Day 23 (June 15)

photos from the University of Virginia

We took a ride into the city of Charlottesville and walked around the University of Virginia to The Rotunda and The Lawn.  We particularly wanted to see this because Thomas Jefferson had founded it.

After checking the weather, we going to make our way home tomorrow.  We have had absolutely gorgeous weather since Luray with temperatures in the upper 80s and no humidity. But they are calling for thunderstorms so we will postpone our visit to Natural Bridge, VA.

Day 22 (June 14)

photos from Ash-Lawn Highland

We went to Ash-Lawn Highland.  Highland, as James Monroe had named it, was a beautiful farm home.  There was some original furniture but for the most part, it was not as original as Monticello and it was not as interesting as Montpelier.  Monroe actually spent very little time here and subsequent owners had built a whole entire house attached.  They lands and gardens were beautiful though.

We stopped at the Jefferson Vineyards.  I did the wine tasting for $10 and got to keep the glass.  We did like the wines and bought three bottles.  My only suggestion is to never do a wine tasting on an empty stomach!  :)

Day 21 (June 13)

photos from Monticello

photos from Michie Tavern

We were up and out the door by 9:20am with plenty of time to spare for our 10:10am scheduled tour of Monticello.  And it was just as beautiful as the first time we were there in 2002.  They had built a new gift shop that Cass really enjoyed.  She bought several packages of flower seeds that she'll plant when we get home.  I think we enjoyed the tour even more this time because we were able to look around more and listen less.  We walked all around the grounds took alot of pictures.  The flower gardens were absolutely gorgeous and exquisitely maintained.

We went to Michie's Tavern for lunch.  We had fried chicken, green beans, black eyed peas, and cole slaw.  The fried chicken was incredible.  Cass had peach cobbler for dessert and I had vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce.  Then we did the tour next door.  It was a great historical tour with historical furniture and maps.  Then we walked around outside and saw all the out buildings. 

Day 20 (June 12)

photos from Montpelier

We went over to Monticello to get tickets for tomorrow.  Then we were debating between a Civil War museum and Montpelier, James Madison's home. 

We chose Montpelier and we were so glad we did!  They are in the process of renovating the home and grounds still and trying to reclaim the family's possessions.  And it is still an active archeological site!  The employees were excited and thrilled to be part of this process and this really echoed back to us tourists.  Our group was small, only 10 in the group which allowed for almost a more personal tour.  It is a beautiful home and gardens.  And we are looking forward to returning in 10 years and seeing how far they have come along.

This was my favorite of the 3 Presidential homes we saw as it is still in the discovery mode. It has only recently been re-opened.
"The Montpelier estate was formed in 1723 when Ambrose Madison, President James Madison's grandfather, and his brother-in-law, Thomas Chew, were deeded 4,675 acres in the newly opened Piedmont of Virginia. To receive final title, he had three years to clear the land and build a house.
For more than 120 years – from 1723 until 1844 when Dolley Madison sold the property – the Madisons owned Montpelier. Montpelier was the lifelong home of James Madison, Father of the Constitution, architect of the Bill of Rights, and fourth president of the United States. It was here that he read, researched, and thought more deeply about our republican form of government than any other Founding Father."

Day 18,19 (June 10,11)

Day 18 - Friday, June 10
We drove from Luray to Charlottesville.  It was a nice, slow, 2 hour ride all the way down US 340, Stonewall Jackson Memorial Highway.  We're staying at a KOA in Keene, VA which is about 12 miles outside of Charlottesville.  It is a very nice KOA, run by a nice young couple... but it is very rural with no cell service and WiFi is through HughesNet and there is nothing nice to say about satellite internet. 

photos from the Walton's Mountain Museum

Day 19 - Saturday, June 11
We went to the Walton's Mountain Museum where they had replicas of John-Boy's room, the kitchen, the living room, Ike Godsey's General Store, and the Baldwin Sisters "Recipe Room".  The General Store was also the gift shop.  It was a very corny stop but as a fan of the show, it was well worth the $7 entry.

Then Cass had a great idea to the Historic Hatton Ferry... what a ride!  We were on back roads, dirt roads again with no cell reception.  And the ferry was not really what we were expecting.  I think I was expecting more of a historical area based on a historical marker sign that stated:

James A. Brown began operating a store and ferry at this site on rented property in the late 1870s.  In 1881 he bought the land from S.P. Gantt at which time the store became a stop on the Richmond and Alleghany Railroad.  Two years later, Brown was authorized to open a post office in his store, which was named Hatton for the young federal postal officer who signed the authorizing documents.  The ferry is one of the only two poled ferries still functioning in the continental United States.

Instead we found an area full of tubers, canoes and beer drinkers.

Days 15,16,17 (June 7,8,9)

photos from Luray Caverns 

photos from the Luray Car Museum

photos from Skyline Drive

Cass and Patrick relaxing.

Day 15 - Tuesday, June 7

We took a down day today and stayed here at "home".  Patrick is exhausted and we sat with him.  We sat outside and enjoyed this beautiful campground.  It's pretty empty.  Our "neighbors" are from South Carolina and Massachusetts... such a small world.

Day 16 - Wednesday, June 8
We went to the Luray Caverns today and all the museums there.  The Caverns was way more than I thought it was going to be.  I guess I don't really know what I was expecting but it definitely far exceeded my expectations.  It was a clammy 54 degrees.  In fact by the time we got to the end of the tour, my glasses were fogging over, fortunately my camera was fine.

There were close to 50 people in our group and unfortunately it was hard to hear everything that the guide talked about because Cass and I would end up near the end of the tour because I would be taking so many pictures.  I took 258 pictures of stalactites, stalagmites and all sorts of formations!  Somehow I managed to cull that down to the approximately 100 that I put in the photo blog.

Day 17 - Thursday, June 9
We drove the Skyline Drive today and took Patrick with us.

Days 8,9,10,11,12,13,14 (May 31, June 1,2,3,4,5,6)

photos from Lancaster, PA

Day 8 -  Tuesday, May 31
We hooked up and were on the road by 10:15am.  We are caravaning with Lea and Arlene in their Bounder and tow vehicle.  All the other rigs are already gone.  We had to stop and gas up and ran into 2 other rigs gassing up.  And we met up with them again and had a 4 rig caravan all the way to Lancaster.

What should have taken 4 hours to drive from Chincoteague, VA to Lancaster, PA ended up taking nearly 6.5 hours!  It was a beautiful ride all on back roads and through towns.

We got to the campground and checked in and set up.  We were in a spot that was pretty close and pretty much under the roller coaster.  Granted it doesn't start up until 8am and stops sometime around 8pm and with the AC on most of the time, we got used to the noise.  And there is a stream that Cass can fish in.  There are ducks along the stream and it abuts a farm that we can watch the farmer working his fields.

Day 9 - Wednesday, June 1
Cass and I took a ride.  We stopped at Costco and bought some new chairs with side tables (and a side cooler).  Then we just road around the back roads and through the farms and saw the Amish driving the horses and carriages.  It was pretty cool to see the horses tied up outside various businesses.

Day 10 - Thursday, June 2
Cass and I took a ride with Lea and Arlene to find the Amish Department Store.  We eventually did find it but it was closed because it was Ascension Day.  So I did laundry and Cass did some cleaning.

Day 11 - Friday, June 3
Cass went shopping with Bev for a new computer and while she was out, she was going to stop at the AT&T store and get me a new, sturdier case for my iPhone.  I went back to the Amish Department Store with Lea and Arlene.  It was really a cool store and had pretty much anything you were looking for.  I did buy a new ice cream scoop, pretty indestructible even for Cass.  I also got us 2 new tablecloths made of vinyl that should last us and a new knife set for the RV.  We stopped and had ice cream for lunch.

Cass had gotten back about the same time I did.  She was putting the new case on my phone and turned around and handed me my phone with the Patriots case on it.  Well I knew it wasn't my phone and she said "Nope, it's mine."  She finally got rid of that piece of crap LG phone she had!  AND she was able to keep it a surprise and not tell me during any of the phone calls between us.

Day 12 - Saturday, June 4
We just hung out and watched bocci.  There was a potluck for dinner and all the food was excellent.  Cass made her pulled pork and it was a huge hit.  We played bingo after dinner.

Day 13 - Sunday, June 5
Last day of the Rally and most of the rigs are heading out.  We are doing laundry and packing up the car.

Day 14 - Monday, June 6
Cass and I have to pause here and mention Patrick.  He has made an amazing transition into an "only child" and is maturing into a wonderful dog.  We are able to leave him and not stress over it because when we come back, he is none the worse.   He is developing more of his own personality and we could not be happier and more proud we are of him.

We were up and having coffee by 7am and ready for the next leg of our trip.  We said our good-byes to our new found friends and are already looking forward to our next meet up with them.

The PA turnpike is a lousy road fully of bumps and potholes.  I guess we quickly forget about the winter's effect on roads.

We got to Country Waye Campground at around 4:30pm.  The ride through Luray was nice but once we got through the town itself and started up the mountain and I mean UP the mountain, it was a slow and windy road with hairpin turns and speeds of no more than 25mph.  Cass, as always, did a phenomenal job of driving!