As we said goodbye to 2019 and said hello to 2020, it’s a natural feeling to wonder what the new year will bring.

The RV was winterized for now, but my wife and I had an upcoming trip planned to meet friends and family members in Hot Springs for opening day at Oaklawn Park on January 23rd. Oaklawn is a horse racing establishment and a place I’ve been going to since 1977.  And for the last 20 years, we’ve been meeting the same friends there every January for opening day. Titan and Choctaw will not be with us on this trip because of the length of time that we would be away from the RV.  I honestly don’t like leaving them alone for an extended period of time inside the RV.  I’m probably over paranoid, but so many things can go wrong with an RV and my biggest fear is something will happen and we won’t be there to protect them.  So, Choctaw is staying at the pet resort and Titan will bond with “Uncle” Pete.

The day before we left for Hot Springs, I noticed two small streams of water on the floor inside the RV.  I couldn’t determine where the water was coming from, but my best guess was the large slide.  When I felt underneath the recliners, I could feel moisture on the metal directly underneath.  The water wasn’t standing on the floor, but dripping down from the metal.  I immediately called the RV dealership and told them what the problem was and made an appointment to bring it in the following Monday.  I also noticed that the water had damaged the lower part of our kitchen because the wood was rotting out.  Apparently, this had been going on for quiet sometime and I didn’t know it. Needless to say, it wasn’t going to ruin our trip.

On Thursday, January 23rd, we loaded up and headed to Hot Springs. We had reservations at Catherine’s Landing which is the first place we stayed after purchasing the RV in April of 2019.  When we arrived, only one other couple had arrived before us.  I had to de-winterize the RV which took about an hour to do. Once that was done, it was time for an adult beverage and some relaxation.  As the day went on, the other couples starting arriving including our family from Texas.  After everyone had arrived, we all decided to have dinner at a the Colorado Grill which is a poplar restaurant in downtown Hot Springs.  The food is fabulous and the margaritas are to die for.

The next morning, Friday, January 24th,  I got up to do my morning run.  Catherine’s Landing has hiking/running trails on the back side of the campground so I went for a 40-45 minute run in the cool air.  It was a beautiful morning.  When I got back to the RV, everyone was starting to stir so having coffee outside was a must.  It was about 40 degrees and the air was so crisp. After coffee, we all got dressed and headed to Oaklawn.  As the day went on, some of us stayed in the box we had rented betting the horses and some decided to hit the casino downstairs.  I am not much of a casino person, so I stayed with the horses.  After the races, we all went to have dinner at the Ohio Club in downtown Hot Springs.  The Ohio Club is the oldest bar in Hot Springs.  It opened in 1905 and was a place where gangsters and Major League Ball players use to hang out.  Al Capone, Bugsy Segel, Bugs Moran, and Lucky Luciano were few of the gangsters that hung out at the club.  Since baseball players had spring training in Hot Springs in the early 1900’s, Babe Ruth was the most famous player to visit the club.  The food was fabulous and the atmosphere was very festive. After dinner, we headed back to the campground to sit around a campfire.

The next morning, Saturday, January 25th, we all got cleaned up and headed back to Oaklawn Park for another day of horse racing and festivities. Later in the afternoon, I had decided I had lost enough money so several of us walked across the street to a pizza place known as Rocky’s Corner.  It’s the best pizza that I’ve ever tasted and I’m not a big pizza fan so that says a lot for how good the pizza really is, not to mention the cold beer!!  As the afternoon winded down, everyone eventually met back at the campground for our last night together.  We again sat around a campfire and laughed until it was time to turn in for the evening.

On Sunday morning, January 26th, we slowly started breaking down our campsites for the journey home. It had been a great weekend with a lot of laughter and great memories were made.  Each year, opening weekend at Oaklawn was such a fun time!! When my wife and I got home, we unloaded what we needed to in order to take the RV to the dealership the following morning.

On Monday morning, January 27th, I drove the RV to the dealership and dropped it off around 9am. Hopefully, they can figure out where all the water is coming from. I have a strange feeling that whatever it is, it is not going to be good!!

Next up, the pandemic!!!