<![CDATA[Carter Novels - ON THE ROAD AGAIN]]>Tue, 14 May 2024 08:26:13 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Getting ready for an epic trip...]]>Sat, 27 May 2023 20:03:19 GMThttp://carternovels.com/on-the-road-again/getting-ready-for-an-epic-trip
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Hi everyone! We are activating the blog again as we prepare to set out on a 2 month book signing, paranormal investigation and vacation expedition. We will be leaving the third week of June and head from Tampa, Florida to Houston and Ft. Worth, Texas. We will then journey up to Colorado Springs and Ft. Collins, Colorado where we will meet up with one of our daughters and her family. Then off to the Badlands & Black Hills area of South Dakota to do touristy things like Mt Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument. From there we head to Wisconsin and Tennessee to visit relatives. Finally, we will find our way back to Florida just in time for the hurricane peak season. 
We will try to update each step of the way. Watch for live streaming on MEET THE AUTHR Podcast: LIVE on www.IndieBookSource.com.
]]><![CDATA[Mt. Desert Island, Maine - Part 1]]>Sat, 17 Aug 2019 21:06:58 GMThttp://carternovels.com/on-the-road-again/mt-desert-island-maine-part-1
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WHERE WE STAYED
Last year before we bought our trailer, we took a trip to New England. Our first stop was in Tremont, Maine, located on Mt. Desert Island. The picture above was the view from the house we rented which was called Misty Mountain Retreat. Deer ran through our yard in front and in back to the delight of our grandchildren. Our daughter Jessie, her husband Adam and their two children, Noomi and Soren, joined us there. We found this house on VRBO. It was a really good experience. We were on the 'quiet' side of the island. The backyard was huge and we were able to hike straight from the backyard or a short drive away. We found a great store nearby that sold groceries, homemade pizza, seafood, sandwiches and great ice cream. 
BASS HARBOR HEAD LIGHTHOUSE 
This lighthouse was just a few minutes away from where we stayed. The lighthouse was built of brick, in 1858, on a stone foundation. From here you have a panoramic view of Bass Harbor and the islands in the distance. It is still used today to keep ships safe and off the rocks. It is beautiful and peaceful. You can explore the grounds and there are lots of opportunities for hiking here too. People love to gather here to watch the sunrise and sunset but be forewarned it is usually very crowded. The lighthouse is actually located in Tremont, not Bass Harbor, on the southwest side of the island.
Bar Harbor 
Bar Harbor is a town on Mt. Desert Island located on Frenchman Bay. It is the gateway to Acadia National Park. From the town pier you can see the Porcupine Islands. Needless to say the lobster here is amazing. There are many shops, museums and restaurants up and down the streets. To our surprise we had some of the best pizza, Rueben and open faced turkey sandwich we ever had in Bar Harbor. Our grandchildren particularly loved the ice cream in Bar Harbor. They can only have ice cream one day a week. However, since we had an amazing ice cream shop near where we stayed, and found another one in Bar Harbor, they were allowed to have ice cream every day.  One day our grandson, Soren, said "I think people who live in Maine must be really happy." When we asked him why he thought that he said "because they can have ice cream everyday!" (perhaps he'll move there when he grows up).
Bar Harbor Information: https://www.visitbarharbor.com/ 

Thanks for following & be sure to come back next week for Part 2 of our Maine adventure. See you then....Cheers! RC & JP
]]><![CDATA[Gettysburg National Military Park]]>Sun, 07 Jul 2019 20:07:06 GMThttp://carternovels.com/on-the-road-again/gettysburg-national-military-park
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Gettysburg Blog - Part 2
Gettysburg was a very worthwhile trip. What surprised us was how emotional the experience was. In three days’ time there were 51,000 casualties, all Americans. As you hike through the many battlefields there are over 1000 monuments to those who gave their lives for what they believed in. You can read the stories of each battalion as you traverse the fields.
There are stories of companies who came with hundreds and only two or three returned home. There is a story of a dog named Sally, a Union mascot. She traveled with her soldiers from the North all the way to Gettysburg. Along the way she had puppies and her men made sure they all had good homes. This did not stop her, she kept traveling with them. She followed them into battle everyday and would not leave their side. Unfortunately, she was wounded and killed on the battlefield. Her men would not leave her and stayed on the battlefield to bury her where she lay. Only two of her company survived. They made sure she was included in the monument to their company. When these two soldiers came back for the dedication of the monument, they stood on either side of the monument so people could see Sally in the pictures.
Just as there are a thousand monuments to those who fought and died there, there are a thousand stories of incredible bravery of the soldiers of the Union and the Confederacy.
Besides the numerous roads and trails winding through the battlefields, there is an impressive visitor center that has a bookstore, museum, a film and a Cyclorama painting. The film is narrated by Morgan Freeman and the Cyclorama painting depicts Pickett’s Charge.
Below are two pictures of our faithful travel companion Rachel. Rachel passed away shortly after our trip to Gettysburg. She had been on numerous trips with us for the past ten years. She had flown with us, driven with us , hiked with us and swam in the Atlantic with us. She was ten years old and had battled a brain tumor for the past six years. In one picture Rob is holding her from a camping trip to Tomocca State Park in Ormond Beach, Fl. The second picture is Joan carrying her in a baby sling at Gettysburg National Military Park.
We will miss her.
Gettysburg National Military Park Information
1195 Baltimore Pike
Gettysburg, PA 17325

Phone: 717-334-1124
Web: https://www.nps.gov 

That wraps up our two part Gettysburg blog. As always, your comments & likes are appreciated. Thanks for joining us on our travels. Hope to see you again next week! Cheers! RC & JP
]]><![CDATA[GETTYSBURG/BATTLEFIELD KOA]]>Sat, 29 Jun 2019 20:28:59 GMThttp://carternovels.com/on-the-road-again/gettysburgbattlefield-koa
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GETTYSBURG/BATTLEFIELD KOA U.S.A.
While towing a trailer is new to us, camping is not. As a family we have gone camping for over 40 years. First we went tent camping and then we towed a pop-up trailer. We have always camped in county, state or National Parks. We love the natural beauty to be found in these parks. 
Since we bought the trailer, until recently, we had only stayed in state parks. Florida is great because all of our state park camping sites have water, electricity, table and a fire ring. When we camped at Skidaway State Park in Georgia, they had full hook-ups with wi-fi and cable. A real luxury for us. 
This was our first time staying at a private park. We have to say we really enjoyed all the conveniences we found there. 
From the moment we arrived there we knew this was a different experience. They escorted us to our campsite and told us if we could not park the trailer ourselves (we could) they would do it for us. Now all of the rangers we have met or interacted with have been very helpful, courteous and kind. However, none of them have ever offered to park our trailer for us! Admittedly the campsites are smaller than most county, state or National Park sites. 
We found this park to be peaceful, fun and beautiful. 
Having a general store right in the campground is very useful. Also there was a beautiful dog park with an obstacle course. There was a playground for children, bike rentals, jump pad, life-size chess board, table size checker game, mini-golf, mine game, swimming pool and many other activities and games available. 
This was our base camp while we explored the Gettysburg National Military Park. It was a very comfortable, convenient place to stay. It was a short drive to do all of our sight seeing in Gettysburg. We highly recommend this KOA campground if you are planning a visit to Gettysburg. 
Gettysburg / Battlefield KOA
​Open April 5 - October 31
Reserve: 800-562-1869
Info: 717-642-5713
20 Knox Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325 U.S.A
That's all for now folks. Next week we'll share more about our experiences in Gettysburg ON THE ROAD AGAIN!.....Stay tuned!......RC & JP
]]><![CDATA[CLAYTOR LAKE STATE PARK]]>Sat, 22 Jun 2019 18:37:18 GMThttp://carternovels.com/on-the-road-again/claytor-lake-state-park
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CLAYTOR LAKE STATE PARK
Claytor Lake State Park is located in Dublin, Virginia about 40 miles southwest of Roanoke. Virginia is a beautiful state and this park did not disappoint. We enjoyed lots of hikes since there are many trails throughout the park. The campsites were recently renovated and are spacious and very clean. They have many pull-thru sites that will accommodate any size RV out there. As usual while camping, we met some wonderful people. Everyone loved our Vintage Cruiser. We saw people walking around and looking at it. Several told us the only reason for their walk was to get a closer look. The sweetest thing was 3 very young children who frequently rode their bikes past to admire it. The campsites are peaceful, quiet and relaxing.
ABOUT THE PARK
In 1939 the Appalachian Power Company built a dam on the New River which resulted in the formation of Claytor Lake. It is a 21-mile lake with 101 miles of shoreline. In 1944, people started talking about establishing a State Park on the lake. In 1946, private citizens bought 437 acres from Appalachian Power. They gave this land to the State to develop Claytor Lake State Park. In 1962, 35 additional acres were purchased so now the park has 472 acres. Within the park’s acreage there is Howe House which was built between 1876 and 1879.  This was built by Haven Howell, a Civil War veteran and an avid pioneering environmentalist. His ideas were way ahead of his time. The house now serves as the park office. Like many of the State Parks we have camped in, the rangers are friendly and helpful.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Claytor Lake has a beautiful swimming area. It also has a marina where you can dock your own boat, rent a boat and all the supplies and fuel you need. There are playgrounds, a fishing pier, picnic shelters, gift shops and playgrounds. There are many hiking trails. You can also rent bikes with many places to ride. There is a lovely building on the water where you can host a party, a reunion, a reception or a wedding. Besides camping, you can stay in one of three lodges or one of fifteen cabins, all overlooking the lake.

​PARK INFORMATION
CLAYTOR LAKE STATE PARK
6620 Ben H. Bolen Drive
Dublin, VA 24084
PARK: 504-643-2500
RESERVATIONS: CLAYTOR LAKE RESERVATIONS 

​So that does it for Claytor Lake. It was an awesome place to stay and well worth a re-visit. Thanks for coming along & hopefully we'll see you next week ON THE ROAD AGAIN...….RC&  JP
]]><![CDATA[SKIDAWAY ISLAND STATE PARK]]>Sat, 15 Jun 2019 13:39:43 GMThttp://carternovels.com/on-the-road-again/skidaway-island-state-park
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SKIDAWAY ISLAND STATE PARK
We realized we have never shown you pictures of our travel trailer. So today we chose a few to share with you.  The campsites at Skidaway are very spacious and private. You can back in or pull through and some even have full hook ups. All sites have a picnic table, grill, water, electricity and cable. Skidaway Island State Park is beautiful, peaceful and a wonderful place to stay. We enjoyed hiking the different trails and viewing the wildlife along the way. All the rangers were helpful and friendly. This is definitely a park we will return to.
ABOUT THE PARK
This park is in southeast Georgia near Savannah. It borders the Skidaway narrows which is a part of the Intracoastal Waterway. The 6 miles of hiking trails make their way through a salt marsh and a maritime forest. The wildlife consists of deer, racoons, egrets and more. The campground is surrounded by tall live oaks draped in Spanish moss. The park covers 588 acres and includes cabins and camping for tents, trailers & RVs. 
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Since this park is so close to historic Savannah, it offers many nearby attractions. The list on their website includes Fort McAllister State Park, Tybee Island, Wormsloe State Historic Park and more. The park itself offers birding, hiking, geocaching, bicycle rentals and more. In addition to the regular individual campsites, the park offers 3 Pioneer Campgrounds, 5 picnic shelters, outdoor fitness equipment, 3 playgrounds and a volleyball court.
PARK INFORMATION
SKIDAWAY ISLAND STATE PARK
52 Diamond Causeway
Savannah, GA 31411
Chatham County
Park 912-598-2300
Reservations 800-864-7275
https://gastateparks.org/SkidawayIsland 

​That’s it for Skidaway. Check it out if you are looking for an awesome camping experience in Georgia. Thanks for coming along and we hope you’ll join us next week. Your comments & suggestions are welcome.  RC & JP
]]><![CDATA[ALAFIA RIVER STATE PARK]]>Sat, 08 Jun 2019 19:32:33 GMThttp://carternovels.com/on-the-road-again/alafia-river-state-park
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​Welcome to our travel blog. Since retiring in 2017, we decided we wanted to travel again and see new places as well as places we had been and loved. After weighing all the options, the one that most appealed to us was to buy an RV. So, we did. We soon discovered there was a lot more to learn about towing a 26’ trailer than we initially thought.
Alafia River State Park is only a half an hour from our home, so we decided to take our new trailer out for a ‘shakedown’ trip. That is when the learning started and after several more ‘shakedown’ trips, we are still learning.  To date we have stayed at the park 4 times. Most of our children & grandchildren have either camped with us or made day trips to visit. Although if you talk to our children they camp (in tents) and we ‘glamp’ (in a travel trailer). We have met many interesting people, some seasoned RVers and some newbies like ourselves. Whether they are new or seasoned RVers, they have all had a wealth of information to share.
In addition, the rangers & staff at the park do an awesome job providing a clean & safe camping experience.
ABOUT THE PARK
Located about 10 miles southeast of Tampa in Lithia, Florida, this park is a gem. The history of the park is fascinating. Alafia River State Park was a phosphate mine. Due to the mining operations there are now several small lakes. The mining also caused steep grades within the area. The bottomland forest along the south prong of the Alafia River was protected from the mining operations. Now the steep grades, small lakes and the forest along the river all comprise what has become the park. The mining company donated 7,714 acres to the state. It has been transformed into a multi-use park. There are campgrounds, equestrian camping, mountain bike trails, equestrian trails and hiking trails.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
The unique topography provides some of the best off road bicycle trails in the U.S. Florida would not seem to be a logical choice for mountain biking, however bicyclists from all over the world come here to take advantage of the 25 miles of bike trails that range from beginner to advanced. Bike rentals are available, and helmets are required.
Besides biking, the park offers camping, birding, hiking, geocaching, fishing, horseback trails and more.
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Check out their website below for more information & reservations.​
PARK INFORMATION

ALAFIA RIVER STATE PARK
14326 County Road 39
Lithia, Florida 33547
Phone:813-672-5320
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/alafia-river-state-park

Thanks for joining us and we hope you will follow us as we explore America one Park at a time! See you next week! ......  RC & JP
]]><![CDATA[ON THE ROAD AGAIN BLOG]]>Tue, 04 Jun 2019 00:38:13 GMThttp://carternovels.com/on-the-road-again/on-the-road-again-blogPicture
COMING SOON....Stay tuned......adventures await....
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