27th Stop was HOME SWEET HOME!!!

When we left Winchester, VA it started to rain and it rained on and off (mostly on) until we got north of the NC state line. 

Ed was thinking about doing a short driving day and making an overnight stop at the Enfield/Rocky Mount KOA and we did stop but did not check in ... that's another story altogether.  He decided that we would head on home and that's what we did.  We had the RV in the driveway around 4:30pm on Monday, 10/15 and now it's time to unload and get ready for the FH RV Club trip to Myrtle Beach (11/1 - 11/8) and start making plans for January in Florida.

Anyway, we're home and thanks to all for keeping up with us ... I had over 1000 page views when I finally got logged on this morning and I know close to 700 of them was probably Ed but Judy, Jan, Pat, Betsy, Dave, Karen, Ellen, Elmer and my bro, Jimmy, to name a few, were regulars.  I hope I didn't bore you too much but if you timed it right and read my blog before going to bed, I'm sure I helped you fall asleep.

Until the next trip...Happy Trails!

NOW FOR THE YARD WORK!!!



my INVASIVE swamp sunflowers...some of
them were over 7' high!!!



26th Stop - Winchester, Virginia -- SOUTHBOUND!!!

When we left the Saratoga Springs area, it was raining and it was cold.  Ed said he wanted to pull out at 09:00 and I set my alarm and we pulled out of the driveway to the campground at 08:58.  Of course it helped that we picked up the carpets and hooked up the car the night before since we knew there was rain in the forecast.

It was a long driving day for Ed but at least the rain stopped just north of Oneonta and it was nice.  Ed wanted to get through Pennsylvania so we pulled into Candy Hill Campground in Winchester, VA around 16:00.  We opened the door and immediately took off our sweatshirts and opened the windows...it was warm outside...a good sign that we're getting closer to home.

If Jimmy and Sheri are reading this...thanks so much for including us in on all the festivities and we were very glad that we got to spend time with you two.  It doesn't happen very often and now that we're ALL retired maybe we can work something out.

25th Stop - Gansevoort, NY

We checked into Coldbrook RV Park & Family Campground today; it's located at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, just minutes from Saratoga Springs and Lake George.

We met Jimmy & Sheri and Greg & Stephanie in downtown Saratoga Springs for dinner and the downtown strip is REALLY nice.  Lots of restaurants and shops and I hope we have time to go back during the day to check it out.

Thursday night was the rehearsal at Longfellow's where the wedding and reception for Stephanie (my niece) and Greg will be held on Friday.  Afterwards, the rehearsal dinner was held at Lillian's in downtown Saratoga Springs...NICE! 

Jan M kept asking for a picture of me and my evil twin so here it is...it wasn't easy to get!



My brother giving his youngest daughter, Stephanie, "away"

 The wedding on Friday evening was absolutely GREAT and the Bride and Groom looked stunning (yes, even he looked stunning) and everyone had fun at the reception afterwards to celebrate the marriage.  We pooped out a little after 9pm and I can just imagine how Sheri, my sister-in-law, felt after everything (there was a breakfast at Longfellow's the next morning!) was all over with. 

Saturday morning we woke up early to get to the breakfast and say our good-byes and when we went out there was frost on the pumpkin and the car windows were iced up.  In other words...it was DAMN cold!  After the breakfast we headed to downtown Saratoga Springs to see it in the daylight and did a little walking around.  There's a good chance of rain tonight so we're picking up the carpets outside and Ed's hooking up the car tonight. 

We're heading SOUTH when we leave here and even the highs in the 60's sound good right now.

24th Stop - Verona, NY

Ed had called The Villages at Turning Stone RV Park in Verona to see if we could check in a day early and they had one back-in site left and we grabbed it.  We didn't realize it but it was Columbus Day weekend so the park was filled.  Sunday we were able to move over to the pull-thru site that we originally had reserved and when we stepped outside the RV on Monday, the park was emptying out. 

When we arrived a little before 3pm and squeezed into the site, we called my twin bro, Jimmy, to let him and Sheri know we had arrived.  We were able to meet up with them for the days we were in Verona. 

While we were in Verona, Jan M urged Ed to drive to Lake Ontario and touch the fifth Great Lake since he's already dipped his hand in Lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron and Erie.  So we got up early Monday morning and drove to Oswego and he not only dipped his hand in but his feet got wet, too (not intentionally).  Dave C suggested a place to go to pick up some fresh apples up in that neck of the woods but we had to head back to make sure we didn't miss lunner (late lunch/early dinner) with the family.

Monday we got to see Erica (Jim's & Sheri's daughter) and her husband, Bill, and I wanted to get a picture of the four of them but my brother is VERY camera shy; hence, no group picture of Erica and Bill with Sheri and Jim...he's such a party-pooper. 

23rd Stop - Westfield, NY

Eastward bound!

The Thor Diesel Club Rally ended on Friday and we both went to the continental breakfast and said good-bye to the friends we met there.  Friday morning the Thor guys came and finished up the work on our coach and we pulled out of the Elkhart County Fairgrounds and headed for the Ohio Turnpike.

Along the way was when we realized the foliage had really started changing and the colors were awesome even though it was overcast.  Somewhere before Cleveland, we hit the rain and it was still raining when we crossed the NY state line and checked into the KOA Westfield Lake Erie Kampground a little after 5pm.  The KOA campground is right across the street from Lake Erie.

We found that this weekend the campgrounds are booked because MOST of the campgrounds close down mid-October so they're having early Halloween parties and the fall foliage is attracting the last campers.

  
It rained all night but Saturday ended up becoming a nice autumn day.  We drove into the small town of Westfield on Lake Erie (made sure we didn't blink or we would have missed it) and it was cold and windy but Ed got to touch the lake bringing the count up to four out of five Great Lakes he touched on this trip. 

We headed back to the KOA and brought the slides in, hooked up the car and jumped right back on the thruway making the stop an easy off/easy on for the night.