Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:  Pin Oak Creek Campground, Union, Missouri

August 9, 2019

Temperature 92 Degrees

Travel Day

It was with a true twinge of sadness that we continued packing to leave D and W Lake Camping.  The few short days we had been here had been good for our souls.  It was not any one thing that you could put your finger on but rather the overall atmosphere.  Mat, the owner was terrific to talk to and always concerned about making your stay a great one.  We met another couple who were traveling the country in a 1998 Bounder.  It was fun sharing traveling stores and stories about life on the road.  Then there was the ever present view of the lake.  But it was time to go.

This morning we pushed a bit in order to get out by 9 am.  Why so early you may ask?  Don’t laugh, but we wanted to be off the road in time to watch the final of the Teen Challenge on Jeopardy!  Which almost didn’t happen any way.  More on that later.

At 9 am we were on our way.  The roads this stretch were absolutely fantastic.  They were smooth, level and devoid of traffic.  The miles just seemed to fly by.  I knew that before we got around St. Louis we were going to have to stop for gas.  I planned this one all wrong, however.  I came into a pump believing that there was a way out around the back.  It sure looked like it.  It was not to be.  Time to disconnect Little Graybeard, get Graybeard turned around, hook up Little Graybeard and off we went.  Ah well, I needed the practice -NOT!

Then we saw it and knew we were getting close to St. Louis which meant we were getting closer to our new home for the night – The Gateway Arch.

Getting around St. Louis even on major highways was the only white knuckle part of the trip.  It seemed like every road was under construction, the lanes were super narrow and traffic had really picked up.  So I did what I always do, take my time, stay in the right lane and let the rest of the world fly by on the left.

Through St. Louis and about thirty minutes later we were at our exit.  A couple of quick rights then a left and we were at the entrance to our new home.

The road in

Office and registration.

Here is our new home.  A nice, clean camp ground.  We have a back in site, hard gravel, perfectly level, shaded but extremely tight.  It’s like we’ve gone from the wide open spaces of the prairie to an apartment in the Bronx.  I can’t even put the patio awning out because we are only about 3 feet from a tree!   Thankfully, the sun will track across the back of Graybeard.

Our row

Remember we wanted to watch the final Teen Challenge show on Jeopardy?  I’m sure you can see the trees all around us?  Well, I saw a small window in the trees in the back and figured it’s worth a try.  So I got out the table, plopped Gertrude on it and went in to see what would happen.

Success!  It locked on to one satellite and that was enough.  No shows in HD, all in SD but we have shows and that is the important thing.  Yes, we got to watch Jeopardy.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement.  I don’t know if I can ever say it enough but we truly believe we are blessed.  We have a great rig, we have each other, and we’re getting to travel and see this great country of ours.  Thank you Lord for the all the blessings we have and continue to receive.

No, I haven’t forgotten the Studebaker National Museum.  I promise we’ll finish it tomorrow.

Thanks again for joining us today.  We always appreciate your company and your comments.  Catch you tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two human soul mates.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

See you on down the road!

 

Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:  D and W Lake Camping and RV Park

August 7, 2019

Temperature 85 Degrees

Studebaker National Museum Part Two

It’s official – Champaign has received Barbara’s official seal of approval as a top stop over spot.  Why?  It has just what a girl wants – first

second

Another beautiful morning that we awoke to.  Looking out over the lake never gets old.  It’s as good as it was when we were at Sunset Point RV Park In Lubec, Maine.  Just look at how the trees are mirrored in the water.  Really beautiful.

Time to complete our tour of The Studebaker National Museum.

The transition from horse drawn equipment to automobiles was not an easy one.  When the first commercial American automobile debuted in 1896 Studebaker’s Board of Directors began a heated debate as to what they should do.  Sales of horse drawn equipment was still strong.  So they hedged their bet.

Their early gasoline powered cars would be a partnership with the Garford Company of Elyria, Ohio.  They would supply the chassis and Studebaker would supply the coachwork.

In time the decision was made to market their own automobile.  However, the first car Studebaker produced on their own in 1902 was not a gasoline vehicle but an electric car. J.M. Studebaker preferred electric cars because he regarded gasoline powered vehicles as clumsy, dangerous, noisy brutes which stink to high heaven, break down at the worse time, and are a public nuisance.  

 Some early commercial electric vehicles.

In 1909 at the request of the United States government Studebaker created two electric cars to  ferry people between the Capitol Building and the Senate Office Building.  The route ran through an underground tunnel between the two buildings which precluded the use of an internal combustion engine.  In addition because the tunnel was so small there was no room to turn the car around so the cars were built with controls facing in both directions hence it’s name backward and forward.  For return trips the driver simply switched seats.

The two cars were named Tommy and Peg.    They had a top speed of 12 mph and could carry 11 passengers.  They remained in service until  1912 when a rail system was installed.

This is Peg restored.  Tommy has also been restored and is on display in another museum.

Here is an example of one of their first electric cars for the public.  Note the weight of the batteries!  By the following year they would stop production of all electric cars.

Automobiles brought change to the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company.  New directors joined the Board, the company was incorporated and became the Studebaker Corporation.  J.M Studebaker died on March 17, 1917 having witnessed the transformation of the family run wagon shop into a multi-million dollar automobile corporation.

While primarily producing electric vehicles in these early years they did, though, produce some gasoline powered cars.  Early  gasoline powered cars such as this one were produced in partnership with the Garford Company of Elyria, Ohio.  The Garford Company of Elyria, Ohio. supplied the chassis and Studebaker supplied the coachwork.

Can you say recall?  Seems they had problems early on with the rear axle.

This was the first year and the first car that carried only the Studebaker name.  As of this model year they were only producing gasoline powered cars.

 

Another first in this car was

This was the first Studebaker to use a six cylinder engine and a rear transaxle.  The car proved to be popular with the general public.

So which side was the steering wheel on?  On the right.  After 1916 that would change to the left hand side.  Many reasons are given as to why.  One of the most accepted reasons is that Ford wanted to change things up so they began producing all their cars with left hand drive.  It proved to be popular and safer since a driver could better judge the distance between themselves and an oncoming car.  The Government it is said then got involved and just like that all cars from 1916 would always be left hand drive in America.

Lets look at some  notable cars from 1916 and after.  This is the first Studebaker engine to feature a detachable cylinder head.

Look at the miles this car logged and then think about the roads it did it on.

 

There were, like this car, specialty cars produced as well.

Used once for a funeral then it became a flower delivery vehicle.

When looking at this car note the cubic inch displacement and the horsepower.

This car proved to be a coast to coast barn burner.

Not every car produced was a success. Despite its handsome looks this car was overpriced and proved to be a flop.

This car and two others captured impressive endurance records.

One of the most stunning car lines produced by Studebaker was the President line.

Here is the engine that powered them.

The cars that this engine powered.

This was when whitewalls were really whitewalls!

Well, I thought we would  be able to conclude the Studebaker story tonight but there is still much more to share.  So we’ll pick the story up again either tomorrow or the day after.  Since tomorrow is a travel day time now to begin to get things in order.

We had another great day on The Road of Retirement.  Beautiful sunny skies for the most part.  A thunderstorm rumbled through in the afternoon for about 30 minutes.  Nothing to worry about.  Laundry is done.  Blog has been updated.  Our food lockers have been replenished.   Time to pack.

Thanks for joining us again.  We always appreciate your company and your comments.  Catch you again tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two human soul mates.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

See you on down the road!

Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:  D and W Lake Camping and RV Park

August 7, 2019

Temperature 85 Degrees

Studebaker National Museum Part One

What a beautiful morning we awoke to.  I went to the solarium, pulled back the curtains and what a sight.  The sun was just sparkling off the lake.  These are the kind of days that make you feel good to be alive.  What a wonderful world you have created O God.

Today we’re going to take a tour of the Studebaker National Museum.

Here’s Barbara getting our stickers for the tour.  You go girl!

The lobby itself is full of all kinds of fascinating items.  There is a table full of advertising literature from 1962 to 1966.

Publicity Posters – what no Air Conditioning?

A picture of a typical service bay.

This fantastic neon sign leads you up the stairs to the second level.

I couldn’t pass up a photo opportunity.

A free standing sign listing the exhibits on the different levels.

Ready?  Let’s begin our tour with the main level.  The story of Studebaker begins with John and Rebecca who had ten children

Their family was a family of craftsman.

John was an established blacksmith who lived just outside of Gettysburg.  In addition to his blacksmith chores he also repaired wagons.  As each of his sons came of age they assisted their father in his labors and became well versed in the trade.

Though John’s blacksmith skills were second to none, his business skills were sorely lacking.  Because of this he became heavily in debt and was forced to sell his farm and shop.  In 1836 they left Gettysburg and headed west to Ashland, Ohio.

This is the actual restored Conestoga Wagon that he build for his family’s move westward.  It’s curved shape prevented cargo from shifting and made it easier to ford streams.  It was only designed to carry cargo, its owners would have walked alongside it.

Once in Ashland John’s services were again in demand but once again his poor business practices forced him deep into debit.  Once again they were forced to move.  Since his one daughter had already moved west to northern Indiana the family followed her.

Two members of the family who followed were Henry and Clement.  On February 16, 1852 with total assets of $68 they opened H & C Studebaker Blacksmith shop.  Building on their father’s philosophy Always Give More Than You Promise their business was an immediate success.

 they 

In 1857 they accepted an order an order for 100 Army wagons.  The brothers expanded their business leaving them short of cash.  Bankruptcy was on the horizon.  But then a wheelbarrow saved them, literally.

J.M Studebaker had gone west in 1850 to seek his fortune in the California gold rush.  Upon his arrival he began building wheelbarrows for a local blacksmith.  By 1857 he had amassed $8,000 from his wheelbarrow sales.  He returned to South Bend and invested in his brothers business by buying out his brother Henry’s share of the business.

In 1868 H & C Studebaker  became the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company.

After devastating fires at their original factories in 1872 and 1874, the Studebaker’s rebuilt with state of the art facilities.

Fairs and Expositions were attractive advertising venues before radio and television and the Internet.  Winners of competitive contests gained great promotional value for their products.  Studebaker knew this and took great advantage of it.  For instance,

The first wagon that brought worldwide recognition for Studebaker was the 1876 Centennial Wagon.  The company was just 24 years old at this point when they won the Highest Award of Merit at the United States Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.  In 1878 it won a silver medal  at the Paris Exposition.

The wheels and running gear are made of oak.  The box is made of bird’s eye maple.  Metal parts were forged from Swedish iron.

The next major wagon was the 1893 Columbian Exposition Wagon.  It was also nicknamed the Rosewood Wagon and the Aluminum Wagon for its extensive use of both.  It was built to showcase Studebaker’s craftsmanship and to celebrate the company’s many awards and achievements.  It took over 4,000 man hours to complete and cost $2,110.65

The box is overlaid with holly and inlaid into the wagon are 35 medals celebrating the companies awards and achievements.  The lumber for the box came from Brazil; the running gear is made of Indiana Hickory.

All medal on the wagon except the tires and springs are aluminum.

By the mid 1880’s Studebaker Brothers was the largest manufacturer of horse drawn equipment with annual sales of over $2 million dollars.

Let’s take a look now at some of the equipment they produced.

I bet a person could have had fun with that trap door!

They also build equipment that was used during WW I

Time was moving on and soon Studebaker would have to make a decision, to stick with what they were familiar with or make the daring jump to horseless carriages.  In 1919 they discontinued all buggy manufacturing and in 1920 they sold their horse drawn business.  Here are the last horse drawn equipment they made.

Tomorrow we’ll look into the Studebaker transition from buggies to automobiles.  We’ll also look at the cars they built.

Before we go, though, one other exhibit was on the second floor.  Let’s take a look at it.  It was a display of non-Studebaker cars of notable mention.  Here we go.

This D8 sits on a 132 inch wheelbase and it has the curves to please.  This was one of my favorites.

Long, sleek, and sexy!

What an impressive grille.

It flows from front to back.

Eliminating the bumpers added to the smooth look.

Just look at how the headlights flow with the fenders.

The beginnings of the minivan.  At the time it cost $5,000, in today’s dollars about $90,000!  It was sold by invitation only and you had to be selected in order to receive one.  It is of uni-body construction and the engine is in the rear.  It is all original.

This Chrysler was designed in a wind tunnel.  It had an all steel body and a vee windshield.  The public believed it was too radical so sales were only lukewarm.  Within two years Chrysler dropped it from their line.

What an impressive dash.

The traditional free standing headlights common at the time were removed and the headlights were faired into the fender catwalks.

 

Front wheel drive and the first car to have retractable headlights.

Front wheel drive and independent suspension, unheard of at the time.  To maintain the streamlined look the gas cap water fill cap were moved under the hood.

Those were the days weren’t they, the days when cars had class.  No cookie cutter look alike but bold, radical and designed to push the envelope.  Gone for good, unfortunately.

Tomorrow, Studebaker cars.  Stay tuned.

Our day on The Road of Retirement has come to an end.  A great day all around.  Nowhere to go, nothing other regular maintenance to do.  Pictures to sort.  Routes to map.  Our 2019 map to update.  All stuff I find enjoyable.  We’re finally adjusting to Central Time again.  I’m glad we stay in it for the next month or two.

Thanks again for coming along with us.  We always appreciate your company and comments.  Catch you tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two human soul mates.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

See you on down the road!

Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:  D and W Lake Camping and RV Park

August 6, 2019

Temperature 84 Degrees

Travel Day

Time to continue our westward push.  Time also to put a new state on our map.  No rush to get going since it was only a three to four hour drive and we would be gaining an hour.  Yup, we’re going back into Central Time.

A quick breakfast at McDonald’s then back to the rig.  Slides in, jacks up, Little Graybeard on the bar and we were ready to roll.  I was a little nervous this time since our RV GPS, my phone, and Google maps were all coming up with different routes!  Normally, I can get at least two of the three to agree.  Ah well, we’ll go with the RV GPS and correct if necessary along the way.

It was pouring as we left but since the storm was moving from west to east we figured we would be able to drive through it.  And so we did.  It was a bit intense at times but within an hour we were rolling on dry roads with clear blue skies overhead.

Traffic was mostly light but we did end up delayed for a bit yet we never were able to figure out why traffic came to a standstill.  It was only for about 15 to 20 minutes and then just like that it all opened up and we were off again.

This trip we had music to lighten the load.  We’ve always had Sirus in the car but could never get it installed in Graybeard.  Then we discovered the app on our phones.  Sign in and you have instant music.  We made it even better by picking up a small Bluetooth speaker to pair with the phone.  Nice, really nice.

One stop for gas, we’re getting a solid 7 mpg since we’re finally on long, level, flat roads. With the price of gas I’ll take every mpg I can get.

In due time we were turning into the front gate.  The campground looked absolutely empty.  Ah, but not for long.  We were in for about an hour and within that time I counted over 10 rigs that rolled in right after us.  And they just kept coming.

So here we are at our new home.  Our 24th new home for this year.  I guess you could say that we get around!  We have a pull-through, hard packed gravel, dead level with all utilities convenient to the wet bay.  We have partial shade which is nice when the temperatures begin to climb.  As a joke I plopped Gertrude on the ground and wondered what would happen.  Less than five minutes later we were watching TV!

This is our view out the front solarium window.  Really sweet.  I have to say for the most part the sites we’ve had so far this year have by and large been darn nice.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement.  It’s been a long day but another good one.  This switch to Central Time will again take us a few days to get used to.  My body says it’s time to go to bed, the clock says its too early.  Forget the clock I’m going with my body.

Thanks again for coming along with us.  We appreciate your company and your comments.  Catch you tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two human soul mates.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

See you on down the road!