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Day 1: July 2nd
Leaving Newburyport!!! I am sure that some of you have been wondering where we are and what has been happening….well, rest assured when I tell you that it has NOT been boring.
On July 2nd the Beast departed, this is Chris’s name for our new home. Nick has named it Plum Island and Devin and I have not named our home on wheels. Our first day took us to Cooperstown, NY to the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum. We arrived early afternoon, took a trolley into town and visited the museum for a few hours. What a great museum and tribute to baseball players. Dad, we specifically searched for Carlton Fisk T-shirts for you and Joanie (gave up after 6 stores) to wear to your Red Sox game and found nothing but we did take a nice picture of his plaque. We then had to find our first campsite at Glimmerglass Campground on Lake Otsego. The campground was right up my alley. There were a lot of trees, people just chilling, public bathrooms and showers. There were no hook-ups at this campground saving us from having to figure out all of the nuances associated with the camper. I thought the dinner of penne with sauce was fantastic but it may not have been everyone’s favorite! I can say that it wasn’t a restful night for all campers. The space is different and the environment is nothing like home but I had faith that it would get better with time.
Funny moment/s of the day: we got into the truck FAST lane when getting on the Mass Pike…whoops!!! Thankfully the full cost of the toll did not break the bank.
July 3rd—we departed early in the morning for Hershey, PA for a little fun! We arrived early afternoon seeing streetlamps with a Hershey kiss on top of each. We took the tour of chocolate world with Chris and drooled over all of the candy in the store that they dump you in. Then Devin, Nick and I buckled in for some good amusement park excitement. The rides are not so good on Chris’ equilibrium so I took the challenge with the two boys’. As you all know it was an easy challenge for me to take. We started off on some of the more scenic rides and I gawked at all of the new coasters that have been built since I went 15 years ago with my brother Patrick. It was a hot and humid day and we found ourselves heading towards the Boardwalk and the water rides. One should know that I did not have my suit on, oh yeah, the seemingly nice raft ride left me drenched for the rest of the time I was at Hershey. Boy, did we laugh!! The boys’ then wanted to spend some time in the water park on the really cool slides. Devin went on a run by himself while Nick got me on this “small” coaster that scared me more than the super thrill rides. The small car would dart right for the edge then turn the corner. Nick laughed at my terrified squeals and screams and loved every minute of it. I then brought Nick back to Devin and I made the decision to ride the Fahrenheit (97 degree) coaster in order to get a shot at a big thrill. WOW, it was great….I even took a picture of the beginning of the ride with my cell phone (ah, technology). The cars went straight up and all you can see is the sky and then comes down at that 97 degree angle and starts shooting you through loops and cork screws. I was in heaven…with my adrenaline high I ran back to check on the boys’ to find them closing the water park due to inclement weather. It was probably a good thing because Chris was meeting us in 15 minutes. It saved me the difficulty in getting the kids off the rides. Yeah, Rain…oops, Devin and I forgot to eat!!! We grabbed pizza, yakked Chris’s ear off and started the last leg to the campsite at Coderus State Park. We got to this picturesque campground plugged in the RV (by a small miracle everything worked and we had air conditioning to get through the night) and snuggled in for a much better night sleep.
Notable moment/s: when BIG trucks pass you the RV physically moves (how come know one told me), we found out that it is important to make sure that the side door is always pulled tight (don’t worry, nothing bad happened…)
Happy 4th of July everyone!!—we did not rush around this morning. We got up at 8 am, made breakfast and coffee in the RV, showered and headed to Gettysburg, PA to wander around the battlefield. We had only ½ hour drive, I cannot tell you how happy this made Chris. Even with a wrong turn we arrived in an hour. There have been many changes at Gettysburg since Chris and I had each been. There is a brand new, fancy visitor center that has a movie theater, a wonderful museum and a great bookstore. They also have a place that serves food. We had a great 6-7 hours at Gettysburg, all of you teachers would have been proud of us and the boys’. There was a lot of learning going on by Devin, Nick and I. We walked the battlefield, drove the auto road, talked, asked questions and had a terrific day. We managed to hit a grocery store before it closed and bought dinner makings, which included the ingredients for Smores’. We cooked, ate, learned about RV responsibilities (washing dishes, etc) and it rained. Nick was rather disappointed with the lack of Smores’ but there will be many more opportunities. The boys’ have been terrific. They have been great travelers!!!
July 5th—we packed up early for a long driving day!!! We took off so quickly that we forgot to pick up the nice blue cooler that Gemma and Pa loaned us. We remembered an hour into our drive…no wonder we could actually walk in the RV….We owe you a new cooler Gemma and Pa! Sorry!!!! Chris and I found our first Starbuck’s on the trip, near Frederick, MD. That is actually where we had our epiphany that the cooler was no longer with us. A very sad moment, trust me. We then headed for Fort Royal, VA to take a scenic drive on the Shenandoah Skyline….but just before entering the park Devin and I visited the Skyline Caverns and had a great tour. Devin was so funny, I can’t tell you how many times he told me how cool this mile plus adventure was…we saw a very rare crystal (Anthodite) and learned some history and geology. We then entered the Shenandoah Skyline which was just beautiful!!! Green, lush and picturesque! Today was a good travel day with far fewer big trucks on the road. It was a long day as we decided to stop driving in Roanoke, VA. We are staying in a MainStay Suite tonight and heading to Greenville, SC tomorrow. We are almost there Mom….
Notable moment: The sudden stops in the RV remind you of just how many things have not been put away!!!
Shout out: Annie and Ghlee thank you so much for the special treats that we’ve been nibbling on…they sure have hit the spot. We have now replaced the chocolate with more from Hershey Park!!!!!
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Mom
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Coolers galore here
Your doing great!! We have plenty of coolers to send you on your way. You can load up on your next set of goodies here for your trip. Chris, your request will be in the oven tomorrow and waiting on you, after you all dive in the pool and relax. It's been a little cooler at night so the water is a nice 84 degrees. See you tomorrow. Love, Mom