Near the Tip of the Cape

We made it to North Truro, MA yesterday after a bit of drama. Everyone else was ready to leave bright and early from the Bay View Campground, but when Terry and I tried to activate the slide out on our trailer we got nothin'. No whir, no click, no nothin'. I checked all the fuses I could reach and couldn't find one that was burned out or anything. I pulled the switch from the wall and tried to use a jumper cable in case the switch was bad and that didn't accomplish anything. I took a look under the trailer in case a wire was busted--I don't know why, maybe a squirrel would have chewed through it--but there was no signs of any problem.

So, off to the office we go to get the number of The RV Doctor. Terry makes the call and tells him we are scheduled to leave at noon. Remember, this is Memorial Day. The Doc says he'll try to get to us before noon and--better than his word--he shows up around 9:30 AM. We describe the problem and he starts going through his check list. All the fuses (including a few I didn't know about under an access panel in the nose of the trailer), all the wires, all the switches. I even showed him some fuses, selenoids and what-not under the bed he was happy were easily accessible. All the fuses and wires were A-OK. Finally he gave the little selenoid under the bed a little tap with the handle of his screwdriver and BINGO! juice was flowing to the slide out's motor again.

But...the rear side of the slide out was binding and the whole thing wasn't coming in properly. SO...in and out, out and in, in and out...I pushed the little button to make the slide out move while The RV Doctor tried to figure out what was causing the damn thing to bind. Finally, he asked me, "When did you lubricate this last?" and I had to confess it was just before we left fro Alaska in June of 2010. His head dropped and I heard him mutter under his breath as he went to get the WD40. (He says silicone lubricant is best and should be used ONCE A YEAR! or more even if the trailer is in storage. Another lesson learned.)

We managed to get out of Bay View almost an hour ahead of our noon dead line and boogied up Route 6 to the Adventure Bound Campground in North Truro where the rest of our party was already encamped.

Our adventures for the day didn't end there, however. Terry and I drove up to the very tip of the Cape on Route 6 to Provincetown. Some spectacular sand dunes and spits along the way. The town itself has a very, very large and active gay community and this weekend they sponsored a film festival or something. And we got there just as it was time for everyone to go home or out to dinner. We were looking to dine at The Lobster Pot, but so was everyone else.

Commercial Ave. is one-way, narrow, has parking on both sides of the street, has bicycles going in both directions--often in the middle of the street, has people walking in the middle of the street, has people walking their dogs in the middle of the street,  has people (and their dogs) standing in the middle of the street, etc. In short, it was not a great street to be driving on with my Tundra. With no place to park, I reached the north end of Commercial without running over anyone or their dog--or having a bicyclist become a new hood ornament. There was a gentleman in safety yellow directing traffic so I pulled up to near where he was.
"Excuse me, could you tell me how to get out of here?" I asked.
He smiled, "Oh, seen enough have you?"
We laughed a bit but he told me how to get back to Route 6 so Terry and I could find a little quieter place to eat with a little less flamboyant atmosphere. (Really! Two guys dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow walked by as we talked to the fella giving us directions.)

Today we visited several lighthouses, the site of the first wireless radio transmission by Marconi and the Truro winery. A very nice day. There's talk of going whale watching tomorrow. It's a three hour cruise. If I see Ginger or Mary Ann get on board....