Family & More

We got settled into our new home (Mikey really likes laying in the leaves!) and the next day met with volunteer coordinator Ranger Kevin for our orientation. Rich and Kay, the other set of hosts, would be going through the daily routine with us over the next couple of days, and then after two days off, we’d be on our own. Our schedule is 4 days on and then off 4 days until right after Christmas, at which time Rich and Kay will leave, and we’re on our own for the rest of our time at Greenbelt. At that point we’ll be on 5 days with 2 days off during the week. The job is fairly easy and still affords us time to see the sights and visit family.

One thing we’ve never done when in DC is a tour of the White House (http://www.whitehouse.gov/), and so several months before arriving at Greenbelt, I contacted our senator in FL to request a tour (all requests must be submitted through one of your congressional members). Even though we gave a 4 month window for which to schedule, we received confirmation for 12 noon on Nov. 5 (right after we arrived!) and hoped this was going to be ok with Kevin since when we received confirmation we didn’t know our schedule. All worked out perfectly, and we were excited about this opportunity to visit “the people’s house”.

Tours are free of charge and self-guided, and most items are prohibited including cameras and purses. (Photo above was taken on a previous DC trip.) Only 8 rooms and 3 halls are open to the viewing public, but 3 of those rooms are roped off allowing you to only peer in the doorway. It was kind of cool though to walk through the East Room and the State Dining Room, places you’ve seen on TV during receptions, ceremonies, funerals, and the like. There are many original historical items scattered throughout the rooms such as Dolly Madison’s French candlesticks and James Monroe’s parlor chairs as well as many portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies. Secret Service agents are stationed in each room not only for security purposes but to answer questions, and they are very knowledgeable. In the Entrance Hall just before exiting the building was a very unique grand piano that is decorated with folk dancing scenes and large gilt American Eagle supports. According to the agent, it was presented by the Steinway Co. in 1938 to commemorate the production of Steinway’s 300,000th piano (photo compliments of Steinway.com) and has been used by performers like Elton John during White House performances.

It took us only about 45 minutes to complete the tour, and we were a little disappointed. Of course we did not expect to see the First Family, but we had expected to see a little more than we did. However, with this tour of the White House, we still got to do and see something most Americans don’t.

Shortly after arriving in MD, we learned that our good friends Paul and Anne, who we thought were already on their way to FL, were actually still at their son’s in MD only an hour away. We made plans to meet at a Ruby Tuesday’s located about halfway between for an early dinner the following week. By planning it for about 3pm we figured the place wouldn’t be busy and we’d have time for a nice leisurely visit, which we did. We neglected to take a photo so this one from last year will have to suffice.

One of the nice things about being in this area is that our sisters are only a few hours away so plans for a couple visits were definitely in the works. A couple weeks after our arrival, I made a trip north to see my sister in Rehoboth Beach, DE, for a couple of days. This was a more laid back visit than in previous years, and we had a good time just hanging out and chatting though we did fit in a little shopping. I prepared my famous homemade lasagna one night for the 3 of us, and we ordered pizza another night (hmmmm…was there an Italian theme here?) Though our visits are always brief, we still enjoy our time together, and we’re both excited that I’ll be heading up there in Feb. to help her celebrate her 50th birthday!

The following week was Thanksgiving, and as it so happened we were off duty, and made plans to visit Russ’ sister in NJ for the holiday. This was the first time we were going without the RV and spending the night in their house in years. Besides their two Scottish terriers, their daughter’s dog, Zena, now lives with them, too. She’s a 135 lb. Rottweiler and such a big baby! In fact she sometimes thinks she’s a lap dog as you can see in this photo of her on Bill’s lap. After the initial getting-to-know-you barks and sniffs, the dogs got along great, and Mikey and Abby loved having free rein of the backyard with no leashes.

There are 2 new grandbabies, and I was excited about getting to meet them. Kristi and Hector came by with 4 month old Alexander our first night, and Maggie and Billy came by the next morning for breakfast with their latest addition, 7 month old Ryan. Maggie and Billy were spending Thanksgiving dinner with her family, but we all made sure to get pictures of Ryan with his big brothers before they left. (Below right L-R: Josh, Ryan, and Will)




Kristi, Hector, and Alexander joined us for dinner, and Terri had made enough food to feed an army! Taylor and Boo (Matthew) stopped by in time for dessert, and it was nice to see them, too, if even only briefly. Though this visit with the Johnson family was also short, it was nice to relax with family and we're looking forward to another visit before we leave the area.

Small Town Southern Hospitality

*Critters we’ve seen on our 2011 trip so far: yellow-bellied marmot, mule deer, bison, moose, pronghorn antelope, elk, coyote, beaver, black bear, grizzly, bighorn sheep, wolf, mountain goat, white-tailed deer
*Birds we’ve seen on our 2011 trip so far: mountain bluebird, golden eagle, Indigo bunting, Lazuli bunting, Say’s Phoebe, yellow-rumped warbler, Western Tanager, bald eagle, blue heron, American white pelican, trumpeter swan, osprey, magpie, mountain bluebird, Clark’s Nutcracker
*National Parks/Monuments visited on 2011 trip so far: 9
*State Parks visited on 2011 trip so far: 1

On our way to see John and Nancy in Union, we made a brief stop at Vicksburg National Military Park (http://www.nps.gov/vick/vick). Inside the Visitor’s Center we watched an orientation film that gave an overview of the battle, checked out the many exhibits (including an 1868 sculpture titled “The Council of War”), and viewed the fiber-optic map aided by an audio narration that chronicles the movements and battles of the Union and Confederate armies. It covers 110 days of history in about 6 minutes helping one better understand what occurred. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to tour the grounds but vowed we’d return another day as it reminds us so much of Gettysburg, another historical location we enjoy visiting.

Union, MS, a small town of a little over 2,000, and the hometown of Nancy and John (aka Bubba). Both were born and raised there so were the best tour guides a body could ask for. Only a couple blocks from their house is the city park where the doctor who owned it installed about 10 campsites, 4 with full hookups, all for only $15/night (payable at City Hall where I even got to meet the mayor!) It’s not a big park but a nice little oasis in the middle of town complete with a baseball field and community center. Once we got settled into our spot, Mikey and Abby were so happy to see their friends Oogie and Lacey and had a little rompfest before we put them back in the RV and then walked back to Bubba and Nancy’s house (told you it was only a couple of blocks!)

It was time to begin our tour of the area, and the first stop was Bolers Inn which was built in 1835. Legend is that when Gen. Sherman spent the night there during the Civil War, he didn’t burn the town because of its name…Union. The Inn wasn’t open when we were there but evidently tours are available.

They drove us through various neighborhoods, pointing out all the points of interest, regaling us with stories (and Bubba can tell some stories!), and headed towards the fairgrounds. Neshoba County Fair (est. in 1889) is home to the state’s only licensed horse track and the nation’s largest campground fair known as “Mississippi’s Giant Houseparty”. As quoted in a local magazine, “It’s Mardi Gras meets county fair meets Kentucky Derby meets carnival meets cooking contest.” About 600 colorfully decorated cabins line the “streets” in the fairgrounds, and these cabins are prized possessions, passed down from generation to generation. They range in size from single story to three-story structures but most appeared to be two-story. Nancy and Bubba’s place overlooks the race track (a prime location) and is filled with quite an eclectic array of items as are all the cabins evidently. Upstairs bunk beds are crammed together that can sleep roughly 30 people (don’t know why I didn’t get a photo of that), and they felt they needed to install a "fire escape" (photo at right)...looks safe to me!









From here it was on to the nearby town of Philadelphia, MS, home to Williams Brothers Store, a true old-fashioned general store that was founded in 1907 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Talk about one stop shopping! People come from miles around to buy everything from groceries to clothing to seed to horse collars and so much more. As you walk in the front door, there’s a man busily slicing fresh bacon and another cutting wedges of cheese, all to your specifications of thickness. The place is broken up into various rooms, and towards the back you’ll find a slew of football jerseys sporting Eli or Peyton Manning’s numbers and a wall full of photos of them and their father, Archie, because the owners of the store are none other than the Manning brothers’ grandparents. The boys even worked there in their younger days!









We made a quick stop at one of the local Indian casinos, and then it was back to their place for supper and to watch some of the World Series (which the Cardinals won a few days later!) Our visit with John and Nancy was all too short, but we thank them for being such excellent hosts and look forward to another visit one of these days and some more of that small town southern hospitality.

Bright and early the next morning we hit the road because we needed to be in Orlando the following day. Once there we spent the next three days at our annual doctor appointments and emptying our storage unit. We were tired of paying the $90/month so went through every box deciding what to donate, throw out, or keep. The RV and car were now literally packed with everything we own. Our plan is to eBay some of our Department 56 collection this winter and figure out what to do with the rest of the stuff while hanging out in MD.

Our 2011 trip was now complete as we finally arrived at Greenbelt Park (www.nps.gov/gree/) on Oct. 31 ready to start our 4 month stint as Campground Hosts the next day.