Beeline to Key West Florida from San Francisco. Zig zag up the East Coast to Washington D.C.
Then return west pausing in Indianapolis for the eclipse then on to Colorado.
Path of the April 8th Eclipse.
Actual Colorado route
I met a lot of people on my trip. They each contributed to
the whole of the experience. There was much to see on our trip, things,
artifacts, historical sights plus great natural beauty. But I concentrated as much on the people.
Most were strangers I shall never see again, yet they contribute to our world,
our body of human beings, our culture.
This is my story of those people.
See our full main blog at: https://debandphilnow.blogspot.com/2024/02/south-atlantic-coast-and-eclipse-spring.html
February 5th2024, Day one.
Two of my all time favorite people are Rathbun and James. Our first stop was in Southern California where they have a small ranch near Ramona. Normally. For the record I like them both. Rath is my brother.
Yucca is the State Flower of New Mexico. Yucca Plains is
also the name of a rest stop on Interstate 10.
It’s on the way from Tucson east to Las Cruces, NM, and is in extreme
desert. There I met Bud. He had pulled over at an Interstate rest stop east of
Separ, AZ. around 2pm and was traveling west. He was low on water and I gave
him a soda and offered to fill his canteen. He asked if I was a trucker. I’m
sure he was hoping for a ride west. I said no and pointed out our Dodge van, a
little embarrassed. He asked how far west the next gas station was. A long way I said, maybe 40 miles. He was heading home to Gordon AZ from Michigan
and was riding his trike on the interstate. He was coming home to take care of
his ailing, dying mother. In his gaze I
saw a world of emotions. “Why am I
here? What will happen now that I left
Michigan. I love Michigan. Where will I sleep tonight? The sun is so hot here,
how can I ride another 40 miles today? I have seen so much in my life. Who are
you?”
Near Carlsbad Caverns, at Sunset Reef BLM dispersed camping area, I met Perry from Homestead Florida. He was with his wife Flora. They were full timers. (They live in their trailer and traveled around.) At first I thought of him as slow, but as we talked more for the two days we were there visiting Carlsbad Caverns, I gained a respect for him. First impressions can be way off.
Originally Perry grew up on farm in south Florida. He could have stayed there but he would have had to joined in the illicit drug trade. He’d had some bad experiences with that. Flora has breast cancer and they are not sure what to do or where to turn next. They sold their house and drive around in a Toy Hauler now. In it he has a little 500cc motorcycle. At one time he was a trucker. He and his wife had real trouble with their teeth. He does not have any teeth on the bottom. They’ve all been replaced. They found a dentist in Mexico in a town just over the Arizona border of about 600 people but there are a lot of dentists there that service Americans. His regular dentist in Tennessee wanted $4,000 to do a procedure. The Doctor was not even legal in Tennessee. They sold there house and hit the road. He had a dog, but it died, but they have a second dog. It’s Flora’s. He often carried a gun, a little Glock 43. On leaving he gave me contact info and some suggestions on things to see in Texas. After that I started asking random people I met and struck a conversation with, “Do you carry a gun?” Of all the people I asked that question, maybe 8, three said they do.
Perry also recommended I check out Jimmy Derista. See the website https://jimmydiresta.com/ Diresta is a
designer, builder & maker. Check out his Workshop. He works in wood and
metal and has helpful advice for any DIY.
Also Perry told me to check out “Fractal Burning” it lead me to a search of Lichtenberg
figures. These natural looking, dendritic line patterns are just more than the
root structure of a tree and were fascinating to look at. Also check out bison Galore Caprock State Park,
TX & Pala Duro Canyon, Perry said.
Barbara Martinez is family and the sister of James.
I’d first met Barbara at a memorial for her Father’s in Haskall, Oklahoma. The Hernandez have a
huge, wonderful extended family, that stretches from Oklahoma into Texas, and
now reaches to California. She had many wonderful stories of ranching life in Texas and Oklahoma. Stories of here
and James’s large family as they grew up in the 60’s and 70’s. Barbara is a
happy person and her smile shared this.
Robert Hernandez is James's and Barbara’s cousin. He lives in Menard TX. Robert ranches and grows and markets Cattle. He lives with his wife Nancy. I stopped by and had a cup of coffee on our way through Minard. In talking to him, I saw his life experiences in Texas were rich and wide. He had a pecan tree outside his front door, and gave us a huge bag. They were great.
I met Ben at the Bucee’s gas station in Conroe, Texas. His sweatshirt proclaiming “Nothing Better Than PEEING OUTSIDE” just asked to be explained. Originally from California he followed his wife to Texas.
Ben was cool but the real story here is Bucee’s. Bucee’s is a large gas station chain in the
southeastern states. There is nothing like
it in California, yet. The one we
stopped in had over 80 separate gas pumps. It was easily the largest gas station
I have ever seen. There are many Bucee's and they sold all sorts
of gas from diesel to racing car high octane gasses. Pluss it could easily handle a dozen large
RVs, plus many commercial rigs. But the
main customers were just regular passenger car drivers. Another thing that
separates Bucee’s from other gas stations was the huge retail store. Inside
there were many different stores like a clothing store, a shoe store, a hardware store for the traveler. A separate huge counter for just different kind s of jerky. There
were different counters for various styles of foods. Chinese, Mexican, BBQ,
then all different kinds of sandwich counters, paninis, torpedoe subs, and other “American” hot foods like a Grits
bar! A roast beef counter, one that specialized in ham dishes, and pizza of
course. There was 3 large sections of candies. Chocolates of course, but then
an additional peanut brittle bar. I never new there could be that many
variations on peanut brittle. And of course a fudge bar. One section
specialized in just different kinds of fresh milk shakes. This included all
sorts of quick grab and go meals or liquid snacks. There were over 485 people that worked at this one Bucee’s!
Mike and my niece Charley live in Magnolia, TX. They love life but also wonder what the future will bring.
I met Caroline my niece for the first time. We crashed her 2nd year birthday party. A charming child, eyes wide open and ready for anything. Her laugh was infectious. You couldn’t help but smile. Her mother Olivia has two older boys.
New niece Caroline with her mother Olivia, and Charley in the back.
I met Ken Miller in Westlake by Lake Charles, Louisiana. He can operate, big
cranes but is mostly retired. He lives mostly up in Oak Vale, or Dale or Ville, LA, about
70 miles from this campground, depending on “things,” He’s retired but goes
back and works a month or two a year and says he’s paid well. He has a nice big
trailer with pop outs. He also has another big Trailer or toy hauler that he’s
going to start using because it’s easier to connect to his truck. He came up
and introduced himself and was admiring our smaller rig, After talking a while, his wife yelled out their
door for him to leave me alone and not talk me to death. We’d just pulled into
a regular commercial campground to watch the Supper Bowl. Our team the 49ers were playing the Kansas
City Chiefs.
Richard owns the Bayou Marino RV park in Westlake where we stayed. Its on the Calcasieu River. Most there are semi- permanent but he leaves 3 spots open for transients like us. Richard works hard to keep the place clean. It’s right next to a big pond and beautiful low lands on the river.
He also owns many buildings in town including where Jeanne’s
Bourbon St. BBQ in Westlake, LA is. It was absolutely finger licking
delicious. Their variety of sauces were great. We try the different regional
BBQs everywhere we went, in every state, and most were amazing. Louisiana sauce is a tomato based sauce,
spicy, tangy, sweet and delicious. Different than the mustard-based sauces in
the Carolinas and Georgia. But these
pages are not about the sensational food we had, but about the people I met on
the way.
In Houma, Louisiana
we drove into a parade. It was Mardi
gras and we had decided to skip New Orleans and instead ended up in this small
town southwest of New Orleans. But the
celebration was big. I met many people there.
Meghan was so excited to be there. You could see how it's something she looks forward to all year long. She was a groupie and her boyfriend was in the band. It was called “The Million Dollar Band from Gatorland” from South Terrebonne High School about 6 miles southeast of Houma. She had a brother in this marching band to. Megan's pride in what she was a part of was evident in her elation. There are many more great pictures of the parade in the main blog of Deborah’s.
Terry and Anne sat next to us during the parade and
explained many of the subtleties like the different groups, their competitions
and themes. They were of Acadian/Cajun heritage and collected some nice parade
booty as it was tossed from trucks or given to them by their children and grand
children.
A theory which posits that birds are actually drones operated by the United
States government to spy on American citizens. Google it. This satirical Gen Z
conspiracy theory is fodder for the far right, akin to Jewish space lasers.
John and Merre live in a charming home in Tallahassee. Merre comes from a large family out of Toledo
Ohio. A cousin I had never met, she and John were wonderful hosts. I went on to
also meet for the first time her two sisters Candi and Marci. Though we’d never met, she had a resemblance
to many in my family; her mannerisms, opinions and attitudes were very
affirming for me. She wants the same
thing in life as we all do. After leaving, Tallahassee was hit by several freak
large spring storms. We’d planned the
trip to be home before hurricane season officially started. Still we saw a lot of rain, snow, ice and
wind much of the trip.
Lester was the biggest bull shitter of the whole trip. With quite the sense of humor I finally started interpreting everything he said as the opposite of how it sounded. (There must be a clinical name for this) He was a fellow camper in Chassahowitzka, FL. But originally came from Michigan. “Don’t go to Michigan in June!” he said then followed it up with “Go to upper Michigan.”
Betra hates her job at Wallmart in Huntley, FL. I explained how I love people that give me free food. She smiled a crack as she poured me some “naked” juice. She seemed afraid to open up, like she was on camera, or being watched.
Cousin Judy on the right brought her friend Cassi down to Florida from their homes in Connecticut. “Spotsavainia is a huge battlefield, off I-95” in Virginia south of D.C. and north of Richmond, VA she told me when I asked her favorite battle field.
Jason is from Tennessee. We met in a parking lot. He is on a team that travels around and builds new Costco’s, He was doing that in Clearwater FL, where we were. We met in the city park. We talked, we partied. We had fun. I’d like to see Tennessee someday.
I met George Otto III, at the Madura Brickel Mound Archeological site south. He was driving around in a Chinook, a class C. George ‘s day job is a general contractor and he lives up in Westminster, Maryland. He’d has other RV.s but got this 20 year old Chinook for such a good deal he couldn’t say no to it. He was not that interested in archeology but his traveling companions were.
Jossie was one of Georges companions.
Josie and I compared Tats. ‘Tara Justa’ was her daughter, and I don’t know what IX-XXi or ‘9-21’ met to her.
Carol D. was also traveling with George and Jossie. She runs the ‘Edge Of The Avalon Inn’ up in Dildo, Newfoundland. She told us to stop on by sometime. See info@edgeoftheavaloninn.com
In Florida I met a whole clan of relatives I’d never seen before. Here Anne, Candi, Deborah and Marty gather. I have 28 cousins and had only met 3 of them as an adult before this trip. I’ve often wondered what the “East Coast Mathers were like.
I don’t know their names. I did not talk to them. They were sitting at a McDonalds in Iona, FL talking
to a friend, maybe one of his. Just the one other man to the left of the picture, no other
wife. All seniors, near the culmination of life. She had a look in her eyes.
Like she was just very glad to be there, be somewhere. Maybe she loved her
husband and glad he brought her. Or she was on a date, Or she’d gone into
remission, or she was fond of the friend of many years. Or she was thinking of
something that made her happy. They were just quietly having coffee. She
listening and spoke little, She also had a ‘I’m glad and resigned to be here,’
look in her eyes. They might have been travelers, they might have been
homeless. In each person there is also a
whole universe of being, of life and memories. Why did they pick now to meet
and have a cup of coffee? Was it a
regular weekly thing? Were they part of an organization, or a cause? Were they grieving? It was about 9:30am. I love people. Humans are so complex in their levels of
communication, and there needs.
Janie was a docent at the Key West Woman’s Club. The club was established and bought the already historic Hellings House built in 1894, and turned it into a museum in 1915. She spends half the year in Key west, and the other half at her other home in Marin California. Her stories and history of Key West were enchanting.
Daniel was our barista at a nice little Café in Key West. He grew up in San Bruno in the Bay Area, got his MBA at St. Marys College in Orinda, CA. Then somehow ended up owning part of a café here in Key West. “Try fishing on Kaya Island, from the beach. You will catch big fish.”
It’s easy to meet people on the beach. I think these guys, Stan & Bill were a couple from New York City.
Tom and I were set up. We agreed to go out on a boat and fish for the big fish. There was no cabin, no toilet, no shade, It took two hours to motor out 31 miles to the continental shelfs ledge. This is a small 25’ boat and very rocky all 12 hours of the trip. I and three other passengers were on it. We had visions of having our picture taken at the end standing next to a huge hanging Marlin or sword fish. We caught NOTHING!
We first arrived at the dock at 6am after driving an hour up from Key West. We got back to the dock around 6pm. It was a long rough day. We’d agreed to this mainly so our wives could go have lunch and coffee without us.
He was the worst Captain. We didn’t catch anything. No sword fish, no Marlin, no giant Blackfin tuna, no small tuna, no Sailfish or tarpon. Not even a lousy shark. Capt. Tom didn’t even have live bait. He pulled out a frozen squid to troll for the marlin.
After visiting the John F, Kennedy Space Center all day, we retreated back to the mainland near Titusville, to watch a launch of Space X that evening where we met Tom and Sue. She was a Vietnam War widow and had trained as a nurse in San Diego. He was there in the Navy when they met. Now they live in FL where they have 2 houses and grand children. Tom is a retired dentist. He was blessed he said. Married 50 years they are 7th day Adventist. I could see how they had worked hard and set them selves up for when they were old. We talked for an hour waiting for the launch but it got scrubbed till the next day. When we were up in in St. Augustine, we tried to watch the next night but it was too cloudy.
Patty and Mike were snowbirds from Massachusetts. We camped next to them at the St. Augustine ELKs Lodge. The idea of “snowbirds” finally registered with me. Before it was just a concept, how people could live in their home in the north during the spring and summer, then move south and live in a trailer for the winter. Mike won a big Harley Davidson Softail Classic in a ELKs lodge raffle 5 years ago’ Before this he’d never owned or ridden a motor cycle., They transport it in this toy hauler and seemed resigned for now at their pleasurable life style, to make themselves happy. Completely aware it is only a temporary phase, before the next phase.
We met Andrew at the top of the old St. Augustine Light house. He told us of what the lighthouse had seen, from its construction in 1874 to now. It was not only an active functioning, privately funded lighthouse but also a great maritime museum. St. Augustine is a very nice old city. The old town section had a lot of charm with a lot of shops and historic buildings. Andrew loved what he was doing and was always trying to find out more about the area and its history. He had a brother that lived close, and a wife and 2 daughters not far away. He has habituated to a charmed life. Previously he had been a high school science teacher, so I think he certainly deserved it.
We did not speak, aloud. I had seen here parading up and down the main street of Oldtown St. Augustine several times looking for an audience.
We met Raymond Edwards after he took a shortcut through the cemetery in downtown Savana. Savanah turned out to be one of the most wonderful cities of our whole trip.
It must be one of the most beautiful of cities we visited. We will go go back. Its grid of public gardens were enchanting. See: https://maps.app.goo.gl/x6u4qQgD53wn25YYA
The city maintained these squares or gardens in the Historic Districts, with huge Oak
trees covered in Spanish Moss. Raymond
Edwards was coming out of the cemetery in Savannah carrying a radio made to
look old. “I was just playing music for my friends here. “ (buried in the
cemetery.)Then he laughed loudly. “Just joking” he laughed again. He had a lot
to say but I could only make out about 1/2 of it because of his thick accent. “
The neighbor hoods are different. There’s the Nigger neighbor hoods, the
Downtown hood, the tourist district along the river …. And
the new(gentrified) neighborhoods with money.
Raymond works remodeling and other construction when he can. He was jovial,
gregarious and friendly.
Colin from France was beaming with pride as I walked in to
‘Marche de Macarons’ at 42
Abercom St. in Savanah. It has the best Macarons I have ever seen or tasted!
Colin and the owner Laura, prepare Macarons that will
be shipped all over the U.S. Laura said she had opened the shop in honor of her mom who couldn't
eat anything with gluten. Deborah’s experience with her own fudge production
and working in a professional kitchen gave us an in when we visited.
We went to brunch at the local club house. It was like dining at my Grandmother Mather's
home near Toledo. Very few other members around, and the staff was very
discrete and unobtrusive. While there another cousin I’d never met joined us.
Tim, Stu, Deborah, Debbie and Phil
And then the MOST amazing adventure of the whole trip happen!
Really, the most stunning thing that happened in all 97 days
on the road, was coming to my niece Bekah’s home in Charleston. Two days before she had just had a baby girl. It was a total surprise!
Elinor James was the most beautiful child. Bekah’s excitement was a delight to see; the love and fascination of a new mother. It was a gift to be present. Before most family even knew of Elinor, we showed up at the door. Bekah, you are amazing to. I will never forget these three days in Charleston.
Cynthia Storm Caller worked at the Andersonville, Georgia, town visitor center. She opened the museum and ran the gift store. Andersonville, Georgia is the historic site of a notorious Confederate Civil War prison. The largest and most famous of 150 military prisons of the Civil War, Camp Sumter, commonly known as Andersonville, was the deadliest landscape of the Civil War. Of the 45,000 Union soldiers imprisoned here, nearly 13,000 died. Cynthia believed in her cause, that a people have the right to leave their government whenever they want.
Before my trip I did a cram course on
the Civil War reading as much as I could, watching documentaries and the
history of our country leading up to it.
I had no idea how ingrained it still is in our country’s ethos. I had no
idea until now of the extreme cost of the war.
In 1860, the total population of the United States was 31.4 million; 3.8
million men - approximately 12 percent of the total population, were enrolled
in military service; 620,000 lost their lives (2
percent of the total population) in
the war. The Civil War soldier's chances of
surviving the war were about one in four. Twice a many
soldiers died of disease than were actually killed in battle
Cynthia told me.
Darlene worked at Chattahoochee Bend State Park. It was a great campground. Most state park campgrounds in the east have plug in 30 Amp and hot shower options, not like California. Darlene seemed a happy person and excited to meet someone from San Francisco.
For us, Julie is one of the admins in our life that lives on the other side of the country, but who we interface on line with regularly. She works to support the non-profit Deborah and I both work with. We were passing through Gainesville, Georgia and thought we’d stop and meet her in person. It was kind of like reaching through you Zoom meeting computer screen and grasping a hand. She does a lot for our group and it was great to thank her in person.
I asked Rick what is the meaning of life? “Joy” he said with out any hesitation. I could certainly see Joy in his eyes when he looked at his son or grand kids.
VeeVee worked at the Visitor Center and Chamber of Commerce in Saluda, North Carolina. This small town is very cool. With a population of under 700, it’s claim to fame is it’s historical significance and its location by a mountian pass used by the rail road. VeeVee had many story’s of the railroad, encouraging us to visit the Railroad museum there. She was a volunteer and I think loved her job there.
I first met my other cousin named Tim, when I was about 12.
He visited our home in San Diego in 1968, before he got shipped out to Viet Nam.
I was young and vey much impressed by my
cousin. He was a big person and grown and rented a surfboard and drank
beer. He was here while waiting for his navy unit to ship out.
Now he was in his 90’s and still driving and working his 10
acres east of Saluda, NC.
After Tim’s enlistment was over he married Ginny, his high school sweetheart. For their honeymoon they bought a beautiful Airstream trailer and traveled from Toledo where they lived, around the U.S. and even into Mexico. They stopped in San Diego and visited us and we all got to meet Ginny. Their home in the in upper Piedmont region of southern North Carolina is beautiful. Both have had a full life.
Johana was a go
getter. She and her husband had put a lot of time and effort after they bought this historic farmstead. She was asking and talking about various ways to enhance their business.
Deborah's experience producing the concert serries she produces at home gave
them a lot to talk about and what events They are harvest host and have a large venue
for weddings and Airbnb. But it is a
tough business. They have tried all
sorts of things to gather more business, such as concerts, dances, food fests,
wine tastings, group gatherings. They
have carved out a business, and a place. And they work hard.
Their son is an aspiring pianist and Deborah sat down next
to him to give a free lesson and played a duet! He was good. Check out their place at: https://scarboroughhouse.com/
Jim and Kathy were from Pennsylvania. These seasoned
travelers had all sorts of great advise.
If we go to Nova Scotia in June to July we’ll see icebergs and whales and
puffins. Later, not so much, but it’s still beautiful. And also go up to Prince Edward Island.
and See and stay at Cape Hennelopen, Deleware they advised. Also must see the
horses at Assateague Island. She was the
second traveler to tell us that. (We later
made it to Assateague and were mighty glade.)
We met Scott and Brandy as they were trying to dump. We were
north of Cape Hatteras. She was so enjoying
him trying. We talked for a while
because he did not really seem to know what he was doing. They’d only had the Air Stream for 3 weeks,
and it was their first RV. It was fun to watch these Newbies. They questioned everything! Like I used to do.
Further down the road I came upon these fisherman preparing
their Oysters for market. When they are fresh caught, they have all these rocks
and stuff attached to their outer shells and must be roughly removed to be able
to sell them to stores. They were cleaning them in a very rapid way not
bothering to look up when I strolled over and started talking. They did most of
the talking, about what store they’d try to sell them to, the other fishermen
competition, sea floor conditions, ocean surface conditions, last evening at
the bar. The regular stuff they shared.
They were 2 brothers and a sister that had taken over their father and uncle’s
boat, and craft.
Mark sent us this photo to prove he made it! Mark was traveling in Korea at this time, but
Elizabeth welcomed us to stay over in Kittyhawk. We shared a delicious dinner
and caught up on all the happenings with them.
Some people just love to talk. Ron and Allie were our camp hosts at Occoneechee
State Park, Virginia and they were
great. Man is a social animal for sure,
L to R: Deborah, Phil, Kathleen and Peter. I met Peter back
in 1982. He was my boss at my first computer mapping job. We worked at Comarc
Systems Inc. a start up G.I.S. firm in San Francisco. We would set up base maps
with selected customer data. We did work for anyone that needed to tie
geographic locations with tabular data. Census tracts or zip code or
customer defined areas would overlay point or polygon or linier data. A
manager could then sit down and ask “what if” questions. Questions like “What
timber stands of pine can I cut to sell, that are on a road I can get to, that
are older than 12 years, that are on a west facing slope, that are close
to other like stands, etc. “ It was
really on the cutting edge of computer
mapping. Comarc was eventually bought
and sold and we all went our separate ways but keep in touch. About 15 years
ago Peter and Kathleen moved back to Virginia to take care of his parents. It
is so beautiful back there in that little corner of Virginia.
The culture and people around here were a treat to learn
about. Peter and Kathleen went out of their way to show us around. We must return to VirginiaI. And also visit
West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. What are those lands like?
Then a little further down the road in Floyd, VA. at the
Drugstore. This was real.
I think his name was Samuel. He played with such an
intensity of concentration. I wonder if it was getting harder for him to
integrate with the whole song. I’m sure he was looking for clues in the other
musicians. Or maybe it was getting easier?
The beautiful house is next to a big pond. Peter has made wonderful paths through 20 acres of forest. It’s in “Meadows Of Dan.” The trees had not started to fill with leaves as it was early spring when we arrived. I have never really visited the Appalachian Mountains.
And, per our other strict state-to-state comparison criteria, the BBQ was great!! Sauces were as good as the Carolinas, maybe better, a little thicker, redder, hotter a bit. When people talk while eating, the say different kinds of things, things all relevant.
I met Thomas Jefferson, well kind of. I asked him “Thomas,
what should our country do now? We are in a tough spot with todays politics." He just looked at me.
We stopped at Monticello. It was great.
If it is not on your bucket list, PUT IT ON NOW! Monticello had a big effect on both of use. The architecture, the furnishings, the
building, the garden and slave quarters. I feel I got to know Thomas Jefferson a lot
better. What he did for our country was,
amazing. It was a unique time.
Thomas Moss of Ottawa spied us parked at a vista pull out on
the Blue Ridge Parkway. He liked our rig and turned around and came back.
Thomas also owns a PleasureWay, and us PleasureWay owners stick together. We
have meetings and rally’s all across the US and Canada. There are forums with
great technical help on line as well. All
Pleasure-Way motorhomes are produced in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Going
there is on my bucket list.
March 20th, 2024 Day 45
We pulled over in Front Royal. Randomly walking up and down Main St. when we came into Charles’s store, “Main Street Geek.” Being a long time fan of the illustrative arts, I could talk the talk. He had what I wanted. We made a deal.
Our House Representative Mark DeSaulnier, was in his office when we stopped by Washington DC. I had met him in the mid 1990s when a group of us needed help regarding our neighborhood swimming pool. He went from being a restaurant and bar owner, to a Concord City Council man, to a congressman. I peaked in his office. He looked up, smiled and invited us in. Mark is a cancer survivor. Several years ago he went into remission from Leukemia. He was very nice, then he gave us tickets to go see the House and the Senate in open session. They were voting whether to fund and approve the budget.
When we finely made it to Washington DC we stayed with my
brother David. He is such a good brother. He has 4 great kids all grown and who we
visited all on this trip. And then there is his wife
Nancy. She’s a hoot. More on her later.
The David Webster (my brother) clan, well some of them. We saw David’s 2 daughters in Texas, February
10th. Here are his sons,
Richard, Peter and Peters wife and new son, Jack. e met in Alexandria, VA for brunch at the Chart House.
Joan Wise was a docent for the St. Mary’s Historical Society
south of DC. She gave us a tour at Tudor Hall a restored home of a prominent
business man in Leonardtown, MD. John was working on restoring genealogical data
when we knocked on the door. Built in
1744 the rock on which Moll Dyer reportedly froze to death on a bitterly cold
February night in 1698 can be found at Tudor Hall. According to legend, Moll Dyer was believed
to have been a witch. During the long winter of 1697/98, she was blamed for a
plague of influenza that caused many deaths in St. Mary’s County. A mob of
villagers set fire to her small hut in woods just south of what is now
Leonardtown. She escaped both the fire and the mob and was found several days
later laying frozen to a large rock. When her body was removed, on the stone an
imprint of her right hand remained. Townspeople saw this as a curse she placed
on the area.
Joe Sorrell is the Verger of Trinity Church of St. Mary’s
Parish in Maryland. He was preparing for
the next day’s Palm Sunday services. This church was built in 1642, then later
moved to it’s current lo location. It’s on the campus of St. Mary’s
college. Joe had lived in many places.
After graduating from the University of New Mexico with a degree in Geology, he
worked at different mines most of his life. Being a Verger is a special
existence.
One of my most anticipated destinations of this trip was to
visit the Library of Congress. To browse the stacks you need a Congressional
Library Card. Any citizen with ID can
get one. But I needed to go through Ms. Dee Jordon. It wasn’t easy. She took her job of guarding
the assistant that check your credentials and actually issue cards very
seriously. She didn’t make it easy
having us walk her and there and back, then someplace else and back.
It is the most beautiful library I have ever been in. I
could have spent days there.
It was quiet and orderly and the stone and wood were so beautiful. Afterward I went to the Library of Congress Map Library! OMG. I could spend weeks there.
Issac had a lot to say, but he said it with song, dance and Rap. He was a good singer and captivated our group for a while. I wonder where he came from.
This gentleman was also on the streets of Alexandria. He
strummed his bucket trying to mimic his adjacent Boom Box. But he was definitely more into talking. He was calling to the crowd, but they ignored
him. I felt bad. He talked of the second coming. I would have engaged him but I’d have to do a
lot of shouting. I pray for his soul.
In Annapolis, we randomly walked into a gallery where David
Murphy was doing his co-opt day, selling in the gallery. His art, to the left was good. I liked it,
but not enough to give it space and get it home. His subjects were all over the place. They were detailed, and well colored. The
designs and layout were great. I think
he just was trying to paint anything, and everything, things he liked. I hope he keeps painting, and wonder if he’ll
settle on a style or subject, like boats, or ships, or houses. Obviously
retired from something else, he was making it happen for himself.
How do artists pick special areas to indulge in?
Nancy teaches riding and has a large indoor arena for such events. She is a great sister-in-law and wife to my brother David. We stayed on here ranch for several days as we explored the Washington Dc area. Her ranch is at: https://countrycomfortfarm.com/ Check it out.
Nancy has a huge equestrian center and horse ranch in St. Michaels, MD.
And, don’t laugh. I met some nice horses. We humans call these two Ducks and Leader. I’d get up early and walk in the stables. Sometimes I’d feed them. Horses have to be the most elegant and wonderful of creatures.
About every other weekend Nancy travels to a horse show and
judges. Her she’s up in Pennsylvania
near PENN State U. the day we came to the area. She is a U.S. Equestrian
Federation “R” Judge and has been judging for over 41 years.
Chelsea, Nancy’s daughter walking out to her truck at main
house. They call it ‘Waterwood’ and its really a dream house. It sits on a
little inlet bay of the Chesapeake. Find it in the aerial photo above.
An afternoon on the dock with Chelsea. The guest house, Waterwood in back.
While I was there the Farrier came by to shoe some of the horses. It’s always good to know one of these guys. Brian and his young apprentice Blaze, re-shoed 3 hoses. They talked of their trade and shared the rewards and downsides of being a Farrier.
Alex is the head wrangler.
He works hard for Nancy and loves the horses. He used to be an officer
in the Sandinista army. Alex had to escape Nicaragua when the politics changed.
After leaving Nancy’s farm we journeyed to Assateague Island
National Seashore. The wild horses of
Assateague are worth seeing. They are trapped on the island and have developed
into there own sub species. So important are these horses that the Park Service
has had to develop a method of birth
control so as to maintain a static population. Otherwise lacking natural predators the horse
population would overwhelm the island and it’s limited resources. This hors was
hanging out near our campsite. The rangers say they want tourists to fed them, which
is now against the law. Now back to people.
We hooked up with Deborah’s cousin Wendy(far right) and her daughter
Felicia, Felicia’s daughter Alice and father Matt. They had come out and stayed
with a few years before Alice was born.
It was great to catch up. We met for lunch in Easton, at the Amish
County Farmers Market. This is a must
see’ if you are ever in eastern Maryland, but don’t go hungry.
Also in Easton, Harriet advised us about coffee shops. Before retiring she’d worked all over the world for the U.S. State Department. I think the C.I.A. She said Easton was changing. All these people from D.C. were moving in and spreading their foo-foo coffee shops and Airbnb’s every where. They were driving up property prices and taxes, and taking over the local city councils. And most would just come down for a week or two a year. Nothing stays the same. I’d love to spend a lunch with here asking about her travels and here job. She had a worldly view and a good grasp of local politics. She likes Europe and may move back there.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed just 2 days before we
would have crossed it. This catastrophic failure happened when a container ship
ran into it, shown still waiting to be moved in this picture. This was a topic
throughout the rest of the trip, where ever we went I could speak of this with
people I met.
Cecilia is one of those life long friend. She and Deborah
went to high school together and are like sisters. Cecilia has lived all over
the place from Walnut Creek to Washington state, the east coast and Europe. She
had a boat and lived on it up near Anacortes WA. When we met she was living in this quant
Appalachian town of Frostburg, but has
since moved to live back on her boat which is anchored near
Baltimore. Every one should have a
friend they can compare life notes with like going to college maybe, work
places, ones parents, partners, children, values. Cecilia is one of Deborah’s.
Dennis befriended me.
He is the president of the Chambersburg Pennsylvania ELKs club. A side note
about the ELKS. The ELKs are a good and worthy cause. They each support local
and national charities. I had joined my local Walnut Creek chapter right before
we left purely for selfish reasons. I new that as we traveled around the U.S.
we could call on many clubs to boondock in there parking lot. This turned out
to be a great opportunity. The average club would have a nice bar inside that
would be open 3 or 4 days a week, usually 4 or 5pm to 10pm. We’d amble in to one as we came into town and
ask permission to stay overnight and were never denied. Usually, it would be
free to members or they might ask a $20 donation. Some even had electric and water hook
ups! The real advantage though was being
able to walk in to a club, have a beer and meet people. ELKs clubs are safe
place to be, and without exception the people were wonderful. When I called Dennis,
he was at home but came down to help me set up and plug in and fill our water
tank. I had many conversations with elk
members in their bars. Looking into their eyes as they explained themselves,
justified themselves, exalted, humbled, laughed at themselves and shared. I
will view this fraternal organization differently the rest of my life.
Barbara is the secretary of the Chambersburg ELKs club and Dennis’s wife! She was very warm and helpful. She was born in Chambersburg and lived here all her life she has raised her 6 kids.
Pat came from San Diego and the LA area. He worked at the
Pacific Beach Surf Shop in San Diego for a summer and was a surfer. We talked about the surf break at Wind An Sea
beach, and Tourmaline, and Blacks, and all the way up the California coast. Pat comes out yearly to Gettysburg to attend
the Civil War Institute and work as a volunteer docent. We met in a parking lot. Gettysburg National Military Park is over
6,000 acres. There are over 1,300 monuments. If you visit you’ll go to the museum,
then drive around to the different battle sights and monuments. With more than 50,000 estimated casualties,
the three-day engagement was the bloodiest single battle of the war.
This trip was going to be my ‘Discover the Civil War trip’.
I had studied for years about the war, it’s causes, it’s course, it’s effects,
it’s conclusion and aftermath. I read every book I could about it. I even
watched the Ken Burn’s special and other videos all in an effort to understand
it better. My three biggest takeaways
were, the incredible division the country had then. The depth of emotions on
each side, I’d never really understood. It seems a lot like the politics of
today where the divisiveness is so extreme. Second was the incredible cost to
the country. The south is still
recovering after over 150 years. Lastly,
the price, the cost of slavery.
Traveling to Mt. Vernon and Monticello where slavery made it all happen
touched me. Traveling to places on the underground railroad, or Harriet
Tubman’s farm made it seem more real than my 8th grade history class
ever did. I guess I woke, a little. As a
privileged white male, I did not really understand the loss of personal freedom
a slave has. I talked with Pat for over
an hour mostly about troop movements, advances, feints, retreats, defeats and victories. I am glad it is still a real and significant remembrance.
This lesson of history, we don’t need to re-learn. He cost is too high.
Dawn was working at the Burnt Cabins Grist Mill & RV
Park. I think she was the owner and had
built the place up pretty nicely. An old grist mill has been operating up till
last year. It was an educational program and I was hoping to get a tour.
Unfortunately the mill needed work and was closed. I think my biggest
take-a-way was how much work a nice RV park and feature like the mill could
be. She had no husband and had to do it
all herself or hire people. There is
always carpentry, repairs and maintenance.
The RV part was nice, flat, had water, electric and sewer. There was a bridge over the rushing creek
that would have been nice to visit in the summer time. But we were there in
early April. It had been raining hard
the last week. Ohio and Pennsylvania had
flood alerts. We’d had to change our route several times because of flooding
and road outages. Dawn said she’d come and warn us if there was a flash flood
warning from up stream. I laughed and jokingly asked if they’ve been flooded
out. She said yes, 2 years ago, but a lot of channel and dam improvements had
been made since then.
We went to Moon Township near Pittsburg to visit my cousin
Laurie and his wife Mary. I’d met him when I was 8 years old, then he came to
my folks funeral 10 years ago. He has
retired from being Dean and President of Trinity Anglican Seminary in Ambridge
PA. We talked into the night about
everything. Church dogma, symbolism, the split within the church, church
meaning, church values, church leaders and especially church growth in Ambridge
and the whole U.S. There home was wonderful and a privilege to be invited in.
They met in high school and been together ever since and have three kids.
Amber was working at the Grave Creek Mound in Moundsville,
PA. We talked a lot about pre-historic
peoples and their lives and their worship of the mounds. There were several in this area.
We met Pete and Brenda at Buck Creek State Park Campground
near Spring field, Ohio. Pete’s brother
and wife were with them. Pete and Brenda
are teachers at Ohio State. He was trying to explain some of the contradictions
in the economy, especially why some people stay poor, and there kids stay poor,
and it follows some families for many generations. In other families, one child will beak out of
the cycle, and then be able to lift the standard of living up several levels
for whole family for generations to come. It’s complicated. And he suspects much is
random in how a persons life weaves in and out of bad and good circumstances.
How unrelated circumstances combined to determine good or bad outcomes. Still,
there is foresight, “Being in the right place at the right time” and vice
versa, being in the wrong place at the worst of times.
How much is luck? How much is nature verse nurture?
Parenting or absence of?
I look into a strangers face, and can see so much.
We came into Bloomington on the 7th of April
2024, the day before the eclipse. Devon
walked by and I hailed him asking about Bloomington. He pan-handled and I gave
him a $2 bill. He gave me the thumbs up. I wonder where that bill is now, but really I
wonder about Devon.
In Bloomington Ill.
we stayed to watch the eclipse at a ‘Harvest Host’ provided by the
Bloomington Community Church. They had a huge empty parking lot and 4 other RVs
joined us. Keith and Terry and their dog
Uzia were our neighbors for the eclipse. They were from Chicago, he was a
sanitation inspector while Terry was currently unemployed. She’d been doing
strategy research for different corporations when she left her last job.
This family drove in from South Dakota to get a better View.
The eclipse happened, and it got dark and the birds stopped chirping.
The corona, from an iPhone. at April 8th. 2024,
3:05:25 pm, Bloomington, Indiana.
Afterward, we drove up to visit my cousin Marcia in
Indianapolis. We’d never met, I think, but she was a sister to Candi and Marian who
we visited down in Florida the previous month. Marcia was a true gift to me.
Her knowledge of my family on my mother’s side, the Mathers, was as wonderful
as her sisters. She gave me many things
that belonged to the Mather Legacy.
I met Scott Lutocka when Marcia Sullivan Hardware in an Indianapolis hardware store. He told me
about Big Green Egg BBQs and wanted me to buy one, when I was ready. I was ready and I don’t even BBQ very much,
but the idea of driving it home was out of the question. In theory I’m still looking, but the
questions of what size, what shape and do I want to go back to charcoal burning
as now I do gas, are issues that need more thought. I so enjoyed his talk on these revolutionary
devises, Meanwhile Deborah and Marcia to
shop the rest of the hardware store. Really, they were having a blast.
Tom was a good friend of Marcia’s (and her Sister Charley in
Tallahassee). From Indiana, he had a lot to say about the area and it’s
history. I liked him a lot.
Lynette was the Camp Host at Ramsey Lake Illinois State Park
and was from Starford, Wisconsin. She
didn’t take kindly to people that messed with her or her camp. “No” there was
no firewood. Not much interest in a couple from California. Whatever. It was off season and not many
people there.
But the sunset was spectacular, and it had snowed. April 11th, 2024
Mike and Ally worked at the 4th City BBQ in St.
Louis. 4th City was highly rated and did not disappoint. Mike was the chef and
Ally was the waitress.
4th City was in the Fortune Teller Bar, but we
didn’t go into the Fortune Teller’s booth. I think we did not want someone
telling us our future. We wanted to choose it ourselves.
Bill was the current President of ELKs lodge #9 in St. Louis. His life was an Elk and he’d also been the national president for several years.
Here is Bill in his younger days, when he was President of
the National Organization of the Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks.
Bill had been in a bad car accident when he was younger. He had to eat all his food from a tube. And he had to flush that way to. Yet he had
gone on to survive and flourish. He
talked of all the different Elk clubs along our way. He knew which ones had the best facilities,
best bars, electric plug-in, water and cost. Some were free, some asked a donation. $20 often, to stay at a safe place was a
deal.
Raymond was playing outside the Soulard St. Louis Farmers
Market. He said he’d been playing Sax
since he was a kid, then laughed loudly after proclaiming that.
I met this man in the St. Louis Farmers Market. He grew and sold oyster Mushrooms. What was fascinating was he also sold kits to
grow your own. We talked for a long
while. I could see this was more than a job for him it was a passion and a
calling to promote mushroom growth and cultivation. I’d love to fallow this up some day, when I
have time.
Brian Young was playing in front of the St. Louis Farmers
Market to. He was good! I now play him on Spotify. His second album Brian Young, Vol.2” is
especially easy to listen to with mostly original pieces. Check out his
Facebook page.
St. Louis has a lot of Music and street performers.
Playing for dinner.
After St. Louis we
went to Lake of the Ozark. After shopping at the Dierberg Supermarket in Osage
Beach I was really disturbed. As we had
been checking out and I ask what was the sales tax in Missouri. The checker
told me an asked where I was from. I
told her California. She scowled and
told me that in California there was a law that allowed new mothers to kill
their babies if they did not want them! I
tried to tell her that was not true, but she insisted and told me to check it
out, and Californians were “Baby Killers.” Another customer told us “Don’t tell
people you are from California.” We were
pretty disappointed.
As we walked back to our car Kelly a store manager walked
by. She was curious about our RV and so
we talked. I told her what had happened
and asked if this was the case and if all Missourians believed Californians are
murderers. She recoiled in a gasp and proclaimed “No!” She wanted to know what
checker had said this. She went on to
assure me that Missouri was normally a friendly state. She tried to assure me the average person
does not feel that way. I felt very
relieved. I believed her, I wanted to believe her. But it showed me the deep divisions in our
country. And what fake news really can do.
I checked it out on line, and could trace back where the rumor was
started. It was originally a editorial statement, but then got picked up by FOX
and treated as fact. Kelly was nice and
she had lived in southern California for 8 years.
Dwayne had been riding his dirt bike when I first saw him at
Osage campground by Lake of the Ozarks.
He’s been a farmer all his life up in Wisconsin. Now on vacation in
their big Class A, he thinks he wants to downsize, to something like ours. His
zest and vigor were great to see. He is 80,
Lynette his wife is 61 and they
have been married 20 years. Both are on their second marriage. When I look into the faces of people there
are many things to consciously and subconsciously observe. With out a doubt the smile, the facial grin
is at the top of all considerations, before beauty. It shows so much about a
person, like self confidence, pride, a gregarious, and a possible interest in
sharing. Dwayne and Lynette were wonderful. They invited us to stop by their
farm in Wisconsin next summer.
I met Clary only briefly. She’s a traveler.
She and her husband Robert were driving this huge all
weather RV, all over the world. They have been traveling for 20 years! They are clearly in a class of their own,
having visited 144 countries.
The web page of their travels is great!
Check out www.doubledutchworldsafari.com
“REMEMBER,
YOU NEVER NEVER KNOW
IF YOU NEVER NEVER GO”
MESSAGE FROM ROBERT AND CLARY
We had stopped at the Missouri State Capital in Jefferson
City when I met John.
John had gone to a
rally and free lunch held on the Capital Steps. The rally was put on by the NRA
in partnership with NAGR or National Association for Gun Rights. The lunch looked really grand from what I
could see, a catered BBQ with all the trimmings. In talking to John I think he was, fearful,
and hoped carrying a gun would keep he and his family safe. I wanted to ask if
he was carrying a concealed weapon, or did he at least have one in his car, but
I didn’t. I knew the answer. His orange
bag was just a goody bag from the rally.
He showed me stickers he’d gotten, a key chain for his boat, a bottle
opener, Some NRA post its, and he’d just
gotten a free shirt he was wearing. Did all his friends own or carry guns? Does he love the supposed safety carrying
provides, or is his main interest just shooting and marksmanship?
I did ask if he or
his family had ever been a victim of gun violence. He said no but he knew of
people. I wondered if it was his lack of
self confidence that drove him to own guns. Did he know how to use them. Was he
a retired soldier or policeman.
Is it a senior thing to become more afraid in life, or
death, as you age? Is John less trusting
of others more now than in his youth? Has he just seen so much that he’s
learned to be super cautions? Or been in too many bad situations and got burned.
Maybe it’s more characteristic of a higher percentage of the Missourians than
other states. Is this a normal phobia
that takes to men that live beyond the age of say 60? When you get through your
20’s and the “I will live forever” phase. Will I inherit this fear? Is it
prudent? Or obsessive?
I met Emma Thrornburgh in the capital building where several National
Science Fair winners were explaining their projects. This is always an opportunity for me to ask
about scientific projects and goals, and see where the cutting edge is. What are the actual issues that are stopping
further goals. What approaches are being tried to solve an issue.
Shelley was our camp host at the Lewis and Clark State Park
Missouri southeast of Atchison. She was
very helpful getting us set up in a nice spot. The campground was next to the
state’s Lewis and Clark Village which had many displays and informative exhibits
of the explorers and their companions.
It was after hours yet she let me wonder the museum. She and her husband live in a nice size
trailer in the park. He works with MO department of transportation with various
road crews. The night before our arrival
was the worst storm she’d ever experienced! Really, she said we’d just missed
it. It was so bad she left her tailer
and spent the night in her truck!
When we stopped by Ft. Larned Nat’l. Historic Site in
Kansas, Pete greeted us warmly. He has
been a park ranger her for over 35 years! Over his tenure most of the buildings
have been rebuilt. This is the most restored historic fort I have
ever seen. Historically it was more a trading post to resupply American settlers
and traders in the 1860s as they ventured on to the Santa Fe Trail and other
trails westward. But Pete was quick to point out that Indians, especially
the Comanches, Kiowas, Cheyennes,
Apaches and Lakotas were fond of making surprise attacks. Ft. Larned had no
walls, other than the buildings placed in a rectangle. The most fun was looking
at all the examples of trade goods that were sold there. Seeing what people would buy seems a good way
to evaluate the quality of life back in
the 1860s. Even though the fort was out
on the far west edge of Kansas, in a barren treeless dry land this commissary had everything a traveler could want.
Trooper Sites stopped us just as we were about to exit Kansas. He was not very nice. He said he was just doing his job, as he gave us a speeding ticket.
Kathleen worked at Bents Fort in Colorado. She turned out to be a big influence on us
and our travels in Colorado. Not only did she convince us to buy a tone of
stuff, well Deborah, but she suggested places to see in Colorado. Charles Bent built his fort or trading post
in 1833. For much of its 16-year
history, the fort was the only major white American permanent settlement on the
Santa Fe Trail between Missouri and the Mexican settlements.
One morning we came to the small town of Westcliffe. We had
camped at Hayden Creek Campground near Coaldale. It had snowed lightly the
night before, so we looked for some fresh coffee and found it at Peregrine Coffee Rosters. Madison and Conner working as baristas entertained
much of the town. As we sat in a corner watching the clientele come and go we
saw they were 2 very happy people. They
worked hard I could tell. Madison would come down actually to use the Wi-Fi and
help if the line got too big. In this small community this place was a nexus
for the town, a crossing of all sorts of paths for the community. People
funneled their lives through contacts here, their tasks for the day, their
comments about wives, husbands, cows, fences, pastures and politics. The town is nestled on a high plateau called
“The Wet Mountain Valley” between the Wet
Mountains to the east and the Sangre de Cristo Range to the west.
The Sangre Cristo Range to the west, is a “Drop dead” view
from Westcliffe, like so many other places in Colorado.
Chelsea worked at the gift shop at Bishop’s Castle near Rye
Colorado.
This place is kind of a phenomenon, an "elaborate and
intricate" "one-man project" named after its constructor, Jim
Bishop. It is a unofficial roadside attraction in central Colorado. After
60 years Jim no longer works on the Castle. He lost 2 sons in it’s construction
and a third is in a wheelchair from injuries suffered. You can wander this impressive stone
structure free of charge. There are no building codes, plans or permits here. I doubt you could get insurance for the
Castle. A few places need railings or banisters badly. In the large gallery, used for weddings,
there is wonderful stain glass. Custom iron work mimics things Jim envisioned a
castle should have. The paths could use manicuring. Parking is hodge podge,
toilets are portable. But the achievement is impressive. Some day some one or
group will capitalize on this. Chelsea
is not sure what will happen to her or the castle.
There are over 3 stories of rooms plus another 4 story’s that reach up into tall tower and over 160’ tall. See more pictures in our primary blog, South Atlantic Coast and Eclipse: Spring 2024 (after its finished)
When Jim married his high school sweetheart he asked her
where she wanted to live. She said in a castle. So he started building it in
1959, one room at a time. See https://www.bishopcastle.org/
There is more, much more about this
place, and these people but it’s another story.
I met Faustino at Lake Pueblo Colorado State Park. He was
with a large Church group camping on the shore, the Agape Fellowship Church of
West Pueblo, CO. They were all watching their kids play
Cornhole when we first drove by. It was hot, but it also rained the 2 days we
were there. He shared that he had re-found God when he was 23 old. He was from
a large family, 3 brothers and 3 sisters.
We met Cadet Ralston and Cadet Charlesworth when we toured
the Airforce Academy near Colorado Springs. I would like to have known more
about them but was hesitant to ask. After visiting the Annapolis Naval Academy
in Maryland a month before, I was very
impressed. Our government provides only
the best of facilities for these students.
And they are the best the nation has. All are idealistic about the
American values they have. This is good.
These young people are the cream of the crop of our population, very
proud of what they’ve done to get here, and excited to learn what they can, and
be of help to our nation if called upon.
We saw this young art student and her teacher at “Gardens Of
The Gods” community park outside of Colorado Springs. He was explaining
something about shadows. She started gushing with laughter when I asked to take
their picture. This is one of the most beautiful city parks I’ve ever been to.
Also in the Garden of the Gods we came to this beautiful
sandstone protrusion. As I photo graphed it a young child ran from the shadows
where his parents were resting. What was this child thinking? I wanted to ask
but did not. You could tell he wanted to get away from the grown ups. When he
got to the wall he stopped and played. He picked up stuff from the ground, then
through it away, or spit it out and went on to something else. He pounded the
wall with his hand. He yelled and screamed, and cried then laughed. His parents
watched as he learned the basics of life. Each time he’d look up to the butte,
he froze and stared, then in 10 seconds go on to other things, like cracks in
the wall, or the lizards. I remember being like that, kind of. Do you?
This stunning prominence caused most to stop and gaze at it.
As soon as we descended into the basement bar of the Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks of the U.S.A. Colorado Springs Lodge #309, we
befriended Jim and Kathy. The social
fraternization in an Elks club is different than other places. Somewhere
between a church and a biker bar, banter, socialization, protocols, checking,
evaluation are different in an Elks club. Jim and Kathy were “Full Timers” They
lived in their RV all year around!
We’ve wondered what this might be like and were glad to ask about it. A lot of Elks clubs even have RV electric hook ups, maybe water, even some have sewage dump facilities. Usually all will ask for a $20 “donation”. A lot of folks will go to a club and stay the 2 or 3 weeks max limit, then move on to another Elks club. RV facilities for us are not critical, but it’s nice every couple of nights. Full timers know what clubs have the best facilities, many with pools. With electric power we can run the AC if need be. So when it’s time to pull over for the night, and it’s hot, above 90° we try to find electric, or drive up in elevation 2 or 3 thousand feet. Kathy emailed us later when they were in the Lockport NY Elks near Niagara Falls. It has shade and is about 17 miles from the falls. They have 2 storage lockers spread out the US. I think one in New Mexico, and the other in Ohio. They have a residency to collect mail from a PO Box and other stuff. Medical can be tricky. If you ever need a hip replacement go see Dr. Mast J9im said. He may be in San Diego. Get a anterior replacement not the posterior(?) replacement style of surgery. They mentioned they’d traveled to Noa Scotia and would give us tips when we are ready to go. Jim also said to check out Escapees.com an RV club that helps with many things RV. From Mail drops to guided tours. We might join them and travel into Mexico for a winter.
Larry Haley worked in one of the most desolate places. He checked for invasive barnacles on sport
fishing boats, hoping to prevent contamination into the Antero Reservoir. One
Quagga mussel could really mess things up for many years to come. The Antero is a huge reservoir, but not a tree in site till
you get to the mountains, maybe 12 miles further.
John Allen was the camp host at Maple Grove Campground by Scorpio, UT. John was born in San Mateo, CA, When he’s not hosting, he lives on the big island of Hawaii. John is 80 years old, and has lost a foot. His attitude was great, and was very informative. I latter looked up his cap “2A 1791.” It refers to the Second Amendment, ratified in 1791. There sure were a lot of guns we saw on this trip.
People amaze me. All people, everywhere. Each a unique island of existence, more than
just another sentient being, a species that can reason, compare, feel and see,
and value.
Then after meeting all these people, we came back home aft 97 days. What an amazing trip. We
started in February, so as to get home before hurricane season. And after we
passed through the whole south east the experience torrential storms, history
making, and record settings. We changed routes 3 times because of flooding. We
had rain and snow, extreme heat as well as freezing temperatures. What an Awesome trip.
I hope you can do the same.
But all this is just prattle. This is just about THE PEOPLE
we met.
You must see Deborah’s main trip blog.
Go to:
Where
Are We Now?: South Atlantic Coast and Eclipse: Spring 2024
(debandphilnow.blogspot.com)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+
COMING soon to this page:
How many National parks, National
forests, etc. state parks, as well as
local parks we went to and stayed at?
A better map program showing the route
with greater detail, as well as what phenomena we passed through.
And more
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