Biking the Great Allegheny Passage with our friends

Planned almost a year ago when we were with our RV friends, the Zamostnys at Death Valley NP....(Although we didn't plan to meet them with our new motorhome.)  Well, we pulled into Ohiopyle State Park and setup for 5 days of biking on the GAP.

Unfortunately, rain was in the forecast for our entire time, but we were able to get in pedal time between rain drops.  With a lot of shuttling help from our friends, we biked portions of the GAP.  What a well maintained trail, even with all of the rain.  We biked through forests, across rivers, and even through an old restored rail tunnel.

We will have to come back to the GAP and finish the trail.  Too nice not to!

Back to Hershey for a real sweet treat

We decided to head back to Hershey, PA to walk the biggest RV show in America.  Just finished maintenance on our current motorhome with new tires,  starter battery, etc so it would be ready for our Fall and Winter trips.  So, no chance that we would do more than just check out all of the new RVs.....

Well, we saw one that we really liked, got a good deal including a good trade-in....and we bought it!

Big features include a second queen bed when the sofa is opened up, and a full size loft bed.  Then there is the nicer décor, the full size queen in the bedroom, and more storage everywhere.  Also, Morey likes the updated electronics including an inverter, LED lights, and the generator transfer switch. 

Swapping motorhomes on Thursday, and ready to road test with our first camping adventure to western Pennsylvania.

Parked at Dan, Liz, Jack & Logan's new home for September

Major construction is happening big time at their newly purchased circa 1900 four-square house.  Very proud of how Dan & Liz have managed this major project.  The remodel has included a new kitchen, laundry room, 1/2 bath, and hair salon...and much, much more.

With temperatures in the mid 90s all week, it is great that their new HVAC system is functioning so well.  Our extension cord which we were using to "hook up" to Danny's shed (aka Brew Barn) started to melt -- as our motorhome's air conditioner was trying to keep up with the heat.  Looks like a job for me, to upgrade to a 20amp cord.

Summer's Over.........

Summer of 2016 is now history....some great memories.

We love having all of our visitors, particularly our grandkids.  Thought we'd share a couple of classic pictures of our great times at the Jersey Shore.

Also took a RV trip to Hershey Park, our third in three years.  Did we wear out the tracks on the Super Dooper Looper??

  And with all of this happening, Dan & Liz moved to their new house, built in 1900.  They spent the summer gutting the entire downstairs plus the bath upstairs.  Hope to have it all put back together by mid-September.  Quite a project!  And all going to plan.

for Jack's 10th Birthday

Ruthie came up with the great idea to take our grandkids where ever they would like to go.... for their 10th birthday.  Jack, being the oldest, tried out this present........he wanted to explore "Indian ruins."

So we flew in and out of Albuquerque, rented a SUV, and headed to the ruins...the ancestral publean areas.  Starting first at Aztec National Monument we walked though a reconstructed Great Kiva, as well as the surrounding buildings.

Next to Mesa Verde National Park....but instead of motorhoming or camping, we stayed at the Far View Lodge.  A great location for our two days exploring all of the cliff dwellings.  Also some great dinners on the terrace of the lodge overlooking the canyons.  Jack was a happy explorer, wearing his backpack and climbing the ladders, hiking the trails, and checking out the petroglyphs and the abandoned buildings.

Next to Durango for a couple of days of R&R.  Jack took his first raft trip down the Animas River.  He loved it while we bounced off of rocks and floated down stream.  His favorite is when he stood on the front tube as all us paddlers started spinning the raft.  Plop!  In the river Jack went....fun!  The following day we took the Silverton-Durango old steam train.  We all enjoyed the 3.5 hours up to Silverton, then a nice lunch before the one hour bus ride back to our hotel.

Now for the big adventure.........Drove our SUV to Chaco Canyon.  Included 16 miles of dirt roads with some heavy washboard.  On arrival we set up camp for two days and then went exploring.  Chaco is an amazing place.  The native Americans build huge building complexes, one over 600 rooms.  Build prior to 1250 AD, and still pretty intact.  The morning we were leaving, we woke up to lightning and thunder!  It was really loud bouncing off of the canyon walls.  We rushed to break down camp and head out before the dirt road became impassible.

Whew........we made it.  Then a stop at Sky City, the Acoma Pueblo, where we toured the pueblo up on the mesa (the oldest continuously inhabited housing area in North America).  Jack checked out many of the vendors set up with their crafts as we toured.


A wonderful eight days with Jack!

A summer outing to the Berkshires

Had a great get-together with our friends, Marc & Susie.  We're so glad they suggested we join them in the Berkshires in western Massachusetts and in particular attend a couple of concerts at the Tanglewood Music Festival.
 Wow, did we enjoy the music!  We had seats in the "Shed", and it was a good thing as for the evening performance, the Boston Symphony Orchestra had to compete with the thunder and lightning storm -- no one out in the lawn seats this night!

We also enjoyed the 10 mile Ashuwillticook Rail Trail from the outskirts of Pittsfield to to the town of Adams.  A wonderful paved trail zipping through the woods, the marshes, and the lakes; and then of course we found a great place to stop and catch a good lunch, the Whitney Farm Market .

We also spent time in many of the small, quaint New England towns including Lenox, Adams, and Stockbridge.  We really liked the many choices of ice cream shops!

We had five terrific days, but not nearly enough time to see everything.  Stopped and toured Herman Melville's home where he wrote many of his books, including Moby Dick.  Went back to the Norman Rockwell Museum, enjoying his wit in his illustrations and art.  Drove up to the peak of Mount Greylock, the tallest point in Massachusetts at 3,500 feet, and did a little hiking.

Why is President McKinley honored

at Adams' Town Square ?

Road Trip......Heading home (by way of North Carolina)

Covered 500 miles today with BIW.  Smooth driving through Arkansas and Tennessee along Interstate 40.  Enjoyed the blue skies, the redbuds in bloom, the green plants, and the rocks.

Ruthie drove and steered BIW expertly across the Mississippi River.  Good by to the West.

Tonight we're camped at Edgar Evins State Park, about an hour east of Nashville.   A unique campground with sites cantilevered over the hillside with a view of the lake and marina.  Hope the Tennessee engineers allowed for an 18,000 pound load.