June 13, 2015.  We’ve had a couple of months to recoup and regroup and are on the road again.

We have fabulous travels planned for the next 11 months.  Yes, we already have reservations into May 2016.  We’ll be going back to some of our past favorites and have added a lot of  new places to explore.  I’m thinking of calling this “Our ROCK and Roll Tour. We’ve already learned that we are going to have to roll with the punches.  Or maybe I should say roll with the bumps along the road.

First stop … Tappan Zee Bridge … No Kidding!  We start this trip with a BANG!  Have you ever crossed a REALLY BIG BRIDGE and wondered what would happen if you had an accident?  Now you can ask me, I’m experienced.

There are three lanes going over the Tappan Zee.  We are in the middle lane,  there is a convoy of very cool Army vehicles in the right lane and there are the zippidy do da cars in the left lane.  Oh!  We don’t get hit by a zippidy do da car, we get hit by a U.S. Army Trac Truck (check out the photo, it’s a mini tank).   I saw it coming over into our lane and started yelling.  David hit the brakes and it hit the front passenger side, my side 🙁

The Army driver kept right on going.  He probably didn’t even feel the hit.   For that matter,  our RV hardly moved.   I call 911 and are told to pull off after the bridge.  We pull up along side the Army vehicle and I yell out the window,  “Excuse Me,  you just hit us,  can you pull over with us after the bridge?”

The Army personnel were very nice.  A  Major even stopped.   The damage wasn’t as horrible as we had expected.  The side view mirror is smashed to smithereens and there are a few scrapes,  but nothing devastating.  The important thing is nobody was hurt.

Here’s where Law Enforcement gets a bad name.  The New York State Trooper that showed up was a JERK.  He starts insinuating that there was no accident, like David was just driving down the highway looking for someone to blame the damage on.  It was totally ludicrous.  I had never gotten out of the RV.  I was inside comforting poor E T.  She was traumatized by being woken from her nap by  all the excitement.  The Trooper never even asked my name, let alone if anyone in he RV was hurt.

All the Army personnel  were nice,  David was nice,  the Trooper was NOT.  David pointed out the paint transfer on the Army vehicle,  point proven.  The Trooper filled out a half ass summary and we were on our way.  That’s all we wanted,  proof for our insurance company that we had an accident.  There was no reason for the bad attitude of the Trooper.

We continued on our way, but stopped early in Carlisle, PA, so that David could try to do something with the mirror.  If he can get the side view camera working that will get us to our first destination, Shenandoah Valley National Park.

The next few months are going to Rock!  Starting with a couple of cool formations here in Pennsylvania.