The pics on the previous post are from Savannah, Hilton Head,our new lot (sorry duplicate)our grandkids, Kate & Atticus, our lovely tennis courts at our campground in Crossville. Enjoy!!!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
MORE PICS!
The pics on the previous post are from Savannah, Hilton Head,our new lot (sorry duplicate)our grandkids, Kate & Atticus, our lovely tennis courts at our campground in Crossville. Enjoy!!!
TIME FOR A SEPARATION?!
August 29, 2007
TIME FOR A SEPARATION?!
We were getting sick of each other, so I checked into the hospital for four days to get a break. Just kidding about being sick of each other, but not about being sick. I’ll elaborate.
As mentioned previously, we were staying here in Crossville, TN until August 15th, and then heading back to Gainesville, GA to follow-up with my gastroenterologist regarding the ulcers he found. Well, we headed back on the 14th, leaving at 5:00 a.m. in order for me to see our Internist, as I had been feeling really lousy, and was not getting any better. In a nutshell, I had been fighting a recurring infection that just wasn’t responding to antibiotics. Saw the PA that morning, got yet another Rx for antibiotics, and was scheduled to see a urologist the following Tuesday. When I went to the gastroenterologist two days later, I was even worse, and he asked if I wanted to be admitted to the hospital and find out what was going on. I said, “yes.”
Long and short of it, I was put on fluids and intravenous antibiotics, had myriad blood tests, and a c-scan. Nothing other than the infection was detected, I finally started feeling human again, and I was released. That first night back home, our wonderful friends, Donnie and Garnett Smith, had us over for dinner with their family. The company was wonderful, with my getting to play with Smith, their 4 month-old grandson, and the food was delicious, especially after the lengthy, lousy, liquid diet in the hospital.
Sitting around the table talking with Garnie and her family was truly cathartic and rehabilitative. I promised her daughter Natalie that I would remark in my blog about Garnett having a recipe for this amazing salad printed on the back of a funeral home fan. It may not seem that funny to others, but we certainly got a good laugh. Mike and I can’t thank them enough for their generous hospitality. By the time we got back home, I was exhausted.
We more or less spent the week just relaxing and hanging out at the camper. We did get over to the clubhouse for lunch a couple of days and saw more of our golf buddies, but other than that, I really wasn’t up for much else. I did get treated to a round of golf with another wonderful friend, Terri Chandler, on Sunday, our last day in Gainesville. I didn’t play very well, but it was good to be out doing what I love. It was wonderful to spend the day with such a dear friend. Mikey could have played too, but he opted to stay at home. Needless to say, I slept the sleep of the dead that night, and arose Monday morning feeling well rested and healthier.
We took off on Monday and drove straight back to Crossville. As of today, we are now officially landowners in Fairfield Glade, TN. We signed all the papers today, then quickly went over to the tennis center to sign-up for lessons tomorrow morning. We will be here until September 10th, and hope to take advantage of all the facilities available to us as members of the community.
For all our tennis buddies in Arizona, by taking lessons, we’re hoping to be in much better form for the winter season than when we left in March. I’m still nursing a pulled hamstring, but I’m hoping the lessons will help regardless. Mike and I are trying to walk down to the tennis courts here in the campground each morning and hit the ball back and forth for about 45 minutes. It’s rather difficult to truly practice good tennis as the cracks have not disappeared from the courts, nor have the weeds. It’s probably futile, but it does give us a little workout. I’m sure Mike will be happy to have someone other than me to whom he can hit the ball.
As of September 10th, we will start making our way to Utah. We plan to meet up with our friends, the Carters, and explore different parks in Utah with them during the month of October. We will then make our way back to Mesa, AZ the first of November. We will stop in Indiana, Iowa, and Nebraska to see family along the way in September. It’s truly amazing how fast the year is passing.
Hopefully the next update will be more exciting. I WILL get some pictures downloaded too. Take care, and love to all!!
….to be continued
Friday, August 3, 2007
YOU WENT AND BOUGHT WHAT!!??
August 3, 2007
Ok, a quick update, and another attempt to download some pictures. Well, I believe I told you how much we've fallen in love with this area, and especially Fairfield Glade. We've been here two and a half weeks and have spent the majority of our time looking at lots and homes. Well, we made an offer on a lot, and it was accepted. If the pictures get downloaded, it's the picture of nothing but trees on a cul-de-sac. It's a good sized lot that goes back about 250' and backs up to a wooded common area. Nothing but trees, trees, trees. We plan to clear as few trees as possible to allow some grass in the front and a little in the back. The rest will be left to nature.
We won't start building until sometime next year. No definite plans yet. Among the pictures (hopefully) you'll notice a picture of one of our neighbors we had for a couple of nights here in our campground. I named him Mad Max for obvious reasons. The gentleman turned out to be quite interesting. He did build it all himself, and it's actually a toy hauler so he can haul his vintage 1948 Austin that he drag races. They were from Virginia, and were here for the big Hwy 127 Yard Sale.
Well, I'm going to try and load some pictures. We will be here for another couple of weeks. Take care and be well. Love to all!!
...to be continued
Ok, a quick update, and another attempt to download some pictures. Well, I believe I told you how much we've fallen in love with this area, and especially Fairfield Glade. We've been here two and a half weeks and have spent the majority of our time looking at lots and homes. Well, we made an offer on a lot, and it was accepted. If the pictures get downloaded, it's the picture of nothing but trees on a cul-de-sac. It's a good sized lot that goes back about 250' and backs up to a wooded common area. Nothing but trees, trees, trees. We plan to clear as few trees as possible to allow some grass in the front and a little in the back. The rest will be left to nature.
We won't start building until sometime next year. No definite plans yet. Among the pictures (hopefully) you'll notice a picture of one of our neighbors we had for a couple of nights here in our campground. I named him Mad Max for obvious reasons. The gentleman turned out to be quite interesting. He did build it all himself, and it's actually a toy hauler so he can haul his vintage 1948 Austin that he drag races. They were from Virginia, and were here for the big Hwy 127 Yard Sale.
Well, I'm going to try and load some pictures. We will be here for another couple of weeks. Take care and be well. Love to all!!
...to be continued
Saturday, July 28, 2007
All I wanted was a stupid haircut.
July 28, 2007
This is my last attempt to add some pictures. I had a new blog all typed up and saved, but now it has gone off into the great beyond. I won't try the pictures again until Mikey has checked out why this is happening.
My lost blog had a complete explanation of my journey to try and find Great Clips so I could get a haircut. That was two days ago, and that was not what one would call a really lucky day.
I got on the internet and found the address for Great Clips. I remembered passing by one the first week here, but I couldn't remember exactly where that was, so I counted on the internet.
I got into the truck and entered the street name in the GPS, and took off. About 20 minutes later I'm on the phone to Mike asking for his help because I was hopelessly lost. The GPS had taken me to a gravel road. He got online and said, "I don't know where the hell you got that street address...," so he gave me another road and said that it was located in a shopping center called, "The Xing." So off I went.
To make this long story shorter, I couldn't find a shopping center called, "The Xing," so I pulled into a tiny strip mall, parked, got out and asked. The first response to the shopping center name was, "Never heard of it." This was not a good sign. Frustrated, I asked if they knew where Great Clips was located. Bingo, they knew where that was...on the other side of Wal-Mart from where I was. So, I thanked them and got in the truck to head over there. Not so good.
As I tried to pull out of my parking space, there was another car coming towards me and insisted I go ahead, so I turned a little too sharp and clipped the car next to me. No damage to the truck other than breaking the hubcap, but I scrunched her front bumper. Called insurance company, got everything taken care of and finally took off for the beauty shop.
Well, I've had pretty good luck so far in our travels, in getting a good haircut at Great Clips. By the time I left the one in Crossville, I felt I had been butchered. When I finally got back home, what should have taken about one hour in total, had taken over hours!!! Decided I was having such good luck that I'd stop and get a lottery ticket. Don't hold your breath, I'm sure my luck will continue. Anyway, luckily after I washed my hair and worked with it, it's not so bad. Thankfully, it grows quickly.
I'll keep updating the adventures, and misadventures of the Murrays. Love to all!!
...to be continued
This is my last attempt to add some pictures. I had a new blog all typed up and saved, but now it has gone off into the great beyond. I won't try the pictures again until Mikey has checked out why this is happening.
My lost blog had a complete explanation of my journey to try and find Great Clips so I could get a haircut. That was two days ago, and that was not what one would call a really lucky day.
I got on the internet and found the address for Great Clips. I remembered passing by one the first week here, but I couldn't remember exactly where that was, so I counted on the internet.
I got into the truck and entered the street name in the GPS, and took off. About 20 minutes later I'm on the phone to Mike asking for his help because I was hopelessly lost. The GPS had taken me to a gravel road. He got online and said, "I don't know where the hell you got that street address...," so he gave me another road and said that it was located in a shopping center called, "The Xing." So off I went.
To make this long story shorter, I couldn't find a shopping center called, "The Xing," so I pulled into a tiny strip mall, parked, got out and asked. The first response to the shopping center name was, "Never heard of it." This was not a good sign. Frustrated, I asked if they knew where Great Clips was located. Bingo, they knew where that was...on the other side of Wal-Mart from where I was. So, I thanked them and got in the truck to head over there. Not so good.
As I tried to pull out of my parking space, there was another car coming towards me and insisted I go ahead, so I turned a little too sharp and clipped the car next to me. No damage to the truck other than breaking the hubcap, but I scrunched her front bumper. Called insurance company, got everything taken care of and finally took off for the beauty shop.
Well, I've had pretty good luck so far in our travels, in getting a good haircut at Great Clips. By the time I left the one in Crossville, I felt I had been butchered. When I finally got back home, what should have taken about one hour in total, had taken over hours!!! Decided I was having such good luck that I'd stop and get a lottery ticket. Don't hold your breath, I'm sure my luck will continue. Anyway, luckily after I washed my hair and worked with it, it's not so bad. Thankfully, it grows quickly.
I'll keep updating the adventures, and misadventures of the Murrays. Love to all!!
...to be continued
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Howdy, y'all.
July 18, 2007
Well folks, I’m going to attempt a rapid fast forward to try and get caught up on this blog before my memory completely fails. Hopefully, it will still be scintillating.
Let’s see, we left Baker City, OR and headed East to stop in Lincoln, NE, Iowa City, IA, and Bloomington, IN to check-in on family before heading back to Georgia. The drive through Idaho, Utah and Wyoming was pretty, but not spectacular, as most of it was high desert. We did see a fair amount of prong-horned antelope in Wyoming, but other than the mountains in the background, that was the extent of the scenery.
We arrived in Georgia the end of May and set up camp at River Forks Park in Gainesville. River Forks is a great little private campground that is affiliated with the Corps of Engineers, so you can only stay for 2 weeks straight. The first two weeks there were spent visiting various doctors for our annual exams, and visiting with friends and playing golf. Well, Mike played once, and I played as often as I could. We celebrated our 40th anniversary on June 2nd with wonderful friends, then turned around the next week and helped them celebrate their 18th anniversary.
The next two weeks we stayed at Duckett Mill, another Corps of Engineers’ park. Both parks are absolutely beautiful and all sites back up to Lake Lanier. The weekends were naturally filled to capacity, but during the week we practically had the park to ourselves. While at Duckett Mill, we did have one very interesting incident. Remember that honey pot?
Now, the only drawback to both parks is that neither one has sewer hook-ups, so Mike had the duty of draining our tanks into the honey pot and attaching it to the trailer hitch on the truck and hauling it up to the dump station. It’s not as bad as you would think, but he did have to do it once a day if I had done laundry, or every other day if I hadn’t. Granted, it’s not necessarily a pleasant job, but he’s gotten really good at handling it. He did wait too long the first time while we were at River Forks, and the honey pot sort of splashed out when he hit a bump on the way to the dump site, but he quickly learned not to postpone it. Luckily, the contents were from the shower and sinks, so there was not any black tank contents that splashed out (aren’t you glad I shared THAT bit of information with you?).
Now, the trip to the dumpsite at Duckett Mill was shorter, but straight up a hill. Mike filled the honey pot, hooked it to the trailer hitch and headed up the hill. When he arrived at the dump site, he discovered that the honey pot was missing. He jumped back in the truck and headed back to the campsite. No honey pot. Now remember, this is a hillier campground, and our site is uphill from the lake. Mike frantically looked around and finally spotted the honey pot halfway down the hill and headed towards the lake. Luckily, it had gotten snagged on a sapling and stopped. Can you picture it? Mike in a Keystone Kop uniform and frantically running down the hill chasing a loaded honey pot. LOL. Another lesson learned…Mike now secures the honey pot handle to the hitch rather than just hooking it over the hitch.
After the two weeks at Duckett Mill, we went back to River Forks for the final two weeks. While at River Forks the first stay, we had scoped out a site that was more private and a lot bigger than the first site, so we were able to reserve it for the second stay. It was a great choice. We could sit out under the canopy and listen to and watch the waves hit the shore. Not as spectacular as Winchester Bay in Oregon, but a close second for serenity and beauty.
We had a great time the month and half we were in Georgia. It was so great to see old friends and the old neighborhood. We even went back to our home and got to see all the changes the new owners had made. The interior decorating was beautiful. We regret that we didn’t get to see the family that we lived across the street from, and our apologies go out to them, but circumstances didn’t allow it. Hopefully we can stop and say hello the next trip. We do have to go back for a doctor follow-up the 16th of August, so we’ll try and stop by then.
We left Gainesville and went to Skidaway Island in Savannah for five days. The weather was oppressively hot and humid. Even I complained about it. We did manage a riverboat tour of the Savannah River, and walked the River Walk for almost 5 hours our first day. Savannah is still a wonderful place to visit and tour. Unfortunately, I managed to get a bad case of chiggers while down at the River Walk. I have no idea where I got them. It definitely had to have been while down at the River Walk that first day. Oddly, we were never in the grass. I think it was either from sitting on the outdoor bench, or from the barstool in the seedy bar we were in. By seedy, I mean dark, sticky, smelly, filthy, etc., but when you’re hot and thirsty you go into the closest and cheapest place you can find. If those weren’t chiggers I got there, I don’t want to know what they are!!
Our last day in Savannah, we went to the Old Roundhouse. If you’re a movie buff, part of the movie “Glory” was filmed there. It’s an old railroad roundhouse that has been, and is still being restored. We got to watch them bring out an old steam locomotive to move a railroad car and another engine using the roundhouse mechanism. We highly recommend it if you happen to be in Savannah. It was really fascinating, though acridly smokey. I guess you could call that “atmosphere.” Regardless, it is a great piece of history.
July 25, 2007
So much for “fast forward.” I really did have good intentios. Yes, I know, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” I just felt it needed a new coating. Regardless, here we go.
After five days in Savannah, we went to Hilton Head for three days. Kirk, Wim, Kate, and Atticus, and Wim’s family were there for a week, and invited us to come and join them. They were staying in a beautiful condo in Harbor Town, and we were camped at the only rv resort on Hilton Head. They are very particular on Hilton Head (descriminating?), and the previous time we had joined the kids 3 years ago, we had was our pop-up A-Liner, which was not allowed on the island. So, I guess you’d say we have stepped up our image a notch. Anyway, it is a very nice resort right on the bay, and about 15 minutes drive to where Kirk and his family were.
The weather was still oppressively hot and humid, but we had a great time. Kirk and I got in a round of golf, and Mike and Kirk went deep sea fishing with Wim’s brothers and nephews. The catch of the day was less than impressive – three small fish, but the guys got to see dolphins up close and personal. They were a bit disappointed, and not sure they got their money’s worth, but the 4-hour boat ride was fun.
As always, it was great fun being with family, and I even bit the bullet, decided I didn’t know anyone there, (and hopefully would never see any of them again), and I pulled on my 25 + year-old bathing suit and went swimming with my grandkids. Luckily, the darned thing didn’t disinigrate, which probably would have been a blessing, and I had great fun splashing around with Kate and Atticus.
We left the ongoing sauna in Georgia, and headed to Hendersonville, NC. What an amazing difference. Temperatures in the70’s during the day, and into the 50’s at night. We actually got to turn off the air conditioner in the camper, and enjoy fresh air and the beautiful view of the mountains. Blizzard was thrilled to be able to go for walks again.
One day we decided to take Blizzard and hike to Chimney Rock. The fee to get into the park was a bit steep ($14/ea), so I was determined we would get our money’s worth. You were shuttled part way, and then you could catch the shuttle back to the parking area after descending. Well, since we paid so darned much to get in, we were going to walk back down a trail to get to our truck instead of taking the shuttle.
At Chimney Rock Park, hey have an elevator you can ride to the top, but since no pets were allowed on the elevator, our fate was sealed. We were hiking. Seriously, Mike and I enjoy hiking, but that usually doesn’t include stairs. There were so blasted many steps up to the pinnacle, I lost count. We would much rather hike a trail upward, than stairs. They do begin to take their toll early on, but remember, I was determined to get my money’s worth no matter what. So, Mike, Blizzard, and I forged on and finally reached the top. It was a beautiful and spectacular view, and yes, worth the trek. After a brief break, we started back down. Going down stairs is not much fun, but we finally made it back to the elevator level where we could have caught a shuttle back to the truck, but we still had about $7.50 each to justify. Before starting back down to the parking lot, we hiked another trail to see the waterfalls. Once again, it took longer than anticipated, but was worth the effort. Unfortunately, to begin our hike back to the truck, we had to reverse the trail we had just taken. Hey! That cut the amount to $3.75 each for justification. Three quarters of the way back from the falls, we came across the trail to head down to the parking lot. Holy cow!!! More steps straight down. Oh well, off we went. Thankfully, the number of stairs was minimal, though steep, and the rest of the hike was more like a normal trail.
After a total of five hours at Chimney Rock we arrived back at the truck. I figured the park owed us about $12 each after that. It was a great day of exercise and beautiful scenery, so I guess I really can’t complain. The day took it’s toll on us for a day or so, but we would do it all over again. Afterall, isn’t that what this whole new life is about? Adventure?
We spent another day touring downtown Hendersonville, which I absolutely fell in love with. It is a beautiful and quaint town nestled in the mountains. Some might call it “artsy-fartsy,” but I loved it. Unfortunately, it was Sunday and a lot of the shops were closed, but enough were open to make it a fun outing. If there had been a retirement community there, we would have most certainly considered it. Since they were calling for rain, we decided to head out the next day to Crossville, TN.
Crossville was the first stop we planned for checking out retirement areas. After having been in Hendersonville, NC and loving the quaintness and beauty of the area, Crossville was a bit of a disappointment. Crossville is in the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. The area is beautiful in that it is surrounded by mountains and hills and lots of trees, but it lacks the sophistication that Hendersonville has. Since I was a bit disappointed, I was not overly thrilled to check out Fairfield Glade, which is the actual area we would consider. Boy was I surprised.
Fairfield Glade is a HUGE retirement area with 11 lakes, marinas, 5 golf courses, 8 tennis courts, a post office and small mall, swimming pools, crafts, etc. All of which is heavily wooded. It is very “country” which Mike and I love. You can check out the area at www.fairfieldglade.org and see for yourselves. Needless to say, we have been truly amazed. We’ve done a lot of looking and comparison to other areas, but think that this may be the area. There is no state income tax, the property taxes are LOW, the cost of living is low, and the weather is quite conducive to our wants and needs. The sales tax here is high, but they have to get it somewhere I guess.
The activites are “pay as you play” which is quite attractive. You can play any of four of the most gorgeous courses for $20 (incl. Cart). There is no membership fees, and a monthly fee for the community of $30. See what I mean about being so attractive? We will be here a full month, and have already been doing a lot of looking and exploring of the surrounding areas. It is definitely out in the country, so if you are a serious shopper, you have to drive to Nashville, or Koxville, or Chattanooga. The town of Cookeville is only about 30 miles away, and has quite a bit more to offer than Crossville; however, if you want to buy liquor by the bottle, you have to go about 25 miles or more. Minor inconveniences as far as we can tell.
So my friends, I have gotten you caught up for a while. We will be here until August 15th. I’ll try and updaye a bit more often. Take care, and love to all.
To be continued…..
Well folks, I’m going to attempt a rapid fast forward to try and get caught up on this blog before my memory completely fails. Hopefully, it will still be scintillating.
Let’s see, we left Baker City, OR and headed East to stop in Lincoln, NE, Iowa City, IA, and Bloomington, IN to check-in on family before heading back to Georgia. The drive through Idaho, Utah and Wyoming was pretty, but not spectacular, as most of it was high desert. We did see a fair amount of prong-horned antelope in Wyoming, but other than the mountains in the background, that was the extent of the scenery.
We arrived in Georgia the end of May and set up camp at River Forks Park in Gainesville. River Forks is a great little private campground that is affiliated with the Corps of Engineers, so you can only stay for 2 weeks straight. The first two weeks there were spent visiting various doctors for our annual exams, and visiting with friends and playing golf. Well, Mike played once, and I played as often as I could. We celebrated our 40th anniversary on June 2nd with wonderful friends, then turned around the next week and helped them celebrate their 18th anniversary.
The next two weeks we stayed at Duckett Mill, another Corps of Engineers’ park. Both parks are absolutely beautiful and all sites back up to Lake Lanier. The weekends were naturally filled to capacity, but during the week we practically had the park to ourselves. While at Duckett Mill, we did have one very interesting incident. Remember that honey pot?
Now, the only drawback to both parks is that neither one has sewer hook-ups, so Mike had the duty of draining our tanks into the honey pot and attaching it to the trailer hitch on the truck and hauling it up to the dump station. It’s not as bad as you would think, but he did have to do it once a day if I had done laundry, or every other day if I hadn’t. Granted, it’s not necessarily a pleasant job, but he’s gotten really good at handling it. He did wait too long the first time while we were at River Forks, and the honey pot sort of splashed out when he hit a bump on the way to the dump site, but he quickly learned not to postpone it. Luckily, the contents were from the shower and sinks, so there was not any black tank contents that splashed out (aren’t you glad I shared THAT bit of information with you?).
Now, the trip to the dumpsite at Duckett Mill was shorter, but straight up a hill. Mike filled the honey pot, hooked it to the trailer hitch and headed up the hill. When he arrived at the dump site, he discovered that the honey pot was missing. He jumped back in the truck and headed back to the campsite. No honey pot. Now remember, this is a hillier campground, and our site is uphill from the lake. Mike frantically looked around and finally spotted the honey pot halfway down the hill and headed towards the lake. Luckily, it had gotten snagged on a sapling and stopped. Can you picture it? Mike in a Keystone Kop uniform and frantically running down the hill chasing a loaded honey pot. LOL. Another lesson learned…Mike now secures the honey pot handle to the hitch rather than just hooking it over the hitch.
After the two weeks at Duckett Mill, we went back to River Forks for the final two weeks. While at River Forks the first stay, we had scoped out a site that was more private and a lot bigger than the first site, so we were able to reserve it for the second stay. It was a great choice. We could sit out under the canopy and listen to and watch the waves hit the shore. Not as spectacular as Winchester Bay in Oregon, but a close second for serenity and beauty.
We had a great time the month and half we were in Georgia. It was so great to see old friends and the old neighborhood. We even went back to our home and got to see all the changes the new owners had made. The interior decorating was beautiful. We regret that we didn’t get to see the family that we lived across the street from, and our apologies go out to them, but circumstances didn’t allow it. Hopefully we can stop and say hello the next trip. We do have to go back for a doctor follow-up the 16th of August, so we’ll try and stop by then.
We left Gainesville and went to Skidaway Island in Savannah for five days. The weather was oppressively hot and humid. Even I complained about it. We did manage a riverboat tour of the Savannah River, and walked the River Walk for almost 5 hours our first day. Savannah is still a wonderful place to visit and tour. Unfortunately, I managed to get a bad case of chiggers while down at the River Walk. I have no idea where I got them. It definitely had to have been while down at the River Walk that first day. Oddly, we were never in the grass. I think it was either from sitting on the outdoor bench, or from the barstool in the seedy bar we were in. By seedy, I mean dark, sticky, smelly, filthy, etc., but when you’re hot and thirsty you go into the closest and cheapest place you can find. If those weren’t chiggers I got there, I don’t want to know what they are!!
Our last day in Savannah, we went to the Old Roundhouse. If you’re a movie buff, part of the movie “Glory” was filmed there. It’s an old railroad roundhouse that has been, and is still being restored. We got to watch them bring out an old steam locomotive to move a railroad car and another engine using the roundhouse mechanism. We highly recommend it if you happen to be in Savannah. It was really fascinating, though acridly smokey. I guess you could call that “atmosphere.” Regardless, it is a great piece of history.
July 25, 2007
So much for “fast forward.” I really did have good intentios. Yes, I know, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” I just felt it needed a new coating. Regardless, here we go.
After five days in Savannah, we went to Hilton Head for three days. Kirk, Wim, Kate, and Atticus, and Wim’s family were there for a week, and invited us to come and join them. They were staying in a beautiful condo in Harbor Town, and we were camped at the only rv resort on Hilton Head. They are very particular on Hilton Head (descriminating?), and the previous time we had joined the kids 3 years ago, we had was our pop-up A-Liner, which was not allowed on the island. So, I guess you’d say we have stepped up our image a notch. Anyway, it is a very nice resort right on the bay, and about 15 minutes drive to where Kirk and his family were.
The weather was still oppressively hot and humid, but we had a great time. Kirk and I got in a round of golf, and Mike and Kirk went deep sea fishing with Wim’s brothers and nephews. The catch of the day was less than impressive – three small fish, but the guys got to see dolphins up close and personal. They were a bit disappointed, and not sure they got their money’s worth, but the 4-hour boat ride was fun.
As always, it was great fun being with family, and I even bit the bullet, decided I didn’t know anyone there, (and hopefully would never see any of them again), and I pulled on my 25 + year-old bathing suit and went swimming with my grandkids. Luckily, the darned thing didn’t disinigrate, which probably would have been a blessing, and I had great fun splashing around with Kate and Atticus.
We left the ongoing sauna in Georgia, and headed to Hendersonville, NC. What an amazing difference. Temperatures in the70’s during the day, and into the 50’s at night. We actually got to turn off the air conditioner in the camper, and enjoy fresh air and the beautiful view of the mountains. Blizzard was thrilled to be able to go for walks again.
One day we decided to take Blizzard and hike to Chimney Rock. The fee to get into the park was a bit steep ($14/ea), so I was determined we would get our money’s worth. You were shuttled part way, and then you could catch the shuttle back to the parking area after descending. Well, since we paid so darned much to get in, we were going to walk back down a trail to get to our truck instead of taking the shuttle.
At Chimney Rock Park, hey have an elevator you can ride to the top, but since no pets were allowed on the elevator, our fate was sealed. We were hiking. Seriously, Mike and I enjoy hiking, but that usually doesn’t include stairs. There were so blasted many steps up to the pinnacle, I lost count. We would much rather hike a trail upward, than stairs. They do begin to take their toll early on, but remember, I was determined to get my money’s worth no matter what. So, Mike, Blizzard, and I forged on and finally reached the top. It was a beautiful and spectacular view, and yes, worth the trek. After a brief break, we started back down. Going down stairs is not much fun, but we finally made it back to the elevator level where we could have caught a shuttle back to the truck, but we still had about $7.50 each to justify. Before starting back down to the parking lot, we hiked another trail to see the waterfalls. Once again, it took longer than anticipated, but was worth the effort. Unfortunately, to begin our hike back to the truck, we had to reverse the trail we had just taken. Hey! That cut the amount to $3.75 each for justification. Three quarters of the way back from the falls, we came across the trail to head down to the parking lot. Holy cow!!! More steps straight down. Oh well, off we went. Thankfully, the number of stairs was minimal, though steep, and the rest of the hike was more like a normal trail.
After a total of five hours at Chimney Rock we arrived back at the truck. I figured the park owed us about $12 each after that. It was a great day of exercise and beautiful scenery, so I guess I really can’t complain. The day took it’s toll on us for a day or so, but we would do it all over again. Afterall, isn’t that what this whole new life is about? Adventure?
We spent another day touring downtown Hendersonville, which I absolutely fell in love with. It is a beautiful and quaint town nestled in the mountains. Some might call it “artsy-fartsy,” but I loved it. Unfortunately, it was Sunday and a lot of the shops were closed, but enough were open to make it a fun outing. If there had been a retirement community there, we would have most certainly considered it. Since they were calling for rain, we decided to head out the next day to Crossville, TN.
Crossville was the first stop we planned for checking out retirement areas. After having been in Hendersonville, NC and loving the quaintness and beauty of the area, Crossville was a bit of a disappointment. Crossville is in the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. The area is beautiful in that it is surrounded by mountains and hills and lots of trees, but it lacks the sophistication that Hendersonville has. Since I was a bit disappointed, I was not overly thrilled to check out Fairfield Glade, which is the actual area we would consider. Boy was I surprised.
Fairfield Glade is a HUGE retirement area with 11 lakes, marinas, 5 golf courses, 8 tennis courts, a post office and small mall, swimming pools, crafts, etc. All of which is heavily wooded. It is very “country” which Mike and I love. You can check out the area at www.fairfieldglade.org and see for yourselves. Needless to say, we have been truly amazed. We’ve done a lot of looking and comparison to other areas, but think that this may be the area. There is no state income tax, the property taxes are LOW, the cost of living is low, and the weather is quite conducive to our wants and needs. The sales tax here is high, but they have to get it somewhere I guess.
The activites are “pay as you play” which is quite attractive. You can play any of four of the most gorgeous courses for $20 (incl. Cart). There is no membership fees, and a monthly fee for the community of $30. See what I mean about being so attractive? We will be here a full month, and have already been doing a lot of looking and exploring of the surrounding areas. It is definitely out in the country, so if you are a serious shopper, you have to drive to Nashville, or Koxville, or Chattanooga. The town of Cookeville is only about 30 miles away, and has quite a bit more to offer than Crossville; however, if you want to buy liquor by the bottle, you have to go about 25 miles or more. Minor inconveniences as far as we can tell.
So my friends, I have gotten you caught up for a while. We will be here until August 15th. I’ll try and updaye a bit more often. Take care, and love to all.
To be continued…..
Sunday, June 17, 2007
What Happened After The Chai Tea?
(June 17, 2007) Happy Father’s Day !
Ok, we left off with that great cup of Chai tea at Winchester Bay, Oregon. We rode our bikes back to the campsite and decided to get in the truck and do a bit of exploring along the dunes. I remember seeing the dunes in Indiana when I was a kid, but I don’t recall them being as large as the ones in Oregon, nor covering such a vast area. They look like the ones you see in the movies with all the camels, etc., but these were dotted with people on ATVs. I’m no good at judging distance and height, but these dunes were taller than most the big hills in Iowa (I know, most of you think ‘big whip,’ but trust me, there ARE a few big hills in Iowa). We were half tempted to rent some ATVs ourselves and give it a try, but common sense prevailed. I figured I’d get way up on the top of one of the dunes and have engine trouble and have to walk all the way back down to get help, and then my allotted time would have expired. It did look like a lot of fun though.
We then headed up to the Umpqua River Lighthouse. It’s at the entrance to Winchester Bay, and sits on a hill 100 feet above sea level on the mouth of the Umpqua River. The first lighthouse in Oregon was erected on the opposite side of the river in 1857, but fell into the swollen river seven years later when the sand eroded during a storm. The one we visited was started in 1890 and officially lit in 1894. It is one of five still operating on the Oregon coast, and is the only one with a red light. The really cool part was looking out over the bay hoping to spot whales. Yep, we did just that. Mike spotted the first one, then we noticed that there were two more. We believe the two that stuck close together and seemed to be playing were a mother and calf. Another one stayed a close distance away. With the naked eye you could see the water blow when they came up for air, but the best view was through binoculars. Too cool!!!
Our last evening at Winchester Bay was spent walking along the bay and listening to the breakers. Blizzard couldn’t figure out that the “barking” we were hearing wasn’t from dogs, but from seals out in the bay. We could not have found a better campground. Everything was picturesque and peaceful. The weather was sunny and slightly cool, and the evening skies were filled with stars. We were most fortunate to have experienced such clear weather. One local told us that they had not seen the sun for quite some time until we arrived, and then the clouds rolled back in the morning we left. Timing is everything.
Our next destination would be Salem, Oregon to visit with Mike’s sister Pat and her family. The scenery along the way continued to be spectacularly beautiful. One area we passed looked like one of Tom Mangleson’s pictures…a beautiful valley with nothing but yellow flowers blanketing the valley and hills. Naturally, the camera was not at the ready. We did see more, and I tried to take some pictures from the moving vehicle, but that one valley will stay in my memory a long time. It was spectacular!
April 5th…arrive in Salem, OR
We spent almost 10 days with Pat and Terry, and had a great time visiting and siteseeing. We had a fantastic Easter dinner with a group of their friends and family, and ate way too much. We met our adorable sixteen-month-old grand neice, Macy, for the first time, and got to visit with her parents and her uncle for a while. It’s always wonderful to visit family and catch-up on each other’s lives.
Pat and Terry are great hosts. They took us to the Mission Mill Museum in Salem. We toured homes from the 1840’s, and the 1898 woolen mill itself. We literally had the mill to ourselves, and were able to tour without any guide or restrictions. It was fascinating to see the myriad processes the wool undergoes before the finished product. We were able to touch a lot of things that ordinarily were not allowed during a guided tour. The mill produced a lot of military blankets during the war, and still produces a few items from its tours. In fact, one could purchase a Pendleton blanket made right there, if one were so inclined…we weren’t.
One day, we all headed to the Evergreen Aviation Museum, or better known as the Spruce Goose Museum, in McMinnville, Oregon. What an amazing place. The museum was built specifically to house and preserve the HK-1 aircraft built by Howard Hughes. Like the redwoods, the Spruce Goose is something you have to see in person in order to appreciate the magnitude and beauty of the thing. It is ENORMOUS. It’s a testament to one man’s dream and determination. All the other aircraft housed there were equally fascinating, and the volunteer guides, of whom many were Air Force veterans, were well informed and helpful. I just couldn’t leave the museum without buying a bomber jacket for our grandson Atticus’ birthday.
Another day, Pat and I drove out to the country to a tulip farm. Again, we got lucky with the weather. It had rained the day before, and was threatening rain again, but we were able to get out and walk the beautiful fields without getting mired in mud. I can remember going to the tulip festival in Holland, Michigan when I was a kid, but I didn’t remember all the different colors and varieties of tulips. It was truly beautiful with the mountains as a backdrop. Great girl fun!
While we girls were touring the tulip farm, Mike and Terry were having good ole boy fun touring some wineries. They did a little “tasting”, and then some more “tasting,” then bought a few bottles and made their way back home.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. We had the truck repaired while we were in Oregon. What, you may ask, had the truck repaired? That’s right, I forgot to mention that before we ever left our neighborhood, Mike had a little mishap. He pulled the camper up our street to the cul-de-sac to turn it around. Now, he had done this a few times before without incident. Well, this time some rude person had the audacity to park his vehicle on the cul-de-sac and Mike misjudged how sharp a turn he needed to make. There is a special attachment thingy to the hitch that can be manually disengaged so you can make an almost 90 degree turn without causing the camper to turn into the back window of the truck. Yep, Mike didn’t disengage it and the camper turned into the truck. Luckily, it didn’t break the back window, but it did scrunch the truck along side the window. That’s the repair we had done in Salem.
April 20th…bid adieu to family
We left Salem and headed north to Portland to catch the route east. We deliberately stopped at Camping World outside of Portland with the express purpose to purchase a “honey pot.” To you less informed individuals, a “honey pot” is a tote that can be used to empty our sink and sewage tanks into and use to haul to a dump station within a campground, when we do not have full hook-ups. I call it a “honey pot” in respect to “honey dippers” who go around and clean out septic tanks and outhouses. Lovely, don’t you think?
We knew we could use one when we got back to Georgia, because we would not have full hook-ups at the campgrounds. We wanted to purchase it in Oregon, because there is no sales tax, and that would save us a few bucks. So, we stopped and puchased one, took it out of the box and placed it in the back of the truck and headed down the road. We also planned to stop on I-84 to see the Multnomah Falls. These gorgeous Columbia River falls can be seen directly from the interstate, or you can stop and walk beneath the road and experience them up close, as we did. Again, the pulchritude was breathtaking (like that big word?!). We took Blizzard with us and walked under the roadway and up to the falls. Mike was reticent about our trying to walk the trail right up to and beneath the falls because it was pretty chilly and I do get cold quite easily. Regardless, it was worth the stop just to see them and take some pictures. We spent approximately 30 minutes there, and then got back in the truck and headed east.
About an hour down the road from the falls, we stopped to get fuel and stretch our legs. After Mike came back to the truck he said, “Where’s the honey pot?” I turned around and looked in the back of the truck and discovered it was no longer there…someone had stolen the thing! It must have been taken while we were observing the falls. So much for saving money on sales tax. We were now going to have to spend another $200. Too bad we hadn’t used it, maybe then no one would have stolen it. While trying to track down a place to purchase another one in Oregon, one gentleman told me that people steal them to sell for meth. You have to laugh at the luck of the Murrays.
Our next planned stop was Baker City, Oregon to visit the Oregon Trail Regional Museum. We found a good campground nestled between the mountains. Blizzard was in dog heaven because there was a field fenced off for a dog run. For the first time in her life, she was able to run free. She especially liked running after the magpies that would fly up out of the bushes. We settled down for the first night with plans to head to the museum the next morning.
The museum was just a short drive from where we were camped. We got there and toured the covered wagons outside and the great displays inside. It has always amazed me to think about all the brave people who traversed across this wonderful country of ours, and without all the conveniences, machinery, and knowledge that we enjoy. What kept them going? Why didn’t they look at the vast nothingness and say, “To heck with it, I’m not going any further?” Granted, free land was an incentive, but the hardships they endured hardly seemed reward enough. The museum did a great job of depicting and catalogueing the journey along the Oregon Trail. Those people suffered greatly, and a vast majority never made it.
We had learned that you could walk 1.2 miles down the hill to see the original wagon ruts, and I was totally up for it. It was once again a cool overcast day, but we figured we HAD to make the best of the opportunity. They had a paved walkway that zig-zagged all the way down the hill so you didn’t have such a steep descent. As you descended, you could look out over the arid high desert of Oregon. Not particularly pretty, but certainly fascinating when you put your mindset in that of the pioneers. Again, I marveled at their fortitude. Seeing the actual wagon ruts brought it all clearly to mind.
When we reached the bottom, we found another trail we could take to head back to the parking lot. It was more of a straight ascent, and unpaved, but it was MUCH faster. We got a good workout that day. Comically, and in the Murray luck, as we were driving back we stopped at a marker and parking area along the road. We stopped to read it only to find out that we could have walked directly to the wagon ruts from the road without any hill climbing.
We originally planned to leave Baker City the next day, but Mike discovered that not much farther down the road from the museum, was Hell’s Canyon, so we decided to stay another night and explore the canyon the next day.
Hell’s Canyon, with the Snake River flowing through, is deeper than the Grand Canyon, though not as wide. It was going to be a 60 mile drive to get to one of the best vantage points. Little did we know that it was going to be 6 ½ hours before we got back to the camper.
The drive was beautiful, because it took us up out of the high desert and into the mountains. There were beautiful views all around. The higher we got, the more snow we began to see. Snow, from a warm vehicle is quite pretty. Though it was supposed to be a 60 mile drive, that drive was extremely winding. We finally approached a turn-off we were to take, and chuckled at the sign that read, “Warning Road Not Maintained For Public Travel October 15 – June 15.” What the heck, we were on an adventure, we had 4-wheel drive. That wasn’t going to stop us.
As we got higher, we came across a tree that had fallen across the road, but someone had kindly cut and cleared. We kept seeing more and more snow, some of it across the roadway. No problem, we had 4 wheel drive remember? More trees across the road, more snow. Finally, about 5 miles from our destination we came across a big pile of snow across the road. Mike put the truck into 4 wheel drive and we cautiously started across. Hmm, pretty deep, stop! We had no cell service, no traffic other than us, a big drop off the road if we slid, and no way to get out if we got stuck. The risk outweighed the reward, so Mike backed down the road for about half a mile to where he could safely turn around, and we headed back. We never got to see the optimum view of the canyon. We did enjoy pretty scenery, but could not believe that we had spent 6 ½ hours driving. Boy were our butts sore!
To be continued….
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