Jan and Dean's New Adventure

Our Motorhome is for Sale

2011-07-21T17:29:00.003-05:00

I've noticed that there are still some people checking my blog - how nice of you! We are not rv'ing anymore and are now totally settled in a stick-n-brick house.

I decided to post this entry just in case someone looking at it is in the market or knows someone who is in the market for a beautiful fully loaded '05 Allegro Bus, 40', triple slide. You can see a complete ad for it at:

www.motorhomesforsalebyowners.com

The ad # is 53775

We are at a point where we will consider any reasonable offer we get. So, if your looking for a great motorhome go take a look then contact me through the ad. Thanks

The End Of The Road

2011-03-11T14:14:00.002-06:00

As the saying goes, "All Good Things Must Come To A End", so it does for us.

I'm going to keep this short as it's emotional for me still. I loved rv'ing so much and was not ready to come off the road. Dean on the other hand, I believe, was ready and due to his health issues I knew in my heart it was time.

Upon our return in January from Montgomery we were fortunate to find a nice three bedroom/two bath patio home for rent and the beginning of February began the moving process. The house is located in Fairhope, AL and we are within one mile of all his doctors and the hospital so it's very convenient. We also have three grocery stores and a big Wal-Mart within 4 miles. I believe we will be happy here.

As of today, we are moved in and have procured more stuff! Oh how I hate that, but going from 400sf into 1570sf, it was needed. Suze & David donated some furniture so we didn't have to buy everything. The next item will be a bedroom suit for us. We have a bed and chest of drawers but that's it. Those three drawer plastic things from Wal-Mart come in handy.

The bus is empty and every time we go to it I get tears in my eyes. I feel like a big part of my life is over and I'm not sure where to go from here. It's like a hole in my heart. Next week I won't have to worry about seeing the bus much as we are taking it to Carpenters Campers in Pensacola to put on their lot for sale. I just pray they find a buyer for it quickly.

Once I feel a little more settled, I'm going to have to find something to do. I'm not sure at this point what it will be but I've been praying for God to lead me to something to help with all the time I'll have. I know I don't want a job or anything that is totally structured like a job so most volunteer positions will be out. Besides, with Dean, I can't commit to something with structure.

We are located about 8 - 10 miles from Rainbow Plantation so if any of our rv'ing friends happen in this area, please call. We would love to see you.

I want to thank all our rv'ing friends for the wonderful memories that you were part of during the past almost 6 years and for your friendships. I am so grateful that we did have the time on the road that we did as we had the opportunity to see so many beautiful places in these great United States.

So, I close the door on this part of my life and open the door to another.

I probably won't blog much if at all. Most of you know that I'm on Facebook so I'll see you there. Till then.......

Off The Road For Awhile

2010-11-21T09:01:00.003-06:00

Good Morning!

I just noticed that I had not updated the blog for over a month - yikes! I guess the only reason I can give is that not much has been happening except staying busy running to doctor appointments.

Because of ongoing issues with Dean's health, it looks like we will be off the road for awhile if not permanently. Since we will not be doing any traveling in the near future, I will not be updating the blog.

I want to thank my faithful followers for stopping by and traveling with us by way of the blog. It has been a neat source for me to relay our wonderful experiences during the past five and one half years! What a ride it has been and I thank God every day for allowing us the opportunity to see such beautiful places during this time, places that we would never have been able to experience if we had not done this.

Should I do any blog updates in the future, I'll post on Facebook that I've done so. I know most of you frequent there and will thus be notified.

To all our traveling friends - Travel Safe and to all - God Bless.

The Wedding - Done!

2010-10-10T14:16:00.002-05:00

As you can tell by the title, the wedding day is over. The couple of days prior were hectic and tiring but the end result was well worth it.

Thursday, Suze, Dean & I worked at getting the backdrop up. We used 8 X 10 white tarps from Wal-Mart, tying them in place with bridal net ribbon on a wire that David had put up. We managed to get about half done - very time consuming.

Later in the afternoon Tim & Cheryl arrived from New Iberia, LA. That night we all went out to dinner at Sommers Place, a really good place to eat in Montgomery. What a great time we had. It was so good to see Tim and Cheryl again.

Friday morning we met back at the "house" to finish the decorating. The rest of the backdrops went up quickly since there where two more there to help. Tim was so helpful, putting the lights along the top of the backdrop, running the extensions and anything else that needed done! Cheryl and I took on the task of decorating the arch (pre-lit) with more of the netting and ivy vines. I think we did a great job and thanks to Cheryl, I didn't have to climb on the ladder - she took care of doing the top of the arch.

Suze was busy helping with the backdrops, helping Ann who was the caterer and anything else that happened to pop up that needed done.

Shannon had errands to run during the morning and David had to be at the school till around 11am.

By 3pm the backyard had been transformed into a wedding wonderland - perfect for a sunset wedding!!!

At 6:30 the wedding began and went off without a hitch, well, almost. Taylor who is Shannon's son, walked her down the aisle and was supposed to stand by David but he either forgot or wasn't told and went to sit with friends. A few min. later he did return to stand by David and all was good.

Because it was a backyard wedding, Morgan & Brooke had passed letters out to all the neighbors - front, side and back, informing them of the wedding that would take place and that there would be a reception following with music and that every effort would be taken to attempt to hold the noise level down and end at a decent hour. Well, no problem except the neighbor directly behind has children who came out into their back yard right as the wedding was beginning and tried to peek through the fence and where talking loud saying stuff like "look, they have fire over there" (the torches). Well, Brooke finally said toward the fence "Be Quiet!" It worked, no more kid chatter - way to go Brooke!!!

When you look at the pictures that I posted at Picasa you will see a few of the unity candle. There were actually 6 candles. One for each of the children, Brooke, Taylor & Morgan to use to light one each for David & Shannon. They in turn used theirs to light the big unity candle. A very nice touch, blending two families to one.

The reception was nice with great food. Dean and I stayed till around 8:30 pm then left since we were exhausted. We were told that the party went on till just after midnight. I couldn't have held up that long - old age I guess.

Saturday morning we went back to the house to bid David & Shannon farewell as they left for their honeymoon cruise. I forgot my camera so no pictures of them or the painted truck! Morgan & Brooke did a fine job of decorating the truck that they left in. I'm sure David found a car wash to go through not far down the road. Suze took pictures with her cell phone and when she gets them posted on Facebook, I'll tag a few so ya'll can see them.

After the happy couple left, we all went out for breakfast at Chappy's then back to the house to begin the clean up. Funny how it takes days to decorate and only a few hours to undo it all.

Since Saturday was Dean's & Tim's birthday, Suze cooked a great meal of tri-tip peppercord roast beef, homemade noodles, peas, cole slaw and pickled beets followed by birthday cake. It was also for me since my birthday is Monday. Thanks Suze - your the best daughter anyone could ask for.

This morning Tim & Cheryl left, headed to MS to see his sister, Robin, who is having some medical issues, then on back to New Iberia, LA. It was really great that they could come up for the wedding and birthday's. Especially nice that he could spend his and his dad's birthday together.

The next couple of days will be relax and get errands done, then on Tuesday we will head for Fairhope for a couple of months. Tons of doctor appointments to get out of the way.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to peek at the wedding pictures.

Till next time - Safe Travels....

We're Back In Alabama

2010-09-24T10:50:00.002-05:00

After a wonderful three weeks plus in Elkhart, IN where we spent a lot of time with good friends we are now back in Montgomery, AL. We left Elkhart on Wednesday and arrived in Montgomery yesterday, Friday. The first day we overnighted at Columbus, IN. so that meant a long day yesterday, over 500 miles. Shame on us!!! But, I'm glad to be here and parked with no road running in the motorhome for a couple of weeks.

The one thing that I don't like is the heat. The temperatures were so nice up north and still so hot here. Oh well, in another month or so I'll probably be wishing for some warmer weather.

We will be staying in Montgomery till the 11th of October when we will move on south to Fairhope and start our round of doctor appointments - uck. The main reason for staying here right now is that our son David is getting married on the 8th of Oct. We are so happy for him. Wouldn't miss celebrating this special day for anything.

I will be getting some pictures posted to Picasa this week. They are from several weeks ago but I couldn't upload them because of bad campground wifi. I hope you enjoy them.

Don't know when I'll be back to post, probably after the wedding with a few pictures, I'm sure.

Till then, safe travels.....

A Bit Behind!

2010-09-06T08:49:00.002-05:00

Oh my gosh, I guess I didn't realize how long it's been since I've posted out here. Sorry folks.

I'll attempt to catch you up but the best part that I haven't written about is vi sable in pictures at Picasa. They tell a better story than I do!

We left the UP with Elkhart, IN as our destination with a couple of stops along the way. We made the first stop Grayling Army Natl. Guard Base in Grayling, MI. This base is the largest ANG base in the US. It is very large with lots and lots of barracks. There was a small post store that had a few grocery items along with some normal BX items. The base is situated along a nice size lake where they offer swimming and boat rentals. No, we didn't do either as the temperatures were in the mid 70's and lows in the 50's. Perfect weather.

We stopped at Grayling for a chance to catch up on laundry and some grocery shopping. We found a wonderful laundromat. I know, that sounds strange, is there anything as a wonderful laundromat? This one was brand new and had front load washers which I really prefer now. I just wish all laundromats where as nice and clean as this one was....I know, dream on.

After a couple of days in Grayling we got back on the road again heading to Hudsonville, MI which is about half way between Grand Rapids and Holland, MI.

We stayed at Baldwin Oaks Campground which was not bad but..... I hate campgrounds that nickle and dime you to death! The senior rate was listed as $29 a night which wasn't to bad but until they finished adding on the EXTRA expense for 50 amp and air conditioning it ended up at $34.00 a night! I had called in advance to our arrival and nothing was said about the additional add on's. I know, we could have moved on but this is where I wanted to be so we stayed. I just have to wonder why they can't set their rates at one price and be done with it!

We stayed in Hudsonville several days and while here drove over to Holland, MI. It was another one of the places I had on my bucket list. I realized that it was not the right time of year to really get the full effect of a place named Holland, tulips were not blooming, but I also realized that this would probably be the only chance to get there.

We visited the Deklomp Wooden Shoe & Delft Factory first. Very interesting place to see the famous Dutch wooden shoes being made. Of course they sell them as well for about $40. Did I buy a pair - no. I can't believe that wooden shoes that don't give at all can be that comfortable. But, it was fun looking at them.

The Delft ware was absolutely beautiful. They have their own artists that actually do the hand painting right there on premises and you can watch if one is working when you are there. Considering that they are hand painted their prices were not bad and they had some really different pieces like a windmill that had a light in it and the blades actually turned.

After a lot of ooohhh'ing and awww'ing we left empty handed. No place in the motorhome for this stuff!

From there we went to Windmill Island Gardens. Another touristy place. The big attraction here is the DeZwaan (the swan) Windmill. It is an authentic Dutch Windmill. We also got to watch some authentic Dutch dancing by a group of high school girls. Very cute.

As I mentioned above, pictures tell a better story so be sure to go take a look at my Picasa web site.

We arrived in Elkhart at Elkhart Campground a week ago yesterday. We hadn't planned on attending the Gypsy Journal Rally this year but since we arrived prior to it's start...well, why not?

Dean and I attended several interesting seminars on digital photography, using Picasa, and genealogy. I upgraded my Verizon air card to the MiFi. We had a great evening's entertainment listening to McKinney Washtub Two, a husband and wife duo. Very good music, not the run of the mill stuff though. The first song was titled Geritol Gyspy's - and it got better from there - lol.

Our first day at Elkhart Campground, Terry (of Terry & Dale) fixed our slide for us. We owe him a big thanks and he settled for a hot fudge sundae from Micky D's. He's a cheap repairman, huh?

Since we've been here we have spent some good times with friends and family. My cousin Muffet (Dot) and her daughters and son came over yesterday for a picnic. We have been out to eat a couple of times with Anne & Henry and our new friends Bob & Marie. Bill and Dianne stopped by yesterday and went to dinner with us. Of course we saw Marcia and Joe at the rally along with several other acquaintances. Even saw a couple that were at Coastal Haven RV Park in Fairhope, AL last winter - small world!

So, I think I've about caught back up. Whew! There is nothing "big" planned for about a week, so I probably won't be back till then. Hope you all have a great Labor Day. Be sure and check out the pictures and till next time......Safe Travels

Soo Locks

2010-08-23T15:19:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine and cool temperatures. A perfect day to visit the Soo Locks with Sandy & Ken!

Would you believe we spent almost 5 hours in Sault St. Marie? We drove to the Look Out Tower but decided not to go to the top. None of us wanted to spend the money. Maybe because the casino has taken to much?? LOL. We then went on down to the lock area. Going through the security we were told that the next ship would be going trough about 1:30 pm so decided to go have some lunch first.

After being directed to a restaurant with good pasties only to find it was closed on Sundays, we walked back to the Lock View Restaurant. I had the whitefish basket and Dean had his liver and onions. Ken had the same as me and Sandy has a pastie. It was much smaller than the one the guys had earlier this week and she said it wasn't as good, but wasn't bad.

After lunch, we walked back to the locks where we waited almost a hour waiting for the ship that didn't actually get to the locks till 2:15. It's neat watching a big ship go through. The difference in levels at these locks is 21 feet so it is either raised (as this one was) or lowered that amount. We also watched a small pleasure boat and a tour boat go through the locks.

On our way home it was time for Ken's and mine ice cream fix so we stopped at McD's for a sundae. Ummm good.

It was a great day and we will miss spending time with the Berry's. They left this morning heading toward the Pictured Rocks area. I know that they will enjoy it there, we sure did.

Tomorrow we depart for the lower portion of Michigan. We will be spending two nights at Grayling Natl. Guard Base and then three nights near Holland, MI. This coming Sunday we will be heading to Shipshewana, IN for a few days then on to Elkhart for a layover during the Labor Day week (end).

I probably won't post till after we've been to Holland, MI so it will be maybe a week. Don't give up on me, I'll be back.

I've posted pictures of the Soo Locks at Picasa - go take a peek.

Till next time... Safe Travels....

Tahquamenon Falls, MI

2010-08-20T14:52:00.002-05:00

Yesterday mid-day we went with Sandy & Ken for a day of sightseeing. The early morning rain and clouds disappeared and the sky was clear blue and the temperature was in the low to mid 70's. We had decided to go to Tahquamenon Falls and took the scenic route which isn't very scenic. That is unless you like looking at trees, trees and more trees.

We drove through Newberry, MI on our way to the falls and decided to have lunch. Sandy & I had stroganoff which wasn't very good. Ken & Dean had a pasty. No, they are not the little thingies that strippers use - this is pronounced pass-te. They were good! These had beef and vegetables in them and were served with gravy. For those who don't know, a pasty is like a turn-over but filled with meat and veggies. From what I was told, it was a staple for the miners. They would take them in their lunch box as something easy to eat, filling and nutritious.

From Newberry we drove on to the Upper Falls which I read is the second largest falls east of the Mississippi. The walk back to the falls was not bad, probably about a quarter of a mile with a little incline here and there. It is situated in a state park and the path is actually a wide paved pathway. Made for a good walk. The falls were beautiful. The water looked like muddy coffee. The brown color of the water is caused by many kinds of dissolved organic material including tannic acids. These come from the decomposing woody debris and soils of cedar, hemlock & spruce forest in the watershed area. Sandy and Ken were brave and walked the 92 steps down to the base of the falls - Dean and I did not, I knew that my knee wouldn't like it. And of course, what goes down must come up! That was 184 steps!

Dean and I wandered back to the gift shop area. When Ken & Sandy caught up, we all poked around the gift shop and then had some good ice cream.

After our dessert, we headed to the Lower Falls. The river actually splits around a island and causes two water falls. These are not as high as the Upper Falls but in my opinion they were prettier. Here again it was about a quarter of a mile walk to the falls viewing areas. There was another trail that went to a view platform over the right hand falls that was .3 mile - Ken and Sandy went. Dean and I went back toward the parking lot and walked along the river for a little.

This area that we drove through is touted as the "Moose Capital of Michigan". Hah! They should have to prove it. We didn't see any moose and not because we didn't look. Well, I take it back, we did see part of one and I have a picture of it. Take a look at Picasa.

On our return drive we were within 12 miles of Whitefish Point and I really wanted Ken & Sandy to see it so we went there next. It was 5:45 pm and they close at 6:00pm so they didn't go to the museum etc. but Sandy got pictures of the lighthouse and the lake etc. It is so pretty there. I could just sit and watch the lake for hours.

We also passed Iroquois Lighthouse on our way back home and stopped for a couple of pictures. By that time we had been gone 8 hours and they need to get back to let Pancho out. Poor doggie - had to hold it all that time.

Today the weather isn't very good, cool and damp and overcast and windy. We were going to the Soo Locks but postponed it. Hopefully tomorrow will be better but right now the weatherman is calling for 80% chance of rain tonight and tomorrow.

That about wraps it up for now. Pictures are posted at Picasa so go take a look.

Till next time - Safe Travels.....

Whitefish Point, MI

2010-08-17T09:07:00.003-05:00

Sunday we drove to Whitefish Point, MI which is the home of the Shipwreck Museum and the closest land to where the Edmund Fitzgerald went down in Lake Superior.

The day was beautiful, sunny skies and cool temps. The drive took about a hour and followed the lake shore. It was a very nice drive.

We stopped in Paradise en-route for lunch at The Red Flannel Saloon/Little Falls Restaurant. I had a really good BLT and Dean had some soup. We then continued the 11 miles to the point.

There are many buildings at Whitefish Point, of course the lighthouse, the keepers house, the museum, a gift shop and a snack bar just to name a few. There is a boardwalk to the beach right at the point with beautiful views of Lake Superior and Canada.

The lighthouse is very different in construction as you can see in the picture that I posted at Picasa. There are other pictures there as well. The keepers house is attached to the lighthouse by a enclosed bridge so that he wouldn't have to go out in the cold winters - good idea!

The Shipwreck museum houses artifacts from several shipwrecks that occurred off Whitefish Point. I believe I read that there have been over 555 ships lost in Lake Superior since they started keeping records. That's a lot! The most impressive item in the museum is the bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald. It was brought up from the wreckage and another memorial bell with the crews names inscribed on it was placed on the wreckage. They show a moving movie about this event.

We also stopped at Iroquois Lighthouse close to Brimley. It is a very pretty lighthouse and I believe one that is photographed frequently. We saw it on a Budwiser sign in a bar/restaurant yesterday. You can climb to the top if your brave enough to go up 76 circular steps - not me, not anymore. If I was younger and had better legs - yes!

We had a very nice time Sunday and look forward to more. We will be going to the Soo Locks one day this week. We are waiting for the weather to improve a little. We have had showers Sunday night and Monday. The temperatures are in the 50's when I get up and the high yesterday was around 71. If the sun would just come out it would be great!

Pictures are up at Picasa.

So, that's it for now. Thanks for stopping by and come back when you have time....

Till Then - Safe Travels......

Time To Move On

2010-08-12T16:28:00.002-05:00

We have spent the last week here at St. Ignace. We have had a very enjoyable week visiting with friends, going to the casino and losing (haha), visiting Mackinac Island, getting the oil changed and the tires rotated on the Jeep and driving the country side.

The campground, Lakeshore Park, has been a comfortable place to stay. The views out our front window have been ever changing - freighters, pleasure boats, tall ships, fog and rain. I highly recommend it if you come this direction.

Tomorrow we are moving a little more north, back to the Lake Superior area to Brimley, MI. We will be staying at Bay Mills Casino RV Park. From there we are planning a trip to Whitefish Point where the Edmund Fitzgerald went down, to the Soo Locks that connect Lake Huron and Lake Superior, and possibly to Tahquamemon Falls. I'm hoping to see a few more lighthouses as well. The drive tomorrow will be a short one, less than 60 miles, my kind of day!

We are planning on 5/6 nights at this destination so we should be able to get to all the sights, depending on the weather. I just hope we keep the cooler temperatures - been really loving this weather and don't want to head back south!

Check back in a couple of days to see where we've been. I'll try to update soon after we visit some sights!

Till then....Safe Travels..........

Mackinac Island

2010-08-08T13:13:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we met up with Marcia & Joe for a day on Mackinac Island. Our adventure began with a 15 min. ferry ride on Shepler's Ferry from St. Ignas. On our way to the island we saw several light houses, the Mackinac Bridge and views of the houses on the island along with the Grand Hotel.

Arriving on the island, we started down Main St. in search of some lunch. We found a nice place with a patio ordered some food and settled in. Joe & Marcia had a whitefish basket which they said was good. Dean and I split a order of cheese fries - we weren't very hungry because of a late breakfast. It was nice sitting on the patio watching the activity including the moving of supplies by horse and wagon. I'm sure ya'll know that there are no automobiles on the island. Transportation is by bicycle, horse and carriage or by foot!

I had posted on Facebook that my impression of the island was "stinky". I'll explain. Since horses are used in large numbers on the island as a way of transportation, there is bound to be some odor, but I never expected it to be so bad. The horses of course have to do what comes naturally and where else but on the streets. Therefore, there are streams of horse urine running beside the curbs of the streets and piles of horse poop in the streets. I'm really surprised that they don't require the bags behind the horses to catch that! I never did see anyone cleaning up after them either. It was like having the barnyard smell in a town.
STINKY!!!

After lunch, we walked more of the Main Street, I became a real "fudgie" since I bought some fudge - every other shop was a fudge shop! It was nice though since all the shops gave samples. That was our dessert.

We talked about taking the carriage tour but none of us wanted to ride the "commercial" one along with 18 other people. We inquired about a private ride but the wait was way to long and it didn't go where we wanted - Arch Rock. One guy said his company didn't go there because it was to full of horse urine & poop!! So, we opted out of that.

After several hours we caught the ferry back to St. Ignas and made arrangement to meet later for dinner and some more casino fun. Well, dinner was great but I'm not setting foot back in this casino - it took my money and didn't really let me play very long. I believe Joe & Marcia fared a lot better - luck was with them, not us.

We bid farewell to Marcia & Joe. They were heading north today, toward the Soo-Locks. We will be in St. Ignas till Friday. We will do some sightseeing and get some work done on the Jeep while here.

I will say, back to the island for a minute, that the hotels were pretty. I will be uploading some new pictures from yesterday to Picasa very soon, so be sure and take a look.

Till next time...Safe Travels.....

Marquette & Presque Isle

2010-08-05T16:38:00.003-05:00

Today we drove around Marquette to take pictures of some of the neat buildings and houses. We also went out to Presque Isle, which is a nice park with trails and picnic areas along Lake Superior.

The weather today was wonderful - high was around 73 and tonight is going down to 55.

Will hate to leave this area but tomorrow is a move day - on to St. Ignace and lots more to see.

Be sure and check back in a couple of days, hopefully I'll have a update.

Safe Travels...

I have posted pictures of this drive at Picasa - go enjoy them.

Pictured Rocks National Park

2010-08-04T08:57:00.002-05:00

What a day we had yesterday! God was certainly smiling at us as he gave us the most beautiful day he could have made - temperatures were in the low 80's, the sky was clear and the sun was shining. A wonderful day for sightseeing anywhere but especially at Pictured Rocks Natl. Park.

We began by driving M-28 along the edge of Lake Superior to Munising. Waterfalls, lighthouses, scenic overlooks and the national park were in our sights for the day. This route is a very scenic drive - the lake, mountains (well, big hills), lakes and small towns. Driving into Munising is a scenic overlook not to be missed if you come this way. The views from it are superb. It sits atop a big hill (mountain) and overlooks the town of Munising, Lake Superior and Grand Island. Of course I'll be posting some pictures for your perusal.

We continued on to Alger Falls followed by Wagner Falls. Alger Falls is right off M-28 and can be seen from the car. Wagner Falls is off M-94 and required about a 1/4 mile walk back on a path/boardwalk in lush forest. Unfortunately, at Alger Falls, the weeds were thick along the roadway and I didn't want to walk through them trying for better pictures - to bad they don't cut them back! Again, pictures will be posted.

It was time for lunch so off we went to find Dogpatch Restaurant. I really can't say much about this restaurant - just OK. We got the lunch special which was a burger, chips and soup/salad bar. The salad bar was good, the burger was OK. It was not a dining experience that I'll remember!

After lunch we stopped at the Natl. Park Visitor Center and got some great information from the gal working there, along with maps and brochures. We were off to Sandy Point first.

Sandy Point is a beautiful sand beach outside Munising, on Lake Superior. I was told that the water was "warmer" than usual and looking at the number of people in the water, I should hope so. Lake Superior is known for it's cold water. After enjoying the view and chatting with a local we were off to find Miner's Castle in the Pictured Rocks Natl. Park.

It was a nice drive of about 15 miles to our destination. No farmland, mostly trees and open range. After arriving at the parking lot it was a short walk to the overlook for Miner's Castle. This is a rock formation on the shoreline of Lake Superior. I don't know what I was expecting but this was most certainly one of my WOW experiences! Oh my, it was so beautiful! The water colors made me think I was in the Caribbean. Clear blues and greens - you can see down 15 - 20 feet. The depth around the Castle is said to be around 10 feet. There were several people swimming at the base and climbing into the cave's. Awesome, just awesome! For me it ranks up there with the Grand Canyon and Old Faithful at Yellowstone!

The afternoon was quickly disappearing and we were scheduled for the 5pm cruise to the Painted Rocks and Spray Falls so it was time to head back to town. Across the street from where we bought our tickets, there was a Farmers Market/Art Show happening. Only about 12 booths but some super looking local produce along with baked goods. There is also a covered stage at the marina park and they were getting ready for a Tuesday evening concert in the park. I just love small towns! I have noticed that a lot of the small towns here and in Wisconsin do this, have weekly evening concerts in their city parks. How cool!

Around 5pm we boarded our boat for a 2 1/2 cruise along the Pictured Rocks and to Spray Falls. It was a beautiful cruise and the weather stayed perfect for it. Choosing this time of day was good as the sun was shining on the cliffs most of the time making picture taking great.

We had a great commentator that told us a lot of Lake Superior facts which I now can't remember! Some that I do remember are: If you go down about 100 - 200 feet the water temperature stays a constant 32 - 35 degrees - brrrrrr. Lake Superior is also known as the lake that does not surrender up it's dead. This is because of the water temperatures. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world. At it's deepest point it is 1,300 feet deep.

On our way back to the pier a storm brewed up and everyone on board scurried to the covered cabin. The water wasn't rough but it rained - hard. After about 15 min. the rain stopped and it cleared, just in time for us to disembark. Perfect timing.

We returned home very tired after a full day of fun. I don't know that anything can top this but we'll keep looking.

One side note that I found out and want to return to do - you can take a ferry to Grand Island and then a bus tour of the island. This island basically has no services and is now owned by the government. There are cabins you can rent if you truly want to "get away from it all" including indoor plumbing, telephone, TV etc. I'm not sure I want to do that but I want to return one day and do the ferry/bus tour.

I will be posting tons of pictures at Picasa today so be sure and take a look.

Till next time....Safe Travels

Escanaba, MI

2010-07-30T13:20:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a perfect day for the drive to Escanaba, MI. We were in search of Sand Point Lighthouse and found it without any problems.

Escanaba is a mid-size town on the UP of Michigan. It's the kind of place I like, not to big, not to small. It also sits along the shores of Green Bay so there are plenty of water activities to be had. We drove the shore line about 10 miles and it would seem that there is plenty of money around here. The houses ran from quaint, old & restored to new and big. They sat on either waterfront or water view property. I just can't imagine being here in the winter! Spring, summer & fall - yes.

The city has a big park where the lighthouse is situated. It has tennis courts, a boat launch, picnic areas and a beach. Very pretty.

I have posted a few pictures on Picasa of the lighthouse and of a waterfall that is located just outside Iron Mountain. Hope you enjoy them.

Till next time - Safe Travels.....

Menominee, Michigan

2010-07-28T14:33:00.002-05:00

Arriving at Summer Breeze campground on Monday we had a big surprise. The motorhome that was checking in right in front of us looked very familiar, well want was written across the back was. "Breakin Wind". I told Dean "we know them". It was Jean and Willard Bass from the Class of '05. How cool was that! We haven't seen them since 2006 when we were in AZ.

Their friends from AZ, Lilia and Steve were here as well and that afternoon we had a "happy hour" catching up and just chatting. It was so nice to see them again. Isn't this life grand! It was a great reunion and nice to meet new friends.

Tuesday we decided to take a drive. I want to see as many lighthouses that I can while we are in Michigan and had my first one as today's goal. It is located in Menominee, MI which faces Green Bay (the water). We didn't realize how long a drive it was there but I guess it really didn't matter because it was a nice day except for cloud cover. We found the lighthouse, drove around town, had lunch and started back home with a stop at Island Casino to make a small donation. It ended up being a 187 miles round trip! Oh well, it was fun.

We came home to some sprinkles and later on severe thunderstorms with tornado warnings. We had a lot of rain but the worst of the storm went south-east of us. As a matter of fact, I read that a tornado touched down in Norway which is that direction from us about 10 miles. To close!

Today is relax day. I was up early and saw Jean and Willard drive off at 6:30am - way to early for me. Not sure where they were heading but hope that they had a safe trip.

I have uploaded a few pictures at Picasa - hope you enjoy them.

Tomorrow we are off on another sightseeing tour. Come on back to see where we went...

Till then, Safe Travels......

Barn Quilts, Cows, Trolls And Mustard

2010-07-22T11:28:00.003-05:00

Yesterday morning we took off for several destinations. Our first stop was at the town of New Glarus, a town that looks like it was imported straight from Switzerland. On our way we passed a few more barn quilts and I'll be posting the pictures.

New Glarus is really a neat town. If your hungry for a trip to Switzerland but can't afford it, come to New Glarus "America's Little Switzerland". This town was settled in 1845 by Swiss immigrants and has retained it's Swiss charm in everything from the Alpine style architecture, colorful flower boxes and Swiss/Eurpoean food.

Two shopkeepers from New Glarus where in Zurich and saw a "cow parade" there and decided it would be a nice thing to bring back to New Glarus. So, now New Glarus has it's own "cow parade". I've taken pictures of several of the cows and will be posting them at Picasa. The cows are imported from Switzerland and painted by local artists.

From New Glarus we drove some country roads to our next destination, Mount Horeb. This area was settled by Norwegian, German, Swiss & Irish immigrants in the 1840's. You can see the influance in the buildings and the food offered in the bakeries and restaurant. The main street is affectionately known as the "trollway". This is because of the 17 life size trolls that are placed in front of business's and shops. Of course we searched out a few and I took pictures. Interesting....

We had lunch at Schuberts Diner, Bakery & Soda Fountain. Soup and salad was our choice of the day and it was very good. The bakery items were so tempting but I didn't give in. It was hard to say no.

Back on the road to our final destination, The Mustard Museum which is located in Middleton, WI, near Madison. I know, your saying "the mustard museum"??? That's what I said when Garry told us about it but hey, it's different, right?

It all started in 1986 when the Founder Barry Levenson was walking the aisles of a grocery store after his favorite baseball team lost the World Series. He was looking for the meaning of life and as he passed the mustards he heard a voice, "if you collect us, they will come". Thus began the collection of what is now the Worlds Largest Collection of Mustards and Mustard Memorabilia. The collection now comprises of more than 5,200 mustards from all 50 states and more than 61 contries.

The museum was interesting but the best part was the mustard tasting area in the gift shop. They have mustards for sale from all around the world. We found one that we liked, a sweet but hot mustard, one that doesn't burn but has a bit of heat. I'm sure we will enjoy it on many sandwiches to come...

It was time to head back to Brodhead but we had one more stop to make. Just outside of town we had seen a sign advertising a "haystack" dinner. We had experienced one of these several years ago in Goshen, IN and decided that would be our dinner tonight. It was put on by the local Amish community which has about 30 families. A small community by compairison to other areas. The haystack was delicious as were the pie desserts. I had peanut butter cream and Dean had apple. Very, very good. I will be visiting the Amish bakery tomorrow for sure.

With that under our belt, so to speak, we headed back to the campground and visited with Jenny & Garry for awhile. I really hate that they both have to work while we are here but we will make the most of the time we can get together.

I hope you enjoyed our little journey as much as we did. We will be moving to the Wisconsin Dells on Friday so be sure and come back to see what we find.

Safe Travels......

Brodhead, WI And Surrounding Area

2010-07-20T21:29:00.003-05:00

We made it to Wisconsin, finally! Only about 2 weeks behind when we wanted to be here but here we are!

We are parked at Crazy Horse Campground in Brodhead, WI. Garry and Jenny are here also. Garry is working at the campground while Jenny is working at a furniture store in Janesville. Unfortunately we won't get to spend a lot of time with Jenny because of her work schedule. I really hate that!

We arrived Sunday afternoon after a long days drive from Remington, IN. Did about 100 miles on two lane road and then the rest of the way (almost) on I-39. We were both glad to arrive. After getting set up, Garry & Jenny stopped by and we decided to go out to dinner at a great Italian restaurant up the highway about 5 miles. Very good pizza. After that we came back and crashed. Sleep was needed!

Yesterday, Monday, Garry went with us to Janesville to give us the grand tour. He showed us the high schools that they went to, the house they started full timing from, the downtown area, and a house that Abraham Lincoln stayed at. We drove through two beautiful city parks and through some beautiful housing areas. When it was time for Jenny to get off work, we drove to a Country Buffet to meet her for dinner. Had a really great time.

Today, Tuesday, the three of us (Dean, Garry & me) took off for Monroe, WI. We had decided to eat lunch at Baumgartner's and it was a good choice. Garry had the rib eye steak sandwich, I had the cheeseburger and Dean had chili and a hot dog. We all were very happy with our food. This place is neat. $1.00 bills on the ceiling and there is a trick to getting them there but I can't tell what it is. Our waitress showed it after we gave her a dollar. The money is taken done once or twice a year and given to charity. They have some cute signs inside and I've posted a picture of one in particular. You need to check it out at Picasa. You can get a Limburger cheese sandwich if you desire. Fortunately, I don't think anyone near us had one - we would have been able to tell if they had!

The town square is pretty with the courthouse in the center and shops all around. I would love to go back for some shopping. Next time. We visited Roth Kase cheese factory, a produce store which I can't remember the name right now and then went to Wally World to get some cash and a few items.

After we finished at Wally World we began our hunt for some of the 68 Barn Quilts of Green County, WI. It was fun driving the back roads in search of them - Garry is a great navigator! When we finally got back to Brodhead Garry said he didn't think he would like doing that but was surprised how much he enjoyed it. I'm so glad. I would hate to think we bored him most of the afternoon.

This evening we went with Garry to get our first walleye dinner. It was very good and I'm sure I'll have it again before we leave Wisconsin.

I have posted pictures at Picasa from the past two days. Go take a look. NOTE: The last Barn Quilt is Bear Paw, not FAA Rising Star.

Tomorrow Dean and I take off on our own to Madison and other parts of WI. Be sure and check back to see what we have found...

Safe Travels....

Franklin,KY

2010-07-15T19:59:00.003-05:00

We finally saw Nashville in our rear view mirror on Thursday - yea!!!

We got a new step installed thanks to Cummins and got under way around 11 am. Because of the time and disorganization of the motorhome and me, we decided to stop at the Bluegrass Music Park in Franklin, KY. for a couple of nights.

The first thing was to just enjoy our first evening on the road again at home.

Because the refrig had lost power at some point during the three weeks in Nashville, we had to throw everything away so that meant shopping for replacements which we did this morning. This afternoon we began catching up on laundry and will finish it tomorrow. I've done a little cleaning in between but have much more to do. I don't know where all the dust comes from but it seems like I can never catch up!

Saturday morning we will head out to Oaktown, IN. New Vision RV Park is a Passport America park that we stayed at when we first began full timing 5 years ago. We stayed there after the Escapade on our way to PA. I remember it is fairly close to Washington, IN and a Amish community. There is or was a terrific Amish restaurant there called the Black Buggy. I do think we will have to give it a try again. The nice thing the first time we went is that it was our birthday month and both our meals were free! Won't be that lucky this time but what the heck. It will be worth it.

Our first destination is outside Janesville, WI to visit with Garry & Jenny. Hope to spend a couple of nights at the campground where Garry is working. Then it will be off to catch other friends on up in WI. We are so far behind our "schedule" I hope we don't miss them!

So, there you are - we are on the move again and praying that our troubles are behind us.

Come on back as I hope to have more interesting things to write about now.

Safe Travels.....

Still In Nashville!

2010-07-11T07:48:00.002-05:00

Just a quick update to our "situation".

As you can see by the title, we are still in Nashville, TN.

We picked up the bus last Thursday and got on our way north, up I-65 with campground reservations just inside the KY state line. Surprise, we didn't make it!

About 20 miles north as we were approaching the White House, TN exit the bus started doing the exact same thing it did almost 3 weeks ago. I couldn't believe it was happening again. Anyway, we pulled off the interstate to a Wal-Mart parking lot and called Cummins. They sent a technician to check it out. Of course, when he started checking, he could not see anything and his computer only showed one fault code and that was that the turbo had got hot. He suggests that we drive it back to Cummins for further checking and that he would follow us. I told him we would not get the whole way back, as a matter of fact, I wasn't sure just how far we would get!

Well, we made it to within about 5 miles of Cummins. I had started to give the bus I little gas and nothing happened except for no acceleration and a lot of black smoke coming out the exhaust! At least the Cummins tech got to see for himself that what we've been saying is true!

Coming off the interstate it is a uphill climb to Cummins. Talk about knowing that we were not going to make it! We did but at 5 mph.

I was so upset the last 5 miles with traffic passing me at 55-60 mph and me going 20-25 mph - I just knew we were going to get hit, even though the Cummins tech was right behind us. I cried all the way to Cummins.

When we limped into the lot, the tech said not to turn the engine off. He began looking for the problem along with two other tech that come out. Hah, he said. There is the problem. The boot on the turbo had collapsed and the turbo could not get air.

It was now almost 4pm and nothing was going to happen so we set up camp in their lot with a very low 20 amp. If you have read my comments on FaceBook you know about our 3:30 am visitor. Talk about a nightmare situation. I never did get back to sleep Thursday night.

Friday they spend most of the day searching for the part locally with no results. It is being shipped from Memphis and is supposed to arrive by 11am Monday. I couldn't take three nights of low 20amp and o'dark thirty visitors so we are back at the LaQuinta. Boy were they surprised to see us. The General Manager is a doll. She booked us back in at the same (lower) rate we had before, even though the rates had gone up.

Yesterday, Saturday, Dean and I took off for Monell's Reastaurant in Gallatin, TN. It was great. True southern home cookin served up family style. We are getting ready right now to head to the one here in Nashville for breakfast. Should be very good.

So there you are. We're still in Nashville and waiting again. I can only pray that this part is the source of the problem and when we head out this time we can get somewhere! I honestly think if we have one more delay, we will just turn around and head back south.

Safe travels ya'll.....

Percy Priest State Park, Nashville, TN.

2010-07-05T18:27:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we decided to take a drive to Percy Priest State Park near Nashville for something to do. It was only about a 15 mile drive but a pleasant one. Traffic wasn't bad till we got near the lake then it got pretty congested but kept moving. This is a very big lake and I would suppose it's part of the water supply for Nashville. The level seemed to be good - no dry areas that we could see.

There are 3 or 4 public areas that have boat launches, picnic tables and swimming but they were all full and we couldn't get down to those. We did make it down to one area with lots and lots of sail boats, all tied up at the dock. We were surprised that there wasn't very much boat traffic on the lake since it was July 4th.

We then drove to Elm Hill Marina, a commercial area, and had a drink and bite to eat at the Cove Restaurant. Very nice floating restaurant with outdoor seating. Dean really enjoyed the scenery there - you will have to go to Picasa and look at the pictures to see what I'm talking about.

Next we drove to the dam but unfortunately the visitor information area was closed. I was hoping to get some info on the dam and lake. Oh well, maybe next time.

I've posted pictures of the dam and lake area at Picasa so if your inclined, take a look.

We stopped for dinner and came back to the motel. I'm really getting tired of the motel life! I'm ready to get my motorhome back! Hopefully by mid week - fingers crossed.

Today we drove to Cold Springs which is south of Nashville off I-65 to the mall. Had lunch at Bishop's meat & 3. Very, very good food. Highly recommend it if you are ever in the area. Then we went to JC Penny's looking for some shoes, but they didn't have what I was looking for. Did get three pair of capri's for half price so not a total waste.

A quick stop at Wal-Mart to get some cash and we were on our way back to the motel.

Tomorrow we are driving back in the same direction to Fairview to visit our friend Jackie Burkett. It's been over a year since we've seen her so will have some catching up to do. I know it will be a nice visit.

That's about all. Hopefully the next time I post it will be from my recliner in the bus. Till then, safe travels....

Some Fun Time

2010-07-04T08:04:00.002-05:00

Saturday - July 3rd

As promised, we did find something fun to do.

We found a Jubilee was being held in Smithville, TN which is about 65 miles from Nashville. It sounded like fun and it would get us out of town.

We took the back roads and had a nice drive through the hills of Tennessee on our way to Smithville. Arriving, we got a close parking spot, which was very lucky on our part as the streets were jammed with cars. We walked to the stage area and found a couple of seats. Now there was some really good entertainment going on. It was buck dance competition. Next was the fiddle contest then the bluegrass band contest. Wow, we love this type of music and certainly got our fill.

This is a big annual event here in Smithville, TN. They close off their town square and it is lined with vendors, food and crafts of all kinds. On the east side of the courthouse there is a big stage where all the contests are held and on the west side of the courthouse their is another tent where some of the bands play for strictly entertainment. Lots going on here!

After a couple of hours of sitting in the hot sun watching the entertainers, we found a little restaurant just off the square and had a sandwich and cooled down. Then it was back for more contests. It was now time for the National Championship Country Music Beginners. This is a contest for kids ages up to 12 to compete. My favorite! Buck dancing, clogging, and fiddle contests for the young one. How neat!

We stayed for a few more hours and watched some very talented children perform until we finally gave in to the heat and decided to leave. I would have loved to stay but there wasn't one little spot of shade available, it was all taken by others who had been there since 9 am! The announcer has said that it would probably end sometime just before mid-night. Wow, and this was the second day!

What they do is have everyone in a particular category perform, then the judges pick the top three. Later in the evening those top three come back and perform for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. They are awarded cash prizes for their win.

I took a few pictures and have posted them at Picasa. Thanks for coming by.

Good Sam CSP

2010-07-04T06:40:00.002-05:00

Warning! You will probably find this a very boring entry. I'm doing this one more as a reference to myself so I remember the exact timeline that events happened.

Wednesday - June 23, 2010

Left the campground at Athens, AL around 8:00 am. Smooth cruising for awhile north on I-65. About 15 miles from the Columbia, TN exit the motorhome began losing acceleration. Wasn't to bad at first but kept getting worse after several hills to climb. Had to run the shoulder up a couple of hills as the highest speed it would get to was around 30 mph. I also noticed a lot of black smoke trailing us. To dangerous to stay in traffic, even with flashers on.

Made it to the Columbia exit about 9:15 am and pulled into Loves truck stop. Called Good Sam ERS and told them the situation. They called back and said that Cummins in Nashville couldn't take us for a week and they would find someplace else. Another returned call a few minutes later gave us the name of Tennessee Diesel in Columbia. I asked how far it was and based on the short distance decided to drive to it instead of being towed. Went slow, didn't have much choice, and made it there. It was about 10 am.

Tennessee Diesel - what a big joke! It was more like a junk yard! The mechanic (co-owner) started asking questions and when I began to suggest that maybe we had got some bad fuel, that Cummins suggested (I had called them) checking the fuel filters first, he said in a very rude voice "if you want Cummins to fix it, then take it there". He continued by taking the air filter out, and claiming it was filthy. Taking this thing out is no easy task, as it is really big and is encased in metal. After taking it out he proclaimed, oh yes, we don't accept any warranty. Guess I should have asked that first - bad me! So now we decide to replace or not. While talking it over, the mechanic goes to lunch. Great! I decide to call Cummins again and am told one way to check to see if the air filter is dirty is to shine a flashlight into it. If we could see the light through the filter, it isn't filthy! Dean takes a flashlight into the "garage" and does this and comes back with - "It's not dirty, light came through just fine". OK decision made - no new air filter. Bill at Cummins also said he didn't think that would cause our problem anyway. Along about 1:30pm the mechanic shows back up. We tell him no to the air filter, to put it back. He says fine then come back with "you have a manifold leak". "You probably need to have Cummins take care of that". "I can't do it". Meanwhile I called Cummins again and asked how far they were and if we came in could they check the fuel filters. He gave me directions and said yes, they would pull someone to do that. Our minds are now made up, we're getting to Cummins. I proceeded to call Good Sam ERS again and tell them what the mechanic said. They said they would call back in a min. They did with the advice that they would not pay for a tow to Cummins. When asked why not, I was told that because we were at a "service center that could do the repairs". I told them we were not and what the mechanic told me. They said they called and he told them he could fix it! No way, I said, we're not staying here and I don't appreciate them sending us here in the first place. I asked if they knew where they sent us and the response was it was the next place listed in the phone book! Oh Wow! I learned something about Good Sam ERS today! We both decide to try to get to Cummins and get away from Tennessee Diesel.

Around 2:30 pm we head back to I-65 and Cummins in Nashville. Surprise, the motorhome runs just fine! Was it because the engine was cold or because I prayed every mile there? The only problem we had was when we got off the interstate there is a steep hill to Cummins and we could only get up to 15 mph up that hill.

So, now we're at Cummins and it's 3:30 pm. True to their word, they send a mechanic out to replace the fuel filters. Bill at Cummins says they can take us in on Monday if this doesn't make things better. I checked around for a campground and found one on Music Valley Drive, not more than 5 miles from Cummins. We decided that we'd had a long enough day and where going to at least spend the night! Left Cummins and got on I-40 to Briley Parkway. Well, almost immediately know that the fuel filter change did not change our problem! Checked into the campground and called Cummins back. We now have a Monday appointment and a very expensive campground to stay at till then.

Monday - June 28, 2010

Determined to be at Cummins early we left the campground around 6:30 am. Parked at Cummins. They finally got us in a bay around 9:30 am and the technician starts trouble shooting. After several hours (including lunch time) Bill says the report isn't good. The charge air cooler is shot. The technician tried to charge it but the air leaked right out. The charge air cooler in turn caused the turbo to overheat which in turn caused the manifold to leak. Gosh, I think I have that right! I talk to him about Good Sam Continued Service Plan and he says that they don't accept second warranties. I do explain that even if they don't, I need them to call to get a claim started. No problem, this they will do. It's now mid-afternoon. Bill calls GS CSP and gets that ball rolling. Since we know what the problem is and determine that the motorhome should not be driven any more, Dean and I check out motels. We're in luck, there is a LaQuinta nearby that accepts pets. Reservations made. Unfortunately there is no way we can stay in the motorhome while it's at Cummins - they are not set up for allowing it.

So, end of day one - diagnosis made, GS CSP called, told a adjuster would have to inspect as well and it would take 1 or 2 days for him to get there.

Tuesday - June 29th

Cummins calls me to tell me that they had a call from the adjuster and he said that the motorhome needs to be broke down before he'll come. Why didn't someone tell us that yesterday! Of course the call doesn't come till late afternoon!

Wednesday - June 30th

Cummins gets the motorhome back in a bay in the afternoon and does the tear down. They call GS CSP again and are told the adjuster would be notified and it could be 1 or 2 days till he gets here. Meanwhile, I'm told by GS CSP that they will cover our motel for up to 2 nights waiting for the adjuster and based on the labor estimate from Cummins, 3 nights for the repair. Well, we are going to have this out but not until I know they are covering the repair! We should not have to pay for the motel when there is no way we could stay in the motorhome - this is part of the contract! I also tell Cummins to go ahead and order the parts since it will need to be fixed, one way or another.

Thursday - July 1st

Early afternoon, we go to Cummins to get some stuff out of the motorhome and Bill tells us that the inspector had just left after looking at the parts,taking pictures and writing a report. Waiting... I call GS CSP to find out how much longer we will need to wait and they explain it will be Friday morning before they will get the pictures, then the in-house adjuster will review it and take it to his supervisor. This is because the repair is running between 7 & 8 thousand.

Friday - July 2nd

Finally, around 1 pm Cummins gets the call with the approval to do the repair! Yippee!!! Bill says that they, GS CSP, won't pay all the shipping or for some of the hardware (ie: nuts, bolts etc). I didn't really ask questions of him about this because he is just relaying the message. Besides, I've convinced them, Cummins, to accept payment from GS CSP because they will be paying by credit card, not mailing a check! But, then I also find out that it will take them 2 days to pay Cummins, even using a credit card! Oh boy, something else! I will find a work around this, but today I'm just happy to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

They have began putting the pieces back together on the motorhome this afternoon.

So, now it's a long weekend and Cummins is closed until Tuesday morning. I'm not going to stress over the weekend. We are going to find something fun to do.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Sitting And Waiting...

2010-06-26T10:21:00.002-05:00

So, here we sit at Yogi Bear Jellystone Campground in Nashville.

We've been to Nashville many times and have done the "tourist" stuff and even if we hadn't, the heat would probably keep us from doing very much.

We had a surprise call from Terry & Dale Thursday afternoon. They are rv'ing friends that we haven't seen in over a year. They had left Red Bay, AL after getting some repairs done to their Phaeton and where passing through Nashville. Their plan was to stop just inside Kentucky for the night and they wanted to know if we wanted to meet them for dinner about 20 miles up I-65 at Cracker Barrel. The timing was perfect as Dean and I were just getting ready to go out the door to find someplace to eat! I said we would be happy to meet them and set a time.

We met at 6 pm after we drove the 20 miles as did they coming back down from Kentucky. The food was good but the company was better! It was so nice to have smiling faces across the table from us, funny how God provides what you really NEED and believe me, Dean and I both needed this time with friends. Close to 8 pm we said our farewell's and each went our separate way home. I must say that I felt more relaxed than I had in 24 hours - thanks guys! Hopefully we will get to Elkhart before you leave there.

I wanted to take a dry run back to Cummins in the Jeep since we were going back on different roads and did that yesterday. We stopped in just to make sure they were ready for us on Monday morning. We talked with the shop supervisor a bit more about exactly what had happened - runs good when the engine is cold (for awhile), blows black smoke when accelerating, and doesn't get up hills very well (15 - 25 mph). They said they would be ready for us.

I also asked about a good place to eat nearby, not a chain restaurant. The supervisor gave me the directions to the Ole Dinner Bell. We were not disappointed, it was home cookin' at it's best. I think we will probably go back again while we are in the motel.

I also called LaQuinta and no problem on a room at a sorta reasonable rate - about the same as the campground. Found a boarding place for Tipsy close by and recommended. We could take him to the motel but have opted to board him. Easier on us and him.

So, here we are sitting and waiting........

I'll post again when we know more about the bus.

Safe Travels..

If This Is Having Fun - I Don't Want Any!

2010-06-24T05:44:00.003-05:00

OK, here's the story, sad but true. I wish I had better news for you!

We were finally on the road, heading north. It had been a long wait to get started this summer since the great state of Alabama requires you come in person to renew your drivers license. But, we finally reached the magical 60 days in advance of expiration and got it done.

A short weekend stop in Montgomery to see the kids and we were on the road again - yeah, right!

Day one - driving through Birmingham, AL. I had forgot what big hills there are on I-65, as it had been quite awhile since we had driven that direction. Oh well, we have a great motorhome with a good engine (snicker).

I noticed on the last hill that I didn't seem to have the get up and go, more like it got up and went. We made it to the top at about 50 mph and then breezed on up the road to Athens, AL where we stopped for the night.

All seemed right with the world, well ours anyway, and we talked about looking forward to doing the burbon trail in KY in the coming days.

Day two - Bright and early the next morning we are on the road again. Now I have to tell you I hate driving through Nashville - I always feel like I-65 got lost in the shuffle. Little did I know it wouldn't be a problem, not for awhile anyway.

We were breezing along, cruise set at 63 when I noticed on another hill that the speed had dropped down below 50! Wow, this isn't good. I took off the cruise and peddled it but it made no difference. Not looking good. Topped that hill only to find another one looming ahead. Hmm, lets coast up to 70 and maybe we'll top it. We did, at 35 mph. From this point it just kept getting worse. I saw a billboard for Love's Truck Stop 15 miles ahead and prayed that we could at least get there, off the interstate. After several times of having to run the shoulder because of only doing around 20 uphill and running around 40 mph on a straight away we made it to Love's parking lot.

A call to Good Sam ERS was made. They called back to say that Cummins, in Nashville, couldn't take us for a week. Great! A few minutes later they called back with the news that Tennessee Diesel in Columbia would take care of us. OK, so I trusted Good Sam and said that would be good, we were only about 8 miles from the repair center (later to be called something else) and would attempt to drive there. Off we went again, in slow mode, but we made it.

When I pulled through the gate of Tennessee Diesel, my skin crawled. It looked like a salvage yard and I didn't like the looks of this place but Good Sam sent us so it couldn't be bad - right? NOT!!!

Maybe the mechanic has been working on engines for 20 years but a little kindness would have gone a very long way about this time. Did we get any - no. He was the rudest person I've met in a long time. I had called Freightliner in Mobile where we had just had the MH serviced. He suggested the fuel filters, that we may have got some bad fuel. I started to suggest this to the mechanic and he rudely said "If you want Cummins to work this issue, just go there". Well that didn't set well with me and certainly got us off to a very bad start. He proceeded to pull the air filter and proclaimed it was filthy. Another call by me to Cummins in Nashville came up with the information that if you shine a flashlight into the top of the air filter and can see light coming through the side, it's not "filthy". Off went Dean to do the test - hah! Light at the end of the tunnel, er, filter. It wasn't filthy. OK, we didn't bite there so off to something else. He sticks his head way in the engine compartment and says "You have a manifold leak, probably need to go to Cummins". Do I believe him - not sure. I need to interject here that we arrived at this "repair facility" around 10 am. It was now close to lunch and of course off went the mechanic. Two hours later he's back. During this time I made another call to Cummins in Nashville about the possibility of coming in. They said they would pull someone to change the fuel filters but if that wasn't the problem it would be Monday before they could get us in the shop, they are swamped. OK, I agreed and we told this grease monkey to put the air filter back that we were movin on. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that I was told that Tennessee Diesel was a Cummins Parts Center, not repair center, by the owner!!!

Another call to Good Sam ERS by me only to find out that because we had driven to a repair facility, that they recommended, and who told Good Sam that they could repair the manifold, after telling me they couldn't and to take it to Cummins, that if we needed towed it would be at our expense! OK, so by two in the afternoon, I'm certainly not a happy camper. This is when I found out that Good Sam ERS doesn't have recommended or approved service centers, they use the yellow pages. Well, I'm now enlightened.

With the MH air filter in place off we started for Cummins about 40 miles away. I have to tell you, I prayed every quarter mile of that journey. Would you believe it, the engine did what it was supposed to and got us there.

True to their word, Cummins got a "certified" mechanic on the job right away to change out the fuel filters. Meanwhile I made reservations at the nearest campground, Yogi Bear. After replacing the filters, he had me rev up the engine and then said he didn't like the sound he was hearing - a manifold leak!!! Well, I'll give grease monkey that one, but that still doesn't change my opinion of they way they do business.

We paid for the filters and were on our way to the campground and it started again, on a busy parkway, 35 mph was the max I could go with trails of black smoke showing where we had been.

So here we sit, in Nashville, at a very expensive park $280 for 5 nights with GS discount. I'm not even going to get into the fact that the first site was so unlevel that the jacks would not even try to level us - just showed excessive slope. I can't get satellite reception and the wifi is just OK.

After getting set up, we realized that we hadn't eaten anything all day. Got a bite to eat, showered and went to bed. By this time my stress level just couldn't get any higher and sleep was the only thing that sounded good.

There is more to this story, like finding out the Cummins Repair here in Nashville doesn't work with 2nd party warranties i.e. Good Sam CSP. Great! I did talk them into calling and getting a work order opened. Maybe I'll be able to talk them into working with them??? I pray so. From the sounds of it, this is not going to be a cheap repair and it is going to be in the shop for several days.

Just another day in Paradise? If so, I want out!

Something Fishy, Luau, & Elvis Is In The Building!

2010-05-30T07:05:00.004-05:00

Yesterday morning David was up early and down at the lake fishing. Morgan, being a typical teenager, slept in. When she had finally woke up and discovered her Dad had gone fishin without her - well! Off she went so she could catch up. Total so far - David - 15, Morgan - 10. Maybe she'll pass him today. She is doing really good for a beginner - putting worms on the hook and even taking the fish off. More than I would do!

The afternoon was a lazy one. Sitting in the gazebo just watching the world go by and talking. Oh, I should have said watching the coaches roll in. Some really big ones too! Morgan and I played a couple of games of backgammon - she beat me - beginners luck.

At 5pm the Luau began at the clubhouse. The food was very good and the pig was delicious. Around 6pm Elvis was to make his appearance on the pool deck but mother nature had other ideas. Just as he was getting started in rolled a severe thunderstorm. No problem, we just moved back into the clubhouse and had a great evening's entertainment. The gentleman who did the Elvis impersonation is the assistant principle at Foley High School. His name is Shane Tucker and his web site is www.elvisatthegulf.com if your interested. What fun those kids must have with him.

Elvis was great - doing three era's of his music in three hours. Of course there was the handing out of the sweat scarves and the some of the ladies, no, not me, went crazy. You would have thought it was Elvis re-incarnated. He did sing to Morgan and gave her a scarf and later gave her a teddy bear. I know she was embarrassed but she was gracious and smiled. After the show I took her picture with Elvis. It's posted on Facebook and I'll be posting it at Picasa soon.

So ended another day of fun, food and relaxation here at Bella Terra. I think Lulu's is on tap for this afternoon - yummy!

Come on back when you can and thanks for stopping by.

Oops, haven't posted this yet so figured I'd come back and catch up with today. It has been a lazy one with continental breakfast at the club house then Mimosa's at 11. The storm clouds have been around and forming into small storms but have missed us till around noon. Then we got a little rain and it has continued off and on most of the day.

Around 1:30 we went to Lulu's and after a 45 min. wait got a table by the water. Actually that was pretty quick for a holiday weekend. The food was as good as usual. We are back at Bella Terra now and David and Morgan are at the lake fishing. This evening will be relaxing, as has the whole weekend been.

Nothing on tap for tomorrow. Breakfast in then David and Morgan will depart for Montgomery. We will be staying till Tuesday when we move back to Coastal Haven for a couple of weeks.

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend, I know we did. Please remember to pray for our troops! Till next time.......

Bella Terra Motorcoach Resort

2010-05-29T07:00:00.003-05:00

We have been looking forward to this weekend for quite awhile and it has finally arrived.

Reservations at Bella Terra Motorcoach Resort had been made awhile back and David and Morgan were set to join us.

We left Emmaus RV Resort around 11 am and arrived here about 11:30. We had all of about 12 miles to travel - long day huh? The gals at check in were waiting for us and greeted us like they had known us a long time. Sure did make you feel welcome right off. We were shown to our site, which is one of the first sites you come to, right across from the pool and clubhouse.

Our site for four nights is, well, wow! One of the nicest sites we have ever parked on. Nice wide pads and patio's and ours (being a owned site) has a screened in gazebo and a out door kitchen. There is a really nice patio set in the gazebo and a smaller one out on the patio. Of course, the site is a full hookup including cable and the park has free wifi. The only thing else I could want would be some shade but the enclosed gazebo makes up for that.

David and Morgan arrived around 4pm - just in time for Happy Hour at the clubhouse. Wine and cheese is what were were told but when we got there they had a long table of all kinds of cheese, crackers, cheese balls, pigs in a blanket and more along with a keg of beer, soft drinks, wine and some mixed drinks.

It didn't take long for Morgan to decide she wanted to swim and her and her Daddy were off to change and into the pool. They do have a beautiful pool here. You can see it in some of the pictures I've posted at Picasa.

Later we had dinner, in the gazebo, and then they went off to fish in the lake. It is a freshly stocked lake so not many big fish yet but that didn't stop them. We were told that they had stocked bass and bream, not sure about that spelling. David caught three and poor Miss Morgan didn't catch any, well, not quite - there was the one that made it to the bank by holding onto the worm then dropped off and swam away!
You know the story - the fish that got away - LOL!

Today promises to be another great day. David has already taken off to the lake with pole in hand. Morgan and Dean are still sleeping and I'm just enjoying the cool morning air.

I'll update again soon as tonight is Luau night at the clubhouse complete with pig roast and after we eat Elvis will be in the house! Should be a night of lots of fun!

Emmaus RV Park, Summerdale, AL

2010-05-22T15:52:00.003-05:00

With a new wind sensor on the awning, new rear jacks and a new slide tray in the basement we left Carpenters in Pensacola on Friday morning heading for S. Alabama.

Our good friends Anne & Henry Goldman are doing park inspections for Trailer Life Directory in Alabama this year. They recommended that we check out a brand new park that technically isn't open yet. I called and was told to come on over so that's where we are parked.

The name of the park is Emmaus RV Park or Emmaus Motorcoach Resort, I'm not totally sure as they don't have a sign up yet. I do know that for now any type of RV is welcome and someday they would like to make it a motorcoach resort. Their web site is: www.emmauspark.com

We selected a site that had some shade but a clear view of the southwest sky so we could get satellite. The first thing we noticed, for this site, is that with a 40' coach, the space for backing in was tight without running over their grass or doing a lot of maneuvering. Some of the sites would be a lot easier as they are angled with the road.

The patio is great! Just about any type RV parked here would have no problem lining the door up with the patio.

We started to put our awning out and oops - a cedar tree was in the way. No problem, they came over and cut it down. The owners said they knew that they would have to remove more trees but at this point were not sure which ones would be in the way.

When finished, this will be a nice park. As of now there are still a few things that need to be done in order to bring in the masses. The first being a bath house! It is in the planning but not started yet, along with laundry. Next is a club house - any group, be it snowbirds, family or RV clubs would desire the use of a club house.

They have long range plans for more sites along with a pond, cabins, swimming pool etc. Just how long it will take till these are finished, time will tell. The plans for these amenities are on their web site at www.emmauspark.com

If you like being out in the country, this park will be for you. It is definitely in the country and is very quiet. Although, we drove to Wal-Mart in Foley today and discovered it was only 10 miles one way. Not to bad. To Winn Dixie in Robertsdale I believe it's about 6 miles one way. So, you have the peace and quiet of the country with the convenience of shopping not to far away. The beach is probably about a 20 - 30 min. drive depending on traffic.

I am posting some pictures I took this morning at Picasa. Go take a look and let me know what you think. My comment box is now back open.

Montgomery, AL

2010-05-12T20:46:00.002-05:00

I believe I left you when were were in Gulfport, MS. Well, we have moved on. Our first stop was in Mobile, AL at Freightliner for a oil change etc. We then moved on to Pensacola, FL to Carpenters (again). OK, so I got my new microwave/convection installed but still no jacks. It seems that HWH is behind in production, so we are still waiting for rear jacks! We stayed overnight and the next morning when I went to bring in the door awning I hit the big awning button by mistake. Good thing, it seems the sensor went bad and the awning would not go out! I'm beginning to think something that Dean used to say applies to motorhomes. He would say that a boat is a hole in the water in which you pour your money. Well, maybe a motorhome is a spot on the road in which you do the same! Always something. OK, so sensor is on order and we drove to Montgomery, AL for a couple of weeks.

We haven't been here since last Fall so we were due a visit. It has also given us time to get stuff out of the motorhome that we want to put in storage. You know, if you haven't used it in a year....except we're not getting rid of it, just storing it.

We also were here for our granddaughter Morgan's 13th birthday. It was so nice celebrating it with her. I took her shopping a few days before her birthday at one of her favorite stores, Aeropostle (I think that is how it is spelled). After shopping we went to lunch and out to visit her Dad (he was working). A very enjoyable afternoon with Morgan. I don't get to do that often enough.

We made arrangements today to have four new tires put on the back of the bus. We had two new ones put on the front last year and the back ones are due. Look out pocketbook! Ouch. We will have them installed the day we leave to go back to Carpenters, yes, our jacks and sensor are in!

David cooked one of my favorite meals on his new grill for Mothers Day. A eye round roast done on the spit. It was yummy. Since that was also Morgans birthday we had her favorites, mac-n-cheese and lima beans. Of course there were birthday cupcakes along with a pretty heart shape cake for me. Sorry but I have no pictures, forgot my camera. It was in the car but it was parked at Suze's.

We have a week left before we leave and I'm not sure what we will be doing. I'm sure meeting Suze for lunch will happen and spending time with David and Morgan this weekend is for sure. Other than that we have no plans.

Guess I'll close now. I'll be back after we have our four new tires installed, our new awning sensor installed, our new jacks installed and a new slide tray for a bay in the basement installed, when we get back to Carpenters. I'm not sure where we will be parking for a week till Memorial Day Weekend. We have reservations at Bella Terra in Foley, AL for that weekend. Looking forward to staying a this beautiful motorcoach resort.

I'll be back soon. Till then, stay safe.....

A Week in Gulfport, Ms

2010-05-03T17:11:00.002-05:00

We arrived in Gulfport, MS a week ago today and found a perfect pad at the CB Base in Gulfport.

We don't usually stay in military FamCamps because they are usually out of the way or it is next to impossible to get into them because of permanent party personnel utilizing them as their homesteads. This base isn't much different except they keep at least 10 sites for "transits". That is if you come before or after snowbird season! Anyway, full hook-ups along with free wifi and cable for $100 a week. Good deal!

Our primary reason for stopping was to visit with Dean's youngest daughter Krystal and her husband. Unfortunately, it didn't work out and we didn't get to visit with them. Maybe next time?

We have stayed busy, catching up with a lot of friends that still live here that we haven't seen for awhile. One in particular, Bill & Bette, were glad to see us. They are the ones that recently bought their first fifth wheel. Bill was having problems with one of the fantastic fans and Dean was happy to help him solve the problem. Bette cooked us a wonderful meal of roast, potato's, & carrots.

We also went in search of a couple of our "old" favorite restaurants. The Dinner Bell used to be located in D'Iberville and I would go there for lunch when I worked at Keesler AFB. Like so much, Katrina displaced them and they are now located in Woolmarket. Not to worry though, we found them and I had my dressed/pressed po'boy! It was soooo good!

We made a return trip to The Blow Fly Inn in Gulfport, another one of our favorite places. We had a wonderful lunch of rib eye steak, roasted potato's, salad and banana puddin for dessert. This was at lunch time and was the lunch special for $7.00 including tea.

We drove the back roads looking for the house the Dean and his Dad had built in the 70's. Found it but time sure has changed the area! I had to look twice to make sure it was the right house. Of course we made a drive by our old house on Hand Drive and drove the beach and Pass Road several times. It still makes me sad to drive the beach - so much has changed and will never be the same. I still don't understand why New Orleans got all the attention from Katrina when there was so much devastation along the whole Mississippi Gulf Coast. There are so many empty lots, two blocks deep, as you drive along the beach drive. Very few houses are being rebuilt - it's very sad.

Saturday night we went to the Hard Rock Casino for the Tim Conway & Friends show. My daughter, Suze, bought tickets for us for Mothers Day/Fathers Day since she knew we wouldn't spend the money for them. A BIG THANK YOU WITH LOVE SUZE!! It was a fabulous show and I'm glad we didn't miss it. Tim Conway was so funny. He did some stand up comedy along with several skits with his Friends. The friends were Chuck McCann who has done a lot of voice over for commercials and cartoons, and Louise Duart who does impersonations. She was very good starting with Edith Bunker and ending with Carol Barnett. In between was Barbara Walters, Cher, Carol Channing & Joan Rivers to name a few. A wonderful evening of great entertainment.

Yesterday we visited the church we belonged to when we lived here - Handsboro Baptist Church. When we went there the church was always full on Sunday mornings with lot of young folks. Yesterday, it seemed very empty. Is this another dying church? I hope not. Dean and I both sang in the choir and there were at least 30 members when we were active. Yesterday there were maybe six in the choir. This really saddens me. Where have the people gone? I know that a lot of the "mega" churches have drawn from the mainstream churches - could this be the problem here? It was nice seeing some of the members that we know and catching up with old friends. My second daughter Susan (didn't know I had one, did you?) and her Mom were there. It's always nice seeing them. Suze is coming to Gulfport to spend Memorial Day weekend with Susan - they were BFF's in school.

So here we are, Monday, May 3rd and tomorrow we depart Gulfport for Freightliner in Mobile to get the engine oil changed and the chassis lubed. Then on to Pensacola to Carpenters to get my new Microwave/Convection installed. I don't think the jack are there yet so that will have to wait. Then we will head to Montgomery for a few days to see our granddaughter, Morgan, for her birthday.

It has been a relaxing, fun week with a little sadness at not getting to visit with Krystal & Ed. Can't believe it's almost over. So....till next time, Stay Safe.

I've posted a few pictures at Picasa.

Marksville, LA - Paragon Casino

2010-04-28T13:54:00.003-05:00

Yep, I've been absent again. Good reason, my Verizon wifi didn't work in Marksville, LA and the campground wifi was very slow so didn't even attempt to post.

We arrived at the Paragon Casino in Marksville this past Thursday. It was iffy if we were going or not. Terry, Dean's oldest son was hospitalized on Monday with a mild heart attack. He's the same one that 5 by-passes two years ago. He was released on Wed. and his doctor gave his blessings on his trip to Marksville so plans were back on.

We drove Louisiana Highway one from Port Allen(area) to Marksville. It is a really pretty drive with part of it right along the Mississippi River. Another part of the highway was on the levee and across a dam. The road itself was pretty good two lane with the exception of a few rough spots. It's a drive I recommend.

I'll interject here that the RV park at the Paragon Casino is really nice. Full hook-ups with cable. The wifi you have to pay for but it's reasonable. ATT works in the are but Verizon is on roaming. Best of all it's a Passport America Park!

We had a really good time on Friday and Sat. with Terry & Teresa. I cooked dinner on Friday and we had the buffet in the Casino on Saturday. That night Terry, Dean and I went to hear T. Broussard Zydaco Band. It was really good cajan music, just a bit to loud for my liking.

Sunday we met Tim, Cheryl (who had arrived late Sat. night due to delays in airport departures) and Terry & Teresa for a late breakfast in the buffet. Had fun catching up. Of course there was some time spend in the casino where I certainly spent to many $$. Oh well, it was fun and I'm not looking back. Terry & Teresa left mid-Sunday afternoon. Cheryl and I went back to the casino and Tim and Dean went to the motorhome for some relaxation and chat.

We bid farewell to Tim & Cheryl on Monday morning and drove to Gulfport, MS for a week. We are now parked at the CB base in Gulfport. While here we are planning visiting with some old fiends and had planned on seeing Dean's daughter Krystal. Unfortunately, I don't think that is going to work out this time due to previous plans they had. Oh well, there is always another time.

We found a old favorite restaurant that had been wiped out by Katrina today. The Dinner Bell used to be in D'Iberville and has relocated to Woolmarket. I love their dressed and pressed ham po'boys and that is what I had. Dean had the fried pork chops and said they were delicious. Another place I recommend if your in the Biloxi area. Tomorrow is Blow Fly Inn - yummy!!!

I'm posting some picture on Picasa of both Marksville and the Dinner Bell. Go take a look but don't drool when you see the po'boy or at least sit back from your computer if you do :-) Till next time - Stay Safe!

TRVN Rally (Tiffin Owners)

2010-04-19T06:54:00.002-05:00

A funny thing happened on the way to.....

A week ago today we were getting ready to depart from Coastal Haven RV Park in Fairhope, AL to make the long drive (30 miles) to Gulf Shores, AL for the TRVN Rally. Well, the motorhome had other ideas! Everything was going great until I started the jacks retracting. The right rear decided it wanted to stay put! Would not retract. Finally, after about a half hour of prying with boards it went up. When we drove off I pointed the front end toward Pensacola and Carpenters Campers. We've had some issues with that particular jack since we purchased this motorhome and it now convienced me it was time to have a professional look at it.

Two days later and a empty wallet, we left Pensacola for the rally. Fortunately we had planned on arriving early and the official start date was Wednesday so we didn't miss anything.

This was our first TRVN rally and we really were not sure what to expect. It began Wed. evening with a meet and greet. The moderator asked how many first time rally attendees there were and almost half of the 200 raised their hand. Wow! There were a bunch of us newbies here so that made me feel better already.

Other activities included a couple of seminars, coach tours to see how some have made modifications, bingo, a delicious pot luck dinner, a garage/craft sale, a BBQ pork dinner and a hot dog supper. There was also a golf game set up for those who like to chase the little white balls around acres of land. Brannon from Red Bay, AL, who used to work at Tiffin, was on hand to do work on coaches. He installed air conditioner covers to match our new lights in our coach. They really finished off the look! There was also a detail company to wash and wax your rig. We had ours washed but not waxed since it was waxed just over a month ago. Great work and good prices.

I have to say I was impressed at the way this rally was put together, lots of free time but plenty of activities. We have met a lot of new people and I'm sure we will attend another one of their rallies.

Friday afternoon my daughter Suze drove down from Montgomery for the weekend with us. We spent Saturday afternoon shopping and then had lunch at Lulu's, her favorite place. The TRVN group welcomed her with open arms to the activities of the rally, which was really nice.

The only down side was that because there were so many Tiffin motorhomes here, the park had to separate some from where most were parked because of prior reservations from other people. We were one of those. It wasn't bad until Sat. night when the group beside us in a 5th wheel decided to invite their whole family to spend the night - four car loads. Out came the beer, the loud music and the loud talking and swearing. I called around 11:30 pm and the park sent someone over. Well, it didn't make much difference since it basically continued off and on till 2 am except they did turn the radio off. I got very little sleep. I did talk to the gal in the office yesterday and will see the manager this morning before we leave. Fortunately, the "white trash" left Sunday morning. I use the term that was used by the gal in the office but I have to agree after seeing the way the left the campsite!

Today we are on the road again, heading toward Marksville, LA with a two night stop in Bay St. Louis, MS. Dean's two sons, Terry & Tim and their wives will be meeting us in Marksville for the weekend. We are really looking forward to this time with them.

That's about it for now. Check back in from time to time as I will be back with more posts. Till next time...God Bless and Drive Safe

Happenings

2010-04-05T11:41:00.002-05:00

OK, several weeks have passed again! I just can't believe how fast time flies and how often I think "I need to update the blog" but don't do it! Well, here goes again.

We are back at our favorite campground here in S. Alabama, Country Haven. We prefer it over Rainbow Plantation because we are parked on a concrete pad with patio, there are no oak trees overhead therefore no acorns to drop on the roof at night and none to crunch under our feet when we are outside. When it rains the water runs off and we don't have to wade in several inches of water to get to the car. Enough said! I do miss a lot about Rainbow but....

We have taken care of a couple of doctor appointments since our arrival. Dean saw his nephrologist and his creatin numbers were back up, so now praying for them to go back down again! Nothing needed at this time, but not good news if the number continues to climb.

I saw a dermatologist (this morning actually) for a rash on my breast. She did a biopsy, which surprisingly didn't hurt! Should get results in a week or so.

Now to the fun stuff. Henry and Anne are in the area working their Trailer Life job of checking out campgrounds. We have tried not to bother them during the week, but when the weekend rolls around, well that's a different story. All work and no play...you know what I mean?

We met them at Lamberts just over a week ago for what was their first time there. They really enjoyed it! Just way to much food, as always. The wait staff has also stopped with their cute little jokes because someone complained! One bad apple, or sour puss, is all it takes!

Saturday we drove to The Heritage, a motorhome Resort in Orange Beach. It is beautiful. One thing they did there that impressed the four of us is to have everything finished before they opened the gates for selling. None of the empty promises that a lot of these type resorts throw at you when you visit. I'm sure a lot of you have heard them - we're gonna do this and that stuff after we sell ## lots! Hah! Don't you believe it! We are not looking for a permanent place but I can really recommend The Heritage to any of my readers that maybe looking. You can google their name and then check out their web site.

After a two hour visit at The Heritage, all four of us were starved. Franco's Italian won out and we all had a delicious meal. When we lived in Robertsdale, we used to go to Franco's and it was good. Well, I can tell you it hasn't changed one bit!

Anne served us pie for dessert when we took them home. What a nice afternoon we had!

Henry & Anne decided they wanted to go back to Lamberts (guess they didn't get enough the first time)on Sunday which also happened to be their 44th Anniversary and Easter! Of course we said we would go along, unless they wanted to be alone. The answer was no way, they wanted us to join them!

Dean and I went to church in the morning. It being Easter Sunday, it was very crowded but no problem because service was held in the new building and there was room for everyone. It was a very nice service and Bro. Jake delivered a great sermon.

Mid-afternoon we picked the Goldman's up and off to Lamberts we went. I had my camera along this time so there are pictures posted at Picasa - go check them out!

After dinner I decided they should see some of Baldwin County and drove to the Grand Hotel by Marriott at Point Clear. We had a great time walking the grounds, taking pictures, playing croquet and horseshoes and waiting for a sunset. We then went on up to Fairhope pier where we walked part of the pier and saw some people fishing and catching!

On our way home we stopped at McDonald's for sundae's for dessert. After all, we had walked our dinner off by now!

It was a beautiful day with good friends, good food and good times. Thanks for allowing us to share your special day with you Anne & Henry. You are really two special people!

Well, there you have it - caught up again. Will I be back soon? I don't know, but I hope so. I know we will be with Henry & Anne again sometime this week and next week we will be attending a Tiffin owners rally in Gulf Shores. After that we are off to Louisiana to visit with Dean's two sons, Terry & Tim. With all this coming up, surely there will be something to write about :-). Catch ya later!

Alabama Bound

2010-03-20T07:56:00.002-05:00

I see it's been awhile since I posted (again)! To my followers, I'm sorry.

We haven't traveled to any "sights" to write about and the every day mundane things are really boring.

We really enjoyed our time at Orlando Thousand Trails and the time spend with Jake & Nancy and Henry & Anne. Both of them left this past Monday for other areas of Florida. We left Tuesday, slowly heading back to Fairhope, AL.

Our first overnight was in Lake City, Fl at Oaks N Pines RV Park. This is a nice park just off I-10 about 3 miles east of the junction of I-10 and I-75. This was our second time to stay there and will most likely make it a stop again the next time we are Florida bound.

Wednesday night we stayed at Arrowhead Campground in Marianna, FL. Driving in I remarked to Dean that I remembered staying here before. Everything looked so familiar. Then it dawned on me - this is the campground we came to when running from Katrina when we first began fulltiming. We, along with Jack and Danielle Mayer, left the Escapee park in Summerdale and came here for several days until we knew it was safe to return. It is a OK park, but not really designed with 40' motorhomes w/toad in mind. Short sites put you end to end with the roads and very tight turns getting out of the campground when you leave.

Anne called me that afternoon and said that they would be joining us at Arrowhead and sure enough, mid-afternoon in the come.

On Thursday we had already planned to go to Blue Springs State Park, Clio, AL to visit a night with Garry and Jenny, another couple that fulltime and were working at the park. We haven't seen them in a couple of years and the word on the street is that they are going off the road back to Wisconsin. We knew that this may be the last chance to see them in a long, long while and wanted to badly. The same went for Anne & Henry and they decided to surprise Garry & Jenny by showing up with us.

Thursday afternoon we arrived at Blue Springs and Garry was at the gate to meet us. At this point I need to tell you a story! When I pulled in, Garry of course greeted us and then I saw him look behind at Anne & Henry's motorhome. I told Garry "I don't know what's up with the people in that motorhome, but they have been following me since Florida and I can't seem to shake them". I don't know what their intentions are! Garry asked if I knew them and I shook my head. He goes "hmmmm" and steps back for a closer look and realizes who it is. Well, he all but hollers "You really got me, that's Henry & Anne". We all had a really good laugh! But the best is yet to come. Jenny still doesn't know that Henry & Anne are with us!

After selecting our campsites and getting settled in Garry goes to get Jenny who is at their motorhome just a short way from us. He tells Jenny that she needs to come up to our motorhome because there may be a problem and proceeds to tell her the same story I told him, except he added that I was really mad and scared and he didn't know if there would be trouble or not. Well, I'm standing in front of our motorhome watching Henry back his in and I hear the gold cart drive up and all of a sudden I hear a loud shriek. It was Jenny as she spotted Anne directing Henry. After all the hugs many times around, we all had a good laugh about "the story". Hope you did too!

That evening we went to Abbyville, AL for dinner at Huggin Molly's. Oh my gosh was it good! You need to know that Abbyville is a small town and one that I have to say, I'd never heard of. Well, I know about it now and hope one day I can get back!

Abbyville is home to Yellawood which I'm sure most of you have seen the commercial with it's owner Jimmy Rane as the star Yella Fella. Well the story has it that he is buying a lot of the closed up store fronts in Abbyville and putting antiques in so that it still looks nice and not boarded up. He has also put a lot of old signs up and you feel like you are walking the street of a 40's/50's town. It's so cool!

I have posted pictures at Picasa that I took around town to give you just a taste of what it's like. It is one place that if your in the area you really should visit. It's about 40 miles north of Dothan, Al on US Hwy 431.

Back now to our visit with Garry and Jenny. After dinner we all gathered in our home for a rousing round of Wii Bowling. Let me warn you - Garry is wicked! If I remember right, he scored around 220 and beat the rest of us!

The next morning we drove back to Abbyville to the local donut shop for breakfast. Dang, I forgot my camera or you would be drooling when you looked at the pictures of the sweets they had! They also had the traditional breakfast of eggs, hash browns, etc. We drove our motorhome to Abbyville since we were leaving Friday morning, going to Pensacola to Carpenters Campers where we are having some items worked on.

After about a two hour breakfast where we were served with a lot of southern charm, we said our farewell's to the others and got on the road.

Garry & Jenny - we sure hope to see you this summer in Janesville, WI. You know that we wish the best of everything to you in your new endeavors. Lots of love to you guys!

Henry & Anne - we will be waiting for you to catch up with us in Baldwin County, AL. Lamberts is waiting......

We are now parked at Carpenters Campers lot. They actually got two items done yesterday and the rest will wait till Monday morning. We got lucky though - they are having their annual RV Show here today so we get free lunch - hot dogs! They also have their "certified" techs do seminars on maintenance which are always good! Looking forward to a sunny fun day and of course I'll have to inspect some new coaches...

So till next time - be safe.....

Mount Dora, FL

2010-03-11T17:34:00.002-06:00

Since arriving at the 1000 Trails park a week ago, we really haven't done much to write about. There have been a few mornings where we took off for breakfast - always fun and usually good food. There have been several trips to Wal-Mart, Winn Dixie and Publix. A couple of days ago, Dean and I took off to Target. What we found was my first true Target Superstore in Clermont. It's as big as any Wal-Mart I've been in. I found some new sheets, Dean got a new shirt (green - his favorite color) and we picked up a few other items.

This past Saturday we met up with Kim, a friend that I used to work with at Keesler AFB and her new hubby Tony. We had a very good time catching up with each others lives. It had been four years since we had seen each other. You just can't catch up with everything in 3 hours but we sure gave it a try!

Yesterday Dean and I took off in search of Mount Dora. Kim and Tony ride Harley's and said it was a must see. We finally got there, no thanks to our GPS. A cute little town on a lake (what town in this part of Florida isn't on a lake?). I would guess about three blocks square of small speciality stores. Dean and I had lunch at the Frosty Mug and it was very good - he had soup and I had a egg salad sandwich. We then walked a couple of the streets and looked in several of the shops. I'm proud of myself, I didn't buy a thing! We were going to Henry and Anne's for dinner so cut our time there to head back to Clermont. Again, our wonderful GPS got us home - the long way and on a toll road! Oh well, we made it. Dinner was really good - thanks Anne!

Today has been a very rainy day with strong thunderstorm and tornado watches. Fortunately all we have had so far is a lot of rain. Eight of us went out to dinner tonight at a brand new Golden Corral - today was their grand opening. It was very good and the restaurant was really pretty and laid out different from most I've been in. We are now back home and in for the night, watching lightening flashing in the sky.

I'm posting a few pictures of Mt. Dora at Picasa. Hope you enjoy them. See you next time!

Farewell's But Not Goodby's

2010-03-05T04:29:00.002-06:00

This past Wednesday we bid farewell to the Preserve at Wilderness RV Park and to our friends Bill and Helen and our new friends Bob & Pam. We never say goodbye because we know that we will see each other again - down the road somewhere!

Our destination was the 1000 Trails Park at Clermont, FL After a two hour ride which took us past the Villages and through Leesburg, past a lot of old and new housing developments, through part of Clermont where the changes are astounding - so much new construction in this bad economic time, we arrived at the park. Much to our dismay there were no 50 amp sites available so we settled into a 30 amp site which was nice. We had cattle as our backyard neighbors!

A couple of hours later, Henry & Anne arrived and were parked just a short piece down the road from us. They were a little behind us leaving the Preserve - had more to do to get ready.

Our friends Jake & Nancy are here so I drove around to their site (the other side of the park) but they were not home. We did catch up with each other a little later on though. It's always nice catching up with friends you haven't seen in awhile. We last saw Jake & Nancy last year when we were in Lockport, NY visiting Niagara Falls.

I will tell you that this is no small park. I believe there are over 200 sites and well spread out! Their road system is not laid out straight either! Once you finally figure where your parked, getting there isn't hard - you just have to remember the turns!

I need to back up to one of our last days at the Preserve. Bill & Helen hosted a cookout at their clubhouse and we had sooo much fun! Sandy & Ken drove over from their home on the east coast and the eight of us staying at Wilderness were there. We had hot dogs, burgers, steaks, potato salad, broccoli salad, confetti salad, dips, chips, cheese, crackers, the best chocolate pie, strawberry shortcake and a lot of other food I can't remember! Us ladies even dipped our feet in the hot tub for awhile and boy did that feel good! The best part was the weather actually cooperated with us and we had a beautiful day that wasn't to cold! Great times and wonderful memories from there.

Yesterday, both Henry & Anne and us moved to a 50 amp site, across from each other and Jake and Nancy are just down the road a few rigs. Nice! We all got together for lunch at Henry & Anne's for a small cookout. Had a great time catching up with each other - especially with Nancy & Jake.

Dean and I and Henry took off in the afternoon for Lakeland and a company called Moulding By Design. They do custom interior lighting and we want to get rid of the florescent lights in our coach. I hate them! Anne & Henry had work done by this company and it looks so nice. I wanted to see just what they offered and find out the cost and how quick they could get us done. I will be calling back today with our order for seven replacement lights and covers for two fantastic fans. I was told having it done by the 16th of March will be no problem. Now I'm excited to get them in. I'll take pictures and post them - some before and after ones, once it's completed.

I'm not sure what else we will be doing while here, you will have to check back and see. Nancy mentioned she would like to go to Bok Gardens. I think Henry and Anne are talking about MGM at Disney or Universal. We have been to both of those so probably won't go. Bok Gardens - maybe.

Till next time, God Bless and Stay Safe!

A Day At The Beach

2010-02-25T15:52:00.002-06:00

This morning we headed out to Ormond Beach to meet up with Ken and Sandy for lunch. Helen was our "guide" for the day and had the perfect restaurant picked out just up the beach from there.

We met Sandy & Ken and walked down to the beach to check the surf out and use the restrooms - the latter being a priority for some of us - hahaha. Then we loaded back into the vehicles and went in search of Helen's pick. No problem finding it - closed and for sale!!! Oh well, this is her first miss so I guess we won't fire her yet. Ken and Sandy said there was another place on up the beach in the Flagler Beach area so off we went again.

Success, it was open. The name of the restaurant is The Fisherman's.

There were ten of us and they put us at two tables so we decided the women at one table and the men at the other. The poor waitress - when we told her she said this is going to be hard. Bless her heart, she came back with the solution. She took our orders first then put our first name on the slip and went to the men's table and asked who belonged to "name". HAH - it worked really well after a couple of the men gave her a bit of a hard time. Her service was good, the food was good and served hot. She was well tipped for her service.

After eating we crossed A1A to the beach side (where we were parked) and took pictures. I found the perfect spot for taking everyone's picture and we all took turns. I've posted the pictures at Picasa.

A wonderful time with great friends today - gotta love this lifestyle. Seeing friends almost everywhere you go and getting to share meals in all kinds of settings.

Till next time - Safe Travels....

Springs, Pancakes & Manatee's

2010-02-22T11:51:00.002-06:00

I'm still tired from all the fun we had yesterday - I'll tell you some about it and then you can go check out the pictures that I just posted at Picasa - they tell a better story.

Our day out began at 9am - needed to get a early start to a busy day! Eight of us, Helen & Bill, Bob & Pam, Henry & Anne and Dean & I headed to our first stop for the day - De Leon Springs State Park. What a pretty park. The springs are surrounded by a concrete wall and they have made safe shallow swimming areas for children. If you are a swimmer you can swim anywhere and if your a diver, it must be a good diving spot. I heard the center of the area is about 60 to 80 feet deep - where the spring is. The water is a constant 72 degrees and we did see some divers and swimmers. The outside temperature was in the high 60's to low 70's while we were there.

The main reason for going to De Leon Springs State Park was to eat at the restaurant. It's really one of a kind - at least as far as I know. They are known for their pancakes which the patrons actually cook themselves. The griddles are in the middle of the tables. We had a really fun time having a late breakfast, after a two hour wait! They cook and serve the breakfast meats and we cooked our pancakes. They gave us two pitchers of pancake mix, one was buckwheat and one regular mix. The pictures I posted tell the story. The pancakes were delicious!

After eating we left for our second destination for the day - Blue Springs State Park. You will notice that I put the wrong name on the photo album - it was not Manatee State Park!

The park was full when we arrived but after about a 15 min wait we were able to get in and found two parking spots not far from the springs.

We walked to the platform viewing area and saw lots of fish and finally spotted two manatee's across the stream. We were told that there were a lot on down stream near the river so off we went in search of manatee's.

We found them and more! We saw a albino alligator, lots of fish, birds and manatee's. It was interesting to watch the manatee's swimming around. Sadly, most all of the manatee's we saw had scars on them from boat motors. One big one even had half of his tail missing. I wish there was a way to protect these gentle mammals from being hurt this way.

From Blue Springs we followed Bill & Helen to a RV park where they had friends from the Montana Owners Club staying. It was after 5pm when we got there and most of us were hungry again and wanted to go eat so we went to a Greek Italian restaurant that their friends recommended. Oh yes, they went along. After a good meal, we headed back to our park and finally got home close to 9pm. A long fun day had come to a end.

Today we are all gathering at Helen's or at the clubhouse for a turkey dinner. We are all bringing something as a side dish. It should be some good eating and more good times with friends.

As for me, right now, I'm going to take a nap! Don't forget to take a look at the pictures - hope you enjoy them. Catch up with you later...Till then, Safe Travels!

The Missile Launched!

2010-02-12T18:13:00.002-06:00

Yesterday morning we went back to the seawall to watch the re-scheduled missile launch. Today was a go. It was neat! Nothing like the shuttle but still impressive. Pictures at Picasa.

We also went back to Ron Jon Surf Shop and did some shopping including a cute purse for me. I've been looking for something a little different and found one I liked - just hope I can get used to no pockets on the outside.

Pizza Hut was our lunch spot for the day. The clerk in Ron Jon's had sent us to a place called Little Venice for as he said "good homemade pizza". Well we got there and they were closed. Pizza Hut was just around the corner so they won out. They had a special going on - any pizza, medium or large for $10.00. Well we got the meat special and it was good. Dean finished it up for lunch today.

Our next stop was the local Publix Supermarket for chili fixins. That was dinner today and it was soooo good. A perfect dish for a cool rainy day.

We drove back to the seawall in time to watch the Carnival Sensation and the Disney Wonder set sail. Those lucky people - heading into warmer weather! Oh how I wish I had been on one of those ships, I love cruising and haven't done one since our Alaska cruise in 2007. Maybe it's about time to start planning? I've posted some pictures at Picasa.

So there you have it - our Thursday. Today we did nothing. The weather was icky - cool and rainy almost all day. I did manage to get a picture of Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas this morning before it got bad. Now that's the ship I would like to be going out on. Royal Caribbean is my favorite cruise line!

Tomorrow we are moving back to Silver Springs until the 2nd of March. Will be visiting with Helen & Bill more along with Henry & Anne until they leave for Alabama. I'm sure we will be seeing Sandy & Ken again as well. I do want to get back to New Smyrna Beach and explore the little town. Lots of little shops to browse through.

What will be we doing in the weeks ahead? I don't know at this time but hopefully we will get to go to Silver Springs this time. Check back and see.... Safe Travels.

Another No Go On Launch!

2010-02-10T17:12:00.003-06:00

This morning we went over to the seaway to watch a missile launch that was scheduled for sometime between 10:26 and 11:26. By 11:35 we all figured it was scrubbed! Will try again tomorrow. I think today it may have been the wind that caused the delay.

We decided to drive along the coast since is was such a pretty day although it was not warm. The temperature finally got to 61 late this afternoon. Our drive took us from Port Canaveral to Melbourne. I found a Smokey Bones, my very favorite BBQ. That's where Dean and I went for lunch and boy was it good, from the BBQ to the homemade dessert donuts. I don't think I'll eat tonight, I'm still full!

We noticed as we drove along A1A something that the Alabama Coast could have or should have done. There are many city or county parks along the drive that included anything from just a parking lot with ramps to the beach to playgrounds and picnic areas. Really nice ones and most had nice restrooms. We stopped at one and I walked to the surf line to look at the shells. Most were broken pieces and nothing really special. The surf sure was pretty though.

On our drive back we stopped at the Ron Jon Surf Shop. What a place! T-shirts and surf boards galore. A fun place to browse through.

Tomorrow morning we are going to go watch the launch, hoping that it goes this time. Then back to Ron Jon's to get my granddaughter something. After that, I'm not sure. I know I want to be back in time to watch the cruise ships leave tomorrow evening.

I have posted pictures from today at Picasa - go take a look. There are some really pretty beach pictures.

Till next time - Safe Travels....

Shuttle Launch Week

2010-02-09T20:21:00.002-06:00

Last Tuesday we moved to Crystal Lake RV Park in Mims, FL. Our site was nice as it faced the lake which had at least one alligator in it. I named him Gator Boy. Not sure why, just felt like it fit. He was active and I got many pictures of him.

Our first night at this park was not a pleasant experience. Our power level dropped way low. Dean went out with a meter to check the receptacle and I guess the owner saw him and came over and demanded to know what he was doing. Dean looked at him and said "looking for some power". "We have next to none." The owner said he would look into it and walked away. A little while later he was back and replaced the circuit breaker. After that the power was just OK but not great.

Our first whole day we went to Titusville to do laundry. We had 7 loads since it had been almost two weeks. I hate having that much. While there I started feeling really bad again and as soon as we got home, I took some Tylenol and rested.

I guess we both were still not totally over these dang colds and because of that and the weather we didn't really do much the rest of the week.

Saturday night at 11pm we drove about 45 min to Merritt Island to catch the bus to take us to the shuttle launch. We were fortunate enough to get VIP tickets from our Senator Jeff Sessions. When we arrived at the parking lot we saw that the line to check in was really long. Oh well, out in the cold wind we went and stood in line about 30 min. We finally got on a bus and had about a hour to relax. We arrived at the space center around 1:45 am Sunday morning. The launch was scheduled for 4:36 so we went in the Saturn Missile display building so we would be out of the cold. We walked around some and then found some chairs where we waited till about 30 min before launch time to go outside to the bleachers. By then the launch was at only a 30% chance of launch because of the weather which was low level and thick cloud cover. As I'm sure ya'll know, it was scrubbed. Long story short - we arrived back home around 6:30 am and crashed. We both didn't wake up till about 1 pm Sunday afternoon. After awhile we talked about going back for the launch and decided that neither of us wanted to do two all nighters in a row, we are just getting to old for that! The owner had told us about a city park about 3 miles from the campground where we could watch the launch and we opted to go for that. We went to bed that evening with the alarm set for 3am. I got up and checked the launch schedule on-line. Seeing it was a go, we drove to the park and at 4:14 am Monday morning we witnessed the most amazing, awesome sight of the shuttle launch. Words do not describe what we saw and I (I blame being so tired) forgot my camera! I don't think the pictures would have been any good anyway. I'll just say seeing it in person is 100 times better than watching on TV! After it (the shuttle) became like a star in the sky, we drove back home and were back in bed by 4:30am. That was a much better night!

Monday afternoon we met Sandy & Ken and rode with them to Daytona Beach for lunch with Helen & Bill, and Bill & Diane. We had a great time, sitting outdoors in the warmth of the sun, enjoying good food, good friends and good stories. After a couple of hours Sand & Ken drove us to New Smyrna Beach - actually on the beach, so I could see the Atlantic. Funny, we've been in Florida almost a month and I hadn't seen either the Gulf or the Atlantic till then. Sandy and I got out to get some good pictures of some surfers and some birds. The surf was really pretty. On the way back to our car, they drove us past a lot of seaside housing that was really pretty. It reminded me of how it used to look in Biloxi, MS before Katrina!

Today we left Crystal Lake and drove about 30 miles to Port Canaveral and Jetty Park Campground. We will be here for four nights. Unfortunately, we can't get a site for longer than that so won't get to see the bigger cruise ships.

At this time we are seriously thinking about going back to Wilderness RV Park in Silver Springs. Our time there was basically a bust since Dean and I both got sick and couldn't do anything. I really want to go to Silver Springs and ride the glass bottom boats. We got to looking at our "schedule" and saw where we were going to be on the move every 3 to 6 days until the beginning of March and really don't like moving that much. If we go to Wilderness RV Park we can just stay there until our move to Orlando 1000 Trails park the beginning of March. The big up to this decision is that we can spend some time with Helen & Bill, like we were supposed to the first time around! Maybe some time with Anne & Henry if they are still there.

This about brings me up to date. There is another missile launch tomorrow morning that we are going to try to catch. It's supposed to be clear and cold - highs in the high 50's. So much for Global Warming, huh?

I'll be posting some pictures soon at Picasa. Till next time - Safe Travels....

Soggy, Sick & Snobs

2010-02-02T10:59:00.003-06:00

We are still at Wilderness RV Park in Silver Springs. Unfortunately both Dean and I have come down with colds - Dean about a week ahead of me. He's getting better and so am I but I'm still a week behind! The last two days have been rainy ones and that really doesn't help. We need some sunshine, some vitamin C, no more liquid sunshine.

We were supposed to leave today to go to Mims, FL. Because of the rain and our colds we decided to put off leaving today. I figured that us getting soaked from the rain wouldn't do either of us any good. We had no problem extending here and I called the campground in Mims and no problem there either.

We have enjoyed our stay here at Wilderness RV Park. The "Preserve" which is the area we are staying is a motorhome only section. I may have mentioned that before, sorry. The sites are nice and wide with concrete pads. There are many lots for sale. I have heard that they are now selling lots for as low as $42,000. No, we are not buying in case you are wondering. I think there are about 7 or 8 lots that have been sold and a at least three of them are up for sale. From the rumors I've heard, there are one or two owners who are truly "snobs" and are trying to set up rules that in my opinion, are just plain stupid! I probably mentioned that the park is divided into three sections and the entire park is behind a security gate. One thing that I don't understand, keeping that in mind, is why the need for another gate into the Preserve? My thought is that they (the couple of owners) want to keep out the people from the other two sections. Well, up to yesterday, they had openers that would open both the main gate and the one into the Preserve. As of yesterday it doesn't work on the Preserve's. Hmm, wonder why the change. I can tell you this, we own a motorhome and a nice one at that, but I don't think I'm any better than the person in the VW camper, the travel trailer or the fifth wheel. Even if I had considered buying here, my mind would have been changed in a hurry after experiencing this type of attitude. Who needs it. As I said, the Preserve is really a nice place and if someone wanted a permanent site in central Florida, this is where I would have sent them. To bad the owner doesn't get more involved and not let a couple of owners rule! OK, so I've said my piece. If you are traveling in this area, don't miss staying here for a week or so. It's really close to a lot of places to visit along with all the major stores in Ocala. As the saying goes, "nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there".

Because of us both being sick for the past week, we haven't been able to visit with Bill & Helen or Anne & Henry - darn!!! That was our reason for coming! Hopefully we will get to visit with Bill & Helen again for the day at the Villages before we leave Florida. Anne & Henry are heading to Alabama soon to begin their job of inspecting parks for Trailer Life Directory. Maybe we'll be able to catch them there.

We are going out to dinner this evening and I promise not to cough in their direction - haha!

So that's it until we move. The shuttle launch is still on for Sunday morning and we are looking forward to our VIP passes getting us close to the launch! More about that later.....

A Little Day Trip

2010-01-28T14:56:00.002-06:00

This morning both Dean and I were feeling really bad so we opted not to go to St. Augustine with Bill, Helen, Henry & Anne. We both wanted to go but the colds we have are nasty causing a lot of coughing and we didn't want to pass them along to anyone else.

By mid-morning we were feeling a little better and both of us had cabin, well, motorhome fever. We decided to take a afternoon drive to Micanopy, FL. We had been through here many years ago when forced off the interstate because of a accident and had to detour. I remembered it was a cute old town. On our way we saw a sign for the Yearling Restaurant and I remembered Helen mentioning something about it. The Yearling was a book written by Marjorie Kinnin Rawlings who lived in Cross Creek, FL. We followed the signs and ended up in Cross Creek. There is a very small but nice state park named after Rawlings along with the Yearling restaurant. Unfortunately it was not open for lunch. After driving around a little we got back on track to Micanopy hoping to find someplace there for lunch.

The drive took us past a lot of beautiful horse farms. It's a area of Florida most people fail to see because they are on the interstate heading to or from the theme parks. What a shame they miss some really beautiful scenery. Hugh oak trees with moss hanging almost to the street, banyan trees with their vines hanging down low and lots of native plants.

We arrived in Micanopy and it wasn't quite as I remembered, hmm, maybe it wasn't this town. Oh well, we were there and decided to look around. The town is very small and consists of one main street maybe two blocks long. Lots of large oaks with moss shade the old buildings, some of which date back to the 1800's. We did find two cafes. The first one was out of their lunch special so we went to the other one. Dean had chili and I had chicken salad. Very good! I even splurged and had a dip of chocolate peanut butter ice cream for dessert.

After our lunch, we walked the couple of blocks and discovered that all the shops are antique shops. We didn't go in any since we really are not into antiques but there certainly was a variety.

It was a nice afternoon out and I think we both feel a little better just having gotten out of the motorhome. The sun was shining and the temps were in the low 70's so I'm sure it didn't hurt us.

I did take a few pictures of the town and will get them posted in a short while. I also have posted the pictures from the trip on Saturday to Sleepy Hollow - the biker bar. Enjoy them!

Till next time....

2010-01-26T12:22:00.001-06:00

It's been a week already since we arrived here at Wilderness RV Park. My how time does fly!

Last Saturday we rode with Bill & Helen to Floral City, FL for a afternoon at Sleepy Hollow, a biker bar. We met up with a bunch of other Escapee's that are staying in the vicinity. A highlight is that I finally got to meet Marcia & Joe. Marcia and I have chatted on Facebook for almost a year but every time we thought we might get close enough to each other to meet, it just didn't work out!

Sleepy Hollow is out in the boonies on what I would call a bayou/swamp. They were serving $5 steak dinners that included the steak, corn on the cob and a baked potato. Unfortunately, the day we were there it was so busy that they were cooking the steaks one way - what they called medium rare. Raw was more like it! Neither Dean or I ate our steak, just to bloody. Helen's was done more and I had a small piece of hers and it was really good tasting. What a shame that I couldn't get ours cooked more. Oh well.

If there was one, there was one hundred bikers there, coming and going. Dean and I walked the grounds looking at some really nice bikes. Met one biker who goes by Top Hat. Nice person along with his gal. I have pictures but can't post any right now - internet is to slow.

I forgot to mention that they had a live band with very loud music. The music it self was good if they would have just toned it down or maybe we had sat someplace more away from the stage. It made it very hard to communicate with others and I hate that cause I didn't really get a chance to talk to the other Escapees that were there. Maybe we'll meet again someplace.

When we returned home that afternoon, Anne and Henry had arrived. It is good seeing them again. I'm not sure how long they are staying here but I know at least a week. Should have some good times ahead with the six of us.

Dean has come down with a really nasty cold and it doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. He stayed in Sunday and was feeling better yesterday so went along with Henry & Bill to Lowes and a few other places. Mistake! Today he is worse! We were supposed to go to a state park on the west coast to see the manatee's today but had to stay home. Oh well. I sure hope he gets over it soon!

Sunday Anne and I went grocery shopping - didn't do much else. Monday was laundry day for Anne and I did one load. All of us went out for chinese for dinner. It was good. It was a buffet so we had lots to choose from.

Tomorrow we are supposed to go to Daytona Beach to meet up with Ken and Sandy. I'm going even if Dean isn't up to it. It's been two years since we've seen them.

The weather hasn't been bad but not as warm as I would like. The high today is in the mid-sixties but there is a very cool wind blowing so it just doesn't feel warm. Soon I hope, Florida will begin to warm up.

Till next time - safe travels....

Wauchula to Silver Springs

2010-01-21T05:36:00.002-06:00

This past Tuesday we drove about 150 miles north to visit our friends Bill and Helen in Silver Springs, FL. I know, north is not the direction that we want to go but fortunately it's still in Florida and the weather has really gotten quite nice. Anyway, we are staying at Wilderness RV Park where they own their lot. This park is divided into three sections, one is the original campground - the Village I think, the second is new - Town Park if I'm correct - and where Bill & Helen have their lot and we are staying in the newest part - the Preserve - a motorhome only area. Helen kids and says it's the "snob" area. I haven't encountered any yet but then there are only about 7 lots sold with motorhomes on them. The streets here are nice and wide along with the RV pads. We have full hook-ups and cable TV. Very nice place to park for a couple of weeks.

Tuesday night there was a chili cook-off which we attended. Helen had made a big crock pot full of chili but unfortunately, she didn't place. All the chili was good and it was hard to decide which to pick but I had to remain loyal to my friend.

Yesterday, they drove us around Silver Spring and into Ocala to acquaint us with where everything is. I think I like Ocala - lots of stores and most all the major ones. We ate lunch at Mimi's Cafe and then drove out in the country past John Travolta's estate. Darn, really couldn't see much from the road at all. Just a lot of ground and road - the house is very well hidden! No paparazzi pictures! I did take one of the entrance - he flies in and out, thus the name - Jumbolair.

After returning back to the park I decided it would be a good time to get caught up on laundry. I was going to do it before we left Wauchula but just didn't get it done. They have a really nice laundromat on the grounds and am glad I waited. I have decided that early evening is a good time to do laundry - no one else using the machines.

So there you have it - our first day here. I heard whispers about going to someplace on Sat. that serves a $5.00 steak dinner - also heard it's a biker bar! The seafood restaurant for Friday night was pointed out to us on the drive. I believe we are planning a pontoon boat ride after Henry and Anne get here along with going to see some manatee's. Helen says there is really a lot to do from the park. We are half way between the ocean and the gulf. What is next? I don't know, you will have to check back. I did post just a couple of pictures I took on the way here - enjoy. Till next time - stay safe....

We're In Florida

2010-01-18T07:13:00.003-06:00

I'm past due on a update to this blog, I know. Well, here goes -

Tuesday morning we saw Jake & Nancy drive out of the park. They were headed to Orlando for several weeks during which they will be taking a 7 day cruise on the Liberty of the Seas - lucky them!!!

We spent Tuesday catching up with Henry & Anne - it has been over two years since we've seen them - wow how time flies when your having fun. We checked out the changes they have made to their motorhome, adding a desk area in the front, expanding the credenza in the dining area and having the mirror wardrobe doors removed and having wood ones put in. All the changes are very, very nice. I now want my mirror wardrobe doors taken out and wood one put in! I would also like to expand the credenza to add two file drawers so I don't have to tote the portable file box around. One other thing that they have had done while in Florida was replacing the fluorescent lighting with halogen spot lighting. I really like it and it was done locally so I'm thinking.....we may come back to Alabama with new lights!

Wednesday I went shopping with Anne. They are heading to Orlando tomorrow for a Trailer Life Directory convention. Anne & Henry work for them, grading the campgrounds that are listed in the directory - neat job! Anyway, she needed a dressy top. Well, there isn't much choice for shopping here in Wauchula but we were able to find one that is really pretty on Anne. I think she will be a knockout when she wears it!

We have gone out to eat just about every meal since we got here. The "in" restaurant in town in Paul's Kitchen. Breakfast is only $1.99 for two eggs, bacon or sausage, home fries & toast. Can't beat that price! Evening meals range around $8.99 but you get more food than you can eat!
We did try the Bread Basket one evening and it was not very good at all. Don't think I'll go back.

Wednesday night we played games with Anne & Henry. We had a lot of fun and laughed a lot!

Thursday morning, after a farewell to Henry & Anne, Dean & I took off for Tampa and the Super RV Show. I've been having some problems with my legs and was kind of worried how I would manage walking this show. I know from past experience that under normal circumstances your legs are tired after a day at the show and I knew mine would probably not hold up well. I used a cane and I was surprised, but it really helped! We really didn't want to look at the RVs but wanted to do both the vendor areas. Had to find out if there was something we just could not live without. Much to my surprise, we came out with just a couple small purchases and a free new tension rod for one of our MCD blinds. We even checked out the new Tiffin motorhomes and thankfully, I wasn't bitten by the "gotta have a new one" bug. As a matter of fact, I like my bus better than the new models except for the flooring. I hate the carpet! I would love to have tile throughout except maybe in the bedroom. Oh well, another thing for my list.....

It was almost 8pm till we got back to Wauchula from the show. Boy was I tired! And yes, my legs were beginning to hurt. A couple of Tylenol and some rest will help that!

Friday we didn't do much except clean the inside of the motorhome and wipe down the outside. Because Florida has a water shortage, there is a no RV washing policy in place. It sure does need a good washing but it will just have to wait. May get it done while we are in Montogmery in March. There is a guy that works at Capital City RV Park that does a good job washing RVs and is very reasonable. He has done our before and we were happy with the results.

Saturday we drove to Punta Gorda to meet Joel and Ava for lunch. They are not full timers but part-timers. Most winters find them in Florida to get out of the New Jersey cold and snow. Anyway, we met at Fisherman's Village which was a nice place with lots of little shops and places to eat. We chose Harpoon Harry's which overlooks the water, and was open air dining. It was a beautiful day with temps in the 70's and a slight breeze. Perfect for our choice. It was great seeing them again and catching up. We may get to meet with them one more time before they head back to NJ for the birth of their grandchild in mid-Feb. I sure hope so.

After saying farewell to Joel and Ava we decided to drive up the coast to check out a couple of Encore parks. We can stay at them for a reduced rate because of our 1000 Trails membership. Well, we stopped at two and I have to say that I wasn't impressed at all. Glad we looked before making reservations!

Driving back that afternoon from the Venice area I decided that all Florida county roads are straight and flat! Very boring drive except for the orange orchards, strawberry farms and tomato farms. We wondered as we drove how much that we saw was lost to the freezing that was here just a week ago. We passed many truck trailers loaded with oranges headed to the plant to become orange juice, so I guess many were saved from the weather. As you drive along you see oranges along the side of the road where they have fallen from the trucks. Reminds me of cotton pickin time in S. Alabama only then you see cotton balls by the road.

Yesterday was church day. We decided to be lazy most of the day and do nothing. We did go check out the SKP Co-op park about 3 miles from us and it is very nice. May try to come back and stay there, we'll see.

So now it is Monday, our last day here at Peace River. Will spend some time catching up on filing and making some phone calls. Was going to do laundry but have decided to wait until tomorrow or Wed. Nothing else planned except that I would like to go to Beall's. When there with Anne I saw some really cute pants and tops and I'd like to check them out.

Tomorrow we head back north to the Silver Springs area, near Ocala. We will be staying at Wilderness RV Park, where Bill and Helen own a lot. Looking forward to seeing them again - it's been awhile. Anne & Henry will be joining us this coming weekend. I'm sure I'll have lots to report on while at this park - Helen stays busy and I see a lot of leg ache in my future - LOL! Where's my Tylenol?

I will be posting a few pictures on Picasa from Punta Gorda. Haven't got back into the picture taking mode just yet.

So, there you have it, our first week in sunny warm Florida. Come on back in awhile and see if I've added anything new....

On The Road - Again!

2010-01-12T06:07:00.003-06:00

SUNRISE AT PEACE RIVER, WAUCHULA, FL

It feels so good to be on the road again. Our trip that began last Saturday, the 9th of Jan., brought us to Florida - the one place I had said I didn't care if I ever went back to. Guess I'll have to eat those words.

We took our time with late starts and short driving distances. The first day we overnighted in Bonifay, FL at Florida Springs Campground. Not the best campground we've stayed at. It is one of those nickle and dime you to death campgrounds! But this is how you learn!

The second day we drove to Lake City, FL and stayed overnight at Oaks N Pines Campground. Much nicer experience. The sites were close but for a overnight or even a couple of nights it is a good park.

Yesterday, Monday January 11th - this would have been my Dad's 84th birthday - we drove to the Thousand Trails Peace River Park in Wauchula, FL. This was our longest day and ended up being even longer due to a accident on I-75 just north of the I-275 interchange. Traffic was at a dead stop about 2 or 3 miles back and when we got to the interchange they had I-75 closed and forced us to head to N. Tampa. Well, that added about a hour travel time for the day - and through town and lots and lots of traffic lights which always seemed to be red for us!

Funny how one incident can just make a perfect travel day go sour. I thought we would never arrive at Peace River but finally at 4 something we arrived. We were told to select a electric/water site for the night and there would be a lottery tomorrow for the electric/water/sewer sites. Oh well, we will manage. Two really nice things about this park is that our friends Anne & Henry, whom we haven't seen in over 2 years are here along with Nancy & Jake who we saw last fall in Ohio and NY. It is so nice to pull into a park and see old friends.

As we were setting up in our site, we had one jack that decided it wasn't going down! About this time Henry came over and he and Dean began check out why. I decided to go back to the ranger station to tell them what site we had taken and when I got back to the motorhome there were Henry, Jake & Dean working on the jack. Anne and Nancy were standing talking and I joined them. I figured the men can handle the man stuff!!! Seems that they hyd. fluid tank or whatever it is called was almost empty. Thankfully Henry had some fluid and Jake had a hose/funnel and they were able to get fluid in the tank. Now we are sitting on all four jacks - yea. Thanks so much guys for helping Dean. Not sure he would have known what to do. (Another story for another time).

After the guys got cleaned up the six of us went to Pauls Restaurant in Wauchula and we treated them to a delicious meal. Talk about way to much food though. I ordered the Country Fried Chicken and it came with 2 large chicken breasts, mashed potato's, mixed veggies, lentil (that's bean) soup, hot home made bread and their speciality - a spicy rice. We all had leftovers which we brought home - lunch today!

We had a really great time catching up with our friends and are looking forward to seeing them again during our stay in Florida. Nancy and Jake are leaving this morning for Orlando and a 7 night cruise on Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas - lucky them! Anne and Henry will be here until Thursday then they also head to Orlando for some business meetings. They rate campgrounds for Trailer Life. Neat job - huh?

We have more friends we hope to catch up with while in Florida - Ava & Joel, Bill & Helen, Ken & Sandy and Susan & Jack. Looking forward to seeing them all I hope! That's the fun part of rv'ing - catching up with old friends. Of course making new ones also.

I don't have a clue what we will be doing this coming week while here at Peace River except one day we are going back to Tampa to the Super RV Show for the day. No we are not looking to buy another motorhome, just want to check out the vendors and see if there is something we just can't live without!

So there you are, caught up for now. I'm back and will be posting here again as things happen, so please come back once in a while and check on us. Safe travels all.....

Christmas Past

2009-12-26T07:42:00.002-06:00

Christmas morning began cloudy and cold. But hey, at least we didn't have any of the white stuff to contend with!

We went to David's house for our traditional Christmas breakfast together. Yumm, he did a great job with scrambles eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy. It was a nice beginning to a great day - thanks David.

Morgan arrived around 11 am and then the fun began. After all Christmas is about kids, right? Anyway, we exchanged some gifts at David's and Morgan got into all her "Santa" gifts. It was fun watching her open her gifts, she gets so excited about each one. In the past she has let out some really ear piercing squeals and she was told in advance this year to be a little more quiet. It was really funny when she opened her package that had a new cell phone in it! She almost squealed but covered her mouth quickly! But she couldn't contain her excitement.

Dean, Suze & I left to go to Suze's so we could start dinner. David and Morgan came over a short while later and we began again - exchanging gifts. One that Morgan got from her Pop-pop was a box filled with cotton balls and slips of paper with "I Don't Know" typed on them. The reason for this was every time we asked Morgan what she wanted for Christmas she would answer "I Don't Know". Well he was determined that is what she would get. He did include one slip that was exchangeable for some cash. She liked that one. We got David a new grill and since it was to big to put under the tree, he had to go on a hunt for it. We had lots of fun and laughs doing presents at Suze's.

The rest of the day was laid back and relaxing for the most part. We didn't have a set time for dinner and just took our time getting it ready. How nice that was, no time schedule. I think it also made it taste better. Maybe because we were not so exhausted from rushing to get it done.

In the evening, Shannon and Brooke came over and we exchanged gifts with them. Shannon is David's friend and Brooke is her daughter. Brooke is a year older than Morgan and they get along really good. I posted a picture of them sitting beside each other texting. Yep, they were texting each other - LOL! One way for the adults not to know what they were saying...

So that wraps up our Christmas Day. It was a really nice day. The only thing that would have made it better is if more of the family could have been with us.

I pray that all my family and friends had as nice a Christmas as I did. It's one I won't forgot.

This will most likely be my last post this year so I'll say Happy New Year to all and hope to see a lot of you next year.

Changes Made To Blog

2009-12-16T07:57:00.003-06:00

I have had to change the "comment" requirement on my blog because of some "idiot people" who were posting links to what were possibly spam links in the comment section of my blog. All comments will now have to be approved by me. I hate doing this as I feel it does infringe on your freedom of speech but it's the only way I know of to control this type of spamming. I did have it set for "letter verification" but apparently they have become much smarter and have found a way around it. Sorry.

Not much has been going on other than finishing up with doctor appointments and getting ready for Christmas. We did attend a Mark Lowery concert that was fabulous.

Oh yes, I am trying out a Verizon Air Card. I am beginning to think that I really like it. I know Dean will be happy if I decide to stay with it since it will mean not having to set up the monster dish! I'm still hesitant though because of being in areas where we don't recieve cell service... I still have half a month to test drive it.

We head out on Tuesday for Montgomery and Christmas there. Will return to Fairhope the Sunday after and then in January head to Florida for a couple of months.

I suspect that I'll have more to write about after the holidays!

Again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year....

Almost Done!

2009-12-06T09:51:00.002-06:00

I know, it's been close to a month since I have been here - did you miss me :-)

We have been busy with many doctor appointments since we arrived. Seems like every couple of days we are at the medical center here in Fairhope which is where most of the doctors are located.

The only thing left (I hope) is our eye doctor and those appointment are not until Dec. 14/15. Then in January I have a GYN right before we depart for Florida.

So far the appointment have gone well, especially for Dean. All his labs were excellent, he has gained weight and is doing well except in the neurological area. I see changes in him almost daily. More forgetful than he used to be. He worked in electronics all his life and now has a hard time hooking up a TV! He gets very frustrated when it don't work. Other than that area, he is doing good.

Me on the other hand didn't have glowing reports. Besides getting chewed out for the weight gain, my A1C (sugar), cholesterol and other labs were elevated. Bad Me! I believe a lot of it was caused during the time that Dean was losing weight and not eating - I was constantly getting into food, trying to get him to eat. I did, he didn't!!! Long story short - I gained :-( Because of this I have a follow-up appointment for March/April time frame. Grrrr. I hate doctors! A evil necessity!

Christmas has also kept us busy. I feel like my second home this year has been Best Buy. Hmmm, hope I'm not giving anything away by saying that, but they sell lots of "stuff" so probably not. I'm almost done shopping and have a few to wrap.

We will be going to Montgomery for Christmas, spending about 6 days there. We will leave the motorhome parked here at Coastal Haven and stay at Suze's. There are plenty of snowbirds here to keep a eye on things that I'm not to worried. I did give it a second thought though after reading about friends Nick & Terry having their motorhome broke into and things taken.

The park here is still about half full. Not sure where everyone is this year - waiting till after Christmas I guess. The last run we made to Rainbow Plantation it was about the same, not very full. Makes me wonder where the snowbirds are....

I probably won't be posting again before Christmas, so I want to take this time to wish each and everyone who reads this a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May God richly bless you during this holiday season.

Another Circle Completed

2009-11-11T10:13:00.002-06:00

We arrived back in S. Alabama on Sunday afternoon. The next day we had a unwanted visitor - Hurricane IDA. What a welcome that was. It wasn't bad, thank goodness, a lot of rain on Monday night and Tuesday morning and then the wind began Tuesday afternoon and is still blowing this morning. Last night was the worst of the wind and we pulled the one slide in. It was on the north side and that was the direction the wind was coming from. We wanted to save the slide topper!

This morning the sun is out and the sky is clear. As soon as the wind stops it will be beautiful. Highs in the 70's and lows in the 50's - perfect weather.

Backing up just a little, we had a nice two week visit in Montgomery. There were several things that we needed to get done while there such as getting Dean to the dentist to get the top denture aligned - done and it seems like it is much better. Now to get him to quit slurring his words! We also had to renew our tag for the motorhome. Every time this comes around I wonder why we never moved our residency to Texas!!! If I had a crystal ball and could see the future and how much longer we will be traveling, I would still give it some serious thought! Just hate to move and then have to come off the road and move everything back to Alabama.

One of the highlights while in Montgomery was getting to finally see my granddaughter Morgan cheer! She has been cheering for two years and this was the first time we were in town for a game. She is such a natural at it. This year she is a flyer and the first time that they threw her in the air I held my breath till she was caught! Dang, she is so cute! I just loved watching her. Am I prejudice - YEP!!!

Anyway, as I said, we are back south now and getting ready for all the doctor visits. Will have to wait and see what the outcome is. Dean has two this week and two next week and I have one next week. I did weigh him yesterday and he has lost more weight. Something just isn't right and we need to find out what it is!!!

I won't be posting often now. Since we are parked there won't be much "travel" news to report on. Do check back now and then to see if anything exciting has happened.

Until the next time - Safe travels!

Good Times In TN

2009-10-23T14:22:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-21T06:50:00.005-05:00

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

2009-10-18T18:37:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-11T17:00:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-04T15:50:00.002-05:00

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

2009-09-30T15:29:00.002-05:00

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

2009-09-28T08:19:00.002-05:00

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!

We Have Moved To Lancaster

2009-09-24T20:37:00.002-05:00

It will be a week Saturday since Suze left us and flew back to Alabama. The first couple of days we spent relaxing. Gosh darn, I guess I'm getting old!!! I was just totally wore out after 10 days of going, going and more going. I'm not used to the pace. Dean and I go and rest, go and rest .... you get the picture. After a day of total relaxation, we decided it was time to catch up on the laundry. Off we went to a laundromat in Gettysburg where we filled five double load machines and spend nearly two and a half hours getting it all done. When we got back to the motorhome Dean asked "what are we doing with the stack of sheets and blankets behind your chair". Well, we went off and forgot all about the bedding that was used for Suze - dah!!! And I thought we were done - not! The next couple of days Ispent cleaning the inside of the motorhome. Yes couple of days - a little at a time. I'm retired ya know. Dean was so nice, he offered to take the bedding and visit the campground laundry room, I didn't argue. The end of our week was spent visiting with my Aunt Dottie and her daughter Carol who both live in Chambersburg. We went through a lot of old pictures and just had a good time talking and visiting. Dean and I did make one more trip to Thurmont, Md to eat at Mountain Gate (again), a big buffet for 6.75 a person. You just can't cook for that price!!! As always it was yummy.

Today, Friday, we moved to Lancaster County to have a Amish carpenter make and install some sliding drawers in the kitchen area. I can hardly wait to get them in - more space!! Our friends, Linda & Byron Landry from LA are here also. They were in DC and heading to Indiana to have some carpentry done and I told them about Lancaster County and the Amish man that was recommended to us. Surprise, they changed their mind and came here. They had a shelf installed under the front cabinet, over the driver. This is where their electronics are stored. It looks great!

Last night we went to Jennies Diner on route 30 for dinner. Wow - was it good. Linda and Byron tried something new - lettuce with hot bacon dressing. From the looks of their bowl, they liked it! I had it also as it had been years since I last ate it. Linda also like the pepper slaw. The biggest problem up here is they just don't understand small servings!

Today we are going to the Bird-In-Hand Farmers market, one of my favorite places. Linda and Byron have never been so I think they are in for a treat. Then we will be heading to Shady Maple for lunch. Have you been there? If so you know how good (or in PA dutch - goot) it is.

Tomorrow we are going to a Octoberfest in Adamstown which should be a lot of fun. I love the omm-papa bands. Maybe they will even do the wild turkey, or as better know, the chicken dance.

The campground we are staying at is very nice. All adult and quiet, no activities. But, the down side is it is very expensive and it's would be quicker to tell you what you can do rather then the rules of what you can't do! We do have a five mile view out our front window so that makes up for it.

I haven't taken any pictures yet but will get some soon and post them. Probably after Sunday and the Octoberfest. So check back in a day or so. Till then ......

Suze's Time In PA

2009-09-20T20:42:00.002-05:00

Suze hadn't been back to PA in about 11 years so the four days that she was here with us were "her days". On Tuesday we drove to Harrisburg, which I've already covered in my previous post.

Wednesday was shopping day for the care package that she wanted to ship back to Alabama. It included mostly Tastykake products and of course some Penn State items - she is quite the fan even though she is in Alabama!

Wednesday night we met her friend from high school, Donna along with her three children and her mother for dinner at Mountain Gate in Thurmont, MD. I'm always up for a trip there - great food, just to much.

Thursday was Chambersburg day. We met our Aunt Dottie for breakfast then went back to her home to sort through a lot of old family pictures - some back at least three generations or more. Mid-afternoon it was time for a snack so off to the Igloo for some really great black raspberry ice cream. Yummy!

Thursday evening we had a family dinner at Mountain Gate in Waynesboro, PA. Yep, same name and same good food! It was really great seeing everyone that came. Bud and Sherry (cousin), Sonny (cousin), Diane & Tex (cousin), Carol and Wayne (cousin), Eileen and her two boys (2nd cousin) and my Auntie Dottie. Of course Dean, Suze and me. A really wonderful family time.

Friday was Lancaster day. Suze had several things she wanted to pick up from there so off we went early morning since it is about a 90 minute drive from Gettysburg. Our first stop was Bird-In-Hand Farmers Market. Surprisingly, Suze found everything she wanted there. We spent about 2 1/2 hours wandering through the market. It's a great place and I highly recommend it if your ever in the area. We then decided to take a short drive through the Amish back country. We happened upon a wood crafter (they are plentiful) that works on motorhomes. We want to have some work done so we stopped and will be heading there this coming Thursday. I'll post pictures of before and after next week. Anyway we then took off in search of Country Haven Campground to make reservations. Found it and we are set with a front row spot overlooking a beautiful valley. Picture will also come next week.

Our final stop was to visit with my cousin Barry and his sweet wife Connie. We spent about two hours with them, just chatting and catching up on our families. Barry and Suze are both BIG Penn State fans so they decided to go to the game in 2011 when Alabama come to State College to play Penn State. Suze was invited to stay with them. She is so excited about this opportunity. She has never been to State College so will be experiencing something new when she comes back.

Arriving back home, Suze had to get packed for her flight home in the morning and we all got to bed somewhat early (for us).

Saturday morning we drove Suze to Middletown, PA to the Harrisburg Intl. Airport for her flight to Atlanta. From Atlanta she drove home to Montgomery. She made it safe and sound but hopefully she didn't catch the flu on the flight. She has not been feeling well since arriving home. I pray she gets to feeling better real soon. Can't take a vacation and then call in sick the first day back to work - right? Her boss won't let her take a vacation again! This happened earlier this year when she took a Carnival cruise with some friends - she came home with the neurovirus. Was out of work almost a week.

Dean and I are exhausted. We are not used to going so hard every day. No regrets though. It's now our time to catch our breath and relax for a few days. I will go back to Chambersburg to visit my aunt again on Wednesday. Thursday we move to New Holland for at least a week while we have some changes made inside the motorhome. Then we will move back to Artillery Ridge for almost two weeks. During that time we will be going to S. Mountain Apple Festival - that promises to be fun.

We will begin our trek southward around the 16th of October. Hope to make a few day stop someplace around the Smokies. We don't need to be in Montgomery until November 1st.

So that about catches me up. Until next week sometime, take care and God Bless....

Pennsylvania - Again

2009-09-16T08:40:00.002-05:00

Monday we returned to Pennsylvania, my birth state. I always feel like I'm "coming home" when I do return here even though I've lived more years out of the state than I did in it.

The drive from Lockport was long, almost 400 miles, but not a bad drive. Most of it was on US 15 and I was surprised to find more four lane portions than two lane. It was a very pleasant drive with lots and lots of pretty scenery including trees that are beginning to turn to fall colors.

The Pennsylvania Welcome Center we stopped at was really very nice - it rivals the one in New York that I had posted about earlier. Here again, would love to be able to camp there and enjoy the views.

We are settled in at Artillery Ridge for at least a week. I guess we are lucky because they have several horse associations coming in the end of the week and I was able to get us one of the better sites where we can use our King Dome and our sat. for internet. I thought we would have to move on Friday but yesterday I was told that we could stay put. We will be in the middle of the group but as long as they don't mind, I won't either. The gal in the office warned me that Saturday evening it may stay "busy" quite late. In other words they may party - I told her that as long as I had a heads up I didn't have a problem, that I would go introduce myself and join in - HA!

Yesterday we drove to Harrisburg to visit with my great-uncle Ben and my aunt Carolyn. Suze hasn't seen them since 1998! My uncle turns 95 next week and still gets around fairly well and lives alone in his own house. My aunt is in her 80's and still drives which around Harrisburg is a feat in itself!!! Traffic is horrific! We went to lunch with my aunt then took off to Wal-Mart (how come they end up in every blog?) for some artificial flowers since we were going to go to the cemeteries where my grandparents are buried.

We did make a short stop so Suze could visit with her natural father. She hadn't seen him since 1982. From what she said, she had a nice visit. No, I didn't go in, Dean and I waited in the car.

Suze wanted some Penn State items so we went off in search for them and found most of what she wanted at the local mall. From there is was a stop at two cemeteries and then back 50 miles to the campground.

Today we are going shopping for Tastykake's for Suze to ship back to Alabama - can't buy them there. We will probably go into Gettysburg to look in some of the shops early afternoon. Then later we will be driving to Thurmont, MD to Mountain Gate Restaurant to meet Suze's friend from high school, Donna. Promises to be a good meal tonight : - )

That's all for now - catch you on the next round...

A Day In Canada

2009-09-13T07:41:00.002-05:00

Canada, oh Canada - it was fun but I'm glad to be home!

Yesterday we drove across the Rainbow Bridge into Canada. Our destination for the day was Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Dean and I had visited this town in 2001 and I knew that Suze would really enjoy seeing it. It should be called Flower Town as there are flowers everywhere. It is a tourist town with lots of shops lining the street and tourists from all over the world. One just has to sit on one of the benches and chances are you will see people from many countries.

After a afternoon of walking, looking, and a little shopping we went to the park by Lake Ontario where the Niagara River comes to a end. The weather was perfect today and that made it great for a day at the park for a lot of people. We saw at least a half dozen newlyweds. Not sure if the wedding had taken place at the park or if they were there just for picture taking. Either way it is a beautiful setting for the occasion.

Heading back to Niagara Falls we stopped at a winery to sample Ice Wine. Ummm good. If you haven't had any and you get this way be sure to stop and sample some.

Dinner was at the Fallsview Casino buffet. It was very good but also very pricey! $22.00 per person. We decided that paying that much we wanted a table with a view. We had to wait about 5 min, but it was worth it. We looked out at the American Falls. What a view!

After eating we went to their courtyard area for the falls in color. It was a little disappointing as there was so much shrub and trees it was difficult to get a really good view. Oh well, you live and learn - right? I did get a couple of nice pictures though.

Leaving Niagara Falls, Canada after dark was a nightmare!! People everywhere making it very difficult to drive - especially when your not sure where your going. We finally made it back to the bridge and cleared customs without any wait or problems. It's so good to be back in the US of A!!! I Love America!

I have posted pictures at Picasa - I hope you enjoy them. If anyone know the names of some of the flowers/plants let me know. Especially the one plant that has the flowers hanging upside down.

Till next time - God Bless and be safe....

Awesome Niagara Falls

2009-09-12T06:05:00.002-05:00

For those who have been to Niagara Falls, you understand the title - for those who haven't been, it should be on your don't miss list.

We saved $5.00 and parked just outside the Niagara Falls State Park, parking in the park is $10.00. The walk was about a block to get to the visitors center and looking at the parking lot that is in the park, it was actually about the same distance away. We bought a Discovery Pass that includes riding the Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, Niagara Gorge Discovery Center, Niagara Aquarium and the movie, Niagara - Legends of the Adventure.

We began our time at Niagara State Park taking the Maid of the Mist boat ride. Dean and I had done this several years ago, but the thrill is still the same. This time we were smart and opted to stay downstairs where you don't get as wet as you do upstairs. When the boat gets close to the Canadian Falls it's like you are in a hard rain shower with wind. We at least had some protection. Suze opted to go upstairs to the open deck. When the ride was over and we met back up, she was a little wet!!

I just can't decide where the falls are the most beautiful - looking up at them or looking across at them or looking down on them. What do you think. Let me know after you look at the tons of pictures that I will be posting on Picasa.

Being on the US side had it's advantages. You can get right up beside the river and witness the power of the water first hand, before it goes over the falls. It is awesome. You are right by the rapids, where I believe the trolley hostess said the river falls 25 feet in elevation toward the falls. I can't remember ever seeing water moving so fast! You don't really get to see this on the Canadian side.

Our next stop was Goat Island - this was after a expensive lunch of hamburgers and a drink at the snack bar at the welcome center. I forgot to mention that our Discovery ticket included a all day pass on the parks trolley system. Anyway, we boarded the trolley for the ride to Goat Island where we found even more spectacular view of the falls from river height. After looking around, off we went to the Cave of the Winds tour.

First disappointment - there is no cave!! We donned our special sandals and rain gear and off we went - first a elevator ride down 200 feet through a cut in the rock. Then a long walk through a tunnel - I guess the could call it a cave but it was man made. Then out to a walkway along the side of the hill. Unfortunately there were just to many steps and we opted not to do the entire walkway that takes you to the bottom of Bridal Falls and then brings you back up to the middle of bridal falls to a deck called Hurricane Deck. I've experienced enough hurricane winds and rain so don't really feel like I missed much except for being very close to the falls. There was a handicapped ramp that took you close to Bridal Falls and we walked that. You could sense the force of the water from that point, get wet from the mist and certainly hear the thunder/roar of the water as it hits the bottom of the falls.

The American Falls have a lot of rocks at the bottom and we were told that is where the "cave" used to be. In the 1930's it collapsed killing three people who were touring - a couple on their honeymoon and one other person - how sad. The park just has never changed the name from Cave of the Winds - as we were told, when Walt Disney died, they didn't' change the name of Disney World!

I have to add for my family - be sure and look at the picture of Dean, ready for to go on this tour - it's probably the only time you will ever see him in sandals - LOL!!!

We walked to Terrapin Point - the US side of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. By this time my legs were beginning to ache so I stayed on the upper level but Suze went down to the point. The water here had such a beautiful green color to it as it began it's fall downward. I've captured, as best I could, this in a couple of my pictures. I hope you enjoy them.

Buy the time we walked back to the snack area it was almost 5pm and we were all getting very tired. We did watch a squirrel getting into the trash can to retrieve his dinner - french fries. He was so cute and you could walk right up and he wouldn't run. I guess he was used to people and was determined to stay for dinner!! Of course I have a couple of pictures of him also.

We rode the trolly back to the Visitor Center and watched the movie Niagara: Legends of Adventure. A very good movie.

Back to the car we went after a little shopping (for Suze) and headed home. It was a wonderful day although it stayed overcast. We actually decided that overcast was good because it kept the temperature down. The only problem with overcast is you don't get the rainbow at the falls.

Six tired puppies (feet) were glad to see the motorhome and it didn't take long before we all were in bed dreaming of tomorrow (actually today) and what is in store - the Canadian side of Niagara Falls plus more.

As I mentioned, I'll be getting my pictures posted at Picasa so be sure to check them out. Meanwhile - Au reviour (hee-hee, not sure I spelled that right but you get my drift).

Niagara Falls, Not Quite

2009-09-11T05:32:00.002-05:00

Tuesday we saw Ohio in our rear view mirror after almost three really nice weeks of touring three different areas of the state. New York here we come...

Our first stop in New York was at the Welcome Center off I-86. It sits on a hill looking down at Lake Chautauqua - a very large lake. This has to be one of the most beautiful Welcome Centers we have ever stopped at. Beautiful views of the lake, lots and lots of rose bushes in the front of the building and the center itself is huge. Pictures are posted at Picasa.

We continued on toward Lockport and the RPI (Resort Parks International) campground Niagara's Lazy Lakes via mostly two lane highway that was good road with shoulder. I preferred it to the interstate around Buffalo that was just crazy busy!!! We had to do a few miles of it and that was enough - I'll avoid it as much as possible while in the area.

After about 20 miles on more two lane highway we arrived at the campground. Our friends, Nancy and Jake were already here and didn't expect to see us as we were arriving a day ahead of our schedule, so it was fun surprising them. It was also nice seeing them again for a couple of days as now we don't know when we'll see each other again as they will be going on up to the New England states and we will head to Pennsylvania next Monday.

Yesterday we drove back to Buffalo to pick up Suze at the airport. Yep, I took the back roads, not the interstate - HAH! It was a nice ride and we had no problems finding the airport, a close parking spot and the terminal. After a short wait which we spend watching people go through security, Suze arrived and back to the campground we headed with a couple of stops including a hardware store and a grocery store.

We gave her about a hour to rest up and left for a ride on the Erie Canal at Lockport.

This was a very nice boat ride that lasted about a hour and a half. We actually went through two locks, number 34 & 35, saw the "Flight of Five" locks which are now a waterfall, passed under several bridges including the largest single span bridge in the US, the upside down train bridge, and two lift bridges. It was very interesting hearing the story of how the canal was built and how much time it saved the travelers back in days past. The story of the canal can be found at www.eriecanal.org

After the boat trip we had dinner at a real Italian restaurant in Lockport, De Flippo's. I highly recommend it. It is a three generation restaurant in what was the family home. Delicious!!

We returned home tired but spent some time sitting out and talking with Jake and Nancy - they leave in the morning. Safe travels to them!

Still ahead is Niagara Falls, both the American and Canadian side, so check back soon.

Pictures are at Picasa...

Geneva-on-the-Lake and More

2009-09-05T05:56:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we drove to Geneva-on-the-Lake which reminded me of the typical seaside town with one exception - it is located by Lake Erie. There is a beautiful state park just outside of town and several campgrounds in the area. The town itself is touristy, of course. We ate at a restaurant named Mary's Kitchen and Dean had a great meal, me on the other hand had a really bad one. I'll start with Dean's - he had stuffed peppers and it was so good he ate almost all of his meal. I had fried Alaska paddock and it was awful! I'll never order that again. For one thing, I don't believe it was cooked thoroughly. The thicker parts of the fish were like mush or gel. Not flaky at all. I said something to the waitress and she said that is how it's supposed to be. Sure it is!!! I guess you win some and lose some.

We drove the highway that follows the lake to Ashtabula where I wanted to see the draw bridge again. I had seen a hill that you can park on and look down at the bridge so that's where we headed. The bridge is called the Fifth Stree or Bascule Draw Bridge (Bascule is a medieval term for draw bridge). It is unusual in that it uses a concrete counter weight to raise and lower the bridge. This is the first one I've ever seen. I heard it's one of a kind but can't verify that. I took pictures of opening and it you check them out be sure and look to the left at the big chunk of concrete - you can see how it lowers as the bridge raises.

After watching the bridge we went to the mall and it is obvious that this area has been hit hard by the economic situation. We went in Penny's and Sears and both stores were basically empty except for employees. I looked down the mall from both stores and saw no one walking. Actually it was kind of weird. We didn't stay very long.

I took a picture from the highway of the newest of the covered bridges. This one is the longest one in the US but I have to say that it doesn't have the look of the true covered bridges we had seen. It is a modern version and was completed within the past few years.

So that was our day yesterday. I have posted pictures at Picasa for your enjoyment.

Oh yes, we did go out last evening with Nancy & Jake and their friends. They wanted to go for a fish fry, AYCE. I think the place is called Wild Thing and it's it Jefferson. Well needless to say, the experience was less than great. The food is good but the service was really awful. Not sure I'd go back unless I heard that there were great improvements.

Today is a down day - Jake and Nancy are leaving for New York, I'm going to get my hair done and other than that don't have any plans. There are several festivals in the area but not sure we are going to any. We have been on the go for almost two weeks strong and it's time to relax awhile.

Have a Happy Labor Day weekend everyone - see you after!!!

Part 2 - Covered Bridges of Astabula County

2009-09-03T17:50:00.002-05:00

This morning Jake, Nancy, Dean and I took to the highways in search of the last five covered bridges. The tour map said is was 66 miles total - well that sounded good but after a really confused start and a GPS that had a mind of her own it was more like 166. Not really but it was beginning to feel like it! A couple of these bridges were very elusive and we had to double back to find them. Unfortunately, the map doesn't really give the best directions and their signage for the covered bridges and the Ohio highway signs don't make it a easy task finding anything. In spite of it all we had a really great time on our road trip. We stopped for lunch in a don't blink or you'll miss it town named Rock Creek - very good! We made a few stops at some yard sales where Jake found a 12volt cooler for $2.00 (and it works!) and a fire poker for $1.00. It was certainly his day for bargains. The Jeep made a turn into Dairy Queen in Rome so we just had to have some ice cream - naturally. That was yummy...

This afternoon we just relaxed, sitting outside talking and watching for friends of Jake and Nancy to drive in. A bon-fire is in our future in just a little while so will close for now.

The second set of bridge pictures are posted on Picasa - go take a look. My favorite one was the last one - very pretty.

Thanks for stopping by and will catch up with ya'll again real soon....

Covered Bridges of Ashtabula County, Ohio

2009-09-02T15:18:00.002-05:00

Dean and I took off this morning for tour A of the covered bridges of Ashtabula County, Ohio. It is a 69 miles in length and takes you to 11 covered bridges, some old, some new and most that you can drive through. It was a interesting drive through the Ohio countryside and we even spotted a few Amish farms. We stopped in Ashtabula for lunch and a car wash before finishing our tour and heading home. I have posted pictures on Picasa of the 11 bridges we saw today. We have another tour to do that has 5 more bridges to see. There is also one in Ashtabula that we missed - the longest covered bridge in the United States but we will go back to it as I know we will be going back to Ashtabula one day soon.

I will let you enjoy the pictures of the bridges and sign off for now. See you next time!

Kenisee Lake TT Park & Good Friends

2009-09-02T07:08:00.002-05:00

Monday afternoon we arrived at Kenisee Lake 1000 Trails park after about a 120 mile day - Dean's favorite kind!

We found a nice site right next to our friends Nancy and Jake and got set up and settled in.

It was so good seeing them again. It has been a very long time since our paths crossed as they have been going one direction while we were going another. We spent the rest of the day just catching up with each other's lives.

Yesterday we intended to drive to some covered bridges but plans are made to be changed - right? Instead, we drove to Ashtabula to Wal-Mart - what a outing! Really though, we all had stuff we needed and sometimes it is just a necessary thing to do - going to Wal-Mart I mean. We found Dean a barber shop so he could get his first of the month haircut, went to Lowes for Jake to look for a wrench set he wanted to replace and found a local restaurant for a lunch stop.

By the time we got back in the afternoon, it was to late to go in search of the bridges so we just relaxed at home and early evening sat around the bon fire. It's been getting into the 40's here at night and just gets to cold to fast for us southerners to stay out late into the evening and that is the reason for the early bon fire! Hopefully it will start warming just a little bit.

While in Ashtabula we drove over a one of a kind bridge or at least I think it's the last one standing and in use. It is a draw bridge over a inlet of Lake Erie that uses a huge chunk of concrete as a weight to raise the bridge. Interesting. I did get one picture, but I think Dean and I will go back as there was another odd looking bridge that was actually home to a conveyor belt that is used to send something from one side of the inlet to the other. I need to find out what and get a picture of it as well.

Today Nancy and Jake are driving back in the direction we came from and visiting a National Park. Dean and I are doing the covered bridge Tour A which takes us to 12 covered bridges. Nancy and Jake have done this already. Hopefully tomorrow the four of us will do Tour B which takes us to the other five bridges.

To those of you who have 1000 Trails memberships - this is a very nice park. Nice level sites, some in the shade and some in partial shade (that is what we have). Where we are parked there is no problem getting sat. reception for both TV and internet. If you are in this area, I recommend this park.

That's it for now. I'll post again after we do the covered bridge tour today. Until then - stay safe and God Bless....

Pictures are posted in Picasa...

Sunday Ride Through The Countryside

2009-08-30T18:58:00.002-05:00

Nothing really new to report for today. Being Sunday, everything is closed so we stayed home most of the day and relaxed and prepared for our move tomorrow. We did take about a hour drive through the countryside and saw several Amish homes where church services was being held. I have posted some new pictures that I took today. Go take a look.

Till later this week, stay safe! See ya down the road.

Saturday In Holmes County, OH

2009-08-30T10:14:00.003-05:00

The best laid plans just don't always work out and our plans for going to several furniture stores on Saturday didn't come about. Instead we went to another flea market, had lunch in Berlin at Boyd & Wurthman Restaurant (very good food), went in search of a local produce stand in the country, drove more of the township roads. Made a stop at Wal-Mart in Millersburg (our bank - haha) and drove more country roads back to Walnut Creek from there. If we passed one Amish buggy, I bet we passed 100! Everyone seemed to be out and about today.

We made a last stop at Walnut Creek for some fresh cut meat and of course one last scoop of homemade custard. The flavor of the day was Strawberry - ummm good!

Today we are planning on doing nothing except relaxing and getting ready to leave this beautiful place tomorrow.

Dean and I both want to come back here as there is still so much we haven't done or seen. It is such a beautiful area that I could spend weeks here and not tire of it. If you haven't been through this area I highly recommend coming - you won't be sorry!

So, tomorrow we are off to another adventure. We will be renewing a old friendship with Jake and Nancy who we met in 2006 and haven't seen in a long while. What else we will be doing I'm not sure, time will tell.

Thanks to all who take the time to stop by and read our blog. We really hope you enjoy it.

See you next time.....

Sugarcreek Horse Auction

2009-08-28T15:11:00.002-05:00

Rain, rain, go away, unfortunately it's here to stay! At least through tomorrow. But we didn't let it stop us from getting out today. It was Horse Auction Day in Sugarcreek and we were going.

The auction started at 11 am and we arrived around 11:30. Didn't see any horses so I asked what time they would bring on the horses and was told around 2 pm. The first thing they auction is a lot of misc. items pertaining to horses care, upkeep etc. We watched for a little while and decided to leave and come back later for the horses.

I had read about the Amish Door restaurant in Wilmont so decided it would be a nice drive there along with a place to have a bite to eat. The drive there didn't disappoint us and the rain actually held off for awhile. We drove through more farmland, past a lot of Amish furniture stores, and through the towns of Walnut Creek, Trail and Winesburg before arriving in Wilmont.

The first stop was to browse through the bakery at the Amish Door. Oh my gosh! They had so much good stuff, breads, cakes, cookies, sweet rolls, fry pies, pies and more! They sell something called cream sticks and they had mini-cream sticks. I figured I'd go back after we ate and get just a couple to try. Next we went to the restaurant where Dean had roast beef, mashed potato's and corn and a cup of the best ham and bean soup. I had the soup and salad bar. Trust me, the salad bar was a meal in itself!! Anyway, we were both full when we left and totally forgot to go back to the bakery - darn - just saved myself some calories - LOL!

We drove back to Sugarcreek and the horse auction in the pouring rain. I guess the skies held off as long as they could. The horses were being auctioned when we arrived but it had just started. I had never been to one and it was something I wanted to experience - don't ask why - I don't know, but just wanted to. They had everything from a miniature pony, to plow horses, to riding horses, to registered horses. What amazed me were the prices - we saw a couple of horses sell for $10 - $40 dollars! There were a few that went into the hundreds but they were the exception. I was talking with a lady behind me who lives in the area and owned a horse ranch. She said that her and her husband decided it was time to sell out because for the last 4-5 years the prices have been dropping fast. One horse that sold for around $600 she said would have brought anywhere from $1200 - 1800 just a few years ago. It's so sad how the downturn in the economy has hurt so much of the American lifestyle. I'm glad we didn't have our granddaughter, Morgan, with us. She would have been begging for us to buy her one of the $10 -$40 horses! She loves horses!

The actual horse auction lasted about one hour. I learned that the owner of the auction purchases a lot of the horses to either re-sell to individuals or to the factories. When I learned that I felt so sad! But, that is the way it goes......

We stopped back at Walnut Creek bulk store for some rolled butter. A friend was telling me about it awhile back and I decided to buy a small piece to try. I'll let you know what I think.

The rain started again after we got home so guess we are in for the rest of the day. The forecast doesn't look good for the rest of the night and tomorrow so we are scraping the plans for the canal boat ride. I think we are going to go to some of the furniture stores and maybe another flea market.

Pictures are posted on Picasa.... Till next time................

Back To The 50's

2009-08-28T08:45:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we decided to drive to New Philadelphia to a restaurant called Hot Rod Restaurant and Museum for lunch. Finding it was no easy task as our GPS didn't list it and the roads here are not marked well. We were successful though.

I had a really great cheeseburger with home made potato chips and Dean had lasagna which he said was great!

The restaurant is a step back in time to the 50's and how gas stations looked back then. It was filled with lots of memorabilia and several old "hot rods". I took pictures and will get them posted at Picasa soon.

Would we go there again? Probably not. It wasn't that it was bad food, it wasn't, just not someplace that left a "we must return again" feeling. No regrets for going though.

We found some country roads to return to Sugar Creek and then back to the highway to Walnut Creek. We wanted to stop at the Walnut Creek bulk food store again. Dean got some dried potato soup that he had last night and said it was really good. Me, I opted for some home made butter pecan custard - yummy!! Any wonder why I can't lose weight?

We also made a stop at the (correction) Walnut Creek flea market but were very disappointed. It was mostly the same junk you see at any flea market across the USA. Very little in the way of local crafts etc.

We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing at home. There are now three horses in the field and of course, they came right up to the fence when we returned, looking for carrots. Yep, they got some!

Not sure what we are doing today. It has been raining since around 5am, though, the skies look like it may start to clear. We had talked about going to a horse auction this morning and I still haven't been to any shops in Berlin. Oh my, there is so much I still would like to do and now so little time left. Guess we will just have to plan a return to this area again.

What every you do today, have fun and stay safe - we sure will give it our best shot!

Amish Auction Day & Lehman's Hardware

2009-08-26T13:27:00.003-05:00

We got a early start this morning to head to Kidron, OH to Lehman's Hardware. I've heard about it from several sources and knew that it was a must see for us. On the way, we decided to stop in Mt. Hope at Mrs. Yoders restaurant for breakfast. What a good choice we made.

We both had the breakfast buffet that had lots of choices from eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, potato's, pancakes, french toast, potato cakes, sausage gravy, a variety of sweet rolls including the best cinnamon rolls, fruit and other items to numerous to mention. That was our meal for the day and it was delicious.

When we arrived in Mt. Hope we noticed a lot of activity going on, especially Amish milling about and arriving by buggies. I asked what was happening and found out it was Mt. Hope auction day - a big day for the Amish/Mennonite farmers for getting more cattle, horses etc. or selling off some extras. They also have a flea market with lots of produce available. After breakfast we decided to walk over and check it out. A lot of the vendors were your typical flea market vendors but there were some Mennonite/Amish vendors with their crafts and produce. We didn't take time to go to the actual auction but would love to sometime.

The drive to Lehman's Hardware in Kidron was nice. Typical Amish farmland with rolling hills, crop fields, flower gardens and buggies everywhere! I love this and really respect their lifestyle. How peaceful it must be but also lots of hard work, more so than I would want to do!

Lehman's is huge. There is so much to see and you not only need to look on the shelves and around but up as well. There are a lot of old antiques up on the rafters that would be easy to miss. Here again - anything you could want in a kitchen, they have +. We walked and walked until my leg finally gave out and I found a bench to sit for awhile. Then we walked some more. Tools, lawn & garden supplies, oil lamps and parts, gas lamps, electric lamps, books, kitchen appliances, and more stuff. To much to list here. It was fun looking but the only things we bought was a bottle of diet coke and a bottle of lemonade! I just don't want all that "stuff" anymore.

On the drive home we passed a cemetery with a different mausoleum. I posted a picture on Picasa. We also saw a deer farm - this is something that the Amish are venturing into now. We stopped at Troyers Country Market and decided we liked Walnut Creek market better and will go back there. We also made a stop at Kauffman's Country Bakery where I found some maple iced cinnamon rolls - yummy! Will have one for breakfast in the morning.

That was our day today. What will tomorrow bring? Check back and see....

Pictures are posted at Picasa.

Day Trip To Coshocton

2009-08-25T17:43:00.002-05:00

This morning Dean tells me that he has a prescription that he needs refilled by Thursday - nothing like last minute notice! So, I checked online for a Wal-Mart and saw that there was one in Coshocton. I was wanting to take a day trip there to go to Roscoe Village so figured as the old saying goes "kill two birds with one stone".

We took all back country road there and saw some beautiful countryside. The Amish here appear to be doing well as their homes are beautiful! A lot of them are not the normal farm house but much more modern looking and large. But then they have large families and need the space.

We drove through little towns such as Charm, and New Bedford, drove past the Chalet in the Valley and the Guggisberg Cheese Factory and Inn. We passed several Amish schools, some with kids there and others that were empty. There were a few places along this drive that we will go back to and I'll expand more on them later.

We had gone about half way when Dean discovered that he had left his medicine bottle on the table in the motorhome, soooo - finding a wide spot in the road - we made a U-turn and back we went. Neat though cause we got to see the same things three times - LOL.

We finally made it to the Wal-Mart in Coshocton and turned his prescription in with orders from me to call if there was a problem filling it. We've encountered problems this year with Wal-Mart and filling prescriptions.

Next stop was Roscoe Village which was a actual town along the Ohio/Erie canal - a canal town. We strolled through the main street looking in a few of the stores but mostly admiring the old buildings and construction. While there I got a call from Wal-Mart that they could not fill the prescription - go figure!!! So back to Wal-Mart we go to get the bottle. I think we are going to try to find a CVS and see about getting the prescription transferred.

Anyway, by this time we decided to just stop for a burger since we had a big breakfast at home before we left. We then came back toward Berlin by way of one of Ohio's "scenic routes", Hwy 93. Well, I'm not sure why it is designated as scenic. The back road we took in the morning were much more so. It did take us through more small towns (Baltic, Sugar Creek & Walnut Creek)and past more cheese factories. In Walnut Creek we stopped at Walnut Creek Cheese store. What a store - lots of produce, fresh cut meat, a great deli, home made ice cream (we had black-raspberry), bulk foods and more. Then the other end of the building was a store that sold everything and anything you could want in your kitchen plus more! It was fun exploring this store and we will probably go back for some of the dry mixes they sell.

Our next stop was home. It was a fun day except for the Wal-Mart part. We sat outside and enjoyed the the fresh breezes and the two horses that are pastured right across from where we are parked. I had picked up a package of carrots and they got a treat this evening (of course I got permission first). Now I wonder if they will remember tomorrow evening that I had treats for them. We'll see...

That about wraps up our first full day in Amish Country - Ohio. I will have pictures posted at Picasa tonight. What is in store for tomorrow - not sure so come on back....

We Are In Berlin (Ohio that is)

2009-08-24T16:56:00.002-05:00

We traveled about 130 miles today with just over half of it on US 62 out of Columbus, OH. It wasn't bad road, just curvy and hilly and narrow. I was driving and would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't woke up with a headache. Some of the scenery was really pretty, you could see over the farm land for miles. I didn't realize that this part of Ohio was as hilly as it is.

Backing up to yesterday - Tab and Deanna came to visit us at 1000 Trails in Wilmington. We had a really nice visit with them and it was really great seeing them again. They have gone from full time to part time rv'ing. It seems to suit them though, as they said, they have the best of both worlds. One of the things that keeps them off the road full time is medical insurance. Something really does need to be done to make health insurance affordable to all, just not the plan before congress right now. Anyway, when they left, we followed them to Yellow Springs and Young's Dairy for ice cream. Oh yummmy! I had a raspberry milkshake and it was good. We bid them farewell with promises of keeping in touch and trying to see them again sometime soon.

Back to today - we are parked at Scenic Hills RV Park on top of a hill looking out over pasture with horses and a view that goes quite a long way. Thanks to Terry and Dale for recommending this park to us. I will be taking pictures in the next day or so and posting them on Picasa.

We have picked up the "tourist" brochures and need to sit down and decide what we want to do while here. One thing I would like to do is go to Coshocton and do the canal boat ride. We also purchased a "backroads" Holmes county map so we can ride a lot of the county/township roads that take you back to the true Amish country. Driving through Berlin there were so many shops but I'm really not much of a shopper any more so don't know if we'll do much of that. There are also a couple of restaurants we would like to try while in the area. We have a week, so hopefully we will be able to accomplish one or two of these items!

Check back here in a day or so for updates. I'll try to post in the evening after we have exhausted ourselves doing whatever! Later.....

A Week In S. Ohio

2009-08-23T05:33:00.002-05:00

I can not believe that we have been in Wilmington, Ohio for almost a week already and that tomorrow we are off on another part of our adventure. We really didn't do a lot this week except enjoy the 1000 Trails park. This has been one of the most restful places. No commercial noise, just nature. Well, there were a couple of aircraft fly overhead that I'm sure were from Wright-Patterson, but it only happened a few times. Other than that, no highway noise, no siren's, just the soothing sounds of nature - ahhh, I have needed this time to get my thoughts and feelings back in order.

We did find a wonderful restaurant in the area that we visited twice. The name is Der Dutchman and it seems that it is very well known by anyone who has lived in or visited this area. Both times we opted for the buffet and were not disappointed. Very, very good food and plenty of variety. The soup and salad bar alone is enough to fill you!

One day we drove to Caesar Lake State Park campground to check it out only to find out that they only offered 20 amp. Because of that, we didn't pursue it any further besides they wanted a "auto fee" for us to drive into the campground area to look. Since our park is only about 10 miles away we decided to pass. We did find another state park, Cowan Lake, outside Wilmington that had 50 amp and allowed us to drive through. A very nice state park, but, the sites were only about 30 feet long and were not level. This really surprised us because the area that we focused on was not heavily wooded or hilly. It was just the way they installed the sites, all at a uphill slant! Oh well, here again, our park was only about 10 miles away so we decided that we were very happy with what we have... Yes, I've been remiss about taking any pictures from here but will try to do so today!

Saturday we took off for a drive in the country. Our first stop was at a flea market that we had passed a couple of times during the week. This was one huge flea market! There is a "outside" covered area that was very big, but then behind it were about 8 buildings that had "indoor" vendors. Needless to say, we didn't cover the whole thing but did enough to be able to say they had it all!

Leaving the flea market we took Ohio 380 to Zenia where there was a street fair going on. Unfortunately it decided to rain about the time we arrived so we continued on our way. The next little town was Yellow Springs. This looked like a artsy town with lots of little shops and cafes. Again, mother nature decided to let go of some rain, so we didn't stop. Next was Clifton. We had turned off the highway and took a smaller country road to get there. About a mile into the drive I noticed about 8 to 10 deer by the side of the road. There was no traffic, so I stopped. That's what they were waiting for and proceeded to cross the road. I grabbed my camera and managed to get one good picture before they disappeared into a crop field. It was several Mom's and their babies - how cute!

We found Clifton Mill even though the way we arrived there were no signs. This mill was established in the early 1800's. and is claimed to be the world's largest water powered grist mill. It is still in operation. It was a interesting walk around the grounds. It was obvious that they hold a big event over the Christmas holidays, as Christmas lights were still strung everywhere and I do mean everywhere! To me, this detracted from the beauty to be found in the old buildings and covered bridge. You can see the lights, especially in the picture of the covered bridge. Hah - the wonder of the internet - I did a search and yes they do light up at Christmas. From what I read, a spectacular light display of 3.5 million lights! I guess that is why they leave them on the buildings year round! It would take a year to hang that many - lol.

Heading back home we took Ohio 72 through Cedarville. I was surprised to see a University there and after driving through town, decided the town was there because of the university! Not really but I think it encompassed at least 2/3 of the town. It is Cedarville University, a Baptist university of arts, sciences, professional, and graduate programs. It is home to 3,000 students! I had never heard of it before but was very impressed by what I saw while driving through town and the campus. Their mission statement is "Cedarville University is a Christ-centered learning community equipping students for lifelong leadership and service through an education marked by excellence and grounded in biblical truth. " I like that!

One other building we did see in Cedarville was the Cedarville Opera House. It appeared to be under renovation. I looked up some history about it on the internet and found that the original was destroyed by fire but was rebuilt and finished in 1888. It is a 1/3 scale replication of the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. It's interesting what you find in these small towns in America!

So, our days drive in the country was a very pleasant one and we are looking forward to more as we move into the Amish area on Monday.

There are a few pictures posted at Picasa.

Today, our friends from the Fulltiming Class of '05, Tab and Deanna are coming to visit. We are looking forward to renewing this friendship as it has been several years since we've seen them. It should be a very nice day with temps in the low to mid 70's and clearing skies.

See you next week....

We Are In Ohio

2009-08-17T16:49:00.003-05:00

Last night we stayed just outside Lexington, KY at the Kentucky Horse Park Campground. I know several where hoping for pictures but sorry, I didn't take any. It was just a overnight stay and I was tired and didn't even venture outside. There is much more to this park than the campground though and if we get back this way, we will program a couple of days here. This is a race track and museum on the grounds. If I remember right the races are held in April and October. There are also many beautiful ranches in the area with a lot of horses. We passed some "mansions" this morning on our way to Ohio and if I hadn't been driving I would have tried to get some pictures. The one thing I am curious about is why the double fencing? The only thing I can figure is it is one way to move the horses from one field to another. Does anyone have the answer?

We arrived in Wilmington, Ohio at the 1000 Trials park early afternoon. After un-hitching the car we drove around and found a site that is shaded but with a view of the south west sky for the dish - yea! We got parked and electric on just in time - the rain began. It has been off and on all afternoon. Mostly showers with a little thunder. They are calling for more rain tomorrow, I think like 80% - uck!

I don't know what we will do, if much while here. We are planning on getting together with Tab and Deanna one day, not sure yet when.

This looks like a nice park to relax and enjoy whatever activities they may have. We have been in this area before so I doubt that we do much sightseeing.

There is one thing I forgot to mention. When we were getting close to Lexington, we drove through Versailles, KY and saw a castle - yep, a real castle! I did a little internet research and found that although originally built by a couple, the construction came to a halt when they divorced. It had sat in unfinished condition for many, many years, had burned in a fire and was rebuilt. It is know now as the Castle Post and is a upscale luxury hotel. You can find more info at www.thecastlepost.com

I stopped and took a picture from the highway but unfortunately there were a lot of power lines so it's not the best of pictures but you get the idea. I've posted it at Picasa as it seems that I can't get it loaded here.

Our General Jackson Cruise - Nashville

2009-08-15T18:58:00.002-05:00

We opted to do the General Jackson Cruise instead of going to the Grand Ole Opry this trip to Nashville. We've been to the Opry a couple of times but have never done the cruise, so it won.

We left the campground a little early not knowing for sure how long it would take to get to the boat. Found out it is docked right behind Opry Mill, the shopping mall that replaced Opryland Theme Park. What a shame that the theme park is gone. I think it was a much nicer thing to do for tourist than going to a mall. Anyway, we picked up our tickets and found a bench to sit on while waiting. After a short while they announced that they were offering a pilot house tour (extra cost) and it would board ahead of everyone else. OK, I'm in for that! The pilot house tour was interesting and full of really modern equipment. The captain was very informative telling us how the boat was built, it's size and all about the equipment that has taken place of the old fashion charts. What did we ever do without GPS? The captain explained how GPS is used, not only on the river here but on ocean going vessels as well.

The lunch was I'll say good but not excellent. It is served family style at round tables that sit 8 people. We had 7 at our table. Started with a mixed green salad and your choice of two dressings. The main course was ham and smashed taters, and chicken and green beans. Biscuits were served also along with tea and coffee. Dessert was strawberry shortcake. I've had better!!! The ham and smashed taters were the best of it all. The problem is they bring out enough for maybe 4 people, not 8 so of course we all took very small portions and then had to wait while our waiter brought more. I guess the focus isn't on the food.

Shortly after eating the show began. Tim Watson was the headline along with his band. He is a fiddle player and was very, very good on the fiddle. Of course there was some comedy thrown in along with the music. Dean and I both enjoyed the show very much!

We had thought about going to the mall, but decided to just come on back home. I was so sleepy, not sure why, and didn't feel like doing a lot of walking. So, the rest of the day we have spent relaxing and planning routes etc.

We leave tomorrow heading to Ohio with a overnight stop in Kentucky.

Come on back in a day or so and see what's new..... Pictures are posted at Picasa.

Day One - Nashville

2009-08-13T20:04:00.007-05:00

Oh it was sooo good to sleep in this morning - NOT! We are staying at Nashville Country RV Park in Goodlettsville and even though when you get off the interstate you go 1.5 mi to the campground, the road actually runs parallel to the interstate so you hear the traffic in the evenings and night. The campground is OK, but the site we are in is not one of the better ones. Right along the highway that runs by the campground. Oh well, I can tolerate anything for a few nights.

Yesterday we made our "must visit" to the local Wally World to get Dean a couple of shirts. He has lost enough weight that his XL shirts were hanging on him and looked really bad and made him look worse.

This morning he took off to the laundromat to get them washed along with some new t-shirts so he could start wearing clothes that fit him. Dang! I wish I had to buy new clothes because mine where hanging on me, not fair - he goes down while I go up - LOL!!!

We decided to head out to the Loveless Cafe and Motel. I didn't look it up on the map so wasn't sure just where we were headed but off we went because it was listed as a "don't miss" while in Nashville.
The Loveless Cafe/Motel............................

I don't think it is actually located in Nashville. It is on the southwest end of town on Highway 100. After getting off the interstates, the drive wasn't so bad. When we turned onto Highway 100, I told Dean that we had been on this road before with our friends Brent and Jackie. I didn't drive it, Brent did, but it was oh so familiar. Anyway, we rounded a curve and there it was - the Loveless Cafe. The parking lot was full and it was almost 2 pm when we arrived. We figured we were in for a wait but to our surprise it was only about 5 min. It was worth it, no matter how long we would have waited!!! It is a "do not miss" when in the Nashville area. They are known best for their biscuits and fried chicken, but today Dean opted for the smoked pork chops and I had the meatloaf. Of course it was served with biscuits and homemade jams -ohh so good!! Our meal was wonderful so we decided to press our luck and ordered desert. I had their version of coconut custard pie and Dean had strawberry/rhubarb pie. Yummmy.....

As we were walking back to the car or should I say waddling, the phone rang and I said to Dean that I wish it would be Jackie. I had called and left a message for her and sent her a email but had no response back to either and I was afraid that she had gone out of town. Well, I didn't recognize the number but answered anyway and guess what - it was Jackie!!! Wish answered.

Since we were only about 20 miles from Fairview where she lives we went to her house to visit.

Much to my surprise, she has a new house! Prior to Brent's death ( her husband) in Nov. 07 they had discussed about adding on to their house or building a new one and had decided to go with the new one but he died before they could begin. Last year she followed through and now lives about 500 feet from the old house in her brand new one. Her daughter and son-in-law have moved into the old house which is good since she will have family close by.

Gosh it was so good seeing her. She is my adopted sister, I just love her so much! We had a short but wonderful visit with her, catching up with each other's lives. I hope it isn't as long between visits this time and we have promised to keep closer in touch with each other.

So that was our day. We are now back home listening to live music here at the campground. We are sitting inside where we are bug free! The stage is just a few hundred feed from where we are parked so we have ring side seats.

I have posted a few pictures at Picasa.

I think we are going to do the General Jackson steamboat on Saturday. So ya'll come on back and see what we think of it. Till then....

Back On The Road Tomorrow!!

2009-08-11T21:00:00.002-05:00

Yes, you read that right, we leave Red Bay tomorrow. I can't believe it. Here I was prepared for no less than a week sitting here waiting and this morning we got the call for the Express Bay and in we went! Everything was done and we were back in our spot by 2 pm. Just in time for a bad thunderstorm.

Anyway, now we have almost two weeks to kill before our reservation in Ohio so we decided to stop in Nashville for a few nights. We have a friend there that we haven't seen since her husband died in 2007 and I really miss her. Who knows, we may even go to the Opry!

So off we go, on the road again and it sure does feel good!

After Nashville we'll see. Check back to see where we head.

We Made It North - Red Bay, AL That Is!

2009-08-09T13:53:00.002-05:00

After a week and a half in Montgomery getting a few things done, we left yesterday morning for the easy drive to Red Bay, AL and the Allegro Campground. Wow - so many motorhomes! And can you imagine - they are all Tiffin products - lol.

This morning we attended church in town and had a delicious "church" meal. First United Methodist Church here in Red Bay holds a 2nd Sunday supper after church and guess what - today was the 2nd Sunday! For $6 pp we had pulled pork that was delicious, corn casserole, cole slaw, baked beans, roll, dessert (I had pina colada cake), and drink. I wondered what I was going to do for dinner today, thanks First UMC!!!

I just got back from the office where I was turning in our paperwork and list. Now the wait begins. With any luck we will not be much over a week. Fingers are crossed - double!!

It's so hot here and those of you that have been here know that the "campground" is concrete and reflects the heat very well. Because of this no one is out milling around. Every now and then I see a person walking their pooch, I'm sure it was a necessity. Last evening wasn't much better, very few people out. We did have a produce truck come through and I bought two tomato's. Gosh, I hope they are good. I'm so hungry for a GOOD tomato!

So, there you have it. We are sitting, beginning our wait. At this time nothing else to report.

I'll be back when I have more news...hopefully good!

God Willing, We Leave S. Alabama This Week

2009-07-27T19:24:00.002-05:00

We have been given the "go ahead" to get back on the road by Dean's doctors - yea!!!

This coming Wednesday we will head for Montgomery where we will stay a week and a half. Then we are going to take a swing by Red Bay, AL at the Tiffin plant. We have a few things that we need fixed and hopefully we can get through the Express Bay quickly. I'm giving them a week!

After Red Bay we are heading for Amish country in Ohio. This is one area we had planned to visit this summer and decided to spend a week or so there before meeting some friends at a 1000 Trails Park in Ohio near Lake Erie. We will be there over Labor Day weekend. Then I think we will continue on up to Erie, PA and poke around the lake. We've been to Niagara so will not head there this time. From there, well, time will tell. Not sure yet.

I want to thank all of you that were saying prayers for Dean. They were answered!!! The doctor had test results that in his words "don't happen" meaning levels in his blood dropped. I told the doctor that it was all the prayers going up for Dean and God indeed did answer them. Thanks again.

Movin on down the road again.....

We Are Back In Baldwin County

2009-07-10T19:59:00.002-05:00

I guess we just can't stay away from here! We keep ending up back here way before we schedule it!

This time it is for some doctor appointments for Dean. He has had two and has two more scheduled at this time. I'm not going to go into any detail here, as I don't think this is the forum for it. Those who have a need to know or who I want to know what is happening, have been notified.

For the rest of my readers, I just ask that you keep us in your prayers.

How long will we be here - wish I knew! It looks like at the least, a month. Depends on what the test results are. I'm just hoping that mother nature has pity on the Gulf Coast this year and there are no hurricanes. I don't need the added stress of having to run from one of those things right now.

The only good thing about being back here is that we will be able to attend our church. That in it self gives me comfort.

I will post whenever any important decision is made about our future.

Back in Montgomery, AL

2009-06-28T13:54:00.003-05:00

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

2009-06-27T06:29:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-22T19:32:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-21T16:43:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-15T20:08:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-15T18:49:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-11T16:50:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-09T19:41:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-08T21:32:00.007-05:00

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

2009-06-07T07:06:00.003-05:00

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..

2009-06-04T16:54:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-03T19:45:00.003-05:00

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!

Day One Behind Us

2009-05-31T15:53:00.002-05:00

We left Montgomery this morning on schedule at 8:30 and are now parked at Carolina Landing in Fair Play, SC for the night. Wifi isn't good so no pictures.

It was a uneventful trip, the best kind. Morgan did well but made a face when I told her tomorrow would be about 40 miles longer than today. She will survive! She thought it was awesome riding in the passenger seat, being able to see so much through the big windshield. She was surprised at the size of the Atlanta airport that she will be flying into in three weeks!

Traffic through Atlanta wasn't to bad until we got on the North side of town then it got very heavy and stayed that way until we pulled off. I guess I-85 is becoming another I-95 traffic wise.

Tomorrow we will stop somewhere in VA tomorrow evening then on Tues. night will again stop in Northern VA. Wed. we get to Lebanon, PA and Hershey 1000 Trails Park.

OK, so you have the report for today. Morgan says hi to all who know her.

Till later....

Moving Day Tomorrow

2009-05-30T17:23:00.003-05:00

Well, I think that everything is fixed and ready to go. The refrig. is running and the ice maker has made one dump of ice and appears to be working OK. I'm so ready to get out of Montgomery again! Seems like we picked "Murphy" up at the city limits and he just wanted to hang with us. I put my foot down this morning and when the service technician left I told him "take him with you and lock him in another RV on your lot". He laughed and said OK, so hopefully we are done with him for awhile.

In about a hour my granddaughter will be arriving to get settled in for three weeks. I only hope we can keep her busy enough, so that she doesn't get bored. Keeping up with her will be a real challenge because my right leg has been giving me some problems and when it comes to walking long distances, well, forget it! I can as long as I can take a break. My only concern is the surprise we have in store for her next Saturday. There will be a lot of walking involved and I'll do it if it means taking a bottle of Tylenol - LOL. Can't say what it is because she might see this. I know it's something that will make her very excited when she finds out.

We will be going as far as Fair Play, SC tomorrow, staying at a 1000 Trails Park overnight. After that we may Wal-Mart it for two nights. We will be staying at another 1000 Trails Park in Hershey, PA until a week from this coming Saturday.

I probably won't be posting again until after we arrive in PA. So, safe travels my friends and see ya down the road!

UPDATE: Morgan is all settled in and sleeping on the sofa/bed as I type this. We will be leaving in about two hours. Her Daddy and her had a semi-tearful farewell last evening as I'm sure she did with her Mom. But, she is so excited about the trip. Funny, I hadn't noticed till last evening how much she is really growing up. She just turned 12 and is quite the young lady, but I guess us grandparents want to keep they small forever! I foresee a memorable trip ahead and one that I hope will create memories for her that she will remember long after Dean and I are gone.

Murphy - Go Away!!!

2009-05-26T09:35:00.002-05:00

We have had a unwelcome visitor with us the past couple of weeks and his name is Murphy. You all probably know him well as he likes to show up and visit at the worst times. I thought that I had left him at a Country Coach parked at Alabama Motorcoach, Inc., here in Montgomery, last week. We had a couple of items repaired along with replacing two front tires and figured it was time for Murphy to move on. Wrong, he wasn't done with us yet.

Sunday, after enjoying a good home cooked meal the tell tale sign appeared, one of three odors you don't want to smell in a RV - ammonia!!! Yep, our Norcold was attacked by Murphy and he won.

It was a slow leak so we were privileged to have the ammonia odor present for two days. Of course Monday was a holiday (doesn't it always happen over a weekend or holiday?) so that meant waiting till this morning to contact Alabama Motorcoach about our unwelcome visitor.

I was at the service counter at 7:30 am this morning and Billy, the service manager is working on it as we speak. I provided him all the information he needed, so now we wait for a new cooling unit. With any luck it will come in tomorrow and be repaired on Thursday. Thank goodness for Good Sam CSP - it should save us some $$.

When we leave from getting it repaired, this time I'm going to make sure that Murphy stays behind - I'll do what ever it takes - LOL.

And life goes on.......

Family Time

2009-05-17T19:05:00.008-05:00

On Saturday, Suze drove down from Montgomery to attend a party/baby shower at Shane (my nephew) and Stephanie's house. It was mostly family with a few of their friends. I wondered how awkward it would be since Shane's mother (my sister) and his dad and stepmother where going to be in attendance. There hasn't been a good relationship there if you get my drift! Fortunately, everyone was cordial and even friendly. Thank goodness because I'm one that is really sick and tired of drama! People just need to let the past in the past and move on.

Anyway, we had a pleasant afternoon visiting with Shane, Stephanie, Judi, Shannon (my neice), Brad (my nephew-in-law), Keith (the ex) and Lynn (the stepmom). Stephanie's mother was there along with her friend and a couple of Shane's friends. We had a good meal of hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, beans, stuffed eggs, chips and dips. Keith and Lynn brought a couple of bottles of a delicious wine - Moscato D'Asti by Bevlamo. It was the best Asti wine that I've ever had. I really need to get me a bottle of it so when I'm stressed, I can relax!!

Stephanie received several nice baby gifts to add to the collection that she had from previous baby showers. She is due anytime within the next two weeks and even though she is very pregnant, she doesn't even look it from behind, it's all up front!

Here's a couple of pictures of the parents to be....

Waiting for Hayleigh Marie Hughes to make her appearance.....

There are more pictures on my Picasa web site.

Yesterday we went to church at Marlow UMC - we actually moved our church membership there yesterday. It is a small country church located very close to Rainbow Plantation with some of the friendliest people - maybe because half the congregation is made up of RV'ers or ex-RV'ers from the Plantation and the other half just nice folk!

It started raining right after church so the rest of the day was spent being lazy including some zzzz's for Dean.

Today we are packing up, hitching the toad and heading up I-65 to Montgomery for two weeks where we will prepare for our trip north to Pennsylvania with our granddaughter Morgan. I understand that she is excited, as are we, to be having this time with our granddaughter.

It will be a busy two weeks filled with dentist appointments for Dean, hair appointments for me, repair appointments for the motorhome (we need a new tail light assembly and a slide coil and didn't have time to get it done at Carpenters in Pensacola), getting Morgan's "things" packed somewhere?? - I'll make room and enjoying time with Suze and David since we won't be back until November.

So - See ya down the road......

Just Another Week Gone By

2009-05-11T08:26:00.004-05:00

ADDED ON MAY 11th - One thing that I forgot to tell you about when I posted this blog is that our friends, Emily & Jim are taking a month trip to Greece. Emily is the travel agent that I sold my agency to when we decided to go full time. Anyway, she is going to keep a blog on their travels along with pictures so if you are interested in that area of the world, here is her blog address - http://travelwithemjim.blogspot.com Save it to your favorites and follow along with them on their journey to Greece!

There isn't much to report from here. Yesterday was a quiet day - church in the morning and phone calls from all the kids wishing me a Happy Mothers Day. It was a good day to catch up on the laundry. Dean did most of it for me since it was Mothers Day, how sweet of him!

This past week was spent doing doctor appointments, making an appointment for the motorhome at Carpenters to have a few things done along with the genny oil changed, visiting my sister and niece and doing some shopping.

We have noticed in our drives around the county that the pecan trees are full of leaves now, the sod fields are very green, the first crop of hay has been bailed and the corn is about waist high. To bad it won't be ready before we leave here as the Silver King or Silver Queen corn that is grown here is some of the best corn on the cob you can sink your teeth into. Every time I look at a corn field I can visualize some hot corn on the cob, salted, peppered and dripping in butter - yummmy good eating! Hopefully we will find a good substitute when we get to PA in June.

This week won't be very exciting. We will be doing a follow-up appointment with the doctor for Dean, getting him to his favorite barbershop in Summerdale, making final disposition on my fathers estate, making one last visit to the outlet stores in Foley, and getting ready to move to Montgomery one week from today.

We did have a surprise visit on Saturday from my cousin Tim and his wife Neanie along with one of their grandbabies. It had been quite a long time since I've seen them and they both look good. I say that because they both had gastric bypass surgery done and have lost a lot of weight. It was fun catching up on their lives and hearing about their kids and grandkids.

I can tell that it is time to be heading north since the daytime temperatures are beginning to get into the high 80's low 90's and night time is only into the 70's. Sure hope it will be cooler in PA when we get there the beginning of June.

Thanks for stopping by and hopefully soon I will have something more exciting to talk about. Till next time............

Update

2009-05-07T21:28:00.003-05:00

Maybe you've heard the news about the flooding in Montgomery, AL today. I don't know how much coverage it is getting on national news. I figured I would come post that we are not in Montgomery yet. We are in Baldwin County in Fairhope. All the rain has stayed north of us and from what I'm hearing, most of it dumped today in Montgomery. I've talked to both of my kids that live there and they are fine and have no flood damage. Unfortunately, others in town have not faired so well. The local TV station WSFA has thousands of pictures of the flood posted on their web site, sent in from people in the area.

We are due to head to Montgomery the 18th of this month. Now I'm wondering how the campground that we use is. I know in a normal rain, it puddles, but this was no ordinary rain! I think I'll call them tomorrow.

I will pass along some good news that Dean and I got yesterday from the Neurologist. He does NOT have Parkinsons. He was diagnosed with tremors. He offered some meds, but said that they are a double edge sword type of drug meaning that the side effects may outweigh the good. He left it up to Dean if he wanted them or not - he said no. The doctor concurred, stating that as long as the tremors do not pose any "danger" to himself or others.

We are enjoying our time in Baldwin County but will be glad to head north to hopefully cooler weather the beginning of June. Maybe at least a little less humidity. Last week our friends Byron and Linda Landry did a overnight at Rainbow Plantation. We got together with them in the afternoon and went to Fish River Cafe for a great meal that included "Swamp Soup". It was really great seeing them again. They are going to New England and Nova Scotia this year and as much as I would have loved to go with them, our plans are made for the summer, so we bid our farewells with promises of getting together again soon. Hopefully in the fall to talk about our summer.

Well, I was going to keep this short so I'll close with the prayer that all who suffered loss in Montgomery will come out better than before the flood happened! Till next time.....