I Finally Have Something New To Write About!

It's been a while since I have had anything interesting to write about.  At my last writing we were in Platte City and I was  working at Basswood RV Resort while we were  caring for our granddaughter, well, that  much is still the same.  We haven't been traveling because I didn't want to pull Matilda without putting new tires on her and  didn't want to spend the money on new  tires  because I was set on achieving the dream of acquiring a new RV for us to live  in.  Basically, my mindset was that Matilda wasn't going  to leave our site until I had to move it out to put our new one in.

It is with great joy I wish to share that our dream of a new RV became reality on August 11 of this year!  I picked up our new, 2019 Sierra 379 FLOK at Camping World of Grain Valley!  Cindy and I had already planned a vacation to begin Sunday, August 12 utilizing cabins from our Ocean Canyon membership but with the new RV, I just had to change our plans and utilize  some RV sites instead.
That  Sunday morning we transferred our basic needs from Matilda to our new home, got all connected and  headed south!  Our first stop was Pin Oak Landing campground in Tennessee.  We got set up, which is now super easy because our new home is equipped with all sorts of electronic aids.  Basically, I back it up into the site, lower the front landing gear (which I control from the air conditioned comfort of my truck via my phone), get out and pull the fifth wheel release, pull out from under (still trying to think of a name for her) the RV and again, from my phone hit auto level and wait.  Once she is all level I put out all 6 (yes SIX) slides with my phone.  We stayed at Pin Oak for a  couple nights.  Pin Oak is just minutes from my mom's house so we had mom, Ruth and Ann come over for a grill out, utilizing our outdoor kitchen, complete  with refrigerator, microwave, sink with hot  and cold water, cabinet space and a cooking grill.
We left Tennessee and headed for Percy Quinn State park in Fernwood, Mississippi, just a few minutes from Aunt Rie's front porch, where the welcome mat is always out.  We got set up and settled in for a good nights rest with absolute comfort from the high 90 degree heat provided by our two air conditioners with programmable thermostat.  Did I mention we have a king size bed so sleeping is fantastic because now I don't get kicked and jabbed  when someone has a restless night or just decides to move around a lot, which with the quality of the mattress doesn't happen anymore.  We have far more living space now.  Matilda was 30 feet long with one slide, our new home is (depending on which brochure you read) is 42 feet, 9 inches long with 6 large slides.  Cindy is extremely appreciative of our 20 cubic foot residential refrigerator complete with an ice maker.  She (and I) loved being able to drink iced tea without the hassle of buying bags of ice.  It is also real nice for storing good ole ice cream.  We got up Wednesday morning and headed on to have a visit with Aunt Rie.  We spent a few hours at her house the headed on south to our next destination, Abita Springs, Louisiana.  This is  one of our member parks that we  had stayed at for a couple weeks back in early 2017.  It is a very nice park with large sites and lots of  quiet.  While we were here we upgraded our Ocean Canyon membership, which came in very handy on the way home, allowing us to utilize one more of our member parks that was previously not in our plan, Millwood Landing in Ashdown, Arkansas.  I'll have more on this park later in the story.  We spent most of our time in Abita just sitting at the spacious dining table and just talking.  We haven't been able to sit and eat or talk for quite some time, and it was fantastic!
We packed up and left Abita, (tear down is also done via my phone) and  headed for Conroe, Texas and some quality time with my brother and his darling wife.  I was really happy with Brutus and he was  performing perfectly.  Matilda had a maximum gross weight of 11,900 pounds with and  approximate pin weight of 1200 pounds.  When I pulled Matilda, you felt every bump and the ride was less than optimum.  Our new unit has a pin weight of 2500 pounds and a maximum gross weight of just over 16,000 pounds.  This weight was just perfect for Brutus and the ride quality was superb!  The trip was going  just great until we got close to the Atchafalaya Basin.  For some reason the interstate was closed in both directions so we had to take a detour.  This detour did afford us the opportunity to take advantage of yet another feature of our new home, the second entry door.  You see, when Matilda was  in travel mode, access to anything inside, restroom included, was impossible.  Our new  home has two entry doors, the rear one opens into the hallway (yes we have a hallway) allowing easy access to the bathroom, and since you don't just pull into any location with 43 feet of trailer in tow, a wide spot on the side of the road becomes a restroom stop when the  need arises.
The two hour delay caused by the detour was no big deal, after all, we weren't on any schedule.  We got to Bob's before dark, got backed in and set up, and began our pleasurable time visiting him and Nancy.  We didn't do a whole lot while we were here, just kicked back and  relaxed, and ate!  Nancy is a fantastic cook and she fed us very well!  We enjoyed many hours of just catching up, sharing a few beers, and having some  of the best southern cooking ever.  The only dismal part of this phase of our trip was the reality that we had  to leave and  head back to Platte City.  I always enjoy any time I get to spend with my brother and the hours spent with him and  Nancy this time were golden, but the time came for us to head back.  We still had to transfer the rest of our personal belongings into our new home so we shortened our time in Texas in order to get back and finish "moving" in.
This is where our upgrade made it's first payoff, in a sense.  Ashdown, Arkansas is about halfway home so I decided to call and get a site for the night.  I was overjoyed when the reservation was handled rapidly and we were welcomed in to the park.  Millwood Landing is a very nice, clean park with a pool and other amenities, the biggest attraction for Millwood is the 18 hole  golf course located on the grounds.  Maybe one of these days, after we get  to traveling again, I might just try the game.  We left Ashdown and headed north again.  We made our way through the Boston Mountains of Arkansas and I decided that we  would make one  more  overnight stop before completing our two week excursion, so we stopped at a really quaint, extremely clean and superbly groomed RV park in Carthage, Missouri, Coachlight RV park.  What this  park lacked in amenities it made up for with absolute beauty and grace.
We slept extremely well, we ate well, again utilizing our outdoor kitchen and rose the next morning to complete our trip back home.  We were glad to get back and started moving our stuff to our new home. This trip really stirred the longing to get back to traveling and we will very soon.  I did tell Cindy that since this new RV is  so easy to set up and tear down, next spring, we  will go somewhere close by at least once a month on my days off.
We are both looking forward to traveling in our new home and eagerly await the arrival of October, 2020, when our life  of travel will begin again! Now comes the task of getting all those Texas mosquitos off the front …...

Our first night in our new home, Pin Oak Landing Campground, Natchez Trace Park, Tennessee

We didn't get a lot of pictures on this trip but here are a few of the new home.

This is at the dealer, waiting for the walk through

I guess you could say we are very pleased with our new home

Percy Quinn State Park, Fernwood, Mississippi

Setting up with the help of my phone, oh such a hard task it is!

Ginger likes all the windows

Set up in Bob's yard.  That area in the rear slide is the outdoor kitchen.

Camping from the workers point of view

Okay, I have been doing the work camping thing now for about six  months and I have developed the opinion that anyone that owns a camper should have to experience what it takes to facilitate the operation of a campground so that the guests have a fun filled weekend.  Until I did this gig, I never really thought about just how much time and  effort go into the operations and  maintaining of campground facilities to help insure that those that visit have a good and safe  time.  I never really thought about why the speed limit is posted on every tree and sometimes, just to get your attention, the limit is an amusing 7.5 miles  per hour or something off the wall like that.  I never gave a thought as to why the fire ring  is  located were it is, why the park supplies all those dog disposal bags and the dog park, or a lot of  other things that happen at the parks.  I have to say that when we start traveling again I will have a whole new understanding as to why the rules are posted everywhere, why every post has a speed limit sign, why there are so many dog bag and refuse areas and so many more  things.

First, I would like to dis-spell the myth that all work campers are either old  retired people or people that maybe had a bad turn in life and have to work at the campground in order to have a place to live.  Granted, I am old and retired but I am not here because I have to be, and neither are any of the other workers that I have met.  Each worker I have met does this job for their own personal reasons.  In my case, I am doing it in order to make sure my grand daughter is cared for while her mom goes to a school that will enhance the families quality of life.  I am not alone in this cause.  I have met other camp workers that are doing this job for their kids or grand kids.  I have met some that are doing this  job so that they can be close to their family without being a burden on them and by retaining their independence by living in their own home while still being close enough to visit the family. I have met work campers that are doing this just to do something different.  I have  met work campers that are owners of  homes, farms, ranches and businesses.  They just wanted to live the nomad life for a while, leaving their homes, farms, ranches or businesses in the  hands of others while they themselves set out for a different life style, be it for a long time or in some case just a month or so.  I have learned to not pre-categorize the people that make the camping experience a fun one for those that may be just an over night guest or the full time traveling RV'er that is out to see the US, one campground or national park at a time.

Let's face it, campgrounds are a business.  They are there to provide a service to the public and in order to continue to provide that service, must operate within a budget and operate to make a profit.  While there are still many mom and pop campgrounds around, the majority are owned  by corporations, companies that are out to make money by providing a service.  These corporations hire a camp host or in business terms, a manager.  For some reason, people adopt the mindset that since  they paid rent for a  camping spot or for any service, that they should be in control and things should  be done the way they want them done, after all, they are the customer.  I really have no disagreement with someone wanting to get the most fun out of their dollar whether it be at a campground, amusement park, hotel or any other  service industry.  What I do have a problem with is the person that wants to blame their lack of skill, lack of planning, lack of knowledge or just simply their own lack of comprehension as to just why they are responsible for being grown up and taking responsibility for their activities and the consequences of not  being prepared, not  being skilled, not being knowledgeable of  what they are doing.
I can truly appreciate the plight of the first time camper.  I was once one and I admittedly am by no means an expert now but I am thankful for those workers in campgrounds that took the time to answer my "dumb" questions.  I am thankful for those other  campers that enlightened me with their knowledge and in some cases have shared their mistakes in order to help me avoid making the same ones.  I do have a  bit of a quandary with the person that goes out and buys a camper, and immediately is now a camping expert.  I guess the easiest way for me to relate to this is to put it in terms of my professional past.  Just because you go out and buy the finest tool box with all the latest  tools,  you are not a mechanic.  You have to learn to use those tools.  You learn from others that are experienced, you learn from books, and you learn from your mistakes.  Just like the auto repair business, so it is  in camping, you don't have to have the biggest or best set of tools to be the  best at what you are doing.  Learn as much as you can from where ever or whomever  you can.
Every time I purchased a new tool, the  first thing I attempted to do was learn how to operate that  tool as it should be operated in order to get the maximum benefit from that  tool.  This is so true in the camping world!  I don't know how  many times I  have heard that this unit  is  our first and  it is  brand  new, followed almost immediately by a phrase that is worded many ways but  essentially is  always the same, " I paid all this money for  it, have no idea how to operate anything  on it and  (my all time favorite) I can't navigate  this  big camper into that  small spot or I can't back this  into there."  I don't know how many times I have had people with very nice rigs try to get me to park or back their rig for them.  Yes, it would be very simple for me to do so but for liability reasons, camp workers are not allowed to operate your rig and the majority of  us feel that  if you can't safely operate your rig under all conditions, perhaps you should have purchased something smaller or in some cases, you should not have  purchased one at  all.  Number 1 thing to do upon purchasing an RV, learn to drive  it!  Now I don't expect you to master the art of backing or maneuvering into tight spots immediately, no one does, what we do expect is for you to listen to those that  can maneuver or back up when they are  trying to help you.  Work campers are technically not even supposed to help guide you in the parking  process, again for liability reasons, we are simply supposed to make sure you don't run over and damage any of  the camp facilities.
Okay, enough about all that.  Let's talk about all the things that make the camping experience fun!  There is, of course, the site itself.  The grounds are mowed, the utilities are working, the pool is operating, the play ground is safe and  all is right with the world.  OR, maybe the grass is a bit tall around your hook up area, maybe the picnic table could use a coat of paint, maybe the play ground is closed  for repairs.  The  business of a campground is to maintain to the best of it's ability the facilities in order to provide the best service possible for it's customers, right?  I ask you to consider a few things next time your camp site is  not perfect or the play ground is closed or something else is  not  just the  way you thought it should be. Camp workers are  people just like you.  They have the same number of hours in a  day as you.  Most workers  want you  to have a good time and want everything to be perfect but time or assets just don't allow it to be.  Let me give you a couple examples.  Some previous campers decided t o do damage to the massive playground at Basswood, making it unsafe for children to play on so for the safety of all, the play ground was closed.  The decision had to be made by corporate whether to spend the approximately $32000  (yes that is the number) that it would take to get this play ground back into safe operating condition or just remove it from the  park.  The playground was renovated, only to be damaged again within a few weeks by campers that did not care about those that  would come after them.  The grass around your utilities may not have gotten trimmed to your liking because that  worker was  assigned to a task that had more importance, like making that playground safe again for all to enjoy or repairing a faucet that just broke or removing a  downed tree that was  blocking a site that  another  camper was coming into for their weekend  of  fun.  Many people have the impression that there is an abundant supply of work campers.  Guess what, there is an extreme shortage of people willing to do  this type of work.  A second factor to the limited number of workers is that  corporate or profit thing again.  If a business is  not profitable  it doesn't remain a business for  long.  I am not making excuses for  things that can and  do go wrong at campgrounds, I am simply pointing out that campgrounds, like any other business, have operating issues that just happen and have to be dealt with.
I have this to say in closing, please enjoy your time out camping, please follow the camp ground rules, and most  of all, please remember that  the  people working to make your time  of outdoor fun as enjoyable as possible are just that, people and they are and have done their best to make sure that everything that could  be done has been done.

I guess, as long as I'm on this tirade, I should say one more thing.  Park rules are  in place for the safety and protection of those people and the  maintaining of park assets that are within the confines of  the park, please don't speed, there are numerous children at play and adults that are not paying  attention, please be a courteous camper and respect your neighbors boundaries, please don't deliberately damage park property  or equipment and my "pet" peave, if you will, if you are traveling with a pet, please clean up after them, it is not only a health issue, it really pisses me off when I step in it while working to keep the park in customer appealing condition!

You Think I Would Have Learned By Now....

Sorry I haven't posted for a while but you know how it  is, life  happens!  We went on to our destination of Abita Springs, Louisiana and had a blast.  We attended a few Mardi Gras local parades and since it is within an hour and a half of my aunt's place, Cindy got to go back twice and play dominoes with friends and relatives. 

Cindy at a Mardi Gras Parade in Slidell, La

We also went on a swamp tour at Dr. Wagner's Honey Island Swamp Tour.  I don't usually mention names unless I have something good to say or in some cases something poor to say.  I strongly recommend this tour to anyone that has an interest in going on a swamp tour.  The guides were very good and very knowledgeable of the of the swamp and made the very affordable tour simply fantastic!  Considering we were there during the "cooler" time of  the year, the guide made sure that we got to see as much swamp wild life as possible.  We also learned that gators and wild boars simply LOVE marshmallows. The guides would throw marshmallows to the gators and wild  boars to bring them closer to the watercraft.  There was a raccoon that managed to be just crafty enough to steal a few from the boars.  It was as comical as it was interesting to watch nature interact.  We'll do this again next time we're in this area.

This guy managed to steal a few marshmallows

Natural Camouflage

Wild boars and gators absolutely love marshmallows

We had a very nice  site at Abita and this was a very nice campground.  The lakes were well groomed and the clubhouse was very clean.  I did a little fishing, caught a few and just relaxed. 
It was during our stay here that Cindy and I decided to put our travels aside for a bit when we get back to the Kansas City metro in order to help care for our granddaughter while her mom goes back to school to become a CRNA, (certified registered nurse anesthetist). 
They live out near the airport so in the interest of economics I decided that I would try to find a place closer to them to minimize travel expenses.  I put together a work resume and emailed it off to two local campgrounds in the area and amazingly one of the campgrounds thought I had a skill or two and called me back in less than fifteen minutes.  The result of this call was that now Cindy and I would be within 10 miles of Ben and Katie for the three year duration of her schooling working at Basswood RV Resort, which will begin May 15. So if  you are in the area and looking for a great place with a great staff, come on by!
Now, on to finish our planned outing, which still had a couple months to go.
We went on to our next destination, LA!  Lower Alabama was equally exciting.  The next couple weeks would find us at a campground in Roberstdale, Alabama.  This was very convenient to the beautiful beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Alabama as well as within 30 minutes of Pensacola Beach, Florida. 
Our itinerary here found us taking in some more local Mardi Gras activities as well as going to the nearby beaches.  This is also where the new camper bug really sank it's teeth into us.  We went into a RV sales lot and found a floor plan and RV that is just what we were looking for.  My mind immediately started planning and  working on a way for us to achieve this new dream. 
Now, those that know me know  that I feel that  all things happen in order for us to utilize these opportunities to achieve and further life.  When I committed to Basswood for three years, the original deal was to exchange x number of hours per week of labor in exchange for a place to park our home and have hookups, so essentially it was a place to live at no charge while we helped out our kids.  Cool deal for us and I got a phone call that made it even cooler, if that was even possible.  Seems the resort was changing ownership and the new  owners wanted x number of hours in exchange for our site AND they wanted to pay me for hours worked as well.  Now the wheels were really spinning in my head!  Since this was un-anticipated income and not figured into our budget, we decided to make it work to help us achieve the dream of a new home when we resume our travels.
Well, enough of the dream part for now, how about some pictures from the Gulf Shores and beaches of Alabama and Pensacola?

Water tower at Orange Beach

Working on my tan.....

Mardi Gras from The Wharf at Gulf Shores

Our time in LA was done so now it was on to the sands and sights of Florida, the area near Destin.  We didn't stay but a few days in Florida but we did visit more white sand  beaches and stayed at a very nice campground.  We had been out since the second of January and between our Ocean Canyon membership and our Coast to Coast membership had only had to pay for our campsite when we stayed a night in Texarkana, until Florida, we didn't have a member campground on our route so for the first time this trip we paid for a multiple night stay, and Florida is very proud of it's campsites. 
We left the warmth and beaches of Florida and made way for our next destination, Mountain Lakes Resort in Langston, Alabama, a beautiful place right on the shores of Guntersville Lake, high in the mountains of northeast Alabama. 
Needless to say, it was a bit cooler here but we had a site that was front row facing the lakeshore.  The vegetation was just beginning to come to it's spring colors.  It was very pretty but next time I will schedule this area for a few weeks later in the year.  Guntersville Lake is a huge lake that  is fed by the Tennessee River and is well known for it's bass tournaments. I did a little fishing but really did more sitting than fishing.  One of the highlights of this  area is the Unclaimed Baggage store in Scottsboro.  It is a huge complex where all the unclaimed airline baggage ends up.  They sort it, clean it and  sell it.  There are a few really good deals, mainly on clothing but when it comes to the really cool stuff like watches and unusual items like kayaks, there are no real deals.  It was  interesting to see the vast array of stuff that people didn't claim.
Now it was time to depart the quiet of the mountains and head for our final scheduled stop before heading back to the Kansas City area and the beginning of achieving our new RV dream, one of my wife's favorite places, Natchez Trace Park and the Pin Oak Campground just west of Sugar Tree, Tennessee and just ten minutes from my Mom's house.  We stayed here for a week and it was a very fun week.  We had Mom and my sister, Ruth, out for a cookout and did some unsuccessful fishing and just chilled.  One of the things I really like about this campground is that none of the electronics work here so no phone, no facebook, no life interferences, just peace and quiet.  Now there was something that was very unlikely to happen here that the odds were very slim of happening but nonetheless, it happened.
We had stayed at this park back in November and I even commented about how nice the guy that was camped across from us was in one of my previous posts.  Well, we got the exact same site as before and the exact same neighbor as before!  What are the odds?  He was setting up as I was setting up and I noticed that he had got new wheels for his  truck.  (I guess this sort of thing is just normal for a guy that spent  his life with cars).  I went over and told him I liked the new wheels.  The look of amazement on his face was unforgettable. He did not know who I was and had no idea how I knew  he had bought new wheels.  I told him about our November encounter and he was just amazed that I would remember the wheels on his truck.
Our time on the road was drawing to a close for this time in our lives.  Life happens and adjustments are made.  The adjustments  we make now are positive adjustments, we get to spend time with not just one grandkid but all 8, we  get to start realizing our dream of a new home on wheels and we get to be paid to live our dream of being full time  RVer's.
I'll continue to make additions to this blog, though they may be a bit farther apart and from t he same part of the country but rest assured the dreams and trips are ever active in my head.  The fact is I have already laid out our first trip in our new RV and set the date of June 15, 2020 as the departure date!

The view from our front door in Langston, Alabama

I close with a few more pictures of this outing and the wishes that you would check back for future posts of what life is delivering for us as we enjoy our time with our kids, grandkids and friends.

A Florida rest area featuring the world famous Blue Angel's

Brutus and Matilda in Florida