SOUTH CAROLINA - October 2007

ON THE ROAD AGAIN – AGAIN

Settled for lunch in Rocky Gap, Virginia

On October 11 we headed south – again. For the first time, I back up the new trailer. I started early to avoid the high school traffic. It was a successful attempt.

We took our time. This was a new type of trailer and the memories of September 12 were still fresh on our minds. We stopped first at Camping World in Hamburg, N.Y. It was time to start replacing all those items we had lost in the accident. After lunch at Rose's Diner we continued to the Erie, P.A. KOA.

Once the trailer was parked, it was off to Borders, Wal-Mart, and Smokey Bones. Every place we visited was enriched by our wallet.

The insurance company has been encouraging us to replace things. When all the insurance business is finished I will give a full report. Just a hint: all those of you with policies through Johnson's Insurance (Richmond Hill, ON) be wary. Service started out being terrific but over a short period of time degenerated into almost non-existence.

We decided to spread our trip over four days rather than two. I preferred to stay at or under the speed limit. This was like learning to drive again.

At Grove City, P.A. We became side-tracked looking for an accessible gas station. It was a blessing. We found a local farmer selling apples. Crunchy and tart Empires!

Our other stops were Flatwoods, WV and Charlotte, NC. Between Flatwoods and Charlotte we had to drive that infamous piece of pavement in Wytheville. Past the site of our rollover. Cathy was pretty unsettled about it.

I love Rocky Gap, a hidden valley on the northern border of Virginia.

On the fourth day we entered SC. The median was pure gold. The planting of black-eyed susans was a solid path for at least three quarters of a mile. Shortly after lunch we were at Riverbottom Farms in Swansea. We visited with Susan and Dana then set up.
Backing into our site. Backing up the fifth wheel is not quite the same as backing up a travel trailer but we'll get the hang of it.

Since arriving we have shopped and shopped; visited the state fair and shopped some more. We have gradually fixed and added things to the trailer.

A beauty at the South Carolina State Fair.

Another State Fair beauty

(For the men out there: the HD Digital receiver I bought does work on the trailer's antenna.)
On Wednesday we drove down to Harleyville. It was time to pick up some autoharp fixins from Jeff Dantzler. We had a great visit; sitting and chatting; sharing stories. He sent us off to Carter's garage where the local women cook up some nice Southern Fried chicken.

Jeff Dantzler (Harp Doctor) and Greg share stories
(Greg is the cute one!)

There will be a visit to Aiken but most of the remaining time will spent relaxing. And, yes, I will remember to fill those orders for Maurice's BBQ Sauce! (THEY HAVE BEEN FILLED!) October 17, 2007

AND, NOW, YOU WILL NEVER GUESS WHO SHOULD SHOW UP AT THE STATE FAIR!

The one and only TREEJUS!

The Accident

Please remember: when you view these pictures, that WE WERE NOT HURT. Cathy received a small scrape on her arm. As for Greg, he had a few stiff muscles. The ER staff at the Wythe County Community Hospital were fantastic, good-humored and caring!

You might wonder how they inspect trucks and trailers in the South. It is slightly complicated but they get a great view.

In the wrecker's yard we collected anything that we wanted. It was amazing how things scattered hither and yon in the trailer. However, the stuff in the fridge didn't move!

As we lay upended on I-81 a local insurance company phoned to say that our windshield would be repaired. (Earlier in the morning a lawnmower in Hillsdale had rocketed a stone into my windshield.)
I eventually phoned them back to say that was not really necessary any more!

Grandma Cathy is fitted with new kind of space helmet! She was fine. Just to be safe they wrapped this around her neck and strapped her to a board to take her to the hospital. We all sat on the guard rail and talked for a long while. We had to wait for a tow truck to pull the brand new ambulance out of the ditch where they were stuck.
I wanted to know if I could take her home still strapped to the board!

Seriously, this event could have ended quite differently, but , it didn't. Seatbelts played a big part in this story having a happy ending.

Trip Interrupted - Cancelled

The bad news is that, on Sept. 12, in Wytheville, Virginia, we totaled our travel trailer and truck. This event also tied up the traffic on I-81 for 90 minutes. They were backed up for ten miles.

The good news is that we both walked out of the back window of the truck unharmed. Cathy has a bandage over a scratch and I have a lot of stiff muscles.

We have lots of wonderful stories of the people here and , for our readers who are members of the Retired Teachers of Ontario, we will report on our experiences with them. We'll let you know the strength and weaknesses of their travel insurance.

In a few days we'll post some pictures of the accident.

Virginia and Interstate 77

Once again, our Fall Trip started in Aurora, ON. (We left on the traditional first day of school in honor of all the teachers who start work on that day.) Our route usually follows a path that includes Buffalo, NY, Pittsburgh,PA, and Beckley, WV. It is from Beckley that we branch out.

This year we started with Hillsville, VA. Hillsville is a small town just off I-77 before the VA/NC border. This trip makes it the third time we have stayed here this year. It is a town that we have passed many times (as do thousands of others who travel I-77) but there are two things that may cause us to stop more frequently.

The first is Deez Beez Books. After 3 tries this year we found it open. It is small but packed with gems. There are NO fiction books! Melissa and Blaine hand pick their books and do mostly Internet sales. As we pass by on our frequent travels on I-77, we will drop in more often BUT I will always phone first from my cell just to make sure they are open. (276-728-0728)

(And if the trip over the mountain at Fancy Gap has caused you stress, both Melissa and Blaine are massage therapists.)

The second reason to consider pulling off I-77 is the Rex Theater in Galax. Galax is a bigger town on the west side of I-77. If you are traveling by on a Friday, plan to get a motel room and stay for the live, free, radio Bluegrass Concert at Rex. It starts at 8:00. After the show wander down the street to the Stringbean Cafe for coffee and pie. (There is a motel in downtown Galax - well-known chain but I forget at the moment.)

On our three visits to Hillsdale we have stayed at Lake Ridge RV Resort. This resort is well-equipped to handle children. They have 250 acres of potential fun: lake fishing, paddle boats, wonderful pool, wild water slide, large club house and a huge game room. Now some of you noticed that I used the words “potential fun”. They have some freaking strange hours for pool, clubhouse and waterslide use even during peak season. We had two of our grandchildren there during the summer and it didn't cramp their style. Just be aware. The Resort is a member of Good Sam and Passport America.

As a side note, it is a few miles off of I-77 but it is a stressless RV drive into the grounds. When you make that last turn on to Double Cabin Road, make it wide and slow. When you see the Brethern In Christ Church, you'll know it is time to slow to a crawl.

On I-77 in Flatwoods, WV we came across this huge wing being transported to a wind generator. Watching the trucker maneuver around the gas pumps was tense experience. All came out well!

This is a view from the cemetery of Dinwiddie Presbyterian Church in the hills around Hillsville. It overlooks the mounatins in the southeast and southwest.
The wonderful stone work at Dinwiddie Presbyterian.
The courthouse was the scene of the horrible Carroll County Courthouse Massacre. We became interested in it because it was the theme of one of the bluegrass songs at Rex Theater in Galax.
Look it up on the Web.

These young teens were using their Bluegrass talents to celebrate the opening of a new trail near the Music Center on the Blueridge Parkway.

FALL 2007 - Begining Another Adventure

Only Two Sleeps To Go! as the grandchildren would say. This fall's trip will be quite similar to last year's. There will be some new things and we will keep you informed.
I see we can now add video to this site. Look for that!
In general we are heading to the Smoky Mtns. of Tennessee and North Carolina; you will also find us in South Carolina and Virginia.
Hang in there! Check this site out around the end of the first week of September!
Hugs to you all.

Debly's 25th Anniversary

Congratulations
to
Wayne & Mary Anne

It was gorgeous evening aboard the Showboat in Toronto Harbour. The Debly's gathered their friends together to celebrate their 25th anniversary.
The sky was clear and the temperature comfortable for a cruise. They began the evening with a prayer and dedication. All of us were already into the pre-celebration of liquid refreshments!

A fine repast of pink and moist roast beef was had on the lower deck. The riparian delights were topped off with cakes and various fruits. Dancing began on the upper deck.

About 9:30 the moon took over the evening! It was optical illusion night! This was the night of the gigantic orb. The moon only appeared gigantic. A photograph taken would only show its true size.

It was an absolutely wonderful time: the reason, the mood, the scenery, the friends.

Thank you, Mary Ann and Wayne

Awesome Toronto skyline

New lights on the CN Tower

Footnote: Cathy and I, for the first time, made the round trip from Aurora to downtown Toronto using the GO Transit Express bus. Wow! A 45 minute, inexpensive and stress free ride.

TORONTO to SEATTLE in TWO WEEKS

In June we made a whirl wind tour to the west.
Calgary was our first stop; our hosts were Peter and Sharon R. (Peter is a former college roommate.) Peter made sure we saw the tremedous house-building that is going on in Calgary. Unbelievable. The sun set rather late in Calgary so that left us lots of time to wander around the city.

Greg with friend in downtown Calgary.

Our next stop was Banff. The Mountaineer Express was our two-day transportation through the Rockies and into Vancouver.



We spent one night in Vancouver before crossing to Victoria. My sister and her husband were hosts for the remainder of the trip. Together, we went to Seattle for three days.

The trip was wonderful.
The Mountaineer ride through the Rockies was fantastic - and, for the squeamish - there were no scary bits!

Leaving Virginia and Heading Home

This is a picture of Lake Ridge RV Resort in Hillsdale, VA. This was taken after the four inches of snow melted and the 50 mile an hour winds had stopped!
We'll be back again in July. Wonderful place!

The Somber Side of Travel

The Somber Side of Traveling

We never write about everything we see and experience as we travel. Basically, it would take up too much time and space. On this trip, however, we have been in locations where horrible things have happened.

Blacksburg, Virginia, April 2007

The most recent event was the shootings at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. We were thirty minutes away. Our early morning TV news started with the first announcement of a shooting. Later in the morning it grew into a horrible story of mayhem.
Our TV was on all day. What were the parents of VT students thinking? What were the parents of the killer thinking?
My anger came to a head during the first news conference setup by the University and the police. I developed an intense dislike for some of the reporters who were asking questions that were legitimate but were asking them with an accusatory tone of voice. That tone speaks volumes. It is always: “Notice me! I am making a name for myself!”
I would have had those individuals ushered out of the room where they could have had some privacy while removing the microphone from their nether regions.
Here was a tragic event and many were turning it into a personal sideshow.

Can these miserable shootings be stopped? I don't think so. But there is one thing that can be done.
As history is written about the event, the name of the killer must be left out. The event should never be remembered by the name of the propagator. He is not worthy of any monument.

Brunswick, Georgia, March 2007

Early in our trip we were made aware of the disappearance of six-year-old Christopher Michael Barrios in Brunswick, Georgia.
We had driven by the neighborhood a few times on our trips into Brunswick. Eventually, the criminals were apprehended. Christopher's body was found in a black plastic garbage bag by the side of the road.

The crime is summed up by the Washington Post (By Russ Bynum, The Associated Press, Thursday, March 22, 2007; 6:54 PM): “Before the child was killed, authorities say, Edenfield and his 58-year-old father molested the boy while Edenfield's 57-year-old mother watched. “
Edenfield was a convicted child molester who had been before a judge just five days previous for violating his parole.

Up until this event I had been against the death penalty. But when this story came out there was no doubt in my mind on how it should end. I was pleased that the state will make a case for death penalty: father, son and mother.

In a way, it is removing the name of the criminal from the list of humanity. The tragic event will and should be remembered only as the Barrios death.

Our trips are not all happy moments.

Fishing on the High Seas

Just a reminder: This blog site accompanies letters sent to our fan base as we travel around the country. If you are looking for Britney Spears' updates, you are on the wrong site.

These pictures were taken on our morning of fishing. We started at the Marina on Jekyll Island and went out into the sound. All of our catch was Whiting except for the one stranger. You can figure out what that was.
Click on the pictures for a larger image.

Messing Around

We have done some bicycling on Jekyll Island. Cathy had not biked for over a hundred years but the skills all came back.

















After having lunch at a restaurant in Darien, we watched the tide come in. It is amazing what sneaks in on the tide. Want to pet it?














Sunday afternoon was oyster roast time at McKenzie Lake Campground. It does look like a pile of rocks, doesn't it?

















In late April these shrimp boats will be blessed and sent on their way. This was at the dock in Darien, GA.

HEAVEN CAME DOWN

Lunchtime Concert at the Second African Baptist Church



THE SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY CONCERT CHOIR
Conductor Nan Poole Spicer

We started the day by walking around some of the squares near the Second African Baptist Church.
Right away we walked through a cloud of Angel Dust. Angel Dust is my new name for the perfume that wafts from the Sweet Olive blossoms. What that perfume does to the soul! If only it could be bottled and sprayed over the earth.

We sat down on a damp bench – there had been a light rain -- in the square outside the church to eat our sandwiches. Cathy was getting anxious so we went inside.
The sanctuary gradually filled until it was packed. The choir was in the choir loft – the balcony above the pulpit. The drums and piano were on our level.

The first half of the program was enthusiastic singing of spirituals. Miss Erica-Christina Little gave us a short history of the three types of spirituals.
Mr. Efrem Whitaker introduced the last two songs. He explained the history of gospel song tradition.

What happened during the singing of the last two numbers was awesome. The soloist's microphone started to misbehave; she set it down. It is hard to describe what happened. With no mike, she let go the full force of her voice. In no time the whole audience was standing; that girl was inspired!
The final number was sung by a young gentleman who obviously was following in the previous soloist's footsteps.
An absolutely, magnificent end to a concert!




















THE MARSHES OF GLYNN

Two years ago I garnered a book out of a Brunswick antique store. It was an old Georgia school compendium of the works of Georgian authors. One author was Sidney Lanier, mainly noted for his poem The Marshes of Glynn. A marsh can be a beautiful thing.
Which reminds of a real estate ad:
“FOR SALE: 28 acres; 1 acre high ground.”

Here that means: 12 hours a day, great fishing; 12 hours a day, one heck of a big lawn.

Anyway, you can find Lanier's poem at the following website. Enjoy!

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/webspinner/glynn.htm

BIRDS!!!

At the end of a wonderful on Jekyll Island, we relaxed on the front porch of the Doctor's House Bookstore.














You will need to click on this picture to see it at its best. Hope you like birds!

Christmas in March

We had no trouble finding the Savannah Unitarian church. (We haven't told anyone about getting lost trying to find the Columbia congregation.) In the square, facing the church, is this historical plaque. Jingle Bells and Savannah???

The Marshes of Glynn

There are three hidden seafood palaces near Eulonia. We have visited one. They have that run-down ancient look and are difficult to find but well worth the hunt.


Outside the restaurant was a pelican in its typical pose. However, don't let that fool you. When they spot a fish, they hit the water like a guided missile - full speed - no brakes!













St. Simon's Island is an absolute must. The streets are over hung with the moss covered branches of the live oaks. Azaleas are in full bloom.



Our first stop was the Maritime Museum and then the lighthouse. I took a picture from the top of the lighthouse. You notice that Cathy is not in the picture; she hid in the doorway refusing to come out on to the balcony.







The Wesley Memorial Gardens were a treasure. Live oaks in a sea of azaleas.
It was a good day!

Brunswick, Georgia

Brunswick, Georgia March 15, 2007
We have settled in for a month. Somehow, on our last visit we had missed the Glynn County Historic Courthouse. This beautiful structure is surrounded by massive, ancient live oak trees. Breathtaking.
These 3 pictures were taken on the lawn.
(Don't forget to click on the picture for a larger image.)

Beidler Forest, Harleyville, S.C.

This website is meant to supplement our travel newsletters that we send to our friends and family as we haul our 27 foot travel trailer around the country. These recent postings are from March and April 2007. South Carolina and Georgia are our main areas of interest.
Previous trips will be found at www.doctorbook.blogspot.com

Beidler Forest
Beidler is a preserve just west of Charleston, S.C. In the spring the flood waters turn the forest into a swamp. The 1.5 mile boardwalk makes it a wonderful place to walk, look and listen. We tallied 4 snakes and 4 turtles. Another couple we met had spotted 3 deer.

Thanks to Jeff Dantzler of Harleyville for sending us out to Beidler Forest.







Cathy likes to sit and read; even in a cypress swamp filled with cottonmouth snakes; such calmness!