Back in the South

Richmond Virginia - Stinky!

The days and states are all blending into one at this point.  I guess if I did this daily I wouldn't be so lost.  Let me see.  We left Pennsylvania on Thursday, zoomed through Maryland and on into Virginia and stayed the night just outside Washington D.C. south of Fredericksburg.  Didn't do any sightseeing.  The sheer numbers of places and monuments in this area is daunting.  We figure Washington DC and the surrounding area is a trip unto itself.  Since we have to be home by August 1st, we need to keep moving at a fairly steady pace.

Can you say Cancer?

To do that we have be driving down I-95 and it does make for quick travel.  You sure can tell there is some money floating around the DC area.  Every piece of property looks like a former plantation in size.  We saw one realty sign advertising houses "starting at 1.5 million".  Oh yeah, when do we move in - lol!  It's very easy to imagine the sprawling plantations in and throughout Virginia.  Lovely place.  Except Richmond.  I don't know if we just passed through on the "wrong side of the tracks" but the whole place stunk!  Like chemicals or something.  It also seemed to be the home of the Phillip Morris Company - cigarette manufacturer.  Need less to say we weren't impressed.  It was cool to see the tobacco plants though.  Never seen them in real life before; they are kind of pretty!  We are seeing lots of corn though.  It's far enough in the season down here that there are actually tassels on the corn.  Farther north the plants aren't as far along.

Pretty tobacco plants, though.  Jeff said
they should grown industrial hemp instead.

Spent the night last night in Fayetteville, NC. My niece, Candace and her husband Brian, and their two darling sons (Andrew and Dylan) live there.  They came to hang out at the RV park with us and Jade and Mya got a dose of babysitting little children.  They had fun and so did the little boys.  Dylan asked if they could "do that again tomorrow".  Mya said, "Mom, how did you ever do this with us?"  She said, "I'm tired!" and that was only after 2 hours.  I said yeah!  Imagine it full time!!!  It was fun to see them all together.  Such a beautiful family.

Dylan, Andrew and the girls - eating popcorn.

Our awesome niece Candace and her terrific husband Brian.

We got up bright and early to head to Charleston, S. Carolina.  We are here to visit my brother, Clay, who has lived here now for about 30 years.  The plan is to take a ferry out to visit Ft. Sumter tomorrow.  It's the spot where the first shot was fired in the Civil War.  We are learning a lot about Civil War history on this trip!  (Again, wishing I'd paid more attention in school!)  Trying to get Jade on a "Ghost Tour" but Mya is having none of it, so we might have to split up.  One of us go with Jade and one do something with Mya.


Oh, and the thermometer says it's 115 with the heat index - ACK!

Andrew and his Daddy.