It Was a Blast

I’m old enough that I remember my parents waking me up in the middle of the night to come downstairs and watch TV as the first man walked on the moon.  The strangeness of being awoken to watch TV heightened the magic of the moment.

 

Five years later, I had the chance to visit the Kennedy Space Center on a family trip and I remember the bus ride to see the huge assembly building and the giant transporters that pulled the rockets out of the building to the launch pads.  I clearly remember peering into a Mercury capsule and marveling at how small it was.  That was 40 years ago and it was amazing.  When I had a chance to visit again on this trip, I suggested including it in our itinerary.  Robin was willing.  She had never been even though her dad is a rocket scientist.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center Entrance - actual rockets in the background

 

The experience has held up extremely well.  There is still the bus ride out to the launch pad and past the assembly building.  The sheer size of everything associated with the rockets is mind-boggling.  Now the whole experience has been enhanced with simulations and videos.   In one place you sit in the original Apollo launch facility and go through a simulated launch with lights and noise and vibration.  It was fascinating to see all the analog controls (switches and dials) that controlled the process then.  We've become so accustomed to touch screens and digital displays.   

Actual Apollo launch room.

Saturn launch simulation

 There was a Disney-esque (and I mean that in a good way) ride/simulation of a shuttle launch that pulled 3 G’s, or at least simulated the feeling.   

Fun ride pulling simulated 3 G's

 There are lots of rockets and plaques and moving memorials to astronauts who have died .  Two IMAX theaters have great 3D movies of the space station and Hubble telescope.  Oh yeah, and there is a gift shop or two.

  

Vehicle Assembly Building - 500+ ft. tall.  Each stripe on the flag is 6' wide.

Business end of an actual Saturn rocket

Middle sections of Saturn rocket

I have to say, it was interesting,informative, moving, awe-inspiring, inspirational and those sorts of soppy things.  I have a new appreciation of the innovation and technology that made the accomplishments to date possible.  I have renewed hope for the future exploration.  Well worth a visit.

More Florida

After 2 nights here in John Prince County Park in Lake Worth, we’re set to move to Titusville for 3 nights.  It should be an easy day today, only 2.5 hr drive, but alas, Toad has a slow leak in a tire.  So, we’re looking for a nearby tire shop and will haul him in for hopefully a quick fix. 

Ibis, Great Blue Heron and one lonely Egret

However, I want to report on the park here.  It’s beautiful!  Big open green spaces set well back from the city around it.  It’s quiet, if you don’t mind the occasional plane noise from the nearby small airport.  The sites are situated along winding roads and cul de sacs.  It’s peaceful and pleasant and waterways flow throughout the park.  There’s also a golf course and “golf education” center.  Apparently you can stay for up to 5 months here, though the most premium sites along the water have a 2 week limit.  There are lots of Canadians here and who can blame them.  No matter how far south you go in Canada, it’s still damn cold.

Bikes ready

Great Blue Heron and Cormorant

 One of the best features of the park is that it’s flat.  So, after 2 trips, 5 months and 5000 miles, the bikes finally came off the bike rack!  The chains were oiled, the tires inflated, seats adjusted and we rode our bikes.  Yeah!  The weather was perfect, the landscape friendly, the wildlife accommodating and no one fell.  A lovely day.

RIDING

Another lovely feature of the park is the honey-wagon.  Yes, because many of the sites have no sewer connections, for the low fee of $8 you can have someone come and empty your black water tank (note, I didn’t say dump).  We didn’t have to take advantage of the service, having planned ahead and having enough capacity, but next time….  And whenever you think your job might be sort of crappy…think about being the honey-wagon operator.

The Honey-Wagon

So off to the tire store.     

Wish us luck.

Tampa Super Show

The Tampa Super Show bills itself as the largest RV show in the world.  Pundits debate if the Hershey, PA show or the Tampa show is the biggest.  It may hinge on acreage, attendees or number of rigs.  Regardless, the Tampa show is REALLY big.  Thousands, yes thousands of rigs.  Tiny trailers to $7 million custom buses.  Big enough to fill the midway at the Florida State Fairgrounds.  Big enough to require a shuttle tram to get around the grounds.  Big enough to have 2 buildings of vendors selling RV stuff.  So big we only got around to one building.  Good thing for Robin's checkbook that we ran out of steam after one building.

Carnival clowns at the Supershow

No, we didn't buy a new rig.  It's fun to look at all the new designs and ooh and aah at the high-end finishes.  After all, doesn't every RV need a powder room, a double vanity and cedar-lined walk-in closet?  After gawking for a while, we agreed that Chuck was just what we liked; comfy and spacious enough without being over the top.

Who wouldn't want a deck on their RV?

 However, it was obvious in the exhibit hall that Chuck needed some new accessories.  What did we buy?  A battery-operated fan to keep cool air circulating in the refrigerator making it operate more efficiently and keeping it cool while we're driving, a seat-back support for the dining chair to help Robin's back, a new tire pressure monitoring system to warn us if we have tire issues while driving.  That item will take a day of installation and programming so we haven't installed it yet.  The most exciting purchase for Robin - a WiFi repeater and gizmo to boost our WiFi reception in the rig.  Sadly, they were out of stock so they're being shipped home so she can't play with it until the next trip.  Most exciting for me - an induction cooktop.  If you're into cooking, this is a fun thing.  It's a single burner that works on magnetic principles to heat things rapidly without putting out any heat outside the pan.  Simon, our physicist friend, can explain it better.  For me it's a cool thing because it's electric (don't have to consume propane from our tank to cook) and it's quick so the rig doesn't heat up.  Yes, I'm geeked out about it. 

Airstream boutique

Unfortunately, not all cookware works on it so we had to go out and buy some new pans so I haven't tried it yet, but soon! 

So today we leave Tampa and move on.  We're finding that really desirable campgrounds are expensive and hard to get into on short notice which is not too surprising in FL in winter so we took the plunge and actually have the next 10 days booked.  We'll be in a well-reviewed county park in Lake Worth, FL for the next 2 nights, then 3 nights at a big RV resort in Titusville and then on to Fort Wilderness at Disneyworld for 5 nights of camping with Mickey.

We'll report in WiFi permitting.

Finally Warm

I promised myself I wouldn't blog anymore about dumping...you know....emptying the black water tank, but I just have to say that dumping in driving snow and sleet is about the worst camping experience to date.  Not only are all the hoses and valves cold and wet and stiff because they're plastic, but the dumper (me) is cold and wet and stiff.  I am happy to report that despite the conditions during the dump:  mission acccomplished.  We finally got out of Alabama and their freak snowstorm and kept heading south arriving in Panama City, FL on Thursday night.

We pulled into St. Andrews State Park just as it was getting dark.  In the dusk, some nearby dunes gleamed whitely and Robin exclaimed, "Look, snow!"  "Robin, that's sand".  "Oh."  Given the weather of the previous few days, who could blame her?

St. Andrews snow

 We found our beautiful campsite right on the water and jockeyed around to back in just right so that the electric hookup would line up with the pedestal on the side of the site.  "But wait, we won't see the view if we're backed in, shouldn't we have pulled in?"  "But will the electric reach then?"  "Maybe."  "Try it?"  "Ok". " It will!"  "Quick, pull out, drive around the park and pull in!"  "Whee, we have a view."   "Robin, it's pitch dark."  The view was lovely the next morning.

Chuck enjoying the view at St. Andrews State Park

Seaside food trucks

 Friday was warm (60 deg) and sunny and we drove to Seaside, FL, the planned community lampooned in the Jim Carey movie The Truman Show.  Seaside has matured a bit and settled and actually has some appeal.  It's safe, convenient, attractive, on the water and somewhat charming.  It's also spawned a bunch of copycat communities nearby that give the whole area a slightly surreal feel. 

Seaside, staying hip and trendy has a collection of food trucks near the town center.  Being Seaside, the food trucks are Airstream trailers.  Terminally cute or charming?  You decide.  The barbeque was tasty.

Deer at sunset in St. Andrews State Park, FL.

We are finding good food on this trip, from local farm-to-table cafes to outstanding Thai food.  We were tempted by some venison when we got back to the park, but opted for hunting with the camera.

Yesterday we reluctantly left St. Andrews as the locals flocked in for the weekend.  We will be finding more state parks to camp in during the week.  Florida makes it very appealing with great locations and scenery, all the amenities (except WiFi hence no blogging lately) and very reasonable prices.

We had a long drive yesterday (400 miles/7 hours), to get to Tampa.  We are heading for the RV SuperShow here and today is the last day of the show so we had to pull the marathon drive.  I'm sure it will be worth it.  What could be better than exhibit halls filled with RV accessories and a fairgrounds filled with new RVs?  Heaven, right?  Don't be too jealous.  Oh yeah, 70 deg and sunny today.  Shorts and sandals finally!

Chuck and Smoky at a rest stop half way to Tampa

Those Balmy Southern Breezes

How far south do you think you have to go to get warm weather?  Or just warmer weather?

We left Red Bay, AL this morning with temps in the 30's and it is STILL raining.  It's been raining for 3 weeks they say.  So, we headed due south to a campground in Clanton, AL, about an hour south of Birmingham and it did warm up to the mid-40's.  Still it rained, and rained and rained.  We are in a very nice KOA campground and have cable TV so we turned on the weather.  The prediction is for THREE INCHES of SLUSH by tomorrow morning! 

We have no boots.  We have no winter coats (though lots of things to layer on).  I only brought 5 pairs of socks because I thought I'd be in sandals by now.  Almost 800 miles from home and we're going to get slush.  I'm thinking we'll be in Key West before we get sun and warm.

Meanwhile...on the "never stop learning" front...yesterday morning we met with the service people to go over the work that had been done and ask questions about things still not working.  We have a bank of 3 florescent fixtures down the middle of the rig that operated with an "after market" remote that was here when Robin bought Chuck.  Sometime last fall the lights stopped working.  We had them fixed once at home and then they stopped working again.  So they were on the repair list for the Tiffin service guys.  According to the invoice, they had found a bad ground wire and fixed things, but we still couldn't get the lights to go on.  So, as we were going over the list, we mentioned that and they sent a tech over to us in the rig to check it.  He was a very nice, very young man.  He knocked politely and we let him in and went into the long explanation of the working/non-working lights, the repair history in two states, etc.  After listening he quietly asked, "Have you tried the switch?".  We looked blankly at him, then at each other, then back at him.  He took 4 steps, flipped a switch and all the lights immediately went on.  He had the grace to not even smirk as he politely left Chuck.  Yes, the switch has been there out in the open all along and we knew it was there but somehow had totally forgotten about it.  *sigh* 

So we're much smarter today, right?s  We hooked up tonight, settled in, turned the thermostat to "heat" and waited for it to kick on.  And waited, and waited.  Starting to get really chilled and concerned that we were out of propane, I started running through possible fixes in my head.. Then, uh duh, we never turned the propane on when we arrived here.  No fuel - no heat.  With the turn of a valve - voila - heat.  *  double sigh*  Beanie was very grateful.

So, no pictures of scenery of anything today.  All is wet and grey.  Instead, a photo of Beanie on the new rug in the rig.  Good thing we brought him along or we'd have no photos at all.

Reunited With Chuck

We left Paducah under overcast skies and cool temps; still in the 20's.  Toad was pretty well crusted with ice as we headed south hoping for some of those legendary balmy southern breezes and sunshine.  We stopped for gas and food in Jackson, TN where a helpful local shared the weather prediction of freezing rain.  Sadly, he was right.  The rain started shortly afterward and continued for the next 2 hours as we worked out way through TN, a corner of Mississippi and landed in Red Bay, AL.  I looked longingly at the roadside motel as we passed it and headed into the Tiffin Motorhomes Service area. 

By now it was late afternoon and the Tiffin people were getting ready to close up shop and head home before the ice got worse, but they were willing to bring Chuck up from the Outback to a site and plug him in for us.  Tiffin has a huge campground here.  Probably over 150 sites with full hookups (water, sewer and electric).  It's short on amenities - no trees or picnic tables but the price is right and it's surrounded by the service bays so it's mighty convenient.  Picture this; we are surrounded by big RVs all made by Tiffin, all looking very similar to Chuck.  We are sitting in the car waiting for Chuck when Robin, like a proud mom, cries out, "Look, it's Chuck!".  Yes indeed, surrounded by all the twins, Robin had recognized her baby coming down the aisle.  No warm, dry motel tonight!  But it was fun to be back in in the rig.  We unloaded the car, hooked up the water, got the very patient cat out of his carrier and started to settle in.  The plan (gotta have a plan, right?) was to get up early today, take a factory tour, go through all the completed repairs with the service guys and then leave by noon to keep heading south.

Ice encrusted Toad upon arrival in AL

Morning broke cold and very wet.  The rain had continued all night and it was still raining.  Temps were in the low 30s.  Warm enough that they didn't have to turn the water off in the campground (luckily) but dreary.  The thought of mucking around in puddles unhooking the hookups, hooking up the car and then driving for another day was drearier than the weather.  After an early morning conference we agreed - we are staying put today.  We'll lounge around in the rig, finish putting stuff away, have a leisurely conversation with the service guys, test Chuck's furnaces and generally enjoy the rainy day.

Not exactly biking weather in AL

The weather prediction for tomorrow isn't a lot better, but after a day of R&R we'll be more inclined to face the wet and cold. 

Hope you're warm and dry wherever you are.

Retrieving Chuck - Day 1 Sunday, Jan. 13th

You'd think that driving 7 hours straight south would get you better weather to go along with the charming accent, but guess what - it ain't so.  Paducah, Kentucky has the accent but it is cold, windy and icy.  How cold?  Well it was 23 deg. when we left Kenosha this morning, it warmed up to 29 while we were driving and it's back to about 23 deg again now.  We had freezing rain all the way down also.  Not fun for the driver.  Luckily we are in the car and Chuck is snugly waiting for us in Red Bay, AL.

Chuck went to meet his maker, Tiffin Motorhomes in Red Bay, Alabama, back in November.  We dropped him off just before Thanksgiving to get the cracked windshield replaced and some other work done.  They were going to keep him in their Outback ("where's the RV?   It's out back") and bring him in to the shops as they got time to take care of a number of minor things.  Chuck is ready now so we loaded up Toad and headed south.  We're packing a new gas grill, some new rugs, and a bunch other stuff so we only packed a half a case of wine.  I guess we learned on the last trip that wine is available in other parts of the country.  Sadly, we're packing only one cat this trip.  Our intrepid orange kitten, Xena, developed feline infectious peritonitis in December and we had to put her to sleep.  We and Beanie miss her horribly and he's more timid without her but he's put his big cat pants on and is with us.  He was good in the car today and seems to be enjoying the hotel room at the moment.  

Hotel closet makes a good hiding place

Tomorrow we have about a 4 hour drive to pick up Chuck.  We'll stay in Red Bay for  at least one night and then we'll head on south.  Ultimately we'll spend some time at Ft. Wilderness at DisneyWorld and other parts of Florida before getting home in mid-Feb.  We'll keep you posted!

Beanie being brave in the hotel room.