tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15068235452119813042024-03-14T01:51:39.668-04:00WHAT WERE WE THINKING!http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-61746709538226561822013-06-15T16:48:00.000-04:002013-06-16T14:47:47.118-04:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-size: large;">August 2007</span></u><br />
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So we survive this round of bedbugs, the movie being filmed and Western Legends, then we prepare for the end of season and a thorough cleaning of the rooms. Western Legends welcomed in the beginning of busiest time of the year for the Lodge. Tourist season for this area is the heaviest September through October and we are booked.<br />
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We take some time to visit more of the wonderful sites near us - next stop <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.brycecanyoncountry.com/bryce.html?utm_source=Madden&utm_medium=Google+CPC&utm_campaign=National+Park" target="_blank"><span style="color: #20124d;">Bryce Canyon</span>.</a></b></i></span> The difference between Bryce and Zion is this, Bryce you are mainly looking down into the canyon, Zion you are looking up. <br />
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http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-74244852857161777502012-05-10T20:00:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:46:56.177-04:00 July/August - 2007 Moving Along - 2007<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><b>July </b><b>2007</b></u></span><br />
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As we go through the experience and visit places we've only seen in pictures we begin to feel like we've found a new home. Settling in to our new roles as bosses we learn as we go, not only things about ourselves but also about others.<br />
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One thing we learned was that most of our employees had either a drug and/or alcohol addiction which meant they would come to work either high or drunk, smelling of alcohol and sometimes barely able to function, it's ridiculous! It was a shocking surprise which really pissed us off trying to get work done was close to impossible.<br />
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People calling in because they were too drunk to come in and we couldn't fire them because then we'd be cleaning 89 rooms on our own....this is where we revert to Workamper's instead of locals, but that we also learn is a gamble as well.<br />
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It continues to amaze us, neigh surprise us how people have no or very little work ethics and take advantage of those opportunities left for those less fortunate, but that too will change.<br />
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Cleaning in itself is a daily routine, however, when you have 16 rooms to make beds in, clean the bathrooms, vacuum, dust, etc., you quickly find out how out of shape you truly are and how quickly "in shape" you will be. 6 hours a day definitely is a workout!<br />
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As the season picks up so do the tours. Tourists coming from all over the world, Asia, England, Germany, France, Netherlands and more. Interesting that the Brits are so neat and love coffee, not tea as we all thought, but the little coffee packets left in guests rooms would be gone the next day, however, the coffee pot was never used! They are also very funny!<br />
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The Asian tourists are by far the messiest the French love their bread at breakfast, and they are rude and pushy.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">July - August - 2007</span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">FILMING A MOVIE IN KANAB, UTAH STILL HAPPENS</span></u></b><br />
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We find out that we will be having a movie filmed in the area and the cast and crew will be staying at the Lodge. Of course now Court is in hog heaven to even think that a movie, albeit a low budget film, will be actually filiming here. It's student's from UCF doing their thesis, making "<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.theatticdoormovie.com/" target="_blank">Monster in the Attic</a></b></i></span>". They took over the first floor of the 2 story and a few other rooms held their editing equipment, they brought in a private chef who took over the kitchen (what an adventure).<br />
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To Court's excitement he was given the opportunity to actually go on set while they were filming. We became quick friends with most of the cast and crew and will cherish this time forever. <br />
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As we go through and start cleaning the rooms, some of them are like walking into a dorm room, crap was everywhere, clothes, scripts, notes, laptops you name it it was there. We eventually decide to just close the door and move to the next room.<br />
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They were at the Lodge for most of the month of July and August leaving just when <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.westernlegendsroundup.com/" target="_blank">Western Legends Round-Up</a></b></i></span> started which is an annual event where some of the older western movie actors return for a few days. This event will become one of our crowning glories and we make friends we'll have forever.<br />
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One huge downside of running a hotel is bedbugs. They arrive shortly after Western Legends. Bedbugs travel with the person from hotel to hotel and are not a sign of unclean rooms. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>The Bedbug Battle Begins</u></b></span><br />
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We inform the General Manager of the infestation and now the battle starts. With bedbugs depending on the infestation you need to treat not only the infected room but the adjacent rooms as well. That was a fiasco to say the least. We had to through out furniture and get new, but what we didn't have control of is where the replacement furniture came from. Our GM made a trip to Las Vegas and purchased mattresses and furniture (this would come back to haunt us later). Everything looked nice but little did we know what we would be facing in the coming years.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-46623264138341125462012-03-13T18:22:00.001-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.047-04:002007.......Continuing the Experience<span style="font-size: large;"><i>2007 ...........picking up where I left off.......</i></span><br />
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Days come and days go. We seem to be moving along the way we want, rooms are gettting cleaned and the guests are pleased, for the most part. We've lost a few staff but gained ones as well. It's hard to find staff with good work ethics here, but we manage to get a few good ones and some we have are through the <i><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><a href="http://www.workamper.com/" target="_blank">Workamper</a></span></b></i> program. Workampers are those who live in their RV's and travel from season to season to places across the US, most staying an average of 4 to 7 months at a job, some come back and thankfully some don't (tongue in cheek)!<br />
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It's truly amazing how adults who claim to have been executives in a prior occupation are the ones who most likely will break the rules or think they are above the rules. We have learned so much in this experience - ....I digress, more about this later.<br />
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We continue to explore our area, next <a href="http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #20124d;">Zion National Park</span></i></b></a> the most glorious in it's splendour worth the time you spend exploring and there is plenty to explore. It is grand experience not to be missed, truly a spiritual adventure and how in awe we were at the massive rock formations, how over thousands of years withstood the sands of time, what stories they could tell. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nY28RfY9UCY/UbxkGS-0bvI/AAAAAAAABMk/sJQe3_fyWEE/s1600/angels-landing-ef_jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nY28RfY9UCY/UbxkGS-0bvI/AAAAAAAABMk/sJQe3_fyWEE/s200/angels-landing-ef_jpg.jpg" width="150" /></a>Take for example <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><u><b><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CIN-N5cNwk" target="_blank">Angel's Landing</a></span>,</b></u></i></span> it's one of the most famous and thrilling hikes in the national park system. Zion's pride and joy runs along a narrow rock fin with dizzying drop-offs on both sides. The trail culminates at a lofty perch, boasting magnificent views in every direction. Rarely is such an intimidating path so frequented by hikers. One would think that this narrow ridge with deep chasms on each of its flanks would allure only the most intrepid of hikers. Climbers scale its big wall; hikers pull themselves up by chains and sightseers stand in awe at its stunning nobility. The towering monolith is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Southwest a hike we never took because well you could very well end up with the Angels, as several people have over the years. It isn't for the faint of heart.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-74366697057603104442012-02-25T12:36:00.005-05:002013-06-15T11:11:29.058-04:002007 - Catching UpMarch 2007<br />
Fast forward..........Picking up where I left off<br />
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Okay so let's get you all caught up - hopefully I won't lose anyone along the way.<br />
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We made it back to Kanab, Utah safe and sound and ready to buckle down and get back to work. Already thinking about the changes that we need to implement and realize it won't be easy. As we settle into our new location at the <u><i><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><a href="http://www.hitchnpostrvpark.com/" target="_blank">Hitchin' Post RV Par</a><a href="http://www.hitchnpostrvpark.com/" target="_blank">k</a> </span></b></i></u>- the spot I had my eye on since we arrived in <i><b><a href="http://kanab.utah.gov/" target="_blank">Kanab</a></b></i> in 2006! So happy to be here, but at the time little did we know that we'd be moving again in a very short time.<br />
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As time goes on we take to exploring a few of the National Parks in the area starting with the <i><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><a href="http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/directions_n_rim.htm" target="_blank">Grand Canyon - North Rim</a>.</span></b></i><br />
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I know we already visited it but it was great to be able to get back on our own terms and not be bound by a rental agreement. The ride to the North Rim takes about 2 hours through the<span style="color: #20124d;"><a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab" target="_blank"> <i><b>Kaibab National Forest</b></i></a> </span>and <i><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Lake,_Arizona" target="_blank">Jacob's Lake</a></span></b></i> (there is no lake there)give or take from Kanab and on the trip you are apt to see plenty of wild life. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KRK1OYHSqO4/UbxmaPBFxeI/AAAAAAAABM4/XI8pWYvINis/s1600/Bison+on+the+Kaibab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KRK1OYHSqO4/UbxmaPBFxeI/AAAAAAAABM4/XI8pWYvINis/s200/Bison+on+the+Kaibab.jpg" width="200" /></a>One of which I absolutely adore are the Bison on the <i><b><span style="color: #073763;"><a href="http://www.azcentral.com/travel/articles/20130503dead-end-arizona-north-rim-scenic-drive.html" target="_blank">AZ Route 67.</a></span></b></i> Along the way we saw deer and we think a mountain lion, at least from a distance that's what we thought it was so we'll stick with that.<br />
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http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-11976148007062367222011-11-30T11:49:00.001-05:002013-06-15T11:11:29.028-04:00March 2007 - Piecing it together<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">March 2007</span></div>
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As I sit here to try to piece together the past 5 years of our lives it's evident we should have kept a diary because I'm certain I won't remember everything but I'll do my best....it's been quite a ride.<br />
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Ok - so where were we...right leaving Chicago.............<br />
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As we board the train in Chicago to Lafayette we are anxious to get our car out of storage and head back to Kanab. Weather can be alittle shaky this time of year but we were lucky and didn't run into any problems.<br />
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We arrive in Lafayette around 10 pm where Julie and Ron are waiting for us at the Lafayette, Indiana Amtrak station. Of course there's one stop we have to make before we go home and that's to The Pub (which is now closed) and have a drink. It's late so there aren't too many people still there but worth the stop anyway.<br />
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On to Julie's to settle in for the night...we have a lot to do in a short period of time. Morning and we head out to get the car and change storage units to a smaller one, then out and about to visit friends - we leave in a couple of days.<br />
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Ok - so here we go again back on the road to Kanab. The ride back was again uneventful except for a little wind OF COURSE! Before we left to get our car we moved to the Hitch N Post RV Park, a much, much better place than Crazy Horse, so we are happy to be back especially to our kids, Bud and Fuzzle. Leaving the kids for 10 days was hard, but we knew they were well taken care of. <br />
<a name='more'></a>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-11516007418909777942011-09-24T14:44:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.026-04:00March 2007 - 4:00 AM Up for the Train4 am comes awful early, especially after a night of celebration....but knowing that we'll be on a train for the next 38 hours, we'll be able to sleep and rest so off we go.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-76ffjRzRCVQ/TtZFVyHI8vI/AAAAAAAABGw/Zwl5fMhNaVo/s1600/Hotel+in+Flagstaff+we+got+locked+out+of.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-76ffjRzRCVQ/TtZFVyHI8vI/AAAAAAAABGw/Zwl5fMhNaVo/s200/Hotel+in+Flagstaff+we+got+locked+out+of.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roadway Inn - Flagstaff, AZ</td></tr>
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Everything is packed and we head to the car to load up and head to the station, which is only a few blocks away. While checking to make sure we have everything we have notice one bag was left behind, the most important one because it held our train tickets. Court heads back to the room, puts the card key in the slot and it doesn't open the door. He tries over and over but nothing happens - okay so we look at the window to see if we can jack that open to get and we can't so we start freaking out, just alittle. We head over to the motel office and on the window it states they are closed until 6 am, this won't work because as I said our train leaves at 6 am. So we start banging on the door, ringing the bell over and over and banging on the window.</div>
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The clerk comes to this little window and begins to tell us they are closed so we frantically tell him what's happened and he FINALLY gives us another key to try and it works!!!! Let's get going....<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flagstaff, AZ</td></tr>
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So we arrive at the station with plenty of time to spare thank God, I just hate being late for anything.....</div>
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Our train arrives <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/1903281/print" target="_blank">Amtrak Santa Fe Super Chief</a></b></i></span>. We didn't get a suite we just took regular seats and since it wasn't full we each had 2 seats for which we could stretch out on and sleep at night. The trip was both exciting and uneventful making several depot stops along the way......</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Depot in Albuquerque, NM</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stopover in Kansas City, Missouri</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rounding the bend</td></tr>
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ending in <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.aviewoncities.com/chicago.htm">Chicago</a></b></i></span> for the night we get into Union Station. </div>
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We decided to extend the trip and stay in Chicago for the night, something we did alot when we lived in Indiana. We would take the Amtrak from Lafayette to Chicago and just explore. </div>
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We stayed at the <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.chicagoregency.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp?null">Chicago Hyatt</a></b></i></span> and walked <a href="http://www.themagnificentmile.com/"><span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>Michigan Avenue "The Magnificent Mile</b></i></span>"</a> which I always loved to do. <br />
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So many cool things to look at.....and of course our visit wouldn't be complete if we didn't eat at the <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.billygoattavern.com/home.html">Billy Goat Tavern</a></b></i></span>. <br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><u>(Taken from the Billy Goat web site)</u></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nhGIlkcNWno/Tn4jMxiVwtI/AAAAAAAABFs/g9bo9p1IFg8/s1600/Billy+Goat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nhGIlkcNWno/Tn4jMxiVwtI/AAAAAAAABFs/g9bo9p1IFg8/s320/Billy+Goat.jpg" width="142" /></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Ever hear of the "Curse of the Billy Goat," also known as the Cubs Curse?</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Do you recall the Saturday Night Live sketch in which a short order cook would yell out to incoming patrons: </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><b>"Cheezborger! Cheezborger! No fries, cheeps! No Pepsi, Coke!"?</b><br />
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All of the above have one thing in common: the World Famous Billy Goat Tavern, a Chicago legend since 1934</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">As I said before, we used to go to Chicago quite often so we are no strangers to the town including walking <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/locations/lower-wacker-drive-entrance/" target="_blank">Lower Wacker Drive </a></b></i></span>and all the way down to Navy Pier, etc., but this time was different. We started walking from our hotel and wanted to do our regular route but along came this guy, as soon as we left the hotel he was right behind us. We get past the <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrigley_Building" target="_blank">Wrigley Building</a></b></i></span> and head to the Billy Goat and he's still behind us, which really wouldn't be too odd, but all of a sudden I decided to turn around and ask what his deal was. He asked if we were from here and being pretty savvy to these things we said yes we where and he said not to worry he didnt' have a gun and Court immediately said he had one on him and with that the guy just walked away.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">Needless to say we no longer felt as secure, safe and confident as we had in the past so instead of spending more time than needed we just went to the Billy Goat, had dinner and headed back to the hotel. In all the years we have been going to Chicago, this was the first time we didn't feel comfortable. So to bed we go - off to Lafayette to get the car and visit some friends - then back to Utah</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jfV7I4VSi2s/TtZPvpJ4hjI/AAAAAAAABHY/y7_kixK6GCo/s1600/Stopover+in+Kansas+City%252C+MO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></a></div>
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http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-12770122131827409012011-09-24T11:50:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:46:56.152-04:00March 2007 - From Kanab to Lafayette, Indiana and BackWe've been working long enough to save enough money to go back and get our car out of storage in Lafayette, Indiana. We decide to take <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.amtrak.com/home" target="_blank">Amtrak </a></b></i></span>from Flagstaff, Arizona to Chicago to Lafayette.<br />
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Our journey begins on an early morning in March, 2007. Our boss takes us to<span style="color: #20124d;"><u><i><b> <a href="http://www.pagelakepowelltourism.com/">Page, Arizona</a></b></i></u></span> and to the airport to pick up a rental to go to Flagstaff. We luck out and get a convertible Mustang - RED, absolutely beautiful and the weather was perfect to have the top down. It takes about 3 hours to get to Flag and the train didn't leave until 6 am the next day anyway, so we were able to take our time and go through the Grand Canyon South Rim (we still like the North Rim better).</div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.flagstaffarizona.org/">Flagstaff, Arizona</a></b></i></span> is home to <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://nau.edu/">Northern Arizona University</a></b></i></span> so there are several bars full of college students and it was a blast. There are a few old, really old historic hotels in town that we would have stayed at, but we were on a budget so we stayed at the least expensive one for us this time - maybe we'll stay at the others another time.</div>
http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-55051097527632233442011-09-24T11:15:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.050-04:00 October - December 2006 - Ramblings from the past -<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BzasG-MmoCg/Tn45CZ7YuNI/AAAAAAAABGE/LPkJQ2X-u_0/s1600/Ralphie+as+a+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BzasG-MmoCg/Tn45CZ7YuNI/AAAAAAAABGE/LPkJQ2X-u_0/s200/Ralphie+as+a+baby.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ralphie as a kitten</td></tr>
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So we are coming to the end of our first Workamping job and oddly we've fallen in love with Kanab and Utah. The country is absolutely beautiful and very spiritual so we make the decision that this is where we'd like to make a new life ...... at least for now. The little kitten that would follow us to the end of the road when we walked to work eventually found his way not only into our hearts, but into our home as well. Bud and Fuzzle were very accepting of him so our brood grew from 2 to 3 and he was christened Ralphie. <br />
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I have to say that fall, winter and the holidays in this area are pretty. We had a very light snow that just dusted the mountains and along with the red rock colors was beautiful. It was too cold, but cold enough that I wish I had brought our cold weather clothes with us - this is the sunny southwest right? We decorated the right for Christmas as much as we could.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First snow in Kanab - for us</td></tr>
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At the end of the season, the Lodge closes and now what do we do for money. Court is lucky enough to be kept on in maintenance I take a job at Zions Bank Call Center. It seems a fairly easy job and pays really well, but after I'm on the job for a month it's not exactly me.</div>
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It's very mechanical and if you don't follow the script they ding you, that's right. You have people listening in on your calls to make sure you follow exactly what they have scripted - go off that script and you get notified by your supervisor that you aren't doing your job correctly. This is crap to me...I am big in providing excellent customer service and not sounding like some robot so you can imagine the hard time I had with this job....you only get a potty break after you ask for it and then they keep track of the time you spend in the bathroom, how long you are away from the desk....ridiculous, but I stuck with it until the Lodge opened again in March and back we go.</div>
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To our surprise we were offered the Head Housekeeping position and of course we took it as it meant alittle more money and alittle more control over some of the staff that were taking advantage of the the place which in our opinion was rampant - and it wasn't only in housekeeping but in most of the departments as well.<br />
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So yet another new chapter in our lives begins - little did we know at the time just how much our lives would change in the near future.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-51466153401818157002011-09-03T18:52:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:46:56.169-04:00August 2006 - Western Legends Life Goes On<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">August 2006</span></div>
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It's after Western Legends and everyone is ready for a rest, but this time of year is the busiest part of the year for tours and other travelers. Around the end of August everyone is scrambling to get in one last vacation before school starts so we are busy with families. Our tours are mostly if not all European and Asian. Most of the tours only stay one night and every once in a while maybe 2 but we are always full , 89 rooms full most every day.<br />
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Since we didn't bring our car with us we rented a jeep to go exploring. Our first trip would take us to the <span style="color: #20124d;"><u><i><b><a href="http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/directions_n_rim.htm">North Rim of the Grand Canyon</a>. </b></i></u></span></div>
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It was windy I remember that day, my nemisis. As we leave Kanab we go through <span style="color: #20124d;"><u><i><b><a href="http://www.go-arizona.com/Fredonia/Photos-Videos/">Fredonia, Arizona</a>, <a href="http://www.jacoblake.com/">Jacob Lake</a></b></i></u></span> where the <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.jacoblake.com/">Jacob Lake Lodge</a></b></i></span> and Restaurant is and offers both cabins and hotel rooms as well as a campground for accommodations. The Restaurant has to die for cookies and is a great place for a rest stop on the way to the North Rim. The <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6IeDdGCqCPOBqwDLG-AAjgb6fh75uan6BdnZaY6OiooA1tkqlQ!!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfMjAwMDAwMDBBODBPSEhWTjBNMDAwMDAwMDA!/?ss=110307&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=FSE_003853&navid=091000000000000&pnavid=null&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&ttype=main&pname=Kaibab%20National%20Forest-%20Home">Kaibab National Forest</a></b></i></span> has various places for camping they are forest service roads and the <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://kaibablodge.com/index.htm">Kaibab Lodge</a></b></i></span> also offer rustic accommodations and then into <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://foreverlodging.com/lodging.cfm?PropertyKey=181">Grand Canyon National Park, the Lodge</a></b></i></span> and it's cabins, some of them on the edge of the canyon offer the most fantastic views. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon, sometimes referred to as the "other" Grand Canyon, is less populated with visitors and uniquely different from the South Rim.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Canyon North Rim</td></tr>
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http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-41877474441948321422011-08-06T22:33:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:46:40.049-04:00August 2006 - The Beginning of our new life in Kanab<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So this is where our "road journey" ends but a new life begins. <br />
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As I said we were offered a position in housekeeping. Most people wouldn't even think about a job like this but you know why not? You may think it's just like keeping up your own house, in some respects this may be true. Cleaning the bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming, bedmaking yes that's what we all do at home, but you aren't doing for yourself, what you do and how you do it is a direct reflection of the property you are working for. This is for the guest's!<br />
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Industry standard for cleaning 1 room as a team (which consists of 2 people) is about 15 minutes, 4 rooms an hour. These are regular 2 queen bed hotel rooms so we think there shouldn't be a problem at all....6 hours later we had done 8 rooms and we thought we were doing great! You do the math! But as time went on of course we got much better and began to get within the time frame we needed to be.<br />
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Remember it's August in the Southwest so it's hot, really hot and since we didn't have a car we were walking to work cleaning room for 6 hours then walking home we were in the best shape we've been in in a long time. Now we did get a ride in from time to time, but for the most part we wanted to walk.<br />
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Along with the housekeeping duties, I worked at the front desk from 4 to midnight and Court worked in maintenance at the same time. We got to meet the most interesting people which is what we do best.<br />
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We have time to explore <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.lvrj.com/living/hollywood-western-backdrops-come-alive-in-kanab-utah-126476313.html">Kanab</a></b></i></span>, which we quickly find out takes about 1 hour maybe. It's a very small town and there really isn't much here - no Walmart, no place to rent a car and worse of all no bar!!!! Utah isn't much for that sort of thing but we discover that just over the border in Arizona is the Buckskin which we will go to occasionally but with so many law enforcement agencies within just a few short miles why take the chance. We'll just stay at home and do our partying with the other <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.workamper.com/">Workampers</a></b></i></span>.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B10Z2Spmf9U/Tlf_95M9N5I/AAAAAAAABD8/aL3QFEfpHy4/s1600/MVC-060S.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B10Z2Spmf9U/Tlf_95M9N5I/AAAAAAAABD8/aL3QFEfpHy4/s200/MVC-060S.JPG" width="200" /></a>Don't get me wrong Kanab is a nice town and most of the people welcomed us with open arms. Before we knew it <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.westernlegendsroundup.com/">Western Legends Roundup</a></b></i></span> was quickly upon us. While we had to work we were still able to take part in some of the festivities. We got to meet a few of the stars who stayed at the Lodge during the Roundup. <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047736/" target="_blank">Ruth Buzzi</a></b></i></span> (picture at left) of Laugh-In Ruth was such a treat and we are so thrilled to be able to meet her and the rest of the stars. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0697785/" target="_blank"> <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>Andrew Prine</b></i></span></a> of <span style="color: #20124d;"><u><i><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052451/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Bonanza </a></b></i></u></span>and <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050073/" target="_blank">Wagon Train</a></b></i></span> and<span style="color: #20124d;"><u><i><b> <a href="http://www.clintwalker.com/" target="_blank">Clint Walker</a></b></i></u></span> of course it was all so exciting for us. <br />
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Mrs. Prine, Lisa McCrea, Wyatt McCrea and Mrs. Jones</td></tr>
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Everyone was dressed in their best western wear, well most everyone, official cowboys riding their horses through town and the high noon parade featured long horns all so new and fun to us. </div>
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http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-85674148020960531352011-07-23T15:45:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.061-04:00August 2006 - Our new home - Kanab, Utah<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">August 15, 2006</span></div>
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We arrived at 1 p.m in a rain and hail storm fter staying at the <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.flagstaffkoa.com/">KOA in Flagstaff</a></b></i></span> for a couple of nights before we headed to <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.go-utah.com/Kanab/">Kanab, Utah</a></b></i></span> which now instead of Vegas would be our "ultimate" destination. <br />
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However, little did we know just how ultimate it would be! </div>
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The drive was an easy drive with many beautiful sites to see along the way. We left Flagstaff at 6:30 in the morning, for some reason (probably not having money) we felt really motivated to get on the road. <br />
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We arrived in Kanab around 12:30 pm at<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.parrylodge.com/"> Parry Lodge</a></b></i></span>. We met with the General Manager, Steve Browning and some of the other staff working at the time and then on to the rv park, <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://crazyhorservpark.com/index.html" target="_blank">Crazy Horse Campark</a></b></i></span> to get settled in.<br />
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The park didn't look very inviting and we had passed a much better looking one, the Hitchin Post RV Park just down the road that we would have preferred to stay at but since our work agreement included our rent we didn't have a choice. So we stop at the office to find out where we are assigned an wow and this wasn't a good wow! There were mice running all over the place and it was filthy. In the big room attached to the check in desk which had several large bird cages and bird crap all over as well. Not a very welcome sight, but this is what we signed up for when we started our new life's journey. You take what you are given and do the best you can with it.<br />
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We had arrived just a few days before a big festival that is held every year in Kanab. <a href="http://www.westernlegendsroundup.com/">Western Legends Roundup</a> and little did we know just how big it would be - at least to us.<br />
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We made quick friends in the park and the other Workampers that had already been working at the Lodge made us feel at home (this would all change a few years later). We didn't bring our car with us, remember we said we were newbies so we didn't want to have to worry about that, we figured that we could just rent a car when we wanted to go sightseeing, you know you can do that in any city ---------except or Kanab.<br />
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The park was only 15 minutes (walking) from the Lodge, less then a mile driving so we figured that since we needed exercise anyway this would be great. Our job was that of housekeepers, we weren't going to be too picky at this point - we were out of money so for now this would be good. We knew we'd only be here until November which that point we would continue out quest for Vegas (sure we would) so we can be anything we need to be......for now.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--gdSgckV5LE/TtaNDmRFwpI/AAAAAAAABKE/sUZZDvxwWR4/s1600/Parry+Lodge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="135" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--gdSgckV5LE/TtaNDmRFwpI/AAAAAAAABKE/sUZZDvxwWR4/s200/Parry+Lodge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Parry Lodge has a storied history. Quite a few movies were filmed in and around <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://kanab,%20utah/" target="_blank">Kanab</a></b></i></span> and <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://kane.utah.gov/" target="_blank">Kane County</a></b></i></span> as well as the whole<span style="color: #20124d;"><u><i><b> </b></i></u></span><a href="http://www.utah.gov/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>State of Utah</b></i></span>.</a> If you've ever seen the <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075029/" target="_blank">Outlaw Josie Wales</a></b></i></span> or even <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047736/" target="_blank">Gunsmoke</a></b></i></span> then you've seen the sights (mountains) of the area. The cool part is the cast and crew stayed at the Lodge while they were filming. Now my husband being the biggest movie buff I know wasn't even aware that this place existed, so when we arrive he quickly delves into everything there is available to learn about the movies made here and the area.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-41888899835996741212011-07-17T13:56:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.043-04:00August 2006 - Tucson to Flagstaff<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">August 13, 2006</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-743AdgFPBHc/TiMefWDkUoI/AAAAAAAAA-k/wpnoxq_GEL4/s1600/Our+site+at+KOA+Flagstaff+AZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" m="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-743AdgFPBHc/TiMefWDkUoI/AAAAAAAAA-k/wpnoxq_GEL4/s200/Our+site+at+KOA+Flagstaff+AZ.jpg" true="" width="200" /></a>On the road again, I just can't wait to be on the road again....so the song goes. 7:00 I-10 to I-17 to <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.flagstaffarizona.org/">Flagstaff, AZ</a></b></i></span>. A very beautiful drive a lot to see along the way, we arrive in Flagstaff at 11:00 and pull into the KOA. Once again there very friendly and helpful people at the registration desk. We pay for our spot as we go through a small a winding park but beautiful at the foot of <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Elden">Mt. Elden</a></b></i></span>.<br />
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After we get the rig hooked up and the kids (Bud and Fuzzle) settled in, we decide to go for a hike. Since we started out farily late in the day we figured we go for a short hike.....right!<br />
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http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-40437550637534818462011-07-17T13:16:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.040-04:00August 2006 - Prince of Tucson<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">August 11, 2006</span></div>
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Pulling out of Deming, NM 7:30 am getting onto I-10 we are on our way to <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.visittucson.org/">Tucson, AZ</a></b></i></span>. A short day today we arrive at the <span style="color: #20124d;"><u><i><b><a href="http://www.princeoftucsonrvpark.com/">Prince of Tucson RV Park</a>.</b></i></u></span> This is a fairly large park but very clean and friendly people. </div>
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August 12, 2006</div>
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This is a day I will never forget and would be a test of my driving skills and how to react in an emergency. We pull out of the RV park and head towards I-10 towards Flagstaff or so we thought. As we reach part of I-10 overpass I hear something that sounds just like helicopters, being close to an <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis%E2%80%93Monthan_Air_Force_Base">Airforce base</a></b></i></span> we think nothing of it and we keep going.<br />
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All of a sudden the noiseis getting louder and louder and then BANG a blown tire and I'm now racing through my brain on what to do when you get a front tire blow out and the very first thing is not to put on the brakes (which I do anyway) duh then quickly release and then just start pumping. Listening to the horrible noise coming from under the rig all sorts of things are going through my head about the amount of damage this is all causing. Rememer I said we were on an overpass?</div>
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So as we are slowing down we are on a part of the roadway where we are on the otherside of the overpass and I pull over to a part of the road where there in an on ramp and you can't see us until you come over the overpass.....so I start freaking out - so much for calmness in an emergency. At the time this all felt like an omen, that after our little tornado in Alabama we should just give up and go home, it's a sign!</div>
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We call <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.goodsamclub.com/">Good Sam Club</a></b></i></span> which was a life saver for us - by the way did I mention this was a Saturday? We also called 911....So here we are, me the hysterical one imaging a truck coming barreling over the overpass and slaming into us, I'm picturing what the papers would say...."a young couple on an adventure die tragically when their motorhome was struck by a semi" what an imagination right? </div>
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A very nice woman police officer shows up and calms me the best she can. Courtney, God Bless him while panicked as well was the opitomy of calm (I only found out later how scared he was), between the two of them I was better. So the guy shows up from the tire store and accesses our tires and informs us that we should replace all 6 of our tires! <br />
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Well, quickly going through our finances we realize we don't even have enough money to do that - great now what are we destined to stay in Tucson? Nope - mom to the rescue. </div>
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We call her and she quickly wires money to our account and 4 hours and $1,200 later we have brand new tires. We decide to stay another night in Tucson and boy am I glad we did. We spent the rest of the day and night looking over the <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://workamper.com/optinnew/index.cfm">Workamper</a></b></i></span> job hotline in the hopes of finding something, anything since we are really low on money and will need something when we get to Las Vegas.<br />
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That night, while taking another relaxing swim in the pool we get a phone call from Steve Browng, General Manager of <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.parrylodge.com/">Parry Lodge in Kanab, Utah</a></b></i></span>. He said he had a job for us and before he could tell us what it was we said we'll take it. We'll be housekeepers at the Lodge, an 89 room hotel with a very big Hollywood connection, we wouldn't know how big until we got there.<br />
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7 a.m. we head out on the road to <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.flagstaff.az.gov/" target="_blank">Flagstaff, Arizona</a></b></i></span> our next stop and about 6 hours away. Thank God for the job, we now have something definite to look forward to and know that we won't run out of money!</div>
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http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-79245658288059904992011-07-15T11:25:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.059-04:00August 2006 - Texas<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>August 7, 2006</b></span></div>
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7:15 am on the road again - I-10 to Texas we leave the KOA, say goodbye to Mike and Tiffany and we are on the way. Today is a little cooler and sunny.</div>
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This will be a short day, not sure why but we're tired so 5 hours later we pull into the <u><i><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><a href="http://www.campingfriend.com/ColumbusRVPark/default.asp?file=Home">Columbus RV Park in Columbus, Texas.</a> </span></b></i></u></div>
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The camp host was just so proud of the newly remodeled bathrooms he just had to show them off.</div>
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After a shower in the newly remodeled bathrooms and a relaxing evening sitting on the porch and a nice stroll around the park we settle in for the night.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">August 8, 2006 </span></div>
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Up and on the road at 7:15, we have a long way to go through Texas so we head out on I-10 once again.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DuMM13tto94/TiMGMLO05jI/AAAAAAAAA9s/HiA5GmEmHMI/s1600/KOA+Junction+TX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" m="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DuMM13tto94/TiMGMLO05jI/AAAAAAAAA9s/HiA5GmEmHMI/s200/KOA+Junction+TX.jpg" true="" width="200" /></a></div>
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Arriving in<span style="color: #20124d;"><u><i><b> <a href="http://www.junctionkoa.com/">Junction, Texas at the KOA</a></b></i></u></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t9auKSNCeVM/TiMIVfScc7I/AAAAAAAAA90/Um0-4cuVO5A/s1600/Campsite+at+Juntion+TX+KOA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="135" m="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t9auKSNCeVM/TiMIVfScc7I/AAAAAAAAA90/Um0-4cuVO5A/s200/Campsite+at+Juntion+TX+KOA.jpg" true="" width="200" /></a> on the Llano River, register and go to our site which is under a tree not too far from the river. </div>
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You could tell they hadn't had too much water as the river levels were really low but the water was very refreshing from the heat.</div>
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We also took advantage of their pool and since we were practically the only ones there we pretty much had the pool to ourselves - which was nice, peaceful and very relaxing. After our swim we did our laundry, showered and went to bed, as I said we had a long way to go to get through Texas so rest is very necessary!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">August 9, 2006</span></div>
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As we pull out of the KOA in Junction, Courtney takes a quick scan of the map to see how far we still have to go get through....another 5 hours later and we land at<span style="color: #20124d;"><u><i><b> <a href="http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/balmorhea/">Balmorea State Park in Toyahvale, Texas</a></b></i></u></span> and what a find this was. Watch the video produced by State Parks of Texas here ..............</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">August 10, 2006 </span></div>
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7:45 up and out and heading towards New Mexico. About 5 hours later we arriving in <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.cityofdeming.org/">Deming, New Mexico . </a></b></i></span> We drove around just alittle and really didn't see too much of interest so we went back to the first RV park we saw, <span style="color: #20124d;"><u><i><b><a href="http://www.roadrunner-rv.com/index.htm">Roadrunner RV Park</a>. </b></i></u></span> </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FEBKioZsMdk/TiMFOMSUZ3I/AAAAAAAAA9k/e045qRtgnLM/s1600/Our+camp+host+at+Roadrunner+RV+in+Deming+NM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" m="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FEBKioZsMdk/TiMFOMSUZ3I/AAAAAAAAA9k/e045qRtgnLM/s200/Our+camp+host+at+Roadrunner+RV+in+Deming+NM.jpg" true="" width="135" /></a>Paul was our park host and a very nice and cordial man. He took the time to make sure we were settled in and proceeded to show us around the park and let us pick some nuts from all of the pecan trees on the property and they were fabulous, sweet and smooth tasting. Nothing like fresh anything! We had a really nice nights sleep, very restful. Until tomorrow and our quest for Vegas....</div>
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http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-71586711616158724072011-07-15T11:01:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.054-04:00August 2006 - Westbound and downAugust 6, 2006<br />
7:00 am and we are on the road. Heading to I-10 and Louisiana.<br />
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Again an uneventful trip, still hot and very, very humid, but I will say the roads in <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://louisiana.gov/" target="_blank">Louisiana </a></b></i></span>are horrible. So many potholes, uneven and just plain nasty. We're surprised that all of our things in the cabinets didn't come falling out.<br />
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2:00 pm we pull into <a href="http://koa.com/campgrounds/lafayette/">Scott, Louisiana KOA</a> and some friends we met in Port St. Lucie catch up with us. Mike and Tiffany show up after 10 hours of driving. They are headed to the KOA at Circus, Circus in Vegas and plans are in the works to hook up with them once we arrive in the hopes we can get a job there as well - funds are getting low.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-63479361866692196512011-07-15T10:32:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.052-04:00August 2006 - Next Stop Alabama<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">August 4, 2006</span></div>
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7:30 am we leave Williston heading towards US-27 & I-10. The drive was relatively uneventful, hot, and humid. We kept cool in some of the most inventive ways possible. <br />
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9 hours later, it's 4:30 pm and as we look to the skies we see ominous clouds, darkness and wind beginning to start so Court figured a route shorter than the one we were going to take. However, the shorter route meant narrower roads and since we are "newbies" at rving this <span style="font-size: small;">would prove to be a</span> challenge.<br />
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So far not a problem when all of a sudden here comes this semi up the other side of this road (remember I said narrower roads) and with no where to go we hold our breath and go for it. With what seemed like inches to spare we make it past the semi inching to the right shoulder as much as we could without going in the ditch and "whew" we made it!<br />
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As we pull into <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.waleswest.com/index.htm">Wales West Train & RV Resort</a></b></i></span> the storm hits so we take refuge as close as we can to the office building and ride it out. As Court made his way back to the rig the wind grabbed the door and slammed it so hard against the side that it cracked the door. The rig was rocking back and forth so fiercely we felt like we would be tossed at any minute. In front of us were the park hosts frantically trying to get their awing in before it blew away. After a few minutes the skies were a bright blue, the wind and the rain was gone and we got settled in. </div>
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http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-17276565551570273642011-07-07T13:30:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.033-04:00August 2006 - Heading WestAugust 3, 2006<br />
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After 2 weeks of fun and relaxation we needed to buckle down and head west. We left the <a href="http://www.portstluciervresort.com/">Port St. Lucie RV Resort </a>at 2:30 pm heading to I-75 and US-27. 5 hours later we land at <a href="http://www.willistoncrossingrv.com/index.php">Williston Crossing RV Resort</a>, one of the costliest ones we'll stay at on this journey. I think it was fairly new when we came upon it, accidently by the way, we really don't plan, we just do! That's the best way in my opinion, you never know what you'll find along the way.<br />
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<br />http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-43520816304192482702011-07-01T11:46:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.045-04:00July - Moving OnJuly 11, 2006<br />
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Up and out at 9:45 am and on the road via NY 352/US15 to I-81 (NY, PA, MD, WV &VA). Along the way we passed Kenny Chesney's tour bus, Rick Hendrick Motorsports semi and Richard Childress Racing transport, a pretty uneventful (thank God) trip so far. 7 hours later we arrive at <a href="http://www.townofwoodstockva.com/">Woodstock, VA</a>. Tonight we camped at another Wal-Mart, this time it was quiet.<br />
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July 12, 2006<br />
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7:30 am and we are heading out south through Virginia between the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ridge_Mountains">Blue Ridge</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_Mountains">Appalachian</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenandoah_Mountain">Shenandoan Mountains</a>. It's sunny and windy! Wind, my nemesis. About 6 hours into the journey the wind is getting stronger, and because of this we decided to find a campground and finish up the day communing with nature and enjoying a few cocktails. I've not experienced driving in the wind until today and if you've never driven anything bigger than your car in the wind, then you it's hard to explain. You feel like at any minute you can get blown over (not really, but in my mind that's how I felt, still do today). But through searching other RV sites and blogs, it really takes quite a bit of wind to do that.<br />
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We are in Wythe County, VA at the <a href="http://www.townofruralretreat.com/recreation.php">Rural Retreat Campgrounds</a> - absolutely beautiful. We will get the hang of this RV thing, if we had wood we could have a campfire, if we had charcoal we could cook out and again we need ice.....but very relaxing nonetheless, quiet with alittle rain at night pattering on the roof put us to sleep.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">July 13, 2006</span></div>
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The next day we stopped at the<i><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><a href="http://leehi.com/" target="_blank"> Lee Hi Truck Stop in Lexington, VA</a></span></b></i> to dump the tanks. Now at some point you too will experience "getting dumped on" and today was Court's day. Everything was going so smoothly, we paid the $10, go the the dump area, insert the hose into the station, pull the lever for the black tank (this is what holds the waste) at which point the hose blew off and Court was covered in crap, toilet paper and pee!!!! I couldn't stop laughing and thank God that wasn't me......so we reattach the hose, finish emptying the tank and off he goes to get cleaned up. Well I guess with all that just happened, we can excuse him for using the Ladies room instead of the mens. <br />
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After a change of clothes - off we go.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SUY9qhDgxuY/TiNXHXVeEsI/AAAAAAAABA0/n1TdmvCqAg0/s1600/sisters+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135px" m="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SUY9qhDgxuY/TiNXHXVeEsI/AAAAAAAABA0/n1TdmvCqAg0/s200/sisters+house.jpg" true="" width="200px" /></a>This will be an easy day, only 4 1/2 hours to my sister's house in <a href="http://www.americantowns.com/nc/horseshoe">Horse Shoe, NC</a>. Arriving at her house around noon we hook up - only to blow some circuits 3 hours later we go onto generator power. Ray later fixed it so we got off of the generator and back to the house power. We will stay here for about a week visiting with mom, Linda and Ray. Nothing to eventful on this trip, quiet relaxing and it gave us time to route out the rest of our journey West.</div>
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It was great seeing everyone again......<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>July 20, 2006</b></span></div>
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8:15 am and it's HOT again! I-26 East to I-95 South, heading towards Florida, our next official stop to visit family and reat friends. Traveling 348 miles we decide to stop in <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townsend,_Georgia" target="_blank">Townsend, GA</a></b></i></span> for the nigh and find a great campground, <u><i><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><a href="http://www.mcintoshlakervpark.com/">McIntosh Lake RV Park</a>,</span></b></i></u> it's a beautiful park and we were able to get a spot close to the lake with a view, clean, very clean bathrooms and a restaurant just outside our door. <br />
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We settle in, have some cocktails and stroll around the park to meet the other campers. There ae a few people gathered by the dock so we head over to meet them. There we meet Leah and Troy the owners After finishing our cocktails we head for dinner at the Lakeside Restaurant - being the only ones there, we enjoy and quiet dinner and great food. Another stop by the dock and a campfire (did I mention it was hot that day?), yes I said campfire, any type of weather is campfire weather (except of course the dreaded windy weather ), have one last cocktail with the others and then turn in for the night.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">July 21, 2006</span></b></div>
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8:00 am and headed to Florida - I-95 through Georgia and Florida, I cannot wait to see everyone, it's been way too long. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lsATbzOibag/TiNfL1zXFuI/AAAAAAAABBc/PT8bzMSoTr4/s1600/IMG_0103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" m="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lsATbzOibag/TiNfL1zXFuI/AAAAAAAABBc/PT8bzMSoTr4/s200/IMG_0103.JPG" true="" width="200px" /></a>After 6 hours and yet again a gratefully uneventful trip we arrive at<span style="color: #20124d;"><u><i><b> <a href="http://portstluciervresort.com/">Port St. Lucie RV Resort</a></b></i></u></span>, spot 62 I believe and settle in for a while. By the way leaving Georgia we spent $2.97 a gallon for gas!!!! Gone are those days right?<br />
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Getting together with our friends, going to the beach, walking the<a href="http://www.insideflorida.com/detail/fort-pierce-inlet/"><span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b> jetty in Fort Pierce</b></i></span> </a> which was my dad's favorite place to go and now mine...it's just so peaceful listening to the waves lapping against the rocks and seeing the <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manatee">manatees</a></b></i></span> come up for air - most gentle giants. <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oDGrgBtQRQ&feature=relmfu">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oDGrgBtQRQ&feature=relmfu</a></b></i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our crew in Florida - great friends</td></tr>
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http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-36720678761153616532011-07-01T10:52:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.037-04:00July - 2006 It's a New DayJuly 8, 2006<br />
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Okay, so much for rest, but we have to plug on so to speak. We didn't leave<u><i><b> <a href="http://clarionboro.org/">Clarion, PA</a></b></i></u> until noon, but then again we didn't have far to go that day as we continued to my brother's house in <i><u><b><a href="http://www.bigflatsny.gov/">Big Flats, NY</a>. </b></u></i> Stopping along the way in <i><b><a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Snow-Shoe-Pennsylvania.html">Snow Shoe, PA</a></b></i>., I'm getting out of the rig and heading to the restroom, as I'm doing that I see a semi pull up and since it's mid-July he (at least that's what I thought at first) was not wearing a shirt. But as I get closer I quickly realize it's not a guy but a female!!! Shirtless, boobs hanging out there as if she were by herself.....I had to rub my eyes to make sure of what I was looking at. Yep, it's a woman! Jimini Crickets Batman put a shirt on. It wouldn't have been too bad if she was a "looker" so to speak but she was a very LARGE woman (if you get my drift). At least she put on her shirt before she exited her cab....You just never know what you'll see on the road.<br />
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We arrive safely in Big Flats somewhere around 8 p.m. So we head out to relax and stoll along <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.gafferdistrict.com/" target="_blank">Market Street</a></b></i></span> in downtown<u><b><i> <a href="http://experiencecorningny.com/">Corning, NY</a>. </i></b></u>stopping at the<u><i><b> <a href="http://www.936-beer.com/">Market Street Brewing Co</a></b></i></u>. for a cold one. Then we went on to the<b><i><u><span style="color: #20124d;"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Waterfront-Restaurant/328766033999" target="_blank">Waterfront Restaurant in Hammondsport</a></span>, </u></i></b>we listened to the band ate and drank and met new friends. Later that night we had cocktails and dinner with Bill and Cyndy at <i><b><a href="http://tagstickets.com/index.asp?pageId=1">Tags</a></b></i>, then home to bed.<br />
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...and yes it was finally a great nights sleep. We stayed with Bill for a few days. He lives in the <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b><a href="http://www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com/">Finger Lakes Wine Region</a></b></i></span> so of course we took a drive and stopped and tasted wine at various stops along the trail. If you ever get the chance you need to take the tour not only is it beautiful but tasty too.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-27858979061580023112011-06-17T19:09:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.035-04:00July 2006 - All Roads Lead to Las Vegas (or so we thought) <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fuzzle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bud</td></tr>
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July 6, 2006, 12:30 p.m. we are ready to start our exciting new journey with our faithful dog Bud and our cat Fuzzle. It's 78 degrees, sunny with a slight breeze, stopping to put the car in storage (remember we're newbies, didn't want to tow a car) we head towards I-65. 4 hours later we stop at the Welcome Center in Ohio and bed down for the night - whew! </div>
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So we park away from the trucks and other cars that are bedding down for the night, have some dinner, walk the dog and just relax. Time to go to bed, we open the window, we didn't want to run the generator because we were afraid we'd asphyxiate ourselves with the exhaust. It was cool enough so that was ok.</div>
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Do you remember the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047191/">Long, Long Trailer with Lucille Ball and Dezi Arnez?</a> Remember when they stopped at a gas station that was closed but they decided to stay there anyway, and as Lucy tries to sleep she hears all the trucks, cars, horns and sirens go by? Well, it wasn't quite that bad, but we could hear the cars coming and going, the doors opening and closing, horns, semi's pulling in, but thankfully no sirens.</div>
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Just as we were starting to nod off here comes a semi, pulls up right next to us and of course they keep the truck running, so needless to say that was not a good night sleep.<br />
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Pulling out of the Welcome Center 8:00 a.m. sharp, sunny with a high of 80 degrees no wind (thank God - I'll explain later) we're back on the road heading towards Pennsylvania. We were in route to my brother's house in <u><i><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Flats,_New_York" target="_blank">Big Flats, New York</a>.</span></b></i></u> Just outside of Youngstown we get behind a tar truck, a very dirty tar truck and wouldn't you know it, he's full of tar, he hits a bump or a pothole and out comes the tar all over the front of the RV since we couldn't stop right way, we waited until our next stop to clean off the front of the rig.</div>
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8 hours later we pull into a Wal Mart in Clarion, PA. You can park free at some Wal Marts, <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=itsu02-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1885464215&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>just a word of advice, be sure you check with the store manager before you settle down and do patronize the store too. Check out the book I've posted here, it's available through Amazon.com, just click on the picture.</div>
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First we go shopping for food, to go food mainly, salads so there's not a lot to clean up. After dinner we settle down, open the window, it's quiet so far, cool breeze so we should be able to get a good night's sleep. There were a few other RVr's parked not to far from us so we felt pretty safe and we were under a parking light as well. All of a sudden, this car pulls up right outside our window with it's radio blaring, just one person in the car, weird I thought when I first looked so I get up to check the time and it's 2:00 a.m. He stayed there for quite a while then left. Guess we'll get a better night's sleep tomorrow night!<br />
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http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-40256623834029928052011-06-12T13:27:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.038-04:00July 2006 - RV Living - Life ChangingAny change is a good change, especially if you learn from that change or are willing to learn. Again this goes back to what I said in the beginning, living your life the way YOU see fit, not how others think you should.<br />
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We literally walked away from great paying jobs with benefits, great benefits, cashed in our retirement savings and the security (at that time) of knowing we'll always have a job. Was it scary and stressfull, yes, I'd have to say it was - was it worth it and would we if given the opportunity do it all over again - DEFINITELY.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> The boys at Sgt. Preston's Lafayette, IN</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Court, Mark and Steve Needham and me at the Pub, Lafayette, IN</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John, Jeff, Court and Dick at the Pub, Lafayette, IN</td></tr>
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So after we picked up our rig, had a few garage sales and put the rest of our belongings in storage we were ready to hit the road, taking some time to visit family and friends before heading to Las Vegas, which was our ultimate destination. </div>
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We are first time RV owners, fulltimers, newbies as we would find out is the name for those just beginning and without the help of anyone - we're off. Now there are several, maybe hundreds of sites and books out there for first time owners, read a couple but it can be overwhelming. </div>
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I've listed few links here for books that we feel may be worth the reading before you set out on your own adventure.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Full-Time-RVing-Life/dp/0934798532?ie=UTF8&tag=itsu02-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Complete Guide to Full-Time RVing: Life on the Open Road</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=itsu02-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0934798532" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fulltiming-Introduction-Full-time-Gaylord-Maxwell/dp/097419610X?ie=UTF8&tag=itsu02-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Fulltiming: An Introduction to Full-time Rving</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=itsu02-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=097419610X" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-RVing-2nd/dp/1592574661?ie=UTF8&tag=itsu02-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Complete Idiot's Guide to RVing, 2nd Edition</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=itsu02-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1592574661" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/RVers-Bible-Everything-Choosing-Enjoying/dp/0684822679?ie=UTF8&tag=itsu02-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The RVer's Bible: Everything You Need to Know About Choosing, Using, & Enjoying Your RV</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=itsu02-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0684822679" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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http://www.blogger.com/profile/13703905736979358326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1506823545211981304.post-16303922317041289442011-06-10T10:26:00.000-04:002013-06-15T11:11:29.031-04:00July - 2006 A New Beginning <i>It really is isn't it? Put aside outside influences, opinions and everyone telling you how you should act, what you should eat or wear or say, is it healthier to be a vegetarian or a carnivore. Bottom line it's one person who can influence you......and that's YOU!</i><br />
<a name='more'></a>Never mind the little voices in your head, half of the time it's someone else's voice anyway, listen to your own voice, your own gut because truly at the end of the day your's in the only one that counts. <br />
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We had become members of <a href="http://www.workamper.com/">Workamper</a>, an organization comprised of mainly retired folks who travel in their RV and work jobs usually no longer than 5 to 7 months at a time. The idea sounded absolutely fabulous and would be a great way to see the country make money in the process. We began our research on motorhomes in 2001, if I remember correctly.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xsyxVYRiPTQ/TiNBJecE14I/AAAAAAAAA_c/XT8rSZolLUc/s1600/Lafayette+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" m="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xsyxVYRiPTQ/TiNBJecE14I/AAAAAAAAA_c/XT8rSZolLUc/s200/Lafayette+home.jpg" true="" width="200" /></a>So, in 2006, really long before that but we took action at that time, we decided we were walking away from life as we knew it. We were bored with what we were doing, because we were doing what everyone thought we should be doing and what we were taught to do you know, 2 jobs, 2 cars, 2 kids (we didn't have the kids), 2 dogs, a house with a white picket fence (okay so not a white picket fence either) and we still weren't happy. This wasn't the life for us. We wanted to move away from the norm, dance to the beat of our own drums so to speak and not try to keep up with the Jones'. We wanted to do what our parents never had the chance to do.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z50zKcVsWso/TiMn93ZEQEI/AAAAAAAAA_M/NGA4Q-MBOJk/s1600/new+rig1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" m="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z50zKcVsWso/TiMn93ZEQEI/AAAAAAAAA_M/NGA4Q-MBOJk/s200/new+rig1.jpg" true="" width="200" /></a>We began our journey when we decided to put the house on the market, sell our truck and everything in the house except what we wanted to hang on to, cashed in our retirement and bought and paid in full for an RV. It took us a while to find the right RV, but we did. We took possession of our new home May, 2006. A 1999 Georgie Boy Pursuit, 26 ft. with only 23,528 miles on it in pristine condition.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wNQnQdpWR-g/TiNDlus14fI/AAAAAAAAA_k/J-1sKtaiggc/s1600/new+rig+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" m="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wNQnQdpWR-g/TiNDlus14fI/AAAAAAAAA_k/J-1sKtaiggc/s200/new+rig+3.jpg" true="" width="135" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nuD7k7_K7Kk/TiMn0CepyyI/AAAAAAAAA_E/ZGCcLjBMBZo/s1600/new+rig+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: undefined; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" m="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nuD7k7_K7Kk/TiMn0CepyyI/AAAAAAAAA_E/ZGCcLjBMBZo/s200/new+rig+4.jpg" true="" width="135" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jo83xZLejcY/TiNESGxh2SI/AAAAAAAAA_o/3WE7ULaKHs4/s1600/new+rig+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" m="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jo83xZLejcY/TiNESGxh2SI/AAAAAAAAA_o/3WE7ULaKHs4/s200/new+rig+5.jpg" true="" width="200" /></a> </div>
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This decision is not for the faint of heart and you really, really have to like each other. Like being the operative word. If a short drive in the country ends with a you not talking to each other then this adventure is not for you. Every little quirk is multiplied especially bathroom practices.<br />
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You can't go to another room to escape the sounds coming from this little room so you just learn to tune it out. You can go outside of course, but in the middle of the night? I don't think so.</div>
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You learn to live with much, much less material things <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=itsu02-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003UNJX4S" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />than you've had before, and you realize all that "stuff" you had before wasn't really necessary to begin with. Depending on the size of the rig you buy or whether it's a fifth wheel, Class A or Class C you also have very little refrigerator space, closet space, etc. So you learn to be a little pickier when shopping - for anything!</div>
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Again those voices I mentioned previously will kick in from time to time but you find it alittle easier tuning them out when living in an RV. You don't need all of the bells and whistle on some of the bigger rigs, it's all about being comfortable for me plus there's less to go wrong.</div>
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