The Snow Bowl!

The snow started falling at about 1015 hours on Sunday, December 8, 2013. The forecast suggested a rain and snow mix would start around 1500 hours with less than an inch of accumulation. The Eagles game against the Detroit Lions would not be affected.

We were on our way to the game, our first ever Eagles game! This would be the first time we went the the Linc (Lincoln Financial Field, the home of the Philadelphia Eagles. 

It took two hours to get from Medford to the stadium. Along the way we saw a half dozen fender benders involving about two dozen vehicles. Driving was treacherous. Top speed on 295 was 20 mph.

Happy to have arrived safely, we found our seats and proceeded to stand for the duration.  We're not sure why the seats are there. No one in our section used their seat. With seven layers of clothing, we were reasonably warm. I wore great LL Bean winter socks that kept my feet toasty warm. At half time we enjoyed some really great crab fries from the Chickie's and Pete's truck.

The Eagles made a great come back, scoring 28 points in the final quarter. 

The drive home was slow and there were fewer fender benders.  We finally made it home at 2030, some ten and a half hours after we started out.

The Linc Covered in Snow!


Cheerleaders!

The Long Easy!

Not much to report today. In an unusual move, I drove 800 miles from 20 miles south of Savannah, GA to home. It was exactly 800 miles and took 14 1/2 hours. There weren't any traffic jams and only a few construction area slow downs. On the whole, it was a relatively easy day.

I'm not a stranger to long, non-stop road trips. Admittedly it's been a few years. even when cruising, I've pretty much given on being underway for 10 - 12 hours a day. Traveling from six to eight hours a day has become our normal pace. So why did we do fourteen and a half hours? I don't know! It's just that I felt good, didn't get tired or bored and had a relatively easy drive. The truck ran fine and SIRIUS radio was entertaining.

Will we do a similarly long day when we return to SUNSHINE? Probably not, but who knows? We'll see how I feel, what the traffic situation is, and how entertained the radio will keep me.

On the Road Again!

It's 0730 and we're up! I'm ready for a long drive but first we have to pack the truck and sweep out the boat, put away the electric chord and attend to the last detail to make sure SUNSHINE will be neat and clean when we return in two months.

We had to be on the road before the mail would arrive so we'll pick up the package when we return. We stopped in Palaka to see a Nimble Nomad. It was only a few miles out of our way.

After driving for almost 400 miles, we stopped at the Savannah South Travelodge for the night.

Preparing for Departure!

Well I haven't mentioned it lately, but a few days ago it got hot again. We've been back in the high 80s with lows near 80. Today we skipped breakfast. Our first activity was a walk to the beach where we lunched on our last taste of Grouper Reuben for awhile.

Upon our return, we cooled off in the lounge before returning to SUNSHINE. We immediately began our chores. After a couple of hours we were finished. Among a host of small details, we managed to run the storage mixture through the engines. Of course we flushed them as well.

After doing the laundry we were finished the major chores. We packed up the computer right before hitting the sack. Tomorrow morning, we'll sweep up, load the truck and wait for the mail to be delivered. Then we'll head out sometime before 1100 hours.

Must Vote Against Gov. Christie!

Trouble! Before we left NJ, I paid a visit to the town clerk to pick up an application for our absentee ballots. She was all out and expected additional copies a week after we left for Florida. She suggested we just print out the form, but we didn't have a printer available.

Last week, we went to the library to print out the application. That plan was foiled, so we asked Sandi to print it out and mail it to us. We received it on the day it was due in the county office.

Our only recourse now is to return home 10 days before planned so we can vote. We feel so strongly about our current Governor that we are obliged to go home so we can vote against him on Tuesday!

We button the boat up tomorrow. It'll be a bit rushed, but we should be able to do everything. Leaving on Saturday will allow us to drive about 400 miles a day. We should be home sometime on Monday. We'll return to SUNSHINE shortly after New Year's Day.

The GO Line!

One of the great things about Vero Beach has been the transportation system. The bus system, in our opinions, has deteriorated a bit in the last year. The drivers don't seem to be as friendly. The busses are more crowded. And worst of all, not as clean. In fact, Anna Marie almost sat in something very disgusting. She didn't see it and wasn't paying attention to another rider who told her to watch out. I had to grab her shoulder in an effort to keep her from sitting in the goo. The new transfer station doesn't help. It isn't nearly as convenient as either of the previous two.

Our two experiences this season have not been pleasant!

I Love a Piano!

We went to a lot of concerts, shows and plays during last year's cruise. This year, we've been to the movies twice and so far, no concerts or shows. That changes today! We're off the see I Love A Piano at the Riverside Theater.

The reviews are in! The show was a complete success. Six actors provided outstanding harmony to the 65 songs featured in the show which included intriguing vignettes into the times during which Irving Berlin crafted the songs. Top it off with an outstanding conductor and orchestra and you have one good toe-tapping time.

SUNSHINE Looks Great!

SUNSHINE looks great. Anna Marie finished cleaning the interior while I polished the stainless steel. After washing the deck and hull, SUNSHINE sparkled!

We do not know the results of the showing, but we do know the boat looks great.

A Showing!

Hate to say we listened to the Eagles on Sirius Radio. They are terrible!

ot a call from Bill Watson telling us that Andy, his sales associate scheduled a showing of SUNSHINE tomorrow.

We spent the rest of the day making sure SUNSHINE is spic n' span clean. I even cleaned the port side steering quadrant.

Walking, The Farmers Market and a Concert!

THe day started with a brisk walk to the beachside Farmers Market followed by a brisk walk back to the boat. After a short break, we went to a few stores to procure the materials I’ll need to clean the steering mechanism. After dinner, we walked back to Hummiston Park for a free concert. We listened to one set and then walked back to the marina where we watched game three of the World Series. It’s very convenient to have the laundry facilities adjacent to the lounge. While watching the game, Anna Marie tended to the machines. When the laundry was finished, we left. THe game was in the sixth inning with the Cardinals ahead of the Red Sox by a score of 2 to 1.

Take a Walk!

The morning started as usual with breakfast in the cockpit. After planning what supplies we need to perform the next boat project, cleaning the steering mechanism, we took a walk beachside. The weather was 82 degrees and it was windy (N @ 20+ knots) and the surf was pounding!

Anna Marie went shopping after we returned to the boat. I stayed home and played the Uke for an hour or so.

We hoped to go to the movies to see All is Lost today, but it isn’t playing in the local theaters. It was supposed to be released nationwide for this weekend. We don’t know what happened.  

Fellsmere!

The temp in the boat went down to 73 degrees last night. It was so comfortable by comparison, that we slept for an extra hour this morning. That caused us to delay my planned bike ride. Instead, we did a shorter ride after lunch.

We have never visited Fellsmere before. While searching for entertainment options in Vero Beach, I came upon a restaurant that features a Bluegrass Band on Thursday nights. In the high season, the Marsh Landing Restaurant gets crowded up to two hours before the band is scheduled to play.

Well the restaurant was crowded when we arrived at 1820 hours. The patrons in the main room were clearly there for the bluegrass. Their plates contained only scraps of food and all chairs were facing the performers. This evenings edition of the Marsh Landing Bluegrass Band consisted of three guitar players, a mandolins/fiddle player, one on upright bass, and a dobro. Three of the musicians were singers too. Two tables of onlookers were prepared with printed out signs encouraging the crowd and the musicians. People from the audience were invited to go on stage to sing a song or two. 

The music was good and the crowd was a hoot! We had a great time.

Marsh Landing Bluegrass

Cold Front!

Yippee, we're getting a break in the weather. Today's high was only 81 degrees. The low is predicted to be 68 degrees. We'll believe it when we experience it!

We rode the bus to the new Hub near the airport, switched to the number 2 bus bound for the library. We had hoped to print out our request for absentee ballots. Alas, we were foiled by a new policy that requires a library card for computer use. The card costs $10.00! We decided to go with plan B.

After a walk downtown and lunch at The Patio, a local landmark, we boarded the bus to return to the marina.

In the evening, we caught a bit of the rehearsal of "Low Key," a new trio (bass and two guitars). When they finished, we watched a few innings of the first game of the world series (St. Louis v. Boston).

Hotter Still!

That’s right! It’s hotter than yesterday! The temp exceeded 90 degrees today. The humidity is high too. We didn’t see what the “real feel” temp is but we know its hot!

We did have a breeze though and there were a few more clouds. When the winds was blowing and the clouds blocked the sun, it was cool by comparison. 

We spent a couple of hours in the air conditioned lounge. We also found air conditioning in the restaurant where we had lunch and the Publix where we picked up some groceries. The bus had air conditioning too. Unfortunately, the boat doesn’t!

A Walk and a Movie!

It's another hot one; near 90 degrees and mostly sunny. We took a 3 1/2 mile walk to the beach, town and Riverside Park. It is the longest walk I've done in a couple of months. The good news is that my right heel held up fine. It might be the first relatively pain free 3+ mile walk I've done in well over a year.

After our walk, we went to see "The Fifth Estate," a film about Julian Asange and WikiLeaks. While there were no stellar performances, the story was intriguing. Julian suggests that the two books that were the primary source material do not accurately portray the truth. Lots of moral questions remain unresolved.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

 Have I mentioned that it's been hot? Everybody says we brought the cooler weather, but we don't think so. If the locals think its cooler, what must it have been like in the weeks prior to our arrival?

The high temps are in the high 80's to 90. With the humidity, the "real feel" is in the high 90s. Today, for example, it was 97!

It's a good thing it goes down to about 84 at night! It does, but I am being facetious. It's really not good, just barely tolerable. The forecast shows a cold front arriving on Thursday. The highs will be 80 or a little above and lows around 68. That will be more to our liking!

Vero Beach!

Vero Beach is one of our favorites places along the waterway. It's very popular with cruisers too. The marina only has a few vacant slips but the mooring field is virtually empty. That'll change within the month when the cruisers arrive. The mooring balls will be full with three boats per ball.

Anna Marie took off for the vegetable market while I stayed behind trying to nurse this sore throat. She returned a couple hours later loaded with fresh veggies and fruit. 

After the victuals were put away, we rode the bus to the boardwalk, discovered that one of our favorite restaurants was no longer there, had lunch in the new establishment that took its place and walked back to the marina. I had been doing exercises to ease the pain of plantar fasciatus and it must be working as this is the first walk in over a year that I had no pain in my heel.

Back at the marina, we talked to Jackie (Sea Otter II) for a while in the captains lounge after which we returned to SUNSHINE. 

While Anna Marie tended to the laundry, I fired up the dinghy motor. It hasn't been started since we were here last Spring sometime. It took six pulls to start it. Most were just getting fuel into the carb. After that, one pull every time.

Depart Stuart Yacht Harbor!

It's 0600 and we're up! We're looking forward to shoving off, but it's dark outside. After a mini bagel and coffee, we began our departure procedures which included starting the engines, unhooking the electrical cord and removing the spider web of dock lines that have held SUNSHINE to the dock for the past six months. 

After a quick check of all the navigation lights, we found that the only ones not working are the steaming and deck lights. Both are in the same fixture, about midway up the mast.

At 0700, we were underway. It was already 85 degrees, the sun was shingling brightly and there was only a wisp of air. We past three scullers out for their morning exercise as we traveled down the St. Lucie River. Just past the Sunset Bay Marina, the Roosevelt Bascule Bridge tender opened without delay. We didn't even have to throttle back.

In just under nine hours of motoring and motor-sailing over calm waters, we were tied up in slip A-14 of the Vero Beach City Marina.

After one week, The yacht broker finally returned my call. Not being able to hear him with the motors running, Anna Marie told him I'd call back after we got settled in at Vero Beach. When I called at 1705, no one answered. The office must be closed for the day. I'll try again tomorrow.

I've had a sore throat for several days. It was really bad today. The throat lozenges aren't helping. If I don't get relief soon, I'll need to seek other remedies.

Final Tasks!

Just three things left to do: 

• Wash the deck
• Pump out
• Finish cable replacement project.

If it's not too hot, I'll see if I can get the nav lights to work. It was HOT! I didn't get to the nav lights.

We're Committed!

We assembled the bicycles this morning. This afternoon we picked up the canvas and reinstalled it on SUNSHINE. In the evening, we rented a car so we could drop the truck and bikes off at the Vero Beach City Marina. We returned to SUNSHINE with the rental car which we will return tomorrow.

We have a full list of tasks to perform tomorrow and, assuming Daigle's Marine completes the cable replacement project as scheduled, we will head for Vero Beach on Friday.

Cables!

We arranged for a Yamaha tech to stop by today to measure the shift, throttle and choke cables that need to be replaced. The rigging company is stopping by to do a final inspection.

This Is Cruising!?!

Just about everything is stowed aboard. The interior of the boat is clean. The canvas is in the repair shop for restitching. 

Continuing the Stow & Prep Activities!

Yes sir! We continue to put things away and reinstall items that were removed last spring. Apparently this is no small feat! It's taking us days to accomplish. 

Today's major project involved cleaning the dinghy. It was filthy and the floor boards needed painting. By the end of the day the dinghy was back in shape. We'll put it back together and hang it from the davits tomorrow. 

Saw Capt. Phillips this evening. The movie was fantastic and Tom Hanks was great in the lead role.

Saturday, October 12, 2013 More of the Same!

We continue to make progress in stowing our gear and getting SUNSHINE.ready for sailing. We might actually finish tomorrow.

The new masthead anchor light and tricolor work fine although the rigging company crossed the wires at the masthead. I just reversed them at the panel to correct the situation. The only problem is that the wires are labeled. In the future, someone might take it apart and discover that the anchor light wire is attached to the tricolor breaker and vice versa.

We then discovered that the steaming, navigation, and deck lights aren't working. The problem might be with the plug or perhaps corrosion at the connections. I'll sort that out after we leave this place.

I spoke with an old sailing buddy yesterday. He invited us to dinner this evening. In the last two years, he and his wife sold their boat and bought a condo in Stuart. In the last three and a half months they sold their NJ house, sold their condo in Stuart, and bought a 2200 square foot house in a golf community in Palm City! Wow! That quite a bit of major activity. Neither looks any worse for the wear and tear. In fact, they look great. The stress of real estate transactions must agree with them!

Friday, October 11, 2013 Emptying the Truck, Loading the Boat!

Friday, October 11, 2013 Emptying the Truck, Loading the Boat!

After a light breakfast, we unloaded the bed of the pick up truck. It took an hour! Boy do we have a lot of stuff. We hope to cull a lot of things.

I telephoned broker Bill Watson to let him know we're back aboard and to notify him that we are terminating the sales agreement. I also sent him an e-mail to that effect as well.

Stowing all the gear is time consuming. Besides fitting the stuff into unusually shaped compartments, we need to have a record of were the things are stored. Logic doesn't always dictate where things go. Size and shape matter too. Unrelated items may be stored together because they fit together, not because they belong together.

Thursday, October 10, 2013. Arrived!

Arrived at 1530 hours (about 300 miles). Started unpacking the truck right away. Gregg, the marina owner, chastised us for not letting him know we were coming. Seemed upset! Suggested it would have been the courteous thing to do. Too bad, Buddy!

We'll finish unpacking the truck tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013 Still on the Way!

It rained all night and it was raining while we packed up. We met the other campers while we were packing up. They asked for advice on getting to Delaware. We suggested the Bay Bridge Tunnel route and gave them contact information. They gave us delicious home grown bananas!

Drove until 1700 hours (about 400+ miles). Camped at Crooked River State Park on GA. A very nice park. It would be nice to visit for a few days. Had a great seafood dinner at Ship2Shore in St Mary's City.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013 SUNSHINE Bound!

Left home at 0800. Not ready for a long drive though.

Said goodbye to our family last evening while enjoying their company at Fove Guys.

Drove until about 1900 hours (about 430 miles). Camped at Medoc Mountain State Park in NC, about 12 miles from I95. Only one other camper in the park. Used the Eureka Equinox tent.

Getting Ready for Another Cruise!

SUNSHINE spent the summer luxuriating at the Stuart Yacht Spa where she received excellent care and new standing rigging. We've been missing her and have been plotting our return since fall has arrived.

After taking care of last minute business with the shacks and the 5er, we have been cleared for takeoff. The truck is packed to the gills with most of the gear we removed last spring. Packing took much longer than expected so we delayed our departure, originally planned for this past weekend to tomorrow.

LADEE Launch from Wallops Island, VA

We had a spectacular view of the launch from our back deck! You can see it here...

The Second Half!

Sunday, July 21, 2013 - Day 17: Visitors from the East!

We drove from Fruita to Mesa Verde today. Along the way we passed by several national parks, forests and a national monument. 

Our arrival time was 1400 hours. When it was time to set up the tent, it started to rain. The showers lasted for several hours. 

Campsite in Morefield Campground in Mesa Verde National Park

Sandi and Matt arrived at 2000 hours. Rose and Josh were beside themselves in anticipation. We walked up to the campground entrance at 1800 hours to wait for them. When the kids got impatient, we headed back to the campground. This procedure repeated itself several times before their parents showed up.

We'll start exploring the area tomorrow. 

Monday, July 22, 2013 - Day 18: the Cliff Palace and the Spruce Tree House

There is quite a bit to do today. We drove the Chapin Mesa loop before meeting our Ranger guide for the Cliff Palace tour. The place is quite amazing and it is interesting to contemplate how the ancients survived from around 400 to 1200 AD. We climbed down to the Cliff Palace on NPS built steps, ladders and paths. Our exit included more of the same. The people who lived here used hand and toe holds carved in the cliff rock. These hand and toe holds who used so frequently, one can see where fingers actually rubbed some of the rock away.

Scenes from the Cliff Palace and the Spruce Tree House in Mesa Verde National Park

The Spruce Tree House is about 90% original and represents the most complete house preserved in Mesa Verde.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 - Day 19: The Four Corners and the First Views of the Grand Canyon!

On our way to the Grand Canyon, we stopped by the Four Corners. The kids know the four corners are where Arizona, New Mexico, Colordo and Utah meet. We took obligatory photos and a couple of souvenirs before heading out.

Standing in Four States at one time. Can you name the four states?

The drive through the desert and Navajo Reservation was long and desolate. It was very generous of President Grant to ask the Native Americans to move to this arid land. It seems impossible for anyone to eke out a living on this land. 

Later in the day, we entered the Grand Canyon National Park. We drove through so we could get to Ten-X Campground in the Kaibab National Forest. That will be our base of operation because the campgrounds in the national park are full. Kaibab is in the town of Tusayan, about five miles from the entrance to Grand Canyon NP.

Since Arizona doesn't use Daylight Saving Time, we lost another hour. We're now three hours behind Eastern time.

Our campsite in Ten-X Campground in the Kaibab national Forest a couple of miles from the south entrance to Grand Canyon National Park

Wednesday, July 24, 2013 - Day 20: the Rim Trail

The agenda for the day included a 3 mile hike along the Rim Trail. It is the superhighway of trails on the south rim and is very easy to negotiate. The only obstacles we encountered we're the masses of people walking the trail. In places there were traffic jams!

We dined at the iconic El Tovar for lunch. Although not as impressive as Old Faithful, it is none-the-less an fine example of "parkitecture," just after the turn of the 19th century, El Tovar was considered the finest hotel west of the Mississippi.

Break on the Bright Angel Trail

Sporting Canyon "T's"

California Condor making a comeback

Walking the Rim Trail

After lunch, we watched a Native American Dance show after which we got information on the mule rides. They are expensive, but a must do when visiting the Canyon, at least for some people. Rose is too young, and two of the others want to ride the mules while two want to ride the train. No decision has been made.

After lunch, we also talked to someone who has hiked from the North Rim to the South Rim on two separate occasions. He gave us some pointers (hike N to S rims N Rim is 1,000 feet higher than the S Rim; the names of several campgrounds along the way, and the name and location of a waterfall and cool stream that is used by hikers to cool off from the temperatures near the bottom of the Canyon.

Thursday, July 25, 2013 - Day 21: More Hiking!

The hydration packs are filled, lunches, fruits and snacks are packed. We're off the hike a small portion of the Bright Angel trail. At 1000 hours, we started down the trail. We walked down, down, and down some more. By 1100 hours we had not yet reached the first water station and the trail up was daunting. We began to get concerned that it would be too intense for Rose. It might be too intense for Granny and Fodder too!

We turned back at 1110 hours. Matt, Sandy and the kids literally flew back up. Fodder and Granny expected to take two hours for the climb back to the rim. We were surprised to see that we made it by 1200 hours! We were a bit tired but glad to know that we could have gone deeper into the canyon. 

We later learned that a section of the final 3/4 mile of Bright Angel Trail has the steepest, longest rise of the whole trail. They call it Heartbreak Hill.

Friday, July 26, 2013 - Day 22: Goodbye Sandi and Matt!

The day started with swimming in the pool of The Red Feather Lodge, where Sandi and Matt were staying. Don't ask! Let's just say one of them is not an intrepid camper.

They left for the drive to Los Vegas at 1330 hours. We headed into the park to watch the Grand Canyon movie at the visitors' center. It was better that the IMax movie!

The kids had some free lay time at the campground and we went back to the park for a campfire program. The Ranger was most excellent and very entertaining! The kids had a good time.

Saturday, July 27, 2013 - Day 23: The Tusayan Ruins!

Our last full day in Grand Canyon National Park was a busy one. Traffic at the entrance gate was backed up for a mile. It took the better part of a half hour to get I to the park. We planned to go to the less popular parts of the park and visited the Tusayan Ruins. They were impressive, although the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings were more so. We attended a ranger talk on the ruins and his story about meeting a grandmother who was visiting the old sacred places was touching and inspiring. The ranger was soft spoken and respectful and knowledgable. His demeanor was perfect for the topic.

After his presentation, he put the girls through their paces as he quizzed them on Grand Canyon topics to test their knowledge for the Junior Ranger patches. They all passed and were awarded badges and patches. The girls are really into the junior ranger programs. The boys... Not so much!

We also stopped for photographs at Moran Point and Grandview Overlook. These were our final views of the canyon until the next time. Anna Marie and I will have these memories for the rest of our lives, we hope the kids can say the same.

We visited a gift shop were the kids made their final purchases.

Back at our campground, we took pictures of two very large Elk that visited our campsite. We stayed in the car until they move on. In the morning, three more bull Elk were munching on grass when we arose from our slumber. 

Sunday, July 28, 2013 - Day 24: The Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert!

Our first stop of the day was the Metor Crater, a natural landmark. We took the tour, watched the movie and looked around the museum. It was interesting to learn that the site is privately owned. About 1/2 dozen folks in our group were from the Netherlands.

Group shot at Meteor Crater

After setting up camp in the Holbrook, AZ KOA, we drove to the Petrified Forest National Park where we viewed some of the world's finest collection of petrified trees. We also saw a bit of the painted desert and drove on a small section of old Route 66, before heading back to the campground. Everybody got souvenir pieces of petrified wood. The girls even got time to complete the requirements for another Junior Ranger badge!

"Old Faithful"

Painted Desert

Monday, July 29, 2013 - Day 25: Villanueva State Park, Villanueva, NM!

Today's target is 325 miles distant; about 5 hours drive time. We departed the KOA in Holbrook, AZ at 0855, about 5 minutes ahead of schedule, but we lost 15 minutes fueling up! Should have done that last night!

The drive was easy. We got off I40 and onto historic Route 66 for a brief lunch stop. 

We made our destination at about 1600 hours. New Mexico does use Daylight Savings Time, so we're back to being two hours behind eastern time.

The Pecos River runs through this state park. The kids had a ball splashing and sliding in the fast moving, muddy stream. Luckily, the park has shower facilities.

Villanueva Community Well

Splashing in the Pecos River

Splashing in the Pecos River

Villanueva, NM

Splashing in the Pecos River

Tuesday, July 30, 2013 - Day 26: Happy Birthday, Sandi!

Our drive today was about 325 miles. The kids are very happy to be headed east, toward home. We stopped at a KOA in Foss, OK. It has a pool, so everyone was happy. We even had Pizza delivered to our campsite.

Fun at Cadillac Ranch!

We crossed back into Central time today. Now we're just one hour behind Eastern time.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013 - Day 27: Cousins!

Wait! We have cousins in Missouri? Yes you do! We had that discussion with the kids before the trip started, but now that a visit is about to happen, they are awash with excitement. "How many hours until we get there?" asked one. "How many miles to go?" asked another. The questions continued throughout the seven hour drive. We finally arrived at Jeff's and Maureen's home at about1620.

The kids became fast friends right away and played together for the rest of the evening, or at least until bedtime.

Unfortunately, Jeff was away at work, but we had a nice visit with Maureen, Macey and Teagan.

We were so entertained, we didn’t get the cameras out to take pics.

Thursday, August 1, 2013 - Day 28: more Easterly Progress!

Goodbye  Missourians! We departed Ozark, MO a little after 0900 hours, headed east toward Mammoth Cave National Park. The destination was over 400 miles distant, so we set our sights on a KOA Campground about 150 miles short of our goal. We stopped for the day at 0400 and the kids immediately went to the pool. They stayed there the rest of the night, until the pool closed at 2130 with only a dinner break.

Friday, August 2, 2013 - Day 29: Mammoth Cave National Park

There were plenty of sites available when we arrived. We were assigned a great spot. We unhitched the trailer and went off to make arrangements for a tour.

Before doing so, we had lunch at our site. A neighbor came over to admire our trailer. She had something similar with a checkbox built in. It was very clever and dated back to the early 70s, as did her tent and other equipment.

After lunch. We were able to take the Historic Tour, but the Trog Tour and the Caving tours were booked up weeks in advance. The kids will have to go back someday to take those tours.

During the tour, I asked the ranger about the Mummy that used to be on display. She told me that "Lost John" was recurred in the cave in 1976. We saw him on our visit in 1975. We were at Mammoth Cave when we bought our property in Sooy Place. The major part of the purchase was accomplished over the telephone with the help of mu parents and friend and realtor, Walt Zimolong.

Although we signed up for two nights, the kids were anxious to get home and we had accomplished what we could at Mammoth Cave.

Mammoth Cave NP Entrance Sign 

Neighbor's Chuck box

Junior Ranger Test

Saturday, August 3, 2013 - Day 30: Slow Pokes!

It took a long time to rouse the troops today, especially Josh and Claire. We got a late start because they got up 40 minutes after everyone else. We Departed Mammoth Cave National Park at 0940 and drove until 1800 hours. We made it to Kawanah State Park in Charleston, West Virginia. We were only able to make 300 miles, leaving us 500 miles from home. The kids were disappointed with our progress and vowed to cooperate better the next morning. 

Sunday, August 4, 2013 - Dat 31: Home!

The kids were truer to their words. They were up at 0600 and performed their tasks flawlessly! As a result, it only took 46 minutes to pack up and be travel ready! We hit the road at 0646. The kids were excited to be heading home. Geoffrey wasn't feeling very well. He couldn't hear out of his left ear, his jaw  hurt and his stomach didn't feel too good. He reported that he didn't sleep very well. He didn't eat all of his breakfast sandwich? He really must be under the weather. After taking Tylenol, he slept for three and one-half hours.

The other kids took turns napping and the girls watched videos. It was a relatively quiet trip home. With only one breakfast/gas stop in the morning, a two hour lunch bread in Hancock, MD and a quick Milkshake stop outside of Baltimore, we made it home by 1800 hours. Matt and Sandi brought pizza and welcomed us home. We set up the tents and unloaded the gear before sitting down to rest.

NOTE: As it happened, we parked behind a Honda Ridgeline painted to look like a Pennsylvania RR GG1. We saw that car in the K Mart parking lot in Marathon 3 years ago! 

We were seated in Weaver's Restaurant and I noticed a couple in a booth caddi-corner from our table. the gentleman looked familiar. As he exited, we had a short conversation we he confirmed that he was indeed the owner of the GG1 car. We spoke briefly and he invited us to visit him in Marathon in January or February 2014. His place is at the end of 73rd street. Just turn at the Dunkin Donuts, he offered!

The PRR GG1