I got home Tuesday the 22nd.  I spent a couple of days in Vermont.  I love driving through Vermont, but didn't try to do anything there except geocaching.  Even that was low key.  Tried for three and found one.  Guess I was ready to get home.

But! I'm ready to go again.  Travel is just in my blood.

I'll have to deal with the jungle around the house before I can consider even short trips.

I'm still in PA at the Corps of Engineers campground on Hammond Lake.  Today I did four geocaches.  Actually tried for six, but two were not possible.  I think I may stop back by here in the fall when I'm headed south again.  I'm hoping to do Missouri and Arkansas then.

Tomorrow I'm headed north.  I may stop in New York or drive straight through to Vermont.  We'll see what my mood is.  I did want to stop and visit the Corning glass company, but they may be closed on Sunday.

More to come.

Pennsylvania

After Croatan I went to Assateague National Park. It's a pretty place in many ways. I enjoy watching the wild horses. They completely ignore the humans around them. Since they don't beg for handouts, I think the Park Service has done a good job educating the public not to feed or interact with the horses. The last time I was there I saw an idiot trying to put a kid on the back of one in order to take a picture.  They are wild animals and will hurt people if they feel threatened.

Yesterday I did something stupid. I drove from Assateague to Tioga, PA. Over 300 miles. An exhausting trip. I had never really driven through PA before in a way to take in the scenery. This is a truly beautiful state (outside the urban areas)*. Many spectacular vistas and picturesque farms. Beautiful river frontage for miles.

I'm camped at a Corps of Engineers campground on Hammond Lake in Tioga. A beautiful spot on the lake and a nice campground. There is a large boat ramp and parking area. I may get the energy to put the kayak in tomorrow.

Life is good to me. I sit here in my little home, play on the computer without anything that must be done today. I did another geocache today, drove through some beautiful scenery, and found an rv supply to get stuff I needed. In a little while I'm going to take a nice hot shower. What luxury, the showers at Assateague were cold water. After the shower I'll do a little cooking. Maybe then some ham radio.

* all urban areas look the same and all are ugly as far as I'm concerned 

Didn't feel up to getting the kayak out until well after noon.  So, feeling guilty, about wasting time I put some energy into scouting out another put-in spot, Fishers Landing.  Didn't care for it. 
 Then went and found a geocache.  Looked around for a couple of others, but didn't find them.
Then put some real time and effort into a job I have put off for far too long, adjusting my portable ham radio antenna.  The buddipole is very convenient, but is very touchy as far as tuning goes.  Got it measured for three bands.  Another four or five and I'll be happy.  Maybe I'll get on the air in the next couple of days.

Today was spent mostly on scouting for places to put the kayak in the water.  I found that Croatan National Forest is a big place.  I found two interesting places, Cahooque Creek and Oyster Point.  If I feel up to it tomorrow I'll try Cahooque Creek.  May be an interesting paddle as the put-in is almost at the end of the Cherry Point Marine Air Base.

I also made significant steps in straightening and organizing the camper.  There is more to be done at that.  Probably will always be.

For the first time, when I got back from shopping last night it felt like I was coming home.  Not just getting back to a trailer.  Emotions can surprise you.

Update

I just reread that last post and realized how self centered it sounded. Ginny actually found the cache (her first). I just lead us to the general area.

Yesterday, the 8th, I did a geocache (with Ginny's help).  Played some games and basically had a relaxing day.  I'd hoped to get out in the kayak, but was having some leg cramps and felt I wouldn't be able to work the steering.  I have decided that I will be bringing the rigid kayak along on these trips.  Getting the Klepper together for an hours paddle is just not effective.

Today I found another cache, here in the park.  Then I went shopping for material to make a gadget to help me hook up the trailer.  Now I just have to get to work on it.  I'm glad I brought some tools.

Just now I am going to make a sandwich and plan the next part of the trip.

I haven't done any ham radio yet, but plan to within the next couple of days.

Relaxing

I'm in the Santee State Park, Santee SC.  I'll be here until Thursday, at least.  I hope to do some kayaking, but the weather forecast keeps mentioning thunderstorms.  This is a beautiful spot.  I can look out on the lake from my site.  There's plenty of shade.  Sites are well separated.  South Carolina seems to do well by their state parks.

South Carolina

Major update

On May 4 and 5 I attended an Aliner Owners rally at Myrtle Beach SC. The group was fun and I met some wonderful people. I actually won a door prize, a wine bottle holder that you freeze and then put the bottle in. The campground was a commercial place with over 800 sites. Where we were was open with no shade and sites very close together. Not exactly my cup of tea.

We had to be out of the campground by noon on Sunday the sixth. I wasn't sure where I wanted to go next, so I headed a few miles south to Huntington Beach State Park. I stayed here last fall and enjoyed the park. Quite different from Myrtle Beach. The sites are wooded with great shade and with nice separation. Unfortunately they are very busy. I could only get one night. But that gave me some time to plan. Today I am headed for Santee State Park. Looks as if I'll be able to stay a few days and maybe get in some kayaking.

On The Road

I'm in a Good Sam Club campground in Lumberton, NC.  Pretty shabby, but the restroom is clean.  A lot of unoccupied campers in the place and some look like they never get moved.

Close to this spot is a boat ramp on the Lumber River.  I wish I didn't have to leave tomorrow.  The river looks interesting.  But tomorrow is the first day of the Aliner Owners rally in Myrtle Beach and I'm already registered and have paid the fee.  So I'm going.

Where I'm going after the rally is wide open.  Maybe back to the Eastern Shore of VA and MD.  There is some exciting kayaking behind the barrier islands.

I've started the new trip.  Hurray!  I'm presently visiting Audrey (oldest daughter) and her family in CT.  The trip down was uneventful except for a shock when passing through Massachusetts.   People were courteous and, for the most part drove sanely.

A couple of days here and I'll be on the road again.  There are a lot of times when I think I could live like this permanently.  Then reality creeps in.  Like most people I need a community.

Time for bed.

It's Tuesday, April 24.  I had hoped to be on the road tomorrow morning.  Today I took the truck in for a lube, oil, and safety inspection.  The slight vibration I've been feeling has come from some worn out front end parts.  The garage will do the replacement tomorrow (I hope) and I'll be able to leave Thursday.  Major expense though.  The mechanic said I was OK for another 1000 or 1500 miles.  Of course I'm looking at 2500 to 3000 miles again this trip.  Better safe than sorry.

Getting ready to go again.

It's now April 3.  I am planning to leave on another trip starting April 24th or 25th.  I never did post the financial details on the fall trip.  That trip cost around $1600.  But that can't be used to figure a daily or mileage cost as I stayed some days with my daughters and some days with a friend in Florida.

The new trip will also include a stop to see the daughters.  Then I will be attending an Aliner  Owners rally in Myrtle Beach.  There are no plans for after that.

There will be some ham radio time this trip.  That I am determined to do.

I will also be doing more posting.