Kelly's Graduation 2008

No we are not travailing in a Balloon but it may have been easer than dealing with Travilocity.

can Not wait to Visit our West Coast Family!!!!!

OK lets get packing Deb, Do Not forget they now charge $25.00 for the second piece of checked luggage.

Found a good web site for the Smokys.

http://greatsmokies75th.com/welcome-to-the-great-smokies-75th/

May 29, 2008 Heading Home

Captain’s Blog
Hazelton, PA

Woke to another very cold morning – 43 degrees; unseasonably cold so states the weatherman. Ron is grumbling this morning because we are on the last leg of our journey. If all goes well we have another 8 hours or so before we land in Raynham.
Stopped at the welcome center in Connecticut for lunch. They are so well set up that
there is a dump station available to RVer’s. We availed ourselves and dumped the holding tanks for the last time this trip. Ron is still whining about going home. We will only be home until June



















11th then will be flying to Seattle to attend Kelly’s graduation.

We arrived home at around 5 PM and immediately unloaded the RV. By 6: 30 PM we were beat and hungry so decided to go out for dinner when our Daughter-in-law Tiffanie Grandson Steven and Grandaughter Adeline came in with a container of Gowumpkies for us. Tiffanie is a great cook so they were absolutely delicious and appreciated.












Trip is over: We put
800 miles on our Jeep
and 2,941 miles on the RV.






Until net time loging off. We hope you enjoyed folowing our BLOG as much as we enjoed the Trip.
r0n and Deb……………..

May 28, 2008 - Shenandoah Valley

Captain’s Blog

We woke to a 45- degree morning as predicted. The plan is to finish the last 50 miles of Skyline Drive. After a leisurely start to the morning it was back on the road and Skyline Drive. Once again the scenery was beautiful. Ron is not happy that we are heading home and would like to stay on the road indefinitely despite the high gas prices. We put another 300 miles behind us and settled in for the night at WalMart in Hazelton, PA We’ve stayed in this WalMart before and knew it was quiet and safe. The store is one of the most organized and clean of all the WalMart’s we have been to.

May 27, 2008 - Shenandoah Valley

Captain’s Blog

Skyline Drive

Well, last nights stay in the Walmart parking lot proved to be not the smartest move on our part. We didn’t sleep muchbecuse of all the traffic noise. We felt like we had put out bed in the middle of 495. Of course you must be asking - why we didn’t move????? Good question. We asked ourselves that very same question and – had no answer – just dumb I guess.

Two years ago we travelled the greater then 400 mile Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina so we decided to complete the route and travel the 105 mile Skyline Drive that runs through Virginia.

We drove the first 55 miles of the Skyway with many stops and ovelooks along the way.The ride was beautiful and the scenery the same. It took us over three hours to travel that first 55 miles. We secured a spot in the Big Meadow National Campground, had lunch and took a much needed nap.

We decided it was time for another hike to another waterfall. Dark Hollow Falls is a series of “frothing”cascading so a must see for us. The trail to the falls is a 1.5 mile round trip hike. The hike down was fairly strenous since it is all downhill over rocky and very steep terrain. Bothe Ron and I felt we were up to the challenge beause we had hike up and back to Clingman’s Dome at a much higher elevation.

The falls were very beautiful and did cascade as promised. So it was worth the trip down – not sure sure about the trip back.

SEE Video:

SEE Video:

Again, the hike down was strenuous but OK. We did realize we would have to hike back UP – not as easy. Steep is a relative term I guess becsue it was a very strenous uphill walk but after sone heavy duty sweating on my part – not Ron’s we made it back up the to the trail head.

The good news is that neither one of us was out of breath and our legs did not hurt (except my right knee – nothing new) Our losing weight (Ron 32 pounds and me 15 was a positive for us both).

Back at our campsite we enjoyed the many deer that were grazing around our RV and the crazy littl bird who sat on the arm of our side mirror and thought he was mating with another bird while looking at himself in the mirror.

SEE Video:


We’ve been lucky and have had great weather with the temps in the 80’s but the weather prediction is fo the temp to drop into the 40’s tonight.

May 26, 2008 - - Salem, VA

Captain’s Blog

Shenandoah Valley
We drove around 300 miles today and stopped for the night at a Walmart in Salem, VA. Very noisy place but its 8 PM and Ron doesn’t have the energy to drive any further. Tomorrow its off to Sky Line Drive where we’ll be spending the night either in the Loft Mountain National Park Campground or the Big Meadow National Campground.

May 24-25, 2008 Tellico Plains, TN

Captain’s Blog
Smoky Mountains National Park

I called around this morning and did manage to get us into campground right outside the park. The campground was full for tonight but the owners allowed us to dry camp off the campground grounds in the RV storage area of his land. We were good with that as it got us into a secured place for the night. There will be a site for us tomorrow night.


Once again we hit the road to get out to Cades Cove a highly promoted attraction as a must see in this area of the Smokies. There is an 11- mile loop with homes, cabins, a farm and working Grist Mill on the grounds within the Cove. (Ron got to see a working Grist Mill – yeah)!!!!

The meadows and mountains were beautiful and we did get to see a black bear, deer, antelope and a mountain bobcat. The area was congested but not as bad as we were led to believe.

After leaving Cades Cove we drove through the winding mountain roads and felt like we were in another world. The sounds of rushing water, with streams and views were spectacular. Within the walls of the mountains were multiple small waterfalls that we love. We noticed a loud buzzing sound and thought there must be a saw mill in the hills behind us. We didn’t find out what the buzzing sound was until the next day when we arrived at Cades Cove and heard the same loud buzzing sound. We learned that the sound was coming from the cicada insects. Very interesting, check out the Link.

http://www.earthsky.org/faq/bugs-cicadas-hearing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada

On the 25th we ventured out to Clingman’s Dome. Clingman’s Dome is the highest point on the Appalachian Trial with an elevation of over 6600 feet. The ride to Clingman’s Dome through the Smokies was again a spectacular drive with views of that were breathtaking. But not as breathtaking as the hike up-up-up to Clingman’s Dome. It was half mile up on 60% grade. The old legs, lungs and heart got a work out but we made it. On arrival to the top of the trail there is a steep walkway up about 4 flights to the Dome overlooking the Smokies. It was well worth the trip since the views of the Smokey Mountains were stupendous despite the literature reporting that due to air pollution and smog the view of the Smokies has been reduced by 50 to 60%. The hike down was easy and we were able to appreciate the views even more since we were able to breath without difficulty. I do believe the altitude didn’t help much either.

We stopped a Gaitlenburg city park by a stream to have lunch. I had packed a picnic lunch before we left the campground anticipating stopping at one of the many picnic areas within the park. Today the park was very crowded so were unable to get a parking spot. We were headed into Gailenburg and found a lovely city park/picnic area by a stream. We stopped and had our picnic then it was on to take in more scenery.

We continued our trip stopping to enjoy the views. It was recommended that we do another loop within the forest that is also another one -way loop. Once again we were in awe of the untouched beauty of the landscape. We walked to a waterfall, small compared to others we had visited) but still beautiful. This area made us felt like we were in an enchanted forest.

After completing the loop we headed out to Pigeon Forge home of DollyWood. We didn’t plan on stopping just wanted to check it out. Yup, just another tourist trap unless the activities, congestion and noise it what you are looking for. This is not for us. Give us woods, waterfalls and quiet.

Tomorrow, the 26th we will be heading out to the Shenandoah Valley. More to come.

SEE Video:

May 23, 2008 Tellico Plains, TN

Captain’s Blog

Cherokee National Forest

We managed to secure a site at a campground in Tellico Plains for just one night since it is Memorial Day weekend. Usually we will get into a site and plan our adventures for the next day but since we only had one night here we jumped right into our tourist mode and got out the door to tour Cherokee National Forest.

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/johnson/features/cherokee_national_forest.htm

We drove the recommended Cherohala Skyway a fifty - mile ride up the mountains with beautiful cutoffs, trails and vistas. It was an incredible journey with views of the Great Smokies, waterfalls and general beauty throughout the area. The drive reminded me of the Blue Ridge Parkway. We did take a hike to Hidden Creek which was really hidden because it had dried up. We stopped by a lake and enjoyed the quiet and view. It was then on to Bald River Falls deep within the forest. Interestingly, we were stopped at a check-point by Forest Rangers who were requiring all drivers to provide proof of license, registration and insurance. We thought that odd but then heard later that evening that a murdered was on the run in a stolen car. There were police everywhere that evening.

Anyway, the falls were spectacular and worth the ride and interrogation. By now it was very late and we headed back to the campground to plan the next leg of our journey. The challenge was to find another site to stay because Walmart was too far from our next destination.