Summer's Final Leg

After giving Steve several days to get back on his feet, we followed our friends the Kukuks to Kenisee Lake Thousand Trails in Ohio.  We spent one day touring the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.  This was quite a place. We could have spent a week.  Here are few highlight pictures.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Johnny Cash Tour Bus

One BIG guitar

Downtown Cleveland

The Rock and Roll Museum in the background

While the Kukuks headed to NY, we headed to Shawnee State Park and Hershey in Pennsylvania. While at Shawnee, we took the opportunity to drive to Cumberland, Maryland to bike part of the 184 mile historic    C and O Towpath..  This path was used to transport goods from Cumberland to Washington, DC down a canal which paralled the Potomac River.  There were 75 locks on the canal.  Once the railroad was established, the tow path was no longer needed and has now been restored as a wonderful recreation path.  

The start of the C and O towpath trail

Men and boys walked beside the mules as they pulled the canal boats

Canal boat pulled by mules 

Lock 75 on the towpath

Lake at Shawnee State Park

While in Hershey, we made the drive over to Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania.  We biked the 25 mile Capital City Trail.

Hershey Hotel

Capital City bike trail 

Seven Generations 

Bridge over the Susquehanna with bike path along the river

It was then on to Virginia.  We stopped at two Thousand Trail campgrounds, one in Colonial Beach and one in Gloucester.  We drove to Fredericksburg to tour the civil war battlefield.  In one battle over 15,000 Union soldiers were killed.  It was a very moving experience and brought tears to both Steve's and Cheryl's eyes.

Sunken Road, site of battle in Fredericksburg

Some of the many graves on the battlefield

Grave of 5 Union soldiers

Bullet holes can still be seen in this house which was in the line of fire

Chatham house served as Union army headquarters and communication center and later as a hospital. George Washington, Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jefferson stayed here at one time.

Monument at site where Stonewall Jackson was fatally wounded

While in Gloucester, we had the chance to visit with our friends Linda and Bob Harrell. During lunch at their home, we experienced an earthquake registering 5.3 on the richter scale.  Really shook the house.  We enjoyed a kayak with Bob and then a drive through Ft. Monroe and the Newport News shipyard. Had a wonderful dinner on the Hampton Roads.


Moat around Ft. Monroe

Old Point Comfort lighthouse at Ft. Monroe

Base housing for one of  the officers at Ft. Monroe!!!

Dorothy.  First sea going vessel built at Newport News shipyard.  Now they are building aircraft carriers.

We ate dinner one night on the Norfolk waterfront with a great view of the USS Wisconsin

View of Hampton Roads from our restaurant

We headed over to Virginia Beach for a day trip.  Here are view pictures from that adventure.

Virginia Beach

Statue of Neptune on Virginia Beach boardwalk

War Memorial on Virginia Beach boardwalk

Restored Coast Guard Life Station on Virginia Beach boardwalk

We were evacuated from the RV park in Gloucester due to the approach of Hurricane Irene.  We were expecting this since we watched the Navy move all their ships out of Hampton Roads while having dinner in Norfolk.  We moved to a park west of Richmond and enjoyed three days on the John Kerr Reservoir.  Had a beautiful site with our own private beach.  Not a bad spot to wait out a storm!!

From here we begin our beach fun.  More on that later......