Austin City Tour

The all too familiar I-10 stretch across Texas covers 880 miles from West to East (or East to West). To add a bit of interest to the trek back this year, Kevin wanted to spend a few days in/near Austin, TX in hopes of checking out the renowned live music scene. The first TX stop was Van Horn RV Park on the eastern edge of TX just as the Central time zone was entered. During the drive, Theresa made more calls to firm up site reservations in the Gulf Coast as well as Central Florida Parks. She was surprised how booked all the resorts were. “Guess schools are taking breaks earlier than usual”. She mapped the stays to the calendar then called Alliance Service to schedule the yearly RV repairs in Wildwood, FL (just 20 miles from Kevin's mom).

The Van Horn park was a converted KOA that had an associated cafe and pleasantly, a decent wifi ! An early rise the next morning allowed for a quick bite at the cafe. Other travelers were commenting how on the prior day's journey east bound they noticed an unusual amount of HWY patrol and other law enforcement vehicles heading West towards El Paso. Theresa and Kevin had also noticed this. The consensus conclusion was it was all related to the Pope's visit to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Glad too be past any traffic issues from that event, the Smitanic continued east with the next destination, Caverns of Sonora, “Deep in the heart of TX”. The destination was about 6 miles off I10 on a narrow 2 lane road that was home to open range and oil pumps. The RV park was adjacent to the Cavern gift shop which also served as the check in desk. Theresa was surprised at the door by a rogue peacock that was lounging in front of the door. She excused herself (Theresa that is) and entered the door to pay for a pull thru site for 1 night, and inquired about the Cavern tour. The soft spoken, less than enthusiastic 60+ gentleman warned that the Caverns are very hot, extremely muggy and the tour is 1.5 hours of this environment. Everyone could enjoy the natural steam room for the non-discounted price of $20 per person. The RV 'sites' were newly renovated and barely had enough room to park and put out slides. The toad was left parked in the gift shop lot as there was no room for it anywhere near the RV. Kevin did not see the value proposition of the Cavern tour in the heat and humidity after his long days drive. He opted instead to trouble shoot the Satellite TV. The Satellite had plagued him since arriving in Hemet, CA. This was the only hope of any connections with 'civilization' since there was no cel service, no cable TV nor antenna channels, and no internet, just stars and a family of deer that visited a corn feeder.

Kevin Reviewed the PDF documents of how to set up the Satellite based on the Service provider. The Smitanic is serviced by Direct TV. The instructions did not provide any indication that different Satellite configurations might be required based on Lat/Longitude location. Kevin tried the current configuration. 20 min later he concluded this was no longer the proper configuration. He then scrolled thru the multiple satellite design/configurations noticing that there were 3 variations of the preferred configuration for Direct TV. Thinking about the hemisphere the Smitanic was currently docked at, he chose a configuration that would look more directly over head. 20 minutes later the Satellite dish and Direct TV had confirmation that the angle of attack on the satellite was within the signal limits. Lesson learned as the Smitanic reaches the SW edge of the USA the Satellite configuration must be modified to look more directly over head. Houston we have Contact!

There was a quick escape in the morning as there was no desire to delay and the travelers (Kevin) were anxious to see what the next destination of Austin had to offer!

Arriving in Austin area after the noon hour proved to be beneficial as traffic was good resulting in no delays. After 250 miles the 2nd Bastrop exit off I10 East of Austin was made. The KOA was a small 'park' (aka Resort but the pool was closed for the season.... if pool is closed is it still a Resort?). The Smitanic was forced into a sharp turn with a steep decline at the entrance. Kevin skillfully maneuvered the RV, with tow, down to the gate, Theresa exited the vessel and went inside to check in. The lady behind the desk asked how many people, Theresa replied 2. Then she pointed to the 4 bikes in tow. Theresa explained 2 mountain and 2 touring bikes and there were more bikes left in the garage at home. The lady understood , as she was a cyclist also, and was competing in a race on Sat in the Senior Olympics! Then she lamented “When a cyclist is asked how many bikes do you need, the reply is 'One more'! “ She must know Kevin!

After a quick set up, the mission turned to planning activities for the next 3 days. Hungry from the long drive Kevin had a yearning for Steak. A local steakhouse, Piney Creek Chop House , seemed to fit the bill. The thought was that, while there more intel could be compiled from the locals. 

Once seated the waiter, Michael, quickly bantered with Kevin as orders were taken. The Manager, Rhonda, also stopped by to insure the quality of the experience and took the opportunity to participate in the banter as well. The Smits asked Michael if he knew of the best places in Austin for Local Music. He mentioned that he is a Musician. He was excited to supply his knowledge of several club options that were known for the quality of live entertainment. The food was top notch. The Steak was cooked to perfection along with green beans and asparagus. The venu had a relaxing ambiance, that was complimented with the demeanor of the staff and Manager. The extra entertainment was a local Bat that had entered the establishment and darted about until coaxed back out into the wild. SO Cool. When Theresa and Kevin were challenged with picking a Desert they challenged the Manager to make a recommendation. Rhonda provided a great story of one of the local regulars that had sampled all choices, That person had suggested that the best choice would be a MASH UP of two of the offerings. Rhonda went on to describe the result as a combination of Their Bread Pudding combined with Banana's Foster. The Smits suggested that sounded fantastic and requires a proper Name on the Menu. “Bring us the “Rhonda Special”, the “Michael Angelo”, the “Fostered Monkey”, the “Help Me Ronda”, the “Burning Man”....... 

The Desert MUST be Properly Recognized for its Pure Pleasure and Calorie Count.

If anyone finds themselves near Austin Texas. This team Highly recommends the Piney Creek Chop Shop in Batsrop Texas.

The next morning provided new adventures. Theresa had scoped out a bike ride in a nearby State park that was an out and back 30 miles from one park to a neighboring park. The route was described as a strenuous interval training by the camp host cyclist. Kevin and Theresa committed to attempting the road trail on their Mountain Bikes. The objective was to ride into the park, experience the hills, views, and to be back to the RV by noon. The route did not disappoint. The team rolled out to the RV park into a local neighborhood followed by a crossing of the Colorado river on a walking/Biking Bridge. The team then road past the Piney Creek Chop House only to be challenged with the first of what would be many challenging hills. At the top of the first hill was the entrance to the Bastrop State Park. 

The team rolled into the park with a stop at the administration building to pay the park entrance fee. The fee allowed the team to traverse the park and enter the next park at the end of the road all for the same fee. The likelihood of making it the second park was slim to none. The roads in the park were smooth allowing for easy biking. After 3 miles the team was attacked by the first of many challenges. The first challenge was a steep curvy down hill (this will be uglier on the way back). The team passed campsites that deserve consideration for Smitanic dockage next time in the area. What goes Down MUST go UP. Kevin was in his middle chain rings on both the front and rear clusters as the road began to gently rise. Theresa was right with him as he began to respond to the increased impact of gravity. Push and Pull, keep the rpms high, look ahead for the optimal time to shift before rpms are destroyed. SHIFT rear cluster...RPMs still high, pull on handle bars, sit back in the saddle, Lower heals, Push down and pull up on the cleats, monitor rpms and Heart Rate. SHIFT rear chain ring. SHIFT front chain Ring. SHIT.....CRY..... Heart Rate Unknown. Crest the Hill. Sit up, Spin, Smile, Pretend it was easy. At the top of the small rise just conquerred was an outlook. Kevin leaned left to enter the parking area for the overlook, coasted to a stop, attempted to gracefully dismount the bike. Thank goodness no one saw the results of his exhausted dismount. Theresa entered the area within seconds of Kevin's clumsy dismount. Theresa was all smiles and was heard saying “ That was not so bad”. Kevin considered the comment to realize that Theresa had spent the last 4 – 5 months doing Tony Horton's Beach Body's “Piyo Pilates and Yoga”. 

From this location the team was able to observe the complete devastation of the Parks fire charred timbers. It was sad that a massive blaze in 2011 wiped out pretty much the entire park's flora. After reflection, and Kevin's time to bring heart rate back to within the MAX Zone the team headed out further into the park. They were meet with more undulating hills. They recalled the Senior Olympic cyclist's warning that it only gets harder the further into the park one travels. At the 9 mile mark, and at the top of an elevation that clearly transitions into a long steep down grade, the riders elected to turn back so there was time to prepare for the evening in town. That is the best excuse they had for not giving up the high ground and to justify whipping out. In addition they had planned to attend an RV show in Austin prior to exploring the night life of Austin.

The team returned to the RV by enjoying in down hills and paying the price for having giving up the high ground on the way out. At the RV, Zin was walked for one of her daily duties. The Duo readied themselves for a trip into Austin. 

The trip into Austin was planned to avoid peak traffic time with the highlight of the RV show, followed by the night life of Austin. 

The RV show had many dealers and manufactures. Kevin and Theresa met a Tiffin Regional Manager and discussed the best place with inventory of 2016 45' Allegro Buses as well as obtaining direct phone numbers for Tiffin recall information. Another discovery was that Tiffin now makes 5th wheel RVs with the same quality of their motor homes! The model is named Vanleigh after one Son of Bob Tiffin, Van and his son Leigh. This would be a nice alternative for a more stationary (like 4-5 months) lifestyle. Kevin still has RV envy for a Bigger Allegro Bus. Yes his is compensating for more personal issues he has.

Reservations had been made at The Brass House for the Happy Hour show with dinner. The Jazz Trio had a smooth vocalist, schooled Jazz guitar player, and supportive upright base player. 

After red pepper soup, beet salad, a glass of wine (or more) the team headed out by foot to explore additional music of Austin. As the team strolled down the famed E 6th street live music was exploding from the open air clubs with barkers making invitations to all who pass to come in and enjoy a beverage. 

An Irish bar had a lively group that brought back memories of tours with The Mighty Regis! (Irish punk rock band that Kiehl was in for 4+ years) The team entered and a pint of Guinness was ordered to be shared. The band lead shared rude toasts at each interlude. Once the Guinness was empty the team headed back out on to the street to explore more culture. 

The next venue was “Friends” where the team was treated to a Rock Blues band. It was still early by the music scene standards as Kevin and Theresa strolled back to the car and headed back to the park. Back at the car Kevin approached a band that was unloading their gear. “Guys were are you playing? What is your style? When do you go on?” “Man were are Reggae.  We are playing just over there, We are headliners We go on at 11 pm.” “RATS.... Our dog is waiting for us to get back, we can't stay that long”........ actually Kevin is SPENT. Zin was waiting for her last walk for the evening before she settled in for the night.

On Saturday, Theresa had used a Groupon for the first time to acquire a 2 for one Austin SegCity segway tour in the afternoon. This mode of seeing a city not only covers a large territory in a short time, but also provides for a guided (historical) tour, and is so much fun to do! After a very brief refresher lesson from the guide,on how to control the Segway, the group of about 10 lined up single file and slowly rolled down the sidewalks of downtown Austin. Segway skills (stoping, starting, racing, navigating inclines, and panic stops) were enhanced as the group navigated through crowds, across intersections, past famous hotels and monuments. 

The guide paused to give and accounting of a historical event or some local fable. The group rounded the grounds surrounding the capital building and parked at an entrance to allow for a brief tour inside to view the state senate and house. After passing the security check, Kevin and Theresa marveled at the towering rotunda and selected to go right and up the three flights of marble steps to the Senate. 

They quietly entered the balcony door and listened as a vote was taken... the Nays have it. They then made a quick exit and rounded the rotunda to the other side of the capital to observe the house. There was another vote being taken, this time the Yeahs ruled. Wow real work being done :) Once everyone returned back to the segways, the tour continued to the front of the capital. Here the group parted a large protest line complete with signs and banners, that was marching to the capital steps. 

Rolling on the group navigated thru the downtown streets where other Segway tours were lined up like lemmings following their guide. The final POI of the tour was across a river to a park on the other side with lots of open paved walkways and obstacles to test advanced segway skills. Back over a sister bridge the guide led the now confident riders at a much swifter pace back to the start of the tour. The tour was two hours long but Kevin and Theresa could have gone on for more if allowed :) They will continue to seek out segway tours anytime they are in a city that offers it.

Next on the foot tour it was time to stop at a wine bar (Max's) that was spied earlier to have a snack and continue Kevin's search for live Blues. It was around 6 and way too early for any of the clubs to be hopping. With that understanding the early bird Seniors, walked up and down nightclub streets hoping to be drawn in by the sounds of live entertainment. They did find a dive bar that had something to eat but sadly no live music. Disappointed Kevin left with the Blues. Next time later nights will be planned.

The 30 mile trip back the the RV had a construction back up for 3 miles by the airport that added 1 hour to the drive, so Zin had to wait a bit longer for her evening walk.

Next day would start a series of 3 one night stops concluding at the Mississippi side of the 'redneck riviera'.

Return to the Scene of the Crime

It was a long 287 mile days drive thru Tucson, into the cactus and high dessert of New Mexico. The weather was clear and temps in the low 80s... perfect. The destination park was a familiar stop, Theresa recalled the nearby St Claire Winery that was visited in a past trip. There are a few incriminating pics of Kevin that were posted from that prior visit. Wonder if they remember him? The reservations for the park were made for 2 nights to allow time for mail from home to be received. Upon check in, Theresa asked if any mail had come in? The lady at the desk checked in the mail room and returned with the anticipated package... Yeah! And thank you Tasman Terry! 

After a quick RV set up, Theresa scoped out a hike for the following day in a nearby State Park. She also started working on the rest of the route to Florida calling parks along the route. She quickly discovered that parks near Austin as well as the Gulf coast were filling up! These were the places where more days were desired. This created a bit of urgency to get confirmed reservations for those locations. After several calls to 'Good Sams approved sites' resulted in 'no availability' she resorted to searching the KOA sites and found one east of Austin, a key stop for the team, that did have a pull thru site available. KOAs are usually pretty predictable and in OK condition, so that should work!

The next day it was off to hike in Rockhound State Park followed by an obligatory tasting at the Winery. The State Park was small and had 2+ shorter trails that circumvented a surrounding hill that boasted views of the Deming valley below as well as the snow dusted peaks of the Florida Mountains. The trails exited into a campground with 20 or so sites some with full hook up! It would definitely be a great alternative to the in town park that was currently home base. Kevin spent time watching one of the State Park Campers flying a remote controlled Glider from a location on BLM (Bureau of Land management) land. The glider had a wing span of over 7 ft and it floated effortlessly only to return to the cactus-dotted tundra for a quick battery change to regenerate the servos. 

The trio (Kevin, Theresa, Zin) returned to the car for the trip back to the Little Vineyard RV Park. The St Claire Winery just happened to be on the way back, was open, and serving sample tastings. The staff was not the same as 3 years ago, Kevin was relieved and did not reenact his previous exploits. Purchases were made, loaded into the RV, and sealed for safe keeping!

Supplies for the westward trip were acquired at the nearby Walmart, dinner was then prepared and consumed as the sun set. The next day would require an early start for the 220 miles and another time change as the route enters TX.

The Big League

Palm Creek Resort had a grand entrance with palm trees lining the main drive with a lush green golf course on both sides of the street. This much green had not been seen since leaving NC! The check in process reminded Theresa of past IBM Awards conferences in renowned hotels as she was handed a bag of park info and had her picture taken for a badge that was to be warn all the time. As the Donald would say “This place is HUGE!” it had 2K sites as well as the massive recreation complex and, as a bonus for Kevin, there was even a RC airfield!

Out of the 2,000 sites, a site across from one of the many dog parks was selected for the 3 night stay. A park staff guy in a golf cart escorted the Smitanic to the site and assisted the navigation into the large gravel site to avoid a large palm tree as well as the sites cement patio. “Make sure as you leave to avoid the many small knee walls, drift left before you turn right”. “We have had to rebuild several knee walls already” the camp guide instructed and lamented. Once properly positioned into the spot, thanks to Theresa's perfect signals, and Kevin's trust and adherence to those signals. The team was next observed with greetings from other residents, setting up the Smitanic for a several days in the safe harbor. After getting all systems connected it was time to explore the facilities and get the lay of the land. Golf carts and bikes seemed to be the preferred mode of transit around the complex. Jaws dropped as both Kevin and Theresa spied the site of 32 pickleball courts. Kevin and Theresa meandered with a confused look, wondering how all the courts play times were managed? They were pointed to a lady who was introduced as the Pickleball Ambassador. She reviewed very briefly how to sign up for the various levels-of-play, (levels are identified 1 – 5), Men's, Women's as well as Mixed. The now hooked Pickleballers quickly signed up for 4 times over the next 3 days and were anxious to see how they would fair in this pickleball mecca community.

Kevin checked out the RC airfield to find out all he needed was a signed waiver available from the RC Ambassedor in the park. Before returning to the RV, a stop to get said waiver and obtain a silver star for his badge was obtained, but only after Kevin drooled at the collection of RC planes (some For Sale, yippeee!)

That evening was the first level 2.5 mixed round-robin play. Each player was assigned a number by a coach, then paired with another player in 6 matches. Each game was scored as usual to 11 but no reporting of the outcome was tracked as this was just an opportunity to play like-skilled players. Comments from the coaches indicated to Kevin and Theresa that they were easily level 3.0 players (whawoo!) 3 out of 5 ain't bad.

With that bit of confidence the next morning they showed up for the men's 3.0 at 10am and women' 3.0 at noon. A similar organization resulted 6-8 more games at this new elevated level. Both finished in the middle of the pack winning a few while loosing others by a slim margin. 3.5 might be the proper evaluation.

Kevin was able to get a few successful RC flights in on the airfield.

Late in the afternoon, an unusual knock at the door revealed one of the nearby neighbors, Doug Hillstrom and his wife Randi, with and invitation to a happy hour gathering at another RV. Theresa readily excepted! (She is the Party Animal). The folks here were really friendly, just not very organized on the pickleball courts :(. In fairness they are volunteers and have to accommodate several hundred players as well as the occasional transients such as Kevin and Theresa.

Kevin had RV envy as the hosts for the evening, Max & Pat (Sherman their dog), had a newer model 45' Allegro Bus... fresh off the road from Alaska ! Conversation was lively as travel escapades were exchanged as well as present strategies earnestly discussed. A great evening with some great folks! 

The final day's play was a very popular 3.0 mixed play. Kevin and Theresa arrived 30 min early to sign in and warm up. At the sign in, each was given an alternate number as all the primary player spots were full and only a limited alternates would be able to play. Once the bell rang, indicating the start of the rounds, Kevin went to the sign in and turned in his number while Theresa went to get a much needed drink of water. Kevin yelled for Theresa to hurry to get back to the table as the scheduler was taking numbers as they were handed to him (rather than in numerical order as expected). Theresa fought the crowd and inched her way into the schedule desk to present her number. Unfortunately her number was not included in time... Kevin, visibly (and verbally) upset at the process, then took his name off the list as well. He and Theresa then meandered to other courts and managed to get their butts kicked in several games with more advanced players 4's and 5's. 

New Friends from Hemet, Marilyn(&Ron), and her friend, were spied on the courts and graced the two now defeated players in a friendly game or two. Afterwards, Marilyn and Theresa lined up some dinner plans at the Smitanic. Kevin shared his frustration with the way the mixed play was handled earlier. Marilyn did admit that it took her about a week to figure out all the ins and outs of this massive facility! Because of it's size there are just more rules and more/or less organization to accommodate the masses.

Dinner expanded as Theresa extended an invite to the new neighbors, Doug and Randi and Johnny and his wife who were just returning from the Valentines dance. A few rounds of Taboo (girls against guys) were played outdoors until the temps dropped driving the crowd to the warmth of the inside of the Smitanic. Once inside the Smitanic several frenzied games of Pass the Pig were played. Marilyn, being very competitive and having lost all games, made note that the side of the box for Pass the Pigs stated “for ages 3 and up”. Not sure what her point was?  All had great fun. 

It must have been near 'quiet time' (10 pm) when the seniors bid adue and retreated to their respective sites. What a great night and great people!

The next day the Smitanic would depart to the next port in Deming, NM.

Ancestral Surprise!

In order to make room for everything, the unconsumed beer in the spare cooler was donated to our new Canadian friends Jude & Tim. Additionally, garden pots that were Theresa's failed attempt at a spice and tomato crop were delivered to Bob & Carol. All the fragile glassware was stowed in a now empty cooler, Kevin's planes (minus batteries) were placed carefully in the CRV(toad) and the bikes were loaded and locked on rack behind the toad. Kevin repacked the RV 'basement' and was surprised that all items found a home. After 4 months stationary the two voyagers were a bit rusty and took their time to bring in the slides, retract the jacks and do a final inspection before exiting the CA address. The CRV was hooked up with ease thanks to the new towing system purchased back in August when they started the journey.

Based on an outstanding recommendation from fellow Pickleball players, Brian and Judy, the destination of Fortuna De Oro RV Resort was selected in the GPS. Theresa used the Good Sams trip planner to select possible stops on the route back that were between 150-250 miles apart making the day's drive about 4-6 hours.

With a slight late start (after 10am) and a time zone change the RV made it to the Casa Grande, NM destination about 5pm, just missing happy hour :( The facilities were amazing! The park was easily twice as big as Hemet and had a golf course as well as a recreation complex that included the 8 pickle ball courts! (GVP only had 4 and anxious seniors would wait impatiently for their name to be next on the list to play) The park also had a restaurant which sadly was closed on the day of the teams arrival (Mondays). 

Theresa did a Yelp search for an eating place near by, and with in the top 5, was the Blaisdell Steakhouse! (yes this was a must do since that is Theresa's maiden name). What are the odds? It was a short mile drive down a frontage road to get to the 'closed on Monday' steakhouse, Mondays must be the day off for Restaurants. Theresa was disappointed but it placed on the next day's agenda.

There was another diner that was spotted on the way back to the RV park called “Foothills Eatery and Spirits”. There were lots of cars parked outside which is always a good indication. Kevin hit it off with the young waitress, as well as a frequent patron who knew the menu by heart. Weary from the long day the waitress sat down to take the order. Got to love local color!

Even with bellies full, the urge to play pickleball took over. Kevin and Theresa quickly dawned their gear and headed to lit courts where several players were awaiting a team to play! Kevin and Theresa jumped right in and got several games in before the courts closed at 10PM.

Everyone the two interacted with was very friendly and willing to offer intel on, when the challenge time was for the pickleball courts, as well as Happy hour, and excellent reviews of the park restaurant. 

The next morning was consumed by pickleball ,and Theresa walking jogging around the park with Zin while Kevin continued to play. Lunch was a perfect opportunity to visit the Blaisdell Steakhouse! 

The now open restaurant had a great lunch menu that was a mix of burgers, sandwiches, Mexican plates and other house specials. The owners were in the house and Theresa quickly introduced herself as a member of the Blaisdell blood line and inquired as to the source for the establishment's name, hoping to meet a distant relative. Turns out the owners lived in an area known as Blaisdell Crossing and that inspired the name for the restaurant. The owner was somewhat of a history buff and had done some research on the name. The Blaisdell crossing namesake, Hiram W. Blaisdell, was famed for building a Slow Sand Filter Washing Machine https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaisdell_Slow_Sand_Filter_Washing_Machine which filtered the Colorado river water into drinking water. This same guy also built a historic bridge in Newton, MA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Needham_Street_Bridge . Theresa called her brother Tom (Charlie) to see if this famous Blaisdell was in the same linage? The quick reply was “All Blaisdell's are related!”. Upon further investigation Tom did see a Hiram Grove Blaisdell (b 1822 d 1909) which may be a close relative so the jury is still out on the direct connection!

The owners were so gracious, and when Theresa wanted to buy a commemorative hat and t-shirt they would not accept a cash payment. Theresa and Kevin promised to proudly parade these items around the RV park and sing the praises of the food and hospitality! 

Back at the RV Park, Happy Hour was at one of the pools and featured a duo alternating songs from the 1950-60.  Residents conversed in the pool while hovering above the waterline with the aid of a Styrofoam noodles. The genre of music and the taste of the $2 drinks lead to a quick exit after a just 20 min. Apparently Kevin and Theresa are Happy Hour Snobs.

Back in the RV Theresa continued to tweak the Route stops and find an appropriate location with in 1 week to have the accumulated mail from NC sent. Terry, a Tasman neighbor, has been kind enough to collect the Smit's mail and stuff the important looking stuff into a prepaid mailer, then address and send it. Deming, NM was the selection. Theresa called the TV park to make reservations and validate that they would receive and hold the mail. 

The next stop, also a Hemet recommendation, was Palm Creek in Casa Grande, AZ. A short drive, only 170 miles, east the park was one of the largest in the West and was a pickleball mecca with 32 courts!

Hunkered down in Hemet

The 4-plus months at Golden Village Palms RV Resort (GVP) seemed to fly by! October's big event was the marriage of our oldest son Kiehl and the love of his life Madison Williams. Kiehl & Madison's wedding brought many family members from both sides to honor their commitment.

The event included rehearsal as well as rehearsal dinner allowing both families to meet and interact with the wedding party.

Kiehl's stand-in best man organized a perfect bachelor party at an indoor trampoline park.

The wedding was held outdoors in central LA with Temperatures reaching 104 degrees. The temp had no effect on how cool the wedding was and the beauty of the Bride. Madison was so beautiful she could easy be in Bride Magazine!

Kiehl was so happy and in love he was at risk of melting on the spot!

It was a spectacular event that went off without a hitch due to all the tremendous planning that this new 'Smit Team' put in prior to their special day.

The reception and party that followed was fitting for the perfect couple on the perfect day. See the album here.





Once the wedding was over it was time for Kevin and Theresa to settle in to the activities of GVP.

The days at GVP generally involved morning coffee while walking “ZIN” ,the dog, for her morning duty. This was then followed by Kevin and Theresa grabbing the pickleball paddles (see What is Pickleball) in an effort to get in as many games as possible from 8-10AM during “open play”. Theresa would then headed to the gym to do her 30 min Beachbody workout followed by 20-40 min on cardio machines. Kevin continued playing pickleball until they both met back at the RV by noonish. On some days various local restaurants would offer pool side specials for lunch.



The rest of the afternoon was consumed with visiting Theresa's mom, Kevin flying his 2 planes (1 new one he purchased and built as a 3D Acrobatic) or the drone, uploading the latest Mr. Opinion Podcast or taking care of errands or RV projects. Two Park tribute band concerts (BeeGees and Doobie Brothers) were attended and much dancing and socializing was done!

 
Both Kevin and Theresa participated in 2 pickleball Tournaments as well as the ladder play, they did OK but are still mediocre compared to some players. Pickleball players are ranked from 1 – 5. Both Kevin and Theresa are likely ranked at 3 to 3.5 depending on how good a day they have.

Early in November, Theresa's sister, Dorothy (a nurse, who is the primary person that takes care of her Mom) tripped and fell, in the Library where she was volunteer, breaking both arms and her kneecap! After surgery with pins, wires and a plate to hold her together she was then placed in a rehab facility for one month. Theresa stepped in by juggling with helping not only her mom but her sister as well! Dorothy made very quick progress and thank goodness was able to resume taking care of their Mom.

Kevin and Theresa celebrated their 40 year anniversary along with Kiehl and Madison's 40 day anniversary in San Diego with many of the old SDH3 friends. It was great to see everyone and catch up on the latest events and challenges in their lives!

During Dorothy's recovery time, Theresa's other sister, Carol (who lives just north of Hemet, CA) fell and broke her arm and wrenched her back! Is there a Tripping Gene in the family? Carol lucked out and did not need surgery but was in lots of pain. Thanksgiving had been planned and was held at Carol & Bobs . The Allbaugh's were in full attendance with all kids, and grandson. Kiehl and Madison came out to join in as well and all the 'kids' (they are all grown adults) pitched in to put together a wonderful thanksgiving feast!

While in Hemet the RV not only received a much needed washing and waxing (see video) but also got a few upgrades and repairs. A new flatscreen TV was purchased to replace an older model that has been custom mounted above the front dash. Kevin and Theresa took on the challenge of

a) figuring out how to get the old TV out

b) how to mount the new larger TV securely in the same spot so it would travel.

With the help of Google, YouTube and a call to Tiffin Motors the old TV was removed with out any damage to the RV's cabinets nor any blood shed by the demo team.
A mounting arm that was recommended for an RV application was ordered online. Several mounting options were discussed and sketched as Kevin and Theresa assessed the limitations of the now empty frame in the front of the RV. With only 2 trips to Lowes for supplies, the new TV was mounted and operational!

The only other repair items for the RV was a leak in the Cooling system that was supposedly fixed on the arrival to CA service visit. Kevin was able to remove the defective part and plug the whole with duct tape. A call was then placed to Frieghtliner to see if there was a replacement part. It was discovered that the broken part was no longer available due to its poor design that would lead to failures (really?). A newer part made of brass vs plastic was recommended. The nearest service dealer that had the part was a 40 min drive West. The morning's Pickleball was sacrificed as the $10 part(plus a spare) was retrieved. Kevin easily installed the new part and refilled the antifreeze. No more leak and the best part was no costly service bill to fix what had already been paid for to repair. AAArrrrgggggg.

During the multi-month visit to Hemet by the Smitanic, Amazon Prime (AKA RVer's BFF) frequently made deliveries to Theresa's Mom's address suppling personal, as well as needed RV items with free 2 day shipping! Just hope it all fits in the RV for travel.

Kevin and Theresa hosted several visitors who stopped in to visit and take advantage of the resorts many amenities. Kiehl and Madison made 2 visits, fellow RVers Ron and Tracy Clanton came up from San Diego where they were camping. Long-time Hasher friends Bumps and Low Impact came up to spend a couple of days. The long time Hashers enjoyed a hike in the hills above Hemet, pickleball, and an evening outdoors grilling and soaking in the hot tub.

The evenings in Hemet were mostly chilly and even the new Big Red gas camp fire did little to take the edge off, so most gatherings gravitated to the warmth of the indoors. Many new friends also stopped by for a traditional 4pm evening Happy Hour as chairs gathered in circles outside the RV. Tails of travel, life journeys as well as RV woes and recommendations were exchanged.

Christmas was spent in LA for a few days enjoying time with the newlyweds and Madison's family along with replying old family videos that Kevin had transferred from VHS to DVD.

For Kiehl's birthday in early February, Kevin and Theresa were able to drive into LA and partake in Kiehl's running of his age (35 miles) on his b-day! The tradition stems from Kevin's many years of running his age (35th to 49th birthdays). Kiehl has adopted the tradition in his own way by running his age once every 7 years since he was 7 yrs old! This year's start was at 1:30 am at the Santa Anita race trace with the finish near the Santa Monica Pier. This had Kiehl running thru the heart of LA during the very early hours of the day. Kevin, Theresa and Madison would allow Kiehl a 3 mile start then drive past him on the route to each 7 mile mark and wait with water, food, cloths and support! He finished just about 11 am and was still able to move! Kiehl honored himself in this very special way and looked great doing so. Job Well Done.

After the Birthday Run the proud parents bid a-due with hugs and kisses then drove back to Hemet to pack up and begin the month long eastward journey to Florida to spend a few weeks with Kevin's mom and sister before finally heading up to home in NC.

The route to Florida had two recommended RV parks (mainly because they had lots of Pickleball) would be on the first stops on the route. One in Yuma, AZ the other in Casa Grande, AZ.