Highways and Fairways

Sightseeing in the Western PA Mountains

No golf this post, whah.  Mike is forcing me to do other stuff so I'll share some of those escapades with you.  We took a lovely drive to see Fallingwater in Bear Run, PA.  One of Frank Lloyd Wright's more famous designs, built in the '30's, it became a tourist attraction for its location (in the woods built into soaring boulders, surrounded by waterfalls) as well as a design that was beyond anyone's imagination in that era.

I don't think Mr. Wright has been given credit for the ever popular invention of "soap on a rope".

We left the grounds and were off to check out Ohiopyle (no relation to Gomer), a state park that offers many choices for white water rafters.  

Jury is still out on whether we will do this while here (Susan and Jody say it's a must, but Wendy, aka Wellington, made it clear that we could DROWN).  Mike found the water to be a bit on the chilly side and I found it to be a bit too much on the "white" side.

Of course we do have many choices for rafting, so we may still do this before we leave this area next week.

We then went down the road to Laurel Caverns, the largest caves in PA.  With the exception of a few steps and hand rails, nature created phenomenal caverns with nothing more than millions of years of dripping water as its scalpel.  Sit back and enjoy the following picture show:

 

 
 
  
Girl and Boy Scouts come to the caverns to earn badges in rappelling and spelunking (never thought I'd ever get to use that word!).

Upon setting off for the tour to the constant 52 degree caves, we are encouraged to put on a sweat shirt, grab a flash light, and review the bat chart:

We only met a few of the smaller kind of flying rodents:

I think they sleep as much as Peanut and Pepper.

I was disappointed that there weren't stalactites in the caverns but "Hey Gee!" John (our enthusiastic 85 year old tour guide) explained that it is believed that what stalactites were once there were broken off and stolen before the park became a protected attraction.
 
 In addition to all of this fun, we went back and enjoyed the Seven Springs Resort with quite a few others:

Over lunch we debated alpine sliding and finally decided to shell out the $7.00 for the thrill.

Being the fierce competitors that we are, we decided to race down the mountain.  You can probably figure out the winner based on who had time to take a picture of the loser finishing:

You should have heard that snotty nosed brat behind me, "I would have beat you, dad, but THAT LADY slowed me down!".  I guess once you turn 50 you become "THAT LADY".

We then went back to camp where the rest of the Pennsylvanians that weren't at Seven Springs were spending their holiday weekend.
 
 

A terrific live band entertained the crowds and the patriotic flamingos:

We elbowed our way through the crowds back to our campsite to enjoy the sunset and the fireworks.

Between the crowds and the incessant barking dogs, I'm ready to go back to our quiet camping where the only noises keeping us up are trucks, trains, and weapons testing!

That's about it for now.  We have some work to do today and then a late afternoon tee time at Hidden Valley Resort, a referral from Holly.  We hope you are enjoying your holiday weekend as much as we are!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Happy Memorial Day from Seven Springs, PA

Oh how I love a late check out time at a campground!  Friendship Village in Bedford gave us until 1:00 to skedaddle which gave me time to play the nine hole course at the nearby Elks Club.  I'd actually just gone to hit balls at the driving range so I didn't bother to bring the camera.  I was surprised to learn there was no practice facility but for twelve dollars I could play the nine holes in an hour and a half.  After getting permission from Mike back at camp, I was off for my round.  As I was putting up my $12 I was joined at the counter by our neighbor back at Friendship Village, Wendy, so we were off to tear up the course together.

Guess which one is Wendy.  Hint, the shorter pretty one is Susan.   Hopefully I didn't slow Wendy down and he sure didn't hold me up.  A solid player, we had a great time (real name is Wellington but his dad refused to call him that and instead opted for Wendy ???).  Unfortunately I didn't have the camera on the course but suffice to say I was very impressed with the impeccably maintained, hilly, beautiful, challenging, and walkable nine holes.  If you happen to be in the Bedford area with $12 in your pocket and an hour and a half to kill, this is a must play!

While I was busy with the white ball, Mike was arranging for our next stop, Seven Springs in the Allegheny mountains.  For those familiar with Seven Springs, this is one of the few ski resorts in the mid Atlantic and the highest rated in the area.  The history goes back to 1935 when the world’s first mechanical rope tow pulled skiers up to the top of the mountain, powered by a Packard automobile engine. 

Oddly enough, in late May, and 79 degrees, there was still some snow yet to melt?

Seeing all of the cars in the parking lot in May, I asked Mike why so many come to a ski resort this time of year?  Tons to do, starting with playing their gorgeous mountain golf course (review to follow).  Other options include alpine sliding (we'll be doing that tomorrow so stay tuned), mountain biking, fly fishing, bowling, beach volleyball, paint ball, and clay shooting (described in the brochures as golf with a gun, hmmmm).  You'd think we were on a cruise ship and not hanging out in western PA!  Between the parties, fireworks, and a carnival at our nearby campground this promises to be a fun filled weekend!

I am loving the area and our campground, Mt. Pines RV Resort, which is set on a river (some call it a crick) and hosts the state's largest swimming pool, opening just in time for our visit.  We're here for a week, yippee!  The manager has offered to find us bicycles so that we can ride along the crick (spell check wants me to spell it creek).

Yesterday we had a very enjoyable three hour round at Seven Springs Golf Course.  The flowers were in bloom, the views breath taking, the course in great shape with the only drawback being the painfully slow greens.  The pro explained at length and using words I really didn't understand that the warm weather and something about the grass seeds contributed to the sluggishness but to come back in July and they will be lightening fast.  Sorry, come July we will be in the Adirondacks (the mountains not the chairs).

Check out this lovely mountain course:

 

The maintenance crew takes pride in their colors:

 

Fairly open, we were able to pull out the driver on every tee box, save the par 3's.

The par three's were well designed, taking clues from Mother Nature:

 

We came upon a small family cemetery on the course but even after a session with Google, I still have no idea who the dude is:

All in all a beautiful day--thanks Danny for the suggestion to play this course!

As I've said many times, the best part of this trip has been the people we meet along the way.  In the bar at the resort after golf we met this fun couple, Paul and Holly who were still fuming over their absurdly slow round of golf on the same course we just played.  Hmmm.  I guess a lesson in choosing afternoon tee times (which we do because we're cheap).  They went off two hours before we did and walked off the course on the 17th tee box when they saw they had to wait for three groups in front to tee off.  Ugh.  They waited on every hole, a stark contrast to our 3 hour round in which we never saw another person other than a guy planting new flowers.  After a drink and a nap calmed them down, we got to know each other.  They live near our next destination (Pittsburgh as I keep being promised) and own a deli and catering business there (Wexford Post Office Deli).  They were gracious enough to invite us to stop by on our way through town even offering us lodging in their business parking lot or at their home.  They've even invited us for dinner, a sure way to Mike's heart!  We'll see Paul and Holly again soon...

In searching out a spot for dinner I found that beautiful sunsets happen everywhere, not just next to oceans or in the desert. 

Last night we found a local's sports bar for pizza, 75 cent beer, and team trivia.  We joined, aptly enough, Team Hackers, two golfer dudes, and helped them go from last place to 1st!  Hey a $25 gift certificate goes a long way with 75 cent beer!

Have a safe and grateful Memorial Day weekend!
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
  

Exploring Gettysburg and golfing at Bedford Springs

Since we have met some great people at the many RV spots we've stayed, I like to share some of the more interesting parks.  Artillery Ridge in Gettysburg is one of those places, if you enjoy history (it's in the middle of Civil War boundaries), horses, and flies.

Pepper made a new pal and Wilbur didn't want to leave...

The Boy Scouts of America were holding a jamboree while we were there.

This little girl bounced by my lens on my favorite toy 45 years ago--Hippity Hop!

If you don't have a tent or an RV, you can stay in one of their original cabins.

We have stayed at campgrounds where boats were the preferred tow vehicle.  At this park, your tow car eats hay and when you check in you get a corral in addition to the pad for your home.  Neat place.

We spent a dreary rainy weekend seeing more of our country's pivotal history.  The city of Gettysburg has been carefully preserved as it stood nearly 150 years ago.  The only change is the many memorials put up by the various states in honor of their lost sons.

Mike was drawn to the field that marked Pickett's Charge.
 

As we walked around downtown we weren't sure if folks always dress for the era or if it happens only on weekends, but they take their history seriously.

Perhaps I got a bit caught up in the nostalgia.

Mike tried to have a street side chat with Abe.  I don't think Abe liked Mike's ideas for the country, judging by his body language.

We visited one the oldest homes in Gettysburg, the Dobbin House which was home to the Rev. and Mrs. Dobbin and their NINETEEN children.  

This home, built in 1776, served as a hospital during the war, a school, and was believed to have been the first station of the underground railroad north of the Mason Dixon Line.  The hideaway is still intact and a bit eerie to see.

You have a choice of fine dining upstairs in one of the many bedrooms, which means you get to have your meal in bed.

Or you can grab a meal in the tavern in the basement.

We were also told to check out General Farnsworth's home in the middle of town which was used by Confederate Sharp Shooters and still stands with more than 150 bullet holes in the walls.

In addition to the civil war momentos carefully stored at the home,

 

we enjoyed our meals of ribs and slippery chicken pot pie at the tavern in the back.

I continue to be wowed by the quaintness of Pennsylvania towns.

Speaking of quaint PA towns, we stayed over in Bedford on our way to Pittsburgh for a round of golf at one of the oldest golf courses in America, Bedford Springs Resort.  We found historic Bedford to be so enchanting that we opted to stay two nights here.

The historic Bedford Springs was another World Am recommendation and has also been voted PA's #1 public course.  The hotel was built on natural springs by a physician in 1805 specifically for medicinal purposes.  In 1895 the golf course was built by Spencer Oldham and has subsequently been redesigned by Tillinghast and later by Donald Ross. 

Considering the climbing and jake brakes we used getting to Bedford in the RV, I was surprised to find such a relatively flat course in the middle of the PA mountains, aside from the greens of course.

The #1 handicap was a 220 yard par 3 from the tips.  The elevated green is probably tough to land, but three days of steady rain helped hold our balls.  In fact, Mike easily birdied the hole.

Miss the fairways by even a foot, and it gets real ugly fast.

We joined up with Bill and Marion from Pittsburgh on the back nine, which was good as it tamed our sailor mouths after some of those fairway misses.  Note theTterrible Towel hanging on the golf bag... Love that!

I admired how Marion stepped up to the men's tees.  Not me.  Oldham, Ross, and Tillinghast designed a course that was tough enough from the forward tees that I opted against humiliating myself further.

Elevated and undulating greens, moguls, wild grass, oh boy!

For our tour it was one of the more expensive rounds we've played, but we figured for the history and the hype it was worth playing.  Yes, we enjoyed our round but neither of us could figure out how it has ranked the #1 public course in this state.  I've enjoyed the lay out and scenery more at several of the PA courses that we've played at more reasonable prices.
 
 That's not to say there weren't some scenic holes...

I got some more shots for the coffee table book...

I am really glad we opted to play this course or we may have never seen this beautiful resort.  The folks staying in their $250 a night rooms here are likely quite jealous of our nightly campfires back at the RV park.

Unlikely though they would want to drive their 1961 Silver Shadow down our dirt paths.

I am loving seeing all of the beauty in Pennsylvania.  Who knew???  I think we're off to Pittsburgh tomorrow but we'll see where we really end up.

On another note, just wanted to let Sandy and Jay know that our hearts and prayers are with them now.

Until we meet again.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Battlefields and The Links at Gettysburg

 All right already, I'm fifty!  The truth of the matter is this trip has been a year long celebration of crossing the half century mark for me but Mike had great plans for the day anyhow.  For many women, turning 50 is a woeful time.  For me, it was more a whoaful time. 

We were up early to meet the wranglers and our fellow riders at the stables located within our historic campground.  This guy was simply a zealous customer.  We'd thought he was our guide.

We toured the battlefields by horseback equipped with a headset and a guide who managed to bring me to tears more than once during our two hour ride.

Our equine skills carry well beyond riding a birdie horsey on the golf course!

We plan to tour more by car and foot where we can this weekend, but this was a special way to see history up close. 

Note this farmhouse that survived the attacks those three fateful days in 1863.  That would be a cannon ball hole on the side:

As we quite literally walked through the valley of death, the guide's microphone went silent and the lead wrangler began to sing a beautiful rendition of the Battle Hymn of the Republic.  It was a bit pitchy, but I would have sent her to Hollywood!  Seriously though, more tears....

After our ride, Mike took me to my favorite breakfast place on the east coast.  OK, so it's a chain (Perkins) but they have the BEST strawberry muffins I've ever had.  A birthday would not be complete without a round of golf so we changed out of our riding gear and into our collared shirts and were off to the Links at Gettysburg.

Another World Am referral, this course was our 4th to play on the Raspberry Trail, so it was also a FREE round of golf for us.  Love that part.  We were lucky enough to be paired with a member, Steve, who when not flying jets for Southwest can be found wandering the course looking for a game!

In addition to one helluva swing, he was a hoot to play with.  He just had no idea what he was in for with us and we with him.  Everyone loves him and it wasn't long before the founder/owner of the club, Rick, stopped by to say hello.

Then it was the club's Superintendent, John, who chased us down and with borrowed clubs challenged Steve to a one hole match for a beer.

He played the one hole and when this putt went in...

he was inducted into the Birdie Horsey Club, and man, he wins style points!

With that birdie, I would accuse him of golfing too much and not working hard enough.  But the course was in too good of shape to lay that on him.

Like John, Steve joined us in the Birdie Horsey Stable a couple of times (he's got game).

Check out the red rock behind him.  Rick and the course architects did a phenomenal job of building a course that amplifies the natural beauty.

And does so with the cart paths...

There's another for the coffee table book:

As for the playability of the course, Mike and Steve played from the tips, which was a respectable 7100 yards.  We both enjoyed the condition and lay out.  We're starting to see more and more of the high grass which is the greater of two evils (the water being the lesser).

As for me, if the scorecard is correct, there's just too big of a gap between the forward and senior tees (900 yards).  Since it was my b-day I chose the easier 4977 yards in hopes of a low round for this occasion.  Elizabeth had sent me a birthday wish for no 3 putts that day, but the golf Gods thought otherwise.  They however made up for it by straightening out my drives giving me four eagle opportunities.  Thankfully I could three putt and still par the holes!  I did break 80 which was one of the best presents, but better than that was the fun day of golf on a beautiful course and the great people we met.

The par three's were breathtaking:
 

We met a family of geese that puts Octomom to shame:

After golf we did our usual 19th hole experience and this was probably one of our best.  Out on the back porch we met Bonnie, Rick's wife.  Loved her instantly.  Rick built this course but she is the heart and soul:

She has a very silly side that isn't captured in this picture.  I tried to convince her to trade our 40 foot shoebox on wheels for her home on the course.  Couldn't quite get her there...

If the winters weren't so cold here, we'd join these crazies here full time.  Thank you Steve, John, Rick, and Bonnie for a most memorable round of golf..

Time to get back to the RV Park to shower and change for dinner.  At several folk's suggestion we went to the Blue Parrot Bistro in old town Gettysburg (2 miles from our campground).  We barely made it before their kitchen closed.  This place is the happening spot on a Friday night but we managed to get a romantic table allowing us to watch the street scene.

We'd recommend this spot for the atmosphere, location, and the food.  Mike loved his Rib Eye!

I would call this the birthday of a lifetime.  Thanks Honey!

We're staying in Gettysburg for the weekend and more sightseeing.  Next stop will be Pittsburgh, Mike's home town.  Thanks for listening and the very kind words of encouragement!

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

Touring Philly, the perfect Cheese Steak Sandwich, Back Porch Crabfest, Iron Valley GC

Busy, busy, busy.  Before I forget, I must mention Robert.  Robert gave me a much needed/desired gift of time last week.  Three long luxurious hours...to myself! Robert has been staying for the last three months at our KOA while attending school to become certified on the new health plan billing procedures.  His fiancee is a physician and back in Texas while he camps and goes to school in nearby New Jersey.  He invited Mike over for a beer, which led to another, which led to my time alone!  Thank you Robert!

Yesterday was our day to tour Philadelphia with Mike's niece, Diana.  Only in Philadelphia do you see this...

and this...

 
 
Mike and Diana had explored the city six years ago, with a quest to find the perfect Philly Cheese Steak.  After hours of walking and tasting the last time, they discovered that the well known Gino's is crap.  And Pat's across the street is just plain junk!  This time we headed directly to South Street and searched for the spot they found the last time (and subsequently forgot the name).  Mike couldn't hold out so we stopped at the first cheese steak diner he spotted...

Disappointment.  We soon after found the one we should have waited for,

I think the sign says Ishkabibbles, but that is the spot for THE perfect Philly Cheese Steak.  Head directly to South Street when in Philadelphia, and search out this strange sounding place.  Don't waste your time with cheap imitations.

Once his appetite was satisfied, we saw the city and toured some of our country's historical sites.

And a bit further back in history...

That would be Independence Hall. 

As when playing Mike Strantz courses,  I was dying to ring the bell...

 
 
But the park ranger frowned on that idea.

We wandered the original streets, before street lights, honking horns, and well, pavement:

We saw our country's first bank and first stock exchange...

 

We found City Tavern, where we enjoyed the same brew recipe as Washington, Jefferson, and Hamilton.

 

The servers dress for the period...

 

Mike opted for the darker Washington's blend, I went for Jefferson's, and Diana drank the lighter Hamilton brew.  In the time we each drank our one $7.50 beer, an 80ish year old man near us guzzled one of each kind by himself!  Impressive.  Mike wants to be him when he grows up.

Afterward we all needed this...

After our day of sightseeing/tasting, we had our final evening with Mike's Brother and Sis in law.  Mike has been talking about blue crabs since we arrived on the east coast.  He's been saving himself for this particular night with Bill, Bev, Diana, Lisa, and Alyssa (forgive me for hacking up the spelling of your name)  It truly was a social eating extravaganza!

After a bushel and a peck, the table looked like this:

A lot of work.  The toughest part was finding the right crab market and then deciding on what size to buy.  Apparently we're having a "bumper crop" this year.  We decided to go with the "large" rather than the #1's.   I'd recommend picking up a can of Phillip's Blue Crab at Costco and save yourself hours and stinky hands.  Oh, but where's the fun in that?  We had a great time with the Evan's clan this week.  Thank you all for taking such great care of us!  Wow, three straight days of home cooking!  Loved it!

Today was moving day.  We wanted to see Gettysburg and along the way, we stopped at Iron Valley GC in Lebanon (World Am referral) for 18 holes.

Part of the Raspberry Trail, we found ourselves back in the mountains.

It truly felt as though we were golfing on top of the world.

I was equally struck by the water as I was by the mountains: 

They had an island green.  Check out the dude in the water patiently waiting to grab the balls we put there!  He was disheartened when our tee shots hit the green, and stayed there.

 
  

Tight fairways bordered by water...

A Par 5 that drags the wet stuff AND the hills into your approach shot...

Beautiful elevated course that was in great shape and a bargain at $39!  The greens were small and readable and in several cases, elevated.

 As you can see they're doing a breast cancer fund raiser tomorrow and have the flags ready for the event!

Pete Dye left his autograph all over the place:

My only suggestion would be that Iron Valley upgrade their "facilities" on the course:

Even our Founding Father's had nicer potties than these things!  Yick.

That's it for now.  We're set up now at a campground smack in the heart of Gettysburg.  Mike has us scheduled for a horseback tour of the battlefields first thing in the morning (leaving from our campground).  Afterward we have a tee time at the Gettysburg Links, another World Am referral.  Should be great photo ops!

Until then!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kennett Square ("Mushroom Capital of the World") and Home Cooking!

We're enjoying exploring this somewhat rural suburb of Philadelphia.  As we meander the area we see all kinds of structures, some with no road setbacks:

and others well set back:

We found a darling little bakery/deli that had cheeses to suit anyone's appetite:

In addition to fantastic deli items and desserts, Talula's Table also offers dinner for 8 every night, which consists of 8 gourmet courses.  You'll have to bring patience (they are booked one year in advance), your own wine (they'll offer pairing suggestions), and your Visa ($126 per person).

As mentioned in a prior blog, we had stopped in for a visit at Mike's father's former country club, Kennett Square, on Saturday.  Ashley, the Asst. Pro, took pity on Mike as he tearfully described his memories of the baby pool and wandered the halls looking for some reference to his father's accomplishments on the many plaques and trophies.  She knew that it would mean a great deal for Mike to walk the same fairways, size up the lies on the greens, and tee up his balls on the same course as Herb did 50 + years ago.  We decided that Tuesday would be the day to live his dream and Ashley even offered to play along!

After numerous text messages the morning of the big day (48 degrees and pouring rain), it was decided that, if willing, we would go out alone in the afternoon when the weather was a bit better.  Unfortunately Ashley had to work, so Mike and I were the only ones to brave the weather at Kennett Square yesterday afternoon.  Unlike most clubs after a rain storm, they don't have a "cart path only" policy.  They have a "walk only" policy.  That suited us just fine.

It never did get above 50 degrees, but the rain was bearable on this course that is babied by the maintenance crews and members alike.

Although a bit sloshy on the greens, it was clear to us that on a dry day, they would roll fast and pure.  With the exception of one green, they all drained very well.

I can't lie, the greens ticked me off on more than one occasion.  I'd feel really good about my approach shot, huffing and puffing and pushing my bag up the hill only to find that I didn't come close to hitting the green.  I know about false fronts, but I kept finding "fake you out" fronts:

Herb would have been proud of how sonny boy played his course...

Even when he missed the fairway ,he'd have a magical shot out of the severe rough that would fly 200 yards or chip in for par over a bunker.

Though I'm not sure how proud Daddy would have been to see Mike's reaction to this little benefit at the comfort station:

I guess they opt against filling the keg on a day when they only have two non members playing the course.  Cool though that they do this!

The par threes were pretty as well as challenging.

The only company we had out there were the earthworms and the geese.  Are they in season?  Sheesh.

We had a great day, weather aside, and loved this course for the walkability, the Donald Ross design, the quaintness of the club and surrounding community, and the condition.

 
 
 

Ashley, thank you again for a wonderful day and more cherished memories.  Good luck in the US Open Qualifier on Monday!

After golf we were again treated to home cooking/grilling by Mike's brother Bill and his wife Bev.  Monday night we had beautifully marinated and grilled chicken and last night it was salmon.  I couldn't stop talking about how much I was enjoying their cooking as well as hanging out in their great big house!!!

 

Bev took care of my thirst with my favorite Blue Moon which she kindly served to me in a grown up sippy cup!

Mike has missed his niece Diana and her little "schitt", Mia.  Diana is taking us on my first tour of Philadelphia shortly!

Stay tuned for a briefing on that tour as well as details on our big crab night!

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

The Best Kept Secret of West Chester County

The members of Moccasin Run will be annoyed with me for putting out the word on their club.  They can blame Claude Penland who sent us a note suggesting we play several courses in the area, including the last one, Broad Run.  We were delighted to find a walkable course in the middle of farmland and PA hills.

Everyone we met was so kind and incredibly curious as to how we found this course on our year long national golf trek.  Apparently few local golfers know about this gem.  At first glance at this seemingly open course, Mike wondered out loud what was so special about Moccasin Run. 

Rod, the head pro and one of the founding sons of the club, offered up something we hadn't heard yet on this trip,  "If you aren't satisfied with the condition of our course, we'll give you your money back."  Loved his confidence.  His family takes great pride in maintaining immaculate fairways and greens and it showed.

The land had been in the family as a working dairy farm for years.  In the 80's the dad's CPA suggested turning the farm into a golf course.  The dad and the five sons jumped on board, hiring an unknown designer and retired dairy farmer, to produce a beautiful lay out.  Using the natural streams, the rolling hills, and beautiful trees, they created a course that was fun to play without the distractions of housing and other "stuff".  Well, Wilbur was distracted on one of the earlier holes (he's shameless):

Unfortunately that was the only time Wilbur got out of the bag as none of us earned a ride on his birdie back.  Let's just say it was tough to get your approach shots to stick on these often elevated and hard greens.

 
  
What makes this course so walkable is how close the greens are to the tees.  The King family found a creative and natural way to block out one from the other:

We played with Rick and John, a couple of locals who showed up separately looking for a game.  Mike enjoyed having company and competition from the back tees.

John had just finished boosting Mike up to the Big Boy tees in that photo.  John definitely had game:

Between John and Rich we were well guided around the 18 holes that weren't always as easy as they looked:

Part of what made the day so enjoyable beyond the great course and company was the perfect weather, complete with rainbows (without rain?).

There was enough water on the course to challenge us and make for nice photo ops.  In addition to being well stocked with large bass and carp, the ponds and streams are now a few Bridgestones richer.

Who is that third dude in the picture you ask?  

I have named him Chief Walks with Geese, a respectful icon to those who once farmed this land and for who it was named.

Hey buddy, if you're going to walk with the geese, I'd strongly suggest you put those moccasins back on your feet!

There were some nice downhill par 3's:

Rich had some amazing shots both on and off the greens and like John, made the day more enjoyable.

Miked liked the adjacent fairways and in one case, adjacent farmland.  He taught these two locals how to play one particular hole in a way that they'd never seen done (that's Mike).  I was so amazed with what he was doing, I neglected to grab a Kodak moment.  Normally Amish children gather lost balls from the adjacent pasture and sell them to the golfers.  Sadly for them, Mike found his ball on their farm, saw no out of bounds stakes, hit it out of 2 foot of grass and par'd the dang hole.  John and Rich will play this hole differently in the future should they miss the fairway.

Mike's only complaint about the course was that the back tees weren't back far enough at 6500 yards.  He played well, losing only one ball (that adjacent fairway/farmland thing).  On the other hand, for such a straight forward course, I struggled with club choice, overshooting nearly every green (sometimes I'm not so smart).

After golf we stopped into the pro shop for our usual 19th hole experience.  Unfortunately we didn't know it was a BYOB shop or we would have brought a beverage (I guess Mike did have one more complaint).  Curt, one of the King brothers and now the sole owner with his wife, Grace, spent some time with us and treated us to Arnold Palmers.  They shared their story, our favorite part of this journey, on how they happened to have this enviable lifestyle.  If their children weren't still in school, we may have convinced them to trade--our lifestyle for theirs!

A big shout out for Moccasin Run!  Thanks for the referral, Claude!

Given that I was the big loser, it was Mike's turn to pick our dinner choice...Juanita cook or, thankfully he spotted this darling little B & B (and Pub) on our way back to the KOA:

This Inn, established in 1858 invited us in and welcomed us to wander their haunted halls.

Then we sat down at the bar in the Busy Bee Pub and had delicious lobster Ravioli and meatloaf.  The bartender even shared some of Tom's birthday cake with us (a local), which was fitting since I'd just listened to a VM of my friend Kathy singing Happy Birthday to me (five days early, but ok!).

It was a great day.  We're off to see Mike's brother Bill and his family this afternoon.

Thanks for following!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Philly area

On our drive from Aberdeen to PA we stopped for lunch in the quaint town of Havre de Grace. 

 
 
As we were hauling all 60 feet of our personal motorcade through town, we spotted a very crowded little cafe that we had to investigate, plus it was lunch time.  We were not disappointed.  Stephanie just re-opened her cafe after a 2 and a half year hiatus.  It was worth the wait.  Her panini and other sandwiches are over flowing with yumminess, and the homemade soups are full of fresh ingredients.  Her dessert of the day was strawberry shortcake, a personal favorite.  If you happen to be near Havre de Grace, MD, follow the signs for the historic district and by all means STOP for lunch at the Ritz Gourmet Cafe!

We had no sooner crossed the PA state line when we were held up by this piece of local flavor:

I think the kids were as intrigued by us as we were with them.

The RV campgrounds were limited in this area, West Chester, which is near to where Mike's brother's family lives as well as within half an hour of about 5 golf courses we want to play.  In fact, it was the KOA or nothing.  We signed up for a whole week, which is a welcome relief from our transient ways of late.  It had all of the amenities we look for:

Horseback riding, golf, and even our personal favorite--canoing!

However, we remember our experience in the mangroves of Key Largo and thought better of it.  Especially after seeing this:

Yep falls!  OK, so maybe the falls are only about 18 inches, but then we saw this and were convinced to keep our land legs bolted to soil:

Oh well, the campground is still a lovely place to walk the dogs:

And to meet new friends, especially Pepper:

Some folks seem to like the KOA just a little too much and really should consider moving on down the road:

Or at least invest in a weed whacker, for crying out loud!

Besides being close to Mike's brother, we also had our pick of courses close by.  Yesterday we chose Broad Run, built, like so many, on an old farm, spanning many hillsides.  I fully expected to see the Von Trap Family singers to come trotting up the mountain side singing about how alive the hills are!

Even the driving range was built straight up the hill...

That's Mike on the phone with our landscaper finding out if he can mow multi directional like this pristine course:

The course, another World Am referral, was gorgeous even on this cloudy day that more than threatened us with Thunderstorms.  There were a few blind shots:

Use too much club and you will be mildly or severely punished:

For me it was mild punishment, at least on this hole.  For Mike, who doesn't get dressed up to punch out, it was more severe:

 

The par 3's were fascinating and tested my fear of heights:

This one in particular was half a mile straight down hill!
  

It was a beautiful course, my first PA course, and now my appetite is only whet for more like this:

I feared this may be my only wildlife photo to share:

Until we rounded a bend and caught a glimpse of these folks with the very cool tails:

We were just walking off the 17th green when the sky opened up and quickly we were running off the green:

We hunkered down under a large bush and debated what to do, I mean we only had one more hole to play and it was on our way back to the clubhouse:

After ten minutes of crashing lightening and pouring rain, we opted to head back to the club. 

But as we were passing the ladies tee on 18 it was suddenly still and the rain subsided so, errrrrrt! 

We finished with a couple of par's and finally called it a day...and oh what a day!  A hearty recommendation to play Broad Run in the hills of West Chester County PA!

Today was a day to check out the quaint town of Kennett Square as well as the country club that Mike's father belonged to when Mike was a boy.  He only remembers the baby pool as his family moved from this area to Pittsburgh when Mike was 6.

Cross your fingers...if all goes according to plan we will be playing at this private club on Tuesday.

Kennett Square is darling and a city/township in which  I could live, as long as I have a winter home in another climate.

We happened into a wine bar on Sangria Saturdays, and oh my.  Fruit salad in a wine glass!

My mom would like it here too:

As to restaurants, there were many to choose from.  We took the recommendation of the wine bar folks and ate on the roof top of Half Moon Restaurant and Saloon, and loved the meal and the experience:

I am being summoned to join the crazies who have gathered around the campfire outside.  Ahhh, Saturday night at the KOA!  

Tomorrow we play another recommendation, Moccasin Run.  Can't wait!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 

 
 
 
 
 

Aberdeen Proving Grounds

In the course of our time on the road we've endured the usual sounds of nearby planes, trains, and automobiles.  In Fredericksburg it was the non stop honking of the horny geese at all hours of the night that kept us awake.  At the Outer Banks we had the whipping winds blocking our snoozing.  Our latest campground in Maryland offered up yet a new way to make us cranky.  We are directly across the Chesapeake Bay from the Aberdeen Proving Grounds:

We were so excited about having a waterfront spot when we first pulled into our space!  When we looked out our front window it almost felt as though we were floating.

The dogs were as excited to walk along the boardwalk.

Then we began hearing odd noises that sounded like sonic booms.  If you aren't familiar with the Aberdeen Proving Grounds (I wasn't), this is where the government tests weapons...over and over and over again!  Oh well, we can sleep when we're dead, at least that's what I recently heard Lady Gaga say.

We stopped in this area on our way to visit Mike's eldest brother in PA.  We opted against a stop at our nation's capitol as we've both spent a fair amount of time in DC and it's not the easiest place to maneuver with 60 feet hanging out behind you.  Unfortunately I didn't have a golf course referral within an hour's drive of our campground so we had to wing it with the internet to find something close.  We chose Mountain Branch in Joppa for its proximity as well as its top notch restaurant review.  Apparently the Mountain Branch Grille and Pub has won numerous awards including the 2009 and 2010 Diner's Choice.  The golf course attached must be good, right?  Actually it was.

Set on a hillside, this turned out to be one the toughest courses we've played. 

Groomed like a private club (except for the greens which had recently been punched), it wasn't the water, sand, or trees that made for a challenge.  It was what happened if your drive wasn't perfect or if it rolled just beyond the cut of the fairway:

More balls were lost in the rough than anywhere.  But we also found other golfer's abandoned balls.  If you are lucky to stumble upon your ball, take your medicine.  Use a 7 iron and get it out to the short grass or it only gets worse.

From longer grass:

to other beautiful crud...
 

We enjoyed the layout on this dreary rain threatening day:

I picked the wrong day to hit wayward drives given the tight fairways.

The par threes were lovely:

The greens, although slow, were often two or three tiered:

Other than the clubhouse (which is the noted AAA restaurant)

and this historic stone home dating back a couple of centuries (or maybe decades):

there were no homes on the course.  Wilbur spotted a stable near one of the tee boxes and I caught him peeping:

Made that horse do a double take!

We found an unusual cart path for the coffee table book:

 
 
 
 We had to share a tee box with this family (not known for sharing anything):

Other than crummy weather, we enjoyed the course and the meal afterward.  We happened in on "No Whining Wednesday" which meant we had a choice of 15 wine bottle for $15.  The Maryland Crab dip was quite good and the soft shell crab not bad.  I especially loved the sweet potato/ chorizo hash and the bread pudding.  If you find yourself near Joppa, MD, definitely play an afternoon round (we did in 3 hours) for $50 and enjoy a delicious meal afterward.

Off to PA!
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

Old Hickory, Woodbridge, VA

Jay had shot a note to the World Am last Fall inviting us to play his course in VA because we had to play the 630 yard finishing hole.  Not far from our campground in Manassas, we took him up on his suggestion even though he was out of town this week (he's closing on a home in South Carolina--wish it were ours!).

Perhaps it was the cool temps (57) or that it was a Monday, we had a much appreciated fast round of 3 hours.  After our 5 hour round at Cannon Ridge, that was a welcome change.  We didn't go far before I picked up another cart path photo for the coffee table book:

 

The waterfall made a beautiful backdrop:

Yes, 57 degrees called for me to pull out the winter clothing again, sigh.   Not Mike though...

The course was in good shape and didn't seem to play as long as the yardage because so many of the holes played downhill and often down wind.  Either that or Mike now regularly drives the ball 330 yards and my drives fly 260.  Ri-i-i-i-i-i-ight.

Like all courses, you are punished if you can't hit a straight ball.  The trick the Rock Hill girls showed me about hitting through trees came in handy on those rare cases I didn't hit the fairway.

The good news was that I didn't lose a ball on this course.  I always found it either in the trees or the traps, making a relatively easy course a bit more challenging.  I need a practice day at the beach.

The greens were in good shape and fairly easy to read.  When I make it through 18 holes with only one 3 putt, the greens are definitely manageable even with the undulations:

It does help to get your approach shot close though.

We were excited to see the monster 18th hole:

Long, it also played against the wind, and required accuracy all the way to the hole:

The second shot played as tough:

Mike played it well from the tips...Driver, 3 iron, 8 iron.  Unfortunately it was that 8 iron that double crossed him in the form of a hot skull shot over the green.  I made it to the green in regulation (not so long from my tees) but this was my one 3 putt, grrrr.

We enjoyed the course and the price was fair.  We picked up a card for the Raspberry Trail which will allow us to a free round of golf soon at one of their courses in the PA, MD, and VA areas.  Thank you Jay for the recommendation!

Last night was chilly and the campers before us had left a pile of firewood in our ring, so it was time for roasted marshmallows!  We are a bit less primitive than some with our campfires:

Pepper can't miss her favorite show, The Big Bang Theory".

We're pulling up stakes now but we don't know where we're going.  Mike says that's the beauty of what we're doing. 

Until then...