Great American Eclipse, good, but not great....

Totality in Blairsville, GA - 8-21-2017 at 2:34PM

Well, the eclipse was a bit of a bust for us in Blairsville, GA.  August 21 began as a beautiful day - hot and sunny. At 1:05, the eclipse began and my family and I watched it with eager anticipation as the moon slowly nibbled away at the sun's surface. Unfortunately, a big black cloud continued to move ominously toward the overhead sun. Totality in our location was 2:34 PM; sadly, the black cloud beat it to the sun at about 2:15. Totality came and went with total cloud cover over the main event. Nonetheless, we did experience the eerie darkness of totality! Crickets began to chirp and it got unworldly dark! The picture above is a panorama that Carol took of our campground during totality.

As if to rub salt in the wound, the cloud moved on past by about 3:00.We were able to view a bit of the receding eclipse but all of us eclipse viewers in Blairsville were disappointed. Gonna have to wait till April 8, 2024 for another opportunity!

We stayed Saturday to Tuesday at Crossing Creek RV Resort.  It's a winner! Without a doubt, Crossing Creek is the most beautiful RV resort we have ever experienced. Beautiful pool, club house, health club - all the amenities! We will definitely be returning.

Are you ready for the Great American Ecliplse?

So does everyone have their plans ready for Monday, August 21? It's been 99 years since the last total solar eclipse traversed the entire lower-48. For those of us in the Atlanta metro area, we are simply too close to NOT travel a short distance north to see this great celestial event.

Our home town of Jasper will experience 99.1% totality. The city of Atlanta will experience 97%. From everything I've read, however, even 99.9% will not be the same experience as 100% totality, however.  So Carol and I will be joining the masses on the roadways that weekend to get about 50 miles further north. We have reservations in a beautiful RV resort in Blairsville, GA where we will experience one minute 59 seconds of totality! Woohoo!

If you haven't already made travel plans, quite frankly it's probably too late to find a campsite or motel reservation within the path. Due to the proximity, a lot of Atlantans will be making a day trip. Be aware, however, that state and local transportation authorities are already preparing for "hurricane evacuation style" traffic on Monday, August 21. The primary road from Atlanta to the best viewing will north on I-85. If even a small percentage of metro's 5.7 million people decide to play hooky from work that day, they could find themselves viewing the eclipse from the side of the road somewhere. The following article provides important travel details and actually uses the Atlanta metro area as a prime example in the article.

https://www.space.com/37234-expect-solar-eclipse-traffic-jams.html

Bottom line, if you don't have reservations somewhere and plan to travel on the big day, leave early! Do some research and plan to arrive at a public park, shopping center parking lot, or some other unobstructed viewing area. Many communities are hosting eclipse viewing events/parties. Do a search for your intended destination to find out where the best viewing sites may be and if there are public events already planned where you could join the party.

Not only will the roadways be clogged but cell phone service may be a bit sketchy leading up to the event as well. The wireless networks will be clogged with streaming video and social media activity. Experts suggest that text messaging may be a better way to communicate due to the expected, heavy volume of wireless usage. If you have a genuine need for 911 assistance, experts say to be patient as there may be a delayed response time.

Also, don't forget a pair of eclipse viewing glasses for everyone in your party. They are available online, including Amazon. I saw them for sale at our local Kroger this week as well. For those of us in the path of totality, these are essential during the pre and post phases of the eclipse. If you will not be in the path of totality, they will be required for the entire event.

The best advice is to "get to the shadow" early, stay put, and stay safe!

Step covers for Rocky - On the cheap!

We had carpeted step covers on our previous travel trailers which were a really nice touch. Step covers provide a slip-resistant surface and help keep dirt out of the trailer. So, we naturally wanted step covers on the steps of our new Rockwood. The problem was our last trailer only had one step. Rocky has 6!  The step covers on Amazon run about $20 each which would cost $120 for all 6 steps!  Ouch...

I decided that I could accomplish the same thing for a lot less! First stop was Home Depot. Here, I found indoor/outdoor carpet runner. Also added to my cart were a General Tool Grommet Kit and two packages of additional grommets. The cost of supplies for this project:

Carpet runner, 9 feet at 2.26/linear foot = 20.34

Grommet Kit                                          =   9.97

Two packs of additional grommets        =   5.34

 TOTAL                                                   =  35.65

So far, so good!  Less than the cost of just two ready-made step covers!

Here's how I completed the project:

Step 1:  My steps are 9 inches wide, so I cut 6 lengths of carpet runner, each18" long. 18 inches provided cover for the step surface and with the wrap-around the edges, that left a gap on the underside of about 2 inches.

Step 2: The carpet runner was too wide for my steps so I trimmed each piece along the sides. The design in the carpet provided a perfect guide for cutting.  I simply cut each side, following the outside groove in the design.

Step 3: On the backside of the carpet, I measured 1-1/2 inch in from each leading edge and marked each side at the midpoint and then an additional mark 2 inches from each end.  Three "bullseyes" along each edge mark the spots for punching the grommet holes.

Step 4: Using the hole punch in the grommet kit, a hammer, and a scrap piece of wood, I punched a hole at each "bullseye." 

Step 5: I added a piece of Gorilla Tape (regular duct tape would work fine too) over each hole to reinforce it.
* The tape was an after-thought but I highly recommend it. The first step I finished had the grommet rip the hole a bit. The tape solved that problem nicely. I then re-punched the tape. You could add the tape first and just punch once.  

Step 6:  Following instructions in the grommet kit, add a grommet to each punched hole. First, place the grommet on the supplied anvil. Then place the hole punched in the carpet over the grommet. 

Step 7:  Place the "eye" of the grommet over the grommet.  

Step 8: Using the supplied grommet tamp, tap the grommet with a hammer to set it. 

Step 9: Repeat for all holes in all pieces of carpet. In my case, that meant 6 grommets on 6 carpet pieces for a total of 36 grommets. 

Step 10: Center the step cover on the step. 

Step 11: On the underside, thread a zip tie through opposing grommets and tighten snugly. 

Step 12: Trim the zip ties. 

Step 13: Repeat for all steps. 

Step 14: Admire your completed work!

                          

The matter of keys...

Our first travel trailer was a 28' Dutchman Kodiak. It had a front and rear door as well as two undercarriage storage compartments.  Each door - all four of them - had a unique key. Drove me crazy! Trying to remember which key went with which door was highly frustrating! When we sold the Kodiak, we downsized to an RPod. It had only one entrance door which meant only one door key but it had another key for the storage underneath. In addition to these, there was the key for the coupler lock and the hitch pin. Keys and more keys!

If you've been following this blog, you know that we recently bought a new Rockwood travel trailer - affectionately nicknamed Rocky. Like our original Kodiak, Rocky has a front and rear door, two storage compartment doors, and an access panel to the outdoor shower. Before we picked up Rocky, I was assuming (hoping) that the Kodiak's assortment of keys was an anomaly. Surely, I reasoned, THIS trailer will have its doors keyed alike. Sadly, no. Rocky has four unique keys for the doors and compartments. Plus the extra keys for the coupler, hitch pin, etc.

To compound the overall key frustration, we learned that in the world of RVs there are, surprisingly, a fairly limited number of different keys out there. The folks where we stored our Kodiak told us they had a set of keys that "pretty much fit any travel trailer on the lot." Yes, it's true. There's a good chance you and some of your fellow campers share the same key. So we're not only deviled with a fist-full of keys for our units but we also live with the knowledge that our homes-on-wheels are far from secure.

The ideal solution would be to replace all the factory-installed locks with new combination locks - all set to the same combination. We are seriously considering this solution for Rocky. The good ones are a bit pricey though and we need to get past the initial purchase outlay before making another big investment in our new toy.

So, until that upgrade happens, Carol & I decided to conquer the battle of the keys. Our simple (and cheap) solution was dollar key rings with coiled wrist bands and a 98¢ package of plastic key color codes. Since we come and go through the rear entrance door 90% of the time and use the undercarriage storage compartments 99% more than the outdoor shower compartment, the rear entrance door and storage compartment door each got a green plastic cap (green for go, since those are the doors I "go to" most often).  This simple solution has saved me so much time from fumbling around with the wrong key for the wrong door. The other part of our solution is collecting all the keys (for the trailer, hitch, coupler, etc) on the wrist band key ring. When we're out camping, I'm wearing the wrist band all day. No more searching for "lost keys" or wondering where I laid them down. Not a perfect solution, but a big improvement until we pop for replacement, combination locks.

Rocky's first boo-boo...

Well, it was bound to happen. You know the drill - you buy a new car and the day shortly arrives when you get that first door ding. A travel trailer is not prone to door dings, but there are a thousand other things that can happen. For us, Rocky's first incident was a damaged recliner. To bring the slide in requires that the two recliners be moved side by side in front of the rear entrance, behind the kitchen counter, and then strapped for travel. What I didn't consider was the movement of the trailer during travel would be rocking the recliner and causing it to rub against the kitchen cabinet. On the morning after our first day of travel, I was sitting in my recliner enjoying morning coffee and felt something strange under my fingers on the left arm of the chair. The vinyl upholstery had a hole abraded in it from the previous day's travel!

After getting past that initial sick feeling, I Googled remedies for vinyl repair. The first thing that came up in my search was Gorilla Tape, of which I just happened to have a roll in my tool bag! Gorilla Tape is duct tape on steroids and comes in basic black. Our recliners are a deep, dark brown - nearly black - so Gorilla Tape seemed a reasonable solution.  A small piece did the trick.

It remains to be seen how permanent this fix proves to be, but we used Gorilla Tape previously to cover the hole in our RPod's exterior when we threw a rock through the front fiberglass panel last summer (see my previous post). Not only did Gorilla Tape keep the weather out until we made permanent repairs, but it proved to be quite difficult to remove! So, I have a reasonable expectation that this will suffice for my recliner.

Needless to say, I am now much more careful when strapping down my recliners for travel. A big, bulky blanket also goes over the arms to add extra padding between them and the kitchen cabinet.

Counter Top Extension Mod

Our new Rockwood 2604 came with a counter top extension. At first, I wasn't sure we'd want to use it. Since we had it with us on our trip to pick up the trailer though, we gave it a try. We discovered that the extra couple of feet of counter space by the sink is actually a really nice addition.

What I didn't like about it though was how it attached to the cabinet. It had a pair of steel tabs that sat into corresponding steel slots to support it on the end of the cabinet and a swing-out adjustable leg to support the free end. 

This arrangement meant that when you're ready to travel, you must remove the entire assembly and stow it somewhere. The only place we found for it to safely travel was on the bedroom floor. Not a huge deal I suppose, but a bit of a pain when you're ready to roll. Plus, if you're only stopping for a quick overnight and don't need the counter top extension, you really had no choice but to install it anyway just to get it off the floor.

It occurred to me that a far better arrangement would be for the extension to simply fold down on the end of the cabinet. This seemed a really simple solution and rose to the top of my list of "must do" modifications when we got home.

A quick run to Home Depot yielded the two simple parts that I needed to complete this mod.

• 12-inch steel piano hinge
• 3-inch stainless steel hook and eye latch

Step 1: Remove the old hardware.

Step 2: Install piano hinge on the underside of countertop extension.

Step 3: Attach piano hinge to end of the cabinet.

Step 4: Attach latch to the underside of counter extension and the eye-hook to the cabinet. The latch holds the extension snugly against the cabinet so it doesn't bang around during travel. 

Step 5: Admire my work!

The result is a vast improvement.  Flip up if needed; leave down if not needed. No more moving it back and forth to the bedroom and tripping over it on the floor. Rockwood, if you're listening, this would be a great addition straight from the factory!  

MILTON / MADISON SE KOA

I mentioned in my last post that we stayed at a KOA in Milton, Wisconsin - specifically, the Milton/Madison SE KOA.  This is a new KOA and a really nice one!  Despite less than ideal weather during our three-night stay, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves here. The bathhouse is clean and modern.  The camp's store is much more widely stocked than most KOAs with all the camping essential and area souvenirs. To the rear of the store is a beautiful pool area. The rural property includes acres of rolling green recreation fields. It's located a short ride from Madison and about 60 miles from Racine. If your travels take you to southern Wisconsin, I highly recommend this campground!

Entrance to Milton/Madison SE KOA, Milton, WI

"Rocky" at Milton/Madison SE KOA

"Rocky" at Milton/Madison SE KOA

Wisconsin sunset

Awesome week!

We've had an awesome week!  Picked up "Rocky" on Monday, our new Rockwood 2604WS. We LOVE this travel trailer!  So far, we have not found a single thing that we would change. This is a perfect rig for a couple.

First, I want to say that RV Wholesalers in Lakeview, OH is a great dealer!  When we go there, I was pleasantly surprised to see a big, bold sign over the sales office door, "Our God is an awesome God!" Amen!  This is an unashamedly Christian company and God is obviously blessing their business for their faithfulness. They are honest and a real pleasure to deal with. They far exceeded our expectations and went above and beyond in their attempt to please us. Highly recommended!

We spent Monday and Tuesday nights at the Dayton KOA.  This is a really nice campground!  The bathhouse is by far the NICEST I've ever seen in a campground. We didn't use it other than to wash our hands on the way out, but nonetheless, it's over the top nice. We had a nice pull-through site.  We spent Tuesday unpacking the truck and arranging things inside the new trailer. Spent a bunch of money at Walmart on this and that, such as plastic bins for the cabinets, covers for our new recliners, sundry supplies and such.  We grilled chicken on our new grill which is a really nice feature. It hangs on the side of the trailer and uses the onboard propane via a quick-connect hose.

Wednesday morning, we hitched up and headed to Wisconsin. This is the first trailer we've had with power jack and stabilizers. Why did I wait so long? These small conveniences made hooking up so much easier! I was still a little nervous about towing a 30 footer compared to our former, little RPod. It's actually not bad at all and we made it to Wisconsin about 5PM.  We're staying at the Milton/Madison KOA in southern Wisconsin. It's a new KOA and really nice.  Highly recommended if you're in the area.

On Thursday, we drove an hour north to visit Wollersheim Winery. We discovered this winery two years and love this vineyard. Couldn't be this close and not pay a second visit and get some cases to go home. Sadly, Wollersheim does not ship to Georgia.

Today's agenda takes us to Racine, Wisconsin to visit the Frank Lloyd Wright designed, SC Johnson Wax headquarters. Cant wait to see this!

National Museum of the United States Air Force

While waiting to pick up our new Rockwood tomorrow, we took advantage of the free day today to visit the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Wow! What an incredible museum! The National Museum of the United States Air Force, located at  Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio, is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum featuring more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles on display amid more than 17 acres of indoor exhibit space. If you're ever anywhere near Dayton, OH, this place is a must see. 

Arranged chronologically in four separate, indoor hangars, the museum displays the rich history our country's Air Force. From the very beginning of aviation to the present, we toured through WWI, WWII, the Korean Conflict, and Vietnam. On display in the WWII gallery was the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Bockscar, the plane that dropped the "Fat Man" atomic bomb on Nagasaki which ended the war. We then continued through the Cold War era complete with Minutemen and ICBM Missiles, the space program and last, the highlight of our day, the Presidential Gallery. We toured Air Force one for FDR, Truman, Eisenhower and the plane that served Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan. We actually stood where LBJ was sworn in after John Kennedy's murder in Dallas. From the first hangar to the fourth is a full 1/4 mile, all indoors. I simply can't say enough good about this place. Oh, and the price??  Free.  Best deal you'll find anywhere.  

Had a great dinner at a local dinner and now back at our hotel. We'll be getting up early tomorrow morning for an hour's drive up to Russells Point to get the new Rockwood, which we have already affectionately dubbed, "Rocky."  And if the trailer's name is Rocky, then obviously our blue F-150 is now "Blue-winkle."  Yes, shameless pilfering of names, but it's fun! 

More to come tomorrow!  The big day is almost here!

National Museum of the United State Air Force

Boeing B-29 Superfortress Bockscar

Replica of "Fat Man," the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, August 9, 1945

Dave & Carol and John Kennedy's Air Force One