Back in Montgomery, AL

We arrived back in Montgomery, AL around 12:30 this afternoon.

Last night we overnighted at a KOA in Cleveland, TN. They advertised wifi, but apparently the repeater for the area we were parked in wasn't working so no wifi. We don't usually do KOA and probably won't go back to this one - hilly, narrow roads. Not to bad for overnight though.

As I mentioned, we are back at Capital City RV Park in Montgomery. It is beginning to feel like home here and I don't like it!!! It is a nice park and I highly recommend it if your coming toward Montgomery. Very nice sites, wide, long pull-throughs with full hook-ups, cable and wifi.

Anyway, we will be here for a week, leaving a week from tomorrow to head to Rainbow Plantation in Summerdale. Don't know how long we will be there - it will depend on what the doctors have to say about Dean . I just pray that no hurricanes decide to make an appearance while we are there and also that Dean's problem is something that is a easy fix.

I'll keep you posted as events unfold. Probably won't post again until we reach the Plantation.

Safe Travels and God's Speed to you all

Overnight In Wytheville, VA

Just a quick line to let everyone know that after a long day of 330 miles, it's a long day for us, we parked at Ft. Chiswell RV Park for the night. Pretty nice campground, good level pull-throughs with full hook-ups + cable and wifi. Today we head toward Chattanooga, a little shorter day.

Till next time....

A Change Of Plans

Things are never set in stone and with us right now it's so true. We will be leaving Gettysburg on Thursday heading back to Alabama. Boy, it's really the last place I want to be during the summer months but you have to do what you have to do - right?

Dean hasn't been himself for the past couple of months but it's been progressively getting worse. He has lost 30 pounds in two months because he's just not eating. His temperament has not been good. He says there is nothing wrong, but I know better. I'm hoping it's nothing more than his thyroid being out of adjustment. His meds for this were changed before we left and that is when it all started.

We will be staying at Rainbow Plantation during our time in Baldwin County. We will be in Montgomery for about one week prior so that Dean can get back to the dentist for another adjustment on his denture.

I will post here or by email what we find out after seeing the doctors. Please keep us in your prayers.

When we get the go ahead from the doctors we will head north as fast as we can to get out of the heat!!!

A Busy Week

Last week was a busy, wet week. David and Morgan did the bulk of the sightseeing this past week and Dean and I stayed put.

Since my wifi (HughesNet) is down, I'm going to keep this brief.

David and Morgan did a bus tour of the battlefield which David said was excellent. It is the one that is offered from the new Visitor's Center if you come this way and are interested. We all did the movie and a battle presentation that I can't remember the name of at the visitor's center. They also have a civil war museum. It's a one price ticket, depending on what you want do to.

David and Morgan also did two ghost tours in Gettysburg. I guess the first one of the Jenny Wade house was the best. She was the only civilian casualty in the Civil War. The second one they did was of a orphanage where the mistress would torture the children. Dean went along on that one.

They (David & Morgan) also walked the cemetery where many of those killed here in Gettysburg are buried and walked in town to do some shopping. I think the highlight was the morning horseback ride they did from right here at the campground. It was a 2 hour tour of the battlefield and very informative, so I'm told. They also saw some wild life - fox, deer, rabbits and a cat!

I spent time visiting with my Aunt that lives in Chambersburg, going over some old family papers and photos. I also discovered a little more information about a relative that fought in the Civil War but not here at Gettysburg. Family history can be so interesting. It's a shame that we don't become more interested in gathering the information when we are younger and our grandparents are still here to give us answers to lots of questions that I now have!

Of course we ate out at some good and not so good restaurants. Mountain Gate in Thurmont, MD or Waynesboro, PA is still tops on my list! Cozy's in Thurmont wasn't so great. Gettysburg Family Restaurant is a place the locals go and has very good food. The Lincoln Diner was really bad this time.

David and Morgan flew out of Harrisburg Intl. Airport Saturday morning in the rain. We drove back to Gettysburg in the pouring rain! Ugh, I'm really tired of rain and hope it's a while before I see it again.

Today is partly cloudy with some sun - yeah!!!

Yesterday we drove to Chambersburg to stock up at the Butcher Shoppe and to visit again with my aunt. We had dinner at the Greenvillage Diner which I highly recommend - just go hungry. It's not a buffet but you get large portions. I had turkey, dressing, mashed potato's and harvard beets. You also get ice cream for dessert with your meal. We all passed on the ice cream because I wanted some from the Igloo which is on Hwy 11 heading back south toward Chambersburg. Oh my gosh, they have the absolute best ice cream (black raspberry is my favorite) and I can't come to this area without going at least once. We all had some and then complained about how full we were.

Today was laundry day and it's all done. Took us just over two hours so wasn't bad. This afternoon I'm trying to get my new modem commissioned but having no luck so still don't have my wifi. Am forced to use the campground free wifi. Oh well, it could be worse and I not have access to any wifi!

OK, this is going to get wrapped up. I don't know when I'll be posting again. We are heading to Amish country in Ohio and will arrive there on Wednesday. I hope to have my wifi up and running by then.

Till then...God Bless!

Family Picnic at Caledonia State Park

Sunday morning dawned a beautiful day, cloudless sky, cool temperatures, just absolutely perfect for a picnic.

On our drive over Route 30 toward Caledonia State Park, I remembered the Round Barn that I've been to many times and thought that Morgan and David would enjoy seeing it. Detour time it was...

The Round Barn is just that - round. It was used as a milking barn for many years before becoming a produce, craft market. It is also still on a working farm with goats, horses etc.

Morgan really loved it as she got to feed the horses some carrots. They came right up to her, I guess horses seem to know that she really likes them.

Then it was up over South Mountain to the picnic. We arrived early which was nice as the park wasn't crowded yet. That was to come later in the day. It also gave me time to catch up with my cousin Diane. By 4 pm most all the family was there and we had such a great time. I didn't count, but 3 of my aunt's children were there as were her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We really had a wonderful time and I'm glad that Morgan got to meet all her cousins. She should know this side of the family even though there is many miles between them.

We returned home around 8:30 pm tired - again! Seems to be a way of life lately! David and Morgan made a campfire again but Dean and I went to bed.

Monday morning was going to be a earlier day and I needed my beauty sleep - oh OK, I just needed my sleep!

Pictures are posted at Picasa - enjoy!

David's Arrival and Visiting My Cousin

Morgan is a happy girl, her Daddy arrived on Friday. I've posted a couple of pictures of her waiting at the Harrisburg Intl. Airport with sign in hand.

Friday evening we went to my cousin's house for supper and a very nice visit. Morgan was in 7th heaven - one because her Daddy was here and second, there were horses in the field behind Barry and Connie's house. Morgan is the horse nut in the family! Connie had some carrots she had bought to feed the horses so she and Morgan headed down to the fence to feed the horses.

The horses where shy at first but Connie (who they are used to) finally got them up to the fence. Morgan had a real blast feeding them till the carrots ran out.

It was great seeing my cousin's again since I don't get to visit with them very often, maybe once every couple of years.

We return to the motorhome and crashed as all of us were very tired.

Saturday was move day to Artillery Ridge Campground in Gettysburg. Fortunately is was not raining so we had a easy move. For some reason all of us were tired so after getting set up, we just lounged around the campground, had some dinner, David made a small campfire and around 10 pm we crashed again.

Sunday a family picnic is on tap and should be lots of fun. I'll post about it next! Hurry back.

Strasburg Railroad

Yesterday morning was breakfast out at Dienner's Restaurant in Lancaster. We all had the buffet and it was delicious. Scrambled eggs, home fries (real potato's), sausage gravy, bacon, two kinds of sausage, scrapple, pudding meat, oatmeal, grits, pancakes, french toast, biscuits, toast, fresh fruit, eclairs, sticky buns and more... All you could eat for only $5.95. If you get near Dienner's don't miss eating here.

It was also our day to ride the Strasburg Railroad. We arrived early because someone didn't check the schedule (humm, wonder who that could be). Oh well, we walked around the area and found a bench in the shade. We only had to wait about a hour and Morgan made the time go by fast. She kept trying to give me her "attitude" look and every time she would look at me she would break out laughing. I kept taking pictures and she finally managed to hold the "look" for about two seconds, just long enough for me to get the look captured on camera.

I've been on the Strasburg RR many times, having lived in this area in my much younger days. It is only about a 45 min. ride through the Amish countryside. A nice ride, but I doubt that I'll do it again. Morgan said it was OK but enjoyed the Amtrak ride much more.

Next stop was at Kettle Village in Intercourse. This is a nice shopping area with little shops close together along with a lot of shops on the main street. We found Morgan a t-shirt but that was all.

Our last stop was the Bird-In-Hand farmers market. There is a Jake & Amos stall there and I just love their pickled baby beets and have been out of them for a long time. I have some now :-)

I also wanted to get more lebanon bologna for me and some chipped ham for David. Weavers Meats have a stall there as well and really good lebanon bologna.

Finishing up with the shopping and heading back to the campground, I decided to let the GPS lead the way - big mistake!!! She took us about 10 miles and more than 15 minutes longer than the route I had been using. Dumb things anyway!

Back home, Morgan was going to go swimming and we were going to do a couple more loads of laundry. We got the laundry done but Morgan didn't get to swim - there was thunder in the area so the pool was closed. She just isn't having much luck getting in the pool here.

Today (Thursday) has been a rainy, cloudy, dismal day. We finished up the laundry and did a Wal Mart run. Thank goodness for TV and computers and in Morgan's case, cell phones. We definitely had a down day.

I hope tomorrow is better. David is flying into Harrisburg, arriving at 12:55 pm. I just hope all the storms are out of the area by then. Tomorrow night we are going to my cousins house for a cook out. All of us are looking forward to spending time with them. No problem if it rains as he has a huge "man cave" in his basement where I'm sure he'll let us hang out. It is really nice as it opens to the yard and a nice patio. I'll take some pictures while we are there.

OK, guess this about raps our last couple of days so until next time, take care.

Picture are posted at Picasa.

Tuesday - Farmer's Market Day In Manheim

We all slept in this morning and it was almost 10:30 am before we departed for Manheim and the Root's (pronounced Rutz) Farmers & Flea Market. We had been hearing about this farmers market for several days and it's supposed to be one of the biggest around. We took the back roads for a change of scenery and it was nice. Rolling hills, curves, lots of farms and woods were some of what we saw and experienced. When we arrived at Root's I noticed the cars were parked at least a quarter mile away from the actual market area. I decided since we were a little late getting there I would take a chance on getting a parking spot closer. Hah! It paid off and we parked across the street from the actual farmers market area.

We walked and walked and walked, up one isle and down another seeing all kinds of goodies, produce of most any kind, lots of baked goods, meat markets where the meat is cut to order, deli's where they were making foot long subs, lots of hand made crafts, Rada cutlery, and just about anything else you can think of. I bought a red velvet cake whoopie pie - yummy! Also got Morgan and me some sticky buns for breakfast tomorrow - is it morning yet?

Because it had warmed up outside we decided not to walk all the outside vendors. We drove to a diner in Manheim and had another really good meal. After lunch we headed back to the motorhome because Morgan decided she wanted to go swimming. I figured I would get a couple of loads of laundry done while she swam. Well, I got the laundry done but unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate very long and she only got to swim for about 20 min. Better luck tomorrow Morgan!

Tomorrow we are going back to Lancaster or rather Bird-In-Hand to the farmers market there. Fortunately it's all indoor. There are several items that I want to pick up there like Jake & Amos Pickled Beets. Dean and I love them and haven't had any for a long time. I'm sure I'll find other items as well, like some good Apple Butter.

I've loaded pictures from today so enjoy looking and all the good stuff!

Family, School, Pretzel and Amish

Sunday we drove to Camp Hill to meet up with my cousin Barry, his wife Connie and his mom, my aunt Carolyn for dinner. We went to Baker's Diner in Dillsburg which used to be really good. Well, at lot has changed since the last time I was there. Very disappointing both food and service wise. Dean had to move around the corner of the table because the wait staff kept bumping into his back every time they went by.

We went back to Carolyn's house and visited for a couple of hours, catching up with what was going on in the family - theirs and mine.

I have a Great Uncle that lives just outside Harrisburg who is 95 years young. I decided that we would pay him a short visit since we were in the area. It turned out to be a nice visit and it was the first time that Morgan met him that she could remember. She had met him years ago, but she was just a little one at the time. Uncle Ben had fun telling her about his growing up on a farm and the horses they had and she was enthralled as she loves horses. He gave her a picture of himself on a farm horse from back when he was in his early 20's.

We bid him farewell and took the back roads to Hershey and then to the campground. Morgan got to swim about a half hour before they closed the pool so she was a happy camper.

It was a very nice Sunday and seeing family made it special!

After a lazy beginning this morning (Monday) we drove toward Lancaster, going the back roads instead of the major highways. This took us to Litiz, home of the pretzel, Sturgis pretzel to be exact. We toured what used to be the pretzel factory where everything was done by hand. We even got to try to make a pretzel using what I would call play dough. The three of us did pretty good. It was interesting to see how they used to make pretzels and of course now everything is automated. I think it would be a little more fun to be able to tour a working factory to see them being made now, but, oh well....

Since it was close to lunch time we drove from Litiz to Blue Ball to have lunch at Shady Maple Smorgusboard. If you have ever been there, then you know what I mean when I say WOW! If not, it is a definite put on your list to visit once! Not only do they have the restaurant, but there is a gift shop under the restaurant and just down the road a farmers market and general store. It is a very interesting place to eat and visit. The food is just absolutely fabulous!

We left there heading for Aaron and Jessica's Buggy Rides. What fun that was. We did the long ride which lasted about 90 minutes with two stops. The first was at a small Amish store and the second was at a farm that also had a quilting store. The ride was along the back roads, right past a lot of Amish farms. Morgan got the best seat, right up by the buggy driver E. J. She really enjoyed the ride and seeing all the horses and other animals.

By the time we returned to the Jeep it was time to head home but I remembered that we told Connie that we would stop by Lenox, where she works, while we were in Lancaster, so off we went. It is always a pleasure seeing her and her bubbly personality. Lenox had owned Studio 56, makers of Snowbabies, but the company has been sold so all the Snowbabies left in the store were on sale. Morgan found one that she really liked, a Snowbaby with a horse (of course!). The original price was $50.00 but I got it for just a tad over $13.00 with Connie's employee discount. Not a bad price huh?

We got back home around 6 pm and Morgan wanted to go swimming for a little while and I said I'd take her. When we got to the pool, she remembered that they close the pool at 6 pm. Really a dumb thing since it's June and the temperatures are in the 80's and it doesn't get dark until almost 9 pm. Oh well. So we came back and got on the computers and here we sit at 11 pm still working/playing! I think it's time for bed, so goodnight for now.

Oh yes, I'm having a hard time getting pictures to upload, so keep checking the Picasa web site for new ones. I'm putting the Philadelphia pictures in two different albums. The first one will have comments under the pictures and the other will be Scenes from Philadelphia without description. OK, I'm tired and it's time for bed - later....

The City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia

Yesterday began at 5:30 am for us. It was up and at'em so that we could get to Lancaster to catch the 7:55 am train to Philadelphia. The drive actually was a little quicker than I figured because it was Saturday and no traffic, especially that early in the morning.

Morgan was excited because this was her first "real" train ride. She is experiencing a lot of firsts on this trip with us. I'm glad that we are able to share them with her. Anyway, as we stood on the train platform watching for the train coming from Harrisburg she was shivering, maybe from the cool morning air and maybe some from the excitement!

We got on the train and had to ride backwards as all the front facing seats were taken, but that was OK and we got to see where we've been. Morgan was surprised how big and comfortable the seating was on the Amtrak commuter train and even more surprised that they provide plugs for computers etc., by the seats. She said we should have brought my laptop - right - like I'm going to tote it all around Philly - NOT! Later she was wishing she had brought her charger for her phone because by mid-day it had died and a girl without her cell phone is like a sundae without whipped topping!

We arrived a hour later at the 30th Street Train Station in Philadelphia and got us a taxi to take us to Independence Hall. What a ride, almost as bad as New York taxi drivers!

We began our day by touring Independence Hall and seeing the Liberty Bell. Then we boarded a double decker bus for a neat tour of Philadelphia. We rode the whole route even though we could have gotten off and back on another bus. At the end it dropped us at a food court across from Independence Hall where we had a bite of lunch. Then it was back on the bus where this time we departed at the Betsy Ross House.

Morgan thought the house was "neat". Very narrow winding stairs lead to the second story and the basement and the rooms are small. Unfortunately they didn't allow any picture taking inside! A interesting fact about Betsy Ross was that she was married three times but has been known by her first husbands last name! Maybe because she was a talented seamstress known as Betsy Ross, she didn't want to lose business by changing her name. Also her and George Washington were never married - they were friends (?). OK!

We got back on the bus and rode till the end, again passing many interesting sights. Philadelphia is a place where you really need several days to be able to explore everything like the Franklin Institute, and Chinatown. There are many art museums and theater's to explore as well. And then there is the John Wanamaker Department Store that is now Macy's. It used to be a 9 story store and one of the largest in the world. Macy's now only uses three stories of the building. It's a days exploration in itself.

Having a little time to kill, but not enough to really "do anything", we sat outside the Visitors Center and people watched for awhile. Finally we got a taxi back to the train station and it was a wilder ride then the first and $3.00 cheaper! Guess it was less because he went faster as it was the same distance as the first ride.

The train ride back was relaxing as all three of us were tired. We stopped in Lancaster at the City Line Diner for something to stop the rumbling of our stomach's and then drove on home, arriving around 9:30 pm. What a long day it was. Within a hour we were all in bed, asleep!

I will be posting pictures at Picasa, just as soon as I sort through all of them, so check often to see if they are there.

Chocolate - Yummy..

We started off this morning being lazy and sleeping in. I think all three of us were ready for a slow morning!

Morgan had a introduction to "sticky buns". I had bought two at a bakery yesterday and she said she would taste one this morning. Well, she ate a whole one and Dean and I split the other. I think she liked it!

We got ready after breakfast and took off for Hershey Chocolate World. We did the Chocolate World Factory Tour which is a automated Disney type ride that takes you through the process of making Hershey chocolate candy. Of course at the end, you do get a mini Hershey Bar.

We then browsed through the gift shop where everything was way overpriced. Morgan was very disappointed as she wanted a sweatshirt but they were a whopping $40.00. I told her that we would find them outside the park at a much lower price. We then went Hershey's Really Big 3D Show. This again reminded me of a show at Epcot as it was interactive 3D. That may not be the right word, but there were actual effects like spraying water and things under the seats that move and make you think something is running around your feet. It was a lot of fun and we all laughed and Morgan squealed several times.

Coming out of the theater we found another small gift shop and candy shop and ended up getting some candy. We bought Morgan a "bucket of chocolate" which consists of assorted mini bars and kisses. She bought some chocolate Twizzlers - different.

We left Hershey in search of lunch and stopped at Funck's Family Restaurant in Palmyra. Morgan and I had cheeseburgers w/fries and they were delicious. Dean's meal wasn't as good. He had meatloaf, mashed potato's and carrots and I tasted all three and didn't think much of them. The carrots tasted like they had been boiled in water and put on a plate - no seasoning at all. We won't go back. The night before we ate at the Hometown Family Restaurant in Palmyra and it was delicious. So we are one for one. Anyway, Funck's had a small gift shop and Morgan found her pink Hershey sweatshirt for $20.00. Of course her Mom-mom & Pop-pop got it for her. She's happy and warm now!

This afternoon we drove to Lancaster to get the tickets for Morgan's surprise trip on Saturday. We are taking her by Amtrak to Philadelphia for the day. I gave her clues on the way to Lancaster and after we arrived at the train station she finally got that it was going to be a train trip but couldn't figure where to until she heard me as for tickets to Philadelphia. She was surprised!!! I know we will have a good time there, more on it after we return....

We are now back home for the evening. It's been cool all day and drizzle has plagued us. Highs today have been in the mid 60's. Tomorrow is not going to be any better with a 100% chance of rain. Not sure what we are going to do yet. Guess you'll have to come back to find out.

That's all for now folks.....

New pictures are posted at Picasa.

We've Arrived In Hershey

After three long days on the rode we arrived at Hershey 1000 Trails (TT) Preserve this afternoon around 1:30. This is a really nice 1000 Trails Preserve but I'll get into that a little later. First I'll backtrack to the past three days...

I'd already posted about our drive to Carolina Landing in Fair Play, NC but I didn't say anything about the park itself. It has to be one of the worst TT parks we've been to. If you like lots of hills, unlevel sites, and narrow roads then this park is for you, otherwise stay away! We managed to squeeze into a pull-through for the night and got semi-level after a lot of playing with the level system. Getting out of the spot wasn't any easier than getting in since the roads were so narrow, but with Dean's good guidance, I managed to get us on the road.

Day two we drove from Fair Play, SC to Radford, VA, a long day for us. There was a Passport America park listed there so we decided to call it home for the nite. Another not so good to report on. The biggest problem with this park was it's location. Right under the interstate. Truck traffic all day/night long. Also the sites were not real level but a couple blocks of wood did the trick. However, one nice thing was being right on the New River. The road into the park is through a gas station and if anyone is at the diesel pump it can make it difficult getting out. Mark this one off your list, it's off mine!

On day three we figured on stopping in Winchester, VA but after getting within 100 miles and it was only 11:30 we stopped at a rest area and I researched going further up the road. We decided it would be Pennsylvania or bust before we would stop - LOL. We made it to exit 1 and Keystone RV Center campground. This campground is OK for overnight stays - level sites, 50 amp and water and is a Passport America park. Stopping here was perfect because it left us with less than 100 miles for today! Anyway, I called my Aunt Dottie and asked if she would like to meet us at Mountain Gate in Waynesboro. Of course she said YES! We met her and her daughter and two grandsons and had a delicious meal. I've said it before - if you get near Waynesboro, PA or Thurmont, MD at stop at Mountain Gate is a MUST!!

Prior to going to eat I made a run to the Butcher Shoppe in Chambersburg for my ham salad, chicken salad and lebanon balogna fix. I'll be going back for more good food before we depart Gettysburg the end of June.

As I mentioned, we are now parked and settle in complete with Direct TV and internet - yea!!!! Three days without internet makes Janice unhappy!!!

I have posted new pictures at Picasa so go take a look.

Tomorrow we are going to Hershey Chocolate World and if it isn't raining, to the Hershey Gardens. We will also go into town so Morgan can see the Hershey Kiss street lights. The weather isn't looking very good for the next two days so not sure what our schedule will be after tomorrow. You will just have to come back and check. Till then.......Oh yes, Morgan says hi to all those she knows!