Mike and Beth's Adventures

The Nassawango Blast Furnace Our final stop, before rendezvousing with family, was a recreated early 19 th century village called Furnace Town.  It is the home of the Nassawango Iron Furnace, which operated between 1830 and 1845.  Low grade iron ore was reduced in a primitive blast furnace for use in regional industries.  Iron ingots were sold for blacksmiths to craft into nails, household objects, wagon parts, and for components used in ship construction.  The annual output of the furnace was approximately 700 tons of ingots. Furnace Town Visitors Center The blast furnace has been designated as a Mechanical Engineering Historic Site.  The only power available to operate the furnace was waterpower, which was used to turn a water wheel to operate a large bellow to inject a continuous stream of air into the furnace.  It was very clever considering the technology of the time. The Village of Furnace Town The Workshop Where Brooms were Manufactured Special Gr...

Beth and Orville Wright launch the World's First Powered Manned Flight As we neared our scheduled rendezvous with family in Maryland, our trip north accelerated.   We switched gears a bit and followed a pattern which illustrates how we integrate other activities into our travel routine. The way we do this is to reserve a period during the day to hit the gym, a market to reprovision, refuel the van,  and find a spot to spend the night.   We have a nationwide membership to Planet Fitness.   This gives us access to all their facilities, including their showers.   From examining towns along our route of travel, we found the town of Dunn North Carolina allowed us to complete all of these tasks within a tight radius just off the freeway.   Enjoying the Massage Chair at Planet Fitness The first stop was the gym.   We completed a good workout to offset the sedentary nature of van travel.   Next was a nice hot and unlimited shower.   This avoide...

Savanah Georgia Our 2500-mile eastward journey on Interstate 10 from near Los Angeles to Jacksonville Florida transitioned on this leg of our trip.  At Jacksonville we took a left turn and started travelling northward toward Chesapeake Bay. We chose the far southern route to avoid nasty weather, snow, and storm fronts that lingered in the mid-west.  Between Fairhope and Tallahassee, we did have one day of heavy rain, but it could have been much worse had we taken either Interstate 40 or 80. Florida Historic Capital Museum The stop in Tallahassee was short and decadent.  We opted for a Marriott with a gym and eating leftovers in our room.  Despite the rain, we were pleasantly surprised by the Tallahassee’s rolling hills.  Yes!  Hills in Florida!  We watched a movie on Amazon Prime, hit the sack and departed the next morning for Savanah Georgia.  I’m sure the town has much to offer.  We just didn’t have time to explore, and sadly, Ron DeSan...

Crying Eagle Brewery Until our visit to Lake Charles Louisiana, the only thing  I knew about it was from the song " Up on Cripple Creek" by The Band. W hen I get off of this mountain You know where I want to go Straight down the Mississippi River To the Gulf of Mexico To Lake Charles, Louisiana Little Bessie, girl I once knew She told me just to come on by If there's anything that she could do Well, I'm still not an expert on it, but at least now I have visited.  As Beth and I travelled from Austin Texas to Fairhope Alabama, we spent the night at  Crying Eagle Brewery.  The only other parts of Lake Charles we saw were a McDonald's for breakfast and a gas station.  I can tell you though, The Brewery ROCKS.  If you are ever in town, it is a MUST. There are four distinct area in which you can enjoy a brew.  Tucked in one corner is a "Reading Room" which offers comfort and intimacy. There are are two indoor large seating areas.  The first is located o...

 My Brother and I Have you ever wondered about the meaning of "wealth".  It can take many forms and can be measured in ways that don't involve counting money.  True, monetary wealth is an enabler but so are other forms of wealth.  Understanding and valuing the "non-monetary" dimensions of wealth is important.  Our stop in Austin Texas is a clear illustration of this. Bret and I took primary flight training while still at UC Davis   In Austin I had the opportunity to renew my friendship with two gentlemen that I met during my freshman year at UC Davis.  We were all in Army ROTC together in the late '60's, during the Vietnam era.  It was a tumultuous time in America and for the world.  We trained together, worked in the dining hall together, and attended basic training together, I went to rifle matches with one fellow and completed primary flight school with the other fellow.  Both my classmates went on to careers in the military and...

After Tucson we visited Licon’s Dairy and Petting Zoo in San Elizario, Texas.   It was 378 miles and 7 hours away as we travelled from Arizona, through New Mexico and into The southeast corner of Texas.   Everyone should travel cross country on Interstate 10 once in their life.   Doing so gives you a new appreciation for the vast distances   and hardships endured by those that settled this barren and hostile terrain.   I have new respect for the Pioneers and the Indigenous People who populated this territory. We arrived at Licon’s Dairy in late afternoon.   While I worked on the computer, Beth explored their petting zoo. Licon’s is a Harvest Host location, where you can park overnight for free.   As Licon's  is a commercial establishment, we made some purchases in their store to show our appreciation for their hospitality.   A member of the owners family greeted us and thanked us for selecting their spot for the evening.   It is locate...

Not all days on the road are spent in the pursuit of leisure and adventure.  Some days must be organized and routine, just like at home.  .  Even though we had not been on the road long, we found we needed to allocated some "catch-up" time.  This required two nights and a full day at the Marriott Desert Springs Villas in Pam Desert.    This was a comfortable spot to take long showers, sleep in a real bed, grocery shop, acquire parts to fix things that have broken, prepare meals in a real kitchen and catch up on the detritus of life.  You know, things like filing your taxes, paying bills, email and route planning for the next several spots.   Marriott Palm Springs Desert Villas We selected the Marriott as we are in their timeshare system.   So, you know the drill.   Attend a 90-minute update and get two free nights lodging.   Amazingly, our update concluded in 88 minutes, and we now have two more  free nights deposit...