Henry Ford once said – “My best friend is the one who brings the best out of me.” We read those words at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers. You all bring the best out in us! During the visit we enjoyed amazing gardens and learned lots about both men and their families. Some of the highlights: Ford first worked for Edison. Edison used his estate to try and find a substitution for rubber. The original “Work-A-Ford”…
The great Yogi Berra once said – “Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too.” My good pal, Paul “Yogi” Franklin, is as excited as I am about the upcoming baseball season. His Yanks and my Sox are not picked to win the AL East Division but as Yogi Berra also once said – “The game of baseball isn’t over until it is over.” Greg, Ray and I traveled the Minnesota Twins opening…
We left South Carolina and traveled to Florida. On the way we lost the bottom half of both our side mirrors. Pretty weird that both would fall off during the same day. We had our first rain and Stargazer handled the inclement weather and ruts like an old pro! Stop 1: Jan and Larry Nelson. Late in the afternoon Stargazer rolled into Ormand Beach and the home of Kim’s parents and good friends, Jan and Larry Nelson. Last December they…
We left DC on Monday and the drive to South Carolina was long, but not too challenging. We learned from Cory and Brendan a fast and easy way out of DC. We staid in Sesquicentennial State Park; just outside of Columbia. A great park with lots of hiking trails, pleasant staff, and much more. We visited Congaree National Park, one of the least visited National Parks in the country, where we hiked and saw loblolly pines. They are the oldest…
We have spent the weekend in DC visiting with Cory, Kim, Ralph, Brendan, Katie and Katie’s mom, Barb. When we arrived Friday it was 66 degrees and we gathered outdoors. Saturday was snow and cold weather. It warmed up a little on Sunday, and we went to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park to see panda bears, elephants and bison. Saturday night we celebrated Greg (2/19), Cory (2/22) and Katie’s (3/15) birthdays. We started with a grazing board, followed by mussels…
Our first stop was Rhode Island. We staid with Greg’s mother, Jane, better known as Bella. She celebrates her 91st birthday in June. Jane still lives on her own and remains as John Kirby once said “the great lady.” Keith, Kris and Matt joined us for dinner. Alycia and Tommy were in Alabama visiting Tommy’s parents. After a White Mountain Vodka or two, Keith was off and rolling. Most interesting were stories about his company, Imperial Designs, recent business success….
Stargazer is packed and ready to hit the road. Our bed is made, water cups full, and music synced. On Thursday we head out for seven+ weeks traveling the U.S. We are excited about visiting national and state parks and connecting with friends and family. After visiting with Jane, Keith and other members of the Marsello Clan in Rhode Island and then stopping by DC to see Ralph & Gang, we head south to Sanibel, Florida pausing along the way…
Tuesday afternoon we arrived back in Jackson, NH. For the drive from Connecticut north we took Route 91 straight up Vermont. No traffic and great views. The ride from upper Vermont through Crawford Notch, NH included 4-5 inches of snow on the ground, but once we passed over the Notch, no more snow. Jackson is still waiting on a first snowstorm. During the trip we listened to The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. A perfect tale for a long drive,…
On Saturday we drove 9 hours from Asheville to Washington, DC. Easy drive with great views along the way. Stargazer has been a dream to drive and we have learned lots about operating and caring for a RV. Besides the heat issue, Stargazer has been a trooper. Our time in DC was short, but lots of fun. The changes in Ralph since September are extraordinary. He has had challenges with colds as he transitions from home care to a child…
Tori and Chris taught us a great new card game called Hand & Foot. You play in teams of two with six decks of cards. We learned it was a great help to have an automatic card shuffler in order to get the best shuffle possible. Chris has developed an excellent online Hand & Foot Scorecard and points can be generated by a perfect 22-card draw when you start, producing dirty and clean books (a clean book has only cards…