July 10 - 12, 1984

Mileage Start 38,055  Home 38322

Attended:  Dad, 21 years, Meg (AKA Eater) 22 months, Matt (AKA Splash) 6 months and Sass (AKA Goofy Dog) 5 years

 

This is where it all started!

We left home about 9:05.  Got up about 7:45.  No problems at all getting to Amish Farm.  We took 480 to 71 to 76 to 3 to 83 to 39.  We were going to take 83 all the way down but decided to take 3 to 83.  After getting on 83 it appeared lucky we did.  83 was a hard drive compared to 3.  Got to Amish Farm at 11:25.  Took a tour and buggy ride.  The tour was difficult with Meg who wanted to take off on her own.  She wiggled and whined all through a slide show they had.  Matt shows no fear at all at the animals.  Meggie attached herself to me and wouldn't let go.  Not terrified, but she was worried.  Sassy is still pretty tense.  We returned to the motorhome (we need a name for it!) at about 1 pm.  We had bought two jars of homemade jam (peach and grape) and we had some jelly bread, Fritos, and pop.  Before we went on tour, we used Romer's toilet for the first time.  Calling the motorhome Romer for "Rozella" and "Merina", grandma's names.  Will probably leave about 1330.  Oh, we also bought a patch.

Gas - Shell - $13.00 10.5 gallons 38148 $1.24/gallon just outside Millersburg -- 13.6 mpg!!!

38163 -- We broke down on 463 just past 39.  It appears that the carb is flooded.  I get both fuel and spark.  Pulling the plugs, it appears that the plugs are fouled.  I may have fouled them when I attempted a restart???  WOW!  Were we lucky.  A couple of guys stopped and I asked if they could call a tow.  They said they could probably fix it.  The end story (took them 35 minutes to get the carb off) was that when I replaced the fuel filter, the hose was so bad it disintegrated into little bits.  The float bowl was full of pieces of hose.  One piece jammed the goofinkle mechanism open and let gas pour into the carb.  We were on our way again!  They guys charged me $15.00 which was reasonable as I'll bet it would of cost me a two and the night had anyone been called!  We arrived at Camp Toodick just after 4 pm.  They guy suggested we take a shade spot without sewer as we did not have air conditioning.  We went out and looked at both shade and sewer and picked sewer.  It cost us about $14.00.  Lucky we did as the sewer tank was full!  Just after setting up we went to the pool and went swimming.  Matt loved it -- his first time in a pool (except in Mommy when she was prego - at Grandma and Grandpa's).  Meg did well, too.  She jumps off the edge to Daddy.  Wait until Grandma and Grandpa see these kids!!!  We then came back and had supper -- spaghetti.  Meggie made friends with four kids that have bugged us all day.  They are about 8 years old or so.   Three girls and one atrocious boy.  Bugs are bad but not intolerable.  Matt got a wash down and Meg got a shower in the bathroom.  Very hot today, very glad I brought the fan (a little one).  Have to get air or else one or two more fans.  Not too bad when we are driving but just awful when we stop.  We took a walk and lost Meg's shovel.  We did not get to the river, the campsite is way, way up on a hill and it is quite a walk down.  Had four 20 year-old guys camped next to us but they were very quiet.  Now, about midnight, we are still not in bed.

We left Camp Toodick at about 11 am.  The kids were restless.  Matt was up at 1 am.  Meg was up at 6:30.  I got up about 8:30.  Flies in the motorhome are terrible.  There are bites all over the kids.  We had a very nice breakfast and left.   No problems.  Found Zoar without too much difficulty.  Tuscarawas County is for the birds, though.  I would make it up a long hill and just over the top would be a sharp curve.  Wow, no warning!  Zoar was interesting but quite a problem.  Matt was a toad, crying and whining.  We watched a slideshow and took about half a tour.  When the tour got to the bakery, a storm hit.  We had heard it coming but didn't think it would come up as fast as it did.  The whole motorhome was open and everything got soaked.  We were caught in the bakery and it got quite boring.  When the rain let up a little (it was still pouring) we (Meggie in her backpack and Daddy) ran to the motorhome.  Meggie was funny.  It was pouring down rain and I stepped into a puddle.  She said, "Daddy!  Shoe all wet!  Yucky!".  Matt grabbed a hold of a chain between a station used to keep people away and pulled the station down.  That station was a four foot piece of 4x4 hardwood with a hardwood base -- ouch!  After a while, Matt got really bad and we left.  The campground was not too hard to find -- the Canton KOA named "Bear Creek".  Not near as nice as Toodick.  They said they had no full hookup spots but did find one for us.  We are very tired.  Flies are awful.  We have been killing them left and right -- at least 20 so far.  Stopped at the store and picked up some fly tape -- sticky type.  Hopefully that will help.  11 pm and I can't keep my eyes open!

July 12, 1984 12:32 pm  Sunoco  38,294.8, 17.325 gallons $18.00 $1.039/gal  146 miles  8.4 mpg!  Gas problem!

Kids got up about 6 am and so did we.  Dad rested his eyes until 8:30, though!  We packed up at 11:15 or so and got home about 1 pm.  Worried about gas!  Hope the carb is not leaking!  Already making plans to go down to Alum Creek State Park to visit Liz and go boating!  Next week!

38055 to 38322:  Total mileage 267.  Total gas 31 gallons.  Estimate to fill tank 5 gallons.  Average miles/gal 7.41.

Note:  Carb. fuel problem dumped much gas.  I believe our average mile per gallon to be 10.