Author: Doug Chapman

Left the campground at 8am to catch the ferry from Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven port in the Vineyard. Nice ferry ride. Good views of multi-million dollar homes on the coast of the Vineyard.

Took a bus to Oak Bluffs town to do some sightseeing and shopping.

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While in Oak Bluffs, we visited an indoor carousel that was 145 years old. Really neat. The entire carousel was suspended from a center post.

One of our hosts at the campground suggested we not miss the little gingerbread houses in Oak Bluffs. They are not made out of gingerbread ( duh!), but have the designs of them. They were really cute!

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Later that day we took a bus to the cliffs at Aquinas (the very southern tip of Martha’s Vineyard). The view of the beach and cliffs were gorgeous and the small brick lighthouse was nice.

Took the ferry back to the mainland just as the sun was setting across the way. Zoom in to see the flying flag on the peninsula.

It was a rainy day in the neighborhood. We visited around town in a couple stores and an antique shop.

We slept in a little bit then took a trip up the peninsula to the very north end of Cape Cod. Visited some beaches, lighthouses, and the little town of Provincetown.

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Left around 7:30am and travelled to Bayview Campground in Bourne, Massachusetts, at the south end of Cape Cod.

Finished the day dining at a good seafood restaurant. We had shrimp and scallops and bacon cheeseburger. What a way to end the day!

Left the campground around 8am so we could get to Philadephia early. Realized some of the sites were closed due to it being Labor Day. Did not get to tour Independence Hall and the Farmers Market. The famous “Rocky Steps” were closed due to cleanup crews for a concert the night before.

We did get to go thru the Museum that was home of the Liberty Bell.

We had lunch at a restaurant in China Town. It was good. Renee and I shared some sweet and sour chicken and rice.

We also saw the house of Betsy Ross, Christ Church (only open Wed-Sun), and a famous alleyway called Elfreth’s Alley.

We visited one museum with portraits of all the Presidents. Renee had some fun with one of the wall myriads.

Finished the day with the famous Philadelphia cheese steak sandwich from Pat’s King of Steaks.

We found out there was a Carlos Bakery in Philadelphia. Made famous by the show, “Cake Boss”. Had to visit and bought some cupcakes.

Then we traveled over to Chesterfield, PA to see the QVC studios and their QVC Outlet. Studio was quite locked down and we couldn’t see anything. But the outlet store was fun to see.

Decided to go to Philadelphia on Monday. We visited the Fonthill Castle first thing this morning. Made out of concrete, including the roof. Didn’t get to tour the inside due to being fully booked. The original designer and owner was Henry Chapman Mercer. He used over 200 windows and most of them were different during mid 1800’s.

Next we went a little further north to the Solebury Orchards. We got to pick our own apples from there rows and rows of trees. Then bought some of their cider slushees and apple donuts! All were delicious.

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Last stop for the day is the Peddlers Village. It was a mini-Gatlinburg, but you went from shop to shop by a sidewalk. Really neat stores. The next day started the Scarecrow Festival for there. Individuals and businesses would setup a unique scarecrow in hopes to win the top prize.

We finished the afternoon with a late lunch at the Hub Pub. Food was great.

Stayed around the RV park today. Washed some vehicles and ate steaks and potatoes cooked out on the grill prior to gametime. Watched the game… Roll Tide! Bryce Young and team were great for a season opener! Then went to bed later that night.

Headed out to visit Hershey around 9am. Parked RV’s at the Hershey Chocolate World and did the free tour of the process of making chocolate using simulations and animations.

Then we signed up for a trolley tour that drove around town showing many of the sites that Milton Hershey built and funded. Old factories, existing factories, a historical journey of Mr Hershey. Really interesting. He started out as a candy maker but sold caramel candies. Much later he met a company from Columbia that made chocolate making equipment. Chocolate bars were born.

After about 3 hours or so, we got back on the road and arrived at Village Scene RV Park in Hatfield, PA… just outside of Philadelphia. We are staying here 3 nights to see the sights in the area. We went downtown to a local eatery called The Smoke Factory BBQ. Most of the menu items were named from the owner’s various pets! Food was really good.

Our second travel day ending in Harrisburg, PA, just outside of Philadelphia. On our way we stopped in Gettysburg and toured the museum and cemetery. It was very interesting and informative of the Civil War and the decisive battle at Gettysburg.

We arrived at the Walmart in Harrisburg, PA late afternoon. Ate supper at a nearby pizzeria and went to bed early again. Headed to Hatfield, PA tomorrow, stopping for a few hours at Hershey, PA on the way.

A long day traveling from SLRVR to Marion, VA, about 415 miles. We left at about 7:30am CT and arrived at the Walmart about 5:30pm ET. No traffic until the very end when we were delayed due to several accidents on the interstate. We boondocked at aWalmart in Marion. Ate at a nearby Mexican restaurant and went to bed early. Another long day of travel tomorrow.