End of March Early April 2023 - Back to New Jersey

I should have planned it better to be back in NJ for Easter and cousin Carol's milestone birthday (which I won't announce to the world), but for various reasons, we left here March 30th, and returned home April 5th, leaving NJ at midnight and driving straight through except for a quick hour's catnap at sunrise.  Once Bob was on the road, he just wanted to get home.

   First night's stop on the way up was at Ft Chiswell in Max Meadows ,Virginia outside of Wytheville.  It was a pleasant campground.  There were large koi in the pond...

and a lot of cows in the pasture.  The next night we stayed at the Walnut Hills rv park in Stanton, VA, but a severe storm was brewing with gale force winds, so we hunkered inside.

The storm passed, and the next morning we set out once again.  We stopped in Frackville (although we had vowed to avoid the town at all costs the last time we were there) for fuel and breakfast.  At the diner, Bob noticed the cover to the a/c unit on the camper had come loose in the winds and was almost falling off.  So, in the drizzling rain, he climbed on the camper roof to secure the top as best he could considering one of the bolts had blown away .  Needless to say, I held my breath the whole time he was up there.  Figures it had to happen on April Fool's Day.  

But, we made it to Mahlon Reservation in Milton, NJ, where we've camped in past years, safe and sound once again.

Sunday, we went to Adele and Michael's house where we met up with Joey, Barbara, and Carol 

Joey and Barbara recently bought a vacation home in Laurel, DE, but they came up to see us, which was wonderful.

Monday, on our way to the cemetery, we stopped at Third Ward Park to let Roscoe stretch his little legs... 

and to enjoy the beauty of the fountains and remember fond moments at the park in years gone by.  Later we met up with Plish and John for lunch at The Grand Saloon on Van Houten Ave and after that, we all stopped at Polonia, a Polish deli near School 13, for kielbasy and the dried mushrooms which are needed for Christmas Eve's traditional kapusta soup. 

Tuesday we spent a few hours at Carol and Nelson's house to visit with them, Matt, and Uncle Mickey...

and to say so long until the next time.  However, we won't be RVing.  When we got back home, Bob sold the monster truck and camper.  : - (