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We started September off supervising Joshua with home schooling. This will keep us fairly busy but will also keep us stationary for awhile. He must go into school every Thursday for tests and new assignments so stay tuned on how this works out.
On the 2nd they had a sale at the Camp Parks Base in Dublin - it consisted of case lot sales with really good buys. We were able to get quite abit of supplies for the next month. Never been to a case lot sale before but it was well worth the trip. It pays at times to have been in the military. They do so much more today for the military man and woman - thanks to the commissary sales
On the 4th of September Tim and I got on the bart (which is the Bay Area Rapid Transit) for a ride into San Francisco. For $5 each you can ride into the city and then not worry about parking or paying a toll on the bridge. We were armed with our suitcase also as we would spend two nights at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. We got a beautiful room with a sitting area on the 6th floor. This hotel is huge with 39 stories, beautiful pool, restaurants and bars. The best part is the location on 4th Street and Market Street. We were able to walk to Union Square which is the central shopping, hotel and theater district area in San Francisco. We first went shopping at Nordstroms, Bloomingdales, Eddie Bauer etc looking for a new jacket. The weather in San Francisco is much colder than anywhere else in the bay area - think it is at least 20 degrees cooler. I was freezing with my light jacket so I bought a down jacket which kept me quite warm.
Our next stop was Andersen Bakery on Market Street where we had a nice lunch of sandwiches and coffee. My sandwich was a chicken salad with chicken, apples, celery, lettuce, sprouts, onions, toasted almonds and dijon mustard. Tim had a turkey and fresh mozzarella which he said was very good. Very nice lunch.
We then started walking and found the Yerba Buena Gardens. What a beautiful place plus they were having a free concert. We sat on the wall and listened to the music for awhile and then walked and admired the beautiful plants, art work and statues in the gardens. Inside one of the buildings we came upon a display of photographs by Robert Cameron. He was an aerial photograph whom took many famous shots all over the world. It was so interesting looking at these and appreciating the work he accomplished.
Our next stop was Saint Patrick Catholic Church on Mission Street. This church was founded in 1851 and is now a historic landmark. It has served the Irish immigrants, Spanish and now the Filipinos Community. It is a beautiful church with such wonderful details. Today they do not build churches like that - could you imagine the cost today? It really blows my mind looking at all the details on buildings from years ago when everything was so manual. What great craftsmen back then.
We went back to the hotel and went up on the 39th floor to the bar and enjoyed a few cocktails. Back to the room to clean up and then walked to Macys. What a nice store - we were thinking of doing dinner there but a wait of 2 hours. No restaurant is worth that wait. We walked up the street and had dinner at Johnny Foley's Irish House on O'Farrell Street. This is an authentic Irish Pub. We sat next to two couples from Australia and enjoyed talking to them about traveling the world. We had a nice dinner of prime rib and everything was wonderful. We then walked some more - San Francisco is like New York - you can walk and walk and never be bored. We went back to the hotel and back to the bar for a few more cocktails and a nice chat. All in all a beautiful day.
Sunday morning we were up early and ready for another busy day. Today is our 40th wedding anniversary so we will enjoy our day being together. I cannot believe that 40 years has passed so quickly. Wow - I love you Tim more today then I did 40 years ago. Thanks for being my best friend.
We set out walking again this morning and stopped for a pastry and a cup of coffee. The coffee house was really busy but the coffee was not too good - crowds do not make it good I guess.
Our first walk was to Chinatown. Loads of stores, restaurants, markets, parks and homes. It is an interesting area to tour. We have been here before so we just walked and enjoyed watching the people and looking at the buildings. Would have loved to tour the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company which makes over 10,000 cookies every day but it was Sunday morning.
We wandered down to Fisherman's Wharf which is the most popular destination in this city. You can take a boat cruise, shop, eat, see sourdough bread being made, watch people, sea lions, shows etc. Very active area and very interesting. We strolled the area and enjoyed buying so goodies at Ghiradelli's. We then had a nice lunch at Neptune's Palace on Pier 39. We had a nice seafood dinner and everything was delicious. We watched the boats cruising out in the bay while eating and also watched the sea lions.
We then started walking up Powell Street and felt like our energy level was dropping. We decided to get on the bus and ride back to the hotel. We picked the right bus cuz it wandered all over but stopped right outside of our hotel. What luck as we were tired.
We stopped at 4th Street Bar and Grill for a drink and some pretzels. Enjoyed our talk with the bartender and then returned to our room for about an hour to just relax.
We stopped at the Concierge desk to find a nice retaurant for dinner. They recommended Zingari Ristorante on Post Street and made reservations for us. We walked thru Union Square and arrived at the restaurant for a wonderful dinner. Great Italian food, great service, and good company. After dinner we wandered around and then headed back to the Marriott and the wonderful bar on the 39th floor. Enjoyed more drinks and then time for bed. Think I drank more today then I have in years - thank goodness for all the walking. All in all a wonderful day.
Monday morning we woke up early and decided to go in the hot tub. Felt really good on our tired muscles. We then went out for breakfast - back to the room to pack. We had a wonderful weekend and hope we can do this again someday soon. Such a fun city and so much to see and do.
September was a month of birthdays. Our granddaughter Makenzie turned 4 on the 18th and how I wished I could have celebrated with her. She is such a sweet girl and just darling. She had a nice birthday party which she loved. I will be happy to celebrate with you next year Makenzie. Grandpop and I love ya.
On the 24th our youngest grandaughter Grace turned 1. You wonder where the time goes - wow they are all growing up so fast - does that mean that I am getting old?
On the 25th I celebrated my 64th birthday - nice day and I got to talk to my daughters and all my grandchildren which made it so special. Thanks to you all.
This month has been a hard month for me - at times I want to give up this lifestyle - and then I don't. I think it is sitting still for so long plus not a great campground - nothing here except full hookups. Our awing almost touches our next door neighbor. I must rethink and get myself in better moods. Until next time
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On the 3rd of August we hooked up and hit the road heading south with our grandson for a few weeks of vacation. Our first stop was for lunch and then diesel and then on to Vandenburg Air Force Base for 2 nights. The campground was pretty filled so we ended up in site 43 which is a parking lot with hookups. Not to pleasant. While here we ate at the galley one night for dinner and for the 3 of us it cost $8.40. You cannot beat that for dinner and it was pretty good. While here we stocked up on food at the commissary and wine and then just relaxed for a day. The weather was pretty cool - okay for walking but no warm enough to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. I always thought California had warrm weather especially in the beginning of August. I guess this is what global warming is all about - the East coast is having brutal summer temps and the west is cool.
Our next stop was Seabreeze RV Resort at the Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach. This is a really nice campground with full hookups for $27 a night. Beautiful laundry for free and nice track for walking. The only bad thing is they have no commissary and a very tiny exchange. Really does not feel like you are on a military installation.
While here we walked on the pier at Seal Beach and enjoyed the summer breezes. Loads of people where in the water but certainly not warm enough for me. Seal Beach is a cool little town though and has many unusual stores. It could be a fun place to shop but the guys had no interest in doing that.
Another day we went to Knotts Berry Farm which is a really nice amusement park and they let seniors in for only $19.99 each. Plus they gave us a military rate for Josh which was only $29.99 for him. I went on two rides only - the first one was the worst - closed my eyes and just prayed for it to end. The second one was the Silver Bullet Roller Coaster which is the biggest and baddest suspended coaster in the west. It was an old wooden coaster and scared the living daylights out of me. That ended my rides and the rest of the day Josh rode alone. Guess I am getting to old for rides - I used to love them in younger days. We did have fun walking the park and watching people.
Our next stop was Camp Pendleton the huge marine base in southern California. We arrived at Del Mar Beach where the campground is located and we backed right up on the beach. Nothing like walking out into sand or looking out the windows and watching the water. So relaxing and peaceful. We spent everyday enjoying the warm sunshine sitting in our chairs in the sand on the beach. Josh spent many a nights sleeping under the stars with his sleeping bag and pillow right on the sand. Josh did go in the water but it felt like it was about 50 degrees - much too cold for me. I did enjoy just watching the water - the people and the military doing training. I could of stayed here along time but this is a very popular place for campers. At $30 a night with full hookups it is truly a wonderful destation.
While there our refrigerator quit and we lost most of our food. We had to pay $2700 for a new one - nothing reasonable about buying appliances for an rv. We did have a rv mobile repairman come out and fix it right at the campground which was good. Now we have a brand new one and really enjoying that. Using coolers grew pretty old - reminded me of years ago tent camping.
Most nights Josh and I ran on the beach - I keep trying but I doubt I will ever be a runner. Guess I will have to do my 5K at 65 years old walking and running alittle at a time. I will keep striving to attain my goal though.
On the 19th of August we left Camp Pendleton and headed back north thru Los Angeles traffic which is the worst in the world. We stopped for the night at Sommerville Almond Tree Rv Park in Coalinga. It was a very nice park with full hookups and a great stop for one night. We journeyed onto northern California and attempted to stop at the fairgrounds in Pleasanton but they wanted $50 a night and we quickly veto that. Back to Sharpe Depot for awhile.
The end of the month brought us back to Alameda Fairgrounds where we will spend a few months. Stay tuned |
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Then end of June we marked the beginning of our 5th year as fulltimers. At times I wonder where the time has gone - we have seen so much, experienced alot, questioned our sainity, wondered if really this was our chosen lifestyle but in the end we came to the conclusion that we still have so much more to see and do. We will continue on for another year if the Good Lord sees fit to allow this.
In our last blog I mentioned that we arrived in California and will spend sometime with our Daughter Amanda, her husband Tim, and our grandchildren Josh and Gracie. It is really hard to have children on both coasts and this lifestyle helps in being able to see them.
We stayed at Sharpe Depot for 28 days and enjoyed that greatly. While in the area we took a ride to Modesto and enjoyed a nice lunch out while enjoying the sites. Another day we headed to Stockton to shop at my favorite store "Homegoods". I just love that store - find so many neat things even though I really do not need a thing. Bought a basket that I will put on our backseat of the truck to hold our camping books and my little pillow to keep them clean and neat. A girl can always find something to spend money on.
We attend the Alameda Fair and enjoyed that greatly. It was senior day so we got in for free - had to pay $8 to park but who can complain. We didn't know that it was senior day so the savings really was great. We enjoyed shopping, looking at exhibits, food, livestock, horse races, farm equipment, minerals, gems, garden displays, and watching our granddaughter Gracie go on a merry-go-round for the first time. We attended a "Crystal Gayle Concert" and listened to all her old songs especially "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue." She can still sing pretty well - Tim and I both liked her years ago. All in all it was a really nice day and the weather was just perfect. Lots of walking!
We hit "In-N-Out Burger" which we both love. This is my favorite fast food restaurant. It was started in 1948 and uses only fresh ingredients - no freezers, microwaves or heat lamps. You can watch them cut up your onions and grill you hamburg. I love the animal fries but gosh are they fatting with all that cheese melted over them and onions.
We had another new hitch put on the camper while in the Stockton area. The last one just did not do it so they replaced it for free. This one really is doing a super job which was a great relief.
All in all it was a pretty quiet month - visiting family and just relaxing. We have read many books and look forward to heading to new places. Until next time |
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June started off as a good month with plenty to do. On June 3rd I had my hair done, nails and then we did dinner at a nice Italian Restaurant downtown Pittsburgh with Jeff and Lamar (Tim's brothers). Lamar treated us for a celebration for Tim's birthday which I thought was very nice. We all enjoyed our dinners which makes it even better.
June the 4th was Tim's 67th Birthday and a long day of driving. We left Freeport, Pa about 8 AM and headed for the Courtyard by Marriott at New York LaGuardia Airport. We had dinner and sat in the bar for quite along time to celebrate. Nice evening for both of us. We drove to the airport on Saturday morning to meet our daughter & son-in-law and drove to Oceanside New York to check into the Hampton Inns. At 2 PM we drove to St Anthony's Church to see our nephew Steven marry Denielle in a beautiful military ceremony. At 6:30 pm we boarded buses and drove to the Thatched Cottage in Centerport, Ny for a fablous reception. They had all kinds of cocktails and food. We then sat down to a beautiful dinner with 7 different choices. The food was wonderful, the band was just great and met lots of nice people. Wonderful time and so happy we got to share their special day. The bride was stunning and the groom could not stop smiling. So nice to see young people so happy and in love. God bless ya on your marriage!
Sunday morning we drove Susan and Jerry back to the airport and picked up our oldest granddaughter Emily. It was great seeing Sue, Jerry, Marie, Jerry and Emily. We started our long ride back to Pa with Emily. She is such a delightful girl - very talkative and so happy.
While in Pennsylvania we took Emily to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. It cost us $12 for seniors and $11 for Emily. Very nice zoo with over 4000 animals representing 475 species on 77 acres. The zoo is a natural habitat committed to conserviving wildlife and their habitats. We got to watch polar bears swimming, saw sand tiger sharks, amur tiger, snow leopard, komodo drago, dwarf crocodile, rhinoceros, african lions, giraffes, monkeys, gorillas, kodiak bears, painted dogs etc. We all enjoyed our day touring the zoo and highly recommend it if you are in the area.
One day we took the Duquesne Incline up to Mt Washington in cable cars that have been used since 1877. It gave you a great panoramic view of the city. The incline is 800 ft long, 400 ft elevation, 30 degrees in grade and travels 6 miles per hour with 17 passengers. Never saw anything like this before so we all enjoyed it. While on the top we had a nice lunch sitting outside and enjoying the view. Another great day.
We left Pennsylvania and headed to Bass Lake Fam Camp on Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. While here we did grocery shopping and laundry but also got to tour the National Museum of the United States Air Force. It is the worlds largest and oldest military aviation museum with over 300 aircraft and missiles. We got to see B-2 Stealth Bomber, exhibits from Wright Brothers to stealth tchnology, rare aircraft, cold war gallery, research and development aircraft, hot air balloons, unmanned air vehicles and over 400 aircraft. The best part was getting to see the Kennedy's Air Force One by ourselves so we could take our time. Emily just loved that - all in all it was a great stop.
After two days we departed Dayton and headed to Elkhorn Campground in Frankfort, Kentucky. This was a pretty nice campground with full hookups, dump, showers, laundry, pool, playground, store, horeshores etc. While here we got to go swimming and met some really nice people. Emily made a few friends which pleased her especially in the pool and at night.
While here we toured Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. This state park has 1200 acres and has over 53 breeds of horses. You are able to see them at play and at work. We did the trolley tour, shows at Hall of Champions, another show with the Parade of Breeds which highlights the unique characterictics of selected breeds. We toured the Big Barn and Emily got to pet the horse Emily. It was not a very pretty day - we used the umbrella off and on all day. We toured the gift shop and then did the American Saddlebred Museum. While there they had a show judging horses which was quite interesting. While in the area we took a ride to Frankfort which is the capitol of Kentucky. We got to see the capitol building and the governor's mansion.
Left around 10 am and headed to Louisville, Kentucky for a stay at Louisville South KOA located in Shepherdsville. This was a nice campground plus they gave a discount for military. While here Emily made another friend whom was also traveling with her grandparents. They enjoyed playing in the pool and jumping on the jumping pillow.
We toured the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory where they take you right on the factory floor and show you how the baseball bats are made for the big leaguers. They give everyone free mini-bats and you learn so much about bats. In the front of the museum/factory they have a 120 ft 68,000 lbs bat which made us look like ants. We saw a film about the company and then toured the paintings of the Negro Leagues done by artist Kadir Nelson. The paintings were just amazing - oil paints on canvas and all the features of a person in portion to how we are. Just amazing - if you ever get the chance to tour these painting take the time to enjoy.
Our favorite tour was of Kentucky Derby Museum located on Central Avenue. They have two floors of exhibits celebrating Derby themes such as celebritis, the infield, fashion, stories of champion horses, trainers, jockeys, owners and a wonderful look into horse racing. We saw the movie "The Greatest Race" which is a 360 movie and very imformative. We had a nice lunch in the cafe with yummy food. We paid extra for tours but it was well worth the money. We got to walk thru the grandstands, toured the backside where they hold the horses, saw where the help lived, saw the jockeys locker room and all their gear. Emily even got to get on the scale they use to weigh the jockey before a race - being only 60 lbs she was happy to jump on. We saw the area the jockeys relax in, Millionaires' row, press box, clubhouse which was so interesting. I have always loved horse racing and wished I had done this years ago. Churchill Downs was established in 1874 and is America's most historic thoroughbred racetrack. It is one mile oval and covers over 166 acres. The actual twin Edwardian spires were built in 1895 and our a national historic landmark. The Kentucky Derby is run on the first Saturday of May and is the most popular race in America. It surprised me that in 2009 they started night racing for the first time. All in all it was a wonderful day despite the heat. Highly recommend doing the tours.
We visited the Falls of the Ohio which is a state park located in Clarksville, Indiana on the banks of the Ohio River. The main feature of the park are the fossil beds. We enjoyed walking around this area and then went for a pizza on the Ohio River. Great day was had by all.
Our next stop was the KOA Campground near St Louis, Missouri. Not to impressed with this KOA - much to expensive with very little in return. At this stop Emily did not even want to swim in the pool as it was very tiny - she enjoyed the jumping pillow though and we were happy we had lots to do in the area.
Our first stop was Grants Farm which is owned by the Busch family whom owns the Anheuser-Busch Inc. This estate was once owned by President Ulysses S Grant. The estate covers over 281 acres and is home to over 1000 animals representing more than 100 different species from 6 continents. We saw the beautiful Clydesdale Horses, President Grant's log cabin, collection of antique carriages in the beautiful Bauernhof which is a 19th century farmstead. While here you can get 2 glasses of beer for free. This land was purchased by August Busch Sr in 1903 and opened to the public in 1954. The only charge is $11 to park - and then food and souveniors - otherwise everything is free.
Across the street from Grants Farm is the Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site called White Haven. This 10 acre site is free and you get to see a film on the life of the Grant family and the home. All in all it was a great day.
St Louis Zoo is another great value - paid $11 to park and entrance to the zoo is free. St Louis definetly is a great place to tour with so much being free. The zoo has over 18,000 animals with all kinds of shows and talks. The temp was quite hot the day we went and after about 3 hours I started to feel horrid so we had to leave. This is one of the best zoos in the country and highly recommend it to everyone.
St Louis is best known for the Gateway Arch so we paid a visit to this unusual place. The arch is 630 ft and is our nations tallest man-made monument. We took the tram ride to the top and were able to see all over St Louis. We visited the Museum of Westward Expansion which explores the American Indians and the 19th century pioneers who shaped the west. While here Emily work on a Jr Ranger badge so you really get to see things thru a young persons eyes.
We also did the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower which is 150 feet above the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. A confluence is the place of meeting or flowing together f two or more rivers. We were not impressed after going to the top of the arch. We also visited the Lewis and Clark Corp of Engineers park which had a few interesting tipits. This area is filled with Lewis and Clark as this is where the journey began. Another wonderful day.
On Sunday, Father's Day, we took Emily to the Lambert-St Louis Airport for her trip back to Charlotte to join her family. When we got to the airport she really wanted a donut - impossible to find. We saw the USO and went in and guess what we found. Donuts and juice for Emily. Only one of us was allowed to accompy her to the gate so I went down with her. She was very calm and only cried when she said goodbye to me. I had tears in my eyes also - we enjoyed having her so. She is a sweet young lady whom we are very proud of,. Course I feel that way about all my children and grandchildren. God has surely blessed us.
Monday morning Tim and I were up early and began our trip westward. We stopped for the night at Sundowner West KOA in Salina, Ks for the night. We were very tired as we drove quite far so we were in bed really early that evening. One thing I noticed driving across this part of Kansas was the rolling hills. I remember before the areas we drove in were so flat that it was a pleasant surprise.
On Tuesday we left again quite early for a drive into Colorado. Around 2:30 our tire blew on the camper. Thank goodness for Coachnet as we called them and within 20 minutes someone was changing our tire. Great investment! The state police stopped to make sure we were okay. Colorado is just a beautiful state with so much to see.
We stopped in Strasburg, Colorado and got 3 new tires for the camper and then spent the night at the Denver East KOA. What a nice campground this was, they even had an ice cream palor so of course we had to get an ice cream. We took a nice walk all around the campground and then early to bed so we could rise early again tommorow.
This morning we woke early and started our drive around Denver - looks like a really neat cIty that we will visit someday in the future. We always thought Denver was in the mountains but it sits at the base of the Rocky Mountains. I read that it is against the law to build any building that would block the 120-mile long view of the mountains from the State Capitol. Pretty cool. We will definitly be back to this area to enjoy all that Denver offers.We climbed and climbed crossing the continental divide. Did you know that the divide is the separation of watersheds? If a raindrop falls east of the divide it will flow through rivers to the Gulf of Mexico. If a raindrop falls west of the divide it will make its way to the Colorado River and flow into the Pacific Ocean. The ride was just beautiful and saw all the towns famous for sking. We both experienced altitude sickness feeling very tired which was due to the fact reaching high elevations too quickly. I guess I should of read about this before we started - again today learned alot of new information. We stopped for the night at Shady Acres Rv Park in Green River, Utah. It was an okay park for just an overnight stop. We have everything we need in our camper so only really need to hook into power and water which makes us happy.
The next morning we started out and saw a sign that said next gas station 100 miles west. For the next 100 miles we saw nothing but land and more land. It was a beautiful drive with so many different formations of rock with different colors mixed in. We stopped for the night at Ely KOA. Another long day but enjoyed this amazing country.
On the 25th I received a phone call from my sister Sharon with very sad news. My nephew Richie had died the night before. He was only 31 years old and my sister Ann and husband are devasted. My heart goes out to them - the worst thing any parent has to go thru. Please say a prayer for the family that God will give them strength to find peace with this horrid tragedy.
Our ride today was across Nevada on Hwy 50 which is called the lonelist road in America by Life Magazine. There are no attractions or points of interest along the 287 miles stretch of road. It retraces the route of the Pony Express. The thing that surprised me was we saw no animals at all on this ride. Our stop was at Fallon Naval Air Station in Fallon, Nevada. This is the only facility in the Navy where an entire carrier air wing can train together in the strike tactics. We stayed here 3 nights for some down time but felt like we were breathing dirt. Really odd experience. While on base we did hit the exchange and one night went to the movies. The movie was "MacGruber" and it was just horrid. We left after 10 minutes and were just happy that it was free. The acting was alful and the language was horrid.
Monday morning June 28th we left Fallon and headed towards Reno, Nevada and then into California. This is such a beautiful country with so much to see, so many different terrains, trees, flowers, bushes, lakes, oceans, towns, cities etc. We are surely enjoying our ride thru the west.
We pulled into Sharpe Army Depot in French Camp California where we will visit with our west coast family. Stay tuned for July.
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Sunday morning we left Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and headed north into Arkansas. We stopped at a beautiful corps of engineers park called the Rising Star which is located in Moscow. This is a tiny town with one store only in the whole town. The campground sits on the Arkansas River which is used for alot of shipping - we sat and watched loads of barges going up river. The campground is small with 25 sites with electric/water, picnic tables with covers, grills, dump station, showers, playground and a boat ramp. It sits 5 miles off the main road and is surrounded by farm land. If you are looking for solitude this is the place. We really enjoyed our time here just relaxing in the peaceful setting.
We took a ride into the town of Pine Bluff and rode around to see what the town had to offer. We found the Governor Mike Huckabee Delta River Nature Center which was closed but had a nice nature walk which we took. We then tried to see the Lock and Dam on the Arkansas River but where told that it closed after 9/11. I think it really closed because of budget cuts because we went to one in Iowa a few years back.
This month was filled with birthdays - our daughter Susan, our granddaughter Emily and our granddaughter Julia. We wished we could have spent the day with you - maybe next year but we love and miss you greatly. we enjoyed our phone conversation though.
Our next stop was north thru Little Rock to Jacksonport State Park in Newport, Arkansas. This used to be a thriving river port back in the 1800's but not much here now. They have a beautiful 1872 Courthouse which is now part of the state park. The park sits on the White River and has an old steamwheeler which had rolled over on her starboard side and became submerged. While at the park they were attempting to upright her which was pretty interesting to watch.
The park was small with 20 sites, campfire rings, tables, pavilion, river for swimming and nice walking paths. This was another quiet stop but we met interesting people while here. One day we took a ride to Olive Garden Restaurant in Jonesboro and needed to get a membership card to order a glass of wine. How weird that was for senior citizens!
We left Newport and traveled on The Rock N Roll Highway which is old US 67. During the 1950's the roadhouses and liquor joints helped launch rising stars like Elvis, Johnyy Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Rob Orbison and others. Pretty neat the things you see and find.
On Mother's Day we traveled to a corp of engineers park called Canal Campground which is located on Lake Barkley. This campground was flooded in quite a few areas but we got a beautiful site up on a hill. This campground had full hookups, dump station, showers, tables, grills, campfire rings, pavilions, and a boat launch which was under water.
We enjoyed this area greatly as it is located close to "Land Between The Lakes" which is a National Recreation Area. The area sits between the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers in Kentucky and Tennessee. There is so much to see and do in this area that we will come back someday really soon.
On two different occasions we went to the South Bison Range. The first time we saw one moose and 2 buffalo's. The second time we arrived at 6 AM and were treated to about 50 bison alongside the road. This range sits on 160 acres and they wanted you to feel like you were back 200 years ago. It was a wonderful experience and Tim took loads of pictures.
We visited the Homeplace which was an 1850 living history farm. Interpreters were dressed in period dress and explained and demonstrated how the chores were done. They had 16 buildings, crop fields,. vegetable gardens, historic livestock, corn fields and tobacco fields. The thing that really interested us was the Double Penhouse with a breezeway in the center of the house. It was covered on top with a roof but the sides were open so the breeze could give you relief from the summer heat. You walked outside from the living quarters to your bedroom which we found interesting being in cold country.
One night we went to dinner at Patti's which is an 1880 settlement that is now a restaurant. They have a 2 inch pork chop, mile high meringue pies and bread baked in flower pots. The food was very good and we enjoyed ourselves greatly.
On the morning of the 13th we were on the road bright and early heading to Camp Carlson Army Recreation Area at Fort Knox. The campground had full hookups, dump station, showers, laundry, tables, campfire rings and grills. They also have a lake that is stocked with fish which drew alot of people in the evening. Fort Knox is a huge base with 109,000 acres which was started in 1918. In 1936 they built the U.S. Buillion Depository which sits on the base to hold some of the gold. I was disappointed that you cannot go near it and receive samples. Oh well. Our stop provided us with loading up on groceries and getting our laundry done. We also did alot of walking which was great.
On base they have the General George Patton Museum which was done very nicely - my dad would of loved this place. He was an old army vet from WWII and loved the Army. Some of the tanks were really cool and they had a wonderful gift shop beside. It is all free so a great way to spend the afternoon.
On the 16th we left Fort Knox and headed into West Virginia. We stayed at a commerical campground that had nothing except full hookups. While there for 2 days we rode into Charleston, WV and around the area. West Virginia is a very pretty state. Quiet stop but enjoyable.
Next stop was Overflow Corp of Engineers Park which was in the middle of no where - no phone service - no internet. We drove 35 miles one way so we could call our granddaughter and wish her a Happy Birthday. We spent one night here and headed to Pennsylvania to visit with Jeff, Tim's brother. He is staying at the Biblical Life Institute in Freeport, Pa. What wonderful people we met here. They opened up their arms to welcome us and made us feel so welcomed. We were allowed to park the camper at the Grace Pointe Community Church which is located across the street from the college. We had full hookups and loads of privacy. While here we attended the church and became friends with the Pastor, Herb Hartman and his wife Shelia. We also become friends with Lucille and Henry Clay Shillings. Henry Clay's Dad began the college back in 1937 and it was built mostly by hand and loads of hard work. While here we attended church, my first time at Sunday School, memorial day picnic, piano recital and just visiting with these wonderful people. We truly enjoyed it and hope to return someday just to say hi.
This covers May - now I must start on June - stay tuned.
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We were up early and departed St Bernard State Park before 8 am. Our drive was interesting but nothing unusual. We arrived at Chicot State Park in Villa Platte, Louisiana around 1 pm. This is a huge park with over 6400 acres and many rolling hills which I found very different as most of the state is flat. The park has over 300 campsites with water/electric, dump station, tables, showers, and campfire rings. They have a huge lake which has fishing and boating and seems to be the most popular thing in the park. They also have swimming pools, cabins, loads of hiking trails, and great bird watching. The park is also home to Louisiana State Arboretum which has 600 acres with swamps and bald cypress trees plus a brand new nature building. Our stay here was enjoyable but we did no sightseeing, just walking each day and reading. We even had a campfire one night in the rain – we sat under the awning and watched the fire burn. The first two nights we were in a loop with no one else but us camping. That sure made it very dark but you could hear every bird and every animal in the woods. Such a peaceful setting. We spent three nights and were ready to hit the road again.
Our camper still is not fixed so we headed to Shreveport, La and found a camping place that will order the parts for us. We will be sitting here for two weeks waiting so hopefully we can find things to do.
Our campground is at the Barksdale Air Force Base located in Bossier City. This base is home to the B52 bombers and has been a base since 1933. They have loads of land so we have spent lots of time walking and running on the trails. My goal is to run a 5K for my 65th birthday next year. Can I do it? As they say if you want something bad enough you can. I gave up smoking after 40 years so I guess I can. I have never had a goal for physical activity before so this could turn into something great. I will keep you posted.
This weekend will be Barksdale Air Force Base air show which everyone is invited to. Air shows are a huge success and it gives the military a chance to show the people in the community what the military is all about and what is actually on a base. As we say on base those planes keep this wonderful country free. God bless the military and all they do for us.
Well I am back to finish this blog – the air show was a huge success. Tim and I avoided the crowd and stayed on the back side of the airfield – I love to see the planes fly. As usual they were great.
We have met a lot of nice people while here and realize how much military families do to be together as a family. Because of this economy and unable to sell their homes they are living in their travel trailers and home schooling their children. When we were in the service 95% of the people moved with their families to the new location and got into housing or bought a home because it was easy to sell. One family had 8 children and they slept in a tent and travel trailer to stay together. I hope and pray they can sell their home soon.
After our 2 week stay they finally took us in on a Friday morning and fixed our landing gear on the camper. It cost us over $2500 so I hope we will be happy with it for years to come. Because it was a Friday we decided to leave on Sunday morning so we extended for a few more days. While the camper was being fixed we took a ride around and walked thru a mall. We had hoped to do the river walk but it was pouring so we decided against that. We did do a nice lunch at Olive Garden which we enjoyed. We got an appetizer and salad and enjoyed that greatly.
While at Barksdale we did a lot of walking and tried to run a little. It will take a long time before I will be up to speed to run but I will continue to plug along. We did a 4 mile walk one day but usually did 3 miles. Time to move on - stay tuned. |
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New Orleans
We arrived at St Bernard State Park located in Braithwaite, La around 1pm for a 2 day stay. We had no idea where we would go next because it is Easter weekend and the state parks are full. We got situated in our site which is quite nice. We have a cement pad, water, electric, table and fire ring. The park sits on the Mississippi River and was devastated by Hurricane Katrina also. The water in the office was about 8 feet as they have it marked on the door frame. Can you imagine that much water? This area is about 19 miles from New Orleans and was hit pretty hard. They use ferries to transport you across the river – free going over and a $1 coming back. Pretty reasonable but it brought back memories of when we lived on Governors Island and our lives were controlled by the ferry. I loved it there except at night when we did New York City and the last ferry was at 2am. You couldn’t miss that one or you were stuck in the city until 6 am.
This state park is really nice plus senior citizens with a golden age card get the campground for half price. They have nice walking trails which we did most days unless we went into New Orleans for the day. They have beautiful picnic grounds and a swimming pool also. The park comprises of 358 acres – very quiet and so peaceful. They do have a lot of bugs though – they are those small ones that bite but you cannot see them – yuk!
Our visit to New Orleans was a very pleasant one and I highly recommend it as a vacation getaway. It is a fun city for children also but please do not take them on Bourbon Street. I saw a young girl about 8 and her eyes were popping out looking at the stores and bars. We were able to watch a parade on Easter Sunday which actually was pretty good. They throw necklaces, beads, stuffed animals, flowers, and candy at you as they go by. We walked and walked having lunch at a nice restaurant and then splurging on a beignet at Café du Monde. This place was established in 1862 and has continuously served coffee and beignets since the 19th century. Really different – it is a combination of a French pastry and an American donut. It is covered in powdered sugar and served warm. We walked and walked thru the French Quarter which is the oldest and most famous neighborhood. It was founded in 1718 and has a real old flavor. The buildings are interesting to look at so it is fun just to walk the neighborhoods. You will reach a corner and an act of dancing or music will be going on. You can walk the streets with a drink in your hand and it is perfectly legal. We also did the famous Pat O’Brien’s Bar twice – what great drinks they have. We sat outside on the patio and just enjoyed the day.
St Louis Cathedral was another stop to see one of the prettiest church’s I have ever been in. It was founded in 1718 and rebuilt in 1850. The ceiling has paintings which is so unusual for a church but just beautiful. We tried to get into the church one Sunday and could not get in the door – so many people. Glad that we came back so we could really enjoy it. I do love old churches as they have so much more details that are so interesting.
Another fun thing was the French Quarter Festival. This takes place for 3 days and nights with plenty of food, drinks, and music at 18 different locations. Let the party begin. We were smart and parked on Canal Street and took the streetcar down so we only paid $7 instead of $18 to park close. Each day we found something interesting to see or do.
New Orleans has a wonderful zoo with over 2000 animals and covers over 58 acres. We love zoos and each one has a few animals that you have never seen before. They even had a white alligator and a huge carousel to ride on. We enjoyed that greatly and got to see tigers, elephants, monkeys, gorillas, snakes, sea lions, etc. It gave us a good work out for us.
New Orleans was definitely a great stop for us both. Tim enjoyed the food as he eats everything- but as you know I am not a real good eater so I survived on mostly chicken. One night we ate at The Gumbo Shop sitting outside in the charming garden courtyard. The building was from 1795. A young mom and her 8 year old son sat next to us. We enjoyed talking to them and found out they were from Ohio visiting the city as we were.
Chalmette Battlefield which is a National Park was another stop on our journey. They are still rebuilding as this park was hit hard by the hurricane. We went into the visitor center and watched a movie explaining the importance of the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. This battle lasted less than 2 hours with 13 Americans dead and 2000 British. The visitor center is located in the Malus-Beauregard House which was built in 1830 in the French-Louisiana style.
After 10 days in New Orleans it was time to head somewhere new. We enjoyed our visit greatly and we will be back some day.
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We left the corp of engineers park at 9 am eastern time and drove exactly 2 miles and hit central time zone so it was only 8 am. Wow I should of slept longer I guess. We took Route 90 into Alabama and stopped for a break. I heard Tim say Oh S___! and wondered what happened. Our side window over the dining table was smashed and nothing to indicate how it happened. The glass did not fall apart which was lucky something to do with the tinted glass. Tim took tape and sealed the window on the inside and outside so now we must find a place to get a window fixed. Yeah such fun.
Our next stop was a passport America campground which was Wilderness RV Park in Robertsdale Alabama. At one time this campground was nice but it needs alot of tender care. Being fully self contained helps because we do not need to use the restrooms which were in need of alot of care. The laundry room I did use - clean machines but the surrounding area was horrid. The campground has a lake, pond, pool, hot tub, clubhouse and full hookups. It needs some money thrown in to really bring it back to the way it was years ago. We decided to stay for 3 nights and see about getting our window fixed while here. Our luck did not come thru - we were told we needed to go to the Mobile area and get it done. While in Robertsdale we did take a ride to Gulf Shores and understand why people love these beaches. The sand was just beautiful - so white but the wind was horrid. Spring break so loads of college kids everywhere you looked. We stopped at Lamberts for lunch - this is the restaurant where they throw rolls to you - really a fun place and very good food. We did alot of laughing while here.
On Thursday we moved our camper west and stopped at Johnny's Rv Resort in Theodore, Alabama. This is a nice campground with over 100 sites, full hookups, lake, cabins, laundry, store, and restaurant. We got all set up with the idea of staying one week only - this is also a Passport America campground so we got a really good deal. We had a guy come out and look at the damage to the window - he will do alittle research and let us know how it will work going forward.
We took a nice ride one day to Dauphin Island which is a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. 96% of the island is water which I found interesting plus the entire island is a bird sanctuary. The beach has beautiful sand that looks so soft. We had a nice lunch sitting outside on the deck at a local restaurant. We sat with another couple whom travels in a motor home 6 months of the year. We compared stories and laughed about certain things. Tim and I were here a few years ago and saw the devasation from Hurricane Katrina and today it is almost back to normal. Most of the houses have been rebuilt and work continues on roads etc.
Our tour of Bayou La Batre was also very interesting. This is a fishing village with hundreds of fishing boats and fish processing plants. I have never seen so many boats in one area before. We stopped into a grocery store and to my amazement they sold chicken feet. Never knew anyone ate those but I have heard that they use them in soup. Learn new things every day.
We toured the Mobile Botanical Gardens which is over 100 acres. They had rhododens, camellias, ferns, herbs, japanese maple, pines, magnolias and azaleas. It was very pretty and interesting because each area of the country grows different flowers and at different times. Only one other guy was there so it was really peaceful.
A drive to Bilouxi, Ms took place one afternoon to hit the commissary at the Air Force Base. This base was hit hard by the huricane Katrina five years ago and they are still using an old warehouse as their commissary and exchange. Good new was that 7th of April brand new ones would be opening which I would have loved to see.
In Mississippi we toured the Gulf Islands National Seashore Park. This park runs from Cat Island in Mississippi to Okaloosa, Florida which really surprised me. We were at the Davis Bayour Park which had a beautiful visitor center explaning the park in great detail. They offer 52 campsites with water/electric which we will keep in mind for future trips. They had nice trails wandering thru the woods but I few are still in the process of being repaired. Hurricane Katrina really took a toll on these poor towns. The area along most of the beaches are still empty lots where you see the remains of a slab where a house once stood. The wealthy of course have rebuilt beautiful homes and the casinos and hotels have rebuilt. The middle class and poor are not that fortunate and have moved elsewhere.
I keep telling myself that the people in the north really are not as poor as the south. I have never seen houses look so horrid and people actually live in them. Yikes - it also amazes me of the number of people with loads of kids live in campers. Where do they put all there stuff?
This stop has turned into a nightmare - we spent two weeks waiting for the window to be replaced and the landing gear fixed on the camper. The last day at the campground they came out from the window place - started putting it in the window and it was about 4 inches to small. I felt like crying - so they put the plexiglass back in and it was a wait and see what next. The landing gear at the last minute could not be found by the tech - I'm beginning to wonder what is wrong with people when so many are unemployed and the employed do not like to work. Well we have had enough and are moving to New Orleans - stay tuned. |
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Wednesday morning we left Valdosta, Georgia and headed west on route 84 for Lake Seminole corps of engineers park around 8:45am. We took the back roads again and enjoyed them greatly. We are now staying at Eastbank Campground wich is located on Lake Seminole. Our site is right on the lake and it is just beautiful. They have 65 sites with water and electric, nice showers, 1 washer and 1 dryer, tables, lantern posts, firerings, dump station, picnic shelter, volleyball and badminton nets, horeshoes, shuffleboard and a nice boat ramp. The best part is the lake view and because we are old we get to camp for half price. $10 a night cannot be beat.
Lake Seminole lies within the borders of both Georgia and Florida and has over 376 miles of shoreline. The lake makes me wish we had a boat - even a small one just to enjoy the beauty. This lake does not have a place to rent them so we were stuck on land. The first day here was just so nice and warm and that is why I said spring is here. That did not last long at all, the rain moved in and heavy winds that shook us up alittle. We did get a few walk in during breaks in the rain plus a ride around the area. This area really does not have much other than the lake - no shopping except the Dollar General store and a grocery store. Our time was spent playing on our computers, watching tv, reading and doing my WII fit.
We have eaten well while here and all at home which is good for us. I really am trying to be healthy and lose some more weight - I lost 20 lbs last year but gave up exercise and gained 10 back so exercise is a must.
Tommorow we leave here and head west - no definite plans other than New Orleans as a good stop over in a few days. We have never been so it should be really interesting. My sister Sharon gave me alot of good ideas on what to do while there plus one of the guys here at the campground told Tim about a free ferry and shuttle. We are really looking forward to that. We also hope to stop in Mississippi at Kiesler Air Force Base and hit the commisary and exchange. Food is getting low and Tim's pipe broke.
I just finished reading the book "Between Sisters" by Kristin Hannah which I highly recommend. Just started another one of her novels called
"On Mystic Lake" which has really caught my attention. I started about 3 different books and just could not get into them - will put them away and try again another day. Some books take along time to get your interest and I have no patience at this time for that.
Hope your all enjoying your Sunday - and have a very successful week. Until next time
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We left Fort Stewart around 9:15am on Sunday morning and headed west on route 84. It is a 4 line highway but goes thru towns and you get a feel for the area. Tim and I both enjoy these routes much better than the interstate.
We saw one sign that said buy your chewing ice here - what does that mean? On one church they had "Lifeguard on duty, he walks on water" - I loved that. We got to see cotton growing in places and in Jesup, Georgia they have an old fashioned drive-in movie. Remember those from your teen years?
We arrived at "River Park Rv Park" located on Suwanee Drive in Valdosta around 12:30pm. This is a pretty nice campground with full hookups, free wifi, free cable, pull throughs, showers and a laundry. They charged us $28 for a full 50 amp site but we are located so close to everything. We got all set up, ate some lunch and then walked to the store to buy a Sunday paper. We then walked the campground which has a hill - we have not walked hills in ages. Charleston, SC area does not have many hills at all.
For dinner we both did not feel like cooking so we went to the Outback. We ordered off the special menu which will provide assistance to our military men. We are always willing to help them. We had a drink, a bloomin' onion, Tim had steak & shrimp with baked potato and I had chicken with a sweet potato. As usual a very good meal.
Monday we took a tour of the city of Valdosta. Valdosta is the 11th largest city in Georgia. It was incorporated on December 7, 1860 and sits alongside I-75. The city has alot of beautiful old homes - huge with big porches around the sides and front. They have a few colleges with beautiful grounds. We stopped at the mall and went to Talbots where I bought 4 new tops for summer. I had a gift certificate that I received for Christmas so I used that which worked out wonderful. We talked to the salesgirl for quite awhile about the service as she was an ex-service wife.
Monday night for dinner we had a salad, and lamb chops which were just wonderful. We relaxed watching tv and I finished my book "Between Sisters" by Kristi Hannah. This was an excellent book which made me laugh and also cry really touching.
Tuesday morning I did 45 minutes of exercise and then we went to Moody Air Force Base. Tim was able to get new sunglasses and I was able to buy some underwear which made us both happy. We toured the base and then enjoyed our ride home. At night we went to the restaurant "Smok'n Pig B-B-Q which is rated #10 in the country for barbecue. It was excellent plus I had a sweet potato souflle which was out of this world. We totally enjoyed that. We came home and watched Biggest Looser on TV enjoying our glass of wine and piece of dark choclate. Tommorow morning we head west - until then |
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