3/22/75 to 3/29/75
1529 MILES

We headed for the Chesapeake Bay area via. Rts.295, 301,and 50. We stopped in Easton to see Harry Scott's new home and then drove to Tilgham Island to enjoy the fabulous oysters.

My first experience came unexpectedly during our exploring of the island. We drove a mile or so down a narrow road to a point. Guess what! It led to a construction site that was fenced in and locked. There was no place to turn around. I had never backed the rig but I learned in a hurry.

I had to back about half a mile. Mary Liz led the way waving her arms all over the place. Slowly with many mistakes we found a place to turn around.

We proceeded to Oxford Md. to spend our first night in the trailer.

Karl Kaiser's Driveway

We enjoyed the drive to Oxford and made a short tour of Oxford before visiting Karl and Jane. They lived in a small house on a narrow street. They suggested that we park in the driveway.

Their narrow driveway extended straight back very close to the houses on each side. At the street curb there was a telephone pole on one side of the drive and a tree on the other side.

Karl and Jane invited us to spend the night. We insisted on staying on the trailer; our first night on board. We had a fun visit with the Kaisers but--

Next morning when we were ready to leave I was confronted with a real dilemma. How could I get out of the driveway. It was another backup lesson. I had to back the rig without being able to make any correction by steering the car right or left.

When we reached the street, I don't know how we were able to
make the turn, but we did.

The Outer Banks

We had our first dinner on the trailer. Oyster stew made from oysters we bought on Tilgham Island. Our second night was spent on the beach in Duck, N.C. at the Green Acres Camp Ground. We did a lot of sight seeing in the area, Kitty Hawk, Wright Bros. Monument, and Roanoke Island. Roanoke Island was the first English settlement in Virginia and the first white child, Virginia Dare, was born there.

When we were headed out toward Williamstown, N.C. we received Tornado warnings while we were driving on a road with water on each side. All we could do was speed straight ahead and look for shelter. We found it just in time behind a McDonald's as the winds struck. It sure did blow.

Raleigh, N.C.

Mary Liz started on her genealogy. She called every Card she could find in the phone book and spent the first of several visits to the N.C. Archives and N.C. State Library.

We spent two nights in Raleigh. Visited Andrew Johnson's birthplace, the Univ. of North Carolina, called a Card descendent and visited the Ebenezer Church Cemetery.

Port Royal VA.

We stayed in Port Royal and saw Wakefield, the birth place of George Washington, and Stafford Hall, the birthplace of Robert E. Lee. On our way north to Graysonville we saw the birthplace of James Monroe.

Graysonville

Graysonville was going to become a familiar stop on our many future trips.

On the way north we passed through the Chesapeake Bay area again and the genealogy once again took over. This time, in St Georges Md. we looked for Sutton graves for an hour or so.

Home Base

We had a successful shake down cruise. The few problems were exhilarating. The weather had been good, the car handled well, and the trailer was fun and accommodations on the road were good.

next: Wagons Ho!!!
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