1107 July 22, 2024 Topsy Turvy

The morning was cloudy and the slightest bit cool. I began my walk with the scent of campfire smoke and freshly cut grass in the air. The big old trees in the park granted me shade as I went; first to the park entrance and then down to the lake. I hiked the Lakeview Trail along the water’s edge. There were lots of hills and it was good work.

Today was another moving day. It was a shorter distance and an easier drive; a straight shot down 81S. We traveled from Virginia into Tennessee. We saw this reminder several times today.

We arrived at Warrior’s Path State Park before noon. We did not know that check-in was not until 4pm. We were sent to a large parking lot to wait. I made my sandwich and sat outside on a rock to eat my lunch. I walked down tot he meadow planted especially for pollinators.

I went into the RV and read and took a nap. A little before two, we got a call to say that our site was ready. I put some chicken into the crockpot for dinner. Tim went to walk the Bluffs Trail and got some nice pictures of this pileated woodpecker.

Later in the afternoon, the power to the campground was out after a transformer blew. We needed to make a new dinner plan. We searched restaurants in the area and found Raffaele’s Italian Restaurant. It was close and had good reviews. As we were leaving the power was restored. There were also loud claps of thunder. We drove to town and had a great dinner with fresh salads and chicken marsala and chicken piccata. It poured while we were eating.

After eating, we decided to drive into Kingsport. I put it into GPS and it gave me directions for Kingsport Town Center which was not downtown Kingsport but rather a mall. We did find our way. We parked and took our bikes off and went to explore. Tim was intent on finding his way to the Riverfront Park. We meandered our way across town on sidewalks and streets and at the park, we discovered a bike path that lead us directly back to the center of town. It began to rain again this evening after we had returned to the campground. Not everything went smoothly today but we continued to adapt and modify our plan and we made the best of it and still had a very good day!

1106 July 21, 2024 Claytor Lake State Park

We were up early. I took one last walk along Gores Mill Road. I will be really happy to walk someplace new tomorrow morning. I did almost three miles and when I got back home, Tim had already fired up the coach and he was getting ready to roll. Kyle and Wade came out to say goodbye…bittersweet…

We are on our way to Atlanta. We decided to take the long way there and avoid driving on 95S. Instead, we took 70 to 340 through Harpers Ferry and then 81, south into Virginia. This is a much more pleasant drive; prettier and much less intense. Since it was Sunday, the traffic was lighter and there were far fewer trucks. Tim drove just over 300 miles today.

We stopped for the night at Claytor Lake State Park, south of Roanoke.

We packed a picnic dinner and rode our bikes down to the lake. It was spitting rain but we were in a nice pavilion. We watched three generations of men fishing in the lake. The little boy was probably 4 years old. His dad and granddad took turns casting for him. The boy immediately reeled his line in, often catching his hook on the rocky bottom. His dad caught a tiny fish. He cast it out again and let the boy bring it in. The child was so happy…such joy!

1105 May 29, 2024 – July 20,2024 Home Again, Home Again

The beginning of June had us busy with lots of appointments for labwork and physicals and other fun stuff.

This spring, we began to entertain the idea of replacing our RV. Our Tiffin was 10 years old and had needed a lot of attention and repairs over the past couple of years. It was time for us to dig deep and decide if we wanted to continue to travel fulltime or if it might be time to settle somewhere. We really enjoy our vagabond life and we wanted to keep going. We had weighed the pros and cons. The reasons to look for something new were suddenly compelling and so we shopped. We ended up driving to General RV in Ashland, Virginia where we found two amazing rigs. In the end, Tim loved our old Tiffin and so, our new RV is also a Tiffin.

Packing and moving out and moving back in was a lot of work. But we are now settled and organized. We spent a couple of weeks in Kyle’s driveway getting acquainted with all the buttons and bells and whistles.

In July, we took our maiden voyage, a three day trip to Confluence Pennsylvania. It was very hot on the day we arrived. We actually went to an ice cream parlor at 5pm and ate our soft serve dinner in the cool air conditioning. Later for a snack, we ate icy acai with yogurt and fruit.

The two subsequent days were better. We cycled 11 miles each day on the GAP, Great Allegany Passage, bike trail. It was shaded and the trail followed the Youghiogheny River with pretty views of the rapids.

We also went to visit the small town of Ohiopyle. We walked along the waterfall and toured the visitor center. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the Twisted Spoke Cafe.

On Friday, July 12th, Tim celebrated his birthday. We drove back home so that Kyle and Tim could see the Orioles play the Yankees.

Our time at home was also spent visiting with lots of friends and family. We celebrated both our birthdays, Father’s Day, our anniversary, and 4th of July. Lots of fun!

The highlight of these past two months was the time we got to spend with Kyle and Allison and Wade. The baby is growing so quickly. At his 4 month checkup, he placed on a normal newborn growth curve. It has been fun watching him giggle and engage when we sing to him. The Happy Song makes him smile every time. Wade loves when we read to him and Apples Up On Top and Brown Bear are his favorites.

It is hard to leave.

1104 May 28, 2024 Flying Boat and Other Fun

We slept last night with the windows open.  There was a cool breeze that made it just perfect for sleeping.

I took a great three mile walk from the campground, down to the fishing pier, and out to Route 13 and back.  It was a glorious morning with a slight breeze, brilliant blue sky, and no humidity.

We took our bikes into Cape Charles and meandered around town.

When we were done riding, we took our chairs and sat on the beach.  It is our last beach day for a while.

We rested this afternoon and then packed a picnic dinner.  We ate our lettuce wraps and fruit salad at the picnic shelter.

One last trip to the Kiptopeke fishing pier.  We sat for a long time watching the water and talking about future travels.

As we were getting into the Jeep, we saw a flying boat!  We got out to watch it.  What an odd machine.  It looked so fun!

Tomorrow, we will be back in Reisterstown.  We have lab work and physicals and a mammogram scheduled.  We plan to stay for a few weeks but we may take some short trips.  We will post when we travel.  Until then, Happy Summer!

1103 May 27, 2024 Traveling North

We left Hatteras after our morning exercise.

We stopped at Morris Farms for more fresh corn and strawberries.  We had our breakfast there before traveling on.

As we approached Norfolk, it began to rain…hard.  Tim drove over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

We arrived at Kiptopeke in early afternoon.  The rain persisted.

Eventually, the skies cleared but there was still a chance of rain all evening.  We decided to go into Cape Charles to The Shanty for dinner.  The couple before us got the last table inside.  We could wait or we could sit at the bar inside or we could go out to the open-air bar.  We went outside to check out the space and we grabbed a high-top table.  We ordered cider and dark beer and our meals.  We had a beautiful view of the harbor.  We watched osprey feeding and saw the sky change.  We could see curtains of rain in the distance and flashes of lightning.  There was booming thunder.  It rained but we were sheltered.  I had a delicious softshell crab sandwich and Tim had fish tacos.  The food was great but the atmosphere and the view was outstanding!  We very much enjoyed our time. 

Cape Charles was sandwiched between two large thunderstorm cells. One was slightly north and one to the south. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel was closed to all traffic because of wind and severe weather.

The rain stopped and we decided to walk the Cape Carles pier.

The sun was beginning to go down.  We left town and drove to Kiptopeke and watched the sunset.

What a wonderful evening!

1102 May 26, 2024 Last Day In Hatteras

I walked from the campground to the ferry terminal. From there, I passed the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum.

I walked a boardwalk to the beach.

And then I walked back.

We took the Jeep and the bikes and drove to Hatteras Lighthouse. We cycled the park road and of course we took the path less traveled.

We climbed the dunes and had a great view of the beach…lots of people out and enjoying this beautiful day!

We found a shaded picnic table for lunch.

This afternoon, we had an extended quiet time.

We waited until dinnertime to go out on the beach. We packed all the things we needed to make omelets. I was wearing my new Jeeping shirt…Tim picked it out for me!

While I was cooking, Tim spotted a huge sea turtle in the waves near the shore. I saw the broad back and knew it was a turtle. I was hoping that it might climb out and lay eggs…maybe on another beach!

We sat watching the water until the sun began to go down. We drove to the end of the island and then got out to walk. The water was coming in and filling a small inlet. Wading birds and diving birds were all there for supper.

Tim took pictures of me taking pictures.

The setting sun changed the color of the sky…stunning.

What a gorgeous evening to be at the beach.

We drove to the gas station to put air in the Jeep tires.

This was our last day in the Outer Banks. I really have enjoyed this “vacation.” After the busyness of the past many months, I craved time in the sun, time outside, time appreciating nature. I absolutely and unequivocally love taking care of my family. It brings me joy. When I am with the boys and their families, I am all in. I give all of my energy to caring for the people I love. I consider it an honor that I be allowed to watch the little boys. This time away had allowed me to recharge. To do the things I love…beach time, reading, walking and spending time with Tim…just us! I feel relaxed and happy! I am so grateful.

1101 May 25, 2024 Exploring Hatteras

I walked a long loop on sidewalks from the campground, along Route 12, and then back to the RV. It was misty and soupy.

We took our bikes and rode the loop and then we wandered through neighborhoods and along the bayside.

We went into town and did some shopping.

We decided to go to the beach a little bit later today. At 3pm, we packed dinner and drove out to the beach. There were miles of Jeeps and trucks and other 4WD vehicles parked along the shore. We had become accustomed to owning a large parcel of beach but today we had to share. I did not mind. It was fun to watch kids playing in the surf. There were lots of people fishing but we have not seen anyone catch anything in days. We also haven’t see any dolphin!

This little crab entertained me for a long while.

1100 May 24, 2024 Island Hopping

This is blog #1100! When we were in Delaware, the old guy next door looked at our map and asked if we had really been all those places? Today in the campground, someone stopped to ask Tim about our travels and our map. Yes, we have been to many places and done many things!

This morning, I took one last walk though the Village of Ocracoke.

When I got back, we packed up the RV, attached the Jeep, and we drove to the ferry terminal.

We spent the boat ride next to a guy with a truck and a dog. I am thinking this was a hound dog. He had the most godawful braying bark…it made him kinds cute!

We arrived in Hatteras around 2pm and settled in at the Hatteras Sands Campground.

We got ready to go out on our bikes but it started to rain. I decided to rest and I ended up taking a nap. Tim went for a ride without me and I had just woken up when he returned…ahhh…time well wasted!

We packed a picnic and went out onto the beach.

We found a great spot. It was a little cloudy.

Can you see the rain cells on the horizon?

It was also a little breezy and so we put on our sweatshirts and sat near the Jeep.

We enjoyed our dinner.

I am still trying to get a good picture of this elusive little sandpiper!

This evening, we drove into town to the grocery store, then we found another beach access ramp and drove on sandy roads all the way to Buxton and the Hatteras Lighthouse.

1099 May 23, 2024 Bright Sunshiny Day

My heel was hurting this morning so my first walk was the short distance to the grocery store. I returned to the RV and put an arch support on and walked again. I did 1.75 miles and then decided not to push any harder.

There is an RV here with a very cool message!

Biking is easier on my foot and so we did the 7.5 miles out and back on the paved bike trail.

This afternoon, we packed lunch and went back to the beach. Resting, relaxing, reading…it just doesn’t get any better!

Tim found a treasure.

We stayed until three and then went back for showers. We went to get dinner from a food truck.

We took dinner back onto the beach. The wind had picked up and since we didn’t want to eat sand, we ate inside the Jeep.

We stayed awhile, watching the birds in the surf. We had not seen these red knot sandpipers before.

This little guy was moving too fast to get a good picture. This is a ruddy turnstone sandpiper.

This was an old Jeep. There was a dog in the passenger seat and another in the back.

We have had a wonderful visit here in Ocracoke and we are a little sad to leave. We really like the quieter, wilder end of the Outer Banks. Tomorrow, we will take the ferry to Hatteras and spend the holiday weekend there. We are anticipating that it will be crowded and quite different than the past week, but we feel very lucky to be at the beach!

1097 May 22, 2024 Perfect!

I started my day with a good walk in the village. Each day, I vary my path and I look for things that I haven’t noticed on my previous walks.

We rode our bikes the 7.65 miles to the campground and back. No wind today and so it was a pleasant and easy ride.

We packed lunch and a beach umbrella and drove out onto the sand. It was a perfect beach day and we stayed for hours.

We watched these tow gulls play tug-of-war with lunch.

The victor!

This evening, we went to the Back Porch Restaurant and had a good meal.

Afterward, we sat in the shade at the harbor. Tim spotted a walking map of the village. He found a trail that we had never walked before. We drove past the lighthouse and parked near a church.

We found the Springer Point Trailhead and walked though the cedar and live oak trees down to the water’s edge.

I wore a dress to dinner with pretty shoes. Thankfully, I had a pair of tennis shoes in the Jeep!

We drove to the Ocracoke Community Park. This is another place we have never been. I was hoping there would be a game tonight…but the field was empty.