Since mine was the only vote ....
After 16 months on the road, these are the current category winners :
Best Maintained Roads (without construction delays): Georgia
Most Confusing Roads: New Jersey
Worst Roads to Drive On: Texas
Best Skyline: Atlanta, GA
State I Liked the Least: Missouri
State I Liked the Most: New Mexico
Friendliest People: Oklahoma
Worst Humidity: Connecticut
Most Interesting Thing I've Seen: House on the Rocks, Wisconsin
Best Suburban Campground: Clermont, Florida (I have no idea why I picked this one. It was the same as any other Thousand Trails campground - nothing special - except I felt at home there for some reason).
Best Rustic Campground: Medina Lake, Texas
Hottest Temperature Place I've Been: Connecticut
Coldest Temperature Place I've Been: Take your pick! I have had several instances of 20 degree temps this past year. It seems to follow me.
Worst Time So Far: Food poisoning
Scariest Drive: Coming out of the Great Smokey Mountains; trying to maintain my speed coming down that grade (it was even worse/harder than the snow and icy roads I experienced last winter driving to Oregon from Iowa or the 50mph winds across Wyoming).
Heaviest Accent: South Carolina
Most Remote Campground: Cape Brenton Highlands, NS
Most Churches Grouped Together: South Carolina
Most Churches Spread Out (but all the same): Gaspe, Quebec
Most Diners: Philadelphia
Before you start to question my choices, these are only my opinion based on the circumstances and my experiences at the time.
It will be interesting to see what changes next year, and what keeps their category, as I continue my travel across the US.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Saturday, March 11, 2017
More Georgia and Jimmy Carter
Well, I cleaned, polished and shined ... and rearranged some cupboards ... I had 85 items on my "to do" list .... and have crossed off about 36 - I needed a break and some driving time.
It is a beautiful sunny, cool day (about 68 degrees with a nice breeze) so I set off to drive to McRae, about 60 miles away. Little did I know that Georgia was hosting the Peaches to Beaches yard sale ... OMG ... it runs all the way to Brunswick on the coast. The streets and highways are lined for 100 miles with tables, pop-ups and people ... masses of people and cars. It was slow going; at a stand-still several stops along the way.
I stated out on the Unadilla Highway 230 to see some of the back-road area of Georgia, but when I drove as far as Hawkinsville, the yard sale started. I didn't find out what was going on until I stopped for gas and asked the clerk. Apparently this is a much-anticipated annual event.
Anyway, I finally made it to McRae to see the Junk Statue of Liberty - created in 1986, a gift to the town from the Lions Club. It is approximately 35 feet from ground to torch ... made from polystyrene, a tree stump and other recycled materials covered in green paint. The statue's head was carved, using a chainsaw, from a tree stump.
No, I don't make this stuff up. ha.
Moving on to Ashburn and the World's Largest Peanut. The brainchild of A.R. Smith, Jr., this monstrous goober is a symbol of Georgia's position as the top peanut-producing state in the union. It is 20 feet and made of fiberglass.
And now Jimmy Carter - Plains, Georgia is VERY proud of their President. I stopped at the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site and got my passport stamp. This is actually located in the Plains High School where Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter both attended grammar and high school. There are exhibits on both of the Carter's life and career. Since I have already been to the site in Atlanta, some of this was duplicated.
You can also visit the Plains Depot, Carter boyhood farm and home, and the Carter home they built in 1960, among other sites, including Billy's gas station.
And this beauty - created by Democrats in Indiana for a Jimmy carter visit during his presidential campaign, this 13 ft peanut pays homage to the former president's peanut farming background and toothy grin. It was subsequently given to the president.
Georgia has good roads and my GPS didn't send me on any wild goose-chases, so it was a good drive.
OK, so here is a "fun" story ... I pulled into my campsite about dusk and as I'm getting into my coach I hear a lady a couple rows over calling to me for help. She is laying on the ground butt-naked .... apparently she was changing her pants and fell out the door and couldn't get up. She had been there awhile. A garbage bag of trash helped break her fall (it came out the door with her). She said she weighed about 250 lbs and had both knees operated on, so wasn't much help in standing. What to do.
I don't know how long this took, but here's the sequence of events: I went into the coach and found her pants; by rolling this way and that, I was able to help get the pants up high enough to cover the important parts; the couple from the next row came over and the husband helped get her standing and into the coach; I picked up the trash scattered all over the ground and carried it to the dumpster. I'm sure she was grateful.
Just another day living the dream ....
It is a beautiful sunny, cool day (about 68 degrees with a nice breeze) so I set off to drive to McRae, about 60 miles away. Little did I know that Georgia was hosting the Peaches to Beaches yard sale ... OMG ... it runs all the way to Brunswick on the coast. The streets and highways are lined for 100 miles with tables, pop-ups and people ... masses of people and cars. It was slow going; at a stand-still several stops along the way.
I stated out on the Unadilla Highway 230 to see some of the back-road area of Georgia, but when I drove as far as Hawkinsville, the yard sale started. I didn't find out what was going on until I stopped for gas and asked the clerk. Apparently this is a much-anticipated annual event.
Anyway, I finally made it to McRae to see the Junk Statue of Liberty - created in 1986, a gift to the town from the Lions Club. It is approximately 35 feet from ground to torch ... made from polystyrene, a tree stump and other recycled materials covered in green paint. The statue's head was carved, using a chainsaw, from a tree stump.
No, I don't make this stuff up. ha.
Moving on to Ashburn and the World's Largest Peanut. The brainchild of A.R. Smith, Jr., this monstrous goober is a symbol of Georgia's position as the top peanut-producing state in the union. It is 20 feet and made of fiberglass.
And now Jimmy Carter - Plains, Georgia is VERY proud of their President. I stopped at the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site and got my passport stamp. This is actually located in the Plains High School where Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter both attended grammar and high school. There are exhibits on both of the Carter's life and career. Since I have already been to the site in Atlanta, some of this was duplicated.
You can also visit the Plains Depot, Carter boyhood farm and home, and the Carter home they built in 1960, among other sites, including Billy's gas station.And this beauty - created by Democrats in Indiana for a Jimmy carter visit during his presidential campaign, this 13 ft peanut pays homage to the former president's peanut farming background and toothy grin. It was subsequently given to the president.
Georgia has good roads and my GPS didn't send me on any wild goose-chases, so it was a good drive.
OK, so here is a "fun" story ... I pulled into my campsite about dusk and as I'm getting into my coach I hear a lady a couple rows over calling to me for help. She is laying on the ground butt-naked .... apparently she was changing her pants and fell out the door and couldn't get up. She had been there awhile. A garbage bag of trash helped break her fall (it came out the door with her). She said she weighed about 250 lbs and had both knees operated on, so wasn't much help in standing. What to do.
I don't know how long this took, but here's the sequence of events: I went into the coach and found her pants; by rolling this way and that, I was able to help get the pants up high enough to cover the important parts; the couple from the next row came over and the husband helped get her standing and into the coach; I picked up the trash scattered all over the ground and carried it to the dumpster. I'm sure she was grateful.
Just another day living the dream ....
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Unadilla, GA
I'm back in Georgia.
I needed some down time to work on taxes and get some deeper cleaning done and see what can be done with my back and these allergies, so I'm spending 10 days at Southern Trails RV Resort. A resort it is not, but at $12/night for full hook-up including 50 amp and cable, it is a good place to park. It was 80 degrees yesterday, and sunny, so the weather is good. The unfortunate fact is that I am about 1,000-1,500 feet from the I-75, so the traffic noise is pretty loud.
Unadilla is an interesting town. I was told yesterday that there isn't a "red light" in the entire county. They have two places to eat .... a 50's style diner (not retro - the original with the counter and red booths!) named the 57 diner. I ate there yesterday. There is no menu - you can have hot dogs or hamburgers with or without chili and slaw. They also serve a daily special, which is whatever the "dad" feels like making that day. They post it on a sign by the street and people drive by or call to see what the special is. The "mom" and daughter serve the food and run the cash register. Yesterday's special was fried chicken, cabbage, corn, taters and gravy and cake. The cake was "honey cake" and it was sweet enough to make your teeth ache. ha. I ordered a slaw dog, but the daughter brought me the cake to try. Of course, sweet tea is ever present.
The other restaurant is at the gas station. I'm not sure I'll venture there.
The nearest Walmart (isn't there always a Walmart?) is 17 miles away in Perry; the nearest Publix grocery store is 26 miles. So I drove to "town" to refill my prescriptions and get some groceries. I had to hit the grocery store because everything in my refrigerator was past it's prime date and had to be tossed. I waste more food! Eggs, milk ... it all went.
Since my next stop is Montgomery and there will be tons of sightseeing to do, I thought this was a good down time. If I need a day trip while I'm here, I can drive up to Macon or west to Columbus, but it might feel good just to stay put for the week.
Macon celebrates the blooming of some 300,000 Yoshino cherry trees in mid-March. They have the Macon International Cherry Blossom Festival - this year it is on the 18th.
What I find interesting is that between where I am and Macon is Fort Valley, the peach capital of the world. A new peach variety was introduced here in 1875, the Elberta; it became the peach-growing center of the state. The two towns are 27 miles apart.
The peach trees bloom the first of April. Between the two trees, do my allergies have a chance??
I needed some down time to work on taxes and get some deeper cleaning done and see what can be done with my back and these allergies, so I'm spending 10 days at Southern Trails RV Resort. A resort it is not, but at $12/night for full hook-up including 50 amp and cable, it is a good place to park. It was 80 degrees yesterday, and sunny, so the weather is good. The unfortunate fact is that I am about 1,000-1,500 feet from the I-75, so the traffic noise is pretty loud.
Unadilla is an interesting town. I was told yesterday that there isn't a "red light" in the entire county. They have two places to eat .... a 50's style diner (not retro - the original with the counter and red booths!) named the 57 diner. I ate there yesterday. There is no menu - you can have hot dogs or hamburgers with or without chili and slaw. They also serve a daily special, which is whatever the "dad" feels like making that day. They post it on a sign by the street and people drive by or call to see what the special is. The "mom" and daughter serve the food and run the cash register. Yesterday's special was fried chicken, cabbage, corn, taters and gravy and cake. The cake was "honey cake" and it was sweet enough to make your teeth ache. ha. I ordered a slaw dog, but the daughter brought me the cake to try. Of course, sweet tea is ever present.
The other restaurant is at the gas station. I'm not sure I'll venture there.
The nearest Walmart (isn't there always a Walmart?) is 17 miles away in Perry; the nearest Publix grocery store is 26 miles. So I drove to "town" to refill my prescriptions and get some groceries. I had to hit the grocery store because everything in my refrigerator was past it's prime date and had to be tossed. I waste more food! Eggs, milk ... it all went.
Since my next stop is Montgomery and there will be tons of sightseeing to do, I thought this was a good down time. If I need a day trip while I'm here, I can drive up to Macon or west to Columbus, but it might feel good just to stay put for the week.
Macon celebrates the blooming of some 300,000 Yoshino cherry trees in mid-March. They have the Macon International Cherry Blossom Festival - this year it is on the 18th.
What I find interesting is that between where I am and Macon is Fort Valley, the peach capital of the world. A new peach variety was introduced here in 1875, the Elberta; it became the peach-growing center of the state. The two towns are 27 miles apart.
The peach trees bloom the first of April. Between the two trees, do my allergies have a chance??
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Gaffney, SC
I am actually in Gaffney at the Freight liner factory to take a 2 day class. They do offer tours, but I arrived too late to take one. I'm having them do the annual service on my coach while I am here. There is a gravel area where you can stay overnight with shore power available while you are getting service, so I was able to stay right here. It only cost me $1,000 to stay (the class, the coach work and some extra parts to carry with me).... so much for "free." ha.
I did have time to take a picture of the famous Gaffney Peach Water Tower. You have to admit that it does look like a peach, but ....
The class was good and I learned some things I needed to know. They provided lunch on the first day and dinner both days. For lunch and the first dinner we had BBQ, mac and cheese, coleslaw, beans, hush puppies, and banana pudding. Can you get any more Southern than that? The second dinner was chicken and pasta. And of course, the good ol' sweet tea.
I stayed here through the weekend because I'm having an issue with my steps and hoping I can find someone on the way to my next stop to take a look at them. Unfortunately, RV repair places are booked months in advance (including this facility), so I'm not holding out much hope. As it is the weekend, I'm here until Monday before I can get some return calls.
Saturday, I took advantage of my down time by driving to the Walnut Grove Plantation - the Colonial & Revolutionary Era home of the Charles & Mary Moore family, who were among the first British colonists to settle in Upstate South Carolina.
I find these interesting, but much of the information is the same .... I could be a docent in my next life.
Spartanburg has a lovely downtown area. It had to have been more than a mile long, with shops and restaurants and statues and sculptures along the way. It was also very busy. Spartanburg is one of the world's largest peach shipping centers.
A statue honoring Gen Daniel Morgan, the hero of the Battle of Cowpens, stands in Morgan Square.
Nearby is the Cowpens National Battlefield
I did have time to take a picture of the famous Gaffney Peach Water Tower. You have to admit that it does look like a peach, but ....
The class was good and I learned some things I needed to know. They provided lunch on the first day and dinner both days. For lunch and the first dinner we had BBQ, mac and cheese, coleslaw, beans, hush puppies, and banana pudding. Can you get any more Southern than that? The second dinner was chicken and pasta. And of course, the good ol' sweet tea.
I stayed here through the weekend because I'm having an issue with my steps and hoping I can find someone on the way to my next stop to take a look at them. Unfortunately, RV repair places are booked months in advance (including this facility), so I'm not holding out much hope. As it is the weekend, I'm here until Monday before I can get some return calls.
 |
| Manor house, kitchen, dry cellar, blacksmith forge and barn |
I find these interesting, but much of the information is the same .... I could be a docent in my next life.
Spartanburg has a lovely downtown area. It had to have been more than a mile long, with shops and restaurants and statues and sculptures along the way. It was also very busy. Spartanburg is one of the world's largest peach shipping centers.
A statue honoring Gen Daniel Morgan, the hero of the Battle of Cowpens, stands in Morgan Square.
Nearby is the Cowpens National Battlefield
Monday, February 27, 2017
Columbia, SC
My day trip to the state capital -
They have a lovely Main Street area, but the fascinating sight for me as I drove around the downtown area, was the number of beautiful Gothic style churches. Definitely in the Bible Belt .... there is a church on every street.
Another interesting thing I discovered while driving around was that at all the major intersections there is a plaque explaining the origin of the street name, how long it has existed and its significance. I thought that was kind of cool.
South Carolina State Museum - Located in a historic renovated textile mill, this four-story facility includes exhibits on art, cultural and natural history, science, and technology.
Woodrow Wilson Family Home- Built in 1871, the family moved here when Woodrow Wilson was 14 years old.
I would have loved to have taken the State House tour but there was some sort of assembly ( I don't know if it was peaceful or political) on the front "lawn" area and I didn't know how strict the security would be. There was quite a bit of police presence. Also, I managed to tweak my back and I can hardly walk ....
I am actually falling apart. My back has been hurting since I left California (I can hardly walk and have muscle spasms - I'll have to find another Chiropractor soon); I got a tooth ache, which passed, but I don't know what that was about; I am having the worst full-blown allergy episode ever and I can hardly breathe .... holy moley.
Oh, and my excitement about the Jicima was short-lived .... it was really bad. It was spoiled.
They have a lovely Main Street area, but the fascinating sight for me as I drove around the downtown area, was the number of beautiful Gothic style churches. Definitely in the Bible Belt .... there is a church on every street.
Another interesting thing I discovered while driving around was that at all the major intersections there is a plaque explaining the origin of the street name, how long it has existed and its significance. I thought that was kind of cool.
South Carolina State Museum - Located in a historic renovated textile mill, this four-story facility includes exhibits on art, cultural and natural history, science, and technology.
Woodrow Wilson Family Home- Built in 1871, the family moved here when Woodrow Wilson was 14 years old.
I would have loved to have taken the State House tour but there was some sort of assembly ( I don't know if it was peaceful or political) on the front "lawn" area and I didn't know how strict the security would be. There was quite a bit of police presence. Also, I managed to tweak my back and I can hardly walk ....
I am actually falling apart. My back has been hurting since I left California (I can hardly walk and have muscle spasms - I'll have to find another Chiropractor soon); I got a tooth ache, which passed, but I don't know what that was about; I am having the worst full-blown allergy episode ever and I can hardly breathe .... holy moley.
Oh, and my excitement about the Jicima was short-lived .... it was really bad. It was spoiled.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Augusta, GA
A really beautiful day! It reached 80 degrees with a nice breeze from the Savannah river.
The funny thing about the weather here .... it gets into the 80s during the day, but drops down to the 30s at night. I'm use to that swing in the desert, but didn't expect it here.
The city of Augusta is divided by the Savannah river, forming the "Augusta, GA" that we all recognize, but there is a North Augusta on the South Carolina side as well. Something I didn't know ....
The Riverwalk along the Savannah river is very pleasant. There are two levels and lots of sitting areas, playgrounds, and picnic tables. There are even some "porch" swings that looked very inviting. These pictures were taken from the upper level.
After this walk I had lunch at the Boll Weevil Bakery. The grilled steak on my salad was excellent and I tried a piece of Key Lime Pie with whipped cream and raspberry sauce. It was good .... very rich and way too big a piece. All I really wanted was a bite .... where was my son when I needed him? ha.
Some of the sights I saw before lunch ....
The Confederate Monument - soars 76 feet tall. It has a granite base topped by a shaft of pure Italian marble. The monument was commissioned by the Ladies Memorial Association of Augusta in 1875 at the cost of $17,331.35, a princely sum at that time.
Around the base of the monument are the life-size statues of four Southern generals in the War Between the States: Thomas R. R. Cobb, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and William Henry Talbot. A Confederate private is depicted at the top of the shaft. The model for this statue was Private Berry Benson of Augusta. An inscription at the base reads, "In honor of the men of Richmond County who died in the cause of the Confederate States." A crowd of 10,000 people turned out for the dedication of the monument on Oct. 32, 1878.
The James Brown statue - The Godfather of Soul called Augusta home until his death in 2006.
I also drove by the Sibley MIll & Confederate Powder Works - built at the beginning of the Civil War because Confederate armies had a really hard time getting their hands on gunpowder supplies. Beginning in 1862, the powder works stretched for two miles and continued operations until 1865, producing nearly 3 million pounds of gunpowder.
There was a very interesting tour of the Boyhood Home of Woodrow Wilson. It turned out to be a private tour, as I was the only one taking it at the time. I enjoy these lesser tours of the libraries and homes as I find out interesting things about famous people .... Woodrow Wilson's first name was actually Thomas. He dropped it when he went away to school (the "school" is now Princeton, of which he was president) because his mother didn't think Thomas or Tommy was mature enough of a name. Woodrow was actually her maiden name. His father was minister of the First Presbyterian Church, which was used as a field hospital during the Civil War. The house is across the street from the church, so starting at about age 4, Woodrow Wilson watched from the upstairs window the wounded solders laying in the yard of the church and hearing their screams. Can you imagine? It was the reason he was so reluctant to enter the US into the World War when he became president.
Let's see .... I had a nice (private again :)) tour of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. They even gave me a copy of their church cookbook and a couple of CDs of their choir. Built in 1750, Saint Paul's
Church has been the site of many historical moments. The church has
housed refugees during the French and Indian War, was used as a hospital
during the American Revolution, and it was used for public meetings
when Augusta was Georgia's capital. The original church building was
destroyed and the current building was created in 1919 with a Georgian
Colonial facade.
And the Great Fire of 1916 -
Sacred Heart Catholic Church was really beautiful - inside and out .... The cornerstone was set in place on February 20, 1898 and the first service was held on December 2, 1900.
They nicknamed Augusta the city of churches and the name fits. There seems to be one on every corner and in every block downtown.
On my way back to Dreher State Park, on I-20, traveling about 78 mph .... I look over at the vehicle in the lane on my passenger side and the driver is holding a can of beer. Well, Dorothy, I guess this isn't Kansas. ha.
The funny thing about the weather here .... it gets into the 80s during the day, but drops down to the 30s at night. I'm use to that swing in the desert, but didn't expect it here.
The city of Augusta is divided by the Savannah river, forming the "Augusta, GA" that we all recognize, but there is a North Augusta on the South Carolina side as well. Something I didn't know ....
The Riverwalk along the Savannah river is very pleasant. There are two levels and lots of sitting areas, playgrounds, and picnic tables. There are even some "porch" swings that looked very inviting. These pictures were taken from the upper level.
After this walk I had lunch at the Boll Weevil Bakery. The grilled steak on my salad was excellent and I tried a piece of Key Lime Pie with whipped cream and raspberry sauce. It was good .... very rich and way too big a piece. All I really wanted was a bite .... where was my son when I needed him? ha.Some of the sights I saw before lunch ....
The Confederate Monument - soars 76 feet tall. It has a granite base topped by a shaft of pure Italian marble. The monument was commissioned by the Ladies Memorial Association of Augusta in 1875 at the cost of $17,331.35, a princely sum at that time.
Around the base of the monument are the life-size statues of four Southern generals in the War Between the States: Thomas R. R. Cobb, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and William Henry Talbot. A Confederate private is depicted at the top of the shaft. The model for this statue was Private Berry Benson of Augusta. An inscription at the base reads, "In honor of the men of Richmond County who died in the cause of the Confederate States." A crowd of 10,000 people turned out for the dedication of the monument on Oct. 32, 1878.
The James Brown statue - The Godfather of Soul called Augusta home until his death in 2006.
I also drove by the Sibley MIll & Confederate Powder Works - built at the beginning of the Civil War because Confederate armies had a really hard time getting their hands on gunpowder supplies. Beginning in 1862, the powder works stretched for two miles and continued operations until 1865, producing nearly 3 million pounds of gunpowder.
There was a very interesting tour of the Boyhood Home of Woodrow Wilson. It turned out to be a private tour, as I was the only one taking it at the time. I enjoy these lesser tours of the libraries and homes as I find out interesting things about famous people .... Woodrow Wilson's first name was actually Thomas. He dropped it when he went away to school (the "school" is now Princeton, of which he was president) because his mother didn't think Thomas or Tommy was mature enough of a name. Woodrow was actually her maiden name. His father was minister of the First Presbyterian Church, which was used as a field hospital during the Civil War. The house is across the street from the church, so starting at about age 4, Woodrow Wilson watched from the upstairs window the wounded solders laying in the yard of the church and hearing their screams. Can you imagine? It was the reason he was so reluctant to enter the US into the World War when he became president.
And the Great Fire of 1916 -
Sacred Heart Catholic Church was really beautiful - inside and out .... The cornerstone was set in place on February 20, 1898 and the first service was held on December 2, 1900. |
| Sacred Heart Catholic Church outside |
They nicknamed Augusta the city of churches and the name fits. There seems to be one on every corner and in every block downtown.
On my way back to Dreher State Park, on I-20, traveling about 78 mph .... I look over at the vehicle in the lane on my passenger side and the driver is holding a can of beer. Well, Dorothy, I guess this isn't Kansas. ha.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Catch - Up
Did you miss me?
As most of you know, my daughter passed away unexpectedly. I left my coach at the campground in Florida and flew back to California for 8 days.
Thank you all again for your outpouring of condolences and affection regarding the passing of Jessika, and for the prayers for my sister's back surgery.
Jessika's husband, Efrem will be planning a memorial for her sometime in the next couple of months. It is still very hard to grasp her passing; completly unexpected. She was 42 years old last October.
My sister Sandee is doing remarkably well and is getting around fine (without the back brace she is suppose to wear at all times!). She did give us a little bit of a scare in the hospital when her blood pressure fell and they had to give her a couple pints of blood to bring it back up, but she appears to be fine now.
Thank you again to Tandi, for the ride to the airport and back and for offering to sit with me. You are kind.
This was my first overnight stay outside of the coach since December, 2015. I thought maybe I would notice that I missed the extra "room" in the hotel or the shower, or the bed .... but I didn't find my coach's accommodations lacking in any respect. Even now that I'm back, the hotel wasn't better in any way. I guess that means I don't need a vacation from my vacation. ha.
I did have to hit the local Del Taco for a burrito my first day in town, however. It was pretty darn tasty. Other than that, there really wasn't anything that I missed, other than friends and family. I did have the opportunity to get a haircut from my "regular" stylist, Rose Ann. That was nice.
Now I am back in my coach and it is no worse for being left.
Since I got in last night, I was pretty tired this morning as I headed north on I-95 for the Georgia border. I was surprised to see a clean windshield. I suspect my neighbor who was watching my coach and Jeep cleaned it for me because no amount of rain ever removes all the bug residue on the windshield, no matter how hard it rains. He took the time to wipe my tire covers after the grass was mowed as well. Nice guy. He was very excited with the Sees candy I brought him .... his sister lives in San Diego so he was familiar, and very happy with the candy.
The bridge at Jacksonville was very pretty and I was able to get a couple of pictures as I crossed...
I find I like bridges. They are really works of art; even the simple ones.
It was a good thing I was not going south into Jacksonville on I-295, because it was solid cars both ways as far as you could see.
The entire time I was crossing Georgia it was raining hard, and the visibility was bad at times, but I still made decent time and mileage. I was in South Carolina by lunchtime. I stopped at a rest stop not far inside the border and while I was eating the rain stopped. This was about the area I should have stayed in last week, but I'm sure the opportunity to see the Charleston/Savannah area will come again.
The last time I did the map update on my coach GPS I added rest stop and Flying J notification, which is pretty good (I wish it would give me a little more notice), but I have to chuckle every time it tells me a rest stop is coming up. The screen reads "rest areas combined USA" but the voice reads it as rest areas combined you-sa. It cracks me up. No matter how many times I correct her, she still says you-sa.
It was surprising to see fall color still in some of the trees along the highway. Especially, as they have trees also in bloom for Spring with the early flowers, like daffodils already out in the beds.
The temps this week are supposed to be in the low 80s, so it will be nice to get some sightseeing done. My first trip will be to Augusta, GA. I am only here for a week before I head to Gaffney, SC for my freight-liner class. Looking forward to it.
There was a moment of excitement in my day today ... while at the laundromat I went into the grocery store next door and they had Jicima! I bought two. I haven't seen Jicima since I left the west .... and I look for it. A little thing, but .... those are the joys of life.
I'll tell you all about Augusta ..... lots to see there.
As most of you know, my daughter passed away unexpectedly. I left my coach at the campground in Florida and flew back to California for 8 days.
Thank you all again for your outpouring of condolences and affection regarding the passing of Jessika, and for the prayers for my sister's back surgery.
Jessika's husband, Efrem will be planning a memorial for her sometime in the next couple of months. It is still very hard to grasp her passing; completly unexpected. She was 42 years old last October.
My sister Sandee is doing remarkably well and is getting around fine (without the back brace she is suppose to wear at all times!). She did give us a little bit of a scare in the hospital when her blood pressure fell and they had to give her a couple pints of blood to bring it back up, but she appears to be fine now.
Thank you again to Tandi, for the ride to the airport and back and for offering to sit with me. You are kind.
This was my first overnight stay outside of the coach since December, 2015. I thought maybe I would notice that I missed the extra "room" in the hotel or the shower, or the bed .... but I didn't find my coach's accommodations lacking in any respect. Even now that I'm back, the hotel wasn't better in any way. I guess that means I don't need a vacation from my vacation. ha.
I did have to hit the local Del Taco for a burrito my first day in town, however. It was pretty darn tasty. Other than that, there really wasn't anything that I missed, other than friends and family. I did have the opportunity to get a haircut from my "regular" stylist, Rose Ann. That was nice.
Now I am back in my coach and it is no worse for being left.
Since I got in last night, I was pretty tired this morning as I headed north on I-95 for the Georgia border. I was surprised to see a clean windshield. I suspect my neighbor who was watching my coach and Jeep cleaned it for me because no amount of rain ever removes all the bug residue on the windshield, no matter how hard it rains. He took the time to wipe my tire covers after the grass was mowed as well. Nice guy. He was very excited with the Sees candy I brought him .... his sister lives in San Diego so he was familiar, and very happy with the candy.
The bridge at Jacksonville was very pretty and I was able to get a couple of pictures as I crossed...
It was a good thing I was not going south into Jacksonville on I-295, because it was solid cars both ways as far as you could see.
The entire time I was crossing Georgia it was raining hard, and the visibility was bad at times, but I still made decent time and mileage. I was in South Carolina by lunchtime. I stopped at a rest stop not far inside the border and while I was eating the rain stopped. This was about the area I should have stayed in last week, but I'm sure the opportunity to see the Charleston/Savannah area will come again.
The last time I did the map update on my coach GPS I added rest stop and Flying J notification, which is pretty good (I wish it would give me a little more notice), but I have to chuckle every time it tells me a rest stop is coming up. The screen reads "rest areas combined USA" but the voice reads it as rest areas combined you-sa. It cracks me up. No matter how many times I correct her, she still says you-sa.
It was surprising to see fall color still in some of the trees along the highway. Especially, as they have trees also in bloom for Spring with the early flowers, like daffodils already out in the beds.
The temps this week are supposed to be in the low 80s, so it will be nice to get some sightseeing done. My first trip will be to Augusta, GA. I am only here for a week before I head to Gaffney, SC for my freight-liner class. Looking forward to it.
There was a moment of excitement in my day today ... while at the laundromat I went into the grocery store next door and they had Jicima! I bought two. I haven't seen Jicima since I left the west .... and I look for it. A little thing, but .... those are the joys of life.
I'll tell you all about Augusta ..... lots to see there.
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