Sept 26th - Fri - to Rapid River, MI
Said farewell to our great hosts at Worthy Acres (that would be Harold & Jo Worth). Hate to leave since we had such a good time but the weather is getting cooler at night and we hate to overstay our welcome anywhere.
We decided to head north through the Upper Peninsula (known as U.P. to all around this area) and then into Wisconsin tomorrow. Uneventful drive through increasingly flatter countryside. There is a long toll ($6.00) bridge to the U.P. that is very high to allow ships to pass. On the other side we stopped at a welcome center to make some lunch. Just as we were leaving, an employee came by and asked if we had any firewood. We had a bag that we got in PEI. Terry had to dump it out so he could check the species and make sure there was no bark on types of wood that could bring insects into the area. Our wood was fine.
We took a road along Lake Michigan where there were sand dunes and lots of sandy beaches. There was too much fog/haze and a lack of large pull-outs to get any pictures. We stayed at a PA park (Vagabond Resort) in Rapid River. It was on the lake but had no “beach”, just a long dock through reeds on the shallow shore. After a walk to get the kinks out, we took advantage of a nice afternoon, a firepit and some time to use up the PEI wood.
Sept 27th - Sat - to Lodi, Wisconsin
We are just tearing through the states. I think this will be the case until we get all the states covered on our map according to our rule of staying at least one night in the state in our rig. We will be heading east again after a stay in Illinois.
There is more color in the trees & shrubs but not eye-popping yet. Getting into more farmland - lots of corn fields and some soybeans. We paid the lowest price for a long time for diesel - $3.87.
Our current route is mainly designed to avoid Chicago. We have been encountering quite a bit of road construction with narrow, temporary lanes requiring all of Terry’s attention and skill.
We stayed at Smokey Hollow CG in Lodi. It is great for kids - a large, aerated pond with a huge, inflatable slide/raft/etc contraption, all sorts of “wheels” for kids to peddle, an inflated jumping pillow, a small theater and regular playground equipment. Lots of seasonal campers. Unfortunately, not enough owners of large rigs have complained so it was hard to negotiate turns and we had to move to a second site as we could not raise the front of the rig enough to get level. Oh well, all is good when the sun shines!
Sept 28th - Sun - to Kankakee, Illinois
Kind of interesting day today. I wanted to post the blog and vacuum before leaving. I was entering the blog while Terry was outside putting things away and the power goes off. So I figure he is in a hurry and started shutting down the computer. He said “no, we aren’t in a hurry so finish the blog and vacuuming”. Well, I get kind of cranky when he unhooks before I am done so I said “forget it, let’s go”. Terry had already asked the campers across from us to move their truck so we could swing wide enough to get out of our spot so away we went.
Since we weren’t in a hurry, we decided to avoid a toll highway and took a state route through Rockford WI. Turned out to have a long stretch of narrow road under construction and went through a pretty rough looking part of town. We weren’t able to find a PA or CCUSA park on our route so we figured we would just find a site on the way. Didn’t realize that we were going through the “corn belt’ and it appears no one camps in this area. We finally found an RV park in the GPS and headed that way. Wanda announced that we had reached our destination when the only thing to be seen was corn fields and a straight road with no where to turn around. A mile later, the campground sign shows up. We drove into a rough gravel road to a rougher looking campground with large puddles and muddy spots. Turns out they had received 11 inches of rain from the end of a hurricane and had been flooded. The lady offered us a spot beside a shed but I had noticed swarms of mosquitoes when walked through water-flattened grass so we said no thanks and left.
There was a KOA also in the GPS so we figured we would have to bite the bullet and pay their inflated rate. We needed to stop for diesel on the way and what should be next to a handy service station but a WalMart Superstore. Home for the night!
Checked with WalMart about staying, got some groceries including some great, already-cooked King Tso chicken and had our first meal of the day - oh yes, we were going to have lunch at a rest stop but there was such a stink in the air (cattle?) that we continued on without eating.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Sept 23rd to 25th - Big Rapids
Sept 23rd - Tues - Big Rapids
Jo had to take her Mom to a doctor’s appointment this afternoon. I made some jelly biscuits for all of us to have with coffee this morning and we talked until Jo had to leave. I put a bean casserole in the crock pot, caught up my blog and used Jo’s computer and slow dial-up connection to check email and post the blog. Terry washed the 5th wheel and the truck with some help from me on drying the windows and 5th wheel. Hard water here so don’t want to let the spots dry. Then Terry, Harold & I went to town to get some cleaner to get bugs off the rigs. Harold lent some cleaner to Terry and it is easier than the Mr. Clean erasers that he has been using. Back to the rig for some sandwiches enjoyed outside in the sunshine. Put some baby backs on for dinner and had dinner all ready when Jo got back from her errand. After dinner, we sat out on lawn chairs in the driveway and lit a buddy burner. Now Harold & Jo have to make some.
We moved inside the rig and played “65” again. It is a fun card game and again we stayed up later than usual for old fogies.
Sept 24th - Wed - Big Rapids
Beautiful sunny day. Coffee and turnovers at Harold & Jo’s today. We waited while Jo’s granddaughter (accompanied by her husband, daughter & mom) came over and tried on the wedding dress that Jo is making for her wedding on Oct 11th. Jo & I went shopping today, mainly to find the makings for buddy burners (talked about previously in our blog) and to check out Big Lots. Jo gave me the “cook’s tour” of town - it is a nice place. Terry & Harold ended up going shopping as well and tracked us down in Big Lots. Georgia will appreciate that I finally found a fireplace poker in a thrift store to use on campfires.
About 3:30 we headed to the Soaring Eagle casino in Mt. Pleasant, about 50 miles away. Harold won a couple hundred dollars and Jo about $25 before we went into town for dinner. Then we decided that Harold needed to double his winnings so we went back to the casino. Jo won another $45 and Harold didn’t lose any - Terry & I spent some each but had some good streaks to keep us going and have fun.We earned some comp dollars on our player cards so had to figure out what to buy in the gift shop. Poor Jo didn’t get us home until after 11.
Sept 25th - Thurs - Big Rapids
Coffee & yakking this morning before the guys took off on a shopping expedition and Jo & I settled down at her computer. First I found a recipe booklet online for Jo’s Mom and then we worked on getting Jo set up with a blog. She started setting one up in January and had problems so we had to deal with partially set up users & passwords. The cookie and pop-up settings on her laptop caused all kinds of delays but we eventually figured it all out. Then we wanted to load Picasa for her pictures but she has a dial-up connection and we decided 4+ hours to download the program was a little much.
Jo & Harold made plans this morning to have a fish fry with 2 other couples. One guy had a bunch of fish in his freezer that he wanted to use up. After a late lunch, Jo & I prepped for dinner and the guys worked on Harold’s motorcycle (trike). Also took advantage of Jo’s offer and fit in doing 3 loads of laundryWe (the guys!!) fried up a huge amount of small fish fillets that we had skinned and breaded - and we ate them all. Great dinner and super people to top off another wonderful day.
Jo had to take her Mom to a doctor’s appointment this afternoon. I made some jelly biscuits for all of us to have with coffee this morning and we talked until Jo had to leave. I put a bean casserole in the crock pot, caught up my blog and used Jo’s computer and slow dial-up connection to check email and post the blog. Terry washed the 5th wheel and the truck with some help from me on drying the windows and 5th wheel. Hard water here so don’t want to let the spots dry. Then Terry, Harold & I went to town to get some cleaner to get bugs off the rigs. Harold lent some cleaner to Terry and it is easier than the Mr. Clean erasers that he has been using. Back to the rig for some sandwiches enjoyed outside in the sunshine. Put some baby backs on for dinner and had dinner all ready when Jo got back from her errand. After dinner, we sat out on lawn chairs in the driveway and lit a buddy burner. Now Harold & Jo have to make some.
We moved inside the rig and played “65” again. It is a fun card game and again we stayed up later than usual for old fogies.
Sept 24th - Wed - Big Rapids
Beautiful sunny day. Coffee and turnovers at Harold & Jo’s today. We waited while Jo’s granddaughter (accompanied by her husband, daughter & mom) came over and tried on the wedding dress that Jo is making for her wedding on Oct 11th. Jo & I went shopping today, mainly to find the makings for buddy burners (talked about previously in our blog) and to check out Big Lots. Jo gave me the “cook’s tour” of town - it is a nice place. Terry & Harold ended up going shopping as well and tracked us down in Big Lots. Georgia will appreciate that I finally found a fireplace poker in a thrift store to use on campfires.
About 3:30 we headed to the Soaring Eagle casino in Mt. Pleasant, about 50 miles away. Harold won a couple hundred dollars and Jo about $25 before we went into town for dinner. Then we decided that Harold needed to double his winnings so we went back to the casino. Jo won another $45 and Harold didn’t lose any - Terry & I spent some each but had some good streaks to keep us going and have fun.We earned some comp dollars on our player cards so had to figure out what to buy in the gift shop. Poor Jo didn’t get us home until after 11.
Sept 25th - Thurs - Big Rapids
Coffee & yakking this morning before the guys took off on a shopping expedition and Jo & I settled down at her computer. First I found a recipe booklet online for Jo’s Mom and then we worked on getting Jo set up with a blog. She started setting one up in January and had problems so we had to deal with partially set up users & passwords. The cookie and pop-up settings on her laptop caused all kinds of delays but we eventually figured it all out. Then we wanted to load Picasa for her pictures but she has a dial-up connection and we decided 4+ hours to download the program was a little much.
Jo & Harold made plans this morning to have a fish fry with 2 other couples. One guy had a bunch of fish in his freezer that he wanted to use up. After a late lunch, Jo & I prepped for dinner and the guys worked on Harold’s motorcycle (trike). Also took advantage of Jo’s offer and fit in doing 3 loads of laundryWe (the guys!!) fried up a huge amount of small fish fillets that we had skinned and breaded - and we ate them all. Great dinner and super people to top off another wonderful day.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Sept 20th to 22nd - Back to U.S.
Sept 20th - Sat - Niagara Falls, ON
Started the day in the laundry room and then back to Niagara Falls. Beautiful, sunny day - perfect for walking and taking pictures. Parking is quite expensive in Niagara Falls. We chose a lot that was $4 per hour to a max of $16 per day. We still had quite a walk to the falls area. We thought about taking the Maid of the Mist boat tour to the base of the falls but after watching a few boats we decided that we did not want to get wet and there is so much blowing mist that you couldn’t take your camera out to get pictures.
So we just walked a lot, took pictures, shopped a bit, walked more, went to the new casino (nice but not “knock your socks off”) and then walked back to the parking lot. On the way back, the mist was blowing over the sidewalk so loitering was not as much fun as on the first trip through.
We didn’t have lunch so we found a grocery store near the RV park, got some nice steaks and had a lovely, early dinner.
Terry took our bikes off the rack and we rode around the lake and then around the RV park. Almost all the campers are seasonal (permanent). There is a nice paved trail that runs for miles around this area and goes right past the RV park so we decided to ride a ways on it. Then a sign said “Lake Erie access” so we headed that way and a short ways later were watching the waves on the shore of Lake Erie. There is a sandy beach but there are lots of rocks mixed with the sand. There is no parking at the beach access so I don’t know who uses it.
I got hold of our friends in Michigan (thank goodness for cell phones as they are in Illinois) and we will be able to go visit them.
Sept 21st - Sun - to Otisville, Michigan
No septic hookup so we had to dump before hitting the QEW (Queen’s Expressway) for part of the trip to Michigan via Sarnia . We made a mistake and checked with Wanda just before Hamilton. She sent us through downtown Hamilton to Hwy 403 instead of leaving us on the QEW across the end of Lake Ontario and then turning on 403. The second option would have been 10 - 12 miles longer but probably 1/3 of the time. Guess I better practice navigating! There are no rest areas on 403 and towns are at least a couple of miles from exits so we were really looking for somewhere to pull over when Terry finally just took an exit and hoped it would be easy to get back on the highway. There was a pull-out area so we “took the pressure off” and then I made lunch.
Another toll bridge to go from the US to Canada ($8.25) and then long lines at customs. There were no signs directing RVs to any particular lane so Terry pulled in behind about 4 other RVs. After we had been there about 20 minutes, a lady came walking down the line and moved 3 of us to the lane next to us that just opened and told us that probably 2 or 3 of us would be pulled over and it could take us an hour to get through. Terry really needed that bit of information! It was finally our turn and we were asked the usual - where is home, where & how long in Canada, what fresh fruit (citrus not allowed), what meat (lamb & goat not allowed) - and then he had to go into the rig to check the dog food bag. We were OK since it was purchased in the US. I think it took 35 to 45 minutes to get through customs.
We had picked a PA park about 60 miles from the border and endured a bumpy highway to the exit. We were looking for liquor and grocery stores. Found the grocery store and found that liquor is not sold in grocery stores in Michigan. Finally found a liquor store and a place to park at the same time and then found the campground. Again, the park is nearly empty. Guess this is too far north for many campers at this time of year.
Sept 22nd - Mon - to Big Rapids, MI
Not a long drive today (3 hours) so we were lazy, drank coffee and had breakfast before leaving. This time we ignored Wanda and took what appeared to us to be the most direct route (or at least with the least turns & road changes) to Big Rapids - about 60 miles north of Grand Rapids. We pulled into the WalMart parking lot and visited Subway for lunch. Then we called our friends (Harold & Joanne) as they said they would come and lead us to their place where we will stay for a few days. They have 4+ acres and a nice long circular drive so we are parked right in front of the house and there is still room for cars to get past us.
We talked the afternoon away before deciding to go out for dinner. While we were having a drink before leaving, their son called and said he was coming right over. Harold thought he was going to borrow a truck but he - and his girlfriend - showed up with their newly purchased mini-van and took us all to dinner. How nice!! We went to a place called Brennigans - very good food at reasonable prices. Or maybe they just seem reasonable after being in Canada!
Jo taught us a new card game (“65”) and we played that and then talked some more until we finally headed for bed at midnight.
Started the day in the laundry room and then back to Niagara Falls. Beautiful, sunny day - perfect for walking and taking pictures. Parking is quite expensive in Niagara Falls. We chose a lot that was $4 per hour to a max of $16 per day. We still had quite a walk to the falls area. We thought about taking the Maid of the Mist boat tour to the base of the falls but after watching a few boats we decided that we did not want to get wet and there is so much blowing mist that you couldn’t take your camera out to get pictures.
So we just walked a lot, took pictures, shopped a bit, walked more, went to the new casino (nice but not “knock your socks off”) and then walked back to the parking lot. On the way back, the mist was blowing over the sidewalk so loitering was not as much fun as on the first trip through.
We didn’t have lunch so we found a grocery store near the RV park, got some nice steaks and had a lovely, early dinner.
Terry took our bikes off the rack and we rode around the lake and then around the RV park. Almost all the campers are seasonal (permanent). There is a nice paved trail that runs for miles around this area and goes right past the RV park so we decided to ride a ways on it. Then a sign said “Lake Erie access” so we headed that way and a short ways later were watching the waves on the shore of Lake Erie. There is a sandy beach but there are lots of rocks mixed with the sand. There is no parking at the beach access so I don’t know who uses it.
I got hold of our friends in Michigan (thank goodness for cell phones as they are in Illinois) and we will be able to go visit them.
Sept 21st - Sun - to Otisville, Michigan
No septic hookup so we had to dump before hitting the QEW (Queen’s Expressway) for part of the trip to Michigan via Sarnia . We made a mistake and checked with Wanda just before Hamilton. She sent us through downtown Hamilton to Hwy 403 instead of leaving us on the QEW across the end of Lake Ontario and then turning on 403. The second option would have been 10 - 12 miles longer but probably 1/3 of the time. Guess I better practice navigating! There are no rest areas on 403 and towns are at least a couple of miles from exits so we were really looking for somewhere to pull over when Terry finally just took an exit and hoped it would be easy to get back on the highway. There was a pull-out area so we “took the pressure off” and then I made lunch.
Another toll bridge to go from the US to Canada ($8.25) and then long lines at customs. There were no signs directing RVs to any particular lane so Terry pulled in behind about 4 other RVs. After we had been there about 20 minutes, a lady came walking down the line and moved 3 of us to the lane next to us that just opened and told us that probably 2 or 3 of us would be pulled over and it could take us an hour to get through. Terry really needed that bit of information! It was finally our turn and we were asked the usual - where is home, where & how long in Canada, what fresh fruit (citrus not allowed), what meat (lamb & goat not allowed) - and then he had to go into the rig to check the dog food bag. We were OK since it was purchased in the US. I think it took 35 to 45 minutes to get through customs.
We had picked a PA park about 60 miles from the border and endured a bumpy highway to the exit. We were looking for liquor and grocery stores. Found the grocery store and found that liquor is not sold in grocery stores in Michigan. Finally found a liquor store and a place to park at the same time and then found the campground. Again, the park is nearly empty. Guess this is too far north for many campers at this time of year.
Sept 22nd - Mon - to Big Rapids, MI
Not a long drive today (3 hours) so we were lazy, drank coffee and had breakfast before leaving. This time we ignored Wanda and took what appeared to us to be the most direct route (or at least with the least turns & road changes) to Big Rapids - about 60 miles north of Grand Rapids. We pulled into the WalMart parking lot and visited Subway for lunch. Then we called our friends (Harold & Joanne) as they said they would come and lead us to their place where we will stay for a few days. They have 4+ acres and a nice long circular drive so we are parked right in front of the house and there is still room for cars to get past us.
We talked the afternoon away before deciding to go out for dinner. While we were having a drink before leaving, their son called and said he was coming right over. Harold thought he was going to borrow a truck but he - and his girlfriend - showed up with their newly purchased mini-van and took us all to dinner. How nice!! We went to a place called Brennigans - very good food at reasonable prices. Or maybe they just seem reasonable after being in Canada!
Jo taught us a new card game (“65”) and we played that and then talked some more until we finally headed for bed at midnight.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Sept 17th to 19th - Mass, NY, Ontario
Sept 17th - Wed - to Massachusetts
Headed north and west to Becket, Mass this morning. We decided to use the “Mass Pike” - toll highway - as there wasn’t anywhere that we wanted to stop on the way. We stopped at a “plaza” on the turnpike because it advertised a visitor info center. Amazingly enough, there was no marked parking for RVs - a sign indicated that we were NOT to go where the trucks park. The visitor info booth was not manned so we couldn’t even get the maps that we wanted. It was interesting, though, to see several fast food sellers in a food court and a service station all in an area accessed only by the vehicles on the turnpike. On this toll road, you get a ticket when you get on the highway and then pay a toll depending on where you exit.
We are in a PA park (Bonny Rigg CG). We were put in the short term parking at the front of the park and we haven’t even gone to see the rest of the park in the trees. We set up and then went to the Norman Rockwell Museum in nearby Stockton. I enjoyed it but it is not Terry’s cup of tea. On the way back, we stopped in Stockton to wander down a row of shops.
As in VT, CT and RI, the highway (state) going through a town is lined with houses and businesses - very old buildings. And lots of large old trees. Not many flat spots on the roads, always going up or down a hill and of course lots of curves.
Sept 18th - Thurs - to New York
Not sticking around in any one state too long! We took the NY turnpike today to Akron, NY. Wanda told us it would be 56 miles further and 1 ½ hours longer to use roads other than the turnpike so we opted for the easier drive - and a toll partially repaid by using less diesel. We stopped at a couple of plazas to make breakfast, get fuel, pick up maps and stretch our legs.
We drove out of the hills into fairly flat terrain with lots of farms. Trees are starting to change color but nothing outstanding yet.
We are staying at a PA park just south of Akron. We took a walk after setting up and trying to get some Niagara Falls info on the SLOW internet connection. Talked to neighbors (Billy & Lori) who are also from Washington, but the wet side. They are full-timers but only for 3 weeks.
Sept 19th - Fri - to Ontario
Yes, you read correctly! We are back in Canada. We decided to check out Niagara Falls and then continue across southern Ontario and into Michigan where we hope to visit with some friends that we met a couple of years ago in Arizona.
We looked for a Bank of America on our way out of New York and had to go under 3 railway overpasses that were from 12 ft. 9 in. to 12 ft. 10 in. - makes Terry very nervous. Then the ATM at the BofA was broken and their computers showed everything except our checking account so we couldn’t get cash. We were directed to another branch but when Terry saw that we were headed under the same railways, we took a different route and said to heck with a bank.
Over a bridge to Canada and through customs with no hassles, just a couple of questions. Our GPS is older and we cannot load Canada & the US at the same time so I actually had to navigate to the RV site - OK, so I used the instructions in the PA book! Nice RV park (Windmill Point CG) where we are backed up to a pretty little lake.
Set up, lunch and then to Niagara Falls. Figure we will spend most of tomorrow there but wanted to check things out. Drove along the Niagara Parkway and stopped at a few sites/view points. Spent a short time at the Niagara Casino and headed home for dinner.
Headed north and west to Becket, Mass this morning. We decided to use the “Mass Pike” - toll highway - as there wasn’t anywhere that we wanted to stop on the way. We stopped at a “plaza” on the turnpike because it advertised a visitor info center. Amazingly enough, there was no marked parking for RVs - a sign indicated that we were NOT to go where the trucks park. The visitor info booth was not manned so we couldn’t even get the maps that we wanted. It was interesting, though, to see several fast food sellers in a food court and a service station all in an area accessed only by the vehicles on the turnpike. On this toll road, you get a ticket when you get on the highway and then pay a toll depending on where you exit.
We are in a PA park (Bonny Rigg CG). We were put in the short term parking at the front of the park and we haven’t even gone to see the rest of the park in the trees. We set up and then went to the Norman Rockwell Museum in nearby Stockton. I enjoyed it but it is not Terry’s cup of tea. On the way back, we stopped in Stockton to wander down a row of shops.
As in VT, CT and RI, the highway (state) going through a town is lined with houses and businesses - very old buildings. And lots of large old trees. Not many flat spots on the roads, always going up or down a hill and of course lots of curves.
Sept 18th - Thurs - to New York
Not sticking around in any one state too long! We took the NY turnpike today to Akron, NY. Wanda told us it would be 56 miles further and 1 ½ hours longer to use roads other than the turnpike so we opted for the easier drive - and a toll partially repaid by using less diesel. We stopped at a couple of plazas to make breakfast, get fuel, pick up maps and stretch our legs.
We drove out of the hills into fairly flat terrain with lots of farms. Trees are starting to change color but nothing outstanding yet.
We are staying at a PA park just south of Akron. We took a walk after setting up and trying to get some Niagara Falls info on the SLOW internet connection. Talked to neighbors (Billy & Lori) who are also from Washington, but the wet side. They are full-timers but only for 3 weeks.
Sept 19th - Fri - to Ontario
Yes, you read correctly! We are back in Canada. We decided to check out Niagara Falls and then continue across southern Ontario and into Michigan where we hope to visit with some friends that we met a couple of years ago in Arizona.
We looked for a Bank of America on our way out of New York and had to go under 3 railway overpasses that were from 12 ft. 9 in. to 12 ft. 10 in. - makes Terry very nervous. Then the ATM at the BofA was broken and their computers showed everything except our checking account so we couldn’t get cash. We were directed to another branch but when Terry saw that we were headed under the same railways, we took a different route and said to heck with a bank.
Over a bridge to Canada and through customs with no hassles, just a couple of questions. Our GPS is older and we cannot load Canada & the US at the same time so I actually had to navigate to the RV site - OK, so I used the instructions in the PA book! Nice RV park (Windmill Point CG) where we are backed up to a pretty little lake.
Set up, lunch and then to Niagara Falls. Figure we will spend most of tomorrow there but wanted to check things out. Drove along the Niagara Parkway and stopped at a few sites/view points. Spent a short time at the Niagara Casino and headed home for dinner.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Sept 14th to 16th - CT & RI
Sept 14th - Sun - Ledyard, Connecticut
We were going to stay overnight in Mass. but decided to drive on to CT as Terry & Judy have to be in Nogales AZ near the end of October and need to get moving. Some eastern states are so small that you can drive through 2 or 3 in a reasonably short driving day. We traveled about ¾ of the length of Vermont, through Massachusetts and to the south eastern corner of Connecticut in about 4 ½ hours driving time. More very pretty countryside once the rain & fog lifted enough for a good view. I didn’t pay too much attention to a lot of it as I caught up on a couple of phone calls to (sister) Marg and (cousin) Pat.
We ended up at the largest casino in North America - Foxwood in Ledyard CT - in hot, very humid weather. They allow up to a week of dry camping in their parking lot. Terry & I arrived first and discovered a terrible lack of signs to direct RVs to the correct parking area. We made a couple of loops, managed to avoid committing to any route not passable for us and parked in a lot. We tried to call Terry & Judy to tell them where we were but Judy had her phone turned off so we left a couple of messages and hung around. They showed up and got situated beside us.
We had decided to gamble and eat at the casino and headed over about 4:30. Split up to gamble and then met up for a dinner at the buffet. Hung around together until Terry & Judy called it quits shortly after midnight. Terry & I headed back to the rig just after 3 am and we were still so wound up (and it was still very warm) that we had a hard time getting to sleep.
Sept 15th - Mon - to Rhode Island
Even with very little sleep we were awake early to another warm day. We all went back to the buffet at the casino for a very nice, reasonably priced breakfast. Then we wandered through the entire complex to view more casinos, shops, restaurants, etc that we hadn’t seen last night. It is a huge place and has some amazing details - stained glass panels, blown glass “flowers”, a huge glass statue of a native archer that changes colors, a couple of indoor water falls and great carpets & tiles. It includes moving “sidewalks” leading to a hotel, a theater, a ballroom, a show venue, lots of shops, a WPT poker room, a 2 story glass enclosed wine “cellar”, multiple multi-story parking garages and shuttle buses to other parking lots.
We parted from Terry & Judy with promises to stay in touch. We had a 35 minute drive to a Camp Club park in Hope Valley, Rhode Island. There was one spot left and the park employee said we might not fit as someone else had come back previously and said they couldn’t get into the spot. Of course Terry could get us in - simply backed into the pull-through spot - after having to back up to make a tight corner just getting to the spot. The park is in trees and quite large with mostly permanent rigs. We walked all around it and saw very few people. Went to bed early to watch TV and then catch up on some sleep.
Sept 16th - Tues - Rhode Island
Catch up day today. We had a late breakfast and then went towards Providence to find a place to get an oil change. Found a Jiffy Lube and they lived up to their name as we were out in about 20 minutes. Next we went to a large grocery store with a fairly long list to fill. Very nice store (Stop & Shop) with better prices than we have seen for a while. Back to the rig to put everything away.
Uneventful remainder of day - emails, haircuts for Terry & Dolly, misc cleaning, trip planning, relaxing and a nice long phone call to friends Bill & Georgia.
We were going to stay overnight in Mass. but decided to drive on to CT as Terry & Judy have to be in Nogales AZ near the end of October and need to get moving. Some eastern states are so small that you can drive through 2 or 3 in a reasonably short driving day. We traveled about ¾ of the length of Vermont, through Massachusetts and to the south eastern corner of Connecticut in about 4 ½ hours driving time. More very pretty countryside once the rain & fog lifted enough for a good view. I didn’t pay too much attention to a lot of it as I caught up on a couple of phone calls to (sister) Marg and (cousin) Pat.
We ended up at the largest casino in North America - Foxwood in Ledyard CT - in hot, very humid weather. They allow up to a week of dry camping in their parking lot. Terry & I arrived first and discovered a terrible lack of signs to direct RVs to the correct parking area. We made a couple of loops, managed to avoid committing to any route not passable for us and parked in a lot. We tried to call Terry & Judy to tell them where we were but Judy had her phone turned off so we left a couple of messages and hung around. They showed up and got situated beside us.
We had decided to gamble and eat at the casino and headed over about 4:30. Split up to gamble and then met up for a dinner at the buffet. Hung around together until Terry & Judy called it quits shortly after midnight. Terry & I headed back to the rig just after 3 am and we were still so wound up (and it was still very warm) that we had a hard time getting to sleep.
Sept 15th - Mon - to Rhode Island
Even with very little sleep we were awake early to another warm day. We all went back to the buffet at the casino for a very nice, reasonably priced breakfast. Then we wandered through the entire complex to view more casinos, shops, restaurants, etc that we hadn’t seen last night. It is a huge place and has some amazing details - stained glass panels, blown glass “flowers”, a huge glass statue of a native archer that changes colors, a couple of indoor water falls and great carpets & tiles. It includes moving “sidewalks” leading to a hotel, a theater, a ballroom, a show venue, lots of shops, a WPT poker room, a 2 story glass enclosed wine “cellar”, multiple multi-story parking garages and shuttle buses to other parking lots.
We parted from Terry & Judy with promises to stay in touch. We had a 35 minute drive to a Camp Club park in Hope Valley, Rhode Island. There was one spot left and the park employee said we might not fit as someone else had come back previously and said they couldn’t get into the spot. Of course Terry could get us in - simply backed into the pull-through spot - after having to back up to make a tight corner just getting to the spot. The park is in trees and quite large with mostly permanent rigs. We walked all around it and saw very few people. Went to bed early to watch TV and then catch up on some sleep.
Sept 16th - Tues - Rhode Island
Catch up day today. We had a late breakfast and then went towards Providence to find a place to get an oil change. Found a Jiffy Lube and they lived up to their name as we were out in about 20 minutes. Next we went to a large grocery store with a fairly long list to fill. Very nice store (Stop & Shop) with better prices than we have seen for a while. Back to the rig to put everything away.
Uneventful remainder of day - emails, haircuts for Terry & Dolly, misc cleaning, trip planning, relaxing and a nice long phone call to friends Bill & Georgia.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sept 11th to 13th - Maine to Vermont
Sept 11th - Thurs - Bangor
“Catch up” day today. Terry helped Terry H install a Sirius satellite radio system in his truck and then Judy & I took the truck to do laundry while the guys installed the rest of the Sirius system in their 5th wheel. The RV park only had a couple of washers so we went to a laundromat. We ran a couple of other errands and got back in time to each make a late lunch. Terry had taken the truck to a car wash but it still looked dirty so he dry washed it by the time I had lunch ready.
I pulled out the sewing machine and did some mending while Terry took a nap. We walked around the park before dinner and picked the brains of some people from Texas about where to stay for the winter.
We keep changing our minds about where we are going next and Terry & Judy haven’t decided when they are heading more west than south. So we did a bunch more research about where to go and where to stay.
Sept 12th - Fri - to New Hampshire
We finally decided to go to Vermont with Terry & Judy staying with us for a while longer. Terry & I had an eventful day:
-we decided to go against Wanda’s directions and use a main highway rather than a state road. Oops, turned out to be the turnpike (toll highway). Good news was a toll of only $1.50.
-when we were going through downtown Lewiston , a delivery truck blocked the street and I had to get out and watch to make sure the truck’s mirrors would clear our awning arms - an inch to spare!
-pulled in for diesel a few blocks later and another truck was blocking the only diesel pump while the driver was inside getting something to eat - a 10 minute wait.
-Wanda directed us on a route that ended up having a bridge closure and we had to come about 7 miles back and take a different route - passed “bridge closed” sign on the next highway.
-Terry saw Terry & Judy’s rig parked in the lot of a closed store in Gorham and decided to pull over and see if they were OK. Pulled into a dead end street and had a heck of a time turning around in a small cul de sac. I heard a strange noise and when he got straightened out, we discovered that we had an inverted spring on the driver’s side of the 5th wheel and the tires were right together and rubbing.
Anyone who knows Terry will know before they read this that he set to work to fix the spring! I walked back and found Terry & Judy just finishing lunch in a restaurant and told them our sad tale. Terry H borrowed a couple of jacks from a nearby repair shop and a couple of residents of the dead end street showed up with another jack and other tools as needed - and with much needed opinions on what needed to be done. About 2 ½ hours later, Terry was filthy & exhausted and the rig was back together. The locals directed us to a WalMart where we gratefully stayed the night.
We had a drink and went to see what McDonalds had to offer. No McDonalds at this WalMart so we bought deli lasagna, salad mix & bread. While the lasagna was cooking, we taught Terry & Judy how to play the card game Golf. Had a great evening.
Sept 13th - Sat - to Vermont
Terry & I had a terrible night’s sleep. The WalMart closed at 10 and it was very quiet but I woke at one and was awake more than asleep for the rest of the night. Terry had several mosquito bites that he kept scratching. Got up early and walked to get coffee & doughnuts for all of us. On the road about 8:30. Terry pulled off into a viewpoint about 9 to check the tires and they were back together and rubbing again. We all wanted to cry! This time Terry finally found a broken shackle on the rear wheel which was jammed ahead of where it belonged. We made a few phone calls and decided to try to drive about 2 miles to a small town. No go - the tires started smoking not far down the road so we slowly backed down the road to the viewpoint again.
Terry considered taking one tire off and limping in on the other tire but figured the axle might drop down. Tried driving up on a ramp to release weight on a tire and only succeeding in breaking a chock that I had placed on the other side. Then we placed a couple of boards on the ground between the tires and Terry jerked ahead which succeeded in moving the back axle enough to separate the tires. Then the Terrys drove in Terry H’s rig to the small town to check out the road (in case we had to stop again) and tracked down a welder who would fix the rig. We used some tie-downs to tie the axle to the bicycle rack hitch to hopefully keep it from moving forward again and drove slowly about 8 miles to the welder’s shop.
Success! 4 hours later we were on the road again with a secure shackle created by our welder. We decided to go to the RV park in Vermont that we were headed for yesterday so only had about an hour drive - which was plenty after what we had been through the last 2 days.
Vermont is beautiful. Still lots of trees but more rolling hills than in New Hampshire and farms are starting to show up. Sunshine also helps make scenery more attractive.
“Catch up” day today. Terry helped Terry H install a Sirius satellite radio system in his truck and then Judy & I took the truck to do laundry while the guys installed the rest of the Sirius system in their 5th wheel. The RV park only had a couple of washers so we went to a laundromat. We ran a couple of other errands and got back in time to each make a late lunch. Terry had taken the truck to a car wash but it still looked dirty so he dry washed it by the time I had lunch ready.
I pulled out the sewing machine and did some mending while Terry took a nap. We walked around the park before dinner and picked the brains of some people from Texas about where to stay for the winter.
We keep changing our minds about where we are going next and Terry & Judy haven’t decided when they are heading more west than south. So we did a bunch more research about where to go and where to stay.
Sept 12th - Fri - to New Hampshire
We finally decided to go to Vermont with Terry & Judy staying with us for a while longer. Terry & I had an eventful day:
-we decided to go against Wanda’s directions and use a main highway rather than a state road. Oops, turned out to be the turnpike (toll highway). Good news was a toll of only $1.50.
-when we were going through downtown Lewiston , a delivery truck blocked the street and I had to get out and watch to make sure the truck’s mirrors would clear our awning arms - an inch to spare!
-pulled in for diesel a few blocks later and another truck was blocking the only diesel pump while the driver was inside getting something to eat - a 10 minute wait.
-Wanda directed us on a route that ended up having a bridge closure and we had to come about 7 miles back and take a different route - passed “bridge closed” sign on the next highway.
-Terry saw Terry & Judy’s rig parked in the lot of a closed store in Gorham and decided to pull over and see if they were OK. Pulled into a dead end street and had a heck of a time turning around in a small cul de sac. I heard a strange noise and when he got straightened out, we discovered that we had an inverted spring on the driver’s side of the 5th wheel and the tires were right together and rubbing.
Anyone who knows Terry will know before they read this that he set to work to fix the spring! I walked back and found Terry & Judy just finishing lunch in a restaurant and told them our sad tale. Terry H borrowed a couple of jacks from a nearby repair shop and a couple of residents of the dead end street showed up with another jack and other tools as needed - and with much needed opinions on what needed to be done. About 2 ½ hours later, Terry was filthy & exhausted and the rig was back together. The locals directed us to a WalMart where we gratefully stayed the night.
We had a drink and went to see what McDonalds had to offer. No McDonalds at this WalMart so we bought deli lasagna, salad mix & bread. While the lasagna was cooking, we taught Terry & Judy how to play the card game Golf. Had a great evening.
Sept 13th - Sat - to Vermont
Terry & I had a terrible night’s sleep. The WalMart closed at 10 and it was very quiet but I woke at one and was awake more than asleep for the rest of the night. Terry had several mosquito bites that he kept scratching. Got up early and walked to get coffee & doughnuts for all of us. On the road about 8:30. Terry pulled off into a viewpoint about 9 to check the tires and they were back together and rubbing again. We all wanted to cry! This time Terry finally found a broken shackle on the rear wheel which was jammed ahead of where it belonged. We made a few phone calls and decided to try to drive about 2 miles to a small town. No go - the tires started smoking not far down the road so we slowly backed down the road to the viewpoint again.
Terry considered taking one tire off and limping in on the other tire but figured the axle might drop down. Tried driving up on a ramp to release weight on a tire and only succeeding in breaking a chock that I had placed on the other side. Then we placed a couple of boards on the ground between the tires and Terry jerked ahead which succeeded in moving the back axle enough to separate the tires. Then the Terrys drove in Terry H’s rig to the small town to check out the road (in case we had to stop again) and tracked down a welder who would fix the rig. We used some tie-downs to tie the axle to the bicycle rack hitch to hopefully keep it from moving forward again and drove slowly about 8 miles to the welder’s shop.
Success! 4 hours later we were on the road again with a secure shackle created by our welder. We decided to go to the RV park in Vermont that we were headed for yesterday so only had about an hour drive - which was plenty after what we had been through the last 2 days.
Vermont is beautiful. Still lots of trees but more rolling hills than in New Hampshire and farms are starting to show up. Sunshine also helps make scenery more attractive.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Sept 8th to 10th - Bangor, Maine
Sept 8th - Mon - to Bangor, Maine
We had a lovely, sunny day for driving to Maine. We had no problems at the border crossing so Terry’s worrying was all for nothing. The usual questions about how much money we had on us, what fruits & veggies we had, what we were bringing back from Canada and how much alcohol but no questions about meat.
We had planned (with Terry & Judy) to camp at Calais which is just across the border but we were there so early that we called them and said how about continuing on to Bangor. They were agreeable so I picked a PA park and away we went. The landscape has changed to lots of forests with larger trees. We are staying at The Pumpkin Patch which is a few miles out of Bangor and is a great park. Very clean, organized and quiet with the best wifi & cable TV that we have had for ages.
We were set up with the lawn chairs out by the time Terry & Judy finished checking in. They set up and then we all enjoyed the opportunity to sit out in the sun and use the barbeque for dinner.
We filled up with diesel just out of Bangor - $4.24 a gallon as opposed to the $5.30 we have been paying.
Sept 9th - Tues - Bangor
Good thing we enjoyed the sun yesterday as it started raining again last night. We went to a couple of tire shops to get quotes on tires for the 5th wheel. A couple of tires had worn unevenly and badly when we had the suspension problem earlier this year so we decided to get all new tires. This meant coming back, packing everything up, sitting at the tire shop for an hour and then setting up again. Just as we backed in, it started to pour. Terry was wearing shorts and thought he should put on long pants but I suggested he might as well get wet and then change clothes. And get wet he did! We thought about going to Terry & Judy’s to wait for the rain to let up but who knew how long that would take.
Of course, there was a lull in the rain right after Terry came in and we had a bowl of soup. Then we all went shopping. Drove through downtown Bangor on the way - it is a very pretty, quite large town with the Penobscot River running through the town.. By the time we finished going to several stores and trying to fit all our groceries inside the truck in case it rained, it was time to head back and unload. A short happy hour, individual dinner plans and early to bed. We are still adjusting to the time zone change - now 3 hours ahead of BC and WA.
Sept 10th - Wed - Bangor
Planned on going to Acadia National Park today and picked a good day to do it - sunny and breezy. Terry H. had driving duties today and their GPS looked after us again.
Acadia Ntl Park is on the ocean and has a beautiful coastline. We detoured first to Bar Harbor which is a lovely, touristy, “summer people” town built on hills around a harbor (the town name is a clue!). We found a parking spot and wandered up and back down several blocks of shops. By this time, we were wanting a picnic spot for lunch. A picnic area on the map was on the side of the road away from the ocean and in the trees so we took our lunches out to some rocks on the beach side instead. What a magnificent view to enjoy our picnic.
We continued driving around the loop road that is a narrow, two lane road but is one-way for most of the way so is comfortable driving. We took a road to the Cadillac Mountain summit. This was narrow, windy and single lane each way which was only a problem when a bus coming down used more than his half of the road on a curve - got all our adrenalin going! The views from the road and from the viewpoints on the top were wonderful. It was very windy and cool on top so we didn’t stay too long.
It took a little longer getting back than we figured as we were in a long, slow line of traffic for quite a ways out of Ellsworth - rush hour? We each started dinner, got together for a drink, had separate dinners and then I made dessert for all of us. We spent time planning our next destinations.
We had a lovely, sunny day for driving to Maine. We had no problems at the border crossing so Terry’s worrying was all for nothing. The usual questions about how much money we had on us, what fruits & veggies we had, what we were bringing back from Canada and how much alcohol but no questions about meat.
We had planned (with Terry & Judy) to camp at Calais which is just across the border but we were there so early that we called them and said how about continuing on to Bangor. They were agreeable so I picked a PA park and away we went. The landscape has changed to lots of forests with larger trees. We are staying at The Pumpkin Patch which is a few miles out of Bangor and is a great park. Very clean, organized and quiet with the best wifi & cable TV that we have had for ages.
We were set up with the lawn chairs out by the time Terry & Judy finished checking in. They set up and then we all enjoyed the opportunity to sit out in the sun and use the barbeque for dinner.
We filled up with diesel just out of Bangor - $4.24 a gallon as opposed to the $5.30 we have been paying.
Sept 9th - Tues - Bangor
Good thing we enjoyed the sun yesterday as it started raining again last night. We went to a couple of tire shops to get quotes on tires for the 5th wheel. A couple of tires had worn unevenly and badly when we had the suspension problem earlier this year so we decided to get all new tires. This meant coming back, packing everything up, sitting at the tire shop for an hour and then setting up again. Just as we backed in, it started to pour. Terry was wearing shorts and thought he should put on long pants but I suggested he might as well get wet and then change clothes. And get wet he did! We thought about going to Terry & Judy’s to wait for the rain to let up but who knew how long that would take.
Of course, there was a lull in the rain right after Terry came in and we had a bowl of soup. Then we all went shopping. Drove through downtown Bangor on the way - it is a very pretty, quite large town with the Penobscot River running through the town.. By the time we finished going to several stores and trying to fit all our groceries inside the truck in case it rained, it was time to head back and unload. A short happy hour, individual dinner plans and early to bed. We are still adjusting to the time zone change - now 3 hours ahead of BC and WA.
Sept 10th - Wed - Bangor
Planned on going to Acadia National Park today and picked a good day to do it - sunny and breezy. Terry H. had driving duties today and their GPS looked after us again.
Acadia Ntl Park is on the ocean and has a beautiful coastline. We detoured first to Bar Harbor which is a lovely, touristy, “summer people” town built on hills around a harbor (the town name is a clue!). We found a parking spot and wandered up and back down several blocks of shops. By this time, we were wanting a picnic spot for lunch. A picnic area on the map was on the side of the road away from the ocean and in the trees so we took our lunches out to some rocks on the beach side instead. What a magnificent view to enjoy our picnic.
We continued driving around the loop road that is a narrow, two lane road but is one-way for most of the way so is comfortable driving. We took a road to the Cadillac Mountain summit. This was narrow, windy and single lane each way which was only a problem when a bus coming down used more than his half of the road on a curve - got all our adrenalin going! The views from the road and from the viewpoints on the top were wonderful. It was very windy and cool on top so we didn’t stay too long.
It took a little longer getting back than we figured as we were in a long, slow line of traffic for quite a ways out of Ellsworth - rush hour? We each started dinner, got together for a drink, had separate dinners and then I made dessert for all of us. We spent time planning our next destinations.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Sept 6th & 7th - Shediac, NB
Sept 6th - Sat - Shediac
The weather forecast changed (as usual) with Hanna not to arrive until tonight so we all went sightseeing again. Headed north(ish) this time, taking the coastal scenic routes for the most part and ended up at Kouchibouguac National Park. On the way we stopped at a Farmers’ Market in Bouctouche where we bought some huge cinnamon rolls and listened to a couple of songs performed by a small group. At the Eco Center near Rexton and again at the national park, we strolled on boardwalks and white sand beaches.
Like the rest of the maritimes, the New Brunswick areas that we have seen are all very tidy. No old cars sitting around and very few lawns needing mowing badly. Judy enlightened me on the stars that are displayed on many houses - they are used to denote Acadian ancestry or affiliation.
Judy had some frozen lobster that she took out for dinner so we stopped at a market to get some shrimp to deep fry and add to the menu. For dessert - which none of us needed! - Judy made toutin which is fried bread dough served with butter & molasses/syrup/jam. Good.
Sept 7th - Sun - Shediac
It started raining before we went to bed last night and continued all night. I waited for a lull to quickly take Dolly out - and then went back to bed. We spent the morning inside - me on the computer & internet, Terry watching TV, looking at maps and dozing once in a while. After lunch the rain let up and we wanted to get out so we grabbed Terry & Judy and went first to the dollar store which was one of the few stores open. Then we went to the huge lobster monument and took pictures. We were goofing around with hammy poses to the amusement of a young couple nearby.
We went to Terry & Judy’s for a pre-dinner drink and didn’t leave until 7:30. On the way to our rig, Terry started talking to a couple with BC plates and invited them in for a drink. They (Doug & Louise) are from Cranbrook and have been traveling for 6 weeks. Doug is trying to convince Louise to sell the house and hit the road. She is reluctant so they rented their house until April to try out the nomad lifestyle.
Needless to say, dinner was quite late. I did persevere and got more pictures posted to the internet so check them out.
The weather forecast changed (as usual) with Hanna not to arrive until tonight so we all went sightseeing again. Headed north(ish) this time, taking the coastal scenic routes for the most part and ended up at Kouchibouguac National Park. On the way we stopped at a Farmers’ Market in Bouctouche where we bought some huge cinnamon rolls and listened to a couple of songs performed by a small group. At the Eco Center near Rexton and again at the national park, we strolled on boardwalks and white sand beaches.
Like the rest of the maritimes, the New Brunswick areas that we have seen are all very tidy. No old cars sitting around and very few lawns needing mowing badly. Judy enlightened me on the stars that are displayed on many houses - they are used to denote Acadian ancestry or affiliation.
Judy had some frozen lobster that she took out for dinner so we stopped at a market to get some shrimp to deep fry and add to the menu. For dessert - which none of us needed! - Judy made toutin which is fried bread dough served with butter & molasses/syrup/jam. Good.
Sept 7th - Sun - Shediac
It started raining before we went to bed last night and continued all night. I waited for a lull to quickly take Dolly out - and then went back to bed. We spent the morning inside - me on the computer & internet, Terry watching TV, looking at maps and dozing once in a while. After lunch the rain let up and we wanted to get out so we grabbed Terry & Judy and went first to the dollar store which was one of the few stores open. Then we went to the huge lobster monument and took pictures. We were goofing around with hammy poses to the amusement of a young couple nearby.
We went to Terry & Judy’s for a pre-dinner drink and didn’t leave until 7:30. On the way to our rig, Terry started talking to a couple with BC plates and invited them in for a drink. They (Doug & Louise) are from Cranbrook and have been traveling for 6 weeks. Doug is trying to convince Louise to sell the house and hit the road. She is reluctant so they rented their house until April to try out the nomad lifestyle.
Needless to say, dinner was quite late. I did persevere and got more pictures posted to the internet so check them out.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Sept 3rd to 5th - PEI to New Brunswick
Sept 3rd - Wed - to Darnley, PEI
We moved a short ways northeast to Twin Shores Camping Area, a large campground. An employee marked some available sites on a map and sent us out to choose one. The first area had lots of trees along roads and between sites - too many trees for us. We looked down a couple of roads and figured we would be hitting branches IF we could make the 90 degree corner to get on the road. The map showed a loop at the end so I told Terry we could turn around there. We couldn’t quite make a corner and Terry had to back up a couple of times and still scraped branches on both sides. We went to the open area of the campground and selected a site with a great view of the water. After we paid (and told the employee not to send long rigs down those roads without a warning), Terry cleaned the marks on the moldings and removed a couple of branches caught in the awning.
We hooked up to the internet and started reading emails. Then AOL quit responding and we could not get back to it. Could get to any other website but not AOL. We drove to the office to see if the signal strength would make a difference but it didn’t. I messed with it for a while and then decided to leave it for now and go driving.
Wanda sent us on a very narrow, dirt road to get to Kensington - good thing we weren’t towing. But it opened to a great view so it was worth it. We went to Summerside and wandered a cute tourist area on the waterfront. Back to the RV park in time to hit the laundry room before dinner.
Nice surprise - AOL was accessible again when we got back - go figure!
Sept 4th - Thurs - PEI
Poured rain last night & this morning so we stayed in bed and watched TV until it let up. When I took Dolly out, the outside mat was floating in a small lake by the rig.
The rain stopped about 11 (soon became warm & sunny) so we set off to explore the western third of the island. We stopped in Tyne Valley to see if Wendy’s (friend met in Mexico) brother was around but he was still in Costa Rica so we could not take advantage of his knowledge of local sights to see. We followed a scenic route for a while, then cut across the island to have lunch at a café recommended in a guide book. We had seafood chowder (not exceptional) with biscuits (ordinary) and tried the Seaweed Pie. Seaweed is harvested nearby and is used as a thickening agent in many foods. The “pie” was like Boston Cream Pie with a cake bottom, custardy filling, whipped cream and raspberry “drizzle”. OK but I would not order it again.
We continued on to the North Cape - fishing boats, walking trails & wind machines. We took a combination of main highways & scenic routes to again cross the island to a southern loop on the way back to Summerside and then to the RV park. It was now very windy so we weren’t able to have a fire as we had hoped.
More PEI notes:
Acres & acres of potato fields.
Very red dirt & sand due to iron content which rusts.
Sept 5th - Fri - to Shediac, New Brunswick
(Notice how I initially spell out the province for our American friends?!)
We left at 8 for the short drive to Shediac today. We left PEI on the Confederation Bridge which is 13 km (8 miles) long and cost us $55 to cross. You pay only to leave PEI, not to get there, and the bridge is cheaper than the ferry - at least for longer rigs. We met Terry & Judy again here and luckily they arrived yesterday and reserved a spot for us as the park is quite full. PA, close to town, wifi, cable TV and with a view of the water - nice.
We set up, had a quick breakfast sandwich and, with Terry H at the wheel, set out to Hopewell Rocks south of Moncton. There is a huge tide variance in the Bay of Fundy which allows you to walk on the ocean floor by some spectacular “sea stacks” (rock pillars) at low tide. Low tide was at 10:50 so we wanted to get there as soon as we could. There is a ¾ mile walk down to the beach. We took tons of pictures and then wimped out (thanks to Terry M & Judy!) and took a shuttle back to the top.
We had taken a “snacky” lunch so we sat at tables on a restaurant patio to eat. We figured we should buy a beer to justify using their table. Found out that you cannot buy just alcohol at a restaurant so we ended up with fries as well.
We went to Magnetic Hill on the way back. This is an interesting tourist attraction which makes you think your vehicle is rolling uphill. You drive down a short hill which changes to a dirt road at the bottom. You stop on the left side of the road where it becomes dirt, put your vehicle in neutral, take your foot off the brake and steer as your vehicle backs “up” the hill with no power. It is an optical illusion but quite effective. We drove up a second time and Judy & I walked back to feel the slope. There is also a group of shops that we checked out. There is a huge water park and a zoo so it would be a great place to take kids.
It was warm enough to sit out, visit with some neighbors, barbeque and eat out - what a great change. But the remains of Hurricane Hanna are due to hit the maritimes tomorrow so we are expecting wind & rain.
We moved a short ways northeast to Twin Shores Camping Area, a large campground. An employee marked some available sites on a map and sent us out to choose one. The first area had lots of trees along roads and between sites - too many trees for us. We looked down a couple of roads and figured we would be hitting branches IF we could make the 90 degree corner to get on the road. The map showed a loop at the end so I told Terry we could turn around there. We couldn’t quite make a corner and Terry had to back up a couple of times and still scraped branches on both sides. We went to the open area of the campground and selected a site with a great view of the water. After we paid (and told the employee not to send long rigs down those roads without a warning), Terry cleaned the marks on the moldings and removed a couple of branches caught in the awning.
We hooked up to the internet and started reading emails. Then AOL quit responding and we could not get back to it. Could get to any other website but not AOL. We drove to the office to see if the signal strength would make a difference but it didn’t. I messed with it for a while and then decided to leave it for now and go driving.
Wanda sent us on a very narrow, dirt road to get to Kensington - good thing we weren’t towing. But it opened to a great view so it was worth it. We went to Summerside and wandered a cute tourist area on the waterfront. Back to the RV park in time to hit the laundry room before dinner.
Nice surprise - AOL was accessible again when we got back - go figure!
Sept 4th - Thurs - PEI
Poured rain last night & this morning so we stayed in bed and watched TV until it let up. When I took Dolly out, the outside mat was floating in a small lake by the rig.
The rain stopped about 11 (soon became warm & sunny) so we set off to explore the western third of the island. We stopped in Tyne Valley to see if Wendy’s (friend met in Mexico) brother was around but he was still in Costa Rica so we could not take advantage of his knowledge of local sights to see. We followed a scenic route for a while, then cut across the island to have lunch at a café recommended in a guide book. We had seafood chowder (not exceptional) with biscuits (ordinary) and tried the Seaweed Pie. Seaweed is harvested nearby and is used as a thickening agent in many foods. The “pie” was like Boston Cream Pie with a cake bottom, custardy filling, whipped cream and raspberry “drizzle”. OK but I would not order it again.
We continued on to the North Cape - fishing boats, walking trails & wind machines. We took a combination of main highways & scenic routes to again cross the island to a southern loop on the way back to Summerside and then to the RV park. It was now very windy so we weren’t able to have a fire as we had hoped.
More PEI notes:
Acres & acres of potato fields.
Very red dirt & sand due to iron content which rusts.
Sept 5th - Fri - to Shediac, New Brunswick
(Notice how I initially spell out the province for our American friends?!)
We left at 8 for the short drive to Shediac today. We left PEI on the Confederation Bridge which is 13 km (8 miles) long and cost us $55 to cross. You pay only to leave PEI, not to get there, and the bridge is cheaper than the ferry - at least for longer rigs. We met Terry & Judy again here and luckily they arrived yesterday and reserved a spot for us as the park is quite full. PA, close to town, wifi, cable TV and with a view of the water - nice.
We set up, had a quick breakfast sandwich and, with Terry H at the wheel, set out to Hopewell Rocks south of Moncton. There is a huge tide variance in the Bay of Fundy which allows you to walk on the ocean floor by some spectacular “sea stacks” (rock pillars) at low tide. Low tide was at 10:50 so we wanted to get there as soon as we could. There is a ¾ mile walk down to the beach. We took tons of pictures and then wimped out (thanks to Terry M & Judy!) and took a shuttle back to the top.
We had taken a “snacky” lunch so we sat at tables on a restaurant patio to eat. We figured we should buy a beer to justify using their table. Found out that you cannot buy just alcohol at a restaurant so we ended up with fries as well.
We went to Magnetic Hill on the way back. This is an interesting tourist attraction which makes you think your vehicle is rolling uphill. You drive down a short hill which changes to a dirt road at the bottom. You stop on the left side of the road where it becomes dirt, put your vehicle in neutral, take your foot off the brake and steer as your vehicle backs “up” the hill with no power. It is an optical illusion but quite effective. We drove up a second time and Judy & I walked back to feel the slope. There is also a group of shops that we checked out. There is a huge water park and a zoo so it would be a great place to take kids.
It was warm enough to sit out, visit with some neighbors, barbeque and eat out - what a great change. But the remains of Hurricane Hanna are due to hit the maritimes tomorrow so we are expecting wind & rain.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Aug 31st to Sept 2nd - PEI
Aug 31st - Sun - to Harrington (Charlottetown), PEI
Left at 8 under cloudy skies. New friends Doug & Ellie are staying in Nova Scotia for a couple days and then we plan to meet on PEI. Encountered heavy rain on an otherwise uneventful drive to the dock for the ferry to PEI. We had to wait an hour for the 1:00 ferry so we went to a gift shop, tourist info booth and got coffee - just in time for the announcement that people return to their cars in preparation for loading. And then we got to sit while almost everyone else loaded first. The car lanes were really skinny on this ferry but we (and a few other large vehicles) were given 2 lanes.
We had some lunch on the ferry and then Terry found a slot machine (!) while I read a book. Before we knew it, the 75 minute ride was over and Terry had won enough money to pay for lunch. We were front & center on the ferry so we got off first and were in the campground just after 4. It is a PA park and is pretty “basic” - only 3 other RVs and a group of 3 tents.
After setting up (in rain), looking at brochures & maps and chatting a bit with our neighbors, we headed for a grocery store. I had let everything run out and figured I would be doing the “up & down every aisle” shopping trip. We just got started when employees turned off lights in the meat display case and we realized that because it was Sunday the store was closing at 6. We hurriedly grabbed a few essentials, fueled up (diesel down to $1.38 per liter) and headed back. Put away groceries, made dinner and then went to visit our neighbors.
Sept 1st - Mon - Harrington
We had a huge wind & rain storm last night so we did not get much sleep. Still raining this morning so we decided to finish grocery shopping and then go to the casino rather than trying to go sightseeing in limited visibility. Almost all stores were closed because of Labor Day and the casino did not treat us too well - not a great day! We returned to the rig for a late lunch and then went driving. The waves were really crashing on the beach at PEI National Park. We started driving west and soon ran into rain that made it hard to see the road, never mind the scenery. So we turned around and found some clearing skies on the way back to the campground. What else could I do now but bake cookies!
A couple of motor homes were checking in when we came back. One driver asked Terry if the sites were soft (grass sites) where we are parked and Terry said he thought the sites at the very end (bottom of the hill & just a few sites from us) were the most solid. The driver decided to park at the top of the hill and buried his front wheels to the axle. A very large tow truck soon showed up and the 2 motor homes ended up parking on the side of the road where it was solid.
Our neighbors (Lloyd & Cathy) came over for coffee & cookies. Cathy brought Godiva chocolate liqueur and whipped cream so we ended up with 2 desserts - one to drink and one to eat.
Sept 2nd - Tues - PEI
Sunshine!!! Lloyd & Cathy joined us today for a sightseeing trip. We drove east to the lighthouse at East Point, stopping at a few places along the way including a walk to a beach on another section of PEI National Park. We had a light lunch at East Point. Shortly after, we left the scenic route and headed back across the island to Charlottetown to see some sand sculptures that we had seen advertised. First we got some ice cream cones at Cows, which is claimed to be the best ice cream on PEI. The ice cream was better than the sand sculptures. We were very disappointed. Even allowing for rain damage, which was inevitable, the sculptures were so basic - especially compared to the wonderful pieces of art that we saw at Parksville on Vancouver Island last year.
We stopped at a couple of grocery stores on the way back - a couple because the first one did not have an item that we especially wanted. It was still sunny when we got back about 4:30 so Terry got out the lawn chairs. It didn’t stay warm very long however, so we moved inside and Terry just went out to barbeque steaks.
Misc PEI notes:
A lot of homes have HUGE lawns. Acres would not be an exaggeration.
There are lots of mussels farms in bays. Mussels are grown on strings suspended from buoys.
Cemeteries often seem too large for nearby towns. Figure it is because the towns are so old.
Left at 8 under cloudy skies. New friends Doug & Ellie are staying in Nova Scotia for a couple days and then we plan to meet on PEI. Encountered heavy rain on an otherwise uneventful drive to the dock for the ferry to PEI. We had to wait an hour for the 1:00 ferry so we went to a gift shop, tourist info booth and got coffee - just in time for the announcement that people return to their cars in preparation for loading. And then we got to sit while almost everyone else loaded first. The car lanes were really skinny on this ferry but we (and a few other large vehicles) were given 2 lanes.
We had some lunch on the ferry and then Terry found a slot machine (!) while I read a book. Before we knew it, the 75 minute ride was over and Terry had won enough money to pay for lunch. We were front & center on the ferry so we got off first and were in the campground just after 4. It is a PA park and is pretty “basic” - only 3 other RVs and a group of 3 tents.
After setting up (in rain), looking at brochures & maps and chatting a bit with our neighbors, we headed for a grocery store. I had let everything run out and figured I would be doing the “up & down every aisle” shopping trip. We just got started when employees turned off lights in the meat display case and we realized that because it was Sunday the store was closing at 6. We hurriedly grabbed a few essentials, fueled up (diesel down to $1.38 per liter) and headed back. Put away groceries, made dinner and then went to visit our neighbors.
Sept 1st - Mon - Harrington
We had a huge wind & rain storm last night so we did not get much sleep. Still raining this morning so we decided to finish grocery shopping and then go to the casino rather than trying to go sightseeing in limited visibility. Almost all stores were closed because of Labor Day and the casino did not treat us too well - not a great day! We returned to the rig for a late lunch and then went driving. The waves were really crashing on the beach at PEI National Park. We started driving west and soon ran into rain that made it hard to see the road, never mind the scenery. So we turned around and found some clearing skies on the way back to the campground. What else could I do now but bake cookies!
A couple of motor homes were checking in when we came back. One driver asked Terry if the sites were soft (grass sites) where we are parked and Terry said he thought the sites at the very end (bottom of the hill & just a few sites from us) were the most solid. The driver decided to park at the top of the hill and buried his front wheels to the axle. A very large tow truck soon showed up and the 2 motor homes ended up parking on the side of the road where it was solid.
Our neighbors (Lloyd & Cathy) came over for coffee & cookies. Cathy brought Godiva chocolate liqueur and whipped cream so we ended up with 2 desserts - one to drink and one to eat.
Sept 2nd - Tues - PEI
Sunshine!!! Lloyd & Cathy joined us today for a sightseeing trip. We drove east to the lighthouse at East Point, stopping at a few places along the way including a walk to a beach on another section of PEI National Park. We had a light lunch at East Point. Shortly after, we left the scenic route and headed back across the island to Charlottetown to see some sand sculptures that we had seen advertised. First we got some ice cream cones at Cows, which is claimed to be the best ice cream on PEI. The ice cream was better than the sand sculptures. We were very disappointed. Even allowing for rain damage, which was inevitable, the sculptures were so basic - especially compared to the wonderful pieces of art that we saw at Parksville on Vancouver Island last year.
We stopped at a couple of grocery stores on the way back - a couple because the first one did not have an item that we especially wanted. It was still sunny when we got back about 4:30 so Terry got out the lawn chairs. It didn’t stay warm very long however, so we moved inside and Terry just went out to barbeque steaks.
Misc PEI notes:
A lot of homes have HUGE lawns. Acres would not be an exaggeration.
There are lots of mussels farms in bays. Mussels are grown on strings suspended from buoys.
Cemeteries often seem too large for nearby towns. Figure it is because the towns are so old.
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