Back Home Again!

Thankfully we had an uneventful trip home from Avalon, but the hectic times began as soon as we got in the driveway - unloading, putting things away, washing, etc.  Once that was done we headed out to take Willie to our dealer to have our electrical issues resolved.  We are thinking our converter isn't working properly, but what do we know????

It is amazing how relaxing our time of camping can be and as soon as you get back home the craziness begins.  Don't get me wrong, we are thrilled to reconnect with family and friends, but we also realize how few things and little space we need to live comfortably and happily.  Not very excited for all the yard work, home maintenance, etc.  Call me selfish or lazy, but when I have free time I would rather be doing the things I enjoy like crafting, visiting the kids and grandchildren, enjoying friends, etc.  Raking, cleaning, mowing and trimming do not appear at the top of my list.  I must be getting old or maybe just smarter!  Not sure what to do with these feelings, but we keep talking about it and thinking "outside of the box".  Time will tell!

Looking forward to spending time with the family before we head out on Oct. 10th for 2 weeks in the Poconos at Timothy Lake South.  By then the leaves should be beautiful.

Last Full Day in Avalon Area!

Can't believe we have been here 2 weeks.  The time went so quickly and we had such a good time.  Glad we could share some of it with Fred and Doloris!

Today was another beautiful day with plenty of sunshine, milder temperature, and some breeze!  After Ken's delicious breakfast (he definitely spoils me) we played 3 more games of mini golf.  The course is challenging and we find it interesting to try to get under par.  We went to Stone Harbor and walked about 3 1/2 miles to the end at 123rd Street to check for migrating monarch butterflies.  We probably saw several hundred today during our walk.  Enjoyed sitting on the beach in Avalon before heading back to Willie and 3 more games of golf.  We must be crazy!  I did all the driving today to feel comfortable driving our diesel truck.  It's big, but you have such great visibility!

Spent time this morning and late this afternoon getting things packed home for our departure tomorrow.  I am sad to be leaving this area, but knowing that we are heading to Timothy Lake South in the Poconos in 2 weeks makes it a lot easier to bear!  I hope we make this trip every year in Sept. for 2 weeks.  It is so relaxing and the CG is close to many nice areas.

It might be hard to see, but there are many monarch butterflies
on this bush!

Enjoyed watching this gentleman launch his catamaran
through the choppy waters!

Then we watched them wind surfing which appears to take
great balance and lots of strength!

Many large homes in the Stone Harbor and Avalon area!
Saw a very small older home on the back bay
For Sale and priced at 1.2 Million!  Imagine what this home cost??

What a Windy Day!

Another sunny day, but soooo windy!  Ken and I really got into the mini golf competition today.  Played 18 holes before we left the CG (we tied) and then went to check-out the "sister CG" to this one, Lake and Shore.  We weren't too impressed, but we did enjoy playing their 18 hole mini golf course where Ken won by 1 stroke!  Sea Pines allowed us to keep their clubs and balls the whole time we are here, so we can play anytime!  Lake and Shore does have an inviting outdoor waterpark, but Sea Pines has a better feel!

We drove into Avalon Beach to ride bike and sit on the beach, but I cut the bike ride short - got tired of fighting the strong wind gusts.  Sitting on the beach was tough too with the pelleting sand.  We stayed about 2 hours, but that was plenty of time to get sand blown! 

When we returned to the CG we stopped to play 18 more holes of golf and I was the winner - Yeah!  I think the people at the CG must think we are crazy.  We are the only people using the course!  People don't know what fun they are missing!

Did alittle prep work for heading out on Thursday morning like washing off the bikes and putting some outdoor things in their place for traveling!

These 2 weeks have flown!  I guess it is true - time fliew when you are having fun!  More jewelry making tonight!  I need to earn gas money for our trip to Florida!

Avalon Beach was empty today compared to all the other
times we were there! 

You Gotta Love This Area!

What another beautiful day at the beach!  Woke to temperatures near 50, but it warmed up quickly to close to 70 with a mild breeze!  Ken and I decided to drive into Cape May today to do some walking around that area.  We were surprised that most of the restaurants and shops were open!

Love the old hotels in the town of Cape May and the gorgeous
Victorian style homes!

What a beautiful beach area!

A view of the lighthouse near Sunset Beach seen from Cape May!

The downtown business area in Cape May!

Enjoyed Ken's belated Birthday Lunch at McGlades on the Pier.  He finally got to have a fish sandwich!  The food was delicious but the view was magnificent!  We did a lot of walking and then drove to Sunset Beach to do more walking along the water and look for Cape May Diamonds.  Here are some of our finds - "diamonds", 1 piece of sea glass, and some very smooth pebbles.  Not many shells in this area but plenty of what looks like small river rocks!

What a luncheon view!

Walking along Sunset Beach looking for the Cape May
diamonds.  They really look like pebbles, but if they
are run through a rock tumbler for 3 days they glisten like diamonds!

The partially sunken S.S.Atlantus right of the shore of Sunset Beach.
This was an experimental concrete ship used for WWI.  Don't
think they were made to float even though it did make several
trips across the Atlantic!  Proved to be too heavy! Dah!

Some of our treasures from Sunset Beach

We began the day by playing 2 rounds of mini golf when leaving the CG and then played 2 more when we returned.  A  squirrel decided he would like to play with us and followed my ball when I hit it.  Crazy!

He's checking to see if our ball went in the hole!

Looking forward to a relaxing evening in Willie!

Say Good Bye to the Martins Again!!!

We woke to 50 degree weather on Sunday morning, but sunny and beautiful.  While the Martins began getting ready for their return home, Ken and I cooked breakfast and then did the clean-up. 

The 4 of us continued our mini golf tournament and unfortunately, the men were victorious.  Then we finished our card playing with a tie score for the weekend.  Martins were on their way home by 2:15.  Another special time with special friends!

Ken and I spent the rest of the day relaxing at the CG.  Ken read outside while I worked on my jewelry.  Took a long walk around the CG and then I did some cardmaking inside and Ken made us dinner.  What a guy!

It was a late night, but a very enjoyable day!  Tomorrow will be cooler, but sunny again!  We are having a wonderful time and love being in this area!

Mild, but very Windy Day!

Friday evening was a beautiful night for cooking over the open fire, eating outdoors, playing cards and enjoying s'mores!  It was cool but clear and so many stars!

Today was another sunny one with temperatures around 80!  We played some shuffleboard after breakfast and the women were victorious!  Had to change a flat tire on my bike before heading to the Trolley Stop Ice Cream Place on the way to the beach, but it was closed.  How disappointing!  So we went to Stone Harbor and rode bike from there to Avalon.  Along the way someone called my name and it was Jay and Nancy Balmer walking near their home in Avalon.  What a surprise!  So good to see and talk to them.  Our ride back to Stone Harbor was a tough one - so windy.  It was tiring!

Note who is still eating here ice cream!  Do you think she
might have had the largest one?

Did get ice cream at Kohr Brothers at Stone Harbor!  We deserved it after the long, hard ride!  Did spend about an hour on the beach at Avalon, but you got so pelleted by sand that you felt like you will getting an abrasion treatment!

The surf was really rough today.  Sometimes it is not
even up to the fishing pier!

The seagulls don't seem too concerned about the
wild surf!!!

The Fun Continues at Sea Pines CG in Avalon!

The weather here has been awesome and we have been enjoying everyday!  Wed. we talked with different folks in the CG (one couple from Lebanon and another from near Creek), played numerous games of mini golf, and then headed to Tuckerton NJ to visit Richard and Bonnie Waltman whom we met at the RV-Dreams Rally last Sept.  We have such a good time chatting about camping and checking out their new Heartland 5th wheel.  Unfortunately, they have had many challenges with their new rig, but are slowly working through them.  They are also doing many custom changes to their rig that will eventually be their full time home.  They are looking to sell their "sticks and bricks home" in 2013 and begin the full-timing lifestyle.  We really enjoy getting together with them.

Yesterday, Thursday, was another beautiful day and we decided to bike ride from Avalon to the end of Stone Harbor while doing some geocaching.  Found 3 of the 5 "treasures" that we searched for.  After our 15 mile bike ride, we went to the beach to relax and read.  Fred and Doloris made the return trip to Sea Pines to spent another long weekend camping.  I had called them each day since they left trying to entice them to come back saying I would cook breakfast for them on Sunday,  allow them to use my new 4 slice toaster, and would have a mixed drink waiting for Doloris and a cold beer for Fred.  (Actually they planned to come back anyway, but it was fun making the calls.).  They arrived around 5:30 to a Welcome Home sign with their drinks waiting.  So much fun to camp with good friends.  We had a good evening together and are happy to have them back!

Ken finds a 1st geocache of the day!

This amazing, huge home right along the beach is supposedly
owned by the Utz Potato Chip people!  It is incredible!

Our 2nd geocache find!

This is a bird sanctuary right in the heart of Stone Harbo!
It is beautiful and the site of our 3rd find!

1st Cloudy Day!

Expected to wake to a rain, but it was partly sunny and we had no rain during the night, but it was extremely windy!  We played some mini golf before breakfast and later headed to North Wildwood to walk the sea wall and then the boardwalk.  By the time we finished our 5 mile walk, we had sand everywhere!

Returned to Willie for lunch and put everything "undercover" to get ready for the anticipated heavy rains and strong winds.  They even had a tornado watch in effect.  Fortunately we never had any rain until 8 PM and not very much.  The winds never got as strong as predicted and we were thankful.

Great day for reading, making jewelry, and updating Facebook and our blog.

Tomorrow should be another nice day!

This is the North Wildwood Inlet where we usually sit
on the beach when we are here in the summer.  Today the
water was almost up to the seawall.  Not much room for sitting!

Even the seagulls were waiting for the storm!

The ocean water was so rough and choppy!

Not many people on the boardwalk at North Wildwood!

What Unbelievable Weather!

We woke to lots of sunshine and mild temperatures.  Unfortunately, we discovered that our lights were dim and the refrigerator wasn't working.  Realized quickly that the charger showed that the battery appeared to be faulty.  We talked to Allen at Klines and the consensus was that we should purchase a new battery.  So off we went for a new battery.  Once installed, everything appeared to be working properly.  Time will tell if it is the converter.  Willie will go back to Klines when we return home for inspection and a check-up.

We spent the afternoon on the beach in Avalon reading and hunting for more shell pieces for my jewelry creations.  Then some mini golf at the CG and a walk around the park.  Ken cooked our supper on an open fire. 

Here are some future pendants to be made from
these "Gifts from the Sea".

The beach at Avalon was somewhat deserted today
compared to over the weekend!

Lots of pendant making possibilities for the future!

A very nice 9 old golf course at the CG that is
well maintained and challenging!

We are expecting some storms tonight and off and on tomorrow, so in with the awning, chairs, etc.  A day spent indoors has appeal to Ken and I.  We both have somethings that need our attention, such a jewelry making, rubber stamping, and writing in a journal for me, and reading, doing some work on Facebook, and some organization for Ken.  We like hearing the rain on Willie's roof!

Said Goodbye to the Martins!

 Ken and I prepared breakfast for Doloris and Fred so they could pack up for their return home!  Cooked and ate outside - it was a beautiful mild sunny morning!  After clean-up, the 4 of us played the miniature golf course here at the CG.  The women were victorious again!!!

Ken and I headed to Ocean City, NJ to check out the boardwalk and the beach.  That is where Ken went with his family and he wanted a day to reflect!  They were having an air show right over the beach, so we were entertained while reading!  We enjoyed "walking the boards". 

The beach at Ocean City NJ was very full for this time
of year.  The air show probably helped!

The boardwalk was crowded too!

Ken and I both remembered having coconut macaroons at
Ocean City, so we had to carry on the tradition.  The ones
at "George's" are fantastic!
 

A view of Atlantic City from the boards at OC!

We enjoyed watching some surfers enjoying the
large waves!

Beautiful day and evening, so we cooked and ate outside.  Then spent the evening in Willie relaxing!

Sad to see Fred and Doloris leave!  Their campsite behind us looks so deserted!  But, there is a chance they will be back next weekend, depending on the weather!  We would love spending another weekend with them!

Gorgeous Weather at the Beach!

Saturday was another perfect day at the beach.  We woke to cooler temperatures, just perfect for a long bike ride.  The 4 of us left the CG at 8 and drove to Avalon to ride up to Stone Harbor.  It was in the upper 60's with a slight breeze and plenty of sunshine.  Those areas are just wonderful for bike riding and seeing all the lovely beach homes.  We stopped at the end of Stone Harbor to walk to the point where there is a preserve.  It is a stopping point for monarch butterflies during their migration flight to Mexico.  They will probably be there in the next week or so.  Ken and I will check it out again while we are here.  Can't believe they make the long journey only to reproduce and then die!  It is the next generation that makes the return flight!  How do they know what route to follow?  Amazing!

Doloris and Fred headed back to the CG around 11 and Ken and I rode to the center of Avalon to check out the little craft fair that was on the main street.  Very small, but nice.

We were back to Willie in time to change for the beach and pack a small lunch.  Then to the beach in Stone Harbor followed by a walk to the Wine and Micro Brewery Fair the was in the main downtown area.  Fred and Doloris paid to sample the local wines!

The evening was a relaxing one with a campfire supper, card playing (the women won!), star gazing and seeing some shooting stars, and then s'mores!  What a perfect day!  We also called and sang Happy Trails to You to Sam and Kathy Frankhouser as they leave for a 17 day trip to Italy early Sunday morning!

Can't believe the Martins leave tomorrow!

Wish all roads had such great bike lanes!

The craft fair at Avalon!

The Wine and Beer Tasting Fair at Stone Harbor complete
with grape stomping!!

First 2 Days at Sea Pines near Stone Harbor!

Ken and I left home at 6:45 AM yesterday, Thursday, arriving at Sea Pines around 10:45.  The Martins checked in on Wed. and found us 2 great sites back to back. 

Set-up went well, but then we realized that our refrigerator did not want to stay running.  The battery seemed to be losing its charge so even the gas wouldn't keep it cold.  After trying several things, Ken placed a call to the serviceman, Allen at Kline's RV.  He is always so helpful and patient.  He suggested we purchase a battery charger/maintainer to help "diagnose the problem.  The Martins left for the beach at 1:30 while we went on a mission to find a charger. 
After checking at some auto parts stores, we ended up at the old faithful, Wal-Mart and found success!  By 4 we joined the Martins on the beach at Stone Harbor and what a gorgeous day.  Plenty of sunshine, low humidity, and around 79.  Only left the beach at 6! 

Once we were back at the CG, Ken and Fred spent time hooking up the charger.  After several hours, the battery was fully charged and the frig was working fine.  Obviously the problem will be addressed when we get back home, but for now we are thankful. 

Fred made a great campfire and we enjoyed eating outdoors.  Played a game of Haus and the women won by a huge margin!  Go Ladies!!

Today is a very special day - Ken's 62nd birthday!  Wow!  We can now get our $10. Senior Citizen Pass for the National Parks.  Makes turning 62 abit more acceptable!  It was another beautiful day for the beach with plenty of sun and mild temperatures.  We had an extremely relaxing morning, only eating our omelet breakfast around 11:00.  Fred and Doloris left for the beach around 1:15, but Ken and I took time to make some additional reservations for our Florida snowbirding trip.  He also had phone calls from our daughters and granddaughter singing Happy Birthday to him.  How special!  We got to the beach at Avalon around 2:15, after being detoured away from Stone Harbor.  Not sure what was going on.  So, we were on the beach in Avalon and Fred and Doloris spent the afternoon on the beach in Stone Harbor. 

We had bid on and won a free lobster and steak dinner from Fred and Doloris when our Sunday School class had a benefit auction at Christmas time.  We decided to "get our gift" while we were on this camping trip, so we enjoyed some good eating tonight!  Ken hasn't had lobster for so long and it certainly was a treat!  Since I am not a seafood lover I thoroughly enjoyed my filet.
We surprised him with a birthday cake complete with candles.  It was a fun night even though the men won the card game!

This is one happy birthday boy!!!