Category Archives: Travel

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The Last Sunset

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Tonight we are at the Westfield KOA, NY. We took our time today and by the time we got this far it was just too far to go to get home at a decent hour, so we stopped in at this lovely site on Lake Erie. This is the end of this adventure — we should be home tomorrow afternoon.

We left Pigeon Forge after lunch on Monday and got as far as Renfro Valley, Kentucky before stopping at the KOA.The drive was hot and uneventful, as was the next day, when we drove through to Columbus, Ohio. The traffic was heavy when we arrived in the outskirts of the city and there were some very rude drivers on the road.  When we were driving in the right-hand lane, passing an exit ramp, a woman in a van to our left suddenly decided she was going to go off at that exit. She pulled in front of us and stopped dead in our lane because the exit ramp was already full.  She waved her hands at the driver of the car beside us, motioning him to back off and let her in! What nerve! It’s a good thing that Jim had already slowed down to a crawl because of the already slow moving traffic (turned out that there was an accident up ahead, causing the jam). So many people don’t realize the weight of a 32′ motor home, pulling a bike on a trailer.  We can’t stop on a dime!

We enjoyed a great meal at The Cracker Barrel and didn’t feel like going any further, so with the permission of the manager we set up for the night in the parking lot. There was some shade and we were the only ones in the large lot after the restaurant closed at 9:00 pm. At 9:30, just when we were thinking of going to bed, a semi pulled up right beside us, left his engine running and his lights all on, including his signal lights, and crawled into his sleeper cab and went to sleep! If you’ve ever been parked next to one of these for any length of time, you know all about the many loud noises they make.  If he had to nap there, could he have not at least had the consideration to go to the other side of the lot? We debated about pulling out and trying the Walmart lot instead, but I was too tired.  We were thankful to hear him leave an hour later.

Tonight, after a dinner of left overs, we  took a walk to the park across from the campsite to capture some pictures of the sunset over Lake Erie.

Sunset over Lake Erie

Last Sunset of This Adventure

Sunset over Lake Erie

Sunset over Lake Erie, Westfield, NY

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Sunday in Dollywood, Yes, we went to Dollywood

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I was looking forward to going to Dollywood, just to see what it was all about, but I really doubted that we would need the two-day pass offered for half price at the KOA office. We bought it anyway. Once again I had a preconceived idea of what it would be like, especially after seeing the main drag of Pigeon Forge — glitzy and loud.  Again, I was surprised, this time, pleasantly.

Almost at the door of our campground, we boarded the Trolley car that travels around the town, picking up people and delivering them to the various tourist venues. The cost, just 50 cents per person each way! It wasn’t worth putting on gear and taking the bike up the hill for that price.  Besides, it was threatening rain, and we did get some during the morning.  That meant not such a crowd of people and no long waits to get into things.

Trolley

Trolley

There are no flashing lights, nor garish billboards at Dollywood, and it’s located well off the local streets so doesn’t create a distraction. Dolly has done it up very tastefully, making use of  naturally treed land,and various artifacts from the days of her childhood. The  price of tickets is much less than what we’d have to pay at Canada’s Wonderland, or Disney World, and it’s not all about rides and carnival games.

Welcome

Welcome, to Dollywood

Our first stop, after grabbing a coffee at the Sandwich and Pastry Shop, was The Front Porch, a covered outdoor theatre area extended from the front porch stage of the replica house where Dolly was born. For a half hour we enjoyed listening to the sweet harmonies of Dolly’s Uncle Billy Owens, her cousins and niece, accompanied by Dolly’s Family Reunion Band.

Dolly's Family Reunion Band

Dolly’s Family Reunion Band

From there we walked to the train station to catch a ride around the park on train, pulled by an original coal-fired steam engine. Jim especially enjoyed listening to the whistle tunes played by the engineer.

Steam Train

Steam Train

When we disembarked, we took a ride on the authentic looking, although synthetic, old style carousel at the Country Fair. It didn’t matter that we were the only adults that had no children to accompany 🙂

There were only two things at the park that cost extra. The first one, of course, was food, and that was expensive — $21.00 for two pulled pork sandwiches with a small bag of potato chips and one ice tea for lunch. The rain had finally stopped by the time we finished eating and we strolled down to the Wilderness Pass, where the roller coasters, zip lines and a few other challenges were located. The Wild Eagle looked like a “must do!” Up we went, and down we went, hanging on for dear life and enjoying every minute of it. I can’t believe I’m saying that, since even as a child and up to the time of my mid-life turnaround, I would never go near anything more “scary” than a Ferris wheel! At Timber Canyon we survived another roller coaster ride called Thunderhead. It was at first easy until we were suddenly plunging head first into a coal mine shaft! Yikes! It was as rough ride and not nearly as much fun as the Wild Eagle. We asked about doing the Zip Line, but since there was an extra charge of $30.00 per person, we passed.

Wild Eagle

Wild Eagle

Wild Eagle

Wild Eagle,Flying off the edge

There are lots of little shops and restaurants in the park, but we went into only one shop — Dolly’s Closet, a ladies clothing and accessories shop, where I expected the quality items to be much more pricey than they were.

We toured the Chasing Rainbows Museum, and hoped to get a peak inside Dolly’s touring bus, but it wasn’t open that day. There were a few things that we could have gone back to see and it would have been nice to listen to some more music, but by five o’clock we’d had enough and caught the trolley back to camp, sticking to our original plan to leave on Monday. It was another great day.

Village Square

Village Square, Dollywood

One of Many Ponds

One of Many Ponds

Tonight, Monday, we are at another KOA at Renfro Valley, Kentucky, on our way home.

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Pigeon Forge and Deals Gap

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Although I promised to tell you about Tarpon Springs in my next post, I’ve decided to leave that and Atlanta for future posts, and bring you up to where we are this weekend, since it may well be our last interesting stop. The days are counting down to the date that we need to be home, so there won’t be much more time for being tourists.

Yesterday, Friday June 8th, we arrived at the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee KOA campgrounds late in the afternoon. The day had been much cooler than the few days before and the drive was pleasant. But when we arrived here we were hit with more heat and humidity and high air pollution.  There is lots of traffic in Pigeon Forge these days. After a quick dinner in the RV we hopped on the bike and did a tour of the downtown area. This is my first time here. It’s not at all what I expected! There is an Historic Area where there is a beautiful old flour mill and an old fashioned General Store.  We enjoyed an ice cream cone at the Creamery, and took some beautiful evening photos in this area before returning to the main street.

Flour Mill, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Flour Mill, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Flour Mill, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Mill Power Dam

Mill Power Dam

Mill Power Dam

Main Street, Pigeon Forge is a  completely different world. If Las Vegas is Tinsel Town, then this has to be Tacky Town. There are no gambling casinos, but there are just as many lights and signs flashing everywhere. It could be a fun  place to spend the weekend with kids, or be a kid yourself if you have money to spare.  There is no shortage of go-cart tracks or entertainment halls, or flashy hotels. There is an area of carnival rides, and a House of Magic. Even King Kong can be seen watching over the strip.

Go-Kart Racing, Pigeon Forge

Go-Kart Racing, Pigeon Forge

Go-Kart Racing, Pigeon Forge

Go-Kart Racing, Pigeon Forge

King Kong Takes Pigeon Forge

King Kong Takes Pigeon Forge

It was an interesting evening, but today, Saturday was much more our kind of day. We were up early and on the bike by nine o’clock, on our way to Deals Gap. The bikers reading this will know what this is all about.  For those who aren’t familiar, Deals Gap is a stretch of road that claims 318 turns in its eleven mile length, a biker’s dream run. People come from all over the USA and Canada, just to do the “Tail of the Dragon”, as it is also dubbed.

The air was clear and fresh, as we journeyed along Hwy 441 towards Cherokee. Once out of town the road began to gently twist and turn beneath the tree canopy through Smokey Mountain National Park. It was exhilarating. You can’t really experience such a ride from a car or certainly a motor home, the way you can on a motor cycle, the smell of fresh air, the colours, the wind on your face. We made several stops to take pictures of the smokey mountain range and it was nearly lunch time before we reached Cherokee. There we took time to stroll through the Cherokee Voices Festival, chatting with various native crafts people who were demonstrating their crafts, before filling up both the bike and our stomachs in preparation for the rest of the journey. It was still another hour ride before we reached the beginning of our destination — Deals Gap.

Smokey Mountain National Park, Tennessee

Smokey Mountain National Park, Tennessee

Smokey Mountain National Park, Tennessee

Smokey Mountain National Park, Tennessee

On our Way to Deals Gap

On our Way to Deals Gap

Native Potter, Cherokee Voices Festival

Native Potter, Cherokee Voices Festival

Basket Weaver, Cherokee Voices Festival

Basket Weaver, Cherokee Voices Festival

Elder Potter, Cherokee Voices Festival

Elder Potter, Cherokee Voices Festival

When we finally reached Deals Gap and the beginning of the Tail of the Dragon run, we found ourselves among many, many bikers. Thankfully today, there were no fools riding, at least not that we know about. Sadly, there have been many lives lost on this route because of careless riders who want to see how fast they can do it.  The curves and road grades require respect. We took our time and enjoyed the ride.

Deals Gap

Deals Gap

Tree of Shame

Tree of Shame. Foolishness is not encouraged. These bikes didn’t make it.

Caution at Deals Gap

Caution at Deals Gap

Enjoying the ride on The Tail of the Dragon

Enjoying the ride on The Tail of the Dragon

We were exhausted by the time we arrived back at camp at five in the afternoon, but it was an amazing trip.

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Last Few Days in Florida

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There wasn’t too much to blog about during the last week in Punta Gorda, as our time was spent mainly relaxing in the pool, or catching up on email business.  We did take my sister on a day trip to Marco Island for a tour down memory lane. She’d spent a week there forty years ago and for some reason wanted to see if she could find the house that she’d stayed in.  If you enjoy looking at grandeur and seeing how the wealthy live, then Marco Island is the place to go. Although I got a few photos, it isn’t a place that I would go to again, and the five hour trip proved to be not what my sister expected.  We did find the street where she’d stayed, but the house had either been renovated beyond recognition, or had been torn down and replaced. The water front avenues now are lined with huge mansions or high-rise condominiums, most gated and preventing public access to the beach.

This past Monday, we all went on another road trip, this time to Miami where my sister had a day of hospital tests booked for the next day.  We arrived early in the afternoon so had enough time for some shopping and an excursion to Miami Beach. That’s a funky place with it’s renovated retro style restaurants and outdoor cafes and lots of colourful people!

Miami Beach

Interesting drinks! None of us was up to trying one.

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Main Drag, Miami Beach

Retro Renovations

Retro Renovations, Miami

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We stayed at the Springhill Suites Marriott Hotel in Miami and we were all impressed with the cleanliness, the very accommodating staff, and the large modern rooms at a very reasonable price. I would highly recommend it.

Jim and I had Tuesday to ourselves, but it was too hot to be outdoors for any length of time so we took refuge in the massive Dolphin Mall for a few hours. After a light lunch and a yummy dish of gelato, we took a drive through “Little Havana”, a stroll down memory lane for Jim as it reminded him of his trip to Cuba many years ago.

Little Havana Architecture

Little Havana Architecture

Little Havana

Little Havana

Little Havana

Little Havana

We were back in Punta Gorda in time to pick up the RV (we found out that with a permit it could be parked in the driveway for up to a week) and started to get ready for our departure on Wednesday. We’d planned to make it into Georgia by Wednesday night, but by the time we got away and then decided to make a side trip into Tarpon Springs, we didn’t get quite to Ocala!

Tarpon Springs was worth the time. I’ll tell you more in the next post.

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Sunny Sunday in Punta Gorda

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Sunday was “another crappy day in Paradise”, as Jim likes to say. tongue in cheek.

It was another beautiful day in Punta Gorda.  We started the day by accompanying Marilyn to her church — Faith Lutheran Church. We’ve been there with her before and always found it very welcoming. This day the pastor proudly announced that the outside murals had been completed. Apparently a parishioner had made a generous donation with the stipulation that the walls of the church tower be adorned with murals. A local artist, who has done many other mural around Punta Gorda, was commissioned to do the work. The pastor and his committee spent many hours designing and deliberating over the proper messages to be included.

Mural, Faith Lutheran Church, Punta Gorda

Mural, Faith Lutheran Church, Punta Gorda

The result turned out beautifully.

Mural, Faith Lutheran Church, Punta Gorda

The other view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After church, we went to the local Farmer’s Market for some lovely fresh produce.

Pepper Varieties

Pepper Varieties

 

 

One stall sold a variety of plants. It was so busy, I was unable to get close enough to ask what this interesting plant was. Does anyone recognize it?

Interesting Pllant

Does anyone know what this is?

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Punta Gorda From a Different Point of View

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Yesterday we were out running some errands and returned just as the people who use my sister Marilyn’s boat lift arrived. They were going out for a boat ride and asked if we’d like to join them. Of course Jim and I said “We’d love to!” Marilyn was tired so bowed out in favour of a nap.

We puttered out through the canals, viewing the vast estates on either side, until we were out in the open waters of Charlotte Harbour. We’ve been to Fishermen’s Village many times, but this time we saw it from a different point of view. Once past there and the very shallow waters near shore, Bob opened the engine up and we were off. It was another very hot day so the wind in our hair felt wonderful. For nearly an hour we traversed the waterway, watching pelicans dive for fish and hoping for a glimpse of dolphins.  Although one young woman aboard said she saw a few in the distance, they disappeared too quickly for the rest of us to catch a glance.

Light House Home, Punta Gorda Isles

Light House Home, Punta Gorda Isles

 

Fishermen's Village, Punta Gorda, Florida

Fishermen’s Village, Punta Gorda, Florida

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob pointed out the red roofs of downtown Punta Gorda as we made our way back. Back at the dock it was interesting to see just how much more work it is to go for a boat ride in salt water. Once we were all off board except Captain Bob, the hoist was turned on to lift the boat out of the water.  While he waited for this to be done, Bob refastened all of the curtains into place to enclose the back of the boat. When the boat was in place, the engine had to be turned on and fresh water from an on-shore hose was run through it to wash out the salt water. We then all held our breath as Bob stepped cautiously onto the little aluminum later and then down onto the dock.

Our Ride, back on hoist

Our Ride, back on hoist

 

 

Later in the evening, after our usual swim in the pool followed by a great dinner prepared by Marilyn, we enjoyed a spectacular light show provided by Mother Nature. We did jump a few times when the thunder clapped loudly and the lightning seemed to hit very, very close to us!

Ominous Sky

Ominous Sky

Thunder Clouds Moving In

Thunder Clouds Moving In

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Punta Gorda

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Punta Gorda Florida is a beautiful place, even after the  vast devastation during Hurricane Charley in 2004. There are still empty lots where houses once stood, but those have been cleaned up and now appear as just green space.

The area where my sister lives is called Punta Gorda Isles. It features a number of canals running through the “back yards” of the lovely homes, and converging to run into the Peace River at Charlotte Harbour. Most homes have boat lifts and some impressive boats hoisted on them,  out of the destruction of the salt water when they aren’t in use.

The scene from my sister’s sun room

Another View

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a photographer’s paradise, with the various types of Palms and other trees showing off their blooms, sparkling calm water ways and pink sunsets. Although I’ve yet to experience it, I’m told that dolphins can sometimes be seen playing in the canals too.

Flowering Palm

This time of year the temperatures climb a little higher than is really comfortable for us non-residents, but there is always the pool to cool us off, and every home, store and restaurant is well air-conditioned. Speaking of stores and restaurants, there are enough here to meet everyone’s needs.

The Pool

One thing to remember though, if you happen to be visiting someone here and are coming by motor home or pulling a trailer, you can’t park either one in the driveway or on an empty lot. We moved the motor home on Wednesday; when we got back we found a ticket on the door saying that we could not leave the little motorcycle trailer where it was, pulled up close to the house, nearly hidden by the bike!  My sister had to remove her car from the garage so we could put the trailer in there.  Just to be safe, we put the bike in too. 🙂 That turned out just as well; we had a thunder storm last night.

If the weather stays clear tonight, we will probably go to listen to the music in the park.

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An Uneventful Day in Paradise (Monday, May 21)

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The sun was bright and hot already when we left Savannah. We pushed on through, stopping only for gas and to make lunch at a rest area, and a quick stop at a little shop that sold freshly made jams, jellies and other condiments. Jim was hoping for ice cream, but they had none, so we settled for bottles of Peach Cider.

We were ready to jump into the pool when we arrived at my sister’s in Punta Gorda Florida at 6:00 pm.

We had to park the RV a few blocks away, where my sister still owns a modular home, but it wouldn’t fit in her driveway so we left it in an empty lot.  Don’t know if that’s allowed or not!

 

Tuesday:  We found out this morning that it’s not! We had to look for a storage site, which we found for $35, and have to have it moved before the end of the day.

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Mini-Pity Party (Sunday, May 20)

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Sunday dawned sunny and bright. However, we were not to get through the day without a few more challenges and these didn’t involve golf.

When I opened the fridge to get out food for breakfast, I noticed that things just didn’t seem to be very cold.  I checked the freezer; everything was thawed! Great! For some reason the electricity to the fridge wasn’t working, and we still had no propane so couldn’t even switch it over.  Jim flicked some switches and miraculously got it going, but we had only a couple of hours for things to cool down again before we’d have to unplug it. Should I throw everything out? I decided to leave it for then and deal with the food as we needed it.

So we unhooked everything else, locked everything down and hooked the bike trailer up. Some neighbours came running to help with the loading of the bike, which was appreciated, but unnecessary. Finally, we were off. The plan was to go back to Costco to fill up the RV gas tank, since they had the best price around, and grab a hotdog there (it was already nearing lunch time). Then we would look for the nearest Camping World to get the propane tank filled.  Jim thought that he’d read on the website that they did that. It sounded like a good plan, but we hadn’t gotten very far down the highway when we began to smell something hot. Soon Jim noticed that the brakes weren’t working as well as they should! He pumped them and we crept along to Costco, filled up with gas and then pulled over to check things out.  The brake fluid drum was full, so that wasn’t the problem.  After sitting awhile, and pumping the brakes many more time, and creeping around the parking lot, Jim figured it was safe enough to get us to Camping World which was only five minutes away. I was still feeling calm and positive. But when we got to Camping World and found out that they neither fill propane tanks, nor do brake repairs, I was suddenly overcome and had to give in to a pity party, that took away my interest in looking through the store. I allowed it only ten minutes, though.  We got back into the RV and started down Hwy 17 south, keeping an eye out for somewhere to fill the propane tank. The brakes seemed to be alright again. We came across a small machinery rental shop that had a propane tank outside.  The sign said “closed” but there were a couple of men outside so we took a chance.  They were closed, but took pity on us and filled the tank for us. The day turned around after that. Jim concluded that as long as he didn’t do any hard braking, the brakes worked fine, so he just had to keep an eye open so he wouldn’t have to make any sudden stops. I had probably caused the problem by pushing down too hard on the brake pedal when Jim was checking the lights before we left the campsite. The sun was shining hot. We made one more stop, to eat lunch at a Bob Evans’, and then didn’t look back. We crossed into Georgia at about 7:30. We parked at a Walmart in Savannah at 8:30.

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Making the Most of our Last Day in Myrtle Beach (Sat. May 19)

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The day started out cool and cloudy, but we had no rain. We took the bike back to Barefoot Landing one more time, this time to the Kite Store to sort out a problem with the payment for a pin wheel that we’d bought the day before. From there we searched out the local Costco to sample some of the different items that aren’t available in Canadian stores.  We had lunch, but bought only one item – a new GPS; yes the old one bit the dust. ): Walmart was in the same area, so we went in there too, to pick up an electric skillet, before we headed back towards the campground. It was three o’clock by then, and we had tickets for the Carolina Oprey at 7:00 pm, but we had time to stop at Mt. Atlanticus to play a round of miniature golf. It was a close game, but Jim crept past me on the last hole to win. By the time we were done, we had time to only rush back to the RV, unload the bike, brush our teeth and head off again to the Oprey.

Atlanticus Mini-Golf

Must have made the shot!

Atlanticus Mini-Golf

Yes, we played to the top!

Atlanticus Mini-Golf

Beautiful Course

 

 

 

 

 

Atlanticus Mini-Golf

Now who’s smiling?

 

 

The Carolina Oprey isn’t quite what I’d expected it to be – all country type of music.  It was, however, another excellent music and comedy variety show, featuring many former American Idol top contenders. A nice end to our visit.