We left home on September 2 and returned to sleep in our big bed on January 15. We're so grateful to have traveled so many miles without a serious mishap. So pleased to learn that we still have faith in the humanity of our fellow Americans. So here's a recap of some interesting statistics. Well, we think they're interesting! Thank you all for following along on our Grand Tour. We had a great time, didn't we?
Total Miles Traveled: 17,224
Least Miles Traveled in a Day: 47 from St. Ignace near Mackinac Island to Petosky, Michigan
Most Miles Traveled in a Day: 421 from San Antonio to Big Bend National Park, Texas
Worst Roads: New York and South Carolina
Best Roads: Texas and Oregon
Worst Drivers: Massachusetts
Best Drivers: Virginia and Texas
Most Expensive Diesel: $4.54 in Kettle Falls, North Eastern Washington on September 7, 2008
Least Expensive Diesel: $1.99 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on November 12 (no wonder I LOVE Myrtle Beach!)
Average Price of Diesel: $3.20
We were truly lucky with our weather! We had some serious thunder and lightning, but usually during the night.
Sunny: 86 Days
Rainy: 15 Days
Gloomy: 24 Days
Snowy: 4 Days
We had set a goal to average $20 per night for our lodging. Thanks to our family and friends who allowed us to stay on their property or in their gutters, we averaged $21 per night. Here's a wrap-up of where we stayed:
State Parks: 13
National Parks: 14
National Forests: 4
City/County Parks: 4
Private Parks: 61
Elks Lodges: 15
Wal Marts: 5
Family/Friends: 17
Several places we stayed were free, but our most expensive was $57 at Buellton, California. But we didn't care. We were both sick and anxious to stop and sleep!
Wild animals we saw:
Chipmunks (well...they're not so wild), Deer, Pronghorn Antelope, Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Bison, Prairie Dogs, Squirrels, Burros, Moose, Marmot, Bunnies, Armadillos, Coyote, Grey Foxes, Javelina, Muskrat.
Birds we saw:
Crows, Great Blue Herons, Egrets, Shorebirds, Goldfinches, Quail, Robins, Blackbirds, Ducks, Geese, Starlings, Osprey, Golden Eagle, Bluebirds, Jays, Cardinals, Sandhill Cranes, Swans, Ravens, Hawks, Wild Turkeys, Grouse, Pheasant, Turkey Vultures, Doves, Peregrine Falcons, Snow Geese, Bald Eagles and probably more I don't recall.
While traveling, we made note of hundreds of items to Google in order to learn even more. So, we'll be busy with that when we're finished cleaning the truck camper and getting it ready to sell.
And we absolutely loved many places for various reasons: Grand Tetons, Wyoming; Pend O'Reille, Idaho; Black Hills, South Dakota; Door County, Wisconsin; Petosky, Michigan; the area north of Niagara, New York; Belfast, Maine; Newport, Rhode Island; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; Sullivan's Island, South Carolina; Saint Augustine, Florida; Sanibel Island, Florida (although we didn't go there on this trip); Destin, Florida; Fredericksburg, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; Bosque del Apache Wildlife Preserve, New Mexico; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Coronado, California; Morro Bay, California; California, Oregon, and Washington Coastline. Anyone ready to go again?!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Heading Home
What a lovely holiday season we had seeing all of you!
Matthew & Laura's three sons introduced us to Wii games where Zachary excelled at Guitar Hero, Nathan at boxing, and little Benjamin at bowling. Thanks so much for sharing...I think. Now Clint's all hepped to get a Wii game instead of going to the YMCA! HA
My niece and her family entertained us for an afternoon and evening with games of Chutes & Ladders, CandyLand, and, I think, Cherry Oh. It was such a treat for me as I don't recall having played those games in about 50 years! And my great-nephew's pet budgie, Bingo, kept me company. Makes me want to have a bird again, but I don't think Zorro and Chaplin would accommodate one... We had a great dinner with them and miss them so much already! From there, we spent some time at the harbor in Oceanside. It sure is developed since my days sailing into that harbor--one time with a California grey whale swimming in tandem with the boat to reach safe harbor during a storm!
We camped at Santee Lakes, somewhat inland in San Diego County, where we got to spend some time with my nephew, Brian, his wife, Denise, and their sons, 3-year-old Andrew and 1-year-old Carson. They also came to my sister's house for Christmas Day. That Andrew is such a blur of activity that I realized I didn't know what he really looked like until I saw a recent photo of him on my sister's wall! HA
Christmas with my family was just lovely. Maureen and Jess provided a great brunch for everyone, including rowdy, engaging nephew, Brett, who gave me an interesting book, "California Coast Trails" by J. Smeaton Chase. The book was written in 1911 by an Englishman who rode horseback from San Diego to the Oregon border. I know intimately each and every canyon, beach, and redwood forest about which he wrote so eloquently. I heartily recommend it to anyone with a love of the California coast. In many ways, California hasn't changed one bit...
We could have stayed in sunny San Diego for many more months, but we really do need to get home! So, we hit the road to our beloved Morro Bay where we camped on the beach and visited so many of our dear friends, stayed with John & Devon in Paso Robles for New Year's, and then had a final hurrah at Ginny & Bob's in Grover Beach before heading up Highway One. Thank you ALL for accommodating us on such short notice. We spent time with Cindee & Larry, Mary Ann & Orry, Kimberli & Doug, Marge & Mark, Dexters, Debbie, Kay, & Nancy, Annie, Sue, Barbara, Theresa & Bob. We love you all and hope to see you soon!
We so enjoyed both San Diego and Morro Bay this winter that we've made reservations to return to the beach at Morro Bay from mid-January to mid-February 2010 and to San Diego's Mission Bay from mid-February to mid-March. I hope our friends and family won't get sick of us! I guess we'll be snowbirds next winter, too!
One would never know that we're traveling the coast in winter. The sun has followed us the entire way and has reflected on the ocean so that it just glistens. Highway One is a winding, somewhat treacherous sliver of asphalt that hugs the coast's every twist and turn. We visited the elephant seals just north of San Simeon, drooled over houses hanging over the cliffs in Carmel, watched parasailers off the coast of Monterey, strolled the Victorian town of Ferndale, walked among the redwoods near Trinidad, and, best of all, watched the little foxes as they scurried around the campground at Patrick's Point State Park. The photo of the foxes is a bit grainy as we were both inside the camper looking through our steamed-up galley window. I held the big flashlight on them while Clint shot them with our camera set at iso 3200. So, we're thrilled to have a photo at all! Foxes are so elusive. They're one natural element I've rarely seen.
This evening, as we headed for our campsite in Lincoln City, Oregon, we found the fog was accumulating for the night. Good thing we're late sleepers as that will give the fog time to dissipate before it's time to continue north!
Matthew & Laura's three sons introduced us to Wii games where Zachary excelled at Guitar Hero, Nathan at boxing, and little Benjamin at bowling. Thanks so much for sharing...I think. Now Clint's all hepped to get a Wii game instead of going to the YMCA! HA
My niece and her family entertained us for an afternoon and evening with games of Chutes & Ladders, CandyLand, and, I think, Cherry Oh. It was such a treat for me as I don't recall having played those games in about 50 years! And my great-nephew's pet budgie, Bingo, kept me company. Makes me want to have a bird again, but I don't think Zorro and Chaplin would accommodate one... We had a great dinner with them and miss them so much already! From there, we spent some time at the harbor in Oceanside. It sure is developed since my days sailing into that harbor--one time with a California grey whale swimming in tandem with the boat to reach safe harbor during a storm!
We camped at Santee Lakes, somewhat inland in San Diego County, where we got to spend some time with my nephew, Brian, his wife, Denise, and their sons, 3-year-old Andrew and 1-year-old Carson. They also came to my sister's house for Christmas Day. That Andrew is such a blur of activity that I realized I didn't know what he really looked like until I saw a recent photo of him on my sister's wall! HA
Christmas with my family was just lovely. Maureen and Jess provided a great brunch for everyone, including rowdy, engaging nephew, Brett, who gave me an interesting book, "California Coast Trails" by J. Smeaton Chase. The book was written in 1911 by an Englishman who rode horseback from San Diego to the Oregon border. I know intimately each and every canyon, beach, and redwood forest about which he wrote so eloquently. I heartily recommend it to anyone with a love of the California coast. In many ways, California hasn't changed one bit...
We could have stayed in sunny San Diego for many more months, but we really do need to get home! So, we hit the road to our beloved Morro Bay where we camped on the beach and visited so many of our dear friends, stayed with John & Devon in Paso Robles for New Year's, and then had a final hurrah at Ginny & Bob's in Grover Beach before heading up Highway One. Thank you ALL for accommodating us on such short notice. We spent time with Cindee & Larry, Mary Ann & Orry, Kimberli & Doug, Marge & Mark, Dexters, Debbie, Kay, & Nancy, Annie, Sue, Barbara, Theresa & Bob. We love you all and hope to see you soon!
We so enjoyed both San Diego and Morro Bay this winter that we've made reservations to return to the beach at Morro Bay from mid-January to mid-February 2010 and to San Diego's Mission Bay from mid-February to mid-March. I hope our friends and family won't get sick of us! I guess we'll be snowbirds next winter, too!
One would never know that we're traveling the coast in winter. The sun has followed us the entire way and has reflected on the ocean so that it just glistens. Highway One is a winding, somewhat treacherous sliver of asphalt that hugs the coast's every twist and turn. We visited the elephant seals just north of San Simeon, drooled over houses hanging over the cliffs in Carmel, watched parasailers off the coast of Monterey, strolled the Victorian town of Ferndale, walked among the redwoods near Trinidad, and, best of all, watched the little foxes as they scurried around the campground at Patrick's Point State Park. The photo of the foxes is a bit grainy as we were both inside the camper looking through our steamed-up galley window. I held the big flashlight on them while Clint shot them with our camera set at iso 3200. So, we're thrilled to have a photo at all! Foxes are so elusive. They're one natural element I've rarely seen.
This evening, as we headed for our campsite in Lincoln City, Oregon, we found the fog was accumulating for the night. Good thing we're late sleepers as that will give the fog time to dissipate before it's time to continue north!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Heading through Familiar Territory
We left Santa Fe with 4" of snow on the ground and braved our way north toward Highland Ranch to see my niece, Marta, and her family. Highland Ranch is a gorgeous community with every amenity a family could want--good schools, great community/athletic centers, shopping, and restaurants. Marta, her spousal equivalent, James, and their sons, Konnor and Aiden, showed us a good time with a great meal at the Macaroni Grill. We'll definitely look for more of those! We also got to watch Aiden taking his swim lesson and Konnor sled down a hill near their home. It was lovely to see them and we hope they'll pop on up to Washington some day soon!
From there, we headed through the gorgeous snow-covered Rockies. We stopped for lunch in Vail, but needed to hurry on our way as another storm was expected. We managed to get that storm while in Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly with tons of wind, sand, and then snow! Ah...so much for winter travel...and it wasn't even winter yet! We really enjoyed ourselves, though, and saw a herd of wild burros, movie sets from many of the John Ford/John Wayne westerns in Monument Valley, and hiked down to the bottom of Canyon de Chelly where Navajo continue to farm. There are a few ruins from Anasazi in the bottom of the Canyon, too. So sacred.
We wanted to linger in Sedona and Prescott, but with another storm predicted to dump 14" of snow, we figured we'd better scurry on. So, we headed to Laughlin. We'd never been there before and stayed at the campground right in town, so we were able to walk everywhere. The last day of our stay there found us in the middle of that big storm that went through Southern California all the way to Colorado and we simply stayed in the camper all day...not like us at all! But the wind and rain was fierce!
When we left there, we got to see the remnants of the storm's wrath in the snow that was sprinkled all through the high desert. Simply gorgeous! We stopped at the Joshua Tree National Park, but it was closed due to overabundance of snow! So, on we went to beautiful Menifee for a fabulous stay with Karen & Richard. Their new home is simply perfect and the retirement community in which they live is great! They took us on a tour of Old Town Temecula where we tasted olive oils and vinegars...yummy! Like Marta, Karen sent us on our way with a plate of homemade goodies.
We'd never seen the Southland look so fresh and wintery. The hillsides were green and glistening with snow-capped mountains surrounding every valley. It was truly cold as there was frost on the rooftops every morning.
After our stay there, we hustled down to Coronado where we stayed with my friend, Lori. Coronado is as gorgeous as ever and we had fun in the sun! Lori showed us a great time with a walk around Coronado to see Art in the Park, the library where she and I met all those years ago, and the Hotel Del Coronado. Nothing like ice skating next to the beach! Only in Coronado! Lori also introduced to a bottle of egg nog, complete with rum, brandy, and blended whiskey! Woweeeee!!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! Have a loving time with friends and family.
Jan and Clint
Chaplin and Zorro
From there, we headed through the gorgeous snow-covered Rockies. We stopped for lunch in Vail, but needed to hurry on our way as another storm was expected. We managed to get that storm while in Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly with tons of wind, sand, and then snow! Ah...so much for winter travel...and it wasn't even winter yet! We really enjoyed ourselves, though, and saw a herd of wild burros, movie sets from many of the John Ford/John Wayne westerns in Monument Valley, and hiked down to the bottom of Canyon de Chelly where Navajo continue to farm. There are a few ruins from Anasazi in the bottom of the Canyon, too. So sacred.
We wanted to linger in Sedona and Prescott, but with another storm predicted to dump 14" of snow, we figured we'd better scurry on. So, we headed to Laughlin. We'd never been there before and stayed at the campground right in town, so we were able to walk everywhere. The last day of our stay there found us in the middle of that big storm that went through Southern California all the way to Colorado and we simply stayed in the camper all day...not like us at all! But the wind and rain was fierce!
When we left there, we got to see the remnants of the storm's wrath in the snow that was sprinkled all through the high desert. Simply gorgeous! We stopped at the Joshua Tree National Park, but it was closed due to overabundance of snow! So, on we went to beautiful Menifee for a fabulous stay with Karen & Richard. Their new home is simply perfect and the retirement community in which they live is great! They took us on a tour of Old Town Temecula where we tasted olive oils and vinegars...yummy! Like Marta, Karen sent us on our way with a plate of homemade goodies.
We'd never seen the Southland look so fresh and wintery. The hillsides were green and glistening with snow-capped mountains surrounding every valley. It was truly cold as there was frost on the rooftops every morning.
After our stay there, we hustled down to Coronado where we stayed with my friend, Lori. Coronado is as gorgeous as ever and we had fun in the sun! Lori showed us a great time with a walk around Coronado to see Art in the Park, the library where she and I met all those years ago, and the Hotel Del Coronado. Nothing like ice skating next to the beach! Only in Coronado! Lori also introduced to a bottle of egg nog, complete with rum, brandy, and blended whiskey! Woweeeee!!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! Have a loving time with friends and family.
Jan and Clint
Chaplin and Zorro
Sunday, December 7, 2008
The Rest of Texas
As we left Fredericksburg after Thanksgiving, we were SO close to Luckenbach, Texas, (with Waylon and Willie and the boys...lyrics from a song by Waylon Jennings) that we had to stop in to see what was going on there. And the little town (population 3) was hopping as they were readying for a big dance in the dance hall that night. The town even provides overnight RV parking for those who party too heartily! But we didn't dawdle as we were anxious to go on to San Antonio.
And are we glad we did! San Antonio will forever be the "City of Music" to me. We parked the camper at the local KOA and took the city bus into town to see The Alamo (a shrine operated by the Daughters of Texas) and the Buckhorn Saloon (Texas Ranger Museum is there). But we were pleased and surprised to be there for their monthly street fair. Musicians rotated every 30 minutes in three venues along Houston Street where the artisans were out in force with their gift ideas for the holidays. We found our way to La Villita where 14-16-year-old mariachis were serenading the crowd. Then, for dinner, we sat at a table right on the river where boats filled with carolers breezed by. All surrounded by thousands of Christmas lights. San Antonio is a great town!
From there, we left civilization as we know it and headed to Big Bend National Park where we camped along the Rio Grande for a night (to winds about to blow us over!) before heading to the Chisos Mountains for a second night of camping. The campground had been flooded and some of the trails demolished last September when a tropical storm hovered over Mexico and dropped many inches of rain in their mountains. The rain water then filtered down to the Rio Grande where the usual 1.5 feet of water rose to 28 feet!!! That storm run-off even changed the course of the Rio Grande. Nature is something! The park is full of bear, javelina, deer, mountain lion, and just plain wilderness. A real treat for us after the recent visits to cities.
Just across the Texas border into New Mexico are the Carlsbad Caverns. We came across many opportunities to see caves on this trip, but we were waiting to see the granddaddy of them all! And we were not disappointed. We knew we wouldn't be able to see the bats fly out toward evening as they'd flown south for the winter. But as a juxtaposition, we were able to see the birds fly in at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Preserve where they spend the winters. The sandhill cranes and snow geese were amazing! In fact, the bird count on November 26 listed something like 6,000 sandhill cranes and 32,000 snow geese! At times, the sky was white with the flight of the snow geese. We arrived there late in the day, so the timing was perfect to watch them find their roosting spots for the evening.
Prior to Bosque, though, we just had to go to Roswell to look for aliens (sorry, Devon, the only aliens we saw were on the lamp posts!) and to Lincoln where the infamous Billy the Kid took up arms in the Lincoln County Wars (watch the movie "Young Guns" for a truly accurate portrayal of the era and occurrences). History came alive for us there. Fascinating town.
Then it was on to Santa Fe to visit with Clint's family. His mom is doing great thanks to the care she is given by his brother, Bobby, and wife, Marina. About the only thing she wants to do while we're here is go to a casino, so today we'll take her to a big new casino/resort that just opened, "Buffalo Thunder." Maybe we'll win big and pay for this whole trip! HA
And are we glad we did! San Antonio will forever be the "City of Music" to me. We parked the camper at the local KOA and took the city bus into town to see The Alamo (a shrine operated by the Daughters of Texas) and the Buckhorn Saloon (Texas Ranger Museum is there). But we were pleased and surprised to be there for their monthly street fair. Musicians rotated every 30 minutes in three venues along Houston Street where the artisans were out in force with their gift ideas for the holidays. We found our way to La Villita where 14-16-year-old mariachis were serenading the crowd. Then, for dinner, we sat at a table right on the river where boats filled with carolers breezed by. All surrounded by thousands of Christmas lights. San Antonio is a great town!
From there, we left civilization as we know it and headed to Big Bend National Park where we camped along the Rio Grande for a night (to winds about to blow us over!) before heading to the Chisos Mountains for a second night of camping. The campground had been flooded and some of the trails demolished last September when a tropical storm hovered over Mexico and dropped many inches of rain in their mountains. The rain water then filtered down to the Rio Grande where the usual 1.5 feet of water rose to 28 feet!!! That storm run-off even changed the course of the Rio Grande. Nature is something! The park is full of bear, javelina, deer, mountain lion, and just plain wilderness. A real treat for us after the recent visits to cities.
Just across the Texas border into New Mexico are the Carlsbad Caverns. We came across many opportunities to see caves on this trip, but we were waiting to see the granddaddy of them all! And we were not disappointed. We knew we wouldn't be able to see the bats fly out toward evening as they'd flown south for the winter. But as a juxtaposition, we were able to see the birds fly in at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Preserve where they spend the winters. The sandhill cranes and snow geese were amazing! In fact, the bird count on November 26 listed something like 6,000 sandhill cranes and 32,000 snow geese! At times, the sky was white with the flight of the snow geese. We arrived there late in the day, so the timing was perfect to watch them find their roosting spots for the evening.
Prior to Bosque, though, we just had to go to Roswell to look for aliens (sorry, Devon, the only aliens we saw were on the lamp posts!) and to Lincoln where the infamous Billy the Kid took up arms in the Lincoln County Wars (watch the movie "Young Guns" for a truly accurate portrayal of the era and occurrences). History came alive for us there. Fascinating town.
Then it was on to Santa Fe to visit with Clint's family. His mom is doing great thanks to the care she is given by his brother, Bobby, and wife, Marina. About the only thing she wants to do while we're here is go to a casino, so today we'll take her to a big new casino/resort that just opened, "Buffalo Thunder." Maybe we'll win big and pay for this whole trip! HA
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving, Y'All
We've been in "y'all" country for about a month now--drinking sweet tea, eating grits, talking slower. But as I write this, we're in the heart of Texas Hill Country--Fredericksburg. We'll be touring the countryside a bit today as we wind our way to a Cracker Barrel restaurant for an old-fashioned turkey dinner. We're amazed by the number of campers we're seeing this holiday weekend. We even called ahead for reservations here and in our next stop, San Antonio, to be sure we had a place to lay our heads.
We left "the South" for a couple of days when we toured Saint Augustine. It's Spanish flavor permeates the architecture and cuisine. Once again, we fell in love with a specific location. Saint Augustine is not only beautiful, but welcoming. We really soaked up the ambiance there by riding the trolley here and there and just resting on benches to watch the harbor. It reminds me very much of Old Town San Diego and Old Santa Fe--but right on the water. Flagler was a poor man who made good when he got in with the Standard Oil gang. He then built four huge resort hotels in Saint Augustine--one of which is now Flagler College. The towers on the college are made of terra cotta, as are many of the other architectural detailing. Simply gorgeous! Many of the buildings are made of coquina, a natural Caribbean building material made of coral, shell, and sand. When the Spanish built the Castillo de San Marco (Saint Augustine's fort), they used the imported coquina not knowing that the substance is impenetrable from cannon or gun fire. The poorer residents tried to make their own coquina with local shells called "tabby." Both types of building materials are evident in countless old structures. And I bet you didn't know that the first Thanksgiving was held with the Spanish and Natives in Saint Augustine a full 55 years prior to the Pilgrims' celebration. So, perhaps we should be celebrating Thanksgiving in September as they did in Florida all those years ago! Sure would alleviate some of the holiday pressures.
We were sorry to leave Saint Augustine, but we moseyed down Florida's east coast and soaked up the sun and the sand all the way down to Daytona where we then headed west. That was truly the beginning of our return home...a rather exciting day for us! All through Georgia, Florida, and Texas, we spotted armadillos on the side of the road, some as roadkill, others munching the grubs that would surface after the lawns beyond the shoulder were mown. They are so cute! I got the photo of this one as I chased it into the bush! We also looked for alligators and manatees in the wild, but failed to find them. We did, however, see them at Homosassa Springs State Park on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The manatees were fed appetizers of carrots and sweet potatoes, then they moved on to a meal of lettuce, green peppers, and celery. We did get some good photos of them...not that YOU could see what they are...just blobs with lettuce heads bobbing around! The boatride through the bayou to get to the 72 degree springs was so relaxing. That area of Florida is full of bayous where everyone has their own dock and each dock has a power boat or a pontoon boat. Looks like a fun lifestyle to me!
We continued to head around the Florida panhandle and discovered Alligator Point. I've NEVER been to a more beautiful beach--not in Fiji, not in Tahiti, not in Hawaii or Coronado. The sand on this beach is 90% quartz, so it simply shimmered in its purity. That night, we camped at Henderson State Park on Destin Beach near Fort Walton Beach. Can you guess what the photo is? Whoever guesses gets a gift card! (The last guessing game we had, my party-hearty nephew, Brett, recognized the imprint of a shamrock in a glass of Guinness!) We thought we'd stay a while longer at that beach...until the wind came up that night! Eeegads! We moved on.
There really wasn't much we wanted to see in the Deep South, so we headed to Natchez, Mississippi. Do you remember the old TV show, "Maverick?" Well...ever since hearing the words to that theme song, "From Natchez to New Orleans, Living on Jacks and Queens, Luck is the Lady that he loved the best," or something like that, I've wanted to go to Natchez. I'd also read some books that referred to Natchez Under the Hill--the red light district. All I can say is, Natchez was a huge disappointment. Not much there. The city fathers could do so much more with what they have. So, we drove across Louisiana to the great state of Texas.
Yesterday, a native-born Texan used the following phrase to describe how non-natives feel about Texas: "I wasn't born here, but I got here as quick as I could." We are trying to continue to learn as we travel across this gorgeous country of ours and we knew nothing about the oil industry. So, we stopped in Kilgore for a visit at the West Texas Oil Museum. And what a fabulous little nugget they have there! Just as gold did in California and Alaska, oil did in Texas. Changed everything overnight. The museum recreates a boomtown in 1930s, complete with muddy streets, wagons, board sidewalks. We learned of the various ways oil can be submerged beneath the surface of the earth. From there, we continued west to Carrollton, to visit with our friends, the Schmidts.
Dick Schmidt is an executive with the Boy Scouts of America whose headquarters are in Irving, Texas. We toured the Boy Scout Museum and even raced in a mock pine car derby! We shot rifles in the shooting gallery and listened to the Scout leaders tell stories by the fire. Very nice museum. I even got to see Girl Scout uniforms and badges like I had as a girl. That night, the Schmidts very graciously included us in their Monday Night Football evening. They are all rabid Green Bay Packer fans and the Packers were playing that night. The Schmidts are originally from Milwaukee, which explains their penchant for that particular team. Pat made fabulous crock pot spaghetti with all the trimmings. But, most of all, we enjoyed catching up with them after all these years. We hope they'll come see us in Gig Harbor before another ten years go by!
Next, it was down to Conroe, Texas, just north of Houston for a visit with my Aunt Helen who had moved there from Marysville, California, to be closer to her son, Nick, and his family. Aunt Helen suffers from macular degeneration...such a pity for this avid reader who really introduced me to reading. When I was in elementary school, every few months, Dad would drive us to the Greyhound Bus Depot in downtown San Diego to pick up a box of books that Aunt Helen had finished. I'm not sure they were specifically for me, but I treated them as such. They were my introduction to mystery, romance, and adventure. Something I crave to this day. But I think Aunt Helen is doing just great for 90!
That leads us to the Texas Hill Country and the LBJ Ranch. Truth to tell, I really wanted to tour the facilities to learn more about Lady Bird. I really admired her, more so now that I've learned still more about what she accomplished in her life. We toured an authentic, original farm in LBJ's neighborhood and learned about clapboard milk (spelling?), making soap, and saw this Texas Longhorn up close and personal! LBJ owned my dream car. It's another gift card to whoever can guess what it is!!
'Til next time, hope you all had a loving Thanksgiving. We're getting hungry! The McChisms
We left "the South" for a couple of days when we toured Saint Augustine. It's Spanish flavor permeates the architecture and cuisine. Once again, we fell in love with a specific location. Saint Augustine is not only beautiful, but welcoming. We really soaked up the ambiance there by riding the trolley here and there and just resting on benches to watch the harbor. It reminds me very much of Old Town San Diego and Old Santa Fe--but right on the water. Flagler was a poor man who made good when he got in with the Standard Oil gang. He then built four huge resort hotels in Saint Augustine--one of which is now Flagler College. The towers on the college are made of terra cotta, as are many of the other architectural detailing. Simply gorgeous! Many of the buildings are made of coquina, a natural Caribbean building material made of coral, shell, and sand. When the Spanish built the Castillo de San Marco (Saint Augustine's fort), they used the imported coquina not knowing that the substance is impenetrable from cannon or gun fire. The poorer residents tried to make their own coquina with local shells called "tabby." Both types of building materials are evident in countless old structures. And I bet you didn't know that the first Thanksgiving was held with the Spanish and Natives in Saint Augustine a full 55 years prior to the Pilgrims' celebration. So, perhaps we should be celebrating Thanksgiving in September as they did in Florida all those years ago! Sure would alleviate some of the holiday pressures.
We were sorry to leave Saint Augustine, but we moseyed down Florida's east coast and soaked up the sun and the sand all the way down to Daytona where we then headed west. That was truly the beginning of our return home...a rather exciting day for us! All through Georgia, Florida, and Texas, we spotted armadillos on the side of the road, some as roadkill, others munching the grubs that would surface after the lawns beyond the shoulder were mown. They are so cute! I got the photo of this one as I chased it into the bush! We also looked for alligators and manatees in the wild, but failed to find them. We did, however, see them at Homosassa Springs State Park on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The manatees were fed appetizers of carrots and sweet potatoes, then they moved on to a meal of lettuce, green peppers, and celery. We did get some good photos of them...not that YOU could see what they are...just blobs with lettuce heads bobbing around! The boatride through the bayou to get to the 72 degree springs was so relaxing. That area of Florida is full of bayous where everyone has their own dock and each dock has a power boat or a pontoon boat. Looks like a fun lifestyle to me!
We continued to head around the Florida panhandle and discovered Alligator Point. I've NEVER been to a more beautiful beach--not in Fiji, not in Tahiti, not in Hawaii or Coronado. The sand on this beach is 90% quartz, so it simply shimmered in its purity. That night, we camped at Henderson State Park on Destin Beach near Fort Walton Beach. Can you guess what the photo is? Whoever guesses gets a gift card! (The last guessing game we had, my party-hearty nephew, Brett, recognized the imprint of a shamrock in a glass of Guinness!) We thought we'd stay a while longer at that beach...until the wind came up that night! Eeegads! We moved on.
There really wasn't much we wanted to see in the Deep South, so we headed to Natchez, Mississippi. Do you remember the old TV show, "Maverick?" Well...ever since hearing the words to that theme song, "From Natchez to New Orleans, Living on Jacks and Queens, Luck is the Lady that he loved the best," or something like that, I've wanted to go to Natchez. I'd also read some books that referred to Natchez Under the Hill--the red light district. All I can say is, Natchez was a huge disappointment. Not much there. The city fathers could do so much more with what they have. So, we drove across Louisiana to the great state of Texas.
Yesterday, a native-born Texan used the following phrase to describe how non-natives feel about Texas: "I wasn't born here, but I got here as quick as I could." We are trying to continue to learn as we travel across this gorgeous country of ours and we knew nothing about the oil industry. So, we stopped in Kilgore for a visit at the West Texas Oil Museum. And what a fabulous little nugget they have there! Just as gold did in California and Alaska, oil did in Texas. Changed everything overnight. The museum recreates a boomtown in 1930s, complete with muddy streets, wagons, board sidewalks. We learned of the various ways oil can be submerged beneath the surface of the earth. From there, we continued west to Carrollton, to visit with our friends, the Schmidts.
Dick Schmidt is an executive with the Boy Scouts of America whose headquarters are in Irving, Texas. We toured the Boy Scout Museum and even raced in a mock pine car derby! We shot rifles in the shooting gallery and listened to the Scout leaders tell stories by the fire. Very nice museum. I even got to see Girl Scout uniforms and badges like I had as a girl. That night, the Schmidts very graciously included us in their Monday Night Football evening. They are all rabid Green Bay Packer fans and the Packers were playing that night. The Schmidts are originally from Milwaukee, which explains their penchant for that particular team. Pat made fabulous crock pot spaghetti with all the trimmings. But, most of all, we enjoyed catching up with them after all these years. We hope they'll come see us in Gig Harbor before another ten years go by!
Next, it was down to Conroe, Texas, just north of Houston for a visit with my Aunt Helen who had moved there from Marysville, California, to be closer to her son, Nick, and his family. Aunt Helen suffers from macular degeneration...such a pity for this avid reader who really introduced me to reading. When I was in elementary school, every few months, Dad would drive us to the Greyhound Bus Depot in downtown San Diego to pick up a box of books that Aunt Helen had finished. I'm not sure they were specifically for me, but I treated them as such. They were my introduction to mystery, romance, and adventure. Something I crave to this day. But I think Aunt Helen is doing just great for 90!
That leads us to the Texas Hill Country and the LBJ Ranch. Truth to tell, I really wanted to tour the facilities to learn more about Lady Bird. I really admired her, more so now that I've learned still more about what she accomplished in her life. We toured an authentic, original farm in LBJ's neighborhood and learned about clapboard milk (spelling?), making soap, and saw this Texas Longhorn up close and personal! LBJ owned my dream car. It's another gift card to whoever can guess what it is!!
'Til next time, hope you all had a loving Thanksgiving. We're getting hungry! The McChisms
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Nothin' Could Be Finah...
than to be in Carolina... Okay, we admit it. We've fallen in love with South Carolina, too! We breezed through North Carolina and made stops at the Ava Gardner Museum in her home town of Smithfield and the AirBorne Museum in Fayetteville. Ava was born of sharecropper parents who were highly protective of her, but allowed her to go to New York to stay with her oldest sister (18 years her senior). The New York brother-in-law was a photographer who displayed photos of Ava in his shop window. Someone connected with the movies saw her photo and sent her for a screen test. Because of her distinct Southern accent, movie executives felt she should be renamed Betsy Johnson...or some such folksy moniker. But Ava stood by her guns and kept her birth name. Needless to say, she shook off her accent and did very well in Hollywood.
Then it was on to South Carolina. The truck was sputtering again and, thank goodness and our guardian angels, we were within 5 minutes of a Ford dealership in Florence where we spent the afternoon. Once again, the dealership was able to stop everything and help us. Then we were on our merry way to Bishopville, where we toured the Cotton Museum and wrote the previous blog from their gorgeous library. Doesn't the photo make it look inviting? Our next stop was Myrtle Beach where we ended up staying FOUR nights! What a great place! I know the town swells to hundreds of thousands during the summer, but it was nearly deserted when we were there. Yay! Our campground was right on the beach and we could look out the window to watch the dune grasses sway in the breeze and watch the small waves touch shore. At night, we could hear the roar of the ocean...not quite as loud as the Pacific, but nice just the same. The campground has the longest pier on the East Coast, so we walked out there and talked with the fishermen. And at dusk, we saw dolphins swimming in the waves toward shore. Susie, remember when we went to see the sunrise on the ocean on Sanibel? Well, we both watched it in Myrtle Beach and what a thrill! I could actually become a morning person if I lived on the beach on the East Coast! Myrtle Beach surprised me as I had pictured small cottages dotting the shore with a few golf courses sprinkled in. Boy, was I wrong! As you can see, the shoreline is full of high rises and reminded me more of Miami Beach. Our campground is one of the last hold-outs along the shoreline without high rise condos. We couldn't have found a more perfect place to stay. We're already trying to figure out how to spend winters there! I think Myrtle Beach might be a bit like Branson, Missouri, as it is full of theatres with live entertainment. The first night we were there, we went to see Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede Christmas Show. I've never seen so many beautiful horses in one place! The show was full of animals, music, and beautiful costuming. What more could I want? The next night, we went to see the Carolina Opry Christmas Show and were SO impressed by the talent exhibited there. Again...what gorgeous costuming! The show was full of humor...really fun! We hated to leave Myrtle Beach, but figured our next stop was Charleston...not a bad trade!
Just outside Charleston along the highway, we saw stands filled with baskets. Well, we had to stop to see what they were. The Gullah women from the barrier islands along the coast of South Carolina weave baskets out of the sweet grass that grows in the dunes. The woman from whom I bought my basket learned to weave at the age of 8 alongside her grandmother. She is now 72 and has taught her daughters and daughters-in-law. The generation coming of age right now, though, is not learning to weave. Many are afraid it will becoming a dying art. The woman showed me how she did the weaving...she just stands around and keeps her hands busy...She filed down a spoon handle to a dull point. It is this instrument that allows her to stick the sweet grass through the previous row's weaving. What a pleasure it was to talk with her...I wanted a photo, but learned she may have been wary as the Gullah traditionally believe the camera steals the soul.
Charleston is the most welcoming city! The signage is clear and there is RV parking right downtown! Believe me, we have not found this everywhere! We took a Grayline tour with a native Charlestonian who shared some of the insights into the town. Notice the Single House with the front door opening to the piazza (Charleston's term for a porch). Charleston is full of this style of house with secret gardens fit in here and there. The wrought iron throughout the town is astounding--many of it done by an African-American blacksmith who recently turned 96! Dubose Heyward wrote "Porgy" while living on "Cabbage Row," which he renamed "Catfish Row." Then Ira Gershwin lived nearby while he wrote the opera, "Porgy and Bess." There were SO many beautiful homes and churches in Charleston that we gave up photographing them and decided to buy a book! We learned that 40% of Charleston's homeowners (the really big, expensive homes) live elsewhere for their principal residence. And that the usual cost of painting one of these gorgeous homes is $80,000! Yikes! But thank goodness someone has this kind of money to restore the architecture to its former glory. And why was Charleston so wealthy in the first place? When the tour guide inquired this of the group, it was Clinton David who responded correctly: Rice. And poor Charleston has been hit by many city-wide fires, an earthquake (possibly a 7.5--prior to the Richter Scale measurement), and Hurricane Hugo.
I had read the book, "Sullivan's Island" by Dorothea Benton Frank, so, of course, wanted to see what Sullivan's Island was like. It was full of hurricane-proof-style homes and a natural landscape filled with pines and palms. The beach was beautiful and long...where we happened upon a "land boarder." He had lofted a foil of a parachute into the air which was attached via strings to a handle. He stood on a skateboard-type footing, held onto the handle, and the kite pulled him along the hard sand. He was having so much fun! Perhaps others have seen this done on California beaches, but we had not.
South Carolina also has America's only tea plantation. So, of course, we had to go learn about tea. Did you know that tea is a type of camellia? The blossom certainly gives that away. And the fragrance! It's amazing...certainly drew a lot of butterflies. There is only one type of tea and the point at which it stops being dried determines the type of tea: Black, Oolong, and Green The tea plants are harvested on the tops and side by a big hedger (John, don't get one of these for Devon!) that clips off the newest growth. The tea leaves are then chopped and dried. Black tea for 45 minutes, Oolong for 15 minutes, and none for green tea. Interesting, huh?
Savannah beckoned, so we fought rain to get there! But, lucky for us, the morning was gorgeous for our carriage ride through town before the skies opened up again. Savannah, like Charleston, is full of wrought iron. But did you know that the townspeople removed and buried all the wrought iron before General William Tecumseh Sherman arrived? Pretty wiley. We did see Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady & Sons. It's in a pretty run-down, yet touristy part of Savannah. And there were lines around the block to get in!!! River Street is full of shops and restaurants and a highlight of that area are the riverboat cruises and the waving girl statue. In the early years of the 20th century, the city light-tender's sister, Florence Martus, became known to seamen all over the world for waving at every ship. One legend maintains that she promised her sailor sweetheart to greet every ship until his return. Romantic, huh?
We're now ready to head to Saint Augustine, Florida, to see some Spanish influence again.
Then it was on to South Carolina. The truck was sputtering again and, thank goodness and our guardian angels, we were within 5 minutes of a Ford dealership in Florence where we spent the afternoon. Once again, the dealership was able to stop everything and help us. Then we were on our merry way to Bishopville, where we toured the Cotton Museum and wrote the previous blog from their gorgeous library. Doesn't the photo make it look inviting? Our next stop was Myrtle Beach where we ended up staying FOUR nights! What a great place! I know the town swells to hundreds of thousands during the summer, but it was nearly deserted when we were there. Yay! Our campground was right on the beach and we could look out the window to watch the dune grasses sway in the breeze and watch the small waves touch shore. At night, we could hear the roar of the ocean...not quite as loud as the Pacific, but nice just the same. The campground has the longest pier on the East Coast, so we walked out there and talked with the fishermen. And at dusk, we saw dolphins swimming in the waves toward shore. Susie, remember when we went to see the sunrise on the ocean on Sanibel? Well, we both watched it in Myrtle Beach and what a thrill! I could actually become a morning person if I lived on the beach on the East Coast! Myrtle Beach surprised me as I had pictured small cottages dotting the shore with a few golf courses sprinkled in. Boy, was I wrong! As you can see, the shoreline is full of high rises and reminded me more of Miami Beach. Our campground is one of the last hold-outs along the shoreline without high rise condos. We couldn't have found a more perfect place to stay. We're already trying to figure out how to spend winters there! I think Myrtle Beach might be a bit like Branson, Missouri, as it is full of theatres with live entertainment. The first night we were there, we went to see Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede Christmas Show. I've never seen so many beautiful horses in one place! The show was full of animals, music, and beautiful costuming. What more could I want? The next night, we went to see the Carolina Opry Christmas Show and were SO impressed by the talent exhibited there. Again...what gorgeous costuming! The show was full of humor...really fun! We hated to leave Myrtle Beach, but figured our next stop was Charleston...not a bad trade!
Just outside Charleston along the highway, we saw stands filled with baskets. Well, we had to stop to see what they were. The Gullah women from the barrier islands along the coast of South Carolina weave baskets out of the sweet grass that grows in the dunes. The woman from whom I bought my basket learned to weave at the age of 8 alongside her grandmother. She is now 72 and has taught her daughters and daughters-in-law. The generation coming of age right now, though, is not learning to weave. Many are afraid it will becoming a dying art. The woman showed me how she did the weaving...she just stands around and keeps her hands busy...She filed down a spoon handle to a dull point. It is this instrument that allows her to stick the sweet grass through the previous row's weaving. What a pleasure it was to talk with her...I wanted a photo, but learned she may have been wary as the Gullah traditionally believe the camera steals the soul.
Charleston is the most welcoming city! The signage is clear and there is RV parking right downtown! Believe me, we have not found this everywhere! We took a Grayline tour with a native Charlestonian who shared some of the insights into the town. Notice the Single House with the front door opening to the piazza (Charleston's term for a porch). Charleston is full of this style of house with secret gardens fit in here and there. The wrought iron throughout the town is astounding--many of it done by an African-American blacksmith who recently turned 96! Dubose Heyward wrote "Porgy" while living on "Cabbage Row," which he renamed "Catfish Row." Then Ira Gershwin lived nearby while he wrote the opera, "Porgy and Bess." There were SO many beautiful homes and churches in Charleston that we gave up photographing them and decided to buy a book! We learned that 40% of Charleston's homeowners (the really big, expensive homes) live elsewhere for their principal residence. And that the usual cost of painting one of these gorgeous homes is $80,000! Yikes! But thank goodness someone has this kind of money to restore the architecture to its former glory. And why was Charleston so wealthy in the first place? When the tour guide inquired this of the group, it was Clinton David who responded correctly: Rice. And poor Charleston has been hit by many city-wide fires, an earthquake (possibly a 7.5--prior to the Richter Scale measurement), and Hurricane Hugo.
I had read the book, "Sullivan's Island" by Dorothea Benton Frank, so, of course, wanted to see what Sullivan's Island was like. It was full of hurricane-proof-style homes and a natural landscape filled with pines and palms. The beach was beautiful and long...where we happened upon a "land boarder." He had lofted a foil of a parachute into the air which was attached via strings to a handle. He stood on a skateboard-type footing, held onto the handle, and the kite pulled him along the hard sand. He was having so much fun! Perhaps others have seen this done on California beaches, but we had not.
South Carolina also has America's only tea plantation. So, of course, we had to go learn about tea. Did you know that tea is a type of camellia? The blossom certainly gives that away. And the fragrance! It's amazing...certainly drew a lot of butterflies. There is only one type of tea and the point at which it stops being dried determines the type of tea: Black, Oolong, and Green The tea plants are harvested on the tops and side by a big hedger (John, don't get one of these for Devon!) that clips off the newest growth. The tea leaves are then chopped and dried. Black tea for 45 minutes, Oolong for 15 minutes, and none for green tea. Interesting, huh?
Savannah beckoned, so we fought rain to get there! But, lucky for us, the morning was gorgeous for our carriage ride through town before the skies opened up again. Savannah, like Charleston, is full of wrought iron. But did you know that the townspeople removed and buried all the wrought iron before General William Tecumseh Sherman arrived? Pretty wiley. We did see Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady & Sons. It's in a pretty run-down, yet touristy part of Savannah. And there were lines around the block to get in!!! River Street is full of shops and restaurants and a highlight of that area are the riverboat cruises and the waving girl statue. In the early years of the 20th century, the city light-tender's sister, Florence Martus, became known to seamen all over the world for waving at every ship. One legend maintains that she promised her sailor sweetheart to greet every ship until his return. Romantic, huh?
We're now ready to head to Saint Augustine, Florida, to see some Spanish influence again.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Escaping Bad Weather
Well, we left New York amid snow flurries and escaped to Pennsylvania where we found about 2" of snow on the ground. We kept heading south where we had glorious weather for a few days, then hit a Nor'Easter on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and hunked down in a Wal Mart parking lot for the night. Is it time to go home yet? NOOOO!!!!
As long as we were so close to Hershey, Pennsylvania, we decided we really needed to see where our favorite chocolate is made. So, we took the tour and bought some goodies. Hershey is a phenomenal town where Mr. Hershey was the moving force behind the community: a home for orphaned/abandoned boys, a sophisticated medical facility, and employee housing....all done in red brick with white trim. Truly a beautiful town. The Hersheys never had any children of their own and left a good portion of their fortune to the continuation of the boys home. We would have liked to go to the museum, but it is currently being renovated. It was such fun to see how the Kisses are made! Not what I would have thought...now I've got you guessing, huh?! And we think they "test" new products at the facility as we found cherry fondant and peanut butter Kisses there that we've not seen elsewhere. (Yes, we shop for chocolate on the road!)
From Hershey, we went to a far more sobering place: Gettysburg. Many of our National Parks have brand new visitor centers and displays. For a World's Fair around the turn of the last century, an artist depicted the Gettysburg battle on a huge elliptical canvas. That canvas has been restored and placed in a circular theatre where we felt we were right on the battlfield with all the soldiers. We walked through Gettysburg National Cemetery at dusk. Clint wishes he'd brought his flute to play an homage to all who had fallen. We stood on the site where Abraham Lincoln stood to share his Gettysburg Address with the crowd. Very moving. We felt so badly for the town of Gettysburg who had thousands of injured and dead to care for at the close of the three-day battle. The town of Gettysburg is beautifully historic and full of life. Good to see.
And since we're curious to learn how things are made, we went to the Martin Guitar Factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and the Harley-Davidson assembly line in York, Pennsylvania. (Clint can't get enough of those Harleys!) The Martin Guitars have been made since 1833 and is still owned by the Martin family. The museum showcased guitars, mandolins, and banjos made by the Martin factory...especially those owned by more famous artists like Elvis, Eric Clapton, and Joan Baez. The guitar shown in the photo in this blog is nearly completely inlaid with mother of pearl. A true work of art.
Then it was time to head to the Shenandoah National Park where we drove the Skyline Drive (much like the Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier National Park and the Rocky Mountain ridge road) along the tops of the mountains (such as they are at 3,500 feet). We camped in the National Park and saw lots of squirrels and deer--some with 10-point antlers! Believe it or not, we're STILL among colored leaves. This has been quite an autumn!
Since I've always been a big fan of Thomas Jefferson, I was anxious to see his home--Monticello. We were able to tour it on a hot, sunny day and with a fabulous tour guide who really made Jefferson's intelligence come to life for us. In the lobby of Monticello, we saw some of the treasures brought back to Jefferson by Lewis & Clark. Amazing! This home was styled like many of the plantations of its day with the "dependencies" (kitchen, smokehouse, wine cellar) under or to the side of the house. In fact, Jefferson devised a pulley system to bring bottles of wine from the cellar to the dining room! My kind of guy! Our next stop was Michie Tavern, in existence since 1784, and still serving meals and ale. It's a gorgeous building full of history.
The next day, we headed to the Colonial Triangle: Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown. But along the way, we discovered Shirley Plantation--the ancestral home of Robert E. Lee. It is the oldest plantation in America, founded in 1632 on the banks of the James River. Believe it or not, the last surviving family member of the Lee family still lives in the upstairs portion of the mansion. The most interesting story we learned about his particular plantation occurred during the height of the Civil War. The men had all gone off to fight the war and two women (Robert E. Lee's grandmother and aunt) were left with some of the slaves. After a serious battle nearby, General McClellan of the Northern Army decided to use the home and grounds as a hospital. Without sharing the family tree, the women helped the soldiers and when McClellan's army moved on, he left orders that not a head be harmed on Shirley Plantation. Had he known this was Robert E. Lee's grandparents home, would have done so? We'll never know.
We found Williamsburg to be interesting...especially the bits we learned about trials and wigs! Did you know "Powder Rooms" were originally made for men to powder their wigs and shake off the excess? Not for women to powder their noses! We enjoyed the fife and drum corps. The young people have been playing and marching there for 50 years. Very moving. Williamsburg was the first capital of Virginia and, once the Jamestown settlers grew weary of fighting the swamps and mosquitos, Williamsburg became their new home, too. The archaeology work being done in Jamestown is very surprising. One always thinks of digging going on elsewhere in the world--not in our own back yards.
From Jamestown, we took the free ferry (take a note Washington!) across the James River to an old-fashioned restaurant, The Virginia Diner, that has been existence since 1929 and partook of some traditional southern food: collards, hush puppies, southern fried chicken. Yummy! Needless to say, no dinner was required that night. And it's a good thing 'cause that's when we hit the Nor'Easter on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
The wind and rain blew so hard as we crossed the bridge over the Albemarle Sound that Clint put the truck in 4-wheel drive for extra traction. The weather hadn't seemed that bad until that point--just a bit of rain and a breeze. But, boy, once we got on the Outer Banks, it was a different story. Since we didn't want to cross that bridge again, we got as far as Kitty Hawk and learned all about those boys from Dayton, Ohio, who asked the National Weather Service where the windiest places in America were. Sixth on their list was Kitty Hawk (I hate to find out where the top 5 were!) where they so bravely explored the skies. Since we learned from the locals that those who live on the Outer Banks would rather have a hurricane blow through than a Nor'Easter, we wondered why. Well, the hurricane blows hard for an hour, then it's done. A Nor'Easter beats the shore for 5-6 days. At that point, we figured we weren't going to be able to tour the Outer Banks down to Hatteras as we'd hoped. So, we parked the truck in the lea of the big movie theatre building and went inside to watch "Nights at Rodanthe" which took place right down the road out of our reach. So, we did the best we could.
We slept pretty well that night behind a bank of trees in the WalMart parking lot and left via Roanoke Island bridge the next morning. It was still blowing like crazy and the road down to Hatteras was still closed--bulldozers needed to plow away the sand from the highway. And within 30 minutes, we found ourselves in the sunshine and headed to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where we wanted to tour the Airborne Museum on the Fort Bragg base. I was beyond bummed, though, when I learned that their simulator was broken. I was really looking forward to feeling like I was jumping out of airplanes, being yelled at by a drill sergeant, and trying to survive amid gunfire. Oh well...the museum was still VERY well done and told the stories of the airborne troops from WWII through current day.
As I write this, I'm in the coziest, most beautifully-outfitted library yet! Bishopville, South Carolina, where we'll tour the Cotton Museum and topiary gardens. I asked Clint to take a few photos, so you might see it on the next installment. Until then...
As long as we were so close to Hershey, Pennsylvania, we decided we really needed to see where our favorite chocolate is made. So, we took the tour and bought some goodies. Hershey is a phenomenal town where Mr. Hershey was the moving force behind the community: a home for orphaned/abandoned boys, a sophisticated medical facility, and employee housing....all done in red brick with white trim. Truly a beautiful town. The Hersheys never had any children of their own and left a good portion of their fortune to the continuation of the boys home. We would have liked to go to the museum, but it is currently being renovated. It was such fun to see how the Kisses are made! Not what I would have thought...now I've got you guessing, huh?! And we think they "test" new products at the facility as we found cherry fondant and peanut butter Kisses there that we've not seen elsewhere. (Yes, we shop for chocolate on the road!)
From Hershey, we went to a far more sobering place: Gettysburg. Many of our National Parks have brand new visitor centers and displays. For a World's Fair around the turn of the last century, an artist depicted the Gettysburg battle on a huge elliptical canvas. That canvas has been restored and placed in a circular theatre where we felt we were right on the battlfield with all the soldiers. We walked through Gettysburg National Cemetery at dusk. Clint wishes he'd brought his flute to play an homage to all who had fallen. We stood on the site where Abraham Lincoln stood to share his Gettysburg Address with the crowd. Very moving. We felt so badly for the town of Gettysburg who had thousands of injured and dead to care for at the close of the three-day battle. The town of Gettysburg is beautifully historic and full of life. Good to see.
And since we're curious to learn how things are made, we went to the Martin Guitar Factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and the Harley-Davidson assembly line in York, Pennsylvania. (Clint can't get enough of those Harleys!) The Martin Guitars have been made since 1833 and is still owned by the Martin family. The museum showcased guitars, mandolins, and banjos made by the Martin factory...especially those owned by more famous artists like Elvis, Eric Clapton, and Joan Baez. The guitar shown in the photo in this blog is nearly completely inlaid with mother of pearl. A true work of art.
Then it was time to head to the Shenandoah National Park where we drove the Skyline Drive (much like the Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier National Park and the Rocky Mountain ridge road) along the tops of the mountains (such as they are at 3,500 feet). We camped in the National Park and saw lots of squirrels and deer--some with 10-point antlers! Believe it or not, we're STILL among colored leaves. This has been quite an autumn!
Since I've always been a big fan of Thomas Jefferson, I was anxious to see his home--Monticello. We were able to tour it on a hot, sunny day and with a fabulous tour guide who really made Jefferson's intelligence come to life for us. In the lobby of Monticello, we saw some of the treasures brought back to Jefferson by Lewis & Clark. Amazing! This home was styled like many of the plantations of its day with the "dependencies" (kitchen, smokehouse, wine cellar) under or to the side of the house. In fact, Jefferson devised a pulley system to bring bottles of wine from the cellar to the dining room! My kind of guy! Our next stop was Michie Tavern, in existence since 1784, and still serving meals and ale. It's a gorgeous building full of history.
The next day, we headed to the Colonial Triangle: Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown. But along the way, we discovered Shirley Plantation--the ancestral home of Robert E. Lee. It is the oldest plantation in America, founded in 1632 on the banks of the James River. Believe it or not, the last surviving family member of the Lee family still lives in the upstairs portion of the mansion. The most interesting story we learned about his particular plantation occurred during the height of the Civil War. The men had all gone off to fight the war and two women (Robert E. Lee's grandmother and aunt) were left with some of the slaves. After a serious battle nearby, General McClellan of the Northern Army decided to use the home and grounds as a hospital. Without sharing the family tree, the women helped the soldiers and when McClellan's army moved on, he left orders that not a head be harmed on Shirley Plantation. Had he known this was Robert E. Lee's grandparents home, would have done so? We'll never know.
We found Williamsburg to be interesting...especially the bits we learned about trials and wigs! Did you know "Powder Rooms" were originally made for men to powder their wigs and shake off the excess? Not for women to powder their noses! We enjoyed the fife and drum corps. The young people have been playing and marching there for 50 years. Very moving. Williamsburg was the first capital of Virginia and, once the Jamestown settlers grew weary of fighting the swamps and mosquitos, Williamsburg became their new home, too. The archaeology work being done in Jamestown is very surprising. One always thinks of digging going on elsewhere in the world--not in our own back yards.
From Jamestown, we took the free ferry (take a note Washington!) across the James River to an old-fashioned restaurant, The Virginia Diner, that has been existence since 1929 and partook of some traditional southern food: collards, hush puppies, southern fried chicken. Yummy! Needless to say, no dinner was required that night. And it's a good thing 'cause that's when we hit the Nor'Easter on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
The wind and rain blew so hard as we crossed the bridge over the Albemarle Sound that Clint put the truck in 4-wheel drive for extra traction. The weather hadn't seemed that bad until that point--just a bit of rain and a breeze. But, boy, once we got on the Outer Banks, it was a different story. Since we didn't want to cross that bridge again, we got as far as Kitty Hawk and learned all about those boys from Dayton, Ohio, who asked the National Weather Service where the windiest places in America were. Sixth on their list was Kitty Hawk (I hate to find out where the top 5 were!) where they so bravely explored the skies. Since we learned from the locals that those who live on the Outer Banks would rather have a hurricane blow through than a Nor'Easter, we wondered why. Well, the hurricane blows hard for an hour, then it's done. A Nor'Easter beats the shore for 5-6 days. At that point, we figured we weren't going to be able to tour the Outer Banks down to Hatteras as we'd hoped. So, we parked the truck in the lea of the big movie theatre building and went inside to watch "Nights at Rodanthe" which took place right down the road out of our reach. So, we did the best we could.
We slept pretty well that night behind a bank of trees in the WalMart parking lot and left via Roanoke Island bridge the next morning. It was still blowing like crazy and the road down to Hatteras was still closed--bulldozers needed to plow away the sand from the highway. And within 30 minutes, we found ourselves in the sunshine and headed to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where we wanted to tour the Airborne Museum on the Fort Bragg base. I was beyond bummed, though, when I learned that their simulator was broken. I was really looking forward to feeling like I was jumping out of airplanes, being yelled at by a drill sergeant, and trying to survive amid gunfire. Oh well...the museum was still VERY well done and told the stories of the airborne troops from WWII through current day.
As I write this, I'm in the coziest, most beautifully-outfitted library yet! Bishopville, South Carolina, where we'll tour the Cotton Museum and topiary gardens. I asked Clint to take a few photos, so you might see it on the next installment. Until then...
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