Day 17 and 18 - Shediac and sheets of rain

Friday, June 28th, 2013

We managed to arrive after about a 3 hour drive during a rare window of no precipitation. We quickly set up camp then took off in the car to check out what " The lobster Capital of the World" is all about.  I was guessing, let's see, Lobsters?

Wow.  A 55 ton lobster! 

First order of things, was a mandatory picture of the beautiful sculpture of a lobster in Rotary Park, created by a New Brunswick artist named Winston Bronnum.  This baby  is over 36 feet in length, 16 feet in width and 16 feet tall!  This giant monument weighs a mere 55 tons.

We then tried to find a Lobster Pound that would sell us a couple of lobsters to take back to the RV so we could eat them there.  I hate eating those in public.  I get so involved, and scavange for every little morsel like a starving sea gull.  It's not attractive having lobster mess up to my elbows.

Paturel Shore House Restaurant, Shediac, NS
Where we were served the freshest, and best cooked seafood
of our lives to date! Now we are spoiled!

When we learned that there was no local place that we could get them hot, but the fish monger recommended the Paturel Shore House Restaurant, in Shediac which she claimed the best seafood was served here in " all of the Maritime's". That's a pretty big endorsement!  We figured if anyone knew fresh, it would be her.  So off we went to try to find it.

This lovely little restaurant sat next to the Northumberland Strait, and it had wonderful tables set outside to enjoy the views of the water beyond.  Weather permitting of course!  I understand the sunsets here are to die for.  As was the food.  It was the freshest, best prepared seafood both Norm and I had ever had!!

That night, with tummy's full, and visions of crusteans dancing in our heads,  it was a little hard to sleep with the thunderous roaring of the rain on the roof.  I kept thinking of those people in the tents. What if one of the kids had to go to the restroom? Who gets to take them?  I felt so bad for them as I rolled over in my Sleep Number bed, and went back to sleep.

Saturday, June 29th

Saturday morning Farmers Market in Moncton, NB
Next time we will come hungry!

                                                                                                                                     Today was a day of reminiscence for Norm. The rain had temporarily stopped as we headed out to
catch the Farmers Markets in both Moncton and neighboring Dieppe, buying wonderfully fresh vegetables, and grass fed tenderloin. There were so many delicious foods being offered, it was killing me!  Pastries, waffles mounded with fruit and cream, homemade ice cream and chocolate, etc.  We sampled a couple of these tasty morsels, and they were to DIE for!  OMG!

                                                                                           

We found Norm's Aunt Ida's house
where he visited as a child

We then headed off to find where Norm's aunt used to live, and where he used to visit when he
was a child. The original house was still there, but many neighboring houses were razed and
new ones took their place.  We stopped and talked a while with the neighbor across the street who well remembered old Aunt Ida.  In fact, this gentleman was a distant relative of sorts!

Parlee Beach, Shediac,NB
There were rescue surf boards placed every 100 yards or
so down the beach.  Lifeguards nearly as numerous.
Unusual for such quiet waters.

After returning to the RV, we enjoyed a brief nap, and took a nice walk to adjacent Parlee Beach, which boasts of having the warmest water north of Virginia.    I had hiking boots on so didn't try the water, but Norm, while wading thought the temps thought it felt quite chilly, guessing in the 60's.


That night we feasted on our market finds and played a couple of games; Norm watched a movie, while I played with this blog all the while the rain once again pounded on the roof.

Days 14 -16 Frederickton, NS

Wednesday, June 26th, 2013

Great news!  The ABS warning light and the engine light ( which merely indicated an emissions problem ) have gone out by themselves!  Yes! We hated the idea of taking it to an unknown service station, if we could even find one at all.  So that is really great.

We are staying for the next two days at Heritage Country Camping in Lower Queensbury, NB, about 40 minutes west of Frederickton, New Brunswick's Capital.

It is a small campground on the side of a hill, with grass all around the sites. One thing we have noticed are the amount of people who choose to set there trailers at a campground, and build very elaborate porches and decks.  Their summer home.  Most of the folks live an hour or two away, and "camp" every chance they get.

Day 8- June 19th to Day 16- June 27th

I think I jinxed us again!  I was telling someone that every vacation we have taken, the weather has always been fabulous!  Seattle, Bar Harbor, Newfoundland all had beautiful skies and wonderful temperatures even though most people complain about the weather in these places.  We always seemed to hit it just right.  Why did I have to say that!

Electric car charging station in Fredricton.
 We need these in The Villages for golf carts

Now we are faced with what appears to be an upcoming week or more of cold ( 50 degrees ) with showers and occasional thunderstorms.
We are dying to get outside and get some exercise.  I feel like a slug. We never have to move in our motorhome more than 2 or 3 steps to go from kitchen to bedroom to bath. I have never been this immobile, even when deathly ill.

We were hoping to start getting the exercise that we anticipated, but the weather is rotten.  Brrrr.

Today we drove into Frederickton despite the dreary weather to check out the sights.

Small craft shops located in a Fredricton munitions building.
Very clever use of a historic place

We had a fabulous lunch at the Blue Door Restaurant and Bar which was advertised as one of the top 50 restaurants in Canada. We browsed a few stores, got some fresh vegetables, and headed to Walmart to get a few things. Norm got some local micro-brew to continue his quest of trying everything new in a beer bottle.

Thursday June 27th

Thank goodness these guys are just for "show" I can't
see this team protecting anything.

The rain had stopped, so Norm and I decided to brave the raw, damp, cold day and play a round of golf at Mactaquac Provincial Park.

The course looked gorgeous.  On the way there it started to rain again.  We continued on in order to talk to them and cancel our tee times.  Oh, my goodness.  The parking lot was nearly full. These people are hardy!  No motorized covered golf carts for these people!  Men and woman alike were all out walking in the cold rain donning shorts! Well, not us Floridians. Our blood is too thin, and our sun-baked spirit too has become too weak.





We headed back to our warm, toasty RV, thankful once again we were not one of those many poor souls vacationing in a tent.  We spent the afternoon trying to plan the next phase of our vacation.

Kinda hard to see many sights in all this cold rain

The problem is while wanting to make this vacation footloose and carefree, if there are particular places we want to camp, we need advanced reservations. Especially weekends.

We find this all very challenging.We want to see all there is to see in this region of the world, yet be home before the snow falls.  My new band is starting late August, and my oldest daughter, Laura, is expecting with our first grandchild the first week of November. Somehow I look forward to being involved with the planning of her baby shower.

  How can we possibly know how long we need or want to stay in a location when the things we want to do are so weather dependent?  Can our old and aging bodies really withstand the mountain hikes we dream of doing?  Or those hidden little, charming, out of the way spots we hope to find? And of course the roses I demand to smell along the way? We just can't imagine how most RV'ers roll merrily down the road without having a predetermined destination.  Perhaps the difference is that our destinations are always activity based and for others that is not a priority. I yearn to be more like them, but it is definitely out of  both our comfort zones. Maybe I am not really ready to be "footloose and fancy free".

After a rather amazingly pleasant afternoon of research, we had made plans for the next several weeks.  If the weather clears they should be fairly accurate, if not - all bets are off.

Day 14 - Holding tongue avoids possible search

Tuesday June 24th, 2013

To some, driving 4 or 5 hours a day is a pleasure.  To some, it is a necessity. To some it is just a job. For me, a dreaded chore.  Now that we have reached the region where we will spend the next month or two, I feel as if finally the vacation has officially started with the dreaded passing of inspection and interrogation by the Agent at the Border.

Did the Agent like Norm's answer to the question
" Do you know where you are staying here in Canada?"

As we passed through Customs today , I did not have the nervousness that I had last year.

The Customs Agent seemed like a pretty nice guy. He asked what I guess are the normal questions: “ do you have any tobacco, plants, firearms, pets? "( we wondered why ask about pets? Perhaps they check the paws for random dirt?  An errant tick? And the odd one: “is there anything you want to leave behind?“  My mind instantly went crazy with all kinds of possibilities.... hmmmm is he suggesting something as simple as leftover trash? or was he thinking of something bigger - perhaps better - such as leave the obnoxious kids, or perhaps a grouchy spouse?   I really wanted to ask what he had in mind, but after being asked “ Do you know where you are staying here in Canada?” Norm answered with “ in our RV!” with a tone that suggested the unsaid " you stupid bastard ", It was probably best we took a hasty departure .  I could tell he was pissing off the Agent and we could end up being searched. Or maybe created an international incident.  God forbid he find the 3 potatoes and the summer squash we had stashed away.  As we left I kept looking over my shoulder for the “potato police”.  We ate the evidence that night.

New Brunswick has a whopping 58 covered bridges.  We have seen several in Vermont, but we felt a need to drive an extra 40 miles to see The Longest Covered Bridge IN THE  WORLD!  We could not be this close without seeing this engineering marvel constructed at the dawn of the twentieth century.  Besides, Norm and I like to go out of the way to see the biggest, longest, farthest, etc. of most anything somewhat interesting.

It was a very nice bridge as far as covered bridges go (although the speed in which the cars flew across it was unnerving) and definitely long. 1283 feet ( 391 meters) to be exact.  It crosses the Saint John River from Hartland to Somerville, New Brunswick. What is not exact is the date this was actually built.  One plaque at the base of the bridge proudly states that it was built in 1901, yet a second plaque 10 feet away says 1921.  Which is it? Since this is a National Historic Site, shouldn't it's history be a little more clear?  Because I feel responsible for accurate information ( to the best that I am able ) on this blog, I did some digging.  ( Thank God for my iPad  ).

World's longest covered bridge in Hartland, NB

 Wikipedia states that the bridge was originally built in 1901, uncovered, but when an ice dam took down a couple of spans in 1920, it was rebuilt and opened in 1922, at which time it was covered.

 What I also discovered in my research, was that this bridge was a "kissing bridge".  Kissing bridges date back to the years of horse and wagon traffic, when young men "trained" their horses to stop about half way across the bridge, wait while the couple shared a couple of kisses, then continue on.  Darn!  We missed an opportunity to smooch in honor of tradition! ( Not that we should need an excuse ).

The small town of Hartland, New Brunswick was extremely quaint, but the neon flashing sign right after you crossed this lovely, antique bridge advertising " Cashmere Toilet Paper  $4.99 12/pk"  was a little tacky. What is "cashmere" toilet paper?  Sounds heavenly.  Too bad RV paper is made to quickly disintegrate.

Internet ad: This new toilet paper is made with actual cashmere -- one of the more expensive fibers on earth, normally associated with high-end clothing. 
Make sure you flush it! Just because it is cashmere doesn't mean it's worth wearing!
Now I have seen everything!!!

Around the Boston Area Days 9-12

Thursday June 20 to Monday the 28th, 2013

The famous Man at the Wheel Memorial.  Honoring
all the Gloucester Fisherman lost at sea

The next few days will be spent with family and running a few errands and driving the car - a lot.

On Thursday we brought the RV back to the Truck center for them to look at the ABS braking system, and figure out why the light is on.

We left it while we proceeded to drive to Kingston ( well over an hour away ) to pick up my spare clarinet I was having refurbished. Hopefully I will have the discipline to practice while we are away.  The New Horizon Band in The Villages had reached 159 members, and needed to divide into two groups .I will be playing in the group with a new conductor.   Rehearsals start the end of August, so I don't want to begin all rusty. ( I hope to "wow" the new conductor with capabilities surpassing a 5th grader ) If any of you wonder if it is just like riding a bike?  The answer is no.  At least not for me. The aging of your body goes beyond the obvious increase in girth size, the horrible giggling of skin under you arm as you wave to your friend, or the unwelcomed wrinkles in our faces. Our muscles.  They weaken unless you work them - even those in your face.  Playing a wind instrument takes a lot of facial muscles, and, like all others, "use it or loose it."  As you know, those tiny little strands of muscular fiber, don't respond like they did in our vibrant youth.  Five years ago when I first put together my clarinet after a 35 year sabbatical, my fingers remembered what thousands of hours of practice ingrained in my head.  It was my body that failed me. Just a couple of weeks without putting reed to lips, and I notice a difference.  After a couple of months, I am back to where I started.

Gazebo at low tide next to our reserved RV parking
 space at Winter Island Park, Salem Ma

 Well, when we returned to the service station at 4PM it was not even looked at!  Aggravating, to say the least.  We declined the offer to try again the next day, and decided to hope it will resolve itself.  If not, there is a huge RV repair facility in Halifax Nova Scotia we can take it to, since we will be there re-installing the TV antenna.  It's installation was more difficult than we thought, and involved the roof, so we will pay someone that hopefully, knows what they are doing ( and has the right equipment ) so we don't develop any leaks.



Friday was a very busy day.  First we went to check out a potential campground on Winter Island in Salem Ma.  This was certainly a different kind of place.  It really is a public park with a boat ramp.  They very cleverly decided to make some extra income, and turned the perimeter parking lot into RV spots which enjoys a marvelous ocean view with it's ensuing breezes.  I have made mention many times about the "RV Parking Lots".  Well, this LITERALLY is a PARKING LOT!   But there also were a few very nice tent sites, and a field which allowed more RV's to park very tightly together.  Because of the delightful ocean view, we decided to book one of the very few available spots for Labor Day Weekend.

Site #12 for Labor Day.  Site is pretty ugly,
but the view can not be beat!

 We are not sure if we will be around at that time, but their cancellation policy is quite good, and it will be nice to know there is a place to go on that otherwise very busy weekend.

We met a woman back in Virginia, who was inquiring about this small campground.  I promised her I would check it out and send her photos and the info.  We also wanted to see for ourselves, since the spot is only a few miles from my daughter. This is not the type of atmosphere we typically enjoy, but is definitely a step up from Wal-mart ( which we have not yet tried ), and convenient to all the places I miss on Cape Ann.

These plaques list the names and dates of the
Gloucester Fisherman lost at sea

We then went to the City of Gloucester, Ma.  Gloucester is noted as the nation's very first fishing village, first inhabited in 1623.  It is said that Gloucester's deep and protected harbor made it an ideal place for a few folks to leave Plymouth and settle here.   I showed Norm a few of the city's highlights, one being the statue of" The Man at the Wheel" statue.  It is a well recognized icon of the courage and fortitude of Gloucester Fisherman, and a reminder that fishing is considered our country's most dangerous occupation.  Inscribed on the statue is a verse from the 107th Psalm: "They that went down to the sea in ships ". They recently erected plaques with the names and dates of men that were lost. In now includes 5300 men to date

The men aboard the Andrea Gail  that was
tragically lost in 1991

If you remember, this is the town that the book and movie with George Clooney titled " The Perfect Storm " was written about.  The owner of the boat " Andrea Gail " was, in fact, my immediate neighbor back in 1991 when the ship actually went down.  It was a very emotional and sad time for those of us in Gloucester who knew the men lost.

 I lived across the street from the Man at the Wheel back in 1975.

This statue honors the wives of
the Gloucester Fisherman

After I got my hair done from my old hairdresser of years gone by, we then went to check out Cape Ann Campsite,which is owned and operated by a family I knew as my kids were growing up. I was their daughter's Girl Scout Leader oh, so long ago.
When I road the school bus as a child I would pass this campground but never really appreciated just how huge it was.

They have quite a few nice spots for big rigs, and many sites that are nicely wooded but the roads are very narrow and rutted, so it's better suited for tents, or smaller rigs.  This campground is only minutes from Wingarsheek Beach where it is notoriously noted as child friendly for its warmer, protected waters. I took the girls there many a time when they were very little.

We probably won't return to Cape Ann Campsite  because we just are not ones to linger on a beach, and the extremely winding road ( I know from experience) can be a nightmare with beach traffic.It would be worth it for someone who wants to experience a unique area, and loves the beach.

Note: If you are there around July, bring Avon's Skin So Soft or another strong bug repellant, because the Greenheads ( biting flies with a green head and teeth like a Piranha ) can be really terrible during this time of year.

See those teeth?  Yes, Greenheads do hurt that much!

Cape Ann Campsite's big rig section
West Gloucester, Ma

We then proceeded to my daughter's house for a backyard B-B-Q, and to meet her boyfriend's parents.  It was a great night.  The food was  good, weather perfect, and a huge moon to top it off! I really hated to leave, but with an hour drive back to the RV, at 11:00PM I very reluctantly left.

Alison's daughter Laura and her boyfriend Mike

Saturday, June 22,2013 - Day 11

Today we slept late and took the time to do the laundry.  The facilities were very nice here, so we took advantage of them.  I was thrilled to find no one else was using the washers, and proceeded to use 4 of them!  Time management at its best!  25 minutes to wash 4 loads, and then dry.  Pretty quick, considering the pile of clothes we had!




We went to our good friend's Margaret and Jack Whelan's for a lovely lunch, and visited for a few hours.  At 3:00 PM we then proceed about a quarter mile down the street to Norm's newlywed daughter, Jackie. I do mean " newly wed".

Norm's daughter Jackie and husband Joel during their beautiful
wedding at Mountain Top Inn, Chittenden, Vt.

She and Joel got married in Vermont on June 1st, and had just returned from their
honeymoon.  Joel's parents, Jeanne and Peter were there and we enjoyed another great B-B-Q.

We played "Cornhole" ( an outdoor beanbag toss game ) and after dinner the guys watched the Bruins unfortunately lose. Another evening flew by, and with another hour drive, we once again felt like truant college students sneaking back into our dorms.  These late nights are killing me.  It's tough being an old fart.

Sunday, June 23rd - Day 12

Welcome to rural living!
Jackie nearly stepped on this snake that suddenly appreared
on their porch!

Thank Goodness we decided not to play golf.  We slept in very late ( a record at 9:00 AM ).  We wanted to  " relax " for just one day.  It has been non-stop since we left The Villages.

We took the time to finalize some details of our next destinations, and wasted a couple of hours trying to find where the heck the file for all my trip-notes went!  We are talking weeks worth of research, here.   Norm finally found the file, of all places, in my computer waste basket.  Boy, am I glad I am not good at emptying that.  I think perhaps maybe I never will!

We found, quite by accident, a great supermarket with a huge variety of organic foods. We were so excited! Filling our basket with such nice, fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables for the next week.  All of a sudden it occurred to me that we have one day of travel before we cross the Canadian Border!  UGH!  No fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc.  Oh, yeah.  No tobacco products, or GUNS!
Darn!  I very reluctantly put everything back except for a couple of apples and a few grapes.

We sat outside and researched our destinations on line, enjoyed a fire, had dinner and finished up the evening with a great movie called "The Departed " that we borrowed at the main office.  What a place!

Day 13 - Oh no - MORE troubles?
Monday, June 24th,2013

This morning we were so proud of ourselves for being all ready to leave at 9:00 AM.  We even took the time to top off the propane tank.  Since the parking lot was pretty tight and too sloped to easily hook up the car, we decided to drive down the road where Norm had remembered a church parking lot.

Why is it that mechanics and plumbers uniforms
are so baggy subjecting us to the exposure of
"male cleavage"? Is it part of their Union contracts?

As we were hitching the car up ( and someone from the church yelled at us for being there ) I went through my normal safety precaution routine of checking all brake and indicator lights.  You got it!
Brake lights on the RV were not working.  I KNOW they were working a couple of days ago, because I was driving behind him! Now this little problem is not something we can ignore.

This time I used our new and fancy not-very-accurate GPS to see where the nearest truck repair facility was.  We did not want to drive south 1/2 hour to the one we had spent too many hours at already in the last few days.  We found one, called, and took off in hopes that 1) no one will rear-end us on the way 2) they know what they are doing and 3)they will not "hose" us with a huge bill.

Another wonderful surprise!  These guys were very professional ( I could tell by the way they literally had grease up to their elbows ), knew what they were doing, and what really continues to amaze me is that they were not in the least bit lazy!  This service center, like the last, went the extra mile to do things the proper way.  I just am not used to that having lived in Florida, where if you asked a worker  if they have ever heard of "work ethic" they might answer " no, is that a movie? Who played in it? " Makes me yearn to move back North.

The fellow ( my hero ) determined the light problem was due to a broken wire in the connecting cable between the car and the RV.  The ground fell off ( because someone never installed it correctly )  and shorted the fuse in the RV, and blew the light in the tail light of the car.  The owner tried his fancy computer gizmo to see what the problem with the ABS brakes were, but his computer was not really the right one for our chassis. In the meantime, we will have brakes, just not ABS. We will have to brake the old fashioned way.  Old School.  No problem.
A mere $80 more out of pocket, and at noon, were finally on our way.

Purgatory? I bet there are not too many people
wanting to check this place out! Can't wait to see what's further south

I called Winnebago ( perhaps I should put their number on my speed dial?) and they said to go to an authorized Winnebago dealer for the hydraulic jack problem ( of which the closest to Nova Scotia was Rhode Island ) and a Workhorse dealer for the ABS.  Sure. Neither of these problems are life-threatening, so we will play it by ear.  There just is no where to take it.  We will, however, get the TV antenna replaced so we can at least stop lugging it around in the car.

As were were driving the 4 hour drive to Bangor, the ABS light had not come on, just the engine light now.  I love this coach, but as I idly flip through" Motorcoach Magazine", I have visions of a new one dancing in my head. Just a fantasy, because buying a new one, and not a slightly used one does not make financial sense.It also does not mean it is trouble free.  Let someone else take the hit on value. Plus, new ones have a lot of formaldehyde in them from the new insulation, which really bothers me.  I need a couple of year's worth of "airing out".   It's fun to dream.  We just can not believe all the little pain-in-the-ass stuff that has been going on this trip.  Well, they said " 4 years is the magic number to trade it " and we didn't want to because of  it's incredible reliability.

Day 8 - Another day of problems

Wednesday June 23 ,2013  
Plymouth, CT to Littleton, MA

It was only a month ago that Norm and I were saying what a nice, reliable rig we have, and that it has not given us a lick of trouble!  Well, that was something that NEVER should have been said. It must have jinxed us, for sure!

Trip route from Day 6 to Day 12

Before we left for this trip during the extremely thorough pre-trip maintenance, we took care of anything that might possibly give us trouble.  I am, remember, the paranoid " maintenance Nazi ".

After spending so much time yesterday web searching trying to find a TV antenna, ( they cost over 50% more in Canada) today we went to leave and discovered we had a little trouble raising the jacks that balance the RV when we are parked.
I found hydraulic fluid on the pad that the jack sits on. Not a good sign.  We struggled to get the jacks up, but at least we had a very good idea why, and called the factory to make sure we could drive it to a repair shop without further damaging anything. They assured us it was fine, if we could stand the alarm going off as we drive.

Where we spent too many hours

Luckily, the alarm only sounded occasionally, and I once again, with my trusty computer, tried to find a repair facility that was not too far out of our way.  A couple of hours later I found one only 20 minutes from our destination.

We stopped at the RV dealer and picked up the antenna, and proceeded to the Truck Repair shop, 495 Truck Center in Marlbourgh, Ma.

As we approached the facility the ABS warning light went on.  What the heck!

Well, I must say, it was so refreshing to find a repair facility that was so willing and accommodating. They could see the problem but would have to order the part which could take a couple of weeks.

The young fellow was also very willing to take off our huge and heavy back rubber flap and straighten out the bar that got all bent while at that campsite with ruts and potholes. We were finally on our way about 5pm.

Ahhhh a time to relax and do a little research
and work on this blog!
Minuteman Campground, Littleton, Ma 

We arrived at Minuteman Campground in Littleton, Ma.  This, I think, is one of our favorite campgrounds! It has the typical winding roads, but this time the roads are plenty wide, and not all rutted.  There were lots of trees throughout the campground, which, to us, gave us a much nicer experience. Satellite TV probably would not work, but they provided free cable, and what was unbelievable, 4 very strong internet connections to choose from. This place is such a wonderful combination of "state park feel" but with all the modern conveniences.

Because people around us are so quiet, we have been sleeping until 8:00 AM each morning!  We wake up feeling rested, but jeez, half the day is gone!

Day 7 - White Haven, PA to Plymouth, CT

Tuesday

This morning we had an accident.  Not to bore you with a lot of details, but we deviated from our normal routine, and as a result we forgot to lower the TV antenna on the roof.  You guessed it! We ripped it off. What a crash! We felt so very stupid. Well, we had not made a really dumb mistake yet with our upgrade from a tent to this rolling condo, so we were due. Just another inconvenience. 

Gentile Campground, Plymouth CT

After Norm removed the old one and we were again on our way, I returned to my computer and spent the next several hours trying to find the appropriate replacement. After a lot of web searching, and several phone calls,  I finally found one not too far out of our way and arranged to pick it up tomorrow.  I am rather glad the scenery wasn't particularly exciting, because my face has been in my computer for days now.

As were neared tonight's destination, we drove up a very steep hill into Gentiles Campground.  This place needs a lot of TLC, and a huge demolition team to get rid of all the old cars and miscellaneous out buildings! But we were escorted to  a very nice site with no one nearby. In fact, it was like a ghost town. Very eerie. We set up before a big thunderstorm hit and proceeded to finish off the day warm and dry. 

Day 6 Edinburg PA to White Haven PA

Monday

I tried to pick up this turtle from behind to move it and it jumped
about a foot off the ground and whipped it's head back and nearly
snapped off my nose!  I never knew they could do that!
I guess that is why they are called " Snapping Turtles "

I happily report nothing exciting happened today, at least for the normal person.  I, on the other hand, was excited to see a swarm of cicadas as we drove along somewhere in Pennsylvania. I had been reading about this rare event, and hoped to actually witness it one night ( only for one night ) during the trip up.  Let me inform you a little about them…..

These harmless little buggers are looking for one, and only one thing… sex.  They have waited a long time for it.  Seventeen years to be exact. ( sound familiar? ) Since 1996, this group of one-inch bugs, in wingless nymph form, have been living a few feet underground, biding their time. They emerge only when the ground temperature reaches 64 degrees.  They grow to 2 ½ inches long.  

A Cicada from "Brood II " emerges once every 17 years.
Some scientists estimate they may number a trillion

After being round for a few weeks,they sing, mate, and then they die. Their offspring will go underground  not to surface again until 2030.   They are also quite loud.  Cicadas are among the loudest insects known to man, and a swarm of them can produce sounds up to 120 decibels.  That's louder than a rock concert ( about 115 decibels ), and comparable to the noise from a chainsaw ( humans start to experience pain from sound at the 110 to 120 decibel level ).  You wonder why I would want to see and hear that?  Perhaps because it is such a rare event, perhaps because I am so in love with nature, but probably because I am weird.  In actuality, I most likely would very quickly regret it since my hearing is quite acute.  

Some people like to eat these things. There is a cookbook on the web called "Cicada-liscious" with many recipes for muffins, cupcakes, etc from the bugs when newly emerged.  Fresh is best, I imagine.  They liken them to shrimp or popcorn.  Ymmmmmm.  Low fat and gluten free! I think I would have passed, but Norm would be up trying a coffee or chocolate covered one.

Cicada Recipes

If you’re interested in a low-fat, carb-free protein fix, here are a few cicada recipe resources we’ve found:

• Cicadas with Garlic, Celery and Anise (from Insects are Food)
• Dry Roasted or Deep Fried Cicadas (from Gizmodo)
• Soft-Shelled Cicadas, Cicada Tacos and Cicada Rhubarb Pie(from NPR)
• Also see recipes for Cicada Dumplings, Chili Cicadas, Southern Cicada Tartlets and Emergence Cookies (from Cicada-licious).

 I really wanted to see this phenomenon on the ground or even in the woods, not necessarily splucked ( is that a word? It should be) on our windshield where we first became aware of their arrival somewhere in Pennsylvania.  

Nothing like a juicy Cicada on the windsheild!

Gross.  I mean, REALLY really gross.  You could see swarms of them, darting around like happy little hummingbirds, until .... splat. splat. splat splat. 

While we continued on our way, I spent a couple of hours trying to find a campsite that had cable TV so Norm could watch the Bruins tonight, and I could watch the insipid show “ Bachelorette”.

 I never thought we would have use for both televisions in this little home on wheels, but it was nice to have.

The campground was Lehigh Gorge Campground in White Haven, CT.  The roads were very rutted and it pitched and tossed the RV all around, no matter how slow Norm went.

 It was such a lovely day so we played a game outside before dinner and took a walk and explored the campground which was undergoing a large expansion.

Day 5 - A Day with GPS Drama

Sunday -   Max Meadows, VA to Edinburg, PA 

Our trip to date

Today is a day when the goal is to just get from Point A to Point B.  But life is never that mundane, is it.

 We found upon departing that my marriage-saving GPS was, of all terrible things, dead.  Oh God, does that mean I may have to resort to a M-A-P? The Rand McNally paper- thing used for centuries past?  I equate my loss of  these basic skills to the pimple faced, tattooed, ring disfigured kids behind many a check-out counter that can’t make change for a dollar.   Modern technology is a mixed blessing, but boy in this case, it sure prevents couples from arguing, and the incredible frustration of wives when hubby refuses to stop to ask for directions! ( Whether or not Hubby chooses to follow said GPS is another story. )Thankfully, I clutch my iPad to my chest, giving me the same feeling of security as my old favorite Teddy Bear. Blessed are the "back-up devices ".  What would we do without all these brain deteriorating modern marvels? How would we find our way out of the proverbial paper bag?

The 7" screen on this GPS is HUGE!

Thankfully I had my Ipad and cell phone as back up. Electronic device addiction.  I wonder if there is a re-hab center for that.

After 2 ½ hours of intensive research ( one of my idiosyncrasies  ) we decided to go for the "Super Deluxe" model that is designed for RV’s or Trucks.  It is supposed to keep you off of roads with low bridges, or those restricted with propane tanks, weight restricted roads, etc. I found where the best price was, and where along the way we would find it in stock.  We stopped at Best Buy, put all the specifics of our motorhome, ( entered 11 ton weight to be safe ) and proceeded happily on with our huge 7” screen and new-found confidence!

Oh no!  We are heavier than this bridge's weight limit!  I hope this thing is amphibious.
Where do we keep the life jackets?
If we collapse this bridge, do you think we will be on the 6 o'clock news?
I can't believe our " smart " GPS took us this way. 

We drove a mere 20 minutes up the street and was instructed to take these tiny, tiny neighborhood streets ( which I could not believe Norm could navigate through )  and as we slowly took the next corner……

 We saw it. We felt it. Dread... Down this steep hill was a narrow cement bridge......

 The sign read “ DON'T CROSS BRIDGE WHEN UNDER WATER “. Durrrrrr. 

 And another that said   “10 TON WEIGHT LIMIT “!! Didn’t we just input we were 11 ton?  Ahhhhhh….

  I took this picture for prosperity and for the 6 o’clock news team  and prepared for a potential collapse.  People fishing saw us coming and ran off the bridge and cleared the way!!!!

And…….we were fine.  I could have used a Depends,but Norm did not seem fazed. 

So much for being totally confident with this new purchase.

We arrived safe and sound at Creekside Campground which had great potential of being very nice. It was, in fact, beside a creek.  We found a site, avoided the poison ivy on the site, ( hopefully ) and watched the ducks flirt with each other.  We then had dinner and watched a movie.

Day 4 - Biking the Virginia Creeper Trail

Saturday, June 15^th – our 11^th Anniversary

Today is our anniversary, and we are going to spend it doing what we love most (other than each other, of course).  Doing an outdoor activity!

The Virginia Creeper Trail is a 34 mile " retired " railway corridor of the Virginia-Carolina Railroad, which winds down through the Blue Ridge Mountains from Whitetop to Abingdon, Virginia.  It has numerous restored trestles, and crosses the Appalachian Trail. Norm and I will mountain bike down 17 miles of what is touted the prettiest section.

One of the many restored tresstles

  We set the alarm clock for 6AM, checked the weather and discovered it was due to be 48 degrees at the top! Yikes! Did I bring warm enough clothes?  It is almost summer.

 Since it is considered to be the best rail-trail in the east, and among the best in the United States, we decided we better catch the first shuttle to avoid the crowds.  It was an hour drive, so we left at an early 7:15.

There were many informational kiosks along the way.
The trail was extremely shady, so it was quite cool. 

 The road up the mountain was extremely narrow and steep, and the shuttle ride was a pleasant experience in and of itself.  When we finally made it to the top, the air was quite cool as we headed down the mountain on a trail that was perfectly groomed.  Norm and I both prefer more of a technical and physical challenge, ( and I prefer some danger ) but as we mostly coasted down the hill, we enjoyed the streams, waterfalls, and rock outcroppings along the way.  We passed over almost 20 trestles, stopping to enjoy the rapids flowing below while taking advantage of the warming sun when available.

Since we worked up an appetite coasting down this trail, we took advantage of a trail-side café and had lunch along the way.

 

We drove the hour back, took another nap, then enjoyed a delicious grass fed beef pot roast I had cooking in the crock pot all day for our romantic anniversary dinner. Life is good.

As we now sit, Norm is watching the Bruins playoff game, and I am catching up with this blog.

This a one of several fly-fisherman we saw taking advantage of the great trout fishing here.
  This is one of many platforms built to allow the handicapped to fish as well!
How fabulous is that?

Day 3 - Winnsboro, SC to Max Meadows, VA

Friday, June 14, 2013

Today we are heading to Virginia so we may finally bike the Virginia Creeper Trail from Whitetop to Demascus.  It should be absolutely fabulous since the weather turned cool ( 30 degrees cooler ) and I understand that after heavy rains the gorge is teaming with spectacular waterfalls.

Fort Chiswell Campground
Quite nice. Trees, grass, some space and nice folks.

 

We changed our mind on our campground choice.  Instead of driving up to the top of the mountain with the motorhome, we decided to stay at this very nice place at the bottom where we stayed last year called Fort Chiswell RV Campground in Max Meadows, Va.  This is a very nice campground considering it is right off the highway.  There are  huge cow covered hills surrounding us, so it seems a lot more remote than it actually is.  We find the people here unusually friendly, and most of the motorhomes unsually large. We met a couple that spends a lot of time visiting The Villages, and plays a ton of pickleball there.  Hopefully they will contact us next time they are there.

View up the river from the rail trail

 After taking a much needed nap, we inquired where there was a nearby hike.  We were told “ oh, yeah! go to Foster Falls!” After following the given directions, we approached the state park entrance, and asked which way to the trail that took us to the Falls.  We just could not understand why this guy looked at us like we were crazy.  We kept asking the question in different ways so he would just stop looking at us that way, wondering why he could not answer such a simple question.  Well,  Norm and I eventually learned that “ Foster Falls “ is a town, not a geological occurance!  Boy, we felt stupid!  It ended up being just a lovely walk in the woods, on a fabulous rail trail that was part of New River Trail State Park. Such beauty!  This place was so incredible!  They had facilities to rent canoes and kayaks to enjoy the crystal clear river and rapids, bicycles and gorgeous horses to enjoy the perfect tails!  Oh, I would love to live here.

Oh my goodness! They certainly grow poison ivy here!
It grows so big you would swear it was a tree! Yikes!
It is a good thing I have a "poison ivy radar".

                                                                                                                                                                                     




We got back, had a lovely dinner, finally enjoying the great outdoors.  Ohhh, this is nice.

Day 2 - Brunswick, Georgia to Winnsboro, SC

June 13^th, Thursday

State Park Campsites are NOT for everyone.  But Norm and I can
pretend we are in a large, warm ( or cool ) dry tent!

Today was just a day of travel. It was another extremely hot day as we drove about 4 ½ hours and arrived at Wateree State Park in Brunswick, Georgia.  Now these are the type of sites we prefer!  Very wooded and pretty secluded. Norman expertly backed in the very narrow site, missing all the trees! What a nice way to start the trip! It was mid-week so the huge lake it sat on was very quiet, but I understand that on weekends, it is crazy out there with all the high powered motorboats.  Needless to say,we LOVE campgrounds during the week!

Campground Manager AND Electrician?
I sure hope he turned off the power......

 We have a very sophisticated voltage surge protector that we plug into the electrical outlet on all campgrounds in case there is a problem that could cause great damage to our home on wheels. Well, today it detected a problem.  We called the office and a very clever state park manager came and found that the ground was faulty. He completely rewired the post, and we were finally able to turn the AC on. Thank goodness!  He was very impressed with our device, and said it probably saved us from some serious damage. He said he would not have found the problem had we not had it.  Yeah!  It was so nice to hear, because it is one of those things that you spend hundreds of dollars on and might wonder if it was worth it.  I guess this time, it was.

We had dinner, and played Rummikub during a pretty significant thunderstorm. Oh, it so nice staying dry!  The weather alert radio kept going off, but we didn't know what county we were in, so we need to add that to our list of questions during check in during this crazy and dangerous weather.   

THE START OF A NEW JOURNEY - CANADIAN MARITIMES PART TWO- 2013

This new format might be a little more user friendly.  Just click anywhere on the post, and the entire article and photos can be read.  This year I have a new camera and hope to take a lot more, and hopefully better, pictures for your enjoyment. I would love your feedback.

Off we go!

Wednesday, June 12^th 2013

Last summer, if you remember, we called it quits after 2 ½ months on the road touring Ottawa, Quebec, The Gaspe Peninsula, and a glorious month in Newfoundland.  We decided we would return this year, as planned, to thoroughly enjoy New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. We intend to slow down and “smell the roses”, without any schedules to meet other than Halifax’s International Tattoo the first week of July.

We spent the last several weeks taking care of any maintenance needed on the motorhome, and making our Florida house “Hurricane ready”.  The freezer in the RV is packed with all sorts of organic meats and chicken which we surprisingly were not able to find in Canada last year.  We are able to bring 20 pounds of each over the border, and it will be close.

How nice!  Holes in the barrier for Turtle Crossings!

Well, finally the date of departure has arrived, and we took off at 11:07 heading for our overnight destination of Golden Isles RV Park in Brunswick, Georgia.  It had everything we needed.  50 amp electrical, water and sewer hookups, plus the bonus of cable TV as well. Sites were level and even with a decent amount of space between them.  TV was a priority for Norm since his hometown hockey team, The Boston Bruins, are in the Playoffs. They unfortunately lost their first game against the Chicago Black Hawks enduring many hours of overtime, finally ending after 1:00 AM.

When we arrived it was pretty close to 100 degrees F. The motorhome had difficulty battling the sun beating off the aluminum box, so we decided to go check out St. Simon Island. I really wanted to go walk in the ocean.

Norm installing new shade in 20 seconds.  Blocks the sun
and people can no longer see in!  Awesome!

It was so hot it took the tow car about 15 minutes to get cool.  I can’t say I have experienced this kind of beating heat before.  I am glad we are heading north, but wish we had done it 2 days sooner.  Last year we were able to stay 1 day ahead of the extreme heat when we went north, and 1 day ahead of the frost on the return.  We were so lucky!  As long as we stay out of the way of a tornado, I will be happy. (well, not really, I hate the heat.)

The beach was very lovely, so we were very surprised there were not more people there.
Next time we will have to bring chairs, books
and a picnic!

Underwater metal detector?

Norm and I decided to eat out since it was just too hot to cook.  We found a restaurant that was the favorite of the locals, and we totally agree!  Crabdaddy’s Seafood Bar and Grill.  The PEI mussels were recommended as was the unbelievable Crab Soup!  Best I have ever had, and I now wish I got another cup of soup “to go “. I will be dreaming about that soup for years to come.