JUNE 27-JULY 6; BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS (NORTH END)

As we left Boston we slowly traveled over the mountains and valleys of Massachusetts for 7 hours until we dropped down to Harrisburg, Pa. We stayed overnight at Walmart and aw an interesting sight, an area reserved for Amish buggys in the parking lot:) We where the only rig in the lot and had a quiet nights sleep. Ver foggy the next morning as we finished our trip South to the beginning of the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stayed at a seasonal campground called 340 North (for the higway dsignation). Our stay was for 9 days and that was 3 days too many, we met some great Southern people and attended church twice but there wasn't enough to see in the area unless I drove 100  iles a day in different directions., but what we saw was very nice. It just so happened that one of my associates from work (WORK?-I'AM RETIRED) took her vacation in Shenandoah valley which was 28 miles North of us, so we met her family for dinner and chatted about both our trips....small world, after 8000 miles to met like that! What did we do for 9 days? here's a short list:

* Woodrow Wilson's house/museum-nice little tour for an afternoon

* Cultural farm center-working farm houses from Ireland, England, Germany and America, circa 16-17-18th centuries. Nice little hands on tour of the farms and blacksmith shop.

* Monticello-Jefferson's house-great tour, along with the tavern down the street! We also drove through the University of Virginia, which he designed. Downtown Charlotsville was tired looking as was the University but then it's about 150 years old!

* Blackfriar theatre-Saw a Shakespiarian play in the only replica of the indoor theatre used by old Shakes in London-good time-along with the rib dinner at the White Star mill.

* Luray caverns- very nice, great formations BUT the best part was your ticket gave you entrance to the old car museum and that was great, saw gars from 1890 to 1935, some models I had never heard of. Excellent.

* Appomattox-End of the Civil war where Lee surrendered to Grant. Actually didn't happen at the courthouse but one of the townspeoples house-he was a sugar commodities trader-rather nice house for the times.They had to print 28,000 parole papers for the captured soldiers they let go back to their families and farms, this was something i never earned in school. The park is well done, we now have seen the beginning and the end of the Civil War on this trip!

* D-Day memorial-haunting memorial of a great event in history, check the video! As interesting as the Vietnam Wall with sculptors, flags flowers and name plaques. 

JUNE 23-25: BOSTON

We rested for the weekend doing food shopping, laundry and a spot of dry goods evaluation (shopping- a carryover from Plimoth-sorry:))

What can I say about Boston, in a nutshell it was very nice. Subways where fairly easy to decipher, the freedom trail was a nice bit of history with such items as Old North Church, Paul Revere's house and other significant places too numerous to mention. It's basically a 2 mile hike through town, the City is small in comparison to DC and NYC. The second day we went to view the USS Constitution, the first naval war vessel, over 200 years old and still floating. A very nice tribute to an old war horse, again the feeling was eerie while walking the decks of the ship that carried a young nation and blood was spilt over. There was a museum there also with a lot of hands on stuff, Sue actually enjoyed it and I visited with a model ship builder on the premises who gave me some insight as to where to find lighthouse models! 

The third day was spent touring old Fenway Baseball park, built in 1912, what an edifice. Compared to Yankee Stadium tour this one was great. Plenty of tales and I think our tour director was George Burns younger brother, very funny/corny jokes:) Then we caught another subway to "The Commons" (park in Old English terms) and did the Swan boat ride on the lake, another good experience. We met a young fellow (70ish) who had recently lived for the last 5 years about 10 miles from my Brother/Mother's house. the swan boat is peddle driven by a "captain" and cost 2.70 per ride, our friend remembered when it was a nickel (late 30's)!  Next was a walk about 4 blocks to the world famous 'Cheers" bar, where everyone knows your name......they didn't! We had a nice (expensive) lunch where I finally tasted the Boston baked beans, quite good, not too much molasses! Got me a beer mug for when i drink O'Douls at home plus they only had one type of NA beer, which was excellent and very well may be my next drink of choice, called Kaliber by Guinness. Boston was small enough we did short day trips, saw a lot and did not get worn out, all in all we will be back.