SeaDawg

Wow, that's beautiful, Cherie... The flower, and the vase! Sherry

I've often thought on a rainy day how nice it would be to open the window "just a bit". Nicely done! Sherry

We spent the last several weeks camping in the Midwest heartland. A friend who camped with us for a week or so mentioned something I'd never seen before... Tractor Square Dancing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WxyzS0vCME I've since heard that the group has disbanded, because they were so popular.(Hope that's just a rumor!) Perhaps it interfered with bringing in the crops! Great tractor driving. Hope you enjoyed it, too. Sherry

Yesterday, we drove US 52 from Cincinnatti to the Kentucky crossing at Ashland KY (just west of South Point OH). A wonderful alternative to the interstate! Just outside of Cincinnatti, it turns into a two lane road, with incredible views of the Ohio and the valleys. Though the drive is a little longer, it is so worth the time. The western part (before coal country) is full of little camping parks at the edge of hayfields, or sometimes, big parks, probably converted from pastures and hayfields. There's a COE park near Rome, OH, not marked in our book, or on the map, that looks lovely. If you're traveling that area, and have the time, take the drive. It's well worth the extra hour or two to cover the distance. Not much traffic, and so very lovely. (Cincinnatti was really, really congested. We made the mistake of driving thru downtown, at five thirty, and won't do that again!) Sherry

I think (?) the Old Style Brewery is now City Brewery. There's a beautiful, old brewery with a walkway across the main highway (not interstate) thru LaCrosse. The area from La Crosse south is so amazingly beautiful. The bluffs, ridges, riverbanks, green rolling farmland... cattle and dairy cows, corn, beans, and hayfields. We camped in a couple parks in Wisconsin before following the river into Illinois. Sherry

Welcome to the forum, EdP! Seadawg

We love the area around Lanesboro. (Where else can you buy Spring Grove creme soda with a label thanking you with "Mange Tusen Takk"? Spent three days there, visiting Lanesboro, Preston, Harmony, and also went down to Decorah, IA to visit some friends on their farm. Our last night, the sheriff came out to warn us of bad winds and possible tornadoes approaching, which was really nice, since we not only were the only people in the campground, but hadn't listened to the radio at all. Forutunately, the worst storm cells went to the north and south of us. We've moved on to the bluffs area of southern Wisconsin, camping one night at a COE park south of LaCrosse, and now camped at Wyalusing State Park, up high in the Wisconsin Ridge campground. We have a view of the Wisconsin river and Prairie Du Chien in the distance, and a little further up is a beautiful view of the confluence of the Wisconsin and the Mississippi. Visited the mounds near Passenger Pigeon monument earlier this afternoon. There are many mounds, some effigy, around the 2500 acre park. It's quite windy on the ridge, and it's supposed to drop into the low 50's tonite. I've had a cotton sweater on most of the day. My idea of heaven in late June. And, all the people we've met are so very midwestern and nice. The camp hosts fly the US, Danish, and Norwegian flags. Sherry

I've been told that propane mixes are different in different areas. We've not had problems with the stove at 3500 feet, but have had the water heater give us fits getting started... Maybe you could try local propane fill if you're camping in a different area? Sherry

We're camped now not far from Lanesboro, enjoying the peace and beauty of the Bluffs district. After a busy and fun two weeks of family celebrations, we're now just wandering and enjoying the hills, the fields, and the beautiful small towns (with equally lovely names) of southeastern Minnesota. Had lunch in Spring Valley today, an historic and beautiful small town where I used to get ice cream treats at the creamery with my dad. The creamery is long closed, but still a beautiful old brick building, a block off Main Street. Lanesboro is hilly, fun, artsy, and the start of a bicycle trail that draws enthusiasts from three states on a regular basis, as well as from further afar. Great small live theater, art galleries, and... ice cream! Plus kayaking, canoing, and tubing on the root river. The Amish area is also interesting, as are the small towns around ( Harmony and Preston in MN, and beautiful Decorah in Iowa). Leaving the Lakes district around Brainerd a few days ago, and traveling thru the Twin Cities, we enjoyed dinner with Herm and Kim. It was great to see them again! Sherry

We are in central Iowa now, on our way to Minnesota. The road .... and the sky,.... go on forever. I really miss living in the Midwest. Last night, the low was in the low 60s, and the high in the day was in the 80's. Amazing. I really miss living here. The flowers , the fields, the sky.... Wow. Sherry

We''ve used citronella candles, mosquito coils, DEET sprays, etc. Other than a roaring campfire, none of them are pleasant. I saw this one (the thermacell) mentioned on another forum: Has anyone tried it? I'm curious to hear from a friend that it works. Sherry

Cherie, thanks for the link. I missed the FAQ you had posted. Great summary of your system, capabilities, and limitations. We also thank you and Chris for the "blueprint" when we ordered our system, which has worked very well for us. I love the silence (and low impact) of solar.... We're leaving for Minnesota soon. Where are you now? Sherry

We just got back from nine days of dry camping in the mountains of western NC, including five days with rain and overcast skies for part or all of the day. As it is summer, we parked the Oliver where we had shade for (most of the) day on at least one side. I was really thrilled that we never once had to drag out the Honda 1000 to charge up the batteries. Paul got out the ladder and adjusted the panels to about flat the first day, and after that we never touched them. We picked up a lot of amp hours in the 11 to 3 time period (if it wasn't raining), and monitored our power useage carefully. Many people wouldn't be as happy as we are with early to bed, early to rise, and no lights after sunset, I guess, but, hey, we're camping. I'm kind of an amp nazi, and I'm sure we could have used more power than we did. Even on rainy days, using the computer for an hour or so and recharging, we never dipped below 91% on battery power. I love silent solar. The birds around us love it, too. Sherry

Welcome to the forum, PapaSierra! Sorry it took so long to authorize your account... we were out camping!! Sherry

Driving thru South Carolina on I 95 today, we noticed a building labeled C.A.M.I Cool Amphibious something... Had to look that one up. Turns out they manufacture splash buses, amphibious luxury motorhomes (starting at $850,000, as shown, 1.2 million!), and the coolest little sports car ever. They tout the Hydra Spyda as an unsinkable car, and it sure looks fast and fun! You can read more about them here: http://www.terrawind.com Sherry

Pete, So glad you had an alert friend behind you when this happened! Still, a bummer. Sherry

Hey, Pete, Got a chance to read through your latest blog entries. The Route 66 trip looks like so much fun! Growing up in the Midwest, it's interesting to read a new slant on places I visited when I was young. I still have family in a number of the towns you've visited so far. Oscar continues to do a great job with the photos! Sherry

Awesome photos on the blog, Pete. Oscar's doing a great job! Keep us up to date, and drive carefully. Wish we were there! Sherry

Today,I got an email link from oliver mfg@aol.com, encouraging me to look at a japanese website. I believe it was a scam, and did not open it. (For your protection, I left an intentional space that did not exist between oliver and mfg). The address was not an address I recognized for anyone at Oliver. Has anyone else had the same experience? Or is this something that just eluded my three spam filters?? Sherry

We're complaining about the recent heat here in Florida. My brother called me en route from an appointment in Walker, MN this afternoon. It is snowing. Slightly above freezing, at 33 degrees, and wet snow. Since April was so nice and warm, and the ground is warm, the snow is melting as it hits the road, but they may get some accumulation tonight if temperatures drop. Well, I don't have to shovel the heat. Sherry

Thanks, Tumbleweed. I went on there looking for 12 volt TV's (looking for a small one for the boat. The Jensen in the Oliver is great, but a little pricey for an occasional use item.) I suspect a 12 volt coffee maker would be a bit slow... and take quite a bit of power, too. I like my Melitta pourover system for coffee. Speaking of 12 volt blankets, there's a fleece one (twin size, though) on special on that site this month... Sherry

On a boat forum, I ran across a reference to this site: http://www.12volt-travel.com/12-volt-te ... c-684.html They have a huge selection of 12 volt items, suitable for boondocking. TV's, coffee pots, electric blankets.. Has anyone ever used this site before? Sherry

Beautiful album. Thanks for sharing. Wish we'd been there, too. Sherry

Mountainborn, You're welcome, though Pete pitched in a lot, too, with administrative/spam ban duties. I was thrilled to see Geri's photo of five Olivers together on her blog. What a wonderful event. We are so sorry we couldn't be there to make it six, as we had originally hoped. We all know that you and Betty face a bittersweet experience as you unload your Oliver for the last time and move things into the new fifth-wheel. Although I'm sure it will be difficult to see the Oliver parked on the lot in the rear-view mirror as you leave Katy, TX, you'll have to look forward. The grandkids are going to love camping with Gramma and Grampa! And who could be better at teaching the young ones the "ropes" and showing them the fun of outdoor adventure than you two! Happy memory making! Sherry

I suspect many of us check the factory webpage once in a while as you do, to see if there are any new announcements. So far, I've seen no new announcements since December. As the Oliver is a custom, special order RV with significant lead-time, and camping season is beginning or has begun already in most parts of the country, I would personally be surprised to see any major announcements before fall. (Most people want to order, and have their trailers built, during the off-season so it's ready to go when spring rolls around!) I've heard their tub business is still doing well, however, and that makes me happy for all the great folks who work in Hohenwald. And, it leaves me with hope that one of these days, as things improve, we'll see the trailer line open again. Till then, I understand there is still one beautiful, pre-loved and well-known Oliver available--Mountainborn's. Sherry