Mark realised we had a mechanical issue , as we continually had a coolant leak. This often meant an alarm went off as were driving, and we would have to stop and put more coolant in the expansion tank. With help from Willie at MBNI, Mark diagnosed we had a problem with the compressor so ordered a replacement from North Wales Truck Parts (yes from the UK). Mark felt he would be able to fix this himself at the upcoming house sit.

First off, time for a bit more exploring and history. The house/dog sit we were about to start was near the Historic triangle in Virginia, so we spent a few days visiting it before we went there. Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown are places that are historically significant in America’s history. Jamestown was the first successful English settlement in the new world. Yorktown was effectively where the end of revolutionary war happened, and Williamsburg was key in the founding of a new nation. All are well preserved with well presented history.

The house sit was in a small town on a river inlet of the Potomac river. We were lucky to be staying in an old house with plenty of history and surrounded on 3 sides by water, with its own private beach. We looked after 3 energetic dogs, all with their own minds!! It was fun, but a little stressful as the dogs could wander off if we weren’t careful (no fences around the property!).

Mark did a few jobs but the compressor was more problematic than hoped, which meant Mark couldn’t complete it. Tow truck No.2 was called in and we had to go to Fredericksburg to get the job completed. This meant another 2 nights in hotels after the house sit finished, but the bright side was the town is lovely, and we had two lovely days seeing a nice historic and attractive town. Fredericksburg was a major frontline of the Civil War twice and suffered significant damage as a consequence. It is also home to a large number of gorgeous antebellum houses. To help us put our situation in to perspective, we think about Brian who we met there by chance. Brian was homeless, and we met him when he asked us to see where the free church dinner was that night. When we told him it was a mile away, he became really despondent and said he couldn’t carry all his stuff that far, so we offered to help him. This was a humbling experience, and as we walked with him he told us some of his life journey that had led him to this point. This really made us appreciate our lives and opportunities. We may have occasional mechanical problems with Shaun, but with time (and money) and patience we can get these dealt with and then carry on.

After 2 nights in Fredicksburg, Shaun was ready and we drove on Gettysburg. At a pit stop along the way, Mark noticed the plastic nut covers on the wheel were melting on one of the wheels. We got to a tyre garage to get it checked, but of course it was ok then! We got to Gettysburg, staying in a Harvest Host, microbrewery and distillery! As it was close to Halloween we joined in a Hocus Pocus in house quiz. This was challenging for us, as we have never seen the film!! We still won a voucher to spend the next night in the brewery, happy days.

The next day we cycled around the huge site of the Gettysburg battlefields, seeing the many monuments to different regiments, and the location where Lincoln delivered the famous Gettysburg address.

From Gettysburg we drove into Pennsylvana and Amish countryside. We loved seeing this living history, with Amish people still living and working pretty much as they have done for hundreds of years. Seeing their farming practices was really interesting, and we visited a preserved historical village where we were able to find about more about their lives. 

After a couple of days in bucolic countryside we headed to …… New York, what a change of pace!!!!

Life on the road can be challenging, but wherever you are life can throw curve balls, so yes, it is worth it!

See New York, New York for the next part of our journey, thanks for reading!