Note 1: We came to Duncan RV Repair Center for several motorcoach repairs including the convection oven part of microwave/convection was not working so a new microwave/convention oven was installed; the HWH leveling system would not dump the air bags so the touch pad controller, proximity switch, & lock box was replaced; dash parking indicator light was staying on all the time while driving so it was fixed by replacing some wiring; cruise control not working so spring clock in steering wheel was replaced; entry awning was not deploying so motor was replaced; living room slide-out mechanism was not working so it was replaced; and exterior stair step was not working so it was repaired. The total paid for all parts & labor was $5,827.25. The Good Sam Extended Warranty paid $3,674.06 and we paid $2,153.19.

Note 2: On Mon., 06/23/14, we visited the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN.

Note 3: On Sat., 06/28/14, we went out for an authentic Amish dinner with a group of RVers from the Newmar Corporation in Nappanee, IN. The dinner was cooked and served in a local Amish family home with a last name of  Miller. The Newmar Corporation is an Amish owned & operated motorcoach manufacturer that built our Newmar Essex luxury motorcoach.

Note 4: During our lengthy stay, we met a few other half-time/full-time RVers (Leroy & Fannie Thomas, Beau & Becky Anders, and Doug & Lanita Cashmore). We went out to dinner with varying couples on numerous occasions to try out all of the local area cuisine; visited the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN; and visited Bontrager's Surplus RV Supplies in White Pigeon, MI. Always great to make new friends, share travel tales, and exchange contact information since we will meet up again on the road!

Note 1: In route to this campground we purchased 78 gallons of diesel fuel (approx. 1/2 tank) at $3.85 per gallon costing a total of $300.00.

Note 1:  On the way to St. Ignace, MI we crossed over the Mackinac Bridge. Due to high winds, all high profile vehicles such as RVs, Commercial Trucks, and vehicles pulling trailers were limited to a 20 mph speed limit. The Mackinac Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world when first built, a record it held for an impressive several decades.

The 2014 caravan fee ($2,945.00) includes 18 Days/17 Nights of camping; 14 meals consisting of 2 breakfasts, 6 lunches, & 6 dinners; 5 Social Get-togethers; 2 Cruises (Sunset Cruise of the Pictured Rocks & a Shipwreck Cruise on a Glass Bottom Boat); nature walk to view Tahquamenon Falls; trip on the Agawa Canyon Train Ride in Canada; Ferry Trip to Mackinaw Island; Tram Tour of the Frederik Meijer Sculpture Gardens; a Dune Buggy Ride on the Sand Dunes along Lake Michigan; Tour City of Frankenmuth; Tour Edsel & Eleanor Ford's home; Visit Ford Museum; Visit Greenfield Village; Ferry to Put in Bay Tram Tour of the Island; along with free time to explore on our own.

Camped at at the Munising Tourist Park Campground in Munising, MI for two nights with 50 Amps FHU. Our RV was back up to the shore of Lake Superior and we could see the lake out of both sides of the motorcoach.

Note 1: On Sat., 07/19/14 we carpooled with Dick & Joan Williams (whom live in Belleair Beach, FL) and went on the Pictured Rock Cruises (Sunset Cruise) on Munising Bay in Lake Superior out of the Marina in Munising, MI. The name of the boat was "Miss Superior", we visited 10 miles of shoreline to view the pictured rocks, and the cruise lasted 2 hours & 40 minutes.

Note 2: On Sun., 07/20/14 we carpooled with Dick & Joan Williams (whom live in Belleair Beach, FL) and went on the Glass Bottom Shipwreck Tours on Munising Bay in Lake Superior out of the Marina in Munising, MI. The name of the boat was "Fireball", we visited 3 ship wrecks (Bermuda in 1870, Herman H. Hettler in 1926, & a mystery scow schooner in 1700s), and the cruise lasted 2 hours. For lunch, Debbie and I picked up chicken & beef pasties from Muldoon's Pasties in Munising, MI. They were absolutely delicious.

Note 1: On Mon., 07/21/14, we carpooled with Kent & Nancy Miller (whom live in Sebring, FL) and went to the Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Paradise, MI,  and had a delicious lunch at the state park pub, brewery, & restaurant. Since Deb and I just visited these falls two weeks earlier, we hung out at the outdoor pavilion of the restaurant while others walked down to take view & photograph the Tahquamenon Falls. After visiting the falls, we all drove over the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum on Whitefish Point (Lake Superior) in Paradise, MI. Once again, Deb and I set on the benches of the wood decking on the shoreline of Lake Superior while the rest of our group went through the museum. Since Deb and I visited the museum two weeks earlier, we decided not to walk through all of the exhibits again.

Note 1: On Thurs., 07/22/14 we went to dinner at The Antlers Restaurant in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. This restaurant set up like a hunting lodge and has numerous stuffed animals & antlers that decorate all of the walls and ceiling. The food was delicious.

Note 2: On Weds., 07/23/14 we went to Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada to ride the Agawa Canyon Tour Train of the Algoma Central Railway. The train ride went 114 miles north to the Agawa Canyon and then 114 miles back to the train station. This was a nice, scenic train ride. For dinner we went to Smoke's Poutinerie in Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada with our friends Jerry & Phyllis Rose (whom live in Miamisburg, OH). They are the Caravan Hosts and NKK OH State Directors.. Poutine is a French Canadian recipe consisting of french fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. The Smoke's Poutinerie makes numerous flavors of Poutine, the food was delicious, and is highly recommended.

Note 1: On Thurs., 07/24/14 we went to Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park in Mackinaw City, MI, with Jerry & Phyllis Rose and then went out to dinner at the Dixie Saloon Food & Spirits in Mackinaw City, MI.

Note 2: On Fri., 07/25/14 we were picked up in the campground by the Star Line Ferry shuttle service and then went to Mackinac Island, (UP) MI by hydro-jet ferry. On the Island, we rode on a couple different horse pulled carriages, visited Mackinac Island State Park; toured Fort Mackinac; and visited the Grand Hotel. This Island only has a few motor vehicles which are emergency (ambulance & fire truck) vehicles and utility vehicles; no other motor vehicles are allowed on the Island, therefore everyone travels around by walking, bike riding, horseback, or horse pulled carriages. The downtown area is quaint old shops and restaurants. We returned to Mackinaw City by Star Line Ferry and then utilized their shuttle service to get us back to the campground.

Note 3: On Sat., 07/26/14 we carpooled with Mose & Jan Guzzardo (whom live in Amite, LA) and went to Fort Michilimackinac and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City, MI.

Note 1: On Mon., 07/28/14 we carpooled with Frank & Jeanette Shereck (whom live in Bagley, MN) and went on Mac Wood's Dune Rides in Silver Lake State Park, Mears, MI. The ride on the sand dunes lasts 40 minutes and covers 7 miles of trails. It was a lot of fun! For dinner we all ate at the Open Hearth Grille in Mears, MI. We enjoyed a family style dinner where we passed along huge plates of several different items and ate as much as we wanted. This was great tasting food that was enjoyed by all.

Note 1: While traveling to this campground, we stopped at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculptor Park in Grand Rapids, MI which was about the half way point from Mears, MI to here. We took a tram tour of the sculptors, and then went on a walking tour of the gardens. We also enjoyed lunch at the Taste of the Gardens Café which is located in the main building in the park. The artwork, gardens, wildlife, and lunch were all nice and made for a great stopover location during the day's travel.

Note 2: Most of our caravan group went to Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, MI today. Deb and I decided that we would forego this activity and have a relaxing day at home. For dinner, our group went out to eat dinner at Zehnders of Frankenmuth restaurant in Frankenmuth, MI. The dinner was a family style meal consisting of passing around large plates of food and eating as much as you wanted. The food, company, and atmosphere was great.

Note 1: In route to this campground we purchased 103.40 gallons of diesel fuel (approx. 3/4 tank) at $3.87 per gallon costing a total of $400.00.

Note 2: On Fri., 08/01/14 we carpooled with Dick & Joan Williams (whom live in Belleair Beach, FL) and took a tour of the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, MI. After the tour we enjoyed a private lunch in the Cotswold Cafe on the grounds. Then we drove to The Henry Ford and visited the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI. For dinner we grilled steaks outdoors here at the campground with Dick & Joan Williams.

Note 3: On Sat., 08/02/14 we went back to The Henry Ford in Dearborn, MI, and visited Greenfield Village.

Note 1: On Mon., 08/04/14 we drove to Port Clinton, OH and took the Jet Express boat to Put-in-Bay, OH on South Bass Island in Lake Erie. We went up into the the 352 ft tall monument (3rd tallest monument in the USA) Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial which commemorates Perry's victory at the Battle of Erie during the War of 1812. We took a tour of Heineman's Winery and Crystal Cave, and then ate lunch at Mossbacks Island Bar & Grill. We then took Jet Express back to Port Clinton, OH. Once we drove back to the campground we then went out for a gourmet, private group dinner at the Catawba Island Club which is located on the shores of Lake Erie. All in all this was a great last evening for our NKK Great Lakes Caravan. The last morning, we had a pancake breakfast in the campground pavilion, and said all of our goodbyes before we all went on our separate ways. Our friends and caravan hosts Jerry & Phyllis Rose are as good or better than any vacation planner we have ever met. This is the second NKK caravan we have went on that they hosted. They plan & execute great caravans and we truly appreciated all of their hard work, and much fun was had by all participants.

Note 1: On Thurs., 08/14/14 we settled into our rally campsite and then set outside for a few hours of chatting, and a meet and greet. At 5:30 PM we had a catered taco/burrito dinner meal in the campground pavilion.

Note 2: On Fri., 08/15/14 we carpooled with our friends Marty & Marion Marcum (NKK Region 1 Directors) and visited the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, MI and then ate lunch at their on-site 50's style diner with Marty & Marion Marcum, and Ron & Wanda LLewellyn (NKK Region 6 Directors). Then we drove drove to Wyoming, MI for a factory tour of the Weller Reman Center where they rebuild Allison transmissions. Our Newmar Essex has a 4000 series Allison transmission so we found the tour very informational. At 5:00 PM we had a catered chicken dinner meal in the campground pavilion.

Note 3: On Sat., 08/16/14 we carpooled with our friends John & Carolyn Williams (NKK Michigan State Directors/Rally Hosts) and their daughter Patty to the Air Zoo in Portage, MI. While there we ate lunch in the on-site cafe on the second floor of the main building. At 5:00 PM we had a catered beef dinner meal in the campground pavilion.

Note 4: On Sun., 08/17/14 we a had toast, coffee, & orange juice breakfast in the campground pavilion. We thanked our rally hosts John & Carolyn Williams for a great Michigan State Rally, exchanged contact information, and then said our goodbyes to all of our old & new friends.

Note 1: On Mon., 08/18/14 we checked out the Eaton County Fairgrounds (especially the RV parking & dump site) and visited nearby Bennett Park which are both in Charlotte, MI.

Note 2: On Thurs., 08/21/14 we started our annual maintenance & several chassis repairs with Spartan, Inc. In the afternoon I did a tour of the Spartan Chassis Assembly Line where they build the RV chassis. At the time of the tour they were building four K3 chassis with Cummins ISX 15L 600 HP diesel engines bolted to Allison 4000MH electronic  transmissions.

Note 3: On Sun., 08/24/14 we purchased 78 gallons of diesel fuel (approx. 1/2 tank) at $3.85 per gallon costing a total of $300.00.

Note 4: On Thurs., 08/28/14 we finished our annual maintenance and several service repairs. The annual maintenance included engine oil/filter, generator oil/filter, new engine air filter, new fuel filter, complete chassis lubrication, and a 44 point inspection. The service repairs included all of the following: two new Koni shocks for the drive axle; two new air bags with short stops for the drive axle; two new ride height adjusters for the front end; new front bushings; new bell crank, bearing kit, & ball joints on front end; replaced both ends of short drag link shaft on front end; replaced air dryer & filter; replaced both brake chambers on main axle; and replaced both brake chambers on the tag axle. Other maintenance items completed: front end alignment; rotated front tires to inside main axle & inside main axle tires to the drive axle; put steel valve stem extenders on inside duals; added air tank lanyard extenders to reroute the cables to the front end of the coach next to pull-out generator for easier access; weighed entire coach [total weight 43,830 lbs with fuel full/fresh water full/LP full/grey tank empty/black tank empty/no passengers inside -- drive axle was 14,970; main axle was 19,708; and tag axle was 9,160]; set new tire pressures to 110 psi for tires on drive axle & 85 psi for tires on main/tag axles according to the Michelin Tire Chart. The front right aluminum rim was damaged by the mechanic so Spartan put a new rim back on at no charge. Spartan did an unauthorized/unneeded transmission fluid and filter change (Note: I just did this at 50,000 miles & currently we only have 69,184 miles) so no charges for this mistake by Spartan. The total charges for everything (parts, labor, fluids, filters, & taxes) came to $8,473.69. The Good Sam Extended Warranty paid a total of $1,869.01 and my portion of the charges was $6,604.68. The estimate on repairs at the start of work was $4,000.00, and no new updates were ever given to me stating the repairs were going to go over this amount while the motorcoach was in the shop, even though two rear axle air bag replacements were taken off of the repair list, and two tag axle brake calibers were added on to the repair list. Thus our repair bill was more than double the $4,000.00 amount quoted ($4,475.00 above their quoted estimate); therefore, even though they do good Spartan chassis repairs here, keep in mind your actual charges due may be as much as double or more the amount you are quoted as an estimate. [Furthermore, at the time of leaving the property I noticed one of my tire pressure regulators was not replaced on my rig and I got the mechanic to find it and replace it. The thing I did not notice until I was in Indiana was that the mechanic also forgot to reinstall my rock shield that bolts on underneath the battery box to protect my fuel filter and air dryer system. Spartan had an Intern drive the rock shield to my location in Elkhart, IN. The funny thing is he showed up with two rock shields and told me that two of them had not been reinstalled before customers left the shop, so go ahead and take whichever one was mine, so I did. Just another warning to look your motorcoach over with a fine tooth comb for any missing parts that they might have forgotten to reinstall.]

Note 1: During our drive from Charlotte, MI to Elkhart, IN, the drive was unbelievably better than we have ever experienced in our motorcoach. Our rig is now 10.5 years old, so it was necessary to do all of the chassis repairs and maintenance. In the future we will be getting all annual chassis maintenance at Speedco Truck Lube & Tires  ($250.00 labor, fluid, & filters) and all motorcoach repairs at Duncan RV Repair Center, whenever possible. We plan on keeping our motorcoach for many more years of full-time RVing so we keep up on all maintenance & repairs very promptly & completely. Our luxury motorcoach is our home on wheels so we take good care of it to prevent break downs & to help hold up the value.

Note 1: The RV repairs for this stop over was changing the Thermister (thermostat/resistor) for our Dometic NDR1402 gas/electric refrigerator. The total cost for parts & labor was $283.41. Since this amount is only $33.41 over our $250.00 Good Sam Extended Warranty deductible, we simply opted not to file a claim. We now have a working refrigerator/freezer again and hopefully the intermittent failures are now a thing of the past.

Note 1: On Thurs., 09/04/14 we purchased 27.41 gallons of diesel fuel (less than 1/4 tank) at $3.65 p/er gallon costing a total of $100.00.

Note 2: Our friends Ray & Lin Fowler camped next to us for four nights from 09/10/14 to 09/15/14. They own a 40 ft. Class A motorcoach which is a 2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom. Their motorcoach is very nice and we loved having their company; we hope to camp with them again in the future. Ray is a retired US Army First Sergeant (FSG/E8) whom served 20 years. They are fellow club members in the Special Military Active Reserve Travel Club (SMART). We became close friends since the time we traveled together in the SMART 2012 Alaska Caravan.

Note 3:  On Weds., 09/10/14 we went out to dinner with Ray & Lin Fowler to Hickory Hills Barbeque in Edinburgh, IN. Very good food at decent prices, we enjoyed the food & the company, we recommend this restaurant to others.

Note 1: On Sun., 09/14/14 we purchased 34.54 gallons of diesel fuel (approx. 1/4 tank) at $3.62 per gallon costing a total of $125.00.

Note 2: On Sat., 09/20/14 we upgraded our Thousand Trails (TT) campground membership from Platinum Plus to Connections Elite while keeping our yearly maintenance dues the same. The newest TT upgrade is their highest level of campground membership with the most benefits. The main upgrade benefit included adding all of the Mid-Atlantic (07) and Outdoor World (14) campgrounds which totals 22 campgrounds as permanent, no nightly camping fee campgrounds in on our lifetime membership benefits. These 22 campgrounds are mostly located in the eastern states which was an area that we had sparse coverage. This brought our permanent, no nightly camping fee Thousand Trails campgrounds from 59 up to 81 locations. Also, our reservation window was increased from 120 to 180 days in advance which is a nice feature to have when booking the busiest Thousand Trails campgrounds. Another nice feature is that we get 14 Encore parks to use as free bonus parks: 10 parks are guaranteed for 5 years use; and 4 parks will be on a year to year basis. Many other features were included in our upgrade including 5 free weeks of cabin rental certificates, 1 free week a year for 10 years in the getaway cabins, an RPI Preferred Gold membership (free for 2 years), Enjoy America campgrounds at 50% off, a free Ready Camp Go (RCG) Platinum membership (90 days of Encore parks per year at $23 per day), purchase 4th week at TT campgrounds at $29 each twice yearly, can be inactive up to 5 years with no TT dues to pay, and many other family & vacation benefits. The entire upgrade cost us $3,645.00 and we will recoup this easily in just the first year or two of camping as full-time RVers. The reason so many benefits can be included with this membership is because Equity Life Style Properties (ELS) currently owns Thousand Trails, NACO, Leisure Time, Mid-Atlantic, Outdoor World, Encore, RPI, and Enjoy America. We always love the Thousand Trails preserves and highly recommend all of the various levels of Thousand Trails campground memberships for anyone that is a full-time RVer like us.

Note 1: On Tues., 10/07/14 and Mon., 10/13/14 we visited the Mammoth Cave National Park. On the 7th we toured the visitor center with all of the exhibits & videos, and on the 13th we viewed the Mammoth Cave Hotel and did the Mammoth Passage Tour which is Duration: 1 1/4 hours, Distance: 3/4 mile, and Total Stairs: 160.

We are driving the Natchez Trace Parkway (southbound) during the height of the autumn color change while heading a bit further south to take advantage of warmer climates during the Winter months. This year for the Winter season we are going to travel through some of the southern states that border along the Gulf of Mexico.

The Natchez Trace Parkway (Site 2) has been designated as one of America's National Scenic Byways by the Federal Highway Administration. The most scenic of these byways are also designated as All-American Roads. The Natchez Trace Parkway is one of only 31 All-American Roads, and is rated in the top 20 All-American Roads. The Natchez Trace Parkway leads you 444 miles through three states (including TN, AL, & MS) and 10,000 years of North American history. Established as a unit of the National Park System in 1938 and officially completed in 2005, the Parkway commemorates the most significant highway of the Old Southwest. The natural travel corridor that became the Natchez Trace dates back many centuries. It bisected the traditional homelands of the Natchez, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations. As the United States expanded westward in the late 1700s and early 1800s, growing numbers of travelers tramped the rough trail into a clearly marked path. The ”sunken” sections you can walk along today are clear signs of historic use. In 1801 President Thomas Jefferson designated the Trace a national postal road for the delivery of mail between Nashville and Natchez.

Note 1: On Sun., 10/19/14 while in route to this campground we purchased 42 gallons of diesel fuel (approx. 1/4 of our 150 gallon tank) at $3.57 per gallon costing a total of $150.00, and we purchased 5.85 gallons of liquid propane (LP) (simply topping off our 32 gallon tank) at $3.19 per gallon costing a total of $19.54.

Note 2: In route to this campground we entered the Natchez Trace Parkway. We crossed the historic National Trace Parkway Bridge in Williamson County, TN. The bridge, also known as the Natchez Trace Parkway Arches, is the first segmentally constructed concrete arch bridge in the United States. This bridge was opened to traffic in 1994.

Note 3: During our travels today we visited the Meriwether Lewis Monument and Gravesite at milepost 385.9 on the Natchez Trace Parkway. Lewis died here in 1809. We also crossed the John Coffee Memorial Bridge between mileposts 328.6 & 327.8 on the Natchez Trace Parkway. This is the Parkway's longest bridge which crosses the Tennessee River in Alabama.

Note 1: During our travels today we visited Bear Creek Mound (ceremonial Indian structure built between 1400 & 1600 AD); made a scenic drive through the Tishomingo State Park, MS; visited the 13 Confederate Gravesites and Old Trace on Natchez Trace Parkway north of Tupelo, MS; visited the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center (included a museum & many video presentations); did a scenic drive through the Tombigbee National Forest, MS; visited Bynum Mounds; visited the Tupelo National Battlefield; and did the tour at the Elvis Presley Museum, Birthplace, & Community Church (he attended as a child) ($17.00 each).

Note 1: During our travels today we exited the Natchez Trace Parkway in Natchez, MS. Once again, we drove the entire 444 mile length of the Trace in 4 days/3 nights. We highly recommend this trip to anyone else looking for a wonderful road trip.

Note 1: On Thurs., 10/23/14 while in route to this campground we purchased 83.35 gallons of diesel fuel (approx. 1/2 of our 150 gallon tank) at $3.60 per gallon costing a total of $300.00.

Note 2: Attended Caribbean/Jamaica Cruise for 7 days out of New Orleans, LA on Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL). The itinerary for this cruise included:  New Orleans, LA; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and Cozumel, Mexico. The cruise ship for this cruise was the Carnival Dream. For much more information as well as ship/room photos and itinerary, click on our Western Caribbean/Jamaica Cruise (Oct. 2014) page.

Note 3: While on the Caribbean/Jamaica Cruise on  Weds., 10/29/14 we paid $199.98 for a day excursion at the Seawinds Family All Inclusive Beach Day which consisted of 4.5 hours in duration. We enjoyed a day at the beach at one of Jamaica's finest oceanfront properties, with lunch and all amenities included. The amenities consisted of lounge chairs with beach umbrella, private beachfront & roped off swimming area, catered buffet style lunch, hotdog & hamburger grill, snorkeling, kayaking, sailboats, and free alcohol.

Note 4: While on the Caribbean/Jamaica Cruise we truly enjoyed The Punchliner Comedy Club. The comics we saw at the shows included: Stanley Ullman; Marc Theobald; Sheila Kay; Cee Jay Jones; and Jeff the Fun Dude.

1. New Orleans, LA
2. Montego Bay, Jamaica
3. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
4. Cozumel, Mexico

Note 1: On Sun., 11/02/14 while in route to this campground we purchased 58.84 gallons of diesel fuel (15 gallons less than a 1/2 tank) at $3.40 per gallon costing a total of $200.00.

1. Houston (Bayport), TX
2. Cozumel, Mexico
3. Belize City, Belize
4. Banana Coast (Trujillo), Honduras

Note 1: Stored our RV at Four Girls RV Ranch RV Storage in Willis, TX while we were on this cruise. This facility is located right next door to the Thousand Trails Lake Conroe where we just stayed. The cost to store our RV for 7 nights was $10.00 without electric, or $15.00 with electric. We opted for the electric hook-up so we could run the fridge on electric (rather than LP), and also put up the DirecTV Satellite System to record our TV shows to DVR.

Note 1: On Thurs., 11/27/14 we had Thanksgiving dinner in the campground activity center. The campground provided the turkey, ham, and room for the activities; and then all of the campers brought at least one dish per family to make it a potluck buffet. The food was delicious and there was lots of it. We had a great time and definitely got our grub on.

Note 1: On Sun., 11/30/14 while in route to this campground we purchased 60.5 gallons of diesel fuel (14.5 gallons less than a 1/2 tank) at $3.15 per gallon costing a total of $198.49.

Note 1: In route to this campground we purchased 88.78 gallons of diesel fuel (approx. 1/2 tank) at $3.38 per gallon costing a total of $300.00.

Note 2: On Mon., 12/11/14 we went to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory in Scottsdale, AZ with Ernie & Earlene Williams. Debbie met them through the SMART RV club website. Ernie is retired Navy & they own a Class A Winnebago RV. The food & fellowship was great.

Note 3: On Tues., 12/12/14 we did a tour of the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center. It has all sorts of Arizona wildlife rescue birds & animals. Most of the wildlife are being rehabilitated to be rereleased back into the wild, but many animals are too injured or two imprinted on humans to be rereleased. This was a wonderful tour of a nice facility for a great cause.

Note 4: On Weds., 12/13/14 we went to lunch at the Restorante Arrivederci in Scottsdale, AZ with Wayne & Gloria Johnson. Debbie use to be a co-worker with Gloria before Gloria retired. Wayne & Gloria summer in Oregon & winter in Mesa, AZ. They own a nice 5th Wheel RV. The food & fellowship was great.4

Note 5: On Tues., 12/23/14 we went to dinner at the Twin Peaks Restaurant in Scottsdale, AZ with fellow fulltime RV friends Beau & Becky Anders. Debbie and I met them in June of this year at the Duncan RV Repair Center in Elkhart, IN. We hit it off as friends right away & enjoyed their company, so we stay in touch using Facebook. It was nice to meet up with them again here in great Phoenix area of Arizona. They also invited us to Christmas dinner, so we will be taking them up on that very kind offer.

Note 6: On Thurs., 12/25/14 (Christmas Day) we enjoyed Christmas dinner with Beau & Becky Anders. We drove to Becky's mom's home in Sun City, AZ where we had a great holiday meal with our friends. Also present was George & Wanita Tombe (friends of Beau & Becky & fellow RV owners) as well as Becky's mom Rose Hayes and her new husband Al. Great food & great company!

TS1: From Fri., 12/05/14 - Fri., 12/12/14 we stayed at the Marriott's Canyon Villas for 7 nights in a timeshare exchange in Phoenix, AZ; we stayed in a 2 BR villa. This resort is part of the Marriott Vacation Club Collection, and is located in the beautiful Sonoran Desert. This part of the country is perfect for December visits because of its mild Winter temps.  This is an Interval International gold premiere resort that we acquired by exchanging one week with one of the timeshares we already own (WorldMark & Vacation International). We love timesharing and we love exchanging timeshares with Interval International!!!

TS2: From Fri., 12/12/14 - Fri., 12/19/14 we stayed at the Sheraton Desert Oasis for 7 nights in a timeshare exchange in Scottsdale, AZ; we stayed in a 2 BR villa. This resort is part of the Starwood Vacation Network, and is located in the beautiful Sonoran Desert. This part of the country is perfect for December visits because of its mild Winter temps. This is an Interval International gold premiere resort that we acquired by exchanging one week with one of the timeshares we already own (WorldMark & Vacation International). We love timesharing and we love exchanging timeshares with Interval International!!!

TS3: From Fri., 12/19/14 - 12/26/14 we stayed at the Scottsdale Links Resort for 7 nights in a timeshare exchange in Scottsdale, AZ; we stayed in a 2 BR villa. This resort is part of the Diamond Resorts International, and is located in the beautiful Sonoran Desert. This part of the country is perfect for December visits because of its mild Winter temps. This is an Interval International silver select resort that we acquired by exchanging one week with one of the timeshares we already own (WorldMark & Vacation International). We love timesharing and we love exchanging timeshares with Interval International!!!