Back in New England

The ride to Sturbridge, MA was short and easy. The park ranger at Wells State Park said my site was a pull through. None of the MA State Parks have sites with services (i.e., water, electric, or sewer). I pulled up to the site and got out to walk through it since it sure didn't look like a pull through. As I got near the back of the wooded site, Don & Sherry on the adjacent site yelled to me that it wasn't a pull through for anything more than a bicycle. They apparently did the same thing I did when they arrived about an hour earlier. Don suggested I drive down the road a short distance to a turn around and back in from the opposite direction and he'd help guide me in. It sounded about right and I was very glad he had offered to help, it was greatly appreciated. With his help guiding me I got in, leveled the rig a little, although it still had a bit of a tilt, set up, opened the slides and then went over to Don and Sherry to thank them and chat awhile. I met their toy Pomeranian, Ginger. What a cute puppy! The three of us sat and chatted awhile, sipping beer. It was an enjoyable afternoon.

The next day I toured the Old Sturbridge Village. It's an interesting place, much larger than I thought. The day was pretty hot and only a few of the buildings had a/c (the gift shop, restaurant, and a candle store). I took a little boat ride that included lots of information about the village. It wasn't crowded and I had a chance to have a long conversation with the enacter in the period print shop. Among my first "real" jobs was working in print shops. I enjoyed that profession. It's a whole industry that no longer exists what with computers and copy machines. Having just finished reading the biography of John Adams, I almost felt I knew the village. It seemed like what our founding fathers would have lived and known. It made me wonder if what our cities are today is really progress. I spent the evening sitting with Don & Sherry again. Ginger is almost getting me to rethink travelling with a puppy. She took to me real quick. She would play if I played. If I slowly pet her she'd curl up on my lap and nap. Don & Sherry live in RI. Sherry works for a major lighting manufacturer and was studying for an LED certification she has to take. Don was out of work the day we met but got a call to start a job working with boat engines when he returns home. Another nice evening. The next day I went to Brimfield to see the antiques. I had heard of this place for many years but had never been before. The entire town is lined with tents and stands selling all kinds of treasures. It was a very hot day!. Lots of interesting things to see and lots of strange people. It sure is true that "one persons junk is another's treasure"! The evening was again spent hanging out with Don, Sherry, and Ginger. We hung out every afternoon. On the day before I was leaving I drove Don to do some shopping. He then cooked a delicious sausage, pepper, and onion dish he put into a hero sandwich. We sat eating and chatting. They invited me to camp with them when I get to RI next year. I think we'll remain friends for a long time.

The morning I was leaving I walked down the park path to throw out my garbage and a baby bear ran across the path about 15 feet in front of me. It was about two feet high and maybe three feet long. Some nutty guy was walking fast, following the bear. I suggested he may not want to do that. He said he just wanted to get a photo. I shared with him that where's there's a baby bear, mama's probably not too far behind. The garbage dump was near the park ranger station so I stopped by to let them know about the bear. They told me the mama and baby had been spotted around the park the past few days. They were going to check around and warn people about basic bear "courtesy" and safety.

My drive to Cold Brook, NY began real nice. It was a beautiful day and most of the planned 3 1/2 hour drive was on I-90. I got off the highway where the GPS said and before I knew it I was on a dirt and gravel road, real rough. About 10 miles down the road I come across a sign "Construction, road closed"!! I was not a happy camper! I had only one way to turn and it looked like a small farm road. After a few miles I came to a larger county road. The GPS was still directing me back to the closed road. Instead of following the GPS I headed on the larger road in the general direction where I thought the campground was. After another few miles the GPS finally recalculated a new set of roads. When I got within 1/2 mile of the campground I came upon yet more road work with a huge dump truck blocking the road which appeared closed. I asked the truck driver if I could get through and they moved the construction equipment to let me get by. I was exhausted when I pulled in after about an hour's more driving than I had anticipated. Anne, the campground owner, got me smiling and improved my mood immediately. My site was super easy to pull into, full services, and the sat. dish immediately picked up the Direct TV. Unfortunately, cell service is real weak in the area.

The cg seems to back up to the Adirondack park and has some spectacular views. There are a few nice trails, a golf driving range, and a swimming pool that even has some shade. Apparently Marge, another LoW member whom I met a few months ago camping in Shelbourne Falls, MA, knew I was on my way. She had been driving behind me on I-90 when I turned off at exit #29. She stayed on I-90 and came here a back way. I thought the LoW gtg was next weekend, but it was this weekend and several LoW members were already here. This gtg is a joint one between the Yankee LoW's (some of whom I'd already met a few months ago) and the UNI-LoW's (Upstate New Yorker's). In all there are about 20 rigs. The pot luck was incredible! Each and every dish was truly delicious. Anne ran a tractor pulling a hay wagon each evening. A bunch of us LoW's piled in, singing every old song anyone could think of at the top of our lungs all around the cg and for a mile of so around the farm community. It was great fun. Several of us also spent time cooling off in the pool. I learned some new card games and we had lots of conversation. All in all, a good time.

While in the area I got to explore a little of Rome, Utica, and Herkimer, NY, and the surrounding Mohawk Valley. I had a great afternoon at Fort Stanwix in Rome and yet again learned more in a short tour about specifics of the pre-revolution and revolutionary war in this part of the country than I ever learned in school. The tour of the Saranac Brewery was interesting and I got to see some of Utica. It was interesting to see the McSorley's Ale House private label beer that Saranac made. I spent a few years of my misguided youth drinking at McSorley's on 7th street in Manhattan. Lots of great memories. I took a train ride on the Adirondack Scenic Railway. It was a doo wop train with waitresses dressed in poodle skirts, playing 50's music, dancing with us, and playing with hula hoops. The ride was about 90 minutes through the Adirondacks. We stopped at a 50's themed restaurant for burgers and malts and they rode back with more 50's songs. It was a great day.

The drive to the Yankee LoW gtg in Andover, VT was easy. I pulled into an I-90 rest area to walk and stretch. When I walked back to my rig a couple had parked next to me in a Jayco Eagle 5th wheel. They were walking around my RV sort of checking it out. We chatted for about 1/2 hour before heading out. The VT cg is bigger than I imagined. I can't believe the fee is only $10 a night with full hook ups. They have some long standing deal with LoW's that they honor regardless of how long someone stays. My full three weeks for only $210, incredible! Several LoW's are already here, many of whom I know from either the Shelbourne Falls, MA gtg, the Cold Brook, NY gtg, or both. There are even three members who I met in FL last Fall. I have a full hook up site up a steep hill. The gtg is on the other side of the road and doesn't have sewer hook ups. The cg offered to give me a site near the gtg and then move me next week. I didn't like the sharp turns to get in and don't mind walking the 2/10's or 3/10's of a mile each way to the gtg. A few of us went out in Marge's car to get grocery's for our pot luck tomorrow. It rained every afternoon but the cg had a covered pavilion that we used for our breakfasts, pot lucks, and playing games. Other than hanging out we all went for dinner in Ludlow one night. I had five of us piled in my truck as I drove over a short cut, dirt & gravel mountain road. The daily rain washed out part of the road going into the gtg's side of the cg. My truck had no problem making it but several of those pulling cars quickly drove them to my side of the cg fearing they wouldn't be able to get them out. The cg quickly filled the wash out almost as soon as the rain stopped. Still, it was yet another reason I'm glad I stayed on my side of the road.

Some of the LoW campers wondered what I'd do in such a remote area for three weeks, especially with no cell service. For the two weeks remaining after the gtg ended I: went to a farmers market, toured the Calvin Coolidge homestead, saw Fiddler on the Roof at a local playhouse, took a Murder Mystery train ride, hiked a little at a park I'd hiked several times, many years ago, went to a Hops & Wings competition, toured the Long Trail Brewery, toured three cheese factories, a marble museum, and a maple syrup museum, toured Rutland and the Clinton Castle, and even took another horseback ride. I got lucky at the Calvin Coolidge homestead in stumbling across a celebration day with a chicken barbecue and lots of activities. In the Coolidge museum I got to talking with a woman who was fascinated by my full time RV'ing. She told me stories of when she and her husband took nine months to walk across the USA. The artisan cheese factory on the homestead site was founded by Coolidge's father and still operates. I enjoyed a wine and cheese tasting they had going on. Fiddler on the Roof was great. I really think local, country playhouse are way better than Broadway. You sit close with no long lines or parking issues. The settings are intimate and friendly. The Murder Mystery train was really great. There was a mother/daughter team playing the roles of a chief detective and her assistant. As they played out their parts they gave clues to the murderer. On our way back they gave out cards for us to record our guess. I actually won and received a hand painted bottle. It was fun! The scenery was beautiful riding thru the VT country side. Okemo Mountain resort was hosting their second annual Hops & Wings competition. It was a tough vote since all the wings were great. I liked the hard ciders better than the local beers. It's amazing how many local breweries there are. It was a little sad driving by an Inn I'd gone to many times from the early 1970's up to 1990. The Inn was in disrepair and for sale, and the general store about a 1/2 mile down the road had burned down several years ago. I enjoyed the Inn with it's tennis court, in door and out door pools, fantastic restaurant, adjacent to Gifford Woods State Park, and across the country road from a small lake with row boats and canoes. I would walk to the general store on Sunday mornings for a newspaper and then enjoy french toast from home made bread, each slice about two inches thick. There was a restaurant a few miles down the road where the waiters & waitresses would sing while serving great meals. It too burned down years ago. Sad, but life goes on.

The ride to Central Bridge, NY was real easy. I'd just been here this past March with my kids. We went to Howe Caverns and the Baseball Hall of Fame. I'm only staying a few days to break up my ride to the RV dealer in PA. I can't believe it's been a year already. Wow, did it go fast! No sat. service at the cg but at least I have cell and web access. I went to an Indian Museum which had lots of artifacts and gave a great history of the six tribes who inhabited this area. The Secret Caverns was interesting. They have a 100 foot waterfall underground. It comes from an underground river and eventually flows to a small stream in the valley. Fascinating! I had dinner one night in the same barbecue place the kids and I went to this past March. In the few days I spent in the area I also toured a museum complex in an old stone fort, went to a little country/general store and got some fresh farm fruits and vegetables, and enjoyed the cg's Halloween in August. I'll spend most of tomorrow (Sunday) driving to the RV dealer. Just a check up, no problems. The rig has a one year warranty so I may as well have all the systems checked out.