Traveling Home...

Once we left Shipshewana it felt to me as though we were REALLY on our way home. Our first stop was a slight detour into Michigan where we spent a couple of days in Grass Lake at the Hideaway RV Park. It's a quiet, peaceful place run by very nice people. Just the place for recharging our batteries. Grass, trees, a small lake with paddle boats (free to guests) and a washer/dryer in the office, $1 each, available on the Honor System. We have our own washer/dryer but I like the idea of the honor system...it seems so friendly.

Batteries recharged, we moved on to Ohio. We've visited Amish country in both Lancaster, PA and Shipshewana, IN and I was told by several people that if I like Amish country I should go to Holmes County, Ohio...so it's been on my list for a while.

We stayed at Berlin RV Park. It's a nice, well-kept park just a couple of miles outside Berlin. My only complaint is that there's no shade and all sites face West and the hot afternoon sun, on the plus side they're mostly all pull-thru and all have a view. Berlin has cute shops and some nice restaurants but current major highway construction made getting around difficult. Unlike in Shipshewana, we didn't encounter Amish people in town very much, but we did in the outlying areas.

We tried the Boyd and Wurthmann Restaurant which had been recommended to us by a couple we met in Shipshewana. The food was good but be aware it is cash only. The largest place in town is Berlin Farmstead...the have a nice reasonably priced Amish buffet. I'm becoming a connoisseur of Broasted Chicken! Down near the town of Charm is a Swiss/Austrian restaurant, Chalet in the Valley. The spaghetti with Swiss cheese was surprisingly good and the Alpine Macaroni (made with garlic, onions, butter, and cream) was awesome! It's also the only restaurant open on Sunday.
 

There are areas we didn't see because the construction kept us from venturing as far out as we might have, but we did enjoy what we saw. This will go on the places to return to list but I have a suspicion that Shipshewana will remain my favorite.

After five nights in Berlin (the rate gets cheaper the more nights you stay!) we had a short driving day to Marietta, Ohio for a quick overnight at Ashland RV Park. Not far off the highway, it offers long grassy sites with full hook ups right by the Ohio river for only $25 a night. A good deal in my book.

Our next stop should have been Bluefield, WV. Normally we stop there and see my son Michael on our way home but we were coming up on Fourth of July weekend and he spends the July 4th week in Myrtle Beach with his dad every year so it was not to be. Went through the East River Mountain Tunnel and into Virginia. We will make a separate trip back to WV in a month or two to visit Michael and meet his girlfriend Crystal.

Available campsites are few and far between around the 4th and Fort Chiswell RV Park in Virginia had a site available for the weekend so I snapped it up. The park is right off the highway and we had a nice long pull-thru with cable TV...our first TV since south Dakota! It's a quiet area and gave us was another chance to relax, grill some burgers and recharge these old batteries again. A good thing as we had a busy couple of weeks ahead of us.

Seattle...

Our first day we went into Seattle to the famous Pike Place Market. Finding parking for our monster truck was not easy but we found a lot about three blocks from the Market. I had worn my most comfortable walking sandals and we slowly made our way. The Market is very cool and colorful and we covered about all of it. Besides admiring the wares of the many vendors we saw the Pike Place Fish Market (although there was no fish throwing going on while we were there) and Rachel the Pig. We stopped and grabbed a small lunch at the Sound View Cafe...the views were great but the Salmon Bisque I had in Morro Bay far surpassed the Salmon Chowder I had here. Jack's soup and small salad was equally unimpressive. We wandered the market a bit more but by then my foot really hurt and I had to sit. We found an outside table at The Crumpet Shop, enjoyed a buttered crumpet with raspberry preserves, and people watched. My foot was grossly swollen and painful and there would be no more walking. Jack left me sitting there and went and got the truck. We were disappointed not to be able to spend more time around the Market and find a nice spot for dinner but it wasn't to be. We went back to Issaquah and decided my days would be spent off my feet.

Issaquah is a cute little city about fifteen miles east of Seattle with lots to see. Costco moved its headquarters to the area about ten years ago. Unfortunately, besides a few eateries, we didn't see much of anything that required walking...I had reached my limit. We did find a cute diner style place called 12th Ave Cafe. It's no longer on 12th Avenue, having moved a few years ago but it's good diner food. The RV park manager recommended a place called Malarky's. I liked the name so we tried it. It's just a sports bar but has decent food.  We also enjoyed breakfast one morning at The Egg and Us and I wondered if the name is a play on The Egg and I, a well-known 1940s era book set in the area.


We didn't get to see enough of Seattle but we enjoyed what we did see.

Amish Country...Indiana

We visited the Amish Country in Pennsylvania last October and I really enjoyed it so, when I learned there was a large Amish population in Indiana, I had to visit.

The Amish and Mennonites are predominantly in Shipshewana and Middlebury, Indiana. I planned for a week there to take advantage of the lower weekly campsite rates but we were enjoying the area so much we added another three days!

The countryside is beautiful and the food is good. The whole feeling of the area was friendlier than in Pennsylvania. Horse and buggies clip clop on the streets and the people waved at us, children smiled at me in stores and workers engaged in conversation.

Quilt Garden in front of Menno-Hof

We visited Menno-Hof and learned much about their history and the differences among the Amish, Beachy Amish, Amish-Mennonite, Conservative Mennonites, and Mennonites. They are all Christians and strive to model their lives after Christ and to bring no harm to others.

The Amish are the most conservative with the others being less conservative up to the Mennonites who are least conservative. I can't begin to write about all I learned...or even remember all the details...but can give some examples. The Amish eschew technology, use no electricity, do not drive cars (but will ride in them), dress in a proscribed way so as not to draw attention to themselves, and do not educate their children beyond eighth grade. The Mennonites have embraced technology, including computers and cell phones, wear modern clothes and can pursue higher education up to and including doctoral degrees. Perhaps I shouldn't be, but I was very surprised to learn of the horrible persecution directed at such gentle people over the centuries. I was even more shocked to learn it still exists today...that some people will try to run their buggies off the road...just because they are different. Modern society could do well to learn from them.

We did some local shopping and found two wonderful stores. Yoder's Meat and Cheese, where we bought steaks and hamburgers that are hormone, steroid, and antibiotic free...at the same prices I usually pay in a grocery store. We also discovered E & S Sales, somewhat jokingly described to us as an Amish Costco. It's not nearly as large and doesn't sell tires, furniture, clothes etc. but the food prices are terrific. Too bad we don't have room in the RV for bulk buying.

Naturally, we enjoyed the food. The two most popular restaurants in the area are The Blue Gate and Das Effenhaus. Blue Gate has a menu or you can order family style, the downside is that one person can't order family style, everyone at the table must order family style. Das Effenhaus has three different sections, one for menu, one for family style and one for buffet so, again, everyone must want the same eating style. We didn't agree on style so we ordered from the menu at both places. They were both good and we ate at each one twice...The Blue Gate is a little more expensive. The pies were awesome. Jack favors any kind of apple pie, I fell in love with Red Raspberry Cream pie and Red Raspberry Chocolate Cream pie...yum!

We also frequented a smaller place called the 5 & 20 Country Kitchen...located at the intersection of highways 5 and 20 of course! The food was similar to the other two and much less expensive, though not as varied. They also have a small buffet for those who prefer. We enjoyed all three places, but the highlight was the waitress at the 5 & 20. Her name is Ida and she is Amish, maybe about forty-ish. We made a point of always asking for a table in her area. Besides being a good waitress, she was pleasant and friendly and nice to talk with. She told us a good bit about the Amish and I also learned that she is single and owns her own home, which is rather progressive for an Amish woman...in my opinion. We will definitely look for her when we are back in the area...and we will go back.

A Month of Physicians, Food and Family...

Jackson and Katie relaxing after school...Katie loves my reading chair

Seems this visit to Wilmington has gone quickly but we squeezed a lot in.

Our electrical fiasco swallowed the first week in a flash. Calls to the insurance company, finding an RV Tech, shopping for TVs and appliances and getting them installed took a big chunk of time.

Our primary reason for this visit was Jack's back pain and his arm pain. He had so many medical visits that we started to feel like part of the geriatric set...running from doctor appointment to doctor appointment. There was a visit to his primary care MD, then an x-ray and an MRI, then a visit with a pain management physician. There were two visits to establish with a new urologist, which brought the happy news that he is now six years cancer-free. The MRI resulted in a visit to a neurosurgeon who then referred him to physical therapy. Yikes...I'm tired just recounting it all!

Grandpa Jack and Jackson
at Mickey D's

The short story on his back is two to four (depends upon who you ask) bulging lumbar discs...not a candidate for surgery at this point...currently being managed with meds and good body mechanics. If it hurts when you do that, don't do that. The arm pain is coming from cervical stenosis and some muscle issues that are responding well to physical therapy and he's learned exercises he can do himself to relieve the pain. Unfortunately, he was only able to have a few PT sessions before our time to leave Wilmington. The upside is that the PT is something called the McKenzie System and his therapist said he can see any McKenzie therapist as we travel and they will be able to access his records and continue treatment. We'll see how that works out.

Jackson and Grandma

High-swinging Katie
at the KOA Playground

We did get in some good time with Katie and Jackson. We babysat a few times so Becca and Davis could go out and we picked them up from school a couple of times when Becca had to work late. We took Jackson to his favorite eating establishment (McDonald's) and I had a girls' day going with Becca and Katie to an appointment in Chapel Hill. We all went out to dinner at the Ogden Tap Room, we had a BBQ here at the campground, we had a Mother's Day Brunch at Hops and our last night (tonight) will be a pizza night from our favorite place...Brooklyn Pizza (while I do more laundry!).

I met a woman on an online RV page and we had an enjoyable coffee meeting at my favorite bagel place...Empire Deli and Bagels. She lives here in Wilmington and RVs at intervals so, who knows, we may meet up again.

Becca, Jackson, Grandma & Katie
Mother's Day

In addition to the places I mentioned above, Jack and I hit a few other favorites...like breakfast at the Causeway Cafe on Wrightsville Beach and at the Goody Goody Omelet House. Jack loves the sweet potato fries at Two Guys Grille and I love the crab dip at Elijah's downtown on the river and we visited both, as well as more visits to Brooklyn Pizza! When we leave tomorrow we expect to be gone quite some time, so we "stocked up' on Wilmington places although I can think of a few we missed!

Oh, and I also got my hair done...twice :)

I am going to hate saying good bye to Becca and the kids tonight. So far, the longest I've been away from them has been three months...this will be longer. I feel so sad knowing I won't see them for quite some time...I'm going to miss everyone's birthday this summer. But, I do have to add that I am excited about our upcoming adventures as we travel cross country!

First stop...a visit to Greensboro to see my brothers, then on to the INDY 500!

One Point Eight Million Dollars, Home Brews and Bean Soup...

We got so close to 1.8 Million dollars we could touch it...and did!

We had dinner the other night at McGuire's Irish Pub, a Pensacola Brewery, noted for some interesting quirks. According to the story, when Molly McGuire received a dollar bill as her first tip, she tacked it up behind the bar for good luck. Other patrons added to the collection and it soon became a McGuire's tradition. Restaurant patrons are encouraged to sign the dollar if they want to participate in the tradition; our waitress even provided a staple gun for our use. I signed the bill and Jack put it up. The ceilings and walls are covered in bills...and it's a large restaurant. Our waitress told us they have to count the bills each year and pay taxes on the money. At present there are about 1.8 million dollars on the walls and ceilings!

One must also be careful when using the restroom. At first glance, the sign on the door seems to indicate the men's room with the word "Men" - on closer inspection you can see the words "This way" in small text and a hand pointing to the adjacent door. The sign on the men's room door says "Women" with the same smaller text and pointing finger. I saw more than one woman walk through the door marked Women only to hurry right back out! Of course, that made me read the sign more carefully and avoid the same mistake.

They have a nice variety of home brewed beers as well as home brewed Root Beer. As a huge Root Beer fan, I had to try it...it was so good. Another strictly McGuire's menu item is Senate Bean Soup. It is touted as the same bean soup served in the U.S. Senate cafeteria. As long as you are ordering other items from the menu, the soup is 18 cents...the same price since 1977. We couldn't resist trying it. For 18 cents we got a hearty bowl of the best soup I've had in a long time!

The menu is varied everything from Burgers and Sandwiches to Shepherd's Pie, Corned Beef and Cabbage, and Sausages to Steaks, Chops and Ribs. I had the Shepherd's Pie and Jack had Brewer's Sausages. We shared a Lucky Chocolate Brownie a`la Mode. I don't know if it was lucky, but it was decadent!

 

After soup, dinner and dessert, we about had to be rolled out of there! It was a fun night and we'd definitely go back!

Pensacola...Restaurants...and Home Improvements...

Moved to Pensacola the first of March for what we thought would be our shortest move so far...forty miles (going the long way via I-10). When we arrived at our park, we discovered they had recorded my reservation wrong and had us down for one night rather than one month.They were very apologetic and were able to find a site for us, someone was leaving the next morning and we could take that site. We spent the first night in an overnight pull-thru and moved to our long-term site the next morning. So...our shortest move was several hundred yards!

We are at Pensacola RV Park. Small, family owned, right off I-10, but far enough away so there is no traffic noise. As you turn onto the gravel road into the park, you will see a sign cautioning you to watch out for chickens! The roads and sites are gravel and level and there are only a few amenities, full hook-ups with 30/50 amp, laundry, dog run, WiFi and cable TV, but that is all we need. The people who run it are friendly and helpful. Our site is right across from the office, so we get to watch all the comings and goings. It can be noisy sometimes, but it's kind of fun to see who is checking in and who is checking out!

When we were in Charlotte, NC, we went to a Sonny's Real Pit BBQ and Jack fell in love! They are a regional chain here in the Southeast and we've been on the look out for them ever since. Well...there is one right around the corner from the RV park. Jack likes the sliced brisket and I like the sliced pork...with baked beans, coleslaw and garlic bread. We tried another regional place called the Cock of the Walk just because of the name. It is mostly seafood, which I love and Jack's allergic to, but he can always find a burger or steak on the menu. The food was okay, but nothing to write home about...especially since home is on the coast where we can get great seafood! We haven't found a good breakfast place yet...but there's still time!

I put up my new Smart Tiles backsplash in the half bath and one in the master bath. Just have the kitchen left to do. They weren't too hard to do, though the master bath got a bit frustrating when I had to piece around the curved window. I'll post pictures of all three when I get the kitchen done, but just let me say...they look great!

Cedar Key...

When we left the Orlando area it was a beautiful 70 degrees and we found the same good weather when we arrived at Cedar Key, Florida. Of course the next day was cold and rainy! Cedar Key is a small fishing village on the Gulf, population 700, about an hour and a half north of Tampa. It ended up that we only had one day of decent weather out of the three we were there but, fortunately, the town's small enough to have seen most of it in a day. As you can see in the photos, it's quaint and cute!

The Pickled Pelican

We had dinner the first night at Tony's Seafood, renowned for it's World Champion Award Winning Clam Chowder and I can testify, the Chowder is delicious! We ate at The Pickled Pelican another night. They were out of many menu items, but the decor was funky cool and the shrimp I had were good.



As we walked through town, we noticed there were cats wandering everywhere. We we counted about a dozen in one block. They were under bushes, on walls, on benches - wondered if they were a feral colony but they looked well fed and some would approach to be petted.

We stayed at Cedar Key RV Resort, it is a fairly new campground about 6 miles from the town of Cedar Key. I loved it. The sites are wide and are scattered in such a way that they are not on top of each other and every site has a paved pad, patio and picnic table. There is a heated outdoor pool, but it was too chilly to try it. Oddly enough the washers and dryers are outside on a porch, but we have our own washer/dryer combo, so that wasn't an issue. I would definitely stay there again. Cedar Key is about 30 minutes from any inland town and has only one gas station that has diesel and the price is about twenty cents a gallon more than surrounding areas...but when you need fuel, you need fuel!

This guy was hanging around the pier hoping the fishermen would send something his way!


We think it would be a cool place to visit again...in better weather!

Heading South and More Family...

Our next stop on the road was Greensboro, NC. I lived there for 23 years and have two brothers still living there. Much as I hated leaving Michael, it was good to get out of the cold and away from the mountain driving! We stayed at Greensboro Campground. It is a former KOA, has a pool, but not a lot of amenities, and is right off I-40. We stay there whenever we visit Greensboro. It is also the only campground in town ;)

Baby brother, Ken was rather booked up for the week, but we did get one evening to visit with him, my nephew Matthew, and my niece Ciera. We met for dinner at Elizabeth's - the best Italian in town and an old family favorite almost since it opened thirty-some years ago. We had a great visit and dinner; it was so good to see them. Of course, we also took pictures with Blue Bear and Red Bird, but forgot to take any with us!

My beautiful niece Ciera is 9 1/2, just six months older than my granddaughter Katie.

They are cousins and friends, gymnasts and super-smart sweethearts!

 My nephew Matthew is a UNC-Chapel Hill alumnus. I am quite proud of him!

 My baby brother Ken with his baby!

My brother Glen is retired so we were able to spend more time with him and his Significant Other Joanna. They are renovating his house and we were excited to see the progress they are making. We were also happy to show off our home on wheels. We enjoyed a few meals together, including one at our usual place...Darryls. We loved seeing them!

As I write this, I realize we do a lot of eating out...something Jack and I both enjoy! 

Glen and Joanna

 And...photos with Bear and Bird...

We saw some sort of plane camped in our campground! I've never seen anything quite like it before.

 Next...a visit to Old Salem...