Sun. 9/30/07 ~ Clip-Clopping through the Amish Country

We got up this morning and drove about 38 miles to the town of Hershey, PA. We signed up for a trolley tour of the town which was built by Milton Hershey and his wife Kitty. In addition to the Hershey factory he built housing for the employees and management, gardens, and a school. The Milton Hershey School is a school for approximately 2,000 disadvantaged children from the age of four through 18. The children live at the school and receive an excellent education. If they graduate from the school (about 80% graduate) they will receive up to $77,000 to attend any college to which they are accepted. The majority of the stock from the Hershey Corporation and all of the stock from the Hershey Entertainment Corporation is held in trust to support the school. After the trolley tour we took a little tour through a simulated Hershey factory that shows the process of making chocolate. We drove back to Lancaster County and drove through several miles of the Amish farm country. Since it was Sunday there wasn’t any work going on but we saw lots of families in their buggies going to church. We stopped at the Plain and Fancy Farm for a buggy ride that took us 2 to 3 miles and told us a little bit about the Amish culture. We had a family style dinner at the restaurant and shared dinner with 4 other couple who were had enjoyable tablemates. On the way back to the campground we saw two large groups of young Amish people playing volleyball. One of the groups was at the farm across the street in front of the motor home. The campers next to us, Paul and Helen, had a campfire going and invited us to join them. We sat and visited with them for a couple of hours. They have been coming to the same campground two or three times per year for 16 years and know many of the Amish families in the area. They told us that the group of kids playing volleyball was the youth groups that get together every week at different farms. About 10 PM all the kids started heading for home and there was a steady stream of buggies up and down the road next to our camp site. There is a school right across the street and I am going to see if I can visit the school in the morning.

Sat. 9/29/07 ~ Gettysburg National Military Park

We left Cherry Hill Park at 8:30 AM headed towards the Gettysburg National Military Park. When we got to Emmetsburg, MD we saw a sign about the National Firefighter Academy and Fallen Firefighter Memorial. We pulled off and saw the memorial and noticed they were doing some sort of installation across the campus. We walked over to where a huge sculpture of the 3 firefighters raising the flag after the Sept 11 attacks. We stood and watched them work for a little while and then continued on our way. We arrived at the Visitors’ Center for the Gettysburg National Military Park about 11:30 AM. We got a map for the self-guided automobile tour and after a visit to the cemetery and the site where President Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address we started our tour. The map contains information about each stop on the auto tour and there are roadside markers all along the way. The entire route is only 18 miles but easily takes 2 hours to complete. We left Gettysburg and continued on to Lancaster County in the heart of the Amish country. For the first time on this trip we had trouble finding a campground that had space available. After calling several campground without any luck we finally got the last available spot the Beacon Hill Campground in Intercourse, PA We are camped among Amish farms and the front window of the motor home looks across the street at an Amish farm where a young man was plowing with a pair of horses. We saw numerous horse-drawn buggies clip-clopping down the roads around us. While I worked on this journal and our online blog, Bill watched the USC game.

Fri. 9/28/07 ~ Anchors Away ... Go Navy!

For our last day in the Washington, DC area we decided to go to Annapolis, MD to visit the United States Naval Academy. It took just over an hour to get there and we checked in at the Visitor Center and waited just a few minutes to take the free guided tour. The tour covered the field house with two Olympic sized pools and a huge wrestling room. All cadets are required to take boxing, wrestling, judo and self-defense. They also have significant swimming requirements that increase every year of their enrollment. We saw Bancroft Hall which houses all 4000 cadets at the Academy. At the entrance to the parade ground is a statue of Tecumseh that was painted and decorated for the Navy-Air Force game on Saturday. The guide took us into the Academy Chapel which is quite beautiful with large stained glass windows. The chapel is a very popular place for weddings and is booked solid every Saturday for over a year. Under the chapel lies the tomb of John Paul Jones. At the end of the tour we visited the Academy Museum that covers naval history and has a large collection of beautiful model ships. When we left we stopped at a little boutique and I talked to the owner about her jewelry and she gave me lots of good information about gem and jewelry shows and wholesale sources for my jewelry supplies. We asked her for advice on a place for lunch and she directed us to McGarvery’s Tavern where all the locals go to eat. We stopped in and the food was very good. While we were eating we decided that we would like to try to attend the Navy-Air Force game and after lunch we walked back to the ticket office but unfortunately the game was sold out and even their online ticket resale site had no tickets. We got home and went in the Jacuzzi for a while and then went to the market to get a few grocery items.

Thur. 9/27/07 ~ Mount Vernon, Beloved Home of George Washington

Using the directions provided by the campground and the gps we drove to Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. The home is beautifully decorated and furnished as it was in the last year of Washington’s life in 1899. There are several outbuildings used as kitchens, spinning rooms, salt storage, an ice house, slave quarters, and overseer cabins. The grounds also house Washington’s original tomb and the new tomb he had built according to the provisions of his will. Since our last visit they have added a very nice museum housing personal belongings of the Washington family, as well as displays, films, and dioramas about his life. We ended up spending almost the whole day there and stopped at the Old Country Buffet for an early dinner on the way back home.

Wed. 9/26/07 ~ Monuments and Memorials

Once again we boarded the bus at 6:45 AM and made the trip to Union Station. Bill and I stopped at McDonald’s for a quick breakfast before boarding the tour bus to the monuments. Our first stop was at the Washington Monument. We got a ticket for the 10:00 tour and walked up to the monument. Once again, the security was very tight and we were scanned and x-rayed and taken in groups of no more than 24. We rode the elevation to the 500’ level of the monument where you can look out on all four sides onto Washington, DC. From that elevation you can really see the layout of the city as planned by L’Enfant. After the Washington Monument we walked a short distance to the relatively new World War II Memorial. It is very beautiful and moving with wreaths from all the states, carvings showing battle scenes, fountains engraved with all of the names of all the battles and a wall of stars showing 1 star for every 100 men who lost their lives in combat. Beyond the World War II Memorial and a little left of the Lincoln Monument is the Korean War Memorial. It shows bronze statues of soldiers representing all of the various groups and branches of the military who fought in the war. They are walking through a field of gravel and juniper bushes to symbolize the landscape of Korea. The men are all looking around in different directions as if in anticipation of an ambush. Along the side is a wall engraved with pictures made with templates created from actual Korean Veteran photographs. We continued our monument tour with the Lincoln Monument and finally the Viet Nam Veterans’ Memorial. Bill found the name of a childhood friend who was killed in Viet Nam in 1967. We Hopped On the tour bus and continued on to Arlington National Cemetery. At Arlington we took a narrated tram tour with stops at the John F. Kennedy gravesite and eternal flame, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for the changing of the guard, and the Arlington House which was the home of Robert E. Lee. Although we considered stopping for lunch we were running out of time and vacillated on whether or not to go to the Library of Congress. We finally decided in favor of going and are we ever glad we did! When you hear library you probably expect to see an enormous room with miles and miles of shelves but instead we were awed by the beauty of the architecture. Mere words cannot even begin to describe the ornate sculptures, arches, murals, paintings, columns, elaborate ceiling details, and symbolism of the building. We joined a tour already in progress and learned that the building was built completed in 1897 at a cost of $6 million dollars. The interior was decorated by over 50 American artists. It is truly the most amazing and beautiful building either of us has ever seen. We returned to Union Station in time to catch the return shuttle to the campground. We stopped by the office to register for two additional nights and ask for a recommendation for dinner. We told them something close, good, and not expensive. They suggested the Sir Walter Raleigh Inn which wasn’t that close and certainly wasn’t inexpensive. One look at the menu and we both opted for the soup and salad bar which was the cheapest thing on the menu. Strike three – the salad bar left a lot to be desired.

Tues. 9/25/07 ~ Washington, DC at Last!

We caught the shuttle bus to town at 6:45 AM along with a bus full of other campers from the campground. The couple camped next to us, Fred and Patty, were very nice and we had breakfast with them at Union Station before starting our tour for the day. We boarded the open top double deck tour bus and took it to the second stop which was the Capitol. We walked over and got a free tour ticket for 9:45 and waited in line for the tour. The entrance process was our first taste of how much the security measures have changed since we were last here over 15 years ago. We were scanned and our bags x-rayed and you were not allowed to stray from the tour guide at all even to hang back and take photographs. Since we did not have special passed from our senator, the tour was very short and only included the rotunda and hall of statues. As we were leaving we stopped and talked to a Capitol Policeman who was armed with an M-16 rifle. He told us that there are many, many security incidents but most are kept quiet and the public doesn’t hear about them. From the Capitol we walked a few blocks over to the Air and Space Museum. We spend a couple of hours there seeing the original Wright Brothers’ place and Charles Lindberg’s Spirit of St. Louis. We also saw a small selection of exhibits from the Museum of American History that is closed for renovations until summer 2008. From the Air and Space Museum we walked across the Mall to the Museum of Natural History. We didn’t go through the whole museum but the dinosaur section that we covered is pretty impressive. Our next stop was the National Archives and that turned out to be a pretty big disappointment compared with our last visit there. You no longer enter up the front steps and through the big double doors but rather through a side entrance and through security. We saw the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution but the way there are displayed is very different than on our last visit. We also did not see any of the archive areas where the documents are actually stored. We left the National Archives and headed for the FBI Building to hopefully take a tour there. When we got there we found that since 9/11 they also no longer give tours. We walked around the block to the International Spy Museum. It was a little expensive and I found it pretty interesting while Bill was not impressed. This by the way is a perfect example of one of my trademark sayings, “that’s why they make chocolate and vanilla!” As we waited at the bus stop to Hop On the bus we realized we were right in front of the Petersen House where President Lincoln died after he was shot at Ford’s Theatre. We went through the house quickly and finished just as the bus arrived. We got on and finished the entire narrated tour route before returning to Union Station. We arrived too late for the free shuttle back to the campground so we navigated the very efficient metro-rail and metro-bus system to get home. By the time we got back it was past 8:00 PM and we were tired, thirsty, and hungry. We stopped at the Cherry Hill Café and ordered a couple of hamburgers that were actually surprisingly good. Tomorrow we will return to Washington, DC and continue our tour.

Mon. 9/24/07 ~ Repairs, Maintenance and Nice Neighbors

We called the Mobile RV Repair Service recommended by the Cherry Hill staff. He put us on his schedule and told us he would be there by noon. He arrived around 11:30 AM and repaired the front door handle, the entry step, and reinstalled the shower bracket. The repairs took the better part of the afternoon so we stayed home and went to the travel talk given by the campground. After the talk we booked a Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour of Washington, DC for Tuesday and Wednesday. I made dinner and just as we were ready to eat another camper arrived next to us. Bill went out and directed him in backing in and after talking for a short time he found out it was a single man traveling alone. We invited Dennis to join us for dinner and he happily accepted our invitation. He was a nice guy and stayed and visited for a couple of hours.

Sun. 9/23/07 ~ Two Locksmiths and 4 1/2 Hours ...

Well it had to happen, it wouldn’t be a Moorhead vacation without something going wrong! We arrived at the Cherry Hill Park Campground in College Park, MD about 9:00 AM and I went in and registered. Bill followed me into the office a few minutes later. When we went out to drive to our site the door to the motor home would not open. It wasn’t locked and we had both sets of keys, the door handle mechanism just wouldn’t work. We called the Emergency Roadside Assistance again and they sent out two different locksmiths to try to open the door. About an hour after our call the first of the two locksmiths arrived. He tried to open it and talked to his supervisor several times with no luck. The second one arrived and after working for two hours or more he was able to get the small toll window next the driver side open and using the long handle of the washing brush reached across and opened the door from the inside. He removed the latching pin so we could operate the door and we got to our site and set up, finally, around 2:00 PM. Since the day was pretty much gone as far as sight seeing, Bill washed the motor home and the car and I went grocery shopping and reorganized the refrigerator and pantry. We had quite a bit of dirty laundry so after dinner we went to the campground laundry and got that all done. Our misadventures made us famous in the campground! Since we were parked in the registration lane in front of the office for over 4 hours quite a few people witnessed our situation. The whole time Bill was washing the motor home people who had seen us in front of the office came by to talk to him and hear the details of what happened. The most amazing part of the whole day was that Bill managed to completely keep his cool and didn’t seem to get upset at all.

Sat. 9/22/07 ~ Generals Grant and Lee Kiss and Makeup!

We left the Wal-Mart about 7:20 AM and drove a couple of hours to Appomattox Court House National Historic Park. We saw a couple of films, several buildings, and the McLean House where the surrender ending the Civil War was signed by Generals Grant and Lee. There was a young man giving a first person account of the events surrounding April 1865. He did a very good job and when he finished talking he played the banjo. When we came out to leave the motor home steps did not work quite right but they retracted and we started the hour long drive to Monticello. We stopped briefly at the Visitors’ Center and when we came out the steps again would not work only this time they would not retract at all. We called our emergency roadside assistance service and they gave Bill directions on how to disconnect the steps and tie them up so we could continue. We drove about 1 ½ miles over to the Monticello parking lot and after the delay from the steps arrived just at 4:00 PM. We got tickets for the 4:50 PM tour and walked around the gardens and outbuildings before our house tour. We took the tour of the house with all of Thomas Jefferson’s clever inventions including a dumb waiter for wine, a device that duplicated your writing as you wrote, a clock that keeps not only the time of day but the day of the week through a pulley system similar to a cuckoo clock, and a privy with a drain tunnel that allowed waste to be taken away through an underground tunnel. We finally left the grounds of Monticello about 6:30 PM. Although it is not very far in distance from Monticello to Washington DC the route is slow and windy and it is about a two hour drive. We drove for a while but Bill was tired, it was late and he didn’t want to navigate all of the freeways into Washington, DC so we pulled into a truck stop for the night. We were able to get satellite reception and Bill watched the USC football game on television while I worked on updating the journal. It was noisy, hot and muggy but the price was right so we stayed. We will leave early in the morning and get into Washington, DC for several days.

Fri. 8/21/07 ~ Jamestown, Yorktown and Wal-Mart?

Since we had not even begun to see Jamestown or Yorktown so we left a note at the office telling them we wanted to extend our stay for another night and headed off on our adventures for the day. Shortly after we arrived at Jamestown we got a call from the campground telling us that they were full and we could not extend our stay and that we would have to check out by noon. We finished seeing Historic Jamestown where they are doing all of the archaeological excavations and then went back to move the motor home. We parked it in a Wal-Mart parking lot about 3 miles from the campground and returned to the Jamestown Settlement and from there went to the Yorktown Victory Center and Battlefield. On the way back home we stopped at the Golden Corral for dinner again and then decided to stay at Wal-Mart for the night rather than moving on to Appomattox. Even though the manager told us we couldn’t stay due to city regulations there were two other RVs and several big rigs pulled in for the night so we stayed.

Thur. 9/20/07 ~ Back in Time to Colonial Williamsburg

When we got up to go to Williamsburg we met a nice couple who told us the best way to go was to take the public transportation and shuttle over to Williamsburg. We rode the bus with them over to the Visitors’ Center where we got our $70 tickets that included admission to Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. Walking out of the visitors’ center you go along a path with markers that take you back in time until you arrive in the late 1700s. The first stop was a working farm built as it would have been back then. We also visited 1776 era homes and shops, went on a guided tour of the Governor’s Palace and had lunch at the Kings Arms Tavern. When Williamsburg closed for the day we caught the bus back to the campground and ran into the same couple we had met that morning. Greg and Brenda were a really nice couple so we all decided to go to dinner together at the Golden Corral Buffet and then they came back to our place afterwards and we visited for a couple of hours.

Wed. 9/19/07 ~ Lighthouses & Airplanes on the Outer Banks

We left the motorhome in the campground and headed off to see the area and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Since nothing was open until 9:00 AM we stopped for breakfast at a place called Bubba’s BBQ. Bubbas gives little “greasy spoon” restaurants everywhere a bad name! The food was not that cheap and it was really pretty bad. After we ate we went to the lighthouse. Even though it is a national historic landmark they would not accept our National Park Pass. According to the lady, “they charge a user fee not an entrance fee because if they allowed people to use their National Park Pass they might come 20 or 30 times per year and cause wear and tear on the lighthouse.” Now this is in a 150 year old light house that has withstood numerous hurricanes and the staircase leading to the top has been updated with steel steps but nevertheless we were very careful to walk lightly so we wouldn’t damage it. We climbed all the way to the top – all 257 steps and then visited their small museum. After we left the lighthouse we retraced our path (since there is only one road) and picked up the motor home. We continued traveling north and stopped at the Bodie Lighthouse for pictures. We arrived at Kill Devil Hills, NC in the late morning and went through the museum and the Wright Brothers’ Memorial. It was really interesting to see the rail that was used to take-off and the granite markers showing the distance of each of their original flights. In the museum they had exact replicas of their glider and the airplane that were built for the 100th anniversary in 2003. On the grounds there was also a reconstruction of the building they lived in and the one they used as a hangar for the plane. Their monument is on top of a large hill where they made about 1000 glider flights in preparation for their first self-propelled flight. Since we both have grown up hearing about the Wright Brothers in school we really enjoyed seeing the location of their flight. When we were finished in the Outer Banks area we continued driving north on highway 12 to the 258 and the 268 crossing through a long underwater tunnel into Virginia. We picked up highway 64 and took it into Williamsburg and registered for two nights at the Anvil Campground.

Tue. 9/18/07 ~ The LONGEST 400 miles of the Trip

We got up early and left the campground at 6:15 AM and headed north on US 17 towards the Outer Banks of North Carolina. When we crossed the border into North Carolina we stopped at the Visitor’s Center and got a map for “the most efficient” way to get there. The lady at the desk told us to continue on US 17 and then turn east on Highway 64. It got us here but it was a VERY LONG day. We arrived just after 5:00 PM. I drove today – for all of five minutes! After we got fuel Bill got us back on the highway and I took over driving. No sooner did I take over than I missed the turn to keep us on US 17 and ended up on the 70. I got off the freeway and into a parking lot so Bill could get us back on track and then he continued driving. I can’t understand it but for some reason he declined my offers to take over the driving again. We checked into the Cape Hatteras KOA and had dinner at home.

Mon. 9/17/07 ~ God Bless the Charleston Nine

We decided to take a tour of the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens located fairly close to our campground. We arrived in time for the 9:30 guided tram tour around the plantation showing us old rice fields, lakes and canals for watering the fields, and a row of slave cabins. We saw a couple of alligators, some turtles, and lots of birds. After the tram tour we had a short tour of the rebuilt plantation house that has been owned by the same family for 11 generations. The gardens are billed as the most beautiful gardens in America but when we were there nothing was blooming so it wasn’t that impressive. After the plantation visit we started driving to downtown Charleston and on the way noticed the burned out furniture store where nine Charleston firefighters were killed a couple of months ago. The fire was quite obviously intense as the steel roof beams were melted and collapsed in the rubble. There was a large tribute in the form of fire helmets, crosses, flowers, notes, and photographs. It was a very tragic situation. We continued on downtown and did a self-guided walking tour of the historic district. We stopped for dinner at a local restaurant, Gilligan’s, which was recommended by the campground manager. When we got back home we met the two couples next to us who were traveling together. We sat outside their motor home and visited for a couple of hours. Both of the guys were retired police officers from Mobile, AL. We hooked everything up so that we could leave early in the morning.

Sun. 9/16/07 ~ Ready, Aim, Fire on Fort Sumter!

We left the Hilton Head/Savannah area and drove Highway 17 north to Charleston. The trip was less than 100 miles and we arrived around 10:30 in the morning. We checked into the Oak Plantation Campground and headed for Fort Sumter. We used the gps which actually took us to the wrong location and we ended up at Fort Moultrie. We watched a short film and took a quickie tour of the fort and then drove back to Patriot’s Point to catch the boat over to Fort Sumter. We got there about 2:00 and they only allowed 1 hour for seeing the fort which was really not long enough. Two hours would be a lot more realistic but it was interesting. After Fort Sumter we drove back into Charleston and had dinner at the Hyman Seafood Restaurant. The restaurant had been recommended by a neighbor who had visited Charleston and it certainly lived up to its reputation. We got a map of the historic district and drove down to The Battery where canons were placed to fire on Fort Sumter at the start of the Civil War. We walked along the waterfront and looked at a few of the beautiful old mansions before returning home for the evening.

Sat. 9/15/07 ~ The Lady and Sons was Worth the Wait

Using a map the campground manager provided we drove into Savannah and arranged for a trolley tour of the city. The conductor told us our timing was perfect for getting lunch reservations for The Lady and Sons Restaurant which is owned by television chef Paula Deen and her two sons. We got off the trolley at stop #3 and walked 3 blocks to wait in line until they started giving out reservations. We got a reservation for 1:30 then continued the trolley tour throughout the city. We returned to the restaurant in time for our reservation. The restaurant is in an old building right in the historic district and we were directed to the third floor. We order fried green tomatoes for an appetizer and both had the buffet lunch. Wow, was it good! The buffet offered fried chicken, roasted chicken, meatloaf, fabulous mashed potatoes, green beans, collard greens, black eyed peas, sweet potatoes, and banana pudding to top it all off. We were stuffed to the point that neither of us wanted anything else for the rest of the day and night. I visited the gift shop but resisted the urge to buy anything. We walked a few blocks down to the Riverfront and then caught the trolley back to where we had parked the car. We returned home and went swimming for a couple of hours and then Bill watched the USC game while I worked on our itinerary for the rest of the trip.

Fri. 9/14/07 ~ Hilton Head Island, SC

We talked to another couple in the RV Park this morning before we left St. Augustine and they told us that we should stay in Hilton Head Island rather than Savannah because it is a lot safer. Since it is only about a 45 minute drive to Savannah, Tybee Island, and Pulaski National Monument we took their advice. We checked in about 3:30 and then headed to Harbour Town and South Beach. Hilton Head Island is a beautiful area with golf courses and resorts everywhere. At Harbour Town we saw the light house and marina and went through a few shops and then drove a couple of miles over to South Beach. The manager at the RV Park had suggested the Salty Dog Café so we did a little souvenir shopping and then had dinner. We both had a delicious Seafood Pasta with crab, lobster, and shrimp in a creamy lobster sauce. It was very filling and we brought home enough for another meal. On the way home we stopped at the market for a few items we needed and got home just as it was starting to rain.

Thur. 9/13/07 ~ St. Augustine, FL the oldest city in North America

We were picked up by a shuttle at the campground and taken the short distance to the historic part of St. Augustine. We got tickets for the narrated train tour through the city. We visited the Castillo de San Marcos, a fort built between 1672 and 1695. The fort was made entirely of coquina stone and its walls are four feet thick at the top and 10 feet thick at the base. Coquina stone is a sedimentary stone formed by shells and fossils. The fort provided a stronghold for the Spanish settlement and the residents of St. Augustine. Although the fort was under the control of Spain and Britain and then Spain, all of the changes were due to treaty as the fort never fell to a siege.

The tour continued to "The Fountain of Youth" and the landing site of Juan Ponce de Leon who landed here on April 3, 1513. A stone cross on the ground adjacent to the Fountain of Youth contains 15 stones long and 13 stones across marking the year 1513. The longest permanent settlement in North America, St. Augustine, was started in 1565.

We saw the hotels built by Henry Flagler, a self-made millionaire who was personally responsible for turning Florida into a tourist destination. His Ponce de Leon hotel was the most modern and luxurious hotel of its time. Every room had a fireplace, it was one of the first hotels to have electricity (installed by Thomas Edison), and it was decorated with millions of dollars worth of stained glass by Tiffany. A second hotel the Alcazar Hotel was built to provide entertainment for the guest at the Ponce de Leon Hotel. The hotel had Turkish baths, a huge covered indoor pool, movies, tennis, bowling, shooting galleries, and dance halls.

After our tour we came back home and then took our car to dinner at a local seafood restaurant recommended by the owner of the local bead store. Tomorrow we will head to Savannah, GA.

Wed. 9/12/07 ~ Daytona International Speedway

We left Walt Disney World about 9:30 and headed towards Daytona Beach and St. Augustine. We got to Daytona USA just after 11:00 and went on a tram tour of the International Speedway. The 2nd and 4th turns have 31 degree banks that are between two and three stories high from the bottom of the bank to the top. Lake Lloyd in the middle of the track was dug 25’ to 30’ deep to create the banks. We saw the pit lane and the Gatorade Victory Lane where the winner and is car is taken after the race. The viewing stands are huge with the smaller side holding 57,000 and the larger stands holding 109,000 spectators. We watched two IMAX movies about Daytona and NASCAR and rode in a simulation of a race.

The 2007 Daytona 500 winning car

After we left Daytona we continued on I-4 East and then US Highway 1 to St. Augustine. We checked into the KOA Campground, filled our propane tank, and got set up. Did I say I was ready for fall weather? Well a little while after we arrived it started raining (no surprise there, it is Florida, after all) and we had a spectacular lightening and thunder storm. We finally got an internet connection so we could answer emails and I could get our travel blog caught up-to-date.

Tue. 9/11/07 ~ Our Last Night at Walt Disney World

We stayed home until about noon and then caught the shuttle bus over to Epcot to finish the attractions we missed. We rode the Test Track again and then went on Soarin’ Over California. We were planning to wait in the line but a young couple gave us their Fast Passes so we got right in. We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting the World Showcase pavilions. We had dinner reservations at the Marrakesh Restaurant for Moroccan food. There was a small group playing music (if you can call it that) and a belly dancer. The food was pretty good other than the couscous which had no real flavor other than what you ate with it. We staked out a spot to watch the Illuminations Fireworks show and got a little rain while we were waiting but certainly nothing compared to yesterday. Tonight is our last night at Walt Disney World and tomorrow we head north toward St. Augustine.

Overall impressions of Walt Disney World and Florida – We had a good time at all the parks but we both liked Epcot and Animal Kingdom a lot and for both of us Disney-MGM Studios was our least favorite. The dining package is definitely the best way to go. There are so many restaurants to choose from with so much variety and great food. We ate great the whole time we were there. There is a lot to see and do in Florida but their weather in the summer is awful! It was HOT and MUGGY everyday and we got rain every afternoon ranging from very light rain lasting only a few minutes to pouring rain with thunder and lightening. I am definitely ready for more fall like weather.

Mon. 9/10/07 ~ Fire, Rain, and No Fantasmic!

We drove into Orlando to pick up a new dome for the satellite system to replace the one we broke in Texas. Thank heavens for the gps it got us there and back with no trouble at all. When we got back Bill replaced the dome and dried everything out from the rains we have been getting. We had a little lunch and headed over to Disney-MGM Studios intending to see a couple of attractions and then stay for the Fantasmic laser and fireworks extravaganza. Just as we were finishing dinner we got a call from the neighbor, Nikki Santiago, who told us there was a fire a couple of miles from our house. We talked to Nikki’s mom, Chris, and gave her instructions on what to take if there is an evacuation and also talked to our next door neighbor, Bobbi. As I was on the phone with them it started pouring rain. Since it has rained every afternoon that we have been here at Walt Disney World we figured it would pass in a few minutes. After waiting for several minutes with no sign of a let up we braved the rain and headed over to the amphitheater where Fantasmic is supposed to play. There was a lot of lightening and thunder and the rain just continued harder. Employees of the park came out and said they could not open the amphitheater as long as there was lightening and directed every one to go inside the theater next door. After waiting for almost an hour it was pretty obvious that the show would be cancelled so we headed toward the bus stop. We arrived home about 9:00 PM, got out of our soaking wet clothes and had our first hot chocolate of this trip.

Sun. 9/9/07 ~ Chores and Housework

Bill did some maintenance on the motor home. He checked all the tires and adjusted the pressure, cleaned the outside, and mopped the floors. While he did that I made the bed, washed a couple loads of laundry, caught up the journal, and labeled all of the photographs. In the late afternoon we took the ferry over to the Magic Kingdom where we had lunch and went to a few attractions we had missed earlier. We got wristbands for the extended hours but the park was really crowded so we had a little dinner and returned home.

Sat. 9/8/07 ~ We're Really Looking Forward to Epcot

Epcot here we come! We took the Disney bus system to Epcot which is divided into two main parts: Future World and World Showcase. We started in Future World and did the Journey to Mars, Test Track, and the Sea, and Land exhibits. In the land section they have the Soaring Over California ride like at California Adventure at home. It is a great ride and we enjoyed it as much as ever. In the sea exhibit there is a huge circular aquarium with a large variety of sea life. I finally got to see some Florida manatee in one section of the exhibit. When we finished the Future World part of the park we walked around the enormous lake to the World Showcase. We tried to get reservations at the steakhouse in the Canada pavilion but it was booked for the rest of the week so we called and got reservations at Biergarten Restaurant in the German pavilion. We went through a couple of pavilions before it started raining again. We continued and covered about half of them. We saw the America show twice because I kept nodding off and missed so much the first time around. It was a really good show with over 35 animatronic characters on stage telling the story of America’s history. By the time we finished there it was almost time for our dinner reservations. After dinner we had to walk for about 40 minutes just to get to the exit and then make the bus connections to get home. This vacation stuff is really hard work – tomorrow we might take the day off!

Fri. 9/7/07 ~ Monorail to Resorts & Animal Kingdom

We took the ferry over to Magic Kingdom and boarded the monorail to the Disney World Resort hotels. The Contemporary Hotel is old and nothing really to brag about. The Polynesian Hotel is beautiful with a very tropical setting with huge palms and other tropical plants in the lobby. After the Polynesian we went to the Grand Floridian. It is a truly magnificent hotel patterned after the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. Out of curiosity we asked about room rates and were told the rates range from about $400 to $750 per night. After our little monorail trip we boarded a bus to return to the Animal Kingdom to see the exhibits we missed yesterday. The main show we wanted to see was The Festival of the Lion King. It was a great performance with elaborate costumes and sets. The show included acrobatic and trapeze acts as well as singing and dancing.

While we were in the show it started pouring rain so a few of the shows were cancelled. The Safari Trips weren’t canceled so we decided to go on another safari. There were a lot more animals out today and we saw three white rhinos crossing the road in front of the jeep.

We returned home and relaxed for a while and got ready to go to dinner. We had reservations for Boma which is an African themed buffet at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. There is not direct way to get between the resort and the various lodges so we had to make a few connections and it took almost an hour to get there. The food was good with a few unusual selections. Overall it was a good choice for dinner. We had planned to go to Downtown Disney but we were tired and our feet were killing us so we just went home. We’ll go to Downtown Disney another day.

Thur. 9/6/07 ~ Wild Animal Kingdom

Today we went to the Wild Animal Kingdom. It is divided into kingdoms with animals and displays from Asia, Africa, etc. All of the various kingdoms are arranged around the gigantic "Tree of Life." The tree is 14 stories high and the entire trunk is carved with animals.

We enjoyed seeing all of the animals and especially the gorillas.

One of the rides was Expedition Everest which is similar to the Matterhorn ride at our Disneyland except it is much higher and faster. Whereas I rode the Tower of Terror twice yesterday, I have no plans to ride the Expedition Everest again anytime soon. (I think I mentioned I am a wimp when it comes to roller coaster rides.)

The park closes at 5:00 PM so we did not see everything and plan to go back for at least part of another day. We had reservations for a dinner show called the Hoop Dee Doo Review. It was a sort of vaudeville type show with singing, dancing, and bad jokes but it was enjoyable and the food the pretty good. We got home about 9:30 and although we had talked about going swimming we both just wanted to rest our tired, achy feet. We are seeing and doing so much and having a good time but our poor feet are really paying the price!

Wed. 9/5/07 ~ Disney-MGM Studios

Our destination for today is the Disney-MGM Studios. As soon as we arrived we headed over to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Bill was excited and I was a little nervous (me being a wimp and all) but it was a fun ride and not nearly as bad as I had expected. You are in an elevator car that takes you up to the top of the old hotel then opens the door and you drop 13 stories. It is kind of a bungee cord effect in that you drop then come back up and drop again a couple of times. For lunch we went to the Sci-Fi Dinner Theater that is set up like a drive in movie. All of the booths look like old time cars from the 1950s and there is a movie screen showing old science fiction movies. We were able to go on pretty much all of the rides and shows and finished up in time to go to the 50s Prime Time Café for dinner. It is made to look like a home from the 1950s with the waiting area like a living room complete with old televisions. The eating area is like sitting in Mom’s kitchen with vinyl chairs and formica tables. The servers are like your mom telling you to keep your elbows off the table, don’t talk with food in your mouth, and eat all your vegetables or you won’t get dessert. We got back home about 9:30 and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Tue. 9/4/07 ~ Hey Mickey, We're On Our Way!

We packed up and left about 9:45 AM and made the short 45 minute drive from Titusville to Disney World Resort. By the time we got all checked in and set up it was about 12:30 and we headed out for our first day of fun. We stopped at the concierge and made some dinner reservations for the next few nights then boarded the ferry to take us across to the Magic Kingdom. We spent the entire day there and went on quite a few rides. On the advice of friends we got the dining package and it turned out to be a good way to go. The selection of restaurants and the quality of the food is much better than at our Disneyland. We ended our day with an absolutely amazing and beautiful fire works show over the Magic Castle.

Mon. 9/3/07 ~ Kennedy Space Center & Astronaut Hall of Fame

We returned to Kennedy Space Center to finish seeing what we missed yesterday. When we finished there we stopped at the Astronaut Hall of Fame about six miles up the road. We got back to the campground around three in the afternoon, had dinner and went to the pool/Jacuzzi for a swim. There is a family of at least six deer who graze on the grass right outside of our site. We have seen them everyday that we have been here.

Sun. 9/2/07 ~ Kennedy Space Center

We stopped at IHOP for breakfast and then drove over to the Kennedy Space Center. We took a guided Up Close Tour and saw the launch pads and Vehicle Assembly Building, went to a couple of IMAX presentations as well as several other displays. About 5:30 in the evening the clouds came in a before we could get home we were in a driving rain storm. Fortunately it didn’t last too long and by the time we got close to home it had stopped. We stopped at Wal-Mart for a few groceries and had dinner at home.

Sat. 9/1/07 ~ Titusville, FL

We decided there was nothing in the Miami area we wanted to see so we decided to go all the way to Titusville, FL which is only about 12 miles away from Kennedy Space Center. We took the Florida Turnpike which was a big mistake because of all the toll plazas. We ended up stopping at six different toll plazas and paying $27.90 in tolls. We arrived at The Great Outdoors RV Resort about 2:30 in the afternoon. It is a beautiful RV resort, maybe the nicest we have ever used and the price was very reasonable. We relaxed all afternoon and went to Cracker Barrel for dinner.

Fri 8/31/07 ~ Key West, FL

We left the motor home in Florida City and drove the car down Highway 1 to the Florida Keys. We drove through Key Largo and Islamorada and stopped in Marathon to visit with Ken Baker. He was a Hawthorne Fireman and he and Bill worked together for 23 years. We visited with him for about an hour and a half and as we were leaving we saw a large iguana crossing the road. We continued on for about an hour and arrived in Key West at about noon. We walked along the marina boardwalk to Alonzo’s Oyster House and had lunch. I had conch chowder and Bill had red snapper. After lunch we walked down Duval Street and stopped at Sloppy Joe’s Bar that was once frequented by Ernest Hemingway. Next we went to the Hog’s Breath Saloon and Bill and I had a beer together for the first time in 37 years. We continued up Duval Street and stopped at Margaritaville to get a shirt for Amber. We walked over to the Mel Fisher Museum. Fisher is known for starting scuba diving in the United States. He was a treasure hunter and discovered by remains of the Atoche a ship that sunk in 1622. He spent 30 years looking for the ship before finding it with all of its silver bars, gold bars, boxes of coins, gems, and all of the equipment. The state of Florida tried to claim the discovery but after fighting all the way to the Supreme Court he won and got the treasure. The discovery was made in 1985 and they are still bringing up treasure. Our last stop in Key West was to the marker showing the southernmost point in the continental United States. We started driving back and stopped in Islamorada for dinner at the Islamorada Fish House. We had a great meal of dolphin fish stuffed with crab and shrimp. We returned to the motor home for the evening and in the morning we will go through Miami and on to Titusville, FL.

Thur. 8/30/07 ~ Everglades National Park

We woke up and got ready for our Everglades tour and disconnected everything on the motor home so it would be ready to go when we got back. We drove over to the Walgreen parking lot where we were to be picked up. After a few minutes the tour van picked us up and we started the narrated driving portion of the tour. Our driver gave us some background information on the area as we drove toward the Everglades. Naples and most of the area around it, including the Everglades was originally purchased by Barron Collier who was a self-made millionaire who made his money in advertising. He purchased 1 million acres in southern Florida and since there were no roads the government told him if he would create a road connecting Tampa with Miami he could name the area whatever he wanted. He agreed and began construction on the Tamiami Trail (Tampa + Miami). The southern part of the state is called Collier County and there are roads, parks, etc. all with his name. To provide a base of operations for the workers building the road he built Everglade City. The city at one time was one of the largest centers for the drug trade in the United States. Planes would fly in from Columbia and the fishermen used their fishing boats to distribute the drugs. In 1983 there was a huge drug bust and 2/3 of the male population of Everglade City was sent to jail. Now the city is the largest provider of stone crabs in the whole country. There are over two million traps that are baited with chicken and placed in the water during the season that runs from October 15 through May 15 every year. When the crabs are caught one arm is torn off and the crab is returned to the water where a new arm grows back.

We were taken to the dock where we boarded an air boat and went on a one hour tour through the Back Bay area of the 10,000 Lakes. The area is a vast mangrove jungle making up all of the Everglades out into the Gulf of Mexico. We saw several alligators, birds, a raccoon and interesting air plants growing on the mangroves. All of the water in the everglades is brown due to the tannic acid given off by the mangroves. After the air boat ride we were given a tour of Everglades City and saw all of the historic buildings, crab traps, and fishing cottages and homes built up on stilts.

We had lunch that included an appetizer of alligator nuggets and then went to the Everglades National Park to board a pontoon boat for the afternoon tour. We went on a trip out through the Everglades and the 10,000 Lakes where the guide pointed out wild life including osprey, egret, terns, brown pelicans, and dolphins. We went through the area known to have a lot of manatees but we didn’t see any. We made a circle around Indian Key that is at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. At the end of the boat trip we were taken back to Walgreen to pick up the car then we hooked up the car, got fuel and headed toward Florida City. We left about 4:15 PM and traveled on the Tamiami Trail – Highway 41 to the 997-S towards the Florida Keys. We arrived in Florida City and checked in to the Goldcoaster Mobile Home and RV Park at around 6:30 PM. We got everything set up, went in the Jacuzzi for a while then came home and made dinner. In the morning we will go down the Florida Keys from Key Largo to Key West.

Wed. 8/29/07 ~ Naples, FL

Since it was so hot and humid, not to mention noisy at the rest stop we both woke up early so left at 6:45 AM heading toward Naples, FL. We traveled south on Highway 19 to Highway 41 and got back on Interstate 75-S. After the fiasco involved in finding a place to stay yesterday we started calling early and found a reasonably priced campground in Naples, FL. We arrived just after 11 AM and checked in then I set up while Bill washed the car. We drove down to Old Naples and went to the small boardwalk and Tin City. There wasn’t much to see so we had lunch and left. While at lunch the waitress told us that we were only about 25 minutes away from Everglades National Park so we decided to go. We drove out there to the park headquarters but since that end of the park is almost entirely water we will have to wait to see it until tomorrow when we have reservations for a full-day tour. The ranger told Bill that we could drive to the Big Cypress National Preserve nearby and that we would be able to see alligators. We took the drive and saw 13 alligators in the swampy areas. On the way back we stopped at the market for some groceries and then came “home” and made dinner. After our tour tomorrow we will pack up and start driving toward the Florida Keys.

Tue. 8/28/07 ~ The Nightmare in Tampa

I had hoped we could take the car and go down to the beach and board walk in Panama City Beach but Bill wanted to head on so we closed up the motor home, hooked up the car and headed out about 8:30 AM. We traveled on US 231N to get back on the 10E and drove for miles and miles! We stopped for lunch at Cracker Barrel in Tallahassee and then I took over driving. We continued on the 10E and then picked up Interstate 75-S. We planned to stay at a nice campground in Tampa and drove there only to find the roads were closed and we couldn’t get there. Next we tried another campground only to find out it was a private golf membership club. A third one had no answer at the phone so rather than drive there we decided we would stay at Wal-Mart. We pulled into Wal-Mart and before we could get parked a young man came up asking for money. Bill gave him a dollar and we parked long enough to eat a very quick bite and move on. After all the trouble trying to stay in the Tampa area we decided to just move on southward. We FINALLY ended up pulling into a rest stop on the 19-S near Bradenton, FL for the night. The one positive aspect of today was we found out that using the inverter and cooking dinner in the crock-pot as we traveled works out great.

Mon. 8/27/07 ~ USS Alabama in Mobile, AL

We left the Hattiesburg area at a little after 8:00 AM and traveled on the 98 south to Mobile, AL. In Mobile, we visited the USS Alabama battleship. We spent 4 hours touring the whole ship and the adjacent USS Drum submarine. After we left Mobile we continued on the 10E to Pensacola, FL where we dropped back down to the 98E along the Gulf Coast. We stopped for the night in Panama City Beach, FL which is supposed to have some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. We went in the Jacuzzi for a while, then made dinner, and did the laundry. I finally got all the laundry done about midnight and we went to bed for the evening.

Sun. 8/26/07 ~ Vicksburg National Military Park

We left the Baton Rouge area at about 8:30 AM on Highway 61 North and almost immediately came upon a low overpass that was only 13’6” high. We pretty much use 14’ as our minimum so I got out and walked ahead as Bill approached so I could stop him if we were in danger of making the motor home a convertible. We cleared the top with about 6” to spare and continued on our way. We took the Natchez Trace Parkway route and stopped at several historical points of interest. At the first stop was a family graveyard for the Barnard family and in the fenced in area were the graves of eight children ranging in age from one to 18. The dates of their deaths were all different so it was not as a result of a tragedy such as a fire. The ranger at the information center had no knowledge of the cause of their deaths. The next stop on the route was Mount Locust which was used as an inn for early travelers. It is the only one of several that is still in existence. We only traveled about 25 miles of the 445 mile route and then turned off towards Vicksburg. We arrived at Vicksburg National Military Park around 1:00 PM and watched a short video before going with a private tour guide for a narrated 16 mile driving of the Vicksburg Park and a visit to the USS Cairo.



The Cairo was an iron-clad river boat sunk by the Confederates in the Yazoo River. The boat/ship was recovered and missing parts were reconstructed. We finished at Vicksburg National Military Park at 5:00 PM then traveled east on Highway 20 and south on Highway 49 to Hattiesburg, MS. We stopped for the night at the Shady Cove RV Park, set up and went to Cracker Barrel for dinner.

Sat. 8/25/07 ~ Love Bugs & Road Kill

We all got up and by the time we packed up, hitched the car and said our “Good-byes” it was about 9:30 before we got on the road. Just outside of Kemah we drove over a really unusual bridge called the Fred Hartman Bridge that crosses the Buffalo Bayou section of the Galveston Bay. We drove north on Texas state highway 146 until we got to Interstate 10 and then continued east to Lafayette, Louisiana. From there we took the 90E to LA state highway 14 to Avery Island, LA to go on a tour of the Tabasco Factory. Since we stayed longer than planned in Fort Worth and Galveston we were there on a weekend and so didn’t get to see the actual bottling process. We left there and got a little rain, hard a times but of short duration. We arrived in Baton Rouge around 5:30 and got a place for the night. Bill worked on the motor home cleaning the bugs off the front and rubbing out the scratches from our encounter with the tree in Dublin, TX. We are learning quite a bit about some of the oddities of the south. For example, today we learned about love bugs. The sound of these pairs of mating insects hitting our windshield sounded like rain and our windshield was covered in black splotches. We also noticed that the “road kill” along the highway is not the usual cats, dogs, or snakes we see at home. Today we saw opossum, armadillos, and alligators that had suffered a fatal encounter with a vehicle along the road. Tomorrow we will travel north through Natchez, MS and go the Vicksburg National Military Park.

Fri. 8/24/07 ~ Galveston & Kemah, TX

We left Fort Worth at 7:30 AM with Sandy and Joe West following in their truck and headed south on Highway 45 towards Galveston. We stopped for fuel in Hutchins, TX and then continued on to Huntsville, TX where we stopped at the huge statue of Sam Houston. The statue is 67’ tall with a 10’ granite base and can be seen for over 6.5 miles. We continued on the 45 south and stopped for lunch at Cracker Barrel. After we got through Houston we took state highway 518 east to the 146 south and into Kemah, TX. We checked in around 5:00 PM and got everything set up. Sandy and Joe took us over to Galveston where we drove past the historic section with huge beautiful mansions and then along the Gulf Coast on Galveston Island. After that we drove back to the Kemah boardwalk for dinner. We had a great seafood dinner at Babin’s Seafood Restaurant. After dinner we walked along the boardwalk and stopped to feed the stingrays at their aquarium. The rays feel really smooth and slippery but it was a little scary because they come clear up out of the water to get the fish and one of them spit water all over me. We finally returned to the motor home around midnight, visited for a little while and turned in for the night.

Thur. 8/23/07 ~ Dallas, TX

Sandy and Joe met us at the motor home and we went to Waffle House again for breakfast. After breakfast they took us over to Dallas and showed us where they are building the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, the Texas Rangers baseball stadium, and then we went to the Sixth Floor Museum where President JK Kennedy was assassinated. We went through the museum and took pictures of the “grassy knoll” along the motorcade route. While the guys rested in the plaza Sandy and I walked across the street to the Old Red Courthouse. It was built in the late 1800s and used as a court house and later office buildings. It fell into complete disrepair but the city has now restored it to its original condition. After we left the museum they drove us over to William’s Plaza and we saw the “Mustangs of Las Colinas” statues. They are beautiful bronze statues of horses splashing through the water. We went to the Texas Roadhouse Restaurant for dinner and had a great steak dinner. They brought us back to Wal-Mart for our last night and in the morning we will leave the Dallas/Fort Worth area and head south towards Galveston.

Wed. 8/22/07 ~ Fort Worth, TX

Sandy and Joe met us at the motor home and we stopped at the Waffle House for breakfast and then they took us to the National Cowgirl Museum. We toured the museum and then we all went down to the Old Historic Stockyards where millions of cattle were brought in on cattle drives and railroad cars and sold, slaughtered and processed. After we walked around the area a bit we went over to the Old Stockyard Hotel and had a drink. Later we were joined by Sandy’s daughter, Jennifer and her two children for dinner at Los Vaqueros. We all had a nice Mexican dinner and then walked across the street to Billy Bob’s of Texas, the largest honky-tonk in the country. The place is huge with three entertainment stages and dance floors, numerous bars, food stands, and gift shops. We went back to the motor home and stayed again at Wal-Mart.

Tues. 8/21/07 ~ Dublin, TX to Fort Worth

We left Big Springs, TX and headed east toward Fort Worth. Our friend, Sandy West had suggested we take scenic loop off of Highway 20 and stop in Thurber and Dublin to see the historic sites. We stopped first in Thurber which was built as a company town owned entirely by the Pacific Coal Company. It was the first city to be fully electrified, and the first town to be unionized. They were known for their brick factory which made the bricks that line the streets of Forth Worth and parts of Dallas. From there we went to Dublin, TX to see the original Dr. Pepper factory. This particular factory still uses the original recipe with pure imperial sugar rather than corn syrup. The filling equipment is from the early 1900s and they still bottle there once a month in the old reusable bottles. Trying to get to the factory we went down a narrow street and a low hanging tree branch broke the dome cover on our satellite dish but fortunately nothing major was damaged. We continued on into Fort Worth and met up with Sandy and Joe West. We parked the motor home in a parking lot and they drove us around and showed us a little of the area and took us out to Vineyard Campground where we had planned to stay. Unfortunately, the campground was flooded and closed for the season so we stayed in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart near their home. After we got parked they drove us to downtown Forth Worth and we went to a great Cajun dinner at a restaurant called Razzoo’s. We went back to the motor home and visited until almost 2 in the morning.

Mon. 8/20/07 ~ Carlsbad Caverns, NM

We left the motor home at the White City campground and drove about 6 miles up to the entrance of Carlsbad Caverns, arriving at about 9:30 AM. Our National Park Pass gave us free admission for the Natural Entrance Tour and the Big Room Tour. We purchased tickets for the 10:00 AM ranger guided tour of the King’s Palace. Although we had been to Carlsbad Caverns years ago with our kids it was even more spectacular than either of us remembered. The caverns are truly awe inspiring! We completed the three tours and got back to the motor home just before 2 PM. We headed toward Fort Worth by way of Highway 285 South to Pecos, TX and then east on Interstate 20. We traveled through Odessa and Midland and decided to stay in Big Springs, TX for the night. We arrived about 6:45 PM got registered and set up then went to a small local restaurant called Herman’s. The outside was very non-descript but the inside was nice, the food was good, and everyone there seemed to know each other. I think we heard “Hi Ya’ll” at least 50 times during the time we were there.

Sun. 8/19/07 ~ White Sands & Ruidoso, NM

We left Las Cruces and headed northeast on Highway 70 for about 19 miles to the entrance of the White Sands Missile Range. After checking our licenses, registration, and proof of insurance they came in and checked the motor home and then made us open every storage bay to check those. We walked around the Missile Park which was a collection of missiles used by the United States military dating back to the 1950s. The park was old and most of the displays were in poor shape but they have a planned project to refinish all the missiles to their original condition. We went through the small museum where we looked at the displays and watched a couple of short videos. Overall the museum and missile park were pretty much a disappointment and we were glad we didn’t drive out of our way to see it. As we continued east on the 70 we decided to stop at White Sands National Monument. The park covers 275 square miles of snow white dunes of crystallized gypsum. It looks like giant snow banks and is pretty impressive to see. Our next stop of the day was Ruidoso Downs, NM where we went to the horse races. I actually won on two races so after all was said and done I ended the day up by 2 or 3 dollars. Between Ruidoso and Roswell we passed by a field with several deer and lots of wild turkeys. We filled up the motor home in Roswell and turned onto Highway 285-S towards Carlsbad Caverns hoping to make it there in time for the evening bat flight. By the time we arrived the bat flight was over and we checked into the White City “Resort.” The place is awful and there were millions of bugs everywhere but at least it is close to Carlsbad Caverns for our tour in the morning. We made dinner “at home” this evening.

Sat. 8/18/07 ~ Tombstone, AZ

We left the motor home at the RV Park and drove over to Tombstone. We visited Boot Hill and had on the recommendation of the lady at the gift shop we went to the OK Café for breakfast. The service was sloooow and the food was only so-so. From there we walked around Tombstone which has become very much commercialized since we were there years ago with the kids. We decided to take a tour of the Good Enough Silver Mine discovered and mined by the man who founded Tombstone. He named the city because people told him the only thing he would ever find there would be his own tombstone but in fact, he became a very wealthy man. Midway through the mine tour a young girl about 18 became ill and almost fainted. Bill, ever the fireman/paramedic took charge and had her lie down with her feet elevated until she felt better. It turns out she is 11 weeks pregnant and had a similar episode prior to this one. I thought that she might be a “drama queen” but Bill said she was cool and clammy and definitely having a medical problem. We ended staying with her and escorting her out of the mine and missing the second half of the tour. They offered to let us go again but by this time we were running out of time and declined the offer. We returned to the campground, hooked up and traveled north on highway 80 and then east on Interstate 10 to Las Cruces, NM. We went to dinner at La Posta de Mesilla. The restaurant has been there since 1934 in an old historic building that was once part of the Butterfield Stage line. The place was pretty noisy but the food was very good. On the way back to the motor home we stopped at Wal-Mart to do a little grocery shopping.

Fri. 8/17/07 ~ We're Off!

We left Murrieta at 7:58 AM and headed south on Highway 15 to Interstate 8 in San Diego. We continued east on Interstate 8 towards our first stop which will be Tombstone, AZ “the town too tough to die”. When we stopped for fuel in Benson, AZ I met an interesting young lady who was bicycling from Columbus, Ohio all the way to Tucson, AZ. She said she was moving there to go to graduate school and sold her car and decided it would be a personal challenge to ride her bike to Arizona. We pulled into the Tombstone Territories RV Park about 9 miles from the historic section of Tombstone. We set up, went in the Jacuzzi at the park, and made dinner.