Our first turn around

Today marks the first day we had to pull over, unhook the jeep, and turn the RV around. We left Stowe this morning and in an effort to save a little time, took highway 15A instead of highway 15. It looked OK on the map. So we were minding our business on a two lane road in a residential-type area and Mike spots a temporary road sign that states vehicles over 3 tons are prohibited. Well, we're WAY over that so we pulled over, partially blocking traffic. I quickly unhooked the jeep and drove around to block the oncoming traffic. Mike backed up the RV into a convenient drive way and flipped it around. We hooked up later in a church parking lot. It was actually pretty quick and painless but it could've been a whole lot worse! A little while later, while on highway 15, we came to the intersection of 15A and saw what the trouble spot would've been, an old bridge. It looked pretty rickety.

Stowe Recreation Path

Stowe has a great rec path that winds through town and along the creek for 5.5 miles. We rented a bike and took advantage of it. Yes, A bike...a tandem bike. It was a little cheesy but neither of us had ever been on one and we wanted to try it. It was interesting and took a little getting use to but it was fun. The path was great. I wish there was one in my hometown!

Mt. Mansfield, VT

Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont. The peak elevation is 4,393 ft and we climbed to the summit. Here's our starting point.

We took the Stowe Mountain Resort Toll Road as far as we could then hiked the last 1.5 miles to the chin. The mountain has the appearance of a human face when viewed from the west with distinct forehead, nose, lips, chin (the highest point) and an Adam's apple. These features are most distinct when viewed from the east, looking westward. Mount Mansfield is one of the two spots in Vermont where true alpine tundra survives from the ice ages. Mount Mansfield's summit holds about 200 acres. The view was outstanding!

We could see all of Lake Champlain (in the distance) to the west, along with the Adirondack mountains and Whiteface Mountain (where we were a few days ago) to the East. To the east, we could see the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

Stowe, VT

Stowe, VT is a charming little village in the northern part of the state. Apparently, they have really good skiing in the winter. I think summer season suits it well, too. We stopped the first morning at a Cider Mill and sampled some cider along with some homemade cider donuts. They were delicious. Next stop, the Ben and Jerry's factory. Unfortunatly, they were not making ice cream the week we were there. Bummer. But they were still giving out free samples! Next, to the Stowe Mountain Resort. We got in a few runs on the Alpine Slide :) The scenery from the lift was beautiful!

In the afternoon, we drove through Smugglers Notch. Smugglers Notch is a narrow pass through the mountain with 1,000 foot cliffs on either side. In the early days, only a footpath and trail for horses existed.

In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson passed an embargo act forbidding American trade with Great Britain and Canada. This was a severe hardship for northern Vermonters, since Montreal was closer than other markets. Many people, therefore, continued illegal trade with Canada, herding cattle and carrying other goods through the Notch. Later, fugitive slaves used the Notch as an escape route to Canada. During prohibition in the 1920s, liquor was smuggled from Canada over the improved road that was built in 1922.

Of course, I didn't know all this when we first drove through the area. All I knew was that it had to be quite a drive because of the description I found in the Mountain road directory for trucker and RVers. It was really pretty and riddled with caves (which were used by the smugglers).

Dinner was at Pie-Casso, a great pizza place. We made a campfire this night and enjoyed some of the wine bought during our travels. It was a good day and we couldn't have asked for better weather!

Having a great time!

Lake Placid Camps

I had heard a lot about the legendary "camps" around the Adirondacks. Lake Placid is definetly a playground for the rich. We took a boat ride around the lake to gaze at some of the beautiful homes, some of which are only used a few days a year. What a waste! It was a nice little tour. The guide told us about some of the camps and gave us some history of the area. Here is a photo of my favorite boat house :)

It's only one of the three boat houses belonging to my dream home on the waterfront.

After the boat trip, we clouds rolled in and there was a pretty good little shower. We hunkered down in the local pub and then made our way back over to the wine bar from the previous night for some more "favorite" wine and cheese plate snack.

Lake Placid, NY

Yesterday, we contemplated driving up to the top of Whiteface mountain but turned around at the entrance gate because the visibility was purported to be poor. In fact the sign said, "Visibility: ZERO to 5" but the "to 5" was in smaller scribble. Today we tried again. It still didn't look good but we had packed a picnic so we went for it. Here's the description: An eight-mile climb from the crossroads in Wilmington, the Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway ascends to the summit of the fifth highest mountain in the Adirondacks. The last five miles are the most spectacular as the road winds upward through a changing forest and an alpine summit environment. At the summit parking area, take a short hike to the very top or hop on the in-mountain elevator for a truly amazing 360-degree view of the surrounding wilderness. It was hazy but the view was still pretty good. From the parking lot, there is a "castle" with a gift shop, snacks, and bathrooms. Behind the castle, the trail starts, which leads to the observation area. It was kind of windy :)

Here's looking up the trail. The trail is on the crest. You may be able to see a hand rail.

Mike at the top.

Later that evening, we went to a Hockey game. It was USA vs. Canada, women under 21 division. Those girls are tough! Then onto a wine bar in town. Mike found a Chilean red that he claims is the best wine he has ever had. Now the search is on to find it retail.

Adirondack Park

We made it to the Adirondacks! The Adirondack Region of Northern New York includes the 6 million-acre Adirondack Park, surrounding countryside and the entire western shore of Lake Champlain. The Adirondack Park was created in 1882 by the New York State Legislature, which enacted measures that guarantee public lands will remain forever wild. Unfortunatly, we can only experience a small portion of it but hopefully, it will give a good feel for the area.

Today we drove over to Lake Placid and went on a Bobsled ride. Well...it is the end of the summer, so our bobsled had wheels.

It was a 1/2 mile course and we made it down in about 41 seconds. It was a little jarring but fun. Later, I noticed an egg sized purple bruise on my hip and another two on my upper arm. I think they are from the last banked turn of the bobsled ride. This bobsled track is now only used for tourist rides but it was next to the new, world-class track that they use for bobsled, luge, and skeleton in the winter. It was very twisty and looked quite challenging. A guide told us that, although it's not advertised, on Christmas day, non-Olympic caliber athletes (tourists)can take a ride down a portion of this track in an enclosed luge reaching speeds up to 70mph! Awesome!

After a trip around the Olympic area, we went into town and had a very nice dinner. The weather was nice and it was a great day!

White Water, Niagara River

Back to Canada today to check out the attractions on the other side of the falls. We went to the White Water Walk, where you take an elevator down the side of the gorge, then walk through a tunnel which comes out next to the lower Niagara river, meaning below the falls. They have a boardwalk you can take and walk next to the raging, rapid-ridden river. It was very cool. I was mesmerized by the changing wave trains and the areas that resembled boiling water. Those daredevils who went down the river were CRAZY! Next, we went to the Whirlpool and looked at it from the top of the gorge. I thought it would look like a toilet bowl flushing but it looked more like a lot of eddies. One guide said that if you got sucked down, you could be down there for 3 seconds or 3 months. At 4pm, we went out on the Whirlpool Jet, but in the dry boat.

This company gives rides up and then back down the class 5 rapids and a quick ride up to the outskirts of the whirlpool area. So we got to see the whirlpool from above and from eye level. Here is a photo of the wet boat tour (keep in mind that it's 70 degrees, cloudy, and windy outside...BRRR).

This last photo is of the upper Niagara river, right before it goes over the falls. It looks pretty scary in and of itself.

Maid of the Mist

The Maid of the Mist was truly awesome! A definite Must-Do when at Niagara Falls. The first full day we were at Niagara Falls, we overpaid for a crappy tour that promised alot and didn't deliver. I had heard that traffic and parking were a problem so I thought a tour would be a good way to go...wrong. Anyway, I won't go into it. Also, we weren't able to go on the Cave of the Winds due to a 3+ hour wait because of a broken down elevator. It's unfortunate but anyway...The Maid of the Mist was GREAT! It was awesome to look up at the waterfall and feel the power.

Bridal Veil Falls and the Cave of the Wind tour

This is the American Falls from a trail at the side.

Niagara falls

Mike and I were settled into our campsite in the Niagara Falls area by 4pm Saturday afternoon. Originally, we had no plans for the night. After looking through the tourist information and websites, we were on our way to Canada by 8pm. The area near the falls was busy! FYI, it costs about $15 to park so if you go, pick a centrally located spot. The falls were AWESOME! Here is a night shot:

And that’s with only 50% of the river going over the falls. The other 50% is diverted and used for hydroelectric power by the USA and Canada. At night, the river flow drops to 25% as more water is utilized by the power plants. They have these signs up on the rails by the falls (just in case you're stupid, I guess)

We stopped for a snack and a few drinks at a restaurant over looking the falls then we moved onto to the Niagara Fallsview Casino. This was a Vegas-style casino, and the best part…no smoking allowed! Unlike Vegas, though, even if you were gambling, you had to pay for alcohol. I lost a little money but we had a good time anyway. By the time we left, it was close to 2am. It seemed like it would be easy to get back to the US but all the entrances we found to the Rainbow bridge were barricaded. We could see a few cars crossing the bridge. We followed the signs that said “bridge to USA” which took us in a giant circle and back to the closed bridge entrance. Forty five minutes later…that was enough. We drove to the other bridge and were the only car when we got there. The US border patrol questioned us more than I thought was necessary (it was definitely easier to get into Canada) and we made our way back to the RV, safe and sound.

New York Finger Lakes

We camped in Watkins Glen, NY as our home base to experience a little of the finger lakes region of New York state. The finger lakes are a number of long, skinny, deep lakes carved when the glaciers retreated many centuries ago. Watkins Glen is at the southern tip of Seneca Lake, which is 630 deep and 37(?) miles long. The finger lakes region boasts over 70 unique, boutique wineries. There are services offered where you can book a car (luxury sedan, van, or limo) and driver/guide to take you around to the wineries. I think that’s a great idea! It keeps the tipsy taste testers off the curvy back roads.

During our first drive through town, we noticed Watkins Glen state park. Watkins Glen State Park is the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks, with a reputation for leaving visitors spellbound. Within two miles, the glen's stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course. The gorge path winds over and under waterfalls and through the spray of Cavern Cascade. Rim trails overlook the gorge.


It was gorge-ous! I am so glad we stumbled onto this state park! While we were in the area, we enjoyed a few of the wineries, drove to the town of Hammondsport, on Keuka Lake, and went to the Corning Museum of Glass.

Hershey

The trip to Hershey took about 1.5 hours along the backroads of Amish country. It was a nice drive, although slow due to tourist traffic in some of the little towns. First stop was Hershey World. I was under the impression that there was a factory tour because the website said something like “see how Hershey chocolate is made” but when we arrived, we found out that it was a Disney-like ride with singing cows and plastic chocolate made to look like it was on a conveyor belt. As it turns out, they stopped the actual factory tours in the 1970’s. Bummer. Everything else in Hershey World was child-oriented so we left and walked down to Hershey Park, the theme park. When we were driving in, the traffic and parking were terribly busy, as were the lines to get into the park. One lady told me they were the worst she has ever seen. So we passed on the park and walked over to the Hershey museum. On the way, a kind lady gave us some free tickets. Great! The museum was so-so. Next we drove to the Hershey hotel for a snack, a drink, and maybe some dessert. It’s Hershey so they are bound to have awesome desserts, right? Nope. There was only one semi-chocolate dessert on the menu we were presented. Oh well. We made our own Hershey dessert later that night…S’mores over the campfire. Yum!

Here's the factory. Notice the bushes spell out Hershey Cocoa.

Pennsylvania Dutch Country

Today we explored some of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Our route included mostly backroads from where we are staying into the Lancaster, PA area, with the destination being the Mennonite Information Center. We watched an informational film entitled "Who are the Amish" since neither Mike or I knew much about their way of life (and we did't have the internet to look it up). Along the way, we passed many Amish farms. I noticed that they usually had the windows open (no electricity, thus no air conditioning) and the clothes lines were full and hung high with the days wash. Also, if I saw a car, I ruled it out. We saw a lot of beautiful gardens and well kept homes and yards. Many homes had signs near the road advertising homemade Root Beer, hand decorated gourd bird houses, fresh picked flowers, veggies and fruits, and even chicken, rabbit, and other meats. We finished off the day with a meal at a local restaurant advertising Amish and Mennonite cooking. It was buffet style and pretty good, though basically just good home cooking.

This evening, the campground had a band playing 50's, 60's, and 70's music. We walked over to check it out and everyone seemed to be having a great time. On the way, we were walking with flashlights because it was dark outside, Mike convinced me to take a shortcut through the woods. He went first down the "trail". About a minute into it, he said, "There's a skunk". I looked up and there was a skunk about 10 feet ahead of us crossing the trail. That was enough for me. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Mike thought I was overreacting but why take the chance of getting sprayed by a skunk! We saw the same skunk on the way home too. It had wandered out to the road but soon wandered off, clearing the way to the motorhome.

No Satellite

We had our first buggy sighting. Mike and I drove into Pennsylvania Dutch Country today. In the area where we are staying, there are towns called Bird In Hand, Paradise, Intercourse, and Blue Ball. This is Amish and Mennonite country. As we were driving the RV to the park, we had to pass a buggy on a two lane road. Mike made sure to give them a wide berth. A little boy in a straw hat who was looking out the back of the buggy waved to us as we passed. This is a different buggy, but you get the picture.

We have a very nice, wide, woodsy space at this RV park. Unfortunately, the woodsy-ness is blocking our Direct TV satellite and there is no place, except in the middle of the street, where our satellite internet will work. No worries, this park has wifi...except that we are just barely out of the range. Good thing it's Friday because it's going to be difficult for Mike to get any work done.

In need of a few groceries, we drove to the local store, the Shady Maple Farmer's market. It is right next to the Shady Maple Smorgasbord. Let me just say, this was one of the most awesome grocery stores I have shopped. Lots of choice and homemade goodies. It's the little things in life that make me happy. :) We grilled hamburgers and sat out by the campfire. It was nice.

Shenandoah National Park

We made it back from Texas on Monday afternoon. I left for my interview at 7:15 in the morning and we made it back to the RV around half past midnight. It was a long day.

Wednesday, we drove along Skyline Drive, which is similar to the Blue Ridge Parkway, but it runs through Shenandoah National Park. It was a nice drive. We didn’t get out much because the heat index was around 108! Also, the visibility was poor due to too much pollution, I think. Just FYI, there is a good portion of the Appalachian trail that runs through this park. It is definitely hotter here than it was in Texas when we left. Crazy!

Lake Buchanan, TX

We are in Texas this weekend. I have a few job interviews to attend to...part of our possible "exit strategy" as they say in the world of fulltiming. But enough of that and on to the fun stuff. Mike and I met up with Tracy, Phillip, and Lincoln and headed over to Lake Buchanan (which is actually full now thanks to all the recent rain in Texas). We stopped to visit with Phillip's parents at their lake house and cooked some burgers. Then my Mike and Tracy's dad, Mike, and Jon came over and we went out on the lake. Mike and I rented a pontoon boat for the six of us and Phillip's parents brought their boat out too. We had a great time cruising (5 mph in the wimpy pontoon) and swimming. It was Lincoln's first time at the lake. I think it's safe to say that everyone had a good time. Photos to follow.

The Greenbrier

The Greenbrier is a big resort in West Virginia that hid a secret underground fallout shelter below it for 30 years. The bunker was built during the Eisenhower administration and was to be used as a place for congress to go should a plane with a nuclear bomb be on it's way to Washington, D.C. The bombs were still delivered by plane and not missile in those days. It was declassified in 1992 when the Washington Post exposed it's existence. It was conveniently located along our driving route and you can take tours of the bunker, so we stopped. The resort itself was interesting. The bunker...not so much. Most of it is used for data storage and thus, inaccessible. Otherwise, I think I got more information about it out of a TV show I saw on the place. My advice, save your money and check out the website: Greenbrier Bunker
On to Luray, VA. We will be stopping outside of Shenandoah National Park. Tomorrow morning, we're driving 1.5 hours to Washington Dulles Airport to catch a flight back to Texas. I have some job interviews. We'll see how it goes...the RV trip may be ending later this fall.