June 27, 2008 - Back Home in NC

Well, all good things must come to an end. So it is with our big trip. We have arrived back home in NC and this is my final entry for the "Trip of Our Dreams" blog.

I last wrote when we were in Shipshewana, IN. When we left Shipshewana, we drove to Hagerstown, IN where Mike's sister lives. We visited with her for a few days and got to see all her family. It was nice catching up on their lives. We actually parked our RV on the street beside her house which made it real convenient for us. Sue works as the minister for the UMC in Hagerstown and we stayed through Sunday and went to services at her church. We both enjoyed the service and the people there could not have been nicer to us. It is obvious that they love Sue.

Hagerstown is a small community just a short drive west from Richmond, IN. Sue took us on a tour of the town as well as the surrounding area. I was surprised to learn that there is an Amish population here. We actually saw some buggies during our stay. Sue lives right downtown in Hagerstown and it was nice to be able to get out and walk all around the downtown area. There are several antique shops and gift shops as well as a well known restaurant - Welliver's Smorgasbord. I don't know how long Welliver's has been in business, but I know it has been there for at least 28 years because Mike and I ate there back in the late 70's when we lived in IN. Of course, we had to try it again and it was still a great place to eat (or overeat, as is the case for most everyone who goes to Welliver's).

We left Sue's house on Monday morning and drove to Hillsboro, OH and stayed at Rocky Fork state park just outside of Hillsboro. Mike was in Hillsboro earlier this year when he was helping his brother by taking some of his brother's cattle to Hillsboro to sell. Mike was impressed with this small town and suggested we stay there. Rocky Fork turned out to be a very nice state park. There is a large lake there with a small marina. They have camping along the lake shore as well as up on top of a hill overlooking the lake. The camping sites along the lake were all taken, so we went up to one on the hill. I actually liked the ones up on the hill better because there was plenty of shade up there unlike down by the water. It was pretty hot while we were there and the shade was nice.

Another reason that being up on the hill was nice was the park was hosting a camp for children with physical and mental disabilities. There site was down near the lake and there were a ton of kids there making it pretty noisy. This camp is an annual event and I guess it is quite popular based on the number of kids present. It was a really nice event and the sponsors made sure that the kids were able to go swimming or boating or horseback riding or participate in any of the events. We met a volunteer and he said they have one person assigned to each child to make sure that child can participate in the events. So, if you know anyone in the area who has a child with a disability who might want to go to this camp, let them know.

Also, if you ever go to Rocky Fork, go to the office and get some ice cream - but only order one scoop. I ordered two scoops and I think I got a pint of ice cream. Thank goodness, Mike was with me and ate half of it. I never expected them to give me so much. The lady helping me said they like to give customers their money's worth. What an understatement!!

We left Hillsboro on the 19th of June and drove to South Shore, KY and parked our RV in Mike's cousin's drive. We were in South Shore to attend the family reunion for Mike's mothers side of the family. The reunion was on Saturday afternoon and we spent the days prior to the reunion just visiting with family. Mike has such a close family and they have such a fun time when they all get together. I am so blessed that they have claimed me as part of their family.

On Sunday, the 22nd, we left South Shore and drove to Carter Caves State Park in KY. We have stayed at this state park many times over the years. It is a great place for Mike's family to get together because it is pretty centrally located for all of us and it has both cabins, a lodge and a campground so everyone can find accomodations suitable. We also like that there is a shelter house in the cabin area where we can gather for meals. Plus, there are lots of activities for kids here at this park. They have a lake for fishing, a big swimming pool, playgrounds, horseback riding, a golf course, putt putt golf, and caving. In the evenings, we all head to the campground for a campfire. All of us love to have a campfire and sit around and drink wine while the kids make smores. It is a great time to unwind and catch up on family happenings.

On the 26th, we left Carter Caves and drove home. We made a stop in Mt. Airy to see our daughter and her family and finally got home around 7pm. We had no sooner gotten stopped when one of our neighbors came out to greet us and then another and another. It was great to have them welcome us back home.

Last night, we went to a party in our little neighborhood. Most of our neighbors were there and many asked what was my favorite place on our trip. It is really not possible for me to pick one place that is my favorite. There were just so many wonderful and beautiful places that we were so priviledged to see on this amazing trip. I think every place we went had it's own special beauty. So, I can't really pick one place. But, I can tell you that NC is looking really good to me right now and I think I will stay here for a bit and just enjoy being home again.