Toronto, Canada- Indian Line Campground

June 25, 2013

As noted earlier, yesterday was a long hot drive, particularly the last hour or so in rush hour traffic. Positive on the bus was that I could pull the driver side curtain but the lack of the generator meant engine driven A/C only…this kind of heat requires both roof top A/C to keep the “Big Aluminum Box” comfortable.  Alex had it tougher with no shade and no good place to pull off to deal with it.

In the end the 200.8 mile day was just at the upper end of the “Movin On” limit, but the slightly chilly pool was a welcome relief and now we get to kick back and explore a city we’ve wanted to visit for a long time. Big plus at the end of the day was Ty getting his favorite food, octopus, at the “Mr. Greek” restaurant just down the road... and Grandy got some Retsina  :)

 

Grandy’s back at the pool, caught in a downpour with the kiddos so I’m adding to today’s update.  We had a slow morning today.  Went down to the campsite office to add a third night to our stay and move sites to one with a more convenient hook up.  The kids are loving the train line running next to the campsite, complete with double stacked container trains like on Ty’s favorite show, Extreme Trains.

We drove into Toronto today to get a feel for the city, see some sites, and run some errands.  We will have to do the CN Tower another day since the visibility wouldn’t have been good this morning.  Ty is hoping for a ride on the trolley system and we’re debating a trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame.  We enjoyed a trip round Saint Lawrence Market.  We found all sorts of yummy treats from octopus at the fish monger (Ty asked if we could bring it back to the RV for dinner,) to real English clotted cream, a stall selling every type of meat from kangaroo to camel, and several interesting looking cheese mongers.  In the end we left with only corn on the cob to cook for dinner, 2 bottles of Wayne Gretsky wines and some spanakopita for lunch, but I could have happily spent hours there.

North into Canada

June 24, 2013

Yesterday was transition day. We went from “got to get there” to “where should we head next” and it’s a world of difference.

Time to share the reason behind the blog name with some of the lyrics from Simon and Garfunkel's famous 59th Street Bridge Song:

Slow down, you move too fast.
You got to make the morning last.
Just kicking down the cobble stones.
Looking for fun and feelin' groovy.

I've got no deeds to do,
No promises to keep.
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep.
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me.
Life, I love you,
All is groovy.

So that’s what we’re doing. Slowing down.

Did a little sojourning and ended up visiting a Country Store near Ashord and then wandered around Ellicotville which is a bit upscale due to the Ski Area at the edge of town. Key points with the grandkids was “that is the greatest ever, we have to stay and do it all day” (Ty playing on a 4 car train at the General Store) and when we moved down the road it was “that is the greatest ever, we have to stay and do it all day” ( Sophie & Ty at the Garden House in Ellicotville.) In the end it was a good day of exploring the area followed by a rest in the bus watching the Scows race and then a terrific dinner with George and Connie in their rather historic 1920’s house

Today we are head north of the border.

I wrote this first bit last night not knowing that a fairly solid thunderstorm has me considering renaming the Big Aluminum Box the Arc. The lake came up about 2 ft over the night and this beautiful camp spot is now rather soggy.  Looks like the driest path is around the club but I’ll wait for George to consider our options. Good thing is we really don’t have any place we have to be and this is a very pretty place to be delayed.

Cuba Lake is an interesting bit of engineering, shaped like a boomerang, the southern end is an earthen dam and the western end is a spill way. The lake is feed by a stream and springs. Each winter they drop the water level down so all the docks can be left in place.

In the end despite a lot of standing water the ground was firm and we back straight out….. big sigh of relief.

Part 2 – Arrived in Toronto after a long day… highlights include

• very limited success at Camping World just south of Buffalo
• fairly easy if not particularly very friendly crossing at the Peace bridge
• lost fuel gauge 50 miles out of Toronto.. paid premium for peace of mind, turns out we only put in 113 liters/30 gallons so we still had close to 50 gallons left. Credit card not working so paid cash, including a surcharge for using US dollars.  Exchange rate of .95 US to $1 Canadian?
• Good but needs to be confirmed with a longer test. 279 miles used 30 gallons = 9.3/mpg, can only hope that continues.

Last day at Cuba Lake YC

June 23, 2013

From “Movin On” – “Travel doesn’t have to be a vacation it can be a lifestyle”

Unfortunately for most of us, work and providing for a family get in the way of life. This seems very relevant this week as Diana and I approach our 40^th Wedding Anniversary. And as is typical with us, we are about 1,500 miles apart. But on the positive side she is with Katie and family as they await the arrival of the newest grandchild and I am with Alex and her kids.

When Diana and I first met in September of 1972, while I was stationed in Athens, one of the things that we enjoyed most was that our work schedules allow us a 4 day break every month. In a small country where you were allowed to camp on just about any beach it was possible to really get to know the place.

One of the key aspects of those travels and a few other trips we have taken over the years is the openness of people that you meet in those situations. And the terrific tips of things to see and do. The 3 trips that come to mind that best illustrate this are:

• ·         A 1992 charter in the British Virgin Islands. 15 family and friends on a pair of 50’ boats that brought together 3 generations, and the following trip with Ron & MJ sharing with Mom, Dad, Di & I all the spots that they had found over the decade in between.
• ·         Di and I (and my golf clubs) in 1989 working our way south from Whistler Mountain in British Columbia to San Francisco
• ·         Narrow boating in England with our good friends “The Girls”

Each of those trips were relatively slow passed and provided us a lot of opportunities to just sit and chat with folks.

I was reminded of this yesterday after the hustle and bustle of the racing, dinner and awards – as all the boats pulled out to get back to their regular routine a group of about 10 of use were left sitting in the pavilion and enjoying getting to know each other and sharing fun stories.

The other thing that came to mind is that Dad was about 65 when we did the charter in the BVI’s and that was the last trip that he was comfortable with skippering a boat. Got me to thinking about how much longer I will be able to share those types of experiences with our next generation.

Last winter I made a really silly impulsive purchase of a 1970’s Boston Whaler –Montauk 17. Just about exactly the same as a boat dad bought. Hopefully next winter I’ll be able to restore this boat back to point that our grandkids can enjoy it as much as we did. And yes, Sophie and Julianna will give the Great Aunt Lynnie a run for the title of wildest kid on water skis.

On the practical side of things, I was reminded yesterday of the reality of getting maintenance done on an RV during peak “vacation” time. When I called Camping World in Buffalo to inquire about getting the generator serviced the response was “we’re booking appointments for the second week of July”. This isn’t any different than what I’d experienced in Florida during “Snow Bird Season”. Guess it really is time for me to start taking some of the classes that some of the bigger campground/service centers offer. Fortunately the lack of a reliable generator isn’t a major deal but it will limit the amount of “dry camping” we can do.

We had a much appreciated dinner invitation from Connie and George this evening at the lovely Tudor style home on the Lake and then tomorrow we’re headed for Niagara Falls/Toronto. Next weekend should see us back in New York around the Rochester/North Seneca Lake area before we head to the south end of the lake for a 2 week stay in Watkins Glen.

Things Learned:

• ·         There are few things better than seeing the face of a 4 year old on her first ride in a power boat on a pretty lake doing 30 mph.
• ·         A small kayak would be a great addition for the kids.
• ·         Connectivity is really important – Alex has used up 50% of her allotted monthly hot spot time on her iPhone in 3 days.

Cuba Lake YC- NY State Lightning Championship

June 22, 2013

Well we managed to make the only really hard target date. I had promised to help a good friend that “snow birds” in Miami with a major event at his local club and we made it. Cuba Lake YC is a Norman Rockwell picture perfect small “diyc” club in Western New York. George has made it his personal mission to reinvigorate sailing on this pretty lake and he has done it. From the Pirate Sailing School for the next generation to rebuilding the Lightning Fleet while maintain solid C-Scow and MC-Scow Fleets this place in firing on all cylinders.

And happily for us an old member had created the most perfect camper spot looking straight down the lake. As is normal these days I was up about 5 am but this is a positive when you are treated to a symphony of birds and the sounds of fish jumping.

But the fact is that the best entertainment of the morning was Sophie’s dance recital to Jimmy Buffet about 7:15 this morning. Other highlights included Ty first experience with Race Committee work (including driving the boat), and a post race tour of the lake in George’s Boston Whaler.

As to the racing… it was a perfect day with solid wind for all 5 races and a well-timed lunch break after race #1 to let the afternoon wind settle in. With all the kids swimming in 60 degree water and the “older” folks enjoying Connie’s Rum Punch the post race party was a solid success.

I’ll second that on the rum punch!  It was a picture perfect spot to be camping, watching the racing, and sitting by the water with a drink.  As for the kiddos- I couldn’t drag them out of the water.  They were so excited their first afternoon and evening by the lake that I had to tell them if they didn’t go to sleep they wouldn’t be allowed to go back in the lake.  They were both asleep 5 minutes later.

Day Three- Cuba Lake

June 21, 2013

Another early morning listening to a symphony of birds. From the start this trip was designed to be a “Shake Down Cruise” with several questions to answer. First and foremost, what state is the 10 year old RV in after 2 ½ years of storage. Which is reasonable but like all mechanical things it needs maintenance. Also is the issue that it was created in the analog age so both the TV’s need conversion to digit signals. Other than that we are still getting a feel for what is needed.

Beyond the basic operation of the bus there is another question which is a major part of the “Movin’ On” book. They went thru 4 different RV’s.. 28’ Class C, 34’ Class A Gas, 39’ Class A Diesel Pusher and then back to a 28’ Class C when the bought a house in Arizona after 10 years on the road Full-Time. To start they point out that the phrase RV is too vague as it is used for everything from a Pop-Up trailer to a high price Executive Motor Home. For my purposed this also include the aquatic branch of the family as what they come down to is something that you live in either full-time or occasionally that does have a foundation.

Key questions in deciding what sort of unit you need comes down to how what you are interested in doing. If you want to travel a lot and have several generations then even the biggest Motor Home is probably not the best choice. Right now we are not using a “dinghy” (a vehicle towed by the bus) because my Ford Ranger wouldn’t work for the 4 of us. But mommy driving a Ford Explorer is a great asset for visiting once the “house” is parked.

When I first bought this there was a fair amount of discussion with a couple that had just come back from a couple of years with a towed trailer. I wanted something that could be used as a movable apartment for work but at the same time tow a boat to regattas. In fact that didn’t turn out so well as most Yacht Clubs don’t have the space for a big RV.

Our current campground is a good microcosm. From our spot I can see 7 units

• Our 34’ Class A Motorhome
• Two 5th wheel trailers about 30’
• One is the “Camp Hosts” that stay in about 3 different campgrounds over the summer for about a month
• The other appears to be here for the season, or as long as the state park allows which I think is 30 days in PA
• A conventional towed trailer
• A slightly smaller towed trailer with pop-out bed annex’s at each end
•  VW camper – he was an over the road trucker and thought about a Class A but decided he was tired of big rigs.
• Tent

On the other side of the trees there about 15 sites that a slightly closer together and the spacious site we are in and they don’t have electricity. This are all tents with a mini-van or 2 and a lot bikes.

So what are we planning on doing and how does this unit fit those needs. As mentioned before this is a house on wheels.. it has:

• 3 A/C units – 2 on the roof plus the typical engine drive one
• a "complicated"
  refrigerator that runs on either A/C or LP and knows when to switch between them
• bedroom with a Queen Size bed, sliding door hanging closet, samller hanging closest over 2 drawers and about a dozen other storage areas… plus the bed hinges up for storage under it.
• in addition to the Refrigerator, the galley has a 3 burner propane stove, large micro wave oven with exhaust hood, 2 bowl stainless steel sink on a corian counter top. There are 3 large drawers and 2 cupboards
• the primary area includes the most comfortable sleep sofa I’ve every been on, a 4 seat dinette and  swiveling Lazy Boy Recliner that has a small work desk next to it.
• audio
  visual includes a 25” TV in the main area and a 18”TV in the bedroom. The radio is fairly standard automobile unit except it has a remote switch next to the bed to turn it off.

What would I want to change.

• Update the TV’s and Internet access to satellite, the fact is that even here in Pennsylvania connectivity  is nill… yes I want to get away from it all but still need to be able to touch base and use the internet from research and planning.
• Get the grandkids use to sleeping in a tent.. this will come with time.

Short-Range Plan - For the next 5 years or so I’d like to find a Sailing (not Yacht) Club in the northeast where we can expose the grandkids to life away from the Urban environments of Federal Hill and Delray Beach. It seems that both Cuba Lake and Seneca Lake are strong possibilities but I’d also like to look at something a little closer to the coast. My thought would be to use this bus as a camp/base at the perfect club so that I could support both the youth program and race management activities. However, like the retired truck driver next door, yesterday’s drive up here (when I was the middle of a sandwich between 2 big truck rigs) reminded me that for the longer term I’d want to find something that travels easier, gets better fuel economy and doesn’t separate the kids and the adults into separate vehicles..something along the lines of a 28’ Airstream trailer pulled by an E-250 would seem to make sense.

Well we made it to Cuba Lake YC and it is everything we were hoping. Parked the RV 50’ from the water with a view straight down the lake… big surprise was the kids jumping right in the lake which is a very shallow and gradual slope… Sophie was shivering and kept saying “I'MMMMMM NOTTTTTT COLDDDDD”

Nice dinner of Tortellini and salad… and a bottle of wine

But even better is the chance to Skype with Di, Liam,Juliana…. and then a call from Ian.