SV Orion - Annapolis, MD
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Late July - 'Round Rochester

7/31/2022

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​By mid-July we had arrived back in the Rochester area, where we would spend the next 2 weeks – first at a Boondocker’s Welcome home for a couple of days, and then at Hamlin Beach State Park for the rest of the month. Between visits with friends and family, we made some repairs on the RV, explored some new places, and enjoyed some local favorite food.

PictureAn impressive solar array at our host's in Riga NY.
Riga, NY​

As we drove down the long driveway, we couldn’t help but notice the huge solar array that greeted us at our Boondocker’s Welcome host in Riga NY, a Rochester suburb. We backed into a gravel pad next to the house and set up, but we arrived just a little early. The host had been motivated by our arrival to install a planned 50Amp outlet, and given the forecasted 90 degree temperatures, it would be welcome. There were just a couple of glitches.

​Arriving shortly after noon, Val had not completed the final step of the install. We also had not parked quite close enough to the outlet to reach from the RV with our 50Amp cord alone. No problem. Or so we thought. We just had to use an adaptor and our 30Amp cord. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the right adaptor. We needed a male 50 to female 30amp plug. We had a female to male 50-30 adaptor. So, we made a run to Walmart to pick up the missing part, and we were back in cool air. 
Our hosts were busy folks with work and family, but we got to talk a few times over our stay. We learned more about the solar array that produces more power than they can use, and got to sample some fresh zucchini and basil from the garden.

PictureJell-o Museum display
While waiting for our reservation at Hamlin Beach State Park, we did a little sightseeing that we missed when we lived in the area. Where to? Well, there’s always room for Jell-O. That’s right, Jell-O was invented and produced for decades in nearby LeRoy NY. There is a cute museum, just south of downtown near the original factory. From the original 4 flavors (lime, strawberry, lemon and orange), the company expanded to add some very popular (e.g., cherry, raspberry) and some disastrously unpopular (coffee, chocolate) flavors. The marketing efforts evolved over the decades from traveling salesman on “Jell- wagons” passingO out free samples and recipe books, to the Jell-O girl, to original artwork for print media, souvenirs and more. There was even an entire wall of Jell-O molds.  

PictureThis restored wagon was one of many that traveled the countryside promoting and selling Jell-O.
In the basement of the Jell-O Museum was a sampling of antique modes of transportation – from a Jell-o wagon to a very early bicycle. And adjacent to the museum was the historic LeRoy house, built in the early 1800’s, it had served many purposes in its history before being donated to the local historical society in the 1930’s. One of its more unique antiques was a music box with a huge (around 2 ft in diameter) changeable metal plate that serenaded its owners with songs from Yankee Doodle Dandy to Fur Elise. Our guide treated us to a sample song.  All of that touring made us hungry, and we found just the right lunch nearby. Beef on weck. Thin sliced roast beef on a salted caroway seed bun. Hard to describe, but this one was delicious. 

PictureBikers on a path by the lake at Hamlin Beach State Park
​Hamlin Beach State Park

Last year, we began taking “inventory” of campsites at campgrounds that we frequent in order to remind ourselves of the better campsites. Unfortunately, we didn’t do this at Hamlin Beach last year. That proved to be a very poor decision. So, we made this year's choice based on availability and the best look that a satellite picture would provide. As we approached our site – D147 for those who care -- the obstacles were many. There were trees situated just on either side of the opening. The road was narrow and there was little “shoulder” of open space on either side of our approach on the road. We tried several different approaches and each would get us wedged in uncomfortably close to some obstacle. To add to the stress, this was a record-setting heat day, and we were holding up traffic on the one-way campground road.  

PictureSite D147
​But, as has happened a number of times on our travels, we quickly discovered we had more help at hand before we even asked. That car being held up? Well that was the off-duty park manager. When she understood our dilemma, she called over Cliff from Maintenance. He was able to help us finally get the RV into the site and we breathed a sigh of relief. And over the next week, we made a complete list of sites that we like. Site D147 is not on it.



PictureCathy with John and Kathy at their home on Lake Ontario.
The good news about our site was that, once in it, it was nicely shaded and the temperatures moderated a bit over the next week and a half. We took down our bikes and explored the park, visited with friends and, of course, checked in with the dentist. Retracing our steps in a culinary way, we sampled some ice cream from Abbotts, Byrne Dairy Lu-Gia’s and Pittsford Dairy, had some Dinosaur BBQ, and Zwiegle’s hots.  ​
​

PictureWith the stove removed, the converter sits by the wall in the back of the cavity.
RV Stuff

Our last update was written in the middle of some problems with the RV’s electrical system. While in Hamlin, we were able to get some mail (thanks, Carol) which included a replacement converter and a battery charger. The converter was no longer consistently charging the batteries, although ironically shortly after pulling into Hamlin, it started working again. In theory, replacing the converter was simple. Just watch the folks on Youtube. Unplug it from AC, disconnect 3 wires and then re-plug and connect the 3 new wires. It would take maybe 10 minutes. Right? Not exactly.  
​

PictureDave working to remove the stove that sits above the converter
​Our converter was located under the stove and behind the circuit panel. So, just to get at it, we needed to turn off the propane. Since we also had to disconnect the batteries, this meant the fridge was no longer on while we worked. Since the stove also has lights and electric start, we had to cut the wired connections to the stove. After removing the cover, we removed the screws holding the stove in place and carefully pulled it out.  

PictureIt lights! Success.
Then it should have been easy to replace the converter, right? Well, not exactly. It appeared the ground wire passed through the converter from another device to the panel. To make this work, we decided to leave the ground wire in its connector, but move the connector from the old to the new converter. This was probably the hardest part of the install, as Dave hung upside down in the cavity that used to hold the oven and removed and re-installed the ground. Despite the difficulties, it didn’t take that long to finish the install, reconnect the wires on the stove, re-connect the propane and re-install the stove. With the propane back on, the stove lit, the fridge started up, and more importantly, the batteries have been charging consistently since. Fingers crossed.

PictureOur Iota Battery charger
With the uncertainty of the RV’s converter, we decided to install our own battery charger, an Iota similar to the one used on the boat for years, and our last RV. It arrived before the converter and its install was pretty simple. We placed it on the wall in the bay just on the other side of the battery compartment. The converter arrived and was installed the next day, so although we have a backup to charge the batteries we haven’t had to use it. Yet.

PictureThis part was the source of our In-Command problems.
Our final problem has been some problems with our In-Command system – a control panel for the RV’s systems. The screen had been freezing and losing communication off and on. A possible solution was a replacement “end of line” resistor that had to be installed on the RVP Gateway inside the A/C. It also arrived while in Hamlin. This was another “simple” install that was made more complex by the position of the gateway deep inside the A/C intake on the roof of the living room. Working overhead on a step stool, Dave managed to move aside the obstacles enough to replace the old resistor with the new one.  Then we had to do a system reset.  That meant disconnecting from shore power and the batteries.  When the system came back online, everything still worked.  Again, only time will tell whether the fix is permanent, but so far so good.

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Parting Shot

When we were pulling out of Hamlin Beach we found this nest lodged inside our hitch pin. We placed it carefully on top of the nearby power pedestal and told the park staff about it, but it seems a long shot that the egg will eventually hatch. But who knows?

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Early July - Moving North

7/22/2022

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After spending another week in Reston, we moved north into Pennsylvania. Taking advantage of our Harvest Host and Boondocker’s Welcome memberships, we stopped at some new places – a winery and an organic cattle farm, and returned to the Ives Run campground near the NY border. We planned to end the month near Rochester NY, so our travels were working us north in that direction.

PictureJannie and Dave in her backyard
Lake Fairfax Park, Reston, VA​

When not exploring the hiking trails at Lake Fairfax Park or working on other projects, we enjoyed some social visits. We had not seen our friend Jannie in many years, having first met her in Rochester before she relocated near us when we were living in Northern Virginia. We joined her for lunch at her home in Herndon and learned of the incredible turn her life has taken, as she is now teaching hydroponics at local schools and to others throughout the US and beyond. (Here’s a link to her Explorer’s Club.) 

PictureNational Harbor is a complex of restaurants and stores on the MD side of the Potomac opposite Alexandria
One afternoon as storms were threatening, we joined Dave's cousins Don and Cindy at National Harbor. As they graciously honored our desire to eat outdoors, the raindrops chased us away from one more exposed venue (where the rain started pouring down onto our table) to one that was more fully covered. We enjoyed catching up with each other. Since retiring from teaching, Don had recently started a woodworking business, which was taking him weekly to local festivals. We offered our assistance in creating a website for him, which he can now use to highlight his wares – and they are beautiful.

PictureOn the campsite at Lake Fairfax
And what about the promised July 4th fireworks? Well, the park actually had a fireworks display on Saturday the 2nd. As the sky opened up with rain just before the start time, we concluded the show was a washout. Not so. A few minutes after the rain let up, the display began. We didn’t make it to the best viewing spot, but we got a pretty good view from the campground. ​

PictureDave treads carefully across a stream at Lake Fairfax Park
Having extended our stay a couple of days, by Friday the 8th, it was time to pull out and head north. We had done more exploring of the park this year, and hiked many more of the trails. It is a real haven in the midst of the busy Reston congestion. ​

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Armstrong Valley Winery, Halifax PA

Our next stop after leaving Reston was going to be our first Harvest Host stay this year and only our 3rd since joining. We were arriving at the small Armstrong Valley Winery the day before their Summer Fest, allowing us to pull into their spacious parking lot while it was still empty. That would change dramatically the next morning. (Having discovered that our original arrival date was going to be during the festival, we asked to arrive a day early. Good plan.) But we had our choice of 6 pull-through spots that had 50amp power. In exchange for this generous service, we were asked to patronize our host, and that we did. Our first night, we enjoyed a bottle of wine in a courtyard while listening to the music of local band Cracken Jack. 

PictureOn a hayride through the vineyards. This winery grows almost all of their own grapes.
When the first day of Summer Fest arrived, the people started arriving by mid-morning. We strolled through the craft vendors, enjoyed the live music, joined a barrel tasting and tour, and then took a hay ride through the vineyards, all of which are owned by the Winery. After having some BBQ for lunch, we signed up for an unlimited tasting ticket, which allowed us to try any of the wines we liked, some of which were paired some yummy treats.

PictureSunset over Armstrong Valley Winery parking lot with our neighboring RV's
As we took a break that afternoon, we looked across at the parking lot that was full of cars, with 5 additional RV’s working their way around the festival-goers. Before sunset, though, the RV’s had the lot to ourselves and enjoyed some time socializing along with a beautiful sunset.  

PictureTioga Reservoir at Ives Run
Ives Run Recreation Area on Tioga Reservoir, Tioga PA

Heading out on a Sunday morning, we had a short run to get to the our campground on the PA-Ny border on US 15. Tucked into the hills that line the Tioga River is an Army Corps of Engineer park that has 2 campgrounds. We opted to stay at Ives Run where we had a full hook-up site at half price thanks to Dave’s senior pass. The sites are level, many with full hook-ups, and situated close to the lake, which has a beach and boat ramp. For the first time this year, we pulled down the bikes and discovered the Visitor Center and butterfly garden, along with other hiking trails. Unfortunately, it was the first place in all of our travels north that we lacked any T-mobile internet service. Our Visible phone filled the gap, though.  Despite that, it is one of favorite stopovers on the way north.  

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Honeyhill Farm, Livonia NY
​

With our next stop we were in NY, on a small organic cattle farm, raising Black Angus cattle. This was another Boondocker’s Welcome site. We pulled alongside the barn and where we had the use of 15amp power and a view of the entire property. For the first time in our travel north, we turned off the AC, and the cool nights allowed us to sleep well without it.  

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Our host was enthusiastic about having company. He hosted a campfire our first night and took us on a scenic, albeit challenging, hike to Hemlock Lake the next day. We enjoyed the company and our quiet site on this small farm. After a couple of nights, it was time to move on again.

PictureOven after cleaning
RV Stuff

Why is the oven smoking? As soon as the question entered Cathy’s mind, she immediately knew the answer. Before heading out that morning, she had stored a plastic container in the oven for the trip, and had forgotten to remove it when she lit the oven. Opening up the oven door, the sight that greeeted her was disheartening. The clear plastic container was dripping through the oven rack onto the bottom of the oven. Was this something that we could clean up or was the oven toast? (Bad pun.)

Amazingly, much of the plastic hardened back quickly and popped right off. However, the problem was the thin residue left over on racks and the oven floor that was concerning. But a quick Google search determined that Cathy is not the first (nor likely the last) person to melt a plastic container in the oven. There were tons of tips for getting it clean. The bad news was that it took a LOT of scrubbing. The good news is that the oven is VERY clean now. And after a little smoke to burn off the final residue, there is no more plastic smell to infuse our baked goods. Whew!

We also had some water issues to deal with. The heat began to affect the quality of the water in our tanks. While in Ives Run with full hook-ups, we sanitized the tanks with bleach (let it sit in the tank overnight), and then drained and refilled it. We also used our access to the sewer hook-up to regen our water softener. That would keep it fresh for future water fills.  

PictureThe converter sits behind this circuit panel and beneath the stove.
But our more significant issues have been electrical in nature. When Cathy activated our leveling system to leave Lake Fairfax. The battery voltage that consistently read 13.6V was unusually low at 12.6V. The problem? We discovered that our converter is no longer consistently charging the batteries. Since we are routinely plugged into shore power, you might ask how big a deal is this? Well, even when plugged into AC power, the DC power (i.e. direct from the batteries) is used for a number of systems, such as lights, the water pump, and ventilation fans. The converter than recharges the batteries for the power used. So, the good news is we have AC to cool us and TV to entertain us. But to avoid irreparably draining the batteries, we have to sit around in the dark and limit our water use. After several calls to the manufacturer, a replacement converter is on its way. Fingers crossed.

PictureIn-Command Display that controls many of the RV systems
But wait, there’s more. We have mentioned in earlier blog posts that our In-command system (i.e., electronic display that controls the RV systems) freezes periodically and has to be re-booted with increasing frequency. This all started happening after a software update in May. Since there are no or very limited alternatives for control each system, we need this display to function. We’ve been told by the manufacturer Asa Electronics that some Cougars are missing the end-of-line resistor, and they suspect ours is one of them.  

When we called Keystone to get them to send us the part, they disagreed that our 2020 Cougar was affected.  We called back to Asa Electronics, who is sending us the replacement resistor anyway.   Since the In-Command system is also one of the few ways we can get an accurate read on the battery voltage, this complicates the problems with managing our batteries. Fingers crossed twice that this resistor will fix the problem. ​

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