HOME

Today is Sunday and we are home. It feels good to be back. Yesterday we drove/rode down the Oregon coast and were met by a group of family and friends. It was nice to see them all again. We had a nice picnic. Then Paul and I came on home while the kids played at the beach. We found everything at home to be satisfactory. I thought I had left my fridge clean but had to do a little work on that and the toliets were gross from just sitting there so long. Christian and family and Jean and family came back from the coast and had a nice dinner with us, thanks to Yumi and Jean. It sure was nice that they took that project on. On monday I guess I will need to restock my pantry and fridge. It has been a good trip but for now we are glad to be home. This conpletes my blog. I'm so glad we were able to do this and appreciate all the good vibes from any of you following this. Adios

Newport

Well today didn't turn out quite like we expected. The roads that Paul wanted to take out to the Capes were closed because of road slides or road work. I didn't make it to the aquarium and we found an rv park to camp in. The day started out foggy but as time went on it cleared off and left a beautiful blue sky. There is quite a breeze here in Newport so it is chilly. This rv park is very close to the aquarium and we took a walk and looked in some of the shops close by. Didn't find anything we can't do without. I stopped at a fruit stand along the way and got a couple of ears of corn to go with our dinner tonight. I hope we get the chance to walk over to the water after dinner. Who knows, maybe we will have a nice sunset Hoime tomorrow!!.

Tillamook

What a pleasant day today has been. The sun has been shining and the drive down 101 is beautiful. We stopped at the Tillamook cheese factory and had an ice cream and I bought some squeeky cheese. Tomorrow Paul is planning on leaving early so he can ride the three capes. I don't have a place to camp for tomorrow night so we may just find someplace to park for the night. I think I will go to the Newport Aquarium for part of the day. We are very excited about getting home on Saturday.

Seaside Or

Yahoo!! We are back in Oregon. This morning I stopped at Long Beach, Wa where they are having a kite festival all this week. It was pretty cool to see so many kites in the sky. Paul was riding his bike so I was by myself and had a great time shopping. I bought some fudge, chocolate mint and key lime, yum. They had lots of venders and it was fun to see what they were selling. Then I traveled on to Astoria and down to Seaside. That bridge across the Columbia is quite a bridge and I must admit that big climb at the end was unnerving. It was great to see the welcome to Oregon sign. After we got set up at camp we went into Seaside and washed the truck. It was unbelievabley dirty. Then we took a walk on the beach. There were a lot of people on the beach but the temperature was kind of chilly. It sure is good to be back in Oregon.

South Bend WA

This morning dawned cool and calm. I looked out at the water on Hood Canal and it was like a mirror until a boat went by and sent ripples out on the water. It sure was pretty with all the trees etc reflected in the water. Now we are on 101 and headed south. Tomorrow we will be back in good ol' Oregon. I guess Washington has not had much summer this year. We heard that one newpaper had a headline that they had only had 72 minutes of summer or something like that. The news last night said they had only had 5 days when the temps reached 80 degrees. I am actually enjoying the cooler weather. This morning when we got up we could see our breath and even now I am wearing my flannel shirt.

Twanoh State Park

I can't believe we are in our final week. This morning we made another brief stop at Les Schwab's. I have been worried about my brakes but have been reassured that they are working fine. That is good because I still have a few miles to go. Today we are camped on the Hood Canal. I took a walk down along the water and there are many clam shells. There are signs that say to cook all shellfish from this beach to kill bacteria before eating. The campground here is beautiful with tall trees and that wonderful northwest feel to it. The weather is cool and pleasant. I have been sitting out reading my book this afternoon. Five more travel days to go.

Port Townsend

 Today is Sunday and we are in Port Townsend. This morning we attended church and had nice services. We met a nice couple from St George Utah that are in this area spending some of the hot months up here in the cool states. As soon as we came over the mountains the temperature changed to a maritime climate. The forcast calls for rain today but so far it has not. Yesterday we drove through Oak Harbor and Deception Pass and the traffic was heavy. Probably a Saturday in Aug. was not the best time for that drive. Tonight we are staying at someones house that we contacted through warm showers. It is very nice to have these people open their homes to us while we are traveling. Tomorrow we are taking the trailer into Les Schwab again because it is squeaking so much that I am nervous about driving it home this way. That will slow down our drive tomorrow. Hopefully it will not take too long. It is getting hard to believe that by next week at this time we will be home. We are meeting some of our kids at Florence by the welcome to Florence sign on Hwy 126 before it hits 101 at 1:00. We have visited with each of our kids except Aaron in the last few days. What a great time to be traveling, when we can still stay in touch with our loved ones.

Okakagan to Sedro Woolley

The last few days we have been in an area without internet reception. We are finally through the North Cascades. I must admit when we got into camp last night at Diablo Lake I had to let out a whoop. The is the last of the mountains we had to cross. The North CAscades are beautiful and rugged mountains. Yesterday after we arrived in camp we took a little hike up to an overlook where we could see snow camped peaks and Diablo Lake beneath us. The water in this lake is a very different color from the glacial flour the comes down from the mountains and is suspended in the water.   It is quite green but not swamp green. Paul lhas some pictures in his journal. Last night we went to a ranger pregram on how everything is I will sign off.

Okanogan

One more day closer to home. This morning's pass was not bad. We were already at about 2000 ft so we only had about 2,000 more to go to get over the pass. It seemed like we came down forever so tomorrow we will have a good climb to get back up to 4,000. After that there is only one more pass for the next day. Today it was quite warm, upper 80's and summy all day. I have to remenber it is August. I suppose that after these mountains we shouldn't have much more heat I would expect. Tonight is a nice evening so I think Paul and I are going to take a little stroll around the Okanogan Fairground where we are camped tonight.

Republic Wa

One more pass completed. Today it was Sherman Pass at 5,500. The road was under construction for part of the way and they were putting down gravel so that was dusty and messy. I worry about Paul when the roads have gravel on them because it is so much less safe. Saturday when I was coming down that days pass my breaks felt grabby so this morning we had to take the trailer to Les Schwab to have them adusted. He said one of them (on the trailer) was not working at all and the other one had a piece of metal that was rubbing. I must admit that I felt better driving over the passes with my breaks working well. We have been working on getting our last few weeks of camping spots lined up. I think we have them all except for 2 nights. This afternooon was very pleasant. There was a nice breeze that kept the bugs down and the temperature down as well. Paul and I sat under the tree at this campground and read for a while. Very nice. We are camped at a county fairground again and will be tomorrow as well. Last night I didn't sleep well so I think we are going to hit the hay soon. 

Colville

Today is Sunday so we are still in Colville. Lastr night we walked over to the park where they were having a local festival. They had vendors and outdoor entertainment. The preforming group was Irish. They sang and there was a group of dancers that preformed with them. It was very pleasant sitting in the shade and listening to the music. Today we attended church and then went to the park and watched one of the ballgames that the kids were playing. We found a shady spot so that was nice. We didn't stay for the whole game but when we left the Colville Allstars were in the lead at 3-12 against the Kalispell Allstars. It brought back memories off watcing our kids play ball. The weekend was a nice diversion from our trip. I have been looking at the maps and I guess we have 4 passes to cross this week. I am a little nervous about them. Once that is done it will feel like clear sailing to go home. We should be in our own ward 2 weeks from today.

Colville WA

Today we went over the first of three passes we have to cross here in Washington. The pass today was at the ski resort 49 degrees. I assume it is because it is 49 degrees north of the Equator. The pass was a little over 4,000 feet so it was not the biggest we have to climb but it still was a climb. Now we are camped in the Stevens County Fairground RV Park. So many of the places we have been have had camping in the fairgrounds, something I had never heard of in Oregon. This place is full because they have a big Little League tournament going on for the end of the baseball season. Maybe we will get to watch one of their games. Today is warm, about 90 degrees but there is a breeze and that helps. We also have electric hookups at this site so we have AC. We have been to the coin laundry so we have our clothes washed for the coming week. Two weeks from today we plan on being home so we only have one more laundromat experience next week before we will be home. Are we starting to sound anxious to be home? We are looking forward to it.

Pend Oreille River

Tonight we are camped along the Pend Oreille River. When we arrived here all the campgrounds were full because they are having hydroplane boat races here this weekend. The Rotary lets people camp here for special events so we are camped at a Rotary building and actually we are in a field, not a campground, We have been sitting outside this afternoon enjoying the day with a nice breeze but the breeze has stopped and now the mosquetoes are out. I just moved inside. I am reading Undaunted Courage about the Lewis and and Clark expedition and they mention how many different ways they spelled mosquetoes so if I get the spelling wrong on that at least I am in good company. This part of the country is very pretty with clear lakes and rivers. they sure are nice to see.

Hope Idaho

We are camped along Lake Pend Orelle in Idaho now. It is nice to finally be done with Montana. It is a long state and felt like it took a long time to cross it. We have been traveling through hills and along rivers and lakes the last few days and I have enjoyed seeing the landscape. This lake is very clear and we can see tiny fishes swimming in it. I wish Fern Ridge was so clean and clear. Paul and I met up in Clark Fork for ice cream today and we had a fresh huckleberry sundae. I had never had huclekberries before and it sure was good. We are camped in a forest service campground and when we pulled in there was a sign saying it was full but we managed to find a spot and it is very pleasant though a little warm without AC. There are many deer here and they seem to be quite tame. There is even a sign that says don't feed the deer. That's the first time I've ever seen that one. When we walked down to the lake we saw a deer trying to get food from a campground. It looked like it was just about sticking it's head in a grocery sack. We had one visit our camp and Paul took it's picture. Tomorrow we will go into Washington.

Libby MT

Today our journey took us along the shore of Lake Koocanusa. It is a very long lake and very pretty with trees all around it. It is impounded by Libby Dam. I must admit that driving along the lake with all the ups and downs was not real comfortable for me but fortunately the traffic was light so I could take it at my own pace. The river that flows out of it is Kootenai River. We are camped in an RV park tonight and it is very welcome because the day is quite warm, low 90's so the air conditioner feels real good. When we got to camp we walked to the grocery store and got some vegetables to go with our little steak that Paul cooked for dinner. It was pretty warm but it felt good to get out and walk a bit. We have been able to flush out our water system here and it really needed it. Our water was getting a little green so I put some bleach in it and we were able to flush it all out and put fresh water in it. Last night in Montana.

Eureka Montana

We are still in Montana. I guess we have one more night after tonight. We are camped in a city park and it has been a nice place to camp. The breeze has been strong enough to keep the bugs down pretty good.and we have been sitting under the trees and enoying watching the river flow by. This park and the river seem to get a lot of use. There have been kids playing on the bank and floating down on inner tubes and having lunch etc. The clouds have moved in and it looks like it could rain tonight. The forcast calls for a chance of showers. The country has changed again and we are in forested country and rolling hills instead of plains. This has been one of the few places we have been able to enjoy sitting outside for a while.

Glacier

Today was Glacier National Park day for us. We took one of the famous red buses up to Logan Pass on The Going to the Sun Road. To say it was awesome is an understatement. The drive is up a very winding road that goes up and up and when you get to the top the views are great. We saw mountain goats and bighorn sheep. They are doing some construction on the road but it is still open and they work around the traffic or the traffic works around them. Did I mention the views are fantastic? There is still snow up there and we walked in it for a few steps. I guess the road has only been open for 2 1/2 weeks so far this summer. Then after our tour up there we went on a tour boat ride on Lake Mc Donald. That was very relaxing and beautiful. Then we went to dinner. Now we are regrouping and getting ready to be back on the road tomorrow. We have had a short stay in Glacier but a good one. Definately someplace we should come back to again.

Glacier

We attended church in Colombia Falls this morning and then came back and went over to the national park. We strolled around Apgar Village and looked at Lake Mc Donald and visited with some nice people. I think we are going to try to go to a ranger program tonight after dinner.

Glacier

We arrived in Glacier today. The terrain really changed when we hit E. Glacier. We traveled along mountains and trees and a river called Middle Fork of the Flathead River. The water was a very different color from all the minerals deposited from the melting glaciers. It was very pretty. We have not had the chance to explore the area yet as Paul got in at 3:30 and we had to do our laundry, eat etc. Tomorrow we plan to go to church and then explore a bit. The weather has been sunny and nice. Even though the sun is shining it doesn't feel so hot because it is dry. This morning it was so cool that we had to turn on the heat in our trailer to take the chill off. The day warmed up though. We stopped at the lodge in E. Glacier and walked through it. It was built in the era of timberline lodge and is very impressive.

West of Cut Bank

We have passed the last Mc Donalds before Glacier, so the sign says. We are camped about 30 miles from East Glacier and plan to arrive in West Glacier tomorrow. We have been traveling through plains now for a while and a change of scenery will be welcome. Today I went into an Albertson's in Cut Bank Mt. It made me almost feel like I was home. Tonight we are camped in a meadow where there is very little around us but grass land. The owners I guess are around somewhere but it feels like we are alone in the middle of the plains. There is an historical marker by this site that says that this is the furtherest North that Lewis and Clark traveled on the voyage of discovery before turning back. We have seen many of the areas where they traveled on our voyage. Today Paul was fighting the wind most of the day but he did OK. He turned over 10,000 miles on his odometer today. We have finished figuring out the rest of our trip and if all goes well we should be home on Aug 20. It will feel good to get home.

Chester MT

Last night we were in a little town called Chinook. There was no cell reception there so we coundn't get on line. Tonight we are in Chester, another small town along hwy 2. It seems like we have been following 2 forever but of course it has only been through No Dakota and Montana. Tomorrow we will be in Cutbank and then into Glacier for the weekend. Paul is doing really good and the weather has been very nice. We have been staying in city campgrounds the past few days where we have not had electric hookups so no air conditioning but it has been OK The weather has been in the 70's for traveling and has cooled off for good sleeping at night. We are driving through Montana in the longest route and it is long. The terrain doesn't change much from mile to mile. Right now we are sitting outside in the shade in the park and it is very pleasant, there are not even too many bugs which is quite nice. The sky is very blue with white puffy clouds. I think the sky is bluer up here than other places. 

Saco MT

This morning we went to the Fort Peck interpetive center and saw some great dinosaur fossils. They had a life size T-Rex. They would have been fearsome to run into. It also was about the construction of the dam. Paul was almost hired to work here when we were young so it was interesting to see the little town and the area. As we were driving along HWY 2 today someone had made modals of a number of different kinds of dinosaurs and had placed them in the grasses along the road. Today was one of those days when we didn't know for sure where we were going to camp. We ended up here in a very small town (250) people living here and are camped right along the hwy. Fortunately the traffic seems to be slowing down. Unfortunately there is a bar across the street with loud people talking etc out fromt. I guess stepping out for a smoke. On the other side of us is a major train line with high speed trains roaring by frequently. They are close enough that it shakes our trailer. Oh well, it is only for one night and tomorrow we will be heading further West.

Fort Peck Montana

Today we were planning on camping in Wolf Point Montana in a city park.When we arrived there it was just a gravel parking lot. The temp was about 90 degrees and of course there was no eclectricity so we checked out another rv park in the area and it smelled of sewage so since the wind was at Pauls back we dicided to go on to Fort Peck. It turned out to be over 140 miles Paul rode today. We are camped by an interperators visitor center about dinosaurs and I am planning on visiting tomorrow. I hope Paul will take a couple of hours off and go with me since he did half of his ride for tomorrow today. Yesterday our hosts invited us to have dinner with them and they ordered 2 large trays of Mexican food from a local restaurant. It was finger foods and it sure was good. I am not usually a big fan of Mexican food but this was really good. Then they took us for a ride to see where the Missouri River has flooded out of its banks and the development in Williston and then treated us to an ice cream at DQ. Very nice people. Today as we drove through this park of Montana it was the great plains for sure. We had long vistas of grasses blowing in the breeze and a big blue sky. There is a chance for storms again here in the next few days but I guess that is just normal here.

Williston

Today is a rest day and we attended church this morning. It was a very big congregation and they say they are going to be dividing into 2 in a few weeks. I counted how many women there were in Relief Society (our womens meeting) and there were at least 50. That is more than have been in some of the congregations of everyone that we have visited in the past few months. Did I mention that Williston is an oil boom town? When we stopped yesterday in the Walmart the parking lot was full of trucks and campers and work trailers. In church they asked if anyone had or knew of available housing since all housing was full. It made us even more appreciative of the hospitality of our hosts here. This afternoon we took a nice walk. It was in the low 80's so we let the sprinklers spray us in the park. It felt good. Tonight we are looking forward to visiting with our hosts who have been out of town helping with clean up in Minot. Tomorrow we go into Montana and into the Montain Time Zone.

Williston No Dakota

This will be our last stop in No Dakota. We will be here for 2 nights since this is Saturday. When we were in Michigan we meet some people at church that told us to get in touch with some folks here in Williston and when we did they invited us to stay at their place and gave us a key to their house even though they will be gone until Sunday. They are in minot helping with the flood cleanup We really appreciate this since Williston has become a boom town for the oil industry and it is very difficult finding a place to park. Even in Stanley where we camped last night there were workers staying in the campground. Last night as we were camping a lady in the campground came by and said there was a tornado watch and flood watch for our area and it was expected to turn into a warning (which is more serious). As the evening progressed the sky got very gray and about dark the sky started to be filled with lightning and we heard thunder for several hours and then we had rain. I had heard that tornados sound like a train which was a bad thing since we had train tracks just a few feet from our trailer and we had many trains go by during the night. I must admit I had a hard time sleeping until the weather calmed down. We met some nice people at our last campsite. They are on a long bike trek as well but are going the other direction. She is driving a car and setting up a tent to camp at night. He only has one leg so I am sure it is hard work for him to ride. They were very upbeat and it was nice to talk to someone who could relate to what I am doing. They have been on the road since late June. We have kind of figured out the rest of our trip and it looks like we should be home about the 20th of Aug. I am looking forward to that.

Stanley ND

Today we traveled on to Stanley No Dakota. It was an uneventful drive. The wind was more at our backs, (what wind we had) today, so that was nice. The day was sunny and in the 70:s. All along the road in this part of No Dakota there are areas of standing water in the fields. This is left over from the floods they have had here this year. As we went by Minot we could see where the water had been and some of the efforts to keep it out. Paul rode through town and saw some of the clean up efforts going on. In church services they are again asking for volunteers to go help clean up. We have been invited to stay with some people from our church this weekend but they will be gone to work on clean up. They will hold a 7:00 in the morning , 1/2 Sacrament meeting and then go spend the rest of the day helping to clean. We have thought about going to help but it is just too far to go back when we will have just arrived in Williston, Because of all the rain they have had in this part of the country the fields are still green and as we drove down the road today the wind blew the grasses and it looked just like waves of grass blowing in the breeze, kind of pretty. I saw fields of sunflowers as well as other crops growing in the fields. The first 1/2 of No Dakota was pretty flat but now we are getting into more low hills. Tonight the forecast is for strong storms with possible hail and 2-3 inches of rain. I hope they are wrong about the hail. When we were in town someone stopped Paul and said the weather was not looking good and told us there is a storm shelter right across the street in an old rock building. That's is comforting to know but hope we won't need it. Tomorrow is also supposed to have a chance of thunder showers. Then the weather is supposed to improve. We are again camped at a city camp ground. It is designed for people like us who are just passing through but there is an oil boom here and I guess it is hard to find places to stay. We saw oil derricks along the road today. 

Towner ND

Today dawned clear and cooler. Paul left to start his ride about 6:00 to avoid as much of the wind as possible. When he was getting ready it wasn't blowing but then it started up from the west again. It did not blow as hard as yesterday but still made his ride harder. Tomorrow the wind is supposed to change to blow from the east to the west. I hope the weather man is right so it can blow Paul toward the west. Last night we stayed at the Super 8. Today we traveled on to Towner. It is a very small town but they have a few electric hookups in their park and allow people to camp here. There was a class from No Dakota State on barbeqeuing at this park so there were a lot of people milling about all evening but they have gone home now and we have the park to ourselves. I took a little stroll through the town and when I got back Paul said that was a short walk. I walked all the way to the end of town and back. It must have been at least 3-4 blocks. Well I haven't anything else to report so I guess I will send this through the air and have some Oreos and milk before bed.

Devils Lake and wind

Today we left Minnesota and entered North Dakota. The morning was overcast and pretty warm but then the clouds cleared off and the wind really started to blow and this time it was against Paul and me. I could feel it in the truck and it was strong enough my truck actually shifted itself to fight the wind. I finally caught up to Paul and we had sandwiches in the trailer. The wind was blowing so hard that Paul was only able to go about 5 miles per hour. He still had 27 miles to go so they were rough on him. When I got to Devils Lake I discovered that the campground I thought I had arranged for was no longer in operation. When I called them back they said they were a different State Park and they had camping available but the road was closed to get there because of the winds. I guess it was blowing water over the road or something. With our obtions running out we decided to stay at the Super 8. I waited in the trailer in the heat about3 hours today for Paul to arrive so we could decide where to stay. Needless to say it feels really good to have showered and be all cleaned up. They are forcasting wind from the West again tomorrow but hopefully it will not be so strong. At least the humidity is supposed to be down.

Crookston MN

Today was another hot and humid day. As I was getting ready to leave Bemidji I could hear thunder and wondered if Paul was hitting bad weather. As I drove west the sky actually got lighter so I hoped Paul had cleared out of the thunderstorm area before it arrived. It was a straight shot for me right on hwy 2 for 80 miles or so. When I got to Crookston Paul was only about 1/2 mile from our campground so we arrived very close to the same time. He had left early to miss the heat and I had left eary because he had. He said the wind had been behind him for a good part of the way and he had made really good time. For a while he was coasting at 18 miles an hour. He averaged over 15 miles an hour. We are camped at a city park that has camping. It is not so unusual to find that here. After getting settled we walked into town and found a Subway to buy a sandwich for lunch. Then we bought a shake for the walk back. I think we are going to go see the new Harry Potter film this afternoon since the theatre is very close to where we are camped.

Bemidji Minnesota

 Today we traveled on to Bemidji. I thought it would be our last night in MN but we have one more tomorrow night. This part of the country is in a heat advisory status. Today was hot and humid but not as bad as I thought it would be. We have our campgrounds planned out for the coming week and I think we will have electricity every night this week. The weather is supposed to break for cooler temps on wed or thur. I sure hope so. We are pretty much on hwy 2 now and will be on that most of the way to Washington. Today we went into town and did some shopping. Bemidji is where they still have a woolen mill that makes things out of wool, of course. Paul bought me a nice sweater for church. Needless to say I will not be wearing it for a while. Then we stopped for a Blizzard at DQ. The head waters of the Mississippi is only about 25 miles from here. It is in a state park where it is a spring that fills a lake and then flows onward clear to the Gulf of Mexico.It would have been nice to drive into the state park and see it but in Minnesota the state government is shut down because they have not passed a budget. That means the state parks are all closed as well as rest areas and many other services, most of them ones we don't need. I guess the government can't (won't?)  work together and the citizens suffer.  Today I turned the radio on while I was driving. It is the first time I have listened to the radio for thousands of miles. I kind of liked it. It was an oldies channel playing a lot of Elvis Presley songs. I guess I better get ready for dinner. Paul is going to cook some meat for hambergers tonight while I get everything else ready.

Grand Rapids, Minnesota

Today is Sunday so we are not traveling. We are camped at a county fairgrounds and today we are pretty much by ourselves. Yesterday there was a big family having a reunion here but today they have all gone home. We have electric hookup but no water and we are sure glad for the electric so we can run our air conditioner. It is 86 degrees and 66% humidity. We went to church but the internet said Church started at 11:50 and when we got there we realized this was just the time Sac. started and we had missed the other meetings that started at 10:00. I guess we should have figured it out because of the starting times. Well I guess we live and learn.

Grand Rapids, Minnesota

Today we expected rain and didn't get any! It is very humid here and we are under a heat advisory. Tomorrow is supposed to be the worse with temps in the 90's and humidity up there as well. It is good that we will not be traveling. There is a church just a couple of miles from our campground so that will be nice for us. This campground has lots of mosquitos. With the humidity and the bugs I even drove down to the shower so I could get back with out getting all sweaty again.With all the rain we had this week Paul had to spend some time cleaning up and oiling his bike. At least for that part of the day there was a breeze that kept the bugs down a bit. Somehow the bugs are able to get in our trailer so we are trying different things to keep them out. I hope when we get away from all the water in Minnesota they will be less of a problem. Today we saw the Mississippi River. Here it is not very big. The headwaters are about 100 miles away from here in a state park. We saw the other end of the Mississippi a few months ago down by New Orleans. It is a very long river. Paul says it is about 2500. miles long. It certainly divides our country from North to South. I feel lucky tonight so maybe I will win at Skipbo. 

Aitkin Minnesota

Oh Boy What a Day! This morning started gray but dry but before much of the day went by the heavens opened up. Paul had just worn his light jacket instead of his rain coat and he got soaked. I knew that I would not be able to shower at our campground tonight so I took a shower and got on the internet to check the weather. The radar showed rain and thunder showers all over in the area we were traveling through. I had to pack up camp in the pouring rain. Just walking to the showers and bathroom it was inpossible to stay dry. I had put on dry clothes after showering but by the time I got everything put away I was soaked so I got some dry clothes and put them in the car and after everything was done I changed clothes in the truck. I had to stop and buy gas and while I was doing that I spilled gas on the truck and down my leg so I smelled like gas for all of my drive. All morning it rained and thundered and lightninged. I think we finally drove out of the rain as we moved north. Finally the sky got lighter and the rain lessened until we drove into sunshine. It sure was welcome so we acould dry everything out. We spred stuff all over our picnic table to dry. There was enough of a breeze that we could sit out in the shade and enjoy the afternoon until it got too hot and humid. It has clouded back up tonight and we are expected to receive more rain and lightning tonight and tomorrow. I must admit I was nervous about having Paul ride in this kind of weather and don't really like it when my trailer feels the thunder. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Cambridge Minnesota

Today the weather was cool and rainy. The cool part was not so bad but Paul had to ride in the rain for several hours. When I got to our campsite and set up camp I decided to walk over to the Arby's and have lunch. It was not raining when I left but when it was time to walk back it was raining pretty good so I got pretty wet as welll. Of course as soon as I got to camp I could change clothes. We are camped at a county fair grounds tonight. It seems many counties in this part of the country have campgrounds and we have stayed at a couple. Right next to our site is an arena and there is a group of kids practicing their drills on horses. I assume they are going to perform at their county fair which is later this month. We have been listening to the music and drill instructions for an hour or so. There are not many people camping here but there are quite a few working on different things. On the other side of the grounds there was a group working with dogs. Fortunately as soon as Paul got into camp about 3:30 it stopped raining. It is still overcast and looks like it could rain any minute but so far it has not. Last night as we were watching a movie on Netflix our camp neighbor brought us over a nice dessert and this morning she brought us some homemade muffins. She says she loves to cook and likes to share what she makes with her fellow campers. Last night we also had an interesting person camp at our campsite. She is walking/hitchhiking cross country. It sounds like she is losing her sight and wants to see some of the country while she can. She started in Texas and we met her in Wisconsin. She is not walking all the time. She is getting rides a lot. She is pushing a baby stroller with two small dogs in it. Tomorrow it is supposed to be hot, in the mid 80's and have thunder showers. I guess we will see.

Cumberland Wisconsin

Tonight is our 3rd night in Wisconsin and tomorrow we head into Minnesota. For much of the day yesterday and part of today we had a snowmobile-atv trail along the side of the road. We noticed small stop signs and road signs and wondered what they were until we realized they were for snowmobiles and atvs. Last night we camped where there were a lot of misquetoes. During the night they even got into our trailer some way so today I bought some repellant. They don't seem to be so bad at this location at least during the day. There are many canoe trails and ponds along the road in Wisconsin and the ponds are loaded with waterlilles. Today I did not use my gps since I didn't have an address for our camping site. Fortunately Paul got here first and found the site and waved me in. I bought a puzzle the other day and Paul and I spent some time yesterfday putting it together. I got one of those things to save your work on the puzzle. We will see how well that works out. I guesss it is time for me to start dinner while Paul does his blog.

Leaving Michigan behind

Today we entered Wisconsin. I had many miles of driving on roads almost to my self. It was kind of nice. We will only be in this state for 3 nights and then we will be on to Minnesota. In this area there are still many trees and many lakes and some misquetos. I have been feeling kind of tired, not sleepy but just tired of the whole trip. I guess it is good we are heading west. I am starting to feel ready to be home. All is well though and we are not having any problems.

Crystal Falls

Today we attended church in Kingsford MI. It was a very small congregation. There were only about 25-30 people there. One of the couples from church stopped by for a visit at camp after church. It was nice to have company.They gave us a name of someone who might host us for an over night in No Dakota. Then we went to town and did our laundry. Paul spent some time getting his bike ready for the upcoming week. I have been listening to some cd's on the development of language. It is kind of interesting but not fascinating. Today it is warm and kind of humid. I hope this week cools off a bit.

Crystal Falls

We are at Crystal Falls tonight. It is a campground right in the city. Of course the city is very small and we don't see any of it form here. We entered the central time zone today  Somehow it makes home feel closer to know that. Today was a pretty straight forward drive and I did well until I got lost at the end. I am here now though and that's what matters. We have found some green color to our fresh water supply so Paul drained it and we put some bleach in to clean it up. I guess we didn't realize if we put water that has not been treated (well water) we need to add a little bleach to it each time. Oh well I guess we live and learn. Church is 30 miles away so I am not sure if we have decided to go or not. They don't have laundry facilities here so we will need to go to a laundromat in town. We sure miss our washer and dryer.Monday we go into Wisconsin.

Vagabond Resort

We have been out of cell phone and internet range for a few days so I have a little catching up to do. After leaving Wilderness State Park we took the Ferry to Mackinac Island. It was a nice little diversion on a day of a short ride for Paul. We took the ferry and then took a horse carriage tour of the Island. It is an island where they do not allow cars. The taxi's are horse and carriage and freight is carried on flat beds pulled by horses. It is supposed to be one of the top tourist attractions in the country and when we were there it seemed like one. There were many people and bikes and it was on a weekday. Then we took the ferry back and then drove across the Mackinaw Bridge.This is the bridge that divides Lake Huron from Lake Michigan. This part of Michigan is called the Upper Peninsula. I have been suprised to see how much water surrounds the state of Michigan. Everywhere we go up here we see trails for snowmobiles. I guess the lakes freeze over enough that people drive cars on them and smowmobile on them. Last night we camped along Lake Michigan. Our spot was about 50 feet from the waters edge and we could hear the waves and seagulls all night. After our trek to the pit toliet last night I noticed quick little blasts of light here and there. We started to watch and realized they were fireflies or lightening bugs. I thought it was kind of cool. Today started out with a brief shower but cleared off into a nice day. Everywhere up here they sell pasties so we bought a couple of them to see what they are like and are going to heat them on the grill for dinner. It seems to be kind of like a pot pie with meat and veggies in it. I will let you know how it goes.

Barnes Park, Eastport Mi

Today we moved futher North. This area of the country doesn't have so many small towns as some of the areas we have been through. The only real town we went through was Traverse City. It gave me a chaance to stop at Wal Mart and get some groceries. It is cherry season here and as I drove I saw many fields of cherry trees filled with cherries. There were a number of fruit stands along the road and I stopped and bought a homemade cherry pie. I guess Michigan is known for its tart cherries. It was sunny for most of the day but it has clouded up and there is a chance of  showers tonight. We are camped along Lake Michigan tonight. It is a big lake and we took a little stroll along the sandy beach. The water looked pretty clear, at least in this area.

Wellsport MI

We are still in Michigan and it looks like we will be for most of this week. I never realized what this state was shaped like. So far we have stayed mostly on the interior of the state but I think in the coming days we will see more of the great lakes. Someone told us that 20% of the fresh water in the world is contained in the great lakes. I hope we get to see some of it. Today is the 4th of July but for us it is just another travel day. We are in a forested area where I am sure there will be no fireworks. They do have a nice pool here though and we spent some of this afternoon cooling off in it. When we got to camp Paul worked on my stabilizers. I have to admit that I had damaged them by moving the truck before raiseing them up. I try to remember everything I need to do to move camp but I messed up one day and that messed up the stabilizers. Paul has them working better now and that should help until we get home and can make a more complete repair. I was going to stop at a store today for some groceries but there was not one on the route I drove today so we will have ham and eggs for dinner. 

Herrick Mi

We are still at Herrick. When we arrived on Friday our campsite was right next to a camp site with about a hundred kids and a bunch of adults smoking and a couple of dogs so we asked for a different site and we were able to move for a couple of nights and then today we had to move again. It was worth it to have a more peaceful camp site. Today we went to church in Harrison Mi. It was a small branch but nice. Yesterday we had a very hot day. It was so humid that when we stopped the truck where we had air conditioning going and got out into the heat my glasses fogged up so I had to take them off so I could see. It was close to 90 with humidity close to 90 as well. We went to the beach in this campground and cooled off in the pond. It felt really good. Today it was a little cooler and much less humid. Tomorrow we will be back on the road even though it is the 4th of July. While we were in town Saturday doing our laundry we went to a "world famous" donut shop called Cops and Donuts. The bakery was about to close it's doors and the local law inforcement decided to buy it and keep it open. Of course we had never heard of this so I am not so sure how famous it is but it was fun and of course we had to buy a donut there.

Herrick Rec Area, Mi

After arriving in Michigan we camped at Alganac State Park then moved on to Bawagana Campground. While waiting for Paul I watched the kids play in the pond. It was very pleasant to sit in the shade and watch the kids. One little boy was splashed by his brother and he came running to his grandma worried that he might have got some rocks or fish in his mouth. He would not be convinced that he was ok until his grandma looked in his mouth and didn't see any fish in there. There was one little girl that looked a lot like Mimsy only younger. Later that evening I finished the book I have been reading. It was Lonesome Dove. It was an interesting book. As we were traveling to this campground I saw signs along some of the fields that had signs posted saying Post and Kelloggs. I liked seeing then and realizing that some of our food is grown in the USA. Last night we put our flag lights up on our trailer since this is the 4th of July weekend. We have been having a harder time having internet access in this part of the country so If I don't post don't think there is a problem. It is more likely that we just don't have service. We are actually doing this internet stuff at the local Mc Donalds. We have been here for at least 1 1/2 hours. Tomorrow we plan on attending church Then we will travel on on Monday.

Michigan

I guess I haven't updated for a few days.While we were in New York we were able to take a little crusie on the Erie Canal. We went through 2 locks. It was interesting to learn a little bit about the canal and to see it in person even though the original has been redone a time or two. I think I wrote on Sunday and then lost it. I actually thought I had posted. We went to church on Sunday and then Monday we were off to Canada. We crossed north of Niagara Falls and traveled to the shore of Lake Erie. The mosquitoes were very bad so we stayed in our trailer most of the evening. That was a bad day for me since I wasn't able to use my gps. It took asking about 5 people for directions to get me to camp. The next night we stayed at a campground at Port Stanley. I assume it was close to Lake Erie as well but I never saw the lake on that day. Today we traveled on and are back in the USA. We crossed the Saint Clarie River on a ferry. Paul and I were going to meet up and cross together but he ended up taking a different ferry. When I went through customs they wanted to search my trailer and truck. The only thing I can figure is that I looked like a terriorist. Fortunately they didn't find anything and I was let back into the country. The river was a beautiful shade of blue. It took me by surprise. Even though we were only in Canada for 2 nights it is good to be back in the USA. This weekend is Canada Day and of course this weekend is the 4th of July. We will be camping an extra day for the holiday.

Niagara Falls

Yesterday we arrived at this campground about 30 miles froim Niagara Falls. today we spent the day at the falls. We went on the Maiden of the mist boat up to the base of the falls and got sprayed from the mist. They give everyone a poncho to keep them from getting wet and they are needed for sure. It is quite an awesome site to be at the base Then we walked out to what they call Cave of the Winds. They gave us sandals to where and another poncho and we were able to walk right out close and even get wet from the Bridal Veil Falls. We rode the trolley and went to the aquarium and the Discovery Center. By the time we were through we were tired but had thoroughly enjoyed our day. A quick stop at Subway turned out to be our dinner. Tomorrow we will travel to Lockport for church.

Palmyra

We are still in Palmyra New York and have had a busy day of visiting historical sites. This morning we went to the Hill Cumorah and walked up to the top of the hill. It is covered with trees and we were told that was the way it was when Joseph Smith recieved the plates from the angel Moroni. They are preparing for a big pagent here in the coming weeks. We are no longer alone in the fair grounds camping area. There are about 7 big rigs that have pulled in as part of the preperations for this pagent. It sure would be nice to be able to stay and see it but the time frame just won't work. Then we visited the site where the Book Of Mormon was published. As we were visiting with one of the guides there we found that we both graduated from the same high school in the same year. Of course I didn't recognise her nor she me. Still it is a small world, especially in the church. The truck says it is 86 degrees outside today and with the rain from this morning it is very humid. It takes very little effort to fell all hot and sweaty. I am glad we have our air conditioner today. We will be back on the road tomorrow.

Palmyra New York

Last night we listened to the weather forcast and the forcast called for thunderstorms and rain during the night. This morning about 5:00 the wind came up and we had thunder and lightening and then a rain shower. Paul got off about 1 1/2 hours late but the rain had stopped by the time he left. I left about 11 and it soon started to rain so Paul rode in the rain most of the day and most of my drive was in the rain. We are camped at the Wayne County Fairgrounds tonight. We are the only people camping here and we had to have someone come and unlock the bathrooms. I guess when they have a pagent here in July they are fulll of people camping here. We are taking tomorrow off from traveling to do some sight seeing in this town. Several events of importance to our church happened in this area so we are going to visit some of them. Today we visited the farm of Joseph Smith's family and the Sacred Grove. Tomorrow we are going to the Hill Cumorah and David Witmer's family farm. We are pleased that the bike trail takes us right through Palmyra.

Fulton NY

Yesterday afternoon we took a walk down by the river and saw all kinds of man made cut markings in the rock. When I asked the owner of the camp ground what they were he told me that they had quarried pieces of rock from that river as well as others in the area to make the Erie Canal. There were some canals in the area and and he said that was how they barged the stones to the canal. We also saw little fish and little tadpoles in the river. Where they had made the cuts actually had little streams of water running in them. Today we moved on from Boonville to Fulton. Along the way there were a number of signs with a horse and buggy on them. I never saw any horses or buggies but Paul did. Tomorrow we will be in Palmyra. We are going to take a day off from traveling to spent in Palmyra. It is not a big place or important to the world but it figures prominently in our churches history. Today we are camped on a very nice lake. There are many lakes in New York, many more than I ever realized. We are out of the mountains and into rolling hills covered with trees.

New York

We have basically been off the grid the last couple of days so have not posted. We had a restful but buggy weekend. Our campground was on Long Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. The weather was pleasant but there were so many bugs that it was hard to enjoy being outside. They have these annoying little black flies here that you really don't even see land on you that bite and leave a little blister kind of bite. I hope we get out of them soon. We have been told that they die back about the 4th of July. Now we are out of the mountains and I am hopeing we will have less bugs. Sunday we were not able to attend church because the nearest one was over 60 miles away wo we stayed in camp and Paul cleaned up his bike. He pretty much needs to do it every weekend. Then we went to town where there was a hot spot and was able to get on Skype and visit with several of our kids at once. This was one of the few days that our son in Brazil was  able  to call beings it was Father's Day. It was nice to visit with him as well as Justin and Valerie and Christian and Yumi and Naomi and Jean and Brent. Brent spilled the big news that he is engaged to Christine and they are planning an Oct. Wedding. Today we left the mountains and are travelling through upstate New York. We passed many beautiful lakes, some of them named, creatively, Eightth Lake and Seventh Lake. Paul and I arrived within about 15 minutes of each other at this campground and were able to empty our sewer water. Then we went to the Hamlet of Boonville and got subway sandwiches.They really tasted good. It has been a while since we did that.

Middlebury Vermont

We are still in Vermont today. It was a day of ups and downs, some freeways and some very small roads. We had a few showers but not too much. This afternoon it looks like it could rain as well. I got an unexpected call from someone back home who has just completed the part of the trip that we are starting. It is always nice to visit with someone from home and share experiences. Tomorrow, New York.

Vermont

Yesterday we were camped in a Forest service campground where we did not have internet service or cell phone coverage so I didn't write anything. We have been traveling through the Applacian Mountains so it has been a lot of hills. There seems to be a big bike rally or something going on because there are hundreds of motorcycles in the area. This morning when I left camp I waited for many motorcycles to pass before I could enter the road and leave camp. After sitting there for a while I decided to start counting bikes to get an idea of how many there were and at least another 100 bikes that I counted went by before any car, then there were more on the roads. On one of the roads I drove today I was behind a student driver of a semi truck. It was a steep road and the truck went very slow both up and down the road and there was no place to pass. I rally didn't mind since I wanted to take the road slow as well. Parts of it were 9% grade. Paul actually arrived at our campground first today but he would not have if I had not been behind that truck. I got in about 15 minutes after he did. Tomorrow Pauls route takes him through Sharon Vermont which is the birth place of Joseph Smith so when we got to camp we drove over and visited the monument to him and the visitors center. It was very nice and then we stopped for an ice cream. The weather has warmed up again and the high was in the low 80"s today. We will spend one more night in Vermont and then back to New York.

West Poland Me

This will be our last night in Maine. Then we are on to New Hampshire and Vermont. Today was a drive that took some studying to figure out how to arrive here. Paul and I both made it without getting lost. Yahoo! Tomorrow we have a mountain pass to cross but less miles to drive/ride. It was another rainy drizzley day but the cool weather I think is easier on Paul.Tomorrow it is supposed to be partly cloudy and up into the 70's. The high today was probably in the 50's or maybe low 60's. I really didn't think I would be wearing my long pants and sweatshirt any more until winter but this week we have been. I would like to have spent some time outside today but in this campground there is a lot of mosquitoes so it is not very inviting. There is a nice lake with forest around it so it is pretty. I never dreamed there were so many trees in this country as we have seen it these eastern states.

Bar Harbor to Northport

Well today we are back on the road. Yesterday it rained all day so we were hopeing the weather would be better today. It was, but not perfect. Most of the time Paul was riding there was mist but not heavy rain. We went about 73 miles today. Tomorrow will be a very long day for Paul, his longest yet because it is the only place we can find to camp.When I pulled into our campground today and checked in they said if we turn on the heat or air conditioning they want us to pay an extra 3 dollars. It seems like the camping is expensive enough without the extras. This is the first time we have had this experience. Fortunately the weather is not so cold that we need to turn on the heat even though we did use our heater the last 2 nights in Acadia National Park. We have been studying our maps for the trip home and we still have over 4000 miles to go to get there.

BAR HARBOR MAINE!

Yesterday we arrived in Bar Harbor Maine. It was a short travel day for us, only about 50 miles. After we set up camp we drove through Acadia National Park. We drove to the top of Cadillac Mt where there is a sign  that says if you were here when the sun camp up you would see the first rays of the sun as they hit the USA, as it is the hightest point on the Atlantic coast. Of course we were not there at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning but it was still a marvelour view of the islands and Atlantic Ocean. Paul is having his bike worked on while we are here so we went to town after to see how things were coming with it. Then we walked around town for a while and then went on a sunset cruise on a 151 ft, 4 masted sailboat. It was a very nice evening for a cruise and enough wind to move us along. It was the perfect ending to the day.We are camped in an area where we have no cell phone coverage and therefore no internet so I may not log on until Manday. We will beheading West and towards home.

Shady Oaks Campground in Orland Maine

Today we have moved on another inch on the map. Tomorrow we will arrive in Bar Harbor! It is rather warm and humid today so we are using the air conditioner. Paul is still recovering from his ailment and woke this morning bathed in sweat. In fact his sheets were soaked this morning on his side of the bed. I washed them for tonight. He seems to be feeling better tonight.
When we get to Bar Harbor he will have a few days to rest and recover as we will stay there until Monday. We may not have internet service there so we may not be able to post until Monday. 

Lake Pemiquid

Today was an uneventful day. The drive went smooth and I got set up all before Paul got here. The weather was supposed to be hot but we were close enough to the coast that it was not bad. Tomorrow is supposed to be hot as well and then it is supposed to get cooler again. We spent a little time in the hot tub and then showered and took a walk along the lake. It is a beautiful lake surrounded by a mixed variety of trees. I guess I need to fix dinner now.

Maine at last!

Today we crossed the border into Maine. I must admit I almost got a little weepy at the realization that we have come so far. Paul rode again today even though he was not feeling good last night. He made it to our camp today and seems to be doing better. He actually saw some of the coast today which I did not since I was on freeways must of the drive. I expect that I will get to see some of the coast as we head to Bar Harbor. The weather here has been perfect but tomorrow they are saying it will get hot and humid. I think we may be close enough to the coast to miss some of that. Today when I pulled into our campground the first thing I notices was MANY misketoes. I hurryed and set up camp and went into the trailer. I guess tonight will be an inside evening even though we did get in the hot tub for a short while.

Windsor Locks Ct-Littleton Mass-Brentwood NH

I guess this is what happens when you miss a couple of days. Here we are now in New Hampshire. From Windwsor Locks we went into Mass. My route took me through Springfield where they had tornados the past week. I was only on the freeway so did not see any sign of the damages. What a spring this has been for bad weather. I am so gratefull that we have always been far away form it. Saturday Paul rode 110 miles and when he got to camp he was not feeling well. He had the shakes and fever. I am not sure if it is exhaustion or he caught a cold. At least Sunday was a rest day and he did pretty good but still not feeling great. Of course he rode today and tonight he is really not feeling very good. I am hopeing he will take a day or two to recover before he rides again. We are getting so close to Bar Harbor and we just can't wait to turn West and head home. There are many hills in this part of the country and the roads are hard for Paul to find and to ride on. Sunday after church we had a neat experience. My ancestors were early settlers in Mass and we were able to find some names on head stones and on a placque placed to recognize Mattias Farnsworth who was an original citizen in Groton Mass. He lived in this area in the mid 1600. I looked his name up on the internet and someone had written a little book titled Mattias Farnsworth and his desendants in America. I have enjoyed reading some of it and am looking forward to reading more about this line of my ancestors. It was cool to find the memorial placque. Tonight we are camped in a very pretty campground with some nice ponds. I have walked down by the ponds and have seen fish swimming in it and turtles swimming there as well. The temperature was about 77 today acording to my truck and has been very nice.

Windsor Locks CT

Today we saw a sign that said Welcome to Conneticut. One more state under our belt. Tonight we are staying at a motel 6 because we could not find a campground for tonight. We found one but it cost more than the motel. We ordered pizza for dinner. Today was a challenging drive for me and a challenging ride for Paul. He rode 99 miles, all of it on hills big and small. I was actually driving on the same road for much of the time with many ups and downs and twists and turns. I am glad that tomorrow is Saturday so we can have a travel day off on Sunday.

Milford PA to Staasburg NY

We have passed into New York now and tomorrow we will be in Conn. and the next day Mass. Paul has travelled over 6000 miles by bike now so it feels like we are for sure over half done. Today i made a grocery run and restocked up on breand and milk etc. The drive was easier today. About half of it was on freeway and the other half was not so bad, not so many small towns. It just amazes me how forested this part of the country is. We have seem trees on the hills and along the roads for state after state. It is very green and pretty. They have had a wet winter and spring so I am not sure if it is always this way or it is just greener than usual.. Of course it is still spring. The day turned cooler and nice today. The high in my truck said it was 70 degrees and when we got to camp I actually put on my long pants for the first time in weeks. It is supposed to stay cooler and drier for the next week or so. It made Pauls ride more pleasant and sleeping easier. I guess there were tornados in mass. yesterday but the stormy weather is supposed to be gone for a while. This has been a rough weather year.

Milford PA

We are now about 12 miles from the NY border.My drive today was all among small towns with speed limits of 45 mphs or less except one short stretch on freeway that ended up being a toll road andxcost me $1.50. I think I was only on it for about 5 miles. The weather has been hot again but tomorrow is supposed to be cooler. I sure hope so. We are about 1 1/2 weeks out of Bar Harbor. That is a big deal for us because that is when we turn West. This part of the country is very pretty. It is quite hilly and in fact I saw a sign that referenced the Appalachian trail. I saw signs that lead to ski resorts so that gives you an idea that we are not on flat ground anymore.The hills are covered with various kinds of trees. Tomorrow I need to make a grocery stop so I hope I find a good grocery store on my way. Paul and I are travelling further and further away from each other as he takes his maps and I take the gps. I hope when we head west we will be travelling on the same roads more again. Until tomorrow.

Ringing Rocks campground / Milford NJ

Today Paul spent much of hiss riding time in New Jersery. I have yet to cross over that border. Today was a confusing drive for me. It seemed like for a while my gps was taking me in circles. I  got here though and so we inch closer to Bar Harbor everyday. Tomorrow will be our last night in PA. It was hot today and tomorrow is supposed to be another hot one. Hopefully after that it will cool off a bit. The swimming pool in camp felt good tonight. After the Memorial weekend the campgrounds are just about deserted. Both last night and tonight it feels like we are the ony people in camp. That is fine for us and makes finding a spot easier.

Hershey PA and onto Elverson

This morning when we got up and stepped outside we were suprised at how warm and humid it was even in the morning. When I left camp it was already 77 degrees and the humidity must have been that high as well. They are even in a heat advisory in this area. Hopefully Thur. it is supposed to be drier and cooler (mid  80's). While Paul was riding today I went to Hershey Gardens and spent a couple of hours walking through the gardens. It was warm but they had umbrellas that could be borrowed and I did. That way I could at least take a bit of shade with me. The gardens were nice but not as much wow factor as Buchart Gardens on Vancover Island. It looked like many of the summer flowers had been planted recently but had not had time to fill out. They had hundreds of roses in bloom though. They have a butterfly house and it was fun to go in and see all the butterflys. In the childrens garden they had stools for sitting on shaped like a hershey kiss. They had a nice gift shop and of course I found something nice to take home as a momento. It is a carved gourd with a light in it and it is nice because it was locally grown and made by local craftsmen. By the time I had spent a couple of hours there I was very hot so I stopped on my way to the campground and bought a drink and some strawberries from a farm store and some local cheese. The store workers were either Amish or Mennonite. I arrived at our campsite before checkin time so it was a little confusing for a while but finally I got to my site and Paul pulled up before I could get everthing set up so it was nice to have his help. As soon as we could we headed for the swimming pool. It is the nicest pool we have seen at any of our campground and the water sure felt good. Then we both took a COOL shower (there wasn't any hot water) and bought a huge ice cream cone. I am so glad we have air conditioning in our trailer and truck. Tomorrow it is supposed to be in the 90's and I must admit I worry about Paul riding in that heat for6-8 hours. Can't wait for cooler weather sometime.

Manheim

Today was a rest day so we went to church and did our laundry. This is Amish country and I was hoping I would see some of them but the route I drive is mostly on busy roads so I don't think I will see any. Hershey Pa is only about 20 miles away and while it is tempting to go there tomorrow and see their gardens, it is in the wrong direction. Maybe another trip another time. Tomorrow it is back on the road.

Manheim Pa

Another day another state. Last night we spent the night in the Wal Mart parking lot. We asked them if it was OK and they said yes but they wanted us to leave by 6:30 in the morning. When Paul left I left as well. We could not get into our campsite until 2:00 so I had a long day to spend somewhere. When I got to Manheim I found a school with trees along the parking lot. I was able to park there without being asked to leave. Fortunately there was a nice breeze and with the windows open I was able to stay pretty cool. I read for most of the day and then there was a T ball game played on the fields at the school so I took my lawn chair and watched the kids play T ball. Finally after a few wrong turns( probably because I lead him astray) Paul found me and we went on to our campground. The one we are staying at is a rather rough place but is a sister campground to a very nice one that we are able to use some of the amenities of. After dinner we went over and cooled off in the swimming pool and took showers. It feels good to feel clean and fresh again. Today on my drive a saw signs that warned me of a split in the traffic ahead. I had never seen a sign that said that before so I wondered what it meant. It also warned of a bridge with a 10 ft maximum width. My truck and trailer are about 8 ft wide. It seemed like the bridge went on for ever but it was probable only 1/4 mile. I had to talk myself all the way through it. So far I have put no scratches on truck and trailer. The road did split and the lane I went into had barricades up on both sides with just those 10 ft to drive in. I hope I don't experience that again. Tomorrow is a rest day and we will be going to church and doing our laundry.

Owings Mills Md

 A thunderstorm just rolled by and has made the air cooler but more humid. When ever there is a thunderstorm here I always think of tornados since there have been so many this year. Tonight we are camped or I guess you could say parked in a Wal Mart parking lot. I have been here since about 2:00 this afternoon and it really doesn't hold much charm for me. We can't run the air conditioner without an electric connection so it is pretty muggy. This is the only night we will spend in Maryland because tomorrow we expect to be in Pennsylvania. We did manage to find a campground for Saturday and Sunday night so it will be good to have electricity. The drive through Washington DC was a little nerve racking for me. My gps lead me on all the right roads but there was so much traffic and so much road construction going on that it made it a nervous drive for me. Then I had about 6 miles of stop and go traffic to deal with before I got out of the city. I hope tomorrow will be less congestion and more small roads.

Polick Bay Regional Park

We are now just on the outskirts of Washington D,C. Paul had a pretty god day until he had to find the camping site. He had a hard time finding the right roads. I used the gps and fortunately it brought me right here. I would never have been able to find it by myself. For me the drive was nerve racking since it was steady traffic on 3 lanes of freeway with many semis. I was relieved to arrive here. Tomorrow we will end up on the otherside of  Washington if all goes well. We have no place lined up to camp for the next 3 nights so we will probably stay in a Wal Mart parking lot tomorrow. That will be a challenge since it is hot here and we will not have air conditioning without an electrical hookup.I am hoping for cooler weather as we continue to go north. I thought we would be in Maryland tonight but we are still in Virginia and tomorrow we will go into Maryland. Right now it is 91 degrees.

Jamestown and Fredricksburg.

Yesterday was our last day to visit with Brent. We took Brent and his friend Christine to Jamestown which is the first permanent settlement (English) settlement in the new world. We where able to go on replicas of the boats that they came on. It sure doesn't look like a fun trip. They basically came as an investment by a company in England that wanted to come and find richs for the company. Of course that did not pan out for the investers. It was a touch and go interprise for a number of years. Originally it was the Capitol of Virginia but when that was moved to Williamsburg and then to Richmond that left Jamestown out of the loop. While in Jamestown I had a fly that was driving me crazy trying to bite me. Paul saw me swatting away at it and noticed I had a tick bitting my leg right behind the knee. We went into the visitor center and borrowed a pocket knife and a pair of tweezers. Paul tried to dig it out but couldn't get it so he tried the tweezers and after keeping pressure on it, it finally popped out. That evening we found 3 ticks in our trailer so we have been freaked out about ticks every since. While we were at Jamestown,(,a thunder storm approached and they asked us all to head into the indoors until it passed. It took up some of the valuable time we had to spend there and we never got any rain and the storm went another way. We were still able to see some of the recreations of the indian village and settler villages. This morning we needed to get back on the road so we got up at 5:00 this morning to drive to where Paul left off on his route. He started riding about 7:15 and had 103 miles to ride today. He got into camp about 4:30. This was a hot and tiring day for him, especially since it has been in the upper 80's most of the day. Hopefully after a shower and a good rest we will recuperate. When he got here we went into Fredricksburg to the Costco where we had preordered a tire for the truck. It was nice to see Brent but it is time to make tracks to the North, maybe it will be cooler there.

Cheatham Annex

 For the last couple of nights we have been camping at Cheatham Annex. It is on a Navy base. We are able to camp here because Paul is a federal employee. It is much less expensive that at other campgrounds so it is kind of nice to be able to stay here. Today we went to Yorktown. I don't know how much you remember from US History but the battle of Yorktown was a turning point in the Revolutionary War. We were able to visit the battleground and have a very informative guide tell us about the battle then we drove to the various parts of the grounds and could kind of get a feel for what happened there. It was interesting that Cornwallis was so upset by his defeat that he sent his second in command to surrender the weapons so George Washington sent his second in command to receive the weapons and take the prisoner's. This was poetic justice since he had had  to surrender to the British and was taken captive a few months before. He was later part of a prisioner exchange. It was a series of unlikely events that helped tip the battle in our favor. Later we took a trolley ride around Yorktown and stopped for ice cream. Brents friend was not able to go with us today but she will be going to Jamestown with us tomorrow. Tonight the weather is hot and humid. There is a severe weather warning out for areas not too far from us. So far we have not had any stormy weather but we put our chairs away just in case. Last night we left them out and it poured during the night so Paul ran out and brought them in but not before they got wet. They are not predicting tornados here but strong winds and quarter size hail. Tomorrow will be our last for playing tourist for a while. Wed we will be back on the path.    

Willaimsburg Virginia

Yesterday we arrived in Newport News Park. We were able to meet with Brent yesterday and we went to the Maritime Museum. It was all about the recovery of the Monitor which was one of the first armed warships to be made in this part of the world. They have found her remains on the ocean floor and are recovering artifacts from her. The museum had many parts of the ship there. We learned a little bit about the history of the war between the states. Today we went to Colonial Willamsburg. It was very interesting and by the end of the day we were exhausted and could only be revived by pizza and a shower. Tomorrow we will go to church with Brent. It doesn't start until 12:00 so we should have a relaxing morning.

Windsor Vriginia

We have crossed the boundry into Virginia. The drive went smoothly until I tried to find the campground. The gps messed me up or at least I will blame it on that. Just when I thought I was hopelessly lost and had called Paul to try to corroborate where I was I decided to trust my gps to get me there. It turned out I was not quite as lost as I thought I was and got to the campground about 10 mins before Paul. This was planned to be a short day but after we got set up Paul decided to do tomorrows short ride today so that tomorrow we could just go on to Newport News where we will be camping and spending time with Brent. Paul went on with his ride and then I went and picked him up. We stopped for a burger and stopped at a peanut store. We bought some nuts for Paul to eat as his snack while he is traveling.

Merchants Millpond State Park

Merchants Millpond State Park is named that because in this area there were a number of merchants that set up this millpond to help with their logging interests. It is no longer used for that and is now a state park. The Millpond has water in it year round. Paul and I rented a kayak at the park and went out into the pond. It was pretty cool. There were many cypresss trees growing in the water and many turtles sunning them selves on logs etc. There is supposed to be aligators in there as well but we did not see any. The Pond was pretty big and it had buoys to mark the way to canoe into campgrounds. We followed the buoys over to the family camp site. Without the buoys you could really get lost. The pond is just full of trees, water lilies and other water plants. I wish I could put a picture on this site but if you want pictures look at Pauls journal. It really felt like we were in the midst of a swamp. That was the big adventure for the day. Small adventures include getting lost in the city of Plymouth and having to turn around at the end of a residential street, then later taking the wrong road at the state park and having to back a block down the gravel road and get back on the road to the correct place to turn. Paul got caught in a thunderstorn but I was lucky to be in the visitors center at the park during the rain. I have really enjoyed the countryside in No Carolina. Today we drove through more agricultural areas and the homes were nice. There were fields that were being worked so the landscape seemed more open as opposed to the many miles we have traveled with trees along the side of the road. Today we passed acres and acres of flowers. One of the workers along the road said it was sage and told Paul they grind the seeds to make pepper. I am not sure I believe that. I will have to look into that. They were sure pretty and nice to see. There are also acres and acres of corn that is grown in this country. Tomorrow we go into Virginia.

Goose Creek State Park

We are sitting outside in this state park and it is starting to get dark. We are the only campers in the whole park tonight. We crossed another ferry today. Our plan was to arrive about the same time but Paul had a problem with his maps and got off on the wrong road. When I got to the ferry Paul was not there yet. I was the first person to arrive for this ferry. I tried to call Paul and could not get him on the phone so I left a message about the times for the ferry. He called me back and we realized it would be unlikely that he could get there in time. I parked so I could wait for the next one if necessary. When the ferry arrived they loaded all the cars etc and asked if I was coming and I told them Paul was on the way and please give him as much chance to arrive as possible. They had already dropped the stop sign when I saw Paul tearing down the road. I let them know he was here and they raised the gate and let us on. That was a close call. We could have waited until the next one but it was nice that we didn't need to. No Carolina is having an unusual cool spell and it has been so nice for us. The highs have been in the 70's and it sure has been pleasant. We have had enough wind to keep the bugs down so the last 2 days have been very enjoyable. Paul has had the wind to his back so that has helped him make better time and in fact he says he would not have made the ferry without it. We will meet up with our son Brent on Friday and be off the route for a few days playing tourist. No Carolina is a beautiful state. I am still amazed at how many trees we see in our travels each day.

Maysville (North of Jacksonville) No Carolina

Today has been a delightful day as far as the weather goes. It is dryer and cooler. The sun shone and we had a nice breeze. The breeze helped Paul by giving him a nice push. I spent a good portion of the morning at the rv service center. We have had our trailer for a year and needed to take it in for an inspection to keep our warranty in effect. Everything went fine. I got some straps to attach some fun lights on our trailer. It seems to be the thing to do now. We have been working on getting our camping places lined up for the coming days. It is a never finished job. It is harder to fine places on this portion of the route. Yesterday we didn't get on the comnputer but after church we took a nice walk down by the river. At least they call it a river. It is part of the intercostal waterway, It was very pleasant to sit and watch the boats go by. The water connects with the ocean on both sides. There were a lot of people along the shore, either fishing or just messing around. There was a nice breeze that we really enjoyed.

Wilmington N Carolina

Another ferry and another state. Today we left So Carolina. Paul and I planned to meet up to take a ferry across Cape Fear. Paul left early to try and make the 12:15 ferry and I thought I was leaving plenty early at 10:15 but I made a wrong turn even with my gps and it slowed me down enough that my gps said I would arrive at 12:13. I was afraid that I would not get on so I called Paul and told him. He said he thought he could make it so I carried on. I must admit I pressed the gas pedal a little more than I normally would and when I arrived there was Paul standing by the gate. The lady said she could not believe I made it and she said it was a good thing the ferry was not full. The weather was about 80 degrees and the humidity was high so it didn't feel very comfortable. Once we got away from the coast it didn't seem quite so humid. When we got to our campground we left our trailer and went to town. Paul needed a new bike computer since his died. It is what keeps track of his miles. Then we stopped and got a frosty from Wendy's. There was a lot of traffic and I have a feeling we will see more of that for the next few states. We had a little shower last night and could see lightening out of the window but we did not get much rain from it. today we did not encounter any rain though there were showers in some parts of the state. Tomorrow is a rest day and since we got our laundry done today it really can be. 

Conway SC

Tonight we are in Conway SC. It will be our last night in S Carolina. Yesterday this site was down  and I was not able to post. The last 2 days have been uneventful. Just driving and camping. Last night we stayed at a campground ran for military personal. We were able to camp there because Paul was a Federal employee with the C of Eng. We felt lucky because we had not been able to find anything else in the area. It was a very nice place on a large lake. It was interesting because there were some cypress trees growing right in the water. Tonight we are camped at Cypress Lake camp ground and there are even more trees growing in the lake. It is a pretty lake. Today Paul rode through a little rain and since there was some rain in the air it is very humid. It is interesting to us that Florida, and So Carolina seem to be all made of sand. It is very hard to keep it out of our trailer. When we get up in the morning the ground is moist from condensation  and the wet sand sticks to our shoes and gets tracked into our trailer way to easlily. This campground is a little different from every other campground that we have stayed at for one very interesting reason. They don't provide toliet paper in the bathrooms. I feel like I was real lucky that Paul discovered this first and warned me. It costs 35 dollars a night to stay here. You would think they could provide tp woudn't you?

Statesboro to Yemesee

Today we crossed another border. We are now in So Carolina. Today's drive was a challenge for me. The GPS could not find the address I needed to go to so I tried to follow Paul's bike maps. Of course I don't have them with me and so I was trying to follow notes we had made on which routes to take. It is always easier to know where to go sitting in the trailer than drive by myself. Fortunately we had cell phones and Paul was able to help me figure out the road changes. I was pretty relieved to arrive here today. The next few days are going to be challenging as well since the places we are going are so small that I can't bring them up on the GPS. I did write out all of the map quest instructions so I should be able to follow them. The last few states we have come through we have seem many Waffle Houses. I asked someone about them and they are basically fast food places that feature waffles as well as burgers etc. Today there was one by our campground and we knew we had to try one before we left this part of the country so we had lunch there. It was pretty good and we had lots of food. There special was eggs, bacon, hash browns toast and waffles. We got very full but one of the best things about it was the ice water. We are getting pretty used to drinking warm water so the cold water tasted great. Tonight we are going to go to the clubhouse and watch Survivor. It will be nice to do something out of the trailer.

Jesup to Statesboro

This morning we woke to a foggy morning. It was not cold, just foggy. Paul even put his tail light on so he could be seen better. Paul left early because it was forcast to be warm and it turned out to be hot. Paul got into our camp ground at 12:15. When I left this morning it was 86 at 11:00. At 5:00 I checked the truck to see what it said the temp was and it said 100. I am not sure how correct that is because our truck is parked in the sun. This afternoon we spent a couple of hours figuring out how to get our service done on our trailer. It was very difficult because so many of the businesses have gone out of business. Right now we have the TV on and they are having a telethon to raise money for the tornado victims. I thought it was interesting the last 2 weeks in church they have been talking about  members volenteering to help with the clean up. In the first ward they asked for 20 men with chainsaws to go to Alabama, that was in Florida. Then last Sunday they had 10 men who had voleenteered to go but they said they had all the people they needed. They had asked for 1800 voleenteers from our church and they had them all from closer th Alabama. Kind of cool to have such a good response to the need. Today as I drove my gps kept losing the signal. That makes me kind of nervous for tomorrows drive. Hopefully I will end up at the same place as Paul.

Folkston to Jesup

We have arrived at our rv park for the night. We have been trying to line up a campground in Virginia close to our son Brent so we spent some time on the internet and had to fax some id for a place on the Navy Base. We still don't know if we will be able to camp there, I guess we will see. Today we stopped at Wal Mart for some groceries. We had thought about spending the night there but I am really glad we came on here because it is very hot here today. It was over 90 at about 1:30 and there was no breeze and there are many ghants that land all over on you and drive you crazy. Our air conditioned trailer will be welcome relief from all that. I hope as we go futher north the weather will be cooler. I have a feeling we are just seeing the beginning of bugs though. Yesterday we were able to call Aaron and visit for a bit and we spent quite a while trying to get through to him in  Brazil. We were never able to get him but he got us for just a few minutes. I must say I was disappointed until our other son called and said he had him on Skype and we were able to join him for a conference type call. It was a nice Mother's Day effort for Christian to do. Justin was able to join in listening but not talking also. In church they gave us each a rose for Mothers Day and I have mine in a vase now on our table. Tomorrow it is on to Statesboro.

Yulee Florida to Folkston Georgia

Tonight we are in Folkston Geirgia. It is near the Okefeenkee Swamp. Our drive was short today because we are having a harder time finding rv parks. When I called about this one he said he had space available. That turned out to be an understatement. When I put the address in my gps and drove here I pulled in at an old dilapated sign to an over grown field that looked like an abandoned rv park. I called the number for the park to ask if they had changed addresses or something but he said no. Pull back in, he was there. I guess this place closed last year and he pulled everything out. Now he has decided to reopen and we are his first customers since reopening. We have the place to ourselves  At least we have electric and water. Later in the day we went over to the Okeefenokee Wildlife Refuge Center. Most of the refuge was closed because they are having a big fire but we were able to go in the visitor center and take a short hike on a trail. There was a good video about the swamp and as we walked along the trail we saw alligators. There were 8 of them lying along the stream. Of course we forgot our cameras. We took a picture with our cell phone but since we don't know how to take it off the phone and put it somewhere else no one will ever be able to see it. We have a church to attend tomorrow. Since it is mother's Day we will be able to visit with Aaron, our son who is serving a mission for our church in Brazil. I am looking forward to a nice day tomorrow.  

St Augustine to Yulee

Today we are back on the road again. Paul left about 7:15 from our campsite. A couple of hours later he called and said the wind was pushing him along faster than he expected so I picked up camp and got on the road. Our plan was to meet at the St Johns river ferry. He got there before I did but he waited and we rode across together. Our route took us along some of the barrier islands along the Florida coast. We crossed several bridges. I went through a couple of rain showers but Paul missed getting caught in heavy rain. As we headed inland from the coast the road became very busy and our campground was not easy for me to find. I ended up making several mistakes and had to turn around and make u-turns a few times but finally I found it. Paul arrived an hour or so later. We have been having a slow leak in one of the tires on the truck so we took it in to see what could be done about it. It turns out it had a sharp nail in it. We got it repaired and bought some groceries. The other day we had some real good watermelon so we dicided to try another one with our dinner tonight. It was good. Today I saw signs for fresh juicy peaches. I could hardly believe it since in Oregon we don't have fresh peaches until August. I did not get any today but I am thinking I need to check this out as we enter Georgia tomorrow.

St Augustine Day 3

Today we are still camp[ed in St Augustine. We drove down to Stuart and looked at Pauls dream boat today. It was a long drive but much shorter from St Augustine than from Oregon. We are going to be back on the road tomorrow and so we have been busy working out our camp places for the next few days. It is going to be interesting because we are finding it difficult to find camp grounds where we need them. We may end up doing our first Wal- Mart campout. That will be interesting because we will not have air conditioning and the weather is supposed to be heating up this coming week. The weather the last few days has been so mice that we have even started thinking maybe living in Florida would not be so bad. Today as we were driving we went through several areas where the flying buges were terrible and the front of our truck is covered with dead bugs. We cleaned the windshield when we got gas but the truck is still covered.

St Augustine Day 2

We are staying in St Augustine until Friday. Today we drove Jean to Jacksonville so she could fly home to Portland. Tomorrow we are dryving down the coast to Stuart to look at a boat that Paul is interested in. It has made for a nice interlude in our trip. This morning we went down to the beach and walked along it until we came to a little place where they were having a farmers market type thing. We bought some tomotos and half a watermelon. They both turned out to be very good. I guess it is already tomato season here. Then after our trip to Jacksonville and dinner we went down to the beach again and watched the sky turn from night to day. The sun did not go down over the ocean of course but the sky was very pretty and we enjoyed the beach walk. Then I took a nice shower and an ready to call it a day. It has been a nice one with time for relaxing.

St Augustine

Yesterday we arrived in St Augustine! It really feels like a milestone. Paul has ridden 4300 miles so far. Yesterday was a fun day. We got to our campground, Paul took a shower and then we went to town. We took a trolley tour of the town. The temp was real nice. Then we came back and had dinner at camp. In the evening we went back into town and did a walking tour. It was called History, Mystery, Mayhem and Murder. It was a fun tour. Today we are taking Jean to the airport and she is flying home to Portland. This morning we are going to dip our toe in the Atlantic ocean.

White springs to Hawthorne

Today we drove from White Springs to Hawthorne. The drive was uneventful and that is good. This campground is like a Mexican getto. The trailers are old and run down and the bathrooms are not appetizing so tonight I think we will be using ther bathroom in the trailer. I think Jean and Andrew are going to sleep in here on the floor tonight. Jean even felt like locking the door when paul and I went for a walk. We drove into town and bought chicken from the deli and took it to a park and had a picnic. I am really loioking forward to arriving at St Augustine tomorrow and camping at a nice state park.

White springs

We are now at White Springs Florida. We will be staying here for 2 nights. It is a very nice rv park with very clean bathrooms and showers. We had an uneventful drive though the traffic was heayier than I liked. Jean and I were on freeways. As we got close to our destination I was joking about seeing Paul on the road with Jean and then I had to admit I was joking. Two minutes later I really did see Paul on the road. He was about  1 mile from the campground when we went by him. We got on the road a little late today because we stopped for groceries and gas and a sandwich from Burger King. I was able to get some cash out of the ATM machine which was good since I have been unable to get any from the grocery store. Some of the  places we stay will only take cash. We still have not seen any alligators except the road kill alligator down by New Orleans that was about 6 feet long. Andrew is soo wonderful.Iit is fun to have him with us for a while, and Jean too.

Defuniak Springs to Monticello

Our night at Defuniak Springs ended up producing a nice thundershower. The humidity was very high and Jean and Andrew ended up sleeping on the floor of our trailer. They did good and with the air conditioner going all night we kept cool enough to sleep. Yesterday we stopped at the Florida Caverns state park and had lunch and took a tour of the cave there. It was really neat. If you want to see pictures look at Pauls journal entry. After the shower during the night the front brought in cooler and drier air. Last night we didn't even need the air conditioner and today the weather was perfect for me. The shade was very pleasant and the drive was as well. It is hard on Andrew to sit in the car seat for a couple of hours but he is doing well. I am sure it is a strain on Jean to try to keep him happy during that time. We stayed at a Corp of Eng. campground last night. It was located on a very nice lake. The campground was very nice and the weather was nice as well. I think I slept all night through, one of the very few nights that I have done so. When we were pulling into the area where we thought we were going to camp I drove down the road to the very end looking for a campground that was in one of our books. Some guy in his car saw me and realized that I was lost. He followed me and helped me figure out where I could camp. It seems like everytime we are in need of a guardian angel one shows up. I think someone is watching out for us. When I got to the campground last night Paul did not know where we were going to be camping. I walked down to the lake and I was able to get cell phone reception and get ahold of Paul to tell him where we were. Back at camp he could not call me because of poor reception. We found each other and are still on the path that leads to St Augustine. 

De Funiak Springs

Today we traveled (at least Jean and I) on freeway and made good time on our drive. We arrived at our campsite about 10 minutes before Paul did. The day was very windy and looked like it would rain any minute. Fortunately it did not rain. The wind felt like it was buffeting us around a bit. After lunch we drove over to Ponce De Leon State Park. It is a fresh water spring that is always 68 degrees. The water was very clear and clean looking. It also seemed kind of cold to get into. Someone there told us about another spring just down the road that was supposed to be warmer and more gradual to enter the water. We drove there and I got in the water and Jean got in up to about her waist. Paul wimped out and held the baby. It was cool water to get into but it sure felt good when the weather is so hot. Then we went to Arby's for a sandwich for dinner and did a little shopping at Wal Mart. Tonight the weather is windy and there is a forcast for a possiblility of rain. There is more severe weather north of here but it is not expected to come this far South. We all just gradually making our way east and on to St Augustine which will complete the southern part of our trip. 

Grand Bay Alabama to Milton Florida

We are finally in Florida. It is hard to believe we have come all this way. Today we took the ferry across Mobile Bay. It took about 40 minutes to cross. There was a lot of wind and some nice size waves. At one point I was standing by the front of the boat and a big wave came up and I got soaked all down one side of me. All day it has looked like rain was threatening but we only recieved a few drops on the windshield until after we had been to camp for a while, then we had a brief shower that sent us scurrying to the trailer. Today while we were driving we needed to pull over while Jean nursed Andrew and while they were doing that I went in the grocery store we stopped at and got a few groceries. Today is Jean's (and Roger's) birthday so I got a little ice crean and a pastry to celebrate with. We are stayiug at a KOA tonight. It is very nice and has the nicest showers we have incountered on our trip. When Paul arrived at camp we got in the swimming pool for a short time and then all took showers. The temps have been in the upper 70's today but with the high humidity it has still felt warm, just not hot.

poparville to Grand Bay Alabama

Today we are in alabama. We have been off the biketrip for a couple of days while we went to New Orleans for Easter. We drove down from Poplarville on Friday and Saturday we took a city tour of New Orleans. It was a nice tour but we almost missed it. We thought we had allowed time but there were so many people in New Orleans that we had a very hard time finding a parking place and by the time we did, we only had about 10 minutes to travel 8 blocks through very crowded streets. We made it by the hair of our chinny chin chin. We attend church on Easter Morning. The ward congregation was larger than I expected. It will be a good ward for Justin and Valerie because it has so many babies and young children. We drove back up to Poplarville yesterday and then on to Alabama today. Jean(our daughter) and her young baby has joined us for a few days.

Morganza to Easleyville to Poplarville Mississippi

Last night we were out of any area where internet could be reached so we didn't post yesterday. We did cross the Mississippi River on a ferry. Paul and I tried to time it so we would go across the river at the same time and it worked pretty good. I got in line and then I wondered if he woud make it in time but he did. It feels kind of like a landmark to cross that river. I actually didn't realize how far East it was. Today we crossed over to the state of Misissippi. One more state completed. Actually we are going to drive back to La. to New Orleans and spend Easter weekend with Justin and his family, They are in the process of moving there. It will be good to see family again. Jean is going to meet us in New Orleans as well and travel with us for a week or so. It will be fun to see the babies again. All along the roads in La and Eastern Texas there is some kind of plant that is in bloom with a nice fragrance and we have also seem some honeysuckle still in bloom and a few Magnolias but nothing like the trees that are flowering in Oregon right now. I miss all the spring flowers back home. Everything is very green here and there are way more trees than I expected. Many of them are trees that I am unfamiliar with. Not only are the trees green but the fields and yards are very lush. I think in that regard the cows and horses are lucky. I am not so sure they are lucky to live in such a warm climate. Today seems to be cooler though. It has been cloudy all day and almost feels like it could rain but it has not done so. With all the humidity we have had a shower is a must for me tonight.   

Washington to Morganza.

The campground we camped at last night had a tavern on the property. The good news was the tavern is closed on Mondays. The bad news is the tavern is closed on Mondays and there would have been access to better bathrooms if it had been open. The setting was very pretty but there were some old buildings on the property that had a bad smell so sometimes we could smell them. Today we have moved on to Morganza. The rv park here has nicer bathrooms and showers but is not much more than a parking lot. It is very windy here and the wind blows our little trailer a bit. My drive today was very frustrating. I tried to put Morganza into the gps and must have got it wrong. It felt like I traveled in a big circle. Finally I came to a freeway and just pulled over to study the map. Some nice guy parked close by came over and saw that I had Oregon plates and pointed me in the right direction. I went ove a tall bridge and than over a long causeway that seemed like it went on forever. Then when I got over there I missed my turn and had to go down and turn around, then to pour salt into my wound I missed the turn off again and ended up going back over the cause way and bridge again before I could get turned around. I ended up going over the bridge and cause way three times before I got on the right road. I sure was relieved to see a sign for this rv park. Today the temperture when I got here was 88 degrees acording to my truck and the humidity must be close to that as well.Tomorrow I think I will follow Pauls bike maps instead of the gps. We will be taking a ferry across the Mississippi River