In New Joizey

We made Egg Harbor NJ and my Niece Jill and her husband Michael's home.  What a great home it is.  We have camped outside it for many trips now and sure enjoy their hospitality and friendship.  Last night Mike took us out for a wonderful dinner at a local spot and treated.  We then returned to watch a movie, "Doubt", on their huge screen with blue ray.  Nice indeed.  There house is so comfortable and the best campsite with have been in.  Ha.  Today we walked around the 2 mile block and we found $27 laying on the side of the road.  Good treat.  Being back in Jersey feels good.  If I had a lot of money I would buy a house on the ocean.  Anyway it's nice to visit and today is my sister Jackie's birthday and we will see her in a bit.  Pics of the house, Lynda with Money, Jill, Lil Jack and Lynda, and Michael.  Also Jill's cat Chance with a vole.

On Kent Island just east of Washington DC

Today was a kind of tough trip of 232 miles to Kent Island MD.  We are at the Elks here and the campsite they have is really nice.  Only $15 and we have 50 amp electric.  The Elks have made a half a dozen nice clean big sites and we will come this way again.  The trip here started out fine taking route 301 instead of the interstate that goes through DC.  But as we got closer to DC we hit a whole bunch of traffic lights and traffic.  Well we made it and the area is great.  We are only a few miles from the Naval Academy of Annapolis, and when we come back I would like to visit there.  Tomorrow east to my home state of New Jersey and family.

Pictures are of Lynda working out, us in the starship Magic Bus, the Elks, some shots of the bridge coming here from Washington, and Lynda's plants under a plant light.  Bye bye

Big jump to Northern NC

To day we left our friend Schumann's RV park and drove smoothly 303 miles to the border of NC/Virginia.  We are at a place called Crossroads RV park in Roanoke Rapids North Carolina.  It is a brand new park and part of our Passport America discount camping club which we use the most.  This one even has a hot tub as you can see in the one picture all for only $20 a night.  With the photos of this place I put in a picture  from our walk this morning at the Schumann park.  It is a tiny frog, one of thousands that were everywhere.  This one is the size of an aspirin tablet.  It was hard to walk fearing we would crush them.  Anyway the trip was great today.  My flight attendant, Lynda, tended to my drinks and food and I just kept driving up a straight northern interstate 95 till we made it.  We stopped for fuel in South Carolina before getting on the road and paid only $2.15 / gallon for diesel.  No doubt with prices going up we won't see that again.  The Bus averaged 10.6 miles per gallon for 650 miles.  That is driving at 63 miles per hour towing a loaded car.  Not bad for something so big.

Tomorrow we head just east of Washington DC to an Elks club on Kent's Island in Maryland.  Next day to my sister Jacks for her birthday in New Jersey.  See ya.

St Augustine to South Carolina

We zoomed out of the Palm Bay area up to St Augustine.  There we took a nice campground for the night and went into town to look around.  We had heard so much from some people that came to our Elks to camp about the Elks in St Augustine that we had to take a look.  I have put in some pics.  They have camping in the back but not as nice as Florida Keys thats for sure.  We did the Japanese Rest. thing after and enjoyed that, some pics again.

Next morning we pulled out and did 250 miles up to a campground we have been stopping out for many years.  It is owned by an old couple and we like to give them the money.  Not that it is a lot, only $15 for the night, but they look like every bit helps.  I always fill up our propane there too.  It is across the street from a nice state park and because of all the rain the river there was over the banks as you can see in the pics.  Tomorrow we head up 95 to another campsite on the way home.  More to come then as Lynda wants to watch Law and Order.  Ha

Back to Kennedy Space Center

So we used our two day ticket today to go into the space center once more.  We got our timing wrong and missed the tour bus going to the launch sites so just poked around the area.  We bought tickets to the iMax showing of "Star Trek" for later in the afternoon.  In the meantime we took in a 3D space station iMax movie that was really the best.  After that we had our packed lunch, not going to be caught again buying in the cafe, and waited for the Star Trek flick.  

We rushed to get in the front of the line and waited for the start.  Lynda was let down that it wasn't 3D straight off.  Now I know Justin and Marc are Trekkies, but Lynda and I are not.  We both were less than entertained sadly, but at least we can say we saw it.  

Out in the parking lot we came across some Black Skimmers.  Not an everyday sight but the space center is a huge wild life preserve and we noticed many different critters.  Tomorrow we may take a ride to check out the beaches a bit more before leaving Tuesday morning.

Great Place

We ended Sat with a trip shopping then went to a great historic "Old Town" near us called Melbourne.  It was really charming with many interesting shops, art and great food places with music.  We took the advice, for the second time, of the campground host Kevin and ate at a place called, Meg O'mally's.  This as the name applies is an Irish Pub with such a wonderful menu and character.  Lynda and I so enjoyed the food and to top it all I got to watch the Yankees beat Philly.   Ha.  After that we walked through town then took a nice drive around the area.  Good day indeed.

From Lynda about yesterday's visit to the Space center: 

"On Friday we visited 

the Kennedy Space 

Center.  I had envisaged seeing the places where history took place such as launch pads, and mission controls and all the stuff you see on TV (and Star Trek)!  We were told to go to the Visitor Complex and the weather was dreadful so we spent the day there going from one exhibit to the other, all of which, in my opinion, were not that impressive. In fact the best part of the whole visit was the IMax theater and a small film about man's voyages to the moon. I think we'll make a second visit and go to some of the outlying sites and maybe watch the latest Star Trek movie at the IMax theater. That should be fun! I know that Justin and Marc would enjoy it.
Something which has amazed me about the area where our campground is, is the large number of ospreys. In the UK they are the most endangered bird, but here I have seen at least 50 in a very small area. They are everywhere, like seagulls. This small stretch of coastline is relatively unspoilt and undeveloped and the Indian River is a huge body of water which obviously provides a bounty of fish for the ospreys.  Wonderful!"

To me the trip was so so.  Like she said it rained, and has been raining every day, and we couldn't go outside to see what the area was about.  We found out we could use our tickets another day within a 7 day period so will go back and do the bus tour to the launch site and watch "Star Trek" in iMax.  That should be cool.  Today we walked a bit with Charlie and enjoyed an area where some ospreys have two nests.  It is so relaxing to do nothing, I love it.  We also planned our trip north and are going shopping now.  Bye.  David

Rainy day by the sea

Phew it did rain last night and this morning.  We heard it all night beating on the Bus.  But it cleared up enough to check out the area.  As I had mentioned we are on the Indian river which is but a few miles from the ocean.  After walking Charlie in the rain we packed up and drove over to route A1A along the ocean.  Stopping at our favorite Wal Mart along the way.  We found many posh homes that had gates not allowing entrance to see the surf.  That kind of ticked us off for a bit till we came to a great public area with rest rooms, free parking and beaches complete with lifeguards.  The ocean was rough and an easterly wind blew our hair.  We continued north along the water and came to many other public, no charge, beaches.  We then stopped at a museum where in 1715 a large fleet of treasure ships going to Spain with stolen riches, were wrecked in a storm.  We toured the museum and watched a movie about it all.  They say there is still much treasure still off the shore to be found.  They had a nice nature boardwalk to the beach and we enjoyed it much.  The state runs it and only charged a dollar to get in.  One thing Lynda and I know is that Florida has some really great State Parks.  She is proud to be part of them with her position as a volunteer in the Keys.  After leaving the park we went over an inlet, Sebastian State Park, that was also very nice.  We then headed for a place to eat.  That place was a Mexican restaurant that the campground office chap suggested and was rated a 9 by us both.  $3.00 Margarita's, Wow, can't imagine that in the Keys, plus food that was so good.  We will be back.  We are enjoying this over 55 campground as it is so peaceful.  Also the camper is nice without all the stuff we had all over the place during our 6 month tour at the Elks.  I wish we could do it full time some day but we both love our old farm house in the mountains of NH also.  Nice to have both when you think of it.  

Tomorrow we bought tickets for the Kennedy Space center tour and have to get up early to make it.  Around 35 miles north of here.  Will take lots of pics.  It will be a first for us both.

Out of the Keys at last

After an extended stay in the Keys due to Lynda's trip to the UK for Marc's Birthday, we are heading north.  It was a good trip for her and she enjoyed meeting Marc's friends and sharing time with her Mom, Sarah, and Marc.  After 6 months we were so dug in that it took us a good two days to pack.  Rain pounded us hard after Lynda got back and she was extra tired with the Jet lag.  

The Elks had these party tents  set up for the sunset party I DJ'd at and then a breakfast for Mothers day.  They should have taken them down but didn't so the storm that came in beat them up pretty good.  Quite a sight.

Today we drove about 250 miles through the craziness of Miami to a place called Grant FL.  It is on the Indian river, which is the inland water way, just across from the ocean.  We plan to visit Cape Canaveral and the beaches in this area.  Everyone has told us about them so we will see.  The campground, Orbits, is a laid back place that is part of our Passport America camping club so it only cost $15 a day for full hook up.  Next door through a little gate is a Pub called "Liars Pub" relating to how fishermen tell tales about their catch.  They have a band on the weekends and food so things are good with that.  It is nice not to have to work or do things in the Elks.  We aren't sure where we will go from here but most likely will follow the coast as we have our neighbor cutting the lawn for us at home and can be a bit late getting there.