HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!

Andrea and I would like to wish all our friends and family a very happy, healthy, and a prosperous New Year. It is our hope that you will find the happiness and joy in life that we all so desperately search for. Much of what we seek is in reach, but we sometimes just don't see it.

We are just loving our new home here in Dahlonega, Georgia. Come up (or down) and visit. The air is clean and the views are fabulous.





HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE.





Miles of smiles. Happy trails.

The Murphy's wish you Happy Holidays

Christmas is just around the corner. It is hard to believe that we started our journey 4 months ago and that this Christmas we will be spending it sitting around our fireplace in our new home in Dahlonega, Georgia. Wow, this year of 2007 has sure been exciting.

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We certainly did, but like most we just ate too darn much. I suppose that is what we are supposed to do. We are so willing to do what we are supposed to do aren't we. Andrea and I have so much to be thankful for. We feel so blessed to have each other and to have created the wonderful life we get to enjoy every day. The days continue to fly by and there never seems to be enough time to get things done. I guess that is why we have tomorrow. Its when we run out of tomorrows that we have a big problem. Let us hope that we all have many more tomorrows to look forward to.

Andrea, Angel and I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy and Healthy New Year. Please check the Blog on occasion as I would like to keep it going so that you can keep tabs on us.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Miles of Smiles.

Georgia bound

In the last blog I mentioned that we bought a house in Dahlonega, Georgia. We are back in Florida so we could get the apartment ready to rent. Our thought was that it would probably take a few months to find a tenant. It took only a couple of days so it looks like we will be leaving for Dahlonega on the 14th of December. It appears that we will not get to see everyone we had hoped to see. For that I am sorry. Of course we are also anxious to get settled in to our new home, and for that we are happy.

As for the Murphy's on the move blog I will update it from time to time to let everyone know what we are up to. I do hope you will check it periodically. I love reading your comments so please continue to do so. Most of you have our email address so we would welcome emails from you all as well.

Thank you all for following our travels. We have enjoyed it immensely, but we needed to stop for at least a while as it is not easy to be nomads. I guess we just missed having a home. The house we found gives us such a great feeling as does the whole area of Dahlonega. Come and visit and you will see what I mean.

Miles of smiles.

Detour in Georgia

We have hit a bump in the road. The mountains of north Georgia has captured our hearts and minds. I guess you could say we have "Georgia on our mind". Our plans have changed as we have purchased a home here in Dahlonega. It is so beautiful here. The mountains are captivating.

Friday is the closing and move in. We will head back to south Florida on Sunday or Monday (11/11) stopping along the way to see my sisters and brother. We will make arrangements to rent the apartment in Oakland Park once we get back into town. Our intention is to stay in south Florida until we rent the apartment so we should be around for a month or so.

What does this mean with the "Murphys on the move" blog? Honestly, I don't know. We have been so busy over the past week or so just looking around at property's. We found this gem of a home that was priced right. It is brand new so we get the chance to utilize Andrea's design talents to create a wonderful living space. Did I say space? That is something that we have had little of for the past year between the apartment and RV. The house (though not huge) seems cavernous.

I will update the blog periodically as events unfold.

Miles of smiles ya'll (thats how they speak here).

Asheville, NC

Yeah I know it has been a few days since my last posting. Not too much going on over the past week as we start making our way south. After leaving Gettysburg, PA we started our journey south to Lexington, VA (about 40 miles north of Roanoke, VA and then moved on down I-81 to Asheville, NC.

The picture was taken at the campground we stayed at in Asheville. It was nice to have the river right behind the RV.

From Asheville we have moved onto Cleveland, GA. The winding roads through the mountains are just amazing. It can be a little scary at times when the turns are so tight as you make your way down a steep hill. Controlling speed and maneuvering the turns can really get the Adrenalin pumping. That said, it is more then worth it as the beauty of the mountains and the change in the colors of the leaves just blows us away.

We will be spending a week to a week and a half here. We chose this campground because of the amenities at the campground and the surrounding area. I will have more details later.

Miles of Smiles. Happy trails.

Bushkill Falls, E. Stroudsburg, PA

Yesterday afternoon we attempted to go to Bushkill Falls, but it was so crowded we decided against it. Since it opens at 9 AM we decided that perhaps that is the best time to go. We are really glad we did that. So at 9 this morning we hit the trail. There were only a few other hikers that had the same idea about the crowds. It was quite cool so we were prepared with layers of clothes and even wore gloves. At least in the beginning as it was quite cool at 48 degrees. Even though it was cold, we were working up a good sweat. This turned out to be one of the most challenging of the hikes we have taken to date. Even Angel was plum tuckered out when we were done.

There are several paths to take, and of course we took the most difficult, but perhaps the most rewarding. Because of the topography there are lots of steps that they had to put in. However, the beauty and just raw nature made it all worth while. The trail was 2 miles of up and down along the river. Some of the trails were really challenging, but that is what make it so much fun. There are a total of 12 falls in the park that we were able to see. Oh how fortunate we are to see so many of the wonders that are out there. We look forward to seeing many more. It really amazes me how Andrea is able to hike with the best of them considering the fact that she has had both knees and a hip replaced. Ah, the wonders of modern medicine.

This area of Pennsylvania is where the Pocono Mountains are, and the big attraction is skiing.

We took a ride around the Delaware Water Gap, but there where a lot of pet restrictions so we could not do much since we had Angel with us. We have not come across too many situations where Angel was not welcomed. Most state parks welcome dogs as long as they are on a leash. We are very appreciative of that as we love bringing her every where we go.

Tomorrow we leave here and head to Gettysburg. We will be there for about a week so we can spend more time with Chris, Cheryl and the grand kids. More later.

Miles of Smiles. Happy trails.

Montrose, Pennsylvania

As we start making our way south we are doing some re-visiting. We spent some time with my Aunt Del and Uncle Gene. We also met up with my cousin Lori and spent and evening talking about family. Not so much the present day family, but rather some history going back to Europe. They had lots of information that was fascinating to hear.

The weather has taken a 180 degree turn in that a wicked cold front came through bringing two days of rain, really cold temperatures, and was just miserable. We took a ride into town to find a laundromat since there was very little else to do with such nasty weather. When we left Saturday morning (10/13) there was frost all over the car and grass. The temperature had gone down to 34 degrees. It is a good thing that we bought Angel a little jacket to wear for just such an occasion. Very stylish, wouldn't you agree?

Today we went to Bushkill Falls for a hike. I will do a separate blog on that.

Miles of Smiles. Happy trails.

Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania

The canyon was formed 20,000 years ago by a glacier that carved out a 1,400 foot deep chasm. We viewed both East and West rims from two different state parks that are in the Tioga Forest region. The chasm is 47 miles long.

We hiked a 1-1/2 mile steep and narrow trail to the bottom. As usual Angel led the way. What a great hiker she has become. Going back up proved to be much more difficult than we believed it would be. We are glad to report that we managed.

We have enjoyed seeing an endless vision of mountain ranges for well over three months now and we are just loving it. We have also enjoyed driving through so many towns. Many of the towns were established back in the 1700's. Truly a joy to pass through history as we move on down the road. More later.

Miles of Smiles. Happy trails.

Covington, Pennsylvania

We arrived here in Pennsylvania yesterday. It was a nice drive along Senaca Lake, then through Watkins Glen. It was nice to see once again some of the things we really enjoyed about the area. The trip was only about 2-1/2 hours long so no big deal as far as travel time.

Temperatures are still above normal, but the good news is that by Tuesday a cold front is coming that should keep the temperatures in the 60's (where they are supposed to be).

The campground we are at sits atop a mountain so the leaves seem to be changing a little faster than what we have seen to date.

Later today we are going to a Apple and Cheese Festival located in Canton, PA. In addition there is an Art and Craft show that we will check out as well. More later.

Miles of Smiles. Happy trails.

Montezuma, New York

We arrived at the campground in Montezuma NY around 12:30 as it was only a 2 hour ride from Watkins Glen. Montezuma sits fairly close to Cayuga Lake. This lake is 40 miles long and 3.5 miles wide at its widest point. At 453 feet it is very deep although not quite as deep as Seneca Lake which is 632 feet deep.

The campground is pretty empty during the week as the season is pretty much over. Although with the weather being about 20 degrees warmer then normal they could have very easily extended the season had they known it was going to be so warm. Today is supposed to hit 83 degrees. It is crazy weather. It is still cooler then Florida. Also, the nights really do get cool.

The section of the campground that we are in is empty so we have it to ourselves. The view out the front of the coach is nothing but corn fields and grass. The park is spread out so it makes for some very nice long walks. This morning we decided to let Angel run free as we walked. She had a blast. Those of you that know her know that she loves to run. Well run she did. Of course when we got back to the RV she was filthy. We gave her a nice shower and we could not believe the amount of dirt that was on her. We even think she enjoyed it although I doubt she would admit it.

We will be taking a ride along the lake this morning to check out the area. More later.

Miles of Smiles. Happy trails.

The Gorge at Watkins Glen, NY

Yesterday we visited the Gorge at Watkins Glen. It appears the Mother Nature has been very busy over the last 12,000 years. It is amazing how the constant flow of water just eats away the rock and creates some rather spectacular sites to behold. The pictures really do not not reflect the real beauty, but it can give you an idea of what we have seen.

After visiting the Gorge we took a ride (about 3 minutes) over to Seneca Lake to watch the sail boats enjoy a most beautiful day. As most of you know Andrea and I love the water so it was very enjoyable to spend a little time just "taking it in". However, we are fast becoming mountain folk and find the mountains give a different kind of calm. The eyes take it in as if we were feasting on a most delicious meal. At times we can not get enough.

Based on what we are seeing here we are most anxious to see the grand daddy of them all when we head out west next March. Next week we will be spending a few days in Pennsylvania at an area known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. Of course we will have a report on what we see. Perhaps we will call it a warm up to the "big show".

Miles of Smiles. Happy trails.

Seneca Lake, Watkins Glen, NY

Lake Seneca is 36 miles long and varies in width. At its deepest point it is 632 feet deep. We took a ride along the lake and were quite impressed with its beauty. The surrounding area is loaded with wineries. There are over 50 of them so we had to do a few wine tastings and see if any where worth purchasing for consumption. We are glad to report that there were some that were worthy so we helped the local economy a little, and we will benefit as well.

We met up with Jim and Caren as well as Caren's cousin Miriam and her husband Bob. They live not to far from here and joined us for the wine tour and a lovely dinner to celebrate Jim's birthday. It was a great day.

Still having fun

Yes, I know it has been a few days since our last posting. We have been laying low for the past few days and enjoying some idle time. The pictures in today's posting are from the campground in Windsor (just outside Binghamton, NY).

The fall colors are a little slow in coming as the weather has been warmer then normal. In fact the other day it went as high as 84 degrees. Today the temperature is only going to hit the low 70's so we are glad about the change.

We had a great location of the RV. The view we had is what you see in the picture. Just open space. At this time of the year there are no real crowds at the campgrounds. Weekends are a little busier, but still fairly quite by comparison to "in season".

Today we are getting together with my brother Jim and his wife Caren to celebrate his birthday.

We will be hitting some local Finger Lakes Wineries to enjoy the local grapes.

Miles of Smiles. Happy trails.

Binghamton, NY area

We are presently at a campground in Windsor, NY that is about 15 miles from Binghamton. The weather has been somewhat strange to us at least from Florida standards. Last night the temperature dropped to 49 degrees. Today it is 82. Tomorrow is supposed to go up to 84. Fall should start any day now. We do see evidence of the change in colors. However, it will be at least another week or so before it will show the vivid colors we expect to see.

This morning was quite foggy as evidenced by the picture. Well not really, it was just because the water in the lake is quite warm as compared to the air temperature (49). There is a nice walking trail around the 22 acre lake. We did two round trips for some morning exercise.

There isn't too much going on around here, but that is OK as it gives us some time to kick back and relax.

As you can see from the picture of Angel, she is very relaxed and is so happy to be with us 24/7.

From here we go to Watkins Glen in the Finger Lakes Region.

Miles of Smiles. Happy Trails.

Central Bridge, NY

Once again we were lucky to have set up the RV next to a wonderful couple, Ivan and Pat from Idaho. It was so nice to sit around a campfire and just talk about our lives, kids, careers, etc. We had them over to our RV this morning for my famous banana pancakes as a parting gift as they left for Vermont, Maine and then Nova Scotia. We will miss them as neighbors, but we will hook up with them next year when we head out west. This is what we love about traveling in this style. There are so many great people that we have met along the way, and we are looking forward to meeting many more. Life is so good.

Yesterday we visited Howe Caverns. We are so glad we did as it was another opportunity to see what natural wonders there are out there waiting to be appreciated. We are truly grateful for having the time and ability to check it out.

Tomorrow we head for Windsor, NY making our way to the Finger Lakes region where we will be meeting my brother and sister-in-law for Jims birthday on the 29th. It will be good to see them. That is it for now.

Miles of Smiles. Happy trails.

Whitehall, NY

We arrived in Whitehall, NY on the 17th. Not necessarily the most exciting place we have been. The town sits close to the border with Vermont so we took a nice drive to explore. We wanted to do some hiking so we located Bomoseen State Park that had a nice hiking trail. Angel was ready to hike, and so were we. We really enjoy the hikes in new areas. The trails, and the scenery are different in so many ways. Actually, everywhere we go we see so many changes. That is one of the things that we love about traveling in the motor home. How else can you see so much.

Towing the car has given us the flexibility to really explore the areas we travel to. It would be too difficult to explore the way we do in the RV.

Today we are bringing the car in for an oil change and to rotate the tires so we will be just hanging around the area. Tomorrow we leave for Central Bridge, NY. The campground we will be staying in is located not too far from Howe's Caverns along with other caverns so we want to explore the area.

Miles of Smiles. Happy trails.

Whiteface Mountain, NY

Brrrrr!!!!! We took a ride up to the top of Whiteface Mountain. The temperature was 37 degrees. It was a cloudy day so at the top (4, 867 feet) there was zero visibility. We read that on a clear day you can see all the way to Canada. We were lucky to see our feet. It rained on and off most of the day at the higher elevations, but at the KOA it wasn't bad, it was just cold at about 50 degrees. Today's high is going to be 60. Should be a great day for a hike so we will check it out.

We took a ride through Lake Placid to check it out. It looks like a nice town. We can only imagine what it would have been like during the 1980 Olympics with all the activity going on. It had to be quite a scene.

More later.

Miles of Smiles. Happy trails.

Ferry to Burlington, VT

Yesterday we took the 10:00 Ferry to Burlington from Port Kent, NY. This was Angels first ferry ride. It was a very windy day (25-30 knots) so Lake Champlain was rather rough. As we headed into the wind plus our forward speed it put a lot of water into the air. Every thing exposed was drenched. It was good to be in the car for the ride. We had the comfort and the warmth. Angel enjoyed it, but then again as long as we are with her she is happy.

It took an hour to make the crossing to Burlington. We walked along the waters edge on a really nice bike/walking path. Andrea packed a lunch so we sat on a park bench and ate. After walking around the docks we decided to walk into town to check it out. The town has a really nice area set up with all sorts of restaurants and shops that are on two sides of "pedestrian traffic only". That way you only have to watch out for other walkers doing what we were doing, window shopping. Andrea stopped in a Borders and bought some books, and I stopped in a Ben and Jerry's to buy a small cup of Cherry Garcia ice cream. Lots of other dogs that is not such a thrill for Angel. She thinks that only humans should be tolerated. She is definitely "anti social" when it comes to other dogs.

Later today we leave for Whiteface Mountain and Lake Placid. We will be there for two nights before heading a little south to Lake George. Today is rainy so it is a good day to leave the area and see new scenery. We knew it was going to be raining this morning so I put everything away last night. Glad I did. That's it for now.

Miles of Smiles. Happy trails.