Well, I arrived home about 4:15 this afternoon and just now finished unloading the trailer ( with a few breaks). My final mileage was 6,969. My biggest expense was fuel - a little over $2500.00 and within about $100 of what I projected! It was worth every penny! The house seems huge and the dogs are dead. My wonderful neighbor Glenda brought over key lime pie bars to welcome me home, and my mail-lady, Julie brought the whole month's worth of my mail to the back where I was unloading when she saw the trailer had arrived back home. What a delivery service! Tomorrow is an oil change, grooming the mutts, a car wash, grocery trip and then an airport trip to pick-up baby Sarah and Patrick for a visit. YAY!

If you have a dream, go for it! All you'll have if you don't are regrets.
Ta-ta for now!

MY LAST NIGHT!

I'm in Joplin, MO and just finished a great Thai meal with Charles and Sherry Buchanan, my cuz, and it was much too short!

Tomorrow is only 7 1/2 or 8 hours as opposed to today's 11 1/2 (ugh!). But then, I have to get the trailer parked, unload, do laundry and get the trailer ready for my sweet son to wash this weekend. Patrick and baby Sarah will be here Friday while Erica has a spa day and a restful weekend.

I'll be just over 7000 miles when I get home, and on this last leg is the first problem I've had. When putting the tire chocks between the trailer tires (to prevent "rocking" while in the trailer, for those of you non-rv'ers), I saw the steel belt sticking out on one trailer tire. Uh-oh! I've called AAA and they will be here in the morning to change to my spare. I guess that's not too bad, though.

It's really quite sad to be going home. I could soooo do this! I planned for almost a year and it was everything I had envisioned and more. Life is out there, and we can choose to be a spectator or a participant. I am so glad to be a participant. My dreams of RVing have been realized completely with this trip and also the realization that it isn't about what you have, but what you do with what you have. I have been blessed and I intend to make the most of it.

I had a wonderful evening and great meal with James and Heidi Horton in Janesville, WI last night and then we left early this morning for Taliesin, the home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright. What a great experience. His personal life was a mess, but he was an architectural genius. Here are a couple of pictures at the homesite he built in 1902-05 and his Romeo and Juliet windmill. Looks like 50s and 60s to me! Then we had lunch in a little town called Spring Green, came back and took the dogs for a long walk in a city park, and called it a day (all 5 of us!) Tomorrow, I need to leave really early - 619 miles to Joplin, Mo and dinner with my cousin Charles and his wife, Sherry. Here's a picture of James and Heidi.

The quaint little cafe we ate at in Laval and a picture of Jaycee, my Montreal friend.

Saturday, August 12
Jaycee and I had a great day - once we found the church marketplace that we were headed for! Neither one of us should be turned loose alone, and together, we were pretty dangerous. Good friend. Good times. We talked and talked and didn't solve a single world problem, except we both agree tha the province of Quebec needs to lighten up on the French thing.

Sunday August 13
I left early today and drove to London, Ontario, arriving at the house of one of my former student's grandmother (figure that one out!). My trailer and car BARELY fit in her driveway (I mean barely), but it did! What a wonderful evening with a wonderful lady. She fixed a scrumptious meal complete with Wisconsin cheddar from right near her island - she spends the summer there. Then we took the dogs on a long walk to prepare for apple pie! I retired to my private room in the driveway with the pups, and we got an early, early start Monday morning - leaving at 7:20 a.m.

Monday, August 14

LONG day again. We entered the U.S. of A. around 8:30 a.m. and the bridge was a wonderous site. I couldn't get a picture, though, as I was driving. Then the drive got quite boring, scenery-wise, but was lightened by some entertaining phone calls, since my phone was now turned on. I arrived in Janesville, Wisconsin about 5:45 p.m. and Heidi picked me up soon after. Their home is lovely! I had the honor of being the first DeSotoite to visit their home, although Fran and Peggy are not far behind me! Heidi fixed a delicious meal with veggies that were outstanding and we visited for several hours. I called an end to it, as I had been up early and had gained an hour. Tomorrow, we are going here and it sounds like a lot of fun! http://www.taliesinpreservation.org/ It is the home of Frank Lloyd Wright, who designed Dallas Theatre Center (with no corners!)

Then a very very long day - 609 miles to Joplin, Mo., where cousin Charles and his wife Sherry and I will go to dinner.

So far, almost 6000 miles.

Note to self #6, I think:

When your Garmin has lost it's voice AND it sent you through downtown Montreal instead of around it AND it's Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. AND there is construction everywhere AND you're on the route to the airport AND EVERYTHING IS WRITTEN IN FRENCH........ YOU'RE IN TROUBLE! Wow! What a drive! But I arrived safely and somewhat soundly on the west (that's ouest - I figured the directions out = nord, sud, ouest, est) side of Montreal and my friend Jaycee was there to meet me at the campground. We wre planning to go into Laval tomorrow to scout around,eat lunch and good off. Quite nice. So far 4,600 plus miles.

Note the different tails = like fingerprints, no two are the same.

Whales!

Tuesday was a remarkable day! One I'll always remember. I left the dogs in the trailer and drove to Briar Island to go whale watching. I chose www.oceanexplorations.ca as my company. Tom, the owner is a biologist and his work has been featured with Jaques Cousteau(sp?) Tom, luckily, was the boatman for my trip. We went in a zodiac rubber sided boat with an outboard motor that he said was the same size motor as in a Honda Accord. The advantage of the zodiac is that when a whale is spotted, it can get there fast and first to see the blowing and tail slapping. And boy, did we!! It was awesome and amazing how close we were. We saw at least 8 different humpbacks - their tails are like a fingerprint and you can tell the difference. It was so hard to catch them on camera, but I got 2 great tail shots and a video. Digby scallops were on the menu both yesterday and today and Fred, I found the gas station/restaurant and of ALL of the scallops I've had -(at least 4 or 5 times), THOSE WERE THE ABSOLUTE BEST! Thanks for the tip! The waitress had worked there for 21 years and assured me that yes, this was the place! Today I explored Annapolis Royal and Digby an walked the pups on the boardwalks in both towns. They are such people magnets! Tomorrow I leave this beautiful province. Very sadly, I might add. I'll make my way to Montreal on Friday afternoon for a visit with my friend Jaycee and then on to Janesville, WI to see the Hortons. I'll have my phone on again after about noon on Monday. What a trip. I'm coming back - I haven't seen Cape Breton Island or Newfoundland yet!
no pictures tonight! Won't work. I'll try tomorrow

Well, the pictures are in reverse order, but they are posted. I arrived in Annapolis Royal/Digby today and am in a nice spot surrounded by poplar trees and close to the Annapolis River. Today I went to Fort Anne Historical site and took the pups along the boardwalk on the waterfront. Then I got some scallops to bring back and have for supper. I have not tired of them yet! Tomorrow is whale watching in the zodiac! A full report tomorrow evening, assuming that I survive!

Today was a day of fishing villages and architecture. Tucker, Abbie and I left early – around 8:30 for a day trip down the lighthouse route to several small quaint villages established in the 1600s. Mahone Bay is a seaport with tiny old houses and lovely shops. ate a HUGE bowl of mussels cooked in white wine with scallions for lunch. The bowl of empty shells told the story! I am now quite a fan. Both times I’ve had them, cooked very differently were excellent. Going on around the coast we came to Lunenburg – a larger shipping port with huge mansion-like houses still standing from the 1600s. the architecture was impressive. Several inns are still open today that were established in the early days. Tucker and Abbie got a visit to a pet boutique for some baked peanut butter treats and walked nicely throughout the streets. We didn’t get back until 5:30 p.m. and I sat and enjoyed the evening sun on the ocean. Later, I visited the memorial to the crash of the Swissair plane that went down at Peggy’s Cove in 1998. it was impressive. The dogs climbed all over the rocks just before dark. The only environmental drawback that I have found to Atlantic Canada is the mosquito. The come in droves at dusk and bite like crazy! I have chunks eaten out of me! They are worse than in Houston!

Here is a picture of the 2nd oldest church still holding regular services in North America. The oldest is in Quebec City – I saw it last year on my cruise. Isn’t this beautiful? It is an Anglican church. The next picture is of a boatcrafter building a wooden whaling boat and the third is of one of the houses in Lunenburg.

Each day is full of new experiences and new friends. Today, my next door neighbors are from Ottawa and have been traveling for seven weeks. I’m jealous! I just have one more long stop before I start heading back west and south. Digby and the Annapolis valley is my last destination in the Canadian maritimes.

Hopefully, the heat will have lessened and Texas will be out of the hard heat of summer by the time I return.

Well, the pictures won't upload - I'll have to try later.

Here are sunsets. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......

here's the view from my Campsite = right on the Atlantic Ocean.

Here are pictures of Peggy's Cove lighthouse - totally on rock. Also, Peggy's Cove itself.

Here I am in Nova Scotia - Peggy's Cove, to be exact. This was my ultimate destination when i first put it all on google maps. 3100 miles plus. Actually, with my side trips, I've gone jsut over 3700 so far. Peggy's Cove was named after a little girl who was the only survivor of a shipwreck. A fisherman found her and his family took her in. Currently, only 60 people lieve full time in Peggy's Cove and no one can move into the village itself. I am camped RIGHT on the ocean - I will post pictures later. Just finished scallops, chowder and mussels and getting ready to walk it off. The dogs are passed out in the trailer after spending the morning jumping, running and playing on the rocks at Peggy's Cove.

Note to self #5: do not think that an all-you-can-eat mussels, chowder, salad bar, dessert bar and a whole lobster is a good idea. I was past full! Matt- I was miserably full! I sure enjoyed the lobster, though!

I didn't go on the PEI ferry to Nova Scotia - it was quicker to drive around rather than drive to the ferry and wait to cross.

My campground is owned by an 87 year old lady who is quite something. This morning, she was sitting on the window sill of her second story washing the outside of her windows! Ther are only about 50 spots in her campground and it is lovely - all grass.

I'm exploring all of the shops along the cove without pups this afternoon and will go to Lunenbourg and Mahone Bay down the coast tomorrow. Life is good!

Pictures later.

Here are pictures from yesterday - as I drove along, I'd stop and snap. the landscape is just beautiful.

Today, the dogs and I went on two trails in the Cavendish Green Gables National Park. They were lovely and weather is beautiful - 16 degrees (that's 64ish for you U.S. citizens). The dogs were happy! Tonight I go to the musical Anne and Gilbert in Summerside and since it's on a harbour, I'll spend some time before the play.

It's been a great day.

Here are the pictures from Monday

Sunday August 30
I arrived here on Prince Edward Island in Cavendish, home of Anne of Green Gables, around 2 p.m. I’m staying at the National Park, which is right on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. From my trailer, I can here the surf. The waves are quite big because of Danny and an evening walk along the beach sounded like a roar.

There are many “Anne” and Lucy Maud Montgomery attractions, and I’m trying to decide which ones are worthy. Tomorrow is my day to be Anne of Green Gables. I have three full days to be here, and I plan to just relax part of the time. It is supposed to be sunny and 70 degrees most of the week. Perfect!


Here are pictures of Hopewell Rocks at low tide, walking ont the ocean floor and medium tide with water all around. I missed the highest tide. Here also, are the stairs I carried Tucker and Abbie up and down.


Monday, August 31

What a beautiful day! The temperature was in the 60’s and cloudy then sunny in the afternoon. The wind from Danny has died down, and all is good. Today, I was Anne Shirley and toured all of the Green Gables places – museum, birthplace of Lucy Maud Montgomery, Green Gables and Avonlea. It was great fun. Then I went to PEI Preserves Company and talked with the owner to get his story of how he started the company straight so I could retell it:

Bruce Monaghan had closed a failed restaurant venture and was “down and out”. He had a large order of strawberries that had been delivered that day and knew he should do something with them to try to recoup his loss. He remembered that his mom had made preserves, so he called her and got the recipe. He borrowed his friend’s restaurant kitchen, since his had been locked. While cooking, his friend, drunk on champagne strolled through and handed him a big glass to drink. Not being a drinking man, but not wanting to waste the champagne, his poured the whole large glass into the vat of strawberries. When he canned and sold the preserves, everyone said they were “outstanding” and thus was born his company. He is still there every day and I first met him when he greeted the bus from the cruise ship I was on with Dad last fall. What a great guy! And he looked quite nice in his kilt!

Also, here are some pictures of the countryside and a Garden of Hope nearby. See why I came here? It reminds me of Scotland – (Nova Scotia!)

Tomorrow, I’ll got to Rustico Harbor and wander around and then go hiking on some trails with the pups. Tomorrow night is Anne and Gilbert – The Musical in Summerside, about a half hour away. I’ll probably eat some scallops before the play.

This island is a little piece of heaven on earth.


Blogspot is not letting me post photos today, so I'll try again tomorrow!

Sunday, August 30, 2009

I arrived here on Prince Edward Island in Cavendish, home of Anne of Green Gables, around 2 p.m. I’m staying at the National Park, which is right on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. From my trailer, I can here the surf. The waves are quite big because of Danny and an evening walk along the beach sounded like a roar.

There are many “Anne” and Lucy Maud Montgomery attractions, and I’m trying to decide which ones are worthy. Tomorrow is my day to be Anne of Green Gables. I have three full days to be here, and I plan to just relax part of the time. It is supposed to be sunny and 70 degrees most of the week. Perfect!


Here are pictures of Hopewell Rocks at low tide, walking ont the ocean floor and medium tide with water all around. I missed the highest tide. Here also, are the stairs I carried Tucker and Abbie up and down.

AND - it looks like Hurricane Danny is just going to dump some water and a little wind. Dodged that bullet nicely! A little water never hurt anyone!

Saturday, August 28, 2009

Yesterday, we explored the Bay of Fundy at high and low tides – a dramatic difference!
Doing so involved climbing down to the ocean floor - at one place there were 117 steps each way 234 in all! Plus, I had to carry Tucker down most of the steps due to his leg surgery. He can go up steps great, but I could tell he was trying to protect his leg going down, so I carried him. The other area had more steps, but I didn’t count. My poor ole left knee! Afterwards, I picked up some Fundy scallops for supper. In all of my life, I’ve never had been scallops. Sweet, lightly breaded and melt-in-your mouth good. The boats were coming in during high tide bringing the catch. They can only make it to the pier twice a day at high tide. Otherwise, as noted in the pictures, they would be coming in on sand. This place is a wonderland of nature and there is so much to see and do.

The dogs are passed out on the couch and I’m planning tomorrow’s adventures. I think we’ll go to Hopewell Rocks and Cape Engage'. More about those places next time.

It’s 51 degrees at 8:30 p.m. It’s a great night for sleeping!

Saturday afternoon

51 degrees and rainy, but not too hard. A little rain never hurt anyone. However, NOTE TO SELF #3: If you think carrying 35 pounds of dog down 87 steel steps to the beach so they can play on the rocks is a good idea, IT ISN'T! You have to carry them up, too!!! (the hole in the steel were too big for their tiny feet) And furthermore, the rocks were NOT a good idea at all! They were slippery (duh! They are under sea water 1/2 of their life!) It was an especially bad idea when I stepped on one end of a rock and tipped it while Tucker put his foot under the raised end! When I stepped off, the rock went down on his foot, and he started screaming bloody murder! I was sure I had broken his foot, However, he is just fine. Sure got everyone else's attention, though. Dog abuse!

I'll post picture from today at Hopewell Rocks and Cape Enrage another day, but here are a few from the high and low tide and the bay of Fundy.

The first is the dogs on the beach. The second is in the bay at high tide and the third is 6 hours later at low tide. It's amazing.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

A good end to to LONG day! I was up and on the road by 7 a.m. this morning and headed to Canada. Thanks to some entertaining phone calls before I crossed the border, the morning went quickly. It took about 30 minutes in line, - enough time for me to stash the marijuana before the border patrol got to my car. (just kidding, students!) and they looked at my passport and that was all. They asked what I did for a living and if the dogs were vaccinated. So, fellow RVer’s - at Milltown, New Brunswick, there was no dog food check, no wine check, no amount of meat check at all. They also asked if I had fire arms, which I don’t.

Nothing else happened until I got on the road to Fundy National Park. About 6 miles out, there was a flagman and as he let us go through, there was NO ROAD! It had been bulldozed and just a trough was there about 8 feet lower than the road had been. It was a disaster! I was in ruts bigger than my tires! I drove about 4 miles an hour for 5 miles and finally got here about 5:50 p.m. after losing another hour (now on Atlantic Daylight Time).

But the campground is great – tall trees, nice sites. I could hardly get set up for all the people coming to see the dogs and meet me. I now know where to hike, where to buy live lobster, where to get good take-out seafood and why this is the best campground to stay at! Good ole RV park reviews on the internet had already told me that. And best of all ------ it is COOL! I’m in sweats and it is 51 degrees outside.

Tomorrow, I plan to sleep in (ha!), go see the Fundy tides (more about that tomorrow) and hike with the pups!

I drove to the little village this evening. It is so picturesque! There are three or four seafood restaurants, two inns, a general store, two gift shops and a small harbor full of shrimp and fishing boats. I plan to spend the day! There is supposedly free WIFI just down the street in the little village, so I’m going to send this tomorrow so family (and a friend or two) will know I arrived. Hurricane Danny had better STAY AWAY!


Friday afternoon, August 28

It is a perfect day! When I woke up in my little house this morning, it was 50 degrees! Nice and crisp! I turned on the little electric heater instead of the furnace and it warmed up nicely.

The pups and I explored the Bay of Fundy. The Bay of Fundy is phenomenal. It’s one of nature’s anomalies – as the tide comes into the bay, it “sloshes” like in a bathtub creating a very high wall of water on one end and as it “sloshes” back every 6 hours, it creates a very low water line, creating beaches that weren’t there. The rise is between 24 and 40 feet every twelve hours, and at low tide, you can walk all over the beach. We hiked to a beautiful waterfall and drove through part of the park – it is HUGE! The bay itself it hundreds of miles long and runs along New Brunswick on the west and Nova Scotia on the east.

I’ve been enjoying this crisp 70 degree weather and just relaxing this afternoon. I plan to go into the village and look around and maybe pick up some scallops for supper.

Fellow RVers – do not miss this part of North America. Terry and Carolyn – I’m so sorry you aren’t here, but you’ve got to make it here next year. The scenery is breathtaking. The national park sites are quite spacious and about a kilometer from the village. Just perfect!

The Atlantic maritime area is fabulous!

Here is the House of Seven Gables - quite impressive for the 1600's and very dark and scary. There is a secret staircase inside!

Well, GREAT! Hurricane Lin is attracting another hurricane. Mexico or Canada, from one end of the continent to the other, I attract hurricanes! For those of you who don't know, I was stuck in Playa del Carmen for 10 extra days and sequestered almost 4 days in my hotel room during Hurricane Wilma, a catagory 5 (yes, 5!) hurricane four years ago. My kids nicknamed me Hurricane Lin and disasters have followed me since - transit strike in NYC while I was visiting Caitlin, gel terrorist scare at Heathrow while I was in the air to Edinbourough- and now this!

I'll keep my ears and eyes alert, but after tomorrow noon, I won't have internet or phone until Digby, Nova Scotia on Sept. 7 - Labor Day. So, I guess I'll just fly by the seat of my pants and if it's windy, drive slowly or stay put! Watch it blow my trailer away, and I'll be homeless.



Today was witch hunt day. Salem is a quaint little village founded in the 1650's. The streets are very narrow and poorly laid out - lots of jigs and jags - and I was quite glad that my trailer was not behind me. I toured the witch museum, the dungeon where the accused were held and the House of Seven Gables and Nathanial Hawthorne's house. Quite interesting! I picked up some Halloween fun stuff for Addison since her birthday is on Halloween. I'm posting a picture of the House of Seven Gables - gables are roof ridges, for the uninformed

I'm getting ready to take the doggies back to the harbor for a walk and then supper and get ready to leave early. A LOOOONG day tomorrow. I'll post when I can. (Yes, I know to take my passport and the pups' papers, etc.)

Tuesday, August 25, I think.

What a wonderful day! Finally, the weather is what I'd hoped for all along - 72 degrees and a gentle ocean breeze. I drove a whoppin' 85 miles from Bellingham, Ma to Salisbury, Ma to an RV park close to the beach. After setting up around 11, I ate, did laundry and emptied tanks then the pups and I took off to Newportbury four miles away for some serious beach walking! tThe harbor boardwalk was perfect! Breezy and three miles round trip. The dogs, of course, are people magnets and we made many new friends, including the owner of this 4 million dollar yacht who is now my sugar daddy and has invited me to sail the world with him! (No students, that's not true, I'm teasing!)

It is qute a boat, and about 50 people watched it mooring. Lots to do to get it all set. Kinda like my trailer. He had to back it in, too!

After our walk, the pups have died in their pen.

I stopped at a tiny little shack and got fried fresh clams and finished eating clams, shrimp dig and salad outside in the wonderful ocean air listening to Josh Groban and then Linda Eder on the cd player. Here's my little comfort space outside.

Another great day! I rode the commuter train into Boston, caught it 5 minutes away. A one-hour trip into South Station - very, very busy. Hopped an on/off trolley and attacked the city! I did part of the Freedom Trail and also saw Cheers (no one knew my name!), Fenway park (turns 100 years old in 2012), Harvard, MIT, sculling in the Charles river, and enjoyed clam chowder!

I go just 80 miles north tomorrow and may do laundry tomorrow afternoon. Wednesday, I'm planning on attending the witch trials in Salem and the spooky House of 7 Gables. Then, a L-O-N-G day to Fundy Bay National Park in New Brunswick. Finally to Canada!

Liberty Bell and in the Hall of Signers - lifesize bronze statues of all of the statesmen. On the left is James Madison and on the right is Alexander Hamilton.

A happy camper- all squinty-eyed in the sun!

One of my "new friends" in Plimouth Plantation, the Mayflower II and the pups and our home.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

I was a pilgrim today! I visited Plimouth Plantation in Plymouth today and then the Mayflower II, which sailed from Plymouth, England to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1957.

The plantation was extremely interesting with garbed colonists in character telling their stories to any who would listen – and answering questions from the curious (guess who!). There was also a Native People camp and a craft center.

Then I drove into Plymouth and had my first lobster roll (had no idea what it was – French bread toasted and folded like a bun, lettuce leaf, lots of cold lobster, cole slaw, mayo, so-type dressing and DELICIOUS! I toured a couple of colonial homes (and was grateful that I was alone and could do what I wanted!), toured the Mayflower II, visited with a couple from Maryland that was very nice, and headed home.

Tucker and Abbie were quite angry at being left all day, so after a good walk, they’re basking in the shade outside.

Tomorrow, I’ll stay here and go into Boston – there’s a train 5 minutes from the campground and that sounds easy! I’ll move on to Salisbury on Tuesday instead.

The trip is all I hoped for and more. Life is good.

As I suspected, it was the internet that was the problem - not me!

Here are Tucker, Abbie, Duncan and Lucy on the couch and (L-R) Lucy, Abbie (sitting up), Tucker and Duncan waiting for treats.

At a rest stop in Pennsylvania.

One of the many quilts at the store where I bought mine - why didn't I take a picture of it, I wonder! And...... (singing)... "the corn is as high as an elephant's eye" right next to my campsite!

I got to Bellingham, Massachusetts today - supposed to take 6.5 hours and took 9! I truly have my superwoman powers now - I conquered NYC! I drove the George Washington bridge in Hurricane Bill rain went 11 miles in two hours! Unbelievable, but I did it! It rained downpours , three or four times, but I am Powerwoman! Tucker and Abbie slept through it all. It was pretty hairy and scary. The campground tonight and tomorrow night is lovely - I'll take pictures tomorrow of my rig and the site. Tonight, I just finished singing with an Irish band in the barn here. They needed a female voice for "Gypsy Rover" and I volunteered ( I happened to know that one) and had a great time. I stayed up there for "All God's People Got a Place in the Choir" - another I knew. Great time, nice folks. Tomorrow, I'm off to Plimoth Plantation and Mayflower II in Plymouth. Good times, good fun.

Friday night, August 21
Time to leave this beautiful country tomorrow! Off to Massachusetts and the Pilgrims and witches! I enjoyed a great day in Philly today. However, note to self #2 is: don't trust RV park desk clerks who say they have the best way to get to a city! Trust the Garmin! Let's just say it took awhile to get there, go to the CORRECT address and park. I saw Betsy Ross's house, Christ Church, the Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall, Independence Hall, and a new exhibit called the National Constitution center. There was a wonderful multimedia presentation and an interactive museum of exhibits.

It's rained again today, but not on my parade. Just lots of humidity and dampness. Still not able to post pictures - the message says "unable to display page". I'll try tomorrow night. 6 or 7 hours tomorrow.

Thursday, August 20, 2009
Today was so much fun! I thoroughly enjoyed touring the Amish country, watching a multimedia presentation about their lives, and touring a homestead. I bought a long-desired hand-stitched quilt from the mother of our teacher/tour guide. She told me all about choosing the color pattern – it is burgundy and forest green and ecru and in a Celtic Rose pattern. It’s being shipped home – cheaper than paying the tax rate! I joined two other women for mid-day meal at Dienners Smorgasbord. Oh my! Such great veggies – all grown on the premises (and no, Erica, they weren’t overcooked and mushy!) Yummy! Only problem was, there were also chicken and dumplings, buttered noodles, homemade mac and cheese and desserts galore including shoo-fly pie! That was the meal for the day! I had to come back and walk the dogs for an hour!

Then I went to a farmers’ market and bought tomatoes, sweet corn and pickled beets. I’ll eat like a queen tomorrow night!

Tomorrow, I’m driving into Philadelphia – wish me luck! I’ll do the walking Constitution tour and hit all of the highlights – maybe a trolley ride, too.

Humidity is killing me! Probably 90 percent.

The wifi is horrifically slow here, so probably no pictures til I move.

Life is good. Americans are great and RVers are the cream of the crop!

Monday - Home to West Memphis, AR: Note to self: When planning to blog on a trip - don't leave your computer power cord at home! Luckily my friend Sue found it for me and next-day'd it to me in Pennsylvania. Nothing happened the first day out, anyway except I drove about 430 miles. The pups did great and are great travelers.

Tuesday - WM to Lexington, KY: What beautiful country! The blue grass and horse fences and mansions almost caused me to wreck as I craned my neck both ways. Lots and lots of money here! I stayed at the state of KY Horse Park Campground - nice place - just soggy from all of the rain. Luckily, it had ended and Dean Hammond came to pick me up just as I finished setting up. Dean and Mary adopted Lucy and Duncan from the same breeder that Tucker and Abbie came from in Arizona. Tucker and Lucy and Abbie and Duncan are litter mates and we became friends during our two visits to get the pups. We thought it would be fun to see the four of them play, and was it ever! Three adults sat around all evening and watched four dogs romp, sniff, scuffle, chase, play "bite face" and bark!!! They were the cutest things and we are convinced they knew their litter mate. Mary and Dean were wonderful hosts and Mary's dinner was fabulous! Ill post the pictures tomorrow.

Wednesday - Lexington to Bird-in-Hand, PA (near Lancaster). Who thought driving 568 miles in one day was a good idea? Add three torrential downpours and three unexpected LONG tunnels through the mountains, and it made for a long day! 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Howver, there were three beautiful rainbows and sunshine after each storm. By the way, RVing friends, the '08 Toyota Sequoia is a DREAM tow vehicle! I frequently it was behind me! Up the Great Smokey Mountains and down again, it was the best! Highly recommended. I have to download the pictures, so will post them tomorrow. So far - 1570 miles into the trip. Amish doings tomorrow.

Today's the day!

We're leaving today. I think I made over a million trips loading the trailer. It was quite different loading for such a long time. I obviously don't think that there will be grocery store or laundromat between here and Nova Scotia! I hope I didn't forget anything important. I took my tools than usual and extra utility supplies. If there hadn't already been a kitchen sink in there, I am sure I would have loaded one.

Every once in awhile, I get a little flurry of "What am I doing?" "Why do I think I can do this?" But I know I'll have a great time, and I've always wondered if I could do this long term traveling. We'll see!

Only about 7 hours' drive today to Memphis for an overnight on the Mississippi River.

Wagons HO!

This is the weekend of errands, shopping, loading and hitching. I've worked hard all week and only have these two days to get ready. Stay tuned to follow my trip. My itinerary is as follows:

Aug 17 to West Memphis, Ak

Aug. 18 to Lexington, KY Mary and Dean Hammond

Aug. 19 to Bird-in-Hand Gordonville, Pa (near Lancaster, PA and Philly)

Aug. 20 -tour Amish country

Aug. 21 – Philadelphia Historic sites – Benjamin Franklin’s colonial Walking Tour

Aug 22 - to Bellingham, MA (Between Philly and Boston)

Aug. 23 – Plymouth Plantation and Mayflower II Plymouth, MA

Aug. 24 – to Salisbury, MA ( near Boston)

Aug. 25 – Boston Freedom Trail walking tour

Aug. 26 – to Salem Witch Museum; House of Seven Gables

Aug 27 – Bay of Fundy Nat’l Park – Alma, New Brunswick, Canada

Aug. 28 - Bay of Fundy – go to Magnetic Hill in Moncton

Aug. 29 – Bay of Fundy – go to tidal bore and Hopewell Rocks

Aug. 30 – Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island Nat’l. Park , Prince Ed. Island, Canada

Aug. 31 – PEI

Sept. 1 – PEI

Sept. 2 – PEI Ann and Gilbert, The Musical tonight

Sept. 3 – to Indian Harbor/Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia by way of ferry Nova Scotia, Canada

Sept. 5 – Peggy’s Cove

Sept. 6 – Peggy’s Cove

Sept. 7 – to Digby/Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia

Sept. 8 – whale watching! Brier Island

Sept. 9 – Digby

Sept. 10 –to Edmunston, New Brunswick Canada by ferry or driving

Sept. 11 – to Montreal Meet up with Jaycee

Sept. 12 - in Montreal, Canada

Sept. 13 – to London, Canada

Sept. 14 - to Janesville, WI to see the Hortons

Sept. 15 – Janesville, WI

Sept. 16 – to Joplin, MO KOA Campgound

Sept. 17 – Home!
Patrick and Sarah arrive Sept. 18 to Sept. 21!!!!!!

Today is my last day of work - 45 straight days of workshops! I'll post my itinerary