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Our Awesome Travels

Our Awesome Travels
Taken In Quartzsite Arizona Dec 7th 2015

Friday, August 31, 2012

The last day of August and its gonna be a hot weekend.

Where are we today ?
New Hamburg Ontario
        After a productive day yesterday we had an awesome sleep last night, its cooler now and can feel fall in the air. But today is gonna be hot and humid. Up to 37 c (99f) with the humidex and your clothes just stick to you. First thing I called my chiropractor at 8:20 am for an adjustment. 9:15 appointment, normally no problem only 25 minutes away, so I hopped in the car and head to Waterloo. Opps a traffic jam! Sat there on the expressway, no where to go for about an hour  just inching along for about two miles. 5 lanes merging into one rush hour and an overturned gravel truck.
overturned gravel truck
         Got to Doc had my back all tuned up then off to vist ma, adjust her computer a bit enjoy a coffee and chat for a bit. Then back home, run a few errands and was able to read in the shade for a bit,  anice cool breeze here awauy from the city. Then start supper.
         I had a mess of pigtails and ribs and thought I would just pop them in the oven with sauerkraut to roast away and get tender for a few hours.  Near the end put some fresh corn on the cob and potatoes on to boil, slice up a couple garden fresh tomatoes, sauerkraut for a very tasty Waterloo County speciality. Fall off the bone ribs and pigtails with a sticky sweet bbq sauce, with all the trimmings. Pigtails for Dennis and I, ribs for the ladies, and it was so good.
supper is ready !
ribs for Suzie
pigtails and kraut for me
        May not be for everybody but we sure do enjoy this treat occasionally.
        By the time we were done its getting late, so we can sit outside looking for a sunset that we could not see, but at least it was still quite nice and quiet out.
       Thanks for stopping by and enjoying the last day of August with us, Labour Day weekend is upon us! Hope you have a good one.


Check out the map below to see where we have been this summer
View Summer 2012 in a larger map

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Amazing sunrise and great service on our coach.

Where are we today ?
New Hamburg Ontario
        Today I am taking our coach to Sicards RV to have our slide out motor replaced. So up early and on the road at 6:30 am, Suzie gonna grab her stuff and stay here at the farm make some phone calls, putter about and take care of Omer. 
        Once I hit the road heading east I noticed this huge red ball in the sky, so amazing this sunrise that was coming over the horizon. I took so many pictures but they do not do it justice, maybe the dirty windshield had something to do with it?
        Past experience at RV dealers for work tells it's usually a long day, so no need for the two of us to go and hang out there. I arrived at 8 am and was greeted by Jon and Rick at the service counter. They have made a lot of changes since were last here. Only called a week ago for service and had an appointment for today. Last time it was at least a month to get in for service.
        They now have the service technicians working there 12 hours a day 7 days a week!  And they do know their stuff. Sure makes a big difference.
        Arrived at 8 and by 8:15 am the mechanic took our coach to his service bay. I had some free coffee, read my book for a bit, cruised the store looking at too expensive accessories (cheaper n the US.)  and checked all the fancy new coaches on the lot that we will not buy, ours is perfect.
very efficient
        Now expecting that I would be there all day was very surprised when I was paged at 10:30 am our coach is done and I am ready to go! Ok now I am impressed with the quick service and to top it off we were given a 15% discount from the quoted price, (note sure why? now gonna argue thats for sure) saved almost $200.00 on the total bill.
        Seeing as I was there just had to stop by and visit with Larry Vanstone (the Amazing Vanstones) had a very nice chat to catch up. Now he sold us our coach in 2006 and we became friends, travelled to Mexico with them in 2009 and have met up with them on the road on Texas, Arizona and Ontario. Larry and Marilyn are fulltime rvers too but he just can't quite retire yet, he has too much fun selling rv's in the summer part time, think he makes a couple bucks too while he is having all that fun.
no Larry we don't need another coach,
just gonna fix this one
        Now I was back home at the farm in the early afternoon, got set back up, a quick errand to the store them gonna whip up supper tonight. The consensus and Sandys craving tonight was salmon with dill sauce (recipe on the recipe tab above) and I added some vegetable fried rice and a tossed salad.
ready for the oven
dinner's ready !
yep it even tasted pretty good too, leftovers for lunch
       Thats it, a very busy and productive day, coach is ready to go, but now its getting dark we can relax for a bit.
        Thanks for dropping by.


Check out the map below to see where we have been this summer
View Summer 2012 in a larger map

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Relocating to the farm for a bit.

Where are we today ?
New Hamburg Ontario
        We were going to be at Rock Glen resort in Arkona for two weeks but have to go to Sicards Rv in Smithville Thursday morning for 8 am, to have our new slideout motor installed. The farm is half way there so can leave here tomorrow morning at 6:30 instead of 5 am from Arkona. A nice country drive about 90 minutes today. And with the Labour Day long weekend it will be nice to be out of the busy campground for a week.
        Got here about 11:30 am, set up camp and had lunch. But, before we were even set up Omer was at the door of our coach wanting to come in and say hi! A quick bite and Suzie got her brush out and proceeded to give him a good brushing.
Hi where have you been?
set up now
spoiled dog
        Headed out to New Hamburg to get one of my hearing aides repaired, thankfully they were able to do it on the spot, now I can almost hear the whole conversation instead of just half.
        Everybody is out in the field bringing in haylage to fill the silos, even Suzie's Dad and Sandy, who she stopped long enough to put a roast beef in the oven for us. All I have to do is make the mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies and salad, Suzie cut up some fresh peaches for desert with dream whip topping. Nice campground here when they supply the food!
        So this afternoon Suzie got to visit with her mom and brush Omer in the shade with a nice almost cool breeze, while I got a few things ready with the coach to head out first thing in the morning.
Suzie, her mom and Omer
yummy roast beef supper
fresh peaches with dream whip (cookie on the bottom)
        Now supper is done turn on the tube for a bit and and early night. On the road first thing in the morning.
        Glad you could join us today on our relocation cruise.


Check out the map below to see where we have been this summer
View Summer 2012 in a larger map

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

A nice drive to Michigan and back, spend money to save money.chatting with another couple

Where are we today ?
Arkona Ontario


        Gonna be a wonderful bright sunny day and our last one here for a week. No special plans other than going for a drive to check out the small Ferry across the St. Clair river to Marine City Michigan. Many people have told us about this crossing, and the duty free deals to be had. So we decided its the perfect day to go.
guess who?

180 kms , 111 miles
         So about 10 am we hopped in the car and headed  west for a bit towards Sarnia Ontario then  hwy 40 south to Sombra.
we passed many oil refineries on the way
huge frieghter
         Just a bit more than and hour we came to the small village of Sombra and easily found the Bluewater Ferry. This is a small ferry holds a dozen or so cars that will take us across the St. Clair river to the United States. In particular Marine City Michigan.

        We parked our car and paid the $2.00 return trip fee for walk on passengers. 
        A short 10 minute ride across the river and we are in Michigan. A quick customs check and now we can wander down the main street and along the water front enjoying the views and wonderful sunny day.
Duty free shop welcomes us to the USA.







        Part of our trip is a daily outing so at noon we found a nice looking restaurant to stop for a bite to eat for lunch. We had a nice window seat beside the river and the ferry dock, good service and a tasty lunch for a very reasonable price. 

Clubhouse and fries for Suzie
Fish sandwich (yellow perch) for me
        Now full tummies and a doggie bag, (enough for another lunch) we headed to the duty free shop to check out the deals. Good deal to be had but they only sell alcohol, like limited choices of beer and spirits. But seeing as we are here and we will consume it eventually, lets take advantage of the savings. Now to compare prices to what we pay in Canada. First a 1.75 litre bottle of Canada Gold Whiskey here is $11.00, in Ontario $53.95. 24 cans of Bud Light beer is $18.00 if we buy 5 cases, in Ontario $39.95 for 24 cans. So two bottles of whiskey and 5 cases of beer to a total of $114.00, they even loan us a hand cart to transport our purchases back to Canada on the ferry.
        While waiting for a few more passengers we spotted a ferret scurrying around the rocks beside the dock.

another couple with a cart load of goodies
yes we have a trunk load.
        Now that sure looks like a lot of beer, and it is but we will consume it over time ourselves and with friends and we are saving a fare bit of money and had a nice day trip as well. Now at Canada Customs we have to pay Tax and duty on our purchases. So in line for a few minutes we are processed thru we pay another $101.00 dollars bringing our total coast to $225.00. Sounds like a lot? Well yes if you don't drink it is. But to purchase the same products here in Ontario it would have cost us  $307.80 a savings of $82.80, minus $4.00 for the ferry. $20.00 for gas for the car , $21.00 for lunch. We had a great sightseeing day, purchased a large supply of alcohol, had a nice lunch and still saved $37.80
huge freighter on the river
        Now back in Ontario we headed north for a scenic drive up the St Clair Parkway on the banks of the St. Clair river. 


tug boat pulling a barge
        Quite a few oil refineries in this area reminds us of south Texas.
oil refinery
oil refinery
        Back home we are about to relax and friends of ours dropped in for a visit, Rob, Pat and their dog Lady Girl. They pulled in this afternoon for a few days, certainly a nice surprize, we have not seen them since last December in Rockport Texas. 
        So we chatted for a bit, then we packed up a few items, and whipped up a tasty supper. Some breaded pork schnitzel on a fresh kaiser bun with salsa and melted cheese, home fried potatoes with onions and farm fresh tomatoes. 
        After supper stopped by their trailer and enjoyed a nice campfire with them to catch up some  more. We are leaving in the morning heading back to the farm then off to Sicards on thursday to get out slideout repaired.

        Another great day of adventure glad you could join us around the campfire.



Check out the map below to see where we have been this summer
View Summer 2012 in a larger map