Thoughts at 3 weeks to launch.

It is now three weeks before we finally walk out of our home of 35 years and begin our new adventure on the road for a while. We are scared, excited, emotional and totally positive that this is the right time to fulfill this daft dream of ours. There were times over the last couple of years when we thought it was not going to happen, but here we are and reality is starting to set in.

I think the scary parts revolve around the idea that we can't just head 'home', that there is no hearth, piled up mail, or blue food awaiting us in some place we habitually return to with relief and sense of belonging.  Some folk have said we are brave, others have said we are crazy, but most have said that this is something they would love to do themselves. We consider ourselves blessed that we have the health, the opportunity, and the wherewithal, to take off and travel the continent for as short or as long a time as we want.  We invite you to  travel along with us by reading the blog and keeping in touch on a regular basis. It will help calm the gnawing 'homesickness' we expect to experience after a while. Going to Vancouver to spend Xmas with family will also lighten the journey quite significantly.
Stay tuned .... next post may not be until we are 'rocking' on the road.

Sunday June 3rd 2012 - Homeward bound

 SUNDAY JUNE 3rd 2012 - New York To Home

Rainy morning so we dilly-dallied and cooked up a HUGE breakfast, so that the border guards didn't confiscate it!! Is that logical?? While cooking we watched the Queens Jublilee celebrations live on the internet as she cruised down the Thames. Stuffed to the gills we packed up camp in the rain, and headed out about noon. Wound our way up through New York State (Finger Lakes area) which is beautiful even in the rain. Janice was driving as we approached the Canadian border when Derek discovered that our passports had done a runner.  ARGGHH!!  With great diplomacy I explained to the border officer that we think that the US border guard had not given them back to us after he checked out the trailer on our way in to the States 2 weeks ago (which is what we think happened). Anyway.. cut a long story short, we discovered that passports are very valuable on the black market  ($10,000- 20,000) and now, (post 911) the police have to get involved... so last night, near midnight we had the police here making a report which he has to submit to the Foreign Affairs Ministry ... what a giggle!! We are both a bit ticked with it all 'cos of the drawn out bureaucracy of replacing them, but the process has been an education, and somewhat amusing!!! I guess they have to be very careful these days.
AN INTERESTING END TO A GREAT "SHAKEDOWN" TRIP IN OUR FIFTH WHEEL.
We have a fairly large number of things that need to be addressed under the warranty ... leaky toilet being near the top of the list!! Mostly small items but they all need to be addressed before we head out on a longer trip.
We have discovered during, this trip that home is where the heart is, and that we could live quite happily and stress free wandering the continent in the fifth. It is amazing how little one really needs. Visitors bring their own chairs and drink containers to the campfire and we are all entertained with stories of traveling.
We only need 2 mugs, 2 wine glasses and 2 beer glasses, 2 plates etc etc etc .... When we came home and saw how much 'stuff' we have .... it was quite eye-opening.
We did miss friends and family, but with modern technology it was so easy to keep in touch. Skype is a gift!!
We feel truly privileged to be able to follow this long term dream of ours and will continue blogging when we hit the road again.
Thanks for following along with us....

Saturday June 2 2012

Hi di ho campers!!!

Saturday Jun 2 2012 - Hanging out at camp

Cold morning and cloudy... Long sleeves for the first time!
Campers world store . Impressive but not classed as a super-store. Still want to see one of those.
Bought a patio mat, and a front hitch support tripod to help stabilize the fifth wheel and some other bits we wanted.
Back to camp and spent the afternoon reading our books and chatting.
Campground holding a series of fundraising events for Cancer. Derek bought a 'paper bag lantern' to remember Dave. They will be lighting them after dark
BBQ'd chicken
Went to check out the organized disco and fundraising events. Mostly aimed at the kids.
Lit fire and got it roaring...

Just hanging out reading his book

Me too!

Trailer looks crooked... but optical illusion... honest!

Nice campground.. but not much shade...
 good news ... it was cloudy!!!!

Not much happnin at the 'disco'... time for a campfire!

Down to lantern lighting event... lots of lanterns bordering the road and front of store.

Poignant sight...There were so very many of them

May 31/Jun 1 2012

Thursday May 31^st 2012

·      Drove to Little Red Schoolhouse Amish info centre. Bought a book about Amish

·       On to Shady Maple Grocery store. Size of a Walmart… all groceries. Cheap T-bone steaks .. got some… you get what you pay for!!!!!

·      Picked up wood from Amish family… so lovely .. they were genuinely glad to talk with us … Mom, Dad and sons (and beagle puppies)…. $15 for a huge wheelbarrow full of dry oak.  They were enthralled with our accent. Sent us on our way with a beautiful farewell “Be blessed!”

·      Absorbed sights and sounds of Amish country

·      Back to site.  Relaxed.. Derek strummed, I read cross stitch book outside.

·      4pm … lit the fire and Jack and Didi came over about 5:30.  We joined Passport America (Used them as referral) They stayed til 7:30 pm

·      BBQ’d steak …not great but corn and company was fantastic. …. Awwww!!

·      Burned lots of wood … cos we could !!!!!!!

·      Skyped with both B and G…. lovely staying in touch.

$15 A BIG BARROW LOAD

Friday June 1^st

·      Decided not to go to Dragon Fly market with Jack and Didi as weather was getting ominous. Said goodbye when they left at 8am. Packed and sadly left Spring Gulch… we will be back.

·      Hot spell over … cold enough to use electric fireplace this morning.

·      Left at 9:45 heading for Corning and a ‘cheap’ Passport America campsite.

·      Drove up Rte 15… passing familiar sites and signs along the way… still impressed with this beautiful state. Huge Pennsylvania forested valleys .. magnificent.

·      Drove through Liverpool on the Susquehanna River (not the Mersey)

·      Seemed to keep ahead of the weather as we drove.. a little rain but not the storms that Pennsylvania was expecting.

·      Arrived at Camp Bell in Campbell…. One look and we decided to move on…. We have been spoiled already. Decided to try out Hickory Hill in Bath as there is a Camping World store nearby.  We were glad!! Lovely site. And half of this weekend’s income going to cancer survivors fund..

·      Set up in a mild drizzle. Drove around campground then popped the champagne we bought a couple of days ago… Yum. Cooked supper. Early night.

·      Storming in the evening… hoping for a better day tomorrow as campground hosts a cancer support special fund raising event.

Wednesday May 30th 2012

Coming home for dinner

Wed may 30th 2012

On these roads we sometimes had to wait to pass.
But somehow it didn't seem to matter

Up and out to the Farmer's Market in Bird In Hand Pennsylvania.

SO MUCH HARD WORK

Small food area, lots of gift areas. Enjoyed watching fudge making. Bought some cheese pretzels, Shoofly pie, great coffee, home made sweet/hot mustard. Tasted lots of delicacies!! Went to Strasburg and found a cross-stitch shop... wow... Janice was fascinated and has bought supplies to make a special gift for someone (secret)!!! Gonna be a fun project. We then just drove around the Amish countryside and marveled at how very beautiful it is.
 

I really think they may run into us!!!

Sheesh... thank goodness they turned the corner... great driving!!!

Anoither beautiful farm homestead

Fascinating to watch ... young lad knew what he was doing too

Also noticed young Amish pushing scooters along the road that look like full size bikes with no pedals but with a flat step in the middle to scoot from... quite an interesting setup.  Stopped by at the Lancaster Beer and Wine Gallery (Rumspring Beer and Mount Hope Wine).  Tasted the beer .. not very impressed.. too hoppy! But we did find some lovely plastic wine glasses (look like crystal) for the camper... and we also bought a white wine and a champagne from the winery section after tasting a selection of the wines. (again reds were too light).

 We turned a corner and saw a huge set of horses coming toward us over the brow of a field... they stopped right at the edge in front of us... we thought hey were gonna keep going and run into us.

 Visited the Strasburg railroad... rebuilt and renovated to how it was in 1915... they have trips available on the steam train but we opted just to look around the station etc, and carry on our way. They are doing a great job at the station and the whole area is filled with train museums etc (toy and full size). 

Memories of Rock Ferry Station!!!

 

They had a place in the parking lot of the grocery store for the Amish to park!!!

Back on tour we stopped at a covered bridge at Herr's Mill and looked around the old Mill.  then on back to camp, via another covered bridge that we drove through.

Couldn't have got under this one with the trailer attached... too low!!

 Back at camp we again had a swim and read by the pool.. we were the only ones there. Got invited by a lovely couple we met yesterday, (Jack and Didi Chor) originally from Boston, Mass (now in Florida)).. to have a drink before dinner by their campfire. We then BBQ'd up some chicken and they came over to our campfire and we shared tales of our travels etc.. they told us about Passport America and we joined it then and there.. great discounts at campgrounds across America.
Lovely day and evening all round.
We have not had 'signs of the day for a couple of days... so here are a few signs to inspire and uplift you..... corny but relevant!!!!

Tuesday May 29th 2012 - Intercourse Pennsylvania

Tuesday May 29th 2012 - Intercourse Pennsylvania

Spent most of the day In Intercourse Pennsylvania. There is a little touristy area called "Kitchen Kettle" that has various crafts and homemade preserves etc. It was a bit touristy for us, but we did enjoy the very best Ice Cream ever made by an Amish Farm.... they also made their own potato chips and we had a bag each for a $1 extra with the ice cream.... oh my goodness. Miss Vicky's move over!!!!!

Home made potato chips (crisps to you in UK)

There were some Banjo players that we sat and watched with a Latte in hand and then we took off to explore a bit. Found a great kitchen shop and bought a pot spoon holder. Called Harry .... happy 94th. Explored an great little Amish furniture maker and marvelled at the workmanship... just amazing. He actually made some rocking chairs from the wood/plastic combo (like trex)... sorely tempted but resisted. Went to pick up some groceries and discovered that beer is only sold at bars or at the "Bottle shop" ... so off we went on a hunt. Found the Bottle Shop.... basically a drive through shanty garage filled with cases of beer and a cash register!!! Bought 24 of our now favourite local beer YeungLing dark lager.... MMMM!! 24 for $17.87. They had our favourite UK beer Bass for $33 for 24 beer... amazing price considering how far it has come!!  Headed to the Amish butcher (Stolzfus) and bought a couple of home smoked pork chops and Keilbasa.  
Went to RV dealer looking for a patio mat.. but too expensive for our taste.. so we are still matless!!

Washing everywhere... Amish wash by hand..
one thing that would stop me converting!

Back to camp... went for a swim and read by the pool before BBQing pork.... suddenly the sky went black and the rain came down... thunder and lightening etc... rained mist of the night after that, but Derek did manage to finish BBQ under the canopy and it was amazing... earlyish night. Some photos from the day and instead of a sign of the day I took pictures of some great signs I saw while browsing through the Kitchen Kettle stores.

But oh how peaceful it all looks... but HARD work!!

The Amish in this area all have grey topped wagons..
This one was all grey. Cute little calf on its way to a new home...

 

BEST EVER ICE CREAM. (and chips)

Entrance to Kitchen Kettle Area

Lovely relaxing day .. watching music, drinking Latte

 

So many Amish buggies... gotta stop taking photos

Old order Amish are home schooled... these must be modern Amish children... or they are at a strict Amish school

Mon May 28th - Conewego to Spring Gulch Campground, New Holland

Monday May 28^th 2012 - Conewego to Spring Gulch Campground, New Holland

Up and out to rivers edge with tea and watched some serious early morning fishing : 

Across from our site - early morning

And again

Kids fishing

One on the Hook

Landed a big one

Proud moment

Very Large Catfish.... another guy took it to cook later.

o   Decided to leave Conewego Isle and and get into the Lancaster area. Found campground in Woodall's guide. Arrived at spring Gulch Campground in New Holland close to Intercourse Pennsylvania.

o   We chose a site on upper level and are blown away by  the size and privacy of the sites…. We are in #1587. What a difference from Conewego. 2 lakes, 2 pools, WiFi, store… (even a spa)….

o   Set up and headed for the pool and read our books, chatted from other campers (always good to get the scoop on other good sites etc etc.

o   Had dinner, chatted with Braden on Skyoe lit a fire and relaxed.

o   Slow day and totally enjoyed it. Hot and sunny all day. 

We saw a train of about 20-30 Amish Buggies - Memorial day

More buggies - Memorial day

Camped and off to the pool

Aaahhh ---- LOVELY!!!

Great food

Great site - Spring Gulch Campground #1587 .. New Holland PA.