We're Back at Thousand Trails Hershey

Before I begin running off at the mouth I want to point you to the below link. It will take you to our daughter Cindy's blog. She is doing a Trans-America bike ride that may interest you.

http://tinyurl.com/r2ptbu

Almost a week has passed since we left Beacon Hill and returned to TT Hershey. We have a nice spot near the rec center so WiFi connectivity is strong while using the iMac. When Audrey has used her Macbook, she has had to use our new Hawking antenna to strengthen the signal.

To get the good site, we spoke with the folks who had the site before we left for Beacon Hill. We knew they were leaving the day we were scheduled return. They told us about what time they would be leaving so we made sure we were at TTH when they left in order to claim the site. It's nice when a plan comes together.

About the only day we did anything worth noting was Thursday, We left early and headed to the Cracker Barrel in Hamburg, PA to meet Audrey's brother, Jerry, and sister-in-law Judy. We have not seen them in about a year. Jerry owns an industrial insulation business but has essentially turned the business over to his son. Now he has a job I'd like. He's a pilot for a small company that flies celebrities all over the country. He's in the air about 11 days a month. He has flown Obama, Perlman and other dignitaries all over the country. Last week he spent 4 days in Bermuda while the client did business. Tough life. After having breakfast and chatting with Jerry and Judy, we made a call to my Aunt Ruth (92) in Frackville to see if she could have lunch. She said yes, so off we went to the Cracker Barrel in Frackville. (Do you sense a rut?) On the way back to the coach we stopped at the Hollywood Casino where Audrey made a dollar on the nickel slot machine.

Today, Saturday, we are seeing something strange in the sky. I think it's the sun. We have had another week of rain. The only day this week we've seen the sun and no rain was Monday. Just maybe we'll be able to ride our bikes today.

Later in the day on Saturday: Yes, the sun did shine all day, and I got to ride the Corsa into Hershey to the outlet mall where I met Audrey. We did our usual looking but little spending. Audrey, rather than ride her trike, decided to walk the campground before meeting me, and she was glad she did. She came across a family from State College, PA who have trikes and were riding them in the park. Needless to say they had a nice chat about trikes.

It's now Sunday morning, and we are at Panera Bread Hershey (thanks Myron & Dorcas) after attending the 8:00 am service at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Hershey. All Saints' is one of our favorite churches to visit on our travels. From here it's back to the TTH, change our clothing and head off on the bikes. Most likely we'll ride the rails/trails.

One last thing. Sorry John and Pat that Mine that Bird could not pull it off. We were cheering for the horse and Calvin.

Another update coming - who knows when.





All for now. Stay tuned for the next update.

Beacon Hill Campground, Intercourse, PA

After 3 fun weeks at the TT Hershey campground, we've moved on to Intercourse and the Beacon Hill Campground. http://www.800padutch.com/beacon.html We were here last year and had so much fun, we decided to return. It's a small campground about a half mile from the center of Intercourse.

Prior to leaving TTH, I received the Hawking WiFi antenna for the iMac, and I am happy to report that it improved the WiFi signal reception. A number of folks at TTH were interested in the antenna. Such being the case, I demoed the unit for them at their coaches, and the unit worked for them. Maybe I should go into the business of selling the units while we travel. The gent from whom I purchased the original antenna for the PC is no longer on the road and selling Hawking units.

Our site here at Beacon Hill is unique. It's at the entrance to the campground and along the road that passes by the entrance. It gives us a great view of all the Amish horses and buggies passing by as well as the kids on their bikes and scooters. We also have a view of an Amish farm where we can witness the hard working Amish till the fields and work with their milk cows. (see the pictures)

While here we've had another series of rainy days. It's been rare that we've seen the sun for a full day since we arrived in PA. Nonetheless we've had many things to do. We've visited one of our favorite bike shops, Shirks, in East Earl, PA. The shop is near the Shady Maple so we had to make a stop. See the picture of the menu listing.

Between showers I've been able to ride the bike near the campground. Audrey had hers out but only for a short ride as the clouds darkened and she had to head back to the coach. Near the campground while riding I found an Amish farm that had a petting zoo. (see the pictures)

Did you know there is a railroad museum here in central PA? Yes, and it's something. It's located about 10 miles from Beacon Hill in Strasburg. Go here to learn about the museum. http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/

We have been able to ride the bikes in the last couple of days as the weather has improved. . We made a second trip to Shirk's Bike Shop. I rode the bike to the shop and Audrey met me there. Yes, a few purchases were made. Audrey found a nice helmet light and I purchased a folding tire for the Corsa. After returning to the coach, we took the bikes and rode 16 miles around the Amish farm country. The beauty of the Amish farms is stunning. On the way home, we stopped at the entrance to an Amish farm where children were selling bird houses. Audrey could not miss the opportunity to get another bird house and at the same time help the family. The picture shows all the kids at the roadside stand along with their pony.

On Monday we return to Thousand Trails Hershey for 3 weeks. Our schedule during that stay will be busy. We'll give you an update so check back for the exciting news.

In addition to the pictures included in this posting, if you are interested you can find others pictures using this link.

http://gallery.me.com/watkinsdl#100125

Hanging out at TT Hershey

Monday, May 11:

We continue our stay at Thousand Trails Hershey. Yesterday was a special day for Audrey - Mother's Day. She had very nice phone calls from Cindy (in AZ) and Dawn in NC) and had a light lunch with Denise in Mechanicsburg, PA. Later we took our bikes and rode the rails/trails beginning at the Colebrook Trailhead. Audrey rode most of the trail while I rode on the road to Cornwall Furnace.

The picture on the right shows our grandson, Connor (on left) holding a handful of money. He entered a Guitar Hero contest at the car show in Carlisle, PA on Saturday and won first prize. He is really good with Guitar Hero. The winnings put $800 dollars in his pocket. Second prize was $200. Needless to say, we are seeking a loan from Connor.

Earlier I spent time updating the WY&CC website - a site I maintain to keep me busy. Board of Director elections are coming soon and the membership can get details of the election via the website. Beyond that who knows what today will bring. We hope to ride the bikes later after a trip to Palmyra if the weather cooperates.

Tuesday/Wednesday, May 12-13

Tuesday was Root's Market day - a place that's just a fun trip. Lots of great Lancaster & Lebanon county produce and meats. Yes, the flea market is a fun experience too. After the trip to the market, it was time to get the bikes on the road and trail. Audrey hit the trail and I rode the roads near the campground. The pictures of the goats were taken as I rode the recumbent past a local farm. Audrey says she'd like to adopt the white-faced one.

Thursday/Friday/Saturday, May 14, 15, & 17

Thursday was a fun day as we met our daughter Denise and headed to Frackville to have lunch with my two 90+ year old aunts at Cracker Barrel . Joining us was my cousin, my sister-in-law and her mother who is also 90+. Needless to say we had a wonderful visit and hope to make another visit with them before we leave for home in mid-June. On the way we stopped at Cabela's in Hamburg where I took a lot of video of the animals on display. One of these days I'll post a movie for all to view. On the way home, we learned of a new casino in PA located at the Penn National Race Track in Grantville - the Hollywood Casino. Since this is only 30 minutes from TTH, we decided to make a quick stop to check out the place. Here again I took some video (illegally) and have converted it to a movie. The bad news is the network at TTH is so awful, it's difficult to upload the file. However, the video was finally uploaded and can be viewed using the below link. You'll see Audrey at the nickel slot machine where she made 50 cents on a $2.00 budget.

http://gallery.me.com/watkinsdl/100108

Friday and Saturday were uneventful days as we had rain and most of the time we chilled out around the coach. We were able to get in a short bike ride on Friday on the rails/trails path. Yesterday, Saturday, I got out for a ride before the rains came.

Sunday, May 17

We made it to church this morning where the sermon focused on the topic of sexuality in the Episcopal Church. Interesting comments by the rector. Now we're at Panera Bread in Hummelstown where we do have a good Wifi connection. Unfortunately I do not have any of the movies I want to post on this MacBook. The day began with rain but now the skies are clearing so there is a chance that we can ride the bikes or do something else out-of-doors.

All from here in central PA. Stay tuned for the next update.

Back on the Road - In PA (Thousand Trails Hershey)

We are now back on the road after about 6 weeks in Washington. It's nice to be away from the house and yard work - at least for now. We'll miss playing golf everyday and the neighbors, but we do enjoy traveling in the coach.

Audrey took the above photos. The one shows the technology that has commandeered her dining table. The second picture she took as we uncovered the coach for our PA trip.

Sunday, May 3: We left for the Thousand Trails Hershey preserve with a scheduled reservation arrival date of Monday, May 4. We rolled the coach out of the driveway about 5:30 am and soon found rain falling from the sky. It rained the entire trip to PA. The usual stops were made for fuel at every Flying J on the way. Diesel fuel prices ranged from $2.05 in VA to $2.35 in PA. Our overnight stay was at the Walmart in Palmyra, PA.

Monday, May 4: We left Walmart for TTH at 7:30 am arriving at TTH before the gate opened at 8:00. For those of you who have been to TTH, you know if you want 50 amp service, you need to find a spot in H section. After checking in, we headed for H and found only one site available - at the very bottom of the hilly area where water accumulates whenever it rains. Yes, it was raining and raining so there was pond in the site. Nonetheless we decided to take the spot at least for one day and then move. Just as we were getting ready to hook up the power cord, a much better site was opening up near the bathhouse - a prime site. Audrey quickly made contact with the folks and indicated we'd like the site when they were ready to leave. About 30 minutes later, we were in the site and ready for our 3 week stay. After washing the coach in the rain (it was a mess after traveling from NC), I installed the external WiFi antenna hoping to pick up the WiFi signal from the clubhouse. Hurray, success - the antenna is working allowing for Internet access from the coach (PC computer). Later in the day we made a quick trip to Palmyra to get some Seltzer Lebanon bologna - the Seltzer factory is in Palmyra.

Tuesday, May 5: More rain. Yes, for the 3rd consecutive day it rained. No matter. We headed off to the famous Roots Market. http://www.rootsmarket.com/ We wondered around Roots for a couple of hours and bought very little other than some produce and meats. After returning home, I set up the new iMac with the hope that I could pick up the WiFi signal from the clubhouse - no such luck. Nonetheless, I used the new beauty to learn more about iMovie. Stay tuned for a coming movies.

Wednesday, May 6: Guess what? More rain. However, there is a chance that the skies will brighten later today. That means there is a slim chance that we'll be able to get Audrey's Catrike and my Corsa out of the auto and do some bike riding. We'd like to give the bike/trike a test on the local rails-to-trails. An update: No bike riding. The skies did brighten by mid-afternoon but quickly turned gray and again the rain returned. In fact there was a flood watch for this area. Nothing exciting or unique to report for today except a trip to Walmart.

Thursday, May 7: Yes, there is more rain in the forecast. At the moment the sun is shining, but it's only a temporary reprieve. We'll not see the sunshine and real warmth until Sunday - so says the weatherman. The last couple of days, I've been learning more about the new iMac and am loving it. I did some videoing using the Flip camera before heading to PA. This morning I uploaded the movies for viewing. One is a short golf outing with our son-in-law and 2 of my friends. The other two are of the grandkids - one while visiting Washington and the other with Audrey on the golf course. Check them out if you are interested.

Golf outing: http://gallery.me.com/watkinsdl#100062
Kids visit Washington: http://gallery.me.com/watkinsdl#100071
Kids golfing: http://gallery.me.com/watkinsdl#100072

Guess that's it for now. Nuff stuff that boring. Stayed tuned for later updates.

A Special Day - 50 wonderful years

A must event to post on our blog. It's our 50th wedding anniversary - Saturday, March 28.

We have been blessed to have each other for these 50 short years along with our daughters - Cindy, Denise & Dawn, their families and our many friends.

A special message to all our grand kids - Joey & David (Cindy & Roy), Justin, Samantha & Connor (Denise & Rob) and Bailey, Sophia, & Olivia (Dawn & Ken), may you be as fortunate as your poppy and memaw.

The pictures are of an Edible Fruit Basket we received to help celebrate the special day.

Blessings to all.

dave & audrey

We're Home in Washington, NC

Well, our 4 month adventure in FL is over. We arrived home at 130 Fairway Drive Saturday, March 21 at 5:30 pm. It was a 13 hour drive from TT Orlando leaving at 4:40 am with 4 stops along the way for fuel. The best diesel price was $1.91 in Latta. SC at the Flying J.

Now the hectic schedule begins - traveling to Pinehurst on Thursday, back home on Sunday, back to Pinehurst to house/dog sit from April 9-15 when the kids head to Disney. A few weeks later it's off to PA for 2 months. I'm beginning to think, full-timing makes sense when we see all the yard work facing us before we head out again. Also before heading back to the road in May, the coach needs a good waxing. A friend of ours, Rob Wall, just used a product called Poliglow on his coach and his wife said their coach looks show-room new. Will have to check out the product.

The pictures show our work to unload the coach and organize the garage. The turtle pictures were taken at our coach the day before we left for NC. Audrey provided the carrots for our friend.

It's now Monday and the coach has been unloaded and most of today was spent doing yard work. The end is in sight. Hope all of you are doing well where ever this update finds you. Most likely there will not be another post until we get to TT Hershey in early May.

Travel safely and Blessings to all.

dave & audrey

NC Here We Come

false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Our stay in FL for the winter is about to end. We spent last week in Lake Louisa State Park and are now back at TT Orlando. Our reservations here end on March 29, but it’s likely we’ll head back to Washington, NC before that date. Our week's stay in LL was a fun week. It's one of our favorite FL state parks.

On Monday we met Audrey’s brother and his wife (Carl & Irene) for lunch in Leesburg. This is our second visit with them this winter.

On Wednesday we rode our recumbent bikes on the West Orange Trail. Joining us and starting at the Killarney Station Trailhead were my sister-in-law, Ginny Watkins, and her friend, Forry Yeakel, from Coopersburg, PA (my hometown). Audrey and Ginny were classmates at Southern Lehigh High School in Centre Valley, PA (we won’t say what year). Ginny and Forry are renting a place in the Plantation near Leesburg for the winter. We all rode more than 25 miles at a leisurely pace with stops along the way at Chapin Station and the Ingram rest area. When we returned to Winter Garden we had lunch at the Winter Garden Pizza Shop before riding back to the autos at Killarney Station. While eating lunch, Audrey had her Black Cat tuned at the Winter Garden Wheel Works. She wanted to have this done before returning to NC by a mechanic familiar with the Catrike Speed.

Friday was another fun day. Audrey and I invited fellow recumbent riders to join us to ride the 12 miles of well-paved roads in Lake Louisa State Park. The terrain is hilly compared to most of the areas we ride in Central FL. In fact, the 12 mile course is one that the U.S. National Training Center uses as a training course for triathletes training for the Olympic team. FYI, the US National Training Center is located in Clermont, FL. -- http://www.usatc.com Prior to starting the ride, we provided the group with doughnuts and orange juice – energy food of course. After 2 hours of riding, most of the riders headed to lunch at a nearby Clermont restaurant for lunch. It was a fun day and gave us a chance to say thanks to our trike/bike friends before leaving for NC. Go here to watch a movie of the ride. http://www.vimeo.com/3714100

We moved back to TTO on Sunday, arriving early a.m., and found an open site near the clubhouse – the one we had back in February. Needless to say we took it.

On Monday after chatting with Ginny and Forry, we decided to ride the WOT again. The drill was about the same as days earlier except we rode more miles and I had a flat tire just as we entered Winter Garden. I had a new tube put in the tire at the bike shop in WinterGarden, and we continued our ride.

On Tuesday, we motored to near Tampa to visit the relocated Power On Cycling bike shop. This is the shop that was located near Plant City where we’ve purchased numerous

items during our stay this winter in FL. The new shop is much larger than the previous one. On the way back to the coach, we made our last stop at Lazydays for lunch (free). Our friends, Pat and John Lively, were having their coach serviced at Central FL Coach Works and met us for the free lunch at Lazydays.

At the start of this update, I noted that we were about ready to head back to Washington, NC. We've made the call on a departure date. We'll leave TTO early Saturday morning and will stop overnight at a campground in Walterboro, SC. One of our friends, Claire Weston, has recommended the campground. We hope to arrive home around noon on Sunday, unpack the coach, clean up the yard and get on the golf course. This will likely be our last posting until we make our journey to PA.

Thanks to all who made our winter stay so much fun.

TTO and Catrike Rally

Our stay in TTO for this 2 week period is coming to an end. On Sunday we leave for Lake Louisa State Park for a week before returning here on Sunday, March 15.

Since the last post we've done some fun things centering on our recumbents. On Friday, February 27, a group of "bent" riders gathered at the Green Pond Trailhead on the General Van Fleet Trail to ride to Polk City and back. There were 51 recumbents rolling down the trail. This event was the Catrike Pre-rally - the Catrike Rally was the next day. Use this link to view the photos taken at the Catrike Pre-rally.

http://tinyurl.com/baaynb

Saturday was the big day. Catrike sponsored the Catrike Rally and Factory Tour in Winter Garden. The ride began at 9:30 in Winter Garden with riders pedaling varying distances on the West Orange Trail. It was an awesome site to see between 150/200 recumbents riding the trail. Most ended their ride by noon and had lunch in Winter Garden before heading to the factory tour. The factory is about a mile from downtown Winter Garden in a small industrial park. The tour was very interesting as the owners and associates gave a demo of building a Catrike from start to finish.

The below link will show photos taken of the Catrike Rally.

http://tinyurl.com/cd3c5l

While at the Catrike Rally, Audrey found a new flag for her Catrike Speed (aka Black Cat). Speaking of Catrikes. I demoed a number of models at the rally - the Catrike 700 and the Catrike Expedition. One of these days, there will be another trike in our stable of bikes. It most likely will be the Expedition since the rear wheel on my Corsa can be moved to the Expedition making for a faster ride. Speaking of interests in trikes, our friends Myron and Dorcas Whitley came to the Catrike factory tour where Dorcas demoed a number of Catrike models. Could there be a trike in her future?

Today, Wednesday, Myron Whitley will be taking on the task of replacing the cooling unit in their refrigerator that died a few days ago. I volunteered to help Myron -- ha, ha. Minimally I hope I can help him move the refrigerator so he can replace the cooling unit. Beyond that there is not much I can do. Myron knows what he is doing.

Tomorrow (Thursday) we're off to Plant City and Power on Cycling where I will have the seat replaced on my Bacchetta Corsa. The seat structure has shifted and needs to be replaced (under warranty). While there I'll have the Corsa serviced.

While participating in the Catrike Pre-rally, numerous videos were taken as you would expect. View the movie below.

Stay tuned for the next post.

Lake Louisa State Park & TT Orlando

Much has gone on since our last post. We spent a week at Lake Louisa State Park, near Clermont, FL. It’s a relatively new state park with very nice sites and facilities. The neat thing about the park are the roads into and around the park. They are well paved and lightly traveled. Perfect for bike riding and running. There are some hills to test your fitness too. When we arrived at the park on Sunday, February 15, there was a triathlon in progress. The biking portion was taking place so I jumped on my recumbent and rode in the race for a short while. Wanted to see how hard and fast they were riding.

The early part of the week was spent chilling out. One day we headed to the West Orange Trail where we rode the bikes into Winter Garden for lunch. I rode from the Panera Bread in Clermont while Audrey rode from the Killarney Station.

On Thursday, Denise (daughter) and Samantha (granddaughter) flew from Harrisburg, PA to Orlando to spend 4 days at Disney World. We spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday with them. Friday was the big day as we headed off to Epcot for the day. Later we had dinner at the new restaurant - T-Rex. Saturday and Sunday we hung out at the pool at Saratoga Springs. The kids left for the cold temperatures of PA on Monday, and we left Lake Louisa State Park for another 2 week stay in TT Orlando. We sure had a good time with the Denise and Sam. We were sorry to see them leave.

Sunday we had a phone call from our daughter (Cindy) in AZ letting us know that she had qualified for the Duathalon World Championships. A duathlon is a running - biking event. Use this link to learn more about the event. http://www.desertclassicduathlon.com/

Needless-to-say we are excited for Cindy. And here is additional good news. Two years ago the championships were held in Hungry. This year they will be held in North Carolina. Go here to view a few pictures of Cindy competing in the qualifying event.

http://tinyurl.com/akw97e

Here in TTO things are going well. Yesterday we rode the West Orange Trail with friends of ours, Myron and Dorcas Whitley. The highlight of the day was Myron & Dorcas demoing a trike in Winter Garden. See the picture of Dorcas.

Over the next few days we'll be putting the bikes to good use. There is a ride scheduled for Friday and Saturday with other recumbent riders. The Friday ride is on the Van Fleet Trail sponsored by a local group of recumbent enthusiasts. The Saturday ride in sponsored by Catrike - the company is located in Winter Garden and will host more than 200 recumbent riders. There will be a morning ride, lunch and a tour of the Catrike factory in the afternoon. We will post updates on these events. Stay tuned.

Riding the Withlacoochee Trail & More

Early Friday morning, February 13, 2009, off we went to ride the recumbents (bents) on the Withlacoochee Trail near Brooksville. The trail runs 46 miles with numerous trailheads making for easy access. Go here to learn more about the trail. http://tinyurl.com/2wgw9 We joined more than 25 other bent riders starting the ride at the Ridge Manor Trailhead. The ride intinerary called for the riders to head to Floral City with a visit to Hampton's Edge Bike Shop (a recumbent shop) before heading back to Ridge Manor. A lunch stop was planned for along the way. In the end, only a few riders rode to Floral City (20+ miles). Most rode to the 10 mile mark and turned back to Ridge Manor. By far there were more trikes being ridden than 2 wheeled recumbents. Audrey rode more than 20 miles while the Corsa logged more than 40. After the ride we headed back to Clermont with a stop at Wendy's for a snack.

Additional pictures of the ride can be found here. http://tinyurl.com/crw4yw

Today, Sunday, is moving day. We leave TTO and move to Lake Louisa State Park for a week. Our friends, John & Pat Lively, leave today too. Myron & Dorcas Whitley left on Friday and Rob & Bonnie Wall leave mid-week. Most of these folks will be back in TTO in a week or two so we'll catch up with them again.

Check out the short Withlacoochee Trail ride video below. Stay tuned for the next update. It will include a visit to Disney with our daughter, Denise, and her daughter Samantha. We are looking forward to the visit.

Here is a note we received yesterday from our daughter Cindy who resides in AZ. She is working hard to qualify for the Ironman in Hawaii - her second appearance.

"Just got back from long run with my friend Carolyn.  I've been helping  
her train for a marathon and I think I created a MONSTER.  She  
recently qualified for Boston and is training so hard that I can  
hardly keep up with her now.  Actually, it's good for both of us.

Doing a long ride tomorrow (3 hours, including some intervals).   
There's not too much time left before my 1/2 Ironman in California."  

Another TT Orlando Update

Here is a quick update on what's happening since the last post. On Wednesday, we headed to the West Orange Trail for a ride into Winter Garden with the start at Killarney Station. Audrey had some work done on her Catrike at the Winter Garden Wheel Works - where she bought the trike. She had the head rest foam replaced and a chain guard installed. Check out the pictures of the owner of the shop, his associates and the Black Cat being worked on.

While Audrey was riding from Killarney Station to WG, I headed out a little more quickly to find the Catrike Factory in Winter Garden. It's an easy place to find but not the easiest to reach by bike. The road leading to the industrial park where the factory is located is heavily traveled and not bike friendly. However once I found the place, I was impressed. I met the owner of the business (Mark) and his main mechanic (Guillermo), and they spend about 15 minutes chatting about the business. Catrike is sponsoring a 2 day rally for recumbent riders on February 28 and March 1. Audrey and I plan to attend. There is no charge for the event -- you gotta like that. Go here to read about it. http://tinyurl.com/b863db . You can go here to view a few additional pictures taken at the Catrike factory. Thanks Mark for chatting with me. http://tinyurl.com/cuw9be

Thursday was a day of fun. Myron & Dorcas Whitley, Rob & Bonnie Wall, Pat & John Lively and Audrey and I headed to RV Liquidators in Orlando to check out the motor homes for sale. On the way we stopped in Winter Garden for pizza at Winter Garden Pizza. No motor homes were purchased but there were many that were mighty attractive.

Yesterday, Friday, we took our bikes and head to a group ride of recumbent riders on the Withlacoochee Trail near Brooksville. There were more that 25 bent riders who participated. Details will be posted later.

More to come another day.

TT Orlando Update

Our stay at TT Orlando continues. Since our last update, we've survived the coldest temperatures since our arrival in FL back in late November. Lows in the morning reached the mid-20s in some nearby spots. There citrus, strawberry and other crops were protected with water sprays that put a light coat of ice on the plants to protect them from a hard freeze. According to the reports, there was minimal damage

Check out the recent slideshow posted on the right side of the blog - "Our Stay in FL '09" . Click on a picture to start the slideshow in a larger view. You'll be able to read the captions.

We have had a couple of days of good bike/trike riding on the West Orange Trail. On Saturday we rode with a couple of recumbent friends, Phil Mix and Paul Giglio, beginning at the Killarney Station. We ate lunch at the Winter Garden Pizza (see the picture). Note the description of the trail on the picture. On Sunday we returned to the trail after attending church and getting a bagel at Panera Bread in Clermont. Audrey rode 20 miles on the trail and I rode 40.

On Monday Pat & John Lively surprised us with a phone call and asked us to join them for an hour without telling us where we were headed. See the picture to see where they took us. What a pleasant surprise. Can you tell by the picture we are at Dairy Queen?

Yesterday (Tuesday) was a work day. Four hours were spent on the roof of the coach - washing, waxing the cap sides and ends and applying UV protectant. Glad to have the job finished. The next task is waxing the coach. While I was on the roof, Audrey cleaned the inside of the coach - dusting, washing and vacuuming.

All for this time. Stay tuned for the next update.

Lazydays: Rally Park & TT Orlando

What a week we've had since the last post. Our stay at Rally Park where we were for 8 days was a winner. We enjoyed our days before the SE Trek Fun Club rally began on Thursday, January 29. The days prior to the rally were very relaxing. We rode our bikes around the Lazydays complex, ate the free breakfasts and lunches in the Club Lazydays Cafe. We took the bikes and rode the Flatwood Park Trail in Tampa. Go here to watch a short video of the ride.

http://www.vimeo.com/2973490

On Monday, we took the coach for service to the Central FL Coach Works in Lakeland where we had a new micro/convection oven and a new bathroom fan installed (both under warranty). Coach Works also installed the digital converter box in the main TV. While the coach was being serviced, we took our bikes to the Van Fleet bike trail only a short distance from the Coach Works. The Van Fleet Trail runs about 40 miles.

The Trek rally was a success with 51 coaches attending. Dave & Rita Neth were the hosts with Audrey and me serving as co-hosts. Go here to view pictures and videos taken at the rally. http://www.setrekclub.com/

Now we are settled in at Thousand Trails Orlando until February 15. Trek friends - the Fishers, the Whitleys, and Claire Weston are here. Former Trek owners, the Walls, are here also. I would be remiss if I did not note that our friends, John & Pat Lively are here for 2 weeks. We spent 3 weeks with them back in early December. I must tell you that when I saw John soon after we arrived here, he gave me a hard time about not identifying them as friends in our previous blog updates. Now I'm trying to make amends. You will be interested to know that John is a famous jockey having won the Preakness in 1976 -- 102nd Preakness: John Lively aboard Elocutionist wins in 1:55. We had a great time with them in December and hope that we have now hopefully redeemed ourselves.

The most recent news to report is the purchase of a new 3G iPhone for me and the hand-me-down of the Edge iPhone to Audrey. Audrey's phone died and needed to be replaced. Rather than buying a new phone that would not equal the functions of an iPhone, we decided to transfer my first iPhone to Audrey. She is a very happy camper who is working hard to master the new toy. I must report that the purchase of the new phone and the transfer was not an easy task. We spent the better part of a day moving between an Apple Store and an AT&T store in Orlando to get everything working. It was a nightmare, but now all is well. The AT&T experience was less than positive at times. The Apple Store service was exceptional.

There is bike riding in our future - the West Orange Trail in the next few days - after the cold spell we are experiencing breaks.

Peace River - Zolfo Springs, FL - Update: 2

We are still hanging out at TT Peace River and having fun. Since the last post, we've attended the FL RV Super Show in Tampa after stopping at Lazydays for a free breakfast in the Club Lazydays Cafe. We spent about 5 hours at the RV show where we managed to spend zero money. Below are a couple of pictures taken at the show. The first is Audrey standing before our new Prevost, the second is a wagon of dogs being towed through the show. The last is a picture of Audrey standing on the veranda on the Country Coach Veranda.

Also, check out this link to view a video of the Super Dogs. http://www.vimeo.com/2858651

On Friday, we headed to the Power On Cycling recumbent shop in Plant City. On the way we stopped again at Lazydays for the free breakfast. At POC Audrey had a rack put on her Catrike Speed while I test rode a Catrike 700 trike. See the last picture.

Sunday we head back to the Super Show to do our duty as Lazydays Ambassadors. We have booth duty from noon to 3:00 pm.

Last week Rob and Bonnie Wall and Bob and Elaine Proulx, former Trekkers, were here in the park. This week Myron and Dorcas Whitley are here, also former Trekkers. It's always nice to see our former Trek friends.

All for now.