Where in the heck is Easley, SC?? Right next to Greenville, S.C.

Most people would ask this question if I said we were in Easley, South Carolina. 

What was first named Rockville in 1791 became Pickensville the next year and, later, Easley in the late 1800s. During its short history, Pickensville played a major role in the development of upstate South Carolina.


In 1792 it held the distinction of being the district seat for Washington District, which was composed of Greenville and Pendleton counties. In 1798 the Washington District was divided into the Greenville and Pendleton districts, with Pickensville maintaining its place as the district seat for Pendleton. Pendleton District was composed of what would later be known as Pickens, Anderson, and Oconee counties.


When a new courthouse was built in Pendleton for the Court of General Sessions and Common Pleas, the importance of Pickensville began to wane. The ultimate demise came when the railroad located through Easley, a scant 2 miles (3 km) away. The state granted a charter for Easley in January 1874. The next year (1875), the US Post Office Department renamed the Pickensville Post Office, which had opened in 1795, to the Easley Post Office.



Pickensville and Pickens County were named after General Andrew Pickens of Revolutionary War fame. Easley's namesake was General William King Easley who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. General Easley was an attorney for the Atlanta and Charlotte Railroad Company, which owned the railroad that passed through Easley. Robert Elliot Holcombe, who became the first mayor of Easley, financed and built the first depot in town.



We are actually in Greenville SC not Easley, although my cousin AJ Appenhiemer and his family (his wife Heather, daughters Bentley and Regan) live in Easley.  So let me first say that we had an awesome time visiting one of my favorite cousin and family.  As always you will all be missed until we connect again.

Greenville South Carolina, is a beautiful city filled with tasty restaurants, a modern art  district and much more.
I want to tell you about an area known as "FALLS PARK ON THE REEDY".  Falls Park On The Reedy is a beautiful 26-acre city park located in the middle of downtown Greenville, South Carolina. The focal point of Falls Park is the $4.5 million Liberty Bridge, a pedestrian suspension bridge that spans the Reedy River and overlooks the Reedy River waterfalls. Landscape architect Andrea Mains of Washington, DC designed Falls Park to feature a collection of garden rooms to display seasonal color and artistic garden design.

Specialty gardens, including the Falls Cottage Garden and the Governor’s School Woods, blend ornamental and native plants to make Falls Park a true downtown attraction. Once a hunting ground for the Cherokee Indians, the Reedy River in downtown Greenville, SC saw its first white settlers in 1773 when Richard Pearis purchased 10 square miles along the river from three Cherokee chiefs, and later operated a gristmill at the Upper Falls of the Reedy.

In 1852, Furman University bought the land, and three textile mills and a cotton warehouse operated there in the early 1900s.


In 1967, the Carolina Foothills Garden Club reclaimed 26 acres along the river and over the next 40 years worked with the City of Greenville, individuals, corporations, and state and federal agencies to further develop the park, clean up the river and restore the historic Falls Cottage. In this video, Greenville Mayor Knox White talks about how the development of Falls Park On The Reedy has contributed to the revitalization of the City of Greenville and how it has become one of Greenville’s primary attractions. 

With just a week in the area and knowing our cousin was around we did not spend a lot of time exploring. 


What we will tell you is that Greenville is a wonderful city with a lot to offer.  Oh did we mention that diesel is only 3.43 per gallon.  Almost want to redirect your travel just to grab a tank full.  With that said, we are off to Ashville NC for our next adventure.  This time we will be there for a month and will have some great things to share. 

FYI, all photos of the falls were taken by my camera.  Although they do have a professional look. 

I want to end this with a quick note that even though we continue to have fun doing what we love, there is always things going on where we came from.  One of my jobs was to assist coaching of HS wrestling.  I met many wonderful kids and now many have grown to be wonderful parents and husbands.  One in particular is a young man by the name of Jacob Baxter. 

Jacob Baxter was a awesome at every sports he did in HS.  Wrestling, baseball you get the idea.  He graduated went on to college and married a wonderful woman who together they have three children, the youngest only six weeks old.  Sadly Jacob was walking the side of the low falls in Rochester NY when he fell into the Genesee river and after two days missing his body was found. 

He was 27.  It hurts me because he had so much going for him and his family, a ministry in his future as well as the ability to teach more children most anything possible.  I was devastated to hear that he had gone missing in the murky waters that rushed so hard divers decided to wait a few days.  By the grace of God or prayer or positive energy his body came up miles down the river and authorities recovered his body. 


Jacob Baxter will be missed by many and many will shed tears this week at his burial.  One thing will be on everyone's mind after that day, what will his wife with three young children do.  I was a in a family that was fatherless, my dad died in 1965, my mom took care of 5 children and with help from our aunts, uncles and grandparents we were able to recover enough to be productive citizens. 

So if you read this, please say a prayer for a young man who was called to God at such a young age.  Think a thought for those three children who are without a father, and most of all send a positive energy in the direction of his wife Christina Baxter.     

RIP Jacob Baxter 1986 - 2014

Savannah Night Life Has So Much To Offer!!!

Like Kenny Chesney would sing, "We went out last night" and what a great time we had.  In Savanna, Ga. you are "by law" allowed to have a 16 ounce alcoholic cocktail in hand on the sidewalks in their beautiful downtown Historic District. 


As Kreuzer's, we took full advantage of that situation.  We made rum runners prior to leaving the house, when we got there we were all set to get our drink on. 

I am sure if you really wanted to save money you could have a pitcher of them in the truck waiting but the only catch to that is you would have to hang in that area. 

Savannah has a night life that extends over 15 to 20 blocks. 
We first traveled to all the small stores in the area just to find a souvenir.  We are collecting Christmas Ornaments from all over.  This way we can look at our Christmas tree and reminisce of all the places we visited that year.


After that it was time to find another drink and what a time we had.  Our first stop Wet Willie's was a jamming place with karaoke and a wall of frozen concoctions. 
My choice was a drink called "Attitude Improvement" A Wet Willie's original with a tangy orange taste that's earned its reputation. Grain Alcohol* (153° or 190°), vodka, and Bacardi Light and Dark rums.

My lovely wife decided on a  Piña Colada (Dreamsicle), Piña Colada As cool and refreshing as a Caribbean night. Made with coconut, pineapple, ice cream and Bacardi Castillo® rum. Delicious with Attitude Improvement ( Dreamsicle ) YUM!!!

In a city that has so much to offer, you should try to hit as many as possible.  Remember, your drink travels with you so it is not necessary to purchase a drink at every place.   

Here are a few to mention.  Kevin Barry's, Rocks on the Roof, Bay Street Blues, The Social Club, The Jinks, The Distillery, and Murrphy's Law.  The list goes on and on.  


Of coarse this is by far just the tip of the bar ice burg.  Oh, did I mention that you can also walk the stairs to the next level of the city or if you have problems with stairs there is always another way around as well as a bicycle taxi.

If you like blues as we do every so often, you would have joined us at "The Wearhouse".  There we enjoyed music from Cream, Allman Brothers, and a few other great tunes.  The band rocked!!


You will meet many people from many countries as this is considered a very nice vacation spot.  Between the dancing, the drinking and the singing we managed to make a few prank calls to some family members just to bust on them. 

The evening went fast and knowing our little guy was home alone for the first time, we kind of pushed his patience in his crate without access to use the potty.  The real nice thing was he held it in and he was so happy to see us when we arrived home.  Out he went and as if it was a movie, he slept the rest of the night with just one wake up and potty. 






I know I got off the subject of night life but it is a proud moment to know he is getting everything we are throwing at him. 

To sum up the evening, my beautiful wife and I had one hell of a time.  So it is time to say goodbye to Savannah as we get our house ready for our next adventure. 



Greenville, SC wake up baby, we are about to shake our tail feathers there.  To my cousins in Easley SC, we will see you very soon.  Until next time, have a good day and a better tomorrow. 
Seeeeeeeee-Ya!!!!!!!!  

PS- to my mother and father in law, we found your street name!!

How many of us have placed Savannah Georgia on the list of great vacation spots?

Our stop in Hardeeville, South Carolina is only minutes away from the Historical District of Savannah Georgia. 

The Historic District of Savannah is the heart of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with cobblestone streets, manicured gardens, and oak-shaded parks drizzling with silvery Spanish Moss. The perfect Georgia vacation destination for all ages – abuzz with art, culture, festivals, concerts, live theater, outdoor cafes, gourmet restaurants, and true Southern hospitality.

The largest National Historic Landmark District in the United States, Savannah contains more than twenty city squares filled with museums, churches, mansions, monuments and famous forts of the Revolutionary & Civil War eras.

The main walkway for vendors is River Street.  River Street is a glittering, multi-faceted gem along the broad Savannah River.


The century old buildings, once cotton warehouses, have been converted to antique shops, distinctive boutiques, spectacular galleries, quaint brew pubs, fabulous restaurants, unique nightspots, elegant inns and hotels.

Bustling with welcoming hospitality, it’s also the place to see Savannah from the river that made her by taking a cruise or watching ships from around the globe sail into one of the busiest ports in America. 

Should you arrive here in March for St Patrick's Day we are told you will be amazed.  The St. Patrick's Day celebration in Savannah, Georgia is the city's largest annual celebration and the second largest St. Patrick's Day gathering in the United States.

Attracting roughly 400,000 Irish and honorary Irish visitors and local celebrators each year, Savannah's St. Patrick's Day traditions are steeped in the area's rich Irish heritage.






While you are there you have to do two things.  You have to enjoy the wonderful seafood that the area prides itself on as well as and this is the big on, enjoy some sweet tasty and very delicious Pralines. 

What is pralines you ask?  When you finally have it you will never forget it.   Praline is sugar candy made from nuts and sugar syrup, whether in whole pieces or a ground powder, or, alternatively, a chocolate cookie containing the ground powder or nuts. Pralines also contain milk or cream and are therefore softer and creamier, resembling fudge.  When you taste them and you will because samples are all over as well as large portions, you will feel this cookie like thin melt in your mouth with the taste of sweet sugary and nutty flavors that will make you go back for more.  At 17.00 a pound, the box you purchase should last a good while. 

Our choice for food while on River Street was River House Seafood.  http://liveoakstore.com/riverhouse

If you are looking for the hotspot in seafood and a scenic view of Savannah's River Street, you have just found it!!  For about a 40 dollar bill we enjoyed an incredible meal that started with a choice of soup, I went with my favorite French Onion Soup and Sondra chose the Lobster and Lump Crab Bisque.  When the soup cam out we sampled each others and I was not very happy with my choice.  While the French Onion soup was absolutely delicious, my taste buds jumped up and went crazy when I sampled Sondra's Lobster and Lump Crab Bisque.  WOW WEE!!!  Her soup was so tasty that I actually made a comment to the waitress that I did not want my French Onion and would like what she has!!  We both ordered the same sandwich which was the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Sandwich served with a side of Red Rice.  I would also suggest this to you because the flavors in the crab cake is like no other I ever had, it was just melting in my mouth as I crunched into the delicious roll that covered the sauce, crab cake, lettuce and tomato.  The side of red rice had a taste of mustard which for me was good because Sondra does not like mustard.  When we finish our meal, we both commented that the flavors were meshing together perfectly.  The only thing to do now is enjoy some dessert, but not here because we want the good stuff Praline's!!! 

I hope this is helpful to anyone who chooses Savannah for a vacation.  FYI, There are numerous areas in the Savannah outskirts that will keep you busy for a week or two.  After a long afternoon somebody was beat, and Ranger slept for hours after he enjoyed his first outing. 

Until next time, it's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice.  Seeeee ya!!!! 

Happy birthday to my son Mathew tomorrow!!.

We have a new member in our family!!

Sondra and I have been patiently waiting for this day to come. Our little boy Ranger is joining the Justkreuzin.com team. He is a six week old Rat Terrior born on June 12th one of seven pups, with a great personality.

 He weights about two lbs right now but this will change fast and he will eventually reach weight at 20 lbs. We had the hardest desicion to make when we were at the breeders home and litterally fell in love with all three male pups. Knowing we only had one choice we stayed there for quite a while and interacted with all the pups for some time. He assured us he will be a happy easy going young pup with a strong urge to learn. He also said he is looking forward to meeting every one of our friends and family.

 He is a loving little guy who enjoys being petted, laying around and relaxing. His blood line is a winning line in dog shows and as time goes on he said he will particapat in agility coarses as a specialty. We are so excited to have our little guy home so he can teach us all the neat parenting skills of a puppy, like getting up early so he can pee or staying up and cuddling when he is not feeling well. He even mentioned that he will be our alarm system when the posibility of an intrudder should be present. So without further to do, we would like to introduce to you Ranger Kreuzer.

The Gloria Howard Presidential has set sail again!!

After almost three months of living in the back of a service area, after getting to know so many very nice people at Alliance RV Coach, Wildwood, Fl., after going over repair list after repair list on our new 5th wheel, after reading about our little puppy that is waiting for us in Georgia.

 We have set sail!! Georgia and South Carolina may not be far from where we are but it is progress as we have our coach back to "ok to travel". We have a few more items that will be taken care of in the October trip to Florida, but for the most part we are heading out. Our little guy is in Glennville, Ga. We will drop anchor in Hardeeville, SC area for a week and enjoy our new home.  After that, no telling till we decide. 

                                                                                                  
We could not have done this without the many who have worked on our coach at Alliance RV Coach in Wildwood, Fl.  http://www.alliancecoach.com/ 

 From the owner Alan Shapiro to Josh Hall to Will Burke to the many at Alliance we say thank you for your time and work put into our coach.  A few days ago, we had a team come over and scrub and wax our coach. We found out that the team is an independent company who will set up home at Alliance Coach.

 The team is "On the spot detailing" Mike Arcuri has everything needed to take you ok coach and turn it into a highly shined and sparkly coach just gleeming with a shine that will last up to six months.

 His price is reasonable but most important is knowing that the job he is doing is a class A job. I even got him to wash and polish my truck for under 100. So if you are in need of service or just a good wash and wax on your coach, you are in the central Florida area. You now have a place that will give you good service happy people who know what they are doing and a feeling of family while your on your stay.

Again, thank you to the many that have contributed to bringing our coach back to new and ready to go.

A very special thank you to John Hurd and Taylor Spike of ARG.

Without you both, this process would still be going on. You guys have reset our thought process of how people are treated by the "big guys" in the RV business. We look forward to stopping in and seeing you when we finally hit the northwest.  

 

 

So until next time, have a good day and a great tomorrow.