Touring Northwest Alabama

     While sitting in Red Bay over the weekend, there is no service work happening so we decided to go tour the area. Nothing extensive, but we just wanted to get out and see something other than a service bay and the parking lot campground!

     We had heard about it on previous visits to Red Bay but had never taken the trip. This time we decided it was about time that we visited the Coon Dog Cemetery in Cherokee, AL. Back on Labor Day of 1937, a guy named Key Underwood sadly buried his faithful coon dog, Troop. They had been hunting together for more than 15 years. Key chose a spot that was a popular hunting area where coon hunters from all around would gather, tell tall tales, and compare dogs. Troop loved this spot and Key decided that Troop would be buried here. He wrapped the dog in a cotton pick sack and buried him three feet down, marking the grave with a rock from a nearby old chimney. Using a hammer and screwdriver, he chiseled out Troop's name and the date. Troop was known as a "cold nosed" coon hound meaning that he could follow cold coon tracks until they grew fresh and he never left the trail until he had treed the coon. This is the only cemetery of its kind in the world and hunters from all over have buried their coon dogs in the cemetery. Now be advised that only coon dogs can be buried here. To qualify for burial there are three requirements that must be met. First, the owner must claim the dog is an authentic coon hound. Second, a witness must declare the deceased is a coon dog. Thirdly, a member of the local coon hunter's organization must be allowed to view the coonhound and declare it as such. Headstones are crafted from wood, metal, or stone and bear epitaphs that range from humorous to touching.

Misty visiting her Alabama cousins

     If you read the previous blog entry you know that Misty dislocated her hip. She has been recuperating during this travel and has just recently began to use all four legs again. This was the first big outing since the accident and she really enjoyed getting out. She was pretty stiff and worn out when we got home but we think that she'd go again in a heartbeat given the chance!

Misty out and about in the woods. 

      We left the cemetery and drove through Mussel Shoals to Florence, AL to visit Pope's Tavern museum. At one time this served as a stagecoach stop, tavern, and inn and is one of the oldest structures in Florence. Legend has it that Andrew Jackson stopped here on his march to the Battle of New Orleans. It also served as a hospital for both Confederate and Union soldiers during the Civil War. Because of its location and port facilities along the Tennessee river, Florence was occupied by both sides repeatedly over the course of the war. Antiques and artifacts from the 18th and 19th century abound in rooms on the ground floor. The second floor is filled with artifacts from the Civil War and items of local history.

Portrait of the original owner (above) and a view of the front entrance

An old Edison wax cylinder player

Artifacts abound in the kitchen area

Pleating iron or Crimper used on clothing

The Dining/Meeting room

     A little about the kettle in the above photo. I thought that it was used to boil down sugar cane (we have seen bigger ones like this in plantations all along the Gulf Coast). Turns out it is too far north for sugar cane. This kettle was used originally to remove the hair from the hide of a freshly killed hog! The carcass was placed in boiling water in the kettle and the hairs loosened from the hide and were easier to remove. In later years, the local church made stews in the kettle and served to parishioners.

     Just across from Pope's Tavern were two "Sears Homes". Look it up on the internet. You used to be able to order a home from the Sears and Roebuck catalog. It would arrive to you pre cut and in pieces. You then had it built. There were many styles and sizes to choose from. These are two originals that are occupied to this day.

     Down the street is the University of North Alabama--a neat little campus tucked away on neatly manicured lawns. Nothing really differentiates it from any other small college site except for the little area just inside the gate. Here the University mascot(s) are housed and live in comfort. It was a cool and cloudy day when we visited and they were awake and regal in surveying their minions. They are actually brother and sister. They seem to enjoy watching people as much as the people like to watch them.

THE Univ. of North Alabama Lions! (Leo III and Una)

          After viewing the lions, and on our way back to our car, we encountered the bus (in the photo below) parked in the parking lot. As RVers we couldn't resist a closer look and we were warmly invited in by the occupants. They told me that they had modified the coach themselves and the interior was extensively remodeled. There was a sitting area up front, Dining table, and a kitchen and bath in the rear. Sleeping quarters were along the top. The group of folks are members of The Twelve Tribes. They are a religious group that has locations all across the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, and Australia. They are similar in lifestyle to a commune as they share things like chores, duties, meals, and such. They are religious but not in a pushy or preachy way. They were  very friendly and invited us in for conversation and answered all of our questions cheerfully. They did not try to push their lifestyle on us or hound us for donations. They all worked at a restaurant chain called the Yellow Deli that is run by the Twelve Tribes organization and were out touring northwest Alabama just like we were.

The Twelve Tribes Bus

     Our last stop was at a little park by the marina on the Tennessee River. It is a nice place to have a picnic or just relax and have fun with family and friends. I bet it is really popular in the summer months!

Red Bay 2015

     Well, we decided that there were a few things that we wanted to modify on our coach and there were a few things that needed taken care of while still in warranty, so we packed up and headed to Red Bay, Alabama. We have been here several times before and we find that it is the best place to have work done on your Tiffin motorhome. Since it is the location of the manufacturing plant, the repair and service bays can usually get any part that is needed to fix your coach in a short amount of time (usually measured in minutes), and their service techs are well-versed in all things Tiffin.

    There are slots for over 100 coaches in the campground parking lot. Each site has 30 and 50 Amp hookups along with water and sewer connections. This time of year the water is turned off at the sites, but there is water available at the RV wash rack that is located on the west end of the service bays.

     Our logic was that there wouldn't be very many folks in Red Bay in the middle of January. Snowbirds should be in their southern "nests" and other part time RVers would have their units safely winterized and tucked away in their storage spots. Since service is "first come, first served" we thought this would be the time to show up. Well, we were wrong!!! There were 40 people on the waiting list and that didn't include everyone who was already in a repair bay. As our kids are so fond of saying, "You're retired so what else do you have to do?"; we signed up and started the wait.

     Above is the camp office building. There is always a pot of coffee brewing and the folks are friendly and helpful about things to do and see in the area. They are the ones that check you in and out and assign you your camp space. Their offices are on the right. In the middle is the laundry facility. Here you can do your laundry at a reasonable cost if you are here that long (and most usually are). The two doors on the left are the restroom/shower facilities. We use them for showers and it conserves our on board water and propane usage. Minimizes our trips to get water refills.

     Next to the office is a parts store. Here you can buy any part you desire for your Tiffin motorhome. If it is not in the store, they can get it from the factory parts bin. It's like a Camping World store that specializes in Tiffin products.

     New to us was the Customer Waiting Lounge. The old one was located inside the repair service building and I thought that it was pretty nice. The new building is just outside of the service building and is divided in two sides. One side is pet friendly and one is for those without pets. Both sides have a coffee machine and they share bathroom facilities and vending machines. There is satellite TV setup on both sides and comfortable seating for those long hours spent servicing your motorhome.

One side of the Customer Waiting Lounge

Cushy seats, reading materials, and coffee 

   

     Above is just one side of the repair bays. There is another set on the other side of this building. Inside are general repair bays, specialized bays for chassis work to include a lift that can pick up the biggest motorhome, several bays that can handle painting from touch up to entire coaches, and a carpentry shop that can fix, manufacture, or replace anything wooden you want/need in the coach. Every weekday morning around 6:45 am you hear the RVs start up that are scheduled for service. They roll up to their assigned bay door and magically just before 7:00 the door opens and they are guided to their repair position. 

     Above is another new item since we were here last. This is an RV wash pad and dump station. Here two coaches can pull up and fill fresh water tanks, dump on board holding tanks, and/or wash the rig. This is where we go when we need water during times when they have turned it off at the sites. You can see a coach pulling in to get some water.

     Also on site is the Allegro Club. This organization consists of members who own Tiffin motorhomes. There are local chapters across the country and they hold national rallies in different part of the country throughout the year. 

     This trip, besides getting some flaws fixed and things that were not working as designed repaired, we had two upgrades/modifications made to the coach. In all of our previous coaches the window near the passenger's seat is a two piece window that can be opened by raising the lower portion. This is all well and good but we never really opened it. In fact, Barb likes to take pictures out of that window and the horizontal center of the window is blocked by the window pane frames. This "bar" is right at viewing level and annoyed her to no end. It bothered her so much in fact that she asked Tiffin reps a few years ago that since they made their own windows, couldn't they replace it with a single pane model. They said that it was not available but that they would make note of the suggestion. Well, while perusing a 2015 sales booklet, Barb saw that a single pane was now a standard feature! Armed with that information, we asked if one could be retrofitted into our coach and they said "Yes" (for a price but that price was not nearly what I expected).

Original Passenger side window

New "Upgraded" window

     In our Phaeton, we had a microwave/convection oven. Barb really liked how it worked and its versatility. This coach came with the standard microwave. We asked the Tiffin folks if they could swap the microwave for a microwave/convection unit, and if so how much. They could and again, it wasn't as expensive as I had thought. So we told them to "Make it so!" 

Original Microwave

New Microwave/Convection (with cookies as the first test subjects)

     As of this writing we are still in Red Bay. We have completed our repairs and warranty work and are now on the list for paint fixes. Hopefully that will happen within the next couple of days. We are very happy with the results of this trip and the modifications really make the motorhome feel like an even better place to live in. 

Misty Throws us for a Loop!

     While visiting family in Kansas after Christmas, Misty the Wonder-dog somehow dislocated her right leg at the hip! She was upstairs running around when she was heard to yelp very loudly for half a minute or so. She then carried the right rear leg up under her and laid down shivering and panting. This was late on a Saturday afternoon. She didn't complain or whine but she didn't move much either. We didn't know what she had done and the vet's office wouldn't be open until Monday. Luckily, Wichita has a 24 hour vet emergency center, so it was a no-brainer to take her there.
   
     Just like the human ER, we sat in the waiting room with several other pet owners and waited our turn. A little over two hours went by before we were finally shuttled into a room. They gave Misty something for the pain and she settled down while they examined her. They determined that X-rays were needed but that she would need to be knocked out in order to do it. It was now around midnight so we zipped off to an IHOP for something to eat (we hadn't had dinner so we were a little hungry) while the procedure was performed. We came back an hour later and waited for the results. The vet came in and said that it was about as bad as it could be! We had visions of Dusty, Misty's predecessor. Dusty was just two years old when he jumped off of the couch and yelped. He was lame on his rear leg and a visit to the vet found bone cancer. Prognosis was bad and we had to put him to sleep! Now here was Misty following a similar path at a relatively young 6 years old. The vet showed us the x-ray and it was obvious that the femur was out of it's socket in the hip. They took two attempts to reset it and were successful. Her leg was taped up to prevent movement and she was given pain meds and anti-inflammatories. We were cautioned however that this procedure had a 50/50 chance of success. If the leg would not stay in the socket, then the next step was surgery.

     We took her home and made a nice bed area for her in the closet of our bedroom in our daughter's home where we were staying. She could rest and recuperate away from distractions yet have some room to stretch out. Several times daily we took her out for bathroom breaks and in the evening let her sit next to us on the couch and watch TV with the family. She rapidly adapted to three legs and was very adept at moving around. Ten days later we went to the vet to have the tape wrapping removed and crossed our fingers. The vet said to take her on short walks daily and to let her know if Misty was not using the leg after 10-14 days.

     We traveled back to Texas and followed the vet's advice. Gradually Misty began to use the right rear leg. She will use it if you force her to slow down on a walk or if her nose overrides her brain and she forgets to think about it. Every day we see a little improvement, but like human traumas, it takes a split second to cause the damage and can take a long time to heal. We'll just be patient and revel in our little successes!

Finishing Up 2014

     After returning to Texas, we settled in and started to prepare for the upcoming Holidays. Barb fired up her embroidery machine and made a multitude of Christmas gifts for friends and family. She also tried her hand at embroidering The Preserve logo onto some shirts for one of the employees. It turned out great!

     We spent some time decorating the place with Christmas lights and garland. Brad chainsawed  down a dead tree and then cut and split it up for wood to use in the fire ring. There were several nights where we built a fire and enjoyed the ambience and warmth.

     Thanksgiving was a quiet affair with just the two of us. We tried out a Bourbon brined turkey recipe for the Traeger and smoked our Thanksgiving bird. It turned out very juicy and flavorful but wayyyyy too much for just two people! Brad was "enjoying" all manner of turkey leftovers for quite a while.

     Our next big event was a trip to Orlando to meet our daughter and her family along with another family. Amanda (our daughter) had reserved a huge vacation rental home. It had seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, two living rooms, kitchen and dining room. It was ideal for the nine of us to base our adventures out of.

     We visited Universal Studios and all of the Disney Parks. We also took a day to drive to Crystal River and swim with the manatees. I'll post a separate blog entry to detail those trips.

     For our return, the youngest granddaughter, Belle, came back with us while her family flew back to Kansas. Belle spent the week with us and had a great time. She got to attend the annual Christmas Party at The Preserve and was overjoyed at receiving a gift. She helped us pack up and then drive back up to Kansas a week later, just in time for Christmas. We spent the Holidays in Kansas (Brrrrr!!!) and then attended a wedding on January 2nd in Liberty, Missouri.

Belle was the flower girl and her sister, Tori, helped with handing out programs. Then they partied into the night with the bridal party. Belle enjoyed sitting at the "Princess Table" (she got to sit with the bridesmaids whom she had wrapped around her little finger!). 

     The only downside to the trip was that somehow Misty dislocated her hip while scampering around at Amanda's home. After a late night trip to the veterinary ER, the hip was put back into place but it required her leg to be tied up in a sling for 10 days and she had to be quiet and rest. In the course of treatment, we discovered that the pain meds that she was prescribed caused her to become anxious and agitated. After a trip to the vet to verify that the hip was still in place, we took her off the pain med and things got back to "normal" (or at least as normal as it can be for a three legged dog). Prognosis for this type of treatment is no better than 50%. We're hoping that she is strong and fit and that she will be on the plus side of the 50%. If the hip dislocates again after being removed from the sling, then surgery is our next option. We'll see how she goes in the new year. 

     So that being said, we have put another year into the books. We have been from Texas to Florida, back to Texas, then to Arizona. Spent the summer in Oregon. Returned to Texas via California, Arizona, and New Mexico. The year ended up back in Florida then to Texas, and finally in Kansas. Whew!!!!! During this year we dipped our toes in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. We went from almost the norther border of the U.S. to almost the southern one. We had a great time and look forward to what the New Year holds in store. 

DisneyWorld 2014

     Our next day found us making our first visit to DisneyWorld. It was the one and only day of rain and crummy weather that we endured. We started off at Animal Kingdom.

   
    Drizzly and cold did not deter the girls. Donning their ponchos and Mickey ears firmly attached they nabbed some autographs from Chip and Dale.

     On the up side, the cooler weather brought out a lot of animals on the safari ride! Giraffes, hippos, zebras, and these guys above were all out and about. The girls were selected during The Festival of the Lion King as part of the audience participation. They loved it!

Up close and personal

Jungle drums... the natives are restless!

     We rode several of the rides then we loaded up and headed to Magic Kingdom for the remainder of the day. This was Belle's first time that she could remember (she was there several years ago when she was just an infant).

At the entry to the Magic Kingdom

     My personal goal was to capture her first reaction to seeing Cinderella's Castle. Five years ago, when we were last here with them, Tori was about Belle's age. The look on her face was priceless but alas, wasn't captured in a picture. This time, I was ready.

Belle seeing the Castle for the first time

     A big part of our trip was planned to find, and get autographs, of the various Disney Princesses and characters. Unless you have been living under a rock this year, you know that the characters from the movie "Frozen" have taken the world by storm. Anna and Elsa have their own meeting area and the line forms early and grows throughout the day. In fact the reported wait time for the line routinely goes to 120+ minutes and stays there. That's longer than you will wait for most any ride on the entire DisneyWorld property!! But we had a plan. More on that later. 

     One of my personal favorites is Tinkerbelle. She jabbered constantly with the girls and was impressed to find out that Belle had the "same name" as her.

Nothing like the wonder of Disney through the eyes of a child!!

     Over the rest of this day, and the next three more, we explored the Disney parks. Amanda found that a great way to meet princesses is through the "Breakfast with the Princesses". This takes place in Epcot in the country of Norway on the World Showcase. Here while you enjoy a great buffet breakfast, a variety of Princesses come to your table to visit. Also throughout the meal there is a grand parade where the younger visiting princesses get to meet their adoring subjects. 

Aurora

Cinderella 

Snow White

Even the "Big Kids" get to meet their favorites. Ariel from The Little Mermaid

In the Grand Parade

     After breakfast, it was out exploring the rest of Epcot. 

Alice in Epcot

Mary Poppins in England

     And what visit is it without meeting the main Mouse and his sweetheart. 

A good day! Also bribery picture for the teen years.

     The next morning was dubbed: Operation Frozen. Amanda got up early and Brad drove her to Magic Kingdom before opening. Then he drove back to get the others. Meanwhile Amanda got in line and, upon Magic Kingdom's opening, she zipped over to get a place in line for Anna and Elsa's autographs. Brad picked up the rest of the crew and dropped them off to head to Magic Kingdom (while he parked the car and caught up with them later). Things didn't go quite as planned since they opened the gates earlier than posted but we still had only about a 45 minute wait in line. But we were successful!! Tori wore her Elsa dress, Haley dressed as Anna, and Belle as Rapunzel (complete with long braid).

The much anticipated and sought after Anna...

... and Elsa with her fellow princesses.

And Rapunzel

This one's for Brad. :)

     The lighting of Cinderella's Castle every evening is also a Frozen Spectacular. Here, after scenes from Disney classics are projected along the sides of the Castle, Anna and Elsa come out with their friends Kristoff and Olaf. Through an elaborate story, the Castle comes to light looking like it is draped in glimmering icicles. I've been to DisneyWorld many times over the years and this was, in my opinion, the most impressive display that I've seen.

What can I say but Wow!!

     On our last day we went to Hollywood Studios. Here we took a picture of the iconic Sorcerer's Apprentice hat. This turned out to be fortunate as we found out later that the hat is scheduled to be demolished later in 2015!

      Among the streets of the park are millions of lights and displays outlining the buildings. This is impressive to behold and periodically, snow drifts down over those assembled below. 

     Thus ended our trip to Disney. The next day we swam with the manatees in Crystal River. The air temp was cold but the water was a constant spring fed 75 degrees. Which is why the manatees come in from the ocean every winter. Our first stop was populated by hundreds of manatees that we couldn't see. There were so many that they had stirred up the bottom and visibility was next to nothing. We moved to a different spot that was much clearer. Here we met a manatee we nicknamed "Olaf" (in keeping with the general Frozen motif). We called him that because he liked warm hugs. LOTS of them. He approached us and had no fear whatsoever. He was right up in your space and loved to be rubbed and touched. He even would place your hand right where he wanted it to rub his belly! I think that Amanda crossed this one off of her bucket list.

Loved to have his tummy rubbed!

Approached us and loved the interaction.

     That evening we trooped out to Downtown Disney. A spot for that last minute shopping for gifts/trinkets, eating, and just generally having fun. The Lego store is a must see. Here there is every Lego part known to man and some very impressive Lego statues.

Buzz and Woody made from Lego's

     We took a day and drove east to Flagler Beach. Here the girls have some relatives that we visited. A great lunch on the pier then down to the ocean for some splashing around and building of sand castles. As you can tell from the picture, the girls had a great time.

Flagler Beach. Who can resist playing in the surf ???

     The next day we had to pack up and head our separate ways. We took Belle with us in the car and the others flew back to Kansas. Belle stayed with us in Texas for a week before we drove up to Kansas for the holidays. We all had a great time and I look forward to meeting up with them again in another five years or so and doing it all over again!!