Back in the Beautiful Hills

     It was a quiet day.  Our routine for packing up, even after being in a spot for a week, does not take us long to complete.  Everything inside the camper is stowed in its own spot or it will come flying out when we brake.  I make sure that all the cupboard doors are latched, the stuff in the frig is stacked well, all the books and maps need to go into their bin, the dishes washed and put away, the pots and pans stacked so that they don’t bang around, I bring the slide out and the awning in, all the windows need to be closed including the skylights, and the door is latched and locked.  Rick dumps the tanks and refills the water, I start up the car and we get it hitched on, we check the brake lights and turn signals, make sure the step is in and the antenna down, I turn on the GPS and away we go – easy, peasy.  It all takes about 30 minutes – even in the rain.  Then we are back on the road.

    So here we are at a city campground sort of in the middle of nowhere:  Buena Vista, Virginia.  The city park is huge and on the site of a farm owned by a friend of Stonewall Jackson (or so the woman who was restoring the old mansion said).  We are just off the Blue Ridge Parkway and this was the nearest campground, except for the one where you checked in at the gas pumps and then drove around to the back of the station where there are a couple electric hookups.

     I shouldn't complain.  We are parked on a big grassy area and have power and water, as well as pretty good phone service.  There are about a half a dozen other campers here.  We seem to be a big attraction to bored folks in town as there has been a constant stream of cars driving around just looking at the campers.  In the background we can hear the train that comes by every hour or so and has to blow the whistle as it goes through town.  It is raining so hard on the roof of the camper that the train noise probably won’t bother us.

   We are back in the foothills of the Appalachians.  During the week that we spent on the coast, the leaves have really begun to turn and bright red and gold flares all over the hillsides.  We had sun for a while today so we could enjoy the colors, but Virginia is in a big weather system that starts in Texas and we may have showers off and on for a couple days.  The temperature is going down into the 40’s tonight so it is nice to be able to have the electric heater on to take the chill off – yes, we are spoiled.  No TV reception so we watched a few episodes of the old show, “Northern Exposure” and remembered the 80’s(???).   A quiet night in our cozy camper.

Mariner's Museum

    The weather forecast has been for rain most of the week but we have had one perfect day after another.  We saved our visit to the Mariner's Museum for the "rainy" day, but since this is the last day we are here in Williamsburg, sunshine or not, today we went to an indoor museum.   It was highly rated in Fodor's and TripAdvisor which isn't always a decision factor for us, but it sounded like something just up our alley.
   The museum has several focal areas:  the boats of the Chesapeake Bay area, the story of and artifacts from the Civil War armored ship the USS Monitor, and a big gallery of various small sailboats, rowboats, and watercraft from around the world.  There was also a special exhibit on surviving at sea after a shipwreck.   The first thing that we saw was a huge light from a Chesapeake Bay lighthouse.  It looked like a beautiful chandelier.
   The museum does a great job of telling the stories that go with the boats.  This includes fishing and hunting from boats on the Chesapeake, the Civil War battle between the Virginia and the Monitor, the recovery of portions of the Monitor over 150 years after its sinking, and spoken and written accounts of survivors sea disasters.  Movies, narratives from letters and logs, old photos and many life size models bring the stories to life.  The only drawback was that the museum was kept at refrigeration chill and we had to step outside to warm up.
    We came back the camper and spent our last afternoon in the outdoor living room.  Rick was getting ready to grill some chops when the thunder began.  We packed up our chairs and carried the hard cider indoors just as the rain began to pour.  Temps are supposed to be about 10 degrees cooler tomorrow as we head back to the Blue Ridge Parkway and up into the mountains.  Time to pull out our jeans and fleece shirts.
     We will be following the parkway and staying in some little campgrounds along the way.  Once again most of the campsites are without WI-FI and many without power.  I will check in as we hit pockets of cell access.  We are now slowly heading back towards home - always both a sad and a happy time.  The hills are calling me.

Smithfield's Old Ham

    President Obama caused us to go in a different direction today.  Well, actually his visit to Virginia Beach changed our plans.  I knew that he had a visit planned in this area and then the morning news showed predicted road congestion just where we were planning to go in Virginia Beach.  So we looked at the map and decided to take a free ferry ride across the James River.  The ferries run frequently and take cars and trucks up to 12 tons.  It was a beautiful day out on the river and we enjoyed our 20 minute ride.  We got a great view of the historic Jamestowne landing from the water.

     The area across the river was visited frequently by the Jamestown colonists as they traded with the natives in the villages there.  About 30 miles from the ferry landing is a town on the Pagen River which is known for its ham, Smithfield.  The drive to Smithfield took us through a different side of Virginia - fields of soybeans, corn and COTTON.  It was pretty cool to see those white puffs growing in the field and ready for picking.  I am really in the South.
    Smithfield is a pretty little town with a large number of old, nicely restored homes.  We had lunch in a nice little Ice Cream Parlor - I had some Smithfield Country ham on rye - yum.   After lunch we headed for the Isle of Wight Museum to see the world's largest ham and the world's oldest ham (118 years old).  We strolled past quite a few painted pigs.  And then walked about a half a mile on the "historic walk" which took us past dozens of great 18th century homes.  Unlike Williamsburg these are places that everyday folks live in.  So many beautiful places that require so much upkeep.  Many of the homes had beautiful lowland along the river as their back yard and some wonderful views.
    On our way back to the ferry we had another first.  We were stopped by a road block and had to produce a driver's license.  No clue as to what was going on except that we knew that Obama had been in the area.  We must not have fit the profile and they let us old Midwest folks through and we went on our way.
   So to recap: Ferry ride, cotton, painted pigs, good ham, old hams, big hams, old houses, and finally old folks stopped by the police.  Quite a day.

 

Yorktown aside

    Sometimes its the adventures I don't plan that turn out to be the highlight of the day.  We decided to complete the historical triangle today and go to Yorktown.  Our drive to get there brings me to my second topic for the day - navigating in old towns on the East Coast.  In the Midwest many of our cities were developed on the grid system - streets running north and south, east and west.  When I learned to drive and navigate, I learned that an intersection usually has four corners at right angles.  Not so in Williamsburg (and many other east coast cities including Boston).  Williamsburg roads evolved from a series of heavily traveled paths that went between several rivers.  The road system looks like a lopsided spider web with many roads leading to the center and others around the outside edges.  In addition, the historic preservation folks have limited signs and put heavy foliage everywhere.  We met a couple at lunch today who said that they had decided not to drive after dark because they couldn't find anything.  We just retreat to the campground and only navigate on foot after dark.  But today as we tried to get to Yorktown the navigator (me) got completely turned around and we finally pulled over to "discuss" the map.  I was wrong and annoyed. Sigh.
     Rick figured out the map and we spent the morning at the historic Yorktown site. It was my least favorite of the three historic sites.  Perhaps because the emphasis was on the Revolutionary battle at that site and I am a bit battlefielded out.  There was a very interesting demonstration on loading and firing a musket done by a very entertaining young woman and another discussion of battlefield first aid and surgery that I found gruesome but fascinating.  Overall, however, it wasn't my favorite day.  UNTIL
   We left the historic site and drove to historic downtown Yorktown which is right on the York River near Chesapeake Bay.  About 10 blocks of old river front has been restored to nice museums, cafes, and shops.  There were several blocks of nice white sand beach along the river - perfect on this warm and sunny fall day.    We stopped at a little hole in the wall pub for lunch and ended up having a really great time.   There was a long list of fresh fish, a great selection of beer and wine, and it was just across the street from the beach.  We sat at the bar and ordered lunch.  Another couple joined us and told us it was their 53rd wedding anniversary so we had a fine time talking about traveling after retirement.
   After lunch we wandered onto the white sand beach and then we headed back to the campground for another wonderful couple of hours of relaxing in the autumn sunshine.  What a pleasant day.

Exploring our Roots at Jamestowne

     If you have seen the Disney movie, Pocahontas, or studied even a little bit of American history, you know about the romance between the beautiful Indian maiden and the English settler, John.  Today we stood in the ruins of the church where they were married on Jamestown Island just off the coast of Virginia.  To get there we drove the Colonial Parkway which is a limited access road that connects the historic settlements of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown.  As it gets close to Jamestown Island the Parkway winds through swampy and boggy areas near the James River.  It is a great area for bird watching including some Bald Eagles.

   It was our lucky day as we arrived just in time for a tour of the archaeological dig. The archaeologist who gave the tour was enthusiastic, well informed and an active participant in the dig.  She made the ruins of a 400 year old site really come alive.  Originally, it was believed that the foundations of the early settlement were beneath the James River due to changes in its flow.  However, in 1994, digging unearthed the posts of the corners of the wall around the encampment.  Since that time graves, foundations, a well, and many artifacts from the men who lived in the area have been found.
    Jamestown was the first permanent settlement in the United States.  It was founded by the Virginia Company which was one of several Joint Stock companies established by royal charter by King James of England with the the goal of establishing settlements on the coast of North America.  Initially there were only about a hundred men - mostly soldiers - who were sent to establish a settlement.  Later a few women arrived and some families.  The buildings and walls were built using fairly small trees despite the fact that the area had large amounts of huge trees.  However, these trees were cut and sent to England to pay for the costs of supporting the settlement.
   It was a hard life and a large portion of the early settlers died of malnutrition, disease, and accidents.  Our nation was founded by some very tough and determined people.  We should be so proud.

A step into history, Williamsburg

    Williamsburg isn't just a step back in time, it is a history lesson and a pep rally for democracy.  Virginia is a "swing" state in this presidential election.  Everywhere we turn there are ads and discussions regarding the election.  It was driving me crazy until we spent a day in Williamsburg and listened to the ongoing debate over the need to break from England and establish an independent nation.  We now have the freedom to have this endless debate over issues because "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
    A large section of the old city of Williamsburg has been either preserved or restored.  The Governor's Palace anchors one end and the Capitol building anchors the other.  In between, several blocks wide, there are streets of homes and shops of the 18th century.  Throughout the area are townsfolk dressed in period costume.  They are shopping, managing the stores which have traditional wares, running the post office, writing the newspaper, and working as silversmiths, blacksmiths, carpenters, weavers, wig makers, and tavern keepers.
    There are many opportunities for a visitor to engage in conversation and listen to discourse regarding the issues and problems of living in a democracy.  Some of the townsfolk are critical of the current state of affairs of  18th century Virginia, others talk about the many problems presented by being a colony of England, while some are passionate about the need for religious freedom from the Church of England.  We stopped at a coffee house - one of the gathering spots in colonial Williamsburg where the debate was often vigorous.  We sampled some amazing hot chocolate which was a common drink of the 1700's and participated in a conversation that was led by one of the Williamsburg staff.  History really comes alive when it is clear that so many of the issues are still real, but the right to debate them was such a victory for our ancestors.
    The day was exhausting and invigorating.  It is a huge area to walk around and we certainly could spend at least one more day just in the city.  However, we still have the Jamestown and Yorktown sites to visit.

America's Historic Triangle

   After arriving at our very nice KOA outside of Williamsburg we took went for a drive and some shopping. The first thing I noticed was that all the modern shops - Walmart, gas stations, even Burger King are hidden behind a lot of greenery and are built of brick or stone.  It just looks so nice.  We drove right past Target but I saw the large parking lot and guessed that was where we were headed.  Target is the same here as everywhere EXCEPT I found a nice assortment of wine AND despite the fact that it is Sunday, I was able to purchase it.  Come on Minnesota, get out of the dark ages!

    We will be staying in this area called The Historic Triangle for 6 days.  Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Jamestown are all within 20 miles.  The first permanent English settlers sent by the Virginia Company of London were at Jamestown. Many ideas and concepts of the revolution were promoted in Williamsburg. American independence was won in the final victory at Yorktown.  We will be visiting each of these historic sites during our time here.
    We are staying in a very large KOA about 8 miles outside of Williamsburg.  Lots of big trees (mostly oak and full of acorns which can be quite startling when they drop on top of the camper).  We worked a bit with the check-in clerk to get a nice, level, somewhat shady site.  We set up the chairs and picnic table and settled in for a few days.  Our home away from home.

Jefferson's Home Monticello

     We are camped a few miles from Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello.  He had a plantation of over 5000 acres situated on the top of a Virginia mountain.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Jefferson was an amazing man of many talents.  He was a member of the Continental Congress and drafted the Declaration of Independence.  During his two terms as President he promoted the purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803 and supported the Lewis and Clark expedition.
      My father always wanted to visit this house after he read about Jefferson's many inventions.  Jefferson taught himself architecture and designed this home.  He was very interested in science and technology and built many time saving features into his house including a dumb waiter which brought up bottles of wine from his wine cellar and a cupboard which was built on a turntable so the servants could put the food on the shelves from the kitchen and spin the cupboard around so the dishes were available in the dining room.
    The house sits up high on the mountain, has amazing views and gets a nice breeze which was important in the days before air conditioning and made our tour on this warm day very pleasant.  Jefferson grew grapes and fruits on the slopes of these hills to make wine.  He had extensive gardens and experimented with growing many types of plants from around the world.  At some times he had over 25 members of his family living with him.  He had other homes nearby and often spent time at these smaller places to get away from the many visitors and family at Monticello, I don't blame him.  As the writer of the document which claims that "all men are created equal" it was an interesting dichotomy of Jefferson's character that he promoted equality and religious freedom, but also owned slaves as well as having several children by one of the slaves.  It was clarified on the tour that his wife died after only 6 years of marriage and implied that the relationship with his slave came after her death.  The situation was certainly not unique in his day.

   After our visit to Monticello we stopped for lunch at Michie Tavern which was only a half mile away.  This tavern served travelers and was a social center of the area from 1784.  Lunch was a buffet of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, black-eyed peas, stewed tomatoes, green beans, pickled beets and cornbread and biscuits.  After we rolled ourselves away from the table, we walked around the property which had several other buildings from the same period including a general store, a dry goods store which sold QUILTS and a metal shop.  I wasn't impressed with the quilts although it is always fun to look.  We left with a bottle of Hard Cider since it is apple season here.  We sampled it with some crackers and cheese which pretty much became supper after such a big lunch.  Pretty good stuff.
    I really like Virginia.  The landscape is endlessly rolling with lots of beautiful hardwoods.  I can see why folks settled here.

Taking the RIGHT road

     When planning a trip I use many tools to decide at which campground we will stay.   Sometimes there is little choice because we are driving between points.  When we stay in a big tourist area I look at reviews, amenities, and location.  We are located now just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia near Jefferson's home of Monticello. After deciding on the campground I put the address into the GPS and then double check the route by map.  All looked good until I was looking at the KOA book which warned: "Do not trust your GPS! It sends you down a very rough and steep road.  Use our directions."  So we ignored the GPS, took the campground directions and got to the campground easily.
    We travel slowly with lots of quiet time.  It gives me a lot of time to think, read, and write.  I remember lots of times I traveled with my family and times that Rick and I have traveled with our sons.  I remember so many nice little things: a meal together, a hike, a funny comment, campfire stories.  Unless I think hard, I don't recall wrong turns, bad weather, grumpy words.
    So here is my philosophical light bulb thought for the day. Why spend so much time worrying about wrong turns in life?  Leave behind the shoulda, coulda, woulda.  Think today of at least one choice that you made in life that was the RIGHT turn.  A decision that may have seemed small at the time but has made a good difference for you.
   I'll go first:  When my niece, Becky, was born I saw a picture of a quilt in a magazine.  It was a huge elephant and came with a pattern and directions.  I decided to make it for the coming baby.  It was a difficult, big project.  I had never quilted before and I had a lot to learn to make it work.  But, that project began my love of quilting and gave me a hobby that brings me endless pleasure.
   We made our right turn today and now we are enjoying a warm and sunny afternoon outside our camper on our lawn chairs.  We added West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia to our U.S. map.  We've had a glass of wine and watched our camping neighbors set up an elaborate patio with sparkle lights and carpet.  Such a good day.  What is one of your "right" turns?

Eastern frontier farming

     Last night was the coldest we have experienced while camping in quite a while.  We can run our heater a little, but the fan takes power and we can only run the generator to recharge the batteries for a few hours each day.  If we run the generator too much we use up all the gas.  So we are very frugal with power.  One light on, water pump off unless being used, heat on just long enough to take the chill off.  So I ran the heat for a little while when we went to bed just to help get the bed warm and then the piles of blankets kept us cozy the rest of the night.  I jumped out of bed for a minute this morning to turn the heat back on for a little bit as we got up.  Still, we are very spoiled compared to tent campers who had to get their fires going to warm against the chill.

     The cold weather seems to have speeded up the process of the turning of the leaves and everywhere we look there are spots of bright red and yellow.  The park is getting busier as the weekend approaches.  The Appalachian Trail runs along the Skyline Parkway.  Many hikers use the park campgrounds, camp stores, laundry and showers.  We ran into one very seasoned hiker in the camp store.  How could I tell?  by the smell.  Wow, he had to have been on the trail for a while.  The whole trail is over 2000 miles long.  Hikers still in Virginia in September who are headed north are not going to make it the full length.   It takes quite a determined hiker to make it the whole way in one season – so many steep ups and downs.  I admire their fortitude.

     Today we drove the last 20 miles of the Parkway and then went to Staunton, Virginia.  Birthplace of Herbert Hoover.  We could have gone to his home, but since the weather was just beautiful we went to the Frontier Culture Museum.  This is a living history outdoor museum which has a series of farm sites with original buildings from 18^th century England, Ireland, and Germany to show the culture of the farmers who settled this area.  There was also a set of frontier America farmsteads from the 1790’s, 1820 and 1850 in America.  An African village and a Native American village were under construction.  The staff who were at each site gave us great information about the origin of the buildings and what life was like during the time they were used.   The place was mostly empty midweek in September and the weather was perfect for walking between each area.  We learned why the Irish (Rick’s ancestors) left Ireland before the potato famine to come to the U.S. and why the Germans left Germany (my ancestors).   In both cases it was mainly because the growing conditions and financial opportunities in Europe were poor so adventurous people emigrated to America.  

     Tomorrow we leave Shenandoah and get back to commercial campgrounds. Less scenic, but with the capacity to run off an electric connection. Everything is a tradeoff.

Driving the Skyline Parkway

     I have just come in to a warm camper after sitting around our campfire.   I wonder how many campfires I have sat around and how many places – too many to count.  There have been so many times when I went from the warmth of the fire into a very chilly sleeping bag.  I am grateful to be crawling into a warm bed tonight was the temperature dips into the low 40s.

     It has been a beautiful day.  Warm sunshine and light breezes.  We drove along much of the Skyline Parkway and stopped at wayside overlooks, the Visitor Center and Skyland Lodge.  We usually try to have a meal at one of the old lodges in each park.  This one was not so huge, but had a dining room with windows on three sides that looked out over the Shenandoah Valley.  A wonderful view and very nice lunch.  The lodge was actually one of the reasons that the park is in existence.  Visitors to Skyline thought that the area would make a good park – similar to the western national parks which were already attracting so many visitors.  In the late 20’s more and more people had cars and were interested in traveling.

     A commission was formed to look into acquiring land to build the park.  Although the area was rugged and remote, dozens of mountain families owned farms and timber acreage that was proposed to be part of the park.  A school teacher came one year to set up a school for the mountain children.  She wrote a paper which claimed that the people living in the mountains were terribly poor, uneducated and had no social structure and support.  Her paper became justification for an act which turned their lands over to the National Park service after “proper compensation.”  This was highly contested but, by 1935, Skyline Parkway was completed and the new park had over a million visitors.

     World War II and gas rationing slowed down the rate of visitors, but since the park is only 85 miles from Washington D.C. it is still one of the most visited parks in the system.  There were not that many people on the roads today so we had a wonderful time stopping to take pictures, watch the wildlife and wander down bits of the Appalachian Trail that crisscross the parkway.  There are still only a few people in the campground so we have been enjoying the quiet and watching deer walk up and down the roads like they own the place.    

    We drove to an overlook that looks west to get some sunset pictures.  The air is very clear after a couple days of rain so we are getting a great view without the smog.  It is very cold tonight, but beautiful.

Shenandoah National Park

     It’s Tuesday.  I need to keep track of what day it is.  It is easy to get confused when we are on the road for a long time.  The weather forecast for today was ominous.  We had rain all night last night – steady, but not too hard.  Then today the forecast was for thunderstorms, strong winds, downpours, flooding and a tornado watch.  Not such great traveling weather.  Fortunately, it was only raining a bit as we packed up.  I am always grateful for good waterproof boots, rain pants and rain jackets.  At least we were dry under all our rain gear as we started our drive.

     We found the wind about 20 miles from Gettysburg.  It bounced the camper around and made it hard to drive. Then by the time we got to the interstate we found the heavy rain.  At times we could only see the truck ahead of us.  Finally, we got to the Welcome to Maryland rest stop and pulled off for a break.  The rain subsided and we drove on through West Virginia to the Welcome to Virginia rest stop after once again hitting a huge rain squall.  This was a four state, multiple thunderstorm, and three big accidents on the interstate, day.

     By the time we left the interstate to drive into the hills, the rain had let up.  The drive up into Shenandoah National Park and onto Skyline Parkway through the park was just beautiful.  The trees are all huge hardwoods – Oaks, maples, ash – and they were dripping with rain.  A heavy mist drifted between the hills.  We saw lots of small branches and leaves down, but the wind that had ripped through the park earlier was gone.

     We had a reservation at Loft Mountain Campground.  When we got to the campground NO ONE WAS HERE.  No ranger at the check-in and, at first we thought, no campers either.  However, as we go to our reserved site we found a dozen other RV’s.  A few other hardy souls enjoying the complete peace of this empty campground.  Our reserved site was tight.  Too tight as it turned out and we took at little bark off a tree trying to get back out of the driveway.  However, with an almost empty campground we had our pick of another site with fewer trees and a longer driveway.  Perfect!

     Now night is falling, the trees are still dripping, it's chilly and the fog has thickened, and it is so quiet.  Nice.

From Lincoln to Eisenhower

     Who is the first president that you remember?  Our first stop this morning was to a farm just outside of Gettysburg that was owned by Dwight D. Eisenhower.  I can remember hearing "We Like Ike" and learning that Ike was the president.  President Eisenhower spent many years in the military including as a  five star General in WWII as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe.  Upon "retirement" from the military he bought this farm in Pennsylvania, but before he could settle into his retirement he was called to be head of the newly formed NATO.  In 1952 he left that post and was elected president.  After 2 terms in office he once again "retired" to his farm.  The house and farm were given to the National Park Service and the house still has many of the original furnishings.  To tour it was a complete blast from the past for those of us who lived in the 50's and 60's.  Mamie Eisenhower was very attached to this farm because she said it was the only house they ever owned having gone from one military post to another, and then to the White House.  We took the tour with a big group of Boy Scouts who were full of interesting observations about the house, but also about President Obama and his rival Mitt Romney.  The boys have all the answers if we would just listen to them.
    After lunch we followed an "auto tour" with a recorded historical vignette at each stop.  Our first stop was the Gettysburg National Veterans Cemetery where Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address to honor the 50,000 men who were killed or wounded on the Gettysburg battleground during the three day battle.  It is just astounding to realize the magnitude of destruction of the Civil War battles.  More than 50% of the men who died were never identified.  Families never knew what happened to their sons, fathers, husbands, brothers.  Quite a sacrifice.
   On one hand the area of the battle seems huge.  One company hiked over 25 miles to reinforce Union lines.  The 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost over 80% of its men in one battle.  This Regiment was the first to answer the call to battle.  Governor Alexander Ramsey was in Washington D.C. when President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers.  He offered 1000 men from Minnesota.  My Great Great Grandfather Schepperle fought in the Civil War for Minnesota, but not at Gettysburg, I believe (or perhaps I would not be here).  On the other hand, the area seems small for the huge loss of life and number of battles.  Once the fighting was over, the citizens of Gettysburg had to care for the dead and wounded.  There were about 25,000 injured to be cared for by 2500 townspeople.  Such a complete tragedy.
    It has been a day steeped in history for us.  Tomorrow we drive to Shenandoah.

Gettysburg arrival

    We left the toll roads today and drove some back highways to Gettysburg.  Both my campground planner and our GPS routed us on US30.  However, the first thing I saw as we got onto the highway were signs which warned truckers of "sharp curves and steep descents."   We have been on some challenging roads out West so we weren't too worried.  We did a long slow climb through beautiful hardwood forest that is just beginning to turn to gold.  As we got higher we could see long ridges of the mountains.  Pockets of fog hung in some of the valleys.  Just glorious views, but no place to stop for pictures.  We soon reached the summit of the mountain and started down with warnings that it was a 3 mile drop with an 8% grade.  Whew!  Our camper and driver did great and we easily made it to the flat.  THEN there was another climb and another set of warnings.  This time it was 3.5 miles at a 9% grade.  I was very happy to be at the bottom of that one and on our way to Gettysburg.
   We drove through a bunch of small towns.  The houses are all of brick or stone and many of them sit right up next to the road - with their front door about 8' from the traffic. The roads are narrow without much shoulder.  We are over 8.5' wide so it gets pretty tight in places.
    Our campground is outside of Gettysburg by several miles.  We had a short drive today so after settling in and having lunch we drove to the Gettysburg National Historic Battlefield.  It was nice to be driving our little CRV through downtown Gettysburg which has beautiful old buildings - all very close to the street.  It would be fun to stay downtown and just walk around visiting the historic buildings.  The map of the battle of Gettysburg shows that we are probably camped near where some of the Confederate soldiers gathered before the battle.
    We went to the Gettysburg Visitor Center to get an orientation to the battlefield.  A beautiful movie which has both actual black and white photos from the battle as well as a very well done reenactment of the battle. From the movie we went to view an enormous Cyclorama which is a painting that is 359 feet long, 27 feet high and weighs about 3 tons.  It was painted in 1882.  It is set up so that it wraps around a viewing platform as though we were standing on a hill in the center of Gettysburg.  Then, through lights and narration, the battle of Gettysburg is described as though we were there.  The Visitor Center also has an extensive museum with many short videos which describe the events and battles of the Civil War, including Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.  I was very proud that I still can recite the opening paragraph.  Junior High history has stuck with me pretty well.
   We will be more prepared tomorrow and will bring the camera to capture the beauty of this corner of history.  I am quite inspired!

Pennsylvania peace

   We are camped in a narrow valley in Pennsylvania.  It seemed that as soon as we drove across the border from Ohio we left flat farmland behind and started climbing over long ridges.  In my usual passion to know about where we are going I found an app for my phone that tells me the altitude so I could watch us climb and then roll down the hills.  We got up to 1243 feet today after starting at about 650.
     Our drive across Ohio and a little bit of Pennsylvania was easier than the Chicago marathon. (I was so tired last night I forgot that we had also crossed Indiana). Although we drove around Toledo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh today there wasn't much traffic - the benefit of doing this on a weekend.
    When we stopped for gas we discovered that there are several "Service plazas" on the Ohio turnpike that have overnight parking for RVs.  So, if you like, you can gas up, eat, and sleep without ever leaving the toll road.  That may be a good idea since it cost us $35 in tolls to cross the state.  This seemed like a bargain when we paid $14.10 for what amounted to 16 miles on the Pennsylvania turnpike.  A vacation going east is less driving, but the cost increases with the price to drive on all the toll roads.  At least gas is still under $4.

   We arrived at our campsite by mid-afternoon.  Plenty of time to set out our lawn chairs and enjoy a little sun.  We had an official sticking new states onto the U.S. map on our door, and then brought out the grill for a hot dog dinner.  I got a chance to chat with my sons and to meet Carter's new puppy via Skype.  I love being able to keep in touch with my family as we enjoy being on the road!
 

Slow go around Chicago

     We stopped last night just short of the Illinois border.  Our Campground Planner had routed our trip through Chicago.  It IS the shortest way to go, but we are 45' long with our "Toad" which makes changing lanes a challenge.  I voted for us to go far outside Chicago on I39.  Rick (definitely more conservative of the two of us) suggested that we do a "modified" Chicago route.  We don't know how much construction we may have run into on I39, but we certainly spent a bunch of time driving on the shoulder on our I90/I385 route.  There was no winner in this decision on which way to go.  We just had to groan and bear it.

    We stopped at the Belvedere Plaza over the freeway before we got very far into Chicago.  I can remember many occasions when we have stopped there, including a trip to Washington D.C. with my parents when I was 12.  I remember that my Dad really loved to stop at these Tollway Plazas because they all had Howard Johnson's 21 flavors of ice cream.  Dad really loved his ice cream and was always delighted to have such a big choice - although Maple Nut was his hands down favorite.

    We lost an hour today as we drove into the Eastern Time Zone - a bad day to lose an hour despite our earlier start this morning.  We drove through Illinois and have made it to Ohio.  Both states that we have not traveled through before in the RV.  I love to add the state stickers to our U.S. and Canada map.  We don't have many left to get and should add several more on this trip.  Not sure how we are going to get the Hawaii sticker unless we just spend a night sleeping on the beach - Hmmm - maybe in March!

    We are in a pretty campground about three miles off the freeway.  It is the weekend now so there are kids in the campground.  I love to see them riding their bikes and scooters.  I have noticed that there are almost no overweight kids out camping.  It is really good to see.  As always we are enjoying people watching in the campgrounds.  This motorhome has fewer windows than the 5th wheel so we have to work a little harder at it.  Last night we saw one poor man back into his site at least 6 times in an effort to get perfectly situated.  I also saw a couple who each had one artificial leg.  I am delighted that technology and acceptance have moved forward so that it is comfortable for folks with disabilities to enjoy camping too.  

    The weather is beautiful - sunny and cool.  So we are enjoying a great evening - sitting at the picnic table with our computers.  What could be better.  I know - we could be taking a walk!

Rolling along Wisconsin Hills

     We had a slow start this morning.  We couldn’t find the second set of keys for the camper (my keys).  We looked everywhere and finally gave up – then, of course, I found them as I was warming up the car before hitching it to the camper.  Thank goodness. 

     I had already moved most of the food into the camper, but had to load up the stuff in the refrigerator this morning.  At least the weather is cool today so the frig will cool off fairly quickly.  It has been in the 90’s the last couple short trips that we took and it seemed to take all day to get the refrigerator cold.

     Our 300 mile drive today took us through the rolling hills of Wisconsin.  I was surprised to see so much color in the trees.  Autumn is swiftly approaching.  We had a fairly relaxing drive without any cross wind and not much traffic.  By the time we got to our lunch stop we had settled in to being on the road again.  It feels great – new places to see, lots to learn from visiting historic sites, and some quiet time together.  

     I saw a lot of wild turkeys in the corn fields.  I can't remember ever seeing wild turkeys until the past few years.  Why were they so scarce?  DDT? Hunting?  Now we see them all the time.  The corn looked pretty good despite the drought - maybe its all dried up in the husk.  I don't know.  But with the nice rain everything looked good as we drove south.  Very pretty. 

    Yesterday’s cool, rainy weather from Minnesota is now with us in Eastern Wisconsin.  It was raining when we arrived at the Hidden Valley RV resort and a possible frost is predicted for tonight.  I’ve put an extra blanket on the bed and pulled out the little electric heater.  Campfire weather, and fleece shirts.  I love it.

Loading up

    I am not as organized as usual for this trip.  We have made quite a few changes in plans - from a Colorado trip (too many fires) to an Appalachian trip and then set the date out by several weeks so we could be around for Jennifer's transplant.  I still don't have any detailed maps for any of the states that we are driving through - Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina (and probably others).  I am at least hoping that I get to check off a couple more states that we have traveled to.
   The camper is now parked in our driveway and clean on the outside thanks to Rick and Kellen.  It was hard to tell Kellen that he wasn't invited on this trip - some day, but not now.  However, I still need to remove some toys and games from summer adventures with Carter and Kellen and put travel books and DVDs more interesting to adults back in - I don't think I can watch "The Incredibles" another time for a while.
    The weather keeps changing and so does my guess on what clothes to bring.  We will be at high altitude in Shenandoah where it is in the 40's at night and also along the southern coast where it is still in the high 80's during the day.  Fortunately we have pretty good storage area so we can cram warm jackets, hat and gloves out of the way until needed.
   This morning I need to shop for maps and food.  This afternoon, with blessedly cooler weather, we will tidy up the inside of the camper and pack in our clothes and non-perishable food. Tonight we sleep in our home bed for the last time for a month and then we are off for an adventure.  Wahoo!
 

Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway

  In  a little less than a week we are planning to hop into our motor home and head east. We feel so lucky to be able to make this trip.  It has been a difficult summer as we watched Jennifer get sicker and sicker.  Many trips to the hospital until she finally wasn't going to get out for months.  Then her miracle happened and her friend Diana donated a portion of her liver to Jennifer.  Now, with both women on their way to a good recovery, we are leaving home for a few weeks.
    When Rick and I first rented an RV for a week to determine whether or not we would enjoy traveling together in a small space, we spent some time in the area around the Smoky Mountains including a short drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It was so beautiful that we both vowed to make a trip back and drive more of the road.  So next Thursday we will start our 4000 mile journey.
   We will start our eastern ramblings with a visit to Gettysburg.  Then spend a few days in Shenandoah National Park.   At the south end of Shenandoah the Blue Ridge Parkway begins its winding ribbon of black along the ridges of the Appalachian mountains for over 400 miles.  We will stop at many campgrounds and historic sites along the way, ending our trip along the Parkway at Smoky Mountain National Park.
   We will be taking a side trip to Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown.  I have wanted to get to this area for a long time and we will be so close that we are going to hop off the parkway and head to the coast for a few days - hopefully the hurricane season will be beyond us by then!
   I look forward, as always, to sharing the journey with all of you.  It is such a pleasure to get your comments as we wander away from home.