And Away We Go!

The clock marked 2:40 PM on this July Monday afternoon as the Solaire and her running mate turned left onto U.S. 19 headed north, seeking cooler air, lower humidity, a change of scenery, a bit of R&R, and a long-overdue adventure.  By the time we reached I-75, we realized we had already traveled further from home than we had been since COVID-19 unleashed its wrath on southwest Georgia.

We were in no hurry, so we moseyed through the woods to connect to I-20 on our journey northward, enjoying the views of luscious green woodland and healthy crops of the sparsely populated farming communities of east central Georgia.  With a sideways glance, our most observant lead driver noticed a shady gravel parking area belonging to the Harlem Baptist Church, just perfect for our picnic supper of homemade chicken salad.

Picnicking in Harlem

Under the shade a few pecan trees, we set out our lawn chairs, fixed our plates, stretched our legs, and chatted about our plans for the rest of the week.  Much to our dismay, the Chevy diesel did not want to start when we were ready to move on down the road.  YouTube to the rescue! And some ingenuity on Jamie's part to figure out the problem and get 'er running.  One would think that just having had a tune-up at the auto shop in preparation for this trip would have prevented such a disturbing occurrence.  Nope! May have caused it.

Near midnight we pulled into an empty Cracker Barrel parking lot in Mooresville, NC, opened the windows on the Solaire, turned on a battery-powered fan, and crawled into our bed for a good night's sleep.  At 7:00 A.M. we were one of two parties to be seated for breakfast.  This is social distancing restaurant-style.  My first dine-in experience since before mid-March!  

All's quiet at midnight at Cracker Barrel

Dining in at Cracker Barrel

And shortly thereafter, we were on the road again, with no particular plan, just a destination in mind. A fuel stop - truck stops only this trip, we've promised ourselves - at the Mt. Airy exit begged us to linger longer, so we found an empty public parking area next to the Post Office on Main Street that would accommodate the two rigs, thanks to an inquiring phone call to City Hall.  

A leisurely stroll along the Mayberry themed street brought happy memories of Andy, Barney, Opie and the rest.  We trekked in the opposite direction along Main Street to visit the Sheriff's office with jail cells and Wally's Service Station, where we took a few stand-and-pose photos of ourselves, declaring we would blog this trip, despite not having posted last year's adventure (yet!), and we purchased our traditional souvenirs: Christmas tree ornaments for Mary and Becky and a decal or magnet for Jamie to add to his outdoor refrigerator.

Stroll along Main Street - sporting some COVID barriers.

Antique trucks: the Darlins' and Wally's Wrecker

Jamie checking out Andy & Barney's radio equipment. Imagine that!

From Mt. Airy, we continued northward, passing through the Walker Mountain Tunnel, and eventually climbing to the top of a ridge overlooking Bluefield, West Virginia.  The air was cooler (than home) and breezy on this sunshiny day.  For nearly an hour, we & one additional car were the only visitors to the East River Mountain Scenic Overlook.  Again, perfect social distancing!  The covered picnic patio made an ideal spot for lunch.

Then the Chevy diesel decided to misbehave again.  Fortunately, Jamie knew just the trick to get 'er going again.  At the base of the ridge we lucked up: a bustling Chevrolet dealership.  I'm not being sassy - ten cars must have come in while we were there and the service bays were lined up; it was bustling. That's a good thing.  The mechanic on duty wasn't much more helpful than YouTube, but he did put Jamie's mind at ease about the problem.  Guess it's just one we'll have to deal with for the duration of this trip. We'll see!

By mid-afternoon we had found our destination for the day: Rifrafter's Campground in Fayetteville, West Virginia.  As I sit here typing out this first blog post of our week, I feel refreshed by the gentle breeze, the cooler temperature, and the shade of the forest we are in.  No sweat: not even during the backing in, leveling, setting up camp phase.  

We have plans to roam about the countryside over the next few days, but our most important plan is to enjoy some much-needed rest and relaxation away from the stress of home and work.  (If only we could really get away for a few days; we've both been answering calls and emails today, and we both have scheduled work-related Zoom meetings this week. Hmmm.)  Nevertheless, we will enjoy every minute we have to travel, and be thankful for our jobs, too.

Perhaps I'll update the blog again tomorrow or the day after, or sometime after that. Maybe.

Soaking in the Last Day of Sites

Freedom is not free. I am so thankful for the brave men and women who have battled for our American freedom.

Visiting Gettysburg is an humbling experience.  The many granite memorials perched across this expansive battle site serve as a sobering reminder that our forefathers stood firm in their belief that states' rights should not be infringed upon by the federal government.

Lincoln at Gettysburg

Gettysburg Address

A memorial at the battlefield

Cannon and memorial at the battlefield

Cannon on Confederate Way

On Confederate Way we located the Georgia and South Carolina memorials, then rode up the mountain to Round Top and Devil's Den near sunset.  A beautiful view in a sacred place. So many lives lost on both sides.  What bravery to fight face-to-face like this!

Georgia memorial at Gettysburg

Inscription on the Georgia memorial

Georgia seal inscribed on monument

Historic marker detailing Georgia's role in the battle

Jamie at the Georgia monument

From Round Top looking across the rocky battlefield toward Devil's Den

Vista from Round Top

Sunset at Gettysburg

The museum at the National Military Park holds a vast collection of Civil War equipment and displays tell the story of the three days of fighting in this turning point battle of July 2-4, 1863.  A film and cyclorama provide a quick overview.  This historic 360° painting is lovely, but I prefer Atlanta's Cyclorama to this one. At Gettysburg, visitors stand in one place while lights highlight various parts of the canvas; in Atlanta, the theatre turns in a slow circle so that visitors see the entire painting.

Inside the Visitors Center

A few miles south of Gettysburg, we visited the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  Annually, the Academy memorializes firefighters from across the nation who have perished in the line of duty. 

Memorial to America's fallen firefighters

Our tour guide Ashley snapped this photo of our foursome at the firefighters memorial

911 Memorial on the campus of the National Fire Academy 

on the campus of the National Fire Academy

Chief Sullivan on the campus of the National Fire Academy, recalling his training there nearly 10 years ago

 After soaking ourselves in sites for the past ten days, it was most fitting that we got soaked by a rainshower as we walked the half mile back to our travel trailers after this last tour!  Thank goodness for dry towels, a change of clothes, a different pair of shoes, and our own place to change.

A walk in the rain in Emmitsburg returning to our travel trailers

Life is Gut, Ya?

Old Mill Stream Campground is tucked beside Dutch Wonderland, an amusement park, in Lancaster, PA, in the heart of Pennsylvania Amish Country. A busy highway and asphalt parking lot in front give way to a well-planned, shaded and paved campground backed by a trickling stream and a cornfield. 

Plenty of space, paved driveway and graveled lots at Old Mill Stream Campground

View of the cornfield across the stream

Wildlife enjoying a swim along the stream

We arrived late, after a day of traveling & chocolate-feasting.  We dined on leftovers while our week's worth of laundry washed and dried in the campground's facilities.

The next morning we rode over to Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse, Pennsylvania, to get a firsthand experience in Amish country.  A cafe offered pastries and coffee for breakfast, the indoor farmer's market was a source of meats, cheeses, breads, canned items, and junky collectibles.  A handmade furniture store exhibited the area's craftsmanship.  Much too tourist oriented.

Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania

We took a country lane through a corn patch hoping to see more authentic Amish sites.  A couple of 

girls riding two wheeled scooters. Neatly kept farms and yards.  A team of mules baling hay.

Amish hay baling

 

We attended a matinee performance of Half Stitched, a musical comedy highlighting some of the Amish traditions, at the Bird-in-Hand restaurant and theatre, and learned "Life is Gut, Ya?"  I have to agree, Yes, Life is Good!

Our rush hour experience in Ohio's Amish country proved much more authentic than our visit to Lancaster County. 

The Lincoln Highway led us to our next stop.

How Sweet It Is!

Usually, we have to park our travel trailers in the most distant parking lots.  Not today!

At Hershey's Chocolate World, we were given curbside parking near the front entrance. What a sweet treat!

Curbside at Hershey's Chocolate World

The 3D interactive movie was more entertaining than we suspected it would be.  Not only were characters stepping off the screen to come near us, but also the scents of Jolly Ranchers and chocolate filled our senses at opportune moments.

We auditioned for roles as chocolate palateers, learning to taste the intricate flavors harbored in different chocolates. Quite interesting! I'll never "chew" chocolate again, but rather, I'll look at it, smell its aroma,  listen to its snap when I break off a piece, and let it melt slowly in my mouth while discerning the complexity of flavors it contains.

Becoming Chocolate Taste Testers

A narrated trolley tour of the town gave us newfound respect for the Hersey brand and its founder.  Not only is Milton Hershey an examplar of perseverance in business and in overcoming childhood obstacles, but also his philanthropy made possible through his Hershey candy fortune continues to provide a school and homes for nearly 2000 low income students annually, at no cost to the students.

At every juncture, Hershey ambassadors handed us a piece of chocolate.  No shortage of chocolate here.

Learning the Hershey story

Chocolate everywhere!

Wise words

Hail to the Greats!

On Monday we headed east, traveling U.S. 20 across the top of New York's Finger Lakes area.  Glimpses along the route: blue water lakes and green mountain slopes on either side, and quaint villages, some more modern and prosperous than others.

We entered mountainous terrain.  The highway went straight up and straight down. Mountain after mountain. Up. Down. Up. Down.  The grades were steep. Jamie was happy to be pulling the SolAire with a diesel powered engine.

Arriving mid-afternoon at Glimmerglass State Park on the northern shore of Lake Otsego, we set up camp and prepared to welcome Jamie's cousins Mark and Pam for dinner.  This pair of Mercers live only about thirty miles from here, so it's not often we see each other.  They arrived bearing gifts of home-sourced maple syrup; we returned the favor with some bags of Mitchell County pecans.

Becky served us pancakes Tuesday morning so we could try the syrup. Yummy!

After checking out the covered bridge at the park, we followed the eastern shore of Lake Otsego south to Cooperstown.  The main drag is filled with tacky souvenir shops set in historic downtown buildings.  Of course, we picked up a couple of baseball themed items.

Covered bridge at Glimmerglass State Park in New York

Inside of the covered bridge

John & Jamie walking through the bridge

Historic marker for the bridge

The baseball Hall of Fame held a wealth of memorabilia, telling the story of America's Great Pasttime and celebrating the Greats. Tour bus after tour bus unloaded baseball enthusiasts and hopefuls.

Buster's locker recreated in the Hall of Fame

Buster's shoes -- I guess they're here so South Georgian's like me can find something to take a photo of in the Hall of Fame!

Signatures on the plaque markers for the 2017 Class

Gaylord Perry's plaque in the Hall of Fame - took a picture only because we met him at a family wedding several years ago and we have an autographed picture of him from his playing days

After browsing the HoF, Jamie and I found a fun little spot on a balcony down an alley to wait for the Coach and Becky to emerge.

The Cooperstown Trolley took us to the Farm Museum, where we saw antique farm implements and a lovely carousel. 

Carousel at the Farm Museum

Awaiting the Trolley

We also did a drive-through of Dreams Park. The park boasts twenty-two fields and dozens of dormitories. One hundred teams of 12-year-olds play tournaments here every week for thirteen weeks of summer. At $995 per player and coach per week, well, you do the math! 

Dreams Park

Dreams Park

We returned to camp via the east side of Lake Otsego, completing a 360° tour.

Views of Lake Otsego from the west side

Lake Otsego

Early to bed, early to rise, we have miles and miles to travel as we turn south toward home.