Jan and I have been RVing since 1971. Our first unit was an Apache popup tow behind marketed as a solid-state unit with a hard top and hard sides that flipped up. We were so excited. It slept 8, had an ice box and a water tank with a hand pump. The quality and durability left something to be desired. But, after a year it went back to the dealer along with a large box of pieces and parts that had fallen loose. The replacement was an 18.5 FT Nomad that followed us through many adventures over the years towed behind a 1970 Chevrolet Impala. The travel bug had bitten us and from then on, we were never content just staying home. Over the years there has been at least 5 more RVs in many configurations fitting our life-style at the time.

For the last decade we have enjoyed a much-favored Airstream 23ft Flying Cloud. It served us well. The smaller footprint got us easily into many national parks. However, after our travels last year we came to the realization, our life-style is changing once again as we approach that 80-year mark. Instead of extended road trips, our travels are more destination oriented with longer stays. To make a long story short, this spring we found our perfect next RV. A 27 ft Front Bedroom Flying Cloud Airstream, now outfitted with 600 watts of solar, has twin beds, a large bathroom and a much larger galley kitchen.

Here we are once again packed, ready to hit the road for two months. We love South Carolina except maybe for July and August. This trip will take us north to escape the heat and humidly. One of the highlights will be meeting up with our immediate family in the Catskill Mountains. Check out the photos taken along the way. The highlights are the Shenandoah National Park, Green Mountains of Vermont, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Acadia National Park and exploring in the State of West Viriginia.

It is tough to leave our comfortable home and yard behind but the call of the road is still louder.

The first week of the trip was enjoying the towns, scenery, and vistas along the Blue Ridge Highway. This is a favored destination with its peace and tranquility.

A favorite stop on The Blue Ridge is the Cradle of Forestry. It was established by George Vanderbilt, before the turn of the century, to support his reforestation initiative on his Asheville estate which had been logged and farmed. The setting is in the Pisgah mountains. His effort set the stage for the creation of state and national forestry initiative. The historic site restoration is outstanding, well curated and a fun stop for a few hours.

The Blue Ridge Parkway connects with the Skyline drive in Virginia. The Skyline is similar with more urban vistas. One of our stops was to check out a lock system along the James River.

We spent several days in the Shenandoah National Park. Well, we did not stay in the park as planned as the new RV was too long. The park is large and diverse, we spent time exploring the mountains and many trails. The plan is to go back again next year to pick up what we missed on this trip.

Our next adventures were in the Green Mountains, staying at Vermont State Parks, Emerald Lake and Bradbury. The trails and experience did not disappoint.

Next, we headed to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. These mountains quickly became a favorite. We have already picked that perfect RV site for next summer. The Crawford Notch State Park along the Dry River is a perfect base camp to continue the exploration of the wilds of New Hampshire White Mountains.

We were looking forward to spending some quality time at the Acadia National Park in Maine. Booked plenty of time, only to have plans dashed with lots and lots of rain. On the positive side of life, a Dell computer service technician caught up with us to fix an ailing laptop much to the relief of one frustrated photographer. This was our fourth trip to the park. Not sure we will be back soon as finding RV sites is very competitive and the traffic is almost overwhelming.

Next, we wandered to the Catskill Mountains, Kenneth L Wilson State Park. It was an outstanding place to catch up with our family. We had not been together since last fall. If interested, the get-together Blog Post follows this one. Here is the link: https://larry-jan-tvc.net/2024/10/19/snyder-summer-gathering-2024/

Snyder Summer Gathering – 2024

A retirement project has been working on the family genealogy for the Snyder and the Neitzke lines. In 1700 our branch of Schneiders (Later Snyder) came to Colony New Amsterdam and worked at Livingston Manor owned by Robert Livingston. Our research goal was to learn more about the area to supplement what was already documented in our research. Our ancestors were German Palatines who came to America via England. What we found there was more than one Robert Livingston and more than one Livingston Manor. We were able to confirm the Livingston Manor tied to our ancestrally past is actually in Ulster County, New York (where Mark lives) not Columbia. Although we did not find what we expected, the stay was very enjoyable.

Over the years we find it convenient to stay overnight in a Pennsylvania State Park as it is a long way across the state. This year it was Promised Land State Park, a 3,000-acre reserve. We stopped there both going and coming back. It was a nice stay with an excellent campground and plenty of places to hike and kick back.

West Virigina has never been on our travel itinerary, not sure why. This trip the plan was to spend a week exploring. The first stop was the Black Water State Park in the north part of the state. The tourist marketing info told us it was one of the most photographed areas in the state. That was not wrong as the water falls and views blew us away.

Heading south, the next West Virigina State Park was Babcock. We lucked out touring the Grist Mill which is a photographer’s dream setting. There was a caretaker who took the time to tell us all about the mill but he also gave us insights on what goes on the list for next year. The park is near the newly designated National Park, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. There are many outstanding views and hiking trails designated as extreme.

Heading home we stopped at Stone Mountain State Park in North Carolina. The campground was excellent and there were plenty of good hikes to choose from. Jan and I hiked the Loop trail which has a historic farm serving several generations in the middle. The setting is truly fascinating.

Heading home to South Carolina, we found ourselves, once again, at the Smoky Mountain National Park near Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We manage to get to this park almost yearly. The park has a lot going for it. It was a good place to review our trip and gloomily start thinking about what has to be done when we get back.

Here are some photo taken along the road this summer

Showing my artist side here some shots taken along the way…

Jan and I both had a great time this summer. There was plenty of rain along the way. The larger RV made life on the road much more pleasant.

Jan and I so thankful that the Good Lord has given us the time and energy to enjoy this great country. Once we hit the road, we fall into the familiar travel routines and home just fades away. After 15 years of retirement, we find it is still a full-time job…

God bless,

Larry and Jan

This is a return visit to the Black Rock Mountain State Park. After moving to the Carolinas this was one of our first southern adventures. It drew our attention as this part of Georgia is known for its recreational opportunities and mountain vistas. Although the campground is older with smaller RV sites, we found one available that would fit. The Park is just 50 miles from our home making it an easy trip, although the winding mountain highway does take some extra time.

Checked out several of the hiking trails. The various mountain trails gave us a chance to climb a bit, take in some good views, and bring home some memories on the camera. There is a small lake with an easy hiking trail. This will be a good place to catch some fall color. As usual we dodged the afternoon rain drops.

It is short mountain drive across the state line to Highlands, NC. I did a blog post years ago after a visit. Highlands has a vibrant downtown. After checking things out we found a great place to eat. Last time we checked out the surrounding waterfalls. There are four of them within easy reach. We had heard good things about a Micro-brewery in Clayton. Had to check it out on the way back to the campground.

Have you heard of the Foxfire Center? We remember their books from the sixties and seventies. A local school back in the sixties started an effort to document and preserve the mountain heritage. This led to a magazine and books. The royalties provided funding to start the center. We found the center interesting, educational, and entertaining being from the north.

There are now 22 buildings. There is also an impressive paper archive plus the audio, and video recordings. The center provides heritage skill classes that look interesting. The blacksmithing and carving classes caught my interest. Jan was drawn to music, making brooms and weaving. Looks like we will be back soon.

The displays in the buildings are well done.

The buildings are well maintained. The downloadable app added to the walking tour. The mountain lifestyle comes clearly into view by the end.

This was a nice adventure. Really enjoyed the time spent here. This area has a lot going for it. Now back home to “real” life for a week.

God Bless,

Larry and Jan

For the 5th trip this summer, we head to Cloudland Canyon State Park in Northeast Georgia. This Park offers a wide variety of hiking opportunities and is within easy striking of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The reviews for this park and this part of the state gets high marks.

The start of our stay was quite rainy. In between the rain drops we found terrific views. Wide range of trails easy, moderate to challenging. The views along the rim trails are outstanding. There is an impressive falls on the canyon floor. Getting down was easy. Took a lot more effort to get back up.

Then there was the side trip to Chattanooga. The city has done a great job with the Riverfront. The Riverwalk is extensive and well done. Checking it out was both fun and rewarding. The City Aquarium is outstanding then there is the Hunter Museum of America. The art along the trail kept us entertained. There is a pedestrian bridge making it easy to check out both side of the river. So many good places to have lunch, it was hard to decide.

On our way to Florida in 1971, we stopped at Lookout Mountain. We repeated the Lookout Mountain Parkway drive, looking forward to its commanding views. One of our stops was Point Military Park where we had visited in 1971. Unexpectedly, it brought back a flood of memories. Life for us is certainly different for us now as we edge our way through our seventies. The military park is a historic treasure along with the impressive overlook of the city and river.

Jan and I really enjoyed the time here. There is a lot to do at the Cloudland Canyon State Park and in Chattanooga. The plan is to return soon. Now our thoughts turn to our next trip to Red Top Mountain in north Georgia.

God bless,

Larry and Jan

Here we are kicking off trip four. As summer approaches, we head to the mountains for cooler weather and less humidity. Travelling in North Carolina we have repeatedly heard you have to check out the Pisgah Mountain area. Here we are with a long list of recommendations of hikes and sites to experience in only four days. The selected campground was on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Great location for our stay. As expected, the mountain weather tends to be wet.

Here are some fun views. These are easy to find along the Parkway.

Being June there were lots of flowers. The displays were spectacular. Here are some shots I picked to share. We toured the area in the car and on foot. Lots of photo opportunities. If you have not been here, it is worth the trip.

A surprise find was the Cradle of Forestry in America, a historic forestry school. The school came about from an arrangement between George Vanderbilt, the Biltmore Estate and Carl Schenck. Schenck was engaged to manage the reforesting of the estate that had been logged. Today the school is credited as the start of professional forestry management in America. Recommend this as a worthwhile and educational stop.

For our last day we decided to change things up. The day was spent checking out Asheville. It started by taking advantage of the history-based walking tour. The tour was educational, found a great vegan restaurant and ended up with refreshments at a fun micro-brewery. It was good to get out the hiking boots for the day!

Loved the Pisgah Mountains. The plan is to come back soon.

God Bless,

Larry and Jan

Our summer adventures continue with a trip close to home to Table Rock State Park. The objective to do serious hiking climbing the trail to the top of Table Rock. This is our second stay at this park. This will be the second time that an ailing back put a damper on the main goal. Not all was lost as there are plenty of outstanding trails here and the surrounding area that are more moderate. Plus, this is a beautiful state park with plenty of photo opts.

The set up got interesting right away. A visit from Mr. Bear got our attention for sure.

This Park has a major trail head for local and regional trails. Took advantage by doing a nice hike around the lake as well as along the mountain streams. Lots of spring flowers this time of the year.

Took a trip up the Mountain to North Carolina. Curious stop at Bald Mountain. Ended up at Brevard. This is a favorite town of ours. If we had it to do over again this may have been home.

Jones Gap State Park is a sister to Table Rock. This is a very popular park. On the week ends you to have reservations to get in. The main trail is to Rainbow Falls. After our visit this hike and falls are now in our top 10 favorite. The hike is over seven miles in and out with a 1,200 Ft climb. This is a hike we will repeat for sure. The Park headquarters was a CCC project.

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This ended up being a great trip. Getting ready for the next one to the North Carolina Pisgah Mountains.

God bless,

Larry and Jan

For our second summer adventure, the target is the South Carolina low country. This area comes with a rich history. The term low country refers the region below the fall line or Sandhills, an ancient seacoast. It has subtropical climate, is agriculturally based dating back to the slave era which has created a colorful past and unique culture. Especially Aiken, targeted by many retirees looking for that perfect spot to escape the northern winters.

The Poinsett State Park conveniently located was our selection for a place to park the RV for the four day stay. The Park reviews were not all that great. However, we found it worked for us. Talking with others at the park heard that it is a favorite place to stay. The Park has interesting hiking and mountain bike trails plus it is well off the beaten path.

The park had many easy trails. Good for those morning walks exploring lakes, old mill sites, back country trails, and catching some interesting characters along the way.

The Congaree National Park was close by. We had visited the park several years back when the water levels were at an all time high. This time it was a very different experience with more normal summer water levels. There were no blocked trails. The Park is an old growth bottomland hardwood forest. It boasts some of the tallest trees growing in a floodplain in the world. Hiking the many boardwalks, exploring the lush forest is always great fun. Plenty of colorful and interesting photo opts. Always fascinated by the loblolly a fast-growing long-life pine prevalent in the park. The mosquito’s count was down much easier than the previous visit. It is one of the least visited national parks. However, we had to vacate the park by five as the synchronized firefly event was on.

We have met a lot of people from the north who have retired to Aiken area. Had to check it for ourselves. This is impressive horse country. The downtown has a lot of offer. We spent a full day poking around. We will have to come back as there was not enough time to do the area justice. One thing for sure it is much hotter in this part of South Carolina than our home in the Upstate.

Being at Poinsett we were in striking distance for the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden in Columbia. It was a beautiful day so was a good day for an outing at the zoo. Determine visiting the zoo would be very back friendly. It is a medium size zoo. It is well done and held our interest for several hours. After the zoo we crossed the bridge over the Saluda River to the Botanical gardens. This is a small well-done garden. The day ended with a great lunch in Columbia and a bit of shopping.

Drawn to this history of many of the small towns in South Carolina. On the way south there were several towns to check out. Although, historic several on the list are struggling. Abbeville was on our list which we caught on the way back north. The downtown was vibrant and full of activity. Enjoyable stop did a little antiquing and lots of window shopping. Found attention-grabbing Civil-War history to check out.

Traveling local this summer is a change of pace for sure. Next trip is Table Rock State Park. Stay tuned!

God Bless,

Larry and Jan

Here we are again, finally ready to hit the road after a year off. It did take some time to pull things together as things seemed to be a bit “rusty”. The competition for RV repair was fierce, finding ourselves on our own to fix cranky mechanicals refusing to start after a long winter. Our response to the Covid world is traveling closer to home while (we hope) life gets back to be more predictable. On the books there are 12 reservations with the Smoky Mountain National Park being number 1 in April and number 12 in October. Looking forward to exploring North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.

If you like spring flowers and cool temperatures the end of April is a great time to visit the Smokies. Our home away from home for this stay was the Elkmont Campground near Gatlinburg.

The expectation was to hit the mountain trails taking advantage of the cooler temps. Plans were frustrated by Larry’s ailing back. However, the fine views are everywhere, easy to find. Samples follows:

Spring flowers were in full bloom, making getting out in the wild a grand experience.

The Little River Trail (however, nothing little about this river) is a favorite hike. The flat trail appealed as a more back friendly experience, after giving up on climbing the proverbial mountain. Even though the campground was full, we found the trails uncrowded.

The historical experience of the Cades Cove tour has a lot going for it. The park has done a fine job curating this 1900ish farm community. Especially documenting the conflicts/divisions during the period of the War between the states. The end for the community came as the result of farming viability, its remote location plus the National Park take over.

Elkmont area was originally settled as a logging community. The supporting village was Daisy town. After logging ceased it transitioned to a tourist community. The old hotel is gone and the club building is now a conference space. Ultimately, the National Park took over and the town buying out all the owners. It is now being restored and open to the public. It looks like restoration is almost complete. Great place for anyone with a camera interested in the past of this historic town.

Gatlinburg is definitely a tourist town. To our surprise the streets were packed with folks doing the same thing as us. Here are some pictures capturing the sights of the town. Our day ended with a nice walk along the river and finding the Smoky Mountain Micro Brewery for a late lunch.

Great to be back on the road. The Smoky Mountain Park certainly has a lot going for it. The site we booked six months ago fit the old Airstream nicely. Sites here are only available by online booking, no walk ins.

Once back home, we had to check in with the neighbors next door. I think they were also checking us out. This will be an interesting summer with the current travel plans. Our schedule will give the house sitter a workout for sure. Stay tuned for the next update where we will be checking out horse country.

God Bless,

Larry and Jan

This trip has wound down. We have been back in South Carolina since the middle of September. Once we got back home, we hit the ground running with a very large to do list. Here it is mid-November and just now coming up for air. This is leg four of the summer National Park tour and is the fourth blog post. The final National Park was in Ohio. It was a great trip, meeting and exceeding our expectations. The last leg is mostly about seeing family and winding down from the previous more intensive schedule. However, as I pulled this together, we did cover a lot of territory in the last 30 days of the 80-day trip.

This leg starts with us leaving Minnesota, heading to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The plan was to stop at the Duluth Trading Company flagship store as we buy from them online. That did not work as there was construction and the parking was not RV friendly. Well, maybe next time. Just one quick stop in Duluth to take pictures from on high as we made our way east.

Our first Michigan stop was Wakefield. The Sunday Lake road side park is a nice place for lunch. This has been a stop for decades. When we come from the west, once we got here it seemed like we were almost home. Plus, this town has the best Pasties in the UP.

In 1970 Jan and I did our first camping trip to the Porcupine Mountains State Park with my parent’s tent camper. The weather for that trip was perfect and we had a really great time. We had such a good time that we stopped in Bellaire to look at RVs and bought our first camper an Apache pop up. Little did we know at that time that Rving would become a life-style compulsion for us. Our current RV is number 7 and not sure it will be the last one.

Here we stayed at the State of Michigan Presque Isle campground. A remote rustic campground 15 miles out of Wakefield.

A regular side trip when we are in this part of the world is the Black River. Place for great hikes, waterfalls and enjoying Lake Superior. The water was actually high for this time of the year which made the waterfalls more dramatic.

Heading east, the next stop was Munising. It had been some time since we had been to the Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore so it was good to be back to explore and do some hiking. Munising is a fun UP town where we poked around a bit. We stayed at a great National Forest campground on Lake Superior – Bay Furnace a wonderful setting.

Our next scheduled stop was the Lake Michigan campground at St. Ignace. This is a great park and right on Lake Michigan. US 2 is the main road across the UP. Lots of experience with this road over the years with many favored stops. Leaving the UP you have to cross the Mackinac Bridge. I am sure I have posted pictures in the past but here is one more…

A favorite town is Petoskey. When we lived in Michigan, we would come north to stay a few days at the city park. The three days there went quickly. The plan is to come back next year and stay for a month. The area has a lot of offer in the way of great biking, hiking, restaurants, plus there is Harbor Springs – Petoskey and Cross Village to explore. This stop we met up with Nephew Steve and Ellen in Bellaire. It was so good to see them plus we got to experience the Short’s Brewery experience. I cannot believe this but I did not take any pictures!

We had not been back to Michigan for over two years and felt we wanted to go back. We stayed at the Platte River Campground in the Sleeping Bear National Seashore park. This is the park that we would escape to during the National Cherry Festival when we lived in Traverse City. We were able to explore the park with some favorite hikes plus got to check out some cool vistas. I also wanted to check in at the Interlochen Center for the Arts where I spent most of working life…over 40 years. It was great to be back in Traverse and Interlochen. However, we came away feeling good about our decision to move south. We did not experience a strong pull for us to return any time soon.

The timing for this trip was good as it worked out to meet up brothers, sister and family near Bay City. We had a great time and so good to catch up with everyone. A few pictures in this blog but there is a post covering the entire long Labor Day weekend event. https://larry-jan-tvc.net/2019/10/06/snyder-gathering-2019/

Next overnight family stop was to see Niece Betty and Tom near Lansing. It was so good to catch up with them one on one.

On our way from Michigan we stopped in Fort Wayne to catch up with Uncle Larry for lunch. It was so good that the timing worked for all of us. The final National Park for this tour was Cuyahoga Valley. We only had one day here. There was more to do than we thought so it is on the list for a return trip. The setting is on a canal and overlooks the Cuyahoga River. Even though the park is close to Cleveland it felt remote. Good place to ride bikes and hike.

As we headed east, we took a short side trip to Gettysburg to catch the National Military Park. This was our first time. Really enjoyed it. Ran out of time so plan to return to catch all the things we missed this time.

As we headed east and south this gave us the opportunity to stop to see son Paul and his wife Marty. As usual they provided us with several interesting and educational outings plus some great food. It was so good to catch up with them.

Delaware is a welcome stop for us. The Henlopen State Park at Lewes is in a good location from which to explore. Actually, we stayed longer than planned as the campground at Nags Head, where we had reservations on the outer banks, was still closed after the recent hurricane. The Dogfish Head Brewery is a very favored stop plus Rehoboth Beach is a fun tourist type stop.

The Carolina Beach state park was our final two nights out. This was our first stay at this park. Great beaches plus the weather was outstanding. Yes, we will return when looking for “that” real beach experience.

It is good to be back home. Next summer travel plans are already in the works. The thought is to do several shorter trips plus spend the month of August in Petoskey with Bikes and Kayaks. The hope is to travel east to visit sons in New York and Pennsylvania, the time to be determined. A return trip to Alaska is still in the future for us, just not 2020.

Right now, we are in the middle of house projects which are all consuming. After the first of the year the projects initiative will continue for three to four months. Lots of things to do in our 30-year-old home. However, if we listen carefully, we can almost hear the road calling us back…

God Bless,

Larry and Jan

Greetings from Larry and Jan. We are back in South Carolina after an enjoyable summer adventure. Finding time on the trip for the blog post is a challenge so this post is not as timely as I would like. Finding the balance between getting out on the trail and sitting behind the computer screen is a push, pull effort, well at least for me. This is the third post for our National Park Tour – 2019 covering the last four NPs. FYI, there will be two more posts. The fourth post will be the time spent with the Snyder Clan in Michigan then finishing the blog posts with our time in Michigan back to South Carolina.

This phase of the summer ended up being a wind down as we worked our way towards the mid-west. These parks were not as dramatic as those earlier in the south and west, although we found them interesting in their own rite.

After leaving the Nevada and Utah desert we headed to Hot Springs, South Dakota to the Wind Cave National Park. The main attraction is the cave. The bad news was the cave was closed due to a broken elevator and would not reopen for several weeks. However, we were able to regroup and find plenty to do. The park is not just about the cave. The setting is great plus lots of diverse wildlife. If you are looking for prairie dogs and bison this is a good stop for you. The park is close to the Custer State Park and Mt Rushmore which were nice side trips.

Our next move was north to North Dakota, the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The heart of this park is the Little Missouri River and the Badlands setting. This park also has a lot of bison. Nice trails along the river plus the Badlands are just fun to experience.

Moving from the Badlands, the next stop was International Falls, Minnesota and Voyageurs National Park. This park is all about the water and the historic waterway made famous by the French-Canadian Voyageurs. The park’s history is grounded in the era of fur trading in the 1700s between the Ojibwe Indians, the traders and filling the demand of the European markets. The Voyageurs were the transporters of their day. Lots of lore that made this an interesting and educational stop. Today this area supports a large sports fishing effort plus there is a strong environmental focus on the ecosystem. At this point we wished we had brought the kayaks. It was fun to poke around International Falls which reminded us of cities we had visited north of the border.

Our future travel plans include spending time along the Mississippi River. On the way back south, we stopped at Sandy Lake, a Corps of Engineers park at the head waters of the Mississippi. Stay tuned as we take on that adventure in the next year or two. Again, we wished we had the kayaks and a fishing rod.

The final national park was Cuyahoga Valley. Our RV site was near Akron. Over the years had been by this park many times and did not know it existed. The park is centered around the canal between Cleveland and Akron opened in 1827. The park has over 125 miles of trails for hiking and biking. The park includes the Cuyahoga and Crooked Rivers. Here we hit the trails but wished we had our bikes to take full advantage of the canal tow path. Lots of history to check out. The plan is to go back and make this a destination stop.

The rest of the trip was more about visiting with friends and family. Made a stop at Traverse City to see if we could go back home again. The next posting coming very shortly.

God bless,

Larry and Jan