The first few days of the month we are still in L'anse. The Labor weekend was a factor in this stay, as there were no spaces available anywhere near Duluth until the Monday, so we got to just sit back and enjoy the views of our quiet little campground.
September 4 Duluth, MN Indian Point River Campground. We took a drive around Duluth and Danny was able to find his childhood home, and the apartment they lived in after that. His dad's Warehouse was gone but the bar he had turkey sandwiches at was still there. So we had lunch at The Pickwick...formerly Joe Wasocki's Pickwick. We toured the aquarium "Unsalted" We took a drive up the north shore and saw one of the largest steam engines built. These were used to haul the iron ore out of the Masabi Range into Duluth to get loaded on the ore carriers and transported across Lake Superior to the factories in the east.
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| Life Bridge in Duluth |
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| Danny's family business, "van and storage", gone now next door to the PICKWICK |
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| Danny's childhood home |
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| Leif Ericson statue |
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| Butter heading for a swim in Lake Superior |
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| Ore hauler |
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| Ore ship coming in for a load |
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| Happy Travelers |
September 8 Headed south with a stop at Castle Mounds the Black River State Forest, just for 2 nights. There really wasn't much to do here except rest cause next stop Moline!
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September 10 On south to Moline. 10 days of Grandkids what fun!
September 20 Back to Elkhart. Now this was a little different. We planned to take a quick detour to California and it required some logistics. the campground couldn't take us for 1 night on the 20th as they had a rally, BUT they could put the Lake House in storage. Sounds okay, we can get a hotel for the night and head to Chicago Midway airport the next day. We had reservations for Butter at Camp K9 starting the 20th through the 26th. Well when we arrived at Elkhart they had plenty of room for us and said we could put the rig on sight and they would just charge us storage rates for the 4 days we would be gone. Yippee. We parked the rig and headed to Camp K9 to drop butter off. Now the only real drawback to all this was that I had dumped some primo leftovers in the trash that morning as we thought we would be in a hotel that night. Steak and Shake for dinner!
September 21 Up and off to Chicago. We used an offsite parking facility and with the timezone shifts we were way too early for our flight, but we had good books. We arrived in Oakland California got our rental car and headed for Roseville. I forgot how to drive in California, (if I ever knew) 75 will get you passed and darn near run off the highway. But we made it to Glenn and Gwen's hugs, short chats and off to bed.
September 22 Great breakfast at Cafe O'Hagan. Danny and I headed up the hill to Auburn and a visit with mom. It was good to see her, there have been a number of falls in the last few weeks and I don't envy Glenn the task of getting her help because she just is not going to be able to stay by herself much longer. Back down the hill and off to BEER and Brawts. Great food truck at the brewery. We all enjoyed a round of Tri-tip Franks....YUMMY and a few beers and visiting with Tim a friend from the old RBC (Roseville Brewing Co.)
September 23. This morning was cereal and quick goodbyes as we headed for Stockton and a visit with Chris and Amber. After the detour in Elk Grove to a wine store and we found some primo wine for Larry's birthday. So we had tea and scones with Chris and Amber and caught up with their plans which always involve climbing another mountain. Then on down the road to Atascadero with arrival at the Rabellinos at 5:15 just as Larry's 60th birthday party was kicking off. What a great night.
September 24 and 25th After a traditional Rabellino breakfast that consisted of large quantities of eggs and leftovers....this time homemade focaccia bread toasted crispy and whatever else Larry decides to add to the eggs. It was delicious. We bid the other guests who were staying farewell as the day progressed and we started sipping wine and eating leftovers....I know we opened several bottles as we visited and prepared to bid our farewells, about 11 p.m. we were loaded and headed back to Oakland. It was an easy drive as there just wasn't much traffic out at that time. We found a Dennys a little south of the airport and had a meal....you know we were confused as I had a salad and Danny had breakfast. Thats what happens at 3 am when you haven't been to bed. We got the rental car turned in and caught the shuttle back to the airport, checked our bag and found some seats to wait....If I hadn't been so tire I'd would have tried to get us on an earlier flight home but, oh well. We did manage to get a 3 seat row to ourselves flying back to Chicago and Danny really slept most of the way. We landed safe and got our truck back and headed out of Chicago about 4, just as the traffic was picking up, but we made it back to our home. The welcome by the stinkbugs was amazing, but I was too tired to appreciate it. The front door had over a hundred of the little bugs around the seal, and I wasn't going to open the door until they were gone, or dead. Finally home with the AC blowing. I fell asleep during Dancing with the Stars, thats how tired I was.
Sept 26 Well since the parts hadn't arrived, at least we didn't have to fold up and head over for that, so we went and got Butter. Poor baby was feeling bad and so we were off to home and no food for her till we could get into the vet tomorrow.
September 27 Butter gets a good checkup. Nothing obvious so the vet recommends the doggy BRAT diet. Boiled chicken and rice for about 5 days then slowly re-introduce kibble. Butter has no problem with this diet and I read up on making Doggie food. I introduce some pumpkin to the meal and after a few days add Yogurt. It was 2 weeks of this before we put her back on kibble.
September 28 Nothing to report
September 29 Brad and Hall for furniture. Yippee. WE love it!
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| Danny's Computer station when the recliners are out. With a full depth file drawer |
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| New Dinner table which pulls out to seat 4. Credenza with drawers on left side and my computer station on right with shelf for printer |
September 30 Still no parts. We head over to Shipshawana and Yoders Deli. We pick up a Tri-tip and a great assortment of odds and ends including another Jalapeño summer sausage. On the way home a sign for pie requires a stop. The Rise'n Roll Bakery and Deli. So as it was about 2:30 there wasn't much of a crowd but a gentleman invited us to join him at a larger table and his wife returned...They were just starting their lunch and it looked so good we ordered the lunch special Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Danny had a side of potato salad and I had broccoli salad. Then came the reason for this stop in the first place....pie, and since there was interest from 2 gentlemen for Rhubarb pie, they decided to cut into a fresh one. It was a terrific lunch and our companions made for a great break in the day. It was close to 4 when we all headed to the counter to settle the bill. Another place to put on the 'we shall return' list.
October 2 They promise the parts will be at the shop by 10 tomorrow
October 3rd I call about 9:30 and they have the parts, so we hop to and get the rig over there, then go to breakfast, but wait I didn't leave the keys, they can't exercise the slides. But the parts are in and the lug nuts are torgued. We just will run the slides in and out before we leave.
October 4 and a run to the auto shop for ATF to top off the tank....we hope for the last time.
about 11 am we are on the road south for Louisville KY. Now somewhere on the road heading south the tailgate fell down and the crate holding some of our chokes and blocks fell off the back. That wasn't too bad except, the crate with a small floor jack also went off, now that is a heavy piece of metal and as I'm driving along I notice the rear tire on the 5th wheel is visible. Hard to describe, but this tire should just track behind the front one. We pull over and check the wheels and something is diffidently wrong. We are close to Louisville so we just go slow and pull on in to the campground. We really can't tell what is wrong but there is an RV shop right next door so tomorrow we will deal with this.
October 5 We go over to the shop right after breakfast and wit, and wait, and about 11 I start calling around and find a place about 10 miles down the road that can look at the problem now, so we close up the rig, hitch her up and slowly trek over the Ohio River and to the south side of Louisville to Louisville RV Repair. What really nice people! The guy comes out and crawls under the rig, we know its not good when he calls the other techs to "come see this, you don't see this everyday". We had broken a shackle. I would take a full page to explain this in detail, just know, it was not good. He said he could order the parts and probably have us fixed by Tuesday or Wednesday. That sounded good but where do we stay in the meantime? They told us to just pull over to the right side line up with a few other 5th wheels and they would give us 30Amp service and water. They also gave us a key to the gate and we had a home for 4-5 days. We were treated like family.
October 6 It is very different waking up in an RV repair lot, very quiet after a very loud night. This place is right next to the Louisville airport, which is the WorldHub for UPS. The airport was really quiet till about 9 p.m. when the UPS plains start taking off at the rate of about 1 every 20 mins. for hours. I could lay in bed and watch them right outside my window lifting off. Yes it was loud, but after 2 nights we got used to it and hardly noticed them.
October 7 We really aren't doing much today but planning for a few tours.
October 8 We head to Churchill Downs, spend a few hours touring the museum and the track, We're glad there aren't any races going on, it lets us park close and not get too wet in the rain.
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| Couldn't see much in the rain |
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| HATS! |
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| Yippee! |
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| Lots of construction going on out front |
October 10 Today we head downtown Louisville for a different kind of museum. The Baseball Bat factory of the Louisville Slugger.
October 11 Off to Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort Ky. If you don't know why we choose this one to tour, well look up Pappy VanWinkle Bourbon. The grounds are beautiful and the tour is as much about the history of the property and the history of Bourbon as the process of distilling it.
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| The river crossing that the Buffalo used |
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| Guard rail down for Barrel crossing |
October 13 Memphis, TN well sort of. The park I found for us is actually across the river in Arkansas, but it is on the River. We are staying 4 days here and I can say it was an uneventful trip down from Louisville. This park is on the River side of a levee and get evacuated whenever the river level is up. All the power distribution polls are about 15 ft in the air and the park restrooms are in trailers so they can be moved when needed. Very different and also very nice view of the Mississippi River. We can sit and watch the river traffic going by. Barges and twice we saw river boats.
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| Sunrise |
October 14 Just a sitting and resting day
October 15 WE go back into TN to the Mississippi River Museum on Mud Island. We park and ride the monorail over to the Park and spend the whole day walking the scale model of the River and touring the museum. The place is getting a little run down but still a great way to orient yourself to the scope of the Mississippi River water shed.
October 16 and 17 Time for some Memphis bar-b-q. and just chillin.
October 18 We are heading to Cousin Herbie's today. It's an easy drive and Brenda meets us at the off ramp to guide us into their place. We had been there last year, but it was nice to have guide as we pulled the 5th wheel right into their yard and Herbie got us hooked up with power and water.
October 18- 23 Visit with cousins Learn about boiled peanuts, yummy. Butter and Kronos become the best of friends and Butter loves being free to roam.
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| Kronos likes to viist |
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| Butter loves to freedom |
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| great place to stay for a visit |
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| both dogs love the grass |
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| everyday we all load up in the quad and go feed the cows and take a drive around the property. |
October 24 Off to Crystal River. Danny has wanted to swim with the Manatees since he heard that you could, so we made reservations and hoped for the best.
October 25 This is the day and we are very glad to have our own wetsuits, the water is chilly, but not too chilly as the Manatees are starting to return. The guide tells us this is the first good day in months, they find us about 6 Manatees just hanging out doing what Manatees do and we get in the water and meet them.
October 26 Drying the wetsuits and going to the movie.
October 27 Moving day again, this time to Arcadia. We really like Craigs RV park here in Arcadia and we get hold of our favorite Megaladon Tooth guide and plan a day to go out and wade in the river.
October 28 & 29 Just chillin.
October 30 Still no Meg Tooth, but we will continue to search.
October 31 Today the refrigerator decided to throw an error code and stop working. So after much research, and numerous phone calls, we find the blown fuse and find ourselves heading to Port Charlotte for a replacement, we think. The drive over is pleasant, and the people at the RV center are great, but they also are stumped by the fuse. They have the control panel that it comes out of for $300, but no spare fuses for it. We try Home Depot and when we are about to give up we find the fuse with the Christmas lights. So getting home and crossing our fingers that this will work we replace the fuse and we have electric for the fridge. And it is cooling back down before we have to start filling the trash can.
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