Moving day turned out to be much easier then I expected. I was able to sit on the floor to put things away in their cubbies and lay on the beds to zip up the windows. Other then that, I got to sit at the picnic table to observe.
Now you have to understand, one of Ed's biggest beefs is if I am in a sitting position and make a suggestion, point, observation, etc. Drives him crazy! Well, now that's all I can do for awhile. Should be interesting.
We stopped along the way for Brunch. I am not good on crutches yet, so the distance from the car to the table in the restaurant seemed like eternity! So not worth it!
We are now in New Hampshire in Zealand campground---between Bethleham, NH and Bretton Woods. Campsite is not bad but there is no cell service, Wi-Fi or internet for 10 miles each way so it's a little isolating.
Ed puts the camper up and pretty much organizes everything for this trip. We'll be here until Friday Aug 23 when we go to our LAST set up in Conway.
I have lost my enthusiasm for cooking, cleaning etc while camping. You know how when you are getting dinner ready you go back and for the from refrigerator to table etc for a million things you forget? Well, doing that while you are instructing someone to get everything for you SUCKS!
Let's just get this summer over! We already have 4 weeks rented for next summer! It has to be better then this!
Monday, August 19, 2013
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Having a broken foot SUCKS!!!!!
Having a broken foot SUCKS!!!! There is no polite way to say this.
Not having terribly good balance probably complicates my life as well. Ed is trying hard to teach me how to use my crutches....put the crutches in front, keep all your weight on the crutches and swing your good leg in front of you. Not easy for me to follow. I am better if I stay in one place and just don't move.
Well, now that's not really a good solution either.
I am use to simply just coming and going as I feel like it. People who are disabled....unable to use their legs or arms like the rest of us have my profound respect at being able to function in our world.
I am cranky and not happy with this situation!
Not having terribly good balance probably complicates my life as well. Ed is trying hard to teach me how to use my crutches....put the crutches in front, keep all your weight on the crutches and swing your good leg in front of you. Not easy for me to follow. I am better if I stay in one place and just don't move.
Well, now that's not really a good solution either.
I am use to simply just coming and going as I feel like it. People who are disabled....unable to use their legs or arms like the rest of us have my profound respect at being able to function in our world.
I am cranky and not happy with this situation!
Saturday, August 17, 2013
This will be interesting! --- Monday August 12, 2013 Lake St. George Campground, Liberty, Maine
OK. So Ed says there is a blackberry patch near the boat ramp that he thinks would be fun to walk to after dinner. It's a great spot to throw the ball to Monty and it's a beautiful evening.
Those who know me, know that I am not an explorer. Typically, I do not venture beyond my little campsite (which is why I really like the spots right on the water!). However, this does sound like fun.
We headed off to the blackberry patch with our bags in hand. I think the women who just came out of this area with a loaded brown paper bag right before we arrived may have picked all the good ones, though! I poop out after about ten minutes but Ed is a real trooper and goes even deeper to find some ripe ones! I decide to throw the ball to Monty.
This can actually keep him occupied for HOURS! After ten or twelve throws with the chucker, he runs down to the water to cool off, comes back and is ready for more! It's really funny....our previous dog, Buddy, got totally bored with the ball throwing after three or four times and would then go hide the ball on you or go lay down....not Monty!!!! He could do it all day!!
Once Ed gets his fruit fill, we head back to our campsite. On the way there, Ed keeps Monty on his leash and has the ball and chucker in his hand.
Quite honestly, I can't even tell you what happened next. All I know is that Monty is all excited again about the tennis ball and plows into my left foot! All 70+ pounds of him. I didn't fall but my world went black for a few seconds! I knew something bad happened.
Ed thought I may have twisted my ankle in a divot in the road, but whatever, I limped home and was in tremendous pain.
We put my foot up and applied ice. We even concluded the evening with our Gin Rummy tournament (he won....I think he was taking advantage of me!).
The next day it did not really feel any better so we headed out to the hospital emergency room. Not knowing the area at all, we headed to Waterville to Inland Hospital about 30 minutes away. Once they took X-Rays, it was confirmed....I have a broken fifth metatarsal bone. Recommendation is to keep all weight off it and stay on crutches for 6 to 8 weeks! WHAT!!!
So the last few weeks of our summer camping trip will be different to say the least. At least I don't have many stairs to climb like I will have at home.
So for now.....I am keeping my feet up, eating bon-bons and taking drugs!
Life is Good!
Those who know me, know that I am not an explorer. Typically, I do not venture beyond my little campsite (which is why I really like the spots right on the water!). However, this does sound like fun.
We headed off to the blackberry patch with our bags in hand. I think the women who just came out of this area with a loaded brown paper bag right before we arrived may have picked all the good ones, though! I poop out after about ten minutes but Ed is a real trooper and goes even deeper to find some ripe ones! I decide to throw the ball to Monty.
This can actually keep him occupied for HOURS! After ten or twelve throws with the chucker, he runs down to the water to cool off, comes back and is ready for more! It's really funny....our previous dog, Buddy, got totally bored with the ball throwing after three or four times and would then go hide the ball on you or go lay down....not Monty!!!! He could do it all day!!
Once Ed gets his fruit fill, we head back to our campsite. On the way there, Ed keeps Monty on his leash and has the ball and chucker in his hand.
Quite honestly, I can't even tell you what happened next. All I know is that Monty is all excited again about the tennis ball and plows into my left foot! All 70+ pounds of him. I didn't fall but my world went black for a few seconds! I knew something bad happened.
Ed thought I may have twisted my ankle in a divot in the road, but whatever, I limped home and was in tremendous pain.
We put my foot up and applied ice. We even concluded the evening with our Gin Rummy tournament (he won....I think he was taking advantage of me!).
The next day it did not really feel any better so we headed out to the hospital emergency room. Not knowing the area at all, we headed to Waterville to Inland Hospital about 30 minutes away. Once they took X-Rays, it was confirmed....I have a broken fifth metatarsal bone. Recommendation is to keep all weight off it and stay on crutches for 6 to 8 weeks! WHAT!!!
So the last few weeks of our summer camping trip will be different to say the least. At least I don't have many stairs to climb like I will have at home.
So for now.....I am keeping my feet up, eating bon-bons and taking drugs!
Life is Good!
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Trying a new campground --- Sunday August 11, 2013
Saturday and Sunday turn out to be dry and sunny days. We spread out all of our damp items and were able to dry most everything before packing up to move on to our next location.
Our goal is to end our last camping spot at Covered Bridge near Conway, NH starting on Friday August 23 so we have to find probably two spots before then. I always like to try new campgrounds, so Ed checks out a few spots we haven't been and makes some reservations on line.
We are heading on Sunday to Liberty, Maine, to a state park and campground named Lake St. George. Lake St. George State Park is located 16 miles west of Belfast and 25 miles west of Augusta on the northwest shore of the beautiful Lake St. George. State Route 3 runs parallel and close to the lake, which was originally part of a farmstead.
The centerpiece of the park is Lake St. George itself. It's a small campground with only about 30 sites but situated RIGHT on the lake makes it very desirable---especially to Ed! It has showers and bathrooms but no electricity or water. Better then most.
It is situated, however, right on Route 3 which is a heavy truck route so it is a little noisy.
We are here until Friday.
Our goal is to end our last camping spot at Covered Bridge near Conway, NH starting on Friday August 23 so we have to find probably two spots before then. I always like to try new campgrounds, so Ed checks out a few spots we haven't been and makes some reservations on line.
We are heading on Sunday to Liberty, Maine, to a state park and campground named Lake St. George. Lake St. George State Park is located 16 miles west of Belfast and 25 miles west of Augusta on the northwest shore of the beautiful Lake St. George. State Route 3 runs parallel and close to the lake, which was originally part of a farmstead.
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| View of Lake St. George |
It is situated, however, right on Route 3 which is a heavy truck route so it is a little noisy.
We are here until Friday.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
The worst of times --- Friday August 9, 2013
Friday started out rainy. Heavy, damp, ugly rain. So much so that Ed decides to come with me and spend the day at the Lubec Memorial Library, in Lubec, Maine. The library is a very active small town library that has a really homey feel to it.
Lubec, itself, is the easternmost town in the contiguous United States and is about 14 miles from our campsite. It is right next to the bridge to Campobello Island.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States, would spend his summers on Campobello from the age of one until, as an adult, he acquired a larger property — a 34-room "cottage" — which he used as a summer retreat until 1939. It was here that Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., was born in August 1914. It was at Campobello, in August 1921, that the future president fell ill with a paralytic illness, at the time thought to be polio, which resulted in his total and permanent paralysis from the waist down. Roosevelt did strive for seven years to regain use of his legs but never again walked unassisted.
The park was sold and then the cottage was donated to the U.S. and Canadian governments in 1963 as an international park. The Roosevelt Campobello International Park is the only one of its kind because it is run by both the Canadian and American governments, the park being located in Canadian territory. The park is now equally staffed by both Americans and Canadians.
So while there is some things of interest in and around Lubec, it is not really a happening place!
We closed the library down at 4 pm and moved on to an early dinner at Cohill's Pub. Comfortable place for an easy dinner with friendly wait staff.
We headed home and continued our Gin Rummy Tournament. We ended the night at a tie of 9 games each.
I headed off the bed to read and Ed followed within a half hour. As we were snuggled under the covers the rain began to fall much harder and the wind picked up. So much so after and hour or so, we decided to brave the elements and go outside to take down the screen house and awning.
We were too late. The wind was howling as we got the screen house unattached and dropped to the ground, but we only got the awning half way rolled up when a giant gust ripped the awning off the camper in our hands. If we were only 10 seconds earlier....!
We took in everything we could and left everything else outside and hoped it would not blow away. Remember, there are no lights around this area, only the flashlight in our hand and it was in a torrential rainstorm. Not fun.
The wind continued shaking the camper for the next 4 hours. Ed and I were sleeping on either side of the camper in the hopes of stabilizing the unit itself. We didn't really talk. Ed tried to continue to read his Kindle while I put my earplugs in and tried to go to sleep. There was nothing else we could do but wait it out.
We estimated the winds to be 40 to 50 mph at a SUSTAINED level. The roof of the camper was shaking side to side and the tenting material was whipping in and out despite being all closed up. Both of us were on the verge of (silently) thinking it was time to move into the truck when the wind calmed down around 2 am.
It was one of the scariest nights we have ever spent. It seems that over the last couple years we have had at least one unpleasant event.
I think I'm getting too old for this!
Lubec, itself, is the easternmost town in the contiguous United States and is about 14 miles from our campsite. It is right next to the bridge to Campobello Island.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States, would spend his summers on Campobello from the age of one until, as an adult, he acquired a larger property — a 34-room "cottage" — which he used as a summer retreat until 1939. It was here that Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., was born in August 1914. It was at Campobello, in August 1921, that the future president fell ill with a paralytic illness, at the time thought to be polio, which resulted in his total and permanent paralysis from the waist down. Roosevelt did strive for seven years to regain use of his legs but never again walked unassisted.
The park was sold and then the cottage was donated to the U.S. and Canadian governments in 1963 as an international park. The Roosevelt Campobello International Park is the only one of its kind because it is run by both the Canadian and American governments, the park being located in Canadian territory. The park is now equally staffed by both Americans and Canadians.
So while there is some things of interest in and around Lubec, it is not really a happening place!
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| Cohill's Pub |
We headed home and continued our Gin Rummy Tournament. We ended the night at a tie of 9 games each.
I headed off the bed to read and Ed followed within a half hour. As we were snuggled under the covers the rain began to fall much harder and the wind picked up. So much so after and hour or so, we decided to brave the elements and go outside to take down the screen house and awning.
We were too late. The wind was howling as we got the screen house unattached and dropped to the ground, but we only got the awning half way rolled up when a giant gust ripped the awning off the camper in our hands. If we were only 10 seconds earlier....!
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| Viewing damage in the light of day. |
The wind continued shaking the camper for the next 4 hours. Ed and I were sleeping on either side of the camper in the hopes of stabilizing the unit itself. We didn't really talk. Ed tried to continue to read his Kindle while I put my earplugs in and tried to go to sleep. There was nothing else we could do but wait it out.
We estimated the winds to be 40 to 50 mph at a SUSTAINED level. The roof of the camper was shaking side to side and the tenting material was whipping in and out despite being all closed up. Both of us were on the verge of (silently) thinking it was time to move into the truck when the wind calmed down around 2 am.
It was one of the scariest nights we have ever spent. It seems that over the last couple years we have had at least one unpleasant event.
I think I'm getting too old for this!
Monday, August 12, 2013
Cobscook Bay State Park -- Monday August 5, 2013
It was only a three hour ride to get up to Cobscook Bay State Park from Acadia. Cobscook Bay State Park is a state park, surrounded by the salt waters of Cobscook Bay, and located four miles south of Dennysville, Maine. The park contains 888 acres of land and provides magnificent views of the ebb and flow of the tides. It's right up Rt 1 and there is very little traffic as you head north.
We have come to Cobscook four times since we've been retired. We were able to reserve our favorite spot here--site 29. Three times we've been able to get this site. It's in a little alcove all on it's own so you have complete privacy. It's literally the most quiet place we have ever been. I always say being here is like having cotton in your ears.
We especially like this site for Monty. No need to have him on a leash so he has free rein to chase balls and lay quietly in the sun. It's also open to the water. No real shade but we do have our awning and screen house so that's not really a requirement.
The park itself has nothing....no electricity, no lights. It has pit toilets in each area of the campground but does have showers in a central location near the entrance.
Weather turns a little stormy for our first night but the double rainbow more then made up for the showers! And the forecast is for a sunny few days.
As it turned out, it was sunny for one day and then rainy for two consecutive days. Not the best we've ever had in this location. Ed has been able to go bike riding and kayaking, though, so not all is lost.
We have come to Cobscook four times since we've been retired. We were able to reserve our favorite spot here--site 29. Three times we've been able to get this site. It's in a little alcove all on it's own so you have complete privacy. It's literally the most quiet place we have ever been. I always say being here is like having cotton in your ears.
We especially like this site for Monty. No need to have him on a leash so he has free rein to chase balls and lay quietly in the sun. It's also open to the water. No real shade but we do have our awning and screen house so that's not really a requirement.
The park itself has nothing....no electricity, no lights. It has pit toilets in each area of the campground but does have showers in a central location near the entrance.
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| View from our campsite |
As it turned out, it was sunny for one day and then rainy for two consecutive days. Not the best we've ever had in this location. Ed has been able to go bike riding and kayaking, though, so not all is lost.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Great weather to end Acadia National Park -- Sunday August 3, 2013
Our weather during these two weeks has been iffy at best. We would have a sunny day followed by 2 days of rain only to repeat it again. Hard to get excited about camping up here when everything is damp!
We did go out to eat a few times. Spending money always feels good:)
We did the required walk around the town of Bar Harbor. Lots of touristy shops with lots of people doing the same window shopping we were doing. There was even a large cruise ship that comes into the port. Good for the economy.
Speaking of economy, things must be getting better throughout the world---an awful lot of people traveling here do not speak English!
On Saturday I had reservations at Jordon Pond Restaurant. Have you heard of it? If you ever come here for vacation, this is a MUST--tea at Jordon Pond. We were on the lawn since we had Monty with us. He was very well behaved despite the other number of dogs out there. Everyone said how handsome he was !
We don't actually have tea when we go--we have iced tea with Lobster Stew and Popovers! The Lobster Stew is chunky with delicious Lobster and the Popovers come with butter and jam. They are to die for!
Our last day was sunny! Ed took Monty for a hike to Cadillac mountain to celebrate. They both did great--all back in one piece. When I picked them up I made sure we had our cooler with us. We found a quiet spot at Otter Cove to park our chairs overlooking the water and had our wine to celebrate a good day.
Tomorrow we head to Cobscook Bay State Park on Rt 1 near Lubec, Maine.
We did go out to eat a few times. Spending money always feels good:)
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| Bar Harbor shopping |
We did the required walk around the town of Bar Harbor. Lots of touristy shops with lots of people doing the same window shopping we were doing. There was even a large cruise ship that comes into the port. Good for the economy.
Speaking of economy, things must be getting better throughout the world---an awful lot of people traveling here do not speak English!
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| View while having tea at Jordan Pond |
We don't actually have tea when we go--we have iced tea with Lobster Stew and Popovers! The Lobster Stew is chunky with delicious Lobster and the Popovers come with butter and jam. They are to die for!
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| Otter Cove |
Tomorrow we head to Cobscook Bay State Park on Rt 1 near Lubec, Maine.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Acadia National Park --- Starting Monday July 22, 2013
This is actually the start of what I consider camping. The time when Ed and I live out of a box and just have each other--and Monty of course!
The campground we are staying in is called Blackwoods Campground. It's not one of the nicest we have been to since the sites are a little small but it's close to hiking for Ed and only 6 or 7 miles from Bar Harbor, ME. They do have bathrooms, but no running water or electricity. Pay showers can be found about a mile outside the park.
Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 5,235. Bar Harbor is a famous summer colony in the Down East region of Maine. It is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (Salisbury Cove village). Bar Harbor is home to the largest parts of Acadia National Park, including Cadillac Mountain, the highest point within 25 miles (40 km) of the coastline of the Eastern United States.
We took our time getting to Bar Harbor from Tom and Shelly's since we had a reservation. The day was overcast as we traveled. By the time we finished setting up our home, it was close to dusk and the clouds came in. And then the rain. In the first 7 days we were here, it rained 5! And it was humid. EVERYTHING was damp. Not pretty camping.
During the dry days, Ed took a hike and a couple of bike rides. I found Internet and a good Hannaford's Supermarket in town. At night we started our annual Gin Rummy matches. As of Wednesday July 31, 2013, the score is Nancy 6, Ed 3. Good start for me!
As I write this, it is July 31, 2013 and it is a spectacularly beautiful day! Finally! We were both beginning to get a little weary with the bad weather. It's hard to be 'Sally Sunshine' when everything is really dreary and damp.
Ed and Monty took advantage of the beautiful weather to take off on a hike to a large mountain. They expect to be gone for 5 hours. I bet they'll be tired!
We haven't yet been to town to walk around the shops. I think tonight I'll convince them we should go to town for dinner and ice cream. My spirits are perked up already!
The campground we are staying in is called Blackwoods Campground. It's not one of the nicest we have been to since the sites are a little small but it's close to hiking for Ed and only 6 or 7 miles from Bar Harbor, ME. They do have bathrooms, but no running water or electricity. Pay showers can be found about a mile outside the park.
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| Coast near Blackwoods Campground |
We took our time getting to Bar Harbor from Tom and Shelly's since we had a reservation. The day was overcast as we traveled. By the time we finished setting up our home, it was close to dusk and the clouds came in. And then the rain. In the first 7 days we were here, it rained 5! And it was humid. EVERYTHING was damp. Not pretty camping.
During the dry days, Ed took a hike and a couple of bike rides. I found Internet and a good Hannaford's Supermarket in town. At night we started our annual Gin Rummy matches. As of Wednesday July 31, 2013, the score is Nancy 6, Ed 3. Good start for me!
As I write this, it is July 31, 2013 and it is a spectacularly beautiful day! Finally! We were both beginning to get a little weary with the bad weather. It's hard to be 'Sally Sunshine' when everything is really dreary and damp.
Ed and Monty took advantage of the beautiful weather to take off on a hike to a large mountain. They expect to be gone for 5 hours. I bet they'll be tired!
We haven't yet been to town to walk around the shops. I think tonight I'll convince them we should go to town for dinner and ice cream. My spirits are perked up already!
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Family is a great welcome home -- Tuesday July 9 till Monday July 22, 2013
Family is a great group to spend time with after you've been away from home!
We started back on Cape Cod at Nickerson State Park. It's not my favorite campground, but we were in area 7 this time and it was a good site. It's at the end of the campground about 3 miles into the park. There are no services as such at Nickerson but it has a very remote feel to it. It is very wooded and surrounded by lakes.
We stopped at our house in Eastham first to retrieve our truck and camper. Unfortunately, the truck battery was dead so our neighbor came over to help Ed jump start it. After having the renters move their vehicles, we were able to attach the camper and we are off! We planned on going to pick up Monty at Jane's house after we set everything up at the site.
After an hour or so of setting up, we heard a little voice say 'Hi, Grandpa'! Our daughter Pam and our three grandchildren surprised us by picking up Monty so we could just settle in! Great treat! We were certainly tired and were thrilled to see the boys and catch up on their end of school and camp days at the same time! They had already started camp so we were able to see them each night after that until we left on Sunday to go to our daughter Carrie's house. Since they live so close to us we are able to visit with the boys and Pam often. Not seeing them for six weeks seemed really sad. We missed them!
It rained the night before we were heading to Carrie's which was a little bit messy, but we were expecting it so not much of a problem. We didn't get to see our friends that week or spend time at our Thumpertown beach but we'll have plenty of time for that in September.
We spent Sunday till Thursday at Carrie's house in Topsfield. Carrie is back working full time at Mass General Hospital and her husband Mike was at National Guard duty for 2 weeks so we had the kids to ourselves for a couple of days. They are great kids: John Alden, Quinn and Camille all dote on their newest brother, Kelan who was born in March. The weather was brutally hot, so we were happy to be in a house with central air conditioning.
On Thursday afternoon we headed to Tom & Shelly's lake house in Wakefield, NH, on Pine River Pond. If you are looking for a great lake vacation, check out their house! It's a perfect spot for a relaxing vacation.
We popped up our camper in their driveway, since there is a big family picnic over the weekend and the houses (they have 2 right next door to each other) will be filled. We have electricity, water and Internet! This place is great!
We spent the rest of the weekend catching up with family. The weather was beautiful during the day so we spent this time eating, drinking and catching up. Perfect!
We started back on Cape Cod at Nickerson State Park. It's not my favorite campground, but we were in area 7 this time and it was a good site. It's at the end of the campground about 3 miles into the park. There are no services as such at Nickerson but it has a very remote feel to it. It is very wooded and surrounded by lakes.
We stopped at our house in Eastham first to retrieve our truck and camper. Unfortunately, the truck battery was dead so our neighbor came over to help Ed jump start it. After having the renters move their vehicles, we were able to attach the camper and we are off! We planned on going to pick up Monty at Jane's house after we set everything up at the site.
After an hour or so of setting up, we heard a little voice say 'Hi, Grandpa'! Our daughter Pam and our three grandchildren surprised us by picking up Monty so we could just settle in! Great treat! We were certainly tired and were thrilled to see the boys and catch up on their end of school and camp days at the same time! They had already started camp so we were able to see them each night after that until we left on Sunday to go to our daughter Carrie's house. Since they live so close to us we are able to visit with the boys and Pam often. Not seeing them for six weeks seemed really sad. We missed them!
It rained the night before we were heading to Carrie's which was a little bit messy, but we were expecting it so not much of a problem. We didn't get to see our friends that week or spend time at our Thumpertown beach but we'll have plenty of time for that in September.
We spent Sunday till Thursday at Carrie's house in Topsfield. Carrie is back working full time at Mass General Hospital and her husband Mike was at National Guard duty for 2 weeks so we had the kids to ourselves for a couple of days. They are great kids: John Alden, Quinn and Camille all dote on their newest brother, Kelan who was born in March. The weather was brutally hot, so we were happy to be in a house with central air conditioning.
On Thursday afternoon we headed to Tom & Shelly's lake house in Wakefield, NH, on Pine River Pond. If you are looking for a great lake vacation, check out their house! It's a perfect spot for a relaxing vacation.
We popped up our camper in their driveway, since there is a big family picnic over the weekend and the houses (they have 2 right next door to each other) will be filled. We have electricity, water and Internet! This place is great!
We spent the rest of the weekend catching up with family. The weather was beautiful during the day so we spent this time eating, drinking and catching up. Perfect!
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| Sunset on Pine River Pond, NH |
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Summer Camping begins at Nickerson State Park -- Tuesday July 9, 2013
We are back from England today and will start the next stage of our Summer 2013 adventures by camping at Nickerson State Park in Brewster MA....just a town over from home.
Before we can do that, though, we have to go back to our house, disturb our renters, move our truck and bring along our camper.
I'm tired and the area has been experiencing record breaking heat, so I won't be writing for a week or so. We will spend 5 nights at Nickerson, then visit our daughter Carrie and her family in Topsfield for 4 nights, then on to brother Tom and his family at Pine River Pond in Wakefield NH before REALLY starting our camping at Acadia National Park on Monday July 22, 2013.
That's when I will begin this journal. Hope you will join me again!
Before we can do that, though, we have to go back to our house, disturb our renters, move our truck and bring along our camper.
I'm tired and the area has been experiencing record breaking heat, so I won't be writing for a week or so. We will spend 5 nights at Nickerson, then visit our daughter Carrie and her family in Topsfield for 4 nights, then on to brother Tom and his family at Pine River Pond in Wakefield NH before REALLY starting our camping at Acadia National Park on Monday July 22, 2013.
That's when I will begin this journal. Hope you will join me again!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
End of the line
Tuesday September 4, 2012
We left our campsite on Monday September 3, 2012, Labor Day and said goodbye to our daughter and 3 grandsons who are heading back to the Cape. It was a GREAT way to end our vacation! The weather cooperated for the better part of the week and Grandpa got to hike and bike and swim with his grandsons. It doesn't get better then that.
Our house in Eastham is still rented until Tuesday morning so we head to visit Ed's mom, Anita, in Medfield.
Traffic was really heavy on Rt 16 thru most of New Hampshire on Labor Day so the trip took a little longer then we liked. We arrived in mid afternoon and had the chance to sit and talk for awhile with Mom. Something we don't do often enough.
It's overcast on Tuesday morning as we leave Medfield, but nothing can dampen our enthusiasm for where we are headed.
We have been on the road:
* 73 Days
* 8,000 miles
* Stayed in or drove thru 10 states and 2 Canadian Provinces
And now we are home. The sweetest place to be!
I don't know where we are headed next summer, but our house is already rented for 6 weeks so I guess we better start planning our trip.......maybe next week:)!
We left our campsite on Monday September 3, 2012, Labor Day and said goodbye to our daughter and 3 grandsons who are heading back to the Cape. It was a GREAT way to end our vacation! The weather cooperated for the better part of the week and Grandpa got to hike and bike and swim with his grandsons. It doesn't get better then that.
Our house in Eastham is still rented until Tuesday morning so we head to visit Ed's mom, Anita, in Medfield.
Traffic was really heavy on Rt 16 thru most of New Hampshire on Labor Day so the trip took a little longer then we liked. We arrived in mid afternoon and had the chance to sit and talk for awhile with Mom. Something we don't do often enough.
It's overcast on Tuesday morning as we leave Medfield, but nothing can dampen our enthusiasm for where we are headed.
We have been on the road:
* 73 Days
* 8,000 miles
* Stayed in or drove thru 10 states and 2 Canadian Provinces
And now we are home. The sweetest place to be!
I don't know where we are headed next summer, but our house is already rented for 6 weeks so I guess we better start planning our trip.......maybe next week:)!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Heading out to our last 'set up'--Covered Bridge, Conway, NH
Wednesday August 22, 2012
While Voyageurs was a nice enough Provincial Park, it didn't have any hills for hiking and Ed is really itching to continue hiking.
I'm finding that although we both love the summer of traveling around the country, we are both getting home sick sooner each year. It's hard knowing there is just 2 weeks before we can get back in our own bed!
We decided to take our chances and head out to Covered Bridge campground on the Kankamangus Hwy near Conway, NH today. We have already reserved a spot starting on Friday. Our daughter Pam and her boys, Keleb, Logan and Rylan will join us for a week of vacation starting on Sunday. If we can get the same campsite when we arrive we will not have to take down and set up ever again this summer!
The day is a long one. Travel wasen't bad, though, with only a little construction. The Streets program had us doing smaller roads in Canada and entering the USA in New York at a really REMOTE entrance. We went thru Quebec Province and entered New York while using PR 203. I think the customs was at Covey Hill on Cannon Corners Road. It's open from 8 am till 4 pm! The guys there didn't look like they got a lot of visitors! They even said, "So what made you come thru this entrance?" We apparently were randomly picked for a more through search of our car and camper (probably because we were their only customers today!) but after chatting a few minutes and petting Monty, they did a cursory search of the camper through an outside door. They were particularly interested in my hard cover books....don't know why. But after a short while, they gave Monty some treats and we were off.
Our path took us through New York, then Vermont and then New Hampshire. We traveled on Rt 11 thru Mooers Fork, NY, and then onto familiar Rt 2. We probably could have made better time by ignoring the program and using the bigger Rt 89 or 91, though.
Once we got back into Massachusetts I could almost hear a sigh of relief from Ed. I know he feels like he's almost home!
Ed loves coming back to the White Mountains. It's where he's done his most hiking and he knows the trails by heart! He's happy to be here a few days early to get in some extra hiking time.
We arrive at Covered Bridge about 3 pm and gratefully find the site we have reserved for Friday currently open! Yeah! We set up now for the last time this summer!
The site is nice and flat and plenty big enough. Monty even likes it!
While Voyageurs was a nice enough Provincial Park, it didn't have any hills for hiking and Ed is really itching to continue hiking.
I'm finding that although we both love the summer of traveling around the country, we are both getting home sick sooner each year. It's hard knowing there is just 2 weeks before we can get back in our own bed!
We decided to take our chances and head out to Covered Bridge campground on the Kankamangus Hwy near Conway, NH today. We have already reserved a spot starting on Friday. Our daughter Pam and her boys, Keleb, Logan and Rylan will join us for a week of vacation starting on Sunday. If we can get the same campsite when we arrive we will not have to take down and set up ever again this summer!
The day is a long one. Travel wasen't bad, though, with only a little construction. The Streets program had us doing smaller roads in Canada and entering the USA in New York at a really REMOTE entrance. We went thru Quebec Province and entered New York while using PR 203. I think the customs was at Covey Hill on Cannon Corners Road. It's open from 8 am till 4 pm! The guys there didn't look like they got a lot of visitors! They even said, "So what made you come thru this entrance?" We apparently were randomly picked for a more through search of our car and camper (probably because we were their only customers today!) but after chatting a few minutes and petting Monty, they did a cursory search of the camper through an outside door. They were particularly interested in my hard cover books....don't know why. But after a short while, they gave Monty some treats and we were off.
Our path took us through New York, then Vermont and then New Hampshire. We traveled on Rt 11 thru Mooers Fork, NY, and then onto familiar Rt 2. We probably could have made better time by ignoring the program and using the bigger Rt 89 or 91, though.
Once we got back into Massachusetts I could almost hear a sigh of relief from Ed. I know he feels like he's almost home!
Ed loves coming back to the White Mountains. It's where he's done his most hiking and he knows the trails by heart! He's happy to be here a few days early to get in some extra hiking time.
The site is nice and flat and plenty big enough. Monty even likes it!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Did we stay or did we go????
Tuesday August 21, 2012
Well, Monty wakes us up really early today and we're not going back to sleep so we decided to go! The ride today is scheduled to last about 6 1/2 hours. It's another Provincial Park we've never been to--Voyaguers. I wonder if we'll stay one day or more? We'll see.
We ride on Provincial Hwy 17. Its a 2 lane road that goes on for MILES. Well maintained. It's an easy ride.
Well, the car GPS and the Streets program diverged in directions and I told Ed to follow the Streets directions. Wrong move.
For awhile it looked like it would be ok, but then we got into city driving--we were in Ottawa! Beautiful old brick and stone buildings, but not easy driving. Actually, probably like getting lost in Boston! Tension! Everything is also in French (I should have paid more attention in Frenchy's HS class!).
Then the navigator (me) decided to diverge from the Streets program and got us turned around for awhile. It wasen't a pretty scene! But surprisingly, it looked like we were still going to get to Voyageur PP in the time the program origionally suggested it would. I just wonder how it would have done if we didn't go thru Ottawa! Another adventure!
Voyageur Provincial Park gets its name from the fur traders or Voyageurs who
had to portage their heavy loads as well as thier canoes around the dangerous
rapids (the river has since been damed to light houses in the area). There are a number
of interesting historic sites in the area which relate to the colourful history
of the fur tradeIt is in East Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada .
Well, Monty wakes us up really early today and we're not going back to sleep so we decided to go! The ride today is scheduled to last about 6 1/2 hours. It's another Provincial Park we've never been to--Voyaguers. I wonder if we'll stay one day or more? We'll see.
We ride on Provincial Hwy 17. Its a 2 lane road that goes on for MILES. Well maintained. It's an easy ride.
Well, the car GPS and the Streets program diverged in directions and I told Ed to follow the Streets directions. Wrong move.
Then the navigator (me) decided to diverge from the Streets program and got us turned around for awhile. It wasen't a pretty scene! But surprisingly, it looked like we were still going to get to Voyageur PP in the time the program origionally suggested it would. I just wonder how it would have done if we didn't go thru Ottawa! Another adventure!
Voyageur Provincial Park gets its name from the fur traders or Voyageurs who
had to portage their heavy loads as well as thier canoes around the dangerous
rapids (the river has since been damed to light houses in the area). There are a number
of interesting historic sites in the area which relate to the colourful history
of the fur tradeIt is in East Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada .Sunday, August 26, 2012
Samual DeChamplain Provincial Park, ON, Canada
Sunday August 19, 2012
We got on the road at 9:45. We thought, however, that it was 8:45. We didn't realize we were back on EDT for the last couple of days! I thought the sun was up late today!
We are traveling on Provincial Highway 17 for most of the day and we arrived at Samual De Champlain PP in Arnstein, Ontario, Canada in the late afternoon. Ed thought we stayed there before but when we arrived realized we had not.
This is a very large campground but there is no one here! We pretty much have our loop to ourselves.
PP are really nice....but expensive. $37.25 for the night and this one does not have electricity or water. This park has a river and a couple lakes so there would be lots of Kayak opportunities.
Ed only paid for one night, though, which means he's getting anxious to get back to New England. Later on, he thinks maybe we could stay another day to explore.
Here we go again. Should we stay or should we go? I decided to wait till the morning to find out:)
We got on the road at 9:45. We thought, however, that it was 8:45. We didn't realize we were back on EDT for the last couple of days! I thought the sun was up late today!
We are traveling on Provincial Highway 17 for most of the day and we arrived at Samual De Champlain PP in Arnstein, Ontario, Canada in the late afternoon. Ed thought we stayed there before but when we arrived realized we had not.
This is a very large campground but there is no one here! We pretty much have our loop to ourselves.
PP are really nice....but expensive. $37.25 for the night and this one does not have electricity or water. This park has a river and a couple lakes so there would be lots of Kayak opportunities.
Ed only paid for one night, though, which means he's getting anxious to get back to New England. Later on, he thinks maybe we could stay another day to explore.
Here we go again. Should we stay or should we go? I decided to wait till the morning to find out:)
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Chutes Provincial Park (again this summer), Ontario, Canada
Friday August 16, 2012--thru Sunday August 18, 2012
We had an early morning wake up call from Monty again today. He's keeping us on schedule! The wind has picked up, it's cloudy and looks like rain is coming. Good that we're leaving:) It's a great campsite for sunny days but no sense hanging around if
it's not nice.
We are heading today to Chutes Provincial Park in Ontario Canada. As the only provincial park on Highway 17 between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Chutes is an excellent stopover for travellers and a base to explore the North Channel of Lake Huron. Situated on the Aux Sables River near Massey, Ontario, the park gets its name from a chute that once diverted logs around the waterfall.
It will be about 7 hours today but the road starts on Rt 2 which has been
an easy drive for us (easy for me to say since Ed is the one driving). We're planning to stay thru the weekend so we don't have trouble finding a campsite.
We got a call from Ed's broother, Doug, while driving to let us know their Uncle Paul died--'in his rose garden'. Uncle Paul was a very sweet man who's wife died last summer. Ed started to reminisce about Uncle Paul: Ed says Uncle Paul was his introduction to fishing. He and Ed's dad would take Ed deep sea fishing for flounder. Uncle Paul had a little row boat, too, that Ed says Uncle Paul would scare him by walking around the boat and making it seem tippy.
Ed remembered Uncle Paul's infectious laugh and his great party spirit.
He would dance away at weddings and be dripping with sweat! I remember his laugh as well and how really sweet he and Aunt Ellen were.
They will be missed.
We find a great WalMart in Saute Saint Marie in MI before going over the border and load up on goodies and reading material for me. I have broken my Kindle Fire during this trip. Amazon.com is replacing it for free (love that company)! I broke one last year too while camping.
We get back on the road refreshed with a sandwich from SubWay...yum! Then we had a short wait, but easy entrance to Cananda before it started to rain hard. We have another almost 3 hours to go but Ed says if it's raining he's driving on. We shall see.
The rain is torential in many points on this section of driving on Canada Route 17. Theres a motorcycle couple in front of us that is hard not to feel really bad for. They must be miserable!
When we got there the weather has cleared somewhat. We decided to stay at Chutes for the long weekend. We were afraid the next stop we went to would be full.
This is our second stop here this summer. The girl at the registration desk even remembered Ed. "I always remember the happy ones" she told him. Nice compliment. I guess not everyone is happy camping? What's with that!?
We arrived on Thursday and we're leaving on a Sunday in hopes of getting a good site at Samual DeChamplain. Our intention is to stay 2 or 3 days and then the
remaining couple of days at Voyageur. These are both Provincial Parks in Canada. Provincial Parks are expensive at $37.25 a night. The good news is they have electricity, water, showers, laundramats and bathrooms. I guess you get what you pay for! Also, they seem to have wider more grassy sites which I like.
We had an early morning wake up call from Monty again today. He's keeping us on schedule! The wind has picked up, it's cloudy and looks like rain is coming. Good that we're leaving:) It's a great campsite for sunny days but no sense hanging around if
it's not nice.
We are heading today to Chutes Provincial Park in Ontario Canada. As the only provincial park on Highway 17 between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Chutes is an excellent stopover for travellers and a base to explore the North Channel of Lake Huron. Situated on the Aux Sables River near Massey, Ontario, the park gets its name from a chute that once diverted logs around the waterfall.
It will be about 7 hours today but the road starts on Rt 2 which has been
an easy drive for us (easy for me to say since Ed is the one driving). We're planning to stay thru the weekend so we don't have trouble finding a campsite.
We got a call from Ed's broother, Doug, while driving to let us know their Uncle Paul died--'in his rose garden'. Uncle Paul was a very sweet man who's wife died last summer. Ed started to reminisce about Uncle Paul: Ed says Uncle Paul was his introduction to fishing. He and Ed's dad would take Ed deep sea fishing for flounder. Uncle Paul had a little row boat, too, that Ed says Uncle Paul would scare him by walking around the boat and making it seem tippy.
Ed remembered Uncle Paul's infectious laugh and his great party spirit.
He would dance away at weddings and be dripping with sweat! I remember his laugh as well and how really sweet he and Aunt Ellen were.
They will be missed.
We find a great WalMart in Saute Saint Marie in MI before going over the border and load up on goodies and reading material for me. I have broken my Kindle Fire during this trip. Amazon.com is replacing it for free (love that company)! I broke one last year too while camping.
We get back on the road refreshed with a sandwich from SubWay...yum! Then we had a short wait, but easy entrance to Cananda before it started to rain hard. We have another almost 3 hours to go but Ed says if it's raining he's driving on. We shall see.
The rain is torential in many points on this section of driving on Canada Route 17. Theres a motorcycle couple in front of us that is hard not to feel really bad for. They must be miserable!
When we got there the weather has cleared somewhat. We decided to stay at Chutes for the long weekend. We were afraid the next stop we went to would be full.
This is our second stop here this summer. The girl at the registration desk even remembered Ed. "I always remember the happy ones" she told him. Nice compliment. I guess not everyone is happy camping? What's with that!?
We arrived on Thursday and we're leaving on a Sunday in hopes of getting a good site at Samual DeChamplain. Our intention is to stay 2 or 3 days and then the
remaining couple of days at Voyageur. These are both Provincial Parks in Canada. Provincial Parks are expensive at $37.25 a night. The good news is they have electricity, water, showers, laundramats and bathrooms. I guess you get what you pay for! Also, they seem to have wider more grassy sites which I like.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Heading East!
Wednesday August 15, 2012
We leave early this morning. Monty's body clock has recentered itself and he's back to waking at 6 am pretty consistantly.
The weather has been really beautiful. Warm but not hot with cool nights. We'll drive for a pretty long day today and find a one night stay.
It's later in the day as I write this. We ended up driving a little too long today. We skipped where we planned to go and ended up at Indian Lake State Park in the Up of Michigan in the town of Manistique. Indian Lake State Park is located on Indian Lake, the fourth largest inland lake in the Upper Peninsula with an area of 8,400 acres. It is six miles long and three miles wide. The lake was once called M'O'Nistique Lake. According to 1850 surveyor records, Native Americans lived in log cabins near the outlet of the lake. The park is composed of two units which are three miles apart and separated by the waters of Indian Lake. Amenities include camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, beach and beach house, picnic area, boat access site/launch and metal detecting area.
It was expensive: $22.00 a night (plus $8.00 entrance fee to the park) but each site was really nice: grassy and flat, each had electricity (which we don't use much of) and beautiful views of Indian Lake! Bathroom fascilities and showers were really nice. Another camper told us about another state park in Michigan that was even nicer, so it seems that it's just Massachusetts that has crappy state parks!
We leave early this morning. Monty's body clock has recentered itself and he's back to waking at 6 am pretty consistantly.
The weather has been really beautiful. Warm but not hot with cool nights. We'll drive for a pretty long day today and find a one night stay.
It's later in the day as I write this. We ended up driving a little too long today. We skipped where we planned to go and ended up at Indian Lake State Park in the Up of Michigan in the town of Manistique. Indian Lake State Park is located on Indian Lake, the fourth largest inland lake in the Upper Peninsula with an area of 8,400 acres. It is six miles long and three miles wide. The lake was once called M'O'Nistique Lake. According to 1850 surveyor records, Native Americans lived in log cabins near the outlet of the lake. The park is composed of two units which are three miles apart and separated by the waters of Indian Lake. Amenities include camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, beach and beach house, picnic area, boat access site/launch and metal detecting area.It was expensive: $22.00 a night (plus $8.00 entrance fee to the park) but each site was really nice: grassy and flat, each had electricity (which we don't use much of) and beautiful views of Indian Lake! Bathroom fascilities and showers were really nice. Another camper told us about another state park in Michigan that was even nicer, so it seems that it's just Massachusetts that has crappy state parks!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Moose Lake State Park, MN
Monday Aug 13, 2012 & Tuesday Aug 14, 2012
We are driving along on Monday morning now and will probably do the same thing as yesterday--find lunner (combo of lunch and dinner), drive about 7 hours and find a
city park to stay overnight in. Hopefully these City Parks will continue! They're great....and free!
As we're driving east on Route 200 we come to Cooperstown, ND--a rather large community. There's even a country club. What's different is that there were grain silos and wind mills scattered on this golf course. It reminded Ed of a putt-putt ! Surprisingly, though, about 10 miles later there's another golf course....it's good to be a farmer!
As we were driving thru North Dakota, we ended up in Fargo--although it's a city, it has a small town feel. Lots of the side streets are tree lined with neat little houses all along. Then we come to a bridge and a toll!!! Believe it or not, this bridge takes you from ND to MN and there was a $ .75 toll!~ Very quaint! It was just a 2 lane bridge with a toll both and a toll taker in the middle. He even had his own Bouse House next to it!
It's certainly apparent that we've left the mountains, however. The scenery is pretty flat as far as you can see. Can you say Iowa??
Monty has assumed his sleeping position. He's amazing. Now, I've only had experience with traveling with three dogs: Our son Ed's dog, Jack, would gladly climb in the back seat, sit on the bench and put his paw on the arm rest and happily watch the world go by. Our dog Buddy would stress the minute he got in the car: He either wanted to be consoled by you (basically sitting under your arm) or whining. Monty, however, gets in the back of the truck with no trouble now and 'assumes the position'. He goes right to sleep on his side and he sleeps for however long you travel--whether it's 20 minutes or 4 hours!
Not a peep out of him. Amazing!
We stayed tonight at Moose Lake State Park in Willow River, MN. The free City Park in Moose Lake (with free WIFI no less!) was closed! We decided to stay for 2 nights. That will give me time to do some long overdue laundry. The campsite is nice enough, they have a nice picnic and beach area, a nice library and grocery store. We played Scrabble near the beach while Monty slept. The weather was beautiful.
We are driving along on Monday morning now and will probably do the same thing as yesterday--find lunner (combo of lunch and dinner), drive about 7 hours and find a
city park to stay overnight in. Hopefully these City Parks will continue! They're great....and free!
As we're driving east on Route 200 we come to Cooperstown, ND--a rather large community. There's even a country club. What's different is that there were grain silos and wind mills scattered on this golf course. It reminded Ed of a putt-putt ! Surprisingly, though, about 10 miles later there's another golf course....it's good to be a farmer!
As we were driving thru North Dakota, we ended up in Fargo--although it's a city, it has a small town feel. Lots of the side streets are tree lined with neat little houses all along. Then we come to a bridge and a toll!!! Believe it or not, this bridge takes you from ND to MN and there was a $ .75 toll!~ Very quaint! It was just a 2 lane bridge with a toll both and a toll taker in the middle. He even had his own Bouse House next to it!
It's certainly apparent that we've left the mountains, however. The scenery is pretty flat as far as you can see. Can you say Iowa??
Monty has assumed his sleeping position. He's amazing. Now, I've only had experience with traveling with three dogs: Our son Ed's dog, Jack, would gladly climb in the back seat, sit on the bench and put his paw on the arm rest and happily watch the world go by. Our dog Buddy would stress the minute he got in the car: He either wanted to be consoled by you (basically sitting under your arm) or whining. Monty, however, gets in the back of the truck with no trouble now and 'assumes the position'. He goes right to sleep on his side and he sleeps for however long you travel--whether it's 20 minutes or 4 hours!
Not a peep out of him. Amazing!
We stayed tonight at Moose Lake State Park in Willow River, MN. The free City Park in Moose Lake (with free WIFI no less!) was closed! We decided to stay for 2 nights. That will give me time to do some long overdue laundry. The campsite is nice enough, they have a nice picnic and beach area, a nice library and grocery store. We played Scrabble near the beach while Monty slept. The weather was beautiful.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Glenfield North Dakota City Park
Sunday August 12, 2012
The ride today starts out to be more difficult then we expected. Routes US 52 and SR 200 are pretty straight, flat two lane roads that look like they will be pleasant enough.
However, about 20 miles into it, there is construction and there are a surprising number of trucks on the road today.
Even going thru the Indian Reservations there are oil rigs scattered all over the horizon. I sure hope the oil companies have paid them for this upheaval!
We are off to Martin City , ND today. Looks like there is a city park to camp in.
We get to Martin City in pretty good time despite all of the construction we've been thru so we decide to continue to drive, planning on another 50 miles or so. We stop for lunch at Ruby Tuesday's which was delicious! We were able to get Internet there, so it was a valuable stop.
The land in this part of the country is really flat. We are on Rt 52 for quite awhile. It's a straight 2 lane road with fields of grains, corn or sunflowers. Every once in awhile a 'town' shows up on the map: Fessenden, Manfred, Keaton etc.
The ride today starts out to be more difficult then we expected. Routes US 52 and SR 200 are pretty straight, flat two lane roads that look like they will be pleasant enough.
However, about 20 miles into it, there is construction and there are a surprising number of trucks on the road today.
 |
| Oil Rig |
We are off to Martin City , ND today. Looks like there is a city park to camp in.
We get to Martin City in pretty good time despite all of the construction we've been thru so we decide to continue to drive, planning on another 50 miles or so. We stop for lunch at Ruby Tuesday's which was delicious! We were able to get Internet there, so it was a valuable stop.
The land in this part of the country is really flat. We are on Rt 52 for quite awhile. It's a straight 2 lane road with fields of grains, corn or sunflowers. Every once in awhile a 'town' shows up on the map: Fessenden, Manfred, Keaton etc.
We decide to finally stop and look at another City Park. This one is in Glenfield, ND. What a gem! We had gone about 7 hours of traveling and it was time to stop. Weather was good but we were getting tired, so we were looking to see if there were any camping sites. We don't like private campgrounds and had an OK experience with the City Park in Chester, so we looked on our map for a City Park.
What a delight! It was a fully grassy, heavily treed, well established park. It had a little kids playground, covered picnic tables, lots of other picnic tables and spaces for campers or tents. It even had electrical hookups (that weren't live, but still)!. They also had a water supply if you needed it and flush toilets.
We set up, keeping the camper attached to the truck and B.I.T.C.Hed. This was going to be OK.
Now, the city park was right on the highway (which is a relative term since Rt 200 is 2 lanes.) The park was right at the intersection of Rt 20 and Rt 200 at the start of a community of streets. After awhile we took a walk around the neighborhood.
There was a railroad track that was pretty active (we could see it from the park). There was a train going by about every half hour until the evening. Then it started again at 7 am. But there was also a Ball Field, Post Office, Community Center, and bar along with about a 6 square block of houses--that was it! Very sweet. I felt at home. It actually reminded me of Spring Lake Heights, NJ.
Spring Lake is where my Grandma Butterwei lived and when I would go visit on the weekend, the trains would always go by the back of her yard, too. I guess it just stirred some fond childhood memories for me!
 |
| Glenfield, ND, City Park |
What a delight! It was a fully grassy, heavily treed, well established park. It had a little kids playground, covered picnic tables, lots of other picnic tables and spaces for campers or tents. It even had electrical hookups (that weren't live, but still)!. They also had a water supply if you needed it and flush toilets.
We set up, keeping the camper attached to the truck and B.I.T.C.Hed. This was going to be OK.
Now, the city park was right on the highway (which is a relative term since Rt 200 is 2 lanes.) The park was right at the intersection of Rt 20 and Rt 200 at the start of a community of streets. After awhile we took a walk around the neighborhood.
There was a railroad track that was pretty active (we could see it from the park). There was a train going by about every half hour until the evening. Then it started again at 7 am. But there was also a Ball Field, Post Office, Community Center, and bar along with about a 6 square block of houses--that was it! Very sweet. I felt at home. It actually reminded me of Spring Lake Heights, NJ.
Spring Lake is where my Grandma Butterwei lived and when I would go visit on the weekend, the trains would always go by the back of her yard, too. I guess it just stirred some fond childhood memories for me!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Hiking didn't work out in the North Unit
Friday Aug 10 & Saturday Aug 11, 2012
The campsites at Juniper are beautiful. Roomy, spaced nicely between campsites and great views and grassy spots. We are on the Little Missouri River, but it's more like the Little Missouri PUDDLE. Very little water.
In the evening on Friday we decided to go for our sunset cruise. It was disappointing since the road deeper into the park was closed about a mile beyond the campsite for repairs so we had a shorter 'sunset cruise' then the other night. We did get to see more bison and long horn cattle, though.
The hiking on Saturday didn't work out so well for Ed. It rained all day Saturday with lots of wind. Instead, we decided to go to Wilton (the town 15 miles away) in search of ice, internet and perhaps 'lunner'. The town reminds me of a GOlD RUSH Town. The Western part of North Dakota has been under an oil rush for the last 3 years or so because of the Bakken Oil Reserve.
The Bakken reserve of oil was found 2-3 miles under ground in parts of Montana and North Dakota, so the oil companies have been harvesting it thru the process of 'fracking'. It's controversial since they are not sure what this process actually does to the earth and the water supplies. Regardless, it has made this town come alive--and not necessarily in a good way. Driving into town there are hundreds and hundreds of trailer communities all with signs that say cheap housing. It reminds me of a city of tenaments. Almost sad.
The campsites at Juniper are beautiful. Roomy, spaced nicely between campsites and great views and grassy spots. We are on the Little Missouri River, but it's more like the Little Missouri PUDDLE. Very little water.
In the evening on Friday we decided to go for our sunset cruise. It was disappointing since the road deeper into the park was closed about a mile beyond the campsite for repairs so we had a shorter 'sunset cruise' then the other night. We did get to see more bison and long horn cattle, though. The hiking on Saturday didn't work out so well for Ed. It rained all day Saturday with lots of wind. Instead, we decided to go to Wilton (the town 15 miles away) in search of ice, internet and perhaps 'lunner'. The town reminds me of a GOlD RUSH Town. The Western part of North Dakota has been under an oil rush for the last 3 years or so because of the Bakken Oil Reserve.
The Bakken reserve of oil was found 2-3 miles under ground in parts of Montana and North Dakota, so the oil companies have been harvesting it thru the process of 'fracking'. It's controversial since they are not sure what this process actually does to the earth and the water supplies. Regardless, it has made this town come alive--and not necessarily in a good way. Driving into town there are hundreds and hundreds of trailer communities all with signs that say cheap housing. It reminds me of a city of tenaments. Almost sad.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Unit
Friday August 10, 2012
We are leaving Makoshika State Park after three nights and heading to the North campground of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We've not been to this campground before as we always went to the southern campground so we'll get the chance to
see if it is any different.
It is in North Dakota so this was our only long stop before getting back to New England on the 24th. We'll be doing one night stands after this.
The weather for our drive to Juniper Campground is pleasant enough. Weather is clear, air conditioning works well and traffic is not bad.
We stopped for gas when we had about 60 miles left to go and realized that our green rug (9 x 12) that was UNDER Ed's Kayak blew away! How in the world does that happen? Neither of us heard any sound at all! Darn! And I wonder where it
went---did it hit another car, plop right in the middle of the road or blow to the side of the road??? It was pretty heavy!
It was great to have that rug for our screen house right in front of our entry door to the camper. It kept the camper a little cleaner when each of the campsites were pretty dusty.
Juniper Campground sits beside the Little Missouri River in an especially scenic area of the badlands. This unit of the park is more distant from the interstate (5 miles in from the entrance) and receives fewer visitors. We arrive at the campground about 10:30 am. The scenery looks a lot like Makosheka. The hills are all delineated with different shades. Interesting. We forgot to get ice, though, before we arrived and when we asked if they had any, we were told that it was in the next town--15 miles north of the entrance! Looks like we will have to make do until tomorrow. Bummer. I LOVE ice!
When we arrived at the campground there was a herd of Bison waiting for us. All different sizes: huge males, smaller females and calves. Very cool! In fact, we have to wait to fill up the camper with drinking water until they move on!
There are lots of camping sites to choose from in this park. We choose one a little protected (winds have been strong lately) but with a lovely view of the mountains and field where more Bison may roam later! After we set up and B.I.T.C.H., we see a flock of Wild Turkeys walking down the path.
It's Friday. We thought it would be more crowded then this so we were pleasantly surprised. We are planning to stay 2 nights so we will move on Sunday. That will give Ed a day to hike the area since this is the first visit we've had to this part of the park.
We are leaving Makoshika State Park after three nights and heading to the North campground of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We've not been to this campground before as we always went to the southern campground so we'll get the chance to
see if it is any different.
It is in North Dakota so this was our only long stop before getting back to New England on the 24th. We'll be doing one night stands after this.
The weather for our drive to Juniper Campground is pleasant enough. Weather is clear, air conditioning works well and traffic is not bad.
We stopped for gas when we had about 60 miles left to go and realized that our green rug (9 x 12) that was UNDER Ed's Kayak blew away! How in the world does that happen? Neither of us heard any sound at all! Darn! And I wonder where it
went---did it hit another car, plop right in the middle of the road or blow to the side of the road??? It was pretty heavy!
It was great to have that rug for our screen house right in front of our entry door to the camper. It kept the camper a little cleaner when each of the campsites were pretty dusty.
Juniper Campground sits beside the Little Missouri River in an especially scenic area of the badlands. This unit of the park is more distant from the interstate (5 miles in from the entrance) and receives fewer visitors. We arrive at the campground about 10:30 am. The scenery looks a lot like Makosheka. The hills are all delineated with different shades. Interesting. We forgot to get ice, though, before we arrived and when we asked if they had any, we were told that it was in the next town--15 miles north of the entrance! Looks like we will have to make do until tomorrow. Bummer. I LOVE ice!
When we arrived at the campground there was a herd of Bison waiting for us. All different sizes: huge males, smaller females and calves. Very cool! In fact, we have to wait to fill up the camper with drinking water until they move on!There are lots of camping sites to choose from in this park. We choose one a little protected (winds have been strong lately) but with a lovely view of the mountains and field where more Bison may roam later! After we set up and B.I.T.C.H., we see a flock of Wild Turkeys walking down the path.
It's Friday. We thought it would be more crowded then this so we were pleasantly surprised. We are planning to stay 2 nights so we will move on Sunday. That will give Ed a day to hike the area since this is the first visit we've had to this part of the park.
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