Home – What a trip!

     We only had 200 miles to go this morning. We dumped our tanks for the last time and pulled some things out of the cubby holes all over the RV. It was a quick drive home and raining as we unloaded. I am happy to be back in my lovely house, but already planning for our next trip!
     In one month we traveled 3400 miles through 7 states and 2 Canadian provinces. We saw all of the Great Lakes and drove over each of the waterways between the lakes. 15 days we spent mostly traveling – our longest drive was 320 miles of bad Canadian roads. Except for a few hours in grocery stores and doing laundry we were within 10 yards of each other for the whole trip – and are still speaking to each other!
     For us it isn’t the destination, but the journey. We enjoy the changing countryside – the trees, hills, lakes and farms. We like to learn about what we are seeing – the geography, birds, landscape and history. We love to arrive at a new campground to check out a new “home.” We like spending so much time outdoors – either sightseeing or just hanging out around the campsite.
     We agreed that we would go back to see more of Vermont and New Hampshire, but not Acadia or Cape Cod. They were great, but there are many other places to go to. My favorite campground was called Moorings and was right on the ocean. Favorite food was the Succotash soup at Old Sturbridge Village. We agree that the highlight of the trip was our ride on Maid of the Mist.
     I hope you have the chance to do this sometime. Be sure to travel with an interesting and compatible companion. Be ready to change your plans according to the weather and your energy level. Get a good map and a GPS. Find a skillful, unflappable, patient driver/mechanic. Put a great, cushy mattress pad on your bed. Bring lots of books and a good camera. Keep a journal and record both the big events and the small pleasures. It is just wonderful to look back and revisit a great trip. I enjoyed all of your comments and was delighted to be able to share some of our experiences with you. I look forward to seeing you all in person.

Michigan and Wisconsin

     There are sand dunes along the shores of Lake Michigan and wide sand beaches. The Lake today is silver grey and smooth as glass - reflecting a bunch of little white clouds. I would like to go back here. Eventually the road took us into the farmlands of Wisconsin. There wasn’t a direct way to go west so we needed to work our way on little county roads which took us through some deep woods and right along the edge of farms.
     We drove the same mileage as yesterday, but went through so many little towns that it took us a hour longer to get to our campground. Once again there is almost no one here except for the “seasonal” campers. We have found many campgrounds looking more like trailer parks with 80% or more of the sites occupied by relatively permanent setups. Some of the campgrounds do a good job of keeping high standards so that the environment is still very nice. This one seems to have a lot of trailers way back in the woods. But we found a short term site near the office and had some great sunshine for our afternoon relaxing.
     I cleaned the stove and microwave in preparation for storing it for the winter. We will do the winterizing when we get home. I hate to see our house on wheels covered up with its tarp and put away until spring. We have so much fun on our travels.

The Last Big Bridge

     We drove almost 300 miles north today into hardwood forests that are abundant with color. As a quilter I love to see patterns of color working together. The hills and valleys of Michigan created a beautiful quilt. I began to name the colors as if they were in my box of Crayolas – Quaking Aspen Gold, Sumac Red, Autumn Birch Yellow, October Oak Bronze, Sugar Maple Magenta, and Cinnamon Stick Ash – Add to my list!

     Our last big bridge of this trip was over the Straits between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan – The Mackinac Bridge. It is five miles long – when it opened to traffic in 1957 it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. Now it is the third longest. The bridge joins Upper and Lower Michigan. It was under repair as was almost every other bridge we have driven over. I think that the fall of the 35W Bridge has stimulated a huge effort to maintain these aging bridges. I’m not sure that all the repair work improved my confidence in driving over them – especially attached to 12,000 pounds of trailer.
     As we drove over the bridge I added two blues to my list of colors – Lake Michigan Azure and September Sky Blue. We saw Mackinac Island in the distance with its distinctive white Grand Hotel. We would like to take the Ferry to Mackinac Island when we drive around Lake Superior (and a bit of Lake Michigan). We took advantage of the last few hours of sun by sitting outside in an almost empty campground. I am savoring the last few days of this trip.

Oops!

     Today we were off to Kitchener, Ontario for a tour of the RoadTrek plant. We have been making a point to chat with folks who have smaller RV units with the thought that we might downsize. One of our favorites is the RoadTrek – a Class B type unit. Some Canadians told us about a tour of the plant in Kitchener which was only about 40 miles off our path home. The tour was at 10 am and we were across the border and 95 miles away so we got going by 7:30.

     We drove across the bridge over the waterway between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie to go back into Canada. The shortest way to get to Michigan from New York is through Canada – Look at the map! The tour of the plant was interesting and we were able to climb about in one of the models. It certainly is a lot less room than we have now. Lots of pros and cons to it. I wish we had been able to see more types at close range. But it was worthwhile seeing how the units are put together from scratch.
     Now for the Oops. As we pulled into the plant lot to turn around to get back to the freeway, we scraped one of the poles on the very narrow gate. We had to reattach one of the awning supports, put some duct tape on the cracked trim and mourn our lovely siding which now has some scratches on it. We may not have had the problem except that we pulled in our mirrors so that they wouldn’t get clipped off by traffic going by and forgot to extend them so it was hard to see that right side. The Navigator wasn’t checking out the window either. Hmm – maybe we should get that smaller rig.

     Bottom line is that we decided NOT to drive south to Detroit and around Chicago, but headed north. We drove over a bridge between Lake Huron and Lake Erie back into Michigan. Tonight we are staying at a beautiful, empty, campground outside Port Huron. Tomorrow we will drive to Mackinac, and then on to mid-Wisconsin Thursday, and home on Friday afternoon. (Then off to the RV dealer for a few fixes on today’s issues as well as a list of other minor items).

Almost Under the Falls

       Did you know that the water that flows over the American Falls starts in Lake Superior? Or that the water is moving 35 miles an hour by the time it gets to the falls? What about the fact that a 62 year old school teacher in the 1800’s was the first known person to deliberately go over Horseshoe Falls in a wooden barrel and lived to tell her tale? We had a fun day.

     If you haven’t taken a ride on Maid of the Mist to the edge of Horseshoe Falls you should put it on your “bucket” list of things to do before you kick it. Nothing can adequately describe the awesome power of the water pounding over those rocks. We were issued thin plastic rain ponchos and were wearing shorts and sandals so I didn’t expect to get wet. Someone in line suggested that we tie a small knot in the poncho between our legs to keep it from blowing up over our heads in the breeze. We did so and were thankful as we got the full impact of the wind created by the moving water. Both of us also had caps on which helped keep the water out of our glasses and the hood of the poncho from covering our faces. When the boat got right up next to the Horseshoe Falls it was like standing in a hurricane. Folks on the boat who didn’t tie their ponchos on tight really got wet. We stayed pretty dry and had a wonderful time. WOW! Really, you need to do this.
     We bought a package deal at the New York State Park (first state park in the nation) which gave us entry to Maid of the Mist, an IMAX movie about Niagara that was just great, on and off trolley rides around the whole Falls area, and a tour of “Cave of the Winds.” (It included a couple other things but we were worn out).
     The Cave of the Winds tour was a wooden walkway that takes you up to and sometimes over the edge of the smallest falls – Bridal Veil. This series of decking and stairs is built each spring since it is partly flooded by the gushing water and would break up with the winter freeze. I wouldn’t want to be the crew who builds it each year. We were again issued a poncho, but also swim sandals because the walkway is so wet. An elevator took us down to the lower level of the falls and then we were let out to walk around edges of the falls. That is me in the picture climbing the stairs. It was terrific. I hope that you get to do it some time.

Canadian Side of Niagara Falls

     Very chilly last night – I actually had to get up and turn the heat on. But this morning it was bright and sunny. We were in a bit of a hurry to get to Niagara because I found a mobile RV repair service that works on Sundays and comes to the campground we are staying at in Niagara. After an anxious but short drive, we parked at our new campground home. We called the RV repair place and were told he was so busy he couldn’t work on the RV until Tuesday. However, he gave Rick a bunch of ideas on what to check. We messed around for an hour with me pressing the brakes and turn signals while Rick checked the connection on the truck. He didn’t find any shorts or problems. Then Rick hooked the RV back to the truck and shazamm! – it all worked. Don’t know why. We didn’t make any changes. So now we will keep a close eye on the lights and cross our fingers.

     With the signal problems on the back burner, we decided to check out the sights on the Canadian side of the Falls. First we had to get across the bridge and through Customs. There must have been a lot of Canadians in the US this week because the wait was about 45 minutes. The view of the Falls from the Canadian side was amazing. We were impressed with the nice job that the Canadians have done in creating a beautiful green parkway along the views of the falls. It was quite nice to walk along and take pictures.
     There seemed to be visitors from all over the world – I couldn’t even guess at some of the languages. It was so busy for a Sunday in September I can’t imagine coming here during the busy time of the year. We got some good pictures with a nice blue sky background. Then we crossed back over the bridge and through US customs – only a 15 minute process.

     Tomorrow we plan to take the boat trip although it is supposed to be cloudy. We’ll see. Maybe the weather will fix itself like the truck did. Fingers crossed now so I can’t type anymore.

Ups and Downs in Upstate New York

     Down: The day started dark and cold – oh wait there was sun, it was just so shady in our campsite it looked like it was really cloudy. It WAS near freezing over night and I DID forget to turn on the water heater so I got the cold wash instead of a hot shower. Up: But then we were on the road and the sun was shining in a clear blue sky.
     Down: After using our GPS to get to our campground, off to Sturbridge and then back to the campground, suddenly it could not find a satellite and we had to guess our way back to the freeway. Why didn’t we have a map? Because we never did find a Massachusetts map until today when we were looking for a New York map. Up: We found the freeway and navigated through Albany without incident.
     Up: The drive on I90 was glorious. We went through the Berkshires and Appalachian mountains – crossing the Appalachian Trail. The leaves are turning on the hillsides and it was beautiful. When we came down into the valley we followed the Erie Canal for many miles. Do you know when and why it was created? It goes from Lake Erie to Albany using the Mohawk, Oswego, Seneca, Clyde river valleys. It opened in 1835 and opened up commerce to what was the “west” at that time. Now it is used mostly for pleasure boats.
     Here is the last and biggest Down: We pulled into lunch and some RV’ers behind us said that we had one brake light, a good left turn signal, and four flashers for a right turn. Hmm – it was working OK when we checked it before leaving this morning. So now we need to find an RV repair place in Niagara. Pooh!
     Up: Our campground tonight is on a nice grassy field with some trees and lots of sun! After 7 days of camping in places that were dark and shady the sun is wonderful.

"I've got a mule, and her name is Sal, Fifteen miles on the Erie canal, She's a good ol' worker and a good ol' pal, Fifteen miles on the Erie canal, We've hauled some barges in our day, Filled with lumber coal and hay, And every inch of the way we know, From Albany to Buffalo. Low bridge everybody down, Low bridge for we're comin' to a town, And you always know your neighbor, You'll always know your pal, If you've ever navigated on the Erie canal"

Old Sturbridge Village

     Our destination for today was off the beaten path. It is the re-creation of an 1830 New England farm village – Old Sturbridge. Almost all of the forty buildings on the site are original homes, churches, barns, and shops that have been moved here from all over New England.
     In addition to the historic buildings, flowers and plants grown from “heritage” seeds of this area have been planted in kitchen gardens and formal flower gardens around many of the old buildings. Many herbs were grown to be used in the kitchen as well as medicinally. A big variety of vegetables and fruits were grown for cooking, making cider, and drying to use over the winter.
     We saw demonstrations of cheese making, blacksmithing, spinning and weaving, and printing.
Horses and oxen provided transportation by wagon. A working water mill ground grain, powered a saw mill, and powered a machine to card wool.
     We spent a long day walking through the beautiful setting – perfect sunshine, light breeze rippling the river and the turning leaves. The surrounding town is also very pretty with many well preserved houses and barns. It was a perfect New England day.

A Walk in the Woods

     We left the seacoast and drove into the hills and forests of New England. The hardwoods are just beginning to turn so every now and then a brilliant red maple shows against the dark green pines. Little ponds, covered bridges and quiet towns once again make our drive beautiful.
    Our stop tonight is deep in the Massachusetts woods adjacent to a National Forest and a State Park. The trees are very tall - a type of long needled pine that I haven’t seen before. We seem to be the only itinerant campers – all of the rest of the units here are seasonal sites. One camper came by to chat and said that he had been coming here for 24 years.
    It has been a grey day and our campsite is in a dark spot under big trees. We huddled inside, relaxing for a bit, and then saw sun shining in a clearing. We took off for a walk and found a warm spot to sit in. As the day faded we got chilly so, rather than go inside, we built a great fire and sat outside for a couple hours just enjoying the warmth of a fire reflecting off the big rock at the back of the pit.
    It was such a peaceful time and reminds me why we travel with our trailer and stay in campgrounds rather than traveling in a car and staying in motels. I need the connection to the woods and waters. I love the smell of a campfire, piney woods, and fall settling into the land.

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep.”

An Extra Day of Ocean

     It was supposed to rain today AND one of the two bridges onto Cape Cod is nearly shutdown. We spent over 1½ hours trying to get across the canal yesterday. When we heard it was going to rain today we decided to delay our travel across the bridge and stay for one more day on Cape Cod. But it didn’t rain – at least not yet.

     When we woke up to sunshine we decided to do more sightseeing. We drove into the old town of Sandwich and walked out to the ocean across acres of salt marsh. The city has built a boardwalk over the marsh and dunes to a beautiful sand beach. We could see dozens of birds flying over the marsh and lots of small fish in the bits of open water. When we got over the top of the dunes to the sea the sun was shining on the water and the surf was up. What a glorious goodbye to the ocean!
     A little further down the shore is the Cape Cod Canal. This man-made water way divides the peninsula of Cape Cod from the main land – making it essentially an island. It cuts about 100 miles off the route from Boston to New York for merchant ships, but is used by cruise ships and pleasure craft as well. We toured the Visitor Center and learned more about the bridge that is currently under repair and causing traffic jams. We didn’t see any ship larger than a schooner go through the canal, but there were pictures of some really large ones.
    Now we are a day behind on our schedule or maybe two, I have lost track. But the extra time sitting by the ocean and listening to the surf boom was worth it.

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park

     In the mid-1800’s New Bedford was the whaling capital of the world. Herman Melville sailed from New Bedford on a voyage that was the basis for Moby Dick. Portions of the town around the waterfront have been restored as park of the National Historical Park. Some other mansions around town have been restored as well.

     In addition to the buildings, an old wooden Schooner – the Ernestina – has been restored and we were able to tour it. The boat started out as a fishing vessel and then carried some of the last large groups of immigrants across the Atlantic.
    We had a delicious lunch in one of the restored buildings. We have been trying to eat local foods when we are out and about. Yesterday I had a great succotash soup – very rich and spicy. I am going to look for a recipe for it. Today we both had a hearty Irish stew at a Celtic diner. We saw cranberries being harvested on our way to New Bedford so I’m looking for some cranberry scones for tea tomorrow.
     The main feature of the New Bedford area is the world’s largest whaling museum. I really get a better understanding of a subject if I can experience it. The museum had a ½ scale whaling ship to climb up on and look at the rigging and the working decks.   There was a separate display with sleeping cabins and tiny galley. Several whale skeletons were wired together and hung as though the whales were swimming so I could get a sense of the actual size of the animals. Some movies included photos and old film from the days of whaling. We really found it all so interesting. I learned a lot today.

Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower

     We went back in history today and became Pilgrims living in 1627 on the Plimoth Plantation. (Yes, that is the correct spelling). Our first stop was the Wampanoag Homesite where the Pilgrim’s Native American neighbors had their summer dwellings on the banks of the Eel River. They planted their summer gardens and fished the river and nearby ocean for fish they later smoked. When the Pilgrims arrived they built a village of wooden plank houses, put up fences, and raised the animals – hogs, chickens and goats that came with them on the Mayflower. The Native American’s taught them to plant corn and other vegetables that thrived in the New England climate.
     Many “pilgrims” were available to tell us about their trip on the Mayflower and their experiences living in the Colony. Although all but one of the pilgrims survived the trip across the Atlantic, more than half of them died in the first year after their arrival in late fall. They had to build shelters while still living on the very crowded ship.
     When we toured the ship we got much more of a feel for the dark, crowded conditions that 102 men, women, and children as well as numerous chickens, pigs, goats and 2 dogs lived in. Each family had a small enclosure on the ship that amounted to a platform for a bed, space for a chest for all their belongings, and a curtain. Some of these tiny areas had a second “bunk” space for children. The areas were about 4’ x 5.

    I did learn that many Europeans had visited the Atlantic coast to catch and salt fish to take back to Europe. These fishing boats created charts for the future sailors to use to navigate the waters. The pilgrims had “chartered” the Mayflower – a freighter – to take them to the new world. One of the navigators on the Mayflower had been to New England previously and knew the way. The replica ship is full scale and really gave me the feel living on the ship. However, as the guide pointed out, the Pilgrims were living in the 1600’s and really were not used to any luxury in the subsistence level daily life so the ship was not such a transition.
     Our last stop was to Plymouth Rock. It is just a boulder. I was not impressed. But the rest of the visit to our historical roots was great.

Cape Cod National Seashore

     It started as a foggy day, but finally the rain had stopped. Our goal today was to get to Chatham Beach. We saw on the news that hundreds of seals were on the beach and several great white sharks were cruising the water off-shore. The beaches were closed to swimmers.

     So we drove out on Hwy 28 along the south shore of Cape Cod. It was ugly – shabby old motels, crumbling shopping strip malls, closed fast food shops. But when we got to Chatham we got out along Shore Road and could see wonderful old Cape Cod houses and miles of white sand beach. We did see some seals but no sharks.
     The road continued to follow the shore and was more what we thought we would see on Cape Cod. We toured the Visitor Center at Salt Pond and learned that we were right where Marconi had set up the first station in 1901 for transmitting wireless messages across the Atlantic. This changed the world of communications forever. There is nothing between these beaches and England.

     We headed to the beach and I sat in the sand, watched the surfers, and became one with the sea. Rick toured the lighthouse. The sun came out and I tested the really cold Atlantic water up to my ankles. I wasn’t interested in meeting a shark. Did I tell you that I really love the ocean – especially when the surf is high!

The Big Rain

“Rain on the rooftops, rain on the ground, rain on the greeny grass all around.”

      24 hours later it is STILL raining. We packed up the RV this morning in medium rain – there was about 2” of standing water around our campsite so I was happy to have my trusty rubber boots. We took off for our short drive to Cape Cod in light rain.
     We arrived at Peter’s Pond Campground and had about an hour without rain to set up the RV and eat lunch. We decided to do a little exploring of the neighborhood, so we drove to nearby Sandwich, MA – home of beautiful Sandwich Glass.
     Rick got a much needed haircut while I shopped for groceries. When we got outside again it was pouring. We drove back to the campground and debated whether we should wait out the torrents or just run for it. We decided we were already wet and ran to the camper. 6 hours later it is still just pouring. There are flood warnings and high surf warnings, but we are safe and dry in our camper parked on the highest end of the campground. Thank goodness for cable TV, good books, hot tea, and my blog.

Freedom Trail

     It's a rainy night and we are tucked into our snug RV sipping a little whiskey. I can see the rain gathering in puddles and am happy that we made it back to our “home” before the rain started in earnest. Rick has finished the 600 pages of Winds of War and is working on War and Remembrance. I am working on my photos. We are quite happy in our little cocoon.

     We went back to Boston on the ferry today and finished our trolley and walking tour. The ticket included a boat tour of the Boston harbor which was also rich in history – including the site of the Boston Tea Party. The clouds over the Bay were low and threatening, but no rain.

     After landing back at the pier we took the trolley to the Old State House where on July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed from the east side balcony. We then followed the Freedom Trail to a multitude of other Boston landmarks. The walking tour of Independence sites is marked with a double line of bricks as it makes it way through the city. Dozens of tourists clutching their guidebooks walk through the city stopping at cemeteries, buildings and churches. It is a great way to be reminded of the events leading up to the War of Independence.

     The last part of the trolley tour took us across the Charles River to Cambridge – home of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology –MIT. Then we went back across the Charles to Back Bay home of the “Cheers” bar and lots of fancy shops and high end hotels.
     Our greatest success of the day was to drive back from the Ferry parking lot without getting lost. After 4 days of driving here it was our first direct point-to-point drive. Tomorrow we leave for Cape Cod. Well at least we did it once!

JFK Library

     The JFK Library sits on a point of land in Boston Bay. We saw the beautiful white and glass building as we took our Ferry ride into Boston. So we decided to take a tour of the Library today. Since the building is not “downtown” Boston we thought we would drive there rather than take the MBTA. So I programmed the GPS to get us there.

     The Boston area has hundreds of twisted streets that change names every couple blocks. Intersections are almost NEVER at 90 degrees but at crazy angles so cars pull out from all directions. Traffic is always heavy and drivers seem to ignore traffic laws and general common sense. I could not live here.

    Anyway, we drove to the Library and only got off track once. The building and exhibits are very impressive and really hit home with people of our generation. We can remember the events quite clearly – the election process, the civil rights actions, the Cuban Missile crisis and, of course, the assassination. The exhibit emphasized many of the very positive and inspirational aspects of JFK’s life including formation of the Peace Corps and his many memorable books and speeches. Film clips and TV footage are used extensively – parts of the debates between JFK and Nixon, recordings during the decision-making during the Cuban missile crisis, and JFK speaking at his inauguration, in Berlin at the Wall, and talking to the Press Corps. We really enjoyed it.

     We finished at the Library by early afternoon and went on a search for a new mirror extension for the truck. One of the annoying Boston drivers clipped it and broke it while making a very close pass by us. I found an RV parts dealer on my PDA and put the address into the GPS. I also looked at the map and thought I knew better than the GPS how to get there. I didn’t. We drove 16 miles on winding busy roads and ultimately found the place – which did NOT have the right mirror. The dealer sent us to another RV place only 5 miles away which DID have a mirror that will work. Then we drove another 30 minutes back to the camper and we spent the rest of the day happy to be out of traffic in our peaceful island of green space.

Exhaustin’ Boston

     Hingham has a commuter ferry service to downtown Boston. It was a 35 minute ride with some great views – a convenient way to get to Boston without the traffic. Once there we bought a ticket on a trolley tour of the major sights.

     Our first stop was on the North End where we saw one of the earliest cemeteries in the New World. Very interesting to see headstones from the 1600’s including one for Cotton Mather. Then we walked to the Old North Church where Paul Revere hung the lantern to worn that the British were coming. Paul Revere’s house is in the same neighborhood.

     We hopped back on the bus and went to the U.S. Naval yards where the U.S.S. Constitution is the oldest commissioned naval boat in the world. We were able to tour the inside to see the crew’s quarters and the level with all the cannons. It wasn’t a very big space for the 500 men who worked on the ship when it was a fighting vessel.

     We toured a couple more stops on the trolley to get back to Rowe’s Wharf where the ferry lands. It was much busier on the way back to Hingham at rush hour. The ferry has WIFI, a snack bar with coffee and beer, and tables so that commuters can read their email on the way home. Many town house units are going up around the ferry yard. They are being built on the site of an old ship building factory which employed 25,000 people during WWII.
     We spent the evening watching the clock and hoping it was time for bed. Yawn.

Driving AROUND Boston

     I saw another glorious sunrise over the Atlantic, but we must move on. I promised myself this morning that I will have a trip that is mostly moving from one ocean beach to another - maybe the Oregon Coast. I don’t need to be able to swim, just walk on the shore and hear the waves.
     We got a lot of advice about NOT driving IN Boston (treacherous tunnels and construction from the “Big Dig”), as well as advice about driving around Boston to our campground. So we headed off to Hingham, Massachusetts with some trepidation. In the end, despite the fact that New Englanders don’t seem to understand the concept of the merge, it wasn’t a bad drive. We took the second ring of freeway – I95 – and did just fine.
     Now we are in Wompatuk State Park. This 7 square mile park was an ammunition depot during WWII and an Army camp during WWI. It is the nearest campground to Boston. We have lots of trees and quiet here with only a few other retired traveling folks as neighbors. It is very nice.
     After getting settled, we drove around Hingham a bit and found dozens of houses on the National Historic register built in the 1700’s and 1800’s. Hingham was the 12th incorporated town in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Old Ship Meeting House, built in 1660, is the oldest wooden church structure in continuous use in America. The houses are just huge – although most of them appear to have been built in stages with many additions. We followed winding narrow streets all leading to the bay. We could see the skyscrapers of Boston across the water. I don’t have a map of this area so we took a few wrong turns, but eventually found our way back to our campsite. We are on the Eastern edge of the Eastern time zone and it is pretty dark by 7:15.
     We will take the ferry to Boston tomorrow.

Penobscot Narrows Bridge

     Our campground tonight is just 50 miles down the coast from Bar Harbor and is right on the water. When we arrived at noon the ocean was just a few yards out from the bottom of the cliff on which we are camped. Tonight I walked down to the beach and found that we have a football field of wet rocks and seaweed before I get to the water. I watched gulls hunting for food in the flats. They picked up a clam, flew straight up and then dropped it on the rocks to open it. They seemed to be finding plenty to eat. I enjoyed sitting on a log and listening to the waves and the clanging of the channel signal.

     We drove this short jaunt so that we could tour the Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory and Ft. Knox. The bridge was opened in 2006. It is a suspension bridge with two tall towers designed to look like the Washington monument and built from the same Maine granite. One of the towers has an elevator which goes up to and observation area with windows 400’ above the water. It was a clear day and we could see Cadillac Mountain in Acadia.

     Ft. Knox State park sits on the banks of the Penobscot River just below the bridge. It was built in 1844 as part of the defense of the East coast from the British who wanted some of the Maine territory back. The fort was built of granite blocks and is very well preserved. It was a fun history lesson on this area.

     We leave the coast to take the Interstate around Boston tomorrow. We’ll be in a State Park without WIFI for a couple days.

Day 12 The Quiet side of Acadia

     On our last day at Acadia we explored the “quiet side” of the island. Once again we had a perfect sunny day for our driving. We found some beautiful little harbors and coves. In 1947 a huge fire destroyed many of the huge “camps” (cabins?) of the rich folks who came to Bar Harbor for their summers. This included John D. Rockefeller, Jr who built many of the roads and 16 stone-faced bridges in the park.

     Today many of the big houses are near Northeast Harbor so we drove around the neighborhoods and saw some of the great places. They all seem to have great wrap-around porches with plenty of wicker furniture, big bay windows with pillows on top of the window seats piled against the panes, fancy cupolas and sun rooms. I could live in any of them.

     We spent time wandering around the harbors and dreaming about sailing off into the Atlantic on one of the beautiful sailboats or puttering around the harbor on a beautifully varnished wooden cruiser. There were some really big boats there – we thought about stowing away on one but hopped back in the truck instead and drove to still one more lighthouse in Bass Harbor.
     When we returned to the campground we spent a little time sitting out in our lawn chairs, but the cool front is moving in, the days are getting shorter and we needed to pack up all the stuff we took out during our stay here in Bar Harbor. Tomorrow we hit the road again.

Bar Harbor and housekeeping day

     When I plan our schedule on these long trips I always leave time for “down days” when we don’t have much scheduled. We need some days off from our vacation. Today was such a day. We went into downtown Bar Harbor to buy groceries and wander around.
      We were lucky to find a parking spot for our big truck in the busy downtown area so we spent time watching boats in the harbor and walking through a craft fair in the town square. I love the old buildings and winding streets. We stopped for lunch so Rick could have some classic New England clam chowder and got into a discussion of whether Cadillac Mountain was named after a Native American chief. We both agreed that Pontiac was a chief, but weren’t sure about Cadillac. We tabled the discussion, bought our groceries, and then went “home” to our campground by the ocean.
      After doing some cleaning chores and laundry we enjoyed the rest of the day sitting outside reading, watching the tide ebb and flow, the sun set, and enjoying a great campfire. I thought about the hundreds of wonderful campfires I have sat by – with my family when I was a little kid at our Lake Waukenabo cabin, camping with my parents in our Bethany tent trailer, camping with Rick in the Boundary Waters and Glacier Park, with our children in OUR Bethany tent trailer, dozens of campfire nights with the Boy Scouts and now, with our grandchildren at Lake Waukenabo and campfires next to our big RV. I just love messing with a campfire!
      “Day is done, gone the sun, from the lake, from the hills, from the sky. All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.”

Baker Island Lighthouse Day 10

       Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean - I just love the ocean – the briny smell, the sound of the waves and a gentle, rocking boat. It was a great day to be on the water – sunny and warm with a little breeze. Our boat was a wood lobster passenger boat and there were about 25 folks with us on the tour, as well as a National Park Ranger for a guide. We spent an hour cruising among the islands off Acadia National Park on our way to Baker Island.
     We cruised past lighthouses on several other islands – big and small. The area has 12’ to 18’ tides and many rocky shoals. There were a lot of shipwrecks in the area before current navigation aids. Along the way we saw some seals and porpoises as well as some cormorants and a couple rafts of Eider ducks.
     Baker Island was settled in 1806 by William Gilley who eventually had 12 children. When a lighthouse was put on the island, he was hired as the lighthouse keeper. The old lighthouse and several of the homes of the Gilley’s are still on the island. We landed on the island and spent a couple hours hiking around the old buildings, learning the history of the island and then ate our picnic lunch sitting on the rocks. We were all pretty sleepy on the ride back to shore.
     Once again when we got back to the RV we conked out for an afternoon nap – too much sun, fresh air and hiking. Later we went OUT TO DINNER for some real Maine Lobster and Atlantic salmon. Yum!

Acadia National Park – Mt. Desert Island

The sun can be seen earliest in the U.S. from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. It is the highest point on the East Coast. We didn’t drive to the top of the mountain for the sunrise, but I saw it from the campground – the beginning of a perfect day.

     We had a leisurely morning and a hot breakfast for a change. Then we headed to the one-way drive around the main portion of Acadia National Park. Our first stop was the top of Cadillac Mountain. There was a graveled path at the top to hike around and get out as far on the edges of the rocks as I am comfortable with. There were spectacular views of the many inlets, bays and islands in waters around Frenchman’s Bay.
     When we came down from the mountain we continued to drive along the shore and made a bunch of stops. One of the first was at “Sandy Beach” where we waded into the Atlantic Ocean. It was quite a bit colder than our last ocean experience off Sanibel Island, but not as cold as Lake Superior.
     We continued along the shore until we got to the rocks of “Thunder Hole.” This area was closed last week during the high surf resulting from the off-shore hurricane. Today the tide was fairly low and the ocean was quiet so there were no huge waves. Big waves would have been awesome to see, but we are really enjoying the sunny 75 degree weather.
     All the climbing up and down rocks and stairs to the water wore us plumb out and we spent the late part of the afternoon napping and reading. Tomorrow we will see the park from the water!

Day 8 Maine at Last

     I saw the sun rise into the mist over the White Mountains this morning. I just love the mountains. We took our time getting ready and the fog was gone by the time we got on the road. Our drive took us past Mount Washington where the weather observatory has some of the worst weather on the planet. We drove along US Hwy 2 across Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, through dozens of little towns and farms.

     Every town had beautiful old houses and churches. Many of the old houses had the barn attached (now a garage). The farms had amazing old barns. I love the New England style architecture of the houses – most with a two story main section and several one story additions with dormers. Sort of a cross between a Cape Cod and a Colonial. Even the new houses are designed to look like they have been built over a period of many years – section by section.
     We had to watch the map and GPS all day because the road rambled so much between the mountains, along dark rivers and through the countryside. We liked this part of New England and want to come back to spend more time in the little towns. We were tired by the time we hit the road to Mt. Desert Island where we are camping. The traffic was heavy on the two lane road that is the only way onto the island. Our campground is right on Frenchman’s Bay off the Atlantic Ocean. The weather report says that we will have sunny and 70+ weather all week while we are here. I cracked open the second bottle of Tim’s Spanish wine to celebrate our arrival at the Atlantic Ocean.

Into the White Mountains

      We are in a campground on the border between Vermont and New Hampshire in the beautiful White Mountains. It is getting dark early as the sun sets behind the hills. It has been another really great day of being on the road.

     We left Montreal in sunshine and good spirits. The traffic was light and we were headed back to territory where I can read the emergency road signs! The road to the border was bumpy as it seems most Canadian highways are, but the line to go through customs was short. The border agents were jovial and the line moved right along until we were asked if we had any firewood. Well, yes, we have been carrying some firewood we bought in a campground on our last trip to the Southwest. Rick and the border guard looked at it and found – BARK! So no bringing it into the US – despite the fact that we bought it there originally. We were sent back to Canada and told to drive to the nearest exit and dump it in the ditch. Ah well, it was only a mile back to an exit so we made our loop, dumped the firewood, and went back through customs with no more hassle.

     It was such a quick visit to customs that we found ourselves at our campground by 2 pm. We took advantage of the lovely day, set our lawn chairs out in the sun and enjoyed the wonderful view of the White Mountains. The campground is huge and almost deserted so it was perfectly warm, quiet and relaxing. We visited a maple sugar shop across the highway and tasted several kinds of maple syrup – had to buy some, of course – yum.

     We are making good headway through the pile of books that I brought along. Canadian television was really poor. I brought along two sets of the TV show 24 and we have been watching one episode each evening. Our other entertainment is walking around the campground talking with other retired folks who are traveling and watching amateurs try to park their RV’s. People are really friendly and we have picked up tips on what to see and do as usual.
     Today the mountains, tomorrow we see the ocean! The best of all worlds.

Metro Trains and Canal Boats Day 6

     Today we decided to take the subway into downtown Montreal to avoid weekday traffic. Our KOA is about 10 miles from a station across the river from Montreal. Despite the annoying mono-lingual (the rest of Canada is bi-lingual) all-French all-the–time signage, we found our way through a maze of subway tunnels and ended up in Old Montreal by the cathedral – cobblestone streets and all. We walked around the old section of town and then wandered down to the waterfront.

     Montreal has done a great job of making an asset of the St. Lawrence River – there are gardens, fountains, picnic tables, benches, and biking/hiking trails all along the water. It was a perfect day to be out and about – sunny and 68. We had considered going to a museum which reviewed Montreal’s history when I spotted an ad for a canal ride. An outdoor adventure seemed like more fun than a museum. We hopped back on the Metro with our full day “tourist pass” and rode a few more stops to the Lechine Canal. (We got off at the wrong station only once).
     After some delicious soup in a little bistro, we climbed aboard a canal boat for a Parcs Canada tour. The Lechine Canal is the precursor to the Montreal section of the St. Lawrence Seaway. I remember when the Seaway opened and big boats could sail into Duluth from exotic ports. This old canal was created in the 19th century and was a huge boon to manufacturing and trade in Montreal. Our boat trip took us through one of the old locks and under several of the old turnstile bridges. We got a lot of history of old Montreal and saw the city from a completely different angle. It was a great afternoon.  Now it is time to do some laundry, dump the tanks and get ready to head back into the USA tomorrow.

Mont Royal and Saint Phillippe Day 5

     It is Sunday (no traffic) and sunny so we headed across the St. Lawrence River into Montreal to go to Parc Mont Royal which is the highest point in Montreal. Crossing the river was a bit of a challenge as it is NASCAR weekend in Montreal – just down river from our campground. Once downtown we found the park and had a great view of the city and the river.

     From Mont Royal we headed to the site of the Olympics and Montreal’s Botanical Gardens. The city is very “European” with parks, families on bicycles, little apartments with balconies, neighborhood cafés, and people out strolling. The architecture is very French – even the new houses have a French flair. Flowers and gardens are everywhere. We loved it.

     After lunch at the gardens we took another route back across the river and drove into the very old town of Saint Phillippe which is ½ mile from our campground. The town has twisty, narrow streets and old stone houses. Very pretty. We were looking for a supermarket – which we found just another mile away in a big new suburban development pushing its way into Saint Phillippe. Shopping in a French market was interesting and took a little longer. I wanted hotdog buns and some sausage for breakfast. I ended up with Canadian bacon and buns that appear to be folded slices of white bread. They should do just fine. They will taste great with a little Canadian whiskey that we picked up on our way “home.”

Montreal, Quebec - Day 4

On a misty, moisty morning when cloudy was the weather, I chanced to see an old man all dressed in leather.” My “old man” wore his rain jacket instead of his leathers, but it was “moisty” today.

     We left Mattawa in a mist and drove along the Ottawa River. The water was dark and moving fast between rocky cliffs. A thick mist drifted along the river making it look mysterious and intriguing. There were many really tall pines along the road – no logging in this area. Beautiful!
     As we moved away from the river the rains began in earnest and the landscape turned into rolling fields and dairy farms. The road was bumpy and terrible. We looked forward to reaching the freeway near Ottawa. But, by the time we hit the freeway, the traffic had become thick and the rain was just pouring. Driving through Ottawa was a real nail biter – accidents, deep puddles, no visibility, and bumpy roads. Fortunately our GPS said when we needed to change lanes to move through town – since we couldn’t see the signs for the rain. Finally we got out of town and stopped in a gas station parking lot for a hot soup lunch and welcome break.
     As we crossed from Ontario into Quebec we discovered that highway signs are NOT bi-lingual as in Ontario, but only in French. Hmm. I am going to have to look up a few common highway sign phrases. This seemed extra critical as we drove up to yellow flashing signs with undecipherable messages. Tomorrow we will take the subway into downtown from our KOA located in the far outskirts. Perhaps it will stop raining!

Mattawa, Ontario, Canada

     Quickly name all the Great Lakes! Today we drove along the north shore of Lake Huron. It was much like the North Shore of Lake Superior - very rocky with some big ridges and lots of small towns. This is country that glaciers passed over so it is covered with rivers and lakes. We drove by lots of Provincial Parks and campgrounds. There were many RVs and cars with boats, kayaks and canoes on the road. Most of the small towns had little harbors full of sailboats. It is so pretty, eh?

     The road we were on today is the Trans-Canada highway. It was mostly two-lane – but smooth with nice big shoulders. There were a bunch of way-side parks so we had lunch by the Spanish River. I just wish there were some “overlooks” so we could have stopped for pictures of Lake Huron and Lake Nippining. Just imagine Lake Superior and Lake of the Woods.
     We expected rain today and were happy that it only came in a few sprinkles. The drive was 7 hours and rain would have made it even more tiring. Tonight we are in a great little campground – Sid Turcotte. Again we are on a river with lots of big pines. There is a sandy swimming beach on the river and some canoes, but it is cloudy and about (aboot in Canadian) 58 F. (or perhaps 15 C?) so we are going to have a campfire instead. I am posting my blog from a picnic table outside the office - limited WIFI range today - with a great view of the river. It is chilly and breezy so time to head back to our campfire. Pictures tomorrow.

Day 2 Sault Saint Marie

     It was a cool and quiet night at the campground and we both slept great in our comfy bed under a warm quilt. I brought along a noise machine which makes nature sounds, so I slept through the 11 pm train that whistled at every intersection in Oconto. When it went through at 6 pm it was quite loud, so either the white noise machine is really good or I was really tired!

     Rick got up at 7 am thinking it was 8 so we got an earlier than usual start this morning. We spent the day driving along the shores of Lake Michigan. Lots of small towns and really nice lake homes. It was a tiring driving day for Rick because of the many turns and stops in all the little towns. We are now in Canada at the Sault St. Marie KOA. I want to do the Circle Tour of Lake Superior next summer and take a tour of the locks here - it looks really interesting, but we didn't get into our campground until after 4 as we lost an hour going into Eastern time.

     The line of cars crossing the bridge into the USA was really long - probably 80 or more cars and trucks. We were happy to be going INTO Canada with only 1 car ahead of us. It is cloudy tonight and cool (mid-60's) with cooler weather tomorrow. That's ok, we will just put another quilt on top of the bed. Time to open a bottle of wine to celebrate our entry into Canada!

Day 1 – Oconto, Wisconsin

     It is the end of our first day back on the road. We drove a little over 300 miles to our stop here at Holtwood Campground in Oconto, Wisconsin which is on the shores of Green Bay in Lake Michigan. Evening is falling and the temperature is dropping as we sit out on our lawn chairs and read. This has been a wonderful first day. The sun was shining and the driving was easy (except for the detour in the last 15 miles).

     I use a trip planning software to help plan our trips. It divides the trip into “driving days” and then suggests campgrounds in the vicinity of where we would need to stop. I look up the campgrounds on RV Park review sites to decide which one would suit us the best. This little city-run campground got good reviews – so here we are right on a little river which runs into the bay. Lots of trees and green grass. Go RVing!
     “If I had a day to give to you, I’d give to you a day just like today.” Who said that?