We were up at 5:00 AM, or at least we think it is 5:00 AM here, to get the coach ready for the Monaco service technicians. Here’s the drill: Monaco picks up the coach at 6:30 AM and returns it at 3:30 PM. Right on time, the service writer came by, did the paperwork and took the keys. We piled into the Jeep and took off for errands and sightseeing.
It turned out there wasn’t a lot to see in Elkhart or South Bend. We did drive by Notre Dame University and the surrounding area before heading to Borders to update the computers. Our next stop was Camping World to pick up a few supplies for the coach. Before returning to Monaco, we located the Walmart Supercenter.
Right at 3:30 PM, we found the coach parked and ready for us to re-occupy. The service guys will need another day or two to finish, but already we can see several of the problems were addressed. It was all very efficient and Monaco is doing a great job making the coach owners as comfortable as possible. We are very pleased with the process.
We spent a quiet evening watching TV before going to bed early.
We got up early, real early, and hit the road by 8:30. We found out later it was actually 7:30; but more about that later.
Today was the day to show up at the Monaco plant to take care of some warranty work. We heard the warranty facility had places to hook up, but the spaces were on a first-come, first-served basis. Jeanne had arranged a very short drive for us, about 75 miles, so we would show up early.
The drive to Elkhart was a straight shot along a good highway through farms and wooded areas. Along the way, we noticed some of the time/temperature signs at various businesses were one hour slow. Obviously, the signs had never been set for daylight savings time and feeling certain the bumpkins couldn’t figure it out, we continued on.
Marty washing coach at Monaco warranty facility in Elkhart, Indiana.
We arrived around 10:00 AM. The facility has a great parking area complete with cement slabs, water and power hookups. We got about setting up and meeting some of the other Monaco coach owners. Not wanting to waste a beautiful day, Jeanne cleaned up on the inside while I got busy on the outside with the bucket and brush. Four hours later the coach was as clean as the day it was delivered. Getting hungry, we left the lot to look for something to eat.
Elkhart, Indiana is a no-nonsense blue-collar town. Clearly, the automotive industry dominates local economy. The town is full of motors, wheels and axels. Driving around we noticed several restored cars, motorcycles, specialty vehicles, trucks and even some vehicles we weren’t quite sure about. We also noticed the clocks in this town were an hour behind. Hmmmmm. Getting suspicious, we decided to investigate. According to the map, Indiana is in the eastern time zone. So, what gives with the clocks??
Without exception, all the locals all had the same incorrect time. Finally, the light goes on. Although Indiana is part of the eastern time zone, the state does not recognize daylight savings. Mystery solved; maybe the locals ain’t so dumb after all. By leaving the last campground at 8:30, we in fact left at 7:30, which was a whole hour before quiet time ended. We sure felt bad about waking everyone up, especially the teen girls sleeping in the tent less than 25 feet from the coach exhaust. We’re lucky they didn’t come after us.
Since the service writers show up at 6:30 AM, we closed up the coach and went to bed early.
It rained hard last night, waking us up several times. It was one of those oh-no nights worrying about preparing the coach for departure in the rain. As usual, the rain stopped by morning and all the worrying accomplished was depriving us of sleep. After a quick breakfast, we hooked up the Jeep and hit the road. Our destination was a campground near the small town of Peru, Indiana.
The drive was long, but the roads were good and traffic was light. Along the way, the weather cleared and the day was beautiful. The farms are big, the land is flat and the corn fields seem endless. And, this was a record bug-hitting-the-windshield day. The number of bug-hits was so high, I swear it slowed down the coach.
The campground was way off the main road. We drove right by the entrance and went a mile out of the way before finding a place to get our 38 foot coach turned around. No problem finding the place on the second pass and soon we were tucked into a shaded campsite. After scrubbing the bugs off the front of the coach, we watched a Buster Keaton movie before going to bed.
We got up a little later than usual, had a light breakfast and headed for the ATA (Amateur Trapshooters Association) museum. The museum was fantastic and included artifacts and biographies related to trap shooting. The collection of old traps included devices to release live pigeons, launch glass balls, throw real clay disks (targets are no longer made out of clay). Of particular interest were the biographies of inductees to the ATA Hall of Fame. Surprisingly, roughly 25% of the inductees were women who had enjoyed the sport from its earliest days.
Picture of ATA Museum and Hall of Fame in Vandalia, Ohio.
Marty with antique traps (clay throwers).
Live pigeon trap from 1880s. This particular model is endorsed by PETA.
Display of clay targets, some dating back to the 1800s.
Tin target from 1885. Maybe, just maybe steel shot will get through this one. Loss!
Boomerang clay target from 1881. If you throw this, you better break it!
After the museum, we grabbed a quick lunch and headed for Kinko’s to update the computers. Expecting rain, we returned to the coach and spent the rest of the afternoon quietly.
Contemporary note: For readers not familiar with shotgun sports, trap is a game where clay discs (mini clay frisbees) are launched as targets for shotgunners. Breaking the target is harder than it looks.
Trap is commonly confused with other shotgun games like skeet and sporting clays.
Today was a workout day and after finally rolling out of bed at 8:00, we got to the exercises. The local roads seemed quiet, so instead of sticking close to the campground I ventured out and ran through the cornfields of southern Ohio and swear it was uphill both directions. By the time we cleaned up and made some phone calls, it was lunchtime so we cruised to the local town and chose a restaurant that turned out to be a hangout for the locals. What a feed, and cheap too.
After lunch, we headed for the Air Force Museum at the Wright-Patterson Air Force base. You can easily spend several days here. Three enormous hangers house most of the collection, and several of the artifacts are unique or sole-surviving examples. It was striking that most of the artifacts were in actual use at one time and many saw wartime action. This is truly a fine collection that is well organized and maintained. Any visitor to this part of the country would be well served to visit this museum. After several hours we only hit the highlights and plan to revisit the museum someday.
Monument at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, to the pilots who flew "Over the Hump" in WWII. Marty's father was a passenger one of those flights. Rock at bottom right is part of monument and a gift from the Peoples Republic of China.
Reverse side of CBI monument.
P-26A Peashooter. The first all metal monoplane fighter in regular service.
Spad XIII, the preferred fighter for American forces in WWI.
Sopwith Camel, one of the first fighters used by American flyers in WWI.
MXY7-K1 Trainer that Japan used to train kamikaze pilots to fly the "Cherry Blossom" rocket bomb. The only surviving example of the Cherry Blossom is in the Smithsonian and a picture of it is on this web site. The real thing didn't have a landing skid.
Bockscar, the B-29 that dropped the Fat Man atomic bomb on Nagasaki.
ME 163B "Komet" rocket plane developed by Germans in WWII. This is one of the only surviving examples. An example of the rocket motor was also on display.
P-39 Airacobra, a plane mostly sent to Russia during WWII. Display showed plane in a Russian setting complete with snow.
Marty with 30mm Avenger canon that is mounted on A-10 Warthog. This is good for ridding the neighborhood of unwanted armored vehicles.
Marty in front of Mark 41 Thermonuclear bomb, the first hydrogen bomb deployed by United States. This one has been disarmed.
Jeanne in front of an East German Trabi car and part of Berlin wall that was part of the Cold War display. We saw these cars actually running during our visit to Germany. This one may not be in running condition.
We returned to the coach, prepared a light dinner and watched some TV.
Jeanne had scheduled two short driving days for the trip from Erie, Pennsylvania to Dayton, Ohio.
The first day we woke early to a light drizzle. Although the weather was marginal, we resolved to complete our workout. After splashing around the campground, a quick shower and preparing the coach for travel, we barely squeezed out of the campsite. Later in the day, we noticed some scratches along the side of the coach and concluded they were from maneuvering in the Erie, KOA. Bottom line, if you drive a large RV, stay away from the Erie, KOA.
By the time we hit the road the light drizzle had turned to rain. Travel conditions were bad and the drive was gruesomely slow. Making matters worse, the Ohio speed limit for trucks is 55 mph and the state police are enthusiastic about enforcement. You notice trucks immediately slow down when they cross the state line. Jeanne remarked the roads were so bad that we couldn’t go much faster anyway. However, the combination of conditions made the miles roll by at glacial velocity.
Picture of coach at campsite near Butler, Ohio
Our destination was near the small town of Butler, Ohio. The campground was located several miles off the interstate in an area of farms and woodlands. Very picturesque. We almost had the whole place to ourselves. At night, it was perfectly quiet and darker than dark. We slept soundly.
The second day was easier. The rain had stopped and the closer to Columbus, Ohio we got (the state capitol), the better the roads were. What a coincidence. We bypassed Columbus and around 2:00 PM pulled into a very nice RV resort near Dayton, Ohio. After quickly setting up we got to some put-off chores.
It somehow seems strange that July is almost over and we have been on the road for six months. The year is slipping by and we are way behind where we thought we would be. The trip is still very enjoyable, but we frequently discuss the living potential of the places we visited. So far the perfect place has eluded us, so we’ll just keep looking. There is still a lot of country to see before making a decision. So for now, the trip continues.
Contemporary note: Looking back, this six-month mark was about the time I finally started making the mental transition between work and retirement. Yes, cruising down the highway on a Tuesday morning was liberating but years of having every five minutes of your life scheduled is a hard thing to set aside. However, finally, the angst of the workplace began drifting into the past and for the first time in many years I was able to concentrate on something enjoyable for long periods of time. Jeanne had a head-start on the process and I am forever grateful for her understanding and patience.
First, a little background: The coach has three separate tanks for fresh, gray and waste (black) water. Indicator lights on the inside of the coach give an estimate of tank levels. Since fresh water is heavy and almost universally available at campgrounds, we keep about 1/3 of a tank when traveling. The gray and black tanks are usually dumped before hitting the road. Through experience (sad experience at times) we learned to use the tank indicator lights as gross approximations. Trying to keep 1/3 of a tank of fresh water can be tricky as water use fluctuates with meal preparation, dish washing, showers, etc.
The fresh water system on the coach generally works the same as a house. When we arrive at a campsite, fresh water (city water) flows into the coach through a pressure regulator, water filter and hose. If the city water pressure is too low we allow the water pump on the coach draw additional water from the tank to insure an even flow at constant pressure. Again, the trick is maintaining the right amount of fresh water in the tank.
A manually operated valve diverts city water into the fresh water tank. Hopefully, the manual valve operator (Marty) can remember to watch the indicator lights and shut off the water before the tank overflows. The manufacturer anticipated the fresh water tank might be overfilled and designed the system to dump excess water under the coach. To avoid dumping water, we have a cardboard sign we leave in the center of the floor as a reminder the tank is filling. This is not a foolproof system since the operator (Marty) also has to remember to use the sign.
Now, back to the story. . .
When we arrived at the campground a few days ago, it had been raining, the ground was soggy and we were concerned about getting stuck in the mud. With a gross vehicle weight of 31,000 lbs, we have to be careful about what we drive on. During our stay here, the ground slowly dried out. Yesterday evening while preparing to leave, the indicator light showed fresh water was low and I manually turned the valve to add water to the tank. FOUR HOURS LATER, at 11:00 PM, a brief sound from the water pump was enough to jog my memory and instantly initiate activity. My worst fears were realized when I went outside and found myself ankle deep in cold water. The rig was sitting in the middle of a small lake! Opening the door to the water system was like dumping a large fish tank. After hastily shutting off the valve, water was still gushing from the bottom of the coach. Even the compartment where the hoses are stored had three inches of standing water. There was water everywhere! The ground was a soggy mess and the full water tank probably weighed 900 pounds. There was only one thing left to do: lay awake all night and wonder how I was going to get the coach free in the morning.
This morning, we awoke and mercifully it was not raining. I quickly checked under the coach; the water was gone and the ground was marginally firm enough to drive on. With rain in the forecast, it was time to quickly come up with a plan. We decided to skip the workout (this was an easy decision) and get the coach onto pavement before the approaching rain made matters worse. We sprang to action and by 8:30 I engaged the ATC (Automatic Traction Control) and slowly drove the coach onto the campground roadway. Once on solid ground, we drove to the dump station to drain the black, gray and excess fresh water from the tanks. Finally, things were back to normal and we hit the road. It was a close call and we could have ended up calling a tow truck to pull us free. This also confirms an old adage: Most problems in life are self inflicted.
Don and Josie relaxing at coach after hosting dinner.
Manual valve for filling fresh water holding tank. When tank is full, excess water is dumped under the coach.
Due to the rain, the drive to Erie, Pennsylvania was slow and deliberate. We arrived at the KOA and squeezed into a tight spot, set up the coach and waited for Don, a former co-worker and his wife Josie to stop by for a visit. They arrived around 5:30 PM and after a quick tour of the coach they hosted us at a local restaurant. We talked over dinner and into the night after returning to the coach. It was good to catch up on old times, hear what was currently happening in their life and their plans for the future. It was truly a delight to visit with them and renew an old friendship.
Before going to bed, we watched the Weather Channel to see what tomorrow’s drive would be like. Lo and behold, so much rain had fallen on Buffalo the Weather Channel featured the flooding there as one of their top stories. Truly, we had narrowly averted disaster. That night, we slept soundly and dreamed pleasant dreams.
Mercifully, the weather was cool and it was the first time we wore jeans in months.
The drive to the falls was uneventful and we arrived early enough to park close the American Falls and entrance to the Maid of the Mist. After viewing the falls on the American side, we descended to the Maid of the Mist, donned the blue plastic rain poncho provided, boarded the boat and set off for the tour. The boat travels upstream right to the base of the falls. It is really impressive and certainly gives a unique perspective. The falls kick up a lot of spray and mist (Jeanne thought this was smoke from industrial activity when we approached the area) and the poncho kept us moderately dry. Well, sort of dry. Try to imagine walking through a car wash wearing a dry-cleaning bag.
View of the Niagara Falls from observation tower on American side of river.
Jeanne enjoys view of Niagara Falls.
Jeanne and Marty wearing rain ponchos on the Maid of the Mist boat ride.
Approaching the American Falls on the Maid of the Mist.
Looking back on American Falls from the Maid of the Mist. Notice observation tower in background.
Horseshoe falls on approach aboard the Maid of the Mist.
View of American Falls from Canadian side of river.
View of Horseshoe Falls from Canadian side of river. Notice roof of power plant directly below.
Panaramic view of American Falls, river gorge and Peace Bridge.
We grabbed a quick sandwich for lunch and walked across the bridge to view the falls from the Canadian side. The weather cleared long enough to give us a truly spectacular view of the falls and river gorge. It seemed like thousands of people turned out to enjoy the cool fall-like day and we had to elbow our way through the crowds. The only down-side to the day was the long customs wait while returning to the U.S.
We returned to the coach and spent the last few hours of daylight preparing for tomorrow’s departure.
We awoke to sunshine and cool air and no valid excuse to put off our workout another day. So, after weights and Pilates, off we ran into the wilds of western New York. At least the ground here is flat.
After we cleaned up and ate breakfast, the honey wagon arrived to drain our tanks. With the satisfaction of knowing all was now well with the coach, we set off to visit with cousins Joe, Joan and Susan.
The Chazen residence when Marty was born, located in an older, but well kept, part of Buffalo, New York.
The visit was very interesting and mainly focused on family history. Susan is interested in family history and shared a family tree she maintained on her computer. Apparently she had spent hours doing research and her records were impressive. We also enjoyed visiting with Joe and Joan, who I had not seen in a very long time. Although they are now retired, both had long and successful careers in professional fields. They are intelligent, thoughtful and truly a pleasure to visit. I regret not having the opportunity to form a closer relationship when I was younger, but Buffalo was a long way from California. Joe took us for a drive through the neighborhood where my folks lived when I was born. The area is still very well kept and I was able to get a picture of the house. After saying our goodbyes, we returned to the coach, stopping for groceries on the way. The rest of the night was spent trying to ignore the live music concert sponsored by the campground.
Although we had good intentions, we never quite got things going.
We planned to do our morning workout, but a light rain was enough of an excuse to put it off. Later in the morning, it was clear we would hang around the coach so we got to work getting some long-overdue cleaning done. Jeanne took care of the inside and I got busy on the outside with a bucket of suds and brush. The last time I cleaned the outside was in South Florida and the coach was really a mess. The sides had a layer of road film and the top was thick with dirt, sap, pine needles, leaves, etc. The cleaning took most of the day.
The campground lacks a sewer system, so with the tanks getting full we arranged for a visit from the “honey wagon” which never arrived. Maybe tomorrow, but in the meantime we have to watch our water use.
