Well, I must admit a great Blogger I am not.  I have much that I want to share but carving out a block of time to type and have it look reasonable is a bit of a challenge. 

That being said I am going to give this another try!

Time to catch up

The weather has cooled and our travels and adventures have slowed a bit.  So, before I start posting about late fall and winter events I will fill you in on some of the other summer fun we had.

Stoney Fork, VA Jefferson National Forest, campsite number 28.  Wow, what a nice place to camp.  You would never know that it is only a few miles off of I-77.  Site number 28 is large and flat.  A nice site if you have a camper and a tent like we did.  Other good sites are 29,32,13,3,46,and 48.  This is on our list of must visit again.

Blue Ridge Parkway, NC Pisgah National Forest site number B12.  We do enjoy camping here however, the sites are not all wonderful.  Site B12 is tucked among rhododendron and is a good spot if you only have two people.  Tabatha had to stay parked down on pavement away from the fire and picnic table and while this works out fine for us it may not be ideal for everyone. 



Old train tunnel located at New River Trail State Park in VA. This is a wonderful trail for those like me that need an area with little grade.



John D Holeman and Tad Waters during Blues Outback in Dallas, NC  Mr. Holeman is a national treasure!
The Blues Outback concert series is fantastic.  Support local music please.



Lake Powhatan Recreation Area site 15 and one of the best campsites ever.




Site 15 Lake Powhatan "Bent Creek"  Fantastic site!




Me



Carabelle, Florida with my cousin.  Fun, food and Art.



South Mountain State Park, NC.  This is the calm before the waterfalls.  I love this hike, it gets my heart pumping and my lungs working.



Caterpillars and Aunt Annie

Back in July my mother became ill and I had to make a fast trip to Ohio.  My Aunt Annie and Uncle Wes offered to let me stay with them while making trips to and from the hospital.  After a stressful drive and and an even more stressful visit at the hospital I pulled into Annie and Wes' drive where I was greeted with a beer and a fire in the fire pit.  I could feel the stress of the day melt away as we sat by the fire chatting away the days events.  As the fire burned down I felt my eyelids shutting down so, I walked myself upstairs and I fell into bed.

Each morning welcomed me with a hot cup of coffee and great conversation with Annie.  Early one morning as we drank our coffee, I spotted a Caterpillar carting little eggs on its back. I have no clue as to what type of caterpillar this is but watching it with its precious cargo was fascinating.

Just like the caterpillar taking care of her egg family Annie, Wes and Wes took care of me. 

Huntington Beach State Park, South Carolina

Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina is one of my favorite places.  With plenty to see and do right in the park as well as the access to fresh shrimp, well, what more might a person want from a beach vacation?

We set up camp at site number 115.  One of the nicest sites within the campground.  It is located further from the beach access but your reward is a site that has more room than most and not much foot traffic around you.

Plenty of room for Tabatha and as well as a tent.  The ground is level.  Our only issue with the site is that after day two the ants found us.
 

The park is packed full of wildlife.  Birds, alligators, deer, and salamanders were abundant.

Within the park is Atalaya.  It is the former home of Anna Hyatt and Archer Huntington.  The home is a short bike ride or a nice little walk from the campground.  For a donation of a couple of bucks you are able to tour the home all day.  The home also makes for a nice backdrop for photos.  Brookgreen Gardens is across the street from the park and is also worth exploring.

 

With its clean beaches, nice restrooms, wifi, wildlife and proximity to many activities it is a camping adventure that we will do again. 

Overall, I rate this a 5 star beach camping trip

*****

Too much fun to blog.

This summer I have failed as a blog keeper.  If I were being graded I am certain I would be in the D- range.  The only reason that I would not receive a failing grade is the fact that I have kept great notes.  My little note book is full of chicken scratched napkins, maps with circles and stars, and zig zag writings.  All of it waiting to be put in order and relived.

So, off I go and over the next several days I will put it all in order and get myself back on track with blogging. 

Choo Choo!

Standing in Union Station

First let me start out by saying that I have the most fantastic cousins that anyone could ever ask for.  They were my first friends and to this day the bonds we formed as children remain.  Last year we all put our heads together and decided that we needed to start spending more time together.  So as a result "Chenoweth Girls Cousin Reunion" was born.  This year our gathering took place in Deale, MD at a small 1920's cottage on the Chesapeake Bay.

Union Station again

Amtrak runs just a short drive from our home and yet I have never taken the train.  I was set to remedy this by taking the train from Charlotte to Union Station in downtown DC.  Coach seats were, including tax, around $68.00 each way.  I was allowed up to 5 pieces of luggage, two carry on and three checked, at no extra cost.  A bargain price for certain!  I found my seat clean, very roomy and with an electric outlet to recharge my cell or watch a movie on my laptop.  ( some trains also have free wifi.  The Carolinian did not. Next trip I will take the Piedmont route.  It is shorter, due to less stops, and has wifi )  The conductors were all very happy and willing to answer or help whenever called upon.  The restrooms were large and well supplied.  So, what is the drawback?  Time.  The train ride was 9 hours.  Had I flown my travel time would have included 1 1/2 hours for airport check-in, a 1 1/4 hour layover, and a 1 3/4 hour flight or about 4 1/2 hours total.  By car it is about a 7  hour drive and stops to use the restrooms and to refuel puts it at 7 1/2 hours.

Toilet!

So, would I take the train again?  Absolutely!  I was able to walk freely, read a good book ( "The Help" ), eat and use the restroom all while on the move and at a great price.  In fact I have my eye on a New Orleans trip and Amtrak just might have my ticket.

Florida.

After several days of sleep, upon returning from Japan, it was time to pack my bags for a road trip to Florida!  One week with my daughter, granddaughter, grandson, sister and brother-in-law, mother-in-law, nieces and great nephews. 

As I am rolling down the interstate,to pick up my daughter and grand babies, my "low tire pressure" light comes on.  Well isn't that just lovely!?  I finish the short leg of the interstate, pick up the kids and head off to a gas station to fill the tire.  I plunk $1.00 into an air compressor press the nozzle onto the tire stem to fill it..... hissssss air is letting out of the tire.  We look at the nozzle again, read the instruction and proceed to try to fill the tire.  Again, the hiss of air escaping.  By now we are down to 22psi in the tire.  Back into the car and off to "Liberty Bikes" where my son-in-law works.  He uses a hand pump to get us enough air to make it to the next station.  Hooray, the air is free at the next station and the compressor works. 

A stop to fill our bellies with grub at "French Frys" was in order.   Grubbed on a yummy "Old Fashion" all the way ( slaw, onions and chili ).  Then along with a nice mustard stain on my shirt, we are off down I-26 east toward I-95. 

Florida was Florida and all that comes with it.  Sun, heat, pool time, Mickey Mouse, beaches, sand everywhere and even a fireball in the sky.

See ya later Florida!