Leaving Assateague for Mount Gretna and a family birthdays party (my brother Jeff and our cousin Gracie), I had the brilliant idea to buy a bushel of crabs. Wildly expensive, but remembering our crab feasts growing up and our family’s love of Chesapeake Bay crabs, I swallowed hard, paid the price, and headed for PA, ready to be greeted with culinary delight and appreciation.

Not exactly , as it turned out. Only half the crabs were consumed at the party (mostly by one group of six people, including me). But it was a great party, and it is always a pleasure to see Gretna and my siblings and cousins again.

Moe and I took a leisurely walk through town, past the Campmeeting, with its cheek-by-jowl Victorian cottages, and down to the Chautauqua area, with the Playhouse, Hall of Philosophy, and The Jigger Shop (ice cream parlor since 1889). From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the Chautauqua is alive with lectures, musical performances, workshops, theater, and art shows—every day there is something to enjoy.

My brothers both have cottages in Mount Gretna Heights—across the street from each other, which makes visiting back and forth very convenient.

John and I spent much of Sunday (the day after the party) cooking and picking the rest of the crabs. Then I spent eight hours on Monday driving home. By Monday night I couldn’t turn my head to the left and my left shoulder and neck were in stabbing pain. Four days of home remedies did nothing to help, so I finally broke down and went to urgent care, where I got muscle relaxants and prednisone. Those and painkillers got me functional enough to attend the exhibit of student works at the Hill Institute, where I teach sewing for clothing.

And just like that, it was time to hit the road again! This time, we are off for the whole summer. Russ is riding a whole new bicycle touring route, created to celebrate 50 years of Adventure Cycling. It’s called the Golden Gravel Trail, and it runs from the Mississippi River in MO to the southern Oregon coast. Seventy percent of the route is on gravel/dirt roads. I see some primitive camping in my future.