Saturday, July 23

Today's the last day of part 1 of our "Aging HippieTour".  Part 2 will take us to NewFoundland, not exactly sure when we'll be leaving...probably the 2nd week in August.

We had a wonderful blueberry pancake breakfast on Rosemary and Bill's porch before heading out.  Our only stop on our final leg back to Sugar Hill was in Glastonbury, CT, only about 70 miles from Pleasanville.  We arrived at Nick and Chetty's apartment at 11:30. They just purchased a new home and their closing on it next Friday, so they're very excited.

They drove us by their new home, by Chetty's parent's home, which are all close by.  We visited the stables and fed Chetty's horses and donkeys before feeding ourselves at a fantastic Mexican restaurant very close to their new home.  If I lived there I'd make it a weekly routine.

Saying goodbye to Nick and Chetty at 2:15, we headed home, arriving in Sugar Hlll at 7:20 pm with 3054 miles on our camper van.  What a great trip...but as Dorothy said, "there's no place like home."

Thursday, July 21 & Friday, July 2

Got up early, 6:30 AM, and on the road by 7:45 so that we could finish our auto tour before the temp hit's the expected 90's.  Joni's research directed us to a great bakery for morning coffee and rolls, then we resumed our auto tour, thank you Betsy,  at the National Cemetery were Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.  Many unmarked graves, and those that were known were arranged by states.  I may be wrong, but it seemed like there were only Union soldiers buried there.  

Leaving the cemetery we drove to the center of town and toured the David Wills home where Lincoln stayed the night before he delivered the address.  Wills was hired by Governor Curtin of Pennsylvania to create a cemetery for all soldiers who were buried helter skelter after the battle.   He was also in charge of creating the ceremony to dedicate the cemetery.  He invited Edward Everett from Massachusetts to give the keynote speech, and invited Lincoln as a formal courtesy, but he did not expect him to accept.  Everett spoke for two hours, and Lincoln for just two minutes, 10 sentences. 

The Wills home is preserved as it was the night Lincoln stayed there, they still have the exact bed he slept in.  Apparently Presidents rarely left Washington in those days, so it was a huge honor for Wills to have Lincoln accept.  Everett on the other hand was very well known as an orator, and was also the unsuccessful VP candidate in 1860.  Clearly he and Lincoln were not buds.

Leaving Gettysburg we headed to Lancaster, about 50 miles to the east.  Stopped for some photos of my old friend JT's boyhood home.  Boy has it change from farmland to suburbia, in a mere 40+ years.  

After a few pix, which we texted to JT, we had lunch at a brew pub in Lancaster; one of our best meals.  The warm pretzels with a mustard sauce for an app were amazing; the best we've ever had!  (Sorry Shilling's).  Joni even raved about them and she doesn't even like pretzels.

From Lancaster we headed east for a driving tour of the Amish farm country, going through the towns of Paradice, Intercouse, White Horse, and Bird in Hand.  We skipped Blue Balls, but yes, those are their real names.  Once we got onto the back roads we saw lots of horse drawn carriages; more be driven by women than men.  The rolling farm country was beautiful.  Corn fields and dairy farms were the most common.  Every property seemed very tidy.

We then headed straight back to our campground in the Pine Grove Furnace State Park, 50+ miles away and 90+ minutes due to vey heavy traffic.  (total mileage for today=216 miles).  Our only stop was for hand dipped ice cream in Amish country.  We arrived back at our campground around 6:15, giving us plenty of time for a relaxing evening.

This is the remains of the furnace that gives our campground, the Pine Grove Furnace State Park, it's name.  Looks a lot like the furnace in Franconia.

Friday, July 23

Got up early, packed all our gear and were on the road by 8:30 heading east, first stop, Morrisville, Pennsyvania, to view the home where my grandparents lived.  I have many fond memories of this house, mys sister and I always looked forward to those visits, so I was very anxious to see it again.  Probably haven't been there since the early 80's when my grandmother finally had to move out and into a nursing home in St. Louis.

We arrived right at noon, I took a few pictures; the house looked great as did the neighborhood.  Their home was built in 1920, and was actually a planned development at the time. 

Leaving Morrisvile, we headed north along the Delaware and stopped for lunch at Bowman's Tavern, which was located in New Hope.  New Hope is a very artsy town.  It's home to a summer playhouse where many Broadway bound shows try out.  It was a favorite dining area for my grandmother.

From New Hope, we crossed the Delaware, heading for Pleasantviille, New York, to spend the night with our. Friends Bill. And Rosemary Carlough.  They have a beautiful home built in 1830 which was originally a school.  

Bill and Rosemary gave us a driving tour of their town, which conincidentlly includes Frank Lloyd Wright's affordable housing project, Usonia, which is very close to the Carloughs. We then drove to. The neighboring town of Chapaqua, where Bill and Hilary Clinton live.  Their street is very normal for the area, but we couldn't see their house at all due to a very tall fence and three secret service Chevy Suburban's that were parked right in front of. It.  

Bill and Rosemary prepared a wonderful dinner for us which we enjoyed on their porch well into the late hours of the evening. 

Wednesday, July 20

We started today visiting Dwight D. Eisenhower's farm in Gettysburg which Ike willed to the Park Service when he died in 1969.  Ike purchased the property in 1950, when he was the military chief of NATO.  He and his wife, Mamie, had lived in over 30 different locations since they married, and this was actually the first home they purchased.  Although he was born in Texas and grew up in Kansas, Ike developed his love of this area when he visited Gettysburg for training exercises while he was at West Point.  One of the Eisenhowers' best friends also had recently purchased a farm there, so that's where they decided to settle once he retired from the Army.  

Ike's practice green.  The tour guide said he played 800 rounds of golf while President.

Their farm is kept in the same condition it was when they last occupied it, so it was filled with dated items; especially noticeable in the kitchen & bathrooms. Mamie remained there another ten years after Ike's death until her death in the late 70's.  It was fascinating to see all the momentous they had collected from so many heads of state from the 40's & 50's, but all in all it was really just farmhouse with lots of family photos and some special modifications for the secret service.

One of the presentations we viewed at the farm was WWII related, and it focused on all the equipment that was issued to a soldier who landed in Normandy.  It was fascinating and it included everything:  underwear, k-rations, gas mask, rifle, inflatable life vest, ammunition, etc.  All in all it amounted to over 100 lbs. of gear!  

Leaving Ike's farm at 2 pm we took the shuttle bus back to the visitors center, had a quick lunch in the cafeteria, and then started our audio tour of the batlefields.  Thanks to Betsy Bray, we had audio tour that explained in detail every spot in the National Military Park.  It was fascinating, and although it went over a lot of what we heard yesterday on the bus tour, there is so much information to grasp that it was well worth it. For me it has always been difficult to understand battle strategies, so actually see the land where the fighting took place made it come alive.

Equestrian statue of Robert E. Lee, taken from Seminary Hill looking toward Cemetery Hill, the scene of Picket's Charge.

We continued the tour until about 5 pm, and then headed to a grocery store for dinner supplies.  We'll finish our tour of the battlefields and cemetery where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg address tomorrow.

Dinner was burgers and fresh local corn, washed down with our last two "Two Hearted Ales" from the UP.  For dessert; coffee or tea with a few Pepridge Farm Chessmen.  A great camping meal.

 

Monday, July 18 & Tuesday, July 19

Tuesday:

Visited the Gettysburg National Battlefield Park today.  It's part of our National Park System, and it didn't disappoint.  They have done an amazing job keeping the battlefields the same as they were in 1863.  You really get a feel for what it was like.  Even the weather cooperated, recreating the 89 degrees that the soldiers endured in their wool uniforms.

Confederate cannons on Seminary Ridge, these were used to pound the Union Army prior to Picket's Charge

View from Little Roundtop

General Warren, the "Hero of Little Roundtop"

View from Seminary Ridge toward Litltle and Big Roundtops

We took a two hour bus tour, followed by a one hour movie and cyclorama reenactment of the Picket's Charge, which was on the third and last day of the battle.  There's so much to take in so I'm really glad we have two more full days here.  It's hard not to see the parallels between America in 1863 and today.  One of the issues during Lincoln's election in 1860 was the concern by white's that if Lincoln freed the slaves there would be more competition for jobs.  I think Lincoln would be shocked by the Republican Party of 2016.

We left the park at 5 pm, filled up our car with one of the gas cards that the Lakeway teachers gave me, and are now sitting in a laundramat, washing our clothes, and using their free wifi to find a good restaurant for dinner.

Monday:

Sunday night was a hot one, and unpredictably it rained, so we had some soggy items to put away, which made our packing a little more complicated.  We decided to skip breakfast so that we could get on the road faster and by 8:45 we were on our way, heading to Gettysburg, which was 400+ miles from our campground in Ohio's Mt. Gilead State Campground.  

Traffic was much heavier, lots and lots of trucks, all of whom passed us as I kept our Eurovan at an engine and gas saving pace of 60 mph.  I discovered that 60 mph is a lot less stressful too, and now that I'm retired, what's the rush?

We broke up the drive with a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater house that he designed for the Kauffman family.  The home is in the town of Mill Run, about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, where the Kauffman's successfully owned and operated a Macy's like department store.  This area, like so much of Pennsylvania, is covered in beautiful rolling hills and very prosperous looking farms.  The epitome of serenity.

We took a guided 2 hour tour of Falling Water, and it was worth every penny of the $27 fee.  The home is not gigantic by Newport mansion standards.  

Wright's intent was to make the home one with nature, and he scaled halls, doors, ceilings, and windows according to the average 1930 male who was 5'8".  Every element of the home's design, including the furniture, is intended to guide your eye to the nature.  We loved it.  It was one of those life moments where you say to yourself, "I can't believe we are looking at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater!"

It is probably snobby to note that the tourists at Fallingwater, we're definitely from a different socio/economic subgroup than those at Osgood's Bear Farm.  Nevertheless both are worth visiting!

We left Fallingwater after 5 pm, with another 200 miles to go before arriving at our campsite around 8:30 PM, in the Pine Grove Furnace State Park, which is about 30 minutes from  Gettsyburg.  The Applachain Trail passes right through this park and there's even an AT museum here which we hope to explore.

The campsites were very clean, spacious, and surrounded  by tall pine, and quiet.  Mid week camping makes a difference...a nice luxury of being retired that we'll have to remember for future trips.

 

Sunday, July 17

Big travel day.  We left Michigan after 12 great days of camping and sightseeing with our wonderful guides, Wendy and Carl.  On the road by 8:40, and 9 hours, 3 stops, and 392 miles of corn fields later we arrived at Mt. Gilead State Park, which is in the middle of Ohio.  

One of the highlights of today's drive was our lunch stop just outside Ann Arbor; we got to eat at Steak N Shake, my favorite fast food chain growing up in St. Louis.

Compared our camground in Interlochen which had over 400 sites, this one is tiny, just 56.  Not a lot of privacy, but the bathroom, showers, and even laundry room are spotless.  We learned that they were just installed in May.  Clean facilities are very much appreciated when you're into your third week of camping.

We had a quiet dinner at our campsite, a salad with chicken, and some fine French Rose, and we're now listening to the Sox game, thanks to the MLB app on my iPhone.  

Saturday, July 16

Our last full day in Michigan; hard to believe we've been here for 11 days already!

Today we toured the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore which is located on the Leelanau Peninsula, northwest of Traverse City.  The weather could not have been better today; blue skies, very light breeze, and temps in the low 70's.

Our first stop was in the town of Frankfurt where Joni and Wendy picked up some Petoskey Stone necklaces at a local craft fare.  Thes stone contain fossils that are over 350 million years old.  Wendy found another Petoskey Stone on the beach in front of Point Betsie lighthouse.

Our next stop was Point Betsie lighthouse which is the most photographed lighthouse in Michigan...clearly it deserves that distinction.  

We then drove into the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a beautiful area much like Cape Cod's National Seashore, except the dunes are even bigger with some cliffs over 400 feet in height!  There were lots of tourists, which is understandable; it was a beautiful Saturday in the middle of July, but the crowds really didn't impact our enjoyment of the natural beauty of this area.

There were multiple viewing areas throughout the park where we able to look down from the tops of some of the dunes onto Lake Michigan and across to the two Manitou Islands which were according to Indian legend were originally sleeping bears.

This peninsula is also cover with cherry farms and wineries, but our focus today was on the National Lakeshore area.  Leaving the park we stopped for lunch in the village of Glen Arbor and then continued up along the coastline to the charming village of Leland whose harbor is filled with charter fishing boats.  

From Leland. We started our return to home base, traveling east through the very upscale town of Sutton's Bay, and then south along the eastern edge of this peninsula through Traverse City and eventually reaching our campground in Interlochen around 4 pm.

Friday, July 15

I'm having trouble remembering what day it is...that's what happens after two weeks of vacation/retirement!

We went out for breakfast at a nearby cafe, and then toured Traverse City.  Carl's grandparents lived, here, and his parents are both buried here, so he has many, many memories.  We saw Carl;s grandparents' home, and the hotel where Carl worked as a bell boy for two summers while he was in college.  Traverse City is really beautiful area with both natural and architectural beauty.  Incredible homes from the early 1920's that are still perfectly maintained today.

Cloudy and cold today, high's in the low 60's, so we thought it was a perfect day to tour some of the wineries that are throughout the Traverse City area.  

Considering the terror attack that just occurred in Nice, we felt it was our way to show support for the French.  Like Provence, this area is covered in vineyards and fruit farms.  We spent the day driving up and down both sides of the Old Mission Peninsula which is the home to over 9 different wineries. 

At most of the vineyards they charge $3 to sample six wines of your choice.  I tried to remember to spit it out after each sample, but I forgot a lot. 

I really don't understand the language of wines; so all the detailed descriptions are pretty meaningless.  My wine vocab includes:  dry, sweet, red, white, and rose...that's about it.  It was hard to pretend I understood what the servers were saying, and at first I was even fighting back laughter (thinking of the scenes in Sideways.  But it was really a lot of fun and the coastal scenery was incredible.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of the brick shithouse behind the lighthouse.

In between stops at the vineyards we stopped at a roadside farmstand to buy cherries, and even came upon a lavender farm.  Who needs France?

We got back to our campsite around 3 PM, and we all took naps.  All that wine wears you out!