Massachusetts to Maine

Arriving in Massachusetts on Sunday, June 21, we thought the rain would be left behind in Pennsylvania, but NO WAY…it came along with us! We had reservations for five nights in Foxboro at Normandy Farms…a super campground with four beautiful swimming pools we hoped to lounge around, but the sun didn’t shine for that activity! However, I was able to take advantage of the great little gym and the treadmills there. Outdoor activity was limited!


We found other things to keep us occupied while there. Foxboro is the home of the New England Patriots…Gillette Stadium. Yes, Jean P., we took the “look see” around and even browsed the Pro Shop…there may be a souvenir for you when we see you in August! It was definitely your kind of place!!

THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS' STADIUM

Built around the stadium is Patriot’s Place…a maze of shops, restaurants, and a huge movie theater. A great concept, but can’t imagine what it would be like on game day with all the crowds mingling about. Great for the shop owners, but it has to be a traffic nightmare to navigate.

Lots of shopping was in the area. We found a three story mall in Attleboro with Macy’s as one of its anchors…great place to walk on a rainy day. Dunkin Donut stores were everywhere! Didn’t realize that New England was where they originated; hence, the area was saturated with them. I’m still loyal to Krispy Kreme!!


We drove over to Cape Cod, a 45 mile drive from Foxboro…that’s just to the bridge. Cape Cod is an area dotted with well known quaint towns…Martha’s Vineyard, Hyannis Port, Yarmouth, Chatham. On this day we were driving to Dennis. Our friends Dave, Durrie, and Molly live here. They were to be our tour guides
that afternoon.

Arriving at their lovely Cape Cod home, we were greeted by our friends, whom we had just left a month ago in Destin, FL. They had just returned two weeks prior and were getting back into their “home” routine after being on the road for five months. Also greeting us was the heavenly aroma of fish chowder! YUM!

After a lunch of chowder and travel news, we were off for an afternoon drive of the area. Guess what! The sun started to shine while we set out on our tour! Dave and Durrie were excellent guides taking us all around the area. Chatham was our favorite town…just so quaint and exactly what I thought a typical Cape Cod town would look like. From the harbors, fishing boats, small shops, and the weathered-sided architecture of the homes and buildings…the Cape is beautiful!

VIEWS OF CAPE COD

THE CAPE'S DEWEY DESTIN

After the tour, it was back to their home for the evening meal. Durrie out did herself with a baked Scrod and salad. All the fresh chowder and fish was delicious! The comfort of seeing friends and all the good hot food warmed our rain soddened souls that day. It was a great day and we thank them for all their New England hospitality!! We will meet again next March in Ft. Myers and then again in Destin at Topsail.

GOOD FRIENDS

On our last day in Foxboro, we got haircuts and Pearl finally got her new windshield! The rain had delayed the windshield since we had arrived, but it finally broke on Thursday for the job to get done. That afternoon the sun was shining and we were able to enjoy sitting outside; we even bought wood to build a campfire that evening.

PEARL GETTING HER NEW WINDSHIELD

ENJOYING THE SUNSHINE!

We left Foxboro on Friday, June 26 and traveled to Bangor, Maine…campground called the Pumpkin Patch. Enjoyed three nights here and will be crossing the border into Canada on Monday, June 29. Will be in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island (PEI) until July 23. Our communication will most likely be limited. Using our cell phone will be too expensive, and I don’t know how much wi-fi we will have access to. So if you don’t hear from us during those weeks, we will have lots to catch up on later! Happy 4th of July to All!!

Virginia and Pennsylvania

Wytheville, Virginia was the next stop after leaving TN. There’s not much to do in Wytheville…maybe watch the grass grow…and growing it was; the rain continued to follow us! Our main reason for spending a few days here was to see Frank’s son, Marty, and grandson, Logan. The last time we saw Marty was in San Diego for the wedding of Matt and Beth…that was Sept. 2007. The last time we saw Logan was three summers ago in Pipestem, WVA. He’s 17 now and will be a senior in high school next year. He’s also grown a few inches and towers over his dad at 6’ 1” so he’s changed a bit. The rain did stop long enough for us to grill some burgers and catch up with all their news.

Frank Enjoys the Reunion with Marty and Logan

After saying goodbye to the boys, we continued up the road…next stop Winchester, VA. It was a three night stop... stayed in Candy Hill Campground. Happened to be my birthday the day we traveled to Winchester; I didn’t get to spend my 59th in a very exotic place, but Frank wine, dined, and gifted me...that made it special…we were together!

Candy Hill Campground in Winchester, VA

Winchester was a pleasant surprise…nice town in the middle of the Shenandoah Valley with lots of history. Also the home of Patsy Cline…she’s buried there in Mt. Hebron Cemetery, but we didn’t make any pilgrimage to the grave site. That would have been a bit morbid and y’all would have expected a picture! NO WAY!! Lots of shopping and dining choices were available to us. The downtown had a pedestrian walking mall in Old Town. This area made for a nice stroll with several shops to browse and sidewalk cafes to sip a favorite beverage while people watching.

Old Town Pedestrian Mall

The rain was still with us in Winchester and even delayed our morning departure Saturday, June 20. It was a pounding rain as we had to wait over an hour to get the car hooked up to Pearl. It was a rainy day for travel as well. We traveled through Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland to East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. We definitely decided that PA has the worst roads. The interstates were absolutely terrible…bumpity bump bump!! Certainly had to be careful when opening up a cabinet or refrigerator once we stopped…things came tumbling out from all directions!

Before we arrived at our destination for the night, we made a lunch stop in the parking lot of Cabela’s. Some of you may be familiar with this giant store that specializes in anything for the outdoorsman…hunting, fishing, camping, boating, etc. We thought Bass Pro Shops were huge, but we just didn’t know until we saw with our own eyes! Cabela’s is a humongous store!! They even cater to the sportsman who wants to go on African Safari! Big game scenes were staged all through the store; it was definitely museum quality!

Of course, we had to browse and even made a few purchases. Frank bought a pair of jeans, and we bought a tee shirt for our friend Vicki…she loves anything that has a Yellow Lab on it!! After stretching our legs, it was back to Pearl and on the road again.

TEE FOR VICKI!!

It was a long drive that day. Our destination was Mountain Vista Campground in the Pocono Mountains. We were in the deep woods for that evening! All the rain and gloomy weather made it look more foreboding than it actually was. Sunshine would have made it more welcoming, that’s for sure!! We spent another night listening to the rain falling on the roof and neighbors who were heavily into the Margaritas and blaring Jimmy Buffet music…it wasn’t all bad…they did ask us to join them.

Spending the Night in the Pocono's

Sunday was Father’s Day and before the day’s drive, Frank opened his gift from Matt and Beth. Old Guy's Rule…another shirt to add to his collection! Getting on the road took us through New York, Connecticut, and into where we are now…Foxboro, Massachusetts until Friday. Oh yes, and it is still raining!! Quack, Quack goes the Duck!!

FATHER'S DAY...OLD GUY'S RULE!!!

Tennessee News

Family and Friends
Our time in Tennessee was somewhat bittersweet. As most of you know, on our first night there, we took my mother to the emergency room. We soon learned that her shortness of breath was caused by blood clots in her lungs. That diagnosis then lead to her hospital stay of four days; she then was released to rehabilitation and therapy at Adams Place. At this time, she is still there; however, we hope for her release very soon so that she can return to her apartment in assisted living. Needless to say, this wasn’t the home visit with Mom that we had anticipated. We are just so thankful that she is recovering and my sisters are there to oversee her care.

Around the Pool Before Mom Went to the Hospital

We did enjoy some brief times in between hospital visits with my sisters, in-laws, nieces, and nephews to relax around the pool or time to dine out. Frank found time for a few rounds of golf with his bud, Smitty, and I always enjoy seeing my best girlfriend, Sherry. I also got to meet my niece’s friend Melissa’s mom, Carolyn, who I have on my Facebook page. I have known Melissa for years…she and Lane have been down to stay with us on several occasions, so now it’s nice to know her mom, too!

Meeting At Newk's for Dinner with Lane and Adam

Carolyn and Melissa

Classmates
One event that I wasn’t going to miss (once we were sure Mother was going to be ok) was the party that was put together by my high school classmates…SHS Class of 1968!! Last year I missed my 40th class reunion, but over the past year several of us had been emailing and keeping in touch. So when I knew the dates we were coming into town, the wheels started turning and an event was put together. An “all call” invite was put out by the class party organizer, Karen…what would we do without her!! Jackie offered her home for the gathering and everyone brought food and drink. Viola! A party!

Of course not everyone could attend, but many who still live in the area were there; we also had some long distance travelers! Reggie traveled from Texas via Chicago, and John drove in from Gainesville, FL…that was a big surprise for everyone. It was great seeing old friends and catching up! Some of these people I have known since the first grade or later from middle school through high school. So imagine the stories!! It was a happy night and one we should do as often as possible!! We aren’t getting any younger!!

Classmate Collage

Butch With the Twins Corrine and Carole

Aaron, Sam, Jim, Jerry, Myron, David

Dale, Karen, Myron, Carole, Pami, Connie, Reggie, Brigette, and Jackie

Joy, Sam, John, Sandra (she caused me to get my first spanking in 1st grade!), and Myron

Our Hosts...Mike and Jackie...Old Friend Myron with Me!

Spouses....Frank and Dale...Jerry with wife, Roberta

The Greatest Class! SHS 1968 Classmates...Go Bulldogs!!

Gatlinburg

We continued with our travel plans once we knew Mom was stable and will soon be returning to her home. Our next stop was a few days in Gatlinburg. We really didn’t do much while here…we were too tired after all the “hubbub” in the Boro! We stay in a campground called Twin Creek…have been here before…and really just enjoyed the pool, relaxed, and did a bit of roaming about. Always the traditional breakfast at the Pancake Pantry, watching taffy being pulled at the local candy kitchens, and there is always the people watching! Some sights to behold!! Oh! forgot to tell about our incident while coming through Knoxville! Kids dropped a rock from an overpass and hit our windshield!! It caught the right corner and smashed it…now we have to have a new windshield!! We have one ordered to be put in when we get to Massachusetts. Seems we have problems with windshields and rocks!! Guess we were lucky, though; if it had landed right in the middle, we could have had injury or wrecked! I hope those kids are caught!!

When passing through East TN, we always try to connect with our friends, Marty and JoAnn. They live in Dandridge on Douglas Lake. Frank knew them while living in Ohio, meeting them when they were members of the German Shepherd Dog Club. It was a coincidence that they moved to TN a year before Frank moved to TN and married me. Anyway, Dandridge is about a 45 minute drive from Gatlinburg…if you know the back roads! We enjoyed dinner with them…Jo is an excellent cook…and all the old Ohio stories they could recollect!

Frank with Jo and Marty ...The View from their Deck in East Tennessee

Yum! Jo's Blackberry Torte!!

Now we are in Wytheville, Virginia for a three night stay…June 14-16...to visit Frank’s son, Marty, and grandson, Logan.