HARDEEVILLE, SC, and SAVANNAH, GA (HALLOWEEN) (OCT. 31, 2009)

Lu had it on her mind to do laundry in the trailer today…
Don’t know why, since she could’ve used the Laundromat in the Park, but “Mine is not to reason why; Mine is to do or die,” as somebody once said…
Anyway, we had a fairly uneventful morning, and were ready for some serious fun in town this evening.
When we first arrived here, we found out that this one restaurant had “Po’Boys,” and we were determined to have that for dinner Halloween Night… Especially after we were told they were as good as the ones in New Orleans…
For those who don’t know what a “Po’Boy“ is… Well, they’re “sandwiches” (or should I say Big Hot Dog Buns (if I knew how to spell “Hoagy Buns,” I would’ve called it that), stuffed with oysters, or shrimp, or other “goodies“ (all kinds of fish, for instance), and garnished with lettuce, tomatoes, and other ingredients… And the coup d’état: Some kind of “Cajun” sauce, which has imprinted itself on my mind ever since we had them in New Orleans, in 2000…
I know my description doesn’t measure up to the taste here, but suffice it to say, Luanne loves her oyster, and I love my shrimp “Po’Boy.”
So… We spent the morning just waiting (or should I say drooling) for the evening to arrive…
Couldn’t wait that long, of course (we can hardly wait any length of time for anything, truth be told), and left about 3:00…
Just to make the “evening” go a little faster, we let “Jack” steer us to a Walmart, located South of Savannah… He’s still not speaking to us, but he managed to get us there without any fuss (maybe because we programmed an actual address in, who knows? Sure wish he‘d get over that laryngitis, though)…
Got a case of bottled water (the RV Parks’ supply doesn’t taste good), then spent some time around the streets of Savannah trying to find a parking spot…
Not successful…
We ended up in a parking garage, and found (to our surprise) that it was only three bucks, after 5:00 on Fridays, and all weekend long… Pretty good!).
While walking down to the Waterfront, we called Luanne’s sister to gloat about the weather (86 degrees, and sunny skies… 56 in Seattle, and cloudy… Ahhh.. Chucks!), and they ended up talking for as long as it took us to get down to River Street, and take a leisurely tour of that big sailing vessel tied to the dock…
Must‘ve had a lot to talk about…
We stopped and had a drink at the “joint” we were going to have dinner (making sure they weren’t going to run out of either oysters or shrimp), then started a long stroll up and down just about every avenue in Savannah proper…
It’s a very neat town, with all kinds of Public Squares (shaded by Spanish Moss-covered Oaks), incredible mansions, and a Public Market that’s to die for, and, of course, the Waterfront…
But (I’m almost afraid to say), Luanne and I both feel that Charleston is “one up” on Savannah…
Haven’t figured out why that is, but there you have it… Just a feeling, I guess…
So… Stepping gingerly away from that subject…
Somehow, we stumbled onto the “Red Carpet” treatment for The Savannah Film Festival…
Stopped right in front of the ”Media Center” (where all the interviews were going to take place), and stepped on a few paparazzi toes as “celebrities” showed up… Lots of fun!
In reality, Luanne and I only knew (of) Woody Heraldson, whom I got a few shots of, as he stood a few feet from us, but we heard this couple next to us exclaiming, “There’s So and So,” so, I suppose, there were other known personalities present… We just didn’t recognize any…
After gawking for so long, I finally had to tear Luanne away from there without seeing Robert Redford, whom we’d hoped would show up, but no such luck this time…
We took a leisurely walk over to The Public Market…
Stopped here and there to look at art (and all kinds of junk); had a drink at “Jen’s and Friends,” and, finally, ended up at Huey’s for our encounter with two Po’Boys…
Very good, but, unfortunately, no cigar… The Cajun sauce was missing… Guess we have to go to New Orleans for the “Real Thing.”
We did another lap around the Waterfront, then decided we’d had enough… Time to head home and let the Younger Set have their merrymaking…
We’re not much into Halloween these days…
Used to be fun when the kids were kids, but now… Not so much… Getting old, I guess…
Anyway, we made it home without any mishap…
Lu went to bed, and here I am again: Hunting and pecking my way around the keyboard (should’ve taken typing!)
That’s it… Finished with another segment…
Take care, and look out for some more tomorrow…… Maybe?
Today's Pictures: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/HARDEEVILLE%5EJ%20SC%5EJ%20and%20SAVANNAH%5EJ%20GA%20%5E5HALLOWEEN%5E6%20%5E5OCT.%2031%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=42&isFromRichUpload=1

TYBEE ISLAND, FORT SCREVEN, and FORT PULASKI, GA (OCT. 30, 2009)

Best news first!
I got my glasses back this morning! The ones I broke a half dozen times (using superglue to keep together)…
If you remember from my past Blogs, after countless (and fruitless) attempts to have them fixed (all across the country), I finally called my optometrist, Dave, in Bellingham, WA, and, upon his request, mailed him the pieces, so he could check them out…
I am delighted to inform you, folks, my glasses look brand new, which is a minor miracle, since (when I last saw them) there were streaks of superglue all over the lenses…
My sincerest thanks, Dave… I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate your effort and speedy return of my glasses…
You truly know how to take care of your customers!
It will be my pleasure to recommend “EVERYTHING IN SIGHT OPTOMETRY” to everyone I know…
That was a good start to the day, wasn‘t it?
The rest of the day didn’t turn out too bad either…
We heard about Tybee Island Lighthouse yesterday, and thought it’d be worth our while taking the 30 (or so) miles out there…
With the exception of Fort Screven and Fort Pulaski, the trip really wasn’t what we had expected…
From Savannah, the road takes you across flat-as-a-pancake marshes, with no discernible features, except for a bridge or two, a building here and there, and some decks resting high on precarious wooden posts…
The town of Tybee Island is so commercialized, that we couldn’t even find a place to park without having to pay an arm and a leg…
Parking meters are everywhere, even on side streets!
In pursuit of the Tybee Lighthouse, we drove down to the Southern tip of the island, but homes along the shoreline are built so close to each other that there isn’t much of a chance to see anything beyond them…
We managed to find a public access point, but because warning signs about parking illegally are everywhere, we were more than a little hesitant to leave the truck for any length of time, so we parked in a handicap spot, and dashed over a dune where we took two pictures of the “hallowed ground,“ only to find no lighthouse!
Disappointed, we got the truck out of the “danger zone,” and began our trek back… Stopped, and asked a couple (out in their yard) where the lighthouse was, and the lady said, “Oh that’s up North, at the other end of the island.” She was pointing SOUTH as she was speaking…
Her husband came over, and in a thick, movie-script, Southern accent informed us (and her), as he pointed North: “Sorry, but she gets a bit confused with her directions.“
That was almost worth the trip out there!
We did find the lighthouse (which is the tallest one we’ve seen yet) at the defunct Fort Screven, but didn’t linger for long, since we were greeted by a cold wind as we got out of the truck…
On the way over to Tybee, we passed Fort Pulaski (National Monument), so we stopped there on the way back…
Very impressive! Even has a moat filled with water… The first I‘ve ever seen…
Of course, there’s some history here, which could take a day (or maybe more) to investigate…
However (unless you go on-line to find out more on your own), your history lesson from me today will consist of a few shots of some of the plaques posted around the premises…
After a lesson of musket firing, by a young “Union” “soldier-girl,” we drove home, where we took it easy for an hour, before programming “Jack” to take us to Walmart, which was supposed to be only 6.3 miles away.
After about 16 miles, and having arrived at our “destination,” we found ourselves in the parking lot of a gas station…
What’s with these GP(a)Sses? There’s no doubt someone has messed with Jack’s mind (probably Molly) when it comes to finding Walmarts…
I turned him off!
Felt good!
Then had to turn him back on… Didn’t know where we were…
Wouldn’t you know it… He is now MUTE!
Won’t say a word!
Tried all kinds of settings, threats, and kind words, but he has refused all attempts!
I give up…
Maybe he’ll come to his senses in the morning?
Sure hope so…
And with that good thought, have a great night, day, or whatever, wherever you are…
As always, take care, and keep us in mind.
PS… Forgot to mention we went into town, after we got home from Walmart (which we eventually found after asking people for directions), and walked a lot of the “famous” streets…
Fascinating place…
Unfortunately, we forgot the camera, so you’ll have to wait for pictures…
Here are the pictures we did take: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/TYBEE%20ISLAND%5EJ%20FORT%20SCREVEN%5EJ%20and%20FORT%20PULASKI%5EJ%20GA%20%5E5OCT.%2030%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=31&isFromRichUpload=1

CHARLESTON to HARDEEVILLE, SC and SAVANNAH, GA (OCT. 29, 2009)

Happy anniversary to us!
Can you believe it? We just finished our fourth month on the road…
Where does the time go when you’re having fun?
I’m not kidding…
We’re having a lot of fun…
Oh, we’ve had a couple of ups and downs along the way, but they’ve been few and far between, and quickly forgotten, so, I think I can speak for both of us when I say, we’ve had a fantastic time exploring some of the nooks and crannies of these United States, and it’s been a fun experience…
Thanks, Honey, for being my steadfast partner, for taking this trip with me, and for putting up with me all these years…
(F.Y.I., we’re working on our 40th year of wedded bliss… Not a record, by any means, but quite an accomplishment, don‘t you think?)
OK… Enough mush, already…
Since we only had some 70 miles to drive today, we took our sweet time waking up and getting ready…
Matter of fact, a little after 9:00, we decided to head on over to Walmart to get some gas (I would dearly love for “our” Walmart to offer diesel), and to get some cash, since our next stop (in Hardeeville) required either “greenbacks” or checks…
Somewhere, we passed Walmart the first day we were in Charleston, but since it was pouring down that day, we didn’t pay much attention to location, so I programmed “Jack” (our GPS “mascot“) to take us there…
He stated quite seriously (I think) that it was only 6 miles away, which seemed about right, and off we went…
Can you see where this is going?
Oh, yeah…
When Good Ol’ Jack informed us that we had arrived at our destination, we looked at the odometer, the surroundings, and each other…
Eight miles driven…
We were sitting in the parking lot of some small and desolate shopping center…
The look on our faces said it all…
Total disbelief!
That little jerk! (Sorry… Must clean up my language one of these days)…
Thankfully, a “stray” lady (who probably used Molly, Jack‘s worse half) gave us the right directions, and we managed to get to Walmart, get back to the RV Park, and get ourselves on the road before the 11 o’clock checkout time…
Ahhh, life on the road…
And, talking about the road…
There’s really nothing “striking” to take pictures of…
There is the occasional swamp, bridge, and building, but that’s about it…
No hills (unless you count overpasses)…
The road snakes through thick woods, with hardly any view beyond the roadway shoulder…
To put it simply, nothing worth taking pictures of, or talk about…
So, that brings us to the Georgia border…
Our “Homestead” (for five nights) is in Hardeeville, SC (about 5 miles North of the border), and the closest RV Park we could find to Savannah.
Shortly after the “umbilicals” were hooked up, we were on our way to this legendary city…
Crossed the Savannah River on a bridge much like the one in Charleston, and stopped at the Visitor’s center for directions…
Lucked out with parking, and soon found ourselves strolling along East River Street…
Interesting place, to say the least…
Multi-storied (and interconnected) buildings (containing every type of eatery, boutique, and shop you can imagine) provide the backdrop to the “promenade,” which terminates at the river’s edge…
Sailing up and down the river, you can see tugboats, river paddleboats, huge ocean-going ships, and every other floatable vessel invented, I believe…
Very busy!
Some of the streets are made of cobblestones (probably authentic from way back when)…
Over the years, they‘ve been let to contract and expand at their own pace, resulting in a chaotic and uneven surface, which might be a bit dangerous for anybody who’s wearing high heels, or has had one too many…
Quaint, though!
Like I said, we wandered back and forth on the “promenade” a couple of times, then headed up to Bay, and a couple of other streets, just so we could to get a feel for the layout…
What we saw left us wanting for more, and that’s just what we’ll be doing over the next few days…
Gotta see it all, or, at least, quite a bit of it, before we depart…
And, talking about departing…
Adios my friends… Take care, and keep your eyes open for new Blogs…
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/CHARLESTON%20to%20HARDEEVILLE%5EJ%20SC%20and%20SAVANNAH%5EJ%20GA%20%5E5OCT.%2029%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=31&isFromRichUpload=1

CHARLESTON, SULLIVAN’S ISLAND, and ISLE OF PALMS, SC (OCT 28, 2009)

Man was it ever muggy this morning…
Have you had one of those days when it takes forever to cool down after taking a shower?
Honestly, I was seriously thinking about taking another shower, but a cold one, when I realized I could turn the AC on… My morning was saved…
After a languid period of cooling down, and some serious pondering, we finally got ourselves motivated to go and explore Charleston and the surrounding areas…
We were here a couple of years ago, when we went on a cruise to the Caribbean… Had a rental car then, and managed to see and do quite a lot, so (long story short) we had a few places where we wanted to revisit…
Headed back North on Hwy 17 (about 10, or so, miles from our RV Park), and
drove straight down, on Murray Blvd., to “The Battery“ (which covers the Southern area of Old Charleston)…
Ahhh, the homes here are something to behold…
Can’t possibly describe them, so take some time and look at my pictures…
http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/CHARLESTON%5EJ%20SULLIVAN%e2%80%99S%20ISLAND%5EJ%20and%20ISLE%20OF%20PALMS%5EJ%20SC%20%5E5OCT%2028%5EJ%202009%5E6?uc=30&isFromRichUpload=1
After some Oh-ing and Ah-ing, we put the truck in a parking garage, and proceeded to walk… Must’ve been a hundred blocks…
Well, maybe not…
Would you buy fifty?
No…
How ‘bout a dozen?
Thank you!
Charleston is very fascinating in more ways than one…
Did you know that the first shots of the Civil War took place here?
And what about the slave trade? This is one of the “hot spots” for that dark segment of our history…
There are several very famous plantations around the area, but since we visited some of those the last time, we didn’t bother this time (with the exception of yesterday, when we didn’t know what we were doing, and got lost in the rain, and drove by four of them… Could barely see the front gates, let alone the buildings, so, I guess it doesn‘t count).
Anyway, we did our thing in down town, then headed over Cooper River (on the fancy Ravenel Bridge), and stopped short of Fort Moultrie, at a place (Vickery’s, I believe it‘s called) where we had a fantastic lunch two years ago…
Had another marvelous lunch (Healthy today: Soup and Salad, with water to drink!).
After stuffing ourselves, we crossed some very flat land over to Sullivan’s Island, and from there over to the Isle of Palms, where we had an hour, or so, walking the beach… Very comfortable temperature, a slight breeze, no rain… What more could you ask for?
After all that, we went home for an hour’s siesta, then, around 4:00, we headed back to Old Town to have dinner at Bubba Gump’s…
We ordered two buckets:
Oysters, clams, and bread in one, and 1½ pounds of Cajun shrimp in the other… Top that off with soup, and you’re guaranteed not to leave hungry!
We had to walk some of that fat off, of course, so we strolled around “The Market” for a while, before heading home to get ready for tomorrow’s very short trip down to the outskirts of Savannah, Georgia.
That’s the end of another day, so take care, and always remember to check up on us Vagabonds…

RAINY MYRTLE BEACH, and MYRTLE BEACH to CHARLESTON, SC (OCT 26 and 27, 2009)

I would say that, for us Washingtonians, temperatures in the mid-sixties is just plain wonderful, and we’d delight in days like that, but, on Monday (Oct.26... That was yesterday, folks…), 64° F was right down cold and miserable!
The cause?
Well, we dropped 20 degrees from Sunday, and to make matters worse, it rained all day long…
It was one of those days when sky and horizon melt into one…
You know what I mean…
Gray and gloomy…
The rain pelted down so hard at times, that neither sky nor ground could be seen…
Good day to stay in and take it easy…
That’s what we did…
Read a lot… Snoozed… Called our loved ones… Complained about the weather… Read some more…
Didn’t feel like posting any new comments on the Blog… (Sorry, Gede…)
And didn’t get “cabin” fever until about 4:00...
We had reservations at the Hillside Restaurant (just up the road from us) for 6:30, but decided to risk the elements and venture out for a bit prior to that…
One of the reasons for this craziness (besides “cabin” fever), was that I happened to look at the pictures on Sunday evening, and to my surprise, I found a surprise…
Look at the next to the last picture…
See those clumps down at the bottom?
http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/RAINY%20MYRTLE%20BEACH%5EJ%20and%20MYRTLE%20BEACH%20to%20CHARLESTON%5EJ%20SC%20%5E5OCT%2027%5EJ%202009%5E6
I must’ve thought they were rocks when I was uploading, but those rocks are actually turtles!
Seven of’em! Goodness gracious… How could I have missed something like that?
Well, that gave us an excellent excuse to risk the wrath of the weather gods…
Just had to find out about this little conundrum, you see…
Drove around the lake at least a couple of times, but couldn’t find, see, or hear anything resembling a turtle… (Can you hear these creatures?)
However, we did find out that there are turtles in the lake, so, at least, we were not hallucinating…
After this unsuccessful outing, we splashed our way over to the Hillside Restaurant, where both Luanne and I ordered the Prime Rib dinner… Fabulous! (Also… My wallet was very happy that it only cost a buck per ounce, which is something of a rarity these days).
We had just over 120 miles to drive today (Oct. 27), so we pulled out from Myrtle Beach around 10:00...
No rain, but, like yesterday, there was no discernable break between heaven and earth at the horizon…
Matter of fact it got darker the further South we drove, and I just knew I was going to be drenched when I was setting the trailer up, but, no… No rain…
Got the truck unhooked, the “umbilical chords” fastened, and the trailer leveled, and my first wife tells me that she cannot receive Satellite TV…
There are two trees in this whole area, and I (without thinking about it) managed to plant us right between them…
Oh, yeah… I’m good!
You know the rule, right? “If wife not happy, no-one happy!”
I re-hooked… Un-fastened… Un-this and un-that…
Then moved the whole shebang to a clear-shot-at-the-sky-spot…
Happy wife, happy everybody!
Just as I crawled (totally exhausted, mind you) into the trailer, the rain came…
Am I lucky, or what?
I sprawled out for a while, then decided, since we only have 2 nights here, to take a quick trip into Charleston-town…
Stopped at a Walmart on the way, and from there got totally lost, taking a 20-some mile tour through the countryside, all the while having the windshield wipers do the Charleston (Oh… That’s good! I must be on a roll)…
It was coming down so hard, it was almost impossible to see more than a few feet at times…
Something Wife #1 didn‘t appreciate… Poor thing…
We finally got ourselves down to Meeting Street; found a parking space, and, just as the Heavens opened up the flood gates, we sprinted across the street into an open store front…
We got a bit wet, but nothing serious…
Lu spotted a restaurant across the street (where we came from, of course), and as soon as the rain abated, we made dash for it…
Of course, I dashed the wrong way (thinking, for some reason, that the door into the place was there), and by the time we turned around, another million gallons of “Angel Bathwater” poured down upon us… We got a bit wetter…
I do believe my Better Half was slightly put out by my side trip, but she calmed down after I bought us some fluids and some very yummy hors d’oeuvres…
Here’s how bad it rained: We tried to walk around after eating, but couldn’t get more than half a block from our truck, because the roads were flooded… Decided to head home, and try again tomorrow.
So there you have it….
Another tale completed from some wet gypsies…
Take care, and keep an eye out for updates…

MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA (OCT. 25, 2009)

It was a bit on the cooler side this morning, so Luanne did a bit of washing and house cleaning before we drove to Costco to replenish depleted stores…
It’s been a while since we dropped in on one of our favorite stores, but, even so, we managed to get out of there without busting our budget…
It’s a temporary setback, ‘cause we decided to wait until tomorrow (Monday) to purchase needed goods, since the meat department will probably be in a “fresher” state then…
Anyway, from there, we went straight to the beach…
The Old Myrtle Beach, that is…
Found out that the beach we were at yesterday was North Myrtle Beach…
They are two different areas, except, of course, they share a sixty mile stretch of sand…
SIXTY miles!!! Can you get your brain around that?
Even though it’s an easy-walking, wide and wonderful, fine sandy beach, that’s still a long walk…
Well, you know the story by now…
We spent a couple of hours splashing our way along the surf line, looking for that perfect shell…
Don’t know if we found it, but Lu had another bagful by the time we got back to the truck…
I swear, Per Arne, you might be right: I’ll have to buy another truck (or trailer) by the time we leave the beaches in Florida…
We had overcast when we started out this morning, so we didn’t take any sun block with us, which made us abandoned the beach by about 2:00, when the sun was beginning to take it’s toll on us…
Home to rest, then off to explore some more…
Stopped at quite a few souvenir shops (looking for another T-shirt and some beach chairs), but didn’t find anything suitable, so we just drove around… Looking at anything and everything…
You can probably get an idea of what we did by looking at our pictures:
http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/MYRTLE%20BEACH%5EJ%20SOUTH%20CAROLINA%20%5E5OCT.%2025%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=52&isFromRichUpload=1
Stopped at Chestnut Hill Restaurant and made reservations for tomorrow, then home to have dinner and to watch news on TV (something we haven’t done for a while)…
It’s 9:30, and Lu just went to bed, while I’m here sweating out a Blog… Life’s just not fair!
Well… Maybe it ain’t so bad, after all… I’m done, and so are you!
Take care, and please keep an eye out for us…

NEWPORT, NC to MYRTLE BEACH, SC (Oct. 24, 2009)

We were a little apprehensive this morning, ‘cause the forecast called for rain and wind, but then, that forecast was for New York, which, of course, is a few miles North of where we are… That’s DirecTV for you… You take what you get, and interpolate… And I interpolated blue skies and warmth…
I almost got it… We had a few raindrops (must’ve been about 14 or 15) splatter the windshield somewhere (can’t remember where), but that was it… There’s really nothing to write about regarding our 140 miles drive South from Newport, NC.
Quite boring, really… Here and there you’ll see something or other (like a marina, or some lonely dilapidated barn... or something like that), but nothing to stir the imagination, or to backtrack for, just to get a picture…
If truth be told, I like drives like this once in a while… It makes for an easy day, and that’s good.
Now that I think about it, it seems like today’s trip involved driving through an endless Strip Mall… There were exceptions, to be sure, but, by and by, it seemed like driving along Aurora Avenue, in Seattle, passing an endless array of every conceivable retail business there is…
Oh, well…
We made it to Briarcliffe RV Resort, in Myrtle Beach, by about 12:30, and by the time I had the trailer situated, I was drenched!
A roadside sign (close to here) showed 86° F, and the humidity must’ve been very close to that… The prudent thing to do was to take a short nap, then explore the beach a little later, when things cooled down…
That’s what happened…
We strolled onto Myrtle Beach beach around 3:00, and spent the next couple of hours strolling the surf line - Luanne searching for shells, and I… Looking for any way to get my feet wet…
After that, we decided we deserved a dinner out, so we programmed “Jack” to take us to this one place (I forget the name, but it doesn’t matter)… It had gone belly up, so we re-programmed you-know-who, and sure enough we got lost…
Now… Hold on a minute… It wasn’t all Jack’s fault…
We came to this humongous freeway intersection, and, unfortunately, I didn’t listen to the “Jackman“… Instead, I heeded Lu’s advice, and turned onto this one ramp (before I should‘ve turned), which took us North for seven miles before we were able to turn around…
Somehow, we got back on track, but were driving home - since we’d given up on finding a decent place to eat - when we spotted the sign for “Chestnut Hill” restaurant…
Squealed to a stop, and had a fantastic dinner consisting of scallops, shrimp, and portabella mushrooms…
Doesn’t that sound yummy? It was.
Think we’ll go back on Monday, when their prime rib is a dollar per ounce! That’s pretty darn reasonable!
So, that’s it for tonight…
We’re safe and sound in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and will be here for three nights… Then off to a place real close to Charleston…
Take care, and keep in touch!
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/NEWPORT%5EJ%20NC%20to%20MYRTLE%20BEACH%5EJ%20SC%20%5E5Oct.%2024%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=29&isFromRichUpload=1

FORT MACON STATE PARK, NC (OCT. 23, 2009)

Up fairly early, but squandered the early part away on nothing very important.
I got a call from our optometrist in Bellingham, WA., saying he had fixed my glasses (I broke both stems when I sat on them at the beginning of our trip, and, having no spare, I’ve superglued them at least a half dozen times…
Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do…
The strange thing is, I‘ve been told, from Idaho to Maine, the glasses could not be fixed… One optometrist even went as far as saying it’d cost six to seven hundred bucks to repair them…
Well… Bully on them!
My guy, Dave, at “Everything in Sight” (catchy name, huh?) did the job for fifty dollars, and he’s sending them to a RV Park down the road, where we’ll get them in a few days… So… Is that cool, or what?
Thanks, Dave! I truly appreciate your time and effort on this…
I’ll certainly recommend “Everything in Sight” to everyone I meet.
Other than that, I verified our reservation in Biloxi, MS, for over Christmas and New Year’s… There’s a 60-day “lead window” when you can make reservations to most “RPI” and “Coast to Coast” RV Parks, so we couldn’t do that until today (since we’re arriving on Dec. 23), but we got it done, so we are now good to go until January 6, 2010...
Don’t know where we’ll be between Jan. 6 and the middle of February, when we’ll be in New Orleans for Marti Gras, but we’ll figure something out…
I’m just rambling on here today, aren‘t I?
Oh, well…
Since it didn’t rain this morning, we decided to take one last trip out to Fort Macon State Park (at the Northern end of Emerald Isle), since we‘re moving on tomorrow…
If you look at the pictures, you’ll see the same “quiet” (except for crashing waves) landscape we waded through last time…
Not many people today?
Just a few fishers trying their luck here and there…
Even the bird population was taking it easy, until I came a bit too close, and most took flight…
Saw two black-looking pelicans for the first time, by the way…
Thought they liked it better further down South?
Lu picked another bag of shells…
If this goes on everywhere we’ll be on a beach, I’ll certainly have to figure out how to carry all the extra weight… A distribution problem, for sure…
Well… The sky slowly, but surely, turned gray as the morning waned and afternoon took hold…
It was time to say adios to the State Park… But, before we left, we spent an hour going through Fort Macon… The new (and very impressive) Visitor’s Center is almost finished, but not open yet, so we took a stroll through the old battle station… Quite some history here, as you probably know…
Anyway, it was time to scoot… Black clouds dominated the sky, and before we got home, we got dumped on!
Was going to fill up the truck, but decided to wait a while, which was a good thing, ‘cause it cleared up after a couple of hours… Hence, I didn’t get wet when I did go to fill up...
The bathroom hatch had been left open, but no serious problem… And that’s it, that’s the end of another segment… Another day in the life of the Vagabonds…
Take care and remember to check in on us once in a while… PICTURES:
http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/FORT%20MACON%20STATE%20PARK%5EJ%20NC%20%5E5OCT.%2023%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=33&isFromRichUpload=1

SWANSBORO and EMERALD ISLE, NC (OCT. 22, 2009)

The sun was shining once again, as we muddle our way through the early morning hours…
Well… That might’ve been a bit on the poetic side, but a bit distant from the truth…
Suffice it to say, we were on the road by 10... Heading to Swansboro, a town, Luanne read, was on the historic side (like most of these towns around here), and looked like it had some “cute” things to offer “cute-starving” tourists…
We piled in to the Visitor’s Center…
Grabbed a handful of brochures…
Were properly informed by the on-site “proprietor” on what to see and where to go, and proceeded to spend an hour, or so, doing what we’ve been doing for four months now: Looking at art, “wanna-be-art,” antiques, pottery, junk, and more junk, and, of course, some fairly old buildings in various stages of disrepair…
Not really impressed with Swansboro, but not totally disenchanted either, if you know what I mean…
We decided to head over to the Emerald Isle (where we went when we first arrived), and, since we’ve been to the far Northern tip of the island, we thought it prudent to visit the Southernmost point as well…
Took the Coast Guard Road, and spotted some very exclusive “settlements” on the way… Unfortunately, the views only teased your senses, since they almost all were hidden from the road…
So… We get down to the end, and find the access to the beach closed, and there’s no parking anywhere… What a bummer!
Backtracked, and went to the “Western Ocean Regional Access” parking lot, at the end of Island Drive (or is it Boardwalk Drive?)…
Spent the next two and a half hours walking the surf, picking up shells, and having the time of our lives, drifting slowly over to the Bogue Fishing Pier… The map shows a distance of 2 miles from where we parked to the pier, so that’s 4 miles, for you mathematicians, and for us old folks? Well, that’s a good walk!
After having properly been tanned on both sides, we drove back to Swansboro, and indulged ourselves in Taco Salads at the Buena Vista Restaurant…
Nice (once in a while) to satisfy that little “Chihuahua” inside all of us…
Left there “stuffed,” but a little thirsty (must be the salt?), so we stopped at a tavern across the bridge from Swansboro (Luanne says it’s name is Swansboro Yacht Club, but since it’s in the town of Cedar Point, I’m not so sure about that)… Anyway, we were greeted by a very friendly bartender, Jonna, who became interested in our travels, so, of course, we gave her our Blog address, so she can follow us as we move on…
That’s the end of a perfect day, and the end of another segment of THE BLOG… Take care, and keep watching our travels…
Here are today's pictures:
http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/SWANSBORO%20and%20EMERALD%20ISLE%5EJ%20NC%20%5E5OCT.%2022%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=44&isFromRichUpload=1

HISTORIC BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA (OCT. 21, 2009)

Another great day laid ahead of us as we drove North to Historic Beaufort (pronounced: Bofurt), after a leisurely morning taking care of some paperwork…
I don’t know why it is, but we seem to be sleeping in later these days…
Sometimes even until after 8:00...
Maybe it’s the sun, sand, and salt air? Who knows, and who cares? If it feels good… Do it!
So… That was off the beaten path…
E X C U S E me… I do carry on some times… Don’t I?
Anyway, I was talking about Beaufort…
What a quaint, old town… We’re talking incorporation in 1709 (I know that doesn‘t impress our European followers, but here… Well, it‘s pretty old), and quite a few of the homes built in the early to mid-1700s are still standing… Don’t rightly know how that happened, ‘cause, I’m sure there must’ve been a hurricane, or two, or three? sweeping the area from then to now… No matter, they (the homes) are still here, and stand as a testament to good construction, if nothing else… (Maybe some good luck?)…
We were “greeted” with free parking, right at the water’s edge, and strolled the town’s Boardwalk (which runs the length of the downtown “core” (maybe a quarter mile long)…
There are small shops, boutiques, and eateries everywhere… We explored it all… I think…
Shot a lot of pictures, of course… Some which didn’t turn out, but most will show you what we experienced today…
We love little places like this!
Not much more you can add to that…
Lu tried to get a haircut in one of those wonderful salons (situated up on the second floor of some rickety building), but was unable “get in” today… Guess she’ll have to stay hairy a bit longer…
We stopped in at “Clawson’s” restaurant (Lu had read about this place on the internet), but it was located on the “wrong” side of the street, and when we poked our heads in, we found it too dark for our taste, so we “skipped“ across to the Boardwalk, found the DOCK HOUSE, climbed the stairs to the open balcony, where we found a table in the corner… There’s just no way you can beat having the sun warm you while you eat…
Don’t rightly know how long we spent here in Beaufort, but it was time for a short nap when we got home, after which we sauntered around the RV Park for a while… Found it to be enormous… Has it’s own boat launch, a fish cleaning station, a couple of swimming pools, a couple of man-made lakes, and hundreds of “park model” homes, along with hundreds of open places for tourists like us… Very impressive!
We’re now about to partake in a delicious shrimp salad, which Lu just finished fixing, so my time is up…
Going to Swansboro (founded in 1783) tomorrow… Will let you know how that goes…
In the meanwhile, take care, and keep an eye on our Blog…
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/HISTORIC%20BEAUFORT%5EJ%20NORTH%20CAROLINA%20%5E5OCT.%2021%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=56&isFromRichUpload=1

ATLANTIC BEACH and FORT MACON STATE PARK, NC (OCT. 20, 2009)

How glorious it is to wake up and find the sun shining…
And know it’ll shine all day long!
Those cold and rainy days in Virginia are but a faded memory, and we’re (once again) in our elements, and loving every minute…
We’ve spent quite some time (off and on this last week) trying to focus on getting our reservations for Christmas and New Year’s made, and have had some trouble “nailing” things down, so, this morning we sat down in earnest: Checked the computer; made all the calls, and are now in custody of some firm dates…
We leave Marathon, FL, on Dec. 4, and drive to “Marina RV Resort,” Moore Heaven, FL, where we’ll spend 7 nights.
We’ll arrive at “3 Flags RV Resort,” in Wildwood, FL, on Dec. 11, for another 7 nights stand, then head over to “The Old Pavilion RV Park,” in Keaton Beach, FL, where we’ll stay 2 nights.
On Dec. 20, we’ll pull into “Pine Lake RV Park,” in Fountain, FL, for a 3-night stand,
and, finally, we’ll reach “Martin Lake Resort,” in Biloxi, Mississippi, on Dec. 23, where we’ll spend 14 nights…
That’s the plan, which shouldn’t change, unless the RV parks change them for us…
With that done, we got our shorts and sandals on and headed for the beach…
Since we took a trip to the South end of the Barrier Island yesterday, we drove North (about 10 miles), and took the causeway over to Atlantic Beach, then moseyed Northbound to Fort Macon State Park (at the very tip of the island)… There’s a good sized parking lot in the park, so no problem parking…
A few steps later, we lost the sandals and got sand between our toes… Wonderful to be able to do that again!
Encountered another wonderful (and surprising) feeling as we tested the waters of the Atlantic Ocean…
It was almost tepid!
Not kidding!
We strolled the beach, along the water’s edge, for a long while… Sometimes dodging fishing lines, stretched hopefully out into the sea, from fixed rods planted firmly in the sand…
Fishers watching expectantly… Hoping for the catch their day…
The whole scene was totally poetic, and we relished every moment… Even found some interesting shells…
All good things must come to an end, they say, so we headed home…
Drove slowly past some very colorful houses, which Lu couldn’t resist taking pictures of, and stopped at the Boardwalk, in “down town” Atlantic Beach, only to check it out…
Had a marvelous steak dinner at home (with all the trimmings), and that’s about all she wrote… (or I wrote)…
Have to mention that our very good friend, Mavis, had her birthday last Sunday (I thought it was today… Sorry, I was late, girl!), anyway, Happy belated Birthday, Mavis!
My cousin, Harald, in Norway, has his birthday today, so Happy Birthday, Harald! At least I got that one right.
Take care, and keep an eye out for us…
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/ATLANTIC%20BEACH%20and%20FORT%20MACON%20STATE%20PARK%5EJ%20NC%20%5E5OCT.%2020%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=44&isFromRichUpload=1

INDIAN COVE RV RESORT, VA to GOOSE CREEK RESORT, NC (OCT. 19, 2009)

So, here we are again… Back to writing and showing pictures…
I should probably apologize for not writing yesterday, but that’s because it was a total washout (literally!)
It poured down all morning long, and well into the afternoon…
Matter of fact, we didn’t step outside the trailer until after 4pm, and that was to fill up the gas tank, so there were no pictures taken, and nothing to write about…
The weather was crappy the whole time we were at Indian Cove RV Resort, especially yesterday, but we can count our blessings, I guess, that we didn’t get rained out those two days when we went to explore Virginia Beach, and then Williamsburg, and Jamestown…
It really was too bad the weather acted up on us, but there isn’t much one can do about things like that…
Anyway, we woke up to clear, blue skies this morning…
It was a bit nippy for our tastes, but that’s the reason we keep on moving South, isn’t it?
And South we traveled… Over the flattest terrain we’ve encountered in a long while…
Of course, it’s very nice for us who haul things like trailers and such, because a tank of gas lasts a lot longer when you don’t have hills or mountains to contend with…
Talking about gas (or diesel in my case)… We’re averaging around 14 mpg when hauling, and up to 22mpg driving without the trailer… That’s pretty darn good… Those Cummins engines are something else!
After getting out from the Virginia Beach traffic, we took Hwy 13 down to Williamston, where we hooked up to Hwy 17, which took us down to New Bern, and from there we drove Hwy 70 to our destination, Goose Creek Resort, in Newport, North Carolina.
This is a beautiful RV park (probably one of the better ones we’ve been to)… It is well landscaped and maintained, and that‘s probably because there are quite a few full time residents…
We got the trailer situated, laid down for short snooze, then took off to check out Emerald Isle - a long (20 or 30-mile) strip of land - protecting the Intracoastal Waterway from the fury of the Atlantic Ocean.
Most of the homes here are elevated 8 or 10 feet above the ground, so as to not be flooded in a hurricane, and they vary in height from single stories to four or five stories tall… Some are right down monstrous, but all have that “beach” feel to them, and, maybe, that‘s because they’re painted in every pastel color you can imagine… Very eye-catching!
We drove maybe two-thirds of the island before turning around, and we stopped here and there to look at the beach, but didn’t go onto the beach today… We’re hoping the weather will stay like it is, and that’ll give us plenty of chances (the four days we have left here) before moving on…
Let me backtrack a little…
Since we’ve been to The Outer Banks, seen Nags Head, Kill Devil Hill, and Kitty Hawk (you’ve heard of the Wright Brothers, right?), we didn’t think it was worth going out there this time…
In hindsight, that might have been a mistake, but what’s done is done, so there you are…
We’re here, and here we’re going to enjoy every day, while having fun and building memories…
With that, this chapter is closed…
You take care, and keep an eye out for us Vagabonds…
TODAYS PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/INDIAN%20COVE%20RV%20RESORT%5EJ%20VA%20to%20GOOSE%20CREEK%20RESORT%5EJ%20NC%20%5E5OCT.%2019%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=58&isFromRichUpload=1

WILLIAMSBURG and JAMESTOWN, VA (OCT. 17, 2009)

Drizzle… Gray skies… Cold!
That about sums it up…
That’s what we woke up to…
Would like to use some expletives here, but children are present…
Suffice it to say, we’re not very impressed with Mother Nature here in Virginia…
Is it too much to ask for ONE nice day while we‘re here?
For crying out loud… I mean… We’re darn near on the beach… We’re visiting very important places in American history… Is one day of decent weather too much to ask for???
Well, there you are…
Question ignored!
Didn’t deter us, though…
We’re made of strong stuff…
Took off on the 100 mile trip (to and fro Colonial Williamsburg) around 8:30 this am…
Not bad traffic, but “Mr. Jack” wasn’t quick enough to get us onto the right freeway ramp, so we ended up driving North instead of South for a few miles, before correcting the matter with a U-ie…
Noticed that our gas gauge showed empty, but did a quick calculation, and figured that, even if we only got 5 miles per gallon, we had oodles of fuel to get us there and back…
What’s wrong with the world this morning?
Personally, I love great beginnings… Don‘t you?
We did make it to Colonial Williamsburg, and found a decent parking spot not too far from the Visitor’s Center…
Donned our rain jackets and moseyed on down to check in (we got our tickets on line last night)…
Took a shuttle down to the Governor’s Palace, then proceeded to spend the next umpteen hours strolling in and out of shops, buildings, and exhibits…
Colonial Williamsburg is quite large in area, but not so bad that you have to worry about not being able to walk it (unless you have a peg leg, or such handicap, of course), and it’s pretty interesting meeting and greeting the “employees” of the various establishments (who are all dressed in authentic clothing from the seventeen hundreds)…
Here’s an eye opener (which we discovered later):
If you’re cheap, you don’t have to pay the entry fee ($36 per person without discounts)…
You can walk the whole site, and see most everything without having to pay…
However, if that’s your choice, you will not be able to go into some of the more important buildings, and you won’t hear informative commentaries by people who (obviously) have spent time studying their subjects and the situations they‘re portraying…
However, I have to say, although I found some interpretations very well done, I also found others very tedious, and not worth listening to… Your choice!
Enough of that…
Except for dashing into a building here and there, we were out in the “elements” most of the time we were in C.W…
The “elements” were not good to us, and we were fairly miserable (spell: cold) while there…
Hence, we cut our stay short (after three hours)…
Went to the truck, where we warmed up, and where we had a wonderful “lunch,” consisting of all kinds of little goodies Luanne fixed for us this morning…
Is there a wonder why I love this woman?
We debated whether to head down to Jamestown (where everyone knows America “began”), or go back home…
We choose to drive down there, look the situation over, then decide whether to turn tale, or not…
Entering the parking area of the Visitor’s Center, we thought: This is way too commercialized…
There’s this huge brick structure, and as soon as you enter, you see roped-off “lanes” for the purchase of tickets… There’s a souvenir store (of course), a cafeteria, and a small theater (which shows a five minute looped infomercial), and that’s about it…
We were not impressed, and were about to leave, but then, Lu thought we should ask someone if there was anything else to see…
She went to the souvenir shop to find out, while I went to one of those sit-behind-the-counter-people, and the results were:
(Lu): No, sorry, there’s no such place…
(Me): Yes, take a right as soon as you get out of the parking lot, etc., etc., etc…
And, WOW!
We found what I dreamed of finding: The actual spot where Captain John Smith and “his” pioneers established what became America’s first permanent settlement…
It’s mind-boggling to think of what these people had to endure here over 400 years ago…
And it’s mind-boggling to think that if we hadn’t asked about this place, we would not have found it…
Makes you wonder why, doesn’t it?
Oh, well… Mine is not to wonder why….
We spent a cold, but very informative and interesting hour and a half going through the church, museum, ruins, and grounds, and (to us) it was more interesting than Colonial Williamsburg…
There you go… That’s our day in so many words…
Once again, it’s past 11 pm, and I’m ready for bed… Probably sleep in tomorrow?
Take care, have a great day, and, like always, keep an eye on us…
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/WILLIAMSBURG%20and%20JAMESTOWN%5EJ%20VA%20%5E5OCT.%2017%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=91&isFromRichUpload=1

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (OCT. 16, 2009)

Awoke to another drizzly day, so we took our time getting ready for today’s exploration…
Had a choice of going to Williamsburg, or the beach, and decided on the beach…
First, we hooked a right (as we left Indian Cove Resort) onto Sandbridge Road, which took us down to the Sandbridge Beach (funny coincidence, huh?) … There was really nothing there to check out, so we backtracked, and headed to Virginia Beach (located about 6 or 7 miles from where we’re staying)…
Mr. Jack GPS was quite cooperative, and, for a change, helped us find the way…
I wonder sometimes….
Nahhh.. Don’t want to go there…
As we turned onto Atlantic Boulevard, in Virginia Beach, we were met by hotels, motels, inns, and B and Bs of every sort and every style…
I can’t remember having seen so many assortments of “roof-over-your-head” establishments since we were in Las Vegas…
Of course, at this time of year it’s pretty well deserted, but I can imagine how busy this place must be in the High Season… Glad I’m here now… Wouldn’t like to look for a parking spot during August, that’s for sure…
We drove the whole length of the “coastal” road up to Fort Story (it splits from Atlantic Blvd. to something else in the North end), where we were stopped by armed guards at the gate to the shared military base (The guard told me which branches of the service shared this spot, but since the Air Force wasn’t included, I chose to ignore it… Sorry)…
Anyway, we had to get out of the truck… Open tailgate, glove compartment, the hood, and get out of the vehicle…
Didn’t take long… And it was under cover, so we’re cool…
Took a leisurely 20 mph drive (about half a mile) out to the lighthouses (yes there are two - the old one is kaput)…
Got some shots of both…
Visited the souvenir boutique… Didn’t buy anything, and headed back South on Atlantic Blvd.
Tried to find a free parking spot, but everything was either metered, or costly parking garages, so we hooked a right, drove down one block, and ran smack into “Murphy’s Tavern,” where we absolutely had to stop, and where we had a marvelous fish and chips lunch…
Left the truck in their parking lot (oh, yeah, we got permission), and walked out (in the light drizzle), to the “Boardwalk.”
Luanne read it’s a 3 miles long path, and, sorry to say, it’s not made of timbers…
This baby is solid concrete, and is far superior to the one in Atlantic City (our opinion!).
We strolled down a quarter of a mile to get a shot at the sculpture Neptune, then back to the truck and home… Time to get out of the elements!
Got on the internet and bought tickets for tomorrow at Old Williamsburg… Read for a while, then had a nice nap, and, finally, went to Walmart to ge some medicine… Stopped at the same Irish Pub we went to yesterday to grab dinner (great food!), and then home to work on this stuff…
There you have it… Another day in the life of the Vagabonds…
As you can see, we didn’t take many pictures, but we hope you enjoy the ones we took….
Here they are: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/VIRGINIA%20BEACH%5EJ%20VA%20%5E5OCT.%2016%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=34&isFromRichUpload=1
PS... I have to mention that it's soooo nice to be in a place like this, and be able to upload pictures in minutes rather than hours (like some of the places we've been in lately).
Take care, and keep an eye out for us...

FREDRICKSBURG to VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. (OCT. 15, 2009)

So, the rain caught up with us…
Got a bit wet this morning, as I unhooked the water, sewer, and electrical chords, but it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been…
It poured down earlier, when we were still in bed, and I was wondering if I was going to get soaked, but, like I said, it eased up, and was only a drizzle when I had to get going.
Lucky me, huh?
Before I forget, I must’ve made a mistake in yesterday’s Blog, because I’ve had inquiries about the link to my photos… If you didn’t get a chance to see the pix, you might want to try again… I think I fixed it… If not, let me know.
We only had about 170 miles to drive today, so we took our time this morning… Didn’t get rolling until about 9am, and, because of the rain, we drove very conservatively the whole way… Even stopped at a Visitor’s Center, where Luanne fixed us an eggs and ham breakfast… Yummy!
I programmed “Jack” last night (made sure he corresponded with Google Earth), and, sure enough, he obliged us with a “direct hit” today…
Those GPSes are wonderful when they don’t go off on their own…
As we entered Indian Cove Resort, at Virginia Beach, the rain eased off, and I was lucky enough to get the trailer hooked up without getting too wet…
We decided to catch up on some very late nights, and took a nap, after which we headed over to Walmart (only three miles away) to stock upon fruit and food products…
That’s about it for today… Kind of blah, huh? Sorry…
Blame it on the weather gods…
Talking about the weather… We’re hoping it’ll ease up so we can see Williamsburg and Jamestown one of these days…
And we’d love to get out to the ocean…
Maybe hang out on the beach for a while, but the weather forecast doesn’t look promising…
Just have to take it as it comes, I guess…
We do have three days, four nights here, so maybe we’ll get lucky?
Have to mention that satellite TV, and the cell phone and internet service is great here… Finally!
After waiting for hours, back there at the Wilderness campground, to connect (one way or the other), it’s nice to be able to turn things on and have immediate response… Thought you’d like to know…
Bye for now… Take care and keep in touch.
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/FREDRICKSBURG%20to%20VIRGINIA%20BEACH%5EJ%20VA.%20%5E5OCT.%2015%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=14&isFromRichUpload=1

SMITHSONIAN MUSEUMS, WASHINGTON, DC 8OCT. 14, 2009)

Today’s Blog is dedicated to our six grandchildren (in order of age):
Reese, Hunter, Hailey, Morgan, Hannah, and Holly…
We miss you guys tremendously, and think about you all the time…
Love every one of you with all our hearts!
Have a great Halloween, and be kind to one another, and to mom and dad…
So… We spent another day in Washington, DC…
Got the van at 7:00 this morning, and got home about 6:00, and that’s a full day!
Our company today were our "old" friends (from the last trip up here, Monday): Russel and Judy, plus we had a couple of lively California ladies, Lilly and daughter, Michelle; and we had a fellow Washingtonian, Harold, from Orcas Island (one island West from where we live)...
Can't forget to mention our very able and funny driver/guide, Leila... She was superb!
What a motley crew, or as Leila called us: Her Dumpling Gang...
It took about 1½ hour to drive each way, so that leaves 8 hours of going through the Smithsonian Museum Buildings, which we had decided to see as much of as we could…
Our guide, Leila, dropped us off in front of the Smithsonian Castle, and promised to pick us up there at 4:00...
Since some of our group were going to the White House, and others wanted to see things Luanne and I had seen before, or were not interest in, we split from the group and took off on our own…
If you look at the 7th picture (map)… The buildings in red are the ones we visited), we had a lot of walking to do...
(PICTURE LINK:) http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/SMITHSONIAN%20MUSEUMS%5EJ%20WASHINGTON%5EJ%20DC%208OCT.%2014%5EJ%202009%5E6
Since we have a driving day tomorrow, and I’ve commented on most of the pictures, I need to get my body to bed, so please click on the link to our pictures, and see how our day went… Thanks! My body appreciate your kind support.
With that… Take care… Have a great day… We’ll make contact from Virginia City!

OLD FREDRICKSBURG, VIRGINIA (OCT. 13, 2009)

After yesterday’s fiasco (clothing-wise), when we spent the day in DC wearing
T-shirts and sandals (no socks), and it was colder than an Eskimo’s swim in the Arctic Ocean, we decided to dress a bit warmer this morning: Socks, regular shoes, and sweaters…
Of course, once we got away from our tree-covered RV Park, the sunshine was unbridled, and the temperature climbed steadily as the day wore on…
Go figure…
At any rate, we spent about four hours strolling around the streets of Old Town Fredericksburg… Popped our heads into shops and galleries, and sat and had lunch in an old (redundant, huh?) and quaint tavern/eatery… Good food…
As everywhere here in the East, we passed plaque after plaque denoting one Civil War battle after another… Must be money to be made rehashing all these battles… If the abundance of souvenir shops is an indication…
I do believe I told you we’re in a wooded area, and we receive satellite TV by the skin of our teeth, but can’t remember if I touched on the topic of our Verizon Network…
I looked at a coverage map a short while back (at Costco), and, sure enough, the place we are now has very limited coverage, so we have a hard time with our phone service, as well as our internet service…
Don’t really care about the phone, but the internet service is another story…
I was up until after midnight last night, trying to get all those pictures we took (in DC) uploaded…
Time and again, I had to quit (because of error messages), and start all over… All the while listening to my better half snore up in the bedroom…
Life’s just not fair…
Anyway, I didn’t want to have to face the trouble this morning, so I pressed on, and finally got it done…
Hopefully, y’all (how ‘bout that, huh? a Southern word with a Norwegian accent) got to see the pictures, and I’m hoping we’ll be in a better location for both TV and internet at our next location, so I don't have to sit in front of this screen half a day...
Maybe the best solution is not to take as many pictures, but what’s the fun in that?
We have another big day tomorrow… Going back to DC to spend the day at some of the Smithsonian museums… Should be interesting, to say the least…
Our Tour Guide (from yesterday) is taking us in her van, so I won’t have to drive, nor park (which we saw was very expensive), so, if the weather holds, we should have a great day…
Take care, and keep checking on us...
PICTURES:
http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/OLD%20FREDRICKSBURG%5EJ%20VIRGINIA%20%5E5OCT.%2013%5EJ%202009%5E6?uc=30&isFromRichUpload=1

WASHINGTON, DC (OCTOBER 12, 2009)

We had a 12 hour “on-the-road-day” today, which started at 7:00...
It was spent “doing” Washington, DC… America’s Capitol…
Unfortunately, we didn’t think about the weather before boarding our tour bus (14-seat van, actually), so we got a bit cold this morning, but we managed, and that’s what counts…
There’s so much to see and do in DC that our day here only scratched the surface…
To sum it up, we touched base with all the major monuments and memorials, but, of course, there are so many of them, that we could only spend a short time at each… Regrettable, but true…
Anyway, we had a great day, and, even though we had a cold start, it didn’t rain, so that was a blessing…
I spent 2 hours putting descriptions on my photos, and I’ve just about spent another 2 hours trying to upload them to Windows Live (we’re in the middle of a forest, which doesn’t help, and this is one of the very few places in the contiguous States which has iffy Verizon coverage) so, sorry, but there’ll be precious little to read here on the Blog this time…
I suggest (if you have nothing better to do) that you look at our pictures and read the descriptions… That’ll get you up to speed on our day…
Have fun… Take care, and keep in touch…
PICTURES:
http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/WASHINGTON%5EJ%20DC%20%5E5OCTOBER%2012%5EJ%202009%5E6?uc=7&isFromRichUpload=1

MOUNT VERNON and ALEXANDRIA, VA (OCT. 11, 2009)

Glorious morning… Cool, but nothing but sunshine!
Are we lucky, or what?
Left the RV Park at 8:00, and arrived at George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Plantation a little after 9:00...
Nice driving when you don’t have to fight traffic (or accident).
We didn’t know what we were in for when we closed in on our destination, but got an idea as we passed about a dozen parked tour busses…
Had to wait in line just to get our tickets; then stood in another line to get into the house… All in all, it took about 45 minutes to step inside the first door…
There were a lot of kids (of all ages) in attendance… We’re guessing there must’ve been some sort of school requirement, in order for all of them to be there on a Sunday, but who knows…
The way they’ve set up the tour through the house is very efficient…
You basically keep on walking from one room to another while listening to commentators stationed in each room… The pace is slow, and there’s ample time for questions…
Obviously, you have to set your mind to the time period the mansion (or maybe I should call it manor?), was in use…
Don’t know if it could be classified as a large, but ordinary home, by today’s standards, but in those days it must’ve been incredible!
The Washingtons entertained constantly (had over 500 guests one year), and I’m sure their guests felt very comfortable in the very opulent guest bedrooms…
Everyone probably knows that Washington’s Mount Vernon, and Jefferson’s Monticello, were run by slaves, and that is food for thought… Especially when you consider that their slaves didn’t get their freedom until after George and Thomas died…
Mount Vernon was some 8,000 acres in size, so, I suppose, you need all the help you can get, whether worked by forced, or free labor…
I believe the Manor is probably the major attraction when you come here, but if you take the time and go through the “Orientation Center,” the “Museum & Education Center,” and the “Whisky Distillery & Gristmill,” you’ll be amazed at what an incredible man George was…
Most of his accomplishments are well known, but ALL are on display in various buildings around the compound, and it’s worth at least one day to come here… Just to get a “taste.”
We walked down to Washington’s Tomb… A lot of folks there, so we got in a few shots, then walked down to the Warf, where a tour boat took us for a 45-minute ride along the Potomac River…
Fantastic day…
Beautiful scenery…
There’s nothing like being on the water on a day like today… No matter where you are.
We spent about four hours (not long enough, but…) taking “everything” in, and then headed to Alexandria, to check out the Old Town… Parked on an off-street, then walked down King Street, down to the waterfront… Must’ve passed a hundred restaurants, cafes, and other eateries in about a block and a half… Ended up going to the “Chart House,” right there on the dock… Pricy, but good… We’re worth it!
Headed back the same way we came, but stopped at Washington’s “Whiskey Distillery & Gristmill.“
Didn’t feel like taking the tour (even though we had tickets), but walked around on our own, which was probably just as good… When you’ve seen one, etc., etc., etc…
Got home and started working on the pictures and the Blog, and you guessed it: I’m done for one more day…
Tomorrow we’re taking a guided bus tour to D.C…. Take care and keep looking for us on my Blog.
PICTURES:
http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/MOUNT%20VERNON%20and%20ALEXANDRIA%5EJ%20VA%20%5E5OCT.%2011%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=79&isFromRichUpload=1

WILDERNESS PRESIDENTIAL RESORT and CHANCELLORSVILLE BATTLEFIELD (OCT. 10, 2009)

The pitter patter of raindrops awoke us this morning…
Nothing serious, but, peaking out the window, we saw a lot of gray…
Good day to stay home and take it easy…
Did some research on what else to see and do around here, and found a guided bus tour of D.C., which we booked for Monday…
For all you non- Norwegians, Monday is Columbus Day, but everybody knows who discovered America, so, we (my dearly beloved and yours truly) do not celebrate this particular occasion… Just so you know…
Late this morning, we took a short trip down the road to check on Lu’s medicine at Walmart, then drove across the road to visit Costco…
Nice to have both so close to one another… Saves on gas…
The drizzle was still on, but it looked like it wasn’t going to last into the afternoon, so we took a nap to wait it out…
Then, just for something to do, and out of curiosity - because we’ve driven by these places time and again since we arrived - we decided to take a self guided tour of the battlefields that surrounds this place…
I hope you enjoy the short history lesson, because that’s today’s installment to my Blog…
Here are the latest pictures: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/WILDERNESS%20PRESIDENTIAL%20RESORT%20and%20CHANCELLORSVILLE%20BATTLEFIELD%20%5E5OCT.%2010%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=18&isFromRichUpload=1
We’ll be driving about 50 miles up to Mt. Vernon tomorrow, to check out where Good Ol’ George lived, so there’s more history coming your way…
I’m so brief, though, that it shouldn’t hurt too much…
Take care and keep in touch!

CHARLOTTESVILLE, MONTICELLO, and SPOTSYLVANIA (OCT. 9, 2009)

I’ve spent the last couple of hours getting our pictures organized and commented on; it‘s 9:10pm, and I’m not all that anxious to start writing on my Blog, but I’ll try to give you an overview…
We had a good day today!
All parties awoke to sunshine and smiles, so how could it be otherwise?
We had not decided on where to venture off to today, so we tossed some ideas around, and came up with Monticello - Thomas Jefferson’s home, just outside Charlottesville, VA.
It’s about 57 miles from where we’re staying, so it was going to take a while to get there…
With “Jack’s” help, it took even longer…
But, for once, we didn’t mind…
The countryside is spectacular (judge for yourselves, when you see the pix), and we enjoyed our morning leisurely drive…
Stopped in Louisa to mail my eye glasses (that I’ve destroyed with superglue) to our “glass man.” He said (when we called) he might be able to fix them, so it‘s worth a try… Love those glasses!)…
Anyway, when we came out from the Post office, Lu spotted a “Coffee House,” and, since it was still morning, I went along, and paid for everything ($10.53 for a mocha and a vanilla latte (where’s Howard Schultz when you need him?)…
I’m such a pushover!
Anyway… This guy (sitting at a table with his wife, having morning refreshments) asked where we were from, and, of course, I proudly announced Norway via Lummi Island, WA…
Luanne had taken off for the bathroom, and, before I knew it, I was “small-taking“ with the man… (I just yak with anyone, don’t I?)
Found out he was the Mayor of the town, and, as a seasoned politician, he talked and talked…
Thank goodness, our coffees were ready as Lu came back from the Loo (that’s funny, even if it‘s British!), and we made it out of there without pledging any contributions…
Nah… I’m kidding… We had a pleasant conversation about everything, and the man was truly gracious as he touted his town…
I should probably talk a bit about “Jack,” but I really don’t want to…
Let me just say, he kept on with his silly instructions all day long (it must be the weather here in the East?), and, I’m sure, he probably added at least another 20 - 30 miles to our trip today… But what the hey… We’re retired, and we didn’t have “Big Daddy” to haul, so it turned out to be a good ride in the country…So, we get to my hero’s home, and found it over-run with tourists…
Had a hard time getting the truck parked, but finally made it - down in the “back forties,” down the hill and a mile away from everything… Well… Maybe not that bad, but…
We were here in 1975, and, except for the house, and grounds, everything had changed…
There’s a brand new Visitor’s Center, which must’ve cost them millions (if not billions), down the road from the residence about a mile (maybe?)… It is very nice, and very modern, with a theater, gift shops, restaurants… You name it, they have it…
We spent ten minutes watching the movie, which got us primed for the real thing… Had a salad lunch, which was - surprisingly - good!
Then we took the shuttle bus up the hill, where we were dropped off to fend for ourselves for an hour and a half… Our time slot to partake in the tour of the house was 2:20pm.
We took the opportunity to walked around the premises from one end to the other… Taking all kinds of pictures in the process… Half of which you’ll be able to see when you click my picture link (the other half were not good, and had to be discarded): http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/CHARLOTTESVILLE%5EJ%20MONTICELLO%5EJ%20and%20SPOTSYLVANIA%20%5E5OCT.%209%5EJ%202009%5E6
Without going into great details, I’ve eluded to the fact that Thomas Jefferson is, by far, the most interesting - and accomplished - person I’ve ever read about… Hence, he has become one of my all-time favorite idols…
I’m sorry, but I’ll leave it at that… I don’t have the time, or energy, to go into details right now, so, do me a favor, read up on the man, and take pleasure in his incredible life…
It will truly be worth your while…
To end today’s story, I’ll tell you we stopped at Walmart, on our way home, got a couple of steaks, came home and had a fantastic dinner!
I’m about spent here, folks…
Tired and ready for bed…
Don’t know what we’ll be up to tomorrow, but knowing us, we’ll be doing something interesting, I’m sure…
Guess what I’m telling you is that you should take care and always keep in touch!

PORT REPUBLIC, NJ. to SPOTSYLAVNIA, VA., via DELAWARE and MARYLAND (OCT. 8, 2009)

OK… We’ve had the worst driving day so far, but we’re in Spotsylvania, Virginia, safe and sound, so I suppose we can’t gripe too much…
Started early, as we usually do when we have a driving day…
Clear skies, but a bit nippy…
Getting the rig ready for “take-off” was a breeze, and we were on our way just after eight…
Took a few minutes to program “Jack” before heading out, and followed his instructions to a tee… Turned right from our RV Park, and promptly got lost…
Had to stop several times to reprogram the little bastard (excuse my French), ‘cause (as we found out after a few trials and errors), he wouldn’t direct us for more than a few miles at a time…
This area is heavily forested, so, maybe, the satellite signals weren’t good? Who knows? Trying to make excuses, I guess?
Anyway, we managed to get ourselves onto Hwy 40, and followed it to the New Jersey Turnpike, where he (Jack) directed us to take a certain on-ramp, which, of course, got us driving NORTH instead of SOUTH…
To make matters a bit more testy, the Turnpike doesn’t have any ingress or egress points for 12 miles… In other words, we took a 24-mile detour!
Yep, I was pissed off…
To make matters worse, Lu got out of hand when we came to the turn-around point… There was no reason for this, of course, because I had everything under control, but… She has a tendency to jump, squirm, and use imaginary vehicle devices (like breaks), and offer unwarranted exclamation for no good reason at all, and it grinds on me… Especially after driving 24 miles out of our way…
So, needless to say, we had a little squabble (I yelled at her), which lasted for, oh, I don’t know… 12 miles, maybe??? Well… Until I needed her advice again…
Couldn’t rely on Jack now, could I?
So there you are… We left New Jersey on a sour note…
Never had so much trouble finding our way as here, but why that is, we can’t begin to figure out…
On to other things…
Before we left this morning, we decided to dive down into Delaware and cross the Chesapeake Bay, above Annapolis, Maryland, so we could add another couple of States to our “Have Been Map.”
As we made our way West and South, we programmed Jack time and again, and promptly ignored his directions, because they simply didn’t make sense… Lu had the map in her lap, and (since she was talking to me again) I paid very close attention, and we made it around the freeway “ring,” around Washington DC, and hit I-95 South…
Bam! An accident had taken place some 15, 20 miles ahead of us, and we were soon in another crawl…
Took an hour to get out of it!
Then, half an hour after we started moving again, we reached our RV Park…
We were told we probably couldn’t get satellite TV at our site, and there was no Cable TV…
I saw Luanne’s face take a dive! Not good news! What will happen to her favorite TV shows?
It’s gonna be a long week!
The place is huge, and we wound our way down to our site through heavily wooded areas…
Found it, and had the most horrible time backing the trailer in… Don’t know why, but it took forever - try after try… Embarrassing! No… Very embarrassing!!
Finally made it, and jockeyed the trailer around, while plugged into the electrical system, so Lu could activate the TV… Hallelujah! The day was saved (along with my hide)… Lu got her TV!
We both had a drink… Then dinner… Then Bed for her and Blog for me…
That’s it for today…
I’m sure tomorrow will be much, much better!
Pictures:
http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/PORT%20REPUBLIC%5EJ%20NJ%20to%20SPOTSYLVANIA%5EJ%20VA%20via%20DELAWARE%20and%20MARYLAND%20%5E5OCT.%208%5EJ%202009%5E6

LONGPORT and ABSECON BEACH via ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (OCT. 7, 2009)

Must’ve been a bit worn out this morning, ‘cause we slept in past eight…
Unheard of, but it sure felt good…
Besides, we didn’t have anything planned, other than to drive out to Absecon Beach and visit the little town of Longport (down at the very Southern tip of the Spit), and to do some clothes washing…
So… That’s what we did…
It rained overnight, so plants and grass got a bit of watering, which was good, I suppose… Don’t mind that as long as I don’t get wet…
Anyway, we were met with blue skies and abundant sunshine, when we stepped out of the trailer, but the wind was starting to pick up, which was a nuisance, but nothing we couldn’t handle…
Of course, in order to get to Longport, we had to go to Atlantic City, hook a right down Atlantic Avenue, and follow it to the end…
The “squalor” you encounter, as you come in to the City, doesn’t chase the Avenue for more than maybe a mile…
Then, for some reason (please excuse my ignorance here, ‘cause I’ve not done any research on any of this), “Things” become more “elegant:”
Streets are not rutted any more… They are now paved and striped with fresh paint…
Instead of driving in the shadow of the huge casinos, you’re forced to flip your sun visor down, so you can see where you‘re going…
There are no shabby looking pedestrians crossing willy-nilly in front of you - just waiting to get hit…
Instead, homes get bigger and better the further South you go…
There’s an air of wealth around you, and yet, you know you’re at the beach…
Things are elegant, but casual… You know what I mean?
It’s like you’ve been transposed into another world, and all is well…
I go on, don’t I? My goodness… Must’ve had too long a nap today (after we got home).
In any case, we spent quite some time running down and up the Spit…
Even took a little side trip to the Aquarium (in the North end)…
Truth be told, that was a necessary potty break for Luanne…
We didn’t want to pay megabucks for parking in a casino, just so she could spend five minutes to take care of business…
I know, I know… Cheap!
On our way home, we stopped for gas ($2.399/gal - cheapest so far), and then spotted a small pub and restaurant, “Skelly’s High Point” (in the town of Absecon), where we feasted on some pretty darn good sandwiches…
As I said, we took a nap, then Lu did some washing, while I plotted our course for tomorrow’s trip to Virginia…
That’s it… You’re once again brought up to speed… Take care, and keep checking on us!
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/LONGPORT%20and%20ABSECON%20BEACH%20via%20ATLANTIC%20CITY%5EJ%20NJ%20%5E5OCT.%207%5EJ%202009%5E6

STATUE OF LIBERTY, ELLIS ISLAND, and NEW YORK CITY (OCT. 6, 2009)

It's 10:30pm, and I'm bushed...
Just finished going through the pictures we took today, and have deleted almost half because they were redundant, or had some flaw... Still ended up with 120 (I think), and that's alot...
Anyway, we started out real early (for us), but, shortly after we paid the toll for the freeway (or whatever they call it), there was a sign saying an accident had happened, and be prepared for slowdowns...
Oh yeah!
The traffic came to a crawl, and lasted for about 12 miles, which we covered in a bit over an hour! Frustrating, to say the least!
To make matters worse, "Jack" didn't recognize Liberty State Park, or anything else, for that matter, in New Jersey, so we were left to follow signs, which turned out OK...
We got there, and found lots of parking at the Central Railroad Terminal, but managed to miss a ferry out to Ellis, and Liberty Islands, so we had to wait 40 minutes for the next one...
Time spent oogling across the Hudson River at Manhatten Island, and the skyline of New York City.
Wow! What a sight... And the weather... Couldn't have asked for better!
We decided not to stop at Ellis Island, since Luanne didn't know where her relatives came from, and I know our family came in on the other coast, so there was no need, but we got some good shots of the buildings, which you can see (along with the rest of them) at this link: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/STATUE%20OF%20LIBERTY%5EJ%20ELLIS%20ISLAND%5EJ%20and%20NEW%20YORK%20CITY%20%5E5OCT.%206%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=120&isFromRichUpload=1
To step on shore and "touch" Lady Liberty, was an awesome experience for both Luanne and myself... The history attached to this monument, is nothing but mindblowing, but to finally be able to set foot on her shores is beyond anything I'm able to convey verbally... So I'm not even going to try...
We were too late (traffic - remember?) to get tickets to walk up to the crown, but we were able to walk up to the top of the pedestal, which took 154 steps to reach... And only after a thorough search by security staff and machines...
The view was fabulous - all around... And we spent quite some time looking at it from all four levels of the pedestal...
When we had finally satisfied our curiosity, we boarded the ferry back to the New Jersey shores, and speculated on what to do next...
We wanted desperately to set foot in New York City itself, but we couldn't leave the truck at the RR Station - We were told they would tow it... So, we had a choice of taking a ferry over to lower Manhatten, then walk around there for a while, or take a train, which would render us stranded somewhere else, or we could take the Holland Tunnel, and do some exploring in the truck...
Didn't especially look forward to driving in New York traffic (after all, we've heard horror stories), but then again, our friends, Kathy and Brian drove here, so if they could do it, we figured we could too, so we chose the last option...
Actually, we had hopes of being able to park somewhere close to the three places we wanted to see: The Empire State Building, Central Park, and Times Square, but we soon found that that was a dream that wouldn't come true...
We're too cheap to pay $25 for a couple of hours parking in a garage, and we would've had to do that three times, since our "destinations" were too far apart, to park once and walk between them, so we drove...
Boy! Did we ever drive...
Observation: Drivers in New York City are NUTS... Not only that, they're rude...
Especially cab drivers! The honking that goes on scared the living crap out of me on more than one occasion...
Pedestrians, on the other hand, are TOTALLY NUTS! They walk whenever and wherever they want, with no regard to traffic... And let's not even talk about bikers... How anyone can be so careless, and still live to tell about it at the end of the day, is beyond me...
Anyway... Traffic, pedestrians, bicyclists, horses, and one-way streets got in our way, and we ended up driving by our "destinations" without stopping...
Got some good pictures, though...
Once we made it through Times Square, we'd had enough, and headed back toward the Holland Tunnel...
Looked like my wish for a "New York" hot dog from a street vendor was not in the books... Luanne and I have talked about having one of those for so long, it was a bummer to admit defeat... But then... At the very last signal before diving into the tunnel there was a hot dog vendor on the corner...
We got a red signal, and Lu rolled down the window...
"How many?" he yelled over the traffic noise...
"Just one," Lu yelled back (she's into the "right" food for herself, you know)...
Within seconds, there was a New York Hot Dog in my hands - with everything on it!
Lu took a bite, and muttered, "Mmmm," before giving it to me...
Oh, yeah! That's what I'm talking about!
My mission to New York City had been saved!
Back on the Turnpike (or whatever they call it), we scooted back to Port Republic (like all the rest of the vehicles on the road with us, at a steady 70 mph - somewhere between 20 and 25 mph over the speed limit)... Got tired around Manahawkin, and stopped at the local Applebee's to loosen up tense muscles, and reminisce about the day's activities...
Took the Parkway (or whatever they call it), and managed to miss our turn-off for Port Republic (thank you, Jack!), and probably drove 10 or 15 miles out of our way to get back to the trailer... Fine ending to a spectacular day, wouldn't you say?
Take care and keep in touch!

MANAHAWKIN, LONG BEACH ISLAND, and SMITHVILLE, N.J. (OCT. 5, 2009)

Another grand day on the New Jersey coast… Sunshine, blue skies, and warm August temperatures in October…
We spent most of it taking care of the beast that got us here: My Truck, or, as we so tenderly refer to it: BIG BOY…
Went to Walmart and had an oil change (Thirsty little bugger: 12 quarts!), which took the better part of the morning…
Can’t blame it all on the truck, though, ‘cause we had to wait for my medicine also… But, anyway… Waiting any longer than 15 minutes in a store like this, drives me nuts… Oh, well… My problem… Not yours…
From Walmart (which is located about 16 miles South of our RV Park), we headed North (about 30 miles), up to Manahawkin, where we went looking for COSTCO… I’m sure it won’t be coming as a surprise to you that “Jack” guided us to a very nice and wooded piece of property, but, unfortunately, COSTCO hadn’t been built there, and probably will never build there…
Luck had it, though, that we found ourselves on the road to Long Beach Island, a place Luanne’s been telling me she wanted to see, so not all was lost…
Now that I think about it… I wonder if there was some hanky panky when she programmed “Jack” this morning?
Anyway… I can’t believe how flat this area is… And how overbuilt the island is… Not just the island, but every nook and cranny along every inlet has a marina (or should I say docks?) covering the shorelines… It’s good picture subjects, objects, whatever… But… Well, I don’t know…. Who am I to say, anyway?
There’s a Main Drag running North/South along the center of the island (or spit, if you will), with a couple of parallel roads on either side…
Everything is posted “No Parking,” so we spent quite a while driving around before we found a spot to drop the truck off… Then we dashed for the beach…
Have to dip our feet, you know… Hard to break a habit!
Well, we had some wonderful moments enjoying the sun, sand and scenery, which we almost had to ourselves… Besides ourselves, there couldn’t have been more than a handful of people enjoying the beach with us…
But all good things must come to an end….
We needed to find COSTCO… And we did… Spent at least an hour waiting for the tire guys to rotate my tires… Which time we spent productively by devouring a hot dog….
BIG BOY took us to Smithville on our way home (way out of our way, of course), where we spent a couple of hours browsing through every little shop we could find… Very interesting little place… I’m sure glad we were here today instead of this weekend (when Oktoberfest was going on), because when we drove by here (whenever it was), the whole place was packed with thousands of people, and I’m sure we would’ve had a hard time just moving around, let alone getting into places…
When we got home, we started looking into (on the internet) getting to New York tomorrow…
We’re having a heck of a time… Think we’ll get up early, than head up to Jersey City… Maybe get a ferry over to see the Statue of Liberty… We’ll see, and I’ll let you know…
Gotta go to bed now, so take care, and keep looking in on us…
Only a few photos today, and here they are: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/MANAHAWKIN%5EJ%20LONG%20BEACH%20ISLAND%5EJ%20and%20SMITHVILLE%5EJ%20N.J.%20%5E5OCT.%205%5EJ%202009%5E6

From MYSTIC, CONNECTICUT to PORT REPUBLIC, NEW JERSEY (OCT. 4, 2009)

I was elated when I woke this morning…
No raindrops beating down on fiberglass (the weather guys got it wrong), which, of course, meant I would stay dry while doing trailer dis/connect stuff…
You know: Water… Electricity… Sewer… Truck hook-up… That kind of stuff…
I hate it when I get wet… I’m not prejudiced, so it doesn’t matter whether we’re coming in or leaving a campground… Rain sucks!
Maybe I should splurge on some rain gear…?
We got under way shortly after 8am, and, although the marine layer that hangs around coastlines like this (at this time of year) was pronounced, we saw, and felt, the sun as we drove over higher elevations…
Good sign for a good day!
Stopped once for a rest stop break, but lost count of how many times we were forced to dig into our cash-stash for turnpike tolls…
All in all, I think Lu told me it added up to about 23 bucks…
When you think about how we would be driving if we hadn’t taken the turnpike (on side streets, probably), I believe it was worth it, so that settles that…
As I’ve said before, you really don’t see much of anything (except the ribbon of undulating roadway) while driving through Connecticut…
And that’s essentially true for New York State also, but here, instead of looking at the countryside, you’re too darn busy watching crazy drivers pass you as if you were sitting still…
Here’s a truth about almost (I covered myself there, didn’t I?) all East Coast drivers: They don’t know how to enter a freeway!
Don’t know how many times I’ve cussed at someone coming on an on-ramp, Then, all of a sudden, stopping right at the merge… Forcing you to stomp on the breaks!
Don’t they know I have enough trouble from my Dearly Beloved when she stomps on her imaginary breaks (for some imaginary reason) on her side of the truck?
You should see the wear and tear…
Might have to replace the floorboards soon…
I digress…
Don’t they learn (here in the East) that you’re supposed to match the speed of the freeway traffic when you merge?
Talking about traffic, it became heavier, and more erratic, as we closed in on the Bronx…
Always wanted to say that we drove through the Bronx, and now I can…
Won’t mention that it was on the freeway, of course, ‘cause that would diminish my stature (or something like that), I think, and that would not do…
Crossed the George Washington Bridge and found ourselves in New Jersey…
And… Lo and behold… Out there in the smog/mist/fog we saw The Empire Sate Building!
Gave me goose bumps!
Can’t wait to see it up close and personal!
Anyway, we arrived - unhurt - in Port Republic, New Jersey, and, believe it or not, “Jack” found our campground (Chestnut Lake RV Park) on the first try! Don’t you just love GeePeeEesses?!
Got everything sorted out and put together in an orderly fashion, and took off for Atlantic City…
The place of grandiose wishes and dreams…
We’ve read and heard so much about this place, that we could hardly wait to step onto that famous Boardwalk…
Then reality set in…
As soon as we turned into Mr. Megabuck’s Taj Mahal, and found he wanted ten bucks for a couple of hours parking, we knew that not only the poor has been hit by the recession…
To top that one: We stopped in to check out the casino… Didn’t gamble, but ordered a drink, which came to 14 dollar, thank you very much!
No wonder the rich gets richer…
I’m not quite done with the complaining, yet…
Shouldn’t probably say this, but (and this has nothing to do with the Trump story) we are disappointed in Atlantic City…
We drove around from one end to the other, and walked a good part of the Boardwalk, and we found the town to be run down (outside the glitz of the casinos), we found it dirty (trash and paper all over the place), and the roads are a mess (buckling and heaving everywhere)…
The Boardwalk is impressive, I think, but it’s being used by tourists and beggars alike, and that’s not a good combination… Frankly, I don’t have an answer to any of this… I’m just an observer, but I can say this: They’ve got a long way to compete with Las Vegas, that’s for sure!
That brings us to the end of today’s lesson… There’s no homework, but do check in for more updates in the days ahead…
P.S. The first four pictures were taken yesterday in Mystic, the rest are from today... Here they are: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/From%20MYSTIC%5EJ%20CONNECTICUT%20to%20PORT%20REPUBLIC%5EJ%20NEW%20JERSEY%20%5E5OCT.%204%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=70&isFromRichUpload=1