Trekking to NJ (Part II) - By Land and By Sea

We had tons of fun as we continued our trek up to NJ to help Aunt Maureen and Uncle Ted at Misty Lee Farm.  We hit the road at 8 a.m. from New Bern Holiday KOA to our next destination, Cape Hatteras National Seashore in the Outer Banks of NC.  It was another very windy day, but it provided us a terrific opportunity to watch the wind surfers.   The local swamp turtles were sure enjoying the 80F temperatures, as they all lined up to chill out on the tree stumps/logs.  I bet they even had a compact beverage with an umbrella tucked inside their shells to complete the mood.

Wind surfers

Turtles just chillin' out

We planned to stay at Cape Point for 3 nights, a first-come-first-served boondocking campground run by the National Park Service.   It has several loops, all paved roads, and 220 sites.   It was mid-week in late-April.  The odds of finding 1 adequate site were in our favor, and we could always just purchase 2 sites, 1 for our DRV Mobile Suites fifth wheel and 1 to park Big Boomer, our medium duty truck.  WRONG.  Not a site in the place could accommodate Suite Retreat.  All were too short and/or access was precarious due to soft, swampy grass.  (This was our first visit to Outer Banks. We later learned that much of this campground floods).  OK, on to Plan B, Frisco Campground, which the Ranger indicated can accommodate large rigs. The problem at Frisco is that a portion of the sites are reservable.  So, as luck would have it, most of the sites that most likely would fit our full set-up were occupied.  Back to purchasing 2 sites.  At least we got a 50% discount with our America the Beautiful Pass that we earned as volunteers last year.

 

We set up Suite Retreat, parked Big Boomer a few sites away, and enjoyed a late lunch regrouping and relaxing at our site.  About 4 p.m., we decide to take a hike.  There is a 1.5 mile trail next to our site that Dad’s All Trails app indicated would lead us right to the beach.  What the app didn’t tell us is that high tide affects the trail.  We were trekking through knee-deep water! We finally arrived oceanside.  I am intrigued by how beaches vary from state to state.  In NJ, most shore towns charge for beach access.  At Cape Hatteras National Seashore, access is free, so I dipped my paws in the water and butt in the sand. (Might as well, ‘cause I was pretty wet anyway from the hike over.)  While many states prohibit motorized vehicles on beaches, you can drive your vehicle on the sandy shores of Cape Hatteras—as long as you don’t own a vehicle like Big Boomer.

How the trail started...

Is that a puddle ahead?

...What the trail became

View from highest point in Frisco Campground

We returned to our site through a longer but much drier trail, chatting with other visitors along the way.  As I put on my jammies and snuggled up by our campfire, I thanked our Creator for giving my family the opportunity to enjoy his wonderous gifts and blessings.

The next day we visited the Wright Brothers National Monument in Kitty Hawk, known as the birthplace of aviation.  German aviation pioneer Karl Wilhelm Otto Lilienthal was the first person to meticulously document his trials and success with gliders.  Upon his death in 1896, Wilbur and Orville Wright continued Lilienthal’s aviation dream, completing their first manned experiment in 1900.  They selected Kitty Hawk, NC as the site because of its wind, sand, and isolation.  The Wrights studied birds to get proper wing movement.  By 1902 they had done well with gliding, so they worked on adding an engine.  It was on December 14, 1903 that Wilbur (who won the coin toss as to which brother would be “pilot”) did the first powered test flight.  Unfortunately, Wilbur crashed.  The Brothers went back to the drawing board.   On December 17, 1903, Orville achieved success, “flying” for a whopping 120 feet within 12 seconds!  Very cool!  As we walked the grounds and stopped at the sculpture re-enacting the successful flight, I could feel the invigoration, jubilation, and gratification of a job well done that Orville and Wilbur must have experienced—just like me when I earned my latest Junior Ranger badge! 

 

Marker denoting the 1st of 4 successful flights on Dec 17, 1903

Wright Brothers monument on Kill Devil Hill in background

View from top of Kill Devil Hill

Next up was a visit to Historic Corolla Park.  Though it was a much larger parcel of land in its heyday, it now comprises 39 acres on the Currituck Outer Banks.  One of the Park’s main attractions is Whalehead, an Art Nouveau home built in 1925 by Edward and Mary Louise Knight.  As industrialists and heirs to a railroad fortune, The Knights had boo koo bucks, and owned opulent McMansions in Philadelphia, PA and Newport, RI.  As we toured Whalehead here in the Outer Banks, I realized it was probably much less ostentatious than those other properties.    Wish I could share photos with you, but indoor photography is prohibited during tours.    But trust me, the home exudes warmth and a welcoming vibe with its more subdued architectural beauty.  When the Knights lived here, the home contained his/her bedroom suites, 4 guest bedrooms, an office, formal dining room, formal living room, gun room, huge kitchen, and nice quarters for 12-14 servants, too.  Best of all, it had 12 indoor bathrooms, including 1 for the servants.  The grounds surrounding the home offer terrific views of the Sound, walking/biking paths, and waterfowl/avian viewing opportunities.  This self-guided audio-enhanced home tour was well worth the $7/adult admission, so if you are in the area, check it out.

 

We were famished by this point, so we walked across the road to the Corolla Cantina.  We received excellent service from Lexi and were blown away by the very accommodating and thoughtful chef who came out to ask Dad his specific dietary needs before making Dad’s entrée so he could adjust ingredients accordingly.

 

We went back to Historic Corolla Park to walk the grounds and lose the pounds we just gained from our delicious meal.  As we walked, I spotted the head of a giant whale on display outside the offices of the local wildlife refuge.  We continued strolling the nearby village comprised of historic structures converted to merchant/vendor shops and restaurants.   The Currituck Lighthouse is also in this area.  We arrived too late to get inside to complete the climb up (and back down) 220 stairs, but enjoyed viewing the structure from ground level.

                 

We completed our final evening alongside our campfire gazing at the stars.  We wished we could have stayed a third night as we originally planned, but all the sites that would accommodate our setup were booked for the weekend.  

Instead, we moved to a Harvest Host brewery within a couple of hours drive.

Look at where we passed along the way.  It is owned by my distant relative--do you see the resemblance?

The brewery had designated parking for 4 rigs alongside a dead-end road.  Fortunately, we were the only ones staying that evening ‘cause we took up 2 spots.  We enjoyed learning the brewing process, especially since this brewhouse follows Germany’s strict purity laws of using just 4 ingredients:  water, barley, hops, and yeast, with some of the barley being grown right on the brewery’s farmland.  Dad and I shared a flight with Mom even doing a bit of tasting.  But if the beers don’t bust your buttons, the authentic German fare will.   Mom chose a reuben sandwich, their signature dish, for us to share.  OMG, the homemade pastrami was to die for!  Fresh, mouthwatering, tender cured beef with German mustard and homemade kraut with bacon bits for extra flavor, all on a marble rye that rivaled the loaf from Schnitzers that Jerry Seinfeld stole!  I am salivating just telling ya about it!.  Dad opted for one of their vegan/vegetarian options, a bean burger.  Afterward partaking of beef and brew, I went outside to play with the resident goats, one of which took a liking to me, giving me goo-goo eyes.

 

We departed the next day with comfortable temps and bright sunshine but stiff winds (are you seeing a pattern here?).  Within an hour, we hit the VA border and were welcomed to our first toll roads all year, driving Big Boomer and Suite Retreat over and under the 23-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. We have a NC Quick Pass, which we find to be the best transponder option.   It has no administrative fees, it replenishes at $20 intervals, and it is honored by EZ Pass. 

                                 

                                                                                                  

In MD, we visited Old Furnace Town Historic Site at Snow Hill.  Snow Hill, the seat of Worchester County, is picturesque and rich in history--heck, it was chartered in 1686!  

 

The Nassawango Iron Furnace, built to smelt the bog iron ore that was discovered in the nearby creek, was in active use for nearly 2 decades, from 1829 to 1847, making ore for prominent projects like the Philadelphia Iron Works.  It holds the distinction of being the oldest surviving structure of its kind in our Nation.   An entire town arose around the Furnace operation: homes, blacksmith shops, school buildings, churches, printers, woodworkers, etc.   Though none of the these other structures are original to the site, the shops and buildings depict what Furnace Town would have looked like during its operational period.  

I love this spiritual verse.

                                        

Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly enjoying Phlox bloom

Red Salvia and Lily of the Valley

We continued on to DE, The First State and land of the Dupont dynasty.  Our destination was Lewes to board the ferry to Cape May, NJ.  As we approached the ferry parking area, we stopped to double-check our height.  We were at 13’5”, below the ferry’s specified max of 13’6”.  It was a brisk, windy day as they loaded us onboard.  Hence, the waters were choppy, and the ferry was a rockin’, resulting in this stuffed rat retrieving a "just-in-case” barf bag.  Not to mention I was a bit stressed that our RV would hit the deck ceiling from the swells since we only had 1 inch leeway.  But we made it across safely to Cape May, with a couple of dolphins popping up to welcome us to NJ.

That's the top of our solar panel nearly touching the ceiling pipe

We arrived at our home for the next 3 months, Pomona RV Park in Egg Harbor Township, NJ.  It is a very small family-owned Park with about half of its sites occupied by seasonal guests.  It is a tight squeeze all the way around for large rigs, whether trying to back into sites, getting around road curves, or putting your awning out and hitting the next rig.  We were lucky to receive Site B1, which we feel is the best back-in site in the Park.  It is right next to the office and has some privacy due to hedge line.  A huge tree blocked access to the site on our left, so that site remained vacant.  Hence, we did not experience any Grey Poupon moments like most other Park guests.  However, the picnic table on our site and the tail of the RV unit behind us were like conjoint twins.  Thank goodness we left Rat Patrol II (our side by side) on our lot in TX, ‘cause no way Jose would we be able to access or fit into our site.  Since the Park caters to families, there are tons of screaming children and lots of barking dogs.  But it is a full-service Park, offering cable, Wi-Fi, pool, hot tub, game room, laundry room, propane refilling, camp store, and planned activities (most for an extra fee).   The monthly rate is $800 April-May and $1,200 June-October.  Electric usage is additional at a whopping 21 cents/kw (compared to 12.5 cents/kw at our home base.)  We utilized our solar as much as possible. But our site was almost completely tree-covered and we had a very wet, overcast summer. So we could only supplement about half the usage.  This place is a bit pricy for this stuffed rat’s taste, especially since we don’t utilize most of the facilities.  But it is NJ, it is the only RV Park that could fit our set-up for 3 months, and it put us within 45 minutes of Aunt Maureen and Uncle Ted’s farm.  So, we were extremely grateful to the owners for accommodating us.                

 

You can see how close the picnic table is to the tail of the RV on the site behind us.

See that squirrel sitting on the rabbit's head?  I thought for a minute that Mom got another outdoor lawn ornament.  The mystery of how Mom's figurines were knocked down every day is now solved.

Well, time for me to sign off--I’ve got to arise early to start training on my farm chores.  Talk to you again soon!

Trekking from AZ to NJ, Part I - Enjoying our Harvest Hosts (HH) Membership Along the Way

 I have been remiss in staying current with my blog posts.  Needless to say, time flies when I am having so much fun!  Let me catch up a bit…

 

We started our trek to NJ to help Aunt Maureen and Uncle Ted at Misty Lee Farm, home to rescued cats, dogs, and horses.  After leaving AZ, we stayed our first night at the Visitor Center in Marfa, TX.   This was a much different experience than when we overnighted here in January.  We were one of only a handful of spectators in January.  Good thing we arrived early in the day this time, ‘cause the parking lot became like a freeway exit.  People were coming and going all hours of the evening until late at night, slamming doors and leaving headlights glaring, making it difficult to adjust our eyes to the night sky.  While in January we were thrilled to witness the phenomenon known as the Marfa Ghost Lights, we saw bupkis on our latest visit.  I think all the human activity spooked the spooks!

We did another stopover at Escapees Lone Star Coral in Hondo, TX (fortunately well before the RV Park suffered from a devastating tornado and hailstorm) before reaching our lot in Livingston, TX.  We took care of a boatload of business within a mere 24 hours of arriving home—picked up our mail, did laundry, pumped and dumped.  We also disconnected our swivel wheel which carries Rat Patrol II, our Polaris-RZR side-by side.  We knew the swivel wheel’s extra 6 feet in length would make it nearly impossible to fit into the RV park we reserved in NJ.  Lastly, Mom went to renew her Class A non-commercial CDL driver’s license.  For anyone with this class of license in TX (required because of the weight of our RVing set-up), take heed. On-line renewal is prohibited.  You can only renew it by mail with the submission of a certified eye test to be paid by the license holder OR by visiting the Department of Public Safety (DPS) in person and immediately receiving a temporary document (with a permanent license to be mailed within 2-3 weeks).  Mom preferred the latter method, and by scheduling an appointment, the process was painless and seamless even during COVID (NJ Division of Motor Vehicles should take a lesson Polk DPS in TX!)  After a terrific lunch at Joe’s Italian Grill in Livingston (vegetable pizza with our own vegan cheese), we hit the road and spent the night at a Harvest Host (HH) brewery in Southeast Texas, one of the few Host breweries we have visited that offer its beers in cans for takeout.  Dad and I had a “guys night” of sampling and purchasing several brewskies before the pub closed to the public for a private party.  We returned to Mom in Suite Retreat and were all sleeping soundly by 10 p.m. after a busy day.  Then we had a weird incident—a knock at the door at 10:46 p.m.  We were the only HH guests that night, so who could it be?  This is where the peephole we paid DRV to install on our 5^th wheel door would be useful—if any of us were tall enough to reach the height at which they installed it!   Anyway, it turned out to be a woman by herself who wanted to tell us that she liked our medium duty truck, Big Boomer.  Well, OK, thanks much, good night.  They don’t kid around when they say Texans are VERY friendly folks!

Rain and high humidity greeted us as we hit the road at 8 a.m. enroute to John Schneider Studios in Holden, LA.  I was excited to possibly meet the actor who played Bo Duke in the Dukes of Hazard and, more importantly, to see the original General Lee!  But alas, we had to change plans when we learned heavy rain created flooded and muddy parking.  Very disappointing news for this stuffed rat since this was the second time we attempted to visit and were detoured due to weather (we were scheduled to visit last fall but had to reroute through Branson due to a hurricane projected for the area).  We made alternate arrangements to arrive a day earlier than planned at Escapees Rainbow Plantation in Summerdale, AL.  But what was to be a 3-hour travel day turned into 9 hours of driving in heavy rain.  Fortunately, Mom shares driving duty with Dad.

Our site at Rainbow Plantation was puddled, to be expected when you consider you are parking on grass--there are no concrete or gravel pads.  But overall, it is a much nicer, better maintained park than Escapees Rainbow’s End in Livingston, TX.  The leased lots at Rainbow Plantation are in their own secluded section, are twice the size of ours in Livingston, and have plantings and bushes to lend privacy between lots.   We went to do laundry at their facility.  Like every Escapees Park we have ever visited, it had at least one broken machine.  And the COVID protocol in the laundry room was non-sensical.  The washers and dryers could be utilized but using the table to sort/fold laundry was prohibited, with the area cordoned off with caution tape.

During a brief reprieve from the next day’s rain storm we toured Battleship Memorial Park in nearby Mobile, AL, a very cool place that is home to the USS Alabama battleship and the USS Drum submarine.  Hard to believe that 65 enlisted men and 7 officers lived aboard the sub, while the battleship housed 2,500 Navy personnel.  I learned that 27 seamen slept in the same quarters on the battleship and that a typical dinner consisted of navy beans.  Can you imagine the stench that must have emanated from that bed chamber!  Sleep—I think not, unless of course, you passed out!  The Memorial Park also contains assorted aircraft, where I learned about the bravery and talents of the Tuskegee Airmen.  The grounds include a Memorial for Vietnam and Korean War Veterans as well as a tribute to canine soldiers.

We booked several nights at Rainbow Plantation because we had grand plans for peddling our ‘Lectric bikes along the many trails at Gulf Shores.  But the perpetual downpours and heavy winds prevented us from pursuing the endeavor.  Phooey!  Sure glad we toured Gulf Shores previously in 2019 ‘cause this visit was a bust! You can read about it here...Visiting Gulf Shores At least I met someone who loves rodentia as much as my Mom.  Check out these lights!

Of course, the weather got lovely as we departed Rainbow Plantation.  Our drive to our next HH location in Central AL was easy and uneventful.  This HH winery offers electric hookups free of charge though we did not need to use them.  We did some taste testing to help us decide what wines to purchase as gifts for folks we would be visiting along our travel route.  Then we perused the pristine property, examined the grapes on the vines, and enjoyed a sensational sunset.  We topped the visit off with a toast and some stimulating conversation with the other HH guests staying overnight.

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Our next destination was Stone Mountain Park Campground in Stone Mountain, GA for a 2-night stay.  The site fit our set-up comfortably.  We had a fire pit along with a private deck complete with picnic table and gas-fired grill.  The Campground has a multitude of amenities like pool (which was open for use), horseshoes, free Wi-Fi, free cable, and children’s playground (still closed due to COVID—does that make any sense?).  But this all came with the hefty price of $65/night.  Due to COVID, the Campground only accepted on-line reservations for our mid-April visit, for which they charged an additional $7 processing fee.  We forked over another $20 to enter Stone Mountain Park, within which the Campground is located.  Yet neither Memorial Hall or the scenic train ride, which were to be complimentary with the $20 entrance fee, were operating due to COVID.    If we wanted to ride the gondola or visit Historic Square during mid-April, it came with yet another charge of $25/adult.    WHAT!  Are they trying to bankrupt my cheese bank?  But the biggest kicker of all was the FREE laser light show that usually projects daily during the summer months right on the Stone Mountain bas-relief will now cost visitors $20 for a designated 6-foot socially-distanced “square” painted on the field, each square large enough for a party of 4.  Do I hear the words “rip-off” coming from anyone else?

 

 

Despite the excessive costs and the cool, windy weather, we had a great time.  We rode our bicycles everywhere within the Park Campus.  We enjoyed time with friends Gary and Brenda with whom we worked at Grand Canyon Conservancy in 2017.  When they learned we would be camping at Stone Mountain the same time they were there visiting family who lived nearby, they were excited to get together, as were we.  We hiked to the summit of Stone Mountain.  Its elevation of 1,686 feet above sea level offers a terrific view of Atlanta in the distance.  And, of course, we viewed the Mountain’s carving of Confederate Leaders Robert E. Lee, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and Jefferson Davis.  The family who owned the mountain land was allegedly connected to the Ku Klux Klan.  It was the Daughters of the Confederacy who hired sculptor Gutzon Borglum (subsequently to become famous for carving Mt. Rushmore) to design and complete the relief.  But there were lots of monetary problems which resulted in Borglum being terminated from the project and he, in turn, destroying all the plans and models.  The partial work he completed on the mountain was blasted away, and it was back to Square One.  Disagreements, disharmony, and delays like World War II ensued.  Long story short:    The carving did not get completed until 1972, nearly 50 years from inception.  While lots of controversy surrounds it, it is still an incredible work of art and holds the distinction of being the world’s largest bas-relief.

 

Saw this little squirrel emerge from his tree hole!

Friends Gary/Brenda from Grand Canyon Conservancy.

View of Atlanta skyline from Stone Mountain Summit.

Another view from the summit of Stone Mountain.

The carving from a distance...

...and up close.

Check out the painted socially-distanced squares on the grounds for which you will now pay $20 for a group of 4 to watch the laser show that was free of charge prior to COVID.

All aboard for our next HH overnight destination:  A huge equine center in SC about 30 minutes outside of Augusta, GA.  Cindy, the owner, greeted us warmly with her new rescue dog, Ella.  The property is comprised of ~1,000 acres, including a training center, boarding stables, competition arena, and a LEED constructed pavilion that is the perfect venue for a wedding or other special event.  As a HH location, it offers free RV boondocking sites or electric hookup sites for an upcharge.  Additionally, there are homes and cabins on the premises that can be rented through Airbnb.  Though few horses were on the property during our visit, those present made a point to come say hello as we walked the grounds and surrounding trails.  We clocked 6 miles and only enjoyed about half the trails on the property.  My parents made the requisite purchases of shirts.  I sprung for a slop rag to be put to good use when we begin helping to care for Aunt Maureen’s rescue horses at Misty Lee Farm in NJ.  As with most of our HH says, this was a very enjoyable stopover.

 

Despite many dead branches, this tree produced lots of pine cones.

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We spent the next two nights at yet another HH in SC, this time a mushroom farm.  With Dad being plant-based, he was excited to hand-pick mushrooms.  But alas, it was not to be.  Shitake mushrooms go dormant when temperatures get very cold or very hot, and we had the misfortune to arrive during a cold spell.  But it sure was interesting to learn how these mushrooms grow.  The owner demonstrated the process for us.  You start with a fresh cut log (easy to do here since they own acres of forest land) and drill rows of holes about an inch apart.  Then you utilize a $500 gadget made in Japan (similar to a plug filler) to insert fungus culture and a Styrofoam cap into each hole.  Place the log within the humid, moist forest and watch mushrooms proliferate.  That’s how it is SUPPOSED to work.  But despite our numerous attempts, we were only privy to seeing ONE solitary mushroom bloom as we walked among the many trails of “planted” logs.  All was not lost, though.  We purchased greenhouse tomatoes, newly harvested asparagus, and a succulent plant topiary.  Plus, I enjoyed the company of the farm’s friendly moo cows and caught glimpses of elusive deer who reside in the forest.  

You can see all the styrofoam plugs in the logs.  When the mushroom blooms, the styrofoam is pushed out of the hole.

The one solitary mushroom that bloomed during our stay.

However, the absolute best thing about this HH was its location nearby to our relocated NJ biker bros Jeffrey and Donny/Sandy and family.  We spent an entire fun-filled day with them along with other friends/family who were visiting them from NJ.  Jeffrey is a superb cook, from grilling meats to smoking fish to baking bread.  He is like my Mom when it comes to entertaining—the food is plentiful and delicious and you leave at least 5 pounds heavier than when you arrived!   We had a blast and are blessed to have these wonderful folks in our lives.

 

We continued our trek up the coast, arriving at North Myrtle Beach RV Resort for a 2-night stay.  Again, it cost a pretty penny ($75/night), but it is a beautiful Park with a full complement of upscale amenities that were all open and available for use during the time of our visit, though we had little time to utilize them.  We spent our first evening visiting with Kevin (Dad’s longtime buddy from NJ) and his wife Elle, who are relocating to Myrtle Beach.  We broke bread together at a local Italian restaurant, enjoying the fellowship and our meals.

The weather gods took pity on us and brought partial sunshine and cool temperatures on Sunday (rather than rain and wind like the day before), just in time for us to get together with more New Jerseyans, Mom’s friend Denise and her hubby Dean.  (Isn’t it amazing how many of our friends from NJ now live down South!)  Though long periods may go by between get togethers, there is never a lag in conversation or laughter, especially when the gals reminisce about their antics as young adults embarking on their career paths.

 

We proceeded on to the KOA Holiday Campground in Newbern, NC.  We are not fans of KOAs, but this one was perfect for us.  Conveniently located right off NC 17, it is laid out nicely with all paved roads.  The spacious pull through sites include brick patios with gas grills, lawn furniture, fire pits, and decorative lighting.  The Park provides free Wi-Fi and cable, and the staff is extremely welcoming and efficient.  For those traveling with kids, the Park has lots for them to enjoy:  pool, playground, giant checkers/chess set, cornhole, horseshoes, a jump pad, even gem mining.  We enjoyed walking to the pier on the property that overlooks the Neuse River.

I wish I had more time to enjoy all this KOA has to offer.  But this was just a stopover to visit with RV friends John/Shirley.  They are kind, good-hearted folks, as are their neighbors Jim/Vickie, all of whom we met during our days as members of the Montana Owners Club (MOC).  Even though we are now owners of some other brand (SOBs), the friendship remains strong.  We enjoyed spending time with them all and seeing all the wonderful projects John has completed on their sticks and bricks home.  And I especially loved playing with my canine pal, Aussie.  He has grown so big since I saw him in 2019 when he was just a few months old!  But he is smart as a whip and a very well-behaved pup!

Well, I chewed on your ear long enough for now.  I’ll talk to you again real soon to tell you about the rest of our trip to NJ.