Monday October 16-Today's the day...we are hitting the road. When we got up it was really chilly, the fog over the water looked cool. We had most of our stuff packed up and ready to go. Jeff still needed to check the air in the tires and tire monitors. I took Miss Ruby for a walk before putting her in the kennel. We will see how she travels. Our fingers are crossed.
We took off around 11. Kind of a late start but we are only going around 100 miles. Starting off slow to see how the truck does. We had a appointment for the truck there but since the lights went off we cancelled. It doesn't do any good going when they go off. The computer won't read the codes. That's what happened the last time. We still have an appointment in Indiana just in case they come back on. We had a really pretty day to travel. Good bye Palo.........
We made our way to West Lake Park in Davenport, Iowa. When we picked up this rig we came here to camp. So this was the first place we camped in our Cameo. We took site #3 this time. We sat up just what we needed. Only staying 1 night. We went to Camping World and looked around. We brought Ruby and she was the talk of the store. While we were out we fueled up, getting ready for tomorrow. Ruby did really well in her kennel.
 |
| Site 3 at West Lake Campground |
Tuesday October 17-Today we were on the road by 8:30. The weather was good. We had 270 miles to make today. We ran in to some traffic and tolls. We knew about the tolls. I think today was only a little over $20.00. We also had a time change to deal with. Jeff hates them time changes. We arrived at Twin Mills RV Park. Wasn't that impressed with this place. The water pressure terrible. The water was ick. Our site was D-1. No sewer but a water hook up. You couldn't really tell where your site was. We backed in but again didn't get much out. We have to pull out of here first thing in the morning. Taking our rig in to get the big foot looked at. It is the left rear and it hasn't been working quite right for awhile.
Wednesday October 18- Well the time change didn't help us much. Our appointment was at 8 a.m. So we had to hook up in the dark. We did OK, especially since we haven't been doing this for awhile. We drove to The Big Foot place and unhooked. Then we went out for breakfast. One of the guys at the repair place told us where to go. It was a lot of food, and it was good.Then we decided to ran over to the RV Hall Of Fame. We had the dogs with us. They said we could bring in Ruby as long as we carried her. Belle stayed in the car. It was perfect weather, so no worries of her getting too hot.
Both Jeff and I were really impressed with all the campers inside. It was a great way to spend the morning. It wasn't crowded either. Boy the RV world has really made a few upgrades on there units.
While we were looking at all the RV's I got a phone call saying our home was repaired and ready to pick up. We were almost through here so when we left we went back and picked up our rig. They had to replace the pump on the rear, the one we were having problems with. They changed a limit switch on another. They changed the fluid in all of them too. Only charged us for 1 hour of labor, they didn't jack up the prices on the parts either. They were quick, polite and good good service. That's what Jeff had heard about them, that's why we came. Now we headed back to our site and this time we backed in a little better. Still didn't unload much because we are pulling out of here in the morning. We fueled up and got some dinner. All ready to go tomorrow.
Thursday October 19-It was chilly but sunny today. Great weather for driving. Packed up and headed east. We had more toll roads, probably about $40.00 today. The good thing about these roads is the travel plaza's. Easy in and out with lots of different choices for food and drink. We drove to Mogadore Ohio. The campground was Countryside Campground. It is family owned and well taken care of. We are in site #5. It is a pull through with 30 amp. sewer and water.
We got set up and walked around to see what the park has to offer and where we could find it. They have a dog park area, where you can let the dogs off there leashes. They have a community building where they do get togethers. I found where the laundry is located and cost. Very inexpensive. Tomorrow we have some things to get done.
Friday October 20-Cool to start but lots of sunshine. I went first thing to start the laundry. I had 3 loads and they had 3 washers....perfect. I also did some cleaning up. Jeff put mud flaps on the rig. Thinking that might protect those big foots some. I decided to sew the seam in the bottom of Ruby's playpen. She is going to be able to escape if I don't get it fixed. I took Miss Ruby for a walk and we found they have chickens and goats...who would of thunked it.
Saturday October 21-Had some plans today. It was cool this morning when we headed toward town. We made our way to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. It took us about an hour to get to Cleveland. We arrived before it opened. We paid for parking on the street but it was super close and going to be super easy to get out as well. It opened at 10 a.m. and we where ready to get in there. The wind coming off the water made it kind of cold.
When we first got in there it wasn't that crowded, but as the day went on the people increased. There was so much to see and you could go through it at your own pace. My pace was a little quicker than Jeff's. We took a break around 11 so we could go to the Power Of Rock Experience. When we got up there they said it was closed for the day. That was one of the things that Jeff wanted to really see. Well we went back down to look at the exhibits, again so much to see.
I took lots of pictures of everything. It was a fun way to spend the morning. They also change the exhibits to keep up with everything. They had a special exhibit highlighting the life and artistry of inductee John Mellencamp. They give you information that you never knew. Here are some of the names of the exhibits...Hall of Fame Inductees, Elvis, Cities and Sounds, Legends of Rock and Roll, Right Here Right Now. I'm telling you there is something for everyone.We decided to go back up to see if the Power of Rock Experience was going....and it was so we went in and watched that. It is a adrenaline-fueled show that captures the excitement of a Rock Hall induction night. Highlighting some of the most unforgettable moments. It was really getting crowded so we kicked it on out of there. We stopped for some lunch before heading back. When we got back we took the dogs for a walk before calling it a night.
Sunday October 22- Today was a traveling day. Here we are loaded and ready to go. Next stop Gettysburg. We were on the road at 8:45. It was going to be 280 miles today. It was easy driving until we climbed up this huge mountain. We thought that was bad until we had to come down from that mountain. It was a 9% grade with a speed limit of 20. Kind of nerve wracking. Then we went right through downtown Gettysburg. So that was so slow and tight. Then to top it off we were getting super low on fuel. We pulled in to our park, Artillery Ridge. We found our spot which was a pull through, site #404. We set up and then we decided to go get fuel and something for supper. We went to The Appalachian Brewery. We had chili, which was excellent. Then we finished off the dinner with a dessert to die for. It was an elephant ear,(which is like pie crust covered in cinnamon/sugar) topped with ice cream and drizzled with caramel. It was so good.
Since we had some gloomy weather we decided to take the Red Star Car tour. This 24-mile auto tour starts at the visitor center and includes 16 tour stops,the Barlow Knoll Loop, and the Historic Downtown Gettysburg Tour. It traces the three-day battle chronologically. You can include or skip certain points and stops based on your interest. Should allow about 3 hours to complete the tour.
The National Cemetery, this was the setting for Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, delivered at the cemetery's dedication on November 19, 1863. This was really something to see.
More men fell during the Battle of Gettysburg than in any other battle on American soil before or since. Today these peaceful rolling fields pay silent tribute to this sacrifice. Many Union soldiers who died here are buried in Soldiers' National Cemetery where Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, honoring the men who gave the last full measure of devotion. Much has been written and said about Gettysburg. But the most tangible connection to those three days in July is the battlefield itself, parts of which look much as they did in 1863. Fences, hills, rocks, cannon and even the monuments provide an opportunity to reflect and try to understand what happened here.
After finishing up our tour we needed to lighten the mood a bit. When we were driving in I spotted a place I thought would be interesting. Mister Ed's Elephant Museum and Candy Emporium.
It was just kind of silly. That elephant in the picture above is Miss Elly...I was taking a picture when she started talking and scared me...kind of funny...guess you had to be there. We headed home to check on the dogs and have some lunch. We had one more stop on our list. We went to the Lincoln Train Museum. We had got free tickets from our campground.
Here there was narrated parts before heading into the train displays. They had another film that described the funeral train ride back to Springfield with President Lincoln's body and also his son's body. To finish it off you got to do a train simulation ride. This was also narrated with a film. It was nice. The trains they had on display were super neat. They also had whistles and bells. I liked it and so did Jeff. Well that was enough for one day. We had a full day for sure. The weather held off. We packed up the things that we could. It is suppose to rain tonight and tomorrow morning. We are suppose to leave tomorrow, will have to watch the weather.
Tuesday October 24-We got up early and was surprised it wasn't raining. We looked at the radar and decided to make a quick get away. We have less than 200 miles today. Hoping we could out run the rain. Well that outrunning thing didn't happen. For about the last 60 miles it was super gray and rainy. It was hard to see, to make it worse there was road construction so the lines were all over the place. Also we are driving in the east....busy all the time. Finally we found our park, Turkey Swamp. We pulled in to register and see the road out it blocked with orange cones. They are doing some work. Well we can't really turn this rig around in a parking lot. The ranger got in his truck and removed the cones and directed us where to go. It started raining again. Well I had the map in hand and directed Jeff while he squeezed through the trees. This park is really pretty but super tight for big rigs. The weather wasn't helping either.
We had a pull thru site, all sites were pull thrus. It was still hard getting into ours. The trees were everywhere. Then to make it better the rain really started pouring down. So kind of muddy too.
Here are some pictures of our site after the weather cleared up. Very pretty and private. There is hardly anyone here.
After we set up and dried ourselves we call Ken and Mary. We volunteer with them at Jonathan Dickinson. They live in this area and have volunteered to be our tour guides. We made plans to meet them and go to JO JO's for dinner. Linda another volunteer joined us. We met Ken and Mary at a hotel parking lot and they took us to the restaurant. We had pizza which was really good. It was a fun night catching up and making plans for the next couple days. We were there quite a while and this lady kept giving us the evil eye, you know....move already we have people waiting.....
Wednesday October 25- Had a huge day planned today. First we met at our spot and our tour guides picked us up. On to the train station were we met Linda. We are taking on New York City today.
 |
| Our first train ride in |
 |
| Our next obstacle trying to figure out the ticket for our next ride on the PATH |
We landed in New York at The World Trade Center. This is such a cool station...it's all white. We made our way outside and looked at the buildings and the Memorial's twin reflecting pools. They are each nearly an acre in size and feature the largest manmade waterfalls in North America. The pools sit within the footprints where the Twin Towers once stood. It was something to see.
 |
| This was the outside of the train station |
After looking at all the sites outside we went to get tickets for the 9/11 Museum. There was a small line but again it more crowded as the day went on.
The National September 11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Center bears solemn witness to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993. The Museum honors the nearly 3000 victims of these attacks and all those who risked their lives to save others. It further recognizes the thousands who survived and those who acted with extraordinary compassion in the aftermath. Demonstrating the consequences of terrorism on individual lives and its impact on communities at the local, national, and international levels, the Museum attests to the triumph of human dignity over human depravity and affirms an unwavering commitment to the fundamental value of human life. Well they say you can't come to New York and not take the subway. So we took the subway to Times Square.
Out of the subway and into a completely different place than before. Still lots of people but lights, noise and action. We walked and looked up just like tourists do, taking pictures of course.
After all that looking and walking we have worked up quite an appetite. So we made our way to Carmine's. This is one of Ken and Mary's favorite restaurants. We all were starved and ready to eat. This place is located in the Broadway district so a lot of people have visited here.
This restaurant has family style portions. We decided on a lasagna and chicken Marcela. They both were really good and we had plenty for everyone with leftovers. But what is a meal without dessert? So I got to pick the dessert, I picked tiramisu. Hands down that was the best part of the meal. Linda had a drink and she doesn't drink much. She didn't even know what was in it. Well she asked our server and he told her Peron tequila. Well she was our entertainment for the rest of the day. After that we made our way to Penn Station for the ride home. It was rush hour but we all got seats and we got on a train that didn't make all the stops. So that was lucky for us.
 |
| Bye Bye New York |
When we got home we were pleasantly surprised with our Miss Ruby. She didn't have any messes, and usually she drags around her pee pad but it was left alone. A great day. Ruby was super excited to see us and had lots of energy to burn off.
Thursday October 26- Another busy day ahead. Today we are tackling the city of Philadelphia. Again Ken and Mary had everything picked out and they drove us in to town. First stop was Visitor Center to get our tickets. Lucky for me they have not 1 but 2 smashed penny machines. Great way to start my day.
Well we got our tickets a map and off we go. First stop National Constitution Center. Again happy with penny machines. We got in a line to enjoy a narrated movie...really neat the way in was on a round screen above and the floor. All while having a real person tell the story.
After the movie we had some time to look around....look what we found. Us girls had a great time among the statues. Of course it was a perfect time for some pictures. We couldn't hang around too long because we had tickets for a tour of Independence Hall. We have really been lucky with the weather. Our tour guide knew what he was doing and gave us a great tour.
Our next stop....The Museum of American Revolution. On our walk there we saw lots of old historic buildings.
By this time I was getting to the point of too much history. But the one thing in here that was neat you couldn't take pictures. They had George Washington's tent that he used in the Revolutionary War. They had a movie about it and then they lifted the curtain and there it was. Jeff was really excited about it. We had to make our way to see the Liberty Bell. This was a real quick in and out because our time was getting away from us.
Ok we have had so many history lessons today it's time to go to a place where nobody needs to be taught. Ken dropped us off at the bottom of the Rocky steps. So up we go just like Rocky did. The surprise is the statue of him isn't there. I did find it though.
I bet you thought we were done but no. We had to go to south Philly to do a taste test of 2 famous steak sandwiches. We bought 2 from Pat's and 2 from Geno's. We sat down outside to see which one we liked best.
Well after eating them it seems it's a toss up. Both were good. The weather on the other hand was cooling off. After eating we walked down the market place. You know Where Rocky ran. Then we headed for home. We definitely put as much in to this day as we could. We said our goodbyes and went home.
Friday October 27-Today we had thought about going to Atlantic City, I figured the dogs were tired of being left alone. I was tired of running too. So we stayed back and got things ready for another traveling day. It was nice to stay home and have some home cooked food. Also got to get fuel, groceries and a nice walk around the park.
Saturday October 28- Today we are traveling to the Washington D.C. area. It is going to be about 200 miles. We got most of the stuff picked up yesterday. We hooked up and squeezed are way out of our site. It was tight. We were on the road about 8. We thought traffic wouldn't be as bad since it was the weekend. Boy were we wrong. It was busy the whole way. Then to make it better lots and lots of tolls. Boy it is cashy to ride on these roads. We ran in to an accident which backed up traffic for miles. They had to funnel 5 lanes of traffic in to 2. That was a trick, with everyone in a hurry and jockeying for position. We were very happy when we pulled in to Cherry Hill Campground. We got our site #504. Backed in and set up. This time got out a little more stuff. This is a nice park and we have been here before. That always helps. We had good weather to set up. Tomorrow we have rain coming in.
Sunday October 29-Today I had plans to do nothing. It is rainy out. Its not pouring like they predicted. It's on and off. So we are taking this day off and just resting up. Watching the weather to figure out our next few days.
No comments:
Post a Comment