Biltmore in the Fall

On Friday, Oct. 9th, we left with our friends the Hahns and traveled to Kentucky where we stayed at Renfro Valley which is located near Brea, KY. We did some sightseeing and visited a craft fair. There were lots of local products that had been produced locally. The one thing that is nice about RVing, you never know what is just around the corner. Where we were camping there was a theater and Loretta Lynn was performing. Her show with her family was well worth the price of admission. From Renfro we traveled to the Bilmore Estatewhich was built by George Vanderbuilt who was a bachelor.

Having visited the estate several years ago we had forgotten how spectacular the grounds were.

It was had to imagine living in a 250 room mansion that had 43 bathrooms with running water which was rare in the 1900's. The grounds encompassed a 100,000 acre forest and include a 250

acre park. The park was designed by Fredrick Olmstead who also was the architect for Central Park in New York City.

The architect for the house was Richard Morris Hunt who was well known for his work including Grand Central Station.

We took a tour of Biltmore and saw the European influence of the furnishing and interior decor. As you enter you find yourself in the atrium area that is brightly lit by natural sunlight. The billiard room was also impressive which was decorated with many animal trophies that were displayed on the walls. It was interesting to note that while George enjoyed the out of doors, he did not enjoy hunting therefore all the trophies were purchased. It was had to comprehend the enormity of all the rooms. For example the banquet hall had a table that could comfortably seat 64 people. As we toured the house we were impressed that the items displayed were authentic artifacts, not reproductions. A chess set was displayed that had belonged to Neopoleon Bonepart. During our tour we learned about the extensive research that occurs during a restoration of a room. Every detail is examined to ensure that the room is represented accurately.

When visitor came to Biltmore, George wanted them to have a good time. To guarantee this he had a 70,000 gallon swimming pool, a bowling alley, and a gymnasium.

Biltmore had all the latest conveniences including electricity, both direct and alternating current; running water; gas for lighting and heating; and indoor plumbing with running water.

As we completed our tour, the word "opulence", kept coming to mind. It was hard to believe that people really in this mansion where luxury was found in everything that they did.

We had a great time and look forward to returning during the Christmas season.

New York City - September 9-13

Wednesday, our grand tour of New York City begins. Our first stop was at the UN Building. We were indeed fortunate to be able to watch proceeding of the General Assembly from the balcony. The building and exhibits were impressive.



As we left the UN Building it was inspiring to see the flags of all the nations that have joined together to promote peace in the world.




Our next stop was Grand Central Terminal. This is the hub of transportation for New York City. Trains from the suburbs transport people to New York daily. It is a convenient link to the subway system which also connects New Yorkers to the rest of the city and boroughs. We ate lunch and people watched as they hurried to their destinations.

After boarding the bus, something that we did a lot of, we disembarked at Central Park where we walked through Strawberry Fields, a section dedicated to the memory of John Lennon.

Stopping at St. John's Cathedral was impressive. It is huge, and reflects the architecture of churches located in Europe. It is amazing that it continues to be an active church in downtown New York City.

Later we ate at a restaurant that served pork BBQ. After dinner we went to Times Square, had a cup of coffee and "people watched". It was one of the more relaxing times during the trip. Bettie and I were both surprised at the cleanliness of the city. We did not vagrants and felt safe when walking around in the city. We ended the day by attending theBroadway Musical, "South Pacific". Although we had both seen this musical before, the production was outstanding. The orchestra's live music was excellent and the singing made the entire evening a delight. We were amazed at the scenery and props. One scene included a life size airplane.

Bettie and I both agreed that the "noshing" tour was one of the highlights of the trip. We were treated to a tour guide who lives in New York and knows Greenwich Village like the back of her hand. During the tour we stopped at several businesses and sampled true New York food. Samples included New York style pizza, a rice ball that was fantastic, cheese, salami, and cream filled pastries. She also told about the architecture and tales about past residents. One tale was about two sisters who were feuding and their father built them both a house with a common courtyard. One day only one sister returned home..... Humm.

Bettie was intregued with a restaurant that we walked through and behind the building was a house that they used for parties. It was the original home of a Dutch family before businesses were built in Greenwich.

We left Greenwich and traveled to Central Park where we took a carriage ride. It was fun, but it only lasted 20 minutes. The driver said that they work seven days a week, but the horses do not work the entire day. He stressed that the horses were of more value that the carriages. He also said that they work in the winter and are in the park except when the temperature drops to below 20 degrees.

After the carriage ride we traveled down Broadway in preparation for our second Broadway show. We attended another great show, "Chicago". The orchestra was on stage and the actors performed in front of the orchestra. There was no scenery, and the dancing was excellent.

On Friday we visited another cathedral which was as grand as the first one that we saw. All the churches in the Midwest were dwarfed by the St. Patrick's Cathedral. The building materials were of the highest quality and the cost to build it had to be exorbitant.

We ate lunch at the Tavern on the Green. We had heard on the news the day before that the restaurant had filed for bankruptcy. In spite of their financial problems we had a delectable lunch which included a salad, chicken, and scrumptious desert. As you can see the furnishing were ornate.

When we traveled we knew why we had paid for a tour of New York City. The streets are narrow and crowed. Our bus driver took the traffic in stride. Sometimes there was less that a couple of inches between the coach and a truck or other obstacle. We just sat back and relaxed, as least as much as possible.




It is amazing that the Empire State Building still stands majestically against the sky. When you see the sturcture up close you appreciate the architectual design and the engineering that went into the building of this skyscraper. After seeing it you truly understand why it was called a "skyscraper".

To the left is the Stock Exchange. The picture was taken on Wall Street. We wondered how the trading was going as we passed, but all seemed quiet.





We viewed the "Ground Zero" from the World Trade Center. Today you can't see much at the site because of the fencing and escavation. It is almost erie to think that eight years ago two towering buildings stood on this site.

This day we also toured the NBC Studio where we saw where the news was broadcast. In fact we were allowed to produce our own news broadcast, but on a much smaller scale. Two of the members of the caravan participated. One sat behind the news desk and read the news from a teleprompter and the other delivered the weather using a "green screen".

We toured Radio City Music Hall and met a "Rockette". The Rockettes only perform around the Christmas Holidays in New York, but they also perform other times at other venues around the United States.

On Saturday, we walked through Chinatown and Little Italy, but the highlight of the day was the evening cruise. We were told that we needed to dress up for the cruise, but we didn't have a place to change clothes. The bus driver pulled under an underpass and the women got off and the men changed on the bus. When they had finished changing the women boarded the bus and they changed clothes. What a riot. Trying to find the right tie, shoes, or sweater.

We arrived at the ship which had one deck with a glass bubble over the entire dining area. The view was spectacular and the food was unsurpassed. We were served lobster bisque, oven roasted salmon, and a chocolate torte or New York style cheesecake. Needless to say, we relished every bite.

After a late night, we were on the ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty at 7:30 a.m. The view from the ferry of the Statue of Liberty is breathtaking. It truly is a symbol of the freedom that we enjoy in this country. Unfortunately we were not able to climb to the crown, but there are 156 steps to the top of the base on which the statue stands. The view of the Hudson River from the base was awesome. We then traveled to Ellis Island which was the destination for many immigrants who entered the United States. Bettie and I were tired and planned to only spend a short time on the island, but we got caught up in the exhibits. As we walked through the immigration building we felt a great deal of pride in our country. We read quotes from many of the immigrants and realized that they had given up everything just to travel to the U.S. It was hard to imagine traveling to a foreign land and not being able to speak the language with plans to start a new life. For some of them their trip was not over after arriving in New York, they still had to travel to some distant city to find relatives who had sponsored them. It was a very moving experience and will not be forgotten.

Bettie and I are glad that we made the trip, and we have a new appreciation for city life and our country.

Bettie Makes the News

Bettie made the news after visiting Hershey Factory.

Hershey Town

Sunday we traveled to Hershey Town which was founded by Milton Hershey. And yes he is the founder of Hersheys Chocolates. It was interesting to note that he failed several times before he made it as a candy maker. When he did become successful it was in making caramels which were shipped to England. He built his chocolate factory in a cornfield and established the town of Hershey, PA. Today it is a thriving city with a theme park that he built for the pleasure of his workers. He also built affordable housing so his employees could own their own homes.

Milton and his wife wanted his workers to enjoy life and experience the beauty of nature. Hershey Gardens has a wonderful collection of flowers, herbs, shrubs and trees. The rose garden was especially beautiful. The park also houses a butterfly house where butterflies of many colors and varieties flourish. While watching the butterflies flutter about the flowers, one landed on Bettie. It was quite an experience.

After walking the trails through the flower gardens, we went to the Hershey Museum where we learned about Milton Hershey and his wife Kitty. He worked hard and was a great philanthropist. He provided funding for a medical research facility, a school for orphans, and money for several churches in the community.

We continued to the Hershey theme park and rode a ride that seemed to have been created by Disney. It had animated animals that helped tell the story about how chocolate is made.

The day ended with a tour of the Founders Hall on the campus of the Milton Hershey School. The floor and walls were made of marble. It took over 15 tons of Vermont marble to build.

The mission of the school is to train children who are orphans or in financial need. Students can attend to twelfth grade. They can earn a free college education through good grades and citizenship while attending school. Currently over 1700 students are being educated at this school.

Tuesday we will be traveling to New York City and staying at Liberty Harbor Campground in New Jersey. Unfortunately we will no longer have WiFi and will not be able to update the blog until we leave.

A Day in the Life of the Amish

This morning we attended a audio visual presentation entitled "Jacob's Choice". It told a story about Jacob who was of age to decide whether he was going to join the Amish church or go English. English refers to all people who are not Amish and are considered "worldly". He finally decides to join the church and marries an Amish girl. After the presentation we took a buggy ride through the countryside. Our guide further explained the way of life for the Amish. For example they do not use AC electricity, but can use battery power. They don't own cars, but do use tractors. They don't have electric washers, but have gasoline powered washing machines. It was truly and interesting ride.

After the buggy ride we went to the town of Intercourse where we visited a pretzel factory. The pretzels are made by hand. We were given a chance make pretzels and surprisingly enough they actually came out. See picture.

The day ended with a visit to two Amish farms. The first had several products made by the Amish including handmade quilts. Bettie and I were fascinated at the variety of patterns including on quilt that was the "Jello Bar" quilt. We had never heard of that pattern.

At each farm we were allowed to walk through the barns and see the animals. Animals play an important part in the lives of the Amish. Donkeys are the preferred animal to work the fields.

As our tour ended, we were hosted by an Amish family in their home for dinner. All the food was prepared by family members for the forty plus caravanners. It was delicious! We had fried chicken, ham loaf, green beans, mashed potatoes, beets, peaches, homemade bread with a peanut butter spread, and a choice desserts. No one left hungry. With bellies full and smiles on our faces we headed home.

Kreider Farms and Lancaster Countryside

Today our adventure continued with a bus tour of the surrounding area of Lancaster, PA. The first stop on the bus tour was the Kreider Dairy Farm. We got to see one of the largest milking facilities where they milk over 14oo cows twice a day. It takes approximately 4 minutes to milk a cow due to the modern facility.

You can see the carousel where the cows enter a turntable, and are prepped and milked. The cows then back out of the carousel and are

returned to the barn. The barn was large enough for the sightseeing bus to travel down the middle with cows on both sides.
To see the tour that we took go to http://www.kreiderfarms.com/ and click on Introductory Tour.

We also took tour of Downtown Lancaster and learned about the history of the town. For example it became a town in 1730. Also several famous historical people came from Lancaster. President James Buchanan was born in Lancaster.

We ended the day by attending the musical "In the Beginning", which was a play about t

he book of Gensis. The music and singing was fantastic, but we were fascinated by the live anim

als that were used. Horses, dogs, ducks, pigs, donkeys, doves, and sheep were a few of the animals that crossed the stage or traveled up the aisles without people leading them. It was truly amazing! Just before writing this blog entry we met with the group for a get together. We are enjoying our stay in Lancaster.

Pioneer Park Campground-Somerset, PA

Well, we finally got on the road. We sat on the front porch waiting for the title for our old coach before we left for New York. Patrick mailed it overnight express so we would get it before we left.


We left at 10:30 a.m. and traveled to Pennsylvania where we camped at this peaceful campground. We took a walk and watched the sunset. After a great night's sleep we left for our next destination in Lancaster, PA. Friday, we will begin taking tours of points of interest in the Amish country.

New York City - September 2009

Trip to Petosky

Bettie and I took a trip to Petosky, MI and stayed at the Hearthside Resort. What a beautiful place to stay with lovely landscaping and all the amenities. The sites were large with plenty of space to park the coach. We were the guests of the resort which included free camping and a dinner on Wednesday, night. Some of the features available included cabanas at some sites, a clubhouse with pool, and a fitness room.

We smiled as the newspaper was delivered to our door and the trash was picked up daily at the site. We have never seen so many expensive coaches in one spot.

The surrounding area provided many opportunities to shop in several quaint stores. We enjoyed our time with Rick and Sandy Hahn and laughed even when the rains came in. The weather didn't dampen our spirits.

We can hardly wait for our next adventure.