LINCOLN and SPRINGFIELD and my New Office

Springfield was quaint and interesting... it was the smallest "capital" one can imagine.  The Museum of the State of Illinois was new information.....who knew that Chicago was "suppose" to be part of Wisconsin!  They needed another "northern state" so they pushed the boundary up....  With the Lincoln history LOTS of civil war perspective... MUCH different than what we saw in Charleston that's for sure !!!

The Lincoln Library and Museum was what you would expect too.  

Protestors against gay marriage were protesting at the capital all day.  Very vocal group.and very good bagpipe playing !!  It increased the drama of the message.

I spent time doing some of my consulting work in my office

Now am headed to Glen Carbon to see my cousins and the new baby (Davey) ..  my Stepsister from Alaska  will also be there (Bobbie Nicole).   Then home to Tampa for a nuclear family visit !  Next stops To Be Announced but headed WEST..... 

CRAZY DAY with wild weather and the smell of earth in the air

The day began with the most gorgeous blue skys and light breeze.   Then as I headed out of Indiana the winds became CRAZY strong....  like Wizard of Oz strong.... like blow your mind strong....  OK OK -  it was just really windy.  Then the rains came ...  I arrived in Illinois to lonly ight drizzle and by the time I made camp it was the most gorgeous blue skys and light breeze again.....  I like driving in the crazy changing weather - windows blowing me like crazy and the smell of the earth in the air !

Indy Cars

I was chastised for not putting any cars on the blog from my INDY visit - so here are some...  These are the OLD cars that ran on the "brickyard" - that is what it was called before the bricks all got paved over with what we see today.   The trophy used to be as big as the cars.... race boys enjoy !

Penske was there trading out a car for a road show they were doing.

Indy speedway was worth the time....

My husband and two Indianapolis Guys all recommended I go the INDY SPEEDWAY museum  EVEN though I am not a race fan.  Well they were all right...it has a very interesting history.  Started as a big advertising for automobiles so folks could see how fast they could go on PAVED street.
 So thanks Harlan, Brent and Don for the direction.   This state has some BIG BUGS too...


Old Gas Pump





Really big bugs....



The tow car - how does it work??

Today the 3rd woman asked me how am I am getting the tow car on and off.  So here is a picture.. it's easy really !
The rods telescope out and attach to the car with no lifting.  I have some bruises but no strained back.... Sometimes it gets when taking it off (then a hammer and screwdriver nudge them out then).  So no lifting just lots of connecting.

Liz take a look - 

Ohio to Indiana

Stayed in Ohio the rest of the week... it was beautiful weather and my spot right on the lake was worth extra time.   I visited Kent State and Edison's birthplace but other than that just hung around.   I took off for Indiana today and it was an easy trip.  
Found Indian food at at truck stop -  so HAPPY.  Car Wash, Oil Change and Curry all in one stop (see sign below).  The parking lot was jammed with trucks (no cars) and the place was packed... who knew?

This is the view from my window at the camping spot in Indianapolis... LOTS OF CORN !! 

Rock N Roll Night School last Wednesday... a WEEK in Ohio

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME WAS AWESOME

ROCK NROLL NIGHT SCHOOL 8/18

WOMEN OF ROCK AND ROLL The 60’s

Although many women performers came to prominence in the 1950s, women are not typically remembered as the instigators of rock and roll’s “big bang.”  While women performers  like Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey were some of the most successful recording artists in the era before rock and roll, the early days of rock and roll are typically characterized by the rebellious exploits of male artists like Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.  This class will explore the many women who were crucial to the rise of rock and roll including Ruth Brown, LaVern Baker, Wanda Jackson, Janis Martin, The Chantels, Etta James, and Big Mama Thornton – and consider how their musical sounds and performances contributed to the formation of rock and roll.

IT's as  good as it sounds...!!  Put it on your must do list

The Falls were majestic

Spent the day at the falls and took the Maid of the Mist boat ride. Weather said it was going to rain so it wasn't crowded at all - but no rain came.  The falls took my breath away.  The park was beautiful.  I didn't really get all the Indian Food booths but it made it more eclectic for sure.   Off to Cleveland tomorrow.   RockNRoll night school this Wed Night is Women of the 60's.  Will let you how it goes when I post on Thursday.

Falls were amazing !!

Village of Medina

In upstate NY between Rochester and Buffalo.    It turned from mountains to farm country fast on the way  in.  Visited a few Amish farms when I got lost yesterday in the car. Who knew there were that many kinds of flour?

 

I was on the hunt for some sceen door barrier "thing" because the moths love to "get in" at night .   There is some kind of foam tape you can put around the door (thank you Google) but I dont think the Amish carry it.   Will have to wait for another day and time. 

I am becoming a camping snob/hermit.  I love Sundays when all the "weekend campers" leave and it becomes so quiet.



Lovely lake outside my front door... now NOT FULL of kids and golf carts !!!!

On the road alone again....dropped off in Hartford and headed west

I dropped Rhianna and Nina off at the Hartford long term parking last night - it was sad for me.   They found lots of treasures during our week together.  It was a bigger  treasure for me to spend this time with them.

Arround 9PM said farewell  (surrounded by all their great good will buys)  then I started the two hours back to the RV in Rhinebeck.   It was a dark and scary drive in the woods almost the entire way.  I thought I was going to run out of gas but luckily one place was open till 11 PM and saved my (@#$%^!.   Spoke to Niki in California since it was still early there - wish she was with us too but she is headed to San Francisco this weekend for a big concert. 

I saw two deer on the road  and was happy NOT to hit them.  Rolled back into niRVana about 11:30 pm.  Got up this morning and headed west.  I am now camped in a very cute little town called The Village of Medina. Suppose to be a meteor shower tonight but it's a pretty BRIGHT moon right now.

Having a blast !   My wonderful husband  (Don)  double checks my GPS coordinates and makes reservations for me if I get too late on the road.  He keeps me going in the right direction (just like in our  life)

The Hudson River Valley - soooo cool

Woodstock was a must !!  My how times have changed.. .this is the Country Club not the Music Festival....

 The smallest Bank of America EVER...dont blink..

 NinaZ clogs at a store along the way (Nina was with us on this New England journey in niRVana, so it was very cool to see them in the store)

 Rhianna and I outside niRVana (she left her car in long term parking for the week so I didn't have to go into Brooklyn to get her)

Flowers and Veggies galore

The wild flowers and the farmers markets are WONDERFUL and everything you would hope for.  Fresh and Fun in the same package.  Here some guys are prepping the food for the market - just picked in the field behind this barn.

 Best tomatoes EVER....

Junk in the Trunk... new meaning

Antiques and Thrift Stores abound....  Rhianna and Nina have an eagle eye for "stuff" so we were on a mission to load them up for the Brooklyn Flea !!  This is the New England Junk Tour for sure...

Vermont is beyond expectations

Vermont was a magical place.  The landscape, the people and the peace were more than expected.  We visited farms, took walks and spent great time together.

Portsmouth New Hampshire antiques and veggies

The produce and flowers are AWESOME here.. we have a basket full of goodies to BBQ tonight & flowers and wine to go with it....

The antique shops are eclectic and inexepensive.  Rhianna wanted to buy an old theatre seat AND a bicycle... she wanted to strap it on the roof.... and I thought I was crazy !!

I am back at home camp and the two girls went out again to a thrift store.

Tomorrow we head to Concord NH and then on to Vermont.  We have two nights at Apple Island with a site on the lake.

8/6 Live Free or Die.... I think I am from New Hampshire in spirit

Great day in New Hampshire....  Portsmouth is awesome.  The people are no nonsense but totally cool.

We are in an RV Camp in the woods (no signs just turn behind the gas station and take the dirt road down the gully were the directions).  This is the road to "look for the gas station" on.... then go behind it... really folks cant we just have "one sign" to show the way??? 

Tomorrow we go to the Farmers Market, thrift stores and a farm.

8/5 WHERE ARE WE ??? OK a little too confident...

First off what the heck was I doing in The Bronx with 50 feet of vehicle on crowded streets on a Friday at 5 PM... NUT JOB !!!  I felt like a trucker in training on a reality TV show.   When I finally got out of NYC I met up with Rhianna (oldest daughter) in Hartford long term parking.  She left her car and we headed to New Hampshire.   Since we were late we only made it to MASS.   Really REALLY dedicated toll booth people in Mass is all I have to say.  They take it toll boothing very seriously compared to PA and NJ ...  no wonder taxes are so high -  I think these folks have MBA's in Toll Booth Mgmt.



Got a little too confident last night in where I can get in and out of.   it was very late and ended up in some neighborhood in Framington MASS about midnight.  Couldn't get out so just shut her down and spent the night at the end of a dead end street.

When I woke up we were at a beautiful lake in front of someone's house.   So I unhooked the tow car "quietly" then  backed out and rehooked before morning coffee.  They never knew and it was a peaceful night all around.

Next big move-  driving in downtown BOSTON to find the coolest "buy by the pound" thrift store EVER....

Amish Country 8/4 and 8/5

Beautiful country - interesting religion - really nice people.  The camp site had a vegitable garden and they just asked that you not take the chickens.

The pigs were spooning in a most trusting way.

I had new breaks put on the tow vehicle while I played around.

Raleigh 8/1 and 8/2

8/1 and 8/2 
1. Mike and Miriam were gracious hosts.   Mike made a sign that said "RV PARKING $10" and put it in front of their house.  He greeted us with an orange emergency vest to "guide us in"
2. Wonderful dinner, wonderful company and we had the RV looked at by a different Chevy dealer.
3.  This one said it was a "loose hub cab" - REALLY... this is the big truck service center ???
4.  I dropped Don off at the airport and headed out on my own... SCARY !!!!
5. Got stuck in a parking lot and had to unhook the tow and back up and reconnect TWICE !!!  So much respect for truckers now.
6.  Drove all night and pulled into a black hole about midnight -  I found an empty space and fell into bed - only plugged in electric so I wouldnt die of heat.
7.  Took off for Amish country and stayed on the road all day to get there
My two new best friends are my GPS and my back up camera

7/28 to 7/30 Nirvana Noses to the North

I have been remiss in posting as we (niRVana and I) headed north to find something less humid and cooler.  Let me catch you all up.

1- niRVana and I headed out of Tampa the last week of July for our 2nd trip

2.  Don decided to join me on this leg.  He is WONDERFUL to do this since I was afraid of towing the CAR PLUS this 32 foot wonder.  So we bought a return ticket home from Raleigh for him.  He took off with me headed to Charleston to see an old friend.    About two hours in we heard a squealing and IT WAS NOT not from JOY.   We stayed our first night at a KOA and then hit a Chevy dealer the next day as we arrived in Charleston.

3. Our wonderful friend met us - Mr. Denver Watts- who we last saw in 1969 - yes 42 years ago!  He came and got us at the Chevy dealer and we spent the night with him and his wife Susan.   Denver was the drummer and Don was the guitar player in the band in Japan..... memories exploded into the evening.