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After a couple of miss directions, (we went back up the mountain and back down again, when we turned around thinking we missed it we were only about a mile away) we finally made it to the RV Park. The park is a little rustic, but had a nice site with full hookups. In addition to the RV sites, they have cabins, a restaurant, motel like rooms, large group cabins and a tenting area. We ate dinner in the restaurant last night, Friday, and the food was excellent, the service was good and people extremely friendly. While waiting on dinner there was a commotion outside, I got up and looked out the front window and found that across the street in the cow pasture a coyote was stalking a calf and momma was having none of that. The owner said that some people need TV to entertain them, all we have to do is sit outside and watch the action.
Picture note: Click on the picture to load the album. The Album also has a slideshow button on the left and on the right side are little boxes you can click to increase or decrease the size of the pictures or just double click a picture and step through the pictures.
Wednesday night got rather chilly, from a high of 91 during the drive up to a low of 45 over night. I got up Thursday morning and put on blue jeans, long sleeve shirt and my light shirt jacket, the first time in many weeks. June and 45 I thought it was summer. Joshua was already up, killing time on the computer, so I took my coffee outside and enjoyed the morning quite. After we all had breakfast, we headed out to the Park, deciding to take a drive through and see what it had to offer. Without stopping they say it takes you 1 hour to go completely through the park, I just don't know how anyone can go through without stopping. See what I mean......
Picture note: Click on the picture to load the album. The Album also has a slideshow button on the left and on the right side are little boxes you can click to increase or decrease the size of the pictures or just double click a picture and step through the pictures.
Friday morning started off a lot like Thursday, except that Joshua and Peg slept in until after 9. Once everyone was up and those that needed it were fed, we started our day with what we thought would be a good slow walk for starters. There was a National Park trail 1/4 mile down the road that looked interesting. The sign did say it was a 5 mile hike but we thought, "This is the valley so it shouldn't be too bad.... famous last words." We did make it a little over a mile, all up hill, before we gave up. I say we in that Peg and I gave up and Joshua wanted to keep going. When we finally made it back to the truck, he did say we had done very good...for our age, thanks.
Picture note: Click on the picture to load the album. The Album also has a slideshow button on the left and on the right side are little boxes you can click to increase or decrease the size of the pictures or just double click a picture and step through the pictures.
We went back home, had lunch and rested for awhile. Then we decided we could do a nice moderate 30 minute climb to Bumpass Hell. We drove back into the park and headed to the large parking area for Bumpass Hell. Everyone told us that it was well worth the trip, with sulfur vents, bubbling mud pots and boiling water. Ok, and as you can see in the slides that follow, the sign DOES say a 1.5 mile 30 MINUTE MODERATE walk. Right off the bat we were transversing snow, not too bad. After climbing over a large, slippery snow bank, we got held up for 20 minutes as they were doing trail work. The rangers working on the trail said that there was some more snow on the trail ahead but should not be a problem, just a little slow going. I had my new hiking boots on, Peg had her sneakers on and Josh had his new basketball shoes on, not the best footwear for this type walking, however they both said to continue and continue we did. After I almost fell three times and Peg did fall twice and over an hour of walking we finally got near enough to see the sulfur mud pits. Peg had had enough so Josh and I continued on, hindsight says I should have stopped also. On return to where we left Peg, she was not there, I was exhausted and no place to rest except on the snow. Joshua, bless him, volunteered to carry some of my gear and I just had to let him, that helped but I was still dragging it. We caught up with Peg and after another hour and a half we finally made it back to the truck. Never was I so happy to see a truck. When we got back to the camper, it was decided that cooking was out and we would go the additional 100 yards to the restaurant for dinner, very glad we did.
One of the things that came out of all this hiking, Peg decided that hiling boots and hiking poles are a must. I guess the next stop will be at a shoe store for boots for her and Joshua. $$$$$, me and my bright ideas!
Believe me, in the summer with no snow it might have been a 30 minute walk, but in the spring with a lot of snow on the ground ------ STAY A HOME.
Picture note: Click on the picture to load the album. The Album also has a slideshow button on the left and on the right side are little boxes you can click to increase or decrease the size of the pictures or just double click a picture and step through the pictures.
After our experience on Friday, we took the day off from hiking. I worked on the pictures, Peg did laundry and Joshua played on the computer. Tonight we are not cooking either, but are going for prime rib at the restaurant.
I had to add a little more about the RV resort. We just got back from another delightful meal, the owners and staff go out of their way to make you feel at home. If you don't feel like one of the family, then it all your fault. If you are ever in this part of the state, be sure to stop in, if only for a meal, you will not be unhappy. Chcekout their website, it is very good.
http://www.childsmeadowresort.com/
Until next time, may your days be filled with joy and happiness.
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Being from Connecticut orginally has made me open my eyes and mind to the people whom settled the west. As we were driving across the plains all I could think of was what brave souls they were. The landscape is flat and you can see for miles - the winds blow so hard you feel like you'll become Mary Poppins. I said to my hubby I would have begged you to turn around and go back home back in the 1800's. He just laughs at me cuz I really am a city girl and the thought of being 50 miles away from stores would drive me nuts. Yikes.
One thing I did see that I had never seen before were cows in the water - water covering them - all you saw was their heads. Never had seen that and did not know that they even did that. Little things make this experience and lifestyle so interesting. You learn even on the highway. In Texas on I-40 they have the biggest cross in the western hempshire. Of course it is so flat that you can see it for miles - pretty cool.
Another thing you see out here in the west is loads of windmills. They really should use more and they could power the whole United States of America. This wind is like nothing I have ever seen. After experincing this you can picture the dust bowl - before that was really hard to imagine.
This trip west started in Charleston South Carolina and will end in Pleasanton California. Thus far we have spent over $500 on fuel - highest price paid thus far was $4.75 but saw it yesterday for $4.99. We were lucky that Kirkland Air Force Base sells diesel - not to many military bases do.
All the years we spent in the military - hubby was active duty for 20 years - is paying off for us. We get to stay at nice campgrounds for $12 to $20 a night - shop in the commissary and exchange - some bases even let you eat in the galley, we can bowl, use health clubs and even the library.
Our stay in Albuquerque was really nice - we toured Old Town and went to the Museum of Art and History. Outside of the museum I saw a real roadrunner. Really cool too see. We enjoyed our stay but were ready to hit the road again.
During our trip from Albuquerque to California we saw more trains than I have seen in years. Most of them were at least 100 cars long - so cool. We saw snow capped mountains, the beauty of the desert and such different plant life. Our first stop was at a campground in Kingman Arizonia. We called some old friends to see if we could get together but their phone number did not work. I did send an email but did not receive a reply right away. We were really disappointed but we will be back to see you Dan and Pam really soon. We have not seen them in over 30+ years - wow that is along time.
As we entered California a shock to our system happened. We stopped for fuel - $5.49 a gallon for diesel. Yikes. Thing that was really good is that did not continue - the price is about $4.89 most places. Driving thru California was really interesting - saw the plan where Borax is made, saw lots of fruit and vegetable growing, nut trees and those beautiful rolling hills that only California has. We stopped for one night at a small campground and then the next day went into Sharpe Rv Park which is at the Military Defense Distribution Depot. It is a small campground but the price was right for $9 a nite for full hookups. We got to see many ground squirels and hares. Very interesting. We met alot of really nice people during our stay here and really enjoyed ourselves. They have a beautiful swimming pool and nice gym. We were located about 50 miles from our daughters house but we made the drive every few days. It was so good to see them - gosh I miss my girls when we are apart.
During our stay we celebrated Tim's 65th birthday. Amanda and Tim treated us to dinner at a Japanesse restaurant and then we did 1st Wednesday downtown Pleasanton. Very enjoyable time.
We went to see the new Indiania Jones Movie - it was so cool to see pictures of Yale and even saw a New Britain Transportation Bus. That was the town where I grew up. Very good movie.
Amanda and I went shopping one night and I tried on gowns for the wedding. Found one I really liked - alittle more than I wanted to spend but I feel comfortable in it so that is all that matters. We had a nice girls night out - shopping and a good dinner.
We also were able to go to Bridges Golf Course where the wedding will take place. Tim and I were both very pleased with their selection. It should be a beautiful wedding - can hardly wait for September to enjoy the day.
On the 18th we left Sharpe with Joshua (our 13 year old grandson) ande headed north. We arrived at Childs Meadow Resort in Mill Creek. We checked in for 4 nights. After getting set up we headed into Chester to get gas, wash the truck and have a good ice cream cone. That night I could not believe how quiet it was - no traffic goes by except during daylight hours. Wow peaceful.
Tim did the blog about Lassen National Park but I will add alittle to it. I was so impressed by this park - it became a national park in 1916 and has seething sulphur springs, belching mud pots and hissing steam vents. It is the most incredible site I have ever seen. Hiking to Bumpass Hell was an unusual trek - short sleeve tops - jeans and sneakers hiking thru snow - how unusual is that. We were all tired when the hike was over but it was just beautiful - so much in this country to see - wow.
We left on Sunday Morning and headed to Redding California to Fawndale Oaks Rv Park. We planned to stay in the area until the 7th of July but that was not meant to be. The fires in northern California began on Saturday night after the lighting storm. If you have never been out here the summers are very dry and this year they had very little rain so everything is dry. The smoke was unbelievable.
On Monday we took a ride to Whiskeytown National Rec Area but could not see the lake or ride around because of fires. We did stop in the information center and were told they give free kayak tours. Tim and Joshua really wanted to try that but fires prevented that also. Whiskeytown is home to many black bears and I really wanted to see one. We will be back in this area as their is loads to see. We also wanted to do Shasta State Park.
We did tour the Shasta Dam which was made of 6.5 million cubic yards of concrete. The dam is the second most massive concrete dam in the United States. The water rushes over the 487 foot spillway and forms the worlds largest man-made waterfall. It took 7 years to construct. No pictures were allowed but it was quite interesting.
The weather in Redding was very hot and the smoke burned our eyes. We went to the Sundial Bridge which is a 720 foot long bridge that crosses the Sacramento River. It is only used for bikes or foot traffic. Once on the other side we got an Italian Ice which cooled us off. Interesting concept.
On Thursday the owner of the campground were we stayed told us she would refund our money if we left early. Because of eye surgery both Tim and I were having problems seeing and each day it got worse. Our hearts go out to the people in northern California - so many homes and land burned.
We headed north on I-5 and stopped in Medford Oregon at the Safeway Grocery Store. We were getting quite low on food - have a teenage boy to feed and not used to that. We stocked up on food and now that I look back I am really happy we stopped. This area is in the boonies and nothing around.
We stopped on Thursday night at the Joseph Stewart State Park - they only could take us for the one night. What a beautiful park - full hookups for $18 a nite. We took a nice hike and saw the beautiful lake. That night the sky was full of stars - have not seen that many in years. Just spectaciluar site.
Our next stop was at Diamond Lake Rv Park which is located close to Crater Lake National Park. It is a full hookup site but we will stay Friday and Saturday and move on Sunday to a different site. They were able to accomadate us until Friday which is great. After setting up on Friday we took a walk around the campground and then over to Diamond Lake. What a pretty lake - see people swimming while you see snow in the background. Really unusual for us. We walked around for awhile and then stopped at the store to buy graham crackers, choclate bars for smores and an ice cream cone. Sure cooled us off.
Saturday am we rode to Crater Lake National Park - what a beautiful park. The park itself is pretty with snow so high that it is hard to believe. Each year the park receives over 533 inches - that is alot of snow. The lake is 5 miles wide and ringed by cliffs almost 2000 feet high. The lake rests in the shattered remnants of a volcano called Mount Mazama, which erupted and collapsed into itself 7700 years ago. Crater Lake filled with rain and melted snow and at 1943 feet deep it is the deepest lake in the United States. Crater Lake became a national park in 1902 and is a must for anyone living in this beautiful country. Our visit was topped by a visit to the center and lunch at the cafe. What a wonderful day exploring our national park.
Sunday we moved our site - thanks to Josh and Tim. I went to the laundry here in the campground and did 4 loads of laundry. We are now in a nice site and will remain here until Friday.
Monday we took a ruide and did hikes to different waterfalls in the area. The Watson Falls area was our favorite and so beautiful. We hiked quite a distance to view it. While at the falls I met a really nice couple from Florida. This lifestyle sure lets you meet interesting people.
Today marks our 2nd year on the road. We have not looked back and enjoy each day as we see it. Our lifestyle just fits into our lives so easily and giving Joshua, our grandson, the opportunity to experience this with us is just so wonderful. Next year we hope that Emily, our granddaughter, will be able to enjoy and experience this with us also. God has surely blessed us and we enjoy each day to the fullest. God bless you all until next time.
PS: Talked to our nephew Steve on Thursday - God was that a good feeling to talk to a Marine just back from the war zone. He sounded so good and so happy. He will have to return to the war zone soon and we will keep him in our prayers. He just got engaged and we are so happy for them. God bless you Steve - we love you.
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Our remaining days in Charleston South Carolina were filled with fun and doctors. We were able to celebrate both of our granddaughters birthdays. Emily turned 9 - Julia 4. We were very happy to spend time with our girls and will be happy to see them in California come September.
The eye doctor gave me clearance to leave - must get prescription reading glasses and have my eyes checked in 3 months. My pupil is still dilated but I can see much better. Whole new learning experience for me as I always took off glasses to read - now I must put them on. Hard to teach an old lady new tricks.
Both Tim and I went to a new doctor in Charleston area and really liked her. Our daughter recommended her and we were very pleased. The best part was my blood pressure was perfect 120/70. Have not seen those numbers since I was 40. Yea - retirement is finally agreeing with us. I also got my pap smear done and mammogram so all set with that for another year.
We visited the Charleston Maritime Festival in Charleston. They had 4 tall ships - the Amistad, the Schooner Virginia, the Corwith Cramer and South Carolina. We paid to board the vessels but all you got to see was the main level. It was interesting but not worth $15 each. It was a fun day and glad we did it.
With beautiful sunshine we left Charleston at 8:30am and headed west on the 22nd. We stopped at the rest area for lunch and had a bubble in our tire. Thank goodness for road service - they came within the 1/2 hr and changed it for us. We stopped up the road about 40 miles and bought a new tire. We thanked God for keeping us safe. As we were going around Atlanta we saw a car on fire - the tires actually were burning along with everything else. It was unbelievable to watch something go so fast. God was with the young girl whom owned the car - she was far away from it and fine. We stopped for the night at a campground and just left the camper hooked to the truck. After dinner we took a walk around the park and then watched tv before enjoying our nice comfortable bed.
Friday morning we were up early and left at 7:30am - once we hit the Alabama state line the time changed and we were now in central time zone. We were going around Birmingham during rush hour. The ride this day was beautiful with so many rolling hills and sooo green. We crossed the Mississippi River and stopped for the night in Hazen, Arkansas. We had planned to go in the morning to the Clinton Presidential Library but heard on the news they were having a huge riverfest - not a place you want to pull a 34 foot camper into. We decided we would do that some other time - that is what is really nice about being full timers. We drove into Oklahoma and stopped at a campground. We decided to stay for 2 nights - time to relax. We are doing this trip pretty fast as we would like to be in California the second week of June. We are taking our 13 year old grandson for a few weeks to enjoy camping with us.
Memorial Day was a beautiful sunny day but so windy going thru Ok, Texas and then into New Mexico. Before I forget I want to thank my hubby, brother, brother-in-laws, friends and everyone else whom served in the military. We live in such a wonderful country thanks to all of you. God bless you all.
We stopped at Mountain Road Rv Park in Tucumcare for the night. We had a nice steak dinner and watched some tv before calling it a day. We again were in a new time zone - mountain time. Our poor bodies are really messed up - keep saying to Tim - What time is it really?
Tuesday morning we left around 9 and headed west on I-40. My hubby is the most careful person in the world when it comes to his truck and camper. Well he checked the tires before we left and about 2 hours in to our ride he said something is wrong. We pulled over and we had a blown tire on our camper. I felt like crying but as Tim said we were safe and it is only money. We called road service - got the tire changed and then went to the shop and bought 3 more tires. We are not taking any more chances. Now we have 4 brand new tires.
Our stop today was at Kirkland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We have decided to stay here at least until Saturday and relax. We hope to take the tram to the top of the mountain and have dinner also. We did that 34 years ago on our way to a new duty station and enjoyed it so. Wow that makes me feel old - yikes. The campground is right on base and is quite nice. Full hookups and laundry so we are happy.
Now we are back on the road I will try to write some each day. Until later.
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Charleston still has a hold on us for another week or so due to the cataract surgery. I had my first eye done on April 21st and it went so well. A week later I had surgery on my left eye and problems began. I had a horrid headache and spent most of the night awake. Went to the doctor the following morning and could not even see the big E on the eye chart which scared me to death. Seems my implant did not lay right so that Friday I went back to the hospital and had that fixed. I am doing really well with my distant vision - no glasses - but my reading vision is still not where it should be. I did get reading glasses but only read for about 5 minutes and my eyes are tired. I will be returning to the eye doctor on May 21st and hopefully will get a good report so we can hit the road again. I do enjoy this area greatly - get to see our beautiful granddaughters, daughter and son-in-law but we are ready to travel again.
We did get to see the "Wings over Charleston" which was an air show here on the Charleston Air Force Base. On Friday they had some planes opened plus all the pilots were practicing so we got to watch. On Saturday when the base had over 125,000 people we sat by the campground and watched the show. It was a great show watching the Thunderbirds, Golden Knights, Raptors, Strike eagle and all the other planes. The Air Force should be proud for a wonderful show.
I still have not driven so Tim has to take me most places. One Saturday I took our oldest granddaughter shopping at Town Center in Mount Pleasant. This is a shopping area where you walk outside and into each store indivdually. Emily is such a delight to be with - we walked and talked - even missed a store we wanted to go into cuz we were talking so much. She seemed to enjoy the day also and came home with new shorts, tops, book and loads of earrings. I could not read any prices so she would tell me the size and price - thanks Emily for helping grandmom plus having such a nice day. We had lunch also and grandpop even joined us.
Sunday we took Julia, our middle granddaughter whom will be 4, shopping. Her choice was Wal-Mart. She really made we laugh as she looks at everything first and then decides what she wants. She ended up with a pony, sand sculpturing craft, sunglasses and books. We also did lunch and she was excellent. I hear so many young mothers say they cannot take their children shopping and it makes me wonder. Guess I just have wonderful grandchildren.
This has been a quiet month for us - with eye problems it was very tiring to me. Spent alot of time sleeping or just relaxing my eyes. We did take a trip to visit with Lucille and Vinny one day and enoyed that greatly. We did lunch at a great place right on the water - food was yummy and so much. We walked on the beach alittle and of course I had to put my feet in the cold water. We then went for alittle ride to see one of the biggest campgrounds around - wow what a place. Back to their place for good conversationn and then we hit the road to come back here. Thanks guys for a wonderful day.
Mothers Day this year was very different for us. We awoke early and got ready for church with the rain pounding and the winds blowing. Turned on the tv and were told that tornado warnings were in effect. We decided to just stay put - in case of an emergency we would not be driving. Lasted about an hour and then it calmed down. Joshua, our grandson, called to find out how to make french toast for his mom. He is such a thoughtful kid - talked to his mom later and she said it was great. Susan called an invited us over for dinner which we so enjoyed. Our son-in-law Jerry made dinner and did a wonderful job. Thanks for such a beautful day. As I told Tim late last night I did two wonderful things in my life - I married him and had two beautful daughters. God has been really good to me and I thank him each day.
I promise when we get on the road again I will write more often and more interesting subjects. We are still enjoying ourselves - met lots of nice people here but have not been very busy. Until later. |
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Well here it is almost two weeks again since I posted but gosh are we having fun. We stay busy most days - some days I could not tell you what we are doing cuz I really do not know. Sounds weird but anyone whom knows me understands.
Charleston South Carolina is the neatest city - it is a city you can just walk in and enjoy the architecture of all the beautiful buildings. We started our tour this day on the water in Waterfront Park. The flowers are all in bloom and everything looks like spring. Our next stop was the United States Customs House which was built in 1849. What a beautiful building - so much detail and loads of marble. This building is still used as active office space but we enjoyed it greatly. We walked along the streets up to Meeting Street where we entered the Circular Congregational Church graveyard. In 1806 the first circular church was built but burned in 1861. The present church was built in 1891. The grave yard is the oldest in the city with graves dating back to 1695. Very interesting. Our next stop was City Hall and the U.S. Court House and Post office. The courthouse was built in 1792.
We were able to go into St Michael's Episcopal Church which was constructed in 1752 and is the oldest church building in the city. The clock and bells were imported from England in 1764. George Washington and Robert E Lee worshipped here and the building is just beautiful. I love the family pews - so cool.
Our next stop was lunch and Tim was in heaven - he got to have Grits and Shrimp which he loves. Another thing we love about this area is most of the food we have is outstanding.
Our day in Charleston was delightful and we will return - so happy that our daughter and family live in Mount Pleasant as we will return often.
Last Friday we met our daughter and two granddaughters at the Isle of Palms County Park. This park sits on the ocean - we played in the sand and actually put our feet in the water. Julia loved the water - Makenzie loved the sand. We really enjoyed the day greatly - had suntan lotion on so only got sunburned on our feet.
Another reason we love this area is attending Seacoast Church. It is a very uplifting service and just makes me feel much better. God has blessed us in so many ways and we have so much to be thankful for.
On Monday I took our 3 year old granddaughter and went to Boone Hall Plantation to pick strawberrries with her nursery school class. What a delighful day we had. She got to play on the jumping castles, take a ride in a wagon by tractor and visited the butterfly house. Watching three year olds was so cute - they are filled with questions and such concern. They were told we might not see too many butterflys cuz it was quite cold. One little girl said why can't they wear jackets. As adults we forget how innocent they are and how they think. Boone Hall Plantation really does so much for the area around Charleston. If in the area please make it a point to visit.
Today was a wonderful day. Our friends Lucille and Vinny met us here at the base. We stopped at KFC for lunch and then stopped at Old St Andrew's Parish Church. This is an episcopal church built in 1706 and is the oldest surviving church in South Carolina. It is shaped like a cross. As we walked around the outside looking a car pulled up and I believe it was the minister. We said hello and Vinny asked if we could tour the church. He said sure and opened the building for us. What a wonderful treat. Hard to believe that it still stands after 300 years.
Our next stop was Drayton Hall - built in 1738. It is one of the nations finest examples of Georgian Palladian architecture. It is also the oldest preserved plantation house in America. One thing very different is that the home is empty so you actually see all the details. It is a huge house - it is over 10,000 square feet. We really enjoyed our day - thanks Lucille and Vinny for sharing the day with us.
Tonight Tim and I ate at the mess hall here on the base. The Air Force lets retirees eat at most bases for breakfast and dinner. We both had a turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, gravey, cherry cobbler and a drink for the total cost of $5.10 for both of us. We shall be eating most dinners on base - cannot cook for that amount and it is good.
Monday will be surgery on my right eye - need to be at the clinic at 6:30 am. We normally do not get up until 9 so it will be new for us. Until later. |
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This past month has been spent visiting mostly but also some relaxation. We left Lutz Florida on March 5th after a wonderful visit with my sister Ann and headed north. Tim had the route plotted on the GPS to take us to Suwannee River State Park in Live Oak, Florida. What a surprise when it told us to turn left unto a dirt road and Tim did. All I could think was we were going to get to a point and not be able to turn around or go forward. Well to our surprise the bumpy dirt road made a complete circle and we ended up where we started. We were nowhere near the park but we finally found it and got set up. It was a small park but very pretty with nice trails. The weather did not cooperate and we had loads of rain with toronado watches. We stayed in and got alot of reading done as internet and tv were not in the cards.
Our next stop was Three Rivers State Park which is in Sneads, Florida. Again, another small park but sits on beautiful Lake Seminole. This is when we wished we had a boat - even a canoe would do. We enjoyed watching the birds, ducks, and fish splashing around. Simple pleasures for these old folks. While here we did get our hitch fixed as it was tearing up our truck pretty badly. Everytime we hit a huge bump or turned it would scrape the top railing of the truck. We hope this will slove our problem for awhile.
On the 13th we left Florida and headed into Alabama. Seemed so strange to see a sign saying Pinckard (that is our last name) and also a tiny little town. We went to this town about 10 years ago on a family reunion and saw where Tim's great great grandfather had a plantation many years ago. We arrived at Wind Creek State Park in Alexander City. This park is huge with over 600 sites and sits on Lake Martin. It was much too crowded for us - sites close together and quite noisy. We did get to visit with Claudia and Devin so that was nice.
While in the area we visited Fort Toulouse/Fort Jackson State Historic Site. They have a french fort that was built in 1751 and this proved quite interesting. We have visited many forts but mostly American so it was educational to see the differences plus the workmanship that was put into building these over 250 years ago. Also on display was a Cree Indian house and they are starting to rebuild the american fort also.
Also while in this area we visited the Horseshoe Bend National Military Park. In 1814 General Andrew Jackson and an army of 3300 men attacked the Upper Creek warriors where over 800 indians died. This was the most Indians ever lost in a single battle. It really gives you chills to wander the grounds and realize what heppened here. Gosh were we ever mean to the Indians - pushing them off their own land.
Our next stop was West Point Georgia where we again missed our turn and ended up turning around in the middle of a road. Thank goodness Tim is such a good driver. We checked into a corps of engineers park on West Point Lake. Really nice park with beautiful sites and the best park was with the Golden Age Pass we only paid $11 per night. Pays to travel with an old man - great on the budget. During our stay here we got to see Jeff, Scott, Betsy, Lamar and met his new bride Sherry. We enjoyed our visit and catching up on news as we had not seen Lamar for a very long time.
While in West Point area we headed to Warm Springs Georgia to visit the Roosevelt Little White House. Franklin Roosevelt came to this area in 1924 searching for relief from polio. The natural warm springs here helped bring some improvement so he built his home here and came often. His home is maintained as it was on April 12, 1945 when he died from a massive stroke right in this house. It was a very imformative visit as the museum gave us a real feel for FDR. He definitly was one of our most popular presidents and helped sooo many. We also got to see the pools that he used.
Easter Sunday also occured while in the area and we attended a sunrise service - a first for me. It was just beautiful but gosh was it cold. We all had on winter coats and still were shivering as the day before we were in short sleeves. During the service they gave each of us a flower which we held and then at the end we placed it at the foot of the cross. Very touching and a wonderful experience for me. The people were so friendly and warm.
Back on the road on the 27th arriving at another Corp of Engineers Parks in Appling Georgia. Our site proved to be quite challenging to get into - very narrow and down a hill with little room for error without ending up down the bank. Again Tim showed his driving expertise plus the truck with 4 wheel drive. The park was just beautiful and again we were sitting on J Strum Thurmond Lake. This lake sits on the Georgia/South Carolina line and comprises of over 70,000 acres being the largest lake east of the Mississippi.
While in this area we drove downtown Augusta to do the river walk. As we were in obtaing information it started to pour. The pounding rain and high winds prevented us from doing the walk. We will return again some day to enjoy this area.
April 1st put us on the road again with a trip back to Charleston South Carolina. We arrived at Charleston Air Force Base Fam Camp with beautiful sunshine and warmth. We set up the camper and met Susan (our daughter) and family to attend Emily's play. It was so good to see them again. The play was very good and then we had dinner and returned home for the night.
We had our taxes done and owe over $3000 - yikes were we surprised. Guess this is why they say to save for a rainy day.
This past weekend we babysat for our 3 granddaughters while daughter and son-in-law went to the beach for a few days. We enjoyed it - such sweet little girls. They are normal children whom love to fight and then hug each other. Tim spent the days with us but went back to our little home each evening. I had pajama parties with them which was great fun.
We are back in Charleston as I need eye surgery - have cataracts and need them taken care of. Will write again soon. |
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This past week in Lutz Florida was enjoyed greatly by Tim and myself. We loved the nice warm weather and can see why sooo many snowbirds spend the winter down here. The park we are staying at is 90% snowbirds whom come every year and just leave their camper here.
Sunday was a beautiful day with temps in the 80's. My sister Ann arrived about noon and gosh was it good to see her. We sat outside and talked and talked. Being alone with her was nice cuz it was just the two of us so we really got to talk. She stayed thru dinner and seemed to enjoy the day greatly.
Yesterday we headed to her house - she lives in an adorable mobile home which we had never seen before. We decided to ride out to Fort De Soto Park and see what it had to offer. We rode along the shore - peaking thru all the spaces between the buildings to get a glimpse of the ocean. Gosh is it pretty - but sooo many buildings block the view. We stopped for lunch in Tierra Verde at a old funkie restaurant. The food was excellent. We arrived at the park and drove thru the campground first. Wow was that ever pretty. They say you need reservations a year in advance to get in - have water and electric sites and is $39.20 for a night. The sites are nicely spaced also. We then drove down to the historic area. The old fort was okay - guess we have visited to many forts lately so it really did not interest us that greatly. It was built in 1898 and became inactive in 1910.
We then rode down to North Beach which was voted one of the prettiest beaches in 2005. We parked and walked down to the beach - nice beach but gosh do you ever have to walk far to get to the water. Took our shoes off and put our feet into the water - pretty cold but alot of people were swimming. Guess they are brave northerns not wimps like us.
Stopped at Home Goods store and just puttered looking at things. Tim went into Panera Bread for coffee while Ann and I looked at everything in the store. I did buy a picture and she got a tablecloth. For dinner we went to Bonefish Grill - great food - good drink and wonderful company. We had a wonderful day and will miss Ann as we move on.
Today is a day to relax, get gas for the truck as we are on the road tommorow. Until later safe travels.
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Wow it has been almost two months since I last posted. It has been a busy time for us and I will try to do better in the future. We are now back to traveling so our life is at a different stage again.
In January we spent a week in Orlando Florida at a timeshare. While there, we visited Disney parks - got to them all and enjoyed ourselves greatly. We met our friends Louise and Ray from Ct and enjoyed visting with them. Poor Ray had the flu when we arrived and I think he shared it with us. When we left Florida Tim was not feeling well and spent the next week sick. He got better and I got it. That is the first time in about 10 years that I have been that sick - felt alful and could not get rid of the cough for weeks.
The rest of January and the first week of February were spent in Charleston - visiting with our daughter Susan, our son-in-law Jerry and our three beautiful granddaughters. I just loved going over and playing with the girls - of course Grandmom thinks they are perfect - and we have soooo much fun. Tim also had lasik surgery and is quite pleased with the results. Now I can see those beautiful blue eyes much better - they still get to me after all these years.
We left Charleston on Feb 11th and headed south to Fort Stewart - just outside of Savannah. The campground was just beautiful - like a state park with huge sites. Tim lived at Fort Stewart when he was a baby - his dad was in the Army at the time. The base is located approx 15 miles from I-95 with nothing on it. They have a few signs about drving and this one really made us laugh. It said "Do not lose your head to save a minute, you need your head - your brains are in it. While in the area we visited Fort Pulaski National Monument, Old Fort Jackson, Tybee Island, Fort Stewart Museum, Fort Morris State Historic Site and our favorite was Ft McAllister. Our week spent in Georgia was very delightful and beautiful weather until the day we had to leave. It was just pouring - we would have stayed longer but we had made reservations and paid at Mayport Naval Station in Mayport, Florida.
We arrived and the sun came out. We would be able to stay for three nights only - all the snow birds are in Florida and gettig into campgrounds has proven to be quite a job. While at Mayport we drove to St Augustine and toured the town. We had lunch at Milltop Tavern and enjoyed listening to the guy playing the guitar and talking to a nice couple from Canada. We invested in the Old Town Trolley Tours and rode the trolley around listening to the guide - he was from Manchester Ct explain to us all the sites in St Augustine. Very interesting. We toured the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument which is the oldest masonry fort in the US. It was built by the spanish in 1672.
Another day we toured Kingsley Plantation - the oldest plantation in the state of Florida. It was very interesting but the home is closed until the federal government gets the money to repair the home. They had the old slave quarters, barn, and gardens. We then rode to Talbot Island State Park - walked out on the boardwalk to the water and drove thru the campground. We stopped in the Parkway Grill in Fernandia Beach and had a wonderful lunch. Across the street was a vegetable stand with home grown tomatoes. Do you know how happy we got - good tomatoes in February - unheard of in Ct at this time of the year. We even took the ferry across the St John River from Mayport to Ft George Island. Another fun day.
We left Mayport and took the backroads to Patrick Air Force Base which is located near Cocoa Beach. We spent one night as the campground was full and only dry camping allowed. That means no hookups - so no computer or tv - Tim and I go into withdrawal when that happens.
Friday am we took an old route and saw orange and grapefruit groves for miles and miles. Reminded us of being in Iowa when all we saw was corn. We arrived at Lake Kissimmee State Park in Lake Wales Florida. This would be our home for the next three nights. The park has an old 1876 cow camp with spanish cows and an old cowboy that talks to you as it was 1876. Really cool. The park is very pretty and sits on a huge lake. We saw deer, wild turkeys, and sandhill cranes.
Our hitch had been riding wrong so we moved it one day - I try to help but sometimes I wonder what help I really am. We did get it moved and then took a ride into Lake Wales. We toured the Grove House Citrus Museum and Visitor Center for Florida's Natural Orange Juice. Very interesting and different. One night we even had a campfire - this is a rare thing as so many campgrounds do not allow this.
We left on Monday moring and arrived at Little Manatee River State Park. This campground was also full and they only could accomadate us for one night. We decided to just stay hooked up to the truck - wow was that easy to leave the next mornig. We sat outside and enjoyed the nice weather.
We are now at Encore Winter Quarters RV Resort in Lutz Florida. This is quite expensive but we sit on the lake and the view is very pretty. We are here to visit my sister Ann - visit the area and just have fun. Yesterday we took a ride to Dunedin and were ready to have lunch when the campground called and said water was pouring out of our camper. Gosh did that scare us - all we could imagine is water everywhere. As it turned out it was the tank overflowed - all the damage was outside - thank goodness.
Today I had my eyes checked and was informed that my cataracts need to be operated on. Now we need to decide where to get this done. Stay tuned.
I will try to write more often - miss all our friends and family |
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Wow it is hard to believe that 2007 is coming to an end. Tommorow will be the last day - December 31, 2007. That is a hard day for me - it is the day I lost my mom 6 years ago. She was just such a precious lady - she loved everyone and everyone loved her. Gosh I miss her but someday we will be reunited.
These last few weeks have been filled with shopping - enjoyed that greatly. Santa was very good to us all this year again.
Christmas eve we went to a new church with Susan, Jerry and girls. It is a huge church called Seacoast and it really impressed Tim and I. The service was just so touching and meaningful to both of us - reminded us of the church we attended with Amanda, Tim and Josh out in California last year. They have all kinds of activities for the children to keep their interest and enjoy learning about God. Such a wonderful concept. We attended again today and shall do that each Sunday until we leave.
If you are ever in the Charleston area during Christmas make sure you go to James Island County Park. What a wonderful festival of lights that was. They have over 2 million lights, 600 light displays, 12 minute train ride, sand sculpture with 50 tons of sand, 2 gift shops, sweet shop, of course santa, a carousel ride and a marshmallow roast over the fire. We were so impressed and enjoyed the 3 miles of pure entertainment. It was $10 for a car and well worth every cent. Tim took loads of pictures which he will post soon. The park has a campground, cottages, waterpark, climbing wall, kayaks, bikes, pedal boats, concerts, beach, etc. Really nice.
Christmas eve after church we went over Susan's - had a wonderful pasta dinner, wine, and then let the girls open their presents from poppy and me. It was a joy to watch - the little one was so darn cute.
Christmas morning we were up at 6 and headed to Mt Pleasant by 6:30am. Going over the bridge on I-580 we saw the most beautiful sunrise ever. The sky was soooo red it looked like it was on fire. Tim and I both said "see what we miss each day cuz we sleep too late." We arrived at Susan's by 7 and they were all still sleeping. What a treat to watch the 3 girls come down and open their gifts from santa. They enjoyed each gift they received and were just sooo cute. Christmas is Jesus's birthday and we cannot forget that but Santa is such a wonderful part of the day for children. We had a beautiful ham dinner, famous clam dip, shrimp cocktail, fresh stringbeans, mashed potatoes, and sooooo many sweets. Think I gained 10lbs just looking at them all. We even had our cake for baby Jesus and Julia sang happy birthday. Very nice day. Talked to our daughter Amanda in California and our grandson. They were enjoying their day also - starting their own holiday celebrations. Missed them all.
For Christmas I received a new camera - will learn to use it soon and then we will have pictures of Tim. He loves to take pictures of us doing dumb things so now it is payback time. My gift certificates were just so pleasing to me - now I can shop all the good sales. Thanks to my children and grandchildren. Spoiled lady I am.
Yesterday we went to the Shallo's house again and celebrated Marie's birthday (she is Susan's mother-in-law.) We had a nice dinner, great company and loads of laughs. Thanks for another beautiful day.
Today after church Tim, Susan, Jeff, and Scott are busy trying to build their busines. Tonight we will go to dinner at a restaurant downtown Charleston so looking forward to that.
Hope you all have a safe and happy New Year and may 2008 be good to you. Enjoy.
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We have been enjoying ourselves greatly this last month and again I am behind on the blog. I think I will go to a monthly blog like I have seen before or maybe I will be better when we hit the road again.
This past month we got to visit with Lucille and Vinny twice which both Tim and I enjoyed greatly. Always nice to see our friends and catch up on their lives. We hope to see them again before we leave in January. Thanks Lucille and Vinny for a wonderful visit and lunch.
Tim and Bill, our neighbor, were able to accomplish two very important tasks. First they installed the King Pin Extender which will give us more clearance for taking corners with a short bed truck. This has been a concern of Tim's since we started our full time journey. Thanks so much to Bill for giving Tim this information and then helping install it. We saved alot of money which made me very happy. Bill also helped Tim check the brakes on the camper which was a great help. Janet, Bill's wife, ordered a computer so Tim has been helping her with setup and just learning how to use it. The barter system has worked greatly with this nice couple. He also is fixinig our recliners with Tim as they do not stay reclined which was a real disappointment to us. They have been like this from day 1 so it will be a great fix for us.
One nice day we took a ride to the Francis Marion National Forest. We checked out the campground and were quite impressed with it. We then rode to the town of McClellanville. What a neat town. They had a cute museum which was closed that day but we will return and check that out. The town reminds you of something from 100 years ago - very quaint. The main road we followed turned into a dirt road but it was so interesting we just kept following it until we hit the main road again. We love going on out of the way roads to discover new things.
Thanksgiving this year was held at Susan's and Jerry's. We had a nice crowd with the 3 grandchildren, Jerry's sister and her 3 children, Jerry's parents, Jerry's grandmother and us. We enjoyed a delightful dinner with great food and good conversation. At night we went over to another couples house - sorry I do not remember their names - but they were great hosts and lived in a beautiful home on the Isle of Palms. They served us all desert. A wonderful day enjoyed by all.
One weekend we babysat while Sue and Jerry attended a wedding in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. We enjoyed the girls greatly. Saturday night after the little ones were in bed Emily and I played Old Maid. Emily is 8 years old and very silly - everytime she got the old maid she would giggle thus allowing old grandmom to win the game. We enjoyed ourselves greatly. Sunday Tim took Julia to a 3 year olds birthday party at a party place. She had a ball and he seemed to enjoy it also. I stayed home and babysat the other two. Nice weekend.
On November 24th Tim and I were driven by Susan and family downtown Charleston to the Norwegian Cruise Lines ship the Norwegian Majesty. It was to be a week of pure pleasure thanks to Susan and Jerry. What a wonderful gift. Our state room was on the 8th floor which was a perfect location. The pool and two bars are on the 10th deck, the deining rooms on the 5th so easy to get to everything. The ship is quite small compared to most ships but the right size for us. It carries 1462 guests and 661 crew members. It is 680 feet long and goes about 20 knots. The ship has 6 restaurants, 9 bars and lounges, spa and fitness center, jogging/walking trail, 2 pools and 2 hot tubs, video arcade, library, and a cassino. They have loads of activities going on all day and night and you choose what you wish to do if anything. They also have freestyle dining which I loved. This means you can go to your meals anytime you wish breakfast from 6am until 10:30am. Lunch is served from 11:30 until 2:30, snacks from 3:30 to 5:30 and then dinner from 5:30pm until 10:30. Late night snacks from 11:30 until 1am. Always something to eat or drink day or night. We ate and drank plenty but used the stairs to get some excersie while on board. The cruise started on Saturday with us boarding around 1:30. We were able to board quicker because we were Latuides members (that means we sailed with NCL before) so they give you alittle better service. We checked out our room and at 3:30 they held a mandatory boat drill required by the Coast Guard. We sat outside on deck 10 listening to calypso music, drinking, and talking with fellow shipmates as we left Charleston with 56 being the high of the day. We had dinner in the LeBistro with wonderful wine, food and company. We talked to the nice couple sitted next to us for quite awhile and enjoyed it greatly. We found a wine that we both enjoyed 2005 CMS Columbia Valley Red Wine from the Hedges Family Estate in Washington state. It is a blend of cabernet, merlot and syrah. Very tasty and great with our dinner.
Sunday was a laid back day for the most part as Tim did not feel to well. I had had a bad cold for about two weeks and poor Tim got it. You know I share very well with him but I did feel bad as it spoiled this day for him. He slept most of the afternoon. I attended a shopping presentation for Grand Cayman, Body Composition Analysis and the diamond and gem shopping seminar. The temp today was 69 and alittle overcast. At night we had dinner in the Seven Seas dinning room and chose to eat alone to avoid germs being spread. It was a pretty good day for me.
Monday was also a day at sea so we had breakfast on deck 10 with the buffet style. They have everything you can imagine for meals so it is hard not to find something to your liking. We sat by the pool and listened to music, talked to people and read our books. Very nice day considering the temp was only 66 - hope it gets warmer soon. For dinner tonight we went to the Four Seasons and sat with two other couples which was very enjoyable. We then sat and listened to music and talked to more people. We were social butterflys this trip - enjoyed meeting so many nice people.
Tuesday we arrived in Georgetown Cayman Island at 8am. The temp was 84 and partly sunny. The ship anchored out and we took a tender to reach shore. This is the 5th largest financial center in the world which was a surprise to me. We walked around and enjoyed the beautiful color of the water. It is just so amazing that anything could be that clear - now I understand why it is noted for diving and snorkeling. I think if Tim felt better he would have wanted to go scuba diving - something he has not done in 30 years. This island has 37,716 people and English is the official language. It is a beautiful island and I would not mind returning for a nice vacation. I did get a pair of gold earrings in town. At night we watched caribbean line dancing and listening to calypso music.
Cozumel Mexico was our next stop and what a pretty island. The temp was 84 with the sun just beaming to make that beautiful water much prettier. This island has the 2nd longest coral reef system in the world and has rare black coral. This is another true scuba diving place. Jacques Cousteau made this discovery in the early 1960's. The population on this island is roughly 65,000 people and they use mexican peso as money. We took a cab ride to look at a timeshare and check out the beach. Very nice place and would return someday. We headed back to the ship so Tim could take the navigational bridge tour of our ship. He was in heaven doing this - old sailor in his glory.
Our next stop was Key West Florida which both of us loved. We pulled into the Navy Pier around 4pm and were shuttled by bus into town. We saw the most beautiful sunset ever at Mallory Square. What a cool place - all kinds of entertaintment. Tim took loads of pictures and will post them soon. We walked all around and enjoyed looking at the water, being at the most southernmost point in contential USA, watching chickens walking all over the city and seeing such beautiful homes. Another place we will return. Friday was a day spent at sea - enjoyed talking to other couples, nice dinner and dancing. They had a veteran get-together which we enjoyed. All in all the cruise was a wonderful experience and such a wonderful gift. Again thanks to our wonderful daughter and hubby.
December 8th took us to Wando High School in Mt Pleasant to watch our granddaughter perform with the Dance Carolina Dance Studio in a Christmas Spectaculkar. It was wonderful - she is turning into a wonderful dancer and really enjoys it so. We hope to be able to see many more performances in the coming years.
December 9th we attended the Mt Pleasant Christmas Parade. Seemed so strange to us to be in spring jackets watching a Christmas Parade. Remember we are from New England. The parade was wonderful and our granddaughter Emily was on a float for her dance studio. Beautiful floats and fun by all.
Our 3 year old granddaughter Julia was also in a dance recital and did super. She is such a ham - listens very well to the teach which surprises mom and dad. Pictures will follow.
Christmas shopping - Tim taking a short trip to CT for business and doctor appointment - running around has kept us busy. The next few weeks should be the same but will try to do better.
Hope you all have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year. God Bless
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