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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HERSHEY & LANCASTER PA (Bird In The Hand)

Monday, June 15 - Beautiful day to travel from ROD park Roaring Run in Champion PA to Hershey Thousand Trails Preserve, Lebanon PA. Took turnpike to Hershey. A lot of road construction. We drove through several tunnels. As we bypass Harrisburg we could see the city skyline in the distance. As we near Hershey, we see corn fields right in the heart of town.





We drove through Campbell Town where we will pick up our mail unless it is shipped Fed X or UPS. We arrived around 11 AM and one site was still available up on the hill that would be satellite friendly. Another site became available and a friendly neighbor told us about it so we moved.

We had quite the crowd waiting for Ray to offload the Gold Wing from our truck.

The weather has been fluctuating from highs at 64 degrees to 87.  Rainy at times. The breezes are constant and with humidity at 53% it feels quite cool in the low 80s.

Ray rode his bike this morning as well and took some pictures of the surrounding landscape. Even a shot of 3-Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant.
 


Palmyra is located in the Lebanon Valley between Annville and Hershey and has plenty of shopping.  Known as the Sinkhole Capital of Pennsylvania.  The land on which Palmyra rests was originally home to the Lenape and Susquehannock tribes. The first European explorers and traders came to the region around 1650. Settlers were drawn to the area because of its rich land and abundance of fish and game. From October 1991 to October 1993 the Borough of Palmyra spent an estimated $900,000 in repair costs for eight sinkholes. Despite their efforts, sinkholes continue to create headaches for the people of Palmyra.
Thursday, June 25 - Decided to drive to Bird In The Hand and visit an Amish community. Our drive took about an hour due to road repairs here and there and also rough roads through small townships. We passed through Mount Gretna.


Created in 1889 as a summer colony by Robert Habersham Coleman, an iron processing and railroad industrialist whose Cornwall Iron Furnace still stands nearby and is open to the public, the community was a pleasure stop on what was then Coleman's Cornwall and Lebanon Railroad.




Beautiful United Methodist Church in Cornwall PA
Between 1889 and 1916, when it was shut down, Mount Gretna was the terminus of the C&L RR line known as the Mount Gretna Narrow Gauge Railway, a tourist railway to the top of Governor Dick Mountain nearby. We also passed through other small towns, as well as East Petersburg, a more modern town with your usual shopping districts and wide streets.

We saw petunias still thriving as well as many, many day lilies.
Pennsylvania Dutch Country. We arrived at Plain & Fancy Amish Country Homestead (celebrating their 50th anniversary) for their 45-minute tour of an original Amish home. The Amish Country Homestead is a reflection of their commitment to accurately and sensitively portray the Amish as they live and work in today's world. Walked through the nine room, two floored home and from the pantry stocked full of freshly canned vegetables to family's plain clothes ... from propane-powered lamps to air-compressor driven appliances...the Amish Country Homestead truly provides an insight into the complex riddles of a culture so very different from our own.






The community of Bird-in-Hand was founded in 1734. The legend of the naming of Bird-in-Hand concerns the time when the Old Philadelphia Pike was surveyed between Lancaster and Philadelphia. According to legend, two road surveyors discussed whether they should stay at their present location or go on to the town of Lancaster. One of them supposedly said, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," and so they stayed.
Some Pennsylvania Dutch Proverbs: “Kissin’ wears out, cookin’ don’t.” “No woman can be happy with less than 7 to cook for.” Weather Sayings: “The chill is on, near and far, in all the months that have an “r.” “No weather is ill, if the wind is still.” “Clear moon, Frost soon.” “When stars begin to huddle, the earth will soon begin to puddle.”
The average farm size in PA is 133 acres. One in seven jobs are related to agriculture.b:if cond='data:blog.pageType !="item"> >

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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!