November 2017 - Big Guy Tiny Trailer

Jensen TV and DVD Player—Basic Use

This is a very basic guide for first-time users. The Jensen TV and DVD player work much like what you have at home. The biggest difference is that you must scan for channels when you move to a different location.

Our Jensen TV

Our T@G teardrop camper, which we purchased a year ago, came equipped with a Jensen TV and DVD player. We have used it, in some fashion, on every trip we have taken. However, we are not experts. I know that some campers have very sophisticated equipment and powerful antennas and that is not us.

I am writing this post because I occasionally see questions about this topic. Also, I try to think about what I would like to have had as a resource when we began camping. If this is too basic, I apologize.

TV Input

The input for reception is located near the water and electrical outlet on the camper. It is the open circular receptacle at the top left and is used for both cable and antenna input.

Step 1, Antenna

For television viewing, the first step is to connect to a source for reception.

Much of our camping has been in State Parks or U.S. Corps of Engineers campgrounds where cable is often not provided. However, it has been my experience to find cable in commercial campgrounds. The set up for cable and air antennas is similar.

For cable, you need to have your own cable to attach to the campground cable block. It is generally found on the power pedestal. Your cable links the campground cable source to the cable receptor on your camper.

If no cable is provided, you can use a variety of air antennas. We purchased one at our RV dealership. It was over a hundred dollars, bulky, and did not work any better than one my husband devised. It is based on one he saw on one of the Facebook camping groups. A photo of it,which I used for this demonstration is below.

Step 2, Jensen TV Input

Next, the input for the TV should be set to “TV”. This can be done by selecting source on your remote or the source button on the bottom of your TV.

You are now ready to scan for available channels. Select menu on the Jensen remote or by press the menu button on the bottom of the TV to do this.

Step 3

Use the right arrow on the remote to highlight “Channel” and press enter to select it.
Arrow down to “Air/Cable” and select the option you need. The photo above shows air, but you can also select cable in the top line. Once you have selected the appropriate option, arrow down and hit enter to begin “Auto Scan”.

We did the scan for this demonstration in our basement and found nine channels. Once the scan ends, the first channel that was found is tuned to your television. As you can see from the photo below, the reception was not bad.

As long as you remain in the same location, you will have access to the channels identified in the scan, even after turning off the TV. When you move to a new campsite, you will have to perform the scan function again.

Jensen TV and DVD Basics

We often would rather watch movies than regular television. We either pick up Redbox movies or bring movies from home.

We were sad to learn that our player does not play Blue Ray and our newer movies at home are Blue Ray. Be sure that you rent or bring regular DVDs if you do not have a Blue Ray player.
Set the input to AV to play a DVD.
A positive aspect with DVDs, is that you are able to use the speakers installed in the cabin.
A special Jensen Remote is required for DVD operation.
The DVD player will play music via Bluetooth. I have music on my phone and it works well with the player.
AM\FM is available on the player.
There is also a clock and an alarm, but we have never used it.

Apple TV

We sometimes watch Netflix on Apple TV. Apple TV also connects to other options, such as HULU.

We connect the Apple cable to the HDMI plug on the back of the TV.
To watch Apple TV, you must be connected to a network. We use the hotspot on our phone for the network. Don’t do this if you don’t have available data as overages can be costly. We increased our data package recently, so this is an available option.
Set the input source on the TV to HDMI.
You must have the Apple remote as well.

Input Source

Below is a photo of the input options. We have not used all of them, but I will summarize the ones we currently use.

TV, for cable or air antenna television viewing
AV, for DVD viewing
HDMI, for Apple TV, when plugged into HDMI receptacle on TV

Remotes

Below is a photo of Jensen TV remote and the DVD remote. For us, Apple TV brings a third remote. It can be a bit much, but we do like to be entertained.

Jenson TV Support

Below is a link to Jenson RV Direct. It could be handy to have if you need additional information or if you have any issues with your Jensen TV.

http://jensenrvdirect.com

We received information on the operation of our camper at the time of purchase. Also, they briefly covered the Jensen TV. However, a month later in our first trip out, we were a little fuzzy on what to do with the TV. First Camping Trip We managed to get things going, but there was some trial and error. I hope this post is helpful to new campers.

In Conclusion

If you would like to read about other things we have learned during our camping adventures, we now have a resources page for new campers. Also, we recently dropped our cable services at home and purchased Roku devices for streaming. Our monthly cable costs were $114, but now the streaming costs are $40, a savings of $74. So, if you are interested in converting to streaming, check out our post Cable Cutting, A Retirement Cost Savings Strategy

Update

Would you like to be able to watch shows and movies on your television when in remote areas with no cell or Internet service. If yes, check out my latest post, How to Use Your Phone to Watch TV. The input source would be HDMI for this option.

Happy Camping!

Anastasia State Park and St. Augustine

St. Augustine is America’s oldest city, officially founded in 1565 by Pedro Menendez. We have wanted to visit for a long time and our return from Tampa provided an opportunity.

Camping in St. Augustine

Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine is the third Florida State Park visited on our trip to Tampa and we are big fans of all of them. Anastasia offers lots of shade and privacy, a very good thing, but it does not facilitate interaction with your neighbors. We had no neighbors across from us, and thick foliage on both sides. The sites are on firmly-packed sand and our site, #92, was quite spacious. A link to Anastasia State Park follows.

https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/anastasia

Our setup was minimal because there was ample shade and a close bathhouse. Also, we wanted to keep it simple as we planned to spend most of our time a away from the site. We had tons of room! There would be plenty of room for a big rig as well, though the turn off the road is a little tight.

Anastasia State Park campsite — Site # 92

The Beach

We checked out the beach, which is within the park. It was beautiful, but so windy! There were 16 mph winds in St. Augustine that day, and I suspect they were a good bit higher on the beach. There was a boardwalk to the beach, with wetlands on each side.

Anastasia Park boardwalk — Boardwalk to the beach

Anastasia State Park Beach — The beach located within the park

It was quite difficult to walk on the beach with the high winds, but this would be a wonderful place on a day with better weather. I would love to come back in late August or September, after summer crowds diminish.

It was so cold and windy that we decided to build a fire, something we have never done before while camping. Using wood purchased from the campground store, we had a very nice fire going rather quickly. Our hot dogs for dinner were cooked over the fire. After dinner, we sat for a long time just watching the fire and drinking wine. The night was chilly and the fire was mesmerizing.

Campfire at Anastasia State Park — Our dinner entertainment

St. Augustine

We were up early the next day to see the sights in St. Augustine. We parked our car at the lighthouse and took the Old Town Trolly Tour bus to the historic district. It is a pretty small area, but my husband’s knee was not up to a lot of walking, so the trolly was a good option for us.

St. Augustine has many old structures, such as the fortress below. Castillo De San Marcos is a U.S. National Park and, most noteworthy, it is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States. Constrution began in 1672 and was completed in 1695. Unfortunately, we did not have time for a tour, but we plan to visit it the next time we are in the city.

Castillo De San Marcos in St. Augustine — Castillo De San Marcos

There are many “firsts” in Saint Augustine. The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine was America’s first parrish, founded on September8, 1565.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine — The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine, America’s First Parrish

St. Augustine’s oldest house is pictured below. It was built in 1702.

Oldest house in St. Augustine — Oldest House in St. Augustine

The Fountain of Youth

We also spent some time at the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park and drank some of the water. We surely need it! It was from the same water source as legend has it that Ponce De Leon drank in his search for the Fountain of Youth. In addition, the water has lots of minerals and a strong sulfur taste. It was pretty bad, but I am hoping the placebo effect will kick in.

There is a replica of a Timucua Indian village and demonstrations of how they lived. Timucuas were the indigenous people in St. Augustine during the time that Ponce De Leon was in the area. The park also provides live canon firings every hour.

How Timucua Indians lived — Examples of how Timucua Indians lived

Furthermore, the park is beautifully landscaped and filled with peacocks, including albino peacocks like the one below.

Woman standing in front of canon at Fountain of Youth — One of many canons in the park

So, after some educational shows at the Fountain of Youth Park, we had a late lunch. We ate at O. C. White’s Seafood and Spirits because it was recommend by a local. The meal and service were both excellent!

The Lighthouse

A Trolly bus took us back to the lighthouse and our car. The lighthouse is on Anastasia Island and quite impressive. It is 140 feet high with 219 steps to the top. I am happy to say that I made the climb. It was not easy, but not too difficult. It was incredibly windy at the top because the winds were over 25 mph.

Lighthouse stairway — Stairway to the top

View from top of St. Augustine lighthouse — View from the top

It is still a functioning lighthouse and continues to be used for navigation.

St. Augustine lighthouse at night — The lighthouse at night

Also, the Keeper’s House, built in 1876, was a part of the tour. It is a beautiful house with several massive live oak trees in the front yard.

Front yard of Keeper’s house — Front yard at Keeper’s House

Next Time

However, time constraints prevented us from doing everything we wanted. We really needed two full days to see St. Augustine and would also want to some time to spend at the beach if the weather is good. Lastly, if we return to St. Augustine, we want to see the fort, Flagler College, and the Lightner Museum. There are a lot of touristy places in the city, but the city has a long history and many sites worth seeing.

St. Augustine is an interesting city to visit and Anastasia State Park is an excellent campground. Therefore, we highly recommend both!

If you would like to follow along on our adventure, next is a link to our main webpage.

Retirement and teardrop camping!

Lastly, having returned home, we are preparing for having family over for Thanksgiving. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Tampa, Stop #3 Family and Local Attractions

Our son, Shawn, and his girlfriend, Laura, were really sweet to us on a recent trip to Tampa. They offered us a lovely bedroom, cooked us wonderful breakfasts, and drove us all over to see the sights. It was also special to be able to spend Veteran’s Day with my favorite veteran!

We were in the Tampa area for four nights, two with Shawn and Laura and two at Hillsborough River State Park. It was wonderful to be with them and to be in Tampa, which offers lots to see and do, plus some pretty great food.

Ford’s Garage

First of all, we went to an interesting eatery, Ford’s Garage Restaurant. Vintage cars abound and everything automotive is the theme. Onion rings are served on an oil funnel and tires are around the sinks in the bathroom. Very cute decor and the food was excellent. I had the Kobe beef on the high-octane burger with sweet potato tater tots.

Veteran’s Day

Our next day was Veteran’s Day and we started the day with a visit to Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center. The manatees are attracted to the warm water that is produced by the generation of electricity and at peak times, hundreds of manatees are present. It has been active for thirty years with over 5 million visitors. However, our visit was early in the season and we only saw a couple of manatees. We also saw some big fish and a shark.

Shawn and Laura at the Manatee Viewing Center

Manatees under water — Shy manatee sighting

Next, we headed to Sarasota and Saint Armand’s Circle on Lido Key. There was an Art Show that day and we saw some interesting pieces, however, the parking was horrific. We spent a good bit of time driving around looking for a spot to park. Saint Armand’s has many restaurants and shops. There is a Ringling Brother’s Museum in Sarasota, but we did not have the time to visit. Lunch was at Cha Cha Coconuts, another fine meal.

Couple seated at Cha Cha Coconuts — Cha Cha Coconuts

Dinner was at the award-winning Columbia Restaurant at Ybor City. The restaurant was established in 1905 and is Florida’s oldest restaurant. We were joined by Laura’s mother and aunt and their significant others. Our dinner included a Flamenco show, which was entertaining. The best part of our dinner was the 1905 salad which has an unlikely ingredient, Worcestershire sauce. Delicious! I would also highly recommend the mojitos and the white chocolate bread pudding as well.

John’s Pass

Our second full day was overcast with a good bit of rain. We had considered visiting Busch Gardens, but the weather was not great for it. Instead, we visited John’s Pass at Redington Shores. Consequently, we were able to avoid the rain and do some shopping. We returned via the Sunshine Skyway, a Tampa landmark, and a very cool bridge.

Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa — Sunshine Skyway Bridge

We returned to our campsite on this afternoon. We said goodbye to Shawn and Laura and to the granddogs, Gator and Axel. It was so great staying with them!

Tampa on Our Own

On our last full day, we visited Tampa on our own. We went to the Tampa Museum of Art and also had a nice lunch there. The museum featured some ancient Egyptian art and the works of Mernet Larson, an artist upon which I was unfamiliar. Her art was interesting.

The museum is on Tampa’s Riverwalk, which we also visited. It was a warm, sunny day and the walk was very pleasant. We discovered that a branch of the Columbia Restaurant is also on Riverwalk. That 1905 salad was calling us, so we walked for about a mile with frequent stops along the way to get to it.

Riverwalk in Tampa — Laura’s office in the Pink Palace is in the background

Continue reading “Tampa, Stop #3 Family and Local Attractions”

Tampa, Stop #2 Hillsborough River State Park

Hillsborough River is a Florida State Park located about a half hour northeast of Tampa. It is a beautiful park with a “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” look with its gorgeous live oak trees and abundance of spanish moss.

Teardrop Left at Campground

We have family in Tampa and this trip was more about visiting them than camping. So, we decided to spend a couple of nights at their home. Therefore, we left Endeavor, our teardrop, all alone at Hillsborough River.

Link to park.

We set up our rug, awning, and chairs so it would look like we would return at any time. Teardrops are so light, it is easy for them to be stolen and we worried a little about being gone so long.

Our time with family was great and we did a lot of cool things in Tampa. I will cover those activities in a separate post.

On the afternoon before we left to return to the park, I received a disturbing message via Facebook Messenger. It went something like: “Ma’am, this is the Ranger in Charge at Hillsborough River. I need you to call me ASAP.” This freaked me out! My first though was that something had happened to our camper.

I called immediately and spoke with the ranger. He was concerned about us and said that several people had noticed that we had not been around. He wanted to be sure that we were okay. I thought it as really great that he went to the trouble of tracking us down to confirm that all was well.

Camping at Hillsborough River

We had two nights and one full day with Hillsborough River as home base. The river and a canoe launch was just across from our site, #32.

Hillsborough River empty campsite — River is beyond the trees

View of Hillsborough River from State Park — Hillsborough River

We sometimes camp with friends and play games at night. The above shelter would be nice for this as it is screened and would enable us to be protected from bugs. Bugs were not bad at all during our time at the park, but we were not outside with lights on for a long period.

We did not use some of the nice amenities. There is a very large pool, a cafe, and rentals for canoes and bikes. Also, there is a playground and several hiking trails.

One thing about Florida State Parks that I really like is that they have dishwashing stations with hot water. With our limited cooking, I loaded up our dirty dishes in a plastic bucket and carried them to the station for washing. With no sewer available, this was a lot easier than it is in parks without this option.

Our New Accessory

We were given a large, heavy-duty cot by our son’s girlfriend and we tried it out one beautiful morning. It was glorious laying on the very comfortable cot looking up at the gorgeous blue sky and amazing trees! The cot actually holds both of us.

Man laying on cot in Campground — Our new equipment—thanks Laura!

Spanish moss in trees — View from the cot

Road inside Hillsborough River State Park — Path to our site

In conclusion, we had a very relaxing stay at the campground and hope to visit it again. It is the most beautiful park I have visited in my limited camping experience. We are big fans of Florida State Parks. One tip, the bathhouse near site #77 is much newer and nicer than the one nearest site #32. However, we loved our site and think it would be a good one for bigger rigs as well.

Lastly, if you would like to follow our adventures, below is a link to our main page.

Retirement and teardrop camping!

HAPPY CAMPING!

Retired couple — Hanging out on the new cot

Tampa-Stop #1 Falling Waters State Park

Falling Waters State Park was a place to stay the night on our way to Tampa. It was the first of three Florida State Parks on this trip. The park has Florida’s tallest waterfall, which is 73 feet. A gristmill was powered by the waterfall during the Civil War.

Camping at Falling Waters

This trip was primarily to visit family in Tampa, but we did not want drive the ten-hours to get there in one day. Falling Waters State Park is roughly at the half-way point, which worked very well for us.

We reserved site #3 and were very happy with it. It was on a pull-through concrete slab and, for the first time, I parked us at our campsite. My husband is the back-up king and getting us installed at campsites has always been his job.

This was our first Florida State Park and we really liked it. It was a small campground, but very well-maintained. Typical of state parks we have visited, it has electrical and water, but no sewer or cable. There is an older bathhouse and two newer family bathrooms with heat. There is also a dishwashing area.

We did not disconnect from our tow vehicle as we were not leaving the park until the next morning. We had a late lunch in Dothan, Alabama, at the Thai House, so dinner was only minimal snacks. By the way, the food at Thai House was delicious.

Teardrop camper at Falling Waters campsite — Site #3 Falling Waters State Park

We removed items stored in the cabin and set them under the galley door to protect from moisture. We did not set up any tents, not even the privacy tent, as the bathhouse was very close. In the photo below, you can see the bathhouse from our site.

The Waterfall and Sinkhole

We had a couple of hours of daylight left, which we used to check out the waterfall and the sinkhole into which it flows. It was an easy walk to the waterfall with a path that was mostly level trail with an abundance of boardwalks along the way.

Trail to Falling Waters waterfall — Trail to the waterfall

Boardwalk at Falling Waters Campground — Boardwalks along the path

We had inquired if the waterfall had very much water and already knew it had been dry in the area and it was only a trickle, so it was not a disappointment. It was interesting to see it with the sinkhole below. It was certainly worth the pleasant walk to get there.

Waterfall at Falling Waters — The waterfall

The sign below reminded me that we are in Florida and alligators are everywhere. Not a pleasant thought when you think about getting up in the middle of the night and walking to the bathhouse. I kept my flashlight close.

Alligators have been known to attack humans

Our Evening

We showered when we arrived back at our camper and had some snacks, then we settled in for the night. We are off daylight savings time and it gets dark early. It was cool to be outside, but very comfortable in our camper.

We tested our little makeshift air antenna and were pleasantly surprised to see that it pulled in ten stations, all with a great picture. Of course, results would vary greatly by location. I like it because it is so small and easy to store and retrieve.

Air antenna on teardrop camper — Air antenna

There was a gentle rain most of the night. We had our fan vent slightly open but rain did not penetrate our cabin. We were warm and comfortable.

On the Road Again

The next morning, there was very little to do before leaving as we were having breakfast on the road. Next stop, Hillsborough River State Park, which is in the Tampa area. This link will take you to our main page if you would like to follow our adventures.

HAPPY CAMPING

Camping: Hiawassee and Herman’s Hermits!

Camping in Hiawassee

Our very first camping trip in our trailer was last October with friends who are long-term campers. This trip to Hiawassee was with most of the members from the same group and also planned by my good camping friend, Peggy.

Herman’s Hermits

A few of us arrived a day early to visit the Georgia Mountain Fair and see Peter Noone and Herman’s Hermits perform. I must admit, I did not have high expectations. I have seen several bands from my youth perform and am not usually impressed. The Hermit’s were amazing and Noone is an excellent entertainer. He still sounded pretty good and did all the band’s hits, as expected. Surprisingly, he was also very funny. He did a Johnny Cash song too, which sounded just like the man in black. The performance was in a heated building with seating and was included in the $12 price of admission to the fair. I am so glad we were able to make that performance. We had hamburgers at the fair before the concert. It was a great start to our trip.

We were at Site #39 at Bald Mountain Camping Resort for four nights. Our site was beside a babbling brook, so we were able to sleep with those wonderful water sounds. The site was shady with full hook ups, cable, and very slow WiFi. The rate was $45 a night, but they do offer a 10% Good Sam Discount. It is a pretty campground and we really enjoyed our time there. The park has a swimming pool, paddle boats, and a mini golf course. It was too cold for swimming, but we did play putt putt and the course was pretty nice.

Evenings at the Campground

Dinner our last three nights was at different campsites with everyone contributing. We had some very fine meals! After dinner, we played games a couple of times in a friend’s Class A camper. It was very roomy and it was nice to be able to play inside. We do appreciate the amenities of the large rigs!

One couple in our group was having their Airstream renovated during the trip and they rented one of the cabins. They are really cute, basically like a tiny house. It was very compact, but would easily sleep a family of four.

Tiny cabin at Bald Mountain Camping Resort — Our friends and one of the tiny cabins

Brasstown Bald

Day two, we visited Brasstown Bald, a National Forest and Georgia’s highest point at 4,784 feet. We were hoping our trip would include the turning of the leaves, but most were still green. It was still quite lovely. From the top, you can see four states, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. There are stuffed black bears and animated Android park rangers in the Visitor Center. It was a little bit of Disney special effects in the forest.

Animated park ranger reminiscing about the good ole days

Helen, Georgia

We visited nearby Helen, Georgia, on our last day. Oktoberfest was in full force. There was live music and lots to see and do. We had a delicious German lunch at Holfbrauhaus.

Lunch at Hofbrauhaus, a local German Restaurant

This trip was very special because we were there with good friends. We were also blessed with great weather. We were able to sleep with the window slightly open, warm under our electric blanket and listen to the sounds of the water behind our site. Camping in Hiawassee was very good for us. It doesn’t get any better than this!

Happy Camping!