Home Again!

Today, we left Barnardsville, NC at 10:30am. With Holly "Andretti" at the wheel for about 2/3 of the trip, we pulled into the house at 7:10pm! (4,850 miles in 21 days!) We picked up the pups from Bonnie and started to unload.

Thanks to everyone that was involved in our little road trip. To those that were following us, we hope you found the blog enjoyable. To those that traveled to the wedding, we thank you for making this a special time for Ross and Jane. To those of you that traveled with us, the time together was fun and special to both of us. And to those of you that we met along the way, we want to thank you for giving of yourselves and your time to make this a trip that we will never forget.

One of the many wisdoms that come with age includes the importance of friends and the fellowship that friends experience when together. We cherish our friends and look forward to future times together.


May the winds always be at your back and may your travels always be safe!


-- Holly and Steve

Marshall, North Carolina: Time with Bruce and Kathy

Friday afternoon and Saturday were spent with the Harters at Red Steps, which is the name of their home and farm in Marshall, N.C. We have heard about this mysterious haven by the Harters and other friends who have ventured to this mountainous area of North Carolina.

We were overwhelmed at the beauty of the area, the size and panorama of the farm, and the hospitality provided by Kathy and Bruce! There is no doubt in our minds why this tranquil is so apealing to Bruce and Kathy.

The days were spent telling stories, envibing in drink, and journeying around the property. Friday was capped off with a wonderful bar-b-que and on Saturday, we journeyed into Weaverville to dine at the Stoney Nob. The food and the company was superb. We also were introduced to their cat, Jiminey, and their adopted Husky, that they appropriately named Sarah.

Our thanks to Bruce and Kathy for their hospitality. We look forward to seeing them again next week in Orlando!

N.C. B & B

As we approached Marshall, North Carolina to visit Bruce and Kathy, we checked into the Hawk and Ivy Bed & Breakfast in Barnardsville, N.C.

We were pleasantly surprised by the size of the rooms, the magnificent breakfasts, and the wonderful people. Proprietors Eve and James were as gracious as hosts could be. Guests Yola and Elizabeth were delightful. The conversations over the unbelievable breakfasts were fun and interesting. We agreed that the surprise of the stay was when Elizabeth revealed her ties to NASCAR, which seemed somewhat out of character!

Information on the Hawk and Ivy can be found at http://www.hawkandivy.com/. We highly recommend it!

Kernersville, North Carolina

After seeing some of Holly's relatives in Bessemer, PA, yesterday, today we decided to detour over to Kernersville, NC, to see a few more relatives. We will be arriving around 6:00pm and enjoying their company this evening.

The drive from Pennsylvania was beautiful. 40 to 50 degrees with clear blue skies all the way.

Tomorrow, we will be heading over to Marshall, NC, to spend some time at Red Steps with Kathy and Bruce Harter.

Bessemer, Pennsylvania

Today is a rest day in the hometown of Holly's parents. We are enjoying visiting with the relatives. We're trying to see as many as we can get in touch with before we leave in the morning.

Our plan is to head to North Carolina tomorrow and see the sites before descending on Bruce and Kathy Harter on Friday afternoon! Surprize!

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - Cleveland, Ohio

Rock On !

Today, we left Buffalo and headed to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, located in Cleveland, Ohio. To music fans from across the globe, this is sacred ground! The building is located across the street from the Cleveland Browns stadium in the downtown area. Looking north, there is a wonderful view of Lake Erie, which gets better as you go higher up into the 6 story structure.

Photography was prohibited inside the building. This is mainly to protect the delicate contents on display. However, this left us with only these exterior pictures of the building's elevation.
The building was designed by I. M. Pei, who also designed the glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris, France. He has also designed many high-rise buildings in major cities. He uses natural light and open vistas in his design.

We will be spending the next two nights in Boardman, Ohio. This will allow Holly to visit relatives in the Bessemer, Pennsylvania area.

The Best of Buffalo

We experienced two of Buffalo's best places to experience specialty dishes. We were guided in these selections by our friend, Gene, who was raised in Buffalo and knows his city!

The first place was the Anchor Bar for lunch. For those of you that are not aware of the specialty of the Anchor Bar, this is where Buffalo Wings began. We all know of them, we all have eaten them, but there are none better than those served at the Anchor Bar. Their website is incredible also if care to check it out. http://www.anchorbar.com/.

For dinner, the desire was Beef on Weck. For this, Gene directed us to Schwabl's. The experience was reminiscent of the 1940s, with the staff and owner making the experience truly memorable! The beef on weck was unbelievable, as was the German potato salad and the pickled beet relish. Check them out at http://schwabls.com/.

Niagra Falls and Horseshoe Falls

We went across the border into Ontario, Canada, to get the best perspective of the falls. The American falls, seen closer to the bridge are known as Niagra Falls. The Canadian falls, called Horseshoe Falls, are seen to the right of Niagra Falls.

The mist that is seen is from the Canadian falls. The mist can be felt about a mile away. If you look closely, you should see two different rainbows in the posted pictures.

I am also attempting to include a movie clip of the scenery and sounds of the falls. The movie was taken close to the edge of the Canadian Falls.

Herkimer to Buffalo - The Erie Canal

After the sun came up this morning, we realized that we had been driving along the Erie Canal. From an engineer's perspective, the canal is a marvel, connecting Lake Erie to the Hudson River, and being dug in the late 1800s/early 1900s. The photos shown are taken at Herkimer and show a set of control gates on the river side and the lock gates on the canal side.

Remember, this canal ended having to go up the St. Lawrence Seaway and around eastern Canada to get to the U.S. eastern seaboard. Amazing!

Bar Harbor and off to Buffalo (via Herkimer)

We left our beautiful room at the Bar Harbor Inn this morning and headed into Acadia National Park. While in the park, we went to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. The view was spectacular! The temperature was about 40 degrees and the wind was about 20 knots at the summit.

Our plan was originally to head to Buffalo and Niagra Falls by way of Montreal and Toronto. However, after listening to the wisdom of the New Englanders, we decided to trek through Maine, to New Hampshire, to Vermont, and finally into New York. We estimated the distance to be about 720 miles (by Yahoo maps). Our plan was to stop overnight in Albany. However, with Holly "Andretti" at the wheel, we continued through to Herkimer, about 180 miles from Buffalo. Herkimer is located on the north shore of the Erie Canal. After the fine hospitality of the New England establishments, we checked in to the Herkimer Motel and ended up eating at the nearby Denny's Restaurant. After all, everybody knows you don't plan on eating at Denny's, you end up at Denny's!

Tomorrow morning we will head out early to get to Niagra Falls and enjoy a meal at the world famous Anchor Bar in Buffalo! (Gene, we'll be enjoying wings and beef on weck, in your honor!)

Tune in for the report tomorrow evening!

Woke up with Queen Mary

Woke up this morning to find that the Queen Mary 2 had anchored in our backyard.

The day is misty and rainy. We will be heading to Acadia National Park and then beginning the trek to Niagra Falls and Buffalo.

Bar Harbor, Maine

The promised land! We pulled into Bar Harbor just as the rain stopped. As the sun peeked out of the clouds, the magnificent views of this "fairy tale" harbor began to reveal themselves. We had been here about 5 years ago as a stop on our Boston cruise. It was enchanting then and it is just as enchanting now!

As the sun came out, the winds picked up. The winds are constant out of the southeast and are gusting to about 30 knots. Any leaves remaining on the trees are now finding themselves on the sidewalks and in the shops.

We are staying at the historic Bar Harbor Inn (www.barharborinn.com). The views from our room are directly out into the bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The views are breath taking!

Tomorrow, we plan on going to the Acadia National Park and up to the top of Cadillac Mountain. Tune back in for results of this experience.

Leaving Camden, Maine

Camden is a beautiful place. The city is situated at the foot of Mt. Battie on the shore of Camden Harbor. We spent the day in Camden State Park on Mt. Battie. Holly and Steve hiked down a trail from the summit to a point midway down to the city of Camden. Then we hiked back up! Actually, hiking up was easier than hiking down because of the loose gravel and stone that we were hiking on.

We experienced some local drafts at Cappy's. The chowders were very good.... the brews were even better. We tried Geary's and Andrew's brews at this venue. Both were outstanding.

We visited the Owl's Head lighthouse in Rockland, ME. Then headed back to Camden, where we spent the night at the Hawthorn Inn. Maryanne Shanahan and her husband, Bill, provided a bed and breakfast experience that was the finest we've ever experienced. The inn was impeccable and the company was wonderful. We met Susan and David from New Hampshire, who were celebrating their 25th anniversary in the quiet solitude of the inn and Camden. For more on the Hawthorn Inn check out http://www.camdenhawthorn.com/.

Today was sad, as we had to bid farewell to Kevin and Beth, who had to drive back to Portland to catch a flight back to Orlando. They have been great travel buddies and we will miss them.

As Beth and Kevin headed back home, we headed for Bar Harbor in the rain. We'll give you a Bar Harbor update in the next post!

Maine - Portland to Camden

After two days of rain, we woke up today to beautiful blue skies and temperatures of about 48 to 50 degrees. Beth and Kevin headed out to see the lighthouses south of Portland. Holly and Steve roamed around Portland. Steve and Kevin toured the Shipyard Brewery while Holly and Beth hit the shops. Shipyard is amazing in the number of beers that they brew and bottle. Their beers are very good also. (The holiday brews were all out for tasting!)

We arrived at Camden to see a spectacular view of a Maine town at the foot of Mount Battie. Instead of staying at our usual Hampton Inns, we chose to stay at a bed & breakfast. The B&B is called the Hartstone Inn and is built in a historic building that was erected in the 1830s. The accommodations are delightful, making guests feel like they are at home!

During the late afternoon, we walked the streets of Camden. Many of the shops were closing up in preparation of the upcoming winter. Most were still open. The town lies adjacent to the Penobscot Bay. Most of the town centers on the wharf area.

Tomorrow, we will be heading to the top of Mt. Battie. We plan on heading south to the towns of Rockport and Rockland. Tune back in for updates.

Salem, Massachusetts & Kennebunk, Maine

Our travels today took us to Salem, Massachusetts and to Kennebunk, Maine.

Salem is a beautiful city with very unique architectural styling. The myth of the witch killings hangs thick within the atmosphere. While the average person probably thinks that hundreds of witches were hung, burned, boiled in oil, and encountered other torturous deaths, the truth is that only 19 people were executed for practicing what the Puritans called witchcraft. The other interesting fact is that all of the 19 had the option to choose their fate. All chose hanging except one that was crushed. There were no burnings, quarterings, boiling in oil, or other methods that were practiced. Those misunderstandings came out of the world of fiction and Hollywood!
While in Salem, Holly found some comfort in visiting Waikiki Beach. It was beautiful, but missing some of the expected attributes.

Holly also found a new brand of wine that she found appealing. Steve just has no comment on this choice!

From Salem, we headed to Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. The temperature had dropped into the 40s and the wind was blowing at about 20 knots. The two pictures shown include the Atlantic coastline in Kennebunk. The other picture is of a part of the Bush compound. The Bush family did have gating and security. The family also had a couple of homes constructed near the entrance area to allow the secret service detail to bring their families to the compound while the spouses are on duty. George H. W. Bush felt strongly about family values and gave evidence of this sentiment through his actions!

We finished up the day in Portland, Maine. Tomorrow, we are looking forward to a tour of the Shipyard Brewery. The pumpkin beer is still available up here. We will then be heading to Camden, Maine. Check back in for details! Cheers!