One year down...

The drive to the RV dealer was easy. I pulled into their lot, dropped the rig in front, and intended to go to dinner at the same steak house where I celebrated buying the RV. I wasn't that hungry and had some salad stuff to use up rather than leave it in the RV while the rig was being serviced. A nearby movie was playing the Bourne Legacy which I'd wanted to see. I actually stayed awake for the entire movie. No slides open or any hook ups. I'll sleep fine and be first in line for the service bay in the morning. Service opened at 8am and by about 8:15am I was on the road. A few quick errands stopping to pick up my mail, go to the bank, and fill up with gas. Picked up Alex & Zack about 11am and we were on our way to the Poconos. Alex has to be at Seton Hall University on Thursday so it'll be a quick get away of only a few days.

We all seemed to recognize the Split Rock Resort even though it had been six years since we were last here. They didn't have a waterpark back then. We had a light lunch while we waited for our room and spent the evening in the pool and jacuzzi. The next day we spent at the water park. Zack and I went on all the slides. Alex met some other kids and hung out in at the surfing. It was interesting the way they built an area with a very strong current that you could really surf. Zack and I took a few long walks to the lake area and even played a little tennis. After checking out we spent some more time in the jacuzzi. On our way back to NJ we stopped at the indoor shooting range we had gone to earlier in the year when we did paintball. Alex wanted to study so only Zack shot. I have such mixed feelings about the shooting. I resisted ever buying even toy guns for them when they were young. It took years of Alex' lobbying me before we did paintball the first time. I grew up with toy guns; water guns, cap guns, cork shooting rifles. As a teenager I would go to an indoor range with my friends. After Vietnam I've become very put off by all guns. Maybe it's to be expected. Maybe not! I don't know...

We had dinner at the same diner we'd gone to for years and then I dropped the kids off and went to a nearby hotel. In the morning I was still stuffed from dinner and only had some coffee with a newspaper. I hung around till time for the closing. The closing didn't go smooth. In fact it was touch and go as to if I would even sell these last few properties. However, we finally came to an agreement. I am so happy to be rid of these rentals. I feel truly free of most all ties and able to travel. After the closing I picked up Zack. He wanted to go for Chinese and then a movie. It was a very relaxing afternoon and evening. In the morning we went to another diner for brunch. This was the same diner that had cooked the cases of sausage for me to take to the Boy Scout breakfast last year. After brunch I took Zack back and headed off to the RV dealer. There were no problems found in my rig, just maintenance stuff and the bill was even a little less than expected. I have a long drive to Cortland, NY so I'll stay at the dealer tonight and leave early in the morning.

There was going to be a LoW rally but it was cancelled when the organizers couldn't find a caterer. I had already booked the campground. Between this, the closing, and Alex having to be at college this past Thursday, my travels got a little messed up. I would have preferred not to travel back north, especially for almost five hours. Such is life. The campground was very easy to get to, just about a mile off I-81. It's called the Country Music Park. They have two country music type opera houses, one indoors and one outside. Various bands play every Saturday night and Sunday afternoons.  It was almost 4pm when I arrived and I was tired from the drive and the closing. My neighbors at the next site asked if I was going to hear the band in a way that suggested everyone goes. By the time I setup, had dinner, and cleaned up it was time to go and I was really tired. I went anyway. The music was great and almost all of the 200 or so people were up dancing to the country music. I stayed for a couple of hours but then had to pack it in. Sunday morning it seemed most of the campers were off to church early. It's amazing how religious our country is. You don't get that feeling living in cities or suburbia, only in rural areas. I drove around the area a little, found a supermarket and explored Cortland, NY. The New York State Fair is on this week and about an hour's drive. There are also two plays; Cabaret in Auburn and The Mystery of Irma Vep right here in Cortland. I got matinee tickets to both plays.

It rained the day I had set aside for the fair so I just hung out at the campground. I didn't realize that The Mystery of Irma Vep was such a popular play. Apparently, it's one of the most produced plays of all time. I'd never heard of it. It was a fun, farce of sorts. Performed very well and quite enjoyable as most all country playhouse productions are. Cabaret was great, definitely performed at a Broadway level. It was very sad for me, with lots of old memories. I saw it on Broadway in 1969. I had just returned from Vietnam and my childhood best friend was due to return in a few months. His fiancee, Tina, had gotten word that he was missing in action. She and I spent the day together, including seeing Cabaret. We got word shortly after that he had been killed. After his funeral I spent the rest of the summer in Europe trying to get my self back into "life".

Two RV's pulled in next to me. The farther one was a couple from the Albany, NY area. The one next to me was Pat & Paul from Freemont, CA. I had mentioned the Cortland play to them and they went also. We had dinner together at a local seafood joint. From dinner we went to a wildlife refuge and hiked around a little. It was kind of funny as when I followed them to dinner we took a "scenic" route, when they followed me to the hike we took a "scenic" route, and we all got a little lost while hiking. It was fun. Paul, the other couple, and I went to the Country Music Opera house on Saturday night. Paul's wife Pat stayed in their rig, read and rested. It was much nicer than last week when I was alone. We shared a couple of pitchers of beer, enjoyed the music, and watched the people dancing for almost three hours. I was a little tired and called it quits about 10:45pm. Paul left also. After breakfast I said goodbye to the other couple as they were heading back to their home. Pat, Paul, and I went back to the wildlife refuge and hiked a few different trails. Yes, we got lost again. It's a fairly small area so we didn't get too lost. It was fun and a nice hike. We shared contact info and I hope we'll remain in touch.

It's supposed to rain on Monday so I cleaned and packed up on Sunday. It's a short drive to my next stop so I had a leisurely morning on Labor Day. Said "goodbye" to the half dozen people I'd met. Leaving here and heading south seems to end my second of ten roughly planned trips. When I took off last August, I'd planned to make a loop south to Florida and return to New Jersey in February/March for my tax season. After tax season I would make a loop into New England and return to New Jersey before the kids started school. These two trips are now behind me. I'm planning to repeat these a second time, a last time. I think 2013 will be my last tax season. It's been over 40 years since I started doing taxes. I don't think I ever liked playing with numbers but I enjoy seeing my "customers". Most are much more than customers, they're people I've known for many years and look forward to seeing. Still, who wants to be in New Jersey during February and March?? (lol) My third and fourth trips will be repeats of one and two. Trip five will again go south from New Jersey to Florida but end there around January of 2014. From there my sixth trip will take me across the southern USA and eventually head north to Great Falls, MT. The seventh trip will be to Alaska and return to Seattle. Trip eight will be a leisurely drive to Florida. For trip nine I'll find a place to leave the RV and fly the kids and I to Hawaii. Once in Hawaii renting an RV, it will be the 50th state I'd have camped in. The tenth and last trip I'm thinking about at the moment is Antarctica. I'm not planning to camp there, but it would make all seven continents that I'd set foot on. I think that would be cool! Who knows what will be. My mom's favorite saying was "que sa ra, sa ra (what will be, will be)"!