Chillin' near Washington DC......literally

 

      Debbie and I had a wonderful time visiting Norfolk and Historic Williamsburg area.  The weather didn't fully cooperate, but now that I'm sitting in DC and looking at outside temperatures hovering around 26, Norfolk looks pretty nice.  Sunday was going to be a rainy day, so Saturday night I packed up our bikes and chairs and put everything away.  There's no point in packing away wet belongings.  After church, Debbie put on  a wonderful pancake breakfast with authentic Adirondack maple syrup. That's always a great way to start the day.
     After a late breakfast, Debbie and I headed over to a nearby outlet mall to do a little Christmas shopping.  Couldn't be that bad could it?  After all, football is on TV!  The place was packed.  After a few trips around the parking lot, we managed to find an open parking space, and I soon found myself carrying bags around the mall.  Really not that bad though....found a nice jacket which may come in handy with this cooler weather, and a few other things.  Debbie found a few items for the Princess, but it's looking tough for Ben and Joanne right now. Hopefully their luck picks up soon.  Afterwards we drove a short distance into Williamsburg and attended a jazz concert by the Jazz Ensemble of William and Mary College.  They really put on a very nice show, and we both enjoyed ourselves.

     Monday morning we headed northbound from Williamsburg along what Debbie refers to as the "blue-line."  We traveled along some beautiful country roads through the hills of Virginia which made Debbie a little nervous.  I have to agree the road does look a little narrow from the passenger side.  We move a little further east and found  a nice 4 lane highway, and even though the skies opened up on us, we made it into our RV park, Cherry Hill Park, located just outside of Washington in College Park, MD.  This 400 unit park is situated alongside the Washington Beltway, just outside of DC.  The roads are all paved, and the sites seem to be close to level.  They have a on-site cafe that also includes a hot tub and sauna area.  There is a large outdoor pool, but with the polar vortex pushing temperatures down into the 20's, it's all closed up.  There's also a few subscribers to RVillage, Facebook for RV'rs, here at the park, which we will probably get together with.
      Temperatures last night were down in the 20's, but Big Red appears to have survived just fine.  We've burned a few gallons of propane keeping it warm, but our water tanks and hoses don't show any sign of freezing up.  Today we made arrangements to have our propane tanks filled on-site, and headed over to Sharpsburg, MD to tour the Antietam National Battlefield.  On September 17, 1862, nearly 100,000 soldiers of the Union and Confederate Armies met near Antietam Creek in Maryland.

 A 12-hour battle began at dawn, and between 6 AM-10 AM, Americans were dying at the rate of 1 each second.  By the time darkness fell on the battlefield, over 23,000 were killed, wounded or missing.
     At the southern edge of the battlefield, 500 Confederate soldiers were able to hold back multiple waves of Union soldiers totally nearly !2,000 for over 3 hours, as they attempted to cross the Lower Bridge. Inside the museum at the Visitor Center, a portrait of the battle at Burnside Bridge shows a Eucalyptus tree adjacent to the bridge.  In the photo taken today, that tree is still visible.

 After taking the bridge, Union General Ambrose  Burnside, after whom the bridge is now named, moved across the fields pushing the Confederates back.  In a scene similar to a Hollywood movie, Confederate General Hill arrived from Harper's Ferry after moving his Light Division 17 miles to the battlefield.  He was successful is forcing Burnside back to Antietam Creek and providing time for Gen. Lee to retreat from the battlefield across the Potomac back into Virginia. These Armies would meet next at Gettysburg, where casualties would reach over 51,000 dead, wounded or missing.
     During the battle, the dead were buried where they fell.  Years later, Union soldiers were reinterred in the Antietam National Cemetery.  Confederate soldiers were not buried in the National Cemetery, but were buried in Hagerstown and Frederick, MD, and Shepherdstown, VA now West Virginia.
     After arriving back at Big Red, Debbie and I enjoyed a wonderful pot roast dinner which Debbie had prepared in a crock pot and left to cook all day in the MH.  We had a nice cocktail, and settled in for a cool-ish night at the Cherry Hill RV Park.

This is what we call "Roughing it Smoothly"

Historical Norfolk, VA

     We headed out from Uncle Bob's on Sunday enroute to Virginia, looking forward to some warmer weather and hopefully a continuation of the Fall colors.  It took us two days to make the journey down here since we've adopted the policy of "230".  We try to either drive 230 miles or quit by 2:30 in the afternoon.  That probably doesn't seem like much, but it sure is nice arriving at a new destination early enough to set up camp, and take a quick tour around the campsite.  Sunday night we stayed at a KOA in Williamsport, MD.  We very seldom stay in a KOA since they seem to be a little overpriced for the amenities offered.  But in a pinch they're OK for an overnight.  Monday morning we headed for the American Heritage RV Park, in Williamsburg, VA.  We made a circle around Washington. DC and picked up 95 further to the south, and cruised into Williamsburg, VA with very little traffic.  The park has all paved sites among mature pine and oak trees and is easily accessible to Rt 64.  Cable TV is available along with over the air TV.  My satellite won't work because of the trees, so we are roughing it just a little bit!!  It's a great park and close by Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown.  It's less than a 30 minute drive to downtown Norfolk.
     On Tuesday, being Veterans Day, we wandered down to Norfolk to visit Nauticus, the USS Wisconsin, and take a tour of Norfolk Harbor.

 As you can assume by its name, Nauticus is a maritime themed science museum located on the waterfront in downtown Norfolk.   After gaining 1 free admission (Veterans Day), we were guided to a slow moving walkway which took us to the 3rd floor of the museum passing by several exhibits describing the history of Norfolk.  The museum is loaded with Naval History and the role Norfolk and Chesapeake Bay had in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.  Inside Nauticus is a Naval Museum not associated with Nauticus a free to the public.  Alongside Nauticus, and included in the admission price, was the USS Wisconsin, a WWII Battleship.  We strolled the wooden decks of USS Wisconsin, and were amazed to see the massive guns she possessed from WWII, and the modern armament she carried to the fight in support of the Iraq War.

 Inside Nauticus we remembered a display of a shell fired by a U.S. Navy Battleship and a Volkswagen Beetle  hanging side by side.  Both weighed nearly the same.  Wisconsin could fire the shell about 23 miles.  I also remembered a story told by Spanky Hayden, a BP Agent in Campo, of the USS New Jersey firing 1 round into a fight in Vietnam and saving his platoon.  After seeing the size of the shell, I understood what Spank was talking about.

Probably one of the most fascinating facts we discovered during the tour, was that her initial sea trials were conducted in the James River instead of the Atlantic because of the threat of German U-boats offshore.  And because of her massive length of nearly 850 feet, and the depth of the river, the downward pressure she exerted on the river bed actually propelled her through the water at nearly 59 MPH.  Tour guides located throughout Nauticus and Wisconsin were all Navy Veterans, many of whom served during Vietnam on-board the USS Wisconsin, and they were all eager to add their stories to our tour.  It made the visit extra special.  Norfolk is definitely a Navy town, and is going overboard to thank all Veterans for their service to America.
     Outside of Nauticus, we discovered another tribute to America's Veterans which included letters home from those who didn't make it.

The letters, from all of our wars, were cast in bronze and appeared to be blowing in the wind and scattering along the ground on the waterfront.  They were all very touching and gave an insight into the minds of our soldiers from the Revolutionary War to the present. Reading them you'll soon discover a common theme among them.
     We completed the afternoon by boarding the Victory Rover and taking a 2 hour tour of Norfolk Harbor and the Norfolk Navy Base.  The Captain was very informative of the history and battles which had taken place around Norfolk, and had an impressive knowledge of the Navy ships we cruised past on our journey.  He provided a fascinating insight into the roles the ship have played in our recent history and the weapon systems each ship could deploy.
We cruised past 2 Navy submarines which are always fascinating to see.  I almost had the opportunity to go inside one our nuclear subs up in Groton, CT when I was doing recruiting work for the BP, but that fell through after 9/11.  That would have been amazing.  We saw guided missile cruisers, supply ships, and hospital ships, and the Captain had stories to tell of each of them.  I would highly recommend the harbor cruise if you get the opportunity to visit Norfolk.

Le Roy, NY and Canandaigua Lake

Last day in Le Roy, NY and then onto Ohio……

     Since I was able to cajole Debbie into departing a few days early, we've been able to slow the daily pace down and do some serious moseying.  There’s no point in being in a hurry, and usually there’s something interesting happening around you.  The trick is finding it.    The weather has been cooperating so far, although it’s been cool enough to require us to do a little heating with our propane furnace.  Hate to do that when there’s electricity sitting on the pole that’s included in the daily fees, but it seems that once the temps start hovering in the mid 30’s, the heat pumps get a little fidgety, and home starts feeling a little cooler.  Not quite sure at what temperature the heat pumps quit working, but they don’t like the 30’s!!   So between Cooperstown and Le Roy, we spotted a True-Value Hardware store with a propane tank in the back yard.  After a quick left turn off of the main drag, loop around a residential neighborhood, and back to the hardware store, we topped off our tank.  People sure look funny at you when you drive a 33 foot MH, towing a Jeep toad, down residential streets.  But I really don’t have any reservations about pulling down these streets.  The Tiffin seems to be very maneuverable, and so far, I haven’t been stuck anywhere. 

     As we arrived in Le Roy, NY the other day, Debbie spotted a sign about a Jell-O Museum in town.  She mentioned it several times, so I assumed it was something we just had to accomplish.  Wednesday morning, over coffee, Debbie asked what was on the itinerary for the day.  Jell-O Museum tour, I replied!  She looked at me like I was nuts, but being a sport, she acquiesced and said OK.   Sure enough, on Main Street in downtown Le Roy, NY, we found it. 

And they had a story to tell.  Seems like Jell-O, that delicious dessert that we were raised on, was invented right here in Le Roy, NY.  The museum is actually located in one of the original school houses from Le Roy’s hey-day, and is a beautiful building that also includes a Transportation Museum downstairs.  Back in 1897, Pearle Bixby Wait, a local carpenter/inventor, combined fruit juice and a gelatin, and created Jell-O.  Mr. Wait tried to market Jell-O for 2 years, but people just couldn't get used to buying a “desert” in a box”.  So in 1899, he sold his rights to Jell-O to Orater Woodward for $450.00.  Seems that the cost of a new house was $450.00, and Mr. Waite needed a house more than he needed Jell-O.  Mr. Woodward was a bit more successful in developing and marketing the product, and in 1923, the Postum Cereal Co of Battle Creek, MI acquired Jell-O for more than $66 million!  And the rest is history.

     After completing the museum tour, we headed downstairs where we viewed a 1908 Cadillac and numerous work wagons and racing sleighs with ties to Le Roy.  They even tell the story of Henry Ford driving through Le Roy on August 1, 1922 and being stopped for speeding.  He paid a $30 fine, but accused Le Roy of being a speed trap.  He even post a billboard on the outskirts of town about it. 

     Our journey continued, and we headed for Canandaigua, NY to take a tour around the beautiful lake and maybe get in a little wine tasting. 

The Finger Lakes Region of NY is quite famous for its many vineyards, and if you are traveling through the region, you really must test a few.  Our first stop on the lake was the marina area, where we found rows of boat houses along the docks.  Seems there's quite a history with these houses, and their development over the years.  All of these buildings contained a boat, but you would never know it from this side.  We heard 2 interesting stories on our journey around the lake.  Most incredible was the assessments the properties face on the lake.  We were told that lake front property is valued at $50,000/foot of lakefront!!!  Ouch!!! Canandaigua Lake is a private lake with very limited public access which would account for the high values.  Secondly, Humphrey Bogart and his family used to summer on the lake.  Being a Bogart fan, I think that’s pretty cool. 

Letchworth State Park

   

     Yesterday we left Doubleday Campground near Cooperstown, NY, and took a leisurely drive west on SR 20 all the way to our destination in Le Roy, NY.  There are a couple of things you should know about SR 20.  It is a well maintained, sometimes 4 lane, sometimes 2 lane, highway that cuts across the top of the Finger Lakes of NY.  There are lots of little towns to pass through, and each seems to have a few traffic lights waiting for you to approach before turning yellow/red.  But that's part of the wonderful experience of Seeing America at your own pace.  Some of the towns reach back in history to the 1700's for their names.  They include Cazenovia, established in 1793 and named after Theophilus Cazenov, an agent of the Holland Land Company.  It is also home to Cazenovia College which was founded in 1824.
     A wonderful town also located along this route was Skaneateles. It was settled along the shore of Skaneateles Lake, and was formed in 1830.  Some Skaneateles men volunteered for the Patriot War in 1848, to liberate Canada, and were ultimately imprisoned by the British in Tasmania.  The Quakers of Skaneateles were involved in the abolitionist movement, and there are numerous documented Underground Railroad sites in town.  The waterfront area of the town looked extremely inviting, and we look forward to returning.
     The second issue with SR 20 is the numerous hills and valleys which worked the transmission and "jake brake"  of our Tiffin.  But Big Red performed flawlessly, as we worked our way up and down some extremely challenging hills.  We arrived at our destination in Le Roy, NY at The Ridge Campground, which used to be a ski area.  The stanchions of retired ski lifts dot the compound.  Check-in was easy, and we were escorted to a level pull-thru site with 50 amp service.
     Today we experienced temperatures in the 60's which we really enjoyed as we headed a short distance south to Letchworth State Park.

     Letchworth is also described as the "Grand Canyon of the East", and after entering the park and hearing the the roar of the Genesee River, you soon understand why.  The park was established after 1000 acres was donated by William Pryor Letchworth in 1907.  Today it has grown to over 14,000 acres or nearly 17 miles, along the Genesee River.
     Along the numerous pathways which meander along, 600 feet above the river along a cliff, we were able to experience 3 magnificent waterfalls, one of which is over 107 feet.  Millions of years of history are evident in the rock formations exposed by erosion.  The upper falls are horseshoe shaped and the Genesee River falls 70 feet before continuing on its journey.

Continuing along the trail, and after climbing numerous stone stairs, we approached the Portage Bridge which was erected in 1875.  The metal bridge replaced the world's longest timber bridge which was built in 1852.    The middle falls are 285 feet across and the water falls 107 feet.

The heritage of the Seneca Indians is evident throughout the park because of the generosity of William Letchworth. In 1872, a Seneca Council House was purchased and moved to the park. Seneca and State Officials were invited to the dedication ceremony.   The other cabin was built by Mary Jemison, also known as the "White Woman of the Genesee".  Mary Jemison was born aboard a ship in the Atlantic enroute to the U.S. from Ireland.  She was captured during the French and Indian War and adopted by the Senecas.  Over the course of her lifetime, she was married twice and raised 6 children.  She spent most of her life where the park is now located.  In 1874, William Letchworth had her remains returned and buried near the Seneca Council House.

     The park is very well maintained, and it is unfortunate that we arrived past the peak of the Fall colors.  The views were outstanding and the pictures really don't do it justice.  I would urge anyone in the area to take the time to visit the park.  The trails are mostly flat and access to view the falls in available to hikers of all ages.  There are several campgrounds with cabins in the park, along with at least 2 restaurants.  The Glen Iris Inn is located near the middle falls, and although closed at this time of year, appeared to be a wonderful place to dine.

Going To See America 2015

     Cooperstown, NY

     Well I just couldn't stand sitting around any longer, so on Thursday I announced to Debbie that I think we're going to be able to get out a few days early.  The house was getting closed up on Friday which turned out to be quite an operation.  The contractor decided at the last moment that perhaps it might be better to fill all the lines with antifreeze instead of just filling the traps.  The contractor thought 10 gallons should do it, so off to the hardware store to pick up 10 gallons of RV antifreeze.  He started pumping it into the lines as I patiently waited for something to happen in the upstairs bathroom.  After pumping all 10 gallons without any activity in the lines, we sent Debbie out for 20 gallons more!  Before long all the lines were pumping red and we closed everything up confident that everything will be fine in the Spring.  We finished closing everything up Halloween night, and headed out Saturday morning.            Our first scheduled stop is at the Doubleday Campground located about 8 miles from Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.  

We had a little visit with the owner of the campground who indicated that he had only recently purchased the campground and was in the process of renovating the sites.  There's a severe lack of campgrounds up here during the winter months, so sometimes you have to take what is offered.  The pull-thru sites have water, 30 amp service and sewer, but they are basically located in a farm field.  I would recommend it for an overnight or short visit, but at $45/night, it's highly over priced.
      Cooperstown, NY is best known as the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.  But it is also a historic village located along the banks of Otsego Lake.

 It is a beautiful ride along Otsego Lake on SR 80.  I'm sure the fall colors would have been amazing a few weeks earlier.  We'll have to remember that when we start our travels next year.   The village was purchased in 1785 by Judge William Cooper.  Judge Cooper was the father of American author James Fenimore Cooper, who authored The Last of the Mohicans one of five novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales.

 A statue of James Fenimore Cooper sits next to the Baseball Museum.  Before reaching the village of Cooperstown, we passed the Farmers Museum, and the Fenimore Art Museum.  Unfortunately we didn't have time to visit these museums on this trip, but they are definitely wonderful places to see.  
   


     
      A pilgrimage to the Baseball Hall of Fame is required of all baseball fans.  It's something that everyone needs to put on their Bucket List.  The story begins with the invention of baseball by Abner Doubleday in 1839.  Doubleday was a career U.S. Army Officer having graduated from West Point in 1842.  Everything related to baseball in Cooperstown is named after Doubleday, even though he never really claimed to have invented baseball.

 Even his obituary in the New York Times, failed to mention baseball.  But every year thousands of people descend on this village to take in the history and nostalgia associated with the game.  Each summer many teams come to Cooperstown to play their game at Doubleday Field.
     Cooperstown is a quaint village rich in history.

 The downtown area reminds you of a bygone era of small shops lining Main Street.  A Post Office and library are located near the Baseball Museum, complimenting its small town charm. The American Flag is flown proudly in the middle of Main Street, forcing all travelers to yield the right of way.
     Tomorrow we move west heading for Letchworth State Park, known as the "Grand Canyon of the East."

272 Miles

Going To See America 2015

     It seems hard to believe, but the end to 2014 is closing in on us, and it's time to start the preparations for Going To See America 2015!  We had a wonderful summer up on Chateaugay Lake in upstate NY, but our 8 weeks of summer are over.  Temperatures are dropping along with the beautiful fall colors, and the Canada and Snow Geese are heading south.  That's right....there is no such thing as Canadian Geese.  They are Canada Geese.  If they were Canadian, Homeland Security would make them show passports when the crossed the border.
     It was a busy summer, and Debbie and I never seemed to get settled in at Windsong Lodge.  Lots of family happenings seemed to keep us away this spring/summer.  We started with our niece's wedding down in Lake George.  Ben and Joanne flew in from CA, so the family was together for the first time in quite a while.  Debbie tends to get dehydrated on these occasions, but the kids seem to be doing quite well out West.  We'll be seeing them again in April, and I'm sure they'll be sick of us by the time we leave.  We're really more interested in seeing the PGD Jamo, but don't tell the kids that!
     Next, MAE sprouted wings, after a tremendous job opportunity opened up for her at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Syracuse.  So we spent what seemed like days and days, packing up "some" of her belongings, and helped her set up housekeeping in a beautiful apartment complex out there.  She seemed to have settled in nicely, making several calls home to her mother from poolside at the complex.  We made a few trips out there over the summer, and even stumbled into an Irish Festival, which was quite enjoyable despite threatening weather.  MAE even got her wallet out after discovering that my beer glass was empty!  We are both extremely proud of all her accomplishments, but we'll miss "the noise" of her around the house.
     We had the opportunity to travel to NYC and see "The Captain" play his last day game at Yankee Stadium.  We splurged on some tickets and had some great seats three levels up behind home plate.  Nice padded seats too!  It's been enjoyable watching Derek play these last 20 years.  He always seems to be enjoying himself, and he brought a lot of class back to the game.  I really think these guys need to quit chasing those ridiculous salaries, and settle into 1 particular team.  There are some truly remarkable players out there, but they swap teams so often, they never get properly recognized.  Just my opinion.

As part of our Fall ritual, we were invited to attend a football game at West Point.  Jim and Colleen Monty invite us every year, and even though the weather was cool and WET, we were nice and dry in our seats.  We had an extra bonus of running into Ben's  in-laws at the game.  Mike and Jean Pearson were there along with several family members enjoying their yearly outing to West Point known as the "Hudson Huddle."  Mike's brother Frank generally does most of the cooking, although this year he passed those responsibilities down to the next generation.  We had a nice visit, and really should get together with them more often.  We were a little late making hotel reservations for West Point, so we fell back to Plan B and looked for a nice RV park in the area.  A search soon located Black Bear Campground in Florida, NY.  It's only about 20 minutes from West Point and it's a very nice campground.  There are tour buses that take campers to NYC for the day which seemed to be a great way to visit the city.  There's also tours for West Point which are available.  If you're passing through the area and want to spend a few days touring, I would recommend this campground.  You can also find information about the campground at RVillage, which I also recently discovered.   It's a great site for the RV community that is quite similar with Facebook.  There are numerous groups you can join which will link you with travelers with similar interests. You can "friend" travelers, track their locations around the country, message them, join as many groups as you want, or stay anonymous.  But it seems to be a great way to find fellow travelers or identify travelers camping in your RV park.  You just have to update your locations, and the program lets you know who's around you.  There seem to be around 11,000 members and it is growing daily.    
     We've also made some updates to our transportation.  As part of our "downsizing" we were able to trade my Jeep Wrangler "Ike" and my Cadillac for a 2014 Jeep Cherokee, "Yozo".   We made sure it had the Active Drive II transmission so we can flat-tow it behind our 2013 Allegro RED 33aa.

This will give us quite a bit more power and comfort. We've got a couple more weeks of preparation at this end, but we hope you'll join us as we start our Going To See America 2015 journey.  We think it's going to be a great trip!                                                                                                  

   

Tennessee travels and back to New York

   

I see that I have been very bad a keeping up with this blog.  As we turned toward home and headed across Tennessee, the activities were numerous leaving little time to stop and write things down.  You just hate to stop having a good time!
     We made it into Tom Sawyer RV Park which is located on the banks of the mighty Mississippi in West Memphis, Arkansas.  It was a very nice park with gravel and cement sites.  It was truly enjoyable to be able to sit and watch the barges on the river again.  It's located about 8 miles from Memphis, but it's a short drive across the river into the city.

We had traveled to Memphis to attend the Memphis Barbecue Competition which involved nearly 400 teams from the U.S. and Canada.  The event was located next to the river on the end of Beale Street.  As we arrived, the aromas of ribs and pulled pork were flowing throughout the competition. Unfortunately visitors are not given the opportunity to sample any of the competitors sampling s  And according to the Tim Doody's  theory on judging barbecue, they should have all been great barbecue since there wasn't a bathroom anywhere.  For a complete explanation you'll have to contact Tim directly.
 While in Memphis we did tour Sun Recording Studio which recorded such greats as Johnny Cash, Elvis, Carl Perkins & Jerry Lee Lewis.  The 4 of them never performed together, but Sam Phillips secretly recorded them as they happened to visit the recording studio one day and just started playing.  The Broadway show Million Dollar Quartet recalls this event.  After sampling barbecue on Beale Street, we headed for Nashville and the FORBPO Convention.
   

     In Nashville, we attended the Fraternal Order of Retired Border Patrol Officers Convention.  It was great reconnecting with a few Agents I hadn't seen in years.  We also got to reconnect with Randy and Retha who we had visited in San Angelo, Tx.  They are traveling in a beautiful 5th wheel and were headed for Michigan to visit relatives.  We may be meeting up with them next year in Florida, but Randy promises a visit to NY.
     We had the privilege of attending a show at the Opry and being entertained by a remarkable group of war veterans!  They called themselves The MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band.  They are associated with Walter Reed Hospital, and are using music to aid with their recovery efforts.

   Ricky Skaggs had the  opportunity to perform with them, and seemed pretty humbled by the experience. Debbie sent a congratulatory email to the lead singer Timothy Donley, and received a very nice note back.
     After Nashville we headed a little south and stayed in an RV Park near Pikesville, Tn called Mountain Glen RV Park.  It was a quiet park for a holiday weekend, and it was quite comfortable. From there it was an easy drive down to Chattanooga, Tn, where we stumbled into another barbecue competition.  This time visitors were able to purchase samples from the competitors for $2 or full meals for $6.  The money raised was being used for a charitable cause which made us both feel better.  They also had a Farmers Market included, along with musical entertainment.  We only passed through the city and didn't get the opportunity to visit, but it seemed like a very friendly city.  We had a great time at the festival.  Sampled some barbecue...sampled some local brews...and listened to some nice bluegrass music.  We also took the opportunity to visit the Cumberland Caverns home of the very unusual Bluegrass Underground Concerts shown on PBS.

They actually have concerts about 300' underground in a very large cavern several times a year.  We had attempted to get tickets to a show, but they sell out quickly.  We both enjoyed a guided tour through the caverns, and perhaps someday, we'll get to attend an underground concert.
   
     Continuing west, our next stop was Pigeon Forge, TN and Dollywood, where we were fortunate enough to attend another Barbecue and Bluegrass Festival.  The highlight of the event was one of our favorite bluegrass bands and locals from Chateaugay, NY, The Gibson Brothers, performed several times while we were there.  I even got the opportunity to meet Eric and Lee and visit for a minute which was pretty neat.  Of course it cost me $15 for a CD, but it was worth it.

Eric is a school teacher up here, so it's pretty remarkable that they've been named Bluegrass Entertainers of the Year, 2 years in a row.  They do lots of concerts around the country, but come home regularly to do benefit concerts to help with local issues.
     Joining us at Dollywood were 4 of my high school classmates which was a ton of fun.  We all turn 60 this year, so we took the opportunity to celebrate our birthdays with a trip to Pigeon Forge.

  We don't look too bad do we????
      But finally, this leg of our Trip To See America, had to end.  It was time to get back to NY and get the grass mowed and the camp opened before fall arrived  It's a short season up here in the north country.  So we headed north up I-81 and in 2 days we were parked where this trip began.  Amazingly, within a few days, we were both anxious to get back on the road.  I think there will be a late Fall trip to Maine, Nova Scotia and maybe Prince Edward Island.  Traveling by RV is a great way to see the country, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Debbie did a great job navigating across America, and I think I only made 1 wrong turn in just over 11,000 miles.  At least that's all I'll break to.
     So we hope you enjoyed our journey.  I know we enjoyed stopping and visiting with so many old friends along the way.  In a few months we'll be back on the road again, and Rondackers on the Road should start up again.  If you are traveling, we hope that you would start a similar blog.  We really enjoy reading about other people's wanderings.  It gives everyone fresh ideas on places to visit and paths to get there.