Time marches on at Sandy Shores Campground, even if most of our work doesn't. The seasonal residents were allowed to return on Friday, May 15, and the first ones were in the gate before 8 A.M. It was great to see that part of the campground start to come to life. Several new RV's and park models have arrived to take the place of older units. The bath house, laundry and pool are still closed. More seasonals arrived for the holiday weekend. Many of them are enjoying the campground's private beach across the road on Silver Lake. Normally this would be the first sold-out weekend for the summer, but not this year.
Michigan's private campgrounds are still ordered to remained closed for recreational use, so we wait for each new deadline to arrive, and then the governor issues an even later date for openings. Her latest notice mentions June 12 for private campgrounds and June 22 for overnight stays in state campgrounds, but we're hoping that will come sooner. Our campsites are ready. However, state facilities are open for day use, including the state park dunes near us. Vehicular traffic has increased dramatically in our area over the last 10 days, and many of the food vendors and store owners iat Silver Lake have opened for business. It appears none of the close-by campgrounds have opened for regular business, however, even though we were told that some had done so.
There has been some paid retraining ofice sessions for me, along with paid training for the 3 new office workampers, and Hank has a few hours of campground maintenance under his belt, but we're both ready for a full schedule of duties. Office work is done with facial masks in place, and plexiglass partitions between work stations, with disinfectant cleaning after each use. No one is allowed inside the office withour a mask or other facial covering. Hank's work is outside, so he can get by without a mask while social distancing. We keep our distance as we meet and greet others on our daily walks, but many of them don't seem to have our concern. It's definitely a strange new world. We're still doing grocery pickups at the curb and disfecting what we bring inside the RV.
We did not keep our annual medical checkup appointments during our Raleigh stay due to the virus concerns. Last week, Hank needed prescription refills and was told the doctor would have to see him to issue new ones. While we like the medical personnel in the Raleigh location, they are not able to do virtual exams, email check-ins, and are not willing to receive fax orders from our drug plan. So Hank now has a new doctor who also happens be in Raleigh, and he's had his virtual exam, with new prescriptions on the way.
The highlight of the past few weeks was a Zoom gathering with our 5 children and some of their families. It was amazing that all of them could participate given their different work and family schedules, and we were so happy to see their smiling faces as we talked. The annual Alabama Memorial Day weekend family gathering was not held this year due to health concerns.
Spring has finally sprung here in western Michigan, with highs often in the 70's, many sunny days, birds nesting, and trees and flowers blooming. Many of you have asked us about the massive flooding and evacuations in Michigan over the last week. The breached dams are in eastern Michigan and we're in western Michigan, so although we've had some heavy rains, there are no flooding problems in our area.
Life goes on!
Our life on the highways and byways of America.
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Thursday, May 7, 2020
APRIL 24 - MAY 7: Settling in at Sandy Shores
On the afteroon of Friday, April 24, we arrived at the Sandy Shores Campground, in the Silver Lake section of western Michigan. Our campsite, next to the pool and bathhouse, was ready for us and we definitely felt like we had come home. After working here last summer and getting to know the family owners, it felt great to be here again. There were no hugs or handshakes when we were warmly greeted by the owner and two sons, due to virus protocol and staying away from each other, but there were smiles all around. We were ready to start our 2-week self quarantine as mandated by the Michigan governor, since we had traveled from out of state.
The campground is still in winter mode, with most trees still without leaves, and the transient section empty of RVs and tents. The seasonal leasees are not allowed to stay overnight yet, and must walk in from the front parking lot (this is a gated property) to start site cleanup and check on their units. We were here for a few nights by ourselves, although one son lives at the campground entrance, and the family continues doing their many pre-opening tasks during the day. Now there are 3 other workampers here getting their quarantines out of the way in time to start working in the next week or so. The weather seems cold to us with nights in the 30's and 40's, and daytime highs between 45 and 60, but many days are sunny so that helps. There is the "S" word in the forecast for this weekend, but only as a small chance combined with rain showers. However, temperatures will dip even lower for a few days. I'm glad we always have our winter clothes with us!
We've ventured away from the campground 3 times so far to go to the Ludington, Walmart (30 miles) to pick up grocery orders outside. The first attempt was not successful as the process allowed someone else to go home with our order. We were asked to return the next day and were given many apologies and a $20 Walmart gift card. Our second order pickup yesterday was perfect and we were in and out in short order. We have no personal masks so Hank folds a large napkin and ties it on to satisfy regulations while he helps with the loading. He wipes everything down with disinfectant before we bring the groceries inside the RV.
Yesterday, the governor amended her orders to allow the seasonal owners to move into the campground in the next few days, with a long list of regulations and restrictions for workers and residents. The pool, playground, and bathhouse will not open yet. Several of the neighboring campgrounds have opened for everyone without her permission, and I expect Sandy Shores may do the same soon. However, the Silver Lake State Park Campground next door is not due to open until June 22. The 600 acres of the State Park dunes will open for daytime use on June 3. That should bring the area back to life in a big way. Meanwhile, the Sandy Shores owner has plenty of masks, gloves, and disinfectant to help us stay safe. There is a now a plexiglass sneeze guard at the check-in counter, and office access will probably be limited for awhile.
Chirstmas came early this year with the delivery of an online order delivery of toilet paper. All previous attempts were unsuccessful both from grocery orders and online, bur we're stocked up now. The owner's son had given us a couple of bathhouse rolls to use just in case.
Life has been relatively calm for us the last two weeks, with both of us doing computer chores, and taking daily walks in the campground. I'm doing a lot of reading as well. However, we're ready for new challenges and adventures that will certainly come as campers start arriving
The campground is still in winter mode, with most trees still without leaves, and the transient section empty of RVs and tents. The seasonal leasees are not allowed to stay overnight yet, and must walk in from the front parking lot (this is a gated property) to start site cleanup and check on their units. We were here for a few nights by ourselves, although one son lives at the campground entrance, and the family continues doing their many pre-opening tasks during the day. Now there are 3 other workampers here getting their quarantines out of the way in time to start working in the next week or so. The weather seems cold to us with nights in the 30's and 40's, and daytime highs between 45 and 60, but many days are sunny so that helps. There is the "S" word in the forecast for this weekend, but only as a small chance combined with rain showers. However, temperatures will dip even lower for a few days. I'm glad we always have our winter clothes with us!
We've ventured away from the campground 3 times so far to go to the Ludington, Walmart (30 miles) to pick up grocery orders outside. The first attempt was not successful as the process allowed someone else to go home with our order. We were asked to return the next day and were given many apologies and a $20 Walmart gift card. Our second order pickup yesterday was perfect and we were in and out in short order. We have no personal masks so Hank folds a large napkin and ties it on to satisfy regulations while he helps with the loading. He wipes everything down with disinfectant before we bring the groceries inside the RV.
Yesterday, the governor amended her orders to allow the seasonal owners to move into the campground in the next few days, with a long list of regulations and restrictions for workers and residents. The pool, playground, and bathhouse will not open yet. Several of the neighboring campgrounds have opened for everyone without her permission, and I expect Sandy Shores may do the same soon. However, the Silver Lake State Park Campground next door is not due to open until June 22. The 600 acres of the State Park dunes will open for daytime use on June 3. That should bring the area back to life in a big way. Meanwhile, the Sandy Shores owner has plenty of masks, gloves, and disinfectant to help us stay safe. There is a now a plexiglass sneeze guard at the check-in counter, and office access will probably be limited for awhile.
Chirstmas came early this year with the delivery of an online order delivery of toilet paper. All previous attempts were unsuccessful both from grocery orders and online, bur we're stocked up now. The owner's son had given us a couple of bathhouse rolls to use just in case.
Life has been relatively calm for us the last two weeks, with both of us doing computer chores, and taking daily walks in the campground. I'm doing a lot of reading as well. However, we're ready for new challenges and adventures that will certainly come as campers start arriving
Saturday, April 25, 2020
APRIL 16 - APRIL 25 : NC to MI
Thursday, April 16:: For many months, we've had a problem with low-voltage on our chassis batteries. Hank checked everything he could as we continued to travel, but the problem kept cropping up. Lately, it's been difficult getting the motor to start up. Near the end of our stay in NC, the motor started when tested. However, when it was time to leave The Matthews Campground, the motor would not start, again due to low-voltage. Thanks to the campground owner, we got a battery boost and were able to go on our way.
Thursday night, we stayed in the Cracker Barrel parking lot in Beckley, WV.
Many Cracker Barrels have RVparking spots, but they aren't long enough for us to stay hooked up, so we don't overnight in them very often. However, with the Coronavirus limiting their service to carry-out, now their parking lots are practically empty. This location welcomed us warmly and said to park wherever we needed to. We thanked the manager and staff by ordering dinner.
Friday, April 17: The RV motor wouldn't start. Hank fired up the generator and was able to start the motor during a power peak. At that point, we decided to make a slight detour in our route and head to Celina, OH and Cruising America RV Service - our favorite repair facility. The owner, Kevin Mallory, is a former engineer with Fleetwood and American Coach and has helped us several times in the past. Kevin told us to come whenever we could get there, and he would have a place for us with electric hookup until he could work us in mid-week. The 6-hour trip went well with one fuel stop as the weather turned colder and rainy. We arrived in Celina shortly after 5 P.M., talked briefly with Kevin and settled into a spot for at least the next 5 days.
Wednesday April 22, Kevin's helpers (two grandsons) removed two decorative window valences so Hank could restring the day-night shade, a common problem with these shades. Hank had restrung at least one small one before. The batteries were checked, and faulty connections were found, probably dating back to work we had done in Michigan last fall. The connection repair was scheduled for Thursday.
Thursday,April 23: The repaired window shades with the valences were reinstalled. The battery connection repair was completed, and the engine fired right up as it should. We decided to stay one more night to get ready to travel on Friday.
Friday, April 24: We left Celina, OH at 8:50 A.M. on Friday and traveled in dense fog for the first hour or so. Again, traffic was light and our 6 hour journey to Michigan, including a lunch stop and fuel stop, was uneventful.
Now it is time to self-quarantine for the next 2 weeks other than doing drive-up grocery pickups. . We're looking forward to warmer weather and an enjoyable summer.
Monday, April 20, 2020
March 19 - April 15: The Matthews Campground, Raleigh, NC
Sunday, March 19, we traveled from Concord, NC to The Matthews Campground in south Raleigh, NC for a month's stay. This campground has 11 full hook-up sites on gravel pads in a wooded setting, but no other amenities. The Matthews are also owners of Capital City Customs, Inc. which does custom RV renovations.
We come back to Raleigh each spring for medical checkups, to help with the Raleigh hamfest, and to visit with the many friends we left behind when we started fulltiming. The Coronavirus pandemic cancelled most of those plans shortly after we arrived, so the last month we have stayed to ourselves. Hank had an eye doctor visit right after we arrived, resulting in new eyeglass lenses, We used a drug store drive thru for RX service and ordered grocery items to be picked up with out having to go in the stores. We decided to forego our medical checkups since we're not having any health issues. Our time was well spent with our computer activities, TV and reading.
There was severe weather during our stay with an extended period of high winds, including a 63 MPH gust, and several tornado warnings in the surrounding area. Listening to all the tree debris hitting the roof was not a comfortable situation, but luckily it appears we came through it okay. There were some big branches down around the campground but none fell on campers, and a large pine tree fell across the access road during the worst storm. The owner and his son promptly took care of cleaning up the campground when the rains stopped.
A couple of weeks ago, we found out we would have to leave here as scheduled on April 16 as our campsite had been previously reserved by someone else for that date. Most campgrounds in this part of NC were full or closed, so we had to find somewhere to go until time for our summer campgournd job in Michigan in early May.
After speaking with our summer boss about the situation, he assured us he still needed us for the summer, and after hearing of our situation, he invited us to come to Michigan whenever we needed to do so. Tomorrow, April 16, we'll be leaving Raleigh to start our 4 day journey to Silver Lake, MI.
We come back to Raleigh each spring for medical checkups, to help with the Raleigh hamfest, and to visit with the many friends we left behind when we started fulltiming. The Coronavirus pandemic cancelled most of those plans shortly after we arrived, so the last month we have stayed to ourselves. Hank had an eye doctor visit right after we arrived, resulting in new eyeglass lenses, We used a drug store drive thru for RX service and ordered grocery items to be picked up with out having to go in the stores. We decided to forego our medical checkups since we're not having any health issues. Our time was well spent with our computer activities, TV and reading.
There was severe weather during our stay with an extended period of high winds, including a 63 MPH gust, and several tornado warnings in the surrounding area. Listening to all the tree debris hitting the roof was not a comfortable situation, but luckily it appears we came through it okay. There were some big branches down around the campground but none fell on campers, and a large pine tree fell across the access road during the worst storm. The owner and his son promptly took care of cleaning up the campground when the rains stopped.
A couple of weeks ago, we found out we would have to leave here as scheduled on April 16 as our campsite had been previously reserved by someone else for that date. Most campgrounds in this part of NC were full or closed, so we had to find somewhere to go until time for our summer campgournd job in Michigan in early May.
After speaking with our summer boss about the situation, he assured us he still needed us for the summer, and after hearing of our situation, he invited us to come to Michigan whenever we needed to do so. Tomorrow, April 16, we'll be leaving Raleigh to start our 4 day journey to Silver Lake, MI.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
MARCH 10 - MARCH 18: Travel and Hamfest
Tuesday, March 10: We left Travelers Rest to start our journey north driving on I-75, Hwy. 301, and I-95 before arriving at the Walmart in Pooler, GA for the night.
Wednesday, March 11: The route we took was I-95 to I-26, then north on I-77 to the Cabela's store in Fort Mill, SC where we apent the night.
Thursday-Saturday: We finished our trek to the Cabarrus Arena in Concord, NC for a 4 night stay in the rear parking lot where there were RV hookups. Friday morning, we had a nice visit with our youngest son, Mike, in nearby Huntersville. The Charlotte Hamfest was held on Friday and Saturday. With the Coronavirus reports intensifying, the hamfest attendance was much smaller than normal, but those that came were in a buying mood, so vendors were happy overall. Friday night we enjoyed a nice dinner with Chuck and Alan, two good friends from Raleigh, NC.
Wednesday, March 11: The route we took was I-95 to I-26, then north on I-77 to the Cabela's store in Fort Mill, SC where we apent the night.
Thursday-Saturday: We finished our trek to the Cabarrus Arena in Concord, NC for a 4 night stay in the rear parking lot where there were RV hookups. Friday morning, we had a nice visit with our youngest son, Mike, in nearby Huntersville. The Charlotte Hamfest was held on Friday and Saturday. With the Coronavirus reports intensifying, the hamfest attendance was much smaller than normal, but those that came were in a buying mood, so vendors were happy overall. Friday night we enjoyed a nice dinner with Chuck and Alan, two good friends from Raleigh, NC.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
January 4 - March 9: Travelers Rest Resort
After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it was time to head toward Florida on January 2. We said good-by to Minooka Park near Jemison, AL, and made an overnight stop at Ingram's Marina on Lake Talquin near Quincy, FL It's a basic campground with the main attraction being the lake. They offer camping and cabin rental.
January 3, we finished our journey to Travelers Rest Resort, near Dade City, FL and settled in for our long stay.. (There's plenty of pictures on their website) We were parked in the RV South area this year.
We wasted no time in making our reservatons for 2021, since sites go quickly even a year in advance. We visited with friends, including the ham radio club, and enjoyed the flea markets, Sunday night ice cream and entertainment, on site Snack Shack, line dancing (Selene), the great library, and post office service. Walking was our preferred mode of getting around.
We took a one-day trip to Orlando for Hamcation, the second largest hamfest in the USA, and saw even more friends there. We made other excurstions to meet up with nearby friends as well - Kim & Randy, Dee & Ji,m and Charlotte and Dave. We also took part in the TR blood drive and attended a CPR class. The park is out in the country, so it was great to have fresh vegetables on site 3 days a week frm Glavish Produce, and several food trucks visited frequently. These activities were only a few of the many options available at TR!
Our ongoing water pump issues were solved with the purchase of a new pump, and having it installed by a mobile RV tech.
This was our longest stay in the 4 years we've been coming to TR and next year we plan to stay a little longer. It's always too soon to say good-bye when we have to leave.
January 3, we finished our journey to Travelers Rest Resort, near Dade City, FL and settled in for our long stay.. (There's plenty of pictures on their website) We were parked in the RV South area this year.
We wasted no time in making our reservatons for 2021, since sites go quickly even a year in advance. We visited with friends, including the ham radio club, and enjoyed the flea markets, Sunday night ice cream and entertainment, on site Snack Shack, line dancing (Selene), the great library, and post office service. Walking was our preferred mode of getting around.
We took a one-day trip to Orlando for Hamcation, the second largest hamfest in the USA, and saw even more friends there. We made other excurstions to meet up with nearby friends as well - Kim & Randy, Dee & Ji,m and Charlotte and Dave. We also took part in the TR blood drive and attended a CPR class. The park is out in the country, so it was great to have fresh vegetables on site 3 days a week frm Glavish Produce, and several food trucks visited frequently. These activities were only a few of the many options available at TR!
Our ongoing water pump issues were solved with the purchase of a new pump, and having it installed by a mobile RV tech.
This was our longest stay in the 4 years we've been coming to TR and next year we plan to stay a little longer. It's always too soon to say good-bye when we have to leave.
Monday, February 24, 2020
NOVEMBER 6, 2019 - JANUARY 2, 2020: Catching Up!
I haven't posted anythng new since early November so I thought it was time to at least show that we're still alive and kicking.
When our Farm Fun workamping job at Poppell Farms in Odum, GA ended on November 5, we were ready to start moving northwest for two months of family visits and relaxation. Our jobs at the farm were enjoyable and we worked with good people.
November 6-7, we spent time at Southern Trails RV Resort in Unadilla, GA, where we've stayed many times. It's not a fancy place, but adequate for our needs. While there, we met up with Janice & George who live in nearby Warner Robbins (ham radio/RV club friends).
November 8, we drove to Opelika, AL to have lunch with Hal, another ham radio/RV club friend. Our lunchtime stay turned into an overnight one as we blew a rear tire when hitting the curb going into a shopping center. Coach-Net, our roadside assistance plan, had a hard time finding the right size tire in the area, but they succeeded and a mobile tech took care of that problem on Saturday morning, November 9. (We had planned on replacing our rear tires when we got to Florida in 2020, but the blowout changed our plans on that item)
The rest of November 9 and November 10 was spent traveling to the Lewisburg, TN Walmart for an overnight stay then on to Grandma's RV Camping in Shepherdsville, KY for a week's stay while visiting family in the Lousivlle area (our old home town).
On Monday, November 18, we had 3 more new rear tires put on Little House before hitting the road once again, this time southbound. We overnighted again at the Lewisburg, TN Walmart, then drove to Minooka Park near Jemison, AL, where we were to stay until Jan. 2, 2020.
We've stayed at the Minooka Park campground many times while we visit the family we left behind when we left Alabama in 2000. This visit was to be quite different. There are major improvements and additions being made to the campground, and our site was next to the new sewer lines that were being installed.. This made for an interesting couple of days as the very large bulldozers, excavators, compactors and rock removing equipment worked within 5 feet of us. We chose to stay in that site, and although it was noisy at times, it was also entertaining! The closest work only lasted a few days, so most of our stay was much quieter.
Two of our daughters live near Minooka. Thanksgiving found us with 4 of our 5 children, including the ones from Athens, AL and Neptune Beach, FL. The Christmas/New Year period had all 5 of our chidren togther for a short time which doesn't happen very often. With our five children, their spouses and children, in-laws and friends, our end-of-year holidays are full of hugs, laughter and food while a good time is had by all!
However, holiday visits always come to an end, and so January 2, 2020 found us once again pulling up the jacks and getting the wheels on Little House moving south for the rest of the winter. 2019 was another intesting year in the fulltime RV lifestyle as we had new experiences and met many memorable people.
When our Farm Fun workamping job at Poppell Farms in Odum, GA ended on November 5, we were ready to start moving northwest for two months of family visits and relaxation. Our jobs at the farm were enjoyable and we worked with good people.
November 6-7, we spent time at Southern Trails RV Resort in Unadilla, GA, where we've stayed many times. It's not a fancy place, but adequate for our needs. While there, we met up with Janice & George who live in nearby Warner Robbins (ham radio/RV club friends).
November 8, we drove to Opelika, AL to have lunch with Hal, another ham radio/RV club friend. Our lunchtime stay turned into an overnight one as we blew a rear tire when hitting the curb going into a shopping center. Coach-Net, our roadside assistance plan, had a hard time finding the right size tire in the area, but they succeeded and a mobile tech took care of that problem on Saturday morning, November 9. (We had planned on replacing our rear tires when we got to Florida in 2020, but the blowout changed our plans on that item)
The rest of November 9 and November 10 was spent traveling to the Lewisburg, TN Walmart for an overnight stay then on to Grandma's RV Camping in Shepherdsville, KY for a week's stay while visiting family in the Lousivlle area (our old home town).
On Monday, November 18, we had 3 more new rear tires put on Little House before hitting the road once again, this time southbound. We overnighted again at the Lewisburg, TN Walmart, then drove to Minooka Park near Jemison, AL, where we were to stay until Jan. 2, 2020.
We've stayed at the Minooka Park campground many times while we visit the family we left behind when we left Alabama in 2000. This visit was to be quite different. There are major improvements and additions being made to the campground, and our site was next to the new sewer lines that were being installed.. This made for an interesting couple of days as the very large bulldozers, excavators, compactors and rock removing equipment worked within 5 feet of us. We chose to stay in that site, and although it was noisy at times, it was also entertaining! The closest work only lasted a few days, so most of our stay was much quieter.
Two of our daughters live near Minooka. Thanksgiving found us with 4 of our 5 children, including the ones from Athens, AL and Neptune Beach, FL. The Christmas/New Year period had all 5 of our chidren togther for a short time which doesn't happen very often. With our five children, their spouses and children, in-laws and friends, our end-of-year holidays are full of hugs, laughter and food while a good time is had by all!
However, holiday visits always come to an end, and so January 2, 2020 found us once again pulling up the jacks and getting the wheels on Little House moving south for the rest of the winter. 2019 was another intesting year in the fulltime RV lifestyle as we had new experiences and met many memorable people.
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