Travel Plans

Waking up to spring! Time to make RV travel plans.

Heading back to the KOA off the PA turnpike near New Stanton for 3 nights. We'll be attending the Ricky Skaggs concert in Greensburg, PA on March 31 at the Palace Theater, as well as visiting family and friends. Ricky at the Palace.

The next RV adventure is the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival for 4 nights, May 16-19, at the Granite Hill Camping Resort. Always some great traditional blugrass at this festival! They have 2 fests per year, in May and August. Gettysburg May Festival.

Next up is the Finger Lakes region in New York. I booked 3 different campgrounds for this 3 week trip. Ah, wineries, waterfalls, lake views, and other good things. I hope to find a blues jam in the area, maybe Ithaca. Finger Lakes.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel Our RV Travels.

Also, visit the RVBlues site. RV Blues.

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Three Days in Pine Grove Furnace State Park

Towing the RV to Pine Grove Furnace State Park campground for 3 days. I have a gig at the Fall Furnace Festival. This is our 3rd appearance at this festival. A few thousand people attend over the course of 2 days. Lots of activities, food, and music.

Pine Grove will probably be the last trip, then it's time to winterize. I'm considering inside storage this year for the RV instead of letting it sit outside all winter.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel Our RV Travels. Also, the RV Blues channel is starting to get some jam videos. A like and subscribe is always appreciated! RV Blues.

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Class Reunion

I did a 4 night stay off the PA turnpike near New Stanton at the KOA campground. It was my class reunion weekend at Cedar Creek Park. We got some old band members together and practiced for 5 weekends, then played 2 sets at the reunion. It was AWESOME! Check it out on Youtube. BVA 1971.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel Our RV Travels.

Also, I will be getting the RV Blues channel together when I return home from vacation, but you can still subscribe now even though there are no blues videos yet. RV Blues.

Thanks!

Back Home, Future Plans

We are now back home in Carlisle, PA. It was a fantastic vacation to our neighbors up north.

I'm going to do a little maintenance on the trailer over the next few weeks. I need to install a new water pump, repair a trim piece that fell off during the Canada trip, and do a deep clean on the rig. The truck is also due for an oil change.

I have a 4 night stay in 2 weeks off the PA turnpike near New Stanton at the KOA campground. It is my class reunion weekend at Cedar Creek Park. We're getting some old band members back together to play a couple sets. It's actually sounding pretty good!

I have another weekend at the Pine Grove Furnace State Park for the Fall Furnace Festival in October. I'll be playing 2 sets for the festival and camping for a couple of nights.

I need to begin planning for a big trip out west in a few months. I have no idea where that adventure will take us.

I finally have some blues jam footage for the new Youtube channel, and a newly designed logo. As soon as the reunion is over, I'll have time to get the channel going.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel Our RV Travels. Also, I will be getting the RV Blues channel together when I return home from vacation, but you can still subscribe now even though there are no blues videos yet. RV Blues.

Thanks!

Halifax, NS and Bar Harbor, ME

We decided to pass on the Hopper tour, but we did ride the ferry across the bay and back. It was a relaxing ride with a great view of the entire city of Halifax from the water. It was cheap too, like $5 for two fo us, round trip.

We dined at Vernon's Diner. I met Vernon at the Bearlys Blues Jam. We liked it so much, we went 2 times. Highly recommended, great food, and craft beers on tap.

We did the usual stuff in Bar Harbor. We were there last year, so had some repeats of favorites, such as Cadillac Mountain, Jordan House popovers, riding the loop, hanging on the rocky shoreline, dining out at favorite spots, and blueberry ice cream.

We are now back home. It was a fantastic vacation! Our next journey will be heading west. Plans are in progress.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel Our RV Travels. Also, I will be getting the RV Blues channel together when I return home from vacation, but you can still subscribe now even though there are no blues videos yet. RV Blues.

Thanks!

Cape Breton and Halifax, NS

Oh my, what a great 2 weeks it has been. After leaving Quebec City, we boondocked in Hartland, New Brunswick, next to the Longest Covered Bridge in the world.

Then we made it to the Ponderosa Pines Campground next to Hopewell Rocks on the Bay of Fundy. We got to experience walking on the ocean floor and the highest tides in the world.

Next it was on to Inverness on Cape Breton, right off the Cabot Trail, where we bookdocked next to the Inverness Beach Boardwalk. There was a beautiful sunset over the water that night. I spoke with some local fishermen down by the docks. They informed me that the docks come alive between 4-6 in the morining, and they surely did, with boats leaving the Macisaac's Pond harbour to check their lobster traps.

The next morning, we left for Meat Cove Campground. We stayed there 3 nights, enjoying the breathtaking views from atop the cliff side campsite.

We then headed towards Halifax, NS and boondocked at the New Glasgow Walmart on the way. We met a fellow Pennsylvanian there in his Airstream. It's a small world.

We are now parked in the Halifax KOA for a week. I attended the Bearly's House of Blues and Ribs Sunday evening blues jam. There were some excellent musicians sitting in. I played the first set and had a great time listening to the rest of the sets that night.

We visited the UNESCO town of Lunenburg on Tuesday and Peggy's Cove on Wednesday, both worth seeing.

Today and tommorrow, we are spending time in Halifax and on the waterfront. We plan on taking a ferry ride, and a Harbour Hopper guided tour of the city

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel Our RV Travels. Also, I will be getting the RV Blues channel together when I return home from vacation, but you can still subscribe now even though there are no blues videos yet. RV Blues.

Thanks!

Leaving Quebec City

We stayed in Crown Point State Park Campground on Lake Champlain, NY on our way to Quebec City. It was a good layover for 2 nights. I used the Champion 3400 generator to run the AC and it worked flawlessly. The new rear shelf is excellent and the cats love hanging out there. But, I do have a new issue with the RV water pump not working.

We arrived at the Quebec City KOA on Monday and stayed for a week. Quebec City is a beautiful area. Old Quebec City had many excellent sites to visit. We walked around checking out the many shops, restaurants, and pubs. We took the incline up to the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac hotel and hung out on the boardwalk, walked around the old fort, and enjoyed some beautiful views of Old Quebec rooftops and the St. Lawrence River. We visited the Montmorency Falls, just a few minutes from downtown Québec City. Montmorency Falls is a truly spectacular site. At 83 meters (272 ft.), it's 30 meters (nearly 100 ft.) higher than Niagara Falls.

I attended the Pub Limoilou blues jam hosted by Mike Deway. I'll load some videos on RV Blues. and YouTube when I have the chance. This blues jam had some excellent musicians, and lasted 4 hours, from 10 - 2. Videos yet to come for RV Blues. Please check it out and subscribe.

We are leaving this morning, Saturday, for New Brunswick and Hopewell Rocks, boondocking tonight in Hartland, NB then on to Ponderosa Pines Campground for 2 nights. We're excited to visit Hopewell Rocks and the Bay of Fundy 30 foot tides. After that, it is on to Cape Breton and the Cabot Trail.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel Our RV Travels.

Thanks!

Two Weeks To Go!

It's June, and we have less than 2 weeks to go for our big journey north. I finished up the shelf mod in the camper. It is at the rear of the trailer, under the 2 big rear windows, perfect for 3 cats to lounge in their cat beds. It will also be used for AC power in each corner, charging phones, laptops, cameras, etc. I used command strips to attach it instead of putting holes in the walls. It is solid.

Other news this month is a new website and YouTube channel, RVBlues.com. This is my first attempt at using Wordpress to create a website. It's still a learning curve, but I'm moving forward. I will be updating this site and YouTube channel with Blues Jams and a few guitar lessons, in addition to our travels. Videos yet to come for RV Blues. Please check it out and subscribe. RV Blues

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel Our RV Travels.

Thanks!

4 Day Test Drive

It's May, the birthday and wedding day month. Two beautiful grandsons, age 1 and 3, and my son's wedding. I rolled the TT down to Yogi Bear Jellystone Park in Williamsport, MD for a 4 day stay. The rehearsal dinner, wedding, and reception were all over an hour away from home, so I opted to camp. The Rockwood was home base for all the events. My nephew came in from Pitt and stayed for 2 nights. The park was very clean and well kept, but had higher than average rates, due to the facilities, pools, water slide, horseshoes, volleyball, jump station, and other activities for kids. Beats an amusement park IMO. I made the return trip safe and sound. The Rockwood is sitting in the drive ready to be cleaned and packed for the 4 week journey. Stay tuned!

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Getting the Rig Ready

It's April. Time to de-winterize the rig. It was 80 degrees out, so time to get the AC checked out. I installed a hard start capacitor on the Coleman AC unit and tested it before and after the install with the Champion 3400 generator. The generator handled the AC start up before the install without any issues. I did not notice any differences after installing the capacitor, but hopefully it will be an advantage in hot weather.

I had Schwintek slide problems with the bedroom slide. One side would go faster than the other. I tried resyncing multiple times to no avail. The controller error codes showed 8 flashes which pointed to a bad wire between the controller and right side motor. I bought a new wire and installed it, but that did not correct the problem. So, next I replaced the controller. Still not fixed. Then bought and installed new motors. BINGO! The right side motor was defective and would jam up after running for 3 seconds. Process of elimination solved this issue. Now I have a backup controller and backup motor.

I got a Dokio 100 watt solar suitcase. These panels are flexible and very thin, great for a portable setup. I've used them for a few days and they are charging up the golf cart batteries, but the 100 watt rating is overrated. Given the displayed volts and amps on the controller, in maximum direct sunlight, I cannot get over 40-50 watts out of them.

View the video on the above topics HERE

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New Video

A new Youtube video was added - Rockwood Travel Trailer Upgrades and Products. These upgrades and products should benefit our travel and boondocking experiences. Please check it out and leave your comments and suggestions.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE.

Thanks!

Making Plans

So, here we are, making plans for the 4 week Nova Scotia trip. I booked a few campgrounds, since I will need WiFi to be able to work. I'll be splitting the trip into 10 vacation days and 10 work days.

Our first stop after leaving Carlisle, PA, is at the Crown Point Campground in New York. We'll be spending 2 nights there.

Our second stop after leaving Crown Point is at the Quebec City KOA. I specifically chose this campground for WiFi access and plan on working 2-3 days while here. I'll definitely be attending the Thursday blues jam at the Pub Limoilou Blues Bar.

Next up is Boondocking for a week. This week will be 'take it as it comes', might work a day or two, might be on a beach, might be in the mountain wilderness.

Then it's on to the Halifax, Nova Scotia KOA campground for a week. Another possible 2-3 days of work, and the remaining days spent sightseeing. And possibly another blues jam at Bearly's House of Blues and Ribs.

Our last week will be at the Hadley's Point campground in Bar Harbor, Maine. Once again, another 2-3 days of work and the remaining days sightseeing. We were in Bar Harbor and Acadia last year and can't wait to get back.

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New Camera!

So, I was searching around for a new camera with decent video capability. I was considering a Canon Powershot G7X Mark II. I've seen some excellent Youtube videos with that camera. Then, Ra tells me that she bought a camera 4 years ago to supplement her Nikon and it's in a drawer. She never really used it. I decided to give it a try. It's a Samsung EX2F compact camera. It has a lot of options for a small camera, and some good reviews a few years back. But, it doesn't have an external mic plug. It does have a hotshoe mic capability. I just finished recording the Champion 3400 Generator video with it, which is now on our Youtube channel HERE. I think this camera will work for a while while the website and channel get going. I plan to use it on our Nova Scotia vacation this summer.

New Additions and Mods

I upgraded the battery bank to 2 Duracell golf cart batteries. A lot of campers go with the Trojan T-105 6 Volt Battery, but I think the Duracell is a valid option, and is more affordable. I've already used them on 2 local camping trips without hookups. They performed well for the 2 days that we camped. I was able to run the TV, lights, furnace, and water heater. These will be used more frequently this summer when we boondock in Canada.

I added these screen door bar handles to both entry doors. They make it much easier to close the screen door, and also help to protect the screen from accidental tears and holes. An easy install and highly recommended.

I purchased a portable 100 watt solar panel kit to keep the batteries charged when bookdocking. This summer will be my first time using it while traveling through Canada. My plans are to get a more permanent and more powerful solar setup in the future. If you are just getting into solar, this is a great starter kit! Get yours now!

I purchased a Champion 3400 Dual Fuel Inverter Generator for use when the solar isn't keeping up. I'm excited to begin using this generator as a complete electrical solution when needed. It will replace shore power and allow us to run the AC, furnace, water heater, lights, TV, etc. A great feature of this generator is that it is dual fuel. It can run on gas or PROPANE, and it is an INVERTER generator making it excellent for RV use! Reviews and ratings are very high for this generator. Check out my video of it HERE. Get yours now!

Here We Go!

We're just starting out on this adventure. I'm creating the Website and YouTube channel. I'm working with DaVinci Resolve as my Video Editor and trying to learn all the features of the software. My first attempts are creating PLogs of our photos from Montreal and Bar Harbor vacations last summer. Videos will come soon.

I already realize I'm going to need a new, more professional camera to document our travels. We're starting out with cell phone pics and videos.