Author Archives: Sparky
Plymouth MA
Yesterday I braved the 55-degree chill and drove to downtown Plymouth MA with the intent of searching for the graves of Jett’s Mayflower ancestors. Those who died in the horrible first winter are all buried on Coles Hill overlooking Plymouth harbor. But there are no headstones. It is not a traditional cemetery; it is just … Continue reading
Ancient Burying Ground, Hartford CT
I have been spending a LOT of time researching and documenting Jett’s ancestry. Much more time than I have been spending on my own ancestry because, frankly, her family is much more interesting than mine. But last week, when we were in CT for two nights, I took the opportunity to check out some of … Continue reading
TTN Hop 8: Bristol CT to Plymouth MA
161 miles via CT 229, I-84, CT 2, I-395 (toward Worcester), US 6, I-295 (around Providence), I-95, I-495 (around Boston) and US 44. Cumulative tow miles: 1672. Cumulative truck miles: 2184. This was a relatively short hop (3.5 hours, including a short rest stop) along some roads that we have traveled before, but also a … Continue reading
TTN Hop 7: White Haven PA to Bristol CT
198 miles via I-80, I-380, PA 423, PA 191, PA 507, I-84 and CT 229. 198 miles. Cumulative tow miles: 1511. Cumulative truck miles: 1920. This hop was 198 miles and 75% of those miles – 149 miles – were on I-84. Which meant a very bumpy ride. Although I-84 is constantly under construction (major … Continue reading
TTN Hop 6: Lorton VA to White Haven PA
238 miles via I-95, I-495 (around DC), I-270, US 15, I-83, I-81 and I-80 with a refueling stop in MD. Cumulative tow miles: 1313. Cumulative truck miles: 1721. Going through PA is the lesser of two evils: the other choice would be to go through NJ, which we will avoid at any cost due to … Continue reading
“The Appeal” by John Grisham
Copyright 2008 by Belfry Holdings, Inc. Dell mass market edition, Dec 2008. Spoiler alert: I am going to give away the ending, so if you want to read the book you had better look away. If you want a book in which the bad guys win – big time – and the good guys all … Continue reading
Nationals Park
Stepson Devin sacrificed himself last Saturday when he arranged an outing to Nationals Park, to watch the Washington Nationals host the New York Mets. Devin is, to put it kindly, not a baseball fan. Three hours in the sun watching a baseball game was pretty much slow torture for him. But I appreciated the kind … Continue reading
TTN Hop 5: Roanoke Rapids NC to Lorton VA
182 miles via I-95 and local roads. Cumulative tow miles: 1075. This was a simple trip up I-95 – a route that we have traveled several times before – so there was nothing new on the route. But it was, again, mostly in the rain, which made it a little more challenging. No incidents, though. … Continue reading
TTN Hop 4: Myrtle Beach SC to Roanoke Rapids NC
244 miles via SC 544, US Business 501, US 701, NC 410, US 74 and I-95 with a refueling stop. Cumulative tow miles: 893. Cumulative truck miles: 1104. There were a number of events and conditions that made this hop interesting, starting with the rain. It rained all day – heavily at times. That alone … Continue reading
Lakewood Camping Resort, Myrtle Beach SC
We are three days into our 4-day stay at the Lakewood Camping Resort in Myrtle Beach SC. We paid a bit extra for an “oceanfront” site, meaning that we are the closest RV to the ocean. But it doesn’t mean that we can see the ocean; there is an 8-foot-high sand berm between us and … Continue reading