And we're off - again 2014/2015

October 10, 2014

Here we are, over a week into our trip to Florida for the winter.  It was a great summer in Maine, lots of fun, time with family and friends, and a chance to see more of the beautiful state.  At Augusta West Kampground we moved out of our Catalina (the one in the back, below) and back into our Cedar Creek for a week so that we could get it ready for the trip.  Then we left the Catalina stored on site, and headed out on the road on September 30, 2014.

Day 1 - 09-30-2014  We stopped at Westover ARB, MA, the first night.  It's a good stopover - not too long a ride the first day, plus we're familiar with the base and the Chicopee area.

Day 2 - 10-01-2014  Tore down in the rain, but had a pretty easy ride to the Cooperstown KOA.

Arrived about 1:30 and set up really quickly. Then we headed for Cooperstown and it is nothing like we expected.  It is small, quaint, old, touristy, but also beautiful old buildings that are well kept up, museums, small college campus, several golf courses, etc.  Add to that the beautiful foliage and we enjoyed touring around.  This is really a beautiful part of the state.   



Day 3 - 10-02-2014  Mike went to the Baseball Hall of Fame, and I stayed at the camper and chilled.  He had a great time, walked around for about 3 hours, and there was still plenty to see.  I took a nice walk around the campground, and really enjoyed the foliage color, and got a few pictures.  It’s a beautiful area.  

The views from our campsite.

  

Day 4 - 10/03/2014  L-O-N-G drive for us today, from Cooperstown, NY, to Dover, PA.  The worst roads we’ve seen since our first outing on I-84.  I’ll go two days around to miss those roads next time.  But when we weren’t on the highway or near cities, the view was still stunning.  We definitely picked just the right time to leave this year.  Arrived in Dover at the Gettysburg Farm and RV Resort, and it’s just that – a campground with a farm.  Or a farm with a campground, not sure which.  Anyway, the people are very nice and it’s in a nice location, not far from Gettysburg.  All the campgrounds around Gettysburg were full, which was how we ended up here.  The downside is that you “pick your own” camp site, and the set up here is confusing.  It took us a while to get settled, but once we did, we’re happy with the site, and we don’t have any immediate neighbors.  Looking forward to getting out to see the llamas, goats, chickens, pigs, etc.  It’s really a neat place.  We expect rain tonight, but tomorrow is supposed to clear up mid-morning and I hope it does.

Day 5 - 10/04/2014  Got a good night’s sleep (despite the rain on the roof).  It’s still raining, but it does look like it may clear up.  I sure hope so.  We decided to just chill a little, do a couple of errands, not tackle the museum until we’re more rested.  

                                                                                                                                                                                 


Day 6 - 10-05-2014  We headed to the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and spent all afternoon there.   Quite a museum, so much to see and think about.  We’ll do the self- guided auto tour of the battlefields tomorrow after a good night’s rest.  

Day 7 - 10-06-2014  Today we spent all day following the self-guided auto tour of the civil war.  It was very moving, and hard to imagine the hardships those men faced.  I didn't realize what a role the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commanded by Col. Joshua Chamberlain, played in the war.  Chamberlain was quite a warrior, and earned the Medal of Honor for their downhill bayonet charge.  

These are pictures of various battlefields, monuments/statues, and cannons.

Maine's memorial

View of "Little Round Top" from "Devil's Den where so many Mainers (and others) died.  

Monument to the 20th Maine regiment, erected in 1886, sits on Little Round Top.  It lists the names of those who died. 

Day 8 - 10-07-2014  Took a ride to the Starlight RV Park in Stevens, PA, this afternoon.  The Grants at Augusta West had told us about it, and Mike tried to make reservations but was told they couldn't accommodate a camper the size of ours.  So we decided to check it out.  The view was incredible, as the Grants described, but so was the trip to it (!!!).  I'm glad we didn't try it.  

Day 9 - 10-08-2014  Drove to the campground at Ft Meade, MD.  It's a nice place, and we have a good site.  Our friends Del and Connie stopped by in the afternoon, and we had a good visit.

Day 10 - 10-09-2014  Went to dinner with Del and Connie.  They're so much fun, and we had a great time.  Sorry to think we probably won't see them again for some time.  They're headed to California for the winter, while we're on our way to Florida.  

Day 11 - 10-10-2014  Headed to the Delaware Seashore RV Park at Rehoboth Beach, DE and arrived early afternoon.  It's a state campground, and it's right on the shore.  Unfortunately, the weather turned ugly shortly after we arrived, and we're only staying one night, so we won't get to enjoy it much.