Oct 24-30

(Before you look at this posting, just know that I have no idea what the heck is going on with the photos I took with my cell phone. They looked fine on my computer when I downloaded them but when I post them to the blog. . . well, you see what is going on. I have no idea who those other people are that are showing up or why my photos are tiny up in the corner but I can't undo it so. . .there you are. If anyone understands this at all, fill me in, please.Remember that you can enlarge photos by clicking on them. Perhaps you can actually see the photo I intended you to see.)

In our efforts to get to Cherokee, NC, from Virginia we took a creative detour. In our ambling about we could see that way up on one of the mountains there was thick snow which was the first we had seen in, well, years. We later learned from a weather report that it was Mt. Mitchell and they had closed the Blue Ridge Parkway due to blizzard conditions. We stayed down near Asheville instead and waited for the weather to warm.


Mom and Bonnie got groomed while there and we explored Asheville a tad. We drove out to Chimney Rock Park which was quite beautiful and dynamic. They, thank goodness, have a elevator to the top. Well, not THE top. There were still some steps up but manageable. Here is a postcard photo of Chimney Rock then one from the top of it looking down over Lure Lake.





We all started down a trail to a waterfall but it turned out to be further and more uphill than we anticipated so Mom hung back but she is becoming quite the adventurer!


The waterfall wasn’t actually that spectacular so it’s good she didn’t trek all the way to see it. I did pass about 3 dozen Japanese tourists on my way back and I’m pretty sure they were somewhat puzzled when they finally reached the falls. One lady was sitting along the path tying her shoes and said she thought it might take her about 30 minutes to get them tied properly (until the others returned! hehehe)


We then moved on to our intended destination of Cherokee to check out the Gourd Festival locale for a future trip. We didn’t stay in Cherokee at that time but found a great campground for the return trip. We thought Cherokee was a bit tourist trappish so we moved on through one of the most beautiful drives so far, Hwy 441 across the Smoky Mountain National Park!

We started out in the warm sun at the Visitor Center on the North Carolina side and encountered fall colors, cooler, cooler, cooler, cold! As we approached the highest point on the road, we found snow!



For these three Texans, that was quite a thrill. It was also little scary as we were in Minerva, pulling Hondo on windy mountain roads with the Smoky Mountain smoky fog all around. Wow. What an experience. Breathtakingly beautiful.

We came out of the tall mountains directly into Gatlinburg and suffered culture shock. From beauty and serene to Las Vegas style WAM! Talk about tourist trappish! We couldn’t get out fast enough. We drove straight through and on to Pigeon Forge which has been turned into a grotesque carnival (Mom’s words and quite accurate.) We were tired so took the first spot available (amongst hundreds of others). Our only foray was to a bookstore. Next morning, we were OUT OF THERE!

Made our way to Cleveland, TN which is just northeast of Chattanooga. It is lovely here and we have a great site near the showers, bathrooms and laundry room plus we can get wi-fi in Minerva which is quite a treat!

We drove out to the Ocoee River. Friend Louisa told us about this river and I’m so glad she did. I think the river and lake are some of the most lovely scenery I’ve ever seen. The Ocoee (O-KO-EE) is quite an interesting river situation. They put in dams to send the water down flumes to create electricity needed in the area. There was such an uproar from the community and river enthusiasts that they now have a schedule for allowing water down different sections of the river for kayakers and rafters. A TN ranger told us that there are 24 outfitters that use the river and that is rafting alone. We saw dozens and dozens of white water kayakers entering the river when we were there because this weekend and next are it until next May. The river runs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and they were making the most of it.


I put in a photo of what it looks like dry as well as where the kayakers were putting in. These were taken by my cell phone so they aren’t great.


This one is the dam and, no, they don’t go over it! The river in this section is Class III and IV’s which is too much for Lucille and me! It was a sunny day but still quite cool so I wimped out on a rafting adventure this time around. We plan to come back to the area at the end of May next year so I’ll definitely give it go then.


This is a postcard photo of rafters to give you an idea of what it is like.



This is the site of the 1996 Olympic Kayak events. The center shown here is three or four stories and holds a restaurant, shop (of course), visitor center and much more. This section was dry and will remain so until next Spring. When flowing it is Class IV and V’s which is wild, wild, wild!

In our driving on Saturday, we had another creative detour (wrong turn) and ended up in a little place called Copperhill where we had some of the best Mexican food EVER at the El Rio Restaurant. Thanks, El Rio! We drove around the block and, for one corner of that, we were in Georgia. It looked surprisingly a lot like Tennessee! We turned another corner and were in the Volunteer state once again.

On our way back we drove out to Apple Valley to see a Cider Mill (Mom wants to see one in operations old style). It turned out to be a sham. Just a tourist trap selling juice and junk.

Temps are in 30’s at night and our heater has been keeping us toasty, sometimes a little too toasty! Bonnie has been wearing her outdoor togs on our morning walks where there is frost on the ground that burns off about 10 or so. She is the best travel dog ever.


Well, I think this catches us up. More later. Ta ta.

Oct 21-23

Spent a bit more time in the historic areas but found we were tired of tours and tired of seeing the inside of other people’s homes, no matter the era. So we spent Friday night listening to the rain and wind AND loud crashes as acorns catapulted from the trees above. Crikey, those things sound like gunshots. Now we understand why all the experienced RVers choose spots in the open. (Annette McE., a little tip for you to remember for the future.)

We moved on to a park near Appomatox on Saturday. The good thing about traveling at this time of year is that the parks are very empty. Hmmmmm.
Anyway, we went to our first Steeplechase Horse Race today. We finally made it. It is very different from other horse races and, we think, from those in the UK. This one was a fundraiser as are many of them. It was a social occasion with activities for the kids, a terrier dog race and tailgate party prizes - none of which interested us but made for a festive occasion.

Here are a few photos for your entertainment. By the way, the weather was picture perfect for this event - 60’s, blue skies and, as you can see called for attire from shorts and shirtsleeves to sweaters and fleeces, depending on the temperature tolerance of the individual.


There were a lot of people there all spread out on blankets, folding chairs, etc. The horses ran the course length twice around with twelve jumps in all. It was a little difficult to see them all the time due to distance but the view was beautiful.


Me with my new Oak Ridge Steeplechase cap, taking in the action.



The horses don’t start from a gate but ride in a circle and then line up as they walk. Then the official lowers the flag and they go.


There is quite a bit of time between races and, while the people watching is a prime attraction, sometimes a person just needs a good ole crossword to keep things interesting.




We lucked out getting these two photos. The digital clicks so slowly, it’s a crap shoot as to what image will actually be captured but I think these are really good. The gray won the race.


Got one of the whole field going over in one race.
It was a fun experience but without betting and closed captioned TV, it’s hard to get too excited! We’re glad we got to see one before the season was over, that’s for sure.

Tomorrow (Monday, 24th), on toward North Carolina. Mom’s checking the maps now.
Ta ta.

October 17-20

Yikes! I’ve gotten behind in my bloggin’.We’ve covered some territory since our last posting. We left West Virginia which was beeeautiful. The people were noticibly West Virginian (interpret that any way you choose) and fun-loving. Here’s a photo of a typical couple. (hehehe - it’s from a postcard I couldn’t resist).


We drove the most beautiful drive we’ve experienced so far. We took Hwy. 250 from Elkins, WV straight across the Appalachians to Waynesboro, VA. Wow! Twists and turns, up and down. Not for the car sick prone but absolutely fabulous.


It wins our best drive award so far and that’s even after we drove the Skyline Drive through the Shenendoah National Park. That was beautiful, no doubt, but still didn’t compare. The Shenendoah Valley is breathtaking and well worth a visit. And, Outdoor Women, the AT runs the length of the Skyline Drive area and on through the park. Something to think about for the future, backpacking in the real back country And the highest elevation was something like 3,600 ft. The absence of photos is due to that fact that it is so vast, there is simply no way a photo can do it the slightest justice. I suggest looking up their web site if you are interested in seeing more about that park.


This is the only bear we have encountered so far and we managed to escape it without injury.

We visited Michie Tavern and Monticello, both worth a visit. The Michie’s are in our ancestry on our paternal grandmother’s side. She was a Michie and there is interesting history there. Jefferson’s skills and inventions never cease to amaze and I wish I had 1/100th of his curiosity and energy.






We camped in Waynesboro where we put up our new colorful lights on our awning. Yep, we fell to the temptation. All the RVer’s have little decorations and/or lights and they look so cute. We had to have some. Ours are rather subdued compared to most but it does make a nice ambience.

We visited the Luray Caverns, 4th largest in North America and quite a sight. I took a photo of a postcard because we didn’t take any photos while in the caverns. Sometimes we just don’t feel like lugging around a camera, ya know?


We then headed toward Williamsburg, unfortunately taking a too-early exit and driving from stop light to stop light every 50 yards through Richmond! Eeee gad. That’s fun in a motor home pulling a vehicle! We managed to get through THAT and on to our campground which we discovered was way too far away from Williamsburg. It didn’t look that far on the map but there are only two ways to cross the York River and neither of them is very close.


The campground (Bethpage Campground) was unbelievable. I mean, it was like a Stepford Campground. No kidding. Huge pine trees in perfect lines, paved streets, everything symmetrical and neat. They had a lake, fountains, a boardwalk, a BEACH with lounge chairs and umbrellas, a boat ramp since it was on the Rappahannock River which feeds into the Chesapeake Bay. Really well done. But, alas, we moved on after one night to get closer to our destinations.

We spent a good part of Thursday in Williamsburg and are pooooooped. Lots of walking especially since we drove Minerva and had to park further away in the RV lot. It was rather warm so we couldn’t risk leaving Bonnie in Hondo and overheating so she got to relax in the RV with a/c while we experienced the 17th and 18th centuries. Yep, we all know who got the best end of that deal. Actually, the weather turned while we were there. Something about a hurricane or some such. We don’t know. We haven’t seen the news in two weeks.

Friday will be a few more hours in Williamsburg then on to Jamestown and Yorktown for a bit. We’ve been listening to “1776” on audio book to get us in the revolutionary mood for this portion of our trip. It’s very good. I recommend it.

And let me add just one more thing -

HAPPY 17TH BIRTHDAY, LANDON!!!!!

Still in West Virginia

As of this writing, we are still near Elkins, WV enjoying the cool (40’s/50’s with wind) and the ruggedly beautiful surroundings. The west has much taller mountains but
I think it would be more difficult to traverse these due to the constant up and down and thick trees. Glad we’re not pioneers trying to cross it in a wagon!


As you can see, not all normal activites have fallen to the wayside. Mom has worked her magic on another gourd in the last several days.






We took a short train ride on the New Tygart Railroad. It was enclosed (no cinders in the face on this one) and we went just a bit up into the hills to a waterfall area then returned along the same route. It was a good afternoon jaunt.


We decided we wanted fire roasted hotdogs that night. Turns out I can’t make a fire any better in WV than I can in TX, NM or CO! A neighbor lent his hatchet skills to get our store-bought wood into smaller pieces (that’s the trick) and we ended up with a nice fire and some juicy, charred (hmmm mmmmm!) weenies. I was tempted to get my own hatchet (argh argh) but not sure I care if I make another fire. I’ll have to think on that.


Bonnie and I went on a hike Saturday afternoon. There are so many trails and entries into the wilderness areas around here. You can pack in and camp anywhere you want! We just did a short few mile hike. The photo is of the beginning leaf covered path before it got into the woods. Even-
though we could hear and see the wind blowing pretty good up in the trees, we could barely feel it down on the path.

We head out to Charlottesville, VA (T. Jefferson’s Monticello & ancestrol historic Michie Tavern) on Monday then on to Williamsburg, Yorktown & Jamestown, VA followed by Appomatox (near Lynchburg), VA for the weekend to see Steeplechase races (we hope).

We’ll post more in a few days.

Oct 12 - 16

Thursday, Oct 13 and we arrived in Elkins, West Virginia yesterday. Hwy. 79 through WV is fabulous. I recommend it. We set up camp at Revelle’s Camp on Shaver’s Fork of the Cheat River. It is about 9 miles out Hwy. 33 from Elkins. Apparently, a big fishing weekend is coming up so we were lucky to get a riverside spot. Here’s a morning photo of the clouds still hovering on a nearby mountain.


Color is minimal but we hope to see the change as it occurs over the next few days as we’ll be here through Monday morning. We caught the Fish Fairy this morning. You can see him throwing big fish (look hard for them in the photo. some are splashing in.) I think they are trout but what do I know. You can see from the second photo that he thought he could get away sight unseen but we caught him!





We plan to hike, gourd, bike, go on a train ride and who knows what all. We’ll let you know. I'll add more later. Have to go find a coax cable so we can hook in. We are finding our TV antenna sorely lacking in these hills and mountains. We haven't seen our soap in two weeks! We're dying out here!

Oct 8 - 12

Congratulations to Tommie & Britt on the birth of Kayla Lynn October 6th!


After a night at the Monroe Lake Reservoir where we found a wooded hiking path (above photo) AND laundry facilities we moved on to Madison as I mentioned before. I’ve included a pic of the Ohio River looking over to the Kentucky side.


We spent a relaxing day exploring the town. Mom found some ancestral information in the library while Bonnie and I toured the streets. The fountain shown is one of four of its style in the world. It was originally exhibited in Philadelphia in 1876 and presented to the city in 1886.


We then ventured out to find the road to Ryker’s Ridge, one of our ancestral lines. We found the old cemetery and this headstone. Our direct line was of Col. John Ryker and Mary Van Cleave. The ridge is named after John Ryker and his family.




Sunday, we went to Louisville, KY. Here’s a photo of Mom overlooking a small portion of the Ohio River Falls where the Lewis & Clark expedition came together to begin their journey. Of course, the bridge was not there then!


We drove over to Churchill Downs. Alas, no racing that day but we did go on a tour of the track and they have a wonderful presentation in their museum. Worth the stop if you’re in the area.


Monday we toured some small towns along the Ohio River. Found this head stone of Eliakim Stoops, my great great great grandfather. It was in Florence, IN. We found head stones of some of the Platt’s in Quercus Grove, IN (also ancestors) but I won’t cover the blog with head stones. Also along the way, in the middle of nowhere, we came across the Belterra Casino and Resort rising into the sky. Very weird. But not so weird that we didn’t stop and have lunch there! Yum!


We drove back on the Kentucky side of the river where we encountered huge factories for miles. We also encountered one of the dams and locks that are installed all down the Ohio River to control flooding and allow for barge movement. While there, a barge was just entering. I think it took longer for it to get in place than it did for the water level to decline on the other side. I included this less than inspired photo so you could see the difference in water level on the wall. It takes a person with patience to be a barge pilot, I tell you.

Tuesday and we’re heading out again. More later.

Oct 2 - 7

One thing is for sure, we aren’t going where the wind blows us. If that were the case, we’d be across Minnesota and in Canada by now. Wow. Strong winds and gusts from the south as we are traveling due east. That’s fun!

We managed to get from Des Moines, across the Mississippi and to Starved Rock State Park near Ottawa, Illinois on Sunday. We 86’ed a park on the relative flattish land near the highway & ventured into a rolling, hilly terrain with huge trees and cliffs, all due to the Illinois river. Legend is that a group of Indians sought safety from a pursuing enemy atop a large rock outcrop and was subsequently surrounded and starved to death thus the name of the park.





It’s beautiful here and we stayed a couple of nights to take advantage of the river, bike paths and cool sunny Monday. Only bad thing - we can’t get reception for our soap. Sacrifices sometimes must be made. That’s forgotten when we can sleep with windows open to the cool breezes wafting through Minerva! I got to kayak on the Illinois river along side one of the large barges that transports coal, among other things, down the river. They are almost as wide as the banks and seem to go on forever. If you look real hard you’ll see me in my kayak in the photo. You are only seeing about 1/10th of the barge. Mom is relaxing in the park with Bonnie and managed to get my photo passing an Egret. Folks were fishing on the banks and catching some whoppers!



Tuesday, we intended to cross Indiana. We didn’t get very far. We actually spent the night in a Camping World on I55 in Bollingbrook, IL which is just outside Chicago. Here’s a lovely photo.



We had no intention of coming up this far but, alas, our generator was quitting on us so we wanted to get it corrected now rather than later. The drive here was nerve-wracking as it was busy highway/tollway with tons of semi’s and road construction. I’m certain I have 157 new gray hairs. But we’ll get the generator fixed and head on our way east, hopefully on Wednesday. They, of course, have to “work us in” which means we’ll have to be really nice and really lucky, maybe show some shoulder, I don’t know.

Spent the night in Camping World parking lot. Of course, the generator did not mess up while it was in their shop bay for two hours running! He pulled it out, we got in, turned it on and five minutes later - kapoot! He could then gauge the fuel pump in its contrary behavior and found it was not performing properly so we did actually get it fixed.

While waiting we took advantage of the time on Wednesday to drive to the shore of Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago. Wow! Beeeeeautiful! The water was aqua blue, there is beach area, marinas, jog/bike/rollerblade paths, fabulous statues and fountains. We drove by Soldier Field and lots of fabulous architecture, etc. We didn’t think we wanted to go into Chicago but we’re glad we did. We were quite impressed.





Came down to the Empress Argosy Casino RV park in Joliet (nope, we didn’t get far, about 16 miles!). Regrouping and changing course, AGAIN. Going down into Indiana to Columbus, Madison, Hoosier National Forest, Shawnee State Forest, etc. Sounds rather forested. Then we’ll follow the Ohio River a little while then cut up to PA. That is the CURRENT plan which could change at the drop of a hat.

Here it is Thursday, October 6 and we are nowhere near New York, hah! We are actually outside Bloomington, Indiana. It is beautiful here although not fall color changes yet. A cold front came through so those 80’s and 90’s are now 50’s and 60’s. We had the pleasure of sitting on the highway for two hours after a bad wreck. That along with leaving the a/c on in the Honda resulted in a dead battery upon arrival Lake Monroe Village park. We had to rehook, move to a place to unhook and turn Minerva around to face Hondo so we could jump him, which we did and all was fine then. Thank you to those boys I dated in high school for these little abilities I now have in my arsenal.

We have parked at the City RV Park on the banks of the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana. Across the bridge is Kentucky (about 50 miles or so from Louisville, KY). We had breakfast in Milton, KY then back across to enjoy historic Madison. This is the site of Ryker’s Ridge, locale of Mom’s ancestors and inspiration for the story she is writing. She’s currently in the library (est. first public library in the territory) researching. I’m sitting on the steps outside with Bonnie. Thank goodness their WiFi stretches out here. It is upper 50’s and most enjoyable. The town is quite historic and we are enjoying Mom’s birthday in a place she has wanted to visit for some time. It is Homecoming weekend for Hanover College (est. 1827) so lots of college kids with family running about.

We managed to set up camp across the drive from the local horseshoe throwing folks who seem to enjoy the sport with gusto along with beer, music and whoops! They appear to be having a horseshoe throwing family reunion of some sort. Nice folks, just loud, so out come the ear plugs at night.

I haven’t photos of here to share yet but will add some in next day or so since we plan to stay a few days and I now know where to get WIFI!

By the way, it is rather catch as catch can on the internet access so please forgive us for the sporadic blogs and email replies.