Gun Creek Campground, Rend Lake, IL - Site 23

When we stayed here on our way to Washington DC, we were right next to the lake.  But, when we made reservations the few sites with full hookups were reserved.  We are approximately 300 feet from the lake and have a beautiful view of the lake.  We are surrounded by trees which is nice because we are not right out there in the sun.  We have a wooded area in back of Dixie.

This morning Dick set up our new "digs".  We are collecting "stuff" as we travel the highways of our America the Beautiful.  When we were staying at Camp Meade, Maryland we noticed quite a few gazebos similar to the one we purchased.  We even got  a 10% military discount from Bass Pro Shop.

Since, the bugs love to bite me, this allows us to be outside and enjoy the scenery without me scratching those nasty bug bites.  The bugs don't bother Dick.  They all swam to me.  Dick says its because "you're so sweet".  I say "ha". 

We purchased a table to go in our newest "digs".  The great thing about this table is it is adjustable to different heights.

This morning we got up and I went for a bike ride and then Dick went for a bike ride.  Then, we ate our usual breakfast and carried our coffee and tea out to our "digs" along with my Kindle and Dick's lastest Louis L'Amour book.  The weather actually was cool.  NICE!  We enjoyed our new "digs".  We had to come in eventually and do the usual few chores, you know dishes, etc.

Our next purchase will be new chairs and an outside rug to put inside our new "digs". We are running out of room to put our "stuff".

Here are a few pictures we took this morning.

Dick enjoying his morning coffee at Rend Lake, IL - Site 23



Joan having her morning tea at Rend Lake, IL - Site 23

 

View of Rend Lake, IL - Site 23

This a very nice peaceful campground!

Starting our 2011 adventure in Dixie to see our country, America the Beautiful.  Stayed at Midway Park, Waco Lake from Wednesday, April 6, 2011 to Saturday April 9, 2011 in Site #22.  A good place to rest after getting Dixie packed for our wonderful adventure!

I always try to snap a picture of our first meal as we begin our adventure.  These are the dishes I bought when I worked at Ginsberg Jewelers in Des Moines, Iowa before we go married, August 24, 1963.  They are melamac.  When we quit using them, I told Dick to pack them away, in case we were fortunate enough to RV when we retired.  And, here we are RVing and using these old dishes!

The Good, The Bad and The "Yucky"!

The story of the tote.

What is a tote?  What is a tote used for when RVing?  Below is what a tote looks like.

Last year (2009) while out on our first adventure, we saw this piece of equipment strapped to the ladders of RVs driving along the highway.  Each time we saw one strapped to the ladder we would put on our thinking caps and have a discussion as to what this particular item could be used for.  We came up with:  extra water tank, maybe extra gas but we really did not know what the answer was.  Well, we found out what a tote is used for while camping at Toledo Bend Recreation Site.

Here's the story.
We have asked a number of RVers what toliet paper should we use?  We, specifically, asked if we needed to use the toliet paper sold at Camping World.  You get, about 10 sheets per roll :) and comes packaged as 4 rolls per package for anywhere from $3.00 to over $4.00.  Plus, the fact that the toliet paper is not very soft, to say the least.  We were told "no", just make sure the toliet paper you purchase is septic safe.
 
So, I started looking at the toliet paper that read "septic safe".  And, surprising to me my favorite TP read "septic safe".  So, I purchased a supply of my favorite TP which is Charmin with the blue logo on the front.  We were using this TP but after our blackwater tank (the do do tank) got full, we both noticed the TP was not going down into the blackwater tank.  The TP was stuck.

An RV toliet is different than the toliet in the house.  The flushing mechanism is different, also.

The sensor on the blackwater tank was not reading that it was full.  We knew we were getting close to a full blackwater tank.  I used the toliet and I could not get the TP to go down the hole.  I called Dick (Mr. Handyman) is to look at the situation and he told me he was having the same problem.

Dick's hand was too large to push the TP and other stuff down the toliet.  My hand fit.  Without gloves on because we were trying to hurry I stuck my hand down the hole and tried to get the "log jam moving".  We then got the flashlight and the blackwater tank was plugged with the soft, gentle toliet paper.

I figure my hands have been in worse "yucky" excretments since I have changed diapers on three kids before disposable diapers were all the rage, not to mention the throw up of three kids.  I washed my hands in hot soapy water, bleach added at least six times.  I even had gloves in our emergency kit but was in too much of a hurry to get them out.

A tote is used as a receptical to drain the blackwater waste into and take to the dump station if staying some where, where there is no sewer.  Several of the places we have stayed do not have sewer but we managed alright.  If you take the rig over to the dump station which usually isn't very far away, you need to come back and straighten up your living quarters, again because everything moves.

With the friendly RVers at Toledo Bend Recreation Site Dick drained the blackwater tank into a tote, hauled the tote to the dump station and unplugged the toliet that was full of soft, gentle toliet paper.  He made approximately six trips with the tote strapped to the back of a pick up truck.

When we arrived at Hilary's we bought a tote.  Here is a picture of where the tote is stored in the basement of the RV.  Learning to be RVers takes patience and working together.  We, jokingly laugh "What else do we need to learn"?

Where we are, today!

Today, we are sitting in the pickup (RedBud) at the State Park using the WiFi and making calls.  We are on our way to Leesville to go to the grocery store for fresh fruit and vegetable. 

The State Park is approximately 3 miles from where we are.

Beautiful scenery!  A beautiful day today, here at Toledo Bend!

Will be journaling as I can.

Toledo Bend Recreation Site

March 16, 2010

We are out in the “boonies”. We are having problems getting a cell phone signal that we do not lose. We are on the Louisiana side of this very large manmade lake. It is cool, gray and overcast, today. We are surrounded by tall pine trees. The pine trees are different than pine trees found in the Western United States. We have our small electric heater on to keep the inside of the motor home warm. It was cold last night. I got to sleep with the window cracked approximately ¼ of an inch. I love to listen to the sounds of the night and the early morning sounds!

We will be leaving here Thursday, March 25. We will be at Hilary’s for two weeks.

This morning when we got up, other residents in the RV’s were starting to mill about. Dick went outside to chat with two other old guys in RV’s next to us. One had on a Navy hat, one had on an Army hat and Dick had on his Air Force hat. I wondered where the Marine hat was. :)

The people in the RV next to us cooked fish they had caught from the lake for lunch today. They deep fried them with a corn meal coating. We are not fisherman/woman but I do like fish.

Tomorrow we are going to Fort Polk to the commissary to pick up groceries. I hope to find WiFi somewhere on the post!

Glad this day is over!

Whew, what a day yesterday, March 15 was! Dick set the alarm clock for 6:00 a.m. For some reason, the alarm clock did not go off. I woke up at 6:36 a.m. and we scurried around to get ourselves on the road as soon as possible. We had decided to eat breakfast before we left Shields Park NAS Recreation Area rather than pull over at a roadside rest stop which is what we usually do. After eating breakfast, we finished getting the last minute tasks done. I have a check list of reminders that need to be done before we get on the road. We went through each of those reminders and left Shields NAS at 09:49.

Dick pulled the RV out of the slot and parked along the road so we could secure the new Blue Ox towing equipment to the pickup. I pulled the pickup out and parked behind Dick and using hand directions motioned me forward so he could attach the pickup to the towing bar. I was pretty proud of myself because this was the first time I had done that.

We left Shields NAS and proceeded to the gas station. Dick remembered that he had forgotten to hook up the safety cable and the electrical cable that makes the turning signals and the brake lights work on the pickup. We pulled into an area that was easy to pull out of, something we learned last time we were out.

After filling up at the gas station which we had scoped out earlier to make sure we had easy access going in and coming out and checking the height of the roof over the gas pumps we got on our way at 1020. But, after pulling into the gas pumps we noticed there was a van parked in the direction we were leaving which made the turning space narrower. I said to Dick, “Are you going to be able to make that turn?” “Why don’t you see if you can find out who owns the van and ask them to please move”? Dick stated, “No, problem” (meaning he would have no problem making the turn). I am amazed at his ability to maneuver the motor home plus the pick up through tight areas. I guess growing up on the farm in Iowa and driving large trucks in a convoy when he was in the Army has been burned into his brain.

It was nerve racking driving through Houston, Texas. We did not go through Houston at rush hour but the traffic was still bumper to bumper in a number of spots. Dick figures the motor home and the pickup make us about 60 to 65 feet long.

We got to Kirbyville, Texas and we decided to pull off so we could go to the bathroom. Dick states, “There’s an old abandon gas station that is easy in and easy off”. He pulls in but realizes the roof of the motor home may not fit under the roof of the gas station. I get out seeing if I can gauge whether the motor home will fit. It was so close, I couldn’t tell. So, Dick climbs out and states, “It’s so close it’s not worth the chance”. Because you cannot back up when you are towing a vehicle behind the motor home that meant we had to disconnect the pickup from the tow bar. That is what we did, disconnect and then maneuver the motor home and the pickup so we could back up and then hook back up again.

We arrived at Toledo Bend Recreation Site (TBRS) at 8:30 p.m. in darkness. We had to use the flash light to read the map. And, we almost missed the sign directing us to TBRS. We were tired when we got here!

Tidbits

Sunday, March 7 we woke up to many seagulls squawking. We are parked approximately 1000 feet from the bay. This morning we walked eight tenths of a mile. We walked up to the bay and Dick said, “I wonder why the seagulls are squawking so much”. I stated, I bet they are saying “Those humans think they have such a great view but we are the ones that have a really great view”.

It is very windy here. Today it is overcast. Because of the wind, it is cold.

Last year we purchased a weather monitor. You place a sensor outside and the monitor tells you what the temperature and the humidity is outside. It tells you the time, temperature and humidity inside, too. Both of us were sure we had seen the sensor stored in the cabinet above one of the chairs. I looked in the cabinet and Dick looked in the cabinet. We took everything out of the cabinet. We looked under all the furniture, as well as, down in between the cushions, to no avail. We have been looking for this sensor for two days. I told Dick the cabinet was like a dryer that eats socks and leaves you with one sock and no mate. I told him the cabinet must have eaten the sensor because we were sure we both had seen the sensor in this cabinet.

Today, Dick was sitting on the couch and I was sitting under the cabinet and we were saying to each other, “I wonder what happened to that sensor”. A few minutes later Dick pointed to the wall next to the chair and said “It’s hanging on the wall.” And, there it was, right where we had put it! We both laughed.

We, now, are able to get Fox News. YEAH! We finally, with the help of a friendly RVer in the park, got the satellite pointed in the right direction. We got the emergency band radio working today. Dick needs to install the new Oxygenics shower head which is suppose to give us more than a trickle of water in the shower.

Disappointment and Arrival!

After a daunting March 5, we have arrived at Shields Park NAS Recreation Area, March 6. More about the trouble we encountered, later. We are parked in slot number 125 and have a view of the bay looking out our kitchen window, living room window and bedroom window. We left San Antonio at 1020 a.m. We stopped and weighted because we thought we were pretty loaded. It cost us $9.00 to weigh. We weighed 21,640 pounds and our rig’s maximum weight is 26,000 pounds. We did very well packing Dixie and I think we have everything we need.


Now, to our saga of yesterday March 5, the day we were scheduled to leave San Antonio. We got Dixie loaded with all of the belongings that we were to take around 1:00 p.m. We hooked up the “little red pickup” and we thought we were “ready to roll”. We climbed into Dixie and headed west to the corner of Sunny Oaks and Mainland. Dick made the turn onto Mainland and we were headed toward the entry. I just happened to say “how’s the little red pickup pulling”? Dick glanced down at the back up camera and stated in a surprised voice, “The pickup is weaving back and forth”. He immediately stopped and got out to see what was going on. Pretty soon he came to the passenger side where I was sitting and stated “we have problems”.

Remember, the old saying “You get what you pay for”? This proved to be very true in this situation. Because we did not know what we were doing last year we bought a cheap tow bar. It gave us problems last year when we were out “Wandering the Highways of America the Beautiful”.

One episode we had was we were traveling down the highway and Dick noticed the pickup was moving back and forth. He stopped, got out and checked the tow bar and the brackets welded to the pickup. All of the bolts and nuts had fallen off the brackets except for one. This was pretty scary because if the pickup would have come loose, it could have wandered into oncoming traffic and caused an accident. We re-welded the brackets at Adams. Plus, another problem we had with the cheap tow bar and brackets was, I had to stand between the motor home and pickup holding the tongue of the tow bar up so Dick could pull forward and hook the tow bar over the ball which was attached to Dixie. I hated doing this because I was afraid that I would get pinned between the pickup and Dixie.

We, now, have a brand new Blue Ox tow bar and brackets. We no longer have to worry about the little red pickup coming off the tow bar and smashing into traffic. Remember, Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox, I wonder if this is where the name came from? And, I do not have to help Dick hook the tow bar to the ball on Dixie. YEAH!!

After much discussion, we decided to spend the night of March 5 in our motor home which was parked in our driveway. We had completely closed up the house and did not want to have to go through the hassle of redoing everything.

The morning of March 6, we had to be at Texas RV Supply at 0730 to have the new tow bar and brackets put on the pickup. We decided we would leave from Texas RV Supply so Dick drove the motor home and I drove the pickup. We ate breakfast in the motor home as the work was being done on the pickup.

Our Day Today and Yesterday!

Today, when we woke up it was brrrr, cold.  We got out our small heater to warm Dixie.  We play the game of fan or heater each day.  We had put the heater away since we were traveling South to Texas and got out the fan.  Now, the fan is put away and the heater is sitting where the fan used to sit. 

We found out yesterday, there are three Military Police that live in the RV park which makes us feel a lot safer.  This morning, we saw the MP vehicle drive by.

I survived my spray of toliet water yesterday!  Yuck!!

Today, we just puttered around the RV.  We had purchased two spice racks.  Dick hung those today.  I read my new Taste of Home magazine from cover to cover.  I wonder if I should continue my subscription as I have been getting this magazine since the early 90's.

Yesterday, we did errands.  We drove to Camping World and purchased some items.  One of the items we found was a tool that holds the valve of the toliet open.  There were two left and we bought one.  Now, there won't need to be two people to clean the "do doo" tank and best of all I won't have to worry about being sprayed by "do doo" water.  We went to the Commissary (grocery store) and bought groceries.  I can't buy too much because the refrigerator is quite small.  Right now, it is crambed to the hilt.  I am getting really good about getting food in the refrigerator.

 There is a lot and I mean, a lot of construction going on at Fort Bliss.  Lots of soldiers and desert camoflaged vehicles parked in fenced off areas.  We could not go in the gate the office told us to enter because of all the construction.  It really is quite amazing!

On our way back from Camping World, we were actually in Anthony, Texas which is very close to the New Mexico border.  When we left CW we entered New Mexico to come back to El Paso.  We saw the "Welcome to Texas" sign.  Dick took highway 375 back.  We were in the Franklin Mountain State Park.  It was gorgoeous.  Gorgoeous in a different way because it is mountains in the desert.  If you used your imagination, you could see Cochise with his band of Indians on horseback.