Asheville NC: a fun place

Our second stop this summer is Asheville, NC. We had been to Asheville once before but only for five hours. Didn't realize how much we missed. On our first day here we took a highly recommended trolley tour around town. The driver was loaded with information and presented it well and with a good sense of humor. We then used the trolley as a taxi to revisit places we wanted to explore further. The first was the 120 year old Grove Inn and restaurant. Dr. Grove was not a doctor, rather a snake oil salesman by today's standards who sold a variety of elixirs containing quinine among other things. He made millions and made an impressive mark on Asheville's landscape. The Grove Inn was constructed in rock and has a poured cement roof. It is amazing and just as presentable and functional as our best new structures today. We had lunch on the restaurant porch. Take a look at the view.

The second day was devoted to the Biltmore estate built by George Vanderbilt and opened on Christmas day in 1895. It is the largest private home in the USA built on 125,000 acres of land. The tour is excellent and includes service areas such as the laundry and kitchen. We dined in the horse stables and then toured their winery featuring a free wine tasting intro. Picture taking is not allowed inside but I did get a photo of the façade and of a country view through a piece of porch detail.

Pretty artsy, eh?
We also spent a day in Murphy NC where we once had a second home. We still have a lot, actually one of the best view lots in western NC. Funny; it's been on the market for six years with an asking price 60% of our purchase price. We enjoyed seeing our old Murphy haunts.

Yesterday started off with a super plan. We trekked 40 miles to spend a day at an outdoor BBQ and country music festival. Sadie was looking forward to it too. One hundred yards from the entrance stood a sign, "No coolers. No dogs." That triggered a 180 turn and a 40 mile return trip to Asheville to explore the many charms of the downtown area. Asheville is a remarkable city and we think we probably had a better day than the one planned.

Tomorrow we begin a three day trip north to Madison, WI. More about that in later editions. If you are inclined to follow our travels, we plan to add to our blog every 7 to 10 days.

2014: Starting out with a great FAMILY REUNION

Our 2014 summer travels began on May 29th. It was a very different departure from past years when we had to close the house. This year we simply turned the key and locked the door to the condo. Loved the change. The boat, however, required a degree of hurricane preparation as you can see.

Arriving in the Charleston, South Carolina area our family enjoyed a week long reunion at a beach- side house in Folly Beach. All of our kids and grandchildren were there for at least part of the week and it was a grand time. Our kids (it doesn't seem right to call them kids when they are in their late 40's and early 50's), anyway our kids are wonderful parents who raised grandkids who could not make us prouder or happier. They are bright, have marvelous values and they love their grandparents. We loved this reunion. The weather was perfect. Everyone pitched in with mealtime. Lots of laughs and lots of love all week long.
The following are photos of Jennifer, Matt and their children Matthew and Ella. The Falkowskis drove all the way from their home in Madison, Wisconsin to be at the reunion.

George and Cindy with their son, Ryan live in both Islamorada, FL and Concord, NC. Ryan celebrated his 17th birthday at the reunion.

Jon was not available during this photo shoot time but Callan and Brock were there. Both finished their respective semesters with 5 A's and a B.

 

Cindy at the beach

 

Penny and Matt

 

The grandkids

Callan, Matthew, Ryan, Brock, Ella

 

Home again

We arrived home September 30 and three hours later attended a picnic with about 100 of our friends, all members of the Mariners, our boating club. What a great way to catch up with everyone.

We travelled 6019 miles in the motorhome through 19 states and drove our tow car 6269 miles. Other statistics are...

Days away from home: 121
Days on the road in the motorhome:  27
Most miles driven in 1 day: 461
Least miles driven in one day: 38
Average miles driven for days on the road:  223
Diesel gallons purchased: 713.94
Cost of diesel purchased:  $3,008.14
Average cost per gallon; $3.86
Miles per gallon: 7.7 (includes diesel used for about 120 generator hours)
Diesel cost per mile: $.50
We spent about $4,000 for camp ground sites. So, between diesel and campgrounds, we spent about $7,000 more than we would have spent if we had stayed home. Imagine, we visited all of our children and grandchildren, nieces and friends, enjoyed a month in expensive Lake Placid, NY and five weeks along the Maine coast. We attended three concerts by the Boston Pops in Tanglewood and bought about 50 lobsters on the cheap. If we had rented along the way, it would have been at least triple the cost. If we had a second home instead, we would have had to pay property taxes, utility bills etc, etc. Every night in the motorhome, we slept in our own bed with our own sheets and blankets without threat of bed bugs. We had our own shower and ate our own meals. And some of you wonder why we have a motorhome???
Last year we did Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. Now lets see, what about next year. Check in next summer and see for yourselves. See ya.

Nieces and NASCAR

Well, we are on our way home and have workable wi fi service for the first time in several days.

My sister, Nat, had two sons and two daughters. We have had several family reunions in the past few years and whenever we get to visit family, it promises to be a great and meaningful time. Faith Richard and Liz Riordan are wonderful ladies. Faith resides in Maine with her husband, Thom, (not misspelled) and Liz in New Hampshire with her husband, Brian, both great guys. It seems that all spouses of descendents of my father enhance my family beyond all reasonable hope and expectations.

The first picture is Liz and Brian in their backyard and the next, Faith and Thom in their yard. The two sisters, knowing our love of boats treated us to an amazing lunch in Portsmouth. Brian had to work that day but the background to the third photo was taken just outside the restaurant. Love these folks!!

Our next stop was Louden, NH, the site of the New Hampshire Speedway and the venue for two NASCAR races each year. We saw the race at Louden yesterday. My favorite, Matt Kenseth won and he now leads in points for the championship. There must have been a few thousand RVs of all shapes and sizes and we were all crowded together dry camping. Dry camping means no electricity, no sewer dumps, no cable TV, no wi fi and no water. We just fill our water tank and run the generator for most hours of the day and night.

The first photo is leaving the pits for the start of the race. It was a blast! The third photo shows the pits, garages and the support transport trucks; one for each driver; each holding at least two cars and a zillion parts and tools.

 

We are nearing the end of our summer travels. Now in Concord N.C.for a one and a half day visit with George and Ryan. Unfortunately Cindy remained with the business in the Keys. Then a 1 1/2 day viisit with Jon, Rosemarie and Brock in Charleston, S.C.  Callan is in New York for her freshman year in college so we will miss her too. We plan to be home Monday, September 30th. Will do a wrap up blog later.

More Magnificent Maine

The Maine coast is totally picturesque. It is impossible to do it justice in a handful of photos. These pictures were taken while we were based in Eastport. The first two are of our view from the Eastport campsite. They were taken out of our window. Eagles abound in this area and the third picture is of a bald eagle taken in Campobello.

 

The Passamaquoddy Sound lies between Campobello in Canada and Eastport at the southern end of the Bay of Fundy. Entry by sea to the east end of the Passamaquoddy is by leaving the Quoddy East lighthouse on Campobello. The western entrance is guarded by the Quoddy West lighthouse. The third photo is a lobster boat going over a cut to Quoddy East at hight tide. At low tide, people can walk out to the lighthouse which this boat is passing over.

 

 

We went on our second whale watching trip this month. The first is a minke whale surfacing off Campobello. Then we toured the FDR summer residence on

Campobello. Never knew this but when FDR was there the US Navy anchored a destroyer just offshore from his home. Every night, for security reasons, he was carried to the destroyer, where he spent the night.

 

 

It seemed that we ran into a Model T rally everyday in Eastport. There were about 50 of them. The first photo is of a couple on antiques. One was built in 1915, the other 1n 1937. 

 

 

The United States easternmost point

We are now in the eastermost point of the United States, Eastport, Maine. But are we? Lubec, Maine is east of here. Both are great places. So, what's the deal? It turns out that Eastport is the easternmost city but Lubec is the eastenmost town. Both communities share the waterfront of the Passamaquoddy Bay, a remarkable body of water just south of the Bay of Fundy. The Passamaquoddy sports a 20-25 tide range with very memorable currents. The area Chamber of Commerce resolved the eastermost question with a diplomatic, "The Passmaquoddy Bay, the first point in the United States to greet the morning sun."
We dined (on lobsters and steamers) in Lubic and the following photos were taken from our table.What a sweet place.

 

 

Following dinner, we went on a late afternoon whale watch. The Captain took us the length of Campobello Island to the East Quoddy lighthouse. We saw many bald eagles, seals, porpoises and minke whales but none cooperated with my i-phone camera. But, check out this lighthouse. Spectacular!!

 

 

This place is an artist's dream. Incoming fog is hard to paint or photograph but if you can catch it, you'll have a masterpiece. These are two of our attempts.

 

 

Given the areas 25' tides, tidal currents stand out and there is one spot between Eastport and Deer Island that is called the Old Sow. The Old Sow is the second largest whirlpool in the world created by converging currents meeting over an irregular sea bottom. It is most active two hours before or after high tide. Unfortunately we missed that but saw some evidence of the Old Sow during its quieter time. Incidently, small offshoot whirlpools such as the one in the photo are called 'piglets'.

 

And finally, as we headed back toward Eastport....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor is a tourist destination city on Mt. Desert Island (MDI). The island is fairly evenly divided in area by Somes Sound. Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor and Cadillac Mountain lie to the east while the 'quiet side' with Southwest and Bass Harbors lie to the west. We prefer the quiet side but its all good. The first three pictures are from the Asticou and Thuya Gardens, both spectacular.