After leaving North Carolina we made our way to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. There we were only a few miles from Smokey Mountain National Park so we went for a ride. We stopped at a campground to use the restrooms and were blessed with another exciting experience. A ranger had tranquilized and captured a black bear just a little distance from the restrooms. A crowd quickly gathered so we had to see what was going on. Tony took some pictures of the ranger as he pulled the bear’s tooth, tagged an ear, tattooed the lip, and checked all his vitals. While doing all this the ranger explained to the crowd what they were doing.

As we drove through the park we saw many old buildings and homesteads along the road as well as churches.  We did find a couple beautiful waterfalls by the side of the road that were spectacular.  A short walk and we were able to get some wonderful pictures. I am including some pictures of the other scenic sights along the way

We had previously met a man who suggested that we go to Cade’s Cove in the park. He said it was the best place to go. Well, afterwards we were not very glad we had gone there. It is an 11 mile loop in one part of the park but it took us 5 hours to go those few miles. And that time was not spent in doing fun things or looking at animals or museums, it was spent waiting for traffic. It was a one way loop and there were hundreds of cars on that route. Every time someone wanted to stop and take a picture, or just look, they held up everyone else on the road. We did see some wild life, but it wasn’t enough to make us feel that 5 hours was worth it. We did get a picture of a bear and some deer. Enjoy the pics, hope you can find the bear. LOL

Also on this loop was a village with historic buildings including an actual working grist mill that was built in 1870. There was also a cantilever barn which provided cover for the animals during bad weather and room to store equipment. This is different style of barn than what we see on the West Coast. There was also a blacksmith shop, corn crib, mill-race and dam, sawmill, smokehouse and a house built in 1879. It was interesting to walk though the buildings and see how things were built that long ago.

Next blog will be about the time we spent in the town of Pigeon Forge.  Talk to all of you soon. Please let me know if you are enjoying these posts. Thanks

Hi everyone, this adventure is from the beautiful town of Lenoir, North Carolina. We were in a beautiful park beside a little creek. During our time there we had a thunderstorm and the creek filled up really quickly. Glad that the rain did stop after a while. We enjoyed a nice fire in the evenings when it wasn’t raining.

The area is blanketed in green which is some kind of vine that covers trees, etc. It can be very beautiful as shown by the pictures. However, I did some research because it looked like a parasite. I discovered that it is called kudzu and was brought here from Asia ostensibly to stop soil erosion. However, it is an invasive plant and grows very fast and is hard to kill. It grows toward the sun and so grows up on trees, telephone poles, and anything around it. It has been known to break branches and even bring down trees. It reminds me of certain addictions, such as drugs and alcohol. They might seem enjoyable or something that helps you for a time, but they soon prove to be dangerous and hard to overcome. Sin may look pretty but it can destroy your life. Thank God that he loves us and had provided a way to overcome these temptations. Anyone who reads this and needs help can leave me a message on Facebook Messenger or my blog and I can put them in touch with someone who can help them. God loves you and wants to help you.

While in Lenoir we heard about a local attraction called Blowing Rock. So we headed up there on the bike, paid our entrance fee, and then walked in the gate. About that time the fog (clouds) rolled in and we couldn’t see anything. Then it started raining. So we went inside the visitor center to stay dry. I got to talking to one of the ladies inside and she asked me how my day was going. Being in a bad mood due to the clouds keeping me from seeing the view, I told her that I was frustrated that we had paid for something that we would not be able to enjoy.   She was so nice and gave me a free pass to come back the next day. So kudos for the staff at Blowing Rock, North Carolina, for excellent customer service.  Here are some of the pictures that we managed to get before the rain started.

The next day we did return and spent a very enjoyable afternoon viewing the “Rock” and the stupendous views. There is a legend told here about a young Indian maiden and the love of a young Indian brave. When he was going to leave to help his tribe she pleaded with him to stay. Torn by the conflict in her heart the young brave leaped from the rock to the valley below. The young maiden, grief-stricken, prayed to the Great Spirit to return him to her. Then one day there was a gust of wind that blew her young brave back into her arms. From that day a perpetual wind had blown up on “The Rock” from the valley below. The truth is that the rocky walls of the gorge form a flume through which the northwest wind sweeps with such force that it returns light objects cast over the void. It is the only place where the snow falls upside down.

At the “Blowing Rock” they have a very beautiful park setting with a waterfall, Koi pond with large turtles, and an observation deck out over the valley below. We enjoyed the fantastic park and the views of the valley. Hope you enjoy the spectacular display of fall colors as well.

Our next adventure will be in Smokey Mountain National Park

We pulled into Jackson Springs, NC, which was fairly close to Fort Bragg. There was a lot a different military museums in the area so we picked the one we thought would be the most interesting. It was the Airborne and Special Operations museum. What a surprise to us! It was so fabulous. The displays were often life-size and had people in them as well as actual planes, tanks, jeeps, and much more.

In front of the museum they had memorials to the different special ops teams from the beginning of these squads to now. It was a beautiful building with more memorials and honorariums in the bricks and cement in front of the museum. The statue in front was so lifelike. We really enjoyed this museum.

You walked through the museum in chronological order started with the World Wars. We walked in and there was a soldier (not real) in full gear right in front of you. Then a jeep and motorcycle. Pictures about the invasion were there along with the history of how special ops teams began. Then you walked through all the different battles and then on to the next conflict. I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed the museum.

Next stop is Lenoir, NC. See you soon

We left Front Royal VA and traveled south to Gasburg VA on our way across the states. We were told by a good friend from Anderson, CA, Joseph Anderton, that he grew up around Lake Gaston. He told us that he rode motorcycle around the Lake many times. So we looked forward to seeing this area and riding the lake. We enjoyed the campground as well. The night that we arrived a nice couple helped us get the RV situated. It started with her asking how much I charged for a ride on the motorcycle. I did take her on a ride for free after joking about how much I would charges, $5 or $20, etc. She gave me her phone number and invited me to. go to the hot tub some day with her which I did a couple of days later. Thankful for the neatest people we were able to meet along our way. Our motorcycle does seem to get us involved in conversations all over the place.

We went down to the Marina at the RV park and sat out on the dock. It was so peaceful and I just wanted to stay there forever. Later on we took that ride around the lake and really enjoyed to the beautiful area. Later our friend, Joseph, posted on Facebook that if he had known he would have had us stop by his brother’s house and have some BBQ. Wish I would have told him that we were riding that day, I love good BBQ. Oh well, missed out…

We really enjoyed the quiet and peace that surrounded this area. We both said that if we were wanting to live on the east coast, this is one place we would consider. The RV park had an indoor pool and hot tub, Pizza place, miniature golf, and bowling alley. One evening we went bowling and had pizza which was pretty good.

Our next stop is Jackson Springs, NC, where we went to the Special Ops Museum by Fort Bragg. Bye for now.

Glad to see you have joined my adventure blog again. This one is about the Smithsonian Air and Space museums in Washington DC and Chantilly, VA. A long time ago when Mike was in 6th grade he submitted an entry in a competition for National History day. We went to the University in Ellensburg, WA for competition. He presented the History of Flight. Prior to this we had spent time looking at thousands of pictures of planes, etc. and studied the history of flight. It was fun helping him put the display together. I was so proud when he got sixth place in the state. Ever after that we enjoyed going to air shows with Mike and we all got interested in the planes. So the Air and Space Museum was our priority on our visit to DC. We were glad to hear that there was a second one in Chantilly, VA.

Mike has always been interested in the spy planes. So when the first one we saw in Chantilly was the SR-71 I was so excited. Wishing he was there with us to see this awesome plane. Mike, I missed you so much at that time. So, the best thing I could do was take lots of pictures and that is what we did. We 849 pictures between the two museums. He will have to wait till we get home to see the rest, but I have a good selection here. No more words today, just lots of pictures.

Our next adventure is Lake Gaston and Gasburg, VA. Bye for now.

Thanks to the new friend we made in Shenandoah National park we knew when to leave and what road to take to DC. We parked in the area that he recommended even though we had to pay $25.00 for the day. We were just around the corner from the Welcome Center for the Old Trolley Tours. We signed up for a tour of the city via trolley car with the ability to get on and off all day. I knew that it would be hard to get parking around the town so we opted for the tour. So thankful that we did, we didn’t see many empty parking spots ANYWHERE in town.

We started at the White House Visitor Center. We had to walk a ways to get there from the trolley stop but I wanted to get some postcards and magnets for souvenirs. I didn’t plan on going on a White House Tour due to the amount of walking involved. The first sight of importance was the Washington Monument. All day we caught sight of it from different directions. What a beautiful sight to see. The guide pointed out all the sights and also gave us statistics, history, and current information on everything we saw. It was awesome! Even though we boarded several trolleys during the day, each guide was great. If you ever go there, I would highly recommend the Old Trolley Tours.

We got off at the Capitol and then walked to the National Arboretum. So many beautiful flowers and plants. We didn’t make it all the way through the building because we wanted to go to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum next. One of pictures I included below is the Habanero Pepper. I was surprised to see them in the medical section since they can be used for medical purposes. I love peppers and just had to take the picture in honor of hot good foods.

We hoped to have time to go into other places but the Air and Space Museum took up the rest of the day. It was 90 degrees and very humid. I was wore out just walking from the Capitol to the Air and Space Museum. We went on the rest of the tour around the city and planed to return the next day. However, we decided to go to the other Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Chantilly VA instead. So I have a lot of plane pictures for you but will included in the next blog.

I do not know what all the buildings below are but I thought that some of you might know. I could not remember everything the guide said.  LOL  But you should recognize the most famous of the buildings.  Here is a hint, the selfie is the Capitol building.

Next blog will be the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Talk soon.

Welcome back to my blog. Our adventure continues with a trip to the Shenandoah National Park which includes the Blue Ridge Parkway. We were staying in Front Royal, VA and the entrance to the park was only a couple of miles from the RV park where we were. We took a ride up the ridge to see what we could but were disappointed to find out that the falls and other special spots were all a hike down the mountain. Since the road was along the ridge everything was downhill. I could walk downhill but coming back uphill would have been a problem for me so we just rode the ridge. However, there were good views of the valleys below us and I have included pictures below. We talked about going back up the hill to see a sunset later in the week but we decided to do other things.

We stopped at a store to use the restrooms and met an interesting couple. They came over and wanted to talk about the Can Am. Our motorcycle attracts attention everywhere we go and we are always willing to talk about how much we love to ride. During the conversation we mentioned that we were planning on going to Washington DC in a couple of days. Turns out that the man worked in DC and he gave us instructions on where to park, what to see, when to go, how to beat the traffic and so much more. He was a real blessing to us. God has given us so many good people to cross our path as we travel. He actually worked in the first building that I went in when we got to DC, the Commerce building which housed the White House Visitor Center. Seems that everywhere we go someone either works, lives, or has been to the spots we are going. They have saved us a lot of heartache with their advice and friendship.

Front Royal also had some interesting buildings and I have included them below. One building was below a beautiful mansion and looked to be the original stable and carriage house. Now it is consists of several businesses.

Our next step in our travels is Washington DC. See you then.

Our trip to see the Gettysburg battle field was a reminder of the struggle in our country that is still affecting our country today. It gave us a new perspective on the civil war, how it was fought and why. My feelings on this may not be the same as yours, but we are all entitled to our own ideas because people have fought for our freedom. Slavery was wrong then and still wrong today. However, many people are slaves due to human trafficking, abusive spouses, and maybe even controlling parents. But the worst slavery is the bondage to sin. This may include addictions to many things, such as drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, and many more things. But God is able to set those people free if they will only turn to him for help. True freedom is in a relationship with God. That doesn’t make us perfect, but just sinners saved by the grace of God. We have no reason to feel we are better than others and we are called to love even our enemies. The fighting and hate that is going on in our country is not of God even if some of the people claim to be Christians. We are to stand for what we believe in but we are to show forth love, not hate. OK, enough on that for now.

Tony and I went on a tour of the Gettysburg battlefield with a fantastic and knowledgeable guide. He explained each step of the battle as we drove around the battlefield. He told us stories about the soldiers and their leaders that were inspiring and sometime so sad. He showed us all the memorials to the different groups that fought in this famous battle. Such loss, but such a critical battle in the development of our country. I have always admired President Lincoln for what he said in his famous Gettysburg address. We should be thankful for what he did in freeing the slaves and remember that we need to continue in that attitude and help free others. My granddaughter, Alyssa, did a paper in college on human trafficking in the state of Washington. She wants to find some way to help the victims of this horrible bondage. I admire her for her passion to help others. Keep it up, sweetheart, grandma and grandpa support you in your desire to help these victims. I am praying that you will be blessed with the right job soon to enable this to happen. We love you.

After touring the battle field we went into the Gettysburg Museum. Hope you enjoy the pictures of both the battlefield and the museum. The Calip Adventure continues next in Shenandoah National Park. Talk to you soon.

During the week in the Lancaster, PA area we went to Hershey Chocolate World in Hershey, PA. They have an amusement park which was closed when we were there and what a disappointment to me as I like roller coasters and the like. I have included some pictures of that park. In the main building we went on a ride that took us through a simulated chocolate factory showing how everything was made. The same building held the largest chocolate store which had a large selection of all the candy that Hershey makes, including companies that he has bought over the years which included Reese’s Chocolate. Needless to say, we bought a LOT of chocolate and some T-shirts and hats.

Then we took a tour around the town in a trolley and the guide told the story of William Hershey and how his chocolate dynasty was formed.   Note the streetlights on the picutre below are in the form of a chocolate kiss.  Many of the street names are chocolate related, such as Chocolate Ave and Cocoa Ave.  We saw the mansion that he built for his wife. See the picture below. He also built a very fancy hotel on the hill above the chocolate factory. That picture is also below.

Since his wife could not have children he decided to use his wealth to help under-privileged boys. He built a very complete school with all the athletic facilities that anyone could ever desire. There are no dorms, just fancy homes with house parents in each one. The children were taught the Bible and had it read to them every day. Mr. Hershey was a God-fearing man and wanted to make sure that the boys learned about God.

Knowing he had no heirs to inherit his estate he made arrangements for the majority of his estate and the profits of the school to go to support the school. He also provided scholarships for his students to attend college if that was their desire. Nothing was held back in building the homes and school facilities. It was very impressive to see the school grounds. No one I know got to attend anything quite so grand. To know that this will continue for many years in the future is really exciting. Also to know that these boys and now girls will be learning about my Lord and Saviour is so fantastic. I will buy Hershey chocolate knowing that I am helping to support this effort.   Praise God for Mr. Hershey.

Next stop is Gettysburg on the Calip adventure.

I have always been fascinated with stories about the Amish people. A large community of them are located in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. I think that a lot of my interest is due to the fact that there is also a large community of Mennonites in the area. I was raised in a Mennonite Brethren Church in Dinuba, CA. Our church was not a lot different from the Baptist church down the street. However, the Mennonites in Pennsylvania are largely of the Old Order that are similar to the Amish. The main difference is that they do have cars and electricity. However they also wear the prayer caps and ladies wear dresses similar to the Amish. All the different orders of Mennonites participate in the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) that provides assistance with disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and others. It was interesting to hear that the Amish are part of the MCC too.

We went on a tour of the Amish community in a buggy with an Amish driver. He even took us to his own farm where we were offered homemade pretzels and root beer by his wife. It was fantastic to hear his stories about his family and neighbors. Seeing an actual working farm was so interesting. They grow a lot of corn, soybeans, and tobacco. They also raise cattle and some even camels. We went by a field with so many camels that were right next to the buggies. We also saw a team of horses plowing the fields and another one harvesting the corn. We stopped at an Amish shop that sold many of the crafts that they create. They also sold homemade root beer and fresh hot soft pretzels. We had to try both of those, of course. The pretzels were so good we went back and bought four more for later. Those of you that know me should know that I love soft pretzels and these were the best I have ever eaten.

So interesting to see the simple life that they enjoy. No electricity and technology that can often hinder communication between families and friends. Sounds kind of nice and sort of like we were brought up. We didn’t have TV till I was in the eighth grade and did things a lot like the Amish or Old Order Mennonites still do today in some regards. I learned how to sew on an old treadle machine like the Amish still use. We also hung the clothes out to dry on the clothesline till I was in high school.

Later we toured an example of an Amish house and school. They have one room schoolhouses and only go up to 8th grade.  When the school is full they build another one.  So there are a lot of one room schoolhouses in the area to handle the many children.  They are not allowed phones in the house so they often have community phones in a building like the one below that looks something like an outhouse.  They also grow most of their own food and have large gardens.  The guide explained the difference in the clothing between the Amish and Mennonites. They also explained what the different Orders were allowed, such as electricity, cars, dress, schools, etc. I have included pictures from this tour as well.

The Amish ladies are well known for the beautiful quilts that they make.  You can see the one on the bed below is colorful and intricate.  I went to a quilt shop and could not resist.  I bought a small one.  I got a neutral color since I didn’t want to pay for the more expensive ones.  They are in the hundreds and even thousands of dollars.  Most were out of my reach.  Looking forward to showing it to all of you when I see you.

We went to a great Assembly of God church on Sunday. I made a great friend there who introduced me to an Old Order Mennonite friend of hers. We met at Starbucks and talked a lot about the differences in my life in the Mennonite Brethren church and hers. They are what they call Black Bumper order where they are allowed to have a car but it has to be black, no color allowed. I really had a great time and have made two friends for life. God was so good to allow me to meet them.

We really enjoyed our time among the Amish and the Mennonite community. Hope you enjoy the pictures Next blog will cover our trip the Hershey PA. See you all soon