I’m starting this blog draft in the sunshine, on a slow-moving creek in Natural Bridge State Park, Kentucky. This part of the trip, from Connecticut to St. Louis has been more gentle, less exciting than other times in my adventures – but I do believe everything in life has a purpose, and this is part of a transition for me. I will turn 71 (may have already done that by the time this is posted) at a casino in St. Louis and soon will be home. My plan for that birthday is to have a great steak dinner and win a million or two!
My journey home will end sooner than anticipated, with my arrival back in Oregon in early October. Once I started researching the last few weeks of my journey, I discovered that my final national parks, Teton and Yellowstone, will be shutting down for the winter by late September/early October. In fact, it looks like my ability to camp in Yellowstone is nil, since the campgrounds will be all closed when I get there.
But this time, as I mentioned, feels like a transition for me. I still love my travels but find myself thinking more and more about settling in (but not settling down) in my own home, decorating it with my memories both from storage and from this journey and preparing for the holiday season. I have my eyes set on a community where I’d like to live, have transferred money from retirement savings to money market for a down payment and had my daughter reach out to her real estate agent who will help me, hopefully, secure the home of my dreams. AND I’ve already given thought about next year’s travels, I have a good friend who would love an adventure, and I have some ideas on how we can make that happen. Camping with family. A lot of big birthday celebrations next year too, two 50ths, one 60th, one 70th, one 65th – what am I missing?
So, here’s some highlights of my trip from the Atlantic to the Midwest.
A Discussion with Lincoln, Visit to an Amish Tourist Trap and Oil Change – Pennsylvania
After leaving Connecticut, I headed straight for Harrisburg, PA for my oil change. I stayed a night at the RV Park at Herseyland, which looks like a great place for families during the sweet season when the amusement park is open all week and tours of where the famous chocolates are made are the thing to do. Nice Park, but what I can’t figure out is why, with 95% of the park empty, they put me right next to, more like right on top of the tent camper right next to me? One space over would have been a better option. The silent monk, as I came to name him, had pitched his very large tent within inches of my gravel pad and literally right next to the hook-ups. He sat in his tent reading while I tried to hook up without touching his tent and backed the Wandering Spirit as far over to the right side of the pad as possible so I wouldn’t put my slide out over his tent. He never flinched while I went through my ministrations for the night, but I always had a sense he was right there.
Why the silent monk? I said hello, he never acknowledged me. He had a top knot braid, wore some type of robe/MJ Hammer pants and sandals. Even worse, he never spoke to Audy who was trying to get his attention. Rajineeshees? Nah, he didn’t ask for money. Vow of silence? Perhaps, or he was pissed that I entered his space. Didn’t sense any harm from him. Just close quarters, and he appeared to be meditating, praying most of the time. And, just before bedtime, he serenaded me with his flute practice…perhaps he’d been sent out of the group because of his skill level, he seemed to be working hard on getting his notes right.
The next day, I got up early and made it to the local Camping World, dodging a very bad direction from the navigation system. I suddenly found myself facing a very narrow and rounded rock wall tunnel that was only 11 ft 7 inches – in the very middle of this two-way traffic route. My rig is 11 ft. Needless to say, I didn’t attempt it but reported it to the RV Life navigation team, who responded via email stating that my description was kind at best and they had blocked this route! Anyway, normal oil change and then on to explore before my overnight stop in Gettysburg.
So, I found the Amish House and Farm in the Lancaster House, conveniently located behind a Target and next to a PetSmart. Yep, as weird as it sounds this was an original Amish farm at one point and is still run by the Amish community. Very friendly people who allowed pets to come along. Audy and I wandered the farm, meeting farm animals – horses, pigs, goats, even an Alpaca. He smelled and showed little interest in most of them. He practiced driving a horse and buggy (didn’t have the heart to tell him it wasn’t a real horse). So, nice little tourist stop – Audy gave the ladies a laugh in the store when he chose and started walking away with a stuffed animal (no, we did not buy it – too expensive to be a 15-minute toy for him.)
The next morning, we headed to Gettysburg National Military Park. I have purposefully avoided attractions that celebrate war or religion, lots of personal feelings about how they are impacting today’s challenges and regardless of purpose of war, I just can’t celebrate the opposite of peace. But this was a nice park, and if you are interested in the history of the civil war, absolutely recommend a visit here. Many people wearing their veteran’s hats, prior military experience – and I absolutely honor what our veterans have done in service to our nation.
After getting some coffee, I sat by a statute of Abe and shared my thoughts, telepathically. I wondered how he and our forefathers would feel about this administration and the obvious destruction of our democracy and disregard for our constitution. I wondered how he would feel about these cruel immigration attacks where people are rounded up based on skin color, language and by the low-paying work they do. How he would feel by watching this man single-handedly destroying relationships with our allies, trying – unsuccessfully – to align our country with other dictators in this would while ruining our economy. How would Abe, George, Thomas and a whole group of men who created and improved this country react to this fascist authoritarian turning the White House into a gaudy, gilded palace for a king?
And most of all, I asked Abe, how would you compare your need to turn the military against our southern states, our citizens to preserve the union to Trump’s unprovoked sending the National Guard and Military forces in major cities without cause? All I could sense within me was disgust, disharmony, anger and sadness that we may be losing this country to the authors of a nazi-type document and a demented, narcistic man who has successfully ensured that all branches of our government are loyal to him. A man and his regime who is systematically dismantling our government, running it with incompetence and replacing military officers with loyalist so that they will act on his illegal commands. Abe didn’t have answer for me except to continue to resist, find the emerging leaders to oppose him and fight like our lives depended upon it. This great American experiment can’t fail; the Civil War was a test to our democracy – we are now living the threat to our democracy. Yes, I am being political this morning – but I felt moved by the site where the Gettysburg address was given and can’t shake my worry, fear about what is going down in these United States of America.
River Songs – Shenandoah and The Red River Valley
There was a point in my childhood where songs of leaving rivers behind held a place in my heart. Was it the longing for something loved left behind? Was it that feeling of romantic love unfulfilled showing early awareness without understanding in my young spirit? Either way – lyrics like “from this valley they say you are leaving, we will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile…for remember that Red River Valley, and the one who loved you so true” or “Oh Shenandoah, I long to see you, roll away you rolling river” brough emotions to me in my first decade of life. So not as a quest, but more one of acknowledgement I spent some time in both Shenandoah National Park and at the edge of the Red River Valley.
After a day or so in Shenandoah, which was a great park – just need to be an avid hiker willing to go out into the wilderness to see the waterfalls, I moved a couple of state parks in West Virginia and Kentucky. Lots of long walks for Audy and me but staying fairly close to the camping area.
In West Virginia, at a state park reached after many narrow, country hillside roads, I sat and planned the rest of my trip. It was a bit gloomy, rainy and actually turned on my heater for a while during this stay. Upon leaving, I stopped by one of the New Gorge Visitor Centers to stamp another entry in my NP passport. From there to Natural Bridge Campground state park in Kentucky where I never hiked to the natural bridge because dogs weren’t allowed on the path and it’s not an uphill climb I’d do alone. Instead, I took 300 steps up the mountain to see the lodge and paid for it in the next few days. Nice stop, where I started this blog but bummed about not taking the hike. Getting to my campsite was a challenge – and when I saw what I had to do, I was tired and had thoughts of asking for a different site. But I pulled it together and did a tight turn around, then backed 500 ft down the road and maneuvered into my site around the trees.
After another relaxing day here, I headed to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. Loved this place – but here’s where that stair climbing caught up with me. I didn’t do a cave tour and didn’t do any of the easily accessible hikes from the campground (except one) – I pulled or strained a muscle in my derriere/hip and lost a lot of sleep my first night here due to the pain. Not a wimp and usually don’t like to complain but was wondering if I’d done something serious until 2 am I remembered I had some salonpas patches with me. I slapped as many of those little babies on me as I could – and they helped! I got some sleep and the next morning I was stiff, sore but could manage it. I stretched and finally later in the day, walked slowly over to the historic entrance to the cave. At least there was that!
Vinters come in all shapes and sizes – Spirit makes a break for it again!
In my journey from Mammoth Cave to St. Louis, I made two stops. My final Harvest Host vineyards, in Indiana, where a large but gentle man named Wilbur, who spoke like Gomer Pyle gave me a personal tasting of his wines, rums and vodkas while sharing the stories of each tasting as well as a master in Napa. Interesting fellow, teaches at the local college, does woodworking (showed me the design for his poinsettia serving board he’s making to sell) and runs his vineyard and distillery business as well. Bought some of his cinnamon rum (delish!) and a red wine and watched a colorful sunset from the grassy field where I boondocked for the night. Will miss these magical visits to the Harvest Hosts.
Then, at my final stop before St. Louis, it was 97 degrees when I arrived. I was rushing to get the power going to quickly get the AC on in the rig and came back from the hook-up side to find the screen door hadn’t latched when I came out, and both Spirit and Audy-wee were standing outside looking perplexed. I quickly leashed Audy but spent the next 20 plus minutes playing cat and mouse with Spirit – with him taking the mouse role. He’d let me get within inches and then he’d run off. He continued to respond to me during this chase, where I was getting grass cuts on my legs. Then suddenly he went silent. We were by the little catch and release pond in the middle of this campground, and I lost sight of him too. The manager came by and helped me look, but nothing. I felt devasted – couldn’t not believe I might loose my cat in Illinois.
After trying to relax for a while, I took Audy for a walk, calling Spirit the whole time. When we got back, I saw him a site or so over from me, by the camp road. I called; he moved in my direction and then stopped. I went in to get the carrier and when I came out, he was gone. I then noticed a pipe running under the road, and sure enough he was in it – in the middle of it, out of reach from either side. With help from my neighbors and the camp manager, we caught him, and he’s not shown interest in the door again since. It was a stressful 5 hours, and yes, I shed a few tears but didn’t give up hope. We are all going to finish this journey together.
Meet Me in St. Louis – Happy 71st Birthday!
And so, I have made it to St. Louis. It’s Monday, and the nice restaurant is closed. The slots are tight in the casino. Even so, I managed to have a fairly good steak in the sports bar and after putting about $80 in, when I won $55 and some change, I cashed it out and called it a night. Decided to get this blog post up. Bummer, thought for sure that they would have lit up the Arch for me! I’m actually on the Illinois side of St. Louis and it dawned on me earlier, that I’m spending my birthday in the state I was born – yep, don’t feel a real connection to this state but 71 years ago this spirit emerged at Great Lakes Naval Hospital outside of Chicago. Don’t have much memory of it, since we left there soon after my brother came along 18 months later.
Now, with three weeks left of this journey I will spend the next 4 days in travel mode through Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska and through South Dakota until I get to Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands and general area. This is where I found I could compress my trip to get west in time to enjoy this area and the Tetons, Jackson Hole and Yellowstone before the weather gets bad (fingers crossed). This brings me back to Oregon almost two weeks earlier than I thought! Back home by October 7th it looks like. Doesn’t seem real – but I guess its true. And the next chapter of my life is awaiting my return. I already know it includes more travel😊 Namaste