Lancaster, PA

We are in a rv park just east of Lancaster. Busy Amish and Mennonite tourist area so parks tend to be full on the weekends. We are close to Norm and Bernice and Bob and Cindy and are getting in some quality visiting. Great to see these friends again. Paul and Ann are coming from Toledo, Ohio on the 13th for a few days. Will be great to see them again. Then on the 16th we pick up the grandchildren who will stay with us as we tour north to Canada for the summer. We will take them to Sesame Park near Philly, Hershey Chocolate Factory and the Train Museum in Strasburg. Lots for them to see and do while we are in this area and as we head north. Haven't seen them since Christmas so looking forward to having lots of fun.

Finally, we made it to New York City. We had conflicting remarks about staying at Liberty Harbor Marine and RV Park, Jersey City, NJ but turned out to be our best choice and we would def stay there again. Just a parking lot at the marina but felt safe and were comfortable. 50 amp service with water and no sewer. We could see the Statue of Liberty from our window. The ferry runs weekdays from 6 am to 10 am and 4 pm to 10 pm to Pier 11. You can also walk a short 5 blocks to the PATH and catch the Grove St train to 33rd street (Upper Manhattan) or the World Trade Center (Lower Manhattan) $1.75 each one way on the train and $6 each one way on the ferry. Again we did a lot of walking and saw a lot. Ate at Johnny's Fish Grill in Lower Manhattan and were pleased with the food and the price. Upper Manhattan was double the price, food not as good and you didn't get as much.

Washington DC

On our way to NYC we decided to stop at the US Capital, Washington DC. People had referred us to Cherry Hill Park for camping and it was an excellent choice. Located at College Park, Maryland. We were able to book a sightseeing tour, 'Hop On - Hop Off ' thru Gray Line right at the rv park. Buses stopped at Cherry Hill Park at 6:45 am and Gray Line took us to Union Station where we then caught the open top sightseeing tour bus around the capital city. Cost was $35 per person for unlimited off and on for two full days. We then caught the Gray Line back to Cherry Hill from Union Station at 4:30 pm. This rv park caters to tourist sightseeing in Washington and is set up really well. We did a lot of walking and saw a lot. After our tour of the Capital Bldg, we visited the office of the Florida Senator, Mel Martinez in the Russell Senate Ofc Bldg next door and obtained a pass into the Senate. Could not tour the White House as this must be arranged long in advance of the visit.

North Carolina

We left SC and headed north to New York City stopping at the RV Resort at Carolina Crossroads in Roanoke Rapids NC. Will be a beautiful rv park when finished. We were at the back which is not yet finished but still really nice. They have overnite sites with full hook up for only $15 per. We used our Passport America discount. Went to Dionne Warwick concert at the nearby music hall for the evening.

South Carolina

After leaving the Helen GA area, we moved east to a cg just east of Columbia, SC. Stayed at Columbia/Camden RV Park in Lugoff SC which proved to be inexpensive, pleasant and central to our touring the area. We spent an afternoon in Congaree NP and the next day at the State Capital Bldg in Columbia SC. We had planned on staying a couple of days but ended up being at that cg a week and just veg'g out.

Georgia

After leaving Albany, GA, we moved on northeast for a long overdue visit with Dr. George and his wife Sylvia. We stayed in a cg near them but next time we will go to the nearby Unicoi State Park. We drove thru it and sites were full hook up and could easily accommodate a 42' rv. George and Sylvia live on the side of Mount Helen with the most awesome view. They toured us around their area of Sautee Nacoochee and Cleveland including a trip to Woodlands Camp where their son-in-law, Jon, runs a Christian Camp for Kids. www.woodlandscamp.org Jon and Julie work as part of a team who make a difference in so many childrens lives.

Alabama

Thunderstorms and tornado watch here so time to catch up. We read about 'Parks of Chehaw' in the March FMCA magazine so decided to try it out after getting the windshield replaced at Red Bay. Have been here 5 days and we're really glad we checked this place out. It is like camping in the woods although we were amazed that we got full satellite signal. Wildlife Refuge here that is very pleasant to enjoy for an afternoon. Great place for kids. Albany has had some serious flooding recently and we're sure the 5" coming today won't help. Met a really nice couple from the area, David and Edith Ann, and went to Easter service at their church yesterday. Park is not expensive. We paid $16 per nite for sr's for 50 amp and water. Dump station close and easy to get to. Wildlife Refuge was $7 for the two of us and only a short walk from rv site.

Alabama

After leaving Jack and Laura, we moved northwest to Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores, Alabama. Nice park with full hook up. Got a windy site on the lake close to the beaches. Getting some pesky cancer spots removed tomorrow in Pensacola then onward and upward to Red Bay to get our windshield replaced. Wouldn't you know it, the day after we left Red Bay in Feb., John washed the coach and found a stress crack. In view of recent bankruptcies and service depots closing, we are sure glad we have a Tiffin product. Bob Tiffin has already said they will look after the windshield even if we have someone locally do the work. However, our experience is that we get the very best service at the factory so the Allegro Campground will be home again soon.

Florida

We left DisneyWorld and travelled southwest to Fort Myers area to meet up with friends we haven't seen for almost 15 years. Had a really nice time with Ron and Claudia and enjoyed their rv park, Cypress Woods. They took us on a tour of the area as well as to Bahama Breeze for an excellent lunch. While there we went to visit Tony and Jo at Bonita Springs. Everyone is doing great, looks great and are very active. Then we moved our home to St. Augustine, FL where we hooked up with Jack and Laura from Stratford, Ont. Wonder what John and Laura are doing with that penny? Once again, great to get together and look forward to seeing all of these friends in the summer in Canada.

Florida

We enjoyed staying at the Disney World resorts for two weeks with Dione and family. The kids loved the new waterslide at Old Key West and looking over the balcony at the animals at Animal Kingdom Lodge was awesome. Did the Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom theme parks with the kids and really enjoyed their smiles, laughter and looks of wonder. Now the kids have gone home to Canada and the two of us are enjoying Saratoga Springs resort. For full timers, having a bathtub is such a luxury. Enjoy walking over to Downtown Disney to Earl of Sandwich for lunch. Woody and Nancy came over for a visit yesterday and enjoyed EofS as well. Great food. Friday we are back on the rv and headed wherever. Will look at map later this week and decide.

Florida

We have all our little aches and pains looked after in Red Bay and moved on earlier than expected towards Walt Disney World in Florida. Because we had some extra time, we stopped in Silver Springs to see Don and Scarlett and Bob and Evelyn. Had a great time with them Friday and Saturday. We even got to attend a concert by Mark Chestnut (country and western) at the Silver Springs Wild and Waterpark. Will keep the park in mind the next time in Florida as they have some good talent coming thru the winter and season passes are not expensive. We took a tour in the glass bottom boat and enjoyed the park as well as the entertainment.

We moved on the Deer Creek in Davenport to check out their rv resort. Very nice and may consider buying there. Looked for John and Charlotte but they had to make an emergency trip home to Canada. One of their two lots is for sale. Really nice resort although a little early for us to settle down somewhere. But close to Disney for when we are ready to work there (on our bucket list).

Yuma AZ

We enjoyed a fun superbowl party with our neighbours before heading east. Have established some really good friendships and are looking forward to staying in touch with this gang at the Foothills. We had a lot of healthy laughs together. But it was time to move on so Monday we set out travelling east on Hwy 8. Then we hooked up on I-10 and continued to Red Bay, Alabama by Thurs. Feb 5th. Feels like we're 'home' here too. We have a list of minor things we will have Tiffin complete on the coach before moving on to DisneyWorld to meet the kids. Life is still good to us.

Kofa National Refuge

We took a drive into the desert but apparently didn't go far enough. After travelling 10 miles on a gravel road and seeing nothing but sand and cactus, we turned around. In this picture we believe it is Ocotillo and Pipe Organ cactus in the background. Don and Pat said we should have continued to the mines where it begins to get much more beautiful. Next year. We left the desert and travelled north to Quartzsite. Enjoyed seeing the rv's in the desert, the flea market and the hustle and bustle of a desert city. On the way home we stopped at Paradise Casino for an hour to gamble. Candy won $16 and I won $8. Big win for us so we blew it on fish and chips at Parrish's Pub. Busy and interesting day.

Quartzsite or bust

Our neighbours and friends have left us and headed to the desert for a few days. They will park together surrounded by thousands of campers who survive the sand storms just to enjoy the rv show, gem show and huge flea market. Waving goodbye to Wally and Connie, Don and Pat, Marv and Donna and Don and Marge. Terry left earlier as needed propane. We would love to have gone but John is in the process of joining the Elks Lodge here and has two meetings this week. So that will remain on our bucket list until next year. Just gotta say 'been there, done it'. We will, however, drive there in the car for one day with Candy and then again to meet with our friends, Tony and Barb.

Farm Smart Program University of California

We spent the day at the Farm Smart Program, El Centro and had the most interesting time. We toured the gardens on wagons in the morning learning about alfalfa infested with white flies and trees you squeeze for fuel for your car along with much more and then spent the afternoon in a classroom. Did you know that asparagus continues to grow after it is cut ? It is packed and shipped in boxes that allow enough height for as much as 3 inches of growth. Asparagus can be cut twice a day and each time it is cut it is 6 inches tall. The website for our tour info is desertrec.ucdavis.edu. We were very impressed with how well organized, fun and informative our day was. We were given saks to pick all the fresh produce we wanted. No doubt we will be eating veggie plates and salads for the next two weeks. John and I have a whole new respect for the work done by our nephew, Jamie, in Guelph, Ont. Canada. His research station is just north of El Centro in Brawley CA.

Tournament of Roses Parade January 1, 2009

We were so fortunate to have our friends, Tony and Barb, invite us to join them for front row seats at the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. We drove their rv to a driveway along the parade route, backed it into the driveway and then placed our chairs out front along the road. The street was beginning to get full with chairs, make shift beds, bbqs, heaters and a lot of people. And it was only 4 pm Dec. 31st. Most slept in their spots in spite of the cold air so as not to risk losing the space. We partied into the wee hours and managed to get a few hours sleep before getting up early New Years Day to get ready for the parade. Tony spoiled us with tasty breakfast burritos and coffee. The Rose Bowl parade lived up to our expectations plus we had the added bonus of a warm sunny day. We had an awesome time.

Christmas 2008

Christmas with the grandkids was wonderful. We flew from AZ to Detroit where it is a short drive to their homes in Ontario, Canada. There was so much snow and, with winter storms, we were not able to make the trip to Owen Sound to see our moms. We had been looking forward to taking the kids there overnight to show them the display of lights along the river. It is one of the most impressive John and I have ever seen. We were able watch the boys skate and to see Ty win another shut out. Ty, Grace, Jack, Tate and Abby got Webkinz. Sarah will have to wait another few years for hers as she is too young. We were able to follow Santa's route on Google Earth and the kids made sure they left out lots of milk and cookies for Santa and his reindeer. John hurt his back while he and Michelle were shovelling on Christmas Eve but we were fortunate that Tim had a chiropracter friend who came to work Christmas day to work on him. He is in a lot of pain and we now know why we go south for the winter. We are so blessed to have our family to enjoy.

Home for Christmas

This is our star goalie. We have been busy driving back and forth between Baden and Belmont spending as much time as possible with the grandchildren. Papa has to pay Ty $5 for each shut out and is going broke paying his debt. Ty is so fortunate to have a coach who seems to know what he is doing because everyone on the team is playing very organized hockey. We are so proud of him and the entire Atom AE team from New Hamburg. 'Go Huskies !'

Yuma AZ

This is where we get our drinking water in the Foothills. We pull in, put $1.00 in the machine and fill up 5 gallon jugs of salt free water. Interesting.

Yuma AZ

We had a great day in Los Algodones, Mexico. Parked the car on the U.S. side of the border and walked across to a "Welcome Back Snowbirds" party. Pharmacies had free samples set out on tables for us to pick up and take home. Also had free samples of margaritas, beer and liquors. Lots of laughs, good food, interesting shopping and a little alcohol made for a memorable time.