Long time - no blog....We purchased a Sierra 885 AirCard from AT&T before we began adventuring with the complete assurance of the teenage salesperson that the connection/upload/download would be 'just as good as DSL.' NOT!!
With very weak WiFi in the OBX and non-existent WiFi in Northern Virginia, we've had to rely solely on the AirCard. That's why this message will be very short and contain no pics. It takes a looooonnnngggg time to connect. We are 20 miles outside Washington, DC and can only pick up a 2G network (Not 3G like the teenage salesperson raved on about).
Oh well, we're off to Pennsylvania in the morning and hopefully to WiFi-land. We'll do our best to catch up on everything then.
We are still mourning the 'Beach Bum' flag that blew away during the stay at the Outer Banks. We were told to search up in the trees, but alas no Beach Bum flag...
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Kathy's New Home
Kathy has found her new home. Not for the reasons one might suspect (i.e., the scenic beauty, coastal breezes and laid back atmosphere). Nope, we are talking about the fear of bridges. We had to cross 4 very long, very high ones, with signs that said "Danger: High Crosswinds" to get to her new home at Waves, NC on Hatteras Island. You would think the fact that we were traveling to an ISLAND would have been a clue for her.
With a fear of heights and bridges since childhood, it was an interesting ride to say the least. As she crawled into the floorboard of the motorhome and hailed as she did so, "If you need anything I'll be right here" -(yeh, right!) - we made our way safely across each of the bridges and into the campground. I had hoped "Immersion Therapy" would be the answer in helping her overcome her fears but I was wrong. Have I already lost my touch? Anyway, anyone with Valium should respond quickly. We are in dire need of assistance to cross back over the bridges to make our way on up to VA. Otherwise, Kathy can be reached from here on out at her new address: Oceans Waves Campground, Waves, NC.
Yes - now Kathy speaks-- Portions of the tale were altered to protect the not-so-innocent. The bridge freakouts were very mild and came after a 400 mile drive, portions of which were on 35 mph switchbacks through Pisgah National Forest, with blinking yellow lights attesting "Speed Too Fast for Conditions" (those conditions were miles and miles of 6% downshifts) and ALL 400 miles were in high, gusty winds. Enough said!
Having said all that, the campground is beautiful, with the beach just a short walk over the dunes. We would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to visit this area. Any of you who have been fortunate enough to visit the area know what we are talking aboutn. The weather was absolutely gorgeous today!
We've seen a Bald Eagle since arriving (they are said to nest on the islands). The sun rises much earlier here and you feel the need to get up and get going so you don't waste any part of the day. We rode our bicycles to the seafood market and bought fresh shrimp for dinner tonight and crab cakes for tomorrow evening. Settling in for the evening with boiled shrimp and a bottle of wine for dinner.
ps Thanks to everyone for the positive comments. We are new to blogging, but think we've fixed it so comments can be made on the blog site.
With a fear of heights and bridges since childhood, it was an interesting ride to say the least. As she crawled into the floorboard of the motorhome and hailed as she did so, "If you need anything I'll be right here" -(yeh, right!) - we made our way safely across each of the bridges and into the campground. I had hoped "Immersion Therapy" would be the answer in helping her overcome her fears but I was wrong. Have I already lost my touch? Anyway, anyone with Valium should respond quickly. We are in dire need of assistance to cross back over the bridges to make our way on up to VA. Otherwise, Kathy can be reached from here on out at her new address: Oceans Waves Campground, Waves, NC.
Yes - now Kathy speaks-- Portions of the tale were altered to protect the not-so-innocent. The bridge freakouts were very mild and came after a 400 mile drive, portions of which were on 35 mph switchbacks through Pisgah National Forest, with blinking yellow lights attesting "Speed Too Fast for Conditions" (those conditions were miles and miles of 6% downshifts) and ALL 400 miles were in high, gusty winds. Enough said!
Having said all that, the campground is beautiful, with the beach just a short walk over the dunes. We would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to visit this area. Any of you who have been fortunate enough to visit the area know what we are talking aboutn. The weather was absolutely gorgeous today!
We've seen a Bald Eagle since arriving (they are said to nest on the islands). The sun rises much earlier here and you feel the need to get up and get going so you don't waste any part of the day. We rode our bicycles to the seafood market and bought fresh shrimp for dinner tonight and crab cakes for tomorrow evening. Settling in for the evening with boiled shrimp and a bottle of wine for dinner.
ps Thanks to everyone for the positive comments. We are new to blogging, but think we've fixed it so comments can be made on the blog site.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Catching up....
It's been a while since our first/last post, but we've been without Internet service. Rolled into our local campground for two weeks to work out all the bugs and get the WhooHooWonderBus ready to roll. As with most adventures, adjustments had to be made. The first campsite was just too small for WHWB and she had to move.
The welcoming committee showed up at the new site and several times a day every day looking for some kind of hand out [they were ducks - three of them]. Sometimes they brought their buds, two Canada Geese. Just hungry mischief-makers looking to make the dogs bark. Totally fearless, but very consistent.
A day or two into our adventure a fellow camper was whisked away by ambulance and sheriff's deputy. According to his brother-in-law, he suffered medical amnesia and had been missing from St. Louis, MO for five days. Of course he showed up in our campground.
Then there was the terrible weather - thunder, rain, high winds - and a HUGE tree fell two sites over during the night. It blocked the road and scared off two families of campers behind us the next day. With nowhere to run and hide, we stuck it out. Alcohol helps in times like this...
During our stay we invested in a 'poop wagon.' This is a handy little plastic vessel on wheels that you download your crap into and haul away to the dump station. Too much trouble to unhook and can't burn the precious diesel to drive a hundred yards to dump the crapper. Oh the adventures the 'poop wagon' has provided. Did you know that if the connections aren't tight you can take a crap shower whether you want to or not? We have no complaints about the bath house - it was quite pleasurable to wash all that crap off. At least it was our own crap and not someone else's...
One thing about living in a motorhome, you become really frugal with water usage, especially seeing how you are responsible for emptying what you use. Everything has to have its place - even the 'poop wagon.' Crap is a priority. Can't let the tanks get too full - can't overfill the poop wagon - all connections must be tight... Lots of rules to remember. Crap rules!
BTW, we invested in a wireless air card for the laptop so we can have Internet access in most places and keep up with the world.
Today [5/15] we traveled north on our journey and are just outside Statesville, NC in a pleasant campground complete with a pool, playground, and a hearse decorated with flames...
We head out tomorrow for the NC coast and Waves, NC. We will attempt to upload photos of our adventure so far.
The welcoming committee showed up at the new site and several times a day every day looking for some kind of hand out [they were ducks - three of them]. Sometimes they brought their buds, two Canada Geese. Just hungry mischief-makers looking to make the dogs bark. Totally fearless, but very consistent.
A day or two into our adventure a fellow camper was whisked away by ambulance and sheriff's deputy. According to his brother-in-law, he suffered medical amnesia and had been missing from St. Louis, MO for five days. Of course he showed up in our campground.
Then there was the terrible weather - thunder, rain, high winds - and a HUGE tree fell two sites over during the night. It blocked the road and scared off two families of campers behind us the next day. With nowhere to run and hide, we stuck it out. Alcohol helps in times like this...
During our stay we invested in a 'poop wagon.' This is a handy little plastic vessel on wheels that you download your crap into and haul away to the dump station. Too much trouble to unhook and can't burn the precious diesel to drive a hundred yards to dump the crapper. Oh the adventures the 'poop wagon' has provided. Did you know that if the connections aren't tight you can take a crap shower whether you want to or not? We have no complaints about the bath house - it was quite pleasurable to wash all that crap off. At least it was our own crap and not someone else's...
One thing about living in a motorhome, you become really frugal with water usage, especially seeing how you are responsible for emptying what you use. Everything has to have its place - even the 'poop wagon.' Crap is a priority. Can't let the tanks get too full - can't overfill the poop wagon - all connections must be tight... Lots of rules to remember. Crap rules!
BTW, we invested in a wireless air card for the laptop so we can have Internet access in most places and keep up with the world.
Today [5/15] we traveled north on our journey and are just outside Statesville, NC in a pleasant campground complete with a pool, playground, and a hearse decorated with flames...
We head out tomorrow for the NC coast and Waves, NC. We will attempt to upload photos of our adventure so far.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
In The Beginning...
Once upon a time, there were two wild and crazy women with a dream. What if, just what if they totally simplified life by giving away and selling accumulated possessions, buying a motorhome, shucking the confines of 'normal' life and hitting the road? Did we mention three dogs? Yes, three. So begins the journey.
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