The day is cloudy and windy. It took us until noon to repack the truck and clean up the camper. We've spent a week in Virginia! Now, pulling the trailer, the truck is like a dream and Rich is very happily driving up and down the mountains. Around 2:00, as we were getting hungry, we saw a brown highway sign that said Appalachian Arts and Crafts. We thought it would be fun to look at the art and to break for lunch. We pulled into Clifton Forge, a pretty little town in the mountains. Alas, the Arts and Crafts store was [View Full Entry]

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We woke to a light rain. As we began packing the essentials back into the truck, there was a little sunshine. We were preparing to backtrack to Charlottesville to see Monticello. We had planned on a stop there before the truck acted up, so we had had to pass it by. Once we got to the Interstate, it began to pour rain! We passed a Wal-Mart distribution center that had to have had at least 200 Wal-Mart trailers! We didn't mention it, but there have been Wal-Marts all over every place we've been. The new truck is behaving like a dream [View Full Entry]

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We did some cleaning and organizing in the morning. Then we went to town. The truck wasn't ready, so we went to an Antique Mall to look around. The State Farm agent called while we were there and said the papers were being faxed from Nevada. We found her office right away. She was so friendly and helpful. We signed all the paperwork, took the check and went back to the dealership. The truck still wasn't ready. Everybody at the dealership loved Daisy and wanted to see her each time we back (again). We went to lunch at McAllister's. It was [View Full Entry]

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Rich took the truck in for the trade and to get the hitch switched, the running boards removed and moved, and the trailer brake controls installed to the new truck. Rich gave the salesman the information he needed to contact the credit union to tell them the specifics of the new truck. The credit union was supposed to have an answer about a loan at 12:00, because of the time difference. Nancy paid bills online while he was gone. They gave Rich a little loaner car, so he went back to pick up Nancy. We had lunch and went over to [View Full Entry]

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Rich took the truck to the diesel mechanic for evaluation. Meanwhile, Nancy and Daisy went for a hike in the woods by the campground. She wondered, "How did native people sneak up any game in the fall when the leaves are so crisp and noisy? Maybe they stayed still and waited for the game. We heard deer in the leaves a quarter mile away!" On the hike, Nancy hooked her toe on a root, hidden under the leaves, and took a tumble. A few bruises, and feeling out of whack, but really fine. Daisy was very solicitous. Good thing Nancy takes [View Full Entry]

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A day of disappointment. Rich went to town to a truck repair shop that had been recommended by the RV Park owner. The diesel mechanic was out hunting and will be back tomorrow. In the meantime, the mechanics who were there and the owner (who RACES diesel pickups!) said that it was probably the fuel filter. So he got that changed. When he got back to the camper, the truck sounded so much better! Jodie called to tell Rich she was proud that he was a Veteran, as she does every year, the sweetie. Rich was still unsure that the problem [View Full Entry]

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Today is a travel day. We walked Daisy before we left and in the campground we saw the first Confederate flag of this journey. As we left the camp, we saw what looked like yachts floating down the road! What? Actually, the road closely parallels a canal. You won't believe its name. The Dismal Swamp Canal. The Great Dismal Swamp is south of here. The canal is actually quite picturesque. Seeing the canal, reminded us to mention that all the bodies of water in the East seem to be right up to their banks - a foot higher and there would [View Full Entry]

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The sky was clear and blue in the morning, so we took another walk on the beach before we had to leave. Daisy investigated a dead horseshoecrab. Jodie had told us that one of the local delights was Tastykakes so we tried some small cinnamon rolls for breakfast. They were tasty. Jodie had told us that they were THE treat in Pennsylvania, and Stephanie Plum from the Janet Evanovitch books loves them in New Jersey, so we had to try them in Maryland. A pony was walking up the bicycle trail as we left the park, so Nancy posed by it. [View Full Entry]

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In the morning, there was sunshine between thin lines of clouds. Hooray! We opened all the blinds and let the light in! It was cheerful and bright! We decided to walk to the Ranger Station and sign up for another night. It is promising to be a good day so we don't want to leave yet. There were two dry horses by the side of the road. A professional photographer was walking all around them and taking pictures. When we stopped to take a picture of the local lifeboat rescue station, two little girls on bicycles stopped to pet Daisy. We [View Full Entry]

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We decided that we love the ocean so much, we will spend a day at the beach campground and then go to the Norfolk area to visit our neice. The weather report is that it's going to clear up. So, we moved our camper 15 miles to the campground on Assateague. On the way, we passed a racetrack. Horse-racing is big in this country. We also saw our first magnolia tree this trip. When we got to the campground, we set up and were so happy to be just over the dune from the Atlantic. We could hear the waves from [View Full Entry]

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