Farewell and some Facts and Figures

It's a sad time for us but our trip would not have been so enjoyable without the absolutely fantastic people of the USA. Maybe it's because we were RVing but we never stopped meeting great people, be it at a RV park, on a cruise, sightseeing or at the shops. I cannot count the number of times we spoke to people and on finding out we were from Australia they would say "thank you for visiting our country" or "thank you for visiting our town" and a lot of these people were cashiers. I would like to say to all of America, "thank you for having us".

I will be the first to admit I have changed a lot of my own opinions, we hear so many negatives about the USA but that is the media. Every person we met was hardworking, polite, friendly and welcoming. America is a truly a patriotic country and not a day went by where we did not see at least 50 American flags flying, be it down the Main Street of a small town, in parks, in national cemeteries or in the front yards of houses and farms.

American's honour their military and not just on Veterans Day, they do it everyday. On a bus tour of the Aeroplane boneyard in Arizona the guide introduced himself, as a retired veteran, immediately several people said to him "thank you for your service". We heard this many times on our travels. Every Walmart has an honour board where families can put pictures up. One small town we went through had flag staffs on the light poles with pictures of the local kids with their name and what service they had entered, be it Army, Marines etc. If in conversation to people I mentioned my son was a returned serviceman they would say "tell your son thank you for his service".

To me many Americans have a special place in their hearts for Australia and many said they wished to travel their one day so I hope we as Australians can welcome them as nicely as they did us. Most are not fortunate enough to have as much vacation time as us or the means but they never stop wanting to visit Australia.

America was born on its freedom and they are immensely proud of this point and will not give it up lightly, they love their states and what it offers. Not one time while we have been here did we feel threatened or not safe. Of course there are places of danger and violence but using common sense will often keep you safe and this applies worldwide not just here.

In all, my words cannot describe how much we loved our time here and the many sights we have seen, we have been so fortunate to be able to do such a trip but the person who really made it possible is my partner Rose, hesitant at first with the thought of leaving family for so long but with modern technology it was made much easier. Rose was there at every set up of the trailer learning how to do things, how to connect the sewer, the water and of course flushing black tanks. She learnt how to hitch up and to drive our rig, just in case, and she did it well. Rose was my co-pilot and spent countless hours on the iPad researching RV parks, including researching information on things to do when we got there, she was fantastic. She edited my blogs without complaint. I will say this, our love is now stronger than ever, because of our journey.

Moving house every 6-7 days is not everyone's idea of a holiday but it was ours and we did it and enjoyed every moment of it, in fact we loved it so much we will be back.

I would also like to thank the many Canadians we met, you also have a place in our hearts and you also made our journey to the USA complete, with your hospitality, friendship and humour.

Also thank you to the many who took the time to read our blog I hope you enjoyed it and are possibly inspired by it.

* Countries visited - 3 USA, Mexico, Canada
* States travelled through - 30
* States camped in - 26
* Days in the US - 335
* Miles travelled - 22,700
* Klm's travelled - 36,532
* Fuel stops - 87
* Fuel costs - $6,354.11
* Highest price per gallon paid - $4.35 -
* Lowest price per gallon paid - $3.35 - Vicksburg, MS, ( with fuel vouchers)
* Servicing costs - $1,163.89
* Number of gallons - 1455.08
* Number of litres - 5,500.24
* Average fuel consumption - 16 mpg
* Towed miles approximately - 15,000 miles

*Parking tickets - none
*Speeding tickets - none

*Truck - Dodge 2500 Laramie 2WD with 5.9 turbo Diesel engine
*Truck length - 21'
*Truck length metric - 6.4 metres
*Trailer Type - Forest River Sierra
*Trailer length in feet- 40' 7' inches
*Trailer length in metres - 12.3 metres
*Trailer weight imperial - 12,000 lbs
*Trailer weight metric - 5.44 tons
*Truck and trailer combined - 52 '
*Truck and trailer combined in metres - 15.8 metres

* Highest temp F and C - 112 F / 44 C - California travelling across the Rockies to Eureka
* Lowest temp F / C - 10 F / -12 C - Ruidoso New Mexico

* Highest altitude - 12,246 feet above seal level. Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park - Ice Lake
* Lowest altitude - 282 feet - Bad Water Basin, Death Valley

* Number of RV parks stayed at - 92
* Highest price - $50 - Clute Park and Campground - Watkins Glen, NY
* Worst RV Park - Crazy Horse - Lake Havasu
* Best RV Park - Gulf Waters RV Resort - Port Aransas, Corpus Christi, TX
* Hardest camp site to get into - Rockhounds State Park - several attempts to back up into the site at 20 mph due to steep rocky site

* Longest miles travelled in one day - 450 miles / 724 km - Racine, WI - Manchester OH
* State with most time spent in - Texas 30 days
* Shortest / longest stay - Idaho - Coeur d Alene 1 night

* Must have gadgets would have to be a GPS which takes into account your vehicle size as in the Rand McNally RV GPS. Next would be a set of walkie talkies essential for backing up and sighting the trailer in camping spots, this saves a lot of yelling and makes for happy relationship.

* The best holiday location within a holiday for us would be our Alaska cruise

* The best forms of entertainment on a budget would be the Redbox DVD rental, they are everywhere and you can return them at any location.

* Our cheapest repair job tyre valve was a tyre valve stem near the Mexican border just $5

* Favourite take away would be Papa Johns Pizza

* Best apps for the IPad would be RV stays this list most RV parks including phone numbers, facilities, hookups as well as many other things.

* Best support tool, for was the iPad and Wi Fi hotspot with Verizon.

* Best car product was an item called a Californian dust mop, just wipe the truck over to get rid of the dust, great for the desert regions.

* Best place to buy RV gadgets would be Camping World and as a Good Sam member we get free shipping anywhere in the US.

*The worst roads we encounter by far was in the state of Wisconsin with so much snow and ice it takes it's toll on the roads. We were told there are two seasons in Wisconsin, Winter and Construction.

*Funniest moment was Rose took the truck to the shops. After putting the shopping in the back she got in the wrong side, actually shutting the door before realising the steering wheel was on the other side. So embarrassed she had to wait for the bloke in the next car to go before changing sides.

Well it's 7-30pm here in Dallas as we wait to board our plane back to Australia we must be two of the luckiest people in the world to be able to have done such a trip.

Goodbye my Blog readers.


- Posted by RnR on their IPad

Location:Farewell from Aussies Travelling the USA in a Fifth Wheeler

Canada and Packing Up

Our journey was coming to an end very quickly and we needed to start thinking about packing and cleaning the 5th wheeler. There were a couple of our Canadian friends who we were still keen to see before we left however unfortunately only had enough time to visit one couple. We spent over a month with Jackie and Andy travelling from Tombstone through to Lake Mead. They were staying with Jackie's Father in the Canadian border town of Cornwall - some 379 miles away. We left the 5th wheeler behind just travelling up in the truck. We had factored in 3 nights but ended up staying 4.

We intended to stay in a motel but they would have none of it - they vacated their motorhome and slept in the main house. We had full use of the motorhome, now we were going to get a taste of being " rock stars". One thing we did do before we crossed the border was to check with US border patrol to ensue our paperwork was ok, we didn't want any problems when we returned this time. In fact the the border control officer said it was perfect and commented "I wish more people did it this way". A lesson learned, crossing the US border can sometimes be a bit of a lottery.

The drive up was beautiful as the Autumn leaves were changing colour - I must admit it felt funny not towing the 5th wheeler. As we stopped for fuel we drove through Salmon Town and were amazed to see dozens of fisherman in the stream that ran through the centre of town casting for salmon. We stopped and walked down to the stream and made conversation with one of the fisherman and learnt about the finer points of salmon fishing. This is certainly a must do when we return.

Leaf Peeping


Fishing at Salmon Town


The Bridge Into Canada at Cornwall



We spent four fantastic days with Andy and Jackie and met most of their family including Jackie's 82 year old father who would have to be one of the funniest and quick witted people I have met. Andy and he obviously have a great repore and we were in stitches many times as they bantered back and forth. We had many a drink and laughs including reminiscing about the 4 weeks that we camped together down south. No visit with Andy and Jackie would be complete without a game of Skip Bo, a game similar to Uno. In conversation one night Rose mentioned to Andy she had never been on a Harley Davidson, a quick phone call and Andy had arranged to borrow his brothers bike so she could have a ride. We were so glad to have had the opportunity of seeing Jackie and Andy, after 4 fun filled days we headed back to Fredonia with heavy hearts.

Cornwall, Ontario


Biker Rose



Jackie's father Lu



Next day we started cleaning the 5th wheeler. First thing was to seal the bottom of the trailer to keep any bugs and critters out while in storage by applying copious amounts of silicon and expander foam into the gaps underneath the 5th wheeler. Apart from keeping the critters out, this exercise will definitely make for a warmer 5th wheeler during the winter months.

I also had to clean and apply a protectant to help preserve the rubber roof. During the process I noticed two small holes so patched them up. Next job was to wash,wax and buff the trailer. We also had to clean out the storage compartments - again no liquids can remain - it's surprising how much we had accumulated over the 11 months on the road.

Another job foreign to us Aussie's is winterising the plumbing. This means that you have to drain all the water from the pipes and replace it with a special type of anti freeze - not the same as a cars anti freeze. Again due to sub zero temperatures if all the water is not removed the pipes will freeze and burst and create a hefty repair bill. Our trailer is equipped with the necessary connections to make winterising easier so with help from Ceil we pumped over 12 gallons in including pouring a small amount in the sink traps, gray tanks and black tanks. As our 5 th wheeler is plumbed for a washer we even had to run those taps for the first time. Of course on our return the anti freeze will have to be flushed out.

Whilst I was doing the outside Rose tackled the inside. Clothes that were staying separated, bedding washed, and all stored in vacuum bags. Remaining food stuffs had to come out as did any liquids as these will freeze and burst during the winter months. All the cupboards were cleaned and timber polished - the list of chores just kept getting bigger.

Our last purchase from camping world was a 5 th wheel cover which will protect it in our absence and keep it looking good.

Cleaning the Roof





I Was Exhausted


A Quick Buff


Looking Good



All Ready for Winter and Storage



5th wheeler all done we had the luxury of a couple of spare days to spend with Ceil and Chuck. Chuck had been working some really long hours - between 16 and 20 hours each day - but fortunately he was able to finish up early one day so we sat around the fire with a red wine and set off the fire works that we had bought many months ago. I also carved my very first pumpkin for Halloween which now has pride of place out front of Chuck and Ceil's house.

My First Pumpkin Carve


I'm a Natural at this?


Not to bad if I say so myself







Tomorrow we head to Buffalo NY to catch a plane to Dallas via Atlanta we then have 3 days in Dallas including a day with our friend Bobby and his wife, Libby. We met Bobby in Terlingua, TX back in February so we are looking forward to catching up with him and finally meeting Libby.

My blogging about this wonderful journey has almost come to an end - my final one will provide some interesting facts and figures.


Posted by RnR on their IPad

Location:Fredonia, New York State

Our Last Camp

Finger lakes sits pretty much in the middle of New York State and was created when several glaciers melted and filled with water. We ventured to this area as there was a state park called Watkins Glen, which we had been told was worth seeing. It was about four hours east of Fredonia so we set off about mid morning and we are again full of mixed emotions as this would be our very last time to sleep and live in our trailer.

Our first trip was north to the town of Waterloo to visit the outlet centre, we both needed clothes for work be it a size bigger for me, so we spent the day shopping and sight seeing on the way back home. One of the towns we stopped at was a true college town with "frat" houses and some of the best views of the lake on offer. To say this area is wine country is under stating it, I have never seen so many small wineries and I mean there are hundreds of them dotting the road on both sides of Seneca Lake.

Frat Houses








College Views


The next day we headed into the state park just a mile from the RV Park. Watkins Glen is a long canyon with several waterfalls down its length so we walked the trail which followed the creek. There were plenty of photo opportunities so the competition for the best photo was on!

The Entrance to the Falls


Several of the Waterfalls









Lucky for me (and unlucky for her) I had an edge in the competition as Rose's camera battery died!





Our appetites sharpened by all the walking we decided to stop at one of the local restaurants for lunch. The location and prices were right, lots of menu choices, but we lucked out when it came to the waitress. Not sure if it was our accents that unnerved her but it was disastrous from the beginning. She started telling us what the daily specials were and lost her train of thought half way through, she delivered us the wrong orders and then to top it all off she spilled an entire glass of red wine all over Rose. It was certainly not a good day for her. She was obviously very apologetic and compensated us by not charging us for our entrees.

Our park was right across the road from Seneca lake and as with every body of water in the USA there was a marina with plenty of luxury boats.

In addition to the boats there was of all things a salt factory sitting right on the shores of the lake. The Watkins Glen Refinery of US Salt has been in business for over 100 years and is built over one of the area’s unseen natural assets - a rich underground supply of salt.

Wells at the Watkins Glen Refinery extend into the earth’s crust more than a half mile to tap a sprawling deposit of underground salt which was created by the evaporation of sea water more than 300 million years ago. Amazing!

The Watkins Glen Salt Factory




The Marina





It Was About 10c and Windy



We were also lucky to catch up with a lovely couple Sherry and Bob who we met at Big Bend National Park in Texas back in February. Sherry and Bob live in a tiny town called Alfred and they very kindly drove 90 minutes up to visit us. We had a wonderful afternoon sharing many of our travel stories with them - what a privilege and joy it was to be able to see them again.

Sherry and Bob



We celebrated our last night in our 'American holiday home' having a few drinks, listening to music and reminiscing about the adventures, places and wonderful people we have met over the past 11 months. We have certainly been very lucky to have had such a wonderful experience.

Tomorrow we return to Chuck and Ceils to begin the pack up.


Posted by RnR on their IPad

Location:Finger Lakes, New York State

Wine Country and Niagara Falls

We were heading to our friends Chuck and Ceil' s farm - we met these wonderful people in Arkansas at Christmas time when we got snowed in at Hot Springs. They were the park hosts at Hot Springs and once they realised that the power was not going to be reconnected in the park for a considerable time, ended up joining us on our travels through Texas. Our intention had been to find a facility in Dallas to store our rig when we returned to Australia however Chuck and Ceil very generously offered to store it at their place. Our trailer is not small but as they have a vineyard covering 90 acres finding a place to put the trailer would not be a big problem, so this was to be the final destination for this trip.

We arrived in the late afternoon and turned into what looked like the Botanical Gardens, the yard and gardens around the house were beautiful. We backed our trailer into a spot beside the barn and headed to the front verandah for happy hour drinks. Ceil had prepared a bed for us in the basement bedroom complete with ensuite so we grabbed a few essentials from the van and settled in. Their farm sits high on the hill overlooking the town of Dunkirk, Chuck has lived here all his life, as had his father and his grandfather before him, this was a real family farm.

Gardening in the USA certainly has its challenges due to the extreme seasonal changes, Ceil spends the Autumn / Fall months digging up the bulbs from her perennial plants and puts them in the freezer ready for planting when the ground thaws again after winter.

Beautiful Gradens and a View of Lake Erie












Fredonia sits nicely along a winery trail so being the wine connesours that we are, we headed off to one of the more popular wineries - 21 Brix - to sample some of what New York State had to offer and bought a few to take home of course.

Sampling the Wine From 21 Brix




The front verandah was our favourite spot to sit and watch the sun go down and gave us the opportunity to ask lots of questions about grape growing. We learned that the sweetness of grapes is measured in "brix" and that grapes need to have a minimum 14.5 brix before they are ready to be picked. The harvesting of this season's crop was quite late as the temperatures had been too cool and there had not been enough sunshine to ripen the grapes sufficiently.

Once the the picking season begins Chuck drives the grape harvester for other farmers in the area, doing long hours, sometimes over 12 hours a day. Picking had started at some vineyards so we were lucky enough to get the opportunity to experience it first hand - another great experience for us city people.

Riding the Picker


Still Not Sure How the Picker Works But it Does


Rose Picking Grapes


Several Rows Later the Bin is Full



As last years crops were ruined by early frosts Chuck and Ceil had decided to sell firewood to some of the local people to supplement their income, accessing fallen trees on their property. Life on the land is tough. We offered our assistance, stacking the timber that Ceil had sawn and split. We were in total awe of this woman- she and her trusty dog Kia would head out early every morning with a container of water and a basket full of homegrown fruit, only returning for a mid morning coffee break. Once we had a truck and trailer full of timber we got behind the wheel and delivered it to a number of people in the local area.

Our First Delivery of Wood


We Even Found a Snake in the Woodpile


The Dog and I were buggered!



Of course no visit to the region would be complete without a visit to Niagara Falls so we all we took a day off "work" and headed for this famous wonder of the world. It was everything we expected and more - to think these falls run constantly and have done for so long is incredible - the sheer volume of water is mind blowing. We walked around the top of the falls and just looked in awe.

Looking from the US side


Breathtaking!



For a few dollars extra we did the Windy Caves tour which took us down to the base of the falls,along a walkway, right into the spray from the fallls. We were issued spray jackets and a bag to put our belongings in to keep them dry and off we went.

Dress Of The Day


Massive!


We Wondered How They Built The Deck?


A Very Wet Walk



No trip to Niagra would be complete without seeing this marvel from the Canadian side which provides a far better overall view of the falls. We also boarded the "Maid of the Mist" and were once again issued with a plastic rain coat. Taking photos is quite difficult due to the amount of water spray and mist but we did manage one or two.

From the Canadian Side


We Headed Into The Abyss


The Water Got Rougher


Looking Back to Windy Caves


Yep Wet


Oh No! My Hair!


Anything To Save the Makeup and Hair!





At the end of a great day we headed back to the farm and back to the wood pile!

Posted by RnR on their IPad

Location:Fredonia and Buffalo, New York State