24 Apr: We check in at the Atlanta Hilton Garden Inn preparatory to our flight to Miami.
21 Apr: First we stop overnight at the Biltmore, one of Cynthia's favorites.
20 Apr: We check out and head south to rendezvous with Walt, Pam, Jim & Joanie at the Miami Harley shop on the 26th.
18 Apr: My new friends at the Comfort Inn are Charlotte, Kim, Rosa, and Shayna (who will be hosting 25 5-year-olds for her son's birthday party - and rain is forecast). Progress on the Rambo CD continues sporadically. Our daily hiking is a big success with 7.1 miles yesterday preparing for today's rainy zero day. Cynthia is delighting in a "girl day," with hair, pedicure, manicure and Lord knows what other cures. My time has been spent rinsing recycling, pre-washing socks (so satisfying to see that chocolate-colored rinse water), checking coins for "collectibles," and other activities best not witnessed by the "better half." Remember that our daily hiking activities are journaled on Trailjournals.com.
12 Apr: Time flies when you are having fun. The Waynesboro Comfort Inn, a very pleasant place with great staff, is our present "home." We are enjoying hiking daily and have now covered nearly 20 miles on the AT heading north (and nearly an equal distance heading south). I've been updating the trailjournals daily, so that is where to find our where and what about us. I am home alone for a couple of hours while Cynthia drives to Staunton to have the professionals remove all passwords from her new Macintosh computer; she was unable to remember the password to allow installation of Reunions software; then somehow reset the password to who knows what. today is 11 month anniversary. OH MY. So many dates to remember.
9 Apr: Today I pulled a calf muscle. No fun, much pain. We did continue our daily hike as planned, but the muscle did not loosen up much from the initial cramping. Zheng Gu Shui helps.
8 Apr: We entertained a thru-hiker named Achilles, very nice guy. I found his journal and put my phone # into his guest book.
5 & 6 Apr: Chilly temps led to late AM hiking starts. Thurs. hike was close to five miles RT. See Trail Journals.com for 2012 Shakedown Cruise updates.
4 Apr: Visited the Chancellorville Battlefield area after walking the old city and a tour of the Kenmore House (Betty Washington Lewis's home). Then onto Waynesboro for hiking on the AT.
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| Mrs. Hafstrom, Ron, Ambassador Hafstrom |
3 Apr: Fredericksburg, VA is a lovely and charming old city that would not give up the ghost of Harry Bernard King (Cynthia's elusive great grandfather - and the ancestor most responsible for our marriage). We spent the day at the downtown library in the genealogy room with a wonderful librarian, Nancy, and thousands of books. Nothing new about Harry, but a full ancestry for Elias King, an ancestor of a DNA cousin. We walked the streets of historic downtown for about 45 minutes. Dinner at the Olde Towne Steak and Seafood Restaurant was lovely. Cynthia may have poison ivy but her back is doing great.
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| Ron and Ambassador Hafstrom |
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| Ron, Ambassador Hafstrom, Herb Rambo at Rambo Apple Tree |
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| Mrs. Hafstrom, Ron, Ambassador Hafstrom |
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| Ron in "well chosen tie", Ambassador Hafstrom |
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| Ron in Ambassador's Residence |
2 April:Amazing day! Gussied up in fine clothes, suit and stuff... we met Herb and Sally at the residence of the Ambassador from Sweden, Jonas Hafstrom and his lovely wife Eva to present the five volumes of the Rambo Family Tree to be placed in the Swedish Embassy Library. The Hafstroms are quite a delightful couple. Photos were taken by the Rambo apple trees in the back yard of the residence which will soon be placed on the blog. We especially enjoyed coffee and desserts in the sun-room with the Ambassador, his wife, Herb and Sally. The Jack Russell terrier enjoyed being petted. At five we met Ron's brother Dean and wife at Old Ebbitt's Grill on 15th street in D.C. for dinner. Fun photos will follow of Ron looking for parking. He stopped to visit a guy on the street and soon had a crowd listening to him. The only parking place was valet parking for a very pricey fee. Ron enjoyed two different kinds of draft beer - not his usual "water only" fare so a photo was taken of that good time. We forgot to take a picture of Dean and Janina!!! The funniest part of the day for Cynthia:.. with only three minutes to spare before our entrance into the Ambassador's residence, Ron had to search for a restroom - leaving everyone else waiting with anxiety while he found a restroom at HOMELAND SECURITY! He hurried and arrived back at the residence with ONE minute to spare before we drove through the gates.
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| After a fifteen minute conversation at Kiosk with D.C. group |
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| A good day was had by all of the survivors-Old Ebbitt's Grill in D.C. |
1 April: after a hearty breakfast at the historic Stonewall Jackson Hotel we ventured back onto the AT at Turk's Gap for a 1.9 mile hike over mountain ascending ca.to 2900 plus feet. When we reached the road we followed it back to the car traveling about 3.5 miles in less than two hours. Our speed is increasing. Ron's bald spot is red. Hungry, we wolfed down salad fare at Ruby Tuesday's before departure to Arlington, VA. En route... Cynthia was less than her normal calm self upon discovery of a tick in her head Instead of saving it to compare species it quickly went out the car window. Likely it was a brown dog tick. It was too large to be a deer tick. We are checked into a Hilton Garden Inn with a very comfy bed even though the parking garage is very inferior. Good night
