Mitch and I have decided to retire from our jobs with Story Land. Well, that is not exactly correct. We determined that we are ready to hit the road and travel to more states and revisit other states. We truly enjoyed our New Hampshire experience. Part of the consideration is that Mitch has been in a lot less pain following his hip replacement.



Our first stop in unexplored territory on our journey was Columbia, South Carolina. Not surprising, the state museum has a terrific Confederate display. A temporary treasure trove covered Pirates and Buccaneers. A roving docent in costume answered our questions and awed the children with his guns and curved swords.



The Governor's House was closed to the public but the garden area was available. I smelled the heavenly fragrance of the wisteria before I saw it trailing from trellises and balconies. An unexpected gem was at the Firefighters Hall of Fame. Our personal guide, V. Davis, not only showed us the station but told us tales of his favorite fires. He opened doors to the kitchen, TV room and explained what a day of a firefighter might entail. Thank you Mr. Davis.



If you happen to be near Oak Street head over to Chars Restaurant. This family owned and run buffet is well within a budget and delicious. Do not pass up on the cornbread fritters. They are more like a pancake than a traditional fritter. Save room for several.



We drove to Newport News and parked at a favorite space. Florida friends, Nita and Moody, have a curved driveway with plenty of space and all the amenities for RVers. We had an annual pass at Williamsburg and enjoyed revisiting certain areas. It was our first visit to the DeWitt Museum. We spent several hours looking at wonderful displays of furniture, art, pottery, jewelry and china. The volunteers that gave tours were very knowledgeable and anxious to answer questions.



Our travels have been unhurried so we have had the advantage of a long spring as we head north. This may start to sound like a gardening tour. While we spent time with Mitch's older daughter, Debby, we spent an afternoon at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. We had never been there during our many stays in Richmond, Virginia. The gardens were spectacular. The most unusual and unique flowers were done in glass. The color and delicacy took enormous patience and imagination to perceive and create. Kudos to the garden administrators for having the intelligence to incorporate the combination of flowers.



April 22nd we flew to Las Vegas to visit with my mother, Evelyn/Aunt Evie/Bubie. Mitch's younger daughter, Sherri, flew in for the weekend. We hadn't seen her for 2 years. Mitch stayed 5 days and returned to the east coast to pick up the 5th wheel and drive it to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I stayed in Las Vegas until May 6th to do some mother and daughter errands and visiting.



Our special event was lunch with our cousins. Galit lives in Las Vegas. Tovah came in from Albuquerque. I can't remember what I ate but I totally enjoyed the company and the conversation.



We had a wonderful time with Barry, Johna and the 2 grandchildren in Harrisburg.. Carly is 12 and Ian is 8. We definitely think that being grandparents is top of the list.



Our next stop was in Elkhart, Indiana. We had some work done on the 5th wheel. Tiara RV was courteous and helpful in case you need some work done. While we waited for the tanks to be installed we went to the RV and Motor home Museum. It was a nice stop. They had a lot about trailers and motor homes but little on the history of 5th wheels. If you are hungry for a good sandwich drop by Mad Anthony Brewing Co.



Mitch is a graduate from the Western Michigan University located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. We had a great day on the campus. A nice gal saw us looking lost and drove us over to the alumni office and gave us a campus map. The gentleman in charge of the alumni office was thrilled to see us and pulled out yearbooks. Mitch recognized the building that housed the alumni office because it was his dorm on campus when he was a student.



If you are considering going to the Kalamazoo Nature Center don't bother. It doesn't have the butterflies, tropical birds or fish that they advertise. The hiking trails are just as pretty at the city park.



We debated whether or not we wanted to drive into Chicago. We ended up in Joliet. It was a good decision. Mitch and I spent a lovely and relaxing afternoon and evening in the company of his cousin, Phillip, and his wife, Yarina and their sons, Soren and Kyle. They are 8 and 12...the same ages as our grandchildren. We walked to the Lincoln Park Zoo on a clear and sunny afternoon. We continued our conversation over the dinner that Phillip grilled outside.



Driving and parking in Chicago sounded like a nightmare. We opted to drive to Midway Airport and catch the train into the city. There is so much to see in a city that size. We took a double-decker bus and rode around the city. We got our exercise wandering around several stops. The Navy Pier is huge. It has shopping, a food court, a glass museum, an arts center and an enormous Ferris wheel.



Millennium Park has statues, water fountains and beautiful lawns for picnics. I had to stop in Filene's basement just to say that I had been there. Ironically, it is on the second floor. We walked through a beautiful, ivy covered church near the Water Tower. We drove by the Sears/Willis Tower, the new Trump building, art museums, a building that looks like waves of water, theaters with historical names and buildings old and new. Along Lakeshore Drive we passed the stadium, museums and an aquarium. The day was nice and the lake was dotted with many small and a few large boats out to spend time on the water.



We must have been on and off of at least 6 buses a during the day. We went into few buildings. The next time we will choose a few places to see. We took the orange line back to Midway and drove home tired and happy that we had seen some of Chicago.



This is getting long. I don’t want to scare you off from our travels. One more stop and I'll send this out. My father grew up in area called the Quad Cities. My family visited Rock Island fairly often to see our grandparents and my father's sister and her family. I probably saw a few of these places when I was young but I remember only a few of them. Augustana College was his first alma mater and a class graduated while we were in town. Black Hawk Park still has trails for hikers and picnic tables for family gatherings.



The Corp of Engineers built 2 locks on the Mississippi River in Rock Island. They show a nice film relating to the river and the challenges in building the locks and bridges. Some of the bridges are at the century mark and are from the original material and design.. The Rock Island Arsenal is on the base. The building houses a tremendous collection of artifacts and weapons from several wars,



We went to a marvelous farmers market in Davenport on Saturday. The flowers were gorgeous and the local produce was fresh. We indulged in some baked goods like banana nut bread. Many people brought their pets . We noticed that several stands of baked good were strictly for the canine crowds and that they did not give samples, We were luckier and tried a few things before we bought them.



Two museums caught our attention. The Putnam Museum is the one we recommend, The displays were pleasant and easy on the eyes. The Figge Museum subject matter was dark and depressing,



No one can pass through the area without noticing that the John Deere Company is large and has several venues to visit. The World Headquarters wall is long and shows memorabilia from the inception of the company. The Harvester tour involves seeing a movie of the company and a tour of the installation that makes the famous green and yellow machinery. The tour takes about 2 hours so give yourselves some time to take the full tour. The John Deere Pavilion showcases some of the machinery.

Of course, there are gift shops for the pencils, shirts, coffee cups, toys and books. We learned that nothing runs like a Deere.



A major event will be in December. It will be the arrival of a baby. Our nephew, Richard, and his lovely lady, Jeania, made the announcement on Mother's Day by giving my sister, Rhoda, a card pronouncing her grandmother-to-be. We are all very excited and happy.



We hope all of you are well.



Laurie and Mitch

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