Adventures
STS Hop 12: Bushnell FL to North Fort Myers FL
167 miles, almost entirely on I-75. This would have been a simple, uneventful trip in sunny weather had it not been for the idiot young woman who cut us off north of Tampa and who damn near caused a catastrophic accident. I guess she was missing her exit, so, at 70 mph, she swerved in … Continue reading
Charleston harbor tour
During our five days in Charleston we took two sightseeing tours – a combination bus tour of the city, a boat tour of the harbor and a walking tour of a historic mansion, and a “black history” bus tour that focused on the parts of the city that figured prominently in the slave trade and … Continue reading
STS Hop 7: Stony Creek VA to Myrtle Beach SC
302 miles via I-95, US 117, I-795 (through Goldsboro NC), I-40 and US 17, with a refueling stop near Sharpsburg NC. It is true: the night is darkest before the dawn. The plan was to do a 20-mile test drive, hauling the RV, around 8am. If the check engine light came on we would book … Continue reading
STS Hop 6: Petersburg VA to Stony Creek VA
27 miles via I-85 and I-95. Well, you guys obviously did not wish hard enough. We made it just over 10 miles into our planned 300-mile trip before the “check engine” light reappeared. We limped (which turns out to be exactly the right word – more on that later) to a truck stop just north … Continue reading
STS Hop 5: Lorton VA to Petersburg VA
128 miles, mostly via I-95. This was not the hop that was planned. We had to abort about 100 miles short of our intended destination (Wilson NC) when the “check engine” light came on just north of Petersburg VA. Accompanying the light was an alarming loss of power: I had difficulty maintaining 45 mph going … Continue reading
Gunshots, acorns and drag racers
Answer: gunshots, acorns and drag racers. Question: what noises have kept us awake in the last 3 campsites? Explanation: I told you about the shooting range near us at Pinch Pond. That was followed by 7 nights of staccato acorn explosions (at least they sounded like explosions) on the roof of the RV at Pohick. … Continue reading
Manassas
In case you didn’t know, I am a bit of a Civil War buff. I think Ken Burn’s Civil War series is the best documentary I have ever seen. I have visited about a dozen Civil War battlefields and think Gettysburg is one of the 5 most interesting places in the US. So it is … Continue reading
The best laid plans…
The plan for the Second Trip South (STS) was to leave for Rhode Island tomorrow (Sunday) morning. But it ain’t gonna happen. Over the past week, I had noticed hesitation when I pressed the accelerator on the truck. It had happened just a few times. But yesterday, on the way back from Worcester, the “check … Continue reading
Practically homeless
We sold our house in Medford MA on Friday. Jett shed a tear as she locked the door for the last time. My eyes remained dry, but even I had to acknowledge the significance of the event: for the first time since 1978, I do not own a residence. We are now back in our … Continue reading
An introduction to the pumpkin patch lifestyle
When I was a kid Halloween was a one-evening event. You dressed up in some wacko costume, grabbed a large shopping bag and went out – without adults – and extorted as much candy booty from your neighbors as time and upper body strength would allow. Followed by a week of sugar overdosing. But now … Continue reading »