Summer Check In

[tlhdoc]

Hi everyone,

I have not been online for a while and WHERE is everyone?  It would be nice if everyone would post an update on what is going on in your life and let us know that you are still around!:-()

[goforit75]

Rich, Barb and Dexter the dog are still here, busy working two jobs so unfortunely have not been camping yet...but planning a trip to the NJ shore sometime soon.

[Hargus]

We're here. I'm still waiting for the rain to stop here in the Northeast.

[my toys]

I'm here.  My camper has been at the plant for over a month.  Hopefully it will be released this week.  Luckily I have a good friend that let's me camp with her.

[SheBantam]

I saw Tracy and Nancy this last weekend!!!! They know I am around!

Was at Killens and broke the lift system to the new to me 1979 Jayco popup, last month...we ordered the spring and Raymond cannot figure out how to get the old one out of the tube so he can put the new one in...so if anyone wants to volunteer to come down (over/up) to DE and help him fix it, I will make one of my pot roasts that went soooooo well at the G@tG last weekend...in Watkins Glen NY.

Got to say good bye to the Dthurk family, Dave helped me back into the backwards backing site (as many are at the Glen), they are on their way to Yellowstone as I type. I spent their last campfire in NY before the trip with them.

Wedding this weekend (don't camp on holidays anyway).

Rally next weekend for 4 nights.

Then a trip to Maine end of July...Raymond has a Golden Age pass so we camp for half price at the NP and entry is free.

[copcarguy]

Hey all!  We're doing fine on this end...  I have not been online in over a MONTH, my computer died and Geek Squad wanted $396 to fix it (a 5 year old Dell laptop).  Was not worth it, so I ordered a new Dell laptop for $558 custom made for me.  Have just had to wait FOREVER for it to arrive.  I have been going through withdrawal. lol.  No eBay, email, etc...  We went to Newburgh KOA and North Lake a few times, and just got back from a two week trip to nowhere.  Just opened the Woodalls book and let the road take us where it may.  Never did that before.  It was fun not to plan.  We stopped at Pine Grove on the way up 81 just to see the log cabin bathhouse lol - has anyone seen that KOA lately??  WOW it has doubled in size!  So many new sites and cabins!
 
As a favor, could you guys please send me an email so I can add you to my contacts as I cannot even turn on the old computer to get any info out of it...  Thanks!  
 
Miss you all and think of you often.

[SheBantam]

On my way home from a WONDERFUL time in Maine.  Rained a lot but it was beautiful anyway.

Well Nancy, add me to the frustrated camper list,,,the popup, died on the way home, we have my awning strap (for high winds) and bungees holding the back on...I told Raymond that it was coming apart, and well women know nothing...until it really does come apart, a little car was beeping at me at the Mass Pike toll, I thought he was mad because I cut him off at the easy pass lane. I stopped at the reat area right after the toll, we were having trounle with our latches...those cotter pins really do NO geed keeping the danged things locked down...and I walk behind the trailer and hollered for Raymond. The ONLY thing holding the back side on was the bungee to the bed on the street side...and the bumper...so we bought all the bungees the gas station/convenience store had, and found a bunch of our own...then I remembered the awning strap, and got that out. I t is made for up to a 22' awning, so we had enough to tie onto the back bumper, stretch over the top to the hitch, wrap around the hitch an then back over again, tie other end on bumper. and pullllllled the strap as tight as I could.  Raymond was so upset that he made me pull over for the mnight in Manchester CT, where we are now. I wanted to get home today and not have to obsess for another night...OH well, it is better to tuck him in instead of hearing him grunt and groan and sigh and make all kinds of weird noises.  
Uses for a broken down popup? utility trailer comes to mind, we were going to sell it (for what we paid for it, and eat the $800 we put into maintenance and the lift system and "stuff" for it (like that pretty bird of paradise silk arrangement that went so well with the 1979 burnt orange decor...but we may jsut part it out...se have a fump, sink, AC the works, cushions, cabinet doors and the GOOD but old hardware...right now it looks too hard for us to fix.

[chip]

Oh--Kay...you asked for an update...

We've not been totally inactive, camping-wise.  Cape Henlopen twice--once with the whole Delaware clan, once just the two of us, not even the cats.  That was strange!

Planning on Locust Lake and the National Apple Fest like last year.  Avery had such a good time, we want to take him again.  Just need to find something for August...may just go local again.

Paula--did I understand that the donkey end of your camper nearly fall off?

Rick--been to Newburgh KOA, on one of our trips to nowhere. Before the camper.  You are correct:  That is a great way to vacation!

Tracy--Been campin'?:D

[copcarguy]

Rick--been to Newburgh KOA, on one of our trips to nowhere. Before the camper. You are correct: That is a great way to vacation!
 

Hey chip good to hear from you...  we go to the Newburgh KOA for quick weekend trips as it's only 17 miles from our house.  It's my favorite KOA because it's not "parking lotty" and actually has trees and nice sites.  
 
So like Tracy said - what's everyone else been up to??
 
PS - it feels SO NICE to have a computer again lol  :-()

[SheBantam]

Paula--did I understand that the donkey end of your camper nearly fall off?

Rick--been to Newburgh KOA, on one of our trips to nowhere. Before the camper.  You are correct:  That is a great way to vacation!

D:D

In a word...YES...just got home in the middle of that big strom that I think had Dover too. We went to the Manchester CT Walmart, I got Bungees, Raymond got tiedowns, I bungee'd the trailer ALL the way around towards the bottom, Raymond admitted with the bungees were probably better than one of us going under the trailer and threading the straps (though I suggested actually laying the strap down and just backing up...The awning tiedown strap we already had, and the bungeses we had on hand to get that far were good enough).   I could take the ratchet straps back and get a refund.  Every time we stopped I would unlatch and lift up the back roof and Raymond would not so gently shove the back end back under the roof...
Ya think we can change this into one of those neat campers that you raise the back and there is the kitchen??? We are half way there...

[SheBantam]

Rick, not only are we a three camper family, we are a 4 Computer family...well 3.5, the little steno pad that they call a computer needs an external harddrive...but they are wonderfull things. I was sort of lost with out one this week..but Blackwoods has no electricity (or showers on site or cell phone service) and my batterys on my Viao and the EEEP Machine are next to useless.  I'm ready to go back!! with another trailer of course.

This $500 popup has cost me a bundle...Raymond is actually considering fixing it up...anyone want to come over and help???  He is the one who told me that the splitting/gap in the back in was not a problem, so I am a little concerned about him being the one to work on it with out proper help (guidance).

Rick we came close to The KOA, probably closer to the Fishkill Walmart Campground on I 84.

We did take the wrong 287 (South, made sense since it said to NJ TPK) going home and went and went and went...  came out well south to a stopped NJ TPK...most of the way...
On the way the Bar Harbor, they changed the signs and the signs that used to say to NY THruway were gone...we went through upper Manhatten, Bronx and Yonkers at early morning rush hour...not as bad as I expected...kind of like going through DC on I 295.

[dthurk]

Wow.  We're back, for the second time.  Yellowstone was great.  We left June 28 and got back July 21.  19 days of that were dry camping.  10 days at Yellowstone and Grand Teton, then Cody, WY, Devils Tower, a day stop at Mt. Rushmore, Badlands National Park and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.  We WalMart-ed, Cracker Barrel-ed Cabelas-ed and Pilot-ed on the way out and back.  Most miles in a day...950.  Number of gallons of gas...don't ask.  Memories of what we did...priceless.  I should post trip happenings, but don't know where or how to start.  If you haven't done a trip like this, you need to at some time in your life.  It was great!

Just returned from a "quick trip" to Washington DC.  Intent was to hear the US Marine Band perform Wed. night.  We left Wed. mid-morning.  Got to the Greenbelt Park campground (beautiful park!) at about 4 with the popup.  Set up, had dinner, called the Band hotline to find out they cancelled the concert.  It was pouring rain at 6:00.  It stopped at 6:10.  Beautiful evening.  Should I dare call a Marine a wimp?  We had planned to leave Thursday morning and be home by early afternoon, but changed plans to stay Thursday, attend the repeat performance Thursday night and drive home after the performance as I have summer lessons to teach on Fridays starting at 9:00 AM.  That's what we did, getting home about 3:40 AM.  Tough teaching day yesterday.  Spent Thurday at the Library of Congress.  Kids had a great time working the passports and computer screens.  1st museum we've been in that the kids were spending more time that we were.  

Our best to all!

[tlhdoc]

Tracy--Been campin'?:D

YES YES YES

Out of the last 22 days I have camped 19 of them.  Too tired to type more tonight.  Just got home from Maine/Acadia National Park.  I did not want to leave.