Tiger Town, Leaving FL - Spring in North Carolina & Maryland/DC

We're coming to see you Ellie!

Leaving Lakeland Florida - March 21st

Preparing to leave Florida the first full day of Spring, we wondered if it may be a little too soon to head north!  We were heading to NC and actually delayed a day due to possible snow in the Raleigh area.  Luckily when we arrived, after a stop over in SC, there was no snow, just a couple of cool days.  It warmed up quickly and we enjoyed some nice weather and time with Cheryl, Darren, and our beautiful granddaughter Ellie.

Lakeland - Tiger Town:  Before leaving Florida, our last stop was in Lakeland - Tiger Town.  We stayed at Sanlan RV & Golf Resort-RV Park about seven miles from Joker Marchant Stadium.  A large park with a mix of permanent winter homes as well as RV lots with full hookups.

Tigers vs Yankees - St. Patrick's Day Joker Marchant Stadium

We enjoyed three Detroit Tiger spring training games; the best being against the NY Yankees on St. Patrick's Day.

We liked the ease of getting to the ballpark, parking, and the smaller crowds.  With many improvements made to the Stadium over the last several years, it's a great atmosphere.  Since we were there later in the the spring training season, we saw a lot of the regulars play the first 5-6 innings and then they would start subbing some of the minor league players.

The crowd seem to like it when in the middle of the 1st inning they did a weather report on the big scoreboard, highlighting the Lakeland weather compared to the weather in Detroit.

Great lunch with Susan & Gale

While in Lakeland, we were able to meet up with good friends, Susan and Gale, from Michigan.  They were staying in Port Charlotte, so we met them in Bradenton for lunch.  So good to see them; opportunities to meet up with family and friends is always welcomed!

Kennedy Space Center - Cape Canaveral FL

Rocket Garden - Kennedy Space Ctr

Kennedy Space Center:  Even though it was a two hour drive from Lakeland, we drove to the east coast of Florida to the Kennedy Space Center.  It has been quite a few years since we were there and we were not sure what to expect.  Nice to see they still draw a good amount of visitors and have updated and added exhibits.  There is an admission fee of $50 per person (there is a discount for seniors and kids), $10 parking fee; and bus tours available for an additional fee.

Space Shuttle Atlantis

A highlight was the new Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit.  The way they set up the display within the new building is impressive. Other buildings house various space exhibits and theater presentations; there are bus tours of the launch sites, Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), etc.  It's worth a visit if you are in the area.



 

Jordan Lake - Poplar Point Campgrounds

Campfire by moonlight

North Carolina - Jordan Lake:  Back in North Carolina for a couple of weeks and one of our favorite spots - Jordan Lake.  This time we are staying in the Poplar Point campground.  Not too many people here when we got here, so we had our pick of spots.  The Park got busier around Easter weekend and the following week.

Cheryl & Ellie visit

Cheryl and Ellie came out to the Park for a visit.  Ellie's first visit to our house on wheels.  We had some relaxing days here; a couple of nice bike rides, campfires, and Jim did a little fishing.  The Spring pine tree pollen was coming on strong while we were there coating everything with heavy yellow/green dust.  A small price to pay for some nice Spring weather.

Cherry Blossoms - Tidal Basin

Maryland/Washington DC:  Our trip to Maryland and the DC area was planned around our daughter, Beth's, birthday and with the hope of seeing the cherry blossoms in bloom.  We made advanced reservations at Cherry Hill Park located about 4 miles from Beth & Kevin in College Park, MD.  A large park that fills up this time of year as the Cherry Blossoms draw the crowds!

The National Parks Service updates "Bloom Watch" on their website estimating the timing for peak viewing.  Due to a mild winter followed by a cold March, they had to revise their estimated date numerous times.  At first we thought we were going to miss it completely, but as it turns out we hit the peak.  With Kevin and Beth's help, we were able to maneuver the crowds and spent a nice afternoon enjoying the walk along the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson Memorial as well as other sites along the Mall. I understand there is another display of cherry trees at Arlington National Cemetery.

Kevin & Beth -Tidal Basin/Jefferson Memorial

There are several different varieties of Cherry Trees; some with a more pink flower and others are mostly white.  A much longer story is involved, but 3,000 cherry trees were a gift from the mayor of Tokyo in 1912.  President Taft's wife (Helen) was instrumental in bringing the idea to plant them around the Tidal Basin to fruition.

Cathedral of St. Matthew

Cathedral of St. Matthew:  We attended Mass at the Cathedral located about seven blocks from the White House.  Construction of this building began in the late 1800's and was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1974.  It was the site of the funeral Mass for John F. Kennedy in 1963.  There is a commemoration of this in the floor in the front center aisle. 

Smithsonian Botanical Gardens - Orchids

Conservatory

Smithsonian Botanical Gardens located on the Mall near the Capital was our last stop for the day. The outdoor gardens were not fully in bloom yet, but the Conservatory provided an indoor walking tour of plants from around the world as well as an amazing Orchid display - over 5,000 specimens.  Admission to all the Smithsonian Buildings is free of charge.

RV Note:  We purchased a cell signal booster while we were in NC.  Jordan Lake was a good place to test it since the cell signal was not very good there.  The "WeBoost" model we purchased is made for RV's and we could tell immediately that it will make a difference in places where we have a weak signal.  Very happy with this purchase as it improved call quality as well as hot spot speed for the internet.

Heading back to Michigan soon; sure hope it warms up there!  Revised our plan to visit Arcadia National Park in Maine; will now be going there in June.