Frankturman

I still would like to know who makes the household type of fridge and what model numbers are used so I can research the sizes and loads. I do have a coach that would be capable of supporting the load on the DC system so that is not a problem.

I would like to know the model of Norcold you have and the model number of the residential refrigerator you are talking about replacing it with. I have been having problems with my Norcold and am thinking about replacing it with a all electric model which would eliminate the problems with the gas electric models. I currently have a Norcold 1210 series and have had nothing but problems with this fridge. It does not freeze to the temps I expect and I have replaced the cooling unit once and am looking at needing to replace it again in two plus years of use. We are full timers and only dry camp at rallies. For the cost I think we could do much better with an all electric type with out all of the hassles and cost of the gas electric type.

We departed Cheyenne, Wyo., and moved to Loveland Colo., where we had a great time visiting the Rocky Mountain National Park. The aspen trees were starting to change colors, as you can see from the pictures I have attached. We spent time during the week touring both the Rockies and the prairie areas that are readily accessible from Loveland. One morning we were on a short day hike in the national park when we came upon a moose having his breakfast in a small lake. Hope you enjoy the picture of this also. We next moved to Colorado Springs for two days, mostly to resupply at Fort Carson. We did take an afternoon and tour some of the old town of Colorado Springs. We then moved on to Santa Fe, N.M., where we spent a week touring this area. Santa Fe has a rich history with many of the Indian Pueblos nearby. We visited two areas run by the National Park Service, Pecos National Historical Park and Bandelier National Monument. Both are ruins of Indian settlements that date back to A.D. 1200, and each are well worth the time to visit. We also spent a day visiting the old town of Taos with its old Spanish square and rich history. From Santa Fe we moved to Albuquerque, N.M., for the Balloon Fiesta. We attended this with a group from Newmar, the manufactures of our motorhome. We had parking on a lot adjacent to the launch field, so we had front-row seats from our motorhome. Each morning the balloons would inflate and launch for over two hours and we were able to watch from lawn chairs with a cup of coffee right in front of us. There were more than 500 balloons in attendance, so this was a spectacular scene. We also had field access passes for the event, so we were able to go down to the launch field and wander around while the balloons were inflated and talk with the crews while they worked. We will go again when the opportunity arises. As one of our friends put it: “This is a bucket list trip." Following our five days in Albuquerque we moved to Gallup, N.M., where we are as I write this blog. We have spent six days here touring the area, where again there are a number of Pueblo ruins and easy access to national parks and monuments. Yesterday we toured the Painted Desert and Petrified Forrest National Park located about 65 miles from Gallup. We were in awe of the logs that were turned to stone. Again, a trip we will make again.

When we last wrote in this blog, we were en route to the FMCA Convention in Redmond, Ore. We attended the convention and had a good time, mainly because of the fellowship of our neighbors in the parking areas. The convention itself was disappointing. We expected there to be between 3,000 and 4,000 motorhomes attending the convention; instead there were only about 2,000. The seminars we wished to attend were held in some of the smaller rooms, which filled early, leaving a large number of attendees unable to attend the training. The people administering the program were able to reschedule some of the classes, but others they were not able to accommodate. Another disappointment was the times for the vendors to display their wears. None of the venues for vendors was open the first day of the convention; this was also a disappointment for us. Following the convention we started moving to Montana for a little time on the streams with our fly rods. We spent two days in Boardman, Ore., at a vary nice city park campground. Following that we moved to Spokane, Wash., staying at the Air Force Base. We then moved to Missoula for five days to take us through the weekend and get us back on our normal moving schedule. We do enjoy Missoula and have posted some pictures of the farmers markets that we love to visit. We next moved to Ennis, Mont., for a few days fishing on the Madison River. We did not catch any fish, although I did have a few rise to the fly. Guess I am not fast enough for the fish. While we were in Ennis the weather turned cold -- we could see fresh snow on the mountains through the breaks in clouds. Fishing got to be a little more challenging in the cooler weather. We took a few side trips to see some of the local area, especially the old mining towns that dot the area. We moved on to Livingston, Mont., staying in one of our favorite campgrounds, Yellowstone Rivers Edge, which in keeping with its name is right on the edge of the river. We were able to get a few days fishing in there also as well as the required trip to Yellowstone National Park. We always have a great time there as well. Again the weather turned cold and the snow was visible on the tops as well as down the sides of the mountains. We then moved to Buffalo, Wyo., spending a few days in a nice campground where wild turkeys and deer wander through the RV park. I was able to get a few pictures of the turkeys that would come to within five feet of us while we were cooking dinner on the grill. We then moved to our current location at F E Warren Air Force Base just outside of Cheyenne Wyo. Here the antelope rule the base wandering at will through the base and the campground. We had an enjoyable afternoon at a winery on the Wyoming Nebraska border, thus giving us our winery for this state.

One of the other things you might check is the battery fluid levels. If the level is low there will be low voltage.

Hwy 191 North has a lot of twists and turns as it follows the Gallatin River. Hwy 287 has a lot less twist and turns as it follows the Madison River. Both drives have a great beauty that will hold your interest. I have driven both in a 43 foot motor home towing a Jeep Grand Cherokee. North of Interstate 90 you have two choices of driving up the east side of the Rockies or driving along Interstate 90 to Missoula and then north into Hungry Horse. The west route may be faster but the east route has a lot of history. This is a long day trip for me as I normally only will do a max of 300 miles in a day.

We are currently in Prosser, Washington, for the third time this year, this time visiting with a number of old friends who all came to join us for the weekend. We have done some of our usual wine tasting and buying over the course of the past few days. We have also enjoyed reestablishing our long-term friendships. Of course, there has been a lot of great food for sharing, as well as some fine wines to drink. I think when we posted our last entry we were in Great Falls, Mont. We left there and drove the nearly 200 miles to Missoula, Mont., along state route 200. It was a really nice ride on a two-lane road across the mountains. The last 70 or 80 miles follow the Blackfoot River. We stayed in Missoula for a week and were able to fish for three days during the week. On one of the fishing days, we broke down and paid for a guide and float fished the West Fork of the Bitterroot River. Both of us caught fish and had a great time in spite of the morning rain. We also were able to attend the Saturday morning farmers markets in Missoula. They have two of them, each located within a few blocks of the other. The products at the markets are artistically displayed and quite beautiful. The markets have a large number of farmers selling products. One market is mostly vegetables and baked goods while the other has a number of different products, including meats. This is a must-see if you are in the area over the weekend. Departing Missoula we moved to Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, spending two nights there. We spent a day driving along the east side of the lake visiting the small towns and enjoying the wonderful view. We then moved south to Clarkston, Wash., spending the remainder of the week there. This area is at the mouth to Hells Canyon on the Snake River. We had a great time touring the countryside following the wonderful routes provided by the hosts at our campground. This is one of the central areas for the Louis and Clark expedition and is rich history and cultural significance. This is also a rich agricultural area -- growing wheat as is primary crop, although there were a few other crops also. We would climb the canyon walls (steep but not vertical) to the plateaus at the top where the amber waves of nearly ripe wheat would stretch out for miles in front of us. Having grown up in the great prairie states, we find this not only beautiful but also a reminder of our youth. Following our five days in Clarkston we moved to Prosser, which was covered in the first part of this blog entry. Tomorrow we move to Redmond, Ore., to attend the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) convention, Aug. 11 to 14. We look forward to attending a few of the seminars and spending some time checking out the new products and motorhomes the vendors and manufactures bring to the show.

We are a little late in composing our journals this month if for no other reason than we have been busy. We departed Prosser, Wash., and traveled to Lakewood Wash., for two weeks in our old hometown. During that stay we attended the high school graduation of our oldest granddaughter, Alyssa, and also took care of all of our medical and dental annual requirements. We also took some time to visit some of our old neighbors. Frank’s mom was with us the entire time and enjoyed visiting with our friends in the community. Our daughter Michelle, her husband and four of our grandchildren also live in Lakewood. We had some good times with all of them, and Great-grandma enjoyed their attentions. We took time out to visit some of our favorite restaurants and stock up on seafood. Following this whirlwind we started east again and spent a few days with our son Sam in Kennewick, Wash. We then moved to Missoula, Mont., to visit our youngest son’s best friends, Ben and Julie, and to see their 16-month-old twin sons. Julie was able to get her baby fix by feeding the boys yogurt and avocado. Departing Missoula we made a three-day jump to Bismarck, N.D., to take Mom home. During our week there we were able to finish a number of projects at her home, cleaning the gutters and installing a new front door. We also were able to attend the wedding reception for our nephew Chris and his new wife, Lorlyn, who were married in March. This was a great party at my brother’s home where we enjoyed an afternoon with friends and family from all over North Dakota. Once we had completed these projects, we departed and are once again on our own. We are currently in Great Falls, Mont., enjoying a few days of touring the town as well as the mountains west and south of town. We also have taken advantage of the Exchange and Commissary at the nearby Air Force Base.

This past month has been a whirlwind of family, friends and weddings. We departed Storm Lake, Iowa, and made a two-day jump to Aberdeen, S.D., where we spent a few days with Julie’s aunt Mary Joan and her daughter Kim. We had a great time there visiting and, of course, enjoying some good food. We then moved to Bismarck, N.D., to visit Frank’s mom as well as numerous family members who live in the area. Both of us originate from the Bismarck area in the days before our military days, so it is always fun to go back there and visit. We also had a number of projects to take care of for Frank’s mom, who still lives at home. We flew, with mom in tow, to Orlando, Fla., to attend the wedding of Frank’s nephew Jay to his new wife, Niccole. We enjoyed ourselves in the area. We were able to indulge our seafood cravings both at the wedding and the few meals we had to eat on our own. Following our return to Bismarck from the wedding, we packed up Mom in the motorhome and headed west at a pace that is uncommon for us. We moved in two days to Livingston, Mont., where we rested for two days and toured the Yellowstone National Park. We then made a two-day move to Prosser, Wash., where we plan to meet up with our son Sam, his wife, Vicky, and two of our grandchildren as well as some old friends for a weekend of wine tasting, food and fellowship. This past week we have been in all four time zones of the U.S. mainland, lower 48 states.

I am told that I made a grave error in our last update to this blog. I mentioned that the bluebells were prolific this year when in truth they are bluebonnets, the Texas state flower. My apologies to all you Texans out there. The end of our last entry had us in Grove Okla. From there we moved to Branson, Mo., a drive of a little over 100 miles. We really enjoyed our stay in Branson, not that we took advantage of the many shows that proliferate the area. The part we enjoyed was the Ozark Mountains. They were beautiful in the spring and the weather was wonderful with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. We visited a few of the local wineries and took part in some of the wonderful food that is available in the area. Our next move took us to Junction City, Kan., just outside of Fort Riley, where we spent seven years of our military careers. All three of our children were born at the post hospital. While in that area we were able to visit some old friends, Jerry and Peggy, whom we served with while stationed there. The area has seen great changes in the past 30 years, although the historic buildings on the military base are still the same on the outside. We were able to find a few good wineries in the area and even picked up a few bottles to sustain us during our travels. Our next move took us to Omaha, Neb., and the Offutt AFB Family Camp for a weeks stay. We visited three of the diners, drive-ins, and dives featured establishments in the Omaha area. All three lived up to the hype of the Food Network TV show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives." We were able to find a local winery and enjoyed the produce of their vineyard. One of the highlights of our driving tours in the southeast Nebraska area was observing the farmers putting in their crops. Times and technology have changed a lot from our childhood years, and watching the farmers complete numerous tasks with one pass of the field is intriguing. Also, the speed that they are able to drive their tractors while planting is surprising. We had a wonderful time in Omaha and will return in the future to continue to explore this area. This past week we have moved twice, once to Onawa, Iowa, to visit a cousin of Julie's, Denny and Sue. We had a wonderful evening with them catching up on the family changes. We then moved to Storm Lake, Iowa, another 100-mile move, to meet up with our old friends Nick and Ed. We have had a wonderful time with them enjoying the restaurants of Storm Lake as well as catching up on their families and old times. Leaving here, we move to Aberdeen, S.D., for a visit with Julie’s Aunt MJ.

Spring is finally here and we are enjoying the warmer temperatures and the sun-filled days. Our last posting had us in Dallas, Texas. We moved from there to San Antonio, where we spent a week enjoying tours of the old missions, as well as the wildflowers that were springing forth along the roads. The bluebells were very prolific this year with entire fields covered with their blossoms. I have placed some pictures in our new album that is attached to this entry. Now that I know how to do this, we will try to include more pictures of our travels. We next made two moves in one week, which is not our normal habit. We moved to a campground in Stonewall, Texas, near the Lyndon Johnson Texas White House. We spent three days in this area because we were unable to book the campground for longer. (This happens when you don’t reserve long in advance.) We then moved to Tyler, Texas, where we finished out the week. In Stonewall we were able to spend a day at the Johnson Ranch and some time in nearby Fredericksburg. Both places were enjoyable and educational. Tyler was in the second week of its azalea feastable, although the azaleas had yet to bloom. Next, we moved to Little Rock, Ark., primarily to visit a cousin of Julie’s whom she had not seen for more than 40 years. We had a wonderful evening with her and her husband, renewing that relationship and establishing new ones. Although the temperatures in Little Rock were pleasant, we were given the impression that the wind never quit blowing. We had strong winds every day we were there. This week finds us in Grove, Okla., in a nice campground on the banks of Grand Lake. We have enjoyed this area lunching at some of the Route 66 Diners made famous by the Food Network Show “Diners Drive-ins and Dives.†Our next move is to Branson, Mo. We have noticed this year the pollen seams to be much worse than it has been for a number of years. Our silver-colored towed car is now a tinge of yellow-green. Our hay fever is also acting up more than usual. Hopefully this will improve as the spring wears on and our travels continue to take us north.

I would think that there is also an issue of weight. The heaver the coach the more likely that Hydraulic jacks would be your best bet. You should also make sure that the jack base is large enough to support your coach on gravel or grass sites. We have had three coaches and all have had the hydraulic system over the years we have had vary few problems with HWH systems. They stand behind their product and are willing to help when you are having problems.

Here it is March already and the weather is improving with spring’s arrival just around the corner. Again we have had a busy month, even with the cooler weather that seems to have enveloped the nation this year. We spent a week in Biloxi, Miss., in the middle of February. We stayed in a nice campground within walking distance of the beach. This area still is showing the ravages of the hurricanes from earlier this decade. As you drive along the beach hi-way you see large expanses of vacant property that once were the location of a nice homes destroyed by the storms and the surge that accompanied it. In some cases there is patio furniture placed on the concrete pad to show that someone still comes by to enjoy the view. We also made a day trip to New Orleans and the French Quarter for lunch. The following Week we visited south-central Louisiana, where we found a nice campground in Breaux Bridge. This is the heart of Cajun country, so we enjoyed the crawfish and other delicious foods offered by the local restaurants. We made day trips to New Iberia and to the Tabasco factory at Avery Island. Both trips are an experience that should not be missed if you are in the area. As usual, we also enjoyed touring the countryside and observing the local wildlife. We next moved to Marksville, La., and spent some time with old military friends Dean and Judy catching up on our lives and reminiscing about the old days. We also had time to tour the area, stopping in Natchez, Miss., a place we will return to in the years to come. We are currently parked just east of Dallas, Texas, so we are close to a major airport. This enabled us to fly to Fargo, N.D., this past weekend to attend the wedding of a niece. We had a great time at the wedding and associated events. We also had a chance to visit with all of the relatives who were also able to attend. The weather here has improved so that most days the temperature is in the '70s, which is more to our liking. We move tomorrow to a campground just to the south of San Antonio where, hopefully, the weather will be much warmer. From there we will start our trek to the north.

We are running a little behind this month in getting our writings out and on the web site. We have been moving around quite a bit in the past six weeks. We spent a week in Panama City, Fla., with cold days and nights. We did get in a few walks on the beach; however, they were short due to the temperatures and cold winds that would cut through our clothing. Julie was able to pick up some seashells -- it is difficult for her to walk on the beach with out picking up something that catches her eye. We were also able to fulfill some of our sea food cravings over the past month. Following Panama City we moved to Pensacola, where we spent the best part of two weeks. Julie’s cousin Harley and his wife, Margret, winter in Orange Beach, Ala., a short drive from our campground. During our stay in Pensacola the weather improved to the point where we were able to get a few days in shorts and sandals. No, it wasn’t 80 degrees, but we did have temps in the 70s. We enjoyed some longer walks on the beach and visiting the National Sea Shore in this area. From Pensacola we moved to the FMCA Southeast Area Rally in Brooksville, Fla. This being a 400-mile trip, we did it in two parts, spending a few days back in Old Town. The rally was a great opportunity for us to attend the RV Safe Driving Course. This course is a great reminder of the little tricks you can use to keep your travels safe. We also enjoy meeting some of our fellow members of FMCA in the casual setting of the rally. Following the rally we worked our way up to Ozark, Ala., and the Ft. Rucker area of southeast Alabama. We spent a few years of our military careers in this area and it is fun to come back and see what has changed and what has not. We have also run into a few friends who remain in the area and, as always, it is fun to renew old relationships. While we were in Ozark we experienced our first snowfall of the year. About 3 inches of the white stuff fell on a Friday, closing all of the schools as well as most of the businesses. This week we move to Biloxi, Miss., for a week back along the Gulf Coast and hopefully warmer weather.