'21/#20 A Down Day Due To Weather And More Weather Talk

 So many people follow us and see our lifestyle and comment on how they would love to do what we do. I will tell you that we feel very fortunate to be living this real life adventure and sharing it with all of you. Sometimes though reality slaps us upside the head and reminds us that this life comes with all the ups and downs that come with life. I have talked in the past about the routine of cooking, cleaning, and maintenance that everyone needs to deal with. We also have to deal with mother nature just like everybody else.

Today we have a storm front coming through so it will be an inside day. That makes it a good day to blog. I woke up to some light rain and now the sun is shining but the weather forecast is for more rain with a possibility of severe storms. Being in an RV we are more susceptible to high winds than a stick and brick house. We do have the option of leaving if the forecast is for catastrophic weather unlike a permanently anchored home. Now don't misunderstand. We don't run every time it rains but we do use common sense to decide if the weather is something we can safely ride out or not.

Ok, enough about the weather. Mary wants me to tell you about her first day working in the park. She was assigned to Splash Town Water Park at the cabana rentals. Needless to say the first open day of the season didn't bring out a lot of people for the wet and wild, fun in the sun activities. Mary was bored and was reduced to people watching, which was eye opening and also eye squinting. The locals who did come to the water park in their bathing suits definitely had been suffering from cabin fever. Dealing with the winter weather up here they either stayed inside or stayed bundled up against the cold. Mary could not believe how white (untan) everyone was. The glare was blinding. Mary considers herself fair skinned but felt cocoa brown around these bathers who haven't seen the sun in months! 

In addition to Mary's water park observations we have noticed that the locals also dress differently than us Florida Snow Birds. Temperatures in the 60's and 70's had us in jeans and tee shirts while the locals were in shorts and tank tops. My friend Linda who lives not far from here has already teased me about turning on the heat in the mornings to take the chill out of the RV. The 70-80 degree range in Florida is the cusp of heat vs A/C weather while up here they are talking about how hot it is.

Oh well, as RVers we have to be adaptable to all the changes that come with our ever changing locales. I'm getting hungry so it must be time for lunch so I will forage in the fridge for something to eat here in our home in Corfu, NY because.....

Home is where we park it,

Frank and Mary

'21/#19 Welcome To Darien Lakes

 

Darien Lakes theme park is going to be our home and work place for the next few months. As you can see we are working very hard. Seriously we are getting to work while we also are having fun. That is the joy of workcamping, at least the way we do it. 

We aren't working down at the beach. Instead we are working at the General Store in the campground. Days one and two had us working at several different places around the park as part of our training. We also got to meet more people who work here and also live in the area. They will be great sources of information for our adventures this summer.

We have heard that this weekend we are going to be busy. People are excited to be able to get out and about as things from the pandemic start to get better. On top of that, it is Memorial Day weekend which is the start of the summer season. The campground is booked to the capacity that is set at this time and will ensure plenty of foot traffic through the General Store.

We both have been vaccinated and are still using common sense when dealing with the people we come in contact with. We wash and sanitize hands often, keep distanced, and wear masks when in crowded areas. Step by step we are getting closer to a sense of normalcy and hopefully the progress continues.

Well it is time for dinner so I will sign off from our home at Darien Lakes because....

Home is where we park it,

Frank and Mary

'21/#18 And So It Begins

 I am sitting here all alone, having some lunch, and contemplating life before I start my first day of work. Mary went in earlier in a different part of the amusement park so we will compare notes later. We figured it would take until our training is done and the park is going full tilt until our schedules sync.

The past week was fun and productive. We are finding our way around, picking our favorite stores, and seeing some of the sights. Our time will mostly be spent between Buffalo and Rochester along the I-90 corridor. 

Parts of the interstate system up here are toll roads as more and more around the country are becoming. Traveling with a truck and trailer can get expensive on these roads. With the old RV we had a total of five axles and now we are down to four axles. On the principle of things I have always tried to avoid toll roads since I am paying taxes through my tags, license, fuel, and any other way that the government could dip into my wallet. I have also resisted purchasing a toll transponder for the same reason plus the fact that many states use different transponder systems. I didn't want a row of transponders across my windshield so I could travel about the country.

Well I finally broke down. Florida dinged me on a surface road in Tampa that apparently is part of the ramp to the toll road. By the time our mail was forwarded to us the toll was late and had accrued late fees more than doubling the actual toll. One of the things to consider when fulltime RVing. Not knowing the roads around north west New York I wound up on a bridge that was a "toll by tag". Having to take care of it by phone pushed me to buy an EZ-Pass. At least EZ-Pass is accepted by most states in the north east  and is working its way down the east coast. Florida, as backwards as they are, is actually accepting EZ-pass on some of their roads. I held out as long as I could but finally gave in.

I am going to sign off now beacuse it is time for me to get ready for work here at our home in Darien Lakes because.....

Home is where we park it,

Frank and Mary

'21/#17 A Day In Our Life

If you have followed us for any length of time you know that this is not a vacation but a lifestyle. As with any lifestyle there will be those days that are humdrum or just routine.

Today is one of those days. We got up, showered, went to the post office, and are now sitting in the laundromat watching our clothes go round and round. Exciting, huh?

Fortunately our lifestyle gives us great opportunities to see and do things that are far from routine. Yesterday we drove to Letchworth State Park and on top of getting our steps in we saw some awesome waterfalls. Niagara Falls is not the only waterfall in western NY, just the most famous. 

 This is one of the three falls we saw and note the rainbow. Lets just say it was well worth the trip. There and back we drove the secondary roads and saw plenty of the rural parts of NY State.

Too many people who have never been to New York think that New York City is all there is in New York and miss so much that the state has to offer. Half of all New Yorkers live in less than 1/10 of one percent of the total acreage of the state. That leaves at lot of farms, forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, and small towns to see and enjoy. 

I know this because New York is my home state and Mary knows because she like many RVers just want to experience this great country first hand. 

Well the laundry needs tending to, so goodbye from the laundromat near our home in upstate New York because...

Home is where we park it,

Frank and Mary

'21/#16 Getting The Lay Of The Land And The Water

 First let me thank those of you who have posted comments through the blog. I get immediate results and satisfaction of knowing that we are being followed  and enjoyed when you post through the blog. Thanks again.

Now that we have settled into our home in upstate NY we are checking things out in our area. To the east is the city of Batavia where we have found a grocery store new to us,called Topps, that will serve us well. Of course we have found the local Walmart and gas stations with the best prices on diesel. Then, as people of a certain age, we have to find our local pharmacy to supplement the mail order pharmacy that is all important to full time Rvers.

Another day we went west towards Buffalo and found another grocery store called Wegmans that was a real eye opener. A little on the fancy side and leaning toward gourmet cooking but with all the rest of the usual staples we find in our pantry, all reasonably priced. Driving around the city we came to the conclusion that anything else we need can be found in Buffalo. 

With all our errands complete and most of the day still in front of us we took a drive to Niagara Falls. We have been here several times over the years but to say that it was worth seeing again is an understatement. The falls are awesome! Just strolling around Niagara Falls State Park with no agenda but to take in the view and plenty of pictures got our steps in for the day. But who's counting?

By this time my stomach had an agenda of it's own, so when in Buffalo where do tourists eat? Why not try the Anchor Bar and Restaurant, the home of the original Buffalo Chicken Wings! As they say, "when in Rome...." so we ate what the area is known for. 

Mary ordered Buffalo wings and I had the "Beef on Weck". Everybody knows what buffalo wings are but beef on weck? For those who don't know it is a roast beef sandwich on a kummelweck roll. Think a kaiser roll topped with coarse salt and carraway seeds. The food was very good and the bar itself was very eclectic like a novelty bar should be with  the walls covered in all sorts of memorabilia. All in all a nice place to eat and another stop checked off the list of places to see.

We have some more errands to run so I will sign off from our home in Corfu because...

Home is where we park it,

Frank and Mary

"21/#15 Let's Keep In Touch

 Just a short blog while I am having my coffee. I like to blog, when I have something blog worthy, and love that there are a bunch of you following. What would really put the cream in my coffee would be a comment on the blog. 

In the past it was a pain to post a comment, but now it seems simple. At the bottom of the blog just tap the word "comment". It might say how many comments but that makes no difference. Enter a comment where it says "enter comment". Under comment is a pull down. In name/URL it just needs a first name and your e-mail provider(AOL, Yahoo, etc). You can use "annonymous" but then I won't know who is commenting unless you put your name in the body of the comment. Then hit publish and acknowledge you are not a robot (unless you are!). Then hit publish again and sign out. 

Once you see it, it is easier than it sounds. And the comments will make my day. Anyway, I enjoy blogging and really enjoy hearing back from you. Most of you are friends, and I mean in person friends not social media friends and your comments mean a lot to us.

Well I need another cup of coffee from my kitchen in Corfu because...

Home is where we park it,

Frank and Mary

'21/#14 It's Still Home

 Once again we are settling in at our new home. This time in Corfu, NY. We are in upstate NY, between Buffalo and Rochester at the Six Flags Darien Lake. This will be our home for the next 5 months. The people we have met so far are very nice and hopefully will be just as nice to work with. Our Dollywood experience a gazzilion years ago was fun and we hope to have a similar experience here.

This park has it's own campground and a designated area for their work campers. Pulling into the work camper section we saw dozens and dozens of RVs and thought "WOW, that is a lot of workcampers!".

Upon closer inspection there were only a handful of work campers  and the rest were RV trailers owned by the park and used mostly for exchange students. Because of Covid 19 it doesn't look like there will be many, if any  exchange students, unless things change drastically.

Since it is a work camper campground it does not have the pristine sites that are in the guest section. Actually there are not too many pristine areas in any parts of the campground since the place has been closed down for 2 years during the pandemic. The winters up here take a toll on outdoor amenities and it is taking a little longer to get the campground up to snuff. Add to that the severe weather they had over the past couple of months and the springtime weather now and things are gowing rapidly and the ground is still a little soft. I found that out the hard way when I cut across the grass while backing into our paved site. All is well, the ruts have been filled in, and the ground has dried up some since we arrived. The sites also only have 30 amp electric hook ups so we can't run both ACs at one time. That shouldn't be a problem since the average highs in the "dog days of summer" are only aound 80 degrees. In Florida 80 degrees is the cusp of deciding between heat and air conditioning. We will survive. We will also have to watch our electric appliance usage because of the 30 amp limitation. Microwave, coffee pot, toaster oven, ice maker, hair dryer, etc.

Well I am going to sign off and get my day started by turning off my under the table space heater (more electric)  now that my toes are warm in our home in upstate New York because.....

Home is where we park it, 

Frank and Mary

'21/#13 RVing Brings Everyone Closer

 We are near the end of our commute north. Technically it is a commute since we are traveling to our summer jobs though I have never had to commute 1800 miles before we started work camping. While our commutes have spread out RVing has brought us closer to our friends and given us so many more to have in our lives.

No longer are people born, living, and dying in the same place. Travel and communications have allowed and encouraged people to move far from their place of birth for school, work, and family. Because of that friends and family are strewn all about the country and less readily available to visit. The same things that encouraged this also give us the opportunity to travel around the country and we feel an RV is the best way to do that.

As we traveled north we got to see children and grandchildren, friends from high school, friends from grade school, and soon friends from even before that. In our travels we have driven 20, 30, 50 even as much as 150 miles to see friends. These friends and others always say it is too far to visit and my answer is always, " If I can commute 1800 miles to go to work then 100 miles is not too far to see good friends." 

It was great to see the brothers in Florida, Terri and Bob in North Carolina, Joni and Greg in Virginia, and I look forward to seeing Linda and Marty in New York. The best part about this is that when we travel south in the fall we get to see them all again. Without RVing we would never have been able to visit friends in the far flung corners of the country.

It is time for us to leave soon so I will say goodbye for now from our home in Front Royal, Virginia because.....

Home is where we park it,

Frank and Mary

'21/#12 One More Short Stop And Then.....

 We are easing into travel mode with a couple of short trips before the road starts to unwind beneath our wheels. Zephyrhills to Mims was just over 100 miles and gave us an opportunity to see Mary's brothers. Then we went barely 90 miles to St Augustine. As those of you who know us that is where we honeymooned 32 years ago. We have to stop, even if it is a brief visit, to return to the scene of the crime and the begining of this crazy adventure.

Our next leg is a bit longer and on the high side of what we consider the maximun for a day's travel. St Augustine to Concord NC is almost 450 miles and is a lot for us to cover in one day. It doesn't sound like much but driving with 41 feet of trailer behind you is mentally fatiguing. Also we have to figure in take down and set up time at our departure and destination. And finally, and most important, we are retired so what's the rush? We usually leave after breakfast and stop in time to set up and make dinner each day that we travel. In my mind I figure 50 mph over the day's expected mileage will take in account stops for food, fuel, bathrooms and unforseen traffic. This formula has served me well for many years and will keep doing so as long as we travel.

On another note, today is our one year anniversary in the new RV. It has been a busy and crazy year but no matter what happens, good or bad, I have a story to tell around the campfire or in this case to share in a blog. The RV really feels like home and as we put more and more of ourselves into it, it will feel more and more like home. 

So now that we have settled in here I will sign off from our home at the Camping World Racing Resort in Concord NC because ......

Home is where we park it,

Frank and Mary

'21/#11 Getting In Travel Mode

 Zephyrhills to Mims is just about 125 miles. An easy jaunt and a great way to start our migration north. With family in Sanford and Geneva it was a great place to stop and spend a few days. Mary got together with her brothers and saw her nieces and nephew, some of which she hadn't seen in years. Good food and good conversation all make for good company and a good visit. This looks like a regular stop for us now on the way in or out of Florida.

While in Mims we heard from an old postal friend who lived nearby. We made plans for dinner and after 25 years we picked up right where we left off. After three hours of catching up we agreed to get together when we get back in the fall. Good friends will always be friends.

The morning is getting started and we will be on the road in the next couple of hours so I will finish this blog and finish my coffee and sign off from our home in Mims because....

Home is where we park it,

Frank and Mary

'21/#10 Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'....

 It is time for us to start the next leg of our adventure. The winter season in Florida is over and the snow birds have flown north and it is now time for us to leave also. Our trips are not usually due north or due south but take a meandering route that allows us to see different place and people as we travel. so....

Our first stop will be a scant 100 miles due east! We will be staying in Florida for a few more days, but on the east coast. The first stop will be to spend some time with family. then the route turns north. 

Yesterday we got most of the rig ready to travel and only have a few things to do before we head out. Things inside need to be stowed for travel, the electric cord needs to be rolled up, the truck needs to be hooked up, and our final walk around before the wheels start rolling.

I am going to finish my morning coffee and then get started on my day. So good bye for the last time from our home in Zephyrhills because.....

Home is where we park it,

Frank and Mary