Let the Good Times ROLL!

NATIONAL PARKS ACROSS USA -
Since September 28, 06, we have seen the following National Parks:
Badlands National Park – South Dakota
Big Bend National Park - Texas
Crater Lake National Park – Oregon
Great Smoky Mountains National Park – North Carolina
Mount Rainier - Washington
Mount Rushmore National Memorial – South Dakota
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument - Washington
Redwoods National Park - California
Saguaro National Park - Arizona
Sequoia National Park - California
Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming
Yosemite National Park – California
National Parks and/or Monuments seen on previous vacations:
Jefferson Expansion National Memorial – St. Louis, Missouri
Lincoln Memorial & Washington Monument - DC
Everglades National Park – Florida
Grand Canyon National Park - Arizona
Haleakala National Park - Hawaii
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park – Hawaii
U.S.S. Arizona Memorial – Hawaii
National Parks we hope to see:
Death Valley National Park - California
Mesa Verde National Park – Colorado
Carlsbad Caverns National Park – New Mexico
Bryce Canyon National Park – Utah
Arches National Park – Utah
Canyonlands National Park – Utah
Zion National Park - Utah
Grand Teton National Park - Wyoming
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Williamsburg VA

Monday, July 27 - We got up at 5:30 am to get a jump on traffic leaving Outdoor World Sea Pines in Swainton New Jersey to our new park in Williamsburg. It was a long seven-hour drive to Outdoor World Williamsburg in Williamsburg Virginia. We had some very rough roads to contend with, but other than that, the drive was uneventful.
We crossed the Delaware Memorial Bridge and had to pay $16 toll. The Delaware Memorial Bridge links Delaware and New Jersey in graceful twin-suspension spans that soar high above the Delaware River, just north of the mouth of the Delaware Bay. The twin spans touch down in New Castle, Delaware, and in Pennsville, New Jersey. The bridge is a lasting memorial to those soldiers who gave their lives in World War II, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm. Each year on Veterans Day, a special ceremony is held at the Bridge War Memorial, which overlooks the Twin Span.
Around 11 am, we crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, where we had to pay $14 toll. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge (commonly known as the Bay Bridge) is a major dual-span bridge in Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore region with the more urban Western Shore. The original span opened in 1952 and at the time, with a length of 4.3 miles, was the world's longest continuous over-water steel structure. A parallel span was added in 1973, giving rise to the bridge's current dual-span nature.  Glad we could help with the upkeep of the bridges and the road repairs paying our toll.
"The name DELAWARE was given to the people who lived along the Delaware River, and the river in turn was named after Lord de la Warr, the governor of the Jamestown colony. The name Delaware later came to be applied to almost all Lenape people. Their ancestors were among the first Indians to come in contact with the Europeans (Dutch, English, & Swedish) in the early 1600s. The Delaware were called the "Grandfather" tribe because they were respected by other tribes as peace-makers. They were also known for their fierceness and tenacity as warriors.
We arrived at Outdoor World Williamsburg in Virginia around 2:30 pm. This park is not large and does not seem to be filled up, even though it is high season. There are a lot of trailers/ campers that look to be permanent vacation homes for the locals to come and relax on the weekends.  7 27 09 Williamsburg OW Park-3 One site looked good to get satellite and after a lot of on and off and resets, Marsha finally got it to work around 8:30 pm. Our site is C-3, not too far from the entrance. Roads are asphalt and sites are gravel, so not a lot of dust- yeah!  7 27 09 Williamsburg OW Park-4 8 8 09 OW Williamsburg RV Park Mitzy Marsha-2
Ray’s Remarks:  In the past we have visited historical Williamsburg from a distance, allowing only a few hours to tour the area. This time we stayed within a few miles of the city.
Williamsburg, outside of the historical district, is very modern with scattered shopping centers in every direction. A large outlet center is located on Rt. 60 just north of town. Another large center is located in New Town, just west of downtown.
Marsha and I drove into Hampton, Va to see Fort Monroe on the Chesapeake Bay. We had no idea the Fort was located on an Army base. License, insurance, and registration were required to get on base, which I truly appreciated. The museum at the fort was well worth the trip, the entire museum was displayed within the fort’s great walls where the soldier’s quarters and the cannon placements were located. I can’t imagine being in that confined area with one of these cannons blasting a 12 lb ball of steel across the bay several miles and recoiling the entire cannon backwards 6 to 8 feet. The red brick walls and interior archways were 3 to 5 feet thick in places. The museum took well over an hour to read about its history and see all of the artifacts from that era. We did not have enough time to visit but a small part of the top of the fort with its surrounding mote. It was very impressive and highly recommend, if you are into old forts. Fort Monroe reminded us of Dry Tortugas 60 miles +/-off the Florida Keys. We still marvel at the construction of these forts during that era. On another day we took Mitzy  to The York River State Park. Yorktown VA-7Beautiful day with the wildlife running free, turkeys, rabbits, deer, humming birds, etc. There was a group of teen canoeist with chaperons preparing to invade the York River.
I rode the motorcycle throughout the entire area and most adjacent roads including the Colonial Parkway from Jamestown through Williamsburg to York Town.  7 29 09 Williamsburg Area -50This road is made of concrete with sea shells in it, making it a little rough but OK. 8 7 09 York River State ParkI missed a turn and found myself at the entrance of the US Naval Supply Center on the York River. The security guards have very little sense of humor.  Actually they were helpful and gave me directions back to the Parkway. They allowed me to make a U-turn past their gate with a escort after I submitted my drivers license which was returned upon my exit. A few miles down the Parkway along the river I noticed a very long pier jutting into the river. At the end of the pier sat two Navy ships.  One appeared to be a destroyer and the other a much larger vessel, the USS  NEW YORK, 7 29 09 Williamsburg Area -16 7 29 09 Williamsburg Area -21with two very large steel towers at mid-ship. This ship was built with some scrap steel from the twin towers in New York City. This was a neat surprise, kind of gives you goose bumps. I took a couple of photos.

The cities of Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk and Suffolk surround the harbor where the James River, York River and the Chesapeake Bay converge into the Atlantic Ocean. This waterway’s shoreline is dotted with shipyards with huge loading and repair derricks.  Very impressive seaport. Next time in this area we would like to see this up close.     7 29 09 Williamsburg Area -11
Wednesday, July 29 - It looks like a beautiful day, although 60% showers later. Ray is taking the Gold Wing out for a drive through and around Williamsburg. We drove to Williamsburg and found shopping to be very close. Stopped at Prime Outlets and Columbia Outdoor Clothing store was having a fantastic sale.
Jamestown began in 1607, when a group of 104 English men and boys et foot on the bank of the James River in search of profits and resources ripe for commerce. In the 13 years before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, they would endure hardships, Indian encounters and the struggles of daily life, but would triumph as America’s first permanent English settlement. The Jamestown Visitor Center features museum exhibits and a multimedia theater presentation about Jamestown’s 92 years as the capital of Virginia. It is quite impressive.
Yorktown is just a tiny village in comparison to Jamestown, but is important in American history because in 1781, the decisive battle of the American Revolution was won there by George Washington.
Monday, August 3 - We drove 27 miles to visit Hampton Virginia. Hampton is a coastal town and is an independent city in Virginia, and therefore not part of any Virginia county. One of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, it is on the southeast end of the Virginia Peninsula, bordering on Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay, one of the oldest cities in the United States. It has a clean, glistening waterfront and many things to doo and see while visiting.
Our first stop was Sandy Bottom Nature Center - Hampton's premier park is a 456 acre environmental education and wildlife management facility. Born from borrow pits and garbage dumps, the park is truly a success story of reclamation of our natural resources. From the 10,000 square foot nature center overlooking Sandy Bottom Lake to the elusive creatures that inhabit the wetland marshes, there is something for everyone at the Sandy Bottom Nature Park.
Little England Chapel - Little England Chapel - HAMPTON VA Virginia's only-known African American missionary chapel, The sanctuary of this chapel holds a permanent exhibit that helps visitors understand the religious lives of post-Civil War African Americans in Virginia. The display includes handwritten Sunday school lessons, photographs, a 12 minute video, and 19th century religious books. The Little England Chapel was built in the late 17th Century and was also known as the Ocean Cottage Sunday School. Emancipation Oak is a historic tree located on the campus of Hampton University. On September 17, 1861, Mrs. Mary Smith Peake taught the first classes to African American children on the grounds of what is now Hampton University at Hampton Roads in Virginia under the shade of the Emancipation Oak. 
Hampton National Cemetery - Through Fiscal Year 2008: 28,003 interments. Located in the vicinity of where the historic Civil War naval battle between the Confederate Merrimac/Virginia and the Union Monitor iron-clad ships occurred in 1862. HAMPTON VA -13 HAMPTON VA -10
The cemetery’s first burials took place in 1862 and the cemetery is among numerous national cemeteries with origins that date to the Civil War. Hampton National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 26, 1996.

8/3/09 Historic Fort Monroe - We were not aware that Fort Monroe was founded in 1609 and active since 1803. It is an Army facility. We went to eat lunch at the base café, Old Point Comfort Marina, before taking a tour of the grounds and museum.
Fort Monroe guarded the approach by sea of the navigational shipping channel between the Chesapeake Bay and the entrance to the harbor of Hampton Roads.
Historic Ft. Monroe, HAMPTON VA -17Historic Ft. Monroe, HAMPTON VA -40 Historic Ft. Monroe, HAMPTON VA -47 Historic Ft. Monroe, HAMPTON VA -26 Historic Ft. Monroe, HAMPTON VA -27 Historic Ft. Monroe, HAMPTON VA -28 Historic Ft. Monroe, HAMPTON VA -29 Historic Ft. Monroe, HAMPTON VA -30 Beginning by 1609, fortifications had been established at Old Point Comfort during Virginia's first two centuries. However, the much more substantial facility of stone to become known as Fort Monroe (and adjacent Fort Wool on a man-made island across the channel) were completed in 1834. Completely surrounded by a moat, the six-sided stone fort is the only one of its kind left in the United States that is still an active Army post. Fort Monroe played an important role in the American Civil War. The Casemate Museum, opened in 1951, depicts the history of Fort Monroe and Old Point Comfort, with special emphasis on the Civil War period. http://www.monroe.army.mil/Monroe/sites/installation/museum/Casemate_Museum.aspx
Fort Wool is located adjacent to one of the man-made islands of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and is accessible only by water. The availability of public tours of both Fort Wool and Fort Monroe are subject to Homeland Security Alert conditions.
Friday, August 7 - We drove to see the York River State Park. The Virginia State Parks mission is to conserve natural, scenic, historic and cultural resources of the commonwealth and to provide recreational and educational opportunities consistent with good stewardship of these lands, water and facilities that leaves them unimpaired for future generations.Eleven miles west of Williamsburg, York River State Park offers visitors an opportunity to experience the environment of a coastal estuary. This park is known for its rare and delicate environment, where freshwater and saltwater meet to create a habitat rich in marine and plant life. 8 7 09 York River State Park-1 8 7 09 York River State Park-2 The main focus of the park is to preserve a portion of York River frontage and its related marshes while providing an area for passive day-use recreation for visitors. The drive to the park is tree-lined and very pretty. Their focus is on the history, use and preservation of the York River and its marshes.
Monday, August 10 - Grocery store called Ukrops. From gourmet recipes to simple snacks, you'll find something fresh every week. Prices are great and the produce is the freshest ever. It was so hot walking across the tarmac and forecasted to reach 102 degrees here in Williamsburg.
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Atlantic City-Cape May,NJ

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - Still at Sea Pines Swainton NJ We had read and heard about the Atlantic City region as one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.
Ray's Remarks: We spent three weeks (Outdoor World Sea Pines) in this area and toured from Cape May to north of Atlantic City, mostly the coast line. Marsha and I toured most of Cape May and Atlantic City by truck. I rode the bike a little. The small beach towns and barrier islands were crowded from bay to beach with mostly expensive beach houses. Can’t see the beach for the sand dunes and houses. There are public beaches (no dogs). And public access walks, parking is a problem. We did not go to the beach, just a quick look and left.  The south end of New Jersey from east to west was mostly farm land.  It seems like the entire population of eastern states head to the beaches on the weekend —do not try to travel east or west on weekends.
World-famous beach and boardwalk, luxurious casinos, nonstop gaming action, the hottest entertainers, the best in dining, and quality sporting events. “America’s Favorite Playground” is renowned for all this and more. The boardwalk is six miles long. First built in 1870 and voted one of the best boardwalks in America. Atlantic City is a resort community located on Absecon Island on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Atlantic City was incorporated on May 1, 1854. Atlantic City has had its major ups and downs over the years and in an effort at revitalizing the city, New Jersey voters in 1976 approved casino gambling for Atlantic City. On July 3, 2003, Atlantic City's newest casino, The Borgata, opened with much success. Another major attraction is the oldest remaining Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium in the world.
The famous boardwalk was one destination I didn’t want to miss seeing.  It was a very overcast and fog banked day. The sun tried to peek through dense clouds off and on. We drove down to the end of the streets to see the Atlantic Ocean.    7 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-10  Took pictures of the Absecon Lighthouse. It is noted for being New Jersey’s tallest Lighthouse; the country’s third tallest Lighthouse; 150 years old, 1857-2007. For $7 you can climb to the top. 7 22 09 Absecon Lighthouse Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-7
7 22 09 Ray & Marsha Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-13I wanted to see the Trump Taj Mahal. We had a very hard time finding a parking space within easy walking distance to the Trump Taj Mahal. We were shocked to find that their self-parking garage has a maximum height of 6’4”. Our truck would never make it. Finally, Ray saw an Emergency / Fire Department parking lot.  The EMT was very nice and said we could stay in their parking lot for a few hours. Therefore, we didn’t have to pay for parking nor have to worry whether our truck would be in the same condition once we returned. You notice a lot of very old homes and row homes, a lot of them boarded up or falling into disrepair. Also a lot of empty lots everywhere. The community looks plagued with poverty. Scores of homeless addict types scattered everywhere. However, you can see that as a major player comes into town, they are buying up the land and building new high-rise casinos and hotels.7 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-15




7 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-17
It was close to lunchtime, so we decided to try the “food court” inside Trump Taj Mahal. It is located on the second floor and we were awestruck by the three huge hanging chandeliers that lit up the otherwise dark atmosphere. 7 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-22              7 22 09 Marsha Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-28 At a fast-food restaurant called Burger, we ordered $10 cheeseburgers and $3 sweet potato fries. Figured we wouldn’t find anything any less expensive at the white tablecloth dining rooms around the perimeter. I will have to say the burgers were great - nothing like McDonald’s or Wendy’s. After the long wait for the food, we ate and hurriedly headed out of the hotel to the boardwalk. Smoking is only allowed in the casino area and I read that they are only allowed 25% smoking in the casino area. As we walked by the casino, we could catch the smell of smoke, even though it was contained.
7 22 09 Ray Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-117 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-447 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-437 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-397 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-36The boardwalk - it was not busy at all yet it was noisy with loud music and/or advertisement announcements over the loud speakers. 7 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-38We saw the “famous” Steel Pier and I’m sure it is fun for the kids that come here on the weekends. It is an amusement park. 7 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-337 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-347 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-49We walked out to where we could see the beach and there were a lot of people out enjoying the sand and water. The sad discovery I made was under the pier.
7 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-48There was a “homeless?” man feeding about 15 feral cats under the boardwalk. There are many containers under the boardwalk that house the cats. We were surprised to see that nothing has been done to “clear out” such activity, as it does nothing to attract people to return to the boardwalk.
7 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-557 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-51We saw many of the man-driven carts lined up in a row waiting all in a row waiting for customers.
7 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-30There was not much activity as most of the people walking around were probably not there as tourists, but locals. The tourists probably come out at night. I would not call it glamorous.
7 22 09 Atlantic City Taj Mahal & Boardwalk-60As we drove away from the strip, we saw many of the familiar upscale stores and the scene changes from neglect and poverty to the rich and not so rich that wants to shop or catch a latte at Starbucks. Total transformation one block away.
Friday, July 24 - We passed through Wildwood again and traffic wasn’t too bad. We stopped for lunch at the Lobster House at Fisherman’s Wharf. 7 15 09 Cape May NJ -3 7 15 09 Cape May NJ -4 A Seafood Restaurant, Raw Bar and Take Out, Fish Market and Gift Shop. The interior has a wonderful, nautical atmosphere that we always tend to look for. Since 1922, the Lobster House is known for the freshest seafood available as they have their own supply of ships and go out and return to unload their catch daily.
Today would be out last opportunity to travel to the Cape May area due to weekend warriors that drive the gauntlet to the beaches. It is more than an hour wait from what we hear. Cape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean.
Being the Southern-most point in New Jersey, Cape May has fairly mild wintertime temperatures. Contrary to that, the summertime has lower temperatures than most places in the state, making the town a popular place to escape the heat. 7 15 09 Cape May NJ -35 7 15 09 Cape May NJ -31 7 15 09 Cape May NJ -32 7 15 09 Cape May NJ -33 7 15 09 Cape May NJ -52
Cape May began hosting vacationers from Philadelphia in the mid 1700s and is recognized by the United States government as the country's oldest seaside resort. It is noted for its large number of well-maintained Victorian houses — the second largest collection of Victorian-era homes in the nation after San Francisco. In 1976, the entire city of Cape May was officially designated a National Historic Landmark. It is the only city in the United States wholly designated as such. That designation is intended to ensure the architectural preservation of these buildings.
7 15 09 Cape May NJ -22 7 15 09 Cape May NJ -16 7 15 09 Cape May NJ -24
The Emlen Physick Estate, Cape May's only Victorian house museum. We did not take the tour but thought the architecture was worth noting. http://www.capemaytimes.com/history/physick.htmThe Stick Style design is attributed to renowned Victorian architect Frank Furness and features jerkin-head dormers, "stick"-like grids overlaying clapboard walls, "stick"-like brackets on the porch, and corbelled or "upside down" chimneys. The mansion has 18 rooms with several out-buildings. . Back in its heyday, the Physick Estate housed a rather unusual household: Dr. Emlen Physick, who never married; his widowed mother, Mrs. Ralston; and his Maiden Aunt Emilie. Dr. Physick's grandfather, Dr. Philip Syng Physick (1768-1837) was known as the Father of American Surgery. Emlen Physick followed family tradition by completing medical training, but he never practiced. He lived the life of a country gentleman and animal breeder. He is remembered for having the first automobile in Cape May. In the 1970's, after decades of decline, the Physick Estate and the nine outbuildings on the four-acre Cape May estate on Washington Ave. were saved and restored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC).

We cruised the Cape May Beach area as well. We were amazed at how the homes, bed & Breakfast Inns, hotels, and restaurants all look like they just got a new coat of paint. I love anything Victorian, so Cape May is a beautiful spot to hang out.
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FULL TIMING

FULL TIMING? Our first thoughts on such a monumental change of direction in our lives started with the purchase of a 32' Toy Hauler-KZ 5th Wheel early 2006. We took a vacation in May and traveled the mountains of North Carolina. We liked the fact we had our own bed to sleep in and could see surrounding areas either on our Honda Gold Wing or GMC truck. However, during the vacation, we found that the KZ 32' 5th-wheel was entirely too small, even for a long weekend. We wanted to trade up. One thing led to another and we started to question the next three years before Marsha was scheduled to retire.After much soul-searching, prayer, and financial calculations, Marsha requested early retirement for personal and physical reasons.Full timing meant we were saying "goodbye" to all that is familiar. Everything happened so quickly we didn't have time to contemplate that aspect much. We research everything thoroughly before we purchase. This would be our new home and we wanted all the "bells & whistles" within our budget. Lazy Days in Seffner, Florida had a new National, 2006 Tradewinds motorhome available at the right price. It has a 400-HP Turbo diesel engine and many amenities. We did get the "cart before the horse" purchasing the RV before selling our home. It was the worst time of year to sell a home in Florida. We sold with only a month before closing! Thankfully, we had our new "home on wheels" in our back yard for preparation.

It became clear that our personal craving for travel and adventure overcame our requirement for a traditional home with all the things that seemed so important.Getting rid of clutter can be liberating. We did not want to pay for storage. Collectibles such as our Fenton glass, sets of crystal glass, or ceramic pieces were handed over to family members or close friends for their enjoyment. We had a two-day garage sale and anything remaining went to charity. We feel the flexibility and comfort of RV travel far outweighs any pinch felt at the fuel pump. Let the Good Times Roll!