Visiting and taking in the Mothership- Red Bay, AL

         After Washington DC, we headed to Ft. Bragg, NC for a few days. We stayed at the Smith Lake Fam Camp. It was quite quiet and had lot of room to walk and explore the lake area. They have a great recreation area with playgrounds, sand volleyball, basketball, a beach, disk golf and lots of walking, and bike trails. It was a very windy curvy road to get to our spot, but there was plenty of room. Mark was able to play golf at one of the golf courses. A highlight of this stop was to see my niece Kelsey and meet her husband, Chris. We had a great visit and dinner. We had to make a quick stop to Camping World to pick up a heated water hose since there was a freeze warning forecasted for a couple of days for our next stop. 

    Next stop was a few days in Atlanta, GA. Wow was that a very stressful driving situation. I didn't like the traffic at all. Mark handled it with no major issues. We drove into the city for a tour of the Coca Cola plant. That was very intriguing. We took a guided tour and learned a lot of cool facts about the formula which started off as a medicine to cure all ails. In the plant in Atlanta, there is a display of 6-foot-high coke bottles that each country that participated in the Summer Olympics in 1996 designed to represent their country. These were great to look at and try to match the country. There were SO many things to see and do in there, the tasting room at the end of the tour has multiple flavors from all around the world. They have a huge vault that holds the original recipe, and you can get your photo taken. In my enthusiasm, my arms crossed the line and set off the alarm which made it even more hysterical. The tour guide said he was surprised and thought Mark would be the troublemaker. Just outside of Atlanta, there was an outlet mall where we were going to find some cast iron for friends, but the store closed permanently two weeks prior to our arrival. 

    We have been busy visiting folks and going to the Mothership (Red Bay, AL) where Beauregard was made. The Tiffin Plant and the town are set up to deal with pretty much anything you may need done on your motorhome. Beauregard has had some upgrades done and some new stuff added. We spent eleven days there and did some exploring of the local area. It is an interesting little town with about 3,500 people for the population. We parked the camper and had to get up early many mornings to get work done on Beauregard. We would pack everything up like we were leaving and go to the appointments and then drive back to the campground in the late afternoon or evening to set back up. Several of the stops, had a very nice waiting rooms where we could read, watch tv or play games or pay bills etc. on the computer. The businesses without a waiting room were not a problem because there was a clubhouse at our campground which was only about 5 minutes away from the vendors that had couches, recliners, tv, pool and a shuffleboard as well as board games, cards and a book exchange. Beauregard has new tires, shocks, steering stabilizer, toilet, furniture, as well as the steps are fixed, AC units serviced, tow bar serviced, tanks flushed and cleaned, an interior and exterior spa day. Beauregard looks brand new again. We also took a tour of the Tiffin Plant, and it was fascinating to see how a motorhome starts as a chassis and ends up as a luxury motorhome. They are making five motorhomes each day, and we got to get up close to each section of the plant. We also had our pictures taken with Mr. Bob Tiffin who started the company almost 50 years ago. He has handed the reins over to grandchildren, but he is still very involved in the day-to-day tasks. 

    While in this small town in Alabama, Mark got one game of golf in, and we explored Dismal Canyons while looking for waterfalls. When looking at things to do, we thought we would go and see three waterfalls but only made it to one. We drove over many back roads in Alabama and into Mississippi and could not find anything that looked like a trail for the first one. When we got to Dismal Canyon, there is a trail that we paid a large amount of money to go a mile and a half. During this adventure, we went into caves, over swinging bridges, and into a narrow passage that you could not stand with both feet together. It was a balancing act to walk sideways and get through this area. We had to drive 35 miles to find a Catholic church in this area, yet there were Baptist churches all over. I had to remember where we were in the middle of the Bible Belt. Another observation from this area was that almost everyone had a large front porch on the homes. 

    Next stop, Little Rock Arkansas to visit a friend who we knew in Minot at the base. Linda took time off to show us a bit of Little Rock history. She showed us the Bill Clinton Presidential library from a distance. She then took us to Little Rock Central where the nine black students were integrated into the school. They even had the National Guard called in to help with the transition. They have a really nice museum about the issues these students had to face. The school is still a high school to this day. She also took us to Old Mill which is the site of Gone with the Wind's opening scene. It was a very peaceful place to see and walk around. Of course, we had food and lots of visiting, it was good to catch up. She then took me to a woman's luncheon where they all accepted me as a guest. They had a potluck, ornament exchange and goodie bags for all. Linda wanted us to meet her grandkids, and we met three of the five kids. Her son that lives near her was very little in Minot and didn't particularly remember us. His Mom showed him some pictures and then he sorted of recalled us. 

    Last stop of this part of journey was to Lake Charles, LA to visit some friends from Alaska which was 41 years ago. Their oldest child is about a year older than Ashley.  Char and Bob came to the camper and then took us on a tour of the area. They met at college and showed us their alma mater and some local spots of interest. Mark and I tried Boudin which is a type of sausage that is a specialty in Louisiana. We went to dinner at Steamboat Bills. Again, there was so much visiting and catchy up on the goings on in our lives. Some of the best parts of this trip are reconnecting with friends from the past. I was going to say some old friends, but that would mean we are also old, HaHa! It is different to have Thanksgiving in the camper and to be wearing a short-sleeved shirt. In the campground, we are in, there are lots of trails and swamp land. While I was walking on a trail, I saw two alligators and lots of turtles. When I asked some of my friends in ND if they wanted alligator for Thanksgiving, no one wanted any. I just can't imagine why. 

    As we continue this journey, there is SO much to see and do but since we are only human, we are unable to see everything. We have decided that this year the adventures will focus on connecting with friends. Life is still good, and we would encourage everyone to go out and live your dreams to the fullest. Appreciate what you have around you and make the best of it. Retirement is highly recommended by both of us! Look for the next edition sometime toward the end of December. 

Cruising and Washington DC adventures

 We took our twelve-day cruise from NYC to the Virgin Islands; I celebrated my birthday aboard the ship Venezia. Mark called it the Holy Tour because we were scheduled to go to St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Maarten and Tortola. Due to a Tropical storm, we missed the first port of St. Thomas and instead went to Grand Turk.

    During the cruise, we saw some really great shows by the professionals on the ship and some with guests on the ship like a talent show. The shows featured some fantastic acts with talented passengers. Some of the themes of the big shows were: Welcome Aboard, Vintage Era, Color My World, Epic Rock, Dana Monique from the Voice, Viva Variety and Melissa McLaughlin which was my favorite. We also watched shows where the passengers played in games like deal or no deal, hog's wild, walk the plank, trivia and bingo. Another activity that holds a lot of meaning to us is the Military Appreciation Gathering. It was very moving and memorable. Of course, Mark had to give his donation to the casino most nights. He was ahead for several nights and then his luck changed. 

            Our excursions were kind of mellow for us and were mostly sightseeing tours. In Grand Turk and St. Maarten, we did not do any excursions. We only got off the ship and looked at shops at the pier. It was rather hot for us folks from North Dakota. It was almost 90 degrees. We knew we would get some heat in the Virgin Islands, but thought since it was fall, it would be a bit cooler. In St. Kitts, we went to a Batik textile mill that was built on a volcanic mountain. It is kind of a cool technique to get all the colors and designs onto the fabric. Also on this tour, we were taken to a place where the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea meet. It was awesome to see this spot. The only difference I could note was the slightly different color turquoise of the water. At this spot, there were people with live monkey's dressed up and used this as a tourist trap to get your picture taken holding them. Many people in the group didn't realize they had to pay to hold the monkeys. Our excursion in Tortola, was a combo sea and land tour. We rode a ferry to several landmarks and some history about them. The guide on the ferry was very engaging and knew his information. The second part of the trip was up a volcanic mountain road that was very windy and curvy in an open-air taxi that had about 20 folks. It was not very comfortable, and the driver's driving skills were scary to say the least. He would stop and say here is a nice spot to take photos, but we didn't know what we were viewing. It was beautiful scenery despite not knowing what we were looking at each time. 

            Of course, one can't go on a cruise without loads of good food every time you turned around. We ate mostly in the dining room for dinners, but two days we went to specialty restaurants on the ship. One night we went to Bonsai Tappinyaki which is like a hibachi grill where they cook the food in front of you starting with bread, salad, fried rice, veggies, meat, and 6 desserts. Yes, I did say six desserts to try. It was way too much food, but it was great entertainment with lots of songs and finesse. We also went to a Steakhouse the day after my birthday. This was a higher classed restaurant with fabulous food. They even brought out my dessert of fruit with frosting that said Happy Birthday on the bowl and a candle to make a wish. On the Venezia, there are two main areas to have dinner or brunch on sea days, but there was also a buffet, Guy's Burgers, a BBQ place, deli, taco place, pizza joint, seafood place, ice cream, and a dessert bar. If you are hungry on a cruise, it is nobody's fault but your own. They also cater to vegans, gluten, free and any other dietary need you may have. 

    Although we had a good time, we both decided that a 12-day cruise with six sea days is more than we want to do at a time. Mark said the only one he would do at that length would be a Panama Canel cruise. Upon getting off the ship, we were planning one night at my brother's house for one evening but turned into two because of a small hiccup. Mark's meds were sent and did not come in time, so we spent an extra night up North. When we arrived up North, we found signs of mice and threw away some ramen soup, cups of soups, pop tarts and packets of taco seasoning, we had a stowaway mouse that we probably picked up at the last campground. We did catch him and put in more mint oil all around the inside and storage areas of the camper. 

    Our next stop was in Berwick. PA to visit some friends for a very quick visit. We knew them in the military, and they left Minot 29 years ago and we have kept in touch. We spent many hours visiting and catching up as if we had not skipped a beat. They took us to dinner at a restaurant that was recommended by their family. Unbeknownst to both of us, was that there was Trivia every Tuesday evening, so it was loud and almost packed with the exception of one table where we sat. It was great seeing them. 

    Washington DC was the next destination to stay at Andrews Air Force Base and explore the Nation's Capital for about ten days. This was a great plan until the Government Shutdown affected many of the places we wanted to see. Driving that day was quite stressful for me, I am trying to not be a nervous passenger, but I am not meant to be in this much traffic. We did make the best of it and did numerous activities. We were about a 15-minute drive from a Metro station, so we did accomplish navigating where we need to be. I was surprised of how relatively quiet it (the Metro) was even when it was full, people paid attention to their phones or books. It is a color-coded system and was not difficult to use. 

    The Fam Camp on Andrews only has about 30 slots for campers with full hook ups and lots of trees. It overlooks one of the three golf courses on the base. Mark was hoping to get a day or two in on the course, but it was a bit chilly. Our friends in Maryland said it had been about 70 degrees until we showed up and it was a high of 55. It was a quaint place to stay with reveille at 7:00 AM, retreat at 5:00 PM and taps at 9:00 PM every day over the PA system. The campground was almost full, yet no one interacted with the neighbors. 

    One of the first places we went to was: The Holocaust Museum which was open for a few more days during the shutdown. This was a very intense museum and very moving. We spent almost four hours going through the exhibits that were presented very realistically. It was kind of like the movie, The Passion, it was so awful to see and yet was very riveting to see. It made me think of how the hatred of Hitler was so widespread. We learned that he went to prison before he had power and wrote a book. I thought that experience would have made him feel for the people more, but that is not what happened. Our next big encounter was driving to our friend's house in Maryland where she would play tour guide and chauffeur for the day. She drove us and her daughter to Arlington National Cemetery, which was mostly open, a few exhibits were not open. We took a tour that made many stops to include Eternal Flame of JFK, Tomb of Unknown Soldier, the changing of the guard, the amphitheater, and the Space Shuttle Memorial to name a few. There are 639 acres of history and reverence on this bit of land. The changing of the guard ceremony was very touching to see in person. This day we were there was an honor flight of veterans from Indiana who were visibly moved, it made me proud to be an American. We were then taken to Old Ebbets's saloon which is the oldest saloon in DC for a late lunch. They handed us a paper with information on both sides of a paper regarding the history. Our friend then took us to places where we could get out quickly and take pictures of some of the monuments. 

    Another day we took the metro to near the White House for a segway tour around the city. Since we arrived very early, we asked what was near that we could see or do. The people suggested going to The People's House just down the street. The People's House is fairly new and is privately owned interactive model of the White House. It was really superbly done display. They had a model of the front of the White House with a short video at the beginning with Melania Trump welcoming people to experience this unique place. The first room you go into has a model of the rooms in the White House such as the red room, green room and the ballroom. If you touch a pad, it describes and shows what happens in each room. The next room was one of my favorites, it was a replica of the Oval Office. It is the same size as the actual Oval Office with lights to tap on to read about the significance of the furniture in the room. They also have a replica of the President's desk that you can take photos at.  I must have been trying to solve the world problems at that desk since I looked like I was deep in thought. Upstairs is a simulation of a cabinet meeting and Mark interacted with Abe Lincoln's cabinet, a ballroom simulation, and then a room where you can interact with objects found at the White House or Camp David. It was especially interesting since we could not take a tour of the actual White House. The segway tour brought us near many monuments and historical information about DC. Our tour guide Brandon was great fun and made sure we were safe. We were on information overload by the end of the tour, but we love segway adventures!

    Another day, we walked to get up closer to the monuments and memorials that we saw on the tour. We just took our sweet time and enjoyed where we are in life. Retirement is great and we are trying to see and do as much as we are able with the time we have- I guess you could say we are really living life to its fullest. The last big event we went to was more for my sake than Mark's. We took the Metro, then a bus to the National Cathedral. I have a fascination with Cathedrals, the beauty, architecture, history, the chapels and the stained-glass features and this one did not disappoint. This cathedral is where funerals for heads of state are held to include Eisenhower, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and GW Bush. Martin Luther King Jr gave his last public address here shortly before he was assassinated. The funeral of Jane Goodall will be held here in November. The newest stain glass is the Space Window. The main pulpit is called the Canterbury Pulpit and was given to us by England. This cathedral took almost 90 years to complete. They have a new fundraiser going on right now, it is to build a replica of the cathedral with lego bricks sold for a dollar a piece. This project when it is done will be as tall as the large room it is in. We listened to one of the guys in charge of this project and it is manned by volunteers only a couple of days a week.

    Even amid the government shutdown, we did a lot of awesome happenings. After this will be short trip to NC to visit my niece, a stop near Altana Georgia to see the Coke factory and then to Red Bay to get some updates done to Beauregard. That will take us into Mid November. We are putting a lot of miles on the RV, but so far it is so worth the traveling! I love exploring places we have not been before and we have been given a gift to be able to do this long trip.