05-09 Current Update

We wrapped up our Doctor visits in Columbia, SC in early May having stayed in the area since March 20th. We had all our annual check-ups. Plus I had a stress test and routine colonoscopy and Monique had a crown replaced. All results were good. I also had outpatient surgery in an attempt to open a blocked tear ducts in my left eye. Unfortunately this was not successful so I will return in the fall for another type outpatient surgery on October 19th. The Doctor will drill a small hole and insert a tiny glass tube to establish a new tear duct. I look forward to this since my left eye frequently has a watery film over it because the tears have no place to go. Monique will also have a follow-up in October with this same specialist about her eye issue. At present things are about the same with her vision issue and no current action is called for.

After leaving the Columbia area, we traveled to Charleston which is covered in one of the following posts. We are currently in Mt Airy, NC at the Mayberry Campground.

From 05-09 Mabry Mill and Blue Ridge Parkway

From 05-09 Mabry Mill and Blue Ridge Parkway

From 05-09 Mabry Mill and Blue Ridge Parkway

Mt Airy is the birthplace of Andy Griffith and the inspiration for the fictional TV town of Mayberry. We are here for a week and primarily selected this campground on the recommendation of a favorite website – Malia’s Miles by another full time RVer. Malia was right, this is a nice Campground, but the rains have followed us from Charleston. One interesting thing about this campground is that the owner is a great great grandson of Eng Bunker, one of the famous Siamese twins. Click here for more information on the twins.

We are currently working our way to upstate NY for the summer. We expect to enjoy mild temperatures there just like we had last year in Wisconsin and Michigan’s UP. We move slowly and try to stay in each stop along the way a week or more. We do not cover as much territory this way, but it is less expensive and less stressful. Plus we get to know each area better this way.

Here is our tentative itinerary:

6/3 Misty Mountain Campground near Charlottesville, VA.

6/17 Gettysburg Campground in Gettysburg, PA.

6/24 White Oak Campground near Lancaster, PA

7/1 Hickory Hill Campground in Bath, NY (Finger Lakes region)

8/4 Adirondack Camping Village in Lake George, NY

8/18 Apple Island Resort in Short Hero, VT.

9/8 Depart Apple Island, probably headed toward Chicago to help Ward move if he leaves Chicago when his current lease expires at the end of September

10/19 Back in Columbia for James’ eye surgery and Monique’s check-up with the same eye specialist

11/15 Elite Resorts at Crystal River (formerly Rock Crusher Campground), Crystal River, FL.

3/15/10 Head back to Columbia for annual Doctor visits

5/1/10 (Tentative) Head west stopping along the way in Huntsville, Alabama; Attala County, Mississippi; and Memphis, TN.

05-09 Mabry Mill and Blue Ridge Parkway

From 05-09 Mabry Mill and Blue Ridge Parkway

Friday May 29th we went for a drive down the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway. We were getting a bit of cabin fever after being around the RV so much due to the daily rain showers. Friday morning looked clear as we started out, but it rained once again during our drive. Still we enjoyed some beautiful scenery.

Our main destination was Mabry Mill considered to be the most photographed spot on the Blue Ridge. This was a lovely setting and included a restaurant and gift shop plus several buildings where live demonstrations are held during the summer to show mountain crafts like blacksmithing, weaving on a loom, spinning wool yarn, dying the yarn, basket weaving, and syrup making. Only basket weaving and blacksmithing were being demonstrated the day we visited. I imagine everything will be on display this weekend and weekdays once schools let out for the summer and more vacationers hit the road.

Here are a few pictures from our visit and drive Click on any picture for a larger view then use the back arrow to return to the Blog):

From 05-09 Mabry Mill and Blue Ridge Parkway

From 05-09 Mabry Mill and Blue Ridge Parkway

From 05-09 Mabry Mill and Blue Ridge Parkway

From 05-09 Mabry Mill and Blue Ridge Parkway

05-09 Charleston, SC

From 05-09 Oak Plantation Campground

May 9th we left Lexington and moved to the Oak Plantation Campground near Charleston, SC. This is a very nice campground and is probably the closest to downtown Charleston. I highly recommend it.

We went there to meet our son Ward who came down from Chicago. Ward is considering a move from Chicago and Charleston is one place he is considering. He did some job search while he was there, but nothing much turned up in his areas of interest or expertise. We enjoyed a great visit with him. The only downside was all the rain we experienced during our time in Charleston. That limited some of the touring we wanted to do. Still we visited the SC Aquarium, Fort Sumter, the Confederate submarine Hunley, and Patriots Point.

Here are a few pictures from the Aquarium:

From 05-09 SC Aquarium

From 05-09 SC Aquarium

From 05-09 SC Aquarium

Here are a few pictures from the boat ride out to Fort Sumter and the fort itself. Click here for more information about Fort Sumter.

From 05-09 Fort Sumter

From 05-09 Fort Sumter

From 05-09 Fort Sumter

From 05-09 Fort Sumter

From 05-09 Fort Sumter

From 05-09 Fort Sumter

From 05-09 Fort Sumter

From 05-09 Fort Sumter

Ward and I toured the Hunley conservation project. This confederate submarine was the first to successfully sink another war ship. Afterward the sub disappeared. Many searches were made over the years. It was finally found in 2000 by a team funded by Clive Cussler, author of many adventure books and an avid searcher of sunken ships. It was recovered and has been in a conservation lab ever since. It is kept in a tank of cold water that is only drained a few days a week to allow examination of the sub. Click here for a recent article about the investigation of the Hunley. We could not take pictures of the Hunley but I did take a few including a replica of the first model built in New Orleans and then sunk just before Union troops captured the city.

From 05-09 Hunley

From 05-09 Hunley

Our final visit was to Patriots Point where four ships are on display – the aircraft carrier Yorktown,

From 05-09 Yorktown

the diesel submarine Clamagore,

From 05-09 Clamagore Submarine

Destroyer Laffey, and Coast Guard Cutter Ingram.

From 05-09 Yorktown

We had toured the Yorktown when Ward was a young boy and wanted to go back. We spent about 1/2 day there and could easily have spent a full day or more. It was especially interesting to tour the submarine having last year toured a captured German U-Boat at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.

Here are a few pictures from our tour of the Yorktown:

From 05-09 Yorktown

From 05-09 Yorktown

From 05-09 Yorktown

From 05-09 Yorktown