Bits And Pieces After A Long Day

This was the kind of daily drive we try never to endure, but sometimes you just have to make concessions on your ideal plan.  We drove a long day because while we were in Arizona we discovered a crack in the housing to our water filter.  Bruce noticed a tiny stream of water squirting out from the side.  Nothing to do about it in Ehrenberg, so we did what comes naturally and super glued the heck out of it.  Super glue and duct tape.....don't leave home without them.  We figured when we got to Texas we'd find a large RV dealership/service center and pick up a new assembly.  You cannot buy just the housing (of course!). 

Bruce called a place near Austin called Evergreen RV.  He was told the parts person was on the other line and he should leave a voice message.  OK.  He did that and 3 hours later, after getting no call back, he called again.  Same story.  He left another message.  Nothing.  The next day after still no call back, we went to plan B which was to contact Lazy Days in Seffner, FL to order one of the water filter assemblies.  No problem for them and they got right to work getting us all fixed up with an order.  So that meant we needed to make a small detour to the Tampa area to stop and pick up our part.  We wanted to get here today so that meant driving from Robertsdale, Alabama to Thonotosassa, Florida.  A long day.  Seffner and Thonotosassa are towns near Tampa.

I checked in the Trailer Life directory and found a park near Lazy Days.  They had an available site for one night.  We got here around 6:00 pm and paid our $29.21 which was the Good Sam discount rate.  The park is less than adequate.  I am too tired to inspect everything and make a true RV Review with photos.  Trust me folks, this park is not worth the money it costs.  If we hadn't gotten here so late and if we were wanting to stay in the area for more than one night, we would have left.  Our site is weedy and messy and the 50 amp electric doesn't work and the sites are very close together. At least we didn't have to ask for a refund on the 50 amp since there was no extra charge.  You can check the website for yourself, but it looks to me like they took photos with the beautiful lens.  It ain't beautiful.  It is the Happy Traveler RV Park and I'll let you decide if you'd want to stay here.

Lazy Days has a fantastic RV Resort next door to the dealership and I had called them first.  They are having a rally there and all spaces are taken.  Tomorrow morning we will go over to Lazy Days and pick up the part they ordered for us.  They offer free breakfast and we'll help ourselves to that, too.

I mentioned that we use a book titled Casino Camping, Guide to RV Friendly Casinos by Jane Kenny and a couple of people were curious about it.  We ordered our copy about 3 years ago from the RV Bookstore online.  The price was $15.95. 

The Casino Camping book lists the casinos around the country that will allow RV's to park on their lots overnight.  Some may charge a small fee because they have an electric hook-up but most are free for a dry camping space in a large parking lot.  It doesn't list ALL casinos in the country, just the ones that welcome RVer's.  I suggest that you go inside the casino and arrange to receive a Player's Card from each casino as that will get you some discounts at the restaurants and some other benefits that differ from place to place.

Carol K. asked me in her comment the other day if I just took my driving photos through the windshield or did I hang out the side window to shoot the pic.  I just take them right through the front bug-splattered windshield.  Sometimes they come out OK and sometimes I end up deleting them. 

The panhandle of Florida can become a monotonous drive since the scenery changes infrequently.  This is what you see for mile after mile.  Trying to see it with my eyes of appreciation though, I am happy to see the beautiful green trees lining the interstate.  Trees are good. 

After we pick up our water filter tomorrow, we are driving over to Cape Canaveral for 2 nights.  We want to tour the Kennedy Space Center again.  The only other time we've been there was back in the early 1980's and it is time to go again.  We are looking forward to this.  Bruce was hoping to see a shuttle launch, but we missed that by a few days.  It will still be a great place to visit.

Until next time.....so long for now!