Sunday, August 31, 2008 Son Michael is 40 today!
My current debate is whether to set up a new blog for my trip to Europe. Perhaps it’s just as easy to continue on this site. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Tomorrow I will take Big Mama to a storage site for the first time. My condo association notified me in June that I would no longer be able to park here. When I first bought the van I thought I’d have to keep it somewhere else. It caused many sleepless nights trying to figure out how I’d take and pick it up without being a burden on neighbors. I was told at that time it was ok; it was just a van. Now its RV qualities are pointed out and our bylaws call for no RV’s. Unfortunately in the meantime I’ve become accustomed to having it handy.
I’ve selected a site that I think I can do by bicycle. I’m going to give it a try tomorrow. I had it in for the sanitation hose replacement last week but the dealer’s lift broke, with another RV in the up position. Later this week, I will probably have to take it there. The new hose is much more pliable and hopefully easier to stuff in the small compartment.
I’ve been trying to clean and polish the outside and borrowed a neighbor’s extension ladder to work on the top. Good thing as I found a rusty screw holding in the AC unit. The RV dealer did change out that as well as reinstall the driver’s door gasket that had peeled away. The top is looking better than I thought but I still have more to do. I’m fighting Gustav’s wind today, but hopefully as it moves further north I can climb the ladder.
I am rather peculiar I guess. I enjoy cleaning the van as I always did the boats. Somehow it is not transferable with cleaning house. My house looks like a shambles with staging for the Europe trip and items from the summer trip still waiting for decisions or resting places. I’m adding to the clutter by bringing items in from Big Mama that make sense to store here since it won’t be as handy to go get them if needed. My concern though it that when I go camping again, I will forget something. One of my to-do list items today is to make a check list for loading Big Mama. Some items I haven’t used in the year of ownership. Others have use in the condo.
I am working on my Europe preparations reading material on the area, developing my itinerary, and trying to increase my bike miles. I’ve also been watching the Euro. Fortunately the dollar has been coming down.
Of course everyone is aware of Gustav and we’ve been experiencing rain and wind as a result of that storm. We are all on edge about Hanna and the disturbances that are following behind her. This could be a very interesting next 10 days.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
FAY
Just a brief post to say today the sun is shining here today and it really helps ones attitude. In the scheme of things we came through very well. It was a long four days of rain and wind but I was already fairly prepared with window covers, food supplies, and porch furniture stored indoors. While Stuart did experience a small tornado and some flooding, much of the flooding was to the north of us.
I need to find a place to store Big Mama and I'm wondering how many of those storage facilities were flooded. She rode out the storm in the driveway. I took her for errands yesterday since she rides a bit higher than my VW Passat wagon. It was my first time out of our condo complex in almost a week. I tried to do as many errands as I could think of but find I need to go out again today.
We resumed our water exercise in the pool today with only 3 of us plus the instructor. It was wonderful to get the exercise although the water was a bit chilled by all the rain.
I made some corrections to the previous post. I had forgotten to list the cost of the ferries. I also had a couple of other errors which were pointed out to me. It's a work in process.
During the storm we did not lose power so I was able to get some computer work done including sorting my photos--about 500 taken on the trip. I should be posting them shortly with a link on the blog.
I need to find a place to store Big Mama and I'm wondering how many of those storage facilities were flooded. She rode out the storm in the driveway. I took her for errands yesterday since she rides a bit higher than my VW Passat wagon. It was my first time out of our condo complex in almost a week. I tried to do as many errands as I could think of but find I need to go out again today.
We resumed our water exercise in the pool today with only 3 of us plus the instructor. It was wonderful to get the exercise although the water was a bit chilled by all the rain.
I made some corrections to the previous post. I had forgotten to list the cost of the ferries. I also had a couple of other errors which were pointed out to me. It's a work in process.
During the storm we did not lose power so I was able to get some computer work done including sorting my photos--about 500 taken on the trip. I should be posting them shortly with a link on the blog.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Trip Accounting
Sunday, August 17 As many of you are aware our focus here in Florida has a name—FAY. Not sure what impact it will have on my area but the good news is that most of my window covers are still on. I plan to stay here for the storm. Big Mama with her generator will be my back up power. Today is clear, sunny and breezy and I had a forty-five minute bike ride around the small peninsula, Rocky Point, discovering new connected streets. You see so much more on a bike.
I’ve been collecting my statistics for the trip and a bit chagrined at my bookkeeping. The gasoline was all charged and I added into the cost the “foreign transaction” fees of the credit card company. Here’s what I have so far and I think it is pretty complete:
Miles traveled: 7667 Gasoline charges: $2367.88US (I calculate slightly more than .30/mile)
Total nights away from home: 55 Camping: 33 Ferry boat: 1 Staying with friends! 21
Camping costs: $721.32 Park fees (sometimes needed to camp) $32.60
Tolls (includes $41.50 Can for PEI bridge) $61.10
Ferries: $484.84
Tours $100.91 Admissions $31.70
Food $384.59 Souvenirs: $343.39
Service for Van (oil changes, regular maintenance) $124.24
Total of above: $4,167.73 or approximately $76/day (Note: Gasoline is in US Dollars; other costs are US and Canadian dollars. Credit card transaction fees added more than make up for any advantage of the US dollar.)
Of course the hospitality and generosity of the many friends contributed greatly to decreasing the cost of the trip, but even more so to the quality of life for this traveler.
I’ll post news of FAY on this blog after the storm passes assuming we have electricity.
I’ve been collecting my statistics for the trip and a bit chagrined at my bookkeeping. The gasoline was all charged and I added into the cost the “foreign transaction” fees of the credit card company. Here’s what I have so far and I think it is pretty complete:
Miles traveled: 7667 Gasoline charges: $2367.88US (I calculate slightly more than .30/mile)
Total nights away from home: 55 Camping: 33 Ferry boat: 1 Staying with friends! 21
Camping costs: $721.32 Park fees (sometimes needed to camp) $32.60
Tolls (includes $41.50 Can for PEI bridge) $61.10
Ferries: $484.84
Tours $100.91 Admissions $31.70
Food $384.59 Souvenirs: $343.39
Service for Van (oil changes, regular maintenance) $124.24
Total of above: $4,167.73 or approximately $76/day (Note: Gasoline is in US Dollars; other costs are US and Canadian dollars. Credit card transaction fees added more than make up for any advantage of the US dollar.)
Of course the hospitality and generosity of the many friends contributed greatly to decreasing the cost of the trip, but even more so to the quality of life for this traveler.
I’ll post news of FAY on this blog after the storm passes assuming we have electricity.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Florida Arrival
August 13 Wednesday Stuart Florida I arrived back at home around 9 p.m. last night after an 11 hour drive from the Atlanta area fueled by Pam’s chocolate chip cookies. My original plan was to stop at Paine’s Prairie near Gainesville. However the intermittant rain, the forcast for the next day, light traffic and the urge to complete the trip all ruled in favor of the push. I have never seen so few trucks on I 75. I came straight through Atlanta around 11 a.m. and never even slowed. Most of the trip I went 65mph.
Before heading to Pam’s in Dawsonville, Frank and I picked blueberries and vegetables. Tonight I cooked some of the vegetables. What a treat. It seems I haven’t forgotten how to cook, I’m relieved to say.
Pam and I had a great catching up visit in her beautiful home on Lake Lanier. Unfortunately the Lake is still alarmingly low. She keeps extending her dock and may some day get quite chummy wich the folks on the other shore.
As I was departing she urged me to get my tires checked at a nearby tire place she uses. I too had noted the back drivers side tire looked low. It was a real blow to my confidence in the Chevy dealer in Brattleboro when it was discovered that in rotating the tires, they never changed the air pressure. The front tires are supposed to be 50 lb psi and the back 80 psi. Instead it was the reverse so I had been riding with a lower rear carriage as well. Fortunately most of my previous days were short and lower speeds as well as pretty smooth roads. Not sure if that tire pressure could have resulted in more difficulty handling the mountain curves or in my gas mileage. What really upsets me is that I made a point about confirming that the tires were correctly inflated and the service manager went back and checked with the repair person. I plan to telephone or write them.
Anyway the good news is that I am home safe and sound and very grateful. In my next blog entry I’ll go into some of the statistics of the trip. I drove almost 8 thousand miles. Tonight it’s catching up with me.
Before heading to Pam’s in Dawsonville, Frank and I picked blueberries and vegetables. Tonight I cooked some of the vegetables. What a treat. It seems I haven’t forgotten how to cook, I’m relieved to say.
Pam and I had a great catching up visit in her beautiful home on Lake Lanier. Unfortunately the Lake is still alarmingly low. She keeps extending her dock and may some day get quite chummy wich the folks on the other shore.
As I was departing she urged me to get my tires checked at a nearby tire place she uses. I too had noted the back drivers side tire looked low. It was a real blow to my confidence in the Chevy dealer in Brattleboro when it was discovered that in rotating the tires, they never changed the air pressure. The front tires are supposed to be 50 lb psi and the back 80 psi. Instead it was the reverse so I had been riding with a lower rear carriage as well. Fortunately most of my previous days were short and lower speeds as well as pretty smooth roads. Not sure if that tire pressure could have resulted in more difficulty handling the mountain curves or in my gas mileage. What really upsets me is that I made a point about confirming that the tires were correctly inflated and the service manager went back and checked with the repair person. I plan to telephone or write them.
Anyway the good news is that I am home safe and sound and very grateful. In my next blog entry I’ll go into some of the statistics of the trip. I drove almost 8 thousand miles. Tonight it’s catching up with me.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
VA NC and GA
Photos: Cathy and Bob; Deer near the parkway (click on photo to enlarge) and Mabry Mill.
August 6 Walnut Hills Campground near Staunton VA (pronounced Stanton) Back at the campground where I stayed the second night of the trip. It is much hotter and drier. The ducks have to search for enough water to swim. Not crazy about my site but too lazy to do anything about it.
I had a good visit with Cathy and Bob catching up on kids, friends, lives, etc. She led me to the route out of town (123) which connected me to I 66 and Front Royal where I picked up the Skyline Drive about 11:30. It was quite beautiful with great vistas at overlooks. Saw deer and was able to capture one with the camera. I also saw a wild turkey. The speed limit is 35 mph so I decided not to push onto the Blue Ridge Parkway today. Tomorrow I will do at least part of it enroute to Asheville. It’s great not to deal with the trucks on I 81 but it does require time and patience. Fortunately the weather was clear and for the most part in the 70’s. A fair amount of wind and prediction of thunderstorms tonight with lots of haze (pollution?) limiting the views.
My visit with Cathy and Bob and Jane and Jim really whetted my appetite for my trip to the Netherlands and Belgium in the fall. I gathered lots of ideas and suggestions and know that will keep me busy when I return to Florida. Cathy and Bob did a private canal charter in the opposite direction from which we’ll head.
Our bike ride Tuesday morning was along Henson’s Creek and did turn out to be flat and not too difficult and about 10 miles. It is the usual Friday night ride for the club. Jimmy did a great job of securing the bike to the rack. I plan to take a photo and hope I can learn from it. The result is a lot less movement.
Tonight I ate outside and afterwards read the Washington Post Cathy had sent along. A young girl in Omish dress and cap suddenly appeared before me with a bright pink plastic bowl. “Would you like some homemade strawberry ice cream?” I replied that I would love it and would return the bowl and spoon. Later after I washed them I was trying to figure out how to get to their campsite which was across the narrow creek from me. As I went one way and then another a young boy appeared to take the bowl. “How did you get here?” I asked. “I just jumped across, “ he replied. I asked where they were from and he said between the North Carolina border and Virginia Beach. That was confusing. I had observed them earlier, the women and girls in the traditional dress and the men and boys in regular clothing but dressier than normal camping clothes. The children were riding bicycles. It was a good size group in a 5th wheel with at least one tent and I could hear them talking and laughing into the evening. It was good ice cream and a speck of rock salt confirmed a hand cranked method.
I had a good visit with Cathy and Bob catching up on kids, friends, lives, etc. She led me to the route out of town (123) which connected me to I 66 and Front Royal where I picked up the Skyline Drive about 11:30. It was quite beautiful with great vistas at overlooks. Saw deer and was able to capture one with the camera. I also saw a wild turkey. The speed limit is 35 mph so I decided not to push onto the Blue Ridge Parkway today. Tomorrow I will do at least part of it enroute to Asheville. It’s great not to deal with the trucks on I 81 but it does require time and patience. Fortunately the weather was clear and for the most part in the 70’s. A fair amount of wind and prediction of thunderstorms tonight with lots of haze (pollution?) limiting the views.
My visit with Cathy and Bob and Jane and Jim really whetted my appetite for my trip to the Netherlands and Belgium in the fall. I gathered lots of ideas and suggestions and know that will keep me busy when I return to Florida. Cathy and Bob did a private canal charter in the opposite direction from which we’ll head.
Our bike ride Tuesday morning was along Henson’s Creek and did turn out to be flat and not too difficult and about 10 miles. It is the usual Friday night ride for the club. Jimmy did a great job of securing the bike to the rack. I plan to take a photo and hope I can learn from it. The result is a lot less movement.
Tonight I ate outside and afterwards read the Washington Post Cathy had sent along. A young girl in Omish dress and cap suddenly appeared before me with a bright pink plastic bowl. “Would you like some homemade strawberry ice cream?” I replied that I would love it and would return the bowl and spoon. Later after I washed them I was trying to figure out how to get to their campsite which was across the narrow creek from me. As I went one way and then another a young boy appeared to take the bowl. “How did you get here?” I asked. “I just jumped across, “ he replied. I asked where they were from and he said between the North Carolina border and Virginia Beach. That was confusing. I had observed them earlier, the women and girls in the traditional dress and the men and boys in regular clothing but dressier than normal camping clothes. The children were riding bicycles. It was a good size group in a 5th wheel with at least one tent and I could hear them talking and laughing into the evening. It was good ice cream and a speck of rock salt confirmed a hand cranked method.
August 7 Doughton Park Campground, Blue Ridge Parkway, NC Decided to stop here at 4:30 for the night as the rain I’d had most of the day was getting more serious with thunder and in truth I’d been tired since about 2 p.m. It’s a small campground and no electric hookups. I’m running the generator now to charge up the battery which had been servicing the refrigerator all day. I tried to get the propane to work for the refrig but no go. I’ve got another idea after I try the generator for a while. Anyway it will be early to bed. It’s very cool, in the 60’s so no need for the AC.
I awoke this morning to rain and it’s been pretty cloudy and off and on rainy all day. I took advantage of the nice showers at Walnut Hills Campground and was on the road shortly after 9. I had much debate with myself about switching to the interstate and reaching Asheville this afternoon. A short time on I 81 with all the trucks helped me decide the 45 mph speed limit on the Parkway was ok. Why am I in a hurry? There was very little traffic so that wasn’t a problem. I saw a total of 6 deer and a wild turkey. At Mabry Mills I watched some local crafts people doing spinning, basket weaving and carving. They claim the old mill there is one of the most photographed and even depicted on a postcard touting Connecticut! Two college students were working on a visitor’s survey. They provide a GPS like instrument that you carry with you until your return home. It records your stops and is charged in the lighter plug (12v) and even provided me with with a multiplug so I could charge my GPS and telephone at the same time. A box self addressed to Clemson University is provided for the return. I thought what the heck. I’m not the normal traveler so they might as well add me to the pool of information.
I awoke this morning to rain and it’s been pretty cloudy and off and on rainy all day. I took advantage of the nice showers at Walnut Hills Campground and was on the road shortly after 9. I had much debate with myself about switching to the interstate and reaching Asheville this afternoon. A short time on I 81 with all the trucks helped me decide the 45 mph speed limit on the Parkway was ok. Why am I in a hurry? There was very little traffic so that wasn’t a problem. I saw a total of 6 deer and a wild turkey. At Mabry Mills I watched some local crafts people doing spinning, basket weaving and carving. They claim the old mill there is one of the most photographed and even depicted on a postcard touting Connecticut! Two college students were working on a visitor’s survey. They provide a GPS like instrument that you carry with you until your return home. It records your stops and is charged in the lighter plug (12v) and even provided me with with a multiplug so I could charge my GPS and telephone at the same time. A box self addressed to Clemson University is provided for the return. I thought what the heck. I’m not the normal traveler so they might as well add me to the pool of information.
Friday 08-08-08 Mt. Pisgah Campground, Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, NC. Today dawned cool and sunny. I was on the Parkway by 8:30 and the sun through the trees was beautiful. It wasn’t long though till I had to take a detour. Thank goodness I’d didn’t keep going last night. I saw deer again. I wonder how often they are killed. The baby stood in the road a minute. I crossed over the incredible Linville Viaduct and visited the visitor center which explained the unusual construction which completed the parkway in 1987. Another detour landed me in the town of Marion. I took advantage of cell phone connection for some calls and also consulted the Visitors Center for the best route to Asheville which was I 40. There I encountered an accident which had happened not long before. It wasn’t too bad but clogged up traffic. I later heard that there were several accidents in the area. Traffic in Asheville was heavy and I made my stop at Harris Teeter Grocery. I had difficulty getting them to understand multigrain tortillas (just finishing some terrific ones from Nova Scotia-I use them for my lunch) and ended up with a fresh baked, still warm loaf of multi grain bread. The man helping me was so kind (he used to live in Port Richey FL) I had to buy it. It is delicious I have to say.
My uncle in Asheville said he’d rather I come at another time. I explained this was it for a while. When I called later from the store to see if he needed anything as I had said I’d do, he didn’t answer. I got the message and took to the Parkway heading west. This is a very nice campground though no electricity or showers. I ran the generator for an hour and tried to charge the camera battery which gave out today. I’ll probably stay two nights. I try to avoid getting to campgrounds on Saturday as that seems to be the busiest day. Tonight I went to a ranger talk on lichens. Short and interesting and when he asked where people came from one couple who lives nearby said earlier in the summer they were in Newfoundland! The Ranger said he’d done a motorcycle trip there once. He also told about a problem bear that tore into someone’s pickup truck. They captured the bear on Wednesday night. He described what to do if you encounter a bear. 1. Put up your arms so you look bigger. 2. Yell at the bear. 3. If the bear keeps coming go for its nose or eyes! Don’t run or it will think you are prey and don’t throw your backpack or it will think that’s a way to get food!Tomorrow at 10 there’s an hour “easy” hike I plan to take and two ranger programs tomorrow night; one on hummingbirds and one on night noises. I’ll probably be listening for the bear tonight!
Meantime the water pump is acting up again and I’ll trouble shoot that in the morning. Also the black water tank (toilet) is showing full. Not sure what the problem with it is. The last time I pumped and pumped but it never went to empty. I was hoping to wait but I think I’d better pump tomorrow. So in short the day will be busy. There’s a store and a lodge nearby that are part of the park complex so I may check them out too.
The parkway is really an amazing facility. I’ve driven parts of it before but never such a long stretch, at a leisurely pace. It really makes it more enjoyable to take time to stop and look and visit places. Again though I’ve skipped some places.
Saturday August 9 I’ve been rained out of the hummingbird talk. I was almost there and it really started coming down and I decided to go back. It’s a bit of a hilly hike. Of course now it’s stopped. I started a new book today and will be happy to spend a couple of more hours on it.
I did the hike this morning with the ranger and two other campers. Others were also on the trail so when the ranger said it was time to turn back I continued a while on my own. One couple on the trail are German originally from Berlin who now live in Spartanburg after spending time in Ft. Lauderdale. It was probably about a 3 mile hike for me. I don’t think I mentioned that the campground is at 5000 ft. altitude. I’m doing better than I usually do thanks I imagine to my other activities on the trip. I do get short of breathe but so did the younger ranger.
I added water to the tank and that solved the pump problem. It’s obvious that my gages are malfunctioning. The black water tank went back to ¾ so I decided to wait until my departure tomorrow to pump out.
I walked to the Inn and checked the menu. The place was full at 3:30 p.m. with many waiting. A number were motorcyclists. I heard a female motorcyclist say “I want to be off this mountain before the sun goes down,” referring I think to the fact the temperature really drops at night. I added a blanket during the night. The temperature and breeze were great for the hike though. I decided not to add to the crowd at the Inn. I checked out the gift shop and the country store but only purchase was a can of orange soda to drink on the return walk.
It is very dry here. The ranger said this is the third year of a drought. A lot of the plant life and trees look pretty stressed. Acid rain resulting from the coal generating power plants in Ohio is part of the problem. She added that there are lots of signs that the winter will be hard. Wooly caterpillars, lots of bears and other signs that the pioneers would use to predict the weather.
By the way another bear appeared early this morning. A young child was yelling “Daddy, Daddy”. It must have been near the tent area. We saw bear scat along the trail today. The ranger recently transferred from Smokey Mountain N. P. where she says the average bear population is 1 per acre has doubled this year.
This is a great campground and if I ever return I’ll try for #17 or 11 in Loop A. Those are sites that can be reserved. I’m in one that can’t be reserved and I’m pleased that they leave some open for transients. However there is a bit of a slope to the site but not enough to negatively effect the refrigerator or make me feel as though I’m sleeping with my head lower than my body.
Sunday, August 10 Helen Georgia On Friday in Asheville I debated heading for Florida. It would have been simple heading on down I26 to I 95 and home in 12 hours. I’ve made that trip a number of times. Traffic in Asheville irritated me and I decided to jump on the parkway and as you’ve read above I had a great camping experience.
Today after pumping out the tanks, I told Greta, the GPS I wanted to go to Dillard GA. For several years I’ve been invited to attend a family reunion there in the spring but it hasn’t worked out. I wanted to at least visit the place founded by a distance relative. Greta took me on a very curvy up and down the mountains ride through Cashiers and Highlands area where Florida residents seem to be migrating. I can’t imagine why although it’s beautiful, to go anywhere is to go on mountain roads.
Dillard House is a well known place both for food and accomodations. I was too late for breakfast and early for lunch. People were already lined up for lunch and it looked like family groups. Somehow a table for one didn’t seem appropriate and I didn’t have an appetite either.
Back on the road I headed south on 441. I could take this all the way to Florida or go through Atlanta on a Sunday, but….I took a turn and headed for Helen where neighbors from Stuart Lucy and Frank are living. So arriving at the Helen Post Office I gave thema a call. What friends! They told me how to find their house and to plan to spend the night. So here I am using their internet service. Not sure I can upload photos but at least it will be a bit of an update.
Tomorrow I head for Dawsonville GA about an hour away to visit friend Pam and then I PROMISE I’ll head for Florida. After all I’ll have little more than 6 weeks until I head to Europe.
The weather is very comfortable 60’s at night 80’s in daytime. Helen is built to look like a German/Swiss village. Their house is on the outskirts in the area of a beautiful state park, Unicoi.
It was good to pick up email again and soon I’ll be able to answer.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Fort Washington MD
Photos: Judy and Sandy; Elizabeth and Don; Jane, Jim Judy and Sandy
Tuesday August 5 My trip from Don and Elizabeth’s Wrightsville PA home went as smoothly and quickly as the previous trip went awry and forever. Greta, the GPS was in sync with cousin Jim’s directions and the trip took less than 1 ½ hours. Fort Washington is right outside DC on the Potomac River and you can see the capitol’s buildings from different vantage points.
After a wonderful Sunday dinner including fresh tomatoes, we prepared for the late afternoon bike ride. Judy arrived and it was wonderful to finally meet her. She has a great sense of humor and adventure. I look forward to our time together in Europe in October. We joined the rest of the bike group at a fire station where they park their vehicles. Georgia, my bike, rode in Jim’s van. He had cleaned my chain and inspected the bike before we left the house. Jane loaned me one of her bike shirts and shorts so I really felt like I looked the part of distance rider. The ride is 16 miles with a break after 11. The return ride included Barry’s Hill which was said to be a real test of your ability. Judy made it up Barry but I elected to walk deciding my already tired old legs would not make it. That was acceptable. I was told even those younger often walked it the first time. We came in last, but that was ok. I learned a lot about my gears and finally found the answer to the problem of my Camelback which is a backpack containing water you drink by sucking on a tube. I was using the mouthpiece vertically when it should have been horiztonal. Simple but elusive for this old lady.
Our treat at the end was wonderful sandwiches at a nearby stand. I enjoyed the Carolina barbeque. We then went back to Jim and Janes for Jane’s homemade peach cobler. Boy, I’m living high in the food department. Judy headed home with our next rendezvous in Amsterdam an eagerly awaited event.
Monday after a relaxing breakfast on the deck I requested our touring be local. We visited the Fort Washington, part of the National Park Service. It is a beautiful park on the Potomac originally constructed in 1809. Beside historic structures there are recreational areas for picnics and they’ve held concerts on the lawns. We met Bill, who manages a number of National Park properties in the area and knows Jim and Jane, was there and talked with us about a number of projects. He works with them on expanding trails and bike facilities. On his offfice wall was a map of the area and I was particularly interested in locating the areas where we had been on the evening before. Our “break” was another of the parks near Marshall Hall, and across the river you could see Mount Vernon. The Potomac is all in Maryland I discovered.
After walking the fort grounds, we drove near the marina and walked a hiking trail that Jim and Jane had helped prepare. They had not been there in 6 months and were surprised at the number of trees across the trail as well as some significant erosion. We climbed over and under the fallen trees and found footholds through muddy areas. I’m getting good at this!
Back at the house after lunch we went over ideas for my trip to Amsterdam mapping things on google maps. Their daughter Julie lives there with her husband Marc and they are expecting their first child in October. We had a delightful /videotelephone conversation with them via Skype system which I have now downloaded on my computer from Google. If anyone reading this has Skype I’d love to connect sometime to try it out. I’m hoping Michael and Emily will have it someday. It’s a great way to keep in touch both audibly and visually.
Late in the afternoon we went over to National Harbor, a huge development project along the Potomac featuring a convention center, hotels, shopping and residential. It’s supposed to be pedestrian oriented with narrow streets, buildings close together modeled in part on Barcelona. To me it seemed a bit claustrophobic. We inspected the bike racks and noted a lack of bike paths! However it is a 5 mph limit on streets. At the convention center 1400 were registering for a Sun Microsystem convention. There was a long line checking in at the Gaylord Hotel. There is also a Westin and Marriott adjacent. Tables were being set up for the evening festivities and we observed a pyrotectnic truck portending a fireworks display of which observed a bit from the front yard of the house about 9 p.m.
Today we’ll do what is promised to be a short flat bike ride in the area. I’ll head off this afternoon to Vienna VA which should be an hour away “depending on traffic” as they say in this area.
After a wonderful Sunday dinner including fresh tomatoes, we prepared for the late afternoon bike ride. Judy arrived and it was wonderful to finally meet her. She has a great sense of humor and adventure. I look forward to our time together in Europe in October. We joined the rest of the bike group at a fire station where they park their vehicles. Georgia, my bike, rode in Jim’s van. He had cleaned my chain and inspected the bike before we left the house. Jane loaned me one of her bike shirts and shorts so I really felt like I looked the part of distance rider. The ride is 16 miles with a break after 11. The return ride included Barry’s Hill which was said to be a real test of your ability. Judy made it up Barry but I elected to walk deciding my already tired old legs would not make it. That was acceptable. I was told even those younger often walked it the first time. We came in last, but that was ok. I learned a lot about my gears and finally found the answer to the problem of my Camelback which is a backpack containing water you drink by sucking on a tube. I was using the mouthpiece vertically when it should have been horiztonal. Simple but elusive for this old lady.
Our treat at the end was wonderful sandwiches at a nearby stand. I enjoyed the Carolina barbeque. We then went back to Jim and Janes for Jane’s homemade peach cobler. Boy, I’m living high in the food department. Judy headed home with our next rendezvous in Amsterdam an eagerly awaited event.
Monday after a relaxing breakfast on the deck I requested our touring be local. We visited the Fort Washington, part of the National Park Service. It is a beautiful park on the Potomac originally constructed in 1809. Beside historic structures there are recreational areas for picnics and they’ve held concerts on the lawns. We met Bill, who manages a number of National Park properties in the area and knows Jim and Jane, was there and talked with us about a number of projects. He works with them on expanding trails and bike facilities. On his offfice wall was a map of the area and I was particularly interested in locating the areas where we had been on the evening before. Our “break” was another of the parks near Marshall Hall, and across the river you could see Mount Vernon. The Potomac is all in Maryland I discovered.
After walking the fort grounds, we drove near the marina and walked a hiking trail that Jim and Jane had helped prepare. They had not been there in 6 months and were surprised at the number of trees across the trail as well as some significant erosion. We climbed over and under the fallen trees and found footholds through muddy areas. I’m getting good at this!
Back at the house after lunch we went over ideas for my trip to Amsterdam mapping things on google maps. Their daughter Julie lives there with her husband Marc and they are expecting their first child in October. We had a delightful /videotelephone conversation with them via Skype system which I have now downloaded on my computer from Google. If anyone reading this has Skype I’d love to connect sometime to try it out. I’m hoping Michael and Emily will have it someday. It’s a great way to keep in touch both audibly and visually.
Late in the afternoon we went over to National Harbor, a huge development project along the Potomac featuring a convention center, hotels, shopping and residential. It’s supposed to be pedestrian oriented with narrow streets, buildings close together modeled in part on Barcelona. To me it seemed a bit claustrophobic. We inspected the bike racks and noted a lack of bike paths! However it is a 5 mph limit on streets. At the convention center 1400 were registering for a Sun Microsystem convention. There was a long line checking in at the Gaylord Hotel. There is also a Westin and Marriott adjacent. Tables were being set up for the evening festivities and we observed a pyrotectnic truck portending a fireworks display of which observed a bit from the front yard of the house about 9 p.m.
Today we’ll do what is promised to be a short flat bike ride in the area. I’ll head off this afternoon to Vienna VA which should be an hour away “depending on traffic” as they say in this area.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Maine Vermont Pennsylvania
Photos: Monhegan Island
July 31 Brattleboro VT A beautiful evening at the KOA campground. Earlier threats of strong storms didn’t play out. I wonder how Ginny did. She is in the northern part of New Hampshire tonight. I made good time getting here and as result had to wait for my service appointment at the Chevy dealer. They said all looked well, changed the oil and rotated the tires. Efficient and economical as before.
I was sorry to leave Maine. What a beautiful state! Wednesday, we had a magnificent day on Monhegan Island. The water had barely a ripple as we rode the ferry to the Island. We found a great place to eat, Novelty. The surprise was that there is only one public toilet on the island. There was quite a line after lunch. They request a donation of .50 to be put in a piece of pvc pipe.
We began our hiking after lunch with Doris leading the way and Ginny as the map consultant. We found spectacular vistas after winding, rocky trails. Somehow we missed the trail to lighthouse but found the cemetary which wasn’t on the map and had gravestones from the 1700’s. In all we hiked for about 2 hours and all came home with a bit of sunburn. There are paths all over the island and supposedly they are marked but we had difficulty finding some of the trail numbers. Artists are all around with their easels and the flower gardens and even a clothesline provided colorful subjects, not to mention the rocky cliffs with pounding waves at the base. There are galleries and a few gift shops. Ike finally had his expresso and Ginny and I tried the Ginger Beer.
Our return on the Elizabeth Ann at 4:30 was over more ripples in the water with wind from the east, but never the less smooth. We couldn’t believe how many passengers, luggage and what might be termed freight were brought on board. Loading was on the top deck due to the tide which might have accounted for more people than places to sit. We were in a position to exit quickly and were on our way to the house shortly after 5:30. Good thing since we were due at Asger and Sandy’s for a dinner party at 6:30. She had wonderful hors d’oeuvres with Asger’s homemade liver pate and grav lox followed by grilled fresh halibut. This made 5 straight nights of incredible eating for me. I’ve tried to keep my weight down but think I’ve now blown it but worth every calorie!
We returned to Ike and Doris’s, a weary foursome. I used Ike’s computer to print my mapquest route for the next two days. This morning I loaded the bike on and stashed everything again and was on the road before 9 a.m. Doris told us we didn’t make a dent in her “to do” list so we have to try this again.
I had planned to stop in Concord at the L. L. Bean outlet but discovered my route didn’t go that way which is probably for the best. Somehow my clothes seem to be expanding in their cupboards. Tomorrow I work my way to Elizabeth and Don’s in Wrightsville PA. It will be my longest drive in quite a while and mostly on interstates.
I am having difficulty staying on the campgrounds WiFi. I’ll try again in the a.m. I was hoping to send photos too. I can’t remember if I wrote that to see photo better, just click on the picture and it will fill your screen—and then some.
I confess to some melancholy tonight as this begins my trip home. I’m enjoying visiting everyone but I’m realizing my camping out days are numbered. I certainly hope I can use the van some in September. I may have to take a couple of extra days enroute to Asheville the end of next week but I have to be home by the 14th. Sadly it is coming to an end.
August 3 Wrightsville PA My drive here was a long one, about 2 hours more than expected and I almost ended up in Philadelphia after routing myself away from major cities. Greta kept telling me there was a better way but I thought I knew better. Enough said, but I did finally arrive at Elizabeth and Don’s where we have had a great relaxing visit. Don’s long ladder allowed me to examine the top of the van. It wasn’t as bad as I feared but definitely will require cleaning and waxing on my return. Don and I researched ladders that might work for the project.
Last night we went to a beautiful country home for a corn boil. It was the best corn I’ve ever eaten. Since it was a potluck, lots of yummy salad and desserts accompanied it. Fortunately the party was early enough for it to all settle before bedtime but more important to give us a change to play Mexican train dominoes which I managed to win!
I am honing in on the next week. Today I’ll head for Jim and Jane’s in Ft. Washington right outside DC. Should take about 2 ½ hours---we’ll see. They’ve planned a bike ride for late in the afternoon and I will meet my October “barge mate” Judy who will be on the ride. Jim is involved with a very active bike club. Check it out at http://www.ohbike.org/ Wish I could find something like that in Stuart.
Tuesday I’ll visit college friend Cathy in Vienna, VA before heading to Asheville NC and then Dawsonville GA. Anticipated arrival in Stuart still Aug 13 or 14.
I was sorry to leave Maine. What a beautiful state! Wednesday, we had a magnificent day on Monhegan Island. The water had barely a ripple as we rode the ferry to the Island. We found a great place to eat, Novelty. The surprise was that there is only one public toilet on the island. There was quite a line after lunch. They request a donation of .50 to be put in a piece of pvc pipe.
We began our hiking after lunch with Doris leading the way and Ginny as the map consultant. We found spectacular vistas after winding, rocky trails. Somehow we missed the trail to lighthouse but found the cemetary which wasn’t on the map and had gravestones from the 1700’s. In all we hiked for about 2 hours and all came home with a bit of sunburn. There are paths all over the island and supposedly they are marked but we had difficulty finding some of the trail numbers. Artists are all around with their easels and the flower gardens and even a clothesline provided colorful subjects, not to mention the rocky cliffs with pounding waves at the base. There are galleries and a few gift shops. Ike finally had his expresso and Ginny and I tried the Ginger Beer.
Our return on the Elizabeth Ann at 4:30 was over more ripples in the water with wind from the east, but never the less smooth. We couldn’t believe how many passengers, luggage and what might be termed freight were brought on board. Loading was on the top deck due to the tide which might have accounted for more people than places to sit. We were in a position to exit quickly and were on our way to the house shortly after 5:30. Good thing since we were due at Asger and Sandy’s for a dinner party at 6:30. She had wonderful hors d’oeuvres with Asger’s homemade liver pate and grav lox followed by grilled fresh halibut. This made 5 straight nights of incredible eating for me. I’ve tried to keep my weight down but think I’ve now blown it but worth every calorie!
We returned to Ike and Doris’s, a weary foursome. I used Ike’s computer to print my mapquest route for the next two days. This morning I loaded the bike on and stashed everything again and was on the road before 9 a.m. Doris told us we didn’t make a dent in her “to do” list so we have to try this again.
I had planned to stop in Concord at the L. L. Bean outlet but discovered my route didn’t go that way which is probably for the best. Somehow my clothes seem to be expanding in their cupboards. Tomorrow I work my way to Elizabeth and Don’s in Wrightsville PA. It will be my longest drive in quite a while and mostly on interstates.
I am having difficulty staying on the campgrounds WiFi. I’ll try again in the a.m. I was hoping to send photos too. I can’t remember if I wrote that to see photo better, just click on the picture and it will fill your screen—and then some.
I confess to some melancholy tonight as this begins my trip home. I’m enjoying visiting everyone but I’m realizing my camping out days are numbered. I certainly hope I can use the van some in September. I may have to take a couple of extra days enroute to Asheville the end of next week but I have to be home by the 14th. Sadly it is coming to an end.
August 3 Wrightsville PA My drive here was a long one, about 2 hours more than expected and I almost ended up in Philadelphia after routing myself away from major cities. Greta kept telling me there was a better way but I thought I knew better. Enough said, but I did finally arrive at Elizabeth and Don’s where we have had a great relaxing visit. Don’s long ladder allowed me to examine the top of the van. It wasn’t as bad as I feared but definitely will require cleaning and waxing on my return. Don and I researched ladders that might work for the project.
Last night we went to a beautiful country home for a corn boil. It was the best corn I’ve ever eaten. Since it was a potluck, lots of yummy salad and desserts accompanied it. Fortunately the party was early enough for it to all settle before bedtime but more important to give us a change to play Mexican train dominoes which I managed to win!
I am honing in on the next week. Today I’ll head for Jim and Jane’s in Ft. Washington right outside DC. Should take about 2 ½ hours---we’ll see. They’ve planned a bike ride for late in the afternoon and I will meet my October “barge mate” Judy who will be on the ride. Jim is involved with a very active bike club. Check it out at http://www.ohbike.org/ Wish I could find something like that in Stuart.
Tuesday I’ll visit college friend Cathy in Vienna, VA before heading to Asheville NC and then Dawsonville GA. Anticipated arrival in Stuart still Aug 13 or 14.
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