November 5, 2022

Temperature 82 Degrees, Overcast with Rain Showers

We Moved – Temporarily

Yup, we are back on the road again. A whole lot sooner than expected but that’s OK.

We’re still in Florida but a bit south and east from the house in South Bay. We’re at a really nice county park called South Bay Campground which is just about 4 hours from the house.

This is our new home until Saturday of next week. A nice spacious, level, paved site with FHU for under $30’s a night. Move closer to the coast and you find the price goes through the roof – like the starting rate for a site is usually around $95 per night!

To our amazement we practically have the whole place to ourselves. A good 50% of the sites are vacant. Granted, the campground is in the middle of nowhere but it is a jewel in all respects.

OK, we’re not completely alone. The canal behind us has been known to harbor some much unwanted visitors.

So, that is where we are but I guess everyone might be wondering Why?

Here’s the deal. My son called and asked if we could do him and his significant other a big favor. It seems that they were going to take two short vacation cruises that were going to cost them next to nothing. However, they needed some help with ground transportation.

They planned to fly into West Palm Beach and had a hotel room reserved and transportation already arranged for this leg. However, that was the end of their prearranged ground transportation. That’s were we come in.

Our first Uber assignment was to pick them at

the hotel they were staying at and take them to

Margaritaville by Sea. The cruise line has a Heroes Sail Free program that allows all active and veteran military, first responders, law enforcement officers and educators to sail free on a 3-day, 2-night cruise to Grand Bahama Island. Since my son is in law enforcement this was a win-win for him.

Our second Uber assignment would be to pick them up when they returned and then bring them back to stay with us for a night. Easy enough and we have the room, so to speak, in Elvira.

Our third Uber assignment would be to transport them from our place to

Port Everglades for a Royal Caribbean Cruise for 4 nights on Liberty of the Seas. What can I say, perhaps both of them should have enlisted in the Coast Guard since they seem to enjoy being on the water so much.

Wait, we’re not done.

Our fourth Uber assignment would be to fetch them when they return from the cruse and transport them to the airport at West Palm Beach for their return flight home.

Got all that?

Now, if we decided to stay at the house and pick them up when and where needed would have meant a minimum of a four hour trip – one way – each time. But, from here at the park it is no more than one hour for each trip. A big difference I believe you will agree. So, that is why we are where we are for this week.

That then is what we are doing for the next week. Sure is nice to be retired and available. Till the next time, take time to enjoy each and every minute that God gives you.

October 23, 2022

Temperature 82 Degrees, Abundant Sunshine

Museum of the Great Lakes

Visited August 17, 2022

Guess what? No automobiles in this blog! Now how about that.

When we were at Sauder we took a ride one day to Toledo, Ohio and the

We had no idea what we would discover at this museum but were we ever amazed. What a well laid out and informative museum this turned out to be. We both agreed that we learned oh so much during our time here and our trip there was definitely well worth it.

There was so much here that I could never do this museum justice in just one blog, or two, or three for that matter. So let me, instead, just give you a snapshot of this remarkable museum.

Before you even get into the museum proper there is this little tidbit of information about Toledo that I found rather amusing. Toledo was so desirable a location that Ohio and Michigan almost fought a war – the Toledo War – for control of it. President Andrew Jackson had to intervene personally, giving the city to Ohio. Michigan got the Upper Peninsula.

This is the entrance to the museum. The large white board is actually a movie screen on which you are treated to an exceptionally well done film giving an overview of the Great Lakes.

Discover America’s Third Coast and it’s many different roles in our history.

We did, indeed, discover all of this during our time at the museum.

The five lakes displayed just below the movie screen. Of the five lakes we’ve been to each and every one within the last four years.

Did you catch that? Together they are Earth’s largest group of freshwater lakes, holding 21 percent of the world’s fresh water and 84 percent of North America’s.

Regarding each of the lakes.

Anyone recognize the picture above? That is Miner’s Castle which is part of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We have many amazing memories of our cruise along this stunning shoreline.

This lake is the deadliest of the Great Lakes. We discovered when we were at Lakeside RV Park that in and around the Mackinaw Bridge there are at least 35 known shipwrecks. This area is now off limits to divers in general because in the past uncontrolled looting of the shipwrecks was taking place.

The first to be discovered. And today much of it is exactly like it was 10,000 years ago.

The last lake to be discovered. But not to be forgotten it (is) strategically important to controlling access to the rest of the Great Lakes.

Thanks to the construction of the Welland Canal and the Saint Lawrence Seaway System this lake is now the region’s gateway to the world.

The museum is divided into a number of different exhibit areas. Each area was well laid out and offered a wealth of information about different aspects of Great Lakes history. Following is a snapshot of some of those areas.

Great Lakes travel can be treacherous, and sailors battle unpredictable weather, shoals, rocks and the limits of their own technology. This area highlights both what has been done in terms of lifesaving equipment as well as the many different technologies used to safely navigate the lakes.

Moving on to yet another section.

Here in this area we learn how the boats on the lakes have evolved from crafts driven by manpower, then by wind, steam and finally diesel.

For thousands of years, native American canoes were the only vessels on the Lakes.

Because of the lightness, speed, and cargo capacity of canoes early fur traders adopted and then adapted them to what became a voyageur canoe. The problem with a canoe, though, was that it was limited by the strength and stamina of the men at the paddles. Therefore, in time sails were added to the canoe’s but this too presented a problem, they could only go down wind.

The 17th century saw the first true boats operating on the Lakes. The Le Griffon is believed to be the first true sailing ship of the upper Great Lakes. She and others like her are considered the ancestors of every boat that has worked on the Great Lakes.

But as ships grew ever larger there was a need to find a more robust form of propulsion. The logical choice would have been the use of steam. But,

Still the need for an even more reliable and robust form of propulsion was needed. This resulted in a transition finally to diesel powered boats.

Along with the change in propulsion came the change in the material used to construct boats that worked the Great Lakes.

So, the above is just a very small portion of what is here in this incredible museum. If you like the Great Lakes, or like history in general I would strongly suggest putting this on your list of must places to visit.

Thanks again for spending some time with us.  It’s always great to be able to share our story with family and friends. Comments? Feel free to share them with me. And always remember, cherish every moment of every day that God gives you and live those moments to the fullest. 

Our continuing mission remains the same: 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.

Oct 14, 2022

Temperature 84 Degrees, Abundant Sunshine

Looking Back On Our Summer

The past several weeks have given me a chance to reflect on this past summer and our travels through the mid-part of our country.

The following is a snapshot of sorts of our travels.

We left on April 6th and we returned home on September 26th. We came home a few weeks earlier than expected simply because we had checked off all that we hoped to do.

We covered a total of 7,294.3 miles. To put that in perspective that’s the equivalent of going from New York City to San Francisco, returning back to New York City and then going back out to Kansas City, MO – plus a few more miles! We sure did keep the wheels on Elvira rolling this summer.

We traveled through 15 different states and spent a brief period of time in Canada. We started in central Florida, swung across the Panhandle, headed up through Oklahoma, next was Kansas and Nebraska and then over to Iowa, then west to South Dakota, into Wyoming and North Dakota, stopped briefly in Canada, moved onto Minnesota and Wisconsin, then to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, down through Michigan to Ohio, down to Kentucky, then Tennessee, back through Alabama and finally back home to Florida.

We stayed in 35 different RV Parks.

This was the worse of the worse. This was our site at The International Peace Gardens on the border of North Dakota and Canada. Torrential rain the past week had turned the campground into a swamp. And with the swamp came hordes of hungry mosquitoes. In addition, because of the rain and a severe staff shortage the gardens had not been planted. All in all, this stop was a total waste of time and a big pain in the behind. Which explains why we left two days before we were supposed to.

This was one of our nicer sites. This is our site at Scenic Hills RV Park in Millersburg, Ohio. A nice gravel site that was dead level, good spacing between sites and lots of green grass. This park was in the heart of Amish country and was the reason we had come here. During our time here we learned a great deal about the Amish and their way of life. They are a people who truly live their faith day in and day out.

The only problem with this RV Park is its location. If you are driving or pulling something of substantial size the roads getting to and from here can be challenging. It was while leaving here that we got to test the brakes on Elvira when we came over a blind hill and found a dog standing in the middle of the road. Yup, the brakes work great.

We spent several days mooch docking in the driveway of our good friends Steve and Patti in Green Lake, Wisconsin. They were such gracious hosts and we were truly treated like royalty. As we prepared to depart they extended an invitation to return at any time. That’s an offer we’ll probably take them up on in the future sometime.

We stopped at 18 different roadside attractions.

This is the sculpture entitled Dignity on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River at a rest stop off of Route 90. The 50 foot high stainless steel sculpture depicts an indigenous women in Plains-style dress with a star quilt.

Of course we stopped at Wall Drug Store. Come on now, what would a trip to South Dakota be without a stop at the place that began by handing out glasses of cold water for free to weary travelers.

Advertised as the only Corn Palace it is a place that has to be seen to be believed. And if you go, don’t just snap a picture of the outside but be sure to tour the inside and learn its history and of the many famous celebrities who have performed here.

We visited 45 different museums of all different subjects and sizes.

In terms of unique, hands down it was the Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota.

We also had a wonderful time at the real Wizzard of Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas. Forget the one in Florida it is not the real deal but rather a tourist trap.

We visited quite a few auto museums but the Gilmore Car Museum is the best of the best. It is the largest automobile museum in North America. It has over 400 vintage and collector vehicles on a 90 acre campus.

While at the museum we took the time to go for a ride in 1929 Ford Phaeton convertible.

In terms of sheer size there is none bigger than the National Museum of the Air Force. We’re talking about 19 acres of exhibits spread out over four huge hangers. Lace up your walking shoes and take your time because there is so much to see.

This is a memorial in the United States that honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected by the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. It had to be one of the most sobering museums we visited. There was one exhibit, it was from a building across the street where a meeting was in progress. They were tape recording the proceedings of that meeting the morning of the bombing. You knew what was coming, but even so when you heard on the tape the deafening blast you just froze in horror and disbelief.

We took the time to tour six National Parks.

At the top of our list was The Badlands National Park. It is so hard to describe it, you just have to see it for yourself. Words like stark, awesome, rugged, dramatic come easily to mind. We consider ourselves so fortunate to have been able to visit this area.

Mt. Rushmore National Memorial. The approach is through the avenue of flags. You see them in the distance but nothing can prepare you for that moment when you first step onto the Grand View Terrace and come face to face with the four presidential figures. It literally took my breath away. We were so honored to have been able to visit this Memorial. I was surprised to discover that the memorial was never completed. Once we were involved in WW II no further funds were set aside for the memorial so all work stopped at that point in time.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. What stunning natural beauty. Since it is best viewed from the water this was also one of two cruises we took.

Also on our list were three state parks.

We had a wonderful two weeks at Custer State Park. There were the begging burros, bison aplenty, a visit to the just opened Bison Center, and fun traveling Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road and the Scenic Loop Road. We visited here in May and what to my wondering eye did I see one day but snow softly falling to the ground. Thankfully, it didn’t last long nor did it stick. But snow in May?

We visited two historical villages.

Our first stop was the Amana Colonies. Here we took a walking tour of one village, a van tour of the entire colonies, we saw a parade and had a delightful time watching the Maypole Dancers.

We also made a stop at Sauder Village. It was amazing to learn what one man accomplished in his lifetime despite the major setbacks and difficulties that he encountered along the way. As for the village itself, what started as a small historical village has now grown to be recognized as Ohio’s largest living history destination that now includes not only the historical village but a bakery, restaurant, Inn, campground, exhibit hall and retail shops.

We attended 1 Musical.

This was the Grand Ole Opry on steroids’. Their web site says it best: The Medora Musical is the rootin’-tootinest, boot-scootinest show in all the Midwest. There’s no other show quite like it. It’s an ode to patriotism, Theodore Roosevelt, and the Great American West! And it is indeed! It was an action packed evening of entertainment that thrilled us to no end.

Also on the docket was the Ohio Renaissance Festival.

This was my first time at the Festival and I must say it was a hoot. I absolutely enjoyed myself and look forward to one day going again.

In terms of sheer fun I must confess it was my

walk across the headwaters of the Mississippi River. I can now say I’ve both crossed the mighty Mississippi and I’ve also been on a riverboat cruise on the river down in New Orleans. That covers both ends of the river.

Not to be forgotten was the Dayton Aviation Trail

That resulted in my collecting my very own Wilbear Wright Bear. He now sits proudly on the shelf in our living room

As for T-shirts, I collected 30 new T-Shirts.

My collection is now at a respectable 86 T-shirts total.

But the overwhelming highlight of this trip was the time we were able to spend with my son Paul and his wife Brittany, as well as the time we were able to spend with a number of old friends we hadn’t seen in years. But even better were the new friends we made this summer.

Truly, two of God’s beautiful people – Dan and Betty – who I now count as our dear friends. What an awesome time we had with them.

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Temperature 83 Degrees, Abundant Sunshine

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

Visited September 17, 2022

It began in 1988 with the dream of one man, George Barber a successful business man and someone who was in love with automobiles of all flavors. In this year he began collecting and restoring classic cars. He wanted at first to amass the largest collection in America of classic cars. However, a close friend of his convinced him otherwise. He suggested that since there were already several large and truly unique automobile museums he should focus instead on collecting motorcycles. Being a man of big dreams, Barber seized the opportunity to accomplish what no one else had done – build the world’s best and largest motorcycle collection.

Toward that end in 1995 Barber opened the Vintage Motorsports Museum. But he was far from done.

Going even further he imagined a road course where his collection of motorcycles could be demonstrated in action. In 1983 he opened an 880 acre park with a 16 turn road race track that was open to the public. Today, the track is home to the Porsche Sport Driving School, and numerous automakers have chosen the park as their stage for vehicle debuts and to film commercials. Then in 2014 The Barber Proving Grounds was built adjacent to the race track (upper left corner of the above picture). It can be configured as a racetrack, or used in various configurations to test vehicle capabilities such as accident avoidance, braking, turning, and acceleration.

But the crown jewel of the park is beyond a doubt The Vintage Motorsports Museum which today is recognized by Guinness World Records as being the world’s largest motorcycle collection. This is truly one awe inspiring facility that has one’s head spinning from the first few steps in the door. You hardly know which way to look.

But ,actually, the experience starts even before you enter. There is this sculpture on the front lawn.

OK, let’s go inside and I’ll share with you just a bit of what there is to see.

There are five full floors of motorcycles of every kind, a total of about 1,600 motorcycles that span over 100 years of production. I, for one, never knew there were so many different manufacturers, so many different brands, and so many different models. Of course some no longer exist today. They were made for maybe a year and then disappeared from the motorcycle scene.

Here is where the motorcycle began.

From 1885. This is a replica of one of the first motorcycles ever built. Two German engineers built it to test out their new engine. They called it a riding car and it achieved a blazing 7 mph. This is where it all began.

1867. Another early attempt. This is a replica of what is believed to be the first true two wheeled motorcycle built. It features a coal fired steam boiler with the water for same built into the saddle. It is believed that about five or six were actually built but it never went into production. I wonder why!

This is believed to be the first mass produced motorcycle. The power unit was based on steam principles but was powered by gasoline.

OK, let’s take a look at just a few of the unique motorcycles in this amazing collection. I’m just going to “throw” them out in no particular order.

1923. It was called a Ner-A-Car. This was promoted in the United States as an economical form of transportation. Over a period of seven years 100,000 units were produced. It’s weather protection and quietness made it popular with women and in November, 1921, Mrs. G. M. Janson completed a 1,000 mile test without stopping the engine.

In 1922 Cannonball Baker rode one from New York to Los Angles in eight days covering 3,368 miles at an average speed of 30 mph.

1925. The Bohmerland, is one of the most unusual in the history of motorcycles. Designed to seat three people in tandem some models were almost 10 feet long. About a thousand machines were built between 1924 and 1939 and now only a handful remain. This actual machine is the oldest one in existence.

1959. Though often looked down upon in the United States, in Europe owning a fully equipped luxury model Scooter would be regarded as a status symbol. This CZ Cezeta with trailer for camping gear would enable a couple to go on vacation at minimal cost. Anyone out there with a large rig that want’s to downsize might want to take a better look!

1965. It’s called a Valmobile and its a folding scooter. Designed to be carried in the trunk of your car, boat or plane. Suffice to say, it never caught on.

1915. You could order it out of the catalogue and have it delivered to your closest railroad station ready for you to ride. The big attraction of purchasing from Sears was that you could pay for it in installments.

Want something a little more comfortable? This is a Honda GoldWing, the type of bike that I used to ride. It had cruise control, stereo, and could run all day at 70 mph. When Ms. Barbara and I used to go on a run more often then not she would fall asleep in the back seat.

Any Disney fans recognize this motorcycle? If you were at Disney World in the 70’s or 80’s you more than likely saw it at some time on Main Street. Yes, it is still in running condition but the low down is stopping is whole other thing!

For the couple looking for something new to do how about motorcycle side car racing. Granted it is one of the most dangerous forms of motorcycle racing but just think of the stories that you can tell your neighbors. Oh, and yes for the one in the side car you basically kneel on that small aluminum platform and hang on for dear life.

Yes, this one is for real. For a brief time JRL Cycles Lucky 7 was the only radial-engine production motorcycle in the world. The goal was to build and sell a minimum of 50 units but the development and production of them resulted in a price tag of $100,000 per bike. Alas, only four were ever built and this is one of those four.

OK, this is just a taste of what is in this amazing motorcycle museum. If you love, really love motorcycles then this is a must visit for you. It was a must for me and I’m glad I finally was able to visit it.

Thanks again for spending some time with us.  It’s always great to be able to share our story with family and friends. Comments? Feel free to share them with me. And always remember, cherish every moment of every day that God gives you and live those moments to the fullest. 

Our continuing mission remains the same: 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.