We Are Enjoying Retirement

(Raleigh, North Carolina) We are certainly enjoying being retired and visiting with Jen.  Everything is so much more enjoyable when you have time! Some of the advantages of retirement and living in a motorcoach include-  Christmas shopping is now fun and enjoyable.  Cooking dinner is no longer a hassle nor is grocery shopping.  Decorating a motorcoach for Christmas is easy and cleaning one is a snap. Having more time and a smaller "home"  is wonderful.  What a great blessing.

We are camping at the North Carolina Fairgrounds in Raleigh  There are four campgrounds at the fairgrounds and we are staying at the newest.  They offer a full hook up site with WYFI for $25/night.  Our site is very level and very convenient to all the shopping and downtown.  There is not much of an "it" factor but it's so great when Jen can just stop over for lunch while she is working.  There  is not an office and all registration is handled by the security guards.  They have been very helpful and can be called at anytime if there is a concern.  Here are a few pictures of the sites. 

There are three of us (rigs) camping here for the holidays.  We are all visiting family in the area.  Below is our neighbor Larry and his toad.  Check it out (it's a 1956 Cadillac).  He tows it in a trailer behind his motorcoach. 


Larry and John & 1956 Cadillac



We have been to a few holiday events in the area.  We went to at the Raleigh Little Theatre and saw a very funny Cinderella play.  The wicked step sisters were actually men and very, very funny.  There was a lot of audience participation and the many of the girls in the audience were dressed as princesses.  It was lots of fun.  It was amazing to see how they transformed the pumpkin into the coach.

We also attended a walking tour of the historic Oakwood area and toured thirteen homes.  This is a money raiser for Oakwood, a nineteenth century neighborhood and historic district located near downtown Raleigh.  It is a beautiful neighborhood with hundreds of home is a wide variety of architectural styles.  We were able to go inside the homes and there were guides inside to tell you about the special features  They were all decorated for the holidays. Here are a few of the homes.  These pictures were taken by my Droid phone and are not quite as clear but certainly not bad for a cell phone. 

This is the Tucker House built in 1914.  It was actually moved slowly down the road to this area in 1975 and is now a  community center. There was a brass band playing Christmas carols at the entrance. 

This is the back of the Bryan house, built in 1893.  This pool was recently added and the house had been converted from a duplex to a single family home (it's original intent).  It was lovely and had an outdoor sleeping porch off of the master bedroom

This home was not on tour.  Isn't it spectacular.  There was also a trolley you could ride to see most of the neighborhood.  We met many people who have been going on this tour for over 20 years  Sort of a family tradition. 

We've been busy Christmas shopping and spending as much time with Jen as possible.  We decorated the front window of the coach and a small Christmas tree.  I'll finish the entry today with these pictures.  Happy Holidays! 

Our first destination-Raleigh North Carolina

(Raleigh, N.C.) We have arrived at our first destination as full timers in Raleigh, North Carolina to visit our daughter Jen for about a month.  It was a scary six hours as we maneuvered through the mountains in the snow. John did really well.  I was very nervous!  It was worth all the hassle, however, after we saw Jen.  We were just in time to celebrate her birthday.  

Our campground for the next week or two will be at the North Carolina Fairgrounds.  I'll post some pictures of our site tomorrow.  There are four campgrounds around the fairgrounds.  There is not a front office, and all registration is handled by the security guards.  Rates are $25 per night for a full hook up site which is a little  high but the location is great and very near Jen's apartment.  We were told upon arrival about the new sites recently completed that were very nice and not near the freeway. 

The next day we celebrated Jen's birthday.  She had to work, but afterwards we cooked her favorite meal:  roast beef, mashed potatoes, carrots with mint and honey, and Yorkshire pudding.  Here is the picture of the Yorkshire Pudding.  It's really not a pudding, but sort of a bread.  I learned how to make it from my father who was British.  He would have been proud of how well it turned out  It is served with gravy and was a staple during World War II for stretching a meal during tough times.  

Jen's favorite birthday cake is actually cobbler.  This recipe is from a cookbook written by David Letterman's Mom.  It's a birthday tradition.

A birthday would not be complete without candles.  

Rob and Jen

We met her boyfriend, Rob, for the first time.  He is lots of fun and very friendly.  They met at the country club (Carolina) where Jen was first employed in the area. 

Today we left the campground and started to explore the area.  Jen had heard about a hot dog restaurant called the The Roast Grill  recently featured on the Food Channel.  It has been in business for 70 years and serves only hot dogs.  There are a few rules...hot dogs are only served with mustard, onions, cole slaw, and/or chili.  Nothing else!  You can request how "burnt" you want your hot dog to come off the grill.  Don't ask for french fries or potato chips either. It was located near the downtown and it was packed.  It's not the best hot dog we have ever ate but certainly the most interesting.  There are pictures on the wall of one man who ate 24 at one time. I'm sure Tums were probably the dessert.

The Chef-grill is to his right

Hot dog prices

The Roast Grill

Afterwords we went downtown to the Visitor Center to find out more about the area.  We were especially interested in finding out about holiday shows and historic walks and neighborhoods.  The lady at the desk was very helpful and gave us lots of tips on what to see and do.  She also gave us an excellent map and guide. 

We had a nice dinner back at the motorcoach and called it a day. It has been really wonderful being all together and our motorcoach is working out so well as our new home.