Tag Archives: campground

Oklahoma, land where the buffalo roam…

On our way across country from Atlanta, GA to Williams, AZ, we made several stops.  One of which was to spend a couple days in Oklahoma City,  visiting with my oldest daughter, Laura.

oklahoma traveling

We stayed at the Oklahoma City East KOA.  Check out this amazing site!  We were so impressed by how beautiful this little campground was- and how well kept!  Frankly, if it wasn’t for the scary tornado potential in the area, we would consider working here.

But there is the tornado thing and the fact that we really don’t have a basement.  And I’m sure that is something that I just have to get over now that I live in a virtual tin can, but at the moment I am good with heading west.

Anyway…

oklahoma traveling

The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

My daughter took us on a tour of the area, including a drive out to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, roughly 100 miles south of Oklahoma City.  It is the oldest managed wildlife facility in the United States.

The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge was important in saving the American buffalo from extinction. In 1907 the American Bison Society transported 15 buffalo, from the New York Zoological Park to the refuge.  At that time, buffalo had been extinct on the southern Great Plains for over 30 years.

The buffalo herd now numbers about 650 on the refuge!

oklahoma traveling

One “rule of thumb” when you are around wild animals.  If you hold up your thumb in front of them, and you can still see them, you are too close.

And as you can tell from the photo, wild animals come in all forms!

Scary.

oklahoma wichita mountains

Mount Scott

Our tour of the mountains included a trip to the summit of Mount Scott which offers amazing views of the Oklahoma countryside.

And of course a visit to Meer’s Restaurant- a popular place in the area famous for it’s giant Meer’s Burgers.  Because we had to eat, right?

Here is a short video of our visit! To see is in large screen, click here.

Our next stop- Amarillo, TX!  See you there!

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Our season working at the St. Petersburg KOA

We have been on the road now for exactly a year.  And the adventure has just begun.  Selling the house and nearly everything that we owned was difficult.  Leaving our friends and family behind was too.   But I have to tell you that we have absolutely no regrets.

Life on the road is everything we thought it would be.

traveling collage

We often are asked how we can support ourselves on the road and I have to say that fortunately for us, we are able to handle most of our bills with income from my websites.

However, we do need a buffer.  And that is where KOA has come in.  We are doing seasonal work at various campgrounds in order to supplement our income while we see the country.

madeira beach

We worked the summer season in Bar Harbor, Maine, at the Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA.   Our winter job was at the St. Petersburg, FL KOA.  Just as I did in Maine, I have compiled a video of our season at the campground in Florida.

Enjoy!

We both want to thank all the amazing folks we met at the St. Petersburg KOA for a wonderful experience.

It is a small world out there…

We hope to run into many of them again on the road.

Adventure awaits us around the corner.  We are currently in Atlanta, but hope to be hitting the road next week.  Our next destination?

Arizona!

Stay tuned!
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Fun in Florida in the winter!

I’m currently juggling three websites, and this one seems to suffer a bit.  My goal (hopefully soon) is to post twice a week on here.  Currently, I’m really not doing well at that!

blogging on iphone

When we first hit the road, I thought I’d have tons of time to write.  I mean, I quit a full time job that included a hour and a half commute each way.  I should have tons of time, right?  But we are work camping right now to help supplement our income.  That requires at least 30 hours a week working for the campground for an hourly wage plus campsite.

My other websites, Suzy’s Sitcom and Daily Holiday Blog have taken off this year and I’m trying to keep up with them.  Hopefully very soon we will not need the supplemental income provided by work camping.  Not that I dislike working at the campgrounds, but I cannot somehow make more hours in my day!

rain at the koa

Dave and our friend Judy on a rainy KOA day…

In the meantime, life goes on at the campground!  We are currently in St. Petersburg, Florida for the winter, parked amongst the snowbirds from Canada and northern US.  We will be here two more months and then will be moving onto the Grand Canyon in Arizona for the summer.

My sister came to town this past week to spend a few days with us.  Here is a short video that I put together from her visit!

The winds were pretty strong and it felt like winter finally arrived in Florida.  But we had tons of fun in spite of the the windy weather.  We look forward to visiting with her again when she comes to Arizona!

Dave needs a haircut pretty badly.  After taking a photo of him with his locks blowing in the wind, I couldn’t help myself.  I had to make a romance novel cover out of it.

romance novel cover humor

And then post it on Facebook.

Because that is what I do.

By the way, Buffy Dickenson is my make-believe stripper name.  (Just put together the name of your first pet and the street you grew up on).

What is yours?  LOL!

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Christmas in Florida

We have been settled in St. Petersburg, Florida for about a month now.  I am still behind on posting, but wanted to take some time to catch you up on our travels.  In the past month we have visited our favorite place, Tybee Island, GA, attended my daughter’s wedding in Atlanta, and even endured some RV problems.

st petersburg florida koa

But we finally made it to our winter destination, St. Petersburg/Madeira Beach KOA.  We will be here until March or April, when we begin to head west.

st petersburg florida koa

I have to tell you that I miss the snow.  As pretty as Florida is, I would prefer to be trekking through several feet of pure white snow.  But the RV and Dave both would like to have a warmer winter.

We arrived to 95 degree weather with nearly 100% humidity.  Looks like the RV and Dave both got their wish.

Our new spot is quite beautiful and the campground is like a little resort, so I really do not have a lot to complain about.  They tucked us in with the snowbirds who all seem very nice.   And we even have grass!

st petersburg florida koa

Ralph and Faith like it too.  They both have lots of things to keep their interest.  In fact, there are so many lizards running around here that it is hard to get Ralph to take a poop without getting distracted.

And Faith has an issue with herons (those tall legged white birds with the long necks), so there is always plenty of excitement when I take them outside.

st petersburg florida koa

We are working at the campground here.  I am in the office and Dave is working on the grounds.  And…we are getting the place spiffied up for Christmas!

Dave put up all the blow up decorations this week, and then spent quite a bit of time freaking Ralph out over this outhouse Santa.

Ralph is not a fan of Santas exiting an outhouse.  Just saying.

st petersburg florida christmas

The streets are decorated too!  What do you do when there are no fir trees around?

You improvise.

st petersburg florida christmas

We felt the need to decorate the coach too.  Since we had no nearby fir trees to decorate, Dave and I picked out a tiny tree at a local Christmas tree stand.

Charlie Brown would be proud.

st petersburg florida christmas

Our tree turned out great!  We ended up with just enough room in the living room for it.  The little table is actually my printer box covered in blankets.  (I’m the master of multi- purpose!)

st petersburg florida

Oh.  Did I mention there is a beach nearby?  It is 2.5 miles from the campground to Madeira Beach.  There will be plenty of beach photos in the next few months.

We have yet to located any great eating places to share with you, but I’m sure we will have a top 10 list before we leave the area.

st petersburg florida

Since ice cream is my second hobby, I do feel the need to mention this fun soft serve stand, Twistee Treat.  There are actually a few of them in the area, all shaped like giant ice cream cones.

st petersburg florida

And apparently, I have my new challenge for this leg of the trip.  Trying each and everyone of those awesome flavors!

Oh, and by the way.  That is a medium size cone there.  Can’t even imagine what the large one might look like.   I think I’m going to like Florida.

st petersburg florida

On the beach there are snowmen.  This will probably be as close as I get to snow this winter.  I’ll take what I can get.

st petersburg florida

And the sunsets here are beautiful too.  Christmas in Florida can be quite beautiful!

If you squint a bit, that white sand could be snow.  Right?

Stay tuned!
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Fall in New Jersey

Did I mention that I’m terminally behind in posts?  We have been in Florida for nearly a month and I’m still writing about the trip down!

We took a month to get from Bar Harbor to St. Petersburg, FL and during that time we did a lot of relaxing, visited tourist attractions, and even attended my daughter’s wedding.

After leaving the New England Coast in mid October, we headed to New Jersey.

new jersey rv travel

New Jersey?  You bet!  Most folks think New Jersey is just an extension of New York City with nothing but pavement, traffic and congestion.  And I’m here to tell you that most of New Jersey is nothing like that.

new jersey rv travel

We were headed to Lake Hopatcong, NJ, where Dave grew up.  The plan was to visit friends and check out the area.  He hadn’t been back in years!

We parked the RV at Panther Lake Camping Resort.  It is a 160 acre camping retreat located next to a scenic 45 acre lake in Andover, New Jersey. Loved the beautiful trees and the nice grassy lots!  The RV park was just a short driving distance to our destination, Lake Hopatcong.

Hopatcong NJ

Lake Hopatcong is the largest freshwater body in New Jersey.  Located 30 miles from the Delaware River and 40 miles from New York City, it is a mostly residential lake whose few public access points include Hopatcong State Park and Lee’s County Park Marina.  

Most of the shoreline is privately owned by individual lakefront residents, homeowner or community associations, or restaurants and marinas.

new jersey rv travel

Wildlife along the shore was plentiful.  In fact the deer were a tad too friendly for my taste.  They did not have any fear of humans and would pretty much come right up to you.

They sure were beautiful, though.

new jersey rv travel

Here we were able to meet up with Dave’s childhood friend, Daniel.  He and his family still live right here where they grew up.  They hadn’t see each other in over 30 years.  It was a fun reunion!

new jersey rv travel

We went out to dinner with Daniel and his family where we all insisted on sitting outside along the water, bundled up in our sweaters.

Because when you are in such a pretty area, you really need to enjoy it.  Right?

It was a lot of fun meeting this amazing family, and we do hope to visit with them again in the future!

new jersey rv travel

As for the town of Hopatcong and the area around it really seemed to stand still in time.  According to Dave, this ice cream stand was a regular destination of his as a child.  He says it looks just the same.  Home of the Skyscraper, Cliff’s Ice Cream is a regular tourist attraction.

Of course, we had to stop and get a bit of ice cream.  Sometimes I have to sacrifice for the benefit of the website.  Right?

new jersey rv travel

And I’m here to tell you that New Jersey is a beautiful place in the fall!  Check out this fabulous pumpkin and gourd display!

new jersey rv travel

The Lake Hopatcong area is home to many U-pick farms.  And many of them are open year round!  Depending upon the season, you can find all types of fruits, vegetables and flowers available.

new jersey rv travel

We spent quite a bit of time at several of the farms in the Andover area, picking large black berries, cucumbers, green peppers, and fresh corn.

new jersey rv travel

Just look at this bounty!  You can’t find fresher corn that that!  And if you are looking for a great way to make it and some yummy berry cobbler on the grill, be sure to check out my 3 Berry Cobbler and Grilled Corn on the Cob recipes!

new jersey rv travel

Faith says we need to get back on the road now.  Note the gapped teeth in the front.  We call her our little hillbilly.

Anyway, we headed south from New Jersey after a fun visit.  Our next long-term destination would be Tybee Island, Georgia, for a brief reprieve before we attended my daughter’s wedding in Atlanta.

Stay tuned!
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A visit to the New England Coast

I’m a little behind on posts.  We are currently in St. Petersburg, FL at our current campground job.  Over the past month, we’ve traveled south,  attended a beautiful wedding, and even had some major RV issues.  Lot’s of ground to cover!  So I’m going pick where we left off…

After leaving New Hampshire, we headed toward the coast to check out Boston Cape Cod KOA.  Upon arrival, we were greeted by the manager who told us that Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA had won the Founders Award!

This is one of the top awards given out by KOA based on customer satisfaction.  We were thrilled to be part of it!  And how awesome to be recognized as part of a successful team!

boston cape cod koa

And speaking of great campgrounds, Boston Cape Cod had lots of green space and large shady RV spots.  We made ourselves at home and pulled out some maps to check out the area.

new england massachusettes

We wanted to see the beach and decided to start with Nobska Point Lighthouse.  The Nobska Point Light is located at the southwestern tip of Cape Cod, in Massachusetts. It overlooks Martha’s Vineyard and Nonamessett Island.

The light station was established in 1826, and the current tower dates to 1876.

If you don’t know by now, I simply cannot pass up a lighthouse photo.

new england massachusettes

Or a fun bird photo for that matter.  It was rainy that day and the ocean was full of white caps and foam which made for a cool background in this seagull photo.

new england massachusettes

And look at the rocks!  Have I mentioned before how much I love fun rocks?  In fact, last time we were in Massachusetts, I found rocks to love.

After a day of perusing the beaches, we stopped at the local diner.

massachusettes diner

One of the many things I love about the New England area is all the vintage diners.  Yummy food served quickly and in a nostalgic atmosphere.  This diner, interesting enough is called “Dave’s Diner“.  Easy to remember, right?

While it looks like a vintage diner, it was actually built in 1998.  The diner colors, layout and decor were carefully chosen to create the fun and colorful look of the 50’s era.

And the food was delicious!

plymouth rock portico

Of course, no trip to Cape Cod would be complete without a visit to Plymouth Rock, right?

Upon entering the town of Plymouth, we saw this impressive structure along the shore.  The rock was waiting for us inside! We prepared ourselves to be duly impressed.  This rock had seen so much history!

Here is where the pilgrims first stepped onto shore from their ship, the Mayflower!

plymouth rock

Well…it must have been a small ship.  Or the rock shrunk.  Or something.  I wasn’t prepared for how small it actually was.

And it turns out after some research that no historical evidence exists to confirm this rock as the Pilgrim’s actual stepping stone to the New World.  Plymouth rock is more of a symbol of the courage and faith of the men and women who founded the first colony in New England.

And that is okay with me.  Even if it was slightly underwhelming.

plymouth rock

According to my research, the rock as it exists today is estimated to be only about 1/3 to 1/2 of it’s original size due to being broken and chipped away at by 18th and 19th century souvenir hunters.

Oh, and notice the scar across it?  Apparently sometime in the 1800’s, it was decided to move part of the rock to the center of town where folks could better enjoy it.  That part was eventually moved back to join the rest of the rock a few years later, and “frankensteined” back onto the other half.

plymouth rock

We might have been a tiny bit disappointed by the rock, but the replica of the Mayflower definitely made up for it.  And the beautiful sunset behind it.

Red skies at night means “sailors delight”.

New England was beautiful.  Someday, we hope to return and spend a bit more time there.  But time was going fast.  We had to be in Atlanta by November 1 for my daughter’s wedding and then onto our new job in St. Pete.

So we hit the road again.

traveling sitcom dogs

The dog’s snagged their favorite spots in the front of the coach, and we set out for our next stop, Lake Hopatcong, NJ.

New Jersey, you say? What the heck is in New Jersey?  Well, you just might be surprised…

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The White Mountains of New Hampshire

We officially left the state of Maine on October 2.  What a fabulous six months we had!  We met so many wonderful people and enjoyed an amazingly beautiful area of the country.  And now the adventure continues!

dave driving with dog

Dave wanted to check out the White Mountains in New Hampshire.  Faith was much more interested in seeing if there were any roadside hotdog stands.

Since Dave was driving, those hotdog stands would have to wait until another day…

moose crossing sign maine

It wasn’t too long and we left the state of Maine and all it’s Moose Crossing signs behind.  Did we ever see a moose?  Well, no.  Lived there six months and the closest I got to a moose was this sign.

traveling in new hampshire

And I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t see a Fall leaf change too.  Fortunately, we got to see plenty of colorful trees on the way to New Hampshire.   Fall is definitely here!

mount washington new hampshire

Dave wanted to ride the Cog Railway to the top of Mount Washington.  So, we chose the closest KOA, which happened to be Twin Mountain KOA.  This was a beautifully maintained privately owned campground at the base of the White Mountains.

We enjoyed talking to the owners who told us that they purchased this particular campground sight unseen several years ago.  Since then, they had done many upgrades including beautiful private tent areas and even a caboose as a “cabin” rental!

mount washington new hampshire

So what the heck is the Cog Railway?

It is the world’s first mountain climbing rack and pinion railway.  It is the second steepest railway in the world with an average grade of over 25%, and a maximum grade of 37.41%!

The three mile trek up Mount Washington takes about 40 minutes as you ascend to the summit peak at 6,288 feet above sea level.

mount washington new hampshire

The Cog Railway originated in 1852 when after becoming lost near the summit of Mount Washington, Sylvester Marsh decided to create a better way for people to reach the highest mountain peak in the Northeast.

One Hundred and Forty Years later, The Mount Washington Cog Railway is a National Historic Engineering Landmark!   The vintage steam engines, replica coaches and biodiesel locomotives are well worth the visit.

We loved the running commentary from the brakeman on board who filled us in on the history of the railway, the mountain, and other fun facts.  And then there was the cool optical illusion of the trees and structures along the side of the tracks being extremely tilted.  (When in fact it was us that was tilted!)

mount washington new hampshire

And then there was Mount Washington!  The summit was cold and clear and we could see for miles!

mount washington new hampshire

In fact, in the photo above if you look where the sky meets the land on the horizon, there is a strip of blue there.  That is the Atlantic ocean!

mount washington new hampshire

Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 ft (1,917 m).

The mountain is famous for dangerously erratic weather. On the afternoon of April 12, 1934, the Mount Washington Observatory actually recorded a windspeed of 231 miles per hour (372 km/h) at the summit.  This was the world record for most of the 20th century.

Like most big mountains, it makes it’s own weather and conditions at the top are often poor.  We were fortunate to arrive on a clear day as more often than not, clouds cover the peak.

At peak of the mountain, there was a museum to enjoy which included an exhibit titled “Extreme Mount Washington“.  This video is a bit about the exhibit and the crazy weather that Mount Washington loves to share.

mount washington new hampshire

And here above the clouds is the Appalachian Trail!  One of things I’ve always wanted to do is take that trail from Georgia all the way to it’s end point in Maine on Mount Katahdin.  I didn’t realize that not only did you have to tackle that huge mountain in Maine, but you had one quiet a bit larger just a state away!

mt washington new hampshire5

The state of New Hampshire dressed up and greeted us with beautiful leaves, amazing weather and a wonderful start to our trek heading south.

Dave has a good idea every now and then.  But don’t tell him I said so.

Onward to Massachusetts!

Mini Apple Pies from fresh Maine apples!

We have been living at the KOA Oceanside in Bar Harbor Maine since mid April.  We will be leaving here in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, I wanted to take advantage of some of the perks that we can get from this particular campground.

bar harbor oceanside koa

“What perks?”, you say.  Well, yes we have beautiful ocean views, amazing sunsets, and fabulous weather.  But there is something else here that we want to experience…

homemade mini apple pies

The wild Maine apple trees!  One whole side of the campground is covered in beautiful apple trees.  We noticed them first in the spring as they filled up with delicate white flowers…

homemade mini apple pies

Throughout the summer, we watched the apples form.  Those that have been coming here for years told us that the apples are tart and make great pies.  Nobody knows what type they are, but looking around on Mount Desert Island, it appears that they are everywhere!

homemade mini apple pies

And with the coming of September, they finally ripened!  While walking the dogs near the trees, I could here the occasional “thump” of a ripe apple hitting the ground.  So, I sent Dave out on a mission.  Come back with a good bunch of apples and I’ll make pie!

I didn’t have to ask him twice.

homemade mini apple pies

Just look at those yummy apples!  I wanted to make pie to share with all my coworkers, so I tried my hand at mini apple pies.  And they turned out great!  Want the recipe?

homemade mini apple pies

Mini Apple Pies

6-8 tart apples
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp, lemon juice
ready made pastry for double crust pie
1 egg white

Begin by peeling, coring and dicing the apples.  Drop them into a bowl of cold water mixed with 1 tsp. lemon juice.  (This keeps the apples from browning).

homemade mini apple pies

In large bowl, mix together sugar, brown sugar, spices and flour

homemade mini apple pies

Drain the apples and add them to the sugar and spice mix.  Toss to coat.

homemade mini apple pies

Spread out one of the pie crust and use a cup or round cookie cutter to cut out individual circles.  Push them into the individual cups in a non-stick cupcake pan.

homemade mini apple pies

Fill each dough lined cup with apple mixture.  Use the other pie crust to cut lattice strips.  Lay the strips across each cup one way.  Brush with egg white, then lay strips across the other way as shown above.

homemade mini apple pies

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

Distribute to your coworkers and watch them smile.

That’s the best part, I think.

Mini Apple Pies!
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Suzy Myers
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 18
Delicious little pies that make great little desserts!
Ingredients
  • 6-8 tart apples
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp. flour
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. ginger
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp, lemon juice
  • ready made pastry for double crust pie
  • 1 egg white
Instructions
  1. Begin by peeling, coring and dicing the apples.
  2. Drop them into a bowl of cold water mixed with 1 tsp. lemon juice. (This keeps the apples from browning).
  3. In large bowl, mix together sugar, brown sugar, spices and flour
  4. Drain the apples and add them to the sugar and spice mix. Toss to coat.
  5. Spread out one of the pie crusts and use a cup or round cookie cutter to cut out individual circles. Push them into the individual cups in a non-stick cupcake pan.
  6. Fill each dough lined cup with apple mixture. Use the other pie crust to cut lattice strips. Lay the strips across each cup one way.
  7. Brush with egg white, then lay strips across the other way as shown above.
  8. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

 

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8 Things we do not love about RV living…

We get asked a lot about what it is like living full time in a RV.  I talk about how much fun our adventure has been so far, and really it has.  It is so exciting to enjoy the sights and sounds of this beautiful country.  Our new lifestyle has resulted in better health for both of us, much less stress, and excitement around every corner.

But in an effort to keep things real for those of you that might be considering this particular lifestyle, Dave and I wanted to point out a few things that are not so great about full time RV living.

Granted, we have only been full timers since April of this year, and I imagine in another year, our priorities may be different and our list of things we love and do not love might change.  But for right now, here is our top 8 things that we do not love about RV living:

interior rv traveling sitcom

The Poop Issue

When living in a RV, one has to deal with poop on a much more personal level.  Both our poop and the dogs poop.  While the bathroom in our RV is definitely several steps above a port-a-potty, I have to admit that it is still a toilet situated over a poop holding tank.

A poop holding tank that is full of…well… poop.

rv black and gray tanks

We have two holding tanks.  The gray water tank holds leftover dishwater, shower water, etc .  The black water tank has the job of holding the poop.  Every few days, Dave flushes out the black water tank with water from the gray water tank.  He then adds a bit of water and a tank treatment which helps keep odors at bay and breaks down things.

In general, the bathroom smells fine.  But dealing with poop is much more labor intensive than simply flushing a toilet.

This is coming from someone who goes on eight hour plane flights and never uses the bathroom once due to the fear of accidentally getting locked in there with all that blue water and the potential of turbulence.  Heck, I can’t even use the public restrooms without having to run some water in the background!

The hubby says, “Then just use the woods!”  But I pee on my socks every time…

Too much information?  Ha! Sorry…

life at the campground

Walking the dogs

While we are talking about poop, we cannot leave out the dogs.  I have to say that I do miss the days when we could just put the dogs out the back door and let them do their business.

Granted, walking the dogs is good for all of us.  But they do need walked several times a day, rain or shine.  Waking up in the morning with rain pelting the roof and knowing that I have to go out in the pouring rain and stand while Ralph takes ten minutes deciding what area he would like to pee in definitely puts a damper on my morning.

walking dogs bar harbor

Unlike Faith, Ralph took a while to get comfortable going to the bathroom on the leash.  And to this day, he has to circle an area for a while before he finds the perfect spot.

And whatever you do, do not watch him.  He will quit in mid-poop.  And then we will have to start all over again!

Oh, and then there is the fun bit about carrying fresh warm poop bags to the dumpster.

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Washing dishes

Yeah, I knew about this going in.  Working full time at the campground, running several websites and crafting in between, leaves me not so much time to do those things I really do not like doing in the first place.  As a perpetual procrastinator, I tend to leave dishes until the last possible moment.  Resulting in emergency dish washing in order to get dinner on the table.

Problems with the RV

Currently, the steps to the front door go up on their own accord.  Which could be a potential issue when we are ready to go to the next campsite, and they choose not to go up that day.

Two televisions turn them selves on occasionally without our help- usually coinciding with the slamming of the front door.

We called out the local repair guy and both  the steps and the televisions worked seamlessly.  Of course!

traveling sitcom rv living

The awning goes in on its own.  Granted, it has a sensor that will pull it in when it gets windy.  Apparently, it’s definition of wind is different than ours and if we do not shut the motor off, it rolls itself in quite dramatically while we are trying to sit in the shade with our iced tea.

Last week, I went to take a shower and we had no hot water.  The electric hot water heater decided not to work.  We are fortunate to have a gas alternative and switched to that.  When we called the RV repair guy out, the electric heater started right up.

He thinks we are crazy.

bar harbor oceanside koa maine camping

Mosquitos and other pests

Uggghhh!  In this part of the country, mosquitos are pretty darn plentiful.  And much to my dismay, they absolutely love me.  The scent of mosquito repellant is now my new perfume.

While working at the front counter the other day, an errant mosquito flew in and bit me right on the nose.  Much to Dave’s enjoyment,  I ended up looking like Broom Hilda the rest of the evening.

Ultracamper

Unfriendly and inconsiderate campers

There I said it.  There are those that have absolutely no camping etiquette.  They are the ones that park their car in the small area that you call your front yard.  They take short cuts through your campsite, dropping trash and making tons of noise along the way, setting off both dogs into a noisy bark-fest.  And then complain that your dogs are barking.

Tyler Kealey plays “Mama’s got a Squeeze Box” by The Who as part of his video a day challenge in 2014.

They play loud music past midnight.  Sit outside playing an accordion, electric guitar, or drum set (yes, all the above has happened in the past few weeks alone!).   Who the heck brings an accordion while camping?  Well, somebody did last week.

Not sure what they were playing, but Dave and I both had The Who’s Moma’s Got a Squeeze Box stuck in our heads for a week.

Now you do too.

You’re welcome!

Lack of Space

Again, I knew this going in.  There is not much space for crafting and I spend more time looking for my supplies than actually doing the craft.  Really!  I tried to be organized.  I labeled many containers and stored them all over the camper.  But when I am looking for one particular tool or paintbrush or fabric swatch, I spend the next hour searching all compartments until I finally run across it.

rv life camping traveling sitcom

Bumpy Roads

Coming up to Maine from Atlanta, we encountered lots and lots of terribly maintained roads.  In a car, you do not notice them as much, but when driving a huge motorhome, each bump and ridge is magnified ten-fold.  Dave said that I need to mention in particular, parts of I-85 North and the entirety of I-84.

Our coach shook so much over I-84 that when we finally reached our destination, not only was our bedroom door entirely off it’s hinges, but only one of the televisions would come on.

Unless of course, we slam the front door.

cadillac mountain bar harbor maine

So that is our top 8 gripes for right now.  I have to say that for every gripe, there are ten things we love.  I mean, just check out this view.  How could you not love that?

Living in a RV full time is not for everyone, that is for sure.  But for us, I think it just might work!

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Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and life on the campground…

Our youngest daughter is getting married in November.  Since Dave has to walk her down the aisle, it was necessary this week to take a trip back into civilization and get measured for a tuxedo.

fitted for a tux

So we made the two hour drive south to Augusta, Maine, where the closest Men’s Wearhouse was.  We were not looking forward to the drive and the fact that it would take up a whole day off to accomplish.  A two hour drive for a fitting that took all of ten minutes…

Now what to do?

We decided that since we were in the general area, maybe we should check out Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.  After all, on the map it was just east of Augusta, and a trip up the coast would be beautiful!

pemaquid lighthouse maine

And the lighthouse was beautiful, of course.  We arrived after hours, so were not able to tour the inside, but were able to spend plenty of time enjoying the scenery.

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse was originally commissioned in 1827 by John Quincy Adams and built that year. Due to poor workmanship (salt water was used in the mortar mix), the lighthouse began to crumble and was replaced in 1835.

Most lighthouses in the US were converted to the Fresnel Lens in the 1850’s, and Pemaquid Point received it’s lens in1856. The lens is one of only six Fresnel lenses still in service in Maine!

pemaquid lighthouse maine

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Park is managed by the Bristol Parks Commission.  And…it is the lighthouse on the Maine State Quarter, making it the first lighthouse to be featured on a piece of US currency!

pemaquid lighthouse maine

Coincidentally, this particular lighthouse is a top destination for weddings with its beautiful rocky cliffs and crashing waves.  The lighthouse is one of the most photographed on the Maine coast.

pemaquid lighthouse maine

While taking photos, the whole scene seemed very familiar to me.

pemaquid lighthouse maine

And then it occurred to me that I had painted the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse back in 1998 in a series of lighthouse paintings for a calendar!  It had hardly changed at all!

pemaquid lighthouse maine

Beautiful rocky shores, deep blue waters and a setting sun make this trip totally worth it.  We were very glad that we decided to make the stop.

Our boring trip to Augusta turned out to be pretty fabulous.

life at the campground

…and then we had to go back to work.  The park at Oceanside is full to capacity and has been so since the beginning of July.  The boss says excitedly that this is a record year.

We are just tired.  LOL!

life at the campground

Of course, the campground still has it’s beautiful scenery to enjoy.  On our days off, we can wander about the rocks at low tide with the dogs and look for shells.

…and rescue tiny crabs from Ralph’s mouth.

life at the campground

The summer here is nearing it’s end and the wild apple trees on the campground are just full of apples.  I was told that they make great pie, so I am waiting for them to ripen.

life at the campground

One of our guests had a dog that could have been Ralph’s twin.

life at the campground

Ralph thinks he looks much younger and cooler, though.

eating a huge sandwich

Oh…and in our down time, we apparently enjoy taking uncomplimentary photos of each other.  This is Dave’s take on my humongous BLT courtesy of one of the local restaurants…

eating a huge sandwich

….and a little morning scariness to keep it real.

Because life is a sitcom, right?