Christmas in Florida

It's been a very different December for us and I am finally ready to spend some time writing this note. We moved back to the Orlando area December 14th and will remain in the area for a while yet. Ken wants to see the shuttle launch scheduled for February 3rd. We'll explore more of Florida but we'll do it by car.

Christmas was good. I got all the decorations out once we got back to Orlando and made our home very festive. Kristin flew from England and spent 4 days with us so that made it extra-special. The weather turned very cold (for Florida) so Ken and I gave each other an electric blanket for Christmas!! Global warming!

On Christmas day, we met the family at a local hotel for their Christmas buffet. It was a wonderful meal, a great time of talking and laughing and just being with family. Ken's mom and brother drove from Largo (by Tampa) and Ken's niece and family came from Jacksonville so there were 12 of us all together. No fire broke out (thankfully) and it was just a great day to be together.

We look forward to continuing this journey in the New Year and hope all of you have a blessed year.

Ken & Mary Jo

December in Florida, Part 1

After our exciting Thanksgiving I thought life would be boring, but these two weeks have been anything but!! We were able to visit Epcot at a reduced rate and got fantastic seats for the Candle Light Processional! It was Christ-centered and the music was inspiring!

From Orlando, we drove over to Largo to see Ken's mom and brother and then down the west coast to the Everglades. The airboat ride was fun and some pelicans joined us! We saw manatees and an alligator and lots of birds. Florida weather is on the chilly side so we haven't been in the water but it's beautiful just the same.

We drove halfway down the Keys with the motor home and stopped in Marathon for 2 nights and drove to Key West in the car. Again, it was cold (low 60's) so we didn't do much other than drive around. Since Ken had his picture taken at the farthest northeastern point in the US, I decided he needed to take my picture at the southmost point!

From the Keys we drove up to Ft. Lauderdale and from there we toured the Miami/Miami Beach/Ft. Lauderdale area along the coast. It was a little warmer (low 70's) and we had fun at least walking on the sand and looking at the sights.

We're in the middle of Florida now and will explore Sarasota and St. Petersburg tomorrow. We will also visit a couple we met in Indiana last September who are spending the winter in Holmes Beach! We'll go back to Orlando on Tuesday and spend the holidays with Ken's family. Hopefully no fires this time! Kristin will come from England so that will make the holidays extra special!

May your holidays be the best yet!

Thanksgiving Day

We hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving. Our day started out okay traveling to Jacksonville but it sure got exciting. As we were putting the final touches on our meal the kid upstairs came down and said his condo was on fire (he was home alone). Ken's niece called 911, I helped Ken's mom outside and everyone else started taking jewelry, clothes, shoes, computers and important papers out the door. About 20 fire trucks responded plus a tanker truck, an ambulance and a ladder truck.

The policemen were very nice and when they kept telling us to move, they offered to take Ken's mom in their car because she couldn't walk very well. And what shows up on the news that night, but pictures of us getting into the police car!!

They were able to confine the fire to the upstairs condo with hardly any damage to our family's condo! After 3 hours, the fireman allowed us to go back into the condo and retrieve our food and a friend allowed us to use her condo. So after all of that, we had dinner as a family and were very thankful!

This is definitely one of the holidays we will never forget!

R & R

We had 10 glorious days resting & relaxing at my brother's house. We parked the motor home in his driveway and had all the comforts of our home and also enjoyed their home! It was a perfect way to catch our breath! Thanks John & Janis for everything! While we were there, we celebrated our birthday (both of us on 11/12) by going to a dinner theatre! A good night of laughs. We were sad to leave but we're on our way south to see more family so that made it easier to leave.

 

From Thomson, GA (outside of Augusta) we went to Savannah, GA for the night. We viewed the city and even drove to Hilton Head, SC just because we could! It was a great afternoon exploring old Savannah and then seeing the development at Hilton Head. Two different worlds but so close together! I loved Savannah with its history and squares every few blocks. It was made even better by all the Spanish Moss!

Now we're in Jacksonville, FL and off to Orlando for two weeks. We will see my two nephews and their families while they are vacationing at DisneyWorld and then spend Thanksgiving with Ken's extended family. We're looking forward to seeing everyone.

We've been counting the states we've visited and we're up to #30! We hope you've enjoyed "traveling" with us!

We Continue Our Travels!

We finished the Blue Ridge Parkway by traveling to Grandfather Mountain and walking across the mile high bridge. We were amazed at the difference in the fall colors. Just 3 days after leaving the Parkway, there were no leaves or fall colors on the Parkway!!

On Tuesday, we went and toured Biltmore. What a beautiful home and they were decorating for Christmas as we toured the estate. Since we won't have a Christmas tree in the motor home, viewing 52 trees in Biltmore helped me fill that void (I don't think Ken cares)!

From Asheville, NC we drove to Chattanooga, TN and toured a Civil War battlefield, Lookout Mountain, Rock City, Ruby Falls and the Incline Railway! While we were there, it hailed and temperatures at night got down in the low 30's! Brrrrr!

Now we're in Atlanta in a campground on the backside of Stone Mountain. Ken lived in Smyrna in the late 50's so we're walking down memory lane again. Of course a lot has changed, but it's always nice to see old stomping grounds. From here we go to my brother's house and we'll be there for a week. We feel the need to just go some place and "sit".  See you again!

Blue Ridge Parkway

What a week. We left the Chesapeake Bay area after visiting Williamsburg and headed across Virginia, through Richmond and Lynchburg for the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's a beautiful drive and you are literally on the ridge because at some points you can see down both sides of the road into two different valleys! The fall colors were at their peak and the sky was crisp blue! There are campgrounds on the Parkway so we camped two nights without having to leave the Parkway. The scenery was beautiful but there were some
downsides. There were no utilities in the park and we could only use the generator from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. It was cold both nights so we were very glad when 8 a.m. rolled around and we could turn on the heater. Cell service and internet service were non-existent up on the Ridge, so we felt very cut off from the world. It was quite an experience.

On the positive side, it was a great drive. It was also interesting to learn about life in the Appalachian area. We started the drive on Wednesday and left the mountains on Friday because the traffic increased on the Parkway and Ken didn't think we should continue in the motorhome. We found an RV park in Lenoir, NC and had a wonderful weekend. The park had lots of activities for Halloween weekend and there were 300+ kids in the park for trick-or-treat. It was so much fun to participate.

We're in Asheville, NC now and will head to Chattanooga on Thursday. See you next time.

New England to Virginia!

It’s been a long time since I’ve written and I apologize but we’ve been really busy! We left Maine 11 days ago and it seems more like a month. Since Maine, where we watched the maple trees turn to brilliant red, we’ve toured Boston with all its history. We also got to visit with Kristin and that was wonderful. While in Boston, we took a side trip to Providence and Newport, RI. The mansions in Newport were impressive and the history in Providence was fascinating. Of course, the trees continue to turn and provide beautiful color.

From Boston, we drove through RI and CT (still more beautiful foliage) into New York City. All that traffic made me nervous but Ken did a great job following my instructions. We drove across the George Washington Bridge into NJ where we parked at Liberty Harbor RV Park. It’s a parking lot, but a great view of Manhattan and Lady Liberty and close to the subway! We spent Wednesday afternoon on Ellis Island and Liberty Island and Thursday exploring NYC, taking a tour bus, eating at Carnegie’s Deli near Time Square and going to the top of the Empire State Building at sunset! The wind was strong and very cold but the view more than made up for it! You can’t see everything in such a short time but we enjoyed every minute.

The NJ turnpike was very expensive and the toll bridge over the Delaware River nearly broke the bank so we were glad to get to MD and back to free roads. Cars don’t have to pay very much but the motor home and car combined were very expensive. We’ll have to avoid those roads from now on!! Now we’re in VA (#26 of 50 states we’ve been to this year so far!). We are surrounded by history so we’ll spend the next few days exploring our past. After that we’ll travel the Blue Ridge Parkway from Lynchburg, VA to Ashville, NC.

Sightseeing in Maine

It's a beautiful fall afternoon with colored leaves on the ground, multiple colors shimmering in the trees and squirrels looking for acorns under the oak trees. We went to church at the Congregational Church in town and enjoyed good fellowship and an encouraging sermon. The church was founded in 1643 so it's a good feeling to connect with such history.

We've driven up and down the southern coast, sightseeing and eating! Lobster, codcakes, clam chowder and hot apple cider are some of the treats we've enjoyed. Oh, and blueberry pancakes and blueberry pie! We walk around the RV park as much as possible because it's the only way we can continue to fit into our clothes!!

Every turn in the road is beautiful as the trees turn color. Taking pictures out the front window of the car as we drive doesn't work so well, but the pictures we have are great reminders of the beauty we see all the time. Every morning I look out the window by my pillow to check the weather. The maple tree is at it's peak and I am amazed at the color it displays. It sets my heart praising God for so much beauty.

The coastline is beautiful too. Very rocky and not at all like our beaches in California. The sand is packed down hard, almost like concrete. The fog and low-lying clouds add to the vistas. We drove around Kennebunkport and saw GH Bush's house. We also explored Ogunquit, York, York Harbor and Kittery. So much history packed into such small towns. The lighthouses are numerous and picturesque!

We did take a drive as far north as you can go and still stay in the US. That part of Maine is sparsely populated and we drove long distances without seeing anyone and there were no services except in the little towns. The colors were beautiful but the loneliness would bother me. Northwest Maine is very remote and most of the roads are private roads with gates and locks on them!

We go to Boston on Thursday, then off to New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, DC and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Life in the RV

It's Friday night, it's raining and I thought I'd suspend the tourist commentary and talk about what we've experienced on the road, living in the motor home.

• Traveling from campground to campground is an adventure. Sometimes we have nice, park-like settings, other times we are among more full-time campers.
• Sometimes it's a challenge to get the motor home level.
• Sometimes we only have 30-amp service and then we have to make choices as to what we turn on. The water heater can't run at the same time as the microwave or furnace.
• The cats are doing well. After a few days in one place, they even get brave and venture out the door. When we're traveling, they have their favorite spots to hide and stay there until we stop for the day.
• WalMart is our favorite store. There is one in practically every town we stop in and because of the lack of storage in cupboards and refrigerator, we go quite often.
• We have met a lot of wonderful people. Whether we're out walking around the camp or waiting for a table at a restaurant, we have enjoyed great times. We learn a lot too. Places to go, places to avoid, what they have seen, what we have seen. It's a great, mobile society that we tap into!
• We miss friends and family and the continuity they provide.
• We have learned the importance of stopping and resting. Traveling every day is something we have decided we don't want to do. Right now we are parked for two weeks. I have my fall decorations out around the coach and once the rain stops, we will put out the mats and set up our outdoor chairs.
• We have become very adept at putting everything away and getting on the road in under 1 hour. I'm even capable of hitching up the car to the motor home all by myself.
• We don't make definite plans but just have general ideas of where we want to go and do. We have made commitments to see family so that gives us some direction, but our daily schedule is flexible. We are enjoying retirement.

I guess that's about it for now. More travel adventures next time.

Fall Colors

We drove through the Adirondack mountains, stopping two nights to see the sights and watch the trees turn. We looked around Lake Placid (very small), drove up to the top of Whiteface Mountain and could actually see Montreal in the distance. We went to Ft. Ticonderoga and took the motor home on a ferry across Lake Champlain!

We drive into Vermont where we camped on Lake Champlain for two nights. We went to Montreal one day and toured the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream factory the next day! It was on to New Hampshire from there to tour the White Mountains and look at more fall colors. Every day the colors grow brighter. This next month promises to be beautiful.

We drove into Maine where we took a side trip to New Brunswick, Canada and then drove as far north as possible in the US. It was a beautiful drive. From here we travel southeast to the coast. Stay in touch!

Niagara Falls

Wednesday was a beautiful day in New York and we spent the whole day at Niagara Falls! We have both been to the falls on different occasions but we both did the Canadian side. This time we did the American side and had so much fun.

We got experience the force and might of the Niagara River as it cascaded over the falls because we played "tourist" to the hilt. We went right up to Horseshoe Falls (Canadian) in the Maid of the Mist boat and glad for the plastic ponchos they provided. We walked along the edge and rode the trolley to Goat Island where we got real close to the edge and saw the American Rapids.

After lunch, we donned another plastic poncho and rubber sandals and braved the walk to the bottom of Bridal Veil Fall where you go on the hurricane deck at the base of the fall. We got totally soaked but again we were thankful for the poncho and sandals.

We did venture to the Canadian side but only drove around for an hour or so. It was beautiful along the gorge road, but parking was at a premium and we wanted to get back to the American side to see the Aquarium and the falls at night - they light them up.

It was a wonderful experience and glad for the perfect weather! It rained the next day while driving through Rochester, Syracuse and as we set up camp in Watertown, NY.

Next stop - the Adirondack mountains.

Memory Lane in Ohio

We entered Ohio in Union City. It's a city on both side of the border - half in Indiana and half in Ohio. It's very small but part of Ken's history. From there we went to Greenville, OH. It's northwest of Dayton and is where Ken was born. We saw the hospital where he was born

and the home where he lived right after he was born.

While in Greenville, we ate lunch at Maid-Rite (very tasty crumbled beef on buns) and went through the KitchenAid Experience, a museum/store of KitchenAid. Stopped by the Annie Oakley park to see Ken's parent's names on a brick. Also went to the local graveyard to see the family plot. It was a special time to walk down memory lane.

From Greenville, we went to Dayton to see more of Ken's past. He lived there until he was 7 years old and we spent an afternoon driving around and letting Ken remember. We also toured the Air Force Museum and the Wright Brother's cycle shop. A city rich in history.

We enjoyed an entire week in Southern Ohio, going to flea markets, a corn festival, and driving through Columbus a few hours before the Ohio St. vs. Miami, FL college football game. It was a sea of red as everyone supported the home team. We enjoyed watching the game and feeling some of the enthusiasm.

From S. Ohio, we drove northeast to Akron and Cuyahoga Falls to walk down more of memory lane. Ken moved to Cuyahoga Falls at age 7 and I moved to Akron in the mid-80's. We both enjoyed seeing places from our past and talking about events and feelings.

Fall is definitely in the air even though the weather remains warm. We are even beginning to see the leaves turn as the days get shorter so we are anxious to get to New England.

Our next stop is Niagara Falls so I'll be sure to share that great experience in my next note.

Repairs

Since the car needed some repairs and we had an appointment for the motor home to have some repairs done, we decided to skip Mackinac Island, Michigan and headed south to Elkhart, Indiana. Ken did a great job going through downtown Milwaukee and handling traffic on the West Chicago toll way. We got as far as Joliet, Illinois where we found an RV park. A rain storm developed while we were setting up but it felt good to have cooler temperatures.

The next day we drove past Notre Dame University and got to Elkhart where we got both vehicles worked on. While waiting three days for the repairs, we toured the Notre Dame campus and the rich heritage of the Amish/Mennonite communities in the neighborhood of Elkhart. We saw a lot of horse-drawn buggies and on the back roads, it got a little tricky.

Finally on the road Saturday. Stopped in Ft. Wayne, IN and stopped to see Johnny Appleseed's grave site. Also looked for a large rose garden but it was a disappointment. The roses weren't blooming but it wasn't a very large garden either. Oh well.

Heading to Ohio so we'll cover that in the next "note". Thanks for "listening".

Door County!

Door County was wonderful. For those of you who don’t know where that is, it’s the “thumb” that sticks out into Lake Michigan above Green Bay, Wisconsin. Friday night we looked around Sturgeon Bay and had dinner at a fish boil. They put everything (fish, carrots, red potatoes and onions) in a big pot over an open fire outside and cook the food. At the last minute they pour kerosene on the fire, it flames up, the pot boils over and dinner is ready. They serve it to you swimming in butter, but it’s very good. Ken even ate it and he doesn’t like fish!


Saturday we traveled the loop around Door County, stopping at cute little shops and markets. We went up the east side of the “thumb” and stopped at Sister Bay to visit Al Johnson’s Restaurant. It’s Scandinavian and they have a sod roof with goats eating the grass on the roof. From there we went all the way to Northport where you can catch a ferry to Washington Island, but we were running out of time so we turned around and continued down the west side of the “thumb”. We had great views of Green Bay and Lake Michigan, and more shops and parks. Cherries are very big in Door County – they grow there – so I had a cherry margarita with lunch! Yum.

We lost the linkage rod from the transfer case on the Durango so we just sat and rested on Sunday. It’s always good to catch our breath and relax. We’re retired and really don’t have to push. That’s the best part of this life – no schedule. Stay tuned for our next stop!

Family Time in Minnesota

We made it to the Twin Cities in time to participate in a great-nephew's baptism and a great-niece's four year old birthday party. It was fun because I have lots of family in Minnesota and this gave us the chance to see many family members! Everett cried through his baptism and Genevieve was overwhelmed with all the presents! It was a fun day.

My brother and I laugh a lot when we're together, and my sister-in-law is such a good grandmother. Linnea is my niece and has a son, Caedmon, so I got to see new members to the family!

 

Spent Monday at the Mall of America - you can't go to Minneapolis without going to the Mall of America - and then off to see more relatives for dinner. More laughing and reminicing. Tuesday was spent with another nephew and family. Then Thursday we went to the Minnesota State Fair. Very different from what we're used to! For one thing, almost all the food served at the fair is on a stick. Pizza on a stick (see below), alligator deep fat-fried on a stick, twinkie on a stick, buffalo on a stick, etc. etc. etc. They also have a birthing center, and we were lucky enough to see three lambs less than 30 mins. old. Then we went to the dairy pavillion and saw the butter sculpture. It was fascinating and different.

Minnesota was fun, but we're off to Door County (north of Green Bay, WI). My next blog will talk about that!!!

So Much to See

Let's see...Yellowstone was the last place I talked about. After a white knuckle ride down the mountain east of Yellowstone (I kept asking Ken to hug the yellow line) we drove through Wyoming and into the Black Hills of SD! Ken had never seen Mt. Rushmore and it's been 40 years since I was there so it was a great day. Of course it rained and the sculptures looked like they were crying, but it added to the look!

We saw more wildlife in Custer State Park and drove through six natural tunnels. It's a good thing we were warned not to take the motor home because some of the tunnels were shorter than the motor home!! There was one tunnel that was so small we weren't sure the Durango would get through, but Ken's great driving made it possible. The natural beauty and design of the Black Hills was wonderful to see.

From the Black Hills, we went through the Badlands of SD. Ken had a good description for them: a combination of the Grand Canyon and Sedona, AZ!! What do you think?

Driving across the rest of SD was loooong. We have seen enough corn, wheat, hay, sunflower and soy bean fields for a lifetime!! Mitchell, SD even has an auditorium named the Corn Palace with pictures created out of corn on the outside of the building. This country is very diverse and different from what we're used to!!

Got to Minnesota on Friday and spent the week seeing family but I'll wait and write about that in the next few days. Ken's waiting to go explore the sights!

On the Road - AGAIN

After 10 weeks in Medford, we started down the road again on Tuesday. The first stop was Bend, Oregon where we toured the downtown area, had dinner alfresco at an old school building and drove out to see Mt. Bachelor and the Three Sisters.

We took 2 days to get to Newport, WA (above Spokane) where we saw friends we met in Anaheim! RVing opens up so many opportunities to meet new people and share stories of life on the road. Paul and Linda have been a wealth of information and we enjoyed our time with them. We also enjoy all the different scenery each day outside our window. This is breakfast in Washington

and this is lunch in Montana

After a cold night in Deer Lodge, MT we drove through Yellowstone Park today. The scenery was beautiful, the animals out and close to the road and the roads were very narrow.  Ken did a great job driving and we are glad we made the side trip. Next stop - Mt. Rushmore!

The coach is FINALLY done and we are in the process of cleaning it and moving back into our newly remodeled motor home. We should be on the road again in a few days but we wanted to show off the new look. For those of you who saw the coach before, this new desk is where the couch used to be. Look at all that storage!!! The couch fits perfectly on the other side (behind the passenger seat).

In the bedroom, we had the flat screen TV moved to the cabinet where it is now and a whole new cabinet with slide-out drawers and extra storage built in. You can never have enough storage in a motor home and we have increased that by at least 20%. Of course we have also pared down what we're taking so the combined effect makes it seem like a lot more. But most important, we have put our stamp and personality in the motor home and it feels like our home now. We made some other changes too. The TV in the front of the coach is now on a swing arm and flush with the rest of the cabinets. Ken was always bumping his head on the corner of the TV when he entered the motor home, and now that is no longer an issue. I had pull-out shelves built in under the stove and over the sink so that really increases the storage in the kitchen!

On a lighter note, I got to experience flying in the small experimental plane that Ken has flown in. Rick (the pilot) came by last Saturday and we went flying. The plane is very small and we flew with the doors open in order to see better, wave at boaters on the river, and have some fresh air! I held onto my shoulder straps but enjoyed seeing the valley from a different perspective. What fun to try new things. We buzzed the house coming and going and Ken took pictures.

Our next stop will be Mt. Rushmore!