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A few years back when I was doing a lot of hiking with the Appalachian Mountain Club I thought, how much fun it would be to hike the entire trail. Now I am thrilled to still be hiking portions.
My concern about not having enough trails that we could hike with E T was for naught. There are too many. She is in her glory.
To see the spectacular views you have to hike the trails.  Waterfalls, cascades, rock formations … The list goes on. We are having a wonderful time.
When we get back to civilization I have some great photos to post. Right now I am sitting on a stone wall at the Hogback Mountain Overlook typing.   At the campground we have zero for internet, wifi, hot spot … David’s IPhone works periodically.  I shut off my  3G phone to save the battery.
This is funny … A Red Top taxi cab just pulled into the overlook. I guess there’s a lot to the old saying Where There’s A Will There’s A Way!

June  15, 2015 Nice …. I may be getting spoiled by all of our travels, but I’m going to call this a very nice, pretty drive, park and campground. Today we drove from Thornton Gap to Dickey Ridge. Tomorrow we’ll go from Mathews Arm Campground to the Harry F. Byrd Visitor Center in our car. This will cover about 1/2 of Skyline Drive. I’ve already told David that I would like to drive the entire 105 miles from Front Royal to Rock Fish Gap, in a CAR. This is a rough go in an RV.  Not because of the roads, but the elevations.  The roads so far have been excellent. After driving the switchbacks of the Great Smokies these roads are a piece of cake. Once again, kudos to the National Park Service.
We are in BEAR country. We’ve already seen the biggest black bear that either of us has ever seen. David has hunted bear in Alaska and this one WOW-ed him. Sorry, no photo 🙂 It happened so quick that we both just gaped in amazement. He crossed the road in front of us in a matter of seconds.
The campground is pet friendly, but E T is not allowed on many of the trails we hope to hike. Since our rattlesnake encounter we’ve decided to stick with more popular and populated trails. She is having an awesome time driving with her nose out the window and seeing the views from the overlooks on Skyline Drive.
There are 75 overlooks along the drive. The views are gorgeous, but when you add a little history it makes them sparkle. Signal Knob is a location the Confederates used, during the Civil War, to send messages.  Pretty cool, when you think about the time and logistics. I can’t imagine what it would be like to climb these mountains on foot or horseback. We’re talking STEEP here!
There are four campgrounds in the park. Amenities are VERY limited. Mathews Arm, where we are camped boasts FLUSH TOILETS. The majority of campers here are serious tenters and backpackers. We’ll see what tomorrow brings but right now my impression is there’s a fine line of things to do here between the driving tour and backcountry hiking. David made me laugh today when he asked if I wanted him to take my bike off the RV. My answer was only if he wants to pick me up at the bottom of the mountain.

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.

March 24,  2015         Have you ever heard the term tourist trap?   Dixie Cavern and Campground takes the  term tourist trap one step further.    It’s not only a tourist trap,  it’s also a dump!

As we are traveling north,  it has been my job to find places to stay for the night.   This time of year,  the further north you go the more difficult it is to find campgrounds or parks that are open.   We are also trying to stay as close to the highway as possible.   We are no longer “sightseeing” we are on a mission to get home.

On line,  Dixie Caverns Campground sounded decent.  It is only 1/2 mile off the highway so the negative feedback,  about hearing the highway traffic,  was understandable and expected.    We have been on the road 7 hours about 370 miles.  We’re  tired and are just looking for a safe place to spend the night .  From the road it just looked  “aged”.

At check in we were told they only had a couple of open sites.   One full hook up (50 amp),  40 ft pull through,  we will have to unhook the car  ($33.16).  Compared to what we’ve been paying for gorgeous campsites,  that may sound pricey,  but the farther northeast you go the more $$$$ you’re going to pay.  We were not upset about the price until we got into the campground.  It is an old, dirty, dilapidated, mud pit.  But it was full.   About half of the people were doing the same thing we were doing,  just passing through.   The other half lived in this squalor.  It was very sad.

Campers get a discount on tickets for the Cavern Tour.  Tickets for the Tour must be purchased at the Pottery Shop. We passed on both the Tour and visit to the Pottery Shop.

Anyone need to use the restroom?  We have the code!

We were lucky it got dark shortly after we arrived.

Tonight we couldn’t find a campground or park that was less than 30 miles off our route.  Our last night on the road we’re in the parking lot of the Hollywood Casino in Grantville, PA.  There are at least a dozen other “snowbirds” here doing the same thing we are doing.  Resting our travel weary bones.

This may seem a dreary way to end an awesome adventure,  but as David said to me this morning  “RVing isn’t about the destination,   it’s about the journey.”

Our next adventure,  in a couple of months,  will bring us back to  Virgina to Shenandoah Valley National Park,  The Virginia Creeper Trail and on to Bristol Motor Speedway  “Thunder Valley” in Bristol, Tennessee.   Stay Tuned 🙂

March 22, 2015    Independent Campgrounds  ….  Gotta take them for what they are …. you never know,  unless you’re a KOA camper.   Kampgrounds of America require certain criteria and have a very strict rating system.  You’re also paying “mucho dinero” for pristine camping.     David and I prefer “eclectic” to “pristine”.   When I called the Georgia RV Park in Commerce, Georgia  to see if they had a site available for last night, I knew before I hung up that we HAD to stay there.

I fell in love with Georgia the minute she started talking.  She has this adorable squeaky voice.  Gotta love a woman with a squeaky voice!   Everything she said made me giggle.    She was sooo much fun to talk too.   All I had asked was if there was a site available.  She told me everything there was to tell about the campground.  She told me stuff I didn’t need to know … the reason the bathrooms are so clean is because she cleans them.  She repeated the directions off the exit three times.  1.10 miles take a right, .50 miles take a right, .25 miles take a right.  It’s less than two miles off the exit.  If we get lost and call back and she doesn’t answer it’s because she’s cleaning the bathrooms.  I loved it!

It’s a “sardine can” campground.  We could only put slides out on one side and that was because no one was in the site next to us on that side.  We could have put them out on the other side, but then we’d be peeking in the neighbors windows, and vice versa.  The sites were all VERY long pull throughs with full (50 amp) hook up ($25).   Easy in, easy out, right off the highway and we didn’t have to unhook the car to back in to a site … perfect!

In the morning I got to meet many of our “seasonal/long term”  neighbors.  The photo below is of the camper that I watched two southern gentleman, carry two huge overstuffed living room chairs through the door and out to their pick up truck.   I knew they were southern  gentleman,  because they said “mornin’ ma’am” even though they were grunting and struggling to get the first chair through the door.  I couldn’t believe it when they went back in and got the second one.  I wanted to take a photo when they were cramming the chair through the door,  but I thought that would be rude.

Seasonal and long term campers often go all out decorating their patios. When you camp at “pristine” campgrounds that have lots of “rules”  you miss out on some extraordinary “sites”.

We plan on coming back to Commerce, GA.  The Atlanta Dragway is in Commerce and NHRA has a National event here.  It’s on our list of to do’s  🙂

March 22, 2015     Leaving the area is bittersweet.  We are ready to start heading North,  but the area is so nice we could easily spend a few more days here.    Mother Nature  makes it easier for us to leave.  It is foggy and just started raining.   As we drive out we have none of the gorgeous views we had coming in.  She’s challenging us to come back another time 🙂

Here comes the beautiful two mile bridge.

RVing is a wonderful way to travel.   You can see so much (when it’s not foggy) and be very flexible,  but it’s not for everyone.  To do the kind of RVing that we do you have to like driving and be a confident and skilled driver.  I have taken the RV on trips with the kids, no David.   I can drive it,  but don’t enjoy it.  I drive it like it’s a tractor trailer truck.   Three hours of driving and I’m exhausted.  David drives it like it’s a Mini Cooper.   This morning I had a craving for an Egg McMuffin.  David pulled the RV right in and around the McDonalds.  He would have gone through the drive through,  if the overhang was higher.   I would have pulled into a rest area off the highway and made my own.

The kind of RVing we do can also be a LOT of work.  If you only go to RV  type places with full hook ups,  it’s a piece of cake.   If you “rough it”  it means more work and conservation.   Using a dump station STINKS!   I don’t like to “dump”, but I  know how to when I have to.   David is really good at it,  quick and accurate,  so it’s best when he does  it 🙂

RVing also lets you being lots of “stuff’ with you, so you can do more without having to rent.  It also means having to load,  unload and clean all this “stuff”.    It helps that David has the energy of a thirty year old.  I am not tall enough or strong enough to lift the bicycles on or off the rack.  The inflatable kayak is compact,  but very heavy.  Even hooking up and unhooking the car takes muscle.

A sign that it was time to head home was when David did not want to go kayaking at Fort Pickens.  Not that he didn’t want to kayak, he’s just tired of lugging, unpacking, inflating, deflating,  packing and lugging the inflatable.  I carry the paddles and put them together, they break down into four pieces 🙂

When we get home he is going to try and figure out how to take our hard kayaks with us.  It’s this or buy another inflatable.  E T has gotten so big, the three of us no longer fit in one kayak.  She loves kayaking, not swimming. She likes to sit in the kayak and be paddled around.  Reminds me of another daughter I have 🙂

We just stopped at a Shell gas station in Alabama (exit 93 off I 65) $2.09 a gallon.  We took 60 gallons.

E T is an awesome RVer.  Today we drove 9 1/2 hours and drove 417 miles today.

We stopped for the night at the Georgia RV Park in Commerce,  Georgia.  Ironically,  it’s where NHRA has it’s National Event every year at the Atlanta Dragway in Commerce.  It is on our list of drag races to attend.   The campground is not the “cats meow” of campgrounds,  but it’s 1 1/2 miles off the highway and full hookup (50 amp) for $25 a night.   It’s still raining.  I hope it stops by  tomorrow afternoon.  My hope is to stop in Damascus,  Virgina  and ride my favorite biking trail, The Virginia Creeper Trail.   Another good day of traveling 🙂

March 21, 2015     Happy Spring!    Today is our last day before we head north.  What haven’t we done or seen yet?  We’ve already decided that there is too much, so we have to come back.  Today is just an extension of yesterday.

I always tell people the first thing we do when we get to a new State or National park is head to the Visitor Center.  Especially in National Parks, there is usually a film about “what’s happened and/or what’s happening”.   We did what we usually do here, but they tricked us.  The Visitor center here is the Gift/Book shop … no movie … they offered the self guided tour booklet (free) and the Ranger guided tour (free).   So we thought that was it.   Well,  I have been bugging David that I wanted to go to the museum (free).    Guess what’s there?   We see the movie and now I need to go back and take a few more photos.  I totally dissed the Battery Peninsula, because it’s just an ugly black wall.  Wrong, it is actually a fort within a fort and FULL of history.

Next we head back out in a new direction on the Florida National Scenic Trail.  I actually get photos of a Mom and Dad Osprey preparing a nest for their offspring.

Then we bring E T back to the RV.  It is getting hot and she does not do well in the heat of the day.  We head out on our bikes to explore some of the marsh area of the trail.

Next on our list is to walk to the farthest point west on the beach (Davids pick).

Next Stop Georgia  🙂

March 20, 2015       I thought today was going to be “one of those days”.  I wasn’t awake 15 minutes, when I spilled a whole glass of grape juice on the bed.  ARRRRRGGGHHH!  While I scrubbed the mattress David took the bed clothes to the laundry at the General Store (two washers and two dryers).  The day could only get better … and it did.

Yesterday, I found out that a portion of the 1,400 mile Florida National Scenic Trail,  which goes from the Everglades to Pensacola Bay is right in our back yard.  We hopped on our bikes and rode the trail and visited several more of the Forts Batteries,  before heading over to the Fort for our Ranger Tour.  The gun at Battery Cooper came from the Smithsonian Institute.

These are the guns at Battery 234.   You can actually walk right up and touch everything associated with the Fort.   I got a little nervous watching some kids, at some of the places that you’re allowed to climb up to or in to.  I didn’t hear any kids complaining they were bored.  Our tour guide told us that in the summer the Rangers do snorkeling tours.  They have special tours for kids.  Oh, all the equipment is provided.  Sounded like fun to me.

There Here!!!

We found the most FUN restaurant. Flounder’s in Pensacola Beach.  Pet Friendly and Kids of all ages Friendly.  Live music,  volleyball, sandy beach, pier,  playscape, pool tables … it is an entertainment center/restaurant.   It was wild and fun.  I wish it was a chain.  E T made lots of friends and played in the sand,  while we had dinner.   If you are ever in the area check it out … Oh! The food was GREAT!

Today,  I was thinking that Pensacola Beach is running neck and neck with my favorite place to visit, The Florida Keys.  I asked David,   “Are the water colors here more beautiful than in the Keys?”   He said  “Yes,  because there is more water.”  That may sound funny,  but it’s a combination of water and sandy beaches.  In the Keys there are very few sandy beaches, it’s mostly coral.    I also,  used to think,  that the only place that had magnificent sunsets was The Florida Keys.  Not so 🙂

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March 18-21, 2015     I asked David the other day if my blog was getting boring.  I seem to write a lot of the same adjectives over and over …. beautiful,  fabulous, breathtaking, awesome, thrilling.  I should have brought a dictionary so I could “mix it up” a little more.  Other than our stay in “Hell Hole Homestead”  our trip has been VERY scenic.

Here I go again … Driving to Fort Pickens  was thrilling.  Bridges … First you cross the two mile Pensacola Bay Bridge.  Next you cross the “toll bridge” across the Santa Rosa Sound.   If  you like bridges and water views,  it’s like being a kid in a candy store.  Beaches .. How can one beach be more different or beautiful than the next.  We have heard that the Santa Rosa beaches are the most beautiful in the world.  We had not even made it to the gate of Fort Pickens National Park and the views of the beaches from the RV are beautiful,  beautiful, and more beautiful!  Another nice thing about traveling in our RV is the giant windshield and being up so much higher than in a car.  We have had views of the Gulf on one side and a Bay on the other more often than not this past week.  Here we go again!

There are 200 campsites in 5 loops.  From what we’ve seen about half are tent sites.  We have water and electric (50 amp).  Check out this site … $13 a night.  E T has an awesome “yard” to play in.

Getting back to my asking David if my blog is getting boring, he said no, it just seemed like you had more funny stories in the beginning.  Well, we  haven’t had a lot of funny things happen lately.   I do have this one story and there will not be a photo attached.  This is an “Adult” story so  Parental discretion is advised.

I like to set “goals” or “challenges” for myself.  This trip I wanted to see an armadillo,  get a photo of an awesome sand castle and NOT see any snakes.  I haven’t seen an armadillo, but met two people who did, I know it’s possible.  I got a cute photo of a sand castle some children had built and E T stole the feather from it’s top,  cute but I’m looking for awesome.  Unfortunately,  we did see a snake, but it was small and non threatening,  so I’m still debating on if it counts or not.

The other day,  I was having some alone time and taking a walk on the beach.  There was not a sole to be seen in any direction.   Up ahead of me,  I spot a SANDCASTLE of ENORMOUS size.  Is this real or just a mirage?   I’m thinking Cinderella’s Castle …   moats,  draw bridge,  widows peak.  I am excited.   I start taking photos from a distance.      As I get closer,  I take a few more photos.  Then I get closer and something doesn’t look quite right.   No, it’s not poop!   As I walk around the  CASTLE I realize … OMG  this is a GIANT Penis!  I’m not talking phallic symbol,  this is the whole “kit in ka boodle” EVERYTHING in DETAIL.  I looked around to make sure nobody was looking and took a photo,  just in case nobody would believe me  😉

Moving on … Fort Pickens is AWESOME!  It is HUGE!  We rode our bikes and it was a good thing we did.  You could never cover the whole Fort in one day on foot.  Today we did a self guided tour.  Pamphlets with numbers and brief descriptions of what your seeing are available as you enter the Fort.  Tomorrow we are going back for a Ranger led tour.  Even if you’re not a history buff,  it is very interesting.  A quick example .. the Fort was built with lots of arches and double arches.  Why?  To minimize sinkage in the sand. The construction on the Fort began in 1829.   How did they know to build using arches?

The afternoon is spent at the Dog Beach … Where else??

Our last walk of the evening … to see the Sunset over the dunes.  Another great day   🙂