Good Times In TN

Our time here has been really great and tomorrow it will come to a end. I do think that I will try to get back here sooner rather than later! It is so beautiful, especially in the fall. It is also expensive so if you think about coming, bring lots of cash! The campground that we stayed at for six nights was over $260. I can get almost a month for that rate in other areas of the US. It is a nice campground though, one of the nicer ones I've seen in this area.

Wednesday we picked up Joel and Ava and drove into the park where we had a nice picnic lunch by a beautiful stream. After eating and chatting, we drove to a old schoolhouse. The drive there is on a dirt one lane road with only a couple spots wide enough for vehicles to pass. There is a sign at the beginning of the road to be prepared to backup! We got lucky going in, made it all the way to the school. I have posted pictures that I took there of the school, Joel & Ava and more. On our way back we met another vehicle but lucky for us it was at a wide spot. Maybe I should say lucky for them cause they would have had to back up! We had a wonderful afternoon with our friends and look forward to seeing them down the road again.

Thursday Dean and I drove the Foothills Parkway. It wasn't what I expected but was a beautiful drive. Again it was up a mountain which gave us great views out over several valleys.
In the evening we drove back to Cades Cove but alas, no bears! Lots of deer and turkey again though.

This morning, not early, we made our last drive through the cove. No wildlife in sight, I think because of the weather. It was getting very stormy up on the mountains and very windy in the cove. I did get some pictures of fall color in the cove. I think every day we drove the color became more brilliant.

The rest of today is being spent relaxing and preparing for a long drive tomorrow to Montgomery, AL.

I don't know when I'll be back here with a post. Being back in Montgomery and then on to Fairhope doesn't really give me a lot of things to blog about. But, I will be back, so thanks for following along with us for this summer and check in to see when I am back on the road.

Pictures of our time here in TN have been loaded at Picasa. Enjoy!

Till next time, God Bless

Driving Into Winter

Since our drive Sunday into Cades Cove brought such a surprise - snow on the mountain tops, we decided Monday would be the day that we take the drive over the mountain to Cherokee, NC. Oh my gosh am I glad we did!

I knew we would be getting up in altitude and I was hoping that we would see some of the snow and I was not at all disappointed - thus the title - Driving Into Winter.



It was just so beautiful that words just can't describe it. You have to understand that snow isn't something that we usually seek out. We are warmer weather people like most of our RV'ing friends. But, when the opportunity is put in front of you to experience the beauty of a snowfall without all the mess, driving hazards and cold - well forget the cold, you just can't pass it by. The temperatures were in the 50's at the base of the mountain but in the mid-30's as we approached the top. I didn't care, I guess I was warmed by the beauty of it all.

I'm not going to say much more because a picture is worth a 1000 words so the saying goes. I have posted probably more pictures than you will want to look at on Picasa, but if you do take a look I certainly hope you enjoy them. I know that I will be going back myself to look again.

On our return home from our drive to Cherokee we went back to Cades Cove but again saw only deer and wild turkeys. It didn't matter, I was still high from the snow. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that we did see a cub bear on the drive up to the top of the mountain. Dean tried to get a picture but unfortunately it didn't turn out very well. I posted it anyway - see if you can make out the bear's outline.

Yesterday we drove to Pigeon Forge taking Ware's Valley Road. It is a nice drive but not near as scenic as the day before. I really needed some new walking shoes so we went to the Easy Spirit outlet store and I immediately found what I wanted and they were on sale! I walked out of the store with them on my feet (yes I paid for them first) and what a difference. Made my feet and legs feel better immediately! We then stopped at Mel's diner for a bite to eat. We didn't see Alice, Flo or Vera but our waitress was just as funny!

Heading back to Townsend we took the by-pass around Gatlinburg to avoid the traffic - yikes - it was really bad in Pigeon Forge. There is a overlook on this road that gives you a nice view of the mountain and a glimpse of town. We also stopped at a picnic area that has a lot of picnic tables and bath houses and is right along a stream. We are going back today with a picnic lunch and our friends Ava and Joel.

Speaking of Ava and Joel, we met them in 2006 in Gettysburg and have stayed in touch since. This is the first time our paths have crossed since. Last night we met for dinner and it was so good to see them again. They are not full timers but are on the road about 6 months of the year. The rest of the time they are at their home in New Jersey. Ava just loves going bear looking at Cades Coves and comes to this area every year. Last year she was really lucky with bear sightings but not so far this year. They are leaving on Thursday so I wish her lots of luck today!!!
That's about all for now. As usual, the pictures are up at Picasa and I hope you enjoy them. We will be here until Saturday but not sure what we will be doing except going back to Cades Cove at least once more, bear watching.

Till I come back here again - take care and God Bless.

Camping In the Smokies

We are now parked at Big Meadow Campground, Townsend, TN. It's a nice place with long pull-thru's, full hook-ups, wifi, and cable TV. Nice long/wide concrete pad to park on. Not cheap either!!! Oh well, sometimes you just have to pay for nice.

I need to back up to the end of last week. Dean and I made a final trip to Chambersburg to stock up on some items from the Butcher Shop and on our way made a quick stop at Caledonia State Park. The colors there are just really getting beautiful so of course I took some pictures. I have posted them today on Picasa and I hope you enjoy them.

Friday morning we left Gettysburg in the cold drizzle, but no snow. We drove I-81 to Ft. Chiswell RV Park. It's a really nice park, especially for overnighting. Long pull-thru's, full hook-ups, wifi, cable and not expensive. There is a Flying J right when you get off the interstate so you can fill up before getting back under way.

We decided to stay there for two nights and I'm glad we did. It was nice to not go anywhere. We spend Saturday relaxing, watching TV, napping, playing on the computer etc. A great way to spend a dreary, drizzly day.

This morning was cold but not raining. We got on the road around 8:30 am and arrived at the campground close to 1pm. The further south we got the more sun we saw - yea!! I'm overdue for some sunshine.

After getting set up, having a early dinner relaxing just a little we made our first drive through Cades Cove. I'm glad we decided to go today. It had snowed last night in the higher altitudes and the higher mountains were snow covered. It was so beautiful. Pictures just don't do it justice. We saw wild turkeys (fat ones) and lots of deer but alas, no bear. Oh well, we will go back - maybe next time.

We will be here until next Saturday then we head toward Montgomery. This week will probably be a busy one so check back to see if I have updated or not. I did post today's pictures at Picasa so go enjoy them.

Till next time - God Bless....

Visits, Drives, Festivals, Bridges

Well, another week has come and gone and of course I haven't updated the blog! Bad, bad me.

What have we been doing? Well, actually not a lot except for visiting family. We drove to Chambersburg one day last week and met my aunt Dottie and her daughter Carol for lunch at the greasyspoon (Greenvillage Diner). I had my favorite - turkey & gravy over waffle - ohh yummy! Anyway, after eating and just sitting and chatting, Dean, Dottie and I decided to take a drive in the country. The first place we went was to Tinyworld. It really doesn't look like much at this time of year but at Christmas it is transformed into a magical wonderland that kids of all ages enjoy. The whole place was built by one man, on his property. My aunt said that every year he adds another building. Sadly I couldn't get pictures of the inside of the buildings but trust me when I tell you that they are as cute inside as out - fully furnished with items that fit the building. For example the school has tiny desks with books on them, a teachers desk, chalk board etc. You get the picture. I took some pictures and they are posted at Picasa.

From there we decided, or should I say I decided, that I wanted to go over the mountain and I was driving so off we went. The particular road we took ended up with a 10% grade going up and coming down - what a ride! It was beautiful but the problem with driving is you don't get to really enjoy the view as much as those who are riding. I stopped on top and got a few pictures through a fence. I've already posted them on Facebook for those who have access, otherwise, take a look at them at Picasa. We ended up driving about a 60 mile circle and going through places that I'd heard about from my parents when they used to come up in the summers. It was like retracing their footsteps. This day ended with us taking my aunt back to her car, a stop at the Butcher Shoppe for some ham salad and over South Mountain back to Gettysburg and home.

I had made arrangements to go to my cousin's house on Friday to visit. I totally forgot that it was Dean's birthday - bad me again! Emily is actually my 2nd cousin, Carol is her mother and my Aunt Dottie is her grandmother. Got that! Anyway Dottie, Carol, Dean and I converged at her house Friday late morning. Emily has two adorable children, Abby and Ian. Unfortunately, Abby was not feeling well and was running a fever. We did have a nice visit in spite of her being ill and while Emily stayed home with Abby, the rest of us went to lunch. We we got back we had a birthday cake that Carol had brought and it was good - Apple cake with caramel icing.

Dean and I left mid-afternoon and stopped at Rakestraws Ice Cream where I remember going when I was just a youngster. Had a dip (child size) of Black Raspberry and one of Butter Brickle. Both were good and left that creamy coating on the roof of my mouth - a sign of really good ice cream!

Yesterday we went to the National Apple Harvest Festival at Arendtville, PA. It's on this side of the mountain - he he! We met Dottie, her daughter Diane and her husband Tex on top of the mountain and then followed them down a beautiful mountain road to the festival. It has been years (probably about 20) since I've been to this festival and boy has it grown. This year was the 45th year for this particular festival and I'm told that every year it gets bigger. True to it's name you can get just about anything "apple". Even apple pizza! No, I didn't try it. I did have a apple fritter and some apple wedges with hot caramel and oh boy was it good. We witnessed something we have never seen before - a tractor square dance - yep - square dance. Eight tractors made the square and did most of the moves that I remember from my square dance days. Amazing and fun to watch. Of course, like most festivals there were tons of crafters, lots of entertainment and even more people. Dean and I really enjoyed the day and I returned home with hurting legs and feet - time for a soak. Thanks Dottie, Diane and Tex for a fun day.

Today was my birthday and since we didn't do anything special for Dean's we decided that the two of us would go to our favorite restaurant - Mountain Gate - in Thurmont, MD for dinner. To that I will just say "Good As Always". After dinner we took off in search of three covered bridges that are in the area. Thinking we had got lost, I glanced down a road as we passed and wala - there was the first one, Utica Mills Covered Bridge. Back we went. I parked along the road and there were about 12 motorcycles there also. We talked and I told them I was in search of the other two. Well, they were also. They left with shouts of "see ya at the next bridge". After taking pictures, off we went to bridge number 2, Lays Station Covered Bridge. Guess who was there - the bikers! We talked about the the third bridge, Roddy Road Covered Bridge, and how to get there and their leader told me a way to go taking back roads. Thanks. Off we went again and this time we beat the bikers there. This bridge was the most photogenic in my opinion and also the shortest covered bridge. There is a lot of information about these and other covered bridges in Maryland at www.mdcoveredbridges.com We chatted with the bikers a little, took a group picture for them and they took ours and bid them farewell as they were off to two more bridges in PA. Us, we headed to Cunningham Falls State Park.

The drive through the state park was beautiful. We pulled in to the parking lot for the trail to the falls but alas it was full and there was no parking. Oh well, it saved my legs from more hurt tonight - ha ha. We decided to drive over the mountain and head back into PA a different way. Glad we did as we found a Wal-Mart supercenter (there isn't one in Gettysburg) and made a quick stop.

Coming back into Gettysburg I decided to drive through the battlefield and was glad I did. It was very busy but beautiful. We ended up on top of Big Round Top - sight of one of the battles. From there you can see for miles and miles and miles. Yep, you got it - pictures are at Picasa.

That ended our day and so ends this segment of the blog. This coming week we will be getting ready to head south, doing some "have to take it with me" shopping, catching up on laundry, visiting another aunt that lives in Camp Hill and anything else that pops up. We leave PA on Friday morning heading to Ft. Chiswell, VA for two nights then on to Townsend, TN and Cades Cove for six nights. I'm sure I'll have some reporting to do from there.

Be sure and check out the last couple of albums that I've posted at Picasa and come back here to see what's new. Till the next time - God Bless

Our Last Day In Lancaster County

Our last day in Lancaster County started by meeting my cousin Barry and his wife Connie for breakfast. It was really nice spending more time with them. I wish we could have had even more! It was a long breakfast though, almost two and half hours! We sat and just caught up on family and talked about old times, our parents, our grandparents and special things we remember like home made ice cream made with real cream fresh from the dairy! It's the stick to the roof of your mouth kind. It can really be fun to reminisce with family about the "good ole days".

Leaving the restaurant I decided to take the long way back toward the campground which took us through Strasburg, past the railroad; to Paradise, back past the campground to Blue Ball, on to Adamstown, through Ephrata and Leola, and back into the countryside past the Amish farmland to the campground. I don't know how many miles we drove today but we were on the road for four hours! I need to add that our top speed was 45 mph. Most of the time we cruised around 30 mph. We both really enjoy driving the back roads, even though they all go through farmland, we always manage to see something different. Today it was a bright red windmill.

Our time in Lancaster County is coming to a end and part of me is sad about that. I really love it here, especially out in the country. The peacefulness and the quiet. The step back in time with the Amish buggy's and the farm equipment being pulled by a team of mules or horses. Tomorrow we move back to Gettysburg and a little more hectic lifestyle. Artillery Ridge itself is out in the country but to get to my aunt's we have to drive through Gettysburg and the traffic sometimes is bad. Oh well, that's life!

The leaves are just starting to turn - some trees have turned early and the leaves are almost gone but most trees still look green. I am hoping that they turn soon or we will again miss the fall color!

Next weekend we are going to a Apple Festival in Arndtsville (I think that is spelled correctly) and I'm looking forward to it. Fresh apple cider - ohhh good! Home made apple butter -hmmm, hmmm good. There will be several family members with us and I'm looking forward to the good time.

Prior to that I will be catching up on laundry, cleaning etc. We will also be shopping for our trip south - you know - the requests of bring me ??? back, I can't get it here! I've already started with a few things but will finish up next week.

So, that about wraps up this post. I hope you have enjoyed being here with us through the blog. I took more scenic pictures today including one of the windmill so be sure and go to Picasa and take a look.

Till next time - God Bless!

New Cabinets and Applesauce

What, you ask, do new cabinets and applesauce have to do with each other? Well, let me tell you.

This morning we took the motorhome to the Amish farm of Samuel Stoltzfus, the owner of Hillside Furniture in Gordonville, PA to have our new drawers installed under the cook top and kitchen sink. His son, Mahlon, who was doing the work, had already come to the motorhome and done all his needed measuring. They were ready to install.

We got the motorhome parked after I almost took out their clothes line. They saw us coming and reeled the clothes line in and I figured we would clear it - wrong! I didn't take into account that the cloths still attached were weighing it down. I think it (the clothes line) bounced over the King Dome before I came to a stop. I backed up to free it and the one daughter proceeded to take the clothes off the line which really helped. I pulled in and parked without further incident.

Mahlon met us and showed up the finished drawers and proceeded to begin installing them. I noticed that the mother and daughter were sitting pairing apples so I walked over to talk to them. That began a morning of fun and education for me. Linda, the mother, got me a chair so I could sit and talk while they paired three bushels of apples. I offered to help but guess I didn't sound like I meant it so I just sat and talked and watched. I noticed a wood burning stove type thing in the drive and asked what it was for. Linda told me that was where they would cook the apples to make applesauce. I could tell this was definitely going to be educational for me! After a little while she put about half of the apples in the top to cook. Of course she had to keep the fire going to keep it hot enough to boil. Midway through the cooking process, she asked if I would stir the apples that were cooking and I jumped at the occasion and said yes. There is a picture at Picasa as proof! After the apples were cooked enough, we dipped (yes, me included) them out into big buckets. From there, their youngest son proceeded to press the cooked apples, separating the skin and seeds from the apple(sauce). Picture of that is posted as well. I was put in charge of stirring the sugar into the pails of applesauce, it sure gave my arm a workout. We are talking 5 gallon buckets of applesauce! Linda was dipping the sugar out of a 100lb bag of sugar. I've never seen such a big bag of sugar. She said they always buy it that way during canning season because they use so much. Naturally I had to sample each bucket to make sure that Linda put in enough sugar and ummm good, the best applesauce I've tasted. Anyway, after the sugar was stirred in it was put into jars to be sealed. When the second batch of apples were cooked and the cooker emptied, it was cleaned out and then water put back in the top. Then the jars of the applesauce were sat in to heat back up. When they are taken out and sat on the table to cool, that creates a vacuum and thereby seals the jars for storage. Quite a process. I'll continue buying my applesauce in the grocery store but it won't taste as good as theirs. Linda insisted on giving me two jars for my hard work. One I'll have after we get back to Montgomery, the smaller one we will eat between here and there!

It was so nice talking with Linda and her daughter (I never did get here name). It was like we'd been friends for quite awhile. I talked about Amish ways and "our" ways. I told her that there were times when I long for the quiet peaceful lifestyle they live but that I know I wouldn't last over a day! She laughed and said I would probably last longer than that - at least until it was time to shovel manure - LOL! She asked about our lifestyle of living in the RV.

OK, during my fun time, Mahlon was installing the drawers and all to soon Dean said they were in and the work was done. I was hoping it would take all day! The work he did was really great and the fit is like it was made that way. No easy task because as Dean said, nothing was straight where the cabinets are concerned.

I want to recommend Hilltop Furniture and Samuel Stoltzfus and his five sons for any carpentry work any of our RV'ing friends may need done. Excellent workmanship and fair prices. I have posted pictures at Picasa of our new drawers. I'm sure they will serve us well. Now I don't have to climb inside the cabinet to get to something in the back!

If you get to Lancaster County and want some carpentry work done here is Samuel's contact information: Hilltop Furniture, 310 S. Groffdale Rd. Gordonville, PA 17529 Phone 717-768-8433. Never open on Sunday! Be sure and tell him we said hello.

There is a fair starting today in New Holland that I would like to go to. We'll see how the weather holds out. I'll post about it if we go. Till next time, God Bless....

Pictures are posted at Picasa.

Farmers Market, Food and Fun

I'm a bit behind again but will attempt to catch you up on our weekend.

We spent Friday with friends, Byron & Linda, going to Bird-In-Hand Farmers Market, a countryside Amish store, drinking some home made root beer, driving the back roads, shopping a general store and eating way to much food at Shady Maple.

Linda was really mad at herself as we walked through the farmers market. She knew that we were going to go there, but not knowing what to expect, she stocked her freezer with meats from Wal-Mart. She could only drool over all the fresh cut meats etc. at we walked past. Next time Linda will know - lol. The countryside Amish store was one that we visited in June when our granddaughter Morgan was with us and we did the buggy ride. I couldn't remember where it was so I stopped at the buggy ride place and asked. Home made root beer, home made soft pretzel's and other home made goodies await anyone that stops there. Also a lot of craft items for sale including hand stitched quilts. A really neat place and not on the beaten tourist path.

Shady Maple - all I can say about it is food, food and more food. So many choices it's hard to decide on what to eat. A good way is to just take a little bite of what you think you want, try it and then go back for more. Everything from drink to desert is included for one price. Can't beat it! After stuffing ourselves we went to the general store beside Shady Maple in a effort to walk some of our meal off. Nice try but didn't work. It is a interesting store to wander through though. Kind of like a small Wal-Mart only different items.

Saturday was Adamstown Oktoberfest. Yep, we went. It was a great afternoon of music and dancing. The band was the Alex Meixner band and they were very good. The leader, Alex, is a very talented young man who can really tare up the accordion plus play the trumpet and the alpenhorn. The performances by the Liederkranz Schuhplatters Dancers were really entertaining. They even had a youth group that were amazing. The youngest was about 3 or 4 years old. It was nice to see that this was a family event. Many young couples with their children in attendance and on the dance floor with kids in tow. Yes, there was beer and wine, but I saw no one that seemed to be overdoing it. We left around 6pm and drove home in the rain. It continued all night long.

Byron and Linda left Sunday morning in a foggy, drizzly start to the day. I hope it cleared for them down the road. I hated seeing them go, but they are heading toward the south slowly and will be in LA in November. I'm hoping that we will catch up with them again this winter. We really enjoy our time spent with them.

Dean and I spent yesterday relaxing since the weather wasn't conducive to doing much. This morning we are heading to Ephrata to the grocery store and then stopping at Shady Maple Supermarket for some ham. We bought some fresh green beans at the farmers market and need some ham to make ham-n-beans today. Yummy, love it!

I had a call this morning from Samuel, the Amish carpenter that is doing work for our motorhome and he will have it ready by Wednesday. I'm ready for the drawers and anxious to see how they turn out. Of course I'll post pictures when it's all done.

I have posted pictures of the Oktoberfest on Picasa - hope you enjoy them.

Till next time - God Bless!