From UP Michigan to Batesville, Indiana - 7/12 to 8/5

In the last posting to this blog we had traveled to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the town of Escanaba to attend the 29th International Rally of the Newmar Kountry Klub. NKK is for owners of Newmar RV products. Though the company is now building only motorhomes, they did build fifth-wheelers and travel trailers at one point in time.

The opening of the rally was Sunday evening so on Sunday morning we headed to worship at the First United Methodist Church. The service was rather traditional in nature complete with singing to the accompaniment of a Kimball pipe organ that began life nearly 100 years ago but was added to in the 1960s. There were approximately 120 in attendance with several you parents present as well as several teens. Later we learned that the pastor of this church was the husband of the pastor of another UMC congregation in Escanaba.

One of the first activities for the rally was a “hymn sing” which was attended by more than 150 registrants. Byron led the singing doing his typical job of throwing in historical information about the hymns selected voluntarily from the attendees. Immediately following the hymn sing was a church service. Byron led the singing in that as well.

The photos (above) show the rally attendees at attention as the Flag of the United States of American was brought to the podium. Motorhomes were parked in various locations around the fairgrounds of the Upper Peninsula State Fair.

We both enjoyed the rally. It was our first as Newmar owners and probably won’t be our last. There were people in nearly 400 vehicles (motorhomes and pull-behind RVs) registered. We attended a variety of seminars, checked out the vendor displays, attended social functions (a regional meeting and two meetings for full-timers), and met three couples who happened to be from the Louisville area. In addition to Byron’s musical leadership, Martha worked a few shifts in the fulltimer’s booth handing out free popcorn and lemonade. We both assisted in helping host a catered dinner on the last night of the rally. Some other photos of us, taken by a mystery photographer at the rally, are below.

Checking the message board to see if we had won the lottery.

Bummer – you have to buy tickets.

In case you don't recognize us, we’re on the front row slightly

to the right of center. This was at a session on fulltiming.

From Escanaba we went to Two Rivers, Wisconsin to spend a night. While there we went to a museum which included an ice cream shop. The photo (below) was taken while there.

On Sunday morning we worshipped at Saint John Evangelical Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod). During the service the visiting priest, a former pastor of the parish, intoned the chants and sang out quite well on the hymns and responses. Of course, this church stuck pretty close to the Lutheran liturgy which is quite different from the contemporary form; stand for 30 minutes and move mouth while listening to the praise team and raising hands then sit and listen to the minister while watching slides before going out for coffee in the foyer on the way home.

Our next destination was to Mequon, Wisconsin to visit with Jim and Marlys Garman. We had met the Garmans several years ago while owning our classic GMC motorhome and have stayed in contact over the years. Jim and Marlys spend half of the time at their home in Smith’s Grove, Kentucky (north of Bowling Green) and the other half in Mequon, which is north of Milwaukee. Their circular front drive was large enough to accommodate us. Since it was tree-covered, we had more than adequate shade which matched the tremendous hospitality of the Garmans. Since their home is on the Milwaukee River, we took advantage of the opportunity to go on a pontoon ride one beautiful afternoon.

Enjoying lunch at the Crepe and Cream at Cedar Creek Settlement

in Cedarburg, Wisconsin

On the Milwaukee River with Jim and Marlys Garman

While in Mequon we met the mother of our son-in-law, Marynell, who was at a family gathering. She and her husband now live in Jefferson City, Missouri.

After leaving Mequon we headed to Elkhart, Indiana where we were to have some work done on the motorhome. While at the Newmar rally we decided to have new day and night shades put in the cockpit. This involved making a modification to the TV cabinet. Though it took more time and money than we had planned, we do appreciate the enhancement provided by the MCD shades. The motorized windshield shade replaces the visors which were unhandy to operate. The modification made to the TV cabinet looks original since it now houses a new Vizio HD TV instead of the original picture tube style.

On Wednesday we traveled down the road a few miles to Bremen and the Pla-More campground. While there we journeyed around the area looking for a grocery that caters to the Amish community as well as us “English” folks. There we purchased some delicious cheese spread and other items. We also attended the Elkhart County Fair in Goshen with friends we had met at the Newmar rally. On Sunday the four of us attended a Church of the Brethren before having an excellent, family-style meal at Amish Acres Restaurant in Nappanee.

Byron with Newmar friends, Roseanne and Sue, in front of

Union Central Church of the Brethren near Nappanee

The restaurant at Amish Acres in Nappanee is housed

in a barn at the historic farmstead.

Some day we’ll get back for a play in the round barn.

Before leaving Nappanee we took a second tour of the Newmar factory. As it so happens, we encountered a couple we had met at the NKK rally who are from Louisville. Once again, we have proof that it is a small world.

From Elkhart County we drove to Indianapolis for service at Stoops Freightliner. Unlike our last experience in Evansville, the service personnel at Stoops were prepared. In fact, they handled the repair so quickly we barely had time to take advantage of the free laundry facility they had in the driver’s lounge. From the Stoops we traveled a few miles to Camping World in Greenwood to get a Splendide washer/dryer installed. Since the motorhome was plumbed for a combination or separate units, the job was relatively simple for them. After having been without the handiness of that wonderful appliance, it is good to have one again. It beats scheduling a time to take all your clothes to a coin laundry and hanging around until they are done. Besides, the water and electricity expense are covered in campground fee.

After leaving the Indianapolis area we drove to Batesville to spend several days. Batesville is northwest of Cincinnati on I-74 and home of a casket company and other Hillenbrand operations. Our campground was Indian Lakes RV Resort, which is one of the nicer affiliates of Thousand Trails with over 400 sites spread across several acres.

The Indian Lakes RV Resort is unique in that a portion of the property

contains a KOA campground complete with separate branding.

We happened to be in the area for an annual community celebration in Batesville. A part of the entertainment for the event was an antique car show which we enjoyed. We especially enjoyed the display of cars from the middle of the 20th century.

At the auto show in Batesville, cars in stock condition were displayed

in one area while modified units were displayed elsewhere.

This photo shows to originals birthed in 1956,

Martha and the Cadillac.

This photo shows Byron next to a Ford, both have been

modified since their introduction in 1947.

On Sunday we attended the United Church of Christ in Batesville though we set out to attend another church. When we got to the building we saw a sign on the door stating that the service had been moved to the public park and that it had started by the time we arrived. So, we looked for a church with a service starting later. As it turned out this church had a fine organist playing a three-manual organ. And, a visiting musician from a nearby Mennonite church joined with the organist in two piano/organ duets as a part of the service music.

We must say that we do get to meet some very nice people at the churches and campgrounds we visit. For that we are most grateful and trust that God is continuing to bless us in our full-timing journey. And, of course, we see a lot of beauty in each area of the country.

By the way, this is being posted about ten days late. The plan is to post to the blog at least twice a month. That plan may change but, in about a week, we’ll get caught up.

Louisville to Escanaba – Taking Our Time - 6/30 to 7/12

After leaving the Metro Louisville KOA and the Louisville area, we traveled through Southern Indiana on I-64 to Haubstadt, which is north of Evansville on US 41. We had reservations for three in the campground of the Vanderburgh 4-H Center. Our primary reason for being in this area was to get some work done on the coach at Freightliner of Evansville. When we purchased the Newmar Dutch Star, the arrangement made with the previous owner was that he would pay for the repair to the gauge for the rear air system.

We arrived in the middle of the afternoon on Tuesday, July 1. Our space was in the “new” area which was all gravel with full hookups and room to pull through. The older portion of the campground, which the seasonal people filled, had shade trees. Not having shade was OK with Martha since we had high winds and a thunderstorm the first night. After that it cooled off enough that being without shade was a non-issue.

Wednesday, July 2, we arrived at the Freightliner service center a few minutes after 8 a.m. Getting anywhere at that time was a monumental feat because the exhaustion of the last two weeks had set in. There is no better way to say it than that we were weary!

Since Byron had confirmed the issue with service personnel at Freightliner Custom Chassis in Gaffney, SC, we were pretty sure of the problem. In making the appointment, Byron had asked that the part be ordered so there would be no delay with the repair. The first clue that things were not going to be as we thought was when the customer service person acted as though no appointment had been made. The next clue was when we were told they would need a wiring diagram to help in diagnosing the situation. We knew we should have questioned things earlier when, at 3:30, the service writer said the problem was the gauge, not the control module (VDC), and that we needed to return mid-morning on Thursday when they’ve have the part.

We headed back to the 4-H Center for the night. Fortunately we had planned for something going wrong; the reason for the three-night reservation.

At the campground we ran into some friends from our church, St. Matthews Baptist Church, Kevin and Janet Thompson. Janet works as a traveling nurse and is presently working in Evansville at St. Mary’s Hospital. Kevin had sung the male chorale that Byron had conducted.

Thursday morning we spent resting and doing some bookkeeping and other catch-up things. We returned to Freightliner of Evansville a little before noon. While waiting, we went across the road to Stoll’s Amish Buffet. If you have a desire to stop there from seeing the signs on the highway don’t, just keep on driving. This is definitely not a true Amish restaurant as far as the food is concerned. Some of the things in the retail store are Amish. But, the food? A definite “no.” It all tasted like it was fresh out of the Sysco cans that fell of the truck earlier in the week.

When we got back to the dealership we were told that the gauge had been replaced and that it, too, was malfunctioning. The technician had called Gaffney and been told the problem was the VDC module. At that point our anger grew and our opinion of their diagnostic procedure dropped. When Byron talked to the service manager, the person he originally talked with was also present and apologized for not looking at her notes after the phone conversation in early June. Of course, that was doing little good now. Despite her profuse apology, we left without resolving the original issue; the replacement of the VDC. Because the motorhome operates without the module working correctly, we continued on with our plans after unplugging the warning buzzer.

Compassionate Friends Memorial to Our Children at the Vanderburgh 4-H Center

At the 4-H Center is a monument with the inscription: Our children – loved, missed and remembered. It is situated in a park-like setting. It was established by the Evansville Chapter of Compassionate Friends. Near the monument one will find a latched, waterproof box which contains writings from families in the area who have lost a child. Periodically a candle-light service is held in memory of the children. Families may also leave flowers or a stuffed animal as a token of remembrance.

Byron contacted another Freightliner service facility in Indianapolis. They ordered the part while he was on the telephone with their service manager. It will be there awaiting our arrival when we return from the Upper Peninsula. We have also been assured that they’ll bypass the diagnosis phase since the issue isn’t uncommon and resolvable with the correct part.

We left Darmstadt, Indiana around 10-ish on July 4, Independence Day, and leisurely made our way north on Highway 41 to Clinton, Indiana. It seemed a bit odd, knowing we had somewhere to go without having a definite time we had to get there. We made a stop at Menard’s in Princeton for a couple of necessary items and also stopped to wash the motorhome. Byron ran the brush and sprayer while Martha kept the timer supplied with quarters. It took $6.00 which beats $40 at a truck wash where they wash it for you!

Wheat being harvested near Terre Haute, Indiana

The drive north in Indiana was beautiful with fields of corn and soybeans lining the roads. Wheat was being harvested, so the lush green was patched with fields of brown wheat stubble.

Entrance to Thousand Trails Horseshoe Lakes

We arrived at Horseshoe Lakes, a Thousand Trails Campground in Clinton, around 3:30. We were placed in the overflow section until a regular site was vacated.

We have learned along the way that just because something worked one day, it may not necessarily work the next time we need it. Today upon arriving, the hydraulic leveling jacks decided not to go down; another thing to have checked at some point in the future.

We drove from Clinton to Ridge Farm in Illinois to have dinner with Larry and Peggy Stahl for the evening. We returned around 9:15 and called it an early night.

Our view out the front of the motorhome

Saturday morning, much to our delight, we were allowed to move to a vacated spot with some shade. The site faced one of the lakes at Horseshoe Lakes.

Traffic moves at a snail’s pace the campground. The speed limit is 5 mph probably because the primary mode of transportation is golf cart or bike. The campground is spread out over several acres and has 11 lakes; ideal for those who like to fish. Cell phone coverage is not good for AT&T users and data coverage is a little slow on our AT&T Hotspot but it is manageable. It is a bit dusty. All-in-all it is a nice place to stay.

On Saturday Byron did some rearranging of the storage bins under the coach and hung some shoe racks inside. Martha caught up on her writing as well as our expenses spread sheet.

That evening we drove to Clinton with Larry and Peggy and had a nice dinner with their daughter and family (Anita and Bob Miller and Trey) at Benjamin’s. Anita and Bob live in Clinton so it was convenient for them. Sunday morning we attended First Christian Church of Clinton with Anita and Bob. We sang several familiar hymns with all of their stanzas straight out of the hymnal. The pastor spoke about the church should be a place of peace though Satan attempts to create havoc in the church. There was a “carry-in” lunch after the service so we stayed to eat and visit.

Sunday was a pretty relaxing afternoon. Most people left the campground, so it was quiet. Martha was conscious of gearing her mind down to move at a slower pace. Byron is already there.

Monday morning we left Horseshoe Lakes around 9:30 and drove to Belvidere, Illinois. We traveled through more corn and soybean fields. We happened upon one small herd of cattle, the first we had seen amid all the farms. Our destination was Pine Country Resort, another Thousand Trails resort.

Once there we realized that it wasn't something we'd call a “resort.” It seems that the Thousand Trails system caters to seasonal residents leaving only a few sites for short-term travelers. The KOA system is the opposite. The Thousand Oaks campgrounds are also not handy to highways. The locations area also somewhat older and accommodating a larger motorhome is a challenge. Pine Country will not be on our list of places to return on a frequent basis. The weather was nice, however, so we were able to open the windows and turn on the roof fans, enjoying the breezes and fresh air.

The cemetery chapel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright

Tuesday, we drove into Belvidere, known as the city of murals. We saw a few murals and drove to the Belvidere Cemetery to check out the chapel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. His designs were simple. The campground was quiet as most residents had returned home for the week. The mosquitoes were ferocious, making us thankful for our bug spray.

Wednesday was another travel day. Our destination was Plymouth Rock RV Resort in Plymouth, Wisconsin. Plymouth Rock is an Encore resort and lives up to the term, resort. We found Plymouth Rock to be very nice and well cared for. There are still a lot of permanent, seasonal dwellings but they are in good shape.

On Thursday we drove into Sheboygan, Wisconsin and had a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. We had lunch at the Mucky Duck, which turned out to be a mucky experience. Service was bad, food not much better, and grease on the tables, but we had a nice view. The weather was beautiful.

Looking onto Lake Michigan from the harbor in Sheboygan

Peering out the window at Mucky Duck on the riverfront in Sheboygan.

The Blue Wave Resort and Conference Center is in the distance

on what is called South Pier.

On Friday we drove to Stephenson, Michigan where we spent the night at the Coyote Campground, a small private campground. There was only one other coach in the park. The place was well maintained and simple. We only needed an overnighter as we needed to head to Escanaba early on Saturday so it met our needs well.

US 41 heading north to Escanaba, Michigan and the Upper Peninsula Fairground.

The drive to Escanaba reminded me a lot of the Alaskan terrain, very simplistic, lots of white burch trees. The countryside was clean and beautiful. The road was smooth and traffic very light.

We arrived in Escanaba around 10:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Since the Newmark Kountry Klub rally did not officially start until Monday, so we had a couple of days to explore. Later in the day we took a ride seven miles north to Gladstone, Michigan and then back to Escanaba where we drove out to Ludington Park.

The harbor light for the harbor at Gladstone.

The restored lighthouse at Sand Point near Escanaba.

Transition Completed; The New Adventure Begins

Our former home at 9821 Meadow Vale Drive

in Louisville (City of Meadow Vale)

We are happy to report that we survived the past two weeks of closing out the house so we could begin a new phases in our lives: Fulltiming in our motorhome. For sure, it took more energy than expected but, with the help of Byron's son, Jody, and a few friends that helped accelerate the process, we survived.

Things on Craig's List have all been sold including the 2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette and our lawnmower. There are even stories connected to the sale of those items. Long story, short — a relative on Facebook was instrumental in relaying the availability of the van. Through the social context, a couple from Dexter, Missouri who were coming to Louisville to help with their daughter's care during outpatient surgery bought the Olds. Not only did the couple know many of Byron's relatives, Byron and the gentleman graduated from the same college, Oakland City University. As to the lawnmower, a neighbor had expressed interest in it at the beginning of May. Upon contacting him we found that he couldn't wait and purchased another mower. Almost in passing, Byron mentioned that it was available to our friends, Hilario and Sandra, only to find that Hilario had an employee in need of one. The deal was sealed in a flash.

Interior view of our new home. Physical address – variable.

Mailing address – 1885 Douglas Blvd, Louisville, KY 40205

In preparation for this transition, Martha, with her disciplined approach, had been disposing of personal things over the course of the last several months. Byron, a professional procrastinator, had not. It all turned out to be OK because he and son, Jeremy, got to spend some time sifting through things. As Jeremy later remarked, it was nicer going though "keepsake" objects pre-mortem instead of post-mortem; he got stories first-hand.

After getting things divided between "keep and toss", we rented a truck and moved some belongs to Jeremy and Jody's home. Having the truck in front of their house alarmed some of their neighbors and confused others because things were being carried in. Their neighbors were relieved to find that they weren't moving out. They now have custody of two grandfather clocks made by Byron's dad in addition to a state bird and flower quilt made by his mother and a hooked rug that Byron and his mother made when he was in high school. They also have our file cabinet and some of our essential papers.

By Thursday of last week we had no furniture. At that point we moved out to the motorhome for sleeping and eating while continuing to go through clearing out the house. This confused the dogs because they couldn't understand why they were on the property where they normally slept, still allowed to handle their business in their own yard, but had to sleep in the mobile environment.

We were able to meet the couple that purchased our house when they came for the final inspection. We learned that the husband had two children by a previous marriage; the children live in Texas and California. He is now retired and engaged with a group that does prison ministry throughout the US. The wife still has five years or so to go before retirement. She works for ResCare. Since the office in Philadelphia closed she elected to stay with the company and move to Louisville. He plays a mountain dulcimer and she has a cello. Her comment to Martha was that she liked the colors in all the rooms and was not going to change anything. They also have a dog who will enjoy the fenced back yard. Mr. Ash commented that it was definitely a win-win situation for both parties. We agree. We wish them well. They'll be moving in on Tuesday.

Another interesting development in this saga is that our son-in-law's sister and husband will be moving to the area. He will be teaching math at Westport TAP School. She works in special education and expressed a sincere interest in "hooking up" with Candice, our daughter with Down's syndrome. Now, if that doesn't feel like a "God thing" then nothing will. In fact, all along the way so many things easily fell into place leaving us with the belief that God was taking care of our future just as he had our past.

After pulling the Dutch Star into the KOA across the river in Clarksville we set out on our first adventure. It was to find the new Mark's Feed Store in New Albany. As far as we're concerned, Marks has the finest BBQ in the area. We also both feel that this is one thing of Louisville life we'll miss.

Though we were in Meadow Vale for less than four years, we feel fortunate to have lived there. We were near a colleague of Byron's when he was in church ministry years ago and the former head of the music department at JCTC also lives in the same neighborhood. Of course, Byron learned a lot by getting to serve on the City Commission. He will continue to edit their website which is at http://www.cityofmeadowvale.org.

Tomorrow we head to Haubstadt, Indiana for a few days while a repair is made at a Freightliner facility. After that it's on to the small town of Clinton, Indiana where we can stay at a campground affiliated with Thousand Trails. an association offering heavily discounted stays for members. After being there for a few days we'll meander on to Escanaba, Michigan for the international rally of Newmar Kountry Klub where we'll get to meet 399 other owners of Newmar motorhomes.

To the friends and neighbors who stopped by in the past two weeks, we owe you our thanks for doing so and will look forward to keeping in touch and reconnecting when in Louisville.

On the Way to Goshen, Motorhome Rally, and Transition Time

We thought that posting once a week might be a good idea. Well, that was a thought. Now it has gone beyond that. It seems to be a problem with the number of things happening as opposed to the finite amount of time. At any rate, it's time to pick up where we left off.

After leaving Gettysburg we traveled across country avoiding the toll roads of Pennsylvania on our way to Goshen, Indiana which is in the middle of the RV manufacturing region for the US. We went by Hagerstown, Maryland and spent one night just south of Pittsburgh among the hills and valleys. The campground at which we stayed was in the Appalachian chain. Luckily, the site was level but getting there was a bit of a challenge. The streets were hilly and narrow. In fact, getting into the pull-through site was like riding a roller coaster -- up and then down.

While at the campground the power went out. Fortunately for us and the others so equipped, we had power because of the inverter. Unfortunately, however, Martha had started a load of clothes in the campground laundry. That, and other things about inconvenience, has helped us make up our minds to install a washer/drier in this motorhome as we’ve had in the other two diesel pushers.

From there we traveled on to a state park in Ohio just north of Columbus. Evidence that it was still early in the summer season was the fact that our assigned site (through a reservation system) was half underwater. Also, there were very few in the campground. Cellular access was somewhat limited, too. It was as close to "roughing it" as we had come in some time.

After getting near Goshen, we spent one night in Shipshewana Campground - South Park. Though we had been through this part of Indiana Amish country we had never just stopped to "smell the roses." The campground is situated between two working farms. To our north was open pasture and to our south was a field with several mares with some of their young foals running about.

Situated in a farming community, Shipshewana appears to

be a wonderful place to just sit back and relax.

Our reason for being in the northern part of Indiana was to attend a Family Motor Coach Association regional rally called GLAMARAMA. It was being held at the Elkhart 4-H Fair. It turned out to be one of the better rallies we've attended considering the opportunity for fellowship with other RVers, seminars for learning, and evening entertainment.

We parked in an area with other members of our "local" group, the Tri-State Traveliers (yes, it is spelled correctly). TST is composed of motorhome owners within 100 miles or so of the Cincinnati area. There were a dozen other member coaches present (that's how FMCA measures things, by the coach) which computes to 23 individuals). The following photos give an overview of our experience.

Members of Tri-State Traveliers held a dinner in one of the pavilions at the fairground.

Representatives from Freightliner Custom Chassis, which is

what our motorhome rides on, were present along with a

demonstration unit.

One evening with were entertained by three, amazingly

talented gentleman know at New Odyssey. Their "claim to fame"

is "three guys, 30 instruments.

At one point, the drummer put on a special costume reminiscent

of Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The uniform and shoes were

embedded with triggers that played different percussion sounds.

No group gathers without eating. This shows some of those who

showed up for doughnuts that were provided each morning.

Yes, it's a boring diet but you do get to meet a variety of people.

One of the stranger units on display was this renovated unit,

a Winnebago Brave that, originally, was built in the early

1970 but has undergone an intense modernization which

included a totally redone skin, slide-out, and computer-controlled

circuitry to monitor just about anything from an iPad.

Following the rally, we returned to Louisville on Sunday afternoon, June 15. We came through the Indianapolis area and were able to have lunch with two of Byron's friends from his college days, Judy and Stan Jones. Later that evening we had a Father's Day dinner with Jeremy and Jody.

Since that point we jumped back in the process of clearing out items in the house by listing things on eBay and Craig's List. Thus far we've managed to sell a six-piece bedroom suite, barrister bookcase, curio cabinet, washer and drier. We still have Byron's Rodgers organ and our Oldsmobile Silhouette yet to move but trust it'll go this week. After all, we close on June 30 which coincides with our first day of nomadic life, a new chapter in our lives together.

Of course, we feel that God has blessed us all along the way and trust the He will continue to do so in this next phase. We look forward to the opportunity to meet many people, attend a variety of churches, and witness the wonders of His creation.

To those of you who are concerned about a mailing address, it will be 1885 Douglas Boulevard, Louisville, KY 40205. Jeremy will be collecting our mail and forwarding that which is really essential (which won't include the many coupons that come in the mail). Of course, we can still be reached by email and cell phone. Ain't life grand?

Five Days in DC and a Day at Gettysburg

During our time in the Washington, DC area we stayed at Cherry Hill Park near College Park (home of the University of Maryland). The campground is one of those defined as a "resort" or destination park. It isn't at all like the typical KOA by an interstate highway. Though some of the amenities may be the same, the feeling it totally different. Most of the staff at Cherry Hill is made up of part-time workers who happen to be full-time RVers. Or, if you prefer, they are more appropriately called workampers (a term coined about a decade ago to describe those that live in a trailer or motorhome and work for their camping space. As a result, a full-timer works part-time.

One of the workampers at Cherry Hill started there 18 years ago. When she started her husband was living and worked at the campground also. After he died, she continued to return each year from California to work during the summer vacation season. Her comment was: “That’s just how nice the people here are to work for.” Quite a testimony, we think.

We were able to have dinner on two nights at the home of Martha’s aunt and uncle. Two other nights we attended the military band concerts given on the steps of the Capitol. As a result, we got to hear The President’s Own Marine Band and Pershing’s Own Army Band. One night a nephew was with us and on the second night we had dinner with the nephew before going to the concert. One afternoon we drove with the aunt and uncle to Damascus, MD to have lunch with another aunt and uncle. So, we got to spend time with family -- some planned and some by accident. Any opportunity we have to spend time with relatives we really appreciate.

One day we went into DC by taking the Metro. Once there we purchased tickets for the Old Town Trolley, which is a great way to see the Capital. In the last year or two they've upgraded their vehicles to be multi-level coaches built on Freightliner chassis. The result is that more people get a forward view instead of just looking out the side windows. It's a great way to see DC and the many attractions because you can get on and off at any stop for an all-day price.

For our time we went through the Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian on the Mall. Once in the museum it was obvious several middle schools groups were there on school trips (which was what we observed our first night in the Capital at Union Station). Still, the museum offers an excellent overview of flight as we know it in the United States.

Our second stop was near at the Lincoln Memorial which is situated at the west end of the Reflecting Pool. From there we walked beside the pool to the opposite end and the new World War II Memorial. The Memorial is quite impressive. Below are some photos of the Memorial.

The World War II Memorial is at the east end of the Reflecting Pool

and directly west of the Washington Monument. The circular pool

features pillars naming each state in the Union as well as the

possessions of the US.

This inscription, at the east entry to the Memorial, puts things

succinctly and well: "Here in the presence of Washington and Lincoln,

one the eighteenth century Farther and the other the nineteenth century Preserver

of our nation, we honor those twentieth century Americans who

took up the struggle during the Second World War and mad the sacrifice

to perpetuate the gift our forefathers entrusted to us,

a nation conceived in liberty and justice.

A feature of the Memorial, of which there are several, is the wall of stars called the

Freedom Wall. On it are 4,048 gold stars with each star representing

one hundred American service personnel who died or remain missing from the war.

As you walk past them, they catch the light in such a way that the each produce

a shimmering effect.

At the north side of the Memorial stands an arch baring the name "Atlantic."

Under it are inscribed the countries and political territories that were part of the

European theater of battle.

To the south is the arch for Pacific theater of battle. Of course,

the areas caught in the war are also listed under it.

We attempted to make a night visit to the Memorial but were unable to find suitable parking since we were in our car. The one-way streets that meander around the western edge of the monuments and memorials doesn't help either. One time we wound up turning around in Virginia after crossing the Potomac and another time we went past the Watergate complex after getting on the wrong street. (So much for Byron's ability to keep track of where he was.)

We left Washington on Saturday and headed toward Gettysburg via Baltimore and the B & O Railroad Museum. While the museum is filled with memorabilia, rolling stock, and locomotives that were a part of the B & O, the country's first railroad, respect is given to the whole realm of rail history with other lines also be represented.

Getting to the museum is interesting as it's situation in an old part of Baltimore where the streets are rather narrow and where housing has been given over to those of lesser economic ability. By calling ahead, we were met at the entrance to the parking area by a police representative who instructed us where the bus and RV parking was. Getting in was no problem but getting out meant disconnecting the car so the motorhome could be woven between the train cars and parked cars that are distributed across the lot.

The centerpiece of the Museum is the old roundhouse. It has been rebuilt after

suffering a partial collapse under the weight of snow a few years ago. Some of

the rolling stock and engines that were also damaged

have been repaired and are back on display.

The current displays relate to the Civil War and how the train

was involved 150 years ago. Thus, the reason

for the many flags that encircle the dome of the roundhouse.

One of the more unusual locomotives on display is this camelback

style in which the cab sits above the tender of the engine -- certainly

a hot place in which to work.

Our time at Gettysburg was spent taking the self-guided Auto Tour of the battlefields. We have put this in plural because referring to the encounter at Gettysburg taking place on a “battlefield” does it no justice. The fighting took place in several fields involving 70,000 Confederate troops and 93,000 Union troops. Viewing the Diorama (a commercially development) helps one to plainly see this fact. Though the town of Gettysburg, the Lutheran seminary, and a college campus were spared, farmland from the northwest circling around to the southeast was not spared.

The Auto Tour starts at the Visitor Center and goes through Gettysburg to the northwestern point where General Lee and the troops first entered the area. It continues along Seminary Ridge and on southward. One of the stops along the way helps visitors view thing from the South's point of view. As the journey continues in a large oval, travelers are brought to Little Round Top where a significant turn in the Battle took place. Here one sees things from the North's point of view. Finally, the tour ends at the Soldier's National Cemetery and the monument that marks where Lincoln gave his famous address.

In order for the Confederacy to win a decisive victory at Gettysburg

they had to overtake the position held by Federal troops at Little Round Top,

one of two large hills with large rocks and boulders which

protected the Union troops.

This monument, built with funds provided by the Commonwealth of Kentucky,

marks the location where Abraham Lincoln delivered the famous address.

On each corner is a sculpture representing war, peace, industry,

and prosperity. At the top of the monument is a carving of

Liberty holding a wreath in one hand and a

sword in scabbard in the other. The monument is

surrounded by the graves of the fallen. On the inside of the

large semi-circle of graves are stones with numbers for the unidentified.

Around the perimeter are the grave markers of those who were identified

with each stone being unique since they were supplied by family members.

Electrical Service in a Motorhome and Travels from Georgia to Washington, DC

One of the ponds at Cherry Hill Park, the closest RV park to Washington, DC.

We got away from Knoxville in the middle of the afternoon on Thursday. While progress was made on the installation of an inverter on Tuesday, work on the motorhome on Wednesday was pre-empted by someone picking up a new coach and needing the work of an electrical technician. All that remained to be completed was done on Thursday morning. It included wiring the control panel of the automatic generator start option to the PowerTech generator. Since some of you may wonder what this is all about, please read on for a little more information.

Generally speaking, the lighting in a motorhome is based on 12-volt DC current, the same as can be put out by batteries like you'd put in a car or a golf cart. There is circuitry that handles the two air conditioners, convection microwave, receptacles, and water heater that are 110-volt AC. That's where the generator comes in. It can create up to 8,000 watts of 110-volt, enough to power a hair dryer, television, coffee maker, and air conditioners (of course). Most often during the summer we travel with the generator running to power one or both of the roof-mounted air conditioning units. However, there are times that running a generator isn't advisable, such as when it's cooler than the typical summer day or when "dry camping" at a large, motorhome rally where "shore power" isn't available (shore power is the term used when an RVer plugs the power cord into a power pedestal at a campground). It is at those times when a generator isn't warranted that the inverter is put into action.

The inverter draws power from a bank of four 12-volt DC batteries and converts it to 110-volt AC for use throughout the motorhome. Of course, since the inverter is drawing energy from batteries, the batteries will need recharging after a period of time. That is done by either plugging into shore power or by running the generator.

When we stay in at a large rally of motorhome owners or, as we did last night, stay in the RV parking of a Flying J truck stop, we don't have access to shore power and rely on the inverter or the generator to provide the needed power. As implied above, the inverter will only function for a certain amount of time. The auto generator start option on an inverter will sense when the voltage has dropped to a certain level and automatically start the generator so it can recharge the batteries. While it isn’t essential to have such, it is very handy because it means the humans don't have to be monitoring the situation so closely.

Now, on with the rest of the travelogue --

While in Georgia we attended the wedding of a nephew stayin at Mistletoe State Park which is near Augusta. It is situated beside a large lake. The campground, like a lot of campgrounds in state and national parks, has water and electric but no sewer hookups per site. However, the sites were spacious with an abundant amount of trees for shade. At this particular park, cellular coverage from AT&T was sparse while coverage from Verizon was excellent. Since we primarily rely on AT&T we took a vacation from our iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers.

The weather cooperated for the outdoor wedding. It did rain on Saturday but the rain came through about three hours before the evening event and the cloud cover kept things from getting steamy.

On Sunday morning we headed for Jacksonville, NC to visit with one of Martha's uncles, wife, children, and grandchildren. Along the way we listened to a Bible teacher on a religious station. It was a call-in program. We were both impressed with how calmly he handled some questions. That, in addition to some music played via iTunes, was our church experience for the morning -- the Church of the Open Road.

We arrived in Jacksonville and had a nice visit. We also had a great supper the family had put together.

Fuel consumption from Louisville to Georgia averaged about 8.3 mpg -- we were hoping for better. It did get better when checked on the next day when we achieved 8.7. The difference was mainly attributed to driving three miles per hour slower.

On Monday, after a night at Kenly, NC, we arrived in the Washington, DC area about 3 pm. We were staying at the campground nearest the DC area. The name is Cherry Hill Park. It is located in College Park.

Our location at the 400-site Cherry Hill Park, closest RV campground

to the Washington, DC area. Partial shade for every site.

Preparing to Become Homeless

After taking a break from traveling and blogging, we're about ready to start up again. This time, however, we'll not be traveling for a month or so in our motorhome. This time we're becoming full-time nomads as we join the ranks of the wandering wondering. Yes, Martha and I decided to sell the house, give some of our inheritance to our children, and head out. The plan is to stay out for five to seven years.

In preparation for this major step, we sold our 2000 Airstream Land Yacht XC (35 feet, six inches long) for a 2002 Newmar Dutch Star (39 feet, three inches). The Airstream had a living area slide out that gave us about 22 inches of additional space. The Dutch Star has both living area and bedroom slide outs. The living area expands outwardly by 34 inches. That's a significant difference when one considers starting from a width of 8 feet.

2002 Newmar Dutch Star Diesel Pusher in Anthracite

(from a manufacturer's brochure)

In the process we've managed to keep the same chassis and engine combination we came to enjoy with our first diesel pusher, a 1997 Holiday Rambler we used well for two years. We are comfortable and familiar with the Freightliner XC chassis powered by a Caterpillar 3126 engine. The Holiday Rambler was tuned to 275 hp. The Airstream developed 330. The CAT in the Dutch Star is tuned to 350, the maximum for the 3126 series.

Since Byron has done several motorhome illustrations in the past, including some paint designs for the classic GMC, he had to do an illustration of our new home while on the road. The illustration was done using an iMac running Adobe Illustrator CS4. Such an illustration can take Byron from seven to ten hours to complete, depending on how accurate he wants to make it.

Illustration of our motorhome.

Our first outing, which began on Memorial Day, will take us to the Knoxville area then on to Augusta. From there we'll journey through the Carolinas to visit with one of Martha's uncles before heading to DC area to visit two of her aunts. After that we head to Goshen, Indiana and the Elkhart County 4H Fairgounds where the Great Lakes region of Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) is holding an annual rally. Following the rally in mid June we'll head back to Louisville to finish getting out of the house.

Sunrise near Knoxville after our first night in the Newmar Dutch Star

By the way, while driving to the Knoxville area Byron drove from Louisville to London, KY and Martha from there to Farragut which is west of Knoxville. We had no problem getting over the mountain near Jellico since it was a holiday and there was no road construction on I-75.