20040718
July 18, 2004
Sunday
Start: Mountain View CG, Haymarket VA
End: FAMCAMP, Dover AFB, Delaware
Miles: 150
Temps: High 79.5, Low 66.6
Well, we left the land of great eating today and headed east into Delaware. We braved the Washington DC beltway (shudder) and then got into a heavy mist or really light rain as we crossed Chesapeake Bay and rolled toward Dover. As we came off the bridge, traffic slowed as the rubber-neckers in our lanes looked at a major accident in the west-bound lanes; there were a half-dozen police cars, two fire engines and about four EMT vehicles. West-bound traffic had a two-mile backup (and building, since this is the day folks come back from the beach).
We approached Dover via Sandtown, the same way we've traveled for the last 26 years since we moved to Manassas. We didn't take time to look at the old farm.
We finally found our way into Dover AFB (they're re-doing all the gates to provide better search areas, very confusing). Finally a detour set of signs led us in the outbound truck lanes of the visitor's gate (?). The guard gave us directions to the FAMCAMP - "get on the perimeter road and keep following it around, way around". We did, and found the FAMCAMP. We set up in Site 8, the only one open, and filled out the off-hours-arrival paperwork and deposited that with a check ($10 per night) in a box for same.
One passes the Mortuary on the way around the base. It's an inconspicuous building. It's sobering to think what happens in there - the preparation of the remains of the fallen soldiers, airmen, and sailors for their return to their family. God bless them all.
The FAMCAMP is across the main runway (01) from the C-5 flight line, next to the aero club and very close to the Air Mobility Command Museum. If we hike (as we did) across the road and into the "Eagles Nest" playground, we can see up the runway and see the C-5s on the line. The AMC Museum has many of the old AF cargo planes of the past. However, the AMC Museum is reached from Delaware Route 9, so one has to go off-base and around the base to the south to get into it. Maybe later - we'll be here four nights.
A C-5 just landed next to us. Great Big Thing. A few minutes later either the same one or another one took off.
Dolores spoke with Phyillis Schmitt, who said she'd find a time (or times) when the family here would available for getting together.
We're just not up to much tonight after the excellent hosting by the Conleys and son Bill. We have some new potatoes and a steak is thawing for dinner. TV reception is a little flaky on the tiny RV antenna - we get stations in Baltimore poorly, in Salisbury MD fairly well, and in DC/Philly not at all. We'll do a dinner and take it easy tonight.
20040719
July 19, 2004
Monday
Start: FAMCAMP, Dover AFB, Delaware
End: FAMCAMP, Dover AFB, Delaware
Miles: 0
Temps: High 82.4, Low 67.6
Today we loafed. It felt good after the activity of the past few days.
I went out and got a haircut at the Base Exchange, bought a couple of items there, and found the library. They have no means of access to the internet with my laptop, but they do have internet access using their own web browsers. I could do a couple of things there, but not e-mail. We'll go there tomorrow to do what we can.
We ate all three meals in, which is some sort of record. We took hikes when we felt like it.
Tom Schmitt (D's brother) called in the afternoon to say hi. He said he was on base today but didn't know we are here. He'll be on base tomorrow and may stop at the trailer. Phyllis Schmitt (Tom's ex) called to set up a group dinner on Wednesday at 6:00pm at the Treadway Towers in Dover. Their kids Carl and Richard will be there, with Richard's wife Karen.
After dinner, we took a ride around the Dover area. The area's being built up - there are many more stores up and down US-13. Downtown hasn't changed much - still pretty dead. We found a laundromat we may use tomorrow.
Just after sunset an A-10 came floating in and landed. We've been used to the C-5s that call this place home, and the C-141's that pass through.
Then we resumed loafing.
20040720
July 20, 2004
PhotoLinkTuesday
Start: FAMCAMP, Dover AFB, Delaware
End: FAMCAMP, Dover AFB, Delaware
Miles: 0
Temps: Not observed.
We did a little more today. After breakfast, I took off and did errands while Dolores waited in case her brother called.
I got some things into the outbound snail-mail, bought some light bulbs for the trailer at an RV store, up-and-downloaded e-mail at a computer store, filled up the truck with diesel fuel, and bought a six-pack of Dogfish Head (Milton, DE) ale. Then I returned to the trailer with my goodies for lunch.
We did a few chores around the trailer in the afternoon, and had dinner late (chicken and salad with Pinot Grigio), and planned tomorrow.
20040721
July 21, 2004
Wednesday
Start: FAMCAMP, Dover AFB, Delaware
End: FAMCAMP, Dover AFB, Delaware
Miles: 0
Temps: High 90.3, Low 66.6 (over the past two days)
We were out fairly early in the morning to do laundry. It was warm and humid, but nothing like the temperature and humidity in that laundromat. Wow. We came back, stopping at the commissary for a few items on the way, and put everything away.
After lunch, we went to the base library. Dolores put data into her database at WeightWatchers, then I got our financial balances (so far, so good). We got cash at the credit union and returned.
We cleaned up and went to dinner at the Treadway Towers, where we sat outside overlooking the pond. There were any number of geese and seagulls, plus a heron, in the pond and a small rabbit between the dining area and the pond. Tom, Phyllis, Carl, Richard & Karen joined us. We chatted and laughed and told stories and had a lot of fun. We invited them all to come down when they could and got really positive responses from Tom & Phyllis.
Several in the group had the house's trademark soup, cream of crab and shrimp. The food was very nice.
The Treadway Towers restaurant has been totally redone since the last time we were there. At that time, they had a full wall mirror on one end of the dining room. Ganny was there and must have looked at the mirror out of the corner of her eye; as we got up to leave, she said something about there being a guy down the room who looks just like Owen, only older. Everyone got a good laugh out of that one when we told her it was a mirror. She blushed and giggled, too.
Then we came back to the little house & prepared to move to Pennsylvania tomorrow.
