Hope to Head East Next Summer

Hello all! I have been out of commission lately due to an illness in my family that I have been dealing with. In fact, as a result, I will be going to Kentucky and will be there for as much as four weeks which will be my first experience at full timing. I’m sure that will lead to an article about that experience. Now, let’s talk about next summer. My wife and I would love to head east next summer and want to make it up to Maine. We would prefer to find a campground that is on the ocean. We are looking for one that ‘promotes’ relaxation! That is, we are not really into campgrounds that have regularly scheduled activities, but just some nice relaxation next to the ocean.  Now, if someone has some suggestions in the ‘New England’ states area as well; that would also interest us . Again, we would like to stay near the ocean. When I was young, my mother and grandmother took me to the New England states on vacation. We visited Mystic Seaport in Connecticut and also drove to Maine to get some lobster to bring back home. I don’t remember everything we did, but I remember it being a very fun and interesting trip. My wife has always had the dream of visiting Maine. I personally think it has to do with her reading Stephen King books! Anyway, I think her dream of visiting Maine has rubbed off on me and now it is my mission to plan it out and make it happen. From what I can figure, it would take me about three days to get there. That would be about 400 miles per day, which... Read more

Creative Camping

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how we decided to camp in the back yard. That actually turned out to be a great time. Since then, I have been trying to cook up some creative camping excursions that would be close to home and would not be a huge burden to do. Read more  Read More →

Close Call!

I would imagine that some of you follow these blogs regularly. If you kept up with mine, then you will know that I dealt with a flood and more recently a lightening strike. Now I need to add a tornado to my list. We never really received an official word if it was a tornado or just a huge wind gust, but all indicators are that it was a tornado. Read more  Read More →

I’m Back!

So where has David been the last few weeks? Well, for the past two weeks, my job has taken me away from the blogs. I am still very busy, but I plan on trying to stay on top of this blog. I do miss it very much but the day job has to take front seat with regards to priorities. As for the previous week….I guess that makes it a month ago….my internet was knocked out by a very bad storm. Read more  Read More →

Crazy RV Swap?

Call Me Crazy! After our Door County adventure last week and after getting our trailer home, I called our dealer, House of Camping in Bridgeview Illinois about two problems I had and needed them fixed. While on the phone with my dealer, I asked him if he still had another model we had looked at. Perhaps I should rewind a bit on this so you all can be on the same page as me. Read more  Read More →

Our Vacation to Door County Wisconsin

We just got back from a week in Door County Wisconsin. Door County is yet another place within the Great Lakes that everybody should try to experience. For those that do not know where Door County is; it is in the North-East part of Wisconsin where a piece of land ‘juts’ out into Lake Michigan. On the East side is the lake and on the West side is Green Bay. Once you pass over the bridge in Sturgeon Bay, you have just entered the Peninsula of Door County. Read more  Read More →

Sway Control

When I bought my first new Travel trailer, I asked the dealer to give me everything I needed. As part of my tow package, they included a Friction Sway bar. I was very careful about hooking the trailer to the tow vehicle as I was instructed but I experienced really bad sway. I eventually tightened the sway bar down as tight as it would go which helped, but I still experienced sway. This was a problem because I was very stressed driving and really didn’t enjoy the drive. I did everything I could to rectify this problem by moving things around inside the trailer to make sure it was well balanced, but I still had sway. I started researching all the methods of sway control. I decided that I wanted to drop the friction bar and do something else. I was a bit overwhelmed about all the options. There are quite a few schools of thought and different approaches to the same solutions. Read more  Read More →

Have Motorcycle, Will Camp

I personally do not own a motorcycle, but I have friends that do. One of my best friends is taking a trip in a few weeks that I will be envious of. He and another friend will be riding to Alaska and back. Their trip will rack up more than 8,000 miles over a four week period. When he first started talking about taking this trip, I suggested that he take my small dome tent just in case. I think he was interested but ultimately, he really wants a camping trailer for motorcycles. He asked me to help do some research and so I Googled and sent him some links to companies that offer these specialized units. It really is amazing what the biker community has been able to do with regards to camping. of course, all one has to do is visit the Black Hills of South Dakota and it won’t be long to bump into someone that has one of these units. There were two in the campground we were staying at last year just outside Keystone. Most of the units for motorcycles are pop-ups which makes sense, because they really need to be lightweight. My friend found a unique one on Ebay where someone built a small Teardrop trailer to pull behind a motorcycle. That was really cool and I wouldn’t blame him for pursuing that one because he will be traveling in ‘Bear’ country and soft sided campers and tents might be vulnerable to a curious bear. Of course, having a hard sided trailer doesn’t guarantee that a bear will not target that unit either, but it is a small measure... Read more

Time for a Wash!

We are only about three weeks away from leaving for our trip to Door County. I was out looking at the Trailer trying to plan my activities for the best timing. I will be moving it from the backyard to the driveway so I can have it there to get all prepped for the ‘Big” trip! I can’t believe how dirty it is. The first thing I will do when I move it is I will wash the outside. We upgraded this year from our 23′ Four Winds to the 33′ Rockwood. I think owning the Rockwood which has the laminated fiberglass sides makes me realize that my Four Winds which was and aluminum sided trailer was probably very dirty but I just couldn’t see it like I can on the Rockwood. I might have to get the pressure washer out. You know, it’s a gadget and we guys love our gadgets! Seriously though, I now realize that I will have to wash more often than I had with my old trailer. I also need to get those carpet pieces for the steps. The steps are pretty dirty too and the carpet will not only be practical but they will not show the dirt as much as that black step. My schedule is a bit chaotic but hopefully things will slow down a bit. Happy camping and see you next Sunday!  Read More →

Fuel Prices and Alternatives

Wow! I can’t believe how busy I have been lately! My day job is always as exciting as usual. I am a professional ‘Computer Geek’ and so things are always moving and shaking there! At home, I am trying to finish a bathroom remodel. We are also in the middle of a major Spring cleaning of our entire house. Next weekend my son will be graduating from high school. Also, next week, we will be attending a High School awards night and visiting his college of choice to get him signed up for the fall. I also run a DJ Service on the side and will be doing a couple gigs. During the Memorial Day weekend, it looks like I might be working security at a local hotel where they will be having bands Friday through Monday. (I am a second degree Black Belt and was asked if I might be available). Oh and I need to open the pool soon. Of course, we are also planning our vacation. We will be going to Door County Wisconsin and stay at the Door County Camping Retreat campground in Egg Harbor in June with some friends. In addition to the camping trip, my wife and I are planning on going to Mackinac Island in Michigan two days after we get back from camping to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Read more  Read More →

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