Looking back on the trip way too many individual things stand out to count. Generally they fall into the following areas. The interesting and wonderful people that we met, from all over the country and the world. The State Parks on the Fl panhandle were great. Miles of wilderness beaches but close to civilization. The history of the cities and areas all through the South but in particular the Atlantic coast line. We spent several days in Savanna and Charleston, but could have spent a week in each. The history of the Outer Banks and the lighthouses in particular were fascinating. I'd never spent time in DC and have been a life long fan of the Smithsonian so we spent three days there. I didn't realize there were so many Smithsonian Museums...I need at least 4 more days to see those we didn't get to.

The high point has to be the time in Blue Hill, ME and the birth of grandson Oliver Fleming Burt. The start of a new life is so wondrous and amazing..

Observations and funny’s....On the Mass. Turnpike, there is a $5. extra charge if you take more than 12 hours to complete your trip. (ie, napping in a rest area)....There is airport style security at federal museums...(leave your leatherman at home)... you see and experience 200% more by staying off the interstates...( we went to Hollywood, Surf City, and China) ... Wally World is a real place...just East of London, Ontario CA...Sign South of Flint....” the next 2 miles of Hwy cleaned by

State Representative

AVAILABLE “ I'm assuming he lost reelection and decided he wasn't so warm and fuzzy about clean highways after all....and finally within 5 minutes of having the house phone turned back on we had two solicitation calls. (they said they had missed chatting with me.)

End...

 

Tuesday 4 16 13

     Thoughts   Am becoming re acclimated to home, and there are adjustments that have to be made after the long absence
    You have to look to see who is driving, in the oncoming lane.  (It's rude not to wave.).....After looking into 200 UPS trucks I finally saw Steve today....A mini van is not 32 feet long...Parking spaces don't have to be 45 feet long anymore... I no longer need a bank loan to consider a stop at the gas station....I woke up this morning and couldn't figure out where I was...(this might be age related)....People don't have a Southern accent...you know 7 out of 10 people you see on the street...
  Below are a few pics of Charleston that didn't get posted.  Fort Sumpter is the "thing" out in the water.  The mortor is one of those used to shell it.

      

Saturday 4 13 2013

    Arrived home safely after 3 1/2 months on the road.  more thoughts and pics later. 
   After 19 States (and Canada)  and 35 camp grounds,we arrived to freezing rain and snow.  It was scary how similar the weather was to the day we left (Jan 1) We were blindly hoping for maybe some green grass or trees, but Oh well...

Thurs

4 11 13

      Crossing Canada, from Buffalo to Port Huron   Wind, and freezing rain early on but later just wind
  The food offerings were to say the least, interesting.   Back in MI Fri.

  

Monday 4 8 1

     We arrived in Blue Hill, Maine on Thursday.  Just in time to celebrate the birth of Oliver Fleming Burt, 71/2 pounds and healthy and happy.  Peter and Adrienne's first born.  All are doing well and are in that initial period of welcoming a new baby and adjusting the family dynamic for the new addition.  The weather here is almost a carbon copy of home....still unseasonably cool....
  We are off tomorrow on the last leg of  our wanderings and should roll into Frankfort over the weekend....Boy is that going to be a shock after 4 months on the road..
 

     Below is the first real sign of Spring, the ice is going out

     A: the home owner doesn't know one

from another or   B; The birds don't know ho to read....

     I wasn't aware that there was a problem, much less that there was a thing as Rock Snot.  I'm thinking a grass roots organization or raise some funds for a rock snot PAC.  We cannot allow the rocks to continue doing this.....

  Also have you noticed how crowded the sky is lately....

April 3 13 Wednesday

Thoughts on travel.... NY State has road signs requesting you to report AGRESSIVE drivers....CT littering $219. NY $10,000 GA $100....Toll roads in NH and ME are smooth, clean, wonderful and worth the toll...other states, not so much.

The pictures below are of a 1780's gristmill on the Susquehanna River. It's a beautiful building and a wonderful piece of engineering, and hen I think that it is 330 years old, I'm just astounded.

    

4 1 13 Monday

Our first long road day since leaving MI. We left Maryland this morning with the intention of pushing through New Jersey and getting around N Y City, all in one day..This we have done in good shape. We covered MD, DE,PA, NJ, NY, CT...That impressed me, but obviously, I'm not from around here..Small States, all clustered together, you an hit three states in an hour...

We're just into CT, and it seems that we are pushing the camping season here. The State parks don't open till May and the commercial operators don't open till April 15. The good news is that Ct has very nice rest areas on the interstate and they allow overnight RV parking, as does MA, which is the next stop.

We left the buds on the trees in DC and are now North of them again.#$&#**..I had envisioned FOLLOWING Spring North on our way to Maine but we seen to be dragging instead

Wonderful time in DC. Spent time in 4 of the Smithsonian Museums, and could easily do a few more next time. Way too many interesting bits of information from the museums to go into. . ( It saddened me to watch the older children, just race around the museums, taking pictures of everything. I don't think they learned anything in reality...) We actually found a National Park Campground only 12 miles from DC. I think it is one of the better kept secrets of the NPS..

5:03 PM OH dear... we just passed our first piles of dirty snow...I as hopping to avoid seeing that....

   I pass on this chance for some fine dinning.....