Category Archives: Interstate

Some MA Birding

Penny and I took took a road trip yesterday down to Merrimac to see Jen and her gang – and to do a little birding. Things are several weeks ahead down here and being further south, we hear Tufted Titmice, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Northern Mockingbirds that are less common up our way. I was just setting up the van – which takes no time at all – when I heard an unusual bird song and found a couple of Magnolia Warblers working the apple tree in the front yard.

This bouncing Magnolia Warbler reminded me how tough it is to photograph warblers.

This bouncing Magnolia Warbler reminded me how tough it is to photograph warblers.

This morning, we paused for a silly selfie before heading out for some birding along a trail I (and many other birders) like along Artichoke Reservoir.

Jen's Mini-Cooper is dwarfed by the Interstate RV

Jen’s Mini-Cooper is dwarfed by the Interstate RV

We heard and saw a lot of neat birds, the best being several Blue-winged Warblers, Northern Waterthrush, Warbling Vireos, Baltimore Orioles, and Rose-breased Grosbeaks. Everything was singing and it was a challenge to figure out the various calls since it’s the first time this year I’ve heard them. This Scarlet Tanager greeted us as we were leaving the trail.

 

Pretty lousy photo of a pretty bird singing its heart out.

Pretty lousy photo of a pretty bird singing its heart out.

This is not only big-time mosquito territory but also tick heaven. She has a treatment each month – I have to remember to wear long pants, load up with spray, and check afterward.  It is a favorite place of mine and favorite time of year to bird – oral and visual overload. A nice problem to have. Good birding

Florida Birds

I often tell folks that I don’t chase birds and generally that is correct. However, when I planned the 1500 mile trip to Florida to trade my truck in on an Airstream Interstate RV, I started to put a short target list together. I have never birded Florida so I wanted to grab a few of the common birds in the short time I would be there — I put a list of Limpkin, Wood Stork, and Florida Scrub Jay on a scrap of paper.

Well, the first early evening there, before the purchase was settled, I heard some sharp calling just outside the motel and got a new life bird of Nanday Parakeet. These are a lot like the Green Parakeets we see in Texas – the first time you see and hear them it is exciting, then it gets old pretty fast.

I had decided that if the transaction went ok, I’d stay in the area for a day or so. After a long Monday morning, I took possession of the new rig and drove about an hour over to Myakka River State Park and within an hour, was walking with the dog and finding two new life birds, Wood Storks and Limpkins.

 

Dozens of Limpkins and their young live in the park and are easy to spot as they forage.

Dozens of Limpkins and their young live in the park and are easy to spot as they forage.

There are many trails where in addition to birds, you might see opossum, alligators, raccoons, and plenty of squirrels. 

There are many trails where in addition to birds, you might see opossum, alligators, raccoons, and plenty of squirrels.

The next morning, we got up early and walked down to a fishing access area which was teeming with birds. Hundreds of Black Vultures (wait for a later post) were interesting to Penny but I found a new life bird foraging. I have seen many Common Gallinules but have never seen a Purple Gallinule. It was neat to see them on the same morning and note the very apparent difference.

Purple Gallinules are pretty striking looking birds.

Purple Gallinules are pretty striking looking birds.

 

This White Ibis was pretty showy in the early morning light.

This White Ibis was pretty showy in the early morning light.

So we packed up and headed out about 8 AM with four new life birds, in less than a day. Then, as the day’s fortune continued, I saw another life bird, a Swallow-tail Kite, right overhead as I drove up I-75. About a half hour later, I saw another one low over the road. They are tough to miss — lovely birds — and a nice bookend to a short Florida birding stop.

Selling The Airstream

One of the things that I did to think about non-hospital, non-cancer thoughts in the last four months was to consider options for future travel. I was thinking about Mary and I and the dog but those plans changed rather abruptly a few weeks ago.

I had been intrigued by my brother Barry and sister-in-law Mica who were having a love affair with an old Airstream van that they were taking out West. They continued to report about the flexibility and went so far as to write that they would probably never haul a trailer again. (They have had several vintage Airstreams and have travelled with them for a decade or more.)

I’m leaning toward a more modern RV, one based on the Sprinter frame with the Mercedes diesel which is so popular. Since there is only the dog and me, we can get by with less space. So, while it could seem too soon to make such decisions, I put the Airstream up for sale and a day later, may have sold it. We will know next week.

Our '99 Airstream, shown here in Mission, TX, has served us well

Our ’99 Airstream, shown here in Mission, TX, has served us well

Airstream Class B’s (Interstates) are very expensive new ($160,000) but there are older ones coming on the market.

An Airstream Interstate

An Airstream Interstate

I’m looking here and there but taking my time to consider other brands and other options. I have a brand new Ford F-150 which in retrospect, was a poor purchase, but who knew what we were facing?

I’m intrigued by the opportunity to get a rig where I can pull into the kids’ driveway, hook up a power cord, and visit with limited impact on their busy lives. In most cases, you can’t do that with a trailer behind you.

Stay tuned for how this turns out. I will miss the old Airstream – we have logged thousands of miles together and countless hours of polishing and renovation work. It will make someone a good economical camping rig.

A Short-lived Spring Romance – with Class B’s

My brother and his spouse, who sort of got us into Airstreams through their tales of adventures in the South and Southwest, now have purchased an older model Class B (van) Airstream called the B190.  Here’s a shot of one, not theirs.

B190W

Photo credit: Helle Gowan

Barry and Mica love their rig for it’s compactness and how they, being free of towing their Airstream trailer, can get into smaller sites and navigate the roads of New England and Atlantic Canada more easily. They are considering leaving their towed rig home this winter and taking the 190 out West.

So, it got me thinking. I should note that virtually every spring, I start considering options: a newer trailer (cost doesn’t justify getting the same features we now have), longer rig, perhaps with a slide out (have trouble getting our 25-foot unit up our driveway and parked — and would likely need a new tow vehicle), or even an Airstream motorhome.

I have been intrigued with the Airstream Interstates, built on a Sprinter van body, with their diesel power and easy of maneuvering. Their price, now about $150K new, is outside our pay grade but there are some older units that are a little more reasonable. I knew they were tight on space, being a 23 to 24 foot unit, but decided to do some more research. For about three days I was psyched to sell our rig and truck and go for it.

airstream15a-2

Then I looked at bed lengths. We need twin beds, which are available but rather scarce. The beds appeared to be 74 inches long — and I’m 73 inches long. I then started looking at specs for Class B+ rigs, which add a bit of width to the Sprinter van and sort of quickly morph into Class C’s. Many of the major brands have these options but many are new and quite expensive. I also am not to keen on driving down the road with swirls and other graphics on the rig.

As I do when I get on a project, I joined several Facebook groups/pages and also some Class B forums. I saw discussions of what kind of car to tow (sort of defeats the “freeing up” of a Class B), how to hang tool boxes and bikes off the back, and many issues with some of the equipment, especially the macerator for waste water.

So for several days I was looking hard online for options – running the numbers and finding that we could do it financially but not easily and then one morning last week, I woke up and the flirtation was over — the old Airstream down by the pine trees looked mighty fine. The beds are long enough, there’s plenty of storage with the truck cap, we know where the “warts” are, and the rig and tow vehicle are paid for. Rather than fix things up so that I can sell it, I’ll fix things up so that we can enjoy it. And we won’t have to leave a hose and a “This site is occupied” sign every time we leave a campground to go birding.

Airstream1W