Longboat Key FL

Thursday, January 30 dawned just as chilly and dreary as the previous 5 days, but we were going ahead with our plans to visit Bill and Florence.  As it turned out, they were on the main drive of Longboat Key, Gulf of Mexico Drive, that we were on yesterday.  This time we went directly to The Islander, the complex in which they live.

The Islander and John’s profile

Although it is an older building, it is beautifully situated on the beach, and very spacious.  What great views they have!

View from the Master Bedroom

View from the Living Room

We got a little tour of their place, and were surprised at how spacious it was.  It’s 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen, huge living room, dining room and balcony.  The amenities are very nice, too, with an exercise room, library, party room with kitchen, manager’s office and outdoor pool and hottub.  We sat and caught up on the neighborhood news, and then they took us to lunch at an unusual restaurant, The Dry Dock Waterfront Grill.  It is on the water, and well hidden from the road with a teensy sign that is hard to see.  It is right next to a place where they store boats on shelves and put them in the water with a winch.  Great views and food. Florence and I had  shrimp salads with fruit, and John and Bill had turkey club sandwiches.   Yummmm.

I was so glad to see Florence looking so well since she had not been feeling so well for the last couple of years.  She looks great and feels great, as does Bill.

Bill and Florence

She tells me she is even playing 9 holes of golf every Tuesday!

We dropped Bill and Florence off at the condo after lunch, and prepared to head back to Harvey.  What a nice afternoon.

Finally, Florida!

We left Valdosta GA around 10 on Monday, January 27, heading to a campground in Palmetto FL that John found not far off the interstate, Fiesta Grove Campground.  It was so good to see the Florida line! We hit Florida around noon, and got to the campground around 4.  He’s getting good at this, and I may just let him take over the trip planning!  Fiesta Grove CG is a small park with lots of seasonal occupants and activities.  When we pulled in, there were several people milling about visiting with each other and doing chores at their sites, and all waved and were very friendly.  We were directed to a very tight site, and just barely fit on the parking pad.  John’s skilled driving got us parked although we had to park Red sideways so his rear wasn’t out in the road!After we got situated, we took a walk to see what was offered.  There is a heated pool with a weird formula:  if the air temperature and water temperature equals 150, then the pool is open!  There is shuffleboard, a big clubhouse with all kinds of activities: cards, bingo, bunco, dances, breakfasts, etc.  There’s a laundry room that is kept very clean.  And, very strict rules about behavior.  We like that!  The park is close to a railroad track, and we could hear the trains and whistles during the night.  I like that, too.

On Tuesday, we made plans to visit with Richard and Martha, John’s brother and sister-in-law who are wintering in Martha’s mom’s condo in St. Petersburg FL.  They were only about a half hour from us, which is one of the reasons we selected this park location.  We had such a nice day with them.  They showed us all the amenities of the condo, then Martha served us a lunch.  We then explored the little beach town of Gulfport FL which reminded me of a mini Key West.  On Tuesdays, there are sidewalk vendors selling all kinds of unusual things and produce.  I got a wooden toast tongs for the toast that is always getting stuck in the toaster at home.  John got a cheddar cheese dip mix!  After that, we went to explore the marina.  Martha and I sat that one out!  We headed back to the condo to sit in the hot tub.  Man, did that feel good!  Then it was time for happy hour and dinner out.  John and I got home around 9…all in all a very nice day!

Wednesday dawned cold, rainy and dreary.  We hung around in Harvey until noon.  I had to check our bank accounts and whether the bills were being paid as I’d arranged and it took longer that I’d planned.  Once I got everything straightened out, it was after noon.  We decided to just get into the car and go exploring into Bradenton/Sarasota.  We saw a sign for Anna Maria Island and wanted to check it out as our friends, Ron and Annette were going to vacation there in the middle of February.  It is a pretty little place and would be even more so if it were sunny!  So we followed the road onto the island and found that it continued along the Gulf onto Longboat Key.  It is a lovely place with a long shoreline.  Other friends, Roy and Linda vacation here every November with their long standing bridge group.  I can see why they keep returning!  We will get to see more of it tomorrow when we visit our at home across-the-street neighbors, Bill and Florence who have a winter place there.

We continued along Gulf of Mexico Drive until it brought us into St. Armands Circle, a huge roundabout with shops, restaurants and services around the whole thing.  It actually was our destination before we turned off to investigate Anna Maria Island. We had a late lunch in little place that caught our fancy, the New Pass Grill.  Boring as we are, we had hamburgers and fries, but they were uncommonly delicious!  There’s John in the window!  We managed to walk around the whole circle and visited many shops before it started to pour.  Fortunately, we were almost back at the car, so we called it a day and headed back to Harvey.  Tomorrow, we go back to Longboat Key to visit Bill and Florence.

Valdosta GA, January 25-26, 2014

John did some internet research and planning for a place to park in Valdosta GA, and found River Park RV Park, right off the interstate.  They had a palm tree in the office yard, the first we saw.  We were finally in the south!  We hit Valdosta around 4 on Saturday and after asking in the office if they would allow him to wash the car and rv (most places do not allow this) the very nice park manager, Randy, said yes.  John immediately set to getting Harvey and Red a bath.  It was like working in the yard on a hot day and you just can’t wait to get into a hot shower and get clean.  John got out the ladder and started from the roof and worked down.  Unbelievable how dirty it was up there!  I handled the hose and wet down the surface.  He applied the muscle power with the soap and a long handled brush; I rinsed.  It took about 2 hours to do Harvey and Red.  When we were about halfway through, a man pulled up in a truck and handed me a business card.  Chuck, who lived in the rv park, had a business called Power Clean.  For $75, he would power wash the rv.  We decided to pass on that as power washing is not recommended for our paint job.We were finally able to hook up to water and heat it so we were able to do some laundry, and got things put away.  I’m finding that I just don’t work well with things disorganized and in disarray.  I can never find anything and that causes me no end of frustration.  We’re better now!

We have a very fancy neighbor!  A Prevost with a custom painted-to-match multi-level toybox is parked 2 spaces away from us.  That motorhome is in the $1 million plus price range!  It was beautiful, but no slideouts.   He has a golf cart, motorcycle and who knows what else in the toybox, and his wife is driving a 2 door Cadillac convertible behind it all.  I wouldn’t be happy about that!  When we got there, they were having trouble getting the convertible top down; turned out they’d had a blown fuse.  They left the next morning.

The next day, Sunday, we went out to do some errands.  We needed some fresh fruit and vegetables so we went to a WalMart where we got other groceries and a clock for the wall.  It was a beautiful sunny day, and we were enjoying the warmth.  We treated ourselves to a early steak dinner at the Longhorn Steakhouse, then home again to watch some TV.  We had a free cable connection in the park, so were able to get many network channels.  We watched “60 Minutes”, but couldn’t get PBS for “Downton Abbey”.  So, I had to wait a day and then I could watch it on my Galaxy Note on the PBS app!  It was an early bedtime for me, anyway.  We were going to be on the road again tomorrow.

Changing The Plan

Wednesday morning, Scott informed us that he would be finished with Harvey’s work by noon or so, which was great news for us.  There were weather forecasts of more snow and very frigid air moving in, and we were getting nervous about going further north to the Spartan factory in Charlotte MI.  Our coach was still winterized and we were using the customer bath facilities for dressing.  Spartan did not provide such facilities, so we would have to de-winterize or go to a motel.  In the end, we decided that the Spartan work could wait, and we would leave for Florida as soon as Harvey was ready Wednesday afternoon.  Actually, that worked out for the best as we decided to attend the Spartan Training School in October, which is supposed to be a terrific course, with our friends Jeanne and Mike Kangas.  They could do the 44 point inspection at that time, so it save us a second trip to Michigan.  Scott said they would de-winterize for us so we could shower and use the sinks.  While we were waiting for that to be done, we met another new Entegra couple from Salt Lake City UT, Jeff and DeeAnn.  They are also getting an Anthem 44B and wanted to see the wiring installed as he will have lots of technological stuff in his rig.  He does programming.  After reviewing that all our punch list items were taken care of, we left, hoping to get to Indianapolis by dusk.  John could tell immediately that the steering was much improved after adjustment.  That was just one of many things that were addressed.  Scott also added an outlet in a cabinet where I will put a small printer, and attached a trucker aerial for my Sleek cell signal booster (shown attached to the batwing aerial antenna; See “Improvements”).  As cold as it was, it didn’t stop the Amish buggies from getting around.  We saw numerous farms with the horses in pasture, covered with blankets.  It was snowing with blustery winds as we drove to Indy, but we did make it through the city by dusk.  We parked in a Pilot truck stop for the first time!  We noticed right away that we had problems.  Harvey’s water lines were frozen, and we weren’t getting any heat. BIG PROBLEMS!  We called Customer Service, and after several phone calls, we found that one of the valves was stuck, and once freed, we had heat again.  But not enough to thaw the water lines.  We had pulled pork sandwiches and salad for dinner, watched a couple of episodes of Boardwalk Empire, and another early bedtime.  Aren’t we exciting? Thursday morning we awoke warm and toasty…almost too warm for me.  I was hoping that the water lines had thawed, but no such luck.  It was -4º!  I was going to have to skip my shower, but John went in to use the truck stop showers and came back raving about how nice they were.  So I decided to do the same, and they WERE nice!  Clean towels, washcloth, and bathmats nicely laid out.  Just what I needed; felt so refreshed.  I made coffee (bottled water) and we were on our way again before the sun came up, hoping to make it through Atlanta for the day.  Long ride, but weather getting better…sunny, dry, and warming up to 22º! We did not get as far as Atlanta.  John was getting tired, and we decided to stop at a WalMart in Chattanooga TN for the night.  We found one right off I-24, and pulled in around the back.  It was freezing there, too.  John went around to start Red to give the transmission some run time, and found that the battery was dead, and we couldn’t tow him like that.  We had jumper cables, but nothing to connect them to.  So, in to WalMart he goes and buys a portable battery charger.  They say it is a courtesy to purchase something in WalMart if you are going to stay the night!  But, after reviewing our options, we decided to leave since we didn’t have any water, and no way to flush toilets and shower.  Using an app called RVParky, we found a Camping World nearby that had overnight camping with full hookups.  Perfect!  Only to find that all the water spigots had frozen, and we couldn’t get water into Harvey.  Luckily, we were near the bathhouse.  So much for having a luxury motorhome…still using the camp facilities.  But, what a deal!  The rate is $25/night.  If you purchase a Good Sam Club membership (which we already had), you get a night free! So, we extended our membership for a year.  Today, Friday, the sun is shining, and the sky is blue and cloudless.  And, still COLD!  20º!  No thawed faucets yet.  Tomorrow is supposed to be 42º.  We decided to stay an extra night and get ourselves organized.  Got another year’s membership…it already paid for itself!  It only cost us the tax.  We went up and shopped the Camping World store where there are so many goodies, then out to look for a car wash for Red.  We found many, but they were all closed.  They don’t open when the temp is under 28º!  Maybe we will get lucky tomorrow!  Red is so salty, that we have to drive with the windows open in order to see out!Tomorrow we leave with a destination of Valdosta GA, just before the Florida state line.  There, we will call John’s brother Richard who is staying with wife Marty in her mom’s condo in St. Petersburg.  We found a park nearby, River Park Campground,  and will visit for a day or so.  We would also like to try and visit our at home neighbors, Bill and Florence Ward.  Sounds like a new plan!

Middlebury IN – Following the Plan!

The Plan was for us to leave bright and early Sunday morning, January 19, 2014 for the Entegra factory in Middlebury IN.  We’d spent the week rounding up all the stuff we wanted to bring with us, and amassed quite a pile in the garage. The hardest part was figuring out my clothes since we would be about 10 days in Indiana and Michigan where they, along with most of the US were in the grips of a deep freeze from the Arctic Vortex, and then for 2 months in sunny, warm (we hope!) Florida and space was limited.  We were up early, loaded up the car, and left home at 8:40 am since Rent-A-Space didn’t open until 9.  We got the car unloaded and things fairly organized when I realized I was missing our green cooler bag that had all the frozen food in it!  So John jumps back in the car and runs home.  Yep, there it was, on the floor right in front of the refrigerator where I left it!  Now we are starting to appreciate having a storage facility close to home.

We finally got on the road about 10:40.  Not too bad as our only aim was to be in the Entegra lot and plugged in by dusk.  The trip over was tough driving for John as it was very windy and gusts were blowing us all over the road as well as snowing.  He’s thinking the steering needs to be adjusted, as well.  We stopped once for gas in Ohio thinking it would be more expensive in Indiana.  NOT!  It was 20¢ cheaper.  Story of our life!  We arrived and were pluggged in, sides out, jacks down by 5:30.  Had a little happy hour, and hamburgers, watched a little TV, and an early bedtime as we were told there would be a knock on our door at 6:30 am!

And, there was!  At 6:34, Scott was there to go over our punch list for warranty items, and take our coach in to get started.  We stayed in the very nice Customer Lounge for a bit, then went to the famous Rise’n’Roll Bakery and Deli, a wonderful Amish bakery.  They had the best donuts and free coffee.  John had a sticky roll with pecans so big he actually couldn’t eat it all!  Everyone who has been to Entegra says it is a place not to be missed, and we add our voice to that.  When we returned, we met a couple who were just completing a factory tour.  Keith and Cheri have purchased a Cornerstone model and just sold their Coachman RV.  We were delighted to learn they are from Butler PA!  We ended up going to a late lunch with them at Das Essenginhaus, a huge conference center complex with hotel, restaurants, and shops.  We parted ways after lunch, and they indicated we would see them the next day at the Tuesday Pancake Breakfast that Entegra Customer Service has each week for whatever customers might happen to be on premises.  It is a time when the CS staff, headed up by the fabulous Joyce Skinner, cooks and serves breakfast, then sits down to a question and answer period for new and not-so-new owners to review items and concerns.   We had a light meal of a chicken pot pie and salad, and early to bed to be ready for another 6:30 am call.

Scott was prompt again on Tuesday morning!  We waited for our pancake breakfast in the Lounge and were invited to the table around 8.  We waited for Keith and Cheri to arrive, but they never did.  He does run his own business, and may have had to leave unexpectedly.  At any rate, we were so lucky to have our Q & A session run by Jacob, a very personable and knowledgeable young man.  If he didn’t know the answer, he got it for you.  It would have been fun and informative to have the input from other owners, but we surely did get personal attention!  After the Q & A, Jacob took us on a factory tour of the new expanded facilities.  It more than reinforced our purchase decision.  The quality and attention to detail is outstanding.  We also got to see the start of the build of our friends, Mike and Jeanne Kangas’ Anthem 44B.  Jacob allowed us to take lots of photos for them, and I sent them labeled “Anthem Ultrasound”.  They got a kick out of that.  After the tour, we decided to do a little sightseeing.  We wanted to see the Guggisberg Cheese Factory where they had world award for their Swiss cheese.  You could watch through windows as they made the cheeses.  We didn’t end up buying any cheese, but I did get some of that delicious Amish butter (my favorite food, haha!).  We stopped at Yoder’s Meats and Cheeses where we purchased a teriaki beef jerky, and then went to lunch at the Blue Gate Restaurant and Theater complex.  We had salads.  The Blue Gate was huge and has lots of productions.  Many cute gift items, also, but a little too “country” for me.  By the time we returned to Entegra, Harvey was finished for the day, and we were able to board and relax the rest of the day.  Since the factory employs so many Amish, they have a very early workday, 6:30 to 2:30 so that they may return and work their farms and spend time with their families.  I do admire their lifestyle.