October 2010 - Fredericksburg TX

We planned a trip to Fredericksburg TX about 70 miles from San Antonio.  Over the years, it has been one of our favorite places to visit.  It is a busy little touristy town that almost always has something going on but even people watching there can be fun.  This time DH was along for the ride.  Luckenbach TX was hosting a motorcycle rally over the weekend which is what drew his attention.  It is not far from Fredericksburg.  We've never had trouble getting an RV spot at Ladybird Johnson Park as long as we didn't come on a holiday weekend or at their very busiest time in the winter.  It has been a favorite of snowbirds for some time.  It came as a shock when the office wasn't sure they could fit us in for more than a night especially since the park was over half empty.  They claimed to have two huge groups coming in the next day, the Houston police and another group.  Anyway, we ended up staying the whole week but each day I had to go in and petition them to let us stay another night.  We do a lot of walking around the park with Willy, Gretchen, and Harley so I noticed that there were a minimum of 30 empty spots every single day.  The park is run by the city and everything is manual.  I think the staff who were just city clerk types were simply unable to juggle any of the sites around to make the best use of space but there were so many empty spots that juggling shouldn't even have been necessary.  The prices have gone for camping there but it seems that better site management would have done more to bring in revenue as we saw many, many RVers turned away because they were "full".  We like it because the park is quiet and situated in a pecan grove so there is nice shade always a bonus in Texas.  

It was an enjoyable week.  I drove DH over to the motorcycle rally two days in a row so I could do a few other things.  The second day I had a crock pot going with dinner and took the dogs out for a walk around the park.  When I came back, I couldn't get the deadbolt unlocked.  I called the RV dealership since we had already had the lock replaced once for the same problem.  They told me to call a locksmith and they would cover it so I headed over to the office to find a phone book.  I was really fortunate since there was only one locksmith and he had just returned from an out of town job.  He arrived about 10 minutes later and, after much effort, managed to pick the lock.  By then DH had already called me to come pick him up as it had started to rain so he found cover until I could get the lock taken care of.  We changed our route home to include another stop at the RV dealer to once again take care of the lock.  

As a side note, I later did a bunch of research online; found a thread on one of the RV forums which led back to a lockmaker.  Seems that the locks made in the last couple of years don't work the same as the old ones.  The old locks wouldn't release the key unless it was straight up and down.  The new ones are missing this safety feature and, if the locked is turned even a little sideways when the key comes out, the teeth inside shift out of place and you cannot open the deadlock.  Wouldn't you think that locksmiths and RV dealers would be up on issues like that?  Anyway, keep it in mind if you have a problem with a newer deadbolt.  Put the key in as far as it will go and gently tap the end of the key.  You should hear the teeth moving back into place one by one.  Then, be absolutely sure never to take the key out unless it is perpendicular to the ground.

9 Aug 2010 - Heading home to Texas

My brother was back at work on Monday so I visited with my sister-in-law for a while and then headed down the driveway.  My brother overrode "Hillary's" navigational directions and routed me away from The Hill and down through Little Rock.  My nephew is going to college there but he was away on a training trip for his new job so I didn't get a chance to see him.  It was another beautiful drive down through very manageable hills and forested areas and again the roads are great.

My plan was to cross north Texas to Wichita Falls where we used to live to visit friends and co-workers in the area.  As I crossed into Texas, I knew I should look for a place to stop for the night.  When I talked to my husband on the cellphone and told him my plans, he convinced me to just push through to Wichita Falls. I knew it would be too long of a day on the road for no real reason but I let myself be overridden even though I was the one with the real travel experience.  Always follow your own instincts!

Wichita Falls has a city park with RV hookups right off the highway in town.  Many of the spots are pull-through but you must be self contained because there are no restrooms in the RV area.  The $10 fantastic deal is now a $17 good deal -- just don't expect to find an RV spot or a hotel room later in August when the "Hotter N Hell Hundred" bicycle race is in progress.  Attendance is huge and people book rooms months in advance and arrive days early to use the RV park.  The RV area is connected to the main park by a swinging bridge and you will find lots of walking paths.  You'll also want to see the "falls" which are man-made since the original falls disappeared a really long time ago.  The current falls are quite nice and, unless you take the path to the top, you wouldn't know that there is no river behind them--just a cemetery!  If you happen to come through after a storm, you may find a "chocolate" falls flowing down into the river.

Exhausted and more than ready for bed, I hit the button to raise the front of the RV to unhook it.  Nothing!  Replaced the fuse.  Nothing!  I hooked up the electric and water and headed inside.  More good news--apparently I clipped the vent cover over the bed on the way out of my brother's driveway and it was gone.  Too tired to care, I stuffed a pillow in the hole.  It NEVER rains in Wichita Falls in August but I wanted the A/C cool to stay in the RV.  A quick doggy walk and we were all ready for bed.  Willy, Gretchen, and Harley have no trouble sleeping at night even if they napped the day away.  Ah, the life of a pampered and well-loved dog or two or three.

The missing vent and the useless front legs on the RV were still waiting for me in the morning.  Since I was no longer exhausted, I found I was mostly annoyed to have this happen at the end of a really good first trip.  I started calling around and found that most of my friends were not around so I finally decided to pack it in and head on back to San Antonio.  Better luck (and calling ahead) next time.

That evening I was back in the driveway in Schertz.  The next morning the fridge, perishables, medicine, and clothes were unloaded early and we headed back up I-35 to Crestview RV in Buda for some warranty work.  A rather macho mechanic hinted that I just didn't know how to work the electric legs.  He popped a fuse in (been there, done that) and hit the switch resulting in ripping the motor right off the wall.  His tune changed quickly and a whole new motor set-up was ordered.  There was a reason that the fuses had popped a number of times and it wasn't operator error.  A couple other warranty items were also listed.  I only had to pay for the vent cover.  We left the RV in Buda and headed home until the next trip.

The Traveling Longdogs and I hope to meet you on the road soon!

6 Aug 2010 - Mammoth Spring, Arkansas

I wasn't planning to leave early this morning as I didn't have a really long drive and wanted to time my arrival in Mammoth Spring to when my brother would get off work.  He surprised me with a call mid morning to ask where I was as he was going to take the afternoon off.  I got the newsletter mailed off and headed out.  It wasn't long before we were in Missouri.  I have to give them credit, their rolling, curvy roads are in excellent shape--not a pothole in sight.  Did I mention rolling and curvy, oh yes, and hilly, very hilly and two lane.  I went up and down so many times that I was wondered if anything would be in place after I arrived.  It was a beautiful drive though and traffic was minimal.  I crossed into Arkansas at Thayer, Missouri.

And then I got to the hill.  I had completely forgotten about The Hill although I have been there several times. Once committed, I had no choice but to do the climb.  I felt like I was in that children's book "The Little Engine That Could".  We chugged on up.  It wasn't a fast ascent but the F250 SuperDuty handled it with ease.  Now I know it can do anything!  Next challenge was going up the driveway, pulling into the turn off, and backing up by the house.  Whoo!  It was really great to see my youngest brother and his wife and mother-in-law.

My parents lived in Thayer, Missouri just across the border after I left home.  Tim actually spent most of his growing up years there and I visited many times.  We did some touring around the area over the next couple of days.  This is a beautiful area that some of you may want to visit.  Just take it easy on the hills!

A view from near the Mammoth Spring park.  

This water is really cold since it comes from deep below the ground; however, the air is really hot in August and very humid as well.

It was a great visit!

5 Aug 2010 - Illinois Overnight

After leaving Indianapolis we headed southwest towards Illinois and planned an early stop so we could head on into Arkansas the next day to visit my youngest brother.  

Here we are stopped in a rest area among the big boys--having a late lunch 

and taking advantage of a nice walk around the rest area.

We started looking for an RV park late in the afternoon and found one just south of Mt Vernon. 

This time we took full advantage of the swimming pool--well, I did anyway.  It was a great park with lots of shade trees and areas to walk in.  There was a small Jayco owners group GTG going on at the back so we got to see lots of different Jayco trailers and 5th wheels.  Apparently they met at an area park once a month so they all knew each other pretty well.  

Willy, Gretchen, and Harley had a big surprise as we walked around one side of the park over near the manager double-wide home.  There were chickens walking around that had apparently gotten loose from a nearby pen.  The fur-kids had never seen a chicken before and I don't think the chickens had ever seen dachshunds either so it was a stand-off on both sides.  These were all red hens and if there was a rooster, he was considerate enough not to wake me up the next morning.

This park had great Wifi which I used to full advantage.  Even though I was out traveling, I was still responsible for putting together a monthly newsletter for the chapter of a professional organization I have belonged to for years.  Ever had a thumb drive go belly up on you?  Happened to me here so I had to recreate the whole newsletter format from scratch.  I also worked on my distribution list so this all kept me busy pretty late.  The next morning, I got the newsletter sent out to everyone before I hit the road bound for Mammoth Spring, Arkansas.

3-4 Aug 2010 - Indiana Stops - Elkhart and Fishers

My next stop after bidding family goodbye in Port Huron, was Elkhart.  Elkhart is supposed to be the epicenture of the RV world but I think the population there may have lost sight of that.  I know that the RV industry was hard hit over the last few years but I had to ask about 6 people before I could find anyone that had any idea where there was an RV park.  I know--I should have found McDonald's and hauled out the Internet and done a google search but this was Elkhart.  I finally found the Elkhart Campground, a pretty large and decent place to stay.  Asking for a pull-through, I was sent off to what looked like a field that was only pull-through if no one parked in front of you.  Since the campground was less than half-full and there were plenty of much better sites that were easier to get in and out of and more convenient all the way around, I went back to the office and asked for a different site.  The roads in the new area were gravel and the site had a picnic table and was much better.

Willy, Gretchen, and Harley took me on a tour around the park.  They had the usual amenities but we really didn't get to try them out.  We did have several nice walks before bedtime.  There was storm that night but  we had A/C and none of the branches fell on the truck or RV so we were just fine.  The next morning, the staff was out cleaning them up.

Finding the RV Hall of Fame the next day was equally challenging.  They moved into a new building a couple of years ago and the first 5 people I asked either didn't know anything about it or thought it closed a few years ago.  This could partly explain why they are not getting the visitors they anticipated and need to survive.  If you are in the area with an RV rally or other group, you are fine.  Traveling alone--not so much in terms unless you have all the information before you arrive.  The RV Hall of Fame has parking areas specifically for RVs which was really nice.  I waited out another rainstorm and then headed in for the tour.  The most interesting part of the museum, at least for me, were the RV exhibits.  They have examples from very early RVs to more modern ones and they are laid out along a rambling roadway.  I really enjoyed it and recommend you allow plenty of time to browse.

Once we were on the road again, we let "Hillary" plot a course for Indianapolis, more specifically Fishers Indiana, home of my long-time friend Mary Beth Lech.  Mary Beth met me in a Walmart parking lot and we went off to dinner together.  It was not the greatest Walmart and didn't look like a good place to stay.  After dinner I followed Mary Beth across town to a Super Walmart close to her house.  Unfortunately there were no overnight camping signs posted.  I explained that it is the town rather than Walmart that won't allow parking so Mary Beth had another idea.  She led me just across the highway to a Super Meijers.  Turns out they were across a county line so when I went in and asked the manager about parking, he said sure--just park on the side of the lot and he would notify security to keep an eye out for us.

Mary Beth asked if I would stay long enough to go out for breakfast with her in the morning.  I also got to meet her cousin so we had another great visit.  It is always great to meet up with friends.

10 July 2010 - Arrival in Port Huron, Michigan

Today was a short drive on up to Port Huron.  The real challenge was yet to come.  The plan was to stay in my father-in-law's yard since I was there to visit family and help with clean up of his estate.  There it was--The Driveway.  My father-in-law has the narrowest driveway in the world, paved but only 8 feet wide, with a ditch on either side of the entrance.  Oh, did I mention the big mailbox at the end of the driveway?  Even Willy, Gretchen, and Harley knew they needed to keep a low profile while Mom negotiated that entrance.  I made it!  Once I made it into that driveway, I figure I can do just about anything. There was a small matter of a soft yard but my brother Mike handled that little issue and I was home free...at least for the next month.

There was another reason this was a great day...Steve and Helen got engaged!  I got to see the ring while I was there and knew it was going to happen any day but Steve wanted to wait until the right moment when they were in a special place they would both remember.

Several days later I drove back down to Detroit and picked my husband up at the airport.  He spent the next 2 1/2 weeks with us in the RV.  We were hooked up to water and electric.  The house electrical system is very interesting so using the A/C was not a chance I was willing to take.  It really didn't matter as the temperatures never reached the kind of heat we are used to in Texas so I didn't need anything more than a fan.  There were nights when I closed the windows and used a blanket.

While we never got as far as a garage sale to clean things out,  it was a great month spent with family on both sides since my brother is married to my husband's sister.

My husband's brothers and sister

My brother and his youngest grandson

My brother's wife (my husband's sister) and another grandson

My brother and my husband's youngest brother

My niece, her husband, and their youngest in our RV

Willy and Harley play with their newest friend

It was a great month.  Having your own "RV home" means you can visit with everyone without wearing out your welcome.  You can also relax, plan your own time, and have down time whenever you want it.

9 July 2010 - Overnight in Lima, Ohio

The next day was another great travel day.  We stopped at roadside parks and, I think I already mentioned it, but Willy Gretchen, and Harley are great travelers.  They like the songs on the radio if I like them and they don't mind at all if I sing along.  They can take naps anywhere and anytime.  They enjoy stops at roadside parks.  You do have to be a tad careful when you stop though as they are very enthusiastic about whatever they do so when you open that door, they are ready to get out so you better be ready with the leashes.

Just before supper time, I started thinking that it would be really nice to stop at a Cracker Barrel.  Sometimes they even have places you can spend the night.  So we kept our eyes open and a couple of hours later, we saw the sign.  Once we found the exit, we had to make a couple turns to get to the restaurant.  Up close it was easy to see that even a large car would be crowded in that particular parking lot.  The was a Sam's Club a block further on so I parked there on the far edge of their lot in a row behind about 5 other RVs, walked and fed the dogs, and headed over to Cracker Barrel.

Looked good to me.  What do you think?  It was much cooler since we were further north so it promised to be more comfortable than last night.  After a quick shower, I was ready for bed.  Hmmm! What is that noise?  It appears that I didn't have to worry about the store being closed and no security as there was a street sweeper cleaning the parking lot.  Oh, well--the ear plugs worked great.

8 July 2010 - Overnight in Dalton, GA

The plan was to be off this morning--no rush, not early, but on our way.  Just before I was ready to leave, I decided I should update the GPS since we had had it for two years and updates were in order.  Okay, I was having too much fun earlier in the week and forgot to do it.  I figured it might take 15 or 20 minutes.  lol.  Never, ever do this until you have plenty of spare time.  It took just over 3 hours to complete the update but since I was using "Hillary" to plot all my travel, it was probably a wise decision to wait it out.  Anyway, we were on our way by 12:30 and had no specific stopping points in mind when we left.

We traveled over some of the same ground we covered when we went up to the AFLAC Iron Girl Thiathlon so it was familiar.  The scenery was nice although we did hit rain and fog a couple of times in some of the higher elevations but lucked out when we stopped for a very late lunch.    It rained hard while we were eating lunch in the RV but we didn't get wet coming or going to the truck.

Later in the early evening we began looking for an RV park but didn't see anything along the way.  All of a sudden there was a Super Walmart sign off the road so we found the cut-off and headed in.  I went in, picked up a few items for supper, and asked the manager if it was okay to spend the night.  I was told "no problem, just make sure you are inside our parking lot and not out on the street or the local cops just might give you a ticket."  We had a walk around the parking lot after a late dinner and by then it was late enough to head on to bed.  It was a bit warm but not too bad with some windows open.  A bit later on a number of other RVs pulled in and one parked a bit too close when they were using a generator; however, I found a pair of ear plugs and with the three vigilant guard dogs on duty, we all had a good night.

2-7 July 2010 in Florida

This has been a great week.  The grandchildren were really excited to be here.  There is a park less than two blocks away from the house that has a playground and a beach.  The beach is on the bay rather than the ocean so it is only a little salty.  It nice and sandy and slopes gently out so it's a great place for the kids and we can just walk down there.  Harley had a swim there with the kids.  Gretchen and Willy opted to stay home and nap.

On the 4th of July, we walked down to one of the main roads about 4 blocks away and watched an old fashioned 4th of July parade complete with floats, fire engines, politicians, candy throwing, and bands.  It was hot but we all had fun anyway.  That night we walked down just past the park and out onto the bridge over the bay to see the fireworks.  We had a great view, didn't have to worry about parking, and had a short walk home.  Everyone was ready for bed by the time we got there.

We have also been down to St Andrews State Park, Panama City Beach and the mall so it has been a busy week.

It has been an absolutely great visit but I promised to head up to Michigan to help out with some family things   so I'll be off tomorrow.  The grandchildren are signed up for swimming lessons for the rest of the summer and I know they are going to be busy and have lots of fun.

1 July 2010 - Quiet Day in Lynn Haven

Steve and Helen are off to pick up the kids in Jacksonville, FL today.  Steve was so excited to get their new Volkswagen Jetta TDI and now they have a roadtrip to test it out.

The dogs and I are just going to have a nice relaxing day at home.  I know the kids will be so excited to see their Dad at last.

25-27 June 2010 AFLAC Iron Girl Triathalon Trip

I don't think I mentioned that Helen is a professional triathlete and she was signed up to compete in the AFLAC Iron Girl event scheduled for this weekend.   So we headed up to Atlanta for the big weekend.  Okay, not strictly Atlanta but just northwest of there. Helen had already reserved two nights for us at the resort where the event was scheduled.  We took off after lunch as Helen worked in the morning.

Here we are traveling northward.

Steve did an outstanding job of driving the rig once his mother was willing to let go of the steering wheel.  He was actually driving when we hit the Atlanta traffic which was fortunately near the end of our drive.  It turned out to be a bit further than I realized and, of course, you go a bit slower in an RV if you don't want it to suck you dry in the diesel department so we arrived a little later than we figured but our reservation was posted on the office door and we got backed in and hooked up without a problem.  The resort was quite posh (as in expensive) but the camping area was pretty much like a decent state park trees and winding roads.

The next day we checked out the resort and spent some time in the afternoon getting Helen all signed in for the big event.  That took a bit of time since there were a lot of participants.  We also figured out the best place for Steve and I to watch all three events.  For those not familiar with triathlons, there is a swim, a bike race, and a run and one of which is enough to do most people in but you have to do them all.  As I said, Helen is a pro.  Early the next morning Helen took off on her bike to get in set up in the bike area.  Steve and I hiked down to the swim area shortly afterward as that is the first event.

Helen and a few other swimmers warm up before the swim portion of the event.

Can you pick out Helen?

Heading out of the chute for the final event--the run!

 Here's Helen refueling after awards were handed out.  She has so much energy that I get tired watching her.

After the events were over, we headed back to the RV and packed up to head back to Panama City.  Helen is also an experienced RVer so she demonstrated proper dumping techniques to Steve.

Here we are on the way home.  Helen stretched out in the back seat and even managed to take a little nap after she called her Mom to give her the race results.  Willy, Gretchen, and Harley demonstrated their napping techniques just in case Helen needed some instruction.

All in all, it was a great weekend of seeing new sights, getting a chance to see Helen in a triathlon, and just enjoying great company.

22 June 2010 - Relaxing in Lynn Haven

The kids have a nice house which is actually in Lynn Haven which is pretty much connected to Panama City.

As you can see, the kids have lots of room for the RV and truck and it is an easy pull-in since they live on a corner.  We hooked up electric and I was good to go.  A nearby neighbor told Steve that they had a sewer dump near the street from when they used to have an RV and I was welcome to use it whenever I wanted.  RVs just bring out the "nice" in people.

We headed out to a open air concert over in Panama City Beach.  They have lots of things going on over there besides the actual beach.  The mall is a whole open area of shops that includes regular stores as well as beach oriented stores.

Helen had to work during the week so Steve got his deployment gear stowed away, laundry done, and had a few days to unwind and reenter the "civilian" world.

21 June 2010 - Louisiana to Florida

          You could tell that I was excited about my travel because I was up at 0700, way too early for a relaxed, retired person.  I fed the dogs and took them for a walk before unplugging and heading out but decided to drive for a while before having breakfast.  Breaks up the journey and makes sure the dogs get some exercise too.
          One of the interesting areas that you cross on I-10 going east is the Atchafalaya Bayou.  You travel for miles on an elevated roadway that crosses the bayou with a few lakes thrown in for good measure.  It's a 2-lane road going each way and no place to pull off on the side.  Oh, there are a few exits but the first time you drive across there, you really wonder.  There is a great Visitors Center along the way.  It is huge and even has a separate parking area where RVs can spend the night if they want (boondocking of course).  It is separate from the truck parking area which is a real plus.  They even have a cup of coffee and a little museum for you as well as nice restrooms.
          Baton Rouge was the next challenge.  It is probably a very nice town but every time I have gone through, the traffic was worse than in Houston.  It is probably just because I-10 runs right through the middle of it just like I-35 runs right through Austin, another traffic challenge.  Right past Baton Rouge, I took I-12 to cut off the loop where I-10 dips down to New Orleans.  Years ago we pulled another 5th wheel right through the downtown area and parked on a boulevard just past the French Quarter.  Of course, that 5th wheel was really tiny and Dave had no idea where his "navigator" was routing him.  We parked in two metered parking slots and walked two blocks back to see the sights.  Did I mention that it was Sugar Bowl weekend--but I digress (and Dave did recover eventually).
          Once you get past Lake Pontchartrain and back on I-10, it didn't take long to cross Mississippi and even less time to across the small part of Alabama that comes down to the coast.  Both of these states have some really nice rest areas if you time your breaks right.
          I had actually planned to spend another night on the road but I started early and, even with frequent breaks, I made very good time.  When I talked to my son along the road, he was eager to have me get there.  Did I mention that "Hilary" my trusty GPS was doing all the navigating since the fur-kids were in the back seat getting their beauty rest?  Didn't really need any navigational assistance until I was further down the road in the Florida panhandle and had to cut down from I-10 to reach Panama City.  Although I had not been to Panama City before, I had no trouble going right to the house and pulling into the yard.  I actually arrived before the kids were home from work so I just kicked back in my recliner with a soda to relax for a while since it was raining.  By the time they got home, the rain stopped and we did the rest of the set-up.

20 Jun 2010 - The Dream Begins

          Well, once I realized that I was going to be taking this first trip after retirement on my own, I decided that it was still going to be a great trip.  After all, it wasn't like I hadn't driven or pulled RVs off and on for years so I knew that I could handle it on my own.   It would only take another hour or so to do the final loading of the 2009 299 RLS Jayco 5th Wheel RV.  The F250 SuperDuty Ford Diesel Truck was filled up and hooked up to the RV.  The plan was to leave Monday morning but...plans are made to change.  Dave was off at work so there was no real reason to wait for Monday morning. Taking the trip alone might have been a little misleading.  Willy, Gretchen, and Harley, my three intrepid dachshunds, had been eager and ready to head out from the moment the RV appeared in the driveway.  Like me, they love to travel!
          So at about 1:30 PM today we left Schertz, TX on the initial leg of the trip around the country (or at least part of it).  My son just returned to Florida from a tour in Iraq and Afghanistan so my first layover with downtime was going to be in Panama City, Florida.  Traveling east on I-10 was no problem.  Sunday turned out to be a great day for sailing right on through Houston with minimal traffic.  I should probably mention that  Willy, Gretchen, and Harley are great travelers.  They settle down in the back seat of the truck and snooze until you are ready to stop and then they are ready to go.  We made a couple of pit stops in rest areas to take a walk and later on to fix a quick dinner. 
          I usually like to find a place to stop for the night when I'm ready but, for this first night,  I looked up an RV park before I left home since I had no idea what I'd find along the road.  Since I didn't head out until afternoon, it was getting dark as I pulled in the Cajun Haven RV park in Egan, Louisiana.  All was good as I made sure they had pull-through parking when I googled them.  I arrived at the park right behind an older motorhome sporting open windows and five older people who looked exhausted.  After we all checked in, the manager had us follow him around to park to our sites. 
          The site for the motorhome was first.  Once they pulled in, we went on down the road to my site.  The helpful manager hopped down from his vehicle and wanted to know if he should hook me up especially the sewer.  I said thanks but I could handle it and sent him on back to the motorhome as they looked beat.  I planned to hook up the electric only and leave the truck hooked up since I would be leaving first thing in the morning.   Once the A/C was running in the RV and I did a bit of quick leveling outside, the fur-kids and I set out for a walk around the park.  The motorhome folks stopped us for a quick chat.  It seems that the two couples flew out to California to pick up the motorhome that was owned by one of the ladies whose husband had passed away several months before.  They had no RV experience and the lady who owned it had no idea how it worked.  Guess hubby did it all--what a mistake!  Their dash A/C apparently died earlier in the day so they were hot and exhausted and very happy I sent the manager back to help them.  I asked them if they had a generator onboard and suggested that they could run the motorhome A/C while they drove the next day.  We left them looking for the manual on how to use the generator and continued our walk.  The dogs wanted to explore but with little to no lighting in the park, mosquitoes big enough to carry a dachshund away, and the thought that this area could possibly have snakes and even alligators lurking around the edges, I vetoed that idea and we headed back to the RV for a shower and a snack before bed.