We have made it halfway across the country in a week and a day. Some simple statistics: we have spent just over $1,200 on diesel, 240 gallons so far. Today the pump stopped at $417. The discount program brought that down to $398 for 76 gallons of diesel. We have spent almost nothing for campgrounds since we have been staying in winery parking lots and buying wine. I don’t count that as a cost of camping since I would have bought wine anyhow – probably not THIS wine, but wine.

As I write I am staring out the windshield through the rain at the Mississippi River. It is well worth paying for camping for this location. Saturday I am hoping to stay at a distillery that specializes in Shine. Waiting for word they have room. After that, it appears to be a KOA (horrors) before getting to Dan and Malena’s. 

Today we drove through non stop rain with lightning flashes all around us most of the day. It is not ideal driving, but each of us had only 2 hours at the wheel so it was tolerable. Tomorrow it should clear in Memphis so we can do a bit of touring. 

Not to jinx ourselves, but since we rolled out of Redlands the travel has been relatively uninteresting to write about. Other than the long climb out of Arizona on I 40 with way too many trucks struggling with the climb which meant we lost our momentum and had to resort to low gear struggling ourselves. Even the most foolish drivers have only resulted in my resorting to some blue language, neither of us has had to hit the brakes. 

Our first night we stopped in Quartzite at the Hi Jolly STVA and then on to Pioneer RV Park in Phoenix so we could have a delightful dinner with Mary and Tom Markussen. From there we continued on to  an Elks Lodge in Holbrook AZ. It’s only redeeming virtue was the dust was flat. A quick look into the lodge lead me to not even consider returning for the supposed dinner, since all three denizens were smoking. Back on to I 40 for a two night stop at American RV in Albuquerque so we could visit with niece Erica. We went to VanGogh Immersion. It was fascinating to see so much of his work displayed with so much information and in such a satisfying manner. If I had not seen original Van Gogh works in great museums I would have been much more impressed. As fine as the presentation is the images are still flat, the impasto is flat and does not provide the depth and energy of the original. 

After lunch and some time at the Eco Garden we returned Erica to her apartment and returned ourselves to the coach to prepare for 4 solid days of driving. We stayed last night, Monday, at an Eco-Village Artist community that may be restored to activity some day. During the drive, I turned the wheel over to Carol so I could attend a Zoom Jojoba Hills Board Meeting. She drove almost 180 miles while I attended the meeting and participated and voted. Today was another road day and it brought us to Native Spirit Winery in Norman OK.  The driveway entrance was a bit narrow and we ended up disconnecting the car so Carol could maneuver the coach in between the ditch drop offs. It was nicely done and I get to try my hand at getting us out. The wine is adequate, I bought a couple of bottles to “pay for my stay”. 

Tomorrow, Wednesday we will drive to Post Winery in Altus Arkansas. Then one more road day to Tom Sawyer RV Park on the bank of the Mississippi river where we will stay 2 nights with full hookups. Laundry, long showers and a break from the road. We will travel on OK  9 for a bit to stay off the Interstate for a while. 

AS I post this I am off to solve today’s Wordle

Not the most auspicious beginning to a cross country trip. Trying to leave our site the jacks on the driver side chose not to rise like magic into their storage cylinders. After a moment of consternation I got out the WD 40 and crawled under the coach to clean the shafts so they could retract. A minute later they behaved as hoped for and retracted to Travel Mode.

As we hooked up the Jeep on the exit road I thought I had followed the ritual to perfection, apparently not, as the Jeep was not in neutral when I did the “roll test”. With Carol franticly giving me the STOP signal, I did and repeated the process two more times. The last time I had the manual open to the instructions and followed them precisely, which worked – remember to keep the brake firmly depressed throughout the process. 

As we drove up the long but shallow grade coming out of Temecula on the I 215 the engine began to overheat. I nursed it to the top of the grade and finally into The Grove, the campground that Redlands Truck and RV maintains for customers. I was coming in for routine service and had them check out the cooling system. I just learned that the two stage clutch for the engine cooling fan isn’t working. It won’t switch to fast speed. We hope the part will be available tomorrow so we can get on with the trip.

None of this is really discouraging or even unexpected. The jacks do need to be cared for after a long pause and forgetting the rather involved procedure for getting the car into neutral didn’t surprise me. Even the failure of the cooling system was not unexpected and the likely cause is a relief since I have been imagining so many more costly and time consuming sources. 

Like living in an aging body, traveling in an aging motorhome has some unplanned failures and unpleasant surprises. 

From Google Maps History 2021 travels. Many years ago Carol’s late brother asked for maps of our travels. At the time it was a nontrivial ask. Today Google Maps makes it almost too easy. If you think about our desire to stay warm it becomes clear that the northern route was late Spring into Summer and the Southern route was in the Fall. 

First stop West bound was Dyke Virginia where Dan and family now live on their large farm (15 acres) with space for their two horses. The moochdock space for us is a straight pull in (which results in an extended back out). From there we headed south to Charlotte for a reunion of friends and time with the Rainwaters, who have since begun to relocate to Asheville.

We got in a bit of a hurry leaving Charlotte NC after a week long delay for mechanical stuff. We skipped Louisiana altogether. We made four stops in Texas although only three show. Texas is that big and we needed some time in Livingston to pick up the mail and get the coach inspected. Then on to New Mexico to visit Leora and Stuart in Las Cruces and then to Erica in Albuquerque. This resulted in backtracking south on I 25 to get to Quartzite where we hung out in Hi Jolly camping area to limit our total time for the year in California to less than 180 days. We returned to Jojoba Hills SKP Resort on December 4 and finished 2021 there. We have enough diesel to make it out of California before we need fuel.

The eastbound trip had a hiccup or two. The first stop was Redlands Truck and RV to service the coach and set up the tow for our new Jeep. From there we made it to Albuquerque to meet Erica who flew in to scope out the town as a place to move to. A doctor suggested we return to Jojoba HIlls so Carol could have yet another test and so we did. When the results came back we were released to continue on. We returned to Redlands since the new brake system for the Jeep did not seem to be functioning as expected. They jumped on it the minute we arrived and determined that one of the parts they had installed had failed and they replaced it under warranty, total time was two hours! We stayed the night in their campground spending time with two other Jojobian couples who were there. 

As we ventured north and east we had wonderful experiences along US 50 headed to Lake Tahoe. It appears that most of the places we stayed and visited have been reduced to ashes. 

Colorado was the big draw for the next section of the trip as we visited Elly and Kelly from our trip to Thailand and Vietnam in 2013 and then moved on to Escapade in Rock Springs Wyoming. Heading north toward Nebraska we finally returned to elevations where there is more air to breath. Our next destination became Madison Wisconsin for a visit with cousin Mimi and finally a reprise of US 20 through Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. We gave up on US 20 in Buffalo as it was very local and very high traffic.

The map also shows a jaunt into Canada. We left the coach in storage and took the Jeep to Hamilton to visit Carol’s Aunt Dorothy, now 98 years old, and cousin Marilyn. Then to Toronto where we stayed with the Starkman’s and made a condolence call to Harvey’s younger brother Michael whose wife Stacy died recently. That was a tough visit. They are the youngest in their generation of the family. 

Back to Rochester and back on the endless, so far, cycle of time on the East Coast and then on the West coast with extended drives in between. 

Our travel plans for 2022 include Boston for a Bat Mitzvah, Jazz Fest in Rochester and Sicily in August. That trip has now been postponed twice.

We are in Tucson AZ and will be here for 4 days visiting friends who used to live in Jojoba Hills and doing some touring in places we have been before.

So far this year we have driven just over 10,800 miles in the coach and I have bought 1308.05 gallons of diesel fuel for $4,124.61. The average price per gallon was $3.15. I have not bothered to note the actual price per gallon for each purchase,  but the information is readily available since I have purchased all of my diesel through a trucker discount program (TSD) which provides a record of pump price, discount, fees and net price paid.  The average MPG is 8.28.

As I was looking at my next two fuel stops I see $3.90 in Arizona and $4.70 if I should need to purchase fuel in California. These are trucker’s discount prices at major truck stops. Question I am asking myself. Do I plan on filling the tank before parking for 5 months in California or do I go in half empty in hopes that diesel prices will not continue to escalate? It is reputed to be better for the fuel to store the tank full. The tank holds 100 gallons of fuel. 

Although campground prices have escalated as well, the cause is different and the impact is less. HoweverweI have spent over $5,000 on campsites  About $26 per night including no cost nights spent moochdocking  boondocking or staying at Harvest Hosts sites – I have not counted the cost of goods purchased at those sites as camping costs. I would have bought wine anyhow. There were several sites that cost over $100 per night! Location, Location etc.

If you add modifications purchased and maintenance performed the cost of this life style really does mount up. This is not a complaint, the cost of maintaining a fixed home is also rising and even though the value is rising, a replacement home is also rising. Given the shortage of parts and workers, the value of our “depreciating asset” has risen also, should I choose to consider that as an offset. If you care to know, I paid about $250K for the coach in May of 2012 and the Bluebook today is about $140K.

These numbers are among the most common questions I get when I meet RV wannabees, especially those who think it is a less costly life style than renting or owning a house.  Also the curious are interested in the costs. Clearly our choices including the kind of RV and where we stay and how much we move impact those costs. 

I have been tracking these numbers since our first trip in the summer of 2001 in Goliath. They are all on separate sheets in a single spreadsheet workbook. I am not generally OCD and I even stopped photographing every site we camped on many years ago. Somehow tracking these numbers satisfies my need to track something. 

I hope you haven’t been bored if you even read this far.

The trip across Texas was uneventful. We stayed overnight in Oasis RV in Van Horn.  It provided what we needed, full hookups and a safe spot off the road, well just barely off the road. Having fueled before the stop we were able to get on the road with a minimum of hassle and continue on to Las Cruces.

We were set up in Siesta RV, site 13 (as usual), by 11:30 AM and had time to get to the concert at Good Samaritan Social Center where Amalia and the Camerata were performing. It was a delightful chamber music concert that concluded with three songs sung by Amalia accompanied by guitar.  We were enthralled and so pleased to be with Amalia and her parents Leora and Stuart the next night for dinner. It was a delightful stay in in Las Cruces.

Tuesday, as planned, We drove the 4 hours to Albuquerque to see Erica as time allowed. This included dinner on board and breakfast on Wednesday morning in town at Hannah & Nates before we set off for Meow Wolf.  Before I even consider describing it you might want to check out the web site. If exiting from a Victorian House through the refrigerator or the fireplace into another universe doesn’t tickle your fancy skip it. We spent well over an hour exploring the site and never got into the actual script that it flows around. We enjoyed it a lot. 

We did see an acknowledgement of Chanukah in the Plaza in Santa Fe:

As I write it is Thanksgiving Day, turkey and football games are not on the list. We did go to see Dune at a local theater. So much has been written that I am not sure I can add much. It really, really needs the big screen. Everything is large, huge even. The sand worm’s mouth swallows the entire screen. We went to a noon screening and the theater was lightly attended as you might imagine for such an early show on Thanksgiving Day. 

It is now Friday. We froze the water hose last night but there was plenty in the tank and the sun came out and everything is thawed.  Since we are leaving in the morning I will take the hose in tonight just in case. 

Haven’t had much time to write for the past ten days. Also haven’t had much exciting to write about. Since we left Red Bay we have been moving along at a steady pace westward with a three night pause at Rainbow’s End in Livingston Texas. There we picked up the mail and got GeeWhiz inspected. The lights all work. 

We had a marvelous night at a Boondockers Welcome site in Mississippi. The place is a 10 acre pine forest with a space carved out of the middle for a homestead centered around the hosts’ motorhome. We were surprised to be offered full hookups (water electric, sewer) . Getting there was half the fun. The notes indicated the GPS probably would be wrong and provided directions which we failed to follow properly. On our second pass I trusted the GPS and it brought us right there.  It is always fun to wander lost on twisty 2 lane roads with the coach and tow’d. We had a lovely couple of hours chatting.

Coming out of Livingston we pulled into San Antonio KOA fairly early and decided it would be great to have a meal on the RiverWalk. Thinking about the traffic and parking and really wanting to have a drink, we decided not to unhook the car and got a Lyft to take us into the RiverWalk and then later to bring us back to the coach. Much more relaxing than dealing with rush hour traffic and parking. We ate at Yard House which is a loud bar with over 100 beers on tap. My Ahi Tuna was a delight as was Carol’s Kale and Brussels Salad. (the Brussels sprouts were in short supply) 

This morning we woke up with a sort of a plan. We were determined to travel west on US 90 rather than I 10. We planned to drive 4 to5 hours which would bring us to Sanderson TX. You could look it up, but it is a fly spec on US 90. There is an RV park there, but we elected to stop short of the town in a Picnic Area that we have stopped at once before. As we pulled in we noted another RV we had been following had also pulled in. After setting up we met Bob and his Umbrella Cockatoo, Glacier (it is pure white). They are traveling on their own with not too much of a plan.  Carol shared a photo of the bird on FaceBook.

Tomorrow I know we will pass through Van Horn Texas and fill the fuel tank with many gallons of diesel at some obnoxious price which will be reduced by our trucker’s discount card to $3.50 and will prepare us for Arizona and then California prices. 

Carol and I continue to spend time talking about what rig is next. The idea of the fifth wheel (a kind of trailer for those who haven’t asked yet) is fading into the background as they all have internal staircases.

A freight train is pulling past our parking spot as I am typing. Between the trains and the trucks on the highway it will not be the quietest night of the year.

I chipped a molar on the way here. It was Thursday. Calls to dentists within a 50 mile range were fruitless. They were booked and all were closed on Friday. My tongue was busy exploring the raw edge of the chip and making me just a bit nuts. I gave up until Monday. 

We spent the next few days with a shopping trip to Fulton Walmart. The closest real grocery with beer. Have I mentioned that Red Bay is in a dry county? We wandered around the campground meeting many of the other Tiffin owners who were waiting for their turn for service. Some like us had actual appointments with vendors and others were waiting for a call from the service center to have repairs performed. That part is all first come first serve with modifications too complex to explain here. 

Monday morning at 7 AM we pulled into Trevor Nichols Custom RV where Micky was waiting to take our interior apart so she could install new carpeting. In your house when you install new carpeting the workers start by removing the furniture. In the motorhome Micky did the same thing, however our furniture is bolted to the floor and it is not  a simple matter to slide it out of the way. Also the bed is a fairly complex structure bolted down with many bolts in unlikely places. She calmly unbolted and moved the pieces in a thoroughly organized manner ripping out not only the original carpeting but the later installed carpet which had been installed, badly several years ago. 

While  this was underway I called the first dentist on my list and soon had an appointment to be seen by Dr Nix at 11 AM. By 11:15 the sharp edges were eased and I was ready to travel on to my next dentist appointment in mid December in Temecula.

By  1:30 the entire installation was complete and the interior cleaned up and all that was left after paying was to drive 2 miles to the campground and put away everything that had come out of storage places throughout the coach.

Today, Tuesday, we drove to the Vanleigh RV factory in Burnside MS to tour the factory and look at some of their fifth wheels. GeeWhiz is not going away, we are thinking of planting a fifth wheel on our site to provide more living space while in Jojoba Hills. If this happens it will be a long time coming as we would need to decide what we want, order it and wait many months while planning and executing modifications to our site to make it happen.

In the midst of all these happenings I had a loss of sanity and filed my application to run for the Jojoba Hills Board of Directors. I was encouraged to run by a friend (?)  who had the chutzpah to call me to tell me to run without being willing to do so himself.  He’ll pay! 🙂  

A little history, this may be a repeat for some of you. David Lovenheim arrived in Rochester NY at #23 School in fifth grade. Carol and I were in that class. This was  1952.  David and I continued through high school together and on to Brown University. At Brown we met David London and eventually his wife Toby, Pembroke College. I’ll be a bit rude now and use last names to keep things clear. Lovenheim and I have been in sporadic contact ever since. More recently much more continuous as the Lovenheims, Londons and Goldbergs have had a weekly zoom gathering since early in the pandemic. Last year Lovenheim became ill, not with covid 19, and we became anxious to move from virtual to in person at least for a weekend. He is recovering well. His wife, Terry, helped us make this come true. We planned our westward travel to arrive in Charlotte NC and the Londons agreed to travel there from Providence RI and The Lovenheims came in from their temporary home in Myrtle Beach. 

We dined together Sunday, we spent a day in our campsite in McDowell Nature Reserve and a day on a pontoon boat in Lake Norman. We ended that day and said our goodbyes at the Embassy Suites where the Londons had a room.  

Here are some pictures that Toby and I took I’ll add more as I receive them.

It was a great reunion and we hope to see each other again someplace, some time, sooner rather than later.

In the mean time I am in a Goodyear Tire with a slow leak on a tire on the Jeep. We are also waiting for an appointment with a Cummins dealer in Charlotte to find out why the engine has quit on us at speed on the interstate. Losing power steering when the engine quits on the motorhome at 60 mph is frightening. I have spent some time rescheduling everything that was planned for the next two weeks to accommodate the delay which is still unknown until they can connect to the onboard computers for diagnoses, which will happen on Carol’s birthday next Tuesday.

This is enough for one blog.