Continuing Journey

It's the end of April and I have neglected this blog long enough. We're having a great  time in Southern California with friends and family, but I'll get to that later!

We finally made it across Texas (I thought it would never end) and drove into New Mexico where we stopped for two days at Carlsbad Caverns. What a majestic hole in the ground. We went in through the natural hole the first day and spent 4+ hours walking, touring and marveling at all the beauty buried under ground. The second day we took a guided tour to the King's Palace and the guide turned out all the lights! The darkness was total and overwhelming. What courage the early cave explorers had!!

From Carlsbad, we went through Roswell (plastic aliens everywhere!) and Ruidoso, then down to White Sands Monument. It was amazing to see so much white sand. It was a cool morning so the sand was cool to the touch. Fortunately we made it through before they did any missile tests.

From White Sands, we continued west through Tucson with a side trip to Tombstone, on to Phoenix and into California where we spent the end of March in Palm Springs!  It was very hot and we were thankful for a/c. Even the pool was warm -  almost like bath water! We were able to spend an evening with friends heading east for a four-month journey and met other friends we met last year in Anaheim.

We love this lifestyle and now that we've completed the circuit, we feel blessed to have been able to do all we've done. Gas prices will probably hamper some of our traveling and we will stay in the west this next year, but there is still so much to see! Check back from time to time and I will try to update this blog more regularly.

Texas

We are enjoying Texas with its wide open spaces and lots of things to see and do. We went to Space Center Houston and saw Johnson Space Center as part of the tram tour. After seeing the Discovery launch in Florida, this was a good look at the background behind the launch. We even got to see Gene Krantz who was the flight director for all of Apollo and some shuttle missions. He was filming a documentary and we were on the other side of the glass! The Saturn missle was immense and complex.

We stayed at a park along the Colorado River (in Texas - not to be confused with the Colorado River on the California/Arizona border!) and saw deer, three wild boars and a frisky armadillo! Of course we didn't have the camera with us when we saw the boars and armadillo so our memory will have to be enough!

From Houston, we drove to San Antonio and spent the day viewing the Alamo and the River Walk.

The weather here is a lot like S. California in June - what we call June gloom. Cool and overcast in the morning and hot and sunny in the afternoon. Temperatures are in the 80's in the afternoon so we try to do physical labor stuff in the morning and then relax in the afternoon. We drove north to Fredericksburg yesterday. It was settled by Germans in the 1800s and they have preserved some of the old buildings. We enjoyed tasting salsas, jams, barbecue sauces and dips provided by the different gift shops along Main Street. It was a nice day trip.

Our next stop is Carlsbad Caverns.

Four States in One Day

After 3 months in Florida, we are on the road again, heading west. Monday we left Milton, FL (east of Pensecola) and drove through Alabama, Mississippi, and stopped outside of New Orleans, LA. We spent eight hours touring around New Orleans on Monday (Lune Gras) and avoided New Orleans all together on Mardi Gras. Bourbon Street was crowded

and the parades were long but we had fun catching beads as the float riders tossed them to the crowd.

We saw the beginning of the Mississippi River in Minnesota when we were there in August and now we've seen the end at New Orleans! Some day we will have to travel its entire length!

Tomorrow we will continue across Louisiana and into Texas on Friday.

We posted the shuttle launch on YouTube. E-mail me and I will send you the link!!!



Still In Florida

We have just finished our 3rd month in Florida and we're both ready to hit the road again. Last week we drove over to the east coast of Florida and stayed 2 nights at Daytona Beach. The first day we drove on the beach and had lunch at a restaurant at the end of the old race track where they drove part on the beach and part on the road! It was a fun day. The next day we joined Ken's cousin in Titusville and watched the Discovery shuttle launch. What an amazing sight to see. I'm so glad Ken talked me into staying so that we could witness it. The power and force it takes to break free of the earth's gravitation is something you just can't describe! We felt the rumble of the take-off even though people around us said it was very disappointing compared to other times. I guess the wind conditions prevented us from experiencing the full impact. All in all, it was wonderful to see. We took a video of it so I don't have pictures I can include in this blog but it was great to capture even a small part of such an event.

It's in the 80's now so we've gone from winter clothing to bathing suits in a week! Ken's mom is still with us and in a nursing home so we will go visit her tomorrow and after that make our plans as to when we will leave and start heading west. We anticipate being in S. Calif. all of April and then heading to Oregon. Keep in touch and I plan to write on this every Saturday since there will be something to write about now that we're on the road again!!

Life in the RV, Part 2

We're beginning our 3rd month in Florida so we haven't been "on the road" and have not had much to share. We decided to stay for the shuttle launch on Feb. 24th. We're also staying around because Ken's mom is not doing well. She's in the hospital now with blood clots in her lungs and will return to a nursing home because Ken's brother is unable to care for her at home anymore. It's a hard time, but we're glad we had the holidays with her.

I never thought we would stay so long in one place once we began this lifestyle, but weather and family circumstances have affected our plans. And that's the best part of this lifestyle - we don't have to be anywhere so we can come and go as we like! Being in Florida with all the snowbirds has also taught us to make reservations at RV parks as far in advance as possible. Every park is full until April 1st! Right now we are at a park outside Orlando that is built around a golf course. It sure is busy on the course every day.

While sitting here in Florida, I've looked back on all we've done since August. The memories are wonderful but so is all the food we've bought along the way. This morning I had Meyer Lemon Pear Marmalade on my toast that I purchased in Paso Robles, CA. The Lingonberry jam in the cupboard is from Wisconsin and the rubard wine from S. Dakota needs to be sampled. We have enjoyed Maple Walnut pancake mix from New Hampshire, Biltmore Estate wines for the holidays, and blueberries from Maine. We don't have room for nicknacks or other mementos but I'm enjoying the food we've purchased from different parts of the country. They are nice reminders of our travels and don't take up too much room. Alligator jerky will not be added to the larder. YUCK! I'll have to find something else from Florida - citrus fruit!

Thanks for joining us - again. I'll be sure to tell you all about the launch!

Thunder Storms

What a day. We woke up to rain on the roof and thunder crashing outside our window. Florida needs the rain and so we will stay home and just enjoy watching the rain and lightning.

We were in Tampa for the RV show and had a great time. We participated in our first RV rally and met so many nice people. This rally provided five nights of camping with electricity only (we call that semi-boondocking), donuts and coffee in the morning and entertainment three different nights and church Sunday morning! It was fun, we laughed a lot, saw a lot of stuff you can buy for your RV, learned some important tips at the seminars we attended and made new friends. We joined the Thor Diesel Group because our motor home is made by Thor and it's a diesel engine. Everyone there had a Mandalay and it was nice to be with  people who own the same thing we do. They have rallies several times a year so I'm sure we will meet up with them again.

Living this life is exciting. You don't have time to get to know people gradually. Once you're set up at a place you go walking around the campground and start meeting people. The connections are quick, you take pictures so you remember what they look like, and the next time you meet, you pick up where you left off. Ken has a hard time remembering names but he keeps trying.

While we were in Tampa we went and visited Ken's mom. She is in the hospital right now with a severe urinary tract infection. She's not eating very much so isn't getting her strength back. At 89 it's not really surprising. With her condition in question, we have decided to stay in Florida a while longer to see how she does. The weather everywhere else is not condusive to traveling so we will stay.

Keep in touch!

Happy New Year

I'm a week late wishing all of you Happy New Year but better late than never, right?

We have spent the whole week at Independence RV here in Orlando. We had a roof leak and the ceiling panels were failing because of the leak, so we brought the motorhome here to see if they could fix it. After talking with the factory and discovering it was a design flaw, our service tech designed a solution and it's working! It's nice to find a service center that is honest, willing to work with us and able to do the work. We have not found that before now. Since the work is in the front of the coach, the kitties spend the day in the bedroom and that's a lot better than having to cage them up and put them in the car. The back lot of the dealership isn't a great park, but we have electricity and water so we spend every night in our home.

We wanted to stay and see the shuttle lauch but they have pushed it back to the end of February so I think we will get back on the road. We'll go to Tampa next week for a huge RV show and then probably start heading west on I-10.  Stay in touch and I'll let you know where we are!

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".