8/6 Live Free or Die.... I think I am from New Hampshire in spirit

Great day in New Hampshire....  Portsmouth is awesome.  The people are no nonsense but totally cool.

We are in an RV Camp in the woods (no signs just turn behind the gas station and take the dirt road down the gully were the directions).  This is the road to "look for the gas station" on.... then go behind it... really folks cant we just have "one sign" to show the way??? 

Tomorrow we go to the Farmers Market, thrift stores and a farm.

8/5 WHERE ARE WE ??? OK a little too confident...

First off what the heck was I doing in The Bronx with 50 feet of vehicle on crowded streets on a Friday at 5 PM... NUT JOB !!!  I felt like a trucker in training on a reality TV show.   When I finally got out of NYC I met up with Rhianna (oldest daughter) in Hartford long term parking.  She left her car and we headed to New Hampshire.   Since we were late we only made it to MASS.   Really REALLY dedicated toll booth people in Mass is all I have to say.  They take it toll boothing very seriously compared to PA and NJ ...  no wonder taxes are so high -  I think these folks have MBA's in Toll Booth Mgmt.



Got a little too confident last night in where I can get in and out of.   it was very late and ended up in some neighborhood in Framington MASS about midnight.  Couldn't get out so just shut her down and spent the night at the end of a dead end street.

When I woke up we were at a beautiful lake in front of someone's house.   So I unhooked the tow car "quietly" then  backed out and rehooked before morning coffee.  They never knew and it was a peaceful night all around.

Next big move-  driving in downtown BOSTON to find the coolest "buy by the pound" thrift store EVER....

Amish Country 8/4 and 8/5

Beautiful country - interesting religion - really nice people.  The camp site had a vegitable garden and they just asked that you not take the chickens.

The pigs were spooning in a most trusting way.

I had new breaks put on the tow vehicle while I played around.

Raleigh 8/1 and 8/2

8/1 and 8/2 
1. Mike and Miriam were gracious hosts.   Mike made a sign that said "RV PARKING $10" and put it in front of their house.  He greeted us with an orange emergency vest to "guide us in"
2. Wonderful dinner, wonderful company and we had the RV looked at by a different Chevy dealer.
3.  This one said it was a "loose hub cab" - REALLY... this is the big truck service center ???
4.  I dropped Don off at the airport and headed out on my own... SCARY !!!!
5. Got stuck in a parking lot and had to unhook the tow and back up and reconnect TWICE !!!  So much respect for truckers now.
6.  Drove all night and pulled into a black hole about midnight -  I found an empty space and fell into bed - only plugged in electric so I wouldnt die of heat.
7.  Took off for Amish country and stayed on the road all day to get there
My two new best friends are my GPS and my back up camera

7/28 to 7/30 Nirvana Noses to the North

I have been remiss in posting as we (niRVana and I) headed north to find something less humid and cooler.  Let me catch you all up.

1- niRVana and I headed out of Tampa the last week of July for our 2nd trip

2.  Don decided to join me on this leg.  He is WONDERFUL to do this since I was afraid of towing the CAR PLUS this 32 foot wonder.  So we bought a return ticket home from Raleigh for him.  He took off with me headed to Charleston to see an old friend.    About two hours in we heard a squealing and IT WAS NOT not from JOY.   We stayed our first night at a KOA and then hit a Chevy dealer the next day as we arrived in Charleston.

3. Our wonderful friend met us - Mr. Denver Watts- who we last saw in 1969 - yes 42 years ago!  He came and got us at the Chevy dealer and we spent the night with him and his wife Susan.   Denver was the drummer and Don was the guitar player in the band in Japan..... memories exploded into the evening.

The Tow Car "Lil Roja"

The new tow car "Lil Roja" is ready to be tethered to the mother ship now that we have her safely in Tampa.  Going into Camping World this week for the big "attach".  

With this model and color we will be channeling Rose Sheppard along the way !  Niki gives thumbs up to the SIMPLICITY of the vehicle (nothing electronic allowed)

Saturn Mission to find the ideal TOW CAR for niRVana tour

We left to scout Florida for the perfect tow car.  A few requirements:
1- I must be able to do it all by myself
2- the car must be light so that I can tow with the least skill possible
3- it cannot be a manual transmission (just in case someone else needs to drive)
4- it must seat 4 people AND
5- I dont want to pay more than 5K for the car AND
6- it needs to have less than 50K miles on it

Voila... after a night of merry making in South Beach with Niki's old friend Ryan McFarland and new friend Benjamin we strike gold.  I should say red... we purchased a 1996 red saturn with 26K miles for 4.9K.  Niki and Don took the "hangover car" and Tori and I drove "little Rojo" back to Tampa.