It's time to catch up where we've been and where we are.
Sunday (Oct. 25) we drove from Walterboro, SC to Kathryn Hanna Park in Jacksonville, FL. While we were at Hanna park, we met up with friends Dee & Jim, and Fred & Patti. Both couples are RVers and ham radio operators. We also had two great visits with our daughter, Karen, and her family. We'll be back in Jacksonville for Thanksgiving week.
Wednesday (Oct., 28), we drove to Lakeland, FL and the Sanlan RV and Golf Resort. This is a huge campground, with different sections for mobile homes, park models and RV parking. The sites are close together, but the facilities are very nice. We became SkyMed reps in July, and we came here to meet with our regional director, other SkyMed corporate people including the president of the company, and fellow SkyMed reps, for more SkyMed training.
We'll be here until Sunday, when we'll make the short trip to Seffner, FL and Lazydays RV to get a chassis lube for Little House, before making our way toward Louisville, KY.
The weather over the last few days has been typical for Florida - sunny and very warm with higher humidity levels.
Our life on the highways and byways of America.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Saturday, October 24, 2015
WALTERBORO, SC: Another WalMart Stopover
Today's trip was from Selma, NC to the WalMart in Walterboro, SC - about 4 hours and 45 minutes, including a lunch stop and fuel stop. This Walmart is known for being RV friendly and we've stayed here before. We already have 3 RV neighbors, and it's almost a certainty that there will be more arriving as well a few semi's parking for the night. The only negative about this location is being on the side of I-95, but at night Hank's CPAP machine produces a nice steady hum and the traffic noise doesn't bother us. The drive was uneventful except for some stretches of I-95 in South Carolina that were very bumpy and occasional heavy traffic, but we had no delays.
Tomorrow we'll get the wheels rolling toward Jacksonville, FL, where we'll stay 3 nights.
Tomorrow we'll get the wheels rolling toward Jacksonville, FL, where we'll stay 3 nights.
POWHATAN, VA TO SELMA, NC
Thursday, we had a great visit with Hank's brother, Rick and his wife, Jan. We enjoyed a delicious soup and cornbread lunch at their home......oh, don't want to forget the Hummingbird Cake dessert! The afternoon was spent with conversation before we all went out for a Mexican dinner.
Yesterday (Friday) was another travel day as we continue to make our way to Florida. We reached the RVacation campground in Selma, NC about 30 miles from Raleigh. It's a nice campground with some long sites along I-95. Late in the afternoon, we drove to Fuquay-Varina, our last address in NC, to visit our storage room. For dinner, we met up with Chuck and Mary Jo, ham radio friends. Wish there was time to visit with more friends, but we have to move on today.
The weather continues to be good, but it's a little early for fall colors in this area. Today, we'll head south on I-95 to Walterboro, SC.
Yesterday (Friday) was another travel day as we continue to make our way to Florida. We reached the RVacation campground in Selma, NC about 30 miles from Raleigh. It's a nice campground with some long sites along I-95. Late in the afternoon, we drove to Fuquay-Varina, our last address in NC, to visit our storage room. For dinner, we met up with Chuck and Mary Jo, ham radio friends. Wish there was time to visit with more friends, but we have to move on today.
The weather continues to be good, but it's a little early for fall colors in this area. Today, we'll head south on I-95 to Walterboro, SC.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
POWHATAN, VA: Family Time
Our time in Mt. Jackson, VA was a good chance to get caught up on some chores, like laundry and cleaning. In that area, fall color was very spotty, but we had great weather overall, with only two frosty mornings.
Today, at 11:05 A.M., we got the wheels moving on Little House once again under blue skies and moderate temperatures. Our trip to Powhatan, VA and the Cozy Acres Family Campground took about 3 hours, including a lunch stop. It was another beautiful drive through the mountains, with fall colors starting to appear. Hank's brother, Rick, and his wife, Jan live in Powhatan, so we will visit with them tomorrow. We haven't seen them since their daughter Libby's wedding two years ago.
Cozy Acres is in a valley out in the country, with many trees and a couple of small lakes. There is color in the trees, although the leaves are falling all around. Sites are close, but there aren't too many RV's here at this time, although the park is sold out over the next two weekends for Halloween festivities.
We'll be here until Friday morning when we head further south down I-95.
Today, at 11:05 A.M., we got the wheels moving on Little House once again under blue skies and moderate temperatures. Our trip to Powhatan, VA and the Cozy Acres Family Campground took about 3 hours, including a lunch stop. It was another beautiful drive through the mountains, with fall colors starting to appear. Hank's brother, Rick, and his wife, Jan live in Powhatan, so we will visit with them tomorrow. We haven't seen them since their daughter Libby's wedding two years ago.
Cozy Acres is in a valley out in the country, with many trees and a couple of small lakes. There is color in the trees, although the leaves are falling all around. Sites are close, but there aren't too many RV's here at this time, although the park is sold out over the next two weekends for Halloween festivities.
We'll be here until Friday morning when we head further south down I-95.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
MT. JACKSON, VA: Visiting the Shenandoah Valley
Today, we continued our southwest journey, and none too soon. Overnight
temperatures here will be below freezing, and there has been some light snow
in areas where we were not too long ago.
Our trip today was through more of PA, then short treks through MD and WV, before arriving at the Shenandoah Valley Campground in Mt. Jackson, VA. We have one of the 11 pull-through sites with 50 amp service, plus free WiFi and cable TV with a Passport America discount. The campground is located on the side of I-81 so there is some road noise. We'll be here until Wednesday while we do some exploring and take care of a few chores.
Our trip today was through more of PA, then short treks through MD and WV, before arriving at the Shenandoah Valley Campground in Mt. Jackson, VA. We have one of the 11 pull-through sites with 50 amp service, plus free WiFi and cable TV with a Passport America discount. The campground is located on the side of I-81 so there is some road noise. We'll be here until Wednesday while we do some exploring and take care of a few chores.
HAMBURG, PA: First Stay at Cabela's
Saturday was another beautiful fall day, although somewhat cooler with a low of 39 as we woke up in Fishkill, NY. Selene did some shopping at our host's location (Walmart), then we prepared Little House for travel. When you haven't done any hookups, and you haven't set up for a long stay, it doesn't take too long to get the wheels moving. Yesterday's 3 hour trip took us through parts of NY, NJ, and into Pennsylvania while avoiding the big cities of New York City and Philadelphia.
Our destination was the Cabela's store in Hamburg, PA. Cabela's is a major sporting goods merchant that offers supplies and apparel for any outdoor activity such as hunting, camping, hiking, climbing, fresh and saltwater fishing, even big game hunting, etc., and is also another merchant who offers RVers free overnight parking when zoning laws allow. The Hamburg store is huge and in the equally huge parking lot there is a special section for RV's. No hookups are provided, but there is a dump station ($5 fee), potable water, and pens for travelers' pets to stay in while they're shopping. The well-lit location on a hillside gives a nice view of a small mountain across the road and the commercial area below it.
Besides all of the accessories and clothing related to the hobbies above, the store contained as many stuffed wild animals and birds as you might find in a natural history museum along with several large aquariums. There was also a cafe/restaurant, fudge shop, art gallery, furniture department (think hunting lodge), and ongoing demonstrations of various kinds.
In the early evening, we realized we had no hot water or heat coming from our Aqua Hot system. It turned out to be a boiler coolant deficiency, and since we carry that product with us, it ended up being a simple fix. Later, the automated TV antenna on the roof quit working and would not turn, nor could it be lowered for travel. Hank found there was a blown fuse behind the panel that houses the antenna's controls. This morning, he borrowed a replacement fuse from an amateur radio antenna controller that is not currently in use.
Our two nights off the grid went well in spite of a couple of bumps in the night.
Our destination was the Cabela's store in Hamburg, PA. Cabela's is a major sporting goods merchant that offers supplies and apparel for any outdoor activity such as hunting, camping, hiking, climbing, fresh and saltwater fishing, even big game hunting, etc., and is also another merchant who offers RVers free overnight parking when zoning laws allow. The Hamburg store is huge and in the equally huge parking lot there is a special section for RV's. No hookups are provided, but there is a dump station ($5 fee), potable water, and pens for travelers' pets to stay in while they're shopping. The well-lit location on a hillside gives a nice view of a small mountain across the road and the commercial area below it.
Besides all of the accessories and clothing related to the hobbies above, the store contained as many stuffed wild animals and birds as you might find in a natural history museum along with several large aquariums. There was also a cafe/restaurant, fudge shop, art gallery, furniture department (think hunting lodge), and ongoing demonstrations of various kinds.
In the early evening, we realized we had no hot water or heat coming from our Aqua Hot system. It turned out to be a boiler coolant deficiency, and since we carry that product with us, it ended up being a simple fix. Later, the automated TV antenna on the roof quit working and would not turn, nor could it be lowered for travel. Hank found there was a blown fuse behind the panel that houses the antenna's controls. This morning, he borrowed a replacement fuse from an amateur radio antenna controller that is not currently in use.
Our two nights off the grid went well in spite of a couple of bumps in the night.
Friday, October 16, 2015
FISHKILL, NY: Autumn in New York
About 10 A.M. this morning, we pulled out of the Circle 9 Ranch campground near Epsom, NH to head southeast. Our 5 hour journey started with occasional light rain, but the gloomy weather was brightened by the brilliant fall colors of NH. Blue skies appeared as we left MA. We traveled through parts of NH, MA, CT and into New York bypassing the big cities of Boston and New York City, with one stop for fuel There were a couple of big slowdowns as 3 lanes merged into two, and some heavy traffic in spots, but the trip went well.. The tolls for today totaled $3.35.
Our overnight location is the Walmart in Fishkill, a very busy store across the road from a large retail area. We secured a spot along the back side of the lot against the grassy area so we could put out the bedroom slide without being in anybody's way. So far,there is one other RV here. Tomorrow morning we'll do some Walmart shopping to thank them for the parking space before we head southeast once more.
The autumn colors are not as vivid here as they were further north, and some leaves are falling from the trees. But the beauty of autumn is still a big part of the scenery.
Our overnight location is the Walmart in Fishkill, a very busy store across the road from a large retail area. We secured a spot along the back side of the lot against the grassy area so we could put out the bedroom slide without being in anybody's way. So far,there is one other RV here. Tomorrow morning we'll do some Walmart shopping to thank them for the parking space before we head southeast once more.
The autumn colors are not as vivid here as they were further north, and some leaves are falling from the trees. But the beauty of autumn is still a big part of the scenery.
Monday, October 12, 2015
EPSOM, NH: Beautiful Drive, So-So Campground
We pulled out of the Forest Ridge Campground in Ellsworth, ME about 10 A.M. for the 244 mile drive to the Circle 9 Ranch Campground in Epsom, NH, east of Concord. Our drive down I-95 and I-295, then on US 4 was filled with the colors of fall under blue skies - a very nice trip. To save time, we opted for the toll road route, and our toll total was $18.
We picked this campground not only for the location, but because the reviews were mostly positive in regard to the owner, cable TV and Wi-Fi use. Our premium site does have good cable with 85 choices, and the hookups are in good shape.
We haven't met the owner yet so can't speak to his personality. We cannot use the WiFi although we can connect to it. Our neighbor said sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. That was a big disappointment, but we have a decent cell phone signal, so we can use our MiFI to take care of important items. The level sites are close together but there's still room for awnings and slide-outs, and we're far enough off of US 4 that there is no road noise. We'll be here until Friday when we head further south..
Choosing campgrounds can be like a shot in the dark - sometimes you hit the target and sometimes you miss completely. This park falls somewhere in the middle.
We picked this campground not only for the location, but because the reviews were mostly positive in regard to the owner, cable TV and Wi-Fi use. Our premium site does have good cable with 85 choices, and the hookups are in good shape.
We haven't met the owner yet so can't speak to his personality. We cannot use the WiFi although we can connect to it. Our neighbor said sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. That was a big disappointment, but we have a decent cell phone signal, so we can use our MiFI to take care of important items. The level sites are close together but there's still room for awnings and slide-outs, and we're far enough off of US 4 that there is no road noise. We'll be here until Friday when we head further south..
Choosing campgrounds can be like a shot in the dark - sometimes you hit the target and sometimes you miss completely. This park falls somewhere in the middle.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
ELLSWORTH, ME: Our Stay Is Over
The time has come for moving south. We had two more excursions to scenic points during the past week.
The first one was a repeat visit to the part of Acadia National Park that is on the mainland and Schoodic Point. See the map here: http://www.acadiamagic.com/schoodic/map.htm. This area is about 30 miles east of Ellsworth.
" Schoodic Point, located at the southern tip of Schoodic Peninsula in Winter Harbor, Maine, provides one of the best places to view pounding surf during rough seas as well as stunning views of Cadillac Mountain to the West. It is also one of the best places to view diabase dikes. These are large veins of dark basalt that forced their way through the older granite along the Schoodic shoreline. Both the older granite, and the much darker basalt, are igneous rocks that were formed from the cooling of magma during past volcanic activity. The contrast between these two can easily be seen throughout the peninsula. You may have noticed this in the thousands of boulders on the shoreline as well." ( courtesy of acadiamagic.com)
This was a peaceful scene with a view toward Desert Island along the first part of the peninsula road
This was taken at an overlook that was not quite as peacful, but beautiful just the same.
The parking lot at Schoodic Point is tiered and you can also walk out on the rocks all the way to the edge of the cliff (not recommended). We began watching from the car, but then decided to join the people sitting on the rocks closer to the action. The tide was coming in and the sun was shining brightly, but the wind blowing off the ocean made it very chilly.
( taken from the car) Sometimes there was just a little splash.
( taken from the rocks) Sometime the splash was larger.
(from the rocks) Then, every so often, your patience was rewarded with an "Ahhh" moment as the surf crashed against the rocky shore.
Here is a short video of what we saw and heard.
We struck up a conversation with a lady from South Carolina, and she offered to take our picture.
No, Selene isn't reading - she's trying to capture a picture of a big splash.
The fall colors have been slowly increasing and it seemed like a good idea to see what scenery a mountain area might provide. On October 8, our 49th wedding anniversary, we drove to Baxter State Park, about 2 1/2 hours northwest of Ellsworth. This state park includes Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine at 5,270 feet.
While the colors are not as their peak, the scenes were still beautiful against a bright blue sky.
This was our first view of Mount Katahdin as we drove in the park.
We stopped at the Visitor Center and had an interesting conversation with the ranger on duty. He said the view of the mountain along the lake at the back of the building was the best view we would see without hiking or climbing activity. Many of these trails can be quite dangerous - in fact, there was a rescue going on while we were there. (http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/hiking/)
The ranger also said moose sightings are fewer than normal this year due to the warm summer. The moose are staying deeper in the woods during the day to stay cool.
Here's a zoomed in shot of the mountain..... a steep, tall mountain formed from a granite intrusion weathered to the surface.
These two photos don't really do justice to the beauty that was visible in every direction
Tomorrow, we get the wheels moving again as we start our journey south. Our next stop will be Epsom, NH.....east of Concord. It should be another beautiful drive.
The first one was a repeat visit to the part of Acadia National Park that is on the mainland and Schoodic Point. See the map here: http://www.acadiamagic.com/schoodic/map.htm. This area is about 30 miles east of Ellsworth.
" Schoodic Point, located at the southern tip of Schoodic Peninsula in Winter Harbor, Maine, provides one of the best places to view pounding surf during rough seas as well as stunning views of Cadillac Mountain to the West. It is also one of the best places to view diabase dikes. These are large veins of dark basalt that forced their way through the older granite along the Schoodic shoreline. Both the older granite, and the much darker basalt, are igneous rocks that were formed from the cooling of magma during past volcanic activity. The contrast between these two can easily be seen throughout the peninsula. You may have noticed this in the thousands of boulders on the shoreline as well." ( courtesy of acadiamagic.com)
This was a peaceful scene with a view toward Desert Island along the first part of the peninsula road
This was taken at an overlook that was not quite as peacful, but beautiful just the same.
The parking lot at Schoodic Point is tiered and you can also walk out on the rocks all the way to the edge of the cliff (not recommended). We began watching from the car, but then decided to join the people sitting on the rocks closer to the action. The tide was coming in and the sun was shining brightly, but the wind blowing off the ocean made it very chilly.
( taken from the car) Sometimes there was just a little splash.
( taken from the rocks) Sometime the splash was larger.
(from the rocks) Then, every so often, your patience was rewarded with an "Ahhh" moment as the surf crashed against the rocky shore.
Here is a short video of what we saw and heard.
We struck up a conversation with a lady from South Carolina, and she offered to take our picture.
No, Selene isn't reading - she's trying to capture a picture of a big splash.
The fall colors have been slowly increasing and it seemed like a good idea to see what scenery a mountain area might provide. On October 8, our 49th wedding anniversary, we drove to Baxter State Park, about 2 1/2 hours northwest of Ellsworth. This state park includes Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine at 5,270 feet.
While the colors are not as their peak, the scenes were still beautiful against a bright blue sky.
This was our first view of Mount Katahdin as we drove in the park.
We stopped at the Visitor Center and had an interesting conversation with the ranger on duty. He said the view of the mountain along the lake at the back of the building was the best view we would see without hiking or climbing activity. Many of these trails can be quite dangerous - in fact, there was a rescue going on while we were there. (http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/hiking/)
The ranger also said moose sightings are fewer than normal this year due to the warm summer. The moose are staying deeper in the woods during the day to stay cool.
Here's a zoomed in shot of the mountain..... a steep, tall mountain formed from a granite intrusion weathered to the surface.
These two photos don't really do justice to the beauty that was visible in every direction
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
ELLSWORTH, ME: We Came for a Week
We've been here since Sept. 20, first for a week, then added 3 days, then 7 more, and now 5 more. This part of Maine is beautiful - hills all around with mountains in several directions, including those rising out of the sea in Acadia National Park, with more trees than you'll see anywhere else. It's called the Pine Tree State for a reason, although there are many other varieties as well. We came to see New England in the fall, and now fall is starting to show her colors. We're at the Forest Ridge Campground in Ellsworth, halfway between Bangor and Bar Harbor, in a rural wooded setting about a mile from town. The park's facilities are great, including free cable and Wi-Fi. There's plenty to see when we feel like exploring, and we have a great place to stay when we just want to stay put. So why leave? The answer to that is we'll have to leave soon because the park closes down for the winter on October 15, and we don't want to be here past that date since winters are pretty rough here. Last year they had a foot of snow on Halloween!
We do NOT want to be in this picture!
Cliff and Margette from New Mexico, another ham radio couple, were here also. One night we shared a campfire as well as shortened versions of our life story. Meeting new people with common interests is always enjoyable.
Meanwhile, we're getting accustomed to seeing the huge woodpiles by many houses, as well as signs about moose, snowmobiles and snow plows. Of course, there's plenty of businesses that do the plowing, but many homes have a plow already sitting on their driveway, and some vehicles already have them installed.
We've had several outings in the surrounding areas, including Bangor, and enjoy traveling down the less-traveled roads. One day we drove east to Desert Island, where Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park is located. The island is home to several small towns, hiking and biking trails, several mountains, campgrounds, as well as many postcard views. Our first stop was Bar Harbor - a coastal town with a varied history. Today it's bustling tourist stop and the port of call for several cruise lines.
Our next stop was Acadia National Park, which covers a good part of Desert Island. See map here -
http://www.acadia.ws/acadia-map.htm. We started our tour at the Hulls Core Visitor Center and watched a short film about Acadia. Then we drove along the Park Loop Ride - a 27 mile road that is one-way on much of the route. The admittance pass is $25 per vehicle, good for 7 days. We had free admission with our America the Beautiful Senior Pass ($10 lifetime fee) which is good at national, and some state parks as well as historic sites around the USA.
Our first stop was Sand Beach. Not many sandy beaches in Maine.
We do NOT want to be in this picture!
Cliff and Margette from New Mexico, another ham radio couple, were here also. One night we shared a campfire as well as shortened versions of our life story. Meeting new people with common interests is always enjoyable.
Meanwhile, we're getting accustomed to seeing the huge woodpiles by many houses, as well as signs about moose, snowmobiles and snow plows. Of course, there's plenty of businesses that do the plowing, but many homes have a plow already sitting on their driveway, and some vehicles already have them installed.
We've had several outings in the surrounding areas, including Bangor, and enjoy traveling down the less-traveled roads. One day we drove east to Desert Island, where Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park is located. The island is home to several small towns, hiking and biking trails, several mountains, campgrounds, as well as many postcard views. Our first stop was Bar Harbor - a coastal town with a varied history. Today it's bustling tourist stop and the port of call for several cruise lines.
Our next stop was Acadia National Park, which covers a good part of Desert Island. See map here -
http://www.acadia.ws/acadia-map.htm. We started our tour at the Hulls Core Visitor Center and watched a short film about Acadia. Then we drove along the Park Loop Ride - a 27 mile road that is one-way on much of the route. The admittance pass is $25 per vehicle, good for 7 days. We had free admission with our America the Beautiful Senior Pass ($10 lifetime fee) which is good at national, and some state parks as well as historic sites around the USA.
Our first stop was Sand Beach. Not many sandy beaches in Maine.
The beach is longer than shows here. We didn't want to get down in the sand.
An ocean view from one of the many overlooks along the road.
This is Seal Harbor, although we didn't see any seals. Lots of fishing boats here as well as pleasure craft.
Our next stop was Cadillac Mountain, With an elevation of 1,528 feet, its summit is the highest point in Hancock County and the highest within 25 miles of the shoreline of the North American continent between the Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia and Mexican peaks 180 miles south of the Texas border.
This scene was partway up the mountain road.
Here are several views from the 360 degree view at the peak. The cruise ships are n the harbor at Bar Harbor
This was taken as we were going back down the mountain.
It's easy to see why Acadia National Park is so popular.
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