It’s been a minute! (big photo dump in this post)
We’ve been on the road since Labor Day weekend and in that time we’ve stopped in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and now North Carolina. We’re gradually making our way to St. Augustine FL for winter. Our next stop is Myrtle Beach SC, big plans are afoot for that stay.
Let’s catch up…
We’ve been in state and county parks for most of this route, with a couple more to come. Ohio and Pennsylvania were state parks, Ohiopyle state park in Pennsylvania was beautiful. This was our 2nd pass through SW Pennsylvania and in true Shaver fashion, we had to navigate some ‘tricky’ (narrow, twisty and steep), roads. We even had to turn around due to a low tunnel!
Ever try to turn a 42ft 5th wheel around on a two lane road?
Neither had we. But Bruce, intrepid 5th wheel hauler, managed to find a spot and get it done before an opposing vehicle came our way. He then did a ‘ta-da’ moment while pulling into the wrong RV park. Our travel app hadn’t updated on his phone, so he unintentionally entered the wrong park into our GPS. A minute of panic ensued but it was so unlike him that we ended up laughing about it. Fortunately the correct park was only 20 minutes away.
Ohiopyle is a haven for cyclists, hikers and fishing. We are none of those things, but still managed to enjoy it.
Next stop – Virginia, Bull Run Regional Park. Heavily wooded, enough that our new Starlink system couldn’t find an open sky to access its satellite. Peaceful, with spacious sites and walking trails. Acorns dropped on the RV, heralding the approaching fall, and it rained at least half the time. The onsite gun club/range lent an authenticity to its Civil War roots. We were in Manassas VA, and drove by the battlefield every time we left or entered the park. That fact had us spending a morning doing the living history thing.
We also met up with friends from Phoenix and Illinois while there, and Bruce took a Sunday morning to visit the Air and Space Museum nearby. Laundry was calling my name.
Next stop – Williamsburg VA to see my nephew and his wife. We visited/dined a couple of times, and spent a morning in the historic area. Much of it is a shopping/tourist attraction. The historic homes and sites are a larger walking tour. My interest in history paled next to the quaint tourist shops and galleries. I’ve collected art, magnets, and Christmas tree ornaments from our travels – I was on the hunt. Budget tip, cards can be fabulous as framed art and they definitely save $$. And I can’t resist trinkets to gift.
Our next visit was Jamestown with its sad and tumultuous story. A living history museum recreates the fort and ships that brought the settlers from England. The museum tells their story in detail.
This area of Virginia is known as the historic triangle. It includes Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown. All have both colonial and civil war history attached to them, and intact buildings 250+ years old. Yorktown was our favorite. The river and bay were beautiful and there were residential homes smack in the middle of the historic tourist ones.
We had to leave our campground a day early for RV wheel maintenance and repairs. Once again, the cap was off the wheel spoke – mobile RV service to the rescue. He recommended a maintenance check on all four wheels which needed to be done at his shop. So we took it to him on Friday and spent a night in a hotel. Saturday pickup then back on the road, with no more fear of wheel loss. We’re becoming pros at managing repairs and maintenance on the road.
Three years ago when we explored the eastern coastal area, we made our way to the Outer Banks and Cape Hatteras NC. In order to get to Myrtle Beach we took 2 ferries across the Atlantic to avoid driving 300 miles inland and back out to the coast. This time, because we were already inland, we parked in a small town outside of Raleigh NC called Wilson. Wilson is proving to be a decent spot to catch our breath. Just when you think a town is nothing but groceries, haircuts and truck maintenance (oil change and recall repair),
The Whirlygig Park appears.
A gentleman named Vollis Simpson lived on a nearby farm, and had an interest in mechanical items. He taught himself farm equipment repairs and maintenance. Eventually he started to create these enormous, twirling, wind driven art pieces, planting them on the farm, eventually drawing crowds. The city collected them and made a park downtown, free to the public, enjoyed by all. We absolutely love these discoveries! It fills our heads with a level of trivial knowledge, that serves to inflate our ‘know it all’ status at dinner parties. We met a couple in their late 80’s who had been dating for 17 years. As typically happens when people ask where we’re from, the conversation flowed into living this life. There is a leisurely cadence when meeting strangers, that happens when you have open ended time.
It’s priceless.
Yesterday found me in reorg mode. Purging, sorting, storing, ending with a big haul to Goodwill. Package prep for mailing and a sheet change. Nights have been chilly, but we’re heading to warmer weather so no extra blanket. Instead I’m sleeping with a sweater, socks and a throw. We’ll spend a month in South Carolina at Myrtle Beach and Charleston. Visits from friends are already on the books. And I’ll take a 4 day trip from Charleston to see Carolyn and Ben, introducing them to the furniture store that is our storage unit.
In the meantime, we’re enjoying the gorgeous fall weather and anticipating a lovely holiday/winter season in St. Augustine Florida.
Good times to come!