16 May 2023
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No “Elkhorn” is not with us on this trip and nope we are not that far north yet to actually see Elks… But both Howie and I are new Elk Lodge members, as they have almost 300 lodges that allow RVs to stay, some with hookups, some just a parking lot.
Well, this was a long day, about 250 miles to get around Washington DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis to get to an Elks Lodge for an overnight RV stay. I decided to go up route 17 and 301 to avoid I 95 and the beltways, it was Sunday, Mother’s Day, so should be an easy day to drive. So much for that thought ! Traffic was horrendous. It took eight hours as traffic was backed up many times, lots of stoplights, and oh by the way I almost ran out of fuel as we were stuck in traffic to get across the bridge!
BUT, we made it to the Elks Lodge and we were warmly greeted by our new Elk friends. Many Elks were sitting outside at the bar as Gypsy and Chapter 11. We impressed our new fraternal order of friends while we were backing up our 60 foot bemouths into their overnight resting spots. We got set up and ponied up to the bar for some much needed relief. Soon we were telling jokes, and all of a sudden the day didn’t seem so bad.
We popped smoke from the Elks lodge at 1000hrs the next day in route to Lums State Park in Delaware.
Lums is a beautiful RV park with lots of grass and shade trees. It was not a long day as it was only about 50 miles and we got there by about 12 o’clock, so between the bar at the Elks Lodge and the easy day today, yesterday’s traffic “never happened”.
17 May.
Happy Birthday to my Darling Daughter!
At Lums we all went for a bike ride to Delaware city via a 12 mile bike trail along the Delaware canal. A beautiful, two lane paved trail through the woods, not too many hills and the bonus was the trail ended at Kathy’s seafood restaurant. Here we all enjoyed a good meal of steamed crabs and a beer or two. I spoke with the owner and thanked her for her military service as there where many plaques on the wall. She replied she did not serve, but she supported the local National Guard Engineer Battalion who has deployed more times then she can count.
That Engineer Battalion presented her with many plaques and mementos in appreciation for her sending food to the them in the far corners of the world. There is nothing like a taste of home when one is far away.
Kathy also had a White Table set up in her restaurant. The White Table is a symbol for and remembrance to service members fallen, missing, or held captive in the line of duty. Solitary and solemn, it is the table where no one will ever sit. .
Then we rode our bikes to the marina and looked across to Fort Delaware where they have a ferry that takes you back-and-forth, but because it was Monday they were closed, just as well. It looks like a fort from a distance. We had a great ride home, and Ann Marie did really well. Howie and Berny led the way.
While here, we were all able to get caught up on our prescriptions through Walgreens, so we are good to go until at least June just before we cross the border in the Canada. We leave tomorrow we’re going to find a Blue Beacon to get the Creeks wash and scrub down for a short ride to Monroe Ville New Jersey.