PA to Knoxville; Oct 28, 2015 Van Repair, Smokies

Wednesday,Wednesday, October 28

Heading south/Knoxville

After talking with the folks in Hanover who worked on the Trek previously, we decided to try making a run for home instead of waiting 3 days for a part that cost nearly $2000 and wasn’t guaranteed to fix the problem.  Unfortunately, Kevin’s friend that we dealt with earlier, was out of state with a medical emergency. 

Greg and his Mom fed Dad breakfast, then we bade a sad farewell to Greg's Mom.  We contacted Anita and Barb, both of whom we had hoped to visit, and instead headed south via interstates.  A long day and it was raining the whole way across PA and through the snippets of Maryland and West Virginia into Virginia and route 81.  We stopped at a Walmart in Lenoir City, just past Knoxville. Still raining but warm – 60-ish.

Thursday, October 29

Knoxville and the Smokies

 Headed back onto 81 but the Trek now was wheezing and really having difficulty on hills, of which there are many in this part of the country! No way were we limping home. We decided to once again try our luck with a Chevy Dealership, this time Beaker Chevrolet in Knoxville.  Arrived there about 9:00AM and dealt with Eric, who was as nice as could be.

They assigned our problem, with associated history, to their “most experienced” man and we waited.  He apparently tried replacing several items from a new 3500 van they had in stock to test whether they were the problem.  Fortunately, about two hours into his investigation, he noticed that as he worked on things the oxygen intake varied from rich to lean, and finally tracked it down to a faulty connector to the throttle (?)which worked only intermittently. He replaced the connector and yeah! – it seemed to work.

We decided to test the work – who can blame us for being a bit skeptical – by driving over to the Smokies.  We called Cades Cove Campground and found out they had openings, so headed that way, about an hour and a half ride. Beautiful countryside and the sun made a welcome appearance.

The Trek took the hills normally and seemed fine. Things were definitely looking up!

We stopped at an IGA for a few provisions then claimed a campsite. We saw a couple of other Roadtreks in the campground. Drove around a bit and took some photos.  They had just finished 4 days of rain and wind, so the trees had taken a beating but were still colorful in some areas. 

Cades Cove Campground

 Greg made a great campfire and we cooked hamburgers on the grill for dinner. Two white-tailed bucks nonchalantly wondered through the few empty campsites around us.

Oct 28, 2015 MA to PA

 Monday, October 28
Back to Pennsylvania

Everyone rose early and Gwynne left after breakfast, about 7:30.  Mom is riding back to PA with us and we left about 8:00.  Going to take a different, slower route in hopes of avoiding crazy traffic in the eastern corridor.

We started heading west on the Massachusetts Pike, route 90.  Pretty, sunny day and while the colors were somewhat past their peak, there were still areas of great beauty. 

 We got off the turnpike at exit 2 and wound through some pretty small towns, like _______bridge.  Reached the Tectonic Hwy in New York and headed south.  Beautiful divided highway with no commercial traffic.  Stopped and had sandwiches along the way.

 The check engine light came back on near Poughkeepsie L.  We reached Pennsylvania and went south through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.  Nicely wooded with a few campgrounds and signs for waterfalls and other interesting sites if we were truly meandering.   Saw many hunters in their orange gear along the way, and several deer that had been hit by vehicles.

Wound back through PA – this trip is way longer than I anticipated, as you can only go rather short distances before changing highways.  Greg irritated, partially because of the Trek,  but Mom and I enjoyed the scenery.

Arrived at Garden Spot Village (Mom’s place) in New Holland around 5:30 and headed over to their dining area for a nice dinner before unloading the Trek and settling in for the night.  Watched a little football and called it a night.

Tuesday, October 27

Gettsyburg

Mom and Greg went to give Dad breakfast. Gwynne was able to take the day off today and she came by around 9:00 to join us for a jaunt to Gettysburg in Mom’s car.  It took about an hour and a half and we arrived at their visitor’s center.  Bought tickets for the film, the Cyclorama and the Museum.

The 11:30 film, produced by the History Channel, was “A New Birth of Freedom”. It dealt with the time leading to the Civil War, including State’s rights, slavery and other issues.

Next we went to the Cyclorama Display.  This is a huge painting done by Dominique Philippoteaux in Paris in 1884.  After studying the terrain and the battle, he and a crew of 20 painted this detailed depiction.  It is curved to give a 3-D look – quite incredible for the time. It toured the country for a bit before finding a home here in Gettysburg. It is floor to ceiling and 360 degrees around, so one stands in the center and turns to see all the action.

Next we visited the on-site museum, which was very well done.  It would take many times the 2+ hours we spent if one were to read all and watch all the videos.

Over 7,000 soldiers died at Gettsburg, with another 40,000 wounded, captured or missing. 

 Nearly half the bodies were never identified.  There were displays of clothing, weapons, medical care, food, even examples of the different music played by the bugler to signify waking, marching, retreating, taps and more. How the thousands of men were fed and clothed (mostly poorly) while marching all over the country was quite amazing. 

 Also interesting was how the small city of Gettsburg was left to deal with the incredible number of dead bodies and wounded soldiers. They initially buried most on the battlefield, but later moved them to cemetaries so that the locals could reclaim their pastures and farmland.

The timeline begins before Lincoln is elected president, with details regarding the issues of economy, state’s rights, slavery and common rights of citizenship. Succession and the ensuing battles throughout the country are chronicled. Each of the three days of the Gettysburg battle has a film and area of displays. It was impressive how very narrowly the Union won the war – a few different twists of fate and --- we’d all be whistling Dixie, or more likely there would be two separate countries.

Even though Gettysburg was “decisive”, and Vicksburg fell only a day later, the war continued for four more bloody years, with the Union battling under flags that included stars for the Confederate States. 

We drove in to town to have lunch at Dobbin’s Tavern, which is in a stone building built in 1776.  We ate downstairs, which still has one of the several springs that ran through it for water and refrigeration.  Upstairs we saw a hiding place where escaping slaves sometimes stayed as part of the Underground Railroad. The food was tasty and service excellent, served by women in colonial garb.

Next, we wound our way through parts of the hilly Battlefield, including Cemetary Ridge. The blood-soaked fields are dotted with canons and memorials for soldiers and leaders from various states. The Union cemetery where Lincoln gave his famous address is close by.

We headed back to New Holland, taking a bit longer but faster route using the PA Turnpike. Arrived around 6:00 and chatted for a bit and had ice cream before Gwynne headed back to her home in West Chester.    We watched a little TV and enjoyed chatting with Mom before calling it a night.

Oct 18, 2015 Blue Ridge Parkway - Oct 25 Brain Tumor Walk in Boston

October 18
Blue Ridge Parkway

Heading north this morning, we stopped by Mt. Airy, NC which was the setting for the town of Mayberry on the Andy Griffith show.  It being Sunday, there was not much going on except for tourists wandering around town.  A few shops were open, and a few sites like Floyd's Barber Shop from the TV show.

Someone was giving tours in Andy's old sheriff's car.

We moved on and got onto the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The foliage was not spectacular, though there were nice patches of color here and there.  Lots of pumpkins amid the forests.

 We stopped at Mabry Mill,  an old mill that ground corn and flour.  There was a small musical group playing and quite a few visitors on this beautiful Fall day.

We decided to stop at the Rocky Knob national campground for the night.  It was a nice campground with only a few campers. Totally covered by fallen leaves.  Greg made a great campfire as the temperature dropped.  Two large flocks of turkeys ran through the campground, and we saw a few deer nearby. Very cold.

October 19,  

Blue Ridge and Roanoke

Next morning the temp was 34 at the campsite.  We went back the few miles to Mabry Mill which had only a few visitors today, most of whom were photographers.It is a difficult place to photograph, at least at the times we were there, because of the mix of light and dark areas.

It was even colder at the mill!

  Back to the parkway.  There was little traffic (they don't allow trucks), and lovely sites.The speed limit is 45, but you wouldn't want to go any faster.

We decided to get off the Parkway at Roanoke, for gas and a little wi-fi.  The first library we went to was under construction, but the second was ok.  Unfortunately when I opened I-photo, got the message that the data base had to be rebuilt.  It ran for quite a while and finally gave the message that it had re-constructed 30000+ items, however it was still running.  After a while, Greg suggested we exit the program and go back in.  When we went back in, I-Photo was empty! (.Apple does not show the nice little line graph that shows progress)

We found a computer store that worked with Apple products and Eric there was able to repair I-Photo and restore all the pictures (for only $20).  While the repair program ran we went to nearby Mission Barbecue for lunch.  Pretty good brisket and pulled pork.

Back on the road and the Trek was idling badly (again).  We decided to stop at a Walmart in Harrisonburg for the night.


October 20
Family in PA

We hit the road early the morning of the 20th and stopped at a McDonald's for coffee and a breakfast sandwich.  When we came back to the Trek it was running poorly, dying a few times before we were able to get back on I-81.   We decided to detour over to Hanover, PA and Anita and Kevin's house.  Called and asked if they could recommend a mechanic.  We met Anita at their office, dropped off the Trek with their friend Tim, and then went to Anita & Kevin's in their Scion.

Did laundry and showered before Anita & Kevin came home from work, then headed south to a GREAT Italian restaurant in a small town named Manchester, Fratelli's, just over the Maryland line.  Excellent dinner with calamari & mussels for an appetizer and great entrees.  The place was packed on this Tuesday evening.

We did a quick drive-by of the Manchester Fire Dept where Vanessa was on call as EMT and said hello.

We slept at Anita & Kevin's house, as the part for the Trek wouldn't be there till the morning.  What a wonderful port in a storm!!

October 21-23

The Trek was finished (sort of) about 11:15, so we took the Scion and picked it up after breakfast at The Starlight Diner, where eggs, scrapple, home fries, and toast came to a whopping $3.84! Dropped the Scion at Anita and Kevin's place with our thanks and farewells.  Headed to Lancaster where we stopped at an LA Fitness, before heading to Greg's Mom's in New Holland.   Visited and had a nice  meatloaf dinner for which Gwynne joined us.

  Next day we enjoyed the sunrise from Mom's apartment

then we ran some errands and visited some more.

Stopped by a colorful local nursery.

 Took sandwiches and had lunch with Dad, who was much the same. Later in the afternoon we headed to Gwynne's house.  Dropped Mom there and went to a nearby LA Fitness.  Had Sante Fe chili for dinner and hit the hay, planning an early departure tomorrow for Brett's in North Reading, MA - a six hour or so drive.


October 23, Friday
Lots of traffic as we headed east from Gwynne's, to the New Jersey Turnpike and then north.  Pretty foliage through parts of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

 Some color in MA too, but a little past peak.  We reached Brett's about 1:30 in the afternoon and visited till Dave got home from work.

Brett & Dave's home in North Reading

 Brett and Dave had made sweet potatoe soup and a roast chicken for dinner.  They had a performance to attend, so Greg, Gwynne and I watched a little TV and called it a night. Not sure how sitting in a car for 7 hours can make one tired, but it did!

October 24

Spent the day preparing for tomorrow's walk and then helping Brett & Dave with their yard and porch,"winterizing". Their home is surrounded by woods, so they have lots of bird feeders and lots of birds, including woodpeckers which are causing problems to their siding.

Mom and I made chicken salad for lunch and I did prep work for the Crawfish Etouffe I am making for dinner.  Mid-afternoon Garth, Kathy and Carolyn arrived.  Garth's arm is in a sling due to a bicycle accident. We played games and visited.   Had Crawfish etouffe for dinner and Kathy brought a lovely apple cake and  a lime cheesecake.

Team Oligo

Great visit and then we bade farewell till tomorrow morning's Brain Tumor Walk.


October 25
Boston Brain Tumor Walk.

Early breakfast and off to the Walk site about 7:00, as Brett & Dave had things to set-up.  Gwynne had purchased a wonderful pop-up tent that kept things dry and organized.  It sprinkled a bit, but nothing heavy.

Lots of friends and family of the four captains, each a brain tumor survivor.  Our team Oligo was top fundraiser and Brett was top individual fundraiser!

Captains: Brett, Tanya, Steve & Rich

My friend Laurie and her husband Mike who live near us in TX were in Boston and came by to walk with us!

Mike & Laurie

 The three mile walk went quickly and then it was time for photos and clean-up.

Back to Brett's where Carolyn had arranged some good snacks that got us through to the wonderful Prime Rib dinner Brett and Dave provided! Great day together!