Farewell, Pennsylvania and Hello, Florida!

Loretta, Before Leaving PA



I am writing this from inside Loretta, which is currently parked at a campsite at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground in Orlando, Florida.  I’m maxed out on the couch, and Scout and Bella are snuggled in the bed taking a mid-day nap.  I just finished my work for the day, and thought I’d catch up a bit on the blog.  We certainly have been on the move, and there is a lot to tell.

Leaving Pennsylvania was bitter sweet.  We had so much fun while we were there - from spending time with friends, to Scout's reunion, Thanksgiving, etc...we enjoyed every day and no matter how much we tried to relax and slow down, time marched forward too quickly. 

Double Rainbow

My Winning Bowling Score Against Scout

We were ready to get back on the road and start our next adventure, but at the same time, leaving Scout’s family and friends was hard. 

Scout's Mom, Dad and Nan!

She has such a terrific network of people who adore her, and who would love to have her stick around full time.  But she has the bug to be on the move, and they love that about her as well! 

Our Good Friend, Kristie, With Scout's Mom - Home From LA for Thanksgiving

Me, Kristie, Lacy, and Scout

John and Jared

Superstars

Before we left, we had a really nice Thanksgiving with her family and shared a cozy dinner for 4 with our friends, Daniel and Jason, in Loretta.  We had plans to cook a big meal in the trailer for the first time, but Scout’s mom beat us to the punch and made a potato soup down in the house.  We did re-heat it on Loretta’s stove, so that has to count for something...  One of these days, we will start to really cook in here, but so far it’s just been sandwiches and cereal.  We also tested our skills as Tarot Card Readers, which we joke that we will become proficient at so we can make some money when we are on the road.  I think we did pretty well, although only time will tell. 

Daniel and Jason

The last week in Pennsylvania was a blur – we tried to make time to say goodbye to everyone, but we weren’t even able to do that.  It’s crazy how quickly time passes. 

So, with Pennsylvania in our rear view, we got on the highway and headed south to Sunny Florida!  This time around, we had additional cargo – Scout’s Mom and niece came along for the ride, and to spend a fun week in Florida.  Scout signed up for a class that was being held in Orlando from the 6^th-8^th, and so we had to leave Pennsylvania a bit earlier than we had planned.  But this gave us a great opportunity to have some family time at Walt Disney World! 

Cinderella's Castle

The drive down took 1 long and 1 short day of driving, but we made it in time to spend a great afternoon and evening with my mother in Jacksonville, Florida before heading down to Orlando.  On the way there, I made sure we stopped so everyone could meet my old friend, Pedro.  Pedro doesn't like it when you just drive by and you don't stop to say hello. 

South of the Border

Monkeying Around

Cheap Gas!!!!

Whenever I go home, I love to go to Joe’s Crab Shack in Jacksonville Beach.  Even though this is my home town, when I sit on their patio with a beer and some yummy seafood and stare at the gorgeous beach and ocean, I feel like I am somewhere on vacation.  The weather was a little too cold, however, to dine outside, but we still had a lot of fun. 

Scout, Her Mom, Brooklyn and my Momma on Joe's Patio in Jacksonville Beach, FL

Let's Get Crackin'!

You're Crackin', too!?!

How Appropriate...

Scout and my Momma

On Monday, we headed south to Orlando, and on the way stopped into our first Camping World store to fill our propane tanks.  That store is awesome!  They have everything you would need for an RV.  We didn’t get to stay long, but we are definitely going back.  (Where I once shopped at Nordstrom and Bloomies for purses and shoes, I am now more excited about camp stoves and anti-gravity lawn chairs…go figure).

About 3 hours later, we checked into Fort Wilderness, set up camp and then we all spent the day at the Magic Kingdom.  This was the first time that we didn’t have a pull through campsite, and we really struggled.  The man who was staying in the site across from us tried to help direct me, but I got myself into a pickle where it seemed like I had no choice but to take out an electricity pole that was placed (quite inconveniently, I might add) at the entrance to our site.  But luckily, an angel came riding by on a golf cart, asked if we’d like him to back her in for us, and he had the SUV and Loretta out of that tight spot and parked perfectly in our campsite within 60 seconds.  It was pretty amazing.  I couldn’t have been more thankful.

Our Campsite

Snug as a Bug in a Rug!

One of the coolest parts about Fort Wilderness was how so many RVers decorated for the holidays.  There were so many lights and inflatable characters.  People really got into the spirit of it all.  And a favorite past time at the camp was to rent a golf cart and drive around to check out the lights at night.  People had a lot of fun.

Hi, Santa!

It was Brooklyn’s first time going to Disney World, and she had a blast. 

The Snow White-Look-Alike

We went on all the favorites:  Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, and It’s a Small World, as well as a few of the rides for younger kids, just to make sure Brooklyn got the most of her visit.  We got lucky and went on an extended park hours day, where the park stays open until 1 am, but we were all really tired by 11 pm and headed back to the trailer.  The Disney transportation from the Magic Kingdom to Fort Wilderness is by boat, so we even had a couple of lovely trips across the lake. 

Goody Goody Gumdrops

Brooklyn and Cinderella

Lego Dragon at Downtown Disney

Me and Brookie

Scout and Brooklyn Waiting for Dinner

Throughout the week, Scout’s mom and niece explored the parks, while I worked and Scout attended her class.  We did manage to have date night at Epcot one evening, which was fantastic.  We ate at Café de Paris, and did the Wine Walk through France, Italy and Germany.  The light show that night was completely gorgeous, and we also sat to listen to Isabelle Rossellini read from the bible about the birth of Christ while a beautiful chorus sang carols.  It was really lovely.

Seared Tuna Appetizer

Cuvee Louise

A Champagne That Reminded Me of My Wonderful Friend, Louise!

After an exhausting, but exciting few days in Orlando (which even Bella enjoyed), we headed back to Jacksonville for a couple days of R&R before Scout’s mom and niece left for home. 

Bella, Relaxing Outside Loretta

Thus started our Jacksonville portion of this trip, and we have already driven through some of the coolest neighborhood in Jacksonville – the beaches, San Marcos, and Riverside/Five Points.  I’m excited to have this time to really introduce Scout to my home town.  Stay tuned!





Gettysburg

This past weekend, Scout and I hitched up Loretta and took her to Gettysburg.  Motivated by a desire to explore and by a red flashing black water light on our status monitor, I called around to various RV parks in the Gettysburg area.  I quickly found one that was open and available, but found that it, like many others it seems, close for the season in a few days.  I guess when you live in sunny San Diego, you forget there are seasons, let alone places that need to close because of them.  But, luckily, we made it just in time.

We checked in late Friday afternoon at the Gettysburg Campground, and Scout unhitched Loretta like an old pro.  She is so good at making sure we are connected and “emptied” and running smoothly.  I admire how handy she is. 

Meanwhile, I went to the campground office to get information on the area.  It just so happened that we had arrived on the eve of the 148^th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address!  The weekend was packed with events, from a reading of that famous speech at the Gettysburg Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, to a parade of re-enactors, to a luminary display on the grave of each soldier who died and was buried there.  To make it even more fun, Scout’s parents agreed to meet us there in the morning to take an auto tour of the battlegrounds, and to camp overnight with us in Loretta.  Fun, fun!

That first night, Scout and I headed into the adorable town alone, and settled down in the Pub and Restaurant, which sits right on the main roundabout.  While waiting for our table, we had spiked apple cider to get into the festive mood – not to mention to help warm us up, it was already in the 30s.  The restaurant was very nice, and we had a really relaxing evening.  We even caught up with a few “locals.”

With the arrival of Scout’s parents bright and early the next day, we headed over to the cemetery to listen to the speech.  Sometimes it seems like the effort it takes to do things like this is more work than the actual event is worth.  Although I felt a little like this while we were climbing the rolling hills of the cemetery, not really knowing where we were going, but following a voice speaking into a microphone somewhere in the distance, it was actually very nice once we got there. 

The Grave of Jennie Wade

(a civilian who was shot while baking bread for the soldiers)

The Gettysburg Address is less than 300 words, and it really is a simple speech.  Apparently, the man who spoke before Lincoln that day went on for 2 hours (which was common at the time), so when Lincoln stood and delivered such a simple sentiment, many people didn’t realize he was finished when he walked off the stage.  But because the speech was so short, it was published over and over again in the papers, making it widely accessible.  He simply said that the Civil War had tested the government and democracy that founded this country, and that those principles seem to have overcome the challenge put upon it.  He also said that the sacrifices made by both sides should be memorialized and remembered, but that most of all, it would be up to the people going forward to support democracy and to continue to work toward the progress that the country needed, so that the people who had sacrificed would not have done so in vain. His words came at the end of the Civil War, which judging by what I learned on the auto tour of the battleground, was an extremely hard fought war with so much bloodshed and loss.  Brothers fought on different sides.  Fathers fought with one army against sons with another.  Even Robert E. Lee, who had served in the US military for nearly 40 years prior, had to decide whether to continue to fight for his country, or to instead support the Confederate cause, whereby he would end up losing his job, his citizenship, and his home in the process.  Whatever side you supported, it was a terrible and bloody war.  I also learned that the most common treatment of any gun shot injury to a limb was amputation…regardless of whether the limb could have been saved with better medical care.  Losing a limb is something I am very afraid of…I can’t imagine what that must have been like for those soldiers, although I imagine that at that point, they were just happy to be alive.

 A Canonball Hole in a Barn Still Standing

Hey Fred, Wanna Get a Latte?

After our day of touring, we had dinner at the Dobbin House Tavern, which has been in business since 1776, and is called Pennsylvania’s oldest and most historic home.  We ate in the tavern, which was dark and cramped and very authentic….(I will talk about this statement in a bit…)  The highlight of the meal was the Kings Onion Soup, which was like French Onion Soup but included chunks of beef.  It was fantastic and hit the spot on a cold afternoon.

That night we headed back to Loretta, and snuggled in for a night of cards and dancing (yes, dancing!!!  Loretta has a radio, and Scout and her mom got a pretty good boogie going on.  I have a video to prove it, but I think I would find my computer smashed if I posted it. J)  Four adults and a dog slept quite comfortably, with the only issue being the one tiny bathroom…well, and the fact that we could hear each other talking.  At one point, I heard Scout’s mom whisper, “Scrap this!  You can forget about us getting a camper, Skip.  I’ll take my chances with the bed bugs at a motel!”  But by morning, everyone was happy again.  Sleeping in here does take some getting used to.  The bed is somewhere between a full and a queen size, and the mattress is especially made to fit the rounded edges of the trailer.  It’s easy to feel a bit cramped in here.  Plus, the mattress is not the most comfortable…it sits on a flat piece of plywood.  I think we will soon be investing in a memory foam topper, or something like that. 

Smiling Faces

Anyway, that last day, we did a little shopping and had breakfast at a nearby diner.  I was glad to have visited Gettysburg on such a special weekend…I will forever remember it, and think that it’s commonplace for people to be dressed in period clothing from the 1800’s.  The modern-day dressers where literally outnumbered throughout the town, so you can imagine how fantastic it was to experience it. 

This brings me back to my previous comment about the tavern being “authentic”…now, of course it is authentic, and that’s because it really has been around since the 1700s!  It’s not decorated to look old and staged in the time of the Civil War…it was actually serving drinks during the Civil War.  I am in my 30s and from America – I don’t know if my age plays into this, but I think that being from America certainly does – but I have a theory about authenticity that I call my “Disney Theory.”  I will explain…the first time that I left the country was when I was 25.  I went to Europe for a month to travel around and see the sights.  When I got there, I saw original cobblestone streets that were laid by the Romans, churches built during the Renaissance, castles built during King Henry VIII’s reign…and while I was exploring these places, I couldn’t help but think that the people who built them did a really great job at making them look old and original.  Now, that’s a ridiculous thought, of course, because they are old and original!  But before that, I had only ever seen reproductions.  Cinderella’s Castle is built to mimic Neuschwanstein in Bavaria…and they did a pretty good job building it, but it certainly isn’t as incredible as the real thing…but up until that first trip to Europe, I only had reproductions to use as my foundation.  Disney had created Europe for me…Epcot had made me feel like I had been around the world and back again.  So, it was hard for me to really appreciate something original and authentic.  I wonder if other people have ever had this thought…or if it makes sense to anyone else.

 The Gettysburg Hotel

 The House of Bender

Angel atop the Pennsylvania Memorial Monument

Anyway, we are in Pennsylvania for another couple of weeks, and we hope to head over to the Shoe House, which is where the story of the old woman and the shoe comes from.  Up next is Thanksgiving, where we will be having a turkey, a duck and a ham (have I mentioned my expanding waistline?!), and this weekend is Scout’s 10 year high school reunion.  Stay tuned!

York County, Pennsylvania

Scout and I arrived at her parent’s house in York County, Pennsylvania a day before we thought we would arrive.  Mainly that is because we drove nearly all night on that final day.  Her dad had been stressing for over a week already because he was certain that we would have to back Loretta into their driveway instead of pull her in directly – primarily because there is a stone wall on one side and a telephone pole on the other.  When we arrived, I ran into the house to let them know we were there, and Scout stayed in the truck across the street, waiting for her father to come outside and help her back it in.  When I came out of the house, however, she was already ramping the neighbor’s yard, just missing the wall and pulling the trailer right on into the driveway.  That’s Scout for you.  She has cajones. 

                                              The back of Scout's parent's house. 

                                                  Loretta parked next to the Pole Barn

We arrived a bit worse for wear.  It had been a few days since we had last showered, we were still minus a window, and we noticed that a panel that held in insulation under Loretta was falling down.  Scout’s dad takes everything in stride, though, and he and Scout’s brother had things fixed for us in no time. 

Her dad also helped us unlatch the hitch and free the SUV.  We had only had the one instruction on how the hitch worked from the man at the RV dealership in Irvine, CA, and we hadn’t dared mess with it until now.  So, we unhitched, pulled out the tire blocks to help Loretta stay put, and we set up the awning.  It was our new home away from home!

It was great to see Scout’s family again.  Her parents were as lovely as ever – they are such happy, wonderful people.  And I met Scout’s brother for the first time, and his girlfriend, who are also both really nice. 

Morning Chat Time in Loretta

My mother is my favorite person on the planet, but I don’t have many memories of her making me snacks and breakfast in bed.  Scout’s parents have been so hospitable.  They adore her and are always fussing around her to make sure she is happy, fed, and comfortable.  It’s very cute.  I don’t know how they have so much energy, but I know that I certainly have loved the cheese steak sandwiches, the BLT&Es (in bed, no less), the banana bread, etc, etc, etc.  Even Scout’s brother and his girlfriend made an amazing shrimp fettuccine alfredo.  (Would you be surprised to find out that some of my pants are getting tight?)

Isn't This Idyllic?  Girl Time in the Kitchen.

                                             Scout's Neice "Testing" the Banana Bread

Besides the food, which really has been delicious and overly abundant (oh, did I mention the peanut butter cups and the Turkey Hill ice cream sundaes?), we have spent a lot of time with Scout’s friends.  She has an awesome group of friends whom she has known since high school.  It has been great seeing everyone (some of whom I am only meeting for the first time), and what I love most about it is how much everyone loves Scout.  They are all true friends, and she is so lucky to have them. 

The towns around here are just beautiful.  There are acres and acres of farm land, with quintessential red barns and tall feed silos.  The fields are full of grazing horses, cattle and corn.  Small creeks cut through the land as it slopes and meanders into the distance.  It’s just gorgeous.  The pictures below, believe it or not, are just behind the Pole Barn at the back of the yard.  It's been tough waking up to this view every morning, I tell you...

The Road To Scout's Parents

When you do come upon a town area, the buildings are mainly old, stately brick façade buildings, which have so much character.  The towns here were greatly impacted by the civil war, and still have a very historic presence.  We passed Gettysburg while we were driving to the house, and I can’t wait to go back and explore all of the little shops and old restaurants.  But closer by, towns such as Wrightsville, Columbia, and Lancaster have as much charm. 

The Susquehanna River

Quaint Streets in York

Wright's Ferry Mansion, Columbia, Pennsylvania

The Wrightsville Bridge

(This bridge was burned down during the Civil War, where the Union troops burned the bridge to save Lancaster from the Confederates.)

Restaurant Named After the Namesake of Wrightsville

                                               The Limestone Kilns in Wrightsville

One of our favorite past times is antique shopping, and there have been some great shops around here.  There seems to be a theme in many of these shops, where you find a lot of farm-type antiques – older, heavy wooden furniture pieces, military trinkets, antique pistols, barbershop straight blades, old train sets, and lots and lots of stained glass panels.  We were lucky enough to find 2 pieces of art that we liked enough to buy – although, ironically, the images are of a carnival ferris wheel that reminded us of fun times we had at the Santa Monica pier in California.  (Have we both become California girls at heart already?) 

One day, we all drove down to a place called BB’s Grocery Outlet.  It is a discount grocery store that is run by members of the local Amish community.  I was so surprised when we arrived – it felt like I was in a foreign country!  The Amish speak a language called Pennsylvania Dutch.  It sounds a lot like German, which I speak a bit of, and I was constantly straining my ear to see if I could understand them.  It’s really hard though.  Not only do they speak their own dialect, but people from Pennsylvania have an accent that is very unique.  It’s not just the Amish, but even Scout’s family sometimes says things that I don’t understand.   For example, most people here don’t use the verb “to be”, but rather go directly into the past tense.  So, instead of saying, ‘That needs to be washed,’ they would say ‘That needs washed.”  Another thing I have noticed is that people say ‘left go’ instead of ‘let go’ or they will even say ‘leave it go.’  It’s very interesting.  Most of the time, I can figure out what people are saying, but it’s definitely fun experiencing this new vocabulary.

Anyway, back to the Amish.  What I have learned so far is that they don’t use electricity or automobiles.  They ride in horse-drawn buggies, and it is not uncommon to see one driving across an overpass while you are on the highway.  Some stores (like BB’s Grocery Outlet) even have parking spots for the buggies, with a post to tie the horse to while they shop.  They are a very close knit community, and although they do not like to have their pictures taken, and they shun modern advancements, they can drink and smoke, and seem to have a lot of fun.  Just tonight, we went to a place called Root’s Country Market (pronounced like ‘ruuts’), where Amish people were working at the vegetable stands.  Little girls in prairie-esque dresses and white bonnets (and some in Sketchers and Nikes) and young boys in black suits and straw hats were wandering around the market, looking at the cakes and candies, while their parents ran the booths or made food.  Some of it seems a bit paradoxical to me, for example, if they don’t use electricity, why do they work at a place that uses lights and a cash register, but for the most part I try not to over-analyze and just enjoy the experience.  It’s a culture I have never seen before, and so far, I really like it.  Scout was just saying tonight how much she admires the simplicity of their lives – and even though their method of simplistic still makes us look like yuppie techies in our fancy Airstream, we are also trying to live a bit more simply.

One thing I wasn’t prepared for tonight was the animal auction.  I knew that an animal auction happened at Root’s, but for some reason I romanticized it in my head.  Scout asked me, did you think there would be a lot of chickens and pigs running around free and happy?  When I answer honestly, I suppose I did.  What I saw, however, was lots of birds cramped into cages, a gerbil taking its last breath, and a lot of people mulling around and bidding very low prices while a man spoke loudly into a microphone.  I sometimes worry that I have the radio too loud in the car for the dog’s ears – they have hearing that is a lot more intense than a human’s – but here, these animals were not really ‘animals’ per se, and definitely not pets, but things to be bought and sold.  A lot of my time in Pennsylvania so far has been spent thinking about the disposable nature of the animal, and how I, like so many people I imagine, have lived without really wondering how the food I eat gets to my table.  I know the horror stories of the abattoirs, but I am not aware of the regular goings on of farmers, and the plight of the animal who  is not inhumanely killed based on those horrific standards, but who is killed nonetheless.  Last night, we went deer spotting – which is where you shine a very bright light out into fields to see the deer grazing there, and we got into a discussion regarding the upcoming hunting season.  Scout said that she would kill a deer, and I turned to her and adamantly said, ‘no, you wouldn’t.  I couldn’t imagine you doing that!’  She replied, ‘I would kill a deer and then I would eat it.’ So, I wonder –where do I think my food comes from?  I guess that is the hot button question for me these days.  If I couldn’t kill it myself, do I have any business eating it?  So right then and there, I decided to be a vegetarian.  Which lasted all the way through breakfast and lunch today, and failed when I had a chicken cheesesteak at the farmer’s market.  I guess I don’t care about chickens much after all…

Anyway, we are having a terrific time here in Pennsylvania.  It's wonderful spending time with family and friends, experiencing the fall weather and getting glimpses of winter, really living in Loretta, being successful at working remotely, exploring new towns, and just living the dream. 

Happy Girls