Wednesday, May 25, 2016

2016-05-25

I have been receiving complaints about my failure to write a blog since last December. Oh well.

We did have a good winter attending the Busch Gardens weekly concerts, and some other concerts. Of course there were Doctor visits, and a good Chapter 57 spring rally.

We thought we getting a good start to our summer travels when we left in early April for the SKP ACRE rally to be held in Sevierville, TN, but things happen. Saturday night, April 9th at Southern Trails RV Park in Unadilla, GA, our leveling jacks over-extended. We got them up with an alarm. On Monday morning, an Atwood technician talked me through pulling wires to close the air bag valves so they would inflate. WE had a wonderful SKP ACRE Rally even if we were unable to level the coach. We even had our pictures taken with Duke at the Busch Bean Factory. 2016 Bush Beans and Duke05252016.

After the rally, we took the rig to Gaffney, SC, so Freightliner Custom Chassis could give the coach an alignment. Since our appointment wasn’t until the following week , we left the rig, drove the Jeep to Columbus, GA to pick up a trailer and furniture stored at Doug’s so we could take it to our daughter Bev in Trotwood, OH. Then it was back to SC to get the rig. My PSA was up , so we headed back to FL and the Tampa VA so I could see a Urologist. Since I had been in Vietnam, I have a biopsy scheduled for early September (we will be back in FL early this year). Since we were in FL, we got to see Paul (Marilyn’s cousin) and Peg Gifford along with the Miller’s again before summer travels.

Back on the road, we drove to Red Bay, AL to replace our leveling system. Our next stop was the Loretta Lynn Ranch and Campground. We did not see Loretta because she was touring at age 84. 20160514_10053620160514_10413220160514_13251020160514_132530.

We headed up I-81 to Camp-A-While in Heggins,PA. It is a very rustic campground on the side of a mountain in the woods with narrow roads. We would call it beautiful if I had not gotten stuck. At least the campground owner had a friend with a tow truck. He burried the truck bed and winched me out. 20160523_16422720160523_171039.

Yesterday, the 24th, we toured the D.G. Yuengling Brewery, America’s oldest, and still privately owned by its fifth generation. The brewery is located in downtown Pottsville, PA. The current owner will make his four daughters, who work for the company, purchase the brewery from him on borrowed funds like he had to purchase from his father. 20160524_13040420160524_13060320160524_130757.

Today, we drove the Jeep to Ashland, PA where we road coal cars into the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine for a tour of coal mining. The mine ceased operation in 1931 due to the depression, but became a tourist attraction in the early 1960s. 20160525_130800. We also enjoyed the Museum of Anthracite Mining. 20160525_132604. On the way back to the campground we drove through Frackville, PA. We had been driving up and down I-81 for over 40 years from Georgia and Florida to Oswego, NY, and had seen the name Frackville, but this was our first visit.

Tomorrow, we will move to Pleasant Acres Farm and Campground in Sussex, NJ so that we can visit our good friends Phil and Terri Tobin for a few days. They live across the border in Westtown, NY.

Hugs. Now I can procrastinate for a few more days.