East Coast Family Reunion - Day 24 - June 30, 2021

 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 4^th of July weekend, then heading home down through the Appalachians (before turning west (details to follow).

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 23 - June 29, 2021

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.

Phillies Game Pictures

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 4^th of July weekend.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 22 - June 28, 2021

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.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 21 - June 27th

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.

Wildwood BoardwalkPictures

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 1^st, for Gettysburg, PA for the 4^th of July weekend.  It is the 158^th 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.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 20 - June 26, 2021

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. 

Here is more information about the Wildwood Doo Wop marketing theme:

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.

Doo Wop Museum

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.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 19 - June 25, 2021

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.

Our plan for tomorrow is to visit the Wildwood Boardwalk. It is two miles long and can be travelled by a motorized tram car you can get off-and-on.  Sounds like a sensible way to check it all out.  Maybe even the Doo Wop museum if it is open.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 18 - June 24, 2021

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.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 17 - June 23, 2021

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. 

An interesting sight right off shore is the remains of a concrete cargo ship built in WWI in  response to a shortage of steel.  The Navy only built 14 concrete ships as a test, but they were too heavy and slow and they were quickly retired.  After the war some were used for coastal commerce and after their retirement in 1926 the plan was to submerge some of them off- shore of the point to inhibit beach erosion.  The first, the USS Atlantis was beached in a storm and broke apart. Some of the remains are still visible and will probably be covered over by nature at some point in the future.

 

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.

Cape May LIghthouse Pictures

 On the way back, we made a short stop at the remaining fire control tower in NJ (Fire Control Tower 23) that was used in support of the nearby artillery bunker.  It is also open to the public and is managed by a local non-profit.

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.

Sunset Lake Pictures

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.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 16 - June 22, 2021

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.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 15 - June 21, 2021

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).

Diamond Beach Club Photos

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 14 - June 20, 2021

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.

Wildwood Crest Beach Photos

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. 

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 13, June 19, 2021

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.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 12 - June 18,2021

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. 

West Chester KOA - Pictures

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 1^st with a side trip to Philadelphia on June 28^th and 29^th 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.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 11 - June 17, 2021

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:

Longwood Gardens - Wikipedia

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:

Longwood Gardens - Photos

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.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 10 - June 16, 2021

 A short travel day today. We left Harrisburg around 9:00 am and arrived at the West Chester, PA KOA about 11:00 am.

This campground is a large KOA in a wooded setting about 30 miles from downtown Philadelphia. It is near several affluent towns just west of Philadelphia which have retained their rural charm and character.  Lots of history (and money). 

The RV Park is adjacent to the Brandywine Battlefield along the Brandywine River.  It is the site of a Revolutionary War battle in 1775 between General Washington and his soldiers and the British moving up from the Chesapeake Bay.  The British won the battle and subsequently occupied Philadelphia with General Washington retreating to Valley Forge and wintering.  You know the rest of the story.

The area is also adjacent to the town of Chadds Ford.  It is the site of the Brandywine River Museum of Art and the Wyeth Family Studios.  It is the home of the collections of works of three generations of the Wyeth family, N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, and Jamie Wyeth. It has a spectacular collection of Wyeth art and if you are all familiar with and enjoy their art, it is well worth the trip.  It is presently closed for renovation but is planned to open on June 20^th.  We will stop here on the way home after the reunion.  We have been here before and it is worth seeing again.  The N.C. Wyeth house and studio also offer tours.  We have done them before and may do them again if open. 

Today was a logistics resupply day.  Judy did the laundry (I helped).

I also travelled about 6 miles through very narrow  country roads (but very pretty scenery) to buy groceries.  The local grocery store chain Giant is very large and dominates the market in the area. A couple of grocery store comments:

I picked up a 12 pack of beer (to kill the road dust after each day’s trip). As I was leaving the beverage area in the store with the beer, a guy came up to me and said I had to pay for the beer before leaving the area (near the produce).  Sure enough, I noticed his station near the coolers with a register and card reader. I asked him why they were doing this.  He said he didn’t know.  He just worked there but thought it had something to do with small kids in other parts of the store.  Strange, although you can still only buy hard liquor in” State Stores”, liquor stores run by the state.

The other thing, kind of creepy, was there were robots going up and down the aisles and other areas of the store.  They were kind of like big vacuum cleaners with a pole sticking up in the air.  If you came near one it would stop.  I asked a clerk why robots and what did they do?  He said they wander around the store keeping their eye on things (he didn’t go into details) but said if they saw something amiss, they would call someone.  Wow.

We are going to do some sightseeing tomorrow and then have dinner tomorrow night in Chadds Ford with family members who flew in today and my sister and nieces who live nearby.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 9 - June 15, 2021

We had a pleasant drive today. Fairly long (345 miles), but it went very well. The only issue was a 20-miniute construction lane compression delay in Wheeling, WV crossing the Ohio River.

West Virginia has an interesting history. From Wikipedia:

“Originally part of old Virginia Much of the area had been settled by yeomen farmers, few of whom owned slaves. With the railroad, a larger industrial or mercantile middle-class developed that depended on free labor; it either felt disinterest or hostility to slavery. The Wheeling Intelligencer newspaper expressed the area's anti-secession sentiment as tensions rose over slavery and national issues. The city became part of the movement of western areas to secede from Virginia after the beginning of the Civil War. It was the location of the Wheeling Convention.[8] It served as the provisional capital of the Restored Government of Virginia from 1861 to 1863, and became the first capital of West Virginia after it seceded from Virginia and was admitted to the Union in its own right in 1863.”

Travelling west on I-70E from Ohio you only cross a small sliver of WV where Wheeling is located. You then enter Pennsylvania and continue along I-70 until it joins the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-76 a toll road. The Pennsylvania Turnpike also has an interesting history.

The road crosses the entire state east to west, New Jersey to Ohio (360 miles). It crosses the Appalachian Mountains in central Pennsylvania, passing through four fairly long tunnels. During the 1930s the turnpike was designed to improve automobile transportation across the mountains of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission acquired the rights of way, with seven tunnels, from the South Pennsylvania Railroad that was abandoned in the 1880s, a victim of the New York Central/Pennsylvania Railroad wars (another interesting story) The road opened on October 1, 1940. It was one of the earlier long-distance limited-access highways in the United States, and served as a precedent for additional limited-access toll roads and the Interstate Highway System. It has been continually expanded and improved since then and is now one of the best maintained highways in the Interstate Highway System.

We are now officially in the east. We are staying at a nice RV park just across the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg, PA. The scenery enroute was very pretty, especially over the Appalachian Mountains and the foothills up-and-down. Rolling hills, well kept farmlands and buildings many very old but kept up, lots of trees, all very green. No wind today made the drive much easier. Still a lot of trucks on the road. That is good. Commerce appears to be flourishing.

Our travel plans have been updated to address what to do on Wednesday and Thursday. Those days were built into the travel schedule to deal with any issues before arriving at Cape May, NJ on Friday.

We finally found someone to take a look at our RV coach AC that has a power problem. So we are headed to the Philadelphia/West Chester KOA tomorrow. We will stay there Wednesday and Thursday Night and a mobile RV repair guy will be there Friday am to see what the issue may be (and hopefully fix it). We will also be spending time with my sister and nieces who live nearby as well as getting caught up with travel logistics like laundry and supplies replenishment. After that we will travel to Cape May for the start of the reunion.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 8 - June 14, 2021

It was a bit of a strange day today.  We got on the road at the normal time around 8:30 am – 9:00 am but it seemed to take awhile to get locked in to the travel mode. The terrain in Indiana was about the same as where we have been.  Lots of Ag (more corn) and the road about the same.  I have to say however, the Interstate roads in Indiana are the worst we have seen so far.

We had stayed a little bit west of Indianapolis so we went around the city on the southern loop and picked up I-70E at the east end.  I was impressed with the size of the city and traffic there.  It is really a big city and a major transportation hub.  About 6 or 7 Interstate loops and roads intersect there.  As we moved east there were also definitely more people on the road.

We had pretty good wind again but a tailwind and it wasn’t a problem.  The problem was a lot of construction, lane closures/compressions and delays.  There was also a major delay due to a bad accident up ahead of us.  We probably lost about and an hour or so just clearing all the delays.

We also stopped at another nice rest area in Ohio for lunch.

Another challenge was driving through Columbus this afternoon.  Lots of downtown construction and nothing we recognized from our time there in the 60’s.  We are staying about 30 miles east of the city at a nice KOA at Buckeye Lake.

Harrisburg, PA tomorrow then two days (our travel flex time) to figure out what to do next before our scheduled arrival in Cape May, NJ.  We have a few minor RV issues we want to get fixed but are having trouble finding anyone to do that.  RV service centers are slammed, saying they are short of help and booking appointments two months out.  There are also lots of people in motion coming out of the COVID thing, and it is approaching the peak travel/recreation time.

Just as an aside.  Not many people we have come in contact with at truck stops, gas stations, and RV parks are wearing masks.  Ready or not, it appears people are moving towards their accepted risk tolerance.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 7 - June 13, 2021

We left Davenport around 8:30 am and after refueling, getting mochas and truck stop breakfast sandwiches we were on the road by 9:00 am.  It was a relatively short drive today, of 265 miles (mostly through Illinois) .  It went well, little wind more rolling hills and large Ag fields with mostly corn and possibly some soy beans (hard to tell from the road).  These are not hobby farms.  The fields are very large and my guess is many may be corporate owned.  They are definitely not growing the corn for domestic food consumption.  The scope of the effort suggests otherwise.  We did see a large Dekalb Corporation collection, processing and storage facility enroute. Everything is green here, is well kept and has lots of trees and shrubs along the roadsides.

We left I-80 east of Davenport and headed southeast on I-74 towards Indianapolis to avoid the I-80 congestion around the Chicago area and further east. There was less traffic on I-74, fewer trucks and better scenery  Still rural. We also crossed two big rivers today. First the Mississippi east of Davenport and the Illinois River in Peoria.

We are staying at a KOA in Crawfordsville, IN tonight about 30 miles west of Indianapolis.  We had an unpleasant surprise when we hooked up.  Our coach Air Conditioner would not turn on.  It looks like some sort of AC power input issue.  Fortunately, it is not too hot here and we have a nice shady site.  We will try to get it fixed enroute or when we get to Cape May.

Another relatively short drive tomorrow to Columbus, OH.  We were stationed there  from 1963-1968 after our return from Bermuda.  I am sure it has changed a lot and I still sort of root for the Ohio State Football team.  There will not be any memory lane explorations.  It will be an overnight stop then on to Harrisburg, PA on Tuesday.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 6 - June 12, 2021

We departed the RV park and got on road to Davenport, IA about 8:30 am.  After an abortive stop for gas on the way out of town due to a gas station system outage, we finally headed east at 9:00 am.  We couldn’t even buy ice or a truck stop mocha.

It was all lowa today. The state is not flat, at least along I-80.  It was a continuous trip of rolling hills, lots of Ag land (mostly corn) with silos and houses setback from the road. Everything looked fresh and green.  The traffic was heavier, maybe due to the weekend or there are more people living around here.  The only big city we passed through was Des Moines, the state capital.  We had a little crosswind today, although manageable.  We also had a 30- minute delay due to an accident on the highway ahead of us that closed the road.

Another rest stop lunch today. A nice one.

We arrived just west of Davenport IA around 4:00 pm.  Davenport is on far eastern side of IA on the Mississippi River.  The RV park where we are staying seems to be primarily populated by permanent residents.  It is O.K. for an overnight stop, but nothing special.  Weather remains hot and humid.

We decided to avoid I-80 through Chicago, Toledo, etc.  tomorrow and will head south to Indianapolis, then east to Columbus, OH.  It may be a tad longer but less aggravating traffic wise.  We will be staying at a KOA in Crawfordsville, IN, just west of Indianapolis tomorrow night.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 5 - June 11, 2021

 Not a lot to report.  We planned a layover/R&R stop for today and it turned out to be a good idea.  We had 4 days of hard driving in a relatively difficult driving environment with unpredictable travel conditions.   A day off along the way on a long trip is a good idea and highly recommended for senior RV travelers.

After sleeping in to the unheard hour of 7:00 am while on the road and a leisurely breakfast, we noticed that some pretty impressive weather was just west of us and heading our way.   Sure enough, around 9:30 am a strong line of thunderstorms along a frontal passage hit.  If you have ever seen Midwest black sky weather you can appreciate the experience.  Thankfully, no tornados but we had high wind, driving rain, and thunder and lightning.  We brought in the sliders and hunkered down.  By noon everything was about back to normal and no damage in the RV park or to the travel trailers/RVs parked here.  As locals here are pretty well used to severe weather this one was probably a 4 on a scale of 10.  Nevertheless, despite having lived in Omaha for two, three years tours while in the Air Force, you forget how the weather here can be when you are not actually here to experience it.

Leading Edge of the Storm

We  had plans to maybe travel up to the area near the Air Force Base (Offutt AFB) where we used to live and work, visit the old haunts and maybe have lunch at a favorite greasy spoon hamburger joint (Stella’s) we always enjoyed.  Our son says it is still there.  We were not about to go out in the weather and decided stay put and just be lazy today.  Actually, sometimes the past is best remembered and not reexperienced.

After the weather cleared, I did fix a vexing problem with the tow vehicle brake controller.  We have been experiencing intermittent then total failure of the controller that applies the brakes to the towed vehicle.  This not a desirable situation.  After tracing the wiring, I found a frayed/broken wire supplying power from the battery to the controller.  After I fixed the connection, everything is now working fine.  I also have now added Mobile RV Repair Technician as a qualification on my resume. 

We are back on the road tomorrow, east on I-80 to Davenport, IA at the eastern border by the Mississippi River.  The journey continues.

East Coast Family Reunion - Day 4 - June 10, 2021

It was an 8:30 am start from the RV Park in Kimball, NE today. Somewhat surprisingly, although clear but misty when we left, it quickly became mostly overcast and windier than forecast. The good news was that despite more of a cross wind than yesterday, the velocity was about the same or lighter.  Nevertheless, it was not a relaxing dive today.

Driving across Nebraska is an all-day drive for most people.  It is about 500 miles on I-80.  We did 415 of it today, our longest scheduled day of the trip east.  Along I-80 which parallels the Platte River there are mostly Ag uses visible from the road as well as towns and cities spaced out enroute.  There is lots of interesting Nebraska History that is really worth reading about and how it was involved in the growth of the nation.  

We stopped for lunch at a well-maintained rest stop somewhere between Kearney and Grand Island for a quick lunch.

We then arrived at Gretna, NE (near Omaha) about 5:30 pm local time. We lost an hour entering the Central Time Zone.  By now the skies had cleared, the wind died down and it was hot and humid.

We are staying at a local KOA.  Looking over the fence there is a cornfield, almost knee-high -  right on schedule.

After unhooking the truck we met our son Brian and his wife Samantha for dinner at a great local BBQ restaurant.  It was then back to the RV and bedtime.  We are staying here tomorrow for a little R&R with activities TBD after sleeping in a little.

Maybe a Nebraska story or two in the blog tomorrow.

East Cost Family Reunion - Day 3 - June 9, 2021

We left the RV park at 8:30 am. On the way out, we stopped and took a few pictures of the entrance to the Fort Bridger Historical Park. Lots of history here.

It was than another long day of driving along I-80 which essentially follows the route of old US 30 and the historical Lincoln Highway through Wyoming.

A lesser known memorial highway, the 3,025 mile Victory Highway mostly followed the Lincoln Highway from San Francisco through Sacramento, over Donner Pass, to Reno and continuing east to New York City.

A short anecdote: One of my projects with the county was the coordination of the restoration and siting of one of the Veterans Highway eagle statues that was stored in a Caltrans barn. Working with the Town of Truckee, Caltrans and the Lincoln Highway Association we were able to site the statue in downtown Truckee as a Victory Highway memorial to veterans. We also were able to site various locations of the highway as it went over Donner Pass and down slope paralleling I-80.

Here is a short description of the eagle project by the Truckee Historical Society:

"First installed at the California-Nevada state line on July 24, 1928, the Victory Highway Eagle Monument is now permanently located on the corner of Donner Pass Road and Spring Street in Downtown Truckee in Victory Plaza. This monument is a bronze sculpture designed to honor America’s sons and daughters who served their country in World War I. These statues were intended to be placed at every U.S. county line along the transcontinental Victory Highway but when the Great Depression hit the project was sidelined. Only six of these monuments are known to have been made with Truckee having one of the six. These statues depict an eagle with its 6-foot, 8-inch wings spread protectively over two young eaglets in a nest, symbolizing the United States’ protection of its citizens. The Plaque at the bottom of the statue says “Dedicated to California’s sons and daughters who served their country in the World War 1917-1918 and to the memory of those who gave the last measure of devotion”.

Victory Highway Eagle Monument below the Veterans Memorial Building in Downtown Truckee

As we continued east on I-80 and reflecting on previous trips at different times of year, the most vivid impressions were: cold, overcast skies, windy, chance of rain/snow/ice, and not much to look at along the way. These are not necessarily unusual conditions in the high plains here at 6,500 – 7,000 ft elevation. Today was a little different. It was warm (70’s), the skies were clear and zero chance of rain/snow/ice. Zephyrus was good to us as we had some wind but it was mostly a tailwind with slight quartering here-and-there. Alas, not much as changed in the way of scenic attractions. Maybe a few more snow fences, seasonal road block checkpoints, and billboards. We did see two antelope however. Not sure if they were playing or not.

We are not staying at a destination resort tonight. We are 20 miles into the Nebraska Panhandle at the High Point RV park in Kimball, NE. The town bills itself at the highest point in Nebraska at 5,424 ft. although that is apparently not “settled science” in local academia.

Another long drive tomorrow along I-80 through Nebraska to a KOA near Omaha. We will be there two nights for a pre-visit with our son Brian who will also be joining us in NJ for the family reunion.