On the Road Home

Life on the road 2012-13 was fulfilling, with daily, over the top activities, a family reunion in Texas "circling" up our RV and our sons' rentals around the campsites, all kinds of quirky weather, more wonderful people time, discovery time, art and music, hiking and such but no time for blogging or artwork. I am not complaining, just lamenting that I haven't shared a blog in months. So here is another message in a minute--a re-start.

Our new rig is lovely and I have accustomed myself to the overkill of 4 TVs, a washer and dryer, automated awnings and things that most people don't even know exist. Our rig is built by Tiffin and called a Phaeton, an update from the original type of transportation so named, but life is good and our wheeled home serves us well going over the road or hooked into some sort of campsite.

Paul's blog covered our return to Rochester in detail for those of you that receive his blogs. We are now perched in our 4th floor apartment hovering over downtown Rochester and the view of the Genesee River. Missing life on the road is real, but actually staying in one place for 2-3 months is enjoyable. However, after a lifetime living in this city, I feel as if I am still on the road in a new location. Finding my route to familiar destinations, groceries, doctors, venues, has turned inside out. I am used to traveling from the eastern edge of the city but now travel east or southerly to reach my destinations. So, to avoid mistaken turns, I leave with a route in mind or have used the GPS in my home town to avoid wrong turns; similar to travel in a city in anywhere, USA.

I'm getting it, becoming more comfortable, but still encounter the long range construction projects in midtown, Mt.Hope/West Henrietta, Clinton Ave and so on. How different our city will be when these project are completed. Nothing stays the same and that is good.

Returning home in the NYS Thruway, however is still a bugaboo for me. The antiquate highway does not meet the quality of the many highways we travel during our marathon cross country trips. I have complained to various staff serving the Thruway Authority inquiring as to why exit numbers are old style and do not correspond to mile markers as they do on every other Interstate in the country. And, why are not all of the welcome center to New York State not just that, welcoming? (especially when entering from the west).  The answer was built on lack of funds, the "enormity of the changes and the difficulty for people to change to a new system and other excuses.

A lame answer when we should be encouraging visitors and potential businesses to this state. Now that I am a registered Texan, maybe I am not supposed to care, but I do. There are too many empty buildings and store fronts, too many people still in economic need and our perch over St. Paul St. gives us much evidence of the "class" disparity of our lives in Rochester. I am so glad to have some time in my home town, am pleased and proud of what Rochester has to offer and invite many people from On the Road to visit. Many do so and like what they find. Hey, thanks for listening and I hope all of you are doing what you enjoy.

Ann Carol Goldberg

New Digs on Wheels

Now for something new. We did it, we purchased our third motorhome. It is fueled by diesel and has the bells and whistles to fill my husband's dreams and mine too.  Actually, it has more bells and whistles than we anticipated, but we will just live spoiled. 


Now we face saying goodbye. Difficulty in letting go of dear ones, pets and possessions that have made so many fabulous memories possible is universally hard for us human beings.  Inanimate objects, in this case our 8 year old South Wind motor home become old friends.  Like us, it has more than one hundred thousand miles under its hood. It is time to renovate or trade it away. 

To ease the parting blues , I remember so many adventures with joy. We have become intimate with the southwestern desert, seeking desert wildflowers, critters caught by surprise, rock climbs, sand dunes and traipsing over blazed and not so well blazed trails. We have encountered birds galore, bison, elk, caribou, bear, foxes, bob cats. Phew, and so much more.


Basking along the shores of the ocean. I remember getting soaked, fully clothed by the turbulent surf, running on the sand with the surf pounding in our ears, hiking through pine forests, redwood forests, Alaskan tundra, Canadian forests, getting lost and finding the trail leading to breathtaking waterfalls and photographing the glorious mountains and lakes, cities and towns and parks along our way. Kayaking, bird watching, picking berries, food adventures, cultural discoveries, historical perspectives, learning, doing, forever wide-eyed with wonder.  


People are the keystone in my collective memory-gathering. What surprises have appeared through the windshield of the rig; revelers in costume at county fairs, boy scout rallies, lines of people on bike tours, cheese artisans, boiled peanut vendors.  In one town there were 50 Abe Lincoln impersonators standing on the steps of the town hall. 


During a stop in a National park we shared the snow remaining on the tow car with a young ranger who had never before encountered snow.  The people we have met along the way remain friends. There are many friends we have visited on repeated visits, folks that drive long distances to meet us at an appointed place. The stories we have heard will never fade. Their stories, our stories, collectively, broach the subject of letting go over and over again. Loved ones lost, lost dreams, new opportunities, change, letting go. The act of letting go is a theme through out life. It seems insignificant in the course of the wide picture, but we will hand over our coach with some hesitation and pause. 

On to our new coach. It is fun that it is branded Phaeton, defined as a touring car, or open carriage led by horses. Indeed, our coach will be led by powerful horses, thundering into the future with wonder and discovery blazing through the windshield.  


Ann Carol Goldberg

Mountain Bald

Credo; "Learn something new everyday".  Such a rich way to live. What could be better than hiking in the mountains on a clear, brisk and windy day. The hike of the moment--Craggy Gardens along the Blue Ridge Mountains, a bit north of Asheville, NC.  We were about to wander into a strange habitat, noted as globally unique to this area. This geological feature is labeled Mountain Bald.

A bald is defined as "a treeless area located on or near the summit of a predominantly forested mountain." Furthermore, Balds may be grassy-covered with a "mix of grasses and wildflowers" or they may be covered with low growing vegetation or "communities of of varying plant life, often including rhododendron, mountain laurel, blueberries, and flame azalea."  The Craggy Garden Balds fall under the latter category.

Their unique features are based in the "5,500 foot elevation, severe weather conditions harboring strong winds, ice storms,and a short growing seasons." This dwarfs, twists and stunts the development of the trees. We hiked past gnarled hardwood forest of beech, birch, buckeye, and mountain ash. Most noteworthy though are vast forests of rhododendron and mountain laurel.  I have never seen such dense collections of these trees in one place. The buds were just forming.  The scene was still clothed in winter browns with bare trunks, dwarfed, twisted, gnarled and stunted, as promised.

In June, the site description foretells of the vibrant blooms of the rhododendron, azaleas, mountain laurel and wildflowers with berries and mountain ash blooming into the fall. We learned that no one cause forms Mountain Balds.  They most likely exist due to a combination of forest fires, era-long climate change, and severe weather conditions.  The chance to trek along this trail filled with new knowledge and a heightened appreciation for our earth made the cool temperatures, high winds and subdued colors tolerable. I pulled the chin strap of my hiking hat tighter and jaunted down the trail. 

Ann Carol Goldberg

more info? http://www.virtualblueridge.com/maps/craggy-gardens-trails.asp 

Haute Couture Breaking News

Haute Couture is not my usual thing but it is time to fashion a new line of clothing. Bullet proof! The line would offer the range from underwear, day clothing and outerwear and be available from infant sizes to full-grown. With all sorts of new materials available the clothing would be comfortable and appealing, not old fashioned chain mail armor (just for fun check out  http://www.medieval-chain-mail-armor.com/, for city walking, hiking in national parks, picking up your kindergartners, or any school age kids, on the playground, big box shopping, or going to the neighborhood 7/11.

Yes, anywhere you go the person next to you may harbor a gun. A gun is, after all, a potentially deadly device with bullets that can maim and kill. While it seems redundant to have to say that, why are so many accidents in the news. Many people may be responsible and fully believe the heat they pack is for self defense only. But gun laws, shoot than think laws, gangs with guns, drugs, bad tempers and other vendettas threaten our safety at all times. It is obvious from daily news reports that being in the wrong place at the wrong time is becoming epidemic. Innocent people caught in the cross fire, gunning down in schools, gunning down in the workplace, drive by shootings, violence outside the 7/11, and racial profiling being a particularly bad virus. 

So, my line of clothing will help protect and ensure our freedom to wander wherever we like, not keep us captive for fear of a shooting. Perhaps, I will be prevented from making millions on this venture if gun laws did not allow anyone and everyone to pocket a gun. Whatever happened to the old adage, "love thy neighbor?" Don't kill him. 

Ann Carol Goldberg

Rosie, the 35 MPH winery dog

It is a known fact that my husband Paul and I are inveterate adventure seekers or we wouldn't be trundling down all sorts of roads in our RV.  Seeking a plot of land on which to park our rig for the night, we entered a realm of adventure that was way beyond our expectations. 

We met the amazing 35 MPH winery dog, Rosie, an irresistible pouch who sets off cross country and outruns her master's car every time and we almost burned up the brakes on our tow car. The culprit, a 2" diameter Meyers Lemon trapped in the brake safety system that is hooked to our motor home. Be these adventures as they may, our HARVEST HOST, Tom Burgiss gave us not only the plot of land to park on for the night but a life story that left us breathless. 

TOM BURGESS owns the THISTLE MEADOW WINERY, nestled into the Blue Ridge Parkway in the town of Laurel Springs, NC. We were simply looking for an overnight camping site. What we got was an over-the-top adventure. His winery/farm is a member of HARVEST HOST, an RV membership group that offers travelers a mecca for a night for no charge. You may stay on a farm, vineyard, cheese factory or other land.   

Tom grew up on this farm and inherited the house and land from his folks.  Now approaching his 81st year, he has accomplished enough for several life times. He never stops or runs down according to his breathless employees. Tom and his wife Nancy moved into the family home, expanding it into a luxurious lodge. It served as a B & B, a dance hall, wedding parlor and more for 35 years. They now rent the house for family reunions and weddings. The winery is adjacent to the house and contains the vast wine production and bottling facility, a tasting room, home wine maker supply shop (the Grapestompers) and general gift shop.  

His dad was a dentist with his dental office a step away from the house. The old dental drill ran by battery. Pity the last patient of the day. His dad also raised cattle and gave the young Tom 3 calves to raise. Tom grew those calves into a herd to sell, putting him through college and school. He in turn made enough profit on cattle to send his 3 boys to college.

Tom, the Pharmacist taught as adjunct professor for years, flew a plane and raised cattle, and I am sure did more that he didn't tell us. Traveling through Canada one time, he was given a bottle of wine and liked it so much he went back for more. Learning that the wine was home made  caught Tom's attention. He turned wine making into a successful enterprise and now produces about 60-65 types of wine, making all of it in small batches, environmentally controlled, and constantly under his firm and watchful eye, bottled and corked in beautiful blue bottles. Furthermore, he is opening several retail locations in North Carolina.


We tasted several and purchased the Malbec (yes, Tom imports all of his grapes, including Malbec grapes from Argentina).  Our limited storage space diminished our purchases, this time. We'll return. 


Tom loaded us into his car for a tour of the family house as described above and then raced up the hill to the retirement home he and his wife Nancy now live in, accompanied by Rosie leading the way.  The retirement house features a “great room” with kitchen, dining area and living room in one space. The bedroom swallows up the king size bed and has a large walk in closet with chest of drawers strategically placed in the center.  The house is “wheel chair ready just in case." Aging hasn't stopped Tom at all. He is creative, adventuresome and maintains a pure love of life. What fine people these are. 


After our wine tasting and sending Tom home for his dinner, with Rosie in for the chase, we spent a beautiful night on the farm, along side the bubbling brook and facing west into the glorious sunset. This is the spirit of this mecca along the Blue Ridge. 
For more, see http://www.thistlemeadowwinery.com/  and http://www.grapestompers.com/ 

As for Rosie the 35MPH dog, I couldn't catch a photo of her--she was too fast for any camera.

Ann Carol Goldberg

Give me Liberty, Gold, and Pizza, (views from the road)

Along with the first Model T Ford, roadside distractions have caused havoc along the way. There were the simple days, litter on the road, potholes, billboards, Burma Shave ads, tuning the radio, scolding noisy kids in the back seat. Then fast food came into being and drivers began to reach for McD's hot beverage or chomp on the triple cheeseburger, others would comb their golden locks, apply makeup, or get a close shave with a razor. 


Teens cruisin in their dad's Olds flirted with attractive girls in hot pants. They would marry and have kids who would fight over the DVDs to watch in the backseat, mall sprawl went ballistic. Next, then on to cell phones, Ipads or Ipods, billboards gone video and perhaps the deadliest, TEXTING.  From my seat of the motor home, I have become a habitual voyeur, observing the trends as the nation drives down the road. Next?


The highways have gotten a bit bumpier with a new distraction, an epidemic of young (mostly male) "sign wavers." These characters are exuberant, full of energy, often dressed in costume as Statues of Liberty, bulls, bear, cowboys, clowns. They hoist big arrow-shaped signs trying to draw the driver to their employer's business. They beg you to sell your gold, buy Liberty Tax Services, fast food, a car, boat, vacation, an endless list of gimmicks. Does this ploy work? Does it sell product or lure in the driver from their original destinations? I just had to investigate and learned the following from Jerome Osteryoung's Posting:on Jan 27, 2012;

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/01/27/3825314/sign-wavers-an-effective-ad-tool.html#storylink=cpy

The idea was hatched by Liberty Tax Services, their sign wavers wearing flowing glowing green robes, Statue of Liberty halos and waving signs to lure customers to their corner and away from H & R Block's block. Two former sign wavers, working in 2002 started their own company--AAROW ADVERTISING. They have upwards of 500 employees and offer a franchising operation, not only on our home turf, but internationally. They deem eye contact and a big smile as essential to success.


From my observation out of the RV windshield, excessive enthusiasm, endless energy to dance, hop, skip, jump, wave heavy signs and smile ear to ear is imperative. Also, the willingness to perform in sweltering heat and cold driving rain helps too.

You may ask, what is next? Sadly, it looks like the human element in the new profession of "sign waver" is already doomed. I observed an electrified sign waver fully clothed in Liberty's best green garb flapping and waving to catch your attention away from the road ahead, albeit, tirelessly for 24/7. Another case of robotics taking over our jobs. 

Keep alert and drive safely

Ann Carol Goldberg

We Hit The Jack(son) Pot on Shabbat

Jackson Mississippi sits in the southern end of one of our favorite byways; The Natchez Trace. We have traveled the Trace from north to south and south to north first with car and tents and then via our motorhome for years.  We keep coming back so we can savor the two lane strip of highway not to exceed 50 MPH speed limit.  One breathes in the sense of history and discovery following this road, calling up images of the "Kaintucks" or the "boatmen from the Ohio river Valley." They floated their furs and other wares down the Mississippi River by raft to sell and then trekked on foot about 500 miles from Natchez to Nashville forming the Natchez Trace. The 30 day trip must have been packed with adventure.
Jackson too  is a city deeply immersed in history, founded in 1821 situated on a bluff along the Pearl River. Noting that this location had "beautiful and healthful surroundings, good water, abundant timber, navigable waters, and proximity to the Natchez Trace," the General Assembly authorized this location as the permanent seat of government for the state, naming the city Jackson in honor of Andrew Jackson, soon to be the 7Th president of the United States. http://www.jacksonms.gov/visitors/history


The role of the city throughout the years since its founding is long, involved and brilliant and today, players in that history are celebrated including Medgar Evers, Eudora Welty and so many more. 


Arriving in Jackson on a Friday, we searched the web for info on the local Jewish community and Shabbat services.  We found Beth Israel Congregation and were surprised at its deep roots and long history. Founded in 1860, it was the first synagogue in Mississippi, serving 15 families. The first rabbi was hired in 1870.  He moved the congregation to embrace the Reform movement and offered his sermons in English. Notably, On September 18, 1967, the then new temple building was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan, followed two months later by the bombing of Rabbi Nussbaum's home. Damage was done, but no one was hurt. These acts of terrorism "helped to galvanize Jackson's white community to action" in the Civil Rights Movement. 

Knowing that Shabbat morning services begin at 9:00 AM and Torah Study at 10:30, we walked into the synagogue after being greeted by Gavin as he arrived on his motor cycle. He directed us to the front door. The welcome was golden as we were greeted by member after member introducing themselves, asking where we were from and extending pure southern hospitality to us. We felt at home, stayed for the moving service and participated in the stimulating conversation about the Torah portion of the week. 


Rabbi Valerie Cohen gave us a tour of the synagogue and the honor of Aliyah, blessing Torah. We enjoyed speaking with Rosemary, orienting us with prayer books and seats, with Carol from Chicago, now in Jackson for a year helping her grandfather through the loss of his wife of many years (Carol's grandmother) and with his up-coming surgery. Gavin is also facing multiple surgeries and rode his motorcycle for what may be the last time on his road to recovery. We wish everyone well and once again, celebrate having acquired new friends. How we have benefited from fine hospitality and continue to thrive as we continue on down the road. 


Ann Carol Goldberg