Headed North -- mid-June, 2016
Family Time
The Murleys and Rich and JJ started the journey northward in mid-June--the Murleys from Florida and Camelot House II from Buford, Georgia. They joined up in College Park, Maryland, at the Cherry Hill RV Park on June 14. It was "family time" as Tam and Ray visited their daughter and son-in-law while Rich and JJ attended a dedication ceremony in honor of Rich's son Michael who passed away in December. He had been an active Boy Scout leader with Troop 1434 where he served as Assistant Scout Master for a number of years. The troop has named a new award in his honor: The Mike Halverson Award will be given annually to a troop member who has best lived up to the ideals of the Scout Oath and Law during the year. Mike's wife Laurie presented the first annual award at a Troop Court of Honor on Thursday evening, June 16. Mike's sons were also on hand: Charles earned his Eagle rank in the troop two years ago and Matthew is now serving as Senior Patrol Leader and is working on his Eagle project. Rich was a proud grandpa to see his grandsons emulate their father who was an Eagle Scout in his Boy Scouting days!
JJ, Grandson Charles, and him mother, Laurie Halverson
Matthew Halverson as Senior Patrol Leader MCing the Troop Court of Honor
Laurie Halverson presenting the Mike Halverson Award
Friday was a maintenance day for RV techs to do some work on Camelot House II and for her to be washed up and waxed. Saturday we put the two coaches into caravan form, turned them north again and stopped over night in Wilkes-Barre, PA, to dry camp in the parking lot of the Mohegan Sun Casino. Of course, there was the visit to the casino--Rich won $1.50 on his own money (after using up the $10 freebie from the casino), JJ pocketed a cool $20.00, and Tam and Ray didn't report their tally! So, the casino didn't get much from us!!
Sunday it was on to Rhode Island where we will park for 10 days for an extended visit with JJ's mother and for sightseeing in this target-rich tourista environment. Mrs. Ashton is a very spry 93 year old who has her own apartment in an Altria assisted living facility.
Mom Ashton seeing the watering pot her husband had made and JJ had restored to bring to her!
JJ's brother and sister-in-law are also in town from their home in Phoenix, so there will be several family gatherings. One was a dinner at an Ashton favorite restaurant--Duffy's in North Kingstown--for a lobster dinner: JJ has begun her New England diet--all the seafood (steamers, lobster, crab cakes) she can garner! I must admit that a lobster diet can't be all bad!!
Lobster-fest at Duffy's Tavern--the Murleys, Robert Ashton, Elsa Ashton, Susan Ashton, and JJ
JJ, her mom, and brother Robert at Duffy's Tavern
Touring Adventures
Marine Corps Sunset Parade at The Iwo Jima Memorial
Because we in the DC area on Tuesday evening, the 14th, Ray and Tam suggested that we go over to Arlington National Cemetery for the special parade and Silent Platoon event presented by the US Marine Corps. This occurs only on Tuesday evenings during the summer months. So we hustled our settling in and drove over to the cemetery for the 7:00 pm event. It was a lovely evening and we thoroughly enjoyed the presentation. Here are a few photos:
The Drum and Bugle Corps performed first.
Then the Silent Platoon marched onto the parade ground coming around both sides of the Iwo Jima Memorial.
We were treated to a precision drilling sequence all done silently without any cadence calls.
US Naval Academy
On Friday, the 17th, we drove over to Annapolis to visit the US Naval Academy. We ate lunch in the heart of the dock area very near the Academy and then walked over to stroll through the visitors center. Watching the film presentation, we learned that this past year over 17,000 applied for admission and only slightly over 1,100 were accepted--tough competition, I'd say!
View looking up Main Street, Annapolis, MD
JJ, Ray, and Tam outside the Barry Gate into the Academy.
Newport Playhouse
Monday, the 20th, saw us in Newport, RI, at the Newport Playhouse for a matinee performance--and yes, a lobster-fest!!--of "Play It Again, Sam!" which is the Woody Allen play based just a little bit on Humphrey Bogart. The play was directed by Ralph Stokes who is the brother-in-law of JJ's brother's wife, Susan--did I lose you there??--and the star of the show was Ralph's son Graham Stokes (that would be Susan's nephew). Still with me here?? So, the family link of the early part of this odyssey continued right on to The Newport Playhouse! If was a fun and interesting afternoon!
Tuesday took all of us to visit with Mom Ashton, take her to lunch, and drive around JJ's home town pointing out special places in her past. We think that Elsa enjoyed the reverie...she joined in the sharing of memories about one place after another--some of them were teases to JJ!
Wednesday was a return visit to Mom Ashton and then onto Providence, RI. Ray had the RI Capitol on his list...this is it! We didn't get into see it because after lunch on Federal Hill, a rain shower popped up and drove us back to the car which was then headed back to the campground.
The State Capitol of Rhode Island in Providence, RI
Thursday took us to North Kingstown for lunch at the aforementioned Duffy's Tavern. JJ's brother Robert and Susan brought Mom Ashton and we had another lobster-fest!!
Mystic Seaport
Friday the Murleys and us dropped down to Mystic Seaport to visit The Wooden Boat Show--the harbor's wharfs were filled with antique wooden boats...some were sailboats, others were canoes, and of course, a few good ol' speedboats! And there were also more than a few cabin cruisers--a couple were magnificent! Ray and I didn't price any of the few who had for sale signs posted--clearly not something to trade our rolling-on-wheels yachts for!
Ray and Tam Murley, JJ and Rich at the entrance to...
The good ship Captain Morgan...on permanent display in Mystic Seaport
One of the old wooden boats...far too many to include but all beautifully restored.
A little bit of fun and frivolity in Mystic Seaport!!
USS Nautilus and Submarine Museum
Saturday was given over to the USS Nautilus and the Submarine Museum. We drove the short distance down to Groton where our country's first ever nuclear submarine is now stationed as a permanent museum. Hard for me to believe that only 9 years after Hiroshima and Nagaski, the US commissioned its first nuclear powered submarine!! How fast we harnessed this amazing and threatening technology!! All of us "old folks" who grew up in the early atomic age have vivid memories of "duck and cover" practices under our school desks during the drills in case of an atomic bomb attack from arch-enemy Russia!!
Rich, JJ, Tam and Ray at the entrance to the museum in Groton, CT
Outdoor display at the USS Nautilus/Submarine Museam
The outer ring is the dimension of an Ohio class submarine; inside of it is the dimension of an early submarine--amazing difference, eh?
The conning tower of the USS Nautilus--we toured inside in pretty tight quarters!!
JJ on the deck of the USS Nautilus
We will have more to come, of course!
Rich Halverson
