I'm Baaaack!!!!!

The Ritz-Carolton Hotel in center city Philadelphia, formerly the Girard Bank where I worked from 1965 to 1986

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been absent from these parts for the past week to ten days.  If you’re a regular follower of my blog you know that last week I traveled to my former home state of Pennsylvania to check off one of the items on my Bucket List.  Yes folks, November 9^th was my 72^nd birthday and I returned to the scene of my crime(s).  Ah yes.

Last Wednesday, November 6^th, my traveling companion (who shall remain nameless in this and future blog postings) and I traveled 125 miles (2 ½ hours) to my former hometown of Downingtown.  The first leg of our journey was to stay overnight at the Hampton Inn in Lionville, a small village adjacent to Downingtown.  In my previous life I used to work at this same Hampton Inn (1994-2001).  The plan was to leave our car at my brother’s house in Downingtown for our next three day stay in center city Philadelphia.  My brother would drop us off at the train station in Downingtown so we could catch the R-5 Thorndale SEPTA train to center city Philadelphia. There was no need for us to drive our car into center city and pay $45 and up a night for parking accommodations. 

We left Delaware around 9 am and arrived in Downingtown about 11:30 am.  It was too early to check into the hotel, and the day was mild and sunny so I decided that we would park our car in the parking lot at the bank where I used to work in Downingtown and take The Tour.  The bank parking lot is only one block away from the apartment building on Washington Avenue where I grew up in my formative years from 1946 to 1954.  We got out and began The Tour.  My poor traveling companion, only now did I realize I subjected him to points of interest that were only of interest to me.  But he is a kind hearted man and he bore the tour.

We checked into the hotel a little after three pm.  Already I’ve forgotten most of what we did (another reason for this tour, that I could take it while I still have most of my mental facilities and before I enter my final days at an assisted care facility like a friend of mine.

Oh, I remember what we did.  We had dinner at the Brickside Grill in Eagleview and just my luck it was Trivia Night.  Oh how I used to love playing trivia every Wednesday night at the Brickside with a Chicken Quesadilla and an Appletini martini. Trivia Night was one of the activities that I missed the most when I moved to Delaware form Pennsylvania.  We only had a team of two (usual teams are four or more) but we finished a respectable last with 28 points out of 40 (the winner had 39 points). 

Trivia Night at the Brickside Grill in Eagleview, PA

Back to the hotel for a restful night, the next day we would be driving to my brother’s to drop off our car and have him take us to the train station. 

We check out of the Hampton Inn and head off to Downingtown and Wegmans.  Wegmans is another experience I miss in Delaware that I wanted to take advantage of while in Downingtown.  Ah yes, brunch at Wegmans.  When are you going to get a Wegman’s Delaware?

Wegman's veggie food bar - wonderful!

After lunch we drive to my brothers’ house to drop off my traveling companion’s car and have my brother taxi us to the train station in Downingtown, my traveling companion and I dragging our luggage behind us. We’re taking the local. And this was the “local, local.  For the eleven years that I commuted daily to my banking job in Philadelphia I never took the “local, local”

I was expected a leisurely, three quarters empty train, ride on the scenic Main Line train tracks but instead I got the Calcutta Local.  OMG!  It seemed like every half minute the train stopped to let on my passengers who obviously don’t have a regular job (like us.)  These many people don’t work?  These many people are college students, retirees (like us) and who knows what?  At least there was one benefit to riding the local, the train trip only costs us one dollar apiece.  That’s the senior citizen off rush hour rate.  I can deal with that.  God, Pennsylvania was actually does something decent for the senior citizen.  But then maybe it’s just SEPTA.  Yeah, that’s it.  It couldn’t be the state government of Pennsylvania doing something beneficial to help the senior citizen because they literally taxed me and Bill out of the state.  That’s why I had to move us to Delaware.  But I digress.

After what seemed like a mini-series eternity, we arrived at Suburban Station in Philadelphia.  We have arrived!  Ah, the noise; the beeping horns, the rude squeal of the sirens of the emergency ambulance and police vehicles; the greasy, spit strew sidewalks, the street vendors, the ever present scaffolding blocking sidewalks, forcing you out into the street to play traffic dodge. And of course the pigeons and the homeless begging for money and food but I have to say there didn’t seem to be as many pigeons or homeless on the streets from when I used to live, work and play in the city in the from 1960 to 1980.

My Traveling Companion on the mean streets of Philadelphia

Dragging out luggage behind us on those mean city streets, weaving our way through all manner of folks, we beeline it to the Latham Hotel at 17^th and Walnut Streets.  Immediately I noticed a marked difference in my former home, the city was alive!  Much like Frankenstein’s monster was brought to live with electric thunder zaps, Philadelphia was alive.  Wow!  I loved it.  My traveling companion loved it!  Good decision Ron!

We arrive at the hotel and were greeted by a doorman who graciously opened the door for us and said “Good evening sir.”  Well, obviously we were in Kansas anymore.  Nice!

"Your chariot awaits you sir!"

We check in.  Our room is on the 13^th floor.  I had done my research in planning this trip.  Previous guests had advised taking a room on a higher floor to minimize the street sounds and for a better view.  We were not disappointed.  We had a fabulous view of the skyline of Philadelphia.  Our room, while compact was nicely appointed in a modernistic design.  The bathroom was almost art deco with the back lighted mirror and the rectangular wash basin.  And the closet even had a safe with an easily programmed combination.  One of the things I don’t like about traveling is where to put my valuables (credit cards, wallet, laptop computer and jewelry.)  Here was the answer.  I could sleep easier at night now not having on my mind that someone was going to slip into my room in the dead of the night and abscond with my valuables.

The Latham Hotel - our fabulous accommodations in Philadelphia! (we were on the 13th floor)

After we settled in, it was time to eat…..again.  My traveling companion is a vegan and we were searching out a restaurant or hole in the wall to accommodate his green needs.  I’m not a vegan (not a prime rib, pulsating pink center, meat eater) but I do like most vegan meals.  We both don’t like seafood or fish, which is a big plus in a traveling companion.  My friends who like fish, that’s the first thing they look for when they travel “Where’s a good fish restaurant?”  They’re after the shrimp, salmon, trout, octopus, mussels and all that other “fishy” stuff.  Thank gawd I didn’t have to accommodate that kind of traveling companion.

A healthy veg dinner! Of course the ever present cell phone.

We were in luck.  Allison, our front desk person advised us that there was a Veg City restaurant just two blocks up the street on 16^th and Sansom Streets.  We venture out onto the teaming streets.  One big thing I noticed in center city Philly this time that wasn’t there when I used to live and work in Philly, the city was alive!  It was vibrant!  What happened?  When I lived and worked there, the only time the center city streets were teaming with people was when the corners of Broad and Chestnut Streets next to City Hall were the four banks of Philadelphia National Bank, Provident National Bank, Girard (now Mellon) Bank and Western Savings Fund Society.  All those banks are gone now along with the cast of thousand that it took back in the day to push the paper around.  All that paper pushing has been replaced with computers.  No more do you see legions of lowly paid clerks crowding the streets of Philly in the daytime.  Now you see a hip crowd of cool folks from around the world seeing out the coolest venues for their nighttime entertainment.  Many of the former office building towers have been converted into either hotels or condos thus explaining the influx of folks walking their dogs and pushing their baby strollers (ah yes, the presence of straight people with the ever present baby strollers) on these grimy streets of center city Philly.  I overheard one man talking on his iPhone (almost everyone seemed to be talking on a smart phone by the way) saying “I’m walking down this street in Philadelphia and man, this is a vibrant city!”  That said it all, Philly was vibrant!

Public transportation in Olde City Philadelphia 2013

My traveling companion didn’t have to walk too many city blocks until we found Veg City, which was almost literally a hole in the wall.  But man oh man, what great food.  I got a veggie wrap which was better than any hoagie I’ve ever stuffed into my face.  I had sweet potato fries with that and a smoothie.  DEE-LISH!

Next up (and I have to move forward here), Saturday night and we were to meet up with my fellow blogger friends Dr. Spo, Cubby and Nate.  The guys were in Valley Forge, PA where Dr. Spo was attending a shrink seminar (not his head but how to shrink others’ heads).  Anne Marie of Philly (actually Norristown but what the hey, close enough) and hubby Todd treated the same Dr. Spo and the boys to dinner. 

My friends (Pat, Nate, Cubby and Dr. Spo) and I army birthday dinner at the Knock Restaurant and Bar

Dr. Spo and his entourage arrived at the hotel Saturday evening for a night of frivolity and feasting and a little toe dipping in the gay bar scene later in the evening hours.  Dr. Spo sent a text message enroute informing me that the traffic was horrendous.  Uh, sort of expected that on a Saturday night in Gotham City.  Then he call (or texted, I forget which) WHERE WAS HE GOING TO PARK?  Um, didn’t think about that.  Well, Dr. Spo is a smart cookie and he quickly figured out that he would have the hotel concierge park their rented chariot, which they did.  Another text message received from Dr. Spo “We’re circling in.”  I wasn’t quite sure if that was a threat or a promise.  Oh well, it wasn’t long before I heard a “Tap, tap” at my door on the 13^th floor of the Latham Hotel.  I open the door and invited Dr. Spo and his two cohorts into our lofty aerie thirteen floors above 17^th Street.  After the customary introductions (none had met my traveling companion) and obligatory hugs we were off for dinner.  I had chosen the Knock Restaurant and Bar restaurant at 225 S. 12^th Street  per a recommendation I received from my longtime friend Don who is a longtime resident of center city Philadelphia.  I’ve been out of the city so long, I’ve don’t know where anything is.  As it turned out, “Knock” was a perfect choice for fine Saturday night dining for five elderly gay men, long past their youthful, cruising for a bruising prime.  As Dr. Spo said as he entered the dimly lit environs of the restaurant “Ah, proper dining.” 

Dr. Spo and Nate strolling the mean streets of Philly (note me in the background on Dr. Spo's shoulder)

We all ordered drinks except my traveling companion who is not only a vegan but a tea toller (God bless him!).  My friends were treating me because it was my birthday (God bless them!).  I pigged it up and ordered TWO fancy dancy Grasshopper Martinis which were sweet and tasty and provided a nice little buzz halfway through the second martini.  I then ordered beer braised beef tips.  Yummy!  Dr. Spo ordered trout, so I was back to my fish eating friends.  I think Nate ordered some fishy dish too and I forget what Cubby ordered.  My traveling companion ordered a salad, which was might expensive when it came time to split the $240 bill four ways.  That salad cost him $60.00.  Hope it was good.

Me enjoying a smoothie at the Marathon Grill on 16th Street

After I long and leisurely dinner during which I brought up the prospect of my imminent demise at almost every available moment which Dr. Spo reflexively batted down as he has been doing for the past year or so, my fellow dinners split the bill four ways and we were on our way for some Saturday night bar hopping.  First stop the famous “Woodys” bar of 202 S. 13^th Street in Philadelphia.  First change I noticed in Woodys was the number of  female ladies in the bar. Hmmmmm….interesting development that.  I suspect there were quite a few straight folks in the bar also, prepping for the dancing later. 

Bar hopping at Woody's after dinner - me as usual running off at the mouth

We all ordered beers and tried to stay out of the young folks way.  After slurping down our beers (hard cider for me, me no beer man), I proceeded to try and navigate our way to The Bike Stop, a long time center city, nighttime gay neighborhood leather bar.  OOOOOOOHHHHHH!  Not to worry folks, when we finally found it on a back street called Quince, all was tame.  And to think my fellow travelers were concerned that they weren’t dressed appropriately in gay dray.  Gawd, Dr. Spo even had on his plaid, lumberjack, Paul Bunyon shirt.  I guess the gay fashion police message hasn’t reached Phoenix yet. 

Outside the "Bike Stop".  No, were weren't dressed appropriately for a leather bar.  Dr. Spo came close with his Paul Bunyon shirt.  

After yet another round of beers, and answering Dr. Spo question of exactly where my traveling companion fit into my life (an answer that I will not share in this public blog), Dr. Spo called it a night.  But I wasn’t done yet.  I had to insist the guys visit my former place of employment, Girard Bank which is now a ritzy hotel called (of all things) the “Ritz Carlton.”  I don’t know if I impressed my friends but I figured I could play my birthday trump card, which I did.  Then we were on our respective ways.

We walked back to the hotel and parted ways at the entrance where the doorman was holding the door open.  The birthday boy’s official celebration was coming to an end and indeed what a celebration it was.  Good, kind friends took me out on the town to celebrate my 72 years on this blue ball hanging in space (I saw it in “Gravity” at the movies at the Midway in Rehoboth on Tuesday night with my traveling companion).  Thanks guys for the bestest birthday celebration I’ll ever have (and probably my last one keeping in with the theme of my imminent demise).

Then it was back to our hotel room on the thirteenth floor which was proving to be pretty lucky.  My traveling companion hooked up my Macbook Pro computer to the hotel TV and I saw several episodes of “Breaking Bad” with Walter White.  Hey, great program!  And here I thought I was cool because I had watched all the “Six Feet Under” and “Madmen.” 

The view from our hotel room of Walnut Street 

Now folks, I know this is a LONG blog posting but I’m making up for not posting for a week and while my memory is still fresh (or as fresh as it can be for an old geezer like me).  There were a few adventures that I didn’t take you the reader on like my tour of my old neighborhood (and again dragging my ever patient traveling companion with me to hear my oral history). 

Waiting for Godot Dr. Spo?

We also stopped in the Apple store right around the corner from the hotel.  My iPhone wasn’t turning off properly.  The good folks at the Apple store immediately replaced my iPhone with a brand new one, free of charge since I was still under warranty.  That was a good thing.  The bad thing was I have over 1,200 photos on my iPhone that had to be backed up to iCloud then downloaded to my new iPhone.  That download malfunctioned (froze) because I immediately went out and started taking more photos even before my backed photos in iCloud had finished downloading.  Long story short, I spent a lot of time in the Apple store which is a cool place to hang out but this wasn’t in my Birthday Bash itinerary.  Turned out I had to extend my stay in Philly for a day (until Monday) which was good because I was loving our hotel room and all the excitement of a now vibrant center city Philly lifestyle.  But the bad thing I found out the next day was that I neglected to call my brother to tell him of my change of plans.  I didn’t think to call him until the darkness of early evening and by then he was almost frantic and on the verge of putting a missing persons report in on me.  My mind is going folks, it really is this is why I did my birthday bash this year before I’m having someone put on my shoes in an assisted car facility.

The view at morning from our hotel room of Walnut Street

As I said, this is a long blog posting and even I’m getting tired of it now so I think I’ll wrap things up.  I’m home now, my traveling companion is almost at his home in Toronto Canada as I type this.  I gots to catch up on my sleepy time as I lost many hours over the past week from activity more suited to a man much younger than myself.

But all in all, my Birthday Bash week was an absolute unqualified success and I am already looking forward to repeating the adventure again next year, same time, same city. 

My Traveling Companion wanted a "taste" of the subway.  We got it.  Once was enough.

Vacations and trips are fine folks but I’m glad I’m back and sleeping in my own bed.  I’m looking forward to going back to my regular routine.  But it is always nice to have something to look forward to like this trip I took this past week and perhaps even better is having good friends like I am fortunate enough to have.  Thanks guys!!!

What I do best, relax

Annual Road Trip Day Seven

Is it the seventh day of our annual road trip?  Hard to believe.  I think I missed a number somewhere along the way.  Oh well.

Today was spent driving through four states:  

1. Georgia
2. South Carolina
3. North Carolina
4. Virginia

We stopped at two very nice rest stops:  one in North Carolina and one in Virginia.

North Carolina rest stop

We're in Virginia now.  Just arrived about an hour ago.  We left Helen, Georgia early this morning (about 7 am) We arrived here in Suffolk, Virginia; near the naval base (where on the eastern coast of Virginia aren't you near a naval base?)  about 6 pm, thoroughly stressed.  Our GPS was a big help but downtown Suffolk is about as traffic heavy and crazy as Norfolk.  

Hampton Inn, Suffolk, VA

After checking into our rooms we went out for a bit to eat.  We didn't want to drive so we walked to the Golden Corral, a buffet style restaurant two blocks down the street.  A BIG MISTAKE.

The Madhouse Golden Corral

This is Friday night and the place was packed.  Kids?  OMG!  Forget about it.  

I got our Senior Buffet ticket (total cost for the both of us $29.65 - wow!) and dived into the morass of people.  These buffets really don't work for me and Bill.  We just don't eat that much.  My mistake for going there. Bill said to me "Why did you do this to me?"  So I said "Lesson learned."  

One good thing, we're not too far from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel so we can skeedaddle out of here pretty early tomorrow and make it back home in Delaware (four hours away) in time to turn in our rental van to Enterprise (they close at noon).  

Romano's Restaurant

We did have a good lunch at an Italian Restaurant in a town whose name I forgot now, called "Romano's".  I had a Chicken Caesar Wrap with a wonderful pasta salad.  $7.99.  Bill had a bowl of fresh vegetable soup, $2.99.  Great prices, great food!  Hit or miss folks.  That's what is so interesting about these vacation/road trips.  Just like Forrest Gump said about a box of chocolates:

"You never know what you're gonna get."  

Ain't that the truth!

Tomorrow....HOME.

Annual Road Trip South - Day Two

Hampton Inn Marion North Carolina

We made it!  After a LONG trip from Emporia, VA to our present destination, Marion, NC.  I am exhausted.  I'll sleep good again tonight.

Me with a serious case of bed hair trying to cut a waffle with a plastic knife and fork on a styrofoam plate

I've done all the driving so far.  I wasn't expecting this but be that as it may.  Today's trip wasn't as bad as going through Norfolk with all it's twisty, hilly road but still pretty hairy.  I traveled almost the entire length of the state from the east to the western border.  I used US40.  The only nerve wracking parts was where I had to drive around the major North Carolina cities like Durham, Greensboro and Winston-Salem.  All those extra roads and exits and mergers right and left and traffic.  I had to really concentrate that I was in the right lane and unfortunately I couldn't spend a lot of time chatting with Bill.  He got his feelings hurt and now isn't talking (much) too me.  And of course one time he told me to turn, I knew it was wrong but I did it anyway (it said "East" and I knew we were going west).  He really felt bad about that and I probably wasn't too kind to him.  I apologized to him.  This is usually what happens when we're driving too long.  I get stressed out and Bill get angry and we end up fighting.  

We stopped at a beautiful rest stop at Catawba. I thought that would sooth down Bill.  He does so love being in the mountains and today was one of those clear, blue days with the crispness of early spring in the air.  The redbud trees are in bloom and the leaves are just starting to pop out on the trees. I chatted with an elderly gentleman about his electric blue 2002 Corvette.  And he's driving that beauty on US40 with those ten wheelers?  That takes courage that I don't have.

One snazzy Corvette encountered at a rest stop off of U.S. 40 today

We got to our destination, the Hampton Inn in Marion.  We were only here about a half an hour when my cousin Bob and his wife Marie drove up.  We were to meet and I was going to show him the paternal ancesteral homeland tomorrow.  We got settled in and then went out for an early dinner.  I hadn't eaten all day and was famished.  

My cousin Bob and his wife Marie at the Jalapenos Fast Grill this afternoon before the onslaught of food

The front desk clerk at the hotel strongly advised a small Mexican restaurant nearby called Jalapenos Fast Grill.  At 4 pm we were the first dinner guests.  We took a look at the menu and wow!  The Agave restaurant in Lewes would be impressed by the selection and the prices.  I don't think anything was over $10.00 I've posted a video below of the food being brought out and presented.  I've never had anything like this before.  Truly, truly impressed.  Unfortunately we just could not eat all this food.  One more thing, the tortilla chips and salsa at the beginning?  Magnifique!

Tomorrow we visit old family cemeteries up in those mountains.  This will probably be my last trip. I'm looking forward to it.

Ron and Bill's Excellent Adventure - We're Home!

Me at Tallulah Gorge, Georgia
That sure is one big crack.

We made it!  We got home safe and sound yesterday afternoon.  What a wonderful trip!

Thursday night we stayed at a Hampton Inn in South Hill, Virginia.  This was without a doubt the dirtiest Hampton Inn I've ever stayed at in my travels.  From the time I walked into the lobby and saw the dirty rug and encrusted dirt around the baseboard, I knew this wasn't going to be your typical, clean Hampton Inn.  It wasn't.  However, we were too tired to travel further so I decided to stay anyway.

When I got to my room my worst fears were confirmed.  The bathroom had a low counter (for midgets or short women?) and the rug was filthy.  I didn't expect much more from the TV and again, I wasn't disappointed.  It took three tries to even get the TV to stay on and once it did forget any HD TV.  This was the old fashion blurry TV images.  Oh well.

One of the reasons I wanted to stop at this Hampton Inn was because I was a Cracker Barrel nearby and I wanted to eat there.  No more taking chances with the local cuisine.

One good thing about this Hampton Inn, the breakfast was actually very good.  However, they were undergoing a renovation/upgrading so maybe that explains the shoddy, sticky decor when I checked in.

After breakfast we got out of there, headed towards Norfolk, Virginia.  Norfolk would be the last difficult leg of our journey.  We I always have trouble getting through Norfolk.  Too many signs and they are confusing.  This time instead of taking I-264 we opted for the old interstate US-58 (I think).  That didn't turn out any better.  Bumper to bumper traffic plus we were delayed for some time when one of the drawbridges had to open to let several sailboats (high masts) through whatever river runs through Norfolk.

When we finally got over the bridge, we inched our way up US-58 to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, not one of my favorite places.  After seeing Robin Williams character turned into road kill in a Holland Tunnel crash (from the move "What Dreams May Come"), I am as leary of tunnels under bodies of water as Janet Leigh was leary of taking a shower after performing in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho".  When taking the Bay Bridge tunnel not only to you go under the bay once, but you go under TWICE!  Mother of God.  But we made it.  I took a video with my iPhone but I was so shook up I took the video upside down so I had to delete.  Someone else will have to post their video of going under the Chesapeake Bay.

Once we to the other side of the Chesapeake Bay our trip was easy sailing.  We go up Rt. 113 then cut over to Rt. 13 until we get to Millsboro then we go through Millsboro (after a pit stop at BJ's to stock up) and turn onto Rt. 30 and we were on our way home!  I no longer had to give Bill directions from the shotgun seat.

Along the way up Rt. 113 in Virginia I spotted a few cemeteries along side the road so Bill stopped and let me do my thing.  I'll have to do another whole blog posting about those cemeteries.  Some of those graves had collapsed and I was afraid I would fall in.  Wouldn't that be something?  One grave I could actually walk in like steps going into the ground.  I took pictures.  Those pictures look like they could be on the cover of the old comic book "The Crypt Keeper."  Thank goodness yesterday was sunny, no vampires out and about to sink their fangs into my scrawny neck.  But I digress.

We're home and we're safe!  This was a hairy trip.  Bill isn't as confident driving and I never have been confident driving in unfamiliar territory and heavy traffic.  Neither one of us likes to drive on the Interstate highways with all those tractor trailer trucks boxing you in.  Dangerous stuff man.  Not fun.

I'm not a religious person but I do thank God (or whoever) that got us home safe and sound.  Maybe that Person was my guardian angle, Wesley (yes, that's His name).  Thank you Wesley.

Bill is out mowing the grass now on this beautiful, sunny, 72 degree low humidity Saturday.  I'm going to have a Ron prepared lunch, my favorite.  Restaurants are nice and all that but I much prefer what I make for myself.  That is until Panera finally opens its doors down here in Rehoboth Beach Land.

We accomplished a lot on this trip and we both have many new memories but this is probably the last trip we will make like this again.  I would like to go again and look for those cemeteries up in those Smoky Mountains that I missed.  I haven't ruled out another trip but for now we just want to relax and get back into the old routine.  Both of us are so tired.  We need to de stress.

Ron and Bill's Excellent Adventure Day Five

Bill's hometown, Toccoa Georgia

If this is Wednesday this must be Anderson, South Carolina!  Remember that movie "If this is Tuesday This Must Be Belgium?"  That title has always stuck in my head when I travel.

Well, this was another adventure filled, frustrating, exciting, and productive day.  This is what I love about road trips.  Did Bill and I get lost again today?  Oh yeah.

Bill was determined not to get lost again so last night in his hotel room at the Hampton Inn in Franklin, North Carlina (high in the Smoky Mountains) he drew a map for himself.  After breakfast we would leave the Hampton Inn and get on Rt. 23 and zip straight down to Tallulah Gorge in Georgia.

We load up our Dodge Caravan rental and leave the Franklin, NC Hampton Inn and proceed to go the wrong way.  We were going west when we should be going south.  I thought we were going the wrong way but Bill wouldn't hear of it.  Okay.  As we were barreling down the road the wrong way I saw a small church cemetery along the side of the road and asked Bill if he would mind stopping.  He said he didn't mind.  He was probably feeling good because he thought he had his driving directions under control.

While Bill patiently waited, I took photos of every headstone in that small, beautiful cemetery on this cool spring day up there in those Smoky Mountains.  I even found a couple of Tipton graves!  Coincidentally the Tipton graves were located right behind gravestones for the Stroud family.  My first love was named "Stroud" and ironically he also lives in Georgia.  I haven't seen him since my Army days.  He's probably a great grandpaw now.  However, seeing that name again after all these years brought back fond, warm memories of my foolish youth and my first passionate love affair.  Man we were hot.  But I digress.

After I finished taking my photos and we got back on the road, THE WRONG WAY, Bill realized we were going the wrong way.  After I gave him several "I told you so's" we headed back to where we began and started over again!  Oh boy.  We were headed for the Tallulah Gorge.  Bill thought we wasted our time but I always try get something good out of mistakes.  I wouldn't have found that little cemetery if we hadn't gone the wrong way.

We eventually got to the Tallulah Gorge.  You know every time I say "Tallulah Gorge" I think of the old joke about Tallulah Bankhead which she used to say about herself but since this is a family blog I won't repeat it here.  Well, I was very impressed with the Tallulah Gorge.  Wow.  That was one deep gorge.  Looking down my fear of heights kicked in.

Next up was a visit to Bill's hometown of Toccoa, Georgia.  The past two years we have visited Bill's hometown and he always felt I rushed him.  So this time I agreed he would drop me off at the Toccoa Cemetery while he went and did his thing.  That worked out well except it was a very hot and humid day in Toccoa and that cemetery was big.  By the time Bill came by four hours later I was soaked with sweat.

I enjoyed my time in the cemetery but I was unable to fulfill even one of the twelve outstanding photo requests.  Sometimes I think people requesting photos are fishing.  They aren't sure where the deceased person they are looking for so they are quite willing to take advantage of us Find a Grave volunteers and waste out time going on their fishing expeditions.  Those kind of people I don't like but we all know it take all types.  There are always those among us who take advantage.  Oh well, I did enjoy having time to cover that whole cemetery.  There are so many interesting stories that are revealed by the type of headstones and reading the dates of birth and death.  I always feel sad for the little headstones.  Those are children whose lives were cut short.  Make me think that perhaps I am past my expiration date on this earth.

Bill came by later to pick me up to head for our next destination, a Hampton Inn on the interstate near Greenville, South Carolina.  We're visiting my brother John and his wife Barbara tomorrow.  We didn't want to stay in Greenville, we've done that and it is just too much stress with all that big city traffic.  We prefer staying as far away as possible from big city streets and rush hour traffic. Less stress for us two old guys.

Oh, I forgot.  We had lunch in Toccoa today.  Toccoa is an old cotton mill town that is almost dead since the Interstate was to built near it.  Both Bill and I wonder how the people who live in the town now survive  since there is no industry or business in town.  Last year we tried to have lunch but everything was closed by three in the afternoon.  Talk about rolling up the streets!

This time we saw a restaurant open.  So we were going to eat "local."  How was it?  Terrible.  The food that is.  I had something called the "Cuban Panini" sandwich.  I had one of those at Panera Bread in Johnson City and it was delicious.  That was the first time I had it.  The sandwich consisted of bits of grilled chicken, ham, mustard, and dill pickle on sour dough bread.  That was the Panera version.  The Cuban Panini I had today?  Not the same.  This baby consisted of ham, mustard, dill pickle and....wait for it:  OLD PULLED PORK.  I was so hungry I ate it anyway.  Ever done that and regretted it?

Bill enjoyed lunch because he kibitzed with the waitress who was very friendly.  Bill likes to flirt with women.  He was having fun teasing her.  She was giving as good as he gave.  Because Bill was enjoying himself I decided not to ruin their good time.  My ice tea tasted like a dirty dishrag.  The one good thing was the dessert.  Our waitress recommend their Orange Cream Cake.  It was scrumptious!  Our waitress asked me if I wanted coffee with it.  I took her advice, hoping by drinking the coffee I could wash out the dishrag taste .   Guess what?  They used the same dishrag to make the coffee.

So here I sit now at my desk in my room on the third floor of the Anderson, South Carolina Hampton Inn.  I have the TV on, listening to The Ed Schultz Show on MSNBC while I hear thunder in the night sky outside my hotel window.  More rain!  By the way, I'm glad this Hampton Inn has MSNBC on their channel line up.  At least I have more choice tonight than I did last night in Right Wing Country of Franklin North Carolina where my only choice was Fox News!  All low information voters up in those hills for sure.

Oh boy am I tired.  I was watching Rachel earlier and I kept dropping off.  Time to wrap this up now and get ready for bed.  The Hampton Inn has the most comfortable beds.  Last night I was so tired I woke up in the same position I went to sleep.  That's when you know you're tired.

Another big day tomorrow.  The adventure continues.

Ron and Bill's Excellent Adventure Day Four

Me after my dining experience this afternoon

We're at the Hampton Inn in Franklin, North Carolina tonight.  We checked in this afternoon.  We wanted to extend our stay at the Hampton Inn in Johnson City, Tennessee but they were full.  So we had to go to our backup plan.

Since we're a day ahead ourselves (today seems like Wednesday and not Tuesday just like Sunday seemed like Monday and Monday seemed like Tuesday).  We wanted to get on the other side of the Smoky Mountains to position ourselves to make a run for Talluhah Falls Georgia.  Bill wants to visit his hometown of Toccoa Georgia on Thursday.  This will probably be his last visit.

The picture at the beginning of this blog is of me in the front of a local barbecue restaurant just below the Hampton Inn where we're staying.  Willy's Barbecue, notice that there isn't a line waiting to get in.  This isn't Panera Bread or Outback Steakhouse.  Oh well.  Bill had French Fries.  He usually get soup but they didn't have any (of course).  I got a grilled chicken (OK), French Fries, and barbecue backed beans (which were very good but probably because I was hungry since I haven't eaten since breakfast).  I'm eating a chocolate decadent brownie that I stocked up on from the Chick A Fil A in Johnson City.  My sweet tooth is insatiable.

This morning we had time so I took advantage and visited the 3,000 grave Evergreen Cemetery in Erwin, Tennessee.  Erwin is located on the Tennessee and North Carolina at the base of the Pisgah mountains where I spent the last two days visiting those small family cemeteries.  I have Tipton relatives also buried at the Evergreen Cemetery.  I found them!  Mission accomplished.

After taking about 800 photos of headstones, I got back in our rented Dodge Caravan and headed south to Asheville, North Carolina.  My great-great grandmother is buried in a small church cemetery just outside Asheville.  Again we had great stress traveling on unfamiliar roads.  I used my iPad Map to navigate and Bill drives.  Bill is depending on me for step my step driving instructions but by the time I give him the turn instructions he's already passed the street or exit.  Part of the problem is that he has a hearing aid which he refuses to wear.  He also has trouble seeing the road signs because he's concentrating on driving.  I think this is probably our last road trip unless we can figure out a way to go where we avoid heavy traffic patterns.  We're just too old to contend with all these stress.

We found the Berea Church Cemetery in Ashville, were my great-great grandmother Tipton is buried.  What a thrill!  I never thought I would even know where she was buried let alone visit her grave.  Her husband John, my great-great grandfather was killed by Confederates in 1864 during the Civil War in those North Carolina mountains where I have been visited the past two days.  My great-great grandfather has an unmarked grave somewhere up there in this mountains.  When he was ambushed and killed by a Confederate Calvary, his body was delivered to his widow and she and her neighbor buried his body on their property, the location of which is no lost to history.  I feel fortunate that I found her grave and was able to visit it today.  I am having a very productive vacation.  Now it's Bill turn on this vacation.

After spending a couple of hours this morning in that cemetery taking pictures we both loaded our weary bodies back into our rented van and headed to the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway.  This is the first time we have been on this road.  What fabulous views!  I took pictures which I will share on a future blog posting.  We wanted to get over the mountains and find a nice clean, comfortable place to stay for the night. We found it!

We're staying in a beautiful Hampton Inn which has a lobby that looks like a mountain ski lodge resort.  We got in at around 3 pm, washed up and they headed out looking for a place to eat.  This Hampton Inn is located off of the I-26 highway so our choices are limited.  We drove around a bit but decided to go to Piggy Wiggly's "Willy's Barbecue".  First clue was there was only two other folks in the restaurant (other than the cashier, waitress and cook).  And that person obviously was a friend of the waitress and a single mom there with her four year old boy.

Of course we were waited on immediately. Our waitress handed us our menu and the first thing I noticed was "Catfish Hoagie."  Uh....okay.  "We're not in Kansas anymore."  Panera Bread Wiley's Barbecue isn't.

Bill asked if they had soup.  Not surprisingly, our waitress said they didn't have soup.  Grease yes, soup no.

Oh well, Bill ordered a basket of French Fries.  I ordered a grilled chicken, French Fries and barbecue beans.  The barbecue beans were obviously out of a can but since I had not eaten since breakfast, the beans tasted great!  I filled my stomach up.  I was no longer hungry.  We could have went to the KFC that is on the other side of the Hampton Inn.  That's the problem with staying at hotels off the Interstate instead of in a city, dining options are limited.

Tomorrow we head south to the natural wonders of Georgia and visiting Bill's hometown of Toccoa, which is a dying dead town.  Toccoa's problem is that it isn't near a major road and what little industry they had (threads, like in sewing) was outsourced long ago.  Bill if fascinated walking down the deserted main street of Toccoa.  It's like "High Noon".  This is the third and probably last year we visit Toccoa.  There is NOTHING going on in that town.  Bill likes to visit his old haunts which I understand.  I like to do the same thing in my hometown of Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

After visiting Toccoa we'll swing up to Greenville, South Carolina and visit my brother John.  He wants to show me his new church construction.  I am so happy my brother has a job that he loves and does so well.

It is now 8:15 pm.  I am sitting at this wonder desk setup at the Hampton Inn.  Things have change at the Hampton Inn since I last worked there in the late 90's.  I love this setup.  It is so comfortable.

Bill is sleeping and I'm thinking about taking a shower and just vegging out watching TV tonight before I drift off to Dreamland.  We're leaving early tomorrow for the next leg of Ron and Bill's Excellent Adventure.  I hope we don't run into any more confusing, unfamiliar big city traffic patterns.  We'll be ready to veg out at home after this adventure.

Ron & Bill's Annual Excellent Adventure Day 1

We're here folks! In Johnson City, Tennessee.

I didn't announce our trip in advance because Bill didn't want me to advertise that we were leaving our beautiful home in Milton, Delaware. However, do not worry folks because our good neighbors Bob and Barbara Murphy are keeping a watchful eye on Casa Tipton-Kelly.

First things first: I'm typing this post on my iPad so my typing speed is impaired. Of course I did bring my new MacBook Pro but I just found out that my power cord for the iPad doesn't work with my MacBook Pro. I left that one at home. So I will cart my useless MacBook Pro arou d with me all week here in the south, hoping I don't forget it or someone steals it. This is what I hate about leaving my home base, as much as I plan I invariably forget something. The older I get the more of a wreck I am when I leave my comfortable, secure surroundings.

Back to the first day of our trip. Bill and I picked up our Dodge Grand Caravan rental at Enterprise ip. Rehoboth Beach this morning at 9:30 am. It is a beauty! This is the third year we've rented a Dodge Grand Caravan. We love it! It is big and comfortable. I love my Subaru Forester but I took my brother John's advice years ago, never take your main car on a long road trip. Brother John almost got squished by a tractor trailer behemoth in Texas some years ago while he was driving his personal car. We Tipton boys do rentals now.

Bill and I took our Dodge Caravan back home and loaded up for our annual trek To the Southland.

Bill is from Toccoa, Georgia. My brother John and his wife Barbara live in Greenville, South Carolina. And last but not least, my father was born and raised just over the Tennessee state line in the hillbilly hills of North Carolina. Both John and I like to visit our "roots". This year I want to visit as many family cemeteries as I can up there In "them thar hills" to take photos for my Find a Grave account.

When we go south Bill and I usually go onto the end of the Delmarva peninsula and through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Even though I hate going through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (so claustophobic and that scary oncoming traffic while we're traveling beneath the bay), and the confusion of going through Norfolk, Virginia, we go that way to avoid the perceived worse traffic around or through Washington, DC. This year we decided to brave the Washington, DC nightmare traffic. Keep, we did it and it was every bit as bad or worse than we thought.

First all that winding roads through Delaware to get to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which is an erector set bridge waiting to collapse into the blue waters of the fish and oyster depleted Chesapeake Bay. Then, I screwed up my navigation. Responsibilities (Bill was driving), I advised Bill to take the wrong exit to the Baltimore-Washingotn Parkway. So instead of going north around Washington we went south around Washington. Yes Virginia, we got caught up in the Saturday morning gridlock of Alexandra, Virginia traffic. The way we were creeping and crawling on that eight lane highway bringing back memories of that time many years ago we visited Rehoboth Beach on a Fourth of July weekend. Oh - My - God.

We both agreed that should we make this trip again next year we'll take our chances and go under the Chesapeake Bay again and aim our Dodge Caravan through that narrow, scary tunnel with the oncoming traffic that we freverently pray doesn't cross the solid yellow line and send me and Bill to our heavenly maker, or worse.

However , once we got on I-81 south our trip was clear sailing. This is the part of the trip we were looking forward to, a pleasant, stress free, scenic landscape od the Blue Ridge Mountains. That we had until we entered Johnson City.

We couldn't find the Hampton Inn! I've been here before but we couldn't find it. Up on down the main thoroughfare of Johnson City which is Old Franklin State Road. We even stopped several times and asked directions. A couple of times we were given wrong directions and twice the folks we asked didn't know. One guy said "I'm only a student here.". Uh, okay.

Finally, I figured out to call the Hampton Inn. And tell them where I was and ask Sean, the front desk clerk who had the misfortune to take my frantic and stressed call (we had been driving ten hours) and he held on to the phone giving me step by step directions to the Hampton Inn. Yes, I was now one of THOSE guests.

Viola! We finally got here. After checking in our two rooms for two nights (yes, we get separate hotel rooms) we were ready to have dinner.

Unfortantely, The Hampton Inn is like a lot of hotels today, you need a car to get to an eating establishment. We did 't use our rented car. We had been in it long enough today. In fact I think I have the beginning of a bed sore on my left cheek from sitting so long today in one position.

So there we were this evening, crossing the four lane highway that runs through the center of Johnson City. How did we get across? We ran. Guess what, I run like a old Dodo bird with a stubbed toe.

We passed up Taco Bell, (no one was in there) and Arby's (three people were in there but they looked like they had voted for their state's constitutional amendment against same sex marriage). I think Bill and I holding hands gave us away that we were one of THOSE same sex couples. We were too tired today to take up The Cause this evening.

There was a little mix up with my order at Chick Filet (they forgot my order) but I decided to Be magnamous and overlook it. Stuff happens I say. I got a couple of 2,000 calorie brownies to take back to my luxurious accomdations at The Hampton Inn and Bill and I risked our lives again running across multiple lane highways in the center of downtown Johnson City. God I hope no one took a video of us running. Sad thing to see two old men running, especially two old gay men. I used to be able to run, I don't know what happened. Weak knees I guess.

So here I am now in room 301 (Bill is in room 323 at the other end of the hallway, same as home sort of) of the Johnson City Hampton Inn typing this sad little post of our first day of Ron and Bill's Excellent Adventure Down South.

Tomorrow we head for the hills over "thar" in North Carolina looking for those small family graveyards. Treasures that they are.

Right now I feel my Cracker Barrel lunch and Chick Filet "dinner" backing up in my throat and I DID forget to bring my Nexium.

A Time For Us

More movies!  This is a movie of the slides that Bill took when we went on our first road trip in 1966 to Atlantic City, New Jersey then points south which included Wilmington, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; and then Toccoa, Georgia...Bill's hometown.  Are there a lot of pictures of me in this movie?  Uh...YES!  Remember, this was way back at the beginning of our relationship.  It was Bill's camera (I don't even think I owned a camera at this time) and he was quite enamored of me.  No excuses though, I LOVE seeing old pictures of moi!

The video starts out at our first home at the Penn Manor Apartments in Pennsauken, New Jersey and ends with us in the same apartment which I still remember the address:  3732A Herbert Avenue, Pennsauken, New Jersey.

The final picture is of me and Bill now.  Yes, we are OLD MEN now.  This July we will celebrate 48 years of partnership.  Hopefully we will be able to get officially married before we kick the bucket.

Enjoy the movie!

Back Home In Delaware

Well folks, we arrived home (thank goodness!) yesterday morning safe and sound.  What a week!  We're still recovering.  Now to get settled in and renew our regular routine I am posting this video that I took last Thursday at the Tipton-Haynes Historic Site that we visited in Johnson City, Tennessee.  Bill and I were waiting around to meet my cousin Anne Tipton (who I've never met face to face) at 1 pm.  In the meantime we had time to kill so I wandered into one of the activity rooms and videotaped this adorable telling of the story of "The Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Piggies" to a group of second graders who were out on a class field trip.  This is what I like about taking a Road Trip, you never know what you're going to run into.  That reminds me of Forest Gump and why he liked a box of chocolates "You never know what you're going to get."  

Let me just say this, we had a fabulous and very interesting trip.  Was it tiring?  Absolutely.  Are we exhausted?  For certain.  Hey, it will take us at least a week to unwind and get back in The Rut again.  But, no matter how much this trip pushed us to the limit, it was well worth it.  Now we have a whole new set of memories. And oh boy do we ever!  I will share many of those new memories with you in some of my future blog postings.  

Johnson City, TN

Here I sit in my $64.95 a night room at the Red Roof Inn in Johnson City, Tennessee. Bill and I arrived at noontime after a long (4 hour) ride from Townsend, Tennessee. We are exhausted.

I think I took too much on this trip. Yesrterday I decided to skip our visit to Knoxville and to visit my cousin Tim Tipton because we just don't have enough time and I want to minimize the amount of driving that Bill has to do in city traffic. Johnson City was bad enough today.

Driving up to Johnson City, Bill was enthralled by the mountains. He so misses geographical topography. He hates living in the flat coastal land of southern Delaware. I thought this would be a treat for him. He does like the scenery but the driving is just too much.

Today we took a drive over to the Pisgah Mountains of North Carolina where my father was born and raised until his family moved to Pennsylvania when he was 10 years old. I tried to climb the mountain to the graveyard where my great-grandfather and great-grandmother are buried but I couldn't find it. Their graveyard is located at the top of the mountain on Upper Pigeon Roost Road. My heart was pounding out of my chest as I climbed that mountain for over an hour. I finally gave up after I kept coming around another curve only to find more to climb. I took pictures and videos of this whole adventure and will post them when I get home. I don't know how to put those pictures on my iPad. I suspect I can't. Another one of those mysteries that I have to learn about my Apple products.

Today we also visited with my cousin Daisy Buckles. She has an interesting history. Her father was born in 1856 and is my great grandfather. It was his grave that I was looking for. My great grandfather Isaac Lewis married Mary Alice Hughes. After his first wife died he married Daisy's mother, Rissie, who was 40 years younger than he was! Thus, that is how Daisy is the half sister of my grandmother Hester Lewis. Daisy is 85 years old now.

We had a very nice visit. Daisy is recovering from a gall bladder operation. I was glad that I had the opportunity to visit her one more time in her lovely, modest home on the edge of Johnson City. She is a lovely lady. Southern gentility. Pictures will be included when I start blogging from home again.

I'm getting used to not having music on my blog. How about all of you? I do miss my picures though. So far I've taken 403 pictures on my iPhone! I've taken some with my Cannon 360 digital but I am gradually moving away from that camera for my picture taking. I've also taken about an hour an a half of video. I may post some of my videos. No slides though!

Well, I'm rambling now so I better quit. I am so looking forward to getting back to my regular routine after my 'field trip.'