History and Family

A trip to Gettysburg brings a real sense of awareness of the sacrifices made by the Union and Confederacy soldiers fighting for their personal beliefs. We walked over parts of the battlefield reading the monuments, looking at the cannons, and marveling at the courage displayed by the men that charged across the open area during Pickett's Attack. We stayed at Artillery Ridge Campground (a Passport America participating park). They had a large diorama set up with a 35 minute program describing the battles of July 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 1863. It was quite a history lesson!

Friday, Oct. 24th, we left Pennsylvania, crossed the Mason-Dixon line into Maryland and continued into West Virginia. We are learning geography first hand as we traverse mountains where we had no idea they existed. There are several 7 % grades in western Maryland that we have added to our "not so much fun" list. Gene downshifts to 3rd or 2nd gear and handles the grade down well - it's the turns that having me gripping the door and praying fervently. It was during this section of the trip that the engine light came on. We read the Chevy owner's manual and Gene determined it was a combination of ethanol in the fuel and steep uphill grades. The engine was not skipping or hesitating, so we continued on down the road. Some of the interesting names in this area are Polish Mtn, elevation 1246 ft., Martins Mtn, elevation 1636 ft., Big Savage Mtn, elevation 2200 ft., Meadow Mtn, elevation 2710 elevation and Keyers Ridge elevation 2880 ft. Now why would a ridge be higher than a mountain?

We were driving on I 79, then took US Hwy 50 in West Virginia. The real fun began when we got on Hwy 16 to get down to Mike and Diane's in Mt. Zion. Just picture a snake - which is what the road looks like on the GPS. We were rewarded with beautiful foliage and glimpses of deer grazing in meadows and front yards. We finally arrived at their house, unpacked some essentials and waited for them to come home from their deli in Spencer (about 30 minutes away). We spent the next few days enjoying their hospitality and the beauty of their "holler".

The deer come into their yard to graze, the creek started to gurgle again after the rain of Friday night, and the rocking chairs on the front porch are so inviting. The temperature dipped into the high 20's and frost covered the ground on Sunday morning, but it warmed up to the 60's by afternoon. It was enough to make us think of the more temperate climate of Florida.

Tuesday we were on the road again heading down through Charleston and then east on I 64. West of Lewisburg we saw raindrops on the windshield which then turned to snow flurries. We view these with mixed emotions. It's really pretty to see the snow floating down and swirling around and we were thankful it didn't stay on the road to hamper our driving. Crossing the state line into Virginia, the flurries continued but stopped before we reached our destination of Stoney Creek Campground (Coast to Coast) in Greeneville, VA for the night. It was pretty cold though, and our electric heater stayed on all night.

Wednesday we made a short jaunt to Charlottesville, VA where we had scheduled an oil change. I spied the sign pointing towards Mitchie's Tavern and we went there for lunch. They have the absolute best fried chicken. It's buffet style and the server will bring refills of whatever you want. I only had one refill of stewed tomatoes - they were so sweet they could be a dessert. We toured the Clothier store and then were on our way back to Bill Price Chevrolet. They had WiFi and I was able to catch up on some of my emails. We spent the night at Shenandoah Crossing - a very upscale member of Coast to Coast-near Gordonsville, VA. We were there in November 2006 and they have made (and are making) a lot of improvements including yurts and cabins. The leaves were beautiful there. It's been interesting to see the progression of leaves changing as we travel from area to area.

Yesterday we made another short jaunt to Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay in Gloucester VA on the Piankatank River. I took a short walk to the beach to enjoy the view of the river, but it was a little too nippy to stay long. We will stay here for four days to visit with our friends in Mobjack. We met Keith and Martin in San Antonio, TX in 2007 and spent a delightful time visiting with them today. We will go out with them on their large sailboat on Sunday on the East River. Yes, I will layer so I can stay warm.

We really are heading home, just taking our sweet time doing so and "stopping to smell the roses" as we go. We never know what will be around the next bend and what will beckon to us to investigate. We are so blessed to be able to pursue this lifestyle while we are able and we want to enjoy every minute.

Until next time, God's blessing to all of you.

Chocolate and PA Dutch Cooking

My last blog should have been titled "Cape Cod to PA". I guess I lost track of where I was.

Our schedule changes sometimes on a daily basis. That's the beauty of being retired and flexible. Sunday we attended the church service at Hershey TT and then took the short trip to Palmyra on Rt 322 to eat at Funck's Family Restaurant. The food was excellent and atmosphere relaxing. We felt we needed to be full before going on to the city of Hershey to visit the Chocolate Works. We took the free tour that shows the process of chocolate making from cocoa bean to candy bar. It ends at the store where one can be tempted with all kinds of chocolate and souvenirs. We succumbed a little, then made our escape with wallet fairly intact. They offer 2 hour free parking and then charge after that. It was a good incentive for us not to dilly dally.

Monday was a rest day before we headed out again. After studying the map, we decided we'd find a campground near Lancaster rather than travel back and forth. We drove to Lancaster County on Tuesday and visited the Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse, PA. There are many shops that have joined the original house where the jams and jellies were made in the garage in 1954 by Bob and Pat Burnley. In the "kitchen" you can observe the jams, jellies and relishes being made in large open kettles by local Amish/Mennonite women. Samples of these delicious items are available for tasting. It's a very effective form of salesmanship as everything we tasted we liked! We have a nice of variety of jams and relishes to last us quite a while. For more information on this intriguing place, you can check them out at www.kitchenkettle.com

Our appetite had been whetted by all this sampling, so we went to the Village Family Restaurant and enjoyed some local PA Dutch cooking. The chicken, broccoli and rice casserole with cole slaw was delicious. We strolled around to some of the local shops such as The Pretzel Factory and Valley Country Store. When we felt we had walked off enough of our lunch, we drove to Roamer's Resort Campground in Kinzers - just a few miles away. They are members of Passport America and Good Sam Parks. Our site is overlooking farmland - very peaceful.

This morning we drove into Lancaster to the Mennonite Information Center. The films I saw were very educational and I came away with a deeper respect for the Amish/Mennonite dedication to God and family. We have seen several farmers harvesting their corn crops with horse and wagon. They are truly a hard working people.

We asked for a recommendation of a good restaurant at the Center and were directed to Dienner's Country Restaurant in Ronks, PA. There are not enough words to adequately describe the bountiful buffet there. The foods were fresh and full of flavor. Gene started with dessert (he didn't want to be too full later to enjoy them) and I went for the salads. The creamed corn, chicken and egg custard were my favorite items, although everything was wonderful.

Feeling the need to move around to help digest, we walked through several of the stores looking at the variety of items available. I enjoyed looking at the Amish made furniture, but I didn't think Gene would let me tie a rocking chair onto the top of the rig.

We finally waddled back to the rig and came back to the campground. It has cooled off considerably (about 50 at 4:00), so the need to head South is becoming more urgent. We will go to Gettysburg tomorrow, unless we change plans again.

Until next time, God's blessings to all of you.

Maine to Penn

Wow, have we covered some miles in the last few days. When we left Truro Campground, we drove over to The Highland Lighthouse. In addition to seeing the lighthouse, we were treated to an antique car show. There were a group of Chevrolet owners - vintage cars from 1917 to 1958 - touring the grounds at the same time. What a delight.

The next stop was Catch of the Day restaurant at Wellfleet. I had a delicious clamroll with so many clams spilling over onto the plate that I have had two more meals. We drove back off the Cape, over the Cape Cod Canal and through Rhode Island. It reinforced why I don't like big cities - it's a bit nervewracking keeping tract of the lane and exits - even with the GPS.

Connecticut was beautiful with leaves, farmland, hills and massive stone churches in many of the towns. It's impossible to get a picture of them on the move, so I just store the memory.

We stayed at Strawberry Park RV Resort in Preston, CT Wed. night. It was very quiet as it was during the week - only $30.00 a night. You should see the weekend prices!

Thursday we traveled across CT and stayed at the Welcome Station at exit 2 in Danbury. Nick had recommended it as a good dry camping overnight spot. We slept well and were on our way yesterday across NY, NJ and to Thousand Trails in Lebanon, PA near Hershey. I hear the chocolate calling.

We'll probably stay here a week so we can go to Gettysburg and Lancaster County and rest up a little.

The temp was down to 35 last night, but we were toasty warm with new blanket from L.L. Bean
and little electric heater. We won't stay North too long if it starts to freeze.

Until next time, God's blessings to all of you.

Family and Friends

I typed a longer version of this last night, but Blogger was doing maintenance and it wouldn't post. Today I tried to post from the draft and it only printed 1 sentence. Since I'm still in the learning mode, it was best for me to start over, so here it is.

We have had a wonderful time visiting with Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and Friends over the weekend.

We stayed with Uncle Bob and Aunt Betty from Wed. to Mon. enjoying her hospitality and fine cooking. Friday night their son Chuck, with children Molly, Ian and Conner and son Matt came for a visit and a delicious dinner of lasagna.

Saturday we traveled down to East Freetown, my home town, and took pictures of my old home and headstones at the cemetery. We then went to my cousin Cheryl's home in Lakeville for a sumptuous feast. Her parents, Bob and Ethel (cousins on my Mother's side) were already there and we met Bruce, her husband. She had prepared a clam boil complete with clams, sausages, corn on the cob (prepared on the grill), cornbread stuffing, boiled onions, Boston baked brown bread, winter squash, baked white and sweet potatoes. When we were finally able to push away from the table, Bruce took us for a ride in the boat around Long Pond. Cheryl was a great guide pointing out various homes and spots I remembered from childhood. The leaves were gorgeous and the weather perfect for a leisurely cruise. The rest of the afternoon we spent catching up on family events. It was a most delightful day.

Sunday we had another sumptuous feast at Aunt Betty and Uncle Bob's. She had invited as many family members as were available and they brought dishes to add to the meal. Their daughter Thais and husband Chris, Aunt Ruth (Dad's sister) and her husband Uncle Bob, daughter Lynn, and cousins Lou and Jim. Another wonderful afternoon of reminiscing.

Monday morning we departed for Taunton and Mayflower Hill Cemetery for a visit to my grandparents grave sites. I had not been there before and it was a very special time for me.

Monday afternoon we drove to East Freetown again for a visit with childhood friends, Betty, Bernice, Irene, Marilyn and Jane. Betty, Marilyn and Jane's parents were best friends with my parents and we shared a lot of fun times together. Gene finally had to pry me out of there - he knew we'd talk until sundown if he didn't - and we headed for Cape Cod.

For the past two nights we've been at Truro Campground. Yesterday we walked down to the beach (about a mile) and then along the beach listening to the surf. We even caught sight of two seals. The weather was in the 60's and the sun shining off the blue waters of the Atlantic made it a perfect day. The fresh air was invigorating and the exercise was needed to work of the fabulous food we eaten.

Today we will head southwestward towards Hershey, PA. We'll take a couple days to get there as we like to "stop and smell the roses".

Until the next time, God's blessings to all of you.

Family and Friends

What a wonderful weekend we have had!

Friday night

Arrival in Massachusetts

Wednesday morning we were ready to hit the trail again. Our preference of "trails" are the backroads where we can drive at a moderate rate of speed and enjoy the scenery. Route 9 took us through towns that had familiar names - Yarmouth, Portland and Scarborough - neat New England homes and leaves in various stages of turning. Some of the reds and yellows were so vibrant, the colors jumped right out at you. I try to take pictures out the window or windshield, but have found that the most vibrant trees have telephone lines and/or poles running through them. Nonetheless, Gene was willing to pull off the road a few times to take pictures of trees without lines.

We stopped at South Portland at a Friendly's for lunch. I had not had fried clams for ages, so ordered those while Gene ordered fish 'n chips. We shared a banana split for dessert. One cannot visit Friendly's and not have ice cream.

We entered Massachusetts, my birth state, and resorted to the interstate for the rest of the trip to Bridgewater. We crossed the Merrimac River and then the Mystic River, going over the Tobin Bridge. Gene did an excellent job driving through the tunnels in Boston. We were always in the proper lane when we needed to be - of course, our GPS was responsible for keeping us on track also.

It was wonderful to see Uncle Bob (my father's brother) and Aunt Betty again. She had prepared a delicious lasagna dinner for us and we enjoyed a time of reminiscing.

Yesterday was a recoup day after the shopping and traveling we had done. Yesterday evening we showed some of our pictures (from our laptop) from Arches National Park, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Buchart Gardens on their TV. They have been to all these places, and many more, and it was nice to remember them together.

This weekend we will be getting together with family from both my mother's and father's side and enjoying each other's company. I am truly blessed to be able to see so many of my relatives on this trip.

Until next time, God's blessings to all of you.

New Hampshire - Maine

Friday afternoon we were in Laconia, NH and had not yet made arrangements for a campsite for the evening. Usually we have a reservation made or have called to make sure there is an opening. I called Willey Brook Campground in Wolfeboro and Beth told us to come on in. It turned out to be a lovely place to stay with old farm implements filled with flowers and little statues of deer and bears. Beth was very friendly and helpful when I told her we wanted to take the Mt. Washington boat ride on Lake Winnipesaukee, giving me directions and a map. We settled in for the evening and turned on our little heater. It was going to be in the high 30's, so we wanted to be cozy and warm.

Saturday dawned a gorgeous day. We drove into Wolfeboro and found a parking place right in front of the walkway down to the dock where the Mt. Washington comes in. Knowing that it was going to be a bit nippy on the boat ride, I had bundled up in layers and had the perfect opportunity to wear the hat that Jared, our grandson, had bought for me in Iceland. The boat departed at 11:15 and Gene found a protected place for me to stand, right behind the captain's enclosed area. I could take pictures from this spot without standing out in the 40 mph wind.
I clicked merrily away. There are large, expensive homes on the shore and a myriad of islands, also with homes. We learned that the building materials are transported to the islands during the winter when the ice has frozen and trucks can cross over to them.

We arrived at Weir's Beach about an hour later and passengers who had boarded there disembarked and another group boarded. The wind was behind us going back and I sat on the front deck and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. Although I was unable to identify the place where our family stayed (it was over 55 years ago), Weir's Beach did seem familiar. It is quite possible that it is the beach where my Dad taught me to swim. We were back at the dock in Wolfeboro about 2:00. It was a wonderful, relaxing trip.

Sunday we attended church at the First Baptist Church in Wolfeboro. We were greeted warmly and invited to coffee fellowship after the service. Rev. George Faul brought the message from Acts 26 entitled "A Cut Flower Civilization". After church, we drove along the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, but were unable to find a park for lunch. Gene finally found a lovely pull off by Mirror Lake and we had a picnic lunch there - in the RV as it was in the mid 60's outside.

On Monday, we were on the road to Maine - specifically Freeport and L. L. Bean Retail Store.
We arrived about 1:30 and browsed and shopped for 2 1/2 hours. Oh what fun! They have an Outlet Store also and we found several good buys there before we ventured across the street to the Retail Store. After we had worn ourselves out, we drove to Powtan to stay at Blueberry Pond Campground. Jan greeted us and gave us information about a good lobster place.

Today we went back to L. L. Bean to do more shopping and then on to Harraseeket Lobster in South Freeport, right on the dock at the end of Main St.. We ate fresh (cooked right on the spot) lobster, while looking out on Casco Bay. The weather was lovely - sunny and in the low 70's. I've now done all the things I wanted to do when I came to Maine - see the gorgeous fall leaves, shop at L. L. Bean and eat lobster.

Tomorrow we will head out for Mass. to visit aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. It's the beginning of our slow trek south.

Vermont to New Hampshire

We have covered a lot of territory in the last several days. We left the town of Bennington on Hwy 7, also called Ethan Allen Highway, towards Rutland, VT. Along the way we saw many homes decorated for fall with bright yellow mums in pots on doorsteps, cornstalks propped up by porches and pumpkins stacked in yards. We made a "grocery stop" at Hannaford Supermarket and then drove to Killington, Heart of Green Mountains. We checked into Gifford Woods State Park and set up. Gene turned on the propane and I fixed fried chicken, potatoes and peas for supper. We slept well with the pitter patter of rain on the roof.

Thursday morning we drove back into Rutland to the Norman Rockwell Museum. The clouds looked like white crowns on the mountaintops as we drove into town. The Museum contained many covers from Saturday Evening Post, The Legion, and The Country Gentlemen covering several decades of his work. Picture taking is allowed and we both took our fair share. It was a delightful trip back to the past. The admission was only $5.00 each with AAA discount. I highly recommend a visit to this museum if you are in the area.

When we returned to our site, we took a short walk to where the Appalachian Trail crosses through the state park. We walked about 1/4 mile on it, but because of the rain, the trail was muddy and slippery in places. At least we can say we were on the Trail, even if it was only a short distance.

The rain and bit of wind had caused the trees to shed some leaves. In the quiet of the park one could hear the whisper of the leaves as they drifted down to the ground. They covered the picnic table and ground like a beautiful colored carpet. It's a lovely place.

We turned on the generator and ran the heat pump for awhile - it was in the low 50's - and turned on the propane for hot water for my shower. I enjoy camping, but I don't do showers in unheated bathhouses! We take up the carpet and mat, take the plug out of the floor, pull the shower curtain around and presto - our own private shower. All the comforts of home.

Gene downloaded pictures from our cameras while the generator was running. We have some very nice pictures of leaves which we will get added to our web album, hopefully in the next few days.

Friday morning we headed towards New Hampshire. Part of the joy of traveling is stopping to enjoy the sights, which we did. We saw a covered bridge at Taftsville, VT and Gene stopped to take pictures. While there, we went into the Taftsville Country Store and purchased a few items such as locally made strawberry jam and sourdough bread. There we learned of a family owned farm just up the road - Sugarbush Farm. We drove through the covered bridge up the hill to the farm. Three generations work the farm making cheese and maple syrup. We sampled several kinds of cheeses and maple syrups, made our purchases and were on the way again. You can order online from www.sugarbushfarm.com

Our next stop was Quechee Gorge, still on Hwy 4, where we took more pictures and ate lunch at Dana's Restaurant. We were beginning to think we wouldn't make it into New Hampshire with so many stops, but we crossed the state line about 2:30, stopped at the Visitor's Center for brochures and continued on our way.

Our destination was the Lake Winnipesaukee area where my parents vacationed one summer.
We found a lovely campground in Wolfeboro and settled in for a few days stay.

I'll continue this post tomorrow as there's a lot more to share.

Vermont Leaves

We left Thousand Trails Kenisee Lake on Friday morning and drove up to Conneaut to see Lake Erie. We found a lovely park, Conneaut Township Park, where we could walk right out to the lake.

When we were in Rochester in July, we went to Lake Ontario, and I dipped my little tootsies in the water. In late July, we were in Canada, and I dipped my tootsies in Lake Huron. However, it was much cooler on Friday, so I skipped the tootsie dipping tradition. We took several pictures of the lake, small lighthouse, and trees with leaves of red and yellow.

We traveled across state to Schenectady, NY and stayed at Frosty Acres RV Park. It had a lovely pond which reflected the leaves beautifully. I helped with the driving for about an hour. Gene is doing ever so much better. He can now sit in the passenger seat and be relatively quiet while I keep it between the lines.

We had been having a problem with our toilet - a tissue issue I believe. A stop at Camping World and purchase of flexible wand that attaches to the hose and use of same at the dump station at Frosty Acres made everything right again. It made it much more convenient to have our facilities working again.

Sunday was a nice relaxing day - it rained off and on - perfect for naps and reading. We have been reading "Meandering Down the Highway" by Nick Russell. He and his wife Terry sponsered the Eastern Gypsy Gathering we just attended in Celine, Ohio, and are publishers of the "Gypsy Journal". To learn more about their travels, log on to www.gypsyjournal.net It will provide a wealth of information with a great sense of humor.

Monday we left Frosty Acres and drove into Schenectady with the intention of posting our blog at the library. I have just learned how to do a blog, thanks to one of the classes at the Gathering taught by geeksontour, but when I logged on, the language was Japanese. With only an hour allowed on the computer, I didn't have time to figure out how to change it. I was able to check our emails.

Monday was Gene's birthday. He received calls from his son, Lee, in South Africa, daughters Jennifer and Diane and niece Kelly. We didn't do any major celebrating, but he said it was a great birthday.

We crossed into Vermont about 2:30 in the afternoon and drove on Hwy 9 to Bennington. There is a historical site and monument about the Battle of Bennington fought in 1777. To quote from the brochure, "Here Bridagier General John Stark and his American forces successfully defeated two detachments of British General John Burgoyne's invading army in 1777." His command "consisted of approximately 2,000 Vermont, New Hampshire and Berkshire County (Massachusetts) volunteers, most of whom were untrained".

While in Bennington, we also visited the Old First Church and cemetary where soldiers from the Revolutionary War, governors and Robert Frost have been laid to rest. It was a sober reminder of what price our forefathers paid for the price of freedom.

After our sightseeing, we drove another 20 minutes to Woodford State Park. At this time of year the park was virtually empty. When camping at most state parks, there is no electric or water hookup. This is what I call "camping" as opposed to RVing. We have water tanks and and a generator, so we can still cook, wash, etc., I just have to change the way I do it.

The weather was overcast and in the high 60's. We walked around a bit, then Gene fixed a campfire and we relaxed. Tuesday was overcast in the morning, but cleared to a beautiful day.
The leaves were resplendent in their bright yellows, fiery reds and pumpkin colored orange.
This was one of the reasons we wanted to come to New England. I lived in Massachusetts until age 12, and the fall season is what I truly miss. We walked up to the Ranger Station, about 1 mile one way, enjoying the sights and taking a lot of pictures. Gene fixed another fire in the evening and it was the end of a perfect day.

We are truly blessed to be able to see the splendor of God's Creation all over the country.

We will be heading for Gifford Woods State Park, also in Vermont, today. The sun is peeping in and out of the clouds, but it promises to be a lovely day.