Monday, October 31, 2016

Savannah

















A drive down the south east coast wouldn't be complete without a stop in Savannah GA. This historic city is packed full of charm and the restorations remind me of many of the southern locations in Europe. If a building is missing a few bricks just stuff some rocks in and you are good to go. It's common to see the streets change from rock to cut stones to brick and some concrete and even rails from a Long gone street car, all in the same few feet. While walking on these streets you need to pay attention or you could end up on your face. But it's all a part of the charm and I always enjoy seeing this town. Having lunch at a local spot reminds me that we are now on the coast and sea food is a menu item for us land locked Minnesotans to enjoy.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

"What'll you do when you get lonely?"

Stop by Mitch and Joys for some good old fashioned southern hospitality, it is the best! While my brother Mitch and his beautiful bride Joy are originally from MN, they are fantastic hosts in their South Carolina home. We enjoyed great food and equally great company from everyone, including Layla and Jerry (the rock boxers) and Nick and Eric, two of their three children. The other was off enjoying his honeymoon.

“Sometimes the lights all shining on me, other times I can barely see. Lately it occurs to me what a long strange trip it's been.”

- Eric Clapton - Jerry Garcia

Friday, October 28, 2016

Mountain mills





Along the Appalachian trail








Really Gary?




Blue loves his morning sun, and we love our morning walks.

Turkey anyone?

Turkey Vultures that is. I feel a Larson Quote coming on... "Blotted Rino under foot, friends flying in from a far, it just doesn't get any better than this" So clearly no rhinos in these parts but no shortage of road kill and the cleanup crew that follows.

200 miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway













This year we had the good fortune to drive 200 miles along the Blue Ridge Parkway and see some great fall color. If that's not enough, the weather was fantastic! I call us blessed.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Oh Shenandoah












This has been a weekend I'll not soon forget! My god child's wedding, time with my brothers and their families and a drive up the Skyline Parkway that winds through the Shenandoah Valley, Wow.

Family time

Weddings are always special but when family Members travels the distance to be together on this day, it hard to imagine a day can get any better!










A spectacular day for an amazing couple











A beautiful drive in the Appalachian's






Thursday, October 20, 2016

If I pass this way again...

OK, western Kentucky is beautiful but as we crossed the border into West Virginia it just kept getting better and better. The drive through Charleston (the Capitol) and into the New River Gorge area is a bit nerve racking for the passenger but if you can get over the steep slopes and hairpin curves down an 8% grade you will see some spectacular views with amazing fall color this time of year. If we have the opportunity to drive this way again, we will spend time exploring the New River Gorge

Our home for the night is Babcock state park and it's a good one! It's a very large state park with a nice campground that sits just outside of Clifftop, a very small town with little interest but fortunately, the park has so much to see and do. The park is home to a fully operable grist mill and has become the most photographed place in the state. You can see why from the photos I've taken. The mill was built in 1976 from components of other mills around the state. Today visitors to the park can buy ground cornmeal and buckwheat flour ground at the mill. This is a living monument to more than 500 mills that once thrived in WV around the turn of the 20th century.

This was our last big push to get to our wedding destination of Waynesboro so tomorrow is an easy day to our final stop for this leg of the journey.







West Virginia, Wow!









Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Winter 16-17

We've hit the road a few weeks early this year to attend my God Child's wedding in Virginia. Its been my desire to leave earlier so we can experience the fall colors through Kentucky and into the Appalachians, so here we go. So far so good. I was concerned that we were to early as we drove across Illinois and Indiana with very little leaf color but I was pleased today when we neared Kentucky and the colors sprang to life. Plus the temps have hit the 80's which is hot for this time of year so we are spending a little extra to secure 50amp service. I've never been good at taking the heat, so air conditioning in the RV is a must if I wish to sleep.

There's something special about Kentucky and I can't put my finger on it. Perhaps it's the blue grass pastures with leggy Thoroughbreds dancing on well groomed hooves. Or maybe it's the unique farms with their barns painted black so the inside of the barn heats up to dry tobacco or the other reason, to hide the effects of corn mash in the air, this is the home of some of the worlds best bourbon after all and if they don't paint the boards black, they'll turn that color anyway and make outsiders wonder what's up. Maybe it's the history that spills from the many battlefields, or cities named for early settlers like Clarkville, or natural places named for the First Nations people that traveled the buffalo traces and drank of the special waters that seep through the limestone. I recall the last time we came this way finding a half circle of 13 head stones for a small unknown group of civil war soldiers that fell along the same path we walked. Sure this is beautiful country with rolling hills and meandering brooks, but it's so much more. For now, it's the beginning of this years journey.

Winter 16-17

We've hit the road a few weeks early this year to attend my God Child's wedding in Virginia. Its been my desire to leave earlier so we can experience the fall colors through Kentucky and into the Appalachians, so here we go. So far so good. I was concerned that we were to early as we drove across Illinois and Indiana with very little leaf color but I was pleased today when we neared Kentucky and the colors sprang to life. Plus the temps have hit the 80's which is hot for this time of year so we are spending a little extra to secure 50amp service. I've never been good at taking the heat, so air conditioning in the RV is a must if I wish to sleep.

There's something special about Kentucky and I can't put my finger on it. Perhaps it's the blue grass pastures with leggy Thoroughbreds dancing on well groomed hooves. Or maybe it's the unique farms with their barns painted black so the inside of the barn heats up to dry tobacco or the other reason, to hide the effects of corn mash in the air, this is the home of some of the worlds best bourbon after all and if they don't paint the boards black, they'll turn that color anyway and make outsiders wonder what's up. Maybe it's the history that spills from the many battlefields, or cities named for early settlers like Clarkville, or natural places named for the First Nations people that traveled the buffalo traces and drank of the special waters that seep through the limestone. I recall the last time we came this way finding a half circle of 7 head stones for a small but not forgotten group of civil war soldiers that fell along the same path we walked. Sure this is beautiful country with rolling hills and meandering brooks, but it's so much more. For now, it's the beginning of this years journey.