Prologue
After three winters at Okefenokee wildlife refuge in Georgia, we were looking for a change and were lucky to get volunteer positions at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. This small refuge on the Rio Grande River has 400 birds on its list. Many of these birds are more commonly seen in Mexico and are rarely seen elsewhere in the USA. Sandy will be doing environmental education programs for school groups both on the refuge and offsite at schools. Carl will split his time between leading birding and nature walks and serving as refuge photographer. Santa Ana is a busy refuge with lots of programs and lots of volunteers to help out. We will be parked in one of their 22 RV pads for volunteer trailers and motorhomes. We plan to spend about a month getting to the refuge, stopping to visit friends and sightseeing along the way including a few days in San Antonio and a week at Big Bend National Park.
Day 1 November 30, 2009 On the Road Again
The goal for today is to drive far enough to find a campground that is not closed for the season! We drove 330 miles, mostly in the rain to Stroudburg, PA. We arrived after dark, hooked up and relaxed for the evening.
Day 2 December 1, 2009 To Antietam Battlefield
An easy 200 mile drive brought us to the Hagerstown, MD area. After settling into the campground, we went off to the Antietam National Battlefield to brush up on our Civil War History. In September 1862, General Robert E. Lee, hoping to build on his recent success against the Union Army in Virginia, crossed the Potomac with 40,000 troops. Outside of Sharpsburg, MD, Lee was met by General McClellan and 90,000 Union troops. On September 17, 1862 the battle was joined. From sunrise to sunset the battle raged through woods and cornfields across roads and bridges. When both sides withdrew for the night, the battlefield was littered with dead and dying soldiers from both sides; a total of 23,000 casualties, making September 17th the bloodiest single day in US history. Lee withdrew his army back across the Potomac and in spite of President Lincoln’s orders, the Union army did not pursue the badly weakened Confederates. Many historians believe McClellan could have ended the Civil War in 1862 if he had obeyed Lincoln’s order to pursue!
Day 3 December 2, 2009 Shenandoah’s Skyline Drive-Not!!!
The plan for the day was a leisurely cruise through Shenandoah National Park. However, continuing rain and a “Check Engine” light in the motorhome resulted in a change of plans. We skipped Skyline Drive and stopped at a service center. The engine computer code was a data error, meaning there was probably a broken wire or sensor but nothing wrong with the engine itself. Unfortunately they could not fix the problem so we will stop at the Freightliner factory in South Carolina at the end of the week. This will only be a slight detour. We ended the day in Wytheville, VA in the pouring rain.
Day 4 December 3, 2009 Into Tennessee
Our dear friends Bobby and Marty Kramer now live in Johnson City, TN and we will see them tomorrow. We drove to the adjacent town of Jonesborough where we are camped alongside a river in an otherwise deserted section of the campground. The afternoon was filled with chores and laundry and it was a very quiet and early evening since this campground has neither internet nor cable TV. Nothing to drown out the sound of the river.
Day 5 December 4, 2009 Visiting the Kramers
We had lunch at the Kramers home and once again got to admire the beautiful furniture Marty has created. In the afternoon Marty had a doctor’s appointment and we explored the old section of Jonesborough, the oldest town in Tennessee. In the evening we met the Kramers for dinner at a delightful bistro in Jonesborough. We enjoyed a wonderful evening with Bobby and Marty though it was tempered by the news that Marty’s recent tests brought bad news and they were headed for Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville for further Leukemia treatments.
Day 6 December 5, 2009 Visiting the Thorns
We are very fortunate to live the life we lead so we generally avoid wining or complaining in our journals. However, yesterday it was 70 degrees in Lowell, MA and today we awoke to snow here in Tennessee. The locals assure us it will not last; we shall see! In March of 2006 we met a couple while visiting the San Diego area. Harry and Karin Thorn travel in a 40 foot Allegro Bus and have a home in South Carolina. We spent a day with them touring the area wine country and in one shop the clerk observed that we were obviously good friends traveling together. “How long have you been friends?”, she asked. She was amazed when we said we had met the previous day! We have since kept in touch sporadically. Realizing we would be passing though their “neighborhood”, we arranged a visit. Harry has thoughtfully built an RV pad next to their home. It is a beautiful spot overlooking a lake. It was wonderful to see them.
Day 7 December 6, 2009 Waterfalls Galore
The overnight low was 26 but it was toasty in the coach. We had a fantastic day today with Harry and Karin exploring their corner of NW South Carolina and adjacent North Carolina. We hiked to five waterfalls. The falls were beautiful and the hiking felt great after a fairly sedentary week traveling. We also drove up to Caesar’s Rest, an overlook at the second highest spot in SC. A wonderful day all around.
