WE'RE HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We drove all day yesterday, through the California desert and about 20 miles before we were going to get to where we needed to exit the 99 freeway, we kept seeing "road closed" and "detour" signs. So we chose to get off early in Kingsburg and come home the way we used to before the new freeways were built. We later learned that we were so lucky to not have come through earlier as there was a 100 car pileup on the freeway. It was our lucky day to have made several stops along the way (for diesel and lunch) in which may have possibly saved our lives.

Rachel, Jeff, the boys and the dogs met us at Academy & Shaw and we said our "hello's" and took Ben, the 7 year old grandson, home with us. We were anxious to see the boys and Rachel was anxious for us to relieve her of at least one of them for the rest of the weekend. She is spoiled by having us live so close to her as we usually have one or both of the boys on the weekends and she had them for the past 7 weeks. Plus, Ben is helpful around the house, so we figured he could come in handy in emptying the motorhome.

We started into the foothills and I actually got butterflies in my stomach as I looked at all the beauty we take for granted. It is so beautfiul in the foothills with the Sierras as the backdrop. That is why we moved here and we've come to appreciate just how beautiful it really is by visiting the 30 states we traveled through on this trip. We are so fortunate to live in such beauty. We got home around 3pm and I couldn't wait to see Scruffy, my pound puppy, that we had to leave home with his grandparents. Even though we knew he was well taken care of, we missed him. As soon as we pulled in, he came running down the hill from their house so fast with the dirt kicking up behind him as he ran. First he saw Lincoln and ran excitedly over to him and then he noticed me and jumped over everything in his way to get over to me. He almost bowled me over. (He's pretty big, probably around 70 or so pounds.)

We went up to Joe & Glee's for a quick visit. Mike's Aunt Emma Jo was visiting from Phoenix, so we got to see her too. Then, we couldn't put off the inevitable any longer.....we went back down and begun empyting the MH.

Ooooh, the house looked so good and so huge. We worked for a few hours and then were exhausted. Mike went to bed by 8:00, I was still trying to wade thru 7 weeks of mail. I'd only gotten through a little bit and by 9:30, I couldn't stay awake any longer. It will all be there in the morning. Mike feels it will take him a week to get the MH and the property back in shape and I think it will take that long to wade thru the mail and the bills, etc. Oh well, small price to pay for a once in a lifetime trip that we were so fortunate to have been able to make.

In looking back on the trip, we've asked each other what our favorite places were. I truly loved Macinac Island in Michigan. Next to that, there really wasn't anything that I would care to see again. Mike can't say that there is anything he really cares to visit again. When I pushed him for an answer, he said perhaps Bar Harbor & the Acadia Nat'l Park in Maine and the Blue Ridge Mountains. We both agreed that we are mountain people and will have to do our vacationing where mountains are in sight.

I hope everyone enjoyed our travels.....almost as much as we did. I'm going to miss writing.....perhaps I'll create a blog about something else...hmmm....what could I write about....real estate perhaps????
Love,
Jeri

California here we come...right back where we started from!

We're back....in California at least. Its Friday evening and we're parked somewhere between Needles and Barstow in the middle of the desert off of the freeway. We traveled alot today, leaving from Grants, NM this morning, going all thru Arizona and now we're in CA.

We were so excited as we entered California...that is until we pulled off the freeway in Needles to look for diesel and were welcomed by the highest diesel prices we've ever seen in our lives....$3.89 per gallon! Yikes! When we left, the prices were around $2.85 and everywhere we went they were higher. We called Ron Sustaric at home to see what the prices are there and they are indeed cheaper than $3.89, but we don't have enough to last until Barstow where the prices are hopefully less. So Mike just put in about 10 gallons and still kicked himself until we parked for the night. Never has he paid that much for fuel in his life.

On a positive note....the mountains are so beautiful and its dry and clear. I love it. I love California. I can't believe tomorrow will be 7 weeks that we've been gone. Can anyone believe it? We made it! And we're still speaking? Of course....there's still a full day of driving ahead of us.

I SEE MOUNTAINS!

And that makes me very happy! We are camped out again in the Walmart parking lot; this time in Grants, New Mexico. We're not too far from the Arizona border.

It was once again a very long day of driving. We left Texas this morning shortly after 8am and got here tonight at 10:00pm. It was a very uneventful day.....Mike driving and me reading and sleeping. Oh....yes...I'm very relaxed. I can't say as much for Mike though.

I perked up as we neared Albuquerque when I started to see the mountains. Ooooh, I them them so. The humidity is back to what we are used to and my hair is back to normal and I also noticed that the rings on my fingers are loose. My fingers apparently swell when its humid.

Tomorrow will no doubt be another long day of driving, unless we find somewhere we'd like to explore. I'll keep you posted.

Ben, the Protector

So, I finally found out what happened at school that would make such a passive kid get into a fight....Apparently a kid was pushing a friend of Ben's around and he couldn't run away because he has braces on his legs. So Ben came to his defense and got into a fight with the bully kid....who Ben had thought was also his friend. He was able to go back to school today, but I think he should be praised instead of punished and the other kid should have a serious talking to.

Just thought I'd update ya'all (Texas talk) on what happened.

Still in the Lone Star State

We left Conroe, TX. late this morning and headed North and then West. It was a long day of driving...nothing exciting. I got to read the book I bought yesterday and Mike got to drive. Sounds pretty equal, doesn't it?

We're camped out in Walmart again in Wichita Falls, TX. and so we should be in New Mexico tomorrow....probably another day of driving. Sorry there's nothing exciting to report! Happy Halloween.

An enjoyable day with Fred & Beth

We spent the day with Fred & Beth just hanging out. We visited in the motorhome for a while and then went to lunch. We requested Mexican food (of course) and they said there are alot of good Mexican restaurants around, but took us to one of their favorites called "Chuys". It was delicious!!!! Mike thinks it was better than the Elko, NV. restaurant, but I don't agree. Either way, it was a great lunch.

After lunch, we went on a hunt for a book store as I was looking for a particular book. We eventually found it at Barnes & Noble. I wanted a good book to read on our long drive home thru the deserts!

We came back to the MH and visited until dark and then they had to leave because Fred worked all night and only slept 2 hours this morning. He really needed to go home to sleep.
We had a very enjoyable, relaxing day. It was a nice visit. We hope they come out our way to visit in the near future.

Right after they left, I got a call from Rachel saying that Ben got kicked out of school today! My perfect Ben! I cannot believe that. I wish I was home to talk to him. Apparently he was in a fight at school....which doesn't sound like him at all. I can't wait to hear the details as Rachel learns them. She just found out as she left work and got the messages on her cell phone. (She's not allowed to have her cell on at work.) He is going to miss out on all the Halloween parties tomorrow at school. So being kicked out of school during this particular week is extra bad. He can go back on Thursday. Stay tuned for details....

We're in Conroe, Texas

We made it to Conroe, Tx. by mid-afternoon after about a 3 hour drive from where we were camped out in a Marshall, Tx. Walmart. We found a nice campground near Fred's house and chose a private spot that they call "a premium lake front lot". We laughed when we saw the spot. It was very nice, but the lake is really a pond. Oh well, it looks pretty.

We quickly set-up the MH and then spent the rest of the day at Fred & Beth's home. Lincoln went too. It was the first time met his Texas dog relatives as they have two large dogs. Of course, Lincoln thought he was big and tough....but they all got along fine after the initial nervousnes of meeting new dogs.

It was good to see Fred & Beth. They are both looking good, Fred as thin as always. Mike commented that you can't tell they're related! Fred barbequed rib-eye steaks and made garlic bread from the bread that he personally made. He works at a large Texas supermarket in the bakery dept. Dinner was good as well as the Texas ice cream called Blue Bell. We left their home late and headed back "home". We planned to meet tomorrow and spend the day together. Fred has to go into work tonight at 11:00pm and work until 7:30am....so we'll see tomorrow what time he's ready to get together. While we wait for them to call us, we'll sit and enjoy our "lake views".
"

We're in our 28th state!

That's the big ole state of Texas!

We left Hot Springs this morning and headed towards Crater of Diamonds State Park, about an hour and a half away. The weather was perfect and it was a bright, sunny day. We walked around the visitor center, admiring all the photos of the diamonds that have been found there, including a 1.55 carat found just last week! We felt out of place after seeing people coming in with their digging gear. Apparently these were serious diamond seekers. They said that some diamonds are just found laying on top of the dirt, some are found with minor dirt moving and others with serious digging.

So, we just headed out there hoping of course to find diamonds just waiting for us to see them. That didn't happen. We turned down a row and I found a spot and just started kicking the dirt with my shoes. I found some rocks and bent down to inspect and fell over. That would have made a funny video, but we didn't bring the camera in with us....just the digital. And, we forgot to take photos at that! Hoping no one saw me fall, I just sat down and starting digging with my fingers. Mike was looking elsewhere, so luckily he didn't see me fall either, so I was saved from being made fun of. I really got into it. I loved playing in the dirt. I wished I had a trowel or something to use. I found a small rock and dug with that. Then Mike saw me digging away and gave me his pocket knife to use. He wasn't too enthusiatic and wanted to leave. He was tired and hungry and kept asking me how long I was going to dig. So, I only dug for about a half hour and quit. If I had been prepared, I could have dug for hours. I found some rocks for the grandsons and I to clean and check out....but nothing that looks like diamonds. So we left as diamond poor as we came in. Oh well. It was an experience. Sorry Mom....no diamonds!

Then we continued on our journey south and ended up in another Walmart parking lot in Marshall, TX. We're probably about 4 hours from Conroe, TX., where we are headed tomorrow to visit Mike's son Fred.

We're still in Hot Springs, Arkansas

Well, today was rather a boring day for those wanting some exciting information.
Both of us were feeling drained...I think all of the traveling has caught up to us and on the same day! Good news....it NOT humid! The weather is absolutely perfect. I actually had a good hair day.
We didn't even even leave the MH til about 11:00 and then headed out to find this Mexican restaurant that is advertised as the best Mexican food in the entire State of Arkansas. So....I had to try it. It took us a while to find it, getting lost twice. We found it, yeah! Anyway, it started off well with very good chips and so-so salsa. Actually, my food was good. Mike didn't care for his too much and brought part of it home for Lincoln. Lincoln loved it by the way.

Then we decided to drive into the Hot Springs Nat'l Park, expecting to find spectacular sights as in most National Parks. However, we drove and drove and realized that all the shops and things we kept seeing WERE the National Park. We can't really understand why they call it a National Park other than the hot springs that they've apparently turned into resorts. Oh well.

After driving all around and feeling drained, we decided to come back and do laundry. We had 5 loads to do. Or should I say "I" had 5 loads to do. Several hours later, laundry clean, we ventured into town to find dinner. (Too tired to cook too.) We found a cheap Chinese buffet and ate there. It was good for the price. Although we feel hungry now just an hour later!

I'm filling in alot of my time working. I know...I'm not supposed to work. However, I love my work and I love helping people find what they are looking for or getting my listings sold. I'm working on some deals and that's keeping me busy while Mike relaxes and watches TV.

BUT, tomorrow I'm looking forward to something that is exciting to me. And MOM, you're going to be jealous. We're going to the only DIAMOND mine in the United States. Its about an hour from where we are now and you better believe we'll be going there! I bet I'll keep you all checking in tomorrow to see if I'm rich with diamonds! Stayed Tuned,
Jeri

OK, so now we're in Arkansas!

So, its not somewhere I ever envisioned myself going.....however, since we are heading back west via Texas, it made sense to go via Arkansas. We are heading towards the Houston area to visit Fred, Mike's son.

We left the nice campground in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee after taking a walk around the area. It was a nice campground with lots of picnic areas. I wish we had areas like that near us. It was very inviting for get-togethers. We just decided to keep heading west on route 64...a scenic byway. It was a long day of driving. the terrain in parts of Tenn. was nice and rolling and then flattened out and was flat all the way thru Arkansas. We went thru Little Rock and then veered southwest towards Hot Springs National Park. We figured that we may as well check out another National Park even tho we never thought of doing so. It started getting a little hilly as we grew closer to the park area. It was dark and found a KOA near the park. We got settled in the nice park and were told that we can even order pizza to be delivered to our MH! Can you believe how we are roughing it? I ordered the pizza and it was delivered about 25 minutes later and can you believe, it was one of the best pizza's I've ever had! Wow. What a pleasure and a surprise at that.

We ate and then I had to take Lincoln out for a walk. The weather is absolutely perfect. It was 8:30pm and 67 degrees and perfect. Great sleeping weather. I love it. We'll check out the Nat'l. Park tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.

It's Tennessee today!

We left our Walmart campground in Perry, GA. this morning and headed north. We had no idea where we were going...so we just went north. We decided to get into Tennessee and then get on the side, scenic roads going West in Tenn. As soon as we entered Tennessee, the rolling hills began. Gone were the flatlands. The further west we went, we started seeing the green trees turning colors. The homes started getting more stately too; large, beautiful and statuesque on huge green lots. I must say, it was pretty impressive.

We ended up in Lawrenceburg, TN. at the Davey Crockett State Park. Its a very nice campground. Apparently this is where Davey Crockett was from and eventually became a Congressman in the early 1800's. I didn't know he was a real person before today. I thought he was a fictional character. (Well, I was known to sleep thru History classes!)

Anyway, we'll probably leave in the morning and head towards Memphis and then who knows where. It was a pretty uneventful day otherwise. Mike caught me sleeping several times during his long driving day. (Note the photo on the right.)

We're in Georgia now.

We went to the beach shortly after 8:00 this morning. It was already 78 degrees. We found this other beach where you could drive right onto the beach. That was cool. We walked over to the water and I got in up to my knees. Mike had enough just at his ankles and had enough after 5 minutes. (He's not a huge ocean person.) I talked him into walking along the water (me up to my knees and him just around his feet) for about 20 minutes and then we had enough and left. The sand was so soft and the water was warm. Still, there was no "ocean smell" that we have on the Pacific. No one has been able to tell us why? Its really bothering us not knowing why.

Anyway, we packed up and left after deciding to head to Tennessee. Tonight we are about and hour and a half south of Atlanta, camped in a Walmart parking lot. When we pulled in, we noticed a BBQ place right there too! Guess what we had for dinner? Finger licking good ribs. Actually, they were "OK". The macaroni and cheese it came with was very good.

After dinner, our big night ended up with us shopping at Walmart! What a nice evening in Georgia. We finally hit rain about 5 minutes after we left our campground this morning. Then it was off and on for most of the drive north. It got scary at times.

I had Mike take a photo of my "growing hair" today. I wish I wouldn have thought about taking a picture in the past week when its really been huge. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it. Please note that I am sitting at the table in the MH with the computer in front of me in the Walmart parking lot.

We're in Florida

We left Charleston this morning to head south. No real destination.....just south. We were hoping to find less humid weather...but it wasn't looking that way as we continued on our drive south.

We went thru the eastern part of Georgia and entered Florida. It started getting late and we

ended up finding a campground in St. Augustine, FL., which is south of Jacksonville. It was even hotter and about the same humidity. So, we settled into the MH, turned on the air and just vegged out. I don't remember if I mentioned a while back the the front air conditioner stopped working. I may not have mentioned it because it was a non-issue due to the cool weather we had in the northeast. But, now it IS an issue since we're into the hot, muggy weather. Luckily, once we stop driving and get the diesel engine from producing heat, we are able to cool down the whole MH just from running the bedroom A/C.

So, we were cooled down and relaxed and Mike suggested we take a drive to check out the beach. I was up for that because I'd at least like to say I had my feet in the Atlantic ocean and see what it feels like. We took the Jeep for a 15 minute drive to the beach, by now it was almost dark. The sign said no dogs were allowed, so Mike said he'd stay at the car and I could go dip my feet in the water. (We couldn't leave Lincoln in the car because it was too hot.)

WOW! I could not believe it! The sand is white and soft, not hard on the feet like the Pacific Ocean sands. Then I walked to the water and WOW again! It was so warm! I didn't want to leave! I wanted to just stay there for hours! Can you believe that this 50 year old never felt this kind of beach before? We're going to head back to the beach first thing in the AM tomorrow, leaving Lincoln in the MH. I'll let you know how it is.

A funny thing happened though when we got back from the drive to the beach. We pulled up to the MH, I opened the door and my glasses fogged up!!!! I've never had that happen like that before. It was certainly weird (and humid).

Late night update: Its about 10:20pm and I just took Lincoln out before I went to bed. Its still 81 degrees out and probably 90% humidity. I was out just 3 minutes with him and my skin was wet and clammy. We are so spoiled in our dry climate, but this makes me love it even more.

Last day in Charleston, SC

We stayed in Charleston yet another day today. It was hot and humid. The 80+ degrees wouldn't be so bad if not for the humidity. It sure makes us appreciate where we live. AND, I have not had a good hair day in so long. Not only does Mike laugh at my crazy hair, it makes me laugh hysterically. Its wild and huge! I am also being eaten alive by mosquitos. I just took Lincoln out for a 4 minute bathroom walk and I have about 6 bites!

We started out our day going on the Harbor cruise of Historic Charleston. It was nice. If I have to compare, for those of you who haven't been on the east coast, the West is much better. The harbor cruise we took in Seattle a couple of years ago was so much more interesting with so many beautiful sights than anything we've seen here. Oh well. We wouldn't know unless we tried it. This trip is given us a great appreciation for the West. And still...we were on the Atlantic ocean today and NO smell? No one has given us an answer as to why there is no ocean smell?

After our cruise, we went down to Market Street to do some shopping. It was so funny because we are not used to paying for parking. So when we felt fortunate to find a parking space on one of these tiny city streets, we parked, got out of the car, and started walking to the shopping area. We were gone about 45 minutes when all of a sudden it dawned on me that we didn't put any money in the parking meter! Our hearts started racing thinking that either we were going to find a ticket on our windshield or find our car towed away! We were afraid to look as we got closer. I got there first and saw the car and no ticket. Then I went to the meter and you wouldn't believe it.....there was ONE MINUTE left on it! Apparently whoever parked there before us still had time on it and we got back with one minute to spare. Can you believe it?
We felt fortunate and hungry so we found a place called "Tbone Bar & Grill" and went for lunch. It was very good. I had a shrimp salad and it was the best shrimp I have ever had.

After shopping and our late lunch, we decided to go back home rest and get in the airconditioning. We stayed there the rest of the day. OH, and I got my e-mail fixed, finally. So feel free to e-mail! Tomorrow we'll be leaving and heading towards Florida. We'll let you know where we end up.

Tours in Charleston, SC

We took two tours today. The first was of the Bigelow tea growers. Their place is called "Charleston Tea Plantation". You probably heard of Bigelow tea, but perhaps not Charleston Tea Plantation. It is the only place in North American that grows and processes and packs the tea all in one place. Because the area is so hot and humid, it is the perfect place to grow the tea. We toured the factory where it goes from picking the tea leaves you see in one of the photos on the right, to processing and packing them. We learned that green tea takes very little processing, then Oolong tea that we normally get in a Chinese restaurant, takes the next amount of processing and finally, black tea, takes the most. However, the most is about 18 hours. So it goes from picking to processing that quickly for the longest procesing tea.

From there, we went to Historic downtown Charleston. We signed up for a small bus tour of the downtown area and for a harbor cruise. We didn't have time today for the cruise, so we will take that tomorrow. We had to chose between a bus tour or a buggy tour, but after we saw the people packed on the buggy like sardines, we decided to take the bus tour. We saw some beautiful historic homes. As tour guides go, they can either make or break a tour and this guy kind of broke it for us. He drove the bus and talked at the same time, so he wasn't very enthusiastic and quite monotone and sometimes hard to understand. I watched people around us and they were also making comments about him. But, we just concentrated on the sights and tuned him in and out as needed.

Sometime between the tea tour and the bus tour, Mike got a headache. It apparently got worse and by the end of the tour, he couldn't stand the pain anymore. We had planned to go to this ribs restaurant that is supposedly the best ribs around, called "Sticky Fingers." We did go, but he couldn't eat. So I ate a little bit and then boxed up the rest to take back home. As soon as we got back to the MH, he took some Advil and went to bed. He slept for several hours and woke up feeling much better.

Tomorrow we will go on the harbor cruise. I am really looking forward to that. I love cruises....no matter how big or small the boat is or how short the ride is!

We made it to CHARLESTON, SC.

We came to Charleston by way of Myrtle Beach, SC. We wanted to check it out as we've heard of Myrtle Beach, but didn't know what it was about. Well.....you really couldn't get to the beaches unless you were at one of the hotels. It seems that these large hotels monopolize the beachfront. The town itself was just tourist trap after tourist trap....so we decided to move on to our original destination of Charleston. One good thing is that the weather is so beautiful. It was about 80, sunny and clear. BUT, we still don't smell the ocean. Doesn't the Atlantic ocean have that ocean smell that we are so accustomed to on the West Coast? Does anyone know? Its a very strange feeling to be at the ocean and not have that wonderful smell! And that's especially strange for my native Californian husband.

I neglected to mention what we were looking for while checking out the town and at the same time see the beach.....a Mexican restaurant! I've gone thru withdrawals after almost 4 weeks with no Mexican food and as we were driving closer to Myrtle Beach, we started seeing advertisements for Mexican restaurants. By the time we got there...I NEEDED Mexican food. Nothing else would do. Well, we found them....however, none of them seemed to open until dinner! We started out at 10am, thinking we'd have breakfast....then it was lunchtime and so we were sure they'd open for lunch...but..oh no.....for some stupid reason, they all chose to open for dinner. By this time, we were really starving and I reallllly needed Mexican food. I was ready to settle for Taco Bell, I was so desparate. Then we couldn't even find a Taco Bell!!!!

Now it was around 1:00 and we decided to just go back to where we had parked the MH, reattached the Jeep and headed to Charleston. We were about 10 minutes out of Myrtle Beach and lo and behold...there was a Mexican restaurant that was open! Mike didn't even have to ask. He pulled the motorhome into the adjoining shopping center parking lot and I was out the door! I have to say....it was sooooo good! And pretty cheap to! Oh, I felt so much better and was once again, a "happy camper".

We arrived in Charleston, after going over some very high (and scary) bridges and stumbled across an RV park. It is very reasonably priced, has cell phone and internet reception, but no satellite. Oh well. There's nothing on Saturday's anyway. We ended up watching a movie that I bought at one of the Walmarts on clearance.....The General's Daughter. It was pretty good.

Oh, before we watched the movie, we went for a walk, but had to cut it short as the mosquitos were enjoying me for dinner. Mike didn't even get one bite, as ususal. I guess its my sweet blood. We've picked up a bunch of brochures of things to do and there's so much to see....you'll have to stayed tuned to see what we end up doing. I think we'll be here for a few days at least.
Until tomorrow...
Jeri

No photos today...driving all day.

We made alot of distance today as we left Virginia, drove thru North Carolina (there wasn't anything we really wanted to see there) and went half way thru South Carolina.

We kept hearing about tornados to the south and west of us and we were trying to get out of the pathways of any bad storms. Apparently we outran them as it is almost 9:30pm and we are once again camped out at a Walmart, this time in Florence, South Carolina,. Its not too far from the coast. We will get there in the morning. However, its still 77 degrees and about 80% humidity.

I spotted a nice looking steak house not too far from Walmart, so we went there for dinner. Everything about the meal was fantastic. From the Ranch dressing on my salad, the great homemade whole wheat bread and to the unbelievable steaks we had. No complaints here....except when the bill came. Actually, the prices were pretty comparable to any steakhouse we normal go to. Mike ordered a Margarita, so I thought I would order a drink. For those of you who know me well.....I do not drink. But, I was relaxed and daring, so I chose a Pina Colada. I thought I couldn't go wrong with that sweet choice. Well, that too was excellent and I drank it all. However, a short time later I started to notice that I was getting a hot flash.....and I haven't gotten hot flashes.....so.....now I've got one more reason not to drink! (And I'll save alot of money and calories too!)

Lincoln always gets excited when he sees us carrying a "white box" when we come home from eating out. He saw the box and then got a whiff of the steaks inside and went crazy. He was so excited that I felt guilty about not giving it to him. But it was so good, we are looking forward to the left overs for lunch tomorrow! Sorry Lincoln.

After dinner I went into Walmart to look for a Temperpdic pillow for Mike. Not for his head...but for his rear end. You see, ever since we left, it seems that when he sits for more than a half an hour driving, he gets a pain in his lower back that radiates down his hip and to his rear end and down his leg. It seems he has a pinched nerve and all the driving is aggrevating it. So, we thought that if he sat on one of those pillows, it may help relieve some of the pressure. I'll let you know how it works tomorow!

Oh, while Mike was doing all this driving thru the states today, I was daydreaming about my next vacation! Its been just about 5 weeks already and I'm liking vacations! Anyway, Rachel has booked a weekend cruise to Mexico on Feb. 29th on Royal Carribean, Friday-Monday to celebrate her 30th birthday. So...I started thinking that I would join her and take Lauri with me as a gift for her upcoming 50th birthday. (She doesn't want a party). I talked to David and he wants to go too. So.....anyone who wants to join us,let me know. The more the merrier and the prices are great. Anywhere from $229. per person on up...depending on the cabin you book. Its pretty cheap for room and board and entertainment! Lets plan a big gathering that weekend! Come on everyone!

Quick Comment

If anyone tried to e-mail me and it was returned to you...try it again. I called my e-mail server and he said that if my trash was full, then it was reject any new e-mails. So, I emptied the trash and hopefully I can get all of your e-mails.

Thanks,
Jeri

Blue Ridge Mountains

We hardly slept last night as the traffic going by the Walmart campground (parking lot) was soooo loud. We country folk are not used to all the traffic noise plus Mike discovered that it was at a lighted intersection going uphill, so everyone had to rev their engines as they started from the green light. Mike fell asleep quickly at first (from driving exhaustion) so I was left to my own accord.

Leaving this fraidycat awake alone in a busy parking lot left me constantly watching out the windows. As it was getting quite dark, I noticed a trashed out van parked nearby and facing our motorhome. I saw two people sitting in it for quite some time and I started to wonder what they were doing. So I got out the binaculars and tried to play detective and watch them without being spotted. It was quite funny if anyone had seen me. I'm glad they didn't. Nothing ever came of it and I went to be around 11:30 with a headache from the binoculars. I think all the adjustments I did to see clearly hurt my eyes and then my head!

So, we arose early and left to tour the Blue Ridge Mountain Range today. It was a feast for our eyes as the leaves were changing and were beautiful. The reds were so vibrant it was unreal. We took video and photos but after looking at the photos to download, I noticed that the camera didn't capture the colors. I hope the video did because they were awesome.

We decided to end the day early and found a quiet campground in Roanoke, VA. Its in Southern Virginia. Tomorrow we'll continue south and into North Carolina and then into South Carolina. Our next destination is Charleston, SC.

We're in Virginia

We took a tour in Gettysburg yesterday and drove around ourselves, checking out the town. There's alot of interesting homes. Alot of them have the plate on the front of them certifying that they were there during the infamous civil war in 1863. Can you imagine they're still standing?

We left today, heading south. We drove thru the Western section of Maryland & a part of West Virginia and now we're in Charlottesville, Virginia. We're going to drive along the Blue Ridge Mountains tomorrow. Today was a long driving day. We're parked/camped once again in the Walmart parking lot. We actually found a great buffet restaurant down the road. All the food was great and there was so much to choose from. We couldn't possibly taste it all, but it was well worth the try!

More Chocolate today!

Since Mike hadn't had a chance to check out Hershey World, we went there this morning. We had to leave the campground or pay for another day, so we parked the MH in the Hershey Outlet Center parking lot and drove over to the park with the Jeep. Yes, not only does Hershey have a Chocolate World, they also have an outlet mall!

Mike was like a kid in a candy store...oh, he was in a candy store, but not a kid. Anyway, he wandered from shelf to shelf checking everything out and then decided it was time to pick up a basket and start filling it. That exhausted us and made us hungry, so we discovered another Friendly's restaurant and felt better.

After hooking up the Jeep to the MH, we headed south and ended up tonight in Gettysburg. We'll check things out tomorrow and perhaps take an area tour. In the meantime, we're tired...probably from too much sugar. So, we're just relaxing tonight.

We're in Hershey, PA.

We're in Hershey town where chocolate kisses line the streets. I'll try and get some photos of that tomorrow.

Its a clean place and actually smells like chocolate. Mike took a nap while I went to the Hershey Chocolate headquarters. It was like a big candy store. I stocked up on enough chocolates to last us til we get home. Then the diets begin! We may go there in the morning so Mike can see it....he's not too excited tho.

We got a great campsite next to a creek....no, not a chocolate creek, but that would have been awesome. The weather was absolutely perfect...around 70, no windy and perfectly clear skies. I think we brought the California weather with us on this trip. With the exception of a few wet days, we've had great weather.

We're in Pennsylvania

We left Mystic, CT. this morning to head down towards Hershey, PA. Any guess as to why this chocaholic would want to go there?

So, we drove thru Conn. and New York and are camping out again in a Walmart parking lot 4 miles from Hershey. The campgrounds were pretty full for the weekend, so we figured we'd let people clear out tomorrow (Sunday) and then we could head into a campground and then start eating my way around Hershey!

What we discovered on our long drive today was that Conn. was a pretty boring drive, but once again, New York surprised us. It has more greenery, rolling hills and some small mountains. Then it even got prettier when we entered Pennsylvania...more rolling hills, small mountains and lots of greenery. We had expected flat lands but are pleasantly surprised.

Sorry there's nothing exciting to report nor any photos...its just one of those travel days.

Our toilet is fixed...YEAH!

Thank goodness I bring along my mechanic/handyman with me as I now have a working toilet again....oh, the simple pleasures in life! The part arrived at noon today and so while I watched All My Children, Mike fixed the toilet!

This morning we took Lincoln to the vet and he got a shot and some pills. So he is on the road to recovery! What a nice day.

After all the repairs, we decided to take a drive to Rhode Island which turned out to only be a few miles away from where we were staying in Conneticut. On the maps, its looks so far, but in reality, these states are so close together. Within a minute of entering R.I., we encountered awesome homes. I couldn't get my cameras out fast enough. I grabbed my video camera first and therefore have alot more on video. The digital only captured a few homes as we were driving too fast to get many photos and people were behind us, so we couldn't stop to oogle and take pictures. Sorry. You'll al just have to come to the video watching party!

Then we came back to Mystic and went to a bunch of shops. I usually don't like shopping, but these shops were each unique and next to each other. It was fun. We walked up an appetite and went for dinner at a steakhouse nearby. It was delicious. Speaking of delicious...David asked if we've been enjoying our food or if we're watching what we eat. Well, we are enjoying our food as we watch it go into our mouths. No one will recognize us when we return as we feel so fat! But, we decided this is a trip of a lifetime and we were going to enjoy it totally, and that includes eating whatever we so desire. Its been very enjoyable. And we're addicted to the Friendly's restaurants!!!!

So, tomorrow we will be moving on and heading towards Pennsylvania.
HEY, does anyone know why we cannot smell the ocean? We noticed this as soon as we got to the ocean in Maine and in each state at the ocean, we can't get over the fact that there is no good ocean smell like we get at the Pacific Coast. Can anyone explain this? Its a very weird feeling.

Pizza anyone? That's "Mystic"!

Well, we had an interesting night last night.

First, we "camped" out at Walmart in Norwich, Conn. It was our first Walmart "campground" on this trip....but free. All was going well..Mike was in the bedroom sleeping and I was in the livingroom watching tv (Private Practice) and all of a sudden, the toilet started flushing....and flushing...and flushing. It wouldn't stop. It was possessed.

It woke Mike up and he asked what I was doing....I said that the toilet was going crazy. So, he groggily got up, and not too happy I might add, to see what was going on. He couldn't stop it so he unplugged the fuse. It stopped. Then he plugged the fuse in again and it wouldn't work. After reading thru the little instruction pamphlet and Mike trying to fix it, to no avail, he gave up and said we'll have to call the manufacturer in the morning.

To make a long story short, he called all around this morning, from our campsite in the Walmart parking lot, and no one had the part, a controller, in stock. So, we had to order it and have it overnighted to us. But, there was another problem. Where was it to be delivered???!?!?!? We decided to make a decision on where to go, find a campground, make reservations and then have the part delivered tomorrow. Thank goodness for computers with wireless internet and cell phones! How did people travel before?

So, we're now in Mystic, Conn. Its a little resort community on the water in So. Conn. And yes, its where the movie was filed. Of course, we went there for lunch. You'll see an awful picture of me standing in front of the restaurant. It was actually pretty good food.

Since we're staying put for a couple of days awaiting repairs (thank goodness for Mike), we decided it was time to find a vet for Lincoln. No.....not for that. But his terrier skin allergies have been acting up rather terribly due to being exposed to grass everywhere. He's not used to the grass at home since our grasses don't start growing yet. I found a vet and he has an appt. tomorrow for an allergy shot....poor baby. He's been on his best behavior since he was grounded after the incident in a few weeks ago.

We just rested the rest of today as Mike didn't sleep much last night due to the toilet issue, so it was an uneventful afternoon. Tomorrow, after our vet appt., we'll go sightseeing.

We went thru 4 states today!

Well...after meandering and taking our time in the Northern US, we left Maine, went thru southern New Hampshire, thru Massachussets and down into Connecticut. We're mostly thru to the Southern part of Conn., towards the coast. Our goal tomorrow is to go checkout the Mystic area. Have you heard of the movie "Mystic Pizza"? That is where the movie was set. Its supposed to be a quaint waterfront town. So, I'll let you know.

What we did discover since we finally got on the highways (verses the side roads we've been taking), is that its expensive!!!! There are costly toll roads, especially in Maine and New Hampshire. We decided we don't like that at all. California is looking better and better all the time. We (and most everyone else in CA.) take our beautiful state for granted. You all must travel away from CA. to truly appreciate all that our state has to offer....mountains galore, deserts, oceans, valleys and great weather.

No photos today as we were just on the highways all day.

Still in Maine

Well, we didn't make it to far south as we ended up in Camden, Maine. In searching on the internet, it stated that this town is the "Jewel" of Maine. So, we thought we'd check it out.

The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It was sunny, clear, no winds and in the 60's. This town is small and is on the ocean and is a pretty place. Wonderful homes along the water are beautiful to observe. The water was sparkling from the sun shining and reflecting. It was just a wonderful day. We camped at a state campground and drove around the area. I'll try and download some photos, but the internet is working very slow from here....so they may not make it tonight.

Tomorrow we plan to really leave Maine and head south. Who knows how far we'll get.....you'll have to stay posted.

Jeri

Acadia National Park Today

We had a nice day driving around Acadia Nat'l. Park today, including driving ALL the way up to the highest mountain along the Atlantic coastline......and it was at 1500 ft. Its called "Cadillac Mountain" and its where the President's daughter recently got engaged. You'll notice the picture of me at the sign and yes, it was very cold, about 41 degrees and windy.

We've got some nice scenery on video....I'm telling you...we're going to have to have a video viewing party when we return. Any no, I don't know when that is yet. We're having too good of a time. Can you believe this workaholic is not ready to go back to work yet?

We went for lunch today at a restaurant called "The Log Cabin" and it was all uneventful until an apparently disgruntled customer started yelling at the waitress and a fight started. The waitress turned and walked to the kitchen and the customer followed her. Shortly thereafter, the customer came running out with some staff following her. The she (the customer) came back in, yelling some more, getting the owner out there and threatening to call the police on the waitress and all we heard was the owner saying that they should be the ones calling the police on the customer for assault. We don't know what it was about, but it was quite entertaining for about 15 minutes. The only problem was that the waitress was OUR waitress.....so our service was quite delayed. We just laughed since we weren't in any hurry and commented that we didn't know we were getting lunch and a show!

Our campground closes tomorrow for the season and so we'll be packing up and moving on., We're heading down Hwy 1 along the Maine Coastline. So, I'll be in touch as the journey continues.

Bar Harbor, Maine (pronouced "Baa Haabah")

We started today driving to downtown Bar Harbor to walk around to the shops. The skies were clear and sunny, but windy and cold. Us Californians were not prepared for the chill. You could tell who was from the New England area as they were the ones in shorts and sandalls. Oh, well. We still enjoyed walking around to the shops. We saw a cruise ship docked and realized that this is probably one of the ports of call for the New England cruises.

Then we left downtown and decided to drive around the areas. We had a nice time viewing the sites (you'll see some on the photos), but we have alot more on our video camera, including some nice area homes and a special sight we witnessed today.....a fox! As I was videotaping the homes, a fox ran out between them! And I got it on film! I grabbed my digital to take a picture just when a car stopped next to us to ask Mike directions! Darn!

On the way back to the motorhome, I got a call from a prospective buyer that saw some homes on my website. He was transferred to the Fresno area and he and his wife were driving around to check out our area. I asked where he was coming from and shockingly, he said "Schaumburg, IL.! For those of you who don't know where that is, it is where I moved from to California!

Then it was dinner time and I decided it was time to try lobster. How could I go to Maine and not have the lobster. I had it and it was OK. I guess I'm not a lobster lover as it has been about 30 years since I tried it before. Mike had ribs and as always, they were good.

Now we're back home in our little motorhome with the heaters running and settling in for the evening! Tomorrow we'll go out and explore Acadia National Park here at Bar Harbor.

See ya. Jeri.

An answer to some comments/questions

No one was able to guess what was sticking out of my shirt back in the New York photo by the lake. Rachel asked what it was.....it was a Bounty dryer sheet. I've read many places that those sheets repel mosquitos. So, I packed a bunch of them. Aparently they work, because I haven't gotten a bite yet when I've remembered to put one on me. (I have gotten many bites before I remembered about the dryer sheets. Ohio was the worst place we've seen so far with the mosquitos, in case anyone was interested.

Yes Rachel, we miss the boys and we WILL take them as much as possible when we get home. You must be getting tired having them so much with no breaks....you poor things. No, we have no idea yet when that will be. Were still speaking to each other and enjoying our trip. Imagine that.....21 days, or almost 500 hours together, and we're still speaking!

We're FINALLY in MAINE!!!!!

Finally...we're here! After 3 weeks of traveling, we finally got to where I've been wanting to go for so long. Yeahhhhhh. We actually crossed over the Maine border in just about 15 minutes after leaving our campground in New Hampshire, but our goal was to get to Bar Harbor on the Eastern seaboard and we're here! Little did we know that most places are closing down Tuesday, after the Monday holiday. Little did we realize it was a holiday weekend either! Anyway, we will stay here til Tuesday morning when the campground is shutting down for the season.

BUT, we found the most awesome campsite! We are in Bar Harbor Campground and we overlook the water and islands. Its awesome. And guess what.....we have satellite, phone and internet!!!!!!! I'm a very "happy camper". We didn't get settled in til just about dark, so we'll start exploring tomorrow. I am soooo excited.

Friday in New Hampshire

I had resolved myself to not getting TV, cell or internet as we chose to stay the Forest Service Campground just south of Berlin City, New Hampshire. To my surprise, I had some internet and cell service...not a strong signal, but something was better than nothing. Satellite reception was out of the question as we were swallowed up by beautiful trees and the satellite dish needs a clear view of the southern sky to get reception. In the past, we've had what we thought was clear views, but the farther north we go, the harder it is to obtain.

To make a long story short, Thursday night we took a walk around the area as when we came back to our site, I laughingly said, "Wouldn't it be something if satellite could get thru that tiny break in the trees over there?" Mike said, "Well it doesn't cost anything to try." So, I turned on the satellite and it searched to no avail. I grabbed a magazine and just as I sat down, the TV came on with a clear picture!!!!! We were frozen in disbelief! Here were were in the middle of nowhere with thousands of trees and one small opening to the sky and we got satellite!!!!!!!! Unbelievable, as I got to watch AMC and Greys Anatomy!

We got up early Friday to head down to North Conway and check out the scenic train rides. The swesomely beautiful and warm weather continued, making it a concern about leaving Lincoln in the motorhome or the car while we took a the train. Lo and behold again, when we checked out the train rides...they allowed dogs! The rule was they only allow "well behaved dogs", but Lincoln feels that describes him. So, we bought our tickets (Lincoln was free), and went for breakfast til it was time to board. I'll fill you in more on the day later.

OK...I'm back....I lost internet for most of the day. Anyway, not to change the subject, but this is related to having breakfast before our train ride. Back in Parma, NY, we discovered a restaurant called "Friendly's". (By the way, I don't remember if I mentioned Parma before, but its a small town in Upper NY that I absolutely loved. It had the small town atmosphere, yet had shopping, etc. I wish I could find a town like that in California. The homes were awesome and I kick myself for not taking photos or video as we went thru. We actually came upon it unexpectedly and weren't prepared for photo taking til it was too late. Its not easy to turn around and maneuvre around in the huge bus towing a car that we are in.

Getting back to Friendlys, it was great food at great prices. It also specializes in all of its ice cream desserts, some of which we had to try. Needless to say, we waddled out of there that afternoon and were still full til bedtime. So, everytime we were hungry and started looking for a place to eat in various towns, we looked for a Friendlys. That takes us back to breakfast Friday morning....we were looking for a quick place to eat near the train station and wouldn't you know it....there was a Friendly's. We hadn't tried breakfast there before and were so pleasantly surprised when their breakfast special was so much food for only $3.29. It was the cheapest meal we've had on this entire trip! For those of you who know me well....you know how much I loooovvve a bargain!

The weather was perfect, low 80's, so we rode in the open car. It was just perfect. The scenery, the views, the weather and so very relaxing. Lincoln really enjoyed it too. He received so much attention from everyone. People were coming over and asking if they could pet him. He acted stuck up as usual. There was an extended family seated all around us. The parents were in their early 70's and their 3 grown kids and their families were there too. They were all taking this trip together. It was nice visiting with them and fun watching the family interact. They were from Maine, so they were filling us in. I just daydreamed about how awesome it would be if MY family could all take a trip together. (Hint, hint...family).

After our relaxing train ride, we headed back to camp to just relax. It was then that I found out that I could no longer get internet which drove me crazy. Nothing changed, so I couldn't understand why I didn't get it then when I had it the night before....plus I had cell reception. Go figure.

We're in New Hampshire, Thursday, 10/4/07.

It didn't take too long to drive from Stowe, VT. into New Hampshire. What took a while was to find a campground. We did and found a nice one in the beautiful White Mountain National Forest, south of Berlin City.

What we noticed so far of N.H. is that it seems a little more mountainous and the colors on the leaves seem a little more vibrant. We're still having unbelieable weather...high 70's. So, they may need some cooler weather to really get the leaves to change color. This weather is atypical for this time of year.

Tomorrow we're going down to North Conway and hope to ride one of the trains for a sightseeing tour. I'll keep you posted.

Another day in Vermont

We decided to stay another day and take off in the Liberty to check out Northeastern Vermont.
As you can see by the lack of photos from today, we weren't that impressed. We have found Northwestern Vermont to be much more beautiful. Now I regret not taking more photos yesterday.

Oh well. We got to relax some today after our touring and so you'll see some photos of our campsite. We're still enjoying the beautiful weather and will be heading out towards New Hamphshire in the morning.

Until then, Jeri.

Still in Vermont

We decided to stay another day here in Stowe, Vt. Its nice not having to pack up and move everyday. However, we drove around in our Jeep Liberty for hours viewing the countryside and taking photos and videos. We have some great videos....so we'll have to arrange a video viewing party when we return.

For those who didn't know what is in Watersbury, VT., I will tell you since we went there today. It is the original Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory. We did the tour thing and had our sample of a new flavor and then left. Whoopi! We thought it was going to be much bigger than it was. It was perhaps on an acre or two and the whole tour was less than a half hour. Well, at least we can say "Been There, done That."

Then we spent the rest of the day driving around. It was very nice. Apparently there's a huge ski resort here....we discovered....and they're starting to get things ready for the upcoming ski season. Right now we have the most perfect weather. The weather people keep saying they can't belive this weather. I think we brought it with us. Anyway, its in the low 70's which they say is the typical weather for a month ago.

We may stay here another day and explore another area...I'll keep you posted.
Jeri

We finally left New York

We left the campground at Fish Creek Lake, situated between Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake. We didn't have internet access or satellite and hardly a cell reception. Needless to say, I was a very happy camper!

After a nice walk this morning, we packed up and headed out. We crossed over into Vermont......finally one of the states I've always wanted to see. We crossed over via a bridge across Grand Isle Waterway on Lake Champlain. I took a photo and have been trying to download it.....but it hasn't worked yet. I'll keep trying.

We are now in Watersbury, VT.....does anyone know what that town is famous for? I'll let you know tomorrow in case no one can answer that.

So....gotta go...Dancing With The Stars is coming on and I have TV reception tonight!!!! Yeah!

We're still in New York

We left Niagra Falls this morning and have been traveling along the Northwestern lakefront of Lake Ontario. I must admit, its been a beautiful drive. Northern New York is the nicest place we've been so far (besides California of course).

Driving along the countryside and seeing all the greenery and nice homes has been a pleasure. We have perfect weather today, sunny & clear and about 71 degrees and not windy. We are now camped for the night at a private campground in Henderson Harbor on Lake Ontario and tomorrow will head into the Adirondacks. The news said that the autumn colors are at their prime right now in the Adirondacks.

Sorry, no pictures today as its been a travelin' day...perhaps tomorrow. Until then....
Jeri

Niagra Falls

Well.....we can now say "been there, done that". We went to the Falls on Goat Island and that was enough for us. They were pretty, but hard to really see as it was raining from the sky AND from the falls themselves. We were drenched to the bone within minutes and my glasses were covered in water, so I couldn't see anything.

Needless to say, we weren't too impressed. Yes, they were nice. And it probably would have felt much better had it been in the heat of the summer, not in this colder weather.

We're in NEW YORK!

I can't believe we're actually in New York. We are in a campground in Niagra Falls...but won't actually go to the falls til tomorrow.

We had to find tires today for the motorhome and found them in Buffalo, NY. So, we will be able to travel more safely, and we're $2,000. lighter!

So, today was pretty uneventful. A good observation note though....I had pictured Buffalo to be on the dirty side, but I was pleasantly surprised. Its pretty nice and its clean too.

We're in Ohio

Unfortuately, we decided not to venture into the Chicago area due to the sheer congestion and narrow road conditions and lack of places to park this bus. The closest RV park we found was in a place called Union...out in the direction of Rockford....so that was quite a ways from most of the family. Why don't you people have longer driveways???

Anyway, we continued east and are stopped for the night at a campground in Geveva on the Lake, Ohio...not too far from the Northern Pennsylvania border. It rained most of the way here, along with lots of lightening and thunder. Along with that came slippage and sliding due to our bad rear tires. We thought we could wait til we returned from the trip before buying those...but it looks like we'll be buying tires tomorrow in Erie, PA.!

One interesting fact we learned today.....Cleveland, Ohio is on the water! Neither of us knew this. It is on Lake Erie! Anyway.....we also made the observation that Michigan and Ohio look alot alike....if we hadn't sen all the road signs, we wouldn't have known that we changed states.
I guess I sound like a spoiled Californian......oh well.

One last comment on my "huge hair". Claudia mentioned this morning that while we were taking our extended "3 hour tour" yesterday and I was sitting in front of her in the front passenger seat, my hair was growing bigger and bigger and blocking her views. She had to keep moving to see "around" my hair!!!!! Oh, the humidity and mosquitos in the Midwest are such a welcoming reminder of my youth.

A long drive sight-seeing with friends in Michigan

We enjoyed breakfast with Cheryl, Phyliss, Larry & Claudia and then left our hosts to do their work and the four wayward travelers ventured on our way sightseeing. For those of you who don't know our friends, Larry & Claudia Reeder, let me give you a brief background.

C & L (Claudia & Larry), were the first people we met when we moved to Tollhouse over 16 years ago. They were our next door neighbors (5 acres away!). So, we bonded and became extended family and socialized and traveled together over the years. Sadly, C & L retired over a year ago and moved to Oregon, where their son lives. Lo and behold, they are visiting their daughter outside of Flint, MI. this week, just as we were coming to Michigan. So, we met up and got to spend some time with them.

So, back to the story....we headed out on what we thought was a "3 hour tour" and ended up getting lost. All we were trying to do was to go to Lake Huron and follow the tour around the lake.....and 5 hours later....we finally found the lake. By then we were laughed out and exhausted and headed back home. That was another 2 hour drive. I had to get back to see Dancing with the Stars again tonight...so we ordered in pizza and had a relaxing evening. Nothing too exciting, just fun to visit and laugh with friends. We don't have much to say about this part of Michigan. Actually....I do have something to say as well to laugh at. Everyone had a nice laugh today watching my hair grow wider and wider due to the humidity! I didn't see how big it was until we stopped at a roadside county park to use the bathrooms and I got a peak at my hair in the mirror! Now I see how funny I looked! Hey ladies, forget the volumizing shampoo that the shampoo manufacturers adverise....just come to the midwest and the humidity and you too may gain "volume"!

Oh, just as we were heading back home, the skies were getting darker and we expected rain.
We made it home before it started and then it kicked in, thunder storms. My dad called in the middle of the storm as he heard the LA news stating a bad storm in Flint, MI. Imagine that?
Well, it seems the storm has passed and its cooling down some...so perhaps I can get some sleep tonight. We're off to Illlinois tomorrow!

We're in Grand Blanc, MI. (near Flint)

We got to Cheryl Reeder's home and went out for Mexican food. It was OK, but still doesn't compare to Elko or Velascos. Hey, its Michigan, what can we expect. It was a good attempt.

I got one answer to the "Pasties" question and yes, it is filled with meat and potatoes...but I think there are different kinds. Kind of like a beerock, for those who know what they are.

I never thought about how the realtors get around and show/tour homes on the Island. Very interesting thought. Hmmmm....I didn't think about it...is it possible that I am relaxing? Now that I think about it tho, it must be pretty funny to walk your clients around house to house to show. Of course there's always the horse and buggy!

And...to our thoughtful reader..YEs, there WAS cell reception on the island. Hmmm, I can't get cell reception at home, yet when I go to an island, I can! Maybe I need to move to an island!

Well, I had a late night here as I had to stay up to watch Dancing with the Stars on PST, so it wasn't over til 12:30am and then I tried to sleep but it was so hot and humid....I tossed and turned all night. I'm just not used to the humidity.

Mackinac Island

Well, we had a nice morning this morning. We took the ferry to Mackinac Island. It was a short 18 minute ride. Then we started walking around town and the shops weren't open yet, so we decided to eat breakfast.

Then we checked out the horse and buggy tours around the island and just decided to walk around ourselves thru the town and up to The Grand Hotel. Awesome! I have lots of photos to download when I have a fast internet hookup but I'm sure they didn't come out as beautiful as it was in person. You must see the movie "Somewhere In Time" to really appreciate it.

Walking thru the town, where no motorized vehicles are allowed, really took us back in time. It was neat to see everyone either walking, biking, horseback riding or riding in a horse drawn carriage. The homes and buildings are beautiful too. We got a chuckle from seeing the handyman service guys walking thru town, pulling their tool cart to the job. We took a photo of it too. Quite a site! Then we saw a horse pulling a rather large trailer and discovered that it was the trash truck! It really makes you change to a slower pace.

We got tired of walking and boarded the ferry for our return trip to the mainland to load up the motorhome and head south. We must say we had the most perfect weather the past two days. A storm is supposedly on its way...perfect time for these Californians to leave. We're heading south to Grand Blanc, a town just outside Flint, Michigan, to visit some good friends of ours, Claudia and Larry Reeder. They are coincidently here visiting their daughter, Cheryl, the same time we are here. So we're heading to Cheryl's house where we will dock our home on wheels for a day or two and visit. Cheryl is here for her medical residency. She is from Fresno area too.
(A Sierra High Graduate!) We were informed that we will be going to a good Mexican food restaurant tonight.....its about time for Mexican food as we haven't had any since Elko. I'll keep you posted but probably won't have time tonight as Dancing with the Stars comes on afte we get back from dinner!!!! I have to keep my priorities straight!
See ya. Jeri

An entire day without traveling!

We actually spent our first day of not traveling and actually enjoying visiting an area. We walked all around Mackinaw City, checking out all the shops and of course, the food. So far the best food we've had on this trip is still the Mexican food in Elko, Nevada!

All thru the Upper Midwest, we kept seeing signs for "homemade pasties". Neither of us knew what these were, so Mike finally ordered one at a restaurant today. Does anyone know what one is?

We are feeling very fortunate to have hit the most perfect weather that this area has seen. It was about 78 degrees, sunny and not a cloud in the sky or any wind. It was a spectacular day. Mike talked me into going on a tour of the old, Coast Guard ship, The Ice Breaker Mackinaw, that was an ice-breaker for all the Great Lakes from 1944-2006. It was just uncommissioned a year ago and is now docked here. I have to admit, it was pretty interesting. The ship never had an accident in all of its years at work.
But as I looked off the edge of the ship, I daydreamed that I was on a cruise ship and it was moving!

Tomorrow we will take the ferry over to Mackinac Island. I especially want to see the hotel where one of my favorite movies was filmed, "Somewhere In Time". If you haven't seen it yet, rent it. Its a fantastic movie. I just bought the DVD today in case anyone wants to borrow it. The CD of the music from the film is also awesome! I'll let you know how that goes tomorrow.

Keep the Comments coming....

Well, we've been gone a week already....Keep the comments coming as we enjoy hearing from all of you!

WOW!!! Michigan already!

Well, we left Wisconsin this morning. We woke up to perfectly clear, sunny skies...I took a walk with the dog, Mike rode his new bike. We then decided to leave and head for Michigan and try to reach Mackinaw City so we could stay put for a few days.

It was an all day drive and finally arrived in Mackinaw City after driving over the long, high and scary Mackinaw Bridge. We found a campground on the lake, but arrived too late to get a lakefront spot. Most people will be leaving tomorrow, so we may move to one of those spots. Went for a late night dinner and then back "home" to relax.

What will we do tomorrow? We had planned on taking the ferry to Mackinac Island but wouldn't you know our luck??? All of the Republican Presidential candidates are there at the big hotel for some kind of function. Maybe we'll go there on Monday.

A few hours before we got here, we pulled off at a rest stop for Mike to take a "rest". He opened the door and let lincoln out for a "rest" too. Well, before we realize it, he took off, apparently following a scent and we couldn't find him! It took alot of running around and calling him to finally find him just before he reached the highway! Needless to say, he was spanked and reprimanded and thrown in the motorhome. Now he is grounded! What a brat!

Stay tuned!

We're in Wisconsin already!

Hi everyone! We left the No. Dakota/Minnesota border this morning, Friday, drove all the way across Northern Minnesota and across Northern Wisconsin.

Minnesota was rather flat with lots of trees. Enter into Wisconsin and there's still alot of trees, but also some small hills. We went further north and drove along the coast line of Lake Superior when we ended up at a campground on the lake. Its warm.....in the 60's this evening, but very windy. It rained off and on earlier today.

I don't want to hear anyone complain about gas prices in California as we haven't found lower prices since we left Madera where we filled up. Its been more expensive everywhere we've gone! No. Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin prices are really high.

Tomorrow we'll venture into Northern Michigan where we may linger a little longer. We'll keep you posted. And hopefully take more photos.
Jeri

We're in Minnesota already!

Well, we drove all the way thru South Dakota today and went north, crossed the river at the border and are now in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. We found a great campground along the river and in walking distance to restaurants. Its nice and green. Its pretty warm too...probably warmer than at home, so we hear.

Mike said he needs a back rub from all the driving he's been doing. I followed up with the comment that my upper back needs rubbing too from laying on the couch all day! He didn't like that comment very much. I guess I won't be getting a back rub tonight!

Tomorrow we'll journey further east. We've been traveling pretty ast thru the flat-lands and waiting to slow down when to come to territory that we like. I'll keep you posted.
Jeri

Going East

Well, from the middle of Montana on into North Dakota, the scenery was kinda blah. Flat land that looked dry and brown with small hills here and there. We stayed in a small town near the Montana/No. Dakota border last night, called Glendive.....a dive of town and NO internet...thus no blog entry. To demonstrate our boredom last night....Mike played 3 games of Yahtzee with me! I won 2 out of three....I had to add that. Anyway, for those of you who know Mike, that's pretty desparate!

Almost as soon as we entered No. Dakota this morning, it got greener. How weird that they are so close but it got greener as soon as we entered No. Dakota. Its much more pleasurable to drive along when its green rolling hills to look at. However, the hills come and go....but its still green. We're just leaving the big city area of Bismark, No. Dakota and heading east...so I'll keep you posted.

Jeri

Best Mexican Food?

Hey, I forgot to mention a highlight of the trip on Monday. We stopped in Elko, NV. to go to the grocery store. Well, wouldn't you know that in the same shopping center was a Mexican restaurant called Dos Amigos. So, we shopped (and found great prices at the Smiths Market) and then went over to eat. We both ordered the chile rellenos and WOW! They were by far, the best we have ever had! (And we try out chile rellenos at almost every Mexican rest. we go to. ) Anyway, if anyone is ever traveling thru Elko, stop and eat there. It was wonderful. If anyone is looking to move to a desert town, Elko didn't seem too bad.

Right now its Wednesday morning and we left Bozeman and are on our way east. We'll go thru Billings, Montana and then on our way to North Dakota. We plan to stop in Bismark at a Monaco dealership to get some parts Mike needs to do some minor repairs. Having the internet on the road is awesome.

Don't forget that you can add your comments at the bottom of the blog....so feel free to write!
See ya,
Jeri

Mike & Jeri's road trip

Well, we've completed day 3 and are in Bozeman, Montana.
Thank goodness we're out of the deserts! Altho Mike thoroughly enjoys the desert, I do not. I got alot of reading and sleeping done, however.

We then entered the Western Edge of Yellowstone Nat'l Park in Montana and all of a sudden, the beauty kicked into gear. Then we came into Big Sky, Montana and....WOW! Talk about beauty! Awesome beauty! It continued til we hit Bozeman and we decided to stop for the night. We're afraid once we drive another 90 miles or so, we;ll be in the flat countryside....but who knows? We'll keep you posted.

OH, very important discovery today after 4 years of owning this motorhome. I discovered a very guilty pleasure!!! It may seem silly to you non-RVers, but I couldn't stop laughing at how guilty I felt.

Here goes....I've been laying on the couch as Mike drives since the front seat is uncomfortable to me. So, as we entered Big Sky and I wanted to see every second of the views, but the front seat was blocking my views from laying on the couch!!!! So, I all of a sudden realized that the front passenger seat turns around, therefore, the back of the seat would be completely out of my views. I quickly got up & out of my relaxed position, turned the seat and WOW! There it was. 100% views from my reclined sofa position. I laid there feeling like I was laying in my bed at home and the room was moving thru the views! Awesome! I started laughing uncontrollably as I looked at Mike, hard at work driving while I was laying down enjoying the comfort and the awesome views. He didn't see the humor in it, but even as I write this, I can't stop laughing. This truly is a guilty pleasure!
That's it for now....
Jeri