Who We Are

We sold our home in June, 2007, and spent the next 7 1/2 years traveling full time in a Cross Roads Fifth Wheel. (We had been traveling during our summers for several years before going full time.) We loved the full-time lifestyle! Each summer we spent a month or two volunteering in State Parks, first in Indiana at McCormick's Creek State Park, near our family, then in later years as the grandchildren got older, at the Bluewater Lake State Park in New Mexico. We spent 6 months each winter at Cactus Gardens RV Resort in Yuma, AZ, where I worked mornings in the park office. The remaining months were spent on the road, seeing this great country of ours. Our favorite places are our National Parks. Anita loved photography and the freedom of digital photography, taking sometimes hundreds of photos in a day. We hiked as much as our legs will allow. We also really enjoyed square and round dancing as we travel across country, and meeting all the wonderful people who dance and/or travel.

But as in all things, there comes a time for change, and we decided it was time to create roots once more. In the fall of 2014, we purchased a home in Cactus Gardens, and in the spring of 2015, sold the 5th wheel. Anita also retired in the spring. We will continue to travel each summer, but for a shorter period of time. We hope to continue blogging about those trips, but it will obviously be on a more limited basis than in the past.

Please explore our past posts if you are interested in traveling this great country. You'll find an index in the left column. We hope you enjoy our blog, and appreciate all comments

Friday, July 13, 2012

2012 Summer Trip – Destination Blue Ridge Parkway

Our Summer Trip did not exactly get off to a good start.  Monday morning, I got up with a stomach virus.  We left Bloomington on Wednesday morning.

We headed south on SR 37 to Paoli, and then east on SR 150, which goes through Hardinsburg, my hometown.  I could hardly believe that it looks more decrepit now then it did when we left 5 years ago!  Even the once popular dairy bar is long closed, and grown over with weeds.  Actually, we never lived in town, but about 3 miles out in the country.

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The nearby town of Fredericksburg is almost nonexistent now.  The old buildings are not just abandoned, but gone.

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There are still pretty farmland areas along 150, but the crops are suffering this year due to the drought.

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Once you get through Louisville, driving through Kentucky is always scenic.

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It wasn’t long until we were rolling through the horse country near Lexington.  I spotted two of the Kentucky Quilt Trail Barns, and managed to snap a photo of one.  This is a trend of painting quilt designs on barns that has spread through several states.  Click here  or here for more information on Quilt Trails.  There’s even a blog on the Quilt Trails.

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2012-07-11 Trip 

We stopped at Berea, KY for the night.  We parked at Walnut Meadows RV Park.  It looks to have once been a nice RV park, but has been neglected.    All you get for your twenty dollars now is a level pull through gravel site with water and electric, but we’ve paid more for less a few times, and the park was adequate for a couple of days.

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Ron became ill in the evening with the virus I’d had.  We woke up to rain, and decided to just spend the day there, recuperating from our illnesses.

The next morning, it was still raining, but we were both feeling better, and decided to move on.  After a couple of hours, the rain lessened.  All the much needed moisture also created nice photos of steam rising from the upcoming mountains – hinting of the famous “Smoky” Mountains farther south.

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There were times when the woods appeared to be on fire.

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We took I-40 toward North Carolina.  By the time we reached the state line, showers were coming again.

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Even with the raindrops and clouds, it was still one of the more beautiful stretches of Interstate that we’ve driven.

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The end of the day’s trip brought good news and bad mixed with good. 

The good news?… we were able to get the very last site at Powhatan Lake Recreational Area with electric hookup. 

The bad news?… I entered the 5th wheel to hear our bedroom vent fan running.  Somewhere, thankfully after the rain quit, the wind had torn off the cover to the vent, taking the automatic switch with it.  The fan was running, open to the sky.  Had it happened during the rain, our bedroom would have been soaked!  We are very thankful that the only damage was to the fan.  We taped a garbage bag over the opening, and our makeshift repair lasted through the night, even though it poured rain at times.

2012-07-13 Trip

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