Well we arrived in Center Valley yesterday afternoon and found the house is almost empty and it was quite the look. The house hasn't been this bare since 1986 when we moved in. It will be a real joy to do some painting with nothing in the way and then I can sell the rest of my tools. The real joy for this homecoming is the Wedding on Saturday of Kelly and Gary . It will be the best day for all. Also on the good side our wonderful neighbors had taken the time to cut our grass before we came home. Quite a relief to just have to do some trimming. Thanks to Calvin and Claudia. So as I sit in the RV and do some bills and catch up on e-mail I realized that we can now say we are full time RVers. All we need now is to sell the house. They are building all around us again so I don't think it will be much of a problem.                              G

We have had a couple of busy days working our way back to Pennsylvania.  While we were still in Tennessee we went to Stones River Battlefield and to the lovely town of Franklin, which was the scene of a terrible battle all through the town.  Then we drove the upper part of the Natchez Trace to the burial and mysterious death site of Merriweather Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame.  The next day we went to the Hermitage, Andrew and Rachel Jackson's home in Nashville, Tennessee.  What a beautiful site this is, well and lovingly maintained by the Ladies Hermitage Association.  Both Andrew and Rachael are buried in the beautiful and peaceful garden, sadly Rachael Jackson didn't live long enough to see Andrew sworn in as President, they tell us that after his presidency he came back to the Hermitage and visited her grave every afternoon.  After a day of travelling, we stopped in Natural Bridge, Va for 2 nights.  Today we took a lovely carriage tour of Lexington, where Stonewall Jackson lived and is now buried with his family.  Lexington is also where Robert E Lee and his wife, along with his horse Traveller are buried.  They are buried in the Chapel of Washington/Lee College and Traveller is buried just beyond the door to the chapel.  After the death of Robert E Lee, Traveller died 8 months later, Traveller was with Robert E Lee through the entire Civil War.  There is a story that after Traveller's death his ghost was seen on the campus so Mrs. Lee made a provision in her will that his stable doors be kept open so he can always come home.  Lexington is a really lovely town, not only is it the home of Washington/Lee College but also Virginia Military Institute.  Tomorrow we head back to Center Valley for the happy occasion of Gary and Kelly's wedding!  We are so happy for them! Hugs-L

Found this one at a rest stop on the Natchez Trace

Where Lewis from Lewis and Clark is buried on the Trace

Driving on the orginal Natchez Trace

President Jackson and his wife are buried here.

Stonewall Jacksons grave

Another Stone Hendge, Made of foam

A pleasent carriage ride in Lexington VA

I didn't know he was a Brother

Just for Tara

If I can ever figure out how to work the pictures there will be more. They are a very brief look at our past few days. We are now just outside Nashville and looking to do some sight seeing tomorrow.   G

We left Memphis in a rocking thunder storm and it looks like it has caught up with us in Nashville.  Yesterday we went to Graceland, and while I am not an "over-the-top" fan, after spending a couple of hours in and around Graceland my respect for Elvis, the man, has grown tremendously.  I really had no idea what he truly did in his lifetime to help many, many, people.  Including the St. Jude Hospital and contributing heavily to build the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.  Graceland, itself, is very 1970's (obviously, since he died in 1977) but when you have been to Tupelo, Miss. and viewed the shotgun style house (smaller than our RV) he was born in you see how wonderful this house in Memphis was to both Elvis and his mother.  When we went to dinner we met a lady who grew up across the street from the back of Graceland, and she told us how Elvis would come out to the gate and talk to his fans.  The girls waited outside the gates to see him, and the guys waited to see the girls.  She had fond memories of Elvis, and I am sure they are priceless to her. 

Tomorrow we are going to tour The Hermitage, it is Rachel and Andrew Jackson's home.  I am looking forward to seeing it, they were so in love and they endured a lot to be together. Then if we have time, we will go to Franklin, where there was a terrible Civil War Battle.  I better go, the thunder and lightning has reached our haven here in Nashville! Hugs-L

                                                                                                                                                   

A nice place to visit

We were just passing through