ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Jim & Sim's Great Adventure</title> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <center> <table width=750 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0> <tr> <td colspan=6> <center> <img src="header6.jpg" width=750 height=250 alt="Jim & Sim"> </center> </td></tr> <tr> <td> <a href="index.htm"><img src="1.gif" border=0></a> </td> <td> <a href="who.htm"><img src="2.gif" border=0></a> </td> <td> <a href="travelogue.htm"><img src="3.gif" border=0></a> </td> <td> <a href="photos.htm"><img src="4.gif" border=0></a> </td> <td> <a href="links.htm"><img src="5.gif" border=0></a> </td> <td> <a href="mailto:jimandsim@gmail.com"><img src="6.gif" border=0></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan=6> <font face="comic sans ms, arial, verdana" size=2> <br><br> <blockquote> <b><u>Mar 2  4 (3 nights, Key Largo, FL USA  John Pennekamp State Park)</u></b><br> We drove to the Florida Keys today. Along the way I played with the GPS. I had programmed in the address of the park where we were going to stay for 3 days and told the GPS to take the fastest route. I had in my head the fastest way to get there by looking at the map. The GPS kept trying to take me on roads that I did not want to go. It was constantly trying to correct my route. I finally shut it off because I was tired of having it tell me to go on a way I did not want to go. In general, I like the unit, but the maps are not very up to date. It does not seem to know about new freeways and interchanges that are obviously several years old. I just put a new map update in it last year. Oh well, at least it will get me where I want to go eventually, even if it takes me on a non-logical route. <P> We arrived at John Pennekamp State Park located in Key Largo and got settled into our space. <img src="6044.jpg" width=260 height=200 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> In the process of hooking up electric, turning on the TV to see what channels we could get, we had a power surge and the Bose receiver/amplifier fried. I could smell burned resistors for an hour. Oh well, nothing I can do about it. I have a surge protector that I use whenever I think the power might be questionable, but the electrical box and plug looked brand new here. I resolve to always use the surge protector from now on regardless of the condition of the electrical box and campground. <P> After lunch, I ran up back up the road in the Jeep because I spotted a Boaters World and a West Marine store, and I knew they would have the fittings I needed to fix the water pump installation the right way. Back at the coach after going to West Marine once and Boaters World twice, I worked on the water pump for an hour or so until it was installed the way I wanted it. <P> Sim and I took a walk around the park and checked out the facilities. They have a dive shop and full SCUBA lesson and certification programs. They have snorkel trips, canoe and kayak rentals and a couple of nice beaches for people to hang out on. <P> <b><u>Mar 3</u></b><br> Today we drove from Key Largo to Key West. The drive is about 2 hours as the speed limit is 45  55 the entire 90 miles. <img src="6008.jpg" width=260 height=200 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> The views are OK. I kind of expected the water to be more colorful. There aren't very many white sand beaches that we saw as most of the shore is rock or crushed shell. We got to Key West, parked the Jeep and got the bikes off the rack. Outfitted with hats, water, the camera, and cash, we biked into Old Town Key West. First stop was at the end of South St. and the southern most point in the United States. We queued up in the relatively short line of tourists patiently waiting to have their picture taken with the marker at the end of the street. <P> Next we headed up to the Hemmingway House where, you guessed it, Ernest Hemmingway lived. We opted not to go inside with an entrance fee of $12. each. Instead we took a picture of the outside and pedaled on to downtown Key West. Sim had seen an ad for Jamaican food so we hunted down the restaurant and ate lunch. We had a fish wrap and an appetizer platter with fried plantains, fried conch, jerk chicken wings, and coconut shrimp. On our way in search of the restaurant we met a guy that looked like a gypsy. He was standing on the corner where we had to stop for the traffic light. He looked at us and said to me,  Do you know you are the most beautiful person I have seen today, And when I smiled at his comment, he said  not you, I mean her and pointed his finger at Sim. We all smiled. Indeed, it is a laid back life style town, and people seem happy with their lives. <P> After lunch we rode the bikes down to the waterfront. There were two cruise ships in and by the amount of guys walking around holding hands, I do believe it was a gay cruise. We also rode down Duval street known for it's restaurants. We stopped at The Original Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville restaurant, not to eat, but to take a picture. After riding on almost every street, absorbing plenty of heat, and seeing enough Key West, we decided to peddle the bikes back to the car. <P> On the drive back to camp we stopped a couple of times along the way. The first stop was Islamorada and Annie's Beach. They have a nice boardwalk there and the beach is actually nice sand. It is not much of a swimming beach however as you can walk out a hundred yards and the water is still only knee deep. Second stop was a shop called Latitude 25. They have some cool stuff in there including clothes. Sim found some Crocs she liked, but they did not have her size. I found a bunch of Tommy Bahama stuff I liked but resisted the temptation to buy a $100 shirt. Back at the coach Sim cooked up some delicious chicken stir fry and we watched the one and only channel we get over the air on the TV until bedtime. <P> <B><U>Mar 4</u></b><br> Today we are Kayaking on the local waters here at the park. We launched the boats and headed up the river. <img src="6050.jpg" width=260 height=150 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> Lots of egret, heron and crane along the mangrove covered banks. This channel is used by all the boats heading out to the ocean from the small marina here at the park so we had to watch our backs so we would not get run over. A couple of 40 footers came by and threw up a pretty big wake so we had to turn the kayaks into the wake to keep from being rolled over. We went all the way out to the ocean, a distance of about 4 miles, but when we turned the corner to the open sea the wind was howling. It was had to keep the kayaks going straight so we turned around and headed back. I wanted to explore a couple of the side channels but Sim's arms were getting tired so we headed back to the marina and camp. Sim managed to fall in the water and load up her kayak with water as we were landing. It was pretty funny watching her trying to get out of her boat and not get soaking wet. We really should take some lessons and learn how to get back in these things if we ever do tip over in deep water. <P> <B><U>Mar 5  6 ( 2 nights, Miami, FL USA  Miami Everglades RV Park)</u></b><br> Since Pennekamp is full we have to move today. I spent an hour on the phone calling RV parks near Miami trying to find a place to stay for 2 nights because Sim wants to see Miami and experience some Cuban culture. I was finally able to book two nights at Miami Everglades RV Park. The bad news is the rate is $59./night. We found the park okay and it was a fairly short drive from Pennekamp. It is a big park and we were  lucky to get one of their Super Sites. Wow, we get to park on grass, the patio slab is at the back of the coach, the water hookup leaks, and the 50 amp plug does not work. I am thrilled. I talked to the guy next to us and asked him if the park allowed RV washing and he said it was OK, so I got out my stuff and spent several hours washing the coach. I was too tired to wash the Jeep and it was getting late so I called it a day. Inside the coach I sat down and read all the papers they gave us when we checked in and there in the rules of the campground was  No vehicle or RV washing in the park . We did however see a couple other people washing RVs and cars so apparently that particular rule is not enforced. <P> <B><U>Mar 6</u></b><br> We headed off to Miami in the morning. First stop was Little Havana. Sim wants some authentic Cuban food. <img src="6061.jpg" width=260 height=200 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> We parked on Calle Ocho and walked downtown Little Havana for a hour or so. We stopped and watched the local men play dominos before deciding on the El Christo restaurant for lunch. El Christo was voted best Cuban restaurant in Miami in some year in the past so we thought it should be good. El Christo is a small family run place with good food at a very reasonable price. We each had a pork dish that served with Yucca and Moro rice and the bill was only $15. After lunch we drove down to the beach, found a place to park and spent a couple of hours walking the beach. <img src="6070.jpg" width=260 height=150 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> Spring break is just getting started so the beach was packed with young men and women enjoying the nice weather, warm water, and each other. We saw the one and the only topless woman. Well if going around topless didn't get enough attention, how about standing up feeding seagulls pieces of bread. She sure drew a lot of attention from the crowds on the beach. Sorry, no picture to insert here. Sim said that lady was pretty brave, considering her body. I think that if we were here when Spring Break is in full swing, it would be quite a sight to see. The beach today was not very crowded at all. <P> <B><U>Mar 7 ( 1 night, West Palm Beach, FL USA  Wal Mart)</u></b><br> The plan for the next few days is to stay at Wal Marts as we work our way north. We have reservations in Mims, FL starting on the 10th, but nothing before that. We left Miami Everglades around 11:00 in the morning and started north. I had made a list of about 10 Wal Marts on the way to Mims. The 1st one we stopped at had signs all over the place saying  No Overnight RV Parking , so we crossed that one off the list and punched in the next address into the GPS. We got to Wal Mart # 2 and the lot was way too small. I ran over 3 curbs just trying to drive through the lot. Cross off number # 2 and on to # 3. We arrived to a nice big lot with room for us. I went inside and asked the Manager if we could park in the lot and she said yes if we were gone by 7:00 a.m. Don't think I can get on the road by then but we will leave early and head for the next Wal Mart on the list. <P> <B><U>Mar 8 (2 nights, Fort Pierce, FL USA  Savanna Recreation Area)</u></b><br> We walked over to the local bagel shop first thing in the morning. The Wal Mart Manager had asked us to be gone by 7:00 A.M. and it was 7:30 already so we had to hurry and get going. We had bagels and a cup of coffee at the bagel shop and hit the road around 8:00. I decided we are going to try to get a spot at the Savanna Recreation Area just south of Fort Pierce instead of parking in a Wal Mart parking lot. The Trailer Life Directory says they do not take reservations so unless they are lined up at the entrance we should be able to get a spot for a couple of nights. We arrived just before lunch and they did indeed have a space for us. The desk clerk struggled to find and open space but we did prevail. As we drove to our assigned space we saw that the park is half empty. I just do not understand these people. They don't seem to be very aware of what is going in at these parks. We had a similar experience at Miami Everglades. They insisted we obtained the very last spot they had, yet we saw 3 spots that remained empty the entire time we were there. <P> <B><U>Mar 9</u></b><br> Did you remember to set your clocks one hour ahead last night? Today is Day 463 of Jim and Sim's Great Adventure, but who's counting. We decided to take in a baseball game today. Spring training is in full swing and there are about 8 teams training down here. We saw that the Dodgers were playing Boston just a few miles north up the road in Vero Beach so we headed out to Dodgertown. I had to stop and ask directions but we got there. After we paid $5 to park we walked to the gate and found out they were all sold out. Apparently the Dodger  Red Sox game is a hot ticked every year. So no game for us today. <P> On the way home I followed Hwy A1A. This road goes right along the beach in many spots and is a very scenic drive. We ended up about 20 miles too far south but it was a nice drive anyway. At one of the beaches we stopped at, we saw many many kite surfers. It was fun to see the surfers jumping up in the air and doing their tricks. We spent an hour watching them. When we got back to the coach, I decided to take a kayak out on the canals at the park and explore. It was quite windy, but fun nonetheless. <P> <B><U>Mar 10 (6 nights, Mims, Fl USA  Campground)</u></b><br> Drove to Titusville today, well actually Mims Fl. We made reservations at a campground several weeks ago knowing that it might be hard to find a place to stay due to the scheduled Shuttle launch. Apparently, lots and lots of people drive down to Florida to see these things go off. We found the campground and got settled in. Should we take a nap now? The launch is scheduled for 2:30 A.M. <img src="6132.jpg" width=260 height=185 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> We ate and messed around and wanted to be at our chosen vantage point, the state park on the Indian River, about 2 hours before the launch. We were told parking can be competitive. We found the park and a place to park and picked out a prime spot to watch the launch. If you go, take chairs, a book or something to occupy yourself for a couple of hours. It got close to launch time and I had the camcorder all set up and Sim had the digital camera. We saw the ignition and I got so excited, I forgot to push the record button. Sim got some good shots however. The whole thing was over and done in 10 seconds because of the low cloud cover. The shuttle took off, we all said our Ohhhhs and Ahhhhs and then it disappeared into the clouds 6 seconds later. We were all turning to head back to our cars when the rocket engine sound made it's way across the river and provided another 10 seconds of excitement. <P> <B><U>Mar 11</u></b><br> Today I am taking our Bose system to the local UPS store and shipping it to Bose for repair. I think I told you that they will fix it and ship it back to me for a flat $160 regardless of what is wrong with it. I found a UPS store, and got it on the way to the tune of $76. ouch! Note to self: Find a box and pack it yourself next time. They charge you an arm and a leg for packing materials. <P> <B><U>Mar 12</u></b><br> While walking around the park yesterday, Sim spotted a flyer in the clubhouse for a Water Aerobics class. I told her I was not interested in it before she asked me to go with her. Well, after breakfast, she suggested we should go swimming since there were two swimming pools. We headed to the swimming pool at about 10 am and had the whole pool for ourselves while another pool was full of people who attended the first section of the water aerobics class. The pool had a lot of chlorine in it and Sim's eyes were irritated to the point where she could not open them. She rinsed them with water, but it was not until the aerobics instructor who conducted the class at the other pool got some milk and dropped some in her eyes did she start to feel better. Guess what! the second water aerobics class started at 10:30 am. I although unwillingly participated in the water aerobics class, I got wrapped up with the situation and became one of the participants. I wanted to believe it was Sim's trick. The class lasted for an hour. Believe or not I liked it. It was fun and very good exercise. We decided to come back and do it again on Friday. <P> <B><U>Mar 13</u></b><br> Dave Head stopped by for a visit. <img src="6134.jpg" width=260 height=200 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> Dave is a frequent contributor on the Foretravel Yahoo board. He was a good sounding board when I was searching for our coach as well. We talked Foretravels for a couple of hours until he had to get back on the road home. It was great to finally meet him in person. <P> <B><U>Mar 14</u></b><br> Time to restock the larder again, so we are off to do grocery shopping today. We like to shop at Wal-Mart for a couple of reasons. One, they have a pretty good selection of produce and the usual staples we need. Secondly, we often boondock at Wal-Mart so I guess I think we at least owe them to shop there. After shopping we did a few loads of laundry and then went back to the Aerobics class at the pool. Sim likes this class so much she is now thinking we need to have a pool at our house in Thailand. <P> <B><U>Mar 15</u></b><br> Sim thinks we are not getting enough exercise so today we are taking the bikes and going for a ride. We found a bike trail just outside the park and headed off for a ride. We found a nice neighborhood without traffic and rode around for an hour or so looking at the huge houses on huge lots. Back at the campground I introduced Sim to Shuffle Board. She caught on pretty quick and was knocking my discs out of the 10 point triangle in short order. Tonight we are picking up June, our friend's son ,at the Orlando airport. He is flying in from Andover, MA to spend his Spring Break with us. We will drop him off in North Carolina at the end of the month. June's plane was an hour late, so by the time we picked him up and got back to the coach it was well after midnight. <P> <B><U>Mar 16  17 (2 nights, St. Augustine, FL USA  Campground)</u></b><br> We are off to St. Augustine today. Taking the scenic route as it is not a very long drive. <img src="6156.jpg" width=260 height=200 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> I decided to take the beach road through Daytona Beach and we found a place to park right next to the beach so we all piled out for a walk on the beach. There were a number of guys surf fishing and we stopped to talk to one guy that appeared to really know what he was doing. He had two rods rigged up along with a bait can and bait catching implements. Sim asked him if he had caught anything and he showed us a nice Pompano, and a couple of other fish that he had caught this morning. The guy enjoyed talking and Sim enjoyed asking questions. While they were carrying on their conversation, June and I went walking and surveying the beach. Sim ran to me and told we would have fish for dinner tonight. The guy sold Sim a five pound Pompano for $5. Sim said she couldn't beat this price even in Thailand. That evening we had a delicious spicy/sour fish dinner. <P> <B><U>Mar 17</u></b><br> Today we are touring downtown St. Augustine. We walked and walked and walked. Lots of old colonial houses to see. Lots of beautiful gardens behind the walled houses. We found a small restaurant that served Mayan food. Our waiter was the son of the owner and he told us the story of how a Mayan restaurant ended up in St. Augustine. He was very good at customer relations. He brought us homemade super hot sauce and warned us to take it easy. Start with one or two drops first. Whoa! it was really hot on our first try. However, after we kept dropping it on our food, we didn't feel the heat as our tongues became numb. We would come back to this restaurant again if we will return to St. Augustine. <img src="6226.jpg" width=260 height=200 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> <P> There is a cool old fort at the entrance to the harbor that we toured. Because it is a National Landmark, my Golden Access passport got all of us in for free. We learned about the difference between cannon and mortars. Mortars were used to fire multiple balls connected with chain, designed to shred the masts and rigging of the sailing ships. Cannon put big holes in the deck and hulls. And when they heated up the cannon balls red hot, they started fires on board the ships they hit. <P> After the fort we headed over to the Fountain of Youth where Ponce de Leon supposedly found the water that was supposed to make you young forever. All we saw was old people walking around so we passed on the $3.00 bottles of water. <P> <B><U>Mar 18  20 (3 nights, Tybee Island, Savannah, GA USA  Campground)</u></b><br> Heading for Savannah, GA today. We are actually staying on Tybee Island, which is about 15 miles from downtown Savannah. No real excitement along the way. We found the campground, got our assigned spot and parked. The spots are VERY close together, and not very level. Oh well, I guess that is the price you pay for camping on an island. <P> <B><U>Mar 19</u></b><br> We are going to tour downtown Savannah today and have lunch at Mrs Wilkes. Mrs Wilkes is famous for her family style comfort food. <img src="6232.jpg" width=260 height=190 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> Many years ago she had a boarding house and served lunch daily for her boarders and anyone else in town who was hungary. Today tourists and locals alike start lining up outside Mrs. Wilkes at 10:30 daily for lunch. You are seated at a communal table for 8 or 10. The menu changes daily but all the food is already at your table when you sit down. Today we are having fried chicken, meat loaf, beef stew and about 13 different vegetables, plus rolls, bread , and desserts. They serve sweet tea in this part of country. If you don't want your tea sweet, you need to put in a special request. This is all you can eat, so if a bowl is empty, another full one is brought to the table. The price is about $18 a person. Well worth it for both the food and the experience of having lunch with complete strangers. We all had our favorite food; June liked the sweet tea and fried rice, Sim loved the collard greens and okra, and I enjoyed the sweet potatoes and meatloaf. <P> After lunch we walked around Savannah and admired the old Victorian houses and gardens. We thought we should find the Visitors Center to get a walking tour map to make sure we did not miss any major attractions. As we drove around looking for the Visitors center, Sim spotted a produce market so naturally we had to stop. After buying a few items, we got directions to the Visitors Center. Map in hand, we continued our walking tour down to Market Street and the Riverfront area. <P> I had not been feeling well ever since we ate lunch. I didn't think it was the food. I thought I was getting a cold. I had a sore scratchy throat and wanted to go back to the coach and lie down. <P> <B><U>Mar 20</u></b><br> It is official. I caught a head cold from somewhere. I slept most of yesterday after we got back from downtown. I didn't feel much better today. Sim and June wanted to go to the beach here on Tybee so I drove them to the beach. They went for a walk while I sat/laid on a beach swing. The bugs were bugging me so I went back to the car and tried to nap while waiting for the two of them to get back from their walk. They were gone a pretty long time and as I figured they got a little bit lost and had a bit of trouble finding their way back to the car. <P> Back at the coach I slept pretty much the rest of the day. <P> <B><U>Mar 21  24 (4 nights Charleston, SC USA  Oak Plantation RV Park)</u></b><br> <img src="6272.jpg" width=260 height=200 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> So today we are on our way to Charleston. Along the way we stopped in Beaufort. Beaufort is the town where Forrest Gump was filmed. We are going to find the bench where he sat and ate the chocolates and told the story to the old lady. We found the visitor center, got our Walking Tour Map and found out that the bench we were looking for was actually in Savannah. C**p!!, we just left Savannah. Oh well, we can still see the bridge that he ran over and some of the locations in the film. First we went to the chocolate store where he bought the box of chocolates. <P> We walked around for another couple of hours on our walking tour. Beaufort has some nice parks, a pretty waterfront and some really pretty homes. <P> <B><U>Mar 22</u></b><br> When I was about 8 years old I had a friend named Kenny. Kenny's parents were killed in a plane crash and Kenny and his brother were sent to live with relatives in Moncks Corner, SC. I always remembered Moncks Corner and said that if I was ever in the area I would try to find Kenny. Well Moncks Corner is 30 miles up the road from where we parked our RV so today we are going to look for Kenny. First we went to the Library. They had the the local newspaper on microfiche so I spent several hours looking through 18 months of newspapers trying to find mention of Kenny and Nicky coming to town. No luck. We went to Berkeley High School were he would have gone, but it is now a community education center. The Library had no yearbooks and the newspaper is no longer in business. I struck out. I guess I will continue to search on the internet at Classmates.com or something similar. <P> <B><U>Mar 23</u></b><br> Off to downtown Charleston today. <img src="6279.jpg" width=260 height=200 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> First order of business is to find the Visitors Center. We finally found it after driving around for 30 minutes. You would think they would put up plenty of signs showing the way, but for some reason I have a hard time finding the VCs even with signs. We parked the car went inside and found a very cool center with tons of info, interactive displays and very helpful staff. We got our maps and headed out for our walking tour. We found a place called City Market where they sell all kinds of stuff, including these baskets that the local people weave out of sweet grass. This is a really old tradition handed down from generation to generation. The baskets are really intricate and beautiful. <P> <B><U>Mar 24</u></b><br> We decided to stay in Charleston one more day. <img src="6333.jpg" width=260 height=200 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> The weather was nice and we wanted to go out to visit Fort Sumter, the place where the Civil War started. We drove down to the ferry dock where you board the boat to take out to the fort. The parking structure had a 7'6 clearance and with the kayaks on top we are at 8'2 , so we had to find a place on the street and feed a meter with $3.00 to get 4 hours parking. We got our ferry tickets and boarded the boat to Fort Sumter with a couple hundred other tourists. <P> It was a short ride out to the fort and they tell you the story of the fort on the way out. At the fort a Ranger gives you another history lesson. You only have about an hour and then they herd you back on the boat and take you back to the mainland. <P> <B><U>Mar 25  26 (2 nights, Newport NC USA  Whispering Pines RV Park)</u></b><br> Heading for Morehead, NC or thereabouts today. Going to see my nephew Scott and his wife Emily who live in Havelock, NC. Scott is in the Marine Corps and stationed at Cherry Point. He and Emily just bought a house so we are going to find a campground close and pay them a visit. <P> <B><U>Mar 26</u></b><br> <img src="6380.jpg" width=260 height=190 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> We were going to stay here 3 nights but decided to go to the Outer Banks tomorrow. Today however, we are heading out to see Scott and his family. We had lunch first and then headed to Havelock. We found Scott's house with no problem. We visited with Scott, Emily their two girls, Gabby and Sophia, and Scott's mother Jana, who happened to be out from California visiting as well. They have a nice 3 bedroom home, in a good neighborhood that is really close to the base where Scott works. Sophia was a bit shy and it was challenging to make her smile or speak a word with us strangers. It took Sim five minutes to get Sophia to talk, smile, and pose. She even gave Sim a hug when we were leaving. Good job Sim. <P> <B><U>Mar 27  28 (2 nights, Waves, NC USA  Camp Hatteras RV Park)</u></b><br> We are headed for the Outer Banks today. Yesterday I called and reserved a spot on the ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke Island. It takes about 2 hours to get out to Cedar Island so we got up early and made ready to leave. The drive was interesting, scenic and uneventful. We arrived 15 minutes before the required check in time and staged up in line. The ferry ride is 2 hours and 15 minutes and it was a beautiful day on the water. <P> <img src="6408.jpg" width=260 height=200 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> We got to Ocracoke Island, parked the coach in the Visitors Center lot and took the Jeep for a tour of the island. We stopped at Howard's Place for some oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp and crab. After eating we roamed around the island, stopped to look at the lighthouse and shopped for T-shirts. The ferry off Ocracoke to Hatteras leaves every hour and no reservations are required so we started off to the other end of the island to catch that ferry. This ferry is free, the ferry to Ocracoke was $45 for the motorhome/car and 3 people. <P> We staged up at the free ferry and were sent on board after a short wait. The ride to Hatteras Island was only 45 minutes. It was getting late in the day so we headed directly to the campground in Waves, a short 30 miles north on Hatteras Island. <P> <B><U>Mar 28</u></b><br> Heading off to see the Wrights Brothers Memorial today. It is about 30 miles north from the campground right on Hwy 12, the only main road on the Outer Banks. The name of the place is Kill Devil Hills. I think Kitty Hawk, the next town north, sounded more romantic so that's why they say the flight was at Kitty Hawk. My Golden Access pass got all of us in at no charge since this was a National Monument. <img src="6441.jpg" width=260 height=200 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> <P> It is really nicely done and if you get the chance this place is a must see attraction. They have a replica of the first gliders they tested here at the site and a replica of the Wright Flyer that was the first powered flight by man here in 1903. The first four flights are marked off in the field and it is fun to walk out on the actual field where the first manned flight took place. It still amazes me that it only took 66 years from the first powered flight to landing a man on the moon. <P> On the way back from the memorial we went over to Roanoke Island to pick up some fresh seafood. We got a couple pounds of shrimp, a couple of drum filets, a pound of sea scallops and seven live crabs, all for $31. Sim was in heaven. <P> <img src="6443.jpg" width=260 height=200 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> On the way home the Jeep died twice. The first time it started right back up as we were rolling down the street. The second time it would not start and we had to pull off to the side of the road. Fortunately it was right across the street from the campground. Sim and June walked back to the coach and I called Good Sam Roadside Assistance. While they were calling around to find a tow truck for me, I fiddled with stuff under the hood to see if I could find a loose wire or connection somewhere. Nothing. I tried to re-start it a bunch more times with no luck. After about 10 minutes I tried once more and it started. I called Good Sam to cancel the truck, and drove around for a few minutes looking for an auto parts store. I suspect maybe I have a clogged fuel filter. The car did this one other time a few weeks back. <P> After dinner we all took a walk on the beach. The wind was really blowing and it looks like a storm is coming. We walked about a mile and then turned around because it was really getting cold. The Atlantic Ocean here is not very pretty. It may be because of the stormy weather. Sim, however, loved its fine white sand, shells, and the unspoiled natural surroundings. <P> <B><U>Mar 29 (1 night, Raleigh, NC USA  Wal Mart)</u></b><br> Driving to Raleigh-Durham today. Sim suggested we boondocked at a Wal-Mart, so June would have difference camping experience. June was scheduled to fly back to Andover tomorrow in the morning so we wanted to be fairly close to the airport. We found a Wal Mart that just 15 minutes from RDU airport, parked and looked for a place to have dinner. June was treating tonight, so looking for a steak and lobster place. We settled on Red Robin for dinner. This is the first time I have eaten at a Red Robin. Sim, apparently has been in one before during the time I was in the hospital with my heart attack. They have a terrific hamburger menu. I opted for heart healthy chicken but did splurge and get a chocolate malt. Sim and June both had burgers. Very nice treat. <P> <B><U>Mar 30  31 (2 nights, Asheville, NC USA  Wal Mart)</u></b><br> We are up early this morning. June is flying out today so we have to head for the airport at around 10:30. There is a Panera Bread place across the parking lot and we have been using their Internet last night and this morning so we are going to get some bread or bagels or coffee or something from them before we head for the airport. We got a Bakers Dozen of bagels and took off for the airport. The airport was only 5 miles away, and we found it with no issues. We got a lot of funny looks driving the coach towing the Jeep up to the departure doors. So, June was off back to school and we were heading to western NC around Asheville. Sim said she was sure that June caught up on all his sleep during this spring break as whenever we were on the road, he assumed his favorite activity; laid down and closed his eyes. Sim was curious one time to know how deep June's nap was, so she painted his toe nails with red nail polish while he was sleeping. It took June one hour after waking up to notice that two of his toes were painted red. Sim said June was cool and fun to play with. One morning he woke up and told us he had slept 11 hours last night and that wasn't including a 3 hour nap. He said he stayed up late studying several weeks prior the spring break. On the last day before Spring Break, he had to stay up until 6 am to finish school assignments. During the time he was with us, he received the results from 4 colleges including Duke and John Hopkins, and they all accepted him. He is a bright young man. <P> We found a Wal Mart outside of Asheville and parked for the night. Of course we went shopping at Wal Mart and the first place I went was the tools section. About a month ago I bought an Arrow Staple Gun at a Wal Mart somewhere. When I pulled it out to use it, I found it had no pusher rod. So now I have been in about 12 Wal Marts and still have not found a store that carries the Arrow Model T27 Staple Gun. Oh well. I am going to call Arrow and see what they will do for me. <P> <B><U>Mar 31</u></b><br> Today we were going to see the Biltmore. We understood that they have RV parking so we were driving the coach there. We got to the Biltmore and were surprised to learn that we got a Good Sam discount. <img src="6483.jpg" width=260 height=150 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> We paid only $36 each to tour the house and grounds. We drove in and found the RV parking lot without issue. The road was a bit narrow and the trees hang out into the road a little bit, but you could dodge the big branches without much of a problem. They ran a Shuttle Bus from the parking lots to the main house, and a bus was there as soon as we finished parking. Biltmore is spectacular to say the least. Built over a period of 5 years, by a 27 year old Vanderbilt bachelor, the house isn't measured in square feet, it is measured in acres. <P> We spent all day here. Had lunch in what used to be the stables. Good food, reasonable prices and good service. After lunch we drove over to the winery. We tasted 5 or 6 of the Biltmore wines, but did not buy any. We walked up to the Biltmore Inn and checked out the on property accommodations before calling it a day and heading back to the same Wal Mart to spend the night. <P> Heading for Virginia tomorrow <br><br> <center><a href="travelogue.htm">Back To Travelogue Page</a></center> </font> </blockquote> </font> <br><br> <center> <font face="arial, verdana" size=1> <a href="index.htm">Home</a> | <a href="who.htm">Who We Are</a> | <a href="travelogue.htm">Travelogue</a> | <a href="photos.htm">Photos</a> | <a href="links.htm">Links</a> | <a href="mailto:mr.scudder@gmail.com">Contact Us</a> <br> Copyright &COPY; 2007. All Rights Reserved </font> </center> </font> <br><br><br> </td></tr></table> </body> </html>