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One of the many lock gates on the C & O canal, Maryland.
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One of the many lock gates on the C & O canal, Maryland.
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Prarrie Dog Town Kansas.
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Petersburg Va. Battlefield.
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entrance to mine that Union soldiers built to then tunnel under Confederate lines.
Explosives were then placed in the mine and detonated.
US Colored troops took heavy losses, but the overall battle eventually distinguished them as formidable and successfull.
The "crater" from the blast is still visible 100 yds away.
South Carolina Night,,, James Island.
Sitting outside our rig with Maynard, it's just like the Blue Bayou restaurant at Disneyland.
A beautiful nite-time sky, a few lightning bugs gently bouncing around, the scores of mellow sounds in all the tropical trees, a Volkswagen size cloud buzzes by overhead illuminated by the moon and stars.
Temp in the steamy 90's.
Tomorrow it's to the the Hundley Civil War Submarine restoration center.
When I was a kid, the Ronald Reagan General Electric Theater TV show did a drama with Jackie Cooper as the commander of the Hundley Confederate Civil War Sub.
It was discovered off the waters just off the coast of our campsite, recovered a few years back, and is still undergoing restoration.
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But back to the campsite:
Most the Carolina campgrounds run by the Counties have waterparks in addition to their pools.
And very good, well run waterparks at that.
Slides, lazy rivers ect.
Every two hours the pools are cleared and the lifeguards go through a 7 minute rescue drill.
State safety mandate.
Maynard has been having a blast.
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Even thoough we have a nice kitchen on the trailer, we sometimes stop for local food traveling around the USA.
Barbeque places with names like "Chubbys",, "Kissie's" ect are locations one must see and taste.
Haven't been let down yet.
All have been excellent.
The Carolinas have regional barbeque flavors.
Western side of South Carolina seems to be a wet sweet mustard flavor, then more vinegar red sauce down south, with dry rubs in the North.
Fast foods we've hit are mostly the normal dull stuff with Whites Castle the worst. Real garbage compaired to when the old man ran it.
The best, and really good is the new Bojangles chain poping up along Southern highways.
Great, fresh food, excellent cheap prices, and instant service.
Massive parking at most locations.
If you're considering opening a franchise,, definately consider a Bojangles.
Unless they do Like Stuart Andersons did. Open with good cuts of meat, then 6 months later switch to the low grade cuts broken down in vinegar.
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Looking forward to The Hundley, then onto Disneyworld for a week.
4.266 miles into the trip so far.
Pictures just refuse to load with the Verizon/Mac set up, but we keep trying.
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Stand in 4 states at once on the Navjao Reservation NM
South, Dropping down into Florida,,
This morning we were in Charleston So Carolina.
So Carolina seems to have a much healther heartbeat then North Carolina.
Lots of slender, blond, pretty girls seemly everywhere.
Along the So Carolina coast boating is in the air everyplace.
The Honda big HP outboards are the BFD thing to own right now.
Must be a Honda factory someplace in the area.
We visited the Hunly Civil war Submarine, and it's a teriffic exhibit.
No photography allowed.
But one of the Crown jewels of Civil War places to visit.
$10, ya need to buy tickets in advance, 20 minute tour of the sub itself, then you're free to roam other related exhibits.
Then we headed South.
Rolling into Florida, the South suddenly changes from pain, to a place that seemingly you need it more than it needs you.
Wide open, nicely landscaped highways, lots of beautiful places to stop.
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But the atmosphere & the weather is good at our campground on the beach.
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We encountered several DUI and dope dog checkpoints heading to and from the St Augustine Beach to our campground.
They will certainly pop these fellows.
Opps, the power just went out,, be back later.
Nice, friendly, Old geesers came by earlier and spray'd the ant mound next to our rig.
Then, a jeep passed by with a big noisy blower spraying for mosquitos.
Power has been out all nite, the local electric company on the street replacing the main transformer to the park that caught fire, then single phazing.
In the southwest, a trailer is a trailer, here in the south, they're a "camper".
Of about 300 rigs in this tropical setting campground, it's about 90% campers, 10% MOHO's.
The power has been out most the nite and we & the MoHo's have been on our generators with the 92 degree heat 99% humidity.
But dam,, it's beautiful to walk around in the steamy jungle setting.
It'll be a 1 and a half hour run to Dizzyworld this afternoon, for a full week.
We bought the meal package, so no more trailer cookin' for a week, and we'll be in one nice spot too.
Maynard hooked up with the Johnson triplets.
"Ya'all never hear of the Johnson triplets?" "Where ya'll been?"
Locally known for being triplettes it seems, famous for being famous.
They are his age, brutal good looks, and they all look alike so it's the Johnson quads for now.
Parents pass-ed out drunk unconcience, so the kids hung out together.
We had tripletts on our Little League team last year too.
The parents were tragically, unapproachably hip because of it.
All the attention I guess. They just couldn't get over themselves.
May be the same in this case too.
Walked around the corner to get Pizza, and some other supplies at the local businesses.
Everyone working is mean, rude and lazy. Thick New York accents may be the clue.
A real eye opener. It isn't me, the neighbors all say the same about St Augustine.
Walking back, a taxi pulled up to the campground with 3 girls that took up the Romeo riders. They got stopped at one of the many DUI check points about a block from here.
Not like word didn't pass through the park and they knew they may get stopped.
Ya just drive down any of several steamy narrow streets, then under a weeping willow is a DUI checkpoint.
Cops sitting on beachchairs with dopedogs, breathalizers, and attack dogs if things get ugly with the groups.
I think the single phazing of the parks electrical may have toasted our A/C compressor, it's real unhappy about rolling over so Monday may be me replacing the roof unit.
That's it for now, off to Typhoon lagoon.
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Crater from Petersburg Battlefield.
Union troops (German miners from the Penn 87th) placed explosives in a mine tunneled under confederate lines.
This is the crater from the blast.
Disneyworld Florida, Ft Wilderness Campground:
We pulled in the WDW about noon, and check-in was a snap.
The Disney Wilderness RV Resort in the only 5 star rated camping resort last I read the major guidebooks.
It is very nice, though dated.
The neat waterpark "River Country" is closed for good.
Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon have eclipsed it.
Disney has found dealing with employee staffing issues can be solved with a bulldozer, like in this case.
The campsites were designed back when people tow'd up to about 24 ft travel trailers and motorhomes that averaged 28 to 30 ft max.
Today 45 ft is not unusual.
So,,, backing into most camping spots is work for just about any set-up. It's tight.
Golf carts galore, and you can rent them at the Wilderness Lodge.
Some campers we talk to just come for the camping, they never visit the Disney parks. Yeah, it's that nice here.
Ya get the crusty East coasters with attractive Cuban wives, and the usual drunk illiterate rednecks who's wives do their thinking for them, and lots of friendly foreigners in rented Motorhomes.
First day visit was to Disneyquest on Pleasure island.
We were tipped off in advance from friends and travel forums that Pleasure Island is poorly laid out and hard to navigate.
That's true.
The directories don't have the "You are here" marker, nor do they list the landmarks about you to get ones bearings. Maps are worthless with the tall buildings, and no landmarks.
Pretty bad.
About a 3 mile walk to the Disney transportation, so drive to Disneyquest with your own vehicle if you can. Plus the busses are crowded, and very, very slow.
Expect a two hour standing journey to anyplace within WDW.
Golf Carts not permitted out of the Campground.
Disney Quest was like a giant inneractive video game arcade.
7 Year old Maynard and I spent a few hours and it was different.
We lunched at Planet Hollywood.
Normally i don't like that kinda campy stuff, but the food is good, the service terriffic, and we got a 20% off coupon with our check-in.
But, the prices are very high.
I don't mind paying for something if it's good, and the food is excellent, the service was fast & good.
We have noticed that when we encounter Disney employees from New York, it's like they have a big, thick, string tie'd around their finger to remind them to not be rude and get fired.
They start to take a cheap shot, then catch themself in a false start conversation, gain their composure, get a hold of themself, and try speaking again.
Funny, it's like a choker chain on a dog. It gets them crestfallen and deflated.
Like airlines have to conform to overbooking rules, resorts like WDW should too.
If they are so crowded visitors can't enjoy what they paid for,, places like WDW should have to reconsile.
We have it all down with what rides and attractions to see at a certain times and work fast passes into the routine in the meantime so we pretty much dodge the crowd issues.
Alice and I went for a long walk through the campground last nite, and it was fun.
Everything open late.
We discovered "Crocketts Tavern" and a wilderness store in the middle of the forest. Places only accessable by golfcart or on foot.
Restaurants packed until midnite. Different eating times with this international group of visitors.
Be back with some pix.
A day at Disneyland Theme park.
Walt Disney World is divided into several different "Gated" adventures.
Gated means ya have to buy a seperate ticket to get in.
We bought a 7 day package that includeds all the theme parks, water parks and all lunches, dinners and snacks.
We were tipped off here in RTA that the mealplan is the way to go,, and it is. Sit down and get serious & plan out your meals, and absolutely make reservations, way in advance.
First use of it was at the Character breakfast at the Comtemporary Resort. A really good buffet with the Disney characters.
A reservation at all your meals is essential, but remember it doesn't guarantee a seating time. Though you have to show up at the time ya book'd.
With a reservation, still expect a 30 to 45 minute wait,, perhaps longer.
Lunch was at the Patriots Tavern. Very good food. Tavern in name only, no cocktails within Dizzyland itself, but bars all over the place on WDW property.
Drinks are very expensive. A draft beer is $6 U.S.
The Disneyland part of Disneyworld is about half less of what ya get at the Disneyland in Anaheim Calif.
No Indiana Jones, no Matterhorn, no Blue Bayou lots less to enjoy, and what they do have can be an abbreviated version.
No matter, lot's more to see at EPCOT, where we'll be today.
Kids hit Blizzard beach yesterday, said not too good, Typhoon Lagoon is better.
Weld broke on one of our RV's wheels, and we had a slow flat here in the campground.
No problem, a tire place right out side the gates, they ordered a same-day-delivery new wheel (to replace a new wheel) and $45 and two hours later,, all fixed.
OK, onto Epcot with extra magic hours,,,,,,
Our all day Epcot adventure:
Epcot was packed, and if ya didn't collect your attraction Fast Passes within an hour of opening, forget it, the Fast Pass dispensing machines shut down for the day.
Epcot you can collect fast passes, in the Disneyland Theme park, ya have to use your fast pass before you can be issued another.
We knew this, and collected them all.
That made for quite a bit more walking, but planning is the key.
Lunch was at the Corral Reef restaurant.
One of two rated $$$ on the WDW guide, the other being Les Chefs in the France area.
Walking up to the restaurant, lots of sorry, dissapointed and sore people being turned away from the hostess check-in podium.
If ya don't have reservations at WDW restaurants, ya ain't gonna get seated.
They sat us in a dated and shopworn booth facing the aquarium of the Living Seas exhibit. Excellent spot, though the springs of the worn-out seat cushion were working their way up me kilt.
Food was awesome.
The pre-paid mealplan includes an appetizer, an entre' and a desert.
All bigger and tastier than one would expect.
Sitting checking out the sealife in the tank worked.
We're starting to suspect that cash customers get better service than the pre-paid mealplan people. With the pre-paid mealplan, the tip is already written into the bill, and for the cash customers, the help still has to earn the tip, hence better service for cash customers.
Dinner was at the Cafe in the Land exhbits.
They bring ya huge dishes of all you can eat turkey, steak and catfish.
The floor revolves and ya do about one lap through American landscape.
The food was OK, the desert ok too.
The Disney characters kept coming by and mix'd it up with the kids.
The most noticable change to WDW since Eisner was ran-off are the rove-ing musicians, and more Disney characters have returned to the point before WDW came under his brutal fist.
Being Disney guests, we have a bennie called Magic Moments.
We get to stay late in the park with other resort guests, and others not "lodged" at the resort have to leave at 9 pm.
A wristband is the ID that sets us apart.
So after the excellent fireworks display, most of the EPCOT guests departed, and for 3 hours it was an easy run through all the attractions the kids wanted to see again.
General Motors test track was the favorite, and we hit it several more times.
There is a inneractive game area as one exits the Test Track ride, and the kids loved it.
Every 10 minutes a curtain would raise, and a Corvette just like the one we have on order was display'd.
The kids got a charge outta that.
The wife and I spent an hour at the Rose and Crown pub in the England area.
Excellent friendly staff, full bar and entertainment.
There is a little lane across the street from the Rose and Crown and we walked up it to a nice little English style park.
A Beatles tribute band fired up and did a set and they were good.
We made it back to the RV by midnite,, and now it's off again this morning for another 4th of July Adventure.
Half way point trip observations:
America is a beautiful country.
Los Angeles, my home town, is an ugly town in compairison.
Americans are generally nice people.
Californians are over-tax'd.
American Indians are generally excellent folk, but few realize this.
I hope that the girls letting their facial hair grow like all along here in the East, doesn't also become a fad in the West.
My wife really has her act together and is a teriffic traveler, very organized for us all, calm, forgiving, loving and far smarter than me.
I have no clue what she sees in me.
Rednecks will always be with us. Though joked about by Foxworthy, they have big hearts and bigger souls. Maybe even be the soul of our country if ya look a little deeper.
Redneck traffic accidents are spectacular: Usually involving no less than 6 vehicles, one vehicle always ends up on its roof, and no one gets hurt, and at least one redneck goes to jail as a result.
The whole Disney operation was better when Walt ran it, and this will be our last trip to any Disney property (except for the kids).
Govt run campsites and Parks are pretty well run.
There are two types of Recreation Vehicles:
Cheap Junk and expensive junk.