Home today. We left Fernley this morning and had an easy 120 mile to Nevada City, arriving around noon.
Not much else to say. It was a great trip. No issues and arrived safely. It was a long drive (6,119 miles) but well worth the time and effort. It is good to be home however and getting back to normal, whatever that is.
Thanks to all for your help and support.
Pat & Judy
Got an early start from Ely this morning. More US 50, "the Loneliest Road in America". It lived up to its name. Long stretches of straight road with curved windy roads through and over the series of ridges that run north-south across Nevada. They are not small hills but range from 5,000 - 6,000 ft. summits. There was also very little traffic. The long haul truckers avoid it and stick to either I-80 to the north or I-10 to the south. Luckily, there was very little wind which made the trip easier. We travelled 320 miles today and only went through two small towns along the way, both county seats.
We arrived in Fernley NV about 30 miles east of Reno around 3:00 pm. We didn't want to push it all the way home after a long day driving. We stayed at an RV park that was featured in a recent movie, Nomadland. The park was the Desert Rose RV Park. There was also a lot of smoke in the air from a wildfire southwest of Reno. We also had some rain overnight. It was early to bed after dinner in the RV.
Pretty much more of the same today. We joined US50/US 6 West after another couple of 6,000 ft summits and headed across what is known as the “Loneliest Road in America”. We can’t disagree. Before we left Utah, is was straight ahead roads with nothing in sight. Into Nevada we started the up and own over the ridges that run north and south across Nevada. In between, more nothing.
We arrived in Ely, NV our stop for the night at a KOA where
we stayed on a previous trip. We didn’t
remember that when we made the reservation but recognized the park when we
arrived.
Fernley, NV tomorrow.
More nothing in between here and there.
Expecting some smoke from a fire south of Reno.
It was an interesting drive today. We were a little late getting started. It was relatively short drive (215 miles) because it was too far to keep going go our next stop Ely, NV and nothing much else between our destination today, Richfield, UT and Ely. So, we finally got on the road around 10:00 am.
The first part of the trip was pretty boring – desolate high plains, no cows, no people, no water. Even the traffic was pretty light. The speed limit here is 80 mph and it was a little strange to see curve warning signs recommending you slow down to 75 mph.
After we got into Utah things changed
dramatically. We traveled up and down
and through magnificent rock formations and geological rock faces, terraces,
canyons and hills. Our elevation varied
from around 4,500 ft to over 7,500 ft and back.
Millions of years of geological history were on display.
A stop at a roadside viewing area had spectacular views of what
is called the San Rafael Reef. It is a
30-mile long barrier, a sandstone wall at the eastern edge of the San Rafael Swell. It is a very unique geological feature and
very impressive. It was also a major
engineering challenge when the interstate highway was built.
We arrived at our RV park in Richfield, UT about 3:00 pm.
Dinner again in the RV and early to bed.
Ely, NV tomorrow.
We did the Rockies today.
We left Golden, CO at 9:00 am this morning and headed west and uphill on
I-70W.
Golden is around 5300 ft. and our top elevation for today
was 11,600 ft at the Eisenhower Tunnel. We also had a 10,000 ft + summit at
Vail. Lots of up-and-down, curves and
traffic. The bonus was the beautiful scenery.
We followed the
Colorado River for awhile after we descended to around 5,000 ft and worked our
way through and around canyons, bluffs and mesas to just past Grand Junction, Co
to Frutia, CO our stop for the night. We
are staying at a very nice RV park. It
is very near the Utah border and adjacent to the Colorado National Monument, a
preserved landscape of plateau-and canyon country embracing 32 square miles of
rugged terrain. We don’t have time to
check it out, but here is more information about the monument:
Getting closer to home.
We decided to get a little earlier start today due to forecast wind conditions and predicted thunderstorms in the Denver area, our stop for tonight. So, we were on the road by 8:30 am after gas and coffee.
As it tuned out, we only had strong crosswinds until about
50 miles west of the RV park. After that,
the wind velocity diminished and became more of a tailwind. It wasn’t much of a
factor the rest of the way.
We were in the high plains with the elevation consistently
in the 4,000 – 5,000 ft. range all day today. Still
lots of large farms, ranches and grain elevators. Not much else except the occasional town and
services. We also gained an hour as we
entered the Mountain Time Zone in Western Kansas.
We arrived in Golden, CO just west of Denver ahead of the
predicted thunderstorms. Golden is the
home of Coors Beer and the Colorado School of Mines, the Harvard of Geology Schools. We have stayed here before several years ago,
toured the town, the Coors Brewery and the School of Mines Museum. They have moon rock samples on display from
each lunar landing mission. It is a neat
town.
As it turned out, we did get some rain later on as predicted
but nothing heavy and it all seemed to pass over fairly quickly.
After a short walk around the park it was dinner in the RV
and early to bed. It is the Rockies
tomorrow and a stop in western CO tomorrow night.
Not a lot to report today. We left Lawrence, KS and headed west on I-70. It is a toll road to Topeka, KS. Not very expensive and a very well maintained road.
The terrain west of Topeka flattened out a lot but still had
gentle rolling hills. Lots of large farms
and ranches, mostly farms. We are now definitely
in the prairie.
We arrived in Wakenney in western KS, our stop for the night around 3:00 pm.
It is on to Golden, CO just west of Denver tomorrow.
We left St. Charles, MO around 9:30 am in the rain. It had been raining most of the night. As we headed west on I-70, it continued to rain off-and-on, sometimes heavy with low visibility. It wasn’t thunderstorms or steady rain, but periods of rain in between cloudy skies and even a little of blue now and then. This weather pattern continued most of the way to Kansas City.
We are staying in Lawrence, KS tonight. The weather here is sunny and not to hot or
humid. It will be a series of overnight
stops from here. Heading west on I-70
until Nevada. We are not pushing it and
have scheduled reasonable travel days (200-300 miles per day). The 500-mile power drives are long gone for
us.
Looking forward to getting home.
Back on the road today. We woke up to heavy rain that lasted until just about when we were ready to depart the RV Park. We left about 9:30 am under cloudy skies and occasional rain showers. The weather was about the same the whole way to St. Louis, MO although it cleared by the time we arrived at our stop for tonight in St. Charles, MO. There were thunderstorms here this evening but no severe weather.
The trip was uneventful but lots of traffic on the
Interstates and a couple of delays due to traffic accidents and lane constrictions due to ongoing road/bridge construction. It was lunch at a rest stop and dinner in the
RV.
On to Kansas tomorrow (Lawrence , KS just west of Kansas
City).
Our first stop today was the Texas State Museum in downtown Nashville. It is a very impressive and complete history of the state in a beautiful building. We got a little bit of a late start so we didn’t linger but had a good overview of a very interesting and eventful history from the earliest time to the present day.
Our next stop was the Ryman Auditorium in city center. It was an easy 10-minute ride on paper from
the museum to the Ryman. Not so
today. Center city was packed with lots
of traffic and people. By the time we
parked the truck and walked to the Ryman, we did not have time to fully tour
the Ryman before we had to leave for our scheduled 1:00 pm tour of the new
Grand Ole Opry House near our RV park.
We just made it back in time (a few minutes late) for our backstage tour.
The Grand Ole Opry goes back a long way. It started in 1925 and began broadcasting on WSM 650 . It moved to the Ryman as a permanent location in 1943. It truly was the place where Bluegrass and Country Music had its growth and expansion and became a signature American music genre. Here is more information regarding the history of the Grand Old Opry. Very interesting:
Performers arrive for concerts through a special entrance, everyone must show their ID, no exceptions, even if
visually recognized. Every member has a
mail box and a locker. We got to see
about 20 dressing room lounges where the performers change and get ready for
their performances. It was a great tour
and definitely worth our time.
We got up early and were the first in line when the RV park laundry room opened at 8:00 am. The plan was to finish the laundry in the morning then head into town and tour the state museum and the state capitol building – a thing we like to do whenever we are in a state capitol .
Alas, the laundry took longer than expected. It was very hot and humid and by the time the laundry was done and we ate lunch it was 1:00 pm. So, we decided to skip heading into center city with Friday traffic and limited time to tour the state museum and capitol building before it closed at 4:00 pm. Instead, we relaxed in the air conditioned RV.
The RV park here is excellent. We are glad we ended up here and know where to stay next time.
We have been impressed with the friendliness of the people we have meet in the south. For example, tonight we went out to eat at a local restaurant just down the road. While waiting for a table in the lobby, we were talking to another couple, also waiting. They were about our age, maybe a little younger, and had a nice long conversation for about 15 minutes while we waited. Larry, works in construction and his wife works at home doing medical billing QC. A very nice couple, locals, and we apparently stood out somehow as “not from around here” but still O.K.
We had an excellent dinner and when it was time for the bill, the waiter said Larry paid it and wishes you well on your travels. A totally unexpected thing and it reinforced my fundamental belief in the goodness of most people.
Today was planned as a short 200-mile drive to Nashville with a hour gained as we entered the Central Time Zone. Our plan was to arrive early in the afternoon, do laundry and then do Nashville things Friday and Saturday.
It was a pretty drive again as we headed west across the Appalachian foothills and down out of the mountains but still over-and-down some rolling foothills. Our next big hills are the Rockies next week.
Well, the drive took longer than planned with delays on I-40
w due to several accidents, construction, and heavy traffic. When we
arrived at our RV park in the NE part of Nashville, our reservation was only
for a site without sewer hookups. A
reservation snafu on my part. Luckily,
the KOA close by had a full hook up site available, so we ended up there. By the time we got settled in it was after
3:30 pm. Although hot and tired, we
tried to do the laundry. The RV park laundry
was slammed and no machines were available for use before the laundry room closed
for the night. So, we retired to the RV
for a glass of wine and a pizza for delivery for dinner.
We will do the laundry first thing in the morning (hopefully)
then travel to center city (about a 20 minute ride). Our plan is to tour the state capitol and
state museum but we’ll see how it all goes and how much energy we have. It appears there is a lot do here and we
will only be able to get a taste of it in the two days we will be here. A return trip may be in order.
We slept in a little today then had a huge southern breakfast at a popular restaurant in town, The Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant & Grill. It is a large restaurant with several attached dining rooms that can easily handle a party of 17 (They did while we were waiting). It is also part of a large complex with separate buildings, including a winery, ice cream shop, country store, etc.
After breakfast we visited downtown Sevierville. The town
was formed in 1795 and is the county seat of Sevier County. They have a very impressive Court House/County
Government Center with a bell tower that rings on the hour and half hour. It is an old building
but very modern inside. Sevierville is
also the hometown of Dolly Parton and there is a statue of her on the courthouse
lawn. We also walked around the center
of town a little. Not much going on as the
main attraction seems to be the family oriented types of things along the
parkway.
Sevierville is the first town on the corridor down to The
Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The parkway passes through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg,
TN. The area is a popular tourist destination
with Dollywood, the Dolly Parton amusement park and activities center in Pigeon
Forge as the main attraction. It is a major tourist destination for regional
family vacations. There are all sorts of
other tourist attractions, businesses and restaurants along the parkway. Lots of traffic everywhere, even during the
week. I imagine it may be worse on
weekends. We avoided the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Theater, the NASCAR Go Cart
Adventure, and the Pirate Experience (Pirates in Tennessee?). The Moonshine History Tour at a local distillery
looked interesting. Maybe the next time
we are here.
After picking up some needed medicine refills for Judy at the local
Walgreens, it was back to the RV for a light dinner. We are still recovering from our large breakfast.
Nashville tomorrow.
We left Natural Bridge, VA at 9:00 am and after gas and a truck stop flavored coffee we headed southwest on I-81. It was a pretty drive with a lot of up and down and around through the Appalachian foothills. We arrived around d 2:30 pm in Sevierville, TN near Pigeon Forge, home of Dollywood, Dolly Parton's resort and theme park. We will be her for two nights.
We don’t have any definite plans for tomorrow. We will not be visiting Dollywood which is primarily designed for families with
amusement rides, a water park and family entertainment. We will just be looking around the area. Pigeon Forge is a gateway to the Great Smoky
Mountains and a very popular place to visit.
There are lots of great outdoor things to do in the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park that we not be able to do due to time constraints and
physical limitations but we are interested in learning about the area.
We went out for dinner at a local BBQ restaurant just down
the road from our RV Park. Nothing fancy
but great BBQ.
Pictures to follow tomorrow.
We left our campground in Gettysburg around 9:00 am for our stop tonight at Natural Bridge, VA. It was an easy ride down the Shenandoah Valley through the Appalachian Mountains. It was very scenic route as we cut across from Gettysburg to Harpers Ferry then south on I-81S. We actually crossed portions of 4 states today – Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and now Virginia.
We arrived at our
campground around 2:30 pm, a nice KOA.
It will be dinner in the RV and early to bed. Our next stop is Sevierville, TN (near Pidgeon
Forge, home of Dollywood) for a two night stay.
It is the 4th of July. The activity for today is a living history civil war battle reenactment at a farm just down the road. It is sponsored by the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association.
The event included many civil war reenactors in period costumes.
These are people with an interest in the history of the civil war who have
become involved in participating in living history of the period by reliving
the life style, acquiring costumes and uniforms and attending events like this
one.
The event today was the 2nd day of a two-day
event. The reenactors we saw today were
sleeping in civil war pup tents (some had cots) and cooked meals over a period
wood stove. The only bathrooms we saw were portable toilets. Their living area
encampments were open to the public and most groups had canopies where they
gathered. It did not seem there were
many individuals/couples without some sort of group/family affiliation. Also, lots of young people, not just an old
guys thing .
There were also several booths selling things, mostly civil
war related. Likewise, there were several
booth/tents demonstrating various civil war era technologies (sewing, quilting,
laundry, etc.). There were also lots of
people dressed up in civil war uniforms, both Union and Confederate. We toured
the various things to see and endured a long line at the food booth for a chili
dog lunch.
The reenacted battle between the Union and Confederate
reenactors began at 2:00 pm. It was sort
of a reenactment of the battle in the Wheatfield on Day 2 of the Battle of Gettysburg. The Union won this one. It was very impressive. There were cannons, cavalry and lots of people in uniform. Also, lots of spectators. Someone said there were 6000 people here
yesterday. I am not sure there were that
many people here today but it was very crowded. The weather was clear and hot and a little
humid and we drank lots of water.
We are glad we went.
It was an excellent example of living history and people enjoying their
hobby of historical reenactment as well as a lot of spectators who came to
enjoy the show. I am sure there are some
people who do not approve of civil war reenactments, probably thinking they
glorify the Confederate cause that should be best forgotten. History is a little more complicated than that
and how it should be viewed retrospectively is another discussion. Today was just a celebration of Americans,
none whom I am sure want to reintroduce slavery or succeed from the Union. It was just people celebrating their historical
heritage, bringing their families to a special place, and having a good time.
No more no less. We celebrate
the 4th of July today and resume our trip home tomorrow.
It was a long day today. After breakfast we set out to travel the 24-mile self-guided auto tour of the battlefield. Here is where we travelled and the history of the battle:
Battle of Gettysburg - Wikipedia
There are 14 identified stops along the route. We also had a National Park Service cell phone app that has a video and audio description for each stop. Here is a sample, very well done (Stop #8 Little Round Top – 8 minutes).
Video
(U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
The battlefield is designated as a national battlefield
instead of as national park because it is not all confined within defined boundaries
of land controlled by the federal government.
The battlefield is interspersed here-and-there with private property and
sections of the town of Gettysburg.
Compared to many other civil war battlefields we have visited a
remarkable amount of the land has been preserved. There are also active community, state, federal
and trust organizations interested in acquiring adjacent land and protecting the battlefield and preventing future
encroachment and commercialization. This is especially true on boundary properties that could
be added to the battlefield it the future if found to be historically
significant and relevant.
The battlefield is also noted for the large number of monuments,
statues and markers placed at more-or-less exact locations of a particular
action or event. Most have been placed by
states and or state veteran organizations either shortly after the war and into
the early years of the 20th Century until around the start of WW
I. They are essentially memorials
recognizing the sacrifices of the men who fought there – on both sides of the
conflict. There are over 1000 such monuments
etc. throughout the battlefield.
Historically, it is hard to underestimate the impact the
Battle of Gettysburg had on the country, both during the war and afterwards.
When the war was over and the smoke cleared, over time there was a common national
effort in both the north and south to recognize the enormity of the loss of
life and to memorialize the contributions of the soldiers who fought here. Thus,
the large number of markers and the timeliness of siting them has resulted in
perhaps the most accurately marked Civil War battlefield in the country.
We finished up our tour with a brief visit to the adjoining Gettysburg
National Cemetery where president Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address when the cemetery
was dedicated in November 1863. If you
haven’t read the Gettysburg Address lately, it is worth reading again. I am not
sure it is being taught in our schools anymore, but it should be. Here it is:
The
Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
We wanted to spend more time there but our energy low level
light was flashing. We picked up some Chinese take-out at a local supermarket
and headed back to the RV for dinner, arriving just before the rain that was
forecast started.
Slept in again today a little. Breakfast in the RV then on to the Gettysburg National Battlefield Visitors Center about 2 miles away.
This is the 4th time we have been here and every time
we come back something seems to have changed. For the better. Not the history
thankfully, but how it is presented and the accommodations for the many
visitors that come here each year. According
to park information, 3 million people visit the park each year. The visitors center is the place to start the
visit. There are lots of staff and
volunteers, an information center, a place to buy tickets to various
attractions in the park, an eating/snack bar (the restaurant is still closed
due to COVID restrictions) and of course, a bookstore and gift shop.
Parking is not really an issue as they have at least three
lots with free, regular shuttle service to/from the visitors center. Here is a little background about the development
of the Gettysburg Battlefield:
Gettysburg
Battlefield - Wikipedia
Our first stop was the Gettysburg Cyclorama. The Cyclorama is a 360 degree painting of the
Gettsyburg battle created in 1884. It is
an amazing creation.
Gettysburg Cyclorama
- Wikipedia
Shows are every 15 minutes and are 45 minutes long. You start in a IMAX type theater and see a
very well done overview off the battle, with background leading up to the war
and the Gettysburg battle, a recap of the battle from July 1-3, 1863, and the
aftermath following the battle and the Civil War. It is narrated by Morgan Freeman is very
well done.
After the movie, you move upstairs to the cyclorama. It has
been restored and enhanced with audio, lighting effects, foreground props, sound effects
and a narration. It is a spectacular presentation. We had previously seen it in its old location,
but it was nothing like this.
After the cyclorama, we had lunch at the snack bar then
toured the Gettysburg Museum attached to the visitors center. It is very extensive, very well done and
displays many original artifacts form the battle and the era. There is also many audio visual displays as you travel through the museum.
At the bookstore there was a relatively famous actor and author, Steven Lang, who has played many roles in Civil Ward movies signing books he has authored. I passed on buying his book or getting a $37.00 Gettysburg tee shirt at the gift shop.
All this was a pretty full day for us. It was back to the RV in late afternoon and
dinner in the RV and early to bed.
Tomorrow is our self-guided battleground tour – a 24- mile circuit of
the battlefield with 15 stops along the way.
Gettysburg VisitorCenter Pictures
Interesting day today.
We slept in a little and got on the road for home around 10:00 am. We avoided the GPS recommendation to take a
more direct route from Cape May to Gettysburg, PA our destination for
today. That route was on a number of
rural roads and routing around Philadelphia through Wilmington, DL and Baltimore,
MD. We felt however we would have a
better chance of getting through it all by going around to the north of
Philadelphia a little. Never blindly trust the GPS.
The whole area around Philadelphia is heavily impacted with
lots of traffic and congestion and there is no easy way to get through it
all. Sure enough, traffic was heavy,
stop-and-go traffic, police activity and accidents didn’t help. To add to it
all, it was raining, sometimes really hard.
We made it through it all however without incident and headed west on
the PA Turnpike to Harrisburg, PA, then south to Gettysburg. There was also lots of traffic on the
turnpike and more heavy rain. At one point
the rain and visibility was so bad we had to pull over until the cell passed.
Anyway, we are here at a nice campground and are planning to experience the variety of activities at the Gettysburg National Battlefield and related 4th of July activities. We will be here until 7/5. Lots of pictures to follow and the weather look good.
Despite going to bed late, we got up at 7;00 am and left the hotel around 9:30 am, stopped at the local WaWa (upscale Am Pm) for a breakfast burrito and sandwiches to go for lunch.
It was an uneventful drive back to Cape May (2 hours) and we started
getting ready to leave tomorrow morning.
The big events were doing the laundry and going to the grocery store for
supplies.
It has been a long couple of days and it is early to bed
tonight. Our destination for tomorrow is
Gettysburg, PA. We will be there for the
4th of July weekend, then heading home down through the Appalachians (before
turning west (details to follow).
The main purpose of travelling to Philadelphia was to attend a Philadelphia Phillies baseball game this evening with my sister Eileen.
Since we missed our museum side trip yesterday, we planned to
do that today before the game that evening.
It wasn’t meant to be. The museum
is closed on Tuesdays. Likewise, two
other art museums in downtown Philadelphia we could visit are also closed on
Tuesday – Thursday. Instead, we just
relaxed in the hotel and I worked on our return trip planning.
My sister picked us up at the hotel which is about 15 minutes from the sports complex where the ball park, Citizen’s Bank Park is located. It is right next to the football stadium where the Philadelphia Eagles play and the arena where the hockey and basketball teams play (Flyers and 76ers) .
We arrived at the park at 5:30 pm when the gates
opened. There are no COVID restrictions
at the park. They suggested wearing a
mask if not vaccinated. We didn’t see a lot of masks. We walked around the park checking out all
the food and other attractions (there a lot), had ballpark food for dinner and
waited for the game to start at 7:05 pm.
It was very hot and humid and since there wasn’t a full house, the
ushers let us move our seats into a more shady part of the section we were in.
The Phillies played the Miami Marlins and won a close game
4-3. It was a long game and we didn’t
get back to the hotel until almost 11:30 pm due to the length of the game and the traffic exiting the parking areas. As fans of the Phillies, it was good to see
them play in person and experience the enthusiasm of the local fans, especially
a lot of young people wearing the local team colors and having a good time.
We will drive back to Cape May in the morning, hook up with
the RV and break camp for home on Thursday to our first stop Gettsyburg for the
4th of July weekend.
Things didn’t work out exactly as planned today.
The original plan was to drive the truck (no RV) to
Philadelphia and visit the Brandywine Museum of Art, home of the Wyeth Family
art collections before checking into our hotel near the Philadelphia
Airport. We got a late start however and
between that and heavy traffic in the Philadelphia and surrounding area, we
missed our ticket window of 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm.
And the museum closed at 4:00 pm so we decided to go straight to the
hotel, the Embassy Suites. The hotel is
still coming out of the COVID restrictions and some hotel services are still
limited, but we were still able to have dinner there and early to bed.
We slept in a little and planned to try the Wildwood Boardwalk
again today.
Two of my sister Eileen’s daughters and a friend came over around noon before leaving for home in the Philadelphia area for a short visit to see the RV. After the last goodbye, we are now the only members of the reunion group still here.
Before the boardwalk
we decided to visit the Maui Dog House again for lunch. It was another great meal,
just as good as the last one.
No weather delays today, just a lot of people on the beach
and boardwalk. We boarded the tram at the Wildwood Crest end of the boardwalk
(south end). And rode the tram the two miles to the north end of the boardwalk
in North Wildwood.
If you have ever been to an east coast boardwalk, the
Wildwood Boardwalk is a great example of the genre. Lots of game booths, arcades, tacky tee shirt
stores, all kinds of food, mostly fried and/or pizza, steak sandwiches, Italian
Ice , funnel cakes, etc. One thing we
noticed, no alcohol is being sold on the boardwalk. A good idea. I am not sure how you could regulate sales as
well as the behavior of some towards the end of the day.
There was a lot of security present, police on bikes and quads but it was
a great crowd – lots of families, young people, old people and everyone in between. Everyone was having fun and the beach was right
there. There also several amusement ride
piers with impressive rides. We did not ride
on any of them.
The way the tram works, you have to buy a ticket every time
you get on and at each end. They have
three mandatory stops each way but if you tell them, they will let you off anywhere
along the route. Likewise, if you want
to get on, they will stop and pick you up.
On the way back we decided to get off about half way to visit a candy/fudge store that was recommended. We bought some fudge (delicious) had ice cream cones, got back on the tram and arrived back at the south end of the boardwalk around 5:00 pm. We then picked up hoagies for dinner on the way back to the RV.
We are travelling to Philadelphia tomorrow without the RV to
do some sightseeing and attend a Phillies game with my sister Eileen on Tuesday night. We will return here on Wednesday and depart on
Thursday, July 1st, for Gettysburg, PA for the 4th of
July weekend. It is the 158th
anniversary of the pivotal Civil War Battle of Gettysburg on July 1 – 3,
!863. There are lots of events planned
in the National Park and the area and it will be a great place to spend the
weekend. Subsequent return home travel
plans are still TBD.
The next phase of the adventure begins.
Our main plan for today was to visit the Wildwood Boardwalk and ride the tram from one end to the other (2 miles).
First, I went over to
the main group house at 9:00 am to help my sister Eileen and her daughters move
out, loading things into a daughter’s truck for transport to one of their
cottages nearby.
After returning to the RV Judy and I went to the boardwalk
area. By then, it was time for
lunch. We ate at an east coast style
diner (Marvis Diner). Lots of choices,
breakfast all day and huge portions. It
was an excellent lunch/breakfast but really too much to eat.
We were close to the Doo Wop museum we tried to visit a few
days ago so we decided to try again. It
was open this time. It is not really a
museum but rather a collection of artifacts from the 50s and 60s spread around
here and there. The site is an old 50’s style restaurant that has been
converted into a collection of old neon, hotel and business signs as well as other period things.
The
Wildwoods, NJ: The Doo Wop Capital of the World | The Wildwoods, NJ (wildwoodsnj.com)
They artifacts have been generally arranged into living room,
kitchen and household settings. The Doo Wop music theme is a display of old 45 rpm records and information about the Doo Wop
music scene in the Wildwood area from that era. The museum appears to be run by
a small non-profit organization and the guides today were an elderly couple who
showed us around and answered questions.
You know you are getting older when you remember using things when you were growing up that are now displayed as historical artifacts.
The boardwalk was next.
The adjoining beach and the boardwalk were crowded as the weekend crowd as
well as the start of seasonal visitors is increasing. After purchasing our tickets and waiting for
the next tram, the skies started getting darker and a few drops of rain were
felt. They decided to shut down the tram
until the weather passed. We decided not to wait and returned to the RV. We’ll try again tomorrow for the tram ride.
Eileen, here daughter Amy, Evia and Kate stopped by later for
a short visit to see the RV before they went out for dinner. We relaxed in the RV and watched two old
Alfred Hitchcock movies before retiring for the evening.
We just rested in the RV today. Every now-and-then you just have to do that while on vacation.
Group activities are winding down as people depart for
home. There was one last farewell diner at an Italian restaurant
this evening. My sister Sharyn and her
husband Barry and granddaughter Payton leave early Saturday morning for home
and my sister Eileen and her daughters need to be out of the main group house by
10:00 am Saturday morning.
The plan today was to visit the Doo Wop Experience Museum in
Wildwood, just north of Wildwood Crest and have lunch at a highly rated hot dog
restaurant in North Wildwood. Most of the
rest of the group was going to the beach again.
Our first stop was the restaurant, the Maui Dog House. It is
actually more of a hot dog stand, not very large with window ordering and
pick-up. The main menu focus is hot
dogs. They make their own and offer at
least 25 different variety of toppings/combinations. They have other things on the menu but people
come here for the hot dogs. We had a
delicious lunch including their specialty French fries with unique seasoning
and dipping sauce.
Alas, the Doo Wop museum was closed despite the hours advertised on their website. The place viewed through the window is not very large and seems to be combined with a travel info center. Outside they have a collection of neon hotel signs from old hotels aound town. It is definitely a work-in-progress and not really a formal museum but rather a collection of artifacts. The Doo Wop Experience is a theme the city is promoting but it still has a way to go. We may go back if the timing works out.
After resting back at the RV for awhile, it was another dinner at the main group house. I grilled steaks and Judy made linguine and clams. Others made salads and side dishes. It was another farewell diner as our son Brian and his family are leaving early the next morning.
Part of the group went deep sea fishing today. Another group went to the beach. We decided to do some sightseeing.
We travelled to the end of the peninsula at Cape May Point to
see the Cape May Lighthouse. It is only about a 5-mile drive from the RV park
but it was lunch time when we arrived. Before touring the lighthouse in the NJ State
Park we had lunch at a nearby snack bar, The Grille, at Sunset Beach. The food was good, we had a great beach view
and the weather was about perfect with little wind and mild temperatures.
After lunch we toured the Cape May Lighthouse in the Cape May Lighthouse complex. It is in a state park open to the public without charge. There is a small visitors center, a nature museum and several beach and wildlife viewing platforms. There are also numerous display boards around the grounds explaining the history and activities of the area. An old WWII artillery bunker is also visible from a beach viewing platform. Originally designed to protect the coast in WWII, it is now closed to the public due to beach erosion.
The lighthouse is open but you have to pay an admission fee
to climb the 199 stairs. We did not.
An interesting sight was a number of Purple Martin bird
houses and feeders. The lady in the
visitors center the area is a large gathering location for migrating Purple
Martins from Brazil. Actually, this area
has a lot of wildlife refuges, especially for birds.
After returning to the RV and resting for
awhile, we had a pizza take out dinner with our son and daughter and their families
at the house where our son Brian is staying.
After dinner the group rejoined at nearby Sunset Lake Park to watch the sunset at 8:30 pm. The park, along the lake shore is a popular sunset viewing location. The sunset was spectacular and everyone had a good time with more pictures of families, cousins, parents, etc. being taken.
People will start to leave tomorrow. Our daughter Karin and her family leave early from Philadelphia for home in Roseville, and our son on Friday back to Nebraska.
Rain was in the forecast for today and it disrupted the schedule.
The plan was for another beach day followed by a picnic
dinner at a local park (Sunset Lake Park) and to watch the sunset over the Bay/Atlantic. Apparently, you can do that from here at the
southern tip of NJ.
As the forecast had a 90% probability, it was decided to
reschedule the picnic dinner at the lake.
Some tried to go to the beach, but it was closed due to thunder and lightning
in the area.
We decided to do laundry and got that all done before the
rains came in early afternoon. It was a
frontal passage - not a lot of wind and
the embedded thunderstorms and lightning missed the immediate area. There was a lot of rain however, but it all
passed by 5:00 pm.
Our plan B for dinner was potluck at the main group house
followed by a board game called “Mind the Gap”.
It was a lot of fun and everyone had a great time.
We slept in today and just relaxed around the RV this morning and into the early afternoon. The younger folks went to the beach again.
The evening gathering was at a beach club at the south end
of Wildwood Crest adjacent to a coastal nature preserve. The club is essentially a beachfront bar
& grill with outside seating. You
have to be a member. It costs $40 per season
(May – Oct) and allows uncrowded access to a nice beachfront eating and
drinking facility. The also have live
music on weekends. Membership in the
club however, does not include beach access. You have to buy seasonal beach
tags but it would be worth it if here for the season as the ocean is a lot
closer than the Wildwood Crest beach we went to the other day. Both of my
sister’s girls are members and had reserved a section of the club for dinner
and drinks.
It was a nice informal gathering and the only night everyone
in the clan would be here. A photographer
was also there and took lots of group pictures, family photos and activity
shots (proofs to follow later).
Fathers Day.
Today was beach time.
The main group house is actually in Wildwood Crest, just North of Cape
May. The area is primarily vacation homes,
condos and hotels. Our group house is
about 4 blocks from the beach. Too far
to walk with beach gear for us old folks, so after caravanning from the house, I
drove there and parked on a street nearby
after dropping Judy off at the beach entrance.
New Jersey beaches have different rules for beach access. Some towns charge a fee to use the beach
(beach tags) others are free. You can
still walk along the beach anywhere on the coast but to set-up at some locations
you have to pay. I suspect the rational
is to pay for services like lifeguards, trash removal, beach maintenance, etc.
(and maybe even a little tourist revenue).
The Wildwood Crest beach is free. It is a very wide flat beach like most east
coast beaches. The slope into the Atlantic Ocean is very gentle here and the water is much warmer than the Pacific Ocean. The beach however has a fairly long walk
across the sand on a boardwalk to get to the ocean. At the end of the boardwalk You can also call
a number for a free shuttle ride the rest of the way to where you set up the
beach chairs and umbrellas. Many people have carts with wide wheels for carrying their chairs, coolers, umbrellas, etc.
The weather was about perfect, sunny, not too windy and
temperature around 80 degrees. Everyone
had a great time especially the kids playing in the surf. There were a lot of people on the beach but
there was plenty of room to spread out.
Judy and I left the beach around 4:00 pm and returned to the
RV to get ready for dinner. The RV park
where we are staying is about 4 miles away from the main group house. There are 3 other houses where family members
are staying. Two cottages are
leased/purchased by my Sister Eileen’s daughters and another is being rented by
our Son Brian and his family. Each house
is close to each other and group activities are at the main house (5 bedrooms)
that is being rented through a friend of my sister Eileen.
Fathers Day dinner was at the group house. I grilled the NJ version of a Tri-Tip (close) and some sirloin some steaks. I also grilled some corn. After dinner, all the dads were appropriately recognized.
The group plan was for some of the family to take a pontoon
boat trip into the bay today with some crabbing and fishing. Alas, the boat had a mechanical problem (before
sailing) and they had to cancel. Plan B
was bicycle riding on the Wildwood Boardwalk.
Judy and I just stayed in the campground most of the day,
getting things set-up, making a trip to the grocery store, and relaxing a
little from the long drive (2907 miles).
Happy Hour and dinner were at the main group house. I grilled chicken and others prepared delicious side dishes. We also celebrated my sister Sharyn's husband, Barry Turner 's 80th Birthday with an ice cream cake for desert.
A few more family members still need to arrive but most are now here.
It was great for
everyone to get together again.
The mobile RV repair person arrive around 8:00 am and was quickly able to fix the wiring problem that had shut down the coach air conditioner unit. We had been trying to get the problem fixed since Nebraska without success. Every RV dealer we contacted was booked solid and could not schedule service for a month or more. Likewise, we were also not able to find a mobile RV repair person who was available for a quick response service call. As we approached PA, our niece Allison, was able to provide some contact information for 2 mobile RV Repair companies. Luckily, one could come this morning and knew what to do to fix the problem.
We were fortunate our problem was not serious and did not
prevent travel enroute. And, we really didn’t need the AC as it was relatively
cool along the way, especially at night.
Since it was only about a 2 ½ hour drive from West Chester to Cape May, NJ we were able to relax a little before leaving for Cape May.
The drive took longer however due to heavy traffic and we arrived at our destination in Cape May around 4:00 pm. We are staying at a very nice campground, Holly Shores RV Resort and will be staying here until July 1st with a side trip to Philadelphia on June 28th and 29th to see a baseball game and museum tours.
After getting set up at the RV Park we travelled over to the
main reunion house that would be the HQ for the reunion. Not everyone was
arriving today, but after happy hour, we had pizza delivered for dinner . The reunion begins.
I have been off-line for a awhile due to computer problems, now resolved, but in catch-up mode.
With a day off, we visited the Longwood Gardens in Kennett
Square with my sister Eileen and her daughter and my niece Allison and her two
girls Delancy and Kessler.
It is a world class botanical garden and is one of the
premier horticultural display gardens in the United States. It has a long
history but was acquired and refurbished by Pierre S. du Pont of the prominent du Pont family in
1906. Here is a little history:
As an aside, Kennett Square, although not giving the impression
of an agricultural area, but rather a quaint Pennsylvania colonial town, is also
known as the “Mushroom Capitol of the World”. The area annually produces over
500 tons of mushrooms, half of the United States’ mushroom crop.
It was an enjoyable visit and well worth the
experience. Here are some pictures:
After resting back at the RV we had dinner at a very nice restaurant in nearby Chadds Ford. Family members are staring to arrive and the reunion activities are beginning.
