ATLANTIC COAST W/THE STOCKS 2010

I want to thank all of you who gave us suggestions for our Fall trip along the Atlantic Coast.  I will do a log if and when we get there.  We have had "challenges".

First, our freezer door on our side-by-side Amana had a short in it.  On July 23, Dean ordered a new door from the Whirlpool (WP) parts dealer ($339) because you can't just unscrew a faceplate--it's more like prying open a can--and, like Humpty Dumpty, it's almost impossible to put back together again.  We were given 6 different delivery dates, and Dean finally got exasperated and gave up.  He put the door back together.  The features in the door don't function, which is a problem we can live with.  We were supposed to leave on September 1, and the supplier kept giving us new delivery dates, each a week later than the previous.  Dean has talked with WP numerous times, and we have filed a complaint with the CA Atty. Gen.  I guess the next step is to consult a lawyer.  WP has bought up the world--Maytag, Jenn-Air, Kitchen Aid, Amana, and a half-dozen others, and they are supposed to continue to supply parts.  Isn't there a law about monopolies?

On the day before we left, our rear slide failed, necessitating a detour to the Airstream Factory in the village of Jackson Center, OH. 

The first day traveling, the inverter failed!  This means that we have to run the generator 24/7, making it impossible for us to use RV camps.

The second day traveling, the other rear slide froze--would not go in or out--and we had to drive the rest of the way to OH with it protruding a bit--truck drivers would drive by us and honk to let us know we had a problem.

We tried to make up time by traveling 500+ miles/day, arriving at the factory on Thurs. night, with an appointment at 7 AM Friday.  They got right to work, but it took several hours.  Interestingly, the rear slide that had frozen worked like a charm--no problem at all, but....for how long?

The inverter repairman (3 hours away in Indiana) said he would wait for us to come.  Repairs at Airstream took longer than we hoped, and Dean rushed to get the car hooked up.  Meanwhile, the trashman came with a tractor to pick up the trash bin near us.  It made a loud clanking noise as he put it on the fork, following by a loud dinging as he backed up.  Sherlock, our cat, shot under the dashboard and then inside it.  Bad News--lots of wires up there.  Good News--everything still works.  Bad News--Despite Dean contorting every which way trying to reach the cat, he couldn't contact even one strand of fur.  He coaxed; we rustled the bag of treats; Dean tried to scare him out by banging on the dash; all our efforts were to no avail.  We had to just wait and call him.  About 15 minutes later, he strolled out, but at this point we couldn't arrive at the inverter place until after 6:30 PM, so we called and postponed until Monday.

We had a great day today.  We visited the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory in Fort Wayne, IN.  It was an excellent attraction, and I learned a lot.  Dean has gone to bed now, but I will try to post a couple of pictures and interesting things we learned. The AAA gem-rated Lincoln Museum has folded.  We went to see the movie "Reds" (very good!) at the Bones Theatre in Columbia, IN, and had a great lunner at New China Restaurant, next to Wal-Mart.  They served authentic Chinese food, and the portions were huge--mine will make 3 meals.  For $7.70, dinners came with tea, soup, rice, cookie. 

We will be going on to visit with relatives for about a week, and then I will start a log of the part of the Atlantic Coast trip we are able to take.  We will have to skip a lot, including a Caribbean cruise that we have put $500 (non-refundable) into.  We will keep the store of suggestions we received for another trip, probably next year.  We hope the tide has turned.  Today was our first good day--hopefully the first of many good days.

Linda,

I so look forward to your travels.  With your part  One of trip things can only get better.  I can just see you coaxing and  cussing  Sherlock.  You certainly have a great attitude.  Many folks would have thrown in the towel by now.

Betty

What a story, and well told too.

You will have a wonderful trip.................. how could anything else possibly go wrong?

Happy Trails for the rest of the trip!

ArdraF

It surely will get better.

I, too, look forward to your travelogues because you are so thorough and write so well.

Have a great trip from here on!

Don and Mary Ann

September 28, 2010      Day 1        College Park, MD

Our Atlantic Coast vacation has FINALLY begun.  We have seen beautiful golds, reds, and yellows on the trees, although we are past the peak by a week or two. 

Today we stopped at Grantsville, MD, to see the Spruce Forest Artisan Village.  We enjoyed watching the bird sculptor work and he told us a lot, but most of the artists were closed because we are past season.  It is a great concept, and it might be worth a stop if you have young children.  Otherwise, I'd skip it.

Thanks to the RVForumer who gave us the tip to stay at Cherry Hill Resort RV Park.  It has a bus stop right out front to connect with the Metro into DC,  and they are very accommodating.  I agree with the high recommendation we received.

Camped at Cherry Hill Resort RV Park, FHU, everything you could want is included, $58 - 10% for any card you have--AAA, KOA, Good Sam, and more.
Temperature:  High of 62?, with winds 10-20 mph.

Glad you've begun your trip Linda. Looking forward to your reports.

Wonderful news to know you finally got going.  I am looking forward to hearing all about it, it can only get better from here on in.  Happy Travels..

P.S.  We have a snow covered front lawn and trees as we speak here in Ottawa, Ontario, I think it is way tooooo early.  Yikes.

Hey Linda,

Did you know we missed Red Ribbon Week?  ( private Joke)  Please check the date you started this log cause I think  you are behind/ahead of yourself.  You said  September 28 was Day 1 and I think you meant  October 28 but what do I know?  I am retired and days don't mean so much to me. What I  do like is your journal.

Betty

    Just reading your post, workingtorv, as DW is speaking to the grandkids in Ottawa, planning our visit next week end.  In case you didn't know it, I shoot messengers, and I HATE snow    May cancel plans to head up, even though we decided it wasn't worth the risk of taking the coach.  Believe it or not, Halifax to Ottawa then to St Petes is only about 300 kms (200 miles) longer than heading straight Halifax to St Petes.  But we are concerned about taking the hills down I 81 all the way to almost MD border.

Ed

OCTOBER (Not September) 29, 2010          Day 2            College Park, MD  (nearest park to Baltimore, Annapolis, DC)

We had our first full-day of vacation today, visiting the National Zoo in DC.  Good news--it is FREE!!  Bad news--parking costs $20.  Bad news--outdoor exhibits are supposed to be open until 8 PM, buildings open until 6, but when we pull into the parking lot we see that 6 of the exhibits will close early at 4:00 due to a special event.  I didn't get a chance to jot down which ones, so I stopped at the Information Desk, and she doesn't have a list, as her manager came and took it.  Her guess on which exhibits will be closing early jives with my memory, so we set out to see those first. 

We are greeted by cuddly, friendly prairie dogs (Photo 1), a lion who has grown a lush mane to warm him during the winter (Photo 2), and then we see an orangutan climb a rope in his cage, and seemingly escape.  He travels along these ropes a long distance to another pole, and it turns out that this extends through 8 stanchions to another enclosure quite some distance away.  Apparently, the rope is high enough us that they won't drop to the ground, and truly escape.  It is really strange to have an orangutan swing above you (Photo 3).

The zoo is not huge, so we linger and let the field trips groups go ahead of us, and we read all their very informative signs.  I am especially impressed with their reptile area and what their scientists are doing to keep animals from becoming extinct.  As we stroll out of the early-closing area at 3:15, a van comes by blaring that the WHOLE ZOO will be closing at 4:00!!  We haven't seen the pandas, and about half the zoo.  Did I mention that this is a U S Government zoo--part of the Smithsonian?  Dean has been amazingly calm through all our repair problems, but this time he is furious!

We rush to see the pandas--and they are so worth it.  One is munching on bamboo (Photo 4) and one is sleeping so soundly that I wondered if he was dead (Photo 5).  We also saw the only living wild relative of the domestic horse--the Przewalski Horse (Photo 6).  There were no more pictures because we were in such a rush.  We enjoy zoos, and this one was special because they had so many species we hadn't seen before--very few "common animals".

Good news--we learn that the RV Park recycles EVERYTHING that can be--glass, metals, aluminum, plastic, paper, and more.  Great news--our freezer door has arrived in CA--at least, when we get home we will have it.

Stayed at Cherry Hill RV Resort--$58 - 10%.
Temperature:  Sunny, high of 60?F.

Betty Brewer said:

Did you know we missed Red Ribbon Week?  ( private Joke)  Please check the date you started this log cause I think  you are behind/ahead of yourself.  You said  September 28 was Day 1 and I think you meant  October 28 but what do I know?  I am retired and days don't mean so much to me. What I  do like is your journal.

Betty

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Betty, I didn't think about RR Week, but when I saw all the kids running around the zoo, my urge to control them was hard to resist.  I never enjoyed field trips, and they reminded me of why. 

We got off so late, I guess I'm still trying to get that month back.  I just can't believe that it's HALLOWEEN!  I hope we get to have lots of fun adventures to log for you.

Linda

I'm so glad to "see" the two of you back on the road and reporting back to the forum!  I really enjoy all your travel posts and appreciate the time it takes to share them with all of us.

Margi

I'm so glad to see your problems are behind you!  Already enjoying your log.  Aren't pandas just the neatest?!

ArdraF

OCTOBER 30, 2010                DAY 3            College Park, MD

Visiting Annapolis was such fun!  We went to the capitol building first.  It is the oldest capitol building in continuous usage.  At one time, it was the tallest building in the US--200 feet tall.  It has an impressive wooden dome, with no nails in it at all.  England taxed nails, and they weren't going to pay it!  In my travels, I have discovered that many of our textbooks have incorrect information.  When I taught US history, I told my students that it was a Catholic colony, named after the mother of Jesus.  In reality, it was named after Queen Mary of England.  It was "a colony of religious tolerance" founded by George Calvert (Lord Baltimore), who married a Catholic and became Catholic himself.  He tried to get into the colony of Virginia, but he had to swear allegiance to England and the Church of England, and reject the Pope.  He tried to settle in Newfoundland, but after one winter, he said that was enough!  He decided that Maryland was more to his liking.  About 160 people came with him, but only 14 of them were Catholic.

The state flag flies from many homes--they are really proud of it.  It looks like the yellow-and-black checkered flag at Indy on 2 of its quarters, and red hearts on the other 2. 

Annapolis was one of the 9 capitals of the US.  George Washington resigned his commission to the Congress there after we won the War for Independence.  They had a big ball to celebrate.  We've been to many sites where Washington once stood, but it still gives me chills. 

I love their state government!  Maryland's motto is "Womanly words, manly deeds."  They are no-nonsense, and their Congress meets for exactly 90 days each year--consecutive--no days off for holidays or weekends.  There are 47 in the Senate and exactly 3 times that number (141) in the House of Delegates.  Everyone--governor, senators, delegates--gets paid $43,500.  They start the 2nd day of January.  There is no secret voting--everyone presses a red, green, or yellow button.    This is the smallest and plainest capitol we've seen, even with the little addition they built.  The tour was excellent.  You just have to ask and they give you a 20 to 30-minute tour for free.

We then went to the Naval Academy--just a few blocks away.  When we entered, we discovered we had wandered into Homecoming Weekend and 5 Class Reunions!  We paid $8.50 per person for a tour, which was quite informative.  The midshipmen were "marching" to the stadium for the football game--it was kind of a stroll in wiggly lines--4 across, and they were talking and laughing--which I think was all OK with everyone.  Our guide said that he instructs in a junior boot camp, and in 4 hours, his little ones can out-march the NA students on their best day.  He says the emphasis is on academics (they carry 18-21 units), and 2.5 hours of physical fitness daily.  Everyone takes physics, calculus, etc.  You can't skate by with easy classes.  On a good day, they are only allotted 6 hours for sleep.  It costs $239,000 to educate each midshipman, and they make $2000/month + room & board when they graduate as an ensign or whatever the same rank is in the Marines.  I thought it was interesting that women and men have the same standards for everything!  The head of the school, the commandant, gets that post for 3 or 4 years, and then he has to retire from the Navy.  All the captains' names are on brass plates on the stairs that lead to their homes.  They get just one 4-year assignment here, with the thought that they will keep the civilian instructors up-to-date on what the navy's needs are.  We think the faculty was about 50% of each.

Stayed at Cherry Hill RV Park.
Weather:  60?F windy

October 31,2010      DAY 4--Part 1            College Park, MD  (today in Baltimore)

We had an EXPENSIVE day!  The National Aquarium admission was $58, parking was $22, 2 sandwiches & 2 drinks were $20--a $100 day.  We enjoyed the aquarium, but not THAT much. 
There was a 4-D film which was all fluff, no meat.  There was an OK dolphin show.  There were 3 excellent display areas.  One was a large pool with the largest rays and sea turtles I've ever seen.  It definitely wasn't a touch tank, but we were really close.  They also had an Australian area that we walked through with unique birds flying overhead and fish spitting water at us.  The third area had super interesting and different jellies.  Usually aquariums will only have moon jellies.  They had 5 varieties.  Everything was well signed with lots of good information.  It was a much smaller aquarium than we expected.  There is a sister aquarium by the same name in Washington, DC.  We did have a really good time; it's just over-priced.

We were done early, and we were near Ft. McHenry National Historic Site, which Francis Scott Key wrote about in the Star Spangled Banner.  And it was free with our Golden Age pass!  The GPS had a burp and gave us a tour of Baltimore neighborhoods.  When we finally arrived at Ft. McHenry, it was under re-construction.  They had a nice little film.  I don't know what I expected, but there wasn't much there.  The ranger did an impressive talk, which was in its last quarter when we arrived.  He was in costume, and gave a lot of interesting history, but it related to the fort during the Civil War--he'd already finished talking about the War of 1812.  I can't imagine how it got a "gem" from AAA.  I wish we'd gone to the Star Spangled Banner House instead.

We called Faidleys just to make sure it was open.  It was highly recommended for its crabcakes, and was my #1 pick of restaurants I wanted to try on this trip.  We got no answer.  We decided to save some money and eat at home.

DAY 4--Part 2

Picture 1--Spotted Lagoon Jelly
Picture 2--I didn't get his name Jelly
Picture 3--Upside Down Jellies
Picture 4--A huge bat ray that has been trained to turn over to feed
Picture 5--Huge sea turtle missing one leg--She has adapted so well that marine veterinarians are now returning turtles who are missing a limb back into the ocean
Picture 6--Galah Cockatoo which is an Australian cockatoo

DAY 4--Part 3
Picture 7--A bird in the Australian Exhibit
Picture 8--A bird in the Australian Exhibit
Picture 9--Emerald dove--he was really pretty with iridescent green wings
Picture 10--?
Picture 11--A kookaburra---How many times have we sung about the kookaburra sits in the old gum tree?  I finally saw one!

Linda, did you know that the capitol in Annapolis served as the U.S. capitol for one year until the U. S. capitol was completed.

Lorna said:

Linda, did you know that the capitol in Annapolis served as the U.S. capitol for one year until the U. S. capitol was completed.

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Yes.  And they still hold the sessions of their Congress in the same rooms today--really tiny desks for politicians--about the size of our 6th graders' desks.  Isn't history interesting?