October travels

Bill and his sister Kathy Bill at the old fort in St. Augustine

On the beach at St. Augustine Charleston, SC


Smokey Mountain fall colors Old grist mill at Smokey Mt. Nat'l. Park

Barb at Marine Corps Memorial Tomb of the Unknowns
Wow! We have covered so much territory since our last post!! It has been difficult to find an internet connection and we have been sooo busy! We spent a few hours with my aunt Edna in Laurelton, PA. She is 93 years od and is sharp as a tack. Her son Raymond and his wife Ruth also came over for a visit ( along with a lemon sponge pie - a real treat). Barb had not seen these relatives since she was a teenager, so it was good to renew acquaintance with them. We spent a day at Gettysburg, driving around the battlefield and reviewing the history of the area.
After that, we camped in Maryland and rode the Metro into Washington, DC for three days. Barb had not been to DC since she was 15 and Bill had never been there, so we had a lot to see. We went to the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum, the Museum of Natural Hisory, and the Art Museum. We saw the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Women in Military History Memorial, and the WW II Memorial. We also saw the Arlington Naitonal Cemetary and the Iwo Jima Memorial. There is so much to see, we could have spent a week there, but on we went...
We drove to the Smokey Mountains and again were in time for the beautiful fall foliage. Barb ate boiled peanuts for the first time and they were O.K., but she still prefers the roasted variety. We met up with our friends from Van Wert, OH, Ray and Linda, in Pigeon Forge, TN. The home of Dollywood - what a tourist trap!! We had never seen so many gift shops, junk shops, and dinner show places before! Seems like a great place to avoid in the future!
We drove to Charleston, SC and Barb took a bus tour around this beautiful old city. So much history here and a place that she would like to visit again. Last night we spent in St. Augustine, FL - another beautiful historic town and are now in Ft. White, FL visiting Bill's sister Kathy and her husband Ron.
We are enjoying seeing new birds, Spanish moss on the HUGE live oaks, and the Florida weather. We will try to post some photos in the next few days. We have been having a great time and have enjoyed seeing new parts of this beautiful country. If you need some tips on what to see or where to stay, drop us a line and we would be happy to share our experiences.
Stay tuned...