2009/02/10
Day 91, Camp 20 (6 nights @ $8.50 per nite)
Juniper Springs Campground
Ocala National Forest, FL

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We said goodbye to Sandy and Benny and headed north... beginning the slow northward trek that will bring us back to Michigan in April.
We pulled 75 miles up to Juniper Springs Campground in the Ocala National Forest....

We just finished installing a new custom made roof vent to replace the original fiberglass vent which was in very poor shape. We were not able to find anything that looked close to the original, and look way cool as well, so we fabricated this one. As there were several holes in the roof where the PO's had moved vents around at one time or another, we made the base plate large enough to cover all the various holes that had been cut in the roof over the years. Many hours and many rivets later the...

As we move forward on the exterior, we have developed a pretty easy system for removing corrosion from the window frames and polishing them back up.

As you can see in the photos, we begin by removing the heaviest surface corrosion with a small wire brush.

We then use a foam sanding block to get down into any tight corners the brush may have missed.

Next we use ScotchBrite to smooth out the scratches left by the first two steps. We use the ScotchBrite...

The reason I started on the closet doors was because my wife forbade me from working on the AS until I did something with my other house. We just got married about a year and a half ago. I moved into her house and mine sat empty for about a year. Well not exactly empty! In fifteen years I had collected quite a bit of stuff. In early october 08 she got assigned to Dallas for Hurricane Ike damage duty for three months. Before she left we agreed that before she returned I would do my best to clean...

2009/01/30
Day 80 - House-sitting (10 nites FREE!)
Lake Alfred, FL

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After Fisheating Creek we returned to Sandy & Benny's house in Lake Alfred to house-sit while they went on a week-long cruise. We used the time to visit with old friends, rest & recuperate, wash & polish the vehicle and trailer and make some minor upgrades. The days...

Off and on over the next few months I would go to my moms and check the trailer out. Finally I couldn't stand it and went by there there with tools in hand. Lets see, what do I want to take off first? I decided to start with the closet door.That would be easy! Well maybe not so easy, two layers of paint and you could barely see the screwheads. It took an hour to get them all out. I headed back home with the door in the van and once I got there found some really old stripper of my wife's. I started...

We are now at Winter Quarters Manatee Encore Park in Bradenton Florida. Very nice, large park with lake. When we left Zephyrhills, we stopped by Bates RV on I-4, North America's largest Airstream dealer, and also home to the "Airstream Ranch". There is also a small "Vintage Trailer Park" on display -- they all look pretty good from the outside, however the insides are another story.
We took a drive to the Sarasota Fairgrounds for the Airstream rally, not staying there,...

2009/01/27
Day 77, Camp 19 (3 nights @ $15 per nite)
Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area
Palmdale, FL

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Tues. we pulled anoher short run of 40 miles down Hwy 27 to Fisheating Creek Campground.
However, we drove another 40 miles further South, then West on Hwy 80, looking for a Corps of Engineers Campground,
only to find...

2009/01/23
Day 73, Camp 18 (4 nights @ $20 per nite)
Highland's Hammock State Park
Sebring, FL

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Friday, 1/23 we pulled down Hwy 27 to Sebring, FL., a short run of about 40 miles.
Found Highland's Hammock St. Pk. about 4 miles East of the main drag. We pulled into our reserved site (reserved over the internet.... 'ReserveAmerica')....

I have finished gutting and removed the rear most portion of floor to see what was there. Besides for the rusted steel flashing on the rear bumper storage it looked pretty good. The cross-member ans outrigger are in excellent shape! Had some difficulty with the wafer head screws holding down the floor so I cut around them to get the floor up. I will need to add some angle iron the the rear of the frame. It was rusted out a bit. I did discover that in two area the floor rotted out under the...

Well it has been a while but the weather has been nice enough to get some work done. I have finished gutting all of the furniture and have removed all lower interior panels so I can begin on floor replacement. Many leaks have been found along the way! It appears all of the vista views are leaking through the glass. The Front and Rear windows both are leaking from the installation seams (I think). The awning mount has a leak, and the fridge vent has a leak. There also appears to be many leaks...

Charming town, very close our New Brighton SB campsite. Parked in town. We strolled the boardwalk in the morning, coffee from Cafe Misk in hand. Warm sun, festive feeling with the New Year celebration approaching. Fitting new discovery to conclude our 3rd year with the Airstream.

New Brighton State Beach near Santa Cruz was our second campground on this end of year adventure. Near perfect campground with spectacular ocean view and access. To get here from Saulsalito, we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge...yep, Airstream in tow, very cool. South on I280 to CA85 and then west on CA17 back onto CA1 in Santa Cruz.

At sunset, we enjoyed a walk along the beach, modest walk-down access from campsite. Breathtaking, all of it. Then, for dinner, picked-up some take-out...

We lunched in old Saulsalito, getting meatball subs and caprese at Taste of Rome on Bridgeway and picnicing (pup too, of course) on the harbor-side bench enjoying the view seen here...just great.

Next camp stop was New Brighton Beach SP. To get there, we headed south on CA1 from Bodega Bay. Airstream in tow, we dropped down through Tomales Bay and Point Reyes National Seashore to Stinton Beach just north of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

This picture is taken from Muir Beach overlook - high! Our Bambi, being only 19 ft, easily handles the small, curvy country roads...hill and mountain side climbs...and even city traffic and parking lots. One of the upsides of the...