Travel Journal

June 2005

Travel Route:

While still in Florida, it became necessary for us to spend a little time somewhere to have the RV serviced and to take care of a few other matters. MacDill AFB in Tampa, FL has a very nice and reasonably priced campground so we decided to spend some time there. First on our list of tasks was to have the RV serviced by a Crossroads dealer. After finding several dealers in the area, Chuck found one that sold and serviced Crossroads. Since our appointment was for early in the morning on June 2^nd, we realized that we needed to make a reconnaissance trip on the day before. It was good that we had planned ahead because in all the listings of RV dealers, Chuck had inadvertently printed out the wrong dealer. Fortunately, we discovered the error on the reconnaissance trip!

The following morning we got up early and arrived at the dealer at exactly 8 AM. After describing the things we wanted serviced, we left and had breakfast in a nearby restaurant. When we returned we spent the rest of the morning in the waiting room. Shortly after noon, the service manager informed us that the brakes needed more than just an adjustment---they were completed worn out! They had located the replacements in Michigan. The brake manufacturer would replace them under warranty but it would take several days for the brakes to arrive, or we could pay $119 and have them shipped by overnight express. Rather than spending several days in their parking lot, we opted for the overnight shipment and spent the night in the RV on jacks.

The following morning the brakes arrived shortly after 10 AM, just as promised. We had to vacate the RV for the next few hours while the work was being completed.

We also found out that our refrigerator problem was a design flaw. When a refrigerator is installed in a slide out, an overhead vent can not be installed, so they have a vent on the side of the slide out. Heat rises and is not effectively dissipated, particularly in the heat of the Florida summer months. To correct this, the technician suggested that we install 12 volt ventilator fans that move the air over the coils on the back of the refrigerator. We later did this and there appeared to be some improvement, but our cooling problems were not over yet, as we were soon to find out.

We took a drive while they were making the repairs, stopping at a farmer’s market for fresh melons, tomatoes, etc. Shortly after returning, the RV was ready to go. As we went through our checklist, we noticed that we needed to put a piece of foam rubber between the table and counter top, to avoid it from rubbing (we learned this on the first trip). As Renée pushed the button to move the slide-out, it wouldn’t budge. We immediately got the mechanic and he started back to work. He had made a wrong adjustment, which took him another ¼ hour to correct. We would have been livid if we had arrived back at the campground and couldn’t move the slide-out!

It was quite interesting to note that on our return to the air base, they were very thorough with their security check. Apparently this is only done during the day and on week days. At night on a weekend there was nothing but a look at the driver’s ID card!

We worked on this and that for the next few days and then Joe (Chuck’s brother) came to visit on Sunday for supper. On Monday Chuck tried to get an appointment at a dermatologist but the earliest available was on June 16^th. He had a lesion on his back that needed to be removed. He had two skin cancers removed while we lived in Stafford and it was time for another complete checkup.

The following day we had an appointment at the vet for Lobo. Since we do not know how long it took for the growths on his chest and back to develop (they weren’t noticed until Renée gave him a haircut while we were in Fort Lauderdale), he should have a biopsy, but the vet felt it could wait until we returned to Fort Wayne.

On Wednesday, Chuck washed the RV from top to bottom. The weather was quite nice but rapidly deteriorated. Hurricane season had started and the first tropical storm had begun to form in the Gulf of Mexico. The palm trees were bending over from the strong winds and the rain was coming in sheets (see photo). We spent the time catching up on the travel journal and emails. This was not exactly the most pleasant time we ever spent in the RV. But the good news was that Tropical Storm Arlene had decided to visit Pensacola instead of Tampa.

The refrigerator appeared to be working properly. The next few days were somewhat uneventful, spending the time on auto cleaning, clothes washing, and a day trip to the nearest Camping World to buy a few necessities. While we were there, we were approached by someone offering three free nights at Thousand Trails Campground near Disney World, a $50 gift certificate for Camping World and we would be entered in a drawing for a new RV if we would agree to participate in a sales presentation. We’ve been through these things before but since we were planning to head in that direction anyway after our departure from Tampa, we took them up on their offer.

The highlight of the week was a visit to the „Schnitzelhaus“ where Renée found venison on the menu, a rare find in a US restaurant. Mike Jacobi, the proprietor/chef, served us a fantastic evening meal. We had a long discussion with Mr. Jacobi. He has lived and worked in many places, including as a taxi driver in Munich, but has lived in the USA with his Malaysian wife for the past 20 years. Chuck had a true schnitzel and Renée had the venison (of course). After the meal, we advised Mr. Jacobi that his little restaurant was now rated number one in our personal ratings for the quality and authenticity of food in German restaurants in the USA. Before this visit, the Ratskeller in Indianapolis held that position.

Chuck had his dermatology appointment on June 16^th. The lesion that had concerned us was determined to be nothing to worry about, but he did have one on his shoulder that was removed and sent to the lab. It will take a few weeks for the result to be sent to Fort Wayne.

On June 18^th we left Tampa and drove to Thousand Trails to take advantage of our three free nights near Orlando. The amenities were quite nice but we are not interested in a time share.

On Sunday we visited Epcot Center at Disney World. Here are a few photos:

We ate at the German village, which had a buffet of German specialties such as Pretzel Brötchen, red cabbage, sauerkraut, pig’s knuckles, schnitzel, apple strudel, etc. It was quite a sampling of German food but like anything done in large quantities, the quality was lacking. The beer was authentic and good. The music (Performed by German-speaking Americans) was also authentic. The waitresses, dressed in dirndl dresses, were German, and after speaking with the waitress for a while, we learned that Disney has an employment program for each represented country. The waitress had gone to the unemployment office in Germany, saw the employment offering, applied and was accepted for a year-long position at Disney. She also has the option to extend.

At 9 PM we witnessed a spectacular fireworks display on the lake at Epcot ï (Click)

On Monday we had to “pay” for the three days by listening to a spiel about the Thousand Trails campgrounds and what they had to offer. The salesman realized that we were truthfully not interested and we spent a short time with him touring the place on a golf cart as we shared RV experiences. After he convinced his boss that we were a “no-go” we left and took a drive with Lobo. We took a walk in a pine forest where we noticed that it had its own old sprinkler system. This seemed quite odd and didn’t make sense. Also we noticed some very unusual plants:

Suddenly we found a pair of Orange trees in the forest, which explained the sprinkling system. The pine forest had been planted in a former Orange grove. On the few remaining trees were large oranges and we picked as many as we could carry. They were quite tart with large seeds. We later squeezed them for the juice but it was so sour that we had to mix it for drinking.

The next day we took off with the intent of visiting the Kennedy Space Center and hopefully see the shuttle. It is not possible to drive any further than the visitor’s center in a privately owned vehicle. The bus tour ($22) was already sold out for the day and the only possibility was a $60 per person combo with films that you can see on TV. This left a very sour taste and we left, but managed to take a few pictures at the visitor’s center (see photos).

We took I-95 North toward Georgia, where in a 5-6 mile stretch we saw at least 15 accidents following a thunderstorm. In Georgia we overnighted at a travel plaza. After a late breakfast we drove as far as Prosperity, SC where we spent the night again at a travel plaza. The refrigerator had been running for two days on propane and was not cooling properly. Using the Dometic internet site, we found the nearest Dometic repair facility and made an appointment there at Camping World in Spartanburg, SC, approximately 55 miles away. We spent the afternoon and evening in their parking lot using their complimentary hookups. These hookups were in poor condition and the voltage kept dropping, making it impossible to use. We ran on the generator until evening and after closing time, we moved to another connection where the power was good, with water and sewer drain. A few hours later, another RV arrived and hooked up to the power next to us. Shortly thereafter a circuit breaker inside the building was tripped and we spent the night without A/C. The following morning we found out why we had been having such difficulty with the refrigerator. The technician discovered that a baffle was missing in the flue for the gas side of the refrigerator, causing it to overheat. They did not have a replacement part in stock but the technician removed one from another defective refrigerator and installed it. Within a few short hours, the temperature began to drop in the refrigerator.

It was determined that the missing part was not the fault of Dometic, rather the RV manufacturer (Crossroads), so we had to pay the bill and submit it to Crossroad for reimbursement. Crossroads appears to have had a lot of installation problems but they have been quite good about correcting any problems and reimbursing when necessary.

We then drove north to the Smoky Mountains on I-26 to I-40 and then on Foothills Parkway (US-321) to Gatlinburg, TN. Gatlinburg is in a very scenic mountainous area with a lot of the architecture fashioned after what one would find in the Alps. Unfortunately, further down the road it is nothing but a tourist trap of amusement rides and the accompanying wares.

As we drove around Knoxville on I-640 to I-75 North, we saw the aftermath of an accident with a school bus and several other vehicles. The police were gathering the children into a group as crews from emergency vehicles were attending to the injured that were lying around the accident scene. We had seen so many accidents during our recent travels and considered ourselves fortunate, not having been involved. However, that day would not end for us without something unfortunate happening! Shortly before the Tennessee/Kentucky border, we blew a tire on the RV. Since it always takes so long for the roadside serve to arrive, Chuck decided to change the tire himself. Everything went pretty smooth, with the police arriving just as we were almost finished.

We drove on to Williamsburg, KY and spent the night at Wal-Mart. The following morning Chuck located a tire center in Barbourville that had the correct replacement tire. We drove there (about 20 miles) and as Renée took Lobo for a walk, Chuck took the rim in for a new tire to be installed. Renée locked the pickup and left with Lobo. Chuck returned to find the truck locked with his keys and cell phone still inside. This gave us the opportunity to try out the Onstar system. Using the telephone at the tire center Chuck contacted Onstar and after 20 minutes and repeated tries, it worked! Just make sure you know the password to give to Onstar!

After the new tire was installed as a spare, we left Barbourville and headed toward Falmouth and the nearby campground at Kincaid Lake State Park. Since we were arriving on a Saturday, we were certain that we would have trouble getting the spot we wanted for the next several days. We stopped in Paris, KY and spent the night in a parking lot. We left the following morning and arrived at Kincaid Lake State Park shortly after noontime and found our spot to be empty. Speaking with the campground host, we found out that it had been vacated within the past hour! We spent the rest of the day settling in and watching a little TV. The next day was reserved for clothes washing.

The month of June ended with visits to the Falmouth-based Morton siblings and a restaurant invitation in Alexandria, KY by Chuck’s brother Tom and his wife Susan.

To be continued in July …………………..

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