Hello from Chester Co. Pa.
We arrived yesterday after a busy time viewing many sites in Washington DC.
We decided to revisit this area of Pa which is just outside Philadelphia because my husband's family landed here in 1700's and helped start one of the early Quaker meeting houses. We also hope to drive to NJ to visit a dear friend of my mother's. Our stop here is for 11 days.
Catch up:
March 24: attended another Gullah event at the Pinckney House...a storytelling event with Aunt Pearlie Sue. It was fun and delightful and moving. A wonderful teller who connected with all of us...no matter where we were from. Then that evening attended the Snowbird Potluck or Pass the dish (?) at the Mt Pleasant KOA...so good to gather with campers again and exchange stories and good wishes. The camp provided a fabulous cake...road decorations and all. Great food and warm hugs.A fitting way to end the winter travel season.
March 26: final lunch with our Temis friend before she drove back to Canada.Hard saying goodbye. In the aft we flew kites but the wind was iffy.
Mar 27: Said goodbye to neighbours who are heading north. We worked on domestic tasks and the rv engine.
March 28:even though I wasn't feeling that well we drove into Charleston and walked the Legare street loop. lovely walk into the Unitarian cemetery...so beautiful and calm. Many of the houses were being prepped for the Garden & House tours...the flowers were out...it was a long walk but gorgeous. We lunched at Eli's Table on the patio this time. Then we walked to the waterfront park near the cruise ships. Our last day in Charleston and a very good one. We did take lots of pics....but I need help posting them.soon?
March 29: some packing and tidying up then we drove to the beach (Isle of Palms) and flew kites in very heavy winds!!! The 25-30 miles an hr and my big kite with laundry was too much as I discovered while driving the next 2 days and even a couple of weeks later...my arms still hurt. The beach was so glorious to be on...we stayed out longer than usual and then had dinner at Coconut Joe's looking at the activity on the beach and the sunset. Great goodbye to this area of Carolina.
Mar 30: departed Mt Pleasant...sad to say goodbye to the manager and staff...we have been made to feel at home again here. Wish them a good season. We drove north on the hwy...traffic getting busier and busier with many many rvs heading home. My arms were sore and I was tired. We departed at 9 am and arrived at Enfield KOA about 5:30 pm. This KOA is just off I95 and there were at least 7 rvs ahead of us to book in...quite the overnight stop for heading north ...couldn't figure why else someone would camp there. Lots of traffic noise but we were safely off the road. So much pollen on my car...my husband is bothered by the high count still. In the morning as we prepped to leave and I used the restrooms...there was so much moisture I almost slipped just walking into the room.
Mar 31: Continued to the Lothian camp...Duncan's family camp just outside Washington DC. We got off the I95 at a hwy 301 or 307...that headed right by our camp and kept us from driving the beltway around Washington...which I remember doing last yr and it was so stressful...so our drive was slower and more direct. Had lunch in a CVS pking lot...my arms were so so sore. We arrived at Duncan's Camp about 3 pm. Whew the temps are much colder than we have been used to but the site we have is at the end of a row and looks out on trees.
Apr 1 we rested and settled into the camp.
Apr 2 we drove to the Metro station...parked the car and bought Smartcards which would be easy to use on the Washington subway and pay for parking on the return. This set a pattern each day (almost) of driving in to parking lot and taking the subway to downtown Washington DC. All the tourist info recommends this way of visiting the city...it was so comfortable and timely...we drove for 30 mins ..parked and then took a 25 min subway train ride into the center of DC....then we walked and walked and visited as much of the Smithsonian buildings as we could ...for 8 days...there is so so much to see at the Smithsonian...there were busloads of students and tourists also visiting!!! The 100th Cherry Blossom Festival was on...we did get to some events but the blossoms had happened already. We also were in Washington on Easter Monday...oh my...the families visiting sites after going to the White House Easter egg roll...and yes I smelled chocolate strongly as we walked by the White House. We also visited a few Art Galleries and the Martin Luther King Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. I found it humbling to visit the Memorials...to actually be in those spaces and to think of these men and their lives.
It was a very packed 2 weeks in the Washington DC area. We enjoyed the visit...I was anxious to be around so many young children all of a sudden...they weren't worried at bumping into someone but I was feeling fragile as we walked about.We did use a wheelchair for me a few times in the National Art Gallery which eased some strain on my legs. Strong memories of wheeling my mother around galleries years ago. I also noted such a different view of the art from the wheelchair!
Loved the Smithsonian!!!
April 14th We departed Duncan's camp about 10 am and took small hwys up to Annapolis...over the bridge to the penninsula and then north into Pennsylvannia...we stopped for lunch at a picnic table by a lake...so peaceful...the Canada goose was sleeping on the water. We crossed the Sassafrass River and the Bohemia River on this scenic drive. We arrived here at about 2 pm...a camp we first saw about 8 yrs ago. It is on the Brandywine river and we are tucked into a hillside with trees and birds and views. There is a Hobbity feeling to this area for me.
We are near Kennett Square and West Chester where my husband's family first settled. The country has rolling hills...lovely villages and my husband is breathing a little easier.
Sunshine & Laughter
Hugs
Anne
