I have really enjoyed visiting Connecticut. A highlight was going to the Mystic Seaport Museum. They had some historic ships to see as well as a number of demonstrations. It was quite interesting.
Mystic, Connecticut!
Author: Ed Armstrong
New York City!!
I had a fantastic time in New York City! It has been years and years since I have visited. The 9/11 museum was not open the last time I was there.
I started my visit by seeing the Charging Bull and the New York Stock Exchange. I am so grateful that we live in a capitalistic society. Capitalism is not always pretty, but it sure beats the alternatives.
Next, I visited the 9/11 museum. This has always been a very tender time for me. My father died on September 4, 2011. We had his funeral the following weekend and then the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred right after the funeral. The combination of those two events has always been difficult for me.
I really enjoyed walking through the 9/11 museum. The people who put the contents together really deserve high praise. It is very well done. It is respectful to all the people who died, and yet is it very factual describing what happened. I encourage everyone to see it. It brought back many memories.
Next, I rode a ferry out to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. I learned that both Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty are actually in New Jersey and not New York state.
Atlantic City, New Jersey!
I love going on RV trips! There are so many things to see and places to discover. After entering New Jersey, I decided to visit Atlantic City. Gambling is not my thing, but the casinos and beaches in Atlantic City are quite famous.
The beaches here are beautiful. Many houses and apartments are located near the beach. I started my day early, so the locals were just starting their days too. The beaches will get much busier as it warms up during the afternoon.
Today’s weather was nice and cool. There was intermittent rain in the morning and overcast skies. Since Arizona and Texas are mostly blistering hot in June, it is absolutely wonderful to enjoy cool breezes and light rain this time of year! I woke up loving the cool breezes blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean!
I Love Chocolate!!
I had an incredibly fun day today! I started by driving to Hershey, Pennsylvania to the Hershey’s Chocolate World! Would you believe that I was the very first person to arrive in the parking lot! I had a tour scheduled for 9:00 am, as soon as the doors opened, so I did not want to miss it. I arrived early and walked around the outside of the building. I had a great deal of fun taking pictures with different company products. It was clear to me how successful they have been with their products.
I really enjoy Hershey’s milk chocolate. I have been to Belgium and eaten Belgium chocolate. It is famous and it is excellent chocolate. I have been to Switzerland and eaten Swiss chocolate. It is fantastic and I love it! I have also been to Germany and eaten German chocolate. It is wonderful and I love their chocolate. However, I have always said that my favorite is Hershey’s milk chocolate. The are all good, but there is something special that I have always loved about Hershey’s milk chocolate. It is my favorite!
It was extra fun going on a tour of Hershey’s chocolate and looking in their shop at all the different products for sale. Samples were not available, but it was wonderful to see all the chocolate items available!
After purchasing Hershey’s products, I drove 27 miles to Wilbur Chocolate in Lititz, Pennsylvania. I met several people at the local Elks lodge, and they were quite confident that Wilbur chocolate was superior to Hershey’s chocolate. I had never heard of Wilbur chocolate, so I received a helpful education about the company. The people I was talking with thought that Hershey’s chocolate was fantastic and that it was a huge, successful company. However, they thought that Wilbur was the better quality chocolate. Their website is:
My understanding is the Wilbur chocolate buds (sort of like a flat Hershey’s chocolate kiss) are one of the items they are most know for. Wilbur buds existed before Hershey’s kisses were created. Also, their chocolate covered malt balls are supposed to be fantastic. I looked at many of the products available and felt like I needed to buy several of the items to try them out. Their milk chocolate and peanut butter cup was absolutely outstanding! I also talked with Wilbur chocolate about how to ship delicate chocolate to hot climates like the deserts of Arizona. My taste buds loved the opportunity to enjoy various chocolate delicacies today!
Gettysburg National Military Park!
Wow! It was amazing to see the Gettysburg National Military Park. I had heard from several people how powerful it was to go through the exhibits and visit the battlefields. I bought a ticket to do everything. I watched the movie, viewed the circular painting of the battle, and went on the bus tour with a guide reviewing the three day battle.
My tour guide spent 30 years in the army special forces, so he especially enjoyed telling us about the respective army strategies and high terrain and it implications. I spent more than 7 hours going through everything and I think I only touched the surface of what is there.
I highly recommend a visit!!
Lancaster, Pennsylvania!!
I really enjoyed seeing Lancaster, PA today. This is where Neil grew up, so it was extra special to explore the area. The area is beautiful with rich farmland. The Amish community gives the area a very nice flavor. It also is rich in history.
In the afternoon I shopped in Amish stores in the towns of Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania and Intercourse, Pennsylvania. Two very unusual town names. The Amish had quilt stores, baked goods, desserts, and all kinds of craftworks. I did not buy anything but a snack, but it was very fun to walk through all the shops.
I love all the green rolling hills. The streets are often narrow and wind up and down and left and right. I am staying in nearby Ephrata, PA. The GPS took me down a road where I was supposed to cross covered bridge over a river. The problem was that there was a huge sign that said the bridge is 10 feet 6 inches and the motorhome is 11 feet 3 inches tall. Rather than crash into the bridge, I spontaneously turned left and hoped to find another way over the river. Fortunately, I connected to another road that had an uncovered bridge and I was able to cross the river. I love GPS systems, but sometimes they drive me crazy. Thank goodness I saw the sign and could reroute myself!
I am really enjoying the weather here. The high is 76 degrees and the low is 53 degrees. No air conditioning needed. No heater needed. Great temperatures to enjoy being a tourist!
Beautiful Delaware!!
When traveling, there are all kinds of unexpected discoveries. For me, one of the special discoveries in Delaware are all the trees! They are beautiful and very green. After spending so much time in Texas and Arizona, it is beautiful to see such lush vegetation.
As I drove into Dover, Delaware I was surprised to see pine trees along the route. Suddenly the trees shifted into being more and more pine trees. I love them! They made me think of growing up in Flagstaff.
When I arrived at my spot to park the RV, I was pleasantly surprised to see all the trees around me. I was the only person there, so it was extremely quiet and peaceful! What an incredibly beautiful setting!!
The high temperature was 77 degrees when I arrived, and it started raining. This is a huge change from Texas and Arizona in June!! It was a powerful rain that was nice to watch and listen to the sound on the motorhome. This morning, it was 54 degrees!! I needed my house shoes. I have not needed them since leaving Colorado Springs!
Simple things like green trees and rain are very nice to enjoy!
Assateague Island National Seashore!
After arriving in Maryland, I discovered that the Assateague Island National Seashore was less than an hour away. I remember has a child in elementary school reading about the wild horses on Assateague Island. I made that my first stop this morning!
The horses on Assateague Island are wild and roam freely. When people visit the island, there is no guarantee that you will see the horses. When I entered the area, I drove carefully looking for horses, but I got to the end of the road and never saw anything. I did see an 8 inch turtle motoring along the ground, but no horses.
However, as I was driving back, I saw a herd of wild horses eating along the bank. I turned the motorhome around and came back and was able to use my telephoto lens to better see the horses!
I also walked along the beach on the island. This is the only beach I have ever been at where there is horse poop on the beach.
The beaches are beautiful and people in the campgrounds primarily come to enjoy the peace and quiet and beautiful beaches.
I was so happy that I stumbled upon the wild horses! It was a special treat to see them!
I was driving to mail some postcards and came across the Sinepuxent Brewing Company in Berlin, Maryland. I love to discover breweries and distilleries, so I had to spontaneously stop. I did a tasting of 4 different beers and selected two for takeout purchase. The sealed them in large “beer cans.” I absolutely love spontaneous discoveries when traveling!!
Virginia Beach!
I drove the motorhome from Norfolk, Virginia to Virginia Beach. Yesterday it was hot and humid, but today was overcast and much cooler. The beach was beautiful and I walked down to the water and touched the Atlantic. The water was cool, but nice. The beach was filling up with people wanting to cool down from the hot weather and to enjoy Father’s Day.
It made me think that last month I was at the Pacific Ocean visiting John, Michelle, and David and now I was on the Atlantic coast.
I enjoyed walking along the boardwalk and going in different shops. There was one path for walking and an adjacent pathway designed only for bikes. After going through many shops, I went back to the motorhome and got my bike.
The weather was cool and I had a wonderful time riding my bike. I went all the way north to the military base. It was a perfect day to people watch, see a perfect beach, and enjoy excellent weather for bike riding. I think I was smiling from ear to ear.
Wright Brothers National Memorial!
North Carolina is a wonderful state and one of the highlights for me was going to the Wright Brothers National Memorial. I loved seeing where the first working airplane actually flew!!
It was amazing to learn about the Wright brothers’ creativity in approaching an unbelievable complex problem. Figuring out the wing design, propeller design, engine, and steering were simply astounding to me. They were insightful and “out of the box” thinkers. I truly marvel at their achievements! Their first successful flight was on December 17, 1903. They were the first to have powered flight with a “heavier-than-air machine!” It is truly a remarkable achievement!
Fiesta on Wheels 