If life gives you lemons, make lemonade !!

Soon, I'm leaving Panera in Hyannis, Massachusetts, en route to an RV dealership. Eventually, a KIA dealership, too, for routine maintenance. Some of the messages recently, on the Yahoo user's group T@B forum, have shattered my confidence. Tires exploding and causing irreparable damage to the trailer!! I'm going to have my tires--and brakes--checked!! I wouldn't be surprised if the T@B tires are older than the trailer; time for new ones!!
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Postscript, Friday, July 23, 2010: Now I'll bring you up-to-date on Thursday's activities.

I did my homework: I checked the Internet for nearest location of: 1) RV repair, 2) Discount Tire, and 3) KIA dealership. Fortunately "New England's largest RV parts and accessories dealer" was only about twenty miles away (but took over an hour due to road construction).

At Major's RV Service, in Bourne, a very considerate young man ("Steve") read the date on my T@B tires. "They were manufactured the sixteenth week of '02." He examined the tires and said "Nothing to worry about; they are excellent." (Because my T@B was stored in an airplane hanger for five years, out of sunshine that can cause a tire to deteriorate.) Major's RV Service is so busy, the earliest appointment is on the 30th!!

FYI: I only drove 184 miles while on Cape Cod--from the time I crossed the bridge on July 6th to July 22nd.

Even with words affirming the quality of my T@B tires, I drove to the Discount Tire location in New Bedford, Massachusetts. (I have quality, expensive tires on the KIA--from Discount Tire.) The advertisement on the Internet was dishonest!! They have "discount tires" and are not part of the nationwide chain. I should have taken a picture of the filthy corner business with junk cars sitting around the repair shop. A greasy mechanic told me to "take it up with my boss" when I said they misrepresented their business on the Internet.

I was in New Bedford so decided I "must see" the Whaling Museum. First, navigating the narrow, cobblestone streets was a challenge. (There's a modern parking structure but, of course, I can't pull the trailer into one of those. Finally, I found a parking lot.) I visited the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, took the walking tour, and spent a couple of hours in the Whaling Museum.

In the evening, I walked down by the wharf and took a picture of the Schooner Ernestina (and other boats) and a news clipping. Back to the Whaling Museum for the free evening concert with the Triton Brass. Sadly, poorly attended!! I moved over to the free program "Sparky and Rhonda Rucker perform African American songs and stories" at the National Park Visitor's Center.

Lastly, I drove a few short miles to Wal-Mart, in Fairhaven, for the night. "No Overnight Parking" signs on every light post!! I went to Customer Service to inquire... and was told "Absolutely no parking anywhere in Massachusetts!! It's a Massachusetts State law." I didn't argue with the lady; I parked two nights at Weymouth Wal-Mart and more recently three nights at Hyannis K-Mart. ~~ So I drove about one-half mile to a Big-K and spent the night in an obscure corner of their parking lot.

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If you double-click on the second picture, it will enlarge and you can see the cobblestone street. ~~ Will you agree with me that the evening sky was beautiful? See the cupola on top of the Whaling Museum?