Oct 25th - Sat - Pigeon Forge, TN
Took me a while to catch up on 5 days in my blog - sorry Bob & Bonnie, my most faithful readers!
Around noon we took off with Billy & Lauri to check out “the largest flea market in the region”. I do not believe that the ad is an exaggeration! This place is big - a huge building surrounded by permanent small buildings and tent-type structures. We enjoyed perfect, partly cloudy weather as we wandered around and picked up a few items.
The traffic was still very congested so we figured we better go back to the rigs for a beer and to change clothes before going out tonight rather than misjudging how long it would take us and be late. We went to the Dixie Stampede which is a Dolly Parton dinner and show production. It is different from any other dinner & show that you may have attended as it takes place in an arena. I will start at the beginning and this entry will be long as no photography was allowed.
First was a 45 minute “pre show”. On the way into this show, photographs were taken which were for sale at the dinner. A group of 4 musicians on an elevated stage were absolutely wonderful - a very energetic, unique bass player, an award-winning yodeler (woman) who played guitar and sang, a multiple champion banjo player and another guy who played the fiddle, guitar and banjo. Then into the arena with 5 tiered rows of seating with long tables in front. Each seating section held a dozen people.
The show began before the food was served and it is impossible to describe it all here. Just let me say that it included a performer flying on a cable from the ceiling, long-horn steers, horseback riders, horse drawn wagons of several sizes, trick riders, ostrich races, fog machines, white pigeons, pig races, a chuck wagon race, a stage with “southern belles” in lighted dresses that descended from the ceiling, audience participation contests, foot and mounted “soldiers”, a couple of comedy acts and formation horseback riding. Over all the events was a North vs. South competition. The audience was divided into North and South and encouraged to cheer for their side.
Now for dinner, keeping in mind that about 800 people are being served at once. After the soup & biscuit course, the servers came by with large trays of one food and placed each item on your plate - a small, whole roasted chicken, baked potato quarter, corn on the cob and a slice of pork roast. The entire dinner was eaten without utensils which was interesting. Then warm apple turnovers & coffee for dessert which we all needed. Cheering and clapping for the sides diminished as the food was served so they came up with a way to make noise. When the master of ceremonies said “Stampede”, everyone stamped their feet on the floor. The exit was quite slow as they funneled everyone through the gift shop! There was another show right after us and the servers had the place nearly cleaned and reset by the time we got out.
Oct 26th - Sun - Pigeon Forge
Another lovely, sunny day. Got up to 74 degrees.
Terry & I went to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park today. This took us through Gatlinburg which is a fun-looking town. Parking seems to be behind the stores and in parkades which leaves the narrow, only, main road through town packed with shops & restaurants. A stream runs through the town as well which adds to its charm.
The drive in the park was beautiful. Lots of traffic but there is a divided road with 2 lanes in each direction. We drove to Clingman Dome where the road ends at a ½ mile paved, STEEP trail to an viewing platform. The elevation is about 6600 feet so we gave new meaning to the phrase “sucking air”! The platform is on a huge concrete column which is accessed by a curving ramp - more climbing! You end up above the trees for a 360 degree view which includes Pigeon Forge 15 miles away. The walk down was much more enjoyable.
Stopped for groceries on the way back, had a sandwich and headed out to another flea market. Lauri had invited us for dinner and later we all went to a show called Country Tonite. Another very enjoyable performance of singing, dancing and a little comedy. An incredible harmonica player was showcased in Amazing Grace and Orange Blossom Special where he played the part normally performed by a violin.
Oct 27th - Mon - to Cherokee, North Carolina
After Billy & Lauri got their oil changed in Nashville, their “check engine” light came on during the drive to Pigeon Forge. A Chev dealer said no to worry if it wasn’t blinking and give it a chance to go out. They decided to go to Camping World in North Carolina to get it checked out and we would follow them in case they had problems. Just after we got into NC, we got a phone call from them saying the light went out and everything was working fine. So we stopped at a visitor center to decide where to go and picked a Harrah’s casino in Cherokee, NC. This meant driving around the east end of Great Smoky Mtn National Park which was OK as we would not have wanted to drive the RVs through the windy roads in the park. The casino allows an overnight stay so we parked, grabbed a bite to eat and went in to see how much damage we could do to the casino coffers.
Shortly after 5, Terry & I decided to call it quits and went back to find Billy & Lauri already in their rig. We went to their place and grumbled about our losses over a couple of drinks before returning to our rig to heat up some leftovers for dinner. It was pretty cold but we did not want to run the batteries down by running the furnace so we went to bed early. I read a line in my book about someone returning a call to their sister which reminded me that I had not called Marg so I called her and had a nice chat.
Oct 28th - Tues - to St. George, South Carolina
Woke up to see snow on the top of the truck. We were going to leave about 9 but we were ready sooner so headed out in light snow shortly after 8 - going east & south heading for South Carolina and hopefully some nicer weather. It snowed on & off for about a hour - sometimes quite a bit with maybe 4 inches accumulation on the side of the road. Then the sun came out and the drive became much nicer.
I have been intrigued by a large vine, like a big-leaved ivy, growing all over trees, power poles and rocks. I’m not sure what is - help, Georgia or Bonnie! Some areas are totally covered for up to a couple of hundred yards. DOT in SC has planted a lot of perennial flowers in large beds along highways and they are still blooming - very nice. We are in the southeast quadrant of the state and there are now a lot of pine trees along the highways.
We are staying at the Jolly Acres RV park (CCUSA) just out of St. George. Billy & Lauri pulled in quite a bit after us. Turns out Billy is not feeling well and they had to stop several times. Then their GPS sent them on a dirt road and they had to unhook their car so they could turn around. They have a much newer Garmin than we do and ours sent us right to the RV park - darned gadgets!
It is supposed to get down to freezing tonight in most of the local area. It is funny to see the “oh my gosh” coverage on TV even though it does freeze here every winter.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Oct 20th to 24th - KY to Tennessee
Oct 20th - Mon - Cave City, KY
We stayed an additional day here so we could go on a cave tour on a boat. Decided to do laundry as well so I got everything ready and we headed south to Bowling Green about 25 miles away for the boat tour. 3 miles from our exit, the 3 lanes of traffic nearly came to a halt. Soon, 2 large tow trucks passed us on the shoulder so we figured an accident was causing the problem. After about ½ an hour, where traffic merged to one lane, we passed the accident - a truck and large travel trailer sideways and on their sides with the trailer mostly off the pavement.
We got to the cave location and found out that due to construction, there were no tours right now! I asked about a scenic bi-way return trip but the guy could not help so we took the highway back to the laundromat in Cave City. Oops, the change machine did not work and the little business next door had run out of quarters so Terry went to a car wash with a change machine. But it only took dollars which gave us enough for the washers. Another guy directed Terry to the local bank. Terry washed the truck on the way back and we dried it while we waited for the wash. Then I decided to use a laundry sink to rinse our micro fiber cloths and then throw them in a washer. We used the 45 minute super wash cycle and discovered after about 10 minutes that the washer had barely started and then stopped. Opening & closing the door several times and pushing buttons finally got it going.
Found a grocery store, some diesel at $3.31 per gallon and wandered through an “import” store with an incredible amount of “who buys this?” stuff.
We had just got a fire going after dinner when a woman came around the front of our rig. We thought it was Ruth from next door (yes, it was dark) and started asking her what she had seen in Nashville and what she recommended. FAYE didn’t bat an eye and started telling us what she knew about Nashville. How embarrassed where we?!
Faye’s husband Jim showed up looking for her after a bit so we got out a couple more chairs and talked a mile a minute until about 10 o’clock. They started full timing about 6 months ago and have lived in different areas of the US so had lots of information for us. Jim has lived in Gulf Shores, Alabama where we are heading this winter. They will be in the area in November so we are going to meet up with them somewhere.
Oct 21st - Tues - to Nashville, Tennessee
About an hour and a half to Nashville this morning so didn’t have to get an early start. We are staying at a PA park (Nashville Country RV) just north of Nashville where Billy & Lauri are staying. We didn’t decide to stay in Nashville until yesterday so they were surprised to see us. We set up, made a reservation for the Grand Ole Opry and relaxed a bit.
We drove with Billy & Lauri for dinner and the Opry. I was a little disappointed with the show - don’t know what I was expecting. I knew there were commercials during the show as it is taped live for radio broadcast but I didn’t realize how many commercials! The lineup included John Conlee, Josh Gracin, Connie Smith, Jesse McReynolds, Luke Bryan, The Whites and Tracy Lawrence. I knew some of the names and recognized a lot of their songs.
Oct 22nd - Wed - Nashville, TN
We drove today and started with a trip to Costco with Billy & Lauri. The main reason for the Costco trip was for them to buy a computer. They were delighted that we were staying at the same spot so I could help them get it set up.
On the way back from Costco, we went to downtown Nashville. The weather was wonderful and we happened to drive down a street where we found a parking meter and could walk past a lot of interesting stores to the waterfront. Nashville is an interesting mix of old and new buildings. Stopped for a late lunch on the way back to the truck and then back to the park to get the computer set up.
The wifi at the park did not work very well at our spot and was a little spotty at first when we started setting up the computer at Billy’s site. I just got their email situated after the basic setup and we called it a day.
Oct 23rd - Thurs - Nashville TN
We all went to the Lane Auto Museum today. They advertise “150 unique vehicles” so we had to check it out. It was great! Prototypes that never made it to production, cars with very few produced, an entire section of very small cars including the smallest car in the world and the smallest 2-seater car in the world, motorcycles and military vehicles. I will be posting pictures soon.
Next to a WalMart for some groceries and back to the campground to continue the computer set up and lessons. I loaded Picasa for them and got some pictures loaded from a camera card and a CD so I could show Lauri how to organize and include captions. Kind of overloaded her with information but who knows how long we will travel together and how much time we will have for more lessons.
We made RV reservations in Pigeon Forge for us and them and also made reservations for the Dixie Stampede which I will write about after we go.
Oct 24th - Fri - to Pigeon Forge, TN
It RAINED last night and continued the entire time that Terry was outside disconnecting and hooking up. His jacket & hat were soaked through. There was a tree at the front of our spot that we had to maneuver around to get out so I got out to make sure that our swing did not get the neighbors (a whole 4 inches to spare!) and then stood out while Terry backed up to get just enough room to get around the tree. When I got back in the truck, my hair was so wet that water was running down my neck.
At 9:30 we were going bumper-to-bumper through Nashville - don’t they know rush hour is supposed to end at 9? Finally onto 24 east with periods of heavy rain and fog that made it very difficult to see traffic ahead. A detour around construction in Knoxville that went better than expected. Then bumper-to-bumper traffic again from Sevierville to traffic light #3 in Pigeon Forge where we turned off for our campground - at 2:00 pm. Terry won’t like me including this in the blog, but we got unhooked and set up the front stabilizer before he discovered that the electric cord was about 4 inches short of connecting! Not a good day!
In our infinite wisdom, we decided to go exploring & shopping back towards Sevierville. Yup, crawled through the traffic again. There is only one main road through town so I expect this to last for the weekend. Good thing we had reservations as all campgrounds are full.
Our friends Billy & Lauri got an oil change in Nashville this morning so got here later. We phoned them about 5 and they were just getting to Sevierville. They thought they would be here shortly but I told them it would be a while. Then they ended up at the wrong campground and called us for instructions. Finally got set up in the dark - backed in with the help of a couple of flashlights - and came over for a much needed drink. I made fajitas for us all for a late dinner.
We stayed an additional day here so we could go on a cave tour on a boat. Decided to do laundry as well so I got everything ready and we headed south to Bowling Green about 25 miles away for the boat tour. 3 miles from our exit, the 3 lanes of traffic nearly came to a halt. Soon, 2 large tow trucks passed us on the shoulder so we figured an accident was causing the problem. After about ½ an hour, where traffic merged to one lane, we passed the accident - a truck and large travel trailer sideways and on their sides with the trailer mostly off the pavement.
We got to the cave location and found out that due to construction, there were no tours right now! I asked about a scenic bi-way return trip but the guy could not help so we took the highway back to the laundromat in Cave City. Oops, the change machine did not work and the little business next door had run out of quarters so Terry went to a car wash with a change machine. But it only took dollars which gave us enough for the washers. Another guy directed Terry to the local bank. Terry washed the truck on the way back and we dried it while we waited for the wash. Then I decided to use a laundry sink to rinse our micro fiber cloths and then throw them in a washer. We used the 45 minute super wash cycle and discovered after about 10 minutes that the washer had barely started and then stopped. Opening & closing the door several times and pushing buttons finally got it going.
Found a grocery store, some diesel at $3.31 per gallon and wandered through an “import” store with an incredible amount of “who buys this?” stuff.
We had just got a fire going after dinner when a woman came around the front of our rig. We thought it was Ruth from next door (yes, it was dark) and started asking her what she had seen in Nashville and what she recommended. FAYE didn’t bat an eye and started telling us what she knew about Nashville. How embarrassed where we?!
Faye’s husband Jim showed up looking for her after a bit so we got out a couple more chairs and talked a mile a minute until about 10 o’clock. They started full timing about 6 months ago and have lived in different areas of the US so had lots of information for us. Jim has lived in Gulf Shores, Alabama where we are heading this winter. They will be in the area in November so we are going to meet up with them somewhere.
Oct 21st - Tues - to Nashville, Tennessee
About an hour and a half to Nashville this morning so didn’t have to get an early start. We are staying at a PA park (Nashville Country RV) just north of Nashville where Billy & Lauri are staying. We didn’t decide to stay in Nashville until yesterday so they were surprised to see us. We set up, made a reservation for the Grand Ole Opry and relaxed a bit.
We drove with Billy & Lauri for dinner and the Opry. I was a little disappointed with the show - don’t know what I was expecting. I knew there were commercials during the show as it is taped live for radio broadcast but I didn’t realize how many commercials! The lineup included John Conlee, Josh Gracin, Connie Smith, Jesse McReynolds, Luke Bryan, The Whites and Tracy Lawrence. I knew some of the names and recognized a lot of their songs.
Oct 22nd - Wed - Nashville, TN
We drove today and started with a trip to Costco with Billy & Lauri. The main reason for the Costco trip was for them to buy a computer. They were delighted that we were staying at the same spot so I could help them get it set up.
On the way back from Costco, we went to downtown Nashville. The weather was wonderful and we happened to drive down a street where we found a parking meter and could walk past a lot of interesting stores to the waterfront. Nashville is an interesting mix of old and new buildings. Stopped for a late lunch on the way back to the truck and then back to the park to get the computer set up.
The wifi at the park did not work very well at our spot and was a little spotty at first when we started setting up the computer at Billy’s site. I just got their email situated after the basic setup and we called it a day.
Oct 23rd - Thurs - Nashville TN
We all went to the Lane Auto Museum today. They advertise “150 unique vehicles” so we had to check it out. It was great! Prototypes that never made it to production, cars with very few produced, an entire section of very small cars including the smallest car in the world and the smallest 2-seater car in the world, motorcycles and military vehicles. I will be posting pictures soon.
Next to a WalMart for some groceries and back to the campground to continue the computer set up and lessons. I loaded Picasa for them and got some pictures loaded from a camera card and a CD so I could show Lauri how to organize and include captions. Kind of overloaded her with information but who knows how long we will travel together and how much time we will have for more lessons.
We made RV reservations in Pigeon Forge for us and them and also made reservations for the Dixie Stampede which I will write about after we go.
Oct 24th - Fri - to Pigeon Forge, TN
It RAINED last night and continued the entire time that Terry was outside disconnecting and hooking up. His jacket & hat were soaked through. There was a tree at the front of our spot that we had to maneuver around to get out so I got out to make sure that our swing did not get the neighbors (a whole 4 inches to spare!) and then stood out while Terry backed up to get just enough room to get around the tree. When I got back in the truck, my hair was so wet that water was running down my neck.
At 9:30 we were going bumper-to-bumper through Nashville - don’t they know rush hour is supposed to end at 9? Finally onto 24 east with periods of heavy rain and fog that made it very difficult to see traffic ahead. A detour around construction in Knoxville that went better than expected. Then bumper-to-bumper traffic again from Sevierville to traffic light #3 in Pigeon Forge where we turned off for our campground - at 2:00 pm. Terry won’t like me including this in the blog, but we got unhooked and set up the front stabilizer before he discovered that the electric cord was about 4 inches short of connecting! Not a good day!
In our infinite wisdom, we decided to go exploring & shopping back towards Sevierville. Yup, crawled through the traffic again. There is only one main road through town so I expect this to last for the weekend. Good thing we had reservations as all campgrounds are full.
Our friends Billy & Lauri got an oil change in Nashville this morning so got here later. We phoned them about 5 and they were just getting to Sevierville. They thought they would be here shortly but I told them it would be a while. Then they ended up at the wrong campground and called us for instructions. Finally got set up in the dark - backed in with the help of a couple of flashlights - and came over for a much needed drink. I made fajitas for us all for a late dinner.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Oct 15th to 19th - VA to Kentucky
Oct 15th - Wed - Front Royal, VA
Our destination today was the Skyline Drive that goes south from here and follows the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains for 109 miles. Perfect sunny day for the trip with a picnic to enjoy somewhere along the way. Skyline Drive is within Shenandoah National Park and overlooks the Shenandoah Valley from many of the 75 lookout points along the way. Trees are not quite in their best fall colors but it was beautiful with not much traffic. We decided to drive only 65 miles rather than the whole 109 as Terry was thinking that it was all starting to look alike! So after lunch we left the drive on the west side and headed back to Front Royal.
We bought some firewood on the way back so we could enjoy the evening outside for a while. I caught up and posted the blog while Terry visited with some neighbors. After dinner, our golfing neighbor came by again and we chatted until the fire died down and it was cool enough to come in.
Oct 16th - Thurs - Front Royal, VA
Time to do some detailed cleaning inside the rig today - fridge, top of the stove, microwave & oven. Tip of the day - no matter how infrequently you use your oven, do not wait 4 years to clean it!
We went to Winchester, about 20 miles north, to Costco and got 2 new tires for the truck. It seems like we just got some but the back tires wear quickly with the weight of the 5th wheel. Back at the park, I put captions on pictures while Terry used dry wash to clean the 5th wheel. Dinner, TV and another day is done.
Oct 17th - Fri - to Milton, West Virginia
We are heading to Tennessee but it is about 10 hours so we split it into 2 days as we rarely drive that long in a day.
When we got into the Appalachian Mountains, the colors of the trees were gorgeous. There were some pretty long hills, both up & down but the highway was good. Occasionally in the median there were huge patches of purple/mauve flowers. I’m not sure what they were.
We are in Jim’s Camping in Milton which is west of Charleston & quite near Tennessee. Another “place to stay” for $20.
One thing that we have noticed for about 3 weeks is the emphasis on decorating for Halloween where we have been traveling. Some houses are just covered in decorations and most businesses have done some decorating.
Oct 18th - Sat - to Cave City, Kentucky
4 ½ hour drive in the sunshine today. We are at a PA park (Singing Hills) in Cave City which is a couple of miles from Mammoth Caves National Park. It is a small park with very friendly owners.
After setting up, we drove to Mammoth Caves and purchased a ticket for a cave tour tomorrow. Then we stopped at a gift shop with a “Mystery House” that we had to check out. For a $1 each admission, we joined 7 other people for a tour. It is an attraction where everything is built on a slant so it feels like you are working against gravity. They also have pictures that are optical illusions. It was a lot of fun for a buck!
We carried on to the most amazing collection of stuff for sale that I have seen since the bizarre place that we visited with Claude & Val in Quebec. The outside porch and 3 large rooms inside were crammed with everything imaginable. One room had a fun sign on the door - “This is not a museum, all the junk in here is for sale”.
Back to the park to relax and visit with some neighbors. We wanted to have a fire but it was too breezy & cool. We are now in Central Time but are not going to bother changing clocks as we will be heading east again soon.
Oct 19th - Sun - Cave City, KY
Our tour today was at 10:30 (Central Time) so we had lots of time to be lazy. Terry went for a walk and was amazed when someone called to him by name. It was Billy who we met outside of Buffalo when we were heading to Niagara Falls on Sept 18th. He and his wife Lauri do not have a computer so we had not kept in touch with them. Turns out they were at the same RV park as us in Front Royal but they were gone a lot so we never saw them. Unfortunately, they are leaving today so we just got to chat for a little while. Then we printed a list of new CampClubUSA campgrounds for them before we had to get going for our tour.
Made it there just in time to board the bus which takes you to an entrance. We chose the Grand Avenue Tour which is 4 ½ hours and 4 miles long. Mammoth caves are not “decorated” caves with formations which we have seen several times before. The tour guide provides a lot of history and geography at stops between walking sections. There are large caverns, slot caves where you may have to crouch to avoid overhead rocks, oblong caves where rivers dissolved limestone and places with flat roofs where limestone has fallen until a stable layer is encountered. There are also LOTS of stairs and inclines - up & down - quite a workout. There was a stop in the middle for lunch and a restroom break. At the end was a short stretch of very picturesque formations which are created by water dissolving limestone and re-depositing it. The main formation is called Frozen Niagara. Back on the buses for the ride back to the visitor center and then home.
One of the couples on the tour is parked next to us at the park so they joined us at our fire this evening. John & Ruth are from Ontario, retired recently and rented a motor home to try out the lifestyle for 6 weeks.
The temperature is pretty cool at night now but not even close to freezing.
Our destination today was the Skyline Drive that goes south from here and follows the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains for 109 miles. Perfect sunny day for the trip with a picnic to enjoy somewhere along the way. Skyline Drive is within Shenandoah National Park and overlooks the Shenandoah Valley from many of the 75 lookout points along the way. Trees are not quite in their best fall colors but it was beautiful with not much traffic. We decided to drive only 65 miles rather than the whole 109 as Terry was thinking that it was all starting to look alike! So after lunch we left the drive on the west side and headed back to Front Royal.
We bought some firewood on the way back so we could enjoy the evening outside for a while. I caught up and posted the blog while Terry visited with some neighbors. After dinner, our golfing neighbor came by again and we chatted until the fire died down and it was cool enough to come in.
Oct 16th - Thurs - Front Royal, VA
Time to do some detailed cleaning inside the rig today - fridge, top of the stove, microwave & oven. Tip of the day - no matter how infrequently you use your oven, do not wait 4 years to clean it!
We went to Winchester, about 20 miles north, to Costco and got 2 new tires for the truck. It seems like we just got some but the back tires wear quickly with the weight of the 5th wheel. Back at the park, I put captions on pictures while Terry used dry wash to clean the 5th wheel. Dinner, TV and another day is done.
Oct 17th - Fri - to Milton, West Virginia
We are heading to Tennessee but it is about 10 hours so we split it into 2 days as we rarely drive that long in a day.
When we got into the Appalachian Mountains, the colors of the trees were gorgeous. There were some pretty long hills, both up & down but the highway was good. Occasionally in the median there were huge patches of purple/mauve flowers. I’m not sure what they were.
We are in Jim’s Camping in Milton which is west of Charleston & quite near Tennessee. Another “place to stay” for $20.
One thing that we have noticed for about 3 weeks is the emphasis on decorating for Halloween where we have been traveling. Some houses are just covered in decorations and most businesses have done some decorating.
Oct 18th - Sat - to Cave City, Kentucky
4 ½ hour drive in the sunshine today. We are at a PA park (Singing Hills) in Cave City which is a couple of miles from Mammoth Caves National Park. It is a small park with very friendly owners.
After setting up, we drove to Mammoth Caves and purchased a ticket for a cave tour tomorrow. Then we stopped at a gift shop with a “Mystery House” that we had to check out. For a $1 each admission, we joined 7 other people for a tour. It is an attraction where everything is built on a slant so it feels like you are working against gravity. They also have pictures that are optical illusions. It was a lot of fun for a buck!
We carried on to the most amazing collection of stuff for sale that I have seen since the bizarre place that we visited with Claude & Val in Quebec. The outside porch and 3 large rooms inside were crammed with everything imaginable. One room had a fun sign on the door - “This is not a museum, all the junk in here is for sale”.
Back to the park to relax and visit with some neighbors. We wanted to have a fire but it was too breezy & cool. We are now in Central Time but are not going to bother changing clocks as we will be heading east again soon.
Oct 19th - Sun - Cave City, KY
Our tour today was at 10:30 (Central Time) so we had lots of time to be lazy. Terry went for a walk and was amazed when someone called to him by name. It was Billy who we met outside of Buffalo when we were heading to Niagara Falls on Sept 18th. He and his wife Lauri do not have a computer so we had not kept in touch with them. Turns out they were at the same RV park as us in Front Royal but they were gone a lot so we never saw them. Unfortunately, they are leaving today so we just got to chat for a little while. Then we printed a list of new CampClubUSA campgrounds for them before we had to get going for our tour.
Made it there just in time to board the bus which takes you to an entrance. We chose the Grand Avenue Tour which is 4 ½ hours and 4 miles long. Mammoth caves are not “decorated” caves with formations which we have seen several times before. The tour guide provides a lot of history and geography at stops between walking sections. There are large caverns, slot caves where you may have to crouch to avoid overhead rocks, oblong caves where rivers dissolved limestone and places with flat roofs where limestone has fallen until a stable layer is encountered. There are also LOTS of stairs and inclines - up & down - quite a workout. There was a stop in the middle for lunch and a restroom break. At the end was a short stretch of very picturesque formations which are created by water dissolving limestone and re-depositing it. The main formation is called Frozen Niagara. Back on the buses for the ride back to the visitor center and then home.
One of the couples on the tour is parked next to us at the park so they joined us at our fire this evening. John & Ruth are from Ontario, retired recently and rented a motor home to try out the lifestyle for 6 weeks.
The temperature is pretty cool at night now but not even close to freezing.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Oct 12th to 14th - NJ, MD, Virginia
Oct 12th - Sun - Pomona, NJ
No, we didn’t move. Pomona is actually where we are staying near Atlantic City.
Catch up day so we had a nice, late breakfast and then walked around the park and chatted with the owner for a while. I needed to do laundry again but only 3 washers were functional so it took a bit longer to get it done - which was fine as the laundry room was near our site so I didn’t have to stay there all the time. Went for a drive and found a WalMart for a couple of items. I had a nice chat with Aunt Jessie before starting dinner.
Oct 13th - Mon - to Maryland
If you remember from my Friday entry, we got new springs put on the other side of the 5th wheel today. We got there about 10 and the mechanic had us back into a bay and took off the old springs. Of course, the new ones weren’t there yet (I think they waited until we were there to pick them up even though we had paid for the parts & the work) so we ended up not getting on the road until 2:30.
We just wanted to get to Maryland at a reasonable time so took some toll roads. We ended up paying 5 different tolls (3 roads, 1 bridge & 1 tunnel) for a total of $22.50. Went through Baltimore in rush hour traffic made worse by an accident that was almost cleared up as we went past it - only one smashed car on the shoulder. We decided to stay in a WalMart in Frederick as it was late (6:45) and we just wanted to stay the night. I called ahead to make sure we could stay there and the lady was so nice, saying “just don’t park too close to the store”. We “paid our dues” by picking up some ready-made dinner and hit the sack.
Oct 14th - Tues - to Front Royal, Virginia
Sunny day for a nice drive through lovely countryside this morning. Rolling hills, lots of green fields, tidy farms and trees changing into their fall colors. Set up at the Front Royal RV park, had lunch and went into town. At the information center, we purchased discount tickets to the Skyline Caverns and decided that we had time to see them today. We waited about 20 minutes for the one hour tour to start.
The tour was interesting. The caverns are a modest size but you get to see formations close up and even flash photography is allowed. There are formations called anthodites which are only found in 2 other locations in the world. They are 4 to 7 sided crystals that grew on ceilings in only one section of the caves that was a vacuum before it was discovered. Now that the vacuum no longer exists, the crystals are not growing. There are also some fish in a pond and a beautiful reflecting pond that you will see when I post my pictures.
We fueled up at $3.47 per gallon (love it!) and picked up some steaks for the barbeque since it was 86 degrees. We were sitting by a fire when our neighbor came home and he ended up chatting with us for quite a while. He stays here during the week and works at a nearby golf course. Then he goes home to West Virginia on the weekend, opposite to the other seasonal campers who are here on the weekends.
No, we didn’t move. Pomona is actually where we are staying near Atlantic City.
Catch up day so we had a nice, late breakfast and then walked around the park and chatted with the owner for a while. I needed to do laundry again but only 3 washers were functional so it took a bit longer to get it done - which was fine as the laundry room was near our site so I didn’t have to stay there all the time. Went for a drive and found a WalMart for a couple of items. I had a nice chat with Aunt Jessie before starting dinner.
Oct 13th - Mon - to Maryland
If you remember from my Friday entry, we got new springs put on the other side of the 5th wheel today. We got there about 10 and the mechanic had us back into a bay and took off the old springs. Of course, the new ones weren’t there yet (I think they waited until we were there to pick them up even though we had paid for the parts & the work) so we ended up not getting on the road until 2:30.
We just wanted to get to Maryland at a reasonable time so took some toll roads. We ended up paying 5 different tolls (3 roads, 1 bridge & 1 tunnel) for a total of $22.50. Went through Baltimore in rush hour traffic made worse by an accident that was almost cleared up as we went past it - only one smashed car on the shoulder. We decided to stay in a WalMart in Frederick as it was late (6:45) and we just wanted to stay the night. I called ahead to make sure we could stay there and the lady was so nice, saying “just don’t park too close to the store”. We “paid our dues” by picking up some ready-made dinner and hit the sack.
Oct 14th - Tues - to Front Royal, Virginia
Sunny day for a nice drive through lovely countryside this morning. Rolling hills, lots of green fields, tidy farms and trees changing into their fall colors. Set up at the Front Royal RV park, had lunch and went into town. At the information center, we purchased discount tickets to the Skyline Caverns and decided that we had time to see them today. We waited about 20 minutes for the one hour tour to start.
The tour was interesting. The caverns are a modest size but you get to see formations close up and even flash photography is allowed. There are formations called anthodites which are only found in 2 other locations in the world. They are 4 to 7 sided crystals that grew on ceilings in only one section of the caves that was a vacuum before it was discovered. Now that the vacuum no longer exists, the crystals are not growing. There are also some fish in a pond and a beautiful reflecting pond that you will see when I post my pictures.
We fueled up at $3.47 per gallon (love it!) and picked up some steaks for the barbeque since it was 86 degrees. We were sitting by a fire when our neighbor came home and he ended up chatting with us for quite a while. He stays here during the week and works at a nearby golf course. Then he goes home to West Virginia on the weekend, opposite to the other seasonal campers who are here on the weekends.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Oct 9th to 11th - Delaware & New Jersey
Oct 9th - Thurs - to New Castle, Delaware
A neighbor in the park suggested that we do not take Hwy 30 east as it was windy and went through a lot of small towns. But any other route looked quite a bit longer so we took Hwy 30 and it was lovely. Nothing wrong with driving through the countryside on a nice sunny day. We discovered another product of Pennsylvania grown in this area - mushrooms. Maybe due to the proximity of dairy farms for manure.
We checked into what initially looked like a scary place - a motel & RV park. But it was clean and there were other rigs there so it turned out OK.
We went for a drive to Historic New Castle. It is an old (as the name would suggest) town with very narrow streets - not great for the pickup. Stopped at a nice park right on Delaware Bay. A quick stop at a couple of stores and back to the park to enjoy the sun. We actually had to put on shorts to sit outside as the temperature reached 80.
Oct 10th - Fri - to Atlantic City area, New Jersey
Didn’t want to get going too early as it is another short drive and we didn’t want to hit rush hour traffic. Diesel was more expensive where we were in Delaware so we stopped just into New Jersey where it was $3.68 a gallon. The entrance to the service station had a large dip but we didn’t drag the back end.
Shortly before Pomona, where we had a reservation, Terry noticed that the 5th wheel seemed to be lower on the curb side. He found a wide spot on the shoulder and discovered a broken spring. We were just on the edge of nowhere so he continued to drive while I searched the GPS for a repair shop. Then I had the bright idea of calling the RV park to see if they could help. The guy said he would make a few phone calls and he found a tire & repair shop just before we drove past it - about 11 o’clock by now.
Turns out we had 2 broken springs! The only reason that Terry could think of was the dip at the service station that he took on an angle to avoid dragging when we left. I suppose age & miles had a lot to do with it. The shop had to send someone to pick up the parts once they found them so by the time it was back together it was nearly 4 o’clock. The tires were closer together on the repaired side but the axles were straight. They let all the jacks down and I noticed that the rig was noticeably higher on the repaired side. The springs (with the same part number) had one more leaf and of course more curve with no wear. What could we do but get them to replace the springs on the other side?! Monday is Columbus Day but they are open and the parts pick-up guy will get the springs first thing Monday morning. Shouldn’t take too long to replace the springs.
Wiggled our way into a tight spot in the RV park and finally got a bit of luck today when the big slide stopped ¼ inch short of the power post. I put a scotch in Terry’s hand even before he finished setting up!
Oct 11th - Sat - Atlantic City, NJ
Another beautiful, sunny day. After breakfast, we picked up a map from the RV office and headed into Atlantic City which is only about 9 miles away. We went first to the Trump Marina casino as they were offering $50 in slot machine credit (and free parking) when you signed up for a player card. At 2 o’clock we finally left with some money ahead.
The mechanic at the tire shop had recommended parking at the Quarter at the Tropicana but the parking garage that we tried did not have enough clearance for the truck. Narrow streets and lots of traffic before we finally found outside parking that we could actually get into. We were looking for something to eat and ended up at a Hard Rock Café - last time for that if the prices are as high at other locations. But we sat outside in the sun and watched people on the boardwalk - how bad is that?
Then we walked a long way down the boardwalk. It is a great idea - a long, wide “sidewalk” with no traffic to worry about except the human-powered “rickshaws”. We walked through The Quarter at the Tropicana which is a shopping area and ended up gambling a bit at the casino there. Then the long walk back down the boardwalk and back to the RV park.
We have cable TV here so it is nice to be able to watch my favorite HGTV and have a clear picture.
A neighbor in the park suggested that we do not take Hwy 30 east as it was windy and went through a lot of small towns. But any other route looked quite a bit longer so we took Hwy 30 and it was lovely. Nothing wrong with driving through the countryside on a nice sunny day. We discovered another product of Pennsylvania grown in this area - mushrooms. Maybe due to the proximity of dairy farms for manure.
We checked into what initially looked like a scary place - a motel & RV park. But it was clean and there were other rigs there so it turned out OK.
We went for a drive to Historic New Castle. It is an old (as the name would suggest) town with very narrow streets - not great for the pickup. Stopped at a nice park right on Delaware Bay. A quick stop at a couple of stores and back to the park to enjoy the sun. We actually had to put on shorts to sit outside as the temperature reached 80.
Oct 10th - Fri - to Atlantic City area, New Jersey
Didn’t want to get going too early as it is another short drive and we didn’t want to hit rush hour traffic. Diesel was more expensive where we were in Delaware so we stopped just into New Jersey where it was $3.68 a gallon. The entrance to the service station had a large dip but we didn’t drag the back end.
Shortly before Pomona, where we had a reservation, Terry noticed that the 5th wheel seemed to be lower on the curb side. He found a wide spot on the shoulder and discovered a broken spring. We were just on the edge of nowhere so he continued to drive while I searched the GPS for a repair shop. Then I had the bright idea of calling the RV park to see if they could help. The guy said he would make a few phone calls and he found a tire & repair shop just before we drove past it - about 11 o’clock by now.
Turns out we had 2 broken springs! The only reason that Terry could think of was the dip at the service station that he took on an angle to avoid dragging when we left. I suppose age & miles had a lot to do with it. The shop had to send someone to pick up the parts once they found them so by the time it was back together it was nearly 4 o’clock. The tires were closer together on the repaired side but the axles were straight. They let all the jacks down and I noticed that the rig was noticeably higher on the repaired side. The springs (with the same part number) had one more leaf and of course more curve with no wear. What could we do but get them to replace the springs on the other side?! Monday is Columbus Day but they are open and the parts pick-up guy will get the springs first thing Monday morning. Shouldn’t take too long to replace the springs.
Wiggled our way into a tight spot in the RV park and finally got a bit of luck today when the big slide stopped ¼ inch short of the power post. I put a scotch in Terry’s hand even before he finished setting up!
Oct 11th - Sat - Atlantic City, NJ
Another beautiful, sunny day. After breakfast, we picked up a map from the RV office and headed into Atlantic City which is only about 9 miles away. We went first to the Trump Marina casino as they were offering $50 in slot machine credit (and free parking) when you signed up for a player card. At 2 o’clock we finally left with some money ahead.
The mechanic at the tire shop had recommended parking at the Quarter at the Tropicana but the parking garage that we tried did not have enough clearance for the truck. Narrow streets and lots of traffic before we finally found outside parking that we could actually get into. We were looking for something to eat and ended up at a Hard Rock Café - last time for that if the prices are as high at other locations. But we sat outside in the sun and watched people on the boardwalk - how bad is that?
Then we walked a long way down the boardwalk. It is a great idea - a long, wide “sidewalk” with no traffic to worry about except the human-powered “rickshaws”. We walked through The Quarter at the Tropicana which is a shopping area and ended up gambling a bit at the casino there. Then the long walk back down the boardwalk and back to the RV park.
We have cable TV here so it is nice to be able to watch my favorite HGTV and have a clear picture.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Oct 5th to 8th - WV to PA
Oct 5th - Sun - to Weston, WV
So we made it to West Virginia today, barely a 3 hour drive. We are staying at the park we were heading for yesterday (Broken Wheel CG) as it has wifi which seems to be rare in this area. Nice setting in the trees and we got a lovely long site so had lots of room for the truck in front.
I thought the park also had a laundry but it didn’t so we had some lunch and headed into town with the dirty clothes and some driving instructions. Terry dropped me off and went for diesel & propane. He had to get back on the freeway and go about 8 miles to find an open station with diesel. Propane is not available in the area on Sunday except to exchange 20 lb tanks. Luckily the laundromat was not busy as there were more “out of order” machines than working ones. Plenty for me to get the job done.
We spent quite a bit of time in the office using the wifi - updating the blog, posting pictures and searching for campgrounds. Then we got some firewood and enjoyed some more of the lovely day with a fire. We were boiling ribs for dinner and I suggested to Terry that we go for a walk and see if the only other overnighters were outside and invite them to come over. They were inside so we continued to the end of the road and then came back by their rig. I decided to just knock on the door and ask if they wanted to join us a bit later at our fire. This is not usual behavior for me but it turned out great as they (Mike & Leslie) came by about 8 and we gabbed until after 11. Very nice evening. They are full-timers from California so they spend the winter there which is different from most other full-timers that we have met.
Oct 6th - Mon - to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
We are not doing well with our planning. Thought we were going to stay in Maryland but we couldn’t find a park on our route with reasonable rates. Next decided to stay at the Keystone RV campground just across the border in PA and look through 5th wheels. Turned out to be a smaller dealership than the advertising would have you believe so we carried on to Gettysburg. We are staying at a PA park (Artillery Ridge) with wifi at our site and is close to town.
Set up, had a late lunch and headed for town to check things out. When we got in the truck we saw that there was bird poop all over it. There are some trees with berries that have branches hanging over the site - lovely! Looked for a car wash on the way back but Wanda led us astray so Terry washed the truck (against park rules!) when we returned. We can barely fit the truck behind the 5th wheel where there are no trees so that is where we are parking.
Oct 7th - Tues - Gettysburg, PA
Beautiful sunny day, just right for sightseeing. We started out by viewing a diorama that is in the RV park and is free to people staying here. There is a huge “table” with the whole Gettysburg area where the famous 3 day battle of the Civil War in 1863 took place. It includes models of houses, fields, trees, fences, roads and thousands of soldiers. There are also paintings, artifacts and mini-dioramas around the edge of the room. There are three rows of bleacher seating from which you view the narrated presentation. Lights turn on & off to highlight the area corresponding to the narrative. The 1863 fight was won by the “north” and was the start of the fall of General Lee and the “south”.
Next was a trip to the visitor center which is new - just opened last year. It is amazing. There is a museum, theatres, gift shop and an incredible display area consisting of many connected rooms branching off a curved corridor. The rooms have things such as letters from soldiers, a separate area for each of the 3 days of the battle, uniforms and living quarters (tents), the Gettysburg Address and many other items. I am not a history buff but I could enjoy this and appreciate how well it was done.
We thought about going on a bus tour or hiring a tour guide to drive with us but we decided that the information that we got from the diorama and from the visitor center was about all the history that we needed. So we drove around some of the battlefields (empty fields with statues), past the cemeteries & colleges and then hit a grocery store. Had an early dinner and then Terry cussed out the presidential candidates as they debated.
Oct 8th - Wed - Gettysburg, PA
Another nice day in the morning, getting cloudy in the afternoon. Today was for chores and relaxing. After trying to figure out the next few days’ itinerary, we went to town to find a post office and to pick up a couple of items at the ever-present WalMart. Then Terry used dry wash on the truck to remove the water spots from the quick wash on Monday. This got him going so he cleaned the bugs off the front of the 5th wheel and waxed it, swept the tree debris off the roof & slides, helped me make a new buddy burner and did other puttering around. I worked on the buddy burners and the computer and read for a while.
So we made it to West Virginia today, barely a 3 hour drive. We are staying at the park we were heading for yesterday (Broken Wheel CG) as it has wifi which seems to be rare in this area. Nice setting in the trees and we got a lovely long site so had lots of room for the truck in front.
I thought the park also had a laundry but it didn’t so we had some lunch and headed into town with the dirty clothes and some driving instructions. Terry dropped me off and went for diesel & propane. He had to get back on the freeway and go about 8 miles to find an open station with diesel. Propane is not available in the area on Sunday except to exchange 20 lb tanks. Luckily the laundromat was not busy as there were more “out of order” machines than working ones. Plenty for me to get the job done.
We spent quite a bit of time in the office using the wifi - updating the blog, posting pictures and searching for campgrounds. Then we got some firewood and enjoyed some more of the lovely day with a fire. We were boiling ribs for dinner and I suggested to Terry that we go for a walk and see if the only other overnighters were outside and invite them to come over. They were inside so we continued to the end of the road and then came back by their rig. I decided to just knock on the door and ask if they wanted to join us a bit later at our fire. This is not usual behavior for me but it turned out great as they (Mike & Leslie) came by about 8 and we gabbed until after 11. Very nice evening. They are full-timers from California so they spend the winter there which is different from most other full-timers that we have met.
Oct 6th - Mon - to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
We are not doing well with our planning. Thought we were going to stay in Maryland but we couldn’t find a park on our route with reasonable rates. Next decided to stay at the Keystone RV campground just across the border in PA and look through 5th wheels. Turned out to be a smaller dealership than the advertising would have you believe so we carried on to Gettysburg. We are staying at a PA park (Artillery Ridge) with wifi at our site and is close to town.
Set up, had a late lunch and headed for town to check things out. When we got in the truck we saw that there was bird poop all over it. There are some trees with berries that have branches hanging over the site - lovely! Looked for a car wash on the way back but Wanda led us astray so Terry washed the truck (against park rules!) when we returned. We can barely fit the truck behind the 5th wheel where there are no trees so that is where we are parking.
Oct 7th - Tues - Gettysburg, PA
Beautiful sunny day, just right for sightseeing. We started out by viewing a diorama that is in the RV park and is free to people staying here. There is a huge “table” with the whole Gettysburg area where the famous 3 day battle of the Civil War in 1863 took place. It includes models of houses, fields, trees, fences, roads and thousands of soldiers. There are also paintings, artifacts and mini-dioramas around the edge of the room. There are three rows of bleacher seating from which you view the narrated presentation. Lights turn on & off to highlight the area corresponding to the narrative. The 1863 fight was won by the “north” and was the start of the fall of General Lee and the “south”.
Next was a trip to the visitor center which is new - just opened last year. It is amazing. There is a museum, theatres, gift shop and an incredible display area consisting of many connected rooms branching off a curved corridor. The rooms have things such as letters from soldiers, a separate area for each of the 3 days of the battle, uniforms and living quarters (tents), the Gettysburg Address and many other items. I am not a history buff but I could enjoy this and appreciate how well it was done.
We thought about going on a bus tour or hiring a tour guide to drive with us but we decided that the information that we got from the diorama and from the visitor center was about all the history that we needed. So we drove around some of the battlefields (empty fields with statues), past the cemeteries & colleges and then hit a grocery store. Had an early dinner and then Terry cussed out the presidential candidates as they debated.
Oct 8th - Wed - Gettysburg, PA
Another nice day in the morning, getting cloudy in the afternoon. Today was for chores and relaxing. After trying to figure out the next few days’ itinerary, we went to town to find a post office and to pick up a couple of items at the ever-present WalMart. Then Terry used dry wash on the truck to remove the water spots from the quick wash on Monday. This got him going so he cleaned the bugs off the front of the 5th wheel and waxed it, swept the tree debris off the roof & slides, helped me make a new buddy burner and did other puttering around. I worked on the buddy burners and the computer and read for a while.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Oct 2nd to 4th - Indiana to Ohio
Oct 2nd - Thurs - Howe, IN
Another late start including a nice breakfast. Today we went to Goshen to tour the Keystone manufacturing plant where Challenger 5th wheels are built. We had to wait a while for a salesman to take just the 2 of us to the factory. There was no one working so we could go into several units being built to see the “latest & greatest”. A redesigned frame results in even larger storage compartments which Terry loved. I would have to say that I would not trade our rig (as long as it stays in good shape) for any of the new models that we saw - and this is in spite of a very attractive promotion package of extra “goodies”.
On the way back we managed to find a pet store that carries the brand of dog food that Dolly eats. Back at the park we found that someone had finally moved in next to us but it was a couple with 2 young kids and friends nearby in the park so we didn’t get to chat with them. Quiet evening. I posted pictures of the Auburn, etc car museum.
Oct 3rd - Fri - Howe to Huron, OH
We had planned to go to the RV Hall of Fame & Museum in Elkhart and then kind of forgot about it until Claude reminded us of it in an email. So we went early this morning and enjoyed it very much. There are a few current RVs but mostly vintage rigs. I took tons of pictures and will post them as soon as I get decent wifi.
By the time we returned, had lunch and got packed up it was after 1 (2 pm checkout at this campground). We hit the 80/90 turnpike going east to Ohio and discovered an interesting ticketing difference. On this turnpike, the toll is based on weight, not number of axles. With the 5th wheel, the system thought we were a larger truck and sent the ticket out the slot that is really high rather than the one at window level for the pickup. Terry thought the ticket was not issued until he got out and happened to look up. It seemed to take no time at all until we were getting a campsite at the Huron River RV Resort (PA). We didn’t sleep well last night so I thought we better not push too far and risk Terry getting sleepy.
Pot-hole filled windy road into the campground through lovely park-like trees. Disappointing place but adequate. We walked around and ended up chatting with a guy who lives here during the summer even though he & his wife have a house 15 miles away. The campground is on the Huron River which enters Lake Erie about 4 miles from here so there are lots of seasonal people with boats.
We drove through a section of Ohio that apparently is representative of a lot of the state - flat! But as we neared Lake Erie, it became hilly and lightly wooded again.
Oct 4th - Sat - Sugarcreek, OH
We set the GPS for West Virginia this morning but didn’t make it there. We stopped at a rest area with some visitor information and the lady told us about a nearby area with a flea market and small towns with lots of interesting shops. Another lady in the rest area said there was lots of parking for large rigs at the flea market so we drove there and right past as we could not see the parking area. By then I had found a PA park in Sugarcreek that we had just passed so we turned around and got a site. Pretty basic but what can we expect for $9? It is just a parking area with water & electric (and some grass!) behind a grocery store in town.
Before we got to go shopping, Terry had to fix another broken bolt in the small slide as it started to go out crooked. Didn’t take him much time to fix it. Then we took off and drove to the flea market (quite large and all inside), had lunch there while we listened to live music and then drove to several other shopping areas. The countryside is very pretty here - rolling hills & farms. Lots of Amish families here so there are lots of buggies on the roads and tied to their special hitching rails. There are quite a few open buggies rather than the closed ones that we saw in Indiana - maybe because it was mostly sunny today. We called them the sporty models.
Did some odd jobs when we returned.
Another late start including a nice breakfast. Today we went to Goshen to tour the Keystone manufacturing plant where Challenger 5th wheels are built. We had to wait a while for a salesman to take just the 2 of us to the factory. There was no one working so we could go into several units being built to see the “latest & greatest”. A redesigned frame results in even larger storage compartments which Terry loved. I would have to say that I would not trade our rig (as long as it stays in good shape) for any of the new models that we saw - and this is in spite of a very attractive promotion package of extra “goodies”.
On the way back we managed to find a pet store that carries the brand of dog food that Dolly eats. Back at the park we found that someone had finally moved in next to us but it was a couple with 2 young kids and friends nearby in the park so we didn’t get to chat with them. Quiet evening. I posted pictures of the Auburn, etc car museum.
Oct 3rd - Fri - Howe to Huron, OH
We had planned to go to the RV Hall of Fame & Museum in Elkhart and then kind of forgot about it until Claude reminded us of it in an email. So we went early this morning and enjoyed it very much. There are a few current RVs but mostly vintage rigs. I took tons of pictures and will post them as soon as I get decent wifi.
By the time we returned, had lunch and got packed up it was after 1 (2 pm checkout at this campground). We hit the 80/90 turnpike going east to Ohio and discovered an interesting ticketing difference. On this turnpike, the toll is based on weight, not number of axles. With the 5th wheel, the system thought we were a larger truck and sent the ticket out the slot that is really high rather than the one at window level for the pickup. Terry thought the ticket was not issued until he got out and happened to look up. It seemed to take no time at all until we were getting a campsite at the Huron River RV Resort (PA). We didn’t sleep well last night so I thought we better not push too far and risk Terry getting sleepy.
Pot-hole filled windy road into the campground through lovely park-like trees. Disappointing place but adequate. We walked around and ended up chatting with a guy who lives here during the summer even though he & his wife have a house 15 miles away. The campground is on the Huron River which enters Lake Erie about 4 miles from here so there are lots of seasonal people with boats.
We drove through a section of Ohio that apparently is representative of a lot of the state - flat! But as we neared Lake Erie, it became hilly and lightly wooded again.
Oct 4th - Sat - Sugarcreek, OH
We set the GPS for West Virginia this morning but didn’t make it there. We stopped at a rest area with some visitor information and the lady told us about a nearby area with a flea market and small towns with lots of interesting shops. Another lady in the rest area said there was lots of parking for large rigs at the flea market so we drove there and right past as we could not see the parking area. By then I had found a PA park in Sugarcreek that we had just passed so we turned around and got a site. Pretty basic but what can we expect for $9? It is just a parking area with water & electric (and some grass!) behind a grocery store in town.
Before we got to go shopping, Terry had to fix another broken bolt in the small slide as it started to go out crooked. Didn’t take him much time to fix it. Then we took off and drove to the flea market (quite large and all inside), had lunch there while we listened to live music and then drove to several other shopping areas. The countryside is very pretty here - rolling hills & farms. Lots of Amish families here so there are lots of buggies on the roads and tied to their special hitching rails. There are quite a few open buggies rather than the closed ones that we saw in Indiana - maybe because it was mostly sunny today. We called them the sporty models.
Did some odd jobs when we returned.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Sept 29th to Oct 1st - Howe, IN
Sept 29th - Mon - to Howe, Indiana
Quiet night in the WalMart parking lot. It is a 24 hour store but the parking lot is huge and we parked at a far corner. So other than the light from the lamp posts that made us feel like we were in Alaska, it was a good night.
We backtracked a bit to head for a main state route to Indiana and listened to Wanda telling us to turn on all sorts of “lesser” roads. Still lots of construction with a final detour that took us about 12 miles out of the way because of a 5 mile stretch that was closed. We left the flat corn fields for more rolling land and still lots of farms. Arrived at the campground about 2:30.
We are staying at Twin Mills CG (CCUSA), a large place with about 300 permanent sites and 300 “overnight” sites. Again, only a few temporaries - 5 in our pull-through row that holds about 20. We are near Elkhart & Goshen where a lot of RVs are manufactured. We are also in Amish country and there are lots of horse drawn buggies on the roads. Amish houses can be identified by clothes hanging on lines and no power lines running to the house.
I think we should charge people for our rain-producing abilities! This area has not had rain for 13 days and this evening it had to start raining. Not too much but we certainly were not sitting outside.
Sept 30th - Tues - Howe, IN
Apparently there is another state in this part of the US. Newscasters and weather reporters refer to this area as “Michiana”. The parts of Michigan and Indiana wrapped around the lower south-west portion of Lake Michigan are so connected with businesses, towns & roads that they are referred to as one area.
Lots of things to see here so we started today by checking out an RV parts/salvage/everything store. It is actually several building and gets a lot of the inventory from the RV factories around this area. It also has such things as appliances, furniture & tables that people trade in or just change out while new or near new. I keep thinking that I would like different recliners but it probably won’t happen. Next we went to the large flea market in nearby Shipshewana which is open on Tuesday & Wed. Clouds threatened and there were puddles to show a downpour before we got there but we experienced only a few drops of rain. The flea market is open until the end of October but quite a few vendor spots are already vacant. Still lots of things to look at.
We didn’t have lunch while we were out so we came back to the rig where I decided to make an early dinner instead of ruining our appetites with a snack and then not wanting dinner until very late.
Posted some pictures this evening - check them out.
Oct 1st - Wed - Howe, IN
It is not getting light in the morning until nearly 8 so it is easy to be lazy like we were this morning. When we got going we headed to Auburn, about 40 miles away, to see the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum. It is an amazing collection of cars, design plans, films and misc other related stories & items. The building used to be the manufacturing site for the cars but is beautifully redone for the museum. I have a lot of pictures that do more justice to the cars than anything I say here.
We stopped at a fast food place in Auburn on the way back for some great chicken strips. Then I found a salon for a haircut in a small town. We had our mail forwarded and it was here when we returned. There were a couple of rebate checks that were issued 7/3 and were not good after 90 days so we immediately made a trip to the Bank of America in Elkhart to deposit them - by my calculation tomorrow would have been 31 days. I guess we will have to get our mail forwarded more often.
Some phone calls based on received mail, dinner, some TV and the day is done.
Quiet night in the WalMart parking lot. It is a 24 hour store but the parking lot is huge and we parked at a far corner. So other than the light from the lamp posts that made us feel like we were in Alaska, it was a good night.
We backtracked a bit to head for a main state route to Indiana and listened to Wanda telling us to turn on all sorts of “lesser” roads. Still lots of construction with a final detour that took us about 12 miles out of the way because of a 5 mile stretch that was closed. We left the flat corn fields for more rolling land and still lots of farms. Arrived at the campground about 2:30.
We are staying at Twin Mills CG (CCUSA), a large place with about 300 permanent sites and 300 “overnight” sites. Again, only a few temporaries - 5 in our pull-through row that holds about 20. We are near Elkhart & Goshen where a lot of RVs are manufactured. We are also in Amish country and there are lots of horse drawn buggies on the roads. Amish houses can be identified by clothes hanging on lines and no power lines running to the house.
I think we should charge people for our rain-producing abilities! This area has not had rain for 13 days and this evening it had to start raining. Not too much but we certainly were not sitting outside.
Sept 30th - Tues - Howe, IN
Apparently there is another state in this part of the US. Newscasters and weather reporters refer to this area as “Michiana”. The parts of Michigan and Indiana wrapped around the lower south-west portion of Lake Michigan are so connected with businesses, towns & roads that they are referred to as one area.
Lots of things to see here so we started today by checking out an RV parts/salvage/everything store. It is actually several building and gets a lot of the inventory from the RV factories around this area. It also has such things as appliances, furniture & tables that people trade in or just change out while new or near new. I keep thinking that I would like different recliners but it probably won’t happen. Next we went to the large flea market in nearby Shipshewana which is open on Tuesday & Wed. Clouds threatened and there were puddles to show a downpour before we got there but we experienced only a few drops of rain. The flea market is open until the end of October but quite a few vendor spots are already vacant. Still lots of things to look at.
We didn’t have lunch while we were out so we came back to the rig where I decided to make an early dinner instead of ruining our appetites with a snack and then not wanting dinner until very late.
Posted some pictures this evening - check them out.
Oct 1st - Wed - Howe, IN
It is not getting light in the morning until nearly 8 so it is easy to be lazy like we were this morning. When we got going we headed to Auburn, about 40 miles away, to see the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum. It is an amazing collection of cars, design plans, films and misc other related stories & items. The building used to be the manufacturing site for the cars but is beautifully redone for the museum. I have a lot of pictures that do more justice to the cars than anything I say here.
We stopped at a fast food place in Auburn on the way back for some great chicken strips. Then I found a salon for a haircut in a small town. We had our mail forwarded and it was here when we returned. There were a couple of rebate checks that were issued 7/3 and were not good after 90 days so we immediately made a trip to the Bank of America in Elkhart to deposit them - by my calculation tomorrow would have been 31 days. I guess we will have to get our mail forwarded more often.
Some phone calls based on received mail, dinner, some TV and the day is done.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sept 26th to 28th - MI to IL
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Aug 28th to 30th - Louisbourg NS
Aug 28th - Thurs - to Louisbourg NS
Got going early to catch the 9 am ferry today. We were on the smaller ferry this time and the wind whipped up some pretty good waves so it was rough. The captain took a route that kept the rolling down as much as possible but when he had to turn he issued a warning that the rolling would get worse for a while and it did. The bow of the ferry was slamming down on the water and caused one motorcycle to fall over. The bike owner told Terry later that when he was called down to check for damage, our truck and 5th wheel was moving back and forth about 4 inches with each large swell. But we arrived on time and had about a 45 minute drive to our campsite in Louisbourg.
The wind was quite hard and very cold when we were setting up. Another 5th wheel from the ferry was ahead of us driving here and came to the same campground. They are from Revelstoke, B.C. I had hoped to talk with them but we got tickets to a show tonight so don’t know if we will get together.
The show was enjoyable - 5 very good musicians with a couple of comedy routines included. Tea & oatcakes were served at intermission. The playhouse is right beside the campground so we didn’t get too wet walking over in the rain but there were some pretty big puddles to navigate in the dark coming back.
Aug 29th - Fri - Louisbourg
It was still raining this morning but forecast to be nicer tomorrow so we decided to take advantage of a “stay 2 nights and get another night free” offer, stay here another day and delay going to the fortress until tomorrow. I gave Terry a haircut and then we checked out the couple of small gift shops in town and went to the S&L (Sidney & Louisbourg) Railway Museum. The museum is in 3 buildings, 2 of which were built in 1895. A model railway of the S&L line is in one building and there are lots of artifacts, newspaper clippings, original paperwork and a couple of rail cars. We drove out to the lighthouse site but there was too much fog to even see across the harbor to town. When we got back from a short drive to get diesel, the weather was clearing so we had a quick lunch and went to the Fortress of Louisbourg. We have our annual National Historic Site pass so we figured if the rain came back we wouldn’t be out anything.
The weather cooperated and we were able to spend the rest of the afternoon at the Fortress. We started on a tour but the tour leader was having a terrible time trying to remember her presentation and finally admitted that she was not doing well. She said she would understand if we wanted to attend another event starting soon - so we and everyone except one older couple left the tour.
The fortress was built by the French to defend fishing grounds. It changed hands with the British a few times. About ¼ of the entire fort has been excavated and reconstructed. Employees in period costumes are in most of the buildings open for touring and provide lots of information. The also enact different events - punishment for stealing, defending the walls, firing a cannon, herding geese and cooking in a fireplace for example.
Rain started again in the evening.
Aug 30th - Sat - Louisbourg
Good thing we didn’t wait for the nicer weather to go to the fort as it showed up for about a hour in the late morning. It was a great day to get some sewing & ironing done. I also got a much needed haircut. By this time the sun had appeared so we drove out to the lighthouse again to take some pictures and watch the waves. I needed a couple of grocery items and by the time we got back to town it was raining so hard that we sat in the truck for a few minutes before running into the store.
Spent the rest of the day ducking in & out of the rain - there is a waterfront boardwalk beside the RV park. We watched people catching mackerel on nearby docks and watched boats getting ready to go snow crab fishing. After dinner, the rain finally quit and we went for a walk again to watch people fishing. Our “neighbors” from Revelstoke (Doug & Ellie) were also on the dock so we started talking with them. They have just started full time RVing. We had so much to talk about that we invited them in for coffee and are hoping to meet up with them again soon.
Got going early to catch the 9 am ferry today. We were on the smaller ferry this time and the wind whipped up some pretty good waves so it was rough. The captain took a route that kept the rolling down as much as possible but when he had to turn he issued a warning that the rolling would get worse for a while and it did. The bow of the ferry was slamming down on the water and caused one motorcycle to fall over. The bike owner told Terry later that when he was called down to check for damage, our truck and 5th wheel was moving back and forth about 4 inches with each large swell. But we arrived on time and had about a 45 minute drive to our campsite in Louisbourg.
The wind was quite hard and very cold when we were setting up. Another 5th wheel from the ferry was ahead of us driving here and came to the same campground. They are from Revelstoke, B.C. I had hoped to talk with them but we got tickets to a show tonight so don’t know if we will get together.
The show was enjoyable - 5 very good musicians with a couple of comedy routines included. Tea & oatcakes were served at intermission. The playhouse is right beside the campground so we didn’t get too wet walking over in the rain but there were some pretty big puddles to navigate in the dark coming back.
Aug 29th - Fri - Louisbourg
It was still raining this morning but forecast to be nicer tomorrow so we decided to take advantage of a “stay 2 nights and get another night free” offer, stay here another day and delay going to the fortress until tomorrow. I gave Terry a haircut and then we checked out the couple of small gift shops in town and went to the S&L (Sidney & Louisbourg) Railway Museum. The museum is in 3 buildings, 2 of which were built in 1895. A model railway of the S&L line is in one building and there are lots of artifacts, newspaper clippings, original paperwork and a couple of rail cars. We drove out to the lighthouse site but there was too much fog to even see across the harbor to town. When we got back from a short drive to get diesel, the weather was clearing so we had a quick lunch and went to the Fortress of Louisbourg. We have our annual National Historic Site pass so we figured if the rain came back we wouldn’t be out anything.
The weather cooperated and we were able to spend the rest of the afternoon at the Fortress. We started on a tour but the tour leader was having a terrible time trying to remember her presentation and finally admitted that she was not doing well. She said she would understand if we wanted to attend another event starting soon - so we and everyone except one older couple left the tour.
The fortress was built by the French to defend fishing grounds. It changed hands with the British a few times. About ¼ of the entire fort has been excavated and reconstructed. Employees in period costumes are in most of the buildings open for touring and provide lots of information. The also enact different events - punishment for stealing, defending the walls, firing a cannon, herding geese and cooking in a fireplace for example.
Rain started again in the evening.
Aug 30th - Sat - Louisbourg
Good thing we didn’t wait for the nicer weather to go to the fort as it showed up for about a hour in the late morning. It was a great day to get some sewing & ironing done. I also got a much needed haircut. By this time the sun had appeared so we drove out to the lighthouse again to take some pictures and watch the waves. I needed a couple of grocery items and by the time we got back to town it was raining so hard that we sat in the truck for a few minutes before running into the store.
Spent the rest of the day ducking in & out of the rain - there is a waterfront boardwalk beside the RV park. We watched people catching mackerel on nearby docks and watched boats getting ready to go snow crab fishing. After dinner, the rain finally quit and we went for a walk again to watch people fishing. Our “neighbors” from Revelstoke (Doug & Ellie) were also on the dock so we started talking with them. They have just started full time RVing. We had so much to talk about that we invited them in for coffee and are hoping to meet up with them again soon.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Aug 25th to 27th - St. John's to Doyles
Aug 25th - Mon - St. John’s
We all went to Cape Spear National Historic Site today. It is the most easterly point of land in North America. We checked out the visitor center & gift shop and the lighthouse and walked along several trails. There is a defense battery with two 10” guns at the tip of the cape that was installed and manned during WW II. The weather was beautiful.
We returned to downtown St. John’s to visit a music shop and buy nose flutes - don’t ask, you have to see them to understand. Terry also bought a Jaws Harp which he can’t play - yet?
Next to Ches’s restaurant for lunch. This is small chain that has been around for 50 years. Wonderful fish & chips. Terry had chicken fingers that were deep fried in the same crunchy batter as the fish and were excellent. A stop at the liquor store and grocery store before heading back to the park.
We watched Terry H. give both their dogs a bath using the outside shower on their 5th wheel and then shared another dinner made mostly by Judy. I used the time when I wasn’t making dinner to put more captions on pictures and then posted another 100 pictures to the internet after dinner.
Aug 26th - Tues - to Corner Brook
We left at 8 this morning for the 8 hour drive from St. John’s to Corner Brook. We experienced all kinds of weather during the drive - overcast, foggy, rainy, overcast again, some sun and more overcast. We stopped somewhere along the way and I made a late breakfast. A stop for diesel and we discovered that it had gone down to $1.44 a liter.
I picked a campground out of the Trailer Life book that had Terry wondering where we were going as it was across a river from Corner Brook. Turned out to be OK. We drove into Corner Brook for diesel and to have a quick look at the town. It is the second largest city in Newfoundland (St. John’s is the largest) with a large pulp & paper plant. Built, like many other towns, on slopes above bays & inlets with hardly no square intersections so it can be hard to retrace your route.
Dinner, a short walk around the park and early to bed. I had a nice long chat with friends Dan & Dottie in Spokane. It is so nice to catch up once in a while. Terry called his Mom and she is continuing to improve.
Aug 27th - Wed - to Doyles
2 ½ hour drive this morning to St. Andrews which is 17 miles before Port aux Basques. We set up and when I tried to vacuum I discovered that we had no electricity. Terry tracked down the owner and she reset our breaker. But it was on a GFI breaker and each time we plugged in (with our 50 amp to 30 amp connector) we tripped the breaker. The owner said we could move to a spot beside the breaker panel and she could connect us to 110 without a GFI but we figured if we were going to pack up to move that we would go 5 miles back to the park where we stayed when we arrived in Newfoundland. I just love packing up and setting up twice in one day!!
We had a quick lunch and then went to see Rose Blanche lighthouse. It is 26 miles on the other side of Port aux Basques so it was a 48 mile drive each way. The countryside was different from any that we had seen on the island - a lot of small hills without trees, just grass and boulders. Also lots of small lakes that looked black rather than blue. It was very pretty.
The town of Rose Blanche is lovely - set on hillsides around small coves. The lighthouse is made of stone. It has been rebuilt after being destroyed except for the central stone spiral staircase. It is a nice walk out to the lighthouse and the return trip is via a second path that includes a viewpoint over the town.
The campground where we are staying has only a couple of other rigs. When we were here earlier it was probably ¾ full. We washed both the 5th wheel and the truck when we returned. It is finally sunny and not windy so we sat out and ate dinner outside. Updated the blog and we are going up to the office to post it.
We all went to Cape Spear National Historic Site today. It is the most easterly point of land in North America. We checked out the visitor center & gift shop and the lighthouse and walked along several trails. There is a defense battery with two 10” guns at the tip of the cape that was installed and manned during WW II. The weather was beautiful.
We returned to downtown St. John’s to visit a music shop and buy nose flutes - don’t ask, you have to see them to understand. Terry also bought a Jaws Harp which he can’t play - yet?
Next to Ches’s restaurant for lunch. This is small chain that has been around for 50 years. Wonderful fish & chips. Terry had chicken fingers that were deep fried in the same crunchy batter as the fish and were excellent. A stop at the liquor store and grocery store before heading back to the park.
We watched Terry H. give both their dogs a bath using the outside shower on their 5th wheel and then shared another dinner made mostly by Judy. I used the time when I wasn’t making dinner to put more captions on pictures and then posted another 100 pictures to the internet after dinner.
Aug 26th - Tues - to Corner Brook
We left at 8 this morning for the 8 hour drive from St. John’s to Corner Brook. We experienced all kinds of weather during the drive - overcast, foggy, rainy, overcast again, some sun and more overcast. We stopped somewhere along the way and I made a late breakfast. A stop for diesel and we discovered that it had gone down to $1.44 a liter.
I picked a campground out of the Trailer Life book that had Terry wondering where we were going as it was across a river from Corner Brook. Turned out to be OK. We drove into Corner Brook for diesel and to have a quick look at the town. It is the second largest city in Newfoundland (St. John’s is the largest) with a large pulp & paper plant. Built, like many other towns, on slopes above bays & inlets with hardly no square intersections so it can be hard to retrace your route.
Dinner, a short walk around the park and early to bed. I had a nice long chat with friends Dan & Dottie in Spokane. It is so nice to catch up once in a while. Terry called his Mom and she is continuing to improve.
Aug 27th - Wed - to Doyles
2 ½ hour drive this morning to St. Andrews which is 17 miles before Port aux Basques. We set up and when I tried to vacuum I discovered that we had no electricity. Terry tracked down the owner and she reset our breaker. But it was on a GFI breaker and each time we plugged in (with our 50 amp to 30 amp connector) we tripped the breaker. The owner said we could move to a spot beside the breaker panel and she could connect us to 110 without a GFI but we figured if we were going to pack up to move that we would go 5 miles back to the park where we stayed when we arrived in Newfoundland. I just love packing up and setting up twice in one day!!
We had a quick lunch and then went to see Rose Blanche lighthouse. It is 26 miles on the other side of Port aux Basques so it was a 48 mile drive each way. The countryside was different from any that we had seen on the island - a lot of small hills without trees, just grass and boulders. Also lots of small lakes that looked black rather than blue. It was very pretty.
The town of Rose Blanche is lovely - set on hillsides around small coves. The lighthouse is made of stone. It has been rebuilt after being destroyed except for the central stone spiral staircase. It is a nice walk out to the lighthouse and the return trip is via a second path that includes a viewpoint over the town.
The campground where we are staying has only a couple of other rigs. When we were here earlier it was probably ¾ full. We washed both the 5th wheel and the truck when we returned. It is finally sunny and not windy so we sat out and ate dinner outside. Updated the blog and we are going up to the office to post it.
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