June 7 - 12, 2011 "Atlantic City to Florida (NY)"

We departed Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville, VA at 10:00 am, hoping to miss rush hour, but that wasn’t the case. Stop and go traffic as we skirted around Washington DC on I-495, it finally broke as we neared Baltimore, but only briefly, and we were once again in the yin and yang of it. Our Garmin Nuvi said it was 169 miles to Atlantic City, with an ETA of 1:30 pm, but we decided to stop for lunch and quench the thirst of Ms. Sol Crucero just north of Baltimore in Aberdeen, MD.

Finding a gas station with easy in and out accessibility for the rig plus toad is always a challenge when you’re pushing 60 feet in length.  Sometimes we get lucky and find one in close proximity to a large parking lot to have lunch, as was the case today.

Back on the road, passing through Delaware and into New Jersey, we finally arrived at our home for the next few days, Chestnut Lake RV Park, shortly after 3:30 pm. After getting set up, we were both ready for an adult beverage, as the temp was 101. Today was a first in our travels; moving through four states in one day.

Since the temps were again predicted to be above the century mark, we decided to enjoy the air conditioning in Atlantic City at Harrah’s. Signing up for a player’s club card entitled us to a coupon book with $10 in free play each, and coupons for free drinks and half price meals. It also contained a free parking pass. This is the first casino I have ever been to that charged for parking, but this is NJ, and these Northeasterners NEVER miss an opportunity to charge for something, that anywhere else, would be free; Capitalism is alive and well in Atlantic City. Did I mention the $50 in tolls we paid to get here from Washington DC? (As usual, click on any image to enlarge)

We managed to play and stay cool for about five hours and after being down $$$, CC hit four aces with a kicker on $0.25 Video Poker, which paid $500. She immediately hit the cash out button, and said to me, “We’re outta here”; Right, no argument from me.

The following day, the weatherman again predicted temps of 100 and above, so after some much needed provisioning and lunch, ventured to Bally’s, another coupon casino, to take advantage of the cool and free play/parking. Today was my lucky day, hitting four aces for $300, we decided it was time to rat hole our winnings and head for the house around 5:30 pm. All in all, we had a hot time in Atlantic City.

Another hectic travel day already? We were both a little nervous about navigating both Newark, NJ,  and The Big Apple, on the Garden State Parkway,  so CC routed us around both on I-287. A wise choice as it turned out, traffic was moderate but no delays, and we managed to make it to our new home at Black Bear Campground, in Florida, NY by 2:00 pm.

Upon check-in, we received a booklet entitled, “Orange County Travel Guide”, and inside the cover were listed the top ten things to do. To my amazement, Orange County Choppers was listed. For those of you unfamiliar with this establishment, they have a TV show, “AmericanChopper “, on the Discovery Channel. 

One of the bikes on display is the one they built to honor the Police and Firefighters that perished on 9/11. There are a total of 20 – 30 bikes on display, but this one has a special place in the showroom, and I can only imagine, in Paul Sr’s heart as well.

This is one that I had not seen on the show, probably because it’s a bicycle, but it does showcase the talent and creativity of Orange County Choppers.

Tomorrow, we are going to The Big Apple to see The Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, The Empire State Building, Ellis Island, Times Square, Ground Zero, Fifth Avenue and The Theatre District (my personal favorite (?). It should be a busy day, as we will be leaving here at 7:30 am and returning around 6 pm.

Until next time, take care and stay well………………………….

May 20 – 30, 2011 “Jamestown, Yorktown & Williamsburg, VA”

 

Sensory overload is the phenomenon CC and I are experiencing; so much history in such a small area. We purchased the 7 day pass ($79.95 each) that allowed us to tour all 3 locations at our leisure during the one week period. We could have easily spent more time here, but there is only so much feeble old brains like ours can comprehend and absorb.

Jamestown - In 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, a group of 104 English men and boys began a settlement on the banks of Virginia's James River. They were sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, whose stockholders hoped to make a profit from the resources of the New World. The community suffered terrible hardships in its early years, but managed to endure, earning the distinction of being America's first permanent English colony. (As always, click on any image to enlarge.) 

Yorktown - On October 19, 1781, the decisive military campaign of the American Revolution culminated with the British surrender to combined American and French forces under the command of George Washington. The Siege of Yorktown effectively ended the six-year struggle of the Revolutionary War and set the stage for a new government and nation.

The Nelson House is beautifully restored mansion of early Georgian architecture, this was the home of Thomas Nelson, Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Governor of Virginia and commander of the Virginia Militia during the siege of Yorktown. The house is mainly made out of bricks that originated from England.

The Yorktown battlefield is about 800 yards from this historic house, where errant British cannonballs still lie embedded in the brick exterior.

Williamsburg, an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Williamsburg with James City County for statistical purposes.

Originally Middle Plantation, a 1632 fortified settlement located on high ground on the Peninsula between the James and York rivers, it was renamed Williamsburg after the capital of the Virginia Colony was moved there from Jamestown in 1698. The town received a royal charter as a city in 1722, and was the center of political events in Virginia leading to the American Revolution.

The Governors Palace, home to seven royal governors, Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson.

Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette, often known by simply Lafayette, played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War against England. Some historians conclude that he and our Founding Father, George Washington, had a father-son relationship, and it was he, Lafayette, that rode into Williamsburg and announced the Patriots defeat of the British at Yorktown, which was the last major battle of the war.

Every once in a while I see something intriguing; such was the case with this automatic gate closer. Ingenious you say? What else were the early patriots to do with all of the cannon balls after the war ended?

Tomorrow is a travel day as we motor toward Washington, DC, to visit friends and tour the Smithsonian Museum(s). We needed a small break, to allow the swelling of our brains to subside. This full timing is starting to be like work; we must find a happy medium if we are to survive. Otherwise, we may as well go back to work………......................……….NOT!

Until next time, take care, stay well and thanks for dropping by to check on us.

May 8 – 19, 2011 “Englewood Beach, FL to Virginia Beach, VA”

 

After a fantastic visit with Kathi & Obe, we are now northbound to Starke, FL, a distance of 223 miles, where we stayed at the Starke/Gainesville KOA . By the time we arrived and got set up, we were both feeling like our stomachs were scraping our spines, so naturally set out in search of a chow down spot. (WARNING: I AM CHEATING ON THIS POST) Since we have moved so fast, and have been so busy, I am including links to places we’ve seen, and things/tours we’ve taken, as this will greatly enhance the information, and lessen the time it takes to blog about everything we did during this posting. Please click on any of the underlined links to learn more about a specific topic. (As always click on any image to enlarge)

A mere 2 miles up the road was Sonny’s Bar-B-Q where I feasted on $10.99 all you can eat ribs. For those of you unfamiliar with Sonny’s, I can only say,“Thank God I don’t live around one, or I would look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy”. For those of you familiar with, and live close by one of the 150 locations, all I can say is “You lucky chumps”.

Travel day has us motoring toward Savannah, GA,  169 miles to the northeast, where we checked into the Savannah Oaks RV Park.  As soon as we were at home (set up), CC began her due diligence to locate and procure a Tour of Savannah the following day.   Savannah is a beautiful city, and well worth the time and $$$ for admission.

Included with the tour was lunch at Uncle Bubba’s Oyster House. For those of you unfamiliar with Uncle Bubba, he is Paula Dean’s little brother. For those of you unfamiliar with Paula Dean the “Butter Queen”, all I have to say is either you live under a rock and have never dined on Southern Cuisine, or, are a damned Yankee. If the latter is true, it’s not too late for redemption, just head south to Savannah and order up some Shrimp and Grits or Southern Fried Chicken.

Pictured below are Uncle Bubba and Paula Dean.

Another travel day already? It’s off to Charleston, SC, a short jaunt of 107 miles. While in route, the “Change Engine Oil” warning flashed on the dash of the rig, so CC phoned Camping World in Charleston and they were extremely accommodating in getting us in on short notice for an oil change and lube.

This week we are traveling at breakneck speed to meet our friend George aka Jorge, in Myrtle Beach on Sunday, and then hump it on to see CC’s Brother Mike, on Monday, in Virginia Beach. This part of full timing is starting to be like work; hurry to get there and then hurry to get someplace else. But that is part of why we chose this lifestyle, to see family and friends that we haven’t seen in some time. CC reminded me that we can take it easy next week, while George and Mike are working. That’s what I call, “Putting things in perspective”.

While at Camping World, CC spotted a 2011 Winnebago Tour 42QD, and it was REALLY nice, with a floor plan that we both liked, complete with a bath and a half. Will this be the “Ultimate Rig” for us? Time will tell. Exhausted from shopping, (I not CC) departed Camping World to make our home, complete with hammock, at Lake Aire RV Park on the outskits of town.

The following day we were up with the chickens to take in two Tours of Charleston; First the Town Tour, and later that afternoon a tour of Magnolia Plantation. The following is a typical single row home in the historic district.

Beautiful Magnolia Plantation is still owned by the founding family, and has been since 1676.

It is definitely a small world. Today while at the Magnolia Plantation, we overheard two ladies saying they were from Oklahoma. When I asked “where in OK?”, they replied Oklahoma City, and CC chimed in that we (her and I) went to MCHS in OK. The look on their face was priceless, as they responded, “What year did you graduate?” When CC said 1971, they almost fainted, because they too were classmates of ours some 40 years ago at the same high school. Anyway, long story short, Kathy and LeAnn, it was nice seeing you again, and we hope you enjoyed your cruise to the Bahamas. It truly is a small world!

No rest for the weary, and so it is on to Myrtle Beach, SC, 119 miles northeast along the Atlantic coast, where our home is now located at the Briarcliff RV Resort. We need to retire with the chicken tonight, as Jorge will be here manana.

We have known Jorge for almost 20 years and first met him when Jason played lacrosse, and George had an indoor facility the boys played in during the cold winter months in Colorado. As our acquaintance grew, so did our friendship, and in 1997(?) coached a youth lacrosse team to an undefeated season and a State Championship; infamously forever referred to as “Panther B”. Actually, George coached, along with fellow LAX guru Dave, whilst I manned the water bottles. It’s a tough job, but someone had to do it.

We spent the day chatting and catching up on old times and current events of our everyday lives now, and even broke free for lunch at a great little home owned joint called Prosser’s Bar-B-Q in Murrells Inlet, SC. The food was outstanding.

After lunch, a walk on the beach was in order to walk off some of the grub we chowed down. All in all, we had a wonderful visit. Take care buddy!

Up and on the road by 8 am, today we will travel 370 miles. We haven’t driven that far in one day since June 2010; it was mostly an uneventful trip to our home for 3 days at First Landing State Park.

We had just gotten set up around 5:45 pm when Mike called and said dinner was ready. CC set an all time record showering, curling her hair, and applying makeup in less than an hour. We arrived at Mike’s house shortly before 7, and were welcomed with open arms by he, his wife Debra, and young adult children, Travis and Shannon. Debra had a gourmet meal prepared of appetizers and fresh salmon that was perfectly seasoned and cooked, not to rare but still moist and flaky; simply perfect! A couple of us MAY have consumed one too many adult beverages, but we had a fabulous time. This is the incredible view we enjoyed while dining. It just doesn’t get any better than that!

The following day consisted of sailing the Chesapeake Bay with Mike on his sailboat. This is where I let CC take over, and let her give her $0.02 worth on just how the day transpired. Take it away CC, but be nice; he is, after all, your brother. I will only begin by saying “I THINK Mike had a hangover”.

We started off enjoying a little breakfast with Mike at our campsite.  Mike was waiting for the wind to pick up a bit.  The boat was in the “Little River Marina” a short drive from the campsite.  After a short walk on the dock telling us about all his friends and fellow boat captains we boarded his boat named “Second Circle”.  Following a few simple directions from Captain Mike, assisting with backing out of the boat slip we were off.  The weather was beautiful, a few clouds with a slight breeze of 10 to 12 mph.  After motoring out past the no wake zone Mike turned off the motor and raised the sails.  We were moving right along at 7 knots according to the Captain.  The sea was not too choppy for the Captain but for his two land based mates the boat was pitching and rolling.  It was not too bad as long as I stayed up on deck.  The three of us were enjoying the view, the ocean, and the conversation.

We were going to tack back in the other direction so Mike asked me to move forward.  As I moved up to another seat and turned around to face the direction we came from I commented, “Mike did you notice that big dark cloud following us?”  Looking over his shoulder Mike’s demeanor changed.  He turned back to me and said, “Why did you have to find that?”   Mike attempted to keep the light conversation going while analyzing the situation.   We could not outrun the approaching storm and it was too big to go around, so he decides to hit it in its teeth!  Not knowing what to expect I asked, “On a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the worse what should I expect?  The First Mate Fester responded, “4”.  Knowing these two I was not reassured.  The Captain lowered the sails with minimal assistance from his two mates.  The wind and the rain were pushing us out and the boat trying to motor back to the marina the Captain commented that the trip back would not be as fast as the trip out.   Our experienced Captain at the helm was trying to look through the rain sailing the boat back into the harbor, waiting for the wind to shift when he looked around and said, “I think it blew over!” Of course I thought it was wishful thinking on his part but there was blue sky over head.  Captain Mike was so excited he was ready to turn around and go back out sailing.  My immediate comment was, “Are you kidding?”  We probably would have turned around and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon on the ocean but the wind stopped which stomped all over Mike’s excitement.  So after a slow leisurely uneventful ride back in to the boat slip we were back at the dock early.  While tying it up and buttoning down the hatches Mike noticed a problem with the bilge pump.  So for the next few hours we enjoyed watching Mike crawl up, over, around and thru the boat trying to fix the problem.  The boys (Captain and First Mate) made a run to the boat parts store and I enjoyed a few minutes listening to the sounds around the marina.  It was a wonderful day of sailing with a little excitement and a little maintenance.  We had a great time.   

After a full (?) day of sailing, it was off to dinner at Captain Groovy’s, a favorite of Mike and Debra's for a little bite to eat.  CC and I split the grilled seafood combo plate of grilled shrimp, flounder and crab cakes, served with rice and vegetables, and it was soooo good. Now I understand why it is one of their favorite places in the area.

The following morning, Mike called, and said he was bringing the kids by to see the rig. Debra was not feeling well, and had a doctors appointment, so she would not be joining us. After a brief tour of the rig, we all headed for the beach for a mid-morning walk.

Needless to say, the kids were relieved to know that Mike had planned on taking us to the Boardwalk in VA Beach, and they were free to come or go. As we would have done at that age, they went, home that is. Again, we had a wonderful visit, and enjoyed the time spent. Mike suggested a place for lunch, the Rockfish Grill, and it did not disappoint. I had the She-Crab Backfin Soup, and it was fantastic.

After a brief walk on the beach as we headed back to the car, I managed to catch brother and sister; all together now, “Ain’t they sweet?”

As they say (who is they?) all good things must come to an end. Mike is an international pilot  for Delta, and he had to go back to work, as he had a flight to London today out of Kennedy, and we are still northbound. With good-bys behind us we fired up Ms. Sol Crucero, and it was off to Williamsburg, VA. Thanks Mike and Debra for a fantastic visit.

Next week we will be touring the Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown areas. Until next time, take care, stay well, and thanks for stopping by!