Posted by: harleyhawk43 | February 13, 2021
Hawk’s best pictures from 11 years of full time Rving on Picfair
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted by: harleyhawk43 | January 23, 2021
Dodging Covid
Joshua Tree National Park
Well, here we are in January of 2021 and I have not posted since last May. The reasons are many, but Covid-19 is the main one. Lets go back to the time when my traveling partner and I left the Yuma AZ area, where we had wintered at Imperial Dam BLM LTVA. Our plan was to visit several National and State Parks on our way back to Massachusetts as the Spring temperatures rose. Our first destination was Joshua Tree National Forest, just off I-10 about 100 miles from the Arizona Border in California. I had been there before with my previous traveling partner and wanted to show it to Donna. Our trip was 165 miles, a fairly easy drive and we arrived on 3/14. I already knew the camping logistics for this park and had a preselected site that I knew would work. We would not camp in the park proper, but on the access road coming off I-10, about a quarter of a mile up and about 200 yards from the main entry sign and about two miles from the Cottonwood welcome center.
The area in which we camped is overseen by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) a division of the Department of the Interior. If you are not familiar with BLM, they oversee and control 245 million acres of land, about one tenth of America’s land base. They have made substantial amounts of this land available for low cost or free dispersed camping. Dispersed camping is basically free style camping with no formal campsite delineations. In other words, you pull in, pick a spot and set up camp. There is usually so much room that you do not have to camp near anyone. Usually you have anywhere from 15 to 20 feet minimum, up to several hundred yards. Also, usually there is no electricity, no water supply and no dump stations. Additionally, there is usually a 14 day limit to your stay, although you are allowed to come back in the same year after 14 days and stay another 14 days. Most people (commonly referred to as boondockers) stock up on food, water, fuel and arrive with empty waste tanks in order to stay for two weeks. For electricity they have either a generator, solar panel(s) or both.
We arrived with all of the above, plus two motorcycles and two bicycles and stayed until 3/18. You will see, in the attached pictures, what the camping area and the interior of the park look like. To see additional pictures, go to my recently published PicFair site. There I post my best pictures for your enjoyment and which are also available to purchase as a download or as an actual framed picture delivered to your address. The link is-
https://harleyhawk.picfair.com
Stewart’s Point-Lake Mead
After leaving J.T., we had intended to go to Death Valley but found out it was closed due to Covid-19. We were disappointed but decided to go to a site in the Las Vegas/Lake Mead area called Stewart’s Point. Friends of ours had highly recommended it and said it was even better than Valley of Fire State Park. We drove the 280 miles to Stewart’s Point and loved it. We had a view of Lake Mead, plenty of room to set up camp and were at least 100 yards from the nearest camper. While there, we hiked along the edge of the lake, checked out the other camping rigs and met a few people, all the while practicing social distancing. One day we drove the utility trailer back to the paved road and unloaded our Harleys for a ride to Las Vegas (65 miles each way) even though we knew nothing was open there. Once there we had the surrealistic experience of walking up and down the main boulevard where most of the casinos are located with only a smattering of other people walking about and a few vehicles driving through. In the pictures below you will see our camping area and then our Vegas photos. As with Joshua Tree, go to my PicFair Photo Site to view additional pictures.
https://harleyhawk.picfair.com
Las Vegas-Nevada
Sheep Bridge Road-La Verkin Utah
Suddenly, on 3-24-20 park rangers arrived at our camper and gave us a written notice that all camping on Lake Mead had been suspended due to Covid-19 and that we would have to leave by noon of the following day! We were disappointed and somewhat surprised but found out later that day that hordes of local people had descended on the lake boating/recreation areas and partied with very little if any social distancing. The governor of Nevada decided to close everything up, including the dispersed camping areas. Lake Mead lies in Nevada and Arizona and we were on the Nevada side. At that point, we decided to head to southern Utah and see if we could boondock near Zion. If Zion was open, and we had no reason to believe it wasn’t, I wanted to show Donna the beautiful scenery, hiking and motorcycle riding. We located a dispersed camping BLM area near La Verkin Utah and about 20 miles from the entrance to Zion. It is located on Sheep Bridge Road which connects route 9 and route 59. It is a hard packed dirt road with scores of informal camp sites. The scenery was outstanding and we stayed about 18 days, from 3-25 to 4-12. One drawback was that when it rained the dirt turned into a red clay muck and it could quickly degenerate into an area where you could get stuck. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened to us when I tried to reposition our trailer to get a better view. We wound up calling Good Sam’s roadside assistance and got pulled out by a local towing company well versed in getting even the worst cases pulled free. Our truck/trailer combo weighs in at over 4 tons and we were halfway up our hubcaps, so you can imagine what a project it was to get us out (see pictures below). As a matter of fact we appeared on their YouTube channel in a video that showed the entire operation. Embarrassing to say the least!
We did manage, besides a lot of local hiking, to take the utility trailer up to route 9, unload the Harleys and ride to Zion. Zion was open but the campgrounds were closed and no shuttle buses were running. We were ok with both because we already had a camping spot and the shuttles not running meant that we would be allowed to ride into the park area and access all the trailheads. We rode up past all the trailheads until we got to the end. There we were able to hike a mile or so to the beginning of the famous Narrows Trail. The Narrows Trail actually consists of hiking in water shoes through mid-calf high water alternating with dry sand/gravel bars as the Virgin River cuts its way through perpendicular towering cliffs on each side. We made a note to try it, if we could, on another day. On the way out we made note of the other trails, some of which I had hiked in previous years. On the ride back to camp we were excited with the prospects of hiking the next day.
That night the bad news came. The small town of Springdale, lying just outside the park entrance had petitioned the governor of Utah to contact the federal government and shut down the park. Their reason was that they had virtually no cases of Covid but were being visited by thousands of tourists on their way in and out of the park. Springdale authorities were fearful of a dramatic increase and had virtually no medical facilities that would be able to care for their citizens should the pandemic hit as a result of tourists introducing it into the town. So, there would be no hiking! Our plan B was to ride through the park on Highway 9 which would remain open for tourists and sightseers.
Bryce Canyon
Springdale and Zion-Utah
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Lone Rock-Lake Powell
On April 12, we left Sheep Bridge Road and headed for Lone Rock on Lake Powell. This dispersed camping area had been recommended to us by a friend and we were eager to see it. We had been in the Zion area for about 18 days and it was time to move on. However, when we arrived at the entrance to the Lone Rock site the gate was closed and locked. Covid had struck a blow to our plans once more! With each passing day, we were hearing about and encountering more and more campsites closing, both private/commercial and State/Federal. Not to be deterred, we found a dirt turnout a few hundred yards up the road on highway 89 and set up camp there. We were sitting right on the Arizona/Utah border and had a great view of Lake Powell. We were able to walk down to the beach at the lake’s edge and also to lift our bicycles over the gate and bicycle down.
At this site we were only 12 miles from Page Arizona and so we spent several days visiting Page, for sightseeing, medical help (I had one ear blocked with ear wax and was practically deaf in it), kayaking and a car repair (Donna’s conversion van needed a new water pump). Little did we know that that area of Arizona had just been declared one of the worst Covid areas in the U.S., especially in and around the Native American settlements and reservations. Fortunately we were living a lifestyle (full time RV Boondockers) that kept us in a semi quarantine position most of the time. Pictures of our adventures there are below.
https://harleyhawk.picfair.com
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https://harleyhawk.picfair.com
I would just like to add here that Lake Powell was closed to all boating when we arrived there and the boat ramp, which was about a couple of 100 yards long , was blocked off from driving your boat trailer or any other vehicle down for launching. We, bound and determined to have fun in spite of Covid restrictions, carried the kayaks down and proceeded to spend the next 5 or 6 hours all by ourselves having an absolutely great time. Unfortunately we missed the turn to see the best scenery and wound up at the dam itself!
On another day, we decided to take a motorcycle ride to the Lee’s Ferry area and then on Alt 89 towards the Vermilion Cliffs area.
On 4/21, after boondock camping on the side of the road on the AZ/UT border, we were visited by a friendly park ranger who politely told us we would have to leave. The reason? No camping is allowed within 100 yards of a campground entrance or on a highway pullout. Of course my “wise ass” retort would have been, “Well, if the damn campground was open we wouldn’t be out here, would we!” I did manage to remain calm and told him we would begin packing up and be on our way. We were not overly upset, because we had accomplished most of what we had wanted to see and do in the area. So, off we went, headed for the Flagstaff AZ area and dispersed camping (what else!) in the Coconino Forest area.
Flagstaff Arizona/Coconino Forest area
Flagstaff lies about 130 miles from Page and the trip simply consists of following route 89 south, all the way. We had scouted out our camping spot on our free camping APP and knew that it was only about 10 miles from Flagstaff on Forest Road #776. Arriving at this forest road which was right off of route 89, we soon found ourselves on a very bumpy road which seemed to go on forever, with no sign of any camp sites. Finally, just as we were getting a bit concerned, we came to a sign that said we were entering the camping area and we began to see campers dispersed discreetly through some of the most beautiful woodlands we had ever seen. The woods consisted mostly of Ponderosa Pines interspersed with black volcanic powder/pebbly soil. We were thrilled. It was an extremely quiet, peaceful and tranquil setting, albeit a bit chilly. There were, in fact, a few snow flakes in the air and the temperature was due to sink into the low 30s that evening.During our
During our 5 day stay, we took one day to motorcycle to Sedona and back. We had to haul the utility trailer containing our bikes back out to the paved highway, unload them and leave the trailer there while we rode to Sedona, 30 miles away, via route 89A.
April 26th marked our last day in Arizona and the beginning of our annual trek home. We had received word that our summer campground was due to open in early May, after a brief Covid related delay. We were tired of being on the road, dodging Covid and anxious to return home. During the next 10 days we travelled an average of 300 miles per day, stopping mostly at Walmarts for our overnights. There was one exception when we stayed at a Flying J truck stop in Tucumcari New Mexico due to a lack of Walmarts in the area. Here is the list of stops-
Gallup New Mexico, Tucumcari N.M., Weatherford OK, Clarkesville AR, Jackson TN, Knoxville TN, Boone NC, Lexington VA, Hazelton PA, Sturbridge MA, Brant Rock MA.
We were excited to be on our way back after being gone all winter and so it came as a shock and big disappointment when we learned that the governor of Massachusetts had decided no campgrounds could open yet. So here we were, almost halfway back and no place to stay when we arrived! After the initial surprise a possible solution came to me. I knew that the local fairground had RV hookups for the Fair workers who arrived each year and tended to the various midway attractions. They travelled from place to place in trailers and needed hookups at each fairground. I made a few calls and landed a site. We would be ok after all and would just have to wait until we got word that our regular campground would be allowed to open. Life was good again and we would be still dodging Covid, but enjoying being home again.
Did you enjoy this blog and the related pictures? Want to see more? Go to Hawk’s PicFair site to see additional pictures and purchase any that you especially like. Enjoy and thank you.
Posted by: harleyhawk43 | May 18, 2020
Wintering at Imperial Dam and Damage Control
© Hawk Hickok Hickman, 2008-2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Hawk Hickok Hickman and harleyhawk43.wordpress.com, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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Hawk has written six books, four on his full time RV adventures and two on the Irish Sea Mossing Industry in Scituate MA. Click here to purchase them either in paperback or e-book form-
0r, to obtain a personalized, signed copy, contact Hawk directly by text at 617-605-6594 or by email at harleyhawk43@gmail.com or by going to Hawk’s Facebook page, Hawk’s Books.
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Arriving at Imperial Dam BLM dispersed camping area on November 10 after our grueling 10 day trip (see previous blog for our misadventures), we went through the usual set-up procedures
- Disconnect the truck from the 30 foot Wolfpack Trailer/camper. This is not an easy task. The wheels of the trailer have to be chocked, the front jack on the trailer has to be utilized to raise the trailer off of the ball hitch (it is a tag-a-long trailer, not a fifth wheel), the anti-sway bars have to be removed, then the truck pulled forward, then the trailer jacked back down to a level position. Then the corner jacks on the trailer have to be lowered to provide stability. This is all if you are on level ground. If not, you would have to employ block risers under the wheels of whichever side of the trailer was lower than the other).
- Next you get out your gas powered generator for your electricity (no electricity at BLM dispersed campgrounds).
- Prior to selecting a site you would have filled up your water tank (110 gallons in our case) and emptied your sewer tanks in the dump station.
- Then you get out your heavy duty shore power cord , start up your generator and recharge your batteries (two 6 volt deep charge, connected in series) and charge your phones and computers. We usually run our generator about 3 hours per day. This was all before we purchased a 140 watt solar panel (more on that later).
After getting set up, we spent the next few days getting organized and acclimated. Then we set about trying to make arrangements to get our damaged equipment repaired under warranties and insurance coverage. The major damage was to the Conversion Van and the utility trailer (see previous post for details). As hard as it may be to believe, it was more stressful trying to get things repaired than the initial fire event on the conversion van and the tire blowout on the utility trailer.
The insurance company refused to pay for a new refrigerator so that had to be paid out of pocket. The replacement grill never arrived in four months, so we had to leave without it and keep the area duct taped over a cardboard insert. we are still waiting for it to arrive as of this writing, 6 months later. Nor were we able to get the body work done where the fire scorched the outside finish of the van.
Turning to the utility trailer, we had to argue with the warranty people for the better part of 2 months to get the damage to the trailer fixed. During that time we lost the use of the trailer in which we had planned to store our two motorcycles out of the weather. All in all, a nightmare, and this on a brand new trailer!
Instead of dwelling on the negative details of our repair travails, we now move to the fun we were able to squeeze in between trips to the various repair shops. We had some fun hikes, a couple of motorcycle rides and some spectacular sunsets and sun rises. The attached pictures will serve as a review and summary of our 4 months of winter hibernation in far southern Arizona/ California (We were right on the AZ/CA border)
As you can see we had a great time, got away from the gloomy New England winter weather and were able to ride our motorcycles all winter. Gotta love it!
Now we return to a more mundane subject, namely electricity. For the previous several years, my travels had been mostly involved with regular campgrounds with supplied electricity, so I had partially forgotten the intricacies of electrical supply and demand in a boondocking environment (no electrical supply except for that obtained from a generator or solar panel). I was quickly reminded as our lights began to dim at night after a few weeks. I quickly found out after consulting with my next door neighbor that my wet cell batteries were close to failure due to them not being charged up on a regular basis. We discovered that the built in battery charger/converter was not putting out the amperage needed to recharge them on a regular basis.
So, over the next month we purchased two AGM 6 volt batteries, an inverter (converts DC battery power to AC power), a 140 watt portable solar panel and a battery charger. With all those in hand, my neighbor installed a system that allowed us to have all the AC we needed each day by charging the batteries with solar power and generator power and then drawing upon that power at night and in the morning to watch tv, make coffee and charge our phones and computers. Our cooking, heat and hot water continued to be supplied by our propane tanks (two 30 pounders). Life was good again, electricity wise, and we were able to live relatively comfortably for the remainder of the winter. A big round of applause for our neighbor, Brad, who made this all happen. And, the good part is it was a bartering exchange for the most part, whereby I downloaded over 10,000 songs for him from my Itunes library. He got all the music he will ever need and we got an electrical system that allows for camping virtually anywhere without electrical concerns.
During the four months we were at Imperial Dam, Donna practiced on her Harley Sportster motorcycle. She had not ridden since she was 23, 47 years prior and had a tough time getting reoriented. She did take 3 or 4 spills, mostly while stopping suddenly, but got right back up and soldiered on. By the time March rolled around, she had reached an intermediate stage of proficiency and we were able to go on a couple of trips of over 100 miles! Lots of spunk in this woman!.
As the months of November through February rolled by the weather cooled down considerably and then started warming up fast as we hit late February and early March. The 7 month unlimited camping season ends April 15, but most people, especially the Canadians, pack up in late February and early to mid-March. The Canadians have to be back across the border within 6 months to keep their health coverage. We were in no particular hurry except that we were somewhat bored with the same scenery for over four months and wanted to visit some western national parks before we made a bee line for the East Coast. We packed up the second week in March, said our goodbyes to our neighbors and left Imperial Dam on March 14th. Our first stop would be Joshua Tree N.P. followed by Death Valley N.P., Zion N.P., Bryce and possibly a few others. Little did we know that the Covid 19 Pandemic would put a severe crimp in our plans Stay tuned for our wild Covid adventures in my next blog!
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Hawk has written six books, four on his full time RV adventures and two on the Irish Sea Mossing Industry in Scituate MA. Click here to purchase them either in paperback or e-book form-
0r, to obtain a personalized, signed copy, contact Hawk directly by text at 617-605-6594 or by email at harleyhawk43@gmail.com or by going to Hawk’s Facebook page, Hawk’s Books.
Posted by: harleyhawk43 | April 9, 2020
Preparing for Year Ten
© Hawk Hickok Hickman, 2008-2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Hawk Hickok Hickman and harleyhawk43.wordpress.com, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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Hawk has written six books, four on his full time RV adventures and two on the Irish Sea Mossing Industry in Scituate MA. Click here to purchase them either in paperback or e-book form-
0r, to obtain a personalized, signed copy, contact Hawk directly by text at 617-605-6594 or by email at harleyhawk43@gmail.com or by going to Hawk’s Facebook page, Hawk’s Books.
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In our last blog, we detailed this past summer season’s activities at or around our summertime campground in Brant Rock, Marshfield MA. After that very active period, it was time to once again prepare for leaving the Northeast and the Winter rigors which I had been escaping for the previous 9 years. This year would be different in several ways.
First, I would be traveling out West again after spending the two previous winters in Florida. Secondly, I would have a full time traveling companion again and thirdly, we would be traveling in a caravan. The caravan would consist of two hauling vehicles and two trailers. The first hauling vehicle would be my old faithful 2006 Ford F-350 diesel truck, pulling my thirty foot Cherokee Wolfpack Toy Hauler trailer. However, the Toy Hauler would no longer have the “toys” in it!. The toys (two Harleys) would be in a new Haulmark 12 foot, single axle utility trailer with a 20 inch V-nose, pulled by a Pleasure Way Dodge Conversion Van, with a Mercedes diesel power plant.
In the pictures below, you see our caravan after driving approximately 2800 miles from Brant Rock MA to a BLM LTVA dispersed camping area on the AZ/CA border. Before we would arrive there, however, we would have several near disasters; one before we even departed and another on the road.
My traveling partner had recently purchased a Conversion Van, complete with all the usual RV accoutrements; kitchen, bathroom, cooking range, living room that converts to a bedroom, water tank, heat, hot water heater, generator, propane supply, T.V., window shades, refrigerator and an awning. It was my job to get it ready for the trip while also getting The Wolfpack and my truck ready. This was all to be done in the month of October prior to our departure November 1st. Donna was on a trip to visit relatives in Europe. It was a very hectic month, involving moving out of my summertime campground in Brant Rock and living in the conversion van in my daughter’s driveway. Finally I had most everything done and Donna had arrived in Ma. She helped me with some final details and we were ready to go.
Four days before we were going to leave, while double-checking the three refrigerator settings (battery, 110 AC and propane), we smelled something funny. It seemed to be outside, so we ran out and saw flames leaping from the refrigerator vent compartment. It took a minute to grab an extinguisher and by the time we quelled the flames the entire compartment was burnt and the vent cover was melted. Additionally, the van had scorch marks around the vent opening. We were in partial shock. We realized the entire van could have been destroyed and the propane tank could have exploded, right in my daughter’s driveway. Fortunately she and her two children were not home. After we had regained our composure we figured out that we could still keep to our schedule and leave on November 1st. We would have no refrigerator but, since we had one in The Wolfpack, we would be fine. We could get a new refrigerator in Arizona. The vent could be covered with cardboard and secured with duct tape, a man’s best friend, along with bungee cords.
We continued to forge ahead with our trip preparations and goodbyes to family, friends and neighbors. We had last minute items of loading the motorcycles into a new utility trailer and having The Wolfpack axles greased and the wheel bearings packed. As we departed on 11/1, the sliding door on the van, which had been giving us trouble for a couple of weeks, decided that it was not going to stay closed anymore and kept sliding open as we tried to get the caravan on the road. Once again it was duct tape to the rescue! I slid the door as close to being shut as possible and ran several courses of tape over the door seam. Off we went, on a wing and a prayer, as the saying goes!
I had done this trip cross country from MA to AZ at least 5 times and knew that it would take us about 9 days. averaging around 325 miles per day. I also knew that it would not be trouble free but had no idea of what particular significant bit of trouble we were going to encounter.
On our second or third day out in Virginia, Donna called me on the 2 way radio and told me she had to pull over immediately. I got out of the pickup truck and walked back to her van. Something looked quite amiss as I approached the van. The utility trailer looked as if it had a flat. Not only did it have a flat, but the entire right fender was blown to smithereens. This was both a complete surprise since the tires were brand new , the trailer was brand new and we had checked the tire pressure and weight capacity of the trailer before departing. We managed to change the tire, taped up the jagged edges of the siding which had also been damaged and limped to a Walmart for the night. In the morning we would look for a place to buy a new spare. We found a Tractor Supply store with the tire we needed and bought two. This was on a Sunday. On Monday we found an auto and truck repair shop nearby with great reviews on the internet and scheduled an appointment for early in the morning. The owner, Rex, was great and had the trailer all patched up within 2 hours. He explained that whoever had attached the axle to the trailer had not tightened the U-Bolt fasteners down on one side properly and they had loosened to the extent that the axle moved off center causing the tire on the opposite side to rub against the side of the trailer. He explained he was certain of this because the fasteners are made so they can’t back off if tightened down properly. Although he was able to fix the axle, he had no way to fix the side panel and so (yes, you guessed it!) out came the duct tape again and we were once more on our way, checking the tape and tires at every rest break.
The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful but we were totally tense after these unsettling developments. We did have a leaky tire on the Wolfpack but were able to get a spare put on and found that the leak was caused by a bent rim (the highways going across the country are brutal in places). We also had a slight scare when the coolant lamp went on in the van, but adding coolant quickly cured that.
Arriving at the BLM LTVA Imperial Dam area around 11/10, we breathed a huge sigh of relief and took a break after setting up camp and before beginning the pursuit of warranty and insurance considerations for our two major incidents.
BLM stands for Bureau of Land Management and LTVA stands for Long Term Visitor Areas. The BLM, a federal agency, controls huge areas of land located mostly out west in CA and AZ. In the LTVAs, of which there are eleven, there is no electricity, but water stations, sewer dump stations and rest rooms or vault toilets in most. Right click here for more information-
At these sites, which are dispersed camping (no assigned lots), a camper can stay for as long as 7 months from September to April for a total of $180 (about 86 cents per day if you stay the entire 7 months). You must supply your own electricity, which means a generator or solar panels or, preferably, both. In the map below, our LTVA is the one labelled Imperial Dam and is located right next to the Colorado River. The Colorado serves as the border between CA and AZ.
In the next blog, I will describe our four months at Imperial Dam, from approximately 11/15 to 3/15, including all of the trials and tribulations involved in fixing the Conversion van and the utility trailer.
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Hawk has written six books, four on his full time RV adventures and two on the Irish Sea Mossing Industry in Scituate MA. Click here to purchase them either in paperback or e-book form-
0r, to obtain a personalized, signed copy, contact Hawk directly by text at 617-605-6594 or by email at harleyhawk43@gmail.com or by going to Hawk’s Facebook page, Hawk’s Books.
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Posted by: harleyhawk43 | February 20, 2020
Year Ten of Full Time RVing
© Hawk Hickok Hickman, 2008-2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Hawk Hickok Hickman and harleyhawk43.wordpress.com, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Hawk has written six books, four on his full time RV adventures and two on the Irish Sea Mossing Industry in Scituate MA. Go to the following link to purchase them either in paperback or e-book form-
https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B00DZYYITC
0r, contact Hawk directly by text at 617-605-6594 or by email at harleyhawk43@gmail.com or by going to Hawk’s Facebook page, Hawk’s Books.
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Well here we are in Year Ten of full time RVing and there have been lots of changes. Chief amongst them are:
- The arrival of my seventh grandchild, Catherine Harlow Gay, born on April 24th 2019.
- The delivery of my brand spanking new Amesbury, 20 foot Banks dory.
- A parting of the ways with my dear friend and partner for 12 years and RV travel partner for the better part of 7 years, The Red Fox. May her new path lead her to further adventures and continued happiness.
- The good fortune to meet a new companion and traveling partner.
Peggotty Beach 
Scituate Harbor 
Brian Pipes and Hawk getting ready to go mossing
Pemaquid Point, Maine 
New Harbor, Maine 
Monhegan Island, Maine 
Hiking on Monhegan
My new friend and traveling partner, Donna, pictured above, on a Coast of Maine and Monhegan Island vacation in mid-September.
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The summer of 2019 was filled with adventures. Camping once more at Blackman’s Point in Brant Rock Marshfield MA was delightful, with the usual visits by children and grandchildren. We had a fourth of July parade and several cookouts/campouts. Additionally, and unbelievably, a buyer for Irish Sea Moss appeared in Scituate asking if we could supply him with a fairly significant amount of that particular seaweed. We told him it was late in the season, but that we would try. It had been 22 years since any Moss had been gathered in Scituate. We were ecstatic to see a possible revival of this industry! I immediately contacted my mossing buddy, Jerry Pallotta and we formulated plans to begin gathering sea moss, something we were quite familiar with since we had collectively spent over 40 years in that industry. Over the next 2 weeks we attempted to do something we had not done since the 1990s. We readied our equipment (Boats, rakes, bailers, life jackets, oars), and readied ourselves, at ages 76 and 66, respectively, to raise from the dead our beloved seaweed gathering industry, one which had been an integral part of Scituate’s history from 1860 to 1997. We were able to demonstrate to the buyer’s satisfaction that we could resurrect the industry to the extent that we could satisfy his needs for the following summer. We raked sea moss for about two weeks and then had to cease due to the season drawing to a close (bad weather, the crop deteriorating due to heavy surf for over a week).
Hawk, Raking in some Chondrus Crispus 
Jerry Pallotta 
Hawk and Jerry 
Onion sacks filled with dried sea moss
Patrick 
Hawk and Joe 
Greta and Catherine
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https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B00DZYYITC or to “Hawk’s Books” (www.facebook.com/harleyhawk1943) on Facebook, for details on ordering my 4 books on my full time RV travels, “Hawk and Red Fox-Modern Day Gypsies”, Volumes 1, 2 and 3, 4. or text me at 617-605-6594 for a signed personalized copy.
or my two books on Irish Sea Mossing in Scituate MA.
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After all the summertime fun, it was time to get ready for my annual departure from Blackman’s Campground and make the pilgrimage to warmer weather. During my 10 years of full time RVing, I have split the winter destination between Florida and Arizona. Having spent the last two years in Florida and finding the traffic getting worse each year and the weather too hot and humid, I decided on Southern Arizona for 2019/2020. Before leaving, however, there were a few Fall adventures to be had. Several of them involved my new dory. There were two rowing races in October, one at Lowell’s Boat Shop in Amesbury MA where my dory was built and one in Hull MA not far from Blackman’s. In the Lowell’s race we finished second in our class (I rowed with a local rower, Ted Rainha, from Amesbury) and in the Hull race we also finished second in our class (I rowed with my new traveling partner). Below are pictures from both races. In each race, I believe we were the oldest rowers.
One of two six person gigs to compete that day. 
Twin Dories, both built at Lowell’s 
Hawk and Ted 
Graham McCay handing out awards 
Jeff Lenihan and partner. 
Hawk and First Mate 
Gorgeous Fall colors both in the scenery and on the boats 
Before the race 
Hunky Dory after race with Boston Harbor in the back ground 
Being greeted by two grandkids at finish line 
Hawk and Donna crossing finish line. First race ever for her. 
To be continued!
Posted by: harleyhawk43 | March 26, 2019
Year Nine of full time RV Living
© Hawk Hickok Hickman, 2008-2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Hawk Hickok Hickman and harleyhawk43.wordpress.com, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Snowbirding in Florida-Year Nine of full time RVing in The Wolfpack
Well here it is almost April of 2019 and The Wolfpack and yours truly have been in Delray Florida since November 5. We are back in the same campground where we started our full time RV adventures 9 years ago. After spending our first 3 years here in 2010-2012 and then heading west each spring, we went directly out to Arizona for the next 4 years 2013-2016. This made it easier for us to access the national parks out west when Spring arrived. Then in 2017 and 2018 it was back to Florida, as both The Wolfpack and the driver were getting worn out by the long drive from New England to Arizona and other points out west (The Wolfpack is now 13 years old and the driver is 75). As explained in the last blog, the Red Fox retired from full time RVing 2 years ago and now flies down to visit several times during the winter.
I left my summer campground in Brant Rock, Marshfield MA on 11/1/18 and drove the 1800 miles to Delray in 5 days, arriving on 11/5. It was Deja Vue all over again as I settled in amongst the palm trees, one and one half miles from the Atlantic Ocean, the very same ocean that I camp on in Brant Rock. I have an affinity for the Atlantic, having been born on Cape Cod in Barnstable County and living in close proximity to the Atlantic for most of my life. As is my usual procedure, and as you faithful readers of this blog know, I overnighted at Walmart parking lots all the way down. This saves about $250 in campground fees and is usually a safe and secure site. I know the best Walmart locations by now, having made the trip many times.
The trip was fairly uneventful, except for 2 incidents-
- On a hilly, windy, back country road with a 35 mph speed limit, a nitwit passed me at about 50 mph and almost caused a head on collision with an oncoming car. I caught up with him at a stop light and proceeded to cuss him out, at which point he kept gesturing towards his glove compartment. I guess he was trying to tell me he had a gun in there. Anyway, I reported him to the local police and continued on my way to the local Walmart. File under “Close encounter of the Road Rage type”.
- On day four, upon checking my trailer tires on the daily morning inspection, I discovered noticeable wear on the inside of the right rear tire. I quickly put in a call to my Good Sam’s roadside assistance people and had them remove the tire and install one of my 2 spares. I had learned long ago that one doesn’t mess with questionable tires on a 5 ton trailer tow.
Staged in Brant Rock Pier parking lot 10/31 evening in preparation for 11/1 departure. Blackman’s Campground closes up 10/31.
Typical Walmart overnight parking RV line-up
Arriving at the Delraton RV Campground after 4 years’ absence was a “semi blast from the past” and I quickly became reoriented. Delraton is about 1 and 1/2 miles from the ocean and is located on Route 1. It is not a quiet, bucolic campground, since it sits on a fairly busy highway and has a railroad track directly behind it, with frequent freight and passenger trains. Additionally, it sits right in the middle of the Delray car dealership area. Its redeaming qualities are that it is affordable, close to the beach, close to A1A, the shore road and close to many shops and restaurants, including the beautiful Atlantic Ave. downtown Delray Beach area.
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or to “Hawk’s Books” (www.facebook.com/harleyhawk1943) on Facebook,
for details on ordering our 4 books on our travels, “Hawk and Red Fox-Modern Day Gypsies”, Volumes 1, 2 and 3, 4.
or text me at 617-605-6594 for a signed personalized copy
or my two books on Irish Sea Mossing in Scituate MA.
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Thanksgiving was spent in Palm Harbor with friends, James and Janice and Christmas was spent with newfound friends at Delraton, Karl and Susan, from Alberta Canada.
James and Janice’s house in Palm Harbor FL 
James and myself
During January and then again during March, Red Fox flew in for some R&R. We had motorcycle adventures and went to visit many of our friends on both coasts of Florida. Additionally, there were some fierce dominoes tournaments and a lot of bicycle riding. Two great visits. The frosting on the cake is that each time she visits, she helps me to get The Wolf Pack back in shape (Defrosting the refrigerator, laundry, vacuuming etc.). Below are pictures of some of the highlights of her two visits.
Bill, Tophy, Marian, Lorrie 
Allan, Jennifer (Allan’s wife), Richie (Karen’s brother-in-law)
Red’s Brother, Allan 
Olde Key Lime House
Fort Lauderdale Beach 
Fort Lauderdale Boulevard 
Ready to Ride 
Cousin Pamet in Stuart 
Lorrie and Bill 
Ellen and Karen
Patriots game with Tom and Sandy 
So, I escaped New England’s winter for the ninth year in a row and got to ride my motorcycle all winter again. April will be spent getting the Trailer and truck ready for the trek home.
Posted by: harleyhawk43 | November 12, 2018
Another year flies By!
© Hawk Hickok Hickman, 2008-2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Hawk Hickok Hickman and harleyhawk43.wordpress.com, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Well it’s been quite a while since I last posted here and so I will try and catch my readers up. The last post dealt with last winter’s travels (See Wintering in Florida for details). That winter I tried North West Florida in the Ocala region and stayed in my friend/ Billy Ferguson’s yard in Citrus Springs. The price was great and I enjoyed my stay, but found I preferred Southeast Florida which is where I have arrived this winter. I have gotten to the point where I really can’t take any cold weather and there were several very cold spells in Citrus Springs ( temps below freezing at night).
But let’s back up to last summer before we begin talking about this winter. I left Citrus Springs around April 26th and arrived back in my summer campground on opening day, May 1st. Red Fox, who does not travel with me anymore (7 years full time was enough for her!) met me at Blackman’s Campground in Brant Rock Mass. and helped me unload and set up.
Soon we had the bikes unloaded and the Wolfpack backed in next to our deck (The deck stays on site all winter with cement blocks on it to keep it secure during the winter storms).
As usual, we had all my grand kids over and many other kids from the campground would join in. In the pictures below you will see a compendium of the summer fun.
Sadly, there are definite indications that Blackman’s may close at the end of the 2019 summer. If proven true, we will certainly miss being able to camp there all summer, but we will have had nine fabulous years there.
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Go to
https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B00DZYYITC
or to “Hawk’s Books” (www.facebook.com/harleyhawk1943) on Facebook,
for details on ordering our 4 books on our travels, “Hawk and Red Fox-Modern Day Gypsies”, Volumes 1, 2 and 3, 4
or text me at 617-605-6594 for a signed personalized copy
or my two books on Irish Sea Mossing in Scituate MA.
*************************************************************************************
We had, besides all the campground fun, the usual motorcycle and dory adventures.
Laconia Week
Dotti’s Annual Skimos Ride
October Bike Trip
Our third bike trip of the summer/Fall
Dory Tours
Two summers ago I started my Scituate Harbor Dory tours and they have been a big success. The dory I use is a 1968 Amesbury “Banks” dory and is the same dory I used during about 20 summers of harvesting Irish Sea Moss off the coast of Scituate MA. Dories are a traditional rowing craft, designed to carry heavy loads and withstand rough seas. If you are in the area next summer, contact me for your personal tour.
Book Sales
We also had book sales events with my old mossing buddy, Gerry Pallotta, who graciously let me peddle my books at his table at Scituate Heritage Days.
That’s it for now. Next blog will cover my arrival in Delray Beach Florida on November 5.
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted by: harleyhawk43 | February 20, 2018
Wintering in Florida
Bill was the person who originally got us interested in Toy Haulers (large travel trailers in which one can load motorcycles, dirt bikes, snow mobiles and other such “toys”), just before we bought our Wolfpack in 2010.
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Go to
http://www.nstarsolutions.com/store/home.php?provider=harleyhawk
or to “Hawk’s Books” (www.facebook.com/harleyhawk1943) on Facebook,
or to https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00DZYYITC
for details on ordering our 3 books on our travels, “Hawk and Red Fox-Modern Day Gypsies”, Volumes 1, 2 and 3, or text me at 617-605-6594.
or my two books on Irish Sea Mossing in Scituate MA.
*************************************************************************************
Hanging out with Smitty and Big Bill
We took several local motorcycle rides during November, December and January. Smitty is another buddy of ours from Massachusetts.
Motorcycle ride to Leisureville in Boynton Beach
The day after Christmas I motorcycled down to Boynton Beach to visit Gerry and Liz Maher at their home in Leisureville. It was a long ride (around 280 miles), but well worth it to see my friends, Gerry and Liz, and their new friends in Leisureville. Pictures follow.
Red Fox Arrives
The long awaited arrival of Red Fox heralded a frenetic flurry of activity- First she had to unpack, then rearrange the entire trailer, then check out the nearby hiking and bicycling paths, then prepare for the Superbowl, then prepare for three motorcycle trips, two day trips and then a five day jaunt. I will let the photos do the talking (except there won’t be any Superbowl photos, because it was not so super).
Arriving and ride to Sleepy Hollow
Tarpon Springs Area, High Octane Saloon, Bonita Springs and Fort Lauderdale
Pictured above are; Janice Marshall, Bill Ferguson, Smitty, Ruth Connolly Roberts, Jean Connolly Cochrane, Barbara and Ron Horwood, The Red Fox, Gerry Maher, Liz Maher, Carol Edmonds, Chris Bongarzone and a Manatee playing the piano.
So, not anywhere as exciting as our previous 7 years of full time RVing, but still a very good winter.
Posted in Florida Wintering, motorcycling, Toy Hauler-Harley Traveling | Tags: motorcycling
Posted by: harleyhawk43 | November 7, 2017
Winter approaches and The Hawk Readies for his Flight South.
© Hawk Hickok Hickman, 2008-2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Hawk Hickok Hickman and
harleyhawk43.wordpress.com,
with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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On November 1st, Hawk and Red Fox departed our Summertime Campground in Brant Rock, Marshfield MA. We were “The Last Man Standing” since the majority of campers close up shop at the end of September. That is the official close of the season, but one can purchase the extra month of October with permission from the campground. After October 31, the water is turned off and all trailers either are in winter storage or off for warmer climes.
This particular year, our 8th of full-time RVing, we did not depart right away since we had a wedding to attend on November 11th. Instead we dropped our trailer (a 2006, 30 foot Cherokee Wolfpack) at a local trailer shop for its annual road preparation maintenance and then headed for Red Fox’s Condo in Newburyport. We are there now, as I write these words, fixing up her condo (it was rented out for the last 7 years and now has to be refurnished).
Our plan this year will be a modified one, with Hawk taking the Wolfpack to Florida (instead of Arizona, as we have done the last 4 years) and Red Fox staying behind as she decides what to do with the condo (live in it full time with trips to Florida to join me, or possibly sell it).
We wintered in Florida our first three years on the road, with Springtime side trips out West and then traveled directly out West the next four years. This year we will be in the Dunnellon/Crystal Springs area, on the West Coast of Florida, camping in a friend’s yard. Prior to leaving Brant Rock, we had a busy October, readying The Wolfpack for travel and celebrating four family birthdays, including my own, on Halloween.
Motorcycle Trip to Chatham MA on October 17th, including stop at long lost buddy, Jack MacDonald’s house, in Sandwich MA.
Grinding and Rust Proof Painting of Truck and Trailer
Advertisement
Go to
http://www.nstarsolutions.com/store/home.php?provider=harleyhawk
or to “Hawk’s Books” (www.facebook.com/harleyhawk1943) on Facebook, for details on ordering our 3 books on our travels, “Hawk and Red Fox-Modern Day Gypsies”, Volumes 1, 2 and 3, or text me at 617-605-6594.
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Steve and Kathy come to visit from Ohio
We met Steve and Kathy at Ebbtide RV Park in Fort Myers Beach in 2011-2012 and had visited them at their Ohio home several times after that. Here they come to visit us in Brant Rock. We took them to Provincetown, Scituate Harbor and Plymouth Plantation.
