Mt. Olympus

Kill Devil Hills, NC (April 29, 2009) ..

The Greeks enshrined their gods on Mt. Olympus located not far from Thessaloniki. The modern day gods of aviation, Wilbur and Orville Wright, are enshrined atop a 90 foot dune located above the sandy plane of Kill Devil Hills where they made the first successful manned powered flight of an aircraft in 1903. Their efforts ushered in the era of heavier than air aviation; 66 years later mankind walked on the face of the moon. Pictured above is a plaque commemorating the event with the granite monument on top of the dune in the background.

We enjoyed the afternoon at this National Park and plan on visiting again before leaving the area.

Hatteras Beach

Hatteras, NC (April 26, 2009) ..

Ellen and I spent part of the day on the beach and the rest of the day exploring the Outer Banks. The beach is nice but Siesta Key in Florida is still our favorite.


Ellen has been watching her calories for the past few months and as you can see she has lost considerable weight although her proportions have remained constant. Quite a diet ... more details in another post.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Buxton, NC (April 25, 2009) ..

How do you protect the tallest lighthouse in the US when the ocean and shifting sands threaten to topple it into the ocean ?? That's easy ... move it !! The lighthouse was moved from the original foundation marked by the stone circle in the above photo to it's current location a distance of 2870 feet. This earned it the Outstanding Engineering Achievement from the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2000. For more information about the lighthouse go to .. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Hatteras_Light

We visited the lighthouse today and plan on returning tomorrow to see its' beacon illuminate the night sky.

Click on image for full size rendition.

Motorcycle Gang

Outer Banks, NC (April 24, 2009) ..

After arriving on the Outer Banks, Ellen organized a new motorcycle gang from a group of willing recruits waiting for the next ferry. The name of the new club ??? ... The Pink Pony Gang !!! As you can see in the photo above they are patiently waiting in line behind the mother ship to pay their initiation dues. Several were so intrigued by the motorhome that they offered to buy it if they could work out a deal on membership fees.

Space-Time Warp

Pamlico Sound, NC (April 24, 2009) ..

Is it possible to make a 90 mile journey while only driving 44 miles ?? Could this be some sort of space-time warp ??? So how can it be done ? Simple, take the ferry !! Pictured above is our home on wheels traversing part of Pamlico Sound via the Hatteras Ferry. The ferry ride was free as was the motorcycle escort on the left. We'll be touring the Outer Banks for the next eight days.

Beaufort Campsite

Beaufort, NC (April 23, 2009) ..

This is the view from our campsite in Beaufort late in the day. The campsite is beautiful and located only 80 feet from the water. This is our second and last night here. Tomorrow we take a 2 1/2 hour ferry ride to Ocracoke Island and then a 3/4 hour ferry to our next site at Hatteras.

Ed's Work Bench

Beaufort, NC (April 23, 2009) ..

Pictured above is the picnic table located next to our home on wheels. Like all homes it requires maintenance every once in a while. The table was pressed into duty to double as a workbench for the repair of our 50 amp cable. The plug had to be replaced because the old one had deteriorated causing intermittent loss of power. The cable is pretty heavy so it had to be clamped to the table in order to add the plug. 15 minutes later the job was complete and power was restored. The motorhome ran on battery power during the outage. Also available is a 7.5 kw diesel powered generator capable of supplying the same power as the 50 amp cord.

Wilmington

Wilmington, NC (April 21, 2009) ..

We camped outside Wilmington for the past two days and toured the historic downtown area of the city. The railroad museum was part of our itinerary featuring memorabilia from the Atlantic Coast Line. For more information see ... http://www.wilmingtonrailroadmuseum.org/

Bookends

Myrtle Beach, SC (April 19, 2009) ..

While visiting Myrtle Beach Ellen found a new friend at Murrel's Inlet. We had a lot of fun checking out some of our old haunts from a visit in 2005 ... The Conch Cafe, SuckBangBlow Bar, Drunken Jack's, Wahoo's and the Dead Dog Saloon. Hmmm.. I see a trend. Next stop .. Wilmington, NC.

Downtown Charleston

Charleston, SC (April 16, 2009) ..

The city of Charleston is located at the intersection of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers in South Carolina. Pictured above is one of the biggest buildings in the downtown area, the US Customs House. Ellen and Ed toured the historic downtown district starting with a nice lunch at the TBonz Gill and Grill and ending with a walking tour of the harbor front.

Wednesday is War Day

Charleston Harbor (April 15, 2009)..

Pictured above is the Confederate flag flying over Ft. Sumter in Charleston harbor. This is where the war between the states started over 150 years ago. The Confederate bombardment of the fort caused the beseiged federal troops to surrender without any loss of life. The first death of the Civil War occured the next day when a cannon exploded during a fifty gun salute to the departing troops. For more about the engagement see ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Sumter



Ellen and Ed continued the war theme by visiting the aircraft carrier Yorktown. As you can see Ed was accidentally sucked into the intake of an aircraft on the flight deck. No photos are available of the aftermath.

Happy Easter !!

Charleston, SC (April 12, 2009) ..

Easter greetings from Charleston. Can you spot all three bunnies in the photo ??? Have a happy holiday and enjoy the Easter egg hunts. Ed and Elly actually went to church (St. Joseph's) this morning and had brunch at Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina. Hope you all have a wonderful day.

Savannah City of Trees

Savannah, GA (April 9, 2009) ..

Savannah is truly a city of trees. In fact, you can hardly see the houses for the trees. The city is home to thousands of stately old oaks covered in spanish moss which is neither Spanish nor moss. Spanish moss is an epiphyte which is a plant that grows on other plants and takes nutrients from the air and rainfall. In this photo several oaks obscure one of the many beautiful old southern mansions scattered thoughout the city. Ellen loves Savannah because it takes her back to her southern roots. Today was our last walking tour of the city. Farewell Savannah, hello Charleston !!

Biggest Baseball Fan

Savannah, GA (April 9, 2009) ..

This is no ordinary fan. With a blade diameter of some 30 feet it qualifies as baseball's biggest fan. This one happens to hang from the roof of Grayson Stadium in Savannah which is the oldest minor league ball park in the United States and home to the Savannah Sand Gnats. Elly and I attended the home opener and saw the Gnats emerge victorious over the Augusta Greenjackets by a score of 3 - 0.

Continuing the Paula Deen theme .. her son Bobby, a big "fan" of the Gnats threw out the first ball of the new season as pictured below.

Click on photos to get full size view ..

Happy Birthday !!

Allentown, PA (April 8, 19??) ..

Guess who has a birthday today ??? Here she is pictured above mischievously contemplating her escape from her crib. I can still see a chubby leg swinging out over the rail as she hastily scales the prison bars lowering her diaper laden body to the floor and freedom. You know who you are ... Happy Birthday !!!!

Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head, SC (April 8, 2009) ..

Well what have we here ? A new sand condo under construction on the beach ?? Ellen and I visited Hilton Head and ran across this young family and their 4 junior project engineers. It was a beautiful day; we had an enjoyable walk on the beach. Hilton Head is a very nice vacation community with impeccible landscaping everywhere.

Gourmand Heaven

Savannah, GA (April 7, 2009) ..

Well, Ellen finally made it to heaven in this life. After years of watching and the purchase of many cookbooks she finally got her wish to have dinner at Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady and Sons here in Savannah. Ellen had fried chicken and several other items from the menu pictured above. The chicken was just as good as mama Bickett's; which is a big compliment to Paula Deen. Of course, the meal would not be complete without a trip to the gift shop conveniently located at the west end of the restaurant where she purchased several items.

Brunch With Bubba

Savannah, GA (April 5, 2009) ..

Today Ellen and I took the Paula Deen tour in Savannah which included brunch at Uncle Bubba's. Bubba is her brother who has an eatery outside of town on White Marsh Island. The food was good and the tour was fun. Now on to The Lady and Son's located in downtown Savannah which will be Ellen's equivalent to the shuttle launch !!!

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Savannah, GA (April 3, 2009) ..

Welcome to Savannah and the spectacular Mercer Williams house !! John Berendt's first novel, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, was a huge literary success which was later made into a Clint Eastwood movie starring Kevin Spacey, Jude Law and the notorious Lady Chablis. Based on real life events the novel painted a unique picture of wealthy Savannah society, folk magic and complicated sexual relationships. The protangonist, Jim Williams actually lived in the house pictured above. The dwelling served as the backdrop and main stage to the novel's eccentric characters. The songwriter, Johnny Mercer ("Moon River") was a previous inhabitant, his great grandfather started the construction of the house in 1860.

Ellen and I toured old Savannah today and were impressed by it's beauty and southern charm. The city has a breathtaking array of grand homes like this one.

For more information go to ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_in_the_Garden_of_Good_and_Evil

Rainy Day In Georgia

Savannah, GA (April 2, 2009) ..

Today we arrived at our campground in Savannah. As you can see from the photo it has been raining profusely. We will be here for the next 9 days touring this southern city and the adjoining area. Looks like we'll watch the final episode of ER tonight (see 2/23/09 post); Ellen is looking forward to seeing Dr. Greene again !!!

Click to enlarge picture ..

Pennipotentus Niveus Americanus

Savannah, GA (April 2, 2009) ..

So begins the migration of the American Snowbird. Rv's and their occupants are like the birds of North America .. they follow a predictable migratory pattern. Those from the East Coast and Quebec take the I-95 flyway back home. Some take a month, others a few days. Pennipotentus Niveus from the Midwest and Ontario typically travel the I-75 flyway. Pictured above is a flock of Rv's headed home at our campsite located on the outskirts of Savannah.

St. Augustine Lighthouse

St. Augustine, Fl (March 31, 2009) ..

Pictured above are the 219 spiral steps to the top of the St. Augustine lighthouse. The staircase and structure were completed in 1874 after three years of construction. Elly and I toured the archaelogical site today spending about an hour after walking all day in old St. Augustine. We had a fine time touring the city which has been continuously inhabited since 1565 and founded by the Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez. St. Augustine in 1738 became a haven for escaped slaves from the British Colonies to the north. This was before the establishment of the Declaration of Independence and the United States of America. The city is rich in history; for more information go to .. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Augustine,_Florida

For more information about the lighthouse go to .. http://www.staugustinelighthouse.com/

Click on photo for enlargement.