Cross-Country Trip - Summer of 2008 - Day 21

Saturday, August 2 - Today Uncle Floyd took us hiking at Franklin Delano Roosevelt State Park SW of Barnesville, and we were joined by Monta Rae’s three boys, Scott (19), Aaron (17) and David (14). After a hot and humid hike, we went swimming at a spring-fed pool in the park, and then barbequed hotdogs next to the Park Headquarters where Lynn’s mother worked for three summers during college. (Her father, A. Newton Moye, was Georgia State Parks Director around that time.)

Cross-Country Trip - Summer of 2008 - Day 20

Friday, August 1 - Our destination this day was Barnesville, Georgia, about one hour south of Atlanta, where Lynn’s mother grew up and her family has lived for many generations. Ralph and Lynn stayed with Lynn’s uncle and aunt, Floyd and Twila Moye, while the boys stayed with their son, Fred, and his family down the road. The Moyes have developed the old family farm (Redbone Farms) into a Fly-In Equestrian Community - Little Tobesofkee Creek - with 10-12-acre properties for people who have their own small planes. Their daughter, Monta Rae, and her family also live down the road.
That evening, Cousin Fred took Adam fishing at the nearby pond, where he caught his first fish, a 3-pound catfish! The next morning they went out again and Adam caught a 4-pounder (see picture). Fred prepared and cooked the fish, which we enjoyed on Sunday evening.

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Cross-Country Trip - Summer of 2008 - Day 19

Thursday, July 31 - Since we were in western Virginia near the Blue Ridge Mountains, we decided to drive part of the Blue Ridge Parkway on our way to North Carolina. The scenery was marvelous but the winding road was much longer and slower than we expected so we were late arriving at our destination, Shelby, North Carolina. (We were always trying to pack in too much each day!) Along the way we made a stop at the Blue Ridge Music Center where we were treated to some Bluegrass music.
We stayed at the home of Marywinn and Dickie Amaya, Lynn’s second cousin, where we had a great dinner and got to see their daughter, Isabel, who flew in that evening from Wyoming for a friend’s wedding, and their married son, Evan, who lives nearby.

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Cross-Country Trip - Summer of 2008 - Day 18

Wednesday, July 30 - Since we were not driving far this day, we spent the morning and early afternoon touring Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, on the Potomac River south of DC. We were very impressed with the wonderful restoration that has been done by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association which began restoring the property in 1858! Half of the furnishings are original to the house as it was in 1799 and the other half are originals from the same time period.
In the afternoon we drove west to Sperryville, Virginia to spend the night with Lynn’s mother’s cousin, Demaris Miller, and her husband, Jim. We had an enjoyable evening with them and their three dogs - two Shelties (Tilly and Trooper) and an enormous German Shepherd named Thor (who at nine months wasn’t even fully grown!)

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Cross-Country Trip - Summer of 2008 - Day 17

Tuesday, July 29 - We took our leave of Rochester and headed south on US 15 toward Washington, DC. Lunch was at a small state park on a bluff overlooking the Susquehanna River. Then we made a quick stop at Gettysburg, spending only a little time in the Visitor’s Center with a drive through the battlefield. Our time was short as we were heading to Rockville, Maryland, a suburb of DC for dinner with old friends, Peter and Cheryl Rice. After a great visit with them and their children, Jared (23) and Ellie (18), we drove to Annandale, Virginia where we spent the night with John and Sandy Stait, Navigators missionaries that we have been supporting for many years. Our visit with them was brief as they were flying out the next morning for meetings in Chicago. We greatly appreciated their hospitality in hosting us despite their busy schedule.

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Cross-Country Trip - Summer of 2008 - Day 16

Monday, July 28 - Today we all piled into our van to go see Niagara Falls. When we reached the park on an island in the Niagara River, we started out by walking to the top of the falls. The island is between the Horseshoe and American Falls, giving an impressive view. Next we took the Maid of the Mist boat ride to the base of the Horseshoe Falls. Despite the ponchos they issue, we were quite soaked, but it was an experience not to be missed! The volume of water is truly impressive, especially after we learned that part of it is diverted for power generation, so you don’t even see the full force of it!
That evening Peter and Christina treated us to a nice dinner at a German restaurant in Rochester. The rainstorm we ran into on the way back from Niagara had fortunately passed, so we could enjoy dinner on the patio.

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Cross-Country Trip - Summer of 2008 - Day 15

Sunday, July 27 - This morning we went to church with Peter and Christina at North Baptist Church of Rochester. Afterwards we went for a walk along the Genesee River to see the falls.
That afternoon we drove to a beach along Lake Ontario, where some of us went swimming. Since it was right by where the Genesee River empties into the lake, the water was a lot muckier, although warmer, than Lake Michigan. In the evening we had dinner at the sidewalk tables of a nice neighborhood restaurant near Peter and Christina’s place.

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