Living full time in our motor home allows us to be Ready To Go. . .on to the next adventure!

Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco Skyline as seen from the Marin Headlands - California

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Ohio Canal


We’ve had a lot of rain in the Northwest corner of Ohio this week. . .
Things that happen to RV'ers. . .stuck in the mud at Kenissee Creek TT because he circled around the pull through spots and came in on the grass rather than on the gravel pad. . .what was he thinking?
and this poor guy somehow pulled into the
pull throughs the wrong way. . .so. . .
instead of being on the gravel pad. . .
he is off in the very soft, rain soaked, saturated grass. . .
buried up to his axles, I’m afraid. . .been there, done that!
Well. . .not exactly THAT. . .but the being stuck part. . .
Feel your pain buddy. . .
lots of rain at the Kenissee Creek Thousand Trails this weeklots of rain at the Kenissee Creek Thousand Trails this week
but this beautiful little American Goldfinch wasn’t deterred a bit by the rain. . .
he was taking full advantage of the puddles. . .
watching him definitely brightened my day!
met fellow RV'ers Bob and Connie Sims at the Coffee Shop in Ashtabula
another bright spot in our week was driving over to
Historic Ashtabula to meet fellow RV’ers Connie and Bob. . .
they are really great folk, who call Ashtabula home. . .
Bob was a school teacher in the area. . .and they now
have a Travel Agency that they run from their RV. . .
as they travel around the country. . .

We met up at the Harbor Perk. . .isn’t this a glorious looking little
downtown area. . .I wish I could show you more. . .
but with all the cars. . .electric lines. . .and telephone poles,
it just doesn’t translate as to how lovely it really is.
Finally. . .sunshine on Friday. . .so we headed out on a day trip. . .
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
unless you live in Ohio. . .bet’cha never heard of this one? ? ?
The Cuyahoga Valley National Park is glorious. . .
especially when ya been cooped up all week. . .and cabin fever is setting in!
It encompasses the Ohio and Erie Canal 
The Bike Path was lovely
and has a fabulous hiking/biking trail. . .
originally the tow path used by the mules
which towed the canal boats along the canal. . .
smooth. . .level. . .shaded. . .all the things needed
for out-a-shape. . .older folk. . .
Ohio, Cuyahoga NP, National Park, Deer, White Tailed Deer, Fawn-001
the very first thing we saw as soon as we got started. . .
Ohio, Cuyahoga NP, National Park, Deer, White Tailed Deer, Fawn (1)Ohio, Cuyahoga NP, National Park, Deer, White Tailed Deer, Fawn (2)-001
Mom wasted no time giving instructions to head out. . .
Ohio, Cuyahoga Valley NP, National Park, Ohio Erie Canal, Tow Path, Bike Ride, Jaite Paper MillOhio, Cuyahoga Valley NP, National Park, Ohio Erie Canal, Tow Path, Bike Ride, Jaite Paper Mill (1)
a portion of the Jaite Paper Mill is still standing along the edge of the towpath. . .
the sign says the buildings were torn down due to safety issues. . .
but the machinery is being developed as a future exhibit. . .
lilies - a sign of civilizationOhio, Cuyahoga Valley NP, National Park, Ohio Erie Canal, Tow Path, Bike Ride (9)lilies - a sign of civilization
I think these are some type of lilies. . .I just loved seeing them,
and knowing that at some point in history someone took the time
to do some beautification of “the ditch” or the Canal. . .
and today, almost a hundred years later. . .
there is still proof of their efforts for me to enjoy.
Ohio, Cuyahoga Valley NP, National Park, Cuyahoga River, Bike Ride, DavidOhio, Cuyahoga Valley NP, National Park, Cuyahoga River, Bike Ride
as we rode northwards on the tow path from Boston, OH. . .
the remains of the Ohio Canal were on our right. . .
and the Cuyahoga River was on our left. . .
The train would have brought us and our bikes back to our destination. . .Cuyahoga TrainCuyahoga Train 2
there’s the coolest thing along the tow path. . .there are train depots. . .
you can wait at the depot, and for $3 pp they will load your bikes, and take you back to your trailhead. . .
pretty sweet deal. . .that’s what we really wanted to do. . .
but the next Southbound train was not due for another hour and twenty minutes. . .
we decided we could just ride back in that amount of time. . .
yeah. . .remember me mentioning the out of shape part. . .
the last two miles back were grueling. . .
at one point I had to stop just because all the vertebrae in my spine
were stacked right on top of each other and my tail bone
was feelin’ it. . .no matter that I added one of those
extra wide, extra padded, super duper seats. . .nope. . .wasn’t helping a bit. . .
a great place to enjoy lunch on the porch - Boston General Store located on the Ohio Erie Canal Tow PathI remember gas stations that looked like this. . .Boston General Store located on the Ohio Erie Canal Tow Path
finally. . .after (according to my Map My Ride App) 9.56 miles. . .
I saw this beautiful site. . .originally the General Store and Gas Station at
Boston OH. . .a mill town located along the canal. . .

The building now serves as the Boston Visitor Center and is
staffed by National Park personnel. . .very friendly and helpful folk.

What a wonderful, fabulous day we had touring the
Cuyahoga Valley NP and the Ohio Erie Towpath and Canal Area. . .

My only regret is that I forgot we needed to go see
Brandywine Falls. . .so I’ve included the link so you can see how beautiful it would have been. . .
If you ever visit the park. . .I’m quite sure you should go and see it. . .
Hope you enjoy!
‘til next time,
Janice and Dave




Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Day Tripping to Erie PA for a Little Shopping Therapy. . .

and to meet up with RV’ing and blogging friends

RV Friends, JeanMarie Balkovec Kleppick, Raymond Kleppick

JeanMarie and Ray of Me and Ray and a Dog Named Grey blogging fame. . .

we somehow connected a couple of years ago. . .

just as they were getting started on their Full Time RV’ing journey. . .

so it was fun to relive all the tales of packing up the house. . .

Ray cutting the tree limb down on the ladder and the

ensuing months of recovery that went with that. . .

plus all the fun places we’ve all been. . .

and now, they’ve gotten them a toad. . .so RV travel will be even more enjoyable!

Really great to see you guys. . .enjoyed the visit very much!

CROCS off road

not a very good pic. . .but the other reason we

decided to go to Erie. . .a pair of Crocs. . .

After reading the RV Dreams Journal blog posts about Niagara Falls

(I’ve been saving those blog post links for like two years)

and discovering that they issue you reusable rain ponchos

and water sandals. . .we decided that we’d rather

just wear crocs over there and take along our

Frog Togs. . .and not be concerned about

borrowing their gear. . .thus a shopping trip was needed. . .

a not successful shopping trip I might add. . .

but since we were there in Erie a little sightseeing would also be great.

Port Erie Bicentennial Tower

first stop. . .Port Erie Bicentennial Tower

for a mere $3 pp. . .you can ride an elevator to the top of the

three story structure. . .pretty interesting actually. . .

Downtown view of Erie Pa from the Port Erie Bicentennial Tower

a nice view of Downtown Erie PA. . .

Pennsylvania, Erie PA, Summer Trip 2013, Greek Orthodox Church

A Greek Orthodox Church. . .

Erie Land LightPennsylvania, Erie PA, Summer Trip 2013, Lighthouse - Copy

a couple of lighthouses located over on Presque Isle. . .

Pennsylvania, Erie PA, Summer Trip 2013,  Smuggler's Wharf Restaurant at the Lake Erie Harbor,

and a beautiful view of the Harbor along with a pretty good

lunch of a Lake Erie Yellow Perch Sandwich and Clam Chowder. . .

Pennsylvania, Erie PA, Summer Trip 2013,  Smuggler's Wharf Restaurant at the Lake Erie Harbor,  (2)

at Smuggler's Wharf Restaurant conveniently located Harbor Side

right across from our tourist destination of the day. . .

 

I’m including a few links of other places I wanted to see. . .

but with all the visiting and the shopping time had gotten away

from us and we needed to head back. . .

so glad we did. . .about 5 minutes from our exit off of I 90

a huge thunderstorm hit. . .wind really whipping. . .

buckets of rain. . .and lightning strikes coming straight down.

 

We were happy to exit the freeway and drive the State Hwy the rest of the way. . .

all’s well that end’s well. . .and the storm dropped the temps by 20* which was great. . .

 

Anywhere. . .here’s the rest of the links. . .

check them out. . .and if you are ever near Erie PA. . .

go see them, and let me know how they were. . .

Old Presque’ Isle Light

Presque Isle Light

North Pier Light

Presque Isle State Park

 

‘til next time,

Janice and Dave

 

 

Friday, June 21, 2013

Playing Tourist at Geneva on the Lake

hmmm. . .Geneva on the Lake. . .what to say. . .what to say? ? ?
Ohio,  (24)
well. . .the brochure is great. . .much better in fact than the actual place. . .
but. . .
it is a Summer Seaside Village. . .and I could definitely see the appeal of
getting away from the city and spending the summer here in one of the cute little cottages. . .

we didn't really try to get any pics ourselves. . .
but if you want to see how the town looks
you can click here. . .

Ohio,  Town Square Clock
about four miles inland. . .the little town of Geneva was much more appealing to us. . .
however. . .not really being crafty, boutique, tourist shop type shoppers
we only spent a little time in the downtown area and moved on to other things. . .
Ohio,  Lake Erie, David, Janice
like a much better photo op of Lake Erie. . .
Ohio, Lake Erie, Header Pic
and again. . .I love the water. . .

Nothing really scheduled for the next few days. . .so,
until next time,
Janice and Dave

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Today Was the Day. . .

Ohio, Kenisee Creek TT

When your brown and gold coach. . .which does not show dirt easily,

is so filthy that it’s obvious. . .

Ohio, Kenisee Creek TT (1)

it’s time to get on the work clothes and do something!

Ohio, Kenisee Creek TT, David, Janice

and when that is finished. . .a well deserved break!

 

Tomorrow, Geneva on the Lake

Til next time,

Janice and Dave

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Lake Erie and the Great Lakes

I’ve been fascinated by the Great Lakes since the first time

I read about them in a geography class. . .

Great Lakes

so knowing we were only a few miles from Lake Erie was exciting. . .

Ohio, Astabula OH, Lake Erie, Great Lakes (3)

we got the rig set up. . .and rushed right over to Ashtabula to lay eyes on it. . .

it was even more massive than I had imagined. . .it looked and sounded like the Gulf of Mexico. . .

only without the fishy smell.  I guess the wind had the sand stirred up,

because it was very, very muddy looking, although we could see clear blue water out near the horizon line.

Blog, Temps at Lake Erie

not sure what temp the water is at. . .but the closer we got to the lake. . .

the more the thermometer dropped. . .to this glorious 65*. . .air conditioned sunshine!

Jefferson OH, Kenisee Lake TTJefferson OH, Kenisee Lake TT (1)

Kenisee Lake RV Resort is part of our Thousand Trails Membership Program. . .

so when we realized how packed everything was going to be for the Fourh of July weekend. . .

and how ridiculous the prices were ($294 per week)

we decided to just schedule three weeks here at $3 per night

and stay put until all the craziness is over. . .

 

We really just thought we’d get a lot of chores done,

washing and waxing the coach, and miscellaneous projects. . .

so we have been pleasantly surprised to find out how much there is to do in the area. . .

seems we’ll be a lot busier playing tourist than we had anticipated. . .

we’ll keep you posted. . .

 

Til next time,

Janice and Dave

Monday, June 17, 2013

State Capital Trail Continues. . .

Ohio, Columbus OH, Ohio State House, Capital, David, Janice, Summer Trip 2013 (1) (1)

another beautiful and successful day in my quest to photograph all 50 State Capitals. . .

we’ve thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Alum Creek State Park just out of Columbus,

and the most amazing thing is. . .this park participates in Passport America,

so we have a 50 amp full service (including sewer) site for only $22 per night. . .

almost unheard of in a State Park. . .by the time you pay the extra fees they all

seem to tack on. . .it’s usually closer to $40 per night . . .

really, really recommend checking it out if you have PA and you are headed this direction. . .

Ohio, Columbus OH, Birds, To Be Sorted (2)

this beautiful little bird brightened my morning. . .

not sure yet what it is. . .I’ll hafta research my birding book. . .

but it is lovely. . .travel day tomorrow. . .

 

We will stay at our Thousand Trails Membership Park just north of Cleveland

for the next few weeks. . .get past the Fourth of July holiday. . .

and then.  .Niagara Falls. . .looking forward to it!

 

Til next time,

Janice

 

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Indianapolis was a Bust. . .too bad!


Blog, Smoke, Indianapolis IN, TrafficBlog, Smoke, Indianapolis IN, Traffic (2)
Several miles out on I 70 as we approached Indianapolis. . .
we began to see a huge plume of smoke. . .
Blog, Smoke, Indianapolis IN, Traffic (5)
which continued to get worse the closer we got to the downtown area. . .
Dave later googled it to find out that it was a downtown warehouse. . .
and required 150 firefighters to get it under control. . .
Blog, Smoke, Indianapolis IN, Traffic (6)
being an industrial fire fighter I’m sure Dave would have loved
to go over and give some instruction. . .
instead of needing to keep his eyes on the road. . .
and get us through the maze of downtown traffic!

Needless to say. . .exiting to go by the Indiana State House
was out of the question. . .so we discussed plan B. . .
get the motor home parked, and come back in the Jeep. . .
Blog, Smoke, Indianapolis IN, Traffic (10)
until we got a good look at westbound traffic. . .
ummmm. . .no thank you!

So we will return to Indianapolis at some future date
when we have even more time to explore. . .
now. . .on to Ohio. . .

Until next time,
Janice

Saturday, June 15, 2013

St Louis–Gateway to the West

First off. . .in all my imaginations of “The Arch”
I pictured it straddling the Mississippi River. . .
you know. . .one foot in Missouri. . .
one foot in Illinois. . .
Missourri, St Louis MO, Gateway Arch (35)
well. . . guess I found out different. . .ha ha!
In retrospect, and now that I’ve seen it. . .I realize. . .
that would’a had to be a mighty, mighty big structure!
Missourri, St Louis MO, Gateway Arch (21)
630 feet was plenty big for me. . .
the ride to the top was in a little barrel contraption with seats. . .
five seats containing five full size bodies. . .aii yaiii yaii. . .
a wee bit of panic set in when it stopped at the top, and the door did not open immediately. . .
the observation deck was a wee bit like being in a submarine. . .
about 15 small windows on each side. . .
and about a hundred people milling around. . .rotating windows.
not really my favorite tourist experience ever. . .
but I’m glad I did it. . .and the views were worth it!
Missouri, St Louis MO, Old Court House (4)
The Old Court House and Downtown St Louis
Missourri, St Louis MO, Gateway Arch (25)
Busch Stadium
Monaco and Jeep parked at Casino Queen RV Park as viewed from the top of the Gateway Arch
and our lovely home. . . parked across the river
Gateway to the West
The Journey to the West Museum located at the base of the monument was extremely interesting. . .
Gateway to the West Museum Wagon Train Mural
those pioneers chose a very, very difficult life for themselves and their families. . .
I think I like my covered wagon much more than theirs. . .

One of my favorite things to do is check out the postcards in the gift shop. . .
I figure those photographers know all the best angles. . .
based on their findings, I got a couple of good shots. ..
view of the Gateway Arch from the Train Station
this one from the train station at the Eads Bridge. . .
Old Court House with Gateway Arch in the background
and this one from the front of the Old Court House
Missourri, St Louis MO, Gateway Arch (13)logs and debri floating in the Mississippi River
our sightseeing cruise we had scheduled on the paddlewheeler was cancelled. . .
just ‘cause the river was out of it’s banks and there were
logs and trees everywhere in the water. . .go figure. . .LOL!
Missourri, St Louis MO, Gateway Arch (31)
and last stop. . .Lacledes Landing. . .lots of little touristy shops and pubs. . .
the Old Spaghetti Factory came highly recommended. . .delicious!
Casino Queen RV Park - our motorhome with a view of the Gateway Arch across the Mississippi River
the Casino Queen RV Park worked out beautifully as a home base. . .
a little pricey at $49 per night for big rigs. . .but with a Good Sam discount. . .only $45. ..
fabulous 24 hour security, and a shuttle to take you to the casino and the train station. . .
we never took the Jeep out of the lot. . .and would not have unhooked it at all. . .
except that the pedestals were located at the very rear of the parking space,
and I didn’t want to drag out every inch of sewer hose we owned. . .
the buffet at the Casino was way above your standard buffet fare. . .really great. . .
and best of all. . .no smoking in the Casino. ..so a very pleasant atmosphere.  .

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, and will return in the future to tour more of the
outlying areas around the city. . .today, we are headed to Indianapolis. . .
and the Eastern Time Zone. . .oh boy!  Temps have been staying in the
lower 80’s the last couple of days. . .which is lovely. . .
another ten degrees lower will be fantastic!

Until next time,
Janice

Thursday, June 13, 2013

A Wise Decision

Our decision to leave Little Rock a day early,

and drive halfway to St Louis turned out to be the right call. . .

unbeknownst to us. . .Hwy 67 (the freeway portion) is not completed

which entailed being routed over to the original State Highway,

which ran through several small towns. . .not a problem at all,

just glad to have gotten that portion done yesterday,

leaving only 3 hours of smooth sailing in to St Louis today. . .

Missourri, Poplar Bluff, RV ParkMissourri, Poplar Bluff, RV Park (1)

It’s always great to have a pull though for an overnite. . .

parking under the electromagnetic high wires was just an added bonus. . .LOL. . .

one I didn’t even realize until saw this picture of the coach just now. . .

hmmm. . .my observation skills definitely need some polishing. . .

anyway. . .putting that aside. . .

Camelot RV Campground was a perfect midway stopping point. . .

right on Hwy 67. . .but no noticeable highway noise with the a/c running.

$29 per night. . .cash or check only. . .not too bad for the convenience. . .

 

We are off to St Louis this morning.  I am ashamed to tell you. . .

we are only there to see the Arch. . .no other reason. . .

although we may take a River Boat Cruise on the Mississippi. . .we’ll see!

and since fellow park hosts from Stephen F Austin SP only live an hour away,

we will get to have supper with them. . .that will be nice!

 

Til next time,

Janice

 

 

 

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Little Rock. . .and the Arkansas State House

Evans Escapades in Little Rock AR
Here we are. . .one more State Capital checked off the list. . .
Capital Doors created by Tiffanys - New YorkChandelier from Tiffany's
I was totally intrigued that Tiffany’s of New York
designed the doors and the chandeliers for the building. . .
they were just as beautiful as I anticipated them being.
Little Rock AR
In all of my research on Little Rock the fact kept arising about
the six bridges spanning the Arkansas River. . .
Arkansas, Little Rock AR, Clinton Presidential Library (10)
the bridges hold such significance that the
Clinton Presidential Library is designed to look like a bridge. . .
although I was interested in seeing the raccoon prints inside,
where evidently raccoons had a party during construction. . .
I didn’t really want to pay $7 each to do so. . .

I know lots of folks love museums and such. . .
but it’s just really not my thing. . .
so we did not tour the Presidential Library. . .
The Original Capital Building - Old State House
nor the Old State House Museum. . .
I’m sure both are fascinating. . .
and if you enjoy that sort of thing,
you should check them out.
River Market - Farmers Market
We did pay a visit to the Farmer’s Market at
the Little Rock River Market. . .forgot to get a pic
but came away with Arkansas tomatoes, fresh squash,
homemade peanut and pecan brittle. . .they were delicious. . .
and a cantaloupe.  I really wanted a watermelon. . .
but the logistics of carrying it back to the Jeep
did away with that notion.
Little Rock Street Car 
We rode the trolley all around town. . .one of our favorite things to do. . .

Central High School - First Desegregated School in Arkansas - see story on the Little Rock Nine
Central High School
After reading RV’ing friends Margery and Paul’s account of Central High School
on their blog. . .
and doing some further research  I knew I wanted to see the
place where such a historic event in our history took place. . .
but unlike Paul and Margery. . .I simply could not bring myself
to go through the visitor’s center
. . .Little Rock NineLittle Rock Nine
just reading the account online of what the Little Rock Nine endured
and to read each of their testamonials at the State House
almost brings me to tears. . .and makes me feel sick to my stomach. . .
I knew going through the visitor center would make me very, very upset. . .
I honor those brave young men and women for their strength in the face of adversity!
David and Janice at the Old Mill - Featured in the movie Gone With The Wind
Our last stop for the day was The Old Mill. . .
featured in a famous movie you may have heard of. . .
Gone With The Wind
Faux Bois (fake wood) sculpture created by Senor Dionicio Rodriguez - the Old Mill - Feature in the movie Gone With The WindFaux Bois (fake wood) sculpture created by Senor Dionicio Rodriguez - the Old Mill - Feature in the movie Gone With The Wind
footbridgeFaux Bois (fake wood) sculpture created by Senor Dionicio Rodriguez - the Old Mill - Feature in the movie Gone With The WindArkansas, Little Rock, The Old Mill, Gone With The Wind (2)
the artist in me was completely intrigued by the
fake wood sculptures surrounding the mill. . .
I will be looking for more of this artist’s work as we travel. . .

Our plan for today was to visit Pinnacle Mountain where I had read
that the views from the top were fabulous. . .
but given the 95* heat
we decided to forego any further outside activities. . .
leave a day early, and drive halfway to St Louis.. .
my only regret in leaving early is that Margery and Paul had
described the Whole Hog CafĂ©’s offerings so vividly. . .
I really wanted to try it. . .I guess that will hafta wait. . .

We have safely arrived at our midway point for the day.
I am really, really loving travel in the motor home. . .
Dave is so glad. . .I was such a bad traveler with the truck. . .
needing to stop all the time for this or that. . .now I can just go
back and get whatever it is I am wanting at the moment. . .
Dave calls me the wanderer. . .I love it!

Til next time,
Janice