Some early morning calls found a place that would look at the trailer that day (as opposed to waiting weeks), but unfortunately we also discovered the trailer is too tall to put on a flatbed truck. The shop sent out a mobile unit and after taking a tire off the mechanic found that it was not the axle but a fabulously destroyed bearing. It was a quick fix and we were on the road by 1PM. Due to the late start we set our sights on Plymouth and headed east. Jessica wasn't too far from the Rhode Island State line and we passed it with out being prepared to take the picture. We turned around and headed back just to get the shot. While in Rhode Island we stopped in Newport to see the Mansions. We ... read more

We started the morning with an early ferry ride over to the Statue of Liberty. Note to self, check the weekend times for commuter ferries. Turns out that the convenient $2 ferry across a small inlet by the marina doesn't start until 9 on Sundays, and we had to Uber over to Liberty State Park. The ferry from the Jersey side was much less crowded than the one coming from Battery Park. We made our way through the "airport style" security, both at the ferry dock and at the statue base, and headed up into the pedestal of the statue. They have the original torch there on display. The torch was modified many times over the years until it was replaced in 1986 and the original still has the final modifications. There is also an exhibit ... read more

Day 17 - Colonial Williamsburg Williamsburg is about an hour from Virginia Beach. After a nice buffet breakfast on Atlantic Ave (we drove this time), we arrived at the settlement early and beat the heat and the predicted afternoon thunderstorms. From the visitor center, you can take shuttles or walk a medium ways to the town. We recommend that you walk, no matter the weather, or you will miss the plantation (our favorite stop) which is a reconstruction of an 18th century Virginia plantation. It is a working farm so the docents and volunteers all work on various tasks to keep the farm running. There was a group making a heartburn remedy out of oyster shells, another group making parts for a new building in town, and a couple of farmers working in the tobacco field. ... read more

Day 15 - Charlotte to Virginia Beach After saying goodbye to the Zoutewelles until our next cruise together, we headed east to the North Carolina Coast. We were headed to The outer banks and Kitty Hawk and then eventually to our stop at the Virginia Beach KOA. On our way we passed a sign for the town of Wilson, NC. we decided to detour and find some lunch there. We stumbled across Parker's Restaurant. A BBQ place with a very simple menu. Judging by the number of cars in the parking lot and the age of most of the patrons it's been very good for a very long time. We decided to go for the family style BBQ and fried chicken meal. There was fried chicken, pulled pork, coleslaw, some kind of tomato-bean thing, boiled potatoes ... read more

Day 13 - Savannah to Charlotte This morning we packed most of the trailer up but left it at the campsite while we drove into Savannah for breakfast. We parked near the old town river walk and spent some time looking at the archetecture before going to Huey's on the River. Huey's is a creole restaurant and makes some fabulous beignets. Michelle didn't like the hollandaise sauce on the eggs benedict but discovered she really likes cheese grits. After breakfast we spent some more time exploring the river edge. We discovered some old vaults built into the retaining wall on the bluff. Instead of being paid, the archetect who designed the retaining wallwas given the rights to collect rents in these spaces for 20 years. We headed back to the KOA to hook up the trailer ... read more