Seeing how other people live/vacation/survive?

Who are we to judge another person's way of living, style of dress, political, sexual or religious persuasion? I strive to be an open-minded and accepting person, but I've always struggled with that "judging" thing, especially when it came to tidiness.

I remember way back in 1973, taking the Harlem Line down to Grand Central Station every day that I worked in NYC, and being saddened by the poverty all along the route. I always found myself being judgmental about the "untidy" factor, because even in my most frugal of times, I might not have had much, but I took great pride in keeping what I had neat and orderly.

The train ride afforded me views of tenement buildings where sheets were used as curtains (something I've had to do), yet the sheets were hung askew and garbage was thrown out the windows to the alleys below. That caused me to judge the people who resided behind those "curtains." Since they had no respect for themselves or their precious possessions, I could not muster respect for them. There  is a difference between being poor and being slovenly. 

Yesterday and today, we viewed different styles of habitation and found myself "absorbed" by the different, rather than "judging" the different. I found a redeeming quality in each of the unique abodes we came across. It was quite interesting - as the photos below depict.

Last night we stayed at Snow Shoe RV Park in Snow Shoe, PA. It was a nice, level park with friendly owners/managers. They couldn't say enough nice things about our RV and were excited that we were parking right in front, where everyone could see it. We chatted awhile about who we are and where we're going. My story was met with a lot of "oohs" and "ahhs." reminding me to stop and give thanks for all we have and for all we do. We promised to stop by again with stories of our westward travels if our return trip passed their park.

Tonight, we opted for a bargain-priced stay at the local Walmart in Norwalk, PA, located close to I-80. I always love staying for free and since it's a rainy night, it will be easy sleeping with the rhythmic drumming of the raindrops on the roof of the RV. The temps should also drop so we won't need to worry about running the generator.

This was parked in the abandoned Freight Liquidators parking lot in Fishkill, NY. Although it made me sad to think anyone would need to live in this very basic shelter, it must at least be meeting the needs of a person who is taking pride in what little they have. So for this I had respect.

Pennsylvania: The Keystone State -  Capitol is Harrisburg and largest city is Philadelphia.

Our view  from Snow Shoe RV Park in Snow Shoe, PA - The blue tarp covered their common dining area. Functional and family oriented.

I loved this one. It had to be from the 1950's and lovingly maintained. Small, functional and funky.

Ohio:  The Buckeye State, Capitol and largest city is Columbus.

Norwalk, Ohio Walmart. Clean, neat, functional and free!

Deep thought for the day: Stop often and give thanks for what you have and spend less time  wishing for the things you don't. ~ vc

Sweet Home Alabama

Our trip to Alabama, took us through all of Louisiana and most of Mississippi before we called it a night. It was truly a long day's journey into night and the first time that we needed headlights to navigate our way through the dark, desolate and winding roads. My wish to stay along the Mississippi went unfulfilled and remains on my bucket list.

The Mighty Mississippi

We had gotten on the road at 9:30 AM and didn't shut Allie down until 8:30 PM the first night. We covered 514 long miles knowing we had an overnight at a Walmart on tap. Once we hit Fulton, MS, we called it a day.

We were so blessed with great weather.

Beautiful roads and views of Alabama

I've made many observations during our long journey. For one, cotton is my favorite crop, because it looks like snow-covered fields amidst green rolling hills of grass. Secondly, there are a lot of people out there who like old rusted memorabilia, or who hoard, or who are just plain junk collectors and the last - and sad observation, is that the wounds caused by the Civil War have yet to heal for many, even with the passing of so much time. The display of Confederate flags had me feeling conflicted - I wavered between anger, pity and respect. At times, the division between north and south is palpable and sad. Perhaps it bothered me because I am a firm and staunch US Flag fan, even if I am not a fan of our government, per se. Our flag is hoisted over victories and devestations as a symbol of strength and determination and is draped over our fallen heros as a blanket of gratitude.

The sun rose quickly in Fulton and we found ourselves with just a short 45-minute drive to Tiffin Motors in Red Bay, AL - the manufacturer of our RV. The visit there was quite an experience, to say the least. I've never toured a plant so huge or been in the presence of so many Tiffin RVs. The parking lot on Tiffin property was chock-full of large Phaetons, Allegro Buses, Allegro REDs and Open Roads, just like ours, all awaiting repairs.

Due to that full lot, we were directed to one of the local RV "campgrounds" to wait until we were called for service. I'm being very generous with the term campground - bare minimum was all you got - water, sewer and electric. Rigs were parked so close together that you needed to be careful when extending your awning. Down past the last rig in a row of about 15, began the "RV Graveyard." See photos, because the sight was beyond words.

Not sure what happened to that Airstream.

Sorry, but we missed the photo-op of the toilets and refrigerators.

The mess wasn't limited to RVs. There were cars, trucks and boats.

A rare moment, being at a loss for words.


~~~~ REPAIR DAY ~~~~

6:55 AM - far right - waiting for the bay door to open.

Allie being checked out

The immense building that fits over 30 motor homes

Once our repairs were NOT done, due to Tiffin no longer honoring extended warranties, we made a beeline for the State line where another long ride led us to a Walmart in Albany, Georgia.  It turned out to be a less than desirable location, perhaps due to it being a Friday night. The sounds from loud shoppers and mufflers made sleep elusive , yet morning came quickly, and surprisingly quietly. Lucy was already in her basket, seeming to know that we would be getting back on the road, and just wanting to get it over with fast.

Life, as we know it, seems to find us dealing with something that is not working and today was no exception. My insulin pump decided to sound an endless alarm, forcing me to remove its battery. A call to customer service ascertained that the motor, once again. had quit working. As upset as I could have been, the timing was actually good since we are so close to our Florida address. In the meantime, it's a time-consuming drag of testing and covering high glucose readings with injections.

After 4,460 miles of driving, stopping, going, sightseeing, grand-children hugging, blogging, socializing, fun-seeking, rock collecting, eating and awe-inspiring sights, the long "2nd Great Big Adventure" has officially come to an end.

Deep thought for the day: Although this journey has ended, our possibilities are endless...stay tuned.

Day 6 and 7 - We Made it to Colorful Colorado!

Are we there yet? Lucy has been such a good traveller, but yesterday, she gave me this look and all I could imagine her saying, is "Is this almost over?" And I was happy to tell her that we would be lowering our jacks this night and remain put for two weeks. 

I think Lucy enjoys Walmart parking lots more than we do. She always seems to be curiously entertained.

We thought that once we were off of I-70 we would see a drastic change of scenery, but as the photos below prove, we were wrong.

The last 60 or so miles of Kansas roads looked the same as those 200 miles previous. The photo above depicts Colorado I-70 West. Eerily, it felt a lot like Kansas.  

The photo below shows what felt to be the longest portion of the trip so far. It felt like a scene right out of a Twilight Zone episode. No signs of life, except a cow here and there, for almost the entire section of road. We were on Highway 86 for only 60 miles, but it was mostly an uphill climb and although Allie did her best to keep her momentum, pulling 29,240 pounds was a daunting task.

The longest and straightest roads ever....These are two shots of Highway 86.

The photo here shows the first town we hit on we hit Highway 86. We had driven about 45 miles before reaching the first signs of civilization - Kiowa, CO. I caught a pic of a Sinclair Gas Station and stores along Old Main Street. 

Around 4 pm, we were settled into Jellystone Park Campground. I chose this pricier park because it it is geared towards children and our three little granddaughters will be spending a lot of time here. Besides, I grew up watching Yogi and Boo Boo, so a reminder of my past will conjure up some fond memories.

See a clip-CLICK HERE

On Wednesday, two days ahead of schedule. I will get to hug and squeeze those three little monkeys. I can't wait to see Nina and Lola, and get to really know and bond with little Emma. The reason for this journey is finally at hand. 

The view outside our windshield. Surreal. They haven't seen rain here in a long time and you can see the dry, packed, dusty roadways that run throughout the park. I can almost imagine myself seated atop a huge stallion getting ready to ride the range. I need to get me some cowboy boots!

The coming days will be filled with memory-making, so I doubt there will be time for many entries. However, I'll be taking notes and photos to permanently document the adventure in a future blog or two.

Deep thought for the day: The word "Love," falls so easily off your tongue. It's as if you exhale the word. I love exhaling. ~ vc

Day 2 - Second stop - Columbus, Ohio

We woke up this morning to 63° and it felt too much like fall for me. A nice, early start on the road gave us plenty of time to rack up over 300 miles today and we now find ourselves planted firmly in a Cabellas' parking lot close to Columbus, Ohio.  

Cabellas near Columbus, Ohio

At one point, I had "G" put on the floor vent for some heat to take the chill out of my toes, another reminder that fall is fast-approaching. A couple of milestones we passed along the way today were the Allegheny River and the highest point east of the Mississippi, which was at mile marker 111 on Route 80 - elevation 2250. Allie made it all the way up without a hitch, even though she is teetering on the heavy side.

We passed mile after mile of beautiful windflowers. A little research led me to discover that in 1982, the Audubon Society partnered with the PA DOT and created a magnificent view for travelers. Some of the wildflowers currently in bloom were, Goldenrod, Cattails, Fairy Wand and Ragweed, to name the few I knew. 

        Beautiful Fairy Wand 

              Goldenrod 

Once Route 80 turns into the Ohio Turnpike, it becomes a toll road. However, on the bright side, for only $20 per night, an RV can pull into one of the many rest stops where electric hook-ups and a dump station are provided. We surely are not in Kansas (NY) anymore. Even with that cool option, we decided to veer off south to Route 71 to avoid the tolls and eventually make our way to Route 70, the major Route just south of 80, which runs directly into Denver. 

The whole trip, the song, "Ohio," by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, kept playing over and over in my head, which caused me to research the awful Kent State College Shootings that left four young, unarmed Americans dead and nine wounded during a protest over Nixon's moving troops into Cambodia. National Guard Troops were called in even before the protests began, because anti Viet Nam Conflict sentiments were high among the kids that were being deployed to fight a battle they knew would never be won. I end that topic here, as I do not like to discuss religion or politics in my blog.

Lucy has adjusted very well to being "at home" in a Cabellas' parking lot. It never phased her appetite or curiosity one bit (or bite). We are very fortunate that she has adapted so well to this adventure.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping for a quick departure and a few more hundred miles behind us. I'm guessing that my next entry will generate from Indiana. Stay tuned.

Deep thought for the day: No matter where you go, or how far you travel, all roads are better than the ones in NY.

Look close to see her licking her lips!