Hey friends: On the road again. Oshunluvr begins an Expedition!

[DoYouKubuntu]

Well, Texas and Florida are in the South, but they aren't "The South" if you know what I mean.

Texas isn't called "the buckle on the Bible belt" for nothing!

North Carolina is a long way from Texas and Florida in more ways than just mileage.

I've never been there, but my best friend lived there twice--once when she was stationed at Camp Lejeune and again 20+ years later when her daughter and son-in-law were stationed at Camp Lejeune. She hated the humidity and heat in the summer, and cold weather in the winter.

While agreeing that each to his own is the one-true-path, let me list a few things about L.A. (where we both live ) that I won't have in New Bern NC.

Traffic.
California Drivers.
"Ghetto Birds" a.k.a. helicopters overhead at 2-3 am every morning.
Fire engine and police sirens all day - every day.
Drunks leaving the bars and walking down the street singing/arguing/loudly talking at 2-3 am every morning.
Rent for a one bedroom apartment in a bad neighborhood at $1000 a month or more.
State income tax that exceeds 10%.
1000's of sick homeless (mostly mentally ill or drug addicted) people wandering the area.
Crappy school systems with 32-36 kids per class.
I could go on...

MY world is completely different from all of what you just listed. I'm in Arcadia and we have ZERO of the bad stuff you mentioned--helicopters, crime, homeless, bad schools, drunks, etc. Quite the contrary, our schools are STELLAR--as in producing some of the best and brightest, like the student at my old high school, Arcadia HS, who was one of only eleven students worldwide who scored perfectly on the AP Calculus exam. 99% of our high school students graduate, and the overwhelming majority of them immediately go on to college. Prestigious colleges. There's virtually no crime. Helicopters? Only when there are fires in the San Gabriel Mountains, or a bad crash on the 210. Traffic? Not a big deal. California drivers? OMFG, you should see Texas drivers!

Oh, shoot. Gotta go...

[dibl]

Through PA will be along the East side of the Allegheny Forest stopping in Lewistown area, then toward (but around) D.C. and Richmond VA.

If time (and the patience of your kids) permits, you are going to be close to a number of the biggest battlefields of the Civil War, including Gettysburg, Antietam, and Bull Run. I'll never forget the times that I visited a couple of those, but it's not a 15-minute event to really experience one, and it's kind of lost on those under about 25 years old. Gettysburg is particularly moving, to stand in the very place and contemplate what happened there, and to review the many, many memorial monuments that were later placed there.

[NickStone]

Want to see what 3 british tv presenters got up to whilst driving through Alabama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKcJ-0bAHB4

[GreyGeek]

....
MY world is completely different from all of what you just listed. I'm in Arcadia and we have ZERO of the bad stuff you mentioned--helicopters, crime, homeless, bad schools, drunks, etc. .....

Oh, shoot. Gotta go...

Shoot? Who?

Interesting. The city crime map shows that Arcadia, CA's crime rate varies between 1/2 to 2/3rds the US national crime rate. Not exactly zero but pretty good, and less than my city, Lincoln, NE, which is average. However, even at average I have yet to see a crime being committed, although I see reports of them on TV and the papers. We just had our fourth murder of the year over an argument about drugs. Most of our crime is centered around drug transactions ... or lovers spats.

[GreyGeek]

Want to see what 3 british tv presenters got up to whilst driving through Alabama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKcJ-0bAHB4

I see your video and raise you this one:

[DoYouKubuntu]

Shoot? Who?

The person who was ringing the doorbell.

Interesting. The city crime map shows that Arcadia, CA's crime rate varies between 1/2 to 2/3rds the US national crime rate.

I'm thinking in terms of major crimes, which are very rare. I think there have been 5 homicides in the last 7 years, and I believe all but one involved domestic violence, as opposed to random victims. Here in my ZIP code, 91007, it's extraordinarily rare for any crime to occur. When we see police cars it's like, wow!, an expired tag!

Not exactly zero but pretty good, and less than my city, Lincoln, NE, which is average. However, even at average I have yet to see a crime being committed, although I see reports of them on TV and the papers. We just had our fourth murder of the year over an argument about drugs. Most of our crime is centered around drug transactions ... or lovers spats.

Nothing exciting ever happens here, and it's so quiet my mom used to say "it's like a cemetery around here!" If not for the peacocks screeching and squawking, sometimes there'd be no noise at all. I never see Arcadia on the local news as far as crime goes, although we've been at the forefront of the local news lately because one of our firefighters is missing in the mountains. His dog was found a couple days ago, some 12 miles from where they were last known to be, but no sign of the firefighter yet. It's been about 10 or 11 days, so I don't know...

[DoYouKubuntu]

If time (and the patience of your kids) permits, you are going to be close to a number of the biggest battlefields of the Civil War, including Gettysburg, Antietam, and Bull Run. I'll never forget the times that I visited a couple of those, but it's not a 15-minute event to really experience one, and it's kind of lost on those under about 25 years old. Gettysburg is particularly moving, to stand in the very place and contemplate what happened there, and to review the many, many memorial monuments that were later placed there.

That's something I've always wanted to do, but it just hasn't happened yet. When I see shows about Gettysburg I get goose bumps, and I'm not even there in person. I can only imagine what it's like to actually be there.

[ronw]

I had a similar experience, goose bumps, at the Lincoln Memorial, reading the Gettysburg Address carved into the wall.

[woodsmoke]

Hi OceanLuver....

good luck on your expedition!

My fair state is not on your itinerary so that would be kinda out for me buying a few rounds at the local bistro...

However, I will be diving in Key Largo probably third week of July and will drive down, maybe rather like the the two fleets old "Jutland" game by Avalon Hill, our paths might cross! And again, I would be more than glad to buy a few rounds!

Again bon chance' !!

woodsmoke

[HalationEffect]

Want to see what 3 british tv presenters got up to whilst driving through Alabama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKcJ-0bAHB4

Any time I hear the word 'Alabama', I think of a particular Bill Hicks joke:

There's a great story going around the states right now. These fundamentalist Christians down South -- yeah, like where else are they gonna be? "These fundamentalist Christians in Brussels..." anyway, down south, they're trying to get creationism taught in schools as a science. Now, other than the obvious objection: IT'S NOT ONE, I think it would be a killer idea. It would definitely be the shortest class of the day. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth... see you at the final."

I did that joke in Alabama, in Fife, and these three rednecks met me after the show.

"Hey, buddy! C'mere! Mr. Funny-man, c'mere! Hey, buddy, we're Christians, and we don't like what you said."

"So then forgive me."

Anyway, later, as I was hanging in the tree...

-- Bill Hicks

[GreyGeek]

I had a similar experience, goose bumps, at the Lincoln Memorial, reading the Gettysburg Address carved into the wall.

The re-enactment of the Little Round Top battle brings me to tears every time I watch it.

[woodsmoke]

HalationEffect.

Ekkkktuallly.....that IS a funny joke! lol

But yeah......tell that one just about anywhere in the Bible Belt and you could prolly hear the crickets chirping in the next county! lol

woodsmoke

[oshunluvr]

Don: The battlefields would be of great interest to me, but as you said, time is required. Maybe I can manage one of them on this trip. My daughter (almost 11) will be the only kid on the journey but she's usually interested in anything new. She would likely enjoy the stories and putting it together with the actual locale would make it very real for her. One of the overriding reasons for the move is neither my wife nor I have ever traveled much in the Eastern US and we want new territory to explore. I have no doubt we will do some Civil War trips when my daughter is studying the same in school. I remember going to battlefields in Southern MO and Northern AR as a kid. The Battle of Pea Ridge battlefield stuck in my mind. Kansas City (my home town area) was involved in the war (but not much) and they still occasionally find old cannon balls during excavations. My birthplace, Olathe KS, almost disappeared during the war. MO was pro-slavery and KS was abolitionist so a little band of rebel soldiers called "Quantrill's Raiders" used to raid Olathe in retaliation for the Jayhawkers raids on MO towns. That, along with all the men off to war and the town died. After the war, the soldiers came back home and started it up again and it became a major crossing point of the westward trails as we expanded into the Great West. It's fun to have local history like that. BTW, some the Raiders banded together after the war and became the James-Younger gang - as in Jesse James. Neat stuff!

Jerry: I've been your direction many times. Our last really big RV trip in 2008 (19 States on that one) we came South from the Badlands to my late father-in-law's home town, Pischelville NE. I doubt you'll find it on any maps. It's no more than a crossroads now and the official population is 2 - a distant cousin to my wife (maiden name Pischel) and his wife. I actually have a photo of myself and our daughter in front of the population sign, effectively doubling the population for a moment! One of the most memorable things about the area was, once outside the local towns and in the country, except for county roads, the only signs were family names on posts. When you came to a crossroads, a post with a dozen or more arrows pointing the direction of farms by family name. As far as work: I have none initially nor does my wife. I do have a decent Federal pension (tax free there!) that will ensure we don't ever go hungry so I'm not too worried. I have a job prospect that may work out and my wife can work anywhere (she's in cardiac care). Besides, with the significant reduction in cost of living, we've figured out if only one of us works we'll be in the same financial position we are now out here. It's all good

Woody: I actually thought about having a beer or two with you when planning the trip. I've been to AR many many times as a kid. Even to Boggy Creek to look for "The Monster" as a teen! Unfortunately, my needs for the Southern crossing dictate speed over socialization so my stops will be few and short and my path as straight as possible. My family in Kansas City is already harping at me for not deviating that far north. Hopefully, we will cross paths sooner rather than later - maybe even breathe some compressed air together! Oh, and I'll buy the even numbered rounds!

DoYouKubuntu: I do understand your location and it's merits. However, from my point of view, living there is like living in any number of suburbs in just about any state in the US, except your cost of living and taxes are much higher. I find it hard to believe anyone would enjoy living in a place that can be described as a "cemetery." To me, that defeats the purpose of living in L.A. at all - hence my departure. Once introduced to the ocean and life around it, I can no longer be satisfied by row after row of quiet homes with nothing else in sight. I also see the irony of it: Many of the problems I complain about come naturally with big cities along the West coast. The difference in NC will be the cities along the coast are still small. As I said, I can actually afford a home with 4 bedrooms and step out my back door into my boat at the end of my dock and head out to sea or to any number of places. I have earned six figures for most of my life and I cannot afford anything like that in CA and never will. When you add in lower crime, lower cost of living, less traffic, cleaner air, better schools (than where I am at least ), and the added bonus of a new adventure - there simply isn't anywhere in all of CA that offers that. There are many great things about the state and L.A. itself, but the bad things have worn me thin and I will likely never live here again.

And no, I'd never live in Texas. Florida is OK depending where you are and at least it's interesting to visit, but I don't want to live there either. We'll likely stay somewhere in the Central-East from now on, at least until we move to France!

Vinny: We decided to pass by D.C. this trip. Too close to home and we'll have years to explore it with my daughter. I actually found an RV park just outside the beltway, so we'll be returning there often. I'll never forget our first visit to the New Bern area. My wife, a life long SoCal girl, noticed as we passed cars on the other side of the country road we were on that the driver would wave. After the fifth or sixth car she asked me "Why are they waving at us?" I told her because it's rude to make eye contact and not acknowledge the other person. A concept unfamiliar to a Los Angelino. My father (from Kansas City) used to come to visit us here in Long Beach. We have the luxury of a home more than 100 years old so we actually have a porch - a rare thing here. He loved to sit on the porch all day and force people walking by to notice him by loudly saying "hi" or "hello" as they passed. The looks on some peoples' faces were hilarious! They didn't know if he was crazy or what.

[woodsmoke]

lol sounds kewl oshunluver!

woodsmoke

[DoYouKubuntu]

In case anyone thinks I make up this stuff...here's the big police excitement in front of my house today!!









Yep, one of Arcadia's finest moving a fallen branch out of the street.

The city had the branch sawed up and hauled away within 30 minutes of its falling. If I had blinked, I would've missed all the excitement!