Headed Home At Last

Well, the time has come to go home.

Our trip home was every bit a part of the vacation as all the previous days have been, because for us the travel is part of the journey. For us, the vacation begins the moment we pull out onto the road in Pooh and doesn't end until she is back on her storage lot at the end.  We don't have to endure airports, TSA patdowns, flight delays, hotel check-ins, and rental cars, or any of that stuff prior to getting to a destination.  We start enjoying our trips from the very first moment.

Headed south on I-26 from Spartanburg, SC

And this trip was no different.  All along our trip, in addition to the events mentioned in this blog, we were privileged to meet wonderful people and see beautiful sights in this great country.  The United States is the greatest country on earth, and there is still so much of it we want to experience.

Our first night on the way home was near Jacksonville.  Linda found this great, luxurious park.  It was in our network of inexpensive campgrounds, and looked to be a nice spot to spend the night after a long drive from Spartanburg.  We pulled in after the office had closed, but we had been told to just find an empty site, hook up, and then come into the office in the morning to settle up.  So far, so good.

Within a few minutes of hooking up to power, water, and cable TV, we had an experience that made us rethink our decision to stay here.  It turns out that the park is on the direct flightpath of Jacksonville airport, and less than one mile from the end of the runway.  We could practically see the color of the pilots' eyes as they flew over.

Yes, this is our Pooh . . . under the flight path

So close . . . so loud

Notice the altitude

Then, in the morning, when Linda went to pay the bill, she found out that the inexpensive rate only applied to a 3-day stay, not an overnight stay.  So, we ended up paying a premium price for a very ordinary and noisy stay.  Needless to say, we don't plan to stay at that campground again.

The next day was Saturday, and we drove to Tampa to stay at our usual campground prior to unloading Pooh and putting her back into storage.  We try to stay at Bay Bayou near Oldsmar for a day or two at the end of every long journey.  It gives us a chance to wind down from the trip, and we get a day or two of rest before unloading and tranferring all our stuff back to the house.

The Tampa skyline

Plus, on this trip, the Mariners were in town to play our beloved Tampa Bay Rays, and since Frank's brother is the hitting coach for the Mariners, we were going to see a couple of games as the final events of our trip.  Bay Bayou was a perfect spot for both easing back into Largo life, and going to the ballpark.  We went to the games on both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

Nice to have a covered ballpark when this kind of storm is coming

After the game Saturday, we spent an enjoyable time with Chris on the patio of the Vinoy (where the major league visiting teams stay) sipping beers and catching up on family matters.  We love it when he is in town and the brothers can spend time together.

All smiles at Tropicana Field

On Monday morning, we prepared Pooh for her last ride of this trip, and headed off to the storage lot for unpacking and going home.

Family Time - Part 2

Goodbyes are the hardest part of any visit.  It was hard to say our goodbyes to Momboo and Pops Chambliss, but it was time to begin the journey home to Florida.

We headed for South Carolina to visit Matt and Raelyn along the way.  They had bought a new house just before the wedding.  After heading back for the formal closing right after the wedding, they were able to move in on the 4th of July.  We were anxious to be among the first guests.

It was a good thing we were excited to get there, because that excitement kept our minds off of the HEAT WAVE that was covering Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.  Our dash air in the motorhome is sporadic, so we traveled with the big generator on in the back, which powered the house air conditioner. Even so, the front passenger compartment was toasty.

We drove to Durham, NC, the first night, and then to our campsite near Spartanburg the next day.  Our only sightseeing stop along the way was the QVC Outlet in Mebane, NC.  Linda just had to go there!  It was not nearly as good as the HSN Outlet in Largo, but at least now she knows.

We pulled into driveway of the newest Mr. and Mrs. Chambliss just in time for dinner.  Raelyn had fixed a big plate of lobster and shrimp pasta, caesar salad, and garlic bread.  So yummy.  Matt married a good cook.

Beautiful new home in Boiling Springs, SC

We stayed nearby for a couple more days, spending time with Matt and Rae and the dogs.  Matt and Rae are a fine couple.  We loved seeing how they work together as a team on everything.  Not only are they in love, but they appear to be best friends, as well. 

The newest Mr. and Mrs. Chambliss preparing dinner

Beautiful details inside . . . archways, paint colors, woodwork

Daisy and Charger supervising everything

One night, a tremendous thunderstorm went through with incredible displays of lightning.  Storms are always thrilling when experienced from inside a metal tube such as a motorhome.  The next day, on a drive through town, we saw a tree which had been split right down the center into 3 parts by lightning.

Hard to see, but this tree is split into three parts

Quite an awesome sight.  Unbelievably, no part of the tree hit the nearby house.

Family Time - Part 1

After the excitement of the previous day in New Jersey, we were glad to be heading to Frank's parent's condo in Alexandria, Virginia, for a few days of rest and relaxation.  We timed our drive so we would avoid the Friday night traffic jams on the Outerbelt.

Driving through the Fort McHenry Tunnel in Baltimore

Our first stop was Prince William Travel Village in Dumfries, VA (about 20 miles south of Alexandria) to put Pooh onto a storage pad.  Then we packed a few things into the Tracker, and headed back north on I-95 to the Chambliss condo.  By this time, it was about 4:00 in the afternoon.  We drove back north on I-95 toward Washington DC, and marveled at the change in the traffic situation on he southbound side of the freeway.  In just the one hour since we had southbound toward Dumfries, that side had become a veritable parking lot.  We congratulated ourselves that we had avoided that mess.

Family time at its best

We spent the entire weekend just enjoying the fellowship of family time. We watched a lot of baseball on TV, and feasted on the amazing cooking of Frank's mom.  She makes some spectacular dishes!  My favorite of the weekend was the Monte Christo breakfast sandwiches made with jalapeno bread and real Vermont maple syrup.  Oh my . . . those were good.

Fresh salmon with prawns, and grilled asparagus and broccoli

Getting ready to enjoy another meal together

Frank and his mom got out a big box of old family photos that probably had not been opened in 20 years.  What a fun time that was to go through old photos, yearbooks and other family memorabilia. 

Linda loves The Container Store

Linda also spent time shopping in the little stores in Alexandria, and other stores not available in the Tampa Bay area.  By the time our visit was over, we were rejuvenated and ready to begin the journey home.

We have had wonderful experiences on this trip, and we are so blessed that our final two stops are with family.  There is no better way to end a journey.  From Alexandria, we head to South Carolina to see newlyweds Matt and Raelyn, and their new home.

New Jersey

OK, first off, I apologize in advance to all my acquaintances from New Jersey.  I know you didn't personally make New Jersey the way it is.  You didn't decide to make all the left-hand turns begin from the far right lanes.  You didn't decide to establish jug-handles.  I know this.  I know my New Jersey friends are decent, loving, hard working people. 

So, now the rant.

Between my Garmin deciding to have a hissy fit, and the jug handle thingy, I never wanted to visit New Jersey again.  Part of my rant is due to my own memory problems.  You see, we have driven through New Jersey with Pooh II at least twice before.  I should have remembered the left turn idiocy in that state.  It's impossible to move to that right lane - in a motorhome towing a car - quickly.  I should have remembered, I really should have.  But I didn't.

And, by the way, how about using some of those exorbitant road tolls to FIX THE ROADS????  The rough roads in Jersey resulted in (1) a broken microwave oven door, (2) a broken glass coffee carafe, (3) a broken light switch in the bedroom, and (4) a cracked windshield.  And these damages occurred on the FREEWAYS!

Enough, I say ... enough.

No hint of upcoming trouble as we crossed the Tappan Zee bridge

Oh, about that Garmin fit?  What on earth was it thinking when it took us off the Garden State thruway and put us on the road back to Manhattan via the Lincoln Tunnel?  Had we not just avoided Manhattan altogether by going over the Tappan Zee Bridge to the north?

How in the world did we get on the back side of Newark Airport?

Just in time ... and in the bowels of a New Jersey trucking area . . . we found our way to I-95 South and were on our way again.

Finally, an entrance to I-95

We finally made it to the southern tip of New Jersey and stayed in a lovely park for the night.  We decided that we probably would drive through Jersey again, but we would definitely double-check all directions from Garmin, and we would not get off of any major freeways.

On to Alexandria, and the traffic of the Washington, DC, area.  It may be crowded down there, but the roads make sense.

Martha's Vineyard - Saying Goodbye

Man oh man ... where did the time go?  In what seemed like just the flash of an eye, it was time to leave Martha's Vineyard.   But, I think it's always best to leave a place wanting more of it.

We packed our bags... they were a little heavier on the return trip what with all that yarn and those souvenirs and such.  Julie drove us to the dock in Vineyard Haven, and we waited for the ferry to arrive and take us back to the mainland.

There was a slight delay in unloading the ferry when it docked in Vineyard Haven.  Before arriving cars and passengers were allowed to disembark, this guy was led off the ferry, in chains, to the waiting Vineyard police.  

Not the best way to get a visit to Martha's Vineyard

The ferry finally unloads; some people are still watching the police activity

But soon, we were boarding the boat and settling in for the 45-minute ride back to Woods Hole.

One last view of Vineyard Haven harbor as we boarded the ferry

The ferry pulls away from the dock

Passing West Chop

Next stop was picking up Pooh from storage.  We had left the refrigerator on, and although we have never had it go off during a stay in short-term storage, it's always a topic for concern.  It would be most unpleasant to open up the motorhome door and smell rotten food.  But, the refrigerator fairy was on duty, and all was well in there.

We hitched up the Tracker, and drove to Mystic CT, to the same campground we stayed at last year . . . only 100 miles or so from the Cape, but a world away for us from the Vineyard.

We turned our thoughts now to Frank's parents, and were now eager to get to Alexandria, Virginia, to spend a few days with them.

Martha's Vineyard - Day 4

Our primary reason for going to Martha's Vineyard is not to see the sights or wander through the shops.  Our primary reason is always to enjoy the peacefulness of the island and the fellowship of good friends.   Our last full day there epitomized these reasons.

We started the day with lots of good coffee and conversation in the Wheeler kitchen. 

Geoff makes eggs and sausage for brunch

Then, Linda and Julie spent a couple of hours looking through Julie's amazing craft closet . . . a veritable cornucopia (how's that for a trite expression?) of knitting books, patterns and yarn.   Linda was in Knitting Heaven.

In the early afternoon, Linda and Frank went to for a long visit with Betty.  What a blessing that was.  Linda presented Betty with the shawl she had made with the yarn that Julie had given her.

Doesn't she look pretty?

There was even a random knitter in the sun room.

Another random knitter for Linda's collection . . . lol

For dinner we went to the Lookout Tavern overlooking the water in Oak Bluffs.  We sat on the porch and breathed deeply of the salt air and ambiance . . .it was one of those Margaritaville places.

We expected to see Jimmy Buffett at any minute

Julie and Geoff . . . our handsome hosts

Another wonderful day on Martha's Vineyard was coming to a close, and we wanted to wring every last precious memory out of it.   It is a blessing to have such good friends as the Wheelers.  They have made our stay here so lovely.  We will miss them.