A Weekend in the Georgia Mountains

Friday morning, besides being Black Friday here in the USA also brought us cooler weather here in the Georgia mountains. Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days for US consumers! We tried to stay away from shops but lost that battle!

The 4 of us drove over to Amicalola Falls State Park which is only 15 or so miles as the crow flies but for us, it was close to an hours drive. The twists and turns and up and downs proved very scenic and at this time of the year, the views are more prominent with no leaves on the trees! We arrived at the base of the falls and took time for some photo ops and a little walk about. It was too cool to get too serious about hiking anywhere. Next, we drove to the top – there is a hiking trail up but the sign said ‘Old Canadians’ not allowed! Why aren’t the views of a falls as good from the top? Anyway, next we drove through the campground which was nearly full – I can not imagine pulling our rig up here let alone getting it down. It would be exciting!

From here we wound our way around to the Frogtown Winery for some taste testing! Remember, it is Black Friday and many people must have our idea – too many at the bar for tasting so we found a table and had lunch! The crowd cleared enough for us to squeeze in and had a blast tasting and kibitzing with each other and the bar maid!

Time to move on and now this is where sneaky people insert a little shopping! We arrived at Dahlonega, the site of the first US gold rush in 1828. I’m sure we went there for the historical value and the shops just got in our way! All kidding aside, it is a cutsie little town that surrounds the courthouse square with boutiques and restaurants. All the tress around the square are full of thousands of mini lights. Tis the season here! This is the times when we miss being home at Christmas, shopping and enjoying the festive air! I’m sure I’ll get over it when we step outside to tee it up in the mid 60’sF. It was fun anyway and we even contributed to the town’s economy!

 

It was nearing dark and that makes it a little more exciting to drive these mountain roads! Back to the villa as happy hour approaches and more time for some Mexican Train! A great day outing was had by all except for Sassy, Lydia’s dog was under the weather when we returned – she must have missed us or is giving us the cold shoulder for leaving her behind! Sassy loves to fetch. She has a stuffed squirrel, stuffed bear and a couple of balls. She will play with anyone that takes the time to throw her toy. When she’s tired, she’ll take a break but no break for you! She’s cute but like any other dog, they eat and then they poop and someone has to pick that up!

On Saturday, we were to play golf but the cold air was buffeted with some wind and made it even cooler so onto plan B. We started out to visit the Kennesaw Museum but made a stop for fabrics. Jim & I went into Golf Smith, wandered aimlessly and stepped into the practice area to hit some of the new demo clubs available to us. You name it, we hit it! After we loosened up, we met up with the ladies and stopped in for lunch and topped up our fluid levels! Unfortunately, it got to late for the museum so back to the Villa for more Train! The Museum will have to wait for another trip. We sure had another great day, with our friends, enjoying their Georgia area.

Ok, so Sunday is our fall back plan for golf! Wouldn’t you know it, colder today with even more breeze! Our alternative is to go to the club house for brunch! If you can’t golf, let’s eat! After gorging ourselves, Jim & I dropped Barb & Lydia off at the Villa while we ran some errands in town. We came back to watch our video of our Alaska trip in 2009 then onto some serious Mexican Train. We took it easy the rest of the day as we planned to leave Monday AM – truth be known, the cold chased us out!

We had a wonderful time visiting with Jim & Lydia, meeting their family and sharing in their Thanksgiving. It’s a good thing they don’t have full hook ups or they might have trouble getting rid of us!

We hope all is well wherever you are and you are enjoying this festive holiday season.

Honorary Georgians

In the morning, we continue along GA 53 enroute to Jasper to meet Jim & Lydia at the Home Depot for escort to their community of Bent Tree. Yes, it is a small mountain town. We were to call Jim when we got to Home Depot and he would drive the 9 miles to meet us and guide us back to where we’ll store the trailer. Well, I called him and he said hang on, he had to exit the store for better cell reception. Once outside, he said “Hey, I see you”! Wait a few minutes and I’ll be right there – they were at the grocery store next door!

After a happy and warm reception, we follow them back to their community at Bent Tree and stored the rig at the base of their mountain! We loaded up their car with our luggage and headed off to their Villa! We had a great time sitting and chatting and catching up with each other since we last saw them last December. We did see them at the rally in Goshen in Sept but not like this. It was great! Jim does stained glass artistry and he made us a little gift of the Canadian flag – that was very nice!

Thursday, we were invited to join Jim & Lydia at their daughter’s home for a Georgian family Thanksgiving. As we arrived at David and Melanie’s, we were greeted with open arms and warm welcomes from all. It made us feel great. David was cooking 2 turkeys, one in the oven rotisserie and one on the ‘Green Egg’ grill  and in case anyone was hungry, he had a turkey breast roast in another oven! Oh, and did I mention that football was on every TV? They were burglarized just weeks before Thankgiving so he had to re-new his entertainment systems before Thursday.

I’m sure you can tell from above that they have an enormous kitchen. You could have 20 people in it preparing and cooking with room to spare! We had a terrific time meeting all the family and kids. Before dinner was called, we gathered in the great room/kitchen for a surprise Proclamation, read by Jim and applauded by all! We were presented with the state of Georgia flag and as honoree Georgians, were invited to sit with them for dinner – what fun, it blew Barb & I away!

Dinner was superb! Just like at home, the adults seated at one table and the kids were at another. The noise level was an indication that everyone was having a good time – even with strangers in their midst and I’m sure some of you will agree that we are stranger than most! Soon everyone was drifting to the couches and arm chairs, fully satisfied from dinner and ready for football or a snooze! Maggie, David’s mom, gave a wonderful hanging which she had personalized for each person and Melanie presented everyone with a tree ornament, including us. How thrilling and how a part of the day we felt, we appreciated the opportunity to meet and get to know everyone. 

After a late night home, we sat and chatted some more until the sand man carried us all away.

Hope all is well there…..

On the Road Again

We’re on the road again but the weather was not very friendly, the border crossing was quicker than other times. Yes, we were boarded again. The guard asked if we were bringing any food products in with us and of course, we said no! Oops, we forgot about the 2 chicken breasts in the freezer. He comes out with a heel of a green pepper but no chicken! Go figure! Anyway, he gives us the node and we’re on our way once again. The new access ramps for I75 make it very easy now. Remember how it was before they started this construction? How you had to drive through some of the least desirable parts of Detroit?

The traffic was pretty light – especially surprising since it is a travel day for a lot of Americans going to their Thanksgiving festivities. About 4, we started thinking about which WalMart we plan to get to for the night. We decide on one that is north of Cincinnati. We take the exit and make the necessary turns but can not find it! We follow the street that WalMart is supposed to be on but still no WalMart! Now we find ourselves in a residential area but wait, we see a low bridge sign – holy crap, now what! We zig this way and zag that way and finally wave down a lady in her car and ask for directions out and to the WalMart. Wouldn’t you know, it is at the next exit south on I75! Thanks to our new friend, we make it out to I75 and find the WalMart but as we enter the parking lot, we see the signs posted declaring that overnight RV parking was not allowed! Yikes! We go inside and sure enough, the local police have forced WalMart into this position. The Customer Service folks direct us to the next store south that does allow overnight parking and off we go again. Finally, we are parked and having dinner and it is 7:30PM – not bad since getting off the Interstate two hours ago!

The next day was mostly sunny and warmer, the traffic light again and we made good time. We check into the WalMart in Calhoun, Ga., about an hours drive from Jim & Lydia’s. We call ahead to confirm our reservation at their villa but they were out! Can’t understand why they were not next to their phone in anticipation of our call!

We’ll post again soon, be well wherever you are!

Our Christmas Celebration

 Shop, shop and shop…. Wow it must be that time of the year again – Christmas time! We are nearing the end of our stay as our family Christmas celebration draws near. Barb has been busy wrapping and more wrapping to get us ready. To add to our excitement, we had to take the sewing machine in for service but were assured that it would be back in our hands before we head south! OMG, we are down to the 11^th hour and still do not have it! Will we have to leave before it is ready? The last minute call came in and we have to rush into London to pick it up – wow, talk about a close call.

It’s our Christmas weekend and we’re heading off to Toronto. We have rolled in all the slides and the rig is ready for a quick departure on Monday morning.

Saturday afternoon, Barb & Terri did the spa thing, Alex took in a show with a friend while Mark & I hung out, played pool and swilled a few brown rockets. We’re celebrating Miss Alex’s birthday with Terri and Mark Saturday evening.

Sunday is our Christmas day, we arrive at Corrie’s, set up the tree (a tree given to us by our very good friends in Minnesota – that would be you Karla) and all arrive and the fun begins! The kids are getting older so the Play Station is the centre of attention and keeps them engaged! Of course, the adults are the noisy ones again. We used to think it was the kids that made all the noise but now we know it’s the adults – everyone talking and laughing, it’s too much fun! Somehow we should be able to bottle this and sell it.

 

After a fabulous dinner, we settle the kids in front of the tree and Mack did a fantastic job of playing the Santa roll, handing out the gifts, giving everyone an opportunity to open and admire their new found wealth! Our youngest grandson wanted an Easy Bake oven and when he opened it, he was too happy! Everyone enjoyed the gathering, food, gifts and togetherness! We left late and drove back to the rig and ready for the long trip in the morning.

We had arranged for the campground to have our electric meter read and the bill ready for our 9AM departure! Well, we didn’t fall out of bed until 9! Yikes! Now a mad rush so we don’t hold up the office and to get us on the road to get as far south as possible!

Ok, so now we’re on the road and we’ll update our trip in the next edition. Keep well and be safe.

The Waiting Game

We left Larry’s a little later than expected but we were in no hurry so who cares? Right? That’s the advantage of this life style, come and leave when you want to! Anyway, we crossed the top of Toronto without any problems and arrived at the WalMart in Woodstock to shop and browse!

We arrived at the campground and started setting up and our new neighbors came out to meet and greet – how many home owners have this kind of social network in their neighborhood? Anyway, we’re all set up but had a little trouble finding a usable 30Amp electrical outlet – that should have been a message to me! Anyway, around 9PM, we start the microwave for hot drinks and poof, the lights go out! It’s not the best way to meet new neighbors but I did anyway. The rig behind us was also out of power! Wow, the whole service post – serving 2 sites – was dead! The campground owner came around and offered a 30Amp extension cord but it would only get 1 of us back on line! Since we could use our inverter, we let the neighbor take the extension cord offer – he is leaving the next day so we’ll be able to plug into it then. What a day! The fun never ends!

On Saturday, we left early to get propane and visit with John & Di for dinner and to get our Mexican Train fix! What fun, lots of laughs and good times! We left our electrical cord near the parks extension cord and the neighbor leaving was kind enough to plug us in!

We’re trying to visit family and friends, do maintenance on the truck, trailer and ourselves before we head south. We have had to unhook our water because of the below freezing temps on the cold nights but the days are good.

We’re having our family Christmas soon so we’re out and about getting gifts and stuff.

Until next time, hope all is well where ya’ll are!

Catching Up from Goshen

It’s been brought to my attention that I have been a little more than tardy in updating this blog!  I apologize to all our regular readers and hope that you return.

After the Escapee blast in Goshen, we made our way to Lake Huron Resort, north of Goderich. It is a quiet Passport America campground and the management always treats us great. We stayed a few days, broke bread with family and friends, and relaxed.

Sept 23^rd, we left Goderich and wandered down to my brother’s driveway to help him around the house. He appreciates any help he can get. While we were there, he had a plumber in to clear a clogged drain. After trying a couple of upstairs traps with his electric eel, the water started draining away nicely – the problem solved! Wrong! We descend to the main floor to find water pouring out of the pool table light fixture, onto the pool table! It’s a good thing he had a vinyl dust cover over it! We quickly grabbed a shop vac and got all the water off the table! Hummmm – we all know water is not leaking where it appears, so how much ceiling do we remove and where do we start?

After all the shock wore off, we eventually removed 128 sq feet of ceiling and found the leaking pipe! It wasn’t pretty, the old copper drain line was rotten in 3 different places and we see that it has been dripping for some time – lots of mold and wetness above! All is good now with pipes replaced and a new ceiling put back up! Sometimes things like this make you wonder if it happened for a reason!

When we were here in August, Barb agreed to make some Roman Shades for the dining room and living room windows! Barb did an excellent job and had 90% done by Thanksgiving.

 

This year, the Ellis clan spent Thanksgiving near Kemptville. This was our 25^th year and to celebrate this event, Barb embroidered napkins for the adults to keep.

We all arrived Sunday afternoon and had 30 people sit for dinner. A camp fire was lit and all the cousins, nieces and nephews all had a great time. Some of us stayed over night and Barb & I headed back Monday after breakfast, taking the scenic route along highway 7! We wanted to inspect a few campgrounds in the Lindsay area for possible sites for next year.

 

We looked at 3 campgrounds and we liked the management of one, the site at another and the possibilities of an extended season at the last one! Decisions…. So the easy way out is leave the decision until spring and take what’s left!

One of the benefits of staying here is that we can attend any grandkid activity that we get invited to. Mark, one of our son-in-laws mentioned that his daughter Alex was having a skating practice and wondered if we wanted to go watch – well of course we would! It’s been a long time since we have been in an ice rink arena – brrrrr! Alex did a great job of entertaining us while we watched her go through her practice routine.

Just to top off an already busy time, we asked our grandson, Nate to spend the weekend with us. He likes to have a sleep over and we enjoy having him. Barb always plans activities and special meals. We had a couple of ‘spooktacular’ dinners to celebrate the hallowed season. We took a couple of hikes on the Seaton Trail and Nate made a few craft items to take home to Mom.

 

Back at my brother’s to finish the window blinds and do some yard work. Barb & I  cleaned up the leaves on his front yard although you wouldn’t know it now! We used his power washer to clean off the algae and moss from the stoned front porch. I guess it was too much for the unit – it broke down as we neared the end! I’m sure Larry will not want us back again!

We’re moving tomorrow to our usual campground for a month before we head south for the winter. We’ll have more info in a week or so….. hope all is well there.

Nothing is as easy as it seems!

After saying farewell to our traveling buddies, Barb & I smoke into the toilet replacement. Yes, that’s correct, we decided to replace rather than repair it!

Now that it is out of the box and sort of in place, we see that the water line did not line up so we had to buy more parts to rebuild it! Next, the flange bolts did not line up either! The floor flange should be adjustable but after ten years of service, it was not very cooperative but we got it to move enough to install the new toilet! So, the toilet is bolted down and the water is connected and all seems to be good! Wrong, there is water seeping out between the floor and the new toilet! The floor gasket must not be sealing 100%, we need a thicker floor gasket. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, Camping World did not have a thicker gasket so we’re off to Home Depot!

I have this ability to look lost and when we stood in the plumbing isle at Home Depot and could not find rubber floor gaskets, only the wax ones, a sales associate approached and asked how he could help. After explaining the floor gasket problem, he suggested we use a floor flange extender! Wow, how easy is this? It worked perfectly, a little caulking to seal between the two flanges and the toilet gasket now seals!

After lunch, we finally get back on the road after 2PM. Our campground check in rule is that we do not want to check in after 3 PM and pay for a full day so our plan is to stay at the WalMart in Sarnia!

The border crossing was uneventful and soon we are at WalMart, settling in for the night. We’re on our way to Goderich by 9AM Sunday morning and arrive at the campground before noon! After setting up, Larry & Judy invite us over for dinner which is perfect after a couple of days of travel!