Southern Halloween

Tonight we were invited to Keera and Tom's for dinner and trick or treating with the kids.    Tom made dinner.    Keera and I took Jack and Sara out trick or treating.   Sara was a beautiful tinkerbelle and Jack a handsome pumpkin.    It was different from the way I have ever seen it done.   Most neighbors sat outside and passed out candy.    Many neighbors also decorated and had themes.   

Dreher Island State Park

Spending a week at Dreher Island.  The water sites are about 25' from the water.   The dogs have thoroughly enjoyed being so close to the lake.  So far during the week the place is about half full.  We tried out our inflatable kayak on a calm evening and it went pretty good. More practice it should get even better!

Dental care on the road, Oh no!, What will I do?

I had a dental problem that had started before we left for full time Rving.  I thought the issue was treated and resolved.  It wasn't.   I knew we would be in South Carolina at Dreher Island state park for 6 days.   SO I  called ahead looking for a dentist.    I called,   West Columbia Family Dentistry,   I spoke to Angie on the phone and told her my situation.   She stated that yes, they take my insurance and my first exam and xrays would be free.  upon arrival, I was given a gift :)   a tote bag and nice cup and straw.   I was brought to an exam rooom ,  Xrays and panoramic was done.   A very nice and professional dentist saw me.   She said I needed to see an endodontist.   She gave me a prescription for antibiotics and a nice warm chocolate chip cookie. They scheduled me to be seen the next day at Central Carolina Endodontics.   The very next day I arrived at the endodontist.   They were friendly also!,  The dentist explained all the different ways the treatment could go.  He kept me informed and preformed the root canal.   He offered pain medications,   explained after care and scheduled another visit for me to get the permanent filling at West Columbia Family Dentistry.    So as I blog,  I feel its important to inform people of the excellent care that is available.

Chessapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is terrifying!

I have never considered myself a chicken, until today.   After leaving Assateague Island,  we headed south and on the route was the Chesapeake Bay bridge Tunnel,   After paying the $31 toll we headed across the Chesapeake Bay.   There were high winds and rain.   I was so glad I wasn't driving.   As we were on the bridge the winds were so strong that the RV swayed in the wind and the Birds in the air just floated still as they flapped their wings.   I was afraid the wind would tip us over and we would fall off the bridge.   It gets better,  Then we dip down into the tunnel where a tractor trailer is coming in the opposite direction.   There doesn't appear to be any pare room between us and them.   Norm definitely gets a A plus for his driving skills.  

Willard Farms, Gable SC- a harvest host site

As members of Harvest Hosts we have access to many eclectic type stops for free.    They list wineries and farms where there is no charge to stay for a night.    Tonight's stop is Willard Farm.   Upon arrival we were given a giant concrete place to park our RV right next a piece of equipment that was bigger than our RV.    After asking the farmer questions about cotton and other farming questions,  offered to take us to a field of cotton they were picking that afternoon.   He picked us up in his truck and drove us to the field.  I was allowed to pick some cotton  and take pics.   The next morning he picked us up and took us to his chicken houses.  He has 8 houses and each house holds 24,500 chicks.  He had just had a delivery of baby chicks,   I was able to hold one and look at all the high tech equipment used to do this type of farming.  

Wishing Well Campground

This campground was just a quick stop.  $22 a night, no discount.   full hook ups.   We just needed to stop in hookup and do laundry , empty the tanks and fill up the water tanks.    While staying here, we went to Myrtle Beach for an evening.  

Grapeful Sisters Vineyard

Another Harvest Host location,   Today we returned to a vineyard we had visited two years ago.  This time with  an RV.   Upon arrival we were given a free site in Carrollwoods RV park and Grapeful sister vineyard,  We were given a regular RV site without hookups.   After pulling up, we went into the tasting room and had wine tastings and cheese and purchased some wine to go with dinner.   After dinner we walked to the bath house and took a shower.  It was a really nice shower,  it was large, tiled and strong water pressure.   We would have stayed for another night for pay, but there were no sites available

Hinnant Farms Vineyard, Pine Level, NC

Our First Harvest Host site.  As per Harvest Host guidelines, we called and asked if we could stay at this vineyard.  The said yes in a nice southern accent.   When we arrived the woman working came out and showed us where to park,  we had a large grassy field all to ourselves.   We went in and had a wine tasting,  This place had fantastic wines and they  were so inexpensive.    I wish I had bought more!  They do ship and I will be ordering some in the future.  Hinnant Farms Vineyard

Moving to a new site, Exploring Berlin, MD

Today we are moving to a new site at Assateague Island, we decided to stay 5 more days,  the weather has been great and we are enjoying the beauty of the park and just settling into the RV living.

I have found the world's cleanest laundromat, it is in Berlin, Maryland. Called Sunshine Laundry,

I have also received my first general delivery mail at the Berlin post office,  Thanks to Mary Ann and Chuck for locating the brackets we had left behind that we need for the tire pressure monitoring to get repaired and get rid of our Bacon Duck tape.  The post office staff told me about Berlin, Maryland being awarded the coolest small town and where the movie the Runaway Bride was recorded.

They directed me to the Chamber of Commerce where I went and learned they were having a small town brew fest in town on Saturday.

On Saturday we went to the Brew Fest.  They had the main street closed.  They had the local brewery and a DJ and Polka Band along with local vendors set up in the street.  It was a very nice small town thing.

We have decided to stay longer

We are amazed that we have been so busy, I know it sounds unbelievable.  We have to re pack the RV with what we now have, decide what we don't need, find out what we forgot, and decide stupid little things that we need.  Like hooks for robes and towel bar, a clothes line and hooks for things, a bathroom trash can with a a lid, a plastic bag holder for the kitchen, etc,  

Today is raining and I am enjoying it a chance to clean  and organize.

Nic goes home

Nic goes home today.  Nicole and I awoke and went for a sunrise walk on the beach with the dogs.   afterwards, we packed Nic up for her first alone flight.  We are leaving early so we don't need to worry about traffic, its a 3 hour drive to Baltimore airport.  When we arrived at the airport we were 2 hours early for her scheduled flight, only to find out there was a 3 hour delay on her flight.  I put her on standby for another flight going to Providence, RI  and we waited,  she was upset because she was going to see her sister for the first time that evening and now she would miss her birthday celebration and sleep over with her sister.   Luckily, she made it onto the standby list for the other flight.  I stood by her in line and she boarded the plane.

Then I cried,  I had known it was coming,  My special needs daughter was returning to CT to her home, To the program that assists her "The Supported Living Group" I am worried she will be lonely or sad and I won't be there for her.  I have tried to make this an adventure for her too.

She started this trip with us and she will be flying to see me  in Florida for two weeks over Christmas,  Then  again in March as she requested, for "Vegas".  I then drove home three hours in the Hyundai, no bluetooth as my dodge has.   I couldn't  spend the three hours to talk on the phone.   Bittersweet day.

Nic's Birthday

Norm, the early bird, awakened and took the dogs for a sunrise on the beach.  Nic, usually not the early bird, went out to meet him.  They walked the beach and took pictures of the sunrise.  Nicole would be leaving and flying home on Southwest airlines on October 14, the day before her 29th birthday.  We are celebrating today with steak dinner and birthday cake.
Nic and I went for a park ranger class on the beach and a bike ride.

Assateague Island Ocean Site

Today we move to our Oceanside back in site.  The move went smoothly, I drove the car and tow dolly and Norm and Nic took the RV.

From this site I could hear the ocean waves and wind!  We set up  camp again, but now we are actually gong to sit still for 4 nights, Phew!  We put out the patio mat and went grocery shopping,  Norm hung up the american flag on his tall flagpole he attached to the ladder on the rear of the RV.  We took the dogs for a walk on the beach, they just ran and ran and enjoyed themselves,   We had kind of forgotten how stressful this could be on them.

First full day Rv'ing, Assateague Island, Maryland

We awakened in the early morning at Mohegan Sun Poconos in our cramped RV,  no slides were out and Nicole and the dogs were battling for the most comfortable couch.  We now have to take the dogs out for a walk every time they need to go out, no more doggie door.  Oh and we didn't plan on where the waste bags would be kept and the leashes and the dogs were squishing us at the door and and and..... Issues!!
We finally walked the dogs and headed to the Sheetz plaza for fuel.  We got our fuel there last year,  but! we didn't take into consideration that this time we had a tow dolly.  We would not be getting fuel there, there was no room.  Later we stopped for cold medicine,  we had to park in a lot and walk back to the pharmacy,   This cold was also making me very tired.   After getting the cold medicine on our way we went.  We made our way to Assateague Island National park and arrived late in the afternoon.   We  set up on our bay side site,  we pulled into our site backwards which gave us a completely private side.   This was reserved for just one day and the next day we would be moving to our oceanside site.  

The ponies were close by.  They were awesome!  Very friendly.  I was very grateful for the dog's lack of interest.  Well okay,  I was actually a  little disappointed, they didn't even care about the ponies.  

After enjoying the ponies we cooked dinner and went off to sleep early.  Glad to be stopped at a sight we could open the slides!

Launch day, Full-time Rv'ing

We pulled away from our Ledyard, CT home at 2 pm., 24 hours later than we had planned.  Norm, my daughter, Nicole, and myself, along with the two dogs (Yogi and Kalija).  We stopped quickly by the Mohegan Sun Casino RV lot in Uncasville, CT to say good bye to my parents.  After hugs good bye, we were on our way.  Not the fanfare I had pictured there would be.  I also didn't realize how exhausted we were, we had been so busy packing, prepping and selling and now we are on the road, ready to rest!  So we thought!  We hit the road playing our theme song, West Bound and Down by Jerry Reed.  A few hours in we noticed the tire pressure monitoring clips on the rear wheels were flopping around and the tools we needed to fix them were in the most inaccessible place.  So we used bacon duct tape and taped them up and hit the road again,  An hour later the other side did the same thing!  Bacon tape to the rescue again.   Then the lights on the tow dolly and car were working backwards.  Ugh,  We headed on down to our first stop at Mohegan Sun Poconos to sleep for the night.  We went inside and were surprised how much smaller it is than the CT Mohegan Sun.   Decided to have a quick bite inside a bar where a band was playing then and went outside to the RV for some much needed sleep.   It was late.