If you plan it they will come... day twelve

Tuesday October 8th

We enjoyed the it so much yesterday we decided to get up early, head back to the beach and watch the sunrise. It was a beautiful morning with a light breeze and just a few clouds in the sky. Again, we were surprised by the number people out and about, some walking their dog, others just enjoying the dawn of a new day.

 

Here comes the sun.....

Sharon on the beach just after sunrise

One last look before we get on our way.

We made our way back to the RV Park, had breakfast, packed up and headed westward along highway US 98 before turning north to rejoin I-10.

If you plan it they will come... day eleven

Monday October 7th

It's beach day! It's also Andrew and Phyllis' wedding anniversary! Our KOA had a complimentary breakfast so we took advantage of that before heading off for the day. 

Anniversary breakfast for Andrew and Phyllis!

Our first stop would be Jacksonville Beach, about an hour away. Our route took us over the Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge, one of the largest cable stay bridges in the USA.It's also know as the Dames Point Bridge.

A soggy morning drive.

If you plan it they will come... day ten

Sunday October 6th

Our previous road trips have been quite structured in that we had hotels booked for every night so that we knew where we had to be and when. 

This trip is different... we only had hotels booked for our three nights is Washington DC and for another two nights upcoming in San Antonio, TX. Our original destination for this day was the Montgomery AL area then Pensacola FL the next. Andrew said that he'd like to head to a beach on the Atlantic so that meant an adjustment.

This is where travelling with an RV is an advantage as we rejigged our route so that we would end up close Jacksonville FL and start our next day at the beach.

Getting ready to say goodbye on Sunday morning.

We bid farewell to the Madness crew and made our way to to I-95 via I-440 and I-40. The drive south was fairly uneventful with no planned stops other than for fuel and refreshment.

If you plan it they will come... day nine

Saturday October 5th: Festiva Madness XIII

Madness Central was already abuzz with activity when we got up this morning. Cars were being worked on, final preparations for the meet itself not to mention feeding a hungry pile of guests! There were a large number of people staying overnight and they were spread out front and back of the house....
 

Looking like a used car lot behind the house!!

Here's a few shots from the meet itself...

If you plan it they will come... day eight

Friday October 4th

Early in the planning for this trip we were going to spend the morning in DC before heading on the four and a half hour drive to Raleigh NC and our rendezvous with the Festiva Madness crew. Instead we decided to leave after breakfast and spend a bit of time in Richmond Virginia. After breakfast we left the hotel, filled up with gas and headed out on I-495, joining I-95 at Springfield VA. 

Crossing the state line into Virginia.

From there we headed south and other than the expected weekday morning commuter traffic it was as pleasant a drive as can be expected on a major highway. Our first pit stop was at the Virginia Welcome Center near Fredericksburg.

At the Virginian Welcome Center, Fredericksburg, VA.

We got separated from Phyllis and Andrew at some point after that but weren't too worried about it as we had both entered the same end point address into our GPS's.

If you plan it they will come... days 6 & 7

Welcome to Washington DC! Sharon and I were here on our first big road trip in 2011 but we only allowed for one full day. We realized rather quickly that much more time is needed to fully enjoy everything this city has to offer. 

Parking spot for the second day. Check out the map towards the end of this post.

We have booked the hotel for three nights which gives us two full days to enjoy and explore. Another thing we recalled from our first trip is that parking can be expensive. There are a number of places where parking is free but limited to a couple of hours and we didn't want to have to return to the car and move it three or four times during the day. Some research led us to a couple of spots where you can park all day for free. I'll get to that later on in this post along with some tips on getting around.

If you plan it they will come... day five

Tuesday October 1st

Our day started with cloudy skies but fortunately the rain had stopped. I don't think we've had a day yet when we haven't had to use the windshield wipers! Today's drive will take us off the turnpike and away from the tolls that go along with it. We continued eastward for fifteen minutes and turned off at exit 180. 

Ready for another day on the road at the Sideling Hill Service Plaza

Once we left the turnpike the driving became less stressful and more enjoyable. We were now on a rolling two lane diving through valleys and climbing over passes. The clouds hadn't lifted and the fog lingered. And yes, we had to use the wipers. 

On highway 30 east of Mcconnellsburg PA

Our destination this morning was the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum.