Dave & Joyce's Great Loop Adventure
.... and other Bucket List trips!

 

 

Welcome to Dave and Joyce’s blog.  This blog was initially created to capture our Great Loop adventure.  However, it has now transformed into our “Bucket List adventures” blog.  Many people followed our Great Loop blog and have told us how much they enjoyed it.  That somewhat surprised us … and totally pleased us.  So we decided to continue the blog with post Great Loop trips … i.e. “Bucket List”.  We hope you enjoy our new adventures!

A note about navigating the blog:   Since the beginning, the blog was an active journal, updated daily whenever Internet service was available.  The latest information is always posted at the top of the blog page to make it easier for viewers to see our daily/weekly progress.  However, when viewing it later, the format is a little awkward.  For example, to see the pre- Great Loop blog, scroll down to the archive section and click on the last link July 2010 .  After the page is displayed scroll down to the bottom and begin viewing by scrolling back to the top.  This will give you a better sense of the trip since it is the true time sequence of our travels … we hope this makes sense … Enjoy!

 
   
 

Cell: 317-403-0128
Email: davejoyceajohnson@gmail.com
 

 




11-29-2013
Thanksgiving day at the Johnsons
Thanksgiving day at Keith and Lori's home.  From all of us to all of you ... Have a great Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season!



10-22-2013
JoyceRV
Joyce standing next to our picnic table where the RV will spent the next six months.  Unless Dave decides to sell it ... it hasn't been a very good trip ... maybe we should try a boat again:-)  Any body out there looking for a nice 5th wheeler including a truck?

We are going to relax and enjoy a week here then drive the truck back to Greencastle, IN.
Okay, the trip from hell is finally over ... for now at least.  Camping World had our RV ready to go fully covered by the warranty.  First overnight stop  in  a secure rest area went fine.  Next morning we  head for an RV park in northern FL.  No problem except Dave had to squeeze between two huge "Pushers" with little room to maneuver.  Got in with no problem until Joyce noticed the rear awning brace was damaged.  The back end of RV must have grazed the telephone pole.  Not wanting to deal with it after a long day on the road, Dave duck taped the dangling brace to the RV.   Next morning we are on the road heading for our final destination. We were on I75 when a guy waves at us pointing to the rear of the RV.  Well the duck tape didn't hold so we pulled over to the side of the Interstate and with a not quite tall enough step ladder Dave manages to remove bolt and brace in order to store in the RV.  45 minutes later we are on the road  ... nope not end of story!  Backing into our RV site, no one mention the water supply in back of our site ... yep we created our own water sprout!  People at the park were nice enough and fixed it and said welcome to the 1001 Club.  I guess we were not the first and probably not the last to do the water trick.



10-18-2013
We finally received a call from Camping World in Nashville, TN.  Our RV is ready to be picked up.  So we plan to head out tomorrow, Saturday, hitch on the RV and continue our trip to Florida.  We should be in our campground Monday the 21st. 
We will probably stay only a week then head back to Indiana where we have several events to attend.  Then after Christmas (and decorations put away) we will head back to Florida.  We plan to stay 10 days in a condo in Marathon January 3-13 hoping to see our boating friends!  Then back to our RV in the Sebring, FL area.



09-30-2013
Joyce at home

Okay, whats wrong with this image?  We left Sunday in our RV, stop one destination upper Alabama.  Well this isn't Joyce in our RV ... instead back home in our condo.  We got as far as Nashville when a truck pulled up beside us and told us our wheel was smoking ... probably a wheel barring.  We pulled off at the nearest gas station and the wheel and neighborhood looked pretty bad.  We called for a tow (like boat usa) and had to wait 2 hours ... and were approached by four pan handlers looking for some change.  I told them I was broke down which satisfied most of them except the last guy who still wanted some change.  Risking being shot, I told him I might need some change from him to get this damn thing fixed.  Long story, but bottom line the guy at Camping World told us the axle was shot ... 2-3 weeks for parts and installation.  We thought we were done with this boat thing (i.e. bring on another thousand) ... Joyce is smiling and Dave is drinking ... not a happy camper.



.09-14-2013 IU tailgating
I just had to put these pictures on the blog.  Friends Jim, Gary, brother Kevin and Dave.  Tailgating at the IU football game.  Kevin managed to get great seats and parking.  Seats on the 30 yard line 8 rows from the field and parking a few steps away ... awesome!
Bros on ESPN
We got home and a friend of brother Larry sent us the above.  Somehow we got TV time on ESPN.  Left is Dave, older brother Larry and younger brother Kevin.  Larry had seats elsewhere but came down to visit us ... what are the odds of us getting a TV shot ... that day we should have been at the horse track!



09-06-2013
Joyce's flower garden
Who has the fairest garden of all ... the Admiral of course!
 working garden
Joyce trying to find a place to plant mums.  Dave just trying for brownie points.
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  Archives

July - August 2013 - Bad Lands, Black Hills, Yellowstone, Tetons and family

  May 15, 2013 to June 15, 2013  - 500 race, RV initial trips, mystery trip
  Feb 2013 to April 2013 - Marathon and South Caribbean cruise
  Oct 13,2012 thru Jan 2013 - RV, hunting, parade, Christmas and back to Marathon
  July 19 - September 27, 2012 - Lake homes northern Indiana; Cape Cod
  January 2012 - July 10, 2012 - includes Europe
  November - December 2011 - finishing the Loop and afterwards
  September 1 - October 31, 2011 - Joycie back Captain a happy guy!
  July 1 - Aug 31, 2011 - Moving Joysea south without Joycie - Captain not a happy guy
  June 2 - June 30, 2011 - east coast, NJ, NY, Canada where Joyce breaks hip -  not good
  April 22 - May 30, 2011 - Beginning the loop
  January - April 20, 2011 - Winter in the Keys - paradise!
  November - December 2010 - Mentors Pat & George - following to Keys - fun now!!
  August, September, October 2010 - Moving boat from Maine to the Keys - scary!
  July 2010 - Home sold and found our boat in Maine
   
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