North Carolina

October 2nd, Thursday is the anniversary of our second month on the road. It is a reminder of how ironic it is that something that we have looked forward to for so long is soon to be in our rear view mirrors. We gave a heart felt farewell to Jim and Pat (and their neighbors) and left Thomasville behind. It was hard to leave Bill and Sharon's in Danville, it seemed more difficult to leave Uncle Lester and Aunt Betty Sue's and now it seemed even more difficult to leave Jim and Pat Little and ALL of our Little cousins. WE looked forward to seeing them for such a long time and now we have already said goodbye. This trip is too short. Both girls have been nothing but joyous. Every day. Without exception. Cocoa would probably be the one who would complain, if she could. She seems to miss her old routine but she is enjoying her homemade treats prepared by Jim and Pat's wonderful neighbors. Perhaps it isn't the routine that Cocoa is missing, perhaps it is the neighbors. We took a self guided tour aboard the Battleship North Carolina moored along Wilmington's Cape Fear River (same river as depicted in the movie). Audrey said, "This is better than the Nautilus." We had free reign of the ship; on her superstructure, on the deck, in the gun turrets, below deck. And most of it by ourselves (we were only with other tourists maybe five minutes out of two hours). All I can say is this, "They even had icecream." Dog gone it, Marine's were eating C-rations and these guys were enjoying ice-cream. I understand it was hot and cramped but my goodness, they had ice-cream. Who were the bright guys here???????????? October 1st, Wednesday Beginning the day in Thomasville we drove by the World's Largest Chair, commemorating the fact that Thomasville Furniture is based here. Unfortunately, for the town and the industry all of the manufacturing jobs have went abroad. Here in Thomasville all they do these days is repair the furniture that is made in places like China. Many of the manufacturing plants sit idle. Vacant and boarded. I have said it before and I'll say it again, we are losing the middle class in America. Thomasville is the only location in the United States where Confederate and Union troops are buried together. We went by the cemetery which holds the troops with their names on the headstones. We then drove to the nearby community of Salisbury. An elegant, older, NC town that is moving forward into the 21st century as it is becoming a prominent medical research center. At the old English Cemetery in Salisbury we looked upon the headstone of Captain Daniel Little (Revolutionary War) and read the monument commemorating the fact that there were British troops interred there. Later, during the Civil War Salisbury was the site of the first Confederate Prisoner of War Camp. At the beginning of the conflict, and before overcrowding was a problem, the Confederate Guards acted as umpires as the Union Troops played baseball. A photograph of a game at the Salisbury POW camp is the first such image of baseball in the world. Leaving Salisbury we drove north to Winston Salem. A bustling city that is doing well. Our reason for going there was to visit the "Old Salem" historic town site. We all loved it. We watched silversmiths, gunsmiths, wood makers, went to the Single Brothers House where we learned of 18th century Moravian Worship and listened to a wonderful organ recital. Then there was the Toy Museum which may not be the kids favorite, but it was near the top of my favorites. Items dating back to the 18th century were fascinating. We also toured the old boarding house and ate dinner in the same building that George Washington did during a visit here (this town site is not a re-creation of the town, but is the actual town that has been maintained and/or restored). At the boarding house we learned how the kitchen worked. But down the street at the bakery we not only got to learn of the method that the brick oven was heated, but also got to enjoy the bakers ware. Sweet onion bread. Delicious. Finally at Old Salem we made our way to the beautiful Moravian Church where a member answered questions about the denomination, it's history, and ended our individualized tour by playing the 2,400 pipe organ. All I can say, is I want to come back for a Christmas service. And, then Easter as well. On Monday we had driven through Silar City (Aunt Bee's home). Wednesday we drove to Mount Pilot (actually Pilot Mountain) mentioned in the Andy Griffith Series. We ran out of time to make it to Mt. Airy which is the actual boyhood home of Andy and which he memorialized as Mayberry. Pilot Mountain is a city located nearby Pilot Mountain which is an actual mountain that is part of the State Park of the same name. The mountain has a very similar shape to Wyoming's Devil Tower. But unlike the Towers' lava rock, Pilot is granite. Surrounded by woods made up mostly of oak. Con and I spotted numerous rhododendron bushes. Unlike our Olympic Peninsula woods that have thick undergrowth, here the canopy shades the ground so much that nary a bush grows. One could easily walk off trail here. The day was drawing to a close as was our time with Cousin Jim. We returned from out outing in time for the Wednesday Night Service at Jim's church. The night was dedicated to Jim's pastor, Donnie Durham and his wife. Countless members of the congregation gave accounts of Pastor Donnie's love and care and leadership of the congregation. Oh, did I mention that this service was after the potluck. 100% of the services that we attended at the Unity United Methodist Church had food later. Now, the bonus of this evening was that the girls' new found cousin, Katherine, had her 8th birthday. The family was going to celebrate at McDonald's after the service but decided to stay at the Church. Audrey, Hannah, Katherine, and her sister Hope gave an informal musical recital singing Amazing Grace, a campfire song and some others. The girls had duplicated the earlier service for Pastor Donnie by placing the birthday girl on a central chair, and then sat around her, taking their turns to express their feelings towards Katherine. Hannah started it out by saying words to the effect of, "I have known my cousin Kristan for two days and she is one of my favorite cousins. . . . . Oops, I mean Katherine." So, in essence the bookends for our time spent with Jim and Pat Little were around Unity Methodist Church. Sunday morning at the church and Wednesday evening at the church. Fitting. For there are a number of Little relatives that make up the congregation and for me it was simply comforting to be worshipping with so many relatives. Plus, the congregation is bubbling over with friendship and warmth and they do have a pretty fair Pastor in Donnie Durham. If I lived in the area (and we may when Audrey is the Veterinarian at the Asheboro zoo) I wouldn't hesitate to call Unity my home church. It would be hard to do any better. The quote for the day again by Audrey: "What is NASCAR?" September 30th, Tuesday Our cousins had suggested the North Carolina Zoo for the kids. Since we haven't been to a zoo on this trip we decided to try it out. It is huge, very modern with animals running on a "Savannah" instead of caged behind steel bars. We walked in the neighborhood of ten miles in the two environments of the zoo. Africa. North America. A great zoo that is one that if you have a Woodland Park Zoo pass in Seattle, you can use your pass for free admission here. Plus, you would recognize a very similar look between the two zoos. Two quotes for the day, both by Audrey Elizabeth: "Whad y'all want?" "I am going to be the veterinarian here at the zoo. Dad, you can come to North Carolina and visit your family and then when you're done you can come and visit me. Okay?" And, on a very sad note; we learned today that Con's Uncle Jerome passed away. Jerome was a brother of Con's dad, Bernard. Uncle Lester is Uncle Jerome's youngest brother and he is the last of the five Filicsky boys. With Jerome's passing we have lost all of the WWII Vets in the family. Jerome had gone to a WWII reunion in Washington, DC and as he stepped off of the plane in Indianapolis he had a massive heart attack. Our thoughts and prayers are for Uncle Jerome, his family and for Uncle Lester who not only was Jerome's brother, but was also a great friend. A little more than a week ago Con and I were looking at family pictures of Jerome and were talking with Uncle Lester of him. September 29th, Monday The day started as wonderful days do, with breakfast. The T-Ville Diner has the worlds best biscuits. Others may believe so, but I am telling you here and now, there are none better. Not made by your Mom, or your Aunt, or your favorite restaurant, not by anybody. The very best biscuits on the planet can be found in Thomasville, North Carolina. I would love to live here simply to have biscuits and gravy at this cafe at least once a week. Life would be great. Nuff said. We drove through the rolling mountains and hardwood forests interspersed by an occasional home or village. The terrain was beautiful and it happened to be the hills and hollers that my ancestors once walked. So for me the day was surreal. A church nearby the home. A grave of a grand uncle or a courthouse where the business of the day would have been contracted by my ancestors and relatives. Keeping with the trend of the day we had a spectacular dinner (lunch to some) at the General Store Cafe, a restaurant that could have easily of been found in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. I consider myself an avid amateur historian, but I had forgotten (if I ever knew it in the first place) the history of the "Regulator" War fought in Alamance County, NC, known as the Battle of Alamance. In a nutshell English settlers were not being taxed where Scots, Germans, and others who were not of English descent were being taxed unfairly and at the whim of Government officials (who were themselves English and were appointed by the English Governor of North Carolina, William Tyron. Peaceful protest against the unfair taxes by hardscrabble farmers led to violent resistance and ultimately the Governor called upon an armed Militia to confront the "Regulators". So called since their movement was to bring fair regulation of taxes. The leader of the Governor's Milita, Waddell ordered his men to fire upon the Regulators (many of whom were neighbors to the milita men). They refused. Waddell then told his men, "Fire on me, or fire on the enemy!" At which point the men fired with the Regulators returning fire. At the battles end there were 9 Milita men killed and 61 wounded. Fifteen regulators were taken prisoner of which seven were executed by hanging. Regulator losses are not specific but range as high as 200. Many consider this to be a separate "War" from the "Revolutionary War" but the reasons for the battle are essentially the same. The fact that the Regulators (Patriots) loss the battle may be more of the reason that this is not considered the beginning of the Revolution. Bunker Hill is a far better way to start a rebellion. Regardless, not only did Hannah and Audrey learn something new about American History but so did their parents and it was made all the more poignant by the fact that we walked the battlefield and our ancestors lived nearby (and potentially were involved in one manner or another). We then went to the Cane Creek Friends Meeting House where we learned of my ancestors being buried nearby at the Spring Friends Meeting. The pastor from Cane Creek called a genealogist who by a common ancestor was a distant relative of mine. The Cane Creek Meeting was the original North Carolina Meeting (1751) and many Friends who now inhabit Indiana/Illinois can trace their families to this Meeting. In the cemetery (Burial Ground is the proper term) is a Memorial dedicated to the British Soldiers who died at the Meeting House following the Battle at Guilford Courthouse. Friends of course call EVERYONE children of God and don't care about a persons color, political beliefs, etc., to them a suffering human is a suffering brother or sister and should be cared for, period. It was amazing to be there. And ending with the tenor of the day we drove to "Lexington Barbecue". Now, everyone has eaten barbecued pork (pulled pork to Con and me) at one time or another and everyone has their favorite. Well, Lexington Barbecue was my favorite and on top of having the World's Very Best Barbecue they also have the World's Very Best Sweet Tea. It's probably a good thing I don't live here for I would undoubtedly weigh in the neighborhood of 500 pounds. September 28th, Sunday North Carolina's Piedmont region is nothing like what I had envisioned. I had pictured farmland much like in Indiana but it is far more wooded and mountainous. Albeit the mountains have been weathered by the actions of time, with the forces of wind and water. The woods are full of hardwoods. You cannot drive anywhere without being surrounded by trees (my kind of a place). I have yet to see a tobacco farm (other than the display plot at the Washington Birthplace site in Virginia), and the farms that we do see are mostly alfalfa, beans, and corn (sound familiar Midwesterners?) We arrived at Jim an Pat Little's home while they were at church. We backed LaFawnduh into their driveway and went to church to meet them. Unity United Methodist Church in Thomasville happened to be having their "Homecoming" day. We enjoyed the singing and the sermon of the Pastor (who happens to be a golf buddy of Cousin Jim). The congregation had a potluck afterwards and we met many of Jim & Pat's friends as well as many of OUR LITTLE cousins. All I can say is that the warmth of the cousins, the congregation, the building, and the heritage of the area made my family feel very much at "home". Audrey said, "I love North Carolina." That afternoon back at Jim and Pat's. The doorbell rang many times as LITTLE cousins and LITTLE cousins and LITTLE cousins more LITTLE cousins arrived. Most of them with a comment of, "He looks like Uncle Carson". The day was made even more complete as wonderful neighbors and friends arrived to share in the reunion and for us, our union with cousins that we were meeting for the first time. I felt at home and as if I were with FAMILY and I was. So did the girls. All three of them. After all, at least four generations of my ancestors lived here. The day ended and we felt exhausted. Emotionally spent from the absolute joy that we had shared with our new found "family". Audrey again said, "I love North Carolina."

Virginia & the Disctrict of Columbia

September 27th, Saturday: Incessant rain continued and I was wondering about those who believe that the sound of rain is relaxing. Normally I'm in that group but not today. The sound of the present rain is more of a solid jet blast. The rain is that heavy. The kids were able to sleep through it but Con awoke and commanded me to, "Turn on the air conditioner. We need to dehumidify the air and the sound might drown out the rain." It did help a bit but it did nothing to lessen the "C-R-A-C-K!!!" sounds of the various acorns and walnuts plummeting from the 120 ft. high trees onto LaFawnduh. Hannah laughed. Audrey grimaced. I climbed onto the roof to check for damage (there was none that I could detect). We did some more reading and decided that the George Washington Monument was more than the miniature Washington Monument of DC. So we returned there as we were heading to the southwest and into the North State (North Carolina). Well, there was more to it than the monument. There was a visitor center on the bay, an archaeological site, various buildings that depicted the Washington family as they resided there from the early 17th century to when the young George moved to Mount Vernon with his family. It was as are most of the unexpected finds of this trip, informative and fascinating. This was a hands on experience where photographs and handling of the implements was encouraged. At the Pilgrim's Museum, and at various locations of the Cody Wild West Museum, Monticello, and at the Lee Plantation interior photographs are not allowed. Unfortunate, for one of the more poignant story told at the Lee Plantation was the story originally written by one of Robert E. Lee's sisters. Where as the family was preparing to leave the house for the move to Arlington the young Robert ("Bob" to the family we were told) (who was age 4) couldn't be found. The family searched the grounds and the home only to find him sitting in a fireplace located in a bedroom. He told his family that he was simply saying "Goodbye to his angels". A metal section of the fireplace contained the images of two Angels (faces and wings). To me this story is simply a reminder that all men (and women) who fight in war are at one time nothing more than little boys (or girls). We must pray and work for peace in anyway we can. We spent so much time at the Washington Plantation that we had to re-think the day's itinerary. Not enough time to make it to Appomatox. Our visit to the Washington home included a visit to the family cemetery (burial grounds to them). George wasn't there but we did see the memorials of President Washington's parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and numerous siblings, aunts, uncles, etc. All in view of the Potomac. H & A earned their "eighth" Junior Ranger Badge of the trip. Most of the National Park sites have the Junior Ranger program where kids are given a workbook to complete from their experiences and observations at the particular site. Yesterday's workbook was on the life of George Washington as well as various 18th century household, farming, and political questions. It seems to me that the kids spend most of their time with their noses in the books and in essence lose out on the experience, but they insist on becoming the Junior Rangers and they love to take the oaths, with raised hands, and they wear their badges with a sense of accomplishment and pride. Con says that it is beneficial to their learning. I smile and nod my head in agreement. As we drove southwest from Westmoreland County we passed Fort A. P. Hill which is an active Army Base. Around Richmond and Petersburg the Battlefield sites were so numerous I had never heard of some of the battles. We continued driving. Southwest of Petersburg we left predominately hardwood forests for forests that were mostly made up of Eastern Pine. Then as we entered into North Carolina (I-85) the trees were again mostly hardwoods. The surprising aspect to me was the absence of farmland. We drove through mostly nothing but forests. Miles upon miles of forests. What open land there was was mostly used for grazing horses and cattle, occasionally sheep and even a few goats. In my mind I had imagined more farmland. Reality was again different than what I thought we would encounter. We are tonight treating ourselves to a night in a motel in Oxford, North Carolina. First night in a motel of the trip. Basically, I'm becoming a bit fatigued of the hook up the sewer, unhook the sewer routine. So, tonight I decided to give it a break and to allow the girls to bask in relative comfort, absent of the pervasive "wet dog" smell in LaFawnduh. Tomorrow instead of emptying the dreaded "black" tank, I'll simply get into ol' LaFawnduh, fire the ol' gal up and drive away. DUKE University is a few miles south of us. We'll pass the Campus en route to Cousin Jim's in Thomasville. Quote of the day, and not all will understand: Audrey saying, "For my birthday I want Pepperoni Rolls." September 26th, Friday: Rain from some tropical depression or system or whatever continues. There are breaks in the downpours and we have decided to make this a homework day. Four hours of Math and Science for each of the girls. Housekeeping, laundry and a hike to the Potomac in the woods took a few more hours. Then we drove to a monument commemorating the birthplace of George Washington (a mile and a half west of us). Then we drove to a 1,900 acre farm which is where Robert E. Lee was born (a mile and a half east of us). There were two Lee's to sign the Declaration of Independence, the only two brothers to do so. Stratford Plantation was a fascinating place where we learned of both 18th and 19th century traditions. The tour was individualized. Other than the four of us, there was a couple from England. So, social studies and history occupied the afternoon hours. Audrey purchased a bonnet (from her earned allowance) and is going to be Clara Barton on Halloween. So, if you see Clara Barton show up at your door step and yelling, "Trick or Treat" just pretend you don't know who she is. We think we will be spending Halloween somewhere around New Orleans. . . . We'll wait and see. Thus far: 5,144 miles on the Motorhome (LaFawnduh is strong and hasn't given us a lick of trouble, although we've let her down a time or two or three). 2.210 miles on the Jeep (surpassing my estimate) Con almost passed out from laughing just to give you an idea of the tenor of the trip. As I write this, Hannah is on a hike by herself (accompanied by Cocoa and keeping in touch with a walkie talkie). Audrey is reading. Connie is doing laundry. The pace of the trip is alright with me. September 25th, Thursday: We drove to Franconia Station and boarded the subway train for the Smithsonian stop in DC. The train was efficient, clean and stress free. A good choice for getting around in the DC area. Climbing out of the underground subway station you emerge onto the "Mall". Basically, the heart of the Nation's Capitol. Immediately we were made aware of where we were as a caravan of six black Suburbans with their lights on and being escorted by DC Police whizzed by. Helicopters from Marine Squadron One (Presidential Service based at Quantico) went to and fro from the White House throughout the day. We were in DC. Audrey reminded us, "Hey guys, this isn't Port Angeles anymore." The day contained all of the typical DC touristy things. The Washington Monument, the Reflecting Pool, the Lincoln Monument, WWII Memorial, Korean Memorial, the Holocaust Museum. With the advantage that we were prepared for a change in the weather. Around One-ish heavy rains came to the area. With umbrellas in hand, ponchos or parkas on, we soon found that we were the only ones at the Jefferson Monument, the pond, and the FDR Monument. The rains were more akin to November rains in Seattle. Rains that made driving home (back to LaFawnduh) a bit of a challenge. Especially as the Sirius GPS in Kip kept rerouting us due to "traffic updates". The rains in DC as in Seattle bring traffic accidents and miles long backups on the Interstates. Such is living in our complex society. I recalled the words of the blacksmith at Jackson's Mill in WV, "We sure have a lot of stuff that we don't really need." The highlight of the day were the people. Fellow travelers who were trying to figure out the ticket system as we did and were courteous and kind. A very helpful subway worker. The solemn attitudes of tourists at the Lincoln Memorial. The retired park service worker who was also camping at our campground who was eager to share information and advice about the area. It's a complex world fraught with difficulty and challenges but folks are generally "good" if you give them a chance. September 24th, Wednesday: We had high aspirations for the day. In one sense they were surpassed and in another they weren't realized. We had expected to do this and that and some other things. But, our first stop turned out to be our only stop of the day. Not because of anything other than our expectations were far surpassed and we needed to spend more time there. We spent the entire day at the National Marine Corps Museum in Quantico. This incredibly beautiful building was opened on 10 November 2006. It is my first time to visit as well as everyone else in the family. The museum covers the entire history of the Corps starting with 10 November 1775, the Birthday of the Corps, and a day that is celebrated throughout the nation. Audrey, Connie, Hannah and I had a great time. Audrey was the hardest one to move on as she did everything she could to read every word of the displays, see every article, picture, painting, sculpture, exhibit. Throughout the day we had to remind her, "Come on Audrey we need to move on." I believe that throughout our lives we measure events, friends, experiences, jobs, etc. against a "standard measure". I believe that this individual measure is established in our early adulthood as we break away from home and childhood. For some it is a college fraternity, or in an adventurous job such as in wildland firefighting in the USFS, or a vacation to Europe with a close friend. Whatever the measure, it is our individual measure and we measure subsequent jobs and experiences against it. My measure was established in Quantico, Virginia and my Marine Corps experience. The bonds forged by the hardships and overcoming the obstacles of the training have been lifelong and enduring. All of my subsequent experiences haven't been as difficult or as challenging or as rewarding as the experiences that I had at Quantico or throughout my relatively short Marine Corps experience. That training began 32 years ago and I am dumbounded by that thought. I am also amazed at all of the doors that were opened by this experience. "A" led to "B" led to "C" led to "D" etc. The "A" for me was football which gave me self confidence to do other things. "B" was going to college and was a direct result of "A". "C" was Officers Candidate School at Quantico. D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, and L are all a result of "C". The "C"orps changed my life. And ultimately affected the lives of Connie, Hannah, and Audrey. Ultimately, this trip is even a result of "C". My yardstick. Hannah and Audrey are in this trip, establishing a yardstick by which to measure future experiences. I hope they surpass this and have wonderful experiences in the future. It is a wonderful museum, it is located off base so anyone can go and get this, it is free. I've been falling way behind with the pictures. Got to go import them from the camera and edit one or two (Hopefully). Right now the campfire has burned down and it is time to roast some hot dogs, here on the banks of the Potomac at Westmoreland State Park (Virginia). September 23rd, Tuesday It has happened again. Expectations being surpassed by reality. As a child we had all read and seen pictures of Monticello. Thomas Jefferson's home in western Virginia. Folks it is true, pictures don't do it justice. An amazing home that would in many ways be "modern" or even "advanced" by today's standards, but for it's day it was breathtaking. Designed and built by the great man and influenced by his travels to Europe (Paris and Italy). Then there was the property with sweeping views of the countryside and mountains and of his last project, the University of Virginia campus, which he designed after his presidency and during his "retirement". From Monticello we headed northeast along Virginia's backroads. Two lane highways through the most picturesque farmland. All immaculately cared for and with fence line after fence line with fresh white paint. Few crops in the fields as most of the land was pasture for the horses and occasional sheep and cattle. The afternoon was spent at the Wilderness of Spotsylvania battlefield where NPS Rangers were more than happy to share the story, history, and maps of the engagement. I told them of my 2-Great Grandfather Lora Johnson being wounded here (he was serving in the 143rd Pennsylvania) and of my Great Uncle David Little's service in the 22nd North Carolina. As it turned out, on the day of Grandfather Lora's wounding his unit shared the field with the 22nd NC. Not directly across from one another as the 143rd was from the 2nd NC Battalion at Gettysburg (when David's father Green was killed), but had they known each other then, they would have known the others unit was nearby (by the regimental colors and knowing what Division was facing them). Later, David Little would be at his brother's home, my Great Grandfather Robert when Lora Johnson married Robert and David's sister Lucy. . . . The Civil War brought all of them together along the Illinois/Indiana border. Lora after he more or less went AWOL after being wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness, David, as he went to his Uncle's home in Parke County, Indiana after he had been released from a Prisoner of War Camp in Indianapolis (David had been taken prisoner 12 days before Appomatox). The Uncle in Parke County was Green's brother who had left NC in 1855. He was a Quaker probably with strong anti-slavery views and at his church in Parke County (meeting house, not church) the congregation was active in the underground railroad. Robert and Lucy and other siblings and their mother Jemima (Davidson) as they left for the Midwest following the war's end. Probably at David's urging. From the Wilderness Battlefield (fought in May 1864) we went the short distance to the Chancellorsville battlefield (May 1863) and found the locations of David's, and his father Green's units. We also went to the spot of the fatal wounding of General Stonewall Jackson. We drove on the road that the armies had marched and of which our Port Angeles friend, Michelle H., rode daily as a child going to school. I have read about American History before but it has never been so real to me as actually walking the land with Connie, Audrey and Hannah. This trip is wonderful, it was five years in the planning and I highly recommend to all of you to set as a goal, a similar trip with your family. It is rewarding beyond imagination. No "thing" has ever been as rewarding to me as this "experience". September 22nd, Monday Highway 60 eventually became Interstate 64 and we left West Virginia for Old Virginia. Folks, it is so pretty I can't find words to describe it. Forested mountains as in West Virginia continue and as we move east they are intertwined with the most beautiful rangeland farms. I understand why Stonewall Jackson wanted to fight for his home, this place is worth fighting for. Speaking of Stonewall, we went through Lexington and the Virginia Military Academy where the General was teaching as the Civil War began. Beautiful. Tonight we are a few miles south of Staunton and are moving eastward towards Westmoreland State Park southeast of DC. We stopped by the visitor/rest area as we entered the state and learned of a few places to see on the way. We could spend a month here, easily. We need more time. We do appreciate the time we have.

West Virginia

September 22nd, Monday: We reluctantly left Uncle Lester and Aunt Betty Sue. Audrey was against it, well, throughout the entire day and continuously stated, "Why did we have to leave?" I'm mildly optimistic that eventually she'll be able to get over it. At Uncle Lester's suggestion we drove down I-79/Hwy 19 to the New River Gorge Bridge. The drive itself, without reaching the bridge or the gorge would have sufficed as it was in continuous mountains. Now, out west if the mountains aren't in National Parkland or in Wilderness areas you can see the slopes dotted with clear cut logging. Well, it's a crop and we do live in wood houses and read newspapers and books, etc. We need to log. But out here in the east, logging has to go on somewhere, but as far as we can tell, it is not as extensive as in the west and Uncle Lester told us that in West Virginia there is selective logging but no clear cutting. I believe him, for in all of our driving in West Virginia there was not one clear cut slope and the mountains are full of forests, trees on the verge of becoming vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. It is truly something to behold. I'm an Autumn person, and I wish I could be here a few weeks from now, but the schedule didn't allow it so we move on (we do want to beat winter and be home in Port Angeles before snowfall (hopefully) and the kids are missing their school routine and friends so we do need to get them back for that). The New River Gorge is operated by the National Park Service (since 1978) and it is very scenic. If we lived here we would be white water kayakers. The mountains would be great to hike in. I can't tell you how many turkey vultures we've seen across this nation, but if numbers would have won out, they would have undoubtedly been our National Bird. Today we saw a group of eight at the Gorge. I love the 2-lane highways of our nation and today we drove on the old "First National Pike Road", highway 60 through West Virginia and it wound and climbed and dropped and wound and climbed and dropped some more, all without an inkling of a shoulder and the shoulder that was there was a soft one at that. But, it was well worth it, for at the half mile high passes Autumn had arrived. Wow. There was a smile on my face. Even so, Audrey still said, "Why did we have to leave Aunt Betty Sue??" I have always considered Uncle Lester a surrogate father. If a person could choose their parents, I would chose Uncle Lester and Aunt Betty Sue as my parents. They are the icing on the cake. I love the Filicsky family and I am proud to be a part of them. Today as the conversation of the morning went from one subject to another both Uncle Lester and I had a few things to add. Aunt Betty Sue said, "They are just alike." Connie giggled. This trip is amazing. It should be longer. September 21st, Sunday: When we were planning this little trip both Con and I thought, "That is going to be a long time". Well, as it is turning out, it is becoming a trip that is too short. For at almost all of our destinations we find ourselves wanting to spend more time there, but needing to move on. We've all said it before and it is appropriate to repeat it again here, "There isn't enough time in 24 hours to get done what we WANT to do". And, "There aren't enough days in a week." Plus, "There isn't enough time in the day to make the blog entry". And for us, "This trip is too short." If we had it to do again we would add at a minimum, two more months. We don't want to leave West Virginia for our next destination, and in fact, we didn't want to leave Gettysburg, or New York, or Mystic, or Cape Cod, etc. . . . You're getting the idea. Our time in Gettysburg will be for me probably the most memorable experience of the entire trip. If you have never been there before my advice is to, "Go!" What I had imagined the battlefield to be was far less than what it actually was. It is vast. It is north of the town, it is in the town, east of the town, and it is south of the town. The monuments placed by the different states (North and South), regiments, brigades, divisions, Corps, etc., are impressive and taken in the context of being there and actually looking down from Little Round Top, or across the mile wide field that Pickett advanced upon, or for me, to walk in the field where my 2-Great Grandfather fell . . . . . was, a very special experience. I wish I had more time to spend at Gettysburg. We moved on. We drove across Maryland and the surprises continued. Western Maryland, whom I had imagined in my mind was nothing like what Maryland actually is. It is beautiful. Forests upon forests, mountains upon mountains. I was not expecting that. The entire family was surprised by Cumberland, Maryland. What a beautiful town. Then we arrived in West Virginia and made our way through the forested mountains to Uncle Lester's and Aunt Betty Sue's in Bridgeport. . . . . It is like spending time in a very upscale, plush bed and breakfast. The girls don't want to leave. It is going to be a challenge to turn on the ignition of LaFawnduh and move to the next destination. Plus, we are sleeping IN the Bed & Breakfast and not in LaFawnduh, who has her windows open and is hopefully airing out some of the stench of living for 50 days in her (the four of us plus Cocoa, ah yes, Cocoa). A little bit about our West Virginia sight seeing so far, since we are getting ready to head out and continue the little experience. We had dinner yesterday at the Stonewall Jackson Lodge. This is a state park near where General Jackson spent his childhood (from age 6 to age 18 when he went to West Point). Beautiful. Then we drove the short distance to Jackson Mill, which is the mill where the General lived at and worked in. It is the mountain valley where the General established his strong feelings of "loyalty" and "duty" and "honor" and "Presbyterianism". Reading of the Chancellorsville Campaign is still on the reading list of Marine Corps officers today. But, the tour of the mill was a surprise for us. We actually learned of how mills worked, and saw gears and structures that had been built in the 18th century and were still working. Connie bought 10 pounds of corn meal ground at the Jackson Mill. I am looking forward to the cornbread and the hush puppies and the skillet bread made from this meal. This morning we went with Betty Sue to the Bridgeport United Methodist Church and we enjoyed the pastor's sermon, the service, and Betty Sue's friends in the congregation. Uncle Lester was gone long before we were up since he is a deacon at the Catholic Church in nearby Clarksburg. In his service he serves the sacraments to shut in parishioners. He's back. I would write more, but Uncle Lester is wanting to get going. . . . . John Denver wrote of West Virginia, and his words of the state are appropriate. We are thankful for this trip and for our time spent in West Virginia. p.s. This entry, as are 99% of the blog posts are unedited due to time constraints. Sorry for the gibberish and the spelling errors. Got to go.

Pennsylvania

September 17, Wednesday FYI, I have taken to the practice of including the day of the week since the other morning in New Jersey, Dr. Mowry, his wife Dorothy, Steve Methner, Sarah, Connie, and I couldn't figure out what day of the week it was. We had to ask the kids and immediately Audrey told us that it was Saturday. So, I now have taken to the, "If I write it, I will know it" study mentality. Today is Wednesday and we are at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Another FYI, my 2-Great Grandfather, Mr. Green Little was killed during the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. I have brought with me from Port Angeles, Washington the single edge razor that was on his body the day he fell at the Unfinished Railroad Cut north of town (near McPherson's Barn). I have the razor since later on the evening of July 1st Green's eldest son, my Great Uncle David, went to his father's body and took everything from him that he could carry. The razor has been passed down from Green's son David to his nephew, Walter Little, who gave it to his nephew Irvin Little (my Father), and from my Mother to me. I tell you this because this place has a special meaning to me. I hope to convey that "special" heritage to my daughters. Being here, makes it easy to do so. All four of us tear up as we drive and walk the roads, the cemeteries, the fields. President Eisenhower retired to a farm here and I understand why he did. This place is stunning. And, even though it is a tourist destination, this place is also serene and peaceful. For me, this place is a "Wow!" That's about all I can write right now since there is so much to do. Tour Guide Hannah is calling me to plan the evening's activities. Got to go. September 16, Tuesday (Uncle Lester you are going to grimace) On Monday Con and I telephoned Uncle Lester and asked when he was going to be home. He said that he was home except for September 28-October 5th. He said more or less, "Come on down." I like surprises so I thought it would be fun to drive from Jersey City to Bridgeport, WV. So, I programmed the GPS (Lola) with the destination and she gave me a direct, straight line route, of 391 miles. I thought that the kids after all of the NY activity, etc., would be appreciative of nap time in LaFawnduh so I decided that the next time that I would call Uncle Lester would be from Bridgeport. I told Connie the plan for the day and she concurred. I then went outside to prepare LaFawnduh for her departure (more or less a pre-flight in this post-crushed stairs world). As I did so, and unbeknownst to me, Con programmed the GPS for Bridgeport. Well, it seems that Lola believed that the earlier program was one that we didn't approve of and she gave us an alternate, albeit longer route. Unbeknownst to me. We waved goodbye to Lady Liberty which we could see from our campground and we were off. Frankly, Cocoa and I were missing the color green. The absence of grass and trees was beginning to wear on my psyche and I wanted green. Green. Green. It took awhile to see the green. Northern New Jersey is full of industry. Factories of all sorts sprawled out as did the concrete roadways which supported the behemoths. More concrete. More asphalt. No green to speak of. On the positive side of the coin we were leaving during the AM commute to NYC and we were going against the grain. Relatively smooth sailing. The day was one with a low ceiling. No sun to gauge my direction by. No familiar landmarks since this was the first time Con and I, as well as Hannah and Audrey, had ever been here. I had a somewhat vague memory of my geography and as we crossed the Delaware River south of Philadelphia I thought to myself, this is right-on. We're making good time, everyone is either sleeping (Hannah and Audrey) or is in good spirits. Then Lola's voice told us to take the next exit left. I questioned this with, "Left is south and we don't need to go south." Con countered with, "Trust your instruments, they have never let you down." She always knows the right thing to say and I decided to trust the instruments, after-all I had programmed Lola and had panned out on the morning's route to verify it. When I did I had seen the straight line in it's entirity. This little jog south was apparently a short little diversion due to construction or whatever. For all of you in the Seattle area who gripe about toll roads and toll bridges, well, out here, the roads are great and the tolls are frequent. We paid a toll in New Jersey and another as we crossed the bridge and another in Pennsylvania, and now, all of the sudden we were paying a toll in Delaware. Our four axles and the tolls had lightened the pocket book by something like 30 bucks. In a relatively short distance. Geez. Now we were again paying a toll and it was in Delaware. "Delaware?" Why were we in Delaware? I made this inquiry of my navigator and she again told me, "Trust your instruments." As she gave me that look. You know "the look". I somehow managed to say, "We are going south, too far south." She said, "It feels like we're going south but we're actually arcing to the west." I looked for my friend the sun and it was hiding. I recalled my geography and said, "Delaware is not west." The scowl from my navigator made me avert her gaze and return my eyes to the road where they belonged. Then all of the sudden the sign said, "Welcome to Maryland." I again remarked of my impression of going south and Navigator Con said, "We might be a little south but we must be in Western Maryland". I thought, "Uh huh." We drove and drove and the sign said "Baltimore and Washington, DC" just a few miles ahead and I thought, this is not right. I pulled LaFawnduh off of the highway and got out the old paper atlas and we were not where I had intended us to be. I looked at Lola and she was taking us to Washington, DC before heading northwest to WV. I thought, "Yikes." And, some other things. A potty break for the driver and Cocoa was in line "somewhere in Maryland." We then looked at the map and there was no possibility of anything resembling a straight line to anywhere, let alone Uncle Lester's . Routes out here are more akin to a meandering river. We didn't want to be driving forever so, unfortunately, we had to re-think the day's itinerary (sorry, Uncle Lester). The closest place that we wanted to be that wasn't south (requiring us to have to back track north again (diesel was $3.92 in NJ and that is the least we have paid the entire trip, $4.59 being the high water mark thus far)) was Gettysburg. We set our sights on Gettysburg and even though the roads in northeastern Maryland (and later southeastern Pennsylvania) were narrow and windy and up and down (I now understand why the roads aren't straight). The countryside was incredibly beautiful. Hardwood forests intermixed with picturesque farms. Small communities with Mennonite gals selling corn and gourds and green beans. Did I mention the hardwood forests? Green my friends, green (with touches of Autumn's colors). The morning began with asphalt and concrete and I was more than happy to be amongst all of this greenery. My spirits rose. Then we came across a sign that read, "Welcome to Gettysburg". We were there. About this time, Hannah woke up and said, "Are we at Uncle Lester's yet?" As she said this she looked out the window and said, "Hey, I've been here before. That house has a canon ball stuck in it." We all looked and she was right. Hannah was now our tour guide since she had been to Gettysburg before, back in April during her People to People trip. She said, "A block down is a house with bullet holes in it. The Seminary is over there." Audrey woke up when she heard her sister's enthusiasm and she said, "I'm hungry, can we have lobster?" We were in Gettysburg.

New York City

Monday, September 15th, 2008 New York - New York, it's my kinda town. Today we opted to take a bus tour with our travelling companion Dorothy Mowry. The five of us took a "New York City" tour that took us through Central Park, Uptown, Downtown (up being north, and down being south to a New Yorker), past amazing apartments (not an apartment in yours and my understanding, but an apartment that is owned, as we understand a townhouse or a condominium to be) where John Lennon lived in the "Dakota" where the most inexpensive apartment (there are something like 89 apartments in the building) goes for $8,000,000. We walked around Rockefeller Center and Plaza, Times Square, the New York Stock Exchange, Macy's, the New York Public Library, Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, Saks Fifth Avenue, the Lincoln Center, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, and went into Saint Patrick's Cathedral, which has to be the most beautiful building that I have ever been fortunate enough to experience. There Audrey and Connie each lit a candle for Con's Mom and Dad. St. Pat's was an unbelievably beautiful building where I could have easily spent the entire day looking at the Stations of the Cross and the stained glass windows. Then there was the Guggenheim Museum, and the American Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of Modern Art, and on and on. We went through interesting neighborhoods of Chelsea, and Flatiron, and Middleton, and Greenwich Village, and Tribeca, and at the end of the tour and before heading for home (LaFawnduh in New Jersey) we stopped at Ground Zero, which is of course the site of the 9-11 Attack on our nation and our people. There cranes and dozers were busy at work. The highlight of the day for me was during our dinner at Grand Central Station. A beautiful building all on it's own and one that is bustling with activity as commuters and travelers go to and fro moving to and from the trains, the many, many trains. I had handed Connie some money from my wallet and placed my wallet back into my shorts pocket (cargo style). I walked away about a hundred feet carrying on a conversation with the girls and Dorothy. A gentleman walked up to me and tapped me on the shoulder with his right hand. He smiled and held out his left hand with which he was holding my wallet. . . . It had fallen to the floor next to the clock at Grand Central Station. This man saw this happen as he was walking past and he immediately went and retrieved it and then located me. He didn't even pause for conversation. For as I took it from him he was off. I yelled out to him, "God bless you. Thank you so very much!" He didn't even look back. I don't know his name and I don't know anything about him. Other than goodness abounds in him and he will be my personal representative of people of New York City. Years from now as I recall this trip I will hopefully forget all of the traffic, the seemingly chaos of the hustle and the bustle and I hope and pray that I remember this man. New Yorkers are great people. I've come across none better. Sunday, September 14th, 2008 we rode the Circle Line Ferry boat "Freedom" from the Jersey Shoreline to Ellis Island, site of millions of Immigrants coming to America (none in our family however). We then boarded another vessel for the short voyage to Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty. A warm (88 degrees) and humid day led to a hazy skyline but the view was still pretty special as we saw the distant Manhattan skyline, Staten Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, the George Washington Bridge and others as well as innumerable boats on the waterway. At times it seemed as if there was going to be a collision as a boat aptly titled, "Taxi" seemed to be overly aggressive and acting a bit outside of the Coast Guard Rules for the Waterways. As we watched the chaos on the water Con remarked, "We must be in New York." Audrey said, "Oh Dear." Hannah laughed.

Connecticut

For Photographs go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30520769@N06/ September 13th, We let LaFawnduh rest as we drove the Jeep (Kip) back to Groton and the National Submarine Museum. There we boarded the Nautilus (SSN 571) where we enjoyed walking the passageways and learning of life as a submariner. The museum was a great learning tool as we learned the history of submarines in America, dating back to the "Turtle" of 1776. From the museum we drove a short distance along the Thames River to the WWII Submarine Veterans Memorial to pay our respect to those who lost their lives and are on "Eternal Patrol". Finally, we crossed the bridge to New London where we toured the USCG Academy. The morning was one that reminded us of Port Angeles and home. We recalled seeing the Ohio Class subs as they pass by our home and the kids spoke of classmates who are the children of Coast guardsmen stationed at Coast Guard Base Port Angeles (Ediz Hook). Making our way back to LaFawnduh we attached Kip to her partner and the RV carried us westward toward New York City. West of Yale University (New Haven) the traffic increased dramatically. Con remarked, "We're not in quintessential New England anymore". She was right as we entered into quintessential Metropolis. The GPS did a great job of guiding us through New York City (along the top deck of the George Washington Bridge) into New Jersey and our camping location at Liberty Harbor Marina. It's kind of a misnomer to say, "camping" as even grass, let alone trees are hard to come by. The drive was shall we say, "harrowing". At one point we were headed towards the Lincoln Tunnel where a sign warned "Cars Only". Our designated route was a block short of the tunnel and entailed a right turn. The problem was we were in the far left lane (something like12 lanes of traffic that were at a stand still). So, I acted like a New Yorker. I simply started moving to the right with my 55 feet of bulk. Moving to the right, to the right, to the right; and somehow we made it. (There were good people who allowed it, Con said that there were good people who didn't want to be crushed). Along the way were cut off by real New Yorkers (mostly taxis) who forced their way in front of us and others and didn't smile, or wave, or mouth a simple "thank you". They merely maintained their scowl and gave one fingered salutes. In Jersey City I had asked a worker at a toll booth how she liked New Jersey? She answered, "It sucks!" I thanked her for her honesty. Con asked, "Why do people stay here?" Audrey said, "I miss Port Angeles." Hannah laughed and said, "Yippee!" Quintessential New England is now a place in our rear view mirrors and now only occupies our memories. It is an almost magical place that I highly recommend for all to experience. September 12th, Quintessential New England continues to amaze us. As we drove west (Yes, we are actually on roads that say "West" right now instead of "East"!!!!) we left Rhode Island and entered into Connecticut. Jim Mowry had suggested that we stop at Mystic and spend a few hours. We did and it turned out to be the entire day. What a marvelous "museum" it turned out to be. The museum claims the title, "The Museum of America and the Sea" and their claim is not an overstatement. We learned about rope making, sail making, barrel making, ship building, ship design, fishing, whaling, crabbing, lobstering, lighthouses, navigation, astronomy, arctic exploration, Inuits, sea mammals, etc. All while surrounded by a Colonial village set on the water. Very picturesque. During the day the dry, very pleasant, almost Autumn weather became muggier and by evening it was raining a steady, constant, almost Pacific Northwest in November rain. So, we spent the evening reading, playing chess and enjoying the local fare. Hannah and I went to the grocery store where we purchased "chicks" (1-1/4 pound lobsters) for all. While there we inquired as to whether there was a local high school football game, and unfortunately, the East Lyme Vikings were playing in an away game so there would be no football tonight. Tomorrow, we are hoping to tour the Groton US Naval Submarine base, take a tour on the Nautilus (the world's first nuclear powered submarine) and then continue through New York City (yes, New York City) to our new camping location at Liberty Harbor Marina, in New Jersey (next to the Statue of Liberty).

The Journey Continues

After difficulty accessing, configuring, and reading the old blog, we have switched to blogger.com at the suggestion of our traveling companion Steve Methner. So, for entries previous to Connecticut, please see the old site 2008corpsofdiscovery.myblogsite.com Thanks for taking the time and effort to learn of Audrey and Hannah's adventure.