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We were up early and departed St Bernard State Park before 8 am. Our drive was interesting but nothing unusual. We arrived at Chicot State Park in Villa Platte, Louisiana around 1 pm. This is a huge park with over 6400 acres and many rolling hills which I found very different as most of the state is flat. The park has over 300 campsites with water/electric, dump station, tables, showers, and campfire rings. They have a huge lake which has fishing and boating and seems to be the most popular thing in the park. They also have swimming pools, cabins, loads of hiking trails, and great bird watching. The park is also home to Louisiana State Arboretum which has 600 acres with swamps and bald cypress trees plus a brand new nature building. Our stay here was enjoyable but we did no sightseeing, just walking each day and reading. We even had a campfire one night in the rain – we sat under the awning and watched the fire burn. The first two nights we were in a loop with no one else but us camping. That sure made it very dark but you could hear every bird and every animal in the woods. Such a peaceful setting. We spent three nights and were ready to hit the road again.
Our camper still is not fixed so we headed to Shreveport, La and found a camping place that will order the parts for us. We will be sitting here for two weeks waiting so hopefully we can find things to do.
Our campground is at the Barksdale Air Force Base located in Bossier City. This base is home to the B52 bombers and has been a base since 1933. They have loads of land so we have spent lots of time walking and running on the trails. My goal is to run a 5K for my 65th birthday next year. Can I do it? As they say if you want something bad enough you can. I gave up smoking after 40 years so I guess I can. I have never had a goal for physical activity before so this could turn into something great. I will keep you posted.
This weekend will be Barksdale Air Force Base air show which everyone is invited to. Air shows are a huge success and it gives the military a chance to show the people in the community what the military is all about and what is actually on a base. As we say on base those planes keep this wonderful country free. God bless the military and all they do for us.
Well I am back to finish this blog – the air show was a huge success. Tim and I avoided the crowd and stayed on the back side of the airfield – I love to see the planes fly. As usual they were great.
We have met a lot of nice people while here and realize how much military families do to be together as a family. Because of this economy and unable to sell their homes they are living in their travel trailers and home schooling their children. When we were in the service 95% of the people moved with their families to the new location and got into housing or bought a home because it was easy to sell. One family had 8 children and they slept in a tent and travel trailer to stay together. I hope and pray they can sell their home soon.
After our 2 week stay they finally took us in on a Friday morning and fixed our landing gear on the camper. It cost us over $2500 so I hope we will be happy with it for years to come. Because it was a Friday we decided to leave on Sunday morning so we extended for a few more days. While the camper was being fixed we took a ride around and walked thru a mall. We had hoped to do the river walk but it was pouring so we decided against that. We did do a nice lunch at Olive Garden which we enjoyed. We got an appetizer and salad and enjoyed that greatly.
While at Barksdale we did a lot of walking and tried to run a little. It will take a long time before I will be up to speed to run but I will continue to plug along. We did a 4 mile walk one day but usually did 3 miles. Time to move on - stay tuned.
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New Orleans
We arrived at St Bernard State Park located in Braithwaite, La around 1pm for a 2 day stay. We had no idea where we would go next because it is Easter weekend and the state parks are full. We got situated in our site which is quite nice. We have a cement pad, water, electric, table and fire ring. The park sits on the Mississippi River and was devastated by Hurricane Katrina also. The water in the office was about 8 feet as they have it marked on the door frame. Can you imagine that much water? This area is about 19 miles from New Orleans and was hit pretty hard. They use ferries to transport you across the river – free going over and a $1 coming back. Pretty reasonable but it brought back memories of when we lived on Governors Island and our lives were controlled by the ferry. I loved it there except at night when we did New York City and the last ferry was at 2am. You couldn’t miss that one or you were stuck in the city until 6 am.
This state park is really nice plus senior citizens with a golden age card get the campground for half price. They have nice walking trails which we did most days unless we went into New Orleans for the day. They have beautiful picnic grounds and a swimming pool also. The park comprises of 358 acres – very quiet and so peaceful. They do have a lot of bugs though – they are those small ones that bite but you cannot see them – yuk!
Our visit to New Orleans was a very pleasant one and I highly recommend it as a vacation getaway. It is a fun city for children also but please do not take them on Bourbon Street. I saw a young girl about 8 and her eyes were popping out looking at the stores and bars. We were able to watch a parade on Easter Sunday which actually was pretty good. They throw necklaces, beads, stuffed animals, flowers, and candy at you as they go by. We walked and walked having lunch at a nice restaurant and then splurging on a beignet at Café du Monde. This place was established in 1862 and has continuously served coffee and beignets since the 19th century. Really different – it is a combination of a French pastry and an American donut. It is covered in powdered sugar and served warm. We walked and walked thru the French Quarter which is the oldest and most famous neighborhood. It was founded in 1718 and has a real old flavor. The buildings are interesting to look at so it is fun just to walk the neighborhoods. You will reach a corner and an act of dancing or music will be going on. You can walk the streets with a drink in your hand and it is perfectly legal. We also did the famous Pat O’Brien’s Bar twice – what great drinks they have. We sat outside on the patio and just enjoyed the day.
St Louis Cathedral was another stop to see one of the prettiest church’s I have ever been in. It was founded in 1718 and rebuilt in 1850. The ceiling has paintings which is so unusual for a church but just beautiful. We tried to get into the church one Sunday and could not get in the door – so many people. Glad that we came back so we could really enjoy it. I do love old churches as they have so much more details that are so interesting.
Another fun thing was the French Quarter Festival. This takes place for 3 days and nights with plenty of food, drinks, and music at 18 different locations. Let the party begin. We were smart and parked on Canal Street and took the streetcar down so we only paid $7 instead of $18 to park close. Each day we found something interesting to see or do.
New Orleans has a wonderful zoo with over 2000 animals and covers over 58 acres. We love zoos and each one has a few animals that you have never seen before. They even had a white alligator and a huge carousel to ride on. We enjoyed that greatly and got to see tigers, elephants, monkeys, gorillas, snakes, sea lions, etc. It gave us a good work out for us.
New Orleans was definitely a great stop for us both. Tim enjoyed the food as he eats everything- but as you know I am not a real good eater so I survived on mostly chicken. One night we ate at The Gumbo Shop sitting outside in the charming garden courtyard. The building was from 1795. A young mom and her 8 year old son sat next to us. We enjoyed talking to them and found out they were from Ohio visiting the city as we were.
Chalmette Battlefield which is a National Park was another stop on our journey. They are still rebuilding as this park was hit hard by the hurricane. We went into the visitor center and watched a movie explaining the importance of the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. This battle lasted less than 2 hours with 13 Americans dead and 2000 British. The visitor center is located in the Malus-Beauregard House which was built in 1830 in the French-Louisiana style.
After 10 days in New Orleans it was time to head somewhere new. We enjoyed our visit greatly and we will be back some day.
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We left the corp of engineers park at 9 am eastern time and drove exactly 2 miles and hit central time zone so it was only 8 am. Wow I should of slept longer I guess. We took Route 90 into Alabama and stopped for a break. I heard Tim say Oh S___! and wondered what happened. Our side window over the dining table was smashed and nothing to indicate how it happened. The glass did not fall apart which was lucky something to do with the tinted glass. Tim took tape and sealed the window on the inside and outside so now we must find a place to get a window fixed. Yeah such fun.
Our next stop was a passport America campground which was Wilderness RV Park in Robertsdale Alabama. At one time this campground was nice but it needs alot of tender care. Being fully self contained helps because we do not need to use the restrooms which were in need of alot of care. The laundry room I did use - clean machines but the surrounding area was horrid. The campground has a lake, pond, pool, hot tub, clubhouse and full hookups. It needs some money thrown in to really bring it back to the way it was years ago. We decided to stay for 3 nights and see about getting our window fixed while here. Our luck did not come thru - we were told we needed to go to the Mobile area and get it done. While in Robertsdale we did take a ride to Gulf Shores and understand why people love these beaches. The sand was just beautiful - so white but the wind was horrid. Spring break so loads of college kids everywhere you looked. We stopped at Lamberts for lunch - this is the restaurant where they throw rolls to you - really a fun place and very good food. We did alot of laughing while here.
On Thursday we moved our camper west and stopped at Johnny's Rv Resort in Theodore, Alabama. This is a nice campground with over 100 sites, full hookups, lake, cabins, laundry, store, and restaurant. We got all set up with the idea of staying one week only - this is also a Passport America campground so we got a really good deal. We had a guy come out and look at the damage to the window - he will do alittle research and let us know how it will work going forward.
We took a nice ride one day to Dauphin Island which is a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. 96% of the island is water which I found interesting plus the entire island is a bird sanctuary. The beach has beautiful sand that looks so soft. We had a nice lunch sitting outside on the deck at a local restaurant. We sat with another couple whom travels in a motor home 6 months of the year. We compared stories and laughed about certain things. Tim and I were here a few years ago and saw the devasation from Hurricane Katrina and today it is almost back to normal. Most of the houses have been rebuilt and work continues on roads etc.
Our tour of Bayou La Batre was also very interesting. This is a fishing village with hundreds of fishing boats and fish processing plants. I have never seen so many boats in one area before. We stopped into a grocery store and to my amazement they sold chicken feet. Never knew anyone ate those but I have heard that they use them in soup. Learn new things every day.
We toured the Mobile Botanical Gardens which is over 100 acres. They had rhododens, camellias, ferns, herbs, japanese maple, pines, magnolias and azaleas. It was very pretty and interesting because each area of the country grows different flowers and at different times. Only one other guy was there so it was really peaceful.
A drive to Bilouxi, Ms took place one afternoon to hit the commissary at the Air Force Base. This base was hit hard by the huricane Katrina five years ago and they are still using an old warehouse as their commissary and exchange. Good new was that 7th of April brand new ones would be opening which I would have loved to see.
In Mississippi we toured the Gulf Islands National Seashore Park. This park runs from Cat Island in Mississippi to Okaloosa, Florida which really surprised me. We were at the Davis Bayour Park which had a beautiful visitor center explaning the park in great detail. They offer 52 campsites with water/electric which we will keep in mind for future trips. They had nice trails wandering thru the woods but I few are still in the process of being repaired. Hurricane Katrina really took a toll on these poor towns. The area along most of the beaches are still empty lots where you see the remains of a slab where a house once stood. The wealthy of course have rebuilt beautiful homes and the casinos and hotels have rebuilt. The middle class and poor are not that fortunate and have moved elsewhere.
I keep telling myself that the people in the north really are not as poor as the south. I have never seen houses look so horrid and people actually live in them. Yikes - it also amazes me of the number of people with loads of kids live in campers. Where do they put all there stuff?
This stop has turned into a nightmare - we spent two weeks waiting for the window to be replaced and the landing gear fixed on the camper. The last day at the campground they came out from the window place - started putting it in the window and it was about 4 inches to small. I felt like crying - so they put the plexiglass back in and it was a wait and see what next. The landing gear at the last minute could not be found by the tech - I'm beginning to wonder what is wrong with people when so many are unemployed and the employed do not like to work. Well we have had enough and are moving to New Orleans - stay tuned.
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Wednesday morning we left Valdosta, Georgia and headed west on route 84 for Lake Seminole corps of engineers park around 8:45am. We took the back roads again and enjoyed them greatly. We are now staying at Eastbank Campground wich is located on Lake Seminole. Our site is right on the lake and it is just beautiful. They have 65 sites with water and electric, nice showers, 1 washer and 1 dryer, tables, lantern posts, firerings, dump station, picnic shelter, volleyball and badminton nets, horeshoes, shuffleboard and a nice boat ramp. The best part is the lake view and because we are old we get to camp for half price. $10 a night cannot be beat.
Lake Seminole lies within the borders of both Georgia and Florida and has over 376 miles of shoreline. The lake makes me wish we had a boat - even a small one just to enjoy the beauty. This lake does not have a place to rent them so we were stuck on land. The first day here was just so nice and warm and that is why I said spring is here. That did not last long at all, the rain moved in and heavy winds that shook us up alittle. We did get a few walk in during breaks in the rain plus a ride around the area. This area really does not have much other than the lake - no shopping except the Dollar General store and a grocery store. Our time was spent playing on our computers, watching tv, reading and doing my WII fit.
We have eaten well while here and all at home which is good for us. I really am trying to be healthy and lose some more weight - I lost 20 lbs last year but gave up exercise and gained 10 back so exercise is a must.
Tommorow we leave here and head west - no definite plans other than New Orleans as a good stop over in a few days. We have never been so it should be really interesting. My sister Sharon gave me alot of good ideas on what to do while there plus one of the guys here at the campground told Tim about a free ferry and shuttle. We are really looking forward to that. We also hope to stop in Mississippi at Kiesler Air Force Base and hit the commisary and exchange. Food is getting low and Tim's pipe broke.
I just finished reading the book "Between Sisters" by Kristin Hannah which I highly recommend. Just started another one of her novels called
"On Mystic Lake" which has really caught my attention. I started about 3 different books and just could not get into them - will put them away and try again another day. Some books take along time to get your interest and I have no patience at this time for that.
Hope your all enjoying your Sunday - and have a very successful week. Until next time
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We left Fort Stewart around 9:15am on Sunday morning and headed west on route 84. It is a 4 line highway but goes thru towns and you get a feel for the area. Tim and I both enjoy these routes much better than the interstate.
We saw one sign that said buy your chewing ice here - what does that mean? On one church they had "Lifeguard on duty, he walks on water" - I loved that. We got to see cotton growing in places and in Jesup, Georgia they have an old fashioned drive-in movie. Remember those from your teen years?
We arrived at "River Park Rv Park" located on Suwanee Drive in Valdosta around 12:30pm. This is a pretty nice campground with full hookups, free wifi, free cable, pull throughs, showers and a laundry. They charged us $28 for a full 50 amp site but we are located so close to everything. We got all set up, ate some lunch and then walked to the store to buy a Sunday paper. We then walked the campground which has a hill - we have not walked hills in ages. Charleston, SC area does not have many hills at all.
For dinner we both did not feel like cooking so we went to the Outback. We ordered off the special menu which will provide assistance to our military men. We are always willing to help them. We had a drink, a bloomin' onion, Tim had steak & shrimp with baked potato and I had chicken with a sweet potato. As usual a very good meal.
Monday we took a tour of the city of Valdosta. Valdosta is the 11th largest city in Georgia. It was incorporated on December 7, 1860 and sits alongside I-75. The city has alot of beautiful old homes - huge with big porches around the sides and front. They have a few colleges with beautiful grounds. We stopped at the mall and went to Talbots where I bought 4 new tops for summer. I had a gift certificate that I received for Christmas so I used that which worked out wonderful. We talked to the salesgirl for quite awhile about the service as she was an ex-service wife.
Monday night for dinner we had a salad, and lamb chops which were just wonderful. We relaxed watching tv and I finished my book "Between Sisters" by Kristi Hannah. This was an excellent book which made me laugh and also cry really touching.
Tuesday morning I did 45 minutes of exercise and then we went to Moody Air Force Base. Tim was able to get new sunglasses and I was able to buy some underwear which made us both happy. We toured the base and then enjoyed our ride home. At night we went to the restaurant "Smok'n Pig B-B-Q which is rated #10 in the country for barbecue. It was excellent plus I had a sweet potato souflle which was out of this world. We totally enjoyed that. We came home and watched Biggest Looser on TV enjoying our glass of wine and piece of dark choclate. Tommorow morning we head west - until then
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We have been in the Charleston South Carolina area for 6 months and really did not do anything exciting most of the time so I got out of the habit of doing our blog. We are now on the road so I will try my hardest to keep it up to date.
Our time in Charleston was great as we got to spend alot of time with our daughter, son-in-law and our 3 beautiful granddaughters. We also flew to California to spend time with our daughter, son-in-law, our grandson and our granddaughter. Being a grandparent is one of the greatest gifts God has bestowed upon us. I loved being a mom but I adore being a grandmom.
Wednesday March 3rd we spent at Susan's (our daughter) house. We enjoyed talking and playing with the girls and then had a nice dinner with them. It was hard saying goodbye but we will be back again in he near future. We have watched with amazement how they interreact with each other and the dynamics of having 3 girls. No wonder my mom was such a special lady putting up with her 3 daughters. Yikes what a job.
On Thursday we did laundry, bought wine, packed up, said goodbye to some friends plus had a wonderful dinner with Darci and Calvin. Thanks Darci for a wonderful steak dinner.
Friday morning we were up early - something about traveling wakes us both up at the crack of dawn. We packed up slowly as it was quite cold outside but were still on the road by 9 am. We took Route 17 south to I-95 until we saw the signs for Fort Stewart. What a huge base - it is the largest military base on the east coast with over 280,000 acres. It is a very active base and they have a beautiful campground surrounded by trees. The sites are spaced far apart with water and electric. They have a nice bathhouse, laundry, room to have parties and beautiful grounds. We arrived at 1pm and after setting up took a ride to the exchange. I needed to buy a new pair of sunglasses plus we needed a few items for dinner. Saturday we were up early again and I did 70 minutes of my WII fit plus exercises. I love this new game as it goes from one thing to another automatically - what a good workout I had. While I was doing that Tim cooked eggs and made deviled eggs. Tonight we attended a pot luck dinner with about 10 other couples. We had such a nice variety of food and desert and everything was delicious. After dinner we all sat around the fire and talked and laughed - real nice bunch of people.
Tommorow morning we are headed to Valdosta, Georgia. New area for us both so we will have fun exploring. Will write again soon.
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On August 9th we left Charleston, SC and headed towards Georgia. Right at the state line we had a blowout on the camper. The weather was only 100 so we called Coachnet and they sent someone to fix the tire. We waited for an hour but at least Tim did not have to change it on the highway by himself. We pulled into the corps of engineers park and set up camp. Really pretty campground but while there we were infested with ants. We had to throw a lot of food away but we finally got rid of them.
While at the campground we did some walks, had a few campfires and also Tim and Joshua went fishing which they totally enjoyed. I sat and read while that was happening – fishing just does not interest me. We stayed until the 12th and then headed west then north.
We arrived at World Famous Navy Lake Site which is located 30 miles north of Atlanta on Lake Allatoona. The campground sits on 52 acres with cabins, rv sites, tent sites, marina, pavilions, lodge, beach, swimming, fishing, and boat rentals. Our site was full hookups, table, firepit and sat right across from the beach. What a beautiful site especially at night with the lights on the water. While here we rented a pontoon boat and Joshua was able to go water boarding. He did so good – took about three times and he got up like a pro. He is really a smart kid – able to do so many sports and so well. This was the end of his visit with us. On the 15th of August we took him to the Atlanta Airport for his flight home. Thank goodness we got passes to stay with him cuz his flight was delayed 2 hours. We really enjoyed the five weeks he toured with us. We said our goodbyes and will see him again soon.
This summer was especially good to us as we had our oldest granddaughter for 2 weeks and then our grandson for 5 weeks. They both enjoyed it greatly and we hope to be able to do it again next year. They are at the perfect age and so much fun. Thanks Emily and Joshua for letting us enjoy you both so.
We returned to the campground and that Sunday Nancy and Paul came to visit us. This is a couple whom used to live in Windsor, Ct where we had our home so we enjoyed catching up on life. Thanks guys for visiting – we really enjoyed it and will call you when in the area again.
On the 20th of August we left Cartersville, Georgia and headed south to Robins Air Force Base near Perry, Georgia. This base is located 100 miles south of Atlanta and offered a beautiful campground which we enjoyed greatly. We took a lot of walks but mostly just relaxed and read. One day we did take a ride into Perry and found the Ocmulgee National Monument. Here they have a reconstruction of a ceremonial building which was a meeting place for the towns political and religious leaders over 1000 years ago. The mounds are really interesting and so different from any other parks we have visited. They have a very interesting museum which had just reopened that weekend. We enjoyed that greatly.
On Monday morning August 24th we left Robins Air Force Base and head east then north to Charleston Air Force Base. We just love this place – enjoy camping back in the woods and enjoy hearing the birds and planes. This will be our home for a few months as we head in different directions for vacations. I will explain this later.
The campground on base has 23 sites right now with just electric and water but plans are to add more sites. The cost is $12 a night which is great for the budget.
We enjoyed our granddaughters for that week in Charleston. On the 29th of August we attended Julia’s, our 5 year old granddaughters, soccer practice. She is a super player which surprised me cuz she is so girlish. She seems to enjoy it which pleases her dad as he loves soccer. After that we dropped our oldest granddaughter, Emily, at dance and we headed south to Hilton Head, South Carolina.
We checked into our timeshare at Marriott’s Surf Watch which is located on the beach. Two weeks of luxury that we both enjoy greatly. We have a two bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining room, 2 baths , laundry room and a porch so it gives us more room than our home on wheels. On the property they have a fitness center, bike shop, market, bocce, croquet, shuffleboard, tennis, cabanas, beach, two outdoor pools and an indoor pool. We rented 2 beach chairs and umbrella on the beach each day and just soaked up the sun and nice warm water. Two weeks of beautiful weather, only one day cloudy and that day we did the island winery happy hour tour. Over Labor Day weekend our son-in-law Jerry came down with our 3 grandaughters for a fun time at the beach. We enjoyed being with them and shared many laughs and good times.
On Friday, September 11th we attended Grandfriends Day at Coastal Christian Preparatory School where are 2 granddaughters attend school. We met first to have coffee and muffins and then went into the chapel for a nice program. Our hearts were bursting with pride when our granddaughter’s class sang to us. She looked right at us as she sang and it brought tears to my eyes. God has blessed us so with our grandchildren. After the program we were able to visit both their classrooms and see what they do during the school day. I was very impressed with the school and the size of the classes. This should give them both a great education.
On the 18th of September we celebrated Makenzie’s birthday with dinner and cake. She was so cute cuz all she wanted was a cake with candles. She is now a big girl at three and such a cutie pie.
On the 23rd of September we flew to San Francisco, California to visit with our daughter Amanda, son-in-law Tim and our grandson Josh. The following day we welcomed our 4th granddaughter into the world. She is a little cutie named Grace Elizabeth and weighed in at 7lbs 15ozs and 20 inches long. Mom and dad were delighted – Josh is not to sure about all this. We had an enjoyable week playing with the baby, visiting with them all and seeing their new home. While there I celebrated my birthday which is nice. We also got to see Josh play football as he plays for his high school team. I am not just bragging when I say he is a good player. On the 30th of Sept we were saddened but had to tell them goodbye and we flew back to Charleston, South Carolina.
October brought us to New Jersey to take a cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean ship Explorer of the Seas. What a beautiful ship and totally relaxing vacation. Our daughter Susan and her family went plus our son-in-laws parents so we had a really nice time. We had an inside cabin this time on the ninth deck and it was not bad at all. As I told Tim we are never in our room except to sleep and shower so why pay more? Guess the cheapness in me comes out every once in awhile. We left Bayonne New Jersey to the site of Governors Island, our old home, and the statue of liberty. What a beautiful site. We cruised to Bermuda under calm seas but cold weather. If you have never taken a cruise this is the best vacation in the world – you pay one fee and get everything except drinks. We did the shows, nightclubs, ice skating show, ate and ate, drank and drank – wow what a great time. This ship had a chapel, card room, bars, golf, rock climbing wall, sports court, track, disco, spa, gym, pools, fitness center, library, shops, ice cream bar, dining rooms, theaters and nightclubs. Great vacation.
We pulled into King’s Wharf in Bermuda and enjoyed the town of St George one day. We walked and walked, rode a ferry, had a nice lunch outside and enjoyed the nice warm weather. At night we hit a few bars in town which was quite enjoyable. Another day we toured the Bermuda Maritime Museum which we all enjoyed. All in all it was a great vacation.
We are back in Charleston with no definite plans yet. We will not post again until we get back on the road.
Today is Veterans Day – please thanks all our service men and women whom gave so much for us. God bless them all.
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Our Trip to New England
We left Williamsburg and headed north at 6:40 am. Something about travel day – we are both up early and anxious to get on the road. We stopped for lunch and gas and a few breaks during the day. We realized that in the northeast not too many campgrounds close to the New Jersey Turnpike. Once into Ct you do not hit any taking I-84 so we trucked along until we reached Westover Air Force Reserve Base. This is a small reserve base but the campground is very nice. It is surrounded by trees, very quite plus nice walking areas. We were surprised at all the activity on this base, baseball game each night with lots of people watching plus loads of cars coming and going. We decided to stay put for two weeks and enjoy seeing family and friends. We did not get to see everyone on our list but did enjoy visiting with all the people we got to see. Thanks to everyone for dinner and nice visits. It is nice being on the road but we do enjoy seeing friends and family when we return north.
I never understood reading blogs why people do not like visiting New England – they always say the traffic but believe me that is not the reason. In the north you have a limited time frame for campgrounds being opened so they charge much too much. Last summer touring California and Oregon we never paid more than $30 while up here you are lucky to find anything under $40 a night. Kind of blows the full timers budget to pay that much for our housing each night.
Joshua, our oldest grandchild, flew into Boston and will spend a few weeks with us traveling. We were delighted to see him again even though he is on crutches. He hurt his foot on his skateboard – at first they thought it was broken but that is not the case. After a week or so he was able to walk on it which will make touring much easier. He is 14 and will be with us until the 15th of August so we will be doing things to interest him as we did with our granddaughter Emily.
We left Westover on Friday morning and headed west. We stopped at Triple Brook Campground which is on the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border. We got a full hookup site and enjoyed staying here. The only complaint was the sites were not level and we were on jacks pretty high.
While here we toured the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation area. We toured Millbrook Village which is a re-creation of a late 19th century rural community. They have homes, barns, school, cemetery, general store/post office, grist mill, church, blacksmith shop, smokehouse and woodworking shop. This was a weekend that they had people telling you about the families that lived here back in 1832. We visited a beautiful lake, saw spectacular scenery, waterfalls and actually walked the Appalachian Trail. We gave two nice guys a ride back to their car whom were walking the trail. They sent us a really nice note thanking us.
On Monday morning we headed south to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. We checked into the Artillery Ridge Camping Resort where we had a full hookup site. This was a passport America campground so our price was great. The campground has horses, basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, game room, rec hall, store, laundry, pool and a pond to fish in. One thing that they had was a Diorama which was the battlefield done in miniatures. It was unbelievable. We totally enjoyed this stop.
We took the battlefield bus tour which brings you into the battle. You hear the cannons roar, rifles crack, drums roll and bugles blow as you tour this battleground. This battle had more men fall than any other battle in North America. More than 51,000 soldiers were killed here during three days in 1863. This was the greatest battle of the Civil War. At the visitor center we saw the Cyclorama show which is sound and light show. It was truly amazing and the museum was really good. It really brought history to life for us. We toured the battlefield by car also and got out and looked at some of the monuments – very touching.
The Lincoln Train Museum had model toy trains from the 1800’s to present day. They have layouts so you can watch the trains moving around the tracks. It brought back memories of G. Fox in Hartford, CT at Christmas time when you would stand for hours and watch the trains go around the tracks in toy land. You also take a ride with President Lincoln on his way to Gettysburg. It was okay.
We kept busy during our time in Gettysburg and enjoyed it greatly but we were all ready to head south and enjoy another area.
Our next stop was the KOA in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. What a nice campground this was. We had a full hookup site, showers, laundry, store, pool, games, mini golf, crafts, bounce pillow, bands, cannon firing, movies, game room, restaurant, pancake breakfast and loads of activities. Josh met some girls so he really enjoyed this stop. While here I was able to get all our laundry done and enjoy some down time.
While in Harpers Ferry we visited the National Park which was very interesting. We visited the old town and enjoyed learning about John Brown. John Brown led his men on a raid snd seized the U>S> armory and arsenal back in 1859. He wanted to get the weapons plus lead a slave revolt. He was hanged on December 2, 1859. We got to see the restoration museum, blacksmith shop, exhibits, movie, old church, cemetery and really old buildings. We walked across the old bridge and watched the train going across the river.
Our next stop was Appomattox Court House in Virginia. We stayed at a campground that had nothing but full hookups but the price was right. We did some grocery shopping while here and went to the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. This is the site where Robert Lee surrenderred his men to Ulysses Grant and ended the Civil War in 1865. We were able to see the tavern guest house, Clover Hill tavern, law office, store, courthouse, McLean House, slave quarters and the jail. Again more history – this trip has been about the Civil War and has proven to be very interesting.
The Naval Weapons Station in Goose Creek, South Carolina was our next stop for a week. While here we were able to enjoy our daughter Susan, her hubby Jerry and our darling granddaughters, Emily, Julia and Makenzie. It was really nice to see all my grandchildren in one place – sure brought smiles to our faces. We enjoyed the wonderful beach at Isle of Palms one day, another day at the Folly Beach County Park. This beach had wonderful waves which we all enjoyed.
One day we went to North Charleston Wannamaker County Park to the Whirlin Waters water park. Tim and I had never been to one before but it was such fun watching the grandchildren enjoying every minute. We attended on Military Monday so we were able to get a discount. The water park had a kiddie pool with slides, and sprays plus Lily Pad Lagoon which Makenzie enjoyed. The others enjoyed Tubular Twister, Big splash Tree House, Rolling River, Riptide Run and the wave pool. We had a really enjoyable day at the park.
One day we went to lunch with friends at the club on base and enjoyed their company greatly. After Josh went to the skating park which he loved.
Our last day in Charleston area our son-in-law and Joshua went paintballing and enjoyed that greatly. That night Tim and I attended a concert at Boone Hall Plantation with the Oak Ridge Boys. Susan and Jerry gave us the tickets and we enjoyed that greatly. Thanks so much guys. We met two couples whom sat next to us – one was from Fairfield County in Ct and the other from Wallingford, Ct. Seems strange we are in Charleston South Carolina and meet people from little old CT. They both now live in Charleston so we enjoyed talking to them.
Sunday morning we hooked up and left Goose Creek and headed west into Georgia. We stopped for diesel at the last exit in South Carolina and as we got back onto the highway we had a blow out. Yikes. We sat along the side of the highway for two hours waiting for road service to arrive. The temps got to about 100+ so we were delighted to get on the road again. We arrived at Raysville Corp of Engineers Park and got settled into a nice campsite. This will be a quite stop – nothing planned except reading, fishing and maybe a walk or two. We will be here until Wednesday when we head above Atlanta, Georgia. Until later
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Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, Virginia
Our next stop was Williamsburg, Virginia. We stayed at the Naval Cheatham Annex campground which is located on the York River. We had a full hookup site with table, showers, playground, basketball, and laundry. We also overlooked the golf course which made it a very enjoyable stop.
We toured Colonial Williamsburg which offers an 18th century living history experience. This colonial town has over 500 buildings and sits on 301 acres. We toured the Governor’s Palace, 1776 capitol, blacksmith shop, printing office, magazine, courthouse, a farm, jail and homes. If you have never been here this is truly and educational place which anyone would enjoy. We had lunch at the Shields Tavern which was really nice. The food was really good and we all enjoyed our day. Emily, our 10 year old granddaughter, got a bonnet that they wore back then and she looked just darling. She enjoyed this stop greatly.
Jamestown settlement was our next stop. This is a living history museum of 17th century Virginia. We saw a film, got to see more than 500 artifacts from the English, African and Powhatan Indian cultures. We got to see a Powhatan Indian Village that showed houses, storage areas, ceremonial circle, which gave us a taste of how they lived. Emily got to grind corn which she found to be pretty cool. They had 3 replica ships that you were able to climb aboard and see how they lived coming across the ocean. It was all hands on which makes it much more enjoyable for everyone. We also were able to see canoes made from tree trunks, a 1610 fort and had lunch in the café. Tim and I had been to Jamestown before but had not done the settlement. It was worth the cost and we all learned a lot.
We also did Historic Jamestown which is part of the National Park Service. We were able to see the site of America’s first permanent English settlement. You are able to see the 1607 James Fort excavation, the place where John Smith and Pocahontas were, see how life was in 1607 when 104 colonists arrive. This brought back everything we had learned in school so many years ago. The park service has done a wonderful job making you feel like you were there.
One day we toured Yorktown Victory Center where the American Revolution comes to life. We watched a film about the siege of Yorktown, saw a continental army encampment, visited a 1780 farm and visited the museum. We all enjoyed this stop. Our next stop was Yorktown Battlefield which is where the final major clash of the American Revolution took place. We saw a film, viewed tents and artifacts from the siege and saw the battlefield.
We really enjoyed our visit to Williamsburg and a great history place. Highly recommend this as a vacation spot for anyone.
After two weeks of vacation with grandpop and grandmom we took Emily back home. She enjoyed her visit with us and wanted to know if she could do it again next year. Guess that means she had a good time. Thanks Emily for sharing those two weeks with us. We were able to see things thru her eyes, she made us laugh and also made us feel young. Being with young ones keeps you very busy and on your toes at all times. She was able to meet a lot of kids and we hope enjoyed all the history.
Until next time
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THE MONTH OF JUNE
We stayed at Jacksonville Air Station for the weekend and just relaxed. On Monday the 8th of June we headed north to the Goose Creek Naval Base in South Carolina. We spent the week visiting with our granddaughters and also visited the doctor. Time for new prescriptions for our daily pills – we both got wonderful blood pressure readings so the walking and exercise are paying off.
On the 13th we attended our oldest granddaughters dance recital. They performed Alice in Wonderland and did an excellent job. Emily did a solo “This Business of Love” and did a wonderful job. She really has become quite a good dancer. She is on the competition team and really enjoys dancing.
On Monday June 15th Tim, Emily, our oldest granddaughter, and myself headed north and stopped at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Camp Resort. The campground had a swimming pool and game room which Emily and I enjoyed. We also did a nice walk around enjoying the outside air. We only spent one night here as we were anxious to get to Washington Dc.
Our next stop was Andrews Air Force Base which is very close to the city. This is also the base that the President flies out of when taking Air Force One. I so wanted him to go away that week to be able to see Air Force One in the sky. No such luck. The base was pretty nice though – big commissary, exchange, bowling alley, laundry, golf, restaurants and a pretty good campground. The campground had a rec hall with a pool table and Emily was able to meet a boy that taught her how to play. She enjoyed being at this campground as when we were not touring she had someone to play with.
Our time in DC was busy busy. We used the Metro to take us most places – no hassle with parking or getting lost. We were able to tour the National Museum of American History. We really enjoyed “America on the Move” and the First Ladies exhibits. Emily and I did one of the simulator rides also but I was not too thrilled with that. It cost $7 each and lasted about 2 minutes after standing in line for 30 minutes. The ride was called the Bermuda Triangle Adventure in 3D. Our next stop was the National Museum of Natural History. This is where we decided that Emily did not care for museums. We did get to see the 45.52 carat Hope Diamond which was unbelievable. We did enjoy seeing the hall of mammals. They had over 274 specimens and done in a really cool way. We had a very nice day – really tired when we got back home.
One day we did the National Museum of the American Indian. We all enjoyed the film “Who We Are” in their state of the art theater. Our next stop was the National Air and Space Museum. Here we got to see the show “Black Holes”, a close look at airplane, rockets and missiles, stepped into a cockpit and onto the quarterdeck of the USS Smithsonian. We all enjoyed this museum the most.
We then walked to the Capitol and marveled at how beautiful this building is. Our next stop was the United States Botanic Gardens which has been open to the public since 1850. They have over 60,000 plants with different areas for desert plants, Hawaiian plans, primeval plants, jungle, medical etc. It was beautifully done and we really enjoyed that.
Mount Vernon was also on our agenda one day and we spent all day enjoying this beautiful estate. We enjoyed the film first in the new orientation center. We also enjoyed the Education Center. The mansion itself is beautiful and well worth a tour. We then walked the grounds and enjoyed seeing Washington’s tomb, gardens, pioneer farm site and of course the beautiful Potomac River. We had a beautiful lunch at The Mount Vernon Inn which had all the colonial charm you could ask for. The gift shops were pretty nice with beautiful chinaware and needlework.
The one thing Emily really wanted to do was go to “Ford’s Theatre.” We were able to do this and the National Park Guide gave a wonderful talk about the night that Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth. We also visited the Petersen House where he actually died the next day.
The Old Post Office has a tower tour where you can see quite a bit of the city. The view was beautiful and gave you a different perspective of the city.
Onto the White House which we only could observe from the street as our senator never sent us our tickets. We did get a view and Emily and most people around us said they saw the first dog on the lawn. My old eyes did not see that though. Just looking at this beautiful home is worth the trip. We got quite a lot of pictures also.
We then visited the Lincoln Memorial, World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Washington Monument . They are all beautiful and give you a real feel for the freedom that we all enjoy here in this beautiful country. All things are free also which makes this a wonderful vacation destination.
Another dad we hit the National Zoo and got to see the panda bears. They are so darn cute. We also got to see elephants, bears, cats, leopards, monkeys, apes, reptiles, seals, sea lions, lions, and tigers. We really enjoyed our day here and walked and walked.
Our stay in Washington came to a close and we headed south. Our destination this time is Williamsburg, Virginia. Stayed tuned for another great trip.
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