When We're Not Sightseeing...

When we're not sightseeing, we find other ways to keep busy.  Several times a week we go biking or walking on some of the nearby trails/paths.

The Ma and Pa Heritage Trail follows the old Massachusetts and Pennsylvania rail line.  Trails often begin and end at neighborhood parks.  The paths go up and down rolling hills through scenic wooded areas.  Here are some pictures from different trail heads in our area.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 John likes to fish in the bay.

 

 

The bay is usually calm but it was very windy on one of our fishing days before a storm blew in.

 I like to cook...

 

 I also made a holder for the air plant I bought at Ladew Gardens out of copper wire and beads.

 

 

 

 

Exploring Maryland Part 2

A few days after visiting Havre de Grace, MD we spent the day at Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton, MD.  The gardens were established by Harvey Ladew who bought the 250-acre farm to build his estate.  The grounds contain 15 garden rooms, a croquet lawn, a large lawn with swimming pool, and topiaries of all sizes.  We also walked on the 1.5-mile nature walk and toured his house.  We stopped for lunch at their café and John ordered Harvey's favorite sandwich--peanut butter and bacon.  It was tasty! Enjoy the Ladew Gardens pictures! 

 

 If you want to be happy for a week take a wife,

 If you want to be happy for a month kill a pig,

If you want to be happy all your life, plant a garden!

 
















Topiaries, Topiaries, Topiaries

Exploring Maryland

We arrived at our RV on May 9, 2016.  We are ready to begin exploring Maryland.  We are staying at Bar Harbor RV Park in Abingdon, MD which is about 30-40 minutes from Baltimore.  The RV park is on the Chesapeake Bay. Here are some pictures of the park. 

 Note the bare trees!

                             
                               

Unfortunately the weather was not very cooperative the first week or so that we were here.  But when it did finally clear up we took a 15 minute ride to the northeast to Havre de Grace, MD.  This quaint town sits on the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River.  We took the self guided walking tour of the downtown area and saw many historic buildings and homes. We toured the Maritime Museum and walked along the promenade, ate a delicious lunch of crab sandwiches with homemade potato chips, and finished off the day by visiting a local bakery.  We plan on going back soon to see the parks and attractions we missed on our first visit.

 

 

Shows, Shows, Shows!

On April 11 we arrived in Branson, MO.  When we pulled into America's Best Campground the following sign greeted us:

We won tickets to a variety show!  Now we had tickets for 6 shows and the riverboat dinner cruise/show--busy week ahead!

All the shows we went to were very entertaining.  Every show paid tribute to America's veterans.  Branson is a very patriotic city.  All the shows are family friendly, appropriate for people of all ages.  Most of the show attendees were older, retired people.  So many older people visit there that every parking lot has an abundance of handicapped parking and the riverboat parking lot even had wheelchairs lined up ready for use.  An unusual thing is that no alcohol is served at the shows but nobody seemed to mind.

We spent our days walking on some of the many walking paths in Branson.  Branson Landing, along Lake Taneycomo, has shopping and restaurants along with a 1.5 mile boardwalk.

Here are some photos and videos from our Branson visit:

Of all the shows we went to, our favorite by far was The Sons of Britches.  They have an unscripted show.   Instead of a rehearsed program, they ask the audience for song requests.  There are very many outstanding musicians in Branson but The Sons of Britches were the best that we saw.  They said their show has been going for 30+ years.

 

We also liked the Grand Jubilee music and comedy show.  It was a snazzy, professionally choreographed show with lots of lights and costume changes.

  


Here are some pictures from the riverboat dinner cruise.

 

 

Unfortunately our time in Branson was cut short.  I had to fly back to San Antonio because my mother became ill and was taken to the hospital.  John joined me a few days later after he drove the RV to Baltimore (actually Abingdon, MD) and checked into the RV park.  While I was in San Antonio by myself I came down with a bad case of food poisoning that lasted 2 1/2 days.  John only stayed in San Antonio for a few days because our grandson didn't wait for his due date and came early!  John flew back to Baltimore to see if he could lend a hand and I joined him a few days later after my mother returned to her nursing home.  After 2 1/2 weeks we are together again and in Baltimore/Abingdon, MD!