Bill and Michelle, their kids, and Tara left yesterday for home while Mom and Dad stayed one last night and left early this afternoon to head back home to Watkins Glen, NY. Kevin got to get back to work today while Sonja and the girls headed for the pool. The KOA we are staying at is really nice with beautiful flower/plant gardens, a nice pool, playground, campsites, and a lazy fishing river. Our campsite was right along the river which made it picturesque and pleasant.

Papa(dad) cob-jobbed together a fishing pole of sorts for Ashli and baited with some hot dog and soon after she had landed a snapping turtle. That was a first for us ... however, we threw him back:)

Tomorrow we head out to the KOA between D.C. and Annapolis, MD. Looking forward to spending some time in the Capitol.

Our summer journey starts this year with a trip to Hagerstown, Maryland where we will be spending some time with extended family. The girls will get to play with cousins which is always a great time for them.

The road trip was a bit hairy going across Ohio. Their was a nasty thunderstorm with high winds. We have a anti-sway system on the hitch of the camper, but a friction sway control is of little help when it is very wet. The high winds and trucks passing on a bee-line made it for some interesting moments. We are looking forward to the day when our 2000 Astro Van gives up the ghost and we can move up to a larger tow vehicle with a bit more road surface and longer wheel base. That should help.

We pulled in to the Mercer/Grove City KOA about midnight on Wednesday night. It was our plan to leave home about 12 noon on Wednesday and get the campground in Western PA around 7pm, but the steel bumper was coming apart at the weld seems so we took it to Freeway RV in Midland, MI and they welded some additional bracing onto it. They did a great job and it is as stable as ever now.

Today we headed for Antietam Battlefield where the single bloodiest day of battle during the Civil War or any war has ever taken place. Over 23,000 casualties, wounded, and missing in action. The memorial and national park there are well taken care of and the rangers are well versed and do a great job of making history come to life. Definately, a place to go and spend some time.