On The Road With Bloomers and Drawers

I feel the Earth, move, under my feet....

2011-08-24T14:48:00.009-04:00

I was on my lunch break yesterday and was sitting on my scooter next to Jeff, who was in the van. As we were eating and talking, we felt a weird rumble...I thought, "what's up with my scooter?" and then realized it was off. I looked up at Jeff who was looking at my hair trying to figure out why it was wasn't moving when the wind was strong enough to rock the van (or so he thought).

I sort of made a screwed-up face like '...what the -?' and his eyes said back to me: '...I dunno...' We sat there for a few minutes and finally said, "Was that an Earthquake?"

As I headed back into the building where I work, several people said, 'did you FEEL that?'

oh, yeah,....WE FELT THAT.

So apparently an Earthquake, measuring 5.9 on the Richter Scale had hit Mineral, VA, about 38 miles from Richmond, which is about 4 hours from us. Fortunately there was no damage anywhere unless you live near the epicenter.

Virginia's BIGGEST Earthquake was in Giles county, in 1897. It was especially strong at Pearisburg, where the walls of old brick houses were cracked and bricks were thrown from chimney tops. Springs were muddied and a few earth fissures appeared. Giles County was strongly shaken again on April 23, 1959. At Eggleston and Pembroke, several chimneys were damaged, plaster cracked, and pictures fell from walls (MM VI). A wide area (about 7,500 square kilometers) of southwestern Virginia felt the tremor; a few places in West Virginia also reported the shock.

Geologists say that most bedrock beneath southwestern Virginia and adjacent West Virginia was assembled as continents collided to form a supercontinent about 500-300 million years ago, raising the Appalachian Mountains. Although the seismic zone is laced with known faults, even today there are numerous smaller or deeply buried faults which remain undetected.

Well, isn't that comforting to find out since we live in that county. Giles does occasionally have little "tremors", but I didn't know about this bit of local history until yesterdays events.

Hmm...well, being on a scooter during an earthquake. Yep, that's a first for me. Hope it's the last too. ;)

Just thought I would share this with you.

2011-08-14T16:48:00.001-04:00

The Ice Cream Prayer……enjoy!

Held hostage once again

2011-07-13T20:27:00.002-04:00

On the night that Barack Obama was elected President, he was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey.

TV superstar and Barack Obama supporter Oprah Winfrey reacts to the news that Obama won his bid for President of the United States. She was at Chicago's Grant Park, where President-Elect Obama gave his victory speech on Election Night, November 4, 2008.
Jesse Jackson can be seen behind her on the right, and Oprah's long time companion Stedman Graham is behind her on the left.

She ask Mr. Obama a question along this lines of “Who are the people your administration is most likely to help?

His reply…..The Poor, The Homeless and the Disabled.

Help the Disabled! No social security raise for the next two years, in an attempt to balance the budget.

And today Fox News post a story on line…

Social Security Checks may be delayed if debt celling is not raised.

In a time when the disabled and older American's are being hit by rising cost of living, now is not the time to hold our checks hostage once again.

It’s time we send a clear message to Washington, DC, enough is enough…

it’s time we receive a fair cost of living increase that reflects the rising cost of Utilities, Medical Care, Food and Gasoline.

Lawmakers are considering changes to how Social Security is adjusted for inflation.

As part of the current deficit-reduction talks, White House officials and Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle are advocating changes to the way inflation is calculated. The little-noticed proposal advocates measuring inflation with the "chained consumer price index," a metric that would likely make inflation look slower than the current measurement does. That would result in smaller Social Security increases for seniors, experts say. "Seniors cannot afford this," says Mary Johnson, a senior policy analyst at The Senior Citizens League, a non-profit seniors rights advocate. "This would negatively impact not just seniors, but also many families that end up helping out these seniors financially."

Some of you may be thinking….This does not effect me, I am not on Social Security and I don’t expect to be. I leave you with a bit of food for thought. One accident or debilitating disease, you would be unable to work for the rest of your lives.

So in closing I ask all abled bodied Americans to rise up and let your lawmakers know this kind of politics will not be acceptable to the American public, and if they should refuse to listen the the voting public now, rest assured you will hear our voices on election night.

Gatlinburg TN: 4th of July parade

2011-07-04T12:23:00.086-04:00

It's the 3rd of July and it feels like July!! And we have staked out our places on the sidewalk around 11pm. Of course, we were late by everyone else's timetable...yep, they line up around 6pm to get a good seat up and down the main street of Gatlinburg. We decided we'd rather take a nap since we knew we'd be up until 2am. :) As you can see in the first picture, Jeff is ready and waiting for the parade & I'm right next to him (that's my basket on the left).

I'm not sure how the tradition started, but about 10 minutes before the parade begins at midnight, people start throwing their loose change into the streets and all the kids run out the grab what they can. Bet it's the only time the kids would dive for change and not dollar bills. ;)

I'm not really sure what this is, but the parade hasn't officially started and here's this Puppetone Rockers rolling down the street!

And let's not forget there's always these hawkers selling those sparkly lights and stuff for the kiddies.

The parade always starts with the local fire departments. Yes, that's a big dog character in the bucket up front.

Just in case you forgot what you were waiting for...after all, most of these folks have been here since 6pm.

The first in line, the military branches proudly at the beginning of the parade.

I don't remember seeing one of these type of floats last year. We were at a traffic light, so it was fun to watch them coordinate and get the floats under the lights.

Toys for Tots Float:

More Military:

Gatlinburg Inn float:

And of course, Cooters:

Gotta show the police car:

And "Boss Hogg" waving to the crowds:

OH, this one is our favorite. The economy has been bad,you know:

One of the "General Lee's" in the parade:

Every parade has to have a grand marshall & this year it's miss Daisy Duke:

Wow, she looks good for her age!

Ripley's Aquarium:

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians with Miss Cherokee:

Lots of antique cars all decked out for the 4th of July:

Local radio station:

A local chapter of the Red Hat Society ladies:

Ober Gatlinburg:

Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre:

Food City float....awesome gigantic grocery cart!!

Haunted Mansion:

Ghostwalks through Gatlinburg:

Dolly Partons' Dixie Stampede:

Tennesee State Bank....yeah, we'd like to have that for a camper, stuffed full of money:

Christian float:

Lots of antique cars through out the parade:

Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine (Tennesee's first legal moonshine...you can get free samples in there stores OR buy some to take home):

Really, it's in Tennesee, didn't you expect to see some tractors?

White Water Rafting:

Knoxville zoo:

Soul of Shaolin Theatre:

Cool tiger float!

Frightworks:

Tennesee River Old Iron:

Antique tractors AND a few John Deere:

LumberJack Feud (Pigeon Forge's newest dinner theatre):

Hatfields & McCoys dinner theatre in Pigeon Forge (where Black Bear jamboree used to be next to the Titantic):

Yes, you can buy your own fairytale carriage:

Grand Majestic Theatre:

Majestic Magic:

Majestic Soul of Motown:

Chocolate Monkey:

He's patriotic (woof, woof):

Another float that almost didn't make it under the traffic lights:

Santa store:

Well, we thought the parade seemed alot shorter than last year. We talked to a few others and they agreed. It was still good though and we got back to our motel by 1:15am...we just had to scooter up the street!

We arrive in Gatlinburg!

2011-07-02T16:58:00.002-04:00

And it's all decked out with flags for the holiday:

I love these gigantic flowers!

Oh, I'm so happy I caught this cutie!

The weather is HOT and we are scooterin' from shade to shade!

Don't park in that handicap ramp space!

2011-06-06T11:32:00.012-04:00

According to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Handicap Accessible Parking Regulations:

Van Accessible Spaces must provide an access aisle that is at least 8 feet wide next to the van parking space to permit a person using a wheelchair or scooter to exit or enter a van with a side-mounted lift.

And yes, that access space is always clearly marked with boldly striped markings on the ground. However, you will often see another vehicle with or without a disability parking plate/placard parked in that loading space without any regard for anyone else.

You know what this means? The wheelchair driver has no choice but to wait for the other driver to return and move their vehicle so they can use their ramp or side-mounted lift!

Lately we have noticed this over and over again, especially at different Walmarts we have been at. Finally fed up with it, and angry about people being inconsiderate of our van with a ramp & the clearly marked Handicap decals on the van stating that we need atleast 8 ft space so we can use our ramp (in addition to our handicap plates), we decided to "do" something about it.

We were at a Walmart recently and parked in the end aisle spot with the striped markings on the ground where our ramp would extend out. We're thinking "great! now we will have no problem getting back in!" HA. When we came out of Walmart, there was an SUV parked right on top of those boldly striped lines. I really could not believe it. I mean I see it all the time, but how rude! I would barely be able to get in the van passenger seat from the outside of the van, so forget about extending the ramp for our scooters.

That was it. We had had enough. We went right back into Walmart and complained. They paged for the owner of the vehicle, but no one showed up. Walmart would not call the police to ticket the vehicle, so we did. The state police came and the owner of the vechicle was paged AGAIN. We waited for another 20 minutes or so at the front of the Walmart near their SUV.

The trooper asked us how long we had been waiting. By this point, it had been almost an hour. My husband spied a woman coming out on a Walmart scooter and sure enough, this was her. She said her daughter had dropped her off and went to a nearby shop in the strip mall and must have parked it there; it wasn't her fault and she shouldn't get a ticket. He told the woman to move the vehicle to the front of Walmart so we could get in our van...and he proceeded to write her a ticket.

We loaded up and counted it a victory for all the handicap drivers who have had to wait for an inconsiderate, dare I say selfish driver, who parks on the ramp aisle access lines without regard or care for anyone else.

Oh yeah, and on a side note, she drove off from Walmart without her "daughter" who supposedly parked the SUV there, not her.

New River Gorge National RIver: Sandstone Falls

2011-05-30T22:14:00.024-04:00

We decided on Memorial Day, we need to escape the house! We are tired of looking at boxes, boxes, and MORE boxes to unpack, and decided rather than the traditional "grilling out", we would just run away for a few hours. We are within an hour of West Virginia, so it seemed natural to go that direction since there's so many unexplored roads for us there. So with no real direction in mind, except "West", we went!

"The largest waterfall on the New River, Sandstone Falls spans the river where it is 1500 feet wide. Divided by a series of islands, the river drops 10 to 25 feet. Sandstone Falls is located on the north-flowing New River, 8.5 miles north of Hinton, WV. Take River Road (Rt. 26) from the west end of the Rt. 20 bridge in Hinton. drive slowly as much of River Road is one lane.

At Sandstone falls, an accessible boardwalk crosses two bridges leading to islands and observation decks offering views below the falls.

Sandstone Falls is a popular fishing spot for smallmouth bass and catfish: a West Virginia fishing licience is required. The river around Sandstone Falls has been the site of several drownings - always wear a lifejacket when in or near the water."

Ducks! Oh my! You know how I LOVE ducks!

Hmmm...why, did we find a place to scooter?

Yes! I love it when we stumble across a handicap accessible place!

Great day for fishing I see.

Nice little boardwalk with plenty of places to stop and rest. It was a really humid day and the mosquitoes were having quite a lunch on me. The air was so damp and moist around the river and it smelled all woodsy and full of honeysuckle.

The side view of this bridge reminds me of Monet's japanese foot-bridges he loved to paint.

Hey! Wait for me!!

View from the bridge...

And the other side....amazing what a difference.

So I'm on my way to the end of the boardwalk to see the Falls, and this Lizard-Thing decides it's HIS boardwalk. I think it's one of the many salamanders that are around this particular area. He was not backing down despite the size of my scooter! Of course, Jeff was behind me beeping the whole time and yes, I was holding up a line. :) But I personally have issues with "wildlife" and "nature" and being a bit creeped out, I wasn't about to drive over this guy. You know me, I had the image of him catching a free ride under my scooter and I wouldn't know until he jumped out a few hours later while we're driving down the road. Yeah....that's how my imagination goes. ;)

Beautiful Sandstone Falls

Rapids below the Falls

We went scootering a bit down the road to get a better view of my ducks, and I spied this little guy. I had to get a real close-up view of him since he was only a bit bigger than a silver half-dollar-piece.

My ducks!! :)

Yes, I'm pouting...I wanted to take a duck home. There had to be a hundred or more of them standing above the Falls in the shallow water, just waiting for dinner to come to them. Smart ducks!

Purl's Yarn Emporium

2010-10-09T12:54:00.002-04:00

Hello, my name is Sheri and I am a yarn-aholic. ;) Wonderful yarn store we found in Asheville. I think they love knitters, but I happen to be a crocheter (is that a word?) I did find some gorgeous peacock-blue yarn that I couldn't live without! ;) They happen to have a website too which you can view HERE.

Grove Arcade, Asheville NC

2010-10-08T11:03:00.002-04:00

Asheville's Grove Arcade offers boutique shopping, unique dining and regional crafts in a downtown architectural wonder. The building is open daily and features an outdoor portico market.

One of the most interesting and inviting spots for downtown shopping is the Grove Arcade. This renovated historic building is worth a visit to admire the architecture alone, but it's also a wonderful place to wander, shop or visit galleries. The dining options range from Chicago-style hot dogs to frozen custard, wine bars to coffee shops, upscale restaurants to sidewalk cafes. The area nearby the Grove Arcade is also lined with several shops and restaurants.

The Wild Plum

2010-10-07T15:42:00.000-04:00

We love to go to The Wild Plum when in Gatlinburg TN. It is located in the Arts & Crafts Community and open daily 11am-3pm. We were in TN once again on our anniversary this year, and had to have lunch here of course! They have a regular menu which changes every few days, or they have a chef's special of the day, which we always recommend. And you have to have dessert here!

Arrowcraft, Gatlinburg TN

2010-10-06T14:09:00.014-04:00

One of the five shops of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, Arrowcraft offers an unparalled craft experience through shopping and on-site craft demonstrations.

Arrowcraft Shop was founded in 1926 by Pi Beta Phi, the nation's oldest college women's fraternity. The Guild, Arrowmont School and Arrowcraft Shop have a joint history, which goes back to 1930, when Arrowmont joined with several other craft cooperatives to form the Southern Highland Craft Guild.

Arrowcraft Shop helped mountain families in this remote region gain independence by providing them with a source of income from the sale of their handiwork. Today, known simply as Arrowcraft, it is the oldest gift shop in Gatlinburg, TN. As one of the Southern Highland Craft Guild shops, it continues the tradition of presenting fine regional crafts. This historic shop sells the best crafts from a nine-state region - weaving, basketry, pottery, woodcarving, glass, and toys - ensuring that these skills passed from hand to hand for generations will be preserved for the future.

Hazzard Run 2010 Gatlinburg TN

2010-10-06T12:07:00.014-04:00

Yes, Jeff used to watch the Dukes of Hazzard when he was younger and we joke about "Cooters Place" place here in Gatlinburg every time we visit. Of course we had to see what the crowd was about one day we were here and what do you know......

Awww, they're so cute!

Yeah, he's cute too!

Gatlinburg in October!

2010-10-05T15:53:00.002-04:00

New Addition at Ripley's Aquarium

2010-07-05T15:31:00.001-04:00

Oh how I love penguins and they are the newest exhibit at Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg TN! So of course I had to share pictures of these cuties!

Enjoy this playful colony of African Blackfooted Penguins in their new state-of-the-art indoor/outdoor habitat.

View penguins from above and below the water in this unique and interactive exhibit. Experience penguins swimming as you crawl through clear underwater tunnels. Pop up on the penguins’ private beach and get nose-to-beak.

4th of July Gatlinburg TN parade

2010-07-04T17:55:00.086-04:00

If you've ever wondered about the Gatlinburg 4th of July parade, it is shown on July 3rd at midnight (which is technically the 4th!) On the day of the 2nd, the town of Gatlinburg sets up rows and rows of stadium chairs all up and down the main drag of town. By 6pm on the 3rd, people are already staking out chairs even though the parade doesn't start for 6 more hours!

Since we'd never been to one, we decided to go since we were here and had heard so much about it. I couldn't believe how early people were out on the streets waiting! By 10pm, it was several people "deep" on the sidewalks, so we decided to get a spot close to our motel, and chose near Bubba Gump, which if you've ever been to Gatlinburg, you know how crowded that street corner is any day of the week! During the parade they block off all traffic and people are allowed to stand in the intersections along the street also. What a crowd!

We kept thinking, how can a parade last almost 2 hours? Just wait until you see all these pictures! Everyone scurries back to their motels when the parade is over around 2am and what a crowd it is!

Hatteras Island & Ocracoke Island, NC

2010-06-20T20:15:00.014-04:00

Located on Hatteras Island, one of the thin barrier islands that form North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is a vital rest stop for more than 250 species of migratory birds flying to and from the Arctic. Thirteen miles of ocean beach provide nesting grounds for endangered sea turtles and shorebirds, and also attract about 2.5 million human visitors each year.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore is made up of over 70 miles of barrier islands stretching from Nags Head, NC to Ocracoke Island, NC. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore has many historical sites to visit and many, many things to do. Enjoy swimming, sunbathing, surfing, fishing, walking or just plain relaxing on some of the best beaches in the world.

And then after driving, and driving, and driving, seeing nothing but sand, sand, and more sand, with the occasional little "village"....you get to the ferry that takes you over to Ocracoke Island. You wait in line until the next ones runs, usually about once an hour, 6am - midnight.

So of course, I have to tell you about Jeff and how he decided to be "funny". Did you know national security has no sense of humor? Well, I would have guessed that, but oh no, not Jeff. He had to find out.

So...we're waiting in line for the next ferry. And it's HOT. Sweltering heat and humidity...you know the kind where no one is happy, even if you live there and work in it everyday. And along comes Security to ask us the nature of our "business" for visiting Ocracoke Island. As if my sun visor, shorts, and "big-owl" sunglasses, & camera in my hand doesn't give him a clue. ;) I expect Jeff to say "we're visiting"..."we're tourists"...something along that line. And the man contines with "what do you have in the back of your trailer?" But what does Jeff answer? OH NOOOOOOO.....he says "Osama bin Laden". I almost dropped my camera AND water bottle! The guy had NO sense of humor and of course, FINALLY, Jeff says, "Oh, I'm just kidding...we have our power chairs/mobility scooters". The guy takes down his license plate number and heads back into the building. Oh great. So much for vacation, I guess I'd better start thinking about who can come bail us out of jail. Finally the man reappears and asks for Jeff's name (I'm assuming to check with the records he just run) and Jeff tells him and adds, "The trailer is open, you're welcome to look if you like". Well, the man made the mistake of saying, "No, I think you have an honest face". . I told Jeff to shut up and drive.

Yes! They let us on the ferry!

One of the many "McMansions" on the various Outer Banks Islands...huge, beach-colored (sand, pink, blues) and EXPENSIVE.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ocracoke Island is one of many narrow, sandy islands marking the outer edge of North Carolina’s continental shelf. These barrier islands form at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, and they shift with the changes bought by the wind and water moving around them.

We get to the village of Ocracoke and there are suddenly bikes and golf carts everywhere!! People pedal or scoot everywhere in the village and I even saw a golf cart with a TAXI sign on top. How cute. We knew this would be the perfect place to scooter awhile.

Oh yes, the only bead shop on the island, but you know SHERI would find it!! ;) LOL

Beep-beep! Move it!

Restaurants everywhere!

We ate at Pony Island Restaurant and of course, Sheri had their crab cakes.

So as if Jeff didn't cause enough excitement at the ferry, he notices as we're coming out of Pony Island Restaurant, that the local law enforcement was coming in for dinner break. We had to park our scooters on their deck, and Jeff grins at the guy and says, "Sorry, guess we had too much to drink and thought we parked in the parking lot, not on the deck." Well! At least HE had a sense of humor and said, "well that's all right" and slaps him on the back, then adds, "But I might have to write you guys a ticket for speeding". HA!! :)

They have slips where you can dock your boat for the night at the village.

The sun was going down as we headed back to our parking lot to load up our scooters.

Found a boat WE might even be able to afford...can't see it in the dark?? Let me add some flash for you....

ha, what a hoot!

Ferry heading back to Hatteras.

So as we're sitting there in the dark, waiting in line for the ferry to take us back to Hatteras, I kept hearing this tap-tap and seeing little white spots on the road outside the truck. At first, I thought I was seeing things...then after awhile I opened the truck door & looked down...Agh!! Little white "ghost crabs" coming up from the beach.

Of course, I had to buy this cookbook while on vacation. I grew up in the Va Beach area, but forgot how much I loved all the fresh seafood and dishes from the area. Imagine my surprise I was when I found the crabcake recipe from Pony Island Restaurant in here! :)

Wright Brothers National Memorial

2010-06-19T23:44:00.025-04:00

Wright Brothers National Memorial, located in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, commemorates the first successful, sustained, powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine. From 1900 to 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright came here from Dayton, Ohio, based on information from the U.S. Weather Bureau about the area's steady winds. They also valued the privacy provided by this location, which in the early twentieth century was remote from major population centers.

It was soooo hot the day we were here....how hot was it, you ask??

That's a WATER bottle!! Yep, that's how hot it was! ;)

Lot's of scooter-friendly paths here as you can see.

Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art Show

2010-06-18T22:36:00.011-04:00

Are we there yet?? Huh?? Huh?? Are we??

June 17-20, 2010

LOCATION: 17th-32nd Street at the Boardwalk

SHOW HOURS:
Thurs. 9am-6pm
Fri. 10am-6pm
Sat. 10am-6pm
Sun.10am-5pm

In 1952, a group of local artists in Virginia Beach, Virginia held an exhibition and art sale to benefit a peer who had suffered a debilitating stroke. Inspired by the sales success, they formed the Virginia Beach Art Association (VBAA). Four years later, the VBAA instituted the First Annual Boardwalk Art Show & Festival; it was one of many events initiated by the Golden Jubilee Events program designed to celebrate the city of Virginia Beach’s 50th anniversary.

With a budget of $10, VBAA staff and volunteers began the arduous task of creating the First Annual Boardwalk Art Show & Festival from scratch. According to VBAA’s Publicity Chairman Granbery Walter, this was the first outdoor show of its kind in the country. Eighty-two regional artists paid a 50-cent application fee and flocked to the boardwalk in bathing suits to display their work to a few thousand visitors. They tied their works to the boardwalk railing with chicken wire or placed them directly on the ground. At the end of the day, judges announced award winners for honorable mentions, most popular and Bestin-Show; award money totaled $25.

Throughout this time, the Boardwalk Art Show & Festival grew to be one of Virginia Beach and the Commonwealth’s most highly anticipated events. With more than 350,000 visitors and $2 million in art sales annually, the Boardwalk Art Show & Festival is ranked in the top 50 best fine art & design shows in the nation by Sunshine artist magazine. In 2008, prize money for artist awards reached over $30,000. The Virginia Beach Hotel Motel Association Best-in-Show Award of $10,000 remains the second largest bestin-show award in the nation, attracting high-caliber artists and art collectors anxious to find unique, one-of-kind works. Featured artists in the 2010 exhibit can be found HERE.

Oh, yeah...this is the life!

Yay, oh yay. Jeff is happily "dancing" down the boardwalk because Sheri is finally finished going through all the art exhibits and now we can find some FOOD!!

Jeff....Sheri is NOT amused.

We could go to our favorite 33rd St Cafe for the best she-crab soup & crabcakes!

Or there are so many other restaurants on the boardwalk!

Or there are plenty of vendors on the boardwalk with the art exhibits!

Yes, we had fun!

Grommet Island, Virginia Beach

2010-06-17T08:57:00.014-04:00

From their website.... GrommetIsland.org:

Nobody enjoys the beach more than Josh Thompson. He was an avid surfer. He loved taking his family to the beach. He grew up on the beach and thought he’d be riding his board for years to come. But in late 2006, Josh was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Josh had to turn his attention from riding waves to fighting ALS, a battle few so young have to face.

The fight has been one of frustration. Frustration with barriers to drug access. Frustration with participating in experimental treatments. And frustration with the lack of a cure. But rather than let their frustration turn to bitterness, Josh and his family have converted their frustration to massive mobilization for the search for treatments and eventually a cure.

Last year, more than 7,000 people gathered at the Virginia Beach oceanfront to participate in what would become a record breaking fundraiser for ALS. The unprecedented showing of support and love for Josh Thompson culminated in more than $1 million raised for use in stem cell research, expanded drug access and ALS patient services.

Plans are well underway for an event that will show the world that Virginia Beach is waging a fight of its own against ALS. Working with the national ALS Association, local organizers of the JT Walk have agreed that 100% of sponsor donations and 50% of funds raised by the walk will be used toward the construction of JT’s Grommet Island Beach Park and Playground For EveryBODY. It will be an oceanfront destination for both healthy and disabled children and adults. It will assure everybody of a day at the beach. The remaining 50% of funds raised by the JT Walk will be donated to the ALS Association to use for patient services.

Where have we been??

2010-06-14T18:24:00.005-04:00

In case you've been wondering where we have been & why we haven't been posting lately, Sheri's scooter had a break-down on May 1. You should have seen the look on her face when the we were scootering out of the mall because she said it was making this weird "thunk-thunk" noise...and the entire left rear wheel & axel fell off!! It was priceless. Of course, pushing that 200 lb scooter to the trailer was priceless too. And almost as good as watching Jeff jump off the ramp of the trailer as we were pushing it up and it "got away from us". It was one of those moments where Sheri would say, "Gee, honey, I didn't know you could bunny-hop like that". ;)

But finally it has been repaired & they think a clamp wasn't installed during the factory-making of this scooter which is really odd for Golden Technologies. Well, we're just glad it broke down 3 weeks before the warranty expired. Whew...that was close one!

But now we're ready to hit the road again!! Whoo-hoo!! So end of the week we'll be heading to VA Beach & the coast so we'll have some pictures and blogging coming your way soon!

Angelic Whispers

2010-04-25T21:08:00.011-04:00

While scootering around the streets of Gatlinburg, we had dinner one evening at the Best Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria which we have to say definitely earned its name!

Right next door to the restaurant we found a lovely jewelry shop in Elks Plaza called Angelic Whispers. The owner is Kasey Schroeder who is just wonderful to talk to and she is very talented! Kasey and her family used to live in Georgia and came to Gatlinburg several times to visit. Like so many, they fell in love with the area and decided to move up to TN and open a shop. We're glad she did!

We won't discuss how many pairs of earrings Sheri had to buy in her shop, but Jeff couldn't really complain because her prices are awesome! Her displays are just lovely too. Definitely a scooter-friendly shop, one of the very few in Gatlinburg we might add. Make sure you stop by and visit Angelic Whispers if you're in Gatlinburg! I know she is definitely on Sheri's "must stop at" places from now on. ;)

Over Home Creations

2010-04-24T20:53:00.007-04:00

There was a craft fair at the Gatlinburg Convention Center Easter weekend and we had no idea! It was smaller than their July & October shows but you know Sheri still had to go! ;)

Another vendor we met while admiring all the work was Jan Barnes of Overhome Creations. What a sweet lady! She is a retired teacher and now makes beautiful jewelry.

A bit about O H Creations...
“Over-Home Creations” was formed by Jim and Jan Barnes after family members combined their talents and various techniques to create unique handcrafted pieces of jewelry. With degrees in education, art, and engineering, they have spent years painting crafting, jewelry making, woodworking and photography.

The name of their business "Over-Home” is what their family called Jim’s Grandparent’s farm that has been a part of their history since the 1700’s. They are a nostalgic group. The natural beauty and heritage of their region has always been uplifting and they often look to it for inspiration."

She had quite a bit of jewelry to pick from, so you know Sheri couldn't get away without a silver and pearl ring ;) And she gets many compliments on it all the time. Way to go, Jan! Hope we see you July in Abingdon! :) You can visit her website HERE.

Holloway's Country Lane Quilts

2010-04-22T20:38:00.007-04:00

There was a craft fair at the Gatlinburg Convention Center Easter weekend and we had no idea! It was smaller than their July & October shows but you know Sheri still had to go! ;)

One of the fine vendors was Maria Holloway from Holloway's Country Lane Quilts. She was so nice and friendly and quilting away at the show. We had to share her with you! :)A bit about Holloway's Country Lane Quilts...
"Maria Holloway and her husband John have owned and operated Holloway's Country Home for over 15 years. What's a Yankee Portuguese lady doing making quilts in the beautiful mountains of Tennessee? Well, one day 32 years ago, she was on her way to Florida and passed through east Tennessee. It wasn't long until she came back and made her home here. Holloway's Country Home is located in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 20 miles outside of Gatlinburg, TN.

All of her products are handmade, originating in centuries of rural tradition. Color, cut, pattern, fabric... all this and much more goes into the making of their quilts. But the most important element is time. In addition to their large number of original and vintage quilts, they have quilt kits and supplies for you to invest the time in making your own. Most importantly, this is their home and all of their products are about making your home more comfortable and inviting."

Maria told me she was 70! There is no way I believe this! ;) I asked her how she kept so young looking...her answer? Good Portuguese genes and red wine! Works for me, Maria! Her quilting is awesome! You can visit her website HERE.

Easter Weekend in Gatlinburg, TN

2010-04-20T17:53:00.002-04:00

It's the Easter bunny! ;)

Now THAT'S an Easter basket!

Sign of the times...LOL.

The Easter Bunny delivers!

Let's get lunch! Burger King in Gatlinburg is scooter friendly! :)

Just had to include this one....There's a cute store in Gatlinburg called "Paws & Claws" and it's full of doggie clothes! I thought their sign was hilarious! ;)

Easter Weekend in Pigeon Forge, TN

2010-04-16T19:03:00.020-04:00

Beautiful temperatures in the 70's and trees in bloom! :) Achoo!! Yes, nothing says springtime like allergies.

Pansies everywhere!

Beautiful day for a drive....ummm, on a scooter of course! What?? It's a drive-thru!! ;)

On the lookout for my ducks...ok, I admit I have a duck obsession.

There's one!!

What did you say dear? "Honey, I promise one day I'll build a pond so you can have a little duck farm. Now, can we go look at something else?!"

More!

Look! This one looks like Molly...a duck I had many, many years ago!

And this one looks like Lucky...we named him Lucky because we wandered into our yard and didn't get hit on the road near our house!

Loving the carousel! How cute!

ALWAYS looks like Christmas at the Christmas store!

Well, their spring flowers are pretty!

Evening at the Old Mill.

I can never get enough pictures of the Old Mill!

Tamarack, Beckley, WV

2010-04-13T19:25:00.037-04:00

FAQS ABOUT TAMARACK FROM TAMARACKWV.COM:

"Located in the center of the eastern United States, Beckley, West Virginia, is the home of Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia. Tamarack welcomes half a million visitors annually as a one-stop shop for West Virginia culture, heritage, handcrafts, fine art, regional cuisine and music. Tamarack is the collective vision of artisans, agriculturists, businessmen, community members and public officials from every county. It was created to boost the state’s economy by fostering a market-driven approach to selling indigenous products. As a world-class facility, Tamarack is destined to become a major tourist attraction, expand job opportunities and draw more than 500,000 visitors a year. The Tamarack facility is the focal point of the Tamarack distribution system, which markets West Virginia-made products throughout the state.

Tamarack is conveniently located in Beckley, West Virginia, just off I-77, the West Virginia Turnpike. Take Exit 45 and you’ll find us on the right at the end of the exit. It is north of east-west Interstate 64 and north-south Interstate 77 only a short drive from a wealth of resorts, restaurants, golf courses and recreational sites.

Tamarack is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. From January 5 through March 11, we’re open from 10:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. From March 12 through January 4, we close at 8:00 p.m. The only exceptions are Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve when we close at 5:00 p.m.

There are two areas with parking places designated especially for handicapped visitors. One is in our main parking lot. The other is on the Conference Center side of the building near the white canopy.

FROM THEIR WEBSITE CONCERNING HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY:
Handicapped accessibility at Tamarack includes but is not limited to specified parking areas in main lot and next to the conference center, which offers a canopied walkway. Also, a pull-up, drop off area is available near the front door. Wheelchairs are available for use on-site during a visit to Tamarack.

In the food court, several tables are higher to accommodate wheelchairs. Also our tray sliders in the food court are low to serve handicapped patrons. Staff will assist a patron in need of individual service.

Tamarack does allow service animals. The theater has no stairs and seating accommodates handicapped patrons.

The facility itself is one-story, no stairs, and wide pathways. Displays are measured according to the width of wheelchairs. If a patron encounters a challenge, management is ready and willing to move products or assist patrons.

The conference center is accessible via a canopy walkway, which leads from the handicapped parking area into an automated door. Doors at all facility entrances have automatic features, including one door used to enter the center courtyard.

Bathrooms in the conference center and retail facility have handicapped accessible stalls. We also have private handicapped accessible restroom, located near the retail facility for those who may need assistance."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

These were the first daffodils of spring I had seen so far this year, haha. Gigantic metal sculptures at the entrance.

If there are Christmas decorations anywhere to be found, I will find them!!

These are Tone Finnanger style ornaments I love! :)

Pottery

Jams, jellies, honeys, you name it...they even have wine.

Handmade placemats, tea cozies, potholders, doilies, etc.

Baskets, quilts, more home decor...

Glassware...yes, did you notice how far back I took the picture? ;)

That's as close as I'm getting!

Tried to take a picture of the framed items, but caught the glare. These are handpainted turkey feathers that are framed under glass.

Beautiful tatting! Does anyone do this anymore?

Handmade dolls galore!

...and a fair share of crochet items too.

Ah-ha! I see you, dear.

Books & Music

Items made from coal

Handmade and Handwoven goods

Ok, I had to take a picture of this cute guy....it's a wolf in sheep's clothing! :)

Tons of beautiful quilts adorn the walls!

And they have a restaurant run by the Greenbrier. I have to say, there is plenty of room to maneuver in the dining line, even for my big scooter. And the chefs and staff were so very nice to help us in any way with our food and trays!

"A celebration of regional cuisine, A Taste of West Virginia food court, managed by The Greenbrier, features breakfast, grille and deli menu items to entice every appetite. Traditional menu items and unexpected pleasures make in-house dining and off-site catering, as well as meetings and themed functions, a memorable and delectable dining occasion.

Daily specials such as Tamarack’s Tuna Melt or Chicken Pot Pie, contrasted to complex plated dishes of West Virginia Rainbow Trout with Lemon Brown Butter and Braised Beef Sirloin with Sweet Onion Jus, showcase the talents of a well-trained culinary staff. West Virginia-made jams and jellies, salad dressings and mustards, and locally grown trout and catfish are incorporated into daily menus. You also won't want to miss Tamarack's Country Breakfast."

Yay, they have reuben sandwiches. :)

And veggie pizzas with fresh salads!

Dear, can't you ever take a "nice" picture of me? I know I don't look like this ALL the time, do I?? ;) Hmmm...maybe it's just when you pick up MY camera I get this look!

There are always events going on at Tamarack from music concerts to artisans showing their work. Their events schedule can be found HERE.

There is no admission fee for any Sunday@Two (2:00 p.m.) music performance. Tickets are required due to limited seating and are available after 10 a.m. on the morning of the performance at the Information Desk.

YES, FREE!! and they have quite a variety of performers. Bummer, we just missed the Celtic group, but I'm watching this schedule for their next performance!

Valentine's Day Weekend in TN

2010-04-13T18:03:00.025-04:00

Now here it is April and see how far behind I am in posting? Time to catch up! We had to have a getaway by Valentine's Day because we were seriously getting cabin fever! TOO MUCH SNOW. Yes, we actually drove across the state line just to see grass again! LOL. We are hopeless I know. We will take any excuse to go to TN. :)

And as you can tell by these first two photos, they were still celebrating their "Winterfest" because the Christmas decorations were still up! Very pretty indeed, especially since it was "flurry-ing" (is that even a word?) as you can see in the 2nd photo by the wet & spotted windshield. :)

Apparently they had so much snow and rain, that on Rte 441 between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, they had another mudslide and had to close off the road heading towards Gatlinburg. What a mess!

They had to detour traffic to "share" the left hand side of the route which normally is returning from Gatlinburg. Did it take long? Was there alot of traffic? OMGosh. I'm just happy we had a bathroom break BEFORE we headed back from Gatlinburg! ;) The traffic going to Gatlinburg was a steady pace, but coming back, it took us well over an hour to travel what normally takes less than 10 minutes. It was open again within a few weeks and they have built a barricade wall to hopefully keep it from sliding down on the highway again.

This is one of my favorite little scenic "pull-overs" on that route between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. They have "decorative" snow....that's my kind of snow...just on the mountains and sides of the highway and the roads are clear! ;)

We arrived in Gatlinburg and you could tell they did have some of my favorite "decorative" snow:

We decided to drive just a little way into the Smokey Mountains...

Beautiful snow everywhere!!

Uh-oh....the mountain was closed down and you had to turn around at the Visitor's Center.

Back to Gatlinburg we go!

And then it was the LONG wait between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge because of the mudslide and detoured traffic. I did get some pretty pictures though that I never would have seen whizzing by in normal traffic! :)

It was definitely nice to get away from all the snow we had at home even if there were flurries in TN. But we discovered that as far as scooterin' in February...well, we really need to have some heaters installed on those things! ;)

Winter 2009

2010-04-13T17:47:00.014-04:00

Did I mention in our last post that we got SNOW? and SNOW? and more SNOW? Yes, that's packed snow in the back of my truck, so you can see we did get a "bit" of snow this winter. UGH. :( And that's the way my truck looked all winter too! LOL.

I think it's pretty, but enough is enough!

And for some odd reason, Jeff didn't even want to grill outside! :)

So I spent the the holidays crafting and selling on eBay.

And selling on etsy too! Dreaming of flowers, and sun, and warmer temps!

We're still alive!! :)

2010-04-12T16:50:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone! We just wanted to check in and let you know we are still alive and scootering! ;) I am actually working on editing some pictures now and will have some new posts later this week.

We had a snow-filled winter (ugh!) and didn't get out too much. Needless to say, we're thrilled that spring and warm temperatures are here again and we can hit the road!

Thank you for all your emails!

Take care,
Until later this week,

Jeff and Sheri

3rd-Year Anniversary Getaway: Gatlinburg TN

2009-10-07T18:40:00.010-04:00

Pictures from our Gatlinburg TN trip! I love autumn and the Smokey Mountains are a wonderful place to be in the fall-time. We celebrated our 3rd year anniversary. We were married here 3 years ago and so we usually try to be here during our anniversary (sentimental I know!)
We had an awesome scootering all over the place! And met another couple of "scooter-bugs" from Indiana there who were so nice! (HI AMY AND TIM!!) Enjoy...

Jeff & Sheri.

Yep, you know it. I HAD to go to the Craftmen's Fair. SO much more than even the July Fair, although there were alot of the same vendors. It was eye-candy with all the fall and Christmas items for sale!

I just loved the way this cute table was decorated on one of the little side streets.

Pumpkins everywhere this week!

Quick Pics:

Water everywhere!

Gatlinburg at night:

Yes, you know I love ducks:

OBER GATLINBURG:

"Are we there yet?"

"I want off....NOW!!"

"Whoa! honey, I didn't know you could turn that many shades of green!"

Gatlinburg really is a scooter friendly town. Now the shoppes, on the other hand...most of them are quite small and/or they're just so jammed pack full of stuff, I'd be afraid to WALK in, much less scooter. There might have been 6 I ventured to try carefully going into.

As we shared in July, the aquarium is a great place to scooter since everything is flat and ramped. I did have an interesting time getting in and out of the Subway and Burger King. We ate at a restaurant called The Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria in Elks Plaza...they were incredibly friendly and more than happy to help us find a table to scooter right up to! (Not to mention the food was really good too! The Garlic Rolls are awesome.)

Oh yes....note to everyone, they just opened a Walgreen's so if you want to get a soda, that's the cheapest place to go! And of course, it's easy in and easy out with a scooter! ;)

Nashville, Indiana

2009-09-11T09:13:00.004-04:00

We spent a week in Cincinnati with Jeff's parents and actually spent most of the time on the road. ;) We went to this quaint little town, Nashville, Indiana, and of course, I took more pictures. The quaint village of Nashville is a great place for a getaway, with hundreds of unique craft, specialty & antique shops, and great music & theatre venues. Visitors enjoy watching artists in galleries and craft studios throughout Brown County Indiana. Brown County is known as the "artist colony of the midwest".

(Yes, one of these days, I will learn to set the date on the camera! LOL).

Leisurely browse through the quaint shops of Nashville, Indiana, or visit every flea market in Brown County. Shopping in Brown County Indiana can be a delightful adventure. In the shoppes of Little Nashville, visitors find original watercolor paintings, sculptures, toys from yesterday, stained glass art, solid wood furniture, wood carvings, metal sculptures, pewter, handblown glass, custom jewelry, interesting clothing, perfumes, wind chimes and even...custom bird lodging.

Yes, no matter where I am, I find beautiful flowers! I guess I "take time to smell the roses" or whatever beauty is around. I'm not sure what this is, but it grows about 3 feet tall and I love the "ribbon-curl" of the flower!

So what's the scoop on scootering? Well, the sidewalks seems to all be good, even my big scooter made it through some smaller-looking ones. Like most places, you won't be able to scooter inside the shops. There is an RV and truck with cargo-trailer parking when you first come into town right past Subway on the left, so make sure you go there and NOT to one of the many pay-parking places all over Nashville. Yeah, wish we had known that. Also...an interesting note...I'm not sure about Indiana laws, but apparently pedestrians in the crosswalk DO NOT have the right away, as we discovered after almost getting "mowed down" a few times. Not sure what that's all about, but if you're in the crosswalk and see something coming....RUN. ok... SCOOTER "FAST" AND BOOGIE. ;)

Metamora, Indiana

2009-09-10T19:00:00.003-04:00

Pictures from our trip to Metamora, IN! (Now if I would just learn to set the darn date on the camera! LOL). Oh yes, and make a note, Wednesdays and Thursdays, most of the shops are closed. When you arrive in Metamora look for the flag. If any flag is flying in front of a building, you'll know that inside is a friendly shopkeeper ready to greet you. A building not flying a flag is not open for business or it could be one of our town's private residences. Metamora is an actual town, not an amusement park or museum. It is not an incorporated town and cannot enforce any rules or requirements to shop owner as to the hours of availability. Because the Metamora Shops are owned and operated by individual shopkeepers the hours for the shops vary according to each individual shopkeepers preference.

While in Metamora, Indiana, journey through the early 19th century history of horse-drawn canal boats, which fueled the Southeastern Indiana economy until its displacement by the railroad. Shop in stores housed in historic buildings dated back to the early 1800s, feed the ducks along the canal, try some homemade fudge or ice cream, eat and above all else... Enjoy the slow relaxing pace of the past.

Metamora is Indiana's treasured 1838 canal town. Nestled in southeastern Indiana's beautiful countryside, Metamora is steeped in history and famous for its preservation of Indiana's oldest and still operating water-powered grist mill.

Metamora is one of the most charming and fascinating towns in Indiana! Well known for it's wide range of delightful shops, restaurants, friendly shopkeepers, events, festivals, and tasty eats and treats. A must see town that retains all of its traditional charm and languid atmosphere.

You can certainly scooter all over the town, but the shops are "jam-packed" with goodies and you cannot scooter inside them. We didn't find parking a problem for our truck and cargo-trailer, but if it was summer-time and busy, it could have been interesting.

Williamsburg & Virginia Beach, VA

2009-08-09T20:02:00.031-04:00

WILLIAMSBURG POTTERY, WILLIAMSBURG, VA: "You said I could buy it as long as it fit in the basket! And guess what? You'd be amazed how much I can balance on top of that!!"

Virginia Beach's newest attraction is King Neptune, a colossal 34-foot-high bronze statue that rises from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean at 31st Street & Atlantic Avenue, overlooking Neptune Park.

Looking for a great place to scooter? Virginia Beach boardwalk is the perfect place to go! 3 miles of concrete and sidewalks. Yep, we scootered every inch of it too! Well, one things for sure, I am no longer white...I now have some color....mostly red! Needless to say, I've been hurting for days too.

Just in case you ask....yes, you will notice on the rules that operating an electronic or motorized vehicles for a disabled person is allowed on the boardwalk.

How can you go to the beach and not eat saltwater taffy?

Yes, I am always taking pictures of roses! These are all around the hotels.

There she is! Our truck and cargo trailer. Yes, they will try and charge you for two vehicles because you're so big. But be sweet and they might let you in for only one. :)

Jeff spotted this sign and I almost ran off the sidewalk laughing! It was a scorching 96 degrees when we were here, so this sign fit perfect. Always got to be a smart-butt somewhere. Wonder how long this will stay up before the management notices?

There are vendors set up and down the boardwalk, but you pay $2 for a 20 oz water or soda!! There are also atleast 2 Dairy Queens we saw that stay busy with icecream and sodas too. Yeah, that vanilla soft serve is just perfect on a scorchy day. :) One good note...if your scooter needs charging, look for a spot a vendor isn't at and you'll find an outlet. We also saw one at one of the Dairy Queens' ocean-side wall. And there's also a gazebo next to the Hilton's Catch 31 restaurant that has tons of outlets (where bands and performers set up all the time).

You don't have to be on the beach to get sun. I found that out!

"Love me, love my scooter"

This is the bike lane set up for bikers adjacent to the boardwalk and also for these pedal bikes that are rented everywhere. They really look like a lot of fun too!

OK, let's start over!

Sun & Fun

Painted concrete beach balls

New meaning of "yard decorations"...cute!

If you're able to walk, there are alot of benches all up and down the boardwalk.

At the 3 mile marker...there is wooden ramp leading down into the sand, so wheelchairs and scooters are able to go so far out into the sand toward the ocean.

"Honey come back! I'll try not to spend so much time crafting!!"

I'm Irish! Got to have an Irish Pub in the pics! ;)

Dinner at 33rd St Cafe

Palm trees with lights

Neptune at night. The boardwalk is just as busy at night with couples and families walking up and down. Music spills out of all the hotels as you go by. Of course, you have to have some drunk person singing karioke. ;)

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Gatlinburg, TN

2009-07-20T16:33:00.000-04:00

The Aquarium is located at Traffic Light #5 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is teaming with life - 10,000 exotic sea creatures comprise more than 350 individual species. It definitely is worth the visit and handicap-accessible. The entire aquarium inside has no steps...everything is ramp. No tight elevators for those of us with "big-booty" scooters either. So going through the aquarium is a breeze. Exiting, however....well, we'll get that. :)

Entrance:

The gigantic "fossils" are the first thing you notice when going into the aquarium and there are several throughout the aquarium:

RAIN FOREST: The first area you enter. Freshwater Stingrays, Cardinal Tetras, Four-eyed Fish, Oscars, Poison Dart Frogs, Zebra Cichlids, Armored Catfish, Arapaimas, Piranhas, Green Iguanas and Mudskippers:

This guy was HUGE! He was about 5 ft long at least!!

Hehe, I thought this was humorous.

"What are you looking at??"

CORAL REEF: In this area you will see hundreds of the world's most colorful fish: blues, pinks, yellows, oranges, literally every color of the rainbow. These species are from the waters of the Indo-Pacific and include parrots, damsels, angels and butterflies, fish whose very names are almost as exotic and colorful as they are.

SHARK LAGOON: Filled with thousands of fish of every shape and size, this is the largest and most popular exhibit. Leisurely travel on a moving 340-foot long glidepath, as you wind your way through the acrylic tunnel and come face to face with snappers, tarpons, grunts, squirrelfish, a green sea turtle, giant stingrays, sawfish and...very large SHARKS!

DISCOVER CENTER: Filled with fun interactive displays, the Discovery Center invites you to learn by participation. You can solve puzzles, test your knowledge against the experts and your friends, and even touch live horseshoe crabs - one of the strangest creatures in the aquarium.

GALLERY OF THE SEAS: Sometimes certain species and environments are so spectacular they look like works of art, almost too beautiful or strange to believe that they are natural and not man made. Octopus, seahorses, corals and jellies, animals with bright colors, strange shapes and fascinating movements, are just some of the sea's living jewels highlighted in the underwater art gallery.

STARFISH....my favorites....

STINGRAY BAY: Gliding through the water like majestic birds in the air, the rays on display in Stingray Bay, are gentle, affectionate creatures. In the wild, stingrays spend most of their lives buried in the sand out of the view of predators and divers. At the aquarium they seem to relish the spotlight.

See Atlantic Stingrays, Southern Stingrays, Cownose Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays, Bonnethead Sharks, Leopard Sharks, Epaulette Sharks, Arabian Sharks, Brownbanded Sharks and White-Spotted Sharks.

Looks like even the aqarium has a sense of humor!

"The sea is the vast reservoir of Nature. The globe began with sea, so to speak; and who knows if it will not end with it?"

And then there is the exit. In order to leave the aquarium, you are required to exit through Cargo Hold Gift Shop. Nice. Especially if you have children...hehehe. If you happen to own a smaller scooter like Jeff's, you will have no problem. If you happen to own a "big booty" scooter, like myself, then you will have problems. I had to back up and down several aisles before I finally moved a shelf (literally) to get out. And yes, I almost backed over a few children in the process who were "loose" in the gift shop.

The only real problem with scootering through the aquarium was the PEOPLE. The children were fine, they are curious and excited at every exhibit. The parents are horrible. They practically climb over you and in front of you to see into everything...and just about use your head to steady their cameras! Yes, the adults!

"Are you taking MORE pictures??"

"OK, 1 picture...but thats it!!"

"Hey booty!! Wait for me!!!!"

Craftmen's Fair, Gatlinburg, TN

2009-07-19T17:54:00.000-04:00

So it all started with the Craftmen's Fair in Gatlinburg. Every year when we were visiting TN, I would see signs for the Craftmen's Fair. And oh how I wanted to go! But I knew I could never do all that walking. And then...the scooters came along! So of course, first trip out has to be about crafts. ;)

No problem scootering at the convention center. Even MY scooter fit in the elevator! I would have loved to taken some general photos, but they had signs everywhere saying "NO PHOTOS". Bummer. Well, can't blame them. I'm sure some people would copy the art they saw.
See how happy Jeff was to go?

Gatlinburg is known for all its little wedding chapels.

A newly added waterfall.

Creeks everywhere with little waterfalls!

I know flamingos are tacky, but I still love them.

Newer shop...All sauced up! Yep, nothing but sauces of all kinds! More sugar and miniature golf!

Lunch at the Brass Grill (formerly known as the Brass Lantern).

Main street of Gatlinburg.

Scooter break-time.

"What?? It's a drive-up bank!!"

Space Needle.

Space Needle at night.

The atmosphere at night is like a carnival. And it smells like one too! Pure sugar! We were all worried about would our scooter batteries last. Ha. What a joke. We scootered 8-10 hours each day and I think I lost 1 green bar and he lost a smidget on his dial. If you want to scooter your heart out, this is the place to go. But beware of the people. Yep, Jeff almost had several people step back without looking and almost end up in his lap. People are the same everywhere. :)

4th of July weekend, Gatlinburg

2009-07-06T19:24:00.000-04:00

CHECK IT OUT!! WE'RE NOT THE ONLY SCOOTERS! ;)

4th of July in Pigeon Forge, TN

2009-07-05T02:54:00.001-04:00

"ON THE ROAD AGAIN....I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO GET ON THE ROAD AGAIN...."

And so we ran off to TN for the 4th of July. We're the only people I know that just get in a car and GO. So what if we don't have a suitcase, a change of "bloomers & drawers" or a toothbrush. That's why so many Walmarts stay in business! We're just helping out with the economy, you know. We didnt even bring our scooters! But we figured we could scout out some places for parking a cargo trailer.

We started out on the Blue Ridge Parkway. And now Jeff says he will NEVER go on the Parkway ever again. ;) We drove down to Asheville, hit I-40, and hey...guess where we are?

So where do you stay when you decide to drive down on the night of July 3rd? Any darn place you can find!

And picture is just for Jeff's mom...she loves "lightbulb warm" food. ;)

Our favorite little creekside spot on the way into Gatlinburg where we like to to eat Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the morning. Oh yes, I can hear Jeff now...because "THERE'S NO DIET ON VACATION!"

First trip out with the scooters

2009-06-21T16:35:00.000-04:00

We decided we needed some practice with the utility trailer...loading, tying down, covering, netting...whew! So naturally we pick a 90 degree day with high humidity. Must be having a death wish because I thought for sure Jeff was going to kill me off for the life insurance $$ or maybe he just wants MY scooter. ;) Now, this is definitely not the way to go. Although we both lost some weight this weekend! But we decided that we really should go a mall and scooter around, getting some practice before we run to Gatlingburg next month for the Craftsman's Fair. I think he was hinting around he didn't want me running over anyone or anything.

Now you know it was HOT if Jeff's drinking WATER. Nope, no Coke Zero...that's water! I had to get the evidence because no one would ever believe me. ;)

Now, honey I really don't think that's a good way for you to load up your scooter.

No, we had to actually push them up on the utility trailer, strap them down in about 4 places, cover them with an ATV cover that fit over both. THEN cover that with netting because Jeff was becoming neurotic watching the "flapping" as he drove down the highway. So 30 minutes later......we finally get to drive off. Isn't this crazy? We can spend 30 minutes doing this, but can't walk around a mall. Of course, we're snipping at each other the entire 30 minutes because it's 90+ degrees and my shorts are stuck to my butt and his t-shirt is soaking wet. Can we say CARGO TRAILER? Yes, we finally had to breakdown and get one because it was insane all the work we were having to do. Of course, it didn't help when Jeff fell off the trailer and as he's laying there on the ground looks up at me and almost calls me by his first wife's name. Yes, he almost died that day. And not from the fall.

Yes, dear, I'll just sit here with my Mocha Frappuccino while you load up your scooter...then you can load mine. ;)

Happy Trails!
Jeff & Sheri :-)

Scooters arrived!!

2009-06-13T16:10:00.000-04:00

It seemed to take forever for our scooters to come in. Well, you know how it is. We were kind of like kids at Christmas on the count-down. :) Jeff ordered one scooter, but when it came in it was too short for his feet to fit on top of it, so he had to re-order. He was fortunate enough to be able to order his through a local medi-home office and they delivered it right inside the front door assembled and ready to go. Lucky little twerp. I ordered one through another company online and it turned out to be on backorder for months (yes, literally) so I had to re-order another one! Finally the great day arrived and mine came by truck. And here's how they left it:

Now, I know I don't need to remind you that this is a mobility scooter. So any twit knows that the person using it is handicap. Oh, yes, let's not forget that it weighs over 300 lbs. And that box is on a pallet and it's sitting next to the street. No, he would not move it 10 ft with his dolly-cart next to the ramp. My Pitt-Ohio experience was not good. It got even worse when I opened up the packing slip and it read INSIDE DELIVERY. hmmm.....did he think that meant barely inside the yard? Lucky us, we have a wonderful neighbor who came running and helped us unpack it right there in the yard and fortunately, it was "mostly" assembled and we pushed everything up the ramp. I do have to say though, the company Spinlife is wonderful and I have talked to several wonderful reps there. They gave me a discount and even sent me a free scooter cover for all my problems!

Drumroll, please..........

And here they are:

JEFF'S Invacare Lynx L3 3-Wheel Travel Scooter

SHERI'S Golden Technologies Avenger 4-Wheel Heavy Duty Scooter (only mine is RED)

HAPPY TRAILS,

Jeff & Sheri :-)