Summary Of Our Trip

We returned home early.  We had planned to travel around the southeast for a couple of weeks and do some visiting along the way.  The weather has been so hot all over the southeast we decided to just head home where it was cooler.

Arriving home was bittersweet.  Our adventure had come to an end.  Seeing my dog, Buddy, again was the highlight.  She seemed to be very excited to see us.  I figured she would forget who I was after such a long time.   Next time she goes with us.

We have been unpacking the MH.  We took way more things than we needed.  We will pack much lighter next time.  Darlie has been cleaning house while I have been cleaning the MH.  We agree we have too much stuff.  Closets are full of things we haven't used in years.  It is time to unload.

Our time in an eight foot by thirty foot space has taught us that we need very little to be both comfortable and happy.   A razor and a toothbrush are about the only things I can't live without.  

It has been three days since coming home.  We both have that feeling it is time to move on again.  That seemed to be our limit as we traveled.  We miss the road.  I could do another lap around the country.

It doesn't make much sense to sell the house and go full time as some of the people suggested along the way.  We live in the south so it wouldn't make much sense to sell our house and sit in an RV park somewhere all winter.  We will stay put but will be ready to leave on a new adventure next spring.

We saw many things and met many nice people along the way.  It is a beautiful country.  Every American should try to see as much of it as they can.

It has been fun watching the stats on our blog as the weeks went by.  We had readers from all over the world.  Maybe some of them will be inspired to come visit our country one day.

The blog started out to be our diary.  The days and weeks ran together after a while.  Now we can look back when talking about something and pinpoint just when it was.  Our diary has turned out to be entertainment for many others.  Thank you for your emails and comments along the way.  We enjoyed having you along.

I will summarize the numbers for you.  It will give you an idea of what a basic trip would cost.  As you know by now, we don't spend lots of money in restaurants or tourist traps.

Total Miles Traveled:  12626
Total Gas:  1435.5 Gallons  $4325.75
That is an average of $3.01 per gallon.  Those western states ran up the bill.
Total of all other expenses:  $7240.15
Total for entire trip:  $11565.90
We were on the road for exactly 100 days.  That figures out to be about $116.00 per day.  Even with the price of gas today, it would be very difficult to beat that traveling in a car, stopping at motels and restaurants.  Really, I think it is a bargain for as long as we were away.  My conclusion is that traveling in an RV is still the best value for travel there is.

We are already planning some local trips during the winter months.  We have reservations at Bahia Honda in the Keys in October.  Florida has many beautiful state parks.  We plan to visit some of them while waiting for spring.

Our adventure isn't over.  It is just beginning.  Stay tuned.

Our Visit With Tony

We started our day at the Flying J.  We decided to go into Denny’s, which was attached to the Flying J.  We figured we should spend a few dollars being we spent the night in their parking lot.  I have never liked Denny’s.  This visit did nothing to change my view.  I had sausage and biscuits.  It should have been called biscuits and flour gravy.  Any sausage particles in the gravy were smaller than a good sized booger.  They could have been boogers for all I know.   Darlie had an omelet that she said was not too bad except for all the tomatoes in it.

We thought our trip down I 95 would be hectic.  It was until we got below Richmond.   Tobacco and cotton grew in fields along the highway.  As much as we loved the west, it felt good to be back in the south.  We started to think of home.

We entered Cherry Point at about 2:30 PM.  We parked in the visitor parking lot to wait for Tony to come check us in.  We got our pass then drove to the registration building for the campground.  The campground costs $15.00 per day for full hookups.  It is a neat little camp with large lots.  

We are parked next to the camp host.  He came out and helped us get positioned and hooked up.  He advised us of the ant problem and copperheads that frequent the area.  I have to admit, I thought it was exaggerated. 

He told us to get some Ajax to sprinkle around our wheels to keep the ants out.  I noticed he was the only one in the campground with Ajax sprinkled around his wheels.  I quickly discounted the need for such action.

Later, Tony and I were sitting outside at the picnic table.  I was grilling some steaks for dinner.  Tony began to slap and brush his legs.  Little ants were swarming all over his feet.  We ran to the store on base for some Ajax.  We felt a bit foolish sprinkling it around but figured it better to be safe than sorry.

After dinner, we sat outside talking.  Just after dark, the camp host’s wife came sleuthing around behind her camper with a flashlight.  She shined it over towards us and said she was looking for copperheads.  She had seen one near her door.  

Tony and I looked at one another with that ,“oh right”, look.  These people are just plain wacky.  Maybe she could hear us talking outside and wanted us to go inside so they could go to sleep.  The snake hunt might scare us into retreating inside.  

She said she was calling the game officer to come out.  After she walked away, I pulled out five bucks and bet Tony that the game officer never showed up.  She was just putting us on.  

A few minutes later the game officer showed up with net and snake catching devise in hand.  He walked back to a bush behind the camper.  Looking around with his flashlight, he spotted a snake in just a minute.  As he caught that one, he spotted another.

  

By now a small crowd had gathered to watch the action.   One of the onlookers spotted one coming out of the other side of the bush and another little one back in the bush.  The officer captured two more snakes.  He said there is obviously a nest of them here.  He would bring his boss out this week and see what action was needed to rid the area of snakes.  We will listen to any advise our camp host has to share for the rest of our stay.

Darlie went in to bed as the snake hunt began.  She missed all the action.  By the time Tony and I came in, she was sleeping.  We sat up talking until 10:30 or so.  Darlie had made up the sofa for Tony to sleep on.  He wanted to go back to the barracks tonight.  He said he would try the sofa another night.

Tony showed up in the morning with his boat.  He took us to a boat launch on the base.  From there we traveled down various waterways leading back into marshlands and hardwood forests that border the base.

Beautiful pink flowers grew on bushes along the reed filled banks.  Cypress trees sprouted up along the water’s edge.  This is one area where Tony fishes for redfish.

We passed several boat loads of fishermen along the way.  

The air was hot and humid.  Traveling along at speed made it more comfortable.   We slowed as the channel narrowed winding around bend after bend.  We flushed out some ducks at one point and startled redfish at another.  It was difficult to believe that just a short distance away there was the hustle and bustle of the air station and the village of Havelock beyond.

Our trip took us along by a landing zone for Harrier aircraft.  Several planes circled above then slowed, gear down, they glided over our heads.  They dropped below the trees then powered up and circled around again to do the same exercise.  Darlie was snapping photos at record pace.

After touring the channels, we took one that led out to the Neuse River.  At this point the river is very wide.  I would guess it to be six or seven miles.  Looking northeast you could see Pamlico sound stretching to infinity.  Tony fishes out here also.  Sometimes he even heads out onto the ocean.  His boat is only sixteen feet.  That is a concern for us.

We idled back to the boat launch, pulled the boat and headed back to the campground.  Tony had some things he wanted to fix on his boat.  We worked the rest of the afternoon on these projects in the searing heat.  Darlie took a nap in the frosty motorhome.

Later we drove down to see Tony’s Harley.  It is a custom bike with all kinds of fancy chrome and tailpipes.  He took a required course on the base which teaches proper operation and safety.  Still, as parents we worry about his safety.  Traffic around the area is very heavy.  Sometimes you just have to trust the Lord with things like this.  We did the same things when we were young.  

We had dinner in the MH and sat round and talked long into the evening.  Tony decided to try out our sofa for the night.  He also got me to try out TV set which hasn’t been used on this trip.  We found several local channels to watch.  We left Tony watching Jay Leno and went to bed.

In the morning Tony left to go to the barracks to change.  When he returned we left on a trip to Beaufort, NC.  The waterfront area of the village is a scenic delight.  Sailboats are moored in the channel, wind generators whirling.  Tourist walk along the boardwalk popping in and out of gift shops and restaurants which overlook the water.

We ate lunch at Clawson’s restaurant.  It has been in operation since 1905.  It is a rustic brick building with weathered and worn hardwood floors.  It looks much the same as it did years ago.  Most of the buildings along the waterfront are very old original structures dating back to the 18th century.

Tony knew where a shrimper sold his catch along the highway.  He said we could get jumbo shrimp there for $5.00 per pound, headless.  We found the man set up along the causeway.  Tony bought two pounds for dinner tonight.

We stopped along the they way back to the campground to look around in some stores.  When we got back, Darlie went in for her afternoon nap in the frosty cold MH while I sat outside in the searing heat with Tony.  Tony doesn’t mind the heat at all.  He hates being cold.  He told me about his short time in Korea last winter.  Snow, sleet, wind, wet clothes, numb hands and feet was all a new experience for this Florida boy.

Darlie peeled and deep fried the shrimp in a tasty batter.  Tony picked up some clams to steam to go along with the shrimp.  It was dark when we finished dinner.  As I washed dishes, Tony gathered up all the shrimp remains and clam shells.  He started out the door for the dumpster in the lot behind us.  I insisted he take the flashlight.  The dumpster is in the same general area as the copperhead nest.

Soon Tony was back to report copperheads crawling all over the place next door.  Darlie went out with her camera.  I finished the dishes and joined them.  The neighborhood had gathered to watch the action.  There was a large snake under the picnic table.  Two more slithered along the hedge.  Everyone kept their flashlights trained on them.  The game warden had been called.

Tony and another man were in agreement to just kill them.  There is a trailer the other side of us with nine kids staying in it.  They felt it too risky to let them escape back into the hedge as they had done the other night.  Catch and release is fine but there is a real danger to the campground residents here.

The snake Tony was watching started back into the bushes after eating a large bug.  Tony grabbed a hoe and chopped its head off.  Some of the people gasped as if he had committed murder.  Others muttered about someone being arrested or fined.  

10 snakes were caught while we were there.

The other snake near the hedge retreated back into the bushes and was lost.  The game warden showed up.  He caught the snake under the picnic table.  He picked up the dead snake with a look of approval towards Tony.  It was obvious he was tired of having to come out here every night to catch snakes.  

He told the crowd he was going through channels to see what can be done.  He explained the process involved in ridding the area of snakes.  It is a typical bureaucratic nightmare.   

I am not a highly educated man as some of you already know from reading this blog.  I have only a couple of years in Bible college.  I didn’t get to the course that teaches you how to make problems more difficult than they are to preserve your job and the jobs of other administrators and bureaucrats.  The simple solution is never an option.  

First you must do a study of one kind or another.  Results of the study have to be analyzed by various experts in the field.  Experts in every field from the environment to space science must also be consulted in a quest for some minuscule violation of some regulation another bureaucracy has in place.  Once every possible avenue of delay has been exhausted the process of taking bids from contractors begins.  The process goes on and on until the original problem has resolved itself or been forgotten completely.

In the case of the snakes, the game warden said he called the maintenance facilities coordinator about the problem but he has not returned his call.  He went on to say that it would probably take six months to get the hedge removed where the snakes found sanctuary.   By that time it would be winter and the snakes will have retreated to wherever it is that snakes to for the winter......  Florida, Bahamas, Mexico?........

He didn’t say it but between the lines he was saying, “why don’t you just kill the snakes instead of calling me every night?”.   That is the simple solution and therein is the rub.  I suppose they will diddle around like this all summer.  Hopefully, no one gets bitten in the meantime.  If I sound a little bit too sarcastic, forgive me.  We watched the small children playing near this nest of snakes on more than one occasion. 

Tony decided to sleep in the spacious comfort of his barracks room.  Tongue in cheek, snicker, snicker.   Darlie and I went to bed with visions of copperheads and sugar ants dancing in our heads.  

Thursday we did some shopping in local stores for a variety of things.  We stopped at a place that makes smoker grills.  I saw one that interested me.  It was much too big to fit into the motorhome, however.   All of them on display were gas grills.  I prefer charcoal.

The owner of the company came out from the shop and asked if he could help us.  I told him how much I liked the grills.  Did he make them for charcoal also?  He took us back in the shop for a tour.  He does, indeed, make them for charcoal.  He had one in the paint room.  We went in for a look.  The design was very good.  I will consider having one shipped to me later.

In the afternoon, Darlie went in for her afternoon nap in the frosty cold MH.  I sat outside with Tony in the searing humid weather.  We finished up a small repair on his boat.   He suggested we go fishing.  He has a secret spot on base he wanted to show me.

I can’t tell how we got to the spot but let me say it was an experience.  The fishing hole is little known by other fishermen on the base.  The remote location makes it not easily located.  Tony has caught some very large bass in the pond.   He throws his cast net to catch bait.  Then fishes the large minnows under a bobber.  Our luck wasn’t too good on this evening.  Tony thought I might have brought some bad luck along.  It was a fun experience, nevertheless. 

Tony spent the night with us again.  It was our last night so he wanted to spend as much time as he could.  He complained in the morning about being cold all night.  Darlie has the air set on ice chip setting.  

It was difficult saying goodbye.  We had a very nice time with our youngest son.  He misses home and looks forward to the end of his enlistment next March.  His plans after the service are incomplete.  I encouraged him that he will find his way.  We all do eventually. 

Headed South

We know it is too soon to escape the heat but it is time to start south.  We will be stopping to visit our son on the way.  We should be home in a couple of weeks.  I got a call from my buddy, Tom.  He was wondering where we were.  I hadn't posted anything on here in a few days.  It is nice to be missed.  We miss everyone too.

Today we drove through the central part of Pennsylvania from north to south.  The hills and valleys were very green.  Picturesque farms lie along valley streams.  Cornfields stretch across hillsides.  Amish, in their horse and buggies, trot along the roadside.   Some of the steep mountain climbs brought back memories of the mighty Rockies.  I will never forget the thrill and the sheer terror of some of those roads.

As we neared Washington, DC the traffic got heavy.  We thought making the trip on Sunday would help us avoid some of the traffic in the capital area.  We traveled more than thirty miles starting and stopping four and five lanes wide.  It made Darlie so nervous she went to lie down until we were clear of the area.
It was the worst traffic we have face on the entire trip.

There are very few campgrounds in this area.  We called some and found them to be full.  We ended up stopping for gas at a Flying J.  There were dozens of RVs parked in the lot.  Everyone had the same problem.  No place to stay.  We are camped in the lot with everyone else.  The generator is running so Darlie can have the air on.  I hate the noise but this is a noisy place anyhow.

I did pay for internet through Flying J.  They offer a day's service for $4.79.  A bit pricey but I haven't been able to get online for several days.  It was worth the price to catch up on everything.

I can't find Darlie's camera so I can't download the photos she took today.  Maybe in the morning I will have time to add some here before we hit the road.

New York Visit

The old bread truck hasn’t moved in over a week except to go empty the holding tanks one time.  It has been very comfortable having our own home along with us as we visit with family.  We have our own bed.  There is no need to rummage through a suitcase looking for a missing sock.  You can stay up as late as you like or get up early without keeping everyone else awake. 

Without boring you with all the details, we are having a splendid time visiting with everyone.  Our home base has been Darlie’s parents home.  Her sisters come by to visit almost daily.  We sit out on the porch where humming birds whiz around the feeder stopping for a quick drink of the sweet liquid it holds.  Robins bounce around the lawn searching for a juicy bug or an earthworm.  Doves coo from the blue spruce nearby where they have a nest of young.  Black eyed susan,  raspberry cone flowers and the sweet rose of sharon illuminate the grounds with a dazzling display of color.  Except for one very hot humid day, the weather has been pleasant. 

Debby, Mom and Etta

We stopped by the cottage at Keuka Lake to have dinner with my brother and his wife.  The old place looks much the same as it did years ago when we spent our summers there as kids.  The atmosphere around the lake has changed greatly over the years.  Most cottages were owned by local families who came up for the weekend or for a few weeks in the summer.  Today it is a major tourist attraction.  The little town of Hammondsport is alive with tourist.  Most of the little stores that once housed a drug store, clothing shop, book store and the like now are little restaurants or gift shops.  Like so many other little towns that have become tourist havens, Hammondsport has lost its character.  

The lake area has been noted for its vineyards and wineries for years.  All the large wineries are gone now.   Many vineyards remain, however.  Small wineries have sprung up to keep the wine tradition alive.  

We visited Bully Hill Winery which sits high on top of a hill across the lake from our cottage.  It was started by Walter Taylor the son of Fred and Harriet Taylor. 

I remember Walter as a young man who lived the life of a free spirit.  One weekend we arrived at the cottage to find it a total mess.  There were empty wine bottles, dirty dishes and the remains of food items everywhere.  On the table was a case of champagne with a note from Walter.  He apologized for the mess and hoped the champagne would pay for the inconvenience.   

Walter visited my Mom and Dad in Florida a few times over the years.  He became victim of a serious accident which left him paralyzed.  

Today Walter is gone but his legacy lives on at Bully Hill Winery.  It has become a beautiful tourist attraction with a restaurant, art gallery, winery tour, gift shop and visitor’s center where wine tastings are held daily.  Adjacent to the wine tasting area is the retail store where you can stock up on any of the many varieties of wines produced there.

We stopped at the restaurant for lunch.  We had a table outside overlooking the lake and our cottage below.  There was a line of people waiting to be seated.   The food was excellent and the view was better.

We spent one evening at Mike and Cindy’s home.  They are Darlie’s brother and sister in law.  Their two daughters came down to have dinner with us.  The ladies talked about whatever it is ladies talk about.  Mike and I talked about our trips to Haiti and the missionary work taking place there.   The following evening we were guests at Shirley and Clair’s home.  They are Darlie’s sister and brother in law.  Shirley made a huckleberry pie for us from the frozen huckleberries Tine gave us out in Oregon.  It was delicious beyond description.  We will have to find huckleberry pie filling now.  It is already one of my favorites.  

We will leave here on Sunday.  Our next stop will be in Havelock, NC to visit our son Tony at the Cherry Point air station.  From there we will head home.  We miss our dog and our friends.  We will miss living in the bread truck though.  We have all we need at an arms length.  We can do our housecleaning in minutes.  It moves when we get bored and want new scenery.  Getting back into a real house has its advantages also.  There will be a time of adjustment as there was when we started out on this trip.  

Indiana to New York State

Our travels are in high gear now.  Our days of leisurely plodding along on mountain highways are behind us.  We are in visitation mode now.   Having spent a few days with our son’s family, it was time to move on to our next stop.  Avoca, N.Y., my wife’s hometown is a small village in western New York State.  Her parents and all but one of her siblings live there.

It was over 30 years ago that I dragged her away from the nest, kicking and screaming.

I took her to the place she calls hell, Florida.  She hates heat with a passion.  She missed being near her family seeing new nieces and nephews growing, graduating, marrying.   I have the utmost respect for her for going where her husband went and making it work.  It was a selfless act of love on her part.  I fear I could never measure up to that level of personal commitment.  It is for this reason that I also relish our pilgrimages to the homeland.  I know it gives her great joy and happiness.  

We traveled on interstate highways from point A to point B.  I hate interstates.  There is nothing to see in most areas.  Somehow they seem to pick the very worst scenic areas to route these things.  Drive ten miles off the interstate and you enter a different land.  All who have made such ventures know what I say is true.

After a couple of hours behind the wheel, Darlie agreed to take over.  I feel confident enough of her ability to drive the old bread truck that I can actually take a nap.  There is a sense of power sitting behind that wheel.  I see it come over her face as she drives.  You are big.  People let you in when you decide to move over.  Begrudgingly, perhaps, but they let you move.

Most of our trip was on busy congested highway.  Turning onto I-86 in western Pennsylvania takes you into the very sparsely populated area along the New York/Pennsylvania border.  The rolling hills are covered with various hardwoods giving them a soft bushy appearance.  For a moment I realized those who live in the northwest would be as fascinated with this terrain as I was with the mountains whose slopes were covered in conifers.  

Neat little farms surrounded with cultivated fields are scattered here and there along the way.  Years ago farming was a major occupation in this area.  Today many farms are no longer worked.  Barns and old buildings stand in disrepair or have collapsed completely.  The land has reverted to its former state.  You can imagine smoke rising from an Indian village three or four centuries ago.  Deer and game are plentiful.  Steams run sparkling clear.  This is a beautiful place.

Our plan had been to stop at a campground a couple of hours from Avoca.  We would rest and arrive fresh in the morning.  A call to one of the few campgrounds in the area put that plan in the trash can.  They were filled for the weekend.  Two other campgrounds on Chautauqua Lake were also filled.  We decided to press on and surprise Darlie’s parents.  They didn’t know when we were to arrive.  

We have had an enjoyable weekend.  The weather is very pleasant with sunny warm days and cool nights.  Darlie’s sisters and brother have stopped by to gab and nibble at the endless supply of snacks Darlie’s mom supplies.  

We visited Wallace Westlian Church for sunday service.  They are a very mission minded church.  They support several missionaries.  They send groups to work in Haiti on rebuilding projects for the Westlyan Church.  Along with taking pledges from the congregation for missions, they tithe the offerings that come into the church each service and designate it for missions.  That is something we did when we pastored a church years ago.  I felt if you want to teach the people tithing then the church ought to tithe also.  We never fell short of meeting our expenses.