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We've been moving every day short distances to visit some of the iconic sights of the UP. The weather has been colder than usual for this time of year, but we've only had periodic, light rain to partly cloudy long days. Sunrise is around 6 AM with a 9:30 PM sunset. Plenty of daylight for traveling and sightseeing adventures. Thursday, May 22 - Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Rivermouth Pines Campgrounds The Rivermouth Pines Campground is located along the Tahquamenon River and features sunset river views; this was our home for one night after visiting Whitefish Point. The "Root Beer" waterfalls aptly described by our friend Jay True from Holland, Michigan due to the color and the foam. The centerpiece of Tahquamenon Falls State Park's nearly 50,000 acres is the Tahquamenon River with its waterfalls viewable from multiple accessible overlooks. The Upper Falls, one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River, has a drop of nearly 50 feet, is more than 200 feet across and has a maximum water flow of more than 50,000 gallons per second. The river’s amber color is caused by tannins leached from the cedar, spruce and hemlock trees in the swamps drained by the river, and the extremely soft water churned by the action of the falls causes the river’s trademark large amounts of foam. We enjoyed a brisk walk to see the falls and then dinner afterwards at the Tahquamenon Falls Brewery and Pub. The brewery's rustic decor, stone fireplace, and wildlife art create a pleasant and enjoyable atmosphere. I had a smoked Whitefish salad with a bowl of cheddar cheese soup and Karen tried the grilled Whitefish filet. Both entrees were unique, tasty and satisfying. Friday, May 23 - Muskallonge Lake State Park It only took an hour and 15 minutes to drive to Muskallonge Lake State Park which is located 28 miles northwest of Newberry in Luce County. This 217-acre park is situated between the shores of Lake Superior and Muskallonge Lake and the area is well known for its forests, lakes and streams. Muskallonge Lake State Park was the former site of Deer Park, a lumbering town in the late 1880s, and prior to its lumbering history, a Native American encampment. Muskallonge Lake was a mill pond for millions of white pine logs that were brought in by railroad lines. By 1900, the virgin stands of pines were depleted, the mill was closed and the lumbering operation moved away. All that remains as evidence of the lumbering community are piles of sawdust and a few partly submerged pine logs in the lake. The park was also the old site of a Coast Guard Life Saving Station. Our campsite was quite large and convienently located across from a brand new restroom/shower facility. The highlight here was The Uglyfish Baking Company, According to their advertising, "We're a micro-bakery operating out of 1974 Airstream Argosy. We serve baked goods, coffee, espresso, ice cream cones, shakes and malts, and more. We also have a hot dog cart on site offering brats, Polish, jumbo dogs, and Italian sausage. Additionally, we have a small gift shop in a 1961 Arrow LIttle Chief camper. Our hours are 'Open to Close, Vacation Days as Needed.' In the summer, this means that we are open seven days a week, barring doctor's appointments or emergencies. We open at 8 AM. We are open until at least 6 PM and often later. Look for the open sign in the front window of the Airstream!" We stopped by and picked up two orange/cranberry muffins, one cinnamon roll and one Reese's peanut butter cookie. Saturday, May 24 - Bay Furnace Campground The campground is located in Christmas, Michigan near Munising on the south shores of Lake Superior, near Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It offers multiple reservable single sites for tent and RV camping. Additional campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Each site is equipped with a table and campfire ring with a grill. Accessible vault toilets and drinking water are provided. This is a view of our $12 a night, first come, first served U.S. Forest Service campsite. No hook ups here, so we are using our LiFePO4 battery (400 A Hr) system for everything needed We got to the campground early enough to get set up before driving back into Munising to take a 3 PM boat tour out to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We boarded our boat, the Miss Superior, for the 32 mile round trip, 2 1/2 hour tour. The Miss Superior , our ride out to the Pictured Rocks, and her sister boat the Grand Island tied up behind her. The brown is iron, the green is copper with black bands of magnesium streaked with the white of calcium. Our sister vessel, Grand Island slipped into a small cove between the cliffs for a close look around. This solitary tree grows on this weathered, rocky column supported by a root that is still connected to the shore across a chasm. See the people standing on the other side to the left? The rock formations and colors are otherworldly. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising, Michigan, is known for its iconic sandstone cliffs that stretch along Lake Superior. These cliffs, which range from 50 to 200 feet tall, are colorful due to mineral stains from iron, magnesium, calcium and copper to create a striking visual spectacle. The cliffs have also been sculpted into various formations, including caves, arches, turrets, and natural features like Miners Castle and Chapel Rock .  The natural weather elements of the lake have transformed these dramatic multicolored cliffs and unique sandstone formations with the forces of blowing wind, crashing waves, freezing rain and ice making them a beautiful sight to behold . Expansive beaches, hiking trails, and seasonal waterfalls made the trip complete.

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is located at Michigan’s Whitefish Point Light-Station. It is approximately 1.5 hours drive from the Mackinac Bridge. The museum features exhibits of shipwreck artifacts, artwork, shipwreck models and lifelike mannequins. They offer a series of maritime history programs featured throughout the season. Admission includes the Shipwreck Museum Gallery, self-guided tour of the restored 1861 Lightkeeper’s Quarters, the 1923 Lifeboat Station Surfboat House and 1923 USCG Motor Lifeboat House, which houses the Motor Lifeboat CG 36381. The bell of the famous steamer Edmund Fitzgerald is also on display and serves as a memorial to her crew in the Shipwreck Museum Gallery. The present light tower was constructed in 1861 during Abraham Lincoln’s administration. Whitefish Point marks the eastern end of a notorious 80-mile stretch of shoreline from there west to Munising, Michigan, known ominously as Lake Superior’s Shipwreck Coast. Of the 550 known major shipwrecks lying on the bottom of the lake, at least 200 of them are in the vicinity of Whitefish Point. The primary causes of shipwrecks here are bad weather and collisions; the 1975 loss of the steamer Edmund Fitzgerald with her entire crew of 29 has become a world-wide legend. The wreck of the Fitzgerald lies just 15 miles northwest of Whitefish Point. The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a bulk carrier that sank in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975 during a severe storm, resulting in the loss of all 29 crew members. The ship, the largest on the Great Lakes at the time, was carrying taconite ore pellets and was named after a Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company chairman. The sinking of the Fitzgerald has become a legendary Great Lakes disaster, immortalized in song by Gordon Lightfoot .   Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald Music and lyrics ©1976 by Gordon Lightfoot The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they called "Gitche Gumee." The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead when the skies of November turn gloomy. With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty, that good ship and true was a bone to be chewed when the "Gales o f November" came early. The ship was the pride of the American side coming back from some mill in Wisconsin. As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most with a crew and good captain well seasoned, concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms when they left fully loaded for Cleveland. And later that night when the ship's bell rang, could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'? The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound and a wave broke over the railing. And ev'ry man knew, as the captain did too 'twas the witch of November come stealin'. The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait when the Gales of November came slashin'. When afternoon came it was freezin' rain in the face of a hurricane west wind. When suppertime came the old cook came on deck Sayin' "Fellas, it's too rough t'feed ya." At seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in; he said, (**2010 lyric change: At 7 p.m., it grew dark, it was then he said,) "Fellas, it's bin good t'know ya!" The captain wired in he had water comin' in and the good ship and crew was in peril. And later that night when his lights went outta sight came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Does any one know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours? The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay if they'd put fifteen more miles behind 'er. They might have split up or they might have capsized; they may have broke deep and took water. And all that remains is the faces and the names of the wives and the sons and the daughters. Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings in the rooms of her ice-water mansion. Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams; the islands and bays are for sportsmen. And farther below Lake Ontario takes in what Lake Erie can send her, And the iron boats go as the mariners all know with the Gales of November remembered. In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed, (**Lyric change: "musty" changed to "rustic") in the "Maritime Sailors' Cathedral." The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald. The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they call "Gitche Gumee." "Superior," they said, "never gives up her dead when the gales of November come early!" Song: Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald The Light Station was operated exclusively by the U.S. Lighthouse Service from 1849 until 1923, when the U.S. Coast Guard established a Lifeboat Rescue Station here. The Lighthouse Service merged with the Coast Guard in 1939; the Coast Guard closed the Lifeboat Station in 1951, and took all personnel from the site in 1970. The exhibits were extensive and beautifully displayed. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society owns and operates the professional underwater research vessel  R.V. David Boyd.  This 47-foot survey vessel is equipped with twin 692 Detroit Diesels and a Phantom S4 Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) capable of diving to depths of 1,400 feet. The Boyd is also equipped with the latest Marine Sonics Dual Frequency SideScan Sonar ,  digital underwater imaging equipment, digital interface surface recording technology, and navigational gear. The  David Boyd  carries a crew of at least three experienced seamen. The  Boyd’s  primary mission is to research and document historic shipwrecks of Lake Superior. The  Boyd  also assists federal, state, and local law enforcement or environmental agencies as required.  The vessel and crew have successfully participated in numerous search and recovery missions. The museum included many of the salvaged relics recovered by the GLSHS research team. This site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, but there was no money for restoration. In 1980, Whitefish Township approached the fledging Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society for assistance in preserving this important property. The Society obtained a License from the Coast Guard in 1983 to commence museum operations; opened the first exhibits in 1985; and opened the present Shipwreck Museum Building in 1987. This is the interior of the White Fish Station Boat House where USCG Type TR Motor Lifeboat CG 36381 is on display along with a 15 minute video on the salvage of the Fitzgerald's bell. Whitefish Point is located at the extreme southeastern end of Lake Superior. It is a critical turning point for all vessel traffic entering and leaving this largest of all the Great Lakes. The Whitefish Point Light Station was established by Congress in 1849; since then, a life-saving beacon has illuminated these dangerous waters for mariners continuously. Today, the Whitefish Point Light is the oldest operating lighthouse on Lake Superior. With more than 200 shipwrecks lying in the immediate vicinity, the area is known as Lake Superior’s Shipwreck Coast. "Superior," they said, "never gives up her dead when the gales of November come early!"

One of the many cargo ships transiting the Great Lakes route just offshore of Aune Osborn Campground. Our campground was just below the Soo Locks on the St. Marys River. We are staying at the Aune-Osborn Campground right on St. Marys River in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. Across the river is Canada but we have no plans to cross over the border. There is plenty to see and do on the US side. Got in about 2 PM and set up at our campsite for the next two days then drove into the downtown area to get an ice cream and check out the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Lock System. The Soo Locks, located on the St. Marys River, allow freighters to navigate between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway, and international markets. This essential transportation link moves nearly 86 million tons of cargo annually, including 95% of the United States’ iron ore. Before the Soo Locks were built, the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie was characterized by a series of treacherous rapids and a 21-foot drop between Lake Superior and Lake Huron . This made it difficult for larger vessels to navigate.  The locks operate by raising and lowering boats the 21 feet between the levels of Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes using a series of gates and chambers. Water and boats are moved solely by the force of gravity. The Soo Locks date back to the mid-1800s and are a popular tourist destination, attracting an estimated 500,000 visitors annually. Entering the MacArthur Lock MUNTGRACHT is a General cargo vessel built in 2012 by ZHEJIANG OUHUA SHIPBUILDING - ZHOUSHAN, CHINA. Currently sailing under the flag of Netherlands; its gross tonnage is 9524 tons. We got to the facility in time to see the MacArthur Lock raise a Dutch-flag vessel up to the Lake Superior level from the viewing platform adjacent to the lock. The lockage process itself takes about 15-20 minutes, and a vessel's passage through the St. Mary's River system can take around 9 hours.  It costs nothing for freighters to pass through the Soo Locks. The United States Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and maintains the locks, provides free passage. This has been the case since the Corps took over the locks in 1881. The locks are funded by tax dollars.  21 feet higher than where she started. Now just waiting for the gates to open before proceeding on to lake Superior. Our metered parking for the truck had almost expired, so we didn't get a chance to explore the Soo lock Visitors Center. That would have to wait until tomorrow. We returned back to the RV park for dinner. While we are in camp we periodically will hear the sound of an approaching ship's horn as it transits the river.. The next day on the way into town we stopped to visit the Tower of History. Rising 210 feet above Sault Ste. Marie, the Tower of History gives visitors a 360 degree view of the entire Sault area from the Sault Locks and the St. Marys River to the Canadian wilderness.  An express elevator whisks you up the equivalent of 21 stories to the top for a panoramic view of up to 1,200 square miles, including the Sault Locks, the St. Marys River, and the Canadian wilderness. The Tower of History was built in 1968 by the Catholic Church as the Shrine of the Missionaries. The Shrine was meant to be part of a larger complex that would have featured exhibits about the early Missionaries such as Bishop Baraga. A community center and a new Church were also planned. The Church later cut the project in favor of other endeavors, and the Shrine of the Missionaries was donated to the Sault Historic Sites in 1980. It has been operated as the Tower of History ever since. This is the view down river towards our RV campground. The long building next to the river is a the Saint Marys Falls Hydro Power plant. From this vantage point we could some of the notable sites of the city. The Saint Marys Falls Hydropower Plant (also known as the Edison Sault Power Plant , Michigan Lake Superior Hydroelectric Power Plant , and the Cloverland Electric Cooperative Power House) is an 18-MW hydroelectric generating plan. The Soo hydropower plant was built to contain 74 generators under a single roof. This was done under the constraints of the Classical style , by building an industrial structure of 1,340 feet in length parallel to the St. Marys River and facing the structure with masonry . The sandstone facing of the power station was chiseled out of blocks pulled from the Edison Sault Power Canal , the feeder canal that chutes water to the plant. President William Howard Taft visited the plant in 1911. The power canal and hydroelectric plant were together named a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1983. The black hulled ship docked off the river is the Valley Camp Ship Museum. We didn't visit this museum on this trip. Built in 1917 and retired in 1966, the Museum Ship Valley Camp is 550 feet in length and now features a variety of displays. More than 100 exhibits populate the ship’s cargo hold. What once held coal, iron ore, and limestone is now home to displays showcasing maritime memories, shipwrecks, lighthouses, and local history. We instead decided to return to the Soo Lock site and see the Visitors Center exhibits. Exhibits include the history of the locks, the engineering ingenuity behind them, and their vital role in Great Lakes shipping and the U.S. economy . With freighter fans in mind, the visitors' center includes a Soo Locks viewing platform and its dedicated park rangers maintain a display of the day's ship schedule. Karen and I agree with Trip Advisor rating the Soo Locks as a #1 out of 34 of things to do in Saute Sainte Marie.

We departed Jackson for Holland located on the "mitten's" western shores adjacent to Lake Michigan. We arrived at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds and found only one other rig in the RV campground. We had stayed here three years ago on May 28, 2022 for two nights and visited our friends Jay and Elaine True, who are now living in Holland, as well as our good friends Nancy and Richard Swain who were living in Michigan at that time. This time around we arrived a little earlier in the month hoping to see the tulip blooms throughout the city. We caught the tulips on the tail end of the blooming season and also experienced some nasty weather on the evening of our arrival Thursday, May 15. We experienced wind gusts of 80-mph and heavy rain whipped across the county fairgrounds while we hunkered down as the shore power went out. There was actually a tornado warning that came through on the emergency broadcast system which said to go to the nearest storm shelter. This was unnerving, but we stayed put and survived with no issues. Phew! Fortunately we had our batteries in the RV to power everything and the storm only lasted an hour. After the rain stopped I went out to turn off the 50A breaker for the night and we went to bed. The top half of this large tree, near the mobile home of the campground host, fortunately missed their home during the storm. This tree uprooted just east of our location in the campground, was blown over then knocked down two other trees in the storm. In the morning, we went outside to survey the damage around the RV campground. I was amazed at the number of downed trees either completely uprooted or snapped halfway up. One of the larger trees on the perimeter of the fairground fence fell onto the neighboring road partially blocking Post Street. We had some minor branches fall around our rig but suffered no damage from the storm. I checked the power pedestal for our site and we had power again. Thank you God for your protection! On Friday morning, May 16 we joined Jay and Elaine True for a late breakfast at a Dutch-based bakery/restaurant called deBoer Bakkerij North just down the road from our campground. We had a great visit and much of the conversation centered around the unseasonable thunderstorm that hit the area. Later that same day we had dinner with a couple we met while traveling in Alaska. Gary and Mickey Vander Veen own an Alliance Avenue RV like our rig so we connected as fellow "Allys". After meeting them last summer, it was fun to catch up with them in their hometown; they graciously invited us to their home and we had a wonderful meal as we got caught up on life. In between visits I had a chance to start the kitchen Island cabinet modification after multiple trips to Lowe's for a hinge jig and the proper hinge type. The doors needed to be cut down and new hinge mounting holes drilled. I got a good start and took my time thinking it through but needed another day to complete the project at our next camping venue. Saturday morning, May 17 we left Holland and headed to Custer, Michigan about 96 miles north near Lundington. We booked a Harvest Host and found out that we would be their first guests. We planned on two nights at the TwoSprings Farm. After arriving and setting up we ventured into Lundington to do a recon and picked up some information about the vehicle ferry that travels across Lake Michigan to Manitowac, Wisconsin. The trip takes four hours and they can accommodate our truck/RV if we decide to ever make the crossing. This information is good to have in our back pocket for future trips to the area. Sunday morning we attended Trinity Church, an EV Free congregation, in the morning then returned back to the farm so I could get to work finishing the island cabinet project. After a few hours of fitting and adjusting I got the door in just right...hallelujah! We had a great stay at TwoSprings Farm with our welcoming hosts, Tim and Gabrielle! They had plenty of room to accomodate our large rig in the beautiful countryside. Our hosts graciously invited us to their home and served us a delicious dinner as we shared life stories. From the farm, it was an easy drive to the larger town of Ludington, MI. We recommend large rigs approach this farm property using the driveway opposite the red barn. On Monday, May 19 we continued north to Friske Orchards and Farm Market in Ellsworth, Michigan. This picturesque Harvest Host location features orchard scenery, incredible eats and treats, an expansive selection of Michigan made products. We visited this multi-generation family farm destination and took advantage of the famous scratch bakery and brick oven pizza. We ordered the "John Deere' and another specialty pizza with asparagus and pesto. Visit their Facebook page for more information at https://www.facebook.com/FriskeFarmMarket . We stayed one night before leaving on Tuesday for the UP. That's Upper Peninsula for all you non-yoopers out there! Our destination was Sault-Ste-Marie on the Saint Mary River which separates the US from Canada. The Aune-Osborn Campground is right on the shipping channel south of the famous Army Corps of Engineers Soo Locks. We are planning on spending a week exploring the UP so stay tuned for more adventures about this unique part of the Great Lakes region.

With our new refrigerator installed in the RV we finally got on the Ohio Turnpike section of Interstate 80. We decided to take this toll road because the surface is in much better shape...at least until we reached the MIchigan state line. Oh my...their highways make Ohio look pretty good! We bypassed Ann Arbor and proceeded to Jackson, Michigan to mooch dock on Alan and Pat Willis' 2 acre property. They have 30 A electrical that I used while we visited. We provided some beautiful Ribeye steaks from Costco that we needed to eat. Alan did the barbecuing on his back deck and we finished the evening with a trip to "The Parlour" in town for an ice cream sundae. On Wednesday, May 14 we made plans to drive to Battle Creek, Michigan for lunch at Clara's on the River. And after lunch it was going to be off to the MOO-ville Creamery in Nashville Michigan. But first, I needed to spend the morning working on some needed improvements following our refrigerator upgrade. Three new projects were created for me after the installation of our new appliance. They are the following: 1) We gave up the bottom drawer under the old absorption refrigerator, so I had to construct some additional storage shelves in the pantry to make up for the lost storage space. 2) We now had a unfinished space above the new refrigerator. I wanted to use the removed bottom drawer cabinet face and materials I saved to create a more finished look above the refrigerator similar to the narrow flat storage cabinet above our microwave. 3) And finally, this was the most ambitious of the "honey do's" on the list; resize the cabinet doors under the kitchen sink of the island that faced the new freezer drawer. We discovered that they would not allow the kitchen slide to retract into the trailer without touching. So I needed remove the doors from the island cabinet, resize them to fit inside the cabinet opening face and replace the hinge hardware to accommodate the modification. I worked on the first item while we were in East Harbor, Ohio before we got the new refrigerator, so that was already completed. Item two was completed at the Willis' property on Wednesday morning by noon. I had to cut down the cabinet face of the drawer to match. Our afternoon trip to Battle Creek took about an hour driving time. Battle Creek is famous for being the "Cereal City" due to its strong association with the cereal industry and the invention of Kellogg's Corn Flakes . Our destination in Battle Creek was Clara's on the River which is located in the old Michigan Central Railroad Depot. The Depot was built in 1888 to support the growing transportation needs of Battle Creek and the U.S. Army training center at Fort Custer. It was heavily used by soldiers departing for overseas duty in World War I and World War II. A walk through Clara’s on the River is a walk through the history of Battle Creek. The two signed Bradley Hubbard brass lanterns hanging in the foyer were part of the Depot’s original decor. In the foyer you will also find a glass display case, which holds many of the first cereal boxes ever printed in Battle Creek. After lunch it was off to MOO-ville a short drive north of Battle Creek. Alan told us that we had to visit this very unique place on earth and I'm glad we had a chance to experience it. MOO-ville Creamery is family owned and operated. "We milk 200 cows with robots in Nashville, Michigan. We believe in producing high quality Milk and process it as little as possible. We bottle our own milk, make ouf own ice cream, cheese, and butter, all under the MOO-ville logo. We welcome you to visit us where you can see how our Holsteins are cared for. We DO NOT use growth hormones." This creamery produces a milk product called "Cream line". It is described like this: Cream line milk is simply milk that is allowed to be milk. Like the milk found on most store shelves, cream line milk is pasteurized. We do not, however, homogenize our milk. Homogenization is, in short, the process by which the cream (or fat content) in the milk is permanently mixed into the body of the milk, eliminating the separation - or cream line - that is characteristic of fresh-from-the-farm milk. The process of homogenization uses very high pressure to break down the fat molecules into particles so small that they can be dissolved into the rest of the milk. They lose buoyancy and thus, the cream never rises to the top of homogenized milk. We believe that homogenization diminishes the flavor and decreases many of the health benefits of milk. Studies have shown that when fat molecules are forcibly broken up by mechanical means, an enzyme called Xanthine Oxidase is released and allowed to penetrate the intestinal wall. Once it gets through the intestinal wall, Xanthine Oxidase gets into the bloodstream and is capable of creating scar damage to the heart and arteries, which may in turn cause the body to release cholesterol into the blood as a means of protecting the scarred areas with fatty tissue. This can lead to Arteriosclerosis. When un-homogenized milk is consumed, Xanthine Oxidase is normally excreted from the body without much absorption. Our milk is also free of controversial growth hormones including rBST*, and is free of animal byproducts. Cows were meant to eat plants not animals, thus the food they eat here contains no animal byproducts. We ended our self-guided tour of the milking barn with a purchase of their signature ice cream. I also purchased some of the A2A2 whole milk to try out. Both items purchased were yummy! It was great to spend more time getting to know Alan and Pat, seeing their home and touring around the area where they live in Michigan. We will definitely be back to visit again. Thanks for the hospitality and we'll see you again next year at our RVICS project in Texas!

We drove on Monday, May 5 from the Harvest Host in Finleyville north to Erie, Pennsylvania to visit our friends and fellow Alaska traveling companions Sean and Kathy Earley. They have a new home in Summit Township, outside Erie, PA. Sean and Kathy grew up in this area and jokingly refer to their hometown as the "mistake on the lake" or "dreary Erie" due t0 the frequent gloomy weather. This Spring has been unusally cool, but despite the dreary and unpredictable weather during our visit we had a great time reconnecting and hanging out for a few days. This is the Earley's new home in Summit Township next to an old schoolhouse Kathy's brother purchased and converted into an apartment complex for retired folks. Across the street from their home is the old school's maintenance building that was converted into one more apartment and four storage garages. The Earley's park their Alliance here and provided us a place to "mooch dock". Here's a local weather factoid: during the Winter months Erie, Pennsylvania is known for receiving heavy lake-effect snow, particularly from neighboring Lake Erie. This is due to the lake's shallow depth and the cold air moving over the relatively warm lake water, leading to increased moisture and snowfall. Lake-effect snow events can produce very heavy snowfall rates, sometimes exceeding several inches per hour, and can accumulate significant snow totals in a single event. We did our share of sightseeing while at the Earley's with Sean as our driver and tour guide. Our first day was out to Presque Isle State Park, Pennsylvania’s only “seashore.” Presque Isle offers its visitors a beautiful coastline where the neck of the peninsula is attached to the mainland four miles west of downtown Erie. The park creates Presque Isle Bay, a wide and deep harbor for the city of Erie. Misery Bay and Perry Monument History During the War of 1812, Little Bay was the temporary home of the fleet of ships commanded by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. Six of his eleven vessels were built in Erie at the mouth of Cascade Creek. The shores and waters of Presque Isle protected the fleet during construction. On September 10, 1813, during the Battle of Lake Erie, Commodore Perry and his men defeated the British at Put-in-Bay, near Sandusky, Ohio. Perry’s first flagship, the Lawrence, was heavily damaged during the battle, requiring him to transfer his flag to the brig Niagara. He then re-engaged and defeated the British fleet using the Niagara as his flagship. After the battle, Perry and his men returned to Little Bay and Presque Isle Bay to repair their fleet and seek medical treatment for the wounded. They stayed in the protection of the bay because of threats of another British uprising. During the winters of 1812-1814, many of Perry’s crew suffered from poor living conditions and the harsh winters. As legend has it, many of the crew died and their bodies were buried in the adjacent pond known as Graveyard Pond. In remembrance of their hardships during those winters, Little Bay was renamed Misery Bay by the surviving sailors. The hull of the Lawrence, then eventually the Niagara, was sunk in Misery Bay to preserve and protect them from the weather. The Lawrence was raised during 1875, but was destroyed by fire in Philadelphia during the Centennial Exhibition of 1876. The Niagara was raised during 1912 and rebuilt for the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie in 1913. A replica of the Niagara sails from its dock at the Erie Maritime Museum. The Perry Monument on Crystal Point was built in 1926 to commemorate this significant battle during the War of 1812 and the valor of the sailors in Perry’s Command. In addition to going out to eat, we also shared meals in their new home. One of our days together we visited the Pennsylvania wine country and sampled some great wines from this region. We tasted at two wineries; Mazza's and South Shore Wine Company, also owned by the Mazza family. At South Shore we tasted in their 19th century cellar, home to an effervescent collection of bubbly bottles produced in traditional, contemporary, and experimental methods, alongside standout emerging varietals and lightheartedly sweeter selections. At about 42º latitude this region grows different varietals and makes different blends than we are familiar with in California, but we tasted some lovely wines and purchased a few bottles for our home on wheels. The Mazza family restored the 19th century facility and its impressive Civil-War-era stone cavern. Our four day visit ended on Thursday, May 8 and we returned to the road beginning our travels heading west from Erie, back through Ohio and landing at East Harbor State Park. We arrived at our campsite C53 for our four day stay and during the set up Karen detected the odor of ammonia inside the RV. After doing some investigating and watching some YouTube videos, I determined we had a coolant leak in the condenser of our RV refrigerator. Unfortunately not a good problem to discover. RV absorption refrigerator failures, primarily due to cooling unit problems, often result from leaks, overheating, or corrosion, leading to a loss of cooling and potentially dangerous ammonia leaks . These failures can be caused by the RV being off-level, external factors like high temperatures, or internal corrosion of the tubing. A strong ammonia smell or yellow residue, along with a lack of cooling, are key indicators of a failed cooling unit.  That yellow powder below the heating unit is ammonia precipitate, the cooling refrigerant in an absorption-type RV refrigerator. This meant our unit was kaput and would need to be replaced. This whole issue was discovered late on Friday afternoon, of course, so we would have to wait until Monday to get the actual work done. Instead of having fun exploring Sandusky, Ohio and the surrounding area we spent the four days finding a mobile RV technician, shopping for a refrigerator replacement, removing the old refrigerator and installing the new one. We purchased a cooler to store our food and replenished the ice daily to keep our food cold. Long story short, we purchased a residential refrigerator for one quarter of the price of a new absorption refrigerator. Because of our solar system and LiFePO4 battery system upgrade I installed after we purchased our trailer, we have plenty of battery power to run the new appliance without shore power. Saturday morning, after talking with a local RV mobile technician, was spent shopping for a replacement refrigerator. Rather than replacing with another absorption refrigerator in the neighborhood of a $6000 expense, we decided to convert to a residential instead. We found some residential size refrigerators that would fit, but still hadn't found one that Karen liked. By 3 PM in the afternoon, we decided to head for Cleveland to at least get in another baseball game. The Cleveland Guardians were playing the Phill ies at 6:30 PM at Progressive Field. Progressive Field is an urban ballpark in the truest sense, both architecturally and aesthetically, built within the physical boundaries of three main streets in downtown Cleveland It was Veterans Appreciation Day and I celebrated with a micro-brew, peanuts and my beautiful wife on this warm Saturday afternoon. On Sunday we attended a local church fellowship near East Harbor called "the Chapel", then continued our search for a new refrigerator. We found one that Karen liked and would fit our space with the least amount of modifications at Best Buy in Sandusky.. Our new residential refrigerator was found at the Sandusky Best Buy. This counter-depth unit's dimension would fit our trailer, but I would need to remove our bottom storage drawer to accommodate the new height. The problem we had to work around was it wouldn't be delivered to the store until Thursday and we had plans to leave for Michigan on Tuesday! Thankfully our salesperson was able to provide us a working option. If we would be willing to drive to the Richfield, Ohio Best Buy warehouse location, an hour away from the store, we could pick it up on Monday. Okay that will work. So Monday morning we drove the one and half hours from camp to pick up and deliver the refrigerator to the technician's shop in Norwalk, Ohio that afternoon. From there we returned to the campground, hooked up the rig a day earlier than scheduled and drove back to the technician's repair lot to start the removal and installation at 4:30 PM in the afternoon. It was a lot of driving and a long day of running around. Ryan, our technician, worked until 9:30 PM to get everything done. He worked on his day off so we'd be able to get back on the road Tuesday morning. He was gracious enough to let us mooch dock that night at his repair facility. We settled up the next morning and left for Michigan. This metal strip was located at the bottom of the refrigerator exhaust chimney near the heating elements. It got hot enough to melt the metal strip and posed a fire hazard if the safety switch breaker hadn't tripped the unit off when we turned it on. Here's my perspective on this whole event. Our old refrigerator lasted three and a half years with full-time use. These units were never designed for full-time use so we can't complain too much. We have an extended warranty for our RV that should cover all but $200 of the $5000 for the new appliance purchase plus technician expenses. We are still dealing with the warranty company but I'm hopeful we will get most of our money back less our $100 deductible. Bottom line, Karen is happy to have a new, larger, stainless steel refrigerator with a bottom freezer drawer and side-by-side pantry style doors above. We lost only a few food items to spoilage and kept our original travel schedule intact. No reservations in Michigan had to be canceled. We thank God for His provision!

Yes, I said birthday week. On May 1st I celebrated the 50th anniversary of my 22nd birthday! I have come to the opinion that at this point in my life I need to celebrate more than a day. So here are the high points. On Wednesday, April 30 we drove 260 miles from outside Nashville to another Harvest Host at the Benton Family Farm in Walton, KY. Their farm is just south of the Ohio border and Cincinnati. We arrived early enough to park the trailer and set up before driving to Great American Ball Park. Located on the winding banks of the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, Great American Ball Park serves as the home of the Cincinnati Reds, baseball's first professional franchise. We had great seats on the first base side just 20 rows up from field level for $30 each! Unfortunately the home team Cincinnati Reds lost to the St. Louis Cardinals that evening 9 to 1. Karen and I however enjoyed the baseball game, the fans and the beautiful, balmy evening. The ballpark and grounds surrounding it are stunning. River and city skyline views from the upper decks, clean facilities, plenty of food options and friendly staff throughout stadium made it a great night. My actual birthday was spent exploring the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. This 75,000-square-foot facility allows families to experience earth history as God has revealed it in the Bible. Nearly 150 exhibits feature animatronic dinosaurs, talking heroes of the faith, and professional displays that honor God´s Word. The museum also boasts a fun-filled, 200-seat special effects theater, a state-of-the-art planetarium, zoo, nature trails, and lots more. At the heart of the Creation Museum is a chronological retelling of biblical history in seven parts called the Seven C´s. Guests step back in time, beginning with Creation, and fast-forward to Christ´s return. Along the way, they see how God´s Word provides the big-picture answers for our most difficult questions, whether about science, the Bible, or our personal relationship with God. For more information about this museum, go to this website: https://answersingenesis.org/worldview/ We ended that evening at the Texas Roadhouse Restaurant for an epic dinner with my sweetie. Had a 12 oz. Ribeye steak, 4 baby back ribs, dinner rolls, a Caesar salad and an Arnold Palmer. My Birthday Feast at the Texas Roadhouse Restaurant...Yee-Haw! Friday, May 2 was a traveling day as we headed northeast into Ohio. We drove around Cincinnati towards Columbus, Ohio on Interstate 75. We traveled for 3 hours to our eventual overnight stopping point at the Zanesville, Ohio Cracker Barrel Country Store parking lot.  Cracker Barrels are great overnight locations at the end of a long travel day where we have plenty of parking space. We appreciate their hospitality!  Great comfort food for breakfast before leaving the next morning and predictably clean restrooms. Our journey continued the next morning as we traveled east on Interstate 70 across Ohio and across the northern panhandle of West Virginia. It is one of the two panhandles in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is a culturally and geographically distinct region of the state. It is the state's northernmost extension, bounded by Ohio and the Ohio River on the north and west and the state of Pennsylvania on the east. The northern "panhandle" emerged from a boundary dispute between Virginia and Pennsylvania, while the state's overall shape is also influenced by the Appalachian Mountains and the Ohio River. It began to take shape in 1779 when Pennsylvania and Virginia agreed that their boundary would be the Mason-Dixon Line extending due west five degrees, and then straight north to the Ohio River. Once we crossed the Ohio River into West Virginia it's a mere 10 miles to the Pennsylvania border. Our destination for the next two days was the Trax Farm, a Harvest Host in Finleyville, PA just 15 miles south of Pittsburgh. It is quite a way off the interstate when coming from the South with lots of small, curvy roads to navigate. The gravel parking lot is HUGE and was easy for us to turn around in with our truck and 35' fifth-wheel. The store is huge and has a wonderful selection of fresh produce, plants, deli foods, beer & wine, and other grocery items. The communication was excellent and they allow generator use as well as slide outs. Our plan was to drive into Pittsburgh that evening to take in a ballgame at PNC Park, home of the Pirates, for another MLB stadium. But alas, the weather had not been cooperating for the last couple of days; due to the frequent rain showers we decided to past this time around. Instead, we made plans to visit some old friends from California who have relocated to just north of Pittsburgh. From left to right; Mike and Sherry Cartwright, Lynn and Jeff Edens, Karen and John Teague. On Sunday, May 4th we drove to Coraopolis, Pennsylvania to attend the 10:30AM church services at the Lost and Found Christian Fellowship pastored by Jeff Edens, whom Karen worked with at Total Concepts some years ago. Jeff and Lynn moved to Coraopolis to pastor this church and were joined by Lynn's sister Sherry and her husband Mike. After the service we all got together for lunch at the local Panera Restaurant and spent some time catching up on life since we last got together. It was a blessing to re-connect with these brothers and sisters!

Sunset on our first evening by Old Hickory Lake We are at Cedar Creek Campground on Old Hickory Lake in north-central Tennessee, which offers 60 campsites and limitless options for activities like boating, hiking, fishing and relaxing on the swim beach. Old Hickory Lake is a 22,500 acre reservoir, primarily fed by the waters of the Cumberland River. The lake is surrounded by shady wooded areas and grassy flatlands, and offers an impressive 440 miles of scenic shoreline. The lake is named after the 7th U.S. President, Andrew Jackson, a Tennessee-native who earned the nickname "Old Hickory," because of his tough, aggressive personality. This campground is conveniently located a 30 minute drive from downtown Nashville, Tennessee which we visited on our second day. We made a reservation to take the 11AM Redneck Comedy Tour Bus around the downtown. Hosted by professional comedians, this comedy club on wheels promises laughs at every turn! According to their website, "This ain't your average bus tour! A camouflage bus, proudly adorned with steer horns, sets the stage for an unforgettable journey through Nashville's iconic sights! With over 15 years of fun under our Belt. The Redneck Comedy Bus Tour promises laughter, charm & memorable views of the city!" After our bus tour we drove into the downtown for lunch to one of the many foodie restaurants we had been told about. We choose The Stillery on 2nd Avenue and had an amazing meal. I ordered a Hot Chicken Sandwich with a side of Mac'n'Cheese and Karen ordered the Mac'n'Cheese topped with Hot Chicken. Hot chicken (or Nashville hot chicken) is a type of fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville, Tennessee. In its typical preparation, it is a portion of breast, thigh or wing that has been marinated in a water-based blend of seasoning, floured, fried and finally covered in a paste or sauce that has been spiced with cayenne pepper. This method of preparation originates within African American communities in the Southern United States. A richly pigmented seasoning paste gives the fried chicken its reddish hue. Spice blends, preparation methods and heat intensity vary, depending on the recipe and chef. Karen ordered her "hot" sauce on the side After this huge meal we had to walk off some of the calories so we enjoyed the Broadway Strip and walked towards the Country Music Hall of Fame not far from where we parked the truck across the street from the Nashville Marriott Hotel. After spending three hours around the downtown area we drove towards Vanderbilt University to visit another very unique architectural site in the city. The Parthenon in Centennial Park, Nashville, Tennessee, is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. It was designed by architect William Crawford Smith and built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Today, the Parthenon, which functions as an art museum, stands as the centerpiece of Centennial Park, a large public park just west of downtown Nashville. This is the world’s only exact-size replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. The afternoon of day three was spent visiting President Andrew Jackson's Home named "The Hermitage". We entered through an impressive museum dedicated to "the People's President" and his colorful life and history. After reading many of the displays we walked to the mansion for our tour of the interior. The Hermitage is a National Historic Landmark and museum located in Davidson County, Tennessee, United States, 10 miles east of downtown Nashville in the neighborhood of Hermitage. The 1,000-acre site was owned by President Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, from 1804 until his death there in 1845. It also serves as his final resting place. Jackson lived at the property intermittently until he retired from public life in 1837. This is the view from the rear of the mansion. The brick building to the right is the smokehouse and to the left of the expanse of lawn behind the white picket fence is where the beautiful garden is located. The Hermitage is built in a secluded meadow that was chosen as a house site by Jackson's wife, Rachel. From 1804 to 1821 the couple lived there in a log cabin. Together the home and the West, East, and Southeast cabins formed the First Hermitage. Considered by many historians to be the best preserved early U.S. presidential home, the mansion at The Hermitage has welcomed 17.5 million visitors from around the world since opening as a museum in 1889. An award-winning interior restoration was carried out between 1989 and 1997. Today, more than 80 percent of items on display are original, including furniture, wallpaper and family possessions, giving visitors a glimpse of what life was like for the family in the years of Andrew Jackson’s retirement (1837-1845). The whole experience was fascinating and the museum, grounds, and buildings are in beautiful condition. We were both surprised to learn the Hermitage is the second oldest presidential home in the country, second only to Mt. Vernon. We would recommend it on any trip to the Nashville area as a must see. We were so impressed with the experience we rented from Apple TV and watched the 1953 movie, "The President's Lady" to see how well it followed the actual account of the life of Andrew and Rachel Jackson. Charlton Heston portrayed Jackson in the movie and does a great job in the role.

The Camp Hope RVICS Team, front row from right to left: Guy Phillips, Beth Phillips, Joyce Parlette, Pat Willis and Karen Teague. Back row right to left: Cassandra Bell, Steve Parlette, Alan Willis and John Teague. We're finished with our RVICS assignment at Camp Hope in Dahlonega, GA. Our time there was great; we accomplished much and really enjoyed hanging out with our team of like-minded ice cream lovers. We also got to enjoy a wonderful outdoor Easter service and potluck meal with the nearby River Rocks Church. What a joy to celebrate our risen Savior with this welcoming and loving body of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! On Thursday evening, April 24 our team ventured back into Dahlonega for our final dinner out together. We finally got into Gustavo's restaurant after two earlier attempts when the restaurant was closed. I had their famous Stromboli and Karen ordered a Blue Cheese Salad. We shared both items and I have to admit, the Stromboli was excellent. Then it was off to Connie's on the Square for two scoops of ice cream on a waffle cone. Friday was departure day. We left the campground hook-ups after 10 AM heading for Chattanooga, Tennessee for our evening's destination. After a provisioning stop at Costco enroute to the Cracker Barrel restaurant, we stopped for the night. We did encounter some rain and traffic during our 2 plus hour drive along the way, but eventually got to the Cracker Barrel with enough time to have our pick of the best overnight spots. As is my practice, I enjoyed breakfast at the Cracker Barrel before departing that Saturday morning on our way to Nashville, Tennessee. We had reservations about an hour south of Nashville in Manchester, TN at the Beans Creek Winery, a Harvest Host venue on US 24. Karen and I enjoyed this low-key winery atmosphere and spent a good part of the afternoon tasting and talking wine with one of the owners, Tim Miles.

With Camp Hope as our base we have ventured out to explore the area around the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The first place we visited was the town of Dahlonega, which is located about 11 miles north of the campground. On Friday, April 4 we drove in for dinner at the GrapeVine's Italian Restaurant with familiar dishes served in a convivial relaxed neighborhood dining room. According to their website, "Site of the first major U.S. Gold Rush and the Heart of Georgia Wine Country, Dahlonega offers an authentic, mountain getaway only an hour north of Atlanta. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Dahlonega offers expansive mountain vistas, roaring waterfalls and bubbling streams, postcard-worthy wineries, and an abundance of entertainment." On Saturday afternoon we drove south to take in a baseball game at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves baseball team, at 7:15 PM. It took an hour to get there and we arrived early enough to explore the area around the ballpark and determined the best place to park the truck. We parked about a mile away from the stadium at a nearby shopping mall and walked to the ticket window at the stadium in about 30 minutes. Our 1/2 price tickets were behind the visiting team's dugout at press box level. Before entering the stadium complex we took in the sights and sounds of the surrounding restaurants and shops. Once the stadium was opened, we ventured in and walked the field level concourse seeing what kinds of food options that were available.  This statue was created and unveiled by Atlanta-based artist Ross Rossin. The statue captures the moment on April 8, 1974, at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's long-standing 714 career home-run record.  Behind the statue is a sculpture made of 755 baseball bats in honor of Aaron's career home-run total. A video screen plays an Aaron biography. Truist Park is a baseball stadium in the Atlanta metropolitan area, approximately 10 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta, in the unincorporated community of Cumberland in Cobb County, Georgia. Unlike the old Brave's home at Turner Field, Truist Park does not have a stand-alone Braves museum. However, a well-appointed space in the main concourse behind home plate called Monument Garden displays many highlights of franchise history. The focal point of Monument Garden is a statue of Hank Aaron. Other statues will be placed throughout the stadium. The bat and ball from his 715th home run are displayed in the Hank Aaron Terrace above left field. Opened in 2017, previously named SunTrust Park, the ballpark was renamed after SunTrust Bank became Truist Financial in 2020. We found our seats about an hour before game time and settled in for another professional baseball game. This was my 17th ballpark on my quest to visit all 30 professional stadiums in MLB. The game between the Miami Marlins and the Braves was a so-so affair and we decided to leave after the 7th inning and walk back to the truck. Monday morning, April 7 the men started working on installing vinyl laminate flooring in two of the girl's cabins. The women did some needed cleaning of lodge rooms, that included cleaning walls, vacuuming and carpet cleaning. The men completed the flooring assignment in three days and we broke up into two teams to tackle a water fountain installation by the camp pool and metal awning covers over four cabin porch extensions. By the end of Thursday, I was ready for a three day break from crawling around floors and climbing ladders. Friday was our team field trip day to the 173-acre Hardman Farm located in historic Sautee Nacoochee, just south of Helen, Georgia. It is best recognized by a gazebo-topped Indian mound and cow pasture. The house, built in 1870 by Captain James Nichols, is a grand example of Italianate architecture and was originally known as "West End" because it was at the west end of the Nacoochee Valley. We enjoyed a guide tour seeing the house, its 19th-century parlor and large dairy barn. The last owner was the family of Dr. Lamartine Hardman who was Governor of Georgia from 1927-1931. The Nacoochee Indian Mound is a burial site and was probably used long before the Cherokees inhabited the area. The Indian Mound with its little gazebo is one of the most recognized landmarks in Georgia. After our tour we drove into Helen, Georgia for lunch at the Old Bavarian Inn. I had a Sauerbraten dinner served with delicious Rotkohl red cabbage and Spätzle. "Das Essen war Bombe!" Helen is best known for its annual Oktoberfest festivities, when revelers dress in traditional attire, lederhosen and dirndls, while dancing to the polka and enjoying German food and drinks. Helen is a charming Bavarian town that brings German flavor to Northern Georgia. While the area is small and quaint, there are plenty of fun activities for couples, friends and the entire family, making it a great day trip destination or even a road trip stop.

We arrived at Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park in Jacksonville, Florida area after Karen's orthopedic appointment on Tuesday, March 25 and relaxed for two days before we began our journey to our next RVICS project in Dahlonega, Georgia. Karen's hip replacement is doing great, but her x-ray showed her other hip is going to have to be addressed by next year. So, it looks like we will be back in Jacksonville 2026 for the other hip replacement surgery in April. Same doctor, same facility and we started looking into where we will be camping out for about a month during that time. We're looking at getting a camping site at either Jacksonville Naval Air Station or Mayport Naval Base, but can't book it until September 2025. Both locations are ideally located close to her doctor and possible physical therapy locations. Next we transitioned to our journey to Camp Hope with the first stop scheduled an hour driving time at the Laural Island Links in Kingsland, Georgia. This would be the first of four different Harvest Host locations enroute. Opened in 1996, Laurel Island Links has unique natural features that make it play like no other golf course in Southeast Georgia. Magnificent marsh views complement the 18-hole links-style course – a Davis Love III signature design. We arrived early enough on Friday, March 28 to park our rig and later play nine holes of golf. Bill in the pro shop gave us our parking instructions and we settled in next to a beautiful pond on the edge of the parking lot. Played a 9 hole round of golf and later enjoyed some drinks and a generous portion of onion rings as an appetizer. Sidney, our server was very friendly and we enjoyed our time at the restaurant. It was a great night sleeping here. We will be back for another visit in the future. Saturday morning we departed and drove to 93 miles to Adamson Oaks Farm in Glennville, Georgia for one night. They have a very quaint Sheep & Alpaca Farm located in southeast Georgia where Ricki, the Harvest Host, grew up on the family's farm where they raised beef cattle & harvested pecans from their beautiful 100 year old Pecan Orchard. Ricki writes on the Harvest Host site, "Once my family got out of the cow business I decided it was too quiet and brought in sheep, alpacas & one goat! Our animals are like my children and are all incredibly spoiled. I absolutely love being able to work on our farm & create products for others to enjoy!" We originally planned on staying two nights, but the weather forecasted heavy thunderstorms for the area on Sunday afternoon. We were parked on a grassy field and needed to exit on dirt roads, so my concern was about getting stuck in potentially rain soaked ground. After attending a local church service, we departed just ahead of the bad weather. Our backup plan was to drive to a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Statesboro, Georgia, about 46 miles farther on our route. It was the right call because it poured down rain most of the way. We arrived around 3 PM in Statesboro and parked in a large parking lot between a movie theater complex and a Bruster's Real Ice Cream shop. My plan was to take a nap, get some ice cream and go to see "The Chosen, Last Supper, season 5 showing at the theater at 6 PM. After the movie, we moved to the Cracker Barrel parking lot for the night. Yeah, Baby!!! After a restful night at the Cracker Barrel we again hit the road for our next Harvest Host location heading northwest. The Scott Family Farm is an official Georgia AgriTourism farm raising honey bees and Christmas trees. The farm is located just south of Augusta, GA between Highway 25 and Highway 56. Stephanie and Randy Scott are the best; a very welcoming and lovely couple! They had all kinds of homemade goodies to purchase to support the farm. Homemade honey, cookies and gifts in their event barn. We stayed two nights on the property. It is a beautiful and peaceful venue; they even had water and 15 amp service available if needed. 130 miles and 2.5 hours on Wednesday, April 2 had us at the Costco in Athens, Georgia for the afternoon shopping and a quick bite to eat. A short 22 mile drive from there got us to our last Harvest Host in Jefferson, Georgia. Shields Ethridge Heritage Farm has been in existence since 1799, and has remained agriculturally productive. Over the course of the two centuries, the Shields and Ethridge families adapted to larger trends in upcountry Georgia agriculture from the first crops of tobacco to the planting of cotton and grains, and then cattle grazing. 'The story of the farm begins when our nation was new at the end of the 18th century and continues today as we celebrate the history and heritage of agriculture in northeast Georgia. Two hundred years of working the land, family growth, and technological progress shape what you see before you. From about 1899 to 1909 Ira Washington Ethridge constructed these buildings, transforming the farm into a bustling center of social and economic activity in Jackson County, Georgia. Today the farm complex is quiet and open for you exploration but take a moment to stop and imagine wagons rolling by, the smell of freshly plowed soil, and the hum of farm activity.' From this historic site we only had a short 39 mile drive to Camp Hope ouside of Dahlonega, Georgia. Camp Hope began in 1952 as a Summer Camp ministry to children and teenagers. As the program grew over the years the need was seen to expand the three-week schedule, being held at rented facilities, to accommodate more campers. In 1978 the current property was purchased and renovated to provide a facility for the camp ministry to grow. The facility is located on over 100 acres in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Activities include swimming, basketball, volleyball, softball, soccer, ping pong, boating, fishing, hiking, campfires, handcrafts, special outings, and great home-cooked meals. Camp Hope is operated by Christian Youth Camp, inc. which is overseen by a board of directors consisting of volunteers from independent, non-denominational churches. Finances for the camp are received from registration fees, which cover a portion of operating expenses, and gifts from the Lord’s people which cover the balance of operating expenses as well as capital expenditures for the facility. We are here with three other couples and one single making up our RVICS team. On Friday, April 4 we will have our first official team meeting to discuss our work assignments for the next three weeks while we are on the property.

Another road trip began on Friday, March 21 as we departed Smithville, Texas heading east. Some long driving days laid ahead as we travel to Florida. Karen has an appointment for her one year post-op hip replacement examination in the Jacksonville, Florida area on Tuesday, March 25. This was the route on Interstate 10 we are taking to Jacksonville, Florida. Friday we spent about six hours driving 333 miles, stopping for fuel and a wonderful meal of crawfish etouffe over angel hair pasta and grilled shrimp before arriving in Lafayette, Louisiana. We parked in the Cracker Barrel restaurant back parking lot for the night. The next morning was Karen's birthday and she enjoyed a relaxing morning. Saturday we drove the 217 miles in about 4 hours to Shepard State Park in Gautier, MS for the night. Shepard State Park has 395 acres abounding with trees and wild flowers, bike and nature trails, 38 developed campsites, restrooms and bathhouses, tent camping and picnicking and an 18-hole disc golf course. The park is nestled in the heart of Singing River (Pascagoula River) country, where legend has it that members of the Pascagoula Indian nation linked hands and walked into the Pascagoula River rather than be taken captive by hostile Indian tribes. The mournful death chant they sang as they walked earned the Pascagoula River the nickname “Singing River”. Tales of the heroic exploits of French and Spanish settlers and romantic legends of the Pascagoula and Biloxi Indians are standard fare in the scenic coastal area surrounding Shepard State Park. Sunday, March 23 we drove 254 miles into the Florida panhandle and about 4 hours later we arrived at the Eastbank Campgound in Bainbridge, GA. Eastbank Campground is located on Lake Seminole on the Georgia-Florida state line and in the eastern time zone. The lake and surrounding area provide a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities for fishing, camping, boating, picnicking, hiking, biking and birding. Eastbank Campground is a beautifully appointed Army Corps of Engineers facility and a definite do over. This water-front campsite is $14 a night with our America the Beautiful Senior Lifetime pass. Monday afternoon we arrived at Blu By U Farms, a Harvest Host site. for two days just outside of Jacksonville, Florida. This will be one of our two base camps while we are in the area for Karen's appointment. The farm, formerly Veterans Farm, was started in 2010 with the Blueberry bushes in 20 gallon containers and wide rows so the Veterans could maintain them easier in their wheelchairs and scooters, etc. Blu By U purchased the farm in August 2015 off of Craigslist. Blu By U farm located at Long Branch Road has a Jacksonville address and is located in Clay County with the post office in Baldwin, FL and the town of Maxville just at the end of the road. Blu By U Farm has 8 acres surrounded by an 8ft tall fence around the perimeter, to keep the deer and other animals out, with the Blueberry field on 3 acres within the 8 acres. The farm has expanded its property lines over the years up to 20.5 acres including a wooded area that they are looking into putting cabins in the woods for campers. The farm also consists of a 1/4 acre pond, two 70ft long greenhouses, 2 deep wells for irrigation and a house/office that was built between 1870 and 1905 which was moved to the location in the 1950’s. Modern conveniences have been added including a kitchen, 2 bathrooms and storage room. ​Blu By U Blueberry Farm opens every year during April and May for about 4 to 5 weeks, so anybody can come and pick their own blueberries. They also sell Blueberry plants in 1 gallon containers and 3 gallon containers, local honey from Apiaries located on the west side of Jacksonville, FL. The bees are brought out to the farm for pollination before the picking season. The farm also sells locally made soy candles and goats milk soap bars provided by Inspired by Light which works with Teen Challenge. I purchased some Blueberry cobbler and jam to enjoy. They also have Blueberry recipe books, other snacks and drinks for sale. The RV sites are spacious, located between rows of newly planted fruit trees. Will, the manager here, told us that they are adding more electricity, water and an eventual dump station to the venue. Monday night was quiet, only interrupted by periodic braying of one of the donkeys on the farm. Tuesday morning we were awakened by the distant sound of one of the property's roosters. This is a very affordable and comfortable place to stay in the Jacksonville area which we will take advantage of again in the future. Billy was very friendly and loved our attention. He followed us around the entire corral enclosure supervising our encounter.