Welp……since summer we knew we’d be coming off the road full time. It was a bittersweet day for us.
We winterized The Sandman while at the KOA and this morning, we backed him into our driveway. Yes – you read that correctly – our driveway!!
Long story short – we bought a house with 5 acres (and a pool) a few years back. We rented it out while on the road. The renters bought a house in July, so we needed to make another life changing decision. Do we rent the house out again or come off the road full time??? Because we spent SO many years in California, away from our kids, and now our grands, it was not a hard decision to make. Well – sort of – hard to explain. We LOVED our time on the road, but we missed our family so very much.
And so, another chapter begins. Amazon has been very busy delivering things along with Wayfair. We’ve hit just about every store in the area for our needs and we’ve started all over again…. because – don’t forget!! We sold, gave away, or threw away everything we owned (with the exception of a few things our daughter stored in her basement for us). Thanks Tiffany. Oh, but it has been fun!!
We’ve not planned our next adventure, but it’s lurking out there.
We would not change one thing we did. We loved every minute of our adventures on the road for the past 2 years. We saw and experienced things we could have never imagined. The memories are something that can’t be taken away and soon we’ll have photographs on our walls, to remind us of what a special time we had…. going back and forth across the US twice……all the friends we saw, all the new friends we made, and now y’all better come visit us in good ole Harpers Ferry, West Virginia!! It is a beautiful historic town so plan your vacation to come see us….
Quite often we are asked where our favorite place to visit was……SO many beautiful places we went to but………..Glacier National Park gets our vote for No. 1……..
Cheers for now!!
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Yep – we’ve been here before. Nice place, set in the woods (for the most part). It took us a bit to get settled after moving 4 times – Ugggg!! Some of the electrical pedestals just weren’t having The Sandman as a resident – LOL!!!
The drive was nice and smooth. Seeing those familiar road signs warmed our hearts.
We hadn’t seen our kids and grands for many months and had planned to meet them at our favorite BBQ place in the area. It figures we had site issues – dang it – we were an hour late but hey – better late than never….. It was SO great to see them all and get those big hugs we’ve missed so much!
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If we hadn’t planned on leaving when we did, to go further north, we would have anyway. Hurricane Helene was beginning to wreak havoc on the skies and on the ground. The little creek near our campground was filling up quickly and there is nothing quite like breaking camp in the pouring rain – Not!!! The news was nothing good – the rain bands prior to the Hurricane were already here……
The drive to Natural Bridge was not fun…..it poured…..and poured…..then a bit of a break….and poured some more.
When we spotted caravan after caravan of Electric Company trucks heading south, we knew things were going to get worse, south of us. Do we continue heading to West Virginia (long drive) or take a chance that we had missed the brunt of the storm and continue to our stay in Natural Bridge? We checked the weather carefully and decided that Natural Bridge was far enough north and we’d be okay.
We settled into our site (in the rain) and called it a day – LOL!!! Let’s look at the weather again tomorrow and see what is ahead.
The sun is shining!! Thank you sky Gods! We both feel like drowned rats as we’ve been in the rain for over a week and we…are….done….with it!!
We ventured out to a local place for lunch, The Pink Cadillac Diner. Good ole fashioned home cooking is just what we needed…….and it was Yummmmmyyyy……
The Natural Bridge Visitors Center was one of THE nicest Visitors Centers we’ve ever seen. Tickets to the trail down to the bridge were worth every penny. What a gorgeous hidden gem. The park was dedicated in 2016. At the center of the park, the 200-foot tall Natural Bridge sits in a limestone gorge carved out by Cedar Creek. The arch (bridge) is also a National Historical Landmark. How cool is that????
The park is more than just the Bridge; lush forests and rolling meadows showcase the area’s karst terrain and vistas of surrounding mountains, and the James River valley competes with the Bridge itself. There are more than 10 miles of hiking trails, including Cedar Creek Trail, which leads from the Visitor Center under the bridge to Lace Falls with its 50-foot cascade. Just beautiful!!
The Ranger mentioned that once a month, on the last Saturday, they illuminate the Bridge at night, and we should plan to come back. The next evening, we bundled up (yep, it’s starting to get chilly) and enjoyed the spectacular sight.
The entire area of southern Virginia is simply gorgeous. Fall as the leaves are turning, is the perfect time to explore.
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Really? Another Buc-ee’s?? When you get on the Interstate, you just HAVE to stop if you see one – LOL!! This one we had been to last year when we visited Gatlinburg, TN. Well, geez – it’s right there before you get on I40 so how can you NOT stop?????
And here we are, back in VA – the state we lived in for so many years – got married here – raised our kids here – and then the rest is history (we moved to CA in 2003 to help take care of Donna’s parents).
This state park was recommended by many, so we put it on our travel path. It didn’t disappoint. There are 3 campgrounds within the park, nestled in the woods. They rent the usual water craft items and have a great beach area. The park is one of the six original CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) parks that opened in June of 1936. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
The quaint town of Marion is just that – a few shops and restaurants – including one of our favorite VA chains – Macado’s.
We kept seeing road signs for “Back of the Dragon”???? Never heard of it. We took off to find an overlook to view the beautiful mountains and realized we were ON the Back of the Dragon – LOL!!
The overlook had a map and low and behold – well –yeah!!!! It began at the State Park and went 32 miles, with 438 curves, at 3500’, to the small town of Tazewell.
We took another gorgeous drive through the mountains in Virginia – with the leaves turning. Something we don’t see except in the east is the vines that take over the brush and trees.
Kinda creepy!!
We’ve lucked out thus far with no rain…..until we wanted to go for a hike. Nope – it rained all night and more came, so we decided we didn’t want to trench through the mud…..now we are on Hurricane Helene watch as we head northeast!!!
We just LOVE this part of the country! Fall is the perfect time to be here……
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Where in the world are we going?????
It was after our stop at……. Buc-ee’s – LOL!! Haven’t seen a Buc-ee’s in a LONG time cause we haven’t been on an Interstate in a LONG time. What the heck is the draw to this place? Haven’t figured it out yet except it’s a shopping mega for all kinds of things – food, drink, stuff……..and they are always – always – always crowded!!!!!
What is up with this darn traffic? We’ve gotten so used to being on small highways and back roads! Bear jam on I40 – wow! The most unexpected place to see a big ole black bear – having a swim in the nice warm water below the bridge – neato!!!
Really nice country campground nestled in the woods by Lake Tennessee. Super quiet but too hot and humid to sleep with the windows open.
We were excited to get to this particular area as we have friends that live nearby. But……Covid struck again and they were both very sick – damn it!! So, we drove into their driveway and waved/blew kisses. We were SO bummed about not getting to hang out with Scotty and Maxine Drapo for the weekend. Mike and Scotty were in the Navy together – so they’ve known each other a long, long time……
All was not lost for something to do however!!! We were only about 45 minutes away from……the famous Tail of the Dragon – US 129 – oh yeah baby – here we come! This road has 318 curves in 11 miles – America’s favorite motorcycle and sports car road, bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cherokee National Forest, with no intersecting roads or driveways. Guaranteed to be the ride of your life!!!!!
We were first introduced to Tail of the Dragon after we bought our first MINI Cooper in 2002. It was an instant love affair and MINI’s on the Dragon was formed. 100’s of MINI’s came every year the first week of May for many days of fun! We moved to CA in 2003 but managed to drive from CA in 2012 for a 10 year “reunion” of MINI’s on the Dragon.
Unforgettable memories……………We had a great lunch at the Fontana Lodge which overlooks the mountains and the Fontana Village, reminiscing about old times gone by!!
On our way back “home”, we drove through the Foothills Parkway of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This whole area is so breathtakingly beautiful – especially at this time of the year. The leaves are changing and starting to fall – wow – so, so pretty!
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These old bridges are just SO cool…….
The most exciting part of our drive to Nashville was seeing another Airstream along the way
– Hiya to whomever you are!! So much fun to see another one in the wild!!!
The RV Park wasn’t anything special. It sure was packed though!!!
Being within 15 minutes of downtown Nashville, it made for a quick trip to find EXPENSIVE parking near the famous Broadway district. We had been in this area a couple of years ago, so we didn’t do much touristy stuff except to walk the several blocks of bars and restaurants. It was super crowded. We suppose Nashville is kinda like New Orleans – people visiting year-round.
As we drifted from bar to bar (not drinking) listening to the various bands, blasting their music enticing people to visit, one bar in particular caught our ears. They were from Season 7 of American’s Got Talent – way cool….and…..they played Donna’s favorite song by John Denver – “Take Me Home, Country Roads”. A fun afternoon!!
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We said Goodbye to Missouri……………skirted Illinois and landed in Kentucky.
It was a beautiful sunny day for a drive – crossing many of those old bridges along our way. It was neato to see the barges below in the Mississippi River – wondering how in the heck do those things manage to get down that river, that has almost no water!!
Wait – what? We’re going to Waffle House??? We haven’t seen or been to one in months….our favorite quick stop place on the road – LOL!!!
Kentucky has some gorgeous back roads – smooth rolling curves and GREEN tall trees. The state park was beautiful and we had it almost to ourselves – excellent!! We had a lovely overnight stay with the windows open, listening to the night creatures’ talk.
Mother Nature continues to be an amazing thing. We had clear skies and got a bird’s eye view of the partial eclipse – Nice!!!
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Cloudy skies with rain looming in the distance….
We love old bridges like trains out in the wild. Missouri has some REALLY neat old bridges.
Some a bit narrower than we would have liked…but…..slow and steady over these things!!!
The smooth rolling roads out of the Ozarks, through the back country of Missouri, always gives us an appreciation of what we have…we saw a lot of this…..and that…..We get a bit sad when we are so fortunate, and others are not. Life is life and we can’t change the world…
Water levels are SO low everywhere we’ve been. Sad to see when we know water is such an important part of life, especially in many of the HUGE recreation areas we’ve been through or stayed at. Everyone has told us about the drought in their area and it’s pretty obvious.
Mother Nature sure didn’t give us a break for most of the day – what started off as a light rain, quickly turned into pouring – but hey – these areas have been begging for rain and they got it ---------- So………we pull into our site and it’s just yuck – mush, squish, uggggg!!! We quickly change into our “camp shoes” to get set up. Talking with the camp manager, they had 3 straight days of rain before we arrived…..well…..yeah….we could tell – LOL!!
This “not so much of a resort” was fine as a one night stop. A planned stop specifically in this little tiny town of Doniphan, was special to us. Donna’s Dad, RAdm. Doniphan Shelton, grew up in Springfield, MO – before he was honored enough to be accepted to the Naval Academy. Cheers to you Dad!!!
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Oh, those beautiful Ozarks!! After a non-exciting drive (knock on wood), the closer we got to Branson, that beautiful mountain range surrounded us in all its glory….
We had been to this area in April last year (2023). We stayed at two different campgrounds, both of which were nestled in the Ozarks. This time around, we decided to stay close to the historic district of Branson, since we were only there for four days.
As members of the Escapees RV club, one of the perks is staying in one of their campgrounds at a pretty fair price. There just happened to be one in this area – Yayyy!
Not as pretty or fancy as some other places we’ve stayed, but it was perfect for our needs.
We poked around the small town of Hollister – some neat restaurants and shops. Historic Branson although touristy, is also a fun place to spend some $$ if you chose – LOL!!! “The Strip” as the locals call it, is NOTHING like Vegas – although they would swear it is…….
All in all, we had a nice relaxing time….
Truck stops fuel fill had found us parked next to the 3 little pigs.
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As we said goodbye to Dorothy and Toto, we headed into Missouri for yet – wait for it – another one-night stay – LOL!!
It was fun to see an old Airstream along our travels. She owns a company out of Colorado called Wild Lily. She uses her Airstream as a traveling boutique – kinda cool!!!!!
And that my friends, was our exciting drive for the day and our non-exciting stay in Carthage
– LOL!
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Kansas terrain – at least the route we took, was miles and miles of agriculture once again. We had no idea that so much is grown in this state, along with hundreds of cow farms for producing milk.
We recognized the huge corn fields but had to Google the other huge crop we kept seeing. They grow sorghum! Huh…. who knew????? Sorghum (a type of grain) is used in making gluten free food and syrup….
And…………. the wind in this state is no joke!! We fought it our entire drive. No wonder they have so many wind turbine fields – flat and windy most of the time. The trees along the way were shaped almost sideways because of the wind!!!
Speaking of wind – in the tiny little town of Mullinville located on Hwy 154 (US Route 400) –we came across hundreds of bizarre and abstract metal sculptures squeaking and twirling in the Kansas wind. All were made by M.T. Liggett, a native of the area. Made from road signs, car parts, farm equipment, and a multitude of other objects welded together.
The most eye-catching works are of a political nature, bashing local, national, and international politicians across the political spectrum. Other works are more personal to Liggett, including sculptures of his dogs, each of his six ex-wives, and one of a three- breasted French prostitute that he once “went to bed with.”
We had a super nice, cozy site nestled in the trees – by the lake. Very quiet and dark – dark skies.
Quiet until we heard a knock on the screen door one evening! Hum…...” who or what is that?” With flashlight in hand, we venture carefully out the door……and what do we see??? 3 HUGE raccoons eating nuts from the tree at our site. Okay – no problem – but keep your dirty paws off the door – LOL!!!! They all scattered but we managed to get a picture of one before it took off…….
The Kansas state flower – the Sunflower – fun to see on some of their road signs! But it was the wrong time of year to see them anywhere in the fields or alongside the roads.
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We spent another one nighter to break up mileage as we continue our travels. The campground was set up like an old western town – kinda cute!
The highlight was we saw another Airstream in the park….and…. the neighbor’s property behind the campground had all kinds of animals, including some really friendly goats – LOL!!!
Many miles of agriculture along our route today and lots of farmers out on the roads, tending to their many acres of crops…..BIG grain silos like we’ve never seen before!!!
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Lake Hasty John Martin Reservoir State Park
When we think of Colorado, we think of – well – mountains. That might be true for a lot of the state but our drive today? Not so much. Once we left the Estes Park area the other day, the terrain changed drastically. The skies were blue but the drive was as if we were back in the Dakotas – flat and brown – LOL!!
This was a quick overnight stay to break up mileage as we continue east. Nice campground right by the John Martin Dam. Very quiet and dark skies……..
Notice Ursa Minor (Little Dipper) over our trailer
Here we are again, back into the land of traffic – Yuck! Not being used to freeways for a while, we made our way out of the mountains to just outside the Denver area.
What a hidden gem of a campground! We pulled in and wow, what a pretty area. The sites were huge and wide, with plenty of open space all around. We loved it….
We chilled for a few days and did some paperwork.
In the spirit of helping, a neighbor camper needed help moving his trailer after his truck engine blew up. The camp host helped him find another unoccupied site. Mike helped him move his trailer to another site.
The highlight of our stay here was getting to see the daughter of a very good friend of ours, Grace Ellinghaus and her boyfriend Dylan. Her family lived next to us when we lived in Northern Virginia. We hadn’t seen her since we left in 2003, and it was great to catch up over some yummy Mexican food. We’ve known her since she was born. In fact, Mike drove her mom Lacey to the hospital in the midst of a snowstorm to deliver her!!!
We met another friend from Donna’s time in the Philippines. Kim Sargeant with her hubby Jody, took us to dinner at a yummy Italian place. Although Donna’s family and Kim’s family were in Subic Bay at the same time, Kim’s family moved back to the states in 1974, a year after Donna arrived. Donna was several years ahead of her in school so they only met each other through school reunions here in the US. We saw her when we were in Vegas last month and here we are again, enjoying some real catch-up time!!!
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When you see the first tunnel about nine miles from where you’re leaving from, you KNOW It’s going to be…………well…………. a white-knuckle drive and…….it was!Wowzer………. these Colorado mountains are no joke!!!!!!!
We were VERY happy to arrive at our campsite. The camp hosts were super and even helped in getting The Sandman backed into our site. Although we were pretty close to the main highway, no problem – it was level and we didn’t have to maneuver up the narrow lane uphill to the rest of the campground – Yayyy!!! It was a bit gnarly for a large rig like ours.
Several years back, Mike was on a road trip with our besties Jon and Becky Harry (Donna didn’t get to go because WORK wouldn’t let her have vacation at that particular time). They have talked to this day about THE BEST pie shop ever! So yes…..off we went to have some pie. Mike had Cherry and Donna had Peach…………..and boy oh boy – our plates were empty in no time – LOL!!! Waiting in line was not a problem – our mouths were watering the whole time!!
Rocky Mountain National Park is REALLY something! When Donna was young and their family was moving from West to East and vice versa, her dad brought them to the area several times. Her memories of driving through the park are vivid. Trail Ridge Road is designated as a national All-American Road. It covers 48 miles between Estes Park (east side) and Grand Lake (west side). Eleven miles of the highway travel above the tree line at an elevation near 11,500’!! The evergreen forests come to a halt. As it winds across the tundra’s vastness to its high point of 12,183’, it offers thrilling views and wildlife sightings.
Guardrails? Where are they? Nowhere on this very narrow road with hardly any room to pass…………….Yikes! Don’t dare take your hands off that steering wheel……………Wow!!
Estes Park – what a cute town – wandering in and out of shops was a quintessential mountain town experience. And when there is a river involved? Even better……and……what made it even more special for us was seeing a Momma Elk with her babies in the river!! And…. seeing another one walking down main street, munching from the flowerpots along the sidewalk – LOL!!
Mike’s favorite Author – Stephen King! Remember the movie “The Shining?” Part of it was filmed at the famous landmark Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. As soon as we walked in, we both commented that it reminded us of the famous Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. It was oozing with old world charm and modern amenities. We moseyed through the gift shop (big mistake) and came out with a bag full – “Redrum” ………A poster in the lobby advertised a special Bourbon downstairs in their tasting room. Oh boy – here we go!!
Wow!! The tasting room was the most gorgeous thing we’ve ever seen!!!!
Elk “rut” season was in full swing. As we traversed through the roads, our necks getting sore from looking side to side, and up and down. The meadow we suddenly came upon was what we’ve been waiting for – a HUGE herd of Elk and several males with very large racks!! We quickly found a place to park and spent hours watching the show. Big Daddy was on the hunt for “his” female but none of the females wanted anything to do with him – LOL!!! Big Daddy and another had a “friendly” exchange with their antlers while dancing around the females.
Although the altitude was still an issue for us (thin air makes it harder to breath), we managed to do a hike around Bear Lake. What a beautiful place! On the way, we saw a Momma Moose with her baby crossing the road. Not great pictures as they went pretty quick across the road into the woods.
It was a busy time both in the town and in the park as we were there over Labor Day weekend. But all in all, we had a fantastic time!!! Another bucket list item – checked off…
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As the terrain in the valley began to change to those gigantic rock mountains, we began to see velvet green soaring peeks, rugged and awesomely beautiful, stretching into the horizon.
We passed an occasional train. Why is it we act like kids when we see one???? “Look – there’s a train”! And…. the tunnels just keep on coming – they are an amazing!
The Eisenhower tunnel is the longest mountain tunnel on the Interstate Highway system. It’s an engineering marvel…
Here, we are at almost 12,000’ – and we’re feeling it. Man oh man – we are definitely not used to being this high up in the sky. 5000’– 7000’ no problem. The higher up we’ve gotten, we hate to admit it, but these old farts have to take it much slower. Not much hiking – a few short ones – and that was it, unfortunately.
One of Colorado’s most popular art installations, the Breckenridge Troll is a 15-foot wooden sculpture built by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. Sitting happily in the forest less than a mile from the road, this gentle giant is easy to access and a must-see on any trip to Breckenridge.
The nearby towns of Frisco and Breckenridge were very touristy, but neat. We walked the streets, poked in and out of stores and admired the local artistry. Being as this is a huge ski resort area; we enjoyed viewing the gondolas and slopes from afar – LOL!! Nope – Donna is not going up that steep gondola to view the area from the top!!!!
This leg of our trip was special as we got to see some longtime friends. In our past lives in Northern Virginia (Leesburg), they were our neighbors twice – yep twice!! First - when we owned our first single family home, they moved in next to us. Several years after that, we found some land, custom built a house, and they bought a lot two doors down from us and moved in. We had great times with Darrell and Susan Burkey. They moved to Silverthorne – just outside of Breckenridge in 2020. They built a beautiful home on a mountainside with views that are simply breathtaking (forgot to get pictures).
Darrell is an avid hunter and makes trips to northern Alaska every year for weeks at a time. Susan has gotten involved with training dogs for the Blind. Such great and loving peeps!!
We spent many hours at several breweries eating, drinking, laughing, and getting caught up on stuff. We’ve stayed in touch since we moved from VA in 2003.
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The Colorado mountains are calling…………………….
There’s that word again – “resort”. We will admit, this place is probably the nicest we’ve stayed in. Nice sites, plenty of room between neighbors, great bath houses, and beautiful mountain views!!
We hadn’t planned a thing to do while here except rest up and get caught up on some paperwork and phone calls. Not a bad thing sometimes…….We enjoyed grilling outside until-----------here come the winds and monsoon rains!! It’s THAT season so Mother Nature put on quite a nightly show. BIG Boomers!!! We enjoyed seeing two double rainbows on the same afternoon – pretty neato……….
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Super nice campground! We normally don’t stay in the “resort” campgrounds however, in the middle of nowhere, there isn’t much choice. It was a nice change for us – and the views weren’t too bad either!!
With the winding road and mountains up ahead, we knew we were in for a bit of a thrilling drive. The Mediterranean blue skies and white puffy clouds provided a stunning backdrop.
Soon the shades of brown and red presented themselves off in the distance. We knew we were getting close – it wouldn’t be long before we saw that wonderland of natural beauty with over 2000 arches, and hundreds of other towering spires.
After getting all situated at our site, we took off for Arches National Park. We had been here several years ago with our besties Jon and Becky Harry, but just traveling through the area in our MINI Coopers.
Mother Nature is simply just…...something…. else! The “WOW” factor is off the scale in Arches…...Since it was late in the day/evening, we stopped for a few pictures of the moonlight on the mountain formations, the stars started to twinkle…. then off to get some needed sleep – LOL!!
Dead Horse Point State Park was an easy drive from Moab, so we decided to poke around 2000 feet above the Colorado River. Legend has it that cowboys once corralled wild mustangs on a narrow point here, giving the park its unique name. Stunning State Park!!! Dramatic views of the river and the scenery below…...
Arches is another National Park that requires a timed vehicle entry. We managed to snag several so we spent two days and evenings trekking the many miles of breathtaking landscape and hiking to many of the natural arches. Wowzer………………
We were hoping to see some big furry four-legged creatures, but sadly, we only saw ravens and lizards.
Being as we visited during the “monsoon” season, every evening the storms rolled in and out, giving us the most fantastic lightning shows we’ve seen in a LONG time!!!
One of Mike’s bucket list items was to drive an off-road vehicle (Razar). We booked a guided tour with one of the local places for an evening sunset drive. Okay…. let’s just say that on flat ground, Donna was fine. Once we started UP and DOWN the STEEP terrain, not so much! It scared the crap out of both of us…. We stopped on a crest to see the beautiful sunset. Shortly after, the monsoon rains blew in and we got soaked – LOL!! Mike had a great time, however, Donna did not………...We can say we did it, but not sure Mike would do it again either!!
Look at the center of this picture is a dinosaur footprint fossil.
If you’ve not been to Arches, it should be on your bucket list……….
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The most exciting part of this one-night stay was the pleasure of driving back through the Virgin River Gorge. Up and down once again – white knuckles by the time we reached the other side – luckily with no wind!! It was a quick overnight stay to break up mileage as we head to our next awesome adventure.
Rain, rain – go away………….
The campground was nothing to write home about, but it was a place to rest our very tired bodies after a non-stop 9 days in Vegas – LOL!!
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As we made our way through the HOT desert once again (are we crazy or what?), we had to traverse the mountains one more time. The Virgin River Gorge is no joke, especially when towing our 30 ft. trailer – wowzer!!! Slow and steady is the name of the game. Our ears began to clog once more! It wouldn’t be long before we got to the other side, and we’d be able to hear each other again– LOL!!!
Vegas – here we come….
It bears repeating that this desert heat is no joke…. setting up after arriving in 108-degree heat was NO FUN…..but………being here is just what the doctor ordered….Our besties Jon and Becky Harry, along with Dino in tow, made their way from Huntington Beach, CA to spend a weekend with us!!!!! Can’t tell you how happy we were to see them….. We spent the weekend eating, drinking, laughing, chatting, and staying cool inside – LOL!!!
Other friends from SoCal, Joe and Donna, passing through Sin City met us for a very enjoyable dinner.
This leg of our adventures brought us to Vegas for Donna’s High School reunion. She graduated from a DOD school in Subic Bay, Philippines. Her father RAdm. Shelton was the CO of the base and Commander of US Naval Force Philippines during their 3-year time there. Every so often, someone decides to have an all-school reunion (classes were very small) and this year it happened to be in AUGUST – in VEGAS – where it’s HOTTER than hell…. What happens in Vegas – stays in Vegas – a good time was had by all for sure!!!
It was SO awesome to see so many old friends and make some new ones.
Part of the reunion was a double decker bus tour, through the streets of Vegas and the famous Fremont Street. We had an absolute blast!! We all felt like we were back in high school – whooping and hollering at people walking on the streets. A trip to Vegas is never complete unless you visit Fremont Street. Because we didn’t get to spend much time the night before while on the bus tour, we just HAD to go back and experience it firsthand. It’s a crazy place with things you may or may not want to see–
LOL!!! Some things you can’t “unsee”!!!!
After all the trips we made to Vegas or through Vegas in the past, we never visited the Hoover Dam. Although it was another brutally HOT day, we made the trek to see the amazing Dam!!!
While we were at the dam Mike, wearing his USS Oak Ridge hat met another sailor Brian, he was on the ship a few years after. They exchanged sea stories of drydocking submarines from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and took a picture.
“Hotter than Hells Pepper Patch”……………………………………………………………………………………………
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One thing’s for sure…..a lot of Utah landscapes really do look the same. With barely a change in the monotonous drive, hey – we recognize that sign! We’ve been through here before – 9 years ago on an epic road trip with our good friends, Jon & Becky Harry, along with Emily Stemmerich in our MINI Coopers…..
Still some miles away from our landing place for several nights, familiar red rocks start popping up here and there. Our bucket list is getting shorter – LOL!!! The elevation change – up and down – really screwed with our ears!!!
We pull into our campground and its only 104 degrees…..we’re hot – the tires are hot – the Sandman is hot and we’re ready to get set up and relax a bit. Unfortunately, it takes a while to cool things down so patience….while we sweat off 5 pounds--------
Excitement is in the air as we have the chance to visit 2 sets of friends that moved to the area from California. Joanie/Craig Berkwitz and Rich Gallup/Carolyne Vincent.
We met Rich and Carolyne near St. George (45 minutes away) for lunch. It was great catching up with them! She has family in the area and California was just too far away so she and Rich up and moved back to the area, earlier this year. When we were all in CA, we would meet them for dinner on Friday nights at the local American Legion which was where Donna’s Dad liked to go. Always a fun time chatting the night away…..
We met Joanie and Craig many years ago through owning our beloved MINI Coopers. We are all avid British car lovers and both owned MINI’s and Morris Minors to putts around in.
They graciously played tour guide as we visited Cedar Breaks National Monument, Bryce Canyon, and Zion. All on our bucket list – Yayyy!!! All three parks are beautiful in their own way.
As it is August, it was quite HOT. However, afternoon thunderstorms seemed to roll in daily to cool things off a bit……
After a long day touring the red rock formations, we went to Milt’s for dinner – a popular place in the middle of nowhere, for Steak and Prime Rib – oh so yummy!!!
They are quite happy in their new neighborhood and have completed moving in – after many trips from Utah and CA and back to get their stuff. It was great to see them and get somewhat caught up on life in general…..
Utah – the Beehive state – neat highway signs…..
Moving on to more exciting things!!!
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SO many more fires burning in the state and states we just went through! The smoke from northern regions is being pushed south so the skies along our travels have been muted in color……
From Idaho to Utah there isn’t much….the occasional dust storm (which thank goodness we weren’t a part of), and many Deer Migration areas (haven’t seen a one yet).
No thanks! I think we’ll “pass” on this road – LOL!!
We arrived late in the day to set things up. It was a long drive in the blazing heat….wow it’s hot here!!!! Not our favorite of places we’ve stayed. They assign your site and ours just happened to be VERY tight with very little room to maneuver.
Only for 2 nights so we didn’t make a big deal about it with management.
Since we had been through this area several times in the past, we elected to forgo driving to the Bonneville Salt Flats and the Great Salt Lake. Instead, we decided to spend a bit of time in downtown Salt Lake City. It was a quick drive, and a quick visit because the heat was just too much. We came upon “South Temple” street where the metal Falcon frames the state Capital from afar. How cool is that?????
We got very few pictures of Temple Square as it was all under construction – not so pretty at the moment. Construction started in 2019 and expected to be completed in 2026. Looks like quite a bit of $$$$ is being sunk into the updates…..
Pretty cool art work along the streets…………….
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The only exciting part about getting here was at a Rest Stop in the middle of nowhere –
LOL!! Another Airstream pulled up alongside of us and we spotted another one across the highway going in the opposite direction.
More high desert in Idaho than we ever imagined! We felt like we were back in parts of So Cal driving through The Grapevine…...agriculture, brush, dead grass, and an occasional train!!
We traversed this part of the country several years back with our besties Jon and Becky Harry. We took our MINI Coopers from So Cal to Twin Falls and back – with many stops along the way. It was an epic road trip.
It was fun to be back at Shoshone Falls, Dierkes Lake, and the Perrine Bridge (the underneath is currently under construction). Many a brave sole have Base Jumped from this 486-foot-high truss arch bridge to the landing spot below. It’s the 8th highest bridge in the US. The breathtaking Snake River curves its way through the deep canyon below. The area is great for hiking…………...when it’s not 104 degrees outside!!
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The air was filled with smoke. The 1000’s of acres burned were visible along our route and many types of fire equipment passed us to wherever they were needed next. We saw power lines downed and pure devastation of the area. It was so sad to see…...
As we traversed through more mountain passes, one called Deadman Pass – kinda scary – we made it safely to the other side.
Ever wondered what a wind turbine blade looks like up close and personal? Well…. here ya go – LOL!!
Don’t care to know how much snow they get in this area, but they are prepared – plenty of warning signs and metal snow fences along the way.
A quick pit stop – we look pretty good in between those big rigs, right????
And here we are at Boise of Airstream Adventure. The Sandman needed some warranty work done and a few minor things tweaked, so we took full advantage of their FREE full hook up area at the dealership!! Super nice they provide this for their customers. We will admit though, it’s very strange camping out in the middle of an industrial park. But hey, we’ll take free any day – LOL!!!
We scheduled this appointment months ago (January) we knew we would be traveling this direction. Sadly, even after 2 follow up calls to ensure they had the parts we needed, they in fact, DID NOT!!
Not Happy Campers at the moment…...
We had a few other small items fixed since we were already there. But now what do we do about getting the REAL issues fixed???? One part (a broken roman shade) is nowhere to be found – ugggg – the other part(s) – more important, shower door enclosure parts that had leaked because the door wasn’t installed properly to begin with. The part was due to arrive AFTER we left…but they did rehang and caulk the door, so fingers crossed, it won’t leak again. We’ll figure out getting the cosmetic stuff fixed down the road…………...
Journey – at 40K miles, needed some new shoes. Since we’ve not really been in any metropolitan cities lately or any coming up, we took advantage of a Discount Tire only a mile away – Yayyyy! Damn - tires are expensive!!! Wowzer……
The air quality has been terrible from the fires blazing all around us. We could tell it was sunny under all that smoke, but it sure made for eerie looking skies!! But beautiful sunsets!
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So much agriculture – everywhere!! 1000’s of empty crates just waiting to be loaded up and delivered to your grocery store.
Ever wondered where the brand “Darigold” plant is? Well, here it is in the middle of Oregon – LOL!!
After checking with the campground manager and with our next destination regarding the fires and road closures, the major fire was under control and I84 was open. We made the decision to trudge forward. We discovered that one of the roads we had planned on taking on this leg of our adventures, was in fact closed. That forced us on a bit of a longer way around – which took us partially through the Mt Rainier area. Oh boy! It was a bit scary towing on the very narrow National Park roads and then continuing on through the mountains outside of the park. It was a LONG driving day!
It was a quick overnight stay. Not too bad a place other than it was located right behind a Pilot Truck stop so we had the pleasure of listening to several 18 wheelers “idle” all night long. We had the A/C on all night as it was HOT, so that helped drown out most of the noise. Nice clean place though…..
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The anticipation grew and grew as we got closer to our next bucket list location(s)…..
It took us a while to get there….we’ve not driven in real traffic for many months. We hit the Seattle area and wow – felt like we were back in California again. Yuck!!!
Mt Rainier and Mt St Helens – here we come – yayyyy!!! But not before we drove another white-knuckle mountain road! Man, these mountains are something else…..Mike is a pro though. No problem he says.
The campground was beaaaauuutiful…..beautiful trees and lush ground cover. We had a perfect spot – paved pull through with full hook ups……….sweet! Our first view of Mt. Rainier was just a few miles down the road. Wow!!!!
The day after we arrived, we took off for Mt St Helens. (Notice the state of Washington uses his head on their road signs.) It was a beautiful clear day, so the views were spectacular………..the drive up through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest - part of the Cascade Mountains, to view what blew it’s top in 1980, and is still active today, was jaw dropping!!! We marveled at thick trees, waterfalls, and wildflowers in full bloom.
As we got farther up Windy Ridge, the landscape changed from lush green to partially mountain covered trees and what was left after the massive eruption. Trees strewn into the mountainsides like toothpicks, still very visible today. A 1972 Grand Prix that was driven by the Parker family, is a stark reminder of that day – the “Miners Car”..
On Sunday morning, May 18th,1980, she erupted, shaken by a 5.1 earthquake, the north face of this tall mountain collapsed in a massive rock avalanche. In seconds this slab of rock and ice slammed into Spirit Lake, crossed a 1300-foot-high ridge, and roared 14 miles down the Toutle River. The blast was lateral, not vertical. Looking into the crater you can see twin lava domes, is she getting ready for another blast?
To this day, Spirit Lake is filled with the thousands of trees that were stripped from the mountainsides, floating around from that disastrous day. On a positive note, the Forest Service is helping to regenerate the area with new trees.
Currently one of the main roads into the North entrance is closed indefinitely due to a massive landslide. The South entrance we went in, is only open for 26 miles – closed the rest of the way for the same reason. From one of the overlooks stops, the views? Spectacular….you can see Mt St Helens, Mt Adams (which currently had a small fire burning – you can see smoke in the picture), and Mt Hood which is in Oregon.
Mt. Rainer – being one of the most popular attractions on the west coast and one of the oldest National Parks, requires a timed entry. We were lucky enough to get one of the few tickets released at 7pm each evening. Off we went to explore the active volcano, glaciers, meadows, and forests……………Oh my goodness! Another amazing place!!! We felt like we were back in Glacier National Park. Every turn was a different view. We just couldn’t get enough!! Although it was a bit foggy most of the day, we enjoyed the scenic views we could see. Hoping that the fog would burn off as we were at around 10,000 feet, we stopped wherever we could to enjoy the many sights……
Oh, those waterfalls!!! And the tunnels!!!!
Ever stand on a rock polished by Glacial Ice?
Most of the hikes within Mt Rainier are pretty difficult and way beyond what we wanted to do. However, there was a couple that we managed to do even though it wasn’t the nicest of days….Yayyy!!! We hiked in Mt Rainier – LOL!!
Reflection Lakes area – one of THE most photographed and popular views….and we could see why……lovely!!!
As the day was drawing to a close and we made our way back down the mountain, look!!!
The fog is clearing!! We can FINALLY get a clear picture of Mt Rainier summit!!! The day was a success………………..
We’ve been keeping a close eye on fire conditions for the past several days. There are multiple HUGE wildfires burning in the direction that we are heading. Roads are closed and 1000’s of acres are up in flames….ugggg…..
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Ever heard of the Snoqualmie Pass? Neither had we…..the “Passes” in this part of the country go in between HUGE mountains so here we go folks……..what goes up must come down! Another bit of white knuckle driving!
Acres and acres of corn fields, Gala apple tree orchards, cherries, grapes, and SO much more!! In between the “desert” areas, the agriculture fields were AMAZING!! The state of Washington ships over 10 Billion – yes 10 Billion apples a year. Wowzer!!! As we got closer to the big cities, we passed winery after winery but didn’t get a chance to stop at any – darn it!!!
And look – another animal crossing! We just LOVE seeing those…..
Nice RV Park but boy was it TIGHT!! This was one time we were very glad to have a pull through site……
Did someone say wedding? Why yes….the whole reason we planned to be in this part of the country was Mike’s niece was getting married. It seems families these days – when they live miles and miles apart, only get together for weddings and funerals – LOL!!! Mike’s brother Steve flew in from California, our daughter and her family flew in from Virginia (missed the wedding because of the whole IT debacle and got stuck in VA for 2 days because flights were cancelled/delayed), and other cousins flew in from all over. It was a fantastic day at a beautiful outdoor venue.
We spent the next 2 days after the wedding getting together with the family for lots of food, drinking, laughing, and storytelling….tons of fun!!
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Where the heck are we? Dang this place is off the beaten path….
Before we left Idaho, The Sandman REALLY needed a bath. We had found a car wash that had an RV bay so off we went to get some of the yuck off….
Look at those Canola fields!!! Yep – that Canola Oil you use to cook with comes from these beautiful yellow flowers…..
You know how in your mind, you picture somewhere you’ve never been, but you have an idea of what you THINK it looks like? But then it’s not??? Well, that was how we felt about driving through this part of Washington State. We had always pictured thick forests, tall trees, you know, that kind of thing! Well…………..it was like being back in the desert again – no kidding!!! Dry grass, brush stuff, a few watering holes here and there, boulders, and just not much of anything……..at least in this part of the state…..
But then……….as we got closer and passed by and over the Potholes Reservoir, we turn into the State Park road and WOW!!! The green oasis of a park in the middle of farm country was beautiful!!! Surprised?? Yes, we were…..and the neatest set up of a campground we’ve ever been. 6 round “pods” that look like flowers. You drive into your pod via the “stem”, then there’s a big circle in the middle, and the camp spots are all off the circle like pedals from the flower!! You pull into the middle and back into your sight – easy peasy!!!!
Yayyyy!!! Easiest back in we’ve ever done…..we love that – LOL!!!! Each pod was encased in very tall trees….pretty cool….huge day use area with a boat launch and playground for the kiddos.
Potholes got its name after the water-carved geological features that were formed during the last ice age. Nestled on the northern border of Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, the park is between Spokane and Seattle, east of the Cascade Mountains.
It was HOT – over 100 degrees each day while we were there so we didn’t do any hiking or bike riding. Better to stay inside and hydrate in the shade!
We saw so many apple orchards, turns out Washington state produces more Gala apples than any other state.
The town of Lake Moses, about 30 minutes away, had all the amenities we needed – laundry, groceries, diesel, and a nice lunch on the lake. Another few down days (so to speak) was fine with us because we have a VERY busy week coming up…….stay tuned!!
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After an EPIC 10 days at Glacier National Park, a bit of downtime was nice. Did we say that??? We are so used to being on the go, it was odd to not have ONE THING planned while here.
As we made our way through the interesting and changing terrain of Montana into Idaho, BIG BLUE sky country was abundant. So dang pretty! But…we knew we would catch up with those mountains sooner or later……no problem….
We arrived safe and sound at Wolf Lodge. As it became clearer that tourist season was in full swing, we could tell by the PACKED campground. Not one empty spot our entire stay. Nice place – nice people – food trucks and a band on Saturday night – what’s not to love about that??? We enjoyed rockin’ out!!!
The downtown area of Coeur d’Alene was pretty cool. We saw lots of great shops and restaurants. The city parks down by Lake Coeur d’Alene were beautiful and packed with peeps who were getting a swim in, as it was over 100 degrees the entire time we were there. There are tons of things to do at the lake including boat cruises and sea plane tours. It is also home to the longest floating boardwalk in the world at 3300 feet long!!! What a unique experience…..
The Scenic Byway on one side of Lake Coeur d’Alene offered stunning views from the top. Yellowstone Trail Road on the other side also offered beautiful views along with some gorgeous homes!!!
Very pretty area…………..onward………
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As the day dawns, lucky we are to have the freedom to travel. Embrace the world and let the journey unfold.
Making our way through the beautiful Montana countryside, the weather seems to change on a dime. Blue skies to threatening thunderstorms.
What is that up ahead??? Oh….it’s an animal crossing bridge – how cool is that???
Of all the places we’ve traveled, this amazing place is one we’ve never been to. We’re here!!!! Another bucket list for us. The excitement is hard to contain when you’ve got these
HUGE, gorgeous mountains staring at you……..OMG……………awesome……Glacier National Park…….
The drive to the campground was pretty cool. After getting off the main highway, the 2 lane road followed the HUGE Flathead Lake. Man what scenery!! Plus a few horse crossings here and there.
Glacier National Park requires a vehicle pass to enter at 3 of the main entrances between 6am – 3pm. They are available on line 120 days prior to the date you want. We were not successful getting advance passes. However, you CAN get in before 6 or after 3 without a pass. The day after we arrived we got our butts up at 4:45am to get ready and be in the park before 6am. Yayyy! We did it…….was it worth it??? You bet ya!! The other multiple days in the park we were successful getting passes each night at 7pm when about 1200 next day passes are released – excellent!!!!!
We entered thru the West Entrance…. The main road from west to east and vice versa is the famous Going to the Sun Road. Man oh man!!! Words simply cannot describe the pure beauty that Mother Nature has provided within this massive National Park. If you are squeamish about heights and no guard rails to speak of, this road is NOT for you – LOL!!!
However you can take the “Red Bus” tour. We drove it at least 10 different times. Glacier – the Crown of the Continent - a showcase of melting glaciers, alpine meadows, carved valleys, THE most stunning waterfalls, and spectacular lakes!!
The only animal we didn’t see was a Moose – but what we did see? Wow – we were like 2 little kids every time we spotted a furry four legged creature – LOL!!!
And here we are along the Continental Divide again…….can’t keep count how many times we’ve crossed it…..
Oh – and don’t dare have 1 spec of a tire over the parking space line or you’ll get one of these!!!
Glacier is a hiker’s paradise! Some hikes were WAY too difficult and long for us. We chose the somewhat less difficult ones this time around, mostly because Donna’s ankle was still not 100%. Our biggest accomplishment was the hike to Hidden Lake – up hill – thru the snow – around a couple of very steep curves. Yayyy – we did it!!!!
Another hike called Trail of the Cedars was just a stunning trek thru the thick forest of 3 types of cedars. Along the way were beautiful moss covered rocks, waterfalls, and a variety of flowers and ferns. Wow!!! The prize at the end was Avalanche Lake – wowee!!!
There are several lodges within the park, the most famous being the Many Glacier Hotel.
Way on the northeast side of the park, what a beautiful setting on Many Glacier Lake. All of the lodges are Swiss in style and have no AC or TV’s. We had a nice “linner” and on our way out, we were treated to these cuties crossing a parking lot.
What a fabulous place. If you’ve never been, it’s a must see………………
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This park came highly recommended by many other Airstream peeps; we pulled into this magical campground – after a smooth drive, even in the rain for just a bit.
With more mountain driving, lots of up and down. It’s a good thing we’ve gotten some good practice with this type of towing. Mike is the bomb!! Handles it all like he’s been towing all his life – Yayyy!!!
We’ve now driven over the Continental Divide for about the 5th time – pretty cool….The Anaconda National Historic Landmark – hum – never heard of hit but here it is in Anaconda Montana. Standing tall since 1918, at slightly over 585 feet, it is the tallest free-standing masonry structure in the world. The Washington Monument could fit inside it. For decades the Big Stack belched lead and arsenic all over the town, but smelting operations ceased in 1980, and in 1983 it was condemned for demolition. Proud Anacondans banded together and saved the Stack. It’s now a Montana State Park – but it’s a park you can’t visit, because the dirt surrounding the Big Stack is still so toxic that you’re kept over a mile away!
We understand that the weather in this area changes on a dime. We experienced that on our drive here. Sunny then rains then very cool fog clouds over the mountains. So pretty!! On to bigger things……stand by………….
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Two nights to recover from our time in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone – LOL!!
As we meandered through Yellowstone from south to north, to exit and head into Montana, wowzer – what a white-knuckle drive towards the end!!! What goes up must come down – on the other side. Steep grades and many hairpin turns but slow and steady makes it to the bottom of the Mountain range. Whew!! A magically beautiful drive but two hands on that steering wheel!!!! One curve was SO sharp that we stopped to let another RV come up the opposite direction – so he would have room to make the turn. As it turns out, as we came down, another guy stopped to let us make the curve coming down. Now that’s how you do it!!!!
The landscape here never gets old. We were however; glad to get to our campground – which by the way – had gorgeous views of the mountain range.
2 days here allowed us to get some adulting done (laundry). We did drive through the neat town of Livingston and since we were close to Bozeman, which we’ve been to before back in 2015 with our good friends Jon and Becky Harry, we wanted to spend some time there again. Had a nice lunch outside in the glorious weather, poked around a few shops and that was that……
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Every new destination is a chance to create unforgettable memories. Travel isn’t just about seeing new places; it’s about feeling alive in every fiber of your being, passionately and joyfully.
We’re finally here…….the drive to the Grand Teton area was breathtaking! Every curve, every turn, every everything on the road was just picture perfect…..the velvet mountains topped with whipped cream, the crystal clear skies…………just simply hard to describe in words!!! Mesmerizing…………Majestic……………Magical……………
Our trip here was even more special as our son and his family decided to vacation in the area. They stayed in Jackson which is about an hour from our campground. We were up early and up late every day. We’ll need a vacation after all this – LOL!!!
Except for one day that they drove to our campground so we could all visit Yellowstone together, we drove to Jackson, and we all piled in their rental vehicle which fit all 6 of us.
We did SO much! We walked around the very cool town of Jackson. Visited several Cowboy Saloons and had some adult beverages. Had lunch several times at some neato places – Mike and our daughter in-law Erin sported their new hats….
We took a scenic tour boat around the famous Jenny Lake. Then we drove to Teton Village for lunch and some fun for the kids. The next day, back to Jenny Lake and took the boat shuttle to the shore to hike to Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls. This place is just amazing!!
We drove the famous 42-mile loop with hopes of seeing some 4-legged animals. We saw a few – Yayyy!! We stopped for lunch at Signal Mountain Lodge right on the lake. The views just can’t be described!!
We did a long day trip to Yellowstone which is HUGE – the south entrance was just a few miles from our campground. Simply stunning…….Old Faithful never gets old. Up the road a bit was the Grand Prismatic Spring – wow – just wow!!!
Snow King Mountain Resort in Jackson has fun for all – an Alpine Slide, Alpine Coaster, Mini Golf, Gondola to the top of the mountain (7808 feet) and a few other things. After everyone finished the slide and coaster, we all took the Gondola up to the top. Donna who doesn’t like these things, kept her eyes closed just about the entire trip up and down – LOL!!! We grabbed lunch to go and had it at the top of the mountain. The views????
WOW……….
Rodeos and Chuck wagons are a huge deal in Jackson. We couldn’t get tickets for the rodeo, which is supposed to be fabulous, but did manage to get reservations for the Chuck Wagon ride and dinner. Way cool! You meet at the Ranch – they have your Covered
Wagon assigned and dinner table assigned. Off you go for a 2-mile trek out in the forest for a BBQ dinner, a western show, then back to the Ranch. What a great time we all had!!!
Our kids and grands left the day before us. We had planned on a bike ride through part of the Teton Park but Donna had twisted her ankle a bit a few days prior to that was nixed.
Instead we drove back to Yellowstone to get one last look at Mother Nature’s glory…..
Fabulous!!!!
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One more overnighter as we continue our way to another bucket list area……
Something we don’t see very often – at least in the southern states, is a snow fence! They are all over these beautiful rolling hills. The wind whips that snow like no tomorrow, across the roads. Most of the roads up here in these parts get closed quite often.
Along our trek through the roads of Wyoming, interesting metal signs by whom??? Cool….like a scavenger hunt – LOL!!!
Just look at those snowcapped mountains!! Wow – every turn was another beautiful view – and those puffy clouds sticking out like cotton against that big blue sky……………..
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After being in pollen country for weeks, our poor Sandman looked yellow instead of silver.
As we made our way out of Custer, we did a stop at the one and only car wash that also
included an RV self-wash.
He’ll be clean for about 24 hours – LOL!!!
A quick overnight as we continue making our way west. Nice place with a beautiful sunset
along the mountain range…..
Beautiful drive with puffy clouds. Amazing how the terrain changed along the way. We
went from Pine Trees in the Badlands, to rolling hills that look like velvet known as the
Grasslands, to Buttes and Mountains.
It’s always fun to see a train in the middle of nowhere……
As we got closer to Casper, we noticed several metal structures along the way. One a
Jackalope and the other a Dinosaur (?) being pulled by none other than Sasquatch – LOL!!!
Gosh the weather just couldn’t be better. It makes for such an enjoyable journey through the awesome roads of South Dakota. There’s nothing quite like the open road to remind us of the beauty in our journey. Our adventures bring us closer to nature and the simple joys of life. Every new destination is a chance to create unforgettable memories.
What??? Another quirky side of the road thing – yep – an airplane high up on a metal pole – LOL!!
We decided to take a slight detour on our way to Custer to visit Devils Tower National Monument not too far into Wyoming. Since we were semi in the area, why not? If you’re a movie buff, you’ll recognize this area as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” did some filming here. To this day, it remains one of the most mysterious national parks, rising 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. It continues to hold many meanings for people including American Indians, local ranchers, rock climbers, and thousands of visitors every year.
We were excited going on to another of our bucket list places. (clap clap clap) Here we are – finally – Mount Rushmore National Memorial. We couldn’t wait to get all set up at our campsite so we could take off and partake in the majestic evening lighting ceremony that starts promptly at 9:00pm during the summer.
Surrounded by the beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota, there they are – the carved figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. You know? You see pictures in books, magazines, and elsewhere when you’re growing up, but we have to say, until you are standing right in front of this incredible sight, you have no idea how truly “grand” it is. OMG……it almost took our breath away.
As it turned from daylight to dusk to dark, like little kids, we eagerly awaited the lighting ceremony that takes place nightly and tells about the contributions each President made during his years of service. It tells of the challenges the country was going through at the time and how their leadership helped overcome those trials. It’s a 45 minute program that includes a Ranger talk, a film, and the illumination of the sculpture. Then the audience participates in singing the National Anthem. At the end, they ask all Military Veterans – if they choose – to come down on stage and participate in retiring the flag for the evening.
Mike doesn’t usually like to participate in such things, but Donna STRONGLY encouraged him to do so, as this is a special event that shows respect to the American Armed Forces and gives a heartfelt tribute, and recognizes the bravery of active and retired military members.
It brought tears to our eyes…………..
The Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park is rife with the potential to see Bison, Pronghorn, Burros, and more. And yep – we saw them all – OMG! So exciting…..
The Pronghorn group of 3 was hysterical to watch. One would “play referee” while the other two did their standoff thing – shoving and pushing each other into a gully then hop out and start again.
As we rounded another corner through the sweeping hills, there stood a group of Burros with not a care in the world. They weren’t moving anytime soon so we carefully maneuvered around them down the road – LOL!!!!
The famous (at least around here) Needles Highway – a 14 mile stretch - is a winding, thrilling drive through the Black Hills that shows off some striking geological features that are difficult to imagine unless you see them in person. The Cathedral Spires shoot straight up and are simply incredible.
The icing on the cake is the Needles Eye Tunnel. OMG – we watched a tour bus inch its way through the tunnel with barely a breath of air to spare. There were about 40 people standing around clapping as they made it by. Donna got out of Journey and photographed Mike as he drove through – turned around – and came back. Then we drove through it again and continued on down the VERY VERY VERY narrow Highway which in many cases, is not a two-way road. It was a breathtaking drive but wow!!!
Marked by narrow tunnels and sharp turns, the road is a favorite for motorcycle and bicycle enthusiasts. The town of Custer is a neat western style town, similar to some of the other towns we’ve visited in the Dakota’s. It has lots of tourist shops and restaurants galore. At each corner, there are differently painted Bisson’s – so cool……The Custer Stampede Buffalo Art Auction was a public art project that was created to showcase original bison artwork by artists from around the country. It began in 2007, with the last one in 2016. Several of the herd survived the auction and that is what is seen scattered around downtown Custer. “Never Forget Your Dreams”……
The Crazy Horse memorial dream began in 1939 and is still a work in progress. Carving a dream….it exists to honor all Indigenous people of North America.
American Indian history and cultures are shared through museums, cultural programs, and the Mountain Carving in progress. No federal money goes to the building of this beautiful sculpture. They rely strictly on private funds from citizens like you and me…..
We drove through the beautiful countryside that took us through the cool towns of Keystone and Hill City. We saw typical tourist seasonal towns that were neat in their own way. Driving through more tunnels along the way was fun. Lots of local woodcarvers that do some beautiful work!!! Seems as though Sasquatch is everywhere – LOL!!!
We had our own local wildlife to view from our campsite. Daily, wild turkeys came to visit along with the same three deer. We just happened to be next to one of the Camp Hosts who made sure there was plenty of food for them to eat……not supposed to feed the wildlife so Mum’s the word from us…..
As we say farewell to the Dakota’s, we’re on to another bucket list…..stay tuned….in a few days!!!!
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A 2-night stay as we continue westward…..and jam packed with lots to see and do around these parts – LOL!! Nice campground with views of the Black Hills of South Dakota…and perfect weather – yayyy!!
Sturgis – famous for being the “biker” town and that it is…..anything and everything biker related is right here for your pleasure……
The countryside simply can’t be explained. The skies are clear – clear blue with beautiful puffy clouds and the rolling hills? You expect to see Julie Andrews singing “The Hills Are Alive” at any moment!! Along the way, as in other states, there are quirky roadside things to see. In Bowman, North Dakota, we saw just that….
On the outskirts of Sturgis, the famous Full Throttle Saloon greets you with many roadside metal sculptures and inside more things hanging everywhere than you can shake a stick at – LOL!! It is THE biggest saloon we’ve ever been in and they are still expanding it. Gotta be able to accommodate those thousands of bikers during those annual Sturgis Motorcycle rallies every August!
Bear Butte State Park is beautiful and spacious with a nice campground on a small lake. We saw a couple of Bison roaming around enjoying the sunny day.
We celebrated our 41st. Wedding Anniversary at The Knuckle Saloon. Quite the place – LOL!! The bar on one side, casino on one side, pool tables on another, and a few tables scattered here and there. The food was good though – Cheers!! Were on to more adventures (clap, clap, clap).
A couple of really cute towns were nearby that we checked out – Spearfish and Deadwood.
Both are very popular in this neck of the woods and loved by the bikers. We drove on the Spearfish Canyon Byway from Spearfish to Deadwood. What a gorgeous road that will leave you awestruck. It reminded us (in a way) of the Blue Ridge Parkway – just more scenic rocks in this area. Nice sweeping curves – but those curves can also be deadly!! On all of the roads we’ve been on in both North and South Dakota, we’ve seen these signs – indicating where someone went to heaven because most likely, they were going too fast. It’s easy to do on these types of roads. When we owned our MINI’s, we lived for roads like this….
Bridal Falls – a beautiful waterfall and a nice scenic stop along the Byway.
On Wednesday evenings – in Sturgis, they have free concerts and all sorts of local food trucks. Well – we just happened to be there on a Wednesday night to partake in the festivities! First “concert” we’ve been to in………um…………..a long time – LOL!! The band was great – played our kind a music – beer was good – and we got a souvenir event cup – hehehehe…..
Onward friends – to another great adventure……………….
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As we traversed down and around the rolling hills and smooth highway, looking forward to this bucket list visit, interesting “road signs” kept us entertained…..
Who knew there was oil in North Dakota??? Oil wells all over the place, along with the miles and miles and miles of farm land and blue skies….just gorgeous!!! The air is SO clear…..you can see forever.
As we got closer and closer to the campground,
we could see the landscape changing……..oh….we’re getting close………..and there is the first road sign……deep beautiful canyons and the Painted Canyon Visitors Center. What scenery!!!!!! The Badlands!!! After drooling over what we were seeing, we continued down the highway to the campground…..which just happened to be the same exit as the Theodore Roosevelt National Park! We’re here………………..(clap clap clap).....a beautiful view of some of the surrounding cliffs were within eye shot of where we stayed.
We spent 3 days driving through the glorious landscape, stopping wherever we could. Our necks were sore from looking back and forth – scoping the land for 4 legged creatures LOL!! What did we see??? OMG……100’s of Bison, the most adorable Prairie Dogs at their “town”, Pronghorns, coyotes, deer, and wild horses! We’ll just let all these pictures show you what we saw…. because there are no words to describe the pure wonder of this truly underrated National Park………………...
Those horses galloping thru the fields – OMG!!!!!!! And look – that is “Airy” on top of the cliff, feeling the breeze through his hair, and keeping those darn flies off!
Not many towns between “here and there”. We went through a few that might have had a few people still living there. One in particular, had the most beautiful Catholic Church and probably the most interesting we’ve ever seen.
The Enchanted Highway – what a trip! The 32-mile rolling road starts at Highway 94 exit 27. It houses a collection of the world’s largest scrap metal sculptures constructed by Gary Greff at intervals along the highway. When we reached the end at the quirky town of Regent, we discovered that Gary owns the Enchanted Highway Gift Shop. We spent a few minutes chatting and then on our way we went – to the end of the road where lies the Enchanted Castle Hotel. In front are the latest creations…. quite the funky place…..
As we say “see ya later” to North Dakota, the memories will be forever etched in our minds!!
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Just a short overnight stay as we continue westward…….
That wind!!!! OMG…..it was killer the entire drive. The grass alongside the road was waving and shimmering like waves on the ocean. Dust clouds – Ugg. They are nasty!!!
But the countryside? Beautiful with miles and miles of farmland and grain silos at every turn. North Dakota is known for growing lots of things – wheat, soy, beans, flaxseed, and much more.
We saw tons of lakes, small and large, along the way. This area is a known migration stopover for many birds and these lakes provide the much-needed food for their long flights.
Who doesn’t love to see a train in the middle of nowhere?
We made it safe and sound – didn’t unhitch….relaxed……………………………..and did laundry
LOL!!!
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Our drive through the countryside, admiring all of the grain silos.
About an hour from the campground, was suddenly interrupted by………….what?????? You’ve got to be kidding!!!
Tornado Warning!
We did notice the skies getting darker as we rolled down the road, but thought it was just a thunderstorm building off in the distance. Well crap!!! “Let’s pull over and look at all of our radar gadgets”. Hum. Not looking good. We’re in the middle of nowhere – no safe place to pull into or under. We decided the best and safest thing was to turn around and go back about 35 miles or so, to the Rest Stop we had just been to. At least it had a solid brick building if we needed to hunker down. We rode out the nasty storm in the parking lot – checked the radar again – the worst had past – off we went – whew!!!
Scary to say the least…..
When we arrived at the campground – right downtown E. Grand Forks, we both said to each other “this is a really strange place to have a campground”. Not knowing the history of the place, I said it looked to have been a previous neighborhood. Sure enough, after reading the pamphlet at the registration office, that’s exactly what it was – previous to the flood in 1997. FEMA purchased 500 homes and other buildings along the Red and Red Lake Rivers. Now it’s a 1200 acre recreation area which includes the campground. This is a unique blend of natural and urban. Very interesting!!!
East Grand Forks is in both Minnesota and North Dakota. Cute towns separated by the Red River. We did a bit of exploring but since we were only here 1 full day, errands took up most of our time. And besides that, the wind advisory for 60 miles an hour winds, isn’t fun to walk around in LOL!!!
Saying goodbye to Minnesota………………….
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We enjoyed seeing all of the dairy farms along our drive. Lot and lots – gotta have lots of milk to make that Wisconsin Cheese….
Yep – that was a quick trip through Wisconsin – LOL!! Here’s another quick 2 night stay.
Nice small campground with only 19 sites, but……it’s right on the Mississippi River!!
We enjoyed another beautiful place to lay our heads. The Dam managed by the ACOE is not as big as some we’ve seen at other parks but still pretty cool to see!!!
We explored the historic town of Grand Rapids, with its old brick buildings – most turned in to stores – pretty cool though.
The weather was scrumptious and FINALLY we were able to open all the windows….falling asleep to the sound of all those nighttime peepers….
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A short 2-night stay while we continue down the road. Saying goodbye to Michigan as we hit that Wisconsin border…..a beautiful drive through the rolling roads with nothing but trees and not a car on the road for miles and miles!!! As we neared the park, the rain started to fall….but…..it was a quick storm that rolled on by – Yayyy – thank you Mother Nature….
The state park was super nice, lots of trees between neighbors, several lakes to explore, along with trails here and there. The storms rolled in again overnight and into the next day.
Finally mid-afternoon we saw that beautiful orange glow in the sky. Off we went to explore one of the trails that took us to Copper and Brownstone waterfalls. Gorgeous! Man, we just can’t get enough of these breathtaking waterfalls!!! We didn’t get to see many when we lived in CA so we’re soaking them all in as we make our way through this beautiful countryside!!!
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“On Golden Pond”………silence…….Then you hear the Loons……
As we made our way a mere 90-mile drive to another more northern part of Lake Superior, the road was pretty lonely – not a bad thing! Listening to our favorites songs and bopping down the highway is how we like to roll. Sometimes not a care in the world and no other vehicles to be seen – LOL!!
The forecast for rain came true as we neared our home for the next 10 days. Setting up camp is never fun when you’re trying to stay dry – LOL!! We got The Sandman backed in and took a deep breath as we swallowed up the view we had – steps from the beach and Lake Superior…..glorious!!!! Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore just a few miles away and Grand Island National Recreation Area (only access via a ferry) right outside our window –
Wow!!!!
So much to see and do – waterfalls, hiking, towns to explore and who thought Christmas came only once a year??? Here, you can go to Christmas any time you want!!! In 1938 a local man started a factory making holiday gifts. The factory, gone long ago, the town of only 400 people has a casino, a beautiful view of the lake, waterfalls, and a Lighthouse. In the winter, the town comes alive with winter activities.
We explored the charming fishing town of Munising, that has lots of amenities, breweries, shops, and amazing views of the Lake. Being this is very much a tourist town; the locals are very welcoming. The Munising Front Range Light shines a continuous red light, welcoming those sailing vessels of all types, back to shore. The Munising Rear Range Light, on the hillside across from the Front Range Light, was placed to work in conjunction with it. Both beautiful in their own way!!
A visit to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Visitors Center brought us to the first waterfall – Munising Falls. 50’ feet of beautiful water, helping all those beautiful flowers bloom along the way!
The best way to see the Pictured Rocks within the Lakeshore is to book a boat tour with the local National Park Concessionaire. There are multiple trails that are long and three dry campgrounds (no services) within the Lakeshore, but they don’t give you the views! And WOW – WOW – WOW – the sandstone cliffs, beaches, sand dunes, and waterfalls – spectacular!!! The power of Lake Superior shapes the coastal features and affects every ecosystem, creating a unique landscape to explore.
Lake Superior over the years has claimed many ships and lives. Glass Bottom Shipwreck Tour explores two historical shipwrecks, along with cruising by Grand Island and its historical Lighthouse, and all the beautiful cliffs, caves, and beaches…..Wow…..just gorgeous!
The Pictured Rocks National Seashore consists of many miles of……breathtaking beaches, hiking trails to those beaches, with gorgeous waterfalls along the way. We did as many hikes as we could – in between the rain days…..but that left us to hike in MUD to several locations – LOL!!! Was it worth it??? Hell yeah!!!! “You better not drive down that road or it will cost you $300 for me to tow you out. Okay, thanks! We’ll keep going down this road to the other trail marker”……. Each hike we took through the Hiawatha Forest was as if we were in an Enchanted Forest. So gorgeous at every turn with breathtaking plants, ferns, and flowers shooting up from the moist ground…after their winter sleep.
Oh, those sand dunes!!!!! Wowzer……we’ve had NO problem getting our “steps” in!!!!
A day trip in the opposite direction took us to the charming town of Marquette, located on Lake Superior (still) – Lake Superior is HUGE!!! Marquette is a major port, primarily known for shipping iron ore. We visited the Ore Dock – both the original not being used and the one currently in full operation. It’s amazing how these work!! (Google it for more information). We had a great lunch overlooking the Lake and the original dock. Like so many other Michigan towns, Marquette is home to a historic harbor Lighthouse. Another beautiful sight helping to guide those ships to port…..
Grand Island Recreation Area – rustic and remote – just across the lake from our Campground, was fabulous to spend a day biking. The “paths” were a mix of gravel and mud pits that take you to the most spectacular views of the lake, Pictured Rocks, and pristine sandy beaches… There’s not much on the island with the exception of a few rental cabins and camping spots – very remote!! There are a few existing structures (cabins) owned by the Hershey family. We found a beautiful beach to sit, have lunch, and take in the breathtaking views of Lake Superior once again. Waterfall beach didn’t disappoint……after 15 miles on our bikes, we were ready to head back to the ferry. You miss the last one and guess what? You’re spending the night “somewhere” on the island
LOL!!!!
When Cornish miners migrated to Michigan's Upper Peninsula in the 1800's, they brought with them their beloved national dish: the pasty. The Finnish miners that followed adopted these meat pies as their own (easily transportable for long subterranean days!), and the pasty became such a large part of the regional culture that there's an annual pasty festival in early July. In this recipe, beef, rutabaga, carrots, onions and potatoes are essentially steamed within the crimped, D-shaped dough pocket that's slit to allow just enough steam to escape. Of course we had to try one, and we did while waiting for the boat tour.
Michigan… We will miss you in many ways…..those sunsets!!! Wow – Wow – Wow….. the Caribbean colors of the water…..hunting for special rocks……. Bugs.... and those Enchanted Forests.
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The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called gitche gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and crew was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early
The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship bell rang
Could it be the north wind they been feelin
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railin’
And every man knew, as the captain did too,
Twas’ the witch of November come stealin’
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashin’
When afternoon came it was freezing rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin’,
“Fellas, it’s too rough to feed ya”
At seven pm a main hatchway caved in, he said,
“Fellas, it’s been good to know ya”
The captain wired in he had water comin’ in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went out of sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searches all say they’d have made Whitefish Bay
If they’d put fifteen more miles behind her
They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man’s dreams
The islands and bays are for sportsmen
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered
In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
In the maritime sailors’ cathedral
The church bell chimed ‘till it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call ‘Gitche Gumee’
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early…
Gordon Lightfoot
Welcome to Paradise where waterfalls, shipwrecks, and blueberry festivals are big…bigger than life. We pulled into our campground with the excitement of two little kids – knowing we would be seeing/hiking the Lower and Upper Tahquamenon Falls – also known as The Root Beer Falls. The color of the water is created by the leaching of tannins from the cedar swamps which feed the river.
We couldn’t check in to the campground until mid-afternoon – we arrived a bit early. Being as it was lunchtime, we decided to make our first stop to the Tahquamenon Falls Pub and Brewery. With The Sandman in tow, off we went 20 miles up the road to get our first experience of the area. Yum………..their own Blueberry Ale was outstanding!!! This state park is HUGE and covers 50 thousand acres.
Yooper Perfume?? What you say??? Oh….bug deterrent!!! We are stocked – LOL!!
The Falls – both Lower and Upper – breathtaking – there are no words for how mother nature has provided us with such awesomeness!!! We hiked all over and just couldn’t get enough!! The North Country Scenic Trail also runs through this area. Oh the glory of it all…….
On the several hikes we did in the area, beautiful wildflowers were just starting to pop….
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum was a bucket list item for us. The beautiful Lighthouse was standing tall, watching over the waters that took so many lives, many years ago. On a clear day, Canada was just across the lake from Whitefish Bay. We watched a ship proudly make her way thru the small strait. The sunsets were spectacular from the beach. Beautiful driftwood laying half buried from many of the strong storms that occur in this area.
There is no lack of wildlife in the U.P. We kept our eyes peeled for Moose, but sadly – we saw none. There were plenty of other critters to enjoy!!!
We get a kick out of road signs up this way as many are unique to this region. Many were just funny.
If you live in the area during the winter, and you want your mail delivered to the mailbox, what do you do??? You put it on top of a 10’ pole – LOL!!!!
This was probably the 2nd most remote area we’ve ever been to while on our adventures.
We were happy we came well prepared as there were no grocery stores – just glorified convenience stores and one small gas station that did have diesel. There were a few local restaurants and shops that were a combination of a post office, building supplies, and hardware items. Closest area for shopping is about an hour away. “You’ll have to go to the Soo if you want anything else.” said everyone we asked.
We've found most locals to be friendly. They seem to think all is "faaaantastic"!
This is what “Pure Michigan” (their state slogan) is all about…….
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One thing we’ve learned about being on the road is we’re out of our “comfort zone” almost on a daily basis.
Evidence shows that people are at their best, physically harder, and mentally tougher, after experiencing some of the same discomforts our early ancestors were exposed to every day. But the more miles we’ve put under our wheels, the easier it’s gotten to live on the road…. We realize that we ARE living the American Dream!
A beautiful blue-sky day, with no wind - a perfect driving day…………. perfect because????
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Here we go – over the famous Mighty Mac – The Mackinac Bridge!!! Whoo Hoo…. well, that was fun – not!! Construction (no big surprise) had one lane closed. Squeeze!!!!! Those grates??? Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle... Slow and steady with a great party line of trucks and cars behind us LOL…..we made it to the other side safe and sound – Whew! That was some white knuckling for Mike. We both needed an adult beverage after this anxiety building drive!!!
We’ve now arrived in “Yooper” land – the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) of Michigan – The Yoop! Michiganders’’ that live below the Mackinac Bridge are known as “Trolls”. Tourists are known as “Fudgies”. There is plenty of fudge, t-shirts, and adventure to be had…
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Wonder if there any good Mexican restaurants where we’re headed????? Yep…. we found one – Cheers!!
The Tiki RV Park was another great place with a small view of Lake Huron from our site.
Only a couple other RV’s here – again it’s not quite camping season up here as most things open in mid-May or Memorial Weekend.
Looking at the weather outlook for the next week or so, we decided to take off for Mackinac Island the day after we arrived. Our first trip there last week with our friend Gretchan – well – we froze our asses off – LOL!! It was cloudy, windy, foggy, and just not fun…. We had the perfect weather this 2nd time around and spent most of the day having “Mansion envy” - drooling over the houses once again and admiring The Grand Hotel.
Did you know that the movie “Somewhere in Time” was produced on the Island? It was originally supposed to be filmed at the Hotel Del Coronado, in San Diego but the Del wasn’t available.
Expensive is the key word as mentioned in our previous entry. Oh yeah – the Hotel CHARGES $12 just to walk in – what???? We didn’t pay when we were there last week only because they had just opened that weekend. But come on! Pay $12 to mill about and then spend an ungodly amount on food and drinks???? Hum……all in all we loved it and would not discourage others from visiting as it is truly a magical experience!
Being as we were only about 50 miles from Sault (pronounced SOO) Ste Marie – both a US and Canadian city, we took off to visit the US side first because………………. that’s where the SOO locks are and that was a bucket list item for us. What a fascinating site to see!! We were lucky enough (without having a schedule) to see 4 ships go through. They have been referred to as one of the great wonders of the world and are still the largest and one of the busiest waterway traffic systems on earth! Wowzer!!! The locks consist of two canals and four locks that allow vessels to safely traverse the 21-foot drop in elevation of the St. Mary’s River between Lake Superior and Lakes Michigan and Huron.
So many lighthouses in this state! We had to pick and choose which ones to visit as some were pretty far away…. Point Iroquois didn’t disappoint. It was “sort of” on our way back to St. Ignace. Unfortunately, it wasn’t open inside yet for visitors – still early in their season darn it!! But it did give us an interesting tour of some Indian Tribal communities along the way. We had no idea that the state of Michigan was so enriched in Indian culture, many of which are federally recognized.
Oh Canada – here we come!! Another bucket list as neither of us had ever been there.
Passports? Check. Security questions passed, Check!! We bypassed visiting the SOO locks as the Canadian side is only used for recreational and tour boats. First stop was the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre (museum). Pretty neat place filled with over 30 vintage back country firefighting planes……
Not wanting to wander TOO far into Canada (very unfamiliar territory and mostly scenic terrain for miles and miles), we decided to drive up the coast a way via the Trans Canada Hwy. Our stop for the day before turning around brought us to Harmony Beach Ontario with stunning views of Whitefish Bay along our route! And…. some very interesting road signs.
We thought gas was expensive in the US????
We heard there’s going to be an awesome sky event??? Could it be?? Check off another thing on our bucket list? The Northern Lights!!!! We scoped out a dark place near the McGulpin Point Lighthouse – another cool Lighthouse – we haven’t seen one yet that isn’t awesome!
Another neato place in the same area was the Headlands International Dark Sky Park but decided it’s better for star gazing than Northern Lights viewing. At McGulpin Point, we waited and waited and waited……but the clouds and bugs kept rolling in. Damn it………. nothing – nada – uggggg…. We’ll try again as this super-duper event is supposed to last for 3 nights.
Like waiting for the 4th of July fireworks….boom….boom….boom…..we headed out for yet another chance of viewing the Northern Lights. The sunset was breathtaking as we watched a ship go by. The sky grew darker and then………. the magic started to happen!!!
OMG!!! Is this really happening??? We jumped for joy like two little kids…. everywhere we looked, more colors exploded in the sky. Truly a moment we’ll never forget. After hours in the cold, the sky cleared and back home we went.
But wait??? Are there more???
OMG…. the sky exploded again. It was a cold night, but we couldn’t tear ourselves away from that unreal scene happening all around us – WOW!!!! Like ghosts moving in the wind, it just got better and better….
The town of St. Ignace is home to the world-famous Castle Rock. It rises 200 feet above lake level. It was an ancient lookout of the Ojibway Indians. Oh boy – Donna doesn’t like open heights!!! But we climbed those 170 steep steps anyway and voila – beautiful views of Mackinac Island, Lake Huron, and miles of other scenic views!
The North Country Scenic Trail is 4800 miles and travels through 8 states. Part of it is in St. Ignace very near where our campground was. Off we went to explore the beautiful forests of Michigan….
If you love the outdoors, water, blue skies, and Caribbean style waters, then Michigan is a trip you should plan. You won’t be disappointed!! Except for those damn midges that hatched while we were here….and they are EVERYWHERE….they don’t bite but they sure are annoying. Mate already….then go away – LOL!!
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Before heading out from Traverse City, The Sandman needed some attention. He decided that his electrical system was going to whack out a bit. So off to Airstream of Northern Michigan which just happened to be not too far away….oh thank you!!!!!! After 3 hours of replacing a few fuses, testing this and that, resetting this and that, all systems were GO and we were on our way – Yayyyyy!!!!!
Have you ever felt like you’re all alone in a strange place? That maybe the road less traveled is for a reason? We get that!! Very nice RV park…large sites, great staff, and…..we were the only ones camping all week until the night before we left – LOL!! But that’s okay. It’s early in the season up here in Michigan so not everything has opened up yet.
We planned our stay here as we have some friends that moved from CA to the area 3 years ago…literally the street behind the campground. Meet Gretchan….remember when Donna wore her hair in a short spike for many years? Gretchan was the person that worked that magic and they’ve stayed in touch. Originally from this area, their family is back again, along with her Mom and sister.
Gretchan played tour guide with us for 3 days and took us all over the place, including a nice home cooked meal one evening……….Yes!!
Life here is about drinking in the atmosphere, seeing the night sky with stars so clear and bright, you can see them forever. The beauty of the trails, homes, miles of coastal shoreline, and breathtakingly clear water is magical.
And…..we’re off to Kitchiitikipi Big Spring – in the Upper Peninsula. Michigan’s largest natural freshwater spring and probably the most unusual thing we’ve seen in a long time. Located within Palms Book State Park and the water is crystal clear – CRYSTAL CLEAR – Are those trout?? Yep – they sure are! It’s a consistent 45 degrees (burrrrr), 40 feet deep and 10000 gallons of water per minute rise up through the cracks. It was fascinating to watch the water bubbling up under the fish. We hoped aboard the hand operated raft that propels the raft along a guided line – oh what fun that was!!! The raft has a roof so you can see the fish without the glare from the sun.
Did someone say lunch? In these parts which are RURAL and small little fishing towns, there’s not much to choose from. Off to the town of Manistique – oh so charming!! We found a cute little bar that served – well – not much – but we managed. Bonus – they had a pool table at .25 a game! What????? Then it was off to the Manistique East Breakwater Lighthouse. Perfect timing as there were several families of Geese with their new babies…awwww….adorable!!
Since we were somewhat in the area, off to the Ocqueoc Falls – gorgeous, beautiful, cascading waterfalls!! It is known as the biggest waterfall in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. During spawning season, you can see salmon swimming upriver. How cool would that be????
Okay – what the hell is THAT in front of us? Looks like smoke. Nope, not smoke. OMG – those are swarms of midges (tiny flies)! When they hatch, there are millions of them. They mate and then die. Okay…..that’s after they cover you when you get out of the car. Then you look at your car and it’s covered with millions of them – ewwwwww!!!!
We couldn’t end another day without seeing yet another lighthouse. Off to 40 Mile Point Lighthouse in the very small city of Rogers on the western shore of Lake Huron. Beautiful!!!! On the beach lies the remnants of the Joseph S. Fay – a wooden steamer built in 1871. It met its demise in 1905.
We saved the best for last……Mackinac Island. OMG!!! What a magical place!!! There really are no words to describe this island other than you’ve just stepped back in time. It’s a car-free zone (including electric bikes unless you live or work there). Horse drawn carriages and bikes are the modes of transportation. There are several Ferry companies to transport you back and forth, and several places to rent bikes on the island.
Let’s just get this out here – it’s not cheap getting to the island and once there, NOTHING is cheap – LOL!! It was on our bucket list so off we went. The island itself is only 4.35 square miles. It’s a whole 8 miles to ride your bike all the way around. When we stepped off the ferry, we both looked at each other and said “this reminds me of Catalina Island!” (off the coast of southern CA). The short main street is loaded with….what else…..shops, bars, restaurants, and several places to buy their famous fudge – LOL!!
As we walked along Main Street, on a very foggy and cool (cold) day, every house was more grand and beautiful than the next – wow – wow – wow!! Then boom!!!! What the heck was that??? Oh yeah, Fort Mackinac sounding their cannons. Scared the crap out of us – LOL!! And then – there is was in all its glory – the famous Grand Hotel. My oh my…….it reminded us a bit of the Hotel Del Coronado. Not the architecture, but the “grandness” of it all. As we stepped inside, you could smell the $$$$ just floating around. And everything was GRAND – meaning expensive. But what the heck, you only live once. We all had drinks – Cheers to a $25 drink – LOL!! We savored every……single……sip…….and enjoyed taking in all the views – from the people, to what we saw on the grounds and out the windows. Simply awesome…..
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After unplugging shore power where we came from, we discovered we’ve got “something going on” as in nothing going on….uggg….we’ll deal with it on Monday!!! Rut Row….
The wind up this way is no joke!! We fought the wind all the way which wasn’t fun. But….it was 75 degrees – Yayyy! But how quickly the weather in Michigan changes. It dropped 35 degrees overnight and now here comes the thunderstorms – again………shore power is our friend at the moment since our batteries don’t seem to be charging. Everything is fine…..until it’s not.
What is that? Oh – it’s a snow mobile!! Snow mobile crossing sign LOL!! We’ve not been this far north before. The campground is nice – plenty of space with trees and…..it’s right across the street from Grand Traverse Bay which empties into Lake Michigan. Traverse City is known as the “Cherry Capital of the World” as the surrounding areas are a hot spot for cherry production. Who knew???? We saw acres and acres of cherry trees, grapes for wine, apple trees, and so much more. Vineyards’ and wineries everywhere…
Speaking of cherries – Mike is a lover of all things cherry. Traverse City has its own local Whiskey made with the local yummies. Not to worry honey, we’ll find a place for it – LOL!! A DANGEROUS store we found called Cherry Country Gift Shop has ALL things cherry. We’ve never spent SO much time in a gift shop – ever!!! Still trying to find places to stash our stash!!! Traverse City is a great town with tons of shops, restaurants, breweries, and the best views – I mean – who doesn’t love looking at a gorgeous huge lake that is SO big, it looks like an ocean? We took off to explore the Mission Point Lighthouse – yep – another one – we just love the scavenger hunt for them – LOL!! The road taking is there was FILLED with one gorgeous home after the other. Gosh – we just can’t get over how these northern coastal areas have homes that will knock your socks off…..beautiful!!!! The Lighthouse sits on the 45 th Parallel or half way between the North Pole & the Equator – now THAT is awesome, and we were there!!! It was deactivated in 1933.
More rain....but it gives us a chance to do some “adulting” – phone calls, paperwork, etc. With cloudy skies still hanging around – and that chilly wind – and maybe a chance of rain (again), we took off for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Absolutely breathtaking scenery!!! We did two hikes within the National Lakeshore. The first was Pyramid Point which took us to the most gorgeous view of South and North Manitou Islands within Lake Michigan. The water - OMG………it looks like the Caribbean!!! The flowers along the way were just beginning to bloom – so pretty!
The second hike was on our bucket list – Sleeping Bear Dunes. There are several areas you can hike and climb to the top with stunning views. Oh and the beach areas are beautiful too – lots of rocks, fossils, agates, granite, and so much more!! It’s a rock hounding paradise!!
Black squirrels? Everywhere……..we’ve only seen them one other time. They’re pretty cute!! The Chipmunks are pretty cute too….
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Many months ago, as we planned out our trip north, Michigan was a bucket list for us. With all the traveling we’ve both done, we’ve never been to Michigan. Being as it is still April, we were just a tad bit concerned (in the back of our minds), that there might still be snow.
Nope……so here we are!!!!
And…..it’s sneezin season – LOL!! And April showers bring April flowers…of course it’s raining!!!!
The town of Holland, founded in 1847, is simply……charming…..with its vast Dutch heritage and culture, what’s not to love? The coastal town does not lack the gorgeous homes either!
We had NO idea the town was getting ready for its famous Tulip Festival, where tens of thousands of people transcend upon the area!! As we maneuvered Journey and The Sandman through the narrow streets of Holland to the state park, we were greeted with thousands of tulips, tulip trees, and daffodils everywhere. OMG!! Every color of the rainbow – in front of every building, corner square, and most homes. Simply breathtaking!!!
Just down the street from the campground – which faces Lake Macatawa, is “Big Red” – the Holland Harbor Lighthouse. It sits at the entrance channel from Lake Michigan, sitting tall for almost 100 years. Across Lake Michigan, we could see a massive thunderstorm building, so our visit was cut just a bit short – just in time – the heavens opened – the lightning strikes, and the thunder rolled under our feet. The surfers and wind surfers made double time heading to their vehicles!!!
Windmill Island Gardens - home to rows and rows and rows of gorgeous tulips. It is also home to the only authentic working Dutch Windmill in the US. The De Zwaan (Graceful Bird or The Swan) – what a beauty! Never in our lives did we think we would ever tour a REAL working Windmill. Damn was that cool…..it was brought to the US in 1964. The Gardens are also home to an antique Dutch carousel, and organ. Saugatuck – a nearby small charming coastal town, offers up some cute shops and restaurants – and some GORGEOUS homes!
In this part of the world, there are some of the most stunning homes we’ve ever seen. We used to think California had some McMansions, but these homes here??? One right after the other is unbelievably jaw dropping……
We can see what the draw is for people to live here but……………….burrrrr – it’s been a bit chilly – and that wind!! That wind has a real BITE to it – LOL!! Right off Lake Michigan.
We’ll take the wind over snow though……
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Potato Creek State Park
Enjoying the scenery along the roads – when we were kids, we couldn’t wait to get OUT of the car – are we there yet??? Funny how things change when you get a bit older and have the opportunity to do what we’re doing.
This was another one night stay to break up mileage as we continue north. Very nice – large park – simple sites – easy in and out. The park houses one of two large Osprey nests in the state. As we left, we were lucky enough to catch site of one, hovering over the nest. Better stop!!!!
See ya Indiana --------
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Another long - uneventful drive as we make our way north. Arriving at the park, we were amazed – really amazed – at how HUGE this place is!! 16,000 acres…………it’s Indiana’s largest state park. We had a perfect site nestled in the woods and the place was full to the brim with excited campers…..
The park is nicknamed the “Little Smokies”, boasting stunning views of rolling hills. Looking out over the tree tops, we both said it looked like the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Dogwood trees are just starting to bloom and man are they beautiful!!!!
The nearby town of Nashville is the cutest!! It has neat little shops and restaurants to visit, up and down the main street. Good thing we have NO ROOM to buy anything – LOL!!!
This was our 2nd visit to this area. We had friends to visit that we knew in Northern Virginia many years ago – Mark/Lenny Turney, and a retired Navy friend – Roger Seeley, that we met through our days with the MINI Cooper club and he happened to be stationed in San Diego when we lived there. They live within 40 minutes of our campground so we enjoyed good food, some adult beverages, storytelling, and lots of laughs…..
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This was a quick overnight stay on our way to the next destination so not much to write about. It was another beautiful park with lots to do if we ever get back this way. Lots of trails and waterfalls…………….just what we love!!!
A long drive day with some nasty thunderstorms all around us. But alas they didn’t last too long until……………we tried to get some sleep. Wowzer – here we go again!! We kept the TV on the weather and the warnings never stopped. The storms were building…..tornadoes spotted very near…….damnit!!! They were just south of us….but it poured and rumbled thunder most of the night. Have you ever felt thunder under your feet???? Uggggg……..
The morning came too damn early but the front blew thru, the sun came out, and it was substantially colder – burrrr!!!! On the road again.
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Ya know – it gets better and better. These state parks are just beautiful. We picked another great site with a bit of a lake view. After a smooth sailing drive day, we enjoyed a cold one outside on our patio…we had a wonderful, relaxing stay.
We had no idea Arkansas had so many hundreds of miles of farm land. We saw a crop duster which we haven’t seen in forever……interesting how the terrain changes too. Mountains, lakes, rivers, and lots of wildlife. The cardinals are in abundance, and they LOVE to look at themselves in our TRUCK MIRRORS and peck at the windows Urrgggg….
Another storm rolled through while we were here so what do you do on a rainy day? Laundry……which in these VERY rural areas isn’t easy to find. You gotta do what you gotta do….drive 20 miles to the nearest laundry mat – LOL!!
When the weather cleared up, we took a nice pleasant 4 mile walk around the campground. Enjoyed seeing all the turtles sunning themselves on the logs floating in the lake.
But………..while doing laundry in the small town of Walnut Ridge, we stumbled upon Abbey Lane! Yep – that’s right – THAT Abbey Lane. Seems as though on 9/18/64, The Beatles finished a concert in Dallas. They made a brief stop in Walnut Ridge. The airport provided an ideal spot for the group to change planes before heading to Missouri – avoiding the crush of screaming fans because of the small town. Just after midnight, 3 local boys noticed the odd timing of a plane landing and raced to the airport to identify the unexpected visitors. To their surprise, the Beatles departed the plane and quickly boarded a small aircraft heading for Missouri. There were many false alarms that morning. Teenagers mobbed a local crop-duster mistaken for the Beatles’ plane. Little did they know that McCartney and Harrison had arrived at the airport an hour early and watched the spectacle from an old truck parked across the runway!
Suddenly, a small commuter plane with Lennon and Starr landed and taxied up the runway. The two left the plane, walking through a gauntlet of excited spectators. At the same time Lennon and Starr ascended the steps to the larger plane, the old truck that held Harrison
and McCartney pulled up next to it. All four Beatles quickly boarded and left for their last US concert of the year.
On 9/18/2011, Walnut Ridge unveiled a monument dedicating this event. Now each September the town hosts a “Beatles at the Ridge Festival”. Who knew??????
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Sometimes on driving days, we like to stop for brunch, especially if it’s a long driving day through small towns and not many places to pull off once we get off main roads. Waffle House is our go to and we found one that had a pull through driveway – Yayyy!! It’s the little things ya know????
Thank you Arkansas for all the beautiful flowers – rain must have been good to you and provided us with an abundance of gorgeous colors along our way!!
This park was beautiful – we picked the perfect site right on the Arkansas River with unobstructed views of the river. We enjoyed watching the barges go by and the people from the local yacht club tootle by in their beautiful boats!
Waking up to beautiful sunrises was also a plus….along with the MANY geese squawking away at each other – LOL!!
Last year we were in a different area of Arkansas camping and took a drive to the waterfront part of Little Rock. It was COLD so we didn’t stay very long – LOL!! This time however, the weather was scrumptious and we headed out for Little Rock again, to explore a little more.
We had lunch at a local Mexican place near the water. It’s still a little town that is trying to rebuild itself and keep going.
Pinnacle Mountain State Park was just minutes from us. After visiting the new Visitors Center to get information on hiking the mountain (West or East side), we ventured back the next day, armed with what we needed to make it to the top and back. Wowzer!!! It was a BEAST, but we made it – Yayyy!!! Sitting on top of the mountain with views forever – what could be better than that???? Then we had our PB & and J swammiches – LOL!!! We needed fuel to get back down this bad boy…
The area is filled with gorgeous homes – one after the other. We commented to each other that some of them looked as if they should be in Colorado (the style). A great place…….
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Don’t mess with Texas Y’all…
As we say goodbye to the Lone Star State! Journey has been waiting almost a month to get his front end fixed. You may remember from our earlier blog post at Martin Dies Jr. State Park – someone hit us in a parking lot. Off to the Dodge dealer in Texarkana he went. A week later we got him back – good as new! Yayyy!!! ….in the meantime, we had a rental car….which raised a lot of eyebrows and questions from other campers driving/walking by. Hum!!! Do you REALLY tow with THAT???
The weather here is very unpredictable. A beautiful sunny day can turn into massive thunderstorms on a dime. We had a couple nice sunny days which we took full advantage of. The park and the adjacent park (Piney Point) were perfect for getting some good exercise on our bikes – about 7 miles every ride.
Wind…….geez………it was crazy for a few days. Being right on the lake has its negatives – LOL!! Locals call it breezy. We call it a stiff wind~~~~~~
Texarkana gets its name from --- you guessed it - being in Texas and in Arkansas. We took a little drive to the historic district. Sadly, most of the town is shuttered with the exception of the post office, a few restaurants, and small businesses. It saddens us as we maneuver through some of these urban areas, to see things just falling apart and abandoned. To add some cheer to the town, there were many beautiful murals painted by locals.
Then……….it was THE day we planned our leg of the trip for…. April 8 th – the FULL SOLAR ECLIPSE!!! Okay clouds – you can go away any time now…..all we could do was keep our fingers crossed that the sky gods would come through for us…………….and they did………it was THE most remarkable, magical event we’ve ever seen in our lifetime.....
All morning as we walked the campground looking once again for the best viewing spot (there were several), the excitement was building. People were setting up chairs, testing their special eclipse glasses, and talking about where they came from to view this once in a lifetime event. Mike had bought a special lens filter and of course we had bought special eclipse shirts! We just couldn’t imagine missing out if the weather wasn’t going to cooperate. All week on the news, the weather report was iffy…predicting cloud cover. Fortunately for us, the clouds parted during the main event. We heard whooping, hollering and cheering all over the campgrounds.
Several hours after the eclipse ended, the storms arrived. All night the thunder boomed, and lighting struck all around the lake. We had a long sleepless night with our trailer rumbling with every crack of thunder.
Can’t beat those gorgeous sunsets and sitting around a campfire!!
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Nestled in the woods next to the 8500-acre Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge, a small but beautiful place to enjoy nature. It rests on the banks of the Big Cypress Bayou. Little did we know that Karnack was the childhood home of Lady Bird Johnson!! Her father, T.J. Taylor, was one of several wealthy donors who gave private land for the park.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933 to provide jobs and job skills for young men to work on conservation projects. During the hot, humid summer of 1934, CCC Company 889 builds the first structures, trails and firebreaks in the new park. Company 857 continued working from October 1934 to March 1937, building the park’s permanent structures. They converted 16 U.S. Army barracks and an Army mess hall in the nine rustic log cabins and group recreation hall used today. On one of our hikes through the park, we came across one of the pavilions built in the 1930’s!! SO cool to see….
The flowers are starting to pop here…..so darn pretty!!!
The HUGE bald Cypress Trees draped with Spanish Moss create a ghostly scene – calming and beautiful….with kayakers intertwined moseying along the calm river banks. The “knees” of the trees are above ground extensions of their root systems.
Another Airstream pulled in just a couple of sites down from us. We met up and went kayaking on the Caddo Lake water trail. Oh my gosh!! It was THE most peaceful and sur- real thing!!! We hadn’t been kayaking in ……. years – LOL!!! What a fun day!!!!
A short drive took us to the historical town of Jefferson. A bit eclectic in its own way – we walked up and down the several blocks of streets – popping in and out of the stores, taking in all the town had to offer. Cute little shops, lots of antique stores, and several pretty neat looking restaurants. Being the simple peeps that we are, we had lunch at the local family owned Port Jefferson Outpost, followed up by Texas Blue Bell Ice Cream cones……OH SO GOOD!!!!! We always try to support the local economy in some way when we’re out and about…..
Texas is an interesting state. When you get out of the big cities, it is rural – I MEAN RURAL and Bayou country!!! Some areas have big, beautiful homes like you see on TV, and then other areas, well; we weren’t sure if the home was abandoned or if someone was actually living there….
On a whim, we decided to drive to Shreveport Louisiana since it was only about 30 minutes from the state park. We were a bit shocked and speechless as we drove around. The city has tried very hard to rebuild the small area down by their Riverwalk with a Convention Center, Visitors Center, an Aquarium, and some hotels. Other than that, the city was shuttered and abandoned – metal bars on the doors of the closed businesses and graffiti smeared everywhere….it was a short trip!!!!
Donna being the sucker she is for homeless animals discovered 3 dogs that lived in the woods near the campground. One was obviously a new Mama…..and had 2 friends with her most of the time. Our next trip to the store included some dog food. We know we probably shouldn’t have fed them, but………………………………..we did. At least they had some good nourishment while we were there!!
Rural Texas…………is a very interesting part of the country.
Welcome to Texas – land of pop-up thunderstorms, twist up tornados and springtime pollen!!!!
Our drive from place to place started off with semi-clear skies. Welp – that didn’t last long. Keeping an eye on the weather and thought the storms would have gone past where we were traveling through, but not the case!!! Many times, driving on interstates, it’s easy to get off an exit and sit a storm out. Small two lane back roads are not your friend when the weather turns nasty…… We could see dark clouds forming in front of us and lightning like crazy. Luckily a few miles up the road, we found a small general store with a large, pothole filled parking lot to pull into. There we sat for a while listing to the booming thunder, hoping for no hail….there was a small, covered area where people could pull into to fuel up. We were keeping our eyes on THAT for cover if need be!!! But the weather gods were with us – no hail – but lots of rain and lightning. 30 minutes later we were on our way again – Whew!!!
Jasper, Texas is a very small town with not much around. A few places to get amenities and two antique stores, that’s about it….
The state park itself is large and sits on the banks of the B. A. Steinhagen Lake with two rivers meeting on the outskirts – the Neches and the Angelina. Lots of outdoor opportunities here! We saw a few boats tooling around the river at night next to our site, looking for alligators. Yep they are here but……
As we pulled into our site or should we say “attempted” to, there lies a cute little gray kitty. Awwww…..she wasn’t going anywhere LOL!! She followed us everywhere which made for a difficult time getting into our site and set up. We ascertained from the Camp Hosts that she had been dumped here a while back. Sad…..but anyone who knows us – we have been “cat” people forever. Donna wasn’t going to rest knowing this friendly little being didn’t have a home. Not having any cat food handy, she got some canned chicken – which she quickly gobbled up. Skinny little thing……
On the hunt for a home for the kitty, Mike made MANY phone calls to all kinds of local places. No after No after No – we are full – we don’t take cats, etc. We FINALLLY got lucky and got in touch with a woman who’s been doing cat rescue for over 22 years. Oh, thank goodness!
Off to the local Wal-Mart to get food and a transport cage. We successfully delivered “Silver Belle” to Kathy knowing she’ll be safe and sound with medicine and her shots. We’ve followed up with Kathy several times and Silver Belle seems to be doing okay and…..could be pregnant!! Those sweet babies won’t have to grow up in the woods….mission accomplished and our good deed done….
We had a really great site next to the river. Along with that came LOTS of pollen and bugs…those little black flies almost got the best of us !!!!! We did a lot of hanging out in our outside screened room so we could enjoy the kayaks going by. Mike decided he liked his “screen” hat especially for making those darn good burgers on the grill LOL!!!!
Journey got a boo boo sadly. We came out from the grocery store, and someone had clipped the front end. All in all, not too bad and we’ve scheduled to get it taken care of in a couple of weeks when we’re in a much bigger city. We’re thankful the driver had insurance and so far, knock on wood, the insurance company has been very communicative.
The weather was all over the place, but we were able to get some great bike rides in on the nice days. Trails are always great for viewing whatever might be out there and exercise – LOL!! Watching for…….you know….those crawly things that just might happen upon your path…..luckily we saw none…But we did see lots of flowers in bloom. Nothing like Texas Bluebonnets – they are gorgeous!!
Of course, the day we left, thunderstorms had rolled in overnight, so we delayed our departure slightly as to not be soaking wet all day while driving to our next destination.
Man, those boomers were unreal…. This is a phone screen shot of lightning strikes around us. The blue dot in the center is our campsite. Each red dot is a lightning strike within five minutes, yellow dots are more than 5 minutes old.
A great place and we super enjoyed it…..
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This area was completed devastated by Hurricane Laura in August of 2020. It was hit head on, and the park was gone. After two years of very hard work, dedication, and replanting 20,000 trees, it reopened Memorial weekend of 2022. The original park had several camping loops and many RV sites. Now there is one loop with 30 sites.
The park’s lagoon with surviving cypress trees is refilled with water from the nearby river.
The hiking and nature trails are clear, and we enjoyed the River Trail. Bike riding is great in the park as there is very little traffic. We never did see any alligators (again) but there are warning signs posted everywhere. We did see lots of turtles, some huge!!!!
Spring is in the air!! Flowers and………….mosquitos…Avon Skin So Soft to the rescue!!!
Being in Bayou country (still), to get from “here to there”, the old draw bridges get you where you want to go – LOL!!!!
We took the opportunity to drive about 45 miles south to what used to be a thriving beach community known as Holly Beach. Now – after Hurricane Laura – there are no businesses – just the little community with an RV park right at the beach edge and lots of people living in RVs on their property, while they rebuild what was lost during the storm. But…….there was miles and miles of deserted beach which was perfect for picking up seashells…Yep – we gathered more – LOL!!! We fixed PB& and J swamiches in the truck to give us strength to gather more. It was a perfect beach day…….
What in the world is that strange glow in the sky at 9:30pm????? After a bit of googling, we ascertained it was a “plant flare” near Baton Rouge. A routine effort to burn excess hydrocarbon gases in an environmentally-sound manner. Usually not visible during the day, at night, the orange glow in the sky is clearly visible.
“Stranger Things” episode was not playing out near us, nor was the alien turkey invasion come to end Thanksgiving. We are marked “Safe” from any weird happenings!!!
Saying so long to Louisiana!!!
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Our first stop was purchasing propane at the local Ace Hardware store. We squeezed into the very small parking lot. The head cashier was so excited to see an Airstream and we were relieved that we didn't hit any of their tractors.
We don’t know about you but being on vacation somewhere you’ve never been – well the anticipation is always there!! That’s kinda how we feel being on the road. We never really know what a place is going to be like until we get there. Satellite images and you-tube videos can only show so much…..
Pulling into this state park we felt we were on a tropical island but in reality, we were in swamp country. The park was stunning with tons of foliage in between neighbors so privacy wasn’t an issue. The sites were HUGE and LONG which makes it SO much easier to back in – LOL!!!
We had a couple days of nice weather before thunderstorms arrived one night and early the morning we were leaving. We rode our bikes thru the vast park, still hunting for those darn alligators!!! Not a one to be found. We did see an Armadillo, Buzzards, a snake (ewwww), and beautiful bright green lizards.
Since it was leap year, we decided to celebrate the 29th by going out to dinner. Based on some recommendations, we headed to a place in the historic district of Abbeville. Duruy’s didn’t disappoint. In fact, Mike tried Alligator appetizers. First time for everything. Based on Mike’s description of how they tasted, Donna politely declined because she is a very picky eater – LOL!!!!
Being as the south is known for its crawfish, we were curious where they all come from. Turns out all of the water filled fields with little bobbers are crawfish farms. Who knew??? Louisiana commercial crawfish farmers provide 85% of domestically produced crawfish to Louisiana markets and across the nation. When they aren’t farming crawfish, they use the fields to grow rice. And because the state is mostly swamps and bayous, there are bridges on just about every road - from huge bridges to the local drawbridge.
When we checked into the park, we were warned not to leave any food where the bears could get into. Not to worry we are prepared with bear spray.
We found a great place to unwind for several days……
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A short drive and a beautiful day….the park is situated on Lake Pontchartrain which is
HUGE!!! We’ll get back to this in a bit…..
New Orleans, a city with a rich history that beckons visitors with its vibrant culture,
mouthwatering cuisine, and live music.
Life in the French Quarter of New Orleans is a song - full of color, bustling streets, jazz
musicians trying to make a buck, cobblestone streets, baroque ironwork balconies,
courtyards filled with bubbling fountains, unique shops, and one bar/restaurant after the
other. Bourbon Street – the infamous party hub, was a onetime thing for us. It’s the “big”
draw for the French Quarter but its crowded and smelly LOL!!! Lots of homeless people
hang out in this entire area so it’s wise to be very aware of your surroundings……
A stop to the Café de Monde is a must to have THE BEST beignets ever……SO sinfully delicious!!
While the draw to the French Quarter is understandable, outside of the popular streets (Bourbon and Royal), there is much to explore and see. The French Market (shopping area), Jackson Square (National Historical Landmark), and the St. Louis Cathedral which is the oldest Catholic cathedral in the continuous United States – originally built in the early 1700s.
If you get tired of walking the MANY blocks of things to see, the Streetcar is a great/cheap way to see New Orleans. We called it a Trolley and were quickly told “it’s a streetcar”. We hopped on it one morning to the outskirts of town to see the Garden District. This historic residential neighborhood is laden with trees, ivy, and beautiful homes with gorgeous gardens.
We saw production crews setting up for a filming of the Season 2 of Mayfair Witches.
Pat O’Brien’s was suggested as a great place for lunch. We stood in a long line at noon as
they opened so obviously we had picked the right place. We filled our faces once again
with Louisiana cuisine and sipped on their “signature” Hurricane drink. Diet…..we keep saying this….diet!!! LOL….
Never in our lives did we imagine that cemeteries would be fascinating…..until we saw a few in New Orleans. These are hidden gems we tell ya…..Most of the cemetery's date back to the 1800s. They are home to an array of elaborate monuments, sculptures, and mausoleums that showcase the artistry and craftsmanship of the period. These are literally open-air museums!! Most of the graves are above-ground vaults because of the water table. Because of vandalism, there are only a few cemeteries that you can visit without signing up for a tour.
The Sazerac cocktail gained fame in New Orleans in the 1850s and is served around the world to this day. Now it has it grandest home: The Sazerac House. It’s a historic building that showcases the history and traditions of New Orleans cocktails. A free tour – 3 floors –3 free tastings – and a gift shop.
After walking several miles, it was nice to just sit by the riverfront and watch the ships go by on the Mississippi River….and eat a double scoop waffle cone ice cream from Killian’s.
After exploring everything we wanted to see in New Orleans (and we were done with all the crowds, etc.), we poked around a couple of towns near our campground. Mandeville – which also has a Café de Monde (yum), the quaint (small) towns of Covington, and Abita Springs. A roadside attraction in Abita caught our eye – the quirky Abita Mystery House. Welp…it was definitely quirky. Entering thru the funky gift shop, the owner has collected stuff (shit) for years and well, tried to make things out of other things – LOL!! But what caught our eye in the back was an old Airstream. Poor thing was a sore sight and had obviously been there for years……
The Abita Brew Pub just down the street was bustling with people and cars. We happened upon a small car show of some sort and a farmers' market. Highly suggested by the folks at the Abita Mystery House, we sat outside and enjoyed our lunch on a most gorgeous Saturday afternoon….
Lake Pontchartrain is not a lake, but an estuary that covers 630 square miles and is about 40 miles from west to east and 24 miles from south to north. To cross the lake into New Orleans, the 24-mile Lake Pontchartrain Causeway awaits you. It is the longest continuous bridge over water in the world!!! One foggy morning we crossed, and you could NOT visually see any land – anywhere – kinda creepy!!! The lake does provide for some stunning sunsets and the park has provided plenty of places to sit and enjoy it. Along with a fishing pier and a small man-made beach, there is a pond which houses lots of turtles and alligators (which we didn’t see).
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Who sang that song? Oh yeah – it was Ted Nugent – from the rock band “Mountain”. Mississippi Queen……
Rain, rain, go away!!! We’re sure glad we didn’t have a long drive here as it poured the entire time. Luckily it stopped shortly after we arrived. It is NO fun towing in the rain. We planned our trip along the gulf coast hoping it would be warm and sunny. Not so much…yet. A few peaks of sun here and there but the wind is killer some days!!
We’d heard a lot about this particular park – all good – and every review was right on point.
It’s a really great place. Part of the park is a water park, along with a beautiful, huge pool.
Summertime must be hopping here!!! It’s directly across from the Mississippi Bay which opens up into the Gulf of Mexico – hence, very small beach areas and calm water.
The historic town of Waveland/Bay Saint Louis has worked hard to rebuild the entire area after Hurricane Katrina pretty much destroyed the area with 25-foot storm surges. We walked the town and drove across the Bay to another small town called Pass Christian.
Cute little walking towns with beach style restaurants and shops. Surprisingly, a lot of antique stores!!
The “Ground Zero” museum in Waveland is a clear reminder of what happened here along with an earlier Hurricane in 1969, Camille. There are many areas that still have not rebuilt and as we strolled along the small Riverwalk area, it was obvious the pain and devastation this area felt. Both hurricanes hit dead on here and many people lost their lives…..
And……the Silver Slipper Casino – sort of in the middle of nowhere….a few minutes down the road from the campground. We decided to check it out as the weather was cold and windy outside….nothing special….lost $5.00……and ate an all you can eat linner……..
The weather was something we considered when we took our route along the Gulf of Mexico. We figured winter time (all though chilly) was the safest time to come. No bugs either – LOL!!!
Que up Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Sweet Home Alabama “ – okay good – now it’s in your head –
LOL!!
With recommendations to camp here, well….here we are….surrounded by bays, wetlands, marshes, bridges, bayous, rivers, barrier islands, birds of all kinds, and…..alligators!!! Yep – we FINALLY saw alligators in the wild – LOL!!!
It’s a beautiful state park with a beautiful setting and gorgeous sunsets!!
We stepped back in time when we visited the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park.
Within the park along with the USS Alabama is the USS Drum, a submarine also from the WWII era. A job well done with this park as there are over 30 historic planes, military vehicles, and several memorials outside. Including a Bald Eagle sitting on the yard arm of the Battleship.
A day trip to the gulf coast of Alabama through Gulf State Park to Orange Beach (Gulf of Mexico) didn’t disappoint. Such white – I mean really blinding white sand. The route we took – took us through a bunch of really nice towns – Daphne (the closest to our campground), Fairhope, and Foley (a bit inland).
A stop in Foley on the way to Orange Beach was important to Mike as he had discovered that the Bridge Bell from one of the ships he was stationed on while in the Navy – the USS Peterson – had been dedicated to the town and was in front of the town hall office. After asking someone at the Welcome Center, we finally found it – Yayyy!!!!
A fun and THE most interesting thing we’ve ever seen on our travels was in a little town called Elberta – at Barbers Marina. Off we go to find the “Lady in the Lake” (also called Lady in the Bay). She kinda speaks for herself – LOL!! She’s made of fiberglass and there are many interesting facts if you google it.
On our way back from Lady in the Lake, we stopped at a place called Lamberts Café in Foley for Linner (lunch/dinner). It came highly recommended, and it’s known as the home of “Throwed Rolls”. Good down-home cooking with HUGE portions and yep – they actually throw a fresh baked – HUGE roll at you – when you raise your hand – LOL!!! The walls are covered with – well – you name it – license plates, flags, stickers, etc. Your drink is served in the BIGGEST thing we’ve ever seen……..no need for a refill LOL……..
We met several camper kitties at the park. One and his owner sat with us to watch the sun set one night. The other was a few sites down from us (another Airstream) and she was just gorgeous…..
Wouldn’t ya know – that (according to the news) the Panhandle of Florida is having its “cloudiest” winter in 80 years!!! We just can’t catch a break with this coolish, gloomy, rainy, sprinkling weather – geez louise……off and on….off and on…..we’ve dodged the rain to explore the area.
Have you ever driven through Texas? Have you ever heard that Texas takes a couple of days to drive through and depending on what route you take, there is NOTHING to see??? THAT….is the Panhandle of Florida – LOL!!! From Tallahassee to Pensacola…booorrrriiinnnggg!!!
The RV Park we landed at was super nice. Nice wide/long sites – easy in and out. We like that – LOL!!! We spotted another Airstream across the private canal within the park and did the neighborly thing and stopped by to say Hey.
The day after we arrived, the weather was iffy. We took off for Navarre and Pensacola Beach to explore anyway. Driving through the Gulf Islands National Seashore, we had flashbacks of being in the Outer Banks (OBX). The similarities were stunning. Sand dunes, sea grass, and white pristine beaches!! The sun poked in and out all day but sunny enough to take a walk on the beach to look for treasures…..Lunch at a local recommended place was in order and it was yummy!! We saw lots of funky houses amongst the usual beach houses on stilts by the ocean.
Fort Pickens is at the very tip of the small barrier island, so with fully tummies, off we went to explore the Fort. In 1816, the US began constructing Third System forts along its coastline to protect important waterways and seaports. Five years later, the government began fortifying areas along Florida’s 3500 mile seaboard. Pensacola Bay was one such area.
If you’ve never been to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, it’s a must see. We’ve been to 100’s of museums of all kinds, and this one without a doubt is THE best and it’s free!!!
We had lunch at the Cubi Bar Café – a very special place in Donna’s heart. It’s a fully built replica of the bar that was at the NAS Cubi Point Officers Club (located at the edge of Naval Base Subic Bay) in the Philippines when she lived there. The base closed in 1992. The vast collection of squadron memorabilia displayed in the Cubi Point Officers’ Club was shipped to the museum and now forms the décor of the Café, which opened in 1996 as the museum’s restaurant.
Donna’s Dad, RAdm. Doniphan Shelton, throughout his career, was a consistent contributor to the museum. We found 2 plaques displaying his name.
And let’s not forget yet another Lighthouse – love them – Pensacola Lighthouse is no exception. Keep that light shining!!!
Marti Gras you say??? We’ve never been to a REAL Marti Gras parade or celebration. Guess what? Pensacola celebrates it big time!!! Even in the rain……………….we had SO MANY beads, we could hardly carry them – oh and they throw out Moon Pies too – who knew??? And…they are Donna’s favorite snack – LOL!!
Dodging raindrops once again, we took one last drive to the Gulf Islands National Seashore to walk the almost empty beaches to look for treasures.
Except for the crappy weather – again – Florida – what is up with this yucky weather???? – We had a great time…….
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Not much to write about except it was a 2 night stay on the way to our next destination. Small Park off the beaten path with only 20 sites but right on Ochlockonee River near the Apalachicola National Forest. We laid low to get some “adulting” done like getting supplies and paperwork finished. We had a nice site right on the water but again, what is up with this chilly and windy weather in Florida? LOL!!
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And here we come – down the A1A. We can see it, smell it, feel it!! A place we’ve never been before!
We tried like heck to get reservations on Anastasia Island State Park (a VERY popular place) but we rendered it impossible unless you are a Florida state resident, or you make your reservations WAY WAY WAY in advance. So, we think we found the next best place – where we’re staying!!!
A beautiful campground directly across the street from….guess where…..the Atlantic Ocean!! Great sites…we loved it…..the beach was pristine and virtually empty. It was a bit on the chilly side. What’s up with that? Its Florida folks – it’s supposed to be WARM!!!!!
When friends move away from where you used to live (in CA) and you happen to plan your trip to visit them, that’s what it’s all about! Fun with friends!!! Kristen Cohen – some of you reading this may remember her and her hubby Andy (who sadly passed away from cancer – they owned Crap Industries and many other things) now lives in St. Augustine. We had such a great time. We had a home cooked meal the night we arrived (mmmm good). The next day we toured the historic district of St. Augustine via the local Trolley (hop on, hop off). We had lunch at the St. Augustine Distillery (yummy) and took part in the FREE tasting. We walked out with a nice goodie bag…….
The next day Kristen played in a golf tournament, so we played tourist for the day and met her that evening for another yummy dinner at a place right on the water across the street from the campground. We could get REALLY used to this – LOL!!
We visited the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument and saw them fire a cannon (which they do several times a day), saw the Lions Bridge (famous drawbridge there), had lunch overlooking the Intercoastal Waterway, walked the famous “St. Georges” street shopping district, walked along the waterway, and finished up with the St. Augustine Lighthouse. We were SO excited to see a sea turtle!
All in all, a great stay…..
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What do you think of when you think of Georgia? Atlanta? Savannah? Augusta? Columbus? Florence (Buc-ee's)? Did you know that the coast of Georgia has hundreds of miles of barrier islands?
We are continually drawn to these sandy areas of nature. They aren’t quite hidden gems anymore as over the years, many traveling peeps like us, have discovered these gorgeous areas.
We landed at Skidaway Island State Park for 10 glorious days, amongst the tropical foliage and majestic oak trees draped with Spanish moss (air plants). The weather was a bit coolish and it rained a couple days. Enough so that the eerie fog rolled in amongst the jungle….We had many critter visitors too……
Great hiking trails around the park. We saw lots of wildlife and “signs” of wildlife. What’s called Alligator Holes was quite evident in many areas. Embedded deep into the woods, were the remnants of moonshine still. Pretty cool!!! Towards the end of our hike, we had a close encounter with a beautiful Egret.
Savannah has all of the charm you would expect from the south. River Street, along Savannah’s historic waterfront, is the best place in town to walk the cobblestone streets, grab a bite to eat, and stroll along the water to watch the ships come and go. Parking is uh….tight….but we managed to get Journey into a spot – whew!!!
With so much history in the city and many memorial statues, we had no trouble getting our steps in while we perused the many blocks and streets, in awe of the remarkable architecture before our eyes!!!
Fort Pulaski National Monument is located on Cockspur Island between Savannah and Tybee Island. This is where the Union Army successfully tested rifled cannons in combat during the Civil war in 1862. It was also used as a prisoner-of-war camp.
Tybee Island (a barrier island) was a short drive from Fort Pulaski. It’s a quirky and colorful beach town, where coastal charm meets laid-back beach vibes. It’s a 3 square mile enclave jam-packed with local shopping, dining, bike trails, restaurants, lodging, and best of all, white sand beaches!! A great day trip….
Jekyll Island (a barrier island) about 90 miles south of Skidaway, was another great day trip to a truly hidden gem. Lunch was in order and we found just the place – overlooking the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. With full tummies, we headed to Driftwood Beach, ranked #3 in the US as a traveler’s beach. A prime example of “Ghost Forests” – a type of forest erosion caused by rising sea levels. Hundreds of massive dead oaks bleached by the sun, wind, and tide. What a spectacular scene of sand and surf!!!!!
A cotton and indigo plantation was established by The DuBignon’s. In 1886 until 1947 the grounds were developed in a resort – The Jekyll Island Club. Tycoons of New York City wintered in the upscale environment. Once reserved for families such as the Goodyear’s, Pulitzers, Rockefellers, and Vanderbilt’s and such, the aftermath of The Great Depression made it so all can enjoy!
The Jekyll Island Club Resort receives financial support from Georgia State Parks and the Jekyll Island Authority, in order to maintain the historic “Millionaire’s Village”. The restored island homes are charmingly furnished with what they should look like.
As the sun started to sink, we drove to the opposite end of the island to walk the virtually deserted beach. We were in our glory – within 5 minutes we had found our 1st sand dollar. The hunt was on!!!!!
It was almost dark as we made our way back to the parking lot. Wait!! What was that? Is that an Armadillo? Do they have Armadillo’s in Georgia? Well I’ll be – they sure do. Who knew? Oh and let’s not forget all of the deer was saw too!!
Good times…………and we’ll be back!!!
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The Sandman and Journey both looked pretty grimy after leaving Northern Virginia in the snow. We tried our luck for the second time to hang with the big boys at a Blue Beacon Truck Wash. Wow! What a difference…..after waiting for an hour, we were shinny and heading south again.
And the name sure does fit the place – LOL!! Not a huge place but many permanent residents. The neighbors we met were super nice and the place was as clean as a whistle.
Meet “Dirty Snowball”!! He’s the local campground cat. Awww poor kitty – it’s so COLD outside and he has no home……our neighbor feeds him and the cutest thing ever is when she takes her dog for a walk, Dirty Snowball goes along too!!! She’s been living here for a year and is trying to find a home for him. He’s a bit skittish and doesn’t want to go inside.
Can we just say that this winter camping is for the birds??? It’s still damn COLD…..
We had lunch with a friend of ours that Donna knew from her days stationed in Subic Bay in the Philippines – Lisa Gage Patrick and hubby Randall. This is the second time we’ve gotten to see them on our travels in the area. What fun catching up again!!!
Being we were SO close to Charleston again, we decided to venture out – bundled up – to explore the beautiful city. We had lunch at a neat Pub, walked through the City Marketplace, visited the Waterfront Pineapple Fountain, Rainbow Row, and called it a day.
Can we say again, this COLD weather sucks????
Still heading for warmer weather…………..stand by……………
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We try to be off the beaten path when we can. When making reservations last year, we found this cute, 3 generation owned, family campground. The drive was off the main freeways, meandering through the back country of North Carolina. Thankfully a non-eventful drive!!!
Being as it was again, very COLD, we ventured out only once to get diesel and supplies.
The owner of the campground was the sweetest, southern lady we’ve ever met. We chatted several times and got the scoop about all the local goings on.
Not much exciting about this leg of our adventures……we hunkered down inside…..
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Well……it’s go time for our 2024 adventures. The sky gods decided to make our travel day as stressful as possible. We woke up to overnight snow. Rut Row!!! Do we go or do we stay??? The long range weather forecast ain’t looking too pretty folks!!! We debated and decided to “go for it” as the longer we stayed in Northern Virginia, multiple storms were headed that way.
Seven hours (normally about 4 1/2) later we reached our destination in Keeling. It was a LONG white knuckle day of driving in pretty crappy weather. The snow squalls kept getting bigger….and bigger….and started to stick. Well, Journey does have 4 wheel drive………whew!!! We arrived as it was getting dark which is one of the things we’ve said we would never do – set up in the dark. We had no choice. It was frickin COLD……….I mean COLD and we were happy The Sandman was cooperating and all systems were working perfectly – Yayyy!! We had food, drink, and heat…..what else could we ask for???? Maybe some much WARMER weather – LOL!! Heading that way (south) but gotta get through some of this mess first.
All these folks that love camping in the winter – forget it – 10 degrees is not what we call fun weather –LOL!!
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After a short stop at Airstream of Virginia to get a running light and speaker fixed, we’ve landed!! We’re SO excited to be here visiting with the kids and grands over the holidays. Dude and NeNe are here to terrorize the family for a month – LOL!!!!
The Sandman is getting a nice break, being stored at our son in-laws Mothers driveway.
We split up our time between our son’s house and our daughter’s house. Both families have been so accommodating and we’ve missed our family so very much.
On Saturday Dec. 16th, as a family, we participated in “Wreaths across America” at Arlington National Cemetery. We got up at the crack of dawn to ride the subway to Arlington. As we got off the subway, we were overwhelmed with the 1000’s of people there. Wowzer! It was SUCH a humbling experience – no words could ever express how we all felt. We were proud as can be, to place wreaths, including visiting Donna’s Dad and putting a special bow on his wreath. We were happy to see that his headstone had finally been made and put in place.
Something on our bucket list was to see the National Christmas Tree. It had been MANY years since we had been to DC to see it. The whole family bundled up and off we went to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas in our Nation’s Capital…burrrrr, we’re not used to this COLD weather – LOL!!!
Have you ever been to the Changing of the Guard at Arlington? If not, it should be on your bucket list. There is simply nothing like it that we’ve ever experienced. Words cannot express how moving it is. Although we’ve been there many times to watch, our oldest grandson had not. It was something he wanted to experience, so on a cold winter day; we headed back down to ANC to partake……
We got to experience Christmas with our son’s family which included our two littlest grands. They still “believe” in Santa so it was quite the crazy morning LOL!! Later on, our daughter and her family arrived for a wonderful, yummy brunch. They had plans later in the day with her husband’s family for Christmas dinner. Holidays are so special… the kitchen was filled with wonderful smells while we waited for our dinner to unfold. We ate……and ate more……whew it was good……
The day after Christmas, we transitioned to our daughter’s house for the rest of our stay.
Being as we were in the area for a while, we had to do some “adulting” daw gone it. We were able to schedule ahead of time, doctor/dentist/eye/truck maintenance appointments – got all clear!! We also got together with longtime friends and swapped stories for hours at a time.
We are VERY lucky to have the family that we do. We all got together many times for games, lunches, dinners, drinking, and all the laughter/story telling that goes along with being together. We love our kids and grands “to the moon and back”. They are truly the…………best……we……could…..ever……ask……for.
Alas it’s time to go……………but we’ll be back!!! With tears in our eyes, off we go…….
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We made another quick overnight stop while making our way to Northern Virginia. This was our 2nd time here and we just love it!!
We had dinner with our daughter in-law’s parents which was a nice treat. Home cooked meals – well what can we say – Yummy!!! This is another place we’ll definitely be back to….
Our frosted picnic table with wild animal footprints.
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We made a quick overnight while making our way to Northern Virginia. Many peeps we follow for camping area suggestions highly recommended this park. We didn’t explore much, but what we saw was beautiful. Not a big park but the sites are long and huge – easy in and out. We’ll be back when the weather is a bit warmer – LOL!!
There was only one other camper in the park – it was a bit creepy overnight as it was dark….really dark and we could hear animals in the woods “talking”. The camp hosts were very nice and the Rangers very informative.
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Maybe this place sounds familiar from an earlier blog post? Well, you’re not double reading – LOL! This is our second time here and it really is a hidden gem!!! Since we wanted to stay a bit south for a while – instead of touring any more for now, we thought “why not plop ourselves right here for 6 weeks".
We were originally here in August for a week.
What a dang charming beach town. Close to many other beach towns and sightseeing places.
One of our daily adventures was to take a ferry from Southport to Ft. Fisher then on to the Wrightsville Beach area. What fun to see all of the barrier islands along the way!!
We took full advantage of the beach whenever we could. Although being November/December, it wasn’t as warm as summer but it wasn’t bad. The weather was pretty good with the exception of a couple days of rain. We kept a close eye on the low/high tides to do some shell collecting…..collecting….the key word….more like hoarding – LOL!!! And…..we got in a minimum of 10,000 steps each walk we did on the beach…..
Turns out, April of 2022, off the coast, they did some major dredging and dug up a fossil bed. In that bed are millions of estimated 30,000 million year old sea biscuits. Man oh man – talk about an Easter egg hunt or scavenger hunt!! Once we found a few – and a few more – and more – it was like finding sand dollars on the beach in Oceanside where we used to live. We did find some other shells and a few sharks teeth. We cleaned them all up, boxed them up for storage, and will have a nice place to stay in our daughter’s basement for a while – LOL!!!
The sunrises and sunsets were absolutely gorgeous…………..We toured the beach towns up and down the coast, within about an hour’s drive – Ocean Isle, Sunset Beach, Murrells Inlet, Myrtle Beach, Oak Island, Southport, Wrightsville Beach, and Wilmington. While in Wilmington, we toured the USS North Carolina museum. Neato!!!
Thanksgiving, we drove about 3 hours back to the Wake Forest/Raleigh area to spend the holiday with Mike’s sister and family. Had some really yummy food, played some games, and took a few good walks in the area.
We discovered, 3 couples we knew from the Northern Virginia area when we lived in Leesburg, that all moved to South Carolina – not very far from our campground. We got together will all of them for lunch. Matt and Karen Partlow, Mike and Patti Barry, and Hugh and Sarah Brackett. Mike was in the Brackett’s wedding. He was the photographer for the Partlow’s wedding. Mike and Patti were our neighbors at our very first house in Leesburg, VA.
It was our 3rd time getting together with another couple that we’ve been friends with from Northern Virginia, Jim and Lyn Markham was fun. We had lunch and a few weeks later we joined Lyn (Jim was sick) and her friend at “Night of 1000 Candles” at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, SC. What a fantastic place and the grounds/statues were just gorgeous. Just what we needed, to get in the Christmas spirit……
As the Christmas holiday got closer, we found many beach decorations throughout the area.
All in all – a great time!!! We’re sad to leave but happy at the same time. We’re on our way to spend a month over the holidays with our kids and grands!!!!
We had another perfect travel day. Blue sunny skies…a beautiful canvas of fall leaves for our eyes to see!!
This was our second time staying at this campground. Love it here!
Our site was across from the lake and with fall in full swing, we had a pretty good view. It was VERY chilly so our heat in the trailer got a good workout – LOL!!
Mikes sister and family live in the area so we spent most of our time with them.
Her birthday is on Halloween so it was the perfect reason to visit while on our way to our next destination.
We had a couple of yummy lunches together and took a morning walk in the woods – damn –burrrrr – it was COLD!!!!!!! Not a long stay but we enjoyed our time.
We’ll be back to enjoy a nice family home cooked Thanksgiving dinner….yeah!!!!
We had heard SO much about this park - a “must stay place” and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
What a gorgeous area!! We had a super nice site – the leaves were falling like crazy, and the weather was simply scrumptious our entire stay…..
Surprise!!! Who doesn’t like a surprise???
Turns out our daughter and her family were in Richmond for a little getaway, at the same time we were there.
Do you want to get together?
Well yeah!!!!
We didn’t spend much time at the park but it was well worth it.
We got to hang with the family – well part of it. We had lunches and dinners and tons of laughter.
We met them at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, which is beautiful.
They happened to be celebrating Dia de los Muertos, the Mexican Day Of the Dead. There
were vendors and people dressed up in their best celebration outfits…..
Our daughter in-law's parents live only 5 minutes from the park.
Who wants to get together at a local brewery on such a beautiful day??? We all do!!!!! And the perfect weekend
ended with a yummy dinner at a winery.
Do we like to eat and drink?? Hell yeah…………
This was a quick overnight stop to break up our mileage heading inland from the beach.
Privately owned – cheap – it did its job for a place to stay – LOL!
The drive was beautiful as the trees are changing and the leaves they are a fallin!!!. The
sunset was gorgeous and that’s about all there was to this trip…..
As we made our way farther north up the beautiful eastern shore of Virginia into Delaware, we felt the anticipation growing with the familiar territory. The skies were blue, not a cloud in the sky and then there it was!!! The sign leading us to Ocean City and the surrounding beach towns!! We were so excited to finally arrive…..When we lived in Northern Virginia (NOVA), we came to the area many times.
We had never been to this State Park but it was the perfect spot for 2 weeks. The campground is split between the Indian River Inlet where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Inlet – South and North. We elected to stay at the South Inlet. The beautiful Indian River Inlet Bridge (officially called the Charles W. Cullen Bridge) is quite the site – especially at night, as it can be seen for miles due to the beautiful lighting. Pedestrians are allowed to walk across it but the weather and wind just didn’t cooperate for us – so we’ll have to go back!!
So much to do in the area….and friends to visit!!
First up was a day trip to the Wallops Island Visitor Center. Wallops has grown from a small test range for guided missile research to supporting aerospace and science exploration and technology development world-wide as NASA’s premier location for suborbital and small orbital activities. What a super neat place….
Next up was lunch on the charming resort island of Chincoteague, VA. overlooking the water and a great view of Wallops Island. We were treated to some pretty cool military planes doing some touch and go training. Then it was off to hunt for the magical wild horses…..we had asked the waitress at lunch where to find them. The island isn’t that big so it was easy to find the area. We drove……..slow………we drove further………slow………..and then Bingo – we turned a corner and there they were – in all their beautiful glory! We can’t tell you how excited we were!! We pulled off to the side and spent several hours saying nothing……..just basking at the beautiful sight in front of us….After all of this excitement, we visited the Chincoteague Lighthouse before it got dark. What is it about lighthouses that fascinate us? Not sure except they are all different and just so cool….
Another day trip took us to Assateague Island National Seashore which is in both Virginia and Maryland. The Island is the largest natural barrier island ecosystem in the Mid Atlantic state region that remains predominantly unaffected by human development. There isn’t much here except for a couple of campgrounds and a visitor center. So why were we here???? As we entered the National Seashore area, our eyes were peeled in every direction. We had heard SO many stories of all the gorgeous wild horses. Within minutes, a beautiful stallion came bounding from the trees, along with his friend. We were in awe!!! Down the road, there was a traffic jam – LOL!! Horses take naps standing up and there they were, in the middle of the road, napping – for over an hour – LOL! When we could pass, we continued to drive around, keeping our eyes peeled for more. We gave up so time to go. But wait!!! Look over there – look how beautiful they are!! And off they went into the swamp land. At the state park, we had a bite to eat. We drove around more, with the hopes of spotting horses on the beach. Nope…..okay – time to leave. Well would you look at that!! Sweetie – back up into that parking lot. I think those horses are heading for the beach. We park in the lot and sure enough, here they come…..oh my gosh – they are RIGHT THERE!! We spent a few more hours following the horses thru the lot and on to the beach. It was surreal – truly…..as the sun set, we were graced with beautiful skies and a few more horses along the main road as we left. What a completely thrilling day! We were exhausted by the time we got back to the Sandman – LOL!!
A close friend of ours, Lacey, who was our neighbor when we lived in Leesburg, VA, lives near where we were staying. It had been way too many years since we had seen her. We got together for lunch with her and her hubby Mike. Good times!!!! Our kids grew up together for many years and it was fun catching up on things.
Another close friend that Donna went to school with in the Philippines, Cathi, lives very near where we were staying. We got together with her and her hubby Mike for dinner. We all forgot to take a picture darn it!! We had a great time yacking away and enjoyed an after dinner drink at their beautiful house near Fenwick Island. Fenwick Island is also host to the oldest lighthouse in the state of Delaware. It is on the Delaware/Maryland state line.
Before we got married, we took a vacation in Mike’s MG Midget to Dewey Beach in Delaware. While there, we decided to take the ferry from Lewes, Delaware to Cape May, New Jersey. Well………..we did another day trip and did the same trip again. Cape May is known for its colorful 19th century architecture, gorgeous beaches, and many places to dine and shop. The ferry was a blast coming and going. Talk about a luxurious ride!!! Reclining seats, gift shop, TVs, tables, and food – LOL!! We started our day at the Cape May Lighthouse, walked the beach, and ended it strolling through the downtown village shops. Oh and can you say Lobstahhhhhhh???? We had THE most yummy fresh lobster lunch………..lips are still smacking!!!!
We visited all of the nearby beach towns and poked our heads into all the shops – Cape Henlopen, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, and……..Ocean City. Oh Ocean City you can be SO much fun….many things were closed because its shoulder season (off peak) but the Boardwalk was still fun to walk. We totally forgot that they still have a mounted police patrol. Love locks on the Pier fence. So cool to see!! All of these places brought back so many memories. It was hard to leave…………….but we’ll be back!!!
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Our biggest anxiety getting to this park was crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT). We got this – no problem! We kept an eye on the winds as there are restrictions for trailers crossing the bridge. Morning of – all systems go…………..let’s do this!!! And away we go………
Kiptopeke State Park, located at the southern end of the Virginia eastern shore, was yet another beautiful place near the water (Chesapeake Bay) to lay our heads and enjoy the outdoors. We found super nice hiking trails that either started at the beach or ended up there. Within one of the trails was a beautiful Pollinator area. There were SO many butterflies and bees; we didn’t know what to look at first!!
Just off the coast of the park are WWII concrete ships partially sunken. The Concrete Fleet, also known as the Kiptopeke Breakwater, consists of several concrete ships lined end to end just west of the former Chesapeake Bay ferry terminal. The crumbling hulks consist of 9 of the 24 concrete ships contracted by the U.S. Maritime Commission during World War II. In 1948 the ships were brought to Kiptopeke Beach in order to bring protection to the terminal during severe weather. Once arranged, their bilge-cocks were opened to bring on water and they were left to settle on the bottom of the Bay.
The ferry was closed in 1964 when the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel opened but the breakwater still protects the pier and beach while providing a home for coastal fish, shellfish, and birds. Since being scuttled in the bay the rusty bones of these ships have been exposed to half a century of weather creating an incredible show of decay. Certain sections of the wrecks offer holes large enough for a small boat to pass through where one can see the interior structure of these vessels up close.
The night skies were dark…dark…the stars looked so close, it felt like you could yank them right out of the sky…..got a glimpse of the Milky Way!!
The historic town of Cape Charles was quaint and quiet. There is a very small population but it seems builders have come in – buying up land to build homes – bringing more people to the area. We understand from the locals that Cape Charles is becoming quite the tourist spot which we were happy to hear. The town virtually closed down once the CBBT was built, because all of the traffic that used to come via the ferry, now is on the highway outside of town. They’ve done a lot to bring shops and restaurants to sustain some local and tourist traffic. We drove around all of the little streets, looking at the beautiful new and old homes. Neat place!!!
One of our neighbors had an Airstream – a special edition called The Pendleton. Only 100 were made. First time we’ve ever seen one in person and it sure was puuurrrtttyyy! We had a nice evening with them around the fire, partaking in some adult beverages. During our stay, yet another Airstream showed up – this one a 1962 and man did it shine, shine, shine. Her friend had the other vintage trailer.
Walking on the beach, to us, is one of our favorite things. Hours go by without blinking an eye……we’ll see you again Cape Charles………………………
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Finally – after 24 years – we’ve made it back to our favorite place – ever!!!! It’s beautiful, magical,…Breathtaking – the Outer Banks (OBX). They are a 200-mile string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separating Currituck Sound, Albemarle Sound, and Pamlico Sound – from the Atlantic Ocean. It’s such gorgeous natural beauty that can’t be explained, if you’ve never been. We hope that everyone that reads this will experience the OBX at some point in your life.
We could feel the excitement building as we drove the short distance from our previous stay in Currituck Sound. Alas – we see the sign for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore!!!!!
Within a few minutes we were pulling into that beautiful Oregon Inlet Campground….oh there are the dunes!! Little paths thru the dunes just a short walk from our site. We couldn’t wait to put those beach sandals on…..but alas………..we would have to wait….
Ya know – Mother Nature has a way – or it’s just our luck – it might be sunny, but the WIND made for a non-beach time for our first few days.
Our first outing was taking the free ferry from Cape Hatteras to a place we hold close to our hearts – our first camping experience on the beach was Ocracoke Island. Off we went for the day. Up at the crack of dawn for an hour’s drive south, to wait in line for the first come/first serve ferry. We waited about an hour (not so bad). The ferry ride takes about 70 minutes even though it’s only about 9 nautical miles from Cape Hatteras to Ocracoke. The ever-shifting currents are constantly shifting the ocean floor, so the ferry has to maneuver well out into the sound to miss all the sand bars.
Oh, it looks just like it did 24 years ago! Golf carts and bicycles in abundance. Vehicle parking is limited but we managed to find a spot for Journey while we covered every square inch we could, on foot. Neat little shops keeping the small economy going. Years ago we had talked about buying a place and living on the quaint island…..Most of the restaurants were closed for the season, but one of our favorites – Howards Pub was still open. It was packed and we happily sat at the outside patio and enjoyed our meal….
The island boasts so much history, it’s worth reading about. Lots of pirate stories (many true). Several historical cemeteries on the island including a British one. Ocracoke – a true gift from the sea……………….
While poking in and out of all the beach towns/shops up and down the OBX, we stopped at the Wright Brothers Memorial. The park service has done a great job at preserving the land with a nice memorial and visitor’s center.
Jockey’s Ridge State Park was another cool stop. It is home to the tallest living sand dune system on the Atlantic coast and provides an ideal location for kite flying, watching sunsets, and hang gliding – which they teach on site.
Alligator River Wildlife Refuge was a place one of our neighbors told us about. Lots of wildlife including bears to be seen, best in the early morning or dusk. We made 3 trips out and finally got lucky the 3rd evening with some bears.
Speaking of neighbors! We had been out running errands – got back to the campground and as we rounded the corner to The Sandman, we see a vehicle parked in front of it. What the heck??? Who does that??? We get closer and see no one in the car but we see feet by the door. Hum??? What the heck? We park Journey and around the front comes this adorable, older than us couple, who live in Southern VA – we had met them when we camped at Hagan-Stone Park a few weeks ago. OMG!!!!! They remembered we were coming to the OBX. Their son lives in Kill Devil Hills (a local town) and they were visiting. They drove to Oregon Inlet on the chance they would find us! We had dinner with them and went with them on our 3rd and lucky adventure to the Alligator River Wildlife Refuge. Now, how cool is that????????????
Pea Island Wildlife Refuge is another great little stop along the OBX. Nice visitor’s center and places to park along the highway to get to the beach. One day we had the beach all to ourselves……….
Of course we looked for seashells and sea glass. We found 4 beautiful pieces of sea glass which we will cherish for years to come!!
We visited all of the OBX Lighthouses – Currituck, Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras, Ocracoke, and Roanoke Marshes. All, breathtaking in their own way!!
A wonderful 2 weeks……….we were sad to be leaving but more adventures to come…..
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Alas…..we are near the most magical place we’ve ever been……Our most favorite place in the entire world.
Across the “Sound” from the Outer Banks, lies one of many inlets – this one called Currituck Sound. Beautiful beach homes of every style and size. Unlike the Outer Banks, the people here appear to be year-round residents versus rentals that you see up and down the Outer Banks.
We have been looking forward to good OBX seafood. On the recommendation of the KOA staff, we headed to the nearest Marina the first night after we arrived. Oi vey – we LOVED our dinner of Broiled Flounder. Another diet coming after we’ve left this area in a few weeks – LOL!!
The KOA is at the VERY northern tip of the Sound. A very nice place and staff! We opted for a site on the inside loop facing the water. The other sites nearest the water are back-in and the way our Airstream is configured, we like what we picked. At this point, we’re VERY glad we picked what we did! Because……………Of Tropical Storm Ophelia!!!!!!!! Why must you ruin the first part of our trip to the area? We haven’t been here in a bit over 20 years…. and…..we’re finally here……and so are you!!!!
Is it going to flood? Should we leave or should we stay????? Is it going to turn into a Hurricane or remain a Tropical Storm??? Hum – what to do??? Closely watching ALL the news, and talking to the KOA staff – who indicated that this particular area had NEVER flooded during a storm, we hunkered down and stayed put. For 24 hours we sustained 60-70 mile an hour winds, along with the pouring rain that accompanies a Tropical Storm…..The Sandman was rocking and rolling all night long!!!!!
At last, she moved north – leaving us with puffy clouds and beautiful blue skies including a rainbow, Whew!!
I mean – we love adventures but………….there is a limit – LOL!!!
Why yes – there are Wild Spanish Mustang horses not too far from us!! We could have driven our truck but not knowing the beach condition after the storm, we opted to go on a 4WD tour.
Oh my lord – what a magical sight to see!! There just are no words to describe the beauty of what we saw…..
To get to the horses, there are no paved roads. You must have 4WD because you have to drive on the beach to get there. And get this? There are 2 small communities of homes (big – huge) on this 12-mile strip of land (just houses- no stores or anything else). Although they do have a fire department. The roads – if you can call them that are all sand. Not for us, even though we did love living near the beach in California….
It seems we’ve traversed all over the state! What’s interesting to us is each part of NC that we’ve visited, is SO different – from the terrain to the people!!
As we’ve mentioned before, there are times we find hidden gems to stay at, that are known to locals, but not necessarily to those traveling through the area. Medoc Mountain is one of those places. So nice, quiet, and beautiful….very few peeps there.
The weather was scrumptious – windows open and lots of good sleeping nights!!! Very dark skies at night. Sitting by the fire the first night, we saw a falling star. How cool – one of our favorite things to do when the skies cooperate! We also saw many satellites every night, one after the other go by. Love it!!
We did several hikes located on the campground property. This was the first time we both spotted a BIG snake at the same time. Donna – who loves snakes (NOT) made a beeline to continue down the trail, Mike close behind. Nope – no picture – definitely wasn’t stopping or going back to get one – LOL!!!
Okay – who or what stole Mike’s shower shoe? How in the world does this happen in the middle of nowhere? Shower shoes are left at the door to dry off after using the local facilities. He went back outside to do something, reached for his shoes and……………..one was gone. Hum….was it Big Foot? Was it a kid playing a joke? We looked all over and well….it was just gone.
Sitting by the fire - sky watching, Mike sees a shadow of “something” walking thru the woods behind our site. Quick!! Get that flashlight!!! We see a dog going through the woods. We didn’t think anything of it. We thought maybe one of the dogs camping near us had gotten off the leash. Never saw it again that night.
Morning comes and the other (1 shoe that we had left outside hoping its mate would mysteriously appear) shoe was gone! Well damn…..after looking around we found one shoe – something had chewed it like a toy. Shortly after that we see a hound dog running through the woods. She was skinny and obviously hungry. Gave her some food/water but she wasn’t going to get near us. She seemed friendly but scared.
The Ranger came through on many of his morning drive checks. He was very aware of the dog as many others had reported seeing her over the past several weeks. Sad….seems as if maybe she was a hunting dog that didn’t quite have what her owners were looking for, so they dumped her. The Ranger said it happens a lot……they have a list a mile long for people that want to adopt her – if they can catch her – which they’ve tried several times. We hope the best for her!!!
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We enjoyed a beautiful drive through the back roads of North Carolina to a nice, quaint, quiet County Park. A bit off the beaten path and the kind of place we love! A couple of nice ponds that greet you upon your arrival, with several locals trying their luck at catching something….
The skies were extra dark at night, and we were lucky enough to see the ISS pass right over head one night. We tried our best to catch a look at a falling star, but no luck this time….
We met some nice neighbors including another Airstream couple that lived not too far away. They have family in the area and use the park quite often to stay while they visit. While conversing with them, we discussed small issues each of us had with little nitnoi things on our Airstreams. We had noticed our solar was not charging as it should be. They had experienced the same thing and showed us what they did to fix theirs. Voila! 2 of the 3 plugs used to recharge the solar, had wiggled loose over time. All fixed!!! Yayyy!!
Mike was able to catch up with two of his Navy buddies from the USS Peterson, who discovered we were in the area. They hadn’t seen each other since 1980!! They came over to see our home on wheels then off to dinner we went to catch up on old times for a few more hours.
A longtime friend Kurt drove a bit over an hour to come see our home on wheels and swap stories. We saw him last year; he lives near where we bought our truck. Off we went to a local Mexican place to catch up on more stories.
Our camping neighbors mentioned the North Carolina Zoo was a “must see” so off we went to explore it. It was a bit of a drive, but it gave us another chance to see more green countryside! We spent the entire day traversing through the most beautiful zoo we’ve ever been in. Inexpensive to enter – free parking – food meh – but we did get 5 miles on our trek!!!
It was a great week and very relaxing!!!
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They call this part of North Carolina, the “High Country”. There is just something magical about fall creeping up and a few of those tree leaves starting to change. We had warm days and cool, crisp nights. Sleeping with the windows open and listening to all those night creatures, makes for a fabulous night’s sleep!!
Nestled deep in the mountains where we stayed, is the college town of Boone. Hey – it’s Appalachian territory here! Little did we know that a few days after we arrived, was the 1st football game of the season at Appalachian State University…..
The town was bustling with all kinds of peeps in black and yellow – the school colors. Students, Moms, Dads, Grandmas, Grandpas – all here to cheer on their local team. We toured the town well in advance of game day. Packed full of neat places to poke in and out of…
Grandfather Mountain is like no other place we’ve been. We hiked to the top and felt like we were on top of the world!! The views from every angle were spectacular! If you’ve never seen the Blue Ridge Mountains in person, they are like no other mountain range anywhere. The Mountain famous for its “swinging bridge” is a mile up. Donna got up enough guts to walk across (she didn’t look down). This was quite the accomplishment for her since she is scared to death of open air heights. Then she had to walk back across – oi vey!
Done!!! LOL!!! We hiked back down and off we went to the Nature Center and wildlife habitats that are part of Grandfather Mountain. Pretty neat place!!! The weather couldn’t have been better for us – Yayyy!!
Blowing Rock is another neat town – very quaint with shops and restaurants. We got there early because it was Labor Day weekend. We managed to get in and out of all the shops before it got too crowded. But…..trying to find lunch was a bit of a challenge. We did – but good thing we weren’t starving as the wait times were nuts!!
From the town, we went to the actual “Blowing Rock”. No doubt it’s a tourist place. We were a bit disappointed as we were expecting this HUGE rock but in reality, it was not to be. Oh well – the views once again of the Blue Ridge Mountains were breathtaking….
Crab Orchard Falls is a very popular hike in the area. We headed off early in the morning to accomplish the hike before it got too hot. What a simply beautiful place tucked in the woods. We had been told that a “must do” was to stop at the famous Mast General Store which was near Crab Orchard Falls. It’s in a little township called Valle Crucis. What a neat place! Yep – we managed to find a few things including handmade ice cream and sherbet.
We sat outside resting our bones from our hike and shopping spree and enjoyed every yummy bite – LOL!!
Remember Andy Griffith? His hometown is Mt. Airy, NC. Oh – another day trip – let’s go!! So off we went to everything Mayberry. What a neat “throwback” day it was. We went into many of the shops, and then headed to the museum. What fun it was!! We understand from the locals that every year there is a festival called Mayberry Days, celebrating the Andy Griffith Show. Unfortunately, our dates in the area weren’t going to coincide with the festival as we didn’t know about it in advance.
Floyd’s Barber shop was still there and Mike decided he needed a haircut. While there, several locals came in and turns out they were former actors and written books that were just being published.
Our trip to the area was planned around and attending the “Land of Oz Autumn Festival” at the top of Beech Mountain. We bought the tickets back in June as the Festival is only 3 weeks in September and sells out quickly. We weren’t sure what to expect and realized that it was something very special, based on listening to other people talk about it. There were people from all over the US that had come to “play Oz” for the day! OMG – it was SO much fun.
All of the characters looked and sounded just like they did in the movie. The Yellow Brick Road meandered through the woods. Along the way, the characters reenacted parts of the original movie. Did we feel like kids? Yep…..and it was a fabulous day!!!
Can we just tell you that THE most BEAUTIFUL road/drive (we think) in the US is the Blue Ridge Parkway. It runs through Virginia and North Carolina at 469 miles long. We’ve been on it several times in several different areas of Virginia and NC. If you ever get the chance, DO IT – put it on your bucket list – you will not be disappointed……………………
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We planned this trip around a Navy Reunion for Mike. When he was in the Navy, one of the ships he was on was the USS Oak Ridge. Have you seen the movie “Oppenheimer”? Oak Ridge is known as the “Secret City”. It was established in 1942 as a production site for the “Manhattan Project” - the massive American, British, and Canadian operation that developed the atomic bomb. Lots of history!!
Last year when we attended the reunion, we toured areas that are no longer “active”, along with several museums.
Close by is the Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. It opened in 1896 and closed its doors in 2009. Quite interesting and creepy at the same time……..It sits exactly as it did when the doors closed with the exception of a Distillery that is now on the property. They distill their own Moonshine and Vodka, using all local grains and fresh mountain water.
All in all, it was a great trip – we had tons of fun seeing old friends once again……
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OMG! If you’ve never been to The Smoky Mountain National Park, then put it on your bucket list!!! It’s been many years since we’ve been here but didn’t come to explore Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge. We were here with our MINI Cooper Club to drive “The Dragon” which is on the opposite side of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (Devils Gap/Fontana Village).
Our campground was awesome! Very close to several entrances to the Great Smoky Mountain NP. We explored and did as much as we could during our week stay.
We poked around the town of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Both tourist towns with plenty to see and do. You drive right through Gatlinburg into one of the main entrances to the National Park.
The scenery, roads, waterfalls, rushing rivers – all just breathtakingly gorgeous. It was hot but no rain the entire time.
Our first drive through the NP we spotted a juvenile bear by the roadside – not interested in any of the traffic going by. It was happily munching on whatever it could find.
Tunnels – lots of them…..
We did a 3 mile hike to Grotto Falls which is quite a popular place. We got up at O dark thirty to ensure we could get parking, as it is very limited. The trail was very well marked, and “bear” warning signs posted quite frequently. We spotted a biggie as we were heading back but couldn’t get the camera out quick enough. It was fairly close to us so safety was our main concern. It happily came towards us on the trail then disappeared into the forest.
Clingmans Dome was on our list to do – again. We had hiked/climbed up when we were previously in the area but forgot how STEEP it was (we were a lot younger)! Whew!! We got our workout for the morning. It was a cool and foggy morning but still awesome.
Pigeon Forge was fun to explore – especially since we knew there was a Moon Pie General Store. Donna’s favorite snack……yeah, they sell Moon Pies elsewhere, BUT there are only 2 General Stores that have all kinds of other goodies. It was fun……….Mike also got some go-kart riding in. Did we feel like little kids? You bet ya!!!!
Also in Pigeon Forge is The Old Mill District. We had lunch at The Old Mill Restaurant. Good home cooking food!!! Man, we have to stop eating like this – LOL!! Beautifully located on the river….
We found Iron Mountain Metal Craft shop. They teach you make knives from railroad spikes. So of course, we had to.
Another wake up at the crack o dawn was to do an 11 mile bike ride inside the NP at the area called Cades Cove. This is where a lot of wildlife can be seen in the park. It is a beautiful open meadow. Every summer evening, like a rush hour in a big city, lines of cars full of wide eyed tourists drive around the loop hoping to catch a glimpse of something wild. On Wednesdays, the NP closes the 11 mile loop to cars and only allows bikes. We were hoping to spot more bears, but sadly, we saw none – booooooo…lots of deer and turkeys though. And a family of coyotes. It was fun riding bikes in the middle of the Smoky Mountains.
The Chalets surrounding Gatlinburg have views that must look awesome.
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We had a quick overnight stay at this family-owned campground – to do some “adulting” like laundry, phone calls, paperwork, etc. The weather was simply gorgeous which enabled us to open all the windows and sleep to the sound of the babbling creek right behind our site. Ummmmmm…..simply lovely!!
The day was crystal clear through the mountains. We spotted a nice Woodie being towed somewhere…..unusual to see such a vehicle in these parts…..
Something quite common throughout the southeast are giant trees with years and years of “vine” growth. Pretty neat looking….
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Stone Mountain State Park
What started out as a gorgeous sunny driving day, although slow, through some very mountainous areas, turned nasty, with a whopper thunderstorm. It was raining so hard; we pulled off at an exit and sat for a while to let the skies settle down a bit. Luckily we were only 30 minutes from our campground.
The area is quite full of many outdoor things to do – hiking, biking, boating….you name it…
We hiked to the famous (around here anyway) Stone Mountain. Such a site to see, my oh my!!! On the grounds of the campground made it easy to get to. Located at the base of Stone Mountain, was the Hutchinson Homestead. It was a working farm built by the Hutchinson family in the mid-19th century. It was restored in 1998 and bought by the state of North Carolina as part of the Stone Mountain Park, in 1979.
From there, we hiked in a different direction to Stone Mountain Falls. A breathtaking 200ft. waterfall in Big Sandy Creek that flows down a steep rock face into a shallow pool.
Surrounding the lower falls is a pool that makes a beautiful natural area full of boulders, branches, and rocks. There are 350 steps leading down from the top of the falls and an overlook along the way. Whew! We did it…..Yayyy!! We were a bit pooped when we got back to the truck.
Late in the afternoon we headed into the town of Elkin for supplies. I don’t think we’ve ever seen a pet Llama outside of a Llama farm. Well….we did today. Meet “Sipping Kalua”!!
The owner was asked multiple times – jokingly – “what kind of dog is that”? His reply –“he’s my Llamadoodle”. He proudly walked with a leash into the Tracker Supply Store and then into Lowes. Quite the site to see….
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The woods – the trees – the lake - the curvy roads – the sunsets! All gorgeous scenery……The area is chock full of trails, waterfalls, and just neat things to do outside.
Even though it was HOT and HUMID, we went to Stump house Mountain Tunnel. It’s noted on the Register of Historical Places. It was originally started to connect South Carolina’s coast to Tennessee. The project ran out of money and came to a halt. 1617 feet of tunnel is available to walk in - it’s 25 feet high and 17 feet wide and then you come to a locked, old, creepy door. The walls are dripping with water from above that creates little pools of water all along the tunnel edge.
From the Tunnel, we hiked to Issaquena Falls, named after a legendary Cherokee girl who is said to have leaped from the top of the falls with her lover. It is not known if they died or landed on a ledge out of sight of hostile tribesmen and eventually lived happily ever after.
Both of these cool places are located in the Sumter National Forest.
Interesting sights always catch our eye as we travel from destination to destination.
Something we’ve seen here and there, trucks carrying logs going to??? Who knows –paper mill, or to build log homes…..
Right on the lake! A Beautiful Small Park – just what we like. We lucked out and nobody had the site directly across from us, to block our view of the lake. There is a long dock to walk out and enjoy the view. There was a gathering spot by the lake, with swings, tables/chairs, and a fire pit. Super nice!!
It was great to meet our neighbor Larry; he spent a lot of time watching baseball games on his outdoor TV.
The historical part of town looked like it folded many years ago. We saw pictures of what it used to look like as a thriving town way back when. Everything looks so run down and sad. We were told that after Interstate I-95 was built, most of the little towns along what WAS the main highway then, simply couldn’t sustain them. There were a few small shops open on the main street that we poked our heads in. Outside of that, down the road, there were some amenities. Here and there, were some beautiful looking plantation looking homes.
Along our travels, in the smallest rural areas, there may not be much, but there are churches everywhere. Some are huge and beautiful – others not so much. The locals gather in whatever they can.
As with any hot and humid area, we had a few whopper thunderstorms roll through. In our sticks and bricks house, no big deal. When we are inside The Sandman, you can feel the thunder rolling under your feet – boom!!!!
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Such a nice quiet place! Off the beaten path and another beautiful place. We are just amazed daily at how many beautiful places there are that we are so fortunate to see…
We were lucky enough to see Donna’s friends, Sue Gage and Lisa Gage Patrick again. They all went to High School together in Subic Bay, Philippines. We had planned this trip not knowing we would see them several weeks earlier.
They came out to visit us one evening to see The Sandman. We had burgers with all the fixings and some yummy desserts, they brought to share. As luck would have it, those evening South Carolina thunderstorms rolled in shortly after dinner. It gave us a chance to hang out inside and yack for a bit – LOL!!
The next day we all got together again and headed to Charleston. We toured the area and some of the outlying islands. We had a great lunch on the beach at Isle of Palms, and then we caught a ferry to Fort Sumter.
Charleston is filled with so much history and the most beautiful tree lined streets ever. We need to come back!! We ended the day going to the famous “Angel Tree”. It’s estimated to be over 400 years old. Coolest tree we’ve ever seen. It was a great time!!!
When down in this area, it’s important to note how to evacuate during hurricane season. We happened upon this route many times.
Our last day at Givhans we did something new – can’t believe we’ve never done this before. We rented floating tubes and went down the Edisto River. The river runs right behind the campground and “Edisto Adventures” rents whatever you need. Off we went – 2 miles – 2 hours. We took a cooler for lunch and snacks. They pick you up at the end and bring you back to the park. SO much fun!!!
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We had been looking forward to this portion of our travels for many months! Our daughter, our grandson, and her husband’s family rented a house for a week at Holden Beach. We stayed at a campground only a couple miles from them. It was a fantastic week of hanging out, playing at the beach, flying kites, shell hunting, and eating food that each family picked a night and cooked for everyone else. Yummy…………………..oh and then there was THE BEST handmade ice cream place ever…………….major diet after this week – LOL!!
The campground was super nice. Great pool that had only been open a couple of months. They have Corn Hole just outside of the pool fence. A free shuttle to the beach if you needed it. The city has many little beach stores to go in and out of. Of course, we had to check them all out!!!
The first of many highlights of our trip was our grandson Camden, spent 2 nights with us sleeping in the Airstream. Oh, we had so much fun! We watched game shows on TV (he loves them), went to the pool, and played Corn Hole. Another highlight of the week, besides being with part of our family, was the “Turtle Boil”.
When the sea turtle mama lays her eggs on the beach, the Holden Beach Turtle Watch “marks the spot” and ropes it off. 60 days from then is incubation. We were lucky enough to have several of those areas right outside the house. When the babies hatch, they call it a “Turtle Boil” because they literally bubble up through the sand and make their way to the Ocean water. The Turtle Watch volunteers make sure that no one touches them, no lights on, and they help any strays make their way to the ocean. It was THE coolest thing ever to see!!
We were sad to see the week come to an end…….
Quiet – quaint – also an Equestrian Park. Interesting…. we’ve never been in a campground that had a separate little stable area at each campsite – but now we have! The back part of the park had multiple sites for horses and their owners. Based on what the camp host told us, it gets quite busy as there are Equestrian clubs that travel together from place to place.
Who knew?????
The park itself is also well known in the area for the many Artesian Wells built in the 1930’s and is over 100 feet deep and still working and pumping water into the local creek. The 5-mile loop around the park takes you to several of them deep into the woods. Journey (our truck) needed a good bath after this escapade!
The little town of Bishopville is well – little. Not much there – basic amenity stores, mostly vacant and run down more than we’ve seen lately. However, it is home to the South Carolina Cotton Museum and Veterans Museum. We spent several hours filling our heads with information about cotton and discovering that this little town is quite the place that honors our military.
Bishopville – located in Lee County – is also the home of “The Lizard man”. Mike purchased a book about him at the Cotton Museum. He was a real person, so we understand. He got tired of people coming on his property, so he started dressing up as “The Lizard man” to scare them away – LOL!! We ate at a local place recommended by the camp host – “Harry and Harry Too”. Lizard man made his presence well known as there were several newspaper clippings with long stories, framed on the walls. He also made quite the appearance on the restaurant sign.
Ya know? Since we started this retirement adventure, we’ve seen thousands of different styles of RV’s. Once in a while, you see one that just catches your eye. We love how people personalize what they own!
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Another very nice park located on Lake Marion. If it weren’t so dang HOT and humid, we could have enjoyed some nice walking trails……but…. we are in the heart of summer and in South Carolina! Oh, and then there are those lovely nightly thunderstorms that roll through…. whew!!!
This park in particular is loaded with “flying” squirrels – LOL!! And these little buggers like to eat the nuts from all the pinecones and then drop them from above out of the trees. We haven’t been on the roof of the Airstream lately but we’re hoping there are no “dents” from the discarded cores!!
It’s a bit off the beaten path so to speak but within 30 minutes’ drive to a couple of nice towns. In fact, it was so HOT one day; we said “hey, let’s go to the movies”! Something we don’t do very often. So off to see “Mission Impossible” we went.
Another day, we drove to Summerville and then on to Charleston with some longtime friends that Donna went to high school together in the Philippines – Sue Gage, Lisa Gage Patrick and her hubby Randall. Randall chauffeured us around the gorgeous city of Charleston. Oh my - the architect on the homes and buildings is just scrumptious. We had been to Charleston a couple of times in the past, but it’s one of those cities that draw you back. We had Linner (lunch/dinner) at the old Charleston Navy base which sits right on the water. Couldn’t have asked for a better day!!
Still in the land of huge agriculture, we passed acre after acre of corn, soybeans, tobacco, and peanuts.
One of the advantages of taking smaller secondary roads versus freeways, is you get to see all of the quirky tiny towns, and some have just images left of what they used to be – which is sad. Others seem to be thriving – how? Not sure…….
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What do you do when you are close to “South of the Border”? (the North Carolina/South Carolina line). Of course you have to go look at all the “stuff”!! We had been before but ya know, you just have to. It’s just one of those things. And….it was HOT………
Another day we drove to Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, to meet some longtime friends, Jim and Lyn Markham. We’ve known them since we lived in Leesburg, VA many moons ago. This is the second time we’ve gotten to see them on our travels. We had lunch at the “Hippie Hen House”. It’s a favorite for the locals and we can see why. Very yummy food….
After leaving Jim and Lyn, we were close to Myrtle Beach, so why not? We had been there before but hey, it’s Myrtle Beach! We did a bit of shopping at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Broadway at the Beach. We can always find SOMETHING even if we don’t need it – LOL!!
We had seen on the local news about a shooting at a Waffle House nearby – not knowing exactly where it was, we stumbled upon it as we were heading back to the park. Seems some folks got pretty rowdy in the middle of the night – drunk and disorderly – decided they wanted something to eat – and who knows what really happened – other than a bunch of windows got shot out. Nobody hurt….
And can we just say that the trees around here that have the Spanish Moss growing from them are pretty cool looking!!!
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We almost had the place to ourselves! Considering it was in the 90-degree range, I can understand why.
Whew – we need to get used to this heat and humidity!
We had a great campsite – beautiful park – a nice lake with a beach area….but it was just too dang hot to hang outside.
The cute town of Elizabethtown was just minutes away. We poked around the town several times – in and out of the cute little shops. We had lunch at…………. Melvins’
Well, it IS one of the top 100 places to eat while in North Carolina! They’ve been in business since 1938. Burgers, Hot Dogs, chips and drinks…. and the line was out the door!! They’ve got it down to a science…. we were sitting down with our burgers/drinks within 10 minutes.
Where can two of you eat for under $12.00??? If you order a Burger “all the way”, you get it with Chili, Mustard, Onions, and Slaw. Watching the assembly line while they put orders together was quite a site – LOL!!
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Where in the world is Pollocksville? Well………it’s off the beaten path for sure! But what a hidden gem we found. Privately owned and the nicest owners ever! That North Carolina charm is something that can’t be beat. Their 4th of July celebration was on the 1st with a complimentary dinner of hot dogs, baked beans, and corn on the cob, cooked on the BIGGEST portable cooker we’ve ever seen!! The evening topped off with a fantastic fireworks display over the lake.
We were about 30 minutes from New Bern in one direction and Swansboro/Cedar Point/Emerald Isle in the other direction – all surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the Intercostal Waterway, and the Bogue Sound.
We did a day trip to the historic district of New Bern. It’s a beautiful town. We saw lots of cool historic homes, neat little shops, the most gorgeous Episcopal Church, and lots of neat places to eat (of course). The town “mascot” is a Bear, full size bears – all hand painted. We stopped at the Visitors Center to get a map which provides you with the location of more than 60 of them!!! Scavenger hunt………………….
Another day trip took us on a full loop to Swansboro/Cedar Point/Emerald Isle. There’re typical beach towns with a few neat shops and places to eat. Lots of houses on stilts right on the water’s edge. At the very northern tip of Emerald Isle is Fort Macon which we spent some time poking around – soaking in more history of the area.
In between the towns are miles and miles of agriculture farms – tobacco, corn, cotton, peanuts, and a few sunflowers thrown in here and there. What a great part of the country, which we truly love!!
We had a beautiful, sunny drive – getting closer and closer to the beach areas. One thing we’ve both noticed is how beautiful the medians are – silly huh? But really – they are all beautifully manicured with lots of nice trees and flowers. It’s all quite welcoming…and then once off the main highways, very rural in this part of NC – more gorgeous countryside.
The campground is a small, quaint park with only 20 sites. It’s a very nice place to land for several days.
It wouldn’t be an adventure without some excitement. The first night we had a WHOPPER thunderstorm come thru that woke us and everybody else up. Donna was woken by the sound of the POURING rain and snapping sounds. Now wide awake, we could see lots of activity with red lights and such, across the park. An ambulance left along with many other types of machinery. Turns out a tall pine tree had fallen on a trailer and one occupant was taken to the hospital. We understand that she was hurt but was going to be okay. Needless to say it was a pretty sleepless night.
Not much around except for acres and acres of farm land growing tobacco and corn. The corn is almost “knee high by the 4th of July”!!
As always, we can find interesting things where we are. We passed through this area many years ago to ride the ferry to Okracoke Island on the Outer Banks of NC. Ferry, you say??
Well, there just happens to be many of them in this region. One only 12 miles from where we stayed, so we hopped on it one afternoon and rode it across the Pamlico River to the small ghost town of Aurora.
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Rain, rain go away – come back again some other day!! As we traveled from our previous site, we called Airstream of Greensboro to plead our case once again (we had called them yesterday and they had no time for us), that there was still something not quite right with The Sandman – we live full time on the road, and we REALLY needed Airstream to make it right. Low and behold, the Service Technician said swing by, and we’ll fit you in. Music to our ears!!! Yayyy! The road Gods were looking after us…….we changed course just slightly and within an hour, we were there. A few hours later, they had us all fixed up and, on the road, again. Whew!!! Yes!!! Thank you………….happy dance………..
The first 3 days in Wake Forest, it poured and poured. Ugggg…there is nothing worse in Donna’s eyes than camping in the rain. But………it gave us a chance to finally check out the A/C in The Sandman – and the Dehumidifier. Yes – we are now in HOT and HUMID country which we’ve not lived in for many years. Both working as they should – another happy dance LOL!!!!
Once the sun finally came out, we got a chance to meet our neighbor kitty, Galveston. It was a hoot watching him “chirp” at the birds and squirrels. He was quite good at climbing the trees close by too – LOL!! His parents had him on a long leash so no worries about him running off.
Mike’s sister and family live in the area. It’s been quite a while since we spent any quality time with them. We had so much fun sightseeing, eating, laughing, drinking, and catching up.
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We get it – everyone needs rain but………..can we just get a dry morning to hitch up and get on the road??? Welp – not today. It was a nasty morning, a nasty drive and we arrived at our campsite as the rain finally let up a bit.
A super beautiful place, nestled in the woods, and we were sad that we were only staying overnight. Our plans to be there longer got screwed up when The Sandman got sick and we ended up in Virginia a few days more than anticipated. Oh well – things happen and we roll with the day………..
We did manage to get a nice walk in after getting set up, to the Nature Preserve itself. A nice LONG walk after a stressful drive, was just what the doctor ordered LOL!!! There is just “something” about nature, hearing the frogs croak, watching the lightning bugs start to buzz around as night falls, and finally seeing some stars appear.
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It’s all great until it isn’t!! As we were getting ready to leave our last place, Claytor Lake State Park, our front stabilizers wouldn’t go up. Uh oh….Houston – we have a problem! We check other things and nothing, nada……….we check the inside CZone which is our control module for the entire rig and nothing, nada….batteries are showing dead, dead, dead. So….we get on the phone with Jackson Center which is where the Airstreams are made. They gave us some suggestions to try. Did that – nothing worked. But we were able to hand crank the stabilizer up.
Next up – we called Coach Net which is the warranty roadside assistance thru Airstream. They found a guy – he came out – turns out he was a Bus and Truck mechanic – so no help. We get back on the phone with Coach Net. They find an RV mechanic close to us – Luke with Nomads RV shop. We talk. He can come to us – but…………we have to be out of our site by 4:00. The park is FULL so we had to leave. It’s now 2:30. We ended up towing The Sandman to Nomads. Luke does a quick look at things and finds at least 2 blow fuses amongst other things. Of course, it’s late on a Friday so nothing can be done until Monday.
Luke helps us find an RV Park close by. Off we go. We spend all day Saturday calling places and driving all over looking for this special fuse. We find one at a local Dodge Dealer. All Airstream places are closed on the weekends – figures!! We called our besties Jon and Becky in CA to help. They found another fuse at a local Dodge dealer and sent it via Fed Ex for Monday arrival. All weekend we endure the CZone doing its reset and general wonkiness.
Monday in pouring rain, we hitch up and take the Sandman to Nomads for more work. Luke does his best to get us up and running. But…..there are a few things we feel still need to be done by Airstream………..back to the RV Park for one more night….
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We have such a renewed appreciation for the hard-working farmers who grow the food
needed to feed a hungry nation. The vast fields and crops, now just beginning to sprout,
are awe-inspiring.
The lightning bugs are out! The past couple of weeks we’ve begun to see them all over the
place. I think we can all remember as kids (if you lived in an area that had them), catching
them in a jar, poking a hole in the top, and watching their little bodies light up…..
As we’ve moved eastward, we are seeing more deer and beautiful woodpeckers. It’s also
bear country so there are plenty of warnings out and about. The grasses are full of bunnies bouncing thru the woods and the night sky stars?
Wow – most of the parks we’ve been in
should be designated as Dark Sky Parks. The stars look as if you could reach out and grab
them…..
Claytor Lake is no exception to the beautiful places we’ve laid our heads at night!!
This area is close to our hearts as both of our kids graduated from college in the area. Our
son went to Virginia Tech and our daughter went to Radford University. We spent a day
playing tourist at both places. We had lunch at one of our favorites – Macado’s. Oh so
good!!
We have been enjoying all the beautiful Magnolia trees now in bloom.
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It can’t be beautiful and sunny every day. Today was driving in the rain and fog with white knuckles, as we drove up into the mountains. Every day is a new adventure!!
Visiting another beautiful state park. I know – peat and repeat – LOL!! But…this is why we try to stay at them. Nice lake with a small beach and many other amenities.
Being in the heart of Civil War history country, we went to the National Historical Park. Mike loving history, was in his element. It was pretty neat to see the “McLean House” and other buildings restored with reenactors. Many of the restored buildings included artifacts and stories from the surrender signing ending the civil war.
We had lunch at a local place called Granny Bee’s – recommended by one of the Park Rangers. It was a cute home town cookin kinda place. Yummy! We poked our heads into a couple of the local shops before heading to the American Civil War Museum. It was chock full of more history and artifacts. A really nice exhibit from students at Virginia Tech and the museum, chronicling stories from freed slaves after the war ended.
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The Virginia countryside is simply stunning! When we lived in Northern Virginia, we frequented the country a lot. Now that we are seeing it in a different light by living in our home on wheels, we cherish every moment – life is short – and this area is just gorgeous. The Blue Ridge and the Alleghany mountains is quite the site, especially on a clear day.
The RV Park is home to the Endless Caverns. Instead of having a “timed” entry and limited time to enjoy, we chose to go to Luray Caverns. It had been many years since we had been there, and they didn’t disappoint. There were several small museums there, one being a Car and Carriage Museum. My oh my were there some beautiful automobiles!!! We poked around the little town and had lunch at one of the only places open (it’s a very SMALL town).
We found lots to do at the RV Park. We dipped our toes in the swimming pool. We hiked up to the Endless Caverns sign from our camp site. Once at the top – wowzer – the views are stunning to say the least!! We poked around the quaint little historical town of New Market where we found the General Store to be quite popular. We had dinner at the Southern Kitchen where we had heard they had THE BEST fried chicken. Well…..we scarfed it all down – LOL!!
We celebrated our 40th Anniversary while there. We enjoyed steaks outside, with beautiful weather and a couple of spirits in hand.
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“Mooch docking” at Son-In-Laws Mothers driveway
Originally we were going to be camping at a super neat place called Lake Fairfax in Reston,Virginia, near where we used to live when we were in the area many years ago. However, our son-in-law’s Mom offered part of her driveway for us to park The Sandman in, while staying in Northern Virginia. Okay – perfect! Saved us some $$ which we very much appreciated. Our daughter offered for us to stay at her house in Ashburn, Virginia instead. Our son and his family, live nearby so it was the best of both worlds!
Two main reasons for our trip to Virginia from our starting point in So Cal were: we hadn’t seen our family in a while and after 18 months of waiting for a full military honors burial for Donna’s father at Arlington National Cemetery, the date was finally been set for Friday June 2 nd . Mike’s brother Steve flew in from the San Francisco area and our bestie Jonathan Harry flew in from Huntington Beach, CA. Many other friends of the family and military acquaintances came from different places to be with us. The day was beautiful………..
We enjoyed some sightseeing – showing Steve and Jon around the area. It had been many years since Steve had been to the DC area and Jon had never been. We took them out to see our home in Harpers Ferry, spent some time at local breweries/wineries and had fun going to our old stomping grounds!!!
Family time is precious to us. Our kids and grands are the bestest!! It’s always bitter sweet when it’s time to go. But………we’ll be back for Christmas!!!
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Can we just say that the weather God’s have been great to us? Oh yeah – beauuuuutiful drive from Elkins to Harpers Ferry! Can we say how excited we were to finally arrive????
Not that the KOA was anything special. Some of you know that we bought 5 acres with a house/pool last year in Harpers Ferry – did some renovations and then rented it out while we’re on the road. And………..it is very close to our kids and grands that live in Northern Virginia. Whoo Hoo!!!
We did lots of visiting with the family and a few friends. All were excited to FINALLY see our Airstream – The Sandman. We hooked up with the renters of our house – they invited us over for a yummy steak dinner one night. We’ll admit – it did feel kinda strange to have dinner in OUR dining room with someone else living there. However over the course of the last 6 months, we’ve become pretty good friends with them. We saw them several other times while in the area. We are VERY lucky to have found such a great couple to live in our home they treat it like their own.
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Deep in the Alleghany Mountains lies the quaint old town of Elkins. It’s very close to a very popular ski area called Snowshoe Mountain Resort. Also close to Seneca Rocks (beautiful rock formations lunging out of the mountains) and Blackwater Falls. If you’ve never been to this part of the country, it’s simply………..breathtaking everywhere.
Upon getting close to our campground, we encountered once again, beautiful but narrow back roads. “Oh look – there are now 10 vehicles backed up behind us”. Well – it is what it is LOL!!! Pass us when you can! The road to get into the campground portion of the property was a little nerve racking. We…..just……fit……whew!!
We stayed at a family-owned campground. The owners were the sweetest people ever! Getting up in age, they told us they had just sold the entire place – the campground, their house on the property, and everything in it Off they go soon to Italy. It was nice and quiet but close enough to go out exploring the area for a day. One corner of the property was a cemetery with gravestones dating back to the Revolutionary war.
One corner of the property was a cemetery with gravestones dating back to the Revolutionary war.
Did you ever wonder where Kingsford Charcoal is manufactured? Well….we stumbled upon the plant on a drive up into the mountains. It’s in a small town called Parsons and has been in business since 1958. It produces 125,000 tons of charcoal a year – wow!!! We drove a big loop thru the mountains and back, and didn’t stop to get pictures – darn it……
After a great lunch in the cute town of Thomas, we went looking for a waterfall at the edge of town. WELL… we found ourselves on a very narrow dirt and muddy road near abandon coal mines. All along the river were abandoned brick ovens used to turn the coal into coke that was then used in blast furnaces at the steel mills. Hundreds of ovens made of brick lined the river. Many of the bricks were melted from the heat of the coal. We had fun trying to imagine what life was like back then. It was kind of creepy with nowhere to turn around, and lots of mud. Thank you Ram 4wheel drive for getting us out without any problems.
parks! They are beautiful all across this country. This one was no exception – it’s HUGE
and had all of the amenities including laundry. Yes – we have to “adult” every now and then
which includes having clean sheets and clothes – LOL!!!
The drive to get there was clear, green, and towards the end, a VERY skinny road. Here
we go again – both looking at each other – hoping that NO ONE comes the other direction
as where the heck are we supposed to pull over just a tad??? Um….no…….that was after
the downhill “8% truck grade” and the sharp curves every 10 seconds!
Within the campground is the well-known (around here) Glade Creek Grist Mill – a fully
functional replica of the original Cooper’s Mill, which once stood on the grounds. Absolutely
stunning waterfalls everywhere…..there are over 16 different trails to hike, with overlooks into the River Gorge….wow just wow!!
This park is close to the New River Gorge National Park which was on our bucket list.
OMG!!! Just breathtaking………………………………………………………………..the bridge
is taller than we could have ever imagined. Its 3,030’ tall…..
We had one good day to site see then it rained the entire next day. We were glad to see
what we came here to see.
“Country roads, take me home, to the place I belong, West Virginia”.
We realize we are fortunate to be able to travel as we do. We’ve seen some rather
Interesting places as we forge across this beautiful country…often times in VERY rural
areas.
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Camping on the Ohio River – Wow!!! A small, quaint, quiet park with only 19 sites.
Watching the barges go by, with supplies we all use every day, was simply amazing and
peaceful. Getting off the grid so to speak, we’ve learned so much about how some of our
supplies get from here to there….
The drive to get here was…..well……another gorgeous canvas of green………lots of
bridges and construction, even a nuclear power plant……Mike handled the roads like we’ve been doing this forever!!
A bucket list for Mike on this part of the trip was to visit Marietta, Ohio where he spent some of his childhood years. We drove by his old house and neighborhood in the suburb of Devola, stopped at the Locks and Dam down the street where he went fishing with his dad and brother Steve many years ago.
Then we headed to the town of Marietta, had a bite for lunch and
poked around a bit more. A small quaint town and pretty neat.
We took an 8-mile hike on a marked trail through the Wayne National Forest – started at the
campground. Saw some very interesting things along the way. Who knew that there would
be water pumps that look just like oil well pumps in the middle of nowhere????
The drive to this park from the previous one was another gorgeous day of scenery. Our
GPS (Gwendolyn) said hey – I’m going to re-route you on a REALLY scenic drive and boy
did she ever!! After getting off the main road, we meandered thru a road fit for ONE vehicle
– not two. Very narrow – no shoulders and wouldn’t you know it, a little bit of construction to
add to the white knuckled excitement after arriving……we were ready for……………..some dinner and
drinks!!
It’s Cinco de Mayo!!! And the sweet little town of Grayson had one great Mexican
restaurant. We had to drive into town after setting up camp anyway – as we ran into an
issue that was new to us. The water spigot hook up was WAY OVER THERE…..and OVER
THERE, we need a MUCH LONGER water hose.
The next day turned out to be simply gorgeous so we took a long hike around Grayson
Lake. We knew rain was coming the next day so today was the day!! We hadn’t hiked in
warm weather in quite a long time – we were prepared but man oh man were we pooped
when we got back…..but…..since we were still in “horse” country, we paid tribute to
Kentucky and watched the Kentucky Derby.
And so it goes – the next day it poured and we had quite the thunderstorm. Something we
both love and didn’t get much of living on the West Coast. Those cracks of thunder sure do
reverberate through the Sandman though!
One of the campsites had a large group of campers that enjoyed expressing their first amendment rights all weekend.
Did someone say Kentucky Derby? What??? Well…little did we know that this was THE
week!!! But we’re not “horse” peeps so why would be know about the biggest race of the
year – happening near where we were??? LOL….
Mike’s youngest brother David and his family live in the area. Hence the reason for our trip
here, since we’ve not seen them in way too many years. They picked us up for dinner
Monday night and took us to a neato local restaurant to catch up.
Again it being Kentucky Derby week and what else do you do in Kentucky?
The Bourbon Trail!!! We had no idea how MANY people love doing the Distillery tours and now they all require reservations, we did the closest one that had a tour available.
It was awesome! It’s the only one in the state that is both a brewery and distillery – Lexington
Brewing and Distilling Company.
Wednesday Dave and Robin picked us up and we went on a hike in a beautiful area that ended at a
waterfall. Then off to lunch in the cute little town of Berea. Oh and if you’re ever looking for
really cool wooden toys and some kitchen things, David makes them by hand and has his
wares for sale in several Artisan shops, and in his etsy shop – “Kazwoodcraft”.
Golf? What??? Just kidding – mini golf at the campground…we hadn’t played in several
years – fun afternoon on a nice sunny day.
When Daniel Boone and his men reached the Kentucky River on April 1, 1775, they quickly moved to
establish Kentucky’s second settlement – the site still known as Fort Boonesborough. The fort has been
reconstructed as a working fort complete with cabins, blockhouses and
furnishings. 18th century life skills and period craft demonstrations bring history to life.
A ball cap and coffee cup from the USS Daniel Boone, a submarine Mike worked on while in the Navy.
This was a quick overnight stop on the way to our next destination. A very nice place – clean – and we did laundry – Yayyy!! Some beautiful scenery along the way to include a replica of the Washington Monument in Fairview, Kentucky. It was completed in 1924 and resides in the Jefferson Davis State Historic Park. It was added to the National Historic Register in 1973.
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We just can’t say enough great things about State Parks – they seem to get better and better! We had another nice site with a small view of the Ohio River. After arriving, we took a long walk around the campground and down to the river. Such beauty in the most amazing places that we never knew existed.
What a beautiful, quaint, quiet park. We wished we could have stayed longer. Driving in the rain most of the day was no fun and we were pretty pooped by the time we arrived – no sightseeing – no time. Our site was across the street from a very nice lake with a walking/biking trail along side. We’ll have to keep this one on the list to come back someday!
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Welp – we didn’t move far – a few miles on the other side of Table Rock Lake – to yet another beautiful place by the lake to lay our heads for a week and continue to enjoy the area.
But………before arriving – our Sandman needed a bit of warranty work done at a local dealership in Springfield, MO. So, off we went 40 miles in the opposite direction for an early morning appointment, we had arranged before arriving in Missouri. 5 hours later, with everything fixed, we headed to the campground. All is good!!!!!
The scenery in the area and not much traffic (at least not what we were used to in So Cal), made the drive all that more pleasant.
Continuing our stay in the area, we had more sightseeing and things to accomplish.
But….what is up with the weather here? We had a beautiful week of high 70’s and then another massive thunderstorm with tornadoes rolled thru. No damage thankfully! But the
Temperature dropped about 30 degrees…burr!
Again, bundling up, we explored a bit more of historic downtown Branson and the outlying areas. Another day we drove about an hour to explore Springfield. We took a jeep ride through the “Fantastic Caverns” which didn’t disappoint….wow such beautiful stalactites and stalagmites!!! The cave was discovered in 1862 by John Knox looking for his lost dog. He kept it a secret for 4 years because of the civil war. Over the years visitors paid to enter but because of limited light sources they couldn’t go very deep. In 1867, 12 local women from The Springfield Athletic Club volunteered to document the cave, even signing their names on the walls. Over the years the cave was used as a Speak Easy and even a recording studio for many bands, and then the music was played on the local radio station. The tour is a ride in a jeep drawn tram and in some places everyone has to duck down to avoid the rock ceiling.
Another bucket list item for Donna was to visit the High School her father graduated from, prior to joining the Navy in 1939. Her grandmother taught at Drury University, across the street from the High School.
Oh – and have you ever been to the World's Largest Toy Museum??? Well…..it just happened to be right here in Branson. Wowzer – toy overload…..
To end our fantastic time in Branson, our previous neighbors for 18 years in California –Ross and Jamie Hesseling, met up with us for a couple of days. They own property there and planned a short vacation so we could hang out.
We HAD to stop at the Headquarters of Bass Pro Shop. Wow – Wow – Wow – it was HUGE!! It’s the granddaddy of them all for sure!! We did more sightseeing, ate yummy food and went to Top of the Rock – another property owned by the same person who owns Dogwood Canyon and Bass Pro Shops – Johnny Morris.
The highest elevation near Branson, with uninterrupted views of the Ozark Mountains and Table Rock Lake. Top of the Rock is nestled among some of the most breathtaking scenery in Missouri. Part of the experience is a 45-minute golf cart drive through a cave, covered bridges and waterfalls with a stop for a beverage at the Bat bar. Sunset ends the evening with a bagpiper and a cannon blast next to the chapel.
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Our relatively short drive from the previous campground was gorgeous. The rolling hills were filled with blooming trees, flowers, green pastures, and shelf rocks. Stunning scenery!!
Missouri itself offers an abundance of things to do, the “Show Me” state. Branson specifically, seems to be the center of a tourist mecca with a plethora of whatever you need or want to do. It’s there! We rode our bikes, did a couple of nice hikes, and poked around.
Historical Branson and what is called “the strip”, visited the College of the Ozarks, rode the Branson famous “Mountain Coaster”.
We spent the day at Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, a rugged landscape that has been left untouched and, with just a little imagination, you can travel back to a time when European settlers first entered the area or, even further, to explore the mark that Native Americans left on these Missouri hills and hollows. Today, the park includes a fully functioning mill, restaurant, conservation center, bike barn, a treehouse built by Animal Planet's Treehouse master's and a horse stable facility. We took a guided tram ride through the park. Johnny Morris CEO of Bass Pro Shops owns the land. Every turn was more breathtaking the last.
We have been partaking in way too much local food – LOL! Good stuff here!! Oh well….we’ll walk or ride off all those extra calories……
The first highlight of this portion of the trip was a tip we received from a volunteer at the Table Rock Army Corps of Engineers visitor center (very nice place FYI). He spotted Mikes camera and knew with that equipment, he wasn’t your ordinary tourist. He told us of a small park in town that had a large Bald Eagle nest. So….we headed there and hit gold…..Mama, was in the nest – Daddy showed up with more nesting material and food………and then…….we saw one of the baby’s head pop up. Wowzer! What a fantastic moment!
The second highlight was a tip from our camping neighbor who’s lived in this area all his life. He told us of a “must do” hike. We headed back to Arkansas (about an hour’s drive) to a place called Hawksbill Crag. It’s noted on the web as one of the top 10 hikes in the US and number 1 in Arkansas. It did not disappoint! The hike was scenic and when we got to the Crag (a large rock that overhangs a valley), the views were breathtaking!!! The only other hike we can compare it to was when we lived in San Diego, we hiked “Potato Chip Rock”.
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Gotta say – these COE campgrounds do not disappoint! Yet another beautiful place to park
our heads for a few nights. Our site backed up to the White River which was a spillway
below Dam Quarry. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery as the Redbuds and Dogwood
trees were in full bloom.
The sights and sounds of the boats going up and down the river fishing was soothing to say
the least. Sitting out in the nice weather enjoying an adult beverage was something we
hadn’t gotten to do much, but spring has finally sprung! We took a few nice long walks
around the large campground and poked around a few waterfalls. The water being SO
clear enabled us to see marine life and blue herons fishing along the river banks.
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After Mike’s white-knuckle drive in the rain and tons of construction on the highway, we
were glad our drive from the previous park wasn’t a long one. After setting up in the rain,
we were both ready to partake in an adult beverage. We both had a good sleep!! We
had a very nice site with the water behind us and in front of us across the main road.
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We took off the next day for Little Rock to visit a few places that were suggested. Not the
best of site seeing we’ll admit. We poked around the River Market District downtown for a
short time. The weather was cloudy, windy, and cold so we didn’t walk the River Trail which
we were looking forward to…..next time…..We drove to the “Big Dam Bridge” which is the
longest pedestrian/bicycle bridge in the US.
We stumbled upon the area in Little Rock that had been hit by the most recent tornado.
Just devastating to see…..and we thanked our lucky stars because that was the tornado
that missed us!!
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As we were driving back to our campsite, we noticed a Bass Pro Shop – hey let’s go!
Neither of us had been to one before – what fun!
At the end of our day, we were treated to a wonderful sunset.
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Wow – this place was just Wow – HUGE – and had every amenity you can think of (except
laundry). We had a super nice site that backed up to the woods and had a clear few of the
lake from the front. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t the best while we were there. We
kept a close eye on things as massive storms were due to roll through our area. The night
we arrived a huge thunderstorm rolled through – which was the start of things to come.
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The next day was cloudy – a bit chilly – and again a chance for storms. We took a chance on
the forecast which was clear for the day and headed off to Hot Springs.
We first visited the famous Anthony Chapel and the Garvan Woodland Gardens. Pictures
don’t do justice as to how truly beautiful the Chapel and the Gardens are!!
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Then we headed to the cute town of Hot Springs – had some lunch – enjoyed walking the streets and going
through the Hot Springs National Park. The National Park has done a wonderful job at
preserving the sites.
The displays were exactly as it would look back in the day. It seems like this was the place to be seen and get healed by the water.
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Prior to leaving, we drove up to the Hot Springs Mountain Tower that
has a 360 degree view of…………you name it…………everything!! Donna is not thrilled
about being that high up in an open tower but she did it
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And then………….here come the storms again. This time the Park Ranger came around to
every camp site making sure we knew where the safe shelter was and that we were
prepared should we need to evacuate as the tornado watch was looming over us. We were
as prepared as we could be. Phones dialed in to the weather channel with alerts popping
off every few minutes. The HAM radio tuned into the local weather. We listened to the
thunder for hours – watching the lightning all around us. The rain sounds pretty cool from
inside our Airstream!!!
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We delayed our departure the morning we left as it was pouring rain with lots of lighting and thunder it was best to let
this set of storms go by before we broke camp. We waited for a small break but alas it
didn’t last very long. We broke camp in the rain – drove to our next destination in the rain –
set up in the rain – and both of us looked like drowned rats by the time it was all said and
done – LOL!! But………….we arrived safe and sound!!
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Where in the world is Pittsburg Texas? Well……it’s off the beaten path but another
gorgeous park. We made a short stop to break up driving days. We took several hikes around the
grounds which were mostly along the lake banks so the views were gorgeous! The honeysuckle was in bloom and as always, beware of leaves of three.
It was finally warm enough again that we could wear T-shirts and shorts – unfortunately short lived –
But nice while it lasted – LOL!! Our last stop in Texas……………..
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On our way to Ennis we stopped at a truck wash to clean off the dust, dirt, and now pollen, 4 months on the road. We were a bit nervous to be hanging with the big boys but a
good word from fellow Airstreamers, THIS was the place to go – Blue Beacon. And….they
were right!! The Manager knew exactly the special care needed to wash an Airstream.
Both Journey and The Sandman got a wonderful spa treatment. While in the lot
next door drying them both off, the Manager came over to ensure we were happy with the
spa treatment. Now that’s what we call good customer service!!
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On to….The Range – Vintage Trailer Resort – where an Airstream family purchased land
and turned it into an Airstream only paradise!! There are spots to rent and
restored vintage Airstream trailers to glamp in for a weekend. We had a beautiful pull thru
spot perfectly situated to enjoy the woods, visiting goats from the neighbor a mile away, The
Barn (where food is served on the weekends), the 67’ Globetrotter restored into a bar,
multiple fire pits, and the lake where you can fish from the bridge. It was quite the place
and we enjoyed treating ourselves for a few days – even free laundry – Yayyy!!
We met Jay and his family visiting from Jackson, Ohio. He asked about our Airstreams name Sandman. We explained how we came up with the name. The next day as he was fishing with his son, he told us that his whole family listened to the song by Metallica the night before and they all strongly approved.
The Texas wildflowers were in full bloom. Part of the Bluebonnet Trail was near The Range
so we took full advantage of the drive to enjoy the beautiful countryside.
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Finally we had summer weather. Green leaves on the trees and grass. We had the best campsite to date. A spot overlooking the lake, warm sunshine and steaks and burgers cooked on the outdoor grill. This is what we have been waiting for. We opened all the trailer windows and let in the fresh air. We met up with our friends Shawn, Kate and their son Carter for a great Mexican dinner.
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We had a great time Tuesday at Hamilton Pool Preserve with Donna’s childhood friend from CA, Robynn, who lives near Austin TX. It’s a beautiful place and we had a great hike, yummy lunch and dinner. We spent a few hours visiting The Lynden Baines Johnson museum. A very impressive museum where we relearned a lot of history. Austin is known for their bat population. Unfortunately, the cooler weather has delayed the migration from Mexico. We didn’t get to see any. We walked to the city’s night life section to enjoy a drink.
Hamilton (172) MK
Hamilton (244) copy
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Hamilton (156) MK
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This is a beautiful quiet state park. The weather was finally getting warm. We broke out our fire pit and enjoyed hiking and nice days.
First day of spring MK
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We visited Carlsbad National Park. Driving through the park Donna saw some big horn sheep on the mountain. Fortunately we found parking and both of us were delighted to see a large herd of both babies and Rams climbing on the cliffs.
Carlsbad (43) MK
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Silly us we didn’t make reservations before arriving at the Carlsbad Caverns. Spring break week means all reservations were taken. We went up the mountain anyway just to look around. Guess what? A very friendly ranger clued us into if we arrived by 7:30 am the next morning, we might get a couple tickets. Well, luck was on our side! We stood in the freezing cold, 40mph winds and many other tourists hoping for tickets. We not only scored tickets to the self-guided tour, but a ranger guided walk, in rooms only a few people see. That was really cool. At one point he turned off all the lights so we could experience complete darkness in the cave. He used a small torch to show how early explorers searched the cave.
Cave (894) MK
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Cave (1157) K
In the summer of 1947, a rancher discovered unidentifiable debris in his sheep pasture outside Roswell, New Mexico. Although officials from the local Air Force base asserted that it was a crashed weather balloon, many people believed it was the remains of an extraterrestrial flying saucer; a series of secret “dummy drops” in New Mexico during the 1950s heightened their suspicions. Nearly 50 years after the story of the mysterious debris broke; the U.S. military issued a report linking the incident to a top-secret atomic espionage project called Project Mogul. Still, many people continue to embrace the UFO theory, and hundreds of curiosity seekers visit Roswell every year.
We had so much fun exploring Roswell. Everywhere we turned we encountered another alien. Even the museum was in on the fun. Our favorite was the local McDonalds. It had a spaceship theme, the only McDonalds in the country with a theme other than golden arches. Of course we had dinner there.
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Lake
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Us and a buddy
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White Sands (1) MK
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MJK_2477 MK
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Hieroglyphic ) (29) MK
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Silly Mountian (3) MK
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Tortilla Flats
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We spent the night upon arrival in NC with a good friend Kurt. He lives about an hour from the dealership. We had a great dinner out which gave us a chance to catch up on everything.
The folks at the dealership in North Carolina were so nice. They had our new baby, front and center for us as we arrived. We did all the paperwork and did a quick test drive. Then we had the fun task of transferring all our stuff from one truck to another, which only took 3 hours LOL!! We enjoyed a very fun evening and overnight stay with Mike’s sister/family in Wake Forest.
Then it was off to Northern VA to enjoy a quick week with the kids and begin the return trip to CA after Super Bowl Sunday. We had a fantastic party at Robbie’s with the family but it was bittersweet once again to leave the kids and grands.
Trucks
Cooking
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playing
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East to West 2023 (20) MK
East to West 2023 (26) MK
East to West 2023 (83) MK
East to West 2023 (90) MK
East to West 2023 (105) MK
happy Birthday in HB
Oriflamme Canyon (6) MK
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Sedona (15) MK
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From Cottonwood we went to Prescott AZ and stayed at the Pine Lawn Ranch RV Park for a week (1/5 – 1/12). Got a nice pull through site nestled in the pine trees amongst others who were permanent residents there. Wow was it COLD – and – we learned our first winter camping lesson. If it’s going below freezing, make sure you have fresh water in your tank and disconnect the fresh water hose outside. The first morning there we woke up to everything frozen! Uh oh……okay – calm down – we can do this!! Get out the manuals and figure out what we’re doing…and we did just that – Whew! Crisis averted J
Big Pig
Prescott is a great little town we had visited many years prior and were excited to get back again. We spent several days walking around all the shops in the historic area downtown. We hiked “Thumb Butte” which was absolutely gorgeous at the top. Little did we know that coming down on the shady side would render lots of packed snow with ice as the topper! We were glad we had our hiking poles with us – LOL!! We took a couple of other hikes (ground level) which were much easier but also had beautiful scenery as there are many lakes in the Prescott area. We had several “visitors” at our camping site. The area houses several deer families and many Javelinas.
Thumb Butte (126) MK
Thumb Butte (139) MK
Thumb Butte (155) MK
On to Lake Alamo State Park near Wenden AZ for a week (1/12 – 1/19). Very remote but a beautiful area tucked within the surrounding mountains. Again we lucked out and got a very nice site with a view of the lake. We’re glad we stocked up on necessities prior to coming as there is NOTHING OUT HERE J That’s the beauty of it though….you can hear a pin drop most of the time. We’ve had rain off and on, even a thunderstorm - so the weather hasn’t been the greatest but….it is winter we keeping telling ourselves. We did a couple of hikes and drove up to the Alamo Dam overlook. Stunning views!!!!! The area is filled with wild burros but we’ve yet to see any except for 2 as we were arriving to the park and they were fairly far away – way down in one of the crevices. Lots of “evidence” they are around though.
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Okay we haven’t updated in a while.
We had so much fun with our families especially the little ones we didn’t do any writing.
So how about a quick look back.
-Still no truck or Airstream-
July 2022
We bought lots of fireworks for the 4th and had a great time lighting them in the driveway with the family.
We took care of the littlest Grands while their parents went on a well-deserved European vacation. Baths, food and bedtime reminded us why we had little ones when we were young! We even all went out for a Sunday brunch and everybody behaved J It’s been an awesome time getting to spend so much time with them!!
Coloring
Declan
Fireworks-01
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LC Fair (69) MK
LC Fair (329) MK
Park bench
Showtime
Silver Diner
Watermellon
Firworks vid
August 2022
-Still no truck or Airstream-
The entire family went to Oak Island North Carolina for a week at the beach. Lazy days on the sand, playing in the surf and lots of seafood made for a fun week. The kids enjoyed the pirate treasure hunt and the light sticks were a big hit.
After we took possession of our West Virginia house we immediately began looking for ways to make it our own. We hired a contractor, with the help of our agent Nan. But first - we had a weekend pool party with the whole family. So much fun! Everybody brought what was needed as remember – the house was completely empty…we had the perfect time along with a slumber party to top things off….
Jose our contractor was amazing. With the help of his crew, walls were removed and the entire house completely repainted inside and out. New sinks, fixtures and all new door hardware that Donna and I replaced made the place “ours”. We are so happy with the results.
We spent our week days at the new house. It made it easier to answer questions and make decisions being there. Mike learned how to mow 5 acres of grass and do pool maintenance. Donna worked in the yard and found a few snakes (not her favorite thing!). Making meals amongst the dust was almost impossible, so we found the Mountain View Diner to be our favorite dinner spot. On weekends we would spend time with our family bike riding, playing games, and movie watching. We even went to a high school football game.
A retirement present to ourselves were tattoos. We found a great guy simply by accident as we were out exploring our old stomping grounds one day.
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02Beach-02
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05Beware of allligator
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Cam Soccer
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September 2022
-And still no truck or Airstream-
We took Camden, our oldest Grand, to the National Zoo in DC for a day. We traveled both ways on the subway and had lots of fun listening to Camden tell us all he knew about the zoo animals. We celebrated with another Grand on her 5th birthday (Paige), with a dinner date at the Silver Diner, just the three of us. We had bought her a cute new outfit to wear and she picked where she wanted to go. She loved it!
The air show at Leesburg Airport (our old stomping grounds) was a special treat. Hadn’t been able to see it for years and it was almost across the street from where we used to live. Good times!!
As the leaves began to change, the work on the house was complete. Now time to find renters. After putting so much work into our new house, we debated staying and simply abandoning the Airstream plans. After careful thought we realized we would regret not going out to explore. With the help of our fantastic agent Nan, she found a couple to rent the house starting Dec. 1. We met them before we left the east coast and they are in love with the house. They offered to purchase it and we said…………..nope!!! J
Air show
Camden zoo-01
Camden zoo
Declan School
Paige goes to school
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New house-02
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New house-06
New house
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Paige Birthday
October 2022
-And…… still no truck or Airstream-
But wait. A text from the dealer told us The Sandman was off the assembly line and soon enroot to the west coast. Could it be true? We still didn’t have any way to pull it. We needed a tow vehicle!! After telling a few friends we needed a truck new or used, we began getting calls from all over the country with offers. Then, an ad shows up on Donna’s Facebook. A 2021 Dodge RAM with only 5k miles, only an hour’s drive from Tiffany’s (our daughter) house. Could it be true? 5 thousand miles! By weeks end we had our tow vehicle. So we began making plans to yet again drive across the country. Keep in mind that the truck we ordered in January, still not available yet!!! What the heck is going on??????
One of the beautiful Sycamores in the side yard of our Harpers Ferry house was sadly infested with termites. We hired a local company to bring it down. It was not an easy job bringing down a 40 ft. tree. We did save a few pieces to burn, the rest into the chipper.
Halloween was rainy but that didn’t dampen the spirits of pirate Camden. He collected lots of candy and was more than willing to share it. J The other Grands had a fantastic time going around their neighborhood with some other littles….
Sunday afternoons was watching Camden’s soccer team and family dinners J
Diner
Movie
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Elk Run Fall 2022 (20) MK
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November 2022
With the house construction all finished we spent a beautiful fall day hiking around Harpers Ferry. We climbed to the top of Maryland Heights for a mountain top view of our new home city. We went to Tennessee twice for reunions. First, Shipmates from Mike’s time in the Navy, from the USS Oakridge gathered in Oak Ridge Tennessee. We all served together in Rota Spain in the late 70’s. It was great to see every one again. The second reunion a few weeks later was with several classmates from Donna’s DOD school in the Philippines in Nashville for a long weekend. We had driven through the area several times but had never stopped or spent time poking around. What a fun city! We took the “Redneck Bus Tour” – what a hoot!!
After Camden’s birthday we began another cross country journey to California on Nov. 18th. This was number 3……On this trip we needed to obtain a Texas driver’s license and register the truck. Not as easy as it sounds. In order to get a driver’s license, you must be resident of the state (6 months). How do you do that in one day? We did a lot of planning ahead. We changed our address at the bank and insurance. First things first. Get the truck inspected. We found a garage that does that for only $7. Next drive to the county you domicile in. For that we are using a company called Escapees for mail service. They cater to full time RVers like us. So we drive to Livingston Texas. Find the County tax assessor’s office, pay the taxes and get licenses plates for the truck. Now we need a driver’s license. Because COVID had backed up all appointments in the big cities we started looking for a small office that we could make an appointment. We found a hole in the wall office at the end of the runway at a small airport. We have found everyone in Texas to be friendly except the people at the Department of Public Safety. Anyway, after a couple hours we are now residents of the great state of Texas. Y’all….
3 Days in Texas gave us time to visit peeps we knew from other areas we lived and they all now live in Texas. We visited Donna’s friend Robynn, and her former manager Shawn and his wife Kate. Fun times. Thanksgiving dinner was with friends Mark and Jean who used to live near us in CA. Tucson Arizona was next. Driving through west Texas is a long and boring drive. At a rest stop I overheard some truckers talking about snow.??? A half hour later the flakes began. The snow piled up to about 3-4 inches on the road. We used 4wheel drive for several hours before we were out of it. We met Admirals old friends Don and Addy at the Queens Copper Mine in Bisbee. Really glad we went, really cool place to visit. We ended the day with dinner in Tombstone. The next day a visit to the Sonoran Desert Museum just outside of Tucson, with a raptor bird demonstration.
On to California. We stayed with our good friends Steve and Arlana in Del Mar. They are such great people. They fed us and let us use their downstairs apartment with a very comfortable bed.
Camden birthday
L'Berge
Mike and Donna
packed truck
Snow
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Thanksgiving
December 2022
Our dreams are about to come true – after waiting SO long…..
We finally got to see our new home on wheels for the first time on Dec. 1st.
First time we see it
The Sandman was at the back of the lot getting shined and prepped. Talk about nerves, excitement and anxiety!!! We spent an hour in awe finally able to see it. The next day was our walk through. That night we had a really nice time with our good friends Jonathan and Becky, telling stories from our summer. I don’t think we slept at all that night. The excitement of our life changing adventure was about to begin. Because we didn’t want to give the State of California any more money than we had to, we opted to take possession of The Sandman in Arizona. We were informed during our walk through that we had to be at Exit 1 Ehrenburg Arizona at 8:30 am the next day Dec. 2nd. Oh that’s a 4 hour drive!!! So we made hotel reservations for that night. Erick in Service at Airstream of Orange County was absolutely amazing. A usual first timers walk through is 3 hours. He gave us almost 8. He explained everything from using the stinky slinky to the tires. Front to back, inside and out we learned it all. We had dinner with Jon and Becky and then we hit the road. Huntington Beach CA to the Arizona line is not a fun drive, especially in the dark. Again not a lot of sleep. A short drive on Friday morning from our hotel to the Wendy’s at Exit 1, we met a notary, signed papers and we owned The Sandman. J Wow – it’s really happening!!!!
Fortunately we had made camping reservations at a campground in Quartzite AZ only 20 miles away. Luckily we got a pull through site and could check in early. So trying to plan a head, the next day we would have to back into our site in Oceanside. I decided we should practice. We really didn’t do very well. After I went around the park for the fourth time, some very friendly folks came to inform us it was a pull through. I tried to explain I was just practicing. We all laughed. J
Ours
The next morning Dec. 3rd, we nervously and cautiously drove 5 hours to Oceanside CA where we stayed at Guajome Regional Park for 5 days (12/3 – 12/8). A very nice camper from Canada helped us get into our space by driving it in for us. I was able to learn a few things about parking a 30 foot trailer. We spent the next week emptying our storage unit in Oceanside of stuff for the inside of our home on wheels. Several friends came by to look at our new home - Jean, Nina, Mark and Darleen, Joe and Donna, Joe and Rosie. It was fun showing off our new home.
Good bye Pacific ocean
Camp Del Mar
The following week we moved to the Surf and Turf RV Park in Del Mar for a week (12/9 – 12/15). We boldly drove the coast road - yikes…. I was holding my breath every time we had to pass parked cars. Parking at the new place in Del Mar was much easier. We had more space and with Donna’s guidance we felt good about what we are doing. Several more friends came by to look.
Leaving Del Mar we made our way to a very nice campground in La Quinta, CA – Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park for 10 days (12/16 – 12/26) . Donna’s help made backing much easier. We had a beautiful site on the lake. We hiked in the desert and around the lake. We even got our bikes out for a ride as the weather was perfect. We took a nice hike up into the surrounding hills. We are getting better at planning our grocery store trips. Cooking is getting easier. We are now sleeping better. Donna has done an amazing job to make The Sandman look like a home. Nice touches of Christmas decorations. We went to the animal park in Palm Desert to look at Christmas lights. Walked Palm Springs and enjoyed the Christmas season. Robbie and Erin (our son/daughter in-law) gave us 2 nights at a time share in Palm Desert. It was nice to sleep in a large room and endless hot water showers. We had Christmas Eve dinner at a seafood place.
Camp La Quinta
Horse in the desert
Lights
Christmas pic-01
Merry Christmas
Sedona
Lake Havasu State Park in AZ was next. A short stay of a couple days (12/27 – 12/29). We saw the London Bridge and had a nice Mexican dinner nearby. We had a perfect site that overlooked the lake with its own beach to enjoy. In hindsight we wished we could have stayed longer. The small town was beautifully decorated for Christmas which made strolling after dinner a nice treat. J
Lake Havasu
Lake Havasu
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Okay, we will be the first to admit we have neglected our blog.
So, let’s get you caught up.
Many special events have happened since we drove to Virginia on March 26th.
Please remember this is not necessarily in order.
After arriving in Virginia early April, we had such a good time with our Grands and their families. We celebrated a birthday. We visited breweries, wineries and many dinners and lunches together.
We were invited to a grandparent’s tea at the school with our two littlest grands Paige and Declan. Walking our oldest grand Camden to school, was a special treat. Coloring Easter eggs and in general keeping the house loud was something we hadn’t experienced in a long, long time! We cherished every moment……
Walking to school
Easter egg hunt
Game time
Grandparent Tea
Soccer with the youngest Grands
Soccer with the youngest Grands
Riding bikes, hiking, throwing balls and Frisbees rounded out many hours of fun.
Biking with the CunninghamsWhile on our ride we stopped on a cool bridge for a family picture.
Camden on his bike
Bike ride in Purcellville
Bike ride in Purcellville
We took Dad to the Naval Academy one last time.
Dad returns to the Academy
We landed in Northern Virginia in early April in a 16' rental truck. We were ready to buy our new Ram we ordered in January, but guess what?? Not ready. We both felt uncomfortable always asking to borrow a car or a ride.
We went looking to buy something. Both of us agreed something comfortable and a little higher end would make the trade-in a little sweeter when we finally got our truck.
New carMugging with our new car from CarMax
We ended up with a 2016 Land Rover Discovery from CarMax. Several friends call it a Disco. It has lots of fun options and it’s very comfortable to drive.
While we were on the road to Virginia, we sold our California house of 18 years. With the help of our good friend Steve, who made all the negotiations and arrangements, we signed all the paperwork remotely.
We have too much stuff
We have too much stuff
We have too much stuff
We have too much stuff
We left Virginia the middle of May with a plan to visit friends from all over the country, on our way back to California to tie up loose ends.
First stop was the Ram truck dealership in North Carolina where we ordered our new Ram from a friend of a friend (no more paying California taxes). As we pulled into the lot, we saw many faces plastered to the windows. Who were these Californians? Were they coming to visit with a British car bearing Virginia license plates? Meeting Danny the General Manager whom we placed our order with, was a very pleasant experience. Unfortunately, our new truck was still several months away. Lack of labor, fuel, materials and just plain “I don’t know” are just some of the answers on why we still don’t have a new truck. But we weren’t discouraged. We’re still waiting for our Airstream which is also VERY delayed! We can’t have one without the other.
We took almost two weeks to travel back to Oceanside. Stops included Raleigh North Carolina,
Mike and Sister-001A great visit with my sister Leanne, whom we haven't seen in way too many years
Mike and Sister-001A great visit with my sister Leanne, whom we haven't seen in way too many years
Myrtle Beach, Jacksonville Florida, New Orleans Louisiana, 4 stops in Texas and New Mexico. So much fun seeing folks we haven’t seen in some cases over 20 years.
Jim and Lyn
Shawn and Kate with us at Baylor University
C. Mark and Debra Vaughn with us
John and Gina DaCrema with us
Sue Gage and Lisa Patrick/hubbySue Gage and Lisa Patrick/hubby
Mr. ChrisMusician Chris Ellinghaus with us. Our previous next door neighbor when we lived in Leesburg, VA.
We visited a Botanical Garden in Florida.
Florida
Bourbon St. in New Orleans
Bourbon St.
Bourbon St.
While we were in Tucson Arizona, we were treated to a Total Lunar eclipse.
EclipseMoon rise
EclipseTotal Blood moon
The Oceanside house needed a final clean-up and trash removed. We sold our bedroom furniture, and with the help of our great neighbors they let us borrow a portable mattress so as to not have to sleep on the floor.
Empty BedroomSleeping on the floor, the last week.
Donna and I shared the driving duties and many hours together gave us a lot of time to discuss what it would be like to live on a few acres of land with a house in the middle of nowhere. Maybe we could have a view of the mountains, or a river or a pond? Looking into the future, we knew we wanted to be near our kids and grands, but not in Virginia because of the property taxes being so high. Well……West Virginia has one of the lowest property taxes in the US and….it’s close to where the family lives!! Ding Ding……
We visited historic Harpers Ferry West Virginia while in Virginia and decided it could be a place to call home after or during Airstream travel. When we lived in Virginia, we went to Harpers Ferry many times and the kids loved it.
Wouldn’t you know, shortly after we cleared out the last of our stuff in Oceanside, an ad for 5 acres and a 4 bedroom house with a swimming pool became available? We had hooked up with a super nice real estate agent already – spending many hours on the phone with her, explaining our wants and what we were about to embark upon with our Airstream.
After several phone calls, along with visits from Robbie and Tiffany to the property with our agent, we decided to bite the bullet on the property. Settlement will be Thursday 6/16. We certainly know how to live on the edge! The sellers want to stay until the end of August so win, win for everybody. After they move out, we’ll have some time to do a few upgrades/updates before renting it out while we’re on the road. One of Donna’s favorite old songs is by John Denver and now it will come to fruition – “Take Me Home Country Roads”. And now you have it in your head – LOL!!!!
New HouseOur new house in historic Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
We said goodbye to our Mazda's.
Mazda CX5
Mazda MX5
We enjoyed a final dinner at Jake's.
Jakes-001
Jakes-002
Currently we are visiting my brother Steve in Alameda California. He and his daughter Sarah have a cozy, very cool English Tudor style home on the island. We have been exploring the San Francisco area. We’ve discovered some great places and not so great places……We got lost in a really scary part of Oakland the other night. We saw a part of Oakland the Chamber of Commerce does not want the rest of the state to know about. We saw homeless camps that went on for blocks, and blocks. Are they dangerous? Fortunately, the car didn’t break down for us to find out.
On the other hand we had a lot of fun exploring the area. We spent a day amongst the Redwood trees in Muir Wood National Park. We have ridden our bikes around the island. We drove to Roseville to visit a good friend we met in our MINI club. We enjoyed our 39th wedding Anniversary weekend and had a dinner at a very nice seafood restaurant in Jack London Square, Oakland. We spent Sunday on Treasure Island hiking and a nice lunch.
Muir Redwood Donna amongst the giant redwoods.
San Fran Sunset from Alameda looking across the bay at San Francisco.
San Fran Looking up under the Bay Bridge.
Treasure Island Looking at San Fransico and the Bay Bridge.
Our new adventure started about 3 years ago when we decided to change our lifestyle and make the decision to become Nomads when we retired. That finally happened on Sept. 27, 2021 for Donna, March 18, 2022 for Mike.
As luck would have it, everything has a delay because of parts, labor shortages, and all of the worldly things happening.
We were expecting our Dodge RAM 2500 Deisel to be delivered to North Carolina (got the "friends " deal)at the end of April. Unfortunately, it's still in Mexico with a new delivery date of July!!! We ordered it in January 2022.
Our new Airstream is also delayed. New projected roll off assembly line late July. We might see it in California Late August. Original delivery was supposed to be April.
We decided to pull the trigger anyway and sold, gave away and donated almost all of our things, including our California house.
The stuff we saved and wanted our kids to have or they wanted, was loaded into a rented box truck along with our 1958 MGA and taken to Northern Virginia.
Driving a big box truck made a challenging adventure.
We departed Oceanside on Saturday morning March 26, and our house went on the market the same day. Blue skies and windy with a full gas tank of California ($6.25/ gal.) gas, with hopes of making it to cheaper Arizona gas.
The learning curves of freeway driving with the wind often times felt like I was at the helm of a sailboat.
Our first stop a McDonalds after avoiding so many big trucks with a stiff south wind, I underestimated the turning radius and got stuck making a U-turn. Lesson learned. We appreciate the help we received from a total stranger!!
Saturday night an old but clean hotel on old Route 66 in Seligman Arizona. A really cool little town being swallowed up by the desert. Dinner at the Roadkill Cafe was amazing.
Sunday morning had us up early. TV weather news had a big storm entering California behind us and had me a little nervous.
Donna and I took turns at the wheel following Route 40. We kept a steady speed of 60MPH and tried not to slow the big trucks down. We got a kick out of flashing our light so the big trucks could slide in front of us and got the flash of thanks. Lunch at a rest stop with tornado shelters was sandwiches with fixens from our Yeti cooler.
Sunday night March 27th was spent in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. With not many restaurants to choose from, there was a Mexican restaurant across from the hotel. The clerk told us not to order the chicken wings, they "tasted like a dog chew toy" she exclaimed. We ordered cheese enchiladas. By far the.... worst..... meal..... we ever tried to eat. String cheese sticks between barely warm tortillas with fire sauce called enchiladas. Good thing the chips and salsa were good!!
After a night of restless sleep, we were on the road early again Monday morning March 28th to Okemah, Oklahoma. Both of us shared the driving, we were getting good at scoping the gas station parking lots, and finding easy ways to get in and out. By the time we got to the hotel, it was after dark and the sidewalks were already rolled up. Our choice of dinner? Subway or McDonalds.......McDonalds it was because as many of you know, Donna makes the funniest face when the word "Subway" is even mentioned.
Sleep was not our friend. We both woke early once again and Tuesday morning March 29th we were off to Jackson,Tennessee. By the way, Tennessee has beautiful smooth roads. We thought we were losing teeth on Arizona and New Mexico roads. Pot holes big enough to swallow us whole!!
Donna is a great navigator using our new map. Thank you, Oceanside CERT, for the great and useful gift.
Cracker Barrel dinner outside of Jackson, was a great chance to have a hot home style meal. We both had giggle fits because Donna ordered a roast beef dinner medium rare. Our server said in his Tennessee draw "We don't do temperature on our meat. I'll ask the kitchen if they ever heard that before". The other guests in the restaurant must have thought those people from California are a little bit looney.
Wednesday March 30th we were off to Christiansburg/Blacksburg Virginia. Back in familiar territory (our son/spouse, son in-law all graduated from VA Tech and our daughter from Radford), we knew dinner HAD to be at Macado's - one of our favorites!! Years ago, we celebrated both of our kid's college graduations and post football games there.
The threat of severe weather was always over our shoulders with each morning's news reports. We were thankful it was behind us, until Thursday.
We woke up to rain and more wind Thursday morning, March 31st.
More stressful driving to Northern Virginia. (NOVA).
We were so proud of ourselves by not getting stuck in a strip mall in Purcellville, Virginia (pit stop) in the final hours before getting to our sons in Vienna.
Donna was an excellent guide as I backed the truck and auto transport into the driveway for the night. Unpacking could wait till morning.
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