Christmas Camper Trip Home To Pennsylvania With Mum Mum

Lulu loves Christmas. She loves wrapping - giving presents and decorating. She loves seeing her family. A Christmas without family really bums her out. To me - it is my job to make it all happen. The grandkids look forward to Mum Mum's visits.

Our campsite in Washington

Living in Florida away from family can be the worst time of the year. So Lulu set up her Christmas tree early. She wanted to travel north in the camper. Even with all the bad weather possibilities - the luxury of stacking her wrapped presents in the camper for a trip north is the incentive.

Everhart 9 in Washington for Christmas

On December 19th - we pulled out of Tallahassee - all our camper cabinets filled with presents and citrus fruit. When we were kids - fresh tangerines and oranges in our stockings were a treat. So I picked two baskets full right before we pulled out. In the old days - Henry Flagler would load fresh citrus fruit on his train trips north to incite people to visit his hotels in Florida. One of the original reasons for football bowl games was to encourage people to head to Florida for the winter.

Two nights with Paul and Evelyn in NC

We planned to spend the first night in the camper on the road - but while we were zooming along the highway without stops - we soon decided to hit our first destination early. Paul and Evelyn live in St. James Plantation - next to Southport NC. They encouraged us to keep coming and spend 2 nights. We loved our stay in their beautiful new home. Paul had solar panels put on his home the day before - we enjoyed the mechanics and science. It was 700 miles from home to Southport NC.  (Dec 19 - 21)



Our next stop would be Drew's. It was 200 miles to Richmond. The weather was good. We had sunshine - and 40s and 50s. It was time for Christmas presents for the grandkids. The Everhart Home was lovely for Christmas. I got to go to a VCU basketball game with Drew and Jack. VCU has sold out 125 games straight - about 9000 people each. Lulu went to see Mary Poppins with Robin and Kate. (Dec 21 - 23)

The camper at Drew's in Richmond

The busiest road we hit was I-95 from Richmond to Washington DC. We hit some traffic and a slowdown for a wreck - but covered the 100 miles without a mishap. I always think of the 2 capitals in the Civil War being so close - even in 1865 - they were a few hours apart by train. But when President Lincoln visited the defeated capital - he chose to come by boat. He went down the Potomac and up the James River. It was nice having the bathroom in our Roadtrek on this segment of the trip. Lulu also fixed our meals on the road - we love stopping at restaurants but find the meals are high in calories. We still love Cracker Barrel - and BBQ places - just not the calories.

Max loves Mum Mum reading to him

In Washington DC - we parked the Roadtrek in Keith's driveway. It fit perfectly and we ran an extension cord to keep the batteries charged and the furnace - hot water - and refrigerator running. We stayed in the Hilton across the street but we kept the camper thermostat set to 60 degrees so that the tanks would not freeze. We also put pink non-toxic antifreeze in the tanks. (Dec 23-27)

WASHINGTON HILTON - Our home for 4 nights.

The National Cathedral - Liz went
to school there

Lulu got a great deal with the Hilton. Over the holidays it is empty - and we got an executive room for $110 a night with tax. Keith's home is right across Florida Avenue. For 5 days - we enjoyed visiting with Max on his first real Christmas. It was the best. On December 23rd - the Everhart 9 gathered for dinner and presents. Lulu made chicken and pasta. We walked around Washington - enjoying the sights of a shutdown city. Lulu brought along an extra Christmas tree for our hotel.

When we checked into the Hilton - we drove right up to the front door in the Roadtrek. Lulu unloaded all her presents - bags - and holiday stuff. The bell hop went nuts over the camper - we invited him in. Maybe he just wanted a big tip - he should know better with me. When Lulu checked in - she put a $20 bill between her license and credit card. She asked for an upgrade to the executive suites. The host complied. But she also gave Lulu 8 - $25 breakfast buffet coupons - the best breakfast in the town. Diet be damned! She then handed the $20 back saying - this will not be necessary  :-)  We only paid $110 a night for 4 nights - and we got $200 in free buffets! This is the hotel where Reagan was shot. In our eyes - it will change to the hotel that gave us all those free buffets. I then drove the camper across the street and parked it on Keith's land - and plugged it into 120 volts. We could have stayed right in the camper - but the Hilton was awesome.

THE BIG SURPRISE - I AM GONNA ROCK YOUR WORLD

Roy S Everhart at National Cemetery

Lulu had given me my presents - a rear camera system for the camper - and AirPods - on Christmas. But when we woke up on Dec 27th - she took my head in her hands - looked me in the eye - and said "I am going to rock your world today!" It was more of a threat or warning. She just said to follow her directions today - no back talk.

We drove the back way to Pennsylvania - through Frederick MD - and Gettysburg PA. When we got to Harrisburg - she said it was her turn to drive. I slid over. She turned toward Allentown - and got off the highway near Hershey. I wondered why we were going to Hershey - did she have a date set up in the Kissing Tower?

National Cemetery at Indiantown - near Hershey

When we were passing Fort Indiantown National Cemetery - she turned into the gate. I had no idea what was going on. She said to have my camera ready. It was nearing 3 PM - and I saw military troops nearby - guns - flags - cameras. I got out of the camper - she walked me to a wall. A couple of years ago - Lulu started research on my grandfather and it was all culminating here. On the wall was a plaque to honor him - Roy S Everhart - he was killed in action - on July 4th 1942 - on a ship sunk by the Germans in World War II.

Since I was his namesake grandson - previously the government had presented to me 4 medals that were awarded to my grandfather posthumously. As I was in tears - several of my cousins appeared out of nowhere. We hugged and kissed like old times. It was one of the most humbling moments of my life. Lulu rocked my world - she made me laugh and cry all in one day. While I may get lost about what all this means to me - the most important thing it meant to me was that NANCY went thru a lot of trouble for this to happen.

Even though my grandfather left the family when my Dad was young - I have chosen the Christian thing to do - to forgive him and honor his death for our country.

When I thought the surprise was over - an officer told me that there will be a full military honors ceremony for my grandfather at 3 PM.

We all went to the chapel. They had the ceremony - the bugle - the guns - the changing guards - the three blasts. Then the commander looked me in the eye and presented the honors to me - for my grandfather. I mumbled a few words. It was over.

Lulu and my friend Sally - had a dinner arranged locally. My cousins and I chatted a couple hours. Then we all parted. In a daze - we were back on the road - in the dark - at 6 PM. In an hour or so - we were at our next destination - a Residence Inn near our old hometown - Tamaqua PA.

TAMAQUA

Leiby's Restaurant counter still there

It took us about 1200 miles to get to Tamaqua from Tallahassee with our sidesteps. We like this Residence Inn - because it is close to Tamaqua - it is new - we get a suite with kitchen and living room - Lulu gets the rooms free on Marriot points - a nice pool - breakfast - and we can entertain. (Dec 27 - 30)

Mother and Daughter tea at Leiby's

We got a dusting of snow there - and the weather dropped a little below freezing. The camper stayed toasty because we left the heat on. We refilled our propane tank at Banditelli's. We visited Lulu's Mom. We went to Nesquehoning to see Lori's new home. We visited Aunt Delores in the Hi-Rise. We spent time with Paul and Shirley Dodson. We saw Jean and Bill Stolz and got a VIP tour of the Tamaqua Museum. We took Betty for dinner at Leiby's Restaurant. Lulu visited Jean at DiMaggios. I got to visit Ben and Melanie Turrano. I ran into Tish Hotsko at Boyer's. I also saw Kenny Brobst. George and MaryRuth Taylor came to the hotel to sit and gab with us. While dropping by our old house by the Bungalow - the new owner Regina Casella insisted we come in to see our old home. We loved the changes they made - and the beautiful decorations. It made us feel so good with another family enjoying the house - walking to schools - playing in the park - swimming in the Bungalow.

We got a tour of our old house.
We built it from a cedar kit.
Lived there 30 years.

We attended a church service with sister Lori and cousins Bill - and Ruthann at the Tamaqua PM Church on Hunter Street. We also attended a Christmas Eve ceremony at the Washington Cathedral. We enjoyed the Festival of Lights at the Washington National Zoo with Max - Keith - and Liz.

Cousins on Aunt Ethel's bench at
PM Church

Our last stop was in Wilmington DE to visit my sister Judy. We had supper at the country club. We wanted to spend one night in the camper on the trip - so Judy's driveway was big and had an electrical outlet. Temperatures hit 30 degrees - but the camper was warm. We had breakfast with Judy - had a shower indoors - and started home.

We drove right by Washington and Richmond this time. We stopped at a Fairfield Inn in Smithfield NC and finally in Savannah GA so Lulu could shop at the outlets.

The whole trip took 2500 miles and 2 weeks. The camper performed great. We got between 14 and 18  miles per gallon. We cruised at 62 MPH. While one of us drove - the other napped - or read - or watched TV. We had lots of rain - but no freezing. We had a dusting of snow - nothing that stuck on the road.

Lulu loved her Christmas. She got to see almost everyone. We opened presents - had Christmas feasts - enjoyed the kids and grandkids and the places of our childhood. It recharged our batteries.

The highlight for me was the full military honors for my grandfather. She certainly rocked my world.

Lighthouse at Savannah Outlet Mall.

Paul and Evelyn's house - new solar panels.

Luna in Richmond opening presents.

The playground in DC - Washington Monument in back.

Making Christmas dinner.

Our National Cathedral -
Christmas Eve

Shopping in Boscov's in Hazleton.

Back of our old house - hot tub room.

Our old living room.

Lori's new home in Nesquehoning -
and our Roadtrek.

Tamaqua PM Church - Pastor Ricky Clemson

Camper - New Lights For Olds

Old camper headlights

Old camper headlight elements

I ordered new elements from Amazon

We just took a 2500 mile trip in our Roadtrek camper. It performed flawlessly. We drove in a lot of rain on the way home - luckily no snow - no freezing. 

Because I am 70 - I did not like the amount of light coming out of the 15 year old headlights. Probably it is because my eyes are old. I went online and looked at new headlight elements. There are lots of improvements in the last 15 years. I found a youtube review of 10 different elements that were tested. The reviewer suggested several brands - but he thought that the Lightening Dark 10000 were the best. These bulbs put out double the lumens while using less electricity than the originals. They also focus the light better than the old ones. 

I ordered a pair for $52 from Amazon. I will install them on Wednesday.

Electric Usage While On Vacation

My son Keith is an Energy Economist in Washington. Three years ago he bought us an energy monitor. It has faithfully watched our system - telling us what appliances are on - how much electricity we are using - and what our bill will be.

As you can see by the above chart - while we were on vacation - our electrical use dropped dramatically.

The biggest use by far is heating and cooling. While we were away - we had the heat turned down to 60 degrees. We had left the refrigerator on - and it was the biggest user of power. We leave 14 lights on outside although they are only LED bulbs. We also had them dimmed down - so they use virtually nothing. I consider them a great preventer of theft.

I unplugged the TV's - but kept the internet on because then we can watch our home TV programming on our iPhones and also see our security cameras.

The hot tub was off and drained.

The electric car was unplugged.

We have a gas tankless hot water heater - so it was off.

The Washer - dryer - dishwasher - were off.

Our electrical monitor is called Sense.com. You can see the electrical use on your iPhone - you can even control devices from the iPhone.

Roy S Everhart Received A Full Military Honors Ceremony At Indiantown Gap National Ceremony

Roy Everhart killed in action July 4th 1942

On July 4th 1942 - Roy S Everhart was killed in action on a Merchant Marine Ship off the coast of the Dominican Republic. His ship - the USS Norlandia was sunk by the German Submarine U-575. Everhart was among ten that were killed as the torpedo ripped through the engine room where he was stationed as a fireman/water tender. The rest of the crew made it safely to shore on lifeboats to tell the story.

Family at military honors ceremony

On December 27th 2018 - at 3 PM - a full military honors ceremony was held at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery where a memorial plaque was placed in his honor. The plaque shows his name - birth date - death date - his duty - and the name of his ship.



Those attending the ceremony were - Everhart's grandson Harry - granddaughter Jean Schelicher Arner - granddaughter Linda Schleicher Markell - granddaughter in law Cam MacFarland Schleicher - wife of grandson Nancy Cox Everhart - husband of granddaughter Larry Markell - and family friend Sally Bair.

Grandson Harry Everhart accepted the flag for the family. Previously - the following awards were presented to Everhart's grandson posthumously. He received - the Victory Medal - the Mariner's Medal - the Honorable Service Button - and the Merchant Marine Emblem.

Lulu's Christmas Tree - On The Way To Tamaqua

We are spending Christmas in Washington DC with the family. Next stop is back home in Tamaqua for a few days. Lulu had to leave her Christmas tree behind - but I thought you would like to see her and some of her ornaments. 

We hope to have a Merry Christmas - and the best New Year ever. 

Here are some of Lulu's ornaments - and where she got them. 

Disneyworld

Athens, Greece

Cocoa Beach, FL                

Sedona, AZ (gift from Drew and Keith who attended the Fiesta Bowl 1999

New Zealand

Tamaqua Elementary Santa's Secret Shop 1985

Canada Cruise - Maine

Gift from Ruthann Busolits - Bedford Springs is where Keith and Liz held their wedding.

Ben and Jerry's ice cream plant, Vermont

Berlin, 2015

Brooklyn, NY, 1996

All Dressed Up And Somewhere To Go - Home To Pennsylvania For The Holidays

All Dressed up and ready to go - 2004 Dodge Roadtrek

When retired - one often says "All Dressed up and nowhere to go." Yesterday - I was busy dressing up our motorhome for a road trip north to Pennsylvania for the holidays. For so many years - we lived up north and we made the long trip south to the Sunshine State. Now we will welcome the Winter Solstice - waking up in our camper hopefully covered with snow. I wonder if I can still drive in it.

We will stop to see friends and family in North Carolina - Virginia - Washington DC - and Delaware. We will be staying at the Residence Inn north of town when we arrive at Tamaqua. Of course we want to experience snow - but will pull over for highway storms. If we are marooned - we have bathroom - kitchen - king bed - TV - and furnace.

Yesterday - I spent the day washing and waxing everything. I used a new wax you can see in the picture below. It is highly ranked and is easy to wipe on and wipe off. Using a step ladder - I was even able to get the roof.

Our camper is a Roadtrek - made in Canada by Hymer - a German Company. They are prepared for cold weather. We will see. For Christmas - Lulu got me a rear/front camera system. It gives a full 3 lane view out back - and recording capability - out front - out back - and inside. Maybe we will try a little Camper Karaoke.

The three top windows are the Roadtrek trademark

The camper is 14 years old - has 18,000 miles on it.

I have replaced the tires - shock absorbers - battery - and brakes. Inside we added a 24 inch flat screen TV - a 1500 watt inverter to produc 120 volt AC power - and two coach AGM batteries.

The camper is just 19 feet long and fits a a normal meter space. In that space is stuffed - a king bed - furnace - TV - microwave - generator - stove - sink - hot water - shower - toilet - two tables - closet - cabinets - tons of lights - electrical outlets - two fans with vents - GPS - and rear view camera.

I used Car Guy Hybrid Wax on the entire camper. It can be used on paint - chrome - fiberglass - plastic - glass. It is easy to wipe on and wipe off. The fiberglass roof sparkles - I did it with a step ladder. It also did a nice job on the wooden cabinets inside. 

Installing Rear View Video Monitor In My Roadtrek Camper

Rear Monitor - Finished Installation

2004 Dodge Roadtrek - 18,000 miles

Santa left an early Christmas present for us. I just installed a rear view video system. It is an Auto Vox A-1. It has front and rear view cameras that record the action.

We are driving north for the holidays in our camper. One of the things about driving a camper is limited visibility out back. This rear view camera gives us full three lane wide visibility out the back.

It took about 2 hours to install it - mainly finding a way to route the video wire to the back. After that it is just plug and play. It has touch screen controls.

You can follow along as we travel north and use the camera. www.harry.everhart.com

THIS ADDED JANUARY 8TH

We completed a 2500 miles trip form Florida to Pennsylvania and back - using the rear camera system. It worked fine. I moved the camera to outside on the rear door using a sticky bracket - no holes. The wire goes thru the weather stripping - no leaking. We experienced lots of rain - and there was no leakage. Sometimes the rain would blur the lens.

Overall - the view was great. I did not cut in front of anybody. I had a clear view of all 3 lanes behind me. It was great for backing up too. We had the curtains across the rear view glass - but still had a perfect view. For $200 - it is a nice system. The camera also recorded the whole trip - front view and back view. I did not use the recording for anything - but it was neat having.

It was a Christmas present from my wife - a great one - I intend to keep it.


The installation with the open wire path


The complete installation


Interior camera and microphone


Front view

This Tangerine Was Picked 10 Minutes Ago

Lulu just picked these tangerines.

Lulu just made lunch.  She just picked a couple tangerines and came in from outside shivering because it is 47 degrees and cloudy.

About 3 years ago - we planted 5 citrus trees. With the exception of the kumquat tree - each tree has produced some beautiful fruit - oranges - tangerines - lemons - grapefruits. The trees only stand about 6 feet tall - but they produce very sweet fruit. Usually my favorite is a lemon for my hot tea - but in my old age I am experimenting with other alternatives.

When you peel the skin off a tangerine - the fragrance reminds me of an old Coal Regions Christmas. It was a treat to find a tangerine in the bottom of your Christmas stocking back in the 1950s in Tamaqua. We used to try real hard to take the peelings off in one big piece.

FSU Beats UConn in Newark NJ - 79-71

Senior Terrance Mann Scored 20 and had 9 rebounds

Florida State is 8-1 this season and have some pretty impressive victories including last night's 79-71 over the University of Connecticut. Lulu and I enjoyed it right here in our living room - the game was part of a tournament in Newark NJ. 

Team leader Terrance Mann scored 20 points and had 9 rebound - not bad for a guy that does a lot of the point guard duties. 

FSU has taken on some strong early season talent - LSU - Purdue. Their only lost has been a close game with national champion Villanova in the Bahamas. FSU has been doing all this without the service of their high returning leading scorer Phil Cofer who has a foot injury. 

The Seminoles are ranked Number 11 this year - and are coached by Leonard Hamilton. The future Hall of Fame coach has been the leader at FSU for 17 years. Only 2 of his players have not gotten their degrees. That is an amazing statistic in the world of college basketball - where many players play one year and go to the NBA. Coach Hamilton is 72.

The Seminoles are the third winningest team in the ACC since they joined in 1992. 

Perennial front runner Duke plays here in mid January. I am guessing that is one game we won't get in for $5.

Apple Wireless Earphones - AirPods - Why This Old Guy Bought Them

At $170 an ounce -
more expensive than drugs

Airpods have been out for two years. They seemed very nice - but the $170 price tag scared me away. Read on to find out what feature changed my mind.

I have been hard of hearing since I was tested in school back in 7th grade. In those days there was not much they could do for me but yell at me - and they did :-)

I just went overboard and bought a pair of Apple AirPods for myself for $170. My son had a pair for over a year and marveled at them - I just thought they were too darn much money. But I found out about one special feature that put me on board. 

First - I will say - they are a work of art. The case is a beautiful jewel - if they put it on a string - you could wear it as a necklace :-) It is so practical - functional - beautiful. It feels so good in your hands. Like a talisman. 

We Toured The Florida Governors Mansion

Florida Governors Mansion - built in 1956

Lulu in the library on the main floor

Yesterday we toured the Florida Governor's Mansion. It is available free for groups of 20 or more. Our friends Lena and Aaron Seiler organized this tour. It was beautiful sunny weather as we gathered at the mansions front gate off Adams Street. On the other end of Adams Street is the Florida State Capitol. 

Presently - the mansion is occupied by Rick Scott. He has been governor for 8 years. He is a multimillionaire with a mansion near Tampa - so he seldom spends time here. Our new governor Ron DeSantis will live here in January. He is young - has two babies - and they will childproof the mansion. 

The mansion was built in 1956. At that time Florida had 2 million people and had 5 million visitors a year. Today Florida has 21 million people - and it is the third largest state behind California and Texas. If trends continue - we will be the second most populous state in 2030. 150 million people visit Florida every year. Florida taxes are based on real estate tax and sales tax. We charge 7.5% sales tax and 10% hotel tax - two things tourists pay. 

Florida became the 27th state in 1845. Before that it was a territory since 1821. The biggest problem then was fighting off the Seminole Indians. Some locals think the biggest problem today is fighting off tourists. 

Back to the mansion. Our curator gave us a wonderful tour of the whole main floor. Upstairs is a private residence. The basement has functional rooms. The main floor had a beautiful dining room - library - living room - guest room - and a "Florida Room" which is an old enclosed porch. There is a swimming pool out back along with a large party garden. The place is surrounded by an iron fence with gates - and support buildings.