
33. National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, NY.
34. New York State Museum, Albany, NY.
35. Visitor Center and Museum, Ticonderoga, NY.
36. Star Trek Sets Museum, Ticonderoga, NY. (Susan only.)
37. Boldt Castle and Heart Island, Alexandria Bay, NY.
38. Minna Anthony Common Nature Center, Wellesley Island State Park, NY.
39. Cape Vincent Historical Museum, Cape Vincent, NY.

Rivers/Lakes/Harbors We Have Walked Across or Next to:

1. Mississippi River (Memphis, TN)
2. Cumberland River (Nashville, TN)
3. Tennessee River (Chattanooga, TN)
4. Congaree River (Columbia, SC)
5. Ashley River (Charleston, SC)
6. James River (Richmond, VA)
7. Susquehanna River (Harrisburg, PA)
8. Lums Pond (Bear, DE)
9. Spa Creek (Annapolis, MD)
10. Severn River (Annapolis, MD)
11. Back Creek (Annapolis, MD)
12. East River (on the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan, NY)
13. Hudson River (Highland, NY) 

    

    Walk Over the Hudson 

    

    Walk Over the Hudson bridge

14. Housatonic River (Kent, CT)
15. Mystic River (Mystic, CT)
16. Connecticut River (Hartford, CT)
17. Easton Bay (Newport, RI)
18. Taunton River (Fall River, MA)
19. Charles River (Boston, MA)
20. Boston Harbor (Boston, MA)
21. Piscataqua River (Portsmouth, NH)
22. South Mill Pond (Portsmouth, NH)
23. South River (Salem, MA)
24. Salem Harbor (Salem, MA)
25. Mohawk River (Cohoes, NY)
26. Hudson River (Albany, NY)
27. Niagara River (Niagara Falls, NY)
28. Buffalo River (Buffalo, NY)
29. Erie Canal (Lockport, NY)
30. Niagara River (Youngstown, NY)
31. Ellicott Creek (Williamsville, NY)
32. Genesee River (Rochester, NY)
33. Taughannock Creek (Trumansburg, NY)
34. Lake Champlain (Crown Point, NY)
35. Sackett's Harbor (Sackett's Harbor, NY)
36. Black River (Watertown, NY)
37. St. Lawrence River (Wellesley Island, NY)

Waterfalls:

1. The waterfall at Sabino Dam, Sabino Canyon, Tucson, AZ. The water was too high for us to hike all the way to Seven Falls, so we made do with the water flowing over the dam. 

   

   Sabino Canyon Dam spillway/waterfall.

2. Garvan Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs, Arkansas. Aunt
3. Cherokee and Hemlock Falls (Cloudland Canyons State Park, GA)  

   

   Me by Cherokee Falls, GA

   

   Did I mention we've done about a gazillion stairs
   hiking to all these waterfalls?

   

   We are at Hemlock Falls, GA.

4. Raymondskill Falls (Milford, PA)
5. Dingman Falls (Dingmans Ferry, PA)
6. Silverthread Falls (Dingmans Ferry, PA)
7. Buttermilk Falls County Park (Walpack Township, NJ)
8. Kent Falls (Kent, CT)   

   

   Kent Falls, CT

9. Lower, Middle, and Upper Genesee Falls (Letchworth State Park, Mt. Morris, NY)   

   

   Lower Falls (Letchworth S.P.)

   

   Middle Falls (Letchworth S.P.)

   

   Upper Genesee Falls (Letchworth S.P.)

10. Lower Falls, Middle Falls, Upper Falls (Stony Brook State Park, Dansville, NY)
11. Glen Falls (Williamsville, NY)
12. Hector Falls (Watkins Glen, NY)
13. Shequaga Falls (Montour Falls, NY)  

    

    Shequaga Falls, NY

14. Aunt Sarah's Falls (Montour Falls, NY)  

    

    Bob in front of Aunt Sarah's Falls, NY

15. Eagle Cliff Falls (Havana Glen Park, Montour Falls, NY)
16. Deckertown Falls (Montour Falls, NY)
17. Twin Falls (Sugar Hill State Forest, NY) [Hardest to find of all the falls we saw!]
18. Lucifer Falls, Lower/Enfield Falls (Robert H. Treman State Park, Ithaca, NY)
19. Buttermilk Falls (Buttermilk Falls State Park, Ithaca, NY)
20. Entrance Cascade, Minnehaha Falls, Cavern Cascade, Diamond Falls, Central Cascade, Glen of Pools, Pluto Falls, Rainbow Falls...a total of 19 waterfalls in two miles (Watkins Glen State Park, NY)
21. Triphammer Falls (Cornell University, Ithaca, NY)
22. Cascadilla Glen (numerous falls, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY)
23. Ithaca Falls (Ithaca, NY)
24. Taughannock Falls (Taughannock Falls State Park, Trumansburg, NY)
25. Ludlowville Falls (Ludlowville, NY)
26. Cowshed Falls [NOTE: We could not hike to Upper Falls at the end of the trail because of a landslide that closed the trail after the fourth bridge] (Fillmore Glen State Park, Moravia, NY)
27. Chittenango Falls (Cazenovia, NY)  

    

    Chittenango Falls, NY
28. Pratt's Falls (Manlius, NY)
29. Bash Bish Falls (Bash Bish Falls State Park, Mt. Washington, MA [but hike to it from the NY trailhead, much easier]).  

    

    Bash Bish Falls, MA

30. The Falls of Carillon/LaChute River Trail (Ticonderoga, NY)

Incidents:

1. March 16: Pick up truck would not start at end of the day at Pima Air and Space Museum parking lot in Tucson, Arizona. We got kicked out of the grounds because they were closing for the day (company policy) without our truck. Stranded along a busy highway, we called Uber to pick us up and take us to the airport so we could rent a car. First thing the next morning (Sunday), we were back at Pima Air and Space Museum parking lot where a tow truck hauled us to a truck repair facility.
   
   The repair shop did not open until Monday. Our truck was not fixed until Wednesday afternoon. They did a lot of testing and replaced the starter kit. A good samaritan from the Escapees convention towed our 5th wheel from the campground we were in to the Pima County Fairgrounds for the convention.
2. April 6: Southaven, Mississippi (a suburb of Memphis): Tornado warning at 8:50 p.m. No tornado, but torrential rain and lots of thunder and lightning.
3. April 8: Truck lost power on the freeway. Bob checked under the hood and found a hose had come off. He duct-taped it together and we limped the truck/5th wheel into a Ford dealership. The truck had a bad CAC tube. They were able to fix it that afternoon and we continued on our way. 
4. April 26: We were looking for a parking space for our 5th wheel in downtown Raleigh, NC. Bob was making a turn into a multi-level parking garage. His cow guard hit the ticket box and knocked the ticket dispenser faceplate off of it. He reported it to the attendant who called her boss. He drove over and said, "Don't worry about it."
5. June 13: I developed severe upper abdominal pain on our walk in the afternoon. By evening, my pain was so severe, it felt like my upper abdomen was being ripped apart inside. I insisted Bob take me to the emergency room. After numerous tests and many hours in the E.R., I found out I have gallstones. They got better by 2:30 a.m. and they discharged me.
6. June 29: We were at Genessee Country Village Museum. They were having an interactive event: walking on stilts. Bob decided to try. He was able to get up on the stilts and walked a few steps. He fell off one of the stilts and sprained his ankle. (It is finally better--July 19.)
7. June 30: Bob was dumping our tanks on our way out of Genessee Country Campground. The dump station is at a narrow, two-way passage into and out of the park. We were stationary. A very long truck/5th wheel combination decided to try to get around us after they checked into the park. Bob had put in his side mirrors and the guy came really close to our truck. He looked at me in the passenger seat and nodded/smiled. I was afraid he was going to hit us, but he got his rig past where I was sitting. I thought everything would be okay.
   
   All of sudden "CRUNCH"! He was trying to make a turn to the left at the end of our rig and there was a tree he needed to avoid. His tail swing hit our back rear passenger side of the 5th wheel. He took out our rear passenger safety light on the side, took off part of our molding, scraped a patch of bumper off, and the upper back of his 5th wheel hit our awning topper and yanked off our topper's end cap and made a long crack in our 5th wheel's fiberglass shell around where the awning topper connects to the shell of the 5th wheel. Yikes. Our RVs blocked the passage in/out of the campground while information was exchanged. They called their insurance company, who then called us. When we return to San Antonio, repairs will be made to our rig.
8. July 20: We stopped at a parking area along I-87 in the Adirondacks on our way to Ticonderoga. The truck would not start up again. There was no AT&T service! Bob asked some guys in a pick-up if he could borrow their phone. They had Verizon which allowed us to call Good Sam Roadside Assistance. A tow truck came to tow the truck to a mechanic. We had to drop the 5th wheel in the parking area. It was 90 degrees and humid. We had no electric hookup to run the AC. I stayed with the 5th wheel and the cat. I opened all the windows and vents. An intermittent breeze helped ease the heat and humidity. Bob was gone for a few hours. He came back in the pickup. It had been repaired and we were good to continue on our way. It was the starter again! The mechanics told Bob that the starter was really hot and it shouldn't have been. They believe the starter that was put in in March was defective and recommended we find out if there was a warranty on it. If not, we should return it to the auto parts store chain where we bought it and at least get back the core charge. [UPDATE: Bob drove to O'Reilly Auto Parts store in Glens Falls, NY, and they partially refunded the amount of the defective starter.]

We are now in Clayton, New York, near the St. Lawrence River/1000 Islands region and will soon head off to Lake Placid, New York, in the Adirondack Mountains. 

Animals we have seen on our journey include fox, wild turkeys, lots of white-tailed deer, two WHITE deer, a mink, osprey, bald eagle, groundhogs, snake, lizards, sandhill cranes, turtles, terns, seagulls, cormorants, grebes, ducks, hummingbirds, robins, red-winged blackbirds, American goldfinches, and cardinals.

Stay tuned for upcoming blogs. I'm going to have a free day tomorrow, so hopefully, I can write a couple more. 

Water Issues, and Thoughts On Our Fourth Day of Boondocking - Thursday, March 21, 2019

Today, we don't have water. It's a fact. We ran out of water in our fresh water tank. Can't do much when you run out of water!

Bob is the only one who went to a seminar today. I admit, I stay up late writing blogs, so I like to sleep in. If I had gone to an early class, I would have chosen "Valley Fever," about coccidioidomycosis (a respiratory disease caused by inhaling microscopic fungus spores endemic to the Southwest). It can cause flu-like symptoms about three weeks after contracting it.

At 10:00 a.m., Bob went to "General First Aid" for a refresher on what to do and not to do if someone needs medical help. There was also a review of what to keep in a First Aid kit.

During the same time frame, I would have enjoyed going to "Road Trip Destinations by Full-Time Families." Their write-up said they "will talk about hidden gems around the country" and some of the "favorites" they have visited including state parks and factory tours. Bob's probably glad I didn't go because my bucket list is already 43 pages long (in outline form), although we are checking things off the list as we go.

After the seminar, Bob he said he walked out the door of Thurber Hall and the Pet Parade was in full swing. Many of the pets were wearing costumes. That was the place to be seen if you have a dog. (Don't know if there were any cats, birds, horses, bunnies, etc., since I wasn't there.)

We had lunch, closed the 5th wheel, hooked up to the truck, and made the one-mile trek over to the dump station and then the fresh water fill spigots. It will be very nice to have water again!

The activities at Escapade for the rest of the day included:

• Pet Parade. (Our cat would not have done well here!)
• The Escapade Hair-Raising Chili Cook-Off. For this, you can cook up a pot of your favorite chili to be judged by the judges, or the public. Or you can attend, taste all the chilis, and do your own voting with a buck or two for your favorites. There are two winners: the one chosen by the judges, and the one that brings in the most money. All proceeds go to support CARE. (We skipped this event to take care of our water issue.)
• Closing Ceremony at 3:00 p.m. We were there and heard who the winners were for the Chili Cook-off and the Photography Contest. There was also a volunteer-only door prize (a portable solar system kit [$385 value]), and, an amazing HOP [Head-out Program] for two to the 130th Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade [a $2,000 value, includes RV parking]; and a Grand Prize Drawing which was to go to the 2019 Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta [$3,845 value]. We attended the closing ceremony and cheered for all the excellent staff and volunteers who made Escapade enjoyable through all their efforts in the background (and some in the midst of all the action!). Two people representing Rock Springs, Wyoming, where our 2020 Escapade will be held, came to welcome us to Rock Springs. When they mentioned their campground had over 1,000 full hook-up sites, a rousing cheer went up from the crowd, especially all of us boondockers who weren't quick enough when we registered to get a full hook-up site here!
• Farewell Fiesta. Food vendors, "No Reply," a local Tucson band for dancing and singing, and things for the kids to do. The Cantina Courtyard was the place to be to hang out with new-found or old-time friends and relax a little. Instead of doing the Farewell Fiesta, we wanted to try out a local restaurant that people had been saying good things about all week.

For dinner, Bob kidnapped me to McGraw's Cantina on a hill overlooking Vail and Tucson, Arizona. It's supposed to be fantastic for sunset views. No pretty sunset, tonight. However, it was still a very good place to eat!

Entering McGraw's Cantina.

McGraw's indoor decor.

View from McGraw's.

BBQ chicken, baked potato,
steamed veggies.

Bob and I at McGraw's Cantina.

We had a lovely evening and it was time for us to get ready to hit the road tomorrow. On the way back to the fairgrounds, we made a stop for provisions at Walmart. That's where we saw the sunset!

I guess we were at McGraw's too early for sunset!

Back at the 5th wheel, I got ready to roll. Usually, that means vacuuming and tidying everything, basically battening down the hatches. Tomorrow, Phoenix and family!

Thank you to everyone who put on an excellent Escapade. We enjoyed the entertainment, the beautifully done Program Book, the speakers and seminar subjects, and all the thought and effort that the staff and volunteers contributed. 

We especially want to thank Dale Kennedy from Fresno, California, for rescuing us and our 5th wheel from the campground we were in when our truck broke down. He took time away from his first Sunday to haul our 5th wheel with his Chevy Silverado. It took an hour round-trip, plus the time it took him to get from the fairgrounds to the Pima Air & Space Museum to pick Bob up. What a wonderful group of people. Again, thank you so much to everyone.

Before closing out today's blog, we wanted to share our feelings about boondocking. We have not gone more than one night without hookups before so we only had a smidgen of an idea how to boondock. Boondocking, for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, means dry camping (no water, no electric, and you can only use propane heat if you don't need electricity for the fan). I did attend one discussion years ago at Howard and Linda's RV-Dreams Rally in Kerrville, Texas, where there were tips about how to save water boondocking. 

Here's what WE learned boondocking for five nights (with no solar back-up, and only one 12-volt battery, and a 3,800 generator):

• We knew how to keep the black tank from filling up. No problem there.
• Without being able to run the generator overnight, we had no heat.
• Our low temperatures in Tucson overnight were in the 30s and low 40s. Four blankets and a 20-pound cat did not keep us warm. We could not start the generator until 7:00 a.m. due to the quiet hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Brr!!
• The generator could run 3-4 hours, depending on usage, with the gas in the tank and then it had to be refilled.
• We were never sure if we should leave the generator going if we left the 5th wheel to go to class, so we turned it off.
• If we did not run the generator so it could charge our battery, the water pump would not work; therefore, no flushing toilet or running water at all.
• Even though our water tank was full to the top when we pulled in, and even though we reduced our water use as much as possible, we ran out of fresh water in 3-1/2 days. That necessitated closing up the rig and driving to the other end of the fairgrounds to fill with water. (We're glad it was so close!)
• Boondocking at the fairgrounds was in a gravel field filled with those tiny little burs that get tracked in on your shoes. Ouch! No fun.

The upshot of all this is we learned we could survive for 3-1/2 days without hookups, but we're thankful that we have reservations in parks with water and electric hookups for the rest of our trip. We decided we would rather not boondock. It's not for us. As Forrest Gump would say, "And that's all I have to say about that."

Science, and Reconnecting with Great Friends - Wednesday, March 20, 2019

The early bird gets the doughnuts and that's a good thing when it's Escapees CARE morning in the WiFi Cafe. All proceeds from the doughnut sales this morning go to Escapees CARE, Inc. A bell was rung by the volunteers anytime anyone put $20 or more in the donation jar.

For those of you who don't know what CARE is, it stands for Continuing Assistance for Retired (and Recuperating) Escapees. CARE is operated solely by donation. For the whole scoop on CARE, click here.

After a couple of doughnuts, I went to "The Future of RV Connectivity." Mostly, the class was over my head. We will continue to use our AT&T hot spot router.

Overnight, our fresh water in the rig sputtered and stopped working. We thought we were out of fresh water because we have never boondocked before. I posted our dilemma on the Escapees Escapade Facebook page and immediately had responses from helpful Escapee members. Colleen Martel offered two five-gallon jugs, a 20-gallon bladder and a pump for us to use if we didn't want to move our rig. (How wonderful is that offer?) Jane Wakefield Mathes let us know where the fresh water spigots were in the fairgrounds. 

Once our generator was working after having quiet time from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., we found out the problem with our water was the pump. With the generator back on, the fresh water pump worked fine and we were back in hot water (and cold). We are learning things still!

The most interesting seminar besides the Border Patrol talk was "Soak Up the Science, Explore what UA [University of Arizona] has to Offer." I thought I had a pretty good bucket list of Tucson items; however, after this seminar and some other information we picked up, I added 15 more experiences to the list. (Information provided below about University of Arizona comes from the university brochures supplied by Shipherd Reed, our speaker.)

1. Biosphere II $ - Guided tour experience with five tours to choose from.
2. Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium $ (UA campus)
3. Laboratory of Tree Ring Research (UA campus) - free docent-led tours.
4. Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab Guided Tour $ - The University of Arizona builds the world's largest telescope mirrors under their football field. On this tour, marvel at the ingenious engineering and optical innovations that enable UA to build the world's largest, most advanced optical telescope mirrors. (UA campus)
5. Tumamoc Hill - three-mile roundtrip to the top with 800' elevation gain. Download Tumamoc Tour mobile app and listen as you walk.
6. Arizona State Museum $ (UA campus)      
7. Gem & Mineral Museum $ (UA campus)
8. History of Pharmacy Museum (UA campus)
9. Center for Creative Photography (UA campus)
10. UA Museum of Art $ (UA campus)
11. UA History Tour (free guided walking tour)
12. UA Public Art Tour (free guided walking tour)
13. Museum of Optical Sciences (UA Campus)
14. OSIRIS-REx Mission Tours $ - Learn all about the UA-led OSIRIS-REx sample-return mission to the asteroid Bennu. 
15. Mt. Lemmon Science Tour - Download the free Mt. Lemmon Science Tour mobile app. Explore the science stories of our "Sky Islands" region when you listen to this free audio guide for the drive up Mt. Lemmon on the Catalina Highway. This Tour connects one of the most spectacular drives in the country with some of the most fascinating earth science in the world.

Whew! Our brains were full of science after that talk. It was very informative and the speaker was excellent!

Our seminar at 11:30 a.m. was all about working summer jobs at Yellowstone National Park for Yellowstone General Stores. In 2012, Bob and I applied to work there and were accepted. Then we decided we'd rather just visit Yellowstone for two weeks and not work. We declined the job offer at that time. 

We looked at the opportunity again by doing this seminar. There are pros and cons to working there and we may work there yet, just don't know when at this point because we have so much travel left in us. However, Yellowstone is one of our very favorite places, crowds or not.

After lunch, Bob attended the seminar "Healthcare Coverage for Pre-Medicare RVers." He has COBRA coverage from his work and he was looking to validate that that coverage was his best option. He found out it is.

At 3:00 p.m., we both attended a topic that may play a role in a near-future trip for us: "I'm Going to Alaska! Now What?" This was presented by Brock Brinkerhoff and Janine Vance who have been to Alaska a number of times in their RV. They were not selling anything, just sharing their experiences and what activities and excursions they like to do. The presentation was made all the better by their spectacular photos. 

After their seminar, we had a dinner date with dear friends of ours whom we hadn't seen for years. They were one of the reasons we headed west before we headed east. (We also had relatives we wanted to spend quality time with,  friends in Phoenix, and the Escapade Rally to attend. It was a no-brainer to go west on our way east.)

Rick and Jan used to live in Ukiah, California at the north end of the Napa Valley Wine Region. Our home was in the Portland, Oregon area. We met them at Asilomar (Monterey, California area) where our church had a big conference every year. We would see them on our way to or from Asilomar each year.

They moved to Palm Desert, California, and we moved to Milton, Washington, and then Honolulu, Hawaii. Seven years ago, we settled in San Antonio, Texas. They moved into their Vail, Arizona home in January 2019. We were thrilled at the chance to see them again.

They invited us to dinner at their place. We met their 12-year-old cat, Rudy. The time was an hour before sunset. Jan served crackers, cheese, and red pepper jelly out on their back patio. A light breeze blew and we chatted about the paths our lives have taken. We loved their house and property and saw the sunset from the front part of their house. 

Jan and Rick served a delicious meal of salmon, salad, special rice, and cake and ice cream for dessert. We enjoyed every bite.

We felt like we were in a high-class restaurant!

Bob, Rick, and Jan.

Rick, me, and Bob.

Rick, Jan, and Bob

It felt like we had just seen them two weeks ago, rather than 20 years ago. Thank you so much, Rick and Jan, for the delightful evening. I think we could have talked until dawn.

Best Escapade Seminars So Far! - Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Today's seminars are so interesting, it's hard to choose which ones to go to! The first set of seminars at 8:30 a.m. offered five choices that sounded really interesting: 

• Historicorps - A Workforce for Saving Places: Join a Histori-Corps volunteer crew to save America's historic and cultural places for generations to come. Develop your preservation skills; carpentry, masonry, roofing, to window restoration, and make new friends in the process! It's free, and we provide campsites, meals, tools, and training. Volunteer projects take place on spectacular public lands, including National Parks and National Forests.
• Canada's Eastern Atlantic Provinces: Rugged coastlines, picturesque bays, towering cliffs, and sandy beaches. Join us for the incredible sights of the Maritime Provinces by RV. Let us take you to the Gaspesie Peninsula, Acadian Coast, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.
• Boondocking Basics: How to find places to boondock and get your RV set up for camping without hookups.
• RV Tire Safety: Tires are one of the most valuable components of the RV. A presentation of factual, honest, RV-specific information about the demands on RV tires and associated safety issues.
• Insurance - What Affects Rates and Why: Come hear how insurance companies are different, what affects your rates, and what specialty coverages are available with an RV Insurance Specialist.

Oh, the dilemma of picking class(es) to attend. Bob and I will often divide and conquer; he'll go to one seminar and I'll go to another. However, today we BOTH wanted to learn about Canada's Maritime Provinces. This was a wonderful presentation. Fantasy RV Tours checked all the boxes on making us want to go to Eastern Canada. Our presenter showed beautiful photos of small villages, gorgeous ocean views, and told us about cozy campgrounds. We learned about the history of the region and places to see unique sights. Since we will be in Bar Harbor, Maine for a couple of weeks this summer, we may take a day trip up to Canada. 

The 10:00 a.m. seminar offerings were also hard to choose from:

• Border Talk
• RV Weights and Balances
• Here Are Your Keys to Happier RVing
• RVing to Alaska, Is A Caravan Right for You?
• Off Grid RVing

For us, the Border Talk presented by the Tucson Sector Border Patrol was the hot topic. Even though we would have liked the other presentations, the Border Patrol is so relevant in today's political and social arena that we thought this talk was a must. We were not disappointed. The two Border Patrol agents who spoke were excellent and told lots of stories, had photos that creeped us out, and gave statistics about who comes across the border and what the statistics mean. (They don't always mean what the media or politicos want you to think they mean.) Another topic that is important to them is the procedures and obstacles in enforcing the law.

The other class we wanted to attend was one by Cindy Boyd of Alaska Excursion Caravan. We spoke to her at length in her booth the day before and picked up useful information then. That sounds like a caravan that is right for us. We don't know what year we might do it, but it's on the bucket list.

At 11:30 a.m., Bob went to "RVing to Alaska," by Adventure Caravans. I went to "Mummies, Museums, and More: Visit Shawnee" (Oklahoma). There were three other great talks that would have taught us about "Escapees CARE, Inc. Update," "Equipping Your RV for Electrical Independence" (about installing solar and inverter systems), and "What to Do When Your RV is Working, but Everything Around You Isn't."

The Shawnee, Oklahoma talk was good. There are things to see there that you probably wouldn't see anywhere else. Danielle Rains invited us to check out the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center and to see the only Egyptian mummies in the state at Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art. She also mentioned that we should go to Van's Pig Stand for premium BBQ.

Even though Tuesday afternoon had some good seminars, we decided it was time to do laundry. I also wanted to take my National Park Passport book back to the Visitor Center to get stamps because I forgot to do that the day we Volksmarched there. 

We Googled a laundromat and found a huge one in Tucson and when we arrived we were the only ones there. We had our laundry done in 1-1/2 hours. Efficient, if not the most interesting thing we could have been doing. Seminars we missed that would have been fun or informative were: 

• Having Fun with Your Kitchen Toys
• Safe Travels - Situational Awareness from Your RV
• Boondocking FAQ's and Chat

Too much good stuff with too little time. This evening, we had a beautiful sunset and moonrise at the fairgrounds.

Sunset from the boondocking area
at Pima County Fairgrounds.

Full moon rising. 

No entertainment tonight, only rehearsal for "Escapade's Got Talent!" show for tomorrow night. We had a quiet night in.

Delving into the 59th Escapade - Monday, March 18, 2019

Today was our first full day of the 59th Escapade. It was a day for us to acclimatize ourselves to the rhythm of the event. 

Bob wanted to go to a seminar on "Investing Strategies for RVers" at 8:30 a.m. Not me. I stayed in bed and made it to "Easy, Effective, Economical RV Tips & Tricks" with Bob at 10:00 a.m. Both of us enjoyed the Tips and Tricks class. They taught us about a number of good products they sell at their booth. We bought some of their items on the last day of The Market.

The repair shop where our truck was imprisoned was supposed to call us about 9:00 a.m. to let us know what they found and give us a quote on fixing it. Well, they didn't call. Bob had to call them. They hadn't found anything as of 9:50 a.m. and needed until noon. We were hoping they would have it fixed today so we could turn our rental car in.

In the middle of the day, we took a break and relaxed in the rig. At 1:30, we went to "Driving Your RV Safely." The class had good reminders of how to respond to different situations. For example, do your best to keep your RV in the clear when driving in traffic. Don't get clustered up in heavy traffic, keep space between you and other vehicles, leave plenty of stopping distance. Also, people are going to cut you off, pull in front of you and go slow. Let them. Don't get angry. Keep your cool and drive defensively. 

Bob called the truck repair place again. They found a bad relay switch which they replaced. They weren't sure the problem was fixed, so they wanted to keep the truck another day and test turning it off and on to make sure it would keep starting. They said they'd call us back Tuesday morning.

There weren't any classes we wanted to take later in the afternoon. We did, however, want to go to the RV Country "Margarita" Happy Hour event. We got there about 5:00 p.m. and all the margaritas were gone as well as most of the appetizers. The RV show dealer's Happy Hour started at 4:30 on Monday, but today it started at 4:00 p.m. We didn't know that, so we missed out. 

Since we were there, we walked through a number of 5th wheels. After all these years in our 5th wheel, we're still happy with it. None of the other 5th wheels on the lot tempted us to trade ours in.

After the Happy Hour, Bob and I walked back to the 5th wheel in the boondocking area. It was a gorgeous evening, but a cold wind blew in. 

Boondocking area. 

Escapade boondocking area at
Pima County Fairgrounds.

Our entertainment tonight was "The Redhead Express." They were an enjoyable four-sister singing act who did amazing harmonies, rock, pop, and country. For part of the evening, their two brothers and "a brother from another mother" entertained us with energetic, fun music. The show was a hit!

Redhead Express

Redhead Express

As an aside, we could only run our generators until 10:00 p.m. which made it hard to heat our 5th wheel before bed. The evening entertainment went from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. or so. We left a little early so we could heat our rig for a bit before bed. Nighttime temperatures were in the 30s! Brr! Even with four blankets on, we weren't warm. I did not sleep well. Strike 1 against boondocking.