Our campsite at Fox Lake Campground.
Lake Bemidji at Lake Bemidji State Park.
Carnivorous pitcher plant, grows in peat bogs.
Campground fireworks.
We were pleasantly surprised by Duluth. We stayed at a marina campground at the port and we were in the middle of the action. We could watch the ships enter the port under the lift bridge and walk to shops and restaurants.
View of lift bridge from our campground.
Ship coming into port under the bridge.
Night view of the bridge and Duluth from our campground.
This dining and shopping area near the bridge is always busy with tourists.
Most of the ships travel the great lakes, but some, called salties, carry goods overseas.
This saltie, registered in Cyprus, was anchored, waiting to come in to port.
High School in Duluth. Looked like it was still in use.
North of Duluth is Grand Marais. The city RV park is on the lake and within walking distance of the shops and restaurants. We reserved 3 nights and stayed a week.
View from our campsite.
Waterfalls at Grand Portage State Park.
Naniboujou Lodge north of town.
Lunch at the Naniboujou Lodge.
We had plans to meet some friends in Houghton, Michigan. Our route there followed the shore of Lake Superior, so we stayed a couple of nights in Ashland, Wisconsin, at yet another city park on Lake Superior. Ashland is a city of murals. Here are just a few.
This mural takes up the entire building.
Another mural in Ashland.
Three stories tall and wraps around the side.
This old hotel in Ashland is on Lake Superior.
We stayed in Houghton a few years ago and loved it, so we decided to go back and stay a month. This area is known for its copper mines and people of Finnish heritage.
The campground is on the canal that goes right through town, from Portage Lake to Lake Superior.
Houghton has its own lift bridge.
Where the canal meets Lake Superior.
Driving up the Keweenaw Peninsula, the tourists enjoy seeing this reminder of why they don't live there.
Friends, Stephanie, Jeff, me, Ruth, Jerry, Carol and Roger.
Next Month: More of Houghton.
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We especially like the Victorian charm of the downtown area. The entire area is on the National Register of Historic Places as the Eureka Springs Historic District.
The town is on several levels.
The streets wind around and no two streets intersect at 90 degrees.
The Crescent Hotel built in 1886. The stone blocks are so well laid, no mortar was used between them.
Lobby of the Crescent Hotel.
Stairway in the Crescent Hotel.
Eureka Springs has many natural springs believed by many to be healing.
Tom in downtown Eureka Springs.
Near Eureka Springs is the tiny town of Golden, Missouri. There you'll find the Golden Pioneer Museum. It consists of hundreds of collections the owners have purchased over the years and put on display. The collections include arrowheads, guns, glass, dishes, tractors, quilts, toys and on and on. You won't find a more interesting museum. I especially enjoyed the glass and pottery.
Golden Pioneer Museum.
Golden Pioneer Museum.
Collection of glass baskets.
From our campground in Eureka Springs we drove a few miles to Turpentine Creek. Turpentine Creek is a big cat rescue sanctuary that has cabins and a few RV sites.
The preserve takes in animals that can no longer be cared for by others, mostly people who tried to raise them as pets. (Hmmm, what could go wrong.)
Tiger at Turpentine Creek.
Cooling off in the heat.
A beauty.
Our next stop was Topeka, Kansas. We wanted to visit the Arabia Museum in Kansas City and our friend Walt invited us to stay in his driveway. Normally this would not work for us, but Walt is an RVer, so we knew he could handle a rig our size.
Our rig and Walt's in his driveway. This is his side driveway, he has another driveway in front of his house.
Walt and Jeanie.
Walt gave us a great tour of the capitol in Topeka, the Arabia and The Plaza in Kansas City.
The capitol at Topeka.
The building is beautiful, inside and out.
You can take a tour of the dome and climb up to the roof. Lots of steps, some people couldn't handle the heights.
Tom and Jeanie at The Plaza.
In 1856 the Arabia left St. Louis, with 200 tons of cargo and headed up the Missouri River. A week later it sank after hitting a tree snag. Over the years the course of the river changed and 132 years later it was rediscovered 45 feet underground and a half mile from the river's present channel. Today, after careful restoration, the cargo is on display at the museum.
The Arabia.
Digging up the Arabia.
Part of the cargo recovered.
Cargo.
More cargo.
Walt, his friend Renee, and her daughter after dinner at Brio at The Plaza in Kansas City.
We made a quick stop in St. Louis to visit my college friend, Karen and her husband Don.
Karen and Don.
While we were there we found time to meet up with Teton friends, Bob and Lorena. We had a great lunch and topped it off with a visit to a local Route 66 landmark Ted Drewes for frozen custard.
Bob, Lorena, and Jeanie at Ted Drewes.
With all the rain in the midwest, the rivers were rising and a few roads were flooded in the St. Louis area. They were expecting even more rain as we pulled out and headed up the river to Hannibal, Missouri. Hannibal, of course, was the boyhood home of Mark Twain (Samuel Clements).
Hannibal.
View of the Mississippi River from Lover's Leap.
Next stop was Dubuque, Iowa, incorporated in 1833. We found a city park on the Mississippi River with a campground. Notice how the river is getting narrow. We enjoyed seeing the city of Dubuque, one of the few large cities in Iowa with hills.
Our campsite on the Mississippi River.
Pedestrian elevator in Dubuque.
We took a day trip to nearby Galena, Illinois. It's another old town with a lot of history. Named for galena, the natural form of lead sulfide, it was once the largest steamboat hub on the Mississippi, north of St. Louis. It was also the home of Ulysses S. Grant.
Downtown Galena.
Galena.
On our way up to the Mississippi headwaters, we spent a couple of nights at Owatanna in southern Minnesota. My cousin Dorrie lives there, so it gave us a chance for a quick visit. Dorrie is related to the Searl line on my mother's side and in addition to her other talents, did all the genealogy for the Searl family.
Dorrie and her husband, Steve, and Jeanie.
Dorrie and her handiwork at the farmer's market.
Dorrie told us about the National Farmers' Bank Building right in the center of town designed by Louis Sullivan. Built in 1908, it's certainly a nice looking building but we were amazed at the interior.
National Farmers's Bank, now a Wells Fargo.
Bank Lobby.
One of 4, each weighing 2 tons.
We stumbled across a country auction and within 10 minutes I had a bidding number and won an auction. Dishes, of course.
Country auction.
Finally made it to Itasca State Park in northern Minnesota, where the Mississippi River starts its journey. The park claims that where the river starts its flow, which it does here from Lake Itasca, it is officially the Mississippi River.
Mississippi River starts here as it ripples over the rocks from Lake Itasca. Lake Itasca in the background, Mississippi River in the foreground.
Marker at the mouth of the river.
Lake Itasca.
Our campsite at Itasca State Park.
The Minnesota State Flower, the lady slipper.
Douglas Lodge in the park.
NEXT MONTH: Northeast coast of Minnesota and the upper peninsula (U. P.) of Michigan.
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Our RV site at Ft. Amarillo RV Park.
My brothers John and Steve, and Steve's wife Vicki, came in for a few days also.
Steve, Hubert and Jeanie
John and Jeanie
Vicki, August, Troy, Lanta, Hillary and Steve (Troy is Steve's son).
All the time we were in Amarillo we were nervous about hail. It's a common occurrence there and we were right in the season for it. Tornadoes, flooding, hail were all around us, but we managed to get away unscathed. Little did we know what we were in for and it had nothing to do with the weather.
After a night in Oklahoma City, we were passing through Springdale, Arkansas about 40 miles from our destination of Eureka Springs. Stopped at a red light, at the edge of town, a car pulled along side of us and motioned to roll down the window. We did and the guy told us our rig was smoking. We immediately pulled in to a bank parking lot and removed the smoking tire. Tom could tell we had blown the bearings and now there was no way to even put the tire back on or be towed with a missing tire. Did I mention it was Sunday afternoon. We called roadside assistance, but we knew there wasn't much they could do on Sunday, so we arranged for them to come out first thing Monday morning.
Now what? We were near a Wal-Mart, but we were afraid to drive on 3 out of 4 tires. There was a paved area behind the bank we thought we could back into, so Tom tied up the axle for a little support and we carefully backed up about 100 feet, unhooked and spent the night.
We were lucky to be near a paved lot where we could spend the night.
The end of the axle, the spindle, was ruined, so we couldn't replace the tire and had to drive on 3 wheels.
We thought the worst was over and, though there was more bad news to come, we were in a safe spot and had averted a fire that would have destroyed our home in minutes. If you have a fire in an RV there is no saving it.
On Monday morning we learned the spindle on the end of the axle was beyond repair and we would have to get to a shop. We couldn't put the tire back on so the mechanic chained up our axle as best he could and we limped to a shop about 3 miles away on 3 wheels. (Don't try this at home.)
They assessed the problem, determined we needed a new axle and started making calls. Of course they don't make that axle any more, so Dexter had to make a new one. Two weeks if we're lucky. We couldn't stay at the shop and couldn't drive far so we found a mobile home park a couple of miles away and felt we could make it there.
You know the saying "when it rains it pours"? Here it comes, Tom put the tire, that had come off, on the tool box behind the cab, as he didn't have any other place to put it. When we were turning around in the parking lot to leave, the front cap of the rig didn't have enough clearance behind the truck and squeezed the tire into the rear window. Now on top of everything else we had a broken rear window and damaged fiberglass on the rig. And we were only worried about a little hail a few days ago.
Even though only one section was broken, you must replace the entire window including a new motor for the center section.
But, at this point we knew we were safe and everything else could be repaired. We got the window replaced the next day, taped up the fiberglass and eleven days later we had our axle replaced and we were good to go.
Yes, it was a pain in the neck and expensive, but we were really lucky. We found it before the rig caught on fire; we were still in town, not on the highway or on the rural roads with no safe place to pull over and spend the night; and finally we were close to a shop that could do the work. Still not sure why the bearings failed as we repack them regularly, but stuff happens, I guess. Tom and the mechanics think a loose nut on the wheel could cause the wheel to wobble and eventually wear the bearings. Can't say for sure, but we'll be checking those nuts regularly just in case.
All together we spent 2 weeks in Springdale. We visited nearby Fayetteville, home of the Razorbacks.
University of Arkansas stadium.
Old Main, the original building at the University is from 1875.
A University tradition is to record the names of the graduates on the sidewalk.
Friends Walt and Renee were visiting nearby, so we met them for lunch.
Met Renee and Walt at AQ Chicken in Fayetteville.
We drove to nearby Bentonville and visited the new Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. It's a beautiful museum and we really enjoyed it.
The museum surrounds a pool and is interesting in itself.
Jeanie at the museum
Statue in the museum.
This guy didn't have much to say.
Next Month: Eureka Springs!
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RV park within walking distance to the French Quarter.
St. Louis Cathedral.
St. Louis Cathedral.
New Orleans is on the Mississippi River. Musicians were everywhere.
The world famous Cafe Du Monde, known for beignets. Notice the line to get a seat.
A busy street in the French Quarter.
Tom thought a photo of me in front of an antique shop was appropriate.
A typical scene in the French Quarter.
Canal Street with the trolley tracks.
Above ground cemeteries are the norm in New Orleans.
From New Orleans we were heading west toward Amarillo, so we decided to go north to I-40. That would give us a chance to stop in Vicksburg, MS and visit with Tom's cousins.
Mary, Chris, Tom, Sara, Marquita, and Herb. Mary and Herb were visiting from Tampa.
My cousin Richard lives only an hour away, so he and Tom met up to do some photography.
Richard at the Vicksburg Military Park.
We found an RV Park in Little Rock on the Arkansas River which runs right through town. We were surprised at how much we enjoyed the area and especially the nightly light show on the river.
Two bridges on the Arkansas River light up at night providing a beautiful light show.
We really liked this park in North Little Rock looking out over the Little Rock skyline. It was an easy walk or bike ride across the bridges.
Little Rock Central High School, where the integration of nine African-American students made national news in 1957.
The Clinton Presidential Library houses millions of presidential papers.
A recreation of the Oval Office.
Clinton Presidential China made in the U.S.A. by Lenox.
We spent a few nights in Oklahoma City. The weather was rainy, but we managed to get to the memorial between drops. (This was a week before the tornados and flooding thankfully.)
Oklahoma City bombing memorial.
Chairs at the memorial honoring those who died.
We'd read about the Cattlemen's Steakhouse in the stock yards and decided to give it a try. Wow, best filet we've ever had. Definitely worth a stop.
This famous restaurant in Stockyard City is 100 years old.
The Capitol of Oklahoma is Oklahoma City.
Notice the oil well, there are several on the grounds.
Inside the Capitol.
Oklahoma City has a nice river walk.
Boat rides and lots of restaurants on the River Walk.
Also along the River Walk are sculptures depicting the Oklahoma Land Rush.
We made a quick stop at Rolling Retreats RV in Elk City, Oklahoma. We needed an appraisal of our rig and they helped us out.
Rolling Retreats is the new dealer for Continental Coach made by Forks RV. Forks RV is the company now sponsoring the Teton club.
Next month: Amarillo.
]]>Neither Tom nor I had been to the Florida Keys in many years, so we were looking forward to spending some time there.
Working our way south, we first stopped in Ft. Myers to have lunch with a college friend, Lou. Lou grew up in St. Louis, but recently decided it was time to relocate to Florida. Can't blame him.
Louie.
On to Lake Worth for a quick visit with the grandkids.
Like father like son, Tommy and Colton.
Finn, 14 months old.
Finally on our way to the Keys. Our plan was to get lots of sun, beautiful scenery and fresh seafood. We succeeded.
Our first week was in Key Largo. The second week in Geiger Key (Key West) and on the way back, Tavernier (near Islamorada). We didn't spend any time in Key West as it was too crowded.
Beach at our campground in Key Largo.
View from our campsite in Key Largo.
Picked up stone crabs at the fish market. They were good. Also enjoyed fresh dolphin, lionfish, yellowtail snapper and hogfish.
Kayaks at Pennekamp State Park (Key Largo).
Tom enjoying a beer at Mile Marker 88 in Islamorada.
We stopped at the Tiki Bar in Islamorada to have a pina colada with a view.
View from our campsite at Geiger Key (Key West).
Our rig at Geiger Key.
Kayaking in the mangroves.
Geiger Key is near the Boca Chica Naval Air Station, so we were treated to an air show every day.
Iguanas are common in the Keys.
Ibis.
Our campsite at the Elks Lodge in Tavernier.
Sunsets are the entertainment in the Keys.
Moonsets can be stunning, but you have to get up early to catch one.
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Thirty-two TCI members met for lunch in Orlando.
In Wauchula, the Pioneer Days festival was being held nearby, so in spite of the poor weather, we visited several times. the festival featured one stroke engines and old farm equipment. Friends, Phil and Connie had a booth there and they finally gave in to the weather and closed up early.
One banger.
Is it a combine?
We should all have one of these.
Colorful tractor seats.
We've stayed in Wauchula several times, but never got around to canoeing on this section of the Peace River. When the weather cleared up we got the opportunity and enjoyed a beautiful cruise.
Water was high and the current steady.
Peaceful!
Tom and his camera.
Yes, there were a few alligators.
Next Month: The Florida Keys
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View from our coach.
Sites at DeSoto are somewhat private.
In addition to dolphins, we watched flocks of pelicans from our back window.
We stayed in Orange City (north of Orlando) for a month as we caught up with our annual doctor visits. That kept us busy but we had time to spend with friends Andy and Faye, Dave and Carol, and Roger and Sue.
We'll be moving around Florida for a few months before leaving in April.
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Our next stop was Ft. Lauderdale where we visited with my brother Steve and sister-in-law Vicki.
Finally we spent a week in Lake Worth visiting with Tommy, Jee-Won and grandkids, Colton and Finn.
Colton (4 years old) and Finn (1 year old)
Finn and Tom
Tommy
Tom and Jee-Won having breakfast at the beach
Finn and Tommy
Colton
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We chose Luray because it's near the Shenandoah National Park.
Outlander River Camp in Luray, Virginia.
Beautiful views in Shenandoah National Park.
The weather was cold, but we managed to get a few hikes.
Tom on one of our hikes.
Nature shot.
While in Luray we got a nice surprise. Trevor, Kate and the kids drove out from Annapolis to join us for the weekend. We moved to a nearby Yogi Bear park so they could stay in a cabin. We all toured the Luray Caverns and The Maze.
Stalagtites reflecting in a pool.
Keegan, Morgan, Kate, Tyler and Trevor in the cavern.
Jeanie and Tom.
Eventually we made our way to Abingdon, Maryland and the reason we were still in the cold weather. The eagles. Tom had been reading about photographing the bald eagles at the Conowingo Dam. Seems photographers come from all over the country to photograph the bald eagles in November.
Some days it's wall to wall photographers.
Bald eagle.
"Oh no you don't"
Looks like he has a jet pack.
I thought Tom would have regrets after getting up at 5:30 a.m. in 22 degree weather and driving 20 minutes to the dam just to see eagles. (Seriously, we have eagles in Florida.) But noooo, he loved it and did it for nearly a week. I, on the other hand, stayed in my cozy RV enjoying the water view at the Bar Harbor RV and Marina.
Love the view.
We spent Thanksgiving in Annapolis.
Morgan and Keegan decorating a Christmas tree.
Pappy and Tyler on a project.
All dressed up for Thanksgiving.
We ate well.
We caught a little snow one day, but it didn't stick on the roads. Our RV park was closing for the season on November 29 so we finally left for Florida.
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The Everly Brothers, Connie Francis, Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton and many more recorded here.
Order the brisket if you go to Jacks.
We saw a show at the Grand Ole Opry and walked around the Gaylord Opryland Hotel next door.
The Opryland Hotel is a destination in itself. All enclosed with lush foliage and boatrides.
This hotel is so large with so many meeting rooms, it's easy to get lost. Somewhere in there we ran across a group that was displaying the Heisman Trophy.
Heisman Trophy on display.
One of our fellow Tetoners, Dave, told us about a nice RV park on the Mississippi River near Memphis, so we made that our next stop. The park is Tom Sawyer's Mississippi River Park and located on the west side of the river in West Memphis, Arkansas. It's right on the river and we loved watching the barges day and night. The word was out and we were soon joined by fellow Tetoners, Bill and Sherry and Jack and Sandy.
Front row on the Mississippi River.
Fun to watch the barges travel the river from the comfort of our home.
Many barges were six container across and seven long.
Of course we toured Mud Island and the Peabody Hotel.
Scale model of the Mississippi River on Mud Island.
Famous Peabody ducks take the elevator down from their penthouse to spend the day in the lobby fountain.
The crowds come to see the ducks swim in the fountain, but the real show is the beautiful Peabody hotel.
We hit a few BBQ places and our favorite was Rendezvous. (Memphis style BBQ is a dry rub.) Then we read some great reviews for fried chicken, so why not. So glad we did, don't miss Gus's Fried Chicken if you get to Memphis.
Bill and Sherry had visited Memphis before, so they made sure we saw the sights.
Sherry and Bill.
We were there for two weeks, so we hit Beale Street a couple of times. So much music in two short blocks.
Beale Street by day.
They close Beale Street to traffic at 8 pm, then it's all about the music.
We had dinner (ribs, of course) and entertainment at BB Kings.
We eventually made our way to Morganton, NC (east of Asheville) for a visit with friends Dave and Juanita. The autumn leaves were gorgeous and Tom was in photography heaven.
Our RV site at Dave and Juanita's. Their house is up the hill.
Beautiful foliage along the road.
Functional art on Dave's driveway.
Next month: The Shenandoah Valley in Virginia
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Our view in Lubec at high tide.
Lubec is a tiny town, but gets tourists because it's an entry point to Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada.
West Quoddy Lighthouse near Lubec.
Beautiful views from trail near the lighthouse.
Restaurant in Lubec.
The tiny island of Campobello is the site of the East Quoddy Lighthouse and Campobello (FDR's summer home).
East Quoddy Lighthouse. Sandbar is underwater at high tide cutting off the lighthouse from the mainland.
Roosevelt Campobello International Park maintains the Roosevelt summer home.
We were scheduled to be in Nashville at the end of the month, so we needed to head southwest. We decided to spend a couple of weeks with friends in Ohio, so drove west through New York.
I learned there was a pottery museum in Syracuse, so why not stop there. Syracuse China is out of business, but a big part of the history of the town. When Syracuse China closed, they donated truckloads of dishes to the museum. The museum has a nice display as well as a private tour of many of the donated items. We were able to get the private tour and I was thrilled to see so many beautiful examples of Syracuse China (originally Onondoga Pottery).
Our tour of the private collection.
Early Onondaga Pottery was porcelain and marked Imperial Geddo.
Syracuse China produced a pattern called Blue Plum that was only available for purchase by employees during the Christmas holidays.
Syracuse China produced restaurant ware. This style is call shadow ware.
Syracuse city hall.
Last of the weigh stations on the Erie Canal in its actual location. The canal is now a road through town.
We spent 2 weeks in Springfield, Ohio with friends Jerry and Ruth. Then on to Nashville for a TCI rally.
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We were rewarded with this view after a mountain hike.
We had nice dinner at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods. Opened in 1902, today it's one of the last "grand hotels" in the White Mountains.
Mount Washington Hotel is a sight to behold.
Inviting lobby of Mount Washington Hotel.
Hotel veranda looking out to Mt. Washington.
Tom's cousin Peggy and her husband Wells have a summer camp on Long Lake in Maine, so we moved on to Naples, Maine to be close by. Peggy and Wells spend the summers at their camp along with a steady flow of family and friends. Our timing was great as Tom's cousin Phil (Peggy's brother), his wife Madelyn, and family were staying at another camp nearby. We had a wonderful visit with cousins we rarely get to see.
Peggy and Wells' summer camp. (Camp refers to a house not winterized.)
Peggy and Wells getting the ski boat ready to go.
Peggy heading out for a ski.
Phil getting some sun.
Tom got some rare shots of loons fighting for territory.
Loon posturing (called the penguin posture).
We joined friends, Phil and Connie, in the Bangor area for a few days. Weather was sketchy, but we did a little sightseeing before they had to move on.
Jeanie, Connie and Phil in Bucksport.
A shop in the country.
We went on to Bar Harbor where we spent two weeks hiking and sightseeing (and eating lobster rolls). There is so much to see on Mount Desert Island and the Acadia National Park. Around every bend in the road is another breathtaking view.
View of Bar Harbor from Cadillac Mountain (1530 ft.).
A view from the cliff walk.
A beach in the park.
Lots of boating.
Hiking in the park.
One of the famous carriage roads in the park.
Maple leaves turning red in August! Fall is just around the corner.
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Manhattan skyline at night.
We took an evening cruise and got this shot of the Statue of Liberty.
We love to walk so we covered most of the sights on foot.
Somewhere in Manhattan.
We were surprised to see so many granite outcroppings in Central Park.
Street performer in Times Square.
Farmer's market at Union Square is handy as we didn't see any supermarkets.
Mobs of people all the time.
Stylized photo of NYFD near ground zero.
The Guggenheim and Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) were on our must-see list.
The spiraling floors of the Guggenheim designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
The MET.
I was surprised to find a collection of early American made porcelain at the MET. There were several cases on display.
Breathtaking painting of Washington crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze in 1851.
(Yes, that's me looking back at the photographer.)
Next stop was Norwich, Connecticut. Norwich was settled in 1659 and was the birthplace of Benedict Arnold. We loved seeing the old homes in Norwich which looked grand to us even in the poorer sections of town.
One of the beautiful houses, now split into condos.
Interesting design.
Norwich City Hall built in 1870.
Ruins of the Ponemah Cotton Mill built circa 1866.
The mill, including several additional buildings, once employed over 1600 workers.
The old mansions of Newport, Rhode Island are amazing and set in a beautiful area. I can see why people flock to this coast. The local Preservation Society owns and offers tours of several of the homes.
The Breakers, 1895.
The Elms, 1901.
Beautiful coastline.
If you go in an RV, stay at Paradise Motel and RV Park in Middleton. The motel is no more, but the RV sites are roomy and so close to the mansion tours.
On to Cape Cod. I wanted to visit Martha's Vineyard, so we took a passenger ferry over to the island for the day. Only having a few hours we thought we'd book a bus tour around the island. Hmmm, turned out to be a rickety old school bus that was too big to get off the main roads. We were not thrilled about that, but spent our remaining time enjoying walking around Oak Bluffs.
Victorian homes in Oak Bluffs.
Gingerbread houses in Oak Bluffs.
If you lived on Martha's Vineyard, you could have a view like this.
Tom wanted to go back to Boston as it had been 20 years since our last visit. We walked the Freedom Trail and had dinner in a 1780's tavern that was frequented by Paul Revere and visited by George Washington (that guy really got around, didn't he).
Jeanie waiting for the commuter train to Boston.
Old North Church on the Freedom Trail.
Street performer flipping over audience volunteers.
Boston skyline.
Bunker Hill.
Tom, the grill master.
Next month: New Hampshire and Maine.
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Smores party.
Continuing our tour of the northeast, we traveled two hours to eastern Delaware. This was our first time there so everything was new to us. We were very impressed with the farmland and beautiful beaches. No sales tax is pretty attractive also.
Rehoboth Beach.
Rehoboth Beach boardwalk on a Saturday.
Cape Henlopen State Park
Wild horses at Assateague Island National Seashore (south of Ocean City, Maryland).
New Jersey is across the Delaware Bay. We took the Lewes-Cape May Ferry and saved a couple of hours of driving time.
It costs $80 for us to take the ferry to NJ.
We stayed in Port Republic which is near Atlantic City and spent several hours on the famous Boardwalk, peeking in most of the casinos. The Boardwalk was active and vibrant, but several casinos have recently closed and I think the locals are concerned.
Atlantic City.
The Boardwalk at Atlantic City on a weekday.
One of many spectacular sand sculptures on the beach at Atlantic City.
We took a drive to Trenton to see the Ellarslie Museum, which has a small collection of pottery made in Trenton.
Made by Ott & Brewer prior to 1893.
Made by American China Co. prior to 1894.
Capitol in downtown Trenton.
Next Month: New York City
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Beautiful scenery near Hiawassee.
Juanita, Dave and Jeanie.
We stayed at the Hiawassee Fairgrounds where the Rhododendron Festival was in progress.
Rhododendrons on the hillside.
Rhododendron Festival.
Rhododendron. (Azaleas are a subgroup.)
Juanita has started "turning wood", so we visited the John C. Campbell Folk School in nearby Murphy, North Carolina, to see what classes they offer.
Dave speaks to the teacher in the blacksmithy class.
Dave and Jeanie smile for the camera as Juanita asks questions about the woodturning class.
Our timing was perfect, as our friend Becky had just returned to her Murphy home from her Florida home.
Becky and her friend Ray.
We had to drive back to Orlando for a follow-up doctor's appointment for Tom. While we were there we got to see some friends at an Enterprise Preservation Society function in Enterprise.
Old Enterprise schoolhouse that will become a museum.
Since we were in Florida, we thought we might be able to lend a helping hand to Tommy and Jee-Won and watch Finn for a few days. It was fun, but quick and we were soon on our way north.
Tommy, Colton, Jee-Won and Finn.
Gammy and Finn (4 months old).
Colton and Charlie.
Next stop: Annapolis
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Azaleas in full bloom in Thomasville, GA.
Friends told us about a nice Corp of Engineers (COE) park on Lake Eufaula on the Alabama/Georgia border. We reserved a week there and liked it so much, we stayed another week. COE parks are all over the country and, as seniors, we only pay half price (whoo-hoo).
Our campsite at Hardridge Creek COE overlooking Lake Eufaula.
We took a quick trip to Americus, Georgia, to visit nearby Andersonville, the notorious Confederate Civil War Prison. Operating for only 14 months, nearly 13,000 Union prisoners died there due to the poor living conditions.
The prison was only a field of 26 acres surrounding by a stockade.
These posts mark the deadman zone, 19 forbidden feet where you would be shot on sight.
The Andersonville Cemetery, still an active military cemetery.
Americus was a neat town with many old mansions and the grand Windsor Hotel.
We had dinner at the the Windsor Hotel, built in 1892.
When we were at the COE park, another camper happened to mention there was an even better COE park, Cotton Hill, on the Georgia side of Lake Eufaula, so we drove over to check it out. It was beautiful, so we make arrangements to meet friends, Jerry and Ruth, there for a week. We found great spots, right on the beach, and it was hard to leave when our week was up.
Can't beat that view.
Jerry and Ruth.
Sunset on Lake Eufaula.
Eventually we made it to Stone Mountain State Park for the rally. The park, on the east side of Atlanta, is huge. Lots of water, golf courses, hiking trails, and of course, the big granite rock with a carving of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson.
Stone Mountain.
View of Atlanta on the 1 mile hike up Stone Mountain.
We enjoyed a tour of Atlanta, CNN and Coca-Cola.
Capitol in downtown Atlanta.
We had a chance to visit with my long-time friend, Bonnie, who now lives in Marietta, near Atlanta.
Jeanie and Bonnie.
The rally ended with a laser/fireworks show on the mountain.
Laser/fireworks show on Stone Mountain.
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We couldn't resist a quick trip to Lake Worth to see the grandkids.
Colton at the St. Patrick Day parade in Delray Beach.
Finn at 3 months old.
Tommy, contemplating something.
On the way back from Lake Worth we stopped in Ft. Pierce and stayed at the Savannas Recreational Area. Tom's sister, Meg, lives nearby so we got to see her.
Lots of birds and the occasional alligator.
Meg and Tom.
Back in Clermont, we parked next to Teton friends, Bill and France. France introduced me to Pickleball which seems to be growing in popularity. It's played on a court one half the size of a tennis court with paddles and a whiffle ball. Maybe we'll take it up.
France and Bill.
France preparing their rig to leave the park.
Next month: Georgia
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Another benefit of staying in this area was visiting friends. Longtime friends, Andy and Faye, who also RV, stayed in an RV site directly behind us.
February went by quickly, but we also met up with local friends, Dave and Carol and Roger and Sue. Friends, Dave and Juanita, from North Carolina, joined us in the RV park for a few days.
My photographer took the month off, so I could only find two photos for February. They were taken at the Volusia County Farmers Market in Deland.
Dave at the Farmer's Market.
Vendor's wares at the Farmer's Market.
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Our view of the Disney ship going out to sea.
Surf was up at the beach.
SpaceX rocket launched while we were there.
We went on to Ft. Lauderdale to have a quick visit with my brother Steve and sister-in-law Vicki. There we picked up a gift from my sister who had ordered a personalized blanket for us. I thought it turned out very nice, dad's family on the left, mom's on the right.
Clockwise: Hubert.....Jeanie and Tom.....Teletha.....Harold and Teletha.....Wm Harold and Verna.....Sharon, Steven, Hubert, Teletha, John, Jeanie.....Fred and Nellie.....Carl, Irwin, Fred and Hubert.
We were anticipating the birth of our 5th grandchild, due anytime. Luckily we were headed to Lake Worth to visit Tommy, Jee-Won, and Colton when we got the call. Imagine our delight when we got to stay with Colton for a few days while Tommy and Jee-Won drove to Tampa to receive their new baby boy, Finn Harrison. All are doing well.
Jee-Won and Finn.
Tommy, Colton and Finn.
Finn and big brother, Colton.
Though the park in Lake Worth is on a lake, the heavy rains the day before our arrival flooded the park. We were lucky to have a dry site as many did not.
Across the street from out site.
Tom had a chance to visit his uncle Sam who lives in the area.
Tom's uncle Sam.
Our next stay was the Peace River Thousand Trails in Wauchula. We also visited nearby Arcadia and with local pottery friends, Howard and Linda.
Street fair in Arcadia.
Howard, Linda and Lotus Ware.
We visited the Tampa RV Show and saw a bunch of Tetoners.
Dori, Jerry and Jeanie
Ruth, Connie and Jerry at their booth at the RV show.
Back to the Orlando Thousand Trails and lots of fun with a bunch of RV friends who winter there.
Ruth, Joe, Jeanie, Jerry and Darlene playing tiles.
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We thought we could keep ahead of it and we did, making it to Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. We decided to stay at one of our favorite RV parks for a week before going on to Pensacola as the weather was cold and rainy. Well, okay, maybe the good cajun food in the region influenced us a bit also.
Our site at Pouche's Fish-n-Camp in Breaux Bridge, LA on one of the sunny days.
We stopped in Pensacola so Tom could renew his driver's license, as Pensacola is our legal residence. Though we stayed on the western edge of town, we were struck with the traffic in Pensacola. We quickly learned to stay off the roads at rush hour!
Tom wanted to explore the Panhandle coastline, so we found an RV park in Carrabelle (south of Tallahassee) on the bay. Called the Forgotten Coast, it is pretty isolated.
Nice, quiet park on the bay.
Out site at Ho-Hum.
Sunset on the bay.
Apalachicola is about half an hour away and a nice town to visit. Founded in 1827, the town was once the third busiest port in the Gulf of Mexico, behind New Orleans and Mobile. Today they are known for their oysters, but at one time they had a flourishing sponge trade.
Shrimp boat in Apalachicola.
On our way to south Florida, we stopped at the Thousand Trails park in Clermont (Orlando) and had a nice visit with some Teton friends.
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Humphrey and Sharon.
The TCI Rally was held in Palm Desert, CA. The Palm Desert/Palm Springs area is gorgeous and I can see why it is so popular. The weather was nice as well.
Palm Desert view.
Art Fair in Old Town La Quinta.
View from the RV park.
The rally was well done and we had a great time.
Happy Hour by the pool.
Downtown Palm Springs on our visit to the Follies.
Tom and Jeanie.
Casa Grande, AZ is south of Phoenix and a popular spot for retirees. We visited friends, Lloyd and Karen, who have a house in town they use when they are not at home in Canada.
Karen and Lloyd.
From Casa Grande we took a couple of side trips. A quick visit to Mesa to see my brother John, sister-in-law Jacquie and niece Amy, and a day in Tucson to see the Boneyard. The Boneyard is adjacent to the Pima Air and Space Museum and is the repository for more than 4000 out-of-service aircraft. The facility provides aircraft parts to US and foreign governments.
Fighter jets in the boneyard.
Surplus P-3s.
While we were in Casa Grande, the southwest was hit with a winter blast of snow and ice. We were spared, but our route east wasn't. By the time we left, the roads were cleared, but we saw a lot of snow in Flagstaff and all along I-40 to Amarillo.
Traveling near Flagstaff.
Just east of Albuquerque, we saw a 5th wheel on the shoulder fully engulfed in flames. The fire department was there, but there was no point in trying to extinguish the fire out as it would burn itself out in minutes. Sobering reminder to be safe.
We had a nice visit with Dad in Amarillo and managed to put together a respectable Thanksgiving dinner.
The snow had melted by the time we left and we looked forward to warmer weather in Florida.
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We took the bus downtown to visit the famous Pike Place Market.
Opened in 1907 and on several levels, it's busy every day of the week and gets 10 million visitors annually.
Yes, they really do throw the fish for the tourists.
The best deal at the market, a $5 bouquet of fresh flowers.
Though you'll find a Starbucks on nearly every corner in Seattle, this one at the market was the first, opened in 1971.
One thing we wanted to see in Seattle was the Chiluly Glass exhibit at the Chiluly Garden and Glass. We saw his exhibit in Orlando several years ago, but this was bigger and better.
If this looks spectacular in the photo, imagine how beautiful in person. Glass balls in full size boat.
Blown glass in unusual shapes.
This is viewed through a plexiglass ceiling.
View of the space needle above the conservatory.
Though the national parks were closed (gov't shutdown), we drove to nearby Mt. Ranier. On a scenic drive around the mountain we ran in to a fresh snowfall.
Mt. Ranier, summit of 14,411 ft.
On our drive above the snow line near Mt. Ranier.
From Burien, we went to Astoria Oregon on the mouth of the Columbia River.
View of Astoria, Oregon on the Columbia River with bridge connecting to Washington.
Sea lions on docks in Astoria.
Freighters anchored on the Columbia River waiting for cargo.
As we traveled down the Oregon and California coasts on US 101, we had fog nearly every day, so we missed some of the spectacular views.
Oregon coast.
Foggy Oregon coast
Bald eagle on Oregon coast.
Elk herd along the road.
We made our way down to Eureka, California. I wanted to visit nearby victorian Ferndale settled in 1852.
The gingerbread house in Ferndale.
Another Victorian structure.
Ferndale is the gateway to the Lost Coast, an unspoiled area along the coast. Nearby is the Humbolt Redwood State Park.
Redwood at Humbolt Redwood State Park.
We finally got away from the fog in Napa, California. We loved this area and the weather was beautiful for touring the vineyards.
Views like this are everywhere.
A typical small winery.
Beringer's, a large winery.
Just a tiny piece of the beautiful grounds at Beringers.
On our way to Palm Desert.
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Wild Goose Island.
Lake McDonald Lodge with the iconic red buses.
Tom.
Jeanie on Highline Trail, overlooking the Going To The Sun Road.
Mountain goat by the trail.
If you go to Glacier, you can stay on the west or east side of the park. We chose the east side at St. Mary. This gave us access to the most interesting/beautiful side of the park. We were also close to the Many Glacier entrance of the park at Babb.
Many Glacier Lodge.
With over 700 miles of trails in Glacier, we were surprised to see my brother, Steve and sister-in-law, Vicki on one of them. Okay, we knew they were in the park and the general area they were in, but it was still a pretty good coincidence.
Vicki's uncle Jeff and Aunt Linda, Vicki and Steve.
Iceberg Lake.
Glacier extends into Canada, where their part is called Waterton Lakes National Park.
Black bear in Waterton.
Prince of Wales Lodge in Waterton.
Areas of the park started to shut down around September 15th. The Going to the Sun Road was getting ready to close at Logan's Pass. They prepare for winter weather and hustle to finish any road construction for the season. The lodges close shortly thereafter as well.
The weather is changing.
The weather was deteriorating as we headed for Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. We found enough good weather to take a drive along the 25 mile long Lake Coeur d'Alene which has over 109 miles of shoreline.
Next month: Seattle, Washington
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Happy Hour is a TCI tradition.
Tom, Jeanie and Faye on the 16th Street Mall in LoDo (Lower Downtown Denver).
Faye enjoys a cocktail before dinner as Manette hams for the camera.
Had to visit Coors.
We took a drive to Mt. Evans, at 14,130 ft. on the highest paved road in North America. It was a beautiful ride up, but we had sleet/hail/snow all the way down. Remember this was August.
Echo Lake at the base of Mt. Evans.
Summit of Mt. Evans
Surprise snowstorm.
Finally got a photo of Tom.
Andy and Faye.
We had a chance to visit with a high school friend, Stephanie, who lives in the area. Stephanie and her husband, John, joined us for dinner one evening.
We had a few days before we had to be in Amarillo so we stopped in Colorado Springs. We were fortunate to get a site at Cheyenne Mountain State Park. Perched on the side of Cheyenne Mountain (think NORAD), we had spectacular views of the city.
Just imagine the view of Colorado Springs at night. This has to be one of our favorite parks.
Cheyenne Mountain.
Garden of the Gods is beautiful.
Garden of the Gods.
While in "the Springs" we visited with my cousin Tom and his wife Kathy. (My Dad's brother Carl's - son.)
Tom and Kathy.
All my siblings were able to make it for my Dad's 95th birthday. He's still going strong, but tells us he doesn't have much strength and tires easily. (Don't we all.) Andy and Faye also joined us for the celebration.
The family photo - back row: Sharon, Vicki, Steve, Jeanie, Tom. Middle row: John and daughter Amy, Irene, Hubert. Front: Charles (John's son) and wife Michelle.
Dad and Jeanie
Brother - John from AZ.
Sister - Sharon from CA
Brother - Steven from FL
Friend - Andy and Steven's wife - Vicki
Michelle and Charles
Dad's girlfriend - Irene- also celebrating a birthday (85) and Amy
Friends - Andy and Faye at Cadillac Ranch.
Stylized photo of Dad at his warehouse.
Next month: Glacier National Park in Montana
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Called the Black Canyon because the gorge is so narrow that it limits the light reaching the bottom.
Our campground told us about the Morrow Point boat ride, so we called right away for reservations.
On a park boat ride on the Gunnison River.
From Montrose we went to Rifle Gap State Park in Rifle, located near I-70. We took a popular hike to Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs.
Rifle Falls State Park.
The trail to Hanging Lake climbs 1000 feet in one mile.
We next turned easterly to Buena Vista which calls itself the whitewater rafting capital of Colorado as it is on the Arkansas River.
View of Buena Vista.
Rafting on the Arkansas River.
This area was prime mining territory and there are many ghosts towns in the hills. The best known is St. Elmo.
St. Elmo.
St. Elmo.
Nearby is Leadville, elevation 10,152 ft., a thriving tourist town with a population of about 2600, but in 1880 it was home to over 40,000 due to silver mining.
Old saloon in Leadville.
Cañon City (pronounced Canyon City) is on the Arkansas River and very scenic. It's the location for the Royal Gorge Railroad. The train is still running, but the Royal Gorge Park and bridge are closed due to the recent fires.
Royal Gorge Train on the Arkansas River.
Royal Gorge Train going through the Royal Gorge under the Royal Gorge Bridge.
North of Cañon City is the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. We were surprised to learn this area was once lush with redwoods. Ancient lava flows buried the trees and the park has uncovered many petrified redwood tree trunks.
Petrified redwoods.
The Rocky Mountain National Park (north of Denver) was not on our radar, but after hearing about it, we decided to visit. So glad we did, it was spectacular. We stayed in Estes Park, just yards from the park entrance. Lots of wildlife and beautiful trails.
Rocky Mountain National Park.
King of the hill.
Moose by the road.
Lake along a trail.
Next stop - Golden, Colorado.
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Palo Duro Canyon
Our campsite.
This guy and his harem walked through our campsite.
Jeanie on one of the trails.
When we got to Amarillo, we had a nice visit with my dad, who was busy talking to insurance companies and estimators about replacing house damage from the recent “golf ball” sized hail storm.
While we were there we had lots of wind and some tiny hail several times, so we were happy when we pulled out without incident.
A few years ago we visited Silverton, Colorado on the train and this trip we wanted to spend a little time there. Silverton is at 9,318 ft, so we had brisk mornings of 39 degrees, but beautiful daytime weather.
We found a wonderful trail called the Ice Lake Trail. It was 7 miles round trip and gained over 3000 ft. in elevation to 12,200 ft. We had not been hiking for a while, so it took us two days to recuperate.
About half way up the Ice Lake Trail.
Up to the snow line on the trail.
Lots of Columbine along the trail.
From Silverton, we drove north to Ridgeway over the Million Dollar Highway – a switchback with sheer dropoffs.
We next stayed at Ridgeway State Park because our Teton friends, Sue and Ted, were working there as camp hosts. We enjoyed a few days of visiting and visited the mountain town of Ouray.
Ouray.
Tom.
Jeanie, Sue and Ted.
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Resident swan at our RV park in Orange City.
We enjoyed visiting and spent most of our time finishing up any business we had in the area. What we didn't enjoy was a problem with our truck and the delays we incurred. ("It will be ready on Friday. Sorry it's not ready, it will be next Friday. Oh, we were waiting on a part, maybe next Friday." And so on.)
We did have a rental car, so we drove to south Florida to visit Jee-Won, Tommy, Colton in Lake Worth and Steve and Vicki in Ft. Lauderdale.
Colton (with attitude) and Tommy.
Tommy, Colton and Jee-Won at Green Cay Nature Center in Boynton Beach.
Colton
Roseatt spoonbill, we don't see these too often.
We'll be heading west in June.
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We had a chance to visit with our friends Steve and Elaine who were nearby on business from Boca Raton.
Elaine and Steve
Tom got a new lens and enjoyed snapping shots of wildlife.
Sandhill Crane on nest.
One of the hatched chicks, the other is under momma's feathers.
This red-shouldered hawk was just outside our coach.
Local wildlife.
We met Tom's uncle Gary at the TICO Warbird Airshow in Cocoa. Gary is a retired Air Force pilot who flew B-47s.
Beech C-18.
Air Force Thunderbirds.
Thunderbird, F-16.
Gary and Tom.
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Our friends and fellow RVers, Faye and Andrew, were wintering in the area so we got to spend some time with them. One of the first things we did together was attend an antique show in Mt. Dora.
Shabby chic at the antique fair.
Glass wares.
Faye and Andrew found a Nutting print.
Faye and Jeanie admiring the dishes.
We attended the annual chili cook-off in our former community of Enterprise and enjoyed seeing some old friends.
We got a delightful surprise when we received a call from Kate and Trevor and they told us they were on the way to DisneyWorld for a family vacation. To top it off, Tommy, Jee-Won and Colton came up from Lake Worth so we could all spend the day in the Magic Kingdom.
The whole crew at the Magic Kingdom, sans the photographer.
Colton's first carousel ride.
Tyler and Colton like the ibis.
Keegan, Morgan and Trevor take a spin.
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Our first stop was Lake Worth to see Tommy, Jee-Won and Colton.
Jee-Won, Colton, and Tommy
At the market in West Palm Beach
Pappy (beardless) and Colton.
We spent a weekend with my brother Steven, sister-in-law Vicki and her dad, Bob, in Ft. Lauderdale.
Steven, Jeanie, Bob and Vicki in Ft. Lauderdale.
Next stop was Wauchula (near Sebring). We stayed at the Thousand Trails park for two weeks where we connected with fellow Ohio Valley China Collector Club members, Howard and Linda, who live there. They shared with us their many pieces of Blue Ridge Pottery.
The next two weeks we were in Clermont (west of Orlando). Quite a few Tetoners live/stay nearby, so we spent a lot of our time eating, drinking and playing games with friends, Connie & Phil, Ruth & Jerry, Darlene & Joe, Kathy & Dennis and Jeff (Stephanie was working).
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Shrimp boats at Shem Creek.
We toured the Joseph Manigault House in Charleston. Built in 1803 in the Federal style, it was used as a city house for the family of a weathy planter. Plantation owners often owned second homes closer to the bay to the take advantage of the cooler breezes in the summer.
Joseph Manigault House.
Joseph Manigault House.
Joseph Manigault House.
The Heyward-Washington House was built in 1772. When President George Washington visited Charleston in 1791 he had several invitations for lodging. To avoid favoritism, he chose to rent a house and this one was available.
The Heyward-Washington House.
The Heyward-Washington House.
Built between 1768 and 1771 by the British Colonial Government, the Old Exchange and Customs House is full of early American and South Carolina history.
Old Exchange and Customs House in downtown Charleston.
The first floor was originally open-air and used as a goods exchange and customs house. The second floor was the site of such events as the election of South Carolina delegates to the 1st Continental Congress. In 1791 President Washington visited on his Southern tour and mentions the ball he attended here in his journal.
Great Hall, where George Washington danced with the ladies.
The cellar was originally used to store goods, but was later used by the British as a provost (jail) to hold prominent patriot citizens they feared would rebel against the crown.
Provost dungeon.
When ships arrived in port they emptied their holds of stone ballast and eventually that ballast became road material.
Cobblestone from ship's ballast used on a road next to the Old Exchange and Customs House.
On nearby John's Island we found the Angel Oak. Named after the family on whose property it grew, the property is now a city park. The live oak is estimated to be 300-400 years old with a trunk circumference of 25.5 ft.
Angel Oak
Angel Oak
In the area around Angel Oak you might be lucky enough to spot a white squirrel. Tom spotted one and he was able to get a shot.
White squirrel
Also on John's Island is John's Island Presbyterian Church founded by English, Scottish and French settlers about 1710. The original sanctuary was built about 1719 and enlarged in 1823.
John's Island Presbyterian Church
John's Island Presbyterian Church decorated for Christmas.
We were fortunate to have a visit by Kate, Trevor, Morgan, Keegan and Tyler. Though it was a quick visit, we enjoyed sharing a little bit of Charleston and the light show.
Tyler, Trevor, Keegan, Morgan and Kate at the Yorktown.
Can't have a visit to a campground without roasting marshmallows, always a hit with Morgan and Keegan.
Next month - Florida.
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Dancing reindeer.
Wreath over the roadway.
Here's a YouTube video peek behind the scene. That's us near the beginning (Tom with a blue jacket and I have a white one).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwNKYfXT_WA&sns=em
Now our tasks switch from morning to evenings. HOFL is open every evening from about 5 to 11, so we take turns helping with the attractions like the train and carousel.
Tom working the carousel.
The weather has been cool (COLD if you're from FL) in the low 50's at night, so we bundle up to go on duty. We're already wearing long underwear and about 4 layers, so I don't know what we'll do when it really gets cold.
The Camp Hosts put on a lovely Thanksgiving dinner. Tom made the mashed potatoes.
Some of our Camp Hosts group.
We visited Ft. Moultrie on Sullivans Island, originally built around 1776 to protect the coast from British invasion. The fort has been through various transformations while in use through the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, WWI and WWII.
Ft. Moultrie.
We toured the Aiken-Rhett House in Charleston. Built around 1820 on the outskirts of the town, it is what they now call an urban plantation.
Aiken-Rhett House.
Courtyard in back of Aiken-Rhett House with slave quarters on left and stables on right.
The Confederate ship H.L. Hunley was the first submarine ever to sink an enemy ship (1864). The sub never made it back to shore and was lost until 1995. Buried under 25 feet of silt, in 1996 it was painstakingly moved to a water tank where it is being carefully restored.
This is a reproduction of the Hunley, a bit cramped at 40' long, 41" wide and 47" height.
One more month in Charleston.
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Jeanie and Tom on the lift replacing light bulbs on a light display.
The weather was great in October, so we took advantage of a reciprocal pass for county
volunteers which allows us to visit many local attractions for FREE. There are numerous rice and
indigo plantations in the region, so we visited several. A plantation is a farm and very few live
up the the Gone With the Wind image, but Drayton Hall is very impressive. The house was
begun in 1738 and completed in 1742, using both free and slave labor. And what's interesting
about this house is that it has remained unrestored. Though flanking buildings have been
destroyed over the years, the main building remains and the Drayton family and their
descendants never added electric or sanitary to the main house. (The outhouse is still
there.)
Drayton Hall
Interior of Drayton Hall. Only three layers of paint have been uncovered in the years since completion in 1742.
Nearby is Middleton Place, well known for its 65 acres of gardens. Tom took this photo of the brochure photo.
Middleton Place
Tom took part in a Worldwide Photo Walk in Charleston and here are a couple of my favorite shots.
Arthur J. Ravenel, Jr. bridge, a Charleston landmark.
Bride having photos taken in downtown Charleston.
US Customs House in downtown Charleston.
The campground has a dock and we often see locals crabbing.
Crabbing off the dock at James Island County Campground.
Unhappy crab posing for photo.
A few Teton friends stopped by one evening on their way south.
Jeanie, Walt, Janice, Bob, Lorena, Darlene, Joe, fellow Camp Hosts Sue and Ted.
We stumbled onto this BLOG from last year and were surprised to see one of Tom's photos. No he didn't get a royalty, just the pleasure of seeing his photo appreciated.
Finally, here's a sight you don't see very often in an RV campground - a Rolls Royce! The Prevost is 45' and pulls the trailer in back (25' and 3 axles) which carries the Rolls.
Rolls Royce, Prevost and trailer at James Island Campground.
Next month: the Light Show.
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We had a wonderful visit with friends, Dennis and Lupe in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. They have a home in AZ, but summer in Wisconsin so we were able to join them for a few days on our way through. Dennis showed us around the area and we enjoyed a night out at the Ishnala Supper Club. Supper Clubs are commonly found in the upper midwestern states and usually feature numerous steak choices on the menu. Of course we had to try a brandy old fashioned sweet, which I hear is a popular drink in Wisconsin. I felt odd asking the bartender for a brandy old fashioned sweet, thinking I may have been misinformed and he'd think I was asking for some sissy drink. So, when he started whipping out the ingredients, I asked him how many of these he's made. He said about 400 a week. Welcome to Wisconsin! Dennis told us brandy is the most popular liquor in the state and WI is one of the top consumers in the US.
Lupe and Dennis.
Tom and Jeanie at the Ishnala Supper on the water.
After a brief stop in Elkart, IN for some repairs, we stopped in Springfield, Ohio on our route east. We got to visit again with friends, Jerry and Ruth. Ruth took me to a friend's garden and I got my fill of fresh tomatoes and basil.
We arrived in the Annapolis, MD area for a visit with Kate, Trevor, Morgan, Keegan and Tyler. The weather was perfect and we had a busy week. We especially got a kick out of Tyler (23 mos.) who is fixated with backhoes and dozers. Morgan and Keegan are both on soccer teams and we got to see some of their games.
Tyler, Keegan and Morgan.
Loading up for a boat ride.
Trevor and Tom cruising.
Kate and Tyler.
Can't have a visit without roasting marshmallows.
We were soon on our way to Charleston, SC where we'll be Camp Hosts at James Island County Campground until January.
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We found a nice RV park in Mackinaw City with a great view of the Mackinaw Bridge which connects the lower and upper peninsula.
Mackinaw Bridge at sunset.
We took our bikes on the ferry to Mackinac Island and rode completely around the island (twice). (If you're not familiar with the area, Mackinac is pronounced Mackinaw.)
Arnie and Manette.
Manette, Darlene, Joe, Connie, Ruth and Phil.
Ferry and Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.
No cars allowed on the island.
Ruth and Jerry.
We then traveled to Houghton, MI in the UP (upper peninsula) with Jerry and Ruth and Joe and Darlene. Houghton is Ruth's hometown so she made reservations for us at the city park on the Portage Canal.
Our campsite at Houghton, MI with crab apple tree.
We soon learned that people from the UP think they have their own "state" and call themselves Yoopers (rhymes with troopers). Here you'll find a large population with Finnish heritage and lots of words you can't pronounce, like Pannukakku, a pastry. Speaking of pastries, the Fins often add the spice - cardamom - to their baked goods. It's delicious!
Houghton Bridge.
Tom, Jeanie, Faye, Joe, Ruth, Darlene, Jerry and Skip.
We were thrilled with the location and visited the Keweenaw Peninsula a couple of times. We stopped at a popular snow gauge that shows the usual and record snowfalls of the area.
Darlene and Joe under the snow gauge.
This is copper mining country, so at the tip of the peninsula is the town of Copper Harbor as well as the beginning of US41. US41 is a well traveled road in Florida, so it was interesting to see where it starts.
Northern end of US 41.
Eagle Harbor lighthouse on Keweenaw Peninsula.
Eagle Harbor on Keweenaw Peninsula.
We especially enjoyed visiting with Ruth's brother and sister-in-law, Skip and Faye.
Fay and Skip in front of their house.
Another Finnish tradition, the sauna, is common in the UP and Skip and Faye use theirs regularly.
This 100 year old sauna belongs to Skip and Faye.
We didn't want to leave Houghton and our friends, but it was time to move on to Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, we stayed in the most northern part of the state at the Red Cliff Indian Reservation (Legendary Waters Casino). We took a cruise of the Apostle Islands from nearby Bayfield. The Apostle Islands are 22 islands that make up the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
View from our campsite in Red Cliff, WI.
Apostle Islands.
Devils Island.
Concert on the grass in Bayfield, WI
We visited Door County, Wisconsin many years ago, so we wanted to go back. Door County is a peninsula jutting in to Lake Michigan northeast of Green Bay. It has miles of beautiful coastline and acres of farmland.
Beach in Door County.
Ferry from tip of Door County peninsula to Washington Island.
Tranquil scene in Door County.
As a side note: We were recently offered, and accepted, a position of Camp Hosts at James Island County Park in Charleston, SC for October, November and December. This county park puts on a light show (displays) during the holidays (see our Blog for last November) and the Camp Hosts help with screwing light bulbs and light duties like directing traffic. The job requires 20 hours of work (between us) in exchange for free hookups and various local attraction passes. http://www.ccprc.com/index.aspx?nid=140
]]>We stayed in South Haven, Michigan (on the west coast) for a few days. It’s a beautiful area and I can see why people want to retire here or at least spend their summers.
We had a chance to visit some pottery collector friends, David and Sharon, and see their Harker collection.
We joined Teton friends, Dan and Linda, who live nearby, and visited the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, which is a world class car museum.
Dan and Linda told us about an small RV park on the beach in Muskegon, so we made plans to stay there a few days. Now, “on the beach” in this part of Michigan means on the other side of the sand dune, but it had great access and a private beach.
We couldn't pass up touring the Hackley and Hume homes in Muskegon.
Visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes, further up the coast, was an adventure. It’s a 450’ sand dune on the beach, straight up. Despite advice from the park service about staying off the dune, it seems to be a challenge to many to climb down and back up. We don’t even like walking in sand, much less climbing, so we just took photos.
Traverse City is beautiful with a lot of waterfront. The surrounding area is dotted with vineyards and and reminds one of the Napa Valley.
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After the meeting, we visited meeting organizers and fellow pottery collectors, Marie and Marden in Cleveland.
People always ask us what part of the USA is our favorite. Our reply is that every place we go has its own interest and uniqueness. Jefferson, Ohio is a great example.
We chose Jefferson in NE Ohio because it has a Thousand Trails (Kenisee Lake) campground and we wanted to spend a couple of weeks of down time. We knew nothing about the area other than being near Lake Erie.
Once we got settled we quickly learned the area, Ashtabula County, is home to America's longest and shortest covered bridges! The longest, Smolen Gulf Covered Bridge is 613 feet long spanning the Ashtabula River. The shortest, West Liberty Street Covered Bridge is a mere 18 feet long over Cowles Creek. In total there are 18 covered bridges in the county.
We also learned the area was part of the Underground Railroad with safehouses in nearby Astubula. Residents harbored escaping slaves waiting for safe passage across Lake Erie to Canada.
A nice bike trail (26 miles), the Western Reserve Greenway (rails to trails), was minutes away from our campground.
The area claims to be the Steelhead Trout capital of America and the Napa Valley of the East, with no less than 16 wineries. Something for everyone.
Looking for an antique shop, we took a drive to the neighboring county and stumbled on the annual OX Roast in Mesopotamia. Geauga County has the world's fourth largest Amish population, so horses and buggies are everywhere. The stores have hitching posts and, of course, you need to watch where you step.
Next month - Michigan.
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May was a busy month. We went to Elkhart, Indiana to have disc brakes installed on the RV and attended the Teton NE Rally there the following week.
We especially enjoyed visiting the RV Hall of Fame Museum again and seeing how our predecessors enjoyed the great outdoors. We've come a long way.
After the rally we went to Springfield, Ohio to visit with friends Ruth and Jerry. Fellow Tetoners, Jeff and Stephanie, were visiting also. We got to see local friends, Hank and Annette, while we were there.
In Springfield we stayed on US 40 which is known as the National Road. The National Road runs from Baltimore to St. Louis (824 miles) and is the site of an annual yard sale running the entire length. This year's sale coincided with our visit so we managed to hit a few in our area.
Jerry and Ruth took us to a couple of nice bike trails.
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| Our campsite at Chesapeake Bay TT, Gloucester, VA. |
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| Colonial Williamsburg |
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| Governor's Palace, Colonial Williamsburg |
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| Augustine Moore House in Yorktown, where surrender terms for Cornwallis's army were negotiated in 1781. |
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| Schooner at Yorktown. |
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| Site of James Fort, 1607, Colonial Jamestown. |
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| Glass blowing demonstration at Colonial Jamestown. |
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| Berkeley Plantation. |
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| Keegan, Kate, Tyler, Trevor and Morgan. |
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| Pappy and Tyler in the sky box. |
Next month, Ohio and Indiana.
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| Becky and Jeanie at Treasure Island |
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| Kris and Richard |
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| Richard getting the shot |
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| Rails to Trails through Enterprise |
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| Colton. Does it get any cuter than this |
It's hard to believe we've been here for two months, but soon we'll be back on the road.
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| Swimming hole at our campground. Active with locals on the weekends. |
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| Our campsite at Wekiva Falls RV Resort in Sorrento, FL |
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| Dave and Juanita |
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| View from our RV of departing cruise ship |
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| Sub coming into port |
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| Photo of alligator in the Refuge, actually a water reflection reversed |
Next we went to Sorrento, FL (just north of Orlando) as we have some commercial rental property near there we wanted to attend to. Sorrento is also convenient to Tom’s dentist’s office where he’s getting some dental work done.
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| Andy and Faye |
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| GOOD -their first trailer |
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| BETTER - their 5th wheel |
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| BEST - roughing it with a new motorhome |
We spent a day at the Canaveral National Seashore (south of New Smyrna Beach). This the north entrance. The beach road doesn't travel the entire length of the park, so there is a north part and a south part.
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| Carol and Dave |
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| Our buyers, Gary and Tyna with his daughters, at the Chili Cook-Off |
We expect to stay in the area until we head north in April.
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| Tom in the driver's seat - notice the 3 glasses |
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| TT park at the Peace River in Wauchula near Zolfo Springs |
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One of our campsites at TT
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| Jerry and Ruth in Wauchula |
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| Jeanie's college friend Scotty and her husband Roger in Orlando |
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| Steve and Vicki in Ft. Lauderdale with Diamond and Buster |
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| Jee-Won, Colton and Tommy in Lake Worth |
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| Gammy and Colton |
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| Back home, Tom in our RV kitchen |
| Jeanie, Juanita and Dave on Table Rock |
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| Light display |
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| One of many light displays at James Island |
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| Downtown Charleston |
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| Waiting for cooking demonstration at Charleston Cooks |
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| Sue and Ted |
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| Tom and his Navy EA-3B |
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| Three generations |
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| Grand Lake at Sunset |
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| Our view of Grand Lake |
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| Nightly happy hour |
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| Jeanie, Joey and Barry on dinner cruise |
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| Front Street in Natchitoches |
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| Downtown Natchitoches |
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| Decorations along the Cane River Lake |
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| Oakland Plantation 1821, now Cane River Creole National Park |
While there we visited the National Naval Aviation Museum at the Naval Air Station Pensacola.
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| Blue Angels on display |
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| Tom and A3. Tom was part of the flight crew for this type of plane in Vietnam. |
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| Fall colors in North Carolina |
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| Faye, Jeanie and Tom |
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| Faye and Andrew |
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| The White River near Eureka Springs, Arkansas |
The historic downtown is built on a rocky hillside and parking is tight, so the town offers transportation for visitors via a trolley bus that serves the entire town.
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| Tourist Trolley. |
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| Crystal Dining Room in the Crescent Hotel. |
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| Christ of the Ozarks as viewed from the Crescent Hotel. |
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| Pea Ridge National Military Park |
Eureka Springs is popular with motorcycle bikers because of the scenic winding roads. The area also attracts artists. Between the two, there always seems to be something going on.
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| Car Show in Eureka Springs. |
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| Local Farmers' Market. |
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| Grotto Springs. |
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| Cliff Palace Dwelling |
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| Step House Dwelling |
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| View of front of train, from our coach at the tail end. |
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| Our coach, Cinco Animas. |
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| View behind our coach. |
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| Jeanie, Steven, Hubert, John, Sharon. We told Dad to smile and he said, I am smiling. |
Irene, Dad's girlfriend, was a guest of honor as we also celebrated her birthday (only 83).
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| Hubert and Irene. |
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| Steve's family. |
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| Siblings sharing apps on their smart phones. |
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| Our campsite at Riverview RV Park in OK and new truck. |
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| 4th of July parade in Torrey, Utah |
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| Kodachrome Basin State Park |
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| Tom hiking on slickrock. |
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| Don't look down. |
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| Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon. |
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| Walking among the hoodoos on Queens Garden Trail |
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| Hiking up the switchback trail on Wall Street. |
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| Bryce Canyon Lodge |
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| Who says the government doesn't have a sense of humor. |
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| Jeanie and Karen in Sedona. |
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| Lava field at Sunset Crater National Monument. |
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800 Yr Old Native American Ruins at Wupatki National Monument. |
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| View Of More Than 1000 Dormant Volcanoes from Snowbowl. |
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| Opening in the rocks to the Lava River Tube. |
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| Elks spotted along a mountain road. |
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| Monument Valley. |
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| John Ford's Point, so named from the many westerns filmed here. |
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| Mexican Hat, namesake of nearby town. |
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| San Juan River at Goosenecks State Park, north of Monument Valley. |
We came to Salt Lake City to attend the Teton SW Regional Rally. We thought it would be a good excuse to get out to visit the National Parks in Utah. We stayed in North Salt Lake and in addition to the activities we posted in May's Blog, we got to hear the Morman Tabernacle Choir in the Tabernacle (they move to the Convention Center in the summer) and made a couple of trips to Park City. Our Rally Hosts, Manette and Arnie live in Park City and showed us around. We saw the 2002 Olympic Ski Park and we were able to watch the US Ski Team practicing.
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| Practice slope into the pool at Park City. |
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| Main Street in Park City. |
Our next stop was Moab, in southern Utah.
In Moab, we found an RV park south of town called OK RV Park. It's a Passport America park, so we paid $20 a night (half price). This park offered the PA rate for the two weeks we were there. Since PA parks usually only offer a special rate for weekdays, so we were very happy with that.
We spent the first few days exploring Arches National Park. We enjoy hiking and there are many trails to experience. Fortunately we got a little practice in on a few hikes in Salt Lake City.
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| Climb up to Delicate Arch. |
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| Delicate Arch, which is Utah's license plate symbol. |
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| View of Colorado River from Deadhorse Point. |
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| Switchback at Canyonlands. |
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| View from LaSal Mountain Loop Road. |
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| Field of wild irises along road. |
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| Grove of aspen trees. |
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| Cowboys (and cowgirl) rounding up cattle along road. |
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| Petroglyph |
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| View of Needles. |
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| Capitol Reef National Park |
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| View from Chimney Rock Trail. |
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| One of the many orchards in Fruita. |
We took a ride on SR25 around Fish Lake.
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| Fish Lake attracts trout fishermen. |
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| Cows with a white stripe. |
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| Waterpocket Fold. |
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| Views of Strike Valley from Dixie National Forest. |
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| Double rainbow at campsite in Springfield, Ohio. |
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| Rally group at Keim Lumber in Charm, Ohio |
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| Jerry and Ruth with Habitat representative. |
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| Tetons at Rally. |
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| Hand carved ivory by Ernest Warther. |
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| Detail of hand carving. |
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| Kenny's revolving pancake griddle. |
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| Amish farm in Holmes County. |
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| Amish farmer. |
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| Wyoming in May. |
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| Morman Temple in Temple Square. |
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| Morman Tabernacle, where the Choir performs. |
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| Central Pacific and Union Pacific complete first transcontinental railroad in 1869. Site of the Golden Spike. |
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| View of Salt Lake City, across Great Salt Lake, from Antelope Island. |
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| Antelope Island. Check the bug report before you go. |
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| You don't want to take your rig to this road on Antelope Island. |
We found a handy website with all kinds of trails, so one day we took advantage of some nice weather and hiked up a nearby trail.
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| Jeanie on a mountain trail above the Salt Lake valley. |
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| Flatter portion of trail. |
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| Lake Fairfax County Park in Reston, VA |
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| Keegan, Morgan and "Gammy" at the sleepover. |
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| Morgan (center) in her school program. |
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| Keegan, "Pappy" and Morgan on Tom's birthday. |
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| Tyler at 5 months. |
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| Flowering trees are everywhere. |
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| Spring is here. |
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| Battlefield at Gettysburg, PA |
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| Round Tops |
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| Site of Pickett's Charge (Corpse of Trees). |
The rainy weather continued, but we managed to get out when we could. We enjoyed dinner at the Dobbin House Tavern (circa 1776) and breakfast at Ernie's Texas Lunch (circa 1930) in Gettysburg.
I had my heart set on visiting Hershey, PA while we were so close, so we drove there to Chocolate World. We didn't over indulge, but I did have a dark chocolate hot fudge sundae and Tom loved his dark chocolate shake.
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| Dark Chocolate, here I come. |
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| Campsite at Salt Fork State Park |
We were looking forward to visiting with our friends, Jerry and Ruth, in Springfield, Ohio. They are full-timers and this is their home base, so that's our next stop.
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| Our home in central Florida for 13 years. |
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| Jee-Won, Tommy and Colton |
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| Colton at 4 months (2 months premature) |
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| Tom's photo at John Prince Park in Lake Worth, FL |
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| Tom's photo at John Prince Park in Lake Worth, FL |
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| Super Moon on a hazy horizon near Sebastian, FL. |
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| US Air Force Raptor |
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| War Birds |
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| US Navy Blue Angels |
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| Andy and Faye's new fifth wheel |
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| Faye and Andy enjoying the good life. |
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| Texas Hill Country was settled by German Freethinkers. |
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| RVs line up at Texas Custom Coach |
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| Campsite at Potter's Creek |
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| Lunch at Frank's Bait and Taco in Canyon Lake, TX |
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| Old Baton Rouge Capitol |
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| Concepcion |
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| Mission Concepcion is an active parish. |
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| San Jose |
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| San Juan |
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| Guadalupe River winds through the Hill Country. |
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| Old buildings in Comfort. |
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| General Store at Camp Verde, where camels were trained for use prior to the Civil War. |
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| Our RV site at Elk's Lodge in Stafford (Houston), TX. |
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| Oil Rig Museum in Galveston |
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| Old building in Galveston, TX. |
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| On The Strand in Galveston. |
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| Windmill farm near Corpus Christi. |
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| USS Lexington Museum, Corpus Christi, TX. |
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| Flight Deck USS Lexington |
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| Our RV site at I.B. Magee County Park, Port Aransas, TX. |
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| Tanker coming into port as viewed from our RV site. |
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| Beach at I.B. Magee County Park, Port Aransas. |
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| Padre Island National Seashore south of Corpus Christi. |
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| Boardwalk from RV sites to the beach. |
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| Inlet with Cumberland Island, GA in background. |
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| Sub returning to Kings Bay. |
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| One of several sub escorts which included helicopters sweeping the area. |
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| Dot, Clarence, Sue & Jeanie. |
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| Pouches (Poo shays) Fish-N-Camp RV Campground |
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| Cajun dancing to a live band at 8:30 A.M. at Cafe Des Amis in Breaux Bridge, LA. |
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| Local color in Breaux Bridge, LA (near Lafayette). |
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| McIlhenny Tabasco plant on Avery Island. |
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| Frog mural in Rayne, LA |
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| Frog mural in Rayne, LA |
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| St. Joseph's Cemetery, Rayne, LA. |
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| St. Joseph's Cemetery, graves laid north/south. |
Following Asheville, we drove to Dave and Juanita's (about an hour away) and joined their friends Gordon and Barb. Dave and Juanita have convenient RV hookups on their property. They stayed in their house while the rest of us enjoyed our RVs.
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| Virginia Creeper Trail |
It was a nice experience and we especially enjoyed visiting nearby Abingdon, where we explored the historic Martha Washington Inn and attended a show at the Barter Theater.
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| Martha Washington Inn |
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| Barter Theater |
From there, we traveled to Great Falls, VA to visit Trevor, Kate and granddaughters Morgan and Keegan. Morgan turned 5 in May and Keegan will be 3 in August. We stayed in the area for two weeks, so we were able to get lots of granddaughter time. Kate is pregnant with number three and, while we were there, she learned it will be a boy. That will round out the family with 2 girls, 1 boy and 2 grand-dogs.
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| Keegan and Morgan |
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| Kate & Trevor |
It was an active 2 weeks. We drove over to Great Falls, MD and rode our bikes 20 miles on the C and O Towpath. It's a great ride (flat) along the Potomac River.
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| Demonstration at C and O Towpath near Great Falls, MD |
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| C and O Towpath between the canal and Potomac River |
Trevor took us to lunch at the Annapolis Yacht Club to watch the Blue Angels practice their form for the Naval Academy's graduation ceremonies the following day.
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| Tom and Trevor |
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| Jeanie at the Annapolis Yacht Club |
We joined Kate, Trevor, and kids for the weekend at their summer home in Annapolis. On our way back to Great Falls we met up with our friends, Joe and Darlene, for lunch. They lost their computer in an RV accident and Tom helped them pick out a new computer and printer.
After leaving Great Falls, we drove to Harper's Ferry. We had a quick visit there a few years ago and knew we wanted to come back. The town is a National Park and the Park Service provides transportation, as parking is limited. Harper's Ferry is located in WV at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.
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| Harper's Ferry |
Across the Potomac on the MD side is the C and O Towpath and we took advantage of the great FLAT bike path.
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| C&O Towpath - Bike path |
Our next stop was Cumberland, MD. We'd also visited there before and promised ourselves we'd be back. Cumberland is feeling the effects of the recession, but still has lots to offer.
Cumberland is the headquarters for the C and O Canal National Historical Park which is 184.5 miles of adventure. Many people bike this towpath, which follows the canal, to DC. We didn't have time to take the towpath there, but did explore the National Road.
The National Road or Cumberland Road was one of the first major improved highways built by the US government. Construction began in 1811 at Cumberland, on the Potomac River, reaching Wheeling, WV, on the Ohio River, in 1818.
Before we left Cumberland, we made a point of stopping at the Queen City Creamery for their yummy frozen custard.
From there we planned to stop in Wheeling, WV and attend a Warwick Pottery Gathering. Our last visit there, we stayed at the KOA in Washington, PA, which we weren't thrilled with. So, we searched for another location and found an ATV RV park. The photos on the web looked good, so we decided to risk it, thinking our only risk would be a noisy environment. It turns out our risk was the drive up there. The RV park was on a mountain top with a narrow winding road. There wasn't much traffic on the road, but we were a bit unnerved by the signs that read "Ten Ton Limit". Truck and trailer, we're 13 tons. But, we made it safely and the park was really nice. (And there were no noise issues.)
As it turned out, the Gathering had been canceled, so we used the time there to explore more of the National Road. When it was time to move on, someone we met at the RV park told us about the Salt Fork State Park near Cambridge, Ohio so we decided that was as good a place as any.
We made a good choice. We loved this park because of its nice RV sites and abundant wildlife. Every night we watched deer and on several occasions a whole family of skunks.
We also took a day to explore more of the old National Road.
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| Brick section of Old National Road east of Cambridge, Ohio |
Finally, we made it to East Liverpool, which is on the Ohio River, in the eastern side of the state. We attended a Pottery Convention with other pottery nuts.
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| Museum of Ceramics in East Liverpool, Ohio |
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| Setting up at the OVCCC Convention. |
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| East Liverpool High School Pottery Auction |
From here, we were headed back to FL, but weren't quite ready to get there, so we stopped in Hiawassee (northern GA) for a few days. This area has much to explore, so we were able to get in some hiking before heading home.
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| Hiawassee, GA |
What a cold winter we've had (for Florida). Maybe if we went further south we could get some relief, so we went to Sebastian to visit Clarence, Dot and Sue. That didn't help much, but we had a few good days to sightsee. What a vibrant area. Vero Beach is hopping with pricey homes, condos and restaurants. We enjoyed walking on Pelican Island and visiting McKee Gardens, which is still trying to recover from recent hurricane damage.
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| McKee Gardens |
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| 60'x 5' slab cut from a single tree at McKee Gardens |
On the way back home we visited the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Canaveral National Seashore. The beach is especially beautiful. Imagine a beach on the Atlantic Ocean with no condos. We also enjoyed the birding trails and saw roseate spoonbills for the first time.
We'd been to Albuquerque a few years ago, but not to the Balloon Fiesta. When we heard TCI (Teton Club) had a rally planned around the event, we knew we had to go. The Rally lasted about a week and gave us a chance to tour the area and reconnect with our RVing friends.
That led into the first weekend of the Balloon Fiesta. We splurged on a hot air balloon ride and lucked out with great weather. Another treat was the Mass Ascension, where all the balloons are spread out in a field and take off within minutes of each other. It's especially neat because you can walk among the balloons as they're taking off. It was a treat to view the festivities and hope to attend the event another time.
Our next stop was in Arizona to tour the Petrified Forest, Painted Desert and the Meteor Crater.
Our friends, Dennis and Lupe joined us for the Meteor Crater.
From there we went to Cave Creek, just north of Phoenix. My college friend Karen and her husband, Don, live in the horse country where Don competes in team roping in his spare time. Tom got to drive the "practice calf" in their arena.
We spent a week in Phoenix visiting with my brother John and his wife Jacquie. They sponsor ballroom dances in Mesa, so we had to brush up on a few dance steps, but managed not to embarrass ourselves too much.
Our next stop was the Valley of Fire State Park (east of Las Vegas). This park was spectacular with the RV sights to match.
We next visited the Sequoia National Park. We had visited about 12 years ago and it's still amazing to see these living giants.
Coming up next - Yosemite National Park.]]>
We left home on the 9th. A few days later we arrived in Laurel, MS to visit college friends, Patti and Bill, whom I hadn't seen for 40+ years. It was a treat to visit and catch up. We plan to make up for lost time with another reunion some time in the near future.
From Laurel it was an easy drive up the road to Jackson where we visited with my cousin Richard and his wife Kris, who wined and dined us all weekend.
Two days later we arrived in Amarillo, Texas. We stayed for nearly a week as we wanted time to visit with my dad, Hubert, and my nephew Troy and his family. We weren't able to reach niece Tamy, but Troy, his wife Hiliary and kids, August and Lanta, joined us for a cookout as did Dad and his girlfriend Irene.
Of course the visit wouldn't be complete with a few yard sales with my Dad.
We made a little side trip to the Palo Duro Canyon, just south of Amarillo. We hadn't been there for years, so we discovered it all over again. Tom said next time we'll stay a few days at the campground in the park.
Tomorrow we leave for Albuquerque for a Teton Rally and Balloon Fiesta.
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AUGUST 2009Fort DeSoto Park is a treat. Located south of St. Pete,FL, it's a county park with RV sites, beaches, boat launches, bike trails, and a historic fort. We'd heard good things about it and finally had a chance to make reservations (on-line, way in advance) and weren't disappointed. Though it's a bit hot in the summer time, the campground provides 50 amp service, so you don't have to rough it when you don't want to. Especially nice are the sites, most of which are waterfront.
We enjoyed 5 days of sun and fun, riding our bikes to the beach and swimming in the bay.
When we left Fort DeSoto, we headed to Lake Worth on the east coast of FL (Palm Beach County) to visit with Jee-Won and Tommy (and dog, Charlie). We stayed in another great county park - John Prince Memorial Park. This park borders a lake, so we had waterfront once again. It was a quick visit, but we managed to find enough time to play a few games and have breakfast on the beach which has become a tradition on our visits.
What luck!! We spent a few da
ys at Jetty Park at Cape Canaveral and were fortunate enough to be there for the shuttle launch. The launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavor had been delayed so many times we didn't even try to coordinate our stay with the launch, but isn't that the way it works out. 
Jetty Park is one of our favorite local campgrounds. The campground is on a point between the beach and the port, and with a long pier there is always something going on.
We spent most of our time walking on the beach and riding our bicycles.
Tom's uncle Gary and his girlfriend, Nancy, joined us for dinner one night and our friend Mary Ellen and her sister, Betty, another. Gary lives in Cocoa and Mary Ellen drove up from Fort Lauderdale.
