Wednesday, Sept 21 We’ve heard of this rally for years; 69 years strong for the Ohio Swiss Festival, and 59 years for the Airstream gathering. This year, under the new sponsorship of WBCCI Region 4, we decided to see what all the fuss was about. Every time we have visited the rolling hills of Holmes County, Tom has commented: “I sure wish I had the MG here!” Careful what you wish for, Tom! I drove the rig and followed Tom in the MG, driving much the same Route 30 that we were on just last week. The weather was beautiful, and except for a few spots of Airstream-hugging road-work, the drive was fun. Before we left the house, we got some pictures! We left at 9:00, stopped for lunch and to gas up the MG at Mansfield and arrived at what would be our headquarters for the next 12 days. . . Winklepleck Grove Campground in Sugarcreek, Ohio. The rally doesn’t really start until Sunday, but we are signed on as tour guides, and needed to come early to learn our tour route and duties. There were about 25 other Airstreams already there when we arrived at 1:00, and we had our choice of campsites. We chose right up by the main road coming in so we could hear the clip clop, clip clop, of the Amish Buggies as they traveled down the country road. We are parked in nice grass, large shade trees, and neighbors on either side. At 5:00 we left Pippa in the camper and ventured out in the MG for a scouting trip around the county. This first time out we didn’t venture very far, and we conveniently ended up at Der Duchman restaurant for dinner. We declined the $18.00 smorgasbord, and Tom got the baked chicken, mashed potatoes/gravy/noodles, and I got a ½ hot meatloaf sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy all over.. We were back at the campground by 7:15, and Tom shut down the tonneau on the MG, and then added the complete cover in case of rain. Pippa got a walk, and then we settled in to movies. It was dark at 8:00. Thursday, Sept 22 With turn-by-turn typed directions in hand, we headed out to survey our tour route. Region 4 President Brad had done a fabulous job of planning the route and writing the directions, and we found it easy to follow. Along the way, I was in awe of the countryside that we were roaming in – somehow made all the more picturesque by the dark clouds that were lurking overhead. I focused this trip on trying to get some pictures of the handsome homes in the area . . . mostly Amish, and some of the small towns we would be visiting later in more detail. We also make a shop-stop at Heini's Cheese Chalet where we bought a variety of cheeses and some flavored fudges! For dinner the rally workers were treated to a spread at an Amish homestead! I didn’t know if pictures were allowed, and so erred on the side of not taking any. We enjoyed a meal of homemade: bread, chicken, roast beef, green beans, noodles, mashed potatoes, gravy, and 5 different kinds of pies. While we ate, our host told us about his son getting married two years ago with 900 people attending!
This morning began at 63 degrees, and that was actually the high for the day! We should get in the low 40’s tonight! I can’t believe we have 10 more days of this lifestyle!
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My goal Friday night was to try to get a picture of each person/couple attending the rally. I guess I’ll never know if I got everyone – but here are the ones that I did get! Saturday, Sept 17 This morning started with steel-cut oatmeal . . . LOTS of steel-cut oatmeal with lots of toppings, including ice cream! That was a prelude to the much-anticipated ride on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. After breakfast Judi dashed inside with a few volunteers to start advance preparation on tonight’s meal – a Hobo Dinner! It promised to be a perfect conclusion after a train ride! Judi had a major assembly line going inside, prepping over 50 individual foil-wrapped dinners with potatoes, onions, carrots, meat or veggie patty, and seasonings. It was an enormous undertaking. At 11:30 we caravanned the 12 miles to Rockside Station to board the train. The California Zephyr car Silver Bronco had been reserved for our group, and we gathered in front of it for a group picture before boarding. The car boasted a vista dome for viewing as well as traditional downstairs seating -- both with little table-berths for four people to gather. We also had free range to roam the rest of the train. On top of that, our car was equipped with a custom spread of food and a cash bar! Conductors gave us an orientation to the train, and then the party began. Throughout our 3 ½ hour trip, the train stopped at Canal Exploration Center, Brecksville, Boston Mill, Peninsula Depot, Indigo Lake, Botzum and finally Akron and then back again. During the ride there was a constant changing of seats and seat-mates, and scenery! Host Tom left the train one stop early to hustle back home to start cooking those hobo dinners! The rest of us finished the ride, debarked back at the station, and returned to the homestead. Those Hobo dinners were a big hit and while I didn’t get a picture of one, I did capture the end of the line-up waiting to be served. And, I was too busy eating my Hobo dinner to take pictures of everyone digging in! A 50/50 raffle finished the evening, with many prizes, and a final cash award! For us that was the rally grand finale, as we would leave on Sunday morning. We’ll be looking forward to an announcement that this rally will become a repeating event!
Thursday, Sept 15 The morning began with a dump! It took 6 hoses hooked together, Alan and Gary to keep tabs on it, and another 3-4 people to cheer it on. It was a really loooooooooooooong dump! Coffee was available in the hospitality room and Alan brought donuts; some came and left with cup in hand, some stood around talking, and some sat and stayed awhile! Today many more Airstreams would be arriving, and Tom and I decided to hang around the home front to watch the fun. Host Tom had this down to a science as he welcomed and directed each one into the line-up, then turned them over to Judi for briefing. By suppertime there were 13 Airstreams and one T@B on site . . . and one more due in after dark! Here are some pictures of how the yard and the aluminum line shaped up. The highlight for me was the inside tour of Judi and Tom’s private paradise. True log-cabin, accentuated with . . . elephants! (Judi has a thing for elephants.) If I lived here, I don’t think I would ever leave! Afternoon was one big rotation from sitting circle to fire ring all while watching new people arrive. Perfect weather, amazing location and joyful people. As evening approached the fire grew as did the crowd, and settled around the fire pit – we numbered almost 30! Friday, Sept 16 Breakfast was an event: two large Dutch Ovens were cooking away on the charcoal table with briquettes underneath and on top and Host Tom diligently tending to them. The egg-bakes were in no hurry to reach the done level, and this made for a great time for pre-breakfast socializing in perfect morning weather. Judi welcomed everyone to a day of opportunities, and outlined several different options. With that, people broke up to go their own way exploring . . . or settled in to appreciate the day in our homestead location. Tom and I made a quick trip into Cleveland, only 20 miles away, to the famous West-Side Fresh Market. It had taken a hit since Covid but was still a huge maze of booths, stands, and cubicles, offering everything from fresh produce to a wide variety of meats, baked goods, deli selections and anything else you might want to purchase to consume. It was funny that Tom and I were looking at it from the tourist point of view, while locals were going about their daily shopping routine. We made a few purchases of bread, a brick of Wisconsin butter, and a T-bone steak – the bone was for Pippa! A focal point of Cleveland are the "Guardians" on the Guardian bridge crossing the Cuyahoga River. We were back at the homestead by 1:30 to mix and mingle with others, and enjoy a relaxing afternoon. Host Tom had started his pork shoulder in the smoker early in the morning, and nursed it all day long creating a constant central point for gathering and chatting.. At some point in the afternoon, Judi declared that happy hour had official started – and she ordered people to “get happy!” This led to the pot luck dinner starring Tom’s pulled pork and a vast variety of dishes contributed for the smorgasbord; the food at a NOVA gathering is always mind-blowing! After dinner, many collapsed in chairs around the fire; by now there were no strangers. Eventually there were 18 trailers tucked away on the homestead – one of the largest NOVA rallies . . . ever.
Tom and Judi dropped this bomb on our NOVA group over a year ago: they live right next to Cuyahoga Valley National Park – and have enough room to boondock 20 Airstreams on their property! Anyone interested? And when the response was overwhelmingly in favor – they went home and promptly planned “The Rally In the Valley” for September 15-19, 2022. It promises to be one of the great rally gatherings of the seasons. We were 2 weeks off of camping – time to clean all the carpets at home (!) and flip the Silvemine with a thorough cleaning. We swapped on-board provisions from full-on summer camping to cooler fall temperatures . . . stashing some long pants, socks, and hoodies in the cupboards. All done packing a day early – we got itchy and left at 12:00 Wednesday, rather than wait for Thursday! It was a quick trip across Route 30 to Interstates 71 > 271 > 77. When we turned into the driveway (It could apply for runway status!) we were met by Tom for parking assistance – sites had been clearly marked with orange lines, and we were first up along the drive. There were choices of parking: more sunlight, more shade, more seclusion or right in the middle of the action. Electricity was available to top off batteries, and a water hose was rigged to reach every Airstream – dumping was available The whole scene was like a 3 ½ acre, secluded, private park – Tom/Judi had bought the land in 1980, cleared and settled it and built a log cabin (really, a lodge) in 1984; with garage, barn, fenced-in dog yard all added over the years. The original home was built with generator power – no other homes within sight. After getting settled, we toured the property. There were already Airstreams parked when we arrived, and 3 more came in the afternoon and evening. A total of 11 of us gathered around the fire pit for an evening fire, while host Tom climbed inside of it to light it up! All of this – and the party hasn’t even started yet!
Monday, Aug 29 At the International Airstream Rally this summer, plans were laid for another Airstream quilt to auction for charity. Totally different than the last quilt – it is a whole ‘nother look at Airstreaming! Here are a few details. . . but I don’t want to give it away completely! Here is a picture of last year's quilt, with our quilt team: Carol, Ella, Sue, Suzie! Sue, Suzie and I were anxious to get together to draw up a strategy and assign parts of the quilt, so Tom and I planned two nights in Plain City Pastime Park – just 15 minutes from Dublin where Sue and Suzie live. Carol, our primary #1 quilter, lives in New Hampshire and was with us in spirit! Tom and I were set up at 2:30 – and at 3:00, disaster struck. Little Pippa stepped on a bee and got a bad sting on her foot. Because of her tiny size, we wanted her checked out. We located a vet 6 miles away, and had Pippa there in a pretty respectable time. She was licking and shaking her paw and it was really bothering her. She was immediately surrounded by 3 Vet Techs and a Veterinarian, and they administered two injections and Benadryl and kept checking vitals. Sweet little Pippa gave the tech that administered the injection two little face-licks. The vet was able to pull out a stinger from the outside of the front paw; she said it was her first stinger recovery in 16 years!!!! After they determined she was OK we were on our way quickly with $125 vet bill, a prescription for more Benadryl, and Pippa still working over her paw with licks and little nips. Back at the Silvermine the Benadryl was starting to take effect, we did a makeshift bandage to keep her from licking, and she promptly went to sleep cuddled up to Tom. Meanwhile, Sue picked me up at Pastime Park (thank you so much Sue!) and we drove into our favorite restaurant in downtown Dublin for dinner. Next, we drove with a home stash of green fabrics to JoAnns, and Suzie met us to coordinate more green fabrics. We ended up with a nice variety of nine 1/3-yard cuts to mix with our home stash. I called Tom to come pick me up at JoAnns, and as it began to get dark storm clouds moved in. I think we were all back home before dark and the storm! Tuesday morning Pippa woke feeling good and not favoring her paw. Tom fixed egg/ham/cheese omelets, at 9:45 he dropped me off at Sue’s house and took off for his own adventure. Suzie arrived right after me, and soon we were all down in Sue’s wonderful sewing workshop. She had two machines set up, fabrics laid out, an enormous walkaround cutting table, ironing station, an easy chair (if anyone got tired!) and a TV! I could move in! As we started we were aware there were some conflicts within the pattern. We had individually studied it, messed with it, and given it a couple trial runs for two weeks -- without being able to pinpoint the exact problem. At least we had an idea of where to start, and we methodically set about narrowing down the problem. It was a complicated thought process, and we kept back-tracking and trying new mixes – and finally hit on the solution! At that point we were golden and we moved into high speed! Again, I don’t want to give away too much about the actual quilt pattern, but I will tell you we had over 12 various shades and prints of our chosen color. We quickly cut the main pieces out of our variety of colors, and then cleared the cutting table to use as a lay-out table. We could account for all 18 of our blocks and move them around to achieve different looks. Even with three minds, all having different preferences, it was surprisingly easy to set a final lay-out that satisfied all. Not only satisfied – but I think we were all super-excited about the final result. My final thought is that this is not going to be a matchy-matchy sort of quilt! At that point we had a lot of same-background fabric cutting to do and 18 little contrast pieces to cut to complete each block. Finally, we labeled zip-lock bags for each block, and added the 8 fabric pieces for each block. We each took 6 blocks to make at home! All those creative juices need to be fed, and half-way through the process Sue treated us to chicken salad on croissant rolls, melon, chips, and a special tea/lemonade mix drink! We wrapped up the work session in 5 hours with all of us feeling very fruitful at what we had accomplished. At this point, the piecing of the blocks should go fast and easy for each of us. I sent pictures and a message to Carol showing her what we had been up to – and she has sworn to take her assignment, the focal point of the quilt, and make it really special! I’m not good at keeping secrets – but that is all I’m going to say! I'll end with this quilting high-five!
Wednesday, Aug 17 Today is our last day of driving a scenic road – It began with the The Great Lakes Seaway Trail. We were in no particular hurry, and we made a few stops along the way. Cape Vincent was a point that marked the end of the St. Lawrence River and the beginning of Lake Ontario and there was a nice little walking path along the water. In another 50 miles we arrived at Sacket’s Harbor, a historical site from the War of 1812 when it was the most active naval station in the United States. Here, the British and US Navies were engaged in a shipbuilding race to control Lake Ontario, but they never met in a major battle on Lake Ontario! The town was quiet and quaint, and we were able to park along a main street and walk down for views of the harbor. Out on the “point” we did the self-guided Sackets Harbor Battlefield walking tour, then back into town to do a few of the little shops. At the trailer we loaded up a snack plate for lunch, and got back in the truck to continue on our way. Our scenic route changed over to the Lake Ontario State Parkway – at first it was nice and smooth with good views of the Lake. Gradually over the next 60 miles the road deteriorated . . . and then ended and became Route 18. This took us the last 30 miles into 4-Mile Creek State Park. We remember this park so well from 1986 when we were returning from a camping vacation in our pop-up trailer and met Tom’s parents in their Volkswagen Camper Van. We remember lots of open area and grass from that visit, and were pleased to see lots of green grass and very mature trees providing lots of shade. We spent a couple days touring Niagara Falls! After supper we walked directly behind our trailer and down to the lake’s edge where we had a beautiful view of the sunset. A whole lot of other people had the same idea! Goodnight! Thursday, Aug 18 Our last day sightseeing! Tom made omelets and by 9:00 we were off to Niagara Falls, the American side. The first stop was Devil’s Hole, and a walk along the shoreline trail. I can’t honestly say that we pinpointed the Devil’s Hole – I was expecting something that had a distinct appearance to it! People often ask us what Pippa is a "mix" of -- I am going to show them this picture! Next was the Whirlpool – several miles down from the base of the falls. Again there was a nice walkway with viewpoints. The old gondola car implies that rides back and forth above the Whirlpool appear to still be in business. Our Four Mile Creek Campground gave us free parking tickets on Goat Island ($15!) and from there we could walk the Niagara Falls State Park walkway to all of the viewing points. We have been here many times (the last two times was in the middle of winter when everything was frozen) but it is always a breathtaking experience. This time we did not have our passports and saw everything from the American side – and we did it all in record time! By afternoon we were back at the campground, lounging in our backyard, viewing Lake Ontario, and enjoying every moment of the perfect weather. I told Tom we would celebrate this last night by going out to eat – but we simply could not pull ourselves away from the campground! We threw together a great meal and continue enjoying our last night camping. Tom initiated a little trip summary questionnaire:
Favorite: Campground? Campsite? Meal? View? Personality . . . I will let Tom say some parting words to conclude this vacation. Hi! This was a wonderful trip -- starting with NOVA and Airstream friends and ending the way I like camping best -- just Ella and I. Highlights were lobster, new potatoes from northern Maine, old and new sights to visit and study, rocks, boulders, mountains, cliffs, ocean and lakes, and of course the friendly people we met on the way. We are truly "Living the Dream!" Aug 15, Monday There were lots of ways we could have headed west, but Tom routed us across the top of Vermont, over a bridge on Lake Champlain, and into New York where we picked up a road bordering the St. Lawrence River . . . and Canada. The GPS kept wanting to route us back and forth across the Canadian border so we resorted to paper map and reading road signs. We were still on very secondary roads, and somehow got off route – but then back on again. We crossed the Thousand Islands International (Toll) Bridge at the headwaters/source of the St. Lawrence, and arrived at Wellesley Island State Park at 3:00. Our loop is very nice with gravel pads and grass, nice shade and spaced really far apart. When we stopped for lunch, I discovered that we did not have water; we knew the tank was full and could hear the pump working. . . no water at any of the faucets. We, or course, stewed about that while driving along for the next 3 hours. When we got set up at the campground Tom went inside and worked some kind of magic and fixed the problem. EvenTom doesn’t know what he did! Our campsite and weather were delicious for sitting outside. For supper we found one small steak and 8 frozen shrimp and fried potatoes – perfect! Tuesday, Aug 16 Tom opened the day with hash and eggs. We had slept late and lingered over breakfast, and didn’t go exploring until 10:00. The Thousand Islands is made up of 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada–US border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about 50 miles. Wellesley Island is surrounded by the St. Laurence River on three sides and by the Lake of the Isles on the fourth side. It is the largest Island in the St. Laurence Thousand Islands region, and has 2 state parks. We drove through the roads of Wellesley State Park; there are many campground loops and they are spread out in different areas. At the marina we got out and found a path that gave us some view of the river; otherwise, the forest is thick and there is not a very good river view. We did see many islands – mostly small and some of them had building structures on them. We also drove outside of the State Park and saw residential homes along the river, but we found no grocery stores, gas stations, etc. For that, we had to go back over the bridge, which meant paying again to get back on the island. We enjoyed the campsite in the afternoon with mostly sun, 78 degrees, and a nice breeze. Tom took Pippa for several walks around the loop road. There is an Airstream caravan that is staying in the State Park, and a few of the Airstreams are in our loop.
Here is a birds-eye view of 1,000 Islands -- taken from the internet. Saturday, Aug 13 Today is a significant day for us: Caleb’s birthday - #37! We trusted Halie to take him out to eat to celebrate! It was also notable as we begin to work our way South, and toward home. Click on this link to hear Pippa Joy sing Happy Birthday to Caleb https://youtube.com/shorts/Qm3qyYJ4RQ8?feature=share Leaving Main, our trip today took us through New Hampshire into Vermont . . . via secondary roads – at times rough from winter/ice upheaval and sometimes nice and smooth. I am starting to want a nice, fast, smooth, boring, Interstate! On top of that, we got off track a little as the GPS tried to route us through Canada, and we don't have our passports! Quickly back on track it was all OK as we routed out our own path using the paper map! We pulled into Newport, Vermont, Prouty Beach and Campground, at 2:30. The countryside leading to Newport had a very interesting grand chalet of some sort to spark our interest. Our campsite sits high above Lake Memphremagog and overlooks the beach below while the town is spread out in the background. There is sparse grass and very sandy soil, and much of that sand is tracked into the camper. The weather is near-perfect at 72 degrees. There is great WIFI! Here are some pictures of our trailer set up above the lake and views from our front yard! We drove downtown and ate at the Warehouse Restaurant – Tom had macaroni/cheese and brisket, and I had chicken wings. We arrived back at the campground as the sun was setting. It appears that most people camping up on this bluff walk down to our end of the campground where the beach meets the water to watch the sun set in the west. Aug 14, Sunday Our location was so nice, and there were no major tourist attractions in the area, so we played close to home today. From our campsite a path led out onto a walking path and then onto a boardwalk, and back onto an asphalt path. We walked that for awhile and then returned to the Silvermine. In the late afternoon Pippa had a bath – she had gotten so dirty from the dusty, sandy soil. We then did a drive around the town of Newport to a point where we could see our campground across the lake. There were some pricy shops and a restaurant that were on the water but nothing of great interest.. At the campground we fixed a supper of Sloppy Joe sandwiches and Roosevelt beans and fresh watermelon. At 7:45, as the sun was starting to go down, we took our chairs out in front of our trailer to watch the evening show. Our view was very good, but I sure do wish that had been our Airstream parked in that particular campsite as the sun went down.
Wednesday, August 10, 2022 We tried to slow down this morning, having only 150 miles to drive. Tom was up at 6:00, I was up at 7:00, and breakfast was up at 7:30! By 8:15 all the work was done except for the final hitching up – we hadn’t wanted to leave until 10:00! Pippa was perched on the table – looking out the window, and wondering what today might bring. I always feel bad that I can’t explain the agenda to her, and that she must just go with whatever happens! Our destination was the Highlands Region of Maine, in the middle of the state. There promises to be many points of interest to occupy us for a few days, and our headquarters is in the town of Millinocket at the Wilderness Edge Campground. Arriving at 11:00 we were glad to hear our site was ready – but we would have to pay $8.00 to move in 4 hours early! GEEEEZ. The campground is nice with sites that are deep and secluded with some requiring advanced maneuvering abilities for backing in. The sites are gravel, but it is a rather dusty, dirty, gravel – heaven help us if it rains! It appears that there is some expansion/construction going on, and our campsite has large mounds of dirt and gravel at the back end of it. The bath house is nearby, and very nice. Compared to where we have been staying, this is REALLY camping – in the woods! We scouted out a couple of general stores/gift stores and enjoyed browsing but found nothing to buy. My general rule of thumb is that I have to be able to eat it, drink it, wear it, wash with it (soap), or I must really, really have a need for it! This excludes hats, t-shirts, blankets, dishtowels, socks, cute boxer shorts for Tom, and a lot of other things! At 4:30 we were back at the camper enjoying the woodsy nature of our campsite, and making plans for dinner: beef fajitas with Maine mashed potatoes! Thursday, August 11 Tom fueled our morning by making blueberry pancakes and sausage. That prepared us for a trip into Baxter State Park. Here is the funny thing about Baxter State Park – it does not show up on Maine State maps except as a large boxed-out area with no details of roads, trails or land features. On the truck GPS, as we crossed the border into the Park, there was . . . nothing! At the point that you enter the park, you must pay $16 for a day pass and to receive a permit that is to be handed back as you exit the park. You get a detailed map with all features marked and have to make the choice between a left or right turn on the narrow, gravel, park road. The map is nicely labeled with all features in the park. We chose the right turn, for a 5-mile drive back to Roaring Brook Campground and a hike back to Sandy Spring Pond. The road was about 1 ½ lanes wide -- to be shared with cars coming at us. This sometimes called for pulling over as far to the side as possible. For a gravel road, it was nicely graded, and because of recent rain there was no dust. The Roaring Brook Campground parking lot was surprisingly full, but there was plenty of room to park in the hiker’s parking lot. Before embarking on any of the trails we had to sign in with our destination and expected time back. The trail back to the pond was not smooth – there were lots of roots and rocks and in several places there were narrow plank walk-ways and a more substantial wooden boardwalk. Walking was minimal uphill/downhill, and the only view was of the brilliantly green, dense forest, large moss-covered boulders, and occasional swampy bogs. The stroll was peaceful, but required a bit of concentration. When we reached the pond, which seemed to be just a glorified bog, the trees parted a bit and we saw a brief glimpses of the mountain. We might not have gotten all the way back for the best view, but I was not willing to tackle a significant length of those 8” wide boards! When we arrived back at our parking lot, we walked down into the campground and a section where lean-to-shelters and cabins are rented out. The shelters are three sided with sloping roof, raised wooden floor, and no bunks. They all have a lovely view facing the river. Driving back to the park entrance, we contemplated taking the left-hand turn and determined that a narrow dirt road (with 20 mph speeds), through 42 miles of dense forest with no view, would take us back to an area where we might see the mountains – if the clouds parted. Without speeding and no stops, that would be a 4-hour drive! We headed back to our campsite! In fact, there were other ways to view the landscape in the area; Tom had signed us up for a 3-hour-moose excursion! We left at 5:30, escorted by Wendy who drives a truck-style Jeep. All around us were logging roads, mostly unfamiliar to the average tourist, but completely explored by driver Wendy who knew every pull-over and trail leading to a lake, pond, or the river. She also knew a lot about the area and wildlife (moose, bear) all along the “Golden Road” that we traveled – so named because of the cost to build the road. The area had incredible history of logging, and Wendy had large photos to show the area from the late 1880 until now. Early on we parked and walked out to a bog/pond/river, where we instantly spotted two moose in the water. Wendy shared her binoculars, and we had a close-up view. Suddenly the smaller moose took off swimming, reached the bank and trotted out of the water, and then took off for a meadow at full speed! The larger bull swam and walked more casually and then trotted off in the same direction. If we would have been 5 minutes later – we would not have seen them! There were more stops with quick trips to stroll across a bridge for beautiful lake/mountain views, and down a rocky path of boulders to a view of the roaring river. Eventually it started raining, and even that was beautiful with a full-view rainbow! Because of the rain it became dark a bit earlier, but we were in exactly the right spot when the sun dropped for some magnificent pictures through the forest. The trip was a wonderful chance (especially for Tom) to sit back and enjoy the drive, without having to keep his eyes on the road. Still raining, Wendy delivered us back to the Silvermine at 9:00! Friday, Aug 12 On our last day in the area, we did not venture far from home. A quick drive got us down to an area where two lakes merge, with a general store, restaurant, and a campground with nice cabins, where we could walk around with Pippa. We talked about eating out at a restaurant, but settled on a trip back into the town grocery to buy a fancy dessert to pair with our own steak and shrimp and New potatoes. While in town, Tom dusted off the lingering gravel road dust from the truck at a coin carwash. Afternoon was perfect a temperature to sit in the campsite tending to a few duties related to leaving tomorrow, and lots of reading time. I found I could, on an intermittent basis, get a good signal from my hot spot, and was able to get caught up on my blog.
Monday, Aug 8 Destination Fort Kent, ME – 60 miles North and ETA 11:30. It is the confluence of the Fish River and the St. John River, and the northern terminus of U.S. 1. It is home to an Olympic training center that attracts biathletes from around the world. It is also known for the Can Am Crown International Sled Dog Race – a qualifier for the Iditarod. The Fort is another American border outpost from the “bloodless” Aroostook War and is right beside the St. John River – across the river is Canada. The Fort is a national historical landmark, but also the local headquarters for a Boy Scout troop who seem to be in charge of maintaining it. On the Fort site is also the Trading Post – which is the location of the Scout Troop meetings. The downtown of Fort Kent is not at all a tourist town, but a National Scenic Highway leads out of town west along the St. John, with views of Canada across the river, to the “end of the road” and a little town called Dickey. It was a 30 mile drive, rarely reaching 35mph, with sparse little towns, nicely maintained homes with manicured lawns, all of which we now associate with Northern-most Maine! Back at the camper Tom wrote the kids some postcards (he does that regularly!) and then walked into town to the post office. I put Pippa on the picnic table for a groom session. I have neglected to say that we are staying at a city park campground right off the town main drag – electric, sewer and water, but no bath houses. Supper was the last few pieces of our lobster, BBQ Ribs and Roosevelt beans (from the freezer), and blueberry pie that Tom purchased while on his walk! As overnight came rain moved in, and we settled down in the Silvermine for the evening. Tuesday, Aug 9 It rained lightly most of the night. Our site was a small crushed gravel pad and thick, green grass, so there was no problem with mud or puddles. Tom cooked a big breakfast, and we headed out for the west end of the National Scenic Highway. It was very much the same as yesterday’s drive, except that it took us to the town of Madawaska -- the northern-most town in main. A small downtown “Four Corners Park” commemorates its location as the most northeastern town in the contiguous United States! With a population of just over 3,000, 83% of the people speak French at home! Almost the whole drive we could see Canada across the St. John River and at Madawaska there was a very small Customs office to go across the bridge into Canada. Two things we noticed yesterday and today on our border-patrol drives: This area displayed American flags high up on every/other telephone pole – 30 miles yesterday and 40 miles today! Also, flowers are a part of the landscaping in almost every yard – large plots of tall wildflowers, and enormous hanging baskets of amazing color. We drove to the last town of Van Buren on the Scenic Highway, and then turned around and came back! It was only 65 degrees with light sprinkling rain on and off most of the time. Back at the Silvermine we gathered up laundry – including bedding, and headed into Dinah’s Laundrymat. What a treat that turned out to be. Dinah (owner of the laundry for 38 years, greeted us and escorted us (with her heavy French-Catholic accent) to the washers. She had us fill the washers and then “go to the bathroom to wash your hands really good.” (Later I saw one of her old-time customers come in and put laundry in a machine, and then march to the bathroom with her hands bent up at the elbows --- like a surgeon going to scrub!) She added up the total for the washing and drying and we paid her and then she supervised while we added detergent, and she started the machines! Born here, left town shortly to become a nun, returned as it appeared that was not her calling – and started her laundry business. The other closest laundry is in Caribou 60 miles away!
Back at the camper, still sprinkling we put laundry away and made a brief trip out for a few grocery items. Tomorrow we turn south, and I guess we can say that we are beginning to head home. |
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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 |