Happy Father’s Day

Today is the day we honor all the dads out there.  Happy Father’s day to all the dads that are with us and to those who have passed on. 

We met John’s niece Renee’ at her church for morning services today.  After the service Renee’ invited us to join her and some friends for lunch at Johnny’s New York Style Pizza.  Everyone ordered a pizza entree except John, he ordered something called the Bronx Buster which consisted of the pizza toppings baked together with no crust.  He said it was good.

In the afternoon we went to Camping World to get a step add-on or something that I can use as an extra step.  There are campsites where the bottom step comes up to my thigh so I have to climb.  Not a good thing.  We found something like a step platform.  We will see how it works.

We also made another trip to REI to pick up a couple of tubular bars to add to the bike rack to make it more secure.  Below is a picture of the new bike rack John installed. 

Tonight we went back over to Renee’s to watch a movie and play 10 Penny.  I think John won all rounds.  I was doing great then my luck changed.  So sad. LOL

We would like to thank Renee’ for being our tour guide while we visited here.  She took us to interesting places and filled us in on the local history.

Tomorrow we will be traveling to Kentucky.

Remember to laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

The Vineyard Cafe

Today is Renee’s grandson Jeremiah’s 2nd birthday. Happy Birthday Jeremiah.

Slept in until around 8:30. I started cooking French toast but got frustrated because I was tearing up the bread so John took over. His turned out great.

After breakfast we headed off to find a new bicycle rack to replace the one damaged the other day. We looked in Dick’s Sporting Goods and The Sports Authority but they did not carry what we needed however, the salesclerk did suggest REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) We had never heard of this place before. The salespeople were very helpful and willingly went the extra mile to make sure you found what you were looking for. John decided on the Yakima Double Down Hitch Mount Bicycle Carrier. This one has a lifetime warranty on it and is of much better quality than the one previously purchased at Wal-Mart.

Now it was time to go and have some fun. We picked up John’s niece Renee’ and headed for Marietta, GA to walk the square and have lunch. When we arrived in Marietta there was some sort of local festival being held on the square with food, craft vendors and live bands. By this time we were hungry so we began looking at the variety of restaurants on the square and found one called The Vineyard Cafe. This unique cafe is located on the top floor of the Vineyard gift shop. We all ordered sandwiches. John had the Smokin’ Hot Reuben (Smoked Beef Brisket and Swiss served “Reuben” style, topped with Cole Slaw and served on toasted Marble Rye). Renee’ had the Italian sandwich combo with sweet potato salad. I have never had potato salad made with sweet potatoes but it was very good. I had the Classic Harvest Sandwich (Smoked Turkey Breast, Bacon, Cheddar, Mixed Greens with Honey Dijon Spread on Bakery Raisin Walnut Bread). This is the most delicious sandwich I have ever tasted. The Raisin Walnut bread was to die for. The cafe also serves peach and cranberry apple ice tea. It was quite a nice change from ordinary tea. Renee’ took a picture of John and I at the table.

Needless to say, we went on a much needed walk through the square and surrounding areas. Another interesting place that caught our eye was Johnnie McCracken’s Celtic Pub. The pub is actually the oldest standing fire station in Cobb County. Check out the website it is really cool.

We ended the day with a game of 10 Penny. Renee’ beat John and I last night and tonight. Is it beginner’s luck? LOL We had a great time.

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

West Cobb Diner

John up early this morning and off to Ackworth Integrity Automotive to get a rear brake job done on the truck. This company offers 25% off to new customers so that came in handy.

Later in the morning we drove over to Renee’s (John’s niece) house to visit with her and to make lunch plans. We like to try out the small diners or the Mom and Pop places that the locals go to so she suggested a place called West Cobb Diner. This place has everything from salads to dinner entrees. Renee’ and I had salads while John opted for the country fried steak, collard greens and bleu cheese cole slaw. Everything was delicious. After lunch we returned to Renee’s and were chatting and somehow the conversation drifted to small house hold repairs and such. John asked her how often she changed the air filters and she told him they had not been changed in two years. John said, “That’s not good.” He went upstairs to check it out and found that the filter had been sucked up into the unit. She now has a clean air filter with a spare. John also checked on other things for her.

For dinner John grilled burgers at Renee’s. They were so good. Afterwards we sat down and played two rounds of 10 Penny. This was Renee’s first time to play and she liked the game.

Below is the recipe for Key Lime Poke Cake requested by one of our friends Connie.

Key Lime Pie Poke Cake

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hour 55 min
Makes: 15 servings

Cake

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix

1 1/4 cups water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 eggs

Key Lime Filling

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup Key lime juice or regular lime juice

1 teaspoon grated lime peel

4 drops yellow food color

1 drop green food color

Frosting

1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped vanilla frosting

2 teaspoons grated lime peel

Garnish, If Desired

Fresh strawberries

Key lime slices

Lemon leaves

1. Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal or glass pan (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.

2. In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.

3. Bake 26 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. With handle of wooden spoon (1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter), poke holes almost to bottom of cake every 1/2 inch, wiping spoon handle occasionally to reduce sticking.

4. In medium bowl, stir together filling ingredients (mixture will thicken). Pour over cake; spread evenly over surface, working back and forth to fill holes. (Some filling should remain on top of cake.) Refrigerate 1 hour.

5. Spread frosting over cake; sprinkle with lime peel. Garnish with strawberries, lime slices and lemon leaves. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Off to Georgia

Today we packed up and headed for Acworth, GA , which is NW of Atlanta. Unfortunately, we ended up in several traffic jams. There were two or three wrecks and road construction. One guy was so impatient he flew around us and merged right into the path of an 18 wheeler, who was merging into the same lane at the same time. Lucky for him the driver of the 18 wheeler was looking. If that wasn’t enough the same guy almost hit another large truck in front of that one. These people drive CRAZY! Needless to say we were glad to get off of the interstate and get to the campground.

We arrived at McKinney Campground, a COE park. I love these parks. The sites are always fairly large with a deck or patio, a grill and a picnic table on them. Below are a few pictures John and I took while walking with Fred.

Our site from across the road.

This is the view from the corner of our deck.

This is the view from the center of our deck.

Cool boat with the American Flag painted on it.

The view from the other side our deck.

Right before sunset. Taken off our deck.

After we got all setup we went into town for groceries. John planned to grill a sirloin steak outside but the rain moved in so he had to cook it inside. It was still quite tasty. We also had steamed carrots, broccoli and yellow rice. After dinner I decided to try out a new cake recipe. Key Lime Poke Cake. It is called poke cake because you poke holes in it and pour a lime juice and condensed milk mixture into it. It was pretty good.

Tomorrow we will drive into Kennesaw and visit with John’s niece Renee’.

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Happy Birthday Dad and MB

Today is my dad, Bob Hill’s, birthday and also John’s niece Mary (MB) Reel’s birthday. Happy Birthday Daddy and MB. Hope you both have great birthdays today.

Up early today as I have a doctor appointment in Greenville. A few years ago I was diagnosed with an enchondroma (bone lesion) of the humerus and was sent to an Orthopedic Oncologist in Jackson MS to check it out. The doctor checked it for two years every six months then I was released for a year then two years. Before John and I left on the road I received a letter from my doctor informing me that he was moving to Greenville, SC. When I called the Orthopedic office in MS I was told they had not replaced him and the closest doctor of his kind would be in Arkansas. Luckily, since we are traveling fulltime now I was able to have my records forwarded to my doctor who is now in Greenville, SC and get an appointment for my two year recheck. This is an advantage of RVing I had not thought about. Anyway……my recheck went well and he has released me for two more years. I was very relieved.

During the afternoon John was on the phone and online doing some research on the truck’s navigation/radio problem. It seems there are others who have experienced the same problem and that once the screen goes black the system is pretty much trash. The options are to replace the unit or pay a bunch of bucks too repair it. Those options don’t sound good to me. Below is a picture of John after trying to get an intelligent person on the phone to answer questions. Note: He does not look happy.

The park is still having voltage problems and most of the people that were parked in our the area of the park have left. There are two others down the hill from us and two at the top of the hill. Below are a few pictures John took of the park as it appeared today. In the late afternoon and just before dark the area started to fill up again.

View out the back window

We will be leaving tomorrow and headed for Acworth, GA just NW of Atlanta to a COE park.

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

New GPS System

This morning we drove into Greenville to find the doctor’s office for my appointment tomorrow. Then it was on to Best Buy for a new Garmin nuvi 255wt GPS system and another fan. While in Best Buy John found a digital camera that I can operate. I have always wanted one that is simple to use but takes good pictures. This one is a Nikon Coolpix S6000. Wasn't that sweet of him? His camera is a Pentax and much too complicated for me. By the time we finished with all the running around it was lunch time…..so back to the RV went.

Later in the afternoon John drove me over to a local hair salon for a much needed haircut. I was beginning to look like a shaggy dog so it was time. LOL

Tonight I cooked shrimp primavera with vegetables and we just chilled out watching movies and surfing the internet. A storm system moved through so there was not much else to to.

Coolpix pics, more to come.

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.

Black Screen on the Navigation System

Today was moving day.  We pulled out of Hardeeville, SC at 10:30 this morning for our four hour drive to Greenville, SC.  The drive was uneventful except for the malfunction of the navigation system in the truck.  We stopped for lunch at a roadside rest stop for maybe 20 minutes and when we got back in the truck the screen on the navigation system was black.  This is a big OH NO moment.   John was not a happy camper.  A new GPS system will probably be in the very near future.  We made it to our destination around 3:00 and got set up.  The only problem with this park is the low voltage which all RVer’s know means running only one air conditioner which equals a too warm RV.  We have one small fan but we will be getting another one.

A little while later we drove into town in search of Wal-mart and Best Buy.  During our search we decided we were hungry so we went restaurant hunting first.  Food always trumps supplies. LOL   John spotted a pizza place called Classic Pizza so ……salad and pizza it was.   Ok, now that the food thing was taken care of it was back to the Wal-mart and Best Buy search.  When we got back in truck at the pizza place the screen on the navigation system was working. Yeah!!!!  So we scratched Best Buy off the list and continued the Wal-mart search.  Six miles up the road was Wal-mart.  The fan search ended with us not finding what we wanted so back to the truck we went.  Guess what….the screen on navigation system is black again.  OH NO.  Well tomorrow is a new day.  We will search again tomorrow.

Remember to laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Happy Birthday John

Today is John’s birthday.  He is 48 years young today.  Happy Birthday to my sweet and wonderful husband. 

After breakfast we headed off to St. Simon’s Island to tour the lighthouse and get my lighthouse passport book stamped.  This area is unique with quaint shops and restaurants.  When we left the lighthouse we walked past a park where a blues/jazz festival was being held.  There was music, food, craft vendors and lots of people.  The smell of food reminded us that it was lunchtime so we walked down the street looking for some place interesting to eat.  John noticed a place called Iguanas Seafood Restaurant which is famous for their shrimp.  The special for the day was shrimp with, slaw, hushpuppies and a side item for $9.95.  Not too bad for seafood.   John ordered the fried shrimp, hushpuppies, slaw and a side salad.  I ordered my shrimp blackened with slaw, hushpuppies and a side of green beans.  The food and service were great.  Since it was John’s birthday we splurged for dessert.  The two desserts they have are key lime pie and peanut butter cup pie.  We ordered one of each.  Both were delicious.

Tonight we ate leftovers and watched The Next Food Network Star competition.   Tomorrow we will be packing up and moving to Greenville, South Carolina.

Remember to laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Pineapple Cake

Up around 9:15 this morning…….even Fred.  It seems like the later we stay up watching movies the later we sleep the next morning. LOL

After lunch it was time to make a Wal-Mart run which is about 10 miles from the campground right outside a place called Bluffton, SC. I find it funny no matter what Wal-Mart store or what state you are in there is always a problem with the checkout.  What is up with that?   There are never enough registers open and then when there are the people aren’t at their registers.  Then you get the cashier that has one speed……extra extra slow with three inch fingernails.  Today the cashier made a mistake on giving change. Apparently they can’t open the cash drawer once it is closed, unless they are ringing up something.  Since the cashier had  already closed the drawer, the manager had to be called.  When she arrived she said, “Oh, I got to get the key”.  A few minutes later she arrives with the key and then……progress!!! Yeah.   Ok.  I will get off of my soap box now.  John laughs at me when I get all steamed up over stuff like that. 

John washed the truck and cleaned the coils on both air conditioners on the RV this afternoon.  

Tomorrow is John’s birthday.  He will be the big 48. He wanted an ice cream cake but that will not fit in our freezer.  I made him a pineapple cake tonight and, of course,  we have already had a piece.

Remember to laugh everyday.  Happy trails.  Stay safe.

Tybee Island Lighthouse

Slept in today….until 9:00 ….even Fred. I think that is the latest that dog has ever slept. We have not had biscuits for breakfast in a while so I made some. That is not what we should be eating but sometimes you just want something besides cereal or oatmeal.

After lunch we drove over to Tybee Island and toured the lighthouse and museums surrounding it. On the drive back to Savannah we stopped on a pullout and took a picture of the Cockspur Island Lighthouse which was surrounded by water. We then drove to Fort Pulaski to get my lighthouse book stamped for Cockspur Island lighthouse. The funny thing was we only had $3.00 in cash between both of us. It cost $3.00 a person to go beyond the gate. Since all I wanted was to get my lighthouse book stamped John said he would wait at the gate and I could go and get it stamped. It took all of five minutes if that long….good thing because it sure was hot outside. I got the book stamped and picked John up at the gate and headed for the campground. The ride home was interesting because I was driving. John usually does all the driving when we travel and of course we don’t agree on …..let’s just call it driving strategy. LOL Yeah…even though I had to drive through the City of Savannah during the late afternoon traffic, we made it home in one piece. LOL

Remember to laugh everyday. Happy trails. Stay safe.