Fulltime RV

April 12th to May 2nd

Peg — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 18:38:00 GMT

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 65^th 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.

New Orleans April 1st to April 12th

Peg — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 18:29:00 GMT

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 19^th 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.

Alabama March 15th thru April 1, 2010

Peg — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:35:00 GMT

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.

Spring is here March 10 thru the 15th

Peg — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:22:00 GMT

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

Valdosta, Georgia March 7 thru March 9, 2010

Peg — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:17:00 GMT

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

Fort Stewart, Georgia March 5th and 6th

Peg — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:54:00 GMT

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.

Georgia, South Carolina, California and Cruise

Peg — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:40:00 GMT

On August 9^th 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 12^th 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 15^th 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 20^th 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 24^th 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 29^th 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 11^th 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 18^th 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 23^rd 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 4^th 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 30^th 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.

Our trip to New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia and Charleston, SC

Peg — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:31:00 GMT

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 15^th 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 19^th 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

Williamsburg, Va with Emily

Peg — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:27:00 GMT

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 18^th 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 17^th 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

Wahington DC trip with Emily

Peg — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:16:00 GMT

THE MONTH OF JUNE

We stayed at Jacksonville Air Station for the weekend and just relaxed. On Monday the 8^th 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 13^th 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 15^th 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.

Orlando Florida May 22 to June 5, 2009

Peg — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 01:25:00 GMT

On May 22^nd we departed MacDill Air Force Base and headed on I-4 towards Orlando. We checked into the Marriott Grande Vista Vacation Club around noon. We were delighted that they had a place for us to park our camper right on property for the two weeks we would be spending here. We unhooked and checked into the condo. We have a nice one bedroom, bath, kitchen, dining area, living room and an enclosed screened porch overlooking the golf course. The grounds are just beautiful and being on the golf course very quite at night. This resort is just beautiful with so many activities. Of course we did not get to enjoy much as we were at Sea World, Disney and Universal most days. If you ever want a place to just enjoy the resort this is the place. They have about 5 pools, lake with boats, laundry, grills, beach, store, ice cream parlor, restaurants, pizza hut, tennis courts, basketball court, clubhouse, golf course, golf institute, fitness center, spa, bar and all types of activities. Some of the activities are: water aerobics, culinary competition, golf clinic, fitness walks, lessons, sand art creations, yoga, build your own battery powered race car, teen mystery night, create your own soft animal etc. If you are bored here something is wrong with you.

We got everything into the condo and the skies opened up with down pouring rain. One thing I can say about Florida, when it rains it rains – thunder and lighting each time. Around 5 our daughter Susan, son-in-law Jerry and our darling granddaughters Emily, Julia and Makenzie arrived. It was great seeing them again and this will be a fun place to enjoy each other. Around 6 we walked over to the Copa Loca Bar and Grill on Marriott property. We sat outside looking at the pool which made our granddaughters drool over. Our dinner was pretty good – we then started walking back to the condo. The girls and I got as far as the ice cream parlor and that is what they wanted. I said let’s wait for mom and dad so we waited. Soon grandpa came along and he tried calling – no answer so he made the decision to buy ice cream. Good choice as it was wonderful. They all enjoyed it greatly. Back to the condo and off to bed around 11.

Saturday morning we were up early and we all headed for Sea World. Tim and I had never been before so we really enjoyed ourselves. A new ride called the Manta is the best of the sea and sky. It is a flying roller coaster and soars you headfirst. Jerry and I were the only ones to ride this and I must say I really did not enjoy it. I closed my eyes as I did not like being face down – much scarier than any roller coaster I have ever been on. This is a brand new ride that just opened in May here at Sea World. All of us did the show Believe which is a killer whale show. This was truly amazing to see these huge whales and the trainers working so closely together for a wonderful show. We enjoyed seeing all the fish and beautiful plant life underwater. We also enjoyed the roller coaster and the kiddy rides. I even enjoyed a ride on the merry-go-round on my own sea animal which the girls thought was pretty silly of grandmom. It started to pour but we were lucky to be under a covering and did not get to wet. One thing we did was buy a dinner plan and for $30 we were able to eat and drink all day. Pretty good deal and the food was not bad. All in all it was a wonderful day.

Sunday we headed to Animal Kingdom for the day. We did the Killimanjaro Safari, Wildlife Express Train, It is tough to be a bug, and the new Expedition Everest which is a roller coaster ride thru the Himalayas. The girls all had their faces painted and they all looked adorable. The cutest thing was watching Makenzie having hers done – they told her to close her eyes and she never opened them and held on to my hand the whole time. Disney is a fun place even as an adult but so much more enjoyable when you see it thru a child’s eyes. Again we got rained on. We got so wet that we had to go back to the condo before going to dinner and change our clothes (everything even underwear) and dry our hair. We went to Landry’s Seafood Restaurant and surely enjoyed this place. The food was outstanding and we enjoyed ourselves all day.

Monday was our little Julia’s 5^th birthday so off to Magic Kingdom. She got to buy a pretty dress, have her hair done, makeup and looked just like a princess. We had fun that day doing all the rides – and then off to the Floridian Hotel for dinner with the characters. It was a wonderful day and we all enjoyed ourselves.

Tuesday we took the day off and went to the pool at the resort. The water was just beautiful and the girls really enjoyed the water. Makenzie had a ball – we went from pool to pool – even the baby pool with grandmom in tow. At night we went out to dinner and really enjoyed a down day.

Wednesday we went to MGM and again we got rained on. We got to see the American Idol Experience which the girls just loved. I must say they are good entertainers so I enjoyed it also. I finally did the Rock n’ Roll Coaster – my first time on this ride. It was wonderful. Another fun day – nothing could be better than watching young ones enjoy the parks.

Thursday we went back to Magic Kingdom and Tim decided to take the day off and just relax. I had a fun day doing all the rides with the kids. Sure got my exercise this week but all this restaurant food is killing my weight loss.

Friday we went to Epcot and again the rain followed. My favorite rides were Test Track and Soarin. We had a beautiful lunch at a nice restaurant in Italy. At the end of the day we said goodbye to the Shallo family as they headed home. This was a wonderful week and we were delighted to share it with them. Thanks guys for letting us tag along.

After our kids left we took it easy most of the following week. We did go back to Epcot one day and did the Test Track and Soarin again. Wow what rides but again it rained on us. Sick of the rain.

We did Universal Studios one day and really enjoyed that. Tim and I had never been before so everything was new. We really enjoyed Terminator 2, The Simpsons Ride and Revenge of the Mummy.

Another day we hit Islands of Adventure and decided we did not like that park. A lot of roller coasters that looked too scary for me and I love coasters. We did a few rides and left after 2 hours at the park. In some ways I think we were getting tired – two weeks of doing amusement parks is alittle much for old folks. Next time we will do only a few days so we enjoy it much more.

On the 4^th of June Tim celebrated his 66^th birthday. We went back to Landrys Restaurant and both had seafood dinners. I also ordered cheesecake for him to celebrate. Happy Birthday hon.

On June 5^th we said goodbye to Marriott and Orlando and headed east. We stopped at Jacksonville Naval Base and decided to just sit and relax for a few days.

Until next time

MACDILL AFB, TAMPA FLORIDA MAY 7 TO MAY 22, 2009

Peg — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:01:51 GMT

We left Naples on May 7th and headed north to Tampa. We arrived at MacDill Air Force Base and where very happy to be here. This is a really nice campground with loads to do right here on base. The campground is quite large and during the winter it is impossible to get in due to the snowbirds spending the winter here. We are located within a stone throw from the beach, the marina and seascape club. The marina rents boats, has a ramp, sells small items and sells fuel for your boat. Really nice. The beach is just beautiful with nice sand and the best part was we could walk. The water was warm but once out to your waist the bottom is filled with sea grass. Not to comfortable on your piggies.

The campground has full hookup sites, a laundry, tenting area, dump, mail service, nice hall for special functions. During the winter they hold lessons, games, bingo etc so it is a pretty active campground. We met quite a few nice people while here - we have met nice people everywhere we go - campers are just friendly most of the time.

Our time here has been spent walking - two days we walked 5 miles each day. Other days we walked at least two - this past week it has poured all the time so I have exercised by using my wii fit.

We have also traveled the area to look at different areas. One day we toured the coastline and enjoyed looking at all the pretty beaches and homes along the water. We went by the condo we stayed in about 6 years ago - this was when Tim finally decided he enjoyed the beach. Thank goodness cuz I love it.

The beach has been another one of our favorite places while here. We bought two sand chairs in Target that we can carry on our back which makes it much nicer. They even have a place to put your book, drink and suntan lotion so off you go for a nice day at the beach.

Two days we had the truck serviced. First we go new shocks - the truck has 90,000 miles on it so it was time. Then one day we got new tires - expensive but necessary. The car dealer was unbelievable. They have a barber/beauty shop, nail salon, and a movie theater. The movie was Superman and it plays for two hours. What a great way to spend your time while waiting for your car. I had a manicure and pedicure while waiting. Just wonderful. Also they had a hotdog roast so we got free hotdogs and chips. So this trip to the car dealer was enjoyable for me. The rest of the time I read and was happy.

We also got to see my youngest sister and her husband while we were here. One day they came out and we went to the Seascapes for lunch - we sat outside and watched the water and boats. Really pretty. Then we sat outside in lawn chairs and talked and laughed. At night we went to Carraba's for dinner - they had never been there and really enjoyed it. Another day they came out and we just sat in the camper and talked - it was pouring out. At night we had ribs which Tim cooked in the crock pot. They were so darn good - he is really a great cook. All the years we were married he only cooked on the grill or while camping. Now he does the meat every night while I do the rest of the dinner. I love it. Then I wash dishes - he puts the stuff away and dries. Who has the better job?

We will leave Tampa tommorow morning and head to Orlando for two weeks. We are staying in a Marriott timeshare - the first week our daughter Susan, her hubby Jerry and our three granddaugters will join us and we will spend 5 days at Disney. Emily just turned 10 on Monday - Julia will be 5 this coming Monday and Makenzie is 2. We should have alot of fun watching them on all the rides and seeing the characters. The second week Tim and I will spend at Universal Studios. We have 7 day passes to attend and we have never been there before.

Disney and Universal Studios have given every active duty and retired military person a free pass to the parks. This was just to good of an offer to pass up. Thanks for appreciating all these people have done for our country. God Bless

We will be busy but I will finish our blog when we return home. Until later keep smiling and loving each other.

Naples Florida May 3rd to May 7th

Peg — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:49:00 GMT

On May 3rd we left Key West and headed north on Route 1. The traffic was very heavy thru the Keys plus lots of road construction closing lanes for quite a few miles. During part of the ride about 500 motorcycles were headed south. Policemen were stationed all along the roads stopping traffic from entering under the motorcycles were bye. It was pretty interesting - they were old guys, young guys, girls, nice looking and some really grubby. Guess it was a special ride for some cause but I never saw anything so not sure.

When we reached the mainland we took route 41 thru the Everglades. We stopped at the visitor center for Big Cypress National Preserve. We saw a movie about the area and also so displays of the different animals that live in the area. One of these animals in the Florida Panther. What a beautiful animal but fewer than 100 remain. The speed on Highway 41 drops by 15 miles per hour after dark as the panther moves during the night. There has never been a reported panther attack in Florida which is good news. At the park they had alot of alligators - you see them everywhere in this area. All in all it was a very interesting stop.

Our next stop was Collier-Seminole State Park in Naples Florida. The campground has 120 sites with water and electric. They also have a dump station, laundry, restrooms and showers, campfire rings, tables, shuffleboard and a playground. They have a big area for group campfires and also offer guided nature walks during the winter months. The park has fishing, boating, canoes, nature study, interpretive center, hiking, mountain bike trails and a walking dredge. This machine was used in the 1920's to build the Tamiami Trail across the vast wilderness of the Everglades. We took a nice walk around visiting the Collier Monument, took the nature trail which was loaded with bugs, saw the lake and just enjoyed the park.

While in the area we went to Marco Island and toured the new Marriott Timeshare property right on the beach. What a beautiful job they have done but we are not in the market for more timeshares. We enjoyed the city of Marco Island - such beautiful homes - I think over half the city has homes that cost over a million dollars. It is just a beautiful area. We went to the beach at Marco Island twice and enjoyed the water greatly. The only part I did not like is lots of broken shells on the beach near the water line - hurt your feet. The water temp was 82 - just lovely.

One day driving to the island Tim was stopped for speeding. The speed limit on the whole island is 35 or lower - right where the limit dropped a policeman got him. He took his papers and when he came back he said just a warning - slow down. Thank goodness as we thought it would be a very expensive day. Thanks Mr Policeman.

On the 4th of May was our oldest daughter's birthday. We were not able to spend the day with her but were able to talk to her and wish her a wonderful day. Hope you had a great birthday Sue. We love you.

One day we also visited Naples walking along their pier watching the manatee's swimming around. They are quite interesting to watch. We toured Naples and we both really like this town. So pretty and so many nice homes.

On Thursday morning we left the park around 9 after dumping our tanks. We headed east on Route 41, then north on Route 951 until he hit I-75. The ride was very pretty and we enjoyed it greatly. We arrived at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa Florida around 12. We checked into the base and will spend 2 weeks here - stayed tuned for our stay in Tampa.

See ya soon

Key West, Florida April 26 to May 3rd

Peg — Mon, 18 May 2009 00:36:00 GMT

We left Weston, Florida around 8 and headed south. The ride was quite easy and because it was Sunday not to much traffic. Once we got to the Keys the area was all new for me - Tim had been as far as Marathon about 37 years ago while on temp duty during active military service, but of course most things look different. We enjoyed the ride looking at the water and different sites. We arrived in Key West around 2 and checked into the Rv Park called Sigsbee which is part of Key West Naval Air Station. We were very lucky to get a spot right on the water with full hookups. The campground has 93 sites plus overflow parking, and a nice laundry. It is also very handy to walk to different places - we walked to the commissary, exchange, MWR office, marina and the Sunset Lounge. The Sunset Lounge is a Tiki Bar that sells food and drinks. The bar is open to outside and you can watch the wonderful sunset while eating or drinking. We had alot of fun while here and met alot of nice people.

Key West is an island and the most southernmost point in the continental United States. It is a real party town with many bars with music to really enjoy yourselves while in the area. The island was finally connected to the mainland by railroad in 1912 and finally by Route 1 in 1938. The keys are linked by 42 bridges and 126 miles long. Their is a 7 mile bridge which is pretty cool - it amazes me how they could build a bridge over water - mind boggling. The keys have loads of living coral reefs to enjoy by glass bottom boats but much to windy while we were in the area.

We did ride around checking out every thing we could. We took the conch tour train which takes you around the island for 90 minutes and explains different things about the city. They told us how important the military was to this area as they are the ones whom brought fresh water to the island and also many jobs. The Navy arrived here in 1823 - the army in 1845. There are 4 different locations of the Navy today. One of the most interesting areas was Truman Annex which was the old Navy base closed in 1974. While President Truman was president he used to come to Key West and stay in one of the homes on base which is now called Truman's Little White House. Today it belongs to the state of Florida and you are allowed to tour the home. All around the area is old housing that has been fixed up and sold to private citizens. The homes are just beautiful and well kept. I was drooling looking at them - bet they have a pretty hefty cost to buy.

One day we went to the Key West Naval Air Station and watched the jets taking off and landing. We also visited the beach and marina on base. Very nice area.

We took a ride up the keys stopping at 3 different state parks. Our first was Long Key State Park which is located in Long Key. This park has hiking trails, canoe trails, picnicking, swimming, fishing and camping. They offer 60 sites with access to the beach from your campsite. It was a beautiful park and we hope to return here someday and camp on the ocean again.

Our next stop was Curry Hammock State Park located in Marathon. It became a state park in 1991 and sits on the ocean with over 1000 acres. They have a beautiful beach with swimming and 28 campsites. Another place we would not mind staying.

Our next stop was Bahia Honda State Park. This became a state park in 1961 and has the most things here. They have boating, marina, snack bar, gift shop, snorkeling tours, dive shop, beach, swimming, picnic shelters, nature center, fishing, and camping. This is another cool park - Florida has very nice state parks with water and electric at all campgrounds.

Our stay in Key West came to an end on May 3rd when we headed north and then west to Naples, Florida. Stayed tuned for our next stop.

Florida here we come April 8th to April 26th

Peg — Fri, 15 May 2009 02:54:00 GMT

We left Charleston on April 8th around 9 am and headed south on I-95. Our final destination was Jacksonville Naval Air Station. We checked in and got set up with water and electric site. The campground has 45 sites some with full hookups plus they have overflow parking. A beautiful bath house and laundry. The base is the 3rd largest Naval installation the the states and covers over 3400 acres. They also have a huge exchange and really nice commisary. The weather was just beautiful so we sat outside and talked and then read our books. The campground was very nice and we enjoyed our stay.

Friday, April 10th, we headed south to Patrick Air Force Base where we spent two nights. This is a nice campground and we were able to get our laundry done plus I had my hair cut. We also were able to walk along the beach and enjoy the beautful weather. The beach is part of the base but open to everyone - really nice beach - the water was alittle cool for us though. The Air Force Police do patrol the beach in jeeps so a nice family environment. We enjoyed watching the birds and also saw a shark out quite aways. Patrick Air Force Base supports Kennedy Space Center. Seems to funny to see a huge airfield and only one plane in sight. Very nice base though.

On Easter Sunday we headed south to Weston Florida to stay in a timeshare for two weeks. The condo was pretty nice with a nice living room, dining room, full kitchen, bath, bedroom with king bed and a lovely porch. The pool was right outside our building and very nice. We enjoyed that a couple of days while there. The city of Weston was established in 1996 as a fully planned community. The trees, flowers, shopping malls and housing all look so pretty. They spend no money for snow removal so really use the money to have beautiful flowers - wow so pretty. In 2008 Money Magazine voted it as one of the best places to live in the United States and first in Florida. I can understand why. We were located about 25 miles from Fort Lauderdale which has the nickname Venice of America. They have lots of pretty homes and loads of marinas. You wonder where all the money comes from - what do these people do as jobs to live in $5 million dollar homes????? One days we went to Fort Lauderdale Beach where the movie "Where the Boys Are" was filmed. Really nice beach with beautiful sand - we spent a wonderful day enjoying this. They have over 23 miles of sand and surf and all opened to the public.

One day we went to the Festival Flea Market Mall which is America's largest flea market mall with over 500 shops. It is located in Pompano Beach. We had fun walking around - bought an eyeglass case and Tim got a back scratcher. Big spenders we are - spent $8 in total. We toured the area taking in Maimi and Boca Raton. We rode along the shore line and marveled at the homes and the huge boats tied up behind them. Yikes alot of money in this country.

Everglades National Park was our destination on two different occasions. This park was established in 1947 to protect the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. It covers over 2500 square miles and offers alot of hiking on boardwalks to really enjoy the wildlife and surrounding swamps. This park is home to over 366 species of birds and we saw so many different kinds. The park itself was a true education as nothing else like this here in the states. Our second visit was in the Shark Valley Park where we took a wildlife viewing tram tour through sawgrass prairies. We stopped at a 65 foot tower with great viewing areas. The tour was over a 15 mile loop viewing loads of alligators and birds. Here you really get to appreciate the great wetlands. We hiked this day also - highly recommend this park to anyone whom comes to Flordia.

Biscayne National Park was another stop. This park has aquamarine waters, emerald islands and loads of coral reefs. We took a 3 hour boat tour out to the island of Boca Chita Key. We went up into the lighthouse and did the 1/2 mile hiking trail while on the island. Mark Honeywell (the one whom developed a hot water heating systems) owned this island and built the lighthouse back in 1930's. It was a beautiful day with the sun beaming and very windy. You had to hold onto your hat or it would of landed in the water. This area became a National Monument in 1968. Only national park with mostly water.

Our stay came to an end on the 26th and we headed south. Stay tuned for our next stop.

Charleston, SC from March 10 to April 7, 2009

Peg — Fri, 15 May 2009 02:44:00 GMT

Our time in Charleston is always enjoyable - we just love that area plus have our daughter, her hubby and our 3 beautiful granddaughters plus friends in the area.

One night we went to Lucille and Vinny's home for a party for their granddaughter. She is in the Air Force and was leaving for Italy for a 2 year tour. We had a wonderful time and met some really nice people. We spent the night - did breakfast the next morning - a little shopping and then back home. Thanks Lucille and Vinny for a wonderful time.

While in the area Tim had the skin cancer removed from his face - it was very close to his eye and the next day he woke up with a black eye. We had our taxes done - attended the church we love - babysat and just enjoyed our stay. We had our 4 year old granddaughter spend the night with us and had such fun. She is so talkative and so funny - we enjoyed that greatly. Our time came to an end so we went out to dinner on the 7th with Sue, Jerry and girls. Good dinner and wonderful company.

We will leave in the morning and head south to Florida - stayed tuned.

Beautiful weather in Charleston

Peg — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:52:00 GMT

The last two days have been just beautiful. The sun in out - shining brightly - and the beams are just so warm. We sat outside for a good three hours yesterday after doing laundry. So nice to sit and read and just enjoy the day.

Today our daughter Susan went with our oldest granddaughter on a school field trip. So Tim and I went and picked up the two young ones from nursery school - gave them lunch - played with them and just enjoyed the day. While I am taking care of children it makes me feel young again. They are so full of energy and just so lovable.

Tonight when we got back to the base there was alot of comotion in front of the mini mart. Come to find out they were filming again for Army Wives. Two weeks ago they also filmed inside the commissary. So if you watch the program you will see Charleston Air Force Base, kind of cool.

We just returned from dinner at the galley. We got two meals for the expensive cost of $5.75 tonight. As I tell Tim we can not cook for that price and it is not to bad. The thing I like about it is I can eat a huge salad while Tim can eat a meal. Makes it nice. Tommorow we will have our big meal at noon - better for you also.

Last week we were tempted to look at homes and condos. We were thinking of settling down - then decided we like the freedom of being on the road and seeing all the different places and meeting all the people. In June it will be 3 years and we have not seen half of this beautiful country. Our plans right now are to leave Charleston, South Carolina at te end of the month and head to Florida. We are going to a timeshare on Easter Sunday for two weeks and then will travel around the state. On May 22nd we are meeting our daughter Susan and family at Disney to celebrate our granddaughters birthdays. Emily will be 10 and Julia will be 5 so we should have a wonderful time. We took our grandson to Disney when he turned 5 many years ago and had a wonderful time. Nothing like seeing Disney thru the eyes of little ones.

I am reading a really good book "Celebration" by Fern Michaels. I love to read and always looking for good books. We have started going to thrift shops looking at books as they are so much cheapier.

Tommorow will be another beautiful day here in Charleston and then it will get cool again. Low 60's during the day by the weekend - nice walking weather.

Keep a smile on your face and enjoy life to the fullest.

The remaining month of February and first 8 days of March

Peg — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:08:00 GMT

Time has flown by again and really no reason for not doing our blog. We keep fairly busy and time goes past us to fast. Guess this is what my mother meant when she said how fast time goes as we get older.

Our time at Barksdale was very enjoyable. We took a ride thru Shreveport and saw many nice homes and buildings. We wanted to tour the area around downtown but the pouring rain prevented that. One day we did get to go to the Eighth Air Force Museum on base. They had a good assortment of aircraft, dioramas, and a gift shop. It was nicely done and we enjoyed the nice walk also.

We left Shreveport and headed to Vicksburg Mississippi. The area is famous for the Siege of Vicksburg in which the union gained control of the entire Mississippi River during the Civil War. The siege lasted 47 days and they surrendered on July 4th. I could not believe that because of this the town did not celebrate the 4th of July until after World War II.

Vicksburg has a beautful National Military Park with over 1,330 monuments, a restored union gunboat and a huge national cemetery. The cemetery has over 18000 people buried with over 17,077 being Civil War soldiers. The monuments are all over the town which makes it quite interesting.

While in town we stayed at the Ameristar Rv Park which had full hookups, pads, cable tv, wi-fi, showers, laundry, propane, pool and a free shuttle to the casino. We did visit the casino but it snagged our money really fast so we left after an hour. All in all we enjoyed our stay in Vicksburg.

Our next stop was Gunter Hill Corps of Engineers Park in Montgomery, Alabama. We love these parks because we get them for half price with our golden age card. For $9 a night we had water, electric, pull thru, showers, river, boat ramp, dump, playground and beautiful hiking trails.

While in town we toured Montgomery, the capital of Alabama since 1846. In 1861 it was selected as the first capital of the Confederate States of America. The state has beautfiul state buildings - think it is one of the nicest state capitals we have visited. This city also is the primary site of the Civil Rights Movement. Dr Martin Luther King was pastor of the Baptist Church from 1954 to 1960 in the city. This is also the place where Rosa Parks would not give up her bus seat to a white man in 1955. We really enjoyed the area and will return someday to tour more of the town.

We did visit Maxwell Air Force Base which is the country's center for airpower education since 1930. Very interesting stop.   Claudia and Devin came to visit for a few hours on Saturday night which we enjoyed.

Our next stop was Fort Benning Army Base in Georgia. The base was established in 1918 and covers over 182,000 acres. On an average day the base has over 100,000 people on base. Huge. The campground is Uchee Creek Campground and Marina and one of the nicest military campgrounds we have stayed at. They have 85 sites with mostly full hookups, pull thrus, campfires, cabins,. laundry, rally area, grills, meeting room, basketball, volleyball, softball fields, propane, store, archery range, river, marina, boat rental, fishing, pool and activitiy center. On Sunday Lamar, Tim's oldest brother came to visit with us. We had a nice visit with him. On Tuesday we met Scott and Betsy (Tim's Cousin) for lunch at Cheddars Restaurant. We ate lunch and talked and stayed at the same restaurant and ate dinner. That was a first. We had a really nice visit with them and enjoyed it greatly.

Charleston Air Force Base was our next stop. We love the Charleston area plus our oldest daughter and family live in Mount Pleasant. We have been visiting with them often and babysat for them also. Julia, the 4 year old, and I went and had our nails done
together. All the girls are such a pleasure to be with. We will be in this area until the end of March.

Last Thursday Lucille and Vinny came to Charleston to visit and do lunch with us. At the same time friends from Ct, Ray and Louise, stopped by on their way home from Florida. We all did lunch and enjoyed the company greatly.

On Friday we took Louise and Ray to the Charleston Museum and then had a nice lunch   The museum was very imformative - enjoyed it greatly. Thanks guys for stopping by and visiting.

On Monday we were going to babysit - got up and got all ready and our truck would not start. Around 1 we finally got a boost and Tim took it to the dealer. They informed him it was the battery - we have two so it cost over $300. Yikes.   Now it is all fixed and running very well.

If you are in Charleston area stop in and say hi. Until later

The First 8 days of February

Peg — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 07:00:00 GMT

When I left you last time we were planning to head to the strip at Las Vegas for the evening. That is exactly what we did. Wow was that ever exciting. This was the first time for us both and we were like little kids in a candy shop. Everyone should experience this at least once even if you do not gamble. We parked the car and started walking. Our first stop was at MGM to visit with the lions. It is a habitat with 35 foot glass walls which gives you wonderful viewing capabilities. Tim took a few pictures of them - they are such beautiful animals. I found out from the movie about them that they are bathed each day before being shown. I enjoyed this greatly.

We then walked the strip stopping in at the New York, New York; Paris Las Vegas; Caesars; and Bellagio. We had dinner at Mon Ami Gabi - sat outside and enjoyed the view and the dinner. It sits across the street from the Bellagio where they have dancing water which soar 240 feet. It was just beautiful to watch - plus the dinner was just fantastic. After dinner we went into the Bellagio and I put $5 into the slot machine. When I cashed out I had over $100 - paid for our dinner.

The fun of Vegas is seeing all the lights, the shows and watching the people. Remember this is a place where anything goes and I mean anything. It was a fun night and so different.

Saturday morning we left the base and headed to Kingman Arizona. We got all set up and called our friends Dan and Pam whom we had not seen since 1976. We enjoyed talking and then all went to an early dinner. On Sunday Tim and I rode along old Route 66 in KIngman and saw alot of the old buildings. In parts of this town it looks like 1950 again. Sunday afternoon we went over to Dan and Pam's to play pinocle and have dinner. Very enjoyable day.

Monday morning they picked us up and we headed to Oatman, Az along Route 66. This is a living ghost town, it used to be a mining town and is located in the Black Mountains. In 1915 two prospectors struck a 10 million dollar gold field in this town. The mines were worked until 1941 when they were shut down. Colonies of wild burros, direct descendants of the pack animals used by gold miners, roam the hills and town. You can feed them carrots and film them as they stop next to your cars. It was a definite different experience. We walked around the town and went into a few stores.

We left town and headed to Bullhead City, Az for lunch. We had a nice lunch and then headed to Laughlin, NV to the casino. We stayed about 30 minutes and I put in $20 and cashed out with $20. All in all it was a wonderful day. Thanks Dan and Pam for the wonderful hospitality. We enjoyed every minute and hope to see you again sooner.

Tuesday morning Tim went to UPS to pick up the part for the camper while I did my WII. We traveled from Kingman to Tucson and stopped at Beaudry RV Resort. A very nice park but kind of expensive for us. We had full hookups, a nice pool, and a really nice restaurant. Great food at a resonable price. On Wednesday am we brought the camper to Beaudry RV to have the slide fixed. While that was being done we toured the Air Force Base and then looked at motor homes. We saw one that we really loved but it cost $450,000 - that is more than our home cost. Yikes. We will stick with the home we have now - serves us well and it is paid for. We did have fun looking though.

Thursday morning we left Tucson Az and headed to Van Horn Texas. We stopped at a nice campground for the evening and had a nice dinner to end a long day.

Friday morning we headed to Abilene Texas thru really strong winds and boring landscapes. Tim and I really do not enjoy the dessert - we like the green grass and trees not the brown sandy soil. Abilene is doing lots of construction and the campground we headed to was alful. Tim got alittle annoyed so we headed further east. We stopped for the night at a really nice campground called Cactus Rose - super people also.

Saturday morning we hit the road again and arrived in Bossier City at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. We will stay here until at least Wednesday to get laundry done - clean the camper - and just relax. This base is huge with a very nice campground with full hookups. They allow you to wash the camper so Tim is delighted - has not been done since Petaluma, California back in August.

Today is Sunday and our youngest daughter's birthday. We talked to her this am and hope she has a wonderful birthday. Happy Birthday Amanda and hope you have many more.

Until next time

Month of Janurary

Peg — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 01:12:00 GMT

Here it is almost a full month since writing again - would you believe it is because we are so busy. I stil do not understand how I ever worked 8 to 12 hours a day and still had time to clean, do laundry, shop, and visit with family and friends. My time now just disappears and before I know it it is time to make dinner or go to bed. Yikes.

New Year's Eve was spent with Amanda, Tim and Josh. We had a nice dinner and played pinochle, I love that game - so much fun. We stayed up until 1:30am - drank and ate alot but had a really nice time. We spent the night - got up around 10 and headed home. We figured they needed time to themselves with only one day off from work. Thanks Tim and Amanda for having us.

We attended the movie "The Day Time Stood Still" at IMAX. It was a good movie considering it was Science Fiction and I really do not usually watch them. We do not attend the movies to often so it was fun.

Another eye doctor appointment - trying very hard to get off the eye drops, down to one drop every other day so we are making progress. The bottle is about 1 inch tall and cost $95 which my insurance will not pick up. I have been on these drops up to 6 times a day since about the 26th of April. Too long and too expensive. Time will tell if my eye finally will adjust to no drops.

We visited the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, Ca. This place became well known to the rest of the world when President Regan had them on his desk. The tour was very imforative and completly free. You get a good birds-eye view of every step of the candy making process. It takes up to 20 days to create each jelly bean. At the end you get to sample a few plus a free bag of jelly belly beans. They have a wonderful cafe with great food - we were very pleased. The store has over 150 different types of candy so we bought some. We were able to get Christmas candy for a steal - candy is candy. I am trying to lose weight but I could not resist trying some. Now I eat one candy each day. We highly recommend this place for a visit if you are ever in the area.

We visited Napa Valley for a wonderful tour of the Sterling Vineyards. They take you up a 300 foot hill by aerial tram to visit the winery. The tour is self guided with loads of photographs and displays explaining the wine making process. The view was just beautiful and then we got to taste the wine. Tim passed but Agnes, Steve and myself sampled them. None of us were to impressed with the wine - I am just a cheap wine drinker but we did enjoy ourselves. We then stopped at a wonderful deli located in the town of Calistoga. We ordered sandwiches and then sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine. After lunch we headed to California's Old Faithful in Calistoga. Back in 1975 Tim and I visited here for free. Today they charge you to see this and we were not very impressed for the price. The geyser shoots water 60 feet into the air for 3 to 4 minutes. It happens every 40 minutes or so. It is very different. We then headed to another winery for a tour of the caves. Because we did not want to sample wine they gave us a free tour of the caves and explained how the Chinese dug these in the 1880's. It was very interesting. We had a really nice day - napa valley is just so pretty plus the weather was perfect.

One Friday we went into San Francisco and visited the California Academy of Science. This wonderful museum is located in Golden Gate Park and just reopened. They have a beautiful aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, african hall, swamp, and an island of evolution. This was truly a very interesting place to visit.

Joshua , our grandson, celebrated his 14th birthday on January 12th and we got to celebrate with them. We had a wonderful dinner and a great ice cream cake from Coldstone Creamery. We also were able to attend a few of his basketball games while in California. Josh you play an awesome game.

Our time to leave California and head south and then east was coming to an end. We will miss Amanda, Tim and Joshua a great deal but hope to catch a military hop and return soon. Thanks for all the wonderful memories we shared during the last 8 months. We enjoyed being together and spending so much time with Josh. Josh keep up the good work in school - you have the brains to accomplish anything you want. We love ya.

On the 21st of January we left Travis Air Force Base and headed to Camping World. They had a recall on our refrigerator so we had to have that fixed. We arrived early and were very lucky as they took us right away. This gave us an early start as we traveled to Lemoore Naval Air Station in Lemoore, California. We decided to spend 2 nights at the base and just relax. The campground was pretty nice but kind of expensive for military campgrounds. We had a full hookup site for $23 a night.

Friday, the 23rd we traveled to Wilderness Lakes Preserve which is a thousand trails campground. It was a hard trip as it rained and was very foggy climbing those huge hills on I-5. Our truck really does a wonderful job pulling our 5th wheeler up those hills. We arrived at the campground and met up with Jeff, Tim's youngest brother. We got 4 days - three nights for free from camping world. We had to attend a 90 minute selling speel which we said no to. We were not impressed with the grounds - too close together for us and about 4000 cows as our neighbors. Yikes what a smell.

On Monday morning as we got ready - I tried to bring in the dining room slide. Would not come in all the way or go back out. Tim and Jeff pushed it closed while I pushed the button to get it in. Something is wrong but we wanted to leave and head to Las Vegas to the Desert Eagle RV Park at Nellis Air Force Base. We arrived about 3 and got set up - slide would not work. We are still here with the slide not open - thank goodness we have another slide in the living room. It is a little crowded but we are manging okay. We have it set to have it fixed next Tuesday in Tuscon, Az and it is covered by warranty. Yeah!!!!!

I still am doing my WII exercises each day. I have lost a few pounds and really enjoy doing this. This is how I start my day - no more coffee or wine - plus I watch what I eat. My goal is to lose 20 pounds slowly so I will keep the weight off. I have never been a big eater but I got lazy when I started to work and never exercised very much. That and age finally catch up with you. While at Travis Tim and I walked each day around the base also which was great.

Today we took a ride to the Hoover Dam. What an impressive wonder and the new bridge they are building is unbelievable. Wow it is hard to believe what they can do and make it work. We also rode thru Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Our golden age pass got us in for free. The scenery is just specatular and so different from the east coast. The water level is quite low though - seems most of the west needs loads of rain or snow. We have had about 3 days of rain in the last 8 months.

We stopped at the Hacienda Hotel and Casino in Boulder City for lunch. After eating we played the five cent slots - big spenders we are. Tim lost $4 - I came out with $1.70 more. It is fun to try them but I cannot believe how some people lose all their money in those places. This casino had smoking so we did not stay long. The smoke burns your eyes with such stale air.

I would like to hit a few of the big casinos here in Las Vegas tommorow to see what they look like inside. We drove down the strip and checked them out from the outside. Some of them are just beautiful. The MGM is home to several African lions and cubs which sounds really cool. The Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino transports visitors to an undersea ocean of sights, sounds and encounters with over 2,000 animals represting 100 different species. The Silverton Hotel and Casino has a 117,000 gallon saltwater aquarium where you watch them feed the fish. These sound very interesting to me - will have to try and talk Tim into visiting as he is not a gambler and would be happy to not step inside a casino.

On Saturday we will leave here and head to Kingman, Arizonia to visit friends we have not seen in over 33 years. Looking forward to that.

We have met so many nice people everywhere we go - this is such a wonderful life. God Bless until next time.