Curt & Yvonne's Excellent Road Trip

Tues and Wed August 16th and 17th End of Trip

2010-08-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

Tuesday August 16th: Left Rock Creek this morning and drove 100 miles to Boulder Creek RV Resort in Lone Pine. Spent the night there enjoying the sunset and getting the motorhome cleaned and ready to retire from the trip.

Hooked up and hit the road early Wednesday Aug 17th morning for the last leg of our trip. Arrived at home in Hemet around 12:30PM.

Miles traveled in the motorhome: 8,500

Miles of additional travel in the car: 2,850

States visited: 28 plus Niagara Falls, Canada

Official end of our 2010 Road Trip.

Thanks to all of you for following us on our journey.

Sunday August 15th Last Day at Rock Creek

2010-08-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

Nothing exciting today, fishing in the morning, drive to Rock Creek lake in the early afternoon and dinner at sunset. Enjoyed our last campfire and the stars. If you haven't been in the High Sierra's and viewed the stars at night you are missing a great sight. Tomorrow we head to Lone Pine and home on Tuesday.

Thurs, Fri, Sat Aug 12th, 13th &14th Rock Creek CA

2010-08-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

Nothing much has happened the past 3 days. We are enjoying Rock Creek and just winding down from our 4 month trip. Fishing has been slow although I did catch enough for a nice dinner. Will have them our last night in Lone Pine. After spending the best part of 4 months with Ivan and Randi we miss not having them camped next to us, but will see them in a few days.

Wednesday August 11th

2010-08-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

Left Winnemucca early this morning and arrived at Tuff Campground near Bishop CA around 1:00 PM. This campground is a favorate of ours, and Yvonne and I have been camping here together for 36 years. We took our boys here on many camping vacations over the years and have some great memories. We were able to get site #1, which is at the beggining of the campground, close to the creek and quite. After dinner we sat around the campfire and enjoyed the stars. We are now only 330 miles from home. Will spend a 5 or 6 days here enjoying the quite and winding down from our trip.

Tuesday August 10th Winnemucca Again

2010-08-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

Decided to spend another night in Winnemucca to rest up after two days of long drives and winds. A good day to just relax, hit the Wal-Mart and do laundry. Not much to see or do in Winnecumma and the casino's here are not much to see. Weather has been cool, but we expect to get into hotter weather in California.

Sunday and Monday August 8th and 9th

2010-08-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

Left Kalispell early Sunday morning and drove to Idaho Falls ID, 435 miles. Nice drive but had about an hour of head and side winds toward the end of the drive. Spent the night in a nice campground. Yvonne had cooked a chicken dinner in the slow cooker while we were on the road.
Early start on Monday toward Nevada. We ended up driving 455 miles and stopped in Winnemucca for the night. After two days of driving almost 900 miles we were both beat. Visited one of the local casino's and the bartender gave us a great reference for a local pizza parlor. We both agreed that it was one of the best pizzas we have had and the best one the past 4 months. We may stay here for a couple of nights to rest up.

Saturday August 7th Kalispell MT

2010-08-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

After two days of sightseeing today is a day of rest. Slept in late, had a nice breakfast then spent a few hours at the local Farmers Market. Tomorrow we head toward Idaho.

Friday August 6th Glacier National Park

2010-08-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

Today we spent the whole day in Glacier National Park. The first lodge on the "Going-T0-The-Sun-Road was the Lake McDonald Lodge build in 1914.

The "Going-To-The-Sun-Road" is listed as one of the best scenic drives in America and we were not disappointed. Yvonne was not too thrilled since there were numerous drop offs and the road was very narrow, but she survived. It was a 50 mile trip over the mountains from West Glacier to East Glacier. We saw numerous glaciers, only about 50 left today. In 1830 there were over 250 and they were much bigger.

The weather was cool today and at the top of Logan Pass it was in the low 40's. The sky was a bit too cloudy to get any great pictures, but hopefully you get the picture. Glacier was well worth going out of our way to visit.

This lodge is the Glacier Park Lodge. It was build in 1912 by the Great Northern Railroad. If fact Amtrac still brings passengers to the hotel on a daily basis.

Thursday August 5th Vist to Glacier NP

2010-08-05T16:59:00.000-07:00

Slept in late and decided to drive into Glacier National Park and get information so we could plan out full day trip into the park on Friday. After visiting the Visitor Center at the West Entrance we drove around the west side of Lake. McDonald. This is a huge lake with crystal clear water. After leaving the park we drove into the city of Kalispell. Stopped by Costco and picked up some fresh tuna for the barbecue.

Wednesday August 4th More Montana

2010-08-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

Left Bozeman early this morning and drove to Kalispell Mt where we will spend 4 nights. On the way we had problems with the car and had to stop at the Wall-Mart (thank God for Wal-Mart) in Missuola Mt to get a new battery. They were great and got us back on the road in 30 minutes. From Missoula we traveled through some great scenic areas including Flathead Lake. This lake is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River. Its 30 miles long and 15 miles wide with a 160 mile shoreline. We traveled up the eastern side of the lake. Arrived in Kalispell late afternoon and were really impressed with this area. They have all of the shopping you would expect anywhere including Wal-Mart, Costco and Best Buy located close by. Our campsite was large and the views of the mountains were great. Looking forward to visiting Glacier National Park only 20 miles away tomorrow and Friday.

Tuesday August 3rd Bozeman MT

2010-08-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

We decided to spend another day in Bozeman to check out the area and do some shopping. Downtown Bozeman was a busy place with lots of restaurant's and shops. Ivan and Randi took off early this morning for Yellowstone National Park. We decided to skip Yellowstone (we visited it in 2004) and instead head to Glacier National Park. We heard the glaciers are disappearing so wanted to see them while we can. Also, Glacier is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Monday August 2nd Traveling in Montana

2010-08-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

Continued our journey through Montana today as we drove from Little Bighorn to Bozeman. Nice scenic drive on Interstate 90. Today is our 36th Wedding Anniversary so Ivan and Randi are taking us out to dinner this evening. Bozeman is a stopping off point for Yellowstone National Park. Yvonne and I passed through here in 2004 on our way to Yellowstone.

Sunday August 1st On the Road Again

2010-08-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

Today we drove from the Mt Rushmore area through Wyoming into Montana. We arrived at our campground just a few miles from the Little Bighorn Memorial (Custers Last Stand).

The Battlefield is lined with markers which represent where soldiers of the 7th Calvery died in battle on June 25th 1876. We attended a ranger presentation which presents the facts for both the indian side and the whites side. Very interesting. There is an indian memorial as well as a memorial for Custers troops. Custer was later reburied at West Point.

When they say Montana is "Big Sky" country they are right. The sunsets and views are truly amazing.

Saturday July 31st Wind Cave National Park

2010-07-31T14:27:00.000-07:00

Decided to visit Wind Cave National Park this morning. We drove through part of Custer State Park again and continued to see more wildlife. We saw buffalo also in Wind Cave NP. This area has some unique scenery and the caves. The lines were too long for us to get a tour of the caves but we did see a movie about the history and video of the caves. Wind Cave is the fourth longest cave in the world with 132 miles of passageways with boxwork, frostwork and popcorn crystals. This is out 7th National Park.

Friday July 30th Grazy Horse Memorial

2010-07-31T13:58:00.000-07:00

Today we left the campsite early AM and drove through the Custer State Park (check the blogs Custer State Park Scenic and Custer State Park Wildlife) and visited Crazy Horse Memorial. What a great day, great scenery, lots of wildlife and the amazing Crazy Horse Memorial. Yvonne and I visited this area back in 2004 and were impressed at that time with this area of South Dakota. The marble statute of Crazy Horse on his horse is what the mountain will look like once completed. We noticed little change in 6 years and it won't be completed in our lifetime. Its a slow process and receives not Federal or State funds to support the project. The family of the original sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski are continuing his efforts which he stated in 1948 at the request of the Native American Indian tribes of the Black Hills.

Friday July 30th Custer State Park Scenic Drive

2010-07-31T13:37:00.000-07:00

The drive through the scenic portion of Custer State Park was great. The rock formations were something to see and we had to pass through 9 tunnels along the route. The tunnel pictured was the the most interesting. As you can see the small motorhome didn't have much space to spare. In fact Ivan and I had to guide him through with only inches to spare.

Friday July 30th Custer State Park Wildlife

2010-07-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

Custer State Park is known for its wildlife and today we were lucky to see lots of it. The buffalo were everywhere along with lots of other wildlife. The drive through the wildlife loop part of the park was amazing.

Thursday July 29th Mt Rushmore SD

2010-07-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

Dakota RV was able to replace our rear air conditioner the first thing in the morning so we were in our campground and hooked up by noon. Ivan, Randi, Yvonne and I then drove over to Mt Rushmore National Park for the afternoon. This was Yvonne and my second trip here. Pictures do not do this memorial justice, you have to see it in person. We hiked the Presidents Trail around the base of the mountain and had some great views. This area of the Black Hills is forested and the rock formations are very unique. We left just in time, as a major rain and wind storm hit the area. I left my flag pole up and when we returned to the campground it had snapped off at the base. It will now we about 2 feet shorter.

Wall Drugs and our Camping Site

2010-07-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

After visiting the Badlands National Park we stopped by Wall Drugs. Wall Drugs has been around since the 1930's and is a famous stop for travelers on the I90. We shopped and had lunch at their cafe. Wednesday night we stayed at the Dakota RV Repair Facility where our rear air conditioner will be replaced tomorrow. They provided us with free AC for the night. I tested the heavy equipment next door and may go to work for the highway department here. Looking forward to hooking back up with Ivan and Randi on Thursday.

Wednesday July 28th Badlands National Park

2010-07-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

After crossing the Missouri River we traveled through the grasslands of South Dakota and arrive at the Badlands National Park. Very interesting area of South Dakota. The views were wonderful.

Wednesday July 28th Missouri River

2010-07-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

Left Mitchell SD early this morning and stopped at the visitor center on the Missouri River. This is the spot where Louis and Clark camped in 1804 and on their return in 1806. This part of South Dakota is rolling hills and lots of wheat fields. Great drive on highway 90 with a nice tail wind, which is great for the gas milege.

Tuesday July 27th

2010-07-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

Left Clear Lake around 7AM and arrived in Mitchell South Dakota early afternoon, about 300 miles. After getting set up in the campground we drove a few miles to the famous Corn Palace. The Corn Palace first built in 1892. Each year the outside of the Palace changes with a different theme. They use local corn and corn stocks to make the outside of the Palace. Inside the displays are also make from corn. They hold concerts and other events inside the Palace. Very interesting. Fired up the barbque for hamburgers for dinner and had a heavy rain storm around 9:30 and it only lasted for about 1 hour.

Monday July 26th Clear Lake Iowa

2010-07-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

Today we drove about 160 miles to Clear Lake Iowa to hook back up with Ivan and Randi. Clear Lake is a resort town and the downtown was very nice. We were surprised how large the lake was. Its a 13 mile drive around the lake. Tomorrow the Bike Across Iowa is scheduled to arrive in town so we will be leaving early to avoid the crowds and traffic. The weather has been nice the past few days so we hope it continues are we head to South Dakota.

Sunday July 25th Last Day in Manchester Iowa

2010-07-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

Today was our last day in Manchester Iowa. We had a great visit this past week with my cousins Jack and Janet. We experienced one of the worst storms in Iowa history and the flooding that followed. Today we had great weather and spent the day doing laundry, cleaning the inside and outside of the motorhome. Getting ready to get back on the road again. We all went out to dinner at the Pizza Ranch in Manchester. The flood waters have started retreating and hopefully Manchester will be back to normal by Friday. Friday about 17,000 people will be in town for the Ride Across Iowa Bike Ride as Manchester is an overnight stop over for the ride.

Saturday July 24th More Flooding

2010-07-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

Another night of heavy rain, around 3 inches. With three nights of heavy rain the rivers in eastern Iowa are all above flood stages. We drove downtown Manchester again today and noticed that the flooding was even worst than yesterday. Many more building are under water and now homes have been affected. We are still ok in the fairgrounds campground. Hopefully we won't have problems getting back on the road on Monday. This is a big deal in town and the town is full of people checking out the flooding. Many of the other towns in eastern Iowa have also been flooded and one dam about 10 miles from here cracked and will probably break and flood the town. No rain expected tonight and we hope it dries out tomorrow.

Friday July 23rd The Flood

2010-07-24T11:21:00.001-07:00

Last night we had between 4 and 5 nches of rain with constant lightening and thunder. Parts of downtown Manchester today are underwater and the main road into town is closed. This is the worst flooding that has hit this area in many years.

The campground is on higher ground so we are fine but a lot of campers have been arriving from other campgrounds in the area which have been evacuated. More rain coming later this evening so should see even more flooding tomorrow.

Thursday July 22nd Rest Day

2010-07-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

No trips were planned for Thursday so decided to wash the car. We spent the day relaxing and catching up with my cousins Jack and Janet. Went by Janets house and picked some fresh items out of her garden for dinner. That night Jack prepared a Texas barbque with brisket and smoked sausage. Yvonne drove out to one of the local farms and pickup up fresh sweet corn. Jacks high school buddy and his wife joined us for dinner. We retired to the motorhome around 9:30 and at 10:30 a severe thunder storm hit the area. Lasted all night. Welcome to the mid-west.

Wednesday July 21st Marion and Maid-Rite

2010-07-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

Iowa is filled with small farming towns, but most have seen better days like Greeley IA. Marion is still an active town with an historic downtown. We drove over to Marion, where my cousin Jack grew up and had lunch at the famous Maid-Rite Cafe. Maid-Rite sandwiches are similar to sloppy joes except there are made without the red sauce. Its just ground beef, pickles and seasoning and served with onion rings. The cafe has been in business and serving Maid-Rites since 1926.

Wednesday evening Jack fired up the barbque and cooked stuffed Iowa pork chops. There are pork chops, then there are Iowa pork chops. Yvonne and I will stock the freezer before we leave Iowa.

Tuesday July 20th Visiting Greeley Iown

2010-07-21T08:48:00.001-07:00

Drove over to the town, or what is left of the town of Greeley. This is where I was born and lived until I was 5 years old. Lots of the Beohm's are buried in the cemetery there. My Grandparents are the top head stone and my Great Grandparents are below. My Great Grandparents came from Germany in the early 1870's. We drove by the farm where my Grandfather lived and my Dad was born, and also by the house my Mother lived in.
We ate lunch at the senion center in town and one lady there went to school with my parents. The statute of the horse was put there by Anheuser Bush in memory of the Brady boys who drove the Budwieser Teams for 40 years. They were born in Greeley and attended school with my parents.
Yvonne had to pick some corn from one of the corn fields outside of town. This was field corn not sweet corn. The diffence between sweek corn and field corn was explained to us by a local farmer.

Monday July 19th Manchester Iown

2010-07-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Left Davenport IA around 10:30, gased up the motorhome and drove 106 miles to Manchester Iowa. I was born about 13 miles from Manchester in a small farming town named Greeley. We will spend a week camping at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Manchester. My cousin Janet lives here and my cousin Jack whom we spent a week with in Texas arrived here today. If you haven't noticed we are camping behind the cemetery and I have some relatives buried there. Janet and Jack are the campers to the left in the picture. Manchester is the county seat, so for a small Iowa town it is still busy and the downtown area is still active. For dinner we had some smoked Iowa port chops and fresh sweet corn. There are corn fields everywhere here and this time of year is the time to see all of the farms with their corn fields and soybean fields in full array.

Friday and Saturday July 17th and 18th

2010-07-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

Left Saugatuck around 10AM after have breakfast with Linda. Decided once we were on the road to make the 300 miles to Davenport IA for the night. After we passed all of the traffic around the Chicago area the drive was a breeze. Crossed the Mississippi River just before ariving at our campground in Davenport. It turns out we camped here back in 2004 on our way to Michigan. Nice quite campground and close to shopping.

Today, Saturday, we did laundry, shopping and resting. Drove to downtown Davenport which is located on the Mississippi River. The Theater is where Modjeska performed in 1890's. The weather has been hot and windy all day. Tonight the wind has stopped and it has cooled down. We will head to Manchester IA tomorrow around 11AM and will hook up with my cousins Jack and Janet. Only 110 miles.

Friday July 16th D-Day

2010-07-18T07:58:00.001-07:00

Great news, the motorhome was fixed this morning and we now can put our jacks down and slideouts out again. Turned out to be some minor problems, which was good news. We were on the road to Saugatuck by 2pm. Yvonne's brother Frank who passed away in 2004, lived in Saugatuck for over 30 years and started a nursery with his wife Linda. Linda still runs the nursery so we spent Friday afternoon, evening and Saturday morning with her. We parked the motorhome in her driveway. Linda raises Rhododendrons and Azaleas on her property and is well known in the nursery business. Had a geat dinner at a local restrauant with great views. It was so nice to see Linda again and we enjoyed catching up. Hopefully it won't be another 6 years to we visit again.

Thursday July 15th Lake Michigan

2010-07-18T07:47:00.001-07:00

Well, our appointment for fixing the HWH system on the motorhome is not until tomorrow so we had another day to hang out. We decided to drive over to Saugatuck again and visit the beach at Lake Michigan and some sights around the area. The beach was packed with people and when you look out you get the feeling you are looking at an ocean not a lake. All of the Great Lakes are huge. The boat pictured is the steamship Keewatin (now a museum). The Keewatin was built for the Canadian Pacific Railroad in Scotland. It was delivered to the Great Lakes in 1907. She served for over 50 years as "the railroad" connecting the Georgian Bay and upper Lake Superior railheads. She is the last of the Great Lakes Passenger Steamships still afloat.

Wednesday July 14th

2010-07-14T17:31:00.001-07:00

Today we drove over to Saugatuck MI. Saugatuck is a resort community on Lake Michigan. This is where Yvonnes brother lived before he passed away in 2004. His ex wife still runs the nursery they started in the last 70's. We plan on visiting Linda on Friday. Spend the day walking around town and enjoying the mild weather. Enjoyed some fresh perch for lunch at one of the local restrauants in town. Came close to trading in the motorhome for the boat pictured. The house is the home Yvonnes brother lived in. The town was packed with tourists and all of the shops were busy. We did notice a large number of homes for sale in the area. Michigan has the largest unemployment rate in the nation. After visiting Saugatuck, we drove to Holland MI where Yvonne got her hair cut and we did some shopping.

Tuesday July 13th On The Road

2010-07-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

Left Emmett MI KOA Campground this morning at traveled across MI to Byron Center, just outside of Grand Rapids MI. Staying at Woodchip Campground here. We will be here for a few days. Will be visiting Saugatuck MI, where Yvonnes brother lived. We will have dinner with Yvonnes sister in law and hopefully be camping on her property for a few days if all goes well. We have a few motorhome problems to get fixed and have a reservation on Friday with a service center here. Ivan and Randi decided to move on and are on their way to Forest City Iowa. Hopefully we will hook up with them again soon.

Monday July 12th

2010-07-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

Nothing planned for today. Laundry, cleaning and relaxation. Ivan and Randi
left this morning to a RV repair facility in West Hudson MI, outside of Detroit.
They have been trying to find an RV facility to handle a recall they have and
they finally were able to find one after working with the Workhorse Factory
Rep.
We will leave tomorrow and head to Grand Rapids where we will spend a few
days and hopefully get our RV repaired. We have a problem with our HWH
system (controls the jacks and slideouts). Will also visit Yvonne's sister in
law in Douglas MI.

Sunday July 11th Vist to Yvonne's Aunt and Uncle

2010-07-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

Since Yvonne grew up in Michigan she still has cousins, aunts and uncles here. Today we drove to Lapeer MI to visit her mothers sister, her aunt Coleen and Uncle George. They are in the late 80's. Her cousin George Jr. and his wife Marilyn stopped by. After visiting we drove over to visit her cousin Peter at his liquor store.
Arrived back at the campsite around 5:00. Enjoyed happy hour with Ivan and Randi then fired up the barbque and cooked some fresh salmon.

Saturday July 10th Downing Reunion

2010-07-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

Today Yvonne and I attended Yvonne's Downing family reunion. Yvonne's Mom is a Downing and about 40 Downings showed up in Sandusky MI. Although Yvonne only knew 3 people there (myself, her Mom and her aunt Corky) she had a great time meeting her relatives. Lots of family photo's were available for viewing. The one here is Yvonne'[s great great grandparents and their kids. The reunion was located in a remote area outside of Sandusky on one of the Downings property. Great food and lots of family stories.

Friday July 9th Back to the USA

2010-07-12T10:44:00.000-07:00

Left Niagara Falls Ontario Canada this morning and traveled to Emmett MI. We hit rain about 20 minutes into the trip and while driving my drivers side windshield wiper stopped working. No place to stop on the expressway so Yvonne was my eyes until we found a truck stop. After the rain slowed down a bit I was able to fix the wiper and get us back on the road. When we got to the border the traffic was backed up about 3 miles before the bridge. Took us over an hour to get over the bridge and in line to cross the border into the USA. Arrive at the KOA in Emmett around 2:30.

Thursday July 8th

2010-07-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

This is Yvonne and my first visit to Niagara Falls and let me tell you all of the pictures we have seen of the falls over the years do not do it justice. Its amazing and the sound of the water is like thunder. We spend the whole day at the falls. We were told that the Canadian side was the best and it is true. The views were unbelievable. We took the Maid of the Mist boat trip to the base of Horseshoe Falls and walked under the falls through caves. That evening we enjoyed a wood fired pizza with Ivan and Randi.

Tuesday & Wednesday July 6th & 7th

2010-07-08T18:18:00.000-07:00

Left Florida NY this morning Tues July 6th) and traveled to Campbell NY for the night. Nice and easy drive. Today (Wed July 7th) we left Campbell NY and traveled to Niagara Falls Ontario Canada.. Drove through some beautiful NY country and experienced crossing the border into Canada with a motorhome. The lanes at Canadian customs were very narrow and we only had inches to spare on both sides of the motorhome. Crossing into Canada through their customs was a breeze and only took a short time. Checking into our campground and spent the afternoon checking out the area. Tomorrow we will spend the whole day visiting the falls and its attractions.

Monday July 5th

2010-07-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

After spending a week in Florida NY and enjoying the local sights, including New York City, we were going to just hang out for the day and get ready for the trip to Canada. Instead, we drove over to Proughkeepsie NY to visit a theater that Helena Modjeska performed at in 1882. Yvonne arranged for us to have a private tour of the theater, which for the most part has not changed since Modjeska performed there. As most of you know, Yvonne has a passon for Modjeska and whenever we are near any history related to her we have to visit the site.

July 4th

2010-07-08T18:06:00.000-07:00

Well, we celebrated the 4th of July in New York. Yvonne and I didn't do much, just hang out at the campground and rest up. I did make a short trip to one of the local wineries in the Hudson Valley. I was not impressed, they cater mostly to those who like the sweet wines and didn't have much to offer in the dryer reds and whites. After having a traditional 4th dinner, hotdogs, we enjoyed a ice cream social at the campground club house.

FDR Home and Library Saturday July 3rd

2010-07-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

Yvonne and I drove to Hyde Park NY today to visit the Franklin D. Roosevelt Home and Library. FDR was born in the home and lived there until his death in 1945. The office pictured is outside the home in the library building and this is where he held his Fireside Chats during World War II. The home is run by the National Park Service and is a National Historical Site and the Library is operated by the National Archives. The property is located next to the Hudson River. Yvonne and I learned a lot about FDR's life and family history during our visit.

Friday July 2nd West Point

2010-07-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

Ivan drove us all over to West Point Military Academy today. West Point was founded in 1802 and is the first military academy in the U.S. The pictures are of the Chapel, inside the Chapel and the Museum. The Chapel was built in 1910 and just had its 100 year celebration. The views of the Hudson River from the campus were very impressive.

New York City Thursday July 1st

2010-07-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

Today we took an all day tour of New York City. Out tour guide (Al) picked us up at the campground and drove us into the city. Al has been a tour guide for over 30 years so when it comes to New York City there isn't anything he doesn't know. We visited Times Square, Ground Zero (the cross was found in the rubble of the twin towers and the construction picture is Ground Zero), Ellis Island and the Statute of Liberty. He also drove us all around, so in one day we were able to see a lot of the city.

Wednesday June 30th

2010-07-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

Today we took a day off from sightseeing and did some local shopping. The deer were viewed right in our campground. Lots of wildlife around the campground. Tomorrow we be touring New York City.

Tuesday June 29th Black Bear Campground

2010-07-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

Today we drove 220 miles from Kinzer PA to Black Bear Campground in Florida NY. We will be here for 7 nights. Saw some beautiful senery along the way as we passed through the north east part of PA and New Jersey. Tomorrow will be a day of rest, no sightseeing trips planned.

Monday June 28th in Kinzer PA

2010-06-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

Out last day in Kinzer PA before heading to Florida NY. This area, Lancaster County PA, is know as Amish Country. We drove around the area and saw many Amish farms. You can tell an Amish farm because there are no electric lines to the farm and buggy's in the yards, they do not have cars. Today must of been laundry day as all of the farms had their laundry hanging on the lines. We passed a few buggy's on the road and saw farmers plowing their fields by horse drawn plows. The farm land and farms were very well taken care of. We expect to see the Amish coming through the campground again tonight selling their fresh produce, pies and bread. Tomorrow morning we head for NY.

Sunday June 27th Wilmington DE

2010-06-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

After spending all day in Philadephia, we thought Sunday would be a day of rest. We have a map of the U.S. on the door of our motorhome which has a state sticker for every state Yvonne and I have visited. Well, we were missing Delaware, which as it turns out is only 28 miles away. So we jumped in the car and drove over to Wilmington DE and spent a few hours driving around. We also found out that there is no sales tax in DE so stopped by Costco and pickup up a few items. The drive was very restfull and the scenery was great. This part of the state was rolling hills with lots of trees.
The Weather here is hot and humid, mid 90's the past few days. The dry heat in Hemet sounds pretty good.

Philadephia Saturday June 26th

2010-06-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

Our first visit to Philadelphia PA and Yvonne and I were really impressed. So much history here and one day is not enough to see it all. We took two tours, one a double decker bus which too us all around the city and a Duck Tour which took us around the city and into the Delaware River. We walked around Independence National Park. This is where Independence Hall and the Libery Bell are located. Visited the Besty Ross house, Christs Church and many other historic sites. The building in the picture is the first U.S. Post Office established by Ben Franklin and the other one is Independence Hall.

Friday June 25th

2010-06-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

Left Gettysburg around 8:30 this morning and drove 72 miles to Kinzer PA, as hour outside of Philadephia. Will spend 4 nights here,. Since we arrived early (10:00 am) we decided to visit Valley Forge National Historical Site not too far away. As you probably know, Valley Forge was the winter camp for Gen. George Washington's troups during the winter of 1777 and 1778. There were 12,000 troups here and the log cabins were for the soldiers. The building was Washington's Headquarters. The Arch is the National Memorial Arch along the tour route. We are getting ready for all of the history we will encounter tomorrow in Philadelphia.

Thursday June 24th

2010-06-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

Today was going to be a day to just hang out at the campground and relax. Well, we decided to visit the Snyder's Pretzel Factory in Nanover PA and take a tour of the factory. Of course we purchased some pretzels before we left. After Snyder's we stopped by the National Cemetery and a docent there gave us a great Living History Tour. Her focus was on Elizabeth Thorn who was the cartaker at the Evergreen Cemetery at the time of the battles of Gettysburg. We heard her story of the battle and her part in burying all of the dead after the battles. Our docent did a wonderful job in bring history to life. The pictures are the entrance to the Evergreen Cemetery as it would have appeared in 1863 and a statue of Elizabeth Thorn.

Gettysburg Battlefields Wed June 23rd

2010-06-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

Today we took the audio driving tour of the Gettysburg Battlefields. This was a very humbling experience. Fifty one thousand soldiers on both sides were killed, injured or missing after three days of battle. Hard to imagine what it must of been like to be there in battle. There are monuments everywhere around the battlefield. The monument picture is the Enternal Life Peace Memorial which was dedicated 75 years after the battle by FDR. Over 1,800 civil war vets, average age 95, attended the dedication and the government paid for their travel and expenses. Over 200,000 were present for the event.

Gettysburg Battlefield Continued

2010-06-23T17:04:00.001-07:00

Continued our tour of the battlefields. The statute is General Robert E. Lee, the large memorial is the Pennsylvania Memorial. Yvonne at the spot where Lincoln gave the famous "Gettysburg Address" on November 19, 1863.

Tues June 22nd National Military Park Visitor Center

2010-06-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today we visited the National Military Park Visitor Center in Gettysburg. This is an amazing place and we spent about 4 hours there. Yvonne and I visited Gettysburg in June 2006, but this is a new visitor center which opened in 2008. Inside there are three things that are a must see. 1. The film "A New Birth of Freedom", 2. The Cyclorama Painting and 3. The Interpretive Museum. The picture of the painting does not do it justice and only shows a small portion. The painting was done after the Civil War and is displayed in a complete circle. You feel like you are right in the middle of the Battle of Gettysburg. The battle here was the deciding point of the Civil War. Tomorrow we will visit the battlefields.

Gettysburg PA Monday June 21st

2010-06-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

Left Front Royal VA this morning and traveled 122 miles through West Virginia and Maryland to Gettysburg PA. The drive was through the mountains and the views were great through the front window of the motorhome. Our campground, Artillery Ridge, is located about 1 mile from the National Military Park and battlefields in Gettysburg. Ivan and Randi stayed in Hagerstown Maryland to get some repairs done on their motorhome. They will join us in Gettysburg tomorrow.

Father's Day Sunday June 20th

2010-06-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

After 3 full day trips to Washington DC and other sightseeing activities during the week, we decided to take a complete day off. In other words, we did nothing but hang out at the campsite and relax. Fired up the barbque in the late afternoon and grilled up some fresh salmon and tuna. We also steamed up some mussels and enjoyed a few glasses of wine to go along with everything. Ready to head north early tomorrow morning.

DC Saturday Afternoon June 19th

2010-06-20T09:06:00.001-07:00

After touring the Capitol, we visited the Library of Congress (building with the flag on top) and passed by the Supreme Court Building on our way to the U.S National Archives. At the Archives we viewed the original documents of the Bill of Rights and U.S. Consititution.

Hillary, a long time friend of our son Aaron who lives outside of DC, hooked up with us at the U.S. Archives and joined Ivan, Randi, Yvonne and I for lunch. Its been 5 years since we last saw Hillary and it was nice to catch up.

U.S. Capitol June 19th

2010-06-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

Third trip into DC this morning. Left early to get a parking space at the train station and arrived at the Capitol around 9:00 and we were able to get a tour of the inside of the Capitol. The art work and statues were really something to see. Our tour guide was great and filled us with lots of great information about the paintings, statues and history of the building. A definite must see if you visit Washington DC.

Shenandoah NP Friday Afternoon June 18th

2010-06-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

The north entrance to the Shenandoah National Park is located about 4 miles from our campground. Yvonne and I took a drive into the park and traveled about 12 miles on Skyline Drive, the road that goes the whole length of the park. This road becomes the Blue Ridge Parkway after 105 miles. Great way to relax and enjoy the views from up high.

Kayak Trip Friday Morning June 18th

2010-06-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

This morning Ivan, Randi and I took a Kayak trip down the Shenadoah River. Yvonne decided that Kayaking was not for her so she stayed at the motorhome. This was my first experience in a Kayak and after having trouble executing through the first rapids, I made the rest of the trip without problems. It was great fun and the views from the water were wonderful. A great way to relax and enjoy the morning.

Thursday June 17th

2010-06-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

After two days of traveling and sightseeing in Washington DC, today was laundry, shopping, cleaning and wine tasting. Virginia is 5th in terms of wineries and wine production and there are a lot of wineries in this area. Of the few I visited, Rappahannock Cellars had the best selection of wine, and they were pretty good. They had a great Norton, which is a grape developed in Virginia in the early 1800's and it does extremely well here. Rappahannock Cellars is family owned, in fact the owners have 12 children, so lots of family presence there. Their oldest son Allan was my server and we had a great time and he poured wines that are not on the regular tasting menu. A great way to end the day.

Washington DC Wednesday June 16th

2010-06-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Traveled into DC again today. Randi has a childhood friend that works at the Pentagon so she took us on a private tour. After getting through all of the security (we were sure we were all going to get a body cavity search) Cookie, Randi's friend took us all around the Pentagon. It's an amazing place, a city inside a city with over 23,000 people working there. We had lunch at one of the restrauants, shopped at the stores and passed by the Joint Chief of Staffs Office. After touring the inside, including the spot where the plane hit on Sept 11th, we visited the Pentagon Memorial outside. The picture on the left is the memorial and the benches represent the 184 killed. The benches facing toward the building Right) are those who were killed on the plane and the ones facing out from the Pentagon (left) are those who were killed in the building.

After the Pentagon we visited Arlington National Cemetery. The top picture is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The changing of the guard takes place every half hour 24/7 365 days a year. Very moving to watch.

That evening Randi, Ivan, Yvonne and I stopped by Cookies house and we walked to a local restrauant for dinner. Great day, but by the time we got back to our motorhomes around 11:00 pm were were beat.

Washington DC Tuesday June 15th

2010-06-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

Experienced the Metrorail system as we traveled into Washington DC today. Easy way to get around once you get the hang of it. We only got on the wrong train once. Spent the whole day walking around the city. Yvonne and I have been to DC before, but never spent time visiting the Smithsonian Museums, so took time this trip to experience a few. Too much to see in one day, but we gave it a good effort. This was Ivan's first trip to DC and he spent a lot of his time in the Air and Space Museum. We will travel into DC again tomorrow and Saturday to continue our experience of our nations capitol.

Monday June 14th Front Royal

2010-06-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

Arrived Front Royal this afternoon. Front Royal is about 1 1/2 hours from Washington DC. This was the closest RV Park we could fine on our travel route that allowed us to connect with the Metrorail so we didn't have to drive all the way into DC. Quiet campground in the hills located about 2 miles outside of Front Royal and 1 mile from the northern gateway to the Shenandoah National Park. We will use this as our base camp for sightseeing DC, the Shenandoah NP and local wineries.

Sunday June 13th

2010-06-17T07:11:00.000-07:00

Left Asheville this morning heading toward Front Royal VA where we will spend 7 nights. Lots of up and down grades with at least one that was 13%. Hit a rain storm so didn't quite make the travel distance we planned on (169 miles). Spent the night at Fort Chiswell RV Park.

Chimney Rock State Park Saturday June 12th

2010-06-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

Short day trip to Chimney Rock State Park. The views from the top were amazing. The top of Chimney Rock is 26 stories above the parking lot and around 3,000 feet above sea level. You can probably tell I was not to comfortable next to the railing looking down. I am not a fan of heights and going up the stairs to the top was a challenge, but I made it. Yvonne decided not to make the trip since she can not handle heights and drop offs.

Friday June 11th After A Day Of Sightseeing

2010-06-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

After a day of sightseeing it was time for Happy Hour. Aaron spent 3 nights with us and will be heading home early Saturday morning. We had a great time together in Asheville. It will be a sad morning when he heads out as we will not see him again for quite some time. We enjoyed the 3+ weeks we all had together and wish he lived closer to Hemet.

Blue Ridge Parkway Friday June 11th

2010-06-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

While Aaron and Ivan did a Zip Line tour Yvonne, Randi and I took a trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We traveled about 60 of the 469 miles that the parkway extends along the southern Appalachians. It links the Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks. Construction was started during the depression and this is the 75th year of the parkway. Little traffic and the pace you drive is slow so you can enjoy all of the views along the way. Not a road to travel in a large motorhome.

The Biltmore House Thursday June 10th

2010-06-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

The Biltmore House in Asheville NC was and still is the largest private residence in America. Its 175,000 square feet, 250 rooms, 38 bathrooms, indoor swimming pool, bowling alley and lots of priceless antiques. Completed in 1895 it was the residence of George Vanderbilt. The Vanderbilt's at that time were one of the wealthest families in America. The house is still owned by family members and open to tours. To get to the house, which sits on 8,000 acres of forested land, you drive 3 miles.

The Biltmore House Winery Thurs June 10th

2010-06-11T04:49:00.000-07:00

After touring the Biltmore House, we drove an additional 3 miles on the property to their winery. A lot has changed since Yvonne and I were there in 1993. The wine was good and their reserve wines were excellent. They produce around 240,000 cases of wine per year, of which 30% comes from their own vineyards and the rest from Northern California. The wine caves were 100 years old and originally part of their dairy operation. Over 600,000 people pass through their tasting room each year. In the afternoon Aaron and I visited one of the local Micro Brewery's in Asheville and then barbqued dinner at the campground.

Asheville June 9th

2010-06-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

Left Hardeeville around 9am and arrived Asheville around 4pm. We will spend 4 nights here enjoying North Carolina. Weather here is cooler and not as humid. Our son Aaron should arrive around 11pm and spend 2 nights with us. It was nice to be back on the road after 18 days in Hardeeville. Looking forward to visiting the Biltmore House tomorrow and other sights around the area in the next few days.

McFaddens Arrive Tuesday June 8th

2010-06-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

After 18 days apart the Mcfaddens (Ivan and Randi) arrived in Hardeeville around noon. It was so nice to have them back with us. My electric step on the motorhome stopped working a few days ago and Ivan came to the rescue again. Unable to determine the reason for it not working Ivan was able to put in a manual switch so that we can open and close it. What a life saver. That evening we all traveled to Savannah for oysters on the half shell and dinner at the Oyster House on River Street. River Street in on the Savannah River and we watched the large cargo ships pass by.

Friday June 4th thru Monday June 7th

2010-06-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

After 2 weeks of sightseeing around the Savanna, Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Beauford and the Charleston areas it was nice to just relax and take care it easy for a few days. Aaron joined us for dinner on Friday evening, Saturday before work and spent the day with us on Sunday. Took the Suzuki in for an oil change and a new rear tire, and repaired the shower leak in the motorhome. Lots of rain here, last Friday it rained 2 inches in 1 hour. It seems to rain almost every afternoon and evening, which is why it is so green here. Of course it really raises the humidity level. On Saturday with the humidity the heat index was 105. We will be glad to head out to Asheville on Wednesday where it should be a little cooler and less humid. Ivan and Randi should be here by mid day tomorrow and it will be nice to see them again.

Fort Sumner Thursday June 3rd

2010-06-04T12:35:00.001-07:00

Today we drove to Charleston SC, about 2 hours from where we are camping. Yvonne and I were in Charleston years ago, but never took the 30 minute boat trip to Fort Sumner located at the mouth of the harbor. If you know your history, this is where the first shots were fired for the start of the Civil War. Spent an hour there before returning to Charleston. We drove around Charleston looking at all of the amazing old pre-Civil War homes and buildings. Had the famous She-Crab Soup on Market Street before heading back to the campground.

Charleston SC Thursday June 3rd

2010-06-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

More pictures of Fort Sumner.

Aarons Townhouse Hilton Head Wed June 2nd

2010-06-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

After touring around the island we stopped by the Hilton Head Island Winery. Yes, there is a winery here. They get their grapes from California, Chile and their vineyards in New Jersey. They were cushing Malbac grapes from Chile while we were their. They produce about 2000 bottles at the winery in Hilton Head and the wine was pretty good. Later that afternoon we were treated to a great dinner at Aaron's townhouse on the island. Great views off of his balcony. We also walked to the local bar for happy hour. Nice to spend a few weeks with our son.

Hilton Head Wednesday June 2nd

2010-06-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

Spent the day on Hilton Head Island with our son Aaron. The island is 12 miles long and 5 miles wide. Its filled with lots of high end resort hotels and restrauants. The island has a long history that dates back to the mid 1600's. We visited the only ruins left on the island the Stoney Baynard Plantation Ruins dating back to 1790.

Old Sheldon Church Ruins Tuesday June 1st

2010-06-02T06:14:00.000-07:00

The Plaque says it all. Located outside of Beaufort SC

Hunting Island SP Lighthouse Tuesday June 1st

2010-06-02T05:58:00.000-07:00

Visited Hunting Island SP Lighthouse built in 1873.

Yes Yvonne and I did climb the 173 steps to the top and the small figure is me. Hunting Island is near Beauford SC

Memorial Day May 31st

2010-06-02T05:14:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Memorial Day by staying at the campground and catching up on a few housecleaning activities and a few minor motorhome repairs. Fried up some fresh oysters and shrimp for dinner. Enjoying all of the fresh seafood while we can.

Wormslow Plantation Sunday May 30th

2010-05-31T10:48:00.000-07:00

After Sunday Brunch we drove outside of Savanna to the Wormslow Plantation Ruins. This plantation was build by Nobel Jones in the early 1740's. He was one of the original colonists who arrived in Georgia from England 1733. The original buldings are long gone other than the foundations. The entrance into the plantation is lined with more than 400 live oak trees. The buildings built in 1828 are still occupied by descendents of Nobel Jones

Brunch in Savanna Sunday May 30th

2010-05-31T10:39:00.001-07:00

Enjoyed Sunday Brunch at The Pirate House in Savanna. The building was built in 1735 as a bar and is still in use today. Enjoyed a typical southern style dinner. We are really enjoying Savanna, its history and the friendly people.

Saturday May 29th

2010-05-31T10:34:00.000-07:00

No pictures today. Slept in late and read and relaxed around the campground. In the afternoon drove to Publix (local grocery chain in the south) to stock up on a few items.

Savanna Again Friday May 28th

2010-05-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

Decided to spend the afternoon in Savanna again today. It's a great city with lots of old churches and homes. A perfect example of a fine southern city. The picture is the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Some many trees it was hard to get a picture. We parked and walked the historic downtown area for a few hours. We are camped only 8 miles from the historic downtown so I am sure we will visit again before we leave.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Friday May 28th

2010-05-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Inside of the Cathedral. The stained glass windows were amazing. One of the best examples of a Cathedral we have seen in the U.S.

Bluffton Thursday May 27th

2010-05-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

Thursday was a relaxing day. No big sightseeing trips planned. Stopped by the Eddie Bauer store in Hilton Head that Aaron manages. Of course we had to purchase some items. In the afternoon we walked through the Bluffton Farmers Market and purchased some fresh oysters at the Buffton Oyster Company pictured here. Not much to look at but the oysters were wonderful. We fried them up for dinner. Weather has been perfect, not to hot and humid.

Tybee Lighthouse Wednesday May 25th

2010-05-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

The lighthouse on Tybee Island was built in 1773 and is still in use today. All of the original building are still in tack, which is not common. The light is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard and the building by the Tybee Historical Society.

Fort Pulaski Wednesday May 25th

2010-05-26T13:04:00.001-07:00

Today we visited Tybee Island located about 18 miles east of Savanna GA. This is Fort Pulaski which building was begun in 1829 and took 18 years to complete. Over 25 million bricks were used to build this structure. It was occupied by both sides during the Civil War. The fort is named after Count Casimir Pulaski, the Polish hero of the American Revolution.

Hardeeville RV Park Tuesday May 24th

2010-05-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

Today was a down day. Cleaned the motorhome and relaxed. Caught up on banking, e-mails and researched things to see here in the area. Nice to just hang out for a change.

River Street Savanna Monday May 24th

2010-05-25T12:04:00.001-07:00

This is a view down River Street which runs along the Savanna River. The streets are still the original material. We stopped at one of the bars and had a beer and oysters on the half shell.

We took a tour of the city and will return in the next few days to take some more pictures. The old homes are everwhere and worth capturing.

Savanna GA Monday May 24th

2010-05-25T11:57:00.001-07:00

Toured Savanna today. What a great city. The history and the old homes were something to see.
Yvonne and Aaron are at the Juliette Gordon Low home. Juliette was the founder of the Girl Scouts of America and she was born in this house in 1860. The house was built in 1820 by her father. The Girl Scouts purchased it in 1953 as offices and opened it up for tours.

Wine Tasting Sunday May 23rd

2010-05-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

Aaron took us on a tour around Hilton Head Island today. Lots of great beaches and large hotels. This is a resort area for sure.
Aaron helped set up a Wiens wine tasting that evening and 10 people showed up. They loved the wine and hopefully some of them will order Wiens wine.

Hardeeville SC Saturday May 22nd

2010-05-23T05:54:00.000-07:00

Left Jacksonville early this morning for Hilton Head SC (153 mile trip). We are actually staying in Hardeeville about 30 minutes from Hilton Head. Spent the afternoon with our son Aaron. We will be here for 18 days, then hook back up with Ivan and Randi to continue our road trip. Lots to see and do here, but we plan on having quite a few down days to just relax and visit with Aaron. Not quite as hot and humid here.

St Augustine Lighthouse Friday May 21st

2010-05-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we all made the 219 steps to the top of the lighthouse. What a view from the outside platform. This lighthouse was build in the late 1800's. Spent the day in St Augustine, and it was so hot and humid. How did they ever exist without air conditioning. St Augustine is approximately 45 miles south of Jacksonville.

St Augustine FL Friday May 21st

2010-05-23T05:27:00.000-07:00

Today we spent the day in St Augustine FL, which is the oldest city in the U.S. This fort, next to the city is over 300 years old and is build from sea shells. The first fort, which this one replaced was built here is 1565 by the Spanish. The fort changed hands over the years (Spanish, British, U.S.).

Kingsley Plantation Thursday May 20th

2010-05-23T05:08:00.001-07:00

While sightseeing around Jacksonville we visited the Kingsley Plantation. It was built in the 1700's. There were also numerous slave quarters built from sea shells on the property.

Jacksonville Thursday May 20th

2010-05-23T04:47:00.000-07:00

The benches pictured here are dedicated to Randi's granddaughter who was killed by a hit and run driver in 2007. The bench on the left is engraved with "Jordan R. Williams 4-7-90 12-12-07". The bench on the right is engraved with " A Life Worth Watching" which was a saying originated by Jordan. The benches are located in a public park in Jax Beach FL.

Jacksonville FL Wednesday May 19th

2010-05-23T04:22:00.000-07:00

Short drive today from White Springs FL to Jacksonville FL. After setting up camp at the Pecan RV Park we spent the afternoon at Randi's daughters home. Got a chance to visit with Lisa and meet her son Jason and grandchildren. Will spend 2 days here before heading to Hilton Head SC to visit our son for 18 days. Ivan and Randi will stay in Jacksonville and hook up with us again around June 8th.