One Way Ticket to Doggy Heaven

Today my 16 year old Cairn Terrier, Sammy, got his one way ticket to Doggy Heaven.  It was a great run. He was much loved and will be missed.

 

Priceless

Airstream + Apple TV + Star Wars = Priceless

 

View Outside My Door

It's that time of year...

 

How Many Techs Does It Take

to fix a black water tank sensor?  Apparently more than 2. Kidding aside, Stewart's came out and troubleshot the problem.  It's the sensor.  So they ordered one and will let me know when it comes in and they can replace it.

 

 

Apple Rules

I don't expect I'll be bringing any Blu-ray discs on any trip, so I replaced the Blu-ray player with an Apple TV.  Now I can use AirPlay to play videos from my iPad and iPhone on both TVs.  Apple rules.

 

Planning the Next Trip

So we are spending the summer at the Ranch, but right after Labor Day we are planning on going to Hilton Head, South Carolina.  We've been there before (although not on a trailer) and we love it.  We will be stopping at St. Augustine on the way up and down.

North Beach Camp at St. Augustine

Hilton Head Harbor RV Resort and Marina

No More Dead Batteries

I liked the Noco GB70 so much I bought another one for my Smart Fortwo Cabrio.  This time I got a GB40, which is somewhat smaller than the GB70, which is just fine for my Smart and most other cars.

Black Water Tank Sensor

My black water tank sensor died.  The light is out.  So I called Stewart's Mobile RV Service.  They are coming out next Monday to take a look at it.  Hopefully my Good Sams Extended Service Plan will take care of it.  So far it seems like it will,  so keep your fingers crossed.

Final Impressions

Ok, so we are back from our weekend at Fort Wilderness, so time for some final impressions.

We liked it, but we won't be back most likely.

The place was immaculate.  Very well taken care of.  But too expensive.  $175 per night with all the taxes and fees.  For an RV pad.  And $144 for two seats at a dinner show.

Well, it was Disney.  And it was Disney fun.  But it was also Disney expensive.  And the expense took away from the enjoyment, sad to admit.  If I had a few grand to blow, I'd go back and spend a week and visit the parks and eat my heart out.  Maybe I'll win the lotto.  In the meantime, the search for a favorite destination continues...

Dead Battery

I must have left something on last night, because this morning my Escalade's battery was dead.  Disney Security was nice enough to give me a jump.  They used a tiny portable jump starter, which reminded me of The More We Explore and their experience with the NOCO Genius Boost.  So I went hunting for one and found it at Pep Boys.

I got the NOCO GB70.  TMWE got the GB150, but I don't need the big one.  The GB70 is perfectly fine, perhaps a bit of over kill.  Won't get caught empty handed with a dead battery again!

 

Second Impressions

Ok, the place is growing on me. I still think the River Ranch Phase 3 sites are nicer, but last night we walked 1/2 mile to Pioneer Hall to see the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue.   While we were walking down the side walk (something River Ranch doesn't have) we noticed a strange thing.  Not a single leaf on the sidewalk.

There's plenty of trees and leaves falling down all over the place.  Just not on the sidewalk.  Or the road.  Or the pad on the campsite. 

So it's either some feat of Disney magic, or these guys take care of their common areas exceptionally well.  There were several hundred people waiting to see the show, and not a single scrap of anything on the floor.  We saw a Disney employee walking around picking up the odd scrap.  The cleanliness of this place is amazing. 

 

 

First Impressions

In typical Disney fashion, the campground is very neat and clean. Everything is very organized.  The checkin was very well done, roads are very well marked.  Camp sites are very well labeled.

The big draw of Fort Wilderness is its location.  Access to the Magic Kingdom and all that. But I'm going to focus on the campground itself for now.

I don't dislike it.  But it's not as nice as the campsites at River Ranch.  There's not as much shade, and the sites are smaller.  But this place is the second nicest place I've parked my Airstream.  Not sure it's worth the extra coin though.  This place is pricey.  But these are my initial impressions.  The place might grow on me.  If I were planning to go to the Magic Kingdom, I'd be excited.  But an extra $100 per person was not in the cards this time. We already blew $150 on reservations for two for the dinner show.  Wow.

 

Countdown to Fort Wilderness

This weekend we will be going to Fort Wilderness.  It looks a lot like River Ranch, but it has the added benefit of the Mouse and his stuff.  We are not going to the parks.  The tickets are $100 per person per day.  We don't have that kind of money.  But we are doing a show.  We'll see how this trip works out.

Another Missed Weekend

The wife went to visit family in Miami, so I'm left all by my lonesome and not going to the trailer this weekend.  Thankfully, these are few and far between.  What shall I do?  I know!



UPDATE: The movie was awesome.  Go see it.

Mount Rushmore

I want to go to Mount Rushmore in my Airstream.  I am not going any time soon.  It's a 2,000 mile trip one way.  At about 300-400 miles a day, that's a week to get there, and a week to get back.  I'll go when I can dedicate a couple of months to the adventure.

I May Have Exceeded Payload