Cruzin' the Square

October 19th, Today I went to the Cruzin’ on the Square, Manheim Car Show. Walking around the square in downtown Manheim to see the beautiful cars, Antiques, Hot Rods, Trucks and cars of all ages.There was even an antique fire truck on display. I talked to one of the organizers and was told there was 255 cars here. The weather  was cool and great day in the autumn to enjoy the outdoors. Lots of food stands were present. I took a few pictures for you to enjoy!!

https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/ManheimCarShow2013#  God Bless...Airstreamhobo

Here is the gang from the Rhinebeck, NY Rally.. see the pictures  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/RhinebeckRallyAtTheCampground#5928487103874462882

Here is Manheim Fire Truck’s old 1922 American La France see the pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/ManheimSOld1922AmericanLaFranceFireTruck

Friday September 20th we toured the FDR Museum and Library.. See Pictures ..https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/RooseveltHomesteadHudsonRiverWalkwayBridge#

 

September 19th, we leave for Rhinebeck,NY.. after 260 miles we arrive at camp. There are a few already here with more to come. 14 rigs arrive for the weekend. Again we get to meet NEW Airstreamers to us. From California,Canada, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Wash DC, Virginia, New Jersey, Penna. and more. There are 2 airstreamers at the park that also join us. One from Fla. has belonged for years but never been to a Rally ?? We showed them that rally's are fun together and how fast a weekend goes by.  They plan to join us again.

    On Friday, Carol and I went into Hyde Park to see FDR’s Homestead and take the 2-3 hour tour of home and Museum/Library. There was a lot to see and read and also movies through out the library. FDR’s life was interesting to see and also his wife Eleanor life style too. After the tour we ate in the Café and shared a Chicken wrap. Very good !! I guess what amazed me was how the problems of yesteryear are still the same today ??

  After seeing history here we drove down to the Hudson walkway bridge which goes over the Hudson River. This was an old railroad crossing made into a beautiful walkway for all to enjoy... many walkers and bikers too.

  Then we drove around the area seeing the sights. Many in our group love to be pickers and visited lots of garage sales and old barn finds.

   All week we had the regular rally features “ continental breakfast, pot lucks, and of course camp fires with extra long happy hours. Deb was our Rally Host and covered all details of the week and did a Fantastic Job pleasing all rally goers.

  Saturday, my day !! I went with Dave to The Aerodrome which was an old airfield of collections of old airplanes which still flied. This was Photographers/ Artists weekend which meant I got in free since I was a photographer..Thanks Dave for registering me with you. Dave signed up the week before and saved me a $20.00 entrance fee. We also got behind the lines look and history of each plane along the runway. My highlight of the day was seeing Manheim Fire Co’s old 1922 American La France fire truck. I got to see them start it, by crank start and drive out of the fire house then onto the field. The driver, Patrick invited me to climb aboard the fire engine and ride the length of the runway...Wow!!.. With the solid rubber tires it was the bumpiest ride I ever had. Can you imagine the ride firemen had back in the 1920’s ? I even got to wind up the siren while responding down the runway.

  Dave and I went to the old warehouses and saw many old airplanes and cars there and also saw a full size museum of  restored and original airplanes and parts on displayed. I had so much fun today taking pictures of everything..the full air show was cancelled but they still had a small show on the ground and we got to see the old planes fly across the field.There was also a parade of old cars and fire truck on display. Many Thanks to the staff of the Aerodrome for the Welcome  to their Museum..It helped to wear my fire co. shirt for the day. They all knew that the truck was “Hope Hose No. 1 “ before they renamed it. Thanks to Dave too for taking video of my experiences today. Many Memories today.. I got to ride an old Manheim Fire truck which maybe Carol’s Grand father may have ridden or drove too back in the 1920’s. My sons are 4th generation of volunteers of Manheim. Horsts..Hammers..and Obers too. I am so glad that this truck is still in service after 90 years and soon 100 years old..wow how amazing is this ?

  Saturday night we had a wonderful Pulled Pork Dinner with potluck of a wide variety of choices..then a campfire. Sunday am we started to see the campground of airstreams disappear down the road. Thanks Deb...

    Here are some pictures of the weekend..https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/RhinebeckAerodrome2013 

    God Bless..Airstreamhobo and Mom

 Central Penn Unit at  Carlisle Picnic Rally

The Airstream Display at Hershey RV Show.

Sept. 11, Carlisle Rally..Unit picnic.

    We left Wednesday noon for Carlisle to camp with the Unit. Arriving, we took site #19, there are 2 already here. 6 total are expected for the weekend. It is 80* now and we have a camp fire? but it is camping so enjoy!! We have a relaxing week with friends seeing the area and eating out at local restaurants. Friday night we went to the local Elks club for prime rib special, but Carol and I have Shrimp Basket instead. The rib was 16 ounces and too much for us. then back to a camp fire.

     Saturday, we have our unit picnic in the conference center at the campground. After the picnic I went with Charlie and Bill to see the Hershey RV Show, we heard Airstream was having a display, first time in 15 years they are here. They have 14 Airstreams on sale and they were flooded with people checking them out. I talked to a few and they said this was their first time to see inside one. I saw 6 Sold signs on them, I would guess the dealer had a great week. I have a friend”Terry” that saw my post on Facebook and stopped there on Sunday to look...guess what?? He bought a new one !! Congratulations Terry !!!

   We came back to a campfire and made Hot Dogs and a shared snacks too. The week was great and the weather was great too. It rained one night which moved the heat out and brought the cold fall air in. We started wearing sweaters at night and used the heaters in the airstream too.  Great sleeping weather.

   Sunday, people started leaving one by one. We left around 2 o’clock and got home at p.m.. We only unloaded half way because we are leaving Thursday for a Rally in New York next week...see you down the road... God Bless AirstreamHobo & Mom

Hershey Museum and Chocolate World

August 25, we left Lake Glory and headed home. On the way we decided we didn’t want to go home yet. So we stopped at a Thousand Trails near Hershey,Pa. We signed up for 3 nights and parked in a tree lined row and had plenty of shade for the week. Cost ... Free.. with our Zone Pass membership..Awesome, I like free except when the premium is due (g). This is just relaxing for 3 days. On Tuesday I wanted to see the Milton Hershey Museum. So I drove to Hershey to see this great museum about Hershey’s life and how he started the Hershey Empire and all the good he did for the community. Now off to Chocolate World also. Lots of candy and souvenirs with candy designs on them. Toys..clothing..kitchen stuff.. So here are a few shots to see Milton Hershey Museum and Chocolate World 2013 - AirstreamHobo - Picasa Web Albums  God Bless AirstreamHobo & Mom

Knoebels Park Rally

Aug 22, We pack up for a WDCU Rally. We are going to Knoebels’ Park‎ near Elysburg,Pa. We arrive at Lake Glory Campground and set up on site #32 for the weekend. There are 21 rigs coming from all over, Va., NH, NY, MD, and of course Pa. too. We had a fun week here with the gang catching up on the latest news and having lots of food to eat. Friday nite was hot dogs and burgers with lots of side dishes, nobody starved.

      We went over to the park several times to take in the fun. Knoebels is fun because you pay as you go not a park admission fee.This makes it affordable for all families to enjoy. They sold tickets $20 books for $18 and that covered a lot of rides. Most were $1 to 2 per ride. Even if you don’t ride there is plenty to see and do in the park.Museums..Displays..Food Stands.. and of course people watching also. We even came back one night to capture the night lights of the rides(see pictures).

       This was a rally for WDCU members and also they invited Central Penn Unit also.  They had 19 units we had 2 units but we did have visitors from 2 more members.. Woody and Caroline Barr..and Felix and JoAnn Oleshefski who came for the day.  It was fun seeing them too.

   Saturday we had chicken bar-b-que for supper with french fries and lots of side dishes too. We went through lots of fire wood each night too. One night we pull together 3 fire rings for a nice size fire too. The evening temp was just right for a fire.

     On Sunday, everyone packed up and left, a few stayed one more night.  See Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/KnoebelsPark82513  God Bless, AirstreamHobo & Mom

Pocono 2013

August 1, Thursday..

      I am headed for the Pocono 400 with my son, Brian and grandson, Mason. The Man Cave(Airstream) on wheels is packed with 5 days supply of food and clothes. The drive is short about 3 hours ..119 miles and we arrive to a fogged in race track. We drive around and round till we see Airstreams in the field. We are 7th to arrive. 17 is the total coming. We formed a wagon wheel of parking the Airstreams and unhook, then park tow vehicles in the rear.

    The fog rolls in and out for the day. on Friday, we go over to the race track and see the cars and pits. This week is all about racing cars and trucks. Arca Car Race and Truck races were each 125 miles long, 50 laps to the winner. All week we had many get togethers and Happy Hours at the circle. There is a tent set up in the center for all camp activities.

     Each day we walked over to the track and took in the sights. People sure love their NASCAR Drivers. We watched the garages, checking the cars and getting them ready for Race Day. The tool boxes were AWESOME.. every man’s dream.

    We also watch other campers come in and setup in the infield. We had to pass thru a tunnel to get to the field to park. From our camp we had surround sound all week of time trials and the big race. We saw the truck race from the grandstands, but the Pocono 400 we watches from the infield at the turns and also we had a TV screen set up in the tent so we could hear and see the whole race and hear the commentary.

    We stay till Monday am then pack-up and also clean the field before leaving...Bye..Bye...

Here are pictures from the week.. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/Pocono4002013# 

   God Bless ..AirstreamHobo and Brian and Mason

Here are the  Make a Wish Clowns at the 2013 Convoy

Also see this U-Tube Video ...Can you guess how many Clowns live in an Airstream??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1niauCcqgs

Pettecote Junction 2013

July 14, Here we come Pettecote Junction campground in Cedar Run,Pa. This time we are traveling with our son, Duane and his family and also 2 more grand kids...4 total.. Riley, Kaylee, Mason & Addy. It took about 4 hours on the highway and thru some narrow roads thru the mountains. Some were just one lane and narrow bridges, but we made it. We are here from Sunday till Friday, Duane got site #17 and we had #18. There is small creek (PineCreek) passing thru ..many inner tube floaters and kayaks are using the creek.

  All week we enjoyed the water swimming , floating and also we found a water hole with rocks for the kids to cannonball off of. Some went up to higher rock (10-15 feet high) landings and tried it too. Way to go Mason, Riley & Addy too. Kaylee did jump from the lower rock only 6-8  feet high.

  One day we floated down the creek for about 2 miles(?)we met some fellow campers who took our trucks down to a parking lot and drove a car back to camp to begin our adventure tubing. 7 of us.. 6 of them began the float.. 2 kayaks, tubes, and even a air filled boat for me to ride in. I was so slow that Riley bailed out on me to a tube and a 10 year old girl” Faith” navigated my boat over the rocks..Hilarious!! She was a a great Captain of my boat. We all arrived down stream to our trucks and loaded up for the return trip too the camp. After changing we went to the Cedar Run Store for “Perry” ice cream..14 different flavors to choose.

   Next day we went for a trail ride on the trail next to the camp .. 3 kids and Duane and I got the bikes out and rode for about 2 hours on the trail and returned to the Cedar Run store..for what?? Ice Cream Again!! Time to go swimming again in the creek.. just a note.. we had to wear aqua shoes as the bottom was very rocky and slippery too. The Kids had the best time in the water floating and swimming ...no time for splashing when they had fun  walking up stream on the bank and entering again and again to float back to the beach(Rocks) area.

    The week was so hot the knats and flies were terrible. Sometimes we escaped to the trailers to get away from them. The air conditioners were on all week. Duane cooked bacon on the campfire each morning and at night we had Hamburgers..Hot Dogs.. Grilled chicken..even smore’s . Smore's were the best. Then the kids got out the neon sticks and made many designs with them. They even put on a dance for us around the campfire ...they looked cool in the dark !!

    This week was a big swim party every day for all. We even saw a Bald Eagle resting in a tree with her 2 eaglets close by. The eagle was undisturbed by all the spectators on the bank. I tried to get a few shots. Time for ice cream again....

      Thursday we decided it was a time for a get away to Wellsboro for pizza..We found a Pizza Hut in town and ordered 2 large pizzas to share. The kids had a great time this week so did the adults. Now is time..Friday am to pack up and leave for home... see you down the road.. Here are some pictures from the week... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/PetticoteJunction2013

   God Bless ...AirstreamHobo and Mom  

Bash #4

   July 2nd, We hitch up again to travel to the 4th Annual Bash at Cooper Lake Family Campground. We have an extra passenger this time. Alexis our grand daughter wanted to go along again this year(she went 2 years ago ) We leave at 9 am and head for route 80 West to Rt 79 south and arrive. approximately 300 miles with a few stops along the way. We arrive at p.m. and are the first to arrive. We find a nice site in the trees looking over the road to the serene lake, great view!

    July 3rd, Wednesday the Airstreams start to arrive, each finding their own camp site and self parking, some are new and want to know where to go, I helped with some of them to find a good spot for the week. Frank arrives with supplies and we start building a portable garage to house the cold storage and the food for the week. When completed it looks like a little kitchen stock room. The campground comes and puts up a Dining tent for the tables, we find a level spot(?) for it. great spot and easy walking for everyone for the meals. We meet some old friends and new ones and have a happy hour around 5 o’clock. It is nice to hear all the airstream stories from each one.

     July 4th, Wally’s Birthday(Founder of Airstream Trailers)More arrive today .. we welcome all then at 4;30 we have Happy Hour followed by a cookout by the Bash. Hot Dogs, Hamburgers , and a large potluck brought by everyone else. Out comes a Birthday Cake for one of the guests and also a cake for “Wally” We all sing to both of them. Cake for everyone..Campfire next. Some leave for Butler County Fair to see Fireworks!!!

   July 5th..Here comes a full day..Beginning with a FULL Breakfast ...Eggs to order, bacon, sausage,home fries, pancakes,

fresh fruit and coffee & orange juice. A staff of volunteers help make it and another cleans up afterward. At 10 am all are invited to make their own rockets..kids and adults from a kit..glue and paint them.

    After lunch we start doing the Tye-Dye  Shirts, pants, even a pillow case.  The dye is in Mustard like bottles..each color is your choice. First you tye the shirts with rubber bands and make a pattern, then start pouring the colors all over each band area more colors make a pretty design. Then when done all are placed into a zip lock bag till tomorrow.

    Time to eat again..Happy Hour thru into Dinner.. Everyone brings a dish to share. Then a campfire till 9 p.m. then we see an outdoor Movie.. “RV” followed by “Long Long Trailer” It is now 12:30 am...Zzzzzz

   July 6th, Saturday, Big Breakfast again !!!! The tye dye shirts are brought back to rinse them out and hang out to dry...Awesome Colors and Designs. Time for the rocket launch.. we drive to the big open field to set up the rocket launchers and get ready to Launch... 5..4..3..2..Blast Off. Some are way above clouds and are hard to follow till they come down, all have orange streamers/parachutes too.

I think we did loose 2-3 of the rockets that are still up there ???? Over 50 launches are completed most launched theirs 2-3 times.

What a Great Show of flights. Great job Kids (Dads too).

  At 1 p.m. we have a ice cream social..make your own with zip lock baggies..That was FUN !! and Great tasting too.

  At 2 p.m. the kids have a scavenger hunt through out the  camp, everyone found them all.

  At 3:30 p.m. Obie does a make up show for all.

At 6:30 we have another Great Dinner of Pulled Pork and also steak along with pot luck.. I am FULL again as well as the rest of the gang.

Tonight we have a camp fire also and a movie “Bolt” The kids loved it.

     July 7th, Sunday,  Leftover breakfast is made till all food is gone!!  Time to clean up one more time, then back to the Airstreams to pack up ..hookup..and leave this close knit gathering of friends.  Bye..Bye.. See you down the road, we left full and tired from all the fun we had.

     My Thoughts, What a week!! Frank and Ace did a Great..Awesome..Job getting this to run smoothly. This was the end of our 4th Annual Bash and they get better and better! All the Time!! I am so Glad I went to renew old friends and meet new ones. The first timers were amazed with all that goes on at a Rally. Even a Vintage Airstream was sold here at the rally.  I would hope that you will come back again next year..Airstreamers are Tops !! I took a few pictures..here they are ..enjoy  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/Bash42013#  God Bless AirstreamHobo and Mom  

  

 

 

Summer Travels in Pictures

Here are some picture albums I downloaded. No time for stories, it's a busy Summer..Enjoy the pictures. You will have to copy and paste the link to your browser.... God Bless AirstreamHobo and Mom



https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/SeasideHeightsNJ2013#




https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/AtlanticCityAirShowAndSandSculptures2013#



https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/GoodSamRallySyracuseNY2013#



https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/CapeMayNJ2013

Final Day of Alumapalooza ...This has been a busy week. We had seminars on Airstreams, safety, cooking, maintenance, fun times too.

 

  We had a Gong Show, We had 9 contestants, I was one of them. I as Dennis went on stage to make a balloon hat for a young child, well right in the middle of blowing up the balloon, my compressor blew off the hose...GONG I was GONGED !! After the show I fixed the pump then made balloons for several kids..trying to regain my Gong appearance. The kids loved the balloons and were now happy that I could finish the job.

 

 We had storms of rain thru out the week but were under the big top to continue the Rally. The mud did appear and some areas were off limits to vehicle traffic. Bring out the boots.

 

The Alumapalooza crew did a Fantastic Job of running the show...Only 12 of them did all the work...Thanks Girls and Guys! They were the ones in Orange T-Shirts.

 

Here are some final pictures of the week..enjoy https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/Alumapalooza20132#

 

...God Bless AirstreamHobo and Mom

 The Staff and Obie

Two CUTE girls and Obie

Here it is Thursday..time for Obie to entertain the Kids ..Young and Old. I worked(played) for one hour 11am till noon, that was enough. The temp reach 96’ today..way too hot for me!! Lots of people wanted pictures with Obie and took their own shots. I had a good time talking to the “Kids” ...See some pictures... God Bless AirstreamHobo and Mom. 

 

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/ObieAtAlumapalooza2013#

Last week of May...

Alumapalooza 2013 at Jackson Center, Ohio. Having a great time with seminars, Happy Hours, Eating, Demonstrations, seeing new friends and seeing other airstreams, visiting the Airstream Mfg. Plant for tours. Our days are filled from am to sunset.. here are some pictures..   https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/Alumapalooza2013#   Enjoy...God Bless AirstreamHobo and Mom.

 Here we are parked in the service center parking lot waiting for the field to be ready Tuesday am. Yes it does say Classic Circle!! About 25 rigs are here now.

 Here are new ones waiting to be shipped to Dealers all over the world.

This is my spot for 5 days till Wednesday am.That's when Alumapalooza will start. Over 160 rigs are expected to arrive. There are fun times and workshops for all.

   We left home on Thursday and headed for Jackson Center, where Airstreams are made. We drove 300 miles that day staying at Barcamp State Park in Ohio. Friday we left for Jackson Center arriving at 3 pm. 200 miles were done today. We sure saw alot of police along the highway...speeders Loose!!
 So we relax and meet new friends each day as they come in. Here it is Monday and 25 have arrived. We will have a picnic later today. The tent is up for Alumapalooza and we are READY !! For FUN !! Hitch-up and join us... God Bless..AirstreamHobo and Mom

     Mothers’ Day Weekend,What did you do on Mothers Day? Well I hooked up the Airstream on Saturday night and headed for Burle Industries parking lot.Yes we are boon docking tonight. I arrive sat night because the crowd will be too much to park the trailer on Sunday morning. The Airstream is the "office" for the clowns to check in. Mom (Carol) would take care of checking in the clowns and handing out stickers to them. Thanks Mom for helping the Wish Kids!!!

    Sunday at 6 am I hear big trucks start to converge and park in the lot. The front row is full by 6:30 and 332 trucks arrive by noon. Many Truckers show up with Pledges that they collected, some as much as $20,000 (last year’s highest amount) There is so much to do on the grounds. The action starts at 8:30 am when Wish Families start to arrive as well as many other truckers and families. There is a large food tent serving Breakfast and Lunch too. The lines move pretty fast and all are fed quickly. French Fries, Ice Cream, Chicken Bar-B-Que are just a few stands to also setup outside. The Auction tent is next to it and contains over 400 items for sale. There is a mini-carnival for the kids games. Face painting and bounce games, dunk tank, Bingo,Special displays are also here. Monster truck, Race Cars, even a Cinderella Carriage has arrived. I even saw 42 clowns arrive to entertain the kids. There is also a stage with live music all day.

 

     The lot fills up and the kids start to have fun seeing all the displays. The clowns meet many new kids and families and hand out Stickers to all. The truckers apply “Make a Wish” Banners to the front bumper, those trucks that have Wish Kids onboard put  “Wish Child on Board” Banner on theirs. Over 125 Wish Kids got to ride this year, talking on CB, pulling the air Horn chain. Some rode on Fire Trucks and got to blow the siren too.

  After enjoying the activities on the lot, the people line the driveway out of the lot to watch the Convoy begin at 1:30. The trucks roll out, all 332 trucks to head up the highway for a 29 mile trip to Ephrata and back to Burle. Thousands of cars are parked everywhere along the route and also in parking lots. People bring folding chairs and also sit on the rear of pickups. The Amish are here too, their buggies are tied to the fence and they walk down to get a better view. The noise of Trucks and Fire trucks are deafing, Wish kids are waving from the truck seats to everyone. I had the privilege to ride on a Tow Motor on flat bed trailer waving to all along the route. The Convoy lasted over 2 hours, I was in the 5th truck in the lead and we even passed the end of the convoy while on the bypass. This was a beautiful day for all Mothers as families were out together for a good time. The Clowns drove along too and collected from the crowd and filled their buckets with $$$$$. Thank-you..Thank-you.. Thank-you.

  

 Today was made possible because of the hundreds of Volunteers who help setup, run the show, and also cleanup, Many thanks to them. The day was a success for Make a Wish Families... The money raised this year will benefit the future Wishes..  Thank-you the Public for your Support.  Here are some pictures from the day.... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/MakeAWishConvoy2013

   God Bless...AirstreamHobo and Mom ... Happy Mothers Day to all Mothers

Here is Obie with Goofy !! at Give Kids the World. 

On April 8th, I received a notice that Give Kids the World had done a story on “Obie” in their Blog. I am so Thankful and Humbled by this gesture from them. I really look forward to this journey each winter and plan to go every year.

      Here is the Blog:   http://www.gktw.org/blog/obie-the-clown-filling-lives-with-laughter/

 

 So ...if you are ever in Kississimee, Florida, Please take time to Volunteer at Give Kids the World !! You will be back, I Guarantee it !!    God Bless... AirstreamHobo 

One of many barns along back roads

March 25th, Tuesday, Well ....this is the drive I hate, BORING !! Time to head north to Penna. We leave the Thousand Trails Camp in Arley and head toward Rt 278 to head for Chattanooga,TN. 

     About 75 miles down the road, I had an idea?? I remember our fire co selling a fire truck 20 years ago to Crow Mountain Fire Co. in Alabama. I ask around and find I am 63 miles away..well I am so near!! I guess I should find that fire co. We drove around many roads and finally up a mountain passing fewer houses as we go. We drive to a crossroad that is Crow Mountain, I ask for the firehouse and follow down the road passing more woodland than houses. I find the fire house along this road and stop to see if our old fire truck is in there? There are no windows and no one answers the phone listed. I take a few shots and drive to a house down the road to a house that looks like someone is home. A man answers after his dog barks & barks and he comes on the porch. I ask about the fire co, he knows nothing..doesn’t even know if they still have the old Seagrave Pumper. 

 

    So I leave and drive down this very steep switch back roads off the mountain, the other side was a gradual rise, this is straight down the mountain. I reach the bottom with front brakes Smoking!! Cool time..then a beautiful drive thru farmland with many old barns to capture on digital shots.

 

     We continue on to Chattanooga, arriving at 6 pm at an Airstream Friend’s house  for courtesy parking. Now there are 3 airstreams in the driveway, I only need electric for the night for the furnace. We meet briefly with Dacia as she is working 12 hour days and has to go to work early in the morning. 

 

    March 26th, Wednesday, Off at 9 am to Penna. I see a sign for Lodge Dutch Oven Outlets in Sevierville,TN. We first see a Coleman Outlet and then walk over to Lodge to  buy a new Dutch Oven. The visitor’s center gave us coupons for a free 10” cast iron frying pan with a purchase. We had 2 coupons and Carol and I made separate purchases and each got a frying pan for only $4.99 each... 

 

     Time to move up Rt 81.. we stop at Wytheville exit for a KOA , they have plenty of spaces???? There is only about 6 or 8 campers here. Brrr..Brrr it is cold, I miss Florida!! Rest and Zzzz tomorrow the last 375 miles and we will be home(then repack...don’t tell mom) See the pictures I took the past 2 days ... https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/BackRoadsInAlabamaToTennessee#   

  God Bless AirstreamHobo and Mom 

Dunleith Mansion in Natchez, MS.

Sorry, I missed a week of tours, We left the caravan on Tuesday (March 19) with the Blanchard’s & William’s to explore the Natchez in Mississippi. We follow each other thru little towns and stopped by the road for a light lunch in the Airstreams. We then went onto Natchez, MS. to see the Visitor center. We found a Passport America camp (River View Camp )  across the river in Louisiana along the Mississippi River. Nice sites , we all got to park as neighbors. What a view of the river ,100 feet away, we could see barges moving up and down the river all day and night.

  March 20th, Wednesday, I went along with Blanchard's and Williams to see Natchez Visitor Center. We saw a short film on the area and gathered info on the local Mansions here. We found out about a restaurant called “The Castle” and went there for lunch. Fine dining surroundings. I got the Chicken & Dumplings with side salad, only $11.75. The place was gorgeous and service was the Best !! We found out with our meal we also got a tour of the “Dunleith” Mansion here on 40 acres. The house was so big it had 15’ ceilings in each room. We could only see the first floor as the upstairs and side building housed 28 rooms for guests to stay here($200-300/nite). The tour lasted an hour and we learned so much about the old house. The grounds were picture perfect to walk around and click....click.

   Next we found the Melrose Place another Mansion. This house had 90% of the original furniture in it. The ranger showed us flags that flew over it in the past. Then he took us on  great tour of the house. He was a great hands on Guide. We saw 2 floors here, the outside was being remodeled and was under construction. The grounds had slave quarters and also beautiful gardens too. Time flies, it is 4 p.m. and back to camp we go.  Carol was feeling much better, so I took her around Natchez and showed her the places we stopped today. We then stopped by the riverside and watched the sunset behind the bridge for some beautiful colors of the sky. See the Pictures   https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/NatchezMiss?authkey=Gv1sRgCMDJ95jc3cyknwE   

         God Bless... AirstreamHobo and Mom

Here is an old Travco Motorhome I saw along the road....

March 23, Saturday,

 

     We left Natchez, Miss. ( March 21, Thursday) saying good-bye to the Williams and Blanchards, they were going up the Natchez Trail byway.We drove about 240 miles into Alabama and found a Passport America Park along the highway for on;y $16.00 /nite. We had all the hookups you can ask for. Of course it rained all night into Fridays’ all day driving.

    March 22,  Friday,  We arrived at Hidden Cove in Arley,Al.  a Thousand Trails Park. Our membership got us 4 nights free parking. We are here till Tuesday.

       Today we went for a drive to Jasper and surrounding back roads. I found a car collector that had a 55 Chevy. that he was refurbishing  from the frame up. He had an interesting shop of signs too. We talked for an hour while I took pictures. He told me about a little old town up the road about 10 miles so I stopped there too. Lots of old buildings still standing there.

         Then I saw a sign for Natural Bridge and drove there too, it didn’t look too appealing so I skipped the tour there. On the way back to Arley I passed a building covered in advertising signs...turn around and go back! I met a man in the parking lot and ask if I could take pictures. He said yes, then he opened his garage to room full of antique signs and collections. He said he buys and sells all of them,that is his income. He showed me some of the rare signs and collectables too. I must have taken 50 ? shots here?

         Now back to camp and sitting here in the rain..again.. listening to the thunderstorm alerts. I hope this passes by. Last week they were hit hard here and had power outages for a week. They were still cleaning up everywhere.  Here are some pictures ...enjoy...

https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/AlongAlabamaRoads#  

        God Bless....  AirstreamHobo and Mom

March 13, Wednesday, We leave at 9:30 am for Acadian Memorial Museum and Evangeline Oak in St. Martinsville.  This a Museum of Cajun life and the history of them arriving in the area. We saw & heard a presentation of sound and also a spotlight on the Mural on the wall depicting their lives and hardships that they live getting here. We also seen Coat of Arms of many families. We had a caravaner  “Blanchard” whose family crest was on display. Then we did a walking tour of the grounds then off to the church across the street. This was a beautiful old church with all it’s Art of depicting the life of Jesus. We learned about Evangeline a young lady that loved the area and that “Longfellow” the author wrote about. Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/StMartinsvilleLa

 

  At 2 pm we hookup to head for Abbeville RV Campground. This is a beautiful city park with plenty of shade. We arrive and get site #1 and set up. At p.m. we head for Richards Restaurant for some of the best Crawfish ($34.00 for 5 lbs. ) Over half the crowd orders that the rest get the Buffet. We opted for the buffet and got a wide variety of seafood to enjoy. The place is just a small wooden ..one story building that only opens at p.m..

  

  Rick comes around and says stay here and leave with him only. When all are ready we drive back 2 blocks to a lane into a barn yard? Here is this old Cattle Sale Barn converted to a Cajun Music Hall. We sit on old bidders rows of steps with long cushions only for seats. Then 3 men are here on a raised stage ( this was the old sales ring with floor on the top rail.)  ready to talk Cajun and play.. Fiddle player, accordion player, and guitar player. They sang and played a lot of songs in French and had some funny stories to pass on. We had a private one hour show just for us. The feel of Cajun music was in our blood by now!!  Pictures 

 https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/RichardsCajunBarnDance

  March 14th , Thursday, We skip breakfast this am to arrive at city hall at 8:30 am  for a Welcome Party.. Here we had a continental breakfast served by the city volunteers. We had coffee, pain perdu and Beignets. After eating we were greeting by the Mayor with a  welcome speech about their town and all the festivals that they like to party at. One was The Omelet Festival, held every year in October. They have a 12 foot skillet that cooks the Largest Omelet, each year they add an egg, this year will be 5,029 eggs in the skillet. We saw pictures of the making it! Next was a Farm agent to explain the local Farming Industry. He talked about crawfish farms, rice fields, and also alligator farms. He then opened a box to show us a small 2 foot baby alligator. We passed it around for all to hold that wanted to. Some women screamed when he came out of the box. Then the volunteers were divided up in groups to take us on a walking tour of Abbeville. We saw City Hall, The Square (for Concerts every 2 weeks plus the festivals all year long) and also a church also.  Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/AbbevilleLa2013

     Time for lunch, again!, give me a break?? Hungary again? We went to Shucks a local seafood restaurant. I ordered a bowl of Corn Crab Chowder soup ($10.50 ) Mmmm Mmmm good !!

   Back to the camp..relax .. then we gather for a giant big circle of happy hour...food, snacks...Again.. but also refreshments too. We heard stories from lots of airstream’s personal experiences...some are hilarious others funny...some are stinky (sewer & dumping tales)

  March 15, Friday, 8:30 am we car pool for a Crawfish farm. Here we met a man and his flat bottom boat equipped for checking the traps and harvesting crawfish. He could only take 4 at a time out into the water..what an experience.. He had and engine and hydraulic mechanism to drive up and down the rows of traps. He has 900 traps to dump and rebait , he does this in 4-5 hours each day filling 25-35 sacks each time. He covers about 160 acres of water each day. We all take turns for a 10 minute ride..he sure does move along pretty fast...picking up & rebaiting with fish chunks in  the traps and plant them again.

  Next we leave the crawfish Farm and head to Kaplan to an American Legion Club for lunch. We have a delicious meal served by the ladies of Crawfish with noodles and pasta. We met the WBCCI Band Leader here helping to serve.. John Landry and wife Yvette.

  After returning to camp ,we hookup and hit the road again to Eunice to Northwest Center Campground. Tis was a big pavilion that the tow vehicles pulled into the pad and left the  Airstreams on the grass at the edge. We had electric and water here. The center was great for happy hours, we were under cover here. Pictures  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/CrawfishFarmingTheHarvest

   Time for Dinner, we loaded up and followed Rick to Di’s Restaurant for our meal. This is another Dance/restaurant that was hoping tonight with a Cajun Band. All came here to dance. We met a bus load of people from Galveston, Texas here for 3 days ..great bunch of fun people!! Their leader even gave me a Crawfish Bead necklace, everyone in my group was jealous ?? We filled up and some danced then left for camp after a few hours. Zzzzzzz

March 16th, Saturday, We divide into 2 groups for today’s tours. Ours leave for Fred’s Lounge in Mamou. The place is only open Sat. mornings. This is a bar with Cajun Music again. The place is wall to wall people. A radio station broadcasts from here. Dancing... for all again.. We see the Texas group again, this place is packed and having fun. I got a t-shirt from here. We go outside for air? We see motorcycles everywhere, they come from all over to see this Historic Place for Cajun Lifestyle. Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/FredSPlace

   Time to switch to another tour. We drive down the road to Eunice to see Savoy Music Center. here they make accordions by hand, the craftsmanship and also the sound from these instruments was awesome. In the back we see the workbenches and hear about the steps to make these accordions. Then in the store there is a big circle of musicians playing what else?? Cajun Music !!! We watch the old timers with their instruments play along with everyone. You can buy the Savoy Accordion for $2,495.00  (Mom says NO !! )   

   Now it is noon, guess what? Time to eat ...we drive 3 blocks to Nick’s Restaurant for a delicious dinner of Beef tips over rice, Cole slaw & corn. Then I went next door to see a western wear shop.  $$$$ it is expensive to be a cowboy...$65. shirts..$55 pants.. $300-600 Boots.. $75 Hats... The the outfits sure do look pretty.  Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/SavoySMusicCenterAccordianMaker

  This afternoon we got to the Acadia Culture Center to a performance of a Harmonica

Group from Chicago... they were a fun group. Then we look around the center at the history of the area. Back to camp.... at p.m. there is a Cajun performance at the Liberty Center in Eunice. This is an old theatre that has been preserved for all kinds of shows. We saw the Harmonica Players again then a new band played for an hour. They had their regulars and also a 5 year boy that played a accordion flawlessly.   Great sounds tonight.  Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/CajunMusicHeritageMuseum

  March 17th, Sunday, we leave for Bayou Wilderness RV Resort in Lafayette.  At 4 pm we have a scavenger hunt around the camp..fun time.. we were all winners. At 6 pm we had a Wine and Cheese Party in the camp building. 22 boxes of pizza and 5 kinds of  wine too.  Later tonight ‘Obie” did a show of makeup of a clown for those interested.  Telling stories of make a Wish and Give Kids the World. A good time by all. Zzzzzz

  March 18th, Monday, The last day of caravan... We had a continental breakfast in the building. We then retreated to our Airstreams to get ready for the final banquet. Some one suggested we leave early to see the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist  est. in 1821 in Lafayette. This was the Diocese of Lafayette. We arrived to see a tall beautiful Cathedral surrounded by a large cemetery. There was also a 500 year old Oak tree here. The limbs were so heavy that they had pole braces under some of the limbs.

  At p.m. we went to Don’s Seafood for our final banquet.We had choice of seafood or rib eye steak.After eating Marilyn had a few words of farewell. I then went up to the front to present Rick & Marilyn a token of our appreciation for the past 2 weeks. We gave them an embroidered Pillow of Louisiana with the Cajun Caravan inscription on the back, we said this was for their 60th Anniversary on April 11th. We also had a card signed by everyone with a token of our appreciation of a Fun Filled Caravan.  Good Bye everyone.. see you down the road .....Time to move...  Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/SightsOfLafayetteLa

In closing, I just want to say THANK-YOU Rick and Marilyn for an unforgettable tour of Cajun Country in Louisiana . I have learned so much in 2 weeks and also now have Cajun Music ringing in my ears!!! I also met some fun loving people from all over the USA this week. Many happy hours and dinners together made us like family. Here is a album of all the caravan attendees.. enjoy..

Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/CajunCaravanAirstreamersMarch5182013  
   God Bless.. AirstreamHobo & Mom 

  Any Comments ..Please email me I would love to hear from you hope you enjoyed the trip from your computer.. obclown@ptd.net

One more tour today.. We drive to PHI Helicopter Office and repair center. They supply helicopters to transport oil workers to rigs in the gulf, air medic, and private use. This place was so clean you could eat off the floor.

Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/PHIHelicopterRepairCenter

 

At 5:30 we leave for Pont Breauxs Restaurant for a Cajun dinner and also they had a Cajun Band to entertain while we eat. Some stay to dance also.   

 

Ok, this was a long day, back to camp to ZZZZZZZZZZZ....  God Bless Airstream Hobo and Mom

Next we go to Konriko Rice Mill, The oldest rice mill in USA. We see a short film then tour the mill for a visual tour. Next ??? Back to the Gift Store... There Many Many kinds of their products. I think everyone bought a bag full of goodies( Rice, coatings, seasonings, t-shirts, and the usual tourist things) Mom stock up the Airstream Gallery with lots of products.

Pictures  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/KonrikoOldestRiceMill

 

Time for lunch at Victors’ Restaurant which is a lunch cafeteria style to pick your meal. I had a Beef Stew and Salad, very good.

March 12, Tuesday, at 8 am we leave for Shadows on the Teche,  a National Historic House, we are in 3 groups to see the house and all it’s grandeur. The grounds were pretty too. Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/ShadowsOnTheTech

Then we drive across the island to see the Tabasco Factory. This is the only place that it is made, over 700,000 bottles a day. We see a short movie on the products made then a walk thru glass hallway watching workers run the machines. Then of course there is a gift shop to walk thru too...so many samples .. and also many, many things with the Tabasco logo for sale as well as the sauce is for sale.

Pictures   https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/TobascoFactoryTours   

This is the Caravan Gang pictured at Avery Island.....

March 10th, Sunday, We leave for Catfish Heaven Campground a 70 mile drive. We arrive after p.m..  Some of us are  backed up to the pavilion where we have a steak dinner tomorrow. At 4 we leave foe one mile drive to Lake Martin to see the largest nesting of wading birds. We see lots of birds, white, pink & blue.We are here for about 30 minutes to see and take pictures of them. Back to camp for another GAM , then supper on our own. This campground has a laundry which many get caught up on the dirty clothes. Good for another week in clean duds !!

 

March 11th, Monday, Today we car pool to Avery Island near the Tabasco Factory. This is a reserve of beautiful gardens ,lakes, and even a Buda in the gardens. We drive thru the trees which are big Oaks and Cypress trees, very beautiful to see, we wind around the garden and stop to see the Buda and walk around there.  Then onto the Bird sanctuary to see nesting birds again..lots of them here over the water to raise their newborns.  Pictures  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/AveryIslandJungleGardenTour2013

 

God Bless... AirstreamHobo and Mom 

Capt Jack...Swamp Tours

 

Now we take a break for 3 hours at camp than at 1:30 we got for a swamp tour. We board Captain Jacks Cajun Tour Boat. This thing has a 250 HP motor to take us to the swamp. We hear tales of the swamp while going there. Then slow down to see all mother nature. We do pass some Cajun Cabins(Homes) along the way. We even see some on the porch and Capt. Jack talks to them wishing them a good day. We hear all about some of the cabins and their way of life. After 3 hours on the water we are back at camp.

  Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/SwampTour2013

 

We have a Drivers Meeting after supper. We discuss tomorrows move to the next campground. As you can see we have a very well planned Caravan..Our Leaders have everything ready for Us to follow. 

  God Bless.. AirstreamHobo and Mom 

March 9th, Saturday, We rise early again to see the local sights. We are broken to 3 groups of 8/9 people in each. We go first to the Petroleum  Museum. Here we board a Oil Rig Platform which is a training center for future oil workers in the Gulf. This place is BIG.. living quarters.. Kitchen.. oil drilling area.. mechanics shop, a city on a platform. Workers learn to stay aboard for a week first to see if they like the confinement...some do  some quit after a few days. When they pass the job test, they start on an oil rig. They work for 28 days then 14 days off to go home. They work 12 hour days while on the rig. The job is very demanding for all.We got to see all the areas and learn a lot from our tour guide which is also an Instructor on board.

  Pictures   https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/OilRigTour2013

 

God Bless.. AirstreamHobo and Mom 

March 8th, Friday.... Time to move on... to Frenchman’s Wilderness Campground, only 110 miles away. We leave in the morning and take our time to arrive after p.m.. We are driving along the Mississippi River at times and pass many Plantations also. We stop at Wal-Mart to wait for 2 pm to arrive.

   Wow..a beautiful lake frontage campground. We have the whole back section which each of us back up to the waters’ edge.The view across the water is breath taking. The wind is very brisk and we decide not to open awnings. We set up and rest, then at 3 pm we drive 1 mile away to Brownwell Memorial Park and Carillon Tower. We drive in and walk to the water,on the way there is a tall church tower with bells which sound off each 15 minutes. At the hour we hear a complete song to the bells. We also walk to the waterfront past trees covered in stringy moss hanging, sort of like Christmas Glitter on a tree.

   Back to camp, it is our turn to have GAM with others. The wind is faster so I park the van along the water between trailers to block the wind. But we all arrive with heavy coats on. The snacks were shared and chit chat too. The rest of night is off.  

  Pictures     https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/TripToMorganCityLa02

March 7th, Thursday, We load the same bus at 7 am and start the tour. We stop at a local bakery for Beignets and coffee. These are donuts..no holes.. with 10X sugar on them..there goes my sugar count?

 

 We drove over to the old State Capitol ..Gorgeous..The building was restored to a beautiful building. See the pictures ..

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/OldStateCapitol# 

 

Then back to camp for another GAM.. we meet 5 new couples at this one..Brrr.. Brrr.. it is cold tonight.

 

  God Bless  AirstreamHobo and Mom

March 5th, Tuesday, We start to see Airstreams arrive. All are ask to arrive by 3 pm. We have welcome meeting at 3 then at 6 pm we have a catered dinner by the campground.. Gumbo & Desert.... My first time..delicious !!  Chicken & Sausage & Roux broth...and also potato salad and cake. Then we see a movie on Louisiana History...time for bed !! Early day tomorrow!

 

 March 6th, Wednesday, We load up the tour bus at 8 am and head for the Governor’s Mansion in Baton Rouge. We take a tour and see the first floor only.  Then we load up for the tour of the State Capital Building. After the walking tour, some of us went up to the 28th floor for a look of the city below. Noon, Time to go to the  Hollywood Casino for a buffet lunch..nobody starves here. We sit at the window and watch barges on the Mississippi  move up and down the river.

 

  Load up again for Louisiana State Museum across from the Capital. Here we see the Louisiana History, very well done Museum. Back to camp by 4 pm.

 

Tonight at 5 pm we have a GAM...Get acquainted Meeting.. get to know your fellow caravaners. We meet in groups of 8-10 people to exchange our personal history with the club. When did you get your first Airstream, where are you from, where have you been, where did you work & how big is your family?

 

At 7 pm we met in the building to learn the Cajun 2 step... we all had to try it. I can’t count to 2 so I only danced with mom 2/3 times in practice then sat and watched the rest. Some caught on quick.

  See todays pictures  https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/GovernorSMansionStateCapitalLouisianaMuseum

 

  God Bless...AirstreamHobo and Mom

March 3, Sunday, we hookup and leave for Frenchman’s Wilderness Campground off  Rt 10 at exit 121, we arrived at 3 pm and got site #4 with full hookups.  We arrived 2 days early so we can clean up and relax before the caravan. We head down the road to a little store that has a Laundromat  in a little wooden building. I went into the store to see it, They have all kinds of supplies, the traffic today seemed to stop for liquid refreshments.  I purchase a t-shirt with store name on it. This is little fishing community along the river/bayou. Fishing is poplar here !! There is one other Airstream here..Buchers.. The rest come later.

    Monday, March 4, Rick and Marilyn  Solera arrive today and we chat for a while. This is their 25th (?) year of leading caravans..this one and also the Yellow Head Caravan. They are a delightful couple and are so easy going with everyone. More Airstreams arrive today  and setup. Rick tells me to drive down the road again past the store to see the fishing camps and to read the comical signs in each yard that owners name their camp. What a Fun Drive !! Then back to camp. See pictures.. https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/SignsOfLouisianaCamps

We left for Louisiana on Friday, March 1,  About 200 miles across Rt 10. We arrived in New Orleans about 5pm and had some Van problems. The campground directed me to a garage he recommends.
      I called them and they said come over sat at 8 am and they will check it out. After 2 hours of repairs we were back in business.
     We were at Pontchartrain Landing which is on the out skirts of New Orleans. The campground is on the  waterway canal with nice sites.  Note: This campground people were so helpful in setting up and locating a repair shop, they even offered to pick me up at repair if they needed to keep the van overnight. They were so concerned when I came back after repairs they stopped by to see if I was satisfied with the job done. This campground went way above the service I expected. This was also a Pass Port America Campground. Stop here when in town, they even have a shuttle into downtown 3 times a day. 

  

  We then drove downtown to the French Quarters. Found a lot to park near to everything. We walked over to Bourbon St. and blocks around. We checked out some of the stores, they had all kinds of party items..skirts, masks, necklaces(beads) and hats etc.We saw a gang of people in the street dancing to music and then move onto the next block, they were all on bicycles decorated with St. Patricks’ Theme. I don’t think they were sober? 
    We walked over to the church square where in the walks around it were Artists with their beautiful art for sale. Anywhere from $15.00 to hundreds. The colors were so vibrant. We decided to catch a surrey ride for a tour of the French Quarter, we were with 2 other couples. only $18.00 each for an very informative ride.
     We then walked around and ate lunch at a food court, the restaurants were very expensive. After 4 hours downtown we went for a drive around town. We even found a cemetery that look interesting and drove thru looking at all the above ground gravesites with large tombstones and Mausoleums with several burials in them. 
    Then back to the camp to rest for take off tomorrow for our caravan meeting place.  See Pictures .. 
 https://picasaweb.google.com/AirstreamHobo/NewOrleans2013

God Bless .. AirstreamHobo and Mom