DD: The rest of our week in DC was just as busy as the first day. Each day, we would close up the 5’er, hop the shuttle to the metro, then hop the metro for the 15 minute ride to the Mall. One thing I didn’t know the first time I visited DC (that was a whirl-wind trip. DC in less than 24 hours) is you can actually take an elevator to the top of the Washington Monument. And I wouldn’t have known it this trip if it wasn’t for the fact I overheard someone talking about their experience. His advice which I’m passing along is get your tickets early. The tickets are free, first-come first-served and disappear quickly. We were lucky, we were able to score tickets. The view from the top of the Washington Monument is something else. There are windows on each side of the building with 3 different photos showing the view from the late 1800’s, early to mid-1900’s and the late 1900’s. It really is amazing to see the difference in the landscape over the years.

Need I say more???



DC has a monument for just about everything one can hope for and it seems we visited them all. Along with the Washington Monument, we visited the Lincoln Memorial, the WWII Monument, the Korean War Monument, and the Vietnam War Memorial. We viewed the White House, we took the Capitol tour and then hit the museums. We visited the Museum of American History, the Museum of Natural History, the Air and Space Museum, the National Archives and the Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The thing with DC, admission to the museums are free, which I really liked since you pay big bucks for just about everything else. Now I want to clarify something here as you’re probably thinking, “That Donna must really be a cheap-skate!” and I’m sure my family would agree. Brian says I’m “cheap,” Shyla says I’m “frugal” but my politically correct son, Brandon, calls me “penny-wise.” And I remind them all that because I’m cheap, frugal or penny-wise, whatever they want to call it, is the reason we have 2 nickels to rub together. In fact, I once bought a skirt for $1.50 which I later learned a co-worker paid $125.00 for the same exact skirt! Granted, mine didn’t come with the belt but for the price difference, I didn’t care. And I recently scored a pair of $168.00 jeans for $4.95. Ok, call me cheap but that’s a title I’m proud of as it’s fun to see just how cheap I can be as I love the thrill of the hunt and finding a good bargain. Don’t we all??


Korean War Memorial



A couple of things I want to say about the Korean War memorial and the Holocaust Memorial Museum… Both Brian and I thought the Korean War Memorial a bit haunting. As the first time I saw the memorial, it was over cast and gloomy so not sure that played a part in all this but that thing is down right spooky. All the statues are wearing some sort of rain poncho so it gives them the appearance of a bunch of ghosts walking around. Not sure if that’s what the artist had in mind but if so, he did a pretty good job. And as far as the Holocaust Memorial Museum, don’t even walk through the doors if you’re remotely depressed because that place will make you want to finish the job and slit your wrists. It really is the most depressing place I’ve ever been. And it’s hard to fathom how just one person could have that much control over so many people and be so sick minded to inflict that much pain and suffering (remind you of anyone??) The photos and the videos are extremely graphic and really hit hard. Definitely not for the squeamish. If the only thing the US could have done during the war was to bomb the concentration camps, it would have been a blessing compared to the hell those poor people went through. And after reading this, if you still want to go, make sure to take a magnifying glass as the font used describing each photo is so small, it’s extremely difficult to read.

On the brighter side, we found the people of DC to be very friendly and extremely helpful. Someone will always offer to help when trying to navigate the Metro and a couple of times, we were standing on the sidewalk, our DC map spread out when a local came up to ask if we needed help locating something. They know where the best café’s are and they know exactly where all the Metro stops are located which is important because they’re not always well marked.



And we met some wonderful new friends from Texas while staying in DC. It truly is amazing how God works as Dale, Della, Mona and Jerry were all there to help pray for us when we needed it the most. And then there was Larry and Glenrosa who generously offered us a place to stay while in Michigan.

BD: I’ll have to say here, the people we’ve encountered on this trip have been wonderful! That is, without a doubt, the nicest thing to be able to say. 

Restoring Honor Rally

Well, after all the walking, shuttle riding, metro hopping and trying not to look like tourists, I think we were ready to head out when I overheard someone say something about Sarah Palin coming to town. Along with Sarah, was Glenn Beck and a few other celebrities. We ( I, Brian ) decided that we would stay thru Saturday to go see the Restoring Honor rally at the Lincoln memorial.

Donna said that this crowd would be akin to Woodstock, except that it was for geriatrics! She wasn’t entirely correct, I did see people of all ages in the crowd. I don’t know what the count was, but it was huge! It was an amazing site to see, and be a part of as well.



DD: As we were waiting for the rally to begin, we heard the crowd behind us start clapping and cheering. What we thought might be a fly-over by military jets, was actually a fly-over by a flock of Canadian Geese!! Yep, they were flying in a perfect V-formation from the Washington Memorial, directly over the Reflecting Pond and straight to Ole Abe himself, at the Lincoln Memorial. It was as if they had rehearsed their flight for days and were now showing everyone their performance. Maybe it was the anticipation, or maybe it was the blaring sun but I guess you had to have been there to really get the gist of it.

The part that sucked about the entire rally was the crowd. Since I pride myself in navigating a crowd (or as Brian puts it, plowing my way through) I took the lead. As we were headed for the nearest Metro station I remembered an elevator we took just the day before which was tucked between two buildings making it almost impossible to see. After a 20 minute wait for the elevator we hopped the metro which was virtually empty! We later heard from our friends they had to wait over 2 hours to catch the metro so I guess plowing my way through a crowd, can really pay off!

DC - More of Day One

Let me say one thing about DC… When you go, and I’m saying you should definitely visit, make sure to take your checkbook. Or maybe that black American Express card you’re hiding in your wallet but whatever you do, take money and lots of it. We rolled into town with a huge laundry bag full of dirty clothes so the minute we finished setting up, I gathered up the stinky stuff and headed to the laundry house only to have to turn around and head back to the 5’er for more change. Now, I’m not sure what prompted Brian to bring 21 pairs of BVD’s on this trip, other than the fact he was too lazy to pack them before we left Phoenix, but I only brought a weeks worth of skivvies and to tell you the truth, after looking at $2 a load to wash and $1.50 to dry, I was tempted to go commando. And of course luck would have it, just about everything we brought on this trip (with the exception of Brian’s BVD’s) was dirty.

Then there was the $3 a day charge, per person, for the shuttle to the Metro but we did the math and figured it was actually cheaper to pay the $6 a day for the shuttle rather than drive a vehicle that only gets 7 mpg to the closest Metro station which was a good 12 miles away. Next is the Metro which is actually fun to navigate once you get the hang of it and there’s always someone close by to help. The fares can be a bit confusing since they have different prices dependent on various stops. The fare even depends on what time of day you travel but the easiest fare is $9 a day (yes, per person) for unlimited rides. What we should have done but didn’t due to the fact we didn‘t realize we were going to stay an entire week, was pay the weekly fare of $45 (again, per person.)

Julia Childs Kitchen

And make sure you pull out that black American Express card again for meals because you can easily spend up to $30 a day for lunch alone. Our first day we ate at the Museum of American History. It was expensive and the food wasn’t all that good. All the museums have cafés in the basement level and it appears they all have the same menu and prices but we did find a great little café in the National Archives where they house the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Magna Carta. Their salads are absolutely fantastic and their clam chowder was the best I’ve ever had. And to top it all off, their prices aren’t all that bad. Definitely not the same company which operates the cafés in the other museums. And speaking of the Constitution held at the Archives, if you decide to go, go early as the line to view these documents can get fairly long.

After the Iwo Jima Memorial, we took the metro (subway/train) back to the Mall area (no, not for shopping) and decided to start with the Museum of American History. Lot’s of interesting stuff in there, inaugural gowns of first ladies, Abe Lincoln’s coat and top hat, the original (and very huge!) Stars and Stripes flag that flew over Ft. McHenry and even Julia Child’s original kitchen which was donated to the Smithsonian.

Lady O's gown

We started out in the area which housed the inaugural gowns, and no, Brian wasn’t at all thrilled about this part of the museum but later decided it was worth it just for the laughs. As I’m looking at the inaugural gown of Helen Taft, I slowly looked around to see what other gowns were around me. In unison, the girl standing next to me did the same thing. At the same time our eyes fell on the inaugural gown of Michele Obama. To tell you the truth, the gown is much prettier in person than what appeared on television but as I’m thinking to myself, the girl next to me blurts out exactly what I was thinking but wouldn’t say out loud (I know, so unlike me!), “God! Michelle Obama is huge!” We looked at each other and burst out in giggles. Come to find out, Lady O (as I’ve been calling her) is 5’11” which accounts for her size and she’s not fat, she’s just, and as they politely put it in the South… Miss Michelle is big boned. And yes, you guessed it. With that 5’11” frame, also comes feet that even Sasquatch would be proud of. But the saddest part is the fact she wore Jimmy Choo shoes with her inaugural gown. Very, very expensive shoes that were most likely worn once and put in the back of the closet until donated. I’d be surprised if they even saw an hour worth of wear. Unlike other shoes worn by First Ladies, Lady O’s Jimmy Choo’s showed no sign of wear inside or out. Our tax dollars at work again.

The Star Spangled Banner

A couple of interesting tidbits from the Museum of American History. The flag which inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” is huge! I pictured a much smaller flag but this thing is anything but small. It’s original size was 30 by 42 feet but is now down to 30 by 34 feet after pieces were cut away as patriotic keepsakes in the 1800’s. And this one, although not as informative, is somewhat comical yet intriguing. In a display showcasing the luxury cruise liner, United States, you’ll find a pair of women’s evening shoes which were found in a ceiling light fixture in one of the deluxe passenger suites. One can only imagine how they got there.

After a full day in DC we hopped the metro back to the 5’er for the night.

DC - Day One

Well, we finally made it to DC. Had a little trouble finding a campground but found a place outside the city (Lothian, MD) towards the Chesapeake Bay. As it turned out a rally was to take place the following weekend and we had no clue! Called “Restoring Honor,” it took place on the exact spot and day that Martin Luther King gave his, “I have a dream” speech in the early 60’s.The Lincoln memorial and reflecting pool as the setting. I’ll get into that later, first some sightseeing! I told Donna that we need to stay longer than 4 days…… We stayed the entire week!
 

Our first foray was to Arlington Cemetery where we saw JFK’s grave with the eternal flame, watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers (very impressive!) and toured Robert E. Lee’s old homestead, Arlington house.

Gizmo

Our shuttle driver from the RV park to the metro was Nick, who always brought his little Yorkie, Gizmo, who was half the size of Emma. He must have weighed a whole 3 pounds, if that! “How long you been full timing it?” we asked Nick. He explained he’d been living at the park for the last 2 years. Heck, that’s not full timing it! He’s put down roots in a motor home! Anyway, Gizmo was as cute as a button. “My wife owns him but he’s my dog.” Yep, Gizmo followed Nick everywhere and when Nick wasn’t in sight, Gizmo was looking every which way for him.

Ok, I’m rattling but the reason I brought up Nick was his grandson is in the Army and was a guard for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for two years. Apparently it’s a pretty huge responsibility and very grueling. When Nick’s grandson wasn’t on duty, he was cleaning his gear, drilling or attending funerals at Arlington. He had attended 32 funerals in one day! Nick explained there’s a service every 15 minutes in the chapel and there are no graveside services so once you’ve done your 15 minutes, your done. Time to go home.

View of DC from Arlington House

They’re in the process of renovating Arlington House so it was empty of furniture but still impressive just the same. They had poster board sized photos of each room so you can get the general idea how the room looked with furniture. In my opinion, renovation has been a long time coming. The paint in the rooms are peeling and the wood floors show years of wear but turn around and look outside toward the Capitol and you think you’d died and gone to heaven. The view is absolutely stunning.

Robert E. Lee acquired the property which Arlington Cemetery now sits when he married the great grand daughter of Martha Washington (yep, wife of George) and lived happily on the property for over 30 years until the War Between the States broke out. It was in this house where Robert E. Lee wrote a letter resigning his commission in the U.S. Army. Both Robert E. Lee and his wife left the house in 1861, never to return again. Union forces quickly occupied Lee’s property and used the house as headquarters with Union troops camping on the estate. In 1864, Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs ordered the first of many burials at Arlington making sure the bodies were buried just outside the front door of the mansion to prevent the Lees from ever returning to the property.

Ok, so much for the history lesson. The point is, GO! and enjoy your visit. Forget paying the $7.50 a person for the trolley. Put on your tennies and start walking. You’ll save yourself some money and the walk will do you good and you to tell you the truth, you really don’t learn any more from the guide on the trolley than you can reading the pamphlets.

And after Arlington, walk over to the Iwo Jima Memorial. I warned Brian it was a large monument (more like massive statue!) and really is something to see but to tell you the truth, I think they could have found a better location. Maybe something closer to the Mall with all the other war memorials but then I’m sure space was an issue.


Put on your walking shoes, there's a bunch of museums to visit. The Museum of American History is just the beginning!

A Walk with History

As our grandson Parker says, "Emma, she's a cute bear."

The first thing I want to say about Williamsburg is, leave Fido at home, or maybe in the hot car but just don’t take the dog. We forked over $36 a piece for tickets only to find out we couldn’t take Emma in to any of the historical buildings. So Brian and I did the tag team thing which took a little longer but we managed. We forgot her travel carrier in the trailer so we couldn’t hide her like usual when she’s in places she’s not supposed to be. Her carrier actually looks like an oversized purse and once she settles down to sleep, you can’t tell she’s in there. She’s been in museums with us. She’s been in tons of restaurants with us. She even travels on the plane in her carrier. I suppose that’s the advantage of having a 6 and a half pound dog. My purse weighs as much as my dog!

A one, and a two, and a three...

I’ve been to Williamsburg before and it was just as interesting this time around as my first trip. There’s a lot, and I mean a lot, of commercial/touristy stuff in Colonial Williamsburg but there’s a lot of history as well. You just have to look for it. Colonial Williamsburg’s historic area covers 301 acres, which includes 88 original 18th century structures and hundreds of houses, shops and other buildings which have been reconstructed on their original foundations.

There’s a lot to do in Williamsburg and a lot to learn. Here’s a bit of useless information for you…

The courthouse is one of the oldest buildings on site and was used until 1932, or 1939, I can’t remember which. They used the courthouse to try misdemeanors and used the Capitol to try felonies unless the person committing the felony was black. Then they were tried in the courthouse.

The buildings in Colonial Williamsburg exist today because of the fact they were built on brick foundations. Homes built directly on dirt did not stand the weather of time and have long since disappeared.

The population in Colonial Williamsburg was about 1,800 in it‘s time. There were more slaves than whites.

Thomas Jefferson did not care for Williamsburg at all calling it “Devilsburg.” He felt there were way too many taverns saying there was too much emphasis on the taverns and not enough emphases on learning. For this reason, Williamsburg was not chosen as the state capitol for Virginia.

Women had the same rights as men until she married.

If a married woman was found guilty of a crime, whatever punishment she was to receive, her husband received the same. So if the punishment was 10 lashes, her lucky husband received 10 lashes as well.

The “dentist” would use a T handle instrument to pull the tooth. Liquid opium was given to the patient after pulling the tooth as giving the narcotic before would make the patient nauseous.

Apothecary Shop - See anything
you need??

While Brian was in the Apothecary shop, he learned when brushing teeth, Colonist’s used a licorice like stick, “Dragon‘s Blood” (a resin), cinnamon and burnt alum. The stick was chewed until frayed, and with the “Dragon’s Blood” on their “toothbrush” started brushing!

Way back when, the colors red and purple were so expensive only royalty could afford the luxury until the British happened upon the West Indies where they were introduced to prickly pear “seeds.” Once these seeds were crushed they could easily and affordably make the colors red and purple. They took the seeds back to Great Britain where they planted the seeds only to be disappointed in their growth, or lack of growth. It wasn’t until the seeds were put under a microscope they learned they were not seeds at all but dried beetles with all legs and arms removed.

Would make a great Halloween
costume - Minus the corset
of course!!

As I visited the Milliner shop I started talking to another tourist standing next to me, “I swear the woman who wore that corset had the smallest waist I’ve ever seen!” As it turns out, the other tourist was visiting from Canada and actually worked in an attraction similar to Williamsburg. She proceeded to explain what I was looking at was not actually a corset but a “stay” and that particular stay was used on a child. She went on to explain it was similar to a corset but was not cinched as tight. A stay was used for women as well as children to help with posture. The woman who worked the Milliner shop agreed. In wearing one, I was told you’re totally unable to bend at the waist forcing the wearer to bend at the knees and aided in making you stand straight and tall. Oh, my mother would have had a hey day with that one! To this day she claims I have a bad habit of slumping.

We both agreed Williamsburg is something everyone must do at least once in their lifetime. If you go in the summer months, make sure to take LOTS of water as you’ll be paying big bucks for the stuff. A bottle of water currently runs $2.50 a bottle. No telling what it’ll cost next year. And wear good shoes as you’ll be doing a lot of walking and standing as you watch reenactments of our nations history during Colonial times.

Adios Critters!

We broke camp the next morning and high tailed it out of there. Away from the beach, away from the ocean and away from the mosquitoes. In fact, we couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Neither of us ate breakfast and I barely ran a comb through my hair before racing away. Both of us had had enough of those nasty little creatures and we didn’t want to stay any longer than was absolutely necessary.

While on Cape Hatteras we toured the Hatteras Lighthouse. Helping to guide ships on the Atlantic since 1870, the Hatteras Lighthouse stands 198.5 feet tall which makes it the tallest brick lighthouse in the country. It was built to help ships navigate around Diamond Shoals off Cape Hatteras, one of the most dangerous sites on the Atlantic Coast. Because of shifting coast lines, in 1999 the lighthouse was moved from its original location to safer ground about 2800 feet inland. We didn’t stick around to watch the film on how they moved the lighthouse but you can still see the original location close to shore. The inside of this lighthouse is fairly different compared to others we’ve seen. More detail went into the hand railing and on each landing you’ll find black and white marble squares laid in a diamond pattern. If you decide to climb to the top, we suggest wearing tennis shoes over flip flops as there’s a total of 256 stairs. It’s equivalent to climbing a 12 story building!

 

USS Lancaster Eagle Figurehead

On our way to Williamsburg we stopped at the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, VA for a few hours. It was really an interesting museum but to tell you the truth, I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more if I understood all those nautical terms. I’m still trying to figure out the difference between the aft and stern. And isn’t “port” a good wine?? A majority of the museum was dedicated to the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor but they did have a few figureheads on display which a volunteer explained that each ship had it’s own distinctive figurehead. Since most men didn’t know how to read or write, they were able to identify their ship by it’s figurehead. Kind of like the school busses for kids now days!!

Monitor's cannon in desalination process

The Monitor was the first ironclad built for the US Navy in 1862 and is most famous for it’s rotating turret housing two large guns. On December 31, 1862, while in tow, the Monitor sank during a severe storm off the coast of Cape Hatteras. The wreck was discovered in 1973 and since that time, it’s turret, cannon, anchor, propeller and personal effects of the crew was salvaged and are on display at the museum. What I found most interesting is that remains of two of it’s crew members were found in the turret which was discovered in an upside down position. The remains of the two crew members are at the Air Force Base in Hawaii, awaiting positive identification. And although they have a replica of the turret depicting the way it rested on the ocean floor, they have the original submerged in 90,000 gallons of water in an effort to desalinize the iron. It will take many years, but eventually will be allowed to dry out and placed on display with the other artifacts found.

We’re heading out the door to Williamsburg. See you there!

RUN!!!

Our next stop was the Outer Banks and all I have to say is RUN!!! Literally for your life!!! The mosquitoes are so bad they’re likely to drive a person insane. In fact, the last time I’ve ever seen mosquitoes as bad as the Outer Banks, was when we lived in Alaska where it’s been said the state bird is the mosquito. Ok, the mosquitoes weren’t as large in the Outer Banks as Alaska but you get the picture. The little bugger’s will actually eat you alive if you allow them. Day or night, rain or shine, they were there always waiting for just the right moment to make their move. But let me back up a bit and I’ll get to the mosquitoes later.

We arrived Swan Quarter just in time to board the ferry to Ocracoke. Now when I say we arrived just in time, I literally mean, just in time. We drove up, paid the $45 cash payment (because it took too long to run the card) and they immediately loaded our truck and trailer. We settled in for the 2 hour and 25 minute ferry ride and decided to head to the top deck for better views. Since the ferry left at 5pm, that meant we were blessed with a beautiful sunset just as we entered Ocracoke.

Ocracoke is rich in sea lore. Blackbeard, the infamous pirate who plundered the Carolina coast in the early 1700’s, was beheaded fighting his last battle just off Ocracoke at Teach’s Hole. Legend has it that his vast treasure may still be buried somewhere around the island so needless to say, you’ll find pirate paraphernalia and pirate booty just about every where you look.

 

Since starting this trip, we’ve gotten in the bad habit of sleeping in which means by the time we shower, shave, eat breakfast and whatever else, we don’t head out the door until mid-morning. It’s not all that bad, I can get used to this, but if we really want to sightsee, it’s nice to do so before the afternoon heat sets in. Our first morning in Ocracoke was no exception. We hopped on our bikes and headed toward the main part of town. Stopped in a couple of shops and decided to head over to the lighthouse. The Ocracoke lighthouse is North Carolina‘s oldest operating lighthouse. Standing at only 75 feet it’s stationary beam can be seen a full 360 degrees to a distance of 14 miles. Unfortunately, you can’t enter either the lighthouse or the lighthouse keepers residence. Even though we were disappointed, I suppose it was a good thing because it was over 90 degrees and I’m sure a lot hotter inside the lighthouse. We were hot and tired so after the lighthouse decided to peddle back to the 5’er and go out again later that night to a nice seafood dinner. “I’m just going to lay down and rest my eyes,” and before you know it, he’s out like a light and as you guessed it, we never made it to dinner.

The next morning we headed up the Carolina coast and decided to spend one last night camping by the beach before heading inland towards Williamsburg. There’s only a handful of RV parks on Cape Hatteras so decided to stay in one of the NC state parks at Oregon Inlet. We were aware we would not have any hookups but that didn’t matter. We had battery for power and 46 gallons of water in the tank. It was a cloudy day and didn’t need the ac so we figured we’d be good for the night. We sat up and with beach chairs slung over our shoulders and Emma in tow, headed for the beach. It really was a fantastic afternoon. Brian spent his time bodysurfing and I spent my time reading. Not a care in the world until we decided to head back to the 5‘er. As we were crossing the dunes I look up to see Brian’s madly swinging his arms around his head. “What in the world are you doing?” “Trying to keep the mosquitoes away!” The further we walk, the more they decide to attack and now they’re bothering me as well. I yelled, “Run!” and off we go. I would have liked to have seen us from a distance because I’m sure we were a sight to be seen. Like slap-stick comedy, we were running through the sand, waving our arms around our heads and bodies trying our best to keep the little pests away.

And that’s not the end of it. Since we didn’t have electricity, we didn’t have air conditioning so we had to sleep with the windows open. Thank God for screens but I know from experience that mosquitoes can wiggle their way through the tiniest of openings and screens are no exception. Besides being hot that night, the mosquitoes had a field day. I ended up with over 20 mosquito bites (I stopped counting at 20) with Brian only having a few which is totally not fair because he sleeps in his birthday suit!! And I swear the little buggers follow us from Ocracoke and multiplied as they followed us along the freeway!!

We’ll have to say, the Outer Banks is definitely a place you want to visit. The towns are quaint, the people are friendly, there are great fresh seafood stores everywhere and the beaches and Atlantic ocean is fantastic. But I’m warning you, if you do decided to visit, don’t forget to pack the mosquito spray!!!

Your Camera Ready???

We headed out the door and climbed into the truck. It was a beautiful morning, the fog still lingered in the air. For some reason, my cousin’s house is located in an area which seems to hold fog almost every morning. We drove through Floyd and turned on to the Blue Ridge Parkway soon arriving at Mabry Mill.

Mabry Mill

Mabry Mill is a beautiful little tourist attraction which houses a sawmill, woodworking shop, blacksmith shop and a gristmill and depicts what life in rural Virginia was all about in the early 1900’s. Edwin Mabry first started his enterprises with a blacksmith shop and later expanded his operations to include a sawmill, grist mill and the woodworking shop. By 1935, Edwin Mabry’s operations provided for the needs of the families in the nearby community. Today, Mabry Mill is one of the most photographed locations in the United States and of course, I had to take my share of photos as well. In fact, Mabry Mill is such a beautiful area that at one point Ohio along with Connecticut showed Mabry Mill on postcards enticing visitors to their state.

Pill

As we near the blacksmith shop, Terry tells me, “That’s my cousin.” Apparently, Terry could recognize his cousin’s voice even before entering the shop. We entered to find “Pill” hard at work hammering away on a hot piece of metal. We learned that Pill spends his summers at Mabry Mill hard at work making items which will eventually be sold. As we start to leave, Pill tells Terry to make sure to bring us back before we leave. We wonder around the grounds for a bit and headed back to the blacksmith shop where Pill was finishing up the last of two wrought iron hooks he made for me as a gift. He forged them to look like oak leaves and will really come in handy in our new home… once we finally settle down that is!

I’m glad you asked as I had to ask myself, what kind of name is Pill? As my cousin Terry tells it, apparently Pill’s given name is Eugene but he was such a handful, and that is putting it lightly, Pill’s uncle started calling him a “little pill” and the name stuck. To this day, no one really knows his given name, they just know him as Pill.

All along this trip Brian has been telling me to always keep my camera ready. Every time I turn around he wants me to take a picture of the beautiful countryside or some sign. And believe me, there’s quite a few unique signs out there. I’m sitting in the back seat of the truck, not paying much attention to the conversation going on in the front seat when I hear Brian, “Bear, bear… BEAR!” I look up to find the largest black bear I’ve ever seen sitting on the side of the road. As I’m scrambling to find my camera, rip it out of it’s case, turn it on and roll down the window all at the same time, Brian yells at me, “Take the picture, take the picture!” Now the problem with sitting in the back seat is the manufactures of these cars must think the only people who sit in the back seat are those 5 years of age or under, therefore, the child safety windows which means the flippin’ window wouldn’t roll down all the way! And as I’m struggling to maneuver my way to the top of the window, the seat belt locks into place, holding me down in the seat and not allowing me to move at all. Yep, you guessed it, in between Brian’s yelling, “Take the picture,” the child safety window and the locked seat belt, the bear takes it’s last look around, heads down the hill and back into the woods. Bear… One. Donna… Zero. I’ll never hear the end of this one!

Hugs to all… D and B

Virginia is for lovers!

We enjoyed Asheville and would definitely make the Asheville area our home if it wasn’t for Brandon and Lindsey and the lure of little grandbabies waiting for us in Denver. But leave we must as we still have a long way to go and for the first time on this trip I was never so happy to pull up camp as I did Wilson’s RV Park. We were both exhausted from sleep deprivation and it was beginning to show. I swear the traffic on the 240 never slowed and went on until all hours of the night.

It’s bad enough I’ve gained over 10 pounds while on this trip but then Chad comes along. Our nephew was waiting for us when we arrived Brian’s sister's house in Charlotte. Joanne was still at work and it was up to Chad to entertain us until she returned home. It was good to be able to catch up as it had been way too long since we’d last seen him. In fact, I can’t even remember how many years it’s been as he’s been living in St. Thomas for the last 12 years and since St. Thomas isn’t a place we visit regularly, in fact not at all, it’s been quite a long time since we’ve seen him. Chad is the root of all evil or should I say, Chad is the cause of another few pounds. You see, Chad is a chef and with 4 years of training at Cordon Bleu in Pittsburgh, he’s one heck of a chef. In fact, I haven’t had food as good as what Chad whips up at 5 star restaurants. The first night we arrived, Chad cooked Beef Bourguignon which would make Julia Childs cry with envy. Throughout our entire visit Chad was sautéing, reducing, pounding, whipping, squeezing and sprinkling along with all the other fancy terms he threw at us. I am proud to say, my nephew Chad, is the best cook/chef I’ve ever run across. And he’s also one heck of a teacher. He was patient enough to allow me to follow him around the kitchen as he was explaining what and why and teaching me chef tidbits here and there. I only wish I’d had more time to follow him around.

We stayed in Charlotte with Joanne and Chad a few days, watching movies, shopping and trying to help Chad locate a car. It was such a relaxing part of our trip I hated to move on but this party can’t last forever so move on we must. Off to Virginia to visit another cousin of mine in Christiansburg. My cousin Terry, is a hoot. He loves anything to do with the Civil War, genealogy and The Packers (Green Bay). As his sister says, “He’s a cornucopia of useless knowledge.” But he makes a great tour guide as his knowledge of Virginia and it’s history is endless.

Our first adventure was the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA. This was quite an interesting memorial and is one of the best war memorials I’ve ever seen and since Brian’s father served in the invasion of southern France in WWII, it made it all that more special. We paid a little extra and took the guided tour which we would highly suggest since it’s only $3 a person extra and you learn a bit of information you normally wouldn’t have if you were to venture out on your own. A lot of people ask why this memorial is situated in Bedford, VA, a community of only 6,312. During World War II, there were 30 soldiers from Bedford who were attached to Company A of the 116th Infantry Regiment which was part of the first wave of soldiers to hit Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. By the end of the day, 19 of the company’s Bedford soldiers were dead. In 1944, Bedford’s population was about 3,200 so proportionally, this community suffered the greatest per capita loss of life, therefore, Congress warranted the establishment of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford which opened in 2001.


The planning that went in to this memorial is really staggering. Each element of the memorial signifies events preceding and post June 6th. Along the outside wall you will find the name of every soldier lost on D-Day along with the names of the allies also lost on that day. It really is a shame not to visit this memorial at least once in your lifetime.

Well, tomorrow we’re off to Mabry Mill. See you there!

Enough is Enough!!

She had had enough and wasn’t going to take one more step. But she was a trouper and had already ascended most of the steps to the top. At 13, I was surprised she made it as far as she did. There’s over 1000 stairs to the different areas, and we took them all.

Top of Chimney Rock

Our day was spent at Chimney Rock State Park about 25 miles outside of Asheville. Chimney Rock is one of North Carolina’s newest state parks having been acquired in 2007. Chimney Rock is also known as the location where the last 17 minutes of the movie, The Last of the Mohicans, was filmed back in 1992.

Since Emma wasn’t allowed on the elevator, and I wouldn’t allow Brian to even think about setting one foot on the elevator, we started at the bottom and worked our way up. Of course, we had to stop for breaks and take in the views along the way, but the climb to the top was worth every painful step. And since Emma is an older dog, 91 in doggie years, we carried her as much as she would allow. You see, she’s a stubborn little thing. I used to take her hiking on North Mountain with me a couple times a week. Her tongue would be dragging and I’d pick her up only to have her pushing away from me 10 steps later. She would walk up and down the entire trail which is a fairly moderate hike. I enjoy hiking with Emma. She complains far less than Brian.

If you ever decide to hike in Chimney Rock State Park I suggest you take a lot of water as it tends to get hot and humid. And definitely reward yourself with ice cream which you can get at the gift shop. Our choice of weapon was Moose Tracks full of chocolate and caramel and who knows what else. Who cares? It was oh-so yummy!

We hiked the Skyline Trail to reach the top of Exclamation Point, the highest point in Chimney Rock. At an elevation of 2,480 feet, you have 75 mile views of Lake Lure, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the beautiful North Carolina countryside. We hiked the Outcroppings Trail and then hiked the Hickory Nut Falls Trail with the grand finale being Hickory Nut Falls a 404 feet waterfall where you can cool off in the pond below the falls. In all, we hiked about 3 miles and a little over 1000 stairs (double that for going down!) and then hiked out to the parking lot where our truck was located. And all 3 of us slept like babies that night.

Linn Cove Viaduct

Needless to say, we were dragging the next morning, but pulled our bodies out of bed and headed out the door to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway runs for 469 miles and was built to connect the Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. We entered the parkway in Asheville and drove north to the Linn Cove Viaduct which is one of the most photographed areas of the parkway. The Linn Cove Viaduct is part of a seven mile unfinished section of the parkway which was delayed for 20 years while authorities developed a way to protect the fragile slopes of Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina and was not completed until 1987. The Linn Cove Viaduct is most likely the portion of the parkway you will see in calendars but the best time to drive the parkway is not in summer, as we did, but in the fall when the leaves are at their brightest. Another trip maybe???

One tired puppy!!

There’s really not much to do along the parkway except appreciate the beauty of North Carolina and Virginia. We did stop in the small town of Little Switzerland for lunch. Not really sure why they call it Little Switzerland but it’s on the map and don’t blink, or you’ll miss it. There’s a large hotel and a café which doesn’t service hamburgers (I was so in the mood) but has great sandwiches and their chocolate cake is to die for. Not too rich but plenty of chocolate to let you know you’re in for a treat. Finding a parking spot was next to impossible which tells you it’s going to be good and they definitely delivered. If you’re ever in Little Switzerland make sure you stop for lunch. It’s not hard to find, it’s the only café in town.

So tomorrow we’re off to Charlotte tomorrow. We’ll meet you there!

I love just sitting and passing the time watching people as they walk by. Like the time we sat for a bit at the Farmers Market in Asheville. First there was the cute little girl walking by with ice cream running down her face and shirt. There wasn’t enough napkins in her mother’s purse to help that mess. The little old lady and her husband buying fresh tomatoes and practically shucking every ear of corn to find that perfect cob while the vender stood close by with arms crossed and frowning. Clearly not happy about the events in front of him. And then there were the crocs. A fashion faux pas if I’ve ever seen one. Florescent orange. Sky blue. Bright red. There was even a teenage boy wearing cammie crocs. Now that’s where I would draw the line! The joke around our house is that I’ll be buried in a pair if I‘m not a good girl. Shylers, I thought you loved me more than that.

And we did our fair share of stimulating Asheville’s economy at the Farmers Market. Tomatoes, green beans, egg plant, potatoes. All locally grown, all fresh and just for the two of us. You’d think I was buying for an army. Yes sir, an army of two. The tomatoes were great on our hamburgers. The green beans were stringy, even though the vendor told me exactly how to cook them before warning me they tended to be tough and stringy. I should have listened and chosen the “greasy green bean“ variety, whatever that is.

We had a great time in Asheville and to tell you the truth, if we didn’t love Brandon so much and the lure of little Drake grandbabies, we’d end our trip right now and right here in Asheville. We’ve always loved North Carolina and it will be hard to leave the state when the time comes.

We pulled into Wilson’s RV Camp just off the 240 Interstate. I suppose saying “off“ the 240 is putting it mildly. It‘s more like right next to the 240. In fact, you‘d think you had pitched your tent on the shoulder of the 240. The only good thing about Wilson’s RV Camp is it’s located on the French Broad river so you have spectacular views of the river. Don’t turn around though because there’s that 240 again. We paid for the next 4 nights and was told by the gentleman behind the counter to “go pick any spot.” So we did. We found a lovely spot next to the river. In fact, it was the only remaining spot next to the river so we considered ourselves lucky. We crawled out of the truck and set up camp. Leveled the trailer the best we could. I still think those bubbles are off! Brian unhooked the truck from the trailer, pulled out the awning and set out the lawn chairs. I was just getting ready to start dinner when Brian came in, “We have to move.” “What? What do you mean we have to move? We just got here.” John, a 76 year old retired salesman, who used to make $200,000 a year but now lives on $1000 a month Social Security, living out of his boat because somebody screwed him out of $800 and a trailer and blah, blah, blah (my mind drifted after that) had apparently paid for that spot and wanted it back. And he was starting to get nasty about it. Brian had me call the manager, whom we just left at the front office. Since I couldn’t understand a word he was saying, I handed the phone to Brian. Not that he wasn’t speaking English, he sported a heavy southern accent and talked something like Boomhauer from King of the Hill. I couldn’t understand a word that came out of that man’s mouth! We were both shocked when “Boomhauer” told Brian, “You tell him to go find another spot.” We could see where that argument was heading. “911. What’s your emergency?” “ We’ve got a mad man fighting us for our camp spot. Send somebody fast! We’re right off the 240, uhhhh, more like, on the 240.” Being the understanding individuals we are, we packed it up and moved. We spent the next 4 sleepless nights listening to semi’s exiting the 240 right behind our trailer. And what is it with those Jake Brakes anyway? I swear those truck drivers do that on purpose!

The Grand Staircase

Our first day was spent at the Biltmore Estates. Someone told us they’d heard tickets to the Biltmore are $60 a person. Wow! They weren’t that much the last time I visited but that was a long time ago. In fact, almost 10 years ago. A little internet investigation and sure enough, $60 a pop. A little more research and we were fortunate enough to find a location where we could purchase tickets for $50 a person. Honestly, I would have rather done something else as I didn’t think the entry prices were worth it but Brian had never been to the Biltmore. Even though the entry fees were steep, I’m glad we went. The grounds are absolutely breath taking and the house itself… well, one can only dream.

George Washington Vanderbilt completed the 250 room mansion in 1895 (including 43 bathrooms) when he was still a bachelor. He was an avid reader, owning over 23,000 books. He kept a log of the books he read and from the time he started keeping track to the time he passed away, he had read 3,045 books. He was once dubbed ,“The best read man in America.” The house is absolutely gorgeous and George Vanderbilt thought of everything. He included a secret door and passageway on the second floor behind the library’s chimney, which Vanderbilt designed for use by his guest. This allowed his guests to slip downstairs, perhaps in their night clothes, and select a bedtime book to read without having to descend the grand spiral staircase in the center of the home. Along with the massive library, his guests would find an indoor heated swimming pool, complete with an underwater lighting system that is still operational today. And if his guests weren’t up for a swim, they had the option of either working out in the state of the art weight room or they could bowl at the indoor bowling alley.

Biltmore Conservatory

And the grounds of the Biltmore are absolutely beautiful. Plants that where not purchased were prorogated in the various greenhouses and displayed around the original 125,000 acres in formal gardens or in the Conservatory. If you ever get the chance, we highly recommend a visit to the Biltmore Estates. We would definitely recommend shelling out the extra $10 for the audio tour as it gives a better insight into the Vanderbilt family and how they lived on the estate.

Our next journey will be to the top of Chimney Rock. See you there!

Oh fuuuuuddddge!

What was THAT??? As it turned out, “THAT“, was a blown tire and yes, you guessed it…on the fifth wheel. We had just left Mississippi heading to Georgia through Alabama when we heard a muffled “bam” and what felt like something had a hold of the truck and trailer for a minute second then let go again. “Pull over, I’m not feeling very comfortable with this. We need to check it out.” So Brian pulls to the side of the road. We get out and each walk down our side of the truck and trailer. “I don’t see anything wrong over here,” Brian yells to me. “I see the problem.” He wanders around my side of the trailer and there you have it, a blown tire. Not flat, but shredded to smitherings. As I’m standing there watching him change the tire his favorite movie, Christmas Story, popped into mind. “Time me!” “Oh fuuuuudddddge!”

Savannah and Charleston are both towns surrounded by a boat load of history. Between the two cities, there’s over 600 years of history which equates to a lot of zzzzz’s in history class.

Johnson Square

Savannah, “Georgia’s First City,” is known for it’s park like squares originally intended to provide colonists space for military exercises. To this date, 22 of the original 24 squares still exist, all of which are part of Savannah’s historic district. Charleston is known as “The Holy City” due to it’s many churches for the fact it was one of the few cities in the original thirteen colonies to provide religious tolerance. Charleston is also known for The Battery and Ft. Sumter.


The movies, Forrest Gump, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Something to Talk About, and Forces of Nature (just to name a few) were filmed in Savannah. The Patriot, Cold Mountain, The Notebook, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Dear John (again, just to name a few), were filmed in Charleston.

Lady & Sons

Both cities are situated on the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They both have beautiful historical districts and they’re both fun cities to visit. But Savannah has what Charleston doesn’t and that’s Paula Deen and of course, all I have to say is “food” and Brian’s up for a good meal any time of the day!! We arrived at Lady & Sons at 11am. Now Paula has become so famous, her restaurant no longer takes reservations for parties under 10. You submit your name to the hostess and she’ll tell you when you can return to eat. It‘s a first come first served basis. At 11 in the morning, the only times left for a party of two were on the second floor in the bar at 2:15 or 3:30. Or we could come back at 9 o’clock that night for a table on the ground floor.

At 2:15 we were escorted to the bar where we were placed, not at a table in the bar, but at the bar itself. Now, eating at the bar wouldn’t have been so bad in itself, but Brian sat through the entire meal talking to the gentleman next to him while the wives, who where to the outside of their husbands, sat and ate in silence. Brian wasn’t at all impressed with the food and thought it over priced. For the most part, I enjoyed the food and also thought the prices a little high but given the fact it was Paula Deen’s restaurant, it was all relative. I can now mark that one off my Bucket List.

Tybee Island, GA
Lighthouse

While in Savannah we stayed on Tybee Island which we both thoroughly enjoyed. Every evening was spent bicycling on the beach and watching Georgia’s sunsets. We toured Tybee Island’s lighthouse which is the oldest lighthouse in Georgia. The bottom 60 feet of the lighthouse date back to 1773. The upper 94 feet were built in 1867. What I was amazed to learn is the walls of the tower are over 12 feet thick at the base of the lighthouse! The light from the lens is the original Fresnel lens and can be seen 18 miles out to sea. From the top, are beautiful views of Tybee Island and the Atlanta ocean. During the day we strolled through the streets of Savannah, ending up on River Street which is one of the oldest areas of Savannah and where you’ll find original cobble stone streets.

The Marsh land at
James Island

In Charleston we stayed at the James Island County Park & Campground on James Island which happens to be one of the most family and dog friendly park we’ve yet to see. They had just about everything you could possibly wish including a lake, climbing wall, water park, crabing & fishing, bike paths and dog park. Again, our evenings were spent on our bikes with our days touring Charleston. To get a feel of the city, we took a carriage ride which neither Brian nor myself thought was as good as our carriage ride in New Orleans. We chose the Palmetto Carriage (you’ll recognize them by their big red barn) for the hour long tour which seemed to wander aimlessly through the streets of Charleston. We felt they really didn’t show us much, missing a lot of the sights we noticed the other carriage companies toured. Our guide was great and the company itself was great but we would definitely recommend another company should you ever decide to tour Charleston by carriage.

Lunch was at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company which has the best hush puppies, and I’m going to go out on a limb here and say they have the best hush puppies in the world! I tried to con our waiter into giving me the recipe but he wasn’t about to fork it over. I’ve tried looking for the recipe on the internet but I’m not that lucky. Oh, I found their recipe but it’s an old recipe. They’ve changed their ingredients and they’re not giving out the new “secret?” recipe. Drats! Because they’re THAT good!

While in Charleston, we toured Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens and Ft. Sumter. Boone Hall is touted as being “America’s Most Photographed Plantation” and I can certainly understand why. There’s a half mile allée of live oak trees leading to the plantation which were planted in 1743. The moss-draped branches meet overhead creating a natural corridor and a scene which one will remember for quite some time. Nine of the twenty seven slave quarters still exist on the grounds. The gardens of Boone Hall Plantation which are home to antique roses that date back more than 100 years are a little unkept but are still worth viewing. The plantation itself is still a working plantation continuously growing and producing crops for over 320 years. Today, the plantation produces peaches, strawberries, tomatoes and pumpkins as well as many other fruits and vegetables. We were only allowed to tour the ground floor of the house since it is a privately owned home and the owners still occupy the second floor. If you’ve ever seen the movie, The Notebook, you might recognize Boone Hall. The front of the Calhoun house is actually the Boone Plantation and a couple of scenes were filmed at the lake and grounds of the Boone Plantation.

Ft. Sumter is where the first shots of the Civil War began on April 12, 1861. When constructed, it stood 3 stories tall and was practically reduced to rubble due to the war. What’s most interesting about Ft. Sumter is not only was it used during the Civil War, it was also used during the Spanish-American War along with WWI and WWII. Today, you can still see some of the original cannons and there are also shells from the Civil War which are lodged in the walls.