SHOPPING AT MY FAVORITE SPOTS

 On Tuesday, we cooked breakfast at the house. Sausage, eggs and toast. Very good. I washed a few clothes, cleaned up a little and just hung out for a while

One of my favorite stores is Bealls of Florida and they are ONLY in Florida. I like their store brand and often will just order online and have things shipped to me since I know they will always fit. I do like to go and shop there when I am in town, just to see what's new, in person. They were haven't a huge clearance sale, but nothing was of interest to me. I did find a couple of new tops. They seem to have less and less of the styles I like. 

After Bealls of Florida, we went to the outlet mall off of I-95. We used to stop there regularly for school clothes for Ryan when we went this way since he went to college in Jacksonville. Now, the only places I visit at the mall are Talbots and Vera Bradley. At Talbots, I always find tops that I like. I found a couple this time, but nothing else. It's always hit or miss at the mall. Then I did have great luck at Vera Bradley. I love their crossbody wallets and have been using them for years. They have lots of storage sections and fit nicely into my purse. Last time I was here, they had a couple, but the fabric choices were awful, so I didn't buy anything. This time, I found 3 that I liked, so I bought all 3. At least when one wears out, I'll have another to use until I get to another Vera Bradley store. It was a good shopping day.

The Meyers invited us over to their house for dinner. Najla made a one pan lasagna for dinner, and it was delicious. We had a great time talking and catching up. Ryan's hand was healing nicely, although still somewhat numb. We got to see their sweet dog Ellie and their kitty Pippin. Bob, their huge turtle was out in the yard in his underground bunker.

On Wednesday, we didn't do much. We invited Ryan and Emma over for dinner for country fried steak, with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, corn and orange cake for dessert. Trevor had soccer, so he and Najla couldn't come. It was a good time to have country fired steak since Najla doesn't eat beef. We had a good time. I showed Emma where we kept our stash of Cadbury Mini Eggs and our bag of Hershey's chocolate and she was all over that. She even filled her pockets when she left. LOL Even Molly and Abby came out of hiding to get their cat grass and treats. Riley was always in the middle of everything. 

Molly and Riley like to lay on the window ledges and watch the squirrels in the yard. This nice, quiet old neighborhood is full of oak trees and lots of squirrels. It is a really enjoyable place to stay.

Lunch with the Meyer

On Sunday, we met the Meyers at Crabby's Beachside for lunch. It was right down from Salt Life, one of our favorite places. We had never been there before, and it was similar to Salt Life with an upstairs deck so you could look out across the street at the beach. It was the last day of Spring break, and the road and beach were packed with people making the most of the beautiful day, warm sunny weather and the beach.

I had the fried haddock & shrimp combo, which was very good but just too much food. David had their clam chowder & he said it was excellent. 

The kids, posing and NOT posing for pictures, LOL

Emma, 13

                                                                             Trevor, 12

Ryan & Najla had concert tickets for that night, so that's why we met for lunch. We went back to the house to spend time with the kitties. We were so full of food, we didn't have dinner. 

Later, we took a ride over to the local quilt shop. I have been working on some petal hexies to surround a small embroidery, and I needed a few more fat quarters for variety. Unfortunately, this shop only carried big, bold fabrics like Kaffe Fassett and other modern, bold styles which didn't coordinate with the fabrics I already had.

On Monday, Ryan had surgery in JAX for carpal tunnel, and he had to be there at 5AM. Due to that we didn't see them. He was doing OK post-surgery but his hand was still numb that night.

David wanted to go to Metro Diner, for breakfast, his favorite breakfast place. On a Monday morning it wasn't busy at all.

Again, we both had too much food.

After breakfast, we went back to the house for time with the kitties and make sure they had food. I threw out some raw peanuts for the squirrels to enjoy and the kitties too. They loved watching them in the backyard as they buried their peanuts.

Later, we took a ride over to Palatka to Miss D's quilt shop. I was still looking for some small floral fat quarters and I found 10 there, It was about 40 minutes away, mostly highway, so the drive wasn't too bad. We passed lots of farms on the way and it was a pleasant drive.

Then we were back home for a quiet meal of stuffed baked potatoes and time with the kitties.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN TO ST AUGUSTINE

 Well, we are headed to St Augustine to visit with Ryan, Najla, Emma and Trevor. This time, we aren't in the motorhome but driving down in a car. We rented a Ford Expedition MAX for the trip since all 3 kitties would be traveling with us.

It is one big car, and it drives great. It's so comfortable. We have spent some time trying to figure out the features and how to use them or find them. Luckily, it has an owner's manual in the on-board computer, 12" screen to help you find what you are looking for. It has 3 rows of seating. We put down the third row which gives us a lot of storage space for suitcases and kitty items.

Molly and Riley rode in their carriers in the second row and Abby in her booster seat on the console, between us. She was loved on the whole way. Molly slept the whole way, and Riley whined practically the whole way. I don't know why he is such a whiner, but he talks and whines all the time.

The trip took 9.5-10 hrs. to go 500 miles. The trip was uneventful but the traffic coming out of Atlanta was awful. Then when we came out of Jacksonville it was about 9 mph all the way. It seemed like the trip took forever and we were exhausted when we finally got there. We stopped a few times to see if Riley was whining because he wanted to go to the bathroom. I had a litter box behind the passenger seat, so I could take them out of their carriers to go but Riley just wanted to lay in the litter box. At least he didn't poop in his carrier.

We rented an Airbnb in St Augustine, down the road from one of Ryan and Najla's vet hospitals. It is a convenient location from most everything.  It is an older small house in an established neighborhood. The owner has done a total remodel and updated most everything with white kitchen cabinets, countertops, new roof, new floors and comfortable furniture. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, but it is small. It has a fenced in backyard and a big screened in back porch which is why I rented it. Unfortunately, there is no direct access to the screened in porch from the house. You have to go through the garage, into the yard and into the screened in porch. The 2 doors on the porch don't latch so it has to be off limits to the cats. So disappointing. But they are having a good time anyway.

This is the house on Airbnb, BYO Boat, Kayak, Golf Cart, RV - Houses for Rent in St. Augustine, Florida, United States - Airbnb

They love looking out the front and back windows and of course sleeping with us.

                                                 Molly is helping to unpack.

They both have claimed their beds.

Abby loves her people time.

On Saturday, Emma had a volleyball tournament in JAX, so Najla took her there. Ryan and Trevor came over, and we went to lunch at Grouper Shack. It is a relatively new seafood restaurant on the water that has great reviews. I wanted to go there while we were here, so it was perfect.

You go in, order your food, find a seat by the water and they bring your food out to you.

                                            David and I had the lobster rolls and they were so huge. 

  The weather was perfect too and we had such a good lunch. Trevor took a walk along the pier.

                                                                              Fun times.

Working Our Way Towards Home

We left Intercourse on Sunday morning. When checking out of one campground and checking in to another, we have to schedule so that we don't arrive at the next one until check in time. At Cherry Hill, the check-in time was 1PM and we only had 165 miles to drive. The roads around Lancaster were horrible and it sounded like the motorhome was going to fall apart. It was nice to finally get into Virginia on I-81 where the roads were in much better shape.

As we were driving along, we were passed by a huge RV bus that was painted in camouflage with a sign on the back that said OPERATION DEFEND AND DELIVER. We weren't sure what that was all about, but that bus was striking. When I looked online, I saw that it was Winsome Sears campaign bus. Since she was a Marine, that explained the camouflage. And we were in Virginia after all

Candy Hill campground was very nice. The people in the office were also very nice, a gentlemen took us to our site, and we settled in. I wanted to take the kitties out for a walk, but we were right next to a major highway, and it sounded like a drag strip. Just too much noise for them to enjoy.

We ended up ordering food from an Italian restaurant instead of cooking. The food was pretty good. We were tired, so we went to bed early.

The next day we had reservations at the KOA campground in Wyethville, VA. So, we had a drive of about 225 miles. We have stayed at this campground before, and it is always nice, spacious and quiet. The next morning, we fixed a bigger breakfast as we had some little red potatoes to eat before they could go bad. Lots of food to eat.

                                We still had those farm fresh eggs that we bought in PA.

As we were leaving, we saw these covered wagons on the other side of the campground. David said, "Gee, I wonder how long they have been here?"

The drive through Virginia is always so beautiful. There is the Shenandoah and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. 

As we were driving down I-81 we heard a loud BANG. There was an 18-wheeler in the next lane, and it seems he had a tire blow out. It scared us both as we didn't know if it was him or us. But he did put on his emergency lights and slow down. That was scary.

                                                                 Welcome home to Tennessee.

Out last stop before home was Dumplin Vallery Farm and Campground. We have never stayed here before. Several years ago, we had reservations to stay here for a balloon festival, but we had to cancel for some reason. It's not really a campground or farm as far as I can tell. I know they have special events here from time to time. We drove in, office was closed, no information or even where to go. I called the office, and he told me the parking number of our site and that was it. Hum, it wasn't fancy, but it served the purpose. They had full hook ups and that's all we really needed.

The only thing this CG had going for it (other than cheap), is they were 2 miles from the second largest Buccees in the country, 74,000 sq ft and it is 90 miles from home. So, of course we had to go to Buccees for something for dinner.

                                             And this is what we came home with. YUMMMM.

Two sandwiches, Buccee Chips, Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast and glazed pecans for snacking. My diet starts Friday.

                                                    My brisket sandwich was delicious.

                                                                         Home tomorrow.

Our Last Day in Intercourse

 We had a very relaxing day on our last day here. We sat outside with Riley, watching the horse & buggies go by. Since it was Saturday, the Amish were out in full force, running to town, back and forth, getting all their task finished before Sunday. On Sunday, most everything is closed, and the Amish members go to another member's house for church service and a get together afterwards. They drive their best buggy in their best clothes to meeting on the Sabbath.

If I can't fit all these videos on my blog, I'll post them on my you tube channel.

Well, I can't get any of them to work, so here is the link to my short videos.

Channel content - YouTube Studio

We went to eat lunch at The New Holland Family Restaurant and on the way home I stopped by another quilt shop I had never been to before, Cedar Lane Dry Goods and Quilts. I was looking for a 1/2" bias binding tool and they didn't have it. I don't think they even knew what I was talking about. I did find 2 Amish quilt patterns that were really nice. They were $5, and a bargain.

After that we went to Lapps for fresh ice cream. It was delicious as always. When we pulled into the campground, there were 2 Amish girls pulling a wagon full of their baked good for sale. They have been doing this for years at this campground. They used to come through with a horse and wagon, carrying the baked goods in the wagon, but the campground has gotten so crowded, it's hard to maneuver the horse and wagon, so now they just use a small wagon that they can pull. I saw some apple dumplings that I just had to have.

We'll save them for breakfast. YUMMMM.

No dinner for us after all that.

It was sad to be leaving Intercourse. It is one of very favorite places to be. The people are so nice and the food and shops are wonderful.

Our stop the next day is at Candy Hill Campground in Winchester, VA, First, we have to get gas and hook up the car to the motorhome. Even there, there were great views.

                                   Molly and Riley say, they are ready to hit the road.

More Time in Intercourse.

 There are so many quilt shops in this area, and we have many favorite places to visit. Our first visit was to Shady Maple. They have a huge, all you can eat buffet with lots of delicious foods and a huge gift shop in the basement. We went there many years ago, but they have just too much food for us. So, we skipped the buffets.

On the same property they have the Shady Maple grocery, which is an Amish grocery the size of Walmart. We love the variety of Whoopie Pies and their deli chicken pot pies, their vegetables and their section of meats. They have regular packaged meats, and about a 60' long butcher counter of fresh meat. We noticed about 12-15 varieties of potatoes in the produce section. We are amazed every time we go there.

When we walked in the door the first thing we saw was that they were having a Whoopie Pie celebration with about 200-300 Whoopie Pies of all favors and varieties.

We always buy plenty to freeze and take home with us. Thank goodness we have a French door full size refrigerator. 

Their vegetables are incredible. I have never seen such vibrant and plumb food. They almost look fake, they are so perfect.

                                 Cauliflower!!! The cauliflower in my store does not look like that.

                                                               Cabbage. 

                                                                   Varieties of peppers.

                            In the hot dog section, we found foot long hot dogs and buns. Oh my.

In the bakery section, an employee was cutting up a 10" Whoopie Pie for free samples. This store is overwhelming.

We also went next door to Goods Store, which is a Walmart type store, but without food. They have a huge fabric area, selling quilt fabric and dress fabric for the Amish and Mennonites.  I asked the girl working there if they had any canvas fabric as I need to replace the leaders on my 2 longarm machines. Not only did they have it, but it was $3.50 a yard. I bought the whole bolt of 13+ yards. Unbelievable.

I was also able to visit several quilt shops in the area. Family Farm Quilts was next door to the campground. It is a small shop and like all the shops in this area they sell premade quilts and handmade items on consignment from the Amish and Mennonites. I saw this one upstairs and it and the one on the wall were quite striking.

I also visited Log Cabin Quilts, I haven't visited there in many years and I was so impressed with what I found. Tons of fabric, quilt kits, patterns and quilting items. I would definitely come back here,

Next was Bird In Hand Quilts, right down the road. I used to go their because they had a nice selection at good prices, but the Amish or Mennonite man that worked there was so rude, He didn't speak to you and acted like you were an imposition in being there. After a couple of times visiting there, I stopped going. Well, they have completely updated the store. Nice ladies work there now. They have painted, new flooring and rearranged everything. The have lots of dress fabrics and quilting fabric and I found bolts of microfiber fabric in many colors. That was a great find.

The main quilt store now in Intercourse is The Old Country Store. They have a huge selection of fabric and sewing notions. Too bad I don't have a project in mind to look for fabric. There are so many great places to shop.

After quilt shop shopping, I walked across the street to one of my favorite places, The Immergut Hand Rolled Pretzel Shop. Warm delicious pretzels right out of the oven. I bought 2 cinnamon and sugar ones and headed back to the motorhome. We really enjoyed them.

On Thursday, we had to go back to shade Maple for a couple of things and more whoopie pies. Glynda had put in a special request for chocolate with peanut butter. We were surprised to see that that had a lot of new flavors that weren't there the day before. More WHOOPIES.

We also went to Zincks fabric outlet. They used to have every type of fabric you could think of. They had quilting fabric, dress fabric, Minky, fleece, lace, sequin fabric, upholstery fabric. I saw the perfect mocha colored upholstery fabric to recover our dinning seats in the motorhome, so I bought the bolt. They have closed off about half of the store, so they don't have as much as before.

David found a good place for local IPA beer to try. It's been a good couple of days all around.

No visit to Intercourse would be the same without a visit to Stoltzfus Meats. Their selection is   incredible. The first time we ever visited this area, Ryan was about 8 or 10 years old. One of the things we did was take a ride on the Steam engine train and go to an Amish farm for a meal. The food was so good, and we sat at long tables with everyone else and we were served family style. We couldn't get over how fresh and delicious the food was. I believe it was the Stoltzfus Farm where we ate.

 Here is their story.

Stoltzfus Meats - Our Story - YouTube

We leave on Sunday, to make our way back home.