We were up early Tuesday morning, hoping to not have a back-up of Airstreams trying to leave the Fairgrounds – even with only a couple hundred left (out of 600!) it could have been a problem if everyone was to leave at once. No problem, we snuck out with no witnesses! It had rained all night long, and this made me wonder about the flooding conditions on mountain roads that we would be traveling. There were no Interstates without going 100 miles out of our way, so we stuck to Route 219 for almost 300 miles without any signs of high water. It was one of those beautiful mountain drives that forces you to slow down and enjoy the scenery, and we drank in every mile of it – grateful to be on the road after 10 days on a sit-stay. We arrived at our KOA in Bellefonte, PA (where Tom had reservations) by 3:15. With a site next to the camp office/facilities, we did 10 days worth of laundry, and I even gave Charlie Button a bath in the double sink in the trailer. Fresh and clean, we are ready for the rest of our adventure. Before we went to bed, Tom sat at the picnic table and completed the travel plans for tomorrow – a nightly task he tends to without fail. He maps out final routes and sight-seeing details and goes over them all with his co-pilot – me! Yes – I have my own personal vacation planner, tour-guide! Off at 7:00 a.m. (Wednesday, day 12 of our trip) we had another short distance of about 350 miles to spread out over the day. We were on Interstate 80 across Pennsylvania and on the Western edge turned off on Route 209 to climb north along the New York/PA border. Here we discovered Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area – a big name for a thin strip of area that runs along the Delaware River. It was a perfect place to slow down, hike to two waterfalls, and eat lunch. At one point in the drive there was a caution sign for “high impact with wildlife – next 8 miles!” I’ve never seen a sign like that before, but it meant business . . . within 5 minutes we saw a mother bear with three tiny cubs on the side of the road. I was so shocked that my reaction time with the camera was very slow. And, because we were preparing to get back on the interstate, Tom didn’t feel he could slow down with a line of cars behind him. Believe me – there is a bear and three cubs in this picture!!!! LOOK FOR IT! Back on Interstate 87 we skirted the Catskill Mountains straight towards the Adirondack Mountains. Our Moreau State Park did not have electricity, so at 94 degrees we substituted in the Adirondack RV Resort with full hook-ups. We set up, and waited long enough to know the trailer was cooling down nicely inside for Charlie Button, and then took off for nearby Glens Falls. This little town is very art-conscience with all kinds of venues that combine art and dining. This week, they just happened to be in the middle of a full-blown walking-around-town-arts-festival. Restaurant vendors were out in full force, and we walked past food offerings from Asian sushi to BBQ wings to cheesecake. There was also lots of live entertainment on the street, and the whole scene was lively and fun. We resisted all that food and headed back to our campground to cook Tom’s specialty-mixed hamburgers (with onions and green peppers) on the grill. Tomorrow – the journey beyond the border and into Canada. We have reviewed the details of what we are allowed to bring and NOT allowed to bring, and feel comfortable that (if searched) we are within the regulations. We are allowed 1 potato each, and we only have 1 to declare at the border!
1 Comment
Amy Rutkowski
7/11/2016 04:57:40 pm
You brought up a great point for us next year at the internationally rally ... This will be our first rally of this size. 225 rigs was the biggest thus far and that wasn't to much congestion when leaving but next year in the U.P. with 600 rigs....Maybe we should stay a day or two longer. Is that usually allowable ? Enjoying your blog.
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October 2021
We don’t go camping any more . . . we go ‘streamin’ ! The “SIlvermine and His” is our 2018 25' Airstream Serenity with Salsa interior and front twin beds., and ‘streamin’ is the name we use to describe our adventures. Stream along as we document everything from weekend trips to longer summer excursions and full-blown vacations. You know what they say: if you’re not in an Airstream – you’re just camping!
Tom & Ella Brown |