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.

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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

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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.



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Bullow RV park, Flagler Beach, FL. April 2018

                      CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES WE TOOK AROUND HERE


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.