Postcard from Pennsylvania- 1

Posted on Tuesday, 18 September 2012 by bruce10b

16-18 September 2012

Lake Ariel, PA

This was a fortunate stop. Never been here before, of course, so I had no idea what we were getting into. I had the impression from the name that Clayton Park Recreational Area was a state park. That’s not the case. This is a private campground on a huge piece of property in the Pocono mountains right on Lake Ariel. Just a short drive from the slightly (!) larger town of Mt. Cobb, PA.

When I booked I thought it was for 1 nite, but I was happy to learn I had actually booked for 2 nites. The 17th was a glorious, sunny day. We enjoyed the restful quiet of the park so much (we were nearly the only ones there during the day) that we added another day so we didn’t have to be on the road in the expected heavy rain on the 18th.

And rain it did! Our rain gauge said we had 2.37″ of the stuff but it felt like 10″. Walking the dogs was a giant pain, but I managed to get out in slight lulls in the nearly steady downpour. Unfortunately the rain collected right where the drivers door of the truck was located. The rain had stopped, but the water was over the top of my boots. So I climbed in thru the passenger door and snaked (oozed?!) into the drivers seat and shifted the truck enough that I could connect and pull out at an angle. The ground is very solid so there was no real threat of getting stuck… just a problem getting into the truck.

Here are a few shots from the 17th.

All these rigs have a full side view of the lake. Wonder
how many years it took to get thru that waiting list!

The park continues in to the other side of the cove.

Great place to watch the sunset or just doze in the sun.

The season is changing fast now!

The tiny cove where owners launch their boat.

Off to Virginia tomorrow. More along the way…

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Postcard from Massachusetts- 1

Posted on Saturday, 15 September 2012 by bruce10b

14-15 September

Sturbridge, MA

Friday AM we were on our way to Jellystone Park in Sturbridge, MA. Sturbridge is the home of Old Sturbridge Village. OSV is similar to Colonial Williamsburg in VA if that helps. Now that I’ve seen both, I think of Williamsburg as being a place for upper-middle class families, but OSV seems to have been home to middle class families in about 1834. They were farmers with much of their production consumed and some sold/traded. We hiked around the site till lunch, then I went back to the trailer an walked the dogs. Then it was back to OSV for some more looking around. It’s was well worth the $22 ea for entry (Seniors price). If you’re in the area you owe it to yourself to visit. I filled 2 memory cards and went thru 2 batteries… everywhere you look is a photo op!

Jellystone Park was less of a happy experience than the Jellystone Park in Sioux Falls: in Sturbridge it’s sand & dirt, small spaces, terrible access roads. I was expecting better than the very rustic, but it was all of 5 minutes from OSV, so convenience made up for a lot. Sites are small and typical of much of what you find in the east where these campgrounds are very old.

Here’s a few of the photos from the day. More later…

Entrance area to Old Sturbridge Village

Oxen in the field to demo plowing… or maybe fertilizing!

The reality of getting a drink of water or taking a bath!

A small house. Only wallpaper for insulation.

Basket making in her spare time. 10 hrs/day was devoted
to the main meal!

The docents were in costume but not in character
as I found in Williamsburg.
Found the silhouette fascinating.
The Quaker Meeting House.

More window stuff
Quaker Meeting House interior with its
2 floors of seating. The rows of seats
were inclined to allow those in the
back to see over those in front.
Small pastures for the sheep.

They were dying wool beside the barn. Took her 2 hours
of feeding wood to get the cauldron to boil!

Village center. Old Sturbrige Village, restored to ca. 1830,
was first opened to the public in 1946.

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Postcard from Maine- 7

Posted on Thursday, 13 September 2012 by bruce10b

10-13 September 2012

Durham, ME

There was a lot of creaking and groaning as we pulled out of Trenton, ME. It worried me till I realized it was just my joints. Old age is not for wimps! Now we’re back in Durham again for a last 4-day visit before we leave for points West.We had a really nice drive with partly cloudy skies. So we had frequent sunshine to light up the very green countryside.

Mileage was terrible, however, as we headed North to I-395 near Bangor, ME- on the order of about 8 mpg for the 35+ miles from Trentin to Bangor. Like many who live on the West coast and have lived or driven in the Rockies or the Sierra Nevadas, I tended to scoff at the piddly bumps on the Eastern landscape that are called mountains. Now that I’ve driven in these wannabe-hills, however, I’ve come to realize that whatever they may lack in elevation, these ‘bumps’ more than make up for in grade change. I can’t imagine driving an RV through this area if it doesn’t have the torque of a diesel engine! Owners I’ve talked to that drive gassers routinely get 4-5 mpg in these hills. So I guess 8 mpg from Trenton to Bangor was not unreasonable. From Bangor to Durham (near Yarmouth) the mileage crept up to 10 mpg overall after the last 105 miles.

We had a nice but brief visit with Brad & family. Stayed with Elin & Ingrid while mom & dad went to an open house at the school. Then we got together for pizza (Flat Bread Pizza in Portland) which was excellent. Especially since Brad brought it home with him… no driving!

Btw, if you should find yourself in Yarmouth and in need of a meal, be sure to stop at Bruce’s Burritos. We really enjoyed what we had there!

Moose sighting!

And all this time I thought it was a conspiracy: Mainers claiming to have moose just to keep tourists coming back. But I’m here to tell yuh they do have moose. We found this guy at a rest stop of all places. He was reluctant to have his photo taken, but the Admiral sweet talked him into it!

The only moose we saw all summer.

Sony NEX-7 camera

Btw, I shoot with a Sony NEX-7 digital camera. Initially I had a few complaints, like the ^%$#!* Video button that is so easy to hit accidentally. And the mindless nature of the Menu system that has to be drilled thru to find what you want. I suppose there are reasons for taking the path they did, but it escapes me. It has taken 6 months, but both have been beaten into submission:

  • I bought The Guard from Ric Luther for $20 shipped. It makes it very difficult to activate the Video button and that’s just fine with me! I previously had hours of video of my feet!
  • I bought Gary Friedman’s NEX-7 e-book (supplied with both Kindle & PDF files) which suggests several menu customization changes that have made a world of difference! Very readable and he’s a knowledgeable photo professional.

Now that I have my camera set up in a way that fits my approach to shooting, I at long last find the camera intuitive. And the images excellent… far better than I’m able to make use of! If you shoot with a DSLR and are tired of carrying all the bulk and weight, I’d suggest looking into the Sony NEX-series of mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. With the right selection of lens a NEX can be carried in a jacket pocket. And, depending on the model, the camera features are right up there with many DSLRs.

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Postcard from Maine- 6

Posted on Monday, 3 September 2012 by bruce10b

4 September 2012

Trenton, ME
The temps dropped a few days ago. And for the last 2 nights the furnace cycled a couple times. Hmm… I think I remember something about this sort of thing.  What’s going on? Could it be that fall is getting closer? Nah… plenty of time yet. Back in the high 70s tomorrow!

But it is getting close to the time we’ll head West. I’ll have to check the tires and the fluid levels. And I suppose I’d better lube the trailer’s shackles and axle bearing since I have those fancy ‘wet shackles’ and the axles have Zerk fittings. And maybe wash the windows on the truck. Oh- and some fuel in the tank would be nice.

Now, where did I put the #^%$ truck keys?!

We’ve been here so long it’s beginning to feel about that detached. Weeds are getting embarrassingly long under the rig. And the dogs have learned when to go to the door to wait for their favorite people to bark at. But what really got me thinking about this is the folks beside us just fired up their engine to make sure it still runs (it does; and diesel exhaust still stinks too). That and the fact our rent is about to run out after the 9th. And blueberry season is over.

So it looks like we’ll be on our way about 10 September. We’ll stop first at the KOA in Durham to visit our family in Yarmouth. Then while we’re there we’ll figure out the best way to get across the country without melting since it’s still hitting mid-100° F in Oklahoma City!! Not that we particularly love OKC- it just happens to be real close to the shortest line you can draw between Maine and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Halleluiah

We finally had an awakening that we were killing ourselves with the local Maine ice cream. (Here’s where you say: “Really? What was your first clue, Sherlock?!”) About 3 weeks ago we got back on the wagon and have been eating what is for us proper meals. The one thing we indulged in last week was a lobster roll down the road at Hot Dog Heaven and it was an excellent treat. No ice cream and we immediately got back on track. What we’re doing is pretty simple:

  • nothing white but a cup of milk on the morning cereal
  • no more than 4 oz. of lean meat or fish per day
  • aim for 25-35 gr of fiber daily
  • only whole grains (no processed flour or white rice; a small potato if it has the skin on)
  • leafy green veggies as a salad before the entree
  • limit sugar at any meal to no more than 25 gr
  • lots of veggies (about the only way you can hit the fiber goal)
  • about 15-120 min. after every meal, go for a 15-20 min. walk
  • fruit or a yogurt for a snack

Certainly not the Atkins diet, and not quite a vegetarian diet. But a lot better way to eat than we’ve been doing by hitting local restaurants. We got this approach (in a lot more detail) from Karon Rzad, a Key West nutritionist I was sent to in late 2003. No calories to count since the calories take care of themselves if you meet these criteria.

Schedule

Schedules are evil. We learned that when we were cruising. You get in trouble following them cuz they make you drive longer or faster in a day than is safe; they can leave you in campground you don’t particularly like to meet someone who may or may not show up; and worst case can leave you without a campground. Yeah, there’s always a WalMart parking lot (unless they don’t permit it in that location), but we try to keep that for emergencies.

But we have doctor/dentist appointments starting 18 October and we thought Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta didn’t end till 16 October. That meant our usual RV park (Santa Fe Skies) would be booked. Thankfully we had the dates wrong: Balloon Fiesta ends 14 October and not 16 October, so they should be able to find space for us by then. We had wanted to be back in Benson by 1 October but that’s just not going to happen.

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Postcard from Maine- 5

Posted on Sunday, 19 August 2012 by bruce10b

20 August 2012

Trenton, ME

“OK dude… why the silence? You awake out there?”

Yup, we’re awake. Still hanging out in coastal Maine. The weather here beats pretty much the whole rest of the US this summer, so we’re not anxious to move too soon to get back to the Southwest.

Which presents a dilemma. We managed to schedule doctor/dentist appointments in Santa Fe at the same time as the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. How smart is that?! Not very if past experience is any measure. Every RV park within 100 miles of ABQ will be booked for that week plus a few days before and after. Not sure how to deal with that… workin’ on it.

Fat Farm

We’ve discovered a hidden treasure in Maine. They have a ‘fat farm’ here. Usually that means a place to go to lose some unwanted fat. In this case, though, the fat farm puts weight on you.

The center of this conspiracy happens to be Gifford’s ice cream. I can’t believe Maine isn’t the heart attack/stroke capital of the US! Great ice cream and all our favorite flavors, but without Dr. Oz looking over our shoulder we’ve gone nuts. I bet I’ve added at least 10 lbs. It’s been a month since I’ve seen my shoes while I’m wearing them!

So you’ve been warned: if you come to Maine, be prepared to have some of the best ice cream available in the US. Just make sure you’re prepared for the consequences! Our favorites are…

  • Gifford’s- Sold most places including Hannaford’s and Shaw’s supermarkets. We’ve tried blueberry, moose tracks, vanilla, and chocolate.
  • Rich’s of Maine- not easily found. We’ve tried vanilla and blueberry.
  • Scoops- a tiny independent in the Ellsworth Harbor parking lot. They offer their own homemade ice cream and it’s excellent. We’ve tried apricot-peach (wow!), and chocolate.

The B-List

It’s expensive in this part of Maine whether you’re eating out or cooking at home. It’s tourist heaven and, since locals only have 4 months to earn most of their annual living, prices are higher than we find comfortable. So when we eat out we look for the least costly that’s good enough to go back. So if you don’t want to eat at the very best places, here’s our B-List of a few which meet our very loose criteria. In no particular order…

  • Hot Dog Heaven– About a 1/4 mile S of Timberland Acres RV Park on Bar Harbor Rd in Trenton. HDH is a one-man show with only occasional help at the counter (so it can be slow). John serves a great chili/cheese dog, his lobster and crab rolls are wonderful, and his fish chowder is excellent. And of course Gifford’s for dessert. Order at the counter; no inside seating… just picnic tables. And his food is great! He closes Columbus Day, then spends his winter in Jamaica recovering from working 7 days per week.
  • Pat’s Pizza– On Bar Harbor Rd just before the turn to WalMart when driving N. Been around for decades. They have good pizza, good design-your-own hamburgers, and they have specials each nite. For instance, on our first visit they had lobster rolls for $10.95 which is the best price in town. Save room for carrot cake!
  • Governor’s Restaurant and Bakery– They’re on High St. near Hannaford’s. Breakfast anytime they’re open. Everything is good but I really liked the Memphis Bacon/Cheeseburger and Celia liked the Southwest omelet. And try the fritter for dessert: a combo of apple fritter, chunky applesauce, caramel and Gifford’s ice cream. The bakery was only OK except for the bread was excellent (they’ll slice it for you if you want).
  • Jordan’s– Another walk-up place but it also has a dining room in the adjacent building where you can take your food if you don’t want to eat in the truck. They have hamburgers, dogs, lobster ($$) or crab ($) rolls. They brag about their onion rings, but I thought they were just so-so.
  • Martha’s Cafe (was Martha’s Diner till Martha changed the name)- It’s next to Shaw’s Market on High St. She serves breakfast and lunch only, then closes at 2 PM. And bring cash… no CCs here. Everything we’ve tried has been good including the Rueben. If you like maple syrup on your pancakes, plan on smuggling your own cuz it costs a small fortune to buy hers!
  • Union River Lobster Pot– In Ellsworth on (surprise!) the Union River, just over the bridge. This upper end place (white table cloths, waiters, casual dress) serves lobster serveral different ways plus clams, fish, etc. Not the kind of place we go very often, but what we had was good. You need reservations here.
  • Ruth & Wimpy’s– A lower-middle place in nearby Hancock (east of Ellsworth) with high end prices. The usual lobster/crab/fish offerings. I did a double take at the prices ($28 for a lobster in a diner-style restaurant?!) till I saw the section with ‘baskets’. A lobster roll was no pricier than anywhere else. The home made blueberry pie was definitely blueberry, but nothing to write home about. The problem was probably that it wasn’t yet blueberry season (duh!).

Here are some that were only so-so or that we were warned away from…

  • The Mex– I guess the rule of thumb is you don’t come to Maine for Mexican food!
  • Mainely-Meat– A BBQ place in Bar Harbor on ME-3 & in downtown Ellsworth . Only so-so. Again, when you think of BBQ, is it Maine you think of first? Probably not. But it was definitely better than what we had in Batavia, NY.
  • Helen’s– on US-1 near Home Depot. We tried to like this place but looks can be deceiving. The food was not well prepared and the recipes left me wondering (lasagna Alfredo? Maybe, but it’s not on my short list of favorites!). The desserts looked great but had apparently been sitting too long: the genuine whipped cream topping was stiff enough to be used as a Frisbee.

Celia had lunch with friends at Jordan Pond House in Acadia NP. High end, in a prime location, and quite literally world famous. Apparently parking was chaotic which made it dicey to arrive on time for their reservation (recommended). Prices were $$$, food was good (but skip the lobster soup… not enough lobster). Jordan Pond House is famous for its popovers. If they’re anything like I had when there in 1971, they’re outstanding! Everyone needs to go Jordan Pond House at least once so you can have bragging rights. But if you have a long bed dually like us, better find another way to get there!

And if you don’t know what a popover is, check out Wikipedia.

Along the road.

Watch for the road side stands. That’s where you can buy good berries in-season. You’ll find (in order of appearance) strawberries, then (briefly!) raspberries, and finally blueberries. We lucked out cuz the park has a local that supplies each of these as they become available. A local drops them off as she makes her rounds. We paid $5.50 for a quart of blueberries. However…

When we took a drive northeast we made it as far as Columbia Falls, ME to the Wild Blueberry Land. Kinda’ looks like the Giant Orange roadside stands we used to see in California except it’s blue and doesn’t have orange juice. They sell blueberries and pretty much anything made with blueberries like pie, jams & jellies, candy. Whatever. I coaxed The Admiral into buying a blueberry pie which I later discovered cost $17. Yikes! The point is, don’t get too carried away with local food and crafts. The local dude a 1/4 mile down the road from the RV park is selling the same things and wants $11 for a pie.

Off to the vet

Annie has struggled since we left the southwest. She keeps getting hotspots. Probably from bug bites or maybe it started from inadequate rinsing from the last bath before leaving. Whatever, she would get over one, then another would start. We went to a vet in Michigan, just north of Elkhart, IN; then we called the vet in Santa Fe and got Cephalexin via WalMart; then when she got her 4th or 5th infection we decided she needed to see a vet again. We found Oceanside Animal Hospital here in Trenton, about 1.5 miles south of us on ME-3 (Bar Harbor Rd.). Oceanside AH is run by Darryl Burmeister, DVM. He did a thorough check of Annie looking for hotspots we may have missed (we hadn’t, but he found all the old ones); treated the worst site; then sent us on our way with prescriptions for Prednisone and Cephalexin.

About a week later Kelly started having a problem for the first time. She licked and chewed her way through the hair on her side and managed to get a big old smelly site going in a matter of a few hours. Back to Oceanside.

This time Darryl-the-vet said he thought Kelly wasn’t far enough advanced to require Prednisone, so she was treated (shaved the site and disinfected it) and sent us home with just Cephalexin. Again, the treatment was like magic. Both dogs are doing great now and we couldn’t be happier with Oceanside Animal Hospital for care of our dogs. So if you find yourself in the area of Trenton/Ellsworth in Maine and in need of a vet, consider Oceanside as our suggestion.

Btw, Annie & Kelly routinely get a pro-biotic every morning, so antibiotics are seldom an issue for diarrhea or loose bowels. Prednisone, however, made Annie have to pee every hour only to slurp up more water. Had to get up several times the first night. Which is not a problem since I have to get up just as often for myself! Annie did complain about having to shave several times a day, but hey… that’s life in the truck lane!

More coming. May try to get out of here about the first of September depending on the weather west of us.

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