Wednesday, August 30th - Boatin' on the Hudson

Left Warwick, NY this morning and drove 40 miles to Fishkill, NY. We set up another Wal-Mart "campsite" and then drove to the home of Ed and Mary Lynne Hartmann. I worked with Ed while at Prodigy. Ed was the VP of Systems, Networking and Operations and had responsibility for the Prodigy Data Center.

Mary Lynne fixed a delightful lunch of cold cucumber soup and a do-it-yourself spinach salad. Later we drove to their 25' power boat docked in New Hamburg, NY. We took a leisurely trip north on the Hudson River to Poughkeepsie and then south to Newburgh where we docked and had dinner at The River restaurant, right on the Hudson River. We returned to their marina at night. What an enjoyable evening! Later they visited us in our "home" and we showed them how Gypsy, Tramp & Thief live on the road. We hope to have the opportunity to visit longer in the future.

BTW, Ed recently had the same knee replacement surgery that MA had last year. They got to compare stories of pain, anguish, depression, disappointment and agony. Great evening!

Tuesday, August 29th - Connie & Mike

Today we left Milford, PA and immediately crossed over the Delaware River into New York state. We took Exit-1 because there is a TINY part of New Jersey that sneaks up in a point. I knew that, as a rule, NJ fuel is sig. less than NY or PA fuel. Instead of paying $3.15 for diesel fuel, I paid $2.84! When you buy 90 gallons of fuel, that saves us about $27. It is still painful but, somehow, seems less so.

We drove to Warwick, NY and had a wonderful visit with Connie and Mike Wehmeyer. I worked with Connie for about 10 years at Prodigy (White Plains, NY) and we have stayed in touch thru the years. Connie owns Subtle Energies, a delightful salon specializing in massage, reflexology, aromatherapy and other natural healing remedies. Her landlord, Ed, graciously allowed us to set up "camp" in his parking lot. Later, we are at a cozy Italian restaurant in Sugar Loaf, NY. After dinner, we all returned to the coach and Connie gave me a hand massage (aching joints) and MA a treatment for her aching Achilles Heel. Felt wonderful!

Monday, August 28th

Had a good breakfast at the High Street Diner this morning. MA & I really enjoy finding these local eateries that usually have good food and a lot of local personalites.

Drove thru the Delaware Water Gap area of PA and settled in for the night in Milford, PA, just east of the Delaware River and New York state.

Once again we located a local restaurant off the beaten path. The Apple Valley Inn & Rest. was great!

Sunday, August 27th

Sad goodbye to Jim & Sue (we vowed to keep in better touch) and drove only to Pottstown, PA where we had a nice late lunch at the Longhorn Steakhouse and settled in to watch the golf tournament and Deadwood's season-ending epsode.

Saturday, August 26th - Sights & Sounds of Philly

What a great day!!!

Started off with a quick trip down to South Street in Philadelphia, a trip of about 30 miles each way. South Street is a very eclectic area that was made famous in the song of the same name. Who recorded the popular version? Was it the Orlons? At the corner of 4th and South Street, is Jim's Steaks, a local cheesesteak shop that MA & I came to love when we lived here. In our opinion, Jim's is tastier than the better known and touristy Pat's Steaks.

Look at this movie clip from Jim's

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8954444470336219408

We returned to Chester County and went to the cinema to see Invincible, a story about Vince Papale, a bartender in Philly who tried out and made the Philadelphia Eagles football team in the mid-1970's. We are sitting in the movie with Jim & Sue Gearhart who are die hard Eagles fans forever and, of course, they knew the whole real-life story.

Went to dinner at the Eagle Tavern, a centuries-old establishment in Eagle, PA. Had a wonderful dinner hosted by Sue and Jim (and son Thatcher, in abstentia).

This is MA & Sue waiting in the line to get into Jim's.

Friday, August 25th - to Exton, PA

Once, again, we are mooching off of old friends who some time in the past 20 years made the mistake of inviting us to visit them. Little did they know that MA & I have very long memories and have moved in. For the next two days we are parked half in the yard and half in the street of old friends, Jim & Sue Gearhart, former next door neighbors when we lived in Exton. We had a terrific rib-eye steak dinner grilled by Jim.

Exton and the Chester Country area have grown beyond all imagination. Our old home would sell today for 3-4 times what we sold it for in 1985.

Thursday, August 24th - to Chester County, PA

After breakfast with Beverly, our host in Onancock, VA, we drove 190 miles to Chester County, PA where we lived 1982 - 1985. We parked in the side yard of Ann & Chris Wuertz. Ann is the youngest daughter of Gene and JoAnn Olson, dear friends from our days living in PA.

This is a picture of Ann & Chris's daughters,
Aly, Nicole and Courtney. They are delightful young ladies.

Wednesday, August 23rd - Tangier Island

We started off the day with a stop at the Corner Bakery on Onancock. This was Kimmy's last day at the bakery before going off to college. The local customers had a going away party for Kimmy with, what else, donut holes and cake.

We got on the Captain Eulice boat for the 1.5 hour trip over to Tangier, VA, an island in the middle of Chesapeake Bay. There were about 30 passengers aboard and the trip was very smoothe.

Tangier Island is totally dedicated to fishing, crabbing, claming and tourists. We took a 15 minute drive around the island in a golf cart...saw EVERYTHING in 15 minutes...get the idea? We ate lunch at the Fisherman's Corner restaurant, did a little shopping and boarded the boat for our return to Onancock.

Our hostess here, Beverly Bradley, joined us for dinner and later she showed us all the sights of the area. She is a delightful lady and we plan to keep in touch with her.

Tuesday, August 22nd to VA Eastern Shore

This morning we left Kitty Hawk and the Outer Banks of North Carolina and made the crossing to the DelMarVa peninsula, also called the Eastern Shore (of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware). Seventeen miles of the trip was on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge / Tunnel which connects the Norfolk, VA area with the peninsula. This bridge/tunnel is an engineering marvel that includes two tunnels.

In one pic, MA is showing off her newly painted toenails, a blurry manifestation of her latent hippie tendencies.

We had a late lunch at Little Italy in Nassawadox, VA. There, while reading travel brochures acquired at the Visitor's Center, we decided to take the passenger ferry from Onancock, VA (honestly, folks, I am not making these names up) to Tangier Island in Chesapeake Bay. Wednesday's 10:00am sailing would work perfectly. So we added a stop in Onancock, VA. We thought that the marina might be a good place to park overnight and to leave the coach while we took the ferry. Unfortunately, the harbormaster told me that the cops DO run overnighters off because the local Bed & Breakfast proprietors raise a stink. While contemplating what to do next, a lady named Beverly (MA met Beverly in the marina parking lot) invited us to stay at her place about a mile away. So, being trusting souls, away we went, following Beverly (in her pick-up), me driving the coach and MA driving the Jeep.
Beverly has a beautiful home right on a small bay that opens to Cheaspeake Bay. She is newly widowed and was very kind to offer us use of her property. So, here we sit, no cell service, no Internet access, only the DVD's of the first season of Boston Legal to entertain us. DENNY CRANE!!

Monday, August 21st

Today we retraced the steps we took back in 1981 - 1983 when we came to the Outer Banks with the kids. We used to camp in Duck, NC which was at the VERY end of hwy 12 going north from Kitty Hawk and Nags Head. There was only about 15 miles of sandy beach north of the Ocean Beach Campground where we stayed. Well, in the 23-25 years since we last camped here, development has spread 12 miles north. Upscale condos, residential communities, golf courses, small airstrip, etc. Only the last 3 or so miles is sandy beach, suitable only for 4x4's. We drove as far north as the road would take us and then traveled a bit on the beach in the Jeep. Sad in a way but such is progress.

A bit of history & geography about the Outer Banks. As you can plainly see on the map, the Outer Banks protrude out into the Atlantic Ocean and, as such, catch their fair share of hurricanes. The "Banks" (inhabited by "Bankers") are also known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic because of the hundreds of shipwrecks on their shoals. Southbound ships try to stay as close to land as possible to avoid the northbound Gulfstream. There are massive shoals off the coast where so many ships ran aground before there were lighthouses. There are three lighthouses that still provide navigation assistance to mariners. Each is painted in a unique pattern so that in daylight they may be identified.

Sunday, August 20th - to Rodanthe, NC

We took the short (45 minutes) ferry ride from the north end of Ocracoke Island to Hatteras Island this morning. We settled in at the Ocean Waves Campground in Rodanthe near where we camped with the kids in June 1981. MA drove the Jeep back down toward Hatteras to take pix of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. This is the one that was threatened by erosion from the sea. In 1999, it was moved about a half mile away from the ocean and is safe now. Meanwhile, I got to watch the PGA golf tournament which was dominated by Tiger Woods. He is SO impressive on and off the course!

These little buggers stuck to my shoes shows what a hazzard it was to walk to the beach if you got off the beaten path. I was walking Gypsy one evening and we encountered these monsters. Gypsy was not wearing shoes and got two caught in her pads. She was not a happy camper!

Saturday, August 19th - Ocracoke Beach

Today we cooked breakfast at the coach and then drove the Jeep onto the beach. There are several "ramps" for 4x4 vehicles to drive onto the beach. Except for a number of areas off limits due to sea turtle nesting areas, 4x4's can drive the entire length of the magnificent Ocracoke Island beaches. We enjoyed several hours of playtime at the beach with our hammocks and boogie board.

Friday, August 18th - Ferry to Ocracoke, NC

Got up at 6:30 this morning to pack up and drive the 60 miles to the Cedar Island - Ocracoke Ferry. We had to check in by 9:00am and, in fact, we arrived 15 minutes early. While we waited to be boarded, MA baked cinnamon rolls. We could not operate the generator on board. We also had to turn off the propane tank.

The ferry ride was 2.25 hours and very enjoyable. We traveled in Pamlico Sound, sheltered by barrier islands so it was quite smoothe sailing. Gypsy did not care for the boat ride...much preferred to sit on the dashboard and bark at fellow travelers as they walked by the coach. Several people stopped by to talk about rv'ing. Gypsy took a dim view of these intruders.

We are camped at the Ocracoke Campground at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The good news is that our NPS Golden Age Passport (for old folks only) allows us to camp at half the $20/ night fee. The bad news is that there are no hook-ups here and we have to operate the generator a lot. We turn it off at 8:00pm and on again around 8:00am (well clear of the 10:00pn - 6:00am restriction).
Ocracoke Village is the only area on Ocracoke Island that is not NPS land. It is a very cute and VERY crowded fishing village. It has many restaurants, shops & inns devoted to the tourist trade . There is absolutely zero Cingular service here so we have very limited communications capability.

Tuesday, August 15th - to Emerald Isle, NC

This morning we fueled up (never want to be low on fuel when in a hurricane zone) and drove to Emerald Isle, NC. This is on a VERY narrow barrier island that actually runs east to west. We are camped at Camp Ocean Forest, just a few feet from the Atlantic Ocean. Actually, only the dunes and sea oats separate us from the beach.

This is a very old camp and the sites are not laid out for large coaches and slideouts. MA did the backing and I did the directing using walkie-talkies. MA got Blaze (the coach) situated and then several men from next door had to go congratulate MA for such a fine job! This is a pic from on top of the coach looking over the dumes to the ocean.

Turns out that one of the men is Steve Mullis who is the father of Ron Mullis who is married to Amanda, one of Ashley's close friends from East Carolina University. Ron and Amanda were at Ashley & Javi's wedding on the island of St. John's, USVI. Small world!

After dinner, I walked over to the long Bogue Inlet Pier and watched the fishermen reel in a 6 foot shark. They did not actually land the shark because shark fishing is not permitted off the pier but they got the shark into full view and then cut it loose.

Monday, August 14th - Wilmington, NC

After breakfast and completing the maintenance work at Camping World, we drove up US-17 to Wilmington, NC. We stopped at the USS North Carolina, a World War II battleship. MA slept in the coach while I took a three hour tour of the ship.

Later we toured Historic Wilmington and ate at Carrabba's Italian Grill.

Sunday, August 13th - to Myrtle Beach

This morning we drove 98 miles to the parking lot of the Camping World in Myrtle Beach, SC. We have an 8:30am appointment Monday morning to get annual maintenance performed on our Dometic refrigerator.

MA did laundry this afternoon and I have been cleaning the coach and changing some water filters.

O We Have to Say Goodbye, for the Summer

Friday morning, after MA fixed up two batches of Belgian Waffles, it was time to pack-up and begin our trek north, to Maine.

Thursday night we went to the beach on the north end of Hilton Head Island for a professional photography session. Camryn and Cecilia were all dressed up in white, as were Ashley and Javi (mostly). There were several other groups doing the same thing as the evening light was great for photography. It was a little like herding cats as we moved from location to location but, in the end, the proofs showed that some terrific portraits will be forthcoming.

Friday we drove around Charleston, SC to Mt. Pleasant where we are currently parked. I didn't want to drive US-17 thru downtown Charleston because I remember all the very tight streets from Berri's days at the College of Charleston. But, my concerns were unfounded. We later drove the Jeep thru CHS and realized that we would have had no problem with the coach. So we drove out of our way needlessly.

Saturday we drove down to Edisto Beach, a place MA has read about in Dorthea Benton Frank novels. It was a remote but charming beach community that was humming from summertime tourists.

We went to see the movie Talledega Nights and enjoyed it very much. Last October, while we were working a sale in Bennettsville, SC, we drove up to the Pinehurst, NC area. While returning to SC, we drove by the famous Rockingham Motor Speedway. We drove around and saw crews filming a new Will Farrell movie about NASCAR that had not yet been titled. Turned out to be Talledaga Nights.

Hilton Head

We are enjoying a very relaxing time here. We typically amble in to Ashley's beach home around 10-11am and get lunch nearby. There is a fairly large pool here so her have been spending time there. It is quite warm here and the pool water is similarily warm, so not a lot of cooling off until we go into the air-conditioned house.

Berri was here for two days, staying in the adjacent guesthouse. It was wonderful to see her. I took her to the Savannah, GA airport yesterday for her return flight to Austin.

Javi comes in tonight from Germany. I know he has been working very hard there and I hope that the remaining 1.5 weeks here at the beach are restful for him.

Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort

Our "camping" site here is Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort. THIS, folks, is the highest echelon of "roughing it". Six tennis courts, swimming pool, Jacuzzi pool, outdoor "kitchens", palm trees, etc. This is a "condo" concept with all of the 400 some sites owned and upgraded by individual property owners and rented out by its affiliate, Outdoor Resorts of America. Some sites are for sale (no signs, of course) for $80 - $139,000. Only newer motorhomes are permitted (I think 10 years old is the oldest permitted). This is snobbishness at its best.

Saturday, August 5th - To Hilton Head

Today I took Ruby (Ashley's German Shepard dog) to the Kennel for a two week stay. Ruby loves the folks at the kennel and did not hesitate (unlike our own Gypsy Rose, who HATES kennels).

We packed up the coach and the Tahoe (and rooftop carrier) for the 240 mile trip to Hilton Head Island. MA drove the Tahoe and Ashley, Camryn and Cecilia rode with me in Grandpa's Bus. Uneventful trip but when we got off I-95 onto US-278 for the last 22 miles into the island, traffic was just creeping along for about 10 of those miles. Seems that the check-in time for rentals is 4:00pm and this is an every Saturday occurrence in the summer.

Ashley and the girls checked into their rental home, just five houses from the ocean. It is a really cute two bedroom one level older home close to Coligny Plaza which is the hub of the island activities. There is also a guesthouse on the property along with a pool and Tiki Bar (unfortunately, unstocked).

Sunday, Berri comes for two days. She is in Charleston, SC for a wedding of a college friend and will be with us before she returns to Austin.

Javi comes in Wednesday evening from his trip to Germany. It will very nice to see Javi again and I KNOW Ashley will be delighted with some full-time help!

At Ashley's

Javi had to make a one week trip to Germany so Ashley was faced with getting the two girls and all their stuff down to Hilton Head (where we were meeting them) by herself. So we stopped in Greenville enroute to Hilton Head. We are parked in Ashley's driveway and and we are getting some maintenance issues taken care of. Today, I changed the oil and filter in the generator (every 150 hours of running time). With the very high temperatures we are seeing out here in the southeast, we do not want generator issues. I also had the windshield replaced in the Jeep.

We leave for Hilton Head Saturday. Cammy and Cecilia will be traveling in "Grandpa's bus". Cammy is infatuated by the various switches and sounds, like horns.

BTW...I have placed four short video clips in the section titled Friday, July 28th - Eagle Trail.