Stay Tuned for Phase 4 in 2022

Happy New Year to everyone! We are looking forward to Phase Four of Louis and Dinah's Excellent Adventure in 2022. Stay tuned for more details! Here are a few of our favorite photos from 2021 Phase Three that were taken in Maine, Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New Hampshire. Thanks for following along with us!

Scenic Drive Home

Phase Three of the Excellent Adventure is coming to a close. Once again we were amazed at the beautiful color and scenery as we drove through Western Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky on our way back to Texas. All photos were taken through the windows of the RV as we were traveling--it was a lovely drive!

Louisville Sluggers

While passing through Kentucky, we stopped to visit the Louisville Slugger baseball bat factory in downtown Louisville, meeting up with old friend James Morris for a tour and lunch. For anyone who has ever swung a wooden bat, this place is a must see, and a delightful stroll down baseball memory lane.

Delaware Awareness

Delaware. I’ve never really given any thought to the state. Until now. We really enjoyed our stay there, especially the beaches, specifically Rehoboth Beach. The state earns our biggest compliment—We will be back.

Washington’s Mount Vernon

A visit to George Washington’s historic home in Mount Vernon, Virginia was quite interesting. A stroll along the grounds revealed gems like a fifer playing the Notre Dame fight song, flourishing vegetable and flower gardens, a quiet, wooded area containing a slave cemetery, and a back porch with an amazing view of the Potomac. Also learned that George’s “I cannot tell a lie” cherry tree-chopping story did not really happen…I should have paid more attention in history classes…

Washington DC

Being near Washington DC, we decided to stay in a nice hotel near the White House and bike around to some of the monuments and memorials along the National Mall. Visits to the memorials for Lincoln, World War II, Vietnam War, and Korean War filled one day. The next day included a stop at Arlington National Cemetery, the JFK gravesite and the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the nearby Marine Corps Memorial with the iconic Iwo Jima Statue. We will have to come back another time to explore the Smithsonian. So much to see in DC. Here are a few photos

A True Companion

Twenty-one years ago, Dinah said “I do.” Little did she know what the future would hold--with adoption, extended RV trips, grandchildren and impromptu photo modeling whenever her husband needed someone in a picture…Honestly none of this would be happening without her amazing ability to plan and adapt to so many changes in the ebb and flow of our life together. Thank you, sweetheart, for being who you are, and making my life so wonderful. Happy Anniversary! (by the way, the second young child photo is Chris and Amy Capozziello's sweet daughter Rose, who is not our lineage, but we consider her also like a grand daughter)

Horsing around on Assateague

Finding some of the wild horses on the Assateague Seashore in Maryland, just a half hour from our camp in Delaware, was not easy. We almost gave up, but one last short hike and we happened upon three of the beautiful animals grazing near the water. It was magical, even as a crowd gathered. The other wildlife was also amazing in the National Park. We headed home happy.

Rhode Island Cliff Walk

We just made a quick pass through Rhode Island, but had to stop to hike the Cliff Walk in Newport. On one side of the long walkway is the Atlantic Ocean crashing into the rocky ridges. On the other side of the path are lush green lawns leading up to huge Gilded Age mansions, many of them still owned by the same families since the late 1800s. 

New Jersey, old friends

We hope you enjoy this set of quiet images from our visit to New Jersey. The highlight was spending some time and sharing a meal with longtime friend and legendary photographer Rich Pilling and his wife Dale Pilling, who gave us a tour around Old Fort Hancock in Sandy Hook. They also showed us the spectacular view of the New York City skyline from nearby Mount Mitchill. We are now heading down the east coast to Delaware. 

Celebrating New Jersey-style

While visiting New Jersey yesterday, we happened upon a Columbus Day Parade in Seaside Heights. Wait…Columbus Day was a week ago—Apparently rain caused the event to be cancelled last week, so they held it yesterday—Lucky for us—We enjoyed getting to see the multi-cultural event on a beautiful sunlit day.

Colorful Connecticut

Our campground here in Connecticut backs up to the beautiful, calm waters in Aspinook Pond. We have been really busy in our brief stay here, visiting friends and checking a few sites out around the area. We were so blessed to walk out of the RV this evening and see this amazing scene unfolding around us on our last night here.

Martha’s Vineyard—A Closer Look

A delightful addition to touring Martha’s Vineyard was getting to see the cluster of ‘Gingerbread Houses’ in the town of Oak Bluffs. The houses were prefab models order from Sears and constructed in the late 1800s. Other towns like Edgartown, Chilmark and Aquinnah, had their own special vibes, providing an interesting, diverse three-hour tour. 

Martha’s Vineyard

Spent the day traveling around Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts which is a famous vacation/summer home spot, and the filming location for the movie “Jaws” in the 1970s. The scenery was quite beautiful in the autumn sunlight, although most of the commerce had shut down for the season. Here is a quick glimpse—we will post another gallery tomorrow of the quaint, delightful architecture throughout the towns on the island. 

Plymouth—America’s Hometown

The cloudy and wet afternoon weather did not dampen the spirits of those in Plymouth, Massachusetts, as they celebrated the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing in the harbor there. No ceremony was held last year because of Covid, so this year’s festivities took on even greater importance. A re-enactment of the 1620 landing was held, along with the usual hoopla at the original historic site. We were blessed to see this historical celebration and thankful for the opportunity to visit what is often called “America’s Hometown.”

Maine and the Myth of the Moose

We bid a fond farewell to Maine and the ‘Myth of the Moose’. Everyone kept telling us to watch out for moose, but we never saw one, even including one late-night trip into a secluded rural logging area. We did, however, see some amazing things:

--unbelievably ideal poster-image quality of light and scenery at the Portland Head Lighthouse

--Breathtaking views of the coast and surrounding area from atop Cadillac Mountain

--the quiet beauty on the waters of the Gulf of Maine

--a bald eagle in flight (I wasn’t ready with the camera )

Catch’ya next time, Mr. Moose…We are headed to Massachusetts and Cape Cod…

More Maine Please…

We have only a few more days in Maine, and the scenery here is just getting better and better. On the advice of our buddy Albert Dickson, we headed to the town of Camden, and caught a sunset cruise. It was cloudy, but still photo-worthy as we sailed out on the Gulf of Maine for a couple of hours. There is also a unique waterfall right at the harbor/town center there. We ventured to Acadia National Park again, saw a wedding taking place there, and spent some time on the rocks above the Thunder Hole as the waves crashed below us, then caught a sunset over Jordan Pond. We also dropped in earlier at the Marshall Point Lighthouse, a famous spot for tourists, thanks to a scene in the Forrest Gump movie.

Amazing Maine

We continue to await the change of seasons to hit full force here in Maine, but there is no shortage of great scenery to explore in this amazing state. While visiting the small town of Bucksport, near Bangor, we climbed to the Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory and explored the hidden passageways at nearby Fort Knox. We also journeyed to the famous West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, the eastern-most point of the US, where families were picnicking on a beautiful cool afternoon. We can’t wait to see what’s next… 

Beginning our Maine-stay

We began our Maine adventure with a visit to Bar Harbor, a touristy but worthwhile destination. We explored the ‘Bar’, which is a strip of land you can walk across to a nearby island when the tide goes out each day. Of course, we had to sample some lobster (we did not dine on the one in the photo!) Also a quick drive to see a beach and a hungry seal in the Acadia National Park, and a boat tour to the remote fishing town of Islesford gave us a quick taste of this amazing state. We will be here for several weeks, so stay tuned for more Maine…

Colorful New Hampshire

We say a fond farewell to New Hampshire. We loved our quick stay here, and even though the change of seasons is just starting, we were taken by the beauty of this state's palette of colors, both in nature and man-made. On to Maine!