What record are we going to set? Well, it is not us actually, it is the area we are currently residing. It has been raining here. The record is 17 days and we are going to break that record. Mom said that we have come this far, so we may as well break it. Tomorrow will be day 17. Thankfully, we have not had all day rains. It is mainly just showers, off and on. The worse day was last Friday. The rain was moving in a circle, so it kept coming back to us. Marty, the weather guy, said it was like a boomerang. Mom was getting down on that day because it did look like it might never end. We are still running our heat. Can you believe that? We had a nice warm winter and now we are running our heat in the spring. It feels like March instead of May. It is warmer this week than last, so we are on the right track.
What am I looking at?
The rain.
The folks went to Lancaster, PA last weekend. I think this was their fourth trip. Mom wanted to shop at Central Market. It is the country's oldest continuously running farmers' market. The location has been a farmers' market for 275 years. It was smaller than Mom expected, but it was nice. It is held indoors. There is a parking garage across the street from it which made parking easy because the street parking was totally full. Mom said if we lived in Lancaster, she would probably shop there because they sell meat as well as fruit and vegetables.
They ate at DJ's Taste of the 50's while in Lancaster. As the name indicates, it is a 50's style restaurant.
The waitresses actually wear "poodle" skirts. The folks enjoyed eating there.
Loaded fries.
On the way home, they stopped at a pet store that they like. Last year, they saw a toy that Dad said I would like. Mom wasn't sure I would like it, so they didn't get it. Grandma gave me treat money when we visited her in April, so Mom decided I could have that toy, but they no longer carry it. They found a different one and I really like it. It squeaks really easily and that is important to me. Mom said it took them about a half hour to pick it.
Me and my dinosaur.
Mom and I have had to stay inside more than I would like due to the rain. We take long walks when we can. We went on a walk on Monday that was tougher than I expected. I chose the route and apparently it was all uphill. I don't know how that happened. Mom and I were both out of breath and tired when we finally made it home.
A chipmunk
Joey,
The Greyhound Who Plans To Spend The Rest Of His Treat Money This Weekend
The weather was beautiful the first three days here. We enjoyed sitting in our yard and watching the birds. It was in the 80's on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the temperatures dropped to the 40's and it started raining. Today, we are actually in the 50's, but it is still raining off and on. We will have rain until Saturday or Sunday. Thankfully, it is not raining enough to flood and we haven't had any storms. We know the south is experiencing much worse weather than us. It is just depressing when there is a long stretch of raining days.
Rainy days are boring!
We are watching the birds from inside these days.
Since the weather has been nasty, the folks didn't do any sightseeing this past weekend. They did visit the Snyder's Hanover Outlet Store and they stocked up on snacks. They also visited Camping World and bought a new grill. The grill we bought for $15 last year wasn't worth the money. BOL! It flared up way too much and Mom only used it twice because she burned all the meat. Dad used it a few more times. This new grill seems to fit all our needs. It is sturdy and the lid locks in place. It has an infrared grill grate instead of the regular one. It is supposed to heat more evenly and doesn't have flare ups. It does need to be treated with oil, like a cast iron skillet. Mom didn't now that until she read the instruction. We used it twice this weekend and so far, so good. Dad grilled rib eye steaks Saturday night and last night, Mom grilled bison burgers. It was her first time grilling bison burgers. The folks visited a bison meat market and the lady explained how to grill them because they don't have much fat and they dry out quickly. You are supposed to put a little oil on them. It worked and they were delicious.
Our new grill.
The first rib eye grilled on the new grill
The folks also visited a few restaurants this weekend. They ate at Primanti Brothers on Saturday. They ate there a few times last year.
Mozzarella wedges
Burger with pastrami. Dad's of course.
Yesterday, they ate at Friendly Farms. They ate here last year and liked it. The food is served family style. Everyone gets cottage cheese, peaches, coleslaw, apple butter, sugar rolls (Mom's favorite), regular rolls, green beans, corn and fries. Each customer orders an entree. Dad ordered shrimp and a crab cake. Mom and I had chicken. I wasn't there, but Mom brought me a piece.
Mom still says the best place for chicken in Stroud's in Kansas City. They serve food the same way, but you get to take all the leftovers home and they have mashed potatoes and gravy which Mom prefers over fries. Babe's in Texas is also a good family style place.
We were able to watch the Blues hockey game yesterday. It was a nice day with the folks.
Asking for treats. Scout taught me how to wear Mom down.
Four years ago today, we left on our "Huge Adventure". It is hard to be believe that it has been four years! We have had three different motor homes in that time.
We have been coast to coast a few times. We created a page of where we have been. It is not detailed, but Mom wanted to document it because it is getting harder to remember when we have been places. Our Travel Log
Mom says that living on the road is more stressful than living in a house. We have to worry about getting places, finding a place to stay for a month or more at a time (can be a challenge), the weather (storms are scary in a home that moves) and when things break, you have to take your entire home to the repair place. There are other stresses, but those are the ones that come to mind right now. On the other hand, our view changes all the time. If we don't like a place, we know that it is temporary. Our favorite part is exploring new areas. We have learned so much about our country. We have also made many friends along the way.
It has been a fun adventure. How long we will continue? We don't know. Life is always changing.
Joey,
The Greyhound Who Thinks The Whole Country Is His Backyard
We left Indiana last Friday. We had three things repaired while at the Entegra event; our side window was replaced, the windshield wiper arm and new wipers and our garbage can drawer roller. The windshield wiper and the side window were very important. We had Scout's leash holding the window shut, but there was a gap and wind came in while we were driving. As we were preparing to depart on Friday, two more things broke. Another one of the shade motors has died and now the couch which is L shape and part of it has to be locked into place no longer locks. Nothing major and we were able to secure everything for our drive. Mom is concerned that the washing machine is going to be inoperative pretty soon. The door lock is giving out and it takes several tries to get it locked now. It is probably just a matter of time when it will no longer work. Mom will be sad. Dad could probably fix it, but since it is under warranty.....he may want them to do it, which could take a long time. ::::sigh:::
Our drive to our destination took two days. We spent nearly $100 in tolls. Crazy! Any guesses where we are? 1) We have been here before. 2) Mom called this a very boring campground. 3) Very few people even talked to us last time and 4) This is where Scout died. :-( Mom really didn't want to return here, but there really aren't other places to stay.
Our site last year.
View from our site last year.
We are in Maryland for a third time.
When we called to make reservations this year, they said they only had one site available. Unfortunately, it was next to the first site we tried to get into last time and there was no way our rig could maneuver the trees. Mom was concerned that we would be stuck without a place to stay. Dad reminded her that last year they also told us that there was only one site available and that was not true. So, we arrived with fingers and paws crossed. Our site is wooded, but we were able to get our rig into it and WE LOVE IT! It is amazing how different the place feels this year compared to last.
Our view is of the ball field, pool and dance pad. Yes, that concrete pad is only for dancing. The sign says so.
The brown building is the band wagon. They play music there on weekends and that is why there is a dance area.
Our site is huge! It is probably the biggest site we have ever had. Mom says it is the best site in the whole place. We put our bird feeders out and we have been sitting out every day. On weekends, the place is busy, but during the week, it is all but empty. We have already talked to more people this time than the entire time we were here last year. I guess since we are in the Chipmunk section, people are friendlier. The Chipmunk area is made up of people who lease their sites for a year. Their sites are very well maintained. No tarps here. The staff has removed a lot of trees and even the site we couldn't get into last year might be okay now.
The only downside is that our satellite TV is limited due to all the trees. We are not getting all the satellites, but we do have cable, so we are able to see most everything we want. I guess you can't have it all. However, several people have told us that we have a great satellite site. We can't figure out why they think that. We have trees right over us.
Oh, another downside about being here is the cost of electric. It is $.24 kilowatt hour. Dallas was $.12. We figure our electric bill will be $200, maybe $300. We will have the help of shade though, so maybe it won't be too bad. We spent $14 the first two days though.
Mom is happy here, so I am happier too!
Well, except for the leaves.
Wouldn't you think she would help me instead of taking pictures?
This is the third spring we have been through this year.
It was a little chilly the other morning.
People to the side of us. Well maintained sites.
We are close to Gettysburg, but we are not going to GIG. We didn't have much notice we were coming here, so we couldn't plan for GIG which is this weekend. Mom said she didn't need the added stress. She has been feeling a lot of anxiety lately and didn't want to add to it. She seems better since we are here though and things are calming down.
Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Loving All The Hiking Areas
We attended the Entegra SpringFest 2016 last week in Elkhart, IN. What is that? Well, it is basically an RV rally for Entegra owners. Our rig, coach, home, whatever you want to call it is made by Entegra.
The event was $150 and included our site for three nights, 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners and also a dessert reception which was also a trivia night. The folks' team came in 3rd and they won a $25 Visa card. Also included was a tour of the Entegra plant, a technician coming to the rig to fix three items, driving lessons and bus rides to the offsite events. There were also tech talks which Dad really enjoyed.
There are not that many Entegra coaches on the road. I think they said 2,200, but we were told the number a week ago and our memory is not what it used to be. Mom thinks she counted 66 rigs at the campground. It was a little confusing seeing all the rigs. There were three including ours that looked alike. I had to be careful and not walk into the wrong one.
Nope, that is not ours.
This is ours.
Maybe we all received lawn signs so that we knew which rig was ours. BOL!
We arrived on Sunday afternoon. The event started on Monday. The folks ate dinner at Flippin' Cow. Mom said it was really good.
The menus are actually inside old record album covers.
The fried pickles were excellent. They were slightly sweet pickles with a spicy breading.
The Hangover Burger with fried egg, bacon and cheese.
When we arrived at the fairgrounds, our rig stood out. It stood out because it was dirty. We noticed most of the people cleaning their rigs. The next morning, we were outside cleaning too. It took us six hours, but our rig looked good!
Resting after a hard day of work, but look at the shine!
I am tired!
Waiting for our neighbors to arrive. One of our neighbors had two mastiffs and a pig. The pets weighed almost 600 pounds.
Entegra Coaches
We have a 2015 model. This is the new design for the 2016. It looks more modern.
This was the dog park. HUGE! It was so large that Mom wouldn't let me run in it. She was scared I would run too fast and get hurt.
Entegra remembered the furry kids. We received treats in the goodie bag. They even had my name printed up on a card for a drawing. I didn't win. A dog that wasn't there won. Doesn't seem fair.
Waiting for the dessert reception.
The folks attended a Gala Dinner at the RV Hall of Fame. Mom said the food was excellent. She didn't take many photos though. Each table had someone from the company to sit with them. The company is all about their customers and it really shows in their customer service. We have had problems with our rig, but everyone does. When you drive your home down the road, things happen. Every bump you hit is like an earthquake. We have been very happy with the response from Entegra for any repairs that we have needed.
VIP Entrance
Walking the red carpet.
Waiting for dinner.
After dinner, the 2017 models were rolled out. A few models were also at the campground so that everyone could take their time and tour them. Dad really likes some of the updates on the 2017.
Mom's favorite part was the plant tour. She really liked seeing the
cabinets being made. They are made by the Amish onsite. The men were
eating their lunch when the tour group approached and the men said thank
you for buying a coach and the tour group applauded the men for their
workmanship. If you would like to see some of the plant tour, there is a
YouTube video. Hopefully it works for you, if not just do a search under Entegra coach.
We really enjoyed our time at the rally. The folks visited their favorite Amish bakery as well as Amish meat market. We were there two years ago at the Escapees rally. They ate dinner one night at Blue Gate Restaurant which is an Amish restaurant. Dad had the liver and onions and Mom had the fried chicken. We brought me home some chicken. Yum!
They also shopped at a few of the RV outlet stores, but didn't buy anything.
We were sorry to see our time in Indiana come to an end. Dad's three week vacation went way too fast.
