The White Mountain in New Hampshire are very green and very beautiful! With the rain and snow every year, the many rivers are full and flow all around the area. I thoroughly enjoyed spending 3 days in the northern section of New Hampshire. I loved the covered bridges and the flowers growing everywhere!
Yesterday I was finally able to visit Acadia National Park. It was one of my top agenda items for this RV trip. I have heard from several people that it is spectacular, and they were 100% correct. The scenes were amazing. Walking along a path reveals new, gorgeous sites over and over. Imagine hearing the powerful sound of the waves as you look at the photos. The actual park is far superior to these photos, but they give a taste of the beauty of Acadia National Park.
I had a fantastic time visiting Plymouth, Massachusetts. I was amazed to stand on the location where the Pilgrims landed. As I stood on the shore, I kept thinking about all the downstream consequences that results from the arrival of the Pilgrims in Plymouth.
Plymouth rock was highlighted under a nice cover. That rock was nothing fancy, but at the same time, it changed everything. Very interesting to think about.
There was the Mayflower II in harbor that was interesting to see too.
After seeing Plymouth, I dove out to Cape Cod and then around to Cape Cod National Seashore. Cape Cod was much larger than I anticipated. It took quite a while to cross the bridge and then work my way along the peninsula.
I had a fantastic day in Rhode Island. I found a bike path that was created on an old railroad track. It was the William C. O’Neill South County Bike Path in Kingston, Rhode Island. I have ridden on other railroad tracks that have been converted into bike paths and absolutely loved the trails.
To my surprise, this bike path in Rhode Island was completely paved for the entire 7.2 miles. It was very smooth, beautiful, and a fantastic way to enjoy a beautiful day!
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.
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.
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 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!
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!!
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!
Fiesta on Wheels 