Travel w/the Stocks to SD, ND, IA, NY and New England

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ArdraF said:
Very interesting about the Amana Colonies and how it all evolved.  Courtship and marriage was certainly unusual.  It seems they were a little more willing to adapt modern items, such as telephones.  To this day, when you drive around Amish and Mennonite areas of Pennsylvania, their homes do not have telephone or electric lines going to them.  One of my cousins lives in eastern PA and they had a house fire.  Their Amish friends were all willing to come help them rebuild with the one condition that someone would have to come pick them up and take them home because they don't drive cars.  Also she told me the young people go into town and use cell phones.

ArdraF

Funny thing--I thought of you when I wrote up the capitol in Des Moines and the Amana Colonies.  The Amish were much less isolationist.  The Amish rules vary greatly and are established by each congregation.  Some allow a telephone booth, as long as it is 100 feet from the house.  When we were in Indiana, we had a quilt made for us by an Amish woman, brokered by a Mennonite.  He told a story of how he paid her by how much thread she used.  After she finished a quilt, he paid her.  Later, she found some thread that she hadn't used, so she walked over 2 miles to his home to return the thread and the extra money instead of just waiting for next time an order was placed, as I might have done.  Imagine his shock when visiting in her home, and a phone in the closet rang.  She was very embarrassed!  So, it isn't just the teenagers who use the phones now.  So many of them have had to go out and work that they now get special dispensations to use electric tools, etc. in their jobs, but they are totally off the grid at home.
 
Day 12 September 12, 2015 Erie, PA

Sometimes we ask, "What else can go wrong?" , but we really know it could be a lot worse. 

What went right--We didn't get lost, and it was freeway all the way. 

What went wrong--Dean tried to install our CD for East Coast navigating, and he can't get the West Coast disc to eject.  He spent 30 minutes looking through paperwork, studying the manual, and calling Airstream.  He found the number, and was irate when no one answered because they are open until 7:00 PM our time.  It was with a heavy heart that I reminded him that it was Saturday, and they only work 5 days a week.  It rained heavily all day, and our windshield wiper mechanism (not the blade) needs to be replaced, and everybody is "booking fall appointments now" and their calendars are full until mid-October.  This one was Dean's fault, though, because he should have delayed the trip and had it repaired before we left.  As he said, "But, it was in the 90's and not raining then."  When we arrived in Erie, it was a cold, windy, rainy 57?, and our heater didn't work.  Dean had to go out into the rain to diagnose it.  We did get lucky because all it needed was fluid.  Because of the storm, we have no TV or Internet.  When we stowed the RV 2 years ago, we had no leaks.  Today, we discovered we have 2 leaks, one by each of the skylights.  Dean will have to go up on the roof to repair them, so we're using towels for now, but....he has come down with the flu this evening and can't keep food down, so he definitely shouldn't be up on the roof caulking or whatever else you do.  We had a romantic dinner planned for the #1 restaurant in Erie, but rather than getting soaked taking the toad off and re-hooking it up, he opted for chili, which didn't work out well at all.  I love my Walmart Reviews app (Allstays), and it said we could stay on Ridge Rd., in Erie, PA.  I called, and they said no way--it's heavily patrolled by the township and they give expensive tickets.  At least, I did find another one nearby.

Tomorrow is projected to be sunny.  We're hoping our list of what went right will be very long.  RVing sharpens one's problem solving skills!

Bundled up and staying at the Downs Drive Walmart in Erie, PA.

Day 13 September 13, 2015 E. Syracuse, NY

Much, much better day, but it was overcast, not sunny.  We had some light rain and lots of wind.  Easy drive, and only 200 miles to Albany tomorrow.

Still bundled up in 50's weather at a different Walmart.
 
Day 13 September 13, 2015 E. Syracuse, NY

Much, much better day, but it was overcast, not sunny.  We had some light rain and lots of wind.  Easy drive, and only 200 miles to Albany tomorrow.

Still bundled up in 50's weather at Walmart.

Day 14 September 14, 2015 (Albany), Schenectady, NY

We traveled on good roads.  Dean isn't feeling well, so we stayed in.

Arrowhead Marina & RV Park--$30.60/night, W & E only, forested, no satellite, free Wifi by office

Day 15 September 15, 2015 Schenectady, (Albany), NY

Dean was sick, so we decided not to go into Albany.  I ran errands to get the 1 available bottle of boiler anti-freeze  to get our heater going.  Albany RV was the only place within 300 miles that had it, and I had to get Imodium for Dean.  I had to go about 30 minutes to Albany RV, and I swear that Dunkin Donuts clone themselves.  I thought I'd pick up a salad or sandwich at a drive-thru and didn't see any (Later when Dean was driving, I did, but my focus was the crazy New York drivers).  When I got near the RV park, I went through the Dunkin Donuts Drive-Thru, and I asked, "What is your healthiest, or least unhealthy, item on the menu?"  He replied, "Oh, the egg whites on flatbread!"  Yuck!  Sounded awful, but I'd asked, so I felt obligated to order one and I added (for 10 cents more) bell peppers and onions.  Worst, most tasteless sandwich I've ever eaten, and I should have asked for 10 servings of bell peppers on it so I could at least taste some flavor.
 
Day 16 September 16, 2015 Arrowhead Marina & RV Park (Albany)

We started early for the first tour of the Albany Capitol at 10:00.  Then we drove in circles--between 2 GPSs that went crazy, one-way streets, pedestrians that darted from between cars, and misinformation when I called the Capitol, we found it eventually, but no parking (which the guide had said would be available, no problem) because it was the 50th Anniversary of the Concourse designed by Rockefeller. However, they had reduced the parking by 50% by making one whole side of the streets around the capitol "NO PARKING."  In our wanderings, we came across the New York State Museum, which was also on our list, so we parked in their lot for $5 and decided to do the Capitol on another day.

The first section was a series of impressive,  enormous dioramas of the animals that had been in New York for hundreds  of years, but which man made extinct within a few decades. (Picture 1/5639)  They were truly magnificent, but the lighting cast a weird yellow hue on our pictures.  One hunter/trapper  wrote in his diary that he was here for 9 years and sold 800 beaver pelts each year he was here.  Extinct animals include the Canada lynx, wolverine, mountain lion, timber wolf, and elk.  These were followed  by dioramas of animals still present today. 

I intentionally avoided the 9/11 display area because I get too emotionally involved, but the next display we came to was the second WTC Family Trailer that was provided to the families of 9/11 victims to give them a private space to view the recovery and reconstruction operations.  The original large trailer is at the Smithsonian and made several moves as the recovery progressed, and was eventually replaced by this one.  Family members moved items from the original trailer, and it was covered by posters, flags, pictures, and mementos--totally mesmerizing as I felt their grief.

I skipped sections that were of no interest to me, and was amazed by the Earthquake section.  They had an earthquake in 1944 of 5.8 magnitude which was felt throughout New England, Michigan, Ohio, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It caused $2 million damage and wells went permanently dry.  They had several other good shakers before and after, and they don't know why they occur.  They are not at an intersection of tectonic plates.  One hypothesis is that there were previously existing, very old weak zones in the earth's crust.

The fabulous Native American exhibit areas had two large-enough-to-live-in homes, one a longhouse, and another a reed, domed structure.  New York has the 3rd largest population of native Americans east of the Missouri River, and 75% of those are descendants of the Algonquin, who were here 500 years ago.

I overheard others talking about going to the nearby Capitol via the Concourse, and I knew the tour times, so we took off.  We rode the elevator down to the basement, where it opened onto the Concourse, a long, wide hallway filled with stores, places to eat, and paintings.  At the end is a visitor center, where you sign up for tours of the Capitol with Marvin, a great, knowledgeable guide.

We passed through a rigorous security check, which is no wonder considering continuing security plots being discovered.  This is our most security-conscious capitol of the 40 we've visited.  Usually we get to see inside the governor's office, but it is marked in no way, and they won't even tell you where it is..  However, they have a state policeman on duty, looking like a guard, with a large desk area in the hall on the second floor, so you kind of have to assume that the governor's office is nearby.

This is the second capitol.  The first one was used from 1809-1883, and was the City Hall for Albany, also.  It was just too small.  They built the new capitol up to the old capitol's back door.

The capitol doesn't look like a capitol.  It has no dome, although one was originally planned, and is extremely large---they say the largest in the US and even larger than the US Capitol.  They went through 5 architects before they got it built. It took 32 years to build and cost $25 million.  It is estimated that it would cost 1.5 billion dollars to replace it.  It was voted 7 times by the Smithsonian as the best Senate chamber in the United States.  It was extensively refurbished in 1977, and most of it is reproductions of what was originally there.  They have been constantly renovating since 2000.

The architect who made the first plan promised to complete it in 4 years for $4 million, the same as in Ottawa, where he just completed a capitol.  After 10 years and $10 million, only the 1st floor was complete.  The soil was hard to build on because it shifted.  New York had lots of money because all commerce at that time came through New York City and the taxes they paid were used to build the capitol.

We went up to the 4th floor to view the 3rd floor Senate from the gallery.  They don't allow visitors on the Senate floor, even when it's not in session.  There is a large hand-carved ceiling in the Senate. (Pic 2/5640)  There were several unique features.  Look for the  school desks at the front, between the President of the Senate (lieutenant governor)  and the Senators in Picture 3/5645.  These are occupied by photographers and press, who sit facing the Senators. Seats for the pages are along the wall have red Spanish leather, which was used a lot throughout.

None of the fireplaces in the Capitol are functional.  They have no chimneys.  There are 2 in the Senate (Picture 4/5646).  They are 6' x 6' x 6' and are totally soundproof.  Senators go inside the fireplace to have secret conversations because  the acoustics in the Senate so great that they don't need microphones to be heard. There are chairs inside the fireplaces for senators taller than 6 feet.  They vote orally aye or nay.  There are 63 senators, 32 Republican, and 31 Democratic, and only 11 women.  Five of the Democrats broke away to give Republicans extra votes they need in return for getting more Democratic bills onto the floor.  They are called the Independent Democrats, and they sit apart from everyone at the back of the Senate. 

All 213 members meet on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, from January through June.  Special Committees meet on Thursday.  Every Friday everyone MUST go home to be available to the voters, so the voters don't have to travel to Albany.  They all make weekend appointments.  Voters can watch every session of both houses on the Internet and Cable TV.  Their travel is paid for by the state.  Their base salary is $79,000, as well as a great health plan, free meals when they are in chamber, and the state pays part of their lodging when they are in Albany.

The Senate lobby floor has tile that has the color baked through the stone instead of being glazed and  is made in England still today (Picture 5/5647).  There is a huge wall of a 24K gold-leaf  frieze above the Senate, which I think looks gaudy, yet plain, a little ostentatious.  Originally it was embossed Italian leather, which I think was probably much prettier.

They are proud that there have been 4 presidents from New York--Van Buren, Cleveland, and both Roosevelts.

There is a Million Dollar (Great Western) Staircase made of sandstone between the 3rd and 4th floor. (Picture 6/5650),  I didn't care for its dull, stained stairs.  There are carved faces of 77 famous people into the staircase.  Grant (Picture 7/5654) and Lincoln (Picture 8/5655) are at the top of pillars.  They brought 600 carvers from Italy and paid them $5/day.  Most families couldn't earn $1/day, and these carvers worked 6 day weeks.  They were considered rich.  They also solicited visitors to the staircase, who paid them to add their portraits to the carving.  There are 1000 unknowns, and of course, the carvers carved their own faces into it, too.

The Senate Lobby seating is inviting (Picture 9/5656, and was once used by senators to converse with lobbyists.  Now they meet behind an open-barred gate at the entrance to the Senate. It weighs 3000 pounds and is perfectly balanced.  The guide made it open with a push of one finger.  It is open-barred so the public can observe the senators making deals, but is too far away to hear.

We actually got onto the Assembly floor.  There have been 3 different ceilings, including the largest attempted vaulted ceiling.  They had carved the base ceiling out of oak, but there were recessed parts, which were supposed to be made of oak, too.  However, one day an assemblyman came in and found a ceiling piece the size of a bowling ball on his desk and discovered that it was made of papier mache'. They tried to repair it for 3 years, and they took the firm to court.  However, when a fire raged through the Capitol, the ceiling saved the building because the papier mache' soaked up water.  This is the largest room in the Capitol.

Members of the Assembly have placed flags on their desks, noting by rainbow flag if they voted for the same sex marriage act, and noting their patriotism with the American flag, and noting their family's or spouse's heritage.  (Picture 10/5657)  There are 36 women.  They have 150 members and electronic voting.

On the  2nd floor there is a beautiful State Seal (Pic. 11/5662).  It shows Lady Liberty, Lady Justice, 3 sets of mountains--Adironacks, Catskills, Allegheny,  an American eagle at the top representing New York as the #1 trading city in the world, and a ship from England and New York showing the importance of trade.  This is the Governor's floor.  Current Governor Cuomo made it a project to get all the governors' portraits out of storage and install them in the Hall of Governors with blue plaques telling their historical accomplishments.  Only one of the paintings was paid for, the first governor, George Clinton.  In 1804, he was the first elected vice-president of the US.  He served under Jefferson and Madison.  It was interesting that at that time it was possible to have a president and vice-president of different parties.

The original elevator used steam for propulsion, and it was in the same beautiful carved place that it is in today.  The elevator has gorgeous cast metal doors and carved woodwork between the elevator doors (Pic. 12/5666)

We usually take a picture of each capitol, but this one was impossible.  It is so large that you couldn't stand far enough away, and the traffic was horrible.  So, we took a picture of this painting of it .  (Pic. 13/5664)

New York State Museum doesn't charge an admission, but they would like a donation of $5 per person.  We spent the last hour of our day enjoying more of it.

It had been a busy day, but there was a movie we wanted to see, "A Walk in the Woods," starring Robert Redford.  At a large, modern theatre we paid only $6/ticket, which is a bargain for us.  And the movie was good!

By the time we got home at 10:00 PM, we were tuckered out.  Our RV park is heavily forested and very dark.  Dean went to the RV first to put on a light for me to be able to see where I was walking.  I heard an expletive!  He had broken the key when he inserted it in the deadbolt.  I had an extra key, but he had to get the key out.  Fortunately, our camp host was kind enough to bring his tools down and got it out.

Staying at Arrowhead Marina & RV Park

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Day 17 September 17, 2015 White River Junction, VT (just a mile from NH)

We drove 133 miles from Schenectady to White River.  The first 75 miles were "white knuckle," quite literally.  I was holding onto the side tray and computer table all the way.  We started on the Mapquested route, and Dean remembered a few miles into it that this was the same way we came to the movies, and there was a 10' clearance bridge.  So we pulled into a parking lot, got out our maps, and re-routed us.  But, it was still curvy, 2-lane state highways most of the way.  And, when you come to cities/towns, they double-park both passenger cars and Fedex in the one lane you do have!  Jaywalkers were everywhere, and they're not at all intimidated by our size.  At one bridge, we had only 6" of clearance, and we prayed that their sign didn't need to be updated.

We had some activities planned, but it was after 4:00 when we finally got here.  It took us 4.5 hours to travel 133 miles with one 25-minute lunch break and one 5-minute bathroom break.  We needed a little while to relax and put on our traveling legs.

We went into Lebanon, NH to the Walmart to try and get a new key for our RV deadbolt.  They make keys, but not what we need.  Home Depot was the same story.  However, at Walmart I did find USA-made lids to put over food when you microwave, and for less than $2.  My wallet fell apart (from getting into it so often to pay tolls on the roads?), and I really like the one I found for $10.  I haven't paid that  little for a wallet in 50 years!  But, it is made in China.

By this time it was after 8:00, so we opted for the Applebees next to Home Depot.

Staying at the White River KOA, $48 for W & E in their one "overflow" area in front of their garages.  Very nice people, but you need to reserve ahead in the fall in Vermont.  Forested, our satellite caught the signal on the morning of the 18th but we had to go to the dump station and we couldn't recover it.

Day 18 September 18, 2015 White River Junction, VT

Today was a day of fix-its.  We went to a locksmith, who made us a replacement key for the deadbolt key and also one for the Jeep.  Dean lost his.  I've been encouraging him to get a murse, but it's a guy thing.  He has so much stuff in his pockets that it was bound to happen.  The new Jeep key works, but it sets off the alarm whenever you unlock the door with it.  We tried to get around it by locking the door with the key, but you can't.  It is a good back-up, but I hope Dean lost his somewhere in the coach and we find it.

In the afternoon, we went to the doctor to fix Dean.  It turns out he has an ordinary stomach bug, but after 5 days, I wanted to make sure.  He is to eat the BRAT diet--Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast.  No caffeine, and he's a Coke addict!  It's worth it if it works.
 
Linda,

If your still in White River I recommend Simon Pearce's  Bar & Restaurant, Retail Boutique & Glassblowing in Quechee.
It's a fun place, good restaurant. Be sure that Dean goes down to see their Hydro plant.
 
Ken & Sheila said:
Linda,

If your still in White River I recommend Simon Pearce's  Bar & Restaurant, Retail Boutique & Glassblowing in Quechee.
It's a fun place, good restaurant. Be sure that Dean goes down to see their Hydro plant.

Thanks, Ken & Sheila.  Unfortunately, I haven't had Internet for 9 days.  RV parks keep promising clear shots, and usually we get none, sometimes TV only.  In White River, I was so excited because our satellite worked on all 5 lights.  I did my banking & business first.  Unfortunately, we were in "overflow" (and very glad to be in their one and only space), but we only had W & E, so Dean had to dump (we were washing lots).  When we came back, we got TV but no more internet.  Or we would definitely have gone to Simon Pearce's.  We left WR 2 days ago.

I learned (but forgot) that I need to post where we're heading.

 
We are in Montpelier, headed tomorrow to Lubec Maine to see Campobello.

After that, we go to Bar Harbor to see Acadia NP, Wendell Gilley Museum, and possibly do a Guildive Cruise.

Then to Rockland/Rockport to see the Farnsworth Art Museum, Hardy Boat Cruise for fall foliage & history, and on to Augusta.

Anyone with something to add to our itinerary, please feel free.  How long we stay up here is dependent somewhat on what color the leaves are.  Timing leaves is a lot like timing investments--almost impossible--but our dream is to migrate south with the leaf color.  Pipe dream???

 
Linda
The Ben & Jerry's factory is in Waterbury and the Von Trapp Family lodge is in Stowe.  Said it reminded them of home when they buit there.
 
Ken & Sheila said:
Linda
The Ben & Jerry's factory is in Waterbury and the Von Trapp Family lodge is in Stowe.  Said it reminded them of home when they buit there.

Thanks,  the Ben & Jerry's is a ton of fun, but it's a one-timer. 

We've seen "The Sound of Music" so many times that seeing their lodge might be fun.  We are awaiting our FedEx package, so we'll either do the hotel or a scenic drive.
 
Dean & Linda Stock said:
How long we stay up here is dependent somewhat on what color the leaves are.  Timing leaves is a lot like timing investments--almost impossible--but our dream is to migrate south with the leaf color.  Pipe dream???

With the warm days and cool nights that we've been having, there should be a dramatic change in color in another week or so.
 
Day 19 September 19, 2015 White River Junction, VT

We enjoy raptor centers, and there is one just a couple of miles from our camp, the best we've ever visited.  VINS (Vermont Institute of  Natural Science) charges $12.50 for seniors and receives no federal or state funds, so admissions and donations fund their $1.3 million budget.

Their staff is amazingly knowledgeable and so friendly and willing to share.  As we were strolling to the Vet Care Center, we met the Manager, who gave us lots of interesting information.  We shared how impressed we were with his staff, and he said that was the biggest budget item.  He just lost his #2 man, who was earning $70.000 a year.  He moved to Los Alamos to take a government position at over triple the money, $210,000+!!  He made us aware of the newest display showing the relationship through time of the dinosaurs and birds.  Everything here was of excellent quality.  Even the trees were labeled as to type.

The Raptor Talk was given by 2 summer-only lecturers who sounded like they had  Ph.D.'s in ornithology, with a specialty in raptors.  Raptors' name comes from the Latin repere, which is means "to grasp."  All raptors have forward -facing eyes, which gives them good depth perception, unlike ducks who can't judge and start paddling many feet above where they land and until they hit the water.  They all grasp their prey with talons and have a sharp knife-like beak.  Only 1 in 5 hunting attempts is successful.  Raptors are a sentinel species and were very important in determining the problems with DDT.

All raptors except the Harris Hawk are solitary.  They will mate for life, but they only get together to raise a new family, and then it's, "See you here next year."  The golden eagle lost her partner last year, (due to old age) and she spent 2 months uttering constant mournful cries.  The nature center finally decided to move the golden eagle that they used in shows into her cage, and the widow immediately stopped her cries. (He didn't like being a show bird anyway.)

The rough-legged hawk (Pic.1/5738) has feathers that cover his legs.  These are important because he lives in the Arctic and flies south to VERMONT!! to winter.

Buteos are a class of birds with broad wings and tails who ride air currents and some members can hover.  The rough-legged hawk and the American Kestrel (Pic 2/5685) are buteos.  The kestrel is a falcon, not a hawk, and is often misnamed "sparrow hawk" because he eats sparrows.  In the wild, mice urinate as they walk, giving them a trail to follow back home.  However, the trail luminesces for the kestrel, and it leads him right to his prey.  The mouse may duck into a hole.  However, the kestrel hovers, and is able to lock his head in place while moving the rest of his body, ensuring that he never loses sight of where his prey is.  He tries to kill his prey by punching it at high speed with a hit to the head, which usually works.  If not he gets it with his grasp by the talons, and a notch in his beak allows him to snap the prey's neck.  In his dive, he exceeds 200 miles per hour!

The barred owl (Picture 3/5741) has striped feathers (bars) and eyes that are shaped like a pear to let in lots of light.  The smallest part of the pear (end) is what we see, so imagine what's inside his head!  He has lots of light-sensing rods, and he can see well during the day.  His 2 giant facial disk sound funnels on his face are like two gigantic ears, and he can move his feathers to reshape the funnel to listen in specific directions.  His wings are shaped for silent flight.  That way he won't alert his prey or disrupt his hearing of the prey's movements.  His call sounds a lot like a barking dog.  He loves fishing in swamps.

The Harris Hawk (Picture 4/5730) is also called The Winged Wolf.  They are found in the southwestern US.  They form a group and hunt jackrabbits.  They weigh about 1.5 pounds, and jackrabbits weigh 9-10 pounds, and jackrabbits don't want to be eaten, so they have to work together.  One hawk lands on a cactus, then another lands on him, until there are 5-8 birds stacked one on top of another.  Two of the hawks chase the prey, while the others in the hawk tower keep their eyes riveted on the prey.  When those two hawks get tired, the next two take over.  Eventually the jackrabbit tires and goes to a bush.  The group surrounds the bush and keep probing and jabbing at it until the rabbit is exhausted, and they have their meal.  He flew fast and low over the audience (Picture 5/5724)

The Cooper's Hawk was my favorite.  He is the most beautiful Cooper's I've ever seen.  He uses his long tail to fly through wooded areas and make sharp turns.  If only our pictures of him had come out well enough to print!

Dean and I visited the enclosures of about 20 raptors; this is by far the largest raptor center we've visited.  At 1:00, we took the raptor enclosure guided tour.  It sounded boring, but it was very interesting.  The guide told us what problems they encountered with each bird and how they adapted each enclosure to the bird's handicap and likes and dislikes.  The bald eagle (Pic 6/5671) is very friendly and likes to sit up front and look over his visitors.  The snowy owl was so so white!  (Picture 7/5760)

At 1:30, the talk on raptor sounds provided a chance to see more birds up close.  The great horned owl is the largest, most aggressive owl.  (Picture 8/5768) He can turn his head 270? as he swivels his neck.  He hoots to attract a mate and establish territories.  But, this owl won't quit!  He hoots constantly.  He would starve in the wild because he would give away his position to prey.  He was hit by a car and has had 2 seizures.  He is blind in one eye, and is extremely calm, which is very unusual (brain damage?).  The rehabilitators are often able to return a raptor with one eye to the wild, but not one as noisy as he is!  Doesn't he have an expressive face?

The barn owl (Picture 9/5784) sounds like a screecher with a very shrill cry, whereas the screech owl actually has a melodious call.  All barn owls have one eye higher than the other to allow better vision.  This one was purposely imprinted on humans (he thinks he is human) because they wanted a bird for educational purposes.  He would not hunt prey in the wild; he would look for a human to feed him.  In choosing a mate, he would choose a human girlfriend.

Dean dropped me at home and went on to the American Precision Museum.  He said it would be of interest only to machinists.

Staying at Limehurst Lake Campground -- FHU $120.21/3 days, nice host, on a lake, pretty scenery, no extras
 

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Day 20 September 20, 2015 White River Junction, VT

Today we planned to go to the Calvin Coolidge National Historic Site and a science museum, but the CCNHS was so good, we spent the whole day there.  Vermont was the birthplace of Coolidge and President Chester Arthur.  We paid  $14 for 2 admissions with AAA discount.  They have preserved the whole village as it was in the early 1900's, and almost everything is original.  There is the home where he was born, the church, cheese factory, one-room schoolhouse, the barn, and general store, and many have original furnishings.  The President is buried in the town cemetery. 

We saw a very short film on Coolidge's life and several pictures with explanations or simplistic audio.  He attended a one-room schoolhouse with 23 students aged 5 (Calvin) through 18.  Students moved at their own pace.  At age 12, his sister passed everything and qualified to be a teacher.  Calvin was only an average student, but he passed the exam to be a teacher at age 13.  He moved to a nearby town to attend high school.  He was a true farm boy, and he tended animals, baled hay, picked and sold apples, and kept accounts for his well-respected shopkeeper & businessman father who served 10 years as a state senator and assembly member.  Cal graduated from Amherst (Massachusetts) with honors and law school.

But, he wasn't always a good boy.  The boys of Union (next town) and Plymouth Notch (Cal's town) vied for the honor of firing the cannon on the Fourth of July.  Cal and his friends settled the issue for once and for all in 1892.  They formed a raiding party and crept down in the early morning hours of the 4th and quietly took the 500-pound cannon from its place at the Union.  They dragged it up the steep slope to the Notch and hid it behind the pile of manure in the basement of the Wilder (grandpa) barn.  When the doors were opened, the floor boards lifted up, rolling out the cannon without using any of the perpetrators.  A long lanyard was pulled, and the cannon boomed.  It was heard throughout the sleeping village.  Before they could gather their wits, the cannon was quickly drawn back inside the barn with a long rope, and the barn doors were closed.  Swiftly it was swabbed out, reloaded and rolled out again and fired.  Meanwhile, the Union City boys had heard the distant thunder and discovered their prize cannon missing, and they came running up the road.  John Wilder (grandpa) met them and told them that he'd fight them all.  So they backed down  That afternoon the young Amherst student Cal gave a stirring speech on the glories of independence and looked like he was a model citizen.

He had an interest in politics and was defeated when he ran for school board, but two years later was elected to the Massachusetts state legislature.  He won a statewide race for the Massachusetts Senate in 1912, and then he became governor.  He did all his politics in Massachusetts, but he always considered himself a Vermonter.  He won national attention when he called out the National Guard when the Boston police went on strike.  He told Samuel Gompers, the AFL leader, that no one had the right to strike against public safety, anytime, anywhere.  He supported a cost-of-living pay increase for public employees, limited the workweek for women and children to 48 hours, and limited outdoor advertising.  He believed that women should have the right to vote.

He went to the RNC in Chicago in 1920 as his state's favorite son, but he only got 34 votes.  Backroom dealing was supposed to nominate Irving Lenroot of Wisconsin to be Harding's VP.  But, rebellious delegates swept Cal onto the ticket.

When Cal was vacationing at his home, President Harding died from a heart attack.  His father administered the Oath of Office to Cal because he was eligible to do so in his position of notary public in this room (Picture 1/5805).  At the time, he thought that taking the oath was just something he had to do.  Later, he came to appreciate the ceremonial aspect.  He fulfilled the remaining year of Harding's presidency and was re-elected.  His re-election was assured, but he chose not to run because he didn't think it was best for the country.  He made extensive use of the radio and reached more Americans than all previous presidents combined.  He really was a simple, common sense man.

We've seen lots of old homesteads, but we saw many new items to us, especially in the barn.  Picture 2/5790 is a winter hearse with sled runners to get through the snow.  Picture 3/5793 is a rural free delivery sleigh used in the winters of the 1920s and 1930s.  It has a small stove in it.  The shafts are off-center so that the horse could walk in the runner track made by previous sleighs.  Early carrier had to buy their own vehicles, and they had to provide and care for their own horses. 

Picture 4/5796 is Cal's maternal grandparents' house, and it is now a wonderful restaurant.  Dean and I had lunch there.  Vermont values--$1.25 for my cup of soup and the same for Dean's cup of chili.

Picture 5/5798 is a nanny rocker located in the bedroom where Cal was born.  You put the baby next to you with the front bars up and could then rock him,  while having your hands free to be able to knit.  If guests came over and you needed extra seating, the bars are removable, and it's a 2-seat rocker.

The birds' eye maple and oak counter used in the general store today was made by Cal and his father in his youth. (Picture 6/5799)

Pictures 7 & 8/5800 & 5801 are of the gorgeous community church that Cal attended as a youth and every time he vacationed in Vermont during his presidency.  I loved the curving wooden roof. 

We went to the cheese factory that was founded in 1890 by the Coolidge family.  Plymouth is the second oldest operating cheese maker in the U.S.  They make their cheese by hand and waxed it, the way they did it over 125 years ago.  I could taste the difference.  It was so good that we bought some, although it was expensive.

The signage gave little information about the accomplishments of Cal's presidency.  There were few that I could find, even looking at the Internet.  He signed into law a bill giving Native Americans US citizenship and allowing them to retain their sovereignity.  He visited the Sioux and  when he signed the bill they made him an honorary chief, "Chief Leading Eagle," at the Summer White House in South Dakota.  He visited Cuba.  He signed a pact with 62 nations in 1929 renouncing war.  He fostered good relations with businesses and was fortunate to serve in a time of economic prosperity.

It was a beautiful Vermont day, and there was a feeling here of a simpler life, but a comfortable life.  The President's son and daughter-in-law gave the house and all the furnishings to the State of Vermont, complete with the furnishings exactly as they were in 1923.  The State of Vermont bought the cheese factory from John in 1960.  They have re-established production of the distinctive granular curd-type Plymouth Cheese., which was so good that we bought some. 

Staying at Limehurst Lake Campground -- FHU $120.21/3 days, nice host, on a lake, pretty scenery, no extras
 

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Day 21 September 21, 2015 Williamstown (Outside Montpelier), VT

Vermont was a land of dispute between New Hampshire and New York, both of whom gave settlers grants of the same land.  England and France also fought over it.  Vermont tried to be the 14th original colony, but they were rejected.  There was a strong movement to join Canada since the U. S. didn't want them.  In 1777, they became a republic.

They built their first state house in 1808 and stayed there until they outgrew it in 1836,  The second state house lasted from 1838-1857, when they had a fire and burned it down.  It was really cold and the legislature was in session.  Workmen stoked the wood stoves to provide heat and then took a coffee break.  All that was saved was the portico in front that was used in this third capitol and a portrait of George Washington.

When they built the third capitol, (Pic 1/5806), they were almost paranoid about fire prevention.  The columns inside and the stairs look like they are wood, but they are actually cast iron (which wouldn't burn). They even put huge iron shutters over the windows to be able to cut off oxygen in case of fire. 

There were no trees at the Capitol, as there are today, because all of Vermont's trees had been cut down to provide wood to build ships in Massachusetts.  They used lots of open land to feed sheep, which were later replaced by dairy cows.  Later, there were efforts to reverse the deforestation.

From over a mile away, we could see the copper dome that was gilded with 23.7 K gold in the 1900's  shining.  At its top stands the statue of Agriculture.  The original statue rotted and was in danger of toppling off the dome.  With help from Capitol janitors, the 87-year-old Sergeant-at-Arms carved a 14-foot replacement mounted on a six-foot pedestal.

As we entered, we noticed the black and white checked floor.  The white is Vermont marble, and the black is  marble with lots of fossils in it (Pic 2/5835).

We were able to go into the Senate, (Pic 3/5812) which meets from January to April or May.  It has been restored to its original state, just as it was when first build except for the vanity curtains in front of the desks, which are original (Pic.4/5813).  When ladies were elected to the Senate, these were added (Pic 5/5816).  The chairs were originally upholstered with horsehair, but today's leather is much more comfortable.  The lieutenant governor runs the Senate.  There are 25 Democrats and 5 Republicans.  There is a Democratic governor and a Republican lieutenant governor.  The Senators have no staff and no offices.  There are legislative lawyers assigned to specialties such as agriculture, and they can go consult with them.  The governor, lieutenant governor, President Pro Tem, and the Speaker of the House are the only ones with offices.  Each of the legislators has a license plate with the number of their region so their voters will recognize them when they're driving down the street, especially when they are home.  No technology is allowed in the Senate.  It's interesting that in New York there will be no paper in their legislature by January, 2016, and in Vermont they are all paper.  There is one senator per county, regardless of population or size.

We looked for the rotunda and inner dome, but there is none.  When they were building the Capitol, it was in the plans, but the Director of the Budget axed it.

Until the 1960's, there was one representative for each town or city, regardless of population, and there were 251 representatives.  They decided it would be better to elect by districts of equal population, and it has been done that way ever since.  Lines are redrawn when the census is done every 10 years.  There are now 150 representatives.  Our guide has lived in the same house since 1975, and she's been in 3 different districts. 

In the house, desks are original.  The senators can't come in without an invitation, usually for the governor's State of the State speech.  They sit up front in the chairs usually used by the general public (Pic 6/5817).  The painting of George Washington  rescued from the fire is hung here.  The State Seal is prominent (Pic 7/5823).  It shows the importance of agriculture in the state.  Lights are original, but have been converted from gas to electricity.  If you want to talk with you representative, it's easy.  They all give out their home addresses, personal phone numbers, personal email, and government email.  They work Tuesday through Friday.  The MOST compensation they can receive with maximum per diem is $5,500!!!  This is a very thrifty state!  They have no governor's mansion, either.  They have a problem raising money.  Many of their residents go to New Hampshire to buy goods because they have 0% sales tax, whereas Vermont has a 9% sales tax.  In the last session, they voted to recapture the lost revenue from car sales by charging the sales tax when you register a new car, even if it wasn't purchased in Vermont.  There are no term limits for any position.

The governor serves coffee and donuts every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in his Ceremonial Office (Pic 8/5826).  This gives the people a chance to chat with him.  The Constitution Chair behind the desk is made from timber of the ship the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides).  A Vermonter asked what they were going to do with the wood and was told that they were going to throw it away.  He took the wood and made a chair for every state in the Union at the time with that state's seal.

They took us into the Cedar Creek Room to show us a painting of the Vermont soldiers done by a 15-year-old who became one of the state's most famous painters.  But, I was more interested in the original glass skylights in the room (Pic 9/5826).  They had been covered over many times and were discovered by workers when there was a leak.  The glass had been shattered.  The restorers took all those glass shards and recreated the original stained glass skylights, adding new pieces of glass to fill in the missing pieces.

Of course, Bernie Sanders is a big name in Vermont.  He was the mayor of Burlington and then served Vermont in the U. S. Senate, but he never served in either of the statehouses.

Staying at Limehurst Lake Campground -- FHU $120.21/3 days, nice host, on a lake, pretty scenery, no extras
 

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Day 22 September 22, 2015 Williamstown, VT

We had Internet this morning so we stayed at the RV and took care of business.  This just left us the afternoon.  Yesterday at the Capitol, we were told that we should visit the Vermont Historical Society.  Admission was $3.  It was like a museum, but instead of having many relics, it had just a few.  There was one impressive relic, this  great-grandfather clock (too big to just be a grandfather) which was once in an elegant Montpelier hotel.  (Pic 1)

Primarily, this historical building was a timeline of illustrated signboards about the history of Vermont, which was really interesting.  Their state motto is "Freedom and Unity," which prevailed through the whole timeline.  They believe strongly in giving the most possible freedom for each individual while being unified in providing for safety and the shared values of the community.

Vermont joined the US in 1791 as a non-slave state, but allowing that slave-holding states could do as they want.  The first half of the Vermont Constitution outlawed slavery. There were many abolitionist groups who wanted  total freedom for slaves, but most believed in "gradually abolishing slavery in the US."      How is that achieved, specifically?  I don't get it, and I wish they'd described the plan.  I think it's kind of like being a little bit pregnant.  Many of the abolitionists felt that the slaves should be returned to Africa.

When Lincoln asked Vermont what he could expect from Vermont if the South seceded, its governor said, "Vermont will do its duty."  They were a big part of the Underground Railroad until the Federal government cracked down and threatened them.  At the Capitol, we were told that Vermont sent more men into battle in the Civil War than any other state.  However, other states make the same claim.

Vermont was the first state to give women the right to vote in state elections.  However, when the 19th amendment was proposed, their governor refused to sign it, and it became law without Vermont's vote.  In 1999, the legislature voted to allow same sex couples to form a union/partnership.  Over 1500 people came to Montpelier (which is a lot in Vermont!) to express their feelings to the legislature.

I admire people who admit their wrong deeds.  In the early 1920's, the Ku Klux Klan was active in persecuting African Americans, Jews, and Catholics.  The Irish, French Canadians, and Italians immigrated.  Their Catholic religion, languages, and cultural traditions made them considered outsiders. They didn't think they would carry on Vermont's traditional values. Two major cities made laws banning meetings of people wearing masks or disguises.  They had a KKK hood on display.  However,  the citizenry accomplished the defeat of the KKK quickly by boycotting businesses whose owners were KKK members.

Their other black mark was the Vermont Eugenics Survey, which was founded by a professor at the University of Vermont.  He did multi-generational studies of Vermonters in institutions to document genetic defects.  In 1931, Vermont sterilized them so their genes wouldn't be passed on.  The study and sterilizations ended in 1936.

We really like the hard-working host at our RV park and its pretty setting by a forested lake with ducks (who unfortunately quack at 6:00 AM). (Pics 2 & 3)

Staying at Limehurst Lake Campground -- FHU $120.21/3 days, nice host, on a lake, pretty scenery, no extras
 

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