Road Trip Aug 2019 - Maryland State Capitol

We left our home in Norfolk VA mid-day on Saturday for Fairfax VA to see Adam and Melissa.  We we planned an overnight stay before heading to Williamsville, NY.  We changed it up a bit and drove to Fairfax by way of the Eastern Shore through Annapolis MD.

Since we hadn't seen the Maryland State Capital, we drove there for a quick visit in the middle of the afternoon.  We parked downtown near the Vistor's Center in the public garage and walked the two blocks to the capitol.

The Maryland State House sits atop the what seems like the highest point in the city.

The capitol is small by some standards but is rich in history.  It is the oldest State House in continuous use in the U.S.  That note is quite amazing to us since it goes back to 1772.  

It has a beautiful dome that is unique as it is made completely of wood with no nails.

The current State House is the third to be located on the site.  The first one burned in 1704, the second was completed in 1709 but was not adequate for the growing colony.  The current structure was started in 1772 and completed in 1779.

The State House has the distinction of being the only State Capitol to serve as the nation's capitol from November 26, 1783 - August 13, 1784.

I took the diagram from self-guided tour brochure that gives a layout of the the old portion of the State House at the top and the annex which was joined to the existing building during the 1902-1906 construction period.

The building included spaces for both the bicameral body with 47 members in the Senate and 141 representatives in the House of Delegates.  We took a self-guided walking tour and viewed the old House Chambers which was set up as a replica of how it appeared in 1876 - 1905.

Something I don't remember seeing is a walking area that was an additional thickness of the existing carpet pattern where viewers walked.  I don't know why that caught my eye.

Next we saw a collection of silverware from the USS Maryland housed in the next room on the same side.

The silver service was created in 1906 and depicts 167 scenes from Marlyland's 23 counties and Baltimore city.

Across the hall is the Old Senate Chamber's where General George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army on December 23, 1783.

A painting as well as a statute captures the event in the Old Senate Chambers.

The State House is also the place where the Treaty of Paris was ratified, ending the Revolutionary War.

The Senate Committee and Stairwell Rooms house two galleries with important paintings.

The walls are filled with paintings of key figures in Maryland's history including Washington, Lafayette and Tilghman at Yorktown, and John Hansen who was a delegate to the Continental Congress and at one time served as President of the Continental Congress.  I've never heard of him.  But that's one reason we go to these places -- to learn.

The Stairwell Room is surrounded with paintings showing important Maryland events.

Displays includes paintings showing George Washington's travels through the Revolutionary War, the four Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence and the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

We spent about an hour at the State House trying to absorb as much as we could and then continued our drive to Fairfax to see Adam and Melissa and spend the night with them.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Time at Oak Haven Family Campground in Wales, MA

A typical day is usually different at each campground where we stay.  Our last stop was at Oak Haven Family Campground.

We picked this campground because it seemed to be about halfway between Hartford, CN and Providence, RI.  Our goal was to visit those two state capitols and we were able to do that.

 We arrived on a Thursday afternoon, checked into the campground.  We had reserved a site with 50 amp service but there was a good chance we would not be able to get a satellite TV reception from there, so we opted for a site that was open.  They put us in a corner spot along the back row.

We had to maneuver around a large 5th wheel to get back there, but we had already unhooked the car and found a level spot and made sure our satellite dish worked.  It did.

We had no sewer but there is a dump station at the campground. We are one 30 amp electric this time.  We opted for an open spot in the campground and had to manage how many big energy items we turned on at once.  For example, we can turn on the TV and microwave. But if we don't turn off the a/c, we get very close to popping the pedestal circuit breaker.  It's something we do to make sure things run OK.  If we don't, we have to turn something off and go out and reset the pedestal circuit but turning the switch on/off.

Once we were settled in, drove into Hartford and saw that state capitol.  It took us about 90 minutes to get there.  After the self-guided tour, we realized that the Mark Twain Museum was a few blocks away and we also did a quick visit to that museum.

By that time, it was a little after 5:00 PM and we found a Chinese place for dinner.  It was a little 'hole in the wall' in a not-to-great neighborhood, but the food was terrific.  We had beef and broccoli fried rice, sweet and sour pork, egg rolls and a fortune cookie.  Dang!  I just realized we forgot what happened to the fortune cookie... oh well.  There was so much food in those two orders, we had a complete dinner of left-overs a couple of days later.

That night we noticed there were a few more rigs showing up and the place was starting to get more busy.  Not real crowded but we were about the only ones in the area where we were parked.  They have 3 or 4 areas of this big campground and we were in the area known as 'Snob Hill'.  Funny.  Hard to know what prompted that name.  Maybe it was because we were the closest to the small pavilion and pool and office.  But being on 30 amp in a grass field didn't seem like it was all that noteworthy.

After dinner, I found the dump station, trash dumpster and laundry facility.  The dump station looked easy enough to get into with plenty of room.  Nothing tricky about that.  30 yards away the dumpsters had permanent stairs between two.  The laundry facility was small but looked clean and orderly.  It was $1.50 and $2.00 for the washer/dryer. There was also a lending library with a bookcase full.

The campground was well maintained.  One thing I look for is if the grass is mowed.  I was surprised to see they hire someone to do that.  They also hanging flower baskets all around near the check-in office.  The office itself was roomy enough for a well-stocked camp store.  Next to it was a good sized swimming pool. It was a quiet evening of reading and TV.

Friday morning, we had a leisurely breakfast of cold cereal, bacon, coffee and orange juice.  We took showers and enjoyed some time together before we left for Providence RI a little after 9:00 AM.  We are in Wales, MA.  It is a small town and we have to drive 15-20 minutes to get to the interstate.

We left a little after 9:00 AM and drove through town over to I-84 and took it into Providence to see our second state capitol in two days.  We were able to drive right up to the building and park on the street which made for an easy walk.  The parking meters coin/iPhone app enabled if that makes sense.  It took me about 5 minutes to download the parking app and register, plus in our license plate number, and pay $2.50 for our spot for two hours.

When we finished up our time in the building, we didn't see any parks real close to us, so we had our picnic lunch in the car.  Pam makes the best lunches.  A simple turkey/cheese sandwich on wheat with some chips, veggies (celery and carrot sticks, radishes and some bell pepper slivers).  Before we left town, I saw that we were about 30 minutes from a Naval site and we drove over to it.

Turned out the map was wrong, no navy base although we did see some Coast Guard boats.  The was more like an old industrial area and a large ship maintenance area of some sort.  There was a large series of General Dynamics (Electric Boat) warehouses and at the end of the road was the ferry to Martha's Vineyard.  Interesting.  We also saw an old Air Force One jumbo jet static display.  It looked like it was open for tours occasionally but not very often.  Small area that looks like it had seen a more active time.

By now it was past 2:00 PM and we had 1 1/2 - 2 hours to get back to the campground so we left and made it back to Oak Haven.  After our return, I sorted through our brochures and information sheets and did some blog writing.

Something was going on in the pavilion next to our campsite and I found out it was a family reunion. About 80 folks from all over converged on that area of the campground for the afternoon. They were having a good time and had about three or four things going on it seemed.  Inside (the pavilion was a covered area with a wall on one side and three open access sides) they were playing music and eating and drinking.  In the field next to them I saw potato sack races and a tug-of-war for the kids.  Up near the pool a few teams were playing horseshoes.  This place is perfect for families.  It was a fun and well-behaved group.

It was another beautiful (and hot) New England day and I went over to the pool to do some more writing.  Since the campground office was only a few yards from there, I stopped in to talk with the  campground managers.  It seems as if we were now boxed in at our site with no access.  We were leaving the following morning and wanted to be sure we could get out of our campsite.  We were directly behind a 5th wheel in front of us.  He would have to move his picnic table and truck for us to get out.

When we arrived the previous day, we pulled into our site and turned around from the other side of the 5th wheel in front of us.  But at that time, the area was mostly empty and wide open.  Now however,  people were arriving for the weekend and they parked three rigs next to the guy in front of us.  Those rigs did not unhook their tow vehicles and they extended well into the row we were on.

Checkmate.
Nowhere to move.

The front office assured us those folks were leaving early the next morning.  We didn't know what early morning meant to them, but for us it was about 8:00 AM or earlier.  They said, they'd speak to the campers and make sure we could leave when we wanted to.

Then, it was on to the pool.  I snuck in a little nap and then found my iPad did not like the direct sunlight.  The error message said, "Hot!" turn off and reduce the temperature.  That solved that for now.

I talked with the woman next to me.  Her husband and her, along with their two kids, had been coming to the family campground for years.  It was a summer get-a-way for them and they had a seasonal site.  Turns out I before I went swimming I paused at the horseshoe pits and watched the competition for a while.  I used to pitch horseshoes back in the day so that was fun.  The lady's oldest had just graduated from the American Institute of Culinary Arts near Hyde Park.  Their daughter was a new high school graduate and already had a job.

She mentioned there was going to be a "Taste of Oak Haven" food competition going on later in the evening in the pavilion.  It started at 7:00 PM.  People who entered the contest brought their favorite food.  For a quarter, you get a sample of their food in a little cup about the size of a cup cake wrapper.
Nice people. I thought I might have to try it and see what people were serving.

It was getting to be a little after 5 o'clock so I left and returned to the Roadrunner.  Pam had put a roast in the crock pot so we had that for dinner.  We watched some news and then baseball.  Meanwhile at the pavilion I could see the mass of people there for the reunion were packing up and leaving.  They cleared out the place in plenty of time for a different group who were participating in the Taste of "Oak Haven".

At about 20 minutes after 7:00 PM I took my four quarters and participated in the "Taste of Oak Haven".  I almost gave myself indigestion because of poor planning.  I just stopped at couple of dishes that looked good and almost had indigestion.  Some dishes did not mix that well.  My first choice was "Lava Rock brownies".  Rich and fluffy, with a shot of whipped cream on top, it was worth my $.25.  Next, I sampled a large smoked meatball wrapped in bacon. As I was eyeing my next taste, Kristi (from the pool) saw me and took me over to meet her husband and kids.  Their son the chef had an Asian mushroom beansprout mix that was great.  Their daughter had a simple blueberry cheesecake.  Yikes!  I was sooo full!   It was fun to meet the rest of her family and to try out some of other Tastes of Oak Haven.

When I returned to our site, I met the owner of the 5th wheel parked in front of us.  We chatted for about 30 minutes.  It was fun to hear his story.  They had been on the road in their new rig and returning from time in Montana.  They were headed back to Maine.  He was more than glad to move his truck and the picnic table.

Yesterday morning we got up our normal time yesterday morning, cleaned up, packed up and saw we had a clear path to exit.  We moved around the 5th wheel in front of us at about 7:30 AM.  We made our way to the dump station, emptied our tanks, hooked up the tow car.  By 8:15 AM we were on the road headed for 4th Cliff Military Campground in Humarock, MA.

Our time at Oak Haven Family Campground was another typical good park and memorable few days.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

If you haven't left a comment in a while, feel free to do so - its always great to know you are out there!  Thanks!

Kentucky State Capitol

We picked a pretty good day to go see the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfurt KY.  We are staying at Whispering Hills, RV park in Georgetown KY.

We packed a lunch and left at a leisurely time and arrived about 10:00 AM.  The building sits on a hill overlooking the city in the distance.  This is the fourth and now permanent capitol building.

The dome reaches out atop the stately building which has 70 columns surrounding the building. The commonwealth of Kentucky began with statehood in 1792.  Workers broke ground in 1904 and legislators held the first session in 1910.

The exterior of the building is over 400 feet long and 180 feet wide.

Inside, we met the receptionist and assistant who gave us some details about the walking tour and information on what to see on each of the three floors.

The first think one sees entering the rotunda is a statue of Abraham Lincoln who was born in Kentucky.

Looking upward, the beautiful dome with light shining through some areas giving it different colors.

The dome is 180 feet above the rotunda floor.

Another statute:  Henry Clay - Kentucky's most celebrated 19th century statesman and favorite son. I was looking for a little more information about him and the other two statues.  Each was inscribed with names and dates.

There were two other statues in the rotunda: one of Jefferson Davis and one of Harry S. Truman's VP - Ephraim McDowell.

The building was a contrast.  Outside, it looks a little plain though it has a good look to it.  Inside, things change completely.  It is magnificent and open and regal. It reminds me of a smaller and version of the majestic capitols in Utah and Texas.

Looking up the steps to the Senate from the east on the second floor.

This is the State Reception Room.  We were told the governor often signs bills and holds important meetings in this beautiful setting.

The House of Representatives chambers.

Looking into the House of Representatives - the mat depicts the state seal and the state motto: "United we stand, divided we fall."

After our self guided tour, we drove downtown to see the old capitol and to find the replica of the Liberty Bell.  It separate from the main capitol grounds but downtown near the historical grounds

In the back of the Kentucky History Center, we found the bell and its platform.  Kind of out of the way with not much information about what it was and why it was here.

Next to the garden is the old governor's mansion.

After finding the bell, we drove over near the entrance to the Old State Capitol and had a picnic lunch as light rain fell.  Still it was a great day to visit another state capital.  We learned a lot and had a nice time.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Roadrunner Review: 2016 Travels Across the US - Some Highlights

We covered a lot of ground in 2016.  The interactive map below allows you to zoom in and see the finer details of where we were throughout the country.  That feature also lets you to see and enlarge the more congested areas of our travels -- like the places where we camped in Florida.

My goal in providing this is really for our personal record -- We want to be able to get a synopsis of what we did in 2016.  For the many tales and memories along the way, we can refer to the individual posts along the right sidebar that are organized monthly.

Meanwhile, we look back fondly on what was a great 2016 and the end of our 7th year on the road!


In 2016 we started in Cedar Keys, Florida and ended up in Virginia Beach, VA.  We spent  120 days in Florida and another 51 in Virginia which accounted for almost half the year.

We stayed in 70 campgrounds during the year and camped anywhere from an overnight stop to a full three weeks in one location (Portland when I had eye surgery.)  16 times we stayed a week or more at one place including eight days in July at brother Marty's cabin in the Sierra's and a full week in December at Key West.

So here's my take at some of the highlights of our travels:

One of our goals during the year was to get to know more of Florida.  We were in Cedar Keys on the Gulf Coast when the New Year began.  That was an interesting place with some history.  I learned that John Muir of Sierra fame actually visited the area in 1916.  It was part of his 1000 Mile Walk to the Gulf which originated from Indiana.

While in Florida we found out some resorts have a 'one time' deal where campers can stay for a week free.  We did that in Hudson FL at the Word of Life Campground.  We also found out again how great County Parks are in Florida.  Almost all the parks are great in Florida.  We camped at some new places along the east coast for the first time and also located a couple of professional golf tournaments to attend.

While north of Tampa, we toured the museum in Tarpon Springs and learned about the sponge industry of years ago.

We got to see a golf tournament not too far away.

One of my favorites, Patrick Reed, is putting out at the Honda Classic.  The PGA really does a nice job with vets and their 'Birdies for the Brave' program which has tickets and lunch for former military members.  

We also saw an LPGA event in Ocala.  We saw Christie Kerr and Paula Creamer but neither were competitive that week.

While in Florida last winter we also got to see a few special friends:

Bob and Patty

Ed and Candace

Marge and George

Mike and Helen

Howard and Linda

Joe and Carolyn

Bill and Marg

We had a couple of 'at the right place at the right time' moments during the year.  Our first , we were leaving the Roadrunner in Florida and going back to Virginia to celebrate Brooks' first birthday.  We had just read on FaceBook that long time friends Steve and Teresa were spending a few weeks in Hilton Head.

Steve and Therressa

 Another was being about to catch up with Cousin Kevin and Wife Sue (here with one of their three sons Tristin).

Last time we saw these folks was in California when they were in the San Diego area.  Later we were out in Walla Walla WA and I sent a message to cousin Gary who now lives in Costa Rica.  He grew up in Walla Walla and I said, 'Guess what?  We are here in your home town for a few days. Unbeknownst to me, he was having a high school reunion the next day in Walla Walla.

We got to join him and Lisa for lunch.

But back to our travels early in the year.  We spent some time around Tampa and Hudson in Florida, and then made a quick trip back to Virginia Beach to celebrate this guy's first birthday.

He amazes me.  At one year old, he had already been walking for a couple of months.  What a fun guy!  And he has really changed now in January as he approaches his

Next it was off to Macon Georgia for another Habit for Humanity Care-A-Vanner Build.  We got to work with these fine folks and make some new friends.  We had worked there before with the two couples on the left.

And a few weeks later we joined up with Tom and Carol at the North Ft Myers HFH for more Habitat work.

We always find some time for the beaches...We love the Florida beaches!

We could stand being away from little Brooks for too long, so we headed back to Virginia Beach for a few weeks.
It doesn't take too much to tire Grandpa out sometimes...

 He loved for daddy to push him in his front yard swing.

 And for Grandma to read to him.

 Sometimes he just contemplated life as he looked out the front window.

We started our journey West the first part of May.  We had stops in Maynardville TN to see family and also Red Bay AL for some maintenance at some local businesses near the Tiffin factory.  While there we saw friends Steve and Karen.

We had short visits with Kirk and Susan in Oklahoma City

and brother Reid and wife Amy in Albuquerque.

From Albuquerque, we journeyed past the Grand Canyon AZ and onto the San Bernardino area and stayed in Yucaipa County Park, near Redlands. While there, we had a bit of deja vu hanging out in Mr. Bob's garage.  We were neighbors in San Bernardino in the mid 1980's and spent hours doing just that while he worked on his many projects.

Bob and Sue

A few days later, we found ourselves north and in Bakersfield country at Tehachapi visiting with Paul and Bobbi at their beautiful place.  We met them in 2010 at a Habitat Build in Santa Fe and have seen them almost every year since then.

We inched farther north past Fresno and then took a couple of weeks to stay in one place at Chowchilla.  We had time for golf and day trips to see Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. 

Nephew Nate and wife Angela 

We were here on the West Coast to see my brothers and wives at another Warner Brothers Reunion.  Brother Marty has a cabin in the Sierras with a parking space, power and water for the Roadrunner.  We enjoyed a week together this time.

We had lots of activities plus some good downtime.  One day we went to Big Trees State Park.

 Marty built his cabin in the 1970's but had the forethought to make the drive way wide enough for a motor home.  Never thought in a million years we'd be parking ours there one day.

 Pam and Reid

 The ladies inside the kitchen

 Eating dinner outside on the large deck

 Coordinating schedules

It was a beautiful time together and we continued on our travels.  The first night out from there, I pulled into a station and put gasoline in our diesel pusher.  Oops.  Not good.  We got towed and six hours later we were all fixed up and made it to our campground for a few days at Travis AFB.

Then it was north to see the California Redwoods again before making it over to the Oregon Coast.

Years ago we traveled north-south along the Oregon Coast, but this time we went in the other direction.  It was breathtaking, spectacular and one of America's most scenic areas.

Our first time seeing the Oregon Coast we liked the Newport area and returned there. 

Yaquina Lighthouse in the distance

Along the coast in the dairy town of Tillamook, we visited the local museum.  We love to do that in small towns.  And here was another one with a great taxidermy collection.  After a couple of hours, we returned to our car and it wouldn't start.  Yikes.  Starter went out and for the second time in three weeks we were getting towed!

We did some walking to find a parts store, a garage and waited a while to get the tow truck.  We were able to get the work done at a rundown looking place on the edge of town.  But when you are out of airspeed and ideas...you go with what you've got.  Everything turned out well and we were back in business the next morning.  So it was all part of the adventure!

We got back on the road and made our way as far north as the Columbia River before turning east.  Pam and I were fascinated by the history of Lewis and Clark and made it a point to see as many of the places they traveled when seeking the 'Northwest Passage'.  We spent a few days in Astoria OR and made it out to Cape Disappointment

And to Fort Clatsop where they spent a winter after reaching the Pacific Ocean.

While in the Portland area, I sensed a bit of change in my eye and found a doctor who said said I did in fact have a retina detachment. Hmm...  This was on Friday and I was scheduled for surgery on Monday AM.  Everything went very well.  Now that I'm back in Virginia Beach, another retina specialist said it looks good and the doctor in Portland did a great job.

Back in Portland while recuperating, long time friend Kimberly came by to see us at the campground.  We hadn't seen her in years and it was nice of her to come by.

After a little more than two weeks there in Portland, we continued along to Columbia River headed east to Walla Walla, Montana and then south to Memphis:

Multnomah Falls along the Columbia River Gorge

Meeting up with friends Marge and George in Walla Walla

Another one of America's scenic places is Montana.  We had hoped to go by and see Glacier National Park again, but weren't able to do that.  During our first summer on the road in 2009, we had the chance to visit Montana and thought it was amazing.  It still is.

Though we didn't get to see as much of the state as we would have liked to, we see a lot of the wonderful vistas and sweeping valleys and meadows in Montana.

It was breathtaking and one of our favorite places.

 Last time through Montana, we weren't able to stop and visit with high school friend Donna and husband.  But this time we did just that.  We met up for dinner one night and they invited us out the next day to their place which is way out in the country (as in 7 miles beyond the paved roads).

Their little slice of heaven sits right on the banks of the Stillwater River.  It was nice seeing her again and meeting Paul.

We had done some route planning and wanted to see Custer's Little Big Horn.  This time it was right on the way so we were able stop for a couple of hours at Custer's Last Stand (Little Bighorn National Battlefield),

We found a campground for the night in Sheridan Wyoming where friends Cindy and Tim (on each side of Pam below)

were with the others in the picture at a Habitat Build.  We had planned on being on that build, but had to back out to get my eye worked on.

We continued on our trek back to Virginia for a few weeks with stops at the famous Wall Drug

and Sioux Falls -- where we got to see Steve and Therressa again since its their hometown,

Steve and Therressa

In Des Moines, we carved out time to visit the Iowa State Capitol

(and saw the state capitol)
then St. Louis to see more RV friends

Geri and Art

Next we went to Memphis.  In Memphis we went to Graceland.

Then it was on to Red Bay and get togethers, scheduled repairs and friends and interesting food.

Chocolate gravy and biscuits.  Only in Alabama

And then we drove over to Tennessee and then back to Virginia Beach.

Within a few days, we were greeted with cool weather and some great views.  But then Hurricane Matthew came nearby and our topper over the Drive Side slideout tore.

 That required we include a stop at Red Bay in December to get it fixed.

But for the six weeks we were in VB, we tried to take advantage and spend lots of time with Brooks, Kelly Jon and Adam and Melissa in Fairfax.

 Brooks and his goat buddy

One of the great sites at Sea Mist RV Campground (military) in Virginia Beach.

We are about 30 minutes from Kelly and Jon's house and get to spend a lot of time with them and Brooks.

 Brooks hanging out with his best buddy dog Lennon.

 And we get to go on outings with them to the petting zoo.

 And we got to see him get his first school picture done.  He goes to school 3 1/2 hours a week.

 And back home, Jon is a master chef on his Big Green Egg (GBE).  He's some of his handiwork:  Boston butt done just right.

 And some tenderloin steaks.

Six weeks seemed to fly right by and we were back on the road to Florida for a about a month.  Then back for Christmas and the holidays.

 Our first place on the itinerary was the state capitol of South Carolina.  We got a tour and checked out the grounds.  Very nice.

Our next capitol visit was to Atlanta.  We toured the grounds outside since it was closed on Veteran's Day but it was worth it.

 We stopped in Macon GA to see more friends.

 Steve and Tara

Later that night we also got to see friends Barbara and Ross but somehow forgot to get a picture.

Down in Florida, we spent a week at Lakeland

 And then went down to the Keys.  Here we had dinner with Tim and Cindy.

 The drive to the Keys is always a fun one and unique.  It was beautiful and the 45 miles went pretty quickly.

 The spot we ended up at in Key West for the majority of our time there was close to the water and picturesque sunsets.

We made it a point to stop in Fort Myers for a couple of nights and got to see Tom, Carol, Christa and Bonar.

After we left the Keys, we stayed at a number of Florida State Parks on our way to Red Bay Alabama.  Here is our site at Manatee Springs SP.

And we went by Fort Walton Beach and got to see Karin.

We drove further north to Montgomery AL and took a tour of the Alabama State Capitol.

 And then made it to Red Bay to get our toppers and some other things fixed.  While there, we made an office call on Mr. (Bob)Tiffin, president and CEO of Tiffin Motorhomes.

 I am always amazed that he takes the time to visit with regular folks.  Those 10 or 15 minutes we will long remember.  He was one of the nicest CEO's I have ever met.

And after a short stay in Red Bay, we beat feet and headed back to Virginia Beach and a spot again at Sea Mist RV Campground.

We were able to spend time with our kids and Brooks during the holidays and look back with wonder on all that happened during 2016.

Adam, Melissa, Pam, Me, Brooks, Jon and Kelly 

Christmas Day Picture 

I told myself this edition was going to be a 'summary' and I'd hit the high points.  That translated into a very long post.  But this will serve its purpose for us-- we can look back in one place and see some of what the year included.

If you have persevered through the entirety of this, I thank you.  We love hearing from you and always look forward to your comments and when you send them -- your emails.  Thanks for joining with us in this great adventure.  It's something we feel very privileged to be doing and look forward to many more years of it.

Thanks again for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Happy New Year!