2012 Spring to Colorado

    

Well, from the very start it was an eventful trip. Unfortunately not all events were good ones. First off was a breakdown which led to damage to the truck. Next came a trailer tire blowout. Then it was the death of a longtime & very dear friend in Colorado followed by a visit to another friend which turned out to be our last.

As can be seen from the route map we still managed to cover a bit of ground though not as much as planned. We were headed to the Pacific Northwest again but like the first time we tried in 2009, it was not to be. Remember in 2009 we lost the trailer in Wyoming.

We were about a month late getting started this year due to difficulty in getting one of our apartments rented so it was early May when we showed up at Severn Marine, Tilghman, MD for the usual few days of preparation & provisioning.

Martinak State Park, Denton, MD

Martinak SP

Doing some experimenting with a new to me camera 

I hate doing bodywork. Finally repairingdamage from a Washington SP attack post
in 2010. I forget that dually wheel bulge sometimes.

What a way to do a wedding! These guys rented the waterfront house in the background which had enough room to accommodate all of their friends, college style sleep where you drop, has a pool, had the ceremony with the shore as backdrop  and reception in a large tent on the other side of the house. 

Boatyard hosts Carl & cousin Toni

Knapps Narrows drawbridge. The busiest drawbridge
on the East Coast. On demand service 24/7/365 

Never stop looking at boats. If we get back into
boating it will be something like this.

Never give a mans job to a woman. She is trying to get the fire going with a handheld fan.

Chippokes Plantation S P

The first of a few vehicle ferrys. This one free, crossing the James River to Williamsburg, VA.

James River ferry

Historic Jamestown, VA. Surprised not much is said about the Bermuda link with Sir George Somers etc. but the whole thing was very well done & took a full day to see.

More lethal to the operator than the target 

 

Chippokes Plantation

Works of art for those who like aviation.

Oshkosh, Wisconson Air Adventure show

Does this make me look fat???

Rides for $90

Mitchell

Mustang

Mustangs on the line

The business stuff of the Mustang

2011 Fall trip: Redneck & Culture Tour

So, how can one mix redneckery & culture?

This trip mixed a bit of both with a bluegrass festival (redneck), two smalltown demo derbys (redneck), two Celtic festivals (culture), a state fair (culture(, Annapolis Boat show (culture), Tilghman Day workboat competitions (redneck) & Punkin Chunkin (redneck).



As usual it was pick up truck & trailer, reprovision at the Amish Market, weekend in Tilghman then off to first event in N Alabama way off the highway in the hills for a three stage two day bluegrass festival. Some of the best music is when people attending get together after the shows to pick late into the night.

Bluegrass is alive & well for future generations

Bluegrass jammin in Alabama

Next for redneckery was a visit to 'Unclaimed Baggage' In Scottsboro AL. If you have ever lost your baggage this is where it ends up. You name it. It is here being sold at about 50% of what Walmart price would be. The difference is that lots of high end stuff is on the racks such as leather jackets presumably left in overhead bins.

Still more redneckery at Coeburn, VA, a place you would never find on a map unless you had a very good reason. Crash or Rama was a very good reason to stop there. We had skid car racing (front wheel drive cars with no rear wheels), trailer racing, figure 8 racing, burnouts, & of course the demo derby finishing with the RV demo derby.

The end of the RV demo derby

Headed for its last drive

Can't beat free camping right next to the track

The trailer race

RV Demo Derby

Trailer race

RV carnage

Virginia Appalachians

When folks visit Washington DC everyone does the museums, especially the National Air & Space Museum. Well this is the one where the big  stuff is kept, all indoors, & enough to keep you busy for a day.

Air museum at Washington Dulles airport

One of the Concords

A late 30s Beechcraft

Drum with legs, Highland festival, VA

Could not help but wonder what would happen if this was Bermuda. Every guy was walking around with either a 10" knife in a leg sheath or carrying a sword. Gotta love a pipe band. There were plenty of them.

Somebody who looks a little familiar

Another somewhat familiar face

Virginia State Fair: Yes it works

This was our first state fair. We did it for a couple of weekdays to avoid the big crowds. It covers a huge area. Take our Botanical Gardens, the whole property, & multiply it by at least 5 times. That is just the Fair area. Not counting parking.

Chain saw carving

Amazing work

Back in Tilghman, MD for a day at the Annapolis Powerboat Show the Tilghman Day for the workboat docking contests & racing.

Yes, they are very much alive

I am sooo wise

Extra high tide at Severn Marine, Tilghman, MD

Needed a stepping block

It almost got to the truck

A bunch of captions could be put to this one

A seaside Delaware CG sunset

After Tilghman Day we had some time to kill so off we went to Delaware, where there is no sales tax, for some shopping in Dover. After that we did a slow amble down the Delaware & Maryland Atlantic seashore to Assategue Island National Seashore. This area is best known for its wild ponys which are everywhere.

Assateague Island National Seashore, MD

Assategue Sunset

Another Highland Games

This one at VA state fairgrounds

All by our lonesomes: spooky dark when those lights were shut off.

A few of the big guns

Punkin Chunkin camping

The Chunk is one of those events that has to be done at least once. Crazy machines built by guys who have way to much spare time on their hands.

Big guns firing line

Martinac State Park, MD. All set to go. Next stop, storage barn.