Thursday September 21, 2016 – Travel Day
Since we stayed at a Moose Lodge for the last 5 nights, we had to find a dump station along the way to Wilmington. There is a Flying J on I-95 South, Exit 106 in North Carolina. It cost $7.50. We got a Good Sam discount (it is listed as $10.00). That took about 20 minutes. Easy in and out. They have 2 dump stations with diesel right there too.
We arrived in Wilmington about 1:00. We were not sure where to park, so we waited for Bill, the administrator to show up. 
He set us up behind the Lodge. We have 50 amp service and water. There is a dump beside that bath house. For $15.00 a night, you can’t beat this. Do you see the white square thing sticking up above our rig? That is our Winegard Rayzar antenna.
Check out the great picture we got from our Rayzar Antenna. This was a square dancing competition being broadcast from Smithville, TN. You can’t see it from this picture, but in the back, behind the man on stage, the Wilson Bank & Trust is one of the sponsors. It seemed sort of weird to be on the coast of North Carolina and receive this broadcast from our little antenna.
Moose Lodge outdoor pavilion.
We decided on a local place for some fresh seafood. Fish Bites. I had Shrimp and Grits and Cliff had the Fish and Chips. Both were very good.
This is a very cute place and our waitress was very nice.
Then off to Walmart where we found a Maserati in the parking lot. You don’t see that very often.
Thursday September 22, 2016
It started raining last night and it is still raining today. I made a pot roast in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker. In about 1.5 hours, we had the most tender and flavorful pot roast I have ever made. It was wonderful and we ate it for 3 days. As Cliff said, “It’s a keeper”. Just send me a message if you want the recipe. I also rented a movie from the RedBox at Walmart. A Hologram for a King with Tom Hanks. Pretty good. I had a discount on my app, so we got it free.
Not much going on Friday and Saturday. We had a free spagetti dinner at the Moose Lodge. New recruiting technique. If you come to a Lodge meeting, they give you a ticket that can be used for a free meal on a Friday night. We did not attend any meetings, but they were being very nice to us and gave us the dinner anyway. We did offer to pay, but they declined. Saturday, I got a pedicure and a haircut. I am not even going to tell us how upset I am about both.
Sunday September 25, 2016
We went to the NC Spot Festival. We did not know what it was, but “when in Rome” right? The Spot is a small short-lived saltwater fish. The species inhabits coastal waters from Massachusetts to Texas and derives its name from the prominent spot behind each gill.
There were camel rides.
They also had ponies and goats, but who wants to ride a pony when you can ride a camel? There were vendors selling art and other items. Some really cute stuff, but we have no where to put it.
This was the Spot dinner for $8.00. It was kind of fishy tasting and had a lot of bones. But now we can say we had Spot.
There were quit a few people here. It had a very friendly small town feel to it. Everyone was very friendly. We stayed a couple of hours.
Then we drove to Wrightsville Beach. 
There was a very nice ocean breeze.
Nice large sandy beach and not too crowded. I wish I could bottle the sound of the ocean and add it as background music to this blog. That would be cool. 
The water was colder than I had expected.
We had some nice waves. This is a beautiful place. We had kind of forgotten how nice it is to walk on the beach and hear the sounds of the ocean.
Monday September 26, 2016
We took a ferry over to Southport, NC. It is only about a 14 mile drive to the ferry. You can actually drive to Southport by car, but there is no fun in that.
It was a beautiful day for a boat ride. The ferry is $5.00 a car, one-way. 
We were right up front and this bird decided he needed a ride too.
The construction of Fort Johnston was approved in 1745 to defend the Cape Fear River region’s British settlements from pirates and Spanish attackers. Fort Johnston was originally built by the British in 1748. Fort Johnston was conveyed to the city of Southport in 2006 after 250 years of federal service as the oldest active-duty fort in the United States.
The town has a total area of 3.8 square miles. 
The town was founded as Smithville in 1792 adjacent to the fort. The town was named after Benjamin Smith, a colonel in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and later Governor of North Carolina.
In an effort to promote the town as a major shipping port, the town changed it’s name to Southport in 1887.
It is 596 miles to Key West and 581 miles to Nantucket.
It is a charming town with a nice list of movies and TV shows filmed here. The Nicholas Sparks movies are A Walk to Remember, Nights of Rodanthe, and Safe Haven. Other movies like Crimes of the Heart and Summer Catch were also filmed here. I think that is pretty impressive for 3.8 square miles.
There is a nice walking Historic tour. 
A late lunch at Provision Company at the Old Yacht Basin. It is Monday and some restaurants are not open because it is now “off season”.
You order at the counter.
Find a seat and they bring the food to you. It was very pleasant. We both had the special, 1/4 lb of steamed shrimp with a deviled crab cake, with a drink for $7.95.
Back to the ferry ride to Fort Fisher Ferry Terminal. We probably should have taken the ferry to Bald Head Island, but we were running out of time. The only way to the island is by ferry and no cars allowed. So the only means of transportation on the island are bicycles, golf carts and your own 2 feet. Sounds very cool and maybe we will make it another time.
We passed a big container ship on its way to the ocean.
A beautiful drive back along Carolina Beach Road.
Right on the ocean.
The town of Kure Beach is very nice and colorful. This house is really Purple, but it does not show up that bright in this picture.
A very contemporary house being built right on the beach. It was a beautiful day.
Tuesday September 27, 2016
Moose Lodge #343. Draft beer special on Tuesday night.
It is a nice large lodge with pool tables and shuffleboard tables.
They also host a game called Feather Your Nest. It is similar to Bingo. You pay $1.00 a card for 2 rounds of play. If you cover all 3 cards on your card, you win. First round paid $10.00 and second round paid $11.00. I won $10.00 once. It was fun, fast and easy to play.
We have really enjoyed our time here in Wilmington. This is a great Moose Lodge and I hope they can encourage more members to join. The bartenders are very nice and Bill, the administrator was a perfect gentleman.
We are off to Myrtle Beach on Thursday. Until then, Cheers!
We crossed a beautiful bridge on I-295, south of Richmond.
Over the James River.
Then down I-95 into the state of North Carolina, the Nation’s Most Military Friendly State. I did not know that. That is pretty cool.
We were lucky enough to get hook ups at the Wilson Moose Lodge.
30 amp with water.
The whole parking lot to ourselves.
They have a swimming pool at this lodge. They had just closed it down for the season. It is very nice.
The outside.
The lodge is nice and big on the inside. They have a full menu on Friday nights.
They have nice bar decorations and the white wine is always served in a chilled glass. I really like that. This Moose Lodge had a lot going on. Everyone was so friendly. It is nice to be back in the South.
They had karaoke on Friday night and this couple are Full Time RVers’. They were in town for only one night and did not know that this Moose Lodge had hookups. They have been workamping for the past 11 years and love it. We exchanged contact information and they are going to give us some advice on places they have workamped.
We drove to Raleigh, NC this morning. The Crepe Myrtles are beautiful along the interstate. I have never seen so many in one place. North Carolina is full of them in all different colors. We had to do some errands in the city. It was a very pleasant experience until we had to go to Camping World. The parking lot was extremely tight and I don’t see how some of those rigs made it in and out. We had purchased a zero gravity lounge chair for me last May (2015). The sides are tied on with elastic cords. Well, one broke. We thought we could take it back, but Camping World only has a 60 day return policy. Wow. So anyway, it did not go well. The rest of the day was great.
We have been so blessed this year to be able to visit with family twice in one year. My first cousin, Claire Greer, is married to Rev. George Greer. They live in Rocky Mount and George is the Rector at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. We got to go church with them twice this year. Claire’s mother, my Aunt Stevie, is picture above holding Claire’s granddaughter, Anna Claire.
I love being around this part of my family. My Aunt Stevie is one of the sweetest people I know. The whole family is so much fun to be around. We never seem to run our of conversation.
Cliff and I always have such a good time and love the time we have had together this year. Anna Claire is so sweet and mellow. She loves everyone.
This is Anna Claire’s parents, Sarah Katherine and Brandon. Such a sweet couple. 
Here is 4 generations. Great grandfather, Bob. Anna Claire just adores him and his hair. Grandfather George is to the right, she adores him too. And Sarah Katherine and Brandon in the back. We had a wonderful lunch and we are sorry that we have to miss the snow sledding hills they are having at the church in a couple of weeks. It was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday.
It is laundry day. This was a wonderful laundromat, very clean and lots and lots of washers and dryers. This is 
We read a lot of RV blogs and laundry is a topic that is discussed a lot. We, personally, do not mind going to the laundromat. Some people just cringe when they think about it. Talk about meeting the locals. It usually only takes an hour and we can get 2-3 loads of laundry washed, dried and folded. Sometimes we meet some really nice people at the laundromat. It is not all bad. We spend between 6.00 – 8.00 a trip. If you stay in a campground, most of the time it is less expensive. The trade off is the washer and dryers are usually smaller than these, so it takes longer and cost almost the same.
It has been raining for 2 days. Since laundry was done yesterday, there is not much to do so we decided to go have lunch. 
They have Bill’s Buffet, which is a buffet restaurant with all the fixins. They even have a whole pig that you pull the meat yourself.
They have a separate drive-thru and walk up.
The Tuesday special was interesting.
They have a convention center next door. Bill does a lot of catering.
Bill’s World Famous Barbecue and Chicken has a fleet of 25 patented mobile kitchens. All of the mobile catering equipment has been specifically designed by Bill to deliver fast, hot, freshly prepared meals from coast to coast. They transport the hogs in a refrigeration area and are cooked fresh once they get to their destination. Even in California. It was good barbecue. Another place we would recommend if you are going to Wilson, NC.
Off this point in the Elizabeth River is the zero mile buoy marking the beginning of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. 
Apparently, it is there somewhere. This is from Downtown Norfolk.
An aircraft carrier being worked on.
The Elizabeth River. It is so pretty.
This Ship cost 75 million dollars. You read that correctly. That is pretty hard to believe, I know. It is privately owned by Charles Simonyi. As of June 2016, he is estimated to be worth 1.6 Billion, so he can afford this yacht. He was a software developer for Microsoft when he started there in 1981. He was the chief architect of Microsoft Word & Excel and created the Microsoft Office Suite. He left in 2002. The yacht’s name is SKAT. You can google that for more pictures.
There are sailboats that give sunset cruises.
This is Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. My father was stationed there in the early 50’s. It is the oldest continuously running hospital in the Navy Medical system. What you see is the original part. The high tower to the left is part of the newest section of the hospital.
You are looking at 3 ships tied together. The one is the middle is the back end. It has a door that drops down to the water, so other boats can drive into it’s lower section. Amazing!
This is hard to see, but this de-magnetizes ships. They pull the ships between the two dock looking things and the white building in the background does all the work.
Cargo ships being loaded. The one of the left is Maersk Line, a Danish business. It is the global container division and the largest operating unit of A.P. Moller/Maersk Group. It is the worlds largest container shipping company.
With all of these huge ships, they have to dredge the Elizabeth River. They suck the stuff off the bottom with a large vacuum and it is deliver through a pipeline under water to an area outside the channel.
Another large shipping company, Hapag-Lloyd. This is a German company. It is the world’s fifth largest container carrier in terms of vessel capacity
Now to the 
This is hard to see, but there is a submarine in the water to the left of the dock. It has some type of cargo on the front nose and it is mostly submerged.
These are Destroyers.
This is an aircraft carrier. This is MASSIVE!
This is the newest ship in the Navy fleet. Our captain got very excited when we came across this. Apparently, it was not here yesterday and he was all a flutter about it. Most technically advanced ship ever built.
There were lots of helicopters and different types of planes flying around during our cruise. Those are V-22 Osprey.
Today, the Navy operates two dedicated hospital ships. This is the USNS Comfort, launched in 1987. The USNS Mercy was converted in 1986. Both ships were converted supertankers. They are huge, equivalent to the height of a 10-story building and the length of three football fields with a crew of 1.200. 
And just a pretty sailboat.
There goes the COSCO container ship that we saw earlier. The tug boat leads them out of the Elizabeth River.
That is a lot of containers.
That is the USS Wisconsin. One of the largest and last battleships ever built by the US Navy.
I don’t think I would like working in that building in front of this ship with the guns pointed at my window.
This is crazy big.
The flag poles at the bow and stern are called staffs. On the stern, it’s a flag staff and flies the national colors or “ensign”. Here in the bow, it’s the jackstaff and the flag it flies is a “jack”. Jacks and ensigns are only flown on staffs when the sip is not underway.
The blue jack with the white stars is the “Union Jack” and was used by the Navy until after the September 11, 2001 attacks, when the Navy began flying the “Don’t Tread On Me” jack. This Union Jack is still flown on the Wisconsin since it was flown during her active service.
There was a machine shop inside this ship.
Cliff’s mermaid with all the tour stickers on her.
The visitor center was full of knowledgeable and helpful people. The ladies at the information desk are so patient with first time visitors. They explained all the options and what was happening this day. 
Meet Liberty. Liberty is a Briard, a breed that George Washington would have owned in the 1770’s.
Williamsburg was the Capital of the Virginia Colony from 1699 to 1780. This is America’s oldest and largest live interactive history experience. There is something different going on everyday. We were going to get a 3 day pass, but they are running a special fall promotion. We got a pass that is good until the end of the year for less than the 3 day pass.
This is such a great place for children (and adults) to learn. This was the kitchen at the Governor’s Palace. The cook was one of the highest paid servants at the Palace.
He was demonstrating what and how they would cook for the Governor and his guests.
The Governor’s Palace. 
This was the home to seven royal governors (appointed by the King of England) and the first 2 elected governors in Virginia, Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson. It was built to impress.
Beautiful and elaborate gardens.
Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood continued to make additions, including elaborate gardens in 1720- 1722.
In 1780, the capital of Virginia was moved to Richmond for security reasons during the American Revolution. On December 22, 1781, the main building of the Governor’s Mansion was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt in the 1930’s based on the buildings foundation that was still in the ground and other extensive research.
John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore had an extensive collection of swords and rifles.
Some of his collection decorate the main hall.
Handpainted silk from England.
Hand painted ceramic tiles around the fireplace.
Beautiful antigues.
King George III was the British monarch during Lord Dunmore’s time at Williamsburg. As the guest entered the room, they bowed and curtsey to the King and Queen of England, as if they were there.
This is one of 4 made in the world, a fold out keyboard. That is not the proper term, but I cannot find it anywhere.
Ornate architectural elements.
A full restoration began in 1981.
Along the Duke of Gloucester Street there are several taverns that provide food and drinks.
Susan Ingram suggested we go to Chowning Tavern for a Root Beer.
So we did.
Looks like a Welsh flag.
Enjoy the Art Project. The link is on the screen.
Every day they have different performances throughout the village. One day we got to see a young Martha Washington. You get a different program for everyday you might be there. You have to then plan your day according to which performance you want to see and where it is in the village. We got to see young Thomas Jefferson twice. Kurt, is the actor that portrays him. He was very good and really enjoys his job and has a great passion for it. These live shows really get you into the period. After the performance, which last 45 -60 minutes, they will take questions, either in or out of character. It was great.
There are houses in Colonial Williamsburg that are for rent to private individuals. Check out the brick work on this house.
They can rent up to $3,000 a month.
There are horse-drawn carriage rides and then you might see some Colonist riding down the street on horseback.
We were too early to eat at Kings Arms Tavern.
This was the First Capitol of the Virginia Colony.
We are running out of days, so we had to pick one. There are 4 different sites between Jamestown and Yorktown.
So we decided on 
This monument was erected in 1907 by the United States to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Settlement here.
Jamestown, the first permanent Colony of the English People, the birthplace of Virginia and the United States, May 16, 1607.
It is a beautiful monument.
This is the 1907 Jamestown Memorial Church. It was erected to support the 17th-century church tower.
This is the Archaeologist that guided our tour. I could listen to him all day. He knows so much about the excavations of the 1607 James Fort and the whole area.
The James Fort was built right on the edge of the James River.
There is a ferry that travels on the James River.
Captain John Smith, Governor of Virginia in 1608. This statue was erected in 1909.
In 1893 Preservation Virginia acquired 22.5 acres on Jamestown Island, including the Old Church Tower, shown in the background. The archaeologist here are discovering new evidence all the time. They continue to received awards for the finds they are discovering.
The 1907 Memorial Church was erected to protect the 1600’s Church Tower.
In 1934, the National Park Service acquired the rest of the 1,500 acre island and jointly administers Jamestown with Preservation Virginia.
They continue to find old wells with thousands of artifacts. When the wells are no longer useful, they were used as trash containers. Now, 400 years later, they are finding enough items to fill a large museum. Amazing.
And there was also Pocahontas, who married John Rolfe in 1614. Her marriage helped establish peaceful relations between the Powhatan Indians and the colonists. In 1616, she visited England with Rolfe and their infant son Thomas, and was presented to the Royal Court. She died on March 21, 1617 and was buried in St. George’s Church in Gravesland, England.
Somehow, I forgot to add this photo of a glass arrowhead. It was made by Virginia Indians. It was found on the James Fort site.
This is a Thousand Trails campground. We are not Thousand Trails members, but they give 
50 amp, water, sewer, No cable and No internet. When you get to a Thousand Trails campground, you park by the office and then go look for a site you like. This campground is very tight, the roads are narrow and the grounds are full of tree roots. We looked at about 6 different sites. It averaged out to $40.88 a night including tax. It was expensive for what we got.
We found this one that Cliff could wedge into.
We probably would have moved, but the site was close to Dad and everything else we wanted to see. Plus when we made the reservation it was less than 2 weeks from arrival and they required a non-refundable full payment. A live and learn moment.
We met for dinner at 
We had such a good time with Barbara and Keith Sefton. They have a Motorhome and tow a Jeep. We asked the waiter to take our picture. Which he did.
Then he suggested we turn around so that you can see the restaurant in the background. It was a really cool place and the crag legs were awesome. While at dinner, Keith and Barbara, suggested we go to the 
We followed Keith and Barbara to the Navy Air Station. This is a 3 day event.
It draws almost 300,000 people over the 3 days and it is FREE.
That is their Jeep in front. From this point, the traffic was crazy and the Navy personnel would not let us stay in the same lanes which meant we were not able to park close to each other either.
Big hanger where the Navy is painting parts.
F/A-18C Hornet – it was Loud and Fast.
After the pilots put on a show, they land and drive by the crowd to wave.
Another Hornet painted in camouflage colors.
These planes were so loud and fast. It was a lot of fun to watch.
But it was hot. We had some clouds and a breeze, which definitely helped.
There is a narrator, but it was sometimes hard to hear.
This is the Geico Skytypers flying unit based in Long Island, NY.
They fly restored WWII aircraft.
The F/A-18F Super Hornet was so loud it made my insides shake. Keith put a video of this monster on facebook.
He went straight up too.
It was very impressive. 
There were a LOT of people here.
This is the USAF Heritage Flight. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The Heritage Flight program was founded in 1997. Flight performances of current fighter/attack aircraft flying with World War II, Korea and Vietnam era fighters display USAF airpower history. It was very dramatic. 
Then came the 
They fly so close together.
The Blue Angels’ mission is to enhance Navy and Marine Corps recruiting efforts and to represent the naval service of the United States.
One is upside down.
Now 2 are upside down and 2 are normal. Check out the tower to the right. They were watching everything. It made me feel very safe.
The Blue Angels serve as positive role models and goodwill ambassadors for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
Since its inception in 1946, the Blue Angels have performed for more than 427 million fans.
It was incredible. This was the first air show for Cliff, so we are so glad Keith and Barbara invited us to go. 
The ultimate boathouse.
There were several bridges and underwater tunnels between Williamsburg and Virginia Beach.
It took us 1.5 hours to get to the airshow and over 3 hours to get back because of all the people leaving.
We got a spot in 
The roads through the park are nice and wide. We liked it a lot. You are close to the interstate, so we could hear the traffic, but that does not bother us.
The site is kind of narrow, we could only fold out 2/3 of our rug. There is bump out for the picnic table. For what we needed, this worked out great for us.
Wonderful bridges crossing the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania.
Passed by Middlesex.
Wonderful farms along the highway.
Went through Maryland for 8 miles.
Drove through West Virginia for 24 miles.
This large cross along the interstate was very cool. People can be so creative.
261 miles, 5 hours later, we arrived at 
We really like this park. Our site is #68 The sites are long and level. 50 amp, water and sewer. Cable was not very good and the internet was very slow. The water pressure changed throughout the day. The new owners are working on get a pump station on top of the hill to help with that.
Even though it was not perfect, it worked for us and we enjoyed it.
There is a pond down there.
A very nice couple did take this spot for the weekend, but we didn’t care.
The pull through sites are very long. The back in sites have a better view.
No big trees or boulders to get in your way. Some of the reviews mentioned a very steep hill. I found it while walking and it was steep.
Just don’t take sites 107 – 111. But it was not that bad getting to our site on top of the ridge. Everyone was so friendly here.
Down on the lower level, there is a very nice pond and camp sites all around it. We liked being up on the ridge.
We had a visitor at our site.
He just sat there a while, then moved under the pile of camp fire wood.
We had a nice campfire and one of the neighbors came over and offered us some Peach Moonshine. It was probably some of the best tasting moonshine I have ever had. These people are really friendly, like I said.
Then we were graced with a beautiful sunset.
We feel so relieved to have a nice camp site for the holiday weekend.
A trip to Central Virginia is not complete without a visit to 
It was a 45 minute drive from Staunton. The views from his hill are wonderful.
They give house tours every 15 minutes from 9:45 – 4:30. This does not leave very much time for each tour.
I had come here several years ago and loved the tour. This time was not as nice. I think they are trying to get too many people through and don’t give you nearly as much information as they used to.
And for $25.00 a ticket, I was really looking for more.
No pictures were allowed inside, so I only have exterior photos.
There were beautiful flowers everywhere.
Jefferson’s wife, Martha, died in 1782. They were only married for 10 years before Martha died. They had 6 children together, but only 2 daughters survived to adulthood and only one past the age of 25. Martha only lived 4 months after the birth of their last child.
It is a very lovely place with so much history. Jefferson was an amazing man. He loved architecture and gardening. He recorded the weather everyday while at Monticello.
Jefferson died on July 4, 1826 and was over $100,000 in debt, mostly because he inherited his father-in-laws debt. It was not an easy life for the author of the Declaration of Independence.
We thought it was a good day for a drive. 
105 miles of beauty. Speed limit is 35 mph.
Hugh valleys with wonderful views.
75 Overlooks along Skyline Drive.
We only drove less than half way and each overlook was different.
Small lakes throughout the valley.
Beautiful rolling hills.
101 miles of the Appalachian Trial pass through the Shenandoah National Park. The A.T. is 2,180 miles, passes through 14 states, 5 National Parks, 7 National Forests, and numerous state parks and towns between Georgia and Maine.
Ivy Creek 1.4, Pinefield Gap 1.9, Ivy Creek Spring 2.2 and Simmons Gap 3.3
Another beautiful overlook.
Even some wildlife.
Sorry it is so blurring, but this deer was moving fast.
A wonderful barn on the way back to Staunton.
An awesome home in downtown Staunton.
We were told that Kathy’s was the best in town, and it was wonderful.
Being Labor Day, we got lucky that they were open. They close at 2:00 and we got there about 1:30.
Saw this marker outside that Staunton is the Birthplace of Woodrow Wilson, 28th President. He was born here December 28, 1856.