Month: October 2023

Have You Seen the Yellow Rubber Ducks in Jeeps?

October 12, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

So what do they mean?

Traveling around the country as we do, we have noticed some of the other people in RVs that tow Jeeps behind have their Jeep windshield dashes covered with little yellow rubber ducks.

I’ve never asked anyone about it before, but often wondered what the reason and significance of it is.

We had to make a trip to the Newmar Parts and Service Center the other day and I immediately saw these little rubber ducks for sale all over the store.

We don’t have a Jeep, but I wanted one anyway, mostly because it says Newmar on it. I have a Newmar. If you are going to collect something as you travel, why not cute little yellow rubber ducks?

I decided to research and find out more about this strange infatuation.

Duck, Duck, Jeep

According to an article at parade.com, Jeep Ducking was started by one woman in Canada in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. She just wanted to spread some kindness and put a smile on a stranger’s face.

She placed a cute little rubber duck on the hood of their Jeep with a note that said, “Nice Jeep,” sat in her car, and watched their reaction. Sure enough, they smiled, took the duck, placed it on the dash, and drove away.

She did it again, and again, and before she knew it, other Jeep owners were doing it too. It took off like wildfire.

They began “ducking” other Jeeps and also spread the word through Facebook and Instagram. The trend took off like wildfire and now there are over 68,000 members in her Jeep ducking Facebook group. The trend has spread now all throughout Canada, all 50 states, and even countries like Spain and Australia. It just shows how easy it is to get on board with a simple act of kindness! — parade.com

You’ve been ducked

Evidently, Jeep owners are a tight community and are “ducking” other Jeep owners. Some have their own “duck pond” on their dash. They keep all the ducks they get and buy new ones to give away.

Do a Google search for “Duck, Duck, Jeep” and you’ll get more than 20 million results!

And it isn’t just Jeep owners anymore. Everyone else got jealous and wanted to collect cute little rubber duckies on their dashes too. According to Car Talk, ducking has become very popular and widespread.

The trend has spread well beyond Jeeps. Drivers of other marques, looking to get in on the fun, have started ducking each other. We have seen examples of Bronco ducking, Mustang ducking, and some particularly inventive Toyota-loving wags are selling green rubber ducks with pointy ears for — what else — Ducking Yotas.

I found several great articles that helped explain the simple concept of Jeep Ducking to me. Car Talk, Readers Digest, and Parade are just a few among the millions.

So, if you drive a Jeep, don’t be surprised if someone “ducks” you.

What a great way to spread kindness in a world that needs it. Kindness is a ripple effect. It spreads from one person to another, and soon it can change the world.

Thanks for reading and coming along with us on our travels.

 

An Excuse To Go For A Drive

October 11, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

To the RV repair store

It was a beautiful sunny morning and I secretly wished we could go venturing out and about. I had surgery on my knee a few weeks ago, and we had to come home to Ohio for the months of September and October. I originally planned on being somewhere else by now.

I am biting at the bullet to get going somewhere, anywhere. The nights are getting chilly in Ohio, and we have had frost warnings with temperatures down in the 30s.

Lately, we have simply been bombarded and swamped with repairs on the RV. It is a great motorhome and I love it to death, but we are both getting sick and tired of things going wrong one after another. It is twenty years old now and it makes me doubt our plans to hit the road and take off. Will we break down again after only 500 miles of travel?

Let’s stay positive and hope not.

Anyhoo —

The last time we put the bedroom slide out, the bottom seal broke loose, and we knew it needed replaced, but it wasn’t a vital fix. We have had several expensive vital fixes lately, and I figured the seal could wait.

I said something to Rich on Monday that when the slide went out and the seal broke, I heard a bang. He heard it too. But something told me we better try to put the slide back in just to make sure it would close ok without a new seal. Good thing I did.

Nothing.

We pushed the button, and nothing happened. There was no click, no motor sound, no movement. Just nothing. WTF?

Uh, oh.

We checked the front slide…nothing there either. Surely both motors couldn’t have gone bad at the same time. We did find one blown fuse, but all we got was a clicking sound that was coming from the slide-out controller box.

We called the Newmar Parts and Service department and found out that a new slide-out controller box was going to cost us $170.00. And while we were at it, I asked about a new seal for the rear slide and that price came to $30.00. Damn, another $200 bucks with no guarantees that it would fix the issue. Once you plug the wires into the new controller it is non-returnable. But at least the new seal was only $30.

The Newmar Parts and Service store is located in Nappanee, Indiana. We could be there in 90 minutes. We hopped in the car and went for a drive to buy our parts.

I was pleased with the service we received and how nice the partsman was. He even gave us an in-store discount for coming to get our own parts, but with tax, and the cute little rubber ducky I purchased, it still came to $200.

We got home and plugged in the new controller box, and it blew another fuse. !@#$%^&. We go through those fuses like crazy. Once we got another new fuse put in, the front slide began working, but the rear one still just clicked.

Ok, a half-fix is better than a no-fix. We always try to start with the cheapest fix and work our way up. Kind of like in August when we just had the throttle body cleaned for less than $100, but then two weeks later had to replace it anyway for $700. 🙁

Eventually, Rich figured out that the rear motor burned up and a new one is going to cost $535. No, thank you, Newmar. Can’t we just manually crank that sucker in?

He found one on Amazon for only $349, but I am still not happy with that price either. At least not today. I’m just so frustrated at the cost of repairs lately eating up our traveling funds.

So today we are attempting to replace the bottom seal on the rear slide. Not a fun or an easy job. I keep telling him there is probably a Mickey Mouse easy way to do this that we aren’t getting, and we are trying to do it the hard way. YouTube Videos were not much help here.

But that’s how we learn.

Five hours later, Rich hollers — “I think I figured it out!”

I love living the dream, even on the days when repairs suck the happiness out of both of our smiles. It isn’t all glamour and fun like most people think it is. But it does have its moments.

PS — I bought a Powerball ticket. Can’t win unless you play.

Thanks for reading. 

A Drive Around Grand Lake St. Mary’s Ohio

October 8, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

The largest inland lake in Ohio.

Grand Lake St. Mary’s in Ohio was once the world’s largest artificial body of water. It was dug by 1,700 German and Irish immigrants from 1837 to 1845, to supply water for the Miami-Erie Canal, a vital supply source connecting the Ohio River in Cincinnati to Lake Erie in Toledo. At that time, it was the largest artificially constructed lake in the world, and today remains the largest inland lake in the state of Ohio.

In the summer of 2010, GLSM experienced a toxic algae bloom that was brought on by two types of blue-green algae. I was pleased to see cleaner water today when we were there. The lake was gorgeous.

As you enter the city of Celina from the north on Highway 127, the first historical site is the Celina Lighthouse. This forty-foot lighthouse was built in 1986, is functional, and is used by boaters trying to find the small marina and boat docks after dark.

Just across the street from the lighthouse is a lovely little restaurant called the Boardwalk Grill which we enjoy eating at on fair-weather days. With open walls, you can eat by the water and enjoy the view. Of course, it closes for the winter.

Grand Lake St. Mary’s is 9 miles long and 3 miles wide. It covers approximately 13,500 acres, but it is shallow with average depths of only 5 to 7 feet.

Traveling east from the Celina Lighthouse we drove through Lake Shore Park. This is a beautiful park with a lot of picnic tables and playgrounds and a wonderful parking and viewing area.

Let’s keep traveling east along the northern side of the lake. To get to the Grand Lake St. Mary’s Lighthouse by land you have to drive through a private residential area but we could see it from the road.

Grand Lake St. Mary’s State Park became one of Ohio’s first state parks in 1949. The park offers 52 miles of shoreline parks and swimming areas.

We saw several groups of mallards today. We rolled down the windows and breathed in the fresh air as we drove around the lake, enjoying the beautiful sunny day.

From a distance, I can’t tell if this is a crane, an egret, or a heron. What do you think it is? Its beak kind of looks like a spoonbill.

Driving around the eastern end of the lake to the southern side, we stopped at Behm’s (Grimm Memorial) Lighthouse. This historical landmark was the vision of Stan Grimm, co-owner of Behm’s Landing and Restaurant, located on the southern shore of the lake.

This octagonal, forty-eight-foot-tall lighthouse sits on a small offshore island and was dedicated on April 19, 2003, to the memory of Stanley Mike Grimm, who was killed in an auto accident on April 25, 1997.

Two gorgeous Canada Geese seemed to be paying their respects at the memorial beside the lighthouse. You can see the Grand Lake St. Mary’s Lighthouse on the other side of the lake in the background.

Several free public sandy beaches dot the shoreline of this lake.

We were shocked to see two large white pelicans on a freshwater lake in the middle of Ohio.

The American White Pelican is one of the largest birds in North America with a wingspan of 9-foot. A few of them got lost during one of their migrations several years ago, and each year the flock coming to Grand Lake St. Mary’s in Celina, Ohio has grown.

This one I believe is probably a great egret, but I am simply guessing. It is some kind of a tall white crane. I just couldn’t zoom in close enough to tell. It could be a spoonbill too.

The southwest corner of the lake consists of a 357-acre wildlife area and waterfowl refuge.

There is a walking trail and a viewing tower.

We were able to see a Bald Eagle nest from the road. I zoomed in on the photo and cropped it. Too bad we didn’t catch a glimpse of any bald eagles.

Heading north back on Highway 127, we pulled into West Bank Park.

And what did we see but about 50 more American White Pelicans?

Two years ago, over 600 were counted on the largest lake in Ohio, which was a state record. The fall migration season is now, and Rich and I were shocked to see these birds on the lake today, which is only about 30 miles south of us.

The drive around the entire lake only took us about three hours and that included stopping for lunch at the Rustic Haven Restaurant.

The food was good, the waitress was nice, and the decorations were spectacular.

On this gorgeous sunny day, a drive around the lake was the perfect way to spend the afternoon. I hope you enjoyed going with us.

Thanks for reading.

The Painted Fire Hydrants of Ohio City, Ohio

October 7, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Small-town street art at its finest.

Rich and I used to live in the small village of Ohio City, in Van Wert County Ohio. There is another Ohio City located over by Cleveland, but this little village only has a current population of 629 as of 2023. In 2021, it was 643.

Ohio City is a village in Liberty Township, Van Wert County, Ohio, United States. The population was 651 at the 2020 census. It is included within the Van Wert, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area. — Wikipedia

As you can tell, its population is diminishing quickly. We drove over there today to take a peek at our old properties, and as we came into town I was surprised to find all the fire hydrants painted. How cool!

I think this one was made for a short-legged dog.

I told Rich to stop and let me photograph them all. “All of them?” he asked. And I said, “There are only like five streets in the whole town, it won’t take very long.”

So, here they are…the painted fire hydrants of Ohio City, Ohio for your viewing pleasure.

The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. These people must be fans.

Johnny Bravo and the Pink Panther.

Fire hydrants are located by distance from each other, not according to houses or people, or per block.

The maximum distance between fire hydrants shall not exceed 500 feet.

For a small town of only 629 people, it seemed like there was an awful lot of fire hydrants.

Section 4933.22 | Tampering with hydrant, pipe, or meter.

Ohio Revised Code

No person shall maliciously open, close, adjust, or interfere with a fire hydrant, valve, regulator, gauge, gate, disc, curb cock, stopcock, meter, or other regulator, operating or measuring device, or appliance in or attached to the wells, tanks, reservoirs, conduits, pipes, mains, service pipes, house pipes, or other pipes or apparatus of a water company or furnisher of water, with intent to cause the escape of water or to injure or destroy such property.

I wonder if painting a fire hydrant is considered tampering with it. Nah, probably not.

I couldn’t tell what or who some of them were supposed to be, but isn’t it cool to see them all?

I love m&m’s. I think this one is my favorite.

We saw more than one Snoopy dog.

I will never look at a fire hydrant the same way again. Now I will always see a face, and will always remember the painted fire hydrants of Ohio City, Ohio.

It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the 70’s.

And what a great day it was. I was so happy to find something like this to photograph today.

Thanks for traveling around America with us. Even the smallest towns have something wonderful to see and experience.

We Have To Dump Today

September 30, 2023 – Traveling With Rich & Julie

One of the everyday ordinary mundane activities of living life in an RV motorhome is that you must dump the tanks, which means driving to an RV dump station.

There are two separate tanks. The gray water tank consists of the drains from the sinks in the kitchen and bathroom and the shower drain.

The black water is the toilet only.

When we park in our daughter’s driveway or yard, we have water and electricity but no sewer line. This requires us to close up the motorhome and pull out about every two weeks to drive somewhere and go dump the tanks.

I bought a book titled RV Dump Stations last year that lists places where you can dump either for free or for a small fee all across America.

That’s how I discovered that our local fairground allows travelers to pull in and dump for free. It is only about six miles away.

One time we pulled into the fairground and there was a sign on the station that said, “The dump is full. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

Now what?

There are two local campgrounds in our area so I called them to ask if they would allow us to dump. Only one of them had a station for dumping and said they charged $5. That’s not bad at all.

The other campground was smaller and only had sewer hookups in each individual campsite, so their answer was no.

Our current RV is nice but it is twenty years old now and we have been having a lot of problems with it recently, such as mechanical issues like the throttle body, serpentine belt, exhaust manifold, etc. Expensive issues.

I think we are both concerned about leaving home and heading south for the winter, but we can’t wait too long.

Rich works hard to keep the RV running right. Today will be a beneficial drive to make sure it sounds ok and everything is working fine before embarking on another season of traveling.

My knee is about as healed as it is going to get. It still hurts when I walk, but at least I can walk now. I will always have this limp and need to wear a knee support brace, but I am tired of sitting at home.

PS — it stinks when we dump. I am so glad Rich doesn’t make me do it. I would probably gag. 🤮

Thanks for reading my dumb story…I mean my dump story. 😃

 

I Saw a Praying Mantis Today

September 21, 2023 – Traveling With Rich & Julie

Praying mantises are a rare sight in this area, but I always get excited when I spot one. They’re either well-hidden or not very common, but I’m grateful for every glimpse I get of these fascinating creatures.

Masters of disguise, praying mantids are rarely seen. They are typically green or brown, but many species will take on the color of their habitat. They may mimic leaves, twigs, flowers, grass, and even other insects. — almanac.com

I’ve always considered the presence of praying mantises as a good omen, a sign of good luck.

I can’t decide for sure if this is green or brown. I believe it is a green one that is camouflaged because brown ones have no green on them at all.

I love the spiritual meaning of a green praying mantis…

The green praying mantis is an incredibly powerful spiritual being that reminds us that no matter how small and helpless you may feel, you are still inherently powerful and have the potential to achieve great things. — ipublishing.com

This is what I am claiming today!

 

No Makeup in the RV

September 20, 2023 – Traveling With Rich & Julie

(Photo by Nick Noel on Unsplash)

I completely stopped wearing makeup when we moved into the RV full-time. I didn’t wear a lot of makeup anyway, but I wouldn’t be caught dead without eyeliner on.

I worked in an office and rarely had to go out front to work with the customers. I wore the minimum to work — eyeliner and maybe some lip gloss.

Of course, I did go through the years when I wore makeup regularly, but I am 59 now and don’t really remember much about those years.

In recent years, eyeliner was always my one required item. I think because my hair is light which makes my eyebrows and eyelashes light. I haven’t worn much mascara for several years because I always wore contact lenses, and it bothered my eyes. But eyeliner made my eyes pop out. It is my favorite piece of makeup.

I never wore much makeup in high school either. I was never into makeup that much.

Living in an RV and camping a lot gives me no reason to wear makeup daily. Rich has always said I look fine without it. My makeup is put away in a shoebox tub in my closet and I only pulled it out when Rich’s mom died in April. I wore makeup for the funeral. But just eyeliner and lip gloss.

I bet every bit of the makeup I have in that tub is expired. But what would be the purpose of buying new makeup? It would just expire too.

The Accidental Friends We Make Along Way

September 19, 2023 – Traveling With Rich & Julie

The best part of RVing is the people you meet along the way.

One of the things Rich and I love most about traveling around to different campgrounds is meeting new people and making new friends.

Rich is always walking around the campgrounds and talking to everyone. He finds out where they are from, what they do for a living, and where they are going.

I am usually the quiet one, just listening.

But there was one time when I made a friend. We were in the state of Washington at a state park campground. Neighbors pulled into the site right beside us. The dogs didn’t seem to like each other and were barking the entire time these people were trying to set up.

Eventually, when the dogs calmed down, the man came over and introduced himself and it was as if we had always known him. Soon his wife came over and she and I hit it off immediately. We talked for hours.

We spent a couple of days getting to know each other and spending time together. I believe when you feel an instant connection with someone you need to listen to that feeling and embrace the connection.

Rich and I still stay in touch with this couple we met in Washington and hope to get back out there to see them.

Before we left the state, they invited us to their home and fed us steak and crab legs. We had a wonderful visit with them, and they will always be important to us.

I can’t wait to head south in a couple of weeks and see what new friends we will meet this year.

 

America the Beautiful National Park Pass

September 17, 2023 – Traveling With Rich & Julie

America is beautiful!

Rich and I have always loved traveling and seeing the country. We love the outdoors and nature. We crave the simple peacefulness of nature and have spent our lives together taking every chance we can to travel and see the beauty around us.

We spent many years hiking and taking day trips to nearby parks and places. We spent some time tent camping at State Parks. As of April 2022, we sold our sticks and bricks home, sold nearly everything we own, and bought an RV. We have both officially retired from our day jobs and are full-time travelers now in our RV.

In preparing to spend the rest of our lives exploring as much as we can of this beautiful country, we found out that it would greatly benefit us to purchase an America the Beautiful Pass.  Discovering that most national sites and parks charge a hefty entrance fee, it was financially smart to purchase this pass for $80 for one year.

Each pass admits the pass owner and all people in the vehicle to all national sites and federal recreation lands.

Rich turned 62 in December of 2022, so we purchased a lifetime pass for him. With this, we get to visit any national park or monument without paying any entrance fee for the rest of his life.

I highly recommend considering this purchase if you expect to visit very many national park sites this year.

Thanks for coming along with us on all our traveling adventures.

Preparing for the Migration South

September 5, 2023 – Traveling With Rich & Julie

(Photo by Julia Craice on Unsplash)

Winters in Ohio are just too cold.

We moved into an RV in April 2022 and have been traveling around America full-time ever since. We come home to our daughters’ house in Ohio to see family when the weather is nice. We don’t like the bitter cold of Ohio winters, and it isn’t feasible to live here in the RV during the cold months. So usually, by the end of October, we are heading south somewhere warm.

Once my torn meniscus is fixed on September 13th, the surgeon said I should be able to walk within 7 to 10 days without pain. I sure hope so, because we are itching to leave and go places. For Rich and I, it is definitely the sense of excitement, possibility, and adventure that drives us to migrate. For our daughter and her family, they are sad when we leave and miss us terribly.

I always send the kids postcards from the places we visit and they love getting them in the mail. We video call a lot so we get to see the ones we miss regularly. Is it bad that Rich and I would rather be traveling and exploring and don’t miss them as much as they miss us?

From Ohio, the plan is to head to Alabama this year. We are scheduled to be in northern Alabama for the month of November, and southern Alabama for December. October will be exploring on the way down.

January, February, March, and April are still a mystery so be sure to follow along with us as we explore America.

Thanks for reading.