Thursday, September 16, 2010
Greenland Cove Campground, Danforth, ME - July 23-24
This was a fairly nice shady cg on the shore of East Grand Lake. This was only a 2-night stopover since we were heading for the coast, but many people spent their entire vacation here. It would be especially nice if you had a kayak or canoe. We had a lovely campsite right by the water and enjoyed hearing the Common Loons calling at night.
Arndt's Aroostook River Campground, Presque Isle, ME July 19-22
What a lovely cg this is! Situated on a hillside with unobstructed views to the west, the sunsets are magnificent. The hillsides are a combination of cultivated & forested land, making for a lovely effect. The campsites are quite large with trees nearby but not in the sites. We took a long drive up through the northernmost parts of ME, along the Canadian border. We saw the end of US 1, in Fort Kent, right before the road crosses into Canada. We saw the blockhouse at Fort Kent, which was used during the border dispute, which went on for many years. The dispute was finally settled (without a shot ever being fired) by a treaty in 1842, which established the border along the St John River. This area has much Acadian history; in fact, French was the language commonly spoken in the Madawaska K-Mart. Local businesses commonly have names like Hebert, Thibodeau & Pelletier.
When the Acadians were forced out of Canada, some of them came up the St. John River, landing near Madawaska. We saw the cross which marks their landing spot. We also saw a restored Acadian Village in Van Buren.Also along our route was a fairly large area settled by Swedes. Towns with names like Stockholm & New Sweden were clues to this heritage. Our final stop was to see what had become of the former Loring AFB at Limestone. This was of particular interest because Doug's dad was to be transferred there, when he instead chose retirement & moved to Tucson. What a dump!! Doug kept thinking "I could have been here" as we drove around this depressed (& depressing) area. We think Tucson was a wise choice!
Throughout the county (Aroostook, the largest in ME) the potatoes are blooming, creating large rolling fields of color. These potatoes are almost as famous as Idaho potatoes. We were just in time for the local Potato Blossom Festival in nearby Fort Fairfield. We took in the parade and food & craft booths on Saturday, and plan to see the fireworks over the Aroostook River tonight.
Katahdin Shadows Campground, Medway, ME July 15-19
This campground is not really in Katahdin's shadow, but it's close. It is a fairly nice, medium-high priced cg near Medway. It is quite family oriented, so there are more children than we prefer. It's full of bunnies -- not wild bunnies but fairly domesticated bunnies running loose. They're quite cute running about & eating the grass. Sometimes you can even pet them. When our cats see them it's quite amusing! There is a lot of hiking around here, but it rained a lot during our stay, so we just took a couple of fairly long drives to see the area. The extensive woods interspersed with the large lakes are quite impressive. We drove along "The Golden Road", a long road that winds from Millinocket to Greenville through forests belonging to the paper companies. We only went along part of it. It is noted for wildlife; we didn't see anything but lovely views.
There were especially impressive views of Mt. Katahdin along the way. Baxter State Park is a special area of land donated by a former gov of ME. Unfortunately our truck is too wide (they have length, width & height restrictions) to enter the park. However, on our last day, the sun came out; 20 min later we were on our way to a trailhead just outside the park. We hiked along the App Trail into the park for about 4 hrs, mostly along the Penobscot River. We were fortunate enough to see a young cow moose grazing in a pond by the trail. We named her Heiferwinkle & enjoyed watching her for a while. While driving home, safely in the car, we saw a bear cub running across the road. Mom was nowhere in sight. Our first bear in the wild!Balsam Woods Campground, Abbot Village, ME July 11-14
This is another wonderful campground up in the North Woods part of Maine. It has lovely sites nestled in the trees -- lots of balsams, too, with their wonderful smell. It is reasonably priced & in a nice secluded location.Sightseeing here has centered on Moosehead Lake, just about 20 miles north near Greenville. There is a nice campground up there called Moosehead Family Campground, which we would also recommend. We went to Lily Bay SP on the east side of the lake, had a picnic & hiked along the lake shore. We enjoyed the park but didn't see any moose.
We continued our quest for moose the next day by taking a boat cruise from Rockwood, about 20 miles NW of Greenville. Success! We saw a cow & twin calves, quite a special sight. We saw another lone cow, eating away, not bothered in the least by our presence. She buried her face in the water up to her eyebrows to eat (kept her eyes open!). After the cruise, we saw one more cow along the road home.Two hikes on parts of the Appalachian Trail rounded out our stay here. The trail is quite lovely, & it really starts you dreaming to walk along it. Other than the parking lot, we didn't meet another person on the AT.
Augusta West Lakeside Kampground, Winthrop, ME - July 9-10
We made it to Maine! And people really do have those Maine accents here. We are always a little leery of "K"ampgrounds that start with a "K", but this one seems to be an exception to the rule. It is very nice, off the beaten path & located on a pretty lake (Annabessacook Lake). This was a total R&R stop for us, so we just relaxed and walked around the lake some.
Sun River CG, Barnstead, NH - July 2-8
This cg was selected because it was the most reasonably priced fairly decent cg near our friends Pat & Dennis Wood. They are friends who are full-timers also but park on land that they own near here each summer. The cg is nice enough, but the trees are too close for comfortable passage in spots, and the electricity is minimal (even though they claim it is 30 amps). We are spending most of our time with Pat & Dennis, so this is not much of a problem. Luckily it is cool enough that we don't need the a/c on for the cats.
Our first few days here were spent checking out the local area and catching up on game playing. We attended the local Fourth of July fireworks display. As we waited for it to start, it started to sprinkle lightly, but just in time for the fireworks it turned into a steady downpour. The fireworks were still good; mother nature provided a few of her own; and no one melted from all the water. We walked on the Weirs Beach Boardwalk along Lake Winnepesaukee. The nearby town, Laconia, is home to a motorcyle gathering similar to that held in Sturgis, SD, which brings in hundreds of thousand of motorcyclers. It really would fill up this area of valleys & lakes. We felt lucky to have missed it.The part of NH where our friends live is called The Lakes District. It is comprised of rolling mountains (The Belknaps, 2-3000 ft elev) interspersed with many lakes. Dennis & Pat took us to several locations where the vistas of tree-covered mountains surrounded by meandering blue water were breathtaking. On the Fourth of July, we were able to experience the water firsthand. We went out for an afternoon of sailing on one of their friend's 40-foot sailboat (sloop). We sailed around Lake Winnipesaukee for several hours.
We took a drive in the White Mountains one day. We saw the Old Man of the Mountain (aka Great Stone Face or Profile Rock), which is the face featured on NH highway signs and license plates. This granite face is so well known that people sometimes come here looking for Mount Rushmore. We also walked to The Basin, a beautiful waterfall falling into a granite pothole 20 ft in diameter. We drove across the Kankamagus Highway to come back on the east side of the mountains, stopping along the way to see Madison Boulder, one of the largest glacial erratics (rocks left behind by glaciers over 25000 years ago) in the world.Pat & Dennis are quite avid game players, so most evenings were spent in friendly competition, sometimes as individuals & sometimes as teams. We spent a lot of time up at their land enjoying the solitude & lovely views. While wandering thru the meadows around their land, we found abundant blueberries, strawberries & raspberries. All around the countryside are the remains of old stone fences. They are remnants of "hill farms" -- hilltop land purchased by poor people to try to farm. The soil was so rocky that they could build fences from just clearing the land. Most of the farms failed & have long since reverted back to forests.
While there, we saw Evening Grosbeaks & Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at their feeder, both new for our list. Indigo Buntings & American Goldfinches added to the bright colors.
Pine Hollow Campground, Pownal, VT - June 28-July 1
This is the best cg we have stayed at in a long time -- also the cleanest and the cheapest. With our Good Sam discount, it was under $20/night for water & elec, which is pretty good by New England standards. We had a lovely drive up through the Berkshires in CT & MS on our way here, after crossing the wide Hudson River on a bridge with VERY narrow lanes (due to construction). The whole Berkshire area is lovely, and this valley is no exception. We are conveniently located between Bennington, VT, and Williamstown, MA, both having numerous sights to see.Mandy Kent, a friend we met on the Mensa RV egroup, lives here, and we have enjoyed meeting her in person. She has plans to go on the road full time in the next six months, and she is enjoying seeing what it's really like to be a full-timer. We have enjoyed having the benefit of our own private tour guide.
Our first day was spent seeing the famous sights of Bennington, VT. We saw the Old First Church (Congregational) and graveyard, which contains the graves of the founders of Bennington, 5 former govs of VT, and the poet Robert Frost (which has the epitaph "I had a lover's quarrel with the world"). We went to the observation deck of the Bennington Battle Monument, which was erected in 1891 to commemorate the Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington (an important victory for the patriots) and is the tallest structure in VT (at 306 ft). Vermont actually has a state holiday (8/16) in honor of this victory. We saw three beautiful covered bridges and were able to drive & walk thru all of them. We visited some local shops and learned the qualities of the famous VT maple syrup and cheese. And of special interest for auto buffs is the Hemmings Motor News, which has vintage vehicles displayed at an old-fashioned full-service gas station, including a tear-drop test car with a one-person tear-drop trailer. We also tried out the local fudge shops and dined at the locally famous Blue Benn Diner, which has fantastic vegetarian selections.
The next day we went to the Bennington Museum, which houses what is believed to be the largest public collection of paintings by Grandma Moses. They also have the Grandma Moses schoolhouse (one-room) which contains a display of her personal belongings & memorabilia. The museum also displays the Bennington Flag, one of the oldest Stars & Stripes flags in existence (specially noteworthy are the outside white bars and the circular placement of the stars around the number 76). In the afternoon we went on a drive with our friend Mandy. She showed us the two covered bridges of Arlington, and then we drove along a lovely cascading stream. It was a warm day, and we were able to stop for a nice swim along the way.Our third day was spent in Williamstown, MA, just 6 miles south of where we were camped. We saw the campus of Williams College and went to the Clark Art Institute to see both their permanent collection and a special exhibit of Impressionism. Both were marvelous! In their permanent collection they have more works by Renoir (over 30) than we have ever seen in one place, plus works by Monet, Degas & Pissaro.
So-Hi Campground, Stone Ridge, NY - June 26-27
This cg was also adequate. It had a nice pool which wasn't full of children, and the weather was hot enough to take advantage of it. The elec wasn't good enough to run our a/c (also fairly common in this area), so we used the pool for cooling. It also helped that our site was completely shaded.We spent our sightseeing day here at Minnewaska State Park, near New Paltz NY, located on the Shawangunk Mtn ridge, just east of the Catskill Mtns and west of the Hudson River. This park has many miles of trails that are well-suited for hiking or bicycling.
We hiked a short distance around Lake Minnewaska, and then found our way to the lovely Awosting Falls. We enjoyed sitting by the falls and watching a group of rangers practice rapelling down the cliffs beside the falls.Delaware River Family Campground, Delaware, NJ - June 24-25
We crossed the Delaware River to the western part of NJ in order to put the NJ sticker on our US map. I suppose it should be more than 10 miles across the border to count, but we don't have that rule! This was an adequate, fairly nice cg with lots of seasonal patrons. We are finding that to be fairly common in this area. It was very much the family cg as children were everywhere.For our one day of sightseeing, we went back across to the PA section of the Delaware Water Gap Natl Rec Area. The Delaware Water Gap was carved by the erosion & uplift of the level plains, forming a beautiful landscape filed with ridges & valleys. Much of the activity centers on the river, and there are numerous places to launch canoes, kayaks & rafts.
Our efforts were concentrated on hiking to waterfalls. We hiked to Upper & Lower Raymondskill Falls, plus to two smaller falls on another trail, all along Raymondskill Creek. We then hiked to Factory Falls, Fulmer Falls, & Deer Leap Falls in the George Childs Rec Site along Dingmans Creek. This was a lovely trail which went along both sides of the creek, with six bridges linking the trail. Finally, we hiked the boardwalk trail to Silver Thread Falls and Dingmans Falls, also on Dingmans Creek. All of the falls were magnificent, and we also admired the wild rhododendrons which were in full bloom along the trails. All of these trails were at the base of the Poconos.West Chester KOA, Unionville PA - June 19-23
We don't usually stay is KOAs, but we made an exception in order to be near Babs & Barry Marrs, friends of Willie's from Cleveland. Driving in PA is an experience. First they take a trail that one of the Founding Fathers staggered down on the way home from a local pub, pave over it, & call it a 2-lane road. Then they let the vegetation grow by the road to the point that two-thirds of the road signs are not visible ("Did you see what that sign said?" "Yeah, I think it said 'Stop'"). The signs that you can see can be cryptic, too. As you're leaving towns, you see signs that say "End Speed Limit 35" -- no clue as to what the new speed limit is. 55? 25?Getting to the KOA was also an adventure, since you had to drive on a road on which vehicles wider than 102" & longer than 28' were prohibited -- we are both. But another sign said that RVs were permitted, which meant that we were too big for the road but KOA wanted our business. Quite an adventure. Right before the KOA we had to cross a narrow bridge with 90 degree turns at each end. You just looked as best you could & then went for it. KOAs usually have the problem of being right on a busy highway -- this one wasn't!
Things were somewhat hectic at the Marrs, since their younger daughter Wendy is getting married this coming weekend, & last-minute preparations are in the works. We still got to spend considerable time with them, first visiting Longwood Gardens, a 1050-acre horticultural display garden originally started by Pierre S. duPont, chairman of DuPont & GM. Longwood is now a non-profit org receiving no govt funds. We spent 5 hrs there, strolling & viewing various gardens, 2 choreographed fountain displays plus a separate Italian Water Garden, the large Convervatory housing a mind-boggling orchid collection as well as numerous other tropical rooms, a 50-foot high waterfall, & a tower with a new 62-bell carillon.
We next visited Nemours, a 102-room modified Louis XVI chateau built in 1909 for Alfred I. duPont. There were many interesting innovations of duPont's in the house. There are also lovely formal gardens & a garage housing many of his 1920's limousines.On Saturday, we took an all-day guided tour of Philadelphia in order to get a brief overview of many interesting historical sights. In one busy day we saw Independence Hall (site of Second Continental Congress, appointment of Washington as Comm in Chief, & adoption of the Declaration of Independance); the Liberty Bell; Carpenter's Hall, site of First Continental Congress; Franklin Court; Declaration House, in which Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independance; Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the Am Rev; Elfreth's Alley, oldest continuously occupied street in America; Betsy Ross House; plus a brief drive through Valley Forge Natl Hist Park.
Our final night we had the pleasure of a wonderful dinner with the groom-, bride-to-be & her parents.
Delaware Seashore State Park, Rehoboth Beach, DE - June 14-18
This is a very expensive ($33/night for out-of-state full hookups) park within walking distance of a very nice ocean beach. The spaces are very close together & there is no shade. It is quite popular because of the beach, the fishing & the proximity to Rehoboth Beach (sun, sand, & outlet malls) & Ocean City, MD.
The first day here we went to Fenwick Island and saw the Fenwick Island Lighthouse. We also drove through the Assawoman Wildlife Management area; didn't see anything too interesting, but it was a lovely drive. We spent the next day taking the ferry to Cape May, NJ. We went as foot passengers, due to the expense of taking a vehicle across (at least $20 for the car & driver and 6.50 for the passenger each way). We got a package that included shuttle service to the tourist area and a tour of the Victorian section of town. There are more restored Victorian homes in Cape May than in any other city in the US. They are truly lovely. Most are currently B&Bs that are quite close to the beach, so they are well kept. We spent the rest of the day walking along the asphalt "boardwalk", having lunch at an outdoor cafe and walking along a nice shady pedestrian shopping mall. We couldn't resist trying some of the local fudge! There is a lot to do and see in the Cape May area & we could easily come back for a longer period of time.
Over the weekend we stayed close to home due to the influx of weekend tourists. We walked on the beach & just enjoyed being there. Our only outing was to the Indian River Lifesaving Station. An "actor" gave us details on the role of the Lifesaving Stations in the late 1800s & early 1900s. Lifesaving stations were placed at 5-mile intervals along the coast. The men watched from towers during the day & walked the beach at night to look for ships in trouble. They carried a padlock and walked to a key box midway between stations (the key unlocked the lock, proving they had been there) & then walked back the other way. Their mission was to rescue crew & salvage cargo before any loss. They were quite successful. Very brave & devoted men. Their motto was "You have to go out, you don't have to come back."
Also at various places along the coast are old towers that were used as lookouts during WWII. There were a lot of German subs just off the coast, so the towers were always manned. The presence of these subs was kept fairly quiet in order not to alarm people. A local "legend" says that an abandoned sub was found after the war containing a receipt from a local grocery store.
Our last day here we spent north of the park. We first went to Cape Henlopen SP. We walked on the trails to the beaches with views of the two lighthouses there -- Delaware Breakwater & Harbor of Refuge. The beach here is quite lovely & uncrowded. We then walked around the historic area in Lewes; most impressive was the Zwaanendael (Valley of Swans) Museum building, a Dutch Renaissance copy of a town hall in the Netherlands.
In order to really be tourists, we also walked along the boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach. What a crowd! Everyone has beach umbrellas & they are planted all over the long, lovely beach. It is just like a flower garden -- very crowded but attractive.
The first day here we went to Fenwick Island and saw the Fenwick Island Lighthouse. We also drove through the Assawoman Wildlife Management area; didn't see anything too interesting, but it was a lovely drive. We spent the next day taking the ferry to Cape May, NJ. We went as foot passengers, due to the expense of taking a vehicle across (at least $20 for the car & driver and 6.50 for the passenger each way). We got a package that included shuttle service to the tourist area and a tour of the Victorian section of town. There are more restored Victorian homes in Cape May than in any other city in the US. They are truly lovely. Most are currently B&Bs that are quite close to the beach, so they are well kept. We spent the rest of the day walking along the asphalt "boardwalk", having lunch at an outdoor cafe and walking along a nice shady pedestrian shopping mall. We couldn't resist trying some of the local fudge! There is a lot to do and see in the Cape May area & we could easily come back for a longer period of time.
Over the weekend we stayed close to home due to the influx of weekend tourists. We walked on the beach & just enjoyed being there. Our only outing was to the Indian River Lifesaving Station. An "actor" gave us details on the role of the Lifesaving Stations in the late 1800s & early 1900s. Lifesaving stations were placed at 5-mile intervals along the coast. The men watched from towers during the day & walked the beach at night to look for ships in trouble. They carried a padlock and walked to a key box midway between stations (the key unlocked the lock, proving they had been there) & then walked back the other way. Their mission was to rescue crew & salvage cargo before any loss. They were quite successful. Very brave & devoted men. Their motto was "You have to go out, you don't have to come back."Also at various places along the coast are old towers that were used as lookouts during WWII. There were a lot of German subs just off the coast, so the towers were always manned. The presence of these subs was kept fairly quiet in order not to alarm people. A local "legend" says that an abandoned sub was found after the war containing a receipt from a local grocery store.
Our last day here we spent north of the park. We first went to Cape Henlopen SP. We walked on the trails to the beaches with views of the two lighthouses there -- Delaware Breakwater & Harbor of Refuge. The beach here is quite lovely & uncrowded. We then walked around the historic area in Lewes; most impressive was the Zwaanendael (Valley of Swans) Museum building, a Dutch Renaissance copy of a town hall in the Netherlands.In order to really be tourists, we also walked along the boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach. What a crowd! Everyone has beach umbrellas & they are planted all over the long, lovely beach. It is just like a flower garden -- very crowded but attractive.
Lake Somerset Campground, Pocomoke City, MD - June 7-13
This campground is fairly expensive & does not meet our standards. It is fairly dumpy, with run-down buildings, lots of residential older mold-covered trailers, inadequate sewer facilities (overflow problems -- yuck!), very close to a busy highway, minimal electric, and bright security lights. But it is nicely situated for the many things we want to see in this part of the Delmarva Peninsula. There really isn't anything better that meets our needs. After sightseeing here, we have concluded that, bad as this campground is, there isn't one better in the area, outside of the State Park with elec only & no pets.While here we visited the Blackwater NWR near Cambridge. Pocomoke is an Indian word meaning "black water" -- the water is dark because of its high acidity from filtering through the rich soil of the wetlands. There are many wetlands, which are instrumental in keeping the Chesapeake Bay clean. This is a small refuge with several short hiking trails & a driving loop with observation points. You can see Osprey nesting on special platforms built in the water. There are also Bald Eagles in residence; we were lucky enough to see 1 mature & 3 juveniles. While hiking one of the trails, we saw our first Yellow-billed Cuckoo. The next day we took in the local sights in Pocomoke City. They have Costen House, a Victorian Italianate home built shortly after the Civil War; the art deco Mar-Va Theater, built in 1927 (being restored); & the Sturgis one-room school museum, which once served as a school for African American children & now has been restored to serve as a museum of local African-American history. We walked on the 2-mile Pocomoke City Nature & Exercise trail, which includes several sections of floating boardwalk. The exercise area was no longer usable, but the trail itself was quite enjoyable & led to several overlooks along the river. This area is a major chicken raising area, mostly for Tyson. In the town we noticed the "Delmarva Poultry Justice Alliance". We thought of the movie "Chicken Run"; however it seemed to be about rights for migrant workers, not the chickens themselves.
Sunday we went to Janes Island SP near Crisfield. We rented a tandem kayak & paddled on their kayak trails for about 2 hours. We think we are better suited for singles, but this was a lot of fun! While here we saw our first Tree Swallow, famed for their voracious appetites for mosquitoes. We cheered them on! Then we went to Crisfield & walked around the harbor, eating a late lunch. Crisfield is the crab capitol of the world, so we had some famous MD crabcakes. We were starving after all that hard paddling. From Crisfield you can take toll ferries to historic Smith & Tangier Islands, located in the Bay about halfway to Point Lookout, VA.
We went to Chincoteague NWR, located on the south end of Assateague Island in Virginia. On the way we passed the NASA Wallops Island Flight Facility & stopped at the Visitor Center. It was quite interesting; we especially enjoyed the 20-min movie of antics in weightlessness by astronauts. The NWR has 15 miles of hiking trails, many ideal for bikes; a lighthouse; a wildlife driving loop (open to cars after 3 pm); & miles of lovely Atlantic beach. While here we saw the famous Chincoteague ponies, some with foals (but not the famed Misty, or even the statue of her); a Delmarva Fox Squirrel (endangered), which is only found in this very small area; & Sitka elk, which were introduced to the island in the 1920s. We hiked the trail to the lighthouse, which was built in 1867 & is 142 feet fall. The shifting sands of the barrier island have caused to lighthouse to be fairly far inland. It is painted red & white in vertical stripes & gives a double flash every 5 seconds. It is visible for 22 miles. We also strolled on the beach, enjoying the cool ocean breezes. When leaving the area, we also checked out a few campgrounds in the town. We found Maddox & Tom's Cove to be nice but expensive (over $30). Inlet View is run-down & unacceptable for about $25.We had 2 more days of sightseeing in this area. The first day we tried to go on several hiking trails. The first one was in Furnace Town, a restored village. We had no interest in the village, but you had to pay the entrance fee even to hike on the half-mile trail. No thanks. Five minutes out on the next trail, we suddenly noticed that we were COVERED in TICKS. YUCK! Run back to the truck, pick off ticks for about 1/2 hour -- and every half hour for the rest of the day. We chickened out of the next trail which was in a Cypress Swamp -- figured it would be Tick City, too.
Our final day was a real success. We went to Assateague Natl Seashore at the north end of Assateague island. Chincoteague is at the southern end (in VA). We hiked the nature trails, got lots of good information about ticks at the ranger station (we're still waiting for someone to give us a good reason for ticks to exist!) & enjoyed the lovely beach. We saw the Great Black-backed Gull. We also saw a pair of Willets with 2 or 3 chicks, protecting the chicks so vocally, you couldn't help but notice them.
Kiptopeke State Park, Cape Charles, VA - June 4-6
After writing to VA state parks complaining about the additional pet charges, they decided to waive the pet fees for our indoor-only cats, so we changed our plans & stayed at this lovely state park. Then we had to try to convince Amber that she didn't want to go out! There are a lot of birding activities here, but they are all in the fall during various migrations. There are several short trails to the beach along the Chesapeake Bay, as well as one longer hiking trail. The beach is pretty & well-situated for watching sunsets. We saw our first Eastern Wood-pewee here.Getting here we had to cross the bay on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which is 23 miles long. The toll was $24 for our truck/trailer combo. It was an interesting drive for both us & the cats. First you're on a long bridge, then you go into a tunnel, then back out, in again, out again & finally you're across.
We visited the Eastern Shore of Va Natl Wildlife Refuge, hiked on all their trails & were able to get a far-away glimpse of the Cape Charles lighthouse. Nothing to write home about, but at least we saw it! We also saw our first Glossy Ibis. We drove through most of the small towns of the lower half of the Eastern Shore. The entire area is fairly depressed-looking compared to the small coastal towns in NC. We visited the Cape Charles Sustainable Technologies Industrial Park to hike on their boardwalk trails. It was obvious that this was an idea that had not taken off yet. However, they had built many nice boardwalks, so it was pleasant to hike around & look at the birds. There is an abundance of tourist info that seems to promise more than is actually available.
Holiday Trav-L-Park, Virginia Beach, VA - May 31-June 3
This is a fairly expensive but nice private park in Va Beach. It has a trolley to the beach (25c each way) & also free parking at a beach lot. At the beach there is a nice boardwalk to stroll along. Our visit coincided with the Viva Elvis celebration, so we were able to take in two Elvis impersonator acts. The main reason for this stop was to visit our friends, Gail & Mike McDaniel. We spent many pleasant hours with them, shared some very delicious dining experiences, plus had nice walks along the beach near their house.We attended a concert by the Virginia Symphony on Sun. The conductor is JoAnn Falletta, former conductor of the Denver Chamber Orch, whom we knew in Denver. We contacted her about our being there, & she met with us after the concert for a few minutes. It was exciting to see her & her husband, Robert, after so many years and see how well they are doing.
We have wanted to replace our sleeper sofa, which weighed too much, for some time. While here we were finally able to find a suitable replacement (Haynes Furniture coincidentally!). We rented a cargo van & did the great sofa swap. It was quite an adventure getting them in & out the door. We donated the old one to charity, & they were quite pleased to get something so nice. The cats LOVE the new one!
Ocean Waves Campground, Waves, NC May 29-30
This campground was a VERY pleasant surprise. We picked it solely based on cost -- it was $10-20 cheaper PER NIGHT than anything else listed in our book. It is a lovely campground with a short walk over a dune to the Atlantic Ocean beach. We took a sunset walk both nights.While here we went to a birding walk at the Pea Island Natl Wildlife Refuge. It was wonderful to be with an "expert" again. We have so much to learn, & every little bit we can absorb helps. On the bird walk we saw two new birds -- White-rumped sandpiper & American black duck.
The leader also told us where to go to find the endangered/threatened Piping plover. We were lucky enough to be able to see one!
Linda & Al's Front Yard, Ocracoke, NC - May 18-28
We had our second shortest day (17 miles) getting here, but it took almost 4 hrs, due to the 2 1/4 hr ferry ride. Amber managed to get both carsick & seasick on the journey. Poor thing! She was fine once we got set up, crying for food as usual. The other cats did not think much of the sea voyage either, but weathered it better. They appreciated the 11-day stay, even though they did not like the warm temps & often high humidity very much. Since we were connected to our friends' house current, we did not getting enough power to run the a/c -- or even the toaster for that matter.What a wonderful time we had on Ocracoke with Linda & Al. We did so much it is hard to name it all. We went clamming, which involves going out in the boat to where the water is about knee deep (about a mile offshore) & wading around, raking with clam rakes until you find one & pulling it up & tossing it into the bucket. We got about 240 clams, which made some tasty meals. On the way back, we stopped at a tiny sandbar island and walked around and waded in the ocean. It was like our own private desert island. We went for a sunset cruise on the Schooner Windfall, which is owned by friends of Linda & Al. We saw a lovely sunset & then later saw the tiny crescent moon rising with Jupiter & Mercury also visible.
We went kayaking twice & both LOVED it. The first time we stayed in fairly shallow water. It was quite easy to get the hang of & in no time we were paddling around like otters or seals. Our last day we went out into the sound. A front was coming in & the waves and wind were more challenging. Doug got dumped once, but we still had a great time. Luckily we started earlier in the morning so we were back before the rain & thunderstorms hit. This was our first rain in a long time & it really washed the truck & trailer well. Another day we went for a very long sail (a little too long for our taste, actually) in a small wooden sailboat with no motor, so when the wind wouldn't cooperate we had to row!
We ate wonderful food here -- mostly cooked by Linda. We were given some lovely fish caught by a friend of theirs & ate that for several days. Another day we had shrimp from the local fish house. We had wonderful desserts, too, & will have to diet for the rest of the summer to get back to where we were last fall! Local strawberries are now in season, so we have had SB pie, SB shortcake, & SBs with ice cream.
Al & Linda are also very good bridge players & we played bridge most evenings, which was quite enjoyable. Doug also attended the Ocracoke men's breakfast & the weekly poker game.
While we were here, an article came out naming Ocracoke as one of the ten best beaches in the WORLD. We really know how to pick our places!
Cedar Island RV Park & Marina, Sea Level, NC - May 13-17
This is a small, out-of-the-way park with decent-sized grassy spaces. It is on a creek which leads to Core Sound & is basically an estuary area. We have been taking it a lot slower here.
Monday we took a private ferry boat over to Cape Lookout Natl Seashore to see the last of the seven NC lighthouses. We saw the four northern ones on a vacation in 1999. Cape Lookout lighthouse has a black-and-white diagonal checkerboard pattern & a light that blinks every 15 seconds. It was constructed in 1857 & began operation in 1859. Today the light is fully automated and not open to the public, as it is considered an active working aid to navigation. There are also miles & miles of pristine beaches to walk & few people. The keeper's cottage is maintained as a visitor center on the island; NPS volunteers are there to answer questions.
Tuesday we drove to the harbor town of Beaufort, the third oldest city in NC. We saw beautiful waterfront houses that were built in the 1700s. We visited the NC Maritime Museum & learned a lot about maritime history. We ate lunch at a waterfront restaurant & strolled the docks, admiring the lovely sailboats & cabin cruisers from various ports. We even saw a sailboat from Telluride, CO! He said the first 500 miles were really rough.
Today we took the ferry to Ocracoke to surprise our friends, check out our parking spot for the next 11 days & see how we thought the ferry ride would be for the cats. We rode as walk-ons as there is plenty of passenger lounge area. It was a lovely day and we are looking forward to moving there on Friday.
Monday we took a private ferry boat over to Cape Lookout Natl Seashore to see the last of the seven NC lighthouses. We saw the four northern ones on a vacation in 1999. Cape Lookout lighthouse has a black-and-white diagonal checkerboard pattern & a light that blinks every 15 seconds. It was constructed in 1857 & began operation in 1859. Today the light is fully automated and not open to the public, as it is considered an active working aid to navigation. There are also miles & miles of pristine beaches to walk & few people. The keeper's cottage is maintained as a visitor center on the island; NPS volunteers are there to answer questions.
Tuesday we drove to the harbor town of Beaufort, the third oldest city in NC. We saw beautiful waterfront houses that were built in the 1700s. We visited the NC Maritime Museum & learned a lot about maritime history. We ate lunch at a waterfront restaurant & strolled the docks, admiring the lovely sailboats & cabin cruisers from various ports. We even saw a sailboat from Telluride, CO! He said the first 500 miles were really rough.Today we took the ferry to Ocracoke to surprise our friends, check out our parking spot for the next 11 days & see how we thought the ferry ride would be for the cats. We rode as walk-ons as there is plenty of passenger lounge area. It was a lovely day and we are looking forward to moving there on Friday.
Camelot RV Park, Wilmington, NC - May 10-12
This was an expensive but very nice private RV park, located right in town. It still managed to have a quiet, relaxed atmosphere, with lots of shade & even a pair of nesting Broad-winged hawks with two chicks. Unfortunately, we had a lot of sightseeing to get in for the two days, so we didn't get to relax much. We toured the beach towns of Carolina Beach & Kure Beach, walking along & in the Atlantic Ocean. We also stopped to hike the Flytrap Trail at Carolina Beach SP but were disappointed to see no Venus' Flytraps, which are native only to the Wilmington area. We hiked the short trail twice, examining the ground closely with our binocs to make sure we hadn't missed anything! We did see a few Sundews, which are relatives of Flytraps.
The next day we spent visiting two lighthouses located on this part of the coast. We first took a ferry to Bald Head Island, a true island retreat, as there are no cars on the island & you can only get here by ferry. When you rent a place here, it comes with a golf cart for transportation. We walked around & saw Old Baldy, NC's oldest standing lighthouse, built in 1817. 
The island has miles of beaches, which are nesting grounds for the endangered Loggerhead Turtles. After a relaxing lunch with a view of the lighthouse, we headed to Oak Island for our next lighthouse. Built in 1958 and 17 stories tall, this light can be seen from 24 miles offshore & is the brightest light in the Western Hemisphere. Repairmen must wear protective clothing when working in the beacon room. The towns of Southport, Oak Island & Caswell Beach are all lovely coastal towns.An added bonus to driving the highways of NC is that the DOT has planted wildflowers along the highways; they are quite lovely to see.
Cheraw State Park, Cheraw, SC - May 7-9
After Croft SP, this place was a pleasant surprise -- a small lovely cg with wide, level spaces, good elec, and beside a beautiful lake. In addition, the town had many lovely antebellum houses. We took a walking tour of the town and also saw Old St. David's Church, the last chartered Anglican church in the US. It later became an Episcopal church. It served as a haven for both sides in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and is the site of the first memorial to Confederate soldiers (although "Confederate" does not appear on the memorial).
Another surprise was the Carolina Sandhills Natl Wildlife Refuge, located about 20 miles from Cheraw. It is home to the rare & endangered Red-cockaded woodpecker. Even though they have the largest population of these birds in the NWR system, we were not lucky enough to see any. We did, however, see two "new" birds -- Blue Grosbeak and Pectoral Sandpiper. We also saw a group of beautiful water lilies in various stages of bloom and a lot of blooming pitcher plants.Croft State Park, Spartanburg, SC - May 4-6
Boy! Was this park a disaster! Our first really bad state park so far. We were only able to get into the non-reservation area, which had very unlevel sites. After using all our leveling blocks & boards, we were still 3 inches off! Even though the temps were in the 80s by day and high 60s at night, people were burning fires constantly, which filled our trailer with smoke. And the elec was so bad, we could barely run our toaster, let alone the a/c! There was broken glass & oil spilled in our campsite. And the hiking trails had warnings that the place had formerly been an army training area, so don't go off the trail and don't pick up anything lying around that looks explosive. We decided to pass on hiking.
The good news is that we met some friends here -- Stan & Barbara Matchett from Upper Marlboro, MD, a couple we met in Utah last fall -- and had a very good time visiting & sightseeing with them. We went to Ninety Six, where an important siege of the American Revolution took place in 1781. The siege trenches and star fort have been restored according to archeologists specifications, so you can actually see how the siege progressed. The role of the southern states in the Revolution is frequently downplayed, but in fact the Patriots' actions in the south helped turn the outcome of the war. We also went to Walnut Grove, an 18th century plantation furnished with pre-1830 antiques. In addition to the main house, there is a smithy, school & doctor's office, furnished with many original items. This was a very modest plantation, and was it much easier to relate to life here than that of the larger plantations.
The good news is that we met some friends here -- Stan & Barbara Matchett from Upper Marlboro, MD, a couple we met in Utah last fall -- and had a very good time visiting & sightseeing with them. We went to Ninety Six, where an important siege of the American Revolution took place in 1781. The siege trenches and star fort have been restored according to archeologists specifications, so you can actually see how the siege progressed. The role of the southern states in the Revolution is frequently downplayed, but in fact the Patriots' actions in the south helped turn the outcome of the war. We also went to Walnut Grove, an 18th century plantation furnished with pre-1830 antiques. In addition to the main house, there is a smithy, school & doctor's office, furnished with many original items. This was a very modest plantation, and was it much easier to relate to life here than that of the larger plantations.
Mistletoe State Park, Appling, GA - May 2-3
This is a lovely state park located on the shores of a body of water called Clarks Hill Lake on the GA maps and J Strom Thurmond Lake on the SC maps. The first night here, our neighbors came over and offered us a ride on their pontoon boat. We had a lovely 2-hr sunset cruise. The next day we went for a hike in the park and also drove over to the Thurmond dam, which formed the lake, & visitor center.Forsyth, GA - May 1
IBM came through like champs -- we sent our computer in on Mon & it was back on Thurs. Airborne both ways, at their expense, and the whole thing didn't cost us a penny, even though they verified that it was no longer under warranty.
We continued to enjoy our time in MS with Willie's parents and relatives. It was sad to finally head off -- but also exciting to be on to the east coast and new places.
Our first stop was a small AL State Park, Paul M Grist SP, about 15 miles north of Selma. There were only 6 sites for RVs, all next to a lake. The first night there was one other RV, and the second night we had the whole park to ourselves. It was lovely. We went for a short hike, seeing three new birds -- Worm-eating Warbler, Mississippi Kite, and Broad-winged Hawk, and then drove to Selma for sightseeing.
Since the Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights March of 1965 is considered one of the most significant demonstrations of the modern civil rights movement, there was a lot of interest in Selma. We took a self-guided walking tour through several important landmarks. There were writings & photos explaining the story of this movement. It was very impressive. We also drove through the historic district in Selma to see the lovely homes. There were many more places to visit than we had time for in only one day.
Our next stop was Franklin D Roosevelt SP in Pine Mountain, GA. FDR actually spent quite a bit of time at the "Little White House" in Warm Springs, GA, very near the park. He was personally involved with the CCC in creating the park and constructing the buildings.
This stop was planned so as to be close enough to Atlanta to visit our friends there, without having to actually tow the trailer in the notoriously bad Atlanta traffic, which worked out quite well. We went to Atlanta for the day on Thursday. We did some "big city" shopping in the afternoon, had a nice dinner at their house, and then attended the Atlanta Symphony with them. This was probably the best orchestra we have seen together, and we enjoyed it very much. They played Haydn Symphony No 48, Mozart Violin Concerto No 3 (with Ilya Gringolts), and Bartok Concerto for Orchestra.
On the weekend, Lucy & Alan came down to visit us, staying at a nearby motel. We hiked in the park on Saturday and visited Callaway Gardens on Sunday. Callaway Gardens has about 14000 acres of lovely gardens, woodlands, lakes and recreation areas. We visited the Day Butterfly Center, home to many lovely butterflies that hover everywhere as you walk through them; and the Sibley Horticultural Center, which had lovely indoor & outdoor gardens and a 22-foot waterfall. We saw our first blooming Lady's Slipper orchid. They had Cymbidium Orchids growing everywhere. We also walked the Rhododendron Trail. Although famous for the lovely Azalea displays, we were too late, but the Rhododendrons were at their peak. The Mountain Laurels, a wild version, was also at its peak, both at the gardens and along the trails at our campground.
Now we are at a small private campground in Forsyth, GA, about 20 miles north of Macon, GA. We spent the day in Macon today, visiting the Ocmulgee Natl Monument and the Macon Museum of Arts & Sciences. Within Ocmulgee are impressive Indian mounds and archeological remains. Creeks, early & late Mississippi farmers & Paleo-Indian, Archaic & Woodland hunters & gatherers are known to have inhabited the area from around 10000 BC thru the early 19th century. The Art Museum had a exhibit of 78 works from the American Impressionists.
We continued to enjoy our time in MS with Willie's parents and relatives. It was sad to finally head off -- but also exciting to be on to the east coast and new places.
Our first stop was a small AL State Park, Paul M Grist SP, about 15 miles north of Selma. There were only 6 sites for RVs, all next to a lake. The first night there was one other RV, and the second night we had the whole park to ourselves. It was lovely. We went for a short hike, seeing three new birds -- Worm-eating Warbler, Mississippi Kite, and Broad-winged Hawk, and then drove to Selma for sightseeing.Since the Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights March of 1965 is considered one of the most significant demonstrations of the modern civil rights movement, there was a lot of interest in Selma. We took a self-guided walking tour through several important landmarks. There were writings & photos explaining the story of this movement. It was very impressive. We also drove through the historic district in Selma to see the lovely homes. There were many more places to visit than we had time for in only one day.
Our next stop was Franklin D Roosevelt SP in Pine Mountain, GA. FDR actually spent quite a bit of time at the "Little White House" in Warm Springs, GA, very near the park. He was personally involved with the CCC in creating the park and constructing the buildings.
This stop was planned so as to be close enough to Atlanta to visit our friends there, without having to actually tow the trailer in the notoriously bad Atlanta traffic, which worked out quite well. We went to Atlanta for the day on Thursday. We did some "big city" shopping in the afternoon, had a nice dinner at their house, and then attended the Atlanta Symphony with them. This was probably the best orchestra we have seen together, and we enjoyed it very much. They played Haydn Symphony No 48, Mozart Violin Concerto No 3 (with Ilya Gringolts), and Bartok Concerto for Orchestra.
On the weekend, Lucy & Alan came down to visit us, staying at a nearby motel. We hiked in the park on Saturday and visited Callaway Gardens on Sunday. Callaway Gardens has about 14000 acres of lovely gardens, woodlands, lakes and recreation areas. We visited the Day Butterfly Center, home to many lovely butterflies that hover everywhere as you walk through them; and the Sibley Horticultural Center, which had lovely indoor & outdoor gardens and a 22-foot waterfall. We saw our first blooming Lady's Slipper orchid. They had Cymbidium Orchids growing everywhere. We also walked the Rhododendron Trail. Although famous for the lovely Azalea displays, we were too late, but the Rhododendrons were at their peak. The Mountain Laurels, a wild version, was also at its peak, both at the gardens and along the trails at our campground.Now we are at a small private campground in Forsyth, GA, about 20 miles north of Macon, GA. We spent the day in Macon today, visiting the Ocmulgee Natl Monument and the Macon Museum of Arts & Sciences. Within Ocmulgee are impressive Indian mounds and archeological remains. Creeks, early & late Mississippi farmers & Paleo-Indian, Archaic & Woodland hunters & gatherers are known to have inhabited the area from around 10000 BC thru the early 19th century. The Art Museum had a exhibit of 78 works from the American Impressionists.
Louisville, MS - April 14
While still at Rocky Springs CG along the Natchez Trace, we drove to Vicksburg, spending most of the day at the Vicksburg Military Park, a place so full of history it makes your mind spin. We also stopped by the Waterways Experimental Station (WES), a research center run by the Army Corps of Engrs (COE). Willie's niece works there. We were unsuccessful in locating her but did see an interesting film on the WES & get some good info on COE campgrounds.We spent one more day at Rocky Springs walking the trails & visiting the historic townsite, church & cemetery. By this time, the campground was overflowing each night, mostly with Canadians looking for ways to stretch their shrinking dollars. So we decided it was time to move on. Our spot was taken before we left - by 2 rigs!
We then spent 4 nights at one of the many campgrounds along the Pearl River north of Jackson. Our guardian angel was sure watching over us as we stumbled around trying to figure out where to camp. For some reason, we decided to head for the private park called Goshen Springs instead of Ratliffe Ferry (our original plan, which would have been a HUGE mistake!). That one was full but the guy there knew all the local parks & steered us to one as the nicest with lots of spaces. We made new friends at this campground & enjoyed visiting with them. While there, the water from the Pearl River was ever-rising, so the fishermen were soon able to put their boats in from their campsites. The boat ramp area was under water after the first day.
We spent a day driving south on the Trace from Kosciusko to Jackson. We walked on the Cypress Swamp Nature Trail, a lovely boardwalk. The water was high in all the rivers near the Trace, & some of the Trace was like a causeway. In one of these little "ponds" we saw our first Hooded Mergansers. Most of the birds we are seeing are repeats but are still interesting to observe, sort of like visiting with old friends. We also visited the MS Craft Center along the Trace, & Mynelle Gardens in North Jackson.
We then had a short drive to Louisville. We have done a lot of sightseeing & eating good food. We also visited the Arts Pavilion in Jackson with Willie's parents & attended the exhibit "The Majesty of Spain", Royal Collections from the Museo del Prado & Patrimonio Nacional. It included art, architecture, tapestries, sculpture, porcelains, bronzes, armaments, thrones, furnishings, ivories, religious objects & some very interesting clocks. This is the only city that will host this exhibit, so we were fortunate to be able to see it.
We have played bridge with one of Willie's cousins & her sister & plan to play again next week. We are currently listening to the Saturday broadcast on NPR of an opera from The Met, which will feature one of Willie's distant cousins on the opera quiz at intermission. Fairly exciting stuff for rural MS!
Natchez Trace, MS - April 2
After leaving Rainbow's End, we headed east, stopping 3 nights at Martin Dies Jr SP near Jasper, TX. We hiked in the park and also revisited Big Thicket National Preserve, the island of biodiversity that used to cover southeast Texas. We went to the Pitcher Plant trail and were lucky enough to see the pitcher plants just starting to bloom. We also hiked on a nature trail called the Dogwood Trail, which was an area set aside by the Louisiana Pacific Corp for people to enjoy -- sort of a defense against the "tree-hugger" propaganda. We saw two more new birds here, the Louisiana Waterthrush and the Northern Parula.Our next stop was Lake Kincaid, about 20 miles west of Alexandria, LA. While there we had a very nice visit with Willie's cousin Joe and his wife Marilyn. Willie hadn't seen them in over 20 years, which means that Doug had never met them. We hiked, saw the sights in town, ate wonderful food (including the best chocolate pie ever), and watched lots of basketball (March Madness). It was a very successful "reunion" and will surely be repeated when opportunity arises.
We continued east to Natchez, MS, where we spent 4 nights and did much sightseeing. Natchez is a city steeped in history and one which was spared a lot of destruction during the civil war. So there are abundant antebellum homes. We walked for hours around the historic districts of the downtown area enjoying the architecture and the lovely gardens. The next day we went on a 4-mansion tour as part of their Spring Pilgrimage. We saw an octagonal house called Longwood, which was started in 1860 and never finished because of the war. The family lived in what is called the "basement" but is really a quite nice first floor by most standards. We also saw Linden, which is currently a bed & breakfast, and Elms Court and Arlington, which are privately owned and not usually open to the public. In the evening we went to a performance of "A Southern Road to Freedom", the Natchez saga of African-Americans from slavery to modern times presented by the Southern Road to Freedom Gospel Choir. During our final day there, we visited Melrose plantation, which is owned by the Natl Park Service, and walked around the grounds. We also went to Grand Village of the Natchez Indians, an early ceremonial mound center and chief settlement of the Natchez Indians. After the tribe attacked a French fort in 1729, the French retaliated and destroyed the village. All that is left is the mounds and a museum full of artifacts that were found on the site.
We then started up the Natchez Trace Parkway, stopping at Rocky Springs, one of the free campgrounds along the Trace. We managed to get a lovely spot and settled in to see how many days we could go with no hookups. The first day we went to the historic town of Port Gibson and picked up some tourist info and looked around a bit. We continued over to Grand Gulf Military Park, the site of a battle between Union gunboats and the Confederate forts at Grand Gulf. The actual city of Grand Gulf is basically a ghost town. We came back to Port Gibson the next day to walk around and look at the historic homes. We also went to the Heritage Festival there and attended a quilt show at the Mississippi Cultural Crossroads. In addition to the many lovely quilts on display, there was a panel exhibit which showed an overview of quilting by African-Americans throughout the state going back as far as five generations.
Rainbow's End - Mar 17
After leaving Goose Island State Park, we headed northeast to Lake Texana SP, near the small town of Edna. This was another very pretty park, with large lovely camping spaces. We stayed here three nights and were able to visit many nearby spots on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. Our most interesting birds at these places were a White-tailed Kite and a Bald Eagle sitting near a nest.
Continuing north, we next went to Stephen F. Austin SP, about 60 miles west of Houston, about three miles north of I-10, along the Brazos River. This park was not as pretty, but it may have just been the fact that it was more crowded with spring-breakers than anyplace we had been so far. We were there for a weekend, and we never saw such large groups of children camping before! Stephen F. Austin was an early settler in the area, so the park had an historical marker in his honor and a display telling about his life. There were several nice trails through the park, but the recent rains had put many of them under water. The Brazos River was over its banks in places.
We visited the Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR, about 30 miles from the park. We hiked on some nice trails and enjoyed the day, but there was no chance of seeing one of those birds. Down from over a million in 1900 and 2500 in 1990, there are only about 20 on the refuge, and the area where they nest is so protected that you are only allowed to go there two days a year on special tours; we had to be content with the video. There are about 30 more on a refuge near Galveston and about 134 more in captivity.
Last Sunday we moved on, skirting the Houston area (about as close as we ever want to get to that large city!), to Rainbow's End, the Escapees main headquarters, where there is a very nice park. We quickly found a twice weekly bridge game with some very nice people, which we have enjoyed immensely. Doug & Sandi Cameron, friends with whom we have exchanged emails for over a year, are also staying here, and we have enjoyed getting to know them better. Our paths will probably cross several more times this year, and we are looking forward to that. As with any SKP park, we are enjoying the friendly people, both staff and residents. Some people own lots here and have various types of RV parking and house combinations.
This park also has something unique for SKPs: the CARE center, Continuing Assistance for Retired Escapees. This center provides temporary or long-term assistance for Escapees and also for residents from the nearby town, Livingston. They provide needed assistance for the patient and also a lot of support for the caregiver. If you are alone, they can also help with chores and transportation. This allows people to get the care they need but still stay in contact with their friends who may still be RVing.
While here we visited nearby Lake Livingston SP and also spent a day at the Big Thicket National Preserve. Big Thicket encompasses 13 units totaling 86000 acres of one of the nation's most biologically diverse wilderness areas. There are hiking trails, ranging from as short as a half-mile nature trail up to 18 miles. One of the most unusual communities is called a baygall, which takes its name from red bay and gallberry holly which grow in this community. The water that stands in these seepages is highly acidic, which creates a unique ecological region. Also interesting is the juxtaposition of desert and swamp.
Continuing north, we next went to Stephen F. Austin SP, about 60 miles west of Houston, about three miles north of I-10, along the Brazos River. This park was not as pretty, but it may have just been the fact that it was more crowded with spring-breakers than anyplace we had been so far. We were there for a weekend, and we never saw such large groups of children camping before! Stephen F. Austin was an early settler in the area, so the park had an historical marker in his honor and a display telling about his life. There were several nice trails through the park, but the recent rains had put many of them under water. The Brazos River was over its banks in places.
We visited the Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR, about 30 miles from the park. We hiked on some nice trails and enjoyed the day, but there was no chance of seeing one of those birds. Down from over a million in 1900 and 2500 in 1990, there are only about 20 on the refuge, and the area where they nest is so protected that you are only allowed to go there two days a year on special tours; we had to be content with the video. There are about 30 more on a refuge near Galveston and about 134 more in captivity.
Last Sunday we moved on, skirting the Houston area (about as close as we ever want to get to that large city!), to Rainbow's End, the Escapees main headquarters, where there is a very nice park. We quickly found a twice weekly bridge game with some very nice people, which we have enjoyed immensely. Doug & Sandi Cameron, friends with whom we have exchanged emails for over a year, are also staying here, and we have enjoyed getting to know them better. Our paths will probably cross several more times this year, and we are looking forward to that. As with any SKP park, we are enjoying the friendly people, both staff and residents. Some people own lots here and have various types of RV parking and house combinations.
This park also has something unique for SKPs: the CARE center, Continuing Assistance for Retired Escapees. This center provides temporary or long-term assistance for Escapees and also for residents from the nearby town, Livingston. They provide needed assistance for the patient and also a lot of support for the caregiver. If you are alone, they can also help with chores and transportation. This allows people to get the care they need but still stay in contact with their friends who may still be RVing.
While here we visited nearby Lake Livingston SP and also spent a day at the Big Thicket National Preserve. Big Thicket encompasses 13 units totaling 86000 acres of one of the nation's most biologically diverse wilderness areas. There are hiking trails, ranging from as short as a half-mile nature trail up to 18 miles. One of the most unusual communities is called a baygall, which takes its name from red bay and gallberry holly which grow in this community. The water that stands in these seepages is highly acidic, which creates a unique ecological region. Also interesting is the juxtaposition of desert and swamp.
Goose Island State Park - Mar 4
We're on the road again. Made another repeat stop at Goose Island State Park, about 6 miles north of Rockport, TX, on the beautiful Lamar Peninsula. This is one of our favorite areas. It has lots of wildlife, especially birds, plus the arching Live Oaks, which form lovely shapes due to the prevailing winds. Despite another bout of rainy weather, we have enjoyed our six days here. We have a lovely campsite nestled in the trees. If you try really hard, you can just see the nearest neighbors. It is very secluded & wonderfully dark at night. We went birdwatching, either with an organized group, or on our own, every day. There is a very good naturalist here, who runs a marvelous birding program that we enjoy very much. We learn a lot from him. The highlight was the bird banding program we attended today. We participated by "adopting" a bird & are now the proud foster parents of a female second-year American Goldfinch. She is banded, so if anyone captures her & records her band number, we will be notified. New birds we have seen since we last wrote are American Bittern, Peregrine Falcon, Red-breasted Merganser, Snowy Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, Bonaparte's Gull, Grasshopper Sparrow & Song Sparrow. We have also seen & enjoyed many "old friends" from our time here last year. While visiting the Big Tree (oldest coastal Live Oak in Lamar County), we saw a pair of Whooping Cranes feeding in a nearby pasture. We later observed 4 or 5 Bottlenose Dolphins playing or feeding for quite a long time. Interesting birds in our campsite include Eastern Towhee, White-throated Sparrow, Brown Thrasher & Black-and-white Warbler. Some of the more interesting birds at the shore were Black Skimmer, American Oystercatcher, Ruddy Turnstone (amazing that they are always turning stones!) & Marbled Godwit.
We enjoyed our last month at Port Aransas & will miss the friends we made there. We especially enjoyed the Bridge & Cribbage groups. Willie is a much more confident Cribbage player after six weeks of playing with very good opponents; whereas Doug learned a little humility after experiencing players who were more competitive.
The cats have adjusted to being back on the road quite well. We feel very lucky to have them adapt to this lifestyle with so little difficulty. They obviously do not like the travel days, but they just seem to tolerate it and somehow "know" that it will be over soon & they will be back in their comfy "home". They really love being in the trailer & seem to enjoy that it is always in a different location. They look out the window at whatever is there, whether it be humans or birds & other wildlife. Rainbow & Amber think they should go out, but we only allow this occasionally on a leash. Neither of them is very good on a leash but they like to try it from time to time. Rainbow just thinks she should be wherever we are. If we are outside & she is in, she howls until we either come in or take her out! Amber waits until we start out the door with a large load of laundry & then sneaks out between our feet. Trixie seems to have had enough outside during her days before we adopted her, so she has absolutely no interest in being outside. Gracie wouldn't want to risk missing a meal! There are plenty of places for them to "nest" in the trailer & windows to look out. Sometimes it is hard for us to find a place to sit -- all the seats are already taken! They seem to have a good life & they certainly bring comfort, love & laughter into our lives.
We enjoyed our last month at Port Aransas & will miss the friends we made there. We especially enjoyed the Bridge & Cribbage groups. Willie is a much more confident Cribbage player after six weeks of playing with very good opponents; whereas Doug learned a little humility after experiencing players who were more competitive.
The cats have adjusted to being back on the road quite well. We feel very lucky to have them adapt to this lifestyle with so little difficulty. They obviously do not like the travel days, but they just seem to tolerate it and somehow "know" that it will be over soon & they will be back in their comfy "home". They really love being in the trailer & seem to enjoy that it is always in a different location. They look out the window at whatever is there, whether it be humans or birds & other wildlife. Rainbow & Amber think they should go out, but we only allow this occasionally on a leash. Neither of them is very good on a leash but they like to try it from time to time. Rainbow just thinks she should be wherever we are. If we are outside & she is in, she howls until we either come in or take her out! Amber waits until we start out the door with a large load of laundry & then sneaks out between our feet. Trixie seems to have had enough outside during her days before we adopted her, so she has absolutely no interest in being outside. Gracie wouldn't want to risk missing a meal! There are plenty of places for them to "nest" in the trailer & windows to look out. Sometimes it is hard for us to find a place to sit -- all the seats are already taken! They seem to have a good life & they certainly bring comfort, love & laughter into our lives.
Port Aransas, TX - Feb 3
Our exciting events seem to be mainly friend-related. Sandy & Doug Cameron, Escapee friends who just started full-timing in 12/00, stopped by for a visit early in January. It was fun to meet them after emailing for so many months. Fred & Linda, our earliest Escapee friends, whom we met in person for the first time last February, came & boondocked on the beach for 12 days. We had a great time visiting with them & seeing some local sights. We spent a day with them at the Texas State Aquarium, especially enjoying the new Seahorse exhibit (did you know there were Sea Dragons? Fascinating creatures!). Another Escapee couple, friends of our Boulder friend Jan Redding, whom we met the May before we started out ourselves, is staying about 30 miles away in Rockport for several weeks. We have been visiting with them about once a week, & several get-togethers are planned for when Jan visits us here in Port Aransas next weekend.By the way, even though the Escapee club is based in Texas, they had nothing to do with sending those 7 escapees to Colorado recently! It sure was strange to see all those headlines about the "escapees" in the newspaper. They were in an RV, too. Wonder if it had Escapee stickers
on it!
This weekend there is a library book sale & a sand "snowman" building contest on the beach for our entertainment. We also plan a visit to Aransas Wildlife Refuge to look for the Whooping Cranes.
As we near the end of our first year on the road, we want to comment a little on this lifestyle. It is PERFECT for us! The only down side is being parted from friends, then making new friends & being parted from them. But the leisurely-paced travel fits us well. Neither of us was very interested in all the aspects of home ownership, so we don't miss having a house at all. About all we miss of that is a room full of foster kittens from time to time! It's so much easier to clean & maintain an RV! Traveling yet still having our cozy home with our cats each night is wonderful. We never run out of things to see & places we want to go. We meet up with people who have quit traveling because they have "seen it all". The more we are out, the more we realize that we will never see it all. This beautiful country has wonders upon wonders to explore. We may stop traveling some day, but it won't be because there's nothing new to see!
