Lake Wylie, Sc to St. Augustine, FL then HOME

Leaving Lauren in Lake Wylie Mon. am was a wrench as we won't see her again until Thanksgiving! But it was time to move on. Driving I-77 from Lake Wylie to Columbia, then I-26 to I-95 and south into Florida was challenging due to very heavy traffic-especially on I-95 (and I should expect something else? It is always busy. Got to Jacksonville just about at rush hour, but other than having to stop just a couple of minutes while police hauled a vehicle with a crumpled fender out of our lane, we got through the city with no problems. When we arrived in St. Augustine we decided to splurge on a really nice KOA Kampground that we had stayed in a few years ago. We eventually found it-our GPS had us turning left when we should have been turning right-and got set up in no time. We had passed through numerous brief showers on the way south, but the sun was bright when it was time to park the camper for our last night out. After checking the refrigerator and cupboard we decided to use an Outback gift card that we had hoarded the entire trip. Dinner was REALLY good and the Happy Hour Two-for's were not half bad. The dessert sampler that we shared was so decadent and scrumptious and we enjoyed every morsel. Having been in St. Augustine numerous times before, and being very tired we elected not to do any sight seeing after dinner-just crashed! The previous week from Thurs. thru Sun. noon we had been accomplishing Lauren's "daddy-do" list. Hank repaired a pressure washer that wouldn't work; put together a tool storage cabinet for Tom; installed a ceiling light and fan in their guest room; installed a can light in the Master shower; installed TV cable in both of the spare rooms, laid new flooring in both upstairs bathrooms, and took out a single sink vanity and installed two new vanities with all the attending plumbing-with shelving between-which he had to build; and rehung the mirror over the vanities. Lauren had Fri. as a vacation day so she worked along with us. I painted her front door which involved two primer coats and two finish coats-anyone need a door painted? Am getting rather good at painting doors...

Sunday afternoon, Hank and Lauren went Whitewater Rafting on the US National Whitewater Training Facility in Charlotte, NC. I elected not to participate as I was a bit chicken once I saw the rapids that they were going to traverse, but someone had to be the photographer-I appointed me! It was a gorgeous, but hot, day so when they got soaked I guess it must have felt good. Watching their boat maneuver through the rapids made me glad I'd made the choice I had! Neither Hank no Lauren were ejected from the raft, but Hank said he caught Lauren by the foot to hold her in the raft during one lively exchange in a rapid. After an hour of pounding they emerged looking a bit worse for wear. See photo!

We left S. Augustine yesterday morning and braved I-95 once more until we got to FL rte 40 and drove through the Ocala National Forest until we got to I-75. Due to a tropical depression out in the Gulf we experienced some strong winds on the highway especially south of Tampa.

Hank had to work hard at steering to keep the camper in his own lane, but we arrived home safely mid-afternoon. (Seeing the piles of mail on the dining room table made us want to leave again!) More than three hours later we had the camper emptied off our stuff-now we just have to do some serious cleaning before we put it in storage until the next adventure. And we've had such a good time these past eight weeks that when time and budget allow there will be more Tin Tent Travels...

Reflecting on the past weeks experience - it has all been good! Seeing the whitest beaches ever along the Emerald Coast of FL, touring the USS Alabama, volunteering for Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, seeing the Alamo site, walking along the Riverwalk, seeing W. Texas, exploring the Carlsbad Caverns, Hank being able to make a left turn in Albuquerque, (old family humor) riding along a piece of Rte 66, experiencing Oak Creek Canyon (even though it scared me senseless) and Sedona, The Grand Canyon, Williams, AZ, driving through Las Vegas at 110 degrees, changing time zones 3 times in less than an hour in Nevada, Arizona and Utah (?) traveling via the Great Basin, observing snow on the peaks around Salt Lake City in early July, seeing and experiencing the Great Salt Lake and even wading in it, exploring Antelope Island and Temple Square, being able to attend a rehearsal of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, spending 3 days exploring Yellowstone and seeing all the wildlife running free even on the roads, the Grand Tetons, walking the wooden boardwalk sidewalks in Jackson Hole, WY, Cody, WY and having dinner in the Irma Hotel and exploring in the Buffalo Bill Museum, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, The Needles Highway, Custer State Park and the Black Hills area, Mitchell, SD and the Corn Palace, even the cornfields of Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, then visiting my sister, Lucille, and her family in Holland, MI, friends in Ohio, then moving on to Niagara Falls, then into VT to visit Mother and sister, Marje and family, accomplishing some good things there, moving on the NH to see Karen and the grandsons and attending Andrew's soccer game, visiting with and catching up with good friends, enjoying an evening with Hank's brothers and their wives, touring Gettysburg once again, working on Lauren's "daddy-do" list, Hank's and Lauren's rafting experience, and getting home safely after eight fun weeks on the road! It was all good!!! We're still speaking and now we're thinking about the next Tin Tent Travels...