Morganton and Blue Ridge, GA November 6 & 7 2019

So, now that we have a new camper, we needed to give it a test run.  We made reservations at a campground in Morganton, GA, and had bought tickets for the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.  However, the day of the train ride, the rain chance had changed from 40 to 90%, and since we would be in an "open air" railcar in 50 degree weather, we thought it best to take "rain checks" which we can use any time within the next year.  We still had a good time, and it gave Roscoe a chance to get used to the new accommodations.

We set up our bag chairs at our campsite, and were ready to relax and enjoy the view.

But hundreds of these little critters...ladybugs...decided to invade our space.  The camp owner said the infestation was unusual for this time of year...figures!  We had to retreat into the camper, where we spent several hours catching those that came in with us.

The next morning, we rode into Blue Ridge to the train depot to cancel our reservations and get the replacement voucher.

                       This would have been the railcar we'd be riding in.  Yes, open air means no windows.


 

 

  

So, instead, we stopped at a really nice thrift store

and a corner produce stand...

                             ...that had an amazing selection of gourds of every shape...

...and color

And to the Wagon Wheel Trading Post...

                              ...which reminded us of Nervous Nellie's in Maine.

And a look at the Lake Blue Ridge TVA dam at river level

And our final stop before the rains came was at a recreational area and campground that didn't appear on the web when we were checking for campsites.  We spoke to the ranger who said the park just became open year-round.  We will definitely plan on staying here on our next visit. 

 







 

 

 



 

 



Saying Good Bye and Hello October 2019

We had put a lot of money into tires and axles and Bob put a lot of hard work fixing the trailer, so to still have problems was discouraging.  After the incident with the wheel hub, we decided it was time to sell the trailer.  Luckily, our neighbor wanted to buy it, not to travel, but as a "guest house".  But, we weren't ready to give up on our camping adventures, so after many hours of surfing the net, Bob found a truck camper at an RV dealer in Claremont, NC, and bought it.

                                        Bob tows the trailer one last time, bringing it to its new owner. 

And we welcome our new home on wheels.  Interior pictures to follow in future posts. 

 

 

Some Fun Things Seen Along the Way

There were so many fun and interesting sights along the way, like seeing a sign for The American Society of Dowsers, Pee Pee Creek in Kentucky, and meeting a guy who had been bitten by a bat, and here are a few more:

 

 

 

 



(I had never seen a soup kitchen)

Bob must have that kind of "I'd be glad to help" look.  We had stopped to get our bearings on where we were to meet our Konecny family, when this lady asked Bob to see if he could fix her lawn mower.  He did.  I've always said he has guaranteed his place in Heaven.

                      And, you can tell Roscoe really enjoyed his trip, too!
And despite all the signs for cattle, duck, bear, deer, and moose crossings, this is the only wildlife we actually saw:



















On to home in Seneca October 1-3 2019

Tuesday morning we left NJ, and planned on making it to an Army Corps camp in Burnsville, WVA for the night, about 480 miles.  All was going well until we were about 45 minutes outside Burnsville and drivers passing us kept motioning to the back of the trailer.  The rear wheel hub was smoking.  We managed to get to the campground before it caught fire, but the heat was so intense, it melted metal together.  Thankfully Bob had brought an extensive amount of tools, including a small welding machine.  He was able to get parts in town the next morning, and by 1 pm we were able to continue to Pikeville, TN. We stayed there at Bob Amos Park again, then got home Thursday...just 30 miles short of 5000 miles... with no further mishaps.

It isn't noticeable in the photo, but smoke was coming out of the wheel hub.  The lug cover had blown off and the heat blackened the hub.  You can see the difference between the two wheels.

So, here is Bob the next morning, doing his magic.  This is why he carries a welding machine, Michael.

As with most of the Army Corps parks, this one was in another beautiful part of God's country.  Maybe next time we will be able to enjoy it more.  As for this stay, we were thankful we were able to get here safely and have the facilities to do the repairs.

The  mist across the mountains seemed "mystical" indeed, and we hoped it was an auspicious sign for our journey home.

 

 













 

Back "home" in New Jersey Sept 26 - Oct 1 2019

It was a 9 hour ride from Vermont to the Mahlon campground in Milton, but once we reached Waterbury, CT, Bob wanted to push on.  We were able to set up the RV, grab a bite to eat and relax.  The next day we did some grocery shopping, and then went to Adele's house for dinner.  Carol and Nelson joined us there.  Friday was another laid back day, with an afternoon visit at Carol's and dinner there.  The family gathering at Adele's for Uncle Mike's 97th birthday party was on Saturday. There were about 31 people all in all.  Sunday we went to the cemetery, visited with John and Plish in Bloomfield, then met up with the Konecny cousins at a restaurant in Wyckoff.  We spent most of Monday doing some prep in order to leave tomorrow, and we had an early dinner with Adele, Michael, Carol and Nelson as a grand finale.

Here are some of the family photos:

                                             The "birthday boy" and Rita.

Michael and his newest grandson, Theodore

David tells us about his plans for running the NYC Marathon.  Five year old Alexander and Rita's son-in-law Jack are in the background.

                       Rachel has a moment with dad, Michael and son Alexander.

 

while Jill and sister in law Kim do the same.  Rita's daughter Linda is behind them.



Joe and Barbara's grand daughter, Izzy, in her Cinderella gown and bicycle helmet.

                               Dean and Annie and little rescued  kitty Rails. Melody, Izzy's mom is behind them.

John and Christie, who faced time from Pennylvania ,to wish Grandpa a happy 97th.

Adele does a resounding rendition of "Sto Lat" the Polish birthday song, while Bob, Lorraine, Melody, Tommy and Barbara cheer her on.

From right to left...Stella on Grandpa Joe's lap, Alexander on Great Grandpa Mike's lap, Wade, Theodore on Aunt Barbara's lap, Izzy next to Grandma Barbara, Carol, Michael, Sean, Luke and Matt in the background.

The Konecny gathering at the Brick House in Wyckoff.  From left and around:  Dean, Brian, Madalyn; Morgan, Ray, Kelly, me, Bob, Anne, Sherri and Judi.  Amanda, Adam, Alexa and Alina were on a trip to Chicago and couldn't join us.

                          And "the last supper" for this trip in New Jersey...

...until next time.















 



Visit with the Dorers in Montpelier Sept 22 - 24, 2019

Plish and John bought a duplex here.   They rent out one half, and use the other half as a second home in order to visit with their daughter Chris and her family...son-in-law Rhett, and grand daughters Izzy, and twins Aria and Sage.  (Their son Jeff and his family live outside Grand Rapids, MI ).

          

  Montpelier is the capitol of Vermont; this is the Capitol building seen as we passed through the city.

At the Hill Street home, we met up with Plish and John and grand daughter, Izzy, who had just finished a rally with friends in town.

From there we went to Chris and Rhett's home in Roxbury where we were treated to dinner and  an introduction to the newly turned 4 year old twins, Aria (in foreground) and Sage.

                                    The home is quite rustic, but oh, so homey.

                        And, on two acres of wooded land, a lot of room for a tree house...

                                                          campfire...

                                        and of course, roasted marshmallows.





 (It got dark quickly and some pictures didn't turn out...I apologize for not getting one of Chris or a better one of Rhett...or more of the kids...but we thank them all for such a nice evening)

The next day, we were going to go for a picnic, but it was overcast, so I asked John if he wouldn't mind driving to St Johnsbury.  We did some shopping and had a good lunch in town, then stopped at this general store and post office in West Danville.

The next day, I needed to do laundry.  Who could ask for a better friend than one who would be willing to sit with me while that tedious task was done?  The guys did some "guy things" and then met us there.

                Later, we walked into town and went to the Montpelier Library book sale.

John and Bob browsed a few selections in the foyer, and then we went downstairs to where there were more books.  The library is really a beautiful old structure with granite and carved oak wood work through out  After our downtown tour, we went back to the camp.  Plish and John will head home to Bloomfield, NJ, tomorrow, and Bob and I will begin our trek to New Jersey also.  We plan to see each other one day while we are there.