Colorado River, Columbus, TX Dec. 2018

                                    CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES OF THE AREA




It is amazing the wonderful friends a person can meet while RV'ing.

On the road into the park we made a new friend, a beautiful German Shepard that loved to race all the cars.  You gunned the car and the dog would race you down his fence line, doing 35mph, that dog could still out run us.  He loved to run.

Len had to replace the hot water tank in the motorhome, home repairs even when the wheels go round and round.

Saw Richard and Betty that we had met in Florida, they ended up parking across the street from us.

Had a great time staying here.  Len was able to go out kayaking with friends he met in Florida, Gary and Linda, they were also joined by Katie and Greg..  We took several adventures with Gary and Linda Williams checking out the tourist areas, and local restaurants.  We checked out Hruska's down the road from the park. Great kolaches, so many choices, but Len liked the lemon and Gary said the pumpkin was delicious.  Cream cheese was my choice and it was delicious. Took a trip to Brenham to visit the Blue Bell Creameries,  enjoyed ice cream while we were there.  A wonderful visit to the Painted Churches in Schulenburg, amazing beautiful churches, the stained glass was so beautiful. In Columbus we were able to visit the Stafford Opera House and the Confederate Museum.  Len picked up some pecans, the squirrels helped him eat them while he was sleeping

The park had an early Christmas potluck which we all enjoyed.  Learned a new dice game (LCR) which was fun and easy.  Fun ornament bingo game one night, even if I did loose the ornament I REALLY wanted, and also a white elephant bingo after the Christmas potluck.  I did win a portable ice maker, which I have absolutely no room for.  I passed the ice maker onto are friends Scott and Helen for their summer home, in exchanged she made a beautiful set of towels for me.

On the move again...….

Lake Conroe, Willis, Texas - Dec. 2018

   
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 Arrived here on the 26th of November and we leave tomorrow after a 2 week stay.  We were here two years ago and they were making some additions at that time.  When we pulled into the park we were able to snag a spot in the new addition.  Nice concrete pad and large patio area.  Not many activities during the week but the weekends are busy.  Starting on Friday at one, they play surprise bingo (also on Saturday), bring a bag to carry your winnings home, you will need it.  The cabinet is stocked with chips, crackers, cookies and other snacks from the total of 4 times playing surprise bingo. At 5 o'clock, both on Friday and Saturday they play card bingo, did pretty good winning some of those pots too, they were cash winnings, but only a couple of dollars for each game.

     Several RV friends are also at this park so we were able to catch up with them.  Plus some others have stopped RV'ing and live in the area so we were able to visit with them also.

     Got the Christmas decorations up, they look so pretty.  Wonder if Santa will find this house on wheels.

     Len went out on the lake and did some kayaking with Gary and Linda that we met in Florida that are also staying here.  They had a good time till it got a little windy on the lake so had to bring the kayaks to shore.

     We went over to visit Daria, we had met her and her husband, Bob, when traveling in Maine four years ago.  Bob has since passed away, but we had a lovely time catching up with Daria and enjoyed lunch at the Fish Pond, we all had chicken fried steak, so good.

     Another couple we met back East, Gordon and Merlyn, stopped by to see us.  They bought a beautiful home in town, so good to see them and we did get to visit several times with them while we were here.  They even brought their grandson, Liam over to visit, we had met him a couple years ago when he was visiting his grandparents in New York. 

     We have crossed paths again with Scott and Helen.  Also Ed and Debi and Janice and Dave.  It is amazing the friends you are able to see while traveling.  Ed, Debi, Janice, Dave, Gary and Linda joined us at the Fish Pond for an early dinner one night.  Food is so good and a lot of it. I love their liver and onions, Len had a hamburger steak that filled the platter it was served on.

     The RV park does cooking decorating every year, there is a couple in the park that bake all the sugar cookies along with making all the decorating frosting.  This year they baked over 500 cookies, they do such a great job and have done this for 25 years. 

     The park also had a dessert contest, decided I would give it a try.  I made the toffee recipe my mom always used, it was tasty enough to come in second.  Won a gift card to Jason Deli for $25. 

     We were able to check out some tourist attractions in the area.  It is really to bad that businesses are not opened, the hours that they post.   Drove to Montgomery TX. we stopped at Fernland Historical Park. There are several log cabins there that are some of the oldest still in Texas.  Buildings weren't open but Len was able to get some pictures through the windows.  Then , we made a stop at Old Iron Works, they restore cars and you are able to wander through the showroom and the shop area and talk with the crew that is doing the restorations.  Also visited the Heritage Museum in Conroe.  We like to visit the local museums where we camp to learn of the area.

     The Kroger grocery store in town is amazing, like visiting a super Wal-Mart, but better quality.  Plus we get gas points for a discount.

     All for now...…….

Lake Whitney, Whitney, TX November 2018

                               CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES OF OUR STAY HERE


We were busy during our stay at Lake Whitney, ended up parking next to a couple that we met at the last park we stayed in.  Spent a lot of time with Jim and Sharon and took in some great sites together.

Drove into Waco with Jim and Sharon, that was one busy day.  Our first stop was for breakfast at the Magnolia Tree, this is the restaurant Chip and Joanna Gaines that had the show Fixer Upper which aired on the HGTV channel opened. Great breakfast, Len even enjoyed a nutty cinnamon roll with his breakfast.  From there we headed to the trolley stop to hitch a ride to the downtown area. The shuttle service is a free option and our driver pointed out many of the sights to us and was really entertaining.

We visited the Dr. Pepper Museum, home to the oldest Major soft drink.  Dr Pepper is a “native Texan,” originating at Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store. It is the oldest of the major brand soft drinks in America. Like its flavor, the origin of Dr Pepper is out-of-the-ordinary. Charles Alderton, a young pharmacist working at Morrison’s store, is believed to be the inventor of the now famous drink. Alderton spent most of his time mixing up medicine for the people of Waco, but in his spare time he liked to serve carbonated drinks at the soda fountain. He liked the way the drug store smelled, with all of the fruit syrup flavor smells mixing together in the air. He decided to create a drink that tasted like that smell. He kept a journal, and after numerous experiments he finally hit upon a mixture of fruit syrups that he liked.

We also stopped in at the Spice Village.  Spice Village is the dream shopping experience with more than 60 boutiques under one roof! This 30,000 square feet shopping experience you do not want to pass up. Located in downtown Waco, TX for the last 20 years and we are proud to have been spicing up people’s lives since 1997!

Another stop was the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame. The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is the State designated official historical center of the famed Texas Rangers Law Enforcement Agency in Waco, Texas. They preserve the history and inspire an appreciation of the Texas Rangers, a Texas Legend and an American Heritage.

We visited the Magnolia Market at the Silos, found the prices out of my comfort range but it was nice to see.  
They were doing a tent sale and if you lived in the area that is the time to shop for your home, they did have some good prices.

For dinner we stopped at George's restaurant in Waco.  They are known for their chicken fried steak and since that was the special for dinner that is what all of us tried.  It was very good and while they said it was 1/2 order, it was more than we could eat.

Len and I drove back to Waco another day so we could visit Waco Mammoth National Monument.  The guide took us to the dig shelter, it was amazing to see the bones of the mammoths they have unearthed in the diggings, so much move to still unearth.

Also a stop at the Waco Natural Habitat Cameron Park Zoo, small zoo but Len felt it is one of the better ones and only $9 admission charge.

The  RV park did a great Thanksgiving Dinner, pretty good turn out and the  shared dishes that were brought in, showed there are some great cooks out there.

Jim and Sharon joined us for a trip to FT. Worth Stockyards.  We sure enjoy that place.  Twice a day the cowboys wrangle the long horn steers down the street for all to see.  Up close they are massive but seem so gentle when they ramble past you.  We also took in some local museums while there and then stopped to have bar-b-q at the legendary Risckys.  Great meals and a large menu to choose from.

Of all the places we visited in the area my highlight was the chance to meet two of my great grand kids.  Met up with their grandma, Kay, and mom, Jennifer. Grayson is 3 and Lorelai just turned 1, great kids and I really appreciate Kay and Jennifer for setting up the meeting and for lunch. Made my day.

More updates to come as we continue our travels.

Lake Texoma, Gordonville, TX Nov. 2018

Have been here for 10 days and have enjoyed our stay.  We pull out tomorrow and onto the next stop.

This park is not really close to anything like most Thousand Trails Parks and out in the middle of no mans land.  Not much to see or do in the area but a very nice area with lots of trees and a large lake.  We are just a short drive from the Oklahoma state line.

We did drive to Wal-Mart, about 24 miles one way, to stock up.  There is a local Dollar General where you can pick up milk and bread if you needed to.

Took a drive to Winn-Star casino, in Oklahoma, so Len could fill his pockets, I donated, he walked out with over 200 dollars. Why is it we can never both be winners at the same time?

The park put on an early Thanksgiving potluck dinner.  Plenty of food and it was all delicious. Met a very nice couple, Jim and Sharon who have recently started full-timing so it was nice to visit with them and looks like we will be in a couple of the same parks here in Texas, so hope to chat again.  Also met up with Scott and Helen that we met here a couple of years back and have seen in other parks, even ran into them in Florida.

Weather has been cool here, in fact one night we left the water dripping so it wouldn't freeze.  Little bit of rain, some sunny days but most were cloudy and cool, heading a little South and hope warmer temps.  Till the next time, happy trails.

Colorado 2018

Been awhile since the last post, computer bit the dust and just a pain to post with the tablet.  Up and running again with a new computer now. 

Our month long visit went by way to fast.  Arrived on the first of October and seemed like we were running till we left on the 31st of October.

Somewhat disappointed that we were not able to stay at our usual place in town, but they changed their rules and decided they would no longer take monthly rentals.  Len managed to find us a place on the other side of town, Prospect RV Park, while it was a nice park, it was so far away from where we normally stay.  Heard rumors the old park might go back to taking month long rentals as they ended up with some empty spots and lost revenue with their new way of thinking.  Hope that holds true.

The first couple of weeks Len was busy putting his Harley up for sale, his motorcycle lift and his truck, plus trying to find a replacement vehicle for us.  Well things did fall into place.  Len found a car, Chevy Equinox, sold the Harley, found a buyer for the truck and we left the lift with my oldest son in hopes that a buyer is found.  Once he got the car then he had to get it set up to tow, which he did, it is great he has the ability and knowledge to do things himself, sure saves a lot of money and nice there is a place at my house to do the work. We are enjoying the new wheels, Len likes the gas mileage I like the heated seats.

We had a wonderful get together with my family, so good to see everyone.  A few hours is not nearly long enough to get caught up with everyone you have not seen in a year. Lunch with my boys is always nice.

Hit some of our favorite restaurants, most being Mexican, after all it is Colorado.

Met Ricky and Gordon for a couple of meals, Diane and Harvey for some great fish and chips, Sonny and Sissy for lunch one day, plus took in some Bronco games at the pub with old friends Billy and Nancy among seeing some other old regulars at the bar. 

Till next year, good bye Colorado.

Maine 2018

We did a short stay in Wells, Maine for 3 nights.  Like that area but so hard to get a spot to camp.  It is a great place to get some of the best lobster rolls, for the best price, we have found.  We got parked, plugged in, slides out and headed for Shaine's of Maine.  Suppose to have great ice cream but it is the lobster roll and clam chowder we go for.  Next afternoon we were out doing some sight seeing and stopped at a restaurant on the coast where we had gone in the past.  This time we tried the Haddock sandwich, it was actually some of the best haddock we have had, good size piece of fish and so flaky.  Next day it was lobster roll time again at Shaine's.

We also went to the Seashore Trolley Museum. It is the largest one of it kind in the US. Sure was fun to see all the old trolleys for all around the world. I remember ridding on some of these kinds in San Francisco when I was a kid. Even got to ride on one of the old Trolleys.

We have now moved onto Trenton, Maine.  Second night here it was more lobster (wish I liked lobster) at the Down East Lobster Pound. Our friends Lily and Ian joined us.  The view from the outside upper deck is amazing.  Another day we went to the local IGA grocery store and Len bought two lobsters, he grilled those and really enjoyed them.





Today we caught the local free bus and headed to the Villages of Bar Harbor, from there we transferred to the bus that takes you to Arcadia National Park.  Today was the busiest day, according to the bus driver, that he has seen this season.  We rode the loop around the park and will return in the truck and get a closer look at some of the areas we would like to see.  We transferred back to the Village bus and once back  at the Village we walked around.  Stopped for a snack and cold beer, before we wandered through some of the stores with all the other tourist that were in town.  One of the big cruise ships was in port so that made for more people also.

Will be here another week and half so will add more later...…

Timothy Lake South, E. Stroudsburg. PA 06/2018

                             CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF THE AREA


Have been to this park before but it is always a nice stay.

Played bingo one afternoon, Len was the lucky winner and got to yell BINGO twice.  The  blackout got him a great prize, it was two tickets to the Oktoberfest.  We had talked about going so this did make the decision to go a bit easier.  Was disappointed there were so few vendors participating. More food vendors than anything.  They did have several bands and some dancers, crowd was small.  Enjoyed the pig races which were fun to watch and some dog races were included.  Entertainment for the kids was also fun there was a juggler, a magician and lots of games for the kids.  We did enjoy a great brats with caramelized onions while we were there.

Took a ride to check out Resica Falls which is situated in the beautiful Pocono Mountains.  Short walk to see the falls from the parking lot, nice little water fall.  This is located on a Boy Scout Reservation that is still very active.

Made another trip to the Pocono raceway, last time was so much fun we wanted to do it again.  During the drive there the rain came down in buckets, would there be a rain delay?  Rain did let up some by the time we arrived.  I had called in advance and was told we would be riding with another couple, didn't think that would be a problem as the last time we also rode with another couple.  When we arrived we didn't see the pace car like last time but instead a 14 passenger van, you know a van on a race track is nothing like a pace car ride on the track.  Plus the couple turned out to be 7 family members with one little one that wasn't the least bit interested in the ride along and "voiced" his opinion several times, in fact his family apologized and said he is usually a happy go lucky baby.  Guess it just wasn't his day.  The rain continued during our track tour but did make a stop at the finish line for pictures. 

We did visit the casino a couple of times, I mean we were driving right pass it.  Both times we managed to leave a little there, nothing like sharing.

Will be in Maine soon, sure looking forward to our visit there.

More to follow................

Hershey RV Park, July 2018

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We have had a great time here at Hershey for the last three weeks.  High temps along with high humidity has kept us inside a lot, along with some rains, heavy at times and a flash flood alert one night.  It is still easy to find indoor things to explore.  Some areas we have revisited but also found some new places that we haven't been to before.

We visited AACA museum (Antique Automobile Club of America). The Mustang Exhibit opened in May so the showroom floors will filled with Mustangs, along with other old cars, buses and a display of an old filling station that even had the air hose to call for an attendant to fill you tank, wash your windshield, and check your tires and oil.  This was our first time here and really enjoyed our visit.  Also on display was the Tucker auto, Preston Tucker was way ahead of the game in automobiles I think, but just couldn't make it. Only 51 cars were ever made, before the operations ceased due to negative publicity initiated by the news media, and a Security and Exchange Commission investigation, along with stock fraud, which were proven to false.  Down in their basement they have the best miniature railroad set up, along with the little towns.  You push a button and the car wash runs a car through, push another button and the tire swings starts.  While you are doing all this you are pushing buttons to make several different trains run and pothers things on display work Think the adults were enjoying just as much as the kids, if not more.


Also a new stop for us was the Zoo America Wildlife Park. They have more than 200 animals from 5 distinct areas of North America.  The zoo began in 1905 with an exhibit of prairie dogs.  In 1910 it opened with exotic animals, in 1970 a major transformation happened exhibiting only North America animals, this also including many rescue animals.


Took a drive to Lancaster one day, this is an Amish area.  When we visited before we took a bus tour from the information center, it wasn't available this year but we were given a map of the route.  I wanted to stop at the Country Store where we had stopped on our last visit.  They make the best sugar-free apple butter.  Their store is filled with local homemade items that are for sale.  Couldn't leave without a fresh baked pretzel either. The store has great ice cream but we were headed for another stop and ice cream so passed on it. While in the area we also drove to the town of Bird-In-Hand and Intercourse, how do these towns get named?  We headed to the Turkey Hill Experience, don't feel it was as good as our last visit but if you aren't full of ice cream when you leave, it's your own fault.  Veterans get free admission but I had to pay $9.50 for my "experience". It was a self-guided tour explaining the process, I milked a "cow", we saw a short film on the ice cream making process, created our own flavors via a computer.  We were even get an opportunity to help with sampling of ice cream products that they are thinking of marketing.  Onto the  ice cream tasting.  They had about 5 samples you could taste, we did 3 or 4 of them.  They were good but I think Hershey Ice Cream was better. They also had several flavors of the Iced Tea they make, some were better than others, must of been 6 flavors to sample.


Visited Chocolate World (Hershey).  Took the ride to see how the candy it made which is animated but a cute ride.  After the ride you get a little chocolate bar.  Wondered through the gift shop, so mush to look at.  Passed on buying the candy and that wasn't even a hard thing to do, I was surprised.  You can do a lot there but everything is a charge and since we had been before we were OK to pass on it.

Drove to Harrisburg to visit The National Civil War Museum, another place we have visited but don't mind returning to most of the museums we have seen before.  Got there shortly after they opened and the place was deserted so was able to explore one floor and was almost done with it before we ran into anyone else.  History is shown on Slavery, Making of the Armies, Medicine, Life-Like Exhibits, even a soldier's campsite.  Over 4,000 artifacts and 21,000 archival documents.  After the Battle of Gettysburg, 37,574 rifles were recovered and sent to Washington to be reissued.

Cheasapeake Bay Thousand Trails, Gloocester, VA June 2018

                               CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES OF THE AREA




Our first time to this RV park and some new things to see.

We visited the American Revolution Museum, been in the area before and visited the other museum but the new one is so much nicer.
The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, which replaces the Yorktown Victory Center, achieved a crucial milestone with the new museum opening April 2017.
Through comprehensive, immersive indoor exhibits and outdoor living history, the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown offers a truly national perspective, conveying a sense of the transformational nature and epic scale of the Revolution and the richness and complexity of the country’s Revolutionary heritage. 
In the 170-seat museum theater, “Liberty Fever” draws visitors into the world of Revolutionary America, setting the stage for indoor gallery and outdoor living-history experiences. The introductory film is narrated by an early 19th-century storyteller who has traveled the country gathering stories about the American Revolution and shares his accounts using a moving panorama presentation of the time period.
The 22,000-square-foot permanent exhibition galleries engage visitors in the tumult, drama and promise of the Revolution through period artifacts and immersive environments, dioramas, interactive exhibits and short films, including an experiential theater that transports visitors to the Siege of Yorktown with wind, smoke and the thunder of cannon fire.

Spent an afternoon at the Rosewell Ruins, sad to see the conditions of the ruins. This massive home, considered among the most extravagant of its kind, was built in 1725 for the Page Family. The Page family sought to build a home that would exceed the luxury and stature of the Governor's own palace in Williamsburg. In its entirety, the house stood at 12,000 square feet, which doubled the size of the palace.  Rosewell saw its ups and downs as the country developed, and even throughout economic hardships brought on by the Civil War, the site was known for hosting lavish parties and dances. In 1916, a tragic fire swept through the house and demolished all but what remains today: a few brick columns and the bare bones of a building from another time.

We visited the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to check out their small Aquarium. It was a free visit with some amazing displays.

From the aquarium we drove down to Gloucester Point Beach Park.  Several people were crabbing and fishing off the pier.  Gloucester Point experiences diurnal tides - meaning that on a normal day , two low and two high tides occur.

Len did take the bike out for a ride one morning before it got too warm.  Temps have been high but along with that comes the humidity.

While in the park we have played bingo a couple of time, no wins but Len did get a candy bar at the last bingo cause it was father's day weekend so all the dad's got a candy bar.  Also went to breakfast on Sunday morning, first time we had a coupon from the membership meeting for a free pancake breakfast and today the dad's got a free pancake breakfast.  Guess I don't have to tell you we have walked over to the little store and gotten ice cream, hey it's hot here and you need to stay cool. Servings are large so the kiddie size is more than enough.  Did play a round of mini golf while we were here, very nice little course, best part, is I beat Len and that never happens.  I did win a $50. gift card at the membership meeting, so that was nice.

Tomorrow we head onto our next adventure in Hershey, PA, I can smell the chocolate already, till next time........

Lake Gaston, Littleton, NC June 2018

We are ending our 2 week stay here at Lake Gaston, in Littleton, North Carolina.  We have seen a lot of rain during our stay here, but managed to get out and see a few things in the area.

We drove to Historical Halifax for some sight  seeing.  Started at the visitor center, viewed their short film on the area and then were taken via golf cart to some of the historical buildings in the area. Located on the Roanoke River, the town of Halifax developed into a commercial and political center at the time of the American Revolution. North Carolina's Fourth Provincial Congress met in Halifax in the spring of 1776. On April 12 that body unanimously adopted a document later called the "Halifax Resolves," which was the first official action by an entire colony recommending independence from England. The tour of the site includes several authentically restored and furnished buildings including the 1838 Jail, the 1790 Eagle Tavern and the Underground Railroad Trail. Historic Halifax frequently features costumed historical interpreters and craft demonstrations that bring the early history of the Roanoke Valley to life.

Another day we drove into the small town of Littleton to visit the Cryptozoology and Paranormal Museum, it was a very interesting stop.  This area is well know for sightings of Big Foot, while we didn't see any we enjoyed the casted foot prints in the museum along with the pictures.  Check out their on line information. https://crypto-para.org/


Len took a ride to the hydro dam on Lake Gaston, it is a hydroelectric reservoir in the eastern U.S. Part of the lake is in the North Carolina counties of Halifax, Northampton and Warren. The part extending into Virginia lies in Brunswick and Mecklenburg counties. Lake Gaston is roughly 35 miles long and covers over 20,000 acres, with 350 miles shoreline.
The area surrounding the lake is home to more than 150,000 residents.
The lake is not federally owned. It was formed when the Virginia Electric Power Company (VEPCO) built Gaston Dam on the Roanoke River to generate electricity for Dominion Resources, which owns the lake. The dam is located on the North Carolina side and generates electricity for Dominion North Carolina Power, which is the North Carolina operating company of Dominion Resources. The dam includes four hydroelectric generators, with a total generating capacity of 224 megawatts.
Lake Gaston was built for flood control, hydroelectric power and recreational enjoyment, including activities such as fishing, boating, swimming, water skiing and wakeboarding.
The lake has been a popular retirement destination since the 1970s.  Len did take his kayak out one day on the lake.

This park was very busy over Memorial Day Weekend.  I did participate in their craft fair, did make a few sales also.

We played bingo one night and managed to break even. 

So tomorrow we move onto Chesapeake Bay RV Park in Gloucester, Virginia, we have not been to this park before so looking forward to more adventures. 

Twin Lakes Campground, Chocowinity, N.C.

                                 CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES OF THE AREA


First time staying here so a new area to explore. We took a drive to Goose Creek State Park, after a visit to the visitor center, we took a walk on the boardwalk. Goose Creek is a haven for birds.  We saw a snake, and lots of turtles plus a few other creatures.  This park is over 1,600 acres. There is no charge to visit any of North Carolina state parks, wish all states were like that.

One afternoon we drove to downtown Washington, not far from the campground. Our first stop was the Underground railroad, so much to learn and understand. The volunteer was amazing and her telling of the history held your attention. Think we would still be there, but had an appointment with a boat.

We ventured on to our next stop.  The North Carolina Estuarium, this place tells all about the estuaries that are formed where fresh water and salt water mix together. North Carolina has more estuarine waters than any other state.  We checked out their exhibits before taking the hour and half boat ride on the Pamlico and Tar river.  Even got to see an eagle.

While on the boat ride we were told about a local hot dog joint that has been in business for 90 years. All they serve is not dogs with their secret  chili sauce, mustard and onions.  They sure were good, in fact we did go back for another meal.


Drove over to historical Bath, the visitor center had a display for Edward  Teach/Thatch, better know as Blackbeard the pirate. He lived here and died in
Ocracoke, Province of NC. In 1718. Also drove around Bath and checked out the historic sites and some of the remaining houses and churches.

Our last week here has been a little rainy but happy we were able to visit this area and add more history to our travels.

The Oaks at Point South, Yemassee, South Carolina

                         CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES OF OUR STAY HERE


Trying to get caught up here with my "chores".  We were at the Oaks for 10 days and kept pretty busy. 

Our first outing took us to Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
Patriots Point Naval  Maritime Museum is located in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, at the mouth of the Cooper River on the Charleston Harbor, across from Charleston. This is home to the USS Yorktown along with the destroyer, USS Laffey, submarine, and USS Clamagore, also included The Vietnam Experience that uses state-of-the-art technology and artifacts to immerse visitors in what it was like to be in Vietnam.  Len toured all of the ships that day.  I had posted on face book some pictures and heard back from Bev that I worked with when my boys were young.  She said we were close to her and Mike's place to stop by, she was still working but Mike was home. They ended up taking us out to a local restaurant, See Wee, for supper, enjoyed some great shrimp and southern sides.

We also visited Fort Moultrie while in the area.  It tells the story of two centuries of seacoast defense, this Fort is on Sullivan Island. Between 1809 and 1860 the fort changed little, it was modernized in the 1870's.

Also made a stop at Hunting Island State Park. We have visited this lighthouse before but Len  climber the 175 steps to the top for some beautiful views. The original lighthouse was built 1857-1859, it was destroyed in 1861 by Confederates so that the Union couldn't use the light against them. 1873 started rebuilding, completed in 1875. 1889 the ocean began knocking at it's door, so it was dismantled and moved 1 1/4 miles. In 1933 the lens was decommissioned, in 1938 the light keeper's house was burned down during the occupation by the CCC. Currently the lighthouse has a functional light in the tower only visible 5 miles out and flashes at a 30-second interval, it is not used for navigation.

We took at drive into Savannah on two different occasions.  Had toured the area via a trolley when here before so learned the history at that time.  This time we ventured out on our own with the free city bus, our first stop was Johnson Square, from there we walked down to the Savannah River, caught the free ferry and took a trip down the river, it made a stop at the convention center and then before we were able to cruise back out on the river had to wait for a big cargo ship to pass.  Next stop was at Morrell park where the waving girl statue is.  Len departed the boat at this stop and walked back up the river walk while I took the ferry back to the starting point.  It was lunch time so decided to find Paula Dean's restaurant.  Len did the buffet and enjoyed what he ate, I ordered off the menu and wasn't happy at all with my chicken salad or cole slaw, the banana pudding was good.

Another day it was a visit to Fort Pulaski, this fort was built to guard the river approaches to Savannah, GA. Still has a moat and drawbridge. The 7 1/2 foot walls were demolished by Union rifled artillery on April 10-11, 1862. One wall still shows the craters made by cannon shot fired from Tybee Island, penetrated the walls 20-25 inches.  Some of the 5,275 shots fired can still be seen in the walls.

Then it was a stop at Wormsloe State Historic Site, it is a 1736 Colonial Estate. At the entrance gate is a picturesque roadway leading through the property that is lined with more than 400 live oak trees that were planted in the early 1890's. On the tour you also see a colonial life area and living history camps.

Had Mike and Bev over to the motorhome for lunch on Saturday, it was good to get a chance to visit with them once again before leaving the area.



.

Bullow RV park, Flagler Beach, FL. April 2018

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Always enjoy staying here at Bulow, so many parks have limited activities during some of the time.  We arrived on a Tuesday morning early enough to walk over to the clubhouse and enjoy lunch. The menu changes weekly. They were serving sausage or not dogs for $2. Fries or onion rings for a dollar, beer $2 and soft drinks for a buck.  Along with chili, cheese and other toppings.  This last Tuesday was sloppy Joes with potato salad and drinks.

RV friends Lloyd and Cheryl were here along with her mom.  Cheryl seems to be my good luck charm when we play bingo together.  Played the last two weeks, first week Len won $10 and I won a door prize ( four bingo cards for the next week). Second week I won $7.50 (pot varies depending of the amount of players), and Len won the door prize which he declined since we leave tomorrow.

Thursday is free coffee and donuts. First Thursday people we met here the first time we stayed drove over and joined us. It was good to see Lee and Lee Ann.

We visited some of the places we have checked out before. Went to  Bulow Plantation Ruins, an old sugar mill where in 1821 land was cleared and sugar cane was planted. About all that is left of the plantation are the coquinas ruins of the sugar mill, several wells and a crumbling foundation of the mansion.

Also visited Castillo de San Marcos Fort in St. Augustine. The construction began in 1672 making it one of the oldest standing structures in North America. This was built by the Spanish to protect their vast empire in the Americas.

We did a stop at Bulow Creek State Park.  This park protects one of the largest remaining stands of southern live oak forest along Florida's east coast. The Fairchild Oak is one of the largest live oak trees in the south. It is said to be more than 2000 years old.

While in St. Augustine Len once again climbed the 219 steps of the St. Augustine lighthouse.

One day we took a ride to Ponce Inlet,  there is a lighthouse there also, but the best discovery was the Marine Science Center. They do turtle and seabird rehabilitation,  educational programs are on going throughout the day.  We spent our time at the science center since Len had done the lighthouse when we were here before.

Three Flags RD Park, Wildwood, FL. April 2018

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The last 2 weeks have flown by so fast.  We arrived on a Tuesday, got set up and have been going ever since. Our RV friends Brian and Phyllis were already here when we arrived so it was a great start.  Next day we all headed over to Crystal River to meet up with more RV friends, Dale and Betty and to also celebrate Phyllis and Betty's birthday a little early.  Angie and Dave also joined us. We ate at Crackers which is located along Kings Bay of Crystal River. Had a great meal, everyone ate Grouper of some sort, we ate out on the waterfront dock, such a nice view, all was great till the annoying No See Ums  decided to join us, can't think there is a more annoying insect anywhere. Those little boogers can bite multiple times and feed in large groups, so I end up with a group of welts, and they are so small you don't see them.
We did a local flea market one day and then one evening we went to The Villages to catch some local entertainment.

RV friends we met in Washington, through Lee and Elaine were also here so went out for supper one night.  They suggested Giovanni's, good  choice.

Easter we enjoyed the buffet at the Golden Corral with Brian and Phyllis and Rich and Betty, more RV'ers.

Had a meal at Brian and Phyllis place, a meal here and many happy hours.

Enjoyed ribs at Oakwook Express with Phyllis and Brian one night also.

 Rode over with Brian and Phyllis to Homosassas to meet up with their friends Karin and Jack. Checked out  Monkey Island, 5 spider monkeys currently occupy the island which is a tiny chunk of land setting in the Homosassas River. In the 60's  Monkey Island was a jumble of rocks in the river that submerged during high tide making a hazard to small boats. Dirt was dredged onto the rocks, and the resulting visible lump was made more picturesque with some plant life, trees and a lighthouse.  The monkeys were added later, moved from a nearby wildlife attraction. The monkeys are fed twice daily and have free run of the island. It was suggested to have lunch at The Freezer and Tiki Bar, shrimp is what they are known for so that is what we had, I also added some clam chowder, while it was good, I think West coast is better. The Freezer was actually a real bait freezer turned into a bar.  The Seminole Indians built a tiki but on the back which over looks Otter Creek. This is a working fish house to this day.  There is also a small fish market there, with some good pricesprices that we will remember for next time.

Forest River RV, Zephyerhills, FL. March 2018

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First time we have stayed in this park. Nice park and our neighbors are friendly.
First thing we did was go to Tarpon Spring on the cost. It was the Sponge Capital of the world.

Tarpon Springs also has a very good Aquarium right in town. There is several shows with there Gator and one real large snake and also there Sharks. You even get to hold part of the Python as it was 14ft long.

We were able to meet up with long time friends of Len's, Doyle and Margo, spent several hours getting caught up.  Plus enjoyed a strawberry shortcake ice cream social while we were visiting.

Drove over to Plant City, must be the strawberry capital of Florida. Stopped at Parkdale market, another strawberry shortcake. One of the neighbors told Len about the cookie factory that was there, first time we had heard of it.  The little store sells seconds, seems to be about 2 pounds in a bag, for 2 to 3 dollars, well worth the price.

Found a nice little seafood restaurant called The Great Catch in town.  Got the shrimp basket and some of the best we have had. Fresh caught, never frozen and with a very light batter.



  My computer has died on me so I bought a note pad, harder to write on the blog with it so bear with me.

We move tomorrow and head North with a 2 week stop at Three Flags. Getting close to time to travel North.

All for now.