Issue #5 -- Two Weeks in Nevada

Two weeks in one place / State doesn't really seem that long, but when you spend the time with really good friends that know the area well, it's amazing!!
Our first week in Nevada was in the Carson City area.  I know when I think of Nevada, I think of a desert. Carson City and Minden are not like being in the desert at all. The area is beautiful and it has changing seasons.  Minden is where our friends, Byron and Carol Hibshman live.

In the neighboring area of Lake Tahoe is where our friends, Pat and Liz Lenhart have a home.  Pat and Liz spend most of their time fixing up a large ranch where they someday hope to raise cattle or horses.
We are blessed to have such good friends.  Even better is that all six of us are good friends and we were able to spend time with both couples together. Next time we need to get some photos with Pat and Liz, I can't believe we didn't do that.
Thank you guys for all the good food and  great company.

During our stay at Silver City RV Resort we were kept busy and enjoyed every minute of all there was to see and do.  There's always time for a beer at the Genoa Bar and Saloon in Nevada.

While at the Genoa Bar and Saloon, we met Territory Manager, Billy Smith of the Tahoe Blue Vodka company. This is a locally made premium vodka. They offered us tastes, and we must say, IT WAS VERY SMOOTH, and definitely a premium grade of vodka. It is available at the local Costco stores in Nevada. We purchased several bottles for our rolling RV bar!

It's five o'clock somewhere!

Sand Harbor Park is such a beautiful place to spend the day just walking around or you could even take a picnic lunch.

David was able to fine the biggest "Rock Butt Crack" I've ever seen!

Byron and I were happy finding the best view of the lake!

It you haven't smelled a Ponderosa-pine, it's one of the sweetest smells in the woods that you'll find.  Just step right up, put your nose into one of the tree's 
cracks and smell.  It's sometimes described as a smell simular to a sugar cookie, others say it smells like vanilla or butterscotch. David told us about his tree smelling adventures (when he was a kid), so we all tried it, and HE WAS RIGHT, definitely sugar cookies.

    

One of our day trips was to Donner Pass Memorial Park.  Donner Pass is a mountain pass in the Northern Sierra Nevadas, above Donner Lake and about nine miles west of Truckee, California. Donner Pass has a well-known and macabre history - the place where George Donner and his party got stuck in the winter of 1846 and were forced to resort to cannibalism to keep from starving.











If you've never been to Hope Valley, CA in the fall, you're missing some beautiful fall colors. 

One of the most photographed structures is this beautiful little farm house.  I can clearly see why!





There are many apple orchards in the Camino California area. The Apple Hill growers cover a very large area and you can print out a map at the Apple Hill Growers website. Visiting the apple orchards makes for a fun day trip.  Many of the orchards have a variety of things going on, such as arts and crafts vendors and stores in which to purchase fresh fruits, nuts, jams and even a fresh baked apple pie.  Depending on the time of year you visit, they'll have special events for each season.

A really well kept museum is the Larsen Apple Barn and Museum.  There are several apple orchards in this area. One of the Larsen descendants was on hand to answer all of our questions about the fruit growing cooperative, his particular farm and about various antique equipment in his barn museum.

Virginia City, NV is another must see and a great day trip.  Virginia City has that old western feel as you walk through the town.















With all the traveling we've done over the last year, we have never run across the actual Starbucks roasting plant.  Thank you again to our good friends Byron and Carol for letting us know it is actually located in Minden, NV.  Thank You! As you drive in the area you can smell the coffee roasting in the air.









Carson City is home to Nevada's National Train Museum.  If you are as big a train buff as what David is, then this is a must see for you. David's uncle, Gene Dains, was a Santa Fe Railroad engineer on the passenger lines between Phoenix and Tucson. David got to ride with his uncle, as a kid, and has been a big train buff ever since.





We just can't thank our friends Byron & Carol and Pat & Liz enough for showing us such a wonderful time during our stay in their area of Nevada.  THANK YOU!

On to Las Vegas for a week:

In Vegas we stayed at Thousand Trails RV Resort.  We've been members of Thousand Trails since about 1982.  At the time we purchased our membership Thousand Trails was new and spoke of the obstacles of finding affordable and secure campgrounds in the future. Now it's 2016, and Thousand Trails ownership has changed hands several times and added many membership upgrades over the years, but not any amenity upgrades to their park system.  It used to be when we would plan a trip, Thousand Trails was the first place we'd check for an available camp site, but now it's not.  You might as why, but if you, too, have been a member for as long as we have, then you know the parks/campgrounds have not been well kept and they have not kept up with the changes in RV's and fifth-wheels, both in size and push-outs.  A lot of today's RV's need 50 amp and the push-outs require more space.  The Las Vegas campground suffered some wind damage this last year and currently does not have a usable pool, club house or wi-fi. The spaces are small and cramped, leaving little to no room for both an RV and personal vehicle.

We managed to see two Las Vegas shows, Cirque Du Soleil's KA' and Michael Jackson One.
They were both good shows, but of the two my favorite was KA'. Beautiful sets, great choreography, and a wonderful Asian tale of "Love Overcomes All."
We managed to get some down time and rest a little.  It's been such a long time since we've been to Vegas.  I was amazed to see how much it has grown. We don't gamble, but the shows and the spectacle that is "Las Vegas," is always fun.





David's Buddy Stops

David always says, "Where there is Starbucks, there is civilization."  You be the judge!!






















Our next blog will be about our visit to Cottonwood, Sedona, Jerome, and the Grand Canyon, all located in the beautiful state of Arizona.

Issue #4 -- On The Road Again

 

Lobster dinner with Rick & Cheryl at Timberland Acres.

Lobster Fun Facts:

• Lobsters can live to be 100 years or older.
• During colonial days, lobsters were plentiful and were the food for the poor.
• A lobster's brain is in its throat, and they taste with their feet.
• Lobsters are a great source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
• Three and a half ounces of lobster is only 96 calories and about two grams of fat.
• Lobsters can grow up to four feet long and weigh as much as 40 pounds.
• Lobsters aren't red. They turn red when cooked, but in nature they can be green or yellow or even a bright blue.

On The Road Again!

We left beautiful Maine, Timberland Acres RV Park on September 26th.  We're heading to Goshen, Indiana to attend the Thor Diesel Club International Rally.

First things first, we have to travel four days to get to Indiana so we'll be making three overnight stops. Our first night, Sept. 26th, will be at Cabela's in Hudson, Massachusetts. These are a great place for an overnight, they have a nice dry camp area and even provide outdoor pens for your dogs or a corral for your horse. The best part is we get to shop!


Our second night is one of our favorite places in New York, The Villages at Turning Stone Casino. The RV park is Good Sam and Escapees discounted, and a great place to visit for more than just overnight. The park is located in Verona, New York and is not far from Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.  The casino is just down the street and there is a 24 hour shuttle that runs seven days a week.  Dave and I are not into casino gambling, but there are several good places inside to casino to get a good meal and a cold beer.
When we arrived at The Villages RV Resort, I noticed a problem with our right front tire on the RV.  Mind you, this is a new rig, with less than 6,000 miles on it. Turns out our rear thrust alignment and our front end alignments were both off. The rear thrust was almost an inch off which caused the wear on the front tires.  We contacted the nearest Freightliner dealer in Buffalo, New York and made an appointment to get in the next morning.  It cost us about $1,700 to replace the two front tires and Freightliner picked up the cost of the front and back realignment. Once back on the road we were able to contact Thor's Southeastern area customer service representative, Anson Adams (no relation to the famous photographer), who assures us we will be reimbursed the cost of the new tires.

                                                          

We are very grateful for the good people of Thor, we love our coach and look forward to all the travels ahead of us!
So, after the detour we headed to Erie, Pennsylvania where we overnighted at another casino. Our forth day on the road took us into Elkhart, Indiana. Here we'll spend three nights at Elkhart Campground so we can visit our friends, Steve & Sharon Jimenez of Las Vegas, Nevada.  Steve & Sharon are in Indiana at the Entraga factory to have their coach serviced.  It's been about a year since we last saw them at Deer Park RV Resort in Spokane, Washington. It was a fast couple of days, but we had a great time and hope we'll be able to see them again when we get to Las Vegas for a week.
On Sunday, Oct. 2nd, we moved over to the Elkhart Fairgrounds for the Thor Diesel Club Rally.

The rally lasted five days and what a great rally!
We met lots of great people and ate good food (both breakfast and supper were provided), and drank a little, too. These folks really know how to put together a rally, there was tons to keep you busy - vendors, seminars, coach service and HAPPY HOUR every afternoon.  I can't say enough about the Thor service techs, they are some of the greatest people around. They were out early every morning and worked long hours to complete the many requests for service.  Thor was well represented by their customer service and area representatives who did not hesitate to speak with the coach owners.  The newest Thor line of coaches were on display to tour and I'm sure someone left in a new rig.
A BIG THANK YOU, to all the volunteers who worked so hard to put together such a fine rally.

On The Road Again!

Yes, we're back on the road heading to Minden, Nevada, where we'll visit some good friends.  The drive should take us about a week.
We live in such a beautiful country, America.  I love being on the road, can't seem to take enough photos.
As we travel to Nevada, we've enjoyed the changing of the colors as we head into fall, and soon, winter.  The roads have been very good, but, you can't avoid tolls, and construction.

                                                   

Being on the road nearly a week we needed to find places to overnight.  Our first night was at Walmart in Coralville, Iowa. The next night was at Cabela's in Kearney, Nebraska. Again,we went shopping.  It turns out we were at the smallest of all the Cabela's, in fact it was the second retail Cabela's opened. If you haven't heard, Cabela's is being bought by Bass Pro Shop.






The next night we stayed at A.B. Camping RV Park in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  After two nights with no hookups we really needed an RV park.  The park was  just OK, nothing to write home about.






 Ft. Bridger RV Campground is where we choose to spend the forth night. This park is located in Fort Bridger, Wyoming and is a family owned park.  It's a nice, clean park with friendly operators. The town is very small, a population of under four hundred people ... that's small.  Just outside the RV park is a General Store. There you can get the best root beer float you've ever had. Fort Bridger is named after Jim Bridger, the famous Trader, Scout and Mountain Man. One of many tough, real men who helped spread America Westward.

We found ourselves a day ahead of schedule, so we can either do another overnighter and drive on to Minden, Nevada or spend two nights in Elko, Nevada.  We choose to spend two nights in Elko at Ironhorse RV Resort, Ironhorse RV Resort is very nice. It has full hookups and is very clean. Dave was able to get some laundry done and still get in some down time. We leave here on Oct. 13th and will be staying at Silver City RV Resort in Minden, Nevada for a week.

                                                

That's about it for this blog. Next, I'll let you know about where we spend our winter months.

David's Buddy Stops!

                  

Issue #3 -- Greenville, Maine - Moosehead Lake - "In Search of Moose"

Our first trip to Maine was August 2015 where we found a wonderful RV park, Timberland Acres. As you drive the highways and community roads of Maine you come across these most promising signs:

You might think these are helpful signs, as now you know that moose know exactly where to cross the roadways, thus increasing your chance of actually seeing a Maine Moose.
But then you come across another sign warning:
Does this now mean you're about to see a dead moose!
Lets say that neither are true!




Now that we have chosen to summer in Maine our goal was to actually see a moose.

Dave says they are just a myth, much like the Jackalope:



Dave is adamant that he has to see a moose this summer.  We've made several inquires of Mainers, game wardens, our RV park hosts and they advised us to check out the area of Moosehead Lake, which is located in Greenville, Maine. Moosehead Lake is about a two and a half hour drive Northwest from Timberland Acres.  It's a nice day trip, but if you're in search of Moose you need to be in the area in the early morning, or the early evening.  We decided we'd make the trip a three day adventure and stay in a Bed & Breakfast.  After a little research we decided to stay at the Blair Hill Inn. So, off to Moosehead Lake we went in search of the Maine Moose.

The Blair Hill Inn is a lovely 10 room Bed and Breakfast about two miles outside Greenville, Maine, overlooking Moosehead Lake. Each of the rooms have been modernized, and are uniquely decorated in the period of bygone eras. Our room, number 6, overlooked the panoramic views of the lake and several islands. The Inn building was dedicated December 23rd, 1881. The current owners have remodeled the entire Inn, yielding an elegant and classic B & B that is probably the finest we have ever stayed at.

The common areas of the Inn include a balcony, evening dining area, breakfast eatery, parlor sitting room and a bar/lounge, all with stunning views of the lake.
Coming soon will be an indoor Jacuzzi and an art gallery.

David's perspective from our room ...








Once checked in at the B&B we set out on our search of moose.  We started by driving the lumberjack roads and along dense marsh areas, but all to no avail. The next best thing was to find a good place for lunch. We choose a local pub & cafe, Stress Free Moose has good food and good service!  Dave enjoyed the haddock and I had a cheeseburger.  The menu is varied and they have an excellent bar.










From lunch we did a little more exploring of the area. Moosehead Lake and the surrounding area is beautiful, even a day trip is well worth the drive.

Kelly's Landing is located along Moosehead Lake at Junction Wharf.  Kelly's serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Dave & I enjoyed a nice dinner with a view of the lake.

As we returned to our B&B we captured a beautiful sunset over the lake!







After a good night sleep we were up at 4:30 am for a private guided moose search which lasted four hours. The tour included a search of back road marshes and a five mile canoe rowing of an area pond.


During the land trip we spotted a young cow moose feeding in a marsh off in the distance. Much like "The One That Got Away" our find was too far to capture with photographs. (David insists the guides have hooked up with Disney to put mechanically operated moose within the marsh.)



Another young couple, Mia & James, also staying at the Inn, had a private tour about thirty minutes behind ours, and on the same pond, were able to get within feet of a cow and her calf feeding.

Although the goal of our trip started off as a moose sighting adventure the real adventure ended up being the romantic stay at the elegant Blair Hill Inn.  The B&B proprietors, Robin and Dan, are two lovely people and live on the property.  Dan is up early every morning and prepares breakfast.  They have a chief who prepares the Tuesday evening guest supper. The Inn also opens it's dining room to the public for supper Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.

Before leaving the area a "Three Hour Tour"of Moosehead Lake aboard the Katahdin is a lovely way to enjoy the views of the lake and it's surrounds.











David's Buddy Stops: