Last Stop

We had a wonderful day here in Ohiopyle, PA.  We actually stay in a campground nearby called Benners.  We've come here for years with the Conewago Canoe Club, but this is the first time we've stayed in our camper.  It's a great place full of kids and families.  Within the first 5 minutes of our arrival yesterday the kids made friends and were off playing!

We took the kids on an 11 1/2 mile bike ride on the heritage trail.  They did amazing!  We ate lunch in town.  Actually, we got different food at different places and it was delicious and fun.  We had pulled pork and cheese fries, a hummus plate, a gyro platter, and a turkey wrap.  We closed the day with some yummy sticky bun ice cream; a family favorite.  We walked around town and visited the different stores and outfitters.  We also stopped by the natural waterfalls which were running very high, the highest we've ever seen them.  Kids were going down, but only with helmets and they were getting knock around pretty good.

Dave took us back to the campsite and he got some work done.  He went back to kayak and I hung out with the kids.  The girls and I played bingo in the community room and Camden played video games with one of his new friends.  It was a great day overall and we can't wait to come back again.

Tomorrow we head back to York.  We will be there for two weeks before we head out to Virginia Beach and Ocracoke.  We've got lessons and appointments like crazy, but we would love to see as many of you as we can.  Thanks for tagging along with us on our journey these past seven weeks.  Stay tuned for the next leg of our adventure starting Memorial Day.

Almost Heaven, West Virginia

Country roads, take me home to the place I belong West Virginia, mountain mama, take me home country roads.

I grew up listening to John Denver and whenever I hear his songs I'm instantly taken back to different moments in my life.  "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" takes me to the 7th inning of an Orioles games, "Islands" transports me to the long stretch of road heading down the outerbanks to Ocracoke,"Looking for Space" was from a Magnum P.I. episode I loved,  and "Grandma's Feather Bed" reminds me of riding in the back of the station wagon with my sisters when we were little.  Although I always loved the song "Country Roads", I never really connected with it until yesterday.  I truly fell in-love with the Mountains of West Virginia.  What a spectacularly beautiful place to see!

We got up yesterday and did our normal load of school work.  The kids have been great about getting their work done. The camp store here at Gorge Gateway has internet and a nice area for us to sit and work.  Once we finished school, we stopped and got lunch from Taco Bell and headed to New River Gorge National River Park.  We ate lunch at the overlook which was amazing.  The bridge across the river is the second longest single arch bridge in the world and the second tallest bridge in North America.  It is so high, two Statue of Liberty's and a Washington Monument would fit on top of each other with 20 feet to spare!

After we left the park and the view areas, we drove to a hiking trail.  It was pretty cool to drive the narrow roads along the mountain, and for me it was a little unnerving.  

The trail was beautifully lined with rhododendron and mountain laurel.  It was a little muddy from the rain the past few days, but for us the weather was perfect.  The sun was shining and the temperature was in the high 60's.  The trees seemed to tower in the forest; the various shades of green popped in contrast to the blue sky.  It was a tranquil walk and something I thought I'd find in the mountains of Tennessee.  

It's funny how perception and preconceived ideas mold your plans.  I gave more time to areas of Tennessee I thought would be spectacular, yet for us it was more commercialized than we liked.  Places like the Pan-handle in Florida, Alabama and West Virginia were given much less time in the planning process and they have been some of the most beautiful, intriguing places we've been.  From this we have learned a lot, and it will definitely affect how we plan our future trips.

As we reached the top of the ridge the view opened up to the river and valley below us.  Apparently, it is a great area for rock climbing, although that adventure is not on my personal bucket list.  Dave and the kids would do it in a heartbeat though.  The view was spectacular!  I have an overwhelming fear of heights out in the open so this was quite the adventure for me.  I was fine while I was taking pictures; looking at things through a lens, but as soon as I looked out over the expanse with my own two eyes my heart started racing and I got a little light-headed.  It was definitely one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen; truly breathtaking!

We finished our hike and drove to the bottom of the mountain.  The road switched back as it made its way down and I could see off the edge of the road to the valley below.  In some ways I found this more unnerving than standing at the top.  

We stopped to look at the final rapids on the New River and we saw a beautiful stream  and some waterfalls.  It was one breathtaking sight after the other. I am sad that we only got to enjoy one day in this magnificent place, and I hope we will return soon to explore it further.

RAPIDLY approaching the end

Most of yesterday was spent at the campsite.  We did go to McDonald's in the morning to do school work.  The campground was suppose to have internet access, but we couldn't get it to work.

Once school was done, Dave spent time in his kayak.  He also took the kids over to the other side of the river to swim and jump off the rocks.  They had a blast.  I could have joined them but I spent the time getting laundry done.  The rest of the evening the kids and I stayed at the camper and watched TV and chilled.  Dave went to the store and explored the small town of Erwin.  He found a park/campground with trails to hike which brings us to this morning.

We got up earlier so we could fit a hike in before traveling. We drove through Erwin and up the mountain to Rock Creek Recreation Area.  By the time we got out of the car it was pouring.  Die-hard hikers that we are, we decided to try our luck on the trail.  Sadly, the rain kept coming and we weren't really dressed for the conditions.  We turned around and decided that we would plan to return here in late July.

Drenched and freezing we rode back in the truck to the campsite.  We got cleaned up and packed up before hitting the road once again...destination West Virginia and the Gully River.

This week is bittersweet for all of us.  We are so excited to be going home to see our family and friends, but we will miss our travels until we hit the road again.  For many, it seems like we've been on the road forever, but for us the end is rapidly approaching and it seems like we've only begun.

Sweet Redemption

Hey its Grace here. All right so Tennessee redeemed itself from Pigeon Forge (oh the horror). We're now somewhere close to Erwin, TN along the Nolichucky River. Our campground is pretty cool. We're right beside the river and I can again here the sweet sound of rapids that makes me miss the property in York. It reminds me very much of home and the best part is I haven't seen the Titanic or giant gorillas yet! It's a pretty neat place, but I must admit the most I did today was sit around and read; sorry, bookworm here. It's nice though, because I can sit by the water and just take in the atmosphere. It was the perfect place to relax. My dad said the town was cool too. can't wait for tomorrow to explore...bye!

A Hikin We Will Go!

Today we headed back to Smoky Mountain National Park to do some hiking.  We stopped at the Sugarland Visitor Center to get some suggestions of where to go.  Our plan was to go to Cades Cove and do the scenic drive  but we wanted to do a hike first.  We went back to the Sink and did the hike there.  We hiked a total of 5 or 6 miles.  We crossed the stream multiple times and even saw a water fall.  We saw 5 snakes on the hike; one black snake, one garter snake, and three copperheads.  It was a fun day.  We only saw two other couples the entire time.  We packed lunch which we ate along the stream and the kids and Dave cooled off at the waterfall.  The entire trip took us about 3 1/2 hours.

After we left the trail, we drove up to Cades Cove to drive the scenic route.  It was a pretty drive, but for us it was too crowded.  The loop was only one way and one lane.  There were multiple pull-offs but apparently people did not use them and would stop in the middle of the road to watch some deer.  It was more frustrating than enjoyable.  

This entire trip has been a journey of self discovery for us.  We've learned that our favorite places have been those off the beaten path.  They have been those places that aren't the typical destination points.  We're hoping to take this realization with us as we make our plans for July and August.  It is partially why we postponed going out west.  We want to really check things out before we drive all that way.  I don't want to go to all the typical tourist spots; I want to find the obscure.

You've Now Entered the Gaitlinburg Zone (doodoo doodoo doodoo doodoo)

You are about to enter another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop... the Smoky Mountains?

So this is Grace and it's my turn to do the update again. So we left Nashville early in the morning for a 3 hour drive to the Smoky Mountains. It wasn't a horrible drive because the view was very scenic. There were mountains in the distance and my mom said her ears even popped, though none of ours did.  As we got closer to our campsite we couldn't wait to see the mountains.  Unfortunately, we came by way of  Pigeon Forge and our only view included the Titanic and Donkey Kong among other theme park attractions; all incredibly large and all completely blocking the view of the mountains.  This was not how I pictured the Smoky Mountains. 

By the time we reached our campsite we changed our plans from four days to two days. While Mom, Dad, and Lauryl checked us in; Camden and I went exploring the nearby creek. I walked along the bank and watched a mother duck with 9-10 baby ducklings. 

Once we set up camp we left to find some actual mountains. It was really cool! We followed this road that drove parallel to a river for most of the way. It was so amazing! The water was clear and there were tons of rapids. My dad was like a kid in a candy store.  He just kept saying if the water level was a little higher it would be runnable in his kayak. 

We took a stop to look at waterfall/rapid.  It was so beautiful.  We continued on until we found the trail we planned to hike.  It was a 1.5 mile trip up to Laurel Falls. It was a great walk and at one point we passed a stream that ran out of a rock and under the trail.  A man offered to take a family picture (love southern hospitality) and we accepted. We moved to stand in the stream only to hear Camden say there was a snake where we planned to stand. My dad was pretty sure it was a copperhead. The snake was real little though, and he kept twitching really weird. We stood in front of the rock and the man took our picture. My dad tried to take a picture of the snake but it didn't work. Some other hikers came up along and poked at it with a stick and when he was out from behind the rock we realized why he was twitching; he was trying to swallow a lizard! 

As we continued on the hike, there was a break through the trees where you could see the majestic mountains. We finally reached Laurel Falls and it was great.  It wasn't just a straight sheet of water down, but fell in five feet increments before hitting a rock and sliding down again. Dad, Camden, Lauryl, and I climbed up beside the falls. We walked back to the car and came home as the sun set. 

We drove through Gaitlinburg on the way back. I was very confused because they were selling swimsuits in stores like you see at the beach.   It reminded me of either the boardwalk or an amusement park and it just seemed so out of place.  We joked about it feeling like we entered the Twilight Zone.

When we got home, we had taco salads for dinner and chocolate pudding pie for dessert. Complements to the chef, my mother.  It was a fun day, but my idea of the Smoky Mountains and the places around was definitely changed.

Boot Scootin' Boogie

We finally made it to Music City!  Nashville was not like any other city I've ever been.  It was clean and friendly; it's easy to park; and it was a ton of fun!  It was definitely not as intimidating for the kids as New Orleans.  They felt much more comfortable walking around, which truly allowed them to enjoy themselves.

We stayed in a campground 30 minutes outside the city in a town called Lebanon.  We expected the drive to be traffic filled, but it really wasn't bad.  It was nothing close to the traffic we've experienced heading to Baltimore or traveling around D.C.

The first stop on our journey was the American Picker's store, Antique Archeology. We all enjoyed tooling around the shop and seeing some of the picks up close.  We're pretty sure they make most of their money on their t-shirts and hats though.

Next door to them was a candy store called "Bang" that specialized in homemade marshmallows.  Grace had one that was rose flavored, and mine was blueberry lavender!  I personally thought it was a delightful experience, although Dave was not as impressed.

We then headed to Nashville's farmer's market.  There were several stands with locally grown fruit and veggies but they were rather over priced in my opinion. I was surprised there were no meat counters. We did eat at their food court for lunch and had an amazing pulled pork sandwich.  We got a gyro, some sweet and sour chicken, and cheese cake for dessert.  It was fun, but it made me miss Eastern Market in York terribly.

With full tummies, we made our way to lower Broadway. We stopped in some stores and checked out the cowboy boots.  Most were $300 but you would get the next 2 pair free.  Betty Boots had boots upwards of $900!!!

After walking up and down Broadway checkin' out the honky tonks, we decided to stop in The Second Fiddle to listen to some music.  It was so much fun.  It wasn't crowded since it was a Thursday afternoon which made it nice for the kids.  The girl had a wonderful voice and she sang a variety of country music covers.  We danced and sang along and had a great time.

Once we left the Honk Tonk district, we drove to a little thrift store called Goodbuy Girls to look for boots for the girls.  Lauryl and Grace both found a pair, new dresses, and Lauryl even got a hat.  We had a full wonderful day experiencing Nashville.

The next morning, Dave worked, the kids got school work done and practiced instruments before heading back into Nashville.  Our first stop Friday was Provence Bread near Belmont University.  My friend Cat made the suggestion and it was a great one!  The cookies and treats were delightful!  We checked out some of the other shops in the area including a little music store.  They were so great to the kids and Grace and Lauryl even had the opportunity to learn 4 chords on the mandolin.

We left there and headed back downtown to listen to some more music.  When we got there, Broadway was blocked off to traffic.  Apparently the Nashville Predators had a playoff game.  There was a huge TV in the middle of the street for fans who didn't have tickets.  It was so cool to be able to just walk down the middle of the street in Nashville.  We got some great pictures!  

We went in to Tootsies and Honky Tonk Central.  Things were much more crowded because of the game, but it was still a blast.  For a city, we really loved Nashville.  People were great and made you feel welcome and they really put on a good show.  I would definitely go back!

Play Me Some Mountain Music

Yesterday we spent the day exploring the park and fishing in the creek behind our camper.  The kids mostly caught pan fish although there were nice size trout there too; they just weren't biting!

The park was full of amazing history.  We toured their iron works museum and saw the remains of their furnace.  It reminded us of home and the Codorus Furnace.  It was amazing to get perspective on the Civil War from somewhere in the South.  Growing up so close to Gettysburg, I thought I had a decent understanding of what happened and why.  It wasn't until we started learning about those same moments from the other side that we realized how much we really didn't know. I read, for the first time, the document announcing the secession of South Carolina from the Union.  I never realized how powerful that was and what it truly meant for our country at the time.  I love how much we are all learning from this entire experience.

Yesterday was not just an exciting day, we also had an amazing night.  Dave had a wonderful mountain bike ride.  He found some awesome single track and he managed to enjoy his own little adventure.  When he got back, he took us over to the camper next door to listen to them play some music.  It was  guitar and fiddle and they sang and played old hymns. One of the gentleman there told us there was a real jam session going on across the campground.  We decided to check it out.  When we arrived their was a crowd of people playing instruments we had never seen.  There was a bass and a few guitars, but the majority of the instruments were something else.  We learned that what they were playing was a dulcimer.

It had a beautiful sound like nothing I've ever heard before.  We found out that they were all in for a Dulcimer festival the coming weekend.  Once gentleman who played guitar, was 93 years old.  He brought the music to a close with "Amazing Grace" and  "God Bless America".  We were all taken by the entire experience.   A lovely woman offered to teach the kids how to play if they stopped by in the morning.

So after a good nights sleep, and packing up for the road, I walked the kids over to see about the dulcimer lesson.  Bobbie and Robert were amazing.  They came out of their camper with an instrument for each of us to play; even me!  The dulcimers the kids used Robert made and the one I used was one he restored.  Bobbie taught us the basics about the instrument and within a short time we were playing our first song.  The kids fell in love with it and as you can see below, we invested in one!

During our drive to Nashville, we did some research and found out from what could be pieced together about the dulcimer that it originated in the mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania and West Virginia around the seventeen or eighteen hundreds.  It has been known as an instrument of the Appalachian Mountains.

This was an experience that none of us will forget any time soon.  The love for music that my children have is unmeasurable, and to experience American "mountain" music in this way was priceless.  I know the seed that Bobbie and Robert planted in them today will grow and flourish.  They have created a spark in a new generation and in doing so they passed on a wonderful American tradition.  Thank you for giving my kiddos such a precious gift.

Sweet Home Alabama

Home for the next two days at least.  Today did not exactly go the way we had hoped, yet I really have no complaints.  We got up early enough this morning.  The kids managed to do their school work while Dave and I packed.  We were traveling by 9am; on the road to Alabama.  It was a relatively uneventful trip most of the way.  We made the typical lunch stop at a Pilot for hot dogs and Subway subs.  The kids did school work and played with their iPods while I made appointments for when we are home.

Suddenly, just twenty minutes from our destination, we heard a loud balloon pop!  I looked out my window and saw part of the trailer trim flapping in the wind.  We pulled over onto the shoulder of the highway, just before an exit.  Dave and I got out of the truck and saw that the passenger side trailer tire basically "popped"!  We couldn't go any further without doing considerable damage to the wheel.  We had a jack and spare, so Dave resolved to fix it.

I should note that it was around 90 degrees today in Alabama, but I made the kids get out of the truck and stand in the field off the side of the road.  I've heard too many stories of vehicles pulled over for one reason or another, only to get hit.  Luckily, within the first five minutes of our peril , a Tuscaloosa police officer pulled in behind us; lights flashing.

Apparently, the jack we had couldn't support the weight of the trailer.  The officer was amazingly helpful and called the Chevy dealer on the the hill above us.  After a short wait, someone from the dealership's service department showed up with a better jack. Together, he and Dave changed the tire and got us situated to hit the road.  

After pictures with the Tuscaloosa Officer and getting the kids back in the truck, Dave noticed one of the trailer tires on the drivers side looked considerable low.  Our officer friend followed us off the exit to a truck service plaza.  Unfortunately, they did not carry the size tires we needed, but they did direct us to a Texaco a little further up the road.  

We managed to make it to the Texaco before the tire totally deflated.  Again, they did not have the size tire we needed, but the did agree to pick one up.  Within a half hour, we had another tire changed and we were back on the road.

The campground was truly only 15 or 20 minutes away...craziness. I'm so blessed that we made it there today though.  How easily things could have been different.  Just a few hours early I was watching the news about a family who lost their lives in a car accident at the Bronx Zoo.  We had a tire blow, but it didn't throw us off the road, we didn't even really skip a beat.  We fixed things and continued on our journey.  For that, I am truly grateful.

The campground is beautiful and full of so much history.  We didn't really get to explore yet, but this is a picture from the the window of the camper.  After some school work tomorrow, we plan to check things out and do some trout fishing!  


Thank you all for coming on this journey with us.  We love reading your comments and suggestions too so keep 'em comin'!