Summer Concert Evening in the Park - New Holland

Yesterday we left our three week stay in Fort Meade, MD for Lancaster County and a new campsite at Beacon Hill Camping.

We are on a level site, with full hook ups, good cell service and internet.  And we are across the street from a large Amish farm.  They have horses and cows and dogs and guinea pigs.  And farms smells which add to the experience.

The campground in on the side of a steep hill.  Its a nice cardio walk to the top where there are some great views of the farms down through the valley.  To get a good view and some pictures, we'd have to walk on a driveway or two so we didn't do that.

We arrived in the afternoon, got all set up and then went over to friends Mike and Sue's place in New Holland.  After dinner, we then went over to see the summer evening concert in the city park.  The Nomads are a Oldies Band that was simply GREAT!

We got there as the show was starting and it was crowded.  Usually 200 people for one of the evening concerts is about average.  Tonight, there were about double that number.

These guys were really good.  It was fun to hear the music and kind of join in on some of the songs (you have to know the words to really join in...but that has never stopped me from giving it a go).  It was a toe tapping, singing, hand-clapping good time!

A few got out there and danced quite a bit and that was fun to see them have fun.

It was a couple of hours of a great time.  I can just imagine the same thing has happened across hundreds of cities and towns this summer -- evening concerts in the park.  Have you been to any this summer in your part of the country?

It was a great start to our stay in Lancaster County.  We'll be here all week so more to follow!

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Plans Change for the Winter

We had thought we were going to be spending most of the winter in Florida.  There's something about the warm weather and great beaches that we find very attractive.  Plus there are so many other things we like about Florida.  I think we have spent four of the last five winters there and love it.

There is lots of history, things to learn, places to see we have never been and a generally welcoming atmosphere in Florida.  We need to go see the World Golf Hall of Fame again in St. Augustine.  We've been there once, but I don't think I was able to absorb all of what it had to say.  Golf being my favorite sport and a wonderful pastime, I look forward to seeing that place again.

Then there is the weather.  Usually during the winter months, Florida manages to escape some of those cold temps. At least in Southern Florida.  We like Key West for a few weeks and it is very affordable at the military campground at the Navy Base there.

We also have some great friends who live in Florida and / or 'winter' there.  So it would be great to see them again.

But this year we will spend a few weeks in the late fall in Florida, but mostly spend our December, January, February and ??? in Virginia.  We intend to be in Virginia Beach mostly, but will likely take a few days at a time and come up to the Washington D. C. area for visits.

As you know, our daughter and son-in-law live in Virginia Beach and our son and his fiancé live in Chevy Chase, MD (really about a block from the D.C. line).  And we have absolutely loved the weeks we have spent in each place and getting to see them all.  Whether it is a night or two during the week or time on the weekend it has been great to dip into there worlds again and see them.

Our goal is to do that as much as we can without over doing it.  There is a balance here and we aim to find it.  So we are going to keep at it and plan on seeing more of them.

We leave this weekend for Pennsylvania and the Amish Country.  And we will be seeing some of Philadelphia again and then heading down the Eastern Shore and back to Little Creek Navy Base Campground in September.  We also have plans for some time in Myrtle Beach and Tennessee and probably Red Bay, AL before returning to Virginia Beach for the holidays.

During the holidays, (and maybe before) we will probably be honing up on our cold weather camping and hoping that Virginia Beach doesn't get 8" of snow like it did in the winter of 2010-2011.  We got caught in that one and waited for the snow to melt enough to make a bee line South.

This winter we will hang around and wait for the birth of our first grand child which is scheduled for mid-February.  After two years of marriage Kelly and Jon are expecting their baby to be here.  We are VERY excited for them and want to be there to help.  So there will be more on that later I am sure.  We found out a while ago and were sworn to secrecy.  Once she posted it on her blog and FaceBook though, we figured it was OK to spread the news!

Which brings me to my question of the day:

Any advice for new grandparents-to-be?

Thanks of joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles! 

Oh Say Can You See?

Though we've lived fairly close to Baltimore and Fort McHenry, we've never been to the National Historic Park.  It's really impressive!

I've never been to clear about the War of 1812, but this was an opportunity to learn more and put some more history into perspective.

The United States declared war on Britain and Ireland for a number of reasons including: the hijacking of U.S. sailors and forcing them into service aboard British ships (known as impressment);  support of Indians in war against the U.S. and blockading/restricting U.S. trade with France.  The British seemed to have the resources and momentum after burning down the White House and Washington D.C. in 1812.  But later the U.S. had finally had some key victories in New York and New Orleans and in Baltimore. The war lasted from 1812 to 1814 when the Treaty of Ghent was signed and then ratified by Congress in 1815.

In Baltimore, the British were getting ready to take out Fort McHenry and then Baltimore when Francis Scott Key was trying to effect a prisoner of war exchange.  He was on board a British ship just before the hostilities broke out and they held him until after the siege was over.  It was from a British ship that Key saw the flag through the fog and smoke of 25 hours under bombardment.  He penned what was originally called 'Defense of Fort HcHenry'.  It was adopted for use by the U.S. Navy and eventually became our National Anthem in 1931.

We loved our time at the Historic Site.  The displays in the Visitor Center were unique as was the fantastic video of the story behind Fort McHenry and the flag.

At the end of the video the double wide screen went up and through the picture window we saw the flag over the old fort.

It was quite moving when one, then two--then all of us stood up as the Star Spangled Banner blared over the speakers.  Great start to our visit.

Next we went outside and listed to a Park guide give a presentation on the flag.  This was an audience-participation event and we all got into it.

First we lined up into two lines then held the flag which is an exact replica of the one  being flown.

As we unrolled it and then rolled it back, the guide gave us quite an interesting history lesson.  For example the flag that was flown at the time had 15 stars and 15 stripes.  (Guess what states that symbolized? - the original 13 plus Vermont and Kentucky.)

As we moved around the grounds, we went over to the old fort itself.

The grounds and the rooms around the fort were very well maintained.

The fort was also used in other conflicts including as a hospital during the Civil War and World War 1 and as a training base.

The fort is right on the water which has changed its look over the years with industry near by.

But some interesting vessels still make their way down the Chesapeake.

Fort McHenry was a great stop and we enjoyed our afternoon there!

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Evening Walk Around the Lake

We went for an evening walk last night and wanted to go check out the picnic area.  We've seen the area well used in the last couple of days and were curious.

So off we went after dinner.  The closer we got, we realized there is a good-sized lake (really a pond) hidden from the street.

There is a nice asphalt path around it which is good.  And there are a few markers identifying the trees and wildlife that are in the area.

And some fishing docks/observation points around the lake.

We even saw a couple of guys making their way to one for some fishing.

We also had some other company

Who were there to enjoy the lake

The lake is a real bonus to be so close to our campground.  Pretty peaceful and makes for an enjoyable addition to the evening.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Roadrunner Financials - July 2014

Roadrunner Recap

During the month of July, we were in the following locations:

• JEB Little Creek, Naval Amphibious Base MWR Campground, Virginia Beach, VA
• Camp Meade RV Campground - Fort Meade, MD

We spent time in the DC/Fort Meade area primarily to be near Adam and Melissa who live in Chevy Chase, MD.  They are about 45 minutes from Fort Meade, but there are not a lot of options closer to them.  

Good News Areas We Are Under Budget

Biggest Expenses
 We were over budget on Maintenance and Groceries this month.

Large One Time Cost Item
$702 for new rear brake light units on the Honda CRV.  We had added another light bulb on each unit for the tow package lights on the Roadrunner.  Those light bulbs were touching the inside of the brake light unit and melting it.  Yikes!  Not safe.  So we replaced them and made sure the new bulbs were not touching the plastic.

Monthly Average

After a high expense month in June, we under spent in July yet are $84 over our monthly budget as an average.  Our "fiscal year" for the Roadrunner begins in June and ends in May, so we are in the second month of our sixth year of our Adventures.

As always, if you think this spreadsheet might be useful I'd be glad to pass it along at no cost.  Just let me know.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Berry Pickin'

Adam and Melissa knew of a place to go blackberry picking and we went on Sunday.  It was supposed to be overcast and rainy but really was a very nice day.

We are about 45 minutes away from them.  We are staying at Fort Meade RV campground.  It is a bit of a drive, but there are not a lot of good choices in the area.  We like our campground (especially the $28/night price which is very good for this part of the country) and are glad to make the drive to spend time with them.

We met them in Chevy Chase, then all drove out to Butler's Orchards, parked the car in the field and boarded the wagon out to the area.

We arrived at our area and found other folks already there among the rows.

I think it is toward the end of the season, so lots of berries had already been picked.  We were prepared with our own tupperware and small buckets and we wandered up and down the rows getting all we wanted.

It was easy to pick the ones that were ripe and leave the rest.  There was some good looking berries waiting for us!

After we spent about 45 minutes picking, we had all we wanted and rode the tracker wagon back to the cashier.   $12.45 for about 1/2 gallon of berries.  Good price plus a nice outing.  Sadly no pictures of the berries...

Then we made a stop at the produce store and bought some jams and jellies that always make good gifts.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

In the DC Area Again

We left Little Creek Campground before 8:00 AM yesterday and drove up the Eastern Shore across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge - Tunnel.  It was a day full of adventure and surprises.  Our first surprise was about 10 minutes into our 4+ hour trip when we paid the toll - $31 !

Yikes!  We were expecting $10-$12 for some reason.  We didn't remember how much we paid the last time we did  this, but what are you going to do?  We paid the toll.  Meanwhile the lady at the booth could not have been nicer.  She was very pleasant and after we asked if she was sure that is what the price was, she showed us the charge guide and where we fit on the chart.

Then she suggested we could do up I-95 for free and would help get us turned around and headed back that way.  We have made that drive about ~793 times over the past 20+ years and wanted to see something different this time...

Then she asked if we were headed to the  Cherrycreek Campground in Cape Charles?  A couple of days ago it was the site of a tornado that cause havoc and devastation and the deaths of two people.  It was an awful situation and cause for us to consider what we'd do in a bad storm with a fast moving water spout/tornado in a campground.   We told her we were headed to the DC area.  But she was as nice and as helpful as she could be.

The drive up the Eastern Shore was terrific.

There were good roads, a pleasant and sunny day and beautiful.  We didn't get into traffic until we got to Annapolis about 12:30 PM and then it was typical beltway stuff.

We arrived at Fort Meade and found our way over to the RV Campground.

We backed into our assigned space, put the jacks down, got leveled, set up the TV and got a good signal through the trees.  Meanwhile I was plugging the cord into the pedestal for 50 amp service and it didn't come on after a couple of minutes like it usually does.  Nuts!

We tried the 30 amp circuit and it worked fine but this is July and we could need both A/C units on and need the 50 amp.  I went to the front office about 3:30 PM on a Friday afternoon....you can guess where this is going....

The lady behind the counter said she'd put in an 'Emergency Work Order' and someone should be out in a short while.  I asked a few more questions like, "What if you go home at 4:00 PM and there is no one around?"  She thought someone would be out in a little bit to check things out.

She offered another site.  I thought it had a lot of trees but we went over and looked at it.  We really like our current spot. We decided to stay put and if we needed to, we would work around the 30 amp by turning off things if we had to.

Then in about 20 minutes a maintenance electrician showed up at our site.  Wow!  That was quick.  Not only that, but he did some troubleshooting and replaced the 50 amp circuit breaker switch and we were in business!

So despite the high cost of the toll road, we decided we would gladly pay it instead of driving up the I-95 corridor to DC.  And then we were surprised at how quickly we got our electrical problem fixed once we got to our campground.

It was a great start to our time in time in 'DC'.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

A Day at Shiloh and Corinth Battlefields

When we were in Red Bay AL a few weeks ago, we took a day trip to Shiloh National Military Park in Tennessee which also included some time at Corinth, Mississippi.

It was a good three-hour roundtrip, but we took our time and spent most of the day.

Our first impression was that is had some similarities to how Gettysburg National Military Park is set up, though a much smaller version.  It has cemetery area, lots of monuments and a driving tour through the property.

We went over to the Visitor's Center, saw a video and learned of Grant's victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson before heading toward his next objective at Corinth.  He landed his troops at Pittsburgh Landing (Shiloh).

After the video, we stopped at the bookstore, then walked over to the cemetery.

After a few minutes there, we were approached by a girl and her friend who asked if we would like to do a local newspaper photo op for them.  We were glad to do so and listened to a local tour guide who gave us some of the history of Shiloh and Corinth.

You can read the article here.  That was fun and an added bonus.

Next our driving tour where we tried to image the flow of the battle and skirmishes.

I always prefer a picture of how one side was pitched against the other.  As an intel analyst from my military days, we tried to present a snapshot of what the battle forces looked like.  As you can imagine, pretty wall map is a far different story than the reality of the chaos on the ground.

Shiloh was an critical location for the Union forces to secure in the bid for the important Confederate railroad junction at Corinth, MS 23 miles to the Southwest.  The battle at Shiloh was the beginning of a six-month siege at Corinth to take control of the railroad and supply centers.

I had started the book months ago but am currently in the process of finishing Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant - (his autobiography).  Very interesting reading.  Grant was injured when his horse fell on him during the heavy rains and heat of the battle.  The battle at Shiloh (or Pittsburgh Landing) on the Tennessee River was the first major battle won in the Western Theater.

On April 6 and 7, 1862 Union forces (65,000) under U.S. Grant and D.C. Buell were surprised by those of A.S. Johnston and P.G.T. Beauregard (40,000).  Combined dead approached 24,000.  Hard to fathom what war is like if you've never been in one.  Union forces prevailed at Shiloh while the Confederates retreated toward Corinth.

After our driving tour around the battlegrounds, we had lunch under a big shade tree at what was once Pittsburgh Landing.

Then we were off to Corinth and our next museum.

Once we got to the Interpretive Center, we saw a number of artifacts embedded in the cement.

It was a unique way to build some curiosity.  And effective.

Inside, it was a collection of good displays and information that told the story of Corinth and its key role in the Civil War.

To the South, it was a vital distribution and supply point at a junction of rail lines going North and South (Ohio and Mobile Railroad) as well as another railroad route going East and West (Memphis and Charleston Railroad).

Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard again suffered defeat from Union forces, this time under Gen
Henry Halleck.  However, he was able to pull off a hoax and escape in the night prior to the arrival of Union forces.  He boarded the Ohio and Mobile Railroad along with his soldiers, artillery guns and a large amount of supplies.

We walked through the museum and before departing for Red Bay in the late afternoon.  I think this is another one of those places I am going to have to visit again to digest the ebb and flow of battle and  the key events throughout the siege.

It was a great battlefield to see for the first time and I'm glad we took the time to spend some time there.  The National Park Service has done a nice job with it.  My main take away from this and Vicksburg the better understanding of Gen Grant and how he rose to prominence in the Civil War.  That has always been a mystery to me.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  Until next time...

Summertime Baseball!

We love to go see live professional baseball games.  While in Virginia Beach, we got the chance to see the Norfolk Tides - the AAA affiliate for the Baltimore Orioles.

It was $.50 Hot Dog Night so it was crowded.

And they were stacking them high.  The orders were usually at least 6 or 8 hotdogs at a time.

But it was a fantastic night and a really fun time.  We went with Kelly and Jon and friend Dan.

With box seats at $14.00 we got a great vantage point.  The Tides played a great game, had a lot of offense and won 10-4.