Prepping for Summer Vacation

OK, so because we're retired we don't really have a summer vacation, but our grandson, Jace, does.

Therefore, we really DON'T have a summer vacation. 

Reservations are all made and paid for, so we shouldn't have any issues with places to stay for the 8 weeks we'll have our 7 year-old grandson with us, and it will be nice to focus on the trip itself and all the things we have planned for Jace to experience. However, it's a long trip. In just motor home miles, it's well over 3,000 miles, not counting the miles we'll put on the Jeep once we get to our different destinations.

Beginning June 1st, we'll be stopping in West Virginia at the Beckley Coal Mine Exhibition and Museum. We've heard good things about this place, from the on-site full hookups for RV's, to the museum itself. It's supposed to be a good educational experience for kids and adults, with a “ride” through a simulated coal mine in coal cars.

After a few days there to explore more of West Virginia, we head to our second destination on Jace's summer vacation. We asked him what he wanted to see on his trip, and he said he wanted to see some waterfalls. So, not wanting to disappoint him, we're taking him to Niagara Falls. Go big or go home, I always say. Our campground (Daisy Barn) is right on Lake Ontario and only a 20-minute drive to the Falls, so we should have a nice week in the area.

Next is a two-week stay in the Lake Ossipee area of northern New Hampshire at Danforth Bay. That was the first really significant campground we stayed at on our first trip right after picking up our motor home almost 4 years ago, and Jace was with us then, too! Lots of things to do in that area, so we'll be able to keep him busy, plus see some of Barbara's relatives in the area.

After that, a two-week stay in the Bar Harbor area of Maine is on tap. We found a campground (Forest Ridge in Ellsworth, Maine) that is about 15-20 minutes away from the Bar Harbor area itself rather than stay on the shore for two reasons: one, it's over the July 4th weekend, and Grover would not appreciate the expected fireworks over the water, and two, this campground has full hookups instead of just water and electric as is the norm for the coastal campgrounds Acadia National Park is also on the menu for this part of the trip, and who knows, maybe a whale watch.

Our fourth stop is at Spacious Skies Minute Man campground (formerly Boston-Minuteman) in Littleton, Massachusetts. We've obviously visited Massachusetts before, but never stayed in the state with the RV. Time to visit Dad, other relatives, and long-time friends as usual, as well as partake in our favorite Massachusetts foods.

The end of the trip has some float time built in, as we don't yet know the exact date Jace needs to be back in Georgia for school prep, so we may be doing a speed-run back to Georgia after our stay in Massuchusetts, or we might have some wiggle room to stop elsewhere on the way back. All-in-all, it's a 7 or 8 week trip that will be hard on the driver (me) and the motor home, so prepping for it is pretty important.

So in preparation for the big trip, it's back to Red Bay, Alabama for us, and our semi-annual chassis maintenance at Belmont Diesel. We get the oil and filter changed, the air filter changed, and the chassis lubed every 6-months. Plus, for this trip, we'll have them do the annual maintenance on our Onan 7KW generator as well. You never know when you'll need some emergency electrical power.

We also haven't been happy with the Tiffin-supplied OTA (Over The Air) antenna as far as consistent reception is concerned. The OTA antenna is how we get broadcast TV signals in each area we visit, and it's been spotty at times. Now, some of the areas we stay in are pretty remote from populated areas, so we expect some signal problems, but we just don't feel as if our current antenna is up to the task. We don't watch a lot of TV, so a satellite dish is a wasted expense for us. So we'll be getting what the A/V specialist who works at Tiffin during the day considers an upgrade to both the antenna on the top of the RV and the booster switch inside. Don't know how good it will be after this, but this guy knows his stuff, so it definitely won't be any worse.

Finally, a little cosmetic fix on the Diamond Shield below our front door, and we'll be good to go!

Should be lots of posts from this trip, so stay tuned for updates. And if you're in the areas we'll be visiting, let's get together for some socializing!