Roy’s New Toy (Kissimmee, FL)

 

We want to wish all of our family and friends a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving 2014. 

We will be going out to dinner with some friends to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Now,don’t eat too much tomorrow.

We will see all of you guys in NYC in a couple of weeks.  We will be driving up, leaving Kissimmee on December 8th. 

Here is my new toy.  It is a Quadra Copter. or call it a Drone.  It has a gyro stabilized camera that can take photos or video. I am going to use it to take videos as we travel.

These are the pictures Ann took while I played with my new toy.

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Here is what it looks like from the air.

This is a video of my first flight of the Drone.  Sorry for the video, but it will get better with practice.

 

FIRST FLIGHT from Roy Brody on Vimeo.

Again, Happy Thanksgiving to all! 

Life is Pretty darn good on the Roan Road…

Boy is it Cold (Bushnell, FL)

 

I keep getting these “Freeze Warnings” on my smartphone.  This is Florida, it ain’t supposed to happen here!  Although it does warm up to the 60’s during the day.

We revisited Savannah, GA.   Last time we were here we took one of the Trolley Tours.  We really did not care for the tour.  This time we met our friends and fellow New Horizon owners, Madeline and Jerry, at the visitor’s center by chance.  The four of us decided to take a waking tour together.  Savannah is known for it’s many parks.  The four of us took the free trolley that goes around the city and did a walking tour of the parks.  Afterward we had a great lunch at Anna’s at the City Market.

Next we visited Hilton Head, SC.  We have mixed feelings about Hilton Head.  First stop was the Coastal Discovery Museum.  We completely enjoyed the experience. 

The part we did not like, was when we decided to take ride to the Hilton Head Lighthouse.  It is in a part of the town called Harbor Town.  I plugged in the address into the GPS and off we went through some very nice neighborhoods.  Then we turned a corner and came to a gate house with a guard.  I politely said that I just wanted to visit the lighthouse.  “OK”, he said, “because you have a dual wheel truck, that will be $25.”  Ok, so that is $25 for the privilege of driving through their precious street and then the admission fee to the lighthouse.  I DON’T THINK SO.  I said “ thank you very much” and made a U turn and left.  We drove to the end of the street in Hilton Head and turned around.  So you can see I was not impressed.

Here is a photo I downloaded from the internet of the lighthouse.  The one I never got to see.

Nice picture, too bad I did not take it.

On the bright side, Ann picked out a great restaurant outside of the town called Hudson’s Seafood House where we had a great lunch.  Good choice, Ann. 

Once more.  Life is really great on the Roan Road…

The Deep South (Hardeeville, SC)

 

We are following the migrating birds south for the winter and warmer weather.  Last week we spent the week at James Island County Park in Charleston, SC.  This is a county park like no other we have seen.  Beautiful campsites, walking and riding trails, lakes, fountains.  When we were there the workers were preparing for the 25th anniversary of the Festival of lights.  There were light displays all over.  Unfortunately we had to leave just before it started and we could not extend our stay.  The campground is booked up all year round.  They even have a carousel that was closed and not opening until the light festival started.  Boy, was Ann disappointed!

The first day in Charleston we went to Fort Sumter.  Fort Sumter is on an island in the middle of the bay. To visit Fort Sumter you need to go to the National Park Visitor Center and take a short ferry ride out to the park.  Once on the Island a park ranger gives some history of the park.  Then you can walk around by yourself.

Fort Sumter

A shell embedded in the wall from the original attack.

Drayton Hall Plantation:

Drayton Hall is a typical plantation of the times, pre Civil War.  The main crop was rice.  The conservancy of Drayton Hall’s philosophy is to leave everything as it was.  They did no restoration to the building other than structural.  There is no furniture and the walls have the original paint. 

The second Sunday of every month in Charleston they close off King Street and turn it into a street festival.  Local merchants and food venders open their doors.  Musicians are on every corner.

We also visited the Charleston Museum.  This museum is America’s first museum (founded in 1773).  It told the history of South Carolina.  It is beautifully done.  We really enjoyed our visit there.

Charleston is known as the “Holly City” it has many churches of many denominations. 

We did a walking tour of downtown Charleston.

While staying at Hardeeville we also revisited Savanna, but that is next.

We are having so much fun on The Roan Road…

On the Move Again (Atlanta, GA)

 

We got that itch again. Hitch Itch, that is.  We will be here in Atlanta until Thursday (11/6) and then heading to Charleston, SC for a few days.  Then heading south, and warmer weather.  This cold weather will not do.

First, I will finish up in Atlanta.

CNN world headquarters is an amazing place.  We took a tour of the facility.  From Atlanta they can control any of the cameras in any one of their news rooms anywhere in the world (fyi, that includes Dubai).

Then we visited the Fernbank Natural History Museum.  Beautiful displays, especially for kids.

Lastly, The Atlanta History Museum.  We were here three years ago but decided to revisit it.

The museum is on the Inman estate.  A beautiful wooded area in the heart of Atlanta.   The museum consists of The Swan House, which is the mansion the Inman’s built around 1930,  The Smith Farm and the main museum buildings.  The Swan house was used in the movie “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”.

Atlanta History Museum main building.  A history of the Civil War.

The Swan House.

The Smith Farm.

In addition to the Civil War Exhibit, the museum has a wonderful exhibit of the 1996 Olympics which was held in Atlanta.  Also, NPR fans, the museum is a StoryCorps location.

Next, on to Charleston.

Life is Great, traveling with my best friend, on the Roan Road…

Back to Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)

We are back in Atlanta for a couple of weeks.  Relaxing, doing the tourist thing and a doctor’s appointment.  When were last in Atlanta my left knee was bothering me.  We called the doctor that operated on Ann’s hip for an appointment.  After he took X-rays, guess what.  Arthritis.  Sucks getting old.  The doctor gave me a shot of Cortisone.  Well it helped some but not as much as I hoped.  So I called him back and was told I will need  a gel shot.  Whatever that is. So here we are back in Atlanta to get my left knee tuned up.
Catch up again.
While staying in Tupelo, MS we went to the Civil War Interpretative Center. It is run by the National Park Service and is about 10 years old.  We think the National Park Service again out did themselves (Note Ann has rated this her favorite Visitors Center).  The interactive displays, and movies about two civil war battles, the Battle of Shiloh and the Battle of Corinth. 

 We left Tupelo for Atlanta on Thursday.  We made the 300 mile trip in one day, arriving in Atlanta about 5 PM.  We would have gotten to the campsite earlier except we hit a lot of rush hour traffic.  We relaxed and did some shopping.
On Sunday we went to downtown Atlanta.  It was great.   No traffic and no problem parking.  I really like this city.   it is clean, modern and easy to get around.
Our first stop was the Wonderful World of Coke.  It was very well done.  It just irks me to pay for their advertisement.  You would not believe the amount of STUFF they sell in the gift shop with the Coke logo.

After we finished trying 100 flavors of Coke “BURP”. We went next door to the Atlanta Aquarium.  Also very well done.  At first I didn’t want to go, but I was glad we went.

Atlanta Aquarium

Life is Great on the Roan Road…

Tracing the Trace (Tupelo, MS)

 

We left Atlanta and headed for Sevierville, TN and the River Plantations RV Resort.  The resort has good possibilities as a possible site for the rally.  It is Big rig friendly, a number of sites are pull through.  Those that are not, are easy back ins.  A large conference center, good WiFi and utilities.   But there are more RV parks to see and choose from. 

Sevierville is right on the west side of the Smokey Mountains.  From Sevierville you pass through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.  If you like country music, shopping and pancake breakfasts and Dollywood, then this is the place for you.  (Sorry Judy, I did not see any Costco).

We drove into the Smoky Mountains and to the highest point, Clingmans Dome.

 

After four days we started west to follow the Natchez Trace Parkway.  We stayed at Fall Hollow campground right off the northern part of the Trace.  We went north on the Trace toward Nashville stopping at all of the overlooks and historic sites.  We took a side trip off the trace to Leiper’s Fork and Franklin.

Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee

Both of these towns are home of the rich and famous in the country music business.  The weather was cold and rainy.  Next day we headed south stopping at the burial site of Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition. 

Yesterday we came south through a small piece of Alabama to Tupelo, MS.  We took the back, back roads, passing some beautiful farms and really nice homes.  We also passed some real lousy looking shacks and mobile homes.  We are staying in a nice RV park in Tupelo, Campground at Barnes Crossing.  Nice pull through, good full hookups and great WiFi.  It has cable hookups but I have my Satellite so I didn’t connect to it.

Within the next few days we will be exploring more of the Trace and Tupelo.

Happy 5 month old birthday to Evelyn.

Happy Birthday to Alyssa.

Happy Anniversary to Judy & Bob and Alyssa & Mike

Life is relaxing on the Roan Road…

Planning the next Phase (Atlanta, GA)

 

The plan was to go down the Natchez Trace Parkway.  The Natchez Trace is a National Park Parkway that extends from just south of Nashville, Tennessee through Alabama and ends up at Natchez, Mississippi, similar to the Skyline drive that stretches from the Shenandoah NP to the Smokey Mountains NP.

Well, change of plans (we stirred the jello pot!).   At the last New Horizons Rally we became Rally Masters for the next rally in the Spring of 2016.  So, we have to scout out places to hold the next rally.  We are concentrating on the East Coast.  We are going to check out River Plantation RV Resort in Sevierville, TN, for a possible site for the rally.  The resort is on the west side of the Smokey Mountains with lots of things to see and do.  We will spend 4 days at the resort and then on to the Natchez Trace Parkway.  I know it is hard work, but someone has to do it. 

 

We are now in Atlanta taking it easy.  We spent Rosh Hashanah with Cheryl and Harris and the family.  Then we surprised Ann’s sister and brother-in-law, Francie and Rick, who came to Atlanta from their home in Florida, for their grandson, Ethan’s, birthday.  

Life is “hard work” on the Roan Road….