8 great iPhotos

In front of visitor's center, Lancaster, PA   Love the tree

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Amish farmer hauling corn

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Amish school in session

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Drying tobacco

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Amish farm-notice laundry on line drying

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 Hauling bales of alfalfa

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Tobacco

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 Tobacco

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September 19, 2010

Hi all, 

A couple of weeks ago we took an overnight trip to Lancaster County, PA and here are just a few sights that we saw.   

This was the first time that I saw any tobacco in the area.  It might have been there but we had never seen it growing or drying in a barn.  

We also saw another Amish schoolhouse with the children playing outside but I did not want to take their picture out of respect for them.   They looked cute in their dresses and suits.  It was fun just driving on the back roads and seeing the farms.  

We went to Roots Market which is open only on Tuesdays and it covers many acres.  It is a very big farmers market with mostly local grown fruit and vegetables.  There are several large buildings with commercial items.  Several meat type deli's and I had my first Lebanon bologna.  Hmmmmmmmmmmmm!  Different from any bologna I have eaten.  They also have auctions there, and even a large flea market.  You name it, they have it.  But it was fun to walk around and see everything.  I was even able to buy Watkins Vanilla which I think is the best. (my mother's influence)

Last week on our days off we went to Fairfax, VA to see our chiropractor there.  We have gone to him every year we have been here.  We then spent the night at Andrews Air Force Base in the brand new Presidential Inn.  It was very nice and looking out our window all we could see were trees and no cars.  Hard to believe we were in the middle of a large metropolitan area.  There was much road and building construction on base.  In fact, there was a lot of road work being done all across the US.  Stimulus money being well spent as far as we could tell. 

We have only eleven more days here at New Windsor Conference Center and then our "work" will be finished for the time being.  It is a good feeling to be a volunteer.  We plan to leave on Oct. 1.  We will slowly make our way across the US on interstate 70 and 50.  We had some timeshare points we needed to use or lose by Oct. 31 so we are staying in Vail, CO a week and then in Snowbird, UT a week.  We will be home by Oct. 23 or 24 for a few days and then we are going to Rockaway Beach, OR for a week.  Another timeshare week we had to use. Then we will be home early Nov. for a while.  At least through Christmas.  Right now we just feel like being home for a while. 

We left our motorhome in Seattle and at some point we have to get it back to CA. 

We trust this finds you well and enjoying life.  We are. 

Thanks for your notes.  It is ALWAYS good to hear from you.  

Love and hugs to you all, 

Mom and Dad

Ric and Jan(ice)

8 great iPhotos Sept 2010

Great Falls National Park Potomac River, Virginia side

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this shows about a third of the picnic grounds in the park

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Maryland side of Great Falls 

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Opening the gates by hand to the canal for the boat to go through

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Donkeys pulling the boat

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Maryland side of Potomac River

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Canoe going over rapids/falls

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Sept. 14,  2010

Hi, 

I am very much behind with our pictures and adventures.  Great Falls National Park was a great place to go and we did it in two days.  We went to the Va side first and the next morning we went to the Maryland side.  It is in the Wa DC area.  The scenery was beautiful and we learned a lot about the Potomac River and the history of the canals. The river was too rocky in this area and since it was used for transportation, it was decided to put a canal on the VA side. The first canal even had locks but was used only 26 years, until 1826.  George Washington was very involved in this.  Va owned its side and MD owned its side but Maryland had the water rights. There was a document that was written at Mount Vernon concerning who had what rights and is used to this day when there are disputes about the river. Recently a case went to the supreme court and it was decided according to the document.  It was actually written before the constitution. 

In 1828, ground was broken for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal which was on the MD side of the canal just across from the other one.  It had many locks with massive stonework and miles of canals, but before it was finished, the railroad took over transportation and the canal was never completed.  We saw some of what was built and they now have a boat ride down the canal as is evidenced in the pictures.  It finally closed in 1924.  It ran 184 miles along the Potomac River and had put many to work for many years. It was a very interesting day to see how thing once were on the river. 

That is all for now and I will send more pictures soon. 

Our best to you and we enjoy your responses.

Ric and Jan(ice)