We spent two nights in Kingston, basically to kick back and do nothing. We've been so busy lately that I think both Lise and I needed to lose some of that stress and tension. We met our in-laws, Richard and Barb Salter, who were staying at the RV Park prior to heading back to Ottawa tomorrow or Tuesday.
On Saturday we drove through Toronto without too much trouble. It was quite windy but it didn't bother us too much. We actually arrived at the Flying J at London pretty early in the day and decided to continue on to an RV park in Wyoming, Ontario, just short of the US Border.
Today we had a fairly uneventful stop at the border. The customs agent came into the rig to look around and check out our cupboards and fridge. Otherwise, pretty straightforward and we were through the border in about 5 minutes.
We had planned to stop at Angola in Indiana, but again we were there too early. We had miscalculated the distance; so we kept on going and were lucky enough to find a campground just north of Indianapolis. We are at GloWood Campground at South Pendleton, Indiana. It is not always easy to find a campground if the one you have planned on is not available for some reason. The signage is pretty skimpy and even if you see a sign there is the possibility that they don't cater to big rigs. I would hate to drive into one of those places and have to try to turn around after. We always plan our stops ahead of time, using the internet, Microsoft Streets and Trails mapping, and Woodall's - which provides information on camping in North America (I rely on that a lot!). Anyway this place is just fine, the park management are friendly and we have our internet connection so we can get updated on things.
We might have to slow down a bit. We are going to get to our home park too early at this rate. We'll see how it goes over the next few days. We travelled 390 miles today.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
October 22, 2009
We're finally on the road! Over the last two weeks we've been quite busy doing all the things you have to do when preparing for a long trip. We make lists to help remind us what needs doing and then checking off once an item is complete. It seems like every time we completed a list a new one was started. Overall though, everything went pretty well and we were able to get on the road at 10:00 this morning.
It was drizzly for part of the trip but started drying out when we hit the 401. Our first day was short, just a 2 1/2 hour trip to Kingston for a two-day stay at Rideau Acres. We'll probably head to London, Ontario on Saturday and overnight at the Flying J before crossing the border at Sarnia on Sunday morning.
It's nice to finally have 50 amp service at a campground. Our campground near Rockland only has 30 amps for seasonals. It's not a big deal but now we can run the heater, microwave, hot water and vacuum cleaner at the same time:-)
It is a little warmer in Kingston, about 13 degrees celcius. I'm hoping for better than that though over the next two weeks!!
It was drizzly for part of the trip but started drying out when we hit the 401. Our first day was short, just a 2 1/2 hour trip to Kingston for a two-day stay at Rideau Acres. We'll probably head to London, Ontario on Saturday and overnight at the Flying J before crossing the border at Sarnia on Sunday morning.
It's nice to finally have 50 amp service at a campground. Our campground near Rockland only has 30 amps for seasonals. It's not a big deal but now we can run the heater, microwave, hot water and vacuum cleaner at the same time:-)
It is a little warmer in Kingston, about 13 degrees celcius. I'm hoping for better than that though over the next two weeks!!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
October 3 to 14, 2009
We received some pictures from a photo session our son and daughter-in-law had done while we were still in Chilliwack. There are lots of great pictures and they will be great memories for us.
David and I sharing a quiet moment
Dylan seems to like being held by Grandma
Us
Adam, Leah, David and Dylan
We've had a pretty good last two weeks. There has been lots to do getting ready for our big trip back to Arizona. We've had some issues with the car that have been fixed and we had an issue with the propane furnace in the motorhome that has also been fixed. Both times the fix was fairly easy so, in the end no big problem. The furnace issue turned out to be a fried control board and the RV repair shop happened to have the part and even though they were booked up for the next few weeks they managed to fit us in and make the repair on the same day I went in to see them. Of course it meant packing the motorhome up getting it ready for travel; whenever we have to move it requires a lot of work changing our house back into a vehicle - things have to be put away and properly stowed so they won't break or cause any other distractions. We're getting pretty good at it now.
David and I sharing a quiet moment
Dylan seems to like being held by Grandma
Us
Adam, Leah, David and Dylan
We've had a pretty good last two weeks. There has been lots to do getting ready for our big trip back to Arizona. We've had some issues with the car that have been fixed and we had an issue with the propane furnace in the motorhome that has also been fixed. Both times the fix was fairly easy so, in the end no big problem. The furnace issue turned out to be a fried control board and the RV repair shop happened to have the part and even though they were booked up for the next few weeks they managed to fit us in and make the repair on the same day I went in to see them. Of course it meant packing the motorhome up getting it ready for travel; whenever we have to move it requires a lot of work changing our house back into a vehicle - things have to be put away and properly stowed so they won't break or cause any other distractions. We're getting pretty good at it now.There will be a big rush to do our food shopping over the next few days, picking up items we like that aren't available in the south. We'll also be getting our insurance in order, arranging our electrical hookup and phone connection in Arizona, and saying our final goodbye's to friends and family.
The campground is starting to empty. Most of the seasonals will be leaving next week, some going to Florida, some to Texas and some to Arizona. Hopefully the weather improves by then. It will be minus 5 celcius tonight; we are wondering why we're still here. Oh well, it won't be long now. The countdown has begun!
Friday, October 2, 2009
June 11 to October 2, 2009
It has been quite a while since our last post! We are still at the same campground just outside of Ottawa, and will be here for a few more weeks - then it will be time to head back to Arizona again for the winter. :)
June, July and most of August was pretty depressing, weather wise. It rained for most of the month of July and that certainly put a damper on most of our outdoor activities. But September was a good month so that was ok.
June was spent visiting with family, seeing to doctor and dentist appointments and just settling into our daily routine.
On July 1st we visited Petrie Island at the east end of Ottawa for Canada Day activities. This is a picture of our grandson Liam on a ride at the Canada Day festival.
We also took the motorhome to Kingston for the weekend and our daughter Renee, her husband Marc and our grandson Liam came along with us. It was the first opportunity we have had to take them on a trip with us to enjoy the motorhome lifestyle. Marc and I also got some great golf in at a super golf course in Kingston.
Lise went to see the musical Grease at the NAC in Ottawa with her sisters. Sounds like it was entertaining. The American Idol winner from a couple of years ago - Taylor Hicks - had a part in it as well.
We went to Toronto twice in August - the first time to see a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game. Renee, Marc and Liam went as well. We stayed two nights and also went out for dinner with my brother and sister and their spouses. That was special as we don't get to see them very often. Our second visit was to attend the musical - Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It was a great show and the music was brilliant. I find myself humming the songs all the time now, even a month later.
September we travelled to Chilliwack, BC by air and visited with our son Adam, his wife Leah and our grandchildren David and Dylan. The last time we had seem them was last year when we were parking our motorhome in Chilliwack prior to heading south for the winter.
Here is Adam holding Dylan at the pool. We are celebrating David's birthday.
Here is David, taking skating lessons.
And here is another one of Dylan I couldn't resist putting in. He's so outgoing and smiley. He's great to be around and we certainly had a geat time visiting with them over the two weeks we were there. We are thinking of visiting them again in the spring.
Now it is time to start making our lists of things to do before we head south. The first thing on my list was to get this blog updated. I'm happy to have one thing completed anyway. I think the next three weeks are going to go quickly. We will probably be heading to Kingston (Rideau Acres) for a few days before we cross the border on the 28th.
June, July and most of August was pretty depressing, weather wise. It rained for most of the month of July and that certainly put a damper on most of our outdoor activities. But September was a good month so that was ok.
June was spent visiting with family, seeing to doctor and dentist appointments and just settling into our daily routine.
On July 1st we visited Petrie Island at the east end of Ottawa for Canada Day activities. This is a picture of our grandson Liam on a ride at the Canada Day festival.
We also took the motorhome to Kingston for the weekend and our daughter Renee, her husband Marc and our grandson Liam came along with us. It was the first opportunity we have had to take them on a trip with us to enjoy the motorhome lifestyle. Marc and I also got some great golf in at a super golf course in Kingston.Lise went to see the musical Grease at the NAC in Ottawa with her sisters. Sounds like it was entertaining. The American Idol winner from a couple of years ago - Taylor Hicks - had a part in it as well.
We went to Toronto twice in August - the first time to see a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game. Renee, Marc and Liam went as well. We stayed two nights and also went out for dinner with my brother and sister and their spouses. That was special as we don't get to see them very often. Our second visit was to attend the musical - Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It was a great show and the music was brilliant. I find myself humming the songs all the time now, even a month later.
September we travelled to Chilliwack, BC by air and visited with our son Adam, his wife Leah and our grandchildren David and Dylan. The last time we had seem them was last year when we were parking our motorhome in Chilliwack prior to heading south for the winter.
Here is Adam holding Dylan at the pool. We are celebrating David's birthday.
Here is David, taking skating lessons.
And here is another one of Dylan I couldn't resist putting in. He's so outgoing and smiley. He's great to be around and we certainly had a geat time visiting with them over the two weeks we were there. We are thinking of visiting them again in the spring.
Now it is time to start making our lists of things to do before we head south. The first thing on my list was to get this blog updated. I'm happy to have one thing completed anyway. I think the next three weeks are going to go quickly. We will probably be heading to Kingston (Rideau Acres) for a few days before we cross the border on the 28th.Wednesday, June 10, 2009
May 12 to June 10, 2009
We haven't had much opportunity to update people on our activities lately. Since we have arrived back in the Ottawa area it has been like coming home and we've spent a lot of time with family. So, it is a fairly predictable routine and probably not worth writing about. I'll still try to give updates, just not as frequent. When it is time to head back south I'm sure we'll have more to write about :-)
We did go biking along the NCC Parkway early in May, in one of the few days with nice enough weather to really appreciate the experience. This is a picture along the trail, with the River in the background.
We thought it would be fun to take our grandson out on a geocaching experience. The weather wasn't the best but we dressed warmly, even wearing gloves to keep our hands warm - that was about the middle of May! Anyway, he really enjoyed himself. We travelled around to three or four caches and found every one. I'm sure we'll do that again before the summer is out.
Liam was responsible for the camera and carrying the GPS
Last week we drove our bikes along the path next to the Rideau River. We ended up at its confluence with the Ottawa River, just down the street from the Prime Minister's residence and the residence of the Governor General of Canada. The plaque in the picture is a three-dimensional representation of the Rideau and Ottawa River and nearby buildings, including the Parliament buildings. All in all it was a nice ride, about 14 miles round trip (from where we left the car). This is the same bicycle path that Lise used to travel on with her bicycle when she was a teenager. Must have brought back memories.
We moved from one site to another in the campground a couple of weeks ago. We weren't getting a very good TV signal on our satellite dish and we couldn't go knocking down trees. The site we are in now has perfect southern exposure for signal reception but is not as long and our motorhome barely fits on it. But we like it and the other day we built, with the help of friends and neighbours in the park, a floating deck 8' x 16' so we wouldn't have to have our chairs and bar-b-que on the grass. Since we expect to be coming back here every year we thought it was a good investment. It was fun to do too, since I haven't done much building and my friends in the park helped make it an enjoyable experience. My back is still sore though from all that bending over. We built it in two 8x8 sections and then fastened them together so that, if we ever decide to find a different site we can either move the deck with us, or sell it.
We did go biking along the NCC Parkway early in May, in one of the few days with nice enough weather to really appreciate the experience. This is a picture along the trail, with the River in the background.
We thought it would be fun to take our grandson out on a geocaching experience. The weather wasn't the best but we dressed warmly, even wearing gloves to keep our hands warm - that was about the middle of May! Anyway, he really enjoyed himself. We travelled around to three or four caches and found every one. I'm sure we'll do that again before the summer is out.
Liam was responsible for the camera and carrying the GPS
Last week we drove our bikes along the path next to the Rideau River. We ended up at its confluence with the Ottawa River, just down the street from the Prime Minister's residence and the residence of the Governor General of Canada. The plaque in the picture is a three-dimensional representation of the Rideau and Ottawa River and nearby buildings, including the Parliament buildings. All in all it was a nice ride, about 14 miles round trip (from where we left the car). This is the same bicycle path that Lise used to travel on with her bicycle when she was a teenager. Must have brought back memories.
We moved from one site to another in the campground a couple of weeks ago. We weren't getting a very good TV signal on our satellite dish and we couldn't go knocking down trees. The site we are in now has perfect southern exposure for signal reception but is not as long and our motorhome barely fits on it. But we like it and the other day we built, with the help of friends and neighbours in the park, a floating deck 8' x 16' so we wouldn't have to have our chairs and bar-b-que on the grass. Since we expect to be coming back here every year we thought it was a good investment. It was fun to do too, since I haven't done much building and my friends in the park helped make it an enjoyable experience. My back is still sore though from all that bending over. We built it in two 8x8 sections and then fastened them together so that, if we ever decide to find a different site we can either move the deck with us, or sell it.Monday, May 11, 2009
May 2 to 11, 2009
Where does all the time go. Here we are, already at May 11th! We have hardly been at home since we arrived. We did briefly meet with Sandra and Gordon whose blogs we have been following for a couple of years now. I thought it would be nice to sit down with them and share stories, but there has been no time. Maybe sometime soon.
I did pick up my motorcycle so that was a super happy day. The weather has not been too cooperative recently so it has just sat there waiting to go out and play. I guess I'm just a warm and sunny weather kind of guy:-) I did take it for a spin today as it finally warmed up a bit. Tonight is supposed to go down to 1 degree celcius (34 F?). It's hard to imagine freezing temperatures at this time of year. I'm sure it won't last.
Tonight is only the second evening we are actually going to have dinner at home. We've gone out to dinner at restaurants so much lately I think we're getting sick of them (restaurants, that is!). There have been a lot of birthdays in the family and that usually means picking a favourite place for dinner. Also, we've spent quite a few nights at our daughter and son-in-laws for dinner and socializing. Of course we like to do that so I won't complain any further.
I played some golf the other day, my first time since leaving Apache Junction. I can't believe how much I've forgotten in just a few weeks. In addition, it rained for most of the last 9 holes and put quite a damper on our spirits. However, like one of my friends always likes to say - a bad day of golf is so much better than any day of work.
I did pick up my motorcycle so that was a super happy day. The weather has not been too cooperative recently so it has just sat there waiting to go out and play. I guess I'm just a warm and sunny weather kind of guy:-) I did take it for a spin today as it finally warmed up a bit. Tonight is supposed to go down to 1 degree celcius (34 F?). It's hard to imagine freezing temperatures at this time of year. I'm sure it won't last.
Tonight is only the second evening we are actually going to have dinner at home. We've gone out to dinner at restaurants so much lately I think we're getting sick of them (restaurants, that is!). There have been a lot of birthdays in the family and that usually means picking a favourite place for dinner. Also, we've spent quite a few nights at our daughter and son-in-laws for dinner and socializing. Of course we like to do that so I won't complain any further.
I played some golf the other day, my first time since leaving Apache Junction. I can't believe how much I've forgotten in just a few weeks. In addition, it rained for most of the last 9 holes and put quite a damper on our spirits. However, like one of my friends always likes to say - a bad day of golf is so much better than any day of work.
Friday, May 1, 2009
April 27 to May 1, 2009
Tuesday was our travel day. We drove first to Sicard Holiday Trailers to get some minor work done on the rig. Our appointment was for 1:00 and by 4:00 we were on the road. Of course, that meant driving on the 401 during rush hour! Traffic moved fairly well so it was no worse than in previous years. Since we started travelling so late we decided to just travel to Napanee and stay in a Flying J overnight. We arrived there about 8:00 pm and there were lots of parking spaces for RVs so we were all set. Unfortunately we couldn't get our satellite dish to work properly so no blog :)
We were anxious to get to Ottawa so were on the road by 8:00 am. The weather was good and traffic was light. We stopped for coffee and bagel at a nice shop in an outside mall, across the street fromPlace D'Orleans, next to Hwy. 174. Kettleman's - nice place. We'll have to go there again. They make their bagels right there and they looked so good we bought some. They were :-).
We arrived at Recreationland around noon. Our site was available for us so we were able to park right away. Unfortunately somebody had been in that site earlier and got stuck when leaving and tore up the grassy area around our site pretty good. It looks awful. Not sure if that's going to get fixed any better. Will have to look into it further.
After spending the morning on Thursday cleaning the rig and setting things up on the outside, we went off to visit family. That will be a fulltime occupation for the next little while as we immerse ourselves back into quality family time.
Today is our laundry day so we won't feel like we're so rushed, for a little while anyway. I expect we'll be visiting family again before the day is over. Anyway, I have to pick up our motorcycle gear as I'm anxious to pick up my motorcycle. We've stored it at a Honda dealer in Embrun and they've already safety'd it, done an oil change and put on a new front tire. So, there are no excuses. I think I'll have it out by tomorrow if not by today.
We were anxious to get to Ottawa so were on the road by 8:00 am. The weather was good and traffic was light. We stopped for coffee and bagel at a nice shop in an outside mall, across the street fromPlace D'Orleans, next to Hwy. 174. Kettleman's - nice place. We'll have to go there again. They make their bagels right there and they looked so good we bought some. They were :-).
We arrived at Recreationland around noon. Our site was available for us so we were able to park right away. Unfortunately somebody had been in that site earlier and got stuck when leaving and tore up the grassy area around our site pretty good. It looks awful. Not sure if that's going to get fixed any better. Will have to look into it further.
After spending the morning on Thursday cleaning the rig and setting things up on the outside, we went off to visit family. That will be a fulltime occupation for the next little while as we immerse ourselves back into quality family time.
Today is our laundry day so we won't feel like we're so rushed, for a little while anyway. I expect we'll be visiting family again before the day is over. Anyway, I have to pick up our motorcycle gear as I'm anxious to pick up my motorcycle. We've stored it at a Honda dealer in Embrun and they've already safety'd it, done an oil change and put on a new front tire. So, there are no excuses. I think I'll have it out by tomorrow if not by today.
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