On the Road Again. A Jaunt Through the Mid-Atlantic States. Part 2: Pennsylvania Amish Country

   We departed Endless Caverns about 10:00, in no particular hurry.  We were scheduled to attend a social at our Country Coach International rally in New Holland PA at 5:00, and had plenty of time .... or so we thought.  Google maps suggested it was a 4-hour drive.  We had to make one stop for fuel, lunch and groceries. However, Google maps underestimated the time to get around Hagerstown MD and Harrisburg PA.  Our fuel/lunch/grocery stop in Falling Waters WV took longer than expected, and we arrived at Spring Gulch RV Park in New Holland PA at 4:00, just as the club happy hour was scheduled to start.  

We had a pre-assigned camp site number, however, when we arrived at our assigned campsite, #1551, we found it still occupied.  It was well after check-out time, and the squatter was nowhere to be found.  Furthermore, it was obvious he hadn't planned to leave As he had toys, firewood, laundry and all his other belongings scattered across the camp site.  We unhitched our car and Dorcas drove about 1/2 mile back down the hill to the office to get things straightened out, while I hung out at the coach near our campsite to see what I could find out.  None of the neighboring campers knew where they were. Finally a maintenance worker showed up and called back to the office trying to find us another site.  After about 1/2 hour of back and forth between the worker and the office with no resolution, the worker abandoned me when I had my back turned.  CRAP!!!  Finally Dorcas came back, and said the office told her to park on #1531.  I drove down the lane to #1531, just as another RV pulled onto it. DOUBLE CRAP!!!  It turns out, the coach that had just parked on #1531 was part of our group, but actually was holding conflicting credentials indicating they should park on either #1531 and/or #1532.  Wanting anything but to go back back to the office, we negotiated a settlement, and they stayed on #1531 and we parked on #1532.  By this time happy hour would have been over, except it was canceled when the park made a mistake scheduling the location of our social.  It's a miracle these folks function at all.

As we set up camp it was obvious that heavy tree cover would prevent the use of satellite TV, so I hooked up the park cable.  Guess what: it doesn't work. CRAP!!!  OK we'll use the over-the-air antenna but find out there is no usable signal.  DOUBLE CRAP!!!   Ok, so, instead of watching TV, I'll make good use of this time updating my blog on the resort WiFi.  WRONG!!!  I could connect to their network, but could not create an account to log in, and could not get to the Internet. Another park worker came to our site, but he could not get either the cable or the internet to work.  It's a miracle these folks function at all.  

OK, that's enough whining about Spring Gulch RV Resort.  I'm over it now, but I did return a scathing survey and will post some negative feedback on our favorite campground search sites.  

Except for the resort issues, namely getting parked and the cable and internet issues, we had a really fun rally. 

"I lost my horses!"

This was a week-long rally and we had some really good activities planned.  The first outing was to The Choo Choo Barn in Strasburg PA. 

Group photo at the Choo Choo Barn

Following are some still photos from the Choo Choo Barn, but stills don't do it justice.  Click HERE to see the video, which shows many of the animations and the trains, cars and figures in motion. 

Our next outing was to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, also in Strasburg.

Then we took a ride on the Strasburg Railroad, which featured live entertainment in the form of "The great Diamond Heist" including eight professional actors and audience participation. 

On another day we visited Hershey PA and the AACA Museum, considered one of the best classic auto displays in the country.

A pair of Deloreans

A hot rod and a hot Mama

The exhibit also included several very rare Tuckers, built by Preston Tucker and the Tucker Corporation. Only 51 1948 Tucker Sedans were made. The Tuckers contained many inovative features that were well ahead of their time.

We were only able to see about a third of this museum before our bus left for the climax of our day: Hershey's Chocolate World.

First we took a trolley tour around the town of Hershey. One highlight of the tour was the chocolate treats liberally dispensed by the conductor. 

Another highlight of the visit to Hershey's Chocolate World was the Create Your Own Candy Bar experience.  You choose all the ingredients and packaging and watch it as it flows dow the production line.

The still photos below just don't do the experience justice, so you guessed it, I produced a video. Click HERE to view the video. 

They make you dress funny in order to enjoy the experience.

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I chose a white chocolate base; Dorcas chose dark chocolate.

You could track your bar as it progresses down the production line:

My bar, the one with sprinkles shown below, malfunctioned just before being packaged, not laying properly in the tray.  It caused a shutdown of the entire line for about 10 minutes, until the jam could be cleared. FUDGE!!!

See our customized packaging, covering a metal container

The final highlight to Hershey's Chocolate World was a 22oz Hershey Chocolate Porter with our lunch.

Of course, Dorcas stocked up on her favorite Special Dark Chocolate.

Stay tuned for A Jaunt Through the Mid-Atlantic States: Part 3

Video of the Week: Watch Them Sparks!

 On our most recent trip to Stone Mountain I broke out our Solo fire pit for the first time.  The Solo fire pit is engineered to burn hot and to be essentially smokeless .... but apparently not spark-less.  Watch here as Dorcas enjoys our first fire. Ouch!!!

The fire also threw a spark that burned a hole in my GCI RoadTrip Rocker, a not inexpensive chair.  I guess my next investment will be for a good spark screen for our Solo fire pit. 

On the Road Again. A Jaunt Through the Mid-Atlantic States. Part 1: Stone Mountain State Park

My knee surgery was successful and physical therapy has been going well.  My surgeon has released me to do whatever I feel like doing, so there's only one sensible thing to do: Road Trip!!!

Country Coach International was having a rally in Lancaster County, which is Amish country, in southeastern PA.  We had not previously seriously considered attending, but now it seemed like a good destination.  We made a plan to first visit a favorite state park, Stone Mountain State Park, then head north for a week in Pennsylvania for the rally, and finally spend a week at Brunswick Maryland.  The only downside to such a plan was the extreme heat forecast for the month of July, and the record high prices of diesel.  But what the hell, you only live once and you can't take it with you.

First stop: Stone Mountain State Park, where we camped for 4 nights.

Stone Mountain has a beautiful campground.  There are two loops with large paved sites with water and 50A electric, very suitable for RVs.  There are also a number of primitive sites great for tent camping. 

Site #62

Dorcas enjoying our new Solo fire pit

We did a hike to the Hutchinson family homesite at the base of the mountain.  The hike was only about 2 miles with moderate elevation gain, but my post-surgical knee was feeling it later.  Ice is good!  Drugs are better!

Stone Mountain is a 600-foot granite monolith

Dorcas is perpetually happy

While we didn't carry a boat on this trip, but our paddling friends Tom and Diane joined us for this segment of our trip.

Tom, Diane, Dorcas and Myron

The Hutchison family homestead circa 1850

I did some easy biking around the campground.  At first I had to raise my seat pretty high in order to bend my knee on the up stroke, but after biking a while I could lower the seat and pedal comfortably.  This suggests that biking is increasing my flexibility.

On Thursday, July 14 we left Stone Mountain and headed north towards PA.  We had made a reservation at Endless Caverns RV Resort near New Market VA.  This would break up our trip to Pennsylvania into two short travel days, 247 and 223 miles respectively.  Endless Caverns RV Resort is, you guessed it, at the Endless Caverns attraction.  It is a Passport America park, which means the Whitleys score half-priced camping. Passport America parks are not always the best, but we were pleasantly surprised with this one.  It is built on a moderately steep hillside, with well graded roads, but the sites are large, level and very attractively terraced with large rocks.

Site E-40 at Endless Caverns, a nice pull-through with satellite access

While at Stone Mountain we had met a couple traveling in a Newmar New Aire motor home. Our Dutch Star is made by Newmar as well, so we tend to talk to other Newmar owners.  The New Aire is a shorter luxury diesel pusher, and we seriously considered buying the New Aire before we bought our Dutch Star.  Click HERE to read why we didn't buy the New Aire.  Anyway, we saw this New Aire at Stone Mountain, and I spoke to the owners.  Then, just across the road from our camp at Endless Caverns another New Aire was parked that looked suspiciously like the one we had seen at Stone Mountain.  It turns out that is was one and the same.  We spent the evening with Dean and Susie, knocking back some cool ones and sharing tales about our travels and our Newmars. It's a small world in the RV community. 

Nice terraced sites on a steep campground

We did not tour the caverns this trip, but this seems to be a very pleasant resort, so maybe we will come back again.  Northward to Pennsylvania!

Myron Gets a new Knee ... Again...

 It's been coming on for about a year and a half. I started having pain in my left knee in about January 2021.  I finally went to a local orthopedic surgeon in Florida.  At that time he diagnosed an "arthritic flare-up". He recommended one or the other of two injection therapies: The first was a visco-supplement, which involves a series of 3 injections, each one week apart.  This therapy provides a lubricating coating of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HA) injection to relieve knee pain caused by osteoarthritis.  The therapy lasts about 6 months and then must be repeated.  I know at least one other pickleball buddy who swears by this therapy.  Visco therapy would be covered by my insurance.  The second therapy he recommended was A2M Therapy. Alpha-2-Macroglobulin (A2M) is a naturally-occurring molecule found in your blood.  A2M Therapy isolates and concentrates A2M from your own blood for reinjection at the injury site. The concentration helps boost natural healing and support tissue restoration. This therapy has apparently not been proven clinically effective.  Furthermore, it is fairly expensive ($2700 for one knee, but a discount for both knees!) and not covered by insurance.  The alternative to these 2 therapies are rest after a flare-up.  In the end I chose to do nothing and see how it went.  This doctor did not see anything in x-rays to suggest surgery at this point.

Fast forward to November 2021.  Pickleball is my life, and I would play every day if I was able.  We have very nice facilities and a great group of players at our resort in Florida.  However, my left knee pain continued to worsen.  I found that I must rest a day or two before playing again.  As the winter progressed my pain worsened.  I would have a flare-up and be forced to quit playing for a week or two.  Then I would play again, but try to be gentle.  Not easy given my competitive nature. Then something would give, and I would repeat the cycle. It was unbearable, and I was miserable. 

I went to another local orthopedic surgeon in Titusville.  He extracted 3.5 vials of fluid (a world record!) and ordered an MRI.  The MRI revealed bone on bone osteoarthritis and major soft tissue damage, which apparently had not existed a year ago.  Surgery was warranted, but he suggested we do a round of visco-supplement therapy first.  That was fine, since I knew I would not have any surgery in Florida, particularly performed by this surgeon, who locals warned was a hack.  The visco-supplement therapy seemed to have minimal effect, but I was able to continue to play pickleball, at a reduced level, and hobble down the street to happy hour each night.

I made an appointment with my home town surgeon, Dr. William Ward, for April 25, a few days after returning home from Florida.  Consequently, surgery was scheduled for May 17.  This would be a total knee replacement (total knee arthroplasty or TKA) vs. a partial replacement (unicompartmental knee arthroplasty), which I had on my right knee in September 2018.  You can read about that experience HERE.  I thought the partial replacement was hard, but they said the total replacement would be much more significant, with a much more difficult recovery and rehabilitation.  They were right.

As with my previous surgery, Dr. Ward used the Mako™ Robotic-Arm, affectionately known as R2 KNEE 2.

R2 KNEE 2

All dressed and prepped

Dr. Ward autographs his sketches

My new incission scar is about twice the length of the scar from the previous surgery on my right knee. I don't know the number of stitches, but there were 38 staples. 

Kinda like Frankenstein

This image shows the difference in the relative sizes of the implants.

I spent two nights in the hospital vs. one night for my previous surgery. The following Monday I started twice-a-week physical therapy (aka "Pain and Torture") sessions for the next six weeks.  During that time flexibility and strength gradually increased, to the point that I had 115 degrees of flex.  I began playing a little gentle pickleball at about week five.  By week six I was playing a little harder, sometimes forgetting that I was still in recovery.  

It will still be many weeks before I am fully recovered.  There is still significant swelling which may last up to a year. Ice is good!  Strength and flexibility are not yet optimal.  I had the final follow-up with Dr. Ward's PA on July 8 and was essentially released to do whatever I wished.  All-in-all I am happy and life is getting back to normal.  Pickleball: here I come!

A Short Trip to Stone Mountain State Park

We arrived home from Florida on April 22.  We lost Matilda on April 29.  I had knee surgery scheduled for May 17.  So, it was time to get out for a little R&R and relief from grieving before my surgery.  On May 8 we dashed up to Stone Mountain State Park, just north of Elkin and only 60 miles from home, for 5 nights of camping.  We did some easy hiking and a little biking, but mainly we just hung out by Wayne's campfire. 

Our friends Wayne and Lynda joined us for a few nights. 

A small waterfall on Bullhead Creek

Biking at Chestnut Creek on the New River Trail

After 5 nights of rest and relaxation we drove home and began prepping for my knee replacement surgery, scheduled May 17,  just 4 days hence.

Our Beloved Matilda Has Crossed the Rainbow Bridge

 Today we had to let Matilda go.  Matilda was 14 years and a few weeks old.  Despite a number of health scares over the past few years, and some recent mobility issues, Matilda was in generally good health until about 6 months ago.  

Matilda relaxing on the lawn at home in NC last week

One day in late November last year while we were living at our winter home in Florida, Matilda awoke with a severe limp involving her left front leg.  We first assumed that she had perhaps fallen and injured her leg.  Entering and exiting our motor home is always an adventure, not just for Matilda, but for me as well.  She has had arthritis for some time, and lately we have been helping her up and down these steep steps.  We sent a video of her limping to our veterinarian at home in North Carolina, and she said we should immediately take her to a local veterinarian.  It was a Saturday, but we called Parkway Animal Hospital, Matilda's local caregiver, anyway.  They were booked solid and were one vet short because Dr. Riley had an automobile accident that morning, but they said they would call us back if an opening came up.  Sure 'nuff they did have an opening so we rushed over.  It turned out, Dr. Riley is very dedicated and had come in to work after her accident.  She performed an exam and took some X-rays.  The diagnosis was not good.  She suspected that Matilda had developed a bone tumor in her left shoulder, but without conducting a biopsy she could not be sure.  Given the cancer would not be treatable and Matilda's advanced age, a risky and invasive biopsy which would involve general anesthesia, did not make sense.  Dr. Riley suggested there was a small chance what she had seen on the X-ray could be an infection or osteoarthritis and prescribed a regimen of pain medications and an antibiotic.

Miraculously, Matilda's mobility improved significantly over the next few weeks.  She was walking as well as she had been before the recent episode, and we were encouraged that maybe it wasn't cancer after all.  Maybe the drugs had been effective in treating the infection and/or arthritis and Matilda was on the mend.  But such was not the case.  In the following months her mobility declined, and she was unable to put any weight on that leg.  Additionally, going into March and April her breathing became labored, she developed a disturbing cough and on at least one occasion, spit up some blood.  Ironically, she seemed to be in fairly good spirits. She was sleeping a lot, but was otherwise alert and in no obvious discomfort except when walking.  She spent most days sitting in the sunshine in front of the coach napping or watching the world go by.  She always seemed to have the energy to bark at the dogs and people walking by that she knew, and would on occasion, get excited and even break into a semi-trot.

We returned home from Florida on Friday April 22, and took Matilda to see our local veterinarian, Katie (Dr. T) at Mt Tabor Animal Hospital, on Wednesday the following week.  Katie performed an exam and took an X-ray.  Unfortunately, it was determined the cancer had metastasized to her lungs, and the end was very near.  We made a plan to bring her back to be euthanized on Friday April 29.  That gave us a precious day and half to say goodbye and let her go.  Dorcas and I were both holding her when she took her last breath.  We brought her home and buried her next to Izaak, so they may continue to play and roam in that great puppy hereafter.  We have ordered this memorial stone and will place it on her grave when it arrives

Taking a hike down memory lane, here are some pictures of Matilda taken during here first year:

Matilda in the Country Coach at age 7 weeks

Dorcas and I have been blessed that we were able to retire at an early age and do the things we wanted to do and go to places we wanted to go. Matilda came into our life shortly after we retired, and she was able to go with us wherever we went.   Izaak had passed a year before, but Dorcas and I had decided then we were not ready to get another dog immediately.  We wanted another dog very much, but thought it best to wait, and when the time was right, the perfect dog would come to us.   So, about a year after Izaak passed, we told Katie we were ready.  Coincidentally, she told us one of the vet techs at Mt Tabor had just had a surprise litter of two Aussie pups.  Katie thought one of these puppies would be the perfect pup for us.  We were not so sure at first.  Australian Shepherds are known to be high energy animals, and Dorcas and I are not so much.  But Katie twisted our arms, and made us an offer we couldn't refuse.  We brought Matilda home and found that Katie had been right; Matilda was a perfect fit for us.  

Matilda was born on April 10, 2008, and we brought her home when she was only 6 weeks old.  The very next day we departed in the motor home for a 2 1/2-week trip.  A few weeks after that trip we took her on a 3-month adventure to the Boundary Waters.  She literally grew up in the coach.  Since then she has traveled with us everywhere we went: multiple trips out west, twice to Alaska, over a dozen wilderness trips in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, numerous river camping trips and river day adventures.  She has had close encounters with all kinds of wildlife in the wild including alligators, brown bears, black bears, wild turkeys, coyotes, manatees, Northern pike, feral rhesus monkeys, and numerous birds and reptiles, and she never expressed any fear or aggression.  

Matilda's first hike

Mommy and Baby Girl bond

Matilda at 10 weeks with daddy in Iowa

Matilda's first canoe trip: Kettle River Minnesota

Matilda's first and last intentional out-of boat experience: Kettle River Minnesota

Matilda's first trip to the Boundary Waters September 2008

Napping in the Boundary Watters

Watching Daddy catch fish

Not many weeks after this photo Matilda's ears suddenly flopped

Following are some pictures of Matilda as she matured and continued her adventures:

Hiking in the Tongass National Forest near Sitka Alaska

Waltzing Matilda

Removing burrs in the Boundary Waters

On the lookout on the Buffalo River

She was a nimble pup

Manatees are BIG fish!

Matilda could walk on water

Paddling is HARD work!

I love our gopher tortoise

Such a prima donna

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. 

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... 

Author unknown...

Matilda, you have lived a long and happy life.  Our life has been enriched and blessed to have you in our family.  We miss you and will always love you.