NOAH JUST LEFT THE AREA

Yesterday, it was wierd animals.  Today it is the huge boat that came sailing by.  

Yes, it has been raining here in Virginia.  We hear some places have gotten 5 to 10 inches of rain.  We are cozy in our warm, little motorhome.  There are just a few puddles here and there - no flooding.  There are some areas in peril thought.  Our First Alert Radio has been talking to us frequently since yesterday at 4:00 am!!!!

Presidents Park

Just a few miles from where we are staying is the Presidents Park.  It has huge busts of all the presidents.  We did not go it because it was just too much money for what they had.  We just learned it closed on September 30th.  Maybe others felt the same way.

To All our Family & Friends Who Have Motorcycles

When we were in Virginia Beach a few months ago, we noticed the Boneshakers Saloon.  We saw several rallies where motorcycle riders gather filled the parking lot and down the road.  We decided to have lunch there.  It was GOOD!

The bottom sign says - 

Maybe It's Not

Home Sweet Home

Adjust

 Their logo

It is Official - We have Stink Bugs

Well, we have had cockroaches, we have had ants, we have had mud daubers, we have had ladybugs, we have had flies, we have had frogs, spiders, grasshoppers and crickets.  We even had a squirrel eat some of the wiring in our car.  Now we have had stink bugs.  They are not harmful to humans or to our motorhome.  But, ugh, I am ready for them to go away!!!  Back to Google and research how to control stink bugs. Saw four of them yesterday!!!  The one thing I learned. They do not lay eggs in a house/RV.  They lay them on leaves.  Thank God!!!  In spite of the fact they do make a stink I have not notice it.  Thank God again!!!!

World's Largest RV Show

Fall is in the air and, yes, the leaves are turning. It was a beautiful day to take a trip to the RV show in Hersey Pennsylvania. I understand they serve chocolate beer in Hersey! Ugh!The interesting thing about the Pennsylvania Turnpike and other northeast turnpikes you pay a toll to get on and a toll to get off. So to give you gas and food along the way they have service centers. If you want to go to a favorite chain restaurant you may be out of luck unless you want to travel side highways. The good news, of course, is that it is straight through. No fuss, no muss unless there is an accident then turtle pace.


Along the turnpike most of what we saw were farms. In this part of the U. S. there are lots of stone barns and houses. Some of them are very old.

We arrived in Hersey and confirmed the Pennsylvania RV & Camping Association Show is the World's Largest RV show because, well, it took us about an hour to get from the freeway to the show. It is held in the Giant Center which is right next to Chocolate World.

This was just the main area in the middle of the center. There were also booths on both sides of the hallway around the entire third floor. Whew! And, I walked it!!! Also, there were new model RVs of all types and sizes covering the front parking lot. Unbelieveable.

We got to see Chuck Woodbury from Edmonds, Washington. He has the largest RV bookstore online and a great RVTravel e-newsletter. You can see more at RVTravel.com. We consider Chuck as the guy who was instrumental in getting us prepared and off to our endless vacation.

To All You Bowlers

Every once and awhile we will find something unusual in our travels. Like the tree filled with tennis shoes in Bend, Oregon or the stack of wheelbarrels higher than a house in Cle Elem, Washington. This house is about a mile or two away from us.  It is surrounded by bowling balls, yes, bowling balls.

New York, New York

Besides Washington DC I have always wanted to see New York. We did not actually go into New York. We were in New Jersey looking across New York Bay. That is where we caught the ferry to Ellis Island and The Statute of Liberty. Next year we may be closer and have a little time to actually go into New York. But the view was thrilling just the same.

To get from the Philadelphia area we took the New Jersey Turnpike. It is a 12 lane freeway. It was really different. There were three northbound lanes for cars and three lanes for cars and trucks. Then there were three southbound lanes for care and three lanes for cars and trucks. It was really clever how you would get off or on the car lanes -- you would go over the truck lanes.Here is is my first sight of New York.

To catch a ferry to Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty on the New Jersey side you go to Liberty State Park. Tickets are bought at the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal. What a railroad station!!! Before you can get on the ferry you go through security that is more sensitive than airport security. My hairclip made the buzzer buzz.

This is the Goldman Sachs building. It is on the Jersey side of New York Bay. It is also the tallest building in New Jersey.

Of course, one has to find and point out the Empire State Building.

There she is -- New York, New York -- this is Manhattan.

One cannot go to New York without thinking about the World Trade Centers. They were located among the five taller buildings in this picture. This is Lower Manhattan.

The famous Brooklyn Bridge is in this picture. It is the bridge behind the bridge in front on the East River.

The New York Bay is always busy. There is a Coast Guard Boat.

I believe this is the famous Staten Ferry.

And, of courese New York Police boats.

Ellis Island

You could spend days on Ellis Island especially if you wanted to research your geneology. It has all kinds of records available.

This is the American Flag of Faces. It is a new way to honor your family in America at historic Ellis Island. All Americans are eligible to post a photo on the Flag, whether it is a picture of your ancestors, your family today, even yourself. What is cool about this flag is it changes.

Lance remembered his grandfather came from Germany through Ellis Island. He though his name was George Kuhlmann. We found it on American Immigrant Wall of Honor.

The Memorial Wall holds 700,000 names of individual and families whose names were place there in tribute by their descendants and clelbrates their arrival in America regardless of when they came or through which port they entered.

Lady Liberty - Symbol of Freedom

Oh, my God!!! What a sight. God Bless America starting running through my mind when I saw this. Magnificent!!! What more can I say!

INDEPENDENCE HALL

Here is Lance stepping back in time...

Here is where it all happened. The Declaration of Indepedence was debated, written and signed here. The Articles of Confereration and the Constitution were debated, written and signed here. This is where we became the United States of America.

This painting is of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It includes all the men who signed it. There is one man in front of the table who has his back to us. It was because this painting was done much later and no portraits could be found of him. The artist wanted to be sure to include him because he was a signer so this is how he solved it (sorry I forget his name)

This is the original Declaration of Independence -- it is preserved in low light in the Gallery of Essentials in the Independence Hall complex. It was signed officially by the Continental Congress on 8/2/1776.

This is the Articles of Conferderation and Perpetual Union. On June 12, 1776, a day after appointing a commitee to prepare a draft the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress resolved to appoint a commite of thirtheen to prepare a draft of a constitution. They were approved after ratification by the States on November 15, 1777.

It was felt that the Articles of Confederation lack the necessary provision for an effective government. There was no president or executive agencies or judiciary. There was no tax base. On September 17, 1787, the Constitution was signed and when ratified by nine of the thirteen states became effective March 4, 1789.

This is the silver ink stand made by Philip Syng which was used in

the signing of the Declaration of Indpendence.

This is the room the Continental Congress met. The chair is the original chair

that George Washington sat in.